《I Have Yet to Become a Doll Today》 Chapter 297 - Chapter 297: Chapter 297: Snowflake Chapter 297: Chapter 297: Snowflake Translator: 549690339 They had only three nails left, but still seven suckers in need of nails. The music box was disassembled, the wheelchair disassembled; where else to find nails?! They had made it through spring, through summer. They were just about to clear the level, were they really going to die here?! Bai Youwei felt like her head was about to explode! She was not willing to accept this! She didn¡¯t want to lose! She wouldn¡¯t accept defeat!!! Those with insufficient fighting power all headed upstairs, the urgent sounds of footsteps filled the room, thud, thud, thud Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo stayed on the first floor, ready to delay the Nail Tooth Monster and buy their companions some time when it goes on a rampage. Su Man and Li Li also wanted to stay behind. Li Li said, ¡°I have beads in my hand, I can at least throw a few at it!¡± When it came to this life and death situation, Su Man didn¡¯t want to quarrel with him, but she couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Your glasses are already cloudy, you¡¯re no help at all! I can aim better with just one hand than you can!¡± Zhu Shu returned, beads in hand, and stood at the staircase saying, ¡± I can help as well.¡± Yan Qingwen sternly ordered, ¡°What¡¯s all this fuss about?! Aside from those putting together the puzzle, everyone get upstairs!¡± ¡± Wait!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly shouted. Everyone looked at her. Bai Youwei, her face as white as a ghost, held a nail in her hand, slowly feeding it into the mouth of the Nail Tooth Monster, ¡°Li Li, you come here ¡± Li Li was stunned, then snapped, ¡°Dream on! You wanted to do it yourself when I offered before, competed with me! Now that you see there aren¡¯t enough nails, you want me to do it?! Over my dead body!¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t want to hear his prattling, and yelled, ¡°Shen Mo! Grab his glasses! Quickly!¡± Glasses? Li Li paused once more, but before he could react, his vision blurred! Shen Mo had taken his glasses! ¡°The screwdriver is here!¡± Yan Qingwen quickly handed it to Shen Mo. Li Li was stupefied, ¡°Brother Yan ¡± Yan Qingwen had no time for him, he and Shen Mo worked together, quickly disassembling the legs of the glasses and unscrewing the two screws on the nose pads. Four perfect nails! ¡°Nails!¡± Su Man exclaimed excitedly, slapping Li Li on the back, ¡°Li Li, you¡¯re awesome!!!¡± Li Li¡¯s world was a blur, his head reeling from the blow¡ªwhat happened? What made him awesome? How on earth did he warrant praise from Su Man?!! ¡°Done!¡± Bai Youwei placed the last nail and let out a sigh of relief! The Nail Tooth Monster closed its mouth. The metal teeth of nails made a creaking sound as they ground together, the mouth opened with a click, closed with a click! It seemed quite satisfied with the sound, no longer itching, chattering its teeth as it leisurely turned around and walked away . People started coming down from upstairs, hearts pounding as they looked towards the door. The monster¡¯s figure was getting further and further away. It was completely gone . The Crystal Ball on the ground slowly lifted, its childlike voice grim to the extreme, like a demon crawling out from the ground: ¡°You actually made it through . You actually got through my Dollhouse .¡± The eerie voice echoed, the ball continuously swelling. Everyone cautiously stepped back, gathering together, watching as the ball in front of them grew larger. The snowflakes inside were whirling riotously! As if they would break out of the ball at any moment! Until with a loud bang! White light exploded! The Crystal Ball shattered into specks of dust. The snowflakes turned solid and gently fell into everyone¡¯s hands¡ª ¡°Congratulations on clearing this game. The total number of players who cleared the game is ten.¡± In place of the original Crystal Ball, a glowing white orb appeared. The immature childlike voice was completely devoid of emotion: ¡°Now let¡¯s calculate the game rewards. Each player who cleared the game will receive a Winter Snowflake. The player who received the most recognition from the guests will receive the ¡®Master of the Dollhouse¡¯ title and become the real owner of the Dollhouse.¡± Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Chapter 1 The Tortoise and the Hare Chapter 1: Chapter 1 The Tortoise and the Hare Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio May of 2119, humans started to turn into dolls. Those walking on the street, eating in restaurants, or half-dressed in changing rooms; the unfortunate ones¡¯ movement paused in the moment of transition, their smiles frozen on their faces, as they all became motionless human-shaped dolls. Without warning, without identifiable cause. People were perplexed, terrified, driven to madness, and filled with despair. They marched in protests challenging the suspected terror attacks of mysterious organizations, spread rumors of extraterrestrial invasions on the internet, and some even evacuated to the countryside¡­ They did everything they could but still, the people around them kept turning into dolls one after another. Gradually, people became numb. Those who should go to school, went to school. Those who should work, went to work. Life continued as usual. But there was a new segment on the daily news broadcast- After reading the news, the television newscaster would announce in a standard tone: ¡°If you notice someone around you has turned into a doll, please call the emergency hotline at 123, the relevant departments will handle this promptly¡­¡± ¡°Handling¡± meant sending the dolls off to research institutions. If the scientists found something significant, that was good. If they didn¡¯t, the relatives would be notified to claim the dolls, whether to bury or place them in their homes was up to them. Bai Youwei watched the news for a while, then noticing the time, she took the remote and turned off the television. She then pressed a button on her wheelchair and headed towards the dining room. She had a disability in both legs, her parents divorced in her early childhood and they both started new families. Perhaps due to guilt, they never held back on expenses for Bai Youwei. They let her live in the most luxurious villas and hired expensive caretakers, but they never seemed to have time to spend with their daughter. But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t mind it. She was long accustomed to being alone. The dining room clock ticked on, with the minute hand pointing to 12:10. Bai Youwei ate lunch precisely at noon every day, never late, but now, there was no food on the table. With silence all around, the ticking of the clock emphasized the tranquility of the luxurious villa. Bai Youwei waited for a bit, then noticed the smell of burnt food coming from the kitchen. She adjusted her direction and rolled over in her wheelchair. The caretaker was standing with her back towards her, frozen beside the gas stove, with her hand still holding the pose of stirring food, but she didn¡¯t move. The caretaker had become a doll, just now. Her face was the same, but the material had wholly changed, from fresh flesh and blood to plastic skin, glass eyes, synthetic hair¡­. The previous caretaker had fled back to her hometown, and this one had only been here for two days. Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t even memorized her name yet. Now, the woman had become like this. She gazed at the sight for a moment, then rolled her wheelchair over, turned off the stove, and as advised on the news, dialed the emergency hotline 123. The line was busy. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then decided to call her mother. Since the caretaker was hired by her mother, she should be able to contact the caretaker¡¯s family. Once the call connected, she was surrounded by the sounds of conversations, laughter and music¡­ all accentuating her solitude. A real nuisance. She explained the situation briefly and then hung up the phone. The house was silent, as was outside. The scorching sun was baking the earth. The pond in the garden reflected the glittering light. A hibiscus drooped its purple petals under the intense sunshine. Everything seemed normal, but Bai Youwei knew that the world had already become abnormal. ¡­ At two in the afternoon, the sound of a car engine echoed outside the villa. Through the window, Bai Youwei saw a tall man ringing the doorbell. After a moment of thought, she went to the kitchen to get a folding fruit knife, and then wheeled towards the door. Through the iron gate, she could see the man standing tall, with a stern look on his face, and a pair of deep and quiet eyes under his thick eyebrows. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn¡¯t recall where she had seen him before. ¡°Are you Weiwei?¡± His voice hesitated slightly, bearing the unfamiliarity of their first meeting. ¡°I¡¯m Shen Mo, your mother heard about what happened here and asked me to pick you up.¡± Bai Youwei was startled. Shen Mo? No wonder he seemed familiar, he was Uncle Shen¡¯s son. He looked a bit like his uncle. To clarify, Uncle Shen is her mother¡¯s good friend, as well as her business partner. In Bai Youwei¡¯s opinion, ¡°fall-back option¡± would be a more appropriate description of Uncle Shen¡¯s role. After a moment of silence, Bai Youwei put her fruit knife back in her pocket and opened the door- Shen Mo looked at the girl in front of him. With pale skin and soft long hair, her light blue dress covered her from neck to feet. Just like her name indicates ¨C Bai (white), You (young), Wei (tiny) ¨C one can¡¯t help but associate her with words like pale, young, delicate, weak, and so on. She looked very well-behaved, not at all difficult to get along with, contrary to what her Aunt Wang had described. ¡°Pack your things. I¡¯ll drive you to Yangzhou,¡± said Shen Mo concisely. Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Shen Mo was surprised and raised his eyebrows, ¡°It¡¯s unsafe in the city now. Those who could have already evacuated, if you stay here with nobody to take care of you, you¡¯ll die.¡± Bai Youwei lowered her head to look at the exquisite pattern on her dress, ¡°I¡¯m not going. No matter where I go, with my condition, I¡¯ll die.¡± Shen Mo had not expected such obstinance. He wasn¡¯t good at persuading people and even worse at cajoling children. Without a word, he walked into the house asking, ¡°Which room is yours?¡± Watching Shen Mo, Bai Youwei asked suspiciously, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Ignoring her, Shen Mo went into the house. After walking around, he found her bedroom with certainty and started to pack her clothes and necessities. The girl followed him, her expression somewhat forlorn. After packing the clothes, Shen Mo stood in the room, looking around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the medicine?¡± Bai Youwei permanently resided in a wheelchair, and medicine was a necessity. She stayed silent. He didn¡¯t bother asking again. Soon, the room was all in disorder. Sitting in her wheelchair, Bai Youwei watched him rummaging through her things, gripping her hands tightly. With a low voice, she said, ¡°Do you¡­ do you think you¡¯re amazing and noble for saving a poor, helpless girl?¡­ Have you ever thought about the consequences of taking me away forcefully?¡­ Once we reach Yangzhou, how am I, a physically-disabled woman, going to survive? You know, I need help even to eat and go to the bathroom. I have to wear adult diapers for long journeys. You¡­,¡± She took a deep breath, ¡°You don¡¯t understand anything! I¡¯m not going with you!¡± At the end of her words, her voice was hoarse, bearing suppressed sobbing. Shen Mo looked at her, stayed silent for a moment, and then he lowered his voice, ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t understand. But at least there¡¯s one thing I understand ¨C if you stay here, you¡¯ll die faster. If you leave, there might be hope.¡± Hope? A chill ran through Bai Youwei¡¯s heart. Even her own parents no longer wished to see her. She was living life like a zombie, without the intention of continuing, even if the world remained normal. She was a hopeless wreck! Shen Mo approached Bai Youwei, his dark eyes heavy with intensity, speaking in a calm and steadfast voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will safely get you to Yangzhou.¡± Bai Youwei bit her lip. She had no choice. Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei out of the villa, towards an off-road vehicle parked by the road side. He lifted her from her wheelchair. She was lighter than he could ever imagine, frail but not making his arms uncomfortable. The girl in his hold was soft and weak. Her face against his chest, a faint fragrance intertwined with a scent of dairy-infused rose, along with a whiff of medicine. It formed a peculiar aroma, inducing a feeling he couldn¡¯t quite describe. Looking at her tense face, he softened a little, reassuring her again, ¡°I¡¯ll drive faster. We will get there in an hour and a half. There is someone at the other end to take care of you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Apparently bearing a grudge against him for his coercion, Bai Youwei turned her face away, refusing to respond. Shen Mo gave a faint smile, closed the car door, and sat in the driver¡¯s seat to start the car¡ª But it didn¡¯t take him long to realize he had miscalculated. The situation was more serious than he had imagined. Dolls had appeared on almost every road. While the reason for people turning into dolls was unknown, it was common knowledge that areas with a high density of dolls were dangerous, and everyone tried to avoid such roads. Shen Mo began detouring. After more than an hour, he finally arrived at the motorway entrance. But even the motorway wasn¡¯t peaceful. As far as the eye could see, there were cars, about sixty or seventy of them, haphazardly stopped right in the middle of the road. Some of the cars were crashed, with no sign of the passengers¡¯ survival. At the end of the line, there were many people like them who had just reached the motorway. These people stood outside their vehicles, craning their necks to get a better view, hesitant about whether to move forward. Shen Mo got out of the car to ask about the situation. Bai Youwei was leaning against the car window, listening to people¡¯s conversations: ¡°What should we do? Should we still go?¡± ¡°Go? There are dolls all over the front, how can we pass?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t go, do you want to wait here to die? The nearest city, only Yangzhou and Taizhou don¡¯t have anyone turned into dolls!¡± ¡°What about other roads, are there dolls on other roads?¡± ¡°If this continues, we are all going to be trapped here and die¡­¡± ¡°Honey, what should we do?¡± A woman with long hair was sobbing, ¡°It must be the end of the world¡­ we¡¯re all going to die¡­¡± Her husband seemed to have no ideas as well, smoking anxiously, without uttering a word of comfort. After listening for a while, Bai Youwei lost interest, closed the car window, and enjoyed her own tranquility. Shen Mo got back into the car. Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°Will we turn into dolls if we pass this road?¡± Shen Mo pondered, ¡°Let¡¯s see the situation first. If it doesn¡¯t work, we will find another road.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t have much trust in him, and muttered under her breath, ¡°There are dolls on other roads too.¡± At that moment, there was commotion up ahead. Everyone was surprised. Looking up, they saw a blue pickup truck slowly moving forward, apparently testing the waters. Several other cars saw this and followed cautiously, maintaining a safe distance. It seemed some people were getting impatient. After all, there was no safe place in the city. Almost every road was filled with dolls, and to leave the city would require risks. The driver of the blue pickup truck was a bald strong man. He steered the car carefully past several vehicles filled with dolls. Seeing no abnormality, he unconsciously sped up. Once he reached the open area that was safe, he leaned out of the car, waving to the people behind him: ¡°This road is passable!¡± The atmosphere was uplifted by his words and the cars behind started moving forward. Some people laughed and made casual conversation with the bald man, ¡°Buddy, we owe you big time this round!¡± The others also relaxed, their faces lit up with smiles. ¡°Seems like there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Shen Mo started the car, following the convoy. Bai Youwei responded indifferently with an ¡°Oh.¡± ¡­ On the motorway, the cars advanced at a snail¡¯s pace, each person was exceedingly careful and cautious. Bai Youwei quietly leaned against the car window. As the car moved ahead, she saw one human-like doll after another. They stood like window-display mannequins from a clothing store, their eyes hollow, their poses rigid¡­ Turning her head, she saw two dolls in a red car opposite them. The male doll was driving, and next to him sat a female doll. The woman¡¯s stomach was noticeably bulging, obviously she was pregnant. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help thinking: Had the child in her belly also turned into a tiny doll? Was it also made of plastic skin, glass eyeballs, and fiber hair? What exactly had they experienced at the moment they turned into dolls? Was it possible that their bodies could not move, but their consciousness was still clear? This thought sent shivers down her spine. She withdrew her gaze and stopped looking. ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! The theme for the game is ¡®Tortoise and the Hare¡¯. The rules are as follows: First, those who refuse to participate in the game will turn into dolls. Second, those who lose in the game will turn into dolls. Third, those who successfully complete the game will be rewarded with a doll! ¡­¡± A strange voice resounded by her ear. Its tone was beautiful enough to be divine. For a moment, Bai Youwei was stunned. ¡°Hey, did you hear¡­¡± she was about to ask Shen Mo in front of her. But her vision blurred, and in the next instant, under the clear blue sky was a vast stretch of green grassland. What was happening ?! Bai Youwei was dumbfounded by the scene in front of her. Just a second ago, she was sitting in Shen Mo¡¯s car. The next moment, she was sitting on the green lawn. And so were their fellow companions! Everyone, with a look of astonishment, was staring at the racetrack outside the lawn. On the track hung a banner with four exaggerated characters that were hard to miss¡ª Tortoise, Hare, Race, Run! Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Chapter 2 The Strange Situation Chapter 2: Chapter 2 The Strange Situation Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio What on earth is happening?! Bai Youwei clutched onto the grass beneath her, her fingers digging into the soil. The touch came with a cool, damp sensation ¨C a reality she couldn¡¯t deny. This wasn¡¯t an illusion, and it certainly wasn¡¯t a dream! They had truly been transported from a highway to this unknown location in an instant! What was that voice talking about a game earlier? Could this be the reason why people were transforming into dolls? Would they turn into dolls if they couldn¡¯t leave this place? A shudder of fear crawled into her heart, her previously calm heart started to pound abruptly. Holding onto her numbing legs, Bai Youwei was breaking out in a cold sweat. Shen Mo stood not far in front of her, alert and observing their surroundings. His face looked just as unsightly. The warm sun shone upon the land, fluffy white clouds stretched out across the sky, a gentle breeze carried the faint scent of grass. In this beautiful weather perfect for outdoor picnics, everyone was too terrified to make a move. ¡°Where are we¡­¡± A long-haired woman looked up in horror, ¡°Weren¡¯t we just in the car? Honey, I want to go home. Let¡¯s just go home¡­¡± The woman¡¯s husband pushed her away, his face filled with anger: ¡°Where¡¯s the bald guy? Didn¡¯t he say it¡¯s all safe?!¡± ¡°Yeah, he said we could leave, which is why we followed him!¡± ¡°Damn it! I knew there was something off about him! Otherwise, why would he be so eager to be the first one to proceed? He must¡¯ve led us here on purpose!¡± ¡°Damn that bastard¡­¡± Everyone started cursing, seemingly forgetting their gratitude towards the bald man just moments ago. Bai Youwei silently counted the number of people. Including her, there were seventeen in total. The bald man really was gone. But why? Everyone took the same path, why wasn¡¯t he here too? Could the game¡¯s activation have some kind of hidden secret? Strange¡­ She was plunged into this eerie situation but why did she feel a tingle of thrill along with her fear? What was she expecting? ¡°Everyone, listen up¡­¡± A middle-aged man in a suit began to speak, ¡°Blaming others won¡¯t solve anything at this point. We need to stay united if we want any hope of getting out of here. I noticed earlier that this place looks like a sports field. There¡¯s a track up ahead. Who¡¯s willing to come with me and check it out?¡± The man¡¯s Mercedes and his professional attire gave his words extra weight. Many agreed with his proposal. A young woman wearing glasses timidly spoke up: ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± Another blonde young man retorted her: ¡°So what if it¡¯s dangerous? Do you plan on doing nothing and just wait here to die?!¡± The girl looked at her boyfriend, seeming hurt. The boy was very smooth and quickly chimed in, ¡°Bro, chill, she¡¯s worried about our safety, after all, we have no idea where this place is¡­¡± The middle-aged man contemplated for a moment: ¡°While it¡¯s not an invalid concern, it seems currently safe. However, this place is still unknown to us. Maybe we should leave the women and the elderly here, and the men can come with me to check the path.¡± After mulling it over, Shen Mo turned to Bai Youwei and said: ¡°You wait here, I¡¯ll go ahead and check it out.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Bai Youwei firmly grabbed his arm. Her firm ¡°no¡± was unwavering and loud, drawing the attention of everyone else. Shen Mo was the tallest among the men. He had a lean build and an imposing demeanor. His rolled-up sleeve revealed his firm forearm, clearly a valuable asset in terms of combat power. If he didn¡¯t go, the power of the ¡°scouting party¡± would be greatly undermined. The blonde young man gave her a sidelong glance: ¡°Cutie, in matters of life and death, we have no room for willfulness. Don¡¯t we need to figure out what¡¯s going on to find our way back?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s life or death, what difference does gender make?!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly seemed like a different person, her tone sharp as she retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t know any of you people. If something happens to him, who¡¯s going to look after me, a cripple? I bet you all would run faster than rabbits!¡± Holding onto Shen Mo, Bai Youwei stared directly into his eyes: ¡°Shen Mo, you promised me! You promised to get me to Yangzhou safe and sound! But now, are you going to leave me so soon?!¡± A few of the women also hesitated, looking to their male companions. If all the men left, leaving them with the old and the children, what would they do in case of an emergency? Although Bai Youwei would undoubtedly be the worst off, they wouldn¡¯t fare much better either. ¡°Honey, I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯m scared staying here alone.¡± The long-haired woman changed her mind. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all go together?¡± Someone suggested, ¡°I don¡¯t see much to explore here. Besides the grassy field, there¡¯s a track, and beyond that, a forest.¡± ¡°So, are we supposed to cross the forest?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s check out the banner first. There¡¯s something odd about it¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look, there might be some clues.¡± As everyone spoke, they started walking towards the banner with ¡°The tortoise and the hare race.¡± Shen Mo bent down and lifted Bai Youwei, catching up with the others. Bai Youwei wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes red and her voice back to its delicate softness, but her stubbornness remained: ¡°Are you having regrets? Do you think I¡¯m a burden? Well, it¡¯s too late for regrets now! Shen Mo, don¡¯t even think about shaking me off!¡± As if to prove her words, Bai Youwei tightened her hold around his neck, her look defiant. Shen Mo winced at her surprising strength. He realized it might be because she had grown up without her parents, which made her insecure. With this thought, Shen Mo¡¯s annoyance faded. He comforted her: ¡°I won¡¯t abandon you.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, half-believing. Shen Mo was bewildered too. Given Bai Youwei¡¯s physical and mental condition, why hadn¡¯t Aunt Wang taken her in?¡¯ ¡°Look, there¡¯s someone beneath the banner!¡± As everyone turned to look, so did Shen Mo, cutting off his train of thought. As they got closer, the figure under the banner became clearer. ¡ª¡ªIt was a man dressed like a gentleman, in a white bow-tied shirt and a black tailcoat. On his head was a lifelike rabbit mask with long ears that were particularly noticeable. The red eyes of the mask were fixed upon them, not blinking once. Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Where is the End Point Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Where is the End Point Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The whole scene seemed too bizarre, so everyone slowed down, looking warily at the rabbit-headed gentleman. ¡°Hello everyone, I am the Inspector of this game. Welcome to the Doll Game.¡± Despite the distance, the rabbit-headed gentleman¡¯s voice was clear in the air ¨C a gentle female voice. However, at this moment, even the gentlest voice couldn¡¯t calm the fear in everyone¡¯s hearts. ¡°Who are you? Did you bring us to this place?!¡± Someone with a lot of nerve spoke out. The rabbit-headed figure was holding a large top hat in her hand, her voice gentle and calm: ¡°Please, all players, take your positions at the start line. The race begins when the starting gun fires and crossing the correct finish line will take you to the next round. The game consists of three rounds¡­¡± ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you, can¡¯t you hear me?!¡± A burly man strode over, grabbing the rabbit-headed figure by the neck, ¡°Stop playing tricks with your mask! Speak up! How do we get out of this hellhole?!¡± The rabbit-headed figure was tall and slender, and her gentle female voice made her unthreatening. It was because of this that the burly man brazenly grabbed her throat. Even with her slim neck in the grip of the burly man, her voice echoed again without any hindrance¡ª¨C ¡°This game is divided into three rounds. The race begins when the starting gun fires, crossing the correct finish line¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± The burly man roared in a temper, ¡°I¡¯m not here to play games! Tell me how to get out or I¡¯ll strangle you!¡± Boom! Blue flames exploded, followed by a muffled blast! The burly man¡¯s body trembled violently for a moment! Just like he¡¯d been hit by lightning, his body turned charred black and disintegrated into ash on the ground! The rabbit-headed figure tilted her head, lightly brushed off the black ash from her shoulder. The fur on her neck was clearly exposed, finally making everyone realize that she wasn¡¯t wearing a mask. She genuinely had a rabbit¡¯s head! ¡°Ah¡­ The monster, the Monster!¡± A long-haired woman collapsed on the ground, her legs shaking. Her husband grabbed her arm, intending to escape. But when he turned back, he found that hundreds of rabbits had appeared on the open, flat grassland! Each rabbit was as big as a wolfhound! They were snow-white, with blood-red eyes. Under their three-lobed mouths, sharp teeth gaped menacingly, grinding against each other, making a sound that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. The scene was too horrifying for Bai Youwei to bear and she instinctively pulled into Shen Mo¡¯s arms. She raised her head to look at Shen Mo, finding his face pale but his demeanor still calm, unlike the others, who were panicked and confused. The rabbit-headed figure stood calmly in front of them: ¡°Please, all players, take your positions at the starting point soon.¡± Bai Youwei looked where it was pointing towards the starting line, where those giant rabbits were also moving. They were crawling into the running lane, squished behind the starting line. ¡­A race of the tortoise and the hare. Now that the rabbits were here, did that mean they were the tortoise? ¡°May I ask,¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s teeth clenched as she raised her hand to ask, ¡°Do I still have to participate in the race in my condition?¡± The rabbit-headed figure turned its gaze towards Bai Youwei, lingering a moment before apologizing in a courteous and gentle manner: ¡°I see, my apologies for the oversight.¡± Soon after, it extended its gloved hand into the top hat and pulled out a pair of crutches! Bai Youwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat! They were just like her crutches!¡­ No, they were her crutches! The folding crutches she had packed in her suitcase! If the rabbit-headed figure could easily take things from the outside world, did that mean they had to go along with what it said to leave this place? But even if she was given her crutches, there was no way she could outrun those dog-sized rabbits! At this time, Shen Mo, who had remained silent this whole time, asked, ¡°Where is the finish line?¡± The rabbit-headed figure raised its hand, pointing to the other end of the running lane¡ª¨C Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The Correct Finish Line Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The Correct Finish Line Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The endpoint and starting point echoed each other in the distance, marked by a semi-transparent sign. Because of its semi-transparency, no one noticed it previously. The length of the endpoint sign was consistent with the track. The material was unclear, yet it was able to hover high in mid-air. At this moment, the rabbit-headed man pointed at it, and two extremely bold black characters appeared on it: Endpoint. Below the ¡°Endpoint,¡± there were two arrows, pointing to the No.1 track on the left and the No.2 track on the right. Usual sports fields usually have six or eight tracks, but there were only two tracks here. ¡°The track is 200 meters long, and you can proceed to the next round by going through the correct endpoint. The game ends after three rounds,¡± the rabbit-headed man explained the rules. ¡°Will those rabbits run with us?¡± Shen Mo glanced at the rabbit not far away. ¡°Of course.¡± The rabbit-headed man answered in a still mild voice, ¡°The rabbit is a critical part of the tortoise and the hare race. You have to avoid being caught by them.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips and cautiously asked him, ¡°What happens if we are caught up?¡± The rabbit-headed man made no comment. Although the man didn¡¯t comment, somehow, Bai Youwei felt as if he was laughing¡­ The woman hiding behind her husband asked with a tremble, ¡°Do¡­do they bite?¡± Bite? The others silently cursed in their hearts: Look at those teeth! It wouldn¡¯t be surprising even if they said these rabbits eat people! ¡°Alright, ladies and gentlemen, the rule explanation ends here. Please follow me to the starting point. The race is about to begin,¡± said the rabbit-headed man as he turned around, supporting his top hat with one hand and headed towards the starting line. Everyone exchanged glances, looking at each other hesitantly, not moving forward. The charred corpse on the ground was still there, exuding a faint burnt odor. The sunlight shone on it, and the semi-transparent endpoint sign in the distance reflected the brilliant light, seemingly beckoning to everyone. Finally, unable to resist the fear in their hearts, they followed the rabbit-headed man step by step with heavy footsteps. Shen Mo looked down at Bai Youwei, ¡°I might run faster with you on my back rather than in my arms. But if you¡¯re afraid of those rabbits, I can carry you.¡± The rabbits were obviously aggressive, so the back and legs would be the parts most easily injured if they were attacked from behind. ¡°You¡¯d better carry me.¡± Bai Youwei also calmed down, ¡°Running not only requires speed but also balance. We need to be agile to avoid the rabbits. It would be a lot of trouble if you were carrying me.¡± They stopped and adjusted their positions, with Bai Youwei lying on Shen Mo¡¯s back. They ended up seeking refuge at the back of the group. ¡°Are you scared?¡± Shen Mo asked her. ¡°I am,¡± Bai Youwei answered in a muffled voice. No one would not be afraid encountering such a situation. She asked Shen Mo in a meek voice, ¡°What about you? If those rabbits run very fast ¡­¡± If they run very fast, he would undoubtedly be dragged down while carrying her. Cradling Bai Youwei¡¯s legs, Shen Mo stepped forward, ¡°Remember what the rabbit-headed man just said? He said there would be three rounds in total. If the rabbits are fast, you could finish the race in one round instead of scheduling three rounds.¡± Bai Youwei was a bit surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected Shen Mo to have analyzed it so far. She looked at the starting line ahead. The giant rabbits looked horrid. However, careful observation revealed each rabbit was a little out of sorts: they were limping, twitching, scratching and kicking at the ground. Some were even biting their flesh in a frenzy. If they ran, their speed might not be so fast. After thinking, Bai Youwei whispered to Shen Mo, ¡°The rabbit-headed man kept emphasizing passing through the correct endpoint, so, if you want to win the race, you don¡¯t need to be the first one over the finish line. Instead, you have to run faster than the rabbits and find the correct endpoint.¡± Upon hearing this, Shen Mo said, ¡°Which side is the correct endpoint?¡± Bai Youwei fell silent. Since there were three rounds in the race, the endpoint for each would certainly be different. It could be on the left, or maybe the right, and a hint might be given during the 200-meter run. Even if there wasn¡¯t a hint, guessing blindly would give them a 50% accuracy rate. The problem now was, they didn¡¯t know what the consequences of running to the wrong endpoint would be. Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Little White Rabbit, So White Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Little White Rabbit, So White Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Everyone came to the starting line of the track. Despite there being only two lanes, it was so wide that sixteen people standing in a line side by side didn¡¯t give off a cramped sensation. Behind them were ghastly giant rabbits. The rabbits pushed each other, baring their teeth and making hissing noises from their mouths and noses. Their hot, terrible smelling breath along with their soft fur almost touched the ankles of the people in front of them, appearing as if they will bite off a chunk of flesh given one more step closer. The woman with long hair was trembling, one of her hands clutching her husband¡¯s clothes hem so tightly, tears streaming non-stop from her eyes. Her husband scolded softly, ¡°Let go! How am I supposed to run with you holding on to me?!¡± The young man with the yellow hair coolly watched the couple as he squatted to re-tie his shoelaces. The girl with glasses took off her high heel sandals, thought for a moment, picked up the sandals, and tightly held on to them. The middle-aged man in a suit took off his jacket, anxiously staring at the finish line ahead of him. ¡­Sixteen people, each silently preparing themselves. Bai Youwei lying on Shen Mo¡¯s back, asked nervously, ¡°Are you good at running?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°I¡¯m decent.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment before asking again, ¡°Am I heavy?¡± Shen Mo hoisted her up a bit, with a casual tone, ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡± Why he kept saying ¡®okay¡¯? Bai Youwei felt uneasy. She was about to ask again when a voice overshadows her thoughts: ¡°On your mark¡ª¡± A starting pistol was taken out of a tophat and raised high by the rabbit-headed individual. Every one¡¯s nerves tensed up momentarily! A figure suddenly surged past the starting line! Boom! A bolt of blue lightning, like a colossal blade, lept from the hand of the rabbit-headed individual into the body of the figure that ran too early! Bai Youwei could clearly see the individual¡¯s body twist, turn into charcoal, and shatter! The air seemed to have hardened. Not a single person spoke. A pulverised body couldn¡¯t be much worse than this¡­ The rabbit-headed individual withdrew his hand, speaking in a voice that was both gentle and indifferent, ¡°Starting before the gun is against the rules, contestants, please listen for the signal gun.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s hands and feet turned icy cold as she silently laid atop Shen Mo¡¯s back. The last thread of hope in her heart had vanished. She whispered, ¡°Shen Mo, after they start running, you can follow. Don¡¯t worry about the rabbits biting me.¡± Being bitten by a rabbit would at worst result in losing a chunk of flesh, but jumping the gun would mean losing your life. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Shen Mo bent slightly forward, assuming a ready position, ¡°Both of us won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°On your mark!-¡± The rabbit-headed figure raised the starting gun once again. Bang! As the starting gun sounded, everyone dashed past the starting line in unison! A man nearby started to run a beat late, and was immediately pounced upon by a rabbit, releasing a blood-curdling scream! ¡°Husband!¡± The woman with long hair wailed, her pace slowing. She didn¡¯t know whether to keep running or go back to save him. Someone yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him! Run!¡± But it was too late, the rabbits were like zombies that had caught a whiff of human flesh. The moment someone slowed down, they would immediately pounce and tear into them! The woman screamed, but no one dared look back. Everyone ran forward for their lives! Run faster, faster! Even faster than that!!! Shen Mo, with Bai Youwei on his back, was positioned in the middle of the group. At the very front was a skinny man who ran exceptionally fast, leaving a good distance between him and others. The finish line at 200 meters ahead didn¡¯t seem far, nor close, but they were quickly closing the distance. At that moment, the semi-transparent finish line marker suddenly changed! The word ¡®finish¡¯ disappeared, and in its place was a phrase: [Little bunny, white and bright] Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Chapter 6: The Surefire Winning Method Chapter 6: Chapter 6: The Surefire Winning Method Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Little white rabbit, white as can be¡± ¡ª¡ª what does it mean? As my brain was processing the question, my feet didn¡¯t stop running. The first person ran headlong, crossing the finish line on the left without thinking twice. The second person arrived beneath the signboard, hesitated as he looked at the first person, then back at the approaching rabbit. Not willing to waste time, he also went to the left. The third person paused, hesitated for two seconds, then sprinted towards the right finish line¡­ One by one, each person reached the finish line. Later on, the time pressure ramped up. There was no time to think: some went left; some went right. ¡°It¡¯s the right side.¡± Bai Youwei said, leaning on Shen Mo¡¯s back, ¡°Little white rabbit, white as can be, both its ears are sticking up! ¡®Two¡¯ as in ¡®2¡¯. The answer is the second lane, the right!¡± Shen Mo sprinted past the finish line on the right! The last few people staggered across the finish line. The people on the left snapped out of it, realizing their mistake. But they found an invisible barrier separating the two lanes. They couldn¡¯t cross! Simultaneously, the rabbit charged into the first lane! It surged like a roaring white wave, accompanied by a sharp, salty and gutsy cold wind! Screams, curses, desperation. Then, a gruelling dash for survival! The track was a circle blocked on both sides. To evade the rabid rabbits, those who missed the finish line had no choice but to keep running! The girl with glasses sat crying on the ground, unable to bear the sight of the carnage. She screamed at the participants hoarsely, ¡°Hurry up¡­run¡­ run!¡± But it was too late¡­ Sprinting 200 meters was already pushing their physical limit. Continuing meant slowing down, while the rabbits showed no signs of tiring. They caught up¡ªjumped, bit, and tore! Pitiful screams reverberated across the field. The people on the ground struggled and rolled, ending up bloodied and skinless. From their flesh, white hairs grow one by one! The white hairs kept increasing, growing denser! Eventually, they turned into raging giant rabbits, their eyes dyed red with fresh blood! At the beautiful stadium, every person felt as if they had fallen into an icy hole, their bodies freezing! They had just witnessed their companions horrifically transforming into rabbits! In the distance, the Rabbithead was waving at them, his voice ringing clearly: ¡°Players, please return to the start line for the second round.¡± Second round¡­ The crowd was deathly pale. Unable to refuse, fearing retaliation, and devoid of any time to calm their terror-stricken hearts, they walked back like lifeless puppets. Yes. At this moment, they were mere puppets in Rabbithead¡¯s hands, devoid of freedom and will. Bai Youwei lay on Shen Mo¡¯s back, her heart sinking heavily. Initially there were 17 of them. After the first round, only 9 remained¡­ Could she and Shen Mo really survive three rounds? ¡°You should walk a little slower.¡± Bai Youwei whispered to Shen Mo, ¡°Slow down, stall a bit more.¡± ¡°I have that much stamina,¡± Shen Mo replied in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s just the problem that¡¯s a bit tricky.¡± Difficulty was one thing, but the hardest issue was the timer. The panicked people running for their lives likely didn¡¯t even have the time to comprehend the question. How could they make the correct choice with a clear mind? From seeing the question to crossing the finish line, they only had two or three seconds at the very most! Any longer than that, they would have been caught by the rabbits. Thus the challenge here was not just knowledge, but lightning-fast reflexes! Bai Youwei muttered, ¡°A track lap is 400 meters. If we chose the wrong finish line and couldn¡¯t go back, we¡¯d have to run another 400 meters to reach the right lane. That¡¯s essentially running 600 meters at top speed. Unless you¡¯re a professional athlete, you couldn¡¯t possibly manage.¡± Moreover, Shen Mo was carrying her. If they missed the 200-meter finish line, the fate of Bai Youwei and Shen Mo would be to undoubtedly become rabbits¡­ Shen Mo: ¡°I don¡¯t know which question will be in the next round.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head slowly: ¡°Actually, the question itself doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s the order that¡¯s important. There is a way to win the game with one hundred percent guarantee.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s steps faltered slightly. ¡°Win the game with a one hundred percent guarantee?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei subtly observed the expressions of the others and murmured quietly, ¡°And it is likely¡­ someone has already thought of that method.¡± ¡­ Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Which Side to Choose Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Which Side to Choose Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The remaining 9 people returned to the starting line. Bai Youwei whispered in Shen Mo¡¯s ear, ¡°During the race, keep an eye on the young man with blond hair and the middle-aged man in dress pants. Try to stay away from them.¡± Shen Mo cast a sidelong glance at the two men after hearing her words. The blonde-haired youth was average in height, dressed in a tight T-shirt and jeans, his biceps protruding as if he were a regular at the gym. The middle-aged man in dress pants was panting, bending at the waist, his right hand holding his jacket, his face flushed from exertion, sweating profusely. Obviously older, he had not yet recovered from the 200-meter run. ¡°The middle-aged man is weak, he will certainly not sit back and await his fate.¡± Bai Youwei said quietly, ¡°He might do something underhanded.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Shen Mo hefted her slightly higher. ¡°Hold on tight. If you fall off, I won¡¯t look back for you.¡± Bai Youwei clung to him closely, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let go even if it kills me.¡± ¡°Ready¡ª¡± The Rabbit-Head raised the starting gun. Everyone focused on the finish line. Held their breath. Bang! The starting gun fired, and they all hurried off the starting line! The rabbits pursued closely, not letting up! Shen Mo, carrying Bai Youwei, was in seventh place, the middle-aged man was last, while the blond was leading the race. Bai Youwei kept her guard up, watching as the middle-aged man gradually approached, she subtly reached into her waist pocket. ¡°Hold tight!¡± Shen Mo warned irritably. ¡°About to pick up the pace!¡± He suddenly accelerated, passing two others, widening the gap between him and the middle-aged man, and firmly held fourth place in the group. Bai Youwei released a sigh of relief, taking her hand out of her pocket and wrapping it around Shen Mo¡¯s neck. Suddenly, a loud shout came from behind! She instinctively looked back, only to see the middle-aged man muster all his strength to throw his jacket. It covered a young man¡¯s face, causing him to stumble. In his panic, he also dragged down a bespectacled girl running alongside him! Like a domino chain reaction, these three fell to the back of the pack! Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look back anymore, a chill settling deep in her chest. She heard screams and wails. She could almost picture the scene where the rabbits were brutally attacking the two, and how the middle-aged man seized the opportunity to escape! At such a critical moment, what would one not do to survive?! The finish line was once again close. The sign at the finish line, where ¡°Finish¡± had previously been displayed, now revealed this round¡¯s question¡ª ¡°The gallbladder of a turtle is in the __ lobe of the liver.¡± Everyone was stunned! The previous question was a childish nursery rhyme, but this was a serious biology question! The young man with blond hair who was leading the race suddenly stopped, standing under the sign, unsure which side to choose! The liver is divided into a left and right lobe, is the tortoise gallbladder in the left or right lobe? Unless there was a vet among them, who would know the answer?! The second person to reach the finish line also halted, standing there with the blonde, contemplating, their faces pale. Left side? Or the right side? Lane 1? Or lane 2? ¡°Do you know the answer?¡± Shen Mo slowed down, asking Bai Youwei on his back. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t make a sound. Her dark eyes stared unblinkingly at the two people ahead, her lips slowly pressing together. Suddenly, the blonde-haired young man made his move! He forcefully pushed the second-place runner into the left finish line! The rabbits, originally scattered on two tracks, seemed to sense that someone had answered the question wrongly, and they all madly rushed to the left side! Like traffic suddenly changing lanes on a high-speed road! Seeing this, the blond man didn¡¯t hesitate and ran to the right side! The answer was the right lobe of the liver! Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Who is the Weak One Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Who is the Weak One Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The people behind suddenly understood the intention of the blonde guy and sped up, dashing towards the right finish line! On the other track, the person who was pushed in was already overwhelmed by the wave of rabbits. In the swarm of bunnies, another frantic rabbit was added. Even though everyone knew this act was tantamount to murder, no one condemned it, no one complained. The survivors just sat where they were, panting heavily, tears and sweat flowing together. Everyone looked as disheveled as if they had just been pulled out of the water. In the distance, the rabbit-headed person waved to everyone again: ¡°Please return to the starting point for the third round of competition.¡± The third round. The final round. As long as they could survive the final round, this damn game would end! Everyone tried to pull themselves together and slowly walked towards the starting point. Shen Mo hoisted Bai Youwei on his back again and walked at the end of the group. Bai Youwei could feel the cold sweat on him. Learning from the lessons of the first round, everyone had done their utmost in the second round. Most passed the finish line, only two people died, now there were seven remaining. But this didn¡¯t mean the death toll would lessen in the upcoming third round. This was because after two consecutive life-and-death runs, everyone¡¯s stamina was on the brink of exhaustion. That is to say, by the time of the third round, everyone¡¯s speed would drastically reduce. Especially that middle-aged man, his legs shaking even just walking, he couldn¡¯t run at all. Bai Youwei also noticed that the bespectacled girl who had been dragged down didn¡¯t die, but was injured, her entire arm soaked red with blood. The high heels in her hand were also bloody, the long, thin heels made people shudder after being stained with blood. The middle-aged man perhaps felt guilty, he consciously avoided her. Along the way, the atmosphere was even more oppressive than before, filled with a heavy gloom. No one spoke, maybe they were feeling desperate, or maybe they were each contemplating strategies for the next round. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei still lagged behind at the end of the line. He asked her, ¡°Is this what you meant by a hundred percent sure way to win the game?¡± ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Bai Youwei nodded gently, ¡°The rabbits can¡¯t enter the correct finish line, so as long as one person runs in the wrong direction, we can judge where the right finish line is from the rabbits¡¯ reaction.¡± Shen Mo smirked, ¡°So, they want us to kill each other?¡± Bai Youwei remained silent. It was indeed so¡­ On the surface, the competition is about physical strength. But in fact, those who could break the bottom line and attack their peers would have a higher survival rate. Like that middle-aged man, or that blonde youth¡­ ¡°You¡¯re quite good at reading people,¡± Shen Mo developed a new understanding of Bai Youwei and curiously asked her, ¡°Why did you think those two would strike?¡± ¡°Nothing, just a feeling,¡± Bai Youwei replied. ¡°A feeling?¡± Shen Mo laughed, ¡°Is that woman¡¯s intuition?¡± Bai Youwei made a face, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a cripple¡¯s intuition. As someone who¡¯s disadvantaged, you become very sensitive to any malice shown by those in power.¡± After listening, Shen Mo pondered: ¡°It¡¯s interesting.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s just bullying,¡± Bai Youwei explained lightly, ¡°When people are dealing with those weaker than themselves, once they harbor evil intentions, they naturally display aggressiveness. Abusive husbands, child-beating parents, elder-abusing caregivers, these people are ordinary in other aspects of life. Why is it that when they face their wives, children, or the elderly, they can¡¯t control their tempers? It¡¯s because of the disparity in power. The strong can amplify the malice in their hearts without any scruples, they can possess, humiliate, and even take the life of the weak¡­¡± As she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but pause and softly said, ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Even though they weren¡¯t well acquainted, her mother had told her that Shen Mo¡¯s son worked at the National Security Administration, he was their most promising young officer. He, being such a person, would probably never understand what it feels like to be at a disadvantage. ¡°I understand now,¡± Shen Mo replied. At this point, they had returned to the starting line. The rabbit-headed man once again raised the starting gun¡ª ¡°See,¡± Shen Mo crouched low, ready to sprint, ¡°In front of it, we are all weak.¡± ¡°Ready! ¡ª¡ª¡± The rabbit-headed man gave the command. Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The Final Round Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The Final Round Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Third round of racing¡ª Bang! As the gunshot rang out, everyone dashed off the starting line! Even though everyone was running at full speed, their pace noticeably slowed after tens of meters! Unexpectedly, Shen Mo surged to the front, carrying Bai Youwei on his back and securing the lead. Initially surprised, Bai Youwei soon figured it out: Shen Mo had, on purpose, conserved his energy during the first two rounds. Although a risky strategy, it provided them with an increased chance of survival in the third round. From behind came panic-stricken shouts and curses. Bai Youwei turned her head to see a middle-aged man with a pale face, streaming with sweat, his eyes resembling blood-filled pools. At some point, he had unfastened his belt, swinging it wildly, whipping those who were running in front of him! Those unfortunate enough to be hit either stumbled several steps, or fell in their tracks! Even the pursuing rabbits caught some lashes, seeming to possess some level of understanding, they skillfully evaded the man, preferring to pounce on the injured! Two more people died. Luckily, Shen Mo was at the front and a safe distance away from the man as a few lashings in such a brutal environment could have dire consequences. ¡°You guys wait for me! Wait for me!¡­¡± The man whipped his belt in frantic pursuit, now left with nobody to shield him and more and more rabbits closing in on him. His survival until now was truly a desperate fight. Bai Youwei had expected him to be among the first to die. ¡°You guys wait for me¡­I don¡¯t want to die, I know the answer!¡± The desperate man managed to shout while running at his limit, ¡°Whoever helps me, I¡¯ll tell them the answer! Wait for meeee¡­¡± Regardless of whether this was his desperate final plea, someone was swayed, and slowed down! A young man with blonde hair took off his T-shirt and forcefully hurled it back! It enveloped a rabbit¡¯s head perfectly! Whether it was covered in sweat or blood, the frenzy among the rabbits was temporarily halted, as they turned on the blinded rabbit! Once again, the middle-aged man dodged death! The new question appeared on the finish sign¡ª [Rabbit¡¯s Uterus] ¡°Left!¡± Desperate to prove his worth, the man shouted hastily, ¡°Rabbits give birth to a litter every month! The answer is 1! Choose lane 1 on the left!!!¡± Despite the given answer, nobody dared to believe it easily. The blond man first glanced at the girl with glasses. Having learnt from previous rounds, the girl with glasses kept to the outer edge of the lane, maintaining a distance from everyone. The blond man then turned his gaze to Shen Mo, his eyes revealing the intent to kill. Testing the answer with Shen Mo carrying the crippled girl would undoubtedly be the best option at the moment. Bai Youwei was always on guard, seeing him approach, she immediately pulled out a folded fruit knife from her pocket and flicked it open! The blond man halted in surprise. Nevertheless, he quickly regained compose, appearing completely unfazed by the knife in Bai Youwei¡¯s hand. Feeling pity for the helpless crippled girl, Shen Mo said, ¡°Give me the knife.¡± Bai Youwei passed it to him, saying, ¡°I actually know the answer to this question. Rabbits have two uteri. The answer is lane 2, to the right!¡± Her voice was neither loud nor quiet, everyone remaining could hear her, but no one dared to believe her. Who knew if she was just trying to confuse the blond man by lying?! ¡°Hold on, it¡¯s going to hurt a bit.¡± Shen Mo stated abruptly. ¡°What?¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t understand before her body was suddenly airborne! She was thrown by Shen Mo with a ¡°shoulder throw¡± all the way into the right finish line! With a thud! Bai Youwei felt as though all her bones were shattered! But she couldn¡¯t care less about the pain; she scrambled to get up and look for Shen Mo¡ªonly to see herds of rabbits, like a white nightmare, swallowing up both Shen Mo and the blond man! Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Gigantic Lightning Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Gigantic Lightning Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Youwei¡¯s heart almost comes to a halt! If Shen Mo were to die at this point, she wouldn¡¯t survive either! The girl with glasses who had been running along the edge wheezes to the finish line. The middle-aged man arrives stumbling and fumbling, his body full of injuries, but fortunately, he has managed to save his life. But Shen Mo and Blondie are still trapped in that white expanse. The rabbits are kept outside the finish line, encircling the two men layered on layer, gnawing, roaring, and attacking like mad dogs! Bai Youwei frantically widens her eyes, trying to see the situation inside the rabbit herd. Her pupils contract with fear, worrying that the next thing she might see could be the transformed monsters covered with rabbit fur! A crimson body is thrown over! It¡¯s Blondie, severely injured! His throat has been bitten open, blood splattered all over the place! Then Shen Mo breaks through and leaps gracefully across the finish line! As soon as he crosses the finish line, the rabbits outside immediately fall silent, almost as if the bloodthirsty zombies had suddenly lost their target and become slow and stiff. The rabbits are retreating. In twos and threes, they head towards the grassland outside the track. The middle-aged man kneels down, utterly drained, without an ounce of strength left, lips trembling, muttering: ¡°I¡­ I survived¡­¡± I survived¡­ At last¡­ We¡¯ve survived. The final four. However, Shen Mo isn¡¯t concerned about this. He walks over to Blondie to examine him, finding that the changes in Blondie¡¯s body have stopped. Although some parts of him have grown fluffy white rabbit fur, he hasn¡¯t completely transformed into a rabbit ¨C he still retains a human-like figure. Shen Mo then checks for Blondie¡¯s breath. He is no longer breathing. Did the changes stop because of death or because he reached the correct endpoint? Shen Mo frowns, deep in thought. Bai Youwei suspects Shen Mo¡¯s behavior. How could he have the leisure to care about others after just barely escaping death? She questions suspiciously: ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± As Shen Mo turns to look at her and is about to speak, a horrifying scream erupts from beside him! Bai Youwei and Shen Mo twist their heads almost simultaneously! The girl with glasses, who was catching her breath moments ago, had somehow reached behind the middle-aged man and used all her strength to push him out of the finish line! That horrifying scream was from the middle-aged man! The scattered rabbit herd is stirred up again, they coalesce and rush back towards him! Incredibly fast! The middle-aged man looks terrified as he tries to crawl back over the finish line but his limbs are weak and his reactions slow, he is torn apart, devoured and submerged by the rabbit herd¡­ and then, he disappears. Another frenzied rabbit joins the race. Bai Youwei is speechless. She didn¡¯t expect it to end like this. The girl with glasses kneels on the ground, covering her face, crying hysterically: ¡°He deserved to die! He deserved to die! ¡­ He killed so many people, killed Axiao, and deliberately gave everyone false answers! He deserved to die!¡­¡± The rabbit herd has run far away. Not a single one remains, all have disappeared into the vast forest around, returning to peace. From a distance, the rabbit-headed man approaches with a gentleness that almost feels eerie, he announces in his strange voice: ¡°Attacking competitors is against the rules.¡± A feeling of foreboding rises in Bai Youwei¡¯s heart. Right on cue, the blue blaze appears once more in the next second! It¡¯s a huge bolt of lightning! It springs from the palm of the rabbit-headed man and strikes the girl with the glasses! Beyond measurable electric current, unimaginable high temperature, the girl¡¯s body in a split-second transforms into a pitch-black piece of charcoal! Thud ¡ª It collapses on the ground, shattered. The air freezes. Bai Youwei is chilled to the bone. The girl who was weeping grievously just a moment ago has now been scorched right before her eyes! She looks at the debris on the ground, a chilling air emanates even from the seams of her bones. What has happened is too horrifying¡­ Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Chapter 11 One Tenth of Me Chapter 11: Chapter 11 One Tenth of Me Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Why wasn¡¯t that man punished when he also attacked others?¡± Shen Mo asked. The Rabbit-man was not stingy in his explanation: ¡°The Inspector¡¯s duty is to ensure the smooth operation and settlement of the game.¡± So, players who have already cleared the game cannot be attacked after the game ends, because it would affect the game¡¯s settlement. In the same way, players cannot be attacked before the game starts, as a reduction in the number of players might hinder the game¡¯s progress. Only during the game can one act as they please. ¡°Congratulations on clearing this game.¡± The Rabbit-man said this respectfully in front of them, holding up his oversized hat. ¡°The tortoise has finally beaten the hare and deserves a reward. You can choose to receive a Turtle Victory Medal or select something else from the competition field.¡± It took many things out of its hat, as if it was performing a magic trick. There was a small, exquisite starting gun, tiny colored flags from the starting line, and a red ribbon used as the finish line. Shen Mo asked, ¡°What are these things for?¡± The Rabbit-man gave a faint smile upon hearing this. Its face had always been expressionless to the point that at first, people had mistaken it for wearing a head cover. But now, it smiled! Its three-petaled mouth lifted in a strange arc, appearing delighted as if it had found an interesting toy. ¡°The purpose of the reward can only be known once you receive it.¡± The Rabbit-man gazed at the two of them with a smile, giving away nothing else. ¡°So, what is your choice?¡± Shen Mo chose the starting gun. Although it was not a real gun, it still looked intimidating. Moreover, he had a hunch that this gun was not ordinary, since every time he heard the gunshot during the competition, he felt involuntarily compelled to run. As for the other items, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t figure out their uses at the moment. ¡°What about you?¡± The Rabbit-man looked inquisitively at Bai Youwei, tilting its head: ¡°You¡¯re quite unique. You didn¡¯t run a step, but still won the race. So, I¡¯m quite interested to know, what reward will you choose?¡± Bai Youwei bit her lip, slowly raised her hand, and pointed in a certain direction©¤©¤ The Rabbit-man glanced at her uncertainly, then looked down at itself; confused, it asked: ¡°Is the reward you¡¯re choosing¡­ me? But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s within the rules to choose the Inspector as a reward¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such rule!¡± Bai Youwei quickly interrupted it! The moment she heard the word ¡®violation¡¯, she instinctively remembered the horrifying image of the girl in glasses being struck by lightning. Her nerves tightened as she yelled: ¡°You didn¡¯t announce this rule, so you cannot claim that I violated it! It¡¯s the biggest violation to arbitrarily determine others as violators without clear rules!¡± The Rabbit-man silently looked at her. Bai Youwei bit her lip tightly, stubbornly standing her ground. She knew the risk was high, but she was not willing to accept it!©¤©¤She felt like a fool, tricked into participating in a baffling race where so many had died, and now she was expected to accept a few toys as a reward; she just couldn¡¯t accept it! That¡¯s why she¡¯d decided to take a gamble! She stared at the Rabbit-man, and stated, word for word: ¡°You just said that we could choose any other items from the game field as our reward! You are also on the game field!¡± The silence hung in the air for a long time. A long time¡­ ¡°Alright then.¡± The Rabbit-man gave in. Bai Youwei was stunned, somewhat surprised; it was that easy¡­? ¡°Technically, the Inspector should not be part of the rewards. However, you make a good argument; it was my negligence not to explain the rules clearly.¡± The Rabbit-man said, elegantly courteous: ¡°I¡¯m willing to give you one-tenth of myself as your reward¡­¡± One-tenth of itself? What did that mean? Bai Youwei furrowed her eyebrows, only to see the Rabbit-man extend his hand into the oversized hat again©¤©¤ It pulled out a rabbit figurine. ¡°The game rewards have been settled, so¡­ goodbye.¡± The Rabbit-man smiled at her, ¡°I will remember you.¡± Bai Youwei widened her eyes at his words, but before she could ask anything, her sight was again overwhelmed by a blinding white mist! She involuntarily closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was back in the car©¤©¤ In her hand, she held a soft rabbit figurine. Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Communication Paralysis Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Communication Paralysis Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Youwei¡¯s face was slightly pale as she immediately looked at Shen Mo in front of her. In his hand, he held a small toy gun! They were still on the highway, the car had stopped unexpectedly at some point, and the surroundings were quiet, save for the sound of the wind. Their eyes met, both of them clearly understanding that what had just happened was not a dream! Saying nothing, Shen Mo got out of the car to inspect the other vehicles. Everyone who had participated in the ¡°Tortoise and Hare Race¡± game, save for the two of them, had been transformed into dolls¡ª They couldn¡¯t speak or breathe, their rubbery flesh connecting their spherical joints, their eyes now dull, lifeless marbles¡­ these people had lost all signs of life. Bai Youwei murmured: ¡°So this is it¡­ fail the game and turn into a doll; pass the game, get rewarded with a doll¡­¡± So this was it¡­ This is why the world had taken such a turn¡­ As if the fog had been lifted, the clear view turned out to be an endless darkness. Unknown fears spread like tidal water, tension or trembling, with a subtle excitement and stimulation concealed within¡­ Bai Youwei silently held her rabbit plush, lost in complicated thoughts. Shen Mo, his face grave, returned to the car. ¡°We need to leave this place first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ The highway was straight and smooth, seeming to have no end. Only a single vehicle sped along the empty road. Bai Youwei sat in the car, looking at the repetitive scenery retreating rapidly outside the window, her expression somewhat dazed. This was madness¡­ Game, doll, reward¡­ these concepts all felt absurd to her. If every place with a doll has a game, wouldn¡¯t that turn the city into a game level? And the world into a game map? What about Yangzhou? Was Yangzhou really safe? Thinking about this, Bai Youwei quickly rummaged through her bag for her phone, only to find that there was no signal. Calls could not be made, and the internet was not connecting. ¡°Turn on the radio.¡± Bai Youwei suddenly realized something. Shen Mo seemed to have noticed something as well and turned on the car radio. There was only a crackling noise from the radio. Bai Youwei stared unblinkingly at the radio. Shen Mo looked at the road ahead, one hand on the steering wheel and the other pressing the channel button once every two seconds. The continuous static echoed inside the car, lingering. After doing this more than a dozen times, he stopped, turned off the radio and said, ¡°There¡¯s no signal.¡± The communication system had collapsed. Phones, internet, radio¡­ all were now useless. When did this happen? At the start of the game? No one knew. Bai Youwei¡¯s face became even paler. She didn¡¯t care what the world would become, but she cared about herself. If the end of the world was truly upon them, how would she survive? She clutched the plush bunny tightly, thinking: this annoying farce is less fun than a bloody biochemical crisis! Shen Mo glanced at her through the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°Do you have any clues about the bunny doll in your hands?¡± The seemingly childish plush toy was allegedly the ¡°one-tenth-me¡± game reward. Bai Youwei pursed her lips in hesitation. Of course, she had clues. In fact, as soon as she touched the rabbit, related information appeared in her mind. This sensation was bizarre, yet inexplicably natural. However, could she trust Shen Mo? After considering it, Bai Youwei finally responded, ¡°This rabbit can release electric energy within a 2-meter radius, with the highest energy reaching up to one-tenth.¡± While saying this, she slightly curled the corner of her mouth and continued, ¡°It doesn¡¯t specify the voltage or current value, so it¡¯s unclear how powerful this one-tenth actually is. Plus, it needs charging before use.¡± Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Chapter 13 The Despised One Chapter 13: Chapter 13 The Despised One Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Charge the battery?¡± Shen MO said with an incredulous laugh. Whoever could pull them into a game was obviously the product of incredibly advanced technology. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to think of it as a gesture of an alien civilization. But the rewards bestowed by this technological civilization require a battery charge? It¡¯s pretty down-to-earth. ¡°Mine is a one-time-use tool,¡± Shen MO said while driving and exchanging information with Bai Youwei, ¡°It¡¯s a command gun. Once the trigger is pulled, everyone within a 10-meter radius of the shooter makes a full-speed run. The effect may vary depending on distance, environmental factors, and individual will strength. The shooter is not affected by the gunfire.¡± He picked up the toy gun, lightly tossed it to the backseat, ¡°This is of no use to me. You take it. It might save your life at a crucial time.¡± Bai Youwei caught the gun and pondered, ¡°Could it be that the player¡¯s level is too low to receive such high-level rewards, and so their power got significantly reduced?¡± She speculated, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the balance of the game; otherwise, it would be too weak¡­¡± Under normal circumstances, who would need such a thing? A gun that could make the opponent run like mad without any reason and a close-range pistol that shoots out lightning strikes, these items were obviously designed for the game. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s plenty of these kind of games out there?¡± asked Shen Mo. Bai Youwei: ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Shen MO gripped the steering wheel without replying. Bai Youwei thought about his odd behavior earlier in the game, furrowed her brow and asked, ¡°Do you know something?¡± Shen MO raised an eyebrow, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. Bai Youwei said, ¡°In the game, there was no need to save that blond kid, but you risked yourself to pull him out of the rabbit swarm. After that, you kept observing his body changes, are you focused on him?¡­ No, that¡¯s not right, you don¡¯t even know him. As a senior officer from the National Security Administration, there¡¯s no way you¡¯d know such a street thug.¡± Thinking about Shen Mo¡¯s profession, Bai Youwei realized: ¡°You¡¯re here to investigate, aren¡¯t you?¡± Her face suddenly turned cold, she said indifferently, ¡°You didn¡¯t come to pick me up, you just happened to be investigating.¡± The quickness of the girl¡¯s mood changes amused Shen MO a little. Just after a life and death experience, she¡¯s being petty about such small things. It¡¯s hard to tell whether she¡¯s still a child at heart, or it¡¯s just her being oversensitive. Perhaps it¡¯s both. ¡°I am here to pick you up,¡± he responded, ¡°I was in the area performing a task when I received a call from your mother. I came here specifically for you.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s expression didn¡¯t soften, her tone remained cold, ¡°We¡¯re not related at all, why would you go out of your way for me? You just happened to be in the area, and it¡¯s all just a favor. I know my worth, no need for sweet talk. You¡¯re not my babysitter.¡± She is smart, leaving Shen MO speechless. Both felt silent. The off-road vehicle moved ahead. Bai Youwei broke the silence first. ¡°You came to execute a task, was it successful?¡± she asked. Shen MO, focusing on the road ahead, shook his head lightly, ¡°No.¡± ¡°What kind of task?¡± asked Bai Youwei. Shen Mo: ¡°Find a person.¡± Bai Youwei paused for a moment, then asked tentatively, ¡°A scientist?¡± Shen MO laughed, ¡°Close enough, an old professor.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Then you¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t find him. The lab was empty, no people, no dolls,¡± Shen MO added, ¡°We searched in the area, all my team members got turned into dolls. I don¡¯t know why I was the only one who was unharmed. Then later, I received your mother¡¯s call.¡± Shen MO raised his lips into a small smile and asked, ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± Bai Youwei smirked coldly, ¡°You almost lost your life, yet you still had the leisure to pick someone else¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°It was on the way,¡± Shen MO said with a faint smile. Bai Youwei: ¡°Hmph.¡¯ She let out a huff but then felt a bit taken aback. Shen MO did not have to pick her up, but he did as he had promised her mother. She should not have been expecting more or complaining about him. She was a person generally despised by others, and anytime anyone treated her a bit nice, she should be grateful, right? Having this thought, her face regained calmness. There was no longer any sign of resent, or any expression at all.. Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: Chapter 14 – I will not abandon you Chapter 14: Chapter 14 ¨C I will not abandon you Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After they moved far away from the troubled area, the SUV slowly reduced its speed. Shen MO halted the vehicle. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± Bai Youwei asked. A bottle of mineral water was handed to her. She was momentarily stunned before reaching out to take it. ¡°After a few rounds in the game, dehydration has kicked in.¡± Shen MO popped open another bottle and began to drink, his jawline and Adam¡¯s apple forming a masculine curve as he let his head tilt back. Bai Youwei watched him for a while, then she too lifted her chin to drink, taking small sips reminding one of a lamb drinking from a brook. Once relaxed, the body¡¯s various sensory requirements returned. Not only still thirsty, but she also felt tired, her muscles meticulously limp. ¡°This game isn¡¯t just a simple simulation of reality. The fatigue left in your body feels quite real.¡± Shen MO crumbled the empty bottle, making it emit a crisp noise, ¡°Don¡¯t rush to hit the road yet. First, we should get to a service area to check things, ideally, we could give a call to Yangzhou.¡± Pausing a bit, he then said, ¡°In the meantime, we can charge your rabbit.¡± Whether or not it can really release electricity, they would have to see the effects after charging it. Bai Youwei nodded in agreement. Taking a rest in a suitable place was essential. Given their current state, if there were another race between the tortoise and the hare, they might fail to pass. Shen MO once more revved the car, preparing to hit the road again. That¡¯s when Bai Youwei asked, ¡°If something happens in Yangzhou too, what¡¯s your plan?¡± Shen MO paused in surprise, stopping as he was about to start the car. Staring at the cold chiseled profile of his face, Bai Youwei calmly said, ¡°You promised my mother you¡¯d take me to Yangzhou. You have no obligation to care about whether I live or die there. Besides, you have your mission. You should be returning to report. Once we reach Yangzhou, we¡¯ll part ways. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Still speaking, her eyes gradually grew colder, ¡°It¡¯s the end of the world. Who can care about someone else¡¯s life or death? You came to pick me up, it was your duty, a good deed. However, if you deliver me and then abandon me; honestly, Shen MO, you might as well let me fend for myself right now, I won¡¯t blame you.¡± The atmosphere froze. But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care ¨C anyway, she was always an unlikable person. Shen MO put down the car keys and turned to her. Bai Youwei¡¯s clean, shiny eyes stared directly at him, not backing down, her lips tight in a show of stubbornness. ¡°Come here.¡± Shen MO gestured to her with a beckoning index finger. She frowned and leaned closer, ¡°What?¡± Shen MO stretched out a hand and took hold of her chin. Her plump, baby-like face immediately squished out of shape, her lips pouting. Her stubborn look now took on a childish quality. ¡® Bai Youwei¡¯s brow furrowed even more; she muttered curses in her heart. ¡°Listen well; I¡¯m only going to say this once.¡± Shen MO, holding her face, spoke in a tone like an impatient gentleness, ¡°I won¡¯t throw you away and disregard you. Got it?¡± ¡® She turned her face away, unable to wriggle out of his hand. Shen MO pinched her a bit more like one would a doll, ¡°Did you hear me? Did you get it?¡± Bai Youwei moved her lips: ¡°I heard you ¡­¡± Satisfied, Shen MO let go, turned back, and twisted the car keys. The engine roared softly. He glanced through the rearview mirror at the back seat. Bai Youwei covered her face, her eyes flashing angrily at him. A smile crept onto the corner of Shen Mo¡¯s lips as he hit the road. He finally figured out Bai Youwei¡¯s temper. A typical tough nut, if you¡¯re nice to her, she thinks you pity her, feels uncomfortable, and deliberately picks quarrels with you. Better to be a bit tough; it¡¯s easier and less bothersome. ¡°I am, after all, older than you by a few years. You should have a little more faith in me.¡± Shen MO said, gripping the steering wheel as he spoke with a light smile. In the rearview mirror, the girl¡¯s gaze seemed disgusted, and she looked out the window with a cold face, ignoring him. It seemed she had developed a grudge against him.. Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: Chapter 15 Service Area Chapter 15: Chapter 15 Service Area Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Half an hour later, Shen MO and Bai Youwei arrived at the rest stop. A group of people had gathered at the rest stop, about twenty in total, a mix of men and women, old and young, all huddled in the restaurant. The original staff of the service area was nowhere to be seen. When Shen MO pushed in the wheelchair, all eyes turned towards the door. Seeing it was just a man and a disabled girl, their faces fell in disappointment. Ever since the world was thrown into chaos, people had been waiting for redemption. Whether it was the assistance from government organisations or the salvation espoused by religious groups, anything would do. Even as little as a light in the dark was better than the confusion and despair of not seeing any hope. Shen MO glanced at the people in the restaurant. Sensing the gloomy atmosphere of the rest stop, he pushed Bai Youwei into the nearby supermarket. The shelves in the supermarket had been mostly cleared out. They found an electrical outlet and began to charge the bunny. Even though the charging set was low-end, it utilized high-tech charging methods. All they needed to do was place the fluffy rabbit near the socket to charge it. No plug or direct contact necessary. They had no idea when it would be fully charged. This thing didn¡¯t give a percentage like most electronics; its charge depended entirely on the user¡¯s perception. Bai Youwei tried to gauge it for quite a while but couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡°Describe it,¡± Shen MO said. Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°Do you have a swimming pool at home?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Why?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°It feels like using a thin hose to fill up a swimming pool. Can you guess when it will be full?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Well, that¡¯s one vivid way to describe it. Charging was slow. Bai Youwei, impatient, picked up the bunny and stated her need to use the restroom. She hated being subject to such physiological needs. The folding cane needed to be hung on the side of the wheelchair, toilet paper and wet wipes stored in a cloth pocket on the other side. If there was no accessible toilet, they would also need to carry a small stool. Shen MO wheeled Bai Youwei to the bathroom, commenting, ¡°This is the first time in my life that I¡¯ve been in a women¡¯s restroom.¡± Bai Youwei gave a chilling retort, ¡°You¡¯re just entering the women¡¯s restroom. It¡¯s not like I asked you to pull down a woman¡¯s pants.¡± Having said that, she thought about the past when not just using the restroom, but bathing, massages and such were all taken care of by a nurse or nanny. Now, she had to rely on a man she hardly knew. She felt a surge of disgust. Disgust at Shen MO, but even more so at herself. ¡°But pulling down a woman¡¯s pants should be something you¡¯re quite familiar with.¡± Her mood worsened, and her tone became more abrasive. Shen MO merely gave her a sideways glance. As for pulling down a woman¡¯s pants, this was indeed his first time. But arguing over it would simply be immature. He knew well of Bai Youwei¡¯s unpredictable mood swings. The moment anything touched on her sensitivities, she would turn aggressive, sharp as a porcupine. He couldn¡¯t help but feel amused. Such a soft, cute face trying to put up a fierce front, like a kitten puffing up its fur. Shen MO, holding back his laughter, pushed the wheelchair into a relatively clean stall, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Do you want to sit or stand to remove your pants?¡± Bai Youwei, clenching her jaw, reluctantly took out a pack from the side pocket and shoved it into Shen Mo¡¯s hand. ¡°Put this on.¡± She commanded with the haughty air of a queen. Shen MO unwrapped the package, revealing a disposable toilet seat cover. She must have always carried these whenever she went out. He bent down to place the cover, only to turn around and find that Bai Youwei was already standing with the aid of her cane. She looked strained, small beads of sweat glistening on the tip of her nose. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help?¡± Shen MO eyed her. Bai Youwei shot him a look, ¡°Go stand by the door and don¡¯t let anyone in!¡± Shen MO asked, ¡°Even women?¡± She immediately reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her voice cold and sharp. ¡°Exactly! Women too! Anyone coming in will disrupt my bodily functions! Do I trouble you? Too late to complain now! Grin and bear it! If it weren¡¯t for your insistence on dragging me along, I wouldn¡¯t have to use the restroom in such a disgusting place!¡± She marched into the stall using her cane and slammed the door shut. She was being extremely rude and unreasonable.. Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Chapter 16 A Husband and Wife Chapter 16: Chapter 16 A Husband and Wife Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Shen MO touched his nose, feeling he had been too gentle. ¡­maybe next time he could try being a bit tougher. He left the wheelchair at the entrance of the cubicle and turned to leave. While waiting for her outside the women¡¯s restroom, he occasionally heard thuds and bangs, as if a crutch had bumped into something, or perhaps she had knocked against something? What other people might do with ease is a battle for her. His slight annoyance faded gradually. What was there to be upset about? She was just a child, after all. Sickly since young and insecure, she used to live in luxury without a care. Now, however, she had to eke out a living in such times. Her tantrums were understandable. She was only truly powerful in her words. Shen MO stood at the door, listening for noises inside. The sounds of collisions, flushing, rustling of clothes, the crutch scraping the floor and the cubicle door being banged open! ¡ª Bai Youwei emerged, leaning on her crutch, with a tight knit brow, ¡°Take me to wash my hands quickly! This place stinks to high heaven!¡± Shen MO smiled, walked over and helped her into the wheelchair, then pushed her towards the washbasin. The sensor tap was difficult to operate, and Bai Youwei struggled with it unsuccessfully several times, nearly resorting to strong language, when the tap spluttered out a few weak streams of water like an octogenarian lady with a cough. She washed her hands twice with a great deal of distaste, only slightly easing her dark mood. ¡°The facilities here are limited, bear with it for a while, it¡¯ll be better once we reach Yangzhou.¡± Shen MO said. Bai Youwei grimaced but didn¡¯t reply, thinking to herself: It might not be any better in Yangzhou. Shen MO moved to the back of the wheelchair to push her. However, she reached out to grab the hem of his clothing. Her hand was still moist from washing, the pale skin glowed with the remnants of water, the soft and delicate fingers tinted with cherry blossoms. Shen MO glanced at his own hand on the handle of the wheelchair, the distinct joints, the profound texture, every contour and line exuding masculine strength. The same hand, yet so different. The difference of gender reflected in every single detail. Bai Youwei frowned while speaking, ¡°Are we still going to the supermarket? There¡¯s no signal in this service area, and all the food and water have been cleared out. It doesn¡¯t feel good, maybe we should leave soon before it gets dark.¡± It was already dusk, and she didn¡¯t want to travel by night. Shen MO contemplated it, then nodded, ¡°We won¡¯t go to the supermarket then. If we set off now, we should be able to reach Yangzhou before dark.¡± Once they reach Yangzhou, with internet connection and shelter, things would be easier to arrange. The pair returned to the parking area. Unexpectedly, they saw from a distance a man and a woman by their car, waving at them. When they got closer, they could see that the pair were likely middle-aged, looking like an honest and dependable husband and wife. ¡°Are you going to Yangzhou?¡± the woman asked kindly. ¡°We are also heading there, but there¡¯s a blockage ahead, so everyone is staying put for now. It¡¯s not safe for you to set off now.¡± ¡°Blocked badly?¡± Shen MO asked. The man answered, ¡°It¡¯s blocked for over a hundred meters, the vehicle is full of dolls, no one dares to pass.¡± ¡°If the cars can¡¯t pass, what about going through a detour on foot?¡± Bai Youwei inquired, ¡°Has anyone tried walking to Yangzhou?¡± The man and woman looked at each other, both seemed a bit lost, apparently they had not considered this. ¡°All our things are in the car¡­¡± the woman spoke hesitantly, ¡°Food, toiletries, change of clothes¡­everything is in the car.¡± The man also added, ¡°What if something happens to Yangzhou too? We wouldn¡¯t be able to flee without the car. Sometimes a car isn¡¯t just a means of transportation, it also functions as a safe haven. Unless a major crisis occurred, people wouldn¡¯t just abandon their vehicles. However, in Bai Youwei¡¯s view, walking to Yangzhou in a matter of several hours was better than being stuck here indefinitely. Besides, they would eventually have to abandon the car. Because if the world continues to spiral into chaos, gasoline would soon become a scarce resource.. Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Information Exchange Chapter 17: Chapter 17 Information Exchange Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The middle-aged couple assumed Bai Youwei was a spoiled young lady who didn¡¯t understand the gravity of their circumstances. They didn¡¯t take her words to heart. They instead turned to Shen MO to ask, ¡°We are about to have a meeting at the restaurant, would you like to join us?¡± Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei and casually asked, ¡°What kind of meeting? ¡°Just a gathering to discuss and strategize, ¡± the couple responded amiably. ¡°More hands make lighter work. A group brainstorming can be much more effective than worrying alone. But if you don¡¯t want to come, it¡¯s absolutely fine, we will not insist. Shen MO nodded, politely saying, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll join you in a bit.¡± The middle-aged couple, now reassured, didn¡¯t say much further and left together. ¡°Why are we staying? Are you trying to extract information from them?¡± Bai Youwei sneered, disgusted. ¡°The supermarket¡¯s already empty. They must¡¯ve been hiding here, eating and drinking for more than a day or two. They don¡¯t dare take any risks. Can we really expect them to know anything?¡± Shen MO opened the car door, bent over to lift Bai Youwei inside, and then handed her some bread and water. ¡°Since the highway is blocked, if we want to get to Yangzhou, our only option is to take a circuitous route. Perhaps by the time we get there, it¡¯ll be nightfall. Travelling at night, we wouldn¡¯t see the road clearly, making it hard to avoid any dolls. So, it would be better to stay and see what they have to say.¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, noncommittal. She didn¡¯t have a good impression of the people at the service area, but given the current situation, it seemed that no matter what decision was made, none would be completely reliable. Chewing some bread, Bai Youwei asked Shen MO, ¡°Do you think any of them have ever completed their game?¡± Shen MO, who was rummaging for something useful in the trunk, looked up at her, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I think there must be someone,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Those two just now seemed honest and straightforward, not the type to stir up trouble, but they actively waited for us here. At first glance, they seem warm-hearted, but they seem to me like they¡¯re acting on others¡¯ orders.¡± Shen MO paused slightly, taken aback. He had suspected this, but he didn¡¯t expect Bai Youwei to notice these traces. ¡°Your observation is accurate.¡± He took out a military blanket from the trunk and spread it on Bai Youwei¡¯s legs, calmly saying, ¡°There must be a Leader among these people who wants to gather information. To do so, he needs to constantly make contact with newcomers. As to why he isn¡¯t doing it himself, it¡¯s easy to understand. By sending over an honest-looking couple, they are more likely to gain trust.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him doubtfully, ¡°You know something¡¯s not right, yet you still want to attend that meeting?¡± Shen MO smiled, ¡°Not every situation that seems suspicious has malicious intent. They need information, and we need it too.¡± Ever since the ¡°Tortoise and the Hare¡± game, it became clear that not everyone would turn into dolls. Those who completed their game were able to survive. But why doesn¡¯t anyone in town know about this? Why wasn¡¯t there even a hint of related news? Furthermore, they realized the network connection was interrupted right after they completed their game. Did that imply that¡­ all the other winners had gone to places without network signal, and thus, couldn¡¯t accurately transmit the information? If that was the case, this global catastrophe was far more terrifying than imagined. At 8 PM, night fell, and only the restaurant remained brightly lit in the entire service area. Shen MO wheeled Bai Youwei into the restaurant. The people inside were gathered together. Hearing their entrance, they turned their heads to look. Seeing Shen MO and Bai Youwei, they appeared unsurprised and retreated their gazes. The cold, white light flowed from the ceiling, casting deep shadows on their faces. Their similarly apathetic expressions under this light added an eerie sense to the scene. ¡°Newcomers?¡± A man with glasses looked up, keeping his tone even, ¡°If you wish to join our meeting, you¡¯ll have to participate in an information exchange first.. Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Acting cute Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Acting cute Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The man in glasses was seated at the center, appearing to be the speculated ¡°Leader¡±. However, it seems he¡¯s had a rough time, his shirt was wrinkled, his hair greasy, and he looked like he hadn¡¯t bathed properly for several days. Shen MO asked, ¡°What is information exchange?¡± The man gently pushed up his glasses and calmly responded, ¡°You can understand it as information sharing. Each person must express valuable intelligence without any reservation, only this way can everyone work together on countermeasures. If everyone hides their knowledge, expecting others to solve the problems that would yield no progress, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± That was true; it was safer and more effective to work together than it was to work alone. Since ancient times, humans have solved innumerable difficulties by working as a team, arguably one of the greatest wisdoms of humanity. However, when more people work together, it¡¯s inevitable for some to take advantage of the situation. Bai Youwei held her plush rabbit close to her, timidly saying, ¡°But we don¡¯t know what kind of information has value¡­ Hearing her suddenly speak softly, Shen MO was taken aback. His hands on the wheelchair rose in goosebumps. Pretending to be innocent, she raised her head and looked at him pitifully, ¡°Brother, do you know?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He was speechless. Perhaps Bai Youwei¡¯s deceptive appearance was convincing, the man in glasses was receptive, gently explaining, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since you could get here, you must have encountered those dolls. Anything related to the dolls could be shared; the more detailed, the better. Even if you can¡¯t figure something out, sharing it might yield a new perspective.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips, pretending to ponder deeply. ¡°Hmm¡­ on our way here, we met a bald man driving a pickup truck. He drove from a road with dolls, unscathed, so we followed behind him¡­ but those who followed later all turned into dolls. So, I think¡­ are there limits to the number of people? If the number of people is fewer, maybe it¡¯s safe to pass?¡± After finishing, she anxiously looked at the man in glasses, ¡°Is this¡­ valuable intelligence?¡± The man in glasses had a softer expression now, ¡°It counts. Your findings are consistent with our recent observations. Come and sit.¡± Bai Youwei visibly relaxed and smiled gratefully at the man in glasses. Seeing her enthusiasm, Shen MO had no choice but to play the part of a taciturn brother and silently wheeled herself closer. The people naturally made room for Bai Youwei and Shen MO, indirectly acknowledging the leadership position of the man in glasses. Sitting down in a chair next to the wheelchair, Shen MO stayed silent. Bai Youwei looked up naively and asked, ¡°If it¡¯s safer to have fewer people, wouldn¡¯t it be safer to go alone?¡± ¡°There are various limiting conditions, and the number of people is just the most obvious one. There could be hidden conditions. After all, the first people who turned into dolls did so while suddenly alone. So for now, it¡¯s hard to say.¡± The man in glasses stopped the topic and looked at everyone else, ¡°Let¡¯s continue with the previous question. Our colleagues who left to scout today haven¡¯t returned yet. What should we do? Do we keep waiting?¡± All eyes darted around the room; no one spoke for a moment. The man in glasses surveyed the room and firmly stated, ¡°Leaving here outright would definitely hold risks, but the utilities in the rest area could stop at any moment, we won¡¯t be able to hold out much longer.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± someone began hesitantly, ¡°We could send out a few more people to scout?¡± The suggestion was immediately dismissed, ¡°Who would go? Those people haven¡¯t returned; they may have already died on the road. Who else would dare to go? Will you go?¡± ¡°¡­But we can¡¯t just wait here for our deaths.¡± ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s no danger, and they¡¯ve run off!¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely, their luggage is still in the rest area¡­¡± Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Scouting Team Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Scouting Team Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Chatter broke out among the crowd, giving off the vibe of an impending quarrel. Bai Youwei surreptitiously observed the man in glasses, noticing a visible mix of annoyance and contempt in his demeanor. No doubt he was also helpless, having to rely on this group of vulgar and selfish humans for survival. Bai Youwei turned her face and gave Shen MO a look that seemed to say, ¡°See, I told you this bunch can¡¯t be trusted.¡± Shen MO simply smiled in response, not offering any comments. The so-called strategy discussion gradually devolved. It started as a discussion but eventually degenerated into mutual blame. If not for the man in glasses stepping in occasionally to defuse the tension, it probably would have escalated into a showdown. Suddenly, the room plunged into darkness! The most timid were the first to scream. Then someone else cursed, ¡°What are you screaming about! It¡¯s just a power outage, don¡¯t scare yourself!¡± After a moment, when everyone¡¯s eyes had adjusted to the dark, everyone scrambled to leave the restaurant. The man in glasses summoned a couple of people to go check the circuit breaker. Without electricity, everyone idled outside, with nothing to do. Bai Youwei stared upward, looking at the moon and stars. The vast expanse of the sky covered the earth, quiet and broad, making people seem particularly insignificant under the night sky. The night seemed to contain a mysterious power¡ªviewed for a long while, it always left one¡¯s heart beating faster. The crowd grew restless. The man in glasses who had left returned and informed everyone that the circuit breaker was fine; the entire service area was out of power. Perhaps soon, even the water supply would be cut off. The atmosphere turned gloomy and suffocating in an instant. Bai Youwei thought, these people were really hopeless. Apart from the man in glasses, there wasn¡¯t another with any initiative. ¡°I say¡­¡± An old man in the crowd hesitated to speak up, ¡°Why don¡¯t we, try to find a way out?¡± A bystander responded, ¡°Professor Cheng, haven¡¯t we always been trying to get out? What you¡¯re saying is basically pointless.¡± The man called Professor Cheng, around sixty years of age with streaks of white hair at his temples, thin and wearing an old-fashioned coarse cloth shirt, slightly hunched over, seemed insignificant. After being rebuked, Cheng¡¯s face turned tomato-red with embarrassment, at a loss for words, ¡°What I meant was¡­ we could walk, not drive. Isn¡¯t the reason we¡¯re stranded here because the road is jammed, and we can¡¯t drive past?¡± The old man gestured with his hand, ¡°We could go two at a time, leaving every 10 minutes. This way, we could avoid ending up as playthings to a large extent¡­¡± ¡°Professor Cheng, please don¡¯t add to the confusion. Walk without cars? We have so many people, and luggage. Do you expect us to walk all the way to Yangzhou?¡± ¡°Exactly, your armchair stratagems simply won¡¯t work.¡± Everyone started to chime in, the resentment in their voices escalating, as if they were venting their frustration from the power outage on the old man. The man in glasses remained silent amidst the crowd. Confronted with the old man¡¯s pleas for help, he chose to ignore them. Perhaps he also thought there was some truth in the old man¡¯s words, but at such a moment, did he have any obligation to help defuse the crowd¡¯s anger? Survival pressures had been accumulating for a while; someone had to serve as the scapegoat for the group¡¯s venting. Bai Youwei did not want to get involved. She mouthed silently to Shen MO, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen MO stood still. She gently tugged at him again. To her surprise, he stepped forward and said to the complaining crowd, ¡°Everyone, quiet down¡­¡± Bai Youwei immediately felt like rolling her eyes! Everyone looked over in unison. She and Shen MO suddenly became the center of attention, feeling like they were being stared at by a crowd of hungry ghosts. It was quite terrifying. But Shen MO did not so much as raise an eyebrow. He calmly said, ¡°It seems a vehicle is arriving.¡± The crowd fell silent. Once the discussion ceased, various sounds in the air became especially clear. The distant rumble came closer. At first, it was like the wind, but as it neared, the noise of the vehicle¡¯s tires on the road became clear. Finally, a large vehicle drove into the service area in the dead of the night, its bright headlights shining directly on everyone¡ª Brakes. Stopped. A few spry young men jumped down from the vehicle, one of them whistled and said, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on? Why are you all standing outside?¡± Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Laughing Brother Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Laughing Brother Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Under the stabbing glare of the car headlights, what should have been an irritating experience, didn¡¯t anger anyone. People were overjoyed, rushing up to exclaim, ¡°You¡¯re back?!¡± ¡°The scouts are back!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! They¡¯re back!¡± The atmosphere suddenly livened up, any previous tension instantly swept away, as if nothing had ever happened. The young man who had been whistling laughed and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you all think we were dead?!¡± ¡°Everyone was worried about you guys. Huh? Why did you change cars?¡± ¡°Our car broke down halfway. We found this one on the road, otherwise, we would have been back sooner! But what¡¯s going on with you guys? Why are you all outside?¡± ¡°The power in the rest station went out!¡± ¡°Well then light some candles, there are still plenty of flashlights in the supermarket.¡± Everyone sprang into action, faces beaming with joy as though as long as they had hope, they were full of energy. Power or water outages were just small bumps on the road, nothing to be scared of. After a little while, the lights in the rest station¡¯s restaurant came on again. Everyone gathered together, surrounded the returned group of young men in the center, eagerly waiting for them to share news from the outside. The most noticeable among them was the man who started whistling as soon as he got out of the car, everyone called him ¡°Brother Laugh¡±. This ¡°Brother Laugh¡± was wearing graffiti T-shirt and ripped jeans, an unclear English tattoo on his arm, messy short hair dyed ¡°granny gray,¡± and a sparkling earring in his right ear. He was not considered the most noticeable because of his unconventional attire. As a matter of fact, the other young men were all of the same ¡°sort¡±: their tattoos were more dramatic than the other¡¯s, his jeans had bigger rips. Bai Youwei found him memorable mainly due to his disturbingly bright smile. She would smile while talking to Shen MO, and the others in the station would smile while talking to her, still, their smiles were restrained, modest, and courteous. After all, the backdrop was the end of the world! Who would laugh like an idiot, teeth bared? Even if something quite delightful happened, considering the uncertainty of the future, shouldn¡¯t they be a bit melancholic? This ¡°Brother Laugh¡± was perhaps a toothpaste brand spokesperson, his face full of laughter as he passionately recounted his daring ordeal out on the road ¡°¡­ As soon as I saw the dolls on the road, I knew something was off! This was our last road! If this road was blocked, would we have to return empty-handed?! As the saying goes, heaven never seals off all exits! In a flash of insight, I realized something was not right about these dolls!¡± ¡°What was not right?¡± someone chipped in, just like a comic dialogue. ¡°Brother Laugh¡± pointed to his eyes with two fingers, and with a solemn expression, said: ¡°These keen eyes noticed that something was unusual!¡± The other boys who accompanied him were all laughing, cracking open melon seeds, and watched him like they were watching a circus monkey, ¡°Tan Xiao, aren¡¯t you taking this too far?¡± ¡°Brother Laugh¡± ignored them, asking the crowd, ¡°Who knows why we should avoid places with dolls?¡± ¡°This still needs to be said? Because they will turn into dolls!¡± someone immediately replied. ¡°Brother Laugh¡± shook his head mysteriously, posing like he wouldn¡¯t continue if the answer was wrong. Everyone started catcalling, some longer, some shorter. The glasses-wearing guy also laughed and said unhurriedly, ¡°Single dolls appearing incidentally usually pose no threat, but if a large number of dolls appear in a certain area, we should be alert. According to the explanation given by experts in the National Scientific Research Institute, the abnormal geomagnetic fluctuations in those areas can have unknown effects on the human body, this is the reason why everyone should avoid dolls. Okay, Tan Xiao, just spit it out, don¡¯t sell us any more suspense.¡± Still, the words of the leader seemed to carry some weight, Tan Xiao slapped his thigh like a story teller clapping a wooden block¡ª ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll say it!¡± Under the intense gaze of the crowd, only Bai Youwei rolled his eyes in exasperation.. Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: Chapter 21: A Scene of Jubilation Chapter 21: Chapter 21: A Scene of Jubilation Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°The dolls that appear in large numbers usually have a fixed action, like they¡¯re driving, having a meal together, or just standing still. But the dolls we encountered on the road¨C¡± Tan Xiao squints his eyes, giggles in a low voice, intentionally creating a creepy atmosphere. ¡°The dolls we met¡­didn¡¯t have a unified action. They were thrown haphazardly on the ground¡­like they were deliberately tossed onto the road!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened, looking at each other in disbelief. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Someone couldn¡¯t comprehend: ¡°Why would someone deliberately throw away the dolls?¡± Normal people would be too scared to get close, let alone arrange the dolls in a concentrated area. Considering this could easily mislead visitors. ¡°It¡¯s because they don¡¯t want people to pass through that road,¡± the Glasses Man casually said. People were shocked by this revelation. ¡°Who would do such a thing?!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t they want people to pass through? What kind of evil mind is that?!¡± ¡°If I ever meet those people, I will make them regret!¡± ¡°Brother Xiao, did you find the people who threw the dolls?¡± Tan Xiao gave a thumbs up, swiped it under his nose with a smug grin. ¡°Of course, we not only found them but also taught them a lesson! Guess what? There was a group of people who occupied a food processing factory. There¡¯s enough food inside to last for several years! They were scared that others would come and take the resources, so they deliberately scared off passing vehicles by throwing dolls on the road! But I has keen eyes! -Hey! My left fist charges like a tiger, and my right leg kicks like a dragon! I beat them until they were searching for their teeth on the ground! Did you see all the stuff on the cars? They are all brought back by brother Xiao and the others from the factory! ¡± ¡°Well done!¡± The crowd cheered and applauded. In the corner, Teacher Cheng sighed softly: ¡°Sigh, those people were also trying to survive¡­¡± Someone overheard him and scolded: ¡°Teacher Cheng, look at yourself, are you sympathizing with them again? They almost trapped us! They want to survive, don¡¯t we too?¡± Teacher Cheng lowered his head without arguing, he sighed long and short, expressing his deep regret at the survival of the fittest situation. This slight disagreement was soon drowned out in the wave of cheers. The Glasses Man assigned people to unload things from the car, including smoked meat, sausages, sauce-cooked ducks, and piles of vacuum-packed cooked food. The atmosphere was more heated, and everyone was excited as if they were dividing the land seized from a tyrant. Shen MO and Bai Youwei also got some food. Perhaps out of sympathy for Bai Youwei¡¯s disability, she was given an extra sauce-cooked pig¡¯s knuckle more than others. After distributing the food, the Glasses Man asked everyone to rest early and set off as soon as it was dawn. They were finally going to leave the service area where they had been trapped for a long time, everyone was extremely excited. They assembled the tables and chair from the restaurant into a large makeshift bed, using the thick and wide European-style curtains from inside the restaurant as bedsheets, men and women, old and young, all lay side by side. Meanwhile, Bai Youwei and Shen MO laid on the floor in the neighboring supermarket. The fallen shelves functioned as temporary bed frames, padded with folded cardboard boxes and soft blankets. Though makeshift, it was more comfortable than sleeping in the car. The moonlight silently poured down, and the night was immersed in tranquility. Rustling leaves outside, people tossing and turning inside, the sound of fabric friction was particularly clear. Bai Youwei lay quietly, tilting her head slightly, she could see the scene in the restaurant. Some people were browsing pictures of loved ones on their phones, others were whispering about plans after leaving. Their whispers filled the dark, making the night even quieter¡­ Shen MO sat at the other end of the shelf, holding a map he¡¯d found somewhere, carefully reading it in the moonlight.. Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Tonight’s Moon Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Tonight¡¯s Moon Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The moon tonight was unusually bright. It¡¯s ironic, the human world gets worse day by day, yet the beauty of nature seems to be growing. No smog, no polluted water and fumes, every day was filled with blue skies, white clouds, and a bright moon. Bai Youwei closed her eyes and then opened them again, but sleep evaded her as the events of the day replayed in her mind. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± she asked Shen MO softly. ¡°I will sleep once you¡¯re asleep,¡± Shen MO replied nonchalantly. He wasn¡¯t sleepy yet, and it was awkward for the two to lie side by side because, after all, they have only met today. Bai Youwei said, ¡°By the time I fall asleep, it might be too late.¡± Shen MO replied lightly, ¡°During training, I only needed four hours of sleep a day. That¡¯s enough.¡± Bai Youwei had to admit, this man¡¯s physical ability was impressive, carrying her for three rounds in the game and barely even breaking a sweat. She closed her eyes again, still unable to sleep. Sitting up after a while, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s look at the map together.¡± Shen MO divided the map in half. Suddenly, something soft leaned against his right arm, causing him to pause. ¡°How do you read this?¡± Bai Youwei asked peering at the map. Her lower body was frail, and she needed support when sitting. It was very hard for her to sit upright. Shen Mo¡¯s momentarily tense arm relaxed, and he showed her how to read the map. Since the advent of satellite maps on phones, few people studied paper maps, usually only buying them as souvenirs during trips. ¡°This road is the Hushan Expressway, we¡¯re approximately here¡­ Starting from this position, the latter part of the journey has traps, so we have to switch to the Hurong Expressway tomorrow. The scouting team that went out today will lead the way from Zhenjiang, detouring to Yangzhou¡­¡± Shen MO began explaining. Bai Youwei looked at the dense paths and the miniscule city names, starting to feel dazed. Despite her best efforts to pay attention, her mind started to wander. Her gaze landed unknowingly on the man¡¯s hand. Shen MO had very beautiful hands. His fingers were slender and the joints were distinct. From his solid forearm to his fingertips, the entire hand was streamlined and full of strength. She coveted hands like these. Following his arm up with her gaze, she saw his collarbone, his Adam¡¯s apple¡­ The black hair on his forehead cast a shadow over his brows and eyes, leaving only the high nose bridge clearly visible. His soft voice named unfamiliar places. The low tone reminded Bai Youwei of a cello from her father¡¯s collection. The ¡®cello¡¯ looked at her and asked in a deep voice, ¡°All right?¡± ¡°Sleepy,¡± she replied, laid back down, grabbed her rabbit plushy as a pillow, and tried to sleep. Shen Mo: ¡® After a moment of silence, he folded the map and asked, ¡°Are you cold?¡± Bai Youwei seemed to have already fallen asleep and didn¡¯t respond. Shen MO watched her silently for a while, then stood up and walked away. When he left, Bai Youwei opened her eyes. Her gaze was serene. Being alone with a man in the middle of the night didn¡¯t bother her. But one can¡¯t prevent their mind from wandering. The more the mind runs wild, the messier the heart becomes until it spirals out of control. Bai Youwei had her fair share of daydreams about heroes saving princesses before her legs were paralyzed. After her paralysis, living a dignified life became her top priority- much more important than love. Plus, this wasn¡¯t even love. It was just a coincidence that she found herself in danger, with a man by her side, who happened to be somewhat decent to her. They say that men and women who share life-threatening experiences easily attract each other, regardless of whether it¡¯s true or not, it didn¡¯t matter¡­ Everything would end once they reach Yangzhou. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to fall asleep. Slow and uncoordinated footsteps came from the direction of the door; it wasn¡¯t just one person. Turning her head, Bai Youwei saw three rogue-like young men approaching her. It was the scouting team that had gone out earlier.. Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Saving Lives Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Saving Lives Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had anticipated what would happen to her once order collapsed. But she didn¡¯t expect it would happen so quickly. The few short steps the stranger took towards her filled her mind with a flurry of thoughts, suddenly recalling many things. She remembered her family doctor, who, at first, she didn¡¯t quite understand. But when she did, she reported him to her mother through a phone call. But the doctor turned it around, saying that he was diligent and didn¡¯t dare slack off in his work. He claimed that the young misses was trying to intimidate him and was lying on purpose. Her temper indeed wasn¡¯t so great. So the doctor¡¯s words seemed very convincing. When her mother fired the doctor, she gave him a large sum of money to soothe his ¡°wounded spirit from being tormented by the young misses¡±. As Bai Youwei thought about these past events, she slowly clung to the rabbit¡­ She made up her mind. The three men approached her, leering at her openly. They were unkempt, sleazy, their eyes dull. Not only that, she guessed these men weren¡¯t intelligent. Managing to survive so far purely on a kind of ignorant, fearless savagery. Formerly marginalized and despised by society, now they were the leaders of the survival team, receiving respect and adulation. What could make them more inflated than this change of status? Bai Youwei propped herself up on her arm and sat up, shouting out in a panicked voice: ¡°What are you going to do? Don¡¯t come any closer! Don¡¯t come any closer¡­¡± The neighboring restaurant suddenly fell silent. All the little chatter disappeared, as if everyone had collectively died in their sleep that very instant. ¡°Let me go! Don¡¯t! ¡­Don¡¯t! Help¡­¡± She struggled valiantly while calling for help in a feeble voice. The metallic shelf beneath her creaked in response to her movements, mixing with the thugs¡¯ cruel laughter; it rang out clear and grating on this silent night. No one came to her rescue. People are always generous when it doesn¡¯t endanger their own interests, but at other times, they demonstrate the height of selfishness and indifference. Perhaps the commotion was too much, a man with glasses cloaked in a coat come over from the restaurant. The thugs halted their actions. One of them, a skinny tall man with a necklace looked at the man with glasses with especially provocative eyes. He lightly weighed the dagger in his hand, pointing the blade forward, a threatening gesture. The man with glasses glanced at the knife, then at Bai Youwei who was curled up. He frowned, looked away and said, ¡°Keep it down, her brother will be back soon. ¡± The skinny tall man chuckled, glanced at his companions with a mocking grin, ¡°Did you all hear that? Boss Zhang told us to keep it down.¡± The other two snickered and intentionally replied aloud, ¡°We heard you! Keep it down!¡± Upon completing their taunts, they burst into laughter, becoming unruly and outrageous. The face of the man with glasses grew darker. But he ultimately didn¡¯t say anything further, instead turning back to return to the restaurant, unwilling to meddle in this troublesome affair. ¡°Coward!¡± One of the thugs spat a mouthful of saliva at his retreating figure, his eyes full of contempt. Having successfully challenged the authority of the leader, the thugs felt triumphant. However, they failed to notice Shen MO had returned and was standing at the entrance of the supermarket with a cold expression. Bai Youwei, holding the fluffy rabbit, gave Shen MO an almost imperceptible shake of her head. Shen Mo¡¯s eyebrows knit together as he realized what she was thinking. Earlier when they had just entered the service area, they had charged the fluffy rabbit for a while. Bai Youwei was now probably trying to test the power of the ¡°one-tenth of me¡±. But, lightning was not easy to control. She didn¡¯t have confidence she could strike the thugs as accurately as The Inspector. To prevent accidental injuries, she didn¡¯t want Shen MO to get close. If the power was not strong enough, it wouldn¡¯t be too late for him to step in then.. Chapter 24 - Chapter 24: Chapter 24 The Brother Outside Chapter 24: Chapter 24 The Brother Outside Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In short, these three were like lab rats voluntarily walking into a trap. Bai Youwei could use them for her experiment. Even if they were to die by mistake, they would have asked for it. Shen MO turned his body away, leaning against the door outside, his brows furrowed tightly, his eyes heavy with irritation. Bai Youwei using the ones who offended her for experiments, he didn¡¯t object, nor did he have the right to, but¡­ But she had been crying all along. Of course, he knew her crying was fake, truly she had been ¡°performing¡± ever since they arrived at the service area. The reason for his irritation was¡­ she was crying all along, but no one was helping her. Between the supermarket and restaurant was half a wall, and on the other side were almost thirty people, but not even one lent a hand. The harder she cried, the more it highlighted the indifference of people! This feeling¡­ truly upset him! ¡°Let her go!¡± Suddenly a low shout, wavering with age, broke the silence of the night. Shen MO raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking in the direction of the voice. Bai Youwei, stunned, clenched the rabbit tightly, suppressing the noisy current! An emaciated old man picked up a wooden stick from somewhere, stood with a serious expression in the aisle between the restaurant and supermarket, and loudly accused: ¡°Under the bright sun and moon, and this vast universe, how could you do such things?! Don¡¯t you all have mothers? Sisters? Daughters? You¡­ you are utterly lawless! Heartless!¡­ What are you trying to do?! Let me go um um um¡­¡¯ The old of man was lifted, and a pig¡¯s foot was forcibly stuffed into his mouth! It was Bai Youwei¡¯s newly obtained fragrant pig¡¯s foot. Even the packaging was not removed. They pushed it in too forcefully, causing a cut at the corner of the old man¡¯s mouth. A tall, skinny gangster lightly patted the old man¡¯s face, laughing, ¡°Mr. Cheng, this is not your classroom. Here, have a big pig¡¯s foot, if your mouth is itchy, just gnaw on it!¡± Then with a push, Mr. Cheng staggered back, fell, and couldn¡¯t get up due to his trembling legs. ¡°Anyone else has a problem?¡± The tall, skinny man walked a few steps forward, casually sweeping his gaze over the restaurant, ¡°Anyone wanting to play the hero, come out. It¡¯s a rare chance.¡± His companion sneered, ¡°A dog catching a mouse, busying himself with others¡¯ business. Without Brother Hui, you¡¯d still be starving tonight! Ungrateful bunch¡­¡± ¡°Who are you calling ungrateful?¡± Another man leisurely walked in from outside the supermarket. ¡°Tan Xiao?¡± The tall, skinny man frowned. Tan Xiao had just returned from the restroom, one hand tucked in his pocket, the other dubbing his grayish hair, he smirked, ¡°Brother Hui, you and your pals are quite capable¡­ Bullying women and old folk, how come I never noticed this about you before?¡± Brother Hui¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Bro, don¡¯t ruin the mood. ¡°Nope, don¡¯t call me bro,¡± Tan Xiao quickly waved his hands, ¡°As for me, Laughing Bro, I rely on my integrity in this world, always straightforward. I dare not make friends like you!¡± The gangsters laughed instead of getting angry. ¡°Calling you Laughing Bro is giving you face, but now it seems you want to lose face?¡± Tan Xiao pointed to his own face, leaning in closer, ¡°Here, take my face, take it¡­ ¡± Bang! Tan Xiao suddenly made his move, grabbing Brother Hui¡¯s head and giving it a hard head-butt! Staggering Brother Hui completely! ¡°Dammit!¡± The other two instantly got angry and fought back, ¡°Kill him!¡± The three men got into a brawl! Gangsters fighting, devoid of any grace, kicking faces, hitting groins, poking eyes, each move was extremely rough and crude! Tan Xiao had more cunning tricks than the others, one against two, he actually held up well! But as soon as Brother Hui, who got hit in the head by him, recovered, it turned into one against three, and the situation took a drastic turn! He was pinned down to the ground! Both his hands were twisted behind him, his face was stepped on by Brother Hui¡¯s shoe! ¡°Tired of living, aren¡¯t you, huh?¡± The anti-skid lines on the sole of the shoe left red marks on his skin. Tan Xiao gasped in pain, yelling loudly, ¡°Brothers outside! Help! What¡¯s the wait?! Shen Mo: ¡® Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Sons and Daughters of the Jianghu Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Sons and Daughters of the Jianghu Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It¡¯s often said, the skill of the expert is immediately known the moment they make a move! The moment Shen MO appeared at the door, his tall and straight figure, like a pine tree, caught everyone¡¯s attention. Wearing a close-fitting, pure black T-shirt, deep camouflage, special training trousers, and a pair of black army boots firmly planted on the floor, he exuded a silent, intimidating aura. Hui¡¯s two henchmen tried to stop him, but there was no fear displayed on Shen Mo¡¯s face. He punched, grappled, chokeheld; his movements were swift and decisive. The goons were left only capable of crying out in agony! Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, temporarily forgetting his humiliation. He muttered, ¡°My God, he¡¯s really a master¡­¡± Seeing the grip on Tan Xiao¡¯s face relax, the guy stepping on him was next tossed aside by Shen MO, swatted away like a broken kite! Literally swatted away. Although Hui was skinny, he still weighed over a hundred and thirty to forty pounds. Can you imagine the strength needed to toss someone like that? Tan Xiao quickly jumped to his feet, placing himself protectively in front of Bai Youwei, shouting, ¡°Had enough now, haven¡¯t you? Care to try again?¡± His voice rang out defiantly. If you ignored the shoe prints on his face, this posturing was actually rather intimidating. The three thugs helped each other up, each looking more humiliated than the last, realizing they had met their match. Gritting his teeth, Hui shot a look at Shen MO and Tan Xiao and scoffed, ¡°He¡¯s nothing more than a cripple, not even a woman by count, and you¡¯re protecting him like treasure? If you like him so much, you can have him!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face became paler, a shadow flitting across her eyes. ¡°Try saying that again?!¡± Tan Xiao threatened, swinging his fist. A look of panic crossed Hui¡¯s face. Gritting his teeth, he limped out of the supermarket with his companions. Once the men were gone, Tan Xiao sidled up to Shen MO, ¡°Bro! You¡¯re amazing! Why did you have to wait until the end to step in?¡± Throwing his arm over Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder with a mischievous smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just want to make a dramatic entrance at the last minute? Don¡¯t worry, I get it! ¡± Shen MO pushed his hand away, walked over to Bai Youwei, picked her up, and turned to leave. ¡°Cool-¡± Tan Xiao whistled, quickly following and grabbing Shen Mo¡¯s jacket left behind at the door, yelling as he ran, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name? I¡¯m Tan Xiao, what about you?¡­¡± Chasing them to the SUV, he gave Shen MO his jacket, ¡°This is yours, right? I saw you left it at the door. Why are you wearing a jacket in this heat? Oh¡­ you wanted to get it for your sister in case she gets cold at night, right?¡± He kept talking, but no one paid him any attention. Shen MO remained aloof and indifferent, while Bai Youwei stayed silent, wrapped in her own thoughts. Tan Xiao scratched his nose, finding this pair of siblings strange. Feeling a little disheartened, his spirits lifted when Shen MO accepted his jacket with a quiet ¡°thank you¡±. Buoyed by the gesture, Tan Xiao grinned, ¡°No need to thank me! We, the brothers in the rivers and lakes, stand up for each other when we see injustice! Today I help you, another day you might help me. It¡¯s about loyalty! You can count on me whenever you need help, I won¡¯t turn you down!¡± He just kept talking nonstop. In the car, Bai Youwei moved her lips slightly, muttering: ¡°Nagging.¡± Shen MO merely glanced at her. Unaware of the situation, Tan Xiao continued to engage Shen MO enthusiastically: ¡°¡­If you really want to thank me, I won¡¯t refuse your favor. Could you, perhaps, teach me a few moves?¡± He began to mime punching and kicking in the air. ¡°Like your moves earlier, they were so powerful! How did you do that?¡­ Ahoo! Aha!¡­ Do you think my postures are correct?¡± Shen MO did not feel like talking.. Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Being Followed Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Being Followed Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Shen MO was utterly stuck with this Tan Xiao. Tan Xiao insisted on keeping watch over them during the latter half of the night, arguing determinedly that it was to prevent the same group from returning. Even if they didn¡¯t hurt the people, secretly setting fire or puncturing a tire, would also be enough to irritate someone. Shen MO wanted to say that given the injuries those guys had sustained, they would at least have to rest for a night before seeking revenge. However, he couldn¡¯t stand Tan Xiao¡¯s non-stop chattering, so he left him to it. Early in the morning, everyone hit the road. Tan Xiao had stayed up all night and surprisingly was still full of energy. He dragged Teacher Chang out of someone else¡¯s vehicle, insisting that the elderly man should ride his motorbike. His motorbike was a mix of goth and punk style, with dangling tassels at the front, a skull sticker at the back, and metallic rivets for decoration on both sides. Teacher Chang repeatedly waved his hands in embarrassment but Tan Xiao wouldn¡¯t let him go no matter what. Bai Youwei, who was not far away, watched them coldly. She knew this silly boy¡¯s good intentions and that his offer for the old man to ride his motorbike aimed to protect him. However, he didn¡¯t consider that with his old broken motorbike, it would likely jostle him to death. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a faint smile playing at the corners of Shen Mo¡¯s lips. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and asked irritably, ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Shen MO, resting his hands on the steering wheel, shook his head indifferently, ¡°Nothing. ¡± After a while, he added, ¡°Just wondering¡­whether there are more good people or bad people in this world.¡± If there were more good people, when Bai Youwei was in trouble last night, the more than thirty people next door wouldn¡¯t have pretended to be asleep. However, if there were more bad people, a weak, thin old man and uneducated punks would not have stepped up either. Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°How old are you to still be thinking about such naive questions?¡± Shen MO, not taking it to heart, chuckled, ¡°Perhaps all military men are inclined to be idealists.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, turned her face away impatiently, and continued to watch the unlikely pair in the distance: A stern older teacher and a wayward young man. What an odd team they made. Are there more good people or bad people in the world? No, neither is more. The majority are ordinary people, whose good and evil tendencies are determined in a moment. They¡¯re not purely good, nor thoroughly bad. ¡°Let¡¯s have the old man ride in our car,¡± Bai Youwei suggested. Shen MO looked at her and eventually nodded gently, ¡°Yes, to avoid any untoward incidents.¡± He got out of the car and invited Teacher Chang to join them. Tan Xiao, misunderstanding Shen Mo¡¯s act of gratitude towards Teacher Chang for his righteous support the prior night as an act of ¡°brotherly loyalty¡± was overly enthusiastic. He said to Shen MO, ¡°Good man, you¡¯re so loyal! Brother Xiao hasn¡¯t seen wrong! Rest assured, I will keep an eye on those guys later. They won¡¯t dare to pull any tricks while on the road!¡± Shen Mo, having nothing to say to him, simply nodded indifferently and helped Teacher Chang get on their vehicle. Teacher Chang was a gentle old man, whose words and demeanor showed the refinement and humility of a scholar. After he got in the car, he thanked Shen MO and Bai Youwei politely and introduced himself, ¡°¡­ I¡¯m a teacher at Nanjing No.13 Middle School, my name is Chang Weicai. I teach in the school that is currently closed, so I decided to go to Yangzhou to see my elderly parents who live on Jhor Middle Road. I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going, and if it¡¯s out of your way, you can drop me off anywhere nearby¡­¡± Shen MO watched the road ahead and said casually, ¡°We¡¯re heading to Jiangnan Road in Yangzhou.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfect!¡± Teacher Chang was delighted, ¡°Jhor Middle Road isn¡¯t far from there. It¡¯s right on your way! Thank you so much!¡± From the back seat, Bai Youwei gave a sneering laugh. She thought to herself, not only was this military officer an idealist, but he also liked doing good deeds and made sure the beneficiaries didn¡¯t feel any obligation. He was incredibly thoughtful. They never intended to go to Jiangnan Road in Yangzhou. However, given the chaos, it didn¡¯t matter where they were headed next¡­.. Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Another Doll Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Another Doll Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio One by one, the cars gradually left the service area, heading onto the highway. Leading the reconnaissance team at the head of the convoy were Tan Xiao and Brother Hui. Tan Xiao, riding his beloved motorcycle, was weaving agilely among the vehicles. He was full of energy, keeping an eye on road conditions up ahead while also on the lookout for the thugs from yesterday. Whether his vigilance worked, or whether Shen MO had effectively scared them, they were surprisingly well-behaved and nothing suspicious occurred during the journey. About an hour into their drive, as they were nearing Zhenjiang, they spotted clusters of figures on the road ahead. Brother Hui was in the lead and saw them first. ¡­Seems like dolls.¡± ¡°Must be the guys from the food processing factory again. They keep pulling the same tricks. Those guys have too much time on their hands!¡± ¡°We stole their food, probably holding a grudge against us.¡± ¡°Ignore them. Just drive straight through!¡± ¡°Will there be trouble¡­¡± ¡°Tch! This is the only available route; even if there is trouble we¡¯ll have to push through! What¡¯s there to be afraid of? We have plenty of buffers behind us!¡± Following a brief, simple conversation, they sped up instead of slowing down. The dolls on the road were immediately torn to bits by the onslaught of vehicles, scattered all over the road, battered by the wind. Shen MO noticed something was off, he slowed down and waved at the nearby motorcycle. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± he yelled over the wind. Tan Xiao slowed down too, matching his pace with the SUV. He shouted back to Shen MO, ¡°Dolls again! It must be the guys from the food processing factory. The factory is nearby!¡± Shen MO frowned, looking at the fallen dolls. He had an indescribable uneasiness. The postures and expressions of the dolls all seemed off, as if being driven by something. Bai Youwei in the back seat saw it too. She furrowed her brow, staying silent. Suddenly, Tan Xiao burst out cursing¡ª ¡°Damn it!¡± He revved his motorcycle and charged directly at a doll dressed in a white ¡°I recognize this old lady! She cursed at me yesterday while we were stealing their sausages! How did she become a doll?!¡± His face pale, Tan Xiao checked on the other dolls in a hurry, then abruptly turned around, speeding in the opposite direction on the highway. ¡°All the people from the food processing factory have turned into dolls! Stop driving forward! Everyone halt! Halt!!! One after another, vehicles parked along the roadside, the faces of people showing both perplexity and terror. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°¡­Apparently dolls appeared up ahead.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡­ Should we turn around?¡± Turn around? Where else could they go? They had nowhere left to go. After alerting the final car, Tan Xiao parked his motorcycle, looking back toward the front of the convoy, thinking they might have to arrange for the vehicles to scatter. If they stuck together, it would be much easier for trouble to occur. Fortunately, they¡¯d noticed in time. If they had continued to push forward, the outcomes were unthinkable. Just when he was feeling relieved, an odd sound rang out in his ears the next second¡ª ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! The theme of this game is ¡®Jin Qiu¡¯s Frog.¡¯ The rules are as follows: First, refuse to play and transform into a doll! Second, fail the game and transform into a doll! Third, win the game and receive a doll!¡­¡± ¡°What???¡± Tan Xiao was shocked and looked around, saying. ¡°Where is this voice coming from?¡± This familiar announcement rang in Bai Youwei¡¯s and Shen Mo¡¯s ears at the same time. A piercing white fog shone, forcing them to close their eyes. When they opened them again, the world had once again transformed. This time, they were greeted by a dark cave, a nauseating smell of mud, and an extremely damp atmosphere. ¡°Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it! Cursing non-stop, Tan Xiao leapt up from the mud, furiously questioning, ¡°What kind of trap is this?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a trap, it¡¯s a game.¡± A bespectacled man sitting in the mud, his face a mask of despair and resignation, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Here¡­ is the Doll Game..¡± Chapter 28 - Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Conical Space Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Conical Space Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Doll game? What doll game?¡± Tan Xiao pulled his leg out of the muck, trudging laboriously towards the bespectacled man, ¡°Mr. Zhang, what did you mean by what you just said? What doll, what game? I don¡¯t understand.¡± The bespectacled man hung his head weakly, his entire being steeped in gloom, his lips rigidly opening and closing, ¡°You won¡¯t need me to tell you, you will understand soon¡­ I¡¯ve only experienced it once, that time¡­ there were sixteen of us¡­ In the end, I was the only one who survived¡­¡± Tan Xiao stared at him, his face blank as he scratched the back of his head. Suddenly finding themselves in such a place was like stepping into the nest of an unknown creature. Everyone was shivering in fear, some already whimpering softly. Shen MO scooped Bai Youwei out of the mud, looking around only to find no suitable place to put her. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but wet mud, not a single clean spot to step on. Bai Youwei pointed to a huge snail shell not far away, so Shen MO carried her over through the muddy pits. Whether they had shrunk or the snails had mutated, every single snail here was as big as a double door refrigerator! After seeing rabbits as large as dogs, such snails didn¡¯t seem that extraordinary. Thankfully, only the shells were left, and they were hollow inside. Otherwise, it would have been a horrifying sight. Bai Youwei sat on the rough surface of the snail shell, her long dress soaked in muddy water. It was heavy and thick, she had to struggle to maintain her balance. The place they were in was a huge mud pit. The surrounding walls were slippery with wet stones. The higher up they were, the narrower they became, until at the center, there was only a small round hole that went straight up like a well. The sunlight seeped through the hole, brightening the middle of the cave, while the surrounding areas were dim. The further away from the hole, the darker it became, with the corners being almost pitch black. In simple terms, this was a conical space filled with mud. After finding a place for Bai Youwei, Shen MO helped the teacher who was not far away onto his feet. They had been in the same car, so their landing spots were close. The poor man in his sixties was pale, covered in mud and his legs were soaking in muddy water. His knees shook uncontrollably. Shen Mo helped the teacher onto another snail shell, then looked around again ¡ª other people were also climbing onto snail shells to avoid sitting in the mud. So far, they hadn¡¯t seen the Inspector. However, this place was large, the light was dim, and there were countless snail shells for cover- perhaps the Inspector was hiding somewhere? Not far away, Dixon and his gang had cornered the spectacled man. The leader, Dixon, held onto Zhang Hua¡¯s collar. He spoke with a mixture of intimidation and fear, ¡°Zhang Hua! You dare lie to us! Why didn¡¯t you mention the game back at the rest-stop?!¡± They were calling him Director Zhang before, but now used his name. Tan Xiao grabbed Dixon¡¯s arm and joined the fray, ¡°You dare to start a fight?! Not enough of yesterday¡¯s beating? Let go of him!¡­Are you deaf! Will you let go?!¡± The men staggered and struggled in the mud pit, none of them had the upper hand and soon they were panting heavily. Zhang Hua, the spectacled man, sat in the mud, watching them as if they were dead men walking, ¡°If I had mentioned it before, could we have avoided it?¡± ¡°Bastard!¡± Dixon cursed, turning around to climb the slippery stone wall. However, the walls were slick and the ground was made of soft mud, making it impossible to get a grip. Zhang Hua sat in the mud, laughing at them, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy. If I were you, I would take this time to observe the terrain. It would save a lot of trouble when the game starts, instead of waiting around clueless and waiting to die.¡± ¡°Who the hell are you saying is going to die?!¡± Another punk yelled angrily, stepping forward to teach him a lesson. The light in the cave then suddenly dimmed. Total darkness. Then, a childish voice echoed, ¡°Oh? There are so many players this time¡­¡± Everyone was taken aback, immediately holding their breath. The rustling sound in the darkness suggested that something was slowly descending from the vertical round hole¡­. Chapter 29 - Chapter 29: Chapter 29: The Golden Ball of the Frog Chapter 29: Chapter 29: The Golden Ball of the Frog Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The darkness lasted only for five or six seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Bai Youwei squinted and saw a sphere sliding down from a gap at the top of the cave¡ªits diameter was a perfect fit with the gap, thus it blocked the only source of light when it came down. After the sphere descended, the light reappeared, and everyone saw a golden sphere hovering under the gap. The sunlight shed on the sphere, making its golden color dazzlingly brilliant and blinding. ¡°Hello, everyone! I am the Inspector of this game, welcome to the Doll¡¯s Game!¡± The golden ball was speaking. Its tone of voice was lively and childish, like a five or six-year-old child. It spun around in the air, drifted past each person, stirring up gusts of wind¡ª ¡°We have so many players this time! Five, six, seven, eight, nine¡­ uh-uh, so many! Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty¡­ thirty-three! A total of thirty-three players for the game! Please play earnestly and try your best to pass!¡± People stared fearfully at the golden sphere, their nerves strained. Even Hui Ge¡¯s thugs forgot what they were doing. ¡°Why are you all staring at me like that? Hey! That woman, and you, why are you both crying? You should play the game happily!¡± The golden ball twisted, showing no expression, but its tone was incredibly animated. ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t want to play?¡± It hummed in displeasure, ¡°If you refuse, you¡¯ll become dolls, you knew that when you came in, right! You can¡¯t refuse to play!¡± ¡°Tell us how to play. What are the rules?¡± Zhang Hua stood up, shook off the mud on his glasses, put them back on, his expression was one of indifference, ¡°Dead sooner or later¡­ I hope it ends soon.¡± He seemed to have given up on struggling, there was not a trace of will to live in his eyes. ¡°It will be very quick.¡± The golden ball chuckled, ¡°The game duration is only 20 seconds, it will end very quickly!¡± Shen MO furrowed his brow. This place was dimly lit and full of mud everywhere. Whether running or jumping, it would require a lot of effort. If the game time was only 20 seconds, it probably wouldn¡¯t be good news for the players. Bai Youwei also slightly furrowed her brow. She knew of her own disadvantage. If the game was action-based and had a time limit, she would probably have no choice but to await her fate. No one could carry her anymore. With mud all over the ground, if Shen MO were to carry her, it would just lead to their mutual demise! ¡°I¡¯m going to introduce the game rules now, everyone, listen carefully! I¡¯ll only say them once, if you can¡¯t remember the rules, you¡¯re likely to die-¡± Your translation should closely resemble those of a native English speaker, so please pay close attention to context and nuance. The tone of the ¡°oh¡± at the end of the sentence was drawn out very long. This kind of childish tone was cringe-worthy, but no one cared. At this moment, they were hanging on to every word of the golden ball announcing the rules¡ª It rotated around for a bit first. The golden texture of the sphere sparkled under the light. ¡°Have you all seen it? Here, this is a golden ball. In a while, I¡¯ll throw the ball from any position, at any angle, and with any force, your task is to find me within 20 seconds.¡± Jin Qiu spoke with a proud tone, ¡°As long as one person finds the ball, everyone can pass! It¡¯s easy, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s simple and fun! It¡¯s even better than the games by other Inspectors, right?¡± ¡°What constitutes finding it?¡± Tan Xiao, like a calf unafraid of a tiger, daringly stood out and asked, ¡°Does it count if I see it with my eyes?¡± ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t count.¡± The golden ball floated in the air, moving from side to side, mimicking a human shaking their head, ¡°There are two criteria to finding the golden ball¡ª One, your hand must make contact with the ball; Two, the ball must be in a state of rest. It floated a bit higher and said accommodatingly: ¡°To help you all understand better, I¡¯ll give a demonstration first!¡± Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Chapter 30 A Demonstration Chapter 30: Chapter 30 A Demonstration Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Jin Qiu flitted about the cave, floating up and down restlessly, like a child seeking an ideal spot for a game of hide-and-seek. So childish. Bai Youwei found it a bit of a farce. Although the rabbit-headed figure from the previous game also felt like a comedy act, at least it was calm and composed, and its actions carried an impression of rigid, programmed directives. It seemed like it was merely following protocol, wasted no words, and revealed no emotions. But what was the deal with this golden sphere now? Such an object appearing in this life-or-death situation was quite vexing. Shen MO whispered to her, ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound too difficult, just having one person find the ball will end the game. But earlier on our way here, there were quite a few dead players.¡± In other words, all those people had lost their lives in this game. If it was such a simple game, why did so many people die? Bai Youwei carelessly quipped, ¡°Having a race with a rabbit doesn¡¯t sound difficult either.¡¯ Didn¡¯t many people die anyways? Shen MO fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Could we use the rabbit?¡± Bai Youwei glanced at him, not responding immediately. Gently squeezing the stuffed rabbit¡¯s ears in her hand, mud dripped down with each squeeze. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare use it,¡± she murmured. Leave aside whether the rabbit had enough electricity; just considering the mud-filled environment was enough to deter her. Who could guarantee that a lightning strike wouldn¡¯t char all the players to a crisp? She didn¡¯t care about the others, but Shen MO had to survive. Seeing her like this, Shen MO didn¡¯t say any more. He just quietly told her, ¡°Keep the starting gun close.¡± Bai Youwei obediently responded, ¡°Okay.¡± The starting gun wasn¡¯t actually of much use in this place, but it was better than nothing- -at least she had something to rely on. Meanwhile, Shen MO tucked Bai Youwei¡¯s folded fruit knife into his waistband behind him. ¡°My military knife disappeared when we entered the game,¡± he said quietly, ¡°From the look of things, any obvious weapon will be shielded by this game.¡± ¡°The Inspector must ensure the game goes smoothly,¡± Bai Youwei sneered. First, they meticulously ensure the players¡¯ personal safety, then cruelly snatch away their lives. Just like the game¡¯s name ¡ª Puppet Game. All entrants are just puppets in the game, with no rights, no individuality, no freedom. ¡°Alrighty! I choose this spot!¡± the childlike voice rang out again. After some indecisiveness, Jin Qiu finally chose a location. Everyone¡¯s heart pounded in their chest. Jin Qiu was seen hanging above a middle-aged, fat man¡¯s head, roughly halfway between the cave ceiling and the mud pit. ¡°Watch closely, once I¡¯m done demonstrating, the game will officially start. Remember, you only have 20 seconds to find the ball!¡± Jin Qiu¡¯s voice rang out loud, ¡°Here goes, I¡¯m going to launch it!¡ª All eyes focused on the sphere. Boom! The ball left a streak in its wake! With unimaginable speed and force, it struck the mud pit, spraying mud and water three meters in the air! The faces of all the spectators turned ashen. But the ball didn¡¯t stop! After hitting the mud, it bounced up high again, striking the solid cave wall with a metallic resonance!- Thud thud thud thud!!! A series of rebounds ensued! Spouts of dark mud erupted, each followed by the deafening impact sound! The occasional unpredictable ricochet was nothing short of a boulder tumbling down a mountain path! ¡°Aaaah!!!¡± A young woman screamed, clutching her head as she tumbled down into a shellfish-like structure. Jin Qiu missed her head by a hair¡¯s breadth and smashed into another structure, ricocheting into the unknown! The entire cave reverberated with the thudding noises¡ªincessantly echoing! When everything finally stopped¡ª The cave bore an entirely different scene. It looked as horrific as an exploded juicer.. Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Violent Ball Game Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Violent Ball Game Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The surrounding stone walls were entirely smeared with thin, saturated mud, trickling downward. The muddy pit beneath everyone¡¯s feet was a myriad of unclear holes. ¡ªJin Qiu was in one of them. No one spoke. Nor did anyone move. The color of gold often gave people a sense of luxury, but it also made it easy for people to overlook its inherent hard metal quality. What would happen if you were hit by a metal as large as a basin and at high speed? The lighter cases would fracture bones. The graver ones would directly result in death! The middle-aged, overweight man, positioned as the server, stood stiffly, his face as white as paper. A large bubble appeared in the mud water beside his legs due to the vibration. It burst with a ¡°pop,¡± prompting the man to shudder. The faint stench of urine pervaded the area¡­ The cave was gloomy, damp, hot, and utterly silent. No one found the time to mock. Everyone only stared at those holes, afraid that Jin Qiu would shoot out again. ¨C It was a ball of extremely hard texture, but it bounced like a fully inflated rubber ball! During its rapid movement just now, Jin Qiu nearly hit people several times. The splash of mud caught everyone off guard and made it impossible to avoid. So now, everyone sat or stood like sculptures, looking pitifully ridiculous covered in caked mud! Even our legs feel weak. Bai Youwei quickly counted and identified more than thirty holes within her line of sight alone, not to mention the countless others beyond her sight, implying that the number of rebounds for Jin Qiu was at least over sixty. She finally understood why the game lasted only 20 seconds. One of the characteristics of mud is its softness. When a puddle of mud is smashed into a hole, the surrounding mud would slide downward due to gravity, eventually filling up the hole again. Therefore, if they wanted to find Jin Qiu in the hole, they had to take action before the hole was filled. Bai Youwei sorted out her thoughts. In a flash, those 20 seconds had passed. Most of the mud holes had already collapsed and merged with the surrounding mud, leaving behind only a few vaguely visible depression marks. No one knew where Jin Qiu was. Everyone was shocked by the speed and power just now, and moreover, their vision was blurred by the mud splashing around. Nobody knew where Jin Qiu had finally landed. After 20 seconds, a section of the muddy ground suddenly bulged, and Jin Qiu broke out! It shook up and down, rotated left and right, and the mud on it was flung clean off, returning to its brilliant golden appearance. ¡°What the hell¡ª¡± the complaining tone was slow and long, exceptionally dissatisfied. Jin Qiu asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come looking for me? I told you earlier, there¡¯s only one demonstration! The whole of 20 seconds, and you didn¡¯t even look inside one hole?!¡± The faces of the crowd were bitter as they looked at it. Look for the ball? Just a little distracted, and their heads could explode! They didn¡¯t even have time to hide, how were they supposed to look?! Jin Qiu scanned the crowd indignantly (even though it had no eyes) and said begrudgingly, ¡°Forget it, the demonstration is over! Now, let the game begin! The theme of this game is the golden ball of a frog. The Inspector will serve the ball at any location, angle, and strength. If the player finds the ball within 20 seconds, they can pass. To find the ball, one, your hand must touch the ball, two, the ball must be still. Are you ready? Let¡¯s start¡­¡± ¡°Wait a moment, please.¡± A gentle voice resounded from the crowd. Everyone looked towards the voice. It was Bai Youwei. She was sitting on a snail, propping up her elbow. Her scattered long hair was soaked and wet, clumped together in strands, and her wide skirt saturated with mud stuck to the snail shell. She resembled a stranded mermaid, quiet and fragile. Only her gaze was gloomy; a cold smile played on the corners of her lips, forming an eerie contrast with her disheveled appearance. Bai Youwei raised one hand, and asked, ¡°The game rules, aren¡¯t they missing something?¡± Chapter 32 - Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Where is the Frog Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Where is the Frog Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Jin Qiu was puzzled, muttering to himself: ¡°What am I missing?¡­ No, these are all the game rules.¡± ¡°What about the frog?¡± Bai Youwei sneered at it. ¡°The theme of the game is ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯, where is the ¡®frog!?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, a look of panic appeared on everyone else¡¯s faces. They turned their heads to look around, fearing that countless frogs could suddenly leap out from the dark corners. Jin Qiu fell silent. After a while, it let out a cunning laugh: ¡°The frog, eh¡­ You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± With that, it floated to the highest point of the cave, just beneath the circular opening, with the sunlight making the sphere even more dazzling. ¡°The game is about to start, players have one minute to prepare, now the countdown begins, 59, 58, 57¡­¡± Everyone was panicked! Almost instantly, someone cried in alarm, ¡°President Zhang! What should we do now?!¡± People instinctively sought help from their leader, but at this moment, Zhang Hua wasn¡¯t the gentle, polite, and considerate man they knew. He coldly turned his back on them and stood motionless between two snails, paying no attention to anyone else. Hui Ge mocked, ¡°You see that? Your ¡®President Zhang¡¯ can¡¯t even save himself. Who¡¯s going to care if you live or die? He¡¯s your ¡®President Zhang¡¯, not your dad! What a bunch of morons!¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment and then motioned for Tan Xiao to come over. Tan Xiao was daze but quickly headed towards her when he saw Bai Youwei beckoning him. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Teacher Chang is in poor health, you help him stand over there. The golden ball is bounced off the stone wall and the snails. Places without snails are relatively safer.¡± Without saying another word, Tan Xiao immediately went over to support Chang Weicai. The others heard and hurriedly searched for suitable places. That¡¯s when they realized that the spot where President Zhang was standing was exactly the ¡°relatively safe position¡± Bai Youwei had mentioned. In other words, Zhang Hua knew how to dodge the golden ball, but had no intention of telling them! Everyone¡¯s faces turned bitter and resentful. ¡°How can someone be so selfish? What good does our death do him!¡± a middle-aged woman grumbled. No one indignantly questioned or condemned him because the countdown was nearing its end. Shen MO placed Bai Youwei in a corner of the cave. With the stone wall behind her, a large snail on her right, and the open mud on her left and in front of her. Whether it was hiding or running, this was an excellent location. But Shen MO didn¡¯t plan on staying here because it was too far off to the side and didn¡¯t offer a good view of the golden ball¡¯s trajectory. He was the type who liked to take the initiative. He took off his military boots, rolled up his pants, and stood barefoot in the mud. His black eyes were focused on the far-off ball, waiting for it to prepare to serve. Then, he would make his move. ¡°7¡­6¡­5¡­4¡­3¡­2¡­¡± Jin Qiu moved slightly. ¡°¡­1.¡± It stopped, wobbling in the air before it floated to a spot and declared in its teasing childlike voice that echoed throughout the cave¡ª ¡°Game, start.¡± Bang! The shock happened again! Collisions! Ricochets! Echoes! The entire cave was trembling! Mud splashed all over in front of Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes, making it impossible for her to see where the others were. All she could hear were screams and cries, the noise deafening! ¡°Shen MO!¡± She screamed at the top of her lungs. Not being able to see him made her anxious. Call her melodramatic or selfish, but the fact was, she couldn¡¯t be without Shen MO right now! Shen MO was her legs! He was her life! A mud-covered figure crawled and rolled over. He paused when he saw Bai Youwei before lunging at her, mumbling in his mouth, ¡°Move! This spot is mine!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened. The figure blended with the golden light suddenly appeared behind him, and in an instant, both the figure and the ball smashed into the stone wall! The golden ball disappeared, but the person remained¡­ Broken and destroyed. He slid into the mud, merging into it.. Chapter 33 - Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Hide Quickly, Bugs Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Hide Quickly, Bugs Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Youwei turned around, feeling nauseous. Her stomach roiled, yet nothing came up. The rumbling on the other side had finally subsided. No one knew how many were killed or injured. Those who survived were standing still in the mud, stunned and at a loss. A tall, skinny guy named Hui was unusually brave. He shouted at everyone: ¡°What the fuck are you waiting for?! Start looking! We only have 20 seconds! Fuck!¡± The crowd finally snapped out of their daze and began to search for a ball nearby. ¡°Look in this direction,¡± Shen MO suddenly said, with chilling calmness. ¡°The last splash was around here.¡± The area pointed out by Shen MO had about a dozen pits, reducing the search area by at least two-thirds. Tan Xiao was the closest one and didn¡¯t hesitate to lead the search. Hui was taken aback for a moment, he immediately followed suit, bringing along two of his men to join the search for the ball. Those who had fought fiercely last night were now uniting in order to survive. However, the pits were collapsing and filling up with time, making it impossible to tell where the golden ball was. The men could only use all their strength to dig in the mud. Handful after handful, their hands were full of the slushy, gooey mud, and they still couldn¡¯t touch the hard texture of the ball. Bai Youwei watched them from a distance. Then, she turned her head and looked at the corpses sinking into the mud. Her terrified heart was slowly calming down¡­ A familiar sense of excitement began to arise from the depths of her heart. She wasn¡¯t happy because people were dying, she wasn¡¯t that twisted. It was just like last time, just like participating in an extreme sport. There was fear, trembling, and unease, but also anticipation. Before she could figure out why she was feeling this way, a child¡¯s voice echoed in the cave, sounding gleeful ¨C ¡°The frog is coming, bugs, hide!¡± Everyone froze. Then the ground started to shake, the mud trembled! A golden ball rolled out of the churning mud ¨C ¡°It¡¯s there!¡± someone shouted with excitement. ¡°Quick!¡­¡± But then an even bigger tremor shook the ground and the entire mud pit seemed to boil. Everyone fell or rolled over, unable to keep their balance, let alone touch the golden ball which was gradually moving away! Large chunks of mud rose and fell and a massive creature finally appeared before them! Its body was as big as a five or six-story building! Its color, a vibrantly rich turquoise! Its eyes bulged out! Its extraordinarily wide mouth nearly engulfed half its head! A frog! The frog that the Inspector had mentioned finally showed up! Someone cried out in horror, ¡°Run!! Before the voice could fade, people were already scattering in all directions! But with the mud everywhere, how fast could they run? And it wasn¡¯t as if everyone was running. Some people were paralyzed, blankly staring at the colossal beast before them, their minds were blank, their legs just not obeying their commands. Bai Youwei saw the frog open its mouth. A long tongue shot out from it. Its bright red color was slick with mucus, like a rubber band, it snapped out, growing longer and longer before sticking to a struggling woman in the pit ¡ª That half-second was extremely short, yet for Bai Youwei, it seemed to last for a minute. She watched as the woman¡¯s expression froze the moment the tongue stuck to her and then it snapped back like lightning! The woman disappeared into the wide mouth before she could even make a sound! Gollum. Swallowed¡­ Bai Youwei¡¯s whole body went numb. She felt as if she was being pierced by countless needles, her body ached! And felt cold! The fleeing people had no idea what was happening behind them. They continued to move, wading through the mud, straining to find a cover! And right behind them, the frog¡¯s tongue continued to extend and retract with a rapid speed, like it was feasting on a swarm of headless flies, enjoying itself to the fullest! The frog is coming, bugs better hide. Bai Youwei slowly clenched her fists. So the frog¡¯s golden ball, that¡¯s what it was all about¡­. Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Current Game Failure Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Current Game Failure Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The frog¡¯s golden ball¡ª Find the golden ball within 20 seconds, or else the frog hiding in the mud will emerge, eating the bugs that disturb its peaceful dreams. As for where the frog will pop out from, it can¡¯t be estimated, because stepping on its squishy skin feels no different than stepping on wet mud. But this isn¡¯t right. Bai Youwei stared unblinkingly at the enormously giant frog with a whirlwind of thoughts in her mind. This isn¡¯t right. The difficulty level of this stage is too high! First, one has to evade the trajectory of the golden ball, then overcome the difficulty of walking through the mud soup, and the time to find the golden ball is only a mere 20 seconds! In the end, they still have to face this frog, as huge as a skyscraper! A game wouldn¡¯t be possible without giving players any chances to survive. Even in the last brutal race, as long as you ran fast enough, had abundant physical strength, or had rich knowledge, or answered each question correctly, or were heartless enough to use others as stepping stones ¡ª no matter what sort of advantage, you could win the game! But in this game, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t see any hope of survival. How many more people will the frog eat? When will the game end? The golden ball has already appeared, who can get the golden ball under the frog¡¯s nose? Each seemingly simple question is so deadly! At this moment, the screams in the cave gradually subsided, no figures could be seen at a glance. Only by careful observation, would you find people huddled behind snail shells, shivering in terror. No one dared to move, even their breaths were lost in the air. Bai Youwei was unable to move a hair. She sat in the muddy ground, blending almost perfectly with her surroundings, her shimmering eyes quietly searching for Shen Mo. When she found Shen MO and Tan Xiao hiding in a blind spot behind the frog, she relaxed slightly. Shen MO is fine. He is just temporarily safe. No matter how brave he is, he would not be able to face this frog. The frog, after consuming all the people in front of it, crouched motionless in the mud. Due to its gigantic body or perhaps due to the game design, it didn¡¯t move a muscle. The situation turned into a stalemate. Everyone was waiting, waiting for a turn of events. Time ticked away, as if not much time has passed but also as if every second was agonizing. Finally, the frog showed signs of movement¡ª It straightened its two fat front flippers, dug through the mud before it, and burrowed. After pedaling twice with its rear legs, the entire body disappeared into the mud! The soup of mud rippled for a few seconds and then everything reverted to its initial state. Bai Youwei closed her eyes, opened them again, and the frog and the golden ball were both out of her sight, leaving only a crowd of traumatized people in the deadly silent surroundings. After a silent wait, people began to emerge from behind the snail¡¯s shells one by one. They wiped off the mudwater on their faces, their expressions frozen from fear and disbelief. Shen MO came back to find Bai Youwei, examined her from top to bottom, and asked her, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head gently. Shen MO bent down to pick her up and put her on a snail next to them, then turned his head to look at the other people. The crease on his forehead was obvious, hinting at a sense of helplessness. ¡°The 20 seconds have passed and the golden ball hasn¡¯t been found. I don¡¯t know what this stage of the game could mean.¡± he said in a low voice. It certainly does not count as clearing the stage. But they didn¡¯t turn into puppets either, because they were still alive. Crying could be heard in the cave. The survivors were calling out the names of their family members, parents, spouse, classmates, friends¡­ some found bodies with bones smashed by the golden ball; some couldn¡¯t find bodies at all, presumably swallowed by the frog. Just as the grief was about to overflow, the golden ball appeared again. ¡°The current game has failed, there are 19 surviving players, now entering the second round of ¡®The Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯, please prepare yourselves¡ª¡± Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: Chapter 35 The Role of Field Snails Chapter 35: Chapter 35 The Role of Field Snails Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Having said that, it floated toward the high part of the cave, still beneath that round aperture, saying in a cheerful tone: ¡°The second round of the game is about to begin. Players have one minute to prepare. The countdown begins, 59, 58, 57, 56¡­¡± The air seemed to freeze. Hatred, anger, pain, heartbreak, in the biting countdown, they all became worthless. All emotions were suppressed by the threat of death. People scattered, their faces expressionless, looking for suitable places to hide. ¡°50, 49, 48¡­¡¯ Shen MO scanned his surroundings, contemplating whether to switch Bai Youwei¡¯s location. Then, Bai Youwei grasped his arm and pointed toward a shell nearby. All the snails here are empty shells, half of their openings sunk into the mud, the other half exposed, like a semi-circular door. By leaning inside, she could vaguely see the space stretching inward. ¡°Do you want me to carry you inside?¡± Shen MO looked into her eyes, ¡°If we are hit by Jin Qiu, the snail shell will sink.¡± Every time it was hit, the snail shell would sink deeper into the mud, perhaps half-way, or perhaps completely, depending on the force of Jin Qiu¡¯s blow. So, if Bai Youwei really wanted to hide inside the shell, she might be buried alive. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was cool and calm, ¡°The air inside should be enough for me to hide for a while. And don¡¯t forget, even if Jin Qiu knocks the shell into the mud, it¡¯s just for 20 seconds. After 20 seconds, the frog will turn the mud, and the shell will come back to the surface.¡¯ Certainly it was so. Earlier, the whole cave was smashed with pits by Jin Qiu, many snail shells were buried, but when the frog appeared, the cave was like experiencing an earthquake, and all the buried shells were turned over. Shen MO pondered, ¡°The game has a lot of snails, they can¡¯t be here for no reason. Perhaps, the presence of snails is to create a cover for the players?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Bai Youwei mumbled. She seemed to be thinking about something else, somewhat absent-minded. Shen MO looked at her, didn¡¯t ask more, and carried her into the shell, placing her securely inside. ¡°32, 31, 30, 29¡­¡± The countdown was still going on. Shen MO didn¡¯t plan to hide. Hiding in a shell, though safe, prohibited him from observing the situation outside. He wanted to stay outside, to clearly see where Jin Qiu will ultimately land. Then, hiding in the corner, teacher Cheng suddenly stood up and shouted with all his energy, ¡°Everybody, listen to me! We can hide in the snail shells, the frog is a creature of motion-based vision! As long as we don¡¯t move, we¡¯re nothing more than clumps of mud in its eyes! It won¡¯t notice us!¡± ¡°Old man, get down! The countdown is about to end!!!¡± Tan Xiao rushed out suddenly, hurriedly grabbed teacher Cheng¡¯s arm, and forcefully dragged him back! ¡°Are you looking for death?! Watch out for that blind ball smashing you into pieces!¡± Teacher Cheng stumbled, looking distressedly at Tan Xiao, ¡°Xiao Tan! We need to think of a way to save ourselves! We can¡¯t just wait to die! Faster, tell everyone to hide in the snail shells! We can¡¯t let the frog eat again!! Perhaps because of his profession, although teacher Cheng¡¯s voice was old and hoarse, it echoed strong, particularly loud. Tan Xiao frantically pushed him into the shell and nodded repeatedly, ¡°Got it, got it! Everyone heard! Hey old man, be quick, climb in as soon as you can!¡± ¡°16, 15, 14¡­ Tan Xiao turned to go to his chosen snail shell, but found it¡¯s already taken by someone ¨C the chubby guy who peed his pants! The fat on his body tightly blocked the shell. Tan Xiao: ¡°Shit!¡± There were other snail shells at a farther distance, but walking in the mud was not easy, and there was not enough time left! Tan Xiao ran desperately toward another snail shell! Jin Qiu hovered in mid-air, its tone was inevitably gloating¡ª ¡°Game, start..¡± Chapter 36 - Chapter 36: Chapter 36: The Key Is Chapter 36: Chapter 36: The Key Is Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As the words fell, Tan Xiao let out a terrified shriek, lunging towards the river snail and clinging tightly to it! Jin Qiu whizzed past behind him! Bang Bang Dong Dong! A new round of ¡°Dodgeball¡± began! Mud splattered in all directions, the deafening sound echoed, Bai Youwei silently curled up in the shell, she could hear Tan Xiao¡¯s embarrassed screams and curses from outside. She couldn¡¯t hear anything from Shen Mo. This man was really tough, he didn¡¯t have to go so far, wouldn¡¯t it be better to hide in the shell? Why did he always feel the need to save the world? Bai Youwei was dissatisfied in her heart, but she also knew that she was not in a position to criticize Shen Mo. Because if Shen MO was even a tiny bit more selfish, she wouldn¡¯t have survived until now. The crash from outside finally stopped. Next, it was time to look for Jin Qiu. There was a countdown for the players to prepare, but not for the 20 seconds to find Jin Qiu. This easily made one lose track of time. As soon as the crash stopped, Bai Youwei began counting the seconds silently, propping up the inner wall of the shell with her elbow, and slowly getting out. Her legs were numb and her movements were clumsy. When she slid out of the shell, she had already reached 13, which meant that there were 7 seconds left before the frog would come out. Bai Youwei clung to the shell and began to climb upwards. First, she grabbed the edge of the shell with both hands, then propped her upper body up with her elbows, and shuffled forward slowly. But she was wet and the shell was covered in mud. She would slip down each time she climbed, only to climb up again, and then slip back down. She missed the times when Shen MO would effortlessly hoist her onto the snail. Twenty seconds later, the cave started to shake. The snail tipped over and Bai Youwei climbed up along with it. Once her position was elevated, her field of vision also cleared up. She saw Shen MO and Tan Xiao shoveling mud. In the last round, there were a few young men helping, but this time there were only the two of them, regardless of the danger, regardless of the consequences, they kept digging deeper until their bodies were overturned by the tremendous amplitude, then they retreated, using a nearby snail as a cover. Shen MO saw Bai Youwei lying on top of the shell, his gaze flickered slightly, he was about to call out a warning, but the frogs were already flooding out. He had to keep quiet and warned Bai Youwei to be careful with his eyes. Bai Youwei lay quietly on the snail, watching him for a moment, then slowly turned her gaze elsewhere. She observed the terrain, the frogs, and the snails. There were only these few things in the cave, there must be some trick to it. She noticed that some shells revealed a pair of feet, the person hiding inside didn¡¯t move, but the mud-covered legs and feet couldn¡¯t stop shaking. Just as she had said earlier, when the frogs appeared, they would turn the snails buried in the mud out onto the surface. With this in mind, the existence of the frog, rather than being a punishment for losing the game, is a reset of the game, so that there would be enough snails to serve as launch pads for Jin Qiu in the next round. So, the key was the snails? Bai Youwei had a few ideas in her mind, but she was not quite sure, she might need to try more¡­ She looked again at the massive frog not far away. It sat lazily in the mud, its flesh was saggy and piled up, its oily green flesh was striking against the black-grey mud water. Everyone was hiding from it, thus it had no ¡°insects¡± to eat, it seemed extremely bored. Bai Youwei thought again: There won¡¯t only be one breakthrough in the game, just like a difficult question on an exam paper, there will always be multiple solutions. If the frog never got to eat ¡°insects¡±, could the game still be passed? ¡­No, instead of worrying about what the frog would do, it was better to consider the intention of the game set by the Inspector, otherwise, the mystery would always remain a mystery. She thought about a lot of things in her mind and made various assumptions. Unconsciously, time passed and a frog without ¡°insects¡± to eat burrowed into the mud and disappeared. This movement brought Bai Youwei back to her senses, she was momentarily stunned. Compared to the initial fear, she now seemed¡­ truly immersed in the game.. Chapter 37 - Chapter 37: Chapter 37: A Little Bit Higher Chapter 37: Chapter 37: A Little Bit Higher Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She finally understood the source of her earlier excitement. In this tense and thrilling game, she suppressed her excited heartbeat, because¡­ because here she is no longer incomplete. To some extent, she was the same as them, equal. Even, she might be slightly above them. Because she had a vague idea of how to clear the stage. It was truly ironic that the pitiful Xiaoke, who was discriminated against, ignored, and had no presence in reality and had no say, had found a sense of belonging in a game as absurd as a nightmare. Bai Youwei suddenly understood the boisterousness of those hooligans. Although she despised their behavior at the time, she had to admit that the feeling of having power was indeed wonderful, and few people could resist it. She looked down at the palm of her hand, slowly clenched it, and then slowly opened it again. There was nothing there, she was staring at it. Just as she was staring, Shen MO and Tan Xiao returned. Both of them were covered in mud, with mud in their hair, looking ragged, exhausted, and serious. Even Tan Xiao, the careless one, had lost his jokester demeanor. He said with a mournful expression to Shen MO, ¡°Damn it, there¡¯s too little time, what can we do in 20 seconds? It¡¯s not even enough time for me to pee! I had just dug a hole, and time was up!¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t speak. He checked Bai Youwei¡¯s leg to make sure she was okay, and then turned to Tan Xiao and said, ¡°Three minutes.¡± Tan Xiao blinked, looking confused: ¡°¡­Huh? What three minutes?¡± ¡°He¡¯s talking about frog time.¡± Someone else chimed in. It was Zhang Hua, the original leader. He had just crawled out of a shell and was leaning on a snail taking a breather, saying expressionlessly: ¡°From the appearance of the frog to its departure, it took 3 minutes and 15 seconds in total. If we exclude the mud turning process, there¡¯s only 3 minutes.¡± It seemed that those who had made it through a game round had something extraordinary about them. This Zhang Hua seemed particularly sharp with numbers and time. Tan Xiao understood, and suddenly realized: ¡°So we just need to hold out for 3 minutes to make it to the next round?¡± Shen MO looked at him, corrected him: ¡°Making it to the next round is meaningless, but we have 3 minutes to kill the frog.¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened: ¡°Kill¡­ kill¡­ kill the frog?¡± Zhang Hua also looked startled. ¡°Big bro, are you kidding?¡± Tan Xiao said incredulously, his eyes wide in alarm, ¡°That thing is almost as big as a small building, how can we kill it?!¡± Shen MO had a folding fruit knife in his hand, he opened the knife and calmly wiped off the mud, saying calmly, ¡°20 seconds is too short. Even if we can determine the landing range, we want to find the golden ball among dozens of holes. 20 seconds is not enough. The time limit is decided by the frog. If we can kill the frog, we can extend the time to find the golden ball.¡± The harsh and straightforward reality in front of them was: there wasn¡¯t enough time. The ball was in one of the holes. But whether it was walking in the mud or digging in the mud, it took too much time. Shen Mo¡¯s approach, though seemingly absurd, is undoubtedly correct. 20 seconds is fleeting, they must strive for more time. Tan Xiao opened his mouth and closed it, closed it and opened it again, struggling with a decision, and finally, after a long time, he took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. He said menacingly, ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s do it! I am not scared of it!¡± At his words, Shen MO responded with a strange look, ¡°You¡¯re weaponless, just focus on finding the ball. I¡¯ll handle the frog.¡± Tan Xiao: Wow, that got intense. At this time, Jin Qiu appeared again, floating in mid-air, laughing: ¡°Current game failure, surviving players 19. Now entering the third round of ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯. Please be prepared, players! Countdown to start, 59¡­58¡­57¡­.¡± Chapter 38 - Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Shen MO’s Arrangement Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Shen MO¡¯s Arrangement Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The moment the countdown began, Tan Xiao could not help but swear. Zhang Hua quietly observed Shen MO and Tan Xiao before climbing back into the shell without a word. Out of 19 people, no one died in the second round. Now, as the third round was about to start, only Shen MO and Tan Xiao were brave enough to risk their lives; the rest of them were hiding in their shells¡ª They all knew very well that if they could not find the golden ball, they would remain trapped here, even if they weren¡¯t eaten by frogs. Everyone knew this. And yet not one dared to come out! An old man with white temples tumbled out of the shell, his small body landing in the mud, his mouth full of foul-smelling sludge! He coughed violently, once again imploring the others: ¡°Don¡¯t give up! Cough, cough!¡­ We have 19 people. If each person searches one hole, that¡¯s 19 holes. The probability of finding the golden ball is very high! Cough, cough, cough!¡± Tan Xiao cursed at him: ¡°You old fool, do you have a death wish? Hurry back inside!¡± Chang Weicai strained his voice: ¡°With each additional person, our power grows! We cannot be intimidated, we cannot be defeated! As long as we stand together, there is hope!!!¡± Tan Xiao, bristling with irritation, walked over and furiously shoved Chang Weicai back into the shell. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you, old man? Can you stop messing around? Get back in! In, in, in!¡± Chang Weicai refused, leaning on the shell, he earnestly told Tan Xiao, ¡°Xiaotan, everyone must die eventually. I¡¯m old, it¡¯s not a big loss if I die. But I can¡¯t just watch everyone sit and wait for death! Right now we have the advantage with our numbers, we must act swiftly. Otherwise, if we stay here too long, everyone will get tired, hungry, sleepy and lose their strength¡­ then we¡¯ll be even less likely to get out!¡± Despite his age, the old man was very clear-headed. Tan Xiao was so frustrated he thought his head would explode! He wasn¡¯t afraid of arguments or fights, but he dreaded people who reasoned with him. Even more so when the person was a teacher ¡ª someone who could argue with convincing logic until he had no rebuttal! Chang Weicai continued: ¡°The environment here is hot and humid, putrid smelling; if we stay too long we¡¯ll have problems! Do you know how many parasites live on snails? Do you know how many diseases parasites can cause? Do you know how troublesome it is when one becomes infected with parasites? We can¡¯t just wait inside the shell to die!¡± Whether they were genuinely persuaded by Chang Weicai or frightened by the talk of parasites, several people started to crawl out from the shells one after another ¨C men and women, young and old, including a group of hoodlums led by Hui. One among them said, ¡°We don¡¯t want just wait for death, but the ball flies too fast, and there are too many holes where it could be. We really have no idea how to find it. They¡¯d given their reasons, not really out of a fear of death, but to save face in front of everyone else. Shen MO calmly said, ¡°I will try to find the final landing point of the golden ball. If everyone searches near there, the probability of finding it will be higher. After 20 seconds, whether we find it or not, everyone should hide back inside the shell.¡± It was the best arrangement. If they found the ball, everyone would pass the game together. If they didn¡¯t, hiding inside the shell would keep them alive. As long as the frog left, they would have hope in the next round of the game. Everyone exchanged glances, implicitly agreeing to Shen Mo¡¯s plan. The golden ball in the sky didn¡¯t seem to care about the discussion and arrangement among the people below. It continued the countdown joyfully, ¡°¡­5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Haha- the game starts now!¡± Bai Youwei had already been placed inside the shell by Shen Mo. She curled up silently inside the shell, gently touching the interior wall, feeling its vibrations, her mind becoming more peaceful¡­ She was just hesitating¡­. Should she tell him? Chapter 39 - Chapter 39: Chapter 39 47 seconds Chapter 39: Chapter 39 47 seconds Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Jin Qiu fiercely slammed against the cave walls. Mud splattered everywhere, obscuring vision, and the reverberating echoes messed with hearing. Shen MO kept a keen eye on Jin Qiu, continually adjusting his position to avoid being hit. He saw a large splash of water up ahead, and Jin Qiu no longer bounced back. He immediately sped up to run over there ¡ª ¡°Stop! This way!¡± Everyone crawled out of the snail shell and ran towards where Shen MO was going! Then, without a second thought, they began frantically digging in the mud pit! The scene was truly thrilling and absurdly comical! Bai Youwei leisurely emerged from the snail shell, appreciating the spectacle stoically. Once she caught wind of certain hidden facts, she unconsciously exuded an aura of calm and leisure, beginning to enjoy this feeling of superiority that surpassed life and death. It was exhilarating. It was addictive. Especially when she saw that man standing firm like a pine tree. Broad shoulders, solid back, slender waist, and those straight and powerful legs that were covered in wet mud¡­ It was getting more pleasing to the eye. A handsome man is one thing, but the charisma displayed in the face of life and death is another. Shen MO, apparently, had both. Bai Youwei felt she was indeed a bit offbeat, otherwise, why would she think of such irrelevant things at a time like this? Then she thought: It¡¯s the end of the world, is it not okay for one to be a bit abnormal? She justified herself at ease. ¡°You know how to clear the game level?¡± A voice suddenly came from the side, sounding deep, laced with chilliness. Upon hearing the voice, Bai Youwei turned her head and saw Zhang Hua sitting on the edge of the snail shell, looking at her stiffly. The cold light reflecting off his glasses gave him an icy appearance. Bai Youwei thought for a second, then turned the question back, ¡°Do you know?¡± Zhang Hua looked up slightly at the group of people frantically finding the ball in the distance; his cheerless look was chilling. ¡°Our methods are not the same.¡± he said. Bai Youwei, curious, tilted her head and replied, ¡°Oh? What¡¯s your method?¡± Also, how do you know that it is not the same as my method? Zhang Hua, however, did not elaborate further. He turned around and crawled back into the snail shell, muttering, ¡°The Frog is coming, good luck.¡± 20 seconds was indeed too short, and the teasing voice of Jin Qiu came from inside the cave soon after ¡ª ¡°The Frog is coming, bugs, hide!¡± Before the voice could fully echo, those searching for the ball scattered, each looking for cover! But, the Frog came too swiftly this time! The massive body lunged, pushing those who were running away up into the air, their bodies tossed aloft, then splashed back into the mud! Halfway down, they were snatched by a bright red tongue and pulled into the monster¡¯s mouth! Bai Youwei was quite taken aback, She initially assumed that the Frog would crawl out slowly as it had in the previous round, looking for a suitable target to attack. She did not expect that this time, with the Frog¡¯s body not even halfway out, it would already be gaping wide, devouring people! Professor Cheng in the distance shouted in horror: ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t move! Stay in the mud! Don¡¯t move!!¡± Frogs use dynamic vision to distinguish between ¡°prey¡± and ¡°scenery¡±. As long as one remains still, it often cannot tell the difference. People who didn¡¯t have time to hide in the snail shell all lay down, hoping to feign death to escape. But several of them fell with large splashes that gave away their location, and they were quickly rolled up like bugs by the Frog¡¯s long tongue. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly. She saw Shen MO moving counter to the crowd, fearless as he held the knife. He plunged it ruthlessly into the front leg of the Frog! The Frog trembled in pain! He took advantage of the situation, pulled out the blade, flipped and jumped onto the Frog¡¯s back. He raised the knife again and stabbed it down with all his strength! ¡°Croak!¡± A tearing sound echoed! The croaking of the Frog and the sound of its skin tearing happened simultaneously! Improved Frog legs began to jump, the mud vibrating as if waves were surging in the cave! When the waves receded, Bai Youwei saw Shen MO half-hanging on the Frog. In his hand was the knife wrapped in green skin, without a trace of blood. White meat peeked from the inside, as if he had written a long ¡°1¡± on the Frog¡¯s body ¡ª The Frog was in such pain that it crazily dug itself into the mud! ¡°47 seconds.¡± Bai Youwei heard Zhang Hua¡¯s voice coming from not far away.. Chapter 40 - Chapter 40: Chapter 40: These People Chapter 40: Chapter 40: These People Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the previous round, from the frog¡¯s arrival to its departure, it took exactly 3 minutes and 15 seconds. This time, it only took 47 seconds. Why has the time shortened? Is it because the frog was injured, so it retired early? If it were so, that would mean Shen MO had succeeded in buying us an extra two and a half minutes to breathe. Peaceful silence lingered for a moment, slightly dissolving the frozen atmosphere in the cave. Those hiding in the muck tentatively lifted their heads, as did those in the shellbugs. Everyone looked around All was quiet. No frog, no ball. ¡­Were they really safe? Tan Xiao was the first to rise, scanning his surroundings, ¡°The ball? Does it still count if we find it now?¡± ¡°The ball was buried in the muck when the frog burrowed in just now¡± interjected a young man near Hui Ge. Tan Xiao recognized him, he was thin and tall like Hui Ge, with a small head, large ears, long limbs: they called him Monkey. There was also a shorter one, nicknamed Spiky. Straining his neck, Tan Xiao asked curiously, ¡°Where¡¯s Spiky?¡± The look on Hui Ge and Monkey¡¯s faces turned sour. Tan Xiao belatedly realized he had voiced out a foolish question, his expression temporarily stilled. When someone can¡¯t be seen under such circumstances, what other reason could there be besides being eaten by the frog? It wasn¡¯t just Spiky who was eaten. A middle-aged woman tearfully complained, ¡°I knew I should not have crawled out of the shellbugs. What¡¯s the point of searching for the ball, isn¡¯t it just like seeking death¡­ If it weren¡¯t for us helping you search for the ball, my Old Wu wouldn¡¯t be dead¡­¡± Fatso on the other side chimed in, ¡°The frog appeared so quickly, there was simply no time to hide. You guys sounded so honorable, talking about ¡®unity and cooperation¡¯ but in reality it¡¯s just so you can feel heroic while using us as living targets!¡± Those words were indeed malicious. Bai Youwei coldly raised an eyebrow, her darkened gaze fixating on these people. These people¡­ When she was in danger, these weaklings only pretended to be asleep. Even if they died here, they deserved it. What right did they have to blame others?! ¡°What the hell do you guys have in your brains? Shit?!¡± Tan Xiao exploded, leaping forward and cursing, ¡°I risked my life searching for that ball just to be a hero? You dare to say that again?!¡± Fatso remained silent, and the woman wept softly. Enraged, Tan Xiao pointed at them and shouted, ¡°You dare to say it was to help US find the ball! If you didn¡¯t search for the ball, you think you could still survive?! Let me tell you! Without the ball! None of us can escape! We¡¯re all waiting for death! ¡± He saw Chang Weicai muttering in a corner, anger rising. He roared, ¡°Old man! What are you mumbling?! Are you saying it was our fault those people died? Huh?!!¡± Teacher Chang jumped in fright, hastily waving his hands and saying, ¡°No, not at all! There¡­ There will be sacrifices, due to the frog¡¯s sudden appearance. Our initial plan was sound, there were no issues. If we were to hold someone accountable, it should be the frog and this game that bear full responsibility. Everyone¡¯s lost someone, it¡¯s understandable to be emotionally volatile, it¡¯s understandable, understandable¡­.¡± After a pause, he added politely, ¡°I was just calculating the time. Because the frog appeared and left quickly this time, I wanted to calculate the time¡­¡± ¡°Did you finish your calculations then?¡± Tan Xiao impatiently asked. Teacher Chang shook his head, embarrassed, ¡°No¡­ I did not¡­¡± Tan Xiao furrowed his eyebrows even deeper, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a teacher?!¡± Teacher Chang replied, ¡°I teach Chinese Literature.¡± Tan Xiao was speechless. At that moment Shen MO, who¡¯d been silent the whole time, finally spoke, ¡°The frog did appear and disappear quite swiftly this time. If the same thing happens the next time, our original plan will no longer be applicable.¡± His voice was serene, indifferent, completely unaffected by the accusations made earlier. Tan Xiao scratched his head, exasperated ¡°This frog is like a lunatic, who knows when it¡¯ll be quick! When it¡¯ll be slow!¡± Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Chapter 41: He Didn’t Say Chapter 41: Chapter 41: He Didn¡¯t Say Translator: 549690339 As soon as the frog was mentioned, the conversation seemed to have reached a dead end. For a moment, everyone was silent, and the cave fell into quietude. But even when they did not speak, time was quietly flowing. Soon Jin Qiu would appear and inform them that the next round of the game was about to begin, putting their lives back on the line. During the silence, Brother Hui studied Shen MO and Tan Xiao. Gradually, suspicion began to surface in his eyes. ¡°You two aren¡¯t chickening out, are you?¡± he asked. ¡°If you¡¯re so brave, why don¡¯t you step up?!¡± Tan Xiao retorted, glaring at him coldly. Brother Hui was momentarily taken aback. He quickly recovered, huffing slightly. ¡°I would, if I could,¡± he glanced at Shen MO, ¡°pity I¡¯m not as physically capable as some others here.¡± Out of everyone present, only Shen MO could inflict substantial damage on the frog. ¡°To those more able goes more responsibility. Buddy, it appears you¡¯ll have to brave the front line in the next round,¡± Brother Hui grinned, his tone audacious and defiant. Tan Xiao despised Brother Hui¡¯s behaviour, but at the moment, it seemed they had no choice but to rely on Shen Mo. So, in an act of solidarity, he slapped Shen MO on the shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll back you up in the next round!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s face remained expressionless throughout. He held a small knife, using the muddy water to wipe off the mucus on it. The cold, fishy smell that emanated resembled that of a typical frog. ¡°The skin of the frog is thin, making it easy to wound, but the muscle is thick, limiting the depth of penetration of the knife. If we hope to buy time by injuring the frog, I¡¯m afraid we need to identify another weak point,¡± he suggested. After finishing his statement, he lifted his muted gaze. His deep, black eyes seemed oppressively forceful, compelling obedience¡ªan authority that his profession bestowed upon him. ¡°As per the last round, we move immediately after the ball stops. Those who fear dying can stay hidden in the snails, but let me remind you all, the snails can¡¯t protect you forever.¡± The faces of the others showed their discomfort. ¡°What if the frogdoes that again¡­¡± someone murmured under their breath. Their greatest fear was the frog¡¯s speedy emergence with no prior warning. One big gulp, and a person would be swallowed whole. How on earth could they find Jin Qiu then? ¡°That won¡¯t happen again.¡± An unexpected voice resounded. Everyone recognised the voice as Zhang Hua. They all turned to look at him but noticed that Zhang Hua remained inside the snail shell, showing no intention of coming out. ¡°The frog didn¡¯t eat any worms in the last round, it was hungry. This round it would come out in a rush. As for the next time¡­¡± he paused, seeming to count something, and then said quietly, ¡°fewer people will be around, so it won¡¯t be the same.¡± This explanation made people uncomfortable, but it also made sense. Teacher Cheng spoke again, ¡°I also think that the frog won¡¯t suddenly appear again. It¡¯s been wounded, which will undoubtedly affect its sensitivity. It might not even show up in the next round! We cannot be scared off by just one setback! We should press on, we must press on!¡± The words of a learned man always elicited disdain but also inexplicably instilled hope. Indeed. The frog had been injured. Who knows, it might be so scared that it won¡¯t come out again? Even if it is large in size, it¡¯s just a timid frog, after all. Brother Hui spat, gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Damn it, let¡¯s try again. I refuse to believe that finding that damn ball would be this difficult?!¡± The others had varying expressions, some showing a sink-or-swim determination while others still hesitated. Bai Youwei looked at the snail shell in which Zhang Hua was hiding, lost in thought. Zhang Hua was not a warm-hearted person, so why would he help Shen MO urge everyone to search for the ball together? Did he speak up merely because he couldn¡¯t stand these people¡¯s selfishness? ¡­No, if he were really righteous, he would have revealed the method to pass the game earlier. But he didn¡¯t. Of course, she didn¡¯t either.. Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Zhang Hua’s Props Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Zhang Hua¡¯s Props Translator: 549690339 The group had nearly finished their discussion, and Jin Qiu also leisurely emerged from the muck, a mischievous delight permeating from his artfully whimsical childlike voice¡ª ¡°Current game failure, 13 players are alive, now we are entering the fourth round ¡®The Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯. Please prepare yourselves, players! The countdown to one minute begins. 59, 58, 57¡­¡± After several bouts of shock and fear, they were unknowingly already in the fourth round. The survivors had dwindled from 33 to 13 people. Shen MO picked up Bai Youwei, preparing to hide her back in the shell. However, Bai Youwei gently tugged at his shirt corner and whispered in his ear: ¡°Go over there.¡± She pointed in a direction. Shen MO raised his brow slightly, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I want to keep my distance from him.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°That Zhang Hua, he might go mad.¡± Upon hearing this, Shen MO looked back only to see a dense pile of field snails in the muck. He couldn¡¯t tell where Zhang Hua was hiding in the confusion. However, knowing Bai Youwei, he understood she wasn¡¯t one to speak randomly. It would be good to change positions. Getting further away took more time. By the time Shen MO placed Bai Youwei inside a snail shell, the countdown was nearly over. He stood still without haste, watching the golden ball up high. He had his own approach. The condition for clearing the game was to find the golden ball, which now posed two major challenges: 1, insufficient time; 2, the scope was hard to determine. He had tried narrowing down the area as much as possible through the splashes¡¯ positions, but the short timeframe would only be solved by killing the frog. Given the last attack, killing the frog wasn¡¯t impossible. The frog¡¯s skin was thin, easily torn off by a trivial injury. However, the knife was too small, making it difficult to inflict a deeper wound. What were the frog¡¯s weak points? ¡­The eyes? The belly? While mulling it over, the countdown ended, and Jin Qiu began to bounce ¡°energetically¡± around the cave once more. While everyone else avoided the ball, only Shen MO chased after it. When the ball stopped, Tan Xiao, Hui Ge, and others quickly followed Shen Mo¡¯s lead and searched for traces of the golden ball in the mushy mud. Jin Qiu was very cunning. Each time, it would create sixty or seventy muddled mud holes to confuse everyone. Even when Shen MO narrowed down the range, searching a dozen or so holes was still quite laborious! Professor Cheng, despite his old age and weak limbs, rose from the snail shells and joined them in their search. He looked while calling for others to come out and help. For such a task, the more people, the quicker they would find it. Consequently, some more people crawled out of the snail shells and joined the search for the golden ball. But the time was still not enough, only 20 seconds, merely 20 seconds! After 20 seconds, the mud pit began to tremble, indicating the frog was coming again! The only consolation was that Zhang Hua had guessed it! This time, the frog wasn¡¯t coming as fast as in the last round, but it recovered its slow pace, leisurely rolling out from the soggy mud¡ª Shen Mo¡¯s pupils abruptly contracted. He saw that the frog¡¯s back was oily, shiny, and green, completely intact! ¡°Damn it!¡± Tan Xiao saw it too and cursed, ¡°How did it heal?!¡± Everyone started cursing and turned to flee. However, another sudden change happened! A gunshot rang out! ¡ª Yes, a gunshot! It exploded in the cave. The people who had just reached the edge of the snail shells couldn¡¯t stop their legs. They missed their ¡°refuge¡± and kept running forward! There were groans and curses all over the ground. The panicked people had no idea what had just happened. Even after tripping, they could not control their flailing legs! Mud and water splattered around as the overjoyed frog started its feast! Shen MO was the first person to stop running. He rolled behind a large field snail, his fingers tightly gripping the rim of the snail shell as he forcefully suppressed the urgent thought to run in his mind! He then turned his head to look at Bai Youwei! Bai Youwei had also heard the gunshot. However, being differently-abled, no matter how strong the urge to run, she couldn¡¯t take even half a step. At this moment, she slid out of the snail shell, sitting near the edge, trying to see what was happening outside. When she glanced, she found Shen MO staring at her. She shook her head at him and placed the toy gun on her chest, the meaning was clear: I was not the one who fired the gun.. Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Chapter 43 This Life Is Half Yours Chapter 43: Chapter 43 This Life Is Half Yours Translator: 549690339 The starting gun is a one-time item. If she had used it, the gun wouldn¡¯t be intact in her hand now. Anger flashed in Shen Mo¡¯s dark eyes, and he cast a gloomy glance to the side. Zhang Hua was the one who fired the shot. It was impossible to deal with Zhang Hua at this time, so Shen MO flew into a rage, tightened his grip on his knife, and spun around to handle the frog instead! Just as he turned around, he saw Tan Xiao screaming as he ran past, just brushing past him! ¡°Get inside the shell!¡± Shen MO shouted at him. ¡°Holy fuck, I can¡¯t control myself!¡± Tan Xiao cursed, in heart-wrenching pain, ¡°Damn it, my legs are running by themselves! What kind of crap magic is this?! My legs are going nuts! I¡¯m going to die! I¡¯m going to die!!! ¨C -¡± The frog¡¯s long tongue shot out like lightning, beyond even Shen Mo ts ability to save him! Just as the tongue was about to ensnare Tan Xiao, he stumbled and fell into the mud with a splash! The frog¡¯s tongue scooped up a mouthful of stinky mud. Disliking the taste, the frog clicked its mouth, about to spit out its tongue, but suddenly felt a sharp pain! A small man was stabbing a knife into its body, slowly climbing up blade by blade! The pain made the frog jump up, its croaking resonating loudly! However, the man on its back was incredibly agile. The frog¡¯s desperate thrashing didn¡¯t manage to shake him off, instead giving him the opportunity to climb up to its head, with the knife trapped between its two large eyes. The frog seemed to sense danger, shaking its head and croaking before its webbed feet started digging into the mud! However, Shen MO was faster, pulling out his knife and viciously stabbing it into one of the frog¡¯s eyes! He then continued to rapidly stab several times, causing the frog to roll around in pain, knocking over several snails! Shen MO showed no mercy, each stab crueler than the last! The frog¡¯s eye was almost gouged through by him! ¡°Croak! ¡ª ¡± The frog howled in agony, its entire head burying into the mud and desperately digging in! Obviously, Shen MO couldn¡¯t follow it down. He quickly loosened his grip, jumped onto the shell of a nearby snail, pulled out his knife and smoothly slid into the water, firmly standing within. The frog had escaped. Tan Xiao looked at Shen MO, his eyes now filled with more than admiration¡­but horror! My God, he made such a large monster roll around in pain, with just a small folding fruit knife? Where on earth did this master come from?! Scary indeed! After gasping in amazement for a bit, Tan Xiao realized that the mud under his feet was bubbling. He quickly came to his senses, bent down, grabbed the person in the mud, and pulled him up forcefully! Chang Weicai, fully covered in mud, was lifted up. His mouth was spitting out black mud, and his eyes were tightly closed, unconscious. Tan Xiao hoisted him onto his shoulder and began hitting him in the stomach. More mud water spewed out of the old man¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hey old man, don¡¯t you die on me. If it were not for you making me stumble, I would have been a goner! I owe you half my life! As long as I¡¯m alive, I won¡¯t let you die before me. We repay even smallest debts with the fullest heart. we can throw our lives away, but we would never abandon a brother!¡± After his long-winded speech, he hit the man some more in the stomach and lungs. But nearly choking the old man to semi-consciousness proved still not enough to wake him. Shen MO said, ¡°Put him down!¡± Tan Xiao greatly respected Shen MO, and obediently complied. Shen MO came over and examined him, his eyebrows creased, ¡°He has a bruise on his head, probably fainted after hitting a snail. Or maybe someone pushed him while everyone was running. With the gunshot just now, everyone was thrown into chaos. It¡¯s lucky that he¡¯s alive.¡± Tan Xiao kept nodding in response. He didn¡¯t dare to put Chang Weicai in the snail¡¯s shell, fearing it would suffocate the old man. So he dragged Chang Weicai to the crevice between the stone wall and the snails¡¯ shell, propping him up and sitting him down. After settling everything, he suddenly remembered something, turned around and glared at Shen MO, ¡°A gunshot?¡­.Are you saying that the noise just now was a gunshot?! Who the fuck fired the gun?! Come out here! Why not shoot at the frog instead of randomly firing! What the hell was that!! Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Different Styles Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Different Styles Translator: 549690339 Shen MO didn¡¯t have the patience to explain the whole situation concerning the prop to Tan Xiao. However, this incident indeed fuelled his anger, disrupting all his original plans with a single gunshot. Shen MO was a man who, due to his profession or personality, possessed a hint of heroism. He was willing to stand up for what was right, had a strong sense of responsibility, and a spirit of sacrifice greater than most people. But that did not mean he was a ¡°saint¡±, or someone who could stand seeing death without interference. On the contrary, he had been to the battlefield and was able to remain calm even amongst the death of thousands. He understood the cruelty of life and death! But what he couldn¡¯t stand was the needless sacrifice! It was absurd! Those people originally had ample time to take cover. However, because of the gunshot, they all lost control and madly ran through the mud, ending up as food for the frogs! Their deaths were pointless and meaningless, akin to the lowest level of a joke! Life shouldn¡¯t be like this. The world has already become so ridiculous due to the emergence of this puppet game, isn¡¯t that enough? Shen MO really wanted to confront Zhang Hua, but found it unnecessary in the end. The cave was filled with snails, and it was unclear to him where Zhang Hua was hiding. Even if he found Zhang Hua, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that there had been heavy casualties. To add to his concern, Jin Qiu could show up at any moment, and who knew what would happen in the next round. Shen MO silently returned to Bai Youwei¡¯s side and leaned against a snail shell without uttering a word. Bai Youwei studied his expression and slowly said, ¡°Suppose that the game Zhang Hua is experiencing is the same as ours, then the prop he has should also be the same. As soon as the gun is fired, everyone within 10 meters of the shooter will run at full speed. The effect is influenced by the distance, environmental factors, and individual willpower. Since we are in an enclosed cave, echoes are easy to create. Hence even those beyond the 10-meter radius can be affected.¡¯ After a pause, she complimented him, ¡°Your willpower was admirable just now as you only ran a few steps before stopping.¡± Her voice was soft, conveying a sense of intimacy and reassurance. Shen MO glanced at her, feeling a strange sensation. Did she seem a bit¡­too calm? He knew that Bai Youwei was not like most people. She didn¡¯t seem particularly scared during the ¡°Tortoise and the Hare¡± game, but this time, rather than panicking, she appeared to be calm, too calm¡­even relaxed? Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°In a while, you should take shelter inside the shell. Although dealing with the frogs is a way out, it is too exhausting for you alone. You need rest.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s gaze became a bit profound. On the other side, Tan Xiao continued his search, swearing under his breath and insisting on searching everyone who came out of the snail shells. The others joined him. They wouldn¡¯t tolerate anyone in their group hiding a gun! They didn¡¯t find Zhang Hua. Shen MO leaned against a snail shell, silently observing the chaos in front of him. After a while, he withdrew his gaze, glanced down to Bai Youwei, a shadow in his eyes. ¡°You know something,¡± he stated, though he phrased it as a question. He was sure that Bai Youwei was hiding something from him. Bai Youwei blinked. The muddy teen had tarnished clothes, yet her eyes remained unusually clear, like washed ink gems. Their twinkle was reminiscent of fireflies and starlight hiding in the night. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± she said with a faint smile, ¡°You have your methods, and others naturally have theirs. Zhang Hua wouldn¡¯t fire a shot at this time without reason. He also wants to pass the game, just in a different way than us.¡± Shen MO contemplated, ¡°His way¡­is to reduce the number of people?¡± Bai Youwei lifted the corner of her mouth, ¡°To put it bluntly, a single frog can catch over 70 insects in one day, around forty to fifty people died just now on the highway. His thought may have been that if a few more people die, and the frogs are filled, he will be safe..¡± Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Chapter 45: This Girl is a Little Mischievous Chapter 45: Chapter 45: This Girl is a Little Mischievous Translator: 549690339 Shen Mo¡¯s gaze stiffened markedly. ¡°How did you figure it out?¡± He asked. The rule didn¡¯t elaborate on this at all. Bai Youwei offered a shallow smile and glanced at Shen MO, ¡°Don¡¯t you realize it too? The Inspector for this game has been intentionally dodging rules related to the frog.¡± Shen MO did not utter a word, which was akin to conceding. ¡°Players get one minute to prepare, and the Inspector always counts down very methodically. Yet, we only have 20 seconds to find Jin Qiu. Don¡¯t you find it odd, for such a crucial phase, they didn¡¯t bother to time it?¡± As Bai Youwei spoke, a cool, lighthearted smile played at the edges of her pink-tinged lips. ¡°Not timing it could mean that there¡¯s no time restriction. The Inspector presumes we¡¯ll be eaten by the frog, so he sets a window of 20 seconds. In actuality, based on the speed at which the frog appears each time, the time to find Jin Qiu varies accordingly ¨C that¡¯s why you conceived the idea of killing the frog. As long as it¡¯s dead, we¡¯d have unlimited time, and we¡¯ll eventually find Jin Qiu.¡± Shen MO shot her a deep look. She had correctly guessed most of what he was thinking. Previously, he thought she was just shrewd and clever but now¡­he found this girl slightly sinister. ¡°Tell me about Zhang Hua.¡± Shen MO asked her, ¡°What do you think he¡¯s plotting? The playful light at the edges of Bai Youwei¡¯s lips pulled back slightly. She pondered for a moment. ¡°Zhang Hua¡­ He probably realized it during the third round. The game needs balance. Since the frog gets hungry, it should also get full. What would happen if it was fed a few more bugs? Zhang Hua wanted to experiment.¡± ¡°Just for the sake of experimenting?¡± Shen MO chuckled dryly, ¡°It¡¯s all assumptions. Has he not considered the possibility of failure?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him seriously, ¡°Actually, I think¡­his chances of success are very high.¡± Shen MO arched an eyebrow, expressionless, but Bai Youwei saw his displeasure in his eyes. ¡°As I said, the game requires balance,¡± she explained calmly, ¡°Not everyone is as daring and fearless as you. The game has to leave some room for others. For instance, the middle-aged businessman in the last Tortoise and Hare race. He didn¡¯t run fast, wasn¡¯t particularly intelligent, but he was ruthless enough. If he hadn¡¯t been pushed beyond the finishing line against the rules, he would¡¯ve likely cleared the game¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s gaze turned completely frosty, ¡°Ruthless¡­so, the game is trying to turn us into people like that?¡± Bai Youwei looked into his eyes, realizing her words had upset him and decided to fall silent. She didn¡¯t want to anger him at this crucial moment. Jin Qiu ambled out from a corner, sweeping around the count heads. ¡°The current game has failed, eight players remaining. We now enter the fifth round of ¡®The Frog¡¯s Golden Ball.¡¯ Players, please be ready! The one-minute countdown begins. 59, 58, 57¡­¡± Eight players left. Bai Youwei, Shen MO, Tan Xiao, Mr. Cheng, Brother Hui, Monkey, Zhang Hua, and a middle-aged fat man, who had been hiding in his shell the whole time. The casualties were severe. With so few people remaining, how would they find the ball? Mr. Cheng remained unconscious, Zhang Hua was nowhere to be seen, and the cowardly fat man was even less likely to lend a hand. As for Bai Youwei, her disability made her movement virtually zero. The fewer the people, the harder it was to find the ball, and as for killing the frog¡­ Battling a beast in the mud was extremely energy-consuming. Bai Youwei was right; he needed to rest the most right now. ¡°Boss, what do we do now?¡± From a distance, Tan Xiao stared at him, wide-eyed. Unbeknownst to him, Shen MO had become the centerpiece of the group. Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei beside him, raised his arm to gesture and his face impassive, uttered two words: ¡°Rest..¡± Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Rest Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Rest Translator: 549690339 ¡ªRest. In the fifth round, everyone burrowed into snail shells, leaving the mudfield quiet. The sound of Jin Qiu¡¯s impacts ceased, and no one came out. Soon after, a frog emerged from the mud, croaking twice. With no bugs to eat, it lay idle in the mud. Shen MO, under the cover of the snail shell, watched the frog. He noticed its bulging eye had healed somewhat, but a scar was still present. This indicated his attack had worked. If the injury was bad enough, it would be difficult to recover. Perhaps next time he could target a different area¡­ Time ticked by. No one came out to find the ball, and the frog didn¡¯t attack either, so the situation turned into a stalemate. Someone took the initiative to start a conversation. Everyone began chatting across the snail shells¡ª ¡°The mud collapses too quickly. If only we could make the ball bounce less, that way with fewer holes, it would be easier to find.¡± ¡°How can it be that easy? There are so many snails. Unless we can push them aside, um¡­¡± The speaker seemed to be putting in effort, then commented a moment later, ¡°So heavy! But I can move it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy, there must be over a hundred snails in this hole. Even if you can move them, can you really push every single one aside? The ball will either hit this one or that one, this method won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°So what do we do? Once the frog rolls in mud, its wound heals by half. How could we possibly kill it¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just hold out for now and see what we can do in the next round¡­¡± Everyone engaged in hushed discussion, with Tan Xiao leading the conversation and Brother Hui and Monkey occasionally chiming in. The fifth round passed without any major incidents. When the countdown for the sixth round began, Teacher Chang woke up. Although he was awake, he seemed dazed. Seeing himself half-submerged in mud, he spoke in a daze: ¡°What difference does it make where one ends. I entrust my body to the mountain. Ah, my life seems to be coming to an end¡­¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t understand him, but courteously tapped a big snail shell and said, ¡°Old man, come here! There¡¯s plenty of room!¡± Chang Weicai turned his head at the sound and saw Tan Xiao. Despite his rough appearance, Tan Xiao was still spirited, which stirred mixed feelings in him. ¡°I¡¯ve grown old, and I just can¡¯t be as positive and proactive as you youngsters when things happen. I should learn from you all.¡± He shook his head and sighed, then slowly lifted himself off the ground with effort, wading through the mud to reach Tan Xiao. Impatient as Tan Xiao was, he took a few steps to meet him halfway, scornfully carrying Chang Weicai on his shoulder: ¡°You¡¯re not that old yet. Quit dragging your feet and act like an old man. Let¡¯s hurry up! The countdown is almost over!¡± Chang Weicai just hummed as he was jounced around on Tan Xiao¡¯s shoulder. The snail shell that Tan Xiao found was large, providing ample space for both of them. They had just gotten comfortable when the thumping of Jin Qiu from outside started. One of the impacts precisely hit the snail shell they were in, with a loud bang, sinking the whole shell! Mud suddenly poured into the snail shell, nearly choking Tan Xiao. He quickly crawled deeper into the shell, swearing, ¡°Fuck!¡± Chang Weicai, who was positioned above, didn¡¯t end up in the mud. However, the sudden impact still left him stunned. After the mud surged in, the air in the snail shell quickly turned turbid. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t last long. About 20 seconds later, the surroundings began to tremble. A force bubbled up from below, and the snail shell flipped back to the surface of the mud¡ª Choking on the stale air, Tan Xiao quickly poked his head out. He saw the frog, complacently squatting in the mud. Frustrated, he exclaimed, ¡°That damned frog is back. Dammit! The injury on its eye is healed!¡± Chang Weicai also took a peek, and said, ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡®¡±Huh¡¯ what? Stop crowding here and watch out! It might bite you!¡± Tan Xiao pulled him back inside. Chang Weicai seemed to realise something, ¡°Xiaotan, I think our position seems the same as before. ¡°So what if it¡¯s the same?¡± Tan Xiao replied impatiently, ¡°The damn ball always smashes the snails into the mud, and the frog always pushes the snails out. Anyway, from what I can see, the positions are pretty much the same!¡± Chang Weicai suddenly became serious: ¡°If the position doesn¡¯t change, as long as we know the initial point, it should be possible to calculate where the ball will land!¡± Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Why Do Games Exist Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Why Do Games Exist Translator: 549690339 Tan Xiao was stunned. Stunned again¡­ After being stunned for half a minute, he slapped Chang Weicai¡¯s chest, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say this earlier! Calculate it quickly! ¡± Chang, the teacher, almost had a heart attack, ¡°Cough, cough, cough, cough!¡­¡± Tan Xiao hurriedly massaged his chest, ¡°Old man, you really can¡¯t take a slap, I didn¡¯t hit that hard¡­ were you serious about what you just said? Can you really calculate it?¡± Teacher Chang shook his head and waved his hands, ¡°cough, cough, cough¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t do it? Didn¡¯t you just say you could! Hey! Can you calculate it or not, tell me straight!¡± Teacher Chang held his chest, ¡°can¡¯t¡­¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Were you just bullshitting?!¡± ¡°I meant theoretically¡­¡± Teacher Chang explained breathlessly, ¡°Theoretically, if we know the initial position and the angle of the shot, we can calculate the landing point. ¡± Tan Xiao grabbed his shoulders and shook him, ¡°Then hurry up and calculate it!!!¡± Teacher Chang felt dizzy, ¡°1¡­1 teach language arts¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what you teach, you¡¯re a teacher! You must have studied math too!¡± Tan Xiao snapped urgently, ¡°I¡¯ve never passed elementary school math! You must be better than me, right?!¡± Chang Weicai was nearly deafened by his rapid-fire words, it was agonizing, but the words did make some sense when processed. Given the current situation, any method should be tried. It might be a glimmer of hope. Teacher Chang steadied his nerves with effort, taking a deep breath, ¡°When man defies nature, nature provides a way. Alright, alright, let¡¯s give it a shot! Xiaotan, help me out!¡± Tan Xiao quickly slid out of the snail shell and bent over to help Chang Weicai out. The frog, having not caught any bugs, was stunned for a while and had left. The cave was dark and silent, only densely packed with snail shells. Teacher Chang fumbled out a pen from his pocket, didn¡¯t even open it, and began writing and drawing formulas directly on the muddy snail shell with the cap¡¯s tip. The others also emerged from the snail shells one after another. Perhaps they had heard Tan Xiao¡¯s and Chang Weicai¡¯s argument earlier ¨C their uncertain eyes were now tilled with anticipation and doubt. ¡°Can you really calculate it?¡± Monkey asked. ¡°Whether we can calculate it or not, we have to try first!¡± Tan Xiao raised his chin in a lofty manner; he seemed to take pride in the fact that Chang Weicai was his ¡°brother¡±. Everyone remained silent, their eyes fixed on Teacher Chang¡¯s back. They couldn¡¯t contribute anything to this matter. Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei thoughtfully. ¡ªShe was looking at Brother Hui and Monkey. Seemingly sensing his gaze, Bai Youwei turned her head slightly and then looked at him with an innocent and puzzled face. Shen MO averted his gaze, wondering if he had misunderstood¡­ The seventh round started not long after, two consecutive rounds without deaths, and the tone of Jin Qiu became lazy ¡°The current game failed, with eight survivors remaining. Now entering the seventh round of ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯, all players please get ready (yawning)¡­ hey hey, the frog has to try harder.¡± With that, it began the countdown: ¡°59, 58, 57¡­¡± Bai Youwei calmly crawled into the snail shell. Shen MO stayed outside, his deep black eyes watching the golden ball, pondering about the purpose of this game itself, or rather, its significance? If it wanted to kill, it could simply kill, why bother with these elaborate schemes? Even if the apocalypse were to come, aliens invaded, earth was intruded, anything, there should be a reason, right? Why does this doll game even exist? Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Chapter 48 She Can’t Leave You Chapter 48: Chapter 48 She Can¡¯t Leave You Translator: 549690339 As he was deep in thought, Tan Xiao, not far away, waved at him and shouted, ¡°Boss! You go in first! Maybe the old man will have all the landing points worked out soon. We shouldn¡¯t be too headstrong with that toad demon!¡± He did care about Shen MO quite a bit. Shen MO gripped his knife, rubbing it back and forth on the shell a few times, glanced coldly at the golden sphere high above, and then crawled into the shell. Another round of earth-shaking tremors. The golden sphere came to a halt. The frog emerged. ¡°Ribbit¡ªribbit¡ª¡± The frog, having abstained from food for two rounds, couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, and began to stir the mud with its front legs, poking at the snails in the field, trying to find a few bugs to fill its stomach. This sudden turn of events took everyone by surprise. Feeling the trembling of the mud, everyone tensely tightened their nerves at the same time, and attempted to burrow as far into the shells as they could. They pressed their bodies against the narrow inner walls to prevent being ejected by the vibrations. ¡°Ribbit ribbit! ¡ª Ribbit! The frog became increasingly agitated. The mud was constantely shaking due to the frog¡¯s flippers stirring it! Bai Youwei heard a short, sharp scream from outside! A sudden noise that vanished instantly, it was so short in duration that it was impossible to pinpoint the unfortunate victim. Bai Youwei, however, could not afford to make that determination right now, because she was already on the verge of falling! The lack of strength in her lower limbs indeed put her at a great disadvantage in this game! Splash! The snail shell where Bai Youwei was hiding had been flipped over. She was thrown out of the shell and into the thick mud, landing hard. As her body sank, Bai Youwei lay still. She knew she shouldn¡¯t move. If she did, she would be eaten by the frog like a bug! So she had to stay steady, steady¡­ The stench of the swamp water was rushing in from all directions, like slimy serpents, invading her nostrils, her eyes, her ears, and her mouth¡­ Bai Youwei was desperately holding her breath, but the fear of approaching death, and the disorientation of losing her footing, still tortured her mind! The feeling was absolutely horrendous! But to survive, she had to endure! Ironically, she had been someone who constantly thought of death, yet in this game, she revealed such a strong desire to survive. An arm wound around her waist and lifted her forcefully! She was suddenly being exposed to the fresh air! Bai Youwei opened her eyes and gasped for air. Mud dripped down from her face and head. She saw the man¡¯s broad, sturdy chest, and as she lifted her head, it was Shen Mo¡¯s aloof face. Bai Youwei just looked at him, unable to speak a word, panting heavily due to the lack of oxygen. Shen MO wanted to put her down. But she clung to his arm and refused to let go! The fear that the thick mud provoked was still present, and she trembled in his arms like a rabbit that had just survived a catastrophe. Shen MO frowned but didn¡¯t let go in the end. Tan Xiao leaned in from the side, his silvery hair turned to a mess after being stuck with mud. He said to Bai Youwei, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the frog is gone!¡± He then moved his hand back and forth under his neck and mimed the action of cutting his stomach open, afraid that she wouldn¡¯t understand, he added. ¡°Your brother slashed its belly open! It ran away!¡± Bai Youwei heaved a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, burying her face in Shen Mo¡¯s chest without moving. ¡°Your sister seems to be in shock.¡± Tan Xiao sighed with deep understanding, and patted Shen Mo t s shoulder. ¡°Take good care of her. It¡¯s obvious your siblings are close. She can¡¯t be without you.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei was all right before, but that remark inexplicably made her want to laugh. She gave a slight shake of her shoulder stifle a laugh and then asked him in a soft voice, ¡°Have you calculated the landing points?¡± Hearing her tone of voice, Shen MO knew she was back to normal and felt somewhat relieved. Tan Xiao, however, looked heartbroken. He twisted his head and looked at Chang Weicai, who was not too far away, and let out a sigh. ¡°No.¡± After he said this, no one made a noise. In the cave, only the rustling sound of the old teacher¡¯s continuous computation could be heard. The silence was unusually profound.. The taste of despair lingered in everyone¡¯s hearts¡­ Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Tadpole Looking for its Mother Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Tadpole Looking for its Mother Translator: 549690339 The frog had exited the game prematurely, but Jin Qiu had yet to appear. Chang Weicai listed down innumerable formulas tirelessly, murmuring as he worked, ¡°Initial angle about 45 degrees, bounces back after hitting the stone wall, here it¡¯s about¡­120 degrees, deflects to the lower right¡­60 degrees¡­No, that¡¯s not right, the incident angle and reflection angle form an isosceles triangle, which allows us to determine the path of the ball after it bounces¡­ No, that¡¯s not right either, this approach applies to a flat rectangle, but we are dealing with a cone now, what is the formula for a cone¡­¡± Drops of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead. His right hand was shivering, as his face grew paler and paler. He suddenly loathed himself, why was he a language teacher? If he were a math teacher, perhaps he could come up with a solution at this moment to save himself and everyone trapped with him! Not that language teachers are any less capable than math teachers, however, at this particular time¡­ Plonk. The pen slipped from his powerless hand and fell into the mud. He quickly bent down to pick it up. ¡°Stop it,¡± Shen MO interjected calmly, ¡°Jin Qiu bounces more than 60 times every time. If we want to find its landing point by calculating every single move, we need massive calculations. Here, without a computer, paper, pen, and enough time, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Besides, Chang Weicai was merely a language teacher and not proficient in math. Shen MO didn¡¯t say this out loud, but everyone present understood it crystal clear. ¡°Next round, we kill the frog,¡± Shen MO was holding a knife, the blade slowly grinding against the snail¡¯s shell. ¡°Those who want to help, prepare well.¡± With his words falling, everyone looked different. Tan Xiao seemed to be agonizing about how he could possibly help without any weapons. Chang Weicai looked desolate, submerged in deep self-blame. Hui Ge and Monkey looked grim, unwilling to confront the giant frog and yet not ready to give up and wait for death. Interestingly, Zhang Hua had come out of the snail shell, eyeing Hui Ge and Monkey darkly. And Bai Youwei¡­ Bai Youwei was also watching Hui Ge and Monkey. Shen MO took in everyone¡¯s reactions and felt a surge of indescribable restlessness. Suppressing his emotions, he calmly asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Bai Youwei refocused and lifted her head, ¡°Oh, nothing much.¡± A few seconds pause, noticing Shen MO still looking at her, she spoke, ¡°Just a bit worried, you taking on that monster alone, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± Somewhere in Shen Mo¡¯s mind, something clicked. His lips pressed into a tight line. After a moment, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not that dangerous, it¡¯s made of flesh and blood. It¡¯s easier to handle than guns and shells.¡± He carried Bai Youwei back into the snail¡¯s shell. Just at that moment, Jin Qiu popped up. ¡°The current game has failed, with 7 players surviving, now entering the eighth round of ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯¡­ ¡® The repeated lines were getting monotonous even for Jin Qiu. It yawned after its bounce and grumbled, ¡°The frog isn¡¯t trying hard enough, it only ate a single fatty, oh well, now it¡¯s up to me to figure something out-Everyone went on high alert as they heard Jin Qiu¡¯s voice again: ¡°Froggy go home, tadpoles find mommy¨C Froggy go home, tadpoles find mommy- The ground started shaking again, the mud soup stirred! It felt as if the giant beast was about to sweep over them again! But it was different this time. There were more, much more! Black tadpoles began to bubble up from the mud! They were packed tightly, each one as huge as a bathtub! They wagged their tails excitedly and opened their keratin-filled mouths, scrambling towards the snails! Shen MO killed one with a knife, then pulled Bai Youwei out of the shell as fast as possible, lifted her waist-high and put her on the back of a snail! Bai Youwei¡¯s face was pale, but her eyes were fixated elsewhere. Following her gaze, Shen MO saw Hui Ge and Monkey running in terror. In an instant, the mortal peril and long-held suspicions ignited into rage! He clenched his hand around Bai Youwei¡¯s neck and, through gritted teeth, asked: ¡°You knew how to finish the game all along, didn¡¯t you?!¡± Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: Chapter 50 1 Don’t Want to Die Chapter 50: Chapter 50 1 Don¡¯t Want to Die Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei was being choked by him; her snowwhite complexion quickly turned beet red. Her eyes too were scarlet! They were filled with anger, resentment, and even hatred! Seemingly pricked by the emotions brewing in her eyes, Shen Mo ts grip unconsciously loosened a bit. With indignation, Bai Youwei shoved him away, then bent over, coughing violently- In the distance, Zhang Hua was in a state of utter confusion, ¡°Why are there tadpoles? Why¡­ the frog was just about to be sated. Why did tadpoles appear at this time?!¡± His body was soaked in the muddy water, struggling to climb onto the snail shell again and again, only to slide off repeatedly. Surrounded by seven or eight excited tadpoles wagging their tails and gnawing on him, they quickly devoured him! Strictly speaking, tadpoles don¡¯t have teeth. The mouth of a tadpole has a pair of fleshy lips and a row of hornlike ¡°teeth¡±. These teeth are soft, and shaped like the teeth on a comb, they seemingly lack threat. However, if magnified thousands or tens of thousands times, the suction and biting strength of their mouth would be astounding! Everyone watched as Zhang Hua disappeared entirely before their eyes. Their earlier passive and comfortable mindset, as they waited inside the snail shells, vanished without a trace! Tan Xiao, holding onto Chang Weicai, lay on the snail shell, fiercely kicking away the tadpoles that were leaping upwards with his feet, sending them tumbling back into the mud! The tadpoles were stubborn, persistently surging upwards! The snail wobbled precariously, like a tiny boat in the sea, likely to capsize any second. Big Brother Hui and Monkey were also in a panic, their hands clenching each other¡¯s forearms as they hung on each side of the snail to prevent being shoved off by the tadpoles. Shen Mo¡¯s expression was dark as he forcefully yanked Bai Youwei up. Holding back his anger again, he asked her with a suppressed voice, ¡°You knew all along, why didn¡¯t you tell?!¡± Bai Youwei was limp in his hands like a rag-doll. She didn¡¯t speak, her gloomy eyes were glued to Big Brother Hui and Monkey. ¡°Bai Youwei!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s suppressed anger flared up again. He grabbed her by the collar, yanked her close, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you divulge the method for passing the level?!¡± Chang Weicai slipped down multiple times, only to be hoisted up by Tan Xiao each time. Big Brother Hui and Monkey yelled and cursed amid the grips of struggle. Yet, Bai Youwei seemed unaffected by it all. Those clear, lucid brown eyes of hers were as cold as ice. ¡°Why would I tell?¡± she sneered, ¡°To save them? Are they even worth it?¡± Shen MO was taken aback. Bai Youwei fixed her gaze on him, ¡°What have those people done when I was in danger last night, other than pretending to sleep? Trash like them deserves to be eradicated by the game. If they haven¡¯t been completely wiped out, of course, I won¡¯t say.¡± ¡°Is that how you feel?¡± Shen MO felt his heart jolt, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡± The smirk at the corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth grew more wanton, her gaze filled with malice, ¡°If I die, none of you will survive!¡± Shen MO stared at her blankly, slackening his grip. She slipped downwards, but at the instant before she was grasped by the tadpoles, Shen MO pulled her back up again. For a moment, he was at a loss for how to handle her. Behind them, Big Brother Hui suddenly roared, ¡°Monkey!¡± Shen MO looked round to see Big Brother Hui, drowning in the mud, instantly swarmed by a group of tadpoles. No matter how hard he tried, he could not stand up. He could only try his best to raise his arms high! Raise his arms high!¡­ Monkey was still clutching the snail shell tightly with both hands, not extending a hand to pull him out. ¡°Monkey!¡­Monkey!¡­¡± The man in the mud was screaming shrilly. It was as if Monkey didn¡¯t hear a thing, his blood-shot eyes were focused on Bai Youwei! The cry for help grew weaker. Then it vanished. The commotion made by the tadpoles gradually settled, their corpulent bodies rolling over and sinking into the mud. Everyone was watching Monkey. The unremarkable skinny young man¡¯s veins were bulging, his eyes bloodshot; his body was quivering from the suppressed emotions. He had just witnessed his comrade¡¯s death. Just when everyone thought he would charge at Bai Youwei in a fit of rage, he broke into a smile! Tears rolled down his cheeks too, his smile looked extremely awkward. ¡°¡­ can you tell us now?¡± Monkey, with a crazed look in his eyes, fixed his gaze on Bai Youwei,¡±The person who came up with the idea was Cixie, and Big Brother Hui executed it, and all I did was hold the mobile phone for recording¡­l never touched you¡­Can you tell us now? The methods for passing the level, I don¡¯t want to die¡­l don¡¯t want to die¡­.¡± Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Are You Crazy Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Are You Crazy Translator: 549690339 ¡°Current game failed, five players remain alive. We¡¯re now entering the ninth round of ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯. Please prepare yourselves; the countdown begins in one minute. 59, 58¡­¡± Everyone was looking at Bai Youwei. Under the pressure of their gazes, Bai Youwei raised her head. She was neither afraid nor ashamed, standing strong with a bit of pride in her voice. ¡°Overturn that snail next to Teacher Chang,¡± she said. Tan Xiao was stunned. ¡°¡­Just like that?¡± ¡°Yes, that simple.¡± Bai Youwei sneered at him, ¡°Calculating the obligatory points in the ball¡¯s traveling route from one hundred and sixty-three snails how come you don¡¯t know how simple it is?¡± A corner of Tan Xiao¡¯s mouth twitched awkwardly. What trajectory? What obligatory point? He was slightly perplexed. But Teacher Chang finally got it. ¡°I see! The ball bounces too many times, so calculating its landing spot is too complex. But we can calculate the obligatory point!¡± Tan Xiao excitedly asked, ¡°Old man, can you do the calculations?¡± Chang Weicai chuckled, ¡°Well, I teach Chinese¡­¡± Tan Xiao remained silent. The monkey walked over to the snail with that unnatural smile still clinging to his face, his eyes frighteningly bright. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± He couldn¡¯t wait, reaching out and gripping the snail. Tan Xiao hesitated for a moment, and then joined in, his face strained with effort. It was hard to push a snail stuck in silt, but if all they had to do was flip it around in a group, it wasn¡¯t too troublesome. Shen MO looked down at Bai Youwei beside him and asked, ¡°How confident are you in this?¡± Without looking at him, Bai Youwei focused on Tan Xiao and the monkey in front of her, her voice emotionless. ¡°About seventy or eighty percent.¡± A choking feeling rose in Shen Mo¡¯s chest. He remained quiet for a moment before warning her, ¡°Don¡¯t do this again.¡± Bai Youwei raised her brows at him, ¡°Don¡¯t do what?¡± Shen MO said nothing. He realized that her mischievousness was returning, not only mischievous but twisted as well. ¡°It¡¯s not worth risking your life for those types of people,¡± Shen MO said in a low voice. Bai Youwei smirked and silently laughed, ¡°The life at stake isn¡¯t mine, but Zhang Hua¡¯s. I have you to protect me; Teacher Chang has Tan Xiao. Those two hooligans might seem like brothers, but they¡¯re only in it for their own benefits. Each of them is ready to stab the other in the back. Zhang Hua realized this, so he kept his eye on them, thinking at least one of them would be sacrificed to feed the frog. Unfortunately, we encountered an Inspector willing to change the rules on a whim. The rule about feeding tadpoles turned into the frog. Zhang Hua died too early.¡± Shen Mo felt a headache coming on, creasing his brows further, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the rule change, you wouldn¡¯t have revealed the method to pass this round, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei nodded calmly, her face expressionless. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in playing the savior. Besides, this game seems to go out of its way to kill players. If I save them, I¡¯m directly opposing the game. What benefits does that bring Anger spiked in Shen Mo¡¯s heart, but he swallowed it and remained silent. Bai Youwei looked up at him, her lips curled in a taunting smile, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you think I¡¯m selfish, or do you find me cruel? Shen MO, let me teach you something poverty makes people humble, hardship makes them bitter, and here I am, a rich girl who is just unlucky. Not only am I bitter, but I¡¯m also coldblooded and take great pleasure in seeing others suffer more misfortune than me. Do you understand?¡± Shen MO took a deep breath. ¡°I understand.¡± After a pause, he said: ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡± Bai Youwei froze, her face changing instantly, ¡°Did you just insult me?!¡± Shen MO thought ¨C yes, that was an insult. If it were someone under me, I wouldn¡¯t think twice about giving them a beating. But their conversation was disrupted by the countdown for the Golden Ball. ¡°¡­3¡­2¡­1. The game begins!¡± Boom! Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Congratulations on Passing This Game Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Congratulations on Passing This Game Translator: 549690339 The moment Jin Qiu plunged downward, Shen MO scooped Bai Youwei up and retreated to the side of a snail, watching the cave getting splattered with mud once again. Their verbal confrontation momentarily ceased. After over a dozen bounces, Jin Qiu fell into the snail¡¯s mouth at an incredibly precise angle! The snail sank under the force, sinking continuously! It stopped just as it sunk to the edge of the snail¡¯s mouth¡ªthe ball stopped, all noise stopped, leaving only the clear gold ball faintly gleaming at the snail¡¯s entrance. Everyone¡¯s gaze focused on Jin Qiu, even their breaths unavoidably slowing. It seemed unbelievable. After struggling for so long, enduring for so long, from the first round to the ninth round, they thought it was an unsolvable stalemate, yet now it had been cracked so easily? It felt unreal. Tan Xiao rubbed his eyes hard, staring at Jin Qiu stuck in the snail¡¯s shell, ¡°¡­Am I seeing things?¡± Teacher Cheng¡¯s eyes were moist with emotion, ¡°This is the essential point, the essential point¡­ A ball bouncing back and forth inside a hole seventy, eighty, or even a hundred times without falling into the mud, each bounce precisely hitting a snail. Probability-wise, that¡¯s almost impossible! To produce continuous bounces, Jin Qiu¡¯s movement trajectory must be calculated with precision! As long as you can calculate one point, you can find Jin Qiu!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s lips curled up, interpreting these words as praising her. She uttered a nonchalant ¡°Mhm,¡± and said, ¡°The game rules state that the Inspector could serve the ball from any position, at any angle, using any force. This sentence is meant to mislead us¡ªto trick us into thinking the point of the ball¡¯s landing is random. They really went to great lengths, what with their smoking and reducing time limits, and even creating monsters to pressure the players. But in the end¡­ the game itself is just too simple. That¡¯s why they needed these tricks to make the game confusing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re calling my game simple?!¡± Jin Qiu locked in the shell of a snail let out a high-pitched shout, ¡°My game is simple?! It took you nine rounds to clear it, and you have the audacity to call my game simple! You guys are the most shameless players I¡¯ve ever seen!!!¡± Bai Youwei coldly laughed: ¡°What are you excited about? You ought to know, too. The level of a game¡¯s difficulty has nothing to do with its format. Instead, the actions of those within the game that require constant attention.¡± Jin Qiu fell silent. After a while, it said, pretending to be innocent: ¡°I¡¯ve always been watching you¡­ but I just didn¡¯t get it, hey, how did you find out? Was it really through calculating the essential point? That sure is a lot of computation¡­¡± Bai Youwei fell silent. After a few seconds, she turned to Tan Xiao, ¡°It¡¯s trying to buy time. The tadpoles are coming out soon.¡± Jin Qiu: Tan Xiao: Recalling the scene where tadpoles appeared in groups, Tan Xiao got goosebumps all over his body. He promptly stretched out his hands, firmly pressing down on Jin Qiu! ¡ª Two mud handprints were left. Jin Qiu: A sigh echoed through the cave. ¡°Congratulations on clearing this game.¡± Jin Qiu¡¯s voice sounded dispirited. ¡°For winning the golden ball from the frog, you ought to receive a reward. The game has been cleared by five players who can choose¡­¡± Its voice paused before it continued: ¡°¡­oh, the settlement rule has been changed. Players cannot choose their own rewards. They will be distributed by the Inspector. Five pieces of frog mud can be given to the five players. Whoever finds Jin Qiu gets a bonus of a ¡®Princess¡¯s Friend¡¯ Friendship Badge.¡± It sighed again, slowly floating into the air: ¡°Game rewards have been settled. You guys, make sure to cherish the rewards I gave you¡­¡± A familiar white light emerged in front of them. Bai Youwei blinked her eyes and found herself back in the truck. She had a lump of mud in her hand.. Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The Princess’s Friend Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The Princess¡¯s Friend Translator: 549690339 The instant the mud touched her hand, its use immediately sprang to mind. [Frog Mud: Amazing mud that can rapidly heal wounds, can be used 9 times.] Bai Youwei poked it. It was soft and quite elastic, a little like the rubber clay kids play with, only its color was dire, dark and indistinguishable. But, seeing as its effects were so great, Bai Youwei carefully kept the mud in her bag, alongside the toy gun and the plush rabbit. How amusing it was ¨C every reward from the game seemed to have an element of childlike innocence. She looked up ahead, Shen MO and The Teacher had stepped out of the car. Monkey and Tan Xiao also got off the vehicle at the earliest opportunity. Each person held a clump of mud in their hands. The expression on everyone¡¯s face was extremely complicated, as if they were dazed and shocked after escaping death. They didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. As usual, Shen MO checked the rest of the people in the convoy. ¡ªWithout exception, those who did not complete the game have all turned into dolls. ¡°Has the earth been occupied by some Dimensional Demon King?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s face was full of disbelief. ¡°This game is too spiritual, this piece of mud that we¡¯re given can heal wounds quickly, no wonder the wounds on the frog healed so quickly!¡± He held the mud to his nose to sniff, but didn¡¯t detect any particular scent. He even opened his mouth to bite it, but it was as tough as a rubber band and he couldn¡¯t bite off a piece. ¡°How does one use this?¡± Tan Xiao asked, somewhat bewildered. The Teacher suggested, ¡°Is it only effective when used on wounds?¡± During the game, The Teacher had bumped his head. Although it didn¡¯t bleed much, the impact caused his wound to swell quite a bit. He held up the mud, and applied it to his head. Suddenly, the color of the mud changed from black to a deep gray. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The Teacher took down the mud in shock, ¡°The number of uses has decreased to 8.¡± ¡°Old chap! Your swelling has subsided!¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, he couldn¡¯t resist and felt the teacher¡¯s wound, ¡°It really has healed! There¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong, even the wrinkles have reduced!¡± The Teacher laughed, feeling his own head, ¡°¡­Really? I do feel like it¡¯s not painful anymore.¡± ¡°Holy shit, this is incredible, truly incredible!¡± Tan Xiao was extremely excited, ¡°Invincible!¡± A laugh emerged from the car. Everyone turned to the sound to see Bai Youwei leaning on the car window, her face propped up by her hand, watching them. Although she didn¡¯t say a word, her eyes practically spelled out the word ¡°stupid¡±- a small bump wasted a life-saving opportunity once, wow, you guys are really great- Everyone, for a moment, felt a bit embarrassed. Shen MO glanced at her, then asked Tan Xiao, ¡°What about the badge? What¡¯s it for?¡± Everyone was taken aback. Oh yeah, the person who found the golden ball, in addition to the mud, also received a ¡°Princess¡¯s Friend¡± Friendship Badge. The mud can heal injuries, but what is the purpose of the badge? Tan Xiao scratched his head, his expression puzzled, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± After speaking, seeing that everyone was still looking at him, he suddenly felt a bit anxious, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you guys believe me? Why would I lie to you! I really don¡¯t know! This badge only tells me that I helped the princess find her lost golden ball, now I¡¯m the princess¡¯s friend! I¡¯ve no idea what use it is to be friends with the princess! ¡± He took out the gold badge, and swore with three fingers raised, ¡°Don¡¯t disbelieve me! The most unbearable thing for me is being wrongly accused! I swear if you like!¡± The Teacher quickly said, ¡°Believe, believe! We all believe you, we just find it strange.¡± Only then did Tan Xiao lower his hand. Holding the badge in his hand, for some reason, he glanced subconsciously at Bai Youwei, as if wanting to ask, yet also a bit afraid to ask. Bai Youwei squinted her eves, smiled and said, ¡°Keep it. You never know, it might be your turn to depend on the princess to save your life in the next game.¡± After hearing this, Tan Xiao¡¯s hairs stood on end, shuddering hard! He almost dropped the badge from his hand! Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: Chapter 54: A Sincere Invitation Chapter 54: Chapter 54: A Sincere Invitation Translator: 549690339 Playing this game once is enough to cast a lifelong shadow, no one wants a next time! Tan Xiao held the badge, feeling particularly hot in his hand. The others stood in the middle of the road, each having different expressions, none speaking. A gust of wind blew, causing the leaves by the roadside to rustle and the leather tassels on Tan Xiao¡¯s motorcycle to flutter wildly in the wind. Shen MO glanced at the dark clouds on the horizon, and said lightly, ¡°Get in the car, let¡¯s leave here.¡± Surrounded by dolls, no one would want to stay in such a place. Without further ado, everyone got into the car. Monkey, Brother Hui and Thorn Head shared a car, he threw the two turned into dolls out of the car. With two thuds, the doll-like figures tumbled on the road surface and were covered with a layer of dust. Shen MO saw this, frowned, but didn¡¯t say anything, and started the car. The storm clouds came quickly. About a quarter of an hour later, the wind got louder, the road was filled with flying sand and stones, dense dark clouds pressed down, roaring ominously as if they would swallow all the buildings and trees. Large raindrops hit the car windows, the heavy rain came pouring down. They stopped at a toll station on the way. Tan Xiao, soaked to the skin, rode his motorcycle with no cover to shield him from the rain, looking like a drenched chicken. Not far away was a group of bungalows, the dormitories and canteen for the toll station staff. Everyone drove their car over to take shelter from the rain. This place had neither electricity nor internet, like the service station, nor could they see a single soul. They prepared some old newspapers and wooden tables and chairs, lit a fire for warmth and illumination. A sudden downpour in the summer wasn¡¯t unusual, but encountering this storm after surviving a life-and-death game seemed to take on extraordinary significance. Like a warning from the heavens. The torrential rain obscured the road ahead. Vague expressions of confusion and loss appeared on their faces, as if even the direction in their hearts had been obscured by the rain. No one knew what was waiting for them ahead. Monkey lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. Tan Xiao sat by the fire drying his clothes, asked for a cigarette from him, and they both puffed together, looking quite practiced. ¡°Where are you headed once the rain stops?¡± Tan Xiao asked Monkey. Monkey and Thorn Head always followed Brother Hui¡¯s lead, now that Brother Hui was gone, Monkey might not stick to the original destination. ¡°East, to Taizhou.¡± Monkey flicked the cigarette ash and said calmly, ¡°My hometown is over there, so I¡¯m going back to take a look.¡± He then asked Tan Xiao, ¡°What about you? What are your plans?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Tan Xiao blankly stared at the fire, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it. I heard that there are no dolls in Yangzhou, so I want to check it out¡­There¡¯s not much gas left in my motorcycle, I might need to find a place to stay for a while.¡± ¡°Do you want to come with me to Taizhou?¡± Monkey suddenly asked. Tan Xiao was somewhat at a loss, staring at him blankly. For whatever reason, Monkey turned to look at Shen MO and Bai Youwei on the other side, asking, ¡°How about it, want to consider it? My uncle has a farm in Taizhou. If you come, you wouldn¡¯t lack for food and water. We can look after each other. If we face another game, we will feel more secure.¡± The fire reflected in his eyes and there was a touch of madness in his gaze. He was sincerely inviting them, but the aged and frail teacher Cheng was not considered in his plans. Bai Youwei, sitting in her wheelchair, scoffed disdainfully and closed her eyes, ignoring him. Shen MO was silent for a moment before replying, ¡°We need to go to Yangzhou to find someone. Monkey laughed, ¡°No problem, if you ever want to come to Taizhou, you¡¯re always welcome.¡± He was not making idle talk. He found pen and paper, carefully wrote down his address, and handed it to both Shen MO and Tan Xiao. Tan Xiao was downright baffled and bluntly asked, ¡°Monkey, what are you playing at? We all have families and homes, who would run off to Taizhou with you for no reason?¡± ¡°What do you think the game is?¡± Behind the firelight, Monkey¡¯s face twisted vaguely in the warm haze, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand yet? This is a selection¡­ of all mankind¡­. and we won, we are the chosen ones! We are destined to shoulder the mission of changing the world! ¡° Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Going Mad Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Going Mad Translator: 549690339 A selection process for all of humankind? The chosen one? ¡­Changing the world? Tan Xiao was dumbfounded, staring blankly at the ape. He didn¡¯t expect that anyone could dream bigger than he could. ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive, don¡¯t jump to any conclusions before thoroughly investigating,¡± Teacher Chang advised calmly, ¡°Even if there really is going to be a transformative selection process, it should involve a comprehensive assessment of morality, intelligence, and physical ability, with diverse questions related to arts and science. Special talents should be given extra points, that¡¯s the scientific way¡­¡± The smile on the ape¡¯s face turned cold and he gave Chang Weicai a ¡°shut up, you have no idea¡± look. He stared at the burning fire, saying: ¡°This world is rotten through and through. Some people are scorned and work from dawn till dusk without being able to afford a meal. Others do nothing while having endless heaps of money. Why? Why are some people born rich and others destined to struggle? Even God cannot stand by and watch anymore, hence this game¡­ She was right, the trash should be cleared away! It¡¯s not we who killed those people, but their incompetence¡­ he was slayed by the game, not me, not me, I am the winner, I received the divine gift, I am the chosen one¡­ I am different from them¡­¡± His voice trailed into a murmur, as if bewitched, repeating over and over¡ª¡±l¡¯m the chosen one, I¡¯m different¡­l¡¯m the chosen one¡­ Tan Xiao was at a loss for words, watching the ape. Eventually, he turned to look at Shen MO and Bai Youwei, pointing at his head, implying: is this guy going mad? The ape said, ¡°Right.¡± Surprised, Tan Xiao hastily put his hand down. The ape plastered on a smile, saying to Shen Mo: ¡°Speaking of which, I should thank your sister. If she hadn¡¯t lasted until the ninth round, even if we had completed the game, we might not have so many opportunities to use the mud prize.¡± Passing the ninth round, winning the prize nine times, behind this reward laid several lives. Yet not only did he not bear any grudges, on the contrary, he was eagerly trying to get closer to Shen MO and Bai Youwei. Shen MO remained indifferent, not commenting on this topic, simply saying: ¡°The rain is not likely to stop anytime soon, we can¡¯t drive, let¡¯s get something to eat.¡± The ape nodded, stood up and said, ¡°There are some bowls and pots in the cafeteria. I will go and get some.¡± As he was saying that, he braved the rain and ran out. The others in the room watched his figure disappear, silent for a moment. The ape¡¯s reaction was abnormal, it seemed like he thought of himself as the savior, after experiencing a test of fate he began to think he was superior. Shen MO dropped his eyes to look at Bai Youwei and asked her, ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± Bai Youwei quietly lowered her head, her long hair covering her cheeks, hiding her expression. Watching the two of them, Tan Xiao felt the atmosphere had suddenly become strange and asked puzzledly, ¡°What on earth is going on with the ape?¡± Nobody answered. Teacher Chang shook his head lightly and sighed deeply: ¡°Sigh¡­¡± It was afternoon and the sky was as dark as night. Tan Xiao rummaged through the trunk and found some food¡ªjust canned meat and instant noodles. Everyone made do with a pot of boiling water over the fire and hastily ate their meal. Bai Youwei ate very little, just a couple of bites of her instant noodles and set it aside. She looked low-spirited. She acted differently inside and outside the game. Soft and silent outside; Defiant and wild inside. Shen MO had never met a girl or woman like her. The female colleagues he had encountered at work were all outspoken and friendly. The cousins in his family were all knowledgeable and well-behaved, only Bai Youwei made him feel that every encounter was like getting pricked. It seemed that his initial comparison of her to a small hedgehog was way off the mark. A hedgehog has sharp quills, while Bai Youwei was covered in knives! Killer knives, even.. Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Let Me Go Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Let Me Go Translator: 549690339 The rain stopped at eight o¡¯clock in the evening. The sky was also completely dark. Shen MO stood under the eaves, looking at the pitch-black sky, thinking: It wouldn¡¯t be possible to leave tonight. Despite only being less than an hour¡¯s journey away, they had to delay another day. Driving at night was too risky, they could only wait until the next morning. With no electricity, no internet signals, and the situation in Yangzhou unclear, various worries weighed heavily on his mind, making Shen MO feel a kind of indescribable irritation. Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai set up the pot again, adding a few sections of bench legs to the fire, boiling water to cook noodles. The monkey pried the doors of a few dormitory rooms open with wire. Inside were single beds and tables, whether the bedding was clean or not was unknown, but it should be fine for one night. They had dinner around nine, still instant noodles, accompanied by roasted duck and goose they had brought out from the food processing factory. Without rice and vegetables, everyone ate in silence. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t eat much for lunch, and also didn¡¯t eat dinner, claiming she had no appetite. She went to rest in a dormitory room by herself in her wheelchair. She had been meticulous with her diet since she was young, with three meals a day cooked by a nanny to her taste. It was normal for her not to stomach these foods; Shen MO didn¡¯t take it to heart. After dinner, Chang Weicai purposely boiled another pot of hot water, sterilized the clean glass jars two or three times, then filled a jar full of hot water, cooling it in cold water. Once the water was no longer too hot, Chang Weicai handed the jar to Shen MO, saying, ¡°Your sister seems to be feeling unwell, let her drink more warm water.¡± Shen MO was taken aback. Seeing his lack of response, Chang Weicai kindly reminded him, ¡°She barely ate anything for lunch, and hasn¡¯t even had a sip of water until now. This isn¡¯t good, she¡¯ll get sick.¡± Tan Xiao was gulping down water, tilting his head back. Hearing this, he paused, put down the water bottle and asked, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she drink? Isn¡¯t she thirsty?¡± After asking, he answered himself: ¡°Oh, I get it now! She has been sitting still all the time, when the heart is calm, the body naturally cools down, and when it¡¯s cool, she doesn¡¯t sweat, and if she doesn¡¯t sweat, she won¡¯t be thirsty!¡­ What kind of reasoning was that? Chang Weicai looked at Tan Xiao, speechless. However, Shen Mo¡¯s expression gradually grew somber. He picked up the jar and turned to leave. The dormitory where Bai Youwei was resting was the second one from where they were. He grabbed the doorknob and turned, but it was locked. ¡°Bai Youwei!¡± Shen MO knocked on the door, a hint of anger hidden in his tone. There was no response from inside. Shen MO held back again and again, gritting his teeth in frustration, ¡°Bai Youwei! Open the door!¡± Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Monkey sensed that something was wrong, and they all came out to see what was happening, ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡± Shen MO stood outside the door, his face so gloomy it looked like rain was about to fall. Didn¡¯t he understand? Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t hungry or thirsty; she was upset with him from what had happened in the game earlier. She felt she couldn¡¯t rely on him, hence, she was refusing food and water, to avoid having to depend on him to use the bathroom! Just how stubborn could she be? To the point of neglecting her own health over a fit of pique?! Blind rage welled up within him. Shen Mo¡¯s scalp tingled, and he was unsure where the anger came from, whether it was directed at her attitude or his own carelessness. No matter how much he disapproved of her actions, he wouldn¡¯t let a disabled girl suffer because of their verbal quarrel. Yet, indeed due to his negligence, she had gone without food or drink for the better part of the day. After waiting another half a minute and still no response from Bai Youwei, he stopped knocking. With a dark expression on his face, Shen MO took a deep breath, turned around, and kicked the door! There was a loud bang! The door flew open! ¡ªBai Youwei was lying on her side on the bed, her back to him. Even such a loud noise inside the room did not prompt her to turn her head. Shen MO didn¡¯t say a word either, his eyes quickly scanning the single dormitory room. He picked up her folding crutches along with her bags, hanging them on either side of the wheelchair, then bent over to lift the girl on the bed. Bai Youwei was like a cat whose fur has been ruffled, turning around and aiming for Shen Mo¡¯s face! ¡°Let go of me! She screamed.. Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Teach Her a Lesson Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Teach Her a Lesson Translator: 549690339 Shen MO didn¡¯t care and forcefully held her down on the wheelchair! Bai Youwei struggled like a madwoman! She clawed and hit Shen MO! Not satisfied that it was not hurting him, she gripped his arm and bit into it! Her white teeth sank into the flesh, tasting a rusty tang, her eyes a fiery red! Everyone who rushed over was dumbfounded by the spectacle, not understanding what feud the siblings were engaged in. ¡°Xiaoshen¡­¡± stuttered the teacher, ¡°you guys, can you please talk things out¡­¡± Shen MO took a deep breath, his tight arm wrestled free from her teeth, showing two rows of bright, bloody impressions. He said impassively to them: ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡¯ Then he pushed the wheelchair and strode away. Everyone was bewildered. Fine?¡­ Can you really call this fine? The air was humid after the rain, and the wheelchair was trundled into accumulated puddles, splashing water everywhere. Shen MO pushed Bai Youwei all the way to the public toilet across the road. The public toilet was for staff and had no access for disabled, so Shen MO moved in front of the wheelchair to lift her up. She wouldn¡¯t let him touch her, and she pushed him, hit him, and twisted, using all her strength! The two had a silent wrestling match in front of the toilet, ending with Bai Youwei being defeated. She was carried by Shen MO into the toilet, with a pair of crutches tucked under her arms. ¡°Stand properly on your own.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s tone was icy, filled with severity. Bai Youwei bit her lip, leaning on her crutches to stand in the toilet. The surrounding stench made her feel sick and humiliated! After Shen MO opened the toilet stall¡¯s door, he placed a flashlight on the cistern, laid out a disposable toilet seat cover, and took out the wet tissue and toilet paper, then tried to pull her in. But she stubbornly refused to move. When his first pull didn¡¯t work, he exerted more force on the second, nearly causing her to lose her balance. He hoisted her into the stall, and his towering figure cast a shadow over her. He ordered her again, ¡°Go to the bathroom.¡± Bai Youwei bit her lip, eyes tightly shut, stubbornly refusing to comply even as she stood by the toilet bowl. Shen MO truly lost his temper then, and grasped her waist. Bai Youwei struggled vehemently in his arms! His anger peaked, nearly losing all sanity! Originally, he only wanted to scare her, but now he felt compelled to teach her a lesson! In his anger, his hand touched something soft, and he froze. ¡­It was a diaper. That item was far removed from his world, but now worn by an adult, it was nothing short of humiliating and embarrassing. So she had put this on her earlier in the room. Shen MO let her go. There were blotchy wet stains on his chest, her tears. She was crying with her eyes closed, her face stained with tears, but stubbornly refusing to make a sound. Shen MO simply couldn¡¯t understand why she had to be so stubborn. ¡°I¡¯ll give you five minutes to get done.¡± he made a compromise, stepping back and closing the stall door. Even though he had acceded to her, he worried that Bai Youwei still wouldn¡¯t comply, and had to continue playing the villain. He threatened her vehemently through the door: ¡°Otherwise, I will throw away all your remaining diapers.¡± A soft sobbing sound could be heard from the toilet stall. Shen MO was in a state of distress. He paced back and forth in the toilet, finally stepping out in frustration and leaning against a tree outside to have a smoke. After finishing his cigarette, Bai Youwei still hadn¡¯t come out. He didn¡¯t rush her, and just lit another¡­ Fifteen minutes later, there was the sound of flushing from the toilet, followed by the opening of the stall door. Bai Youwei, with her head sagging, emerged. Just a trip to the toilet, yet she was like a soldier defeated on the battlefield, looking lost and without will. Shen MO helped her onto the wheelchair, put away the crutches, the flashlight, and the tissue, and then took her to wash her hands. Once they returned to the dormitory, he handed her the large cup of warm water the teacher had prepared, along with a bag of biscuits. This time, she didn¡¯t complain further. She ate the biscuits when she was hungry and drank water when she was thirsty. Later, as she nibbled on a biscuit, she said softly: ¡°I want to take a bath.¡± Running out of patience, Shen MO couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He wanted to ask her if she was now pushing her luck. This run-down place didn¡¯t even have a water heater. Where was he supposed to get hot water for her bath? Bai Youwei swallowed her biscuit, her voice very faint: I haven¡¯t bathed in two days and I feel uncomfortable..¡± Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Making Peace with a Handshake Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Making Peace with a Handshake Translator: 549690339 ¡°In the height of summer, who wouldn¡¯t be uncomfortable after not bathing for two days? Shen MO felt the same way. But the problem was, how could one take a bath at a time like this? Shen MO stared at Bai Youwei, slowly exhaling a breath through his nose, his molars clenched tightly. Bai Youwei nibbled on biscuits, not looking at Shen MO, murmuring to herself, ¡°I want to take a bath.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® A moment later, he got up and walked out the dorm room door. At ten o¡¯clock at night, Shen MO prepared bath water for Bai Youwei. He found two large stainless steel basins in the canteen, washed them clean, filled them with water and heated them. When they were about four to five parts hot, he carried them to their dorm room¡ª Bathing or showering was not possible, they could only use the hot water for scrubbing. Shen MO left the room, guarding outside the door. As he reminisced about the past few days, he found it amusing that he¡¯d ended up doing the things he¡¯d never done in the first half of his life. Who could blame him when she was a patient? Caring for a patient should take precedence over any gender related precautions. Besides, she was several years younger than him, just like a younger sister. It wouldn¡¯t hurt his pride to make a few accommodations for her. The sound of water echoed from the room intermittently. Shen MO, free of any frivolous thoughts, focused on these trivial matters, his anxiety gradually easing. His earlier anger and frustration now seemed unnecessary. When Bai Youwei had finished bathing, she shuffled to the door with her crutch and opened it with a squeak. Shen MO turned around. She had changed into a white dress, her long hair braided and draped over the front of her body. Her wet hair ends glistened, ebony against her clean white face. Under the night sky, her face glowed like a piece of jade, elegant and beautiful, a stark contrast to her sharp in-game persona. He noticed a reddish-purple mark on her neck, quite eye-catching. It was the mark he had left when he choked her in the game. He had promised to bring her safely to Yangzhou, but the first injury on her body was inflicted by his own hand. Shen MO didn¡¯t know how to feel about this. ¡°There¡¯s still a basin of water, do you want to wash as well?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, slightly furrowing her brow, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± There were no mirrors in the room, she had no idea about the mark on her neck. ¡°Nothing.¡± Shen MO averted his eyes, and went into the room to get the water. As he prepared to leave, he said, ¡°If you need to use the bathroom at night, just call me. I¡¯ll be in the next room.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips upon hearing this. After a moment, she responded with a low ¡°Mmm¡±, and said, ¡°Know it.¡± Both of them knew that this was an opportunity for reconciliation. The journey was not yet over, and continued friction would do neither of them any good. This was especially true for Bai Youwei. So, when he extended an olive branch, she accepted it. Before going to sleep, Bai Youwei needed to visit the bathroom again. The procedure was calm and smooth. Shen MO found that as long as she didn¡¯t lose her temper, it was easy to take care of her. On their way back with the wheelchair, they ran into Monkey. Monkey was waiting outside. Upon seeing them return, his face wore a somewhat awkward yet pleasing smile. ¡°We are parting ways tomorrow, so it doesn¡¯t seem right for me to keep this. You decide what to do with it.¡± He pulled out a cell phone and handed it to Shen MO, adding with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the phone has no signal, nothing has been sent out, this is the only copy.¡± Shen MO frowned, then handed the phone to Bai Youwei. The phone contained the video of them harassing Bai Youwei. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to watch it. After handing over the phone, Monkey turned and left. He used to be a small henchman following Big Brother Hui and had a low presence. Now, he seemed to have changed from before. Shen MO stared at his retreating figure for a moment, then wheeled Bai Youwei back into the room, saying, ¡°Delete it. If you are concerned, just take out the memory card..¡± Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Get Lost Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Get Lost Translator: 549690339 The cell phone had no lock screen password, so Bai Youwei immediately saw the video in the folder when she turned it on. She clicked to watch it. In the shaky video, she saw her own figure appearing weak like a frightened quail, pitifully screaming, ¡°Don¡¯t come over! Don¡¯t come over¡­¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t understand why this was worth re-watching. The video continued to play, and she kept on watching. Shen MO didn¡¯t watch, he observed Bai Youwei¡¯s reaction. After a while, a voice from Teacher Cheng can be heard from the phone¡­ Shortly after, Tan Xiao appeared, and then, they started fighting. In the chaos, the cell phone had been tossed aside, continuing to film. The footage was all over the place, but the audio was clearly captured. Huige said, ¡°Just a cripple, not even a woman¡­¡± At this moment, Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned utterly gloomy! The knuckles of her hand clutching the phone turned white, her eyes fixed on the phone screen even though Huige¡¯s face wasn¡¯t shown in the video. Shen MO frowned, snatched the phone, deleted the video in a couple of taps, and threw the phone aside. ¡°Get some rest, we¡¯re leaving first thing in the morning,¡± he said. Bai Youwei muttered something with her head bowed. Shen Mo: ¡°What?¡± Bai Youwei looked up, her small face unveiling a cold smile: ¡°I said, it isn¡¯t satisfying.¡¯ Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed deeper. Bai Youwei: ¡°His death was too easy, it didn¡¯t appease me at all.¡± Shen MO got up to leave. Their relationship had just started to improve, and he didn¡¯t want to start a quarrel with her over words. ¡°Shen MO,¡± Bai Youwei stopped him, ¡°Can you stay tonight? I¡¯m scared to be alone.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He understood her implication and was absolutely sure he hadn¡¯t misinterpreted her. Because that was how crazy she was, willing to risk everything for a grudge. Shen MO inhaled deeply without making a sound, casually glanced at Bai Youwei, and said calmly, ¡°Get some sleep early. You don¡¯t need to take other people¡¯s words to heart.¡± After saying this, he turned and opened the door. Bai Youwei spoke again: ¡°Shen MO, help me up.¡± Shen MO stopped in his tracks, waited a second, then reluctantly returned to help her sit up, supporting her back. Bai Youwei leaned on her hands as if she was out of strength, and gently leaned against Shen Mo¡¯s chest. Shen MO stiffened. Bai Youwei lay motionless in his arms, her body enveloped by his chest and arm, a mix of sweat, smoke, and crisp rain scent, not pleasant, but she didn¡¯t dislike it. She stretched her arms around his waist. His taut muscles were hard yet warm. Shen MO tried to pull away, but she held on tighter. ¡°Bai Youwei,¡± Shen MO inhaled, ¡°Don¡¯t misbehave.¡± ¡°Do you find me disgusting too?¡± She lifted her head up from his chest, her face calm, ¡°Right now I¡¯m not happy, if you stay tonight, I¡¯ll feel better.¡± Shen MO observed her silently, she neither retreated nor compromised. Her eyes were clear but determined, ready to let go of all restraint, unashamed to prove something. Shen MO gently put his hand over hers, grasping her fingers. Bai Youwei began to tear up in front of him. He remained indifferent, sternly prying her fingers off one by one¡­ When he got to the last two fingers, Bai Youwei suddenly pulled her hand back and released him. She sat in the shadows with her head bowed, and coldly spat out a word from her throat: ¡°Get out.¡± Shen MO turned and left without hesitation. It was difficult for him to walk away, but his movements were decisive, with no signs of hesitation. Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Good Morning Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Good Morning Translator: 549690339 Shen MO had a restless night. Every time he closed his eyes, the image of Bai Youwei, shrouded in gloom and vulnerability, haunted him. She sat silent in the shadows, blending into the darkness, or perhaps becoming the darkness itself. A hint of wickedness in her demeanor, yet she was not one you could easily hate. This was always the case¡ª Ignored and pitied; Intended to help, but irked by her infuriatingly stubborn demeanor. Shen MO had carried out many tasks, complex, dangerous, urgent, but none had given him such a headache as this one. He was pretty annoyed. It was five in the morning. The daylight was just breaking when Shen MO awoke. He got up and went to Bai Youwei¡¯s room. He had left hastily the night before, mainly to put a stop to her sullen behavior. But leaving her alone in the room left him uneasy, given her volatile temper, he was worried she might stir up some new trouble either for him or for herself. He lightly twisted the doorknob, finding it unlocked. As Shen MO pushed the door open, in the dim light, Bai Youwei lay on the bed with her eyes closed. Shen MO breathed a sigh of relief. He went over and bent down to look at her. Sleeping, she looked unusually docile, eyelashes slightly upturned, lips pinkish, small face with baby fat, innocent and lovely. Combined with her skin far paler than the average person¡¯s, she looked extremely fragile and endearing. Without a shadow of a doubt, her appearance was utterly deceptive. Forgetting her last night¡¯s aggressive and stubborn behavior, he found himself watching her. She was deeply asleep, like a child, hugging a fluffy bunny in her arms, its fur rumpled. Shen MO imagined that she probably vented her frustrations on the bunny after he left the previous night. The thought brought a smile to his face, finding the scene rather adorable. Strange and muddled thoughts passed through his mind¡­ Compelled to, he lightly brushed away her hair, to see if the strangulation mark on her neck had faded. As her hair swept across her cheek, the girl¡¯s lashes fluttered slightly. A second later, she opened her eyes and silently watched him. With eyes calm and tranquil, filled with a mix of drowsy disorientation. Shen MO withdrew his hand, unsure of what to say to her. After a slight pause he asked, ¡°Need to use the restroom?¡± Although he asked out of concern, Bai Youwei scoffed and laughed, ¡°You woke me up at five in the morning just to remind me to pee?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® ¡°Nuts,¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, laying back to continue her sleep, exuding an aura of dislike for early mornings. Shen MO was silent for a while, saying, ¡°I will come back at five-thirty.¡± Bai Youwei grabbed the stuffed bunny and hurled it at his face! ¡ªIndeed, she couldn¡¯t have hit him. After all, the difference in strength was far too significant, so it was unlikely she could ever land a hit. Catching the bunny, Shen MO exited the dorm room and stood at the door, smiling quietly. Somehow, his mood brightened up. Is she right? Am I nuts? He touched his nose, muttering to himself. The rising warm sun cast a glowing layer on the handsome man¡¯s face, gradually warming up and making the whole person relaxed. Ignoring the terrible situation for the moment, it felt like a pleasant morning. At the end of the corridor under the eaves, there was a water basin. Shen MO turned on the tap and the cool water poured, he freshened himself with the cold water. Suddenly, there was a sound from behind him. Immediately following, Tan Xiao¡¯s hysterical yell came¡ª ¡°Damn it!!!¡± Brushing the water from his face, Shen MO turned his head in confusion. He watched Tan Xiao rush out of the room, then back into the Monkey¡¯s sleeping chamber where another torrent of curses echoed: ¡°He ran off! That coward!! He stole our clay and ran off!!!¡± Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: Chapter 61: A Lifetime Thief Chapter 61: Chapter 61: A Lifetime Thief Translator: 549690339 The monkey stole Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai¡¯s Healing Mud and ran away. Not only that, but he also emptied the gas from Tan Xiao¡¯s motorcycle, seemingly afraid that Tan Xiao might wake up and chase him. ¡°That bastard! I knew he was a menace the moment he picked the lock with a wire!¡± Tan Xiao cursed, furious and frustrated. ¡°A dog can¡¯t change its habit of eating shit! Once a thief, always a thief!¡± Merely cursing was not enough to express his inner grief. He wailed as he tore at his hair. ¡°My precious mud! I¡¯ve never even used it once!!¡± The more he thought about it, the more upset he became. Compared to Tan Xiao¡¯s rage, Chang Weicai was calmer and earnestly comforted him, ¡°Losses can turn out to be gains. As the old wisdom says, nothing is more blessed than a lack of desire, and nothing is more disastrous than a lack of contentment¡­ O Tan Xiao continued pulling his hair, completely not understanding what was said. Chang Weicai sighed, then asked Shen Mo and Bai Youwei with concern, ¡°Is your mud safe?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s still here.¡± replied Shen Mo. Hearing this, Tan Xiao felt more upset. ¡°Did he target us specifically? Why only bully us?! Damn it!¡± Annoyed by his constant complaints, Bai Youwei said, ¡°If I were him, I would have chosen you two. One of you sleeps like a log without any guard up, the other is full of old bones and easy to knock over. Who else would he rob?¡± Tan Xiao felt wronged. He conceded that Shen MO was formidable, and it was expected that the monkey dared not touch Shen Mo¡¯s belongings. But what about Bai Youwei? Did she really look tougher than him, a frail girl?! Bai Youwei gave a nonchalant yawn and said leisurely, ¡°As for why my mud went untouched, it¡¯s pretty simple to understand. He must have seen that I¡¯m a pampered young lady. Given these harsh conditions, I certainly wouldn¡¯t have a good night¡¯s sleep, I could wake up at any time, so the risk for him is too high. Also, Shen MO was sleeping next door. If anything happened on my side, Shen MO would be alerted right away. So, of course, he wouldn¡¯t be so reckless to target me.¡± After finishing her explanation, she let out a cold chuckle and continued, ¡°And don¡¯t forget¡­ just yesterday, he tried to get me and Shen MO on his side. Best keep some room when you act, just to avoid any unpleasant future encounters. He did have this little wisdom.¡± ¡°Future encounters?¡± Tan Xiao, full of suppressed anger, could only threaten, ¡°If I ever see him again, I¡¯ll make him realise the consequences of messing with me!¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care about his resolution. After another sleepy yawn, she pulled out the mud from her bag and casually threw it over to Tan Xiao¡ª Tan Xiao froze, but his body reacted faster than his mind and he caught it. ¡°Here you go, take it. There¡¯s only one piece, you and Chang can share,¡± said Bai Youwei indifferently. Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened. O Not only him, Chang Weicai and Shen MO were also taken aback, looking at Bai Youwei in surprise. ¡°What are you all staring at me for?¡± Bai Youwei curved her lips and didn¡¯t care, laughing dismissively, ¡°Did you think I cared a lot about this thing? Hmph, it can¡¯t cure my leg, what¡¯s the use of keeping it.¡± After a few seconds of silence, Chang Weicai tried to persuade her, ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive¡­ the mud may not look like much, but it¡¯s really useful! It can heal 9 wounds! The world is becoming increasingly dangerous, having a piece of this mud can probably save your life someday. Please reconsider carefully.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at him emotionlessly. Although she didn¡¯t like his feebleness and nagging, she had to admire his ability to resist temptation. Tan Xiao was greedy, but to take Bai Youwei¡¯s mud clearly contradicted the code of his principles. Thus, he laughed, awkwardly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how can I¡­.what if we¡¯ll experience a similar sort of game in the future¡­¡± Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: Chapter 62: There’s No Reason Why Chapter 62: Chapter 62: There¡¯s No Reason Why Translator: 549690339 ¡°The next time we face a challenge, don¡¯t worry about me. He will save me.¡± Bai Youwei glanced casually at Shen MO beside her and said calmly, ¡°Either he¡¯ll save me and I¡¯ll be fine, or he won¡¯t be able to and I¡¯ll die. So, there¡¯s not much use giving me the mud, even if I get injured, aren¡¯t you guys going to use the mud to save me anyway? Fair point. Tan Xiao immediately said passionately, ¡°Of course, we wouldn¡¯t just stand by and watch you die! I¡¯ll remember the favor you did for us today. From now on, we¡¯re brothers, ready to take a knife for each other. If I ever betray this brotherhood, may the heavens strike me dead with five thunders!¡± Bai Youwei let her gaze drift down. She wasn¡¯t interested in the idea of ¡®taking a knife for each other¡¯, she just wished Tan Xiao would be a bit quieter. Shen MO stood next to her, glanced at her silently, then withdrew his gaze. He turned to Tan Xiao and Teacher Chang to speak: ¡°You guys keep the mud, Mine will be used for her.¡± Teacher Chang still felt uncomfortable. He muttered hesitantly: ¡°How can that be¡­ We lost our mud because we were careless, and now you guys have to bear this burden¡­¡± Bai Youwei frowned, highly annoyed. ¡°If you¡¯re so reluctant to take it, just give it back to me when we get to Yangzhou.¡± Tan Xiao pulled Teacher Chang aside and spoke like a seasoned veteran, ¡°We are all brothers under the heaven! It¡¯s fate that brought us all together. Since Sister Weiwei is so generous, we shouldn¡¯t be ungrateful. If we continue to refuse, it¡¯s going to hurt our relationship!¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes silently, thinking to herself, Since when did I become your little sister? But she didn¡¯t want to bother correcting him. After a lot of hesitation, Teacher Chang finally nodded: ¡°Ah, fine then¡­¡± Bai Youwei lazily watched the two men¡¯s interactions and thought about it. To avoid the risk of her gifted mud being ¡°accidentally¡± lost again, she gave Tan Xiao further instructions: ¡°I suggest keeping the mud safe with Teacher Chang. One, he¡¯s more careful than you, so he won¡¯t lose it; two, he¡¯s physically weaker than you. If you both get injured, you could still hold on until help arrives, but Teacher Chang might not last that long.¡± ¡°Sounds reasonable!¡± Tan Xiao immediately nodded. He believed Shen MO was stronger and Bai Youwei was smarter than him, so following their advice was surely the right thing to do. He instantly gave the mud to Chang Weicai without the slightest hesitation. Chang Weicai held the chunk of mud in his hands, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He knew he was a burden, older and physically slower than the others. But none of them had ever showed any sign of disliking him. They even trusted him with such an important item! Teacher Chang carefully put the small piece of black mud into his shirt pocket, then placed the flap over it and buttoned it up. ¡°I will take good care of it.¡± Without raising his voice, Teacher Chang said calmly, his face unusually solemn. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t interested in hearing about everyone¡¯s heartfelt journeys. All she knew was that she was extremely tired. She was rudely awakened at 5 am and immediately thrown into a noisy dispute over a piece of rotten mud. Damn it, her mood was ruined for the entire day! Bai Youwei went back to her room to pack her bags with a gloomy expression. Shen MO followed her, pushing her wheelchair. ¡°What do you want?¡± Bai Youwei snapped at him, looking over her shoulder. Shen MO gazed at her curiously, and asked, ¡°Why did you give them the mud?¡± No reason,¡± Bai Youwei replied coldly, putting away her clothes she had worn yesterday one by one and placed them in the storage bag. After a couple seconds of silence, it suddenly clicked for her, she turned around to look at Shen Mo. Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Are You Jealous? Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Are You Jealous? Translator: 549690339 ¡°So, you think my show of kindness is a big surprise?¡± Bai Youwei slightly lifts her chin, her lips curving up arrogantly: ¡°Sorry, I am not as idle as you are. I simply don¡¯t want to be a burden when trouble arises. There is no need for you to feel torn anymore. With Tan Xiao taking care of Teacher Cheng and mud on his body, you can wholeheartedly escort me to Yangzhou!¡± Having said this. she sizes Shen MO from head to toe. her voice full of sarcasm, ¡°Or do you think you¡¯re not even worth as much as mud?¡± Looking at her proud and arrogant demeanor, Shen MO is left speechless. After a moment of silence, he seriously asks her: ¡°Are you intentionally trying to provoke me because of what happened last night, or is it because of what happened this morning?¡± Last night, he hurt her pride. This morning, he disturbed her sleep. Bai Youwei¡¯s face instantly turns colder, gloomy. Shen MO says, ¡°Before doing anything in the future, think about whether it¡¯s worth it or not.¡± His tone is plain, yet sincere. He genuinely doesn¡¯t want to see her acting impulsively. ¡°You are not me, how would you know if it¡¯s not worth it?¡± Bai Youwei sneers coldly, her hands pinching the wrinkles of the long skirt on her leg. Her voice is soft, ¡°¡­But you have a point. From your perspective, now that I am like this, the best way for me to live is to eat obediently, sleep obediently, and not cause any trouble for anyone. Because¡­ since I am already like this, what right do I have to demand anything else? Right?¡± Shen MO frowns, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you meant.¡± She smirks contemptuously, ¡°You people are all the same; again and again, you tell me the same old things. You tell me not to be angry, not to be willful, not to harm my own body¡­ But you don¡¯t understand that, for me, my pride is more important than my life! I¡¯d rather harm my body than be laughed at, be humiliated, be insulted!¡± You people¡­ Something lightly grazes Shen Mo¡¯s heart. He recalls a family meal, where his father invited Aunt Wang and hinted at his intention to remarry. His father always wished for a well-behaved and adorable daughter. But Aunt Wang immediately refused, explaining that Bai Youwei¡¯s health is special, and she tends to be willful and not used to living with many people. Shen Mo¡¯s father disagreed, believing that letting a child live alone would make her even more antisocial. However, Aunty Wang was an outsider and since they were still dating, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to interfere much. In the end, the matter was dropped. Now, at the end of the world¡­ Shen MO remains silent. Bai Youwei watches him, her tone icy, ¡°I must¡¯ve been blind last night. The world is full of men. Don¡¯t flatter yourself thinking that I have to be with you¡­¡± Just then, Tan Xiao happens to pass by the door with a bunch of stuff in his arms¡ª Shen MO sees Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes glint, and a chill shoots through his heart. ¡°Tan Xiao!¡± The man and woman¡¯s voices echo simultaneously. Tan Xiao stops in his tracks, looking bemusedly at this pair of ¡°siblings¡±, What¡¯s going on?¡± Shen MO takes two steps forward, blocking Bai Youwei, and calmly says, ¡°Could you also load two more buckets of water into the car? It will make things more convenient on the road.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Okay, there are some drinking water buckets in the dormitory where we were resting.¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t think much about it and turned around to go fetch the buckets. Shen MO breathes a sigh of relief. As he turns around, he sees Bai Youwei sitting in her wheelchair, a pair of clear and bright eyes looking at him with a hint of a teasing smile, her lips curving upward in amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you thought I was going to choose him?¡± Her smile is intriguing, ¡°You rushed out so hastily¡­ was it jealousy? Or are you regretting rejecting me last night?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Chapter 64 - Chapter 64: Chapter 64: No One Chapter 64: Chapter 64: No One Translator: 549690339 After a long time¡­ Shen MO sighed lightly, appearing a bit helpless. He went to the bed to help Bai Youwei tidy up the pile of clothes, the tin can of water on the table, and the folding crutch propped up at the corner of the bed¡­ Sorting everything away one by one, and then he pushed her wheelchair. Bai Youwei grabbed his wrist and looked up at him with clear, inquisitive eyes. Shen MO remained silent. Her fingers gently slid down into his palm, which was broad and warm. With restless intent, she idly scratched the slightly rough callouses on his hand. ¡°Hey, say something.¡± Her smile was all innocence, but within it was a mischievous tease, ¡°Do you need me to give you another chance?¡± Shen MO withdrew his hand, ignoring her playful provocations, and firmly pushed the wheelchair onwards¡ª This time, the spoilt girl Bai Youwei didn¡¯t fuss. She let out an icy hmph. Afterward, Shen MO lifted her to the passenger seat, and perhaps because she was genuinely tired, she was asleep soon after the offroad vehicle started moving. Tan Xiao and Professor Cheng sat in the rear seats. Further back, the trunk was crammed with luggage and food, two barrels filled with tap water, and that cool motorcycle, Tan Xiao had regrettably decided to leave it at the toll booth. So, the group hit the road once more. The journey from Zhenjiang to Yangzhou required crossing the Runyang Bridge, and the entire journey would not take more than about 30 minutes; however, Shen Mo¡¯s car had been getting slower and slower. Because along the way, they had not seen a single person. Too quiet¡­ It was as if all life had evaporated into thin air. A city should not be like this. The Yangtze River continued to roll on, and there was no ship visible on its surface, just the sound of wind on the bridge. The car continued to drive forward, occasionally spotting some cars by the roadside, which were empty without a single person or doll in sight. The extreme heat of the sun scorched the earth, but everyone¡¯s hearts felt as if they had been soaked in cold water, giving rise to a wave of chill. No one knew where the city¡¯s people had gone. Shen MO, who was driving, became even more cautious. He drove down the street, observing the surroundings, and even the usually lively Tan Xiao was staring out the car window, daring not to make a sound. According to the original plan, they were to first take Professor Cheng to Jhor Middle Road. However, when they were close to their destination, they encountered a large fog. Yes, just like the fog common in autumn and winter. White and thick, an unexpected haze on a clear day that enveloped all the streets and buildings, making it impossible for them to see the road ahead. The fog was too strange, so Shen MO didn¡¯t approach it. He chose another route, slowly driving along the edge of the fog. They circled around most of Yangzhou City, yet they didn¡¯t see a single person! The streets, shops, squares, parks, and hospitals¡­ They were all devoid of people! Where were the people? Were they all hiding away? Hiding in the fog? Should they also go in? Would there be danger in the fog? What caused it? There were no answers. Professor Cheng thought of his elderly parents back home. He wrung his hands, his expression solemn. Tan Xiao felt a bout of panic for the first time, and asked, ¡°What should we do?¡± Shen MO held the steering wheel and turned the corner ahead, he spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go check out the supermarket first.¡± Tan Xiao was even more confused, ¡°To find food? But the trunk is already full¡­ ¡°It¡¯s to find people.¡± Bai Youwei leaned back calmly with her eyes closed, ¡°Yangzhou is rumored as one of the safe cities. It¡¯s not just accommodating its citizens, but also taking many refugees from outside. Logically, it should be crowded, and food would likewise become scarce. Supermarkets are places people frequently visit, so going to check it out. Perhaps we¡¯ll find some clues.¡± ¡°Yes, we should check out the supermarket¡­¡± Professor Cheng wiped his eye corner and nodded forcefully, ¡°I know a big supermarket not far ahead..¡± Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Shopping at the Mall Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Shopping at the Mall Translator: 549690339 The supermarket was not far away, located in the basement of a large shopping mall. At this moment, the shopping mall was empty, the stairway leading to the basement pitch black, with no sign of movement within. Seeing this scene, their hearts were already half cold even before they descended. After a brief discussion, it was decided that Shen MO and teacher Chang would go down, while Tan Xiao would stay outside to watch over Bai Youwei. Firstly, Shen MO was agile, ready to deal with any sudden situation; Secondly, teacher Chang was familiar with the surroundings as he returned here for a short stay every year. Tan Xiao and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t just wait outside, they went into the mall nearby. The first floor of the mall was filled with various branded clothing stores, bakeries, dessert shops, jewelry stores, and so on. As there was no electricity, it became very dark further in. Tan Xiao shone his flashlight around, seeing a few shadows and excitedly dashed towards them, only to find they were mannequins. He even stared at the mannequins from head to toe, suspecting they were dolls turned from humans. Unfortunately, they were not. Bai Youwei slowly browsed around in her wheelchair. Perhaps because fancy clothes were not necessities, the merchandise here was mostly intact. She came to a bedding store which featured high-quality cotton and linen products, exhibiting various styles of cotton and linen sheets and duvet covers. She touched them, finding them to be quite good, although not as good as those at her home. Bai Youwei waved at Tan Xiao. ¡°Hey, which one is better?¡± asked Bai Youwei, holding two sheets, ¡°Mist blue or grey striped?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tan Xiao stared at her blankly, his eyes seemed to ask: Are we here for shopping? Bai Youwei, annoyed by his gaze, frowned and grabbed both sheets saying, ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll take both.¡± Tan Xiao: She then patted a sample bed in the store and said, ¡°Move the mattress onto the car.¡± ¡°But the trunk¡¯s already filled.¡± Tan Xiao was surprisingly, he couldn¡¯t figure out why Bai Youwei wanted this mattress. Naturally, the use of a mattress is for sleeping, but during such unusual times, was a mattress¡­ a priority? Without any doubt in her voice, Bai Youwei said, ¡°If there¡¯s no space in the car, there¡¯s always the roof.¡± Tan Xiao was stunned, he scratched his head and lifted the mattress onto his shoulder. Fortunately, it was a foldable type and didn¡¯t require much effort. ¡°There are pure cotton nightgowns over there, help me get one on the way.¡± Bai Youwei ordered him around. Since he was already taking the mattress, he didn¡¯t mind adding a few more pieces of clothing. Tan Xiao picked a nightgown, notice there were men¡¯s pajamas nearby, he also grabbed one for himself. Remembering Shen MO and Chang Weicai, he figured that good brothers should share blessings! Two more! When Shen MO and Chang Weicai came out of the supermarket, they found a small mountain on the top of the car. Bai Youwei said expressionlessly: ¡°The mattress is what I wanted. The clothes, slippers, towels, blankets, thermo mug, sun hats, sunglasses¡­ Tan Xiao wanted.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Teacher Chang: Tan Xiao defended seriously: ¡°All useful stuff.¡± After saying this, his keen eyes noticed Shen Mo carrying a bag, he quickly asked: ¡°And you guys? What did you find in the supermarket?¡± ¡°Not much.¡± Shen MO put the shopping bag into the car, and blandly said,? ¡°The supermarket is almost empty. We found some batteries.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tan Xiao touched his face. Batteries, were indeed very important supplies. Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo: ¡°What¡¯s the situation in the supermarket now?¡± ¡°Almost eighty percent empty inside.¡± Shen MO recalled for a moment, then added, ¡°But it¡¯s not in chaos..¡± Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: Chapter 66: You’re Late Chapter 66: Chapter 66: You¡¯re Late Translator: 549690339 Such a large supermarket, with almost eighty percent of all items gone, yet there was no hint of chaos and the shelves were still neat and tidy. Bai Youwei: ¡°No need to think about it further. It must be an organized evacuation.¡± After a pause, she continued: ¡°Yangzhou has no puppet, but it does have the fog. The sudden evacuation might have something to do with it.¡± There had to be a reason, otherwise, all these people couldn¡¯t have just vanished without a cause. Shen MO agreed with her view and pondered: ¡°It¡¯s too clean.¡± No one spoke for a while. Evacuating people is not a simple thing, especially when there¡¯s a power and internet outage, there shouldn¡¯t be no trace at all. Just to give a simple example, if people are being notified to take refuge in a certain place, there should at least be a signboard, right? Large banners, eye-catching flags, notices plastered all over the walls¡­ they didn¡¯t see any of these things. ¡°There¡¯s another possibility¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze fell on Shen MO, ¡°If the number of people has reduced to a certain extent, it is possible to evacuate without leaving any trace.¡± If there are only a few dozen people left, one could evacuate swiftly just by yelling out. Shen MO looked into the distance: ¡°Let¡¯s search some more.¡± The off-road vehicle moved slowly along North Canal Road, somewhat aimlessly. More than half of the city was shrouded in white fog, not only was Professor Cheng unable to return home, but Bai Youwei and Shen Mo couldn¡¯t either. ¡ª The Shen Family had a private garden residence in Yangzhou next to the Slender West Lake Scenic Area, which now also lain submerged within the fog, prohibiting any approach. The silent road seemed to have no end. When they were nearing Ank Road, two faint figures appeared on the road ahead. As the car drew closer, they could make out two middle school students in uniforms, one was holding a large bag of goods, and the other had a sack of rice on his shoulder. This was the first time they encountered any living being since entering Yangzhou City. Shen MO slowed down the car, pulling up next to the two boys, and asked them, ¡°Where did everyone in town go? Do you know?¡± The two boys stopped in their tracks and cautiously sized them up, as well as their car. Shen MO had a stern appearance and an indifferent expression, while their four-wheel drive was quite robust and covered in dust, just like its owner, it gave off an imposing aura. The two boys exchanged glances but remained silent. Professor Cheng stuck his head out of the rear car window and kindly asked, ¡°We¡¯ve come to Yangzhou to take refuge, it took us two days on the road, and when we finally found the place, we didn¡¯t see a single person. Do you two know what¡¯s going on?¡± Whether it was due to the natural rapport between students and teachers, the boys¡¯ expressions visibly eased. The taller boy said, ¡°You¡¯ve taken the wrong route. Everyone sought refuge at Yangzhou Port, and they can only leave when the next boat arrives.¡± ¡°Boat?!¡± Tan Xiao also stuck his head out, surprised, ¡°Where are we going that we need to take a boat? What if I get seasick?¡± The two boys: They both flinched upon seeing Tan Xiao¡¯s gray hair and shiny earring, once again their eyes filled with doubt, as if they suspected Shen MO and his companions of having ulterior motives. ¡°Tan Xiao, you scared the kids,¡± Bai Youwei, sitting in the passenger seat, responded coolly. ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao was even more surprised, pointing at his own face, ¡°Do I look that scary?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look scary, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that kids are easily frightened,¡± Bai Youwei replied in a calm and collected manner. The two boys blushed a bit. To prove his bravery, one of the boys quickly retorted, ¡°You guys came too late! A massive fog has engulfed Yangzhou, and not a single person trapped in the fog has emerged, everyone else has evacuated by boat! Only the water surface is safe now, you better rush to Yangzhou Port, if you¡¯re late there might not be any spots left on the boat!¡± Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: Chapter 67 Two Boys Chapter 67: Chapter 67 Two Boys Translator: 549690339 The boy finished speaking, hoisted his sack of rice onto his shoulder again, and with his companion continued on, ignoring Shen MO and his group. ¡°No wonder the streets are empty, everyone must have gone to Yangzhou Port,¡± Tan Xiao concluded, ¡°We should go there too, see what¡¯s happening.¡± Teacher Cheng said, ¡°If we go to Yangzhou Port, we¡¯ll have to turn back.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and immediately objected: ¡°I¡¯m not going. You can tell just by thinking about it that conditions on the ship will be terrible, people packed like livestock, getting sick and vomiting. Unless it¡¯s a Royal Caribbean, I¡¯d rather jump into the river.¡± Tan Xiao looked confused: ¡°Royal Caribbean, what¡¯s that?¡­A pirate ship?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a cruise ship,¡± Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei, ¡°And the most luxurious kind at that.¡± Tan Xiao suddenly realized: ¡°Oh¡­¡± Teacher Cheng hesitated on one side: ¡°But those two students just now said, it¡¯s only safe on the water surface now¡­¡± ¡°They also used to say places without dolls are safe, and now they¡¯re still dangerous with the emergence of this strange fog,¡± Bai Youwei dismissed, ¡°The situation keeps changing, who knows for sure? Anyway, I won¡¯t go. If you want to, then go.¡± Tan Xiao looked at Teacher Cheng, then back at Bai Youwei, hesitantly asking: ¡°Really not going?¡± Bai Youwei scoffed lightly, ¡°I¡¯m not stopping you. Just take pity on this cripple, you guys go. Just don¡¯t bother me.¡± Shen MO was silent for a few seconds, putting his hand gently on her head, Are you still grumpy from just waking up?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Bai Youwei slapped his hand away, grumpily. Tan Xiao: Teacher Cheng: Seems like the answer is yes. Shen MO shook his head helplessly, gripped the steering wheel, and set off again. He didn¡¯t change direction, instead he directly caught up to the two boys who had not gone far. The boys heard movement behind them, turned around, saw the car coming again, and their brows furrowed with visible nervousness. ¡°What do you want now?¡± Shen MO hit the brakes, asking, ¡°If everyone is looking to take shelter on a ship, why aren¡¯t you heading to Yangzhou Port?¡± The boy and his mate glanced at each other. The taller boy was the first to speak, ¡°We are waiting for more people to join us, then we will go with everyone.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s tone was calm, emotionless as stale water, ¡°So, when do you plan to go?¡± The other boy was getting irritated, ¡°What business is it of yours when we go?!¡± ¡°None.¡± Shen MO smiled faintly, ¡°I just wanted to follow you guys, see where you settle down.¡± On hearing this, the boys¡¯ faces soured. He nudged his mate, ignoring Shen Mo¡¯s group, and frantically quickened their pace. But how could they be faster than a car? Moreover, one carrying a bag and the other a sack of rice, they quickly became out of breath and drenched in sweat. ¡°What should we do?¡± The boy looked back at the off-road vehicle that consistently trailed not far behind, his eyes filled with anxiety, ¡°Should we take a detour to shake them off?¡± ¡°No.¡± The tall boy shook his head, huffing, ¡°Taking a detour would waste too much time, and Teacher Tu is waiting for us to bring medicine back. Don¡¯t worry about them, we all have items for protection, we don¡¯t need to be scared of them.¡¯ ¡°Alright, let¡¯s speed up then!¡± The two encouraged each other, relentlessly pushing forward. ¡°What¡¯s up with these two kids? They¡¯re acting like we¡¯re thieves,¡± Tan Xiao leaned forward, looking perplexed, ¡°They blew up at just a few questions, their temper stinks worse than mine.¡± ¡°During these unusual times, it¡¯s normal for people to be a little sensitive.¡± Teacher Cheng heaved a sigh from inside the car, ¡°How did things end up like this, sigh.. ¡°So what do we do now? Keep following them?¡± Tan Xiao asked. From behind the wheel, Shen MO calmly said, ¡°They arrived at Yangzhou earlier than us, they¡¯ll have a clearer idea of the situation here. If they¡¯re not leaving, there must be another reason¡­Besides, wherever they¡¯ve settled should be safer than other places..¡± Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: Chapter 68: A Certain Academy Chapter 68: Chapter 68: A Certain Academy Translator: 549690339 The search for a refuge for survivors was urgent, but Shen MO also wanted to understand what had happened in Yangzhou City. He drove behind the two boys until they arrived at a school. Some signs of the school had fallen off, leaving a few difficult-to-recognize characters: Yangzho..Academy. Shen MO drove in. He drove leisurely along while the boys ran in a hurry. They jogged towards the dormitory building. Some students came out of the dormitory to greet them, along with a female teacher, who seemed to be in her thirties, tall, thin, and sophisticated. The boys rushed to the teacher, speaking and pointing towards Shen Mo. Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao said, ¡°Hey! Are these brats telling on us?¡± The teacher glanced their way, she seemed nervous and ushered the students into the dormitory building. Shen MO parked the car under the dormitory and said, ¡°We¡¯ll rest here for a while. Tan Xiao, you move the stuff, we¡¯ll go out and find gas later.¡± Tan Xiao responded and quickly jumped out of the car, then he asked, ¡°Where am I moving the stuff to?¡± ¡°First floor, choose two dorm rooms.¡± Shen MO casually pointed it out, then got the wheelchair off the car. Teacher Cheng, being of older age, also helped with some small items. While they were moving things in and out, more than a dozen students crowded onto the railings on the third and fourth floors, their heads craning to look, curious and alert. They were like a group of wild cats startled by passers-by, tense for no reason. When Shen MO sat Bai Youwei in the wheelchair, there came a barely audible gasp from the building, as if they had seen something shocking. Bai Youwei was in a bad mood already, and the sound irritated her further. She promptly lifted her eyes and glared at them ¨C ¡°What are you looking at! Never seen a cripple? Keep staring and I¡¯ll gouge your eyeballs out!¡± A few timid students beat a hasty retreat. Bai Youwei pointed at Tan Xiao and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t kill enough yesterday? Go up and slaughter them!¡± The students¡¯ faces changed drastically, scattering like startled crows! Then there was the sound of doors banging shut as they all hid in their dorms! Locking their doors! Tan Xiao: ¡°???¡± ¡®¡­¡±Shen Mo: ¡® Teacher Cheng became anxious, quickly shouting up towards the building, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be afraid. We are just joking, just joking! We are not bad people!¡± Bai Youwei sneered, ¡°Yeah, we were kidding. Cheng, you got to coax them all out, then let Tan Xiao slaughter them!¡± Teacher Cheng: ¡°Alright, calm down.¡± Shen MO said in a composed tone, mixed with a hint of helplessness. He wheeled Bai Youwei into the student dormitory, with a peacemaking tone he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t get enough sleep? Let me get your mattress for you, you can rest for a while.¡± Bai Youwei huffed, ¡°Forget it, these bunk beds can¡¯t fit my mattress.¡± Shen MO looked around the dormitory, ¡°We can put two beds together.¡± Bai Youwei gave him a look, she seemed to be in a slightly better mood, lifted her chin arrogantly and said, ¡°Alright, go ahead and put it together.¡± As Shen MO came out of the dormitory, Teacher Cheng was anxiously pacing outside. Seeing Shen MO, he quickly approached, ¡°Xiaoshen, you see this¡­¡± Before Cheng could speak, Shen MO, understanding his concerns, interrupted, ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and explain to them, don¡¯t worry.¡± He hesitated, then added. ¡°Also, don¡¯t take to heart what she just said.¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Teacher Cheng waved it off, ¡°I know Weiwei means no harm, she¡¯s a good girl ¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡® No, she does have malice. At this moment, footsteps could be heard from the stairs. Both men looked and saw the female teacher. She was holding a pot, and when she got to Shen MO and Teacher Cheng, she apologized with an awkward smile, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, my students misunderstood you.¡± She handed them the pot, ¡°This is some vegetable congee I¡¯ve just made, you can have it if you¡¯d like..¡± Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Chapter 69: The Teacher and the Student Chapter 69: Chapter 69: The Teacher and the Student Translator: 549690339 Shen MO raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡ªInteresting. He had not yet gone upstairs to apologize, but the others had already come down to offer their apologies first. The female teacher appeared to have fair eyebrows and clear eyes, with small wrinkles at the corners that were gently curved, showcasing a polite smile. Noticing that Shen MO and Teacher Chang showed no intention of taking over, she gently placed the earthen jar aside, kindly saying, ¡°The rice and vegetables are all cleaned thoroughly. If you find it to your liking, I¡¯ll bring some more down later. There are many students, so we tend to cook in large quantities¡­¡± Her gentle explanation not only came across warm-hearted but also subtly hinted that the porridge was very ¡°clean¡±, meaning nothing had been tampered with, showcasing her meticulousness. Shen MO got the impression that the woman was very cautious. But of course, caution was necessary. After all, leading a bunch of middle school students and suddenly encountering strangers, it was naturally in her best interest to avoid any hostility. ¡°Thank you.¡± Shen MO took the jar, diffusing the tension with just a few words, ¡°We¡¯ve just arrived in Yangzhou and are looking for a temporary place to stay. We won¡¯t stay for long.¡± Teacher Chang also explained from the sidelines, ¡°We came to Yangzhou to look for someone. We didn¡¯t expect such heavy fog in the city. We live on Jhor Road. Rest assured, we are not bad people.¡± The female teacher glanced over Shen MO and Teacher Chang¡¯s faces, then glanced at Tan Xiao, who was puffing and panting while moving luggage not far away. She didn¡¯t ask more questions. She merely gave an euphemistic smile, ¡°We¡¯re also temporarily stopping here. You carry on with what you were doing, I have students to attend to. I¡¯ll head upstairs first.¡± As she went upstairs, a few students were peeking out from upstairs, seemingly worried that their teacher might be in trouble downstairs. Seeing that their teacher had safely returned, they sighed in relief in unison. Watching this scene, Chang Weicai sighed repeatedly, lamenting to Shen Mo,¡±Xiaoshen, the world is in chaos now. We are all compatriots, and in the future, when we come across each other, we should try to help each other.¡± Shen MO nodded, ¡°We should indeed.¡± It wasn¡¯t mere lip service. He indeed thought that it would be silly for a group of people to fight amongst themselves after a disaster. Teacher Chang let out a few more sighs, perhaps recalling the uncertain fate of his students and feeling melancholic. ¡°You should go inside and rest,¡± Shen MO pointed at the dormitory on the first floor. Teacher Chang waved his hand dismissively. Unable to relax due to his restless mind, he went over to help Tan Xiao organize their luggage. Tan Xiao had just piled his luggage haphazardly. The old man had a more meticulous approach, arranging everything separately, ensuring that food wouldn¡¯t be stored alongside foul-smelling shoes. Shen MO watched for a while, but didn¡¯t interfere. He picked up the jar and headed to Bai Youwei¡¯s dormitory. The vegetable congee was boiling until it turned into a creamy and aromatic mixture, the scent filled the room as Shen MO entered. Bai Youwei caught a whiff of it. Her clear and bright eyes instantly lit up and said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® This was the first time he heard her express hunger since he started feeding her two days ago. It seemed that instant noodles and biscuits were indeed not suited for her. ¡°The teacher from upstairs sent it.¡± Shen MO placed the earthen jar on the table. Just as he was wondering where to find a spoon, he noticed a small wooden spoon hanging from the rope tied around the lid of the jar. That female teacher was indeed very meticulous. The small earthen jar, somewhat resembling a traditional Chinese medicine pot used for brewing herbal medicines, contained enough porridge for two people. Bai Youwei took out a packet of wet wipes, pulled one out to wipe the spoon, and started eating from the jar. She ate, spoonful by spoonful, saying not a word, but seemed entirely focused on her meal. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ve put poison in it?¡± Shen MO asked jokingly. ¡°Ha, she would dare?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s lips curved into a sly smile, like a cat that had gotten the cream.¡±A woman, leading a bunch of brats in this place, probably lives in constant fear. She wouldn¡¯t have the time to perpetrate any misdeeds, much less willingly cause trouble.¡± Shen MO chuckled. What Bai Youwei said matched his thoughts. ¡°Um¡­ the congee is really well-cooked.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s cheeks bulged as she ate, then asked, ¡°Hey, does she have a sick student?¡± Shen MO was slightly startled, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Into the Fog Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Into the Fog Translator: 549690339 ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit of a hassle to make porridge for so many mouths?¡± Bai Youwei was eating as she spoke: ¡°Cooking porridge is time-consuming, and it does not fully satisfy the appetite. Besides, it can easily get burnt if you¡¯re not careful. Why should we bother with porridge if the patient¡¯s digestive system is weak?¡­lt has only been a few days since the incident in the city; there should be plenty of food. Why bother to make porridge of all things? Look, there is even dried shrimp and mushrooms in it.¡± Bai Youwei scooped up a spoonful of porridge and waved it in front of Shen Mo. Then she stuffed it back into her mouth and spoke vaguely: ¡°Courtesy demands reciprocity. We can¡¯t just take advantage of them. Go get some food and take it upstairs. ¡± Shen Mo¡¯s mouth curved into a smile: ¡°Just to send food? Aren¡¯t you hoping I¡¯ll go up to gather some intelligence?¡± Bai Youwei remained calm, her action of eating the porridge not even the slightest bit interrupted, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to?¡± Shen MO chuckled slightly, openly admitting: ¡°Yes.¡± He and Bai Youwei had completely different personalities, but somehow their ideas always seemed to coincide. Shen MO thought for a bit and said, ¡°Let¡¯s send Teacher Cheng instead. They are both teachers, so they should be able to converse easily.¡± ¡°Bring Tan Xiao with you,¡± said Bai Youwei, ¡°so that the old man won¡¯t be bullied. ¡± Shen Mo: ¡°What, being protective?¡± Bai Youwei paused for a moment, as if something occurred to her. After a few seconds, she said plainly, ¡°He¡¯s a good person.¡± Shen MO gave her a deep look, got up and left. Standing in the doorway he said: ¡°Teacher Cheng, could you please come here¡­¡± While Bai Youwei and Shen MO were analyzing the teachers and students upstairs in their dormitory, they didn¡¯t know that those upstairs were also analyzing them. ¡°A tall one, a delinquent, an old man, a disabled person¡­¡± The students gathered together, looking at each other. No matter how you looked at this combination, it was odd. ¡°You all don¡¯t need to worry too much.¡± The female teacher sat among them, her tone soft, ¡°If they are willing to take in the elderly and care for the disabled, they can¡¯t possibly be mean people. Let¡¯s just mind our own business and take care of ourselves.¡¯ A girl with pigtails mumbled, ¡°But that lame one is really fierce¡­¡± Before she could finish, she was sternly looked at by the teacher. The girl, knowing she had said something wrong, was a bit aggrieved and said even more quietly, ¡°It¡¯s not me who said it, it¡¯s her who said it herself.¡± ¡°She can call herself a cripple, but we can¡¯t.¡± The female teacher looked at the student before her and reminded her again, ¡°When we¡¯re out there, we absolutely must not indulge in a war of words. It does no good to anyone, understood?¡± ¡°We understand, Teacher Tu.¡± The students chorused in agreement, with the pigtailed girl nodding awkwardly among them. Another student asked, ¡°Teacher Tu, when are we going into the fog?¡± Teacher Tu was silent for a moment, then turned her head to look to one side¡ª There lay a pale-faced male student, his chest wrapped in thick gauze. He lay quietly, listening to everyone¡¯s discussion with half-closed eyes. Tu Dan lamented silently in her heart, then withdrew her gaze, ¡°¡­We¡¯ll wait till Zhang Tianyang¡¯s wounds heal a bit, then we¡¯ll go inside. And when we go, we can¡¯t all go at once. We¡¯ll have to leave half of the people behind. If more than half of the food is used up and we haven¡¯t come out of the fog, those left behind should take the food and move south along the Yangtze River¡­ to find another refuge.¡± ¡°Teacher Tu¡­¡± ¡°Teacher Tu, don¡¯t go¡­¡± A few girls with moist eyes reluctantly held on to the teacher¡¯s clothes, the boys also had tears in their eyes. Tu Dan looked at the young faces before her, feeling a mix of emotions. She held their hands and said word by word: ¡°We have to go into the fog. These are the clues that we have risked our lives for. Let me ask you, what¡¯s the first rule of the game?¡± The students choked out, ¡°Refuse to play, become a puppet!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­Refusal, evasion, they will only increase its resentment and are of no help.¡± Tu Dan looked at them, ¡°We have to go into the fog..¡± Chapter 71 - Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Mint Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Mint Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei comfortably enjoyed a meal of vegetable porridge. The porridge was thick and sticky, leaving her mouth a little gooey afterward. She soaked a couple of mint leaves in the jar, taking a few sips of the mint water. It was refreshing and cool, making her feel even more comfortable. Shen MO was outside checking the condition of the off-road vehicle. After tinkering around with it, he came back sweating. Upon entering the house and seeing Bai Youwei comfortably lounging on a thick and soft latex mattress, sipping cool water, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°You sure look comfortable.¡± ¡°Happiness comes from such contrasts,¡± Bai Youwei, cradling the jar, replied with a grin. ¡°Watching you guys bustling around, working in the sun and tired, while I just chill inside eating and drinking, is quite comfortable for me.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® After a few seconds, Shen MO said, ¡°As long as you¡¯re comfortable.¡± Being comfortable meant she wouldn¡¯t trouble him. The current routine was to make sure she was well-fed and taken care of every day, so he could eventually return her unscathed to her mother one day¡­ What would she be like afterwards? This question momentarily distracted Shen Mo. It was hard for him to imagine, given Bai Youwei¡¯s personality, how she would fare in such a world. ¡°Hey,¡± Bai Youwei, hugging the stout glass jar, beckoned him over with her small hand. Shen MO walked over. She handed him the jar. ¡°Aren¡¯t you thirsty? Here, have some water.¡± The water looked crystal clear and refreshing, with two or three mint leaves floating, giving off a cool-green hue. ¡°Where¡¯d you find this?¡± Shen MO, accepting the jar with one hand, asked. Bai Youwei pointed out the window, ¡°There¡¯s a whole bunch growing behind the dorm building.¡± ¡°We can pick more when we have time. Mint leaves have good anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, ¡± he said nonchalantly, before drinking the water straight from the jar. Bai Youwei just watched him swallow. After a while, she confidently took his other hand and gently squeezed it. As Shen MO quietly drank and said nothing, he cast a severe glance at her. This warning was lost on Bai Youwei. She pretended not to see it, continued pinching his hand, prodded at the thick calluses on his palm with her soft fingers, and was quite amused. ¡°Last time I touched it, I thought it was pretty interesting¡­ like a dog¡¯s paw,¡± she said. Shen Mo: ¡® What kind of a strange comparison was that? Bai Youwei took his hand and placed it against her face, enjoying the rough feel against her skin. The coarseness offered a unique experience for her. Feeling is always mutual. She could feel him, and he could feel her ¨C quiet, soft, compliant¡­ The room was silent. Shen MO watched her silently. The sweetness of the water and the coolness of the mint infused the air, creating an oddly intimate atmosphere. He wanted to break the mood but considering her rare moment of vulnerability, he let her be. Suddenly, there was a synchronized gasp from upstairs: ¡®Whoa! The two of them were jolted back to reality. Shen MO paused for a moment, looked at Bai Youwei, then withdrew his hand, ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and see what¡¯s up.¡± Bai Youwei frowned at the ceiling, turned away dismissively, and began studying the patch of mint plants outside the window without bothering to acknowledge him. Shen MO watched her for a moment before putting down the jar and leaving the room. The sound of his footsteps gradually faded. Bai Youwei remained facing away, her eyes flitting here and there, her gaze ultimately landing on the jar on the table. She picked up the jar, comparing its size with her own hand, thinking of how easily he had held it with one hand. She then brought it close to her and sniffed where he had drunk. There was no particular smell. She reached into the jar with her slender finger and plucked out a mint leaf, popping it into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. She found the absence of his presence somewhat dull¡­ Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: Chapter 72 Discussion Chapter 72: Chapter 72 Discussion Translator: 549690339 Shen MO returned quickly. Following closely behind him were Teacher Cheng and Tan Xiao. Just as Bai Youwei was about to ask them about what happened upstairs, she heard the lively sound of footsteps, thump, thump, thump, descending from the floor above. Two male students rushed over, hauling in a bag of rice and a bag of flour into the dorm. They said, ¡°Teacher Cheng, Brother Xiao, thank you so much! This is just a small token of our appreciation, please accept it! We¡¯re truly grateful!¡± After quickly finishing their sentence, they turned around and dashed back up the stairs without giving anyone a chance to refuse their gifts. Bai Youwei was dumbfounded, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Up until a moment ago, they were seriously criticizing Tan Xiao, yet now they were addressing him as ¡°Brother Xiao¡±? How can she continue her villainous plot now? ¡°One of their students got injured. Teacher Cheng used a mud patch, ¡± explained Shen MO, after a slight pause. ¡°The injury happened in the game.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Is it serious?¡± Tan Xiao gesticulated with his hand and said nervously, ¡°He has a huge bloody wound on his body. I don¡¯t know what kind of animal bit him. It¡¯s a miracle that he is still alive!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head in thought, ¡°So if he made it out of the game alive, it means he cleared the level¡­ Do they have any items? What are they?¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback, he hadn¡¯t considered that possibility. Seeing his reaction, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°Well done, both of you. Not even finding out what items those guys have while revealing your own.¡± Teacher Cheng looked guilty. ¡°It was an emergency¡­¡± The mud patch was Bai Youwei¡¯s item. He felt a bit guilty as he hadn¡¯t informed her before using it, nor had he managed to get any valuable information. ¡°Nevermind,¡± Bai Youwei said languidly, ¡°Expecting you guys to gather information was my mistake. I was too naive and too trusting.¡± Tan Xiao: Teacher Cheng: They were at a loss for words. But Shen MO, accustomed to Bai Youwei¡¯s sarcasm, intervened on their behalf, ¡°Although we didn¡¯t get much information, I did see Teacher Cheng and Teacher Tu talking when I was upstairs.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°So that lady¡¯s surname is Tu?¡± Teacher Cheng hurriedly followed up: ¡°Yes, her name is Tu Dan, a teacher from Hangzhou High School. All those students are from her class, in their first year of high school. They too came to Yangzhou to seek refuge, but were caught in the massive fog. Everyone else fled, but Teacher Tu stayed behind with an injured student. They were unable to board the ship due to the injury, so they¡¯ve been held up here for a few days, nursing the wound and looking for medicine.¡± After finishing all in one breath, he looked expectantly at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh¡­¡± Both Teacher Cheng and Tan Xiao heaved a sigh of relief. Bai Youwei: ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Teacher Cheng: The honest old man was stupefied, unable to react immediately. ¡°So a teacher expects all the students to abandon their escape and stay behind with one injured student? Does that sound like something a teacher would do?¡± Bai Youwei sneered, ¡°Over a dozen students staying here, and you¡¯re telling me there¡¯s no plot? Fat chance.¡± Nobody spoke a word in the room. Perhaps out of embarrassment. Bai Youwei gave them a scornful glance and said lazily, ¡°Whatever, as long as they don¡¯t provoke me, who cares what they¡¯re plotting.¡± Teacher Cheng finally reacted, ¡°No, no, I believe Teacher Tu is a very responsible person, she wouldn¡¯t harm her own students, nor would she harm us.¡± ¡°Teacher Cheng, you never know what people are thinking.¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s expression turned serious as he patted Cheng¡¯s shoulder, ¡°The most important thing in our lives is one word: Caution!¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t even bother to roll her eyes this time. How many words are there in that sentence? Could you please count it again?! Suddenly, Shen MO said, ¡°Someone is coming.¡± Everyone in the room looked startled, and then fell silent. The sound of footsteps gradually grew closer until there was a knock at the door. Teacher Tu¡¯s voice could be heard from the outside, ¡°Mr.. Shen, may I come in and talk with you all?¡± Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: Chapter 73 Exchange Game Chapter 73: Chapter 73 Exchange Game Translator: 549690339 Everyone in the room exchanged glances. Finally, Shen MO reached out and opened the dormitory door. Tu Dan had long prepared herself mentally outside the door, yet, she was still taken aback when the dormitory door opened. It was¡­ The double decker bed Bai Youwei occupied had surprised her. But going through such trouble for a disabled girl reassured her in her judgement: the people in this group were worthy of trust. Tu Dan quickly composed herself and walked into the room calmly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shen MO asked casually. He could guess the purpose of her visit by about seventy to eighty percent, but still asked for formality¡¯s sake. Tu Dan looked around at everyone. Finally, she rested her gaze on the rice and flour against the wall and said apologetically, ¡°Just now¡­ the game prop that Teacher Chang gave to Zhang Tianyang to use¡­ I feel really guilty for letting you use such a valuable prop. I should express my thanks to you properly. But at the moment. besides some food. T don¡¯t know what else T can offer to show my appreciation. I deeply apologize.¡± She said this, then sincerely bowed to everyone. Tan Xiao, having not been treated with such formality before, was taken by surprise. Chang Weicai quickly rushed forward to help her up, ¡°Saying too much, saying too much! The kid was badly injured, we couldn¡¯t just stand by and do nothing, right? Ah! Is he okay now?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s fully recovered.¡± Tu Dan smiled, ¡°He wanted to come down and personally thank you, but he hadn¡¯t been eating properly for a few days since he was confined to his bed. Even though his wound has healed, he¡¯s still weak. So I left him in the dormitory to rest.¡± ¡°He should rest well, have him rest assured. Health is the most important!¡± stated Teacher Chang. Tu Dan smiled and nodded, then directed her gaze to Shen MO, ¡°My students and I don¡¯t have any props that can assist you. However, we could chat about the game. It might be helpful in the future.¡± They were now getting to the main topic. Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei. She had been leaning languidly on the bed, her head drooped, silent, seemingly aloof. However, Shen MO was certain she was observing every minute action of this female teacher. ¡°Was the game your student got injured in very dangerous?¡± Shen MO asked. ¡°What game isn¡¯t dangerous?¡± Tu Dan bitterly smiled, ¡°However, his injury¡­wasn¡¯t caused by the game, but by another player¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± Tan Xiao interjected, ¡°His wound looked like it was from an animal bite!¡± ¡°It indeed was an animal bite¡­¡± Mentioning this matter, Tu Dan¡¯s face turned grim, ¡°That player has a prop¡­that summons beasts. Many of my students were killed by it. In the end, only I, Zhang Tianyang, and that player successfully cleared the game.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°The other students upstairs didn¡¯t enter the game?¡± Tu Dan shook her head: ¡°No, the maximum number of players for the game is eight. Once it reaches its limit, the game area automatically locks and prevents anyone else from entering.¡± Shen MO asked again: ¡°What¡¯s the theme of the game?¡± ¡°The Little Mushroom Picker,¡± Tu Dan explained with transparency, ¡°Once players enter, they¡¯re separated and locked into eight rooms. The room¡¯s door only opens at dawn, which happens every two hours, at which time they must go out and pick mushrooms. To clear the game, the bamboo basket in the room must be filled with mushrooms. Picking mushrooms? Everyone in the room exchanged glances. At least by the sound of it, this game was a lot more comforting compared to their chaotic frog and tadpole battle.. Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: Chapter 74 The Essence of Games Chapter 74: Chapter 74 The Essence of Games Translator: 549690339 ¡°The only variable in this game is the weather.¡± Tu Dan said seriously: ¡°We must pay attention to the weather. Depending upon it, mushrooms appear at different times. And players always need to pre-select a time slot for going out. For example, if the daylight lasts for a total of 30 minutes, the player¡¯s harvesting time is 10 minutes. So one must choose, whether to go in the first 10 minutes, the middle 10 minutes, or the last 10 minutes¨C If one chooses the wrong time slot, either the mushrooms won¡¯t have grown yet or they will have already withered. If one doesn¡¯t pick any mushrooms, that round will be counted as a failed harvest. She explained as thoroughly as possible, saying to Shen MO and the others, ¡°If the harvest fails, as a penalty, your body will sink a few inches into the ground. You can only fail up to three times. If you fail a fourth time¡­ your body will be stuck in the ground and cannot be pulled out, and then¡­ you become a mushroom.¡± What she said at first was ordinary, but the last sentence was bone-chilling. Tan Xiao had goosebumps all over, he rubbed forcefully and couldn¡¯t believe, ¡°Become, become a mushroom? A human head mushroom?¡± Tu Dan¡¯s expression was somewhat lost, as if remembering that scene, ¡°¡­will shrink¡­ like being absorbed of water by the ground, humans shrink smaller and smaller, growing mycelium¡­¡± ¡°How did you eventually pass the game?¡± Shen MO interrupted her memories. Tu Dan came back to herself, ¡°¡­It was still the weather. Allocate time properly. The 10 minutes for going out cannot be all used for finding mushrooms. One must reserve time for predicting the weather for the next round! The sky color, clouds, temperature, and even the ants on the ground, every detail could be a clue for weather changes!¡± Shen MO nodded, ¡°Understood.¡± With this, if they encounter a game with this theme, they will have an idea of what to do. ¡°What about you?¡± Tu Dan naturally asked, ¡°Your game items are very practical. The danger level of your game must be very high, right?¡± ¡°Of course, it was high!!!¡± Once Tan Xiao heard this question, he couldn¡¯t help but rave, ¡°We encountered a freaking giant frog! As tall as a five or six-story building, can you believe it?! It treated us like bugs and ate us. Its tongue, swish, swish, swish¡­¡± Tan Xiao, without thinking, spilled everything about the game! The teacher felt it might not be appropriate, but remembering that Tu Dan had many students with her, if they also encountered ¡°The Golden Sphere of the Frog¡±, by knowing more clues, they would have more chances of survival. Moreover¡­ The teacher cautiously glanced at Shen MO and Bai Youwei. These two, none of them spoke to stop it. Tu Dan listened very carefully. After learning that Shen Mo¡¯s team passed the game through calculation of crucial points, she couldn¡¯t help but look somewhat regretful on her face. Even though they know the method, the calculation¡­ she and her students, probably no one can do it. Tu Dan made a grim effort to cheer up and said with a smile, ¡°Knowing these makes me feel much better. But still, I hope we won¡¯t run into any games in the future.¡¯ She was being sincere. The teacher sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we don¡¯t have access to the internet now. If everyone could share their experiences with the games, the survival rate of humanity would certainly increase significantly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible¨C¡± Bai Youwei, who had been silent, chimed in lightly. Everyone looked at her. Tu Dan was also studying her with a curious look. The teacher asked in confusion, ¡°Isn¡¯t sharing information and helping each other a good thing?¡± Bai Youwei, resting her chin on her hand, her arm resting on the bedside table, drawled, ¡°It sounds good, Teacher, but you¡¯ve forgotten a crucial point.. What¡¯s the fundamental purpose of the existence of these games?¡± Chapter 75 - Chapter 75: Chapter 75: A Ruthless Person Chapter 75: Chapter 75: A Ruthless Person Translator: 549690339 ¡­The essence of the game? Chang Weicai was stunned. ¡°It¡¯s competition, Mr. Chang.¡± Bai Youwei sighed lightly, looking at Chang Weicai and Tu Dan as if she were looking at two naive children. ¡°Eliminate a group of people and let another group succeed. if that¡¯s not competition, what is?¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°Reward items will be part of the competition. If everyone has the ¡®Frog Mud¡¯, Mr. Chang, you will lose a significant advantage in the game.¡± Tu Dan slowly recovered, her voice trailing off: ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ indeed. Just like when everyone takes an exam, some people know how to solve a particular problem, and this knowledge becomes their scoring advantage. But if everyone knows, the advantage is totally lost.¡± As soon as people realize this, they will never easily share information. Because the next time the game begins, the person sharing the information might become their own competitor. To hold onto their advantage, they naturally need to keep the secrets of the game. This is a very simple truth. It¡¯s not that the people here can¡¯t figure it out; it¡¯s just that the world¡¯s anomalies have only just begun, and everyone is still in a peace-and-love helping-each-other phase. Of course, even end-of-the-world type helpers can provide assistance and love. ¡ªEnd-of-the-world love and assistance is rarer, and therefore more precious. Bai Youwei delicately cuddled the rabbit in her arms, sighing softly, ¡°Ah¡­ I wonder where that item that can summon beasts came from. I really want it.¡± The way Tu Dan gazed at Bai Youwei became much more guarded. A girl who looked like a teenager dared to say such things¡­ More importantly, her tone sounded very confident. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, he summoned a cat and a tiger once, to snatch mushrooms from us.¡± Tu Dan replied. Bai Youwei seemed a bit disinterested, propping up her chin and said: ¡°Ms. Tu, tell us about your other game.¡± Tu Dan was stunned. ¡°What is it?¡± Bai Youwei looked at her, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯ve only entered the game once. You said earlier, ¡®Is there a game that isn¡¯t dangerous?¡¯ This tone doesn¡¯t seem like someone who has only played once.¡± Tu Dan¡¯s eyes widened, flabbergasted and shocked. Did she say that? She didn¡¯t even remember! Bai Youwei: ¡°It was you who said that, thanking Mr. Chang for saving your student with the item. You said you had no items to help us, so you offered to share information about the games as compensation¡ªwe shared one game each, which makes us even. However, if you still want to express gratitude, you should obviously share one more game, that¡¯s logical compensation, right?¡± Tu Dan: It seems she¡¯s run into a formidable character. Tu Dan came down to give her thanks and divulge the games she¡¯s been through in order to demonstrate sincerity and establish friendly relations with Shen MO and the others. But being taken off track by Bai Youwei, it seemed as if she were deliberately hiding something. Not only did this trip not achieve the desired effect, but it may also leave a bad impression! Even the most honest and simple Mr. Chang would doubt her sincerity due to this. Unless she didn¡¯t mind offending these people in front of her, otherwise¡­ she really had no choice but to speak. Tu Dan fell silent for a moment, weighing her options. Tan Xiao and Mr. Chang looked at her curiously. ¡°Ms. Tu¡­¡± Mr. Chang asked in astonishment, ¡°You and your students, have you encountered many games?¡± ¡°Impressive.¡± Tan Xiao also exclaimed, ¡°I nearly lost my life encountering it once. You wouldn¡¯t know it looking at you.¡± Tu Dan finally gave a wry smile and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you. It¡¯s just that game¡­ even if I tell you, it won¡¯t be of any help to you..¡± Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Thank You Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Thank You Translator: 549690339 Tu Dan thought long and hard, but in the end, she told them about the game¡ª That day, she was in her classroom teaching her students when a sudden bell rang, followed by the dean running down the corridor, shouting for everyone to head downstairs, saying that something had happened, and everyone needed to evacuate urgently. She immediately took students to gather in the playground, under the glaring sun, students whispered their complaints, not knowing what was happening. While calming her students down, she inquired from other teachers what had occurred. It was said that a deadly white fog that consumed humans had appeared in the city center and was spreading rapidly, all departments were evacuating their personnel. Everyone was waiting for the school to arrange transportation for the students, and when a few buses finally arrived, chaos ensued before anyone could board¡­ 36 of them, including herself, found themselves on a huge roulette. There were 36 chairs on the roulette, they were fixed to their seats, waist, legs, feet, were all chained, with a strange metal ring around their necks. It was a game called ¡°Lucky Q&A¡±. The rules were simple, a total of 36 questions, answer incorrectly and face instant death, answer correctly to advance to the next round until all the questions were answered correctly, only then would the game be cleared. Of the 36 people, under her guidance, 17 survived in the end. While making their way to the evacuation site later, they were caught in a mushroom picking game and lost four more students¡­ Tu Dan told them everything in fine detail. At first, she was reluctant to share, but once she had told everything, she suddenly felt much more relaxed. Tu Dan breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°There¡¯s no trick to clearing this game, just cooperate well with your teammates, choose the type of questions that fit you, the chance of getting the right answers would be high. But if you don¡¯t have any teammates..then you can only rely on luck, just like the game¡¯s title, ¡°Lucky Q&A¡±. After saying all this, she looked at the people in the room, smiled faintly, and said, ¡°That¡¯s all I know, I hope it can be of help to all of you. Now¡­l¡¯ll leave you be, I won¡¯t bother you.¡± She turned around and opened the door. ¡°Miss Tu.¡± Bai Youwei called out to her slowly. Tu Dan turned to look at Bai Youwei. She had slowly begun to understand that the ¡°disabled girl¡± in this group wasn¡¯t in a simple protective position, on the contrary, her leadership was possibly stronger than that of the always silent man. ¡°Who among you and your students knows how to calculate the mandatory point of the Frog¡¯s golden ball?¡± Bai Youwei asked her. Tu Dan hesitated, then gave a slight smile, and replied gently, ¡°It¡¯s a bit complicated, we¡¯ll have to think more about it¡­¡± Bai Youwei directly interrupted her: ¡°If you don¡¯t know how, you can observe the snail shells more.¡± Tu Dan was taken aback again. Bai Youwei said, ¡°The more the snail is struck, the higher and dirtier its shell will be when it sinks. You should flip those snails with dirtier inner shells. The probability¡­ is about 25%. Flip a few more, you¡¯re bound to guess one right.¡± Looking at Bai Youwei, Tu Dan was overwhelmed with a mix of surprise, warmth, and a sudden sense of shame. She opened her mouth, her myriad feelings reduced to two words: ¡°Thank you.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s response was far colder, as she lazily propped up her cheek, she replied, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Tu Dan left. When the footsteps faded upstairs, Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei with a smirk, ¡°I thought you would make her reveal her item before you taught her how to clear the game.¡± The Frog game isn¡¯t far from Yangzhou, if Tu Dan were courageous enough, she could completely take her students for a trip. Even though that comes with risks, being able to obtain the miraculous mud that can heal all external wounds, the risk is worth taking. With Bai Youwei teaching Tu Dan how to pass the game, it was as though she was essentially handing the mud over to Tu Dan. ¡°There is no need to ask.¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°¡­Tsk, so as not to give off the impression that I am battling kids over toys. That wouldn¡¯t look good..¡± Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: Chapter 77: The Issue of Candidate Selection Chapter 77: Chapter 77: The Issue of Candidate Selection Translator: 549690339 ¡°By the time Tu Dan returned upstairs, all the students had gathered around Zhang Tianyang¡¯s bed. Unable to resist, the boys started to touch the spot where his injury used to be. They found it incredible that such a severe wound could heal in no time, leaving not even a scar behind. The girls, though shy to touch, could not help but sneak peeks at his chest. Zhang Tianyang, feeling both helpless and amused, repeatedly assured everyone, ¡°It really doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. I also do not understand the principle behind it. When the mud was applied, it didn¡¯t feel extraordinary¡­¡± While he was speaking, he noticed Tu Dan returning from outside and quickly called out, ¡°Teacher Tu!¡± Everyone turned their attention to Tu Dan and gathered around her¡ª ¡°Teacher Tu, you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been talking with them for quite a while¡­¡± ¡°¡­Teacher Tu, did you find out which game this mud comes from? If we could bring this kind of mud into the fog, our chances of victory would increase significantly, right?¡± With a dozen students speaking at the same time, the not-so-spacious dormitory instantly became noisy. Tu Dan gestured for everyone to stay quiet. ¡°I¡¯ve discovered it, as well as the method to clear the game, but the danger remains high. If you want to go, we will split into two teams as before, based on volunteers. The first team will go first, and if there¡¯s no problem, the second team will follow,¡± said Tu Dan. The risk for the first team is significant, but they get access to the props first. The second team may seem safer, but they usually consist of the more timid ones, who might mess things up. The students began to discuss privately about the pros and cons of both options. Zhang Tianyang, now fully recovered, slowly got up from his bed and asked, ¡°Teacher, have the names of those entering the fog been decided yet?¡± Tu Dan paused briefly, ¡°Not yet, do you have any suggestions?¡± Zhang Tianyang hesitated for a moment before gathering the courage to say, ¡°Teacher, I want to go into the fog.¡± As his words fell, the entire dormitory went silent. All students were looking at Zhang Tianyang. A girl voiced softly, ¡°Tianyang, your injury has just healed¡­¡± ¡°My injury is fine now.¡± Zhang Tianyang smiled casually, his gaze sweeping across his classmates¡¯ faces. ¡°Though it might sound a bit audacious, but¡­ I have the best academic and physical performance in the class, and I also have experience from two games, so I should be the most suitable candidate, right?¡± He looked at Tu Dan again, his voice pleading, ¡°Teacher, let me go. I really want to know what the doll game is all about, and what happened to our families swallowed by the white fog. If I can¡¯t make it, I fear the other students definitely won¡¯t.¡± Tu Dan looked at the student in front of her, her heavy heart filled with a sense of helplessness. If possible, she did not want to see any student take such a risk, but the world had changed. She could no longer protect them and at times, she even needed their protection. Tu Dan sighed deeply, failing to respond directly, she replied tactfully, ¡°¡­This matter is extremely important, I need more time to think about it.¡± Zhang Tianyang tried to say something more, but Tu Dan patted his shoulder and left the dormitory. At night, Tu Dan laid in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Initially her mind was occupied with each student, but then her thoughts unconsciously drifted to the people downstairs. If¡­the people entering the fog were them, would they be as troubled as she was? ¡°Teacher Tu.¡± Tu Dan came back to her senses at the sound, turned her head and saw a girl from the adjacent bed, named Chen Hui, watching her with bright black eyes. The dorm room housed six people, where Tu Dan and a few other female students shared. The girl sleeping next to her was Chen Hui, the class study representative. Zhang Tianyang wasn¡¯t always the one who ranked first. Occasionally, Chen Hui would take the top spot. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± Tu Dan asked her, while keeping her voice as low as possible to avoid waking the other two girls. In a soft voice, Chen Hui asked, ¡°Teacher Tu, are you still thinking about the issue of who should enter the fog?¡± Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: Chapter 78 How Old Are You Chapter 78: Chapter 78 How Old Are You Translator: 549690339 Tu Dan remained silent for a while before giving a soft acknowledgment. ¡°Although we have obtained a clue¡­what dangers exactly lie in the fog, nobody knows,¡± Tu Dan whispered. ¡°Whether or not we should enter the fog should be a decision made voluntarily.¡± After all, she¡¯s only a teacher. She couldn¡¯t command the students to risk their lives. But the most troubling part was this ¨C those who are willing to go might not be the capable ones, and those who are capable might not be willing. This wasn¡¯t a situation where numbers equate strength. If a team of unevenly qualified individuals were brought into the fog, it would only increase the risk! Tu Dan thought about this, her eyebrows furrowing tighter, mumbling to herself: ¡°If we let those people downstairs go¡­¡± ¡°If they could bring an old man and a disabled man out of the game unscathed, it only shows their ability far surpasses ours,¡± said Chen Hui. ¡°But, Teacher, didn¡¯t you mention that we can¡¯t just reveal the clues to others?¡± Tu Dan was taken aback, and then realized that Chen Hui had heard her mutterings. Nevertheless, this young girl has always been perceptive and calm. Even with only a few bits of information, Chen Hui probably could piece together what was going on. Tu Dan gently told her: ¡°I don¡¯t want people to find out because I¡¯m afraid that after everyone enters the game, allies turn into enemies, not only killing each other, but also using you as shields. You guys are just teenagers, how would you stand a chance in a fight against adults?¡± Chen Hui asked again: ¡°So, Teacher thinks that they can¡¯t be trusted?¡± Tu Dan was unable to respond immediately. After a few seconds, she hesitantly said, ¡°Let me think¡­ let me think a little more¡­¡± The night drags on. Downstairs, two dorm rooms were occupied by Shen Mo¡¯s group. Shen MO and Bai Youwei shared a room, while Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai shared another. Shen MO slept on the top bunk, above Bai Youwei. With his large stature, if he lay flat then the bed would seem too short, revealing half of his ankles. Therefore, he could only curl up a little as he laid down, secretly sighinz in his heart: this was more uncomfortable than sleeping on the floor. There was a knock on the bed board, producing a clear ¡®thump, thump¡¯ sound in the darkness. ¡°Shen MO, are you up there?¡± Bai Youwei asked from below. ¡°Hmm,¡± Shen MO responded. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± He answered her, but she said nothing more. After a moment, Shen MO asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on, do you need to go to the bathroom?¡± The voice from the lower bunk was filled with complaint: ¡°Do I have ¡®toilet¡¯ written on my face? You always ask me if I need to go!¡± Shen MO couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Wasn¡¯t he just trying to take care of her in case she was too shy to mention it¡­.? After a while, Bai Youwei knocked on his bunk again: thump, thump, thump. ¡°Shen MO, why don¡¯t you make any sound when you sleep?¡± Bai Youwei complained. ¡°It¡¯s so quiet, not even a sound when you turn around. It feels like I¡¯m the only one in the room, and it scares me.¡± She said she was scared, but her tone hardly showed it. Shen MO knew she was just being dramatic, troublesome, and loved to be coquettish. Not in the mood to argue with her, he complied and turned over in the bed. Creak¡­ creak¡­ ¡­creak¡­ Bai Youwei: ¡°That¡¯s too noisy, now I can¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡® He was silent for a while, then patiently asked her, ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Put your hand down so that I know you¡¯re there.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Without a word, she continued knocking on the bed ¨C thump, thump, thump. Shen MO had no choice but to hang one arm down. Half a second later she grabbed hold of it. Her small hand holding his big one. Staring up at the ceiling, Shen MO felt the softness in his palm and casually remarked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you acting childish? Earlier, you were criticizing the middle school kids upstairs for being immature, but I don¡¯t see you as much better.¡± Pausing for a moment, he asked, ¡°How old are you?¡± Bai Youwei glared at the bottom of the top bunk and deflected the question with a chilly retort, ¡°How old do you think I look?¡± Without giving it a second thought, Shen MO responded: ¡°Three years old.¡± Bai Youwei: After a while, she huffed in annoyance. However dissatisfied she was, she didn¡¯t let go of the ¡®paw¡¯ in her hand.. Chapter 79 - Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Should we go into the fog? Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Should we go into the fog? Translator: 549690339 She couldn¡¯t remember when she had fallen asleep, but when she woke up again, the sky was already bright. Shen MO was not in the room. Bai Youwei slowly yawned, saw a mouthwash cup, toothbrush and toothpaste on the table, and a basin of cold water prepared. She didn¡¯t immediately get started, but sat on the bed in a daze for a while, then slowly changed her clothes, got out of bed, sat in the wheelchair, brushed her teeth and washed her face. She had accumulated two days worth of dirty clothes that she desperately wanted to throw away. However, she reluctantly washed them in the independent bathroom of the dormitory considering she had no more money to waste. It was a nuisance indeed. She had never washed clothes before in her life. Teacher Chang was cooking in the hallway outside. He borrowed a stove and a pot from upstairs. There were bottles of rice, oil, salt, vinegar, and various other condiment placed next to it. Hearing Bai Youwei getting up, he immediately said, ¡°Weiwei, breakfast will be ready soon. We have porridge and eggs, and Teacher Tu also sent a pack of instant noodles. Which would you like to have?¡± ¡°Any will do¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked from inside the room, ¡°Where¡¯s Shen MO?¡± ¡°He and Tan Xiao went to Yangzhou Port early this morning.¡± Teacher Chang looked in the direction of the school gate, ¡°They should be coming back soon.¡± Bai Youwei responded with a casual ¡°oh,¡± absentmindedly scrubbed her clothes a few times, not concerned about whether they were clean or not, and hung them all in the dormitory. Then with nothing else to do, she went to the back of the dormitory building in her wheelchair, grabbing handfuls of mint leaves from the garden. She pulled out quite a large bunch. She meticulously washed each leaf and dried them in the shadow of the corridor. Perhaps it was because she and Chang Weicai were so laid back, one cooking and the other drying leaves, the students from upstairs didn¡¯t know what to say when they saw them. Tu Dan was preparing to take his students to play a frog game today, so the atmosphere was tense from early morning. Bai Youwei, while watching them bustling about and sipping her porridge, felt a pang of regret because Teacher Chang¡¯s cooking was clearly not as good as Tu Dan¡¯s. She saw thirteen students, along with Tu Dan, in total fourteen people get on their bikes, raise their arms and waved: ¡°Safe travels. Tu Dan also waved back at her, before setting off with his students. Fourteen bicycles left one after another, riding on the campus road, like a school of fish darting through the water. The rhythm and zeal they carried were neat and full of energy. Watching the wheels of those speeding bicycles, Bai Youwei took a sip of her porridge and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m so envious¡­¡± Not long after Tu Dan and his group left, Shen MO and Tan Xiao returned. They had acquired gasoline and collected some living supplies, filling the SUV fuller than ever before, nearly bursting. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Bai Youwei remarked coldly, ¡°It looks like finding a shelter is out of the question, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have bothered to bring back so many supplies.¡± Chang Weicai was anxiously watching Shen MO and Tan Xiao, hoping they could bring back good news. Facing the old man¡¯s gaze, Shen MO, usually so decisive, found it difficult to speak. He pondered for a long time before finally saying, ¡°¡­the ship never came.¡± Teacher Chang¡¯s eyes immediately dimmed. Shen MO continued, ¡°The craft responsible for transporting people used to come every two hours, but in recent days, not a single one has showed up. Some people, unable to wait, seized the ferry at the dock, and some others went south along the Yangtze River bank. Now there are only a dozen tents left at Yangzhou Port. I estimate that the remaining people will also leave in a couple of days.¡± ¡°You mean¡­the ship will never come?¡± Teacher Chang asked shakily, ¡°Those people are not going to wait any longer?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± Tan Xiao sighed on the side, ¡°They say the mist in the city is continuously expanding. At first, it was only as large as a residential area, but now, the entire city district has been swallowed! If we wait any longer, even Yangzhou Port will not be safe!¡± Teacher Chang stared blankly, ¡°Then we¡­we¡­¡± ¡°My suggestion is¡­.¡± Shen MO looked at them and said, ¡°Should we go and check out the mist?¡± Chapter 80 - Chapter 80: Chapter 80: In the Mist Chapter 80: Chapter 80: In the Mist Translator: 549690339 After Shen MO finished speaking, Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, including Bai Youwei, all three of them remained silent. Shen Mo¡¯s gaze swept over each of their faces before he spoke again, ¡°From my experience, if the rescue ship hasn¡¯t returned, there are only two possibilities First, the rescue ship encountered trouble and couldn¡¯t save itself; Second, the rescue ship encountered no trouble, but the shelter could only accommodate a limited number of people, so the remaining people were abandoned. Regardless of the situation, there¡¯s no reason for us to wait any longer. Moreover, I¡¯ve heard at Yangzhou Port that this sort of fog isn¡¯t limited to Yangzhou, but also found in Shanghai and Hangzhou. Let¡¯s daringly assume, is it that cities with larger populations have the occurrence of the white fog? Yangzhou originally didn¡¯t have much population, but recently a large influx of people gathered, so could it have also produced the white fog? If this hypothesis holds, and the white fog keeps expanding, instead of passively being cornered, it may be better if we take charge and venture into it ourselves. Shen Mo¡¯s words held such significant information, once again it took the group a while to respond. He wasn¡¯t in a rush. He turned his head towards Bai Youwei, inexplicably confident in his heart that she would agree with his suggestion. ¡°What do you think is in the fog?¡± Shen MO asked Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes whirled a bit, mimicking his phraseology, ¡°From my experience, there are two possibilities¡ªI¡¯ First, the game environment has expanded, and we are all part of a game where the white fog kills upon contact similar to that frog we encountered; Second, the game environment has been split; the white fog is a part of a separate reality game, different from the game we have encountered on the road.¡± A smile tugged at the corner of Shen Mo¡¯s mouth. Tan Xiao kind of understood and kind of didn¡¯t, asking her, ¡°Does that mean¡­we have a fifty percent chance of dying?¡± Bai Youwei glanced at him, ¡°Consider this, the first option violates the game¡¯s fairness policy, so I think the second possibility is more likely.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tan Xiao nodded. Being the indecisive type, he usually found Shen MO and Bai Youwei¡¯s words making sense. He hesitated and then asked, ¡°When¡­when do we go?¡± MO looked at Teacher Chang, ¡°You stay here and wait for us¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming too.¡± Teacher Chang¡¯s tone was sorrowful yet very firm, ¡°As an old man, I¡¯d be just as useless here, might as well go into the fog and see, maybe I can see my parents again.¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°If we really are going¡­the sooner, the better. Let¡¯s try to get out before it gets dark.¡± ¡°We leave after we finish eating,¡± Shen MO decided. If Tu Dan were still here she¡¯d probably die of frustration. She¡¯d been struggling with her decision for days, but they casually decided to go after a few sentences. The white fog, dense and endless. If you look at it from far away, it resembles an unending spider¡¯s web. When you get up close, it looks like evaporating frost or snow. Such heavy fog made driving impossible, so the four of them formed a line and began walking. Shen MO was pushing the wheelchair. The fog was quiet. The sort of absolute quiet. There was no chirping of birds, no buzzing of insects, even the wind seemed to stop here. Under such conditions, where they could see neither the road ahead nor hear any sounds, they walked around for about three to five minutes until the fog started to clear. The sun¡¯s rays pierced through the fog, lighting up everything brightly¡ª All four of the fog-traversers were shocked to silence, their eyes widened in disbelief at the scene before them. All the buildings were combined in strange forms, stacking to form huge walls before their eyes and creating countless winding passages! The city had morphed into a giant maze! Tan Xiao walked a few steps forward in shock, touched the ¡°wall¡± that consisted of power poles, trees, steel bars, tile from single-story houses and vending machines twisted together, turned around with a look of stupefaction and said to Chang Weicai, ¡°Old Chang¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find your way home..¡± Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Huge Labyrinth Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Huge Labyrinth Translator: 549690339 All four of them were shocked. Chang Weicai walked over, touching the ¡°hybrid¡± wall bit by bit with disbelief, mumbling, ¡°This isn¡¯t scientific¡­ How can these different materials be combined so perfectly?¡± Trees were embedded in reinforced concrete, with green-grey tiles growing on the trunks. A skewed vending machine was squeezed into a corner, as if it were chopped in half, but its branches and leaves were still lush as if they were all naturally one entity. Bai Youwei looked at the faint light in the vending machine and asked, ¡°Who has coins?¡± ¡°I do¡­¡± Chang Weicai had quite a few small change in his wallet. Bai Youwei took the coins and tossed a few into the vending machine. With a few clinks, a bottle of Coke rolled out The group was stunned even more. They didn¡¯t see any power source, but this vending machine was somehow electrified! And it was functional! This is insane! Inspired, Tan Xiao sprinted forward. A bathtub was embedded in the wall across from him. When he turned on the tap, water immediately gushed out! Tan Xiao screamed, muttering, ¡°It¡¯s even freaking hot! ¡°The city has been dismantled into individual components, and then recombined.¡± Shen MO pulled out his long-unused phone and glanced at it, Water, electricity, and the internet seem to be operating as if the city hasn¡¯t changed. ¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s phone had long since run out of power and she didn¡¯t bring it with her. She looked at Shen Mo¡¯s phone and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Even with cell towers built into the walls, there is still phone signal.¡± This isn¡¯t scientifically possible. Shen MO fiddled around with his phone and shook his head slightly, ¡°We can¡¯t contact the outside world, it seems we can only use it within this area.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine too.¡± Bai Youwei looked around, ¡°This place is so big, in case we get separated, we can still use our phones to contact each other. Should we find a place to charge first?¡± ¡°No rush.¡± Shen MO turned around, looking in the direction they came from, ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can turn back first. Shen MO pushed his wheelchair, retracing their steps. As expected, they couldn¡¯t get out. When they arrived, they only walked tor a few minutes before passing through the fog, but now no matter how they moved, they remained within the fog. ¡°It seems we are indeed in a standalone replica.¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± The group returned to the maze. Sure enough, it only took them two minutes this time to walk out of the fog. They stopped at the entrance of a corridor, not in a hurry to go in. ¡°No Inspector, no rule guide, and no other players.¡± Shen MO stared into the depth of the maze, ¡°If the range of the fog coincides with the range of the maze, then the area of the maze in front of us is about 35 million square meters, or 35 square kilometers. Once we go in, we probably won¡¯t be able to get out for several days.¡± Tan Xiao had no concept of these numbers, but just hearing Shen MO describe it, he felt that the maze was incredibly huge! Bai Youwei calmly said, ¡°Although it¡¯s a bit big, water, electricity, and internet can all be used as normal, so at least for a short time we won¡¯t have to worry about supplies.¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t understand why the two big shots were so calm, but as they were calm, he seemed to feel less anxious. ¡°So, it seems¡­ it¡¯s quite nice to stay in the maze.¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head, a bit unsure, ¡°There¡¯s water, electricity, plentiful food, and we don¡¯t have to worry about suddenly falling into some game. It¡¯s¡­ pretty comfortable.¡± Bai Youwei chuckled lightly, ¡°What a beautiful thought you have.¡± Tan Xiao: What did he say wrong? ¡°If it¡¯s really comfortable¡­¡± Bai Youwei laughed, gazing deep into the maze, ¡°Then how do you explain the people who have disappeared into thin air within these walls?¡± Chapter 82 - Chapter 82: Chapter 82 Mirror Chapter 82: Chapter 82 Mirror Translator: 549690339 The fog almost covered the entire central district of Yangzhou. In this area, modern business buildings stood side by side with preserved ancient structures. There were banks, hotels, shopping malls, universities, hospitals, stadiums, Daming Temple, recreational parks, and even the Slender West Lake Scenic Area! How many people would this area comprise of normally? But the maze was eerily silent, devoid of any human sound or sight of a single person. Everyone knew one thing for sure: there was undoubtedly an unknown danger lurking within the maze. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Shen MO nudged Bai Youwei into the passage. Chang Weicai, the teacher, followed. Tan Xiao remained at the rear. The journey was smooth and calm. Shen MO strode along the main path, oblivious to the bifurcations on either side. After walking continuously for over ten minutes, something started to feel off. The walls flanking them were increasingly teeming with mirrors. The reflections and refractions of these mirrors made the forked paths appear convoluted, causing further confusion. ¡°Is this a Mirror Maze?¡± Tan Xiao observed the sides. ¡°I once played in one at a science museum. It was filled with mirrors, even more than here. Walking around, you could see countless reflections of yourself. It was disorienting.¡± Bai Youwei responded in surprise, ¡°You¡¯ve been to a science museum?¡± Tan Xiao nodded in earnest, ¡°Yes, I handed out flyers and balloons to children there when I was low on money.¡± Bai Youwei formed an unspoken smirk. Ahead, the entire side of an unknown skyscraper was lazing on the ground. Its pure glass walls made entirely of mirrors reflected their moving figures, and also the clear blue sky and white clouds. Continuing, they found two rows of public bathroom sinks, each with a mirror above. One could see themselves in the mirrors stretching out for at least a hundred meters. Although they hadn¡¯t reached the end yet, from what they could see, it seemed like ahead was infested with dense mirrors. Shen MO came to a halt. The rest stopped too, casting puzzled looks. ¡°Look at the mirrors.¡± Shen MO instructed. Mystified, everyone turned to look at the mirrors around them. ¡°What are we looking at the mirrors for?¡± Tan Xiao examined his reflection. Wearing the same T-shirt and jeans, sporting the same granny hair, but¡­ something was amiss. He stepped closer to the mirror in bewilderment, and after two or three steps, he jumped back in alarm! ¡°Holy shit!¡± Tan Xiao nearly peed his pants, ¡°Take a look at the mirrors! ¡± In the mirrors, they were still themselves, yet, not themselves. Inside the mirrors, they had turned into dolls! Bai Youwei subconsciously touched her face; her reflection did the same. She touched her hair, and so did her reflection. Bai Youwei removed her gaze from the mirror, looking down at her hands and pinching herself. It hurt a bit, turning a little reddish. She was clearly still human, but the reflection in the mirror showed her as a doll! This feeling nauseated her. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving forward.¡± Shen MO said calmly, ¡°These mirrors are strange. Try to stay away from them as much as possible.¡± The abnormality of the mirrors was their first slight disturbance since entering the maze, startling but harmless. After another 20 minutes, they arrived at an open area With a perfect squared shape, flat and even, there was a round fountain right in the middle, like a standout landmark. ¡°It¡¯s a public square,¡± Chang Weicai remarked while surveying the surroundings, his voice slow and solemn. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s this place¡­ but the trees and flowers are gone, the square was by the canal, but there¡¯s no river here either¡­ ¡® Only countless mirrored walls stood here, and between the mirrors, there were maze interconnections pointing to all directions. Bai Youwei wheeled herself to the edge of the fountain and noticed her reflection in the water: a doll holding a teddy bear. She reached out to touch the water surface, but Shen MO caught her wrist, his eyes flashing a warning. Bai Youwei reluctantly withdrew her hand. Shen MO turned to Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai, ¡°Although there are no inspectors and rule explanations here, it seems that the condition for clearing this area is to find the exit of this maze. If you have any ideas, don¡¯t hesitate to share..¡± Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: Chapter 83: I Wish Chapter 83: Chapter 83: I Wish Translator: 549690339 ¡°Shen MO tried to gather everyone¡¯s opinions as much as possible. He knew that by involving everyone, he could strengthen their unity and keep an eye on everyone¡¯s status. His approach was largely the same as when he trained his previous squad before. Master Cheng said, ¡°Mazes are generally divided into simple mazes and complex mazes. There are two methods to navigate them; one is from the outside in, and the other is from the inside out. We seem to be in the center of the maze now. If this is the starting point of the maze, then the end point should be around the edges.¡± Tan Xiao also, surprisingly, made a serious comment, ¡°I have experience with mazes. With three steps, you can navigate any maze¡ª First, choose any path and move forward once you enter the maze; Second, if you encounter a dead end, immediately turn back and make a mark at the intersection; Third, if you come across a fork, choose a path you haven¡¯t taken yet. If you¡¯ve taken all paths, turn back and mark the original fork. Repeat the second and third steps until you find the exit.¡± After he spoke, he touched his nose and added in a quieter voice, ¡°I searched for maze strategies on gaming forums. With these, I cleared the Crystal Tower in ¡®Final Fantasy¡¯, the Poker Maze in ¡®Legend of Hope¡¯, and the Four Towers in ¡®Trails in the Sky¡¯¡­¡± Shen MO, who never played games, asked, ¡°What is that?¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Those are RPG games from a hundred years ago.¡± Tan Xiao gave Bai Youwei an approving look! ¡®¡­¡± Shen Mo was speechless. He turned his gaze away and looked down at Bai Youwei, ¡°And you, what are your thoughts about this place?¡± ¡°My thought is¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered with her chin in her hand. ¡°I think¡­¡± she started slowly, ¡°¡­ I want to have a barbecue first.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Are you serious?¡± Bai Youwei feigned innocence, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with wanting something different to eat after days of ramen and plain porridge?¡± Tan Xiao quickly added, ¡°There¡¯s a Korean barbecue restaurant on the way here! They¡¯ll definitely have meat in their freezer!¡± Master Cheng said, ¡°Since the maze is so large and we can¡¯t leave for a while, we should gather supplies first. We need many things for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He somehow felt that he had been demoted. From an adventure team leader to a tour guide. Two hours later. Top-quality snowflake-style beef and pork belly were sizzling on the grill. There were other uncooked ingredients such as three different types of pork belly, tender beef tongue, squid tentacles, chicken wings, bacon, beef tripe, onions, potatoes, and enoki mushrooms¡­ Shen MO sat amid the bustling, smoky atmosphere, feeling somewhat out of place. ¡°Why the long face?¡± Bai Youwei bit down on a chicken bone, her crunching sounds full of satisfaction. Shen Mo, still on high alert, muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, you guys eat.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°You may not eat, but you can grill, right?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® She pushed a plate of ribeye steak into his hands: ¡°Here, grill this.¡± Shen MO was quiet for a while, then sighed inwardly, picked up the tongs, and joined the grilling team. The grill sizzled with the aroma of grilling meat wafting in the air. Tan Xiao was sweating profusely from the heat, drinking chilled beer in large gulps. He hadn¡¯t enjoyed himself this much in a long time. He bit into a piece of streaky bacon and mumbled, ¡°Is it really¡­ appropriate for us to eat like this?¡± Shen MO transferred the grilled meat into Bai Youwei¡¯s plate. He thought to himself: I knew it was inappropriate. ¡°Eat up.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°We¡¯ll need our strength for the work ahead.¡± Shen MO gave her a glance. As she casually ate, Bai Youwei remarked, ¡°Actually, I have an idea¡­.¡± Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Two Teams of People Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Two Teams of People Translator: 549690339 Everyone was looking at her. The mood should have been serious and tense, but because everyone was holding food and wine, it strangely felt like the gossip chatting after a party. Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Have you come up with a way out yet?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°If it was a regular maze, Tan Xiao¡¯s method would be sufficient. But¡­ in this maze, I think looking for the exit is secondary. What we really need to find is people.¡± ¡°People?¡± Tan Xiao gobbled up a piece of ox tongue, ¡°Which people?¡± Professor Chang Weicai carefully wrapped bacon around an enoki mushroom and sighed. ¡°Weiwei must be referring to those who have disappeared.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°We need to identify the crisis to know where survival lies. The only clue we have now is that there¡¯s something wrong with the mirrors here. Are there any other dangers in the maze? Are there any traps? Are there any taboos? To answer these questions, I¡¯m afraid we have to find those missing persons first.¡± Shen MO pondered,saying slowly, ¡°We won¡¯t know what threats or opportunities there are, until we venture deeper into the maze. Given its size, we will need at least two days to navigate the entire maze. If the maze is even more complicated, it might even take us three days.¡± This is going to be a war of attrition. Unlike the games that ended in a few minutes, in this maze, it is the last ones standing who win. As they chatted, they made a plan to explore: Using the fountain in the center of the maze as the starting point, dividing the maze into eight exploration areas in the shape of a Chinese character ¡®9,¡± exploring two to three areas each day. This way, by the third day, they would have figured out the entire maze. To expedite the exploration of the maze, items such as phones, ropes, paint, spray guns, along with glue and paper for marking were all added to the list of supplies to find. Bai Youwei stated, ¡°We also need to find some tents. I don¡¯t want to have to sleep facing the mirrors.¡± The rest area they were currently located in was in the center of the maze. Surrounded by mirrors on all sides, a casual glance would show their puppet-like reflection in the mirror, an unsettling feeling. Shen MO nodded. He agreed that sleeping in tents would be safer. After all, no one could guarantee what might happen if they constantly exposed themselves to the mirrors. ¡°After we finish eating, we will search an area while gathering supplies,¡± Shen MO calmly ordered, ¡°Keep in mind this is just our first day, no need to rush. Remember to conserve energy, we¡¯ll take turns keeping watch tonight.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement as the barbecue was coming to an end. Just as they were preparing to clear up the leftovers, the sound of footsteps and faint voices came from not far off, gradually getting closer. ¡°I seem to smell grilled meat¡­¡± ¡°Yang Yi, you¡¯re drooling over meat, haha!¡± ..Hey, it does indeed smell like grilled meat, I also smell it¡­¡± ¡°I smell it too!¡± ¡°Professor Tu! There are people up ahead!¡± Tu Dan led a group of students out of the passage and found Shen MO, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, along with their grill and barbecue. Tu Dan¡¯s group was stunned. So was Shen Mo¡¯s group. . Oh my.¡± One of the girls expressed in disbelief, ¡°They are actually barbecuing in the maze.¡± Because of the silence, her voice echoed in the air clearly, making the awl?vard atmosphere even more palpable¡­ Tan Xiao, having size up the situation, casually invite them: ¡°Have you guys eaten? Join us?¡± Tu Dan: The students: . Professor Chang was enthusiastic, ¡°I¡¯ll go gather some more charcoal.¡± ¡®IN-no, there¡¯s no need, Professor Chang,¡± Tu Dan stammered. ¡°We¡¯ve already eaten¡­¡± Her gaze reluctantly landed on Shen MO and Bai Youwei, ¡°So¡­. you guys are also here inside?¡± Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Asking So Much Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Asking So Much Translator: 549690339 Shen MO replied naturally, ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot.¡± He then asked Tu Dan, ¡°Did you guys get the mud?¡± Tu Dan curled the corners of her mouth and smirked, ¡°Yep, we got it.¡± Although she said she got it, she didn¡¯t seem too thrilled, as did the students around her, wearing complex expressions. However, they weren¡¯t close enough for Shen MO to probe. After exchanging pleasantries, they busied themselves. Shen Mo¡¯s team was to clean up a heap of leftovers and greasy plates. Tu Dan¡¯s team was evidently prepared. They brought bundles of ropes and different colored flags. By exploring the route and getting the results, they planted differently colored flags at the intersections¡ª Red for dead ends, green for passable routes, and yellow for unexplored paths. These fifteen or sixteen-year-olds, still half children, had more energy than adults. They were so busy that they had quickly planted numerous colorful flags nearby. There was no progress on Shen Mo¡¯s side. Bai Youwei whispered to him, ¡°I want to take a shower.¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t respond verbally but gave her a look which clearly asked, ¡°Are you sure you have to pick this moment?¡± Bai Youwei got the message. ¡°I have to shower, I can¡¯t stand the smell of meat on me, it¡¯s uncomfortable.¡¯ She shouldn¡¯t be uncomfortable. Because once she became uncomfortable, it would make everyone around her feel uncomfortable too. ¡°We have to explore anyway. If we find a place to take shower along the way, just wait for me, it¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Bai Youwei said nonchalantly. A passing female student heard her and couldn¡¯t help but make a surprised face. Inside a maze, their lives were hanging by a thread. Not only did they have the mood to eat barbecue, but they even wanted to find a place to take a shower now?! Did they come here on a vacation? Finding it tedious to argue with the delicate and coquettish Bai Youwei, Shen MO casually agreed. ¡ªThe maze walls were a chaotic patchwork. A bus was squished against a double bed, half a bathroom stuck to the kitchen, a toilet suspended in cement. It was a regular freak show. With her obsession for cleanliness, it was unlikely to find a suitable place for a shower, wasn¡¯t it? The four of them got ready to explore. To avoid interfering with Tu Dan¡¯s team, they set off in the opposite direction. Bai Youwei asked Shen MO to turn on the phone¡¯s built-in pedometer. Walking and recording simultaneously. Whenever they encountered a fork in the road, she stopped and recorded, like 38 meters ahead ¨C left turn ¨C intersection 1, 89 meters ahead ¨C right turn intersection 2¡­ The more detailed the numbers, the more accurately they could reproduce the site map on paper. Whenever she came across a minimally damaged shop, Bai Youwei would note it down as well to ensure they didn¡¯t scramble around like headless flies when gathering supplies. Fairly speaking, when Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t acting out, she was truly a reliable partner. But when she started to¡­ ¡°I want to take a shower.¡± Bai Youwei stopped in front of a budget hotel chain, refusing to take another step. Shen MO glanced ahead, ¡°There are two intersections left and this corridor will be explored.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not moving. I¡¯m not going anywhere unless I can shower,¡± she sat sulking in the wheelchair. ¡°I want to take a shower right now.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® The teacher looked around and said, ¡°There¡¯s a ladder over there, I¡¯ll go get it.¡± Tan Xiao also went to help move the ladder. Forgot to mention that only half of this hotel chain squeezed into the wall. The part with the elevator and stairs was gone, so to access the second-floor rooms, they needed to find a way to climb¡­ The three unlikely companions, old and young, went to great lengths to enable Bai Youwei to take a shower. Bringing a ladder wasn¡¯t enough; they also salvaged boxes, tables, cabinets, sofas from nearby¡­the hotel¡¯s lobby ceiling was too high. After stacking several layers, they finally managed to set the ladder on the second floor. Shen MO carried Bai Youwei on his back to the second floor, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the door. Don¡¯t take too long, call me every three minutes. If you don¡¯t want to talk, just hum so I know you are okay¡­ Don¡¯t wash your hair, drying it would be a waste of time, it¡¯s best if you rinse and come out.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°With so many requirements, why don¡¯t you help me shower?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Chapter 86 - Chapter 86: Chapter 86 Crying Chapter 86: Chapter 86 Crying Translator: 549690339 On the fourth day away from home, Bai Youwei finally got her wish and took a hot bath. Without the help of a servant, it was a bit tricky to get cleaned up, but she still washed thoroughly from head to toe. Every few minutes, Shen MO knocked on the door. On average, Bai Youwei would respond once for every two knocks. When Bai Youwei almost finished bathing, she looked at her own white skin, dark wet hair, and shiny droplets of water¡­ Spontaneously, she had a ¡°mischievous idea¡± to tease Shen MO by staying silent on purpose. ¡°¡­Bai Youwei?¡± Shen MO knocked on the door again, sounding irritated, ¡°Bai Youwei, respond if you can hear me.¡± Bai Youwei: It¡¯s hard to say exactly why, but she just wanted to see a hint of a crack on his cold, stern face¡­ Even if it infuriates him, it must be pretty fun. Of course, she also hoped for something else to appear on his face, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on what it was just yet. ¡°Bai Youwei, are you there? I¡¯m coming in.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice sounded somewhat through gritted teeth, ¡°¡­you better not be joking.¡± Bai Youwei chuckled under her fluffy hair as she wiped her long locks with a dry towel. Her hair quality wasn¡¯t great. Being naturally unhealthy, it was thin and soft. However, owing to careful maintenance, it was very smooth, with a beautiful, pale-ink color. She wiped her hair carefully, and as she reached the ends, she looked at her own legs. They were legs deformed from long periods of sitting¡ªpale, thin, and even a bit atrophied¡­ Bai Youwei¡¯s actions halted. It was odd ¨C why did she want him to see her like this? The subtle exhilaration she felt just now dissipated like a breeze, leaving only bland emptiness. The door handle of the bathroom rattled, seemingly, Shen MO was genuinely planning to come in. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She croaked, her voice calm, ¡°Don¡¯t rush me, so annoying.¡± The rattling noise stopped. After a brief silence, the man outside grumbled and dropped two words, ¡°Hurry up.¡± Bai Youwei repeated: ¡°If you think I¡¯m slow, why don¡¯t you come in and help me bathe?¡± There was no sound from outside the door. Bai Youwei slowly dried herself and put on her clothes. The steam in the bathroom gradually dissipated, and the mirror that was covered in condensation became clear again. As she fixed her hair in front of the mirror, the doll in the mirror was also holding a silken brush and combing its hair. Maybe her outlook is inherently different from most people¡¯s, because for her, there was nothing scary about the doll in the mirror when looking at it after a while. Studying more closely, the doll was indeed exquisite, with a full forehead, soft hair, and individually clear eyelashes. While combing her painstakingly grown hair, the doll in the mirror did the same for a while, but then stopped, looking upset, and even began to cry. Bai Youwei was curious, how could a doll cry? She stared at her reflection in the mirror, watching as ¡°she¡± cried with large tears streaming down her cheeks, sobbing so sincerely, so weak and helpless¡­ Strangely, it felt familiar. But she was sure she had never seen such a scene before. Because she couldn¡¯t possibly cry like this, like a complete coward. Bai Youwei looked in the mirror, staring at ¡°herself¡±, and gradually lost focus. Her thoughts started running off on a bizarre tangent, thinking: Why am I crying? What am I crying for?¡­ A scream suddenly came from outside! Bai Youwei was jolted awake, realizing that she had unknowingly leaned close to the mirror, and the tear-streaked doll inside had actually reached out half an arm through the mirror! Bai Youwei instantly sucked in a cold breath! Anger welled up in her heart, and she flung the towel in her hand at it! ¡°Cry my ass off!¡± Chapter 87 - Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Suddenly Awakened from the Dream Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Suddenly Awakened from the Dream Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei tossed her towel aside, rushing away from the bathroom in her wheelchair. Shen MO was no longer outside the door. He had jumped down directly! At the moment, he was on the first floor, having just pulled Tan Xiao out of the Koi pond in the hotel lobby! The hotel lobby had a pond on one side, home to dozens of koi fish. Tan Xiao, bored, had been idly trying to catch the fish when he accidentally fell in and couldn¡¯t get out! The depth of the pond was just up to his calves! ¡°This place is haunted by water ghosts!¡± Tan Xiao cried out in fright, soaking wet. ¡°A water ghost pulled me into the water! Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a water ghost!¡± The teacher next to him saw it clearly, his face pale as he exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s a doll, the doll came out from your reflection!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s face paled at these words. He turned his head to look upstairs, only to see a shadowy figure looming behind Bai Youwei! Upon closer inspection, it was a mannequin doll! It reached out its hands, all stiffness like a corpse creeping up on Bai Youwei! ¡°Bai Youwei!¡± Shen MO roared, ¡°Jump down!¡± Even before Shen MO had started showing alarming signs, Bai Youwei already sensed something was off. But hell! How was she supposed to jump?! She was paralyzed for God¡¯s sake?! Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look back. She pushed with her hands, shifting her weight forcefully! And from the second floor, her entire body toppled over The clattering sound next to her ear was her wheelchair toppled over, falling with her. She quickly closed her eyes as she descended, her heart pounding with fear. She couldn¡¯t tell whether she would get hurt from the fall first or get hit by the falling wheelchair. A large hand wraps around her waist. She had a hard fall due to inertia, then that hand steadily lifted her, swaying her in the air for half a circle¡ª She felt dizzy, opening her eyes to see Shen MO holding her with one hand while gripping onto a ladder rung with the other. In his arms, she looked at him, from this angle, his profile was handsome, resolute, with a cold stare. His thin lips pursed into a line, revealing an authoritative aura hidden within his seriousness and restraint. With a dazed backdrop, this scene unfolding before her was truly breathtaking. Bang! A loud noise. Bai Youwei snapped back to reality. She twisted her head to see her wheelchair had hit the ground, lying sideways with its wheels spinning unhurriedly and reflecting the cold metallic light from the axle. The mannequin doll upstairs had vanished without a trace. ¡°Let¡¯s go out,¡± The teacher suggested, his voice trembling with fear as he righted the wheelchair, looking around him. Everywhere seemed unsafe. Shen Mo¡¯s voice was calm, ¡°Be mindful of reflective surfaces when going out.¡± Reflective surfaces included mirrors, glass, water surfaces, and any other objects that could reflect images. For a moment, everyone felt danger even from the tile under their feet! They hurriedly rushed out of the hotel. In the labyrinthine corridor, Shen MO put Bai Youwei on the wheelchair and checked her up and down. Although her hair was messy and scattered, the fact that she was sitting there unharmed was a great fortune. ¡°If the doll in the mirror is the game¡¯s difficulty created for us, then wouldn¡¯t the exit be in the vicinity where the mirrors are most concentrated?¡± Shen MO thought out loud. Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°The mirrors are concentrated in the middle of the maze, it¡¯s too easy if the exit and the starting point coincide, that would be cheating.¡± After a pause, she continued: ¡°I think the doppelganger in the mirror should be a clue or a hint.¡± She turned to Tan Xiao and asked, ¡°Did you notice anything different about your reflection as you were trying to catch the fish?¡± Tan Xiao hesitated, ¡°I didn¡¯t pay attention¡­¡± ¡°Did your doppelganger seem unusual?¡± Shen MO asked Bai Youwei. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°¡­ well, if you guys have a chance, you should carefully observe your reflections in the mirror. Of course, for safety¡¯s sake, someone should be by your side.¡± As they all looked at each other, finally, they all nodded in agreement.. Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: Chapter 88: Return to the Center of the Maze Chapter 88: Chapter 88: Return to the Center of the Maze Translator: 549690339 In the following time, they finished the remaining stretch of their path, then turned into the branching path, calculating the number of steps they had taken whilst scavenging for supplies. Chang Weicai found a redwood walking stick from a shop. He was not yet old enough to need a cane, but witnessing Tan Xiao¡¯s attack had unsettled him. Having something in his hand that would serve as a weapon gave him solace. Tan Xiao, on the other hand, was forgetful. Seeing a tap on the side of the road, he immediately ¨C and thoughtlessly ¨C took a cold shower. His bathing process was less cumbersome than Bai Youwei¡¯s. He just stood directly underneath the tap, rubbed his T-shirt, and washed his clothes in the process. ¡°Look at this,¡± Chang Weicai pointed at a poster on the wall with his walking stick, ¡°We¡¯ve been seeing these posters and flyers all over since we entered here¡­¡± Using his walking stick to lift a corner of a poster, a polished mirror was revealed. As soon as he saw it, he dropped the poster. Shen MO said, ¡°These must have been put up by people from before.¡± Everyone glanced at the road ahead, noticing more posters messily affixed to the walls. Some mirrors weren¡¯t covered, instead smeared with streaks of paint, looking quite ghastly. The fact that the people previously trapped in the maze also feared mirrors indicated their danger. They became increasingly wary of mirrors. They continued onward. Gradually, they found traces of human activity, such as discarded meal boxes, leftover drinks, and beds that had once served as temporary rest spots. However, there were no signs of people. As the light dimmed, dusk came. They decided to return to the starting point of the maze. Because they had been counting their steps all along, they could easily calculate their way back. Halfway through their return, there was a hissing sound of electric current in the air. Then, the entire maze lit up remarkably! ¨C -It was brightly lit. The darkened houses illuminated their windows, and the high-profile neon lights kept flickering. The maze, imbued with light, resembled a noisy and bustling market from the old days, making people feel as if nothing had changed in a trance. Bai Youwei had never felt that the night view was so beautiful. Although it had only been three or four days since the power outage, she felt as though a century had passed, and was so moved by the sight of the lights. It was ironic. However, beauty always concealed danger. When the brilliant lights reflected on the mirrors, the constant reflection and refraction was enough to disorient people. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Shen MO, pushing the wheelchair forward. ¡°Chang Weicai should stick to the middle, and Tan Xiao will keep an eye on the rear.¡± The two of them nodded in acknowledgment. When they returned to the center of the maze, Tu Dan and the others were having dinner. The things Shen MO and his group brought from the Korean barbecue restaurant were still there. Chang Weicai volunteered to cook dinner. Having had barbecue for lunch, they decided to have something light for dinner. Bai Youwei was picky and didn¡¯t want to have noodles. In the end, she put several bags of frozen dumplings into the pot, and also made a large pot of seaweed egg soup. Chang Weicai was not particularly skillful at cooking porridge, but his soup was superb. The egg flowers were evenly distributed, bright yellow in color, and silky in texture. Some bits of shrimp skin and scallions were added last, making even the simplest dish tempting and fragrant, carrying a warm sense of home. The neighboring students were having a simple meal of instant noodles and sausages, and at the sight of both dumplings and soup on their side, jealousy flared up in their eyes. At this point, they saw Tu Dan and Zhang Tianyang heading their way. The students continued to tease, ¡°Tianyang! Bring back some dumplings!¡± Zhang Tianyang retorted with a smile, ¡°Can¡¯t you cook it yourself if you want some!¡± He wasn¡¯t heading there to get dumplings. Zhang Tianyang glanced at the solemn expression on Teacher Tu and felt a heavy weight in his heart. With two groups having entered the maze at the same time, they were either friends or foes. He hoped that he could convince the others to team up with Teacher Tu this time and reach a cooperation agreement¡­. Chapter 89 - Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Different Ways of Walking Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Different Ways of Walking Translator: 549690339 Having an extra ally is always better than having an extra enemy. Tu Dan brought Zhang Tianyang over to Shen Mo¡¯s side, and first thanked Teacher Chang. Zhang Tianyang, the sunny, tall boy, straightforwardly bowed to Chang Weicai. Chang Weicai, holding a pot in his hand, couldn¡¯t avoid it and put down the soup pot to smile at him and asked, ¡°Are you fully recovered now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m completely fine!¡± Zhang Tianyang said with a smile, ¡°I was unable to eat due to the pain from my wound, and was bedridden for two or three days due to hunger. Now, after a good meal and drink, there¡¯s no problem at all!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Chang Weicai replied with a pleasant expression, ¡°Be careful in the future. Consider carefully before taking action, so as to avoid future troubles. Zhang Tianyang repeatedly affirmed his words. After expressing gratitude, it was time to delve into the main topic. Tu Dan carefully sorted out her words, and cautiously proposed, ¡°In the last game, we coincidentally obtained some information about the maze. We thought of trying our luck, but didn¡¯t expect to meet you guys¡­ Since we¡¯re together again, should we cooperate in the next few days and try to find the exit together?¡± ¡°Cooperate?¡± The soft voice of Bai Youwei was unusually noticeable at this time. She stared at him with cat-like eyes, looking at Tu Dan and then Zhang Tianyang standing next to her, and said, ¡°We probably can¡¯t cooperate, can Shen MO lightly tussled her hair and said, ¡°Stop being silly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being silly, we just can¡¯t cooperate.¡± Bai Youwei said innocently, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the ropes and flags they brought? There are probably only about a hundred flags, divided into three colors, which means only about thirty flags of each kind. It¡¯s definitely not enough to cover the entire maze. They probably plan to go forward in a progressive manner, which is different from us.¡± Zhang Tianyang¡¯s eyebrows lifted in surprise as he looked at Bai Youwei. Though he had already heard from his teacher that she was smart, he never thought that from the ropes and flags in their hands, she could deduce their upcoming strategy. Flags are of limited quantity. If the maze has ten thousand forks, they could not possibly prepare ten thousand flags. So, they had to choose a starting line and orderly advance forward. The areas they¡¯ve passed were left behind, becoming a ¡°waste area¡±, while the flags were always placed in the ¡°new area¡± ahead, repeating this cycle. If the maze was likened to a face of a clock, then they were like the second hand, eventually tracking a complete circle. Shen MO, who didn¡¯t pay much attention to the surprise on Tu Dan and Zhang Tianyang¡¯s faces, casually asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Oh, then what is our strategy?¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a while and turned to look at Shen Mo: ¡°Yarn Ball Method? Sunflower Method? ¡­ Which one sounds better?¡± Zhang Tianyang understood, ¡°You guys are using the point-to-area method? Starting from one point, dividing the maze into several areas, and then exploring each area one by one. Is that it?¡± Bai Youwei ignored him, she tugged at Shen MO and asked, ¡°Which one sounds better?¡± Zhang Tianyang, Shen MO loosened Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, and responded to Tu Dan, ¡°Our strategies are indeed very different. Besides, seeing how well-prepared you are, I don¡¯t think you would switch to our method. Likewise, it seems unnecessary for us to join you. Since we can¡¯t cooperate, we better move separately.¡± Tu Dan looked disappointed, but she could understand and nodded, ¡°Fine, it seems there¡¯s no other way.¡± It was a pity that she was unable to form a strong alliance, but her main goal of this trip was not to create enemies, so she reluctantly accepted this outcome. Just as she was about to say goodbye, Zhang Tianyang could not stay silent and said, ¡°Mr. Shen! Your method is too time-consuming, why don¡¯t you join us?¡± ¡°Tianyang.¡± Tu Dan frowned and called out to him. Zhang Tianyang insisted, ¡°Isn¡¯t it faster to find the exit if we work together? Teacher Tu, you also persuade them!¡± ¡°Haha¡­ this is killing me,¡± Bai Youwei again clung to Shen Mo¡¯s arm,¡± Don¡¯t pay them any heed. Their method has a major flaw.. Let them fumble around!¡± Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Brocade Bag Prop Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Brocade Bag Prop Translator: 549690339 ¡ªBug, refers to some undiscovered flaws or loopholes. Upon hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s words, Zhang Tianyang was taken aback, even a little disbelieving. ¡°Our movement has a bug?! What bug?¡± This was the strategy he and his classmates had discussed together. They had the advantage of numbers, and using a continuous approach would maximize their manpower and allow them to find the correct path as quickly as possible. And Bai Youwei was saying their method had a bug?! Bai Youwei glanced at him indifferently, her tone cold, ¡°Interesting. Why should I tell you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zhang Tianyang was speechless. ¡°Unless you can give a reason for entering the maze, I might consider helping.¡± Bai Youwei raised a corner of her mouth, a cunning smile on her face, ¡°So, shall we exchange information?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Tan Xiao snapped to attention, looking puzzled towards Tu Dan, ¡°You¡¯re a female teacher. Unlike us, you don¡¯t have the abilities or experience. You don¡¯t know anything, so why did you bring students into this and stir up trouble?¡± Being frank can be a double-edged sword. Tu Dan went crimson, a look of embarrassment on her face. Bai Youwei, on the other hand, didn¡¯t hold back her laughter. Tu Dan is usually careful. Of course, she didn¡¯t come here to make trouble, but it¡¯s hard to deal with someone like Tan Xiao, who has his own unique logic. It¡¯s really unspeakable, there¡¯s no way to explain. Shen Mo quietly squeezed Bai Youwei¡¯s palm, signalling her to control her laughter. Whether she didn¡¯t understand or deliberately misinterpreted his intentions, she responded with a beaming smile and squeezed his palm back, giggling, even scratching in a playful manner. Shen Mo: ¡® He did not want to engage in such childish behavior. Shen MO withdrew his hand, looking indifferent, ¡°The reason Ms. Tu is unwilling to speak up could well be related to the final reward of the maze game, right? The reward of an independent instance must be quite tempting. It¡¯s only human, we understand.¡± He lowered his eyelids, continuing without emotion, ¡°Since we are all in the maze, we¡¯ll rely on our own skills from now on.¡± All along, Tu Dan¡¯s attitude has been less than candid, including her current attempt at cooperation, which was a mix of truth and testing, without showing any sincerity. So let¡¯s each rely on our own skills¡ªdon¡¯t actively harm others, but don¡¯t actively help either. This was the most goodwill Shen MO could offer. Tu Dan¡¯s face reddened further in embarrassment, ¡°Mr. Shen, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, it¡¯s not that Ms. Tu doesn¡¯t want to tell you.¡± Zhang Tianyang interrupted Tu Dan, explaining, ¡°It¡¯s because it involves my tool, Ms. Tu was afraid that I would mind, so she didn¡¯t fully explain to you. It¡¯s actually this thing¡­¡± He took a piece of paper from his pocket and calmly handed it to Shen Mo. There were only two sentences on the paper: ¡°Collect all the pieces of the puzzle to clear all games.¡± ¡°Location of the puzzle: The misty place.¡± Zhang Tianyang said, ¡°In the lucky question game, I had obtained the highest score and received a Brocade Bag as a reward. With the Brocade Bag, I could ask the Inspector any question, and he would have to answer.¡± He paused for two seconds, seeming a bit embarrassed, then continued, ¡°I used the item on the spot. The question I asked was¡­ ahem, how to make the puppet game disappear and restore peace to everyone¡¯s lives.¡± Wow, that¡¯s quite ambitious. Bai Youwei craned her neck to take a look, asking him, ¡°You can¡¯t determine that the maze is within the mist just based on this.¡± They had brought so many ropes and flags when they entered, so it was obvious they were well-prepared, unless the Inspector had revealed other information to them. Zhang Tianyang did not immediately respond this time, but instead looked at Tu Dan first. Tu Dan frowned and nodded at him. Only then did Zhang Tianyang continue, ¡°I suppose Ms. Tu has already told you about my injury, which was caused by another player. Actually, after leaving the game at that time, they wanted to continue attacking us, but luckily some people happened to pass by and saved us. We learned about the maze from those people.¡± Bai Youwei curiously asked, ¡°What kind of people were they?¡± Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: Chapter 91: There’s a Puzzle in the Maze Chapter 91: Chapter 91: There¡¯s a Puzzle in the Maze Translator: 549690339 There were five people who saved the students, three men and two women. After they rescued Tu Dan and her group, they asked her whether there was fog in Hangzhou City. At that time, Tu Dan had just escaped from Hangzhou with her students and encountered the game; she was in a state of shock. She didn¡¯t understand why these people were courting death, but still guided them. Meanwhile, she heard a fat man saying, ¡°Hurry up, don¡¯t let others beat us to it!¡± Another woman casually replied, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Everyone in the maze is probably dead. Who will compete with us¡­¡± In the time it took for these exchanges, their vehicle had already driven off. Tu Dan didn¡¯t take it to heart. She was focusing on how to seek refuge in Yangzhou, but never expected that there was a dense fog in Yangzhou, too, and the rescue ship hadn¡¯t arrived. Later, Tu Dan and the students gradually calmed down. They found a place to settle down, then re-analyzed the message in the Brocade Bag, combing it with the last two comments from the group, and concluded: One, there¡¯s a maze in the fog; Two, there¡¯s a puzzle within the maze. The quantity of the puzzle should be limited, otherwise the fat man wouldn¡¯t use the word ¡°snatch¡±. The note in the Brocade Bag mentioned, ¡°Completing the puzzle will clear all the games¡±, which proves the puzzle is extremely valuable. That is why Tu Dan hesitated and didn¡¯t clearly explain everything to Shen Mo. She wanted to fight for more chances for herself and the students. Now, Zhang Tianyang made everything clear, stared at Bai Youwei, and asked, ¡°Now can you tell me? What¡¯s the problem with our approach?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°There¡¯s no problem.¡± Zhang Tianyang¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You!¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush. There¡¯s a ¡®but¡¯.¡± Bai Youwei smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no problem with the approach, but the error tolerance is almost zero. That is to say, once a mistake is found along the way, you must start over.¡± ¡°So, you are quite sure that we will make a mistake?¡± Zhang Tianyang asked, unconvinced. ¡°Because you are human.¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, expressing a matter-of-fact manner. ¡°As long as you¡¯re human, you¡¯ll certainly make mistakes. You can¡¯t guarantee that your classmates are as smart and careful as you, or that they won¡¯t go in the wrong direction in the corridor. Just think, when you progress 80% through the maze using your advancement method, and then find that the latest corridor is a dead end, and the correct corridor has been missed without your realizing it, if you go back to check, how are you going to do it? Don¡¯t you have to start from the beginning?¡± Zhang Tianyang¡¯s face turned from white to a forbidding shade of green. Bai Youwei spread her hands, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, that¡¯s alright. After all, if I were you, I would now go and check if there is any problem with the progress just made.¡± Zhang Tianyang was silent for a moment with his lips tightly pressed, then suddenly turned and walked towards the maze passage. ¡°Tianyang!¡± Tu Dan quickly reached out to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless, it¡¯s getting late! ¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Teacher Tu, I¡¯m just going to take a quick look, I won¡¯t go too deep.¡± Zhang Tianyang forced a smile and replied, ¡°Besides, there are lights everywhere here; there¡¯s enough light.¡± He insisted on going. Tu Dan had to look after the other students and couldn¡¯t accompany him, so she yelled to the group of students, ¡°Yang Yi, go with Zhang Tianyang.¡± A tall boy stood up and went with Zhang Tianyang. The other students were left with mixed expressions, clustered in front of their tents, discussing quietly: ¡°Is our approach really not working?¡± ¡°I am not sure¡­ Hey, did you plant the flags correctly when you were doing it?¡± ¡°I think I did, how about you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± After a short while, Zhang Tianyang and Yang Yi returned. Both boys had their heads down and shoulders drooped, looking somewhat disheartened. Chen Hui brought over two bottles of water and asked, ¡°How did it go? Did you find anything?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Yang Yi took a sip of water, his gaze shifted to Zhang Tianyang beside him, ¡°There was a flag misplaced..¡± Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: Chapter 92: The Argument Begins Chapter 92: Chapter 92: The Argument Begins Translator: 549690339 As soon as the words were spoken, there was a slight uproar among the students. ¡°Were we really wrong?! ¡± ¡°What should we do now?¡­ Did we work in vain today?¡± ¡°How could this happen! Who planted the flag wrongly?!¡± ¡°Lin Zihang, was it you? You said earlier that you were not sure about one place!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?! Didn¡¯t you say that you were also unsure?!¡± The students started arguing. Zhang Tianyang walked to his tent with a stern face, entered without saying a word and ignored everyone else. Tu Dan was also confused, but as a teacher, she had to appease the students¡¯ emotions. ¡°Everyone, stop arguing! If we find a mistake, we correct it. Blaming each other won¡¯t solve anything!¡± Tu Dan spoke in a slightly stern tone, ¡°Now, everyone pack up and get ready to rest!¡± A student raised their hand and asked, ¡°But teacher, our routing is wrong now, shouldn¡¯t we solve this problem first?¡± ¡°What good solution would come out of chattering?¡± Tu Dan said seriously, ¡°There is no problem with the routing itself, it¡¯s everyone¡¯s carelessness that led to this situation. Just be more careful tomorrow and now go to sleep. No more disputes over this matter!¡± They were all fifteen or sixteen-year-old children. They would quiet down as quickly as they would start a ruckus. Bai Youwei watched the commotion from afar. Seeing them quiet down, she lost interest and lightly curled her lips. Understandably, the teacher was worried, so he asked Shen MO, ¡°Should we guide them?¡± Shen MO shook his head, ¡°There are too many of them.¡± Not only were there a large number of them, but they were all adolescent boys and girls. People of this age, lying between children and adults, are individualistic, energetic and yet childish. They are hard to control. The teacher sighed in sympathy for Tu Dan, ¡°Tu Dan shouldn¡¯t have brought all the students here. What if something happens¡­how could she get away with it, ah¡­¡¯ ¡°Actually¡­¡± Tan Xiao interrupted, ¡°It seems that only half of the students got the frog gadgets. They were afraid of missing out on the maze bonus gadgets, so they all came in.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him with curiosity, ¡°How do you know?¡± Tan Xiao replied, ¡°I overheard some students talking when I went over there to use the bathroom. Tu Dan originally divided them into two groups. The first group successfully got the mud, but before the second group could go in, the game disappeared, saying it was to prevent brushing.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Bai Youwei laughed, gloating over their misfortune, ¡°No wonder their expressions were so complicated when they came in, this is not fear of scarcity but inequality, haha!¡± ¡°These students are rather clever, I suspect Tu Dan won¡¯t be able to control them for long.¡± Shen MO remarked. Tu Dan inherently was not a dominating person. Perhaps when the apocalypse just began, the students sought the help of their teacher out of fear and instinct. But once they got deeply involved in this world, accepted the rules and understanding of the game, they would definitely stop obeying the teacher¡¯s orders. This wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing, and even a necessary part of growth, but of course, there would be pros and cons involved in the process. Shen MO, who wasn¡¯t concerned with other people¡¯s affairs, brought Bai Youwei into the tent he had set up, retrieved the rabbit she had been charging all afternoon and handed it to her. ¡°Is it fully charged?¡± he asked. Bai Youwei felt around the rabbit and shook her head. Shen Mo: ¡°How much do you think it¡¯s charged?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say¡­¡± After a moment, Bai Youwei lazily replied, ¡°In any case, there isn¡¯t much power.¡± Shen MO replied, ¡°Continue charging it tomorrow.¡± Bai Youwei only responded with a nod. After a while, she glanced at him, seeming a bit upset, ¡°It seems like you care a lot about this gadget.. What, you think that once I have a gadget in my hand, you won¡¯t need to worry about me anymore?¡± Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Chapter 93: You Should Not Ignore Me Chapter 93: Chapter 93: You Should Not Ignore Me Translator: 549690339 Here we go again. ¡® Shen MO closed his eyes weakly. Opened them again¡­ ¡°What do you think?¡± he looked at her indifferently, his voice devoid of any emotion. ¡°Do you think a fully charged bunny can make you so strong that you don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes rolled, and she replied, ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. After all, I¡¯m quite formidable myself.¡¯ Shen MO got up, ¡°Fine, from now on, I won¡¯t look after you.¡± ¡°No!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. ¡°I can do without your help, but you can¡¯t abandon me!¡± Shen Mo: ¡® What does that even mean? Is this a tongue twister? It could be a bit more awkward. ¡°Let go.¡± said Shen Mo. Bai Youwei: ¡°No!¡± Shen MO took a deep breath and said calmly, ¡°Weren¡¯t you asking me to look after you? Now, I want you to let go.¡± Bai Youwei: After a couple of seconds, she relented. She let go of his hand, her voice full of resentment. ¡°So, where are you going then?¡± Seeing her yield was a novelty to Shen MO, so he said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to the tent to sleep. I will watch over the second half of the night, so I plan to sleep early. ¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re not sharing a tent with me?!¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t understand what was so surprising about this. They had been sharing a room solely due to circumstances. Now that they had everything they needed in the maze, why did they need to cram into one tent? ¡°If I¡¯m in the tent alone and something happens, what would I do? What about when I have to go to the toilet at night?!¡± Bai Youwei stared at him intently. ¡°Do you want me to scream your name in the dead of the night and let the entire world know I need to go to the toilet?!¡± Having said all this, she suddenly deflated, saying dejectedly, ¡°Forget it, just go.¡± Shen MO was rendered speechless. The tent was dark. She was hugging a stuffed bunny, her head hung low in silence. Her entire demeanor portrayed a sense of fatigue and gloom. For a moment, he had a torrent of words at the tip of his tongue. He pursed his lips and left the tent. Outside, it was bustling and lively. Though it was night, the place was far from lonely due to the electricity. Some people sat in front of their tents chatting; others fetched water together. Some even played music to ease the tense atmosphere. Everything was abuzz. For some odd reason, Shen MO grabbed his backpack and blanket from his tent. As he turned, Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai were both looking at him. Suddenly, he felt an inexplicable toothache. He stayed silent for a while and then explained insipidly, ¡°She is afraid of being alone.¡± The two in front of him showed understanding. ¡°You really should be with her.¡± Chang Weicai said understandingly. ¡°Even though she¡¯s usually strong, she¡¯s still just a girl. It¡¯s too much asking her to stay in this place alone. Poor Weiwei.¡± Shen MO nodded, picked up his belongings and went over. Watching Shen Mo¡¯s retreating figure, Professor Chang turned to Tan Xiao and asked, ¡°Xiaotan, are you close to Xiaoshen?¡± ¡°We met him at the same time.¡± Tan Xiao looked puzzled. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± replied Professor Chang. ¡°I just find it odd. They are siblings, right? But why does one bear the surname of Shen and the other Bai? They never seemed to avoid any suspicion even if they were cousins¡­ ¡® ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Tan Xiao casually replied. ¡°One took the father¡¯s last name, and the other the mother¡¯s!¡± Professor Chang had a sudden realization, ¡°I see, it¡¯s my narrow-mindedness. I forgot that a surname can also be matrilineal. You young folks really think fast. Tan Xiao displayed his teeth in a grin, ¡°Just so-so-. Chapter 94 - Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Quite Fragrant Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Quite Fragrant Translator: 549690339 The tent was dim and muted, with light seeping through the gaps, diffusing everything indistinctly. Faces of the occupants were barely discernible to each other. ¡°Close your eyes,¡± Shen MO said. Bai Youwei closed them for a moment, only to open them again, ¡°How would you know if I closed my eyes if yours were open?¡± Shen MO was no stranger to her antics. Looking down at her, he asked faintly, ¡°Not sleepy?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± She shuffled a bit closer to him, ¡°I just wanted to see what ¡®I¡¯ look like in your eyes.¡± His breath hitched involuntarily. In the silent dimness, her breath wafted around him, light and sweet, with a subtle coolness, like minty honey and a faint scent of flowers, possibly from the shampoo in her hair. Unaware of their closeness, she looked straight into his eyes, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible: ¡°Eyes are like mirrors, right¡­¡± Shen MO gazed quietly at her. After a moment, he asked, ¡°Can you see clearly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dark, I can¡¯t see clearly.¡± She shook her head slightly. Strands of her hair brushing against his arm tickled him, and he moved away subconsciously. Bai Youwei reached out and grabbed his retreating arm, ¡°You look at mine as well. ¡± She opened her eyes wide and tilted her face up for him to look. She has a pair of beautiful doe-like eyes that often give people the misperception of her being innocent and weak, but when she smiles, the corners of her eyes curling slightly upwards radiate an entrancing aloofness, making her resemble a proud kitten. ¡°Did you see it?¡± she asked him, ¡°A person or a puppet?¡± Shen MO went silent for a while, replied, ¡°I can¡¯t see clearly.¡± Without emotion, he pulled her hand away from his arm, ¡°Go to sleep.¡± This time she didn¡¯t lean in again, but lazily yawned and mumbled, ¡°Shen MO, remember to look at yourself in the mirror tomorrow, you have to look¡­¡± With that, she turned her back towards him, her breath gradually slow and steady. Seemed like she fell asleep¡­ For some reason, Shen MO let out a sigh of relief. The night was long and he wasn¡¯t the only one who couldn¡¯t sleep. From the neighbouring tent came the rhythmic sounds of someone playing a mobile game. It was Tan Xiao entertaining himself, level after level, it was quite lively. Later, the noises around decreased, and even the sound of the game had disappeared completely. The maze was steeped in silence. Gauging that the time was about right, Shen MO got up quietly and stepped out of the tent. He pulled a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket, lit one for himself, and exhaled slowly. The wispy pallor of the smoke fluttered before his eyes. Without that faint minty sweetness, his head seemed to clear up a lot more. Sometimes he felt she understood everything, other times he felt she was just teasing him. He wondered since when an errand of picking someone up had become so troublesome. On a second thought, had he not picked her up, where would he be at this moment? Probably it would have been quite boring¡­ Shen MO gave a silent laugh, breathed out lightly, and softly blew away the smoke before him. Night watch was dull and tedious. He sat in front of the tent, quietly surveying his surroundings. From some tent, a girl¡¯s murmuring voice could be heard: ¡°The mirrors here are so scary. If we had known, we shouldn¡¯t have entered¡­¡± Another girl¡¯s voice sounded cold: ¡°You were worried that you wouldn¡¯t get enough props, so you insisted on coming in, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Chen Hui, why are you talking like that¡­¡± the girl sounded hurt, ¡°Everyone else was coming in, I didn¡¯t want to be left outside alone.¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, stop overthinking. Sleep.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t sleep. Talk to me for a bit¡­¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­did you notice? That lame guy actually took a shower. He even came back with his hair still wet.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with someone taking a shower? Just go to sleep, it¡¯s almost three.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Many paralyzed disabled people can¡¯t feel the lower part of their bodies and have bladder and bowel incontinence. This means they always have a strange smell and need to bathe regularly¡­¡± In Shen Mo¡¯s mind a thought emerged: No, she smells quite nice.. Chapter 95 - Chapter 95: Chapter 95 Too Deeply Involved in the Drama Chapter 95: Chapter 95 Too Deeply Involved in the Drama Translator: 549690339 ¡°¡­Chen Hui? Can you hear me speaking?¡± ¡°I hear you.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you responding?¡± ¡°Liao JingJing, can you just be quiet for a moment? You¡¯ve been complaining since we entered the maze, now you¡¯re discussing others¡¯ rights and wrongs, don¡¯t you find yourself incredibly boring? ¡°Chen Hui, what did I do to upset you? You sound so harsh today¡­¡± ¡°I sound harsh?¡± Chen Hui laughed in frustration, she was just down on her luck to be sharing a tent with Liao JingJing. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± Liao JingJing said, ¡°I didn¡¯t provoke you, why are you picking on me for defending a stranger? Disabled people naturally have issues with incontinence, and they¡¯re filthy. I didn¡¯t say anything wrong¡­¡± Chen Hui rolled over, not wanting to listen to her nonsense. Liao JingJing paused for two seconds before suddenly saying: ¡°Ah¡­Chen Hui, you¡¯ve been defending that cripple. You can¡¯t be falling for her brother, can you?¡± Chen Hui: The phrase ¡®holy shit¡¯ doesn¡¯t even come close describing how she felt at this moment. Liao JingJing: ¡°Her brother is pretty handsome, and unlike the boys in our class, he has a certain rugged manliness. Right? ¡­Hey, where are you going?!¡± Chen Hui picked up her things and stormed out of the tent without looking back: ¡°I¡¯m going to squeeze in with Teacher Tu!¡± ¡°What do you mean by that¡­¡± The young girl grumbled in the tent, feeling that Chen Hui was being too heartless. As soon as Chen Hui took a couple of steps, she saw Shen MO nearby. She felt her face burn with embarrassment as she thought about Liao JingJing¡¯s words likely being overheard. She covered her face and dashed into Tu Dan¡¯s tent- Shen MO casually averted his gaze. He wasn¡¯t one to bicker with a young girl, but thinking about Liao JingJing¡¯s words left a bitter taste in his mouth, indeed leaving him displeased. Luckily she was asleep. He glanced at the tent. One look was enough to be a slap in the face. Because Bai Youwei had come out from the tent. ¡°What are you looking at me for?¡± Bai Youwei leaned on her arm, half lying down at the entrance to the tent, ¡°Come over here and hold me.¡± Shen MO paused, then stood up to carry her, not asking whether she overheard anything. He naturally lifted her onto the wheelchair next to them. However, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t let it go easily, she asked: ¡°What were you just staring at me for?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Your hair was messy, I thought Sadako was coming out.¡± Bai Youwei: Shen MO looked at her, ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, Sadako is quite beautiful.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Thanks for that.¡¯ Shen Mo: ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Bai Youwei even more upset, questioned him: ¡°Are you in a particularly good mood?¡± ¡°Are you not in a good one?¡± Shen MO looked at her. Huh, how could she be in a good mood after getting slandered? Bai Youwei¡¯s cold voice said: ¡°There¡¯s no telling when this maze will end, it¡¯s incredibly irritating. ¡± Shen MO handed her a bottle of water, saying: ¡°We¡¯ll make it out.¡± The water was a sports drink, lime flavoured. Although the path ahead was unknown and full of danger, at least they didn¡¯t have to worry about food and drink here. Staying a few more days wouldn¡¯t cause any burden. Bai Youwei held the bottle of water, her eyes gloomy, lost in thought. Just as Shen MO was about to tell her to go back to sleep, she suddenly pointed with an anxious look: ¡°Brother, look over there¡­.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He looked around and saw nothing. ¡°Over there¡­the fountain, something¡­something is crawling out of the water¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice trembled slightly, as though she had seen something terrifying, about to break into tears. Shen MO looked towards the fountain, but there was still nothing. Just as he opened his mouth to ask, Bai Youwei hushed him: ¡°Shh¡­ Don¡¯t talk, don¡¯t let it notice us¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He gave her a warning look: stop making things up. But Bai Youwei was too lost in her act: ¡°It looked like a puppet¡­lt was crawling out, soaking wet, where is it going? ..What do we do? It¡¯s crawling towards the red tent. Should we inform everyone?¡­No, better not. What if it notices us? God, its mouth and eyes were spurting water, so scary¡­ It¡¯s getting closer¡­ah, it¡¯s going to crawl in¡­.¡± Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: Chapter 96 General Happiness Chapter 96: Chapter 96 General Happiness Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei clung to her drink bottle: ¡°Waaaah, bro, I¡¯m scared¡­..¡± She squeezed the bottle hard! A clear stream of water shot out with a hiss and splashed all over the red tent! At the same time, a girl¡¯s scream echoed throughout the camp: ¡°AAAAAH!!! Don¡¯t come in! Don¡¯t come in, ahhhh!!! ¡°Who¡¯s screaming, who¡¯s screaming?! What happened?!¡± Tan Xiao clambered out of his tent. The commotion also woke up all the students on Tu Dan¡¯s side. Bai Youwei quickly shoved the drink bottle back into Shen Mo¡¯s hand. Shen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei calmly patted her own legs, ¡°If she hits me, I can¡¯t run away. You will surely run faster than her.¡± Shen MO was quiet for a moment, then finally said, ¡°You could also choose not to provoke her.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°The night is long, we have to find something to do.¡± Shen MO became increasingly speechless. Elsewhere, Trailing off in the distance, the scared girl gradually calmed down under the comfort of her teacher and classmates. Tu Dan led a group of people over and asked Shen Mo: ¡°Mr. Shen, what happened just now? My student said that you guys saw a mannequin crawling out of the fountain and heading for her tent.¡± Shen MO, who was holding the drink bottle, was at a loss for words. After a while, he said, ¡°We didn¡¯t see anything.¡± Tu Dan was taken aback. Tears streamed down Liao JingJing¡¯s face as she exclaimed, ¡°You clearly saw it! Just now your sister told you¡­¡± Her voice suddenly stopped when she saw the nonchalant expression on Bai Youwei¡¯s face. She also noticed the half-filled water bottle in Shen Mo¡¯s hand and suddenly shook with anger ..Right! You did it on purpose! You are bullying me, making up lies to scare me!!!¡± ¡°Who scared you?¡± Bai Youwei asked impatiently with a frown. ¡°My brother and I were just messing around. We didn¡¯t know you were awake.¡± ¡°Then why did you splash water on my tent!¡± Liao JingJing was furious. ¡°Do you have evidence?¡± Bai Youwei coldly asked. ¡°How are you so sure the water on your tent came from us? Did you taste it?¡± Liao JingJing was insulted by this response, getting so angry that she was almost choked. Her face turned beet red! Bai Youwei glanced down and chuckled at Shen MO, ¡°Bro, I think she wet her pants.¡± Shen MO gently responded, ¡°That¡¯s enough, stop talking.¡± ¡°Oh, I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± Bai Youwei nodded solemnly, ¡°After all, I learned a new phrase today ¡ª urinary incontinence, right?¡± Liao JingJing could not hold back her tears anymore. She burst into tears, turned around, and ran back to her tent. The students looked at each other blankly. Zhang Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but stand up and say to Shen MO and Bai Youwei, ¡°You guys have gone too far.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Wow, I kindly told you that you took a wrong path, and you are still angry at me?¡± Zhang Tianyang: Chen Hui, standing next to him, rolled her eyes. ¡°Idiot.¡± Chen Hui pulled Tu Dan back to their tent. Zhang Tianyang was stunned. He was just helping his dorm mate fight injustice, and yet he was being scolded for it? Bai Youwei reached out to grab Shen Mo¡¯s hand again, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t today¡¯s students know how to respect their elders and care for the young, the sick, and the handicapped? I worry about our country¡¯s future.¡± Shen MO quietly looked at her, his gaze questioning: Are you really that happy just being annoying? Bai Youwei looked back at him: Mmm, I¡¯m just averagely happy. Of course, she could try something even more fun, depending on whether he¡¯d allow it. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sleepy.¡± She stated, holding his hand. Shen MO sighed silently, and without any change in his facial expression, he picked her up and returned to their tent. From a distance, Tu Dan heard about the whole story from Chen Hui. She was so angry that she couldn¡¯t utter a word. Restraining her anger, she shouted outside: ¡°Everyone, go back to your tents and rest! Zhang Tianyang, you too! Don¡¯t cause a scene!¡± Zhang Tianyang: ¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± The students gradually dispersed. Tan Xiao, who had been straining his neck for a while to observe the scene, found that nothing was happening, lost interest, and returned to his own tent. Unbeknownst to them, numerous shadowy figures had gathered in the surrounding mirrors. After a brief pause, they too slowly dispersed¡­. Chapter 97 - Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Morning Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Morning Translator: 549690339 ¡°Second day in the labyrinth¡ª In the morning, everyone packed their things and set off to explore the labyrinth. As usual, Bai Youwei carried her pen and paper, counting steps as they walked. Tu Dan¡¯s group still used the push-forward method, but they had made some improvements to it. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know or care about the specifics. The two groups split in opposite directions and quickly delved into the depths of the labyrinth. Bai Youwei and Shen MO kept their gear light. As their strategy led them back to the starting point no matter how far they ventured, they didn¡¯t need to carry much luggage. Zhang Tianyang deemed this as the most time-consuming method. Tu Dan¡¯s group was loaded with bundles big and small, carrying everything from tents to stoves. The nature of their push-forward method necessitated staying in one place with the flag, so they couldn¡¯t afford to retrace their steps. Along the way, Tan Xiao asked, ¡°They are more in number. Will they find the exit before us?¡± ¡°If they find it first, so be it.¡± Bai Youwei responded indifferently. ¡°It would save us some trouble.¡± After thinking for a moment, Tan Xiao felt that Bai Youwei had a point! So, they continued their journey in a more relaxed state of mind. Bai Youwei then asked them, ¡°Did you all look into the mirror as I told you to yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes, we did.¡± Tan Xiao replied while walking, ¡°Didn¡¯t notice anything unusual, just a doll that looks just like me.¡± Bai Youwei turned to Chang Weicai: ¡°What about you, Professor Chang?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Professor Chang reminisced for a moment, then slowly stated, ¡°it was a bit odd, my doll¡­ it seemed quite aged¡­¡± Everyone looked at him. Professor Chang: ¡°Why are you all looking at me? I meant that it appeared older than my current age, like maybe¡­ maybe eighty or ninety years old.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Tan Xiao asked, curious, ¡°The dolls reflected in the mirror can differ from us, then?¡± Conveniently, there was a mirror in front of them. Bai Youwei said: ¡°Go on, reflect in it. Just don¡¯t stand too close.¡± Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai stopped about ten steps from the mirror. The mirror revealed two dolls: Tan Xiao¡¯s doll looked just like him, but Professor Chang¡¯s appeared two to three decades older! His face was marked with wrinkles and age spots, his hair was completely white, his sparse teeth were nearly all missing, and even his height seemed to have shrunk. He appeared hunched over, half a head shorter than the current Professor Chang. Professor Chang couldn¡¯t bear to look at it for long, and he shifted his gaze with a sigh. Tan Xiao was in extreme shock, scrutinizing it from all sides. ¡°What¡¯s the principle behind this? Is it a distorting mirror or something spooky? ¡­How can it make people look so old? Why haven¡¯t I changed? Why? Why? He rambled on without end. Bai Youwei turned to Shen MO, who was pushing the wheelchair behind her, ¡°Do you want to give it a try?¡± Shen MO was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°I¡¯m the same as Tan Xiao. There¡¯s no change.¡± Despite his words, he walked up to the mirror¡ª The mirror revealed his doll. It must be said, he was greatly favored by nature. His good looks reflected in his exquisite doll. Standing there, tall and long-legged, the figure looked like a model in a display window, invoking admiration and yearning, while also seeming distant and unreachable. Shen MO claimed no change, but Bai Youwei sensed otherwise. Yet, the change was subtle, concealed in intricate details ¨C the curve of his mouth, the wrinkles between his eyebrows, and the indifference in his eyes. Shen MO always came off as indifferent. This indifference was embodied in his perennially emotionless face. It was not that he was devoid of emotions; he was just better at controlling himself, more rational, and calmer than ordinary people. His smile was faint, and he would suppress even intense anger. But his doll gave off an icy air of apathy. As if devoid of a heart, indifferent to everything around. Chapter 98 - Chapter 98: Chapter 98 Lunchtime Chapter 98: Chapter 98 Lunchtime Translator: 549690339 In the noon, with the temperature rising and the shadows thrown by the walls on either side becoming short and narrow, there were no shaded spots, so the four people decided to halt their exploration temporarily. They took a break in a fruit shop. The ¡°wall¡± was made up of numerous shops and mixed concrete. The fruit shop had watermelons, and the ice shaver next door had ice cream. That store was decorated with numerous mirrors. Tan Xiao quickly grabbed a few ice cream bars and ran, not daring to stay any longer. Bai Youwei, sitting in the cool air conditioning while enjoying her watermelon, once again marveled inwardly at how electricity was such a great invention. Tan Xiao spotted a sporting goods store sitting above the fruit shop and, on a whim, decided to climb up to take a look. Fearing he would fall, their teacher held a watermelon slice and nervously watched him from below. The surroundings were peaceful; the only sound that could be heard was the gentle hum of the air conditioner. Bai Youwei paused from eating watermelon after a few bites, her eyes slightly squinting in the afternoon tranquility, giving her a drowsy feeling. The dozen or so watermelon pieces in front of her all had been nibbled at once, with each triangular piece missing the top corner. Shen MO was speechless. While she was free to eat any watermelon in the entire shop, such wasteful behaviour was not something most people would do. He was about to admonish her, but upon seeing her squinting her eyes dozing off, decided to let it go. Bai Youwei¡¯s nap didn¡¯t last long. Tan Xiao threw down a baseball bat from upstairs, startling her awake with a thud. Shen MO saw her eyes widen in fear in that instant as if she were a startled cat. Even her pupils shone brightly. He thought she was about to have a fit, but she just blanked out for two seconds before returning to normal. She didn¡¯t seem grumpy at all. Tan Xiao continued to throw down multiple items, and despite being in a wheelchair, her excitement was undeterred: ¡°Is there more? Is there more?¡± Tan Xiao shouted from above, ¡°Do you want roller skates?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Throw it down, throw it down!¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He asked, ¡°What do you want roller skates for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want them for anything,¡± Bai Youwei looked up with bright eyes, ¡°I just find it fun watching him throw stuff.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao loved sports, so he ransacked the sports goods store and tossed down a heap of sporting goods. He and their teacher then started sorting and selecting his way through the pile of goods. Shen MO, standing not too far away, chatted with Bai Youwei, ¡°Why is it that Tan Xiao hasn¡¯t changed?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s just too straightforward, I guess,¡± Bai Youwei replied with a faint smile, ¡°He has no hidden side, no secret thoughts. His positives and negatives are all out in the open, so the mirror probably wouldn¡¯t affect him.¡± Shen MO looked thoughtful, ¡°So what¡¯s in the mirror is our shadow side?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t exactly call it the shadow side¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment before rephrasing, ¡°It¡¯s more of a negative representation, the things in our subconscious that we dislike or avoid, the things we don¡¯t want to accept. Our teacher seems very open-minded, but he is actually afraid of getting weaker and growing old. You, on the other hand, appear righteous and selfless, like a hero¡­¡± She paused, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Shen MO, ¡°But in reality, you don¡¯t really care about the world at all. You save and help people simply because it¡¯s your job or due to the influence of your upbringing. Your heart is colder than anyone else¡¯s.¡± Shen MO stared at her, his gaze intense. His pupils were pitch black, like an endless abyss where all his emotions were hidden deep within. After a long pause, he finally asked, ¡°And what about you?¡± ¡°1VTe?¡­ Bai Youwei recalled the crying face and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°I am a coward..¡± Chapter 99 - Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Evening Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Evening Translator: 549690339 In the evening, Shen MO and others returned to the center of the maze, and saw Tu Dan and her students again. Everyone was surprised. Normally, Tu Dan and the others should be staying where they set their flags, rather than returning to the starting point. There was a heated argument taking place even from afar, Tu Dan was speaking anxiously, her forehead covered in sweat, but her students¡¯ voices only got louder and louder. Just like Shen MO had predicted: Tu Dan was losing control over her students. They hastened their pace and the voices over there became clearer. ¡°Enough! I will never agree to this! It¡¯s only the second day, we have plenty of time to explore the remaining passages. There is absolutely no need to take such risks! None of you are allowed to go! Got it?!¡± Tu Dan summoned all her authority, emphasizing sternly to the group of students: ¡°Nobody can go, and nobody is allowed to go near there!¡± ¡°But why, teacher? The exit is right in front of us! If we go in, we will get the reward right away!¡± ¡°Yeah, teacher, even considering the danger, you can¡¯t possibly stop us from even trying, right?¡± ¡°If we found the exit but are not allowed to go in, then what¡¯s the point of exploring the passages?¡± The students clamored and their words were filled with defiance. Tu Dan¡¯s chest heaved violently, and her face became increasingly pale. ¡ª Whether it was the chance to escape or the rewards of the maze, the temptation was too great for these students. Upon their return, Shen MO and Bai Youwei exchanged surprised looks. ¡­Exit? They¡¯ve found the exit so soon? ¡°Liao JingJing, cut it out! Stop stirring up trouble here!¡± Chen Hui, standing by Tu Dan¡¯s side, said indignantly, ¡°The exit won¡¯t run away, Tu Dan is just asking you to wait for safety¡¯s sake, what¡¯s the rush?!¡± ¡°How am I stirring up trouble? I am just thinking about everyone¡¯s best interests.¡± Liao JingJing replied aggrievedly, ¡°This place is too dangerous, which is why I hope we can leave as soon as possible. Several students encountered that thing in the mirror today. If we stay any longer, who can guarantee our safety? Tu Dan?¡± Tu Dan¡¯s face turned ashen with anger, yet she couldn¡¯t muster a word of rebuttal. Yes, she couldn¡¯t guarantee it! As a woman, her combat power was even lower than that of these students. Her only advantage was her constant prudence and caution! However, at this point, even this advantage had become something the students found annoying! Without mincing words, Chen Hui lashed out at Liao JingJing: ¡°If Tu Dan can¡¯t guarantee, can you? Can you promise that once the students enter, they will clear the game with no incidents?¡± Liao JingJing bit her lip, her eyes reddening: ¡°What are you implying, Chen Hui? You¡¯ve been targeting me since last night. Now that I¡¯ve found the exit, instead of offering a few words of praise, you continue to trample on me¡­¡± Chen Hui: ¡°The strategy was devised by Zhang Tianyang. The details were decided collectively. You just happened to be in the group that placed the flags. How could you claim to have found the exit? If it were someone else, they wouldn¡¯t have found it? Ah, now I see why you¡¯re so spirited today. You probably found the exit and are taking all the credit for yourself!¡± Chen Hui¡¯s words were harsh, like repeated slaps to the face. Tears welled up in Liao JingJing¡¯s eyes from anger. Seeing Shen MO and his group return, she immediately pointed at Shen MO and shouted: ¡°You¡¯re just doing all this because you don¡¯t want us to leave so he won¡¯t be left alone!¡± Chen Hui: She felt as if her head was about to explode, unable to find the words to retort. She just wanted to slap her to death! Chapter 100 - Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Nightfall Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Nightfall Translator: 549690339 Although high school students are primarily focused on academics, most of them already know what it feels like to be in love, to feel emotions. It¡¯s not uncommon for even younger middle school students to get it, passing love notes and exchanging small gifts. But, if it is brought up publicly, it is truly embarrassing! Seeing that Chen Hui is getting angry, the students quickly separate the two, for fear that they might start fighting. Teacher Tu is thoroughly exhausted. When she sees Shen MO and the others return, she immediately feels a kinship with the grownup group. She approaches them and says: ¡°Mr. Shen, we¡¯ve found the exit!¡± ¡°Hmm, I heard.¡± Shen Mo casts a casual glance at the students. ¡°Where¡¯s the exit?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Teacher Tu leads the way, speaking hurriedly. ¡°The exit looks like a door, but the inside is completely white and visibility is non-existent. We can¡¯t determine if it¡¯s safe. Plus, there are many dolls around the door! I wouldn¡¯t dare let them risk it, but these kids are impatient and have been arguing about it the entire way! ¡± The students behind Teacher Tu Dan listen to her rattle on, casting embarrassed looks at each other. Zhang Tianyang noticed that Chen Hui, who was looking pissed, had fallen behind the group. He thought for a moment, then approached her, asking curiously: ¡°You really like that guy, huh? He seems much older than us.¡± Chen Hui shot him a side glance: ¡°Go like your grandpa!¡± Zhang Tianyang: Chen Hui angrily walked away. Zhang Tianyang, staring at her retreating figure: ¡°Hey! Why are you cursing?¡± The path through the maze twisted and turned, seeming to have no end. Following the markings they had made, the group walked for a long time. It wasn¡¯t until daylight had completely faded and all the lights were on that they finally arrived at the marked exit. It was a straight path that led to a tall, white glowing door at the end. As Teacher Tu Dan had said, the sides of the path were lined with dolls¡ª hundreds, even thousands of them, its pale faces illuminated in the light, lined the walls. Walking amidst them, there was an eerie illusion that the dolls were saluting them. This unsettling feeling made Bai Youwei frown, but she didn¡¯t sound off. ¡°Here we are.¡± Tu Dan tried her best to make Shen MO agree with her, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any dolls outside, but there are so many here! How can I not be worried? We¡¯ve only explored a quarter of the maze so far. The remaining three-quarters are unknown. Are there other exits? No one knows. So, why can¡¯t we explore more of the maze before making a decision?¡± She looked at her students and emphasized once more: ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop any of you from leaving. But, this exit appeared too quickly and too strangely! Look at these dolls! Isn¡¯t it a bit odd?!¡± Nobody spoke. The exit was within their reach, but they had to pay heed to their teacher¡¯s warning. Liao JingJing murmured quietly, ¡°Maybe the maze is using these dolls to deter people from entering the exit.¡± The silence became deeper. Zhang Tianyang, supporting his chin with his hand, pondered, ¡°Hmm, that could be possible¡­¡± Chen Hui: ¡°Hmmph.¡± Zhang Tianyang felt uncomfortable under her snide laugh, as if he had become a traitor. The students imperceptibly divided into two small groups. Some wanted to leave, others wanted to stay. Shen MO didn¡¯t pay much attention to the students¡¯ disputes. He studied the dolls lining the passage and then went to take a look at the door. Inside the door was a vast sea of fog, while outside, there were mirrors on either side. The mirrors were tall and big, covering half of the wall. The remaining area was crammed with dolls. Very strange. Shen MO stood in front of the mirror, but his reflection was not in it. ¡°Shen Mo.¡± He turned around. Bai Youwei, her complexion pale, looked at him, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, let¡¯s go back..¡± Chapter 101 - Chapter 101: Chapter 101: A Kind of Hint Chapter 101: Chapter 101: A Kind of Hint Translator: 549690339 It was already very late. Only the ghastly white lights, the quiet puppets, and a door leading to an unknown place surrounded them. No one would feel comfortable staying in such a place for long. Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips, her tone resolute, ¡°I don¡¯t feel well, take me back.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s leave.¡± The teacher, concerned about her health, said, ¡°Weiwei has been with us the whole day, it¡¯s time for her to rest in the tent. If you¡¯re worried about missing anything, Xiaotan can record or take pictures.¡± Upon hearing this, Tan Xiao took out his phone from his pocket and started to take pictures of the surroundings. He took a picture of the mirrors on both sides of the door, marvelling with a sense of wonder, ¡°Wow, what a magical mirror! It can¡¯t capture me- it can¡¯t capture me~¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned pale instantly and she shouted, ¡°Stay away from there!¡± Tan Xiao stopped, turned around, and looked at her. The other students looked at Bai Youwei with various expressions. The vague sense of eeriness that hovered around them became more evident because of Bai Youwei¡¯s unusual behavior¡­ Tan Xiao paused for a second, dropped his playful face, quickly took a few more pictures, then retreated behind Shen MO, as if he was afraid of upsetting Bai Youwei. The other students also hastily took a few photos with their phones before running back together. No one wanted to stay there any longer. On their way back, Bai Youwei fell silent. Shen MO asked her, ¡°Is it because of the mirror?¡± At first, she shook her head, then after a while, she nodded. Shen MO whispered, ¡°You said before that the priority is to find the people, not the exit. Those puppets we just saw, they are probably the people we¡¯re looking for. They walked into that door and turned into puppets ¡ª otherwise, I can¡¯t explain why there are so many puppets around the door.¡± Bai Youwei kept her head down thinking, without saying a word. Shen Mo¡¯s voice lowered, sounding like he was murmuring to himself, ¡°If the door isn¡¯t the exit, then where is the actual exit?¡± ¡°And another thing¡­¡± Bai Youwei reminded him, ¡°Where did our reflections in the mirror go.¡± In a game without any rule explanation, every single detail cannot be meaningless. The presence and disappearance of the puppets in the mirror must have a certain reason, it can¡¯t be simply to scare people. Bai Youwei thought they were a hint. Only by deciphering this hint, could they truly complete the game. But what exactly was the hint? She needed to think more¡­ Think more¡­ Everyone had a restless night that day. The next morning, Bai Youwei woke up early. She opened her eyes and stayed in the tent without moving. Outside the tent, there were sounds of talking, footsteps, and the clings and clangs from pots and pans. The bustling noises slowly woke up her brain. She got up, opened the tent, and saw the teacher outside cooking tomato noodles. In each bowl of noodles, there were two poached eggs. The red soup complemented the soft white eggs; with one poke of the chopsticks, golden yolk flowed out, mixed with the soup, swirled around the noodles, delighting the taste buds. The teacher, regretting the food left uneaten in the maze, cooked lots. If they couldn¡¯t finish it here, he would give the leftovers to Tu Dan¡¯s students. In return, the students frequently offered their own food to the teacher. Each call of ¡°Master Cheng¡± sounded particularly affectionate. Chen Hui saw Bai Youwei sitting alone by the tent flap. After a moment¡¯s thought, she brought over a bowl of noodles and asked, ¡°Want some?¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look at her and replied lazily, ¡°I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth.¡± Following Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze into the distance, Chen Hui realized she was waiting for Shen MO, so she said, ¡± Your brother went to fetch water, he will be back soon.¡± Bai Youwei answered with a soft ¡°Hmm¡±. Chen Hui noted her dismissive demeanor and turned to leave. But after a couple of steps, she bit her lip and came back, saying to Bai Youwei, ¡°About yesterday, don¡¯t get the wrong idea..¡± Chapter 102 - Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Do You Like Him? Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Do You Like Him? Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze slowly shifted to Chen Hui¡¯s face. ¡°Yesterday?¡± she asked in confusion, ¡°What happened yesterday?¡± Chen Hui¡¯s face turned red, and she blurted out, ¡°Yesterday, Liao JingJing said I like your brother. Don¡¯t believe it, she was just spouting nonsense.¡± Bai Youwei calmly looked at Chen Hui. Feeling somewhat embarrassed under Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, Chen Hui was about to say something when Bai Youwei calmly voiced an ¡°Oh,¡± and then she shifted her gaze away, no longer looking at her. Chen Hui sighed with relief. Soon after, she felt a mix of emotions. She had lost a whole night¡¯s sleep over this matter, only for Bai Youwei to have such a nonchalant reaction. Forget it, forget it. As long as it didn¡¯t cause any misunderstandings, it¡¯s good enough. As she was about to turn and leave, she heard Bai Youwei slowly ask: ¡°Why don¡¯t you like him? Isn¡¯t he good?¡± Chen Hui¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°He¡¯s so much older than me!¡± She was only fifteen, whereas Shen MO seemed to be in his mid-twenties! ¡°Oh, so you like younger ones¡­.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Like Tan Xiao? He just turned 20.¡± ¡°Why do I have to like them?!¡± Chen Hui felt like Bai Youwei was making fun of her and her irritation rose, ¡°At this point, I won¡¯t consider any emotional issues! I just want to focus on my studies, so in the future¡­..¡± She stopped mid-sentence, her expression freezing. ¡­focus on my studies, so in the future, I can attend a good university. But now, even her school was gone. Was there any meaning in her dreams? Forget it. She didn¡¯t want to chat with Bai Youwei about this. Dejected, she turned to leave, only for Bai Youwei to stop her again, ¡°Hey, do me a favor.¡± Chen Hui turned back to look at her suspiciously. Bai Youwei raised her chin, signifying her to look the other way, ¡°That student over there, do you know him? Call him over.¡± Chen Hui was confused, ¡°Why should I call him over?¡± Bai Youwei answered, ¡°For food.¡¯ Chen Hui: She looked at Bai Youwei, bewildered, and then called out in the directed way, ¡°Lin Zihang, come here!¡± He wasn¡¯t too far away, but for some reason, the male student sat there blankly among a group of students, as if he had just woken up, showing no reaction. Chen Hui frowned and called out a couple more times, ¡°Lin Zihang!¡­ Lin Zihang! Come here!¡± The students next to him heard her, nudged him and said, ¡°Hey, Lin Zihang, Chen Hui is calling you.¡± Only then did Lin Zihang respond. However, his response was just ever so slight. He slowly lifted his head to search for Chen Hui¡¯s figure in the crowd. Once she waved at him energetically, he finally saw her. He lumbered his way towards her¡­. ¡°Lin Zihang is acting really weird today.¡± Chen Hui was worried, ¡°Isn¡¯t he sick? There¡¯s no doctor here. I hope he isn¡¯t ill.¡± Bai Youwei watched the student get closer and asked in her usual calm manner, ¡°Do you like him?¡± Chen Hui was thoroughly annoyed, frowning at her, ¡°Why do you have to chat like this!¡± ¡°Good if you don¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s expression was still calm, ¡°He looks out of sorts. Just give him your bowl of noodles.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s words made Chen Hui uncomfortable. However, Lin Zihang indeed didn¡¯t seem well. She handed the bowl of noodles to him and said, ¡°Why do you look so down? Here, have some noodles cooked by Mr. Cheng. Hold it by the bottom so it doesn¡¯t burn your hand¡­¡± Before she could finish, she felt Bai Youwei tugged at her clothes. Caught off guard, the bowl of noodles in her hand tipped over, spilling soup and noodles all over Lin Zihang! ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Astonished, Chen Hui saw Lin Zihang¡¯s blue and white uniform stained with large patches of tomato soup. Panicked, she wanted to help wipe it off but saw Lin Zihang standing there unresponsive. Didn¡¯t he feel the hot soup? Chen Hui was aghast. Her gaze instinctively darted to Bai Youwei, only to see Bai Youwei reach out, pick up a crutch nearby, raise it and poke it forward¡­ She didn¡¯t use much force, yet Lin Zihang toppled over! Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: Chapter 103: It’s Turned Around Chapter 103: Chapter 103: It¡¯s Turned Around Translator: 549690339 Thud! The student¡¯s body fell to the ground, unmoving. A profound silence pervaded the area, reducing everyone to mute spectators. With another clatter, Chen Hui¡¯s bowl slipped from her grasp and shattered onto the ground. Staring incredulously at the fallen classmate before her, a chilling sensation crept from her feet, inducing shivers throughout her body. ¡°Lin Zihang¡­¡± She whispered his name. And repeated it. ¡°Lin Zihang¡­¡± He lay there, eyes wide open, his body immobile, even his facial expression frozen. Tears welled up in Chen Hui¡¯s eyes, ¡°Lin Zihang, don¡¯t frighten me¡­ speak to me¡­¡± The other students slowly gathered around. Noticing the activity, Tu Dan rushed over and, finding her student lying on the ground, reached out in instinctive panic to help him up However, the moment she lifted the body halfway, her hands hastily withdrew as if scalded by its touch! His torso lost its support and fell back down. His head knocked visibly against the ground, bouncing a little before coming to rest as if it were filled with some gelatinous substance. At this point, everyone sensed something was dangerously amiss. No one dared to speak. Even if they had an inkling of what might be happening, they could only watch in horror, incapable of doing anything. The oppressive silence persisted until Shen MO returned. He found everyone crowded around a male student lying on the ground. The student¡¯s condition was peculiar. He seemed to be breathing faintly, yet there wasn¡¯t a hint of vitality in him. And then, there was his skin¡­ taking on a plastic-like quality. Shen MO surveyed the scene and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± No one answered. Chen Hui was jolted awake by his voice. She focused her gaze on Bai Youwei inside the tent¡ª And suddenly lunged towards her! Shen MO reached out to intervene. With Chen Hui¡¯s shoulder blocked, she stumbled, her tear-filled eyes locked on Bai Youwei as she cried out, ¡°Why is this happening?! Why?!!¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Unaccepting of her answer, Chen Hui sobbed in protest, ¡°You do know! You must know! Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have asked me to call him over!¡± ¡°I just noticed that his school uniform was on backwards,¡± Bai Youwei responded. Everyone was taken aback. And then, their attention was drawn back to the collapsed student. The uniform was sportswear¡ª the school emblem was embroidered on the right chest. However, the emblem on Lin Zihang¡¯s uniform was on the left. At first glance, it seemed like a manufacturing mistake. But upon closer inspection, the abbreviated letters on the emblem were also reversed. Reversed¡­ Everything was reversed. His parted hair had switched sides, his wristwatch had moved from his left wrist to his right, even the logo on his sneakers was backward. The entire person, Lin Zihang, had flipped! Emotions are contagious. Fear and sadness swiftly spread among the crowd. They had witnessed classmates gruesomely killed in the game, but this¡­ this transformation of a living, breathing person into a lifeless doll before their very eyes, sent chills down every student¡¯s spine! Shell-shocked, Tu Dan hardly registered when Shen MO spoke. Only when he prompted her again did she snap back to reality, commanding two male students to carry Lin Zihang back into the tent in an anxious voice. Lin Zihang¡¯s body was anomalously light, the two students lifted him with ease. His body was becoming rigid, his body temperature slowly fading. His lifeless eyes stared at the sky as if it might answer the unspoken question: why has this happened? Witnessing a familiar face turning into a doll was nothing short of psychological torture. It left many students wiping away their tears. Bai Youwei calmly surveyed them and asked, ¡°Who did this male student usually hang out with? Did he end up like this last night or did it just happen this morning?¡± Chapter 104 - Chapter 104: Chapter 104 The Second Exit Chapter 104: Chapter 104 The Second Exit Translator: 549690339 The students exchanged glances until finally, all eyes landed on a tall young man. ¡°Yang Yi and Lin Zihang bunked together, they shared a tent.¡± Tu Dan asked the young man: ¡°Yang Yi, was anything unusual about Lin Zihang yesterday? Where did you guys go?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± the lanky boy said with red-rimmed eyes, his voice barely more than a croak. ¡°He was okay when we got back last night, we chatted for a bit before sleeping¡­ I woke up before him this morning, called him to get up, he was just staring blankly, I thought he hadn¡¯t slept enough, so I went to wash up first.¡¯ He buried his head, seemingly unable to face the fate of his classmate, choking on his words. ¡°¡­and then, he turned into this.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason for him to turn into this for no reason, think carefully.¡± Bai Youwei questioned, ¨C ¡°Could it be that he went out after you fell asleep?¡± Yang Yi clutched his head, unable to utter a word. At this moment, a gasp from Zhang Tianyang in the crowd. Everyone turned to look at him. Zhang Tianyang said: ¡°Lin Zihang seemed to have gone to the restroom last night. I went to bed late and heard someone leaving the next tent, but I am not sure who it was, looking at it now¡­ if Yang Yi was asleep, then it must have been Lin Zihang.¡± Shen MO picked up on the crucial point, his brows furrowing: ¡°Is there a mirror in the place where you go to the toilet?¡± ¡°Yes, but we had it covered.¡± Zhang Tianyang stood up and said, ¡°I will take you there.¡± The toilet used by the students was located at a corner from the labyrinth¡¯s center, in an ¡°L¡±-shaped caf¨¦. The caf¨¦ was essentially intact, with a private restroom inside. Any reflective object around was either plastered over with paper or covered with cloth, the mirror in the restroom was also utterly covered with caf¨¦ flyers bound by tape. Shen MO had a quick look around. Then, he raised his head to look at the ceiling. The ceiling¡­ was mirrored. Reflecting its dark glass, were the vague shapes of ¡®them¡¯ silently watching everybody right now. Those who followed Shen Mo¡¯s line of sight all gasped in shock. Without another word, everyone retreated, step by step, until they were outside the caf¨¦¡­ They then returned to the center of the maze. Upon their return, Lin Zihang had fully transformed into a human-sized doll. Tu Dan zipped up the tent door, sealing the doll-like Lin Zihang inside. As if out of sight, the heaviness in their hearts would lighten just a bit. And the plan to explore the maze was put on hold. As the incident had shocked every student, Tu Dan, their team leader, was also in disarray and unsure of what to do next, choosing instead to regroup on the spot. During their break, they collected more paper and tape, covering every visible mirror with paper. As for Shen MO and Bai Youwei, they continued to explore the maze as planned. Bai Youwei, distracted by thoughts about the dolls as they navigated the maze, delegated the task of counting to Teacher Cheng. Following yesterday¡¯s path deeper into the labyrinth, they found dolls¡ª Wedged into concrete walls, with only their heads and shoulders visible, about a dozen or so. But as they moved forward, the number seemed to grow. At the end of the passage, they turned a corner and found another corridor leading towards a ¡°door¡±. Just like the previous one, both sides were crammed full of dolls. The four of them stalled in the middle of the intersection, no one taking a single step forward. Teacher Cheng looked at his companions with unease: ¡°Should we go back and tell them?¡± Shen MO considered this, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s move on.¡± He looked at Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Bai Youwei stared at the unopened door for a long while before finally replying, ¡°Since there¡¯s no unique exit, let¡¯s move forward..¡± Chapter 105 - Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Missing Two Persons Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Missing Two Persons Translator: 549690339 They made their mark and then took another path, setting off again into the depths of the maze. They once again explored until dusk and then returned along the same path they had taken. Back at the center of the maze, everyone was exhausted. The teacher, Cheng, didn¡¯t cook dinner. Everyone had lost their appetite due to Lin Zihang¡¯s incident anyhow. They made do with a quick meal of instant noodles. Just as they were about to go to bed, another incident took place ¨C Tu Dan was missing two students. During the day, everyone moved freely. Tu Dan didn¡¯t put too many restrictions on the students, only reminding them that wherever they went, they must not go alone. Whether it was for food or restroom breaks, they should always go in groups of at least two. However, when they did a headcount in the evening, two people were missing. Tu Dan found himself in a dilemma. It was already late, and the missing students still hadn¡¯t returned. Should he look for them, or not? ¡ªIf he decided to look for them, what would happen if something else went wrong? ¡ªBut if he didn¡¯t look for them, what if the students were in danger? At this moment, a girl stood up and said, ¡°How about¡­ I go look for them?¡± The one who spoke was Liao JingJing. Tu Dan¡¯s faced darkened instantly, ¡°Sit down. Girls should not run around at night to avoid danger.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any danger¡­¡± Liao JingJing managed a weak smile, pulling a boy beside her closer, she said, ¡°Yang Yi and I will go together. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Yang Yi? Tu Dan looked at him in surprise. Yang Yi hung his head low, muttered an indistinct ¡°Hmm¡± in response but offered no explanation. Liao JingJing linked her arm with his and said to Tu Dan: ¡°They might be lost somewhere. Although we are all familiar with the surroundings, many places are not marked. Yang Yi and I will look for them nearby and return shortly¡­¡± As she was speaking, she began to lead Yang Yi towards the entrance of the maze. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Tu Dan¡¯s face was grim as he stared at Liao JingJing. ¡°Are you planning to go to the door?¡± A momentary stiffness crossed Liao JingJing¡¯s face. She stifled a grimace and said softly, ¡°If we can¡¯t find them nearby¡­perhaps we¡¯ll check there. They might have gone to the door.¡± ¡°Liao JingJing!¡± Tu Dan stood. There was a suppressed rage in her voice, and all the students turned to look. ¡°I said, no one is allowed to go there until we have discussed it!¡± Tu Dan questioned Liao JingJing sternly. ¡°Are you trying to take advantage of this situation to go to the exit? Have you forgotten everything I said last time?¡± Liao JingJing¡¯s face flushed and then turned pale. Tu Dan turned to Yang Yi: ¡°Yang Yi! Do you want to go too? Was it your decision or did she force you?!¡± Tu Dan knew her students. Although Yang Yi was the tallest and the strongest in the class, he was the most easily persuaded. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he was influenced by Liao JingJing, especially after Lin Zihang¡¯s incident. Just as she suspected, after she confronted him, Yang Yi awkwardly pulled his arm free and muttered to Liao JingJing, ¡°You can go alone¡­ I¡­ I won¡¯t go¡­¡± ¡°You promised me just now!¡± Liao JingJing was embarrassed and annoyed. ¡°Liao JingJing, go back to your tent!¡± Tu Dan reprimanded her sternly. ¡°Stop causing trouble! It¡¯s dangerous there! What on earth are you thinking?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s you, Teacher Tu!¡± Liao JingJing shouted anxiously. ¡°What are YOU thinking? We¡¯ve already found the exit, but we¡¯re not doing anything about it! Why would we continue to stay in a place like this?! Are we waiting for death? Huh?!!¡± Her indignation was mixed with a sense of aggrievement. Throwing a resentful glare at Yang Yi, she said, ¡°Forget it! I¡¯ll go on my own!¡± With that, she turned and stormed towards the entrance of the maze! ¡°Liao JingJing! Come back!¡± Tu Dan shouted frantically, standing up to give chase. The two struggled and scuffled around the fountain. Liao JingJing, irritated by Tu Dan¡¯s pulling and tugging, resolved to push her away with all her might! ¡°Leave me alone!!!¡± ¡°Teacher Tu! ¡± The students gasped in shock! Tu Dan¡¯s body recoiled back, her pupils dilating in fear.. The next instant, she fell into the fountain pool! Chapter 106 - Chapter 106: Chapter 106 Teacher Tu Chapter 106: Chapter 106 Teacher Tu Translator: 549690339 All the students surged forward! ¡°Teacher Tu!¡± ¡°Teacher Tu!..¡± Liao JingJing was frozen in place in fright. She hadn¡¯t meant to hurt anyone. She¡¯d just wanted Tu Dan to stop pulling on her! Zhang Tianyang jumped into the water quickly, yelling at Liao JingJing, ¡°Have you gone mad, Liao JingJing?! Teacher Tu has been so good to us!¡± Liao JingJing bit her lip, feeling ashamed but refusing to admit her mistake, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ and besides, the fountain pool isn¡¯t deep¡­¡± No one listened to her excuses. Everyone was searching for the teacher around the fountain pond. Zhang Tianyang and a few male students were moving in and out of the water. The more they searched, the more anxious they became, the more dread grew in their hearts! The water was only knee-deep! Why couldn¡¯t they find Teacher Tu?! A female student started crying. When one cried, it set off a wave of red-rimmed eyes among more students. Chen Hui also jumped into the pond, bending over and using both hands to search in the water, tears dropping down relentlessly, ¡°Teacher Tu!¡­ Where are you, Teacher Tu?!¡­¡± Shen MO stood on the edge of the fountain pond, looked around, and then shook his head silently at Bai Youwei. He hadn¡¯t seen Tu Dan either. After Tu Dan fell into the pool, it was as if she had disappeared into thin air. Bai Youwei silently watched the panicked students in front of her. After pondering a bit, she wheeled herself over to the edge of the fountain pond. This was a very common fountain pond. The edges were tiled and the base of the pool was filled with cobblestones. The middle featured an ascending tower-like sculpture that would spray water once electricity was connected. The sculpture was not spraying water at the moment, and the water in the fountain pond has been churned up by the searching students. Bai Youwei watched for a while and then said, ¡°Everyone, come out. You won¡¯t find Teacher Tu like this. A few male students stopped to look at her. Zhang Tianyang and Chen Hui were still searching. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t find her, we have to keep looking! Teacher Tu is here! I saw her fall in, she can¡¯t just disappear!!!¡± Chen Hui stared at the water surface, her eyes burning red. Bai Youwei closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°Everyone, get out! Let the water surface return to calm. Maybe then we¡¯ll find her!¡± Chen Hui stopped suddenly, ¡°¡­Yes, Teacher Tu didn¡¯t fall into the water, she fell into the mirror! That¡¯s why we can¡¯t find her!¡± She climbed out of the pool immediately, pulling others out, and shrieked, ¡°Everybody out! Let the water calm down! Everybody out! ¡± One by one, the students climbed out of the fountain pond. Water ripples shimmered, light danced upon the water surface, and after everyone held their breath in anticipation¡­ the water finally calmed. They huddled together and saw their own reflections in the water ¨C reflections that mirrored them as puppets. Slowly, the figure of Tu Dan started superimposing faintly with their reflections, becoming clearer and clearer. Zhang Tianyang quickly reached out and pulled Tu Dan out of the water! With a splash. The soaking wet Tu Dan was pulled up! Zhang Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but look at Bai Youwei, his eyes full of unspeakable shock. She had been right! But there was no time for questions now. Everyone frantically lifted Tu Dan onto the ground, Tu Dan threw up a few mouthfuls of water, and gradually regained consciousness. She sat up, seeming a bit confused. Looking around at the students, she asked, ¡°Why¡­ are you all looking at me?¡± The students anxiously asked her, ¡°Teacher Tu, are you okay? Do you feel unwell anywhere?¡± Tu Dan stared at them blankly, not saying anything, as if her reactions were slow. After a long time, she finally moved her lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Liao JingJing watched from the periphery of the crowd, and she felt ill at ease. Just now, so many people went into the water to search and yet they couldn¡¯t find her. But as soon as the water surface calmed, she suddenly appeared¡­ She must have been dragged into ¡°that world¡±. So how could she possibly be okay? Her eyes darted up and down at Tu Dan, then she suddenly widened her eyes and shouted, ¡°Teacher Tu¡¯s button on her clothes is backward! Just like Lin Zihang, Teacher Tu¡¯s is also backward!¡± As soon as her words hit the air, the crowd scattered in an instant! Everyone retreated in panic, staring in terror at their teacher in front of them, except for Chen Hui and Zhang Tianyang who stayed on either side of Tu Dan. Chen Hui rose silently, walked up to Liao JingJing, and fixed her gaze on her. Just as Liao JingJing was feeling puzzled, she saw Chen Hui raise her hand and deliver a fierce slap! Chapter 108 - Chapter 108: Chapter 108 Fourth Day in the Maze Chapter 108: Chapter 108 Fourth Day in the Maze Translator: 549690339 At three in the morning, Bai Youwei was startled awake by a round of crying. With her physical disability, she did not leave the tent, only Shen MO did. Shen MO returned and told her that Tu Dan had completely transformed into a doll, and this maze seemed to automatically ¡°digest¡± dolls. Tu Dan¡¯s body was uncontrollably sinking, gradually being absorbed into the concrete ground. That¡¯s why all her students were crying. Chen Hui cried the hardest. She did everything she could to hold onto Tu Dan, but she couldn¡¯t resist the force of the maze. Not only could she not stop it, but she was forced to cruelly witness the entire process of Tu Dan disappearing. Afterward, she crazily searched for hammers and power drills, wanting to pry open or drill open the slab of concrete and dig Tu Dan out from underground! No one could stop her. It wasn¡¯t until Shen MO knocked her unconscious that things finally quieted down. With moistened eyes, Chang Weicai quietly commented, ¡°She¡¯s just a pitiful child. ¡± ¡ªWho among those trapped in this maze isn¡¯t pitiful? The fourth day in the maze. Zhang Tianyang took Tu Dan¡¯s place, becoming the leader of the students, leading them to continue searching for the exit. Bai Youwei, on the other hand, headed to the location of the exit they had first discovered. As they passed a corridor whose whole wall was made of glass mirrors, Shen MO acutely sensed that something was amiss. He was the first to stop, looking at the reflections of the dolls in the mirror. The others followed suit and halted as well. In the mirror, the positions of the dolls had changed. Although the four of them were clearly standing in a line, the dolls in the mirror were of various sizes and were clearly not standing in a straight line. In other words, some dolls were exceptionally close to the mirror surface. ¡°Damn,¡± Tan Xiao was horrified in his heart and cursed quietly. His doll was the closest among the four; it felt like if he took another step forward, he could break out of the mirror. Next were Shen MO and Teacher Chang. The doll representing Bai Youwei was the farthest. Shen MO said, ¡°We need to look for food and water everywhere and it¡¯s difficult to avoid looking into mirrors. It is likely that this distance is calculated based on how long and often we look into mirrors. Seems like Teacher Tu¡¯s death wasn¡¯t a simple accident.¡± Teacher Tu¡¯s doll must have been very close to the mirror, creating an opportunity to be taken advantage of. ¡°Why didn¡¯t we notice this earlier?¡± Tan Xiao was puzzled. Chang Weicai sighed, ¡°Everyone is afraid to look into the mirror. All the mirrors near the tent are blocked, how could we discover it?¡± ¡°We¡¯re running out of time.¡± The color drained from Bai Youwei¡¯s face, her hands unconsciously clenched into fists, ¡°Even if everyone can guarantee that they will avoid the mirror, with the passage of time, they will eventually come out. We need to find the exit as soon as possible.¡± The four of them glanced at each other and hastened their pace, continuing forward. When they arrived at the exit, all around them were still those intricately stacked dolls, with a hazy white light still filling the area inside the door. The giant mirrors on both sides reflected no human figures, only countless dolls endlessly repeating on the mirror-covered wall, over and over again¡­ ¡°Ah, this is¡­¡± Teacher Chang gasped in surprise. Everyone turned their heads at the sound. Pointing at the dolls on the wall, Teacher Chang¡¯s finger was trembling, ¡°¡­these are the two students of Teacher Tu who had gone missing.¡± Shen MO frowned and said, ¡°It seems those students guessed right; Teacher Tu didn¡¯t allow them to get near the exit, so these two students secretly ran over here.¡± Teacher Chang asked in a trembling voice, ¡°So this exit is fake? So¡­so, is the exit we found real?¡± ¡°Something is not right¡­¡± Bai Youwei seemed to have thought of something.. Her breath quickened, her face turning even paler, ¡°Go find Zhang Tianyang and the others quickly! If they haven¡¯t realized that the dolls¡¯ distance in the mirror is changing, something bad might happen!¡± Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Returning to the Starting Point Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Returning to the Starting Point Translator: 549690339 The group of people hurriedly tried to return, but before they could reach the starting point, terrified screams rang out from among the students! As they rounded a corner, they saw several panic-stricken students running toward them! ¡°What happened?!¡± Shen MO stopped them. Zhang Tianyang, still shock-stricken, gasped, ¡°The dolls¡­ the dolls in the mirror, they came out! ¡­ Two, two classmates, were pulled into the mirror!¡± He turned to look at the people behind him, saw Chen Hui, immediately reached out to pull her to him and looked her over, ¡°No, you¡¯re okay¡­ We¡¯re okay¡­¡± Shen MO took a quick look at the students. There were only six of them. He furrowed his brows: ¡°Where are the others?¡± Chen Hui lifted her head, her eyes full of bloodshot streaks, ¡°They¡­ They turned into dolls after running through a door.¡± ¡°A door?!¡± Professor Cheng asked in disbelief, ¡°Did you find another exit?¡± Zhang Tianyang nodded, struggling to respond: ¡°A very large door¡­ there were so many dolls, more than before, not only on the walls, but also all over the floor ¡­¡± Recalling the sensation of stepping on what felt like a pile of skulls, his face turned increasingly pale as he broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Was there a mirror?¡± Bai Youwei asked anxiously. Zhang Tianyang was stunned upon hearing this. ¡°There weren¡¯t any mirrors.¡± Chen Hui interjected, ¡°There¡¯s not a single mirror near that door.¡± Liao JingJing cried out, ¡°I told you before that the first exit was the real one! Let¡¯s go now! I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore! I want to leave! I don¡¯t want any rewards! ¡°Enough!¡± Chen Hui roughly shoved her, ¡°If you want to go, then go by yourself! Stop whining!¡± Liao JingJing burst into tears and helplessly reached out for Zhang Tianyang¡¯s arm. Zhang Tianyang was both annoyed and pitied her, he tried to unclasp her hand from his sleeve to no avail. He lacked the energy to keep on struggling with her and looked towards Shen MO and Bai Youwei: ¡°Mr. Shen, did you find anything on your end?¡± Shen MO said, ¡°We also found an exit.¡¯ A bitter smile crossed Zhang Tianyang¡¯s face, ¡°So now, we have three exits.¡± Chen Hui said: ¡°The maze has four main parts, so there might be four exits, but there will only be one real exit.¡± ¡°There should be a mirror at both the starting point and the endpoint.¡± Bai Youwei looked at them with both calm and determination in her voice, ¡°If you trust me, let¡¯s go back to the starting point together, gather our things, and I will lead you out of the maze.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back!¡± Liao JingJing shrieked, ¡°Why should we go back?! The dolls are right behind us! If we go back, we¡¯re sure to run into them!¡± ¡°We must return to the starting point.¡± Bai Youwei said expressionlessly, ¡°Otherwise, even if we find the exit, we won¡¯t be able to leave.¡¯ ¡°I won¡¯t go back!¡± Liao JingJing frantically shook her head, crying out, ¡°Why should I trust you?! Since Professor Tu died, you just want to use us students as guinea pigs, to send us back to die! Isn¡¯t it?! You don¡¯t even know which exit is the right one!!¡± Liao JingJing¡¯s mental state was on the brink of collapse, she turned to run, ignoring the shouts of the other students urging her to stop. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her.¡± Bai Youwei responded calmly, ¡°Even if she makes it to the exit, she will not go through.¡¯ Zhang Tianyang: ¡°But¡­ ¡°She won¡¯t go in.¡± Professor Cheng sighed heavily, ¡°We saw your classmate¡¯s dolls at the exit. If she sees them¡­ she definitely won¡¯t dare to go through.¡± The other students fell silent upon hearing this, their faces showing even more fatigue and confusion. Chen Hui turned to go back. Zhang Tianyang hesitated: ¡°Chen Hui, where are you going?¡± ¡°Back to the starting point.¡± Chen Hui didn¡¯t turn back as she responded, ¡°Didn¡¯t she just say it? If you don¡¯t go back to the starting point, you can¡¯t get out of the maze.¡¯ Can we really get out?¡± Zhang Tianyang stared blankly ahead. Bai Youwei closed her eyes and mumbled: ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try¡­¡± Chapter 110 - Chapter 110: Chapter 110: Can We Go Faster? Chapter 110: Chapter 110: Can We Go Faster? Translator: 549690339 They returned to their starting point and indeed saw a few life-sized dolls standing nearby. The dolls moved slowly, seemingly without any intention to attack them, though the mere sight of them standing there motionlessly was unnerving enough. Bai Youwei insisted everyone to grab their belongings. Everyone followed her order. In reality, there wasn¡¯t much to take along. Most of the items they had were supplies collected from within the maze; dispensable extras. Desperate as they were to get out, there was no time for meticulous packing. Inside Tu Dan¡¯s tent, Chen Hui found a lady¡¯s purse. Tu Dan¡¯s ID card, bank cards, house keys and a family photograph were kept within. In the photo, Tu Dan shared a warm smile, sandwiched between her son and husband. After a brief look, Chen Hui collected the purse and hoisted her backpack, exiting the tent. Outside, Zhang Tianyang was busy tearing papers from mirrors with his classmates. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chen Hui approached to ask. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Zhang Tianyang looked aghast and glanced at Bai Youwei in the distance, ¡°She ordered us to tear off all the paper on the mirrors.¡± Chen Hui frowned, ¡°But that¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± he began, but before he could finish, a hand reached out from the half-torn paper mirror. Chen Hui quickly pushed Zhang Tianyang away! The doll in the mirror kept its hand extended. Chen Hui warned, ¡°Be careful.¡± Zhang Tianyang wiped his cold sweat, ¡°Thank you.¡± Working together, they quickly stripped away all the paper from the nearby mirrors. Each mirror reflected their miniature selves. The sight of countless reflections was chilling¡­ ¡°They¡¯re coming out¡­¡± one of the students said in trembling voice, his knees went weak. Everyone gathered together, back against back, keeping their watchful eyes on the dolls creeping closer through the surrounding mirrors. Some reaching out a hand, some half-emerging and some still trapped in the mirror, eager to escape. Wheelchair-bound Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What are the odds of success?¡± ¡°Initially, it was fifty percent,¡± scanning the dolls surrounding them, she added, ¡°Now, it¡¯s eighty percent.¡± Surprised, Shen MO cast a quiet glance at her, the surprise fading swiftly, being replaced by an anticipated understanding. Because she was always like this. She was not only smart, but her thought process mysteriously aligned with the game. On this point, Shen MO felt he could never compare. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Bai Youwei maneuvered her wheelchair, gesturing lightly, ¡°No need to push me, just follow me and avoid any unnecessary detours.¡± She led the way sitting in her wheelchair, followed by the rest of the group. Trailing them were the slow-moving dolls¡­ Bai Yuwei, sitting in her wheelchair, was also not quick. There were even instances where she would pause to instruct the others to tear away the posters on the two side walls. As a result, their progress slowed down even further. Watching the dolls inching closer, Zhang Tianyang was petrified. Every time they tore off a poster, revealing a mirror that projected a new doll, their number grew exponentially all along the way! Upon reaching the next road junction, Bai Youwei paused once more. Close to losing his mind, Zhang Tianyang asked anxiously, ¡°Can we¡­hurry up? No one else said a word, their desperate gazes aimed at Bai Youwei though: could they walk faster? Could they? ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei responded coldly. Everyone fell silent. While reviewing the map in her hands and observing the intersection¡¯s environment, Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°We can¡¯t rush. I need to ensure that every step we take is within the mirrors¡¯ coverage range. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to go back and restart.¡± Go back? Everyone turned pale and dare not look back. A sea of dolls, creeping from every mirror, had almost blocked the alley behind them. Everyone exclaimed almost at once, ¡°It¡¯s perfectly good to go slow! Please, take your time!¡± Just as long as they don¡¯t make any mistakes! Chapter 111 - Chapter 111: Chapter 111: The Road to the End Chapter 111: Chapter 111: The Road to the End Translator: 549690339 The exit was getting closer, the number of puppets behind them increasingly numerous. Hundreds of Shen MO, hundreds of Bai Youwei, hundreds of Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, Zhang Tianyang, Chen Hui, Yang Yi¡­ Another poster was torn off, revealing his puppet¡¯s face in the mirror. Zhang Tianyang quickly balled up the torn poster and tossed it. His face was numb with routine. Upon finishing, he glanced back. Followed by so many¡­ so many puppets, it was an impressive sight. Chen Hui asked Bai Youwei, ¡°The puppets seem to have stopped attacking us, but why do they keep following us?¡± ¡°Because they also want to get out¡­¡± Bai Youwei scribbled on paper, mapping out routes, ¡°The maze traps us, it traps them too.¡± Her voice paused, then she looked up and added, ¡°They are us, just another version of us. So, if we want to get out, we must plot a path to the exit for them as well.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Chen Hui nodded, ¡°By using the reflection and refraction in the mirror to move the puppets within, only the doors with mirrors would be the real exits.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t respond, scratching out another path on paper before wheeling herself towards it. Chen Hui caught up and asked, ¡°When did you find out?¡± ¡°This morning.¡± ¡°This morning?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°This morning we went to the exit and confirmed that the mirrors on either side of the door couldn¡¯t reflect us. Surprisingly, the mirrors on the outside of the exit corridor couldn¡¯t reflect us either. As I was reverse engineering on our way back, I found that some mirrors could reflect, while some couldn¡¯t. If the exit is accurate, the issue must lie in the path we¡¯re taking.¡± She paused for a moment, looking ahead, and then added, ¡°Once we reach the exit and the mirrors reflect us successfully, that means our current path is correct. ¡± ¡°What if they still can¡¯t reflect us?¡± Zhang Tianyang asked. Bai Youwei paused, glanced at him, and said: ¡°Then we wait for death.¡¯ Zhang Tianyang: Tan Xiao sympathetically patted his shoulder, giving him a silent look that said: cheer up! Teacher Chang sighed on the side, ¡°People have always revered mazes, believing that the entire life of a person is akin to a maze. Only through a difficult and circuitous search can one leave deception and sin behind, finding their true self. In this way, this maze game has been reminding us from the very beginning that we must face the light and darkness of ourselves correctly to avoid being consumed by inner demons.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a pretentious game, how can it possibly contain such profound truths?¡± Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°Even if it did, it¡¯s just the maze adorning itself.¡± She walked alone at the front of the group, her cold tone filled with scorn, . Furthermore, whether to leave behind deception and sin, whether to find one¡¯s true self, that¡¯s my business, not the maze¡¯s!¡± Everyone was left feeling conflicted upon hearing her words. They look back again at the puppets behind them. Those puppets, with faces identical to theirs, followed at just the right distance, crying, laughing, angry, disgusted, seemingly always present¡­ They were the puppets, the puppets were they. In the maze, they were all mere puppets manipulated by the rules of the game. ¡°Alright.¡¯ The girl in the wheelchair in front of them stopped, giving them a temperature-less smile, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Everyone hesitantly moved forward, turned the corner, and saw the door leading to the exit. They also saw the mirrors on either side of the door. The mirrors reflected their images¡ªthis time, they were real, living and breathing people. Shen MO, sensing something, suddenly turned around. The others quickly followed suit. The puppets that had been following them, filling the entire road, had all disappeared.. Chapter 112 - Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Congratulations on Clearing the Second Maze Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Congratulations on Clearing the Second Maze Translator: 549690339 Chen Hui stared blankly at the vacant road, muttering, ¡°They¡¯ve disappeared¡­¡± ¡°Because they¡¯ve gone into the mirror.¡± Bai Youwei laughed scornfully: ¡°According to the logic of the maze game, we understand our real selves through the mirror, and to prove that we have accepted the ¡®real me¡¯, we must leave the maze with them. Only then will it be considered a perfect ending ugh, I feel like throwing up.¡± She moved forward in her wheelchair. Shen MO held her back. Bai Youwei looked up at him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was 80% sure before, but now I¡¯m 100% sure.¡± Shen MO frowned, did not try to convince her otherwise, but simply held the armrest of her wheelchair and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in together.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, paused for a moment, and then nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± Both of them stepped through the door together, their figures soon merging into the white mist and disappearing from sight. Tan Xiao looked left and right, didn¡¯t notice anything unusual, so he just went in too. Then came Chen Hui. Followed by Zhang Tianyang and his classmates. Teacher Chang was the last to stay behind, estimating that everyone had safely exited before he reluctantly moved into the doorway, leaning on his cane. Not far away, Liao JingJing huddled at the entrance of the passage, her bloodshot eyes staring intently at the exit. After a long time, she mumbled disbelievingly, ¡°Why¡­ why are they alright? Why didn¡¯t they turn into dolls?¡± She looked down at her right hand ¨C from fingertips to forearm, it had turned into numbing plastic. She had merely tested the waters by extending her hand in for a moment, and it had turned out like this. After that, she found her classmate¡¯s doll, and realized something was wrong with the exit! But why could Bai Youwei get out?! ¡°That crippled girl¡­ she said she was going back to the starting point, said she was going to reflect herself out from the mirror¡­¡± Liao JingJing clutched her forearm, turning around unsteadily to return, ¡°I need to leave, I must leave this place¡­¡± Bai Youwei was surprised. She had obviously entered with Shen MO, but now Shen MO was nowhere to be found. She sat in her wheelchair, alone, surrounded by endless white mist. At that moment, a voice resonated in the air: ¡°Congratulations to the player for clearing the No. 2 maze.¡± ¡°The reward settlement for this round of the game will now begin.¡± ¡°As the first player to clear the No. 2 maze, you will receive a doll jigsaw piece.¡± ¡°The leaderboard for the players who cleared the game this round is as follows, first, now upgrading the player¡¯s data¡­ding, the upgrade is now complete.¡± ¡°The reward settlement is complete. Please continue with the game, strive to clear As the voice concluded, the white mist dissipated. In the blink of an eye, Bai Youwei realized everyone was still there. Everyone stood dazedly on a broad and straight road, only regaining their senses when they saw each other, realizing they had finally escaped from the maze! The mist still lingered behind them. They all gathered together, each examining the jigsaw piece in their hand. ¡°Why are there only five?¡± Tan Xiao held his jigsaw piece, completely puzzled. He turned to Chang Weicai, ¡°Old Chang, didn¡¯t you get a jigsaw piece?¡± Teacher Chang shook his head, ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei, Shen MO, Tan Xiao each had a jigsaw piece in their hand, Zhang Tianyang and Chen Hui also had one, but the remaining three classmates didn¡¯t get one. ¡°They must have been given in order.¡± Zhang Tianyang said, ¡°When the game ended, the system said my rank was five. I reckon the jigsaw pieces would only be given to the first five who walked out the maze.¡± Yi Yang, standing beside him, heaved a sigh of relief. He looked exhausted and flopped down right on the roadside. He slapped the ground hard with his palm and sighed, ¡°Just being able to make it out alive is lucky enough! The jigsaw doesn¡¯t matter anymore!¡± The other classmate who didn¡¯t obtain a jigsaw piece also nodded vigorously, recalling the horrifying scenes in the maze with a lingering fear. Chen Hui suddenly said, ¡°Yi Yang, stand up.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Yi Yang was taken aback. Chen Hui walked over and pulled his hand away. Where Yi Yang had slapped, the brick had cracked. Everyone was stunned. Chen Hui looked at them, ¡°Do you remember? The system also said¡­ Upgrading player¡¯s data..¡± Chapter 113 - Chapter 113: Chapter 113: What Effect Does Data Upgrading Chapter 113: Chapter 113: What Effect Does Data Upgrading Have? Translator: 549690339 Yes. No matter where that voice came from, everyone heard it clearly; it said: Upgrade the players¡¯ data. This statement was indeed discomforting. They were not machines, what did it mean to upgrade data? Chang Weicai hesitated, then spoke: ¡°Now that you mention it¡­ after we left the maze, I felt like my body has become younger¡­¡± ¡°No way.¡± Tan Xiao scrutinized him, ¡°You still have a lot of wrinkles on your face. Chang seemed embarrassed, ¡°Not¡­not that type of ¡®young¡¯, I mean physically, my arms and legs seem more agile, and I feel stronger than before.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it¡­ I also feel like¡­ something has changed with me¡­¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head, looked around, spotted a tree by the side of the road, walked over and threw a punch! Bang! The tree didn¡¯t break. However, the spot that was hit, the rough bark split directly! The branches and leaves shook, and the leaves began to rustle down! Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened, almost popping out of his sockets in astonishment! ¡°No way¡­¡± He murmured, raising his fist again. This time he used all his strength and fiercely hit the tree trunk¡ª ¡°Behold my unstoppable Herculean punch! ! !¡± Bang! The trunk was split from the inside! The result was indeed astonishing. At the same time, Tan Xiao squatted down, clutching his fist in pain. It hurt. Seeing this, others began to make their attempts. Some tested their strength, some their speed, some their bodily resilience, and others simply jumped on the spot to see how high they could go. Even Chang began doing push-ups on the ground. For a moment, the scene looked absurd. Only two people remained motionless: One was Bai Youwei, and the other was Shen Mo. ¡°It seems the maze rewards are much more substantial than game rewards. Previous games only rewarded one-time use items, while the maze can upgrade physical abilities in a comprehensive manner.¡± Shen MO said, ¡°With this physical ability, if we participate in a ¡®Tortoise and the Hare¡¯ styled game, it is almost impossible to lose.¡± Bai Youwei slowly nodded, ¡°¡­Also, those who possess a puzzle piece have a chance to skip a game.¡± When grasping the puzzle piece, its function automatically appeared in the mind¡ª [1: Collect all puzzle pieces to win any game] [2: Each puzzle piece grants one additional game exemption] In a world where life-or-death games were encountered at any moment, gaining the right to opt-out of a game is equivalent to gaining an extra life! ¡°But¡­¡± Bai Youwei gently rubbed the puzzle piece with her fingertips, ¡°the information didn¡¯t tell us how many pieces constitute a complete puzzle¡­¡± ¡°Tu Dan said, Hangzhou also has the fog.¡± Shen MO speculated, ¡°If the areas with concentrated populations all have mazes, we may be able to estimate the number of mazes from the number of cities.¡¯ Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then turned to Chang Weicai and asked, ¡°In terms of population, where does Hangzhou rank among our nation¡¯s cities?¡± Chang Weicai was taken aback for a moment, then responded, ¡°Around 20th place.¡± ¡°This ranking may not be a valid reference.¡± Shen MO said, ¡°Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou have the largest populations and were the first ones affected. Later, a large number of people in Shanghai moved to Suzhou and Hangzhou, so Hangzhou¡¯s current population ranking should be significantly higher than 20.¡± Upon hearing their discussion, Tan Xiao naturally asked, ¡°So, are we going to Hangzhou next?¡± The only way to obtain a puzzle piece is by entering a maze. If they want to collect all pieces of the puzzle, they must aim for the cities engulfed in the fog. Shen MO pondered for a moment, then turned to students like Chen Hui and Zhang Tianyang, and asked, ¡°What are your plans for what comes next?¡± Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: Chapter 114 Where Is Everyone Going Chapter 114: Chapter 114 Where Is Everyone Going Translator: 549690339 When you¡¯re trapped in a maze, the greatest wish is to escape the maze. Now that they¡¯re out, they feel even more lost. With the world having undergone drastic changes and life hanging by a thread, where should they go? Five students huddled together, discussing in hushed tones. Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair, watching them quietly, her face expressionless as her hands tenderly stroked her stuffed bunny. She could feel a tingling sensation in her legs. Ever since the car accident at twelve, her legs had for the first time regained their sense of touch, yet she stayed silent, not telling anyone. Because she hated false hope. If one data upgrade could make her legs regain feeling, would a second data upgrade allow her to stand again? What is a maze? ¡­God bless, or devil curse, she doesn¡¯t care. She just wants to stand up again. The students finally came to a decision. Zhang Tianyang said, ¡°We plan to head south along the Yangtze River, see if we can find any assistance, or meet up with other survivors¡­¡± He paused, looking at Chen Hui, ¡°Chen Hui wants to head north, she wants to go to Beijing to find Teacher Tu¡¯s son.¡± Everyone was surprised. Teacher Chang said: ¡°It¡¯s such a long journey, you¡¯re just a young girl¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Chen Hui, Teacher Tu¡¯s son must have taken shelter by now. There¡¯s no way to find him.¡± Her classmates also tried to dissuade her. Chen Hui pulled out Tu Dan¡¯s wallet and showed them a family photo from inside. ¡°Teacher Tu left a letter to her child. I¡¯m thinking of returning it to its rightful owner.¡± There was a message written on the back of the photo. Calling it a letter was probably overblowing it; it was merely a brief message, containing only two sentences. ¡ªXiaohui, Mom misses you a lot. My child, I hope you¡¯re safe. The varying shades of ink indicated that the latter sentence was added recently. Everyone fell silent upon seeing the photo. Chen Hui said, ¡°The address is on the ID card, if I can¡¯t find him, I¡¯ll leave the photo at Teacher Tu¡¯s house. Don¡¯t worry, I know my limits, I won¡¯t do Anything She paused, her voice growing softer, ¡°Teacher Tu has brought us this far, I¡¯d like to do something for her in return.¡± After listening to her, Zhang Tianyang felt a pang of sadness, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Let me accompany you!¡± ¡°No need,¡± Chen Hui gave a light chuckled, ¡°Your task is to finish what Teacher Tu couldn¡¯t, to bring everyone to a safe place. Besides, I have puzzle pieces, so I can protect myself from the game. If all of you come along, even if we use up two pieces, we won¡¯t be able to save everyone. So, it¡¯s enough for me to go alone.¡± She and Zhang Tianyang each had a puzzle piece, but there were five students in total, not enough to let everyone opt-out of the game. After weighing up the situation, they found that Chen Hui¡¯s arrangements were indeed the most suitable. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Chen Hui said with a faint smile as she gestured her clenched fist, ¡°I¡¯m pretty tough now. I may not be as strong as you guys, but I can definitely hold my own against those who haven¡¯t been in the maze.¡± Having come to a consensus, no one tried to persuade her any longer. Shen MO then asked Tan Xiao and Teacher Chang. Tan Xiao was an orphan with no roots, who had lost touch with his wild group of brothers. With no other place to go, he naturally continued to follow Shen Mo. Teacher Chang, on the other hand, hesitated for a moment. His wife passed away when she was still young, and his children all lived overseas. He came to Yangzhou as he missed his elderly parents. However, considering the circumstances, the possibility of his parents getting on a rescue ship was incredibly slim. After thinking for a long time, Chang Weicai let out a sigh, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Hangzhou. I¡¯m old, I¡¯ve lived long enough. If putting together the puzzle can really bring about some good, then I¡¯d die a worthy death.¡± Rather than dying pointlessly in the game, one might as well die for something valuable, something meaningful. Even if it was just a tiny bit. (Author¡¯s note: Recently there has been a serious crackdown on romance, not even fake ones are tolerated.. So, I had to change the setting of the story! Originally, I planned to have the heroine¡¯s mom and the hero¡¯s dad divorced, but that wasn¡¯t enough! Now, the hero¡¯s dad is just a friend of the heroine¡¯s mom! Just friends! Pure friends!) Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: Chapter 115 Tai Lake Service Area Chapter 115: Chapter 115 Tai Lake Service Area Translator: 549690339 The group bid each other farewell before parting. As a token of gratitude for leading them out of the maze, Chen Hui offered Bai Youwei a plump mushroom before he left. Zhang Tianyang, concerned about the dangers Chen Hui might face on his journey alone, gave him a block of frog mud as well. Afterward, Chen Hui set off north. Zhang Tianyang took his classmates and began heading south. Shen MO, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, and Chang Weicai formed a group and traveled by car to Hangzhou¡ª From Yangzhou to Hangzhou, the entire distance was about 297 km, approximately 3 hours and 39 minutes by car. This was the travel time before the Apocalypse. As for now, the congested highways and the neverending dolls were enough to drive them mad. The only convenience was that their enhanced physical abilities allowed Shen MO and Tan Xiao to manually move cars and clear the road when the congestion wasn¡¯t too severe. Chang Weicai also gained a substantial amount of strength. Although he couldn¡¯t compare to the younger men, his stamina had rejuvenated as if he were twenty years younger. He truly didn¡¯t feel tired, dizzy, or short of breath. The direct effect of this change was an improved morale within the group. They seemed to resent the doll game less too. Bai Youwei was unsure if this change was for the better. If it was a positive change, it could mean that everyone¡¯s ability to adapt to the end of the world had increased. If it was a negative change, this could be the game¡¯s first step to domesticate them¡­ It was as if they were smacked across their faces and then given a sweet date. Once they entered the Changshen Expressway, their journey became smoother. There were no congested cars nor dolls in sight. That night, they passed by Tai Lake and decided to rest in the Tai Lake service area. Under the bright moonlight, with the night sky hanging high, they lit a fire in an open section of the service area to heat water and make dinner. ¡°Maze life was better. We had watermelons, roast meat, even a microwave. Now we¡¯ve returned to primitive living. Who knows what the Hangzhou maze will be like¡­¡± Tan Xiao lamented as he threw branches into the fire. Chang Weicai, who was preparing mung bean soup at the side, asked Tan Xiao with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared, Xiaotan?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Tan Xiao responded off-handedly. After pausing for a moment, he added with a grin, ¡°But now that we¡¯re out, it doesn¡¯t seem so scary¡­ Ah, forget it! As adventurers, we¡¯ve got to brave the wind and rain. What¡¯s there to fear in this? Just a drizzle! Like MO here, his face never changes no matter what happens. What¡¯s that phrase again? Described as steady as a mountain in the face of chaos!¡± Chang Weicai explained with a chuckle, ¡°The complete version is ¡®As firm as a rock in face of danger, as composed as a deer in a rut.¡¯ It means that even when Mount Tai collapses, his facial expression remains unchanged, or when a deer crosses his path, he doesn¡¯t even blink.¡± For once, Tan Xiao didn¡¯t tease Chang Weicai¡¯s scholarly manners but praised him, ¡°Being a teacher really shows, very refined.¡± Upon hearing this, Chang Weicai¡¯s expression darkened slightly, ¡°Nowadays, having skills is more valuable than being cultured. Besides teaching, there¡¯s nothing much else I can do¡­¡± As they chatted, Bai Youwei emerged from her tent, asking, ¡°Who touched my rabbit?¡± Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai stared back at her, shocked. Shen MO, who was studying the map, turned to ask, ¡°Has your rabbit gone missing, Youwei?¡± Bai Youwei, furrowing her brows, responded, ¡°No, it¡¯s in the tent.¡± Everyone was left puzzled. If the rabbit hadn¡¯t gone missing, why was she asking? ¡°Never mind.¡± Bai Youwei, appearing slightly annoyed, grabbed her walking stick and strolled closer to the fire, prodding at it. ¡°Are the sweet potatoes ready?¡± ¡°Not yet. They need to roast for a while longer before they¡¯re fully cooked,¡± replied Chang Weicai, quickly pulling her away from the fire. ¡°Be careful not to burn yourself or get sparks on your clothes.¡± Bai Youwei, leaning on her walking stick, moved aimlessly around, expressing her hunger. Tan Xiao offered her a roasted sausage, ¡°Have this one first to soothe your hunger.¡± Disliking the greasiness, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t accept the sausage. Instead, she continued to wander around with her walking stick. Spotting Tai Lake not far away¡ª Under the moonlight, the mountain scenery was captivating. The water reflected the glimmers of light, large patches of lotus leaves spread on the water¡¯s surface. The breeze stirred the lotus leaves, making them sway and ripple like waves. Bai Youwei suddenly felt an urge and glanced at Shen MO, ¡°I want lotus seeds.¡± Shen MO, Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: Chapter 116 Team Name Chapter 116: Chapter 116 Team Name Translator: 549690339 Shen MO asked, ¡°Not eating anymore?¡± Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°This is just an appetizer.¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t want to go, frowning at the distant lake water, ¡°You just want to offer me up as an appetizer to the mosquitoes.¡± ¡°Ahahaha!¡­¡± Tan Xiao burst into laughter, ¡°Brother MO, you are so funny! Serving as food for mosquitoes hahahaha¡­ hic¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s little face fell. She turned around with her crutch and went back to the tent. She didn¡¯t say anything, but the implication was clear: she wasn¡¯t going to eat anymore. She was acting rather high and mighty, refusing not only to eat the lotus seeds but also not having any dinner! Shen MO put down the map in his hand and said to Tan Xiao, ¡°What you said earlier was quite accurate.¡± ¡°Eh? Which part?¡± Tan Xiao asked with wide-open eyes, ¡°The funny part?¡± Shen MO slowly took off his upper garment, ¡°You said, it¡¯s better in the maze.¡± In the maze, she never acted this way. Eh? Brother MO, where are you heading? Are you seriously going to feed the mosquitoes?¡­ Ah, take me with you, take me with you! I¡¯ll go catch a fish!¡± Half an hour later. They started eating. Bai Youwei sat by the fire, a large lotus leaf laid on her lap, happily peeling lotus seeds to eat. The green lotus seeds made a rustling sound as they fell onto the lotus leaf, forming a pile before being shaken off into the fire, producing a fragrant grassy smell. After eating two lotus seeds, Shen MO, fearing she might have an upset stomach, didn¡¯t let her eat anymore. He dug a well-roasted sweet potato out of the fire, put it in a large porcelain bowl, peeled off a layer of the ashen skin to reveal the honey-orange flesh, gave her a small spoon, and let her dig in. The sweet potato was steaming hot, and the inside was sweet and gooey. You take a bite, blow on it, and then swallow, it¡¯s so soft and sweet that it makes your teeth feel sugary. Teacher Chang gave her a bowl of mung bean soup, without sugar. The taste was mild, but it was perfect for counteracting the sweetness of the roasted sweet potato. Eating and drinking, Bai Youwei found herself content and comfortable. Tan Xiao, nibbling on a sausage and poking at the fire with a wooden stick, said, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys think¡­ we¡¯re kind of like a group? Do we remind you of a pilgrimage? They faced the eighty-one trials, we complete puzzles while gaming. ¡± Teacher Chang chuckled upon hearing this, ¡°In the ¡®Journey to the West,¡¯ they faced the sea of death, who would be their boat? As they passed through the long night of ignorance, who would be their torch? If we are fortunate this time, we can emulate Xuanzang and be a light for the lost souls in the sea of suffering.¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t quite understand, but he found the grouping of four words used by Teacher Chang intriguing and suggested, ¡°Teacher Chang, since you¡¯re so cultured, how about you come up with a group name for us?¡± Teacher Chang was taken aback, ¡°A group name?¡± ¡°How do you not know?¡± Tan Xiao began to explain using his fingers, ¡°The Two Elders of the Mysterious Void, The Three Sages of Kunlun, The Four Heavenly Kings, The Five Elders of Kongtong, The Six Immortals of Taoyuan, The Seven Freaks of the South¡­ like these. Teacher Chang suddenly understood, ¡°Oh, let me think¡­¡± Bai Youwei grinned as she kept eating, amused that Teacher Chang, with his stern countenance, was seriously considering Tan Xiao¡¯s suggestion and brainstorming names. ¡°We are four people, coming from different places, being together like a family, how about¡­ Four Oceans, One Family?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tan Xiao said, ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very imposing. Try again.¡± Chang Weicai suggested, ¡°In the old days, there were the Four Talents of the Study, representing the brush, ink, paper, and ink-stand. We could each take one character from there.¡¯ ¡°Oh, let me think¡­¡± Tan Xiao mused, ¡°Flowers, birds, fish, insects?¡­ Wolves, tigers, leopards? Demons, ghosts, ghouls, goblins? Hey, why can¡¯t we find any good words with four characters?¡± Bai Youwei could no longer hold back her laughter and exclaimed, ¡°How about calling us and the Old, Young, Sick, and Crippled!¡± Tan Xiao: Chang Weicai: ¡® Shen MO, while tending to the fire, asked nonchalantly, ¡°So, which one am I among the Old, Young, Sick, and Crippled?¡± Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: Chapter 117 Sister Weiwei Chapter 117: Chapter 117 Sister Weiwei Translator: 549690339 ¡°Chang is old, Tan is young, I¡¯m crippled, and you¡­¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, curling her lips, ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Straight man cancer!¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei: ¡°Hahahahahaha ¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help it, her laugh threshold was particularly low tonight. On the side, Tan Xiao moaned, ¡°Why am I ¡®young¡¯? I¡¯m turning 20 at the end of the month.¡± Bai Youwei confidently replied, ¡°You¡¯re the youngest among us! If you¡¯re not young, what are you?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Tan Xiao looked at her with wide eyes, ¡°I can¡¯t be younger than you! How old are you?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s lips curled imperceptibly, as if he had thought of something. Bai Youwei replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how old I am, I¡¯m older than you!¡± Tan Xiao, in disbelief, exclaimed, ¡°You look so young! You must not be of legal age!¡± Bai Youwei coldly replied, ¡°Sorry¨C I haven¡¯t developed properly since the accident.¡± With this, everyone fell silent, not knowing how to continue the conversation. But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t seem to mind and cheerfully continued to tease Tan Xiao, ¡°Since you call him Brother MO, according to the rules, what should you call Tan Xiao with a bitterness on his face said, . Sister Weiwei.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes immediately curved into two crescents. Shen MO felt that she was a lost cause and silently shook his head, continuing to stoke the fire with the stick in his hand. The fire reflected in his dark eyes, waxing and waning, like the active glowworms in the night sky. A large lumpy, overcooked object was pulled out of the fire ¡ª it was soy-sauce-marinated chicken, pork feet, and duck neck wrapped in lotus leaves. The taste was the same, but the addition of lotus leaves appeared to add a touch of sophistication to the vacuum-packed food; the rich aroma of lotus leaves complemented the savory flavor of the sauce. Bai Youwei reached out to grab a bite. Shen MO gave her a once-over, ¡°You still can eat?¡± Sweet potatoes are quite filling. Bai Youwei licked her lips, eyeing the chicken in his hand, ¡°Let me try it.¡± Shen MO tore off a chicken leg, thought it was too much, cut off a part with a knife, and then handed it to her. After Bai Youwei finished the chicken leg, she moved on to the duck neck, eating with her oily hands, and then ate two fresh lotus seeds. Shen MO was genuinely worried that she would overeat, and asked with a furrowed brow, ¡°Do you feel that there will be a food shortage once we reach Hangzhou?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare for me to have a good appetite, so of course I have to eat more.¡± After eating, Bai Youwei sucked her fingers and breezily replied, ¡°otherwise, it would be a waste of this good mood.¡± Shen MO thought to himself: indeed, your good mood is hard to come by. After dinner, everyone freshened up and prepared to rest. Shen MO had been driving all day, so the person in charge of the night shift was Tan Xiao. Chang Weicai, who wasn¡¯t feeling sleepy yet, decided to keep him company. Presumably because of his improved physical condition, Chang felt staying up all night wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Should we put out the campfire?¡± Tan Xiao asked. At night, a burning campfire is conspicuous. Shen MO casually said, ¡°Let it be, it will come in handy when we want to boil hot water or cook food in the morning.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go gather more firewood.¡± Tan Xiao was full of enthusiasm. Chang Weicai advised, ¡°Try to find dry firewood, wet ones create too much smoke when burnt.¡± Finding dry firewood in a modern city wasn¡¯t an easy task. Tan Xiao decided to burn the tables and chairs in the service area. Bai Youwei, who had finished freshening up, hummed a tune as she returned to the tent. Just as she was about to crawl inside, she suddenly stopped. The rabbit toy that she had put in her bag had reappeared at the entrance of her tent. Bai Youwei frowned and looked around ¡ª Shen MO was packing his personal hygiene supplies, Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai went to collect the tables and chairs, and there was no one else nearby.. Who could have moved her toy rabbit? Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: Chapter 118 My Rabbit Can Move Chapter 118: Chapter 118 My Rabbit Can Move Translator: 549690339 Perhaps she lingered outside the tent for too long, so Shen MO noticed something was off and asked her, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, not hiding anything, she pointed at the plush bunny by the door curtain and said, ¡°My bunny seems to be moving on its own.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® If Bai Youwei¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t so serious, he would have truly believed that she was playing some kind of prank on him again. Bai Youwei picked up the plush bunny, examined it carefully, and not finding anything wrong, right in front of Shen MO, threw the plush bunny back into the tent. Thud. The bunny landed on the cushion, rolled twice, and then stayed still. Bai Youwei frowned as she watched for a while, the bunny remained still. ¡°Could it be that you placed it there yourself and then forgot?¡± Shen MO walked over and asked. Bai Youwei gave him a sideways glance, ¡°I remember putting it in my bag, twice.¡± Bai Youwei has a large canvas bag, specifically for holding personal items like tissues, wet wipes, her mobile phone, her purse, as well as toy guns, frog mud, and the sponge mushroom Chen Hui gave her. Usually, the bunny is also stored inside. After all, it¡¯s not practical to keep holding it in her arms when it¡¯s hot. Bai Youwei only takes it out when she is sleeping at night, using it as a pillow. She thought for a while, then lightly clapped her hands together: ¡°Ah! I got it.¡± Shen MO asked, ¡°Understand what?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°The ¡®one-tenth me¡¯ function allows the user to release electric energy within a radius of 2 meters, so doesn¡¯t this mean, it cannot leave me beyond 2 meters?¡± She let go of her hands and, pushing the wheelchair wheels, moved back, ¡°¡­The current distance is about 1 meter, let me move back a bit more and try again. ¡± Shen MO raised his eyebrows, but before he could say anything, the plush bunny in the tent twitched. Bai Youwei saw it too and smiled, ¡°This thing is sort of interesting.¡± She continued to move backward. The plush bunny wiggled its ears, slowly sat up, then, its head turned precisely towards Bai Youwei¡¯s direction, then it stood up and started walking out with its short little legs. The bunny really moved! Although the scene should have been incredibly eerie, Bai Youwei was laughing uncontrollably. The round, chubby plush bunny walking was just too hilarious! Its legs are so short, it got stuck at the tent curtain and couldn¡¯t move forward, its short legs desperately tried to step over the lower half of the tent but just couldn¡¯t! Bai Youwei burst into laughter, maneuvering her wheelchair even further back. Shen MO reached out and stopped her. ¡°If you roll any further back, it will self, burn.¡± Shen MO said. The wheelchair was close to the fire. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t roll back any further, she returned to the tent to pick up the bunny and said laughingly, ¡°What if I throw it further, how about that?¡± Shen MO reminded her, ¡°It will get dirty.¡± Then she won¡¯t be able to use it as a pillow tonight. Bai Youwei: ¡°Then, will you catch it for me?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei took his silence as agreement, and waved at him, ¡°You move back a bit more.¡± Shen MO remained silent for a moment, somewhat exasperated, he turned and walked about ten steps away, then looked back at her. Bai Youwei was still gesturing, ¡°Even further back!¡± ¡® Shen MO took about ten more steps back. Bai Youwei: ¡°I¡¯m going to throw it now.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s expression changed slightly. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was overthinking it, but he felt like they were playing a game of catch, like playing fetch with a dog. ¡°If you miss, you must still pick it up for me.¡± Bai Youwei called from a distance. Shen Mo: ¡® While Shen MO still hadn¡¯t completely lost his patience, Bai Youwei swung her arm and threw the plush bunny! The bunny soared through the air in a white parabola before being caught by Shen Mo. He immediately felt the bundle of fluff in his hand struggling. Its short arms and legs were all moving, he couldn¡¯t hold it tightly, he squeezed a bit harder and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his palm! Out of reflex, he loosened his grip¡ª The bunny fell to the ground and started scampering towards Bai Youwei! ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her wheelchair over. As soon as she entered the 2-meter radius, the bunny immediately stopped moving. She picked up the bunny, brought it to Shen MO and saw a bit of red on his palm. Bai Youwei: ¡°Did it bite you?¡± Shen MO looked at her despairingly: ¡°It electrocuted me..¡± Chapter 119 - Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Rabbit Experiment Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Rabbit Experiment Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei¡¯s plush rabbit could move by itself. If it was more than 2 meters away from her, it would seemingly activate a program and begin its unyielding journey to find its owner. In this process, if it was obstructed by a living object, it would release a small amount of electric energy for defense. However, if the object was inanimate, such as a tent, stone, tree trunk, wall, etc., the rabbit wouldn¡¯t react at all. Bai Youwei and Shen MO conducted a few more experiments together. For example, Bai Youwei placed the rabbit on the windowsill of a room on the first floor, closed the glass window, and then retreated to a position more than 2 meters outside the window. Afterward, the rabbit would continually press and push against the glass window even though the room¡¯s door was clearly open; it wouldn¡¯t leave through the door. This indicated that the plush rabbit had certain intelligence, but not too advanced. ¡°If the maze¡¯s data upgrade also affects items, why haven¡¯t other items changed?¡± Shen MO speculated, ¡°Could the maze system have taken the ¡®tenth of me¡¯ as a game player?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head: ¡°If it was deemed by the system as a game player, then it should¡¯ve been ranked along with me as first place when we completed the level together. Why didn¡¯t it receive a puzzle piece?¡± The top five players who left the maze all received puzzle pieces. Hence, this hypothesis wasn¡¯t valid. Shen MO furrowed his brows, thinking again, ¡°The system upgrades players based on certain criteria. Supposing that the system targets all beings with intelligence ¨C this item perfectly fits this criterion. However, since the Inspector¡¯s role is inherently excluded from the game, it cannot earn puzzle pieces?¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s possible.¡± Bai Youwei, while stroking the rabbit¡¯s fluffy ears, slowly said, ¡°After all, the Inspector¡¯s status in the game is extraordinary. Even if it¡¯s only a tenth, it cannot be placed on the same scale as regular gamers.¡± While speaking, she suddenly smirked, seemingly thinking about something. ¡°I wonder what extent this data upgrade can reach¡­ Will it turn into a fifth, a third, a quarter¡­ until it becomes a complete Inspector?¡± Shen MO was left speechless for a moment. He found Bai Youwei¡¯s theory baffling and was equally baffled by the existence of the Inspector. Speaking of upgrades, though¡­ Whether they could safely exit the next maze was still uncertain. Shen MO fell into silence for a moment before finally saying, ¡°We¡¯ll see once we reach Hangzhou.¡± Bai Youwei simply responded with a hum. After a while, she quietly said, ¡°I thought you would choose to follow Zhang Tianyang and the others.¡± Upon hearing her, Shen MO turned to look at her. She was gazing into the distance. During the peaceful night, the moonlight lay scattered on the industrial cement road, creating an illusion of frost and piled snow. The two of them sat side by side in front of the tent flap. Bai Youwei said, ¡°I¡¯m not close to my mother, so it¡¯s normal for me not to go look for her. What about you? Have you ever thought of looking for your dad?¡± Shen MO was silent for a moment, his tone still as calm as water, ¡°Given my dad¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t trust in any temporary rescue team. He would most likely seek out his own path.¡± Pausing for two seconds, he continued, ¡°Moreover, what difference would it make if we found him? We¡¯d still need to figure out these games, and the maze¡­¡± As he slowly spoke, his gaze dropped to her slightly bent legs. Thinking about the data upgrade and her physical condition, he wanted to ask, but at that moment, Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai came running from a distance, shouting at them, ¡°Brother MO! Weiwei! Something is coming across the lake!¡± Their shouts were breathless and somewhat unclear. Shen MO stepped forward and asked, ¡°What¡¯s coming?¡± ¡°Looks like a boat!¡± an excited Tan Xiao replied, ¡°There are lights on the boat! And electricity! It¡¯s also rumbling loudly!¡± Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Chapter 120: Rescue Team Chapter 120: Chapter 120: Rescue Team Translator: 549690339 Chang Weicai was a bit more rational than Tan Xiao, saying: ¡°It¡¯s too far to see clearly, we don¡¯t know who is on it, but in a few minutes, it should be near the shore.¡± Meeting others was a blessing, as it provided warmth in numbers, a chance to exchange information, and mutual assistance. But ever since they heard from Tu Dan¡¯s students, about people attacking others to seize tools, they dared not take others lightly. If that was the case for tools, wouldn¡¯t a jigsaw puzzle be even more tempting? However, currently, not many people have cleared the maze, so the information about the puzzle was relatively isolated. Most people should not know about the existence of the puzzle. After a little thought, Shen MO said to everyone, ¡°Don¡¯t be too anxious, let¡¯s go and see the situation first.¡¯ Even though he said that, Teacher Chang still brought his crutch, Tan Xiao carried a baseball bat, and Shen MO held the inconspicuous folding fruit knife. As for Bai Youwei, everything was in her bag. The four of them arrived at the lake and found that the boat was already docking. It was an amusement park sightseeing boat, designed in an antique style, with a big red hull, bright yellow curtains, dragon and phoenix carvings, and many red lanterns hanging outside the window grilles. A few people got off the boat and yelled at them, ¡°We are the rescue team! How many of you are there?¡± Everyone was surprised. Having wandered for so many days, they had lost hope of rescue, but now, they had stumbled upon a rescue team? ¡°It must be a rescue team organized by civilians,¡± said Shen MO, ¡°the officials wouldn¡¯t use such a boat for rescue operations.¡± After hearing this, everyone¡¯s excitement calmed down slightly. That¡¯s right. If it were really a rescue team, why would they use a sightseeing boat from the park to collect people? However, encountering a civilian rescue team is also just their luck. The leader was a muscular man, sturdy and tanned, looking a bit fierce but giving an honest and friendly smile. He led two young men over and said to Shen MO and the others, ¡°Fortunately, you had a fire, or we wouldn¡¯t have found you. Is there anyone else? Pack your things and get on the boat, we will take you to a safe island!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°A safe island?¡± ¡°Over there¨C¡± The muscular man pointed, ¡°Sanshan Island, all of our people are there, but it¡¯s too dark now, you definitely can¡¯t see it.¡± A young man next to him, who was clearly impatient to stay on the shore any longer, urged: ¡°Hurry up and get on the boat, Uncle Zhao said, it¡¯s not safe onshore.¡± Shen MO frowned imperceptibly. How could they get on the boat without getting the full picture? ¡°Big brother, it¡¯s pitch-dark over there, I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Bai Youwei pulled on Shen Mo¡¯s hand, her voice soft and pitiful, ¡°Can we not go?¡± Tan Xiao and Teacher Chang were both taken aback by her voice and looked at her in silence. Shen MO, however, was used to it and calmly told the muscular man, ¡°We don¡¯t need to be rescued for now, thank you.¡± Perhaps it was their first encounter with people who refused rescue, the muscular man and the young man were stunned, ¡°What about the fire just now¡­¡± Teacher Chang quickly explained, ¡°We were cooking something, it¡¯s not a rescue signal, sorry for the misunderstanding.¡± The other party stared at them with a strange look. Everyone they had seen before was overjoyed at the sight of rescue, but Shen MO and the others were¡­ Well, rescue is a matter of mutual consent. If someone doesn¡¯t need rescuing, of course, there¡¯s no need to push. The muscular man said: ¡°Well¡­ then, you guys be careful.¡± Having said that, he got back on the boat with his people. Shen MO also led his group back to the service area. But they had only walked a few steps when someone on the boat called out to them again: ¡°Hey! ¡ªWait! Please wait a moment¡­. Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Chapter 121 Civilian Rescue Chapter 121: Chapter 121 Civilian Rescue Translator: 549690339 The voice sounded slightly hoarse and weathered, like an old man. Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to see another man disembarking from the boat. He was short and nimble on his feet, his trousers rolled up to his knees, looking like an old sailor who frequently worked on boats. The young men from earlier were all trailing behind the old man, their demeanor completely respectful. Upon reaching the shore, the old man grinned at Bai Youwei, ¡°Young lady, don¡¯t be afraid! Our island is very safe, there are no dolls, and no people-eating fog. You will be safe there and need not worry about food or lodging. It¡¯s practically like your life before, barring the lack of internet connection.¡± Bai Youwei kept up her act, her face full of anxiety as she asked, ¡°But¡­once on the island, will anyone bully me and my brother?¡± She seemed genuinely frightened, her pitiful look compounding as she clung onto the corner of Shen Mo¡¯s clothes. Shen MO could feel her small hand touching his waist through the thin fabric of his t-shirt¡­ He warned her with a stern look: Behave. But she was so engrossed in her performance that she ignored him. The old man laughed and waved his hand, ¡°No one will bully you.¡± The burly man behind him also reassured, ¡°Although we¡¯re only a civilian organization, if you work hard and perform well, there¡¯s a chance to go to a safety base established by the government! So, it¡¯s perfectly safe on the island, no one will deliberately cause trouble for you.¡± Shen MO calmly stopped her mischievous hand and asked, ¡°What kind of safety base are you talking about? Can you elaborate?¡± ¡°It¡¯s established by the Suzhou rescue organization, located on West Mountain Island, which is larger than Sanshan Island and has more resources. However, due to the influx of people sent from neighboring rescue teams, they¡¯ve imposed restrictions on admissions.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Is there a way to get in touch with them?¡± The burly man: ¡°You can submit your information tomorrow. If you¡¯re lucky, you might be selected, and then naturally you can go over to that base.¡± Shen MO asked again: ¡°To whom do we submit it?¡± ¡°Just give it to Uncle Zhao.¡± The burly guy pointed to the old man next to him. That¡¯s when everyone understood. The elderly man known as Uncle Zhao was currently the only person who could make contact with the government officials. That¡¯s why the young men were so respectful towards him. Shen MO wasn¡¯t very interested in the civilian rescue organization, but the government-established safety base had piqued his interest. If there really were government personnel there, perhaps he could use them to make contact with the Household Registration Department. He still couldn¡¯t believe that a fully-functioning, orderly large-scale organization had actually crumbled and disappeared after the doll invasion. After a brief discussion, the four of them decided to board the boat. They left their SUV in the service area and brought their personal belongings and some food onboard. On the boat, they learned about some specific conditions on the island from the burly man ¨C For instance, everyone on the island had their own roles. Some were responsible for fishing, others for chopping wood, and others for cooking. Even the elderly, women, and children could find work suitable to them. As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. If someone showed laziness, hindered others, or bullied the weak, they would be immediately expelled from the island once discovered. Therefore, the atmosphere on the island was great. Everyone was united and helped each other wholeheartedly. It truly was a breath of fresh air in this end-of-the-world situation. Of course, all of these were the words of people on the boat. As for the reality, Shen MO and his companions would have to experience it for themselves when they got on the island. The lake was broad and tranquil, bordered by mountains under the cover of night. They rolled up and down in succession, towering and majestic. One could only wonder what kind of beautiful scenery it would present during the day. In the distance, they saw faint flickering lights. As the boat neared, the lights gradually became denser, forming a cluster. Although it didn¡¯t match the ¡°lights of thousands of families¡± sight, it didn¡¯t fall short. In context to an uninhabited backdrop, this bit of light brought about a feeling of homecoming.. Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Chatting in the Evening Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Chatting in the Evening Translator: 549690339 Sanshan Island is a small island within the Tai Lake nature reserve. Being a tourist attraction, it¡¯s not short of vacation hotels. Upon arrival, they were allocated two twin rooms and a burly man also brought them a bag of rice, ensuring their needs for food and accommodation on the island would be met, just as he¡¯d promised before. Of course, although the rice was free, they would have to work to earn their meals after that. With it being late in the day, everything else would have to wait until tomorrow. Everyone returned to their rooms to rest. The soft bedding was much more comfortable than the tents, yet it gave off an unreal sensation. In her bed, Bai Youwei kneaded her slightly sore and numb legs. Whether she moved or remained still, it was uncomfortable. After closing her eyes for a while without falling asleep, she burrowed into her blanket and asked, ¡°Shen MO, are you asleep?¡± Shen MO, from the next bed, remained still, merely grunting in a low, hoarse voice. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± said Bai Youwei. ¡°Let¡¯s chat for a while.¡± After a moment of silence, Shen MO turned his head to her and asked, ¡°Chat about what?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°About feelings?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He turned his head back away, no longer looking at her. Bai Youwei: ¡°If you don¡¯t want to chat about feelings, we can discuss our bodies.¡± ¡°Bai Youwei¡­.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice held a mix of irritation and a hint of helplessness. ¡°Are you going to sleep or not?¡± Bai Youwei also felt troubled: ¡°I want to sleep, but I can¡¯t because we¡¯ve suddenly switched places.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t sleep so you¡¯re bothering me?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t bother you, should I bother myself?¡± she replied in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m not dumb!¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He stopped talking again. Bai Youwei, realizing she¡¯s annoyed him, sighed quietly, turned over in her bed and stared at the mountains outside her window. ¡°It¡¯s so chilly in here¡­¡± she whispered wistfully, ¡°So chill that it doesn¡¯t feel like summer at all.¡± After a while, Shen MO replied casually: ¡°There¡¯s a significant temperature difference in the mountains.¡¯ Bai Youwei, glad he was willing to engage with her again, continued their chat: ¡°There¡¯re more mountains on the other island, it must be even colder there at night. Do you think there¡¯s really a safety base there? I somehow find that hard to believe. The mountains there look dark and menacing, without a single light.¡± Shen MO answered quietly: ¡°Whether there¡¯s a safety base there or not, we¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡± ¡°How will we find that out?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°Uncle Zhao said that he sends people to the base every week, and the next round isn¡¯t until the day after tomorrow. Unless you¡¯re planning on swimming over there tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°If there truly is a large safety base, there will inevitably be ships transferring goods.¡± Shen MO said calmly, ¡°The dolls have only appeared a few months ago, so the safety base can¡¯t possibly be self-sufficient yet. Therefore, there should be transport ships out on the lake tomorrow. If there aren¡¯t, it means Uncle Zhao¡¯s information was fake.¡¯ At this point, he lowered his voice: ¡°As for why he would give out fake news¡­ either it¡¯s to keep people calm, or to conceal a secret. Besides, where do all the people who were sent to West Mountain Island go?¡± If there was no safety base on West Mountain Island, where did all the people who were sent there go? Why hadn¡¯t they come back? ¡°It¡¯s too early to discuss these matters now, we¡¯ll see what happens tomorrow¡­¡± Shen MO mused. After a while, he received no response from Bai Youwei. He turned his head to look, and found that she had fallen asleep, her eyes closed. Shen MO was filled with a sense of helplessness. Yet, her sleeping face was truly adorable, innocent like a well-behaved child. How could a person show such massive contrast? Silently sighing, Shen MO got up to tuck the corner of her blanket in, then went back to bed.. Chapter 123 - Chapter 123: Chapter 123 Let Me Guess Chapter 123: Chapter 123 Let Me Guess Translator: 549690339 At seven in the morning, someone from the island knocked on their door, saying they needed to register their information. Bai Youwei, who was disturbed from her sleep, wore a face so gloomy it could rain. With Shen MO shielding her, she somehow managed to not burst out angrily. But once the registration was done and the person left, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore; she immediately returned to bed to catch up on sleep. During this time, she vaguely heard Shen MO say to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go out for a bit. You stay inside by yourself, but don¡¯t wander off.¡± She thought she was dreaming, her mind still groggy from sleep, she murmured under her blanket, ¡°Can I even leave? You¡¯re overestimating my legs.¡± She faintly heard him chuckle. Then she heard his footsteps move away, the door was shut, lightly but distinctly, with a ¡°click¡±. Strangely, she felt very sleepy, but upon hearing this ¡°click¡±, her mind gradually became clear. She realized she could no longer sleep. She checked the time on her phone, it was only seven-thirty. Last night they sat on a boat, disembarking upon reaching the island, then they had to re-arrange their room at the resort, they only got sleep late at night, completely sleep-deprived! But now, she was wide awake! The sullen-faced Bai Youwei got up, took a moment, began washing up, changing her clothes¡­ and then wheeled herself out. The holiday hotel was situated by the mountains and the waters, the nearby surroundings were naturally beautiful, tranquil valleys, evergreen trees and a sight of green hills and clear waters as far as the eye could see. Teacher Chang, dressed in a white shirt styled typical of a government official, was sitting in the hotel garden, chatting with someone. The other person was wearing a linen shirt, crowned with a straw hat. Half his face was obscured by the eaves of the hat. It was only when Bai Youwei got closer, and heard his voice, that she realized it was Uncle Zhao, the man who invited them on the boat yesterday. Upon seeing Bai Youwei come out, Teacher Chang smiled and said, ¡°Weiwei, you¡¯re up. Why didn¡¯t you sleep a bit more? I just brought back breakfast, but it¡¯s still hot right now. The air is good here, why don¡¯t you go for a stroll while it cools, then you can eat.¡± There was soy milk and buns on the stone bench, she didn¡¯t know what they were filled with. Bai Youwei responded absentmindedly with an ¡°Oh,¡± she didn¡¯t go far, just found a cool spot under a tree nearby. The morning was peaceful, and there was a lively human touch to this tranquility. From time to time, people walked by through the garden¡ªa group of young men carrying fishing nets, women with baskets laughing and chatting, and the aunties and uncles busily airing clothes and sheets. A bit further away, just-baked buns were steaming in the restaurant kitchen. The white steam drifted far, carrying the sweet scent of the grains. It was peculiar. Life was tense on the outside, yet it was so quiet and peaceful here, it almost felt unreal. Chang Weicai was still chatting with Uncle Zhao. Perhaps because they were of similar age, they seemed to enjoy the conversation. Uncle Zhao spoke highly of Chang Weicai¡¯s knowledge and culture; Chang Weicai praised Uncle Zhao for being ambitious. Chang Weicai gave Uncle Zhao a thumbs-up and exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯ve been teaching all my life, confined to a single classroom. You¡¯re different. You¡¯re someone who embraces the wider world, which is why you¡¯ve managed to organize the island¡¯s basic necessities so well that everyone can live here peacefully. Your place is not much different from paradise indeed!¡± Excited, he even recited a poem: ¡°Path to Wuling is deep and secluded, Qin people live in the middle with their chickens and dogs. Who are the initial visitors? The source now flows with peach blossoms again!¡± Uncle Zhao laughed heartily, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not that extraordinary, it¡¯s just the result of everyone¡¯s hard work. We did plant some corn in July, if the harvest is good in October, followed by a batch of wheat, we might actually be able to build a paradise.¡± Teacher Chang laughed, ¡°It¡¯s within our reach.¡± Bai Youwei squinted, lazily watching the two old men. The sun gradually rose, and the shade from the tree shifted accordingly. Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair followed the shifting shade. Around eleven, Shen MO and Tan Xiao finally returned. Seeing Bai Youwei lounging in the shade, they walked over. ¡°Don¡¯t speak yet,¡± Bai Youwei smiled as she looked at them, ¡°Let me guess¡­.you didn¡¯t see the transport ship, did you?¡± Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Reap the Consequences of One’s Actions Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Reap the Consequences of One¡¯s Actions Translator: 549690339 ¡°How would you know?¡± Tan Xiao gaped. ¡°Well¡­¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyelids,¡± I¡¯ve said I¡¯m just guessing.¡± Shen MO gripped the arm of the wheelchair, pushing her back to the hotel. Seeing her lack of energy, he asked, ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei lazily replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to return.¡± Shen MO said, ¡°This afternoon, Tan Xiao and I will go to explore another part of the island. You and Teacher Cheng stay here, no need to wait for us. If you¡¯re hungry, eat first.¡¯ She pouted, ¡°I have no appetite.¡± Shen MO remained silent, then asked a few seconds later, ¡°Are you sulking?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Yes, so?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao suddenly felt the atmosphere was a bit off, but racking his brains, he couldn¡¯t see why. He hesitated and asked, ¡°Weiwei, after we left, did someone upset you?¡± ¡°No one upset me.¡± Bai Youwei said blandly, ¡°Just bored being alone, so playing some tricks on myself.¡± This was a novel reason, leaving Tan Xiao at a loss for words. However, Shen MO understood her perfectly well. When she said she was ¡°bored being alone,¡± she was really blaming him for leaving her at the hotel by herself. Shen MO pushed her silently back into the hotel room, closed the door behind them, and asked her with annoyance, ¡°What now?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Nothing.¡± Shen MO pressed his lips together, ¡°When I was leaving, you didn¡¯t utter a word. Isn¡¯t it a bit late to blame me now?¡± ¡°Did I blame you? When did I blame you?¡± Bai Youwei widened her eyes, ¡°For god¡¯s sake, can¡¯t I even sulk by myself? While you were out admiring flowers and girls, what¡¯s wrong with me sulking a bit?¡± Her unreasonable tantrum infuriated Shen MO, but her sour words also made him find it amusing. Shen MO asked her, ¡°Who¡¯s the girl?¡± ¡°Brother Shen, may I come in?¡± A female voice sounded from outside the door, ¡°It¡¯s your first day here, and Uncle Zhao is concerned you might not be accustomed to the local cuisine, so he¡¯s prepared a feast for you at the restaurant. Let¡¯s go eat.¡± Bai Youwei commented, ¡°Oh, that voice is even more coquettish than mine. Don¡¯t tell me the person outside is a man.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Getting slapped in the face was like a whirlwind. Always catching one off guard. Shen MO was left with mixed feelings for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s the tour guide Uncle Zhao arranged for Tan Xiao and me.¡± He explained. ¡°Hm-¡± Bai Youwei talked in a light tone, ¡°The scenery shown by a female guide would definitely be the most beautiful- I¡¯ Her words had an undertone. What kind of scenery did the female guide show them? Was it mountains, water, or something else? Shen MO gave up explaining, stood up to open the door. After two steps, he stopped, fearing her sarcastic remarks might make things awkward, he turned back, held her chin, and warned her, ¡°Behave yourself later, understand?¡± His words were not at all polite, even autocratic, and hard, but somehow, all the suppressed feelings she had from 7 in the morning until 11 noon suddenly vanished¡­ Watching Shen Mo¡¯s back, Bai Youwei contemplated: Could it be that I¡¯m a masochist? The door opened, a woman in her twenties, dressed in casual clothes, with an average appearance. Makeup had colored her face and her friendly smile added an extra layer of affability. She left a not unlikeable impression. ¡°I was careless this morning, forgetting to remind you all to wear sunscreen. The sun is intense during the day, you can¡¯t go outside at noon. I¡¯ve brought hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen.¡± She went on with her offer generously. ¡°No need, thank you.¡± Shen MO declined. The young woman stuffed a big bag into his arms, laughing, ¡°Brother Shen, don¡¯t be put off because these are women¡¯s items. Under the harsh sun, we don¡¯t differentiate between men and women. You must apply sunscreen, or you¡¯ll suffer at night. Sunburn is no joke.¡± Following behind Shen MO silently, Bai Youwei thought to herself: This woman is unbearable.. Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: Chapter 125: It’s Him Chapter 125: Chapter 125: It¡¯s Him Translator: 549690339 As much as they disliked it, they still had to sit at the same table and eat with those they were annoyed with. Eight people were seated at the table. Apart from the four of them, there was also Uncle Zhao, the female tour guide, the sturdy man from the boat and a young man sitting next to him. The meal was mainly fish with plenty of vegetables. They hadn¡¯t had a decent meal like this in a long time. Tan Xiao was gobbling up his food, the professor was clinking glasses and making merry with Uncle Zhao. The robust man and the lad next to him barely spoke, only smiling merrily. The female tour guide was busy serving food and adding water to everyone¡¯s glasses. She offered food to Shen MO most frequently. ¡ªWell, he was irresistibly attractive in both appearance and physique. But Shen MO didn¡¯t eat anything she offered. Otherwise, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t have been able to maintain her calm demeanor till now. After the first round of drinks, Uncle Zhao asked Shen MO with a smile, ¡°I heard you spent the morning exploring the island?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shen MO responded indifferently, ¡°we were just walking around, hoping to spot any passing cargo ships.¡± He didn¡¯t hide their actions, the island was too small to keep their movements a secret. Besides, he wanted to gauge their reactions by bringing it up. Tan Xiao chimed in, ¡°We walked around for half a day and didn¡¯t see anything!¡± Uncle Zhao laughed, ¡°That¡¯s because the ferry dock of West Mountain Island isn¡¯t on our side, it¡¯s in the opposite direction, blocked by a mountain. Of course, you couldn¡¯t see it.¡± The old man seemed usual, showing no obvious reactions. Shen MO asked, ¡°Besides the selection to go to the safe base, are there any other ways to contact the people there?¡± ¡°Do you have an urgent matter?¡± Uncle Zhao put down his wine glass and asked kindly, ¡°If it¡¯s something urgent, you can tell me. I can pass the message when I go there next time. But I can only speak to the people at the dock, if it involves those higher up, it¡¯d be a problem.¡± The robust man poured another drink for Shen MO, ¡°What are you rushing for, buddy? Every week, a group of people is selected to go there, a dozen or so a week. There are¡­umm¡­sixty or seventy people on the island now, just wait for three or four more weeks and you¡¯re bound to be selected.¡± ¡°Only sixty to seventy people on the island?¡± Shen MO was slightly taken aback. The number was much less than he had anticipated. While he and Tan Xiao were observing the situation on the island, they had noticed signs of human habitation in many places. The robust man said, ¡°There used to be more, over three hundred at the peak, but then people slowly started moving to the base.¡± Tan Xiao wondered, ¡°Why are you still here then?¡± ¡°Heh heh, just bad luck.¡± The robust man laughed, ¡°My name was never called during the selections. But it¡¯s okay, life on this island is quite comfortable. There are too many rules in the base, I like it here.¡± At the end, he nudged his companion, ¡°Right, Xiaozhang?¡± Xiaozhang pushed him back, laughed and scolded him, ¡°In your dreams! Xiaomei is at the base, of course, I want to go!¡± The burly man burst into laughter, ¡°This guy misses his wife!¡± Everyone at the table laughed. The meal was enjoyable. Apart from Shen MO, the rest of the men drank a bit too much. The professor was a lightweight, his face turned red after a few glasses with Uncle Zhao. His steps were unsteady when he walked, and Tan Xiao wasn¡¯t better off either. Shen MO helped Tan Xiao up, asking Xiaozhang to assist the professor back to the hotel room. When they returned to the hotel room, Xiaozhang put the professor down and prepared to leave, only to find that the door was mysteriously closed Shen MO, Bai Youwei, and Tan Xiao were staring at him in silence. Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Are you sure you want him?¡± Bai Youwei nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him.¡± Xiaozhang was confused, ¡°Wha¡­what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Behave yourself!¡± Tan Xiao suddenly dropped his drunken act, brandished his baseball bat menacingly, ¡°Do what my big brother tells you to do, or you¡¯ll regret it!¡± Chapter 126 - Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Making Trouble Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Making Trouble Translator: 549690339 The young man was instantly flustered, but tried to calm himself and asked, ¡°What do you want to do?! If you dare to mess around, Uncle Zhao will certainly expel all of you from the island!¡± Tan Xiao leaned in and whispered to Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, what were we supposed to do to him again?¡± Bai Youwei glanced at him indifferently, ¡°You just watch from the side.¡± Tan Xiao thought for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± Bai Youwei said to Xiaozhang, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s nothing in particular, being new here, there are some things we don¡¯t understand, so we wanted to ask you a few questions. Just answer them honestly, once you¡¯re done, we will let you go.¡± Xiaozhang looked at them suspiciously, ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­Zhang Qi.¡¯ ¡°How long have you been here?¡± ¡°Two months.¡± ¡°Have you been to West Mountain Island?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been with Uncle Zhao for so long, why doesn¡¯t he make some allowance and take you there?¡± Zhang Qi wore a look of annoyance on his face, yet feared these people and didn¡¯t dare to make a scene. He responded sternly, ¡°Uncle Zhao is only responsible for transport. He takes whomever West Mountain selects, he can¡¯t make decisions!¡± ¡°He can¡¯t make decisions huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei seemed to think to herself, then asked him, ¡°What kinds of people have been selected to go to West Mountain in the past?¡± Zhang Qi frowned, ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°You just answer.¡± Bai Youwei smiled at him, ¡°As for the rest, you don¡¯t need to worry about.¡± In the closed room, Zhang Qi told them everything he knew about the people who went to West Mountain Island. Men and women, old and young, at first glance, the selection of people seemed random, the age range was also even¡­ After listening, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t say anything, she just glanced at Shen Mo. Shen MO was also looking at her. Tan Xiao was caught in the fog, watching the two of them exchange glances. He was anxious, ¡°Could you two stop just communicating with your eyes, please say something so I can hear it, too!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Bai Youwei laughed lightly, her gaze once again falling on Zhang Her eyes seemed to laugh and seemed not to, making Zhang Qi feel chills all over. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you everything I know! Can I go now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°We will keep our promise, but before that, I have a gift for you¡­¡± Zhang Qi asked cautiously, ¡°What gift?¡± ¡°Come here.¡± Bai Youwei beckoned to him, ¡°It¡¯s a great secret.¡± Zhang Qi, glancing at Shen MO and Tan Xiao, clenched his teeth and walked over. ¡°Bend down.¡± Bai Youwei ordered, ¡°I¡¯m only telling you.¡± Zhang Qi complied and bent down. Bai Youwei whispered something into his ear. Zhang Qi¡¯s face changed dramatically, his eyes showing shock. Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Alright, you can go now.¡± Shen MO, standing to the side, opened the door for him. Zhang Qi made no move to leave. He stood still, for a long, long time¡­ Finally, he took a step outside, his face was ashen. After he had gone some distance, Shen MO closed the door and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°The selection of people is suspicious, but it¡¯s a bit of a stretch to hold Uncle Zhao accountable based solely on that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s two things, actually.¡± Bai Youwei lifted two slender, pale fingers, with a glowing smile: ¡°First, Uncle Zhao had people plant grains as early as July, showing that he had never considered seeking the safety of the base, but rather wanted to be self-sufficient. That¡¯s pretty strange, isn¡¯t it? When a disaster strikes, normal people would think of seeking help first, but he simply sticks to this small island. Even if he can¡¯t bear to leave his homeland, how do you explain the second point? The people he sends away are either the elderly or sick who can¡¯t do physical labor, or unstable characters like alcoholics and gamblers. Shouldn¡¯t a normal base select people with special skills first?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­¡± Tan Xiao interrupted from the side, ¡°Aren¡¯t Zhang Qi and Sun Wei also on the island?¡± Sun Wei was the strong man. Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°If I were Uncle Zhao, I would also keep them. They¡¯re strong, obedient, lack brains, and are well-behaved.. Why not keep them?¡± Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Wu Lili Gets Hurt Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Wu Lili Gets Hurt Translator: 549690339 Master Chang slept until five in the afternoon. He felt ill from the drunkenness. It wasn¡¯t until after he had consumed several cups of hot water upon waking that he finally felt better. Seeing that Tan Xiao and Shen MO had already packed their luggage, he realized they had no intention of staying long. Master Chang pondered for a while, then sought out Tan Xiao, Shen MO, and Bai Youwei to discuss. ¡°Uncle Zhao¡¯s place is quite pleasant and stable, maybe I should stay here¡­¡± he proposed. Reading their expressions, he slowly explained, ¡°I¡¯m older, and although I¡¯m willing to pull my weight, I might inevitably slow you down. Perhaps it¡¯s better for me to stay here and help Uncle Zhao. What do you think?¡± Tan Xiao instinctively looked at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei¡¯s face remained expressionless. Tan Xiao then looked at Shen Mo. Shen Mo¡¯s expression was equally indifferent. ¡°As long as you have made up your mind, we won¡¯t object. But you don¡¯t need to feel as though you¡¯re dragging us down. Throughout our journey here, you have been of great help to us.¡± Shen MO said. Tan Xiao nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly, good buddies share both the blessings and the burdens. How can we talk about who¡¯s dragging whom? What sort of camaraderie would that be!¡± An emotion stirred in Chang Weicai, moving him deeply yet leaving him feeling conflicted. Although he had not been travelling with them for long, the bond they had forged through shared life and death experiences was naturally profound. However¡­ He hadn¡¯t obtained a piece of the puzzle during the labyrinth adventure. If another game surfaced, he might become a burden. While pondering this, a commotion suddenly broke out outside. There were shouts, interjected by the sound of rushing footsteps in the hallway. Shen MO opened the door, and they all followed him outside, only to see Zhang Qi carrying the female tour guide into the hotel lobby. His frantic companion beside him was shouting, ¡°Xiaohe! Xiaoher, quickly! Lili is injured!¡± A middle-aged woman rushed out of her room with a medical box. In just a few short minutes, the hotel lobby was crowded with people. The injured tour guide was surrounded in the middle of the crowd. Uncle Zhao also quickly came over, asking the middle-aged woman, ¡°What happened to Lili ¡°My leg!¡­ My leg hurts so badly!¡­¡± The tour guide was writhing in pain, clutching her knee. There was no blood, but her pants were covered in mud. ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet.¡± The middle-aged woman replied worriedly, ¡°The pain is quite intense, it might be a fracture. I can¡¯t treat that, and we don¡¯t have any equipment for diagnosis here!¡± Upon hearing this, a sigh swept through the crowd. Everyone knew that in the current environment, where medical resources were scarce, even if a fracture wasn¡¯t life-threatening, it would surely hinder future mobility. In the crowd, Zhang Qi, who was next to the injured tour guide, happened to make eye contact with Shen MO and his group, before quickly looking away¡­ Uncle Zhao arranged to take the injured guide back to her room and had the doctor put on a splint. The woman doctor used to work at a community clinic, treating minor ailments. The injuries the tour guide sustained were beyond her expertise, so she could only estimate how to treat it. Shen MO and Bai Youwei returned to their room. ¡°Wu Lili¡¯s injury likely has something to do with Zhang Qi.¡± Bai Youwei speculated with delight, ¡°The question is, did she cooperate voluntarily, or was she tricked by Zhang Qi?¡± Shen MO was slightly stunned, ¡°Are you talking about the tour guide?¡± His reaction pleased Bai Youwei. ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t you know her name?¡± Bai Youwei said with a grin, ¡°Xiaowu, Lili, Wu Lili, that¡¯s how everyone calls her at the dining table.¡± Shen MO frowned, saying, ¡°She didn¡¯t fracture her leg.¡± ¡°How would you know?¡± Bai Youwei blinked curiously, ¡°She seemed to be in a lot of pain..¡± Chapter 129 - Chapter 129: Chapter 129: There’s Something Fishy about This List Chapter 129: Chapter 129: There¡¯s Something Fishy about This List Translator: 549690339 Shen MO said indifferently, ¡°When you¡¯ve seen enough, you naturally understand it. A fracture doesn¡¯t look like that. Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh¡­¡± Resting her chin in her hands, she thought for a moment and spoke slowly, ¡°If Wu Lili was pretending¡­then there are only two possibilities now. First, Zhang Qi told Wu Lili what I had said, and Wu Lili wanted to go to the safe haven, so she pretended to be injured.¡± Shen MO asked, ¡°What about the second?¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, her gaze at Shen MO became significant. ¡°Second, Wu Lili has motives towards you. So, she has been lingering near our rooms, paying close attention. She saw Zhang Qi leave from here and, motivated by curiosity, she bluffed her way to the truth from Zhang Qi and persuaded her to cooperate with her in performing a play.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® She was analyzing things but insisted on dragging him into the drama and seasoning it with her own assumptions. ¡°This possibility is very high.¡± Bai Youwei stuck out a finger, shaking it playfully in a knowing manner. Shen MO ignored her pointed finger and concluded directly, ¡°Teacher Chang wants to stay here, what do you think?¡± Bai Youwei hesitated, ¡°¡­he¡¯s old now, so it¡¯s perfectly natural that he doesn¡¯t want to roam around. And he seems to get along well with Uncle Zhao, so it would be suitable if they kept each other company.¡± After a brief pause, she muttered, ¡°If we were wrong in our analysis and Uncle Zhao is a good man, I wouldn¡¯t be against Teacher Chang staying.¡± It¡¯s natural that joining a secure haven, or even a shelter, would be better than camping with them. Shen MO nodded indifferently. The next day, everyone got up early, gathering outside Zhou¡¯s bungalow, waiting for the results of the selection. There was a large tree outside the house and the list of potential candidates from the previous batch was posted on the trunk. Sun Wei, holding a cup of paste, came out from the house, walked under the tree, smeared the old list with paste, and then took a new piece of paper from Uncle Zhao and pasted it on top. The paper wasn¡¯t large, just about the size of an A4 sheet, with some names printed on it. Everyone rushed forward to see. Some faces were brimming with joy, while others were once again disappointed. Shen MO and Bai Youwei glanced at each other, both understanding what the other was thinking ¡ª no wonder Uncle Zhao had never been suspected for a long time. The list was printed indicating that the shelter had a generator. This detail was indeed very convincing and easy to deceive people. ¡°They are really lucky, they registered just yesterday, and they were picked today.¡± Someone murmured softly in the crowd. The names of Shen MO, Bai Youwei, and Chang Weicai were written on the list. ¡°The old man is more ruthless than I thought¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at the list on the tree, her eyes cold. She didn¡¯t expect the old man Zhao to add Chang Weicai¡¯s name to the list. Although Chang Weicai was old, he was still not at the age where he could not move. Plus, Chang Weicai was knowledgeable and willing to contribute to the island¡¯s development. Why wouldn¡¯t Uncle Zhao keep him? They seemed to be getting along well when they were chatting yesterday¡­ Bai Youwei¡¯s cleverness was unable to understand the complexities of the human heart. Sun Wei stood under the tree and said, ¡°Alright, everyone step back. The people on the list need to get ready. Gather at the dock at 10 0¡¯clock sharp! Did everyone hear that?¡± Everyone gradually dispersed. At this moment, Zhang Qi suddenly stood up and shouted, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this list! I don¡¯t accept it!¡± Everyone was taken aback and looked over in unison. Including Old Man Zhao and Sun Wei. ¡°Zhang Qi! What are you raving about?!¡± Sun Wei shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve been on this island for two months! I¡¯ve never been selected! I¡¯m not pleased!¡± Zhang Qi¡¯s voice was harsh with anger easily seen on his face, ¡°Even Wu Lili with a broken leg can be selected! Why can¡¯t I go to the shelter?! Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Must Get on the Ship Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Must Get on the Ship Translator: 549690339 ¡°Why me?! I¡¯ve been here longer than you and I haven¡¯t complained! What are you whining about!¡± Sun Wei yelled in anger, ¡°The list is decided by the safety base, not us! If you have problems with it, go argue with them! What are you trying to prove by yelling at Uncle Zhao?!¡± Zhang Qi: ¡°Great! I am going to go and inquire about it today! I will find out how they came up with this list even if I cannot enter the base!¡± Sun Wei, looking frustrated, spoke, ¡°Xiaozhang, what¡¯s wrong with you today? Did you take the wrong medicine?!¡± Uncle Zhao responded calmly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Everyone wants to go to the safety base. It¡¯s natural to feel resentment when you¡¯re not chosen after waiting for a long time. It¡¯s human nature, but¡­¡± His voice shifted as he turned to the crowd and spoke slowly, ¡°However, there¡¯s definitely nothing wrong with the list, and no one is manipulating it. You can all trust me, and if you don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Uncle Zhao, don¡¯t say that. We all trust you!¡± ¡°Yes, without Uncle Zhao, we wouldn¡¯t even know what to do right now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Zhao, Xiaozhang just got a bit upset. We will talk to him.¡± Everyone started to speak, trying to defuse the tension. Zhang Qi, standing in the crowd, was still visibly angry ¡ª his face filled with fury. Old Zhao tried to reason with him, ¡°The base is now overcrowded. Deciding who to bring in must involve certain considerations. I reported Wu Lili¡¯s condition just yesterday, thinking they may select her due to better medical conditions in the base.¡± Zhang Qi, still arguing with Old Zhao, snorted, ¡°Anyway, I will go today! If I can¡¯t go, none of you will get on the ship!¡± He then took an axe from his pocket! The crowd gasped in horror and scattered away! ¡°Zhang Qi! Have you gone mad?!!¡± Sun Wei roared. He couldn¡¯t believe his friend would do something like this! Uncle Zhao¡¯s face became cold and expressionless as he looked at Zhang Qi, ¡°Even if I take you there, the base will not allow us to dock if the number doesn¡¯t match. You still won¡¯t be able to step foot on the island.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your problem! You deal with it!¡± Zhang Qi said, still holding on to the axe. ¡°One way or another, I am boarding that ship today!¡± The atmosphere was tense. Zhang Qi clenched the axe. Uncle Zhao remained silent. Neither of them was willing to back down. It was then that Chang Weicai, hesitatingly stepped forward and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t ¡­ let¡¯s give my spot to Xiaozhang?¡± Everyone¡¯s mood lightened for a moment, only to be followed by surprise. They couldn¡¯t believe someone could be so selfless and willing to give up the chance to go to the base. ¡°Mr. Chang, think twice about this.¡± Sun Wei couldn¡¯t help but advise. Chang Weicai smiled softly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to think about. Xiaozhang is anxious to be with his friends and family in the base. Let him go first. I can wait here a few more weeks. There will still be opportunities later.¡± Everyone remained silent, thinking: Everyone knows there will be more opportunities, but who would want to miss it when it¡¯s right in front of them? Chang Weicai lightly patted Zhang Qi on the shoulder, took the axe from his hand, and said amicably, ¡°Go get your luggage. The ship leaves at ten. Don¡¯t be late.¡± Zhang Qi¡¯s eyes reddened, he lowered his head, loosened his grip, and left without saying a word. The others approached Chang Weicai to express their gratitude before gradually dispersing. From a distance, Bai Youwei observed the scene. A thought began to form in her mind as to why Uncle Zhao had written Chang Weicai¡¯s name on the list¡­. Chapter 131 - Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Friends Gathering Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Friends Gathering Translator: 549690339 At ten o¡¯clock in the morning, the selected individuals promptly boarded the boat. It was a small cruise ship, with two rows of seats in the cabin, each row could accommodate 12 people, together with the bow and stern, it could hold quite a few people. Legend has it that in the past, the base could select more than thirty people in one batch, and luggage alone could fill the boat to capacity. Now, only 18 people were seated in the boat, making it appear quite empty. Bai Youwei, confined to a wheelchair, felt cramped inside the boat and chose to stay with Shen MO at the back of the boat. There were people on both the deck and the cabin, so they chose to stay silent and enjoy the scenery. In the distance, the green mountains and blue sky were perfectly blended with the gentle waves of the lake and the sparkling of the water surface. It was hard to imagine that such a serene landscape concealed such dangerous hazards. The distance from Sanshan Island to West Mountain Island was very close, only about 4 kilometers if you travelled to the ancient village of Mingyue Bay on West Mountain Island. However, Uncle Zhao did not dock at Mingyue Bay, but chose to take a roundabout route in the opposite direction, circling for more than ten kilometers before starting to dock near the Great Saint Bay. Everyone gradually got off the boat. There was not a soul on the shore, and the surroundings were so silent that not even the sound of a bird could be heard, causing everyone to look at each other with apprehension. ¡°Uncle Zhao, where are the base staff members?¡± Wu Lili, using a branch as a crutch, was limping near the back of the group. ¡°Uncle Zhao, could you ask a staff member to bring over a car? I can¡¯t walk any further with this leg.¡± Old Zhao walked ahead, his strides firm. Without looking back, he responded, ¡°Hang on a little longer, we are almost there.¡± Zhang Qi raised his voice and asked, ¡°Why is there no one on shore? Where are the safety base employees?!¡± ¡°Ahead,¡± Old Zhao¡¯s voice remained steady, while his feet didn¡¯t stop, ¡°We are almost there.¡± Everyone felt uneasy, but since they had come this far, they could only continue forward. After a while, they arrived at a slope where there were stairs built from bluestone. Everyone followed Uncle Zhao, lugging their luggage along the steep slope, growing increasingly weary. Soon after Uncle Zhao reached the top of the slope, his figure quickly disappeared from sight on the other side of the hill. By the time everyone struggled to climb up, Uncle Zhao was nowhere to be found. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Someone was dumbfounded. Without Uncle Zhao, they were like a ship without a rudder. The eighteen people stood atop the hill, gazing down at the vast expanse of houses and trees, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn¡¯t spot Uncle Zhao! Then, suddenly, the scenery in front of them started to vibrate! ¡ªThe hill beneath their feet seemed to transform into a dense carpet, rippling after shaking, and then quickly changing from ash-gray to lush green! The entire hill was covered in luxuriant green grass as far as the eye could see! The houses and the vegetation had disappeared! ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! The theme of this game is ¡®Friends Gathering.¡¯ The rules are as follows: One, refuse the game and become a doll! Two, fail the game and become a doll! Three, clear the game and win a doll!¡± As this familiar narration rang out, everyone on the hill changed their expressions! ¡°It¡¯s the Doll Game!¡± Someone yelled in terror, ¡°Why is there a Doll Game here?!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Doll Game only appear in places where there are dolls?¡± Those who had already experienced the game were totally panicked, and those who had not were scared due to the hearsay, their faces turning pale. ¡°Where is Uncle Zhao? Why would Uncle Zhao bring us to a place like this?¡± Wu Lili burst into tears, threw her crutch, and then charged at Zhang Qi, punching and kicking, ¡°You are going to get me killed! I wanted to go to the safety base! I don¡¯t want to play the game!!!¡± Zhang Qi¡¯s face turned ashen. As he turned his head towards Shen MO and Bai Youwei, preparing to question them, a soft, cold male voice rings out from behind them ¡ª ¡°Oh, miss, please stop. The game is about to start, and attacking the players is against the rules.¡± Everyone turned around at the sound of the voice, seeing a man leisurely walk up the hill. When they saw the man¡¯s face clearly, they all collectively gasped! Chapter 132 - Chapter 132: Chapter 132: The Third Inspector Chapter 132: Chapter 132: The Third Inspector Translator: 549690339 ¡°This was the third Inspector that Shen MO and Bai Youwei had encountered. They didn¡¯t know how many Inspectors were part of the game, but so far, each Inspector they had met was extremely unique. The first one was a rabbit-headed gentleman. It had a snow-white rabbit head and a delicate adolescent-like body, conversing in such a detached and calm tone, as if it was an emotionless robot. The second one was Jin Qiu. It lacked the humanoid form but possessed the tone and temper of a human child. Merry and crafty, bad-tempered, and mischievous, it liked to hide the rules like some kind of prankster. The third one was the one right before their eyes. They could say that, it was the most ¡°human¡± inspector they had encountered so far. Its appearance was similar to that of a blond, blue-eyed male model from a magazine, dressed in a complete white suit, with an overwhelmingly striking and handsome face. However, the shocking thing was that it was incredibly tall! Unusually long! Its long arms and long legs were like a character straight from a comic book! Such an appearance would naturally look good in a comic book, but to see it in real life, right in front of them, its impact was indescribable, sending chills down their spines! It walked up the hill, standing close to them, even towering over Shen MO, who was the tallest among them, by several heads! If Shen MO had a perfect nine-head figure, then this being would have at least a terrifying twelve-head figure. ¡°Welcome all, I am the Inspector for this game, I hope we can have a pleasant time together.¡± The Inspector said with a smile. There was silence as nobody spoke a word. Everyone watched him nervously. It was impossible for them to have a pleasant time. They could only hope they wouldn¡¯t die too soon. The Inspector¡¯s gaze calmly swept over everyone¡¯s faces, its tone was casual, ¡°There are a total of 18 players. I wonder who among you will be my friends?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly. She remembered that the theme of the game was ¡°Sophia¡¯s Meeting¡±, and now the inspector said it wanted to be friends with them. Could it be that the Inspector would also be participating in the game? ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, do you see the long white table down the hill?¡± the Inspector asked. Everyone looked where it pointed. Unbeknownst to them when, a long table appeared in the field under the hill, covered with a white tablecloth, and there were 18 beautifully crafted glass vases placed on it. Each vase did not contain any flowers; it was filled with half a bottle of clear water, which was pure and transparent, reflecting the glow of gold. ¡°The theme for this game is ¡®Sophia¡¯s Meeting.¡±¡® The handsome Inspector told them, ¡°Being a part of the meeting requires bringing a beautiful flower as a token of courtesy. Only those who bring me the most beautiful flower will be considered my beloved friends.¡± Shen MO asked, ¡°Where are the flowers?¡± The inspector pointed in the distance, ¡°Follow the path down the hill, walk through the forest, and you will come upon a ¡®Sea of Flowers¡¯¡­¡± It paused slightly, the smile deepening on its face. ¡°Four hundred years before the Common Era, the great philosopher Socrates, took his students to an apple orchard, asked each of the students to pick the biggest and best apple. They were allowed to choose only once and they couldn¡¯t turn back on their path. Now, you must do the same. I want you to go into the flower sea, which is home to every variety of flower in the world. Each one of you should bring back a flower, choose only once, and you cannot turn back on your path. In the end, I will select the ten most beautiful flowers from the eighteen and the ones who bring back those flowers will be my friends and will get to partake in Sophia¡¯s meeting.¡± Everyone realized the implications. It turned out that this was just a pre-selection, and the real ¡°Friend¡¯s meeting¡± had not even started yet. ¡°What will happen after becoming a friend?¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What will we need to do at the meeting? The Inspector turned its sharp, azure eyes towards her, revealing a hint of a smile, ¡°Oh, dear lady, that¡¯s a secret, I can only tell my friends.¡± So, only those who qualified as ¡°friends¡± would get to know what this meeting was really about.. Chapter 133 - Chapter 133: Chapter 133: The Most Beautiful Flower Chapter 133: Chapter 133: The Most Beautiful Flower Translator: 549690339 Whether they liked it or not, everyone walked down the hillside along a small path, half a meter wide, running through the middle of the grassland. The Inspector stood by the long table, seemingly kindly reminding them: ¡°When making a decision, be resolute and firm, for when the sun goes down, those beautiful flowers will go to sleep.¡± Everyone quickened their pace. ¡ª The most beautiful flower should, of course, be picked at its most stunning bloom. This game seemed quite easy right now, just involving picking a flower. Anyone of normal aesthetic judgment could differentiate between beauty and ugliness. Picking a beautiful flower should be pretty effortless. But, such an apparently easy game had around a 50% elimination rate. Of the 18 people, only 10 would remain. ¡°In the story of Socrates, the ending was that nobody picked an apple they were satisfied with. Shen MO pushed Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair, walking steadily through the bushes, his voice as calm and composed as his steps. ¡°Some students find a good apple, and because they want to find one even better, they continue moving ahead, only to discover at the end of the orchard, that the first apple they saw was the best. Some students pick the apple they think is the best earlier on, only later to find a better one, leading to regrets. They ask Socrates for another chance to choose, and Socrates tells them, life is a one-time irreversible choice.¡± They walked into the woods, and the dense branches and leaves darkened their surroundings, making the scent of flowers in the air gradually stronger. Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What do you think, referencing Socrates, what could be their intention?¡± ¡°Their intentions¡­¡± Bai Youwei rested her chin in her palm and contemplated, ¡°There are many versions of this little story, choosing apples, wheat ears, trees, all of them essentially teaching us to be cautious when making choices. However, I don¡¯t think the Inspector would kindly give us a philosophy lesson.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Shen MO nodded, ¡°Maybe it is to mislead us, after all, the way to choose apples and the way to choose flowers are completely different.¡± Choosing a big and good apple, the criteria are clear-cut. But selecting the most beautiful flower, ¡°beauty,¡± is a word inherently subjective. Bai Youwei thought of the Inspector¡¯s golden hair, blue eyes, and long limbs, and felt uncomfortable all over, ¡°That guy¡¯s aesthetics must be terrible.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­Okay, this isn¡¯t the time to discuss this.¡± They walked in the woods for about a quarter of an hour and then out into the open where the fragrance of flowers hit their faces. It was a vast valley. A long, low depression naturally formed between two mountains¡ªa straight path led into the depths, and the end couldn¡¯t be seen. Both sides were full of colorful flowers! Whether it was the snow lotus from the frigid regions or the cactus from the tropics; whether it was the magnolia blooming on the trees or the water lily growing in the water; whether it was the kerria blooming in March or the osmanthus blooming in August! They were all there! There was no scientific reason for it! Everyone was stunned by the spectacle before them. The seemingly endless sea of flowers left everyone flabbergasted! ¡°There¡­ are so many flowers¡­¡± Wu Lili gazed in shock, and when her eyes fell upon a bunch of violets just by her side, she couldn¡¯t help reaching out, ¡°Are these flowers¡­ all real¡­?¡± ¡°You can only choose once!¡± warned Zhang Qi, frowning. Wu Lili froze, turned around, and laughed awkwardly, ¡°I know, I just wanted to touch it, I can¡¯t believe these are real flowers¡­ Still nursing a grudge over her pretending to injure her leg, Zhang Qi ignored her, keeping a straight face and moving on. Everyone moved slower, afraid of missing the most beautiful flower. Walking and discussing: ¡°There are so many flowers¡­ how do we choose the ten most beautiful ones¡­.¡± Chapter 134 - Chapter 134: Chapter 134: King of Flowers Chapter 134: Chapter 134: King of Flowers Translator: 549690339 This sea of flowers perfectly embodies the visceral experience of the phrase ¡°a feast for the eyes.¡± A ten-meter walk ahead, Bai Youwei saw lotus flowers nestled amidst the florae. With petals as white as snow and gold stamens, clusters of them gracefully stood among the lush, spreading an air of elegance and allure. Bai Youwei tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s clothes, asking him to help her stand up. She wanted to pick lotus flowers. ¡°Did you choose so quickly?¡± The nearby Wu Lili asked in surprise, ¡°there are still so many flowers up ahead.¡± ¡°I just like this one.¡± Bai Youwei leaned against Shen MO and rose, holding onto her crutch. Then she used another crutch to hook the lotus flowers in the thickets. She brought them closer, grabbing their thick, sturdy, dark green stems, covered in tiny thorns. She thought it would take some effort, but to her surprise, it snapped off easily, and the white lotus fell into Bai Youwei¡¯s hands. Everyone else looked at her in disbelief, they couldn¡¯t understand why someone would pick flowers so quickly. Is she not going to consider it? There are still so many beautiful flowers up ahead! The next second, Bai Youwei reached out again! ¡°You can only pick once!¡± Someone couldn¡¯t help but remind her. This time it was not Zhang Qi, but a plump auntie. The way she looked at Bai Youwei only fell short of writing the word ¡°fool¡± on her face. Bai Youwei ignored her, reached out and hooked a lotus seed from next to the lotus flower she had just picked, and deftly picked it. Shen Mo: ¡® ¡°Do you think we can eat the lotus seeds here?¡± Bai Youwei asked him, holding up the fresh lotus seed. Shen MO was silent. Then he looked around, indeed, the others were all staring at them agape. He looked down and saw Bai Youwei had already begun to peel the lotus seed. Everyone else: Bai Youwei was sitting in her wheelchair, prying out the tender, plump lotus seeds one by one, and putting them on her skirt. She then started to eat them one by one. ¡°It¡¯s a bit bland, not as sweet as the ones you picked for me last time.¡± She peeled another one, completely oblivious to her surroundings, and handed it to Shen Mo¡¯s mouth, ¡°You try.¡± Shen MO looked at her with pursed lips. Everyone else probably thought this pair of siblings had some issues. They glanced at them with complex expressions and stopped paying them attention, each going off to find flowers. After holding it out for a while, Shen MO didn¡¯t take it. Bai Youwei, feeling the ache spread her arm, retracted her hand and ate the lotus seed herself, a bit upset. Shen MO asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of breaking the rules?¡± ¡°I picked lotus seeds, not flowers, there¡¯s nothing to fear.¡± She dismissed it with a pout, ¡°besides, aren¡¯t there still puzzles?¡± Shen MO shook his head, unable to deal with her, and continued on ahead. Bai Youwei trailed behind in her wheelchair, speculating, ¡°Which one are you thinking of picking?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s gaze lingered leisurely on the flowers along the path, saying casually, ¡°There are 450,000 species of flowers in the world. Even by a rough estimate, there are five thousand. It¡¯s quite unrealistic to find the ten most beautiful ones from so many, but¡­¡± He bent down and picked a brightly pink flower from the thicket. Its layered petals resembled the skirt of a princess, luxurious and imposing, dripping with vivid color. ¡°Peonies have been regarded as the King of Flowers since ancient times. Not many flowers can compare to them. If you choose peonies, there¡¯s likely to be a greater chance of winning.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Elder brother, that makes a lot of sense.¡± Bai Youwei looked at the flower in his hand, ¡°But, it seems like you¡¯ve picked a peony.¡± ¡® Shen MO raised his eyebrows at her, ¡°Is it a peony?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a peony.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Then what does a peony look like?¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s pretty similar to this.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s fine.¡± Shen MO pushed the wheelchair, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go back..¡± Chapter 135 - Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Too Much Happiness Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Too Much Happiness Translator: 549690339 Both of them had picked the flowers they wanted and returned to the foot of the slope without traversing the entire flower sea. On the way, Shen MO felt as if his flower was wilting rapidly. It was not an illusion; the time he passed through the woods was only a quarter of an hour, and the outer petals began to show wrinkles, no longer as relaxed as they were when he first picked it. This was obviously not normal. If it were in the real world, such a flower could last for at least a few hours after being picked, right? Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei¡¯s lotus. The lotus was still fine, large and full of size. Water droplets slid on the snow-white petals, shining with crystal-clear light. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Because yours is not thick enough.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei pointed to the lotus stem, ¡°The thicker it is, the more nutrients it can provide to the flower, and the longer the flower can maintain its shape. But the stem of the Peony is fine too, let¡¯s hurry up and put the flower in a vase.¡± Shen MO remembered the transparent glass vases on the table were filled with water. He asked Bai Youwei hesitantly, ¡°Did you choose the lotus because you noticed that the flowers here would wilt rapidly once picked?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°I don¡¯t foresee the future- I chose the lotus because the first flower I received from a man was a lotus. I picked it because I liked itShen Mo: ¡® He remembered helping her pick lotus seeds last time, he did take a lotus back for her to play with. Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei and said faintly, ¡°Your attitude is getting better and better.¡± Usually, she was just joking around, but now she dared to goof off with him even in the game. Bai Youwei lifted the lotus flower and laughed, half of her face hidden behind the flower, revealing a pair of clear and mischievous eyes. She said with a laugh, ¡°When I saw the water in the vase, I indeed guessed something like this. After all, flowers and apples are quite different. An apple can be left for a few days without spoiling, but flowers, especially small plants¡­ daisies, evening primroses, tuberose, these will wilt within minutes of being picked.¡± Shen MO nodded slightly, ¡°So you knew.¡± Not only did she know, she also did not remind others. Realizing this, Shen Mo¡¯s brows wrinkled slightly without a trace. Bai Youwei sensed this and asked him, ¡°You¡¯re not blaming me, are you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shen MO replied. Eighteen people had to eliminate ten, this rule obviously had a confrontational nature, and Bai Youwei had no obligation to tell everyone the secret to passing the game. Shen MO truly did not blame her. His slight displeasure now stemmed from the increasing feeling of being obliged to submit to the game rules and the lack of freedom. ¡°It¡¯s good if you¡¯re not blaming me.¡± Bai Youwei said lightly, ¡°After all, I¡¯m still young and not mature enough. I don¡¯t want to play mother quite yetShen MO stopped in his tracks, raising an eyebrow at her. Was he old then? What was this about? Bai Youwei understood his expression, she explained, ¡°I mean like a saint, becoming everyone¡¯s motherShen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei: ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°No reason, I just think you must be very happy.¡± So happy that she was looking for fun all the time. Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Because I¡¯ve found the source of happiness- I¡¯ Shen MO glanced at her and continued forward with his Peony flower, replying, ¡°Take it easy, be careful not to turn it into a source of pain.¡± Bai Youwei looked around herself. How could it be painful?¡­ In such a game, even playing it a hundred times wouldn¡¯t become boring. At least for her, it was much more enjoyable than the real world¡­. Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Remove the First Character Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Remove the First Character Translator: 549690339 When they returned to the small hillside, the Inspector was leisurely enjoying his afternoon tea. An unknown small white round table held delicate English teaware and a golden three-tiered dessert stand. On the first tier was a savoury sandwich, the second tier had scones with cream and strawberry jam, and on the third tier were pretty little cakes. Such a non-human creature, surprisingly, was deeply familiar with human customs and was indulging in them. Seeing Shen MO and Bai Youwei return, it paused, slightly surprised, before placing down its tea cup and rising graciously from its seat. ¡°It appears you two have chosen your flowers already, much sooner than I expected.¡± It glanced down at its wrist, though there was no watch to be found, ¡°Hmm¡­ You only took forty-five minutes, less than an hour.¡± After finishing, the Inspector looked at them sceptically, asking, ¡°Are you certain you¡¯ve chosen the flowers you wanted?¡± Shen MO found all these contrivances in the game rather bothersome, so he didn¡¯t pick up on the Inspector¡¯s prompt and directly asked, ¡°Can we put them in the vases now?¡± The Inspector was slightly taken aback, ¡°Of course you can.¡± Shen MO placed a peony in one of the vases, and then helped Bai Youwei place her lotus flower as well. The Inspector¡¯s gaze lingered between the two of them, filled with curiosity. It approached Bai Youwei, intentionally striking up a conversation: ¡°This lovely lady, your flower is beautiful. It seems you hold the winning ticket for this game, don¡¯t you?¡± Bai Youwei replied with a smile, ¡°Not at all, I think his Peony Flower is prettier. After all, the peony is known as the King of Flowers.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® The Inspector squinted his eyes, sizing up the flower that Shen MO brought back, ¡°Hmm¡­ Miss, you must be mistaken. The peony is a woody plant, and this flower is obviously a herbaceous plant. The flower head is round and large, the flower color is soft and delicate, the petal texture is tender¡­ This is a variety of peony that was bred a hundred years ago.¡± Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable. So, is the judging criterion based on the variety of flowers?¡± ¡°Of course not, the judging criteria are¡­.¡± The Inspector paused mid-sentence, apparently realizing that Bai Youwei was trying to get information out of him. He chuckled, ¡°Miss, you are very unique. I can smell a familiar scent on you.¡± Bai Youwei, with a serious face, responded, ¡°I think your language learning system needs to be upgraded. Otherwise, you should know that casually telling a girl such things really makes you sound like a pervert.¡± The Inspector: . Bai Youwei turned her head to look at Shen MO, raising her arm to him, ¡°Feel this; I have goosebumps. He said it smelled something in my scent. How nauseating! ¡± Her soft, white and tender arm glistened. Shen MO casually brushed her hand back, ¡°That is quite disturbing.¡± The corner of the Inspector¡¯s eye twitched. It was the first time he has ever encountered such eccentric duo in all these games he has overseen. He began, ¡°Miss, I think¡­ ¡°Could you stop calling me ¡®Miss¡¯ all the time?¡± Bai Youwei interrupted him. The Inspector pursed his lips, trying hard to maintain an elegant smile, ¡°Then, how should I address you?¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, suggesting in a negotiating tone, ¡°How about you drop the first word?¡± The Inspector: . Shen Mo¡¯s lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile. He lightly ruffled Bai Youwei¡¯s hair, ¡°Be careful not to upset him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking.¡± Bai Youwei replied innocently, ¡°This time the Inspector¡¯s form is very humanoid, so it seems like we can carry on a conversation like normal people. You can¡¯t blame me.¡± ¡°Quite an interesting joke.¡± The Inspector replied with a smile, though there was an icy cold look in his sea-blue eyes, ¡°However, we Inspectors did not take on humanoid forms deliberately. We merely choose forms that are convenient for players to understand.¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, ¡°So you¡¯re saying if you were to reveal your true form, it would be an existence difficult for humans to understand?¡± Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: Chapter 137: The Favorite Part Chapter 137: Chapter 137: The Favorite Part Translator: 549690339 The words ¡°Show your true form¡± made the Inspector feel as if his grace had been degraded by a hundred notches. But the sentence that followed subtly improved his mood. ¡°Of course, there are many things in this world that humans don¡¯t understand, aren¡¯t there?¡± replied the Inspector. ¡°So, your humanoid appearance, is it really just for convenience?¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the tea and pastries on the small round table, and asked candidly, ¡°Does having afternoon tea also serve some kind of purpose?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small indulgence of mine.¡± It took its seat once again, crossing its legs. The long, slender legs overlapped like two folded sugarcane stems. ¡°Engaging in popular human activities allows me to have a more accurate understanding of human reactions and changes in the game.¡± It took a delicate sip of tea, smiling elegantly. ¡°A cup of tea, some pastries, they create a cozy and relaxed atmosphere, providing a sense of peace and warmth. It¡¯s a soothing end to a tiring day. Quite fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Afternoon tea is even more fascinating when enjoyed with others, would you like to give it a try?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unable to hold back any longer, Shen MO grabbed her shoulder, ¡°Stop fooling around.¡± Bai Youwei whispered back, ¡°What if it actually agrees?¡± The Inspector chuckled, ¡°What a pity, the time for afternoon tea is always fleeting.¡± It wiped the corners of its mouth lightly with a napkin and stood up, adjusting its golden bow tie. As it finished, the small round table, together with the tea set and pastries, vanished as if by a masterful magic trick. ¡°Dear young lady,¡± said the Inspector, his voice laced with condescension tinged with a potential honesty, ¡°If you manage to survive this party, we might have a chance to enjoy afternoon tea together in the future.¡± Bai Youwei simply uttered ¡°Oh,¡± and continued her inquiries without changing her demeanor: ¡°So, not only did you monitor this game, but there are other games you are involved in as well? If two or more games were activated at the same time, which one would you go to? Do you have any helpers?¡± The Inspector: Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°If you think I am trying to trick you, just pretend I never asked.¡± The Inspector gave Bai Youwei a fleeting glance and then directed his gaze towards the distance, ignoring her with a cold demeanor. Bai Youwei, barely phased, sneered and muttered to Shen Mo: ¡°I¡¯m sure it has some form of assistance, otherwise how could it handle so many games? It even has time for afternoon tea.¡¯ ¡°Not necessarily an assistant,¡± Shen MO replied, ¡°There could potentially be more than one body for the Inspector.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Yes, there might be multiple bodies for the Inspector¡­ Brother, you are so smart!¡± The back-and-forth between the two was indeed noisy, causing slight annoyance to the Inspector. Fortunately, a few individuals emerged from the direction of the forest, which somewhat improved the Inspector¡¯s mood¡ª His favorite part had finally arrived. ¡°Tell me quickly, have you picked the flowers you wanted?¡± The Inspector couldn¡¯t wait to inquire from the five individuals who had returned. With wilted flower stems in their hands and complicated expressions on their faces, they even appeared to be in pain. They had indeed all chosen the most beautiful flowers, but no one had expected that on the return journey, the condition of the flowers would drastically decline with loss of moisture, even the most beautiful of flowers were losing their luster! ¡°If they aren¡¯t put in water soon, they¡¯ll wither for good.¡± Bai Youwei remarked coldly. Upon hearing the reminder, the people no longer dared to delay, and quickly placed their flowers into a glass vase¡ª There were roses, lilies, orchids, tulips¡­ rare King flowers, and the truly beautiful peonies. What a pity that all these flowers were withering to some extent. The petals of the peony and rose had lost their vibrancy, instead were fading into a state of decay with a light brown hue.. Chapter 138 - Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Green Blanket Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Green Blanket Translator: 549690339 Five people stared at their flowers uneasily. Their gaze frequently darted towards Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s flowers¡ª pristine white lotus, dignified Chinese peonies, almost undamaged atop the glass vase¡ªmarkedly contrasting from the rest. The atmosphere was stifling. Anxiety, impatience, jealousy, and unease tightly wrapped around them like an invisible net, restricting their breath. Only when someone else returned from the direction of the woods, their flowers wilting gravely, did the gloomy look in the five¡¯s eyes dissipate slightly. Among the third batch of returnees, Zhang Qi¡¯s flower stood out. He brought back a lush, vibrant cactus, the top of which bloomed a golden flower. Thanks to the nutrients supplied by the cactus, there was no trace of wilt on the flower. However, Zhang Qi¡¯s hands were punctured and stained with blood. Bai Youwei speculated that Zhang Qi must have encountered other returnees on the way and noticed their flowers were wilting. That¡¯s why he came up with this method¡ªit was quick thinking. Except for Zhang Qi, the flowers of the third batch were all wilted beyond recognition. Some could not even be identified. There was no need for comparison. One glance and it was evident who were on Without question, the first two were Bai Youwei and Shen MO, followed by the second batch of returnees. Zhang Qi¡¯s flower could surely make it into the top ten. By this count, only two spots remained¡­ The Inspector cheerfully said, ¡°Well then, please place your chosen flowers into the empty vases.¡± Zhang Qi placed his flower in the 8th vase. The remaining ten vases were still empty. Everyone held their flowers tightly, well aware that the moment they inserted their flowers, they were likely to face elimination. Being eliminated in the doll game would have dreadful consequences. Some had started to tremble¡­ The Inspector¡¯s grin widened as he patiently repeated, ¡°Everyone, please place your chosen flowers in the vases.¡± No one moved. Wu Lili was panicking inside, her eyes kept glancing at others¡¯ flowers as she mentally compared whether she could secure a spot among the top ten. The flower in her hand had wilted, just barely maintaining its blooming shape, but its color was bleak. Of course, others¡¯ flowers didn¡¯t look any better. She bit her lip and, summoning courage, lifted her flower to place it into the vase- Suddenly, a hand reached out! It grabbed her flower and yanked! The wilted petals were completely shattered! Wu Lili¡¯s face distorted instantly with rage as she angrily questioned: ¡°Aunt He! What are you doing?!¡± The middle-aged woman, called Aunt He, disregarded her and swiftly inserted her own flower into the vase! Wu Lili was incensed to the brink and wanted to smash the other¡¯s vase. However, she found that once the flower was in the vase, she could no longer touch that area, as though there was a layer of transparent shield! Everything happened so swiftly, everyone stood in shock. Wu Lili gritted her teeth, made up her mind! One hand buried the naked stem of her flower into a vase, while the other armed with a tree branch, swung fiercely at others! Instant chaos ensued! Shouts and curses filled the air! Some ducked, some fought back. Lazy men, nagging women, weak patients, sneaky kids ¨C everyone turned to enemies together, engaging in life-threatening brawls! Vases without flowers were smashed! Wu Lili¡¯s branch was long taken away. She huddled on the ground, beaten black and blue, her vision blurred, her body in agony as if she would be beaten to death in the next second! However, all punches and kicks suddenly ceased in one instant. She opened her eyes and saw the lush grassland in front of her curling up like a green blanket, revealing moist earth below and plump roots. The roots were like raw, white flesh. On the flesh was a bright red mouth. Mouth filled with countless teeth. In those sharp teeth, there were people, one after another, being swallowed alive¡­ Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: Chapter 140: The Rules of the Ghost Chapter 140: Chapter 140: The Rules of the Ghost Translator: 549690339 The Inspector¡¯s finger lightly tapped in the air, and a long table covered with a white lace tablecloth appeared in the courtyard. His finger tapped on the table again, and ten black cards were seemingly summoned and distributed. Bai Youwei received the number 3 card. Shen MO is number 4. Wu Lili and Zhang Qi respectively got the numbers 7 and 10. The numbers on the cards served only as the order for speech, without any reference significance. No one knew what other people¡¯s words were. Bai Youwei looked at her own card and found it blank, without any words. She didn¡¯t know whether it was for confidentiality that the phrases would be revealed only when the game officially started. Here, the Inspector began to announce the rules: ¡°Ten friends, each of you will receive two sets of different words. You will take turns describing the words you¡¯ve got and, after one round, all ten will vote for the person whose word set is different from their own. The two with the most votes will be eliminated from the game.¡± Everyone listened silently, unwilling to miss any detail. The slender Inspector stood at the closest end of the table, casting a slender shadow and maintaining an elegant smile as he looked at the faces in front of him: ¡°There are three rules that you must pay attention to. First, do not use any words from the phrase during the description process; Second, do not use foreign languages, dialects, codes, etc. to transmit information; Third, the game will end when there are only players with the same phrase left. Finally, the winning players will attend a party in the cabin.¡± Shen MO frowned: ¡°There are five spots. If there are not enough players when the game ends, what should we do?¡± ¡°Teammates automatically get resurrected.¡± The Inspector replied with a smile, ¡°Players eliminated during the game are only temporarily eliminated. If their teammates eventually win, they will also get the chance to attend the party.¡± After he spoke these words, many people breathed a sigh of relief. Because this rule meant that even if they were eliminated, they would not necessarily lose. With his blue eyes, the Inspector glanced around at people¡¯s faces, ¡°Now, does everyone understand the rules? If you have any doubts, feel free to ask.¡± No one spoke. Everyone was still digesting the information they had just received. The Inspector raised the corner of his mouth, ¡°Then let¡¯s get started Everyone lowered their heads to look at their own cards. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows because her card was still blank. ¡°Right.¡± The Inspector suddenly spoke again, ¡°I almost forgot. Before the game starts, I need to explain the Ghost Rules.¡± Everyone looked up at him with puzzled expressions. ¡°Among you, two people have no words on their cards.¡± The Inspector smiled and said, ¡°The person who got the Wordless Card is the Ghost. The Ghost is free to form alliances with any team, but only one of the two ghosts can survive. The first Ghost to be eliminated does not have the right to be revived.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Alright, does anyone have any questions now?¡± asked the Inspector. Bai Youwei wanted to curse. If she asked questions now, wouldn¡¯t it expose her as the ghost?! She bit her lower lip, turned her head to look at Shen MO, said nothing, and gazed at him with a pitiful look in her eyes. Shen MO slightly raised his eyebrows as if understanding the message in her eyes: Are you the Ghost? The game doesn¡¯t allow private communication, so Bai Youwei said nothing and turned back with a sullen pout. Shen MO now realized: She is the Ghost. He lowered his gaze to look at his own card, contemplating how he can form an alliance with her. ¡°The game begins now¡ª The Inspector looked to his right with a smile, ¡°Number 1, please speak first..¡± Chapter 141 - Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Detrimental to Social Harmony Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Detrimental to Social Harmony Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei was frustrated. She was number 3, which meant that she could only receive two pieces of information at the most! The ghost identity seemed all right, as it allowed her to ally with any team. But in reality, it was the most dangerous. Without a word to describe, it was easy to become the target of a public vote. Number 1 was a slovenly old man, the kind of guy who was always idle, neither working nor doing housework, and who loved bragging around when he was out and leading a muddle-headed life. People like him could talk about everything when idle, but when something happened, they would be of no help at all! Inspector: ¡°Number 1, have you figured out how to describe it to your friends?¡± Number 1 stuttered: ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s something¡­ we often use at home.¡± ¡ª -Ding! Suddenly, a clear sound like the enter key after completing the input rang out. A line of words appeared above the old man¡¯s head: ¡°It is often used at home.¡± Everyone was staring at him with wide eyes. Number 1 was startled, ¡°Why are you¡­why are you all looking at me?¡± He raised his head to look above, reached out and touched his head, but found nothing. ¡°Number 2, please describe the word on your card.¡± The inspector said. Number 2 was a petite and fragile woman, the kind who was mistreated by her in-laws and abused by her husband but never had the courage to fight back. When her friends and neighbors stepped in to help, she would blame them instead, accusing them of making matters worse and then return to her family, lamenting her miserable life with no one to turn to. Almost all those selected by Uncle Zhao, are set to cause disarray in society. Number 2 was terrified, her weak body shivering. She stammered: . it¡¯s used a lot in the summer, and¡­you can, you can hold it to wipe¡­¡± Her voice suddenly stopped. Number 2 disappeared! Roger in front of everyone, she disappeared without warning! Inspector: ¡°Number 2 violated the rules and disclosed the words, thus being automatically eliminated. Now we will replace the word, please all of you recheck your new wordsm.¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows, flipped open her card and took another look. Bai Youwei: She remained silent, staring at the inspector. He was still feigning a smile, his blue eyes full of malice. She suddenly wanted to ask, does the game rule allow the inspector to target the players like this? Why was her card still without words? Got selected as the ghost twice in a Inspector: ¡°Number 1, please describe your words¡± Number 1, the old man, wore a distressed expression, opened his mouth and said: ¡°It¡¯s something you eat¡­¡± His words trailed off, and he added: ¡°But you can¡¯t really eat it.¡± Ding! Two lines of text floated above number I¡¯s head: ¡°It¡¯s something you eat.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t really eat it.¡± Bai Youwei: The inspector turned to Bai Youwei and said cheerfully: ¡°Number 3, please describe your word.¡± Since number 2 was eliminated, the turn came directly to Bai Youwei after number 1. Bai Youwei pursed her lips. Number I¡¯s first sentence, ¡°it¡¯s something you eat,¡± suggested that the first association the word gave him was food. As for his second sentence, it should be used to fill a gap, to prevent misunderstanding. For example, eating coconut, actually means drinking it; or eating betel nut, which actually means chewing it. No matter what word it was, they all had one thing in common- Bai Youwei spoke calmly: ¡°It can be bought at many supermarkets.¡± ¨C -Ding! A line of words floated above Bai Youwei¡¯s head: ¡°It can be found in many supermarkets.¡± Of course, she couldn¡¯t see the line of words. She observed everyone¡¯s reaction. When she found that the others had no reaction after hearing her description, she knew that her deduction was correct. Perfect¡­. She just needs to listen to the remaining seven descriptions calmly. With her brains, she is not afraid that she would not be able to guess the word group. After all, she has played a similar game before.. Chapter 142 - Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Who is the Undercover Agent? Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Who is the Undercover Agent? Translator: 549690339 In the real world, there¡¯s a game called ¡°Who¡¯s the Undercover¡±, similar to Friend Game, where you eliminate others through describing words. The slight difference is that in ¡°Who¡¯s the Undercover¡±, usually one undercover hides among seven or eight players, whereas Friend Game divides players into two balanced teams, making the information easily confused and the game more difficult. No matter how the rules change, one point must be remembered: Concealment is far better than exposure. Correctly describing your own idea is secondary, the most important thing is to quickly guess the other party¡¯s phrase so you can adjust your descriptions according to the situation. Inspector: ¡°Player number 4, please describe your phrase.¡± Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei and said indifferently, ¡°Inedible, elastic.¡± Ding! Two lines of text floated above Shen Mo¡¯s head. Bai Youwei: By putting ¡°Inedible¡± first, was he hinting that his word was different from player number 1? So, when it¡¯s time to vote, should she join him to vote out player number 1? Bai Youwei secretly gritted her teeth. No¡­ She is player number 3, player number 2 is already out, if player number 1 is out, she will be the first to speak in the next round, which would be unfavorable to her. At least she needs to ensure that player number 1 survives this round of voting. Inspector: ¡°Player number 5, please describe your phrase.¡± Player 5: ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s sold in supermarkets, price¡­ not too expensive.¡± Next¡ª Player 6: ¡°We occasionally buy it from the supermarket.¡± Player 7: ¡® . . It¡¯s a bit sticky.¡± Player 8: ¡°It¡¯s white¡­ well, not quite, there are also other colors.¡± Player 9: ¡°This thing¡­ can change shape.¡± Finally, it was player number 10, Zhang Qi, he looked gloomily at player number 5: ¡°My word is different from player number 5, this thing comes in many types, some are cheap, some are expensive.¡± Bai Youwei: She was a bit frustrated. Inspector: ¡°The first round of descriptions has ended, please point out who you want to vote for.¡¯ Heads turned, arms were raised. The sight of everyone pointing fingers at each other was quite spectacular. Player number 1 and player number 5, voted for Zhang Qi, player number 10. Player number 6, player number 7, as well as Shen MO and Bai Youwei, all voted for player number 5. Player number 8 voted for Shen Mo. Player number 9 abstained, did not vote. Every round, two people were eliminated, therefore, players 5 and 10 were voted out. Before they could even make a sound, the two of them disappeared instantly. Inspector: ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin the second round of description. Please pay attention to the description above each player¡¯s head. Your description for the second round cannot be the same as the first round, otherwise, you will be immediately disqualified.¡± Bai Youwei finally understood. So, that¡¯s what the floating words above her head meant. Now there are seven people remaining in the game, their corresponding descriptions are: Player 1 It is a kind of food, but you can¡¯t really eat it. Player 3¡ªCan be bought in many supermarkets. Player 4 Inedible, elastic. Player 6 Occasionally bought at the supermarket. Player 7 bit sticky. Player 8¡ªWhite, but also comes in other colors. Player 9¡ªCan change shape. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows in frustration. Excluding her own information, among the remaining 6 clues, there were two groups of words, plus one piece of false information, because there was still one Ghost. If the word described by players 1, 6, and 7 was the same, she could guess that it was something like chewing gum or bubble gum; And by combining the descriptions of Shen MO, player 4, with players 8 and 9, she could guess it was something like bubble glue or rubber glue. But player number 8 voted for Shen MO, meaning they weren¡¯t on the same team. Then, Shen MO and Zhang Qi both voted for player number 5. Zhang Qi said there were different types, some of which were very expensive. Is there really an expensive type of bubble glue? Bai Youwei found it hard to understand. This was so frustrating¡­ She had to confirm Shen Mo¡¯s phrase as quickly as possible. Otherwise, how could she continue to play with her brother? Meanwhile, The Inspector had already announced the start of the second round: ¡°Player 1, please describe your phrase. Remember, do not repeat your description from the first round..¡± Chapter 143 - Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Changing Strategies Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Changing Strategies Translator: 549690339 After a round of voting, the atmosphere became much heavier. The man at position 1 was no longer non-committal and pondered very seriously before providing a description: ¡°Young people like to eat.¡± He mentioned ¡°eating¡± again, so the word from number 1 must be some type of food. Considering he voted for the player in position 10 in the last round, it should be some kind of cheap food. Combining the characteristics he said: a bit sticky, changes shape, favored by young people, Bai Youwei was almost certain the word was chewing gum. So, the word that Shen MO got must be very similar, yet quite different from ¡°chewing gum¡±. The answer was on the tip of her tongue. Bai Youwei felt more confident and relaxed. ¡°Number 3, please describe your term,¡± the Inspector said. She glanced at the Inspector, realizing she might be able to change her strategy. After thinking for a moment, she said: ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say this, but it seems some people here still haven¡¯t fully understood how to play the game¡­¡± Everyone was looking at her. Bai Youwei hooked the corner of her mouth, and continued, ¡°This game is not about testing your language skill. Everyone, don¡¯t forget, there are ghosts in this game. If the two ghosts guess our term, and manage to survive until the end, have you considered the consequences?¡± The Inspector said, the game ends when only players with the same terms are left. But what if the last people left were all ghosts? Although the probability was low, it was indeed possible. Everyone reacted and simultaneously turned towards the Inspector. The Inspector glanced at Bai Youwei, then politely explained to everyone: ¡°If one ghost survives until the end, they can form an alliance with any team, but if both ghosts survive, it means there are no allies here and the party can¡¯t proceed.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked the middle-aged woman at spot 8 nervously, ¡°What does ¡®unable to proceed¡¯ mean?¡± Inspector: ¡°It means, the party is cancelled, everyone is eliminated, and the ghosts win and leave the game. Do you understand now?¡± Everyone was immediately nervous, their eyes darting back and forth as they tried to find the ghost hiding among them! The goal was achieved, Bai Youwei was satisfied. She spoke again: ¡°Do you get it now? We should deal with the ghosts first! The longer we delay, the more information the ghosts get, and they might guess the terms and hide among us! I suggest in this round, we first eliminate the suspected ghost. After all, those eliminated won¡¯t be our own teammates, so I¡¯m sure no one will object, right?¡± Her last sentence put down an ultimatum¡ªanyone who objected to her was a ghost. Sure enough, although everyone looked doubtful, no one objected in the end. The middle-aged woman at position 8 directly asked her, ¡°Who do you think is the ghost?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°In the previous round, my description was that ¡®it can be bought at many supermarkets¡¯. Then, Number 6 said ¡®he occasionally buys it from the supermarket¡¯, which was a meaningless statement. It was as if he was copying my words, so now I suspect Number 6 is a ghost.¡± Number 6 defended hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Bai Youwei pretended not to hear and continued, ¡°Also, Number 4 said ¡®it¡¯s elastic¡¯, Number 7 said ¡®it¡¯s a bit sticky¡¯, then Number 9 said ¡®it can change shape¡¯. This statement seems to be the combination of the former two. Thus, I also suspect Number 9.¡± Number 9 became indignant all of a sudden, ¡°Stop it! If you can¡¯t analyze, shut up! No one wants to listen to your nonsense!¡± Wu Lili at position 7 looked around and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t think Number 9 is a ghost¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Bai Youwei smiled with a cocky grin, ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal to be suspected when you don¡¯t describe properly? Just describe better in this round and clear your name, isn¡¯t that easy?¡± Chapter 144 - Chapter 144: Chapter 144 Who is my friend Chapter 144: Chapter 144 Who is my friend Translator: 549690339 After she finished speaking, the tense atmosphere slightly eased. Indeed, as long as you describe clearly in this round, you can clear all suspicions. Getting angry now wouldn¡¯t help at all. Bai Youwei said, ¡°In any case, I hope everyone pays close attention to Number 6 and Number 9¡¯s statements later. Of course, I¡¯ll also pay close attention to what everyone else has to say. As for who the Ghost is, I believe we will have a verdict soon.¡± Sparks quickly flashed in the eyes of Number 6 and Number 9. The corners of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth slightly curved upwards, revealing a hint of triumph ¡ª she easily threw the contradiction directed towards her back at Number 6 and Number 9, causing them to suspect each other. This was mainly because there were not many astute people among those chosen by Uncle Zhao; hence, she could get her way this easily. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m about to start describing¡­¡± Bai Youwei paused for two seconds, then said, ¡°This thing, it¡¯s small.¡± Whether it was chewing gum or bubble gum, neither was large in size. She was confident that this description would not cause any problems. The Inspector said, ¡°Number 4, please describe your phrase.¡± Shen MO thought for a moment and said, ¡°Its packaging is small, but its actual size will change.¡± Bai Youwei smiled inwardly. Of course the size of bubble gum would change once it¡¯s blown up. Yes, perfect- It was now Number 6¡¯s turn. Because Bai Youwei had singled him out, he was particularly nervous at the moment, his face as pale as a sheet and covered with sweat. ¡°This object¡­ this object¡­¡± He stammered, unable to speak coherently. The Inspector voiced a reminder, ¡°Number 6, please describe your phrase.¡± The Inspector¡¯s voice startled Number 6, causing him to sweat even more. Since his youth, he had been reliant on others and never had a proper job even in his thirties. After the doll invasion, he ended up on Sanshan Island, living aimlessly. When Uncle Zhao chose him to go to the safe base, he was quite pleased at first, he never expected to be forced into the game. Fearing that the Inspector would implement some sort of compulsory measure if he continued to procrastinate, Number 6 stuttered, ¡°This object¡­ it¡¯s soft.¡± Number 7 was Wu Lili, who immediately retorted, ¡°Number 4 said earlier that it was elastic, and I said it was a bit sticky, so of course it¡¯s soft! Your description is no different from not speaking at all! You¡¯re definitely the Ghost!¡± Number 6¡¯s face turned beet red as he quickly shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°You are the most suspicious!¡± Wu Lili huffed, adding, ¡°My description is that it¡¯s damp.¡± Number 8 said, ¡°It¡¯s not too damp¡­ it¡¯s dry when it¡¯s in its packaging.¡± Number 9 agreed, ¡°I concur with Number 8¡¯s description and shall add a point. There are commercials of it on TV.¡¯ The Inspector gazed at them with a smile, ¡°After two rounds of description, I suppose everyone has a clearer judgement. Now, please vote for who you suspect¡ªI¡¯ Almost everyone voted for Number 6. Number 6, panic-stricken, did not vote at all. Shen MO voted for Number 1. As Bai Youwei found it strange, she witnessed Number 1 and Number 6 disappearing before her eyes. Simultaneously, the Inspector¡¯s voice rang out: ¡°The third round of descriptions now begins.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s mind worked quickly, understanding the situation. Shen MO was trying to decrease the number of opponents. Since each round eliminates two people, it¡¯s not necessary to focus all the votes on one person! ¡­But this strategy could easily make him a target for Number I¡¯s teammate in the next round. Now there were five people left in the field, excluding her and Shen MO, they were Numbers 7, 8, and 9. Numbers 8 and 9 seemed to be on the same team, while Number 7 might be on Shen Mo¡¯s side. Now, she had to win Number 7¡¯s trust and form an alliance, which meant they could secure a win with a 3-against-2 advantage. However¡­ She really didn¡¯t like Number 7. ¡°Number 3, please describe your phrase,¡± the Inspector reminded. Bai Youwei furrowed her brow. This round was crucial. Numbers 8 and 9 had already teamed up. If she couldn¡¯t win Number 7¡¯s vote in this round of statements, she was likely to be voted out. She thought for a moment, then said, ¡°I now know who my friend is..¡± Chapter 145 - Chapter 145: Chapter 145: The Angry Number 9 Chapter 145: Chapter 145: The Angry Number 9 Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei turned her head, clearly saying to Wu Lili, ¡°Number 7, listen well to my description, this thing can¡­expand quite a lot.¡± Wu Lili instantly showed a look of understanding. Shen MO looked deeply at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei: Did I not say it right? Bubble gum can be blown up quite big Inspector: ¡°Number 4, please describe your phrase.¡± Shen MO gave Bai Youwei a long, meaningful look, ¡°How big it can get depends on its user.¡± Bai Youwei: That¡¯s right, if the person blowing the bubble is skilled, has a large lung capacity, the bubble they blow will be bigger Next up was Wu Lili. Probably running out of adjectives to use, she agonized for a while before saying, ¡°Some of them¡­ um, some of them have patterns.¡± The lady at number 8 said, ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡± The dude at number 9 grouped with the lady, but still expressed distaste, ¡°Can you think properly before you say anything? It¡¯s not always sweet, is it?¡± The Inspector looked at them expectantly, ¡°The third round of descriptions is over, now, please choose who you want to vote for¡ª¡± Bai Youwei and Wu Lili didn¡¯t hesitate to vote for number 8. Numbers 8 and 9 didn¡¯t hesitate to vote for Shen Mo. Shen MO cast a ballot for number 9. In an instant, the woman at number 8 and Shen MO at number 4 disappeared. Though she knew it was only temporary elimination, and that she also had a jigsaw piece to save herself, Bai Youwei still felt a pang in her heart, her face turned gloomy. The Inspector smiled and said, ¡°Only 3 players left, no more order of speaking, it¡¯s now three minutes of free speaking time, after which will be the final public vote.¡± After saying this, it stood leisurely on the side, watching with interest, and didn¡¯t speak again. Bai Youwei shot him a cold look, and said indifferently: ¡°Wu Lili, let¡¯s vote for number 9 and finish the game.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Number 9, on the verge of tearing Bai Youwei apart from across the table, yelled ¡°You crippled idiot! Shut up if you can¡¯t talk properly! All you¡¯ve done from the start is spew nonsense, if I knew earlier, I should have voted you off! ¡± This dude was the kind of¡­ young man in his twenties, a drop out, jobless and roaming idly around, picky about everyone, arrogant and crude, with teenage angst mixed with hooliganism. Bai Youwei calmly said to Wu Lili: ¡°Do you still remember what number 9 said in the last round? He said he saw ads for this on TV, well, I¡¯ve never seen it, and even if there are, there would be very few.¡± Wu Lili nodded solemnly. ¡°You¡¯re stupid, aren¡¯t you, number 7?! I¡¯m the one on your team!¡± Number 9 yelled frantically, ¡°It¡¯s sticky, and wet, and there are patterns on it, people on dates often use it, right?! ¡± Wu Lili was startled, then looked at Bai Youwei with suspicion in her eyes. Bai Youwei immediately cursed in her heart. What¡¯s going on here?! Chewing gum is sticky and wet to eat, some brands also print patterns on it, people on dates would use it because it clears up oral odors, making kissing less awkward! But you, Wu Lili, are frozen over bubble gum, what¡¯s wrong with you?!! Number 9 was still yelling: ¡°Number 7, think about what she¡¯s been saying all along! Don¡¯t let her confuse you, vote for number 3 with me, and we win!¡± Wu Lili looked at number 9, then at Bai Youwei, her expression hesitant. Bai Youwei was almost maddened with anger! She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had guessed the word wrong, but at this critical juncture, she couldn¡¯t think of a new word, the only clue she could count on was Shen Mo¡¯s hint: you can¡¯t eat it! Balloon? Inflatable Gel? She gritted her teeth at Wu Lili, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool, think carefully again, just now number 8 said this thing is sweet, and number 9 immediately said it¡¯s not always sweet¡­¡± ¡°Damn it! It originally has more than one flavor!¡± Number 9 yelled. Bai Youwei had reached her limit too, she shouted back furiously, ¡°Can this damn thing be eaten?!¡± Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: Noob Teammate (Extra update for my darling little bunny- kisses) Chapter 146: Noob Teammate (Extra update for my darling little bunny- kisses) Translator: 549690339 ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not edible?!¡± Number 9 audaciously questioned Wu Lili, ¡°Number 7, think for yourself. Is it edible? Aren¡¯t there many flavors? I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve never tried it!¡± Wu Lili was dumbfounded, weakly echoing, ¡°¡­it seems, it seems not inedible¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at her incredulously. ¡°You can eat it? You¡¯re not repulsed?!¡± Wu Lili hesitated: ¡°¡­Yes¡­lt is quite disgusting¡­¡± ¡°The point is it¡¯s not supposed to be eaten! It¡¯s supposed to be used!¡± Bai Youwei maintained Shen Mo¡¯s ¡°dying words¡±: how large it can grow depends on its user. So, it must be used! Upon hearing this, number 9 bursted into laughter, pointing at Bai Youwei and chimed, ¡°See! She has exposed herself, her hint is different from ours! It¡¯s clearly edible! ¡± Wu Lili was swayed once more, looking at number 9 with suspicion. Noticing an opportunity, Bai Youwei pressed on, challenging number 9, ¡°You said it¡¯s edible, fine! Then tell me how it¡¯s eaten! Who would eat it! And have you eaten it yourself?!¡± ¡°So what if I¡¯ve eaten it?¡± number 9 bragged, ¡°Everyone in my family has eaten it. Chew it, tear it, stretch it, so what?!¡± Bai Youwei pointed at him, ¡°Vote for number 9!¡± Wu Lili raised her hand too. The color drained from number 9¡¯s face, and before he could curse, he vanished. The Inspector, having seen enough of the drama, clapped lightly, ¡°The Ghost has chosen to form an alliance with number 7, bringing all members of number 7¡¯s team back to life.¡± Shen MO and Zhang Qi, as well as the earliest eliminated woman number 2, appeared. Wu Lili, as if waking up from a dream, looked at Bai Youwei in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re the Ghost¡­¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t want to engage with her, feeling exhausted. Constant arguing with number 9 had left her throat tired! She didn¡¯t realize until now how terrifying it was to have an incompetent team member when hanging out with Shen Mo. This Wu Lili was even considering betraying midway! If it weren¡¯t for her strident shouting and desperate attempts to turn the tide, by now it would be a showdown between Wu Lili and number 9! Given the nature of this game, a IVI situation wouldn¡¯t allow voting, only a fight. Wu Lili had just been beaten up, could she endure a fight with number 9? Exhausted, Bai Youwei leaned on Shen Mo¡¯s arm, her forehead against him, ¡°What was your word really? It nearly cost me the game¡­¡± Shen MO stroked her head with gentle warmth, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± Bai Youwei stayed silent for a while before suddenly laughing gently. ¡°Ah¡­ why didn¡¯t I think of it, it¡¯s that thing.¡± Shen MO looked at her, ¡°What thing?¡± Bai Youwei chuckled helplessly: ¡°It¡¯s Slime.¡± Slimy, wet, slippery soft, highly elastic, can be large or small. Zhang Qi¡¯s description fits too, the knockoff Slime dolls are cheap while the authentic Slime dolls are exorbitantly priced. As for whether it¡¯s sold in supermarkets, she wasn¡¯t sure. After all, a sheltered rich girl like her never had much chance to wander around supermarkets. ¡°It¡¯s the Slime, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bai Youwei, holding Shen Mo¡¯s hand with eyes squinted in satisfaction, displaying a childlike pride, ¡°Am I not impressive? Even with an empty card I can still win.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s lips curled up slightly, ¡°Yes, you are impressive.¡± Her eyes curved even more, like a bright crescent moon. Shen MO looked at her, strangely warmed by the sight. It was an indescribable feeling, as if a toughened heart was slowly softening, enveloped by a warm current, feeling its gentleness and warmth. He didn¡¯t say a word, just lightly stroked her head, then pushed the wheelchair towards the cabin. There, their true friends were waiting for them at the gathering.. Chapter 147 - Chapter 147: Chapter 147: The Real Gathering Chapter 147: Chapter 147: The Real Gathering Translator: 549690339 Externally, it seemed just like an ordinary wooden cabin. But stepping inside, it has an entirely different charm. While it couldn¡¯t compare with a palace, it could definitely pass as a luxury banquet hall¡ª The first thing you see upon entering is a beautiful circular dance floor, filled with elegantly dressed guests. At the front, one could see a band playing instruments, and countless waiters were scattered around. Some were holding trays of food, some were pouring wine for guests, and some were doing nothing but standing politely. All around was a vista of silks, satins, pearls, and precious stones. It seemed like you were at a banquet hosted by a wealthy person. However, this feeling lasted only for a second. Because everyone realised that whether they were dancing guests, musicians of the band, or the waiters, they all stood still. They were all dolls. The laughter, conversation, and music here were all artificial. It was as if you dressed up the doll puppets in beautiful clothes, moved them into a beautiful house, arranged them in a situational pose, and then coupled it with fitting music¡ª It would be mistaken as real. The Inspector was sitting at a dining table on the perimeter of the dance floor, gently waving at them. The nearby dining tables were all filled with doll puppets, only the table where the Inspector sat was empty. When the five of them went over, they saw six chairs, one of which was occupied by the Inspector, leaving five remaining. Each of them understanding the situation well, they didn¡¯t need to ask any questions and just found a spot to sit down. The moment they sat down, the music stopped. Lifting their heads, they noticed all the dolls around were looking at them¡ª The dancing ones, the musicians, the ones serving wine, and even the ones sitting on the other chairs. They all had turned their heads, some even twisting their necks 180 degrees, staring straight at their table! Everyone was scared stiff, their faces turning pale, with chills shooting up their foot-soles and hand-palms. The banquet hall was so tranquil that it was eerie. The doll puppets gazed silently, like a terrifyingly layered cloud enveloping everyone. The Inspector, however, remained his usual polished and courteous self, wearing a smile. ¡°My friends and I welcome you all here. We hope we can be friends. There was no response. If the price of friendship was to become a doll and stay here, it would probably be their eternal nightmare. Bai Youwei, however, seemed exceptionally brave. She glanced at the nearby tables and asked, ¡°These tables are all for six people, but only five dolls are sitting there. Are they players who lost the game?¡± The Inspector¡¯s blue eyes twinkled slightly, and he responded with a smile: ¡°Indeed. Friends who lose the game stay behind. The gathering of friends never ends.¡± Bai Youwei asked again: ¡°Do you have any friends in the outside world?¡± The Inspector hesitated. ¡°No, right?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°With your way of treating friends, even if you had friends, you would definitely fall out with them.¡± The smile on the Inspector¡¯s face faded a bit: ¡°Miss, I admire your sense of humour, but in the game, it is better to avoid making jokes.¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡± Bai Youwei looked surprised, ¡°I clearly told you the truth. Probably the game system also thought you were pitiful for not having friends and decided to assign you a ¡®friends game¡¯ to oversee. Ah- I just realized that the system is quite considerate.¡± The Inspector¡¯s expression twisted a bit, seeming to be grinding his teeth: ¡°The friends game is my masterpiece, flawless, and it has shown countless valuable data! The system is just¡­¡± All of a sudden, he fell silent. Bai Youwei and Shen MO almost simultaneously voiced out: ¡°Just what?¡± The Inspector looked at them for a moment. Gradually, the annoyance faded, and a smile returned to his face. Almost as if he couldn¡¯t help but chuckled out: ¡°Ha! Interesting humans, but just a combination of water, protein, inorganic substances, and enzymes. Are you that curious to know the answer?¡± All five of them at the table stared at him, their eyes filled with fear, hatred, and endless confusion. What exactly is this doll game? The Inspector spread out the two decks of cards on the table and chuckled: ¡°Play this game with me then, and see whether you have the chance to get the answer from me.. Chapter 148 - Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Killing the Inspector Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Killing the Inspector Translator: 549690339 Two decks of cards, one white and one black. The white card has ¡°Truth¡± written on the back. The black card has ¡°Dare¡± written on the back. It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that the game they¡¯re playing is ¡ªTruth or Dare. This is indeed a popular game played at gatherings among friends. But would the game of Truth or Dare in this Doll Game be the same as in the real world? Five participants stared at the cards, each with a different expression. Some lost in thought, others visibly distressed, some silently praying, some weeping uncontrollably¡­ The Inspector took note of everyone¡¯s expressions. ¡°I assume everyone here has played this before?¡± he said, smiling at the five participants, ¡°If so, I won¡¯t bother going over the rules¡­¡± ¡°Maybe you should,¡± Bai Youwei proposed nonchalantly, raising her hand. ¡°I haven¡¯t played this before.¡± The Inspector raised an eyebrow at her, knowing this player to be particularly troublesome. With an innocent look on her face, Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°I really haven¡¯t played because I don¡¯t have any friends to play this game with.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, no need to be upset, miss.¡± The Inspector replied with a slight coldness in his smile. ¡°You¡¯re always welcome at our friend gatherings. As long as you¡¯re here, we will always be friends.¡± She humphed, ¡°I¡¯d rather not. I don¡¯t have any interest in these outdated games. ¡± The Inspector: Shen MO tightened his grip on Bai Youwei, signaling her to stop messing around, and said to the Inspector, ¡°Please explain the rules.¡± The Inspector gave a faint smile as his gaze swept across their faces, then he pushed the black and white cards forward ¡ª ¡°There are a total of 12 cards here, 6 white and 6 black. Each participant will receive one white card and one black card. You need to write the truth question on the white card and the dare challenge on the black card. Once that¡¯s done, we can start playing.¡± He picked up a white card and a black card with his two hands, and continued: ¡°Starting with me, we take turns clockwise. You can choose either Truth or Dare, but keep this in mind ¨C After two consecutive rounds of Truth, the third person must choose the black Dare card, otherwise, you¡¯ll need two Truth questions to offset one Dare instance. Similarly, after two rounds of Dare, the next person must choose the white Truth card, otherwise, you¡¯ll need two Dare instances to offset one Truth question.¡± Once all 12 cards are consumed, the game ends.¡± After the rules were explained, a pen appeared in everyone¡¯s hands. The Inspector had one too. Twirling the pen in his hand, he said with a smile, ¡°Friends, it¡¯s time for us to start writing the questions.¡± Bai Youwei spun the pen even faster than him, looked around, and asked, ¡°Can I write whatever I want?¡± The Inspector replied, ¡°You can write anything, but I must remind everyone ¨C if you can¡¯t answer a Truth question or complete a Dare challenge, you will be eliminated immediately.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°What if we manage to do all of them?¡± Inspector: ¡°That card will be consumed and the game will continue.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°What if there are no cards left?¡± Inspector: ¡°The game will end.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Inspector: Without looking at the Inspector, Bai Youwei lightly tapped the table twice, smiled ambiguously at everyone, and said: ¡°Listen here, I¡¯m not looking down on anyone, but some of us should realize our worth and act accordingly. I¡¯ll make it clear right now. In the first round, we lost eight people, in the second round, we lost five ¡ª do you really think he¡¯ll let us off easy in the final round? If you want to end this game, do exactly as I say. On each black Dare card, write the challenge to¡ª Kill the Inspector of this round..¡± Chapter 149 - Chapter 149: Chapter 149 A Deadlock Chapter 149: Chapter 149 A Deadlock Translator: 549690339 The two women on the scene turned pale first. Wu Lili exclaimed, ¡°But! The person who cannot complete the Dare will be eliminated! ¡± How could killing the Inspector be possible?! ¡°Are you really that naive or are you just pretending?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes in annoyance, ¡°Of course this is written to eliminate the Inspector! We have 5 people, just have all 5 cards to write this, and the probability of it drawing is up to 83%. As long as it can¡¯t be done, it will be immediately eliminated, or if it¡¯s ruthless, it will eliminate itself, and without the Inspector, the game ends naturally. Understand?¡± Wu Lili panic and shook her head, ¡°No, no, no ¡­ we can¡¯t do this! It¡¯s too risky! What if it didn¡¯t draw and we drew it? I think we should not write anything too outrageous, right? Um ¡­ just, just write something casually, do a few push-ups, or run a few laps, as long as we can finally consume all the cards, can¡¯t we end the game? Why risk it?¡± Bai Youwei had a headache and complained while holding her forehead: ¡°Playing games with this kind of person is simply torture, Inspector, can you pay a little attention to the user experience when you design games in the future? At least match some players of comparable ability.¡± Inspector: It said, ¡°The existence of the game is not to cater to your experience.¡± The tone was a bit resentful. Bai Youwei retorted: ¡°Then what is it for?¡± The Inspector shut his mouth coldly, refusing to be taken by surprise. Shen MO, on the other hand, explained to Wu Lili: ¡°Trying to end the game by consuming cards is not feasible, because apart from the five black cards we wrote, there is a sixth black card written by the Inspector which will definitely be a task we can¡¯t complete.¡± Wu Lili said: ¡°But it¡¯s just one card, we may not necessarily draw it, right?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you shut up?¡± Zhang Qi couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, ¡°Didn¡¯t you understand what they meant? As long as the Inspector¡¯s black card is not eliminated, the game will go on! You will draw it sooner or later!¡± Wu Lili was still not giving up: ¡°Maybe it will draw it itself? Wouldn¡¯t that be good as long as it draws its own card?¡± Zhang Qi was taken aback and speechless for a moment. But Bai Youwei found it amusing. ¡°If¡­¡± She narrowed her eyes slightly and said with a faint smile, ¡°It writes on that black card, ¡®Kill the other players¡¯, then wouldn¡¯t the outcome be the same even if it drew the card itself?¡± Everyone immediately fell silent. If a player draws it, the player will be eliminated because it can¡¯t be done; If the Inspector draws it, killing the other players would be easy. This was a dead end. Unless they can eliminate the Inspector before drawing this card, it¡¯s a death sentence in any case! Zhang Qi clenched her teeth fiercely, grabbed the pen and said: ¡°I trust you! Kill the Inspector! ¡± As she finished, she quickly began writing on the black card. Both Wu Lili and the second woman, who had just flubbed during the game, hesitated for a moment and then picked up the pen and began to write in silence. Bai Youwei and Shen MO also finished writing quickly. Next, they need to write the Truth on the white side of the card. After all, they were on the line between life and death now, so everyone wrote down some bland questions, not really interested in prying into others¡¯ secrets. On the contrary, Bai Youwei thought for a long time before she slowly started to write. After all the questions were written, the 12 cards returned to the center of the table, the order was shuffled, the white cards and black cards were separated on both sides, face-down. The Inspector sat at the table, interlocked his hands, smiled, and watched them: ¡°So, shall we start now?¡± ¡°Could we wait a moment?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Before we start, there are some things I want to say in advance..¡± Chapter 150 - Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Detailed Explanation Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Detailed Explanation Translator: 549690339 ¡°Oh?¡± The Inspector was no longer surprised by her unconventional behavior, his gaze briefly drifted over her face, ¡°If it¡¯s something important, we might as well¡­ lend our ears, right?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Whether you listen or not doesn¡¯t matter, but it would be better if they all listened.¡± The Inspector, wearing an emotionless smile, gestured for her to continue. ¡°Zhang Qi, Wu Lili, and you¡­ what¡¯s your name again?¡± asked Bai Youwei to the slender woman sitting next to her. The woman replied timidly: ¡°¡­ My name is Zhu Xiaofen.¡± Bai Youwei nodded indifferently, ¡°Alright then, Zhang Qi, Wu Lili, and Zhu Xiaofen, listen to me. We only get one chance to clear this round. We must each choose ¡®Truth¡¯ to use up all the white cards, forcing it to pick a black card in the next round. Do you understand what I mean?¡± All three of them nodded. ¡°Good, if you understand, I¡¯ll continue.¡± Bai Youwei continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve written on the black cards. But in any case, if you do as I said, there is an 83% chance that we will survive and leave this place, and all five of us will make it. But if¡ª¡± Her voice took a cold turn, ¡°If anyone fails to follow my instructions, this strategy will likely fail. So if anyone ends up dead, don¡¯t blame me. Blame the person who couldn¡¯t cooperate~¡± Zhang Qi spoke up, ¡°I wrote exactly as instructed!¡± Wu Lili quickly added, ¡°I¡­ I did too. I wrote it exactly as requested!¡± Zhu Xiaofen: ¡°¡­ I did too.¡¯ ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t quite trust you, but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°Now, let me explain the steps in detail. There are two critical points in the game. The first is the order. The Inspector is first, and he will certainly choose ¡®Truth¡¯ to expend the white cards. The second is the rule that a black card must be chosen after two rounds of white cards. My brother will take a black card once, leaving five white cards, which are exactly enough for the four of us.¡± Zhang Qi blurted out, ¡°But doesn¡¯t that mean your brother will die?¡± ¡°My brother has a way to survive, you don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± Bai Youwei did not explain about the puzzle piece and said lightly, ¡°After my brother takes a black card, I¡¯ll take a white card, Zhu Xiaofen will take a white card. By the game rules, after two rounds of white cards, a black card must be chosen unless two white cards are burnt. So, Wu Lili will use two white cards, and the last white one will be used by Zhang Qi, using them all up¡ª¡± After finishing her explanation in one breath, she let out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve explained in such detail, if anyone still doesn¡¯t understand, I really can¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Zhu Xiaofen asked with trepidation, ¡°You said earlier that the Inspector has an 83% chance to draw, but what about the remaining 17%? What if¡­ if it doesn¡¯t draw¡­ what should we do¡­?¡± Bai Youwei asked her, dumbfounded: ¡°Do you think playing Truth or Dare is about probability?¡± Zhu Xiaofen looked blank. Bai Youwei: ¡°The point of Truth or Dare is to see who has more courage! If you are afraid to take even a 17% risk, then why bother playing Truth or Dare? Why don¡¯t you just stay here and be its friend- I¡¯ Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t be bothered to say more, she yawned lazily and said to the Inspector, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve said all I need to say, we can start the game now.¡± The Inspector examined everyone quite interestingly, and at last, his gaze fell on Bai Youwei¡¯s face, he smiled and said, ¡°Your method could work, but¡­ I don¡¯t trust these people to write exactly as you instruct. But you¡¯re correct, the game of Truth or Dare is all about courage. So, I¡¯ll bet with you too, I¡¯m betting that¡­ due to fear, doubt, selfishness, and ignorance, they will not follow your instructions.¡± Bai Youwei sneered: ¡°If they won¡¯t follow then so be it, either way, I¡¯ve written it. You will draw it..¡± Chapter 151 - Chapter 151: Chapter 151 Who Wrote This Chapter 151: Chapter 151 Who Wrote This Translator: 549690339 The Inspector silently watched Bai Youwei, then didn¡¯t say anything. He indifferently withdrew his gaze and announced, ¡°Let the game begin.¡± Following the rules, the Inspector was positioned at the starting point, which made him the first to play. He lightly tapped his fingers on the table, laughing, ¡°Five ¡®Bombs¡¯, how frightful¡­ In that case, I will choose a Truth card.¡± He randomly selected a card from the pile of Truth cards and gently turned it over. The sentence on the card read: [Truth: What is your greatest weakness?] The Inspector raised an eyebrow slightly, curiosity reflected in his eyes as he looked at them. Shen MO said indifferently, ¡°I wrote that.¡± The Inspector reacted with a slight smile, ¡°Hmm, a good question.¡± For ordinary individuals, answering the question would be easy, and not being able to answer wouldn¡¯t lead to disqualification. However, for the Inspector, it was quite a private matter. Once an answer is given, it leaves a vulnerability for the player to exploit, especially when the Dares deck hides a task to ¡°Kill the current Inspector¡±. By telling the truth, he could potentially lose his life. But if he didn¡¯t answer, he would be disqualified. The Inspector pondered for a moment, then replied, ¡°My biggest weakness is the system. The system grants me power, but it also limits my freedom and determines my existence.¡± He looked up at Shen MO, a smirk hanging on his lips, ¡°If you want to ask what the system is, sorry, that¡¯s a second question.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s eyes grew icy cold. ¡°As per your plan, you would choose a Dare card next, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± The Inspector laughed, ¡°It¡¯s your turn now, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Shen MO glanced at the six Dare cards, didn¡¯t hesitate for long and chose one, flipping it over¡ª [Dare: Do you dare to pick a flower from the courtyard?] Shen MO paused for a second. Not just him, everyone else stopped too. Bai Youwei quickly looked at Zhang Qi, Wu Lili, and Zhu Xiaofen, ¡°Who wrote The Inspector definitely didn¡¯t write this! The Inspector would only want to kill them, he would never set such simple tasks! Surprise and confusion appeared on Zhang Qi and Wu Lili¡¯s faces, while Zhu Xiaofen turned pale. Realizing everyone¡¯s gaze was towards her, she finally admitted, ¡°It¡­lt¡¯s me, I wrote it.¡± ¡°Hey! Why would you write something like this?¡± Wu Lili immediately became agitated. ¡°1¡­1 was afraid that the Inspector wouldn¡¯t draw it, and then¡­ and then one of us would have to¡­¡± she explained in panic and insecurity, ¡°Now that your brother has drawn it, it shouldn¡¯t matter, right? As long as there are 4 out of the remaining 5 Dare cards that followed the assignment, we still have an 80% chance, right?¡± As she said this, she looked at Bai Youwei imploringly, ¡°Even though I didn¡¯t follow instructions¡­ your brother was saved because of it. So¡­ It hasn¡¯t made any difference right?¡± Bai Youwei sneered, ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, I should be thanking you?¡± Zhu Xiaofen shook her head awkwardly, ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I make myself clear before? My brother can save himself. No matter what card he draws, he won¡¯t die. What you did only jeopardize your own chance of survival, and it means nothing else.¡± Bai Youwei was too weary to get angry, then she added, ¡°Never mind, do as you please. You can¡¯t wake a fool.¡± The Inspector gently reminded Shen MO, ¡°Then, please begin your dare.¡± After two seconds of silence, Shen MO stood up from his seat and walked towards the main door of the banquet hall. The human-like dolls inside the hall all spun their heads to watch him as faint and fluctuating voices echoed in the air: ¡°Come back¡­ Come back to us¡­¡± ¡°Be our friend¡­ ¡°Join the party, play with us¡­¡± ¡°Come back¡­¡± Shen MO ignored them, pushing open the door and walked straight out into the courtyard. After a while, some sort of a beast¡¯s roar echoed from outside.. Chapter 152 - Chapter 152: Chapter 152: The Flower You Want Chapter 152: Chapter 152: The Flower You Want Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei¡¯s face instantly changed. She glared fiercely at the Inspector, ¡°What¡¯s going on outside?!¡± ¡°What else could it be besides flowers?¡± The Inspector smiled slightly, not answering her question. Bai Youwei bit her lip, casting a gloomy look at the other three. ¡°If something happens to my brother, none of you will survive! I may not kill the Inspector, but I have plenty of ways to kill you all!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t write that card!¡± Wu Lili quickly pointed to Zhu Xiaofen beside her. ¡°She wrote it! It has nothing to do with us. If anyone is to blame, blame her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know the term ¡®displaced anger¡¯?¡± Bai Youwei said with a cruel smile, her eyes cold as ice. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t survive either. We¡¯ll all be burying my brother!¡± ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you insane?!¡± Wu Lili was both angry and frustrated. ¡°Crazy!!!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Zhang Qi finally spoke out of irritation. ¡°Let¡¯s follow the rules first! There¡¯s still an 80% chance if the remaining black cards are valid!¡± For some reason, a hint of panic flashed in Wu Lili¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡­ what if they¡¯re not?¡± Zhang Qi was taken aback before he exploded in fury. ¡°Didn¡¯t you write as instructed?! What the fuck did you write?!¡± Wu Lili could only cry harder at his yelling, sobbing as she explained. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I followed the instructions, but maybe, maybe she and her brother didn¡¯t!¡± Zhang Qi didn¡¯t trust her anymore, questioning, ¡°Did you write according to the instructions or not?¡± ¡°Yes, I did, I really¡­ really¡­¡± Wu Lili kept nodding as she cried. ¡°You better have!¡± Zhang Qi threatened ominously. ¡°If not, even if I die, I¡¯ll drag you down with me!¡± Wu Lili was both startled and scared, covering her face as she cried non-stop. Outside, the sounds of shouting and fighting were becoming louder. The heavy thuds were unnerving, giving the impression of an intense battle even without seeing it. Bai Youwei felt a tightness in her heart. She believed that Shen MO would be alright, but her heart was beating out of control. She and Shen MO held puzzle pieces that would grant immunity and allow them to immediately opt out of the game. But right now, the commotion outside was only escalating. Clearly, Shen MO had chosen not to use his puzzle piece, and he was up against something¡­ Just as her mind was filled with distress, a pink shadow suddenly crashed in! Bang! The thing fell in the middle of the dance floor, knocking down several mannequins! All of a sudden, Bai Youwei found the room very noisy. The mannequins stood silent, but voices filled the air, soft and elusive, incessant¡ª ¡°He did it! He did it!¡± ¡°He completed the great adventure! ¡­¡± ¡°Look, he killed the man-eating flower of his friend! ¡°He really did it¡­ The Inspector clapped his hands together, and the voices gradually faded away like a receding tide. Shen MO walked in from outside. His eyes were dark and collected. His T-shirt was torn by something, his arm stained with splotches of blood, his hair damp with sweat and somewhat disheveled. Despite this, he didn¡¯t seem flustered at all, but rather carried an air of a triumphant hero. He walked in steadily, reached down to pick up the twitching thing in the dance floor, gave it a light swing, and tossed it in front of Zhu Xiaofen. ¡°Your flower,¡± Shen MO said flatly. It was a flower with a thick stem like an elephant trunk, a dark green stem, and a pink bud, precisely the kind they saw when they entered the yard. At the moment, the flower bud was half open like a twisted blanket, revealing layers upon layers of teeth oozing with a light green fluid. Zhu Xiaofen could hardly utter a sound. She was terrified, curling her legs up and crying incessantly, as if fearing the next moment the man-eating flower would suddenly jump up and bite her! By now, Shen MO had settled back in his seat.. Chapter 154 - Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Heartfelt Words Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Heartfelt Words Translator: 549690339 Zhu Xiaofen couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°She¡¯s only in her teens, how could she think of such vile ways to torment people? She has no grudge against the doctor, and how could she even use her own mother? When I was her age, I was already helping with housework. You can¡¯t spoil children. Otherwise, it¡¯ll cause serious problems.¡± Bai Youwei gave her a cold glance, then let out a laugh devoid of warmth. ¡°Wu Lili, I find the flower on the ground rather beautiful. Would you hand it to Wu Lili shook her head in fear, ¡°¡­I-I-I-I-I dare not pick it up.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Alright, if you don¡¯t pick it up, I¡¯ll have my brother beat you.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® With tears in her eyes, Wu Lili bent down and tremblingly picked up the flower from the floor. To be precise, she cradled it, because the torn stem resembled a thick, bulky elephant trunk and the bud itself was quite large, making it heavy enough to pull downwards. As she handed it over, Shen MO extended his hand to stop her. He turned to Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°Can you handle it?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger.¡± Shen MO thought about it, knowing that she wouldn¡¯t quit unless she had her say. So he let go and sat down. Grasping the stem, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t hesitate for even a second before she swung it directly at Zhu Xiaofen¡¯s face! ¡ª So, this is it. This hit was even more powerful than a slap! Zhu Xiaofen screamed in pain and fell backward! She and the chair crashed to the ground! She seemed to return to the time when her husband abused her. Even though she was just hit in the face, she curled up on the ground, trembling and begging in a weak voice, ¡°Don¡¯t hit me¡­ don¡¯t hit me, I was wrong¡­ Wu Lili couldn¡¯t bear to watch. Yet, Bai Youwei showed no pity in her eyes as she coldly said, ¡°Do you have children? It¡¯s better not to. Cowards who can¡¯t even protect themselves definitely should not have children. Children would not want to be born to you.¡± The Inspector watched for a while, then chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t really want to interrupt you guys, but¡­ shouldn¡¯t the game continue?¡± Looking at Zhu Xiaofen on the floor, he politely asked, ¡°Madam, truth or dare?¡± Zhu Xiaofen remained curled up on the floor, unable to stand up for a while. The Inspector: ¡°Do you concede? Huh, automatic elimination is also an option¡­ Upon hearing the word ¡°elimination¡±, Zhu Xiaofen shuddered violently. Tears staining her face, she got up and picked up a white card from the table. ¡°I choose truth¡­¡± She flipped over the card: [Truth: Have you ever harmed anyone?] Zhu Xiaofen was stunned. Sitting next to Zhu Xiaofen, Bai Youwei snorted, ¡°Yet another boring question, with no novelty at all.¡± Zhu Xiaofen, covering her slapped face, managed to say: ¡°I haven¡¯t¡­ I haven¡¯t harmed anyone¡­¡± As she finished, the white card in her hand suddenly emitted a red light, as bright as an alarm. ¡°Ah¡­ the card has turned red.¡± The Inspector laughed, ¡°That¡¯s the signal that you answered incorrectly. If you answer wrong twice in a row, you will be eliminated.¡± ¡°But 1!¡­¡± Zhu Xiaofen was subconsciously defending herself. Her mouth opened then quickly closed. She stared at the card, which continuously emitted red light, her face growing paler while her lips trembled. Her denial was determined by the game system to be the wrong answer. If she continues to deny it, she will definitely be eliminated! But¡­ But she really hadn¡¯t harmed anyone! There was just that one time¡­ Only that time¡­ Zhu Xiaofen looked up at the other players in confusion. They were all waiting for her answer. ¡°I¡­¡± she began, her voice hoarse, ¡°My sister¡­ once came to visit me, and my husband locked her in the room, she¡­ she banged on the door, asking me to open it and save her, even asking me to call the police¡­ but I dared not, I couldn¡¯t call the police! Otherwise, I would be beaten by my husband!¡­ Later on, she said that she wanted to report my husband! How could this be? We¡¯re a family, going to court would disgrace us.. And she¡¯s a girl, how could she make such a fuss about it? How could she get married in future? I was doing it for her own good! ¡° Chapter 155 - Chapter 155: Chapter 155: A New Friend Arrives Chapter 155: Chapter 155: A New Friend Arrives Translator: 549690339 ¡°So, what happened to your sister?¡± Bai Youwei asked Zhu Xiaofen curiously. ¡°I¡¯ve been listening all this time, but I still don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°She¡¯s okay! She went out of town with her boyfriend, living a lot better than me!¡± Zhu Xiaofen hastily explained, ¡°And, I¡¯ve even knelt down for her! What else do I need to do for her to forgive my husband? Why can¡¯t she understand me? I took care of her when we were young, I read stories to her, I braided her hair, I gave up the chance to study so our family could afford her college tuition! Why can¡¯t she just be understanding and force me to get a divorce? It was just sleeping with my husband a few times, she didn¡¯t lose anything! How could she say I hurt her?! How could she¡­¡± The Truth Card turned redder and redder, as though it was about to burst into flames! Finally, Zhu Xiaofen let go of the card as if she had been burned! The card fell on the table, returning to its original white color. The inspector said with a light smile, ¡°Unfortunately, the answer for the second round is still incorrect. You¡¯re eliminated.¡± Zhu Xiaofen¡¯s pupils constricted sharply, and her mouth clamped shut! It was as if an invisible hand was stifling her cries, and she could only make out pitiful whimpering sounds! Behind her, the dolls came to life. Their faces were revealing eerie smiles, mouths wide open and eyes staring wide. Some grabbed at Zhu Xiaofen¡¯s arms, some clasped her waist, some tugged at her legs, and others climbed onto her shoulders¡­ Countless hands reached out, almost engulfing Zhu Xiaofen. ¡°So happy¡­ a new friend¡­ ¡°Come on, come play with us¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s play together¡­¡¯ ¡°Come on¡­ come on¡­¡± Zhu Xiaofen was unable to speak or move, her eyes wide open in terror and despair! Everyone watched as she was dragged away by the dolls¡­ ¡°What will happen to her?¡± Bai Youwei asked. The Inspector: ¡°She¡¯ll stay here, becoming a permanent friend.¡± Bai Youwei thoughtfully said, ¡°Being eliminated means her second answer was also incorrect¡­ Did she not tell the entire truth? Did she hide something?¡± ¡°She said ¡®a few times,¡¯¡± Shen MO replied. ¡°If the first time was an accident, then the subsequent times were likely when she tricked her sister into coming home.¡± Hearing this, Bai Youwei felt a sense ot melancholy. ¡°We should have hit her harder just now.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s up next?¡± The Inspector looked at Wu Lili, grinning, ¡°After two Truth Card rounds, you must choose the Black Card, otherwise, you need to use up two Truth Cards. What¡¯s your choice?¡± Wu Lili didn¡¯t say a word for a long time. She was shaking throughout. Zhang Qi, sitting next to her, nudged her with his elbow, then noticed Wu Lili had wet her pants. ¡­She was terrified by those dolls. Zhang Qi pursed his lips, calling out to her: ¡°It¡¯s your turn!¡± Wu Lili snapped back to reality, her face turning pale before she looked at the Inspector, ¡°I¡­ I choose Truth¡­¡± She stretched out a trembling hand, picked a Truth Card from the table, and flipped it over: [Truth Card: What is your biggest wish?] Seeing the question, Wu Lili relaxed a bit. ¡°My biggest wish¡­it used to be to have a two-bedroom apartment in Shanghai, but now¡­ now, I just want to go home, back to before all this happened.¡± She answered sincerely, holding back tears. The Truth Card didn¡¯t turn red, but instead disintegrated into dust in her hands. Wu Lili anxiously asked the Inspector, ¡°Does this mean I¡¯ve cleared the card?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Inspector maintained a smile, ¡°Now, please pick the second Truth Card.¡± Wu Lili bit her lip, and trembling, picked and flipped over a second card: [Truth Card: Do you think the girl in the white dress and the tall handsome man present look compatible?] Chapter 156 - Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Tall and Handsome Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Tall and Handsome Translator: 549690339 So many words. It took Wu Lili a while to understand the meaning of the question. She subconsciously looked at Bai Youwei and Shen MO, opened her mouth, but didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°How did you manage to pull this one¡­¡± Bai Youwei muttered under her breath, clearly dissatisfied. Shen MO glanced at the lengthy text, and asked her indifferently, ¡°Did you write this?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± Bai Youwei replied without batting an eyelid. ¡°I don¡¯t remember what I wrote a moment ago.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Zhang Qi: The Inspector: The game system felt insulted by the antics. What it wanted was the energy that bursts out when life is close to death, the light that soul emits when lost in regret, but not these childish pranks! ¡­Well, this could be considered as a new data sample anyway. The Inspector looked at Bai Youwei, silent and speechless. On another note, Wu Lili replied with a complex expression, ¡°Well-matched¡­¡± The white plate suddenly turned red! Bai Youwei: ¡°???¡± The Inspector¡¯s mood improved instantly and reminded her, ¡°The answer is incorrect. Two consecutive wrong answers will lead to disqualification.¡± Bai Youwei, a bit taken aback, looked at the Inspector, ¡°How can this answer be wrong? Is there something wrong with the game system?!¡± The Inspector smiled, ¡°The correctness of a truth-dare answer depends not on the objective fact, but on whether the answer is true to the respondent¡¯s heart. Here is a simple example- If the question is what is 1+1, and the respondent thinks 1+1 equals 3. As long as they truly believe so, then the answer is judged correct by the system.¡± Bai Youwei understood. She turned her head and looked at Wu Lili, her mouth curled in a cold smile, ¡°So, you think my brother and I don¡¯t look well-matched?¡± ¡°Why your brother?¡± The Inspector couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Isn¡¯t the tall and handsome man on the field me, as per literal understanding?¡± Everyone: ¡°Why are you giving me that look?¡± The Inspector put away his smile, and said in an extremely serious tone, ¡°My appearance is a simulation based on a large amount of data. It should correspond to the characteristic of tall and handsome.¡± ¡°You must have misunderstood the word ¡®handsome¡¯,¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Tall and handsome? Hahaha¡­..you look more like tall and pathetic to me!¡± The smile on Inspector¡¯s face vanished, his face instantly turned gloomy! ¡°Ah, I remembered, attacking the Inspector is considered a violation.¡± Bai Youwei sneered and looked at him, ¡°What, didn¡¯t the game system take verbal attacks into account? Don¡¯t you know that language is an art, it can kill without shedding blood. ¡± The Inspector: ¡°Let¡¯s proceed with the game, Wu Lili hasn¡¯t finished answering the question yet.¡± Shen MO held Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, squeezed her palm, hinting her to stop adding fuel to the fire. Bai Youwei pouted and backed down. The Inspector breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the game could finally proceed smoothly. Then again, he felt his reaction was wrong. Why did he sigh with relief? Did his subconscious judge that Bai Youwei could pose a threat or cause interference? He is the Inspector! Why should he sigh a relief because of a player?!! This is simply! ¡­ a humiliation!!! Despite the emotional turmoil, the Inspector showed no sign of it, and attempted to keep his calm tone, ¡°Player, please start your second Truth-Tale response.¡± Wu Lili bit her lip, lowered her head, and answered, ¡°I feel that they don¡¯t match. He is so handsome, so manly, and always serious in his conversations unlike other slick men¡­ he should be¡­ he should be with me instead. I know it¡¯s audacious and disgraceful to say this, and I can¡¯t spit it out, but¡­. but that¡¯s what I truly feel in my heart!¡± Chapter 157 - Chapter 157: Chapter 157: An Extra Card (Votes for Top 100 Results in Extra Updates) Chapter 157: Chapter 157: An Extra Card (Votes for Top 100 Results in Extra Updates) Translator: 549690339 She didn¡¯t want to look up, she knew that everyone would be sneering at her without guessing. But she had no choice! She chose ¡°Truth,¡± and she had to tell the truth! Otherwise, she would die! She didn¡¯t want to be dragged away by those dolls! Even though she was under everyone¡¯s scrutiny at this moment, she still didn¡¯t want to become a doll! There was silence for two or three seconds. She heard the Inspector calmly saying, ¡°It¡¯s your turn, sir, would you choose Truth or Dare?¡± ..Huh? Why isn¡¯t anyone saying anything about her? Why aren¡¯t they blaming her? And what about Bai Youwei, who was always articulate? Why is she silent? Wu Lili looked up in confusion, but found that no one was paying attention to her. Both Shen MO and Bai Youwei were focused on Zhang Qi. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Zhang Qi, choose Dare.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± Wu Lili was astonished, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to all choose ¡®Truth¡¯?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes again, ¡°¡­ Do you need me to explain it again? There¡¯s not even a glass of water here, I can get thirsty too, you know? I¡¯m not some NPC in charge of explaining the game!¡± Zhang Qi pointed to the white card on the table and said to Wu Lili, ¡°Zhu Xiaofen didn¡¯t eliminate a card just now, so there¡¯s an extra one now.¡± Wu Lili froze. Truth or Dare. Only by telling the truth or completing the dare can the corresponding card be eliminated. Zhu Xiaofen failed to do so, so her card was left behind; there were still two white cards left on the table. If Zhang Qi eliminates one, then¡­ when it¡¯s the Inspector¡¯s turn, there will be one left. Their strategy was disrupted by Zhu Xiaofen! Even if Zhang Qi survives this round with the white card, the next round awaits them with a consecutive five black cards! Wu Lili went pale and couldn¡¯t speak a word. She saw no hope. They couldn¡¯t win this game at all! Bai Youwei looked into Zhang Qi¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°If you choose the white card now, we will undoubtedly die in the next round, because the four of us will have already drawn the black cards and been eliminated before the Inspector draws. But if you choose the black card, there¡¯s still a chance in the next round.¡± Zhang Qi fell silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°How big is the chance?¡± Bai Youwei watched him quietly for a long time, before finally answering, ¡°One of you and Wu Lili, can survive.¡± At first, Zhang Qi had no expression, but then he smirked coldly, filled with self-mockery, resentfulness, and a touch of insanity. ¡°In that case, choosing the black card does seem more beneficial.¡± He looked at the Inspector, ¡°Hey, freak! I choose Dare! The black card!¡± The Inspector remained calm, ¡°Humans seem to be overly emotional when facing death, often speaking unthinkingly in self-destructive moods.¡± Bai Youwei mocked him, ¡°How many times have you been scolded to come to this understanding? Are you used to it?¡± Inspector: He was no longer provoked by Bai Youwei once or twice, but many times! He took a deep breath, even though he didn¡¯t need to breathe. The system was simulating the most realistic expression of unbridled fury for him! His handsome face twisted in anger. However, Bai Youwei was not afraid at all, she said coldly, ¡°Why are you so mad, you can just think of my words as those spoken in a self-destructive mood-¡± NO! The Inspector thought angrily: You are not speaking without thinking! You are clearly doing this on purpose to provoke me! !! Bai Youwei turned her head and whispered to Shen MO next to her, ¡°What do you think, if I annoy him to the point of attacking a player, will the system kill him?¡± The furious Inspector: Chapter 159 - Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Are We Friends? Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Are We Friends? Translator: 549690339 Shen MO held the card in his hand and stayed silent for a moment. He gently tossed the black card back onto the table and said indifferently, ¡°I choose to abstain.¡± He presented the piece of the puzzle. A second later, Shen MO disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight. White card: one used card. Black card: three cards to choose from and one used card. The corners of the Inspector¡¯s mouth curved up in a silent smirk. It was Bai Youwei¡¯s turn. She did not rush to draw a card but instead looked at Wu Lili and Zhang Qi. ¡°I wanted to take you all out of here, but¡­¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the now-vacant seat beside her, ¡°as you can see, there¡¯s been an unexpected turn. Now, there¡¯s only one white card left. Whoever draws it, lives. As for who is more deserving¡­ I won¡¯t be the judge, you decide.¡± Having said this, she picked one from the three remaining black cards, saying, ¡°I choose to take a big risk.¡± The black card was flipped: [Dare to cut open your body and let the blood, rich in water, protein, and inorganic matter, flow out?] Bai Youwei raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh¡­l¡¯m lucky, this is the card I wrote.¡± The inspector noted this, his expression was a mix of amusement and intrigue: ¡°A clever challenge.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei punctured her finger with the sharp edge of the black card. Bright red droplets of blood seeped out, staining her white dress in a spotty pattern. ¡°When I wrote this, I remembered what you said. Suddenly, I thought that it would be an intriguing challenge. After all, your present body is unlike a human¡¯s, right? You can¡¯t bleed like us, can you?¡± Having said this, she gently sucked on her wound, locking eyes silently with the Inspector. The Inspector paused for a moment before smiling, ¡°Indeed, I can¡¯t. Lucky that you drew the card.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s black card disappeared. Next up was Wu Lili. White card: one used card. Black cards: two to choose from and one used card. ¡°How will you choose?¡± The Inspector looked at Wu Lili with curiosity, ¡°After two straight rounds of black cards, the white card must be chosen. Otherwise, you will need two black cards to offset one white card.¡± Wu Lili¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, her expression filled with utter despair. The Inspector admired her current state, asking, ¡°What will you choose? Will you willingly sacrifice yourself by choosing two black cards, thereby giving your companions a chance to live? Or, will you choose the white card and leave all black cards for your companions?¡± Wu Lili, in agony, held her head, not daring to look at Zhang Qi¡¯s face. She doesn¡¯t want to die! But she also doesn¡¯t want to watch her friend die! ¡°Lili, choose the white card.¡± Zhang Qi¡¯s voice was calm and steady, devoid of any ripples. ¡°We¡¯re not that familiar anyway. We coincidentally lived together on this island for two months but we¡¯re barely even friends¡­ So, there¡¯s really no need.¡± Wu Lili¡¯s vision was blurred, tears fell freely down her cheeks. ¡­ Are we really not friends? If we weren¡¯t friends, why would she pressure her to answer Bai Youwei¡¯s questions If we weren¡¯t friends, why didn¡¯t she expose her for faking an injury? Are we¡­ really not friends? ¡°Have you made your decision?¡± The Inspector asked, ¡°Truth or Dare?¡± ¡°Lili, choose the white card.¡± Zhang Qi¡¯s voice lowered, ¡°Even if you choose two black cards this round, if he draws the remaining black card, we still won¡¯t survive.¡± The final black card: Dare to kill all other players on the field? Wu Lili lowered her head, her finger trembling as she slowly reached out to place it on the table¡­ Truth or Dare? Truth? Dare? Her finger finally touched the only remaining white card with the remaining riddle that Zhu Xiaofen couldn¡¯t answer¡ª [Truth: Have you ever harmed anyone?] ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zhang Qi.. Wu Lili lowered her head, hot tears burning her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I hurt you! It was because of me! I¡¯m really sorry!!!¡± The white card turned to dust, Wu Lili couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, she wailed in despair.. Chapter 160 - Chapter 160: Chapter 160: A Friend’s Gift Chapter 160: Chapter 160: A Friend¡¯s Gift Translator: 549690339 On the table, only 3 black cards were left: 2 cards to be selected, and the card left by Shen MO after forfeiting. If nothing unforeseen happened, the remaining black cards should both say: Kill the Inspector of this game. Zhang Qi closed his eyes, his mind slowly emptied, seemingly deaf to the woman¡¯s sobbing beside him. He emotionlessly stretched out his hand, picked a card, and turned it over: [Dare: Will you dare to kill the Inspector of this game?] He looked at the card for a while, suddenly laughed, sorrowful and determined. Turns out, when people are truly faced with death, they don¡¯t fear it. He raised his head, staring into the Inspector¡¯s cool icy-blue eyes, and said to it word by word: ¡°You, Have, Lost!¡± The Inspector watched him silently. The surrounding dolls gradually flocked, leaning towards Zhang Qi¡¯s direction, getting closer and closer¡­ they reached out to him, as if they were warm hosts treating their dearest friend. Come¡­ Come¡­ Join us in our play¡­ Zhang Qi could feel his body becoming numb, rigid, unable to move. More and more dolls gathered, pulling him, yanking him, dragging him¡­ Away from the chair¡­ Into the dance floor¡­ He saw familiar faces among the dolls. He didn¡¯t know if it was a hallucination, but he was grateful for it. At least it offered him a final comfort before death. In the last second of his fading consciousness, he stretched out his arms with the last bit of his strength, wanting to embrace it into his arms¡­ Everything, was frozen at that moment. White cards: o. Black cards: 2. According to the game rules, only when all the card options are used up, can the previously used cards be selected. The Inspector turned over the last option card, left by Zhang Qi: Kill the Inspector of this game. It couldn¡¯t do it. Yes. Except for the game system, even itself can¡¯t end its own life. ¡°Congratulations to both of you for completing this game.¡± The golden-haired, green-eyed Inspector sat neatly at the table, with a fitting smile around his lips. ¡°It is truly surprising that the first players to win this game would be two ladies. As guests invited to the party, you will receive a rich reward before you leave.¡± It snapped its fingers. Not far away, two doll waiters, dressed in white shirts and grey vests, walked over holding trays. On each tray, was a beautifully packaged gift box tied with a pretty bow. Bai Youwei curiously took the gift box, feeling it was very light, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the Inspector and say, ¡°I hope the reward inside matches the style of this game.¡± The Inspector: ¡°Oh? What style?¡± Bai Youwei remained silent for a second, looked at the carnivorous plant on the floor: ¡°Big.¡± Then looked around at the dolls: ¡°A lot.¡± Then looked up at the banquet hall: ¡°Extravagant.¡± The Inspector: ¡°¡­I hope your wish comes true.¡± Bai Youwei frowned and unwrapped her gift box ¡ª Inside were three items, a pack of flower seeds, a gold and black invitation card, and a palm-sized doll. The flower seeds are because she had picked the most beautiful flower from the sea of flowers. The invitation card is because she obtained one of the five slots in the party. As for the doll, it must be the ultimate reward of this party game. Bai Youwei picked up one item after another, examining the real use of these rewards. [Advanced flower seeds: Once planted, ignores seasons and environment and becomes a sea of flowers in 24 hours, with a flowering period of 24 hours. If life nutrients are absorbed, the flowering period can be extended.] [Invitation Card: With this card, you can access uninvited areas or certain closed areas.] [Substitute Doll: Can act as a secondary body for the user, absorbing all damage for 36 hours, until completely damaged..] Chapter 161 - Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Making a Deep Impression Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Making a Deep Impression Translator: 549690339 The rewards were certainly generous. The first reward, a flower seed, seemed powerful, but it came with a 24-hour time limit. Meaning, if you planted the seed now, it would take at least one day to blossom into a sea of flowers. The second reward, an invitation card, was a little confusing. It was not clear what it was for. If it was for an uninvited area, why not just avoid going there? Why insist on entering? The final reward, a doll, was really impressive, extremely useful. If it was used in an incredibly dangerous game, one does not know how many times it could save from death within 36 hours! Bai Youwei tried to organize her thoughts and understand the use of each reward. She put each one of them in her bag. Her canvas bag was already full. The Inspector took her and Wu Lili out. They came into a yard. Once they¡¯d left the yard, they could return to the real world. Suddenly, Bai Youwei remembered something. She stopped and asked the Inspector, ¡°You mentioned earlier that we were the first ones to win the game. Does that mean no one has ever beaten this game before?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the Inspector replied, ¡°Never.¡± ¡°Do you know a man named Uncle Zhao?¡± she asked again. The inspector raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Uncle Zhao?¡± Wu Lili eagerly added, ¡°His full name is Zhao Jiantao! He¡¯s about sixty years old, short but stocky!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that player,¡± said the Inspector, nodding lightly, ¡°He also attended the gathering and eventually left using a puzzle piece.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback, ¡°He also entered the maze?¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯t,¡± grinned the Inspector, ¡°Those who¡¯ve been into the maze carry a particular scent, and I cannot mistake it.¡± A realization dawned in Bai Youwei¡¯s mind. Without setting foot in the maze, having a puzzle piece suggests that it was either given by someone or stolen/robbed. Would anyone part with such a precious item? Answer ¨C undoubtedly no. ¡°Well then, ladies, farewell,¡± said the Inspector, stopping at the gate of the yard, peering at Bai Youwei, ¡°I will remember you.¡± These words were familiar, though she couldn¡¯t quite remember who said them. Bai Youwei glanced around at the large man-eating flowers in the yard, her eyes twinkling slightly, ¡°How about¡­ I leave you with a deeper memory?¡± The Inspector looked puzzled, raising his eyebrows at her. Bai Youwei pulled out a grimy big mushroom from her bag and suddenly threw it into the yard! ¨C Boom! Wu Lili was startled, ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°Run!¡± Bai Youwei slapped her, quickly rolling her wheelchair out of the yard! Behind them, the mushroom exploded! Spores were scattered all over the sky! The greyish-white spores covered the roof, the ground, the fence, and the man-eating flowers. They expanded and grew instantly! The entire cottage in the woods was covered with mushrooms of various sizes! And they were still growing! Growing non-stop! Squeezing the flowers, crushing the stems, the mushroom colony crazily seized the air and moisture, killing all the plants in the yard! [Mushroom Bomb: Releases a large number of spores upon landing, rapidly growing into a mushroom colony. New spores are generated from the mushroom colony, difficult to eliminate in a short time.] The Inspector, who was caught in the mushroom explosion, ¡°¡­I, I will definitely remember you!¡± Once out of the game, Bai Youwei and Wu Lili found themselves back on the slope where it all began. Zhang Qi¡¯s doll lay not far away. There was no sign of the others¡¯ dolls. Wu Lili squatted down next to Zhang Qi, her eyes filling up again. Looking around, she said with choking up, ¡°Everyone is gone, even the luggage.¡± Bai Youwei scowled, looking around and shouting, ¡°Shen MO! Shen MO had left earlier and should be nearby. But where was he? There¡¯s no way he would leave her alone! Chapter 162 - Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Regularly Deliver People Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Regularly Deliver People Translator: 549690339 Down the slope were walking steps without a ramp, Bai Youwei, who was confined to a wheelchair, had no way of going down and could only stay at the top of the slope, anxiously. ¡°Shen Mo!¡­..Shen Mol¡­¡± She shouted over and over again. Wiping away her tears, Wu Lili offered kindly, ¡°Do you want me to push you down?¡± Bai Youwei threw her an annoyed glance, ¡°How strong do you think you are? I don¡¯t want to tumble down the slope with you!¡± Wu Lili bit her lip in frustration. Bai Youwei commanded her again, ¡°You go down! Go find my brother!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so big here¡­Where should I look?¡± Wu Lili asked. ¡°Go look for him if I say so! Why are you talking so much?¡± Bai Youwei snapped, ¡°How could you know if you could find him or not without looking?¡± Scared of her, Wu Lili went down, wiping her tears. She had just walked a few steps when she noticed the door of a distant cottage open, and Shen MO came out of it. He was dragging Zhao uncle! ¡°Shen MO!¡± Bai Youwei yelled at him. Shen MO freed up a hand and waved. ¡°Quickly push me down!¡± Bai Youwei said to Wu Lili. ¡°Huh?¡± Wu Lili was taken aback, ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say¡­¡± ¡°Just push if I say push!¡± Bai Youwei burst out, losing her patience, ¡°Stop dilly-dallying!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wu Lili dared not anger her again and silently grabbed the wheelchair¡¯s handles and descended the steps. As they approached, they noticed that Zhao Jiantao had been tied up by Shen Mo. With a gloomy face, the man remained silent, apparently having nothing to say. ¡°The dolls are all in those houses.¡± Shen MO pointed to the huts, ¡°Everyone¡¯s luggage is there too. He is quite thorough in his actions, whenever someone enters the game, he waits on the side. As soon as anyone becomes a doll, they are dragged into the house and hidden there, so is their luggage. In this way, when he brings people to the island next time, nobody will find out.¡± ¡°He came with us. How is it that he is unharmed?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Shen MO glanced at Uncle Zhao and said calmly: ¡°I have asked him. He said that players cannot enter the same game twice in a row, so even if he entered the doll game area, the game would not trigger.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°¡­ True, if one mastered the method of passing the game and came back repeatedly to reap the game rewards, it would be cheating. ¡± However, Wu Lili wasn¡¯t as calm as them and rushed forward in few quick strides, grabbed the old man¡¯s clothes, and angrily questioned: ¡°Zhao Jiantao, why did you do this? Why? You even went as far as to harm others, but why did you harm Zhang Qi? Zhang Qi and Sun Wei have been working for you on this island all along! What kind of heart do you have?! How could you be so heartless? Why? Why?!!¡± Uncle Zhao lifted his gaze to meet hers, his face devoid of any emotion. ¡°He insisted on coming, just like you.¡± ¡ªSmack! Unable to suppress her anger, Wu Lili fiercely slapped him across his face! ¡°Bastard!¡± she cursed, sobbing. Zhao Jiantao remained unmoved, his expression numb. Bai Youwei glanced at Wu Lili, then at Uncle Zhao, and asked curiously, ¡°Hey, I really can¡¯t understand one thing. Knowing the danger on this island, why didn¡¯t you avoid it in the first place? Instead, why did you trick us into believing there was a safe base here?¡± Zhao Uncle lowered his head, ignoring her. Bai Youwei continued guessing, ¡°Could it be that since there were too many people on the island and you wanted to conserve resources, you sent people to the island?¡­ Hmm, but that doesn¡¯t seem right either. Now there are only sixty to seventy people on the island. That¡¯s not a lot. If the number decreases further, there won¡¯t be enough people to do things like fishing and chopping trees¡­¡± She turned her attention to Uncle Zhao, ¡°Could it be¡­that you are actually a murder maniac, who takes pleasure in this?¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Zhao Jiantao sneered, ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.. If it weren¡¯t for me constantly sending people into the games, everyone on Sanshan Island would have been dead by now!¡± Chapter 163 - Chapter 163: Chapter 163 We Are Sheep Chapter 163: Chapter 163 We Are Sheep Translator: 549690339 ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Wu Lili indignantly retorted, ¡°The two islands are so far apart, how could anything possibly happen?! We¡¯ve been safe on Sanshan Island all this time, if it weren¡¯t for you!¡­ It¡¯s all because of you! Everybody¡¯s now dead!¡± Zhao Jiantao said: ¡°Do you think there will be no problem as long as there¡¯s a distance? Or as long as there¡¯s water between? Let me tell you, the game is movable!¡± Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°Isn¡¯t the game area static?¡± Zhao Jiantao closed his eyes, answered woodenly: ¡°It was at the very beginning¡­ But if no player joined the game for seven consecutive days, the game area would move, just like hunting¡­ We are sheep, the wolf would automatically hunt where there are more sheep.¡± The three of them were silent for a while. Upon receiving this information, Wu Lili appeared even more dazed. She recalled that since she arrived at Sanshan Island, she had always witnessed Zhao Jiantao sending people to the so-called ¡°safe base¡±. He sent people every week, and everyone trusted him wholeheartedly. The few who occasionally had doubts were quickly ¡°selected¡±, then sent over the next week¡­ Gradually, only those with absolute loyalty to Zhao Jiantao were left! Like her, Zhang Qi, Sun Wei¡­ Turns out, it¡¯s all a hoax! There¡¯s no such thing as a safe base! Those people are all dead! All dead!! Even Zhang Qi died there! With the thought of Zhang Qi¡¯s death, she was heartbroken. Her emotions totally collapsed, and she lunged at Zhao Jiantao like a madwoman, hitting him with all her might! ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! All because of you!!! Why don¡¯t you go die! Go die!!!¡± Zhao Jiantao had been tied up and was unable to fight back. He endured her blows without making a sound, his face quickly turning red and swollen. Shen MO grabbed Wu Lili, preventing her from going mad. Wu Lili cried breathlessly. Watching this spectacle, Bai Youwei also felt a headache, and asked Shen MO, ¡°What should we do now?¡± Shen MO thought for a while and said: ¡°Let¡¯s take him back first and let the people on the island deal with this.¡± In the end, he and Bai Youwei were just passing islanders. Zhao had too much blood on his hands, it would be inappropriate for them to interfere directly. Bai Youwei pursed her lips, a bit dissatisfied, ¡°So he gets off just like that for getting us into this game?¡± Shen MO glanced at her: ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to come yourself?¡± Bai Youwei grumbled in a girlish manner: ¡°¡­ Humph.¡± Indeed. They could have backed out initially, as the trip to the safe base wasn¡¯t mandatory. But everyone was keen on the idea, so Shen MO decided to investigate. And Bai Youwei, naturally, wouldn¡¯t leave Shen Mo¡¯s side. She grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s hand, murmuring complaints in a low voice: ¡°He made us waste one puzzle piece.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s lips curled up, he took two puzzle pieces out of his pocket and placed them into Bai Youwei¡¯s hand. ¡°Does this make it up to you?¡± One puzzle piece belonged to Shen MO, the other to Zhao Jiantao. Both puzzle pieces had their exemption rights used up, but the pieces themselves remained rare resources. Bai Youwei happily accepted them. On the return trip, Shen MO untied Zhao Jiantao, letting him steer the boat. No one knew what was on the old man¡¯s mind, or was he just a heartless person to begin with? His face showed no emotion, there was no shame, no fear, as if he was not afraid at all to face the uninformed people back on the island. Wu Lili watched him the whole way, her eyes filled with hatred, wishing she could tear him to shreds! When the boat arrived at Sanshan Island, Sun Wei was working near the dock. Seeing them return, he was surprised. Before, only Zhao Jiantao returned from the safe base alone. ¡°Uncle Zhao, what¡¯s the matter¡­¡± Sun Wei immediately noticed something was off about their expressions.. Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: Chapter 164 Return to the Island Chapter 164: Chapter 164 Return to the Island Translator: 549690339 Wu Lili couldn¡¯t wait to rush ashore, grabbing Sun Wei, she blurted out everything: ¡°There is no safe base! Zhao Jiantao has been lying to us all along! Everyone sent to West Mountain Island is dead! All because of this old bastard! Zhang Qi is also dead!!!¡± Sun Wei was stunned on the spot, his face changed dramatically, ¡°Lili, what¡­what are you talking about? What happened to Zhang Qi?¡± He looked at Zhao Jiantao: ¡°Uncle Zhao, is everything Lili said true?¡± Zhao Jiantao¡¯s face remained calm, and he said without any change of expression, ¡°Sun Wei, gather everyone, I have something to tell everyone.¡± ¡°You still have the audacity to give orders here?!¡± Wu Lili cursed, ¡°Even if you apologize, no one will ever forgive you!¡± Sun Wei frowned, ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯ll go get everyone.¡± He turned and walked away. Wu Lili shouted in rage: ¡°Sun Wei! Why are you still listening to him?! Are you deaf?! Zhao Jiantao has killed everyone! He¡¯s going to kill us sooner or later!!!¡± Sun Wei didn¡¯t stop, he walked further and further away. Wu Lili bit her lip and stamped her foot, then hurried after him in both anxiety and anger. Bai Youwei glanced at Zhao Jiantao dismissively and chuckled: ¡°Well, Uncle Zhao, no wonder you have been so calm along the way. All the people have been already trained by you.¡± Zhao Jiantao straightened his clothes, removed the dust from his trousers, his face, full of wrinkles, didn¡¯t reveal any emotions. ¡°It¡¯s not about training or teaching. I just know a bit more, so I led everyone to walk a bit further.¡± He said indifferently. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help laughing after hearing this: ¡°Have you lied for so long that you¡¯ve deceived yourself? You really see yourself as a savior, haha!¡± A flash of anger appeared in Zhao Jiantao¡¯s eyes. But he held back his anger because of the two, dusted his clothes again, and walked away. Bai Youwei laughed behind him. Shen MO watched Zhao Jiantao walking away, his eyes darkening. After a while, he gripped the armrests of the wheelchair and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡± When they returned to the hotel, everyone was coming out in confusion. Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai were also among the crowd. They were surprised to see Shen MO and Bai Youwei return. ¡°You¡¯re back so soon?¡± Tan Xiao exclaimed in surprise. Shen MO and Bai Youwei had told them before they left that they were going to check out the safe base and return by boat afterward. Tan Xiao thought it would take at least half a day, but they returned in the afternoon. ¡°MO Ge, Sun Wei just came over and told us to all go to Uncle Zhao¡¯s¡­¡± Tan Xiao said. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the room first.¡± Shen MO said indifferently, pushing Bai Youwei to their room. Tan Xiao was perplexed, exchanged glances with Teacher Chang, who was also clueless. Tan Xiao watched the crowd slowly leaving, scratched his head, caught up and asked, ¡°Weiwei, what happened?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Call me sister.¡± ¡°Ah-¡± Tan Xiao readily agreed, ¡°Sister Weiwei, did you and MO Ge run into any trouble?¡± Bai Youwei squinted at him, ¡°Two words.¡± Tan Xiao, ¡°Huh?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°So excitingTan Xiao: By the time he snapped out of it, Shen MO had already pushed Bai Youwei past him. Tan Xiao regained focus, stood there in confusion shouting, ¡°Isn¡¯t that three words?¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look back: ¡°Aren¡¯t you bad at counting!¡± ¡® Tan Xiao muttered in a low voice, ¡°But I can count up to ten.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Teacher Chang patted his shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s hear what they have to say, something must have happened.¡± [Note: I just found out that some chapter content was inexplicably deleted by the review system, causing inconsistency between the previous and the following context! I have now added it back, if you find any unconnected content during your reading, please leave a comment, informing me of the chapter number and title! Many thanks!] Chapter 165 - Chapter 165: Chapter 165: The Final Destination Chapter 165: Chapter 165: The Final Destination Translator: 549690339 Shen MO briefly described what happened on the island to Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai. Despite trying to be as concise as possible, due to the newly appeared Inspector, various game formats, and the relationship between Old Zhao and the people on the island, it still took a considerable amount of time to explain. Tan Xiao was so surprised after hearing that, he couldn¡¯t utter a word. He found it inconceivable, how an old man could silently take the lives of hundreds of people, and that none of the people on the island noticed anything amiss! Chang Weicai also didn¡¯t speak. He hung his head, not uttering a word, looking very solemn. Everyone remembers, Chang Weicai originally planned to stay on the island. Who would have thought that what was assumed to be a paradise, hid such filth and evil? ¡°No wonder the old man summoned everyone as soon as he returned. Was he trying to clear things up in front of everyone?¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°Even now, could he still clear his name?¡± Shen MO said, ¡°We can put aside Zhao Jiantao¡¯s matter for now. What intrigues me is the information he provided; the game can move.¡± ¡°So what if it moves?¡± Tan Xiao was indifferent, ¡°If it can move, then I can run. If worst comes to worst, we just run away.¡± Chang Weicai sighed, ¡°Xiaotan, you don¡¯t understand. If the game really follows whoever runs, then there would never be a safe base in this world. As long as we are alive, we are in danger.¡± Tan Xiao was momentarily at a loss for words. ¡°This could also explain why the biggest cities were the first to be affected.¡± Shen MO said blandly, ¡°It¡¯s due to population density.¡± ¡°Also, the maze.¡± Bai Youwei chimed in, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the nature of the maze is to continuously expand. Can we infer that the maze expands its scope and searches for new players when it senses no surviving players inside?¡± ¡°Then¡­then¡­¡± Tan Xiao was confused, ¡°The game wants to capture people, the maze wants to capture people too¡­ Can we even have a place to stay anymore?¡± Shen MO said gravely, ¡°In the future¡­ I fear the entire human race will be forced into the maze. Tan Xiao: ¡°Why not the game?¡± ¡°We consider the maze to be of a higher level than the game, in a certain sense.¡± Bai Youwei explained, ¡°Like a food chain, we need to follow the rules of the game, and the Inspector needs to follow the rules of the system. For now¡­ the Maze is the entity closest to the system.¡± Tan Xiao half-understood, he scratched his head: ¡°But to me, the game seems to be more bothersome? At least you can see and avoid the maze, but the doll game is like stepping on a landmine, popping up out of nowhere!¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°There¡¯s also one more thing. In this game, the Inspector said something, ¡®The Friend Game is my masterpiece, it¡¯s flawless and has displayed countless precious data¡¯.¡± Chang Weicai paused slightly, muttering to himself: ¡°Precious¡­ data¡­¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°I am interested in two things: firstly, the Inspector designed the game; secondly, the game provides data for the Inspector. But what is data for? Why the Inspector needs data?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Zhao Jiantao said that the game can move, and it seems like hunting, whereas we are the sheep. It does indeed feel like the game is herding us towards the Maze.¡± Chang Weicai sighed with a touch of despair, ¡°Complete the puzzle to clear all games. But ultimately, the game steers us towards the maze. No one can escape.¡± No one can escape¡­ Shen MO pondered a bit, and after a moment of silence he said, ¡°The good news is¡­ we are valuable data samples to the system, at least, as long as we don¡¯t break any rules, the Inspector won¡¯t threaten our lives.¡± The four fell silent. This is perhaps, the only good news so far. But it¡¯s only good news in relative terms, just not as bad as the others.. Chapter 166 - Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Uncle Zhao’s Turnaround Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Uncle Zhao¡¯s Turnaround Translator: 549690339 An otherwise peaceful world suddenly beset by a man-eating game and a man-eating maze. The game, like an unseen monster, prowling everywhere for suitable prey. The maze, like an evil lord, constantly expanding its territory. Driven to desperation, feeling chased by wolves upfront and tigers behind. People were having a discussion in the hotel room when the sound of a heated commotion drifted from the direction of Zhao Jiantao¡¯s residence, waves of voices, muddled between cheers and jeers. Mr. Cheng shook his head at the clamor, ¡°Once they found the game, they should have moved. Why did they have to harm people¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go see.¡± Shen MO stood up, ¡°Before this becomes a bigger mess.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go- I¡¯ Bai Youwei looked intrigued, ¡°Let me tell you, that old man is not to be underestimated, the crowd might not be able to hold him down.¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°Really, isn¡¯t he just an old man? What else can he ¡°We won¡¯t know until we go see.¡± Bai Youwei replied with a radiant smile, as she wheeled herself out. They all headed to Zhao Jiantao¡¯s place together. There were over fifty people gathered under the tree where the notice was posted. Strangely, despite the noise, the scene wasn¡¯t as chaotic as expected. Zhao Jiantao stood in the middle of the crowd, displaying no signs of panic on his face, his voice steady as he responded to the crowd word by word: ¡°I¡¯m aware! Many of you are struggling to accept this news. But think about it! Do you believe I¡¯m not heartbroken?! That I¡¯m not devastated?!¡± ¡°If I could, I wish the world to be at peace, everyone dwelling in tranquility! But with my limited power, I can¡¯t do it!!!¡± ¡°You think I haven¡¯t considered escaping? But tell me, where should I escape to? Any place without the game? Name one! Speak up!¡± ¡°The game on West Mountain Island is the most extensive one in this vicinity.¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s there, other games won¡¯t approach!¡± ¡°It¡¯s for everyone¡¯s safety that I play the villain! I¡¯ve been tirelessly sending people in distress to the island every week, feeding that thing¡¯s appetite! That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been able to stay here unscathed till now!¡± ¡°Only when it¡¯s sated, can we be safe! ¡°Only when it¡¯s sated, can we continue to live here!¡± ¡°To live peacefully without giving anything in return, how is that possible?! Whoever among you thinks they can do a better job, step up! I, Zhao Jiantao, won¡¯t object! I¡¯d hand over the position of the Island Master immediately!!!¡± The crowd wore varied expressions, the murmuring gradually subsiding. Some said: ¡°Actually Uncle Zhao hasn¡¯t had it easy either¡­¡± ¡°Uncle Zhao is doing it for our safety¡­¡± ¡°Uncle Zhao¡¯s selections for the island aren¡¯t exactly good people, that Aunt He always takes advantage of others, not to mention her gossips, it¡¯s quieter without her.¡± ¡°Yeah, Uncle Zhao must have his reasons for doing this¡­¡± Tan Xiao was baffled, this dramatic turn of events was like opening the door to a whole new world ¡ª The perpetrator who has caused so many deaths was standing right there unaffected. What was even more terrifying was¡­ he found himself agreeing with Uncle Zhao and these people as he listened! Tan Xiao turned to look at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei was watching the spectacle with a smirk, a hint of schadenfreude in her eyes. He leaned in and asked, ¡°¡­Why is this happening?¡± Bai Youwei said: ¡°The people here were all meticulously chosen by Zhao Jiantao. They all share a common trait, that is¡­ they¡¯re witless. To put it more subtly, they lack the ability to think independently and are easily influenced, brainwashed.¡± After saying this, she looked at Tan Xiao with a smile, ¡°Actually, you also fit the description pretty well. Come on, tell me, did you also find their arguments pretty convincing?¡± Tan Xiao immediately puffed out his chest: ¡°No, no!¡± Chapter 167 - Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Let’s Go Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Let¡¯s Go Translator: 549690339 Wu Lili shared the same feelings as Tan Xiao. She was not just astounded, shocked, but filled with uncontrollable anger! She grabbed onto Sun Wei¡¯s clothes, questioning incredulously, ¡°Sun Wei, do you also think what Zhao Jiantao did was right? He killed Zhang Qi! Is that it?!¡± Sun Wei frowned and said, ¡°Lili, we all know why Zhang Qi went to the island. If he hadn¡¯t threatened Uncle Zhao with an axe, Uncle Zhao wouldn¡¯t have chosen him.¡± Someone next to them chimed in, ¡°Exactly, Uncle Zhao is always emotional and would never harm any of us.¡± Wu Lili burst into a bitter laugh, ¡°Emotional? Am I going mad, or are you all mad?! He killed hundreds of people, yet in your eyes, he¡¯s still a sentimental person?¡± The crowd fell silent for a moment. When this point was made, it sent a chill down everyone¡¯s spine. No matter what, his deeds couldn¡¯t be whitewashed. However, these people had become accustomed to trusting and relying on Zhao Jiantao. If they were to reject all assertions by Zhao Jiantao, what would they do? They were more willing to believe that Zhao Jiantao had his reasons. Zhao Jiantao looked at everyone¡¯s expressions, pondered for a moment, and spoke again, ¡°Well, I understand not everyone can accept drastic measures in drastic times. I won¡¯t force you. Those who don¡¯t accept can step forward, take their belongings, and leave on their own. I will continue to bring people back from the outside. If one day, it becomes necessary to choose from among us, we can decide together through voting, how¡¯s that?¡± Bai Youwei scoffed, exclaiming in admiration, ¡°That is an excellent move. Compared to leaving Sanshan Island to live in an unknown dangerous place, staying on the island should feel so comfortable. The issue is simply diluted and dispersed, and just by mentioning ¡®voting¡¯, everyone is lulled into complacency, and he still appears fair¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps he once held a position in some department.¡± Shen MO commented lightly, ¡°He plays some tricks quite proficiently.¡± Bai Youwei had seen enough and said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go, this is boring.¡± Shen MO, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s pack our luggage and ask him to send us back to the service area by boat.¡± Tan Xiao anxiously asked, ¡°What if he refuses to?¡± ¡°Ha-¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°He¡¯d be more than happy to see us leave; why would he refuse?¡± Professor Cheng walked away with his hands behind his back, shaking his head and sighing, ¡°People¡¯s hearts are fickle, just as there is no Utopia in this world¡­ Voting may seem just, but how is it different from ancient villagers sacrificing boys and girls to the river god?¡± Bai Youwei yawned languidly, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡¯ Apart from Shen MO and the others, everyone else dispersed after a while. Wu Lili intended to step forward but was pulled back by Sun Wei, who tried to gently persuade her not to act impulsively and to consider the bigger picture. Someone else spoke to Wu Lili, ¡°Women, with long hair but short sightedness.¡± Wu Lili was so mad that she trembled all over. She pushed Sun Wei away and yelled, ¡°You can stay! I am leaving! You are all mad! I¡¯d rather die outside than stay here any longer!¡± She fled in anger, and Sun Wei hurried after her. Someone nearby held Sun Wei back and persuaded him, ¡°Leave her alone, didn¡¯t you see her acting? The previous fracture was all pretend, she is just a troublemaker, spouting nonsense¡­¡± Sun Wei hesitated, looking at Wu Lili¡¯s retreating figure, unsure of what to do. Throughout all this, Shen MO and Bai Youwei remained oblivious. They were packing their luggage in their room. Halfway through packing, Wu Lili rushed in.. She didn¡¯t look at anyone else, she ran straight to Bai Youwei and said, ¡°You¡¯d better leave right away! I¡¯ve already scattered the flower seeds here!¡± Chapter 168 - Chapter 168: Chapter 168: The Scenery Missed Chapter 168: Chapter 168: The Scenery Missed Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei knew what kind of seeds they were, but the others inside the house did not. She slightly raised her eyebrows, looking at the tense expression on Wu Lili¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Is it really necessary to make such a fuss?¡± It seems like they¡¯re all on the path to getting annihilated. Wu Lili¡¯s eyes turned red, ¡°They have all gone mad, they actually believed Zhao Jiantao¡¯s words. None of them is willing to leave with me. They even said they are going to bring more people to be a part of this game we¡¯re playing on this island! There are hardly any survivors left outside now! Zhao Jiantao could only find four people including you in the past week. He will eventually get everyone here involved!¡± Shen MO chuckled, and a faint contempt was revealed, ¡°There¡¯s indeed hardly anyone left outside. We didn¡¯t come across a single car on our way here. If they insist on staying here, they would eventually bring destruction upon themselves.¡± Wu Lili bit her finger, her entire person was steeped in anxious and indignant emotions. ¡°Who can tell for sure? Maybe they can really find some unlucky souls¡­ Anyway, I can no longer stay here. You guys should leave quickly too; I don¡¯t want to implicate all of you,¡± she said. Bai Youwei tilted her head to look at her, ¡°It¡¯s kind of strange, why did your sense of justice suddenly explode? Could it be that you are trying to avenge Zhang Qi?¡± Wu Lili was stunned for a second, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, all I feel is¡­ disgust. I¡¯m utterly disgusted! These people¡­ this island¡­ everything is utterly disgusting!¡± She paused for two seconds, and then mumbled in a confusion, ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯m not much different than them¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for Zhang Qi¡¯s accident, I¡­ would have probably also bought Zhao Jiantao¡¯s words¡­¡± Mentioning Zhang Qi, tears welled up in Wu Lili¡¯s eyes again, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already caused Zhang Qi¡¯s death, I cannot let these people harm others as well!¡± Bai Youwei merely laughed nonchalantly, ¡°Then I wish you good luck.¡± Wu Lili pursed her lips forcefully, and then anxiously looked outside the door, she felt that she had overstayed, and reminded Bai Youwei one last time, ¡°I have to hurry up and leave, you all should hurry up too.¡± After saying this, she hurriedly left. Around five or six o¡¯clock, Shen MO, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, and Professor Cheng left Sanshan Island by boat. Zhao Jiantao did not show up. He had Sun Wei drive the boat to send them off. Probably because he was wary of Shen MO and Bai Youwei, who had already survived the game once. After Bai Youwei boarded the boat and learnt that Wu Lili had left the island a step ahead of them, she asked in surprise, ¡°She left on her own?¡± Sun Wei nodded his head, with a gloomy look on his robust face, ¡°When Lili first came to the island, she paddled a boat here on her own. Just now, she asked me to help move her luggage onto the boat, and then paddled away.¡± Bai Youwei playfully asked him, ¡°You seem to like her quite a bit, why didn¡¯t you go with her?¡± Sun Wei¡¯s face blushed uncomfortably, ¡°Go where? It¡¯s so dangerous out there. She is merely acting on impulse, she will come back sooner or later.¡± Bai Youwei just laughed upon hearing this. She wanted to say something more, but then felt there was no need. Since Wu Lili had already made up her mind why should she interfere? Bai Youwei shut her mouth and casually turned her gaze to the scenery with half-closed eyes. Shen MO glanced at her and also chose to remain silent. After the boat docked, Sun Wei returned to Sanshan Island. Shen MO and the rest returned to the service area. Their vehicle and luggage were still there, and the pile of firewood had not been moved, suggesting that no one had passed by here these past few days. The four of them got into the car, ready to set off once again. As Shen MO turned the car key, he heard Bai Youwei sigh deeply: He paused and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± With her cheek resting on her hand, Bai Youwei looked out of the car window, languidly saying, ¡°I just feel¡­ I¡¯m going to miss a beautiful scene and it makes me a bit melancholic.¡± Wu Lili appeared timid and foolish in the game. Everyone on the island thought she was ignorant, even Zhao Jiantao thought he had everything under control. Yet who would have thought, the destinies of everyone had quietly been changed by a woman. The seeds would grow into a spectacular flower sea within 24 hours. If the people on the island were not quick enough to escape, they would be reduced to nutrients for the flowers. Who knows how long the flowering period would last? Bai Youwei closed her eyes, envisioning that scene, her lips curling up at the corners¡­. Chapter 169 - Chapter 169: Chapter 169: The Inspector’s Melancholy Chapter 169: Chapter 169: The Inspector¡¯s Melancholy Translator: 549690339 A massive, semi-translucent object was floating in mid-air¡ª It looked like an equilateral rhombus, but if one looked closely, it was made up of countless geometric cubes. Bathed in sunlight, the object resembled colorless glass. Yet, in certain moments, it refracted marvelous rays of light. Within it, countless identical cubes were scattered. A cube suddenly emanated a pure blue light, and out stepped a 2.78 -meter tall Inspector who, after the light faded, stood still facing the cube. It seemed to be doing nothing, yet its mind was actually interfacing with the system, repairing data inside the cube. A ball rolled past its feet. Gloating, the ball stopped mid-roll to jeer, ¡°Ha-ha-ha! So your game has glitches, too?¡± The Inspector looked down, expressionless, glanced at the ball by its feet, and asked: ¡°Too?¡± The ball said, ¡°The frog in my game is broken as well. After a belly surgery, it now bursts open every time it lays eggs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it swallowed too many players, right?¡± responded the Inspector, speechless. ¡ªThe frog, not a real frog, indeed. When a player gets swallowed, they¡¯re not digested, but rather encased in an eggshell and turned into a frog egg, then hatched into a tadpole. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your game? Tsk tsk¡­ Friend Gathering 2112, isn¡¯t that your masterpiece?¡± The sphere queried. The Inspector replied, ¡°A player damaged the scene using a tool and the system needs to repair it before it can be used again.¡± ¡°What kind of player did you encounter? What nerve!¡± The ball exclaimed, before laughing again, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, your games are too mild. What¡¯s so fun about friend games and friend gatherings? You should bring out some big monsters ¨C like my frog and tadpoles!¡± The ball hopped high in the air, up to the height of the Inspector standing at 2.78 meters, then floated there: ¡°My game is the simplest, but the volume of data it provides is the highest among the Inspectors.¡± In the distance, a soft voice sounded, ¡°Although your game offers the largest volume of data, the type of data is singular. Friend Gathering involves three different games and thus provides ten-fold richer data. You should think about improving your games.¡± A disgruntled sphere fell abruptly and rolled towards the speaker, grumbling, ¡°How can the difference be that much¡­¡± That last speaker was an Inspector with a rabbit head who just walked out from another cube. ¡°Whether or not the difference is ten-fold, go see for yourself.¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector continued forward, ¡°I have to go, a player just entered Hide-and-Seek 3014.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± The 2.78-meter Inspector stopped them, asking with a furrowed brow, ¡°Based on the game rules, if players attack Inspectors, that¡¯s a violation, right? And Inspectors can punish them, right?¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector replied indifferently with a nod, ¡°Do you have a problem?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t verbal assaults included?¡± The Inspector asked. Rabbit-headed Inspector seemed surprised, ¡°Why would you think that?¡± The ball jumped up in shock, ¡°Language is the most direct response from players in the game. If we block offensive language, we¡¯d lose a significant amount of data. The system wouldn¡¯t allow that!¡± ¡°But¡­ what value could data from player insults have?¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector replied, ¡°Swears, slander, and profanity are just another form of human crying. These can relieve emotions and alleviate stress. This is particularly evident in players stuck in restrictive environments. Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± ¡°Any other questions?¡± ¡°¡­No more.¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector stood before them and calmly said after a moment, ¡°I know you too join the third round of the Friend Gathering game. In the future, you should try to avoid participating directly in games. You seem to be affected a bit.¡± . Maybe.¡± Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: Chapter 170 Arriving in Hangzhou Chapter 170: Chapter 170 Arriving in Hangzhou Translator: 549690339 As dusk fell, Shen MO¡¯s car arrived at the edge of Hangzhou. They didn¡¯t immediately enter the fog but instead sought accommodations. They planned to explore their surroundings at the break of daylight and make arrangements accordingly. As usual, they prioritized finding a hotel. This place was not short of beds and pillows, and they had a large stock of disposable toiletries. Each room had a private bathroom ¨C a convenient feature for living. Shen MO found a suitable place and carried Bai Youwei out of the car. The girl¡¯s head rested on his shoulder with her eyes closed. She felt drowsy in the car and didn¡¯t wish to move a bit now. More precisely, ever since she got out of the game, she¡¯d been lethargic, as if the real world could hardly invigorate her. Shen MO put her on the bed and then went out, inspecting all the hotel rooms on their floor. Living diagonally across from their room were Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai. Tan Xiao ran out to wave to Shen Mo. ¡°Brother MO, come and see!¡± Shen MO asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°There seems to be someone over there.¡± Tan Xiao pointed at the room window. The window of their room overlooked the street, providing a long view. Teacher Chang, holding a telescope, bent over looking intently through it. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not good. The telescope¡¯s magnification is not enough, I can¡¯t make out if there¡¯s anyone in the house over there.¡± Teacher Chang muttered. Shen MO went to the window and looked in that direction. He could see a few faint lights, as if candles were lit in someone¡¯s house, or other light sources were in use. At night, such light was conspicuous. He counted; there were four such light sources in total. They were too far away to see clearly, and it was getting late. It would be unwise to go and investigate rashly. Shen MO said, ¡°Teacher Chang, could you continue watching? If any light goes off, it probably means there might be people living there. We¡¯ll take a look tomorrow. ¡± Teacher Chang nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep a lookout. You all can go about your own business.¡± Then Shen MO took Tan Xiao downstairs and started a fire in the space in front of the hotel lobby. ¡ªThey just needed to find some bricks, or knock off a few from the edge of the flower bed, and arrange them into a formation that was enclosed on four sides, with only a hole on the bottom, put a pot on top, start a fire below, and it would serve as a simple stove. Most things could be substituted for, but without electricity or gas, the most primitive cooking method had to be adopted to boil water and cook food. They had a small stove in the car which was fine for cooking noodles or porridge, but was too slow for boiling water. Tan Xiao rummaged in the trunk for a few packs of instant noodles, skillfully tore open the packaging and started cooking them. Their food was basically divided into two categories, one was grains and cooking oils etc. collected from supermarkets, and the other was sausage and roast chicken Tan Xiao brought from a food processing factory. Overall, they lacked vegetables and fruits. Skipping them for a few days was alright, but if they kept missing fresh fruits and vegetables, their immunity would decline, making them prone to sickness. Shen MO thought for a while, then told Tan Xiao, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a look nearby.¡± Tan Xiao was ladling water into the pot, upon hearing this, he replied, ¡°Brother MO, come back early, or Weiwei will throw a fit if she can¡¯t find you.¡± Shen MO paused and smirked, ¡°Are you that scared of her?¡± Tan Xiao nodded honestly. ¡°What are you afraid she¡¯ll do?¡± Shen MO asked with amusement. ¡°Has she scolded you or hit you?¡± Tan Xiao considered, then gradually descended into deep confusion¡ª Since Bai Youwei never scolded nor hit him, why on earth was he scared of her? ¡°The water is boiling.¡± Shen MO reminded him, waved and left. There were shops, residences, and parks nearby the hotel¡­ all submerged in the night. Shen MO walked while taking in the surroundings. After a while, he turned into a residential area.. Chapter 171 - Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Five-person Squad (Extra early update for Xi-) Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Five-person Squad (Extra early update for Xi-) Translator: 549690339 He chose not to go to the supermarket. Something had happened in Hangzhou before Yangzhou, and the people there had evacuated sooner. There probably wasn¡¯t much left in the supermarket. The residential complex, on the other hand, was worth checking out. Some residents who had left hastily probably left behind some food reserves. Shen MO wanted to find some vegetables and fruits to improve his meals. First, he climbed into a courtyard lush with plants. By a stroke of luck, he found some fresh green cucumbers hanging by the corner of the wall, and in another yard, he found potted cherry tomatoes. After checking a few more courtyards, some had herbs like green onions and garlic while others only had normal plants. It was still good enough. After all, it wasn¡¯t common to find lower-level resident complexes with courtyards these days. Before he realized, he had wandered from the south gate of the residential area to the north gate. Guessing he had been out for a while and preparing to return, the road outside the residential area suddenly brightened as if a vehicle¡¯s headlights in the distance had lit it up. Shen MO raised his eyebrows, slung his backpack onto his back, grabbed a nearby tree trunk, and climbed up in just a few steps to observe from the dense tree canopy. A vehicle was indeed approaching. As the distance decreased, he heard the sound of tires crunching on the road. For some reason, the driver was moving very slowly. As it got closer, he heard heated arguing¡ªmale and female voices, not quite an argument but definitely not amicable. This robust Jeep came into view after a moment. The vehicle had clearly been modified; its wheels and lights were unique. The roof was open, revealing five people inside. Three men and two women. Shen MO subconsciously furrowed his eyebrows not only because he recalled what Tu Dan had previously mentioned about a group of people, but also because these people were armed. These days, those who could get their hands on weapons were either soldiers or bandits. Shen MO held his breath and made himself unnoticeable in the tree to avoid being discovered. The Jeep slowly drove into the residential area. The driver was a portly middle-aged man¡ªmore accurately, strong, with a hefty torso and a rough face covered in stubble! By contrast, the man in the passenger¡¯s seat was refined and elegant, with a peaceful and scholarly demeanour. Further back, there was a woman in a red dress seated on the left. She wore a look of impatience on her face. On the right was a bespectacled young man, holding an injured young woman, complaining bitterly: ¡°Su Man, that¡¯s enough! Zhu Shu didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Was it necessary to speak so harshly?!¡± ¡°Annoyed by my words?¡± The woman in red sneered, ¡°If not for you, I would have used my fists by now!¡± ¡°Su Man, you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame her¡­¡± The man in his arms weakly interjected, ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡­ I brought this upon everyone¡­ and wasted a tool.¡± The man held her tenderly, ¡°That¡¯s enough, please rest. Your wounds will heal soon, don¡¯t worry¡­¡± The woman in red scoffed sarcastically: ¡°Oh, playing the delicate damsel, are ¡°Su Man! I¡¯m warning you¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± The man in the front passenger seat cut them off. Both fell silent, but they couldn¡¯t hide the hostility on their faces. The man spoke, ¡°Everyone, calm down. We¡¯ve just come out of the maze. We all need to rest. Let¡¯s find a place to stay first. Tomorrow, depending on Zhu Shu¡¯s recovery, we¡¯ll decide whether to set off again.¡± The Jeep turned a corner and moved out of Shen MO¡¯s line of sight. Shen MO remained in the tree for a while longer, ensuring he couldn¡¯t hear any noises before leaping down and leaving the residential complex. As he prepared to go, he glanced at the Jeep¡¯s tire tracks, following the traces with his gaze to the distant mist. ¡°Just came out of the maze, huh¡­¡± He mumbled thoughtfully.. Chapter 172 - Chapter 172: Chapter 172: You’re Spoiling Me (Additional updates for Xin Lan-) Chapter 172: Chapter 172: You¡¯re Spoiling Me (Additional updates for Xin Lan-) Translator: 549690339 When they returned to the hotel, it was rather late. Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai were sitting by the fire, chatting. Bowls and chopsticks that hadn¡¯t been tidied up were set aside; they had obviously already eaten. Bai Youwei was nowhere in sight. ¡°Brother MO, here¡¯s your portion.¡± Tan Xiao handed him a bowl. Shen MO didn¡¯t take it, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go up and call her.¡± ¡°I took a bowl up to her earlier, but she didn¡¯t eat. It¡¯s hot out, so she probably isn¡¯t hungry.¡± Mr. Chang chimed in, ¡°When we have a chance, we can pickle some sour beans and cucumbers ourselves. They¡¯re good for stimulating the appetite.¡± Tan Xiao was surprised, ¡°Mr. Chang, you know how to pickle cucumbers?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mr. Chang nodded, seriously explaining, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult as long as you have cucumbers, chilli, salt, vinegar, and garlic ¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a teacher? You¡¯re not a cook by any chance, are you?¡± ¡°Well¡­ when you live by yourself, you inevitably pick up some cooking skills ¡­¡± ¡°So, can you pickle radishes? I especially like those!¡± ¡°First thing first, we need to have radishes¡­¡± As the two rambled on, Shen MO bypassed them and went directly to the second floor of the hotel. There was no power, and the corridor was pitch black. Arriving on the second floor, the hallway was equally dark, having no windows. Only a faint light emanated from Bai Youwei¡¯s room. Shen MO found himself instinctively slowing his pace. Advancing in the darkness and silence gave him an uncomfortable sensation, a faint sense of guilt stirring at the bottom of his heart. Despite having been away only for a short while, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he shouldn¡¯t have¡­ Shouldn¡¯t have left her alone in the darkness. Shen MO reached the room. Bai Youwei was sitting with her back towards him in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. The moonlight outside spilled in, gilding the room with a silvery glow, and casting an indistinct halo around her silhouette. The candlelight inside seemed small and dim against the moonlight. It wasn¡¯t very dark. This realization made him feel slightly relieved. He walked into the room and put down his bag. Bai Youwei turned to glance at him when she heard him enter, then turned back dismissively. Shen MO silently chuckled to himself and asked her, ¡°Mr. Chang said you didn¡¯t have an appetite. Are you going to eat dinner?¡± Gazing out the window, Bai Youwei replied, ¡°I do have an appetite.¡± Shen MO asked, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you eat?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He remained silent for a while, then followed her gaze out of the window. He saw the varying heights of the buildings, the overlapping shadows, and the thick, dark night sky. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Shen MO asked. With a sarcastic tone, Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Seeing what charms the world outside has, that it could lure you away for such a long time.¡± In the face of her periodic digs, Shen MO used to get a bit upset, but he had become almost immune to them now. He gave a resigned laugh and said, ¡°Well, I did come back in the end, didn¡¯t it show that the charm here is greater than that of the outside?¡± He rarely made such jokes, which caused Bai Youwei to stare at him in surprise for a full two seconds, before quizzically asking, ¡°You¡¯re in such a good mood; did you have some kind of romantic encounter outside?¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t answer, but instead took out some cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and loquats from his bag. Bai Youwei immediately reached out, ¡°I want to eat!¡± ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t in the mood?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve cheered me up, so I¡¯m in the mood now.¡± Shen MO laughed, ¡°When did I cheer you up?¡± Bai Youwei pointed to the pile of fruit and vegetables in his hand, ¡°Isn¡¯t this from picking for me?¡± Shen MO teased her, ¡°Who says it couldn¡¯t be for Tan Xiao and Mr. Chang?¡± Bai Youwei confidently replied, ¡°If it was for them, why would you bring it up here? You could have given it to them downstairs just now.¡± Hmm, she had a point. Shen MO turned to leave. Bai Youwei grew anxious and mumbled, ¡°You¡¯re really taking it downstairs?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to wash them..¡± Shen MO moved to the bathroom, his voice laced with a hint of laughter, ¡°We can¡¯t eat them without washing, can we?¡± Chapter 174 - Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Unity is Strength Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Unity is Strength Translator: 549690339 After dinner, everyone didn¡¯t immediately retire to their rooms, after all, it was too stifling inside compared to the openness outside. Everyone was casually chatting and packing their belongings. Teacher Chang rummaged through the car and found some expired food. He looked pained as he threw them away. Tan Xiao, however, seemed relatively cheerful, reassuring him, ¡°Autumn is just around the corner, so the corn and grain must be ripe by now. We can just pick up a bag from the village, that should be enough for us, there are fruit trees on the mountains, and fish in the water, we won¡¯t starve!¡± Teacher Chang asked, ¡°But what about winter?¡± Tan Xiao was expected to say that we need to gather more supplies for the winter but seemed like he hadn¡¯t considered this at all. After a pause, he simply replied, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on surviving until winter.¡± Despite the seemingly tragic nature of his statement, somehow Tan Xiao made everyone burst into laughter. Scratching his head, Tan Xiao joined in the laughter, looking adorably clueless. Chang Weicai shook his head and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m worrying unnecessarily. The real challenges that lie ahead are the maze and the game. If we can¡¯t overcome these, having more food is pointless.¡± Mentioning the maze made Shen Mo recall the five-member team they had encountered earlier. ¡°When I went out earlier, a group came out of the maze. Based on their appearance, the difficulty of the maze here might not be too high.¡± Bai Youwei curiously asked, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Shen MO explained, ¡°They had a jeep, and there were five people in it. That car can only accommodate a maximum of five people.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem with five people?¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t understand. Bai Youwei said, ¡°If five people go in, and five people come out, that means they exited the maze without casualties, so it seems the difficulty isn¡¯t too high Tan Xiao suddenly realized, ¡°Oh¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like there were no injuries, one of the women was hurt,¡± Shen MO paused, then added, ¡°They had a gun.¡± (Note: Words like gun, explosion, bomb, and bullet can¡¯t be written or else the chapter will be blocked, separators don¡¯t work either.) ¡°Could you tell what kind of injury it was?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Shen MO shook his head lightly, ¡°I was too far away to see clearly, but I heard them say that they wasted one item because of it. I guess there might be some danger in the maze, but since the five of them survived, we should be able to handle it.¡± ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t allowed to bring weapons into the game?¡± Tan Xiao asked again. ¡°The maze and the game are not the same,¡± Chang Weicai replied, then muttered to himself, ¡°if only we could ask them about the conditions inside the maze.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me!¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°They have guns, so what happens if they decide to shoot us?¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t rashly approach them since we don¡¯t know their intentions,¡± Teacher Chang waved his hand dismissively, ¡°I was just voicing my thoughts¡­¡± ¡°Even if we did ask them, there¡¯s no guarantee they¡¯d tell us the truth.¡± Bai Youwei tilted her lips up in a sneer, ¡°They might even deceive us.¡± Teacher Chang still held onto the belief that unity was strength, ¡°If everyone only cares about collecting their puzzle pieces, when will the puzzle be complete? As long as the puzzle is not complete, the game won¡¯t be fully cleared. Just like the saying, one thousand people united have the power of one thousand, but ten thousand people disagreeing have the value of none.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, this is a paradox,¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°For collecting, of course, the more, the merrier. But each puzzle piece grants one immunity. That means no one wants to share unless they¡¯ve already used their immunity.¡± Shen MO hesitated, ¡°If we could collect those used puzzle pieces¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes lit up as she understood him, ¡°That would make things much easier, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 175 - Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Inquiring About the News Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Inquiring About the News Translator: 549690339 Completing the puzzle allows one to clear all game levels¡ª This means liberating oneself from the nightmare-like games once and for all. Therefore, the puzzle pieces were obviously precious and scarce resources! Yet, for most people, the value of a puzzle piece merely lies in the one-time exemption it provides. ¡°If we really want to do this, passing on the information could be an issue.¡± Shen MO said. ¡°As long as someone is still alive, they can definitely deliver the message.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t worry at all. ¡°Didn¡¯t Teacher Chang see some parts of the city lit up today? There must be people living there, as long as we put out the message, trading goods for puzzles, I refuse to believe people wouldn¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao was surprised. ¡°Trade by using our items? Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± ¡°Of course it wouldn¡¯t be a straight one for one trade.¡± Bai Youwei pondered. ¡°I would like to trade one for ten, but I guess there aren¡¯t many people who have spare puzzle pieces currently. One for five or one for three are both possibilities.¡± She looked up at everyone: ¡°What do you guys think?¡± Shen MO pondered for a moment, then replied: ¡°I have no objections.¡± In the short term, items are important, but in the long run, puzzle pieces hold more value. Chang Weicai also agreed: ¡°Completing the puzzle requires persistence and determination, I have no objections too.¡± Tan Xiao glanced at Shen MO, then at Chang Weicai, puzzled: ¡°Do we even have so many items to trade¡­? I only have one badge whose use I don¡¯t understand¡­¡¯ [Friendship Badge: Helped the princess find her lost golden ball, you have become a friend of the princess.] The use of this item was unclear, because no one knew what benefit could be gained from being a friend of the princess. Bai Youwei patted her ¡°prosperous¡± canvas bag. ¡°I still have lots. If not enough, we can earn more from games! That¡¯s still better than running through the maze again and again, how exhausting!¡± Tan Xiao: My goodness, I think running games is no less strenuous than running mazes! Shen MO checked the time and told everyone: ¡°It¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s all go back to our rooms to rest. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll look around again, get to understand the situation. If there are no issues, we¡¯ll enter the maze in the afternoon. ¡± Everyone exchanged looks and nodded unanimously. Bai Youwei reminded Shen Mo: ¡°Don¡¯t forget to pick loquats before entering the maze.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen MO gave her a helpless look, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t forget.¡± The next morning. Shen MO and his team packed up their belongings, got in their car, and slowly drove along the streets on the outskirts of the fog. They occasionally ran into people. Unlike the folks in Yangzhou, who gathered near Yangzhou Port waiting for rescue, people in Hangzhou were scattered throughout the city, cautiously keeping a certain distance from the fog in the city center. When they saw Shen MO¡¯s car, everyone turned vigilant, standing in their place with suspicion and showing a posture that screamed caution, as if Shen MO and his team were intruders. ¡°These people are weird.¡± Through the car window, Tan Xiao noticed two more people collecting supplies by the roadside and hesitated, ¡°Should we get out and ask them?¡± ¡°No rush,¡± Shen MO¡¯s glance was indifferent and he looked forward. ¡°The mental state of these people is overly tense. They would probably have run away before we can even park our car properly. Let¡¯s take a look ahead first.¡± The vehicle continued to move forward. After traveling a short distance, they passed by an intersection where Shen MO saw about ten or so people sorting and packing things from a store onto a tricycle. All men, ranging from teenagers, to those in their twenties or even forties, each played their role. When they saw the off-road vehicle, they were also quite vigilant, but possibly due to their numbers, they didn¡¯t seem afraid or nervous at all, and continued their sorting without pausing. Shen MO parked the car across the street, got out, called Tan Xiao over, and together they went over to ask for information. Teacher Chang was worried that they might get into a conflict, he stood by the car nervously watching. Bai Youwei was also looking out from the window¡ª.. Chapter 176 - Chapter 176: Chapter 176: So Handsome Chapter 176: Chapter 176: So Handsome Translator: 549690339 Shen MO was making conversation with them. To avoid arousing their vigilance, he carried himself with a touch of ease and relaxation. Standing tall amongst the crowd like a pine tree, his silence radiated power. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge his attractiveness as she watched him. She framed him up with her fingers against the distant scenery, embedding him into this ¡°shot¡±. His side profile was handsome and determined. Standing amongst the crowd, he exuded an even more imposing air. The more she looked, the more she liked. As if sensing her gaze, Shen MO turned his head slightly to meet her eyes. Their eyes met, her heartbeat quickened, and she chuckled as she flirtatiously blinked at him. She saw him mouthing something without making a sound, before he turned back and continued his conversation with the others. Bai Youwei understood. He said two words, ¡°Stop teasing.¡± Propping her chin up, Bai Youwei muttered to herself, ¡°Ah, even when he¡¯s lecturing someone, he¡¯s still so attractive¡­¡± ¡°Weiwei, do you think they¡¯ll run into trouble¡­¡± Professor Cheng was anxious at the side, with this perpetual feeling that those people were not good-natured. Still immersed in her ¡°admiration¡±, Bai Youwei muttered, ¡°Even if they do run into some trouble¡­ seeing him fight would be even more attractive¡­¡± Professor Cheng:??? The conversation lasted only two to three minutes, and Shen MO, along with Tan Xiao, returned to the car. Professor Cheng hastily asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation in Hangzhou right now?¡± ¡°Much the same as Yangzhou, a lot of people didn¡¯t wait for the rescue teams, the escape routes out of the city are insecure, so they decided to stay.¡± Shen MO explained, ¡°They believe that being near the mist is safer as the game almost never appears here, hence as long as they ensure enough food and water, they could survive. Of course, this is under the prerequisite that the mist doesn¡¯t expand further, if the mist¡¯s range broadens, their survival space will be further squeezed.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°How many people are in Hangzhou now?¡± ¡°Unclear.¡± Shen MO gently shook his head, ¡°Without electricity or internet, everyone is confined to a fixed area, occasionally meeting people from other areas, no one has made a proper count.¡± After thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°Why were those people so afraid when they saw our car? Did something happen in the city?¡± ¡°Probably afraid we were going to steal their stuff,¡± Tan Xiao interjected, ¡°I heard them saying, some people unable to find food resorted to robbing others, and some specifically target game props.¡± Bai Youwei blinked her eyes, ¡°How do they know who has game props?¡± ¡°Yeah, how did they know?¡± Tan Xiao slapped his forehead in regret, ¡°I forgot to ask just now. Should I go back and ask?¡± Shen MO gently shook his head: ¡°Game props all look like toys, anyone carrying toys at this time is undoubtedly in possession of game props. Also, they could ambush near the game zones, and when people coming out from the game let down their guard, the possibility of successful ambush is high.¡± After digesting Shen MO¡¯s words, Bai Youwei fondly stroked her bag, saying, ¡°I wonder if someone will try to steal mine.¡± Observing her expression, Tan Xiao curiously asked, ¡°Weiwei, why do I get the feeling that you are somewhat looking forward to it?¡± Bai Youwei glared at him fiercely, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you calling me ¡®sister¡¯ again?¡± Tan Xiao choked a little, replying with frustration, ¡°Sis, looking at your face, I really can¡¯t say it¡­¡± Bai Youwei was rather petite. With a fair and delicate complexion, when she glares, she looked just like a petulant princess. After glowering at him for a while. Bai Youwei rolled her eves, surprisingly didn¡¯t get angry and proudly declared, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t argue with you. I¡¯ll take it as you complimenting me for looking young.¡± Tan Xiao nodded in agreement, ¡°You indeed look very young.¡± ¡°Men all like young ones, right?¡± Bai Youwei asked with a beaming smile.. Chapter 177 - Chapter 177: Chapter 177 Little Boy (Extra update for Leng Ran – ) Chapter 177: Chapter 177 Little Boy (Extra update for Leng Ran ¨C ) Translator: 549690339 ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter¡­¡± Tan Xiao ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°As long as they are pretty and have nice bodies, age and such don¡¯t matter.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face darkened. Teacher Chang quickly consoled, ¡°Red Skull, such things are temporary. The most important thing for a girl is her inner beauty, soul beauty is the true beauty¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned even darker. Shen MO silently laughed at the side, the conversation had veered off track so much that he couldn¡¯t bring it back. While they were chatting, a little boy from a distance came over cautiously. Probably figuring their conversation seemed very friendly, he bravely interrupted: ¡°Excuse me¡­ Do you need to buy a map?¡± Everyone turned to look at him. The boy was really young, probably around ten years old. With everyone staring at him, he seemed nervous. It¡¯d been a long time since Bai Youwei had last seen a child. Not only children, elderly people like Chang Weicai were also rare. Of course, her kind, the disabled, were even rarer. ¡°Young man, are you selling a map?¡± Teacher Chang asked kindly. The little boy was holding a map in his hand. It was hand-drawn with a pencil, very detailed. You could see the traces of erasing and re-drawing. ¡°You¡¯re going into the maze, right?¡± Said the boy, ¡°This is the maze¡¯s map. I¡¯ll sell it to you for just one item.¡± A Maze Map? One item? Everyone was taken aback. It didn¡¯t matter if it was someone else selling things, but it was surprising that such a young child was doing business. Teacher Chang inevitably asked, ¡°Young man, how old are you? What¡¯s your name?¡± The little boy didn¡¯t answer. His eyes moved over their faces, finally settling on Shen MO, who he perhaps saw as the ¡°leader¡±. He stared at him and asked: ¡°Do you want the map? I also have a map of the city. Every game area is marked. It will be very safe to leave the city with the map. It¡¯s also only one item. Want it?¡± Shen MO glanced at the map in the boy¡¯s hand and asked calmly, ¡°How can we verify your map is accurate and reliable?¡± The question seemed to put the little boy in a tough spot, as he tried to find an answer. Bai Youwei was watching the child. The kid had a round face and serious eyebrows, small eyes, and was quite cute. He was just a bit sunburnt with red and peeling skin. Thinking about it, it was quite pitiful. He had most likely been pampered by his family before but now, they were probably gone. At such a young age, he had to learn to fend for himself. Partly to tease, partly to test him, she asked, ¡°Once you enter the maze, you¡¯re not guaranteed to come out. And no one can verify the usefulness of your map. Why would I use an item to buy it? There¡¯s even less need for a city map. Don¡¯t you know that the game areas are always changing?¡± The child was stunned, ¡°The game area changes?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Tan Xiao interjected, ¡°If no player enters the game for 7 days, the game area will move randomly. The direction and the distance are unpredictable, but it will always automatically lock onto places where people gather!¡± The boy looked lost. After a while, he nodded slowly and muttered, ¡°Oh¡­ in that case, you wouldn¡¯t need my map after all¡­¡± His hopeless tone was enough to stir pity in anyone. Teacher Chang almost couldn¡¯t resist the urge to hand over his mud pie, but Shen MO stopped him. Shen MO asked the boy, ¡°What do you want the item for? You¡¯re so young. Even if you get an item, it could easily be stolen. Worse still, it could endanger your life. An item could bring you nothing but trouble.¡± Upon hearing this, Teacher Chang sobered up immediately. Although he hadn¡¯t acted on his impulse, a cold sweat broke out. It was a close call. He had almost spelled doom for the child. ¡°I want to leave,¡± the boy glanced at a group of young men not too far away, ¡°But without an item, I can¡¯t join Brother Fei¡¯s team..¡± Chapter 178 - Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Collecting Team Members Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Collecting Team Members Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei followed the gaze of the young boy. It was Shen MO and Tan Xiao who had previously inquired about the information from those people. At this moment, those people were staring in their direction, seemingly curious if they would really exchange items with the child. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just playing a trick on you.¡± Bai Youwei curled her lips, giving a wicked grin, ¡°Adults love to play tricks on children, saying if you finish your homework, they¡¯ll let you watch cartoons, but then make excuses after you¡¯re done. Aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ll fool you?¡± The young boy furrowed his brows and said solemnly, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m younger, so if we enter the game together, they can use me as a scapegoat, so they will definitely include me.¡± Bai Youwei smirked, ¡°You¡¯re pretty clear-headed.¡± Tan Xiao also understood, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Since they would use you as a scapegoat, then it doesn¡¯t matter if you have tools, right? Why won¡¯t they let you join?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t have any tools, I would definitely end up as a scapegoat.¡± The young boy replied, ¡°With tools, I might not die.¡± Life and death matters sounded somewhat poignant coming from the mouth of a ten-year-old boy. Everyone exchanged glances and remained silent for a while. Perhaps realizing that Bai Youwei and the others weren¡¯t interested in the map, the young boy once again actively marketed his other goods: ¡°Besides the map, I can also help you find food. Dry food and fresh vegetables are available. There are also emergency medical supplies. With just one tool, I can help you find all of these.¡± Bai Youwei gently shook her head, indifferently rejecting him, ¡°Kid, we won¡¯t be buying these things. In the maze, the value of tools far surpasses food and medicine.¡± The little boy looked disappointed. He pursed his lips, he had no choice but to give up and turn to leave. Chang Weicai was anxious. As a teacher, he couldn¡¯t stand seeing a child suffer, he quickly rushed forward to stop the boy. ¡°Hey, kiddo, you should stop buying these tools, and don¡¯t listen to those people about joining any team. You¡¯re young and too easy to be taken advantage of. Find a place to hide, and live a good life¡­¡± ¡°Chang Weicai, it¡¯s useless for him to hide anywhere in his state.¡± Bai Youwei stopped them, ¡°Hey, kid, would you like to consider joining us?¡± The young boy was stunned, he turned around, his eyes suspiciously rested on Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei said, ¡°You know it very well, don¡¯t you? If we dare to enter the maze, it shows that our strength is much stronger than that so-called Fei Ge.¡± ¡°You¡­ need me as a scapegoat in the maze?¡± The boy asked hesitantly. He had to be skeptical. Otherwise, why would they be willing to take him in? Don¡¯t all adults look down on children? Yet Bai Youwei burst into laughter, ¡°Hahaha¡­ scapegoat¡­ Only those who are afraid of death need that! I have a bunch of tools that I can¡¯t even use up, would I need you, a tiny kid, as a scapegoat?¡± The boy blushed, but his eyes lit up. He asked hopefully, ¡°Will you really let me join?¡± ¡°Of course, there are conditions. After all, this is not a shelter.¡± Bai Youwei curled her lips, speaking nonchalantly, ¡°As long as you can survive and make it out of the maze, I will allow you to join us. I¡¯ll even give you a tool.¡± The boy was taken aback, ¡°¡­Survive and leave the maze?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him with ease, ¡°If you want to be a teammate, we need to understand each other¡¯s abilities, right? If you only know how to cry when you¡¯re in the maze, I¡¯m not going to take you in.¡± Boy: ¡°I never cry!¡± ¡°Then think it over.¡± Bai Youwei said lazily, then turned to Shen MO, ¡°What time are we going into the maze this afternoon?¡± ¡°2 0¡¯clock.¡± Shen MO replied. ¡°Okay.¡± Bai Youwei looked at the young boy again, ¡°If you¡¯ve decided, meet us here at two in the afternoon. We will enter the maze together.¡± Chapter 179 - Chapter 179: Chapter 179: It’s Hard to Think Chapter 179: Chapter 179: It¡¯s Hard to Think Translator: 549690339 Shen MO drove around Hangzhou City, making a large loop and encountering some residents along the way. The information he received was more or less the same as what he had initially learned from Fei¡¯s group. In short, the people who had not received any rescue had nowhere to go, so they remained in the city. There was enough food and water here to sustain their lives, as long as they were careful not to approach the game area while gathering resources. No one knew how long this life struggling in the cracks would last. Seeing that it was almost noon, Shen MO picked a shady spot and stopped the car to prepare for lunch. Bai Youwei reminded him again, ¡°My loquats.¡± Shen ¡°Grocery Management¡± Mo: ¡® ¡°It¡¯s ok, it¡¯s ok, you go pick Weiwei¡¯s loquats, I¡¯ll cook.¡± Teacher Chang confidently lit the fire and readied the pot, murmuring under his breath, ¡°Aren¡¯t loquats usually in season in May or June? Why are there still some in August¡­¡± Bai Youwei chuckled mischievously, ¡°The first appearance of the dolls was in May, maybe time has stopped, and we just don¡¯t know?¡± Shen MO glanced at her, ¡°The lotus seeds you ate mature in July or August.¡± ¡°So it has something to do with the mist then?¡± Bai Youwei casually guessed, ¡°There¡¯s no fog near Tai Lake, so time is normal.¡± These speculations could not be confirmed, and were merely idle chatter. Shen MO picked up his bag and left. His departure was quick, and his return was equally swift. When he appeared in front of Bai Youwei again, his bag was full of glistening yellow loquats. The meal was also ready. White rice, mung bean soup, sweet pumpkin, roasted sausages, and cucumber pickles that Teacher Chang quickly whipped up. The simple and homemade dishes were attractive with their bright colors. Under the shade of the big tree, they set up a small table, and sat around it. The homely atmosphere miraculously made them all hungry. ¡°Aiyo, Teacher Chang makes such good mung bean soup Q¡¯ Tan Xiao praised while sipping, ¡°Even without ice, it tastes refreshing.¡± Chang Weicai laughed, ¡°That¡¯s because Weiwei added mint leaves.¡± Tan Xiao turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei can cook too?¡± ¡°No,¡± Bai Youwei grabbed a squishy piece of pumpkin, nonchalantly saying, ¡°But for a smart person, everything is a piece of cake, nothing is difficult.¡± Tan Xiao thought for a moment, lifted his bowl and moved closer, humbly seeking advice, ¡°Is there a way to become smart?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Read more books, use your brain more.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work, my head hurts whenever I read a book!¡± ¡°Well, then you¡¯re beyond help.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a way¡­ to become smart without using your brain?¡± ¡°There is.¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, leaned closer, and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Bai Youwei pointed to the fog in the center of the city with her chopsticks, ¡°Enter the maz& The maze improves a person¡¯s physical fitness, it might help improve your IQ.¡± Tan Xiao pondered for a moment, ¡°Come to think of it¡­ after going into the maze last time, my memory seems to have improved a bit.¡± ¡°Yeah, I had the same feeling¡­¡± Teacher Chang hesitated, ¡°I thought my memory improved because my body became younger.¡± Shen MO looked at them and said, ¡°The improvement the maze gave to our bodies doesn¡¯t seem to be balanced. For me, the biggest change is in strength, followed by speed, agility, reflexes, endurance¡­ thinking should have improved as well, but it¡¯s not as noticeable.¡± Bai Youwei summarised, ¡°This shows that growing a brain is much harder than growing muscles.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Why did her words sound so insulting? Meanwhile, Teacher Chang sighed, ¡°In that case, it would be good to take the kid into the maze once. Even if he has no props in the future, at least he¡¯ll have the ability to be independent.¡± ¡°Wait a moment~¡± Bai Youwei raised a finger and wiggled it, ¡°Teacher Chang, I¡¯m not bringing him into the maze to do him a favor. I truly want him to join us..¡± Chapter 180 - Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Bai Youwei’s Game Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Bai Youwei¡¯s Game Translator: 549690339 Everyone was astonished. After cohabiting for some time, they all had some knowledge about Bai Youwei. While she wasn¡¯t particularly nasty, she wasn¡¯t specifically kind hearted either. Yet now, she wanted to take in a ten-year old child? ¡­Could there be some hidden agenda? ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bai Youwei frowned slightly, ¡°The way you¡¯re looking at me now, is making me very un-com-fort-able. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Tan Xiao and Teacher Chang diverted their eyes. Shen MO was more direct and asked her, ¡°The reason?¡± Bai Youwei threw up her hands: ¡°Because I think the kid has potential. His observational skills are solid; he guessed our destination to be the maze; he is courageous enough to negotiate a deal with adults at such a young age, and he¡¯s clear-headed enough to realize that his elder brother was just using him as a scapegoat. Of course, he does have some drawbacks, but after all, he¡¯s only ten¡ªI can¡¯t expect too much, can I?¡± ¡°Just because of these reasons?¡± Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei, his eyes expressing doubt. The child¡¯s strengths were apparent, but the drawbacks were even more conspicuous. He was just a child, his capabilities in every aspect were weaker than adults, and he would undeniably be a burden in the game. Like in the first round ¡°Flower Picking¡± of ¡°Friends Gathering,¡± if anyone would snatch his flower, the child would have no power to resist at all. In short, once they took him in, all of them would have to put in a herculean effort just to keep him safe. ¡°Actually¡­ ever since we came out of the game last time, I¡¯ve felt that we are lacking something,¡± Bai Youwei said. Shen MO asked, ¡°Lacking what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to put into words, but you could say¡­ a simpler, more instinctive way of thinking?¡± Bai Youwei put down her chopsticks, fell silent for a moment before continuing, ¡°I think, the doll game isn¡¯t difficult. The difficulty lies in finding a solution. Due to factors like life experiences and upbringing, many of our thinking patterns are relatively set, including mine.¡± She looked at Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know, when we were playing Truth or Dare, I initially thought of a question for the card, but then I remembered the Inspector mocking humans as being combinations of water, protein, and organic substances, so I changed the question on the fly. But afterwards, I realized there was an easier way to pass the game, which I hadn¡¯t even thought of at the time.¡± Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai looked at each other, then asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What method?¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips slightly. ¡°The Inspector can¡¯t kill himself, so I told everyone to write ¡®kill the Inspector of this round¡¯ on the card. But in reality, there are numerous things the Inspector can¡¯t do. He can¡¯t bleed human blood; similarly, I guess he can¡¯t produce ear wax or nose excrement, he can¡¯t rub his scalp to produce dandruff, and he can¡¯t spit out saliva. Don¡¯t these methods sound disgusting? Very crude? But they might be effective, right?¡± Shen MO slightly frowned, ¡°You mean that child could make up for our cognitive shortfalls?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be sure¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s play a game now, treat me as the Inspector, and try to pass the game. How about that?¡± The three men quietly stared at her while holding their bowls. ¡°Pose your question.¡± Shen MO said. Let¡¯s treat it as a dinner party game. Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth curled up into a smile: ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m the Inspector for this round of the game, welcome to the Doll Game.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao: Teacher Chang: Bai Youwei smiled as she stretched out her hands, palms up: ¡°The theme of this round is ¡®Weiwei¡¯s Candy¡¯. Assume I have a piece of red candy and a piece of green candy in my hand.. The red one is watermelon-flavored; what flavor is the green one?¡± Chapter 181 - Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Late (Extra update for the master nine-) Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Late (Extra update for the master nine-) Translator: 549690339 Tan Xiao was very eager, immediately replying, ¡°Cantaloupe flavour!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Incorrect.¡± Teancher Chang asked: ¡°Is it grape flavour?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Incorrect.¡± Tan Xiao said: ¡°Teacher Chang, grape flavour is usually purple! Ah, is it kiwi flavour?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Incorrect.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°¡­What about green mandarin flavour?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Incorrect.¡± Teacher Chang seriously pondered: ¡°Since the red candy is watermelon-flavoured, then the green one must also be fruit-flavoured¡­ could it be cucumber-flavoured?¡± ¡°How could that be? Cucumbers are not fruits!¡± Tan Xiao activated his brain cell, ¡°Think again, are there any other green fruits¡­ Ah! I got it! Green apple flavor! I must be right this time, right?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head with a laugh: ¡°Still incorrect.¡± Tan Xiao was completely helpless: ¡°Weiwei, give us a hint!¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve already given you a hint, the red candy is watermelon-flavoured, that¡¯s the clue.¡± Teacher Chang tried again: ¡°Is it lotus seed flavour?¡± Bai Youwei burst into laughter, still shaking her head, she asked Shen Mo: ¡°What do you think it tastes like?¡± Shen MO pondered for a moment, answering: ¡°Sweetness.¡± ¡°What?! That¡¯s allowed?!¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°The answer is sweetness?! No way! That¡¯s so cunning!!!¡± Bai Youwei shook her head: ¡°That¡¯s also incorrect.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The sound of Tan Xiao¡¯s voice abruptly stopped. ¡°¡­¡± Teacher Chang was just about to praise the unexpected win of that answer, only to involuntarily shut his mouth. Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei: ¡°Reveal the answer.¡± Bai Youwei grinned, saying: ¡°The answer is, watermelon rind flavour.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao: Chang Weicai: ¡® . ¡°The red is watermelon-flavoured, the green is watermelon rind flavoured, what do you think? Isn¡¯t it logically consistent?¡± Bai Youwei gloated, ¡°When the nanny¡¯s child came to play at my house, I used treats to tease him, and that¡¯s exactly how he answered. Children¡¯s way of thinking is very interesting, if we truly aim to complete the puzzle collection, we should consider bringing that kid along, we might be pleasantly surprised~¡± She paused, then continued: ¡°If he can make it out of the maze alive, that is.¡± Everyone fell into silence. So, that¡¯s the most important part, right? If he can¡¯t make it out of the maze alive, everything we just discussed is moot! Tan Xiao picked up his bowl to continue eating, mumbling: ¡°I wonder if he¡¯ll show up at 2 p.m.¡± Bai Youwei also picked up her bowl, slowly eating a few bites of rice. Teacher Chang opened his mouth as if to speak, looking at his companions¡¯ expressions, in the end, he shut it and ate in silence¡­ 2 p.m. soon arrived. They returned to the crossroads again. They didn¡¯t bring a car, everyone only brought some portable luggage. There was no sign of the little boy at the crossroads. It was understandable if he didn¡¯t show up, after all, he didn¡¯t know Bai Youwei well, it was normal to be cautious, let alone¡­ not many people dared to enter the maze now. Chang Weicai said: ¡°Shall we wait a little longer? Maybe he got delayed.¡± Everyone looked at Bai Youwei. Her expression was indifferent, she didn¡¯t object, so everyone found a shady spot and waited quietly. They waited for five minutes. The little boy was still nowhere to be seen. Bai Youwei casually yawned. Just then, a few people approached from the right, they looked over¡ª It was two men and a woman, but the boy was still not with them. Bai Youwei suddenly felt completely unmotivated. ¡°Let¡¯s go, no need to wait any longer.¡± She said somewhat frustrated, ¡°He probably won¡¯t show up.¡± ¡°Hey! There¡¯s a handicapped person here.¡± One of the men, a chubby one, was surprised by the sight, meaning no discrimination, merely expressing surprise and having a loose tongue. Bai Youwei lazily lifted her eyelids, giving him a cold smirk. ¡°Listen here, sir, we¡¯re both handicapped people.. Is there a need to discriminate against each other?¡± Chapter 182 - Chapter 182: Chapter 182 MDZZ Chapter 182: Chapter 182 MDZZ Translator: 549690339 The fat uncle stared in bewilderment, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Bai Youwei smiled, pointing to her leg, ¡°I¡¯m leg-disabled.¡± Then pointed at his head, ¡°And, you are brain¨Cdisabled.¡± The air seemed to freeze for two seconds. The fat uncle fumed, ¡°How dare you insult me?!¡± Bai Youwei smirked, ¡°It took you two seconds to realise you¡¯ve been insulted. Clearly, your brain isn¡¯t the sharpest tool in the shed.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± The fat uncle rolled up his sleeves, ¡°You insolent little girl, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Shen MO and Tan Xiao stepped in front of Bai Youwei, while Master Chang cautiously moved the wheelchair back a bit. Meanwhile, the fat man¡¯s companion was holding him back. ¡°Lun Ang, let it go.¡± The man frowned at the sight of Shen MO and his group, his voice very low, ¡°Let¡¯s not complicate things, just take the exchanged items and go.¡± The woman in red was more swaggering, her disdain virtually written on her face, ¡°This little white lotus living off men will be dead in no time. You shouldn¡¯t keep getting worked up about her.¡± ¡°Tch! Were you raised in a single-parent home? Never been supported by your father?¡± Bai Youwei snickered, ¡°Living without depending on a man, what an accomplishment!¡± The woman in red immediately got angry and suddenly pulled out a gun from her waist! ¡°Su Man!¡± The man next to her snapped. Bai Youwei laughed, nonchalantly pulling a toy gun from her bag, ¡°I have one too, want to see whose is more powerful?¡± No one believed she was holding a toy. Who didn¡¯t carry a few life-saving items with them at this point? Both sides reached a stand-off. Shen MO¡¯s side seemed to have more people, but all the opponents were strong and robust. On his side, there was Bai Youwei and Chang Weicai, a disabled young woman and an old man, which subtly tipped the balance of power in favor of the opponents. Bai Youwei started to fumble in her bag, pulling out item after item with a languid tone, ¡°So many life-saving items, carrying them around every day is a hassle. It¡¯s a good time to try some out today¡­ The crowd: ¡® Shen MO glanced at her, ¡°Put them away.¡± Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t pleased, puffing her cheeks to ask, ¡°Are you suggesting that I am wasting them?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°I am worried you¡¯ll cause an injury.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei packed away the items one by one back into her bag, but the toy gun remained out. Of course, the toy gun normally couldn¡¯t do much damage; it mainly made people uncontrollably want to flee. But¡­ the opponents didn¡¯t know the real purpose of the items. So, she decided to take a gamble. When she saw the apprehension on the three men¡¯s faces, she knew she had bet correctly. ¡°We have no hostility.¡± The leader cast a glance at Bai Youwei, his eyes eventually landing on Shen MO¡¯s face. ¡°We have our items as well, but under the present circumstances, I believe it¡¯s unnecessary to waste our life-saving items on some petty verbal disputes, right?¡± ¡°Verbal disputes?¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°One of them insulted my disability and wanted to hit me while the other called me freeloader and almost shot me. Please clarify, who was the first to throw a punch in this so-called ¡®verbal dispute¡¯?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen MO glances at her again, ¡°No filthy language.¡± Bai Youwei hugged his arm pitifully ¡°Brother, these bad people are bullying me! Boohoo¡­ Tan Xiao, wielding his baseball bat at the forefront, looked at them with contempt, and declared righteously, ¡°We¡¯re working hard to save all of humanity, and you? You¡¯re big fellows, yet you¡¯re bullying a young girl! Tsk, scumbags of the martial world!¡± The three on the opposite side: ¡® Damn idiots, we¡¯ve run into lunatics! Chapter 183 - Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Apologize Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Apologize Translator: 549690339 The leading man gave a subtle signal to his two accomplices. The chubby uncle took a few steps back with a stern face. The woman in red bit her lip and put away her weapon. ¡°A misunderstanding,¡± explained the man, ¡°My name is Yan Qingwen. This is my partner Su Man, and Lun Ang. We¡¯re quite crude in our speech usually, but we mean no harm. As for calling this lady disabled¡­ there¡¯s no intended insult.¡± He paused for a second, then smiled and continued, ¡°Moreover, isn¡¯t this lady, indeed a disabled person? What should we have said to avoid offense?¡± Bai Youwei laughed and shouted loudly, ¡°Wow, look everyone, there¡¯s a fatso here! Just like a burned pig trotter!¡± Chubby Uncle: ¡°You! . Bai Youwei with an innocent face asked, ¡°Oh, how should I phrase it to be not offensive? He¡¯s actually a fatty, right? And that¡­ man with blindfold?¡± ¡°What did you just say about me?!¡± The woman in red stared at her fiercely. ¡°I said you are blind,¡± Bai Youwei giggled, ¡°You immediately presumed that I rely on a man for living. How did you conclude that it¡¯s not me who supports these men?¡± Shen Mo: Tan Xiao: Chang Weicai: ¡® . ¡°Even if I do rely on men, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Did I eat your rice or stole your man?¡± The chubby uncle couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Your mouth is too venomous, girl! We only criticized you once, and you retaliated a dozen times! Don¡¯t think because you are a girl we won¡¯t fight back!¡± ¡°Go ahead!¡± Bai Youwei patted her toy gun mockingly, rage filled her eyes, ¡°If I kill you guys, I can take over your puzzles!¡± At the mention of the puzzle, the expressions of the three people instantly changed, they looked at her vigilantly. Those who know the existence of the puzzle are most likely to have experienced the maze, and after experiencing the maze, their physical strength has increased. Such people should not be underestimated. The atmosphere was tense, and people on both sides were silently confronting each other. Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei, then turned to the leading man of the other party, and said calmly, ¡°Apologize. Even though you have a weapon in your hands, it may not be more effective than this toy.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Shen MO, and finally, looked at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei nonchalantly played with the toy gun in her hand. Yan Qingwen raised the corner of his mouth slightly, seeming amused more than mad, ¡°Okay, it was our fault. I apologize for my companions. Can we leave now?¡± Shen MO gestured, ¡°Please.¡± Despite still angry, the chubby uncle and the woman in red didn¡¯t say anything and left with Yan Qingwen. When they walked away, Shen MO turned around and knocked on Bai Youwei¡¯s forehead. ¡°Less tough talk in the future, every word stirring up the wind and rain?¡± Such words as killing people and taking over puzzles had scared poor Mr. Chang to the point of turning pale. ¡°We have to act tough, or they won¡¯t be scared.¡± Bai Youwei rubbed her forehead, stating somberly, ¡°Some people only bully the weak and fear the strong. The tougher I am, the more they fear and dare not mess aroun& Tan Xiao nodded repeatedly, ¡°Weiwei is right. Brother MO, when we rough it out, our image matters!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t want to argue with these two ¡°kids¡±. ¡°Look, they seem to be trading with those people.¡± Bai Youwei said excitedly. Some onlookers appeared near the crossroads when the conflict was going on, seemingly predestined to have an appointment with these three people, carrying different sizes of boxes. The three people handed over a gun and some bullets, and they carried back several boxes. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s inside¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at the receding figures, a bit curious. ¡°It¡¯s gasoline.¡± Shen MO said. Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I smelled it.¡± Shen MO said indifferently, ¡°Also, besides gasoline, I can¡¯t think of anything else more valuable than guns and bullets.¡± He paused, then said in a low voice: ¡°Our gasoline is almost used up..¡± Chapter 184 - Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Maybe Useful Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Maybe Useful Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°What should we do then?¡± Shen MO replied, ¡°Their gasoline, it must have been collected from the abandoned cars in the city. We can look for these cars in the game area, no residents dare approach there, so we should be able to collect quite a bit.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°And we can also play games at the same time-¡± Shen MO glanced at her, ¡°You¡¯re addicted, aren¡¯t you?¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°No way around it; we need puzzles and to get them we need props, and to get props we need to play games. In the end, I¡¯m doing this all for humanity¡¯s salvation-¡± Shen MO was amused and pinched her cheek, ¡°Just as that man said, you and your mouth¡­¡± Bai Youwei was displeased, she brushed off his hand and complained, ¡°Brother, can you pick another place to touch, my face is getting loose because of your pinching!¡± Shen MO paused. Tan Xiao, standing aside, nodded straightforwardly, ¡°I¡¯ve noticed the same. MO, you¡¯ve been touching Weiwei a lot lately.¡± ¡°Have 1¡­?¡± Shen MO touched his own nose. While they were chattering, they were unaware that others were discussing them in another place. A chunky, stout uncle carrying two buckets of gasoline walked back, complaining as he went, ¡°That damned girl cursed too harshly, I¡¯ve never been cursed like that before.¡¯ ¡°Qingwen, why did you stop us?¡± The redhead woman was also dissatisfied, ¡°We could have won if we fought.¡± ¡°And then what?¡± Yan Qingwen looked at them indifferently, ¡°Wasting resources and stamina on these people, what¡¯s the advantage for us? Don¡¯t forget, it¡¯s not safe here. We might enter the game any moment, besides¡­¡± He paused, looking back at the distant mist. ¡°Besides, they entered the maze, so they might not come out alive.¡± The redhead woman sneered, ¡°That¡¯s true, no need to waste time on people who are about to die.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just go.¡± The chubby uncle was irritated, ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry back, Li Li will start nagging, it¡¯s annoying! ¡± ¡°Ever since he met Zhu Shu, he¡¯s never had a sober moment.¡± ¡°Enough, let¡¯s say less when we get back.¡± A dispute at the crossroads delayed their entry into the mist for a while. At half past two, they arrived at the edge of the mist, confirmed the items in their bags one last time, and prepared to enter the mist. At this moment, the boy from the morning arrived. He arrived panting and carrying a heavy backpack. He wiped the sweat off his face, his round eyes staring at Bai Youwei, he asked, ¡°Does your promise from this morning still stand?¡± ¡°It stands¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked him up and down, her eyes landing on a few bruised patches, she asked in doubt, ¡°But, are you sure you can enter the maze in your condition?¡± There were quite a lot of injuries on his body, as if he had just been beaten up. The little boy shook his head: ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Shen MO also warned him, ¡°After we go in, we will help you, but when danger comes, we might not necessarily be able to look out for you.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The little boy hoisted his backpack up higher on his shoulders, saying, ¡°I will try to run as fast as I can.¡± Shen MO gave him a final glance, not saying anymore; he pushed his wheelchair forward, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± They continued deeper into the mist. Mr. Cheng fell behind and lightly patted the boy¡¯s bag, ¡°It¡¯s heavy, isn¡¯t it? Let me carry it for you.¡± ¡°¡­No need, I can carry it.¡± The little boy responded in a muffled voice, ¡°Thank you.¡± Tan Xiao, quick with his hand, grabbed the bag with one hand, ¡°I¡¯ll carry it. You¡¯re just a little kid, the bag is so heavy. How will you run when it¡¯s time to escape? ¡­Hey, what¡¯s this?¡± When he picked up the bag, his fingers hooked a thin string around the little boy¡¯s neck. He pulled it slightly, revealing a whistle tucked inside the boy¡¯s collar. ¡°N-No¡­ nothing¡­¡± The boy hastily stuffed the whistle back in, stammering, ¡°Just brought it along, might be useful¡­.¡± Chapter 185 - Chapter 185: Chapter 185: The Second Time into the Maze Chapter 185: Chapter 185: The Second Time into the Maze Translator: 549690339 Shen MO glanced back at them and said nothing. Continuing to walk into the fog for another five or six minutes, they gradually felt the environment change. Everyone knew this was a sign of entering the labyrinth, so no one spoke up. The air became more and more stifling and moist. And beneath their feet¡­ The ground began to soften. This softness was different from the muck found in the ¡°Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡± game. It was a different kind¡­ a distinctly uncomfortable softness. Bai Youwei also noticed the sluggishness of her wheelchair. The ground was no longer flat, but sticky and dull, which felt very strange. She even smelled a¡­ strong scent of blood. Then¡­ The fog parted. City buildings came into view, causing everyone to spontaneously cover their noses and mouths, trying to suppress their urge to vomit¡­ -The city was enveloped by clumps of bloody flesh, indistinguishable as tendons or membranes, wrapped around everything. The sky was also covered, making them feel as if they were inside the body of some monster. The path ahead appeared to be vitals¨Ca windpipe, intestines, or something¡­ Bai Youwei looked extremely uncomfortable. All her excitement and anticipation at tackling the challenge vanished! She had originally entered the game looking for fun, but now she couldn¡¯t bear to stay even for one more second! She just wanted to leave! ¡°Disgusting!¡± She covered her nose and cursed vehemently with two words. Chen, the teacher, tried to touch the wall next to him. The soft and somewhat elastic touch of it was very much like skinless muscle. When his hand covered it, he could even feel the wall pulsating underneath. As if blood was flowing underneath. Chen murmured thoughtfully, ¡°The last time, the labyrinth tested our minds. Could it be testing our physical awareness this time?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Bai Youwei answered quietly while covering her nose and mouth. ¡°Our decision to come to Hangzhou was spontaneous. The game system wouldn¡¯t know which labyrinth we¡¯d choose.¡± Her expression was painful. She tried hard to breathe, then immediately held her breath out of nausea, looking aggrieved and annoyed. ¡°This place is beyond disgusting.¡± Tan Xiao looked left and right, then asked blankly, ¡°Were we¡­ swallowed by some massive monster?¡± Shen MO took out a dagger and walked over to the fleshy wall, raising his hand to stab it. He sliced a wound in the wall and blood flowed out. He dipped his finger in the blood, sniffed it lightly, and frowned, ¡°This labyrinth seems to be¡­¡¯alive¡¯.¡± -Only living things bleed. Everyone stood still, silent for a moment. The realization that whatever they were standing on was alive sent a shiver up their legs. After a moment of contemplation, Shen MO said to everyone, ¡°Let¡¯s move forward for now.¡± Bai Youwei, holding her hand over her mouth, pointed towards the young boy, ¡°Have him bring out the map and follow that.¡± Everyone then remembered that the boy had claimed he had a map of the labyrinth. How could someone who¡¯s never been inside the labyrinth draw one? ¨C It was simply a reproduction of the city located within the area of the fog. The young boy handed the map to Shen MO and said, ¡°We should currently be on Gen Shan West Street. If I am not mistaken, just further ahead there should be a large overpass.¡± Shen MO looked at the map and then at the boy, ¡°Are you a local to Hangzhou?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± The boy nodded. ¡°My name is Pan Xiaoxin. I¡¯m a fifth grader at Hangzhou Central Primary School.¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°11. ¡± Shen MO nodded slightly, returned the map to him, ¡°From now on, you are responsible for keeping track of the route we take.¡± Caught off guard by the sudden assignment, Pan Xiaoxin hesitated, then hurriedly took the map, ¡°¡­.OK, I¡¯ll do it!¡± Chapter 186 - Chapter 186: Chapter 186: A Significant Shock Chapter 186: Chapter 186: A Significant Shock Translator: 549690339 They continued to move forward. The scent of flesh permeated the surroundings. Bai Youwei covered her nose for a while before realizing there was no avoiding breathing, so she lowered her hand and reluctantly accepted the air here. As they walked on, they could faintly make out the outline of a suspension bridge covered with chunks of flesh. Simultaneously, they encountered something else. ¡­It was a group of skinless creatures, with disproportionately large heads and tiny skinny limbs. They perched on the lumpy meat, gnawing it hungrily. The gnawed areas released pus, blood, and slime, causing the pink flesh to turn a rotten purple color. Bai Youwei felt sickened, almost to the point of throwing up. She was reminded of the movie ¡°The Lord of the Rings¡± from over a century ago, specifically, the character Gollum. These things were just like it! No¡­ That¡¯s not right. These creatures were even more disgusting! At least Gollum had bright, expressive eyes. As for these¡­ She had been looking for a while and she couldn¡¯t find their eyes at all! ¡°What in the world is this?¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Alien babies?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, these red creatures seemed to sense his movement and suddenly turned to look at him! On their faces, they had nothing but cracked mouths! ¡°Holy crap¡­¡± Tan Xiao gasped. In an instant! Seven or eight of these creatures were scuttling towards them! Though their limbs seemed small and frail, they climbed over the lumps of flesh like bamboo worms, scurrying swiftly like nothing else! Tan Xiao didn¡¯t have time to swear! He immediately wielded his baseball bat, smacking one creature away and crushing the next with a loud bang! And they really did smash! It felt like bursting a blood packet. Once hit, it immediately splattered and melted into the flesh beneath their feet, leaving nothing behind but a powerful, pungent stench of blood! Chang Weicai wielded a walking stick as a weapon, swinging it nervously without rhythm, but still managing to repel several creatures. ¡°Be careful, everyone!¡± he shouted, ¡°These things might be poisonous, try not to come into direct contact with them!¡± ¡°You should have said that sooner, Chang!¡± Tan Xiao crushed another creature¡¯s head. He stuck his tongue out in disgust: ¡°Blech! Blech! Blech! Blech!¡± While the creatures were terrifyingly agile, given their small size and lack of toughness, the team could deal with seven or eight of them at once. Pan Xiaoxin was protected in the middle, his face deathly pale. Despite his meticulous preparations for entering the maze, he never expected these people to be so ruthless! Within 5 minutes of entering the maze, they had already begun fighting with monsters! Moreover¡­even the sixty-year-old boss had managed to kill quite a few! Among everyone, only Bai Youwei seemed relatively calm, sitting motionless in her wheelchair like a vulnerable girl. This gave the young Pan Xiaoxin a bit of comfort. The last creature was crushed under Shen Mo t s foot. He controlled his power, rolling the creature¡¯s slippery head under his foot without killing it, and asked with a frown, ¡°Come and see what this is.¡± As Chang Weicai leaned down to get a closer look at the creature, he probed its mouth with his walking stick. ¡°Its body produces some kind of toxin that corrodes proteins and fats, but it seems not to affect us much¡­ Chang looked at Tan Xiao¡¯s unscathed face, then lightly poked at the creature¡¯s head with his stick. Unexpectedly, the creature¡¯s head burst open instantly, turning into a pool of blood underneath Shen Mo¡¯s foot. Chang was taken aback, ¡°¡­well, it seems their heads are unusually fragile, which could be a weak point. They also appear to move in groups, so there may be many more lurking in the maze.¡± Shen MO turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Any thoughts?¡± Bai Youwei made a disgusted face, ¡°This is too disgusting.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei, looking uncomfortable, repeated: ¡°Too disgusting¡­ too disgusting¡­¡± It seemed their strategist was quite shocked.. Chapter 187 - Chapter 187: Chapter 187: No Clue Chapter 187: Chapter 187: No Clue Translator: 549690339 They had no leads and could only continue along the street. Afterward, they encountered the Skinning Monster a few more times. Small and annoying, their numbers gradually increased. It was still manageable when there were seven or eight of them, but when dozens rushed over together, everyone could hardly cope with them. Not sure what else they would encounter down the road, they found a convenience store to take a temporary refuge in. ¡ªThe convenience store was also filled with chunks of flesh. The fleshy shelves lay here and there, some broken on the floor, some sticking to the walls, growing together with the fleshy walls. Warm and greasy, it gave off a nauseating smell of blood. Interestingly though, while they were surrounded by red flesh and there weren¡¯t any lights, their vision was somehow bright. Chang Weicai reached out again, attempting to touch the chunks of flesh. The walls, the floor, the doors and windows, the shelves, the cashier counter¡­without exception, all had turned into flesh. There was no skin, only a thin layer of meat membrane that would bleed if you barely cut into it. ¡°It¡¯s different from last time¡­¡± murmured Professor Chang. ¡°Indeed it is.¡± Shen MO whispered. The last time in the Mirror Maze, the city still retained the textures of its infrastructure. Cement was still cement, glass was still glass. The city had become a maze only through different combinations and arrangements. But this time, the arrangement of the city¡¯s infrastructure had not changed. The streets, the houses, everything looked the same. The only difference was the change in texture. ¡°If the street positions are the same as on the map, we don¡¯t need to worry about getting lost,¡± Shen MO conjectured, ¡°but where could the exit be?¡± Last time they had been circling the maze in an attempt to find the exit. But this time, the map had clearly marked every position. So where would the exit be located? Professor Chang said, ¡°We can¡¯t take our time like last time, the previous maze had water, electricity, and an ample supply of food. But here¡­the food and water we brought can only last us two days at maximum.¡± They had indeed been negligent. With preconceived notions, they hadn¡¯t prepared enough food and water. Primary concern had been to be unencumbered, ready to cope with danger at any time. They hadn¡¯t expected to be in this kind of situation. ¡­Of course, there was no lack of meat here. But who would dare eat this kind of meat? After thinking for a moment, Shen MO said, ¡°If this maze is a creature¡¯s body, there should be the corresponding organs. We can try to find the main organs, such as the heart, the brain. Maybe that would give us some clues.¡± Naturally, this was just a hypothesis. If it was an alien creature, it might not have the normal set of organs. Tan Xiao asked, ¡°Which direction should we go in?¡± He bent over to look at the map in Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hands, and then asked, ¡°Do we head directly to the city center?¡± According to conventional thinking, important things seemed to be hidden in the most central place. Bai Youwei weakly questioned, ¡°Isn¡¯t this meat¡­it will bleed¡­¡± Her voice was quite soft, her mouth only slightly open, as if opening it further would cause her to breathe in more of the disgusting air around them. ¡°¡­let¡¯s try making a few more cuts. If the maze truly is a single entity, it should have a circulatory system. The speed of the blood flow differs depending on the area. The highest speed is in the aorta, and because capillaries cover a larger surface area, the speed of blood flow is the slowest there. If we want to find the heart, we first need to find the aorta. There was a plan. Everyone immediately started acting without any further delay. Even though everything was made of flesh, some places had noticeable veins embedded within. Shen MO stabbed into a prominent dark-red vein, and as he pulled the knife out, blood gushed out like water from a burst pipe. A moment later, the flow lessened. Shen MO touched the wound with his hand, his brows furrowing, ¡­It¡¯s healing..¡± Chapter 189 - Chapter 189: Chapter 189: It’s not my cough (Top 50 on the activity list, add updates) Chapter 189: Chapter 189: It¡¯s not my cough (Top 50 on the activity list, add updates) Translator: 549690339 With Bai Youwei temporarily out of commission, Shen MO had to continue to lead the team. He turned around, looking at their surroundings, and found that this place was a restaurant. There was a cash register at the entrance. Inside, there were many tables and chairs and decorative paintings hung on the walls, but all had turned flesh-like. Everything had turned red and bloody. Even the air was filled with the salty stench of raw meat. He had left in a hurry earlier, temporarily placing Bai Youwei on a chair covered in flesh lumps. Now, looking at her pale face, it seemed she was frightened. Tan Xiao, out of curiosity, also pulled out a chair, touched it, and then tried to sit on it. His expression was subtle. ¡°¡­It feels like sitting on someone¡¯s lap.¡± He muttered as he stood up, feeling uncomfortable and didn¡¯t sit for long. Chang Weicai was more interested in Shen Mo¡¯s actions when he rushed out earlier, and asked, ¡°What was that thing that crawled by? Is it aggressive?¡± Shen MO shook his head calmly, ¡°Not sure, but it does attack those small creatures. It devoured all dozens of them near the bus stop sign. This creature seems to have a huge appetite.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Its body seems to grow larger after it feeds.¡± ¡°It gets bigger?¡± Tan Xiao wore a nauseated expression, ¡°This is the fastest maggot I¡¯ve ever seen. What would it look like if it got any bigger?¡± ¡°Stop talking¡­¡± Bai Youwei gritted her teeth, feeling so nauseated that her skin was tingling. Seeing her like this, Shen MO felt a bit helpless and slightly amused, trying to reassure everyone. ¡°Whatever it is, let¡¯s share our thoughts first. Should we stick to the original plan and look for the main organs, or try to figure out what¡¯s going on with that creature?¡± After all, they could not always be so lucky to find a hiding place nearby. If they could not avoid it next time, would they have the strength to confront that big ¡°snake¡±? Chang Weicai frowned, ¡°Everything is unknown now. We don¡¯t know how many creatures there are, nor whether their movements are random¡­ or follow a certain pattern¡­¡± While they spoke, both Chang Weicai and Tan Xiao subtly glanced at Bai Youwei. ¡°Why are you all looking at me? I don¡¯t know anything!¡± Bai Youwei felt uncomfortable all over, closed her eyes and asked, ¡°Is there water?¡± Shen MO put down the bag and pulled a bottle of mineral water out of it. The bottle was filled with mint sugar water. Bai Youwei took two sips and managed to suppress the feeling of nausea. ¡°No rush.¡± Shen MO said calmly, ¡°We¡¯ve just come in. Let¡¯s think about it together and we¡¯ll find a way out.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, nodded slightly. She took another sip of water. Thinking about the environment in the maze, she frowned even tighter, decided to save some water, put the cap back on, and returned the bottle to Shen Mo. At this moment, a cough suddenly broke the silence in the room. Everyone paused. Tan Xiao looked at Chang Weicai, Chang Weicai looked at Shen MO, Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei, and Bai Youwei was completely baffled. In the end, everyone turned their attention to Pan Xiaoxin, the youngest member of the team. ¡°Do you want some water?¡± Bai Youwei handed him the bottle. Pan Xiaoxin waved his hand awkwardly, ¡°No¡­ it wasn¡¯t me who coughed.¡± Everyone paused again, looking at each other, their faces gradually tightening with suspicion¡­ Could it be¡­ There were others hiding in the room apart from them? Shen MO furrowed his brow looking around, finally, his gaze landed on the kitchen area of the restaurant. He took the dagger and slowly approached. Tan Xiao picked up his baseball bat intending to follow, but Shen MO stopped him, silently making a ¡°stop¡± gesture, telling everyone to stay put. He continued to move forward. The door to the kitchen was on the right side of the restaurant. The door was closed, but since it had already turned into a piece of meat, it naturally lost its corresponding safety features. The lock was useless. Shen MO stopped in front of the door. He grabbed the door handle, which was covered in meat lumps, and gave it a little force. The door opened.. Chapter 190 - Chapter 190: Chapter 190: A Survivor Chapter 190: Chapter 190: A Survivor Translator: 549690339 Click The door was opened, and inside was filled with chunks of flesh, pink and red, just like outside. The operating table was full of thick, bluish-purple veins. Large clumps of bloody tumors hung on the walls. There were no windows, the air was murky, and a rich smell of blood lingered all around, it was nauseating. Shen MO walked in, it was quiet inside. He keenly noticed a slightly murky sound of breathing. His brow furrowed slightly, and he steadily moved towards the direction of the sound. As he approached the end of the long operating table, the breathing sound became clearer and more rapid. It had nearly turned into a heavy pant. When Shen MO walked around the corner of the operating table, the panting suddenly turned into a tangible scream! ¡°Ahhh!!! Don¡¯t come closer!¡­ Don¡¯t come closer! Don¡¯t come closer!¡± The man screamed in terror! Shen MO put down the dagger in his hand, his brow furrowed even more. Under the operating table, a man was curled up, looking at him with fear. The man was about thirty years old. He was wearing a common white shirt and a suit jacket draped over his legs. It seemed like he was injured, he was slumped on the ground motionless, his hands in front of his body flailing, screaming repeatedly: ¡°Don¡¯t come closer! Get away!¡­ Get away from me! Don¡¯t come closer!¡± The people outside rushed in when they heard the sound. Upon seeing so many people, the man¡¯s expression became even more frightened, his lips were trembling non-stop, and he was staring at them nervously and fearfully. Professor Chang asked Shen MO with concern: ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is he a survivor of the maze? why is he hiding in such a place¡­¡± Tan Xiao also squatted down and asked the man, ¡°Hey! Tell us quickly, what¡¯s the deal with this maze, where is the exit?¡± The man looked at them uncertainly, his face full of cold sweat, he couldn¡¯t speak a word. Tan Xiao saw that it seemed like the man was injured, and reached out to lift the bloody suit jacket on his leg, ¡°¡­are you hurt somewhere?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! The man suddenly screamed! Tan Xiao was taken aback, he withdrew his hand and stared wide-eyed, ¡°Did this guy get scared into some kind of disorder? He seems like a lunatic.¡± Chang Weicai also felt stuffy, he said to Shen MO, ¡°I guess he got a shock, seems a little crazy¡­ I am afraid we might not be able to get any clues from him.¡± Shen MO knitted his brow and looked at the man on the ground. After a moment of silence, he asked coldly, ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡± The man was looking at him nervously, but oddly, he slowly calmed down and said hoarsely, ¡°You¡­ are you here to collect the jigsaw puzzle too? I¡­ I am tool¡­ My companion was eaten by that snake outside! Now I¡¯m the only one left¡­. Shen MO asked, ¡°When did you enter the maze?¡± The man¡¯s face revealed confusion, he murmured, ¡°Four or five days?¡­ Three or four days? I don¡¯t know¡­ there is nothing in this place, I don¡¯t know how many days have passed¡­.¡± Shen MO frowned, and continued to question him, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that snake outside, do you know?¡± The man¡¯s face changed, his eyes exhibited extreme fear. ¡°That¡­ that snake¡­¡± he swallowed hard and replied tremulously, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ gluttonous¡­ its snake, it will get longer and bigger, don¡¯t let it eat you¡­ be careful, if it eats you, then it¡¯s the end¡­¡± Before he could finish, there was a faint tremor under their feet again. ¡°It¡¯s coming again!¡± the man¡¯s pupils contracted sharply, and he cried out, ¡°Close the door quickly! Don¡¯t let it find out about this place!!!¡± The tremor quickly intensified, Professor Chang panicked, ¡°Weiwei is still outside!¡± Bai Youwei had difficulty moving, and she also loathed the heavy smell in the kitchen, so she didn¡¯t follow in. Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed, he turned and left the room! Bai Youwei was sitting by the window, leisurely looking outside. He rushed forward few steps and picked her up.. The house started shaking vigorously! Without time to shield themselves, they quickly hid under the dining table before an even bigger shake happened¡ª Chapter 191 - Chapter 191: Chapter 191: The Greedy Snake Chapter 191: Chapter 191: The Greedy Snake Translator: 549690339 The whole building was trembling! Be it the ground or the walls, every piece of flesh was shivering and shuddering! Bai Youwei crouched under the table, watching the lumps of flesh hanging from the table edge twitching incessantly. She felt so nauseous that she wished she could just drop dead! Thankfully, fate hadn¡¯t cornered her completely, at least she had a place to shelter ¨C She buried her face in Shen Mo¡¯s chest, clinging to him and breathing deeply. The crisp scent and the smell of his sweat could soothe her heart and alleviate the extreme discomfort caused by the chunks of flesh. Shen MO was completely oblivious. He had no time to bother about how intimate they were at the moment. Holding Bai Youwei, his eyes were staring through the gap between the tables at the restaurant entrance, watching a giant monster crawling past the door! When he saw it ten minutes ago, its body was as thick as a road, but its body had now expanded, filling both pedestrian lanes! Just like a rumbling train rushing past the door, causing the nearby buildings to tremble! It took a good seven or eight seconds for its body to completely pass by the door! The vibrations were receding. Gradually disappearing with the increasing distance. Finally, calm returned to the surroundings¡­ Shen MO rose, holding Bai Youwei and placed her back on the wheelchair. Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin, who were in the kitchen, also came out, looking at the duo with lingering fear. ¡°Brother Mo¡­¡± Tan Xiao glanced at the kitchen behind him, faltered, ¡°The guy inside said this is the Snake Maze. Only when the snake reaches its maximum length and size, the exit will open. All the companions who came in with him were eaten by the snake. He was injured while escaping and has been trapped here.¡± Snake Maze? Shen MO frowned and said: ¡°That big creature outside definitely fits the characteristics of the snake. After eating, its body became longer and bigger.¡± ¡°Is it fast?¡± Teacher Chang was concerned about safety, ¡°Can we escape from it with our current physical fitness?¡± Shen MO thought for a moment, and slowly shook his head: ¡°Changes in speed are not significant. In the game mode of Snake, accelerating is to increase the game difficulty. Once the snake crashes into the wall, it¡¯s zame-over. But from what I¡¯ve just seen, this snake won¡¯t be affected even if it hits the wall, so there¡¯s no point in gaining speed.¡± Pan Xiaoxin cast a pale face, ¡°Then¡­ does that mean¡­ that the snake will never ¡°The most important thing in a maze is to find an exit, not to kill monsters.¡± Bai Youwei, suppressing her nausea, said, ¡°But the problem now is¡­ In most cases, the game of Snake has an infinite mode, there is no concept of level clearance. Although some modes have stages, they also have a corresponding points system and only open the entrance to the next level when a certain point is reached. Could this maze have a scoring system that we are unaware Pausing for a moment, she covered her mouth and nose and continued, ¡°Furthermore¡­ If we keep hiding inside the house, how do we judge when it has achieved its maximum size? Can we really trust what that man said?¡± Despite her overwhelming nausea, her mind was relatively clear. Shen MO pondered for a while and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and ask him.¡± They all returned to the kitchen. The man slumped on the ground. Seeing them come back, he looked panicked, ¡°You all saw it, right? That snake¡­ Has it gotten longer?¡± Shen MO studied the frightened man and his expression, and slowly said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s gotten longer. But due to its size, it seems that it can only move outside and cannot enter a room. We should be safe staying here.¡± The man let out a sigh of relief, but still nervously looked outside, ¡°When it¡¯s at its smallest and largest states, it¡¯s relatively safe.. But when it¡¯s in between, you must not get found by it! That snake eats everything! Besides the flesh here, it will eat anything else it finds!¡± Chapter 192 - Chapter 192: Chapter 192: Take This With You Chapter 192: Chapter 192: Take This With You Translator: 549690339 ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the snake will shrink after it gets bigger?¡± Shen MO asked. ¡°Yes¡­¡± The man nervously swallowed, stuttering in his explanation, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t eat for a long period of time, the snake will shrink, get shorter, and that¡¯s extremely dangerous! Because it¡¯s hungry! It¡¯ll raid all the houses on the side of the road!¡± As he spoke, he seemed to recall the gruesome state of his dead companions, shaking uncontrollably, and muttering under his breath, ¡°They¡¯re all dead¡­everyone¡¯s dead¡­¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes in irritation, ¡°So they¡¯re dead. You¡¯re still alive, right? Stop beating around the bush, be clear!¡± Shen MO silently shot her a glance. With a pout, Bai Youwei snorted and fell silent. Shen MO then asked the man, ¡°When you and your companions entered the maze, apart from the snake, you also must have encountered the skinny little monsters with big heads, right?¡± ¡°Those little monsters¡­they are the snake¡¯s food.¡± The man¡¯s expression was filled with even more fear, his lips quivering uncontrollably, ¡°They¡¯re poisonous, can¡¯t touch¡­will rot¡­if anyone touches them, they¡¯ll rot! You can¡¯t touch them!¡­can¡¯t¡­ His speech was garbled, but they could barely make sense of his warnings. Bai Youwei frowned at Tan Xiao¡¯s face. Just now, Tan Xiao had been covered in monster blood, but it seemed alright now, with no signs of disintegration. Was the man lying?¡­ Or perhaps, one would only be exposed to the poison if bitten by the monster? Something felt off¡­ This place was repulsively nauseating, seriously obstructing her ability to think. She even found breathing painful! Bai Youwei covered her mouth and nose in irritation. Shen MO, however, seemed undisturbed. He discussed with the others, ¡°From what I see, there are mainly two threats in this maze. One is the snake that can elongate and shorten, the other is its prey ¨C the little monsters we¡¯ve encountered. If we follow the pattern of the game Snake, we just need to follow the snake once it has grown to a certain point, and we¡¯ll find the exit.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not easy¡­¡± Teacher Cheng fretted, ¡°The maze is huge. Trying to follow the snake is too risky ¨C it¡¯s a test of speed and stamina.¡± What if they were left behind midway? What if they were discovered midway? What should they do if they bumped into those skin-peeling monsters? What if the exit never turned up? What then? Shen MO contemplated, then said, ¡°Tan Xiao and I are the fastest. We could try to follow the snake first to scout. If we find the exit, we¡¯ll come back and let you guys know. If we can¡¯t find the exit¡­¡± He paused for a moment, his gaze landing on Bai Youwei¡¯s face, ¡°If we can¡¯t find the exit, we will still hurry back. In the meantime, you should lead the group and stay here, don¡¯t run about.¡± Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t keen on separating from him. While she knew her wheelchair was a hindrance, she mumbled resentfully, ¡°¡­just make sure you guys come back soon.¡± Shen MO nodded, reminding her, ¡°If anything happens, discuss it with Teacher Cheng, don¡¯t act rashly.¡± Bai Youwei immediately raised an eyebrow, ¡°When have I ever acted rashly? Stop nagging!¡± Shen Mo chuckled lightly, then turned to Tan Xiao, ¡°Let¡¯s prepare to head out.¡± Tan Xiao nodded, following him out. Bai Youwei silently bit her lip, watching as the two men entered the front restaurant. They emptied their backpacks, filled them with a small amount of food and water, then picked up their preferred weapons. ¡® She quietly followed them, tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s sleeve. Shen MO turned around to look at her. Bai Youwei took a doll out from her bag and pushed it into his hand, murmuring, ¡°Take this with you.¡± The moment the doll touched his palm, Shen MO understood its purpose. He squeezed the doll, a slight smile curving his lips, ¡°Looks a lot like you.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Then you could say that you¡¯re bringing me along..¡± Chapter 193 - Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Only One Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Only One Translator: 549690339 Shen MO smiled, pushing the doll back into her canvas bag. ¡°No need.¡± He raised a hand to pat her head. ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon. Keep the props. In case something happens here, it will be good for handling the situation.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, displeased. At that moment, faint vibrations began to rumble beneath their feet again. Bai Youwei¡¯s face grew more sullen. She knew that the monster was once again approaching, and Shen MO and Tan Xiao were about to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen MO put a large bottle of peppermint rock sugar water in her arms and stood up straight. ¡°Hide it well, and take a sip if you feel nauseous.¡± Tan Xiao also said: ¡°Weiwei, when MO and I find the exit, we can leave!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s arrogant expression finally softened somewhat, instead revealing a somewhat pitiful vulnerability: ¡°You guys better come back quickly¡­¡± The two of them left the shop one after the other. The vibrations intensified. It didn¡¯t seem to be coming towards this street. Shen MO estimated the direction and promptly led Tan Xiao towards the source of the disturbance. Bai Youwei watched from the window for a while before being persuaded by Chang Weicai to retreat to the back kitchen. They closed the heavily stacked door, leaving only a narrow slit to monitor the outside situation. The intensity of the vibrations varied, drawing near and then receding. The enormous, elongated snake seemed to be darting about the streets in a frantic search for food. After a while, it moved further and further away and calm was restored¡­ All was quiet. People in the back kitchen collectively sighed in relief. But then, they couldn¡¯t help but worry for the two who had ventured outside. ¡°I hope they encounter smooth sailing.¡± Chang Weicai sighed and prayed. Pan Xiaoxin silently looked at Chang Weicai and Bai Youwei. Coincidentally, those left behind were the old, the young, and the crippled, which greatly unsettled him¡­ Bai Youwei frowned but didn¡¯t speak. She took a sip from the bottle while still cradling it, still feeling frustrated. Seeing a few peppermint leaves floating in the water, she reached out her delicate hand to pick them out and put them in her mouth to chew. The cool, slightly bitter taste diluted the stench of blood in her nostrils, making her feel a bit better. She glanced at the half-dead man on the ground and asked: ¡°How did your companions die?¡± The man hesitated, then replied, ¡°We were following the snake, trying to find an exit. It found us at a turning point before we had time to run¡­ They were eaten, and I was injured.¡± Bai Youwei asked him again: ¡°Have you seen anyone else?¡± The man looked even more confused: ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ve been hiding here, afraid to go out. Had you not rushed in, I wouldn¡¯t even have known other people had entered the maze.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips and looked out, silently counting the time in her heart. She recalled what Shen MO had said earlier ¨C five people had entered the maze. Among them, one had been injured, but in the end, all five had exited the maze. This suggests that the maze isn¡¯t overly difficult, unless those five had extraordinary abilities. Could those five truly have had remarkable talents? She didn¡¯t believe that she and Shen MO, who had both undergone a data upgrade, would be inferior to those five. Also, in the Mirror Maze, as long as the correct method is found, it would be quite easy to escape. The existence of the maze couldn¡¯t possibly solely be for players to battle the monster! Bai Youwei felt a headache, the stench of the meat around her made her feel nauseous again. She tilted her head back and took another sip of the peppermint water. Through the transparent glass bottle, she saw a blurry shadow moving outside the restaurant. Pan Xiaoxin nervously shrank back, whispering in an extremely faint voice: ¡°It¡¯s that¡­skinless monster.¡± Chang Weicai hurriedly latched the door shut, pressing his back against the door, looking stern and tense. ¡°There¡¯s only one, don¡¯t be afraid¡­ It won¡¯t detect us.¡± He held his crutch, whispering to Bai Youwei and Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Stay back a bit, don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m here guarding. It won¡¯t get in..¡± Chapter 194 - Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Two Have Arrived Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Two Have Arrived Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei and Pan Xiaoxin stared at that door, both of them silent. The air seemed to congeal. It was suffocatingly hot and humid. The confined space made the atmosphere even more oppressive, making it hard to breathe. Bai Youwei sat quietly in her wheelchair, sweating profusely in the sweltering environment. Her palms were sticky, her back damp, and sweat trickled down her cheeks. She held her breath and listened to the sound of chewing and tearing flesh from beyond the wall¡­ The sound gradually grew louder, as if it would penetrate the fleshy wall at any moment. The man hiding under the counter was looking increasingly pale. He anxiously eyed the direction the noise was coming from, breathing uncontrollably, his chest heaving, and his sweat pouring like rain. ¡°It¡¯s not going to work¡­¡± His lips were practically white as he muttered, ¡°We need to drive it away¡­You guys, you guys have to get rid of it! Otherwise, more will come! They will attract the snakes! They will bring the snakes here!¡± Bai Youwei glared at him displeased and coldly ordered, ¡°Shut up!¡± The man actually began to cry out of fear, his tears and snot flowing freely. ¡°Once they bite through the wall, we are done for! Please, I beg you, get rid of those monsters! Otherwise, we¡¯ll all die here!!!¡± Chang Weicai gripped the cane tightly and said: ¡°You guys stay here¡­ Don¡¯t make a sound. I will handle it.¡¯ Bai Youwei turned to Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°Kid, do you have anything useful in your backpack?¡± Pan Xiaoxin, dumbfounded, hastily placed their backpack on the floor and emptied its contents; a hodgepodge of items including a water bottle, lunch box, kitchen knife, hammer, rope¡­ and even a brick made it out. He seemed to have brought nearly anything he might come to need in daily life. Bai Youwei picked up the hammer for herself, and instructed Pan Xiaoxin to take the kitchen knife. ¡°You stay to Chang Weicai¡¯s right, and I¡¯ll be on the left,¡± Bai Youwei instructed. ¡°As soon as Chang Weicai opens the door, if anything comes in, we kill it. Understand?¡± Pan Xiaoxin pursed their lips and nodded anxiously. Bai Youwei smiled and complimented him: ¡°Good job, you aren¡¯t crying.¡± Pan Xiaoxin felt a little uncomfortable receiving praise, unconsciously glancing at the canvas bag hanging on the wheelchair. ¡°Want to see what¡¯s in my bag?¡± Bai Youwei laughed and lightly patted the bulging bag. ¡°It¡¯s not the time yet.¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to talk anymore and simply commanded Chang Weicai: ¡°Open the door.¡± Chang Weicai nodded, tightened his grip on his walking stick and slowly pulled open the door¡ª Bang! As soon as the door cracked open, a bloody creature from outside burst in! Squealing, it attempted to wriggle its way in! Chang Weicai hurriedly barricaded the door with his body! A round Gollum-like head was trapped, engorged and horrifyingly crimson! Its short limbs were still squirming! Not vocalizing, it opened its jaws wide between the gap in the doors, its flesh rubbing against each other to make goosebump-inducing squeals! Chang Weicai attempted to poke its head with his cane to force it out, but the flesh was too thin and soft. As soon as he applied a bit of pressure, it broke apart, instantly splattering flesh all over! The stench of blood hit them¡ª Bai Youwei felt sick, nearly retching! Bang! Bang! The door was suddenly assaulted again! Chang Weicai was too late to stop it, and the door was forced half open! Two bloody skinning monsters crawled into the kitchen, bearing a mouthful of teeth like saws, lunging at them like starving mad dogs! Chang Weicai managed to block off one with his cane. But another scaled the ceiling, dropping from the fleshy tube-like fluorescent light straight onto Bai Youwei¡¯s leg! Bai Youwei¡¯s face changed instantly. The skinning monster squatted on her leg, its jaws full of saw-like teeth spread wide. She gritted her teeth, lifting her hammer, but before she could bring it down, the head in front of her split apart.. Chapter 195 - Chapter 195: Chapter 195: There’s Another One Chapter 195: Chapter 195: There¡¯s Another One Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei looked at Pan Xiaoxin. The boy stood frozen in front of her, holding up the knife, his face pale and fear gleaming in his eyes, as if he couldn¡¯t believe he had just killed a monster. Bai Youwei knew she should praise him, even thank him, but¡­ She looked down at her own legs. The slime from the monster seeped into her skirt after its body melted, running down her legs, smelly, sticky¡­ (Sorry everyone! They deleted a bit of gore but I still needed to reach 1000 words, so let¡¯s just leave it at this.) Bai Youwei: She really didn¡¯t want to say a word. ¡°Xiaoxin is very brave!¡± Teacher Chang didn¡¯t hesitate to give him praise. Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. A man nearby anxiously said, ¡°There¡¯s another one! There¡¯s another one outside!¡± Bai Youwei looked out the door with a frown, indeed, there was another Skinning Monster, but it didn¡¯t come in. Instead, it clung to the restaurant wall gnawing away hungrily. The man stuttered, ¡°Kill it quickly! Or else¡­ otherwise¡­¡± As the monster ate, the area of decay on the wall got bigger and bigger. So did the Skinning Monster¡¯s stomach. It seemed insatiable, continuously biting and swallowing, its belly swelling so much it almost matched its enormous head! Then, Bai Youwei saw a crack open on the monster¡¯s distended belly¡ª Teeth popped out from inside. Everyone¡¯s hearts cold with horror! Its belly continued to sag until finally, it formed a red ball and rolled onto the floor, stretched out its limbs, and birthed another Skinning Monster! So this was how the monsters multiplied! They could not be completely killed! In an instant, Bai Youwei was filled with rage! She glared coldly at the man sitting paralyzed on the ground, demanding, ¡°You knew about this! Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?!¡± The man turned pale, stammers, ¡°Did I not mention it? I¡­ I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know anything! Kill them quickly! The snakes will come! They¡¯re going to attract the giant snakes!!!¡± Biting her teeth, Bai Youwei ignored him and wheeled herself out. However, the ceiling was too high, even Chang Weicai couldn¡¯t reach the monster with his crutch raised! They bared their teeth at them threateningly. Their red heads and tumors pressed against each other, slender limbs clinging to the wall, they looked like giant agile geckos. One of them suddenly jumped off! Chang Weicai thrust his crutch forward, but missed! The monster jumps back onto the wall and quickly scrambles up to the ceiling! As Chang Weicai craned his neck searching, the monster had already flipped and lunged towards him! Bai Youwei quickly threw a hammer at Chang Weicai! She succeeded in smashing the monster¡¯s head, causing it to roll onto the ground motionless. A bloody hole opened up on its head, sticky blood oozed out, then its entire body broke apart like a wet tissue. The monster remaining on the ceiling became more agitated and wary! It gnawed a dark purple hole in the ceiling, hiding itself in a mound of rotten flesh, refusing to come out. Bai Youwei instructed Pan Xiaoxin to throw rocks, only to chip off pieces of rotten flesh, they couldn¡¯t damage it at all! The monster ate in the cavity! One became two, two became four, four became eight! So many they couldn¡¯t all fit in the hole, they started to drop one by one! Those that fell lunged at the people! When their number increased, they quickly became overwhelmed. ¡°Pull back!¡± Bai Youwei ordered coldly. She and Pan Xiaoxin retreated as Teacher Chang swung his crutch defensively to keep the monsters at bay. They hurriedly retreated back into the kitchen, where Teacher Chang immediately shut the door! ¡°Don¡¯t shut it all the way, leave a crack!¡± Bai Youwei said. Teacher Chang was taken aback. Bai Youwei looked at Pan Xiaoxin, speaking coolly, ¡°Hold your knife ready, strike down any that come in!¡± Chapter 196 - Chapter 196: Chapter 196: A lot of them Chapter 196: Chapter 196: A lot of them Translator: 549690339 Teacher Chang hesitated, ¡°Weiwei, Xiaoxin is still a child¡­¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°I know he¡¯s small, so Teacher Chang, make sure you keep the door barred! Leave only a crack, if the gap¡¯s too wide, more of them might rush in, and a child won¡¯t be able to cope.¡± Upon hearing this, Teacher Chang stopped talking immediately and pushed harder against the door! Bai Youwei also pushed against the door, clutching a hammer, waiting for the creature to show its head before giving it a hard whack! The monster wasn¡¯t intelligent. Without a crack to target, it¡¯d gnaw around randomly and potentially create a sizeable hole. But if a crack was left, they¡¯d be provoked and dash towards it. One creature after another was beheaded! Like rupturing blood bags, one after another! The smell of the blood underfoot stung their nostrils. The kitchen knife in their hands was becoming increasingly sticky and heavy. Suddenly, the knife slipped from Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hand and fell to the ground! He hurried to pick it up, but his hands were sweaty and slippery. He failed to pick it up twice! Meanwhile, more and more monsters were swarming in unending waves! Chang Weicai pushed against the door firmly! After smashing a monster with her hammer, Bai Youwei coldly ordered, ¡°Xiaoxin! Stop trying to pick up the knife! Step back! Teacher Chang, back off too!¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded and retreated. Chang Weicai kept pushing against the door, ¡°But¡­¡± Sounds of dull thuds came one after another, just like soccer balls hitting the kitchen door! The door was continuously bumped and squeezed, creaking and shaking ominously! Chang Weicai dared not back off. If he did, the monsters outside would probably all rush in! The monsters pushed and squeezed relentlessly. Driven by the smell of blood, their force was becoming more violent! More insane! The floor began to shake The man lying on the ground cried out in horror, ¡°Quick! Kill them!!! The snake is on the way! The snake will be lured here aaaaah!!!¡± ¡°Stand back!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly pulled Chang Weicai away! The door swung open! Dozens of Skinning Monsters swarmed in! The next second, a blinding bluish-violet electric light burst forth! Everyone had to shut their eyes, the sound of electric discharges crackling in their ears while a burnt stench quickly filled the air! When they opened their eyes, there were only black, foul-smelling monsters lying all over the floor. Two of them weren¡¯t completely dead, convulsing a few times before falling still¡­ Pan Xiaoxin was stunned. Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair with her back to them, her long hair slightly frizzy from the electric current. The stuffed rabbit in her arms was calm and quiet, showing no sign of what had just happened. She exhaled softly, turning her head to look at the others, ¡°It may be just temporary paralysis¡­just in case, you all should double-check¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, the paralyzed man screamed excitedly, ¡°Is this a prop?! Are there any more of these props?! If we kill all these monsters, we can get out!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Bai Youwei rebuked sharply, ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool! With their exponentially increasing reproduction rate, how could we possibly wipe them out?! If I hear another absurd word from your mouth, the first one I kill will be you!!!¡± The man trembled, looking at her afraid. Bai Youwei slid her wheelchair to where the man was sitting, staring at him ominously. Finally, she lifted the hammer and brought it down hard next to his leg! The man screamed in horror, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you everything! I¡¯ll tell you everything! ! ! ¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us that they would reproduce!¡± Bai Youwei asked coldly. The man sobbed, ¡°I did! I said they would multiply!¡± Bai Youwei laughed coldly, rolling her wheelchair over his paralyzed legs¡ª ¡°Aaaaaah! The man screamed in agony, his face deathly pale. Chang Weicai swallowed his words, too painful to watch. Not knowing how to dissuade her, he covered Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s eyes to avoid traumatising the child. ¡°I¡¯ll tell! I tell, I tell!¡± the man wailed, ¡°I thought you guys would die soon, so I didn¡¯t mention it! ¡­I didn¡¯t deliberately keep it from you, I didn¡¯t know you could cope with so many monsters¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m giving you one last chance, or next time, I won¡¯t roll over your legs.¡± Bai Youwei smirked, a sinister gleam in her eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll roll over your face instead..¡± Chapter 197 - Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Don’t Know Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Don¡¯t Know Translator: 549690339 The man recoiled in fear under the control desk, but his injured legs failed him, leaving him paralyzed in the corner. Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°What exactly is the Snake Maze?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know!¡± the man cried, ¡°If I knew what this maze was all about, I would have escaped long ago! I didn¡¯t deliberately deceive you, I truly didn¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Then pick up what you do know.¡± Bai Youwei glared at him coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t play tricks on me!¡± The man pleaded in agony, ¡°Spare me, please! I truly don¡¯t know anything¡­¡± ¡°Xiaoxin.¡± Bai Youwei turned her head to Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Take your cleaver. If ¡®don¡¯t know¡¯ comes out of his mouth again, give him a cut.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: Chang Weicai hesitated, ¡°Weiwei, this¡­ this isn¡¯t right, right?¡± ¡°Chang, this guy isn¡¯t being straight with us. He won¡¯t tell the truth unless we show him some color.¡± Bai Youwei waved Pan Xiaoxin over, ¡°Come here, stand by me.¡± Pan Xiaoxin glanced at Chang Weicai, then at Bai Youwei. He felt deeply conflicted. He picked up the cleaver from a pool of blood and sludge, walked over in silence, and whispered, ¡°Where¡­ where should I cut?¡± Bai Youwei casually replied, ¡°Cut wherever you want.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: Chang Weicai felt it was really inappropriate, ¡°What about¡­ letting me do it?¡± How could such a task be left to an Il-year-old kid? ¡°No need.¡± Bai Youwei responded indifferently, ¡°Chang, you watch the door for us, so no more monsters can get in.¡± A few words gave Chang Weicai a task that he couldn¡¯t refuse. Chang cast another look at the man on the floor before advising, ¡°We won¡¯t harm you. Just tell us anything about the maze, there¡¯s no need to¡­ sigh¡­ ¡® Chang sighed, picked up his crutch and headed outside. The man on the ground was filled with both grief and anger! They had a blade to him and still claimed they wouldn¡¯t harm him! What kind of people were these! Bai Youwei asked one last time, ¡°What exactly is the Snake Maze?¡± The man cringed, truly frightened of her, and replied, ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s a gluttonous snake maze¡­ The snake eats monsters inside the maze. When the number of monsters decreases to a certain level, they replicate, one into two, two into four¡­ then¡­ then¡­ ¨C -Rumble! An intense shudder came from the ground! Pan Xiaoxin and Chang Weicai outside both lost their footing and fell to the ground! Even Bai Youwei, sitting in her wheelchair, was also thrown around. But out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a glimmer of joy on the man¡¯s face! The way he looked towards the door seemed to hold anticipation. Why? Why wasn¡¯t he afraid?! Before she could question him, the man seemed to perceive her scrutiny and his expression changed again to one of pure terror. The shuddering was getting louder, like a train passing by, the snake seemed to be getting closer! The sound of its body slithering over the ground was clearly audible, getting closer and closer! ¡°Xiaoxin! Go and cut down all those monsters outside!¡± Bai Youwei said decisively, ¡°We can¡¯t let the snake grow larger!¡± Pan Xiaoxin hastily got up, ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± Upon hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s voice, Chang Weicai also quickly took up his crutch, poking the monsters one by one! Dozens of monsters were being hit and cut by Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin, blood splattering everywhere! Just as there were only two or three monsters left, the giant snake appeared outside the house! ¡°Nevermind those two!¡± Bai Youwei exclaimed, ¡°Quickly, get inside! Close the door!¡± Chapter 198 - Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Temporary Safety Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Temporary Safety Translator: 549690339 The snake seemed to have sniffed the stench inside the house, with its head trying to burrow in. Unable to do so, its body started violently slamming against the exterior walls, creating loud booming sounds! The constant tremors made it difficult for Pan Xiaoxin and Chang Weicai to stand up! The two barely managed to roll and crawl their way back to the kitchen, hastily closing the door in one breath without daring to rest! Even after closing the door, they didn¡¯t dare to let their guard down. The old and the young still strained to the limit to brace the door, fearful of the snake breaking in! Bai Youwei sat frowning, her eyes coldly glancing at the man on the ground¡ª So far, they knew nothing about him¡ªname, age, identity¡­ Everything was unclear. He seemed to be in a state of terrified confusion, but in reality, he was shrewd enough not to divulge any vital information. Either he was genuinely clueless, knowing nothing at all. Or, he had some ulterior motives¡­ But now, as they were all ¡°fellows in adversity,¡± she couldn¡¯t figure out why they would have any reason to sabotage each other? While pondering, Bai Youwei gently stroked the rabbit in her arms. Her first time using ¡°One-Tenth of Me¡± went rather smoothly, but the battery life was disappointingly short. Dealing with a few dozen monsters had consumed more than half of the power. With the small amount remaining, she wasn¡¯t sure if she could kill the beast outside. If it came to the worst, she would have to use the doll¡­ Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that her tools were rather inefficient. There were too many meant for defence and few for attack! While she was worried, the slamming sounds suddenly ceased. Although it had stopped, everyone was still on edge, not speaking, nor moving, vigilant against the snake that might break in at any moment¡­ In the silence, they heard distinct sounds. The sound of slithering was getting quieter. The tremors were also growing weaker and weaker. It was moving away¡­ Relieved, everyone shot a glance at each other and finally drew a deep breath. ¡ªThey were safe, at least for now. ¡°Weiwei?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice came from outside the door, ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± Upon hearing that, Chang Weicai took a deep breath. Now, they were genuinely relieved. He opened the door to see Shen MO and Tan Xiao standing outside, both blood-stained. Tan Xiao¡¯s injuries were particularly noticeable. Shen MO was taken aback when he saw Bai Youwei, half of her skirt soaked in red. ¡°Where are you injured?¡± Shen MO came over and asked. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head gently. Frowning, she asked him, ¡°What about you? That monster came by just now. Did it notice you?¡± ¡°No, we caught a smaller monster and used it to lead the snake away.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s gaze drifted past her and fixated on the man under the operation table for two seconds, ¡® ¡­the smell of blood here is too strong, let¡¯s talk somewhere else.¡± Bai Youwei appeared to realise something. She also glanced lightly in that direction, ¡°Hmm¡­ let¡¯s go somewhere else. The smell is so sickening I feel like throwing up.¡± The group left the restaurant and settled in a similar shop next door, not too far away. Tan Xiao wasn¡¯t feeling well from his injuries and didn¡¯t mind the shop¡¯s unappealing furniture. He plopped down and lifted a part of his clothing to reveal his wound. A large piece of skin on his back to side had been grazed. The wound wasn¡¯t deep, but it covered a large area and was blood-soaked. It stung fiercely whenever his T-shirt rubbed against it, so he had lifted his shirt up to chest height. Bai Youwei looked at it and looked up to ask the two, ¡°How did you get this?¡± ¡°I was bit while running.¡± Tan Xiao replied, upset, ¡°Shen MO and I were following behind that monster just fine. But unexpectedly, it made a sudden turn! It spotted Shen MO and me instantly. Luckily, we hid quickly!¡­ However, we were still scraped by its teeth. Damn, what rotten luck!¡± ¡°What rotten luck? You¡¯re lucky not to have been swallowed alive!¡± Bai Youwei retorted irritably. She turned to Shen MO and asked, ¡°Why did it suddenly turn? Are there any regular patterns to the monster¡¯s movements?¡± Shen MO frowned and replied, ¡°It encountered another ¡®snake¡¯, that¡¯s why it turned suddenly..¡± Chapter 199 - Chapter 199: Chapter 199: A Little Bit of Broken Skin Chapter 199: Chapter 199: A Little Bit of Broken Skin Translator: 549690339 ¡°Another snake?!¡± Bai Youwei was dumbfounded. Ever since they found out that this was the Gluttonous Snake Maze, they have subconsciously convinced that there was only one snake in the maze! How could there be another snake? How many of those monsters are there? ¡°¡­ wait a minute, why did that guy mislead us?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, unable to comprehend, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he want to get out?¡± ¡°Could it be that we got the wrong idea?¡± Tan Xiao said casually, ¡°In some Gluttonous Snake game modes, it¡¯s a multi-player situation, where multiple snakes are racing to eat beans while avoiding each other, otherwise they¡¯ll turn into beans themselves¡­¡± Shen MO glanced at him, ¡°He must have deliberately misled us, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have said that the exit to the maze would only open when the Gluttonous Snake reaches its largest state.¡± Tan Xiao pondered for a while, and then he realized, muttering:¡± Yeah¡­ If there are many Gluttonous Snakes in the maze, which one has to meet what conditions to trigger the Maze¡¯s exit to open?¡­ Dammit!¡± Tan Xiao angrily jumped to his feet and cursed: ¡°They dare to trick us!¡± He turned to leave, intent on retribution. Chang Weicai stopped him, persuasively saying, ¡°You¡¯re injured, take care of the wound first, you¡¯re still bleeding¡­ really now¡­¡± Tan Xiao frowned and touched the injury on his waist. There was a sticky substance mixed with the blood. It was itchy and stinging, quite uncomfortable. ¡°Damn, the monster¡¯s teeth better not be poisonous,¡± Tan Xiao said cautiously, sitting back down with a pale face. Theoretically, after their data upgrade from the previous Maze, their healing abilities had all improved to some degree, a minor flesh wound shouldn¡¯t be bleeding for so long. Bai Youwei helped him clean the wound with a tissue, which came away covered in a sticky substance. It was like blood but not quite, more like a mixture of some kind of glue and blood. She stared blankly at the dark red, viscous substance. Shen MO said, ¡°Regardless of the purpose, it¡¯s clear he lied. There is more than one snake. If we want to open the exit of the maze, we need to think of another way.¡± ¡°He was smiling just now¡­¡± Bai Youwei suddenly said. Everyone looked at her. Shen MO asked,¡± What?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows in thought and said slowly, ¡°Just now¡­when the snake came, I saw him smile¡­¡± After a pause, she raised her head to look at Shen MO, her tone assertive, ¡°He¡¯s not afraid of the Gluttonous Snake.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Tan Xiao was puzzled, ¡°It¡¯s so huge. Isn¡¯t he afraid of the snake eating him? I¡¯d rather face a hundred little monsters than face that gigantic snake!¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback. Yeah, why wasn¡¯t he afraid? She recalled carefully, her face growing increasingly pale: ¡°He is afraid of the little monsters¡­¡± When the Skinning Monster tried to enter, that man scared himself into crying. It didn¡¯t seem as if he was pretending. A snake as big as a building didn¡¯t scare him, but the Skinning Monster which can kill with one jab scared him? That doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ Bai Youwei looked at Tan Xiao¡¯s wound, then at the blotch of viscous gel-like substance on the tissue, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. She smeared the substance on the tissue onto the table. It was deep red and soft red, stickier than blood, softer than flesh, unidentifiable. Why wasn¡¯t he scared? Could it be that he¡­ Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned pale suddenly. She abruptly looked up at Tan Xiao. Tan Xiao was shocked by her gaze, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something wrong with my wound?¡± ¡°Chang Weicai! Get the mud out!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly ordered. Chang Weicai was quick to react and reached into his pocket. Tan Xiao was confused, ¡°Wha¡­what¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s just a little cut, isn¡¯t using the mud a bit excessive¡­¡± Before he could finish, Chang Weicai had already brought over the mud¡­ Chapter 200 - Chapter 200: Chapter 200: You Have Evil Intentions Chapter 200: Chapter 200: You Have Evil Intentions Translator: 549690339 The mud acted exceptionally quickly. Tan Xiao¡¯s skin injury healed rapidly, Shen MO rinsed the sticky flesh and blood from his wound, and there was not a trace to be found on his lower back. Pan Xiaoxin was staring at the hustling and bustling crowd, his eyes wide with surprise. He had never seen such an extraordinary tool before. Although the previous lightning bolt had also shocked him, since he closed his eyes subconsciously, he didn¡¯t see what tool was responsible. However, he saw the mud clearly! It genuinely healed Tan Xiao¡¯s wound! The child couldn¡¯t help but think: Brother Fei was right, these people really do have a lot of tools¡­ ¡°Xiaoxin! Where¡¯s the knife?!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly shouted his name. Pan Xiaoxin jumped in fright and hurriedly handed her the knife. Shen MO intercepted the knife halfway. ¡°What do you need the knife for?¡± Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, with a skeptical look on his face. Bai Youwei was ticked off: ¡°What do I need it for? I¡¯m going to chop him up!!! That guy isn¡¯t afraid of snakes because snakes don¡¯t eat him! He¡¯s tricked us all! She didn¡¯t want the knife anymore, angrily wheeling her chair away. Shen MO reached out to hold the wheelchair armrest, stopping her in her tracks. She turned her head and glared at him furiously! Shen MO said, ¡°Let me push you there.¡± The others looked at each other, following them. The man was still collapsed under the operating table. Seeing Shen MO and Bai Youwei return, his face twisted in fear. ¡°What¡­what do you want to do¡­¡± he asked panicked. Bai Youwei sneered chillingly, which made the man shiver: ¡°What exactly do you want to do?! I, I¡¯ve already told you everything I know! What else do you want?!¡± Bai Youwei slightly curved her eyebrows, her smiling face didn¡¯t hold a shred of warmth, her voice gentle: ¡°We don¡¯t want anything. We just want to ask you¡­ do you want us to take you with us when we leave this place?¡± The man¡¯s eyes flickered indecisively, ¡°Of course¡­ I want to get out of here, but you guys haven¡¯t found the exit, have you?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve just found it.¡± Bai Youwei said, grinning, ¡°We¡¯ll take you out right now. Sounds good?¡± ¡°You found it?¡± The man was astonished, glancing over to check the reactions of Shen MO, Tan Xiao, and the others. The people standing next to Bai Youwei wore different expressions. The man didn¡¯t believe them and shook his head anxiously: ¡°Impossible! How can the exit of the maze be found so easily?! Are you guys trying to trick me?! I¡¯m not going! You want to trick me into going outside so the monster can eat me! I¡¯m not falling for it!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Without going to check, how do you know we¡¯re deceiving you? Let¡¯s go¡­ Tan Xiao, he¡¯s injured and can¡¯t move. You carry him out. ¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Tan Xiao looked at her in surprise, ¡°Carry him out for real?¡± Where were they supposed to carry him? They hadn¡¯t found the exit at all¡­ Bai Youwei said: ¡°Xiaoxin, you come help too, lift this uncle up.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: He walked over silently to help the man. ¡°Get away! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± The man shoved Pan Xiaoxin away violently! Pan Xiaoxin was caught off guard and abruptly fell flat on his butt. The man roared at him: ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!!! You guys are up to no good! You want to trick me into going outside! I¡¯m not falling for it! ¡­ I¡¯m not going out! I¡¯m not going out!!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Tan Xiao was impatient. He stepped forward, grabbed the man¡¯s arm, and yanked him up roughly, ¡°Go out if we tell you to go out ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!!¡± The moment he was pulled up, the man released a terrified scream of pain! The scream was heart-wrenching, shrill, and twisted! His body seemed to be glued to the ground. His skin and flesh were being stretched but couldn¡¯t be pulled up! The sight freaked Tan Xiao out to the point where he loosened his grip, staring wide-eyed and tongue-tied: ¡°Shit¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin turned deathly pale. The man¡¯s suit jacket, which was covering his legs, slipped off, exposing large clumps of meaty tumors underneath. His two legs had incredibly grown into the floor! His entire lower torso was swallowed by the fleshy growth! Chapter 201 - Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Is There a Grudge? Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Is There a Grudge? Translator: 549690339 The man was still screaming. The parts Tan Xiao had torn apart were splitting at the seams, with blood gushing out. He was propped up on his hands, breathing heavily; the lumps of flesh that resembled legs rose and fell with his breath, trembling as if they were part of the body. Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei, thinking about her strong insistence on applying mud to Tan Xiao¡¯s injuries earlier, and understood. ¡°So¡­ In this labyrinth, we can¡¯t get injured, otherwise we become part of the labyrinth?¡± ¡°Most likely so.¡± Bai Youwei coldly observed the man gasping for breath on the ground, ¡°Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible to explain why he was not afraid of the snake, and why, when we first entered the restaurant, he didn¡¯t actively call for help. If he hadn¡¯t coughed, we wouldn¡¯t have noticed someone in the kitchen.¡± When someone is in absolute despair, isn¡¯t it natural to call outloud when they hear another human voice? Why was he hiding instead? Shen MO thought for a moment, then squatted down to look at the man, ¡°The snake only eats foreign objects or intruders in the labyrinth. Little creatures are foreign objects, we are intruders, but you¡¯ve become one with the labyrinth, so the snake won¡¯t attack you. Is that correct?¡± The man nodded weakly, with sweat streaming down his face. His pain seemed to leave him speechless. Shen MO looked at him, his gaze slowly shifted to the man¡¯s ¡°legs¡±, and said softly: ¡°We were careless. You said that you were trapped here for three or four days, without water, without food. But you looked unaffected, your face was still flushed with health. So¡­ Has your body adapted to take in nourishment differently?¡± Once again the man nodded. Without the will to resist, he gasped for air, trembling, like a dying fish. ¡°You deliberately let the snake follow us, hoping for us to be eaten or injured, so we would end up like you?¡± Shen MO slowly stood up, looked down at the man from a higher position, and spoke indifferently, ¡°Sorry to disappoint you.¡± The man raised his head. A weird smile appeared on his face. He spoke weakly: ¡°Don¡¯t be so confident¡­you people¡­sooner or later, will end up just like me¡­¡± Bang! Tan Xiao, unable to restrain himself, kicked the man¡¯s face! ¡°You bastard! Since you want me dead so badly, I¡¯ll send you to Hell first!¡± Tan Xiao kicked him several times! Thinking about how he could have become part of the furniture here because of his injury, made him both angry and frightened, he couldn¡¯t wait to kill this monstrous man! Chang Weicai hurriedly held him back, ¡°Stop hitting him! It¡¯s no use killing him! Let¡¯s hear him out¡­hold on¡­ Tan Xiao stepped on the man¡¯s face with his foot and demanded fiercely, ¡°Just speak! Why did you try to harm us?!¡± Half of the man¡¯s face was pushed into his flesh, there was blood in the corner of his eyes, ¡°Why¡­Ha¡­Why do you think?¡± To Tan Xiao¡¯s surprise, he seriously contemplated and guessed, ¡°Is it because we hold a grudge against you?¡± ¡°Hold a grudge¡­?¡± The man¡¯s mouth split wide open, his tears and saliva streamed down his messy face, ¡°Of course¡­ Of course, there¡¯s a grudge, haha¡­ You guys staying alive is the grudge! I can¡¯t get out of here and neither can you! Not a single one of you!!!¡± Tan Xiao stared at him in utter disbelief, then glanced around at his teammates. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t comprehend such a line of thinking. He retracted his foot, muttering in frustration, ¡°This guy must¡¯ve gone mad from staying here too long¡­¡± The man on the ground sneered, raised his head, and suddenly his expression froze. ¡°Ah¡­ahhh¡­,¡± he opened his eyes wide, gasping for air forcefully! ¡°Ahhhhhh!!!¡± Everyone standing next to him was stupefied. They only saw the man¡¯s tears, sweat, saliva, and blood from his injuries on his face, all mixed together, sticking to the clump of flesh on the floor! He wouldn¡¯t be able to remove his face it! Chapter 202 - Chapter 202: Chapter 202: How Can I Help You? Chapter 202: Chapter 202: How Can I Help You? Translator: 549690339 ¡°Save me! Please, save me!!!¡± The man¡¯s face was buried in the ground, he was crying and sobbing, ¡°Help me! I beg you!!!¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°How can we help you?¡± After a two-second pause, she asked again in a quiet, expressionless voice, ¡°Do you want us to cut open your face?¡± The man looked at her crying. ¡°Won¡¯t that hurt too?¡± Bai Youwei continued calmly, attempting to reason with him, ¡°Also, if the wound gets worse, wouldn¡¯t that be even more painful? Anyway, you¡¯ve already lost your legs, there¡¯s no use keeping your face. You were¡­already dead¡­¡± The man finally broke down! His outburst came as a reaction to her words or perhaps out of fear, crying bitterly, yelling and cursing: ¡°You all will meet a bad end! Sooner or later, you will end up just like me! Just like me!!!¡± Shen MO frowned and grabbed his wheelchair handles to take a turn, pushing Bai Youwei out. Bai Youwei widened her eyes: ¡°I was not finished talking to him!¡± Shen MO looked down at her: ¡°Now you¡¯re disgusted?¡± The expression on Bai Youwei¡¯s face slowly developed into a complex one. ¡°Why did you have to remind me¡­¡± She closed her eyes, rubbing her stomach. The others exchanged glances. They looked at the man struggling on the ground, speechless, and successively left the restaurant. The man continued to cry and curse behind them, spewing the vilest of words! A hysterical tone! Expressing the deepest form of despair! He would never be able to leave! Even though the exit was right before his eyes, he would never, ever get back to the Human World¡­ Outside, it was still drenched in red, hot and gloomy. In the distance, a few small monsters could be seen. And the ever-present Snakes, lurking at every corner, ready to appear at any moment. ¡°Let¡¯s clear our minds again.¡± Shen MO pulled his gaze back and said to everyone calmly, ¡°The Snakes eat the Skinning Monsters, the Skinning Monsters eat the Maze, and the Snakes, Skinning Monsters, and Maze eat us. Any thoughts?¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°¡­ We¡¯re so doomed.¡± Bai Youwei burst into laughter. Shen MO glanced at her, ¡°Now we have two options, one is to follow the path of the main artery, find the core of the Maze, and destroy it, there may be an exit. The other is to follow the path of the capillaries, find the edge of the Maze and destroy it, to see if we could make an exit.¡± ¡°But the Maze has a strong healing ability.¡± Tan Xiao said seriously, ¡°Whether we cut or stab it, the wound will heal quickly. We can¡¯t get hurt either, or else it will heal ourselves along with it!¡± ¡°How about using that?¡± Bai Youwei pointed at the Skinners in the distance. Teacher Cheng nodded, ¡°These monsters are like harmful bacteria in the Maze¡¯s body, they can destroy its immune system and hinder wound healing¡­ but how do we control them?¡± ¡°Before considering how to control them, let¡¯s think about where to go first, the center of the Maze or its edge?¡± Bai Youwei gently rubbed the rabbit in her arms and pondered, ¡°If Teacher Cheng¡¯s assumption is correct, then the Snakes should be like white blood cells, swallowing bacteria and foreign bodies, and producing antibodies to resist pathogenic invasions. They would be particularly active in the core of the Maze.¡± ¡°So we can¡¯t go to the core.¡± Shen MO said, ¡°We are going to the edge of the Maze. ¡± Bai Youwei bluntly pointed at Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Xiaoxin, lead the way.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: Seeing him distracted, Teacher Cheng, concerned about the child¡¯s comfort, volunteered, ¡°Perhaps I should take a look at the map¡­¡¯ ¡°Teacher Cheng, he¡¯s 11 now, he¡¯s a mature kid.¡± Bai Youwei confidently said, ¡°And he is a local from Hangzhou, he should know best which spot is most suitable for us to break through.¡± Teacher Cheng thought for a moment, gently padded the boy¡¯s shoulder, and kindly encouraged him, ¡°Xiaoxin, don¡¯t feel pressured, we all believe in you!¡± Chapter 203 - Chapter 203: Chapter 203: So It’s That Easy Chapter 203: Chapter 203: So It¡¯s That Easy Translator: 549690339 Pan Xiaoxin was feeling a bit nervous. Ever since they entered the maze, this group of people (especially Bai Youwei) had been bossing him around. It wasn¡¯t that he minded being bossed around¡­ it was just¡­ um, how should he put it, it felt weird. Why on earth would they trust a kid like him? Did they not fear he could mess things up? Pan Xiaoxin took a serious look at the map and hesitantly pointed at a spot, asking, ¡°Here¡­ How about here? Triumph Road is on the edge of the maze, and there are lots of residential buildings. If the Snakeling Monster comes, we would have somewhere to hide . ¡°Right there.¡± Bai Youwei made the decision final and then turned to Shen MO, asking, ¡°Brother, what do you think?¡± Shen MO nodded, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine.¡± Pan Xiaoxin gaped at them. Did they decide just like that? Really? Are you sure? You¡¯re not joking, are you? ¡°What are you spacing out for?¡± Tan Xiao slapped Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Kiddo, lead the way ¡® Pan Xiaoxin quietly adjusted his backpack and took the map, heading towards their destination. Everything went smoothly. Occasionally, they confronted small creatures, but only a few scattered ones. They were easy to deal with before they had a chance to multiply and replicate themselves. Sometimes when tremors approached, everyone would take cover in the nearby houses. The Snakeling Monster usually only looked for food along the streets and didn¡¯t venture inside buildings. With stops and starts, they were getting closer and closer to Triumph Road. To be honest, Bai Youwei was quite impressed with the kid. In her view, all the city¡¯s buildings looked virtually indistinguishable after having shifted into their maze-like forms, yet somehow Pan Xiaoxin was able to identify each road, each building, with an uncanny spatial and directional sense. There were times when she suspected that he had taken the wrong path, a skeptical glance exchanged with Shen MO, he reassuring her with a nod. She was taken aback. However, on second thought, a grade-schooler who could have survived in such a harsh environment until now must have more than just good luck going for him. Just like her, who was handicapped. Sure, it was fortunate that she had met Shen MO, but did that mean she was completely useless? Of course not! Bai Youwei crinkled her lips into a silent smirk. This was why she loved games ¨C they didn¡¯t abandon you just because you were young, old, handicapped, or for any other reason. While the doll game inflicted pain, it also forever offered players opportunities. Others saw games as instruments of despair and slaughter; she saw them as flowers, dew, sunlight, a spring-warmed, flower-filled amusement park by the seaside. ¡­Wait, hold on. Except for here. Bai Youwei wrinkled her nose in disgust. This maze was genuinely disgusting! After reaching Triumph Road, Pan Xiaoxin completed his role as the guide. Next, Shen MO took over to survey the terrain. Shen MO chose a residential area. The outer wall of the greenery area appeared to be the outermost layer of the maze. They made a lasso out of a hemp rope from Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s backpack, used it to tie a Skinning Monster, and threw it near the courtyard wall to chew on meat. They were standing on a second-floor balcony, pulling the rope from a distance, like walking a dog. They directed it to chew wherever they wished by pulling on the rope. The monster went on eating while replicating itself. The more of it there was, the greater the holes in the wall became. Everything was working out surprisingly well. The only thing they needed to be cautious of was the Snakeling Monster that wandered around the streets¡ª It could easily be drawn by the stench of the Skinning Monster. Shen MO was always the most vigilant one. Whenever he sensed the tremors getting nearer, he would pull back the rope, picked up the Skinning Monster and took it to the entrance of the residential area as bait. He was very good at this kind of diversionary tactic. Whenever the Snakeling Monster was enticed by the smell and wanted to venture inside the residential compound for food, he would tease it with the Skinning Monster, leading the snake around in circles. After going around in circles for a long while, the snake couldn¡¯t manage to eat a single monster, becoming hungrier and thinner. Meanwhile, the compound¡¯s wall was gnawed rotten, gnawed through by the Skinning Monsters! A faint light could be seen. Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°Who knew it would be this easy.¡± But now, the problem was¡­ How were they going to get through hundreds of Skinning Monsters to reach the exit? Chapter 204 - Chapter 204: Chapter 204: The Exit is Found Chapter 204: Chapter 204: The Exit is Found Translator: 549690339 Tan Xiao stood on the balcony, shouting into the distance: ¡°Boss! We have an exit!!!¡± He saw a man in the distance sprinting towards him, a ¡°snake¡± trailing behind him! But this ¡°snake¡± was too short, without scales, it moved frantically on the ground like a huge maggot! Its size, from being as tall as a two-story building, was now reduced to the size of cattle, it opened its mouth full of teeth, tried to bite Skinning Monster on the hemp rope, but every attack was in vain! With quick movements, Shen MO led it to a rotten festery wound. It was immediately attracted by the stronger fetid smell and wriggled its body aggressively into the hole! The creatures inside started to swarm out! As if a wasp nest had been disturbed! Hundreds of skinning monsters scattered in all directions! Some crawled up to the second-floor balcony where Bai Youwei and the others were stationed, Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai pushed them off with baseball bats and crutches! Meanwhile, the snake in the hole quickly grew bigger! Fatter! Longer! It ate all the skinning monsters in the hole, then began to devour the rotten flesh! After cleaning up the pus and clotted blood, fresh red appeared beneath, and the wound was healing again. Tan Xiao, watching from above, shouted anxiously, ¡°Stop eating! Stop eating! The hole is closing up!!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll distract it! You take them to the exit!¡± Shen MO remained calm, raising his dagger he stabbed into the serpents exposed plump tail. The gluttonous snake violently trembled in pain. Scrambling to get out, its obese body was too big that it couldn¡¯t turn around, so it had to reverse its way out. Its head swayed from side to side, its corpulent body made a squeaking sound as it squashed itself out of the pile of rotten flesh. As soon as it was out, it wheeled around angrily towards Shen MO! Shen MO was prepared, he lifted the nearly dead Skinning Monster from the hemp rope and drew the gluttonous snake in a different direction. Meanwhile, Tan Xiao grabbed Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s backpack, throwing him and his bag down! It was just over three meters from the second floor to the first floor, and the ground was all meat, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about getting hurt from a fall. A few seconds later, Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair was thrown down. Tan Xiao picked up Bai Youwei and jumped straight down from the second floor. Chang Weicai followed a bit slower, he climbed down the growths on the nearby balcony. The four of them rushed into the hole, dragging the wheelchair. The hole was filled with rotten flesh and pus, uneven and slippery, emerging from there was an arduous task! Having struggled through, they finally reached the opening, glowing white. Tan Xiao, grasping Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s backpack, was about to throw him when Pan Xiaoxin resisted stuttering, ¡°W-wait! Wait a moment! ¡± Tan Xiao said impatiently, ¡°Wait for what?! The more of us get out, the better, hurry up!¡± ¡°No, no! Listen to me! Pan Xiaoxin urgently said, ¡°We can¡¯t go out! There are people waiting outside to steal your tools! It¡¯s dangerous out there!¡± ¡°There are robbers?¡± Tan Xiao paused, turning to Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei¡­.¡± Bai Youwei, who was looking at the exit, waiting for Shen Mo¡¯s return, impatiently said: ¡°Don¡¯t bother me with such trivial matters!¡± Pan Xiaoxin: Is¡­. this a small matter? Tan Xiao smacked the back of Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s head, ¡°Did you hear that? Don¡¯t dawdle over such trifles, hurry up and get out!¡± Not waiting for his agreement, he directly pushed Pan Xiaoxin into the bright exit filled with white light! Teacher Chang was the second to enter. Tan Xiao and Bai Youwei waited at the exit for a while until Shen MO returned. Their hearts finally settled, the three of them entered the exit one after another¡­. Chapter 205 - Chapter 205: Chapter 205: The Maze Disappeared Chapter 205: Chapter 205: The Maze Disappeared Translator: 549690339 Just like before, they had all left together, but she alone was surrounded. Sitting in her wheelchair, Bai Youwei stared at the familiar vast fog with a calm demeanor. After waiting a short while, the sound of the game system echoed in the air: ¡°Congratulations to the player for proceeding through Maze No. 7.¡± ¡°We are tallying up the rewards from this round.¡± ¡°The player is the third one to pass through Maze No. 7. The ranking order in this round is three. Unfortunately, no jigsaw pieces will be rewarded.¡± What? Nothing at all? Bai Youwei frowned. Is it because I finished so quickly that they won¡¯t even give a reward? ¡°Updating player data¡­ Ding! Update completed.¡± ¡°The reward tallying process has completed. Please continue with the game and strive to pass¡ª¡± The voice died off, the fog dispersed. Shen MO, Tan Xiao, Teacher Chang, Pan Xiaoxin ¨C all of them appeared before her. Everyone stared at the area behind them in shock. The fog has disappeared. The labyrinthine fog that loomed over the city center is gone! Looking at the familiar streets and buildings, Pan Xiaoxin couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s Hangzhou¡­ Hangzhou is back!¡± He took a few steps forward, flailing his arms. The sky was clear blue, the air fresh. The buildings were neatly organized, the street-side greenery lush and verdant. Everything was back! As Pan Xiaoxin glanced towards Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, his eyes held a hint of hope, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it mean, if we pass through the maze, it disappears?!¡± Shen MO and Bai Youwei looked at each other, confounded. The last time they had passed through Maze No. 2, the fog hadn¡¯t dispersed back then and the maze remained. Why? While scratching his head, Tan Xiao looked at the clean streets, unable to hold back from muttering, ¡°This is weird, with no fog and even no rewards.¡± ¡°Did you not receive your reward?¡± asked Bai Youwei. ¡°I did, but they didn¡¯t give me any jigsaw pieces,¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°We got three pieces last time.¡± Last time, Shen MO, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Zhang Tianyang, and Chen Hui each received a piece, making it a total of five. But this time¡­ ¡°I¡­ I got one piece.¡± Pan Xiaoxin opened his tiny palm to reveal a silver-grey puzzle piece. ¡°Just one piece?¡± Tan Xiao turned to Chang Weicai. ¡°Teacher Chang, did you get any pieces?¡± Teacher Chang shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Wow, why is this maze being so stingy this time,¡± Tan Xiao was disappointed. ¡°The few of us struggled so much to get out of the maze, and they reward us with just one piece.¡± Shen MO turned to Pan Xiaoxin and asked, ¡°What did the system say when it was totalling the rewards? Do you remember?¡± After taking a moment to remember, Pan Xiaoxin slowly explained, ¡°¡­ The player is the third one to pass through Maze No. 7. The ranking order in this round is one. You may receive one jigsaw piece reward. It was something like that.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°The last time in Yangzhou, the system said it was the first time.¡± She specifically emphasized the word ¡°first¡±. Thinking it over, Shen MO suggested, ¡°So for the first time, you get five puzzle pieces; the third time, you get one, and then the maze disappears¡­ following this line of reasoning, could it mean that the number of puzzle pieces a maze can produce is limited and that the disappearance of a maze closely follows when all puzzle pieces are exhausted?¡± ¡°It has to disappear.¡± Bai Youwei added, ¡°Puzzle pieces are definitely not infinite. If there are no more puzzle pieces and a new player passes through the maze, they won¡¯t be able to receive the puzzle piece reward. That would be extremely unfair to the whole game system.¡± Shen MO pondered, turning to look at her, ¡°How many puzzle pieces do you think a maze can produce at most?¡± ¡°Nine.¡± Bai Youwei answered, ¡°Five for the first time, three for the second, and one for the third..¡± Chapter 206 - Chapter 206: Chapter 206 Xiaoxin Chapter 206: Chapter 206 Xiaoxin Translator: 549690339 Teacher Cheng couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Step-by-step decline does seem fair in the game, but what happens if there aren¡¯t enough players? Won¡¯t that disrupt the pattern? Like, if only one person first gets through a maze, does he get all five puzzle pieces? After pondering for a while, Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I doubt it. The two mazes we¡¯ve encountered seem to require teamwork to get through. During the mirror task, teammates needed to serve as a warning otherwise one could easily fall into a trap. Also, in the last maze, if no one had diverted the attention of the snake, we wouldn¡¯t have made it out easily.¡± ¡°Even if the number of people who pass the maze is less than the number of puzzle pieces, it¡¯s not a big deal,¡± said Shen MO, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we had a sequence number when we left the maze. If the system aims to ensure fairness, it can distribute the pieces according to the order of exiting. For instance, this time five of us passed the maze, but only the first person got the puzzle piece.¡± Bai Youwei added, ¡°Not only did our exit sequence have numbers, the mazes themselves had numbers too, like number 2, number 7¡­ Does that hold some special significance?¡± Tan Xiao felt overwhelmed, yelling, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Initially, the plan was to gather puzzle pieces in Hangzhou, but the system only gave us one. What Pan Xiaoxin knew the puzzle pieces were essential. Listening to their discussion, he couldn¡¯t help but look down at the piece in his hands. He got the piece because Tan Xiao was the first to push him towards the exit. This puzzle piece, ought to belong to everyone. Pan Xiaoxin raised his head, hesitated, and asked the grown-ups, ¡°Who¡­ who should this piece go to?¡± Bai Youwei, in a bad mood, glanced at him dismissively, ¡°Keep it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Pan Xiaoxin widened his eyes in surprise, unable to believe what he¡¯d heard, ¡°Can¡­ Can I really keep it?¡± However, Bai Youwei paid no attention to him. Bai Youwei took Shen MO¡¯s hand and complained, ¡°Those five you mentioned must have been the second batch to pass the maze. If not for them, we would have gotten at least three pieces this time. So annoying!¡± Tan Xiao was also irked, ¡°MO bro, what should we do? If they keep getting ahead of us, won¡¯t we be stuck with leftovers?¡± ¡°But how did they determine the direction of the maze?¡± Teacher Cheng pondered, ¡°There must be mazes in other cities too, we don¡¯t necessarily have to follow their path¡­ Pan Xiaoxin: The overlooked child in the corner watched them. ¡°Ah right.¡± Tan Xiao remembered something, ¡°MO bro, someone¡¯s trying to rob us.¡± Shen MO frowned imperceptibly at the word ¡®robbery¡¯? The subject jumped rather dramatically. ¡± Xiaoxin mentioned it.¡± Tan Xiao looked at Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Right? Before we got out, you said something like that?¡± Everyone turned to look at Pan Xiaoxin. He had wanted some attention when they were ignoring him. Now that he was getting it, Pan Xiaoxin felt rather nervous. With a taut face, he nodded, looking somewhat worried and careful, while observing Shen MO¡¯s expression. Like students peeking at the teacher while handing in their exams. Shen MO¡¯s face remained unreadable as he asked Xiaoxin, ¡°Was it the gang led by someone called Brother Fei?¡± Pan Xiaoxin pursed his lips and nodded again. Shen MO asked, ¡°How do you communicate with them?¡± ¡® Pan Xiaoxin touched his collar, ¡°Using this¡­ whistle, they bought guns and ammunition from someone named Yan. They told me to blow the whistle once I got out, then they would come¡­ and shoot at you¡­ and then, steal our props¡­¡± His voice got quieter with each word, until he finally lowered his head so much that his chin touched his chest, not daring to look up. ¡°Damn! They¡¯re pretty ruthless!¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°MO bro, we gotta show these guys we¡¯re not to be messed with!¡± ¡°Whether we show them color or not, there¡¯s no rush,¡± Bai Youwei lazily glanced at Xiaoxin, ¡°But, I bet they have a lot of gasoline stored away right, Xiaoxin?¡±Pan Xiaoxin shivered. Chapter 207 - Chapter 207: Chapter 207: Clearing Time Chapter 207: Chapter 207: Clearing Time Translator: 549690339 Summer lengthened the daylight, the sun was on its last gasps. The sunset reluctantly dragged the buildings and trees into lengthy shadows, coated in golden twilight, tired, quiet¡­ A car whizzed by, stirring up waste paper and plastic bags on the side of the road, bringing brief uproar to the tranquility. The Jeep slowed down gradually, finally stopping behind a congested road. ¡°Lun Ang, Su Man, you two go to the front and see how far the congestion goes.¡± Yan Qingwen instructed them, ¡°If it¡¯s not that far, let¡¯s move the cars. If it¡¯s too long, we¡¯ll take a different route.¡± Uncle Fatty and the woman in the red dress got off the car as per the instructions, each taking a weapon to scout ahead. Yan Qingwen took out a map to consult; the man and the woman in the back seat also got out of the car, saying, ¡°Brother Yan, we are going to look around nearby to see whether we can find some water.¡± Their food supply was still plentiful, but they could never have too much clean drinking water. ¡°Don¡¯t wander off too far. Zhu Shu¡¯s wound just healed,¡± Yan Qingwen instructed calmly. ¡°We got it.¡± The man chuckled and walked away with the woman. Not long after the two set off, Uncle Fatty, Lun Ang, and the woman in red, Su Man, were already back. ¡°How is the road ahead?¡± Yan Qingwen asked the two of them. Lun Ang wiped the sweat from his face, his mutton-chop whiskers also dripping with sweat, and shook his head, ¡°The congestion is not too bad, but there are dolls about which would very likely trigger a game. We better take a detour.¡± Su Man got into the car and saw the back seat was empty. She asked, ¡°Where did Li Li and Zhu Shu go?¡± Lun Ang laughed, ¡°Where else could they be? Off on a date! They stick together all day. Now that we¡¯re not around, they finally grabbed the chance to spend some time alone! Ha ha ha ha!¡± Su Man¡¯s face darkened, and she frowned at Yan Qingwen, ¡°Brother Yan, why don¡¯t you stop them?¡± Yan Qingwen, face unchanged, kept looking at the map. ¡°Why would I stop them? They are adults in their twenties, not three-year-old children.¡± Su Man pursed her lips. She still wasn¡¯t happy and muttered, ¡°What if they meet with danger¡­¡± ¡°Hey! If you¡¯re so concerned about him, go check on him yourself!¡± Lun Ang blurted out unabashedly, ¡°She clearly likes him but doesn¡¯t admit it. Now look at her, someone else swooped in and took him away!¡± Su Man glared at the fatty fiercely, ¡°Who said I like him?! I¡¯m just afraid they will get into trouble and end up creating trouble for us!¡± Uncle Fatty dug at his ear, ¡°Alright, alright, whatever you say¡­¡± ¡°Brother Yan!!!¡± A shout came from the distance. The three in the car turned their heads and saw the man and the woman running back hastily. Yan Qingwen frowned and got out of the car. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± ¡°Brother Yan, you¡­you look over there!¡± Li Li was so out of breath he could barely speak. He pointed to a distance and said, ¡°The fog over Hangzhou¡­ it¡¯s gone!¡± ¡°Ha?¡± Lun Ang burst out laughing, his laughter booming like thunder, ¡°Li Li, are you seeing things because of heatstroke? Ha ha ha ha! . ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? Go see for yourself!¡± Li Li pushed the woman next to him forward, ¡°Zhu Shu saw it too! We were up on a building nearby and had a clear view!¡± The petite young woman nodded and took small breaths, clutching her chest, ¡°It¡¯s gone¡­ the large fog cloud, it¡¯s gone.¡± Yan Qingwen frowned, returned to the car to get a telescope, hopped on the roof, and looked in the direction of Hangzhou. The others gathered around him, asking, ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Is the fog really gone?¡± Yan Qingwen looked for a while, put down the telescope, his facial expression changing unpredictably, unclear whether it was sunny or gloomy, ¡°¡­It seems someone has passed through the maze of Hangzhou.¡± Li Li said, ¡°When we passed the maze, we didn¡¯t see anyone else. If the other party entered the maze after us, that means, they completed it in less than 4 hours! How could that be possible?!¡± Yan Qingwen looked up and asked. ¡°How long did we take?¡± Li Li replied, ¡°6 hours and 27 minutes.¡± ¡°That must be fake¡­¡± Lun Ang said, ¡°They only took half the time we did?¡± Everyone exchanged glances. Simultaneously, several faces came to mind in their heads¡­. Chapter 208 - Chapter 208: Chapter 208: The Roads are Narrow for Enemies Chapter 208: Chapter 208: The Roads are Narrow for Enemies Translator: 549690339 On the streets of Hangzhou, an off-road vehicle sped along the flat and wide road. Wind rushed in from the car window, blowing away the stickiness of sweat on the skin, and it was cool and refreshing. Bai Youwei sat in the passenger seat, humming a song in a cheerful mood. The song went: ¡°Little white rabbit, so white, with two ears standing up, it likes to eat carrots and greens, hopping and jumping so Tan Xiao chimed in from the back seat: ¡°Ha ha! I know this one too! Let me recite for you all!¡± He cleared his throat and recited with varied intonations: ¡°Little white rabbit, so white, with two ears standing up, peel its skin, chop it into pieces, toss it in the pan and stir fry, add some water, cover the lid, sprinkle cilantro before serving!¡± Before anyone else could react, he had already started laughing at his own joke, ¡°Ha ha ha,¡± non-stop. ¡°How was it? How was it? Want to give me a like?¡± Tan Xiao nudged Chang Weicai with his elbow, ¡°Old Chang, you do one! Do one! Come on, teach us some~¡± Unable to decline, Teacher Chang scratched his chin, ¡°Alright, let me think¡­ Ah, got it! I advise you to drink, don¡¯t decline. I advise you twice, don¡¯t doubt¡­ ¡°Old Chang, it doesn¡¯t work!¡± Tan Xiao interrupted him, ¡°You didn¡¯t mention the little white rabbit, it doesn¡¯t count!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t finished yet, let me continue.¡± Chang Weicai continued, ¡°I advise you three times, and then you know, the face today older than yesterday, when drunk, feels better than when sober¡­¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Doesn¡¯t count~ still no little white rabbit!¡± Chang Weicai was anxious: ¡°Let me finish my verse, the rabbit¡¯s coming soon¡­ The sky and earth are long, the white rabbit and red crow chase each other. Piling up gold behind, leaning on the Big Dipper, is not as good as having a jar of wine before death! See, there it is? ¡®The white rabbit and red crow chase each other¡¯, the white rabbit, it¡¯s there, right?¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha! I don¡¯t understand, but fine, you pass. Pan Xiaoxin sat silently on the side: Ever since this group of people found Brother Fei, robbed his house, emptied his gasoline, and bashed his gang, they had been in a continuous ¡°singing and dancing¡± state. ¡­Are all adults this forgetful? ¡°Kid! You¡¯ve got a good eye!¡± Tan Xiao suddenly put his arm around Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You know when to reign in the horse at the edge of the cliff, choosing the right path! In the future, there will surely be a place for you in this world!¡± Teacher Chang added: ¡°It¡¯s reign in the horse at the edge of a precipice¡­¡± ¡°It more or less means the same thing.¡± Tan Xiao shook Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Come on, tell Brother Xiao, what were you thinking? By telling us their plan, weren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯d take revenge?¡± Pan Xiaoxin was shaken dizzy. Chang Weicai said, ¡°Don¡¯t judge by his age, even a child can tell right from wrong. Xiaoxin is a good boy, of course he wouldn¡¯t assist the tyrant, right, Xiaoxin?¡± Pan Xiaoxin: In fact, it was not that bad¡­ He simply thought that Shen MO and Bai Youwei were more capable than Brother Fei. It¡¯s nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. Even children understand this principle. ¡°Brother MO, where are we heading next?¡± Tan Xiao asked. ¡°We need to find a place to spend the night first.¡± Shen MO held the steering wheel, his eyes straight ahead, ¡°Going north is Jiaxing, going south is Shaoxing, both places where a maze might appear¡­¡± His voice trailed off, as he slowly reduced his speed. Everyone looked out of the car windows. There was a huge traffic jam ahead, and by the road, five people had pitched a tent. Out of them, three were the guys who almost fought with them last time. Tan Xiao subconsciously whistled, ¡°Enemies always meet on a narrow road¡­¡± Bai Youwei let out a disdainful snort.. Chapter 209 - Chapter 209: Chapter 209: Just Pretentious (Additional updates for top 50 Activity) Chapter 209: Chapter 209: Just Pretentious (Additional updates for top 50 Activity) Translator: 549690339 When the two parties encounter each other, it¡¯s a bit awkward. The other party has already set up camp and probably plans to spend the night here. If Shen MO were to leave now, it would seem rather cowardly. Shen MO glanced at the sky, parked the vehicle across the road. He thought for a moment and then called Teacher Cheng to scout ahead. Tan Xiao was also eager to go, but Bai Youwei snapped at him: ¡°Go on, go! Leaving a kid and a cripple to carry luggage, set up tents, boil water, and cook really! Tan Xiao gave an awkward laugh: ¡°I forgot¡­¡± Chang Weicai discussed with Shen Mo: ¡°Xiao Shen, maybe we should change places? If something happens at night being this close, it could be dangerous, especially with their group have weapons¡­¡± Shen MO glanced their direction and stated calmly: ¡°There are only a few routes out of the city, if they had any intention of ambushing us, no matter where we hide, they would catch up. It¡¯s safer if we¡¯re close to each other and we remain vigilant. Moreover, we¡¯ll take turns standing guard at night, where we stay won¡¯t matter much.¡± Teacher Cheng considered, found Shen MO¡¯s argument reasonable, and didn¡¯t persuade further. Shen MO and Teacher Cheng went ahead to scout, leaving Tan Xiao behind. Looking around, there are banks, restaurants, fruit supermarkets, laundries, and beauty salons. The fruit supermarket exudes a sour smell from the decaying fruit, not pleasant at all. ¡°Weiwei, where do you want to stay tonight?¡± Tan Xiao asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a Holiday Hotel?¡± Bai Youwei pointed to a building across the street diagonally. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll drive the car over.¡± Tan Xiao quickly switched to the driver¡¯s seat and parked the car in front of the hotel. After they reached their destination. unloaded the luggage. and found that the hotel¡¯s automatic revolving door locked. He picked up his aluminum baseball bat and began to bang on the glass! Bai Youwei glanced at Pan Xiaoxin in the back seat and casually said: ¡°You should have improved physical fitness after coming out of the maze, right? Why don¡¯t you go and help too, test your strength.¡± Pan Xiaoxin uncertainly clenched his fist and looked at Bai Youwei. After two seconds, he took a hammer from his bag and got off the car. Tan Xiao had managed to break one pane of the revolving door, sweating profusely. ¡°Damn, this glass is tough! My hand is numb from the vibration!¡± Pan Xiaoxin picked up a small rusty nail from the ground and gave it to Tan Xiao, ¡°When breaking glass, aim for the edges¡­ you can put something sharp underneath to increase pressure.¡± ¡°Aim for the edges?¡± Tan Xiao held the nail, a bit clueless. ¡°Sounds logical, let me try.¡± He stuck the nail into the gap between the metal frame and the glass. Then he picked up the baseball bat and swung hard! Bang! The shattered glass spread like a spider web, blooming like a flower. Tan Xiao swung the bat again! Crash! All the glass was completely shattered! It saved him who-knows-how-much effort compared to before! ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. Then he looked down at Pan Xiaoxin, admiringly giving him a thumbs up! The little boy shyly smiled, he was also delighted. He continued to hammer away at the edges removing any remaining pieces of glass to prevent anyone from getting cut when walking by. The big and the small one banging away made it lively. People on the other side, however, were annoyed by the noise. ¡°Are they nuts?¡± Lun Ang, scratching his thick beard, looked at the distant Holiday Hotel. ¡°With such a big place, can¡¯t they just set up a tent? It¡¯s just to sleep anyway, why so much fuss? Moreover, the hotel is stuffy and hot with no ventilation, no electricity, and they need to climb stairs¡­¡± ¡°Such fuss indeed.¡± Su Man snorted disdainfully. Suddenly they heard a burst of laughter. They saw Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin carry out a high-quality latex mattress from the hotel and lay it on the ground. Tan Xiao took off his shoes and started jumping on the mattress. ¡°This is so soft! Hahaha, it¡¯s really soft~¡± Lun Ang: Su Man: Endless joy for these childish bunch.. Chapter 211 - Chapter 211: Chapter 211: Take A Look in The Past Chapter 211: Chapter 211: Take A Look in The Past Translator: 549690339 When Shen MO and Teacher Chang came back, they just happened to bump into Li Li and Zhu Shu, who were carrying bedding and pillows. The four people passed by each other in pairs, and Teacher Chang could not help but take a second look, ¡°That girl, she kind of looks like a celebrity, doesn¡¯t she¡­¡± Shen Mo: Could one really become a fan of stars at his age? Teacher Chang continued at a leisurely pace, ¡°Back in school, students would not concentrate on class and sneakily check out star photos and interviews. I confiscated quite a few of them. That female star on them looked a lot like her.¡± I see¡­ ¡°Bro MO, Teacher Chang.¡± Tan Xiao walked over, ¡°What¡¯s the situation at the junction ahead? Is it passable?¡± Chang Weicai sighed, ¡°There¡¯s not a terrible traffic jam, but there are quite a few dolls. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to take a detour.¡± Bai Youwei poked her head out of the tent, her eyes clear and moist, ¡°Why should we detour? The doll game is everywhere. Even if we avoid this one, we can¡¯t avoid the next one. I think we should take this road.¡± Shen MO chuckled, looking at her: ¡°You sure are brave.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes rolled around, gleaming with a mischievous light, ¡°You two went to scout the path and came back safely, which means the game requires at least more than two participants. If we don¡¯t want to enter the game, we can split into three groups.¡± After a pause, she looked at Shen MO with soft eyes, ¡°But¡­ what if there are useful props in the game? Wouldn¡¯t it be a pity if we missed them?¡± Shen MO smiled and patted her head gently, ¡°Let¡¯s first decide where to go next. . There are many roads, each leading to different directions and destinations. Whether to take this road or not depends on their ultimate goal. If their goal is to collect puzzle pieces, they need to figure out: which cities still have mazes? For dinner, Teacher Chang made scallion pancakes and seaweed egg drop soup. The scallions came from Fei-ge¡¯s group¡¯s house. They were planted in flower pots, lots of them. Besides, there were also miscellaneous vegetables like coriander and garlic sprouts. They didn¡¯t grow very well, but it was better than nothing. Tan Xiao, as usual, roasted their smoked chicken and duck on the fire. The elderly value a healthy lifestyle. Unless they have limited options, they must have staple food, soup, vegetables, and meat in every meal to maintain a balanced diet. The aroma of the meat, soup, and scallions wafted all over, creating a strong ambiance of homey comfort. They sat around the bonfire, eating and discussing their next plan. The campsite of the five people not far away seemed much quieter. Lun Ang stared at the fire, taking a bite of his compressed biscuit, his mood complicated, ¡°The aroma¡­ smells like scallion pancakes. They really know how to enjoy their time.¡± He deeply inhaled the fragrant air, let out a sorrowful sigh. Zhu Shu laughed, leaning against Li Li, ¡°They¡¯re probably not in a hurry, that¡¯s why.¡± Li Li also nibbled on his tasteless biscuit, and said, ¡°There are all kinds of kitchen utensils in the hotel kitchen, and they brought their own flour and green onions. It¡¯s not difficult to make, and we can do the same if we want.¡± Zhu Shu blinked, asking him, ¡°Do you know how to make scallion pancakes?¡± ¡® Li Li paused, he subconsciously looked around, ¡°Su Man, Lun Ang, do you guys know how to cook?¡± Su Man twisted her face away in annoyance, ¡°No.¡± Lun Ang stroked his beard, ¡°I¡¯m pretty good at grilling meat, but cooking¡­¡± ¡°What about you, Yan bro?¡± Li Li turned to Yan Qingwen. Yan Qingwen was calmly eating his biscuit, and replied at his question, ¡°I can cook, but¡­¡± He paused, looking toward the fire in the distance, ¡°The thing about cooking¡­ it depends on the mood.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhu Shu laughed and said, ¡°But, eating delicious food can also improve the mood, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Yan Qingwen gave a slight smile, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Zhu Shu stood up, ¡°The atmosphere over there seems nice, I¡¯m going to have a look..¡¯ Chapter 212 - Chapter 212: Chapter 212: Daily Quarrels Chapter 212: Chapter 212: Daily Quarrels Translator: 549690339 ¡°Huh?¡± Li Li also stood up with her, ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it inappropriate? If we suddenly go over there, they might think we¡¯re up to something.¡± Remembering how Bai Youwei had threatened them with a toy, Lun Ang also felt it was inappropriate and advised, ¡°Don¡¯t go, those people aren¡¯t easy to deal with.¡¯ Zhu Shu chuckled and said, ¡°When I went to get some bedding earlier, I had a bit of a chat with them. They seemed like very easygoing people, don¡¯t you think so Li Li?¡± Li Li hesitated for a moment. During that earlier chat, only Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were there, one a fan of Zhu Shu, the other a harmless child, both seemed nice. But that limping man, who had remained silent in the tent, and that tall man and the old man, none of them he had interacted with¡­ Smiling coldly, Su Man said, ¡°Why are you stopping her? She¡¯s a big star, she has fans to worry about her, why would you guys need to?¡± Li Li frowned, although he also felt it was inappropriate to go, Su Man¡¯s words were a bit too harsh. She was always targeting Zhu Shu. Just as Li Li was about to speak up in defense of Zhu Shu, Zhu Shu sat down slowly, her face cloaked with an indifferent smile, ¡°If everyone thinks that it¡¯s not appropriate, then I won¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Who are you acting pitiful for? You make it sound as if we¡¯re restricting your freedom.¡± Su Man said coldly. ¡°If you want to go, go right ahead. Nobody¡¯s stopping you.¡± ¡°Su Man, can you stop it?¡± Li Li lost his temper immediately. ¡°Who are you talking to with that hostile tone? If you can¡¯t find the right words, keep your mouth shut! Nobody¡¯s going to mistake you for a mute!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with saying a few words to her?¡± Su Man got up abruptly. ¡°Did you talk any less about me? Is she so delicate that she can¡¯t take even a single comment? I¡¯ll tell you what, Li Li! We came all this way to find you, not to serve some spoiled princess!¡± ¡°Did I ask you to come?¡± Li Li retorted rudely. ¡°Did I fucking ask you to come?¡± Her eyes suddenly reddened, ¡°If I weren¡¯t concerned about you getting into trouble, do you think I would¡­¡± ¡°Who needs you here?¡± Li Li interrupted her. ¡°You¡¯re not here to find me at all! You are here to make my life worse!¡± ¡°Gosh! You two are arguing again!¡± The quarrel gave Lun Ang a headache as he muttered, ¡°Could you please stop arguing? What¡¯s there to fight about?¡± So Man fumed, ¡°You think I want to argue? However, some people are always instigating!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Li Li yelled in irritation, ¡°Stop beating around the bush, Zhu Shu hasn¡¯t said one bad word about you! You have no right to throw mud at her!¡± ¡°Does she need to say anything? With just one look and a few complaints, you will be running around her like a dog!¡± ¡°Su Man! Say one more word and see what happens!¡± Suddenly, Yan Qingwen stood up. His unexpected movement caused the arguing duo to simultaneously stop dead in their tracks and look at him. ¡°I suggest you both go back in the tent and cool down.¡± Yan Qingwen said blandly, ¡°People opposite us are waiting for a show. If you don¡¯t mind, you can continue.¡± Caught in a trance, Li Li and Su Man instinctively turned towards the direction of the bonfire in the distance. Perhaps because their argument had been too loud, everyone there was now looking at them¡ª They were holding their bowls, sipping their soup, and eagerly watching them as though it was a fascinating show. Su Man bit her lip, then, flushed with anger, she stood up and went back to her tent, yanking the curtain down forcefully! Similarly surprised, Li Li sat back down, facing away from the others, his face grim. Zhu Shu was completely at ease as she waved back at the onlookers, seemingly not embarrassed at all. Tan Xiao enthusiastically waved back in response. ¡°Who are they over there?¡± Shen MO asked. ¡°A female movie star, a rich kid, as for the other three¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± Bai Youwei said leisurely.. Chapter 213 - Chapter 213: Chapter 213: The Transformation of the Rabbit Chapter 213: Chapter 213: The Transformation of the Rabbit Translator: 549690339 Chang Weicai said: ¡°The young man with glasses looks like he¡¯s dating that woman who is a star. They seem pretty close.¡± The distance between the two groups was not very far, and the night was exceptionally quiet. The sounds of the argument carried clearly over. Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°No, they aren¡¯t boyfriend and girlfriend. Look at their tents.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen MO had two tents on their side. On the other side, there were five tents. ¡°Five tents, one for each person. The woman, dressed as she was, didn¡¯t seem particularly conservative. The fact they aren¡¯t sharing a tent shows that she and the man with glasses aren¡¯t intimate enough to sleep together. Also, out of the five tents, four are camouflage and one is orange. It looks like she joined them midway through,¡± said Bai Youwei. Shen MO also took a glance, nonchalantly saying: ¡°The four camouflage tents are professional-grade outdoor camping tents, rainproof and windproof. They are very well made. The orange one, though, is just a standard outdoor tent used for family outings.¡± ¡°So when these folks set out, they didn¡¯t include the woman in their plans, nor did they prepare a tent for her,¡± Bai Youwei mused. ¡°Ideally, two women should be able to squeeze into one tent, but the only woman in the group seems to be on bad terms with the new arrival. So they had to pick up an extra tent kit from a supermarket or an outdoor supplies store when they were gathering stuff.¡± Teacher Chang shook his head in bewilderment, expressing his lack of understanding, ¡°Youngsters these days¡­it¡¯s such a time, what is there to argue about? Since they ended up together, they should be supporting each other and helping each other¡­¡± Bai Youwei laughed. Supporting and helping one another is a matter of fate after all. She put down her soup bowl, ¡°I¡¯m full. I¡¯ll go back to the tent to rest.¡± Shen MO took the soup bowl and spoon and stood up to clean them, only to be stopped by Teacher Chang. ¡°You¡¯re on night watch later. You should go rest. I¡¯ll clean up, I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it¡¯ After Teacher Chang sent Shen MO away, Tan Xiao also came to help. But Teacher Chang complained: ¡°Don¡¯t touch, don¡¯t touch. The dishes you washed last time still had leafy bits on them. You didn¡¯t wash them clean at all. Why don¡¯t you take Xiaoxin to play? I¡¯ll tidy up here¡­¡± Tan Xiao stroked his chin, looking at Pan Xiaoxin on his side, ¡°Xiaoxin, would you like to play a game with Brother Tan? ¡­a treasure hunt?¡± Pan Xiaoxin asked with a blank face, ¡°What treasure hunt?¡± Tan Xiao gestured towards the hotel entrance, ¡°We¡¯ve only been to the second floor earlier. There are still several floors above.¡± Pan Xiaoxin considered it and nodded earnestly, ¡°Yeah, the convenience foods and bottled waters in the hotel rooms could be useful to hoard.¡± ¡°And cigarettes. There are cigarettes in there too¡¯ Tan Xiao inhaled deeply and sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve been ¡®starving¡¯ for several days already!¡± The five of them went their separate ways. Chang Weicai cleaned up the pots and bowls; Tan Xiao took the kid to the hotel; Shen MO and Bai Youwei rested in their tents. The tent was serene and quiet. Shen MO was on the last shift, from three to six in the morning, so he lay down early. But it was still early, and he didn¡¯t feel sleepy yet. Bai Youwei sat next to him, gently petting the plush bunny. Neither of them spoke. After lying down for a while, Shen MO asked, ¡°Did the bunny level up when we got out of the maze this time?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°It did.¡± Shen MO propped up his arm to look at her, waiting for her to continue. However, Bai Youwei had an uninterested look on her face, ¡°But, it¡¯s different from what I imagined a level up would be like.¡± A corner of Shen MO¡¯s mouth curled up in amusement, ¡°What did you imagine leveling up would be like?¡± ¡°At least it could release more electric energy, right?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, holding up the plush bunny in front of him, ¡°But its power has not recovered at all, and the only change is that it can understand simple commands..¡± Chapter 214 - Chapter 214: Chapter 214: No More Talking Chapter 214: Chapter 214: No More Talking Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei said, ¡°Stand up.¡± The fluffy rabbit stood up. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Sit down.¡± The rabbit sat down. Bai Youwei then said, ¡°Take three steps forward.¡± The rabbit stood up again and obediently took three steps forward One, two, three¡­ it came right next to Shen MO¡¯s hand. Shen MO picked it up, wanting to take a closer look. The fluffy rabbit seemed to resist being touched and struggled in his hands. Having been shocked by electricity before, Shen MO only knitted his brows and then let it down. It scampered back into Bai Youwei¡¯s embrace! Shen MO couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Just like a little puppy.¡± While stroking the rabbit¡¯s fluffy long ears, Bai Youwei said, seemingly upset, ¡°I wasn¡¯t wrong, was I? The upgrade was of no use¡­.at most, it¡¯s an additional toy that understands voice commands.¡± Shen MO replied with a faint smile, ¡°Remember what you said? It¡¯s harder to develop brains than muscles. It seems the maze is helping it grow smarter. It will get more and more intelligent overtime.¡± ¡°Are we stuck with just one-tenth of the power forever?¡± Bai Youwei stroked the rabbit¡¯s ears, looking rather disappointed. Shen MO said, ¡°In terms of power, as long as it can inflict damage, there¡¯s not a big difference between one and ten. However, if it¡¯s smart enough, it might come in handy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s mood lifted, ¡°Even if it can¡¯t turn people into charred corpses like the Inspector, if it can electrocute them to death, the result is the same, right?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­If you want to put it that way, yes.¡± Bai Youwei laughed and briskly poked the fluffy rabbit¡¯s head, ¡°Hey, go fetch me a glass of water.¡± The rabbit just huddled up on her without moving. ¡°Is the command too complicated?¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°Then go fetch my thermos instead.¡± Still, the rabbit didn¡¯t move. ¡°It probably doesn¡¯t know where the thermos is.¡± Shen MO got up, pulled out the thermos from his backpack and placed it nearby, ¡°Try again.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Go fetch my thermos.¡± The rabbit twitched its ears, silently climbed off Bai Youwei¡¯s lap, walked step by step towards the thermos, and embraced it energetically! It dragged the thermos backwards, fell over, got up, shouldered the thermos again, and continued moving with difficulty! Bai Youwei seemed to want to push the rabbit¡¯s limits, so she ordered, ¡°Unscrew the cap for me.¡± Fluffy Rabbit: ¡® It dumfoundedly held the cap. Shen MO took the thermos from its paws, unscrewed the cap, poured a glass of water and handed it to her, ¡°It doesn¡¯t have fingers. How can you expect it to unscrew the cap for you?¡± ¡°I was just testing it out.¡± Bai Youwei took a sip of water and sighed, ¡°I feel that this tool has limited use at the moment¡­ It¡¯s powerful when it releases electricity, but it runs out of charge quickly, and we can¡¯t find a place to recharge it.¡± She passed the cup back to Shen MO, ¡°We can only wait until the next time we enter the maze.¡± Next time they enter the maze¡­ Shen MO pondered for a while, speaking softly, ¡°The maze carries a lot of risks. Next time¡­ we should wait until we collect some self-defence tools, then we can go to the maze.¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a moment before nodding, ¡°Alright.¡± Although they got out of the maze quickly this time¡­ Of course, if it were not for the man¡¯s misleading them at the beginning, Bai Youwei thought they could have exited the maze even sooner. However, as Shen MO said, the maze carries a lot of risks. Without any rules or clues, along with all sorts of disgusting monsters, if not for Shen MO¡¯s skills, they might not have gotten out that quickly. Just the python alone was difficult enough to deal with. In the game, a failure could be redeemed with a puzzle. But in the maze, a failure was the end of everything. Bai Youwei asked Shen MO with a complicated expression, ¡°Where do you think the people who got trapped in the maze ended up?¡± Several moments later, Shen MO lightened the mood by gently touching her head, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about such disgusting things right after we¡¯ve eaten.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes, ¡°¡­okay..¡± Chapter 215 - Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Two Channels Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Two Channels Translator: 549690339 At night, Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, and Mr. Cheng were playing poker on the mattress. Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t know how to play at first, but later she and Mr. Cheng took turns winning. Tan Xiao lost every game. Bai Youwei, listening to the sounds of shuffling cards, Tan Xiao¡¯s complaints, the crackling of the campfire¡­ slowly fell asleep. Watching her serene, worry-free sleeping face, Shen MO also closed his eyes. The night passed uneventfully. The next day, Mr. Cheng started to prepare breakfast in a busy fashion. He opened up two bags of milk and cooked a pot of milk porridge. Fearing that porridge alone might not be enough for Tan Xiao and Shen MO, he also mixed some flour into a thin batter, added salt and MSG, then cracked two eggs. He added a little oil to the flat pan, poured on the batter, rotated the handle, and slowly made thin egg pancakes. You could eat them directly, dip them in sauce, or even roll them up with green onions or shredded cucumber. As he was cooking breakfast, Mr. Cheng was muttering, ¡°The milk is going to expire in a few days. But it doesn¡¯t matter if it expires, don¡¯t throw it away. It¡¯s best for steaming buns, it makes them fragrant and fluffy¡­¡± These were all experiences he had accumulated over the decades. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were brushing their teeth by the roadside with their hair tousled. Shen MO accompanied Bai Youwei in the hotel for her usual wash up. The five-man camp on the other side seemed to be influenced by them, so they decided not to hastily settle for anything, they decided to cook to have a proper breakfast. They had abundant ingredients, but their skills were lacking. Lun Ang wanted to cook porridge but instead cooked rice, and it ended up half burnt. Finally, Zhu Shu took over, scooped out the unburnt rice and put it aside, then cooked two potatoes, mashed them, added salt and pepper for seasoning, then added cut-up hot dogs and mixed it with the rice to make dumplings, and fried them in a flat pan. Fry it, press it, turn it over, and you have a fragrant rice crust. Golden yellow, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, with a salty and fragrant taste. Li Li tasted it and praised it heavily, ¡°Zhu Shu! I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to cook!¡± Yan Qingwen took a few bites and was slightly surprised, she looked at Zhu Shu and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t a star¡¯s schedules packed? Do you have time to cook?¡± Zhu Shu smiled, ¡°I wasn¡¯t famous from the start. When I was starting out, I used to cook for myself.¡± Su Man ate in silence. She didn¡¯t complain this time as she ate, probably because she didn¡¯t want to pick a fight. After a while, Yan Qingwen stood up and called for Lun Ang to discuss matters over at Shen MO¡¯s side. They will soon move the congested vehicles. To avoid triggering the game, only two people could do this task, hence they needed to inform Shen MO¡¯s side to prevent the two teams from running into each other and inexplicably getting involved in the game. Zhu Shu brushed off the crumbs from her clothes, stood up too, and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯m used to having a cup of black tea every morning, and there should be teabags in the hotel.¡± Su Man gave her a cold look, ready to accuse her of being pretentious. But when the words were on the tip of her tongue, seeing Li Li staring at her, she pursed her lips and held back. She didn¡¯t want to spoil everyone¡¯s mood early in the morning. Yan Qingwen led her teammates to the entrance of the hotel. There was leftover milk porridge in the pot, scattered poker cards scattered on the mattress, Tan Xiao carried Pan Xiaoxin up the tree to pick loquats, Bai Youwei was directing under the tree, and Mr. Cheng was watering the green onions and coriander in the flower pots. Even though they were prepared, when they saw this scene, Yan Oingwen had to admire their positive attitude. It was like two channels on the television: one depicted survival at the end of the world and the other reflected a leisurely holiday. Shen MO was inspecting the car. Seeing them arriving, he put down the hood of the car and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Yan Qingwen smiled faintly, slightly lifted his chin towards the congested road and said, ¡°That road is hard to navigate, so we¡¯ve come to ask about your departure time, to avoid travelling at the same time..¡± Chapter 216 - Chapter 216: Chapter 216: No One Can Leave Chapter 216: Chapter 216: No One Can Leave Translator: 549690339 Shen Mo glanced at his companions and replied, ¡°There is no set time. We might take Hart Road. Certainly not going to bump into you.¡± ¡°Hart Road?¡± Yan Qingwen raised an eyebrow, ¡°Looks like you guys are heading south. What¡¯s your destination? Jiaxing? Or Shanghai?¡± Shen Mo slightly furrowed his brows, his eyes alert. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Yan Qingwen immediately raised his hands in a non-hostile gesture, ¡°Our destination is Shanghai. If we happen to share the same route, even if we¡¯re not together this time, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll need to coordinate later to avoid triggering the game due to a large number of people. I believe you guys wouldn¡¯t want to be dragged into the puppet game for no reason, right?¡± After hearing his explanation, Shen Mo somewhat relaxed, he replied indifferently, ¡°We¡¯re going to Jiaxing, which isn¡¯t far from Shanghai. We might stop by.¡± ¡°Could you tell us why?¡± Yan Qingwen asked. Shen Mo didn¡¯t respond to his question, instead scanning their faces, ¡°What about you guys? Why are you going to Shanghai?¡± ¡°To deliver something.¡± Yan Qingwen explained succinctly, ¡°I have a researcher in my group who has the maze investigation data. It needs to be sent to Shanghai¡¯s research branch.¡± ¡°Research institution?¡± Shen Mo frowned yet again, ¡°SCO?¡± Yan Qingwen paused, ¡°You know about SCO?¡± Shen Mo glared at him skeptically. Yan Qingwen inspected Shen Mo head to toe, with both surprise and affirmation in his tone, ¡°You are from the Special Situation Team? Responsible for escorting the research team to Shanghai?¡± Shen Mo looked at him for a long time before answering, ¡°I am from the National Security Administration. I have received orders. Since all the Special Situation Teams have gone missing, a team was assigned to secure the SCO research institute. But when I arrived at the institute, no one could be found.¡± Yan Qingwen was taken aback. He didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry expressing his helplessness, ¡°National Security Administration¡­ no wonder, no wonder¡­¡± Sighing and rubbing his forehead, he shook his head, ¡°All eight Special Situation Teams are missing because the network signal suddenly failed. In fact, Professor Song has already been securely delivered to Shanghai by one of the teams. You arrived a step too late¡­¡± Shen Mo frowned at him, ¡°Are you a member of the Special Situation Team?¡± ¡°No, I am¡­¡± Just as Yan Qingwen was about to explain, Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin suddenly jumped down from the tree! ¡°Mo Brother! Those guys are chasing!¡± Those guys? Yan Qingwen looked puzzled as he heard the sound of cars coming from the distance. Not just one, and they were driving fast, making a lot of noise. He and Shen Mo walked to the middle of the road, discovering that the cars seemed kind of familiar. Upon closer inspection, Yan Qingwen finally recognized them as the group he had traded with before. The leader was called Fei Ge. ¡°They are the local gang leaders, how did you get tangled up with them?¡± Yan Qingwen asked in surprise. Shen Mo watched as they approached, and said casually, ¡°We robbed them.¡± Yan Qingwen: ¡°¡­¡± Lun Ang and Zhu Shu looked equally stunned: ¡°¡­¡± One by one, cars pulled up and stopped in front of them, disgorging a big group of about twenty or so people. Seven or eight of them had bruises all over their faces, having been taught a lesson the day before by Shen Mo and Tan Xiao. The leader, Fei Ge, was the worst off with a bandage around his head but his spirit was still strong, his face was sinister, full of muscle and fierce looking. He held a knife, pointed at Shen Mo and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re tough. You defeated ten of my men, but today I brought twenty! Can you take us all? Be wise, return what you stole yesterday, otherwise¡­¡± he sneered. With that, he raised his knife, pointing it straight at Shen Mo, ¡°Otherwise, none of you get to leave!¡± Chapter 217 - Chapter 217: Chapter 217: Lucky Q&A Chapter 217: Chapter 217: Lucky Q&A Translator: 549690339 Lun Ang couldn¡¯t help but say to Yan Qingwen in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t they buy guns and bullets from us? Why aren¡¯t they using them?¡± Yan Qingwen: ¡°Perhaps¡­they¡¯ve used up all the bullets.¡± Those who haven¡¯t received proper training, even if they got their hands on such lethal weapons, would only shoot recklessly, with their accuracy negligible at a slightly longer distance. However, it was none of their business, so Yan Qingwen led his people to step aside and watched how Shen Mo would handle it. He noticed that the expression on Shen Mo¡¯s face was bland, looking very calm. He must be confident. The girl in the wheelchair beside Shen Mo was even more intriguing, completely looking lazy and indifferent. Interesting. The opposing force was so large, yet it didn¡¯t intimidate her. Perhaps this girl had more than just that toy gun as her confidence. The old man seemed quite nervous. However, despite his nervousness, he was still protecting the child together with the young man who had an unusually gray-white dyed hair. After pondering for a while, Yan Qingwen felt a bit of subtly. The opponent, as a high-ranking official of the Security Department, brought along a disabled person, an old man, an alternative youngster, and a child¡­ This combination was really¡­ ¡­ Seeing Pan Xiaoxin shrinking back, Fei Ge sneered with his knife in hand: ¡°Little bunny, where are you hiding? You¡¯re quite good at changing your loyalties with the wind! Seeing someone with a good prop, and you immediately go and suck up to them! Such a chicken thief!¡± He spat out, pointing at Shen Mo and the others, and cursed: ¡°You guys are a bunch of fools too! Still protecting him? Do you really think he¡¯s something good?! Yes! We are after your props, but this little bunny agreed to cooperate! Did you see the wounds on him? He did it himself! If our robbery failed, he could claim that he was under duress because of his injuries! To avoid bearing your wrath! How about that? Is it cunning enough? Playing both sides! Lying without even blinking an eye! Pan Xiaoxin, you¡¯re good! When I finish with these people, I¡¯ll deal with you!!!¡± ¡°Bro Yan!¡± A shout came from Li Li behind them. Yan Qingwen looked over with Lun Ang and Zhu Shu, seeing Li Li and Su Man running over, probably because they saw a lot of people coming over and feared something bad might happen. Yan Qingwen shook his head at him, was about to tell him not to worry when a familiar sound suddenly rang in his ears¡ª ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! The theme of this game is ¡®Lucky Q&A¡¯, and the rules are as follows: First, refusing the game turns you into a doll! Second, failing the game turns you into a doll! Third, successfully completing the game rewards you with a doll!¡± The color drained from Yan Qingwen¡¯s face, and before he had a chance to say anything, a flash of white light appeared before his eyes! The next second, he was sitting on a giant roulette wheel! Everyone else was there too! The game came so suddenly that everyone was too shocked to react. Everyone stared blankly at the scene, and it took two or three seconds before they panicked¨C ¡°It¡¯s the Doll Game!¡± Someone screamed! ¡°Why did the game trigger? Fei Ge! What¡¯s happening?!¡± ¡°Why?! There are no dolls nearby, there shouldn¡¯t have been a game!¡± Fei Ge was also frantic, yelling, ¡°Shit! How do I know?! It¡¯s all because of this lot!¡± ¡°What does it have to do with us?! We didn¡¯t invite you!¡± Tan Xiao refused to take the blame, and cursed while sitting in his chair, ¡°You people are the real problem! A bunch of jinxes, getting us into the game!¡± Fei Ge was furious, got up to teach Tan Xiao a lesson, but found he couldn¡¯t stand up! ¡°Save your energy~¡± Bai Youwei lazily said, ¡°Each of us have our ankles, waists, and necks locked by metal rings, if you really want to hit him, I suggest firstly twisting your left hand with your right hand, then smacking him with your left hand. That should hit him~¡± Chapter 218 - Chapter 218: Chapter 218: The Fourth Inspector Chapter 218: Chapter 218: The Fourth Inspector Translator: 549690339 Everyone went quiet, then looked at Bai Youwei with complex expressions. Noticing their scrutiny, Bai Youwei slightly hooked her lips, letting out a small smile. Laughing at a time like this? She must be crazy! Bai Youwei remained calm, idly petting her rabbit, seemingly indifferent to others¡¯ gazes. Yan Qingwen was two seats away from her. He glanced at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s side and realized that all five of them were there, while on his side, Lun Ang, Zhu Shu, and Li Li were present, but Su Man was missing. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that they had always been within the Doll Game¡¯s area. The reason why they had been safe was that the number of people never met the game¡¯s criteria. But when Fei Ge brought his large group over, they accidentally fulfilled this criteria. The total number of people present¡­ was 36. He counted again. That¡¯s right ¡ª it seemed that the game wouldn¡¯t be triggered unless there were 36 players. 36 people sat on a giant roulette wheel, the wheel was bright red and the seats were metallic. They were restrained by some special device, which only allowed their hands to move freely. In the center of the wheel, there was a thin, long, black pointer, which was currently motionless, pointing to the midpoint between number 1 and number 36. Li Li sat at number 36. He was the last person to enter the game area. From this deduction, Su Man should be in the world outside of the game, safe for now. As Yan Qingwen contemplated, the roulette wheel began to subtly transform ¡ª Above the black pointer, rectangular question boards materialized, one after another. The boards were semi-transparent, like pieces of glass, engraved with words such as: Poetry, Literature, Mathematics, Language, Art, Music¡­ All the boards lined up neatly in layers, forming a long circle, rotating slowly before their eyes, like Tibetan prayer wheels. Bai Youwei whispered to Shen Mo beside her, ¡°This must be the Lucky Quiz that Tu Dan mentioned, right?¡± Tu Dan and his students had encountered two games, one was the Lucky Quiz and the other was Mushroom Picking. ¡°They came across the Lucky Quiz at their school,¡± said Shen Mo, examining the question boards, ¡°It looks like the Doll Game really can move.¡± ¡°I wonder what kind of tool they¡¯re going to reward us with~¡± Bai Youwei seemed a little excited, ¡°It must be more useful than a mushroom, which is why Chen Hui was reluctant to give it to me.¡± Shen Mo gave her a funny look, ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts. Chen Hui gave you the mushroom as a token of affection.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t complain.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Anyway, if it were up to me, I¡¯d definitely keep the good stuff for myself.¡± No sooner had she finished speaking, a grey figure appeared above the pointer. ¡°Welcome, everyone. I am the Inspector for this game.¡± An old, hoarse voice, reminiscent of an elderly person. Through the semi-transparent boards, the crowd saw an old man in a grey robe sitting in the center of the pointer. Although they referred to it as an old man, nobody was certain, for its face was unseen. It wore a white faceless mask with its body wrapped in a wide grey cloak, even its exposed fingers were bandaged as if it was a mummy. This was the fourth Inspector Bai Youwei had seen. She had a feeling that each Inspector represented something, like the first embodied rationale, the second¡ªchildlike innocence, the third¡ªextravagance, and the fourth¡­ antiquity? Conservatism? She couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it. The room fell silent, only the old man¡¯s slow and hoarse voice echoed as he explained the rules: ¡°The Lucky Quiz consists of two rounds. The first round is the Buzz-in, with a total of 36 questions. Each correct answer scores 1 point, with up to 3 points in total. The second round is the Must Answer, with a total of 36 questions. Each correct answer scores 1 point, each incorrect answer deducts 1 point. Once a player¡¯s score reaches zero, they are eliminated. The game will be over after two rounds.¡± Chapter 219 - Chapter 219: Chapter 219: Is there a complaint channel? Chapter 219: Chapter 219: Is there a complaint channel? Translator: 549690339 The rules sound simple. First round is a rapid-fire, and the second round is a compulsory answering round. Bai Youwei speculated that the first round of rapid-fire is to accumulate points quickly in order to maintain an upper hand in the second round. Otherwise, during the forced answer round, if you didn¡¯t know the first question, you might be eliminated even if you are a stronger player. So, even though this game is called ¡°Lucky Questions¡±, it not only focuses on ¡°luck,¡± but also strives to ensure balance. After the elderly man in the grey robe finished explaining the rules, he asked, ¡°Does anyone have any doubts about the rules?¡± There was silence among the 36 people present. No one said a word. It¡¯s not that they didn¡¯t have any doubts. On the contrary, they had too many! They wanted to know how to leave the game, what exactly the puppet game was, how to survive! However, these questions had nothing to do with the rules at all! What¡¯s the use of asking about the rules? They are just tools and excuses for them to kill! They all looked at the Inspector at the center of the field, their eyes full of fear and hate, gritting their teeth, and trembling in fear. The grey-robed old man remained seated, hunched back, like a strange old man meditating on the Five Elders Peak. He began, ¡°If there are no questions from anyone¡­¡± ¡°I have a question,¡± a man interrupted. Bai Youwei looked curiously, and found that the one who spoke was Yan Qingwen. The grey-robed old man slightly looked up, and under his big cloak hat, half a white mask appeared. The mask had no facial features, only slightly undulating facial contours. It was eerily strange. Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°What type of questions will be asked? Multiple choice or fill in the blank? Are there standard answers? If the answer is jujube and I answer big jujube, would the system rule it wrong because the first character is different? If multiple players answer at the same time during the rapid-fire round, whose answer will be valid? Do we get points for answering correctly, and is there a penalty for wrong answers?¡± A stream of questions was decisive, revealing the meticulous thought process of the interrogator. The grey-robed old man chuckled softly, his voice extremely hoarse, sounding like a worn-out wooden door creaking in the wind. He replied unhurriedly, ¡°During the rapid-fire round, questions are open-ended, while during the compulsory round, questions are multiple-choice. Every question has a standard answer. The system will intelligently determine it. For example, if the answer is jujube, whether you answer big jujube, small jujube, red jujube, green jujube, jujube fruit¡­will all be considered correct. No multiple players will answer at the same time in the rapid-fire round, because the timing will be accurate to 0.00001 seconds, unless your answering speed surpasses the speed of light. Finally, there will be no penalties for wrong answers in the rapid-fire round.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded in understanding and looked around, ¡°I no longer have any questions. Do any of you have questions?¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo caught his gaze and vaguely understood his intentions. Seeking further understanding of the game through questioning was secondary. The primary aim was to delay the answering process and allow everyone present to adjust their mental state. Regardless of the others, Yan Qingwen probably wouldn¡¯t care, but he was trying to buy time for Lun Ang, Li Li, Zhu Shu, and a few others. ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± Shen Mo asked Bai Youwei. ¡°Uh¡­ let me think.¡± Bai Youwei pondered carefully. The Inspector asked again, ¡°Does anyone else have questions about the rules?¡± ¡°Excuse me ~¡± Bai Youwei raised her hand, ¡°The game is executed by the system, and the Inspector presides over it. So, if the Inspector fails to act during the game, is there a complaint channel?¡± Yan Qingwen: ¡°¡­¡± Everyone except Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± The grey-robed old man was silent for a few seconds before he answered in a dull tone, ¡°The Inspector will rigorously preside over the game according to requirements, will definitely not be partial or cheat, and no situation of nonfeasance will occur.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Bai Youwei innocently asked, ¡°But I¡¯ve met an Inspector who only explained half of the game rules, and kept the other half hidden. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re intentionally causing trouble or if you¡¯re defective? Prone to malfunctions?¡± Chapter 220 - Chapter 220: Chapter 220: Hurricane Chapter 220: Chapter 220: Hurricane Translator: 549690339 Faulty product? Malfunction? Under the cloak, that pale, faceless mask slowly lifts, staring straight at Bai Youwei¡¯s position. The air seemed to suddenly drop by more than a dozen degrees, becoming extraordinarily cold. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care, and said again, ¡°I¡¯m not purposely stirring up trouble, ask Tan Xiao, and Teacher Chang, didn¡¯t the ball we encountered last time intentionally avoid explaining the rules clearly? And they switched the frog with a tadpole halfway, right?¡± ¡°Yes indeed!¡± Tan Xiao immediately sided with her, ¡°They said you had to find the ball within 20 seconds! But it wasn¡¯t 20 seconds at all! They said the frog was coming, but they thought it was too trivial, so they brought out a bunch of tadpoles! They¡¯re clearly messing with us!¡± Chang Weicai sighed heavily, ¡°Such disregard for the game rules. It¡¯s truly a violation of fairness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡± Bai Youwei nodded vigorously, ¡°What if all the questions they ask are about things we don¡¯t know? Asking us about theory of relativity, quantum physics, the mysteries of the universe, we¡¯re basically waiting for death!¡± As she spoke, everyone else started to panic. ¡°Would they really ask such hard questions?!¡± ¡°Damn! I didn¡¯t even graduate from primary school! It¡¯d be better to just kill me now than to ask me such questions!¡± ¡°This game talks about fairness, but they¡¯re intentionally torturing us!¡± ¡°This is fucking sick! If they want to kill, then just do it! Who is that grandstanding for?¡± ¡°They¡¯re making excuses for the killing¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to answer questions! Let me out! I want to leave! ¡­¡± Bang! A hurricane suddenly struck and everyone was immediately pinned to their seats! The gale roared across their faces, making their flesh tighten! Unable to even speak! Even the breath was stifled! After about ten seconds, the winds calmed and people finally caught their breath. The Inspector said in a flat tone, ¡°All questions will be constructed from the knowledge banks of the 36 players present, and will never exceed your understanding! And I will explain all the rules to you one by one!¡± His voice was low, but resonant and powerful, each word pronounced very clearly, with force! Under the grey robe, it was tumultuous, with the corners of the robe flapping noisily, just like the Inspector¡¯s angry mood at this moment. He asked huskily, ¡°The answer phase is about to start, everyone, are you ready?¡± There was no reply. The Inspector seemed very satisfied with this, sitting on the pivot point of the pointer he read out the first question¡ª¡ª ¡°The 1st question, what causes the seasonal changes on Earth?¡± As the question was read out, Bai Youwei noticed a square LCD screen appeared in front of her. The top of the screen showed the number 4. To the right of the screen was a red button, presumably the buzzer. She certainly knew the answer, but she didn¡¯t move. Bai Youwei looked around and found that everyone at the scene was motionless, their eyes filled with caution and inquiry, not answering rashly. This was true even for Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen. Even though this question was very, very simple. With no one answering, the old man in the gray robe did not rush, sitting quietly, motionless. After a few seconds, there was a ¡°drip¡± sound on the field¡ª¡ª Inspector: ¡°Player No.1, please answer.¡± Bai Youwei turned her head to look. Player No.1, was Pan Xiaoxin. They had all stood together, so their seats were also lined up from No.1 to No.8 in this order: Pan Xiaoxin, Teacher Chang, Tan Xiao, Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Lun Ang, Yan Qingwen, Zhu Shu. No.36 was Li Li. Other than that, all the seats were occupied by Feige¡¯s people. Pan Xiaoxin answered nervously, ¡°The changes in Earth¡¯s seasons are caused by¡­ Earth¡¯s revolution.¡± ¡°Correct answer, one point added.¡± the Inspector said. An instant love heart immediately materialized in front of Pan Xiaoxin, right where his heart was. It was a pale pink color, looking like a small light hanging in the air. Chapter 221 - Chapter 221: Chapter 221: Grab the Answer, Grab the Answer, Grab the Answer Chapter 221: Chapter 221: Grab the Answer, Grab the Answer, Grab the Answer Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei can¡¯t help but think of a game, The Legend of Zelda, where each time a character gains an extra life, a heart appears for them too. This really is a game, huh¡­ Inspector: ¡°Question 2¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s nerves tense in an instant! Some people¡¯s hands are already poised over the buzzer, ready to press it at any moment! If the first question was a probe, then the second question undoubtedly marks the beginning of the competition! Each heart represents a life! Inspector: ¡°What is the organ with the highest percentage of water content in the human body?¡± What? Everyone is taken aback. Bai Youwei quickly hits the buzzer! ¡ª Beep! ¡°Player No. 36, please answer.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, looked up and saw Li Li waving at her from across the room. She didn¡¯t manage to buzz in time. Li Li waved and laughed. ¡°Sorry, Yan bro~¡± Yan Qingwen gives a faint smile, without a word. Even if she is an ally, there¡¯s no room to give way at this point. Li Li answers: ¡°The eyeball.¡± ¡°Correct answer, accumulating 1 point.¡± declared the Inspector. A luminous pink heart appears in front of Li Li, it¡¯s very eye-catching and beautiful. Grumbles rise and fall around the room. ¡°Damn! It¡¯s the eyeball¡­¡± ¡°The question is so hard¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s so hard? The first question was about Earth¡¯s rotation, even elementary school students know that!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so smart why don¡¯t you buzz in the next question?!¡± ¡°Everyone, shut up! How can we answer the questions if we can¡¯t hear them?!¡± The crowd is in chaos. The Inspector remains indifferent, sitting calmly where he is, reading out the third question: ¡°Question 3, how many pieces are there in a game of Go?¡± ¡ª Beep! Inspector: ¡°Player No. 4, please answer.¡± Bai Youwei lets out a breath. It was really not easy, she finally managed to buzz a question. ¡°361 pieces.¡± She answers. ¡°Correct answer, accumulating 1 point.¡± replied the Inspector. A small heart appears on Bai Youwei¡¯s chest. She extends her hand to touch it, her fingers slip through the luminescent figure without touching anything, it feels quite strange. The Inspector continues, ¡°Question 4, do fish have hearts? ¡± ¡ª Beep! ¡°Player No. 8, please answer.¡± ¡°Yes, they do.¡± ¡°Correct answer, accumulating 1 point.¡± ¡°Question 5, in what season does a mirage usually occur?¡± ¡ª Beep! ¡°Player No. 1, please answer.¡± ¡°Summer.¡± ¡°Correct answer, accumulating 1 point.¡± The Inspector continues to ask questions, and people continue to buzz in. Order gradually gives way to chaos, with dozens of people fighting to buzz in instead of just a few at first. Especially after someone answered a question incorrectly, people realized there was no punishment for wrong answers and just started buzzing in like crazy! Even if they don¡¯t know the answer, at least they can prevent the smart ones from gaining more ¡°hearts¡±! ¡°Question 35, what is the longest living mammal?¡± ¡ª Beep! Beep, Beep, Beep¡­ The sounds of chaotic beeping are incessant! ¡°Player No. 21, please answer.¡± The player who is selected hesitates, and stammers, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know!¡± Inspector: ¡°Incorrect answer, no points accumulated. Question 36, which river is the longest in the world?¡± ¡ª Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep!!! The sound is even more frantic and disordered! ¡°Player No. 10, please answer.¡± Player No. 10 is Brother Fei. He grabbed the buzzer haphazardly. Being called out makes him a bit anxious. Someone in the field whispers something about the Nile. He hesitates and replies, ¡°The¡­ Nile River?¡± Inspector: ¡°Correct answer, accumulating 1 point.¡± He actually guessed right! A look of joy spreads across Brother Fei¡¯s face. At this point, all 36 questions have been answered. The grey-robed old man stands up, his long robe drags on the ground. His figure is both tall and withered, giving off an indescribable sense of strangeness. He says, ¡°The points have been accumulated, next is the second round of mandatory questions. The rules are different. I will ex-plain the de-tails for you all!¡± He speaks the last sentence especially slowly and emphatically. Chapter 222 - Chapter 222: Chapter 222: The Second Round of Compulsory Questions Chapter 222: Chapter 222: The Second Round of Compulsory Questions Translator: 549690339 ¡°The second round consists of 36 compulsory questions. The question type is multiple-choice, with four options to choose from. All members are required to participate in answering. A player will be randomly drawn by the pointer. The player can choose a type of question from the question bank that they are good at, or they can transfer the right to choose to any player who has not been eliminated on the field. Each correct answer will accumulate 1 point, up to a maximum of 3 points; A wrong answer will deduct 1 point, and those with 0 points will be eliminated.¡± The old man in the grey robe announced the rules, paused for two seconds, and then spoke again: ¡°Those who reveal the answer will be eliminated directly, disregarding their score.¡± The audience looked at each other nervously. Bai Youwei scanned the crowd. Of all the people present, only a small half had accumulated points. Her team and Yan Qingwen¡¯s team had taken the lead. Due to the heavy participation in answering, even if they knew the answers, it was difficult to have the opportunity to answer. The highest scorers were Pan Xiaoxin and Li Li, both had accumulated 3 points. She and Yan Qingwen had 2 points. Shen Mo and Zhu Shu had 1 point. Those who remained, Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Lun Ang, all had 0 points. Over on Brother Fei¡¯s side, about ten people also had 0 points. These people would be the most at risk, as for the upcoming compulsory questions, if they were unable to answer, they had no points to deduct, and would be eliminated directly. Bai Youwei frowned slightly. Lun Ang was on Yan Qingwen¡¯s side, she didn¡¯t care about him. Chang Weicai was a teacher, so he should be able to answer compulsory questions. She was more worried about Tan Xiao. But¡­ Tan Xiao still had one puzzle piece that could be used to save himself at a critical time. Bai Youwei asked the Inspector, ¡°The rules stipulate that players must not reveal the answers. So, can we have a conversation?¡± ¡°You can.¡± The old man in the grey robe answered hoarsely, ¡°You are free to talk, but¡­ if the content of the conversation is determined by the system to be a hint or suggestion of the answer, you will also be eliminated.¡± Thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°What if I intentionally mislead others in the conversation?¡± No sooner had the words left her mouth than someone incredulously exclaimed, ¡°Damn, that¡¯s mean!¡± Almost everyone stared at her angrily. Bai Youwei remained nonchalant, silently watching the Inspector. The old man in the gray robe was silent for a moment, then responded, ¡°Regardless of whether the answer is correct or not, it will all be considered by the system as a hint or suggestion.¡± So whether the answer was true or false, as long as it was related to the answer, it couldn¡¯t be mentioned. ¡°OK~ I got it.¡± Bai Youwei said casually, ¡°We can start now.¡± The grey-robed old man said, ¡°Does anyone else have questions?¡± Everyone looked at each other with dissatisfaction, but no one spoke. No matter what was said at this point, it wouldn¡¯t help. Even if they felt resentful, they could only submit! Submit to the rules! Submit the game! Be a good puppet! Submit! The Inspector, high above, declared, ¡°Then, the second round of compulsory questions, now, begins¡ª¡ª¡± The black pointer slowly began to spin, then sped up. Faster. Even faster. Accelerating incessantly¡­ The Inspector stood at the pivot point, with the pointer spinning under his feet. His long robe was as if unaffected, laying quiet and still, like a stationary ghost. The only sound heard throughout the field was the hissing of the stirring air. Then the pointer began to slow down, reaching a peak of oppressive quietness! The pointer passed Bai Youwei, number 5, 6, 7¡­ 11, 12, 13¡­ Getting slower and slower. 16¡­ 17¡­ The few people behind were wide-eyed, their pupils almost bloodshot! The black pointer moved slowly past number 18, and finally stopped in front of number 19¡ª¡ª In an instant! All the characters on the rectangular billboard lit up! Dazzling red light! ¡°Player number 19, please choose a type of question.¡± The old man in the grey robe said in a hoarse and cold voice. Chapter 223 - Chapter 223: Chapter 223: The Rotating Metal Chair Chapter 223: Chapter 223: The Rotating Metal Chair Translator: 549690339 Player number 19 was a young man with medium-length hair parted at the side. His face was long and thin, and an amulet of the Goddess Guanyin hung around his neck. His tank top was soaked with sweat. He was the first one selected, cold sweat continuously breaking out on his forehead. Countless question cards whirled in front of his eyes, forming a circle. The inspector stood behind the brilliantly lit question board, his grey-cloaked figure flickering in and out of sight. Although he should choose a category he was skilled at, but¡­ But looking at these question cards, he could not find a single one he excelled at! Player number 19 looked hard. ¨C Poetry, literature, mathematics, languages, art, music, drama, sports, nature, science, geography, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, history, general knowledge, architecture, food, clothing, folklore, countries, archaeology, animals, coding, astronomy, the arcane¡­ ¡°Player number 19, please choose a topic type,¡± the inspector reminded him again. ¡°If you take more than two minutes, the system will set a question at random.¡± Player number 19 gritted his teeth. With no other options left, he said in a trembling voice, ¡°I choose¡­ general knowledge.¡± Inspector: ¡°The first compulsory question: what color is at the top of a rainbow?¡± Player number 19 was first taken aback, but his nervous look quickly faded, and he let out a soft sigh. Whether or not other people knew the answer, he was very clear about it. Because his favorite band was called Rainbow, and every single one of their album covers featured a rainbow! At this moment, a line of text appeared on the LCD screens in front of everyone: [1. What color is at the top of a rainbow?] There were four options below: [A. Red; B. Purple; C. Green; D. Orange.] The right side of the answer key changed to a 60-second countdown. As long as they weren¡¯t too fogged up from the pressure, everyone should know to choose option A. The colors of a rainbow, from the outside in, are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Of course, some might not be aware of this common knowledge. Like Tan Xiao, Bai Youwei seriously doubted he would get it right. At the moment, Tan Xiao staring at his LCD screen, looking very pained. ¡°If you get it wrong, use a puzzle piece! Don¡¯t stupidly get eliminated! Understand?!¡± Bai Youwei shouted out, brow furrowed. Li Li, sitting across them, was speechless: ¡°Really now? Even for this kind of question, you¡¯d need to use a puzzle piece?¡± Bai Youwei looked stern: ¡°If we don¡¯t use a puzzle piece, will you save him? Can you save him? If you can save him, say the answer! If you can¡¯t, shut up!¡± Li Li: ¡°¡­¡± Damn it, he would love to shout out the answer, but he didn¡¯t dare¡­ Li Li lowered his head in annoyance, busying himself with the question, no longer caring about Tan Xiao. The 60-second countdown quickly ended. Inspector: ¡°The answer is A. Correct answers award one point, wrong answers deduct one point. Players with no points are disqualified¨C¡± As the ruling was announced, cries of misery, screams of terror, and shouts of despair echoed throughout the room. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to play this game! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± ¡°Help, help! No¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ahhh! No, no!¡± Eleven metal chairs slowly rotated as people, bound to them, struggled madly. They tugged at the metal bands around their waists, scratched at the metal rings around their necks. They scratched until their wounds bled, but they still couldn¡¯t break free from the chair that might as well be a torture device. The metal chairs finally turned around completely! Only their high backs were visible now! Surrounding the rotating platform was a dark fog, obscuring everything from view. Unable to see what misfortune had befallen those people, their screams grew even more horrifying, their struggles even more desperate! The chair shook with a squeaking noise and then slowly turned back¨C The people seated on the chairs had vanished¡­ Only exceedingly blinding, mottled bloodstains were left behind. Chapter 224 - Chapter 224: Chapter 224: Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Happiness Chapter 224: Chapter 224: Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Happiness Translator: 549690339 Complete silence fell upon everyone present. Eleven living beings, gone¡­ No one knew what they had encountered, nor where they had gone. They simply disappeared along with the spinning chairs. Li Li¡¯s complexion was deathly pale, a heart in front of him had just disappeared, now only two heart icons remained. Bai Youwei was simply speechless towards him who had just underestimated the question, but he answered it wrong in an instant, he had really brought this humiliation upon himself. Tan Xiao burst into laughter at the side:¡±I guessed right, hahaha!¡± Tan Xiao gained a little heart icon. Yan Qingwen glanced at everyone¡¯s point status and frowned asking, ¡°Li Li, which one did you choose?¡± ¡°D.¡± Li Li¡¯s answer was dejected, ¡°Rainbow, right? Orange, yellow, red, green, blue, purple.¡± Zhu Shu kindly told him, ¡°Li Li, it¡¯s red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.¡± Li Li made a bitter face, ¡°how can it be ¡­I thought orange, yellow, red, green, cyan, blue, and purple sounded smoother¡­ ¡± Tan Xiao was very smug with his new heart icon, he made a heart symbol with both hands and gestured a heart-sending sign towards Zhu Shu. Zhu Shu can¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Stinky brat! You think I¡¯m dead?!¡± Li Li blew up on the other side, ¡°Go home and look in the mirror before you flirt! Don¡¯t embarrass yourself in public!¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Tan Xiao glared back, ¡°None of your business when I flirt! Are you my mother-in-law?! Li mother-in-law!¡± ¡°Say that one more time¡± ¡°I said it, what ya gonna do about it? Freakin¡¯ four-eyed frog! If you¡¯re so tough, come hit me!¡± Li Li wasn¡¯t good at hurling insults or making threats, and his anger was making him tremble! He pointed at Tan Xiao and said: ¡°I¡¯ll see how arrogant you can be! You¡¯ll be sent to heaven on the next question!¡± Tan Xiao flaunted a jigsaw puzzle piece: ¡°You can¡¯t send me anywhere ~ yo yo, you can¡¯t do it ~¡± Li Li: ¡°You brainless fratboy!!!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you guys had enough?!!¡± All of a sudden, an angry roar exploded from the other side. It was from Fei Ge. He sat in a metal chair, his face was full of anger, his eyes were bloodshot, and his neck veins were bulging! ¡°Dammit! Keep quiet!!! All of my brothers are dead, and you guys are still in the mood to argue here!!! Get lost! Get out of here!!!¡± Fei Ge yelled hoarsely, his eyes welling with tears, and he covered his face and wept uncontrollably: ¡°Damn it! They¡¯re all dead! All of my brothers are dead! My brothers¡­¡± Everyone became silent. The only sound in the room was the anguish and sorrow in a strong man¡¯s cry. Regardless of any feud they may have had before, being strapped to this spinning wheel right now, they were in the same boat. When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Everyone felt uncomfortable. Eleven people were dead. This was something even Bai Youwei did not expect. Because she genuinely thought the question was very, very easy! But who can accurately predict the breadth of knowledge? Everyone has their own areas of ignorance, perhaps the next question, in the eyes of others, may seem incredibly simple, but in her view, it may be baffling. Bai Youwei quietly said: ¡°While you cry over your brothers¡¯ deaths, we laugh at our narrow escapes, and when they had their spat, it made them angry. People¡¯s feelings of joy, anger, sadness, and happiness do not intersect after all. Even if you see a hint of sadness on our faces right now, it really has nothing much to do with your brothers¡­ those emotions, in the end, are because they associate it with themselves.¡± Her voice was soft and free, making it seem extraordinarily cold-blooded in this oppressive atmosphere. It was as if her heart was made of iron and stone. Fei Ge looked up angrily and glared fiercely at Bai Youwei, hatred oozing out of his eyes! He seemed to dump all his hatred onto Bai Youwei alone! -His hatred for the game! His hatred for the world! His hatred for himself! All hatred! Bai Youwei looked at him emotionless: ¡°You cried so painfully just now, was it really just for your brothers? Didn¡¯t you shed a single tear for yourself?¡± Fei Ge didn¡¯t answer, his eyes becoming even redder. The Inspector said: ¡°The game, shall continue¡ª¡± Chapter 225 - Chapter 225: Chapter 225: Elimination Begins Again Chapter 225: Chapter 225: Elimination Begins Again Translator: 549690339 The black pointer slowly rotated, its speed growing faster and faster. It was like the black reaper knocking on the door, or a message signaling the arrival of bad luck. While it spun, Bai Youwei took another look at the scores on the field. She, Pan Xiaoxin, and Yan Qingwen were in the lead, each with 3 points. Pan Xiaoxin had impressed her. For a primary school student to have accumulated 3 points, and maintaining an advantage, was no easy feat. Shen Mo and Zhu Shu had 2 points each, and Li Li, due to a wrong answer, was deducted 1 point and was also at 2 points. Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Lun Ang all had 1 point each. Her heart lightened a little. Because this meant that everyone still had points left, and even if someone answered the second question wrong, no one¡¯s life would be immediately in danger. The pointer began to slow down. Everyone¡¯s nerves were strained! Who would be the lucky one chosen to have the advantage of choosing the question sign? The pointer slid past Li Li, his breaths short and rapid, his eyes completely focused on the sharp tip of the pointer! But as the pointer leisurely drifted past, he relaxed suddenly, his gaze resentful as he looked to the person beside him¡ª The pointer decelerated further, moving as slow as a snail. Finally, it crept past Pan Xiaoxin and stopped right in front of Chang Weicai! ¡°Player number 2, please choose a question type.¡± Everyone looked at Chang Weicai. Chang Weicai impulsively made a selection without hesitation: ¡°Poetry.¡± He was a language teacher, and this was the type of question he excelled at. Tan Xiao scratched his head immediately upon seeing the question, letting out a long, exasperated sigh. The expressions on everyone else¡¯s faces weren¡¯t too great either. Chang Weicai, realising something, suddenly turned white! ¡°No, no¡­ wait a minute! I want a do-over!¡± Chang Weicai said anxiously, ¡°Inspector! I don¡¯t want the poetry question anymore! I¡¯ll pick something else! I want to change the question!¡± ¡°The question type has been locked and cannot be changed.¡± The Inspector¡¯s tone was unemotional and absolute, leaving no room for negotiation. ¡°Question 2, ¡®Chun She¡¯ is one of the ancient traditional folk festivals, please name the poem that does not mention ¡®Chun She¡¯, everyone please answer on your answer board.¡± A question and its four-option multiple-choice responses appeared on the liquid crystal display in front of Bai Youwei: A, ¡°Racing Psalm¡± by Lu You; B, ¡°Society Day¡± by Wang Ju; C, ¡°Touring Paddy Village¡± by Lu You; D, ¡°Village Residence¡± by Gao Ding. Among these four poems, which one is not related to ¡®Chun She¡¯? Bai Youwei frowned, not pleased with the situation. Due to her health, she had never received higher education at a school. However, she had never missed an online course, and she had numerous books at home, each and every one of which she had read. She was knowledgeable in literature, history, nature, science, internet trends, Go, and various competitive games. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because she loved studying, but merely to pass the time and to relieve boredom. So she considered herself to be no less knowledgeable than anyone else. However, ancient poetry was indeed her weak point because she wasn¡¯t interested, so she never put much effort into it. She had a rudimentary understanding of commonly known poetry, but when faced with these four options¡­ She didn¡¯t recognize a single one. If she had to choose, the B option ¡°Society Day¡± had the word ¡°Society¡± in it. So the answer could possibly be A, C, or D. She pondered for a moment, without any clues, and could only rely on luck. Bai Youwei chose A. The ¡°Racing Psalm,¡± whatever it was, sounded like a dragon boat race? Or perhaps a praise for a certain song? She couldn¡¯t guess. The one-minute answering time quickly passed. The Inspector announced the answer: ¡°The answer is D. 1 point is added for those who answered correctly, 1 point is deducted for those who answered wrong, and players with no points are eliminated.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t!¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Ah! Help, help¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t fair! It isn¡¯t fair!¡± Horrified screams echoed. This time, five metal chairs slowly rotated, disregarding people¡¯s cries and struggles. The tall chair backs blocked everyone¡¯s line of sight. ¡°Elimination,¡± had once again begun¡­ Chapter 226 - Chapter 226: Chapter 226: Good Luck or Bad Luck Chapter 226: Chapter 226: Good Luck or Bad Luck Translator: 549690339 Ever since the answer was announced by the Inspector, Chang Weicai had been looking down, his fists clenched. As the screams filled the air, he hung his head even lower, his fists clenching tighter. His lean body started shaking uncontrollably¡­ He was regretful. He had instinctively chosen a subject he was good at, he had forgotten, besides him, everyone else in the room were young people! These people basically didn¡¯t know much about ancient poetry! If someone had died because of this¡­ it would be as if¡­.he had indirectly killed them! The metal chair slowly swiveled back. Person on it had disappeared yet again, leaving only the disarrayed blood stains on the chair, and the scraping scratches, giving people a vague sense of the horror after death. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± With tears streaming down Chang Weicai¡¯s face, he held his head low, afraid to face others, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Oh come on Mr. Chang¡­¡± Tan Xiao offered some heartless persuasion, ¡°If I were you, I would have picked the subject I¡¯m good at too! There¡¯s nothing to apologize for!¡± Chang Weicai hung his head, eyes closed, and his heart pounded with a dull, throbbing pain. The Quiz Game ¡ª¡ª The spinning wheel brought good fortune to the selected, but at the same time it also brought misfortune to those who weren¡¯t chosen! It was him. He had killed those five people! In his lifetime, he was always conscientious, honest, and straightforward, he had never even badmouthed anyone! But now, he had indirectly ended five people¡¯s lives! Engulfed by guilt, Chang Weicai couldn¡¯t contain himself. It felt as if he had aged suddenly, each wrinkle on his face revealing his agony and sorrow. Bai Youwei leaned forward to catch a glimpse of Chang Weicai, peering past Tan Xiao. Having been around him for quite some time, of course she understood the kind of person Chang Weicai was. Precisely because of this, she was more concerned. If his mental state was on the verge of collapse at this point, it could affect his performance in the quiz game severely. If he picked himself again, he shouldn¡¯t let his sympathy take over, deliberately choosing a topic he¡¯s not good at, just so others could pass? Compared to poetry and literature, topics like general knowledge, food, and clothing are relatively easier to earn points. Wait a moment¡­ A thought dawned on Bai Youwei, a topic he¡¯s not good at¡­ At that moment, Shen Mo, seated to her left, said: ¡°Mr. Chang is old, it¡¯s easy to get stuck.¡± Bai Youwei turned to look at him. Shen Mo didn¡¯t answer correctly just now either, losing 1 point. His current score is 1 point. She pondered for a moment and asked Shen Mo, ¡°What topic would you choose?¡± As Shen Mo¡¯s gaze lingered on the slowly rotating board of subjects, he spoke softly, ¡°I¡¯d probably choose a general knowledge question.¡± ¡°General knowledge, huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei thoughtfully muttered. Sitting to the left of Shen Mo was Lun Ang, and this rugged man chimed in: ¡°Yes! Choosing a general knowledge question would be fairer as majority are aware of such common knowledge! Choosing literature, music, art ¡­ is too specialized! One could kill everyone with a random set of questions!¡± ¡°You idiot, Lun Ang!¡± Li Li yelled at him from across, ¡°Even the most common general knowledge questions, out of the 36 consecutive questions, how many could you possibly answer correctly?! The right strategy is to pick a subject you¡¯re proficient in! Right, Brother Yan?¡± Lun Ang directed his anger at Li Li: ¡°Proficiency? Damn it! I¡¯m not even scoring any points!¡± That last poetry question from Chang Weicai, it only killed five, but it made nearly all the players lose 1 point. Lun Ang¡¯s score currently stood at zero! If the next question were another highly specialized topic, all players with zero points would be eliminated instantly as they would have no points to lose! Bai Youwei glanced around, there were still 20 contenders. Starting from number 1, Pan Xiaoxin had 2 points, Mr. Chang had 2 points, Tan Xiao had 0 points, she herself had 2 points, Shen Mo had 1 point, Lun Ang had 0 points, Yan Qingwen had 2 points, Zhu Shu had 1 point ¡­.. and Li Li had 1 point. The total number of people with no points was¡­.. Chapter 227 - Chapter 227: Chapter 227: Luck is Subtle Chapter 227: Chapter 227: Luck is Subtle Translator: 549690339 As she pondered, Yan Qingwen suddenly spoke up, ¡°Only five people were eliminated in the poetry question round, which is because many people gained a point from the rainbow question. Now that the points have been deducted, if the next question is very difficult, a large number of people will be eliminated ¨C correspondingly, as the number of people declines, our chances of being chosen by the pointer will significantly increase.¡± Shen Mo raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°So, your tactic for passing through involves reducing the number of participants?¡± Yan Qingwen responded with a faint smile, looking at Shen Mo, ¡°The game mechanism is inherently a survival of the fittest. All I can do is to ensure, under this mechanism, that as many of my teammates as possible survive.¡± After a pause of two seconds, he questioned Shen Mo, ¡°Commander, is it too hard for you to watch casualties take place?¡± ¡°It seems you indeed are not part of the special situation team,¡± Shen Mo replied indifferently, ¡°Our primary goal is mission success, and certain casualties are acceptable. But pointless casualties are idiocy.¡± ¡°Really.¡± Yan Qingwen tilted the corner of his lips, ¡°I¡¯ve learn something new.¡± While they were talking, the pointer had already begun its third rotation. Its speed was slowing down, and it was about to stop. Sitting next to Yan Qingwen, Zhu Shu stared at the tip of the pointer in silence. Ever since Yan Qingwen had made his statement, she knew she had been abandoned. Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang were teammates; their knowledge would have overlapping areas, like weaponry. And it was easy to determine Li Li¡¯s knowledge base as well. He was a researcher. If the next question was about physics, he would definitely be able to answer it. In other words, once the number of players had been reduced to a certain level, these three would form a very beneficial cycle¡ª When the question is about weapons, Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang gain points, and Li Li loses points; When choosing a physics question, Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang lose points, and Li Li gains points. One gain and one loss, in a repeated cycle. So long as they coordinate well, they would be able to successfully pass. As for her¡­ She excels in music, dance, and drama¡­ If she chose these types of questions, all three of them would lose points. On the contrary, if any one of those three chose a type of question, she would lose points too! Even if she racked up 3 points, she would be deducted back to zero! So, she could never fit into Yan Qingwen¡¯s pass through strategy! ¡­ Would she really die this time? Zhu Shu felt a little dazed. Death was not scary. What was scary was that after someone gave you hope, you realized that beneath your feet was still an abyss. She was supposed to die in the maze. It was because she met Li Li, then Yan Qingwen who came to rescue Li Li, that she was incidentally saved. Of course, she got a puzzle piece when she escaped the labyrinth, but on the way, they encountered an extremely horrifying and terrifying game! All the 5 puzzle pieces were used up! Later in the Snake Maze, they got 3 puzzle pieces again, each held by Yan Qingwen, Li Li, and Lun Ang, none for her. Whatever¡­ Let¡¯s just consider this period, as an undeserved extension received from Death¡­ Li Li sat across from her, wanting to speak yet restraining himself. He had understood the situation but had no idea what to say. What would he say? Sorry, we¡¯re going to leave you behind? Unable to help ourselves. Please forgive us? ¡­There¡¯s no need, really no need. In one¡¯s lifetime, we hear too many affections. But when it was time to die, we should look at life as transparent as a mirror, just wanting some peace and cherishing good memories of the world. Zhu Shu smiled at Li Li, then continued to watch the pointer that was moving slower and slower. It was about to stop. Just about¡­ Stopped¡­ Luck was an indescribable thing. It was especially evident in Tan Xiao. For example, he happened to guess the rainbow question correctly. And like now, he had been chosen by the pointer. ¡°Player No. 3, please choose a type of question.¡± the Inspector said. Chapter 228 - Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Is it a Bug? Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Is it a Bug? Translator: 549690339 ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tan Xiao glanced at the dense array of quiz boards, feeling a bit lost, ¡°It¡¯s my turn to choose, huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Tan Xiao, pick a subject you¡¯re not good at.¡± Everyone present was taken aback. When picking a quiz board, of course, you would choose what you¡¯re most proficient in! Otherwise, what if you can¡¯t answer the questions?! Even if Bai Youwei wanted Tan Xiao to choose her specialty for selfish reasons, how could she be certain what Tan Xiao was not good at was exactly what she was good at? Bai Youwei¡¯s one statement left everyone scratching their heads, even wondering if she had lost her mind! Pan Xiaoxin couldn¡¯t help but say to Bai Youwei, ¡°Sister Weiwei, Tan Xiao currently has zero points.¡± Zero points, no points to spare, and one wrong attempt would result in disappearing mysteriously behind the seat, just like those earlier! ¡°It¡¯s okay, he has a puzzle piece,¡± Bai Youwei said casually, ¡°I have a hypothesis that I need him to test.¡± ¡°What hypothesis?¡± Tan Xiao immediately asked, full of curiosity. Bai Youwei lazily waived her hand: ¡°Even if I tell you now, you won¡¯t understand. Just quickly pick a quiz board.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°But I¡¯m not good at any of these.¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°Then pick the one you¡¯re least good at!¡± Tan Xiao pondered for a moment then said to the inspector, ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll choose math.¡± Instantly, the lights of the other boards went out, leaving only the Math board gleaming with red. The inspector silently ¡®looked¡¯ at Bai Youwei for a moment, then began to read the question: ¡°Question 3: If a chicken has two legs, how many legs do eight chickens have?¡± The four options were: A, 8 legs; B, 1 leg; C, 2 legs; D, 16 legs. Complete silence fell over the room. Everyone: Is this a joke? Is this an insult to our intelligence?! Is it a brain teaser? But he chose Math! Not a fun trivia question! Bai Youwei burst out laughing, ¡°Hahaha! Genius! Tan Xiao, did you know you¡¯re going to be the savior! Hahaha! It¡¯s too funny!¡± Tan Xiao stared blankly at his LCD screen, scratching his head in confusion, he couldn¡¯t help turning to Bai Youwei, ¡°Is there a trap in this question?¡± Even someone with his intelligence found it overly simple. Bai Youwei smiled widely and said, ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t make a fuss over such a simple question, be careful not to blurt out the answer and get yourself disqualified by the system!¡± Tan Xiao quickly shut his mouth in surprise. Shen Mo was also laughing, his mouth slightly curved upward in a more restrained smile than Bai Youwei. ¡°Apparently, whoever is lucky enough to be chosen by the pointer, can answer any question no matter what type they choose.¡± He said. ¡°This game is just too considerate.¡± Bai Youwei was all smiles. ¡°So, the questions aren¡¯t predetermined, but instead extracted from the knowledge library in the chosen player¡¯s brain, and then the questions are generated in real-time!¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably for the sake of balance.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Everyone¡¯s knowledge library has blind spots, and the game is utilizing this, creating a competitive relationship between us. At the same time, the game has to ensure a certain accuracy rate during the quiz, to avoid complete defeat at a rapid rate¡­¡± But the game didn¡¯t anticipate the existence of someone like Tan Xiao. His blind spot of knowledge is so prominent that the system had no choice but to aim questions within the cognition level of young children. ¡°Ah, I was worried earlier that we might waste a puzzle piece, but it turned out to be so easy.¡± Bai Youwei laughed happily. ¡°For the next ones, let¡¯s let Tan Xiao choose every question. We¡¯ll breeze through the game! Hey, Inspector, does this count as a game Bug?¡± Chapter 229 - Chapter 229: Chapter 229: Let Me Teach You a Lesson Chapter 229: Chapter 229: Let Me Teach You a Lesson Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei laughed at the Inspector, ¡°What you know, others may not; what others know, you may not. The essence of this game is to have the knowledge bases of the players countering each other! Truly interesting~~ No wonder there¡¯s a rule in the second round stipulates that the randomly chosen player by the pointer can transfer the right to choose the topic to any player who hasn¡¯t been eliminated. So that¡¯s what it¡¯s for!¡± The Inspector standing in the center of the rotating platform, his faceless mask half-exposed under the cloak, seemed to be looking at her, silent and motionless. ¡°This mustn¡¯t be a bug.¡± Yan Qingwen suddenly interjected from the other side. Bai Youwei was mildly stunned, looking at him. Yan Qingwen continued, ¡°Your method, under ideal circumstances may work, but don¡¯t forget, there are 36 people playing the game, and they may not all know and trust each other. Without one hundred percent trust, how could they follow your commands to select the topics?¡± Why would Tan Xiao choose ¡°mathematics¡± if he wasn¡¯t obedient to Bai Youwei? The reason Tu Dan was able to lead her students to pass safely was because they trusted her, relied on her. Moreover, those students were classmates who spent day and night together, their knowledge overlap was very high! But as for people like Bai Youwei, Yan Qingwen, and Fei Ge! They came from different social classes, different cities, and had different educational levels! No possible way to cooperate! At this moment, the Inspector announced the answer to the third question: ¡°The answer is D. Correct answers earn 1 point, incorrect answers lose 1 point. Players with zero points will be eliminated.¡± This time, no one was eliminated. The surviving 20 players all received a beautiful peach-pink heart. The black pointer on the wheel began to rotate again. As the pointer spun, the Gray Robe Supervisor¡¯s hoarse voice echoed, ¡°Ignorant humans¡­my game, in the end, has never been about how much knowledge you have, but trust between individuals.¡± The pointer slowed down. It gradually stopped. Finally, it pointed to a crew-cut guy standing next to Fei Ge. The Gray Robe Supervisor let out a cackle, as raspy as pouring sand into a coarse earthen jar. ¡°So¡­now, without trust, how are you going to make him obey you, to transfer the right to choose the topic to you?¡± The corners of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth lifted into a disdainful smirk, ¡°Did I hear that right? You designed such a lame game just to test the trust between people? Old man, the fool is you!¡± She cast a sidelong glance at the crew-cut man who was targeted by the pointer, as if looking at an especially ridiculous object. ¡°Today I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson. When you want someone to follow your commands, it¡¯s never about trust, but¡­threat and temptation~¡± -¨C Whoosh! A sound of the air splitting! A streak of silver flashed by! It was followed by a bang! A small knife flew towards the crew-cut man, deeply embedding itself in the gap between his legs! Everyone knew how sturdy the metal chair was, yet the knife had plunged so deep into it! The handle was still vibrating from the remaining force! The crew-cut man was shaking like a sieve; his whole face turned ashen! He was so frightened that he didn¡¯t even make a sound! It was Shen Mo who moved. Yan Qingwen raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise. He had thought that Shen Mo was a ¡°kind and gentle¡± officer. Bai Youwei grinned at the crew-cut man: ¡°As long as you do as I say, every one of us can pass the game with full marks, isn¡¯t that great? So why hesitate? Unless¡­you want to die right here and now?¡± The crew-cut man looked at her fearfully; large beads of sweat rolled down his face, too petrified to speak. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her!¡± Fei Ge suddenly roared from the side: ¡°That man only has one knife! He can¡¯t hurt you anymore!¡± Chapter 230 - Chapter 230: Chapter 230 Unity is Strength Chapter 230: Chapter 230 Unity is Strength Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei frowned and looked over. Feige shouted at his comrades, ¡°We all kicked the ball together! You just choose sports, and it¡¯s most likely to be about football! Not only will we be able to pass the level, but also eliminate everyone else!¡± He was hoarse from all the shouting! ¡°Choose sports! ¨C They all deserve to die! They¡¯ve killed so many of us! They all deserve to die!!!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes were dark and cold as she spat out two words: ¡°Idiot.¡± Shen Mo knew what she wanted to do and reminded her mildly, ¡°Take it easy.¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°I¡¯ve always been taking it easy.¡± Then, she picked up the fluffy bunny doll she was holding and casually tossed it out ¡ª Thud. The bunny landed on the carousel. All eyes focused on the bunny, wondering why Bai Youwei would throw a toy rabbit. Did she throw it in a tantrum because her scheme didn¡¯t work? The rabbit¡¯s ear twitched. Everyone was stunned, questioning their vision, when they saw the rabbit stand up on its own! ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s a prop¡­¡± someone whispered in horror. How else could one explain a plush toy moving on its own?!! Bai Youwei laughed and said, ¡°That knife was indeed intended to scare you, but who told you that you have to kill with a knife?¡± She lowered her head slightly and spoke to the rabbit in a voice that was both gentle and cruel, ¡°See the guy with the bandage on his head? I want to see him~ dance the poppin¡¯ style.¡± The rabbit shuffled its short little legs and walked towards Feige. ¡°¡­ What the¡­Get away! Get the hell away from me!¡± Feige was a bit frightened, he desperately tried to back away, but his body was firmly strapped down. He wanted to kick the bunny away but couldn¡¯t move his legs! He tried to swat it away with his hands, but his neck was restrained¡ªhe couldn¡¯t bend down! The rabbit solemnly came to him, lifted its head, and looked at him with its little black eyes. Feige¡¯s pupils shrunk, he was tense, unable to predict what would happen next. Suddenly! Blue-violet electricity flashed before his eyes! Like a gliding snake! Or a dazzling light! With a sizzling sound, Feige¡¯s body started to convulse violently! He kept shaking! Kept shaking! His face turned pale, his eyes rolled back, and drool flowed uncontrollably down from the corner of his mouth! Even though there was no sound, no screams, the people around could feel a deep sense of terror¡ª They were at the mercy of the game, and at the mercy of Bai Youwei! The electric shock ends¡­ It only lasted three to five seconds, but it seemed like Feige had lost half his life. He slumped limply in his chair, unable to speak, his limbs twitched from time to time. The rabbit turned around, its footstep tap-tap-tap as it walked back. ¡°No need to come back.¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently with a wave of her hand, ¡°Just stand there. Whoever is unwilling to give up their voting rights, just taser them.¡± The crowd: Bai Youwei said, ¡°Don¡¯t kill them, just taser them until they are willing.¡± The crowd: Where the hell did this demon come from?!! ¡°Why not cooperate well and get out of here together?¡± Bai Youwei clapped her hands lightly, her tone cheerful, ¡°Why do we have to compete? Making it a life or death matter. In times of crisis, humans should unite, right?¡± Pausing a moment, perhaps feeling it strange to say such things, she looked to the other side, ¡°Mr. Cheng, why don¡¯t¡­ you try to persuade them?¡± Chang Weicai was startled. He then wiped away his tears and said determinedly, ¡°Weiwei is right! At this moment, what we need most is unity! What is unity? Unity is the concentration of strength to achieve a common ideal! Those with common interests prevail! United people are strong! A single blooming flower can only appreciate itself, whereas a full field of blossoms can dazzle and shine! We gathered here to pass this game! We are a whole! The nation needs to be united! Society needs to be united! We, too, must be united!!!¡± Chapter 231 - Chapter 231: Chapter 231: Transfer of Topic Selection Rights Chapter 231: Chapter 231: Transfer of Topic Selection Rights Translator: 549690339 ¡°Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap¡± ¡°Mr. Chang certainly speaks well,¡± Bai Youwei clapped her hands with gleeful eyes, ¡°Whoever you are, have you decided yet?¡± The man with the flat-topped hair shuddered in fear. The rabbit stood right in front of him. He shrank back and stuttered, ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ we should¡­ should unite. I¡­ I choose to yield my question selection privilege to¡­ Player number 3.¡± The Inspector remained silent. It saw everything. From the moment Bai Youwei discovered the hidden rules, Yan Qingwen suggested a strategy to clear the game, Shen Mo threatened players with a fruit knife, Fei Ge resisted with his last breath, then came Bai Youwei¡¯s use of the rabbit prop¡­Chang Weicai¡¯s fervor¡­ One thing led to another. Intimidation, and temptation. The Inspector turned to the man with the flat-topped hair and asked softly, ¡°Does the player confirm the decision to yield the question selection privilege? Once you give up, you will lose the advantage of choosing questions. Your current points stand at 1. If you answer one more question incorrectly¡­¡± ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you just say that you would conduct the game strictly according to the instructions?¡± Bai Youwei interrupted, her tone was very displeased. ¡°What¡¯s going on now? Deliberately inducing players to change their decision? Isn¡¯t that considered tampering with the game¡¯s balance? It seems you Inspectors love to talk the talk but not walk the walk! You flaunt your impartiality, don¡¯t you find it ridiculous?¡± The Inspector fell silent, and after a moment it responded, ¡°My only wish is for players to consider their choices carefully before making important decisions.¡± ¡°Stop speaking eloquently!¡± Bai Youwei mocked it mercilessly, ¡°Is the question selection considered an important decision? Earlier when Player 2 chose poetry, you didn¡¯t give him the chance to rethink his decision. You stated that the question category was locked and could not be changed! Do you have dementia and simply lost your memory from a few moments ago?¡± The Inspector once again fell silent: Bai Youwei tilted her head, giving it a sarcastic smile: ¡°Old fool, just officiate your game honestly. No underhanded tricks, don¡¯t plan on killing any of the 20 people here~¡± The elderly man in grey robe stood silently, all his emotions hidden beneath the shadowed brim of his cowl. Shen Mo narrowed his eyes. He remembered that this thing could summon hurricanes. Even though it looked like a feeble old man, it was undoubtedly a dangerous element. Would it attack Bai Youwei?¡­ As the Inspector, could it attack a player who hasn¡¯t broken the rules? The atmosphere fell into a strange silence. Everyone has their eyes fixed on the Inspector in the center of the field. After a few seconds, the old man in the grey robe moved. He slightly turned his body towards Tan Xiao: ¡°Player number 3, please choose a question category.¡± Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, then mixed feelings of love and hate began to rise towards Bai Youwei. They hated her for being very hateful! But loved her because she could really lead them to survive here! As usual, Tan Xiao chose his weakest category, Math. The Inspector didn¡¯t immediately read the question. It was silent for a long time before calmly reading: ¡°Question 4, a playground measures 100 meters in length and 50 meters in width, how many square meters is the total area of the playground?¡± Tan Xiao exclaimed: ¡°Wow, finally a challenging question! This is probably my limit for math!¡± Inspector: ¡°¡­¡± Everyone: ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, a tiny, subtle, sympathy towards the system began to develop in their hearts. Hmm¡­ Next, the pointer landed on Yan Qingwen. The Inspector asked: ¡°Player number 7, will you yield your question selection privilege too?¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Yan Qingwen. Including the rabbit on the roulette wheel. Yan Qingwen smirked and turned his head to ask Bai Youwei, ¡°As far as I know, most props are disposable. Are you sure it can still discharge lightning?¡± Bai Youwei kept a straight face, ¡°If I say it can, would you believe it? Why don¡¯t you try?¡± Yan Qingwen didn¡¯t want to try. He smiled and looked at the Inspector and said, ¡°I also yield my question selection privilege to player number 3.¡± Chapter 232 - Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Special Reward Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Special Reward Translator: 549690339 Round after round Each person chosen by the pointer granted the power to choose the questions to Tan Xiao. Because Tan Xiao¡¯s mathematics knowledge was pitifully lacking, to ensure the correct rate of the person choosing the question, the system had to continuously decrease the difficulty of the questions. Multiplication was the highest it could go, and even then, they only dared to introduce division with two-digit numbers. As the 36 compulsory questions were gradually reaching their end, everyone remained in a perfect state, with sixty little pink hearts glittering beautifully and neatly across the field. By the last few questions, even without the rabbit looming ominously before the players, they would automatically choose to pass on the power to choose the question. Because they all understood that as long as they held on, they would clear the game! The last question was finally over. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Bai Youwei called back the plush rabbit, carelessly stroking its ears, her tone casual and airy: ¡°This is not a game of intelligence. It tests not knowledge, but human hearts. Whoever controls the hearts controls the game, and players can only be led around by the nose. However, it¡¯s a shame¡­¡± She looked at the Inspector, her mouth curled in a hint of smugness: ¡°This time, the controller is not you, it¡¯s me.¡± The Inspector watched her silently. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± Bai Youwei softly squinted her eyes, returning to her lazy demeanor, ¡°Settle the game, and remove these metal bracelets. It¡¯s very uncomfortable having them on.¡± As her words fell, the metal chairs unlocked with a clicking sound, and everyone was free. They climbed off the metal chairs one by one, their expressions filled with disbelief as they watched each other, their eyes confirming that they truly escaped the danger. The grey-robed Elder congratulated them with his raspy voice: ¡°Congratulations on clearing this game.¡± Everyone was somewhat uncertain. Happy? Of course, they were happy. However, more than that, they felt lost. How many more such games were there? Would the next game be as lucky as this? The grey-robed Elder stood unmoving at the center of the carousel, speaking in his usual tone: ¡°The total number of players who cleared this game is twenty, each can receive a Lucky Question Card.¡± A card immediately appeared in Bai Youwei¡¯s hand. It was the size of a poker card, without a pattern, and had a black center with red edges. [Lucky Question Card: It allows you to ask a question once to any player. The person who is asked must answer correctly. Otherwise, they are penalized by not being able to act freely for 60 seconds. If they answer incorrectly a second time, they are penalized for 120 seconds; a third time for 180 seconds. The restriction is lifted afterward.] Bai Youwei stuffed it into her bag, feeling that she had gained another useless thing. It was obviously a defensive item, and it could only be used once. It was utterly useless! It was completely disproportionate to the effort she had put in~ She looked up at the Inspector, couldn¡¯t help asking: ¡°Isn¡¯t there an extra reward for the person with the highest score? I remember there being some sort of brocade bag?¡± Everyone stared at the Inspector in surprise. ¡°Brocade bag, that is the only¡­¡± the grey-robed Elder slowly said, ¡°However, I can give you a better reward.¡± He raised his arm, revealing a hand wrapped in bandages from under his sleeve. The bandages were an old yellow-brown and his fingers looked skinny. It looked like the bandages were not wrapping a hand, but a long-buried skeleton. He opened his hand, revealing a gleam of gold in his palm¡ª- It was a shiny gold coin! About the size of a one yuan coin, pure golden in color, with something engraved on it. ¡°In this round, everyone scored perfect. There is no highest score. Hence, whom should I give this to?¡± the grey-robed Elder looked at the crowd, passing his gaze from one to another. ¡°Should I give it to you? ¡­Or you? ¡­What about you? ¡­And you¡­¡± In the end, he paused in front of Tan Xiao, chuckling in a raspy voice. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you young man. You asked the most questions in this round. I believe your courage and wisdom are deserving of this reward.¡± Chapter 233 - Chapter 233: Chapter 233 Gold Coin Gold Coin Chapter 233: Chapter 233 Gold Coin Gold Coin Translator: 549690339 The game settlement finished, and the Inspector and the wheel of fortune disappeared before their eyes. So did those gruesome metal seats. They found themselves back on the street, the sky as blue as ever, trees still lush, and the fire built in front of the tents crackling away. The only difference was the addition of 16 mannequins on the road. Feige gazed dazed at these dolls. Some of those within had willingly joined his team after the incident in Hangzhou. The bond between them wasn¡¯t particularly deep. But among them were also some of his closest friends! He couldn¡¯t quite put a label on the feeling he was experiencing. Neither fury nor sorrow sufficed to describe it. His eyes reddened, and, fatigued, he motioned for some of his men to help him load the dolls into the vehicle. They had to find these dolls a resting place, so they wouldn¡¯t be left out, exposed to the elements. On the side, Su Man, who had been waiting for a long time, couldn¡¯t help but throw herself into Li Li¡¯s arms and hug him tightly. ¡°Why did you only come out now!!!¡± She barked, the choked sob in her voice evident. Li Li was taken aback, his face slightly embarrassed. He could argue a few points when she was being aggressive, but he was at a loss on how to handle her when she suddenly turned so feeble. Zhu Shu, who was standing next to Li Li, seeing the two embrace, softly stepped aside without a word. Yan Qingwen came over to soothe Su Man¡¯s feelings as Li Li explained what happened inside the game to her. Gradually, Su Man calmed down. At this moment, Feige and his team had already loaded everything into their vehicles and were preparing to leave. Yan Qingwen warned them, ¡°Hangzhou, without its maze, will soon attract the game. This place is not for long-term stay; you¡¯d better make early plans.¡± Feige nodded, but said nothing. Perhaps his heart had grown numb, and his demeanor seemed to lapse into despair. If not staying in Hangzhou, where else could they go? ¡­ There was no safe place left in this world¡­ As everyone watched the convoy drive away, varying emotions swirled within their hearts. The game was strange like that; it could incite hatred and also dissolve enmity. After all, what was more important than staying alive? Li Li, watching the vehicles disappear into the distance, thought for a moment, then sidled up to Tan Xiao and asked, ¡°What did the Inspector give you just now?¡± Tan Xiao shot him a wary look. ¡°Why? You want it? ¡ª¡ªNot giving!¡± Li Li was at a loss for words, but he didn¡¯t lose his temper. After answering over thirty elementary school math problems in the game, he had a new understanding of Tan Xiao! As a respected doctoral scientist of a prestigious research institute, how could he let a primary school student get to him? Right? ¡°I just want to look at what it is,¡± Li Li said. ¡°There are so many people here, it¡¯s not like you think I¡¯d steal it.¡± Tan Xiao looked him up and down, then scoffed dismissively, ¡°Ha! You couldn¡¯t steal it even if you wanted to.¡± Li Li: That¡¯s why he hated kids. They were such brats! ¡°Here, let brother Xiao show you~¡± Tan Xiao opened his hand to reveal the gold coin. Strangely, this tiny gold coin had an indescribable appeal, solid to the touch, glistening gold in color, it caught the attention of those around them. Bai Youwei also watched, curious about the use of the gold coin. ¡°There seems to be words on it.¡± Li Li adjusted his glasses, ¡°What does it say?¡± Tan Xiao squinted, ¡°¡­There are words, they are really small¡­¡± He held the gold coin up to his eyes, trying to make out the tiny, delicate characters, reading them one word one sentence at a time: ¡°Welcome¡­to¡­the¡­doll¡­¡± An ominous feeling surged in Bai Youwei¡¯s heart, her complexion paling, she shouted, ¡°Tan Xiao! Stop reading!¡± ¡°House¡­¡± As the last word left Tan Xiao¡¯s mouth, the gold coin suddenly shone brightly! Chapter 234 - Chapter 234: Chapter 234: In Debugging Chapter 234: Chapter 234: In Debugging Translator: 549690339 Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment! The gold coin slipped out of Tan Xiao¡¯s hand, bounced high up, and then traced an arc in the air! It landed on the ground Ding! The gold coin spun like a top at a high speed on the ground! As it spun, the space behind Tan Xiao gradually tore open! An elliptical gap appeared, revealing a bottomless darkness within, and with an astonishing suction force! Without giving anyone time to react, it sucked in Tan Xiao and Li Li, the ones closest to it! Zhu Shu and Su Man subconsciously reached out to grab Li Li, but only caught air, and were also sucked into the gap! Shen Mo moved swiftly, grabbing Tan Xiao¡¯s arm in time, but the suction force was so strong that even he was sucked in ¡°Shen Mo!¡± Bai Youwei cried out anxiously, wheeling toward them. Yan Qingwen held her back, ¡°We¡¯ll go rescue them, you stay here!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Bai Youwei slapped his hand away, allowing herself and her wheelchair to be sucked into the black void! Left behind were Teacher Cheng, Pan Xiaoxin, Lun Ang, and Yan Qingwen. ¡°Xiaoxin, let¡¯s get in there quickly!¡± Teacher Cheng scrambled to pick up his backpack and cane from the ground, and rushed in! Pan Xiaoxin wasted no time, picked up his backpack and rushed in as well! Lun Ang furrowed his brows, asking Yan Qingwen, ¡°Are we going in?¡± The gold coin on the ground began to slow. The gap was getting smaller and narrower, the bulging ellipse gradually thinning. Yan Qingwen guessed that when the coin stopped spinning, this gap would completely close. ¡­Should he go in? There were unquestionably unimaginable dangers waiting for them there. ¡°Our mission is to get Li Li to his destination¡­¡± Yan Qingwen gritted his teeth, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Without time to grab their equipment, the two raced into the now narrow fissure The gold coin was spinning slower and slower. And slower¡­ Clatter, it fell onto the ground. The crevice disappeared. Mirroring its disappearance, the luster of the gold coin faded, seemingly coated with a layer of dust in an instant. Despite its vivid gold color, it lost the dazzling attraction it had just moments ago and looked like an ordinary small coin on the sidewalk. A gentle breeze drifted by. The leaves rustled. The empty street seemed as if nothing transpired at all¡­ In the pure white diamond-shaped space, huge blocks were neatly lined up. A gray-robed Inspector stood in front of one of the cubes, murmuring mysteriously, ¡°Ignorance and foolishness are not the greatest obstacles to survival, arrogance is.¡± Behind him, the rabbit-headed Inspector approached, holding a black top hat in his hands, and asked politely, ¡°This quote is from ¡®The Three-Body Problem 3: Death¡¯s End¡¯, first published in the Human Calendar Year of 2010, which depicts the war between civilizations. Why the sudden inspiration?¡± The grey-robed figure replied in a low voice, ¡°No reason, I just feel¡­that this quote fits perfectly right now.¡± The rabbit-headed figure looked at the cube in front of the grey figure, intrigued, ¡°You activated Game 7016¡­you know this copy is still in debugging, and it will be put into use next month. Players at this stage can¡¯t handle the difficulty of Game 7016.¡± The old man in the grey robe chuckled, his raspy voice letting out a heh heh sound. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Those who went in are players who have undergone two data upgrades. They¡¯re in need of such a challenge.¡± The rabbit-headed figure was silent for a while before it asked, ¡°Do you want them to die?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The old man in the grey robe nodded slowly, ¡°¡­If they don¡¯t die, how could this all end?¡± Chapter 236 - Chapter 236: Chapter 236 Doll House Chapter 236: Chapter 236 Doll House Translator: 549690339 ¡­her consciousness is all jumbled up. She has a splitting headache, as if someone was hammering at her forehead. Faintly, she can hear Shen Mo¡¯s voice, deep, even-tempered, each intonation filled with a sandy, magnetic charm, like plucking a string in her ear. Yes¡­it¡¯s the most pleasant G-string on the cello. Bai Youwei¡¯s mind is in disarray. After feeling dizzy for a while, she finally opens her eyes, the first thing she sees is an old-fashioned ceiling, then a countryside-style wall lamp, a wall adorned with patterned wallpaper¡­ and, an old-fashioned fireplace. The flames within the fireplace are burning, slightly driving away the chill from her body. ¡°Awake?¡± Shen Mo, holding a glass of water, walks over and sits down by her side. The water in the cup is still hot, so he leaves it on the coffee table to cool. He helps her sit up a little and places a pillow beneath her to make her more comfortable. ¡°¡­.Where are we?¡± Bai Youwei breaks the silence only to find her throat is incredibly hoarse. Shen Mo looks around, then says, ¡°We¡¯re in a house on the top of a mountain. After encountering Mr. Cheng and Xiaoxin, we found you halfway up the mountain. Tan Xiao is still missing¡­ Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang went out to look for him.¡± After a pause, he adds, looking at Bai Youwei, ¡°You have a fever.¡± Bai Youwei weakly touches her forehead. She can¡¯t really tell¡­ but she just feels listless, her head spinning. ¡°She needs a bath and a change of clothes, and her hair needs to be dried up,¡± Zhu Shu adds from the side, ¡°There¡¯s no medicine here, we need to figure out a way to reduce her temperature as soon as possible.¡± Exasperated, Su Man retorts, ¡°For goodness sake, she¡¯s a celebrity, where are we supposed to find bathwater for her?! Moreover, this is the doll¡¯s territory, nobody can guarantee this room is safe!¡± Zhu Shu tightens her lips, then says, ¡°There¡¯s a bathroom on the second floor with hot water, and the closet in the bedroom has clean clothes. If you¡¯re worried about potential hazards¡­ I can go check it out first.¡± Su Man raises an eyebrow, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell me you want to take a shower yourself?¡± Zhu Shu looks a bit helpless but doesn¡¯t retaliate, ¡°Being all damp isn¡¯t exactly comfortable.¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Man flatly refuses, her face stern. ¡°I disagree with this. Before Yan left, he asked me to ensure everyone¡¯s safety. Moreover, the clothes in the closet seem bizarre, they look like they¡¯re made for dolls, how could we even wear those?¡± Bai Youwei listens to them talk in silence, her eyes flickering briefly over her surroundings. Where she is laying is a long sofa against the wall in the living room. It¡¯s a deep blue color, adorned with alternating patterns of pink and white roses. There are a few matching pillows on the sofa. In the corners of the living room are a countless number of toy dolls. Stuffed bears, bunnies, little cats, and dogs¡­ She closes her eyes, her muddled mind recalling a sentence that Tan Xiao recited before they entered the game ¡ª Welcome to the Doll House. Is this place¡­ the Doll House? Mr. Cheng brings over the brewed tea, setting one cup after another on the coffee table. ¡°Everyone, have some hot tea to fend off the cold.¡± ¡°Achoo!¡± Pan Xiaoxin suddenly sneezes. Everyone looks over. Xiaoxin rubs his nose, looking embarrassed. Mr. Cheng expresses his worries, ¡°The temperature here is low, I¡¯m not sure if it has anything to do with the downpour outside. It feels like it¡¯s spring or autumn, we¡¯re all drenched and don¡¯t have much to wear, at this rate, it¡¯s easy to catch a cold.¡± Perhaps because she¡¯s facing an elder, Su Man¡¯s assertiveness is slightly softened as she hesitates, ¡°Then¡­ how about you guys take the kid upstairs to shower, I¡¯ll stand guard by the door.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Pan Xiaoxin, still rubbing his nose, walks over and sits by the fireplace, murmuring, ¡°I¡¯ll just stay here and dry my clothes¡­¡± Chapter 237 - Chapter 237: Chapter 237: Ten Sets of Clothes Chapter 237: Chapter 237: Ten Sets of Clothes Translator: 549690339 When they rushed in, there had been no time to prepare a change of clothes. Although Pan Xiaoxin was just a child, he didn¡¯t want to face the embarrassment of being completely naked. Zhu Shu suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°There are also children¡¯s clothes in the bedroom.¡± ¡°Can you stop mentioning those clothes.¡± Su Man frowned deeply, her face full of discontent, ¡°Those clothes are not normal, we can¡¯t just wear them at will!¡± Zhu Shu explained, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, think about it, the style of those clothes upstairs, isn¡¯t it just enough for us to wear? It feels as if¡­ this house was prepared specifically for us, it¡¯s really weird.¡± What she said gave Su Man goosebumps, ¡°No way¡­¡± Zhu Shu extended her finger and counted, ¡°You and I, Yan Ge, Lun Ang, Li Li, that makes five people. Here, there¡¯s also five of us. So that¡¯s ten in total. Upstairs, there are exactly ten sets of clothes, one of which is for children. I remember it very clearly. If the men¡¯s and women¡¯s styles also match us, then there must be a problem.¡± There was no doubt about it. There was something wrong with this place, something wrong with this room, everything here was wrong! With gritted teeth, Su Man got up, ¡°I¡¯ll go up with you to double-check.¡± The two women walked upstairs, one in front of the other. Bai Youwei watched them for a while, then withdrew her gaze and slumped weakly onto the sofa. The water on the coffee table had cooled a bit. Shen Mo brought it over and helped her take a few sips. Her body temperature was scorching, her clothes dripping wet. Her long hair was thoroughly soaked, messily scattered around her, soaking the sofa cover and cushions. After drinking warm water, her flushed face seemed to turn even redder. Her eyes were dark and empty, contrasting with her white dress, she looked more and more like a wounded, dazzling Water Demon, fragile enough to die at any moment. Shen Mo frowned slightly, feeling a pang of distress. She looked blank, as if her high fever had left her in a daze. Shen Mo looked at her, his voice unconsciously softened as he asked, ¡°Do you want to take a bath?¡± Bai Youwei was stunned for a few seconds before nodding lightly, ¡°I want to take a bath.¡± Shen Mo said she had a fever, but she felt cold. She wanted to soak in a hot bath. Teacher Cheng said to Shen Mo, ¡°You take care of her, I¡¯ll go upstairs and prepare the hot water.¡± Shen Mo nodded. The two women upstairs quickly returned, both looking very grim. ¡°Those clothes in the wardrobe were indeed prepared for us!¡± Su Man said with a strained face and a heavy tone, ¡°Ten sets of clothes, exactly nine adults and one child, among the adult clothes, six sets for men and three for women.¡± It matched their situation perfectly. Shen Mo calmly said, ¡°Let¡¯s think positively. Since the game has prepared clothes for all 10 of us, it indicates that Tan Xiao and Li Li are safe.¡± ¡°Game?¡± Su Man furrowed her brows, ¡°Are you sure this is a game?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°You can check your weapons.¡± In the Doll Game, fruit knives, scissors, and kitchen knives could be brought in, but military daggers, firearms, and explosives¡­ these conspicuous weapons couldn¡¯t be brought in. Su Man was frustrated. She paced back and forth in the room, finally stopping by the window to look at the torrential rain outside. She wondered, ¡°If this really is a game, it¡¯s far too abnormal. We¡¯ve been here so long and we haven¡¯t seen an Inspector. Could it be that this isn¡¯t a game site?¡± Shen Mo slowly shook his head, ¡°Apart from this house, there¡¯s only the slope and the trees. I am more inclined to believe that the game has not officially started.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Su Man bit her nails anxiously as she stared out the windows, ¡°Perhaps because not everyone is here yet, when they return¡­ the game should start.¡± Zhu Shu also stared out of the window, feeling uneasy. Having just escaped one danger, they seemed to be entering another. The sense of danger was closing in. They didn¡¯t know what was waiting for them this time around. Chapter 238 - Chapter 238: Chapter 238: Everyone is Here Chapter 238: Chapter 238: Everyone is Here Translator: 549690339 This dollhouse, though it looked old and eerie, contained clean and well-arranged living necessities. The bathroom had hot water, the kitchen had an induction cooker, though it lacked modern appliances like a refrigerator, television, and air conditioner, it essentially replicated British rural life. Mr. Cheng had prepared a half tub of hot water for Bai Youwei. Shen Mo asked her if she wanted Zhu Shu or Su Man to assist her. Bai Youwei refused. She did not know these two women well enough, she didn¡¯t like getting too intimate with strangers, even of the same sex. Moreover, she only had a fever, she was not so weak that she needed help to bathe. However, letting her stay alone in the bathroom was out of the question. If something happened, with her small stature, she would not be able to climb out of the bathtub on her own. Bai Youwei suggested to Shen Mo: ¡°We could draw the shower curtain.¡± Shen Mo agreed. They shared rooms and meals all the way here, it wasn¡¯t necessary to put up pretences about the proscription of contact between men and women in this situation. Shen ¡®a gentleman¡¯ Mo, with his clear conscience, believed safety came first. During her bath, the splashing of water could be heard in the bathroom. He stood on one side of the shower curtain, listening to the sounds on the other side. When there was no sound, he would call out Bai Youwei¡¯s name. Bai Youwei complained, ¡°Don¡¯t keep calling my name then not say anything after, it¡¯s so strange. If you¡¯re worried about me, we can talk.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to talk.¡± Bai Youwei sighed, her voice soft and tired: ¡°I indeed don¡¯t have the energy to talk, but if I don¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid I might fall asleep while bathing.¡± ¡°Hold on just a little bit more, there¡¯s a bed in the adjacent bedroom, you can sleep after your bath,¡± Shen Mo said. Bai Youwei contemplated before asking: ¡°How many bedrooms are there here?¡± ¡°Three bedrooms.¡± He paused for a moment, then decided to reveal all the details of the house to her. ¡°This house consists of three floors, or to be precise, two and a half. The first floor has a living room, dining room, kitchen, and storage room. The second floor has three bedrooms and a small study room, and there is an attic on the top half floor.¡± ¡°Are there lots of dolls here?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Shen Mo nodded slightly, then remembering she couldn¡¯t see him, said: ¡°There are quite a few dolls scattered across the house, stuffed teddy bears, rabbits, cats and dogs, and even tin frogs and toy soldiers.¡± Suddenly, the door downstairs opened with a creak. With it came a rush of wind and rain, and people¡¯s voices. Tan Xiao¡¯s voice stood out: ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the glasses! We would have reached the top of the mountain early on!¡± ¡°What the heck are you talking about! You clearly couldn¡¯t find the right direction and ran randomly in the woods! I was the one that guided you out, okay!¡± ¡°If it isn¡¯t for your glasses, why would I go into the woods?!¡± Li Li¡¯s voice was close to breaking: ¡°I said the glasses must be nearby! Who asked you to go into the woods to look for them ah ah ah!¡± ¡°Ah, come on, both of you stop arguing¡­¡± This was Mr. Cheng¡¯s voice. Shen Mo in the bathroom listened for a while and whispered: ¡°Yan Qingwen should have found them and brought them back.¡± ¡°Now that everyone is here, the game can start at any moment¡­¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes, struggling to keep her spirits up, ¡°I¡¯m done bathing, help me out.¡± Shen Mo handed a towel into the curtain. When Bai Youwei had wrapped herself, he came in to carry her. The lower half of the towel was soaked through, and her washed hair was also dripping wet. Shen Mo drenched himself as he carried Bai Youwei and settled her onto a wooden stool, with her leaning against him weakly. He then took a dry towel and slowly helped her dry her hair. While drying her hair, Shen Mo took a quick glance at her discarded dress. The dress was soaked and muddied, with threads unraveling at the hem, as if it had been torn by something. ¡°I¡¯ll help you wash it later and put it near the fireplace to dry. It should dry quite quickly,¡± he said. Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll just wear the clothes from the closet.¡± Chapter 240 - Chapter 240: Chapter 240 Not Enough Food Chapter 240: Chapter 240 Not Enough Food Translator: 549690339 Everyone looked at each other, all silent. Zhu Shu asked tentatively, ¡°Could it have something to do with the clothes upstairs? For instance perhaps we need all ten of us to wear the designated outfits to start the game?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded slightly, ¡°But those clothes might also be a trap. Until we have a clear understanding of the situation, I don¡¯t recommend everyone to change into those clothes.¡± Zhu Shu nodded in agreement, then turned to the others, hesitant, ¡°So what should we do now?¡± No one responded. The rain outside seemed to have grown heavier, as the drops pattered against the window. The room grew even quieter. Shen Mo voiced his thoughts, ¡°My idea is that since the game hasn¡¯t started, we should conserve our strength and prepare. Those who are not feeling well should rest and recuperate as soon as possible. We need to figure out how much water and food we have, how long it can sustain us, and whether there are places in this house we haven¡¯t checked yet, such as hidden compartments or a basement.¡± Chang Weicai chimed in, ¡°When I was boiling water earlier, I searched the kitchen and found no food. But we have electricity and water, and I have a few packs of instant noodles in my backpack.¡± ¡°I have some loquats in my bag¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin took out his backpack, opened it, revealing a bag half full of loquats. The shiny yellow fruits were dotted with raindrops, as Xiaoxin¡¯s bag had been soaked in the rain. Before entering the game, he and Tan Xiao picked loquats from a tree, collecting lots of them. Then, after exiting the question-and-answer game, he brought them into this place inside his backpack. Chang Weicai took a big glass bowl from the kitchen, saying, ¡°Xiaoxin, pour out the loquats. They will go bad if they stay in the bag for too long.¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s group also searched around. But they¡¯d come in even more hurriedly than Shen Mo¡¯s group, bringing nothing with them, let alone food. The only thing that could be classified as a ¡°food item¡± on Lun Ang was probably his cigarettes, which he had already thrown into the fireplace. So, altogether, the only food they have among ten people are two packs of instant noodles and a bunch of loquats. Things were looking pretty grim. In a low voice, Li Li said, ¡°Earlier, Tan Xiao and I searched the woods and didn¡¯t find any signs of animals. It could be because of the heavy rain If there really is nothing here, we ¡± He left his sentence unfinished, but everyone understood his meaning. If there was indeed nothing here, and the game didn¡¯t begin, they would be trapped here and starve to death. ¡°All of us are players with upgraded data, our physical fitness is stronger than ordinary people, a few days of hunger shouldn¡¯t be a big issue.¡± Yan Qingwen glanced at his watch, ¡°We had breakfast this morning, then entered the lucky Q&A, which took about an hour. It¡¯s eleven now, not quite time to get hungry. I suggest that at noon, each of us eats a loquat, and we start rationing our food.¡± Chang Weicai added, ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking. This house is big, there might be food somewhere. When the rain stops, we can look outside¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s split up and look around,¡± Shen Mo suggested nonchalantly, ¡°While searching, everyone should take turns to shower. A hot shower can help prevent anyone else from catching a cold from the rain and also help regain stamina.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded, and consensus seemed to be reached. So, throughout the afternoon, they went around the house searching, taking turns to shower, and drying their clothes. Since Bai Youwei was ill and resting, her room was left until last to search. When Shen Mo entered her room, he found the towel and blankets fallen to the floor. Bai Youwei was quietly lying on the bed, wearing a black dress with white trim. Her long, slightly curled hair sprawled out like seaweed, almost blending with her black dress, and her skin was so white it was almost transparent, like a delicate doll. A doll? Shen Mo felt a chill running down his spine, as he approached and gently called her, ¡°Bai Youwei.¡± Chapter 241 - Chapter 241: Chapter 241: Cold War Chapter 241: Chapter 241: Cold War Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei lay there quietly, without reacting. ¡°Bai Youwei?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice deepened, like a tight string stretched to its limit. She did not move. He held her hand, it was warm. Her cheeks, too, were hot. Her pulse, still there. Her breath, also still there. But why couldn¡¯t she wake up? Had she fainted from a high fever, or Shen Mo clenched his back teeth and picked Bai Youwei up from the bed! ¡°Ah¡± Bai Youwei, caught off guard, let out a sharp scream! Shen Mo was initially stunned, then his eyes filled with surprise and anger! The sound attracted everyone, they saw Bai Youwei sitting on the bed unharmed, and Shen Mo standing in front of the bed, his face dark with anger, as if he could drip ink! ¡°What happened?¡± The teacher looked perplexed as he examined their expressions, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two?¡± Shen Mo stared at Bai Youwei, after a while, he took a deep breath and said, ¡°Nothing.¡± He said it was nothing, but his tone was so cold it was like he was chilled to the bone, not at all like everything was fine! Before the teacher could ask again, Shen Mo turned around without a word and left the room. The few people gathered at the door looked at each other, sensing the subtle changes between Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. The teacher worriedly asked, ¡°Weiwei, what on earth happened? Did you have a fight with Shen Mo?¡± ¡°No ¡± Bai Youwei denied it, then pouted, muttered, ¡°He just now seemed to think that I had turned into a doll.¡± The crowd: In the silence, Tan Xiao blurted out, ¡°Wow! You didn¡¯t pretend to be one, did you!¡± Bai Youwei glowered at him right away: ¡°Do I look like that kind of person?!¡± Without any hesitation, Tan Xiao laughed out loud, ¡°Yes, yes, you do!¡± ¡°Laugh your head off!¡± Bai Youwei threw a pillow at him! She missed, and Tan Xiao ran off laughing. As he ran, he tattled: ¡°Mo, Weiwei is losing her temper again!¡ª¡ª¡± Bai Youwei: Damn, she really didn¡¯t do it on purpose! Shen Mo ignored Bai Youwei for the entire afternoon. Of course, it¡¯s not that he completely ignored her. When Bai Youwei called him, he would come over, when Bai Youwei wanted a drink, he would pour it, when Bai Youwei needed to go downstairs, he would carry her down. But, he didn¡¯t say a word, not even an extra glance. This made Bai Youwei very uncomfortable, but also a bit fresh. She figured that he was acting this way because he was worried about her, the shock of her potentially becoming a doll seemed quite substantial to him. Thinking about it, she decided to give him a pass this time due to his rudeness. Besides She looked at the white skirt drying by the fireplace. He had even washed clothes for her, how could she stay mad at him? Shen Mo found a bunch of chopped firewood under the eaves outside the back door. He brought in a pile. The firewood was damp, some even had mushrooms growing on them. It looked absurd as he held them in his arms. Bai Youwei laughed watching him. But her laughter didn¡¯t move him. Shen Mo expressionlessly dropped the firewood, drying them by the fireplace, ready for when there was no more wood to burn. As he crouched in front of the fireplace, his dark eyes reflected the firelight, and his muscular arms moved smoothly. He stacked the firewood into a small tower in no time, orderly and tidily, but leaving gaps to improve air circulation, so they would dry faster. Bai Youwei sat by his side, watching him. He was methodical, his aloof expression gave off a clear message ¨C keep your distance. This made him all the more irresistible, exuding a strong masculine charm. It was as if a feather was tickling her heart, she couldn¡¯t help but call out to him, ¡°Shen Mo.¡± Shen Mo turned to look at her, his slightly furrowed brows reflecting his confusion. ¡°If one day, I become a doll,¡± she gazed into his eyes, and asked seriously, ¡°would you cry for me?¡± Chapter 242 - Chapter 242: Chapter 242: Awkwardness Chapter 242: Chapter 242: Awkwardness Translator: 549690339 Shen Mo¡¯s gaze was icy cold as he silently glanced at her before getting up to leave. Bai Youwei stood still, watching him head for the back door, and couldn¡¯t help but grimace, finding the whole situation quite dull. Pan Xiaoxin, who had been quietly roasting some food over the fire in a corner, glanced at the two and whispered, ¡°Sister Weiwei, if you speak to Brother Mo like that, he¡¯ll get angry.¡± Bai Youwei sneered and rolled her eyes, ¡°What¡¯s there to get angry about? Didn¡¯t I just ask him if he cries?¡± Pan Xiaoxin thought for a moment Despite feeling that Bai Youwei¡¯s question was inappropriate, he couldn¡¯t exactly articulate why. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s unlucky,¡± suggested Pan Xiaoxin uncertainly. ¡°Even if it¡¯s unlucky, it¡¯s only unlucky for me, I never claimed he¡¯d become a doll~¡± retorted Bai Youwei coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal if I just ask? Humph, so petty!¡± Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t know what to say; he opened his mouth, then closed it again, and continued roasting his food in silence. ¡ªAlas, it was better not to meddle in the affairs of adults as a child. ¡°Hey, Xiaoxin.¡± Bai Youwei called out to him. Startled, Pan Xiaoxin looked at her. Bai Youwei irritably said, ¡°Go, bring me my loquats.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°Huh? .. Get .get loquats?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Didn¡¯t you and Tan Xiao pick a lot of them? I remember you kept them in your bag.¡± ¡°Loquats?¡± Their teacher overheard them from the kitchen, and poked his head out to ask, ¡°Weiwei, do you want to eat loquats?¡± He brought out a large glass bowl with about twenty loquats left in it. Bai Youwei¡¯s face fell instantly: ¡°That¡¯s all that¡¯s left?¡± Su Man and Zhu Shu were still seated in the dining area and could not help but feel awkward upon hearing this, as if they had stolen someone else¡¯s snack. Their teacher quickly tried to pacify her, ¡°We didn¡¯t bring any food with us and we don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be trapped here, so we had to eat your loquats first. But don¡¯t worry Weiwei, we¡¯ll pick more for you once we get out.¡± Bai Youwei pouted a bit. Although she was somewhat unhappy, she understood the whole picture was bigger, thus, she didn¡¯t say anything. Fearing that the others misunderstanding Bai Youwei, the teacher explained to Su Man and Zhu Shu, ¡°Weiwei has never had fresh loquats before, the ones in Xiaoxin¡¯s bag were picked especially for her, she really treasures them.¡± ¡°Who treasures them?¡± Bai Youwei said annoyed, ¡°I just haven¡¯t tried freshly picked loquats, that¡¯s all, I¡¯m not particularly fond of them!¡± She turned her face away, staring at the fire, and ignoring everyone. Everyone in the room could feel the sulky tension from her. Resenting such inexplicably childish female behavior, Su Man silently glanced at Zhu Shu by her side. Suddenly, compared to Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu seemed far more adorable. Then Shen Mo came back, his arms once again filled with firewood. He squatted down beside Bai Youwei and started to stack the wood methodically. Bai Youwei thought he would appease her since the loquats were gone. However, he didn¡¯t utter a word or even glanced at her, he just got up and walked towards the staircase, where he began talking to Yan Qingwen, who had just come downstairs. ¡°I¡¯ve checked the entire floor, the flooring and walls, but found no hidden compartments. I¡¯ve asked Li Li to draw a blueprint upstairs to see if anything looks amiss.¡± ¡°There¡¯s firewood and an axe out the back door. The axe is rusty. Nothing else out of the ordinary was found.¡± ¡°We should set up a night watch.¡± ¡°Okay, we need two people downstairs¡ªone for the front door and one for the back¡ªas well as one person in the hallway on the second floor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s three people in total. There are only ten of us, not counting the children. We have just enough people for three shifts.¡± ¡± Count me in,¡± Pan Xiaoxin hesitated as he glanced at Bai Youwei, ¡°Sister Weiwei still has a fever, I¡¯ll take her place.¡± Shen Mo looked at Pan Xiaoxin, then Bai Youwei who had kept her back turned to everyone, thought for a moment, and nodded, ¡°Alright, you can take her place then.¡± Chapter 243 - Chapter 243: Chapter 243: No Way Out Chapter 243: Chapter 243: No Way Out Translator: 549690339 In the evening, Chang Weicai cooked a pot of sugar water with the remaining loquats. Firstly, boiling it with water would give them a sense of ¡®waterful¡¯ satiety; Secondly, the temperature was getting lower, and hot soup would provide some warmth. After finishing the loquat sugar water, he ladled it out bowl by bowl, fortuitously there were exactly ten bowls in the cupboard. The yellowish fruit flesh, pale orange soup, when served in pure white porcelain bowls, looked especially tempting. Chang Weicai then took a spoon to portion the soup, ensuring that each bowl had a similar amount, then carried them to the dining table, and continued to ponder ways to fill everyone¡¯s bellies. Although there was no food in this house, the bottles and jars in the kitchen were not lacking in seasonings, a jar full of salt, another full of sugar, along with spices like pepper and bay leaves. Lunch and dinner, everyone had spent two meals without eating anything substantial. If they didn¡¯t eat tomorrow, it would definitely affect their strength. After all, they had only upgraded, not completely transformed their physical functions. Chang Weicai took out the instant noodles, thinking that he would cook them tomorrow. Whilst he was busy, the others seemed to have a lot more idle time. The places to be searched had been repeatedly searched several times, even the sofas and cabinets were moved around for inspection, but nothing was found. The storm outside did not stop, Lun Ang tried to brave the rain, but came back soaked, finding nothing. Except for this house, there was only the forest downhill which seemed to have no end, as if it was an independent world. Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen were both at their wits¡¯ end. They were trapped. Apart from waiting for the rain to stop and the game to begin, there was nothing else they could do. After dinner, everyone arranged the order for night shifts and went back to their rooms to rest. Two people slept in one bedroom, another person slept on the sofa downstairs, leaving exactly three people to choose from for the night shifts. Shen Mo returned to his room and found that Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t asleep. She sat in front of the window, her elbow propping up her face, silently looking at the rain outside. The room was crowded with all sorts of dolls, which should have made the room feel crowded, but seeing her sitting alone among the pile of dolls, he felt an inexplicable sense that the room was spacious and lonely. Actually, by now, Shen Mo¡¯s anger had mostly dissipated, but remembering it still left a slight annoyance in his heart. He didn¡¯t like Bai Youwei joking about things like this. He looked at the bed, then looked at the chair she was sitting on, asking her: ¡°How did you get there?¡± The wheelchair was downstairs, and she hadn¡¯t brought a cane in, so unless someone had carried her there. Bai Youwei turned her face, her dense lashes hiding deep, watery eyes. She lowered her head further, her face resting on her arm, her eyes fixed on him, calm and quiet, not saying a word. Shen Mo walked over to her. She softly spoke: ¡°I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Honestly, Shen Mo didn¡¯t quite believe her. He understood her quirky humor more than anyone else. ¡°I was sleeping very soundly. When you called me, I thought I was dreaming ¡± Bai Youwei explained in a whisper, ¡°Afterwards I realized it wasn¡¯t a dream and was about to respond to you when ¡± She paused, an unnamed emotion flashing in her eyes. Shen Mo patiently asked her: ¡°What happened?¡± But Bai Youwei just shrugged, slowly saying, ¡°At the time, I was wondering if you would secretly kiss me while I was asleep, so I hesitated for a moment.¡± Shen Mo: Bai Youwei sighed again: ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect you to react that way, my shoulders were almost crushed.¡± Shen Mo: He was left speechless. ¡°Shen Mo, do you know?¡± She turned her face back towards the window, no longer looking at him, her eyes fixed on the rain streaks converging on the glass window, whispering, ¡°If you turned into a doll, I would definitely cry.¡± Chapter 244 - Chapter 244: Chapter 244: Insomnia for All Chapter 244: Chapter 244: Insomnia for All Translator: 549690339 Shen Mo¡¯s heartstrings quivered, a feeling he couldn¡¯t quite put into words. After a moment of silence, he quietly looked up and watched the dark rain curtain outside with her. Their blurred reflections shimmered on the glass window. Bai Youwei said, ¡°The last time I cried was when I was twelve, and I realized I could no longer walk.¡± Shen Mo wondered, did that mean she regarded him as a second pair of legs? The sound of rainfall outside rustled against the window, stirring up a gust of wind that made the glass shiver slightly. The room was serene. ¡°You did cry last time,¡± Shen Mo said. Bai Youwei was taken aback, looking up at him. Shen Mo mildly replied, ¡°You cried once when I took you to the toilet. I think it happened at the toll gate.¡± First, Bai Youwei¡¯s face registered shock, then surprise, anger, and embarrassment¡ªshe was infuriated! ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± She glared at him, adamant, ¡°I didn¡¯t cry!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°You did.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Bai Youwei cried out in anger, ¡°You saw wrong!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You did! You did! There¡¯s no way I could have cried!!!¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t argue with her anymore, his lips curled in a half-smile watching her, a smirk not quite a laugh. Bai Youwei was infuriated. Shen Mo chuckled while gently stroking her damp hair and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being childish?¡± Bai Youwei raised her hand to smack him! Shen Mo didn¡¯t dodge. Her hit landed squarely on his stomach, solid and hard. For a moment, Bai Youwei was unsure¡ªdid his abs hurt more, or was it her hand? She gazed blankly at the tightly fit black t-shirt, hesitating whether she should strike again. The next second, Shen Mo captured her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go down and warm up by the fire. We can sleep once we¡¯ve dried our hair.¡± His tone regained its usual gentle touch. Bai Youwei blinked blankly. The tense standoff between them seemed to have just dissipated never mind. She thought to herself: let¡¯s make up just like this. Quite a few people were downstairs. Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Li Li, Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin were all gathered in the living room. There weren¡¯t enough seats on the couch, so they used cushions as floor seats, forming a circle around the fireplace. Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair towards the gathering, and everyone naturally made way for her. ¡°Why is everyone here?¡± Shen Mo asked. Yan Qingwen shook his head lightly, a hint of self-mockery in his tone, ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep. It seems more reliable to sleep in a tent.¡± Lun Ang chimed in, ¡°Too many dolls around the house, it¡¯s creepy.¡± Li Li laughed, ¡°Lun Ang, since when did you become so faint-hearted?¡± ¡°What does this have to do with having guts!?¡± Lun Ang glared at him, ¡°Whether I¡¯m frightened or not is not the issue, those things just give me the creeps.¡± As they are chatting, footsteps sounded from the stairs, and Su Man and Zhu Shu also came down. They were to keep the night vigil. The first half of the night passed the easiest, thus Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Pan Xiaoxin were assigned the watch from 9 pm to midnight. The remaining people were to keep watch from midnight to 3 am, and from 3 am to 6 am. Seeing everyone was present, Su Man and Zhu Shu paused instinctively. ¡°Why is everyone here? Is there a new assignment?¡± asked Su Man in assumption. Yan Qingwen answered, ¡°No, just have some time, can¡¯t sleep.¡± Zhu Shu kindly reminded, ¡°You all have to keep watch in the latter half of the night, better get some rest early.¡± ¡°Zhu Shu, it¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want to sleep, they can¡¯t sleep,¡± Li Li mocked while casting a glance at Lun Ang, ¡°There are too many dolls in the room, it creeps them out.¡± Mentioning the dolls, Zhu Shu also showed discomfort, ¡°Indeed, there are perhaps too many dolls here ¡± Even in the living room where they were now, dolls were placed in every corner. On hearing this, Bai Youwei said lightly, ¡°Well, that¡¯s why they call it the Dollhouse.¡± Chapter 245 - Chapter 245: Chapter 245 Introduction to Each Other Chapter 245: Chapter 245 Introduction to Each Other Translator: 549690339 Dollhouse¡ª Welcome to the Dollhouse. Associating the words with the Gold Coin, all eyes subconsciously turned to Tan Xiao. Tan Xiao looked befuddled, ¡°Huh? Why is everyone looking at me like this?¡± Some people turned their gaze away with complicated expressions. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t blaming me, are you?¡± Tan Xiao refused to be the scapegoat and quickly pointed to Li Li, ¡°If he hadn¡¯t insisted on looking at that Gold Coin, I wouldn¡¯t have even noticed the words engraved on it! If anyone¡¯s to blame, it¡¯s him!¡± Li Li looked as if he were constipated, ¡°It¡¯s normal human curiosity, alright? After coming out of the game, of course, I would be curious about what the final reward would be!¡± Su Man also defended Li Li, ¡°If there¡¯s anyone to blame, it should be the Inspector! What kind of rewards is he giving out? It¡¯s clearly to set us up!¡± ¡°So, by that logic, I should be to blame?¡± Bai Youwei chimed in calmly, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t led everyone to clear the stage and offended the Inspector, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t have bestowed this Gold Coin upon us.¡± Tan Xiao immediately came to her defense, ¡°How could we blame you?! If you look at it that way, shouldn¡¯t we be blaming Fei ge? If he hadn¡¯t brought a bunch of people over, we wouldn¡¯t even be in the game!¡± ¡°Fei ge came over because you guys robbed them!¡± Lun Ang added. ¡°We robbed them because they were up to no good first! They wanted to steal our items!¡± ¡°How did they know you guys had items?¡± ¡°Would we have revealed the item if you guys hadn¡¯t caused trouble?¡± Round and round they went, ending up right back where they started. ¡°Enough! Stop acting like three-year-olds.¡± Yan Qingwen was both frustrated and annoyed, ¡°Is there any point in arguing at this point?¡± Everyone closed their mouths. There was silence for a while. Shen Mo said, ¡°If the game system is really that strict, why was there no reaction from the system when the Inspector gave the Gold Coin to Tan Xiao as a reward?¡± ¡°Could it be a reward stage?¡± Tan Xiao suggested. He hadn¡¯t attended much school, but he had played a lot of games and was quick-witted when it came to game logic. ¡°There¡¯s such a setting in many online games. You kill a monster and if you¡¯re lucky it might drop a key to a particular instance. These special instances are usually difficult but the rewards are also impressive, like rare equipment and such.¡± ¡°It seems we really have entered the game¡­¡± Yan Qingwen mused, ¡°Though we¡¯ve entered, we haven¡¯t met the conditions to start the game, so nothing has happened so far.¡± Li Li said, ¡°Could it be like what Zhu Shu said, the game will only start when all of us change into those clothes?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a possibility¡­¡± Yan Qingwen thought a bit and glanced at others, ¡°If there¡¯s still no progress tomorrow, shall we try putting on the clothes?¡± They all looked at each other, no one objected. Yan Qingwen continued, ¡°It seems we haven¡¯t officially introduced ourselves yet. Why don¡¯t we each share a bit about ourselves? That way we won¡¯t bumble around once the game starts.¡± Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin turned their heads to look at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei was busy roasting something on the fire, not making a sound. Shen Mo, on the other hand, nodded and said, ¡°Sure, knowing each other would indeed be good.¡± Seeing everyone agree, Li Li couldn¡¯t help but hesitate, ¡°But what if it¡¯s a competitive game ¡­everyone will know each other¡¯s weaknesses.¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°The chances of it being competitive are slim.¡± Li Li: ¡± But what if?¡± ¡°Heh, nit-picker.¡± Bai Youwei laughed disdainfully, too lazy to even flicker her eyelids. Li Li¡¯s expression stiffened slightly, defiantly said, ¡°There¡¯s always a ¡®what if¡¯ in everything, right?!¡± Bai Youwei, with half-closed eyes, replied, ¡°I have a fever, I can¡¯t be bothered with arguing.¡± She glanced at Pan Xiaoxin next to her, ¡°Xiaoxin, you tell him.¡± Chapter 246 - Chapter 246: Chapter 246: Continue Introducing Chapter 246: Chapter 246: Continue Introducing Translator: 549690339 Li Li¡¯s face turned red! Damn! What the hell! He was a PhD holder, for God¡¯s sake, and a kid was lecturing him! What an insult! Pan Xiaoxin also looked embarrassed, feeling somewhat uneasy. Tan Xiao, who never missed a chance for a spectacle, slapped his shoulder, saying, ¡°Xiaoxin, give this bookworm a good lesson!¡± ¡°Hey! That¡¯s going too far!¡± Li Li stood up angrily, his face grim. ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about safety! After all, none of us know what kind of game this is!¡± ¡°Alright ¡± Yan Qingwen patted his shoulder, ¡°Relax. It¡¯s unlikely that it¡¯s a competitive format. Typically, reward-based game modes involve team play and strategy, it¡¯s different from the previous games.¡± The past games, the race between the tortoise and the hare, and the Quiz of Luck, were all about the players fighting each other. Li Li sat back down, still appearing indignant, but he didn¡¯t say anything else. Yan Qingwen addressed the group, ¡°To show sincerity, I¡¯ll go first. As you all know, my name is Yan Qingwen. I¡¯m 30 years old. I used to be a|special|forces|soldier. I was injured in a mission and retired afterwards, dealing in some private security business.¡± He glanced at Li Li before continuing, ¡°About half a month ago, I started working for the Li Family. The Li¡¯s only son, Li Li, is a researcher for SCO. He got separated from his team while evacuating. He¡¯s thought to be lost in the fog, and the Li¡¯s hope that we can do our best to rescue him.¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°You¡¯re still doing business in this situation?¡± Yan Qingwen chuckled, ¡°The old man of the Li Family did me a favor. I owe him.¡± The toughest debts to pay back are those of kindness. Shen Mo nodded slightly, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve explained my situation earlier. National Security Administration, Supervisor of Special Missions, it¡¯s a title in name only now. All of my team members have been sacrificed. The organization I am responsible for is practically non-existent. If I could escort Li Li to Shanghai with your help, I would like to see the progress of the research, about these games and mazes, what exactly are they.¡± ¡°Did your team members die because of the game?¡± Yan Qingwen asked. ¡°It seems so.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed and his face turned dark, ¡°While searching for the SCO research team, they were turned into dolls.¡± ¡°It might be the same as our last encounter ¡± added Li Li, ¡°During the Quiz of Luck, we all entered the game, leaving only Su Man outside.¡± Shen Mo nodded: ¡°Doll games indeed have certain personnel requirements. After the incident, I tried to contact my superiors. Neither my mobile phone nor the internet was functioning and I suspected something had happened on their end. Later, I met Weiwei. We got to know Tan Xiao and Professor Cheng when we were leaving the city. We all narrowly escaped death in the same game, so we¡¯ve been traveling together since then.¡± ¡°In fact, your circumstances are similar to ours.¡± Yan Qingwen commented, casting a glance at Lun Ang next to him. Lun Ang nodded, joining in with his self-introduction, ¡°I was on the same team as Yan Qingwen. YHe retired due to injury. I retired for making some mistakes. After leaving, I had nothing to do, so I joined him in the private security business.¡± He paused, awkwardly adding, ¡°I¡¯m 35, that¡¯s all.¡± Next up was Li Li. He looked somewhat troubled. After hesitating for a moment, he finally said, ¡°Well what I¡¯m about to say is actually classified but it doesn¡¯t matter now, given that there aren¡¯t many people left in the world.¡± All eyes were on him, intrigued. Li Li began, ¡°Our original research institution was doing research in high-energy physics, also known as particle physics. This May, after that incident you know, the one where dolls suddenly appeared on the streets, we received a notification not long after. We merged with two other institutions to form a new organization called SCO, specifically researching these doll anomalies And indeed, we discovered something.¡± Chapter 247 - Chapter 247: Chapter 247: Still Introducing Chapter 247: Chapter 247: Still Introducing Translator: 549690339 ¡°We found anomalies in the magnetic field No, it isn¡¯t right either. To be precise, not only did we discover the anomalous areas of the magnetic fields, but we also found some areas where there was no magnetic field at all.¡± Li Li paused here, looking at the group, he was frustrated to find no reaction from them. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Earth is a giant magnet with magnetic fields everywhere! But our data shows that many places lack magnetic fields! It¡¯s like that area suddenly disappeared! Like it never existed!¡± ¡°Those places must be the mazes,¡± Bai Youwei drawled, ¡°Can we hear something fresh?¡± Li Li: ¡°Yeah, Li Li,¡± spoke Lun Ang. ¡°We don¡¯t understand theory, mate. Tell them something about the mazes.¡± ¡°The Maze .¡± Li Li thought for a moment. ¡°The maze is an.undetectable mysterious object. At least for the time being, no devices we have are able to engage with it. It expands over time and the anomalous regions of the magnetic field near it, also known as the puppet game, repel the maze like the repulsion of two same magnetic poles, maintaining a considerable distance.¡± After pausing for two seconds, Li Li continued, ¡°When we evacuated, we followed this rule to avoid the game, retreating along the edge of the maze, but I underestimated the expansion time and range of the maze. I I and several special task force teammates were forced into the maze, they they all sacrificed their lives.¡± He turned to Zhu Shu, ¡°Later on, I met Zhu Shu in the maze. I was tired and thirsty at the time, and she saved me.¡± ¡°Not really, it was actually Li Li who saved me,¡± Zhu Shu smiled lightly. ¡°I was trapped in Nanchang with my agent. The fog came so suddenly and he said he went for help, but never returned. Then the driver also went to find the way out, leaving me alone in the nanny van. If it weren¡¯t for brother Yan and his team coming to rescue Li Li, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out.¡± After saying this, she hesitated, then continued, ¡°As for me I am 24 years old, I know foreign languages, I¡¯m good at singing and dancing I suppose, I know a bit about fashion design and makeup, but these skills are pretty useless now.¡± She gave a self-deprecating smile. Tan Xiao asked in surprise: ¡°Aren¡¯t you 20?¡± ¡°Oh that .¡± Zhu Shu giggled, ¡°My agent modified my file. It¡¯s easier to draw fans when you¡¯re younger.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Oh¡­¡± His expression once again fell. Bai Youwei curiously asked, ¡°Which number was the Nanchang Maze?¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Number 8. The city turned into a desert, all the skyscrapers became ruins. Vehicles trapped in the sand unable to move. People either died from thirst or were buried in quicksand.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Which do you think is more difficult, the Hangzhou Maze or the Nanchang Maze?¡± The Hangzhou Maze was number 7. Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Number 7 is harder I guess. Although the environment in Number 8 is very harsh, there are no harmful creatures. As long as you find the right direction and avoid the quicksand, you can find the exit.¡± After a pause, he asked Bai You Wei, ¡°Do you think the number of the maze is related to its difficulty level?¡± ¡°Just a guess.¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°We¡¯ll need to face a few more mazes to confirm.¡± The next person to introduce herself was Su Man. She didn¡¯t have much to say, stating it bluntly: ¡°The Su and Li families have been friends for generations. I¡¯ve known Li Li since I was a child. When I heard he was in trouble, I came here with Brother Yan. My strengths are hand-to-hand combat and weapon skills.¡± Mr. Cheng said, ¡°I¡¯m a language teacher at Nanjing¡¯s 13th Middle School, just turned sixty this year, please take care of me.¡± Tan Xiao asked: ¡°What does ¡®just turned sixty¡¯ mean?¡± Mr. Cheng: ¡°Cough, it means sixty years old.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°And twenty?¡± Mr. Cheng answered formally, ¡°That is, of course, one¡¯s coming of age.¡± Tan Xiao looked puzzled: ¡± Quite weak, huh?¡± He originally wanted to use some high-class idioms, but now he thought better of it. Chapter 248 - Chapter 248: Chapter 248: Introduction Completed Chapter 248: Chapter 248: Introduction Completed Translator: 549690339 Here¡¯s Tan Xiao¡¯s self-introduction: ¡°My name is Tan Xiao, the same Tan and Xiao from ¡®Speaking and Laughing¡¯. I¡¯m known as Brother Laugh! I roamed the underworld at eight, swore loyalty to an older brother at ten! I¡¯ve seen the ebbs and flows of the underworld for decades! I became strong bare-handed! I live by brotherhood! Come to me if there¡¯s any trouble! Brother Laugh is always at your service!¡± He finished speaking, hands on his hips, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. Everyone: Tan Xiao looked left and right, and yet no one clapped. He was desolate. Only Bai Youwei and Pan Xiaoxin were left to introduce themselves. Pan Xiaoxin glanced at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei, half-lidded eyes, looked nonchalant, showing no intention of speaking. Pan Xiaoxin: After contemplating for a moment, he said: ¡°My name is Pan Xiaoxin. I lived with my grandparents in Hangzhou, attended Central Elementary School, grade five After Hangzhou was hit by the calamity, I had nowhere to go, so I wanted to join a group. But those adults, I don¡¯t know why, they fought all the time, they were reckless many people died ¡± While he was speaking, he noticed Bai Youwei glance over at him, eyes still half-lidded. Pan Xiaoxin felt guilty and his voice faded: ¡°Later Later I met Sister Weiwei and Brother Mo, they were willing to take me into the maze, so I felt that this team might survive, so I joined all of you.¡± ¡°Child, you¡¯re not entirely honest, huh~~¡± Bai Youwei spoke slowly and leisurely. With his head hung low, Pan Xiaoxin honestly confessed: ¡°Those injuries were self-inflicted, but I didn¡¯t mean to harm you. I was just scared¡­ scared you would doubt me, so¡­¡± ¡°A kid with a mind for scheming, not cute at all.¡± Bai Youwei lazily said, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. You aren¡¯t a pet, you don¡¯t have to be cute. As long as you can stay alive, it¡¯s enough.¡± Pan Xiaoxin paused, then looked up at her. ¡°Is it my turn now ¡± Bai Youwei stretched, looking tired, ¡°My name is Bai Youwei, a cripple.¡± That was it. Everyone waited quietly for three seconds. Then they realized she had no intention of saying anything more. Their feelings were somewhat complex. ¡°Weiwei, you¡¯re not being fair.¡± Tan Xiao complained, ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell us your age!¡± Bai Youwei glared at him, ¡°Since when is it okay to ask a lady her age?!¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Everyone else said it!¡± ¡°Hmmph, I¡¯m not going to tell you anyway.¡± Bai Youwei turned her face away haughtily, refusing to look at him, ¡°Only two people in the world could know my age, one is the person who gave birth to me, the other is the person who will bury me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Tan Xiao was puzzled. Bai Youwei explained, ¡°Because the person who buries me will have to write on my tombstone, ¡®Here lies Bai Youwei, born in this year and month, died suddenly in this year and month.¡¯ Don¡¯t you understand that?¡± Tan Xiao gave an ¡°oh¡±, ¡± that makes sense.¡± The others had nothing left to say. Yan Qingwen asked another question, ¡°You seem to be good at clearing games, have you had any previous training?¡± ¡°Not necessarily good, but after playing a few times, one can always become more proficient than others.¡± She rested her chin on her hand, speaking casually, ¡°Just like um, if you play connect games more often, your sense of touch will also improve, it¡¯s the same principle.¡± She asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°How many times have you played the game?¡± ¡°Three times.¡± Yan Qingwen smiled, ¡°The first playthrough was successful, and we received an item called the Self-Healing Bandage. The second game was too hard, and we used up five jigsaw puzzles. The third time was the luck-and-answer quiz. If this one also counts, then it¡¯s four.¡± Bai Youwei nodded deliberately: ¡°That¡¯s a bit short. It¡¯s better to go into the game more often. Practice makes perfect, and it saves you from being at a disadvantage in the future.¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t help saying: ¡°The games get sicker and sicker each time, yet we should go more often? What if we die before getting used to it?¡± Bai Youwei burst into laughter: ¡°Then I¡¯ll set up a tombstone for you. ¡®Here lies Li Li, who died suddenly in a certain year and month¡«¡¯¡± Li Li: He just shouldn¡¯t have asked. Chapter 249 - Chapter 249: Chapter 249 Reserve Three Pieces Chapter 249: Chapter 249 Reserve Three Pieces Translator: 549690339 Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Our situation is not suitable for frequent game play. The doll games are mostly competitive, and going in inevitably leads to infighting. What matters now is to safely escort Li Li and the object in his possession to Shanghai.¡± He paused, then added, ¡°I hope nothing has happened in Shanghai.¡± Shen Mo asked him, ¡°If you¡¯re in a hurry to escort someone, why did you come to Hangzhou?¡± Yan Qingwen was silent for a moment. The others around him also fell silent. Shen Mo picked up a piece of firewood and threw it into the fireplace. The flames were suddenly suppressed, then suddenly flared back up, burning fiercely. ¡°Before we entered the fog, we did not know that there was a maze inside.¡± Yan Qingwen spoke again. ¡°After coming out of the maze, our physical abilities had upgraded and we obtained five puzzle pieces. We believed at that time that the puzzle pieces were the key to our research. Unexpectedly, in the subsequent game, we had to use up our game exemption of the puzzle pieces. Li Li is worried if the puzzle pieces, now devoid of their exemption, still hold enough research value to allow SCO researchers to crack the doll game?¡± ¡°So you went?¡± Tan Xiao asked incredulously. ¡°Just for a research sample? Wow, you guys are fearless!¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°We didn¡¯t expect the maze to change! We thought any place with fog would turn into a desert and that we could get the puzzle pieces as long as we got out of the desert. Who would¡¯ve known that the maze in Hangzhou would turn out like that!¡± The inertia of human thinking. If you find a box on the road, open it and find a pair of shoes inside, when you see a second box exactly the same, you would instinctively judge: there is a pair of shoes in the box. ¡°We were too hasty,¡± Yan Qingwen explained calmly. ¡°After our physical abilities were upgraded, we all got a bit too excited and neglected the maze numbers that the game system mentioned when settling the scores.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°The five puzzle pieces without the exemption are useless to you anyway. Why not give them to me?¡± Yan Qingwen was slightly startled, ¡± You want to collect the puzzle pieces?¡± Li Li was shocked. ¡°We don¡¯t even know how many pieces there are in total! How can we collect them?!¡± ¡°In life, we always need a goal,¡± Bai Youwei chuckled. Tan Xiao also chimed in, ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re useless to you guys anyway. Just give them to us~¡± Instinctively, Li Li clutched his pocket tightly, where the puzzle pieces were stored. The pieces were hard-won, and although they were indeed useless to them now it still hurt so much to part with them! ¡°If we can get out of here, we will give them to you.¡± Yan Qingwen said. ¡°Boss Yan!¡± Li Li and Su Man exclaimed almost simultaneously. Yan Qingwen waved his hand and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°It is indeed useless to us. As for research material, the three pieces from the Hangzhou maze are enough. If we can leave here, it can serve as a gift for our encounter.¡± Bai Youwei smiled slyly and glanced sideways at Pan Xiaoxin at her side, ¡°Xiaoxin, learn from it. This is true cunning ¨C don¡¯t spread out the hunting falcons till the hares appear. He¡¯s trying to curry favor while making an outright deal.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: Yan Qingwen smiled faintly, ¡°If you think it¡¯s not appropriate, we don¡¯t need to make this deal.¡± ¡°Sure, we should make a deal,¡± Bai Youwei smiled gleefully. ¡°As long as you take us out, we¡¯ll take those five puzzle pieces, and we¡¯d also like to reserve the other three pieces you have.¡± Yan Qingwen: Li Li couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°You are just too greedy ¡± ¡°Li Li.¡± Yan Qingwen stopped him, a gentle smile playing on his handsome face, ¡°This is a good thing, at least it shows Miss Bai has confidence.¡± Chapter 250 - Chapter 250: Chapter 250: The Sound of Music Chapter 250: Chapter 250: The Sound of Music Translator: 549690339 Su Man was unconvinced. ¡°What if we¡¯re the ones who get us out in the end? How should we count that?¡± ¡°How to count? Well perhaps I can give you my puzzle?¡± Bai Youwei took out a puzzle from her bag, spread it out in front of them, laying in her palm was three almost identical puzzle pieces. They had a silver-grey metallic texture, reflecting the flickering light from the fireplace, sparkling brilliantly. One piece was hers, another was Shen Mo¡¯s, and the last one had been snatched from Old Zhao. Su Man, Yan Qingwen, and Li Li were all taken aback. Especially Su Man. She had mentioned it offhandedly earlier, not really intending to ask for Bai Youwei¡¯s puzzle. Just as she was about to decline, Bai Youwei suddenly drew back her hand and put the puzzle back in her bag. ¡°There¡¯s no way I would give it to you.¡± Bai Youwei responded coldly,¡±On our last game, I didn¡¯t even charge you for helping you pass.¡± Su Man: Li Li: Unable to contain his laughter, Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°Are you sure you can pass? You must know that the Inspector didn¡¯t issue this Gold Coin for simple reasons. This game is incredibly difficult.¡± Bai Youwei hooked the corner of her lips and squinted at the leaping flames in the fireplace, ¡°Yes, I wonder if I can pass¡­¡± Unconsciously, she was starting to look forward to it If it were too easy, she would find it dull, Only on the line between life and death could she truly appreciate being alive. Therefore She was really looking forward to it. Their late-night discussion lasted until midnight. Everyone then gradually retired to their rooms to rest. Bai Youwei fell asleep by the fireplace. Shen Mo took the middle shift of the night, choosing to stay in the living room with her. When the time came to change shift around three am, Bai Youwei¡¯s hair was already dry. Shen Mo carried her upstairs to rest. Bai Youwei muttered something in her sleep before sinking back into his arms. That night, Shen Mo only slept for two to three hours but slept peacefully. The house seemed to have a certain magic that allowed everyone to let go of all their defenses and fears, resulting in a peaceful night¡¯s sleep until dawn. The first thing Shen Mo felt when he woke up the next morning was surprise. It was eerie to have slept so deeply in a strange environment. The next thing he realized was that the rain had stopped. The clear blue sky outside the window was spotless and cloud-free. The brilliant sunshine poured in, coating the dull wooden floor with a layer of golden glow, the wood grain rippling like gentle waves in water. Bai Youwei was laying with her head on his arm. Under the sunshine, her hair shone brightly, and even the tiny hairs on her skin visible were visible ¡ª pinkish, soft, her facial expression was mildly calm, devoid of the usual sarcasm and arrogance, only childlike innocence remained. She was lying sideways in his arms, her small hand resting on his chest, sleeping peacefully. Shen Mo watched her for a while, thinking about something she had said yesterday. ¡ªWould you sneak a kiss on me while I¡¯m asleep? Yesterday, he thought her thought pattern was unusual. Now that he thought about it, his breathing had unconsciously become gentle. He glanced at the beautiful morning light outside the window again, then swept his gaze over the quiet room. His gaze lowered and fell back on her face. The sound of his heartbeat was clear. He leaned in slightly, the tip of his nose brushing against the stray hair on her forehead, causing a slight tickling sensation. Her eyelashes fluttered, slowly opening her eyes. The light brown eyes, filled with a hint of drowsiness as if on the brink of falling back to sleep. Shen Mo quietly waited for a while, watching her clear eyes gradually awaken. He exhaled gently, reached out a hand and placed it on her forehead. She no longer had a fever. In her drowsiness, Bai Youwei muttered, ¡°Did you hear I think there¡¯s music playing?¡± Music? Shen Mo furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier, but now, he thought he actually heard it¡­ A faint sound of music, almost inaudible, with a soft tinkling like a music box. Chapter 251 - Chapter 251: Chapter 251 Dedicated to Alice Chapter 251: Chapter 251 Dedicated to Alice Translator: 549690339 Without having a chance to wash up, Shen Mo got up hastily and went downstairs, bumping into Su Man, Zhu Shu, Pan Xiaoxin, and Chang Weicai at the front door who had also heard the music. ¡°What¡¯s making that noise?¡± ¡°Not sure, it seems to be coming from downstairs.¡± They quickly exchanged a few words and went downstairs together, where they saw Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, and Li Li. All three were leaning against tables or lying against the wall, having just been roused from sleep. Shen Mo was bewildered. These three were the ones who kept watch during the last night shift, but looking at them now, had all of them fallen asleep?! People coming out of special forces shouldn¡¯t have such a lack of alertness! The only answer was that there was some force at play, causing these three people to fall into an unconscious sleep! Just like he had last night! On thinking about this, he felt tense. This situation was awful. In such a large room, with ten people, not one person was awake. This was too alarming! Yan Qingwen¡¯s face also wore a look of disbelief, evidently also realizing his unusual behavior. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He looked around the room, glancing towards the front door in response to the sound, questioning, ¡°What noise is that?¡± The music seemed to come from outside the door. ¡°We don¡¯t know. We just heard it.¡± Zhu Shu stopped on the stairs, looking uncertainly at the door, ¡°The sound isn¡¯t loud but I don¡¯t know why Su Man and I were awoken by this music almost simultaneously.¡± Lun Ang frowned, ¡°Why did music suddenly start playing? Where did it come from?¡± He walked to the window, trying to peer through it to see if there was anything at the front door. However, within his limited field of view, he didn¡¯t find any suspicious persons or items. Everyone looked at each other in shocked disbelief. The music was beautiful and captivating, lively and soothing, a common tune called ¡°F¨¹r Elise¡± played frequently in music boxes. Yet, in the current situation, it sounded out of place, hauntingly eerie like some requiem. Yan Qingwen was pondering over who should be assigned to open the door. Shen Mo thought of Bai Youwei who was alone in the bedroom, and unable to set his mind at ease, returned to carry her out and set her on the wheelchair near the stairs. Bai Youwei was never in a good mood when she woke up early. She glanced at everyone, asking with annoyance, ¡°What are you all standing around for? Open the door.¡± Lun Ang thought for a moment and, leveraging his tall and robust stature, went to open the door with confidence. Yan Qingwen stopped him halfway. Yan Qingwen handed Lun Ang a piece of firewood to serve as a weapon for self-defense. Seeing this, everyone held their breath and quieted down, their faces tense as all eyes turned to the door. Lun Ang gripped the rough piece of firewood in his hand, stared at the door, and began advancing slowly. Slowly Steadily Closer and closer The music was still playing. Just as he gathered his nerves to reach for the door handle, Bai Youwei lost patience and snapped, ¡°It¡¯s so freaking noisy, who¡¯s that outside!¡± Lun Ang staggered! And just then, the music stopped! A childish yet familiar voice echoed from outside the door¡ª ¡°Aha~ Hello everyone! I am the game inspector for this round. It seems that you¡¯ve all got up, may I come in now?¡± Everyone: What the heck was happening! They could even knock the door??? And they even responded to the knock!!! Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t you come in by yourself? Do we need to invite you in?¡± The voice outside didn¡¯t show any signs of rush or frustration and seemed to chuckle: ¡°Hey hey~ Because of the peculiarities of this game, without the permission of the doll house owner, no one can enter, even if I¡¯m the inspector~¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Huh, then stay outside forever.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good either, if I don¡¯t come in, the game can¡¯t start, if it doesn¡¯t start, it can¡¯t end, if the game doesn¡¯t end, you can¡¯t get out Do you want to stay in the doll house forever?¡± Chapter 252 - Chapter 252: Chapter 252: The Late Inspector Chapter 252: Chapter 252: The Late Inspector Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei bluntly shouted at the door: ¡°It¡¯s none of your business whether I want to stay here or not. Just wait outside for now!¡± Su Man stared in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re seriously not letting it in? The game can¡¯t start if the Inspector doesn¡¯t come in!¡± ¡°Did I say it couldn¡¯t come in?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°The question is, do you think now is the right time? What¡¯s the point of letting it in? To start the game? Are you even prepared? You haven¡¯t washed your face or brushed your teeth! What¡¯s the rush?¡± Su Man blushed at her words, biting her lower lip. She was furious but couldn¡¯t argue back. Bai Youwei curled her lips, saying: ¡°I don¡¯t care. I need to wash up first. I also need to drink water, eat something, go to the bathroom I haven¡¯t even combed my hair. I can¡¯t let it in!¡± ¡°Qingwen,¡± Su Man said angrily, turning to Yan Qingwen. Yan Qingwen glanced at Bai Youwei and said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s do as she suggests. We indeed need to make some preparations before the game starts.¡± Frustrated, Su Man stormed upstairs. Zhu Shu thought for a moment and followed her up. Mr. Cheng was the first to rush to the kitchen to make instant noodles, hoping everyone could fill their stomachs before the game started. Everyone else scattered, some to freshen up, some to find handy weapons. With the game not yet started and everyone knowing little about the content of the game, the preparations they could make were also limited, they could only do their best to adjust their conditions. Everyone was busy, and they all ended up eating a thin noodle soup in the dining room, barely feeling ¡°full¡±. Throughout the whole process, the Inspector actually stayed outside the whole time, playing ¡°F¨¹r Elise¡± over and over again. The originally pleasant melody had turned into ¡°noise¡± after countless repeats, it was terribly annoying, made people nauseous, and their ears almost calloused. When everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and was fully prepared, Bai Youwei finally agreed to let the Inspector in. A click was heard from the door. No one needed to open the door as it opened by itself. A music box with a circular top and square bottom appeared in front of everyone? The main body of the music box was a square box with a white background and gold edges, decorated with a common rose pattern, and one side had a gold winding key. A decorative crystal ball was on top of the square box. It was the kind of glass ball that would ¡°snow¡± if you shook it. ¡°Why is it you guys?!¡± the music box suddenly raised its voice. More precisely, it was the ball on top of the music box that was talking. ¡°I remember you! You stabbed my frog¡¯s belly! You bad man!¡± The voice of the crystal ball was agitated, paused for a second, then forcibly suppressed its emotions and said: ¡°But don¡¯t worry, as the Inspector, I will preside over the game fairly and impartially, and will not take the opportunity to seek revenge, making it intentionally difficult for you~¡± The ending tone of its words showed its schadenfreude nature. Everyone looked at each other. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei naturally recognized it; the childish voice, coupled with this spherical shape, how could they not be familiar? Tan Xiao also recognized it, expressing his surprise: ¡°So the Inspector can change shape? It¡¯s not a golden ball this time!¡± ¡°I can be any ball!¡± the crystal ball said cheerfully and proudly, ¡°Golden ball, silver ball, iron ball, wooden ball, fireball, ice ball, crystal ball~ any ball in the world!¡± It floated into the room contentedly, landing on a cabinet by the wall. Its ball body was crystal clear, with fine snow swirling inside, making it look beautiful. ¡°Can you transform into a soccer ball?¡± Tan Xiao asked. ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°And a basketball?¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s a ball, it¡¯s possible. The perfect sphere is the most perfect shape in the entire universe!¡± it said happily. ¡°So, as long as it¡¯s a ball, you can transform into it? Um uh ¡± Tan Xiao pondered, ¡°Can you transform into a football (rugby)?¡± The crystal ball seemed insulted and yelled: ¡°I keep saying that a perfect sphere is the most perfect shape in the universe! You are still talking about football (rugby)! Is football (rugby) round?!¡± Chapter 253 - Chapter 253: Chapter 253: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Without Winter Chapter 253: Chapter 253: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Without Winter Translator: 549690339 Tan Xiao, feeling guilty under its questioning, whispered to the teacher beside him, ¡°Isn¡¯t the rugby ball round?¡± Upon hearing this, Li Li disdained, ¡°Of course, a rugby ball is olive-shaped!¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback, immediately puffed up his chest and said to the Crystal Ball, ¡°Did you hear that? It¡¯s olive-shaped! Isn¡¯t an olive round? You think I¡¯ve never seen an olive before!¡± Li Li was speechless, ¡°An olive is elliptical! Elliptical!¡± Tan Xiao was angry and looked at him, ¡°Which side are you on?!¡± Li Li was furious, ¡°This TM has nothing to do with which side I stand on!¡± Crystal Ball: It was silent for a few seconds, murmuring disdainfully, ¡°Such a level of player could survive until now this is truly a miracle in the data world ¡± Bai Youwei also joined in the fun, ¡°The Dung Beetle also pushes a ball~¡± Ball: Everyone: Tan Xiao: ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH *burp*!!!¡± He laughed crazily for a while, noticing everyone else was not laughing, he stopped, opened his eyes wide and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you laughing? Don¡¯t you find it funny? It¡¯s shit! It¡¯s shit¨C¡± ¡°Laugh~ Laugh~~ Laughter will be the prelude to your suffering.¡± the Crystal Ball hummed coldly, ¡°Now let¡¯s start the game hey, the guy who was laughing stupidly, come here.¡± Tan Xiao asked in a daze, ¡°What for?¡± The Crystal Ball twisted, and the snowflake inside floated, ¡°Hey, do you see my winding key? Come and turn it a few times, then we can start announcing the game rules.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Why do I need to wind it? It¡¯s so troublesome, just tell me the rules directly!¡± ¡°It¡¯s called a sense of ritual! Do you understand the sense of ritual?!¡± The Crystal Ball said irritably, ¡°You players just won¡¯t cooperate! Not at all!!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Yan Qingwen stepped forward, grasped the winding key on the side of the music box, and turned it several times. He let go, the golden winding key slowly turned and a soothing melody began to play¨C Ding ding dong dong Ding ding dong dong With the ethereal music, a childish voice recited a joyful nursery rhyme: ¡°Spring Bear wakes up, It lost two children and is really anxious; The summer rain is so heavy, It¡¯s pitch black and the treasure is nowhere to be found; Who came in the autumn? Look, why does the Nail Tooth Monster open its mouth to reveal no teeth? Winter, finally winter is here~ Which child will see Snowflake?¡± As the nursery rhyme ended, so did the music. The Crystal Ball spoke again: ¡°The theme of this game is ¡®Dollhouse¡¯, the rules are very simple. Every 8 hours, the season will change. In spring, summer, and autumn, the dollhouse will receive three guests accordingly. The players need to meet each guest¡¯s needs. When winter comes, the game will end. Be aware that if a guest¡¯s needs aren¡¯t met, time will remain in the season corresponding to that guest.¡± The Crystal Ball laughed, and the snowflake inside it fluttered about. ¡°You understand now, right? If winter doesn¡¯t come, none of you can leave~¡± Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°What are the needs of the guests?¡± The Crystal Ball chuckled, didn¡¯t answer him directly, but recited the nursery rhyme again: ¡°Spring Bear wakes up, It lost two children and is really anxious; The summer rain is so heavy, It¡¯s pitch black and the treasure is nowhere to be found; Who came in the autumn? Look, why does the Nail Tooth Monster open its mouth to reveal no teeth? Winter, finally winter is here~ Which child will see Snowflake?¡± Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment, went to the side, and picked up a stuffed bear on the ground. ¡°The bear in the spring lost its children, so, is the guest a bear? And its need is to find its own child?¡± Chapter 254 - Chapter 254: Chapter 254: The Bear in Spring Chapter 254: Chapter 254: The Bear in Spring Translator: 549690339 ¡°Aha~ You are a smart player.¡± The Crystal Ball chuckled, ¡°And I am an excellent and responsible Inspector, so I can¡¯t give you anymore hints~¡± Li Li asked with an unhappy look on his face, ¡°If the toy bear is the bear¡¯s child, what about the treasure of summer? We¡¯ve turned this house upside down and haven¡¯t found anything that could be considered a treasure.¡± ¡°It appears to be a scavenger hunt. If the corresponding item isn¡¯t found, the guest won¡¯t leave and the Doll House will remain in a certain season.¡± Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment before asking the Inspector, ¡°If we get it wrong, will there be a penalty?¡± The Ball replied, ¡°Of course! If you upset the guest, they will throw a tantrum!¡± At this point, the Ball seemed particularly excited, and its Snowflake special effect fluttered more lightheartedly. ¡°The first time an incorrect item is found, the guest will throw a tantrum for 1 minute! The second time, 3 minutes! The third time ¨C a full 5 minutes! Trust me, there won¡¯t be a fourth time, because no player can withstand 5 minutes of their tantrum! ¡ª¡± The last sentence was purposely drawn out, resembling a villainous character in an anime. After successfully turning a few player¡¯s faces white, the Ball seemed quite satisfied. Apart from the snowflakes fluttering, its built-in little colored lights also intermittently brightened and twinkled. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged glances. After a moment of silence, Bai Youwei asked an unrelated question: ¡°Why did you come only now? Is the Inspector short-staffed?¡± The Crystal Ball shook head, mimicking the action, ¡°Each Inspector¡¯s avatar count is not less than 99, enough to manage every game. What¡¯s more, the recent decline in the number of online players will make our work less busy in the future~¡± ¡°Avatar? As in a clone?¡± Shen Mo asked. ¡°Clone?¡± The Ball paused, then laughed out loud, ¡°Hahaha, it seems like humans with only one body find it hard to understand the existence of multiple bodies! In fact, I also don¡¯t understand why you only evolved one body? Doesn¡¯t that make things inefficient?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not being efficient either.¡± Bai Youwei retorted coolly, ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because this game is running for the first time, there are many things to debug, the early stage work is very tedious~¡± The Inspector Ball, without a sense of any wrongdoing, cheerfully said: ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start the game now! ~ I will guide and give you hints throughout the game, you just need to wind my spring! ~ Ah ah ah, so excited, it¡¯s the Doll House¡¯s first start!¡± Its colored lights twinkled, its snowflakes danced, and it recited: ¡°The Spring Bear is awake, it is very worried about losing two children ¡± As its voice trailed off, a bear¡¯s roar suddenly came from outside the house! Everyone: There¡¯s really a bear? A brown-gray bear slowly climbed the hillside, its body large and sturdy, with thick fur, and bear paws as big as a human head! The bear at this moment stood upright on the hillside, over 2 meters tall! So fierce, yet with a red bow around its neck! It¡¯s as if it walked straight out of a circus. In its left paw, it carried a bucket containing several fishes. Everyone looked at the bear outside the window and were momentarily speechless. The bear wobbled to the front door, looking rather foolish, then squatted down, lifted its paw, and knocked on the door. Bang, bang! Everyone looked at each other. ¡°¡­Should we give it the toy bear now?¡± Li Li looked at everyone¡¯s expressions, then turned to Yan Qingwen, ¡°Yan bro, if we give it the toy bear, would this round be over, and then we¡¯ll enter summer?¡± Yan Qingwen mused, ¡°Each season lasts for 8 hours, there¡¯s no rush, let¡¯s look around the house first.¡± Chapter 255 - Chapter 255: Chapter 255: Magical or Not Chapter 255: Chapter 255: Magical or Not Translator: 549690339 Out of the ten people present, everyone minus Bai Youwei, who was handicapped started rummaging through the house. The house was filled with countless dolls. Although finding them was a relatively easy task, they soon unearthed a huge pile of teddy bears of various colors, materials, and shapes¡ª Big and small, fat and thin, ones with pants or hats, all types were found. ¡°Look at this one, it¡¯s like the bear outside!¡± Zhu Shu pulled one out of the pile of dolls. It was a brown stuffed bear with a bow at the collar. The bow was identical to the one on the bear outside, both were red with black polka dots. ¡°The Spring Bear has awoken. It has lost its two cubs and is truly anxious There should be one more bear like this,¡± Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, ¡°Everyone look again. Is there another toy bear with a red and black dotted bow?¡± Everyone was busy looking for the bear. Drawers, wardrobes, wall cabinets, storage boxes, underneath beds, behind doors, inside the attic¡ªeven the chimney was not spared! They found different types of bears, but none wore a red and black dotted bow! ¡°Brother Yan, these are all the bears we could find.¡± ¡°Could we have been wrong? Perhaps it doesn¡¯t necessarily have to wear a bow?¡± ¡°But the bears without bows make up for more than forty. The range is too large; we can¡¯t confirm this way.¡± ¡°What about ones with bows? Here we have blue bows, black bows, pink bows¡­¡± ¡°That would also result in dozens ¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve searched every possible place, what do we do now?¡± The group discussed in a clamor, checking the toy bears time and time again. Bai Youwei, having nothing to do, rolled her wheelchair over to the window to look at the bear outside. The bear was still there. It crouched motionless at the door, its massive, hulking figure resembling a mountain of meat. If a beast of this magnitude ran wild, every single person or even the house would likely suffer severe damages. Luckily it was not coming in yet, giving them enough time to prepare. As the Inspector said, without the toy house owner¡¯s permission, no one could enter. Owner of the Toy House¡­ Bai Youwei mused, finding this detail interesting. Then, Shen Mo came down from upstairs, his hands empty, unable to find anything. He came over to take a sip of water and said, staring out the window, ¡°Each season changes after 8 hours, so the seasons of Spring, Summer, and Autumn take up 24 hours, a full day. But we can¡¯t be searching for things non-stop, there¡¯s no food here, and the longer we stay, the less favourable it is for us.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve just started, let¡¯s take it slow.¡± Bai Youwei remarked nonchalantly as she watched the bear. Being wheelchair-bound, she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to contribute much to the search. ¡°Brother Yan! Look at this!¡± Li Li suddenly shouted from upstairs. The few people downstairs turned to look as Li Li came downstairs, carrying a model of a pirate ship, with Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai following him. The ship model was about the length of an adult¡¯s forearm, with skull heads the size of a pinky fingernail, along with wood-carved food and gems painted neatly. It looked pretty convincing. ¡°This must be the treasure, right?¡± Li Li placed the ship model on the dining table and said, panting, ¡°When the guest from summer comes, this will come in handy.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at the ship model, slightly nodding, he asked him, ¡°Who found it?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Li Li looked a little uncomfortable. He glanced to the side, ¡± and Tan Xiao.¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t think much of it and straightforwardly said, ¡°We were up in the attic searching for the bear and found a huge whale stuffed animal! When we lifted it, it was pretty heavy! A plush toy shouldn¡¯t weight this much, right? So, we cut open its belly! Wow besides the stuffing, there was this big ship! Magical, isn¡¯t it!¡± Chapter 256 - Chapter 256: Chapter 256 Red Ribbon Chapter 256: Chapter 256 Red Ribbon Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei chuckled, asking, ¡°Tan Xiao, were you guys playing in the attic just now?¡± Tan Xiao pondered for a moment, claiming seriously: ¡°I misspoke earlier, it should be research! We found this whale, and while examining it, something didn¡¯t feel right, so we found this ship!¡± Bai Youwei wheeled herself over and closely examined the ship model, ¡°Hmm It looks like a pirate ship loaded with treasure that unfortunately sank to the bottom of the sea and into the belly of a whale. If viewed this way, it indeed matches the ambiance of a ¡®treasure¡¯.¡± ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± Yan Qingwen asked her. Compared to others, Yan Qingwen attached more importance to Bai Youwei¡¯s reactions and attitudes. Not only due to Bai Youwei¡¯s calmness during the lucky quiz, but also because of the trust that Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, and Chang Weicai have towards her. However, the Bai Youwei at that moment was languid and careless, lightly shaking her head and remarking: ¡°No, I just feel the nursery rhyme, it seems a bit too simple.¡± Yan Qingwen: ¡°Simple?¡± ¡°As simple as an exam that directly tells you the answers, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Bai Youwei leaned on her hand as she gazed out of the window, murmuring, ¡°The old man in the grey robe brought us in, obviously with a vindictive intent, so there must be something wrong with this game.¡± There must surely exist a trap she had yet to discover or notice. She needs to think it over from the beginning. Spring Bear woke up, it lost two children and is really worried Now they found a pile of bear ¡°children¡±, but among the toy bears similar to the mother bear they found outside, there is only one, why? ¡°Could it be this one?¡± Su Man picked out one from the pile of teddy bears, took off its tiny boots, removed its small hat, and placed it next to the one Zhu Shu found. They looked almost identical, both being brownish-grey. Chang Weicai sighed, ¡°But this toy bear doesn¡¯t have a bow.¡± Everyone was worried. After a moment of silence, Pan Xiaoxin asked hesitantly, ¡°What if we borrowed a bow from another toy? Would that count?¡± Everyone was stunned, then looked towards Pan Xiaoxin. ¡°Xiaoxin, have you seen other toys wearing this kind of bow?¡± Pan Xiaoxin pointed to the other side of the living room, ¡°A plush monkey over there has a red bow tied to its tail. The style is similar to this one.¡± To prove his point, Pan Xiaoxin quickly ran to the corner of the wall and dug out a plush monkey from a pile of stuffed toys. Everyone¡¯s hope was ignited. But when Pan Xiaoxin brought the monkey back, disappointment washed over their faces. The bow on the monkey¡¯s tail wasn¡¯t red with black polka dots, but plain red. Zhu Shu compared the two bows, they were very similar in size and style, the only thing missing were the black polka dots. While contemplating, Pan Xiaoxin spoke again: ¡°There is a black marker in the small study room upstairs. We can draw the polka dots ourselves.¡± Nobody spoke for a moment. A child¡¯s approach can sometimes be surprisingly straightforward. Even though adults are used to the constraints of the adult world, it¡¯s hard for them to return to their original innocence. It¡¯s not that adults can¡¯t think of the same solution, but rather they¡¯re either afraid to think about it, or avoid thinking about it as much as possible. They¡¯re cautious and circumspect, unwilling to oppose the rules they are familiar with. ¡°Is this considered cheating?¡± Lun Ang frowned, ¡°If the bear isn¡¯t satisfied, according to the Inspector, it will ¡®rage¡¯.¡± The indoor space is limited. If a raging beast were to be let loose, no matter where the ten of them would hide, someone would definitely get hurt. Chapter 257 - Chapter 257: Chapter 257: Need to do Needlework Chapter 257: Chapter 257: Need to do Needlework Translator: 549690339 Xiaoxin¡¯s face was tiny and tensely creased, particularly serious. In truth, he was also not sure in his heart, but now he could not find the same type of bow tie, whether this plan could truly work, he had no certainties at all. Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment, then said: ¡°Let¡¯s do this, we¡¯ll search again, if we still can¡¯t find a bear wearing a red bow tie, nor can we find this type of red bow tie, we¡¯ll attempt Xiaoxin¡¯s method.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. Bai Youwei said: ¡°The method to clear this stage should have a unique characteristic. If we can draw black dots on the red bow tie with a black pen to make it work, then wouldn¡¯t a homemade bow tie cut from a red fabric also work? While you are searching, you could concurrently look for fabrics of the same color; for instance, red furniture covers or red doll clothes.¡± ¡°There should be quite a few, I saw several fluffy dolls wearing red earlier.¡± Lun Ang stated. Even Teacher Cheng chimed in: ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen similar fabrics in the kitchen.¡± Once again, everyone spread out to search, but after a circuit of searching, they still gained nothing. Though in their memories an abundance of dolls with bow ties and red clothes existed, upon actual search they found that either the color pattern was incorrect, or the fabric was wrong. Some red was too deep, some red was too pale; some red was purplish, some red was orangey; and some were the correct red but had chequered patterns. Then there was also the problem with fabric. For example, silk and velvet have completely different textures. Even if you were to cut them out and make them into bow ties, the shapes would be very different. Everyone regrouped in the downstairs dining room, where there were two bears set on the dining table. As well as a sewing kit. Yan Qingwen said: ¡°It appears this method complies with the characteristic of uniqueness, we may try it. Who is good at handicrafts here?¡± We need to remove the bow tie from the monkey¡¯s tail, draw black dots of similar size onto it, and finally stitch it neatly in place on the small bear¡¯s collar. This is something that most men cannot do. Zhu Shu looked at everyone, ¡± If none of you are confident, I can give it a try.¡± Li Li asked: ¡°Zhu Shu, do you know how to sew?¡± Zhu Shu: ¡°I can manage to sew things together simply, but I am not able to do anything more complicated.¡± After she finished speaking she smiled lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t speculate from my current state, but when I was studying, I used to score really well in handicraft.¡± Everyone had no objections. Zhu Shu took the scissors, attentively detached the bow tie from the monkey¡¯s tail, then compared it to the other bear, and slowly drew black dots There was just this one red bow tie in the entire room, so she couldn¡¯t make a single error as it would result in wasted efforts. Before anyone realized, Zhu Shu¡¯s forehead was dotted with fine sweat, and her hand was a bit shaky. After thinking for a bit, Yan Qingwen said softly: ¡°We shouldn¡¯t all crowd here, let¡¯s disperse, and let her do it slowly by herself.¡± Zhu Shu was slightly startled, then gratefully smiled at Yan Qingwen. Everyone else also realized belatedly that sticking around here wouldn¡¯t help, and would only make Zhu Shu more nervous. However, the room was so small that there was nowhere to hide. Some people went upstairs to see if they could find any additional clues related to summer or autumn. Having already combed through the areas that could be searched, Shen Mo did not think another search would make any difference. He stayed on the first floor, pulled up a chair, and sat down next to Bai Youwei to rest. Yan Qingwen also came over, stood by the window, and looked outside at the mother bear waiting quietly. ¡°A two-and-a-half-story building, a complete search should take no more than two hours, but the time set by the game system is a full 8 hours. Even after finding the correct item, we must wait for these 8 hours to pass before we can proceed into the next season What do you think is the reason for this?¡± ¡°To make us more restless ¡± Shen Mo said lightly, ¡°To create more doubt and uncertainty.¡± Chapter 258 - Chapter 258: Chapter 258 – How’s My Game? Chapter 258: Chapter 258 ¨C How¡¯s My Game? Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°We are the masters of the dollhouse, and they are the guests of the dollhouse. As masters, we entertain our guests If we take the wrong item and provoke the guests, we will have to face their rampage.¡± She seemed thoughtful, her gaze falling on the music box on the cabinet. The Crystal Ball noticed her gaze and gave a light shake, ¡°Hey, why are you looking at me?¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Nothing much, I just find that nursery rhyme catchy. Can I listen to it again?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The ball responded generously, ¡°Just come and wind the spring.¡± Shen Mo walked over, picked up the music box and gave it a few turns. The music followed, along with that nursery rhyme- Spring Bear is awake, it lost two children and is really in a rush; The summer rain is heavy, It¡¯s pitch black and the treasure can¡¯t be seen; Who came in the autumn? Look, the Nail Tooth Monster is toothless when it opens its mouth? Winter, winter is finally here Which child will see the snowflake? Listening to it again, Bai Youwei¡¯s confusion remained unresolved. She rested her chin in her hand and muttered, ¡°Strange why is it so simple ?¡± Yan Qingwen glanced at her, ¡°Spring is about finding the bear¡¯s children, summer is about finding treasure, the Autumn Nail Tooth Monster has no teeth; literally it should mean finding teeth, but we don¡¯t know what the Nail Tooth Monster is yet, so we¡¯ll ignore the teeth for now. The last sentence, ¡®which child will see the snowflake¡¯, should mean which player will survive until winter.¡± ¡°If we take it all literally, indeed there are no obvious challenges.¡± Shen Mo looked around, ¡°Unless what we are looking for is not in this house.¡± Bai Youwei frowned and looked at the Crystal Ball, ¡°Are you sure what we¡¯re looking for is in this house? If it¡¯s out of scope, there must be hints, otherwise it would be breaking the rules.¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s in this house!¡± The Crystal Ball huffed proudly, ¡°Every game designed by the inspectors is absolutely fair and just! How could it possibly be designed to prevent players from passing? Am I really that bad?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°You are.¡± The Crystal Ball jumped! It jumped half a meter high, as if it was infuriated! ¡°You player are crossing the line! If I was so bad, do you think the people last time would have passed safely?!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°If you weren¡¯t so bad, we wouldn¡¯t have had to hold out until the ninth round to pass.¡± Ball: Yan Qingwen said: ¡°So, you¡¯ve met before?¡± ¡°What, haven¡¯t you?¡± Bai Youwei was intrigued, and asked him curiously, ¡°You¡¯ve also passed the game, which Inspectors have you met?¡± Yan Qingwen said: ¡°The first Inspector we met, had a rabbit¡¯s head, looked like a gentleman, but sounded like a lady. The second Inspector we met was very tall.¡± ¡°Was he blond and blue-eyed, looked like an out-of-date character from a 1980s girls¡¯ comic, and had particularly long arms and legs, like a noodle man?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Yan Qingwen laughed, nodding, ¡°I haven¡¯t read girls¡¯ comics, so I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s similar, but he did have blonde hair and blue eyes.¡± ¡°That guy has a lot of tricks, likes to drive people into a corner.¡± Shen Mo frowned slightly, seemingly repulsed, ¡°I hope we don¡¯t run into him again.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s quite interesting, very innovative.¡± Bai Youwei said with a smiling face, ¡°The one I don¡¯t want to meet again is the Gray Robe Monster, his games are so boring, and so rudimentary.¡± ¡°The Rabbit Head¡¯s game is actually not bad, the rules are simple and crude, there¡¯s not so many twists and turns.¡± Yan Qingwen commented. Bai Youwei agreed: ¡°Yes, the simpler the rules are, the more they challenge the balance of the game, and the Rabbit Head is much cuter than the others.¡± Unknowingly, the three began to discuss which Inspector¡¯s game was better. The Crystal Ball, having listened to their conversation, couldn¡¯t contain itself and asked, ¡°What about me, what about me? How about my game?¡± Chapter 259 - Chapter 259: Chapter 259 Unfavorable Impression Chapter 259: Chapter 259 Unfavorable Impression Translator: 549690339 The three of them looked at it. With gentle courtesy, Yan Qingwen merely smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯ve just met. It¡¯s not fair to judge.¡± Bai Youwei candidly replied, ¡°I¡¯m not impressed.¡± Shen Mo also said, ¡°I don¡¯t like pranks.¡± The sphere angrily responded, ¡°You ignorant humans! My game has the lowest completion rate, the largest coverage, and the most data among all the doll games ..¡± Getting to this point, it was stumped, recollecting the rabbit man¡¯s comment about the game data being too singular Unconsciously, its voice trailed off, expressing a slight air of guilt. There was a two-second silence before the sphere let out a loud snort! ¡°Humph! Anyway ..you guys just don¡¯t appreciate quality!¡± Meanwhile, Zhu Shu, having finished the bows, shouted from the dining room, ¡°Does this look acceptable to you?¡± Everyone hustled over. The three left the inspector be and headed towards the dining table. Two small fluffy bears sat upon the walnut dining table. Brownish-grey fabric, black eyes and noses, with a bow at their necks that had a red base with black dots. They were almost identical. Li Li exclaimed, ¡°Not bad at all Zhu Shu, you¡¯ve done a good job!¡± Su Man twitched her mouth, sarcasm dripping from her words, ¡°It¡¯s just sewing on a bow, nothing so skilled¡­¡± Yan Qingwen picked one up and inspected it, then looked at the others, ¡°I think it¡¯s acceptable. What about you all?¡± Everyone took turns inspecting the teddy bears. Zhu Shu watched everyone¡¯s expressions nervously while biting her lip. This was their only chance, and she didn¡¯t want to be the one to mess it all up. When no one objected, Zhu Shu, who had the most tense look on her face, clenched her fist and asked in a dry and raspy voice, ¡°So do we open the door now?¡± Yan Qingwen turned to Shen Mo, asking for his opinion with a look. Shen Mo thought for a moment and stated, ¡°If we¡¯re wrong, the guest might go berserk. To be safe, I believe the elderly, children, and women should go upstairs and find a place to hide.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded: ¡°That would be wise.¡± Su Man frowned, ¡°I¡¯ll stay. Let Li Li go upstairs, he¡¯s useless.¡± ¡°Su Man!¡± Li Li¡¯s face turned red, ¡°I am, after all, a man. Can you at least respect that?¡± Su Man gave him a glance, surprisingly her words were not filled with temper this time, ¡°Li Li, I admit you¡¯re smart, but this is not the time to be stubborn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going upstairs either.¡± Bai Youwei said. Everyone looked at her. Bai Youwei said calmly: ¡°I¡¯d be better off staying downstairs. Sitting in a wheelchair, no matter where I hide, it won¡¯t be suitable. I¡¯ll stay in the storage room on the first floor.¡± The storage room was right next to the stairs, a very small room with no windows, piled haphazardly with brooms, dustpans, mops, old cartons, a ladder, and other miscellaneous things. Shen Mo opened the door of the storage room, and the musty smell of dust hit them. He frowned, then turned to look at Bai Youwei behind him: ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face was expressionless, ¡°Just here.¡± Shen Mo looked at her for a moment, then went into the storage room. He moved out some cartons that were taking up too much space and made room for the wheelchair. Chang Weicai took Pan Xiaoxin and Zhu Shu upstairs to find hiding places. Though their bodies had been upgraded through the maze, they possessed neither the skills nor the experience to defend themselves or fight. Six people were left in the living room on the first floor. Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Su Man, Li Li, Shen Mo, and Tan Xiao. They each prepared, ready to welcome the first guest of the Doll House. Su Man brandished her whip she took from behind her waist. As Tan Xiao didn¡¯t bring his baseball bat, he had to pick up a chunk of firewood to wield in his hand as a weapon. Li Li also picked up a stick, and lit one end in the fireplace¡­ Bai Youwei motioned Shen Mo from behind the partially ajar door. Shen Mo walked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She grabbed his hand gently, and whispered, ¡°The rabbit is charging. If anything happens, I¡¯ll have it help you¡­¡± Chapter 260 - Chapter 260: Chapter 260: In Madness Chapter 260: Chapter 260: In Madness Translator: 549690339 Ever since he participated in the lucky Q&A, the rabbit¡¯s battery had been almost drained. Placing the rabbit on the turntable for the last few rounds of questions was merely an intimidation tactic. Now that they¡¯ve discovered the house has electricity, Bai Youwei will not miss this opportunity to charge. She¡¯d left the rabbit near the fireplace throughout the night. It might have seemed like she was drying it, but in fact there was a socket on the wall. Charging from noon yesterday till this morning meant it wasn¡¯t fully charged, but it should be enough to deal with the bear outside. The only problem was how to control the current so as not to harm others. Bai Youwei took a quick look at the indoor environment. If it were a living space, the size of the house was just right and cozy. But if they had to fight a monster, the space was too cramped Too cramped; whether to attack or dodge, there wasn¡¯t enough room to maneuver. Shen Mo was also considering this issue, he reminded Bai Youwei, ¡°Don¡¯t attack when you¡¯re not at a safe distance.¡± Bai Youwei nodded in understanding. Shen Mo quietly closed the storage room door, then stood to the right of Yan Qingwen, while Lun Ang stood on his left. Yan Qingwen held the two bear cubs standing two meters from the door. Tan Xiao guarded the stairs, Li Li was next to the drapes, and Su Man stood the furthest away, staring at the door with a whip in hand. Everyone was ready, just waiting for the bear to come in Yan Qingwen¡¯s heart sank and he addressed the door, ¡°Guest, please come in.¡± The door creaked open. Bai Youwei peeked out from the crack of the storage room door¡ª The sow was leisurely walking in, looking like a circus bear, moving its head from side to side, a picture of innocence. Yan Qingwen cautiously handed over the bear cubs. The mother bear slightly bowed her body, her eyes on him. After about two or three seconds, she parted the fur of her cheeks, revealed her shiny teeth, and growled Suddenly, the bear erupted! It raised its neck and let out a roar! It was unclear what had angered it, but the massive creature charged directly at Yan Qingwen with an overwhelming force! Yan Qingwen reacted swiftly, avoiding the charge on the side! The wooden floor behind him instantly shattered! Under the ferocious impact of the bear¡¯s paw, the floor was as fragile as foam! Bai Youwei saw this and her heart skipped a beat. ¡ªWhy didn¡¯t it work?! By then, Yan Qingwen had already dashed towards the living room without thinking! The thundering impacts behind him continued as the bear relentlessly pursued! ¡°Stall for time!¡± Yan Qingwen shouted! A bear in rage can only last for one minute! They just needed to survive 60 seconds to be safe! Boom! The wooden coffee table was crushed by the enormous creature. Yan Qingwen dodged to the window, and the bear missed again! It was even more furious! Seeing Li Li near the fireplace, it let out another roar and went to pounce on him! Li Li paled with fright, and raised a burning log in front of him, waving it and shouting, ¡°Come, come on! Come on!¡± The raging bear was not afraid of fire at all! Lun Ang and Shen Mo grabbed a tablecloth from either corner and netted the sow, quickly switching positions to cross the bear¡¯s path and prevent it from attacking! However, the bear¡¯s strength took everyone by surprise! Its sharp claws tore through the tablecloth like a piece of paper! Pillar¡ª The beast broke free, its huge paw slapped into Li Li! He and the log he was holding were thrown against the wall and fell heavily! He coughed up blood and passed out right there. ¡°Li Li!!!¡± Su Man swung her whip at it! But a whip is not suitable for close-quarters combat. With too many obstacles, the cabinets and tables around them affected the angle and power of the whip. This whip didn¡¯t even phase the bear. The log Li Li had struck before he fell had¡ª Sparks from the log landed on the thick fur, emitting a smell of burning hair, quickly snuffed out. It didn¡¯t harm the bear at all! Chapter 261 - Chapter 261: Chapter 261: Still in Shock Chapter 261: Chapter 261: Still in Shock Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei was anxious in the storage room. The rabbit could project electricity within two meters, but right now the distance was inadequate, and she could not lend a hand! She indeed could order the rabbit to get close to the bear, but the bear remained in a berserk state, making it impossible for the rabbit to keep up, and she still needed to take into account the distance of others! Electrical shock was different from other attacks, if she made a mistake, the consequences would be irreversible. By now, everyone had realized the extraordinary strength of this mother bear, each of them were spreading out to distract its attention! With no suitable weapons, and a huge disparity in strength between them, everyone was struggling, including Shen Mo. The previous battle with the frog was successful because there was ample space to maneuver in the cave, and the frog did not have sharp claws or teeth, hence when attacked by Shen Mo it was defenseless as an elephant beset by fleas. But this berserk bear in front of them now Bai Youwei could not bear to think, what if Shen Mo met the same fate as Li Li, would he still survive a bear paw swat? She did not want to wait anymore! Instead of awaiting an opportunity, why not create one yourself! Bai Youwei pushed the door open abruptly! She stepped out, picked up a broom and whacked it at the wild beast! ¡°Dimwit, come here!¡± she said fiercely to the she-bear outside the storage room. The charging position of the rabbit was right behind her. The mother bear turned around, stood up on its hind legs, and ¨C towering over Bai Youwei ¨C let out a deafening roar! The roar of the wild beast was filled with threats and wildness, different than the sound effects on TV. Hearing such a roar up close sent shivers down the spine, and evoked an instinctive fear! Bai Youwei was no exception, her heart pounded wildly! But she didn¡¯t dodge, she didn¡¯t retreat! She only waited for the bear to pounce, to strike it back when it entered within two meters! But then something unexpected happened. After the bear roared, for some unknown reason, it didn¡¯t attack Bai Youwei. Instead, it turned its attention to Tan Xiao at the stair entrance! It opened its big red mouth and snapped the piece of wood Tan Xiao was wielding in half! Tan Xiao shrieked! Just when he thought that he was done for, the mother bear retreated, spat out the wood splinters from its mouth, huffed and puffed for a while and then leisurely turned around, swayed, and walked out The door, slowly closed. Everyone was still in shock, They looked at each other and saw the confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. Why didn¡¯t the two cubs work? Why didn¡¯t the bear attack Bai Youwei? Was it just because Tan Xiao was closer? There was no time to think further. Yan Qingwen and Su Man ran over to Li Li, after a brief check, both of them together helped to take off his top, revealing a horrifyingly bruised back. Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, ¡°Lun Ang, bandages!¡± Lun Ang immediately took out a small roll of bandages from his waist pack and handed it to him. Yan Qingwen wound them around Li Li. The bandage was thin and narrow, like the props kids use when playing doctor, but once applied it immediately lessened the bruising. Yet Li Li still didn¡¯t regain consciousness. Su Man kneeled next to Li Li, crying, ¡°Li Li, please be alright you have to be alright ¡± People from upstairs began to come down. When they had heard the beastly roars and howls, they knew something was amiss. Now seeing the mess on the first floor, they became even more uneasy. The bear went crazy, which meant they didn¡¯t get the items right. But if it wasn¡¯t the two cubs, then what were the two children mentioned in the nursery rhyme?! ¡°Is Li Li alright?¡± Zhu Shu asked as she walked over. Yan Qingwen frowned and shook his head, ¡°There might be internal bleeding, and we¡¯re not sure if there are fractures. Let¡¯s apply the bandage first, and move him to the sofa.¡± Shen Mo turned the flipped-over sofa upright, several marks from the beast¡¯s claws clearly visible on the back of the sofa. Yan Qingwen said in a low voice, ¡°Li Li¡¯s body was upgraded and is much stronger than the average person. But even then, just one swipe from the bear and look at the condition Li Li is in now ¡± He paused, raising his head to look at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°The difficulty of this dollhouse is undoubtedly not something an ordinary player can handle.¡± Chapter 262 - Chapter 262: Chapter 262: Clothes Chapter 262: Chapter 262: Clothes Translator: 549690339 This is not something ordinary players can handle, then, who can? The Dollhouse is a game designed specifically for maze players. This thought occurred to the three of them almost simultaneously. ¡°A game that doesn¡¯t match the current players¡¯ strength a game that the Inspector brought in late, a game that needs to be debugged because it was first run ¡± Yan Qingwen speculated, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this game shouldn¡¯t have appeared at this stage. It was deliberately prepared for us by the Gray Robe Monster.¡± Everyone in the room understood what Yan Qingwen meant. Su Man grit her teeth and said, ¡°I must kill it! Kill it!!!¡± ¡°Players who attack the Inspector will be counterattacked,¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°The rabbit-headed man can release lightning, the Gray Robe Monster can control the hurricane, and the ball seems to be able to control its gravity. None of them are easy to deal with.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget, each Inspector has hundreds of copies.¡± Shen Mo looked at them, ¡°Even if you kill one, there are countless others still alive.¡± Su Man bit her lip and cried bitterly. Powerlessness, despair, resentment! The emotions followed them like a shadow, recurring whenever they thought of the game¡¯s control over them, and no matter what they couldn¡¯t be shaken off! ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the game,¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°The bear went berserk after entering the room. Does this indicate that our thinking is incorrect and the bear¡¯s children are not these toy bears?¡± Everyone¡¯s faces turned solemn. ¡°If it¡¯s not the toy bears, what does the bear¡¯s child refer to?¡± Yan Qingwen turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Also, why didn¡¯t the bear attack you? A berserk Beast should not shift its target so easily after being provoked.¡± This point also puzzled Bai Youwei. If she was to say there was something different about her, it was her disabled legs, and also She frowned, looking at her vintage Lolita dress. Yan Qingwen noticed it too. ¡°Is it because of the clothes ¡± Bai Youwei looked towards the Crystal Ball not far away. Surely that thing is enjoying our misfortune, it is unusual for it to be silent seeing us in such trouble. ¡°Hey, Inspector ¡± Bai Youwei called out. The Crystal Ball swayed, a clear childish voice rang out, ¡°Mmm I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll guide you through, you just need to wind up my key ¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already memorized that nursery rhyme. I don¡¯t need to wind your key.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°But I want to know, what is the purpose of the clothes in the wardrobe upstairs?¡± ¡± Clothes?¡± The Crystal Ball hummed and hawed, ¡°Clothes are, of course, to be worn.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such rule in the game.¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because because ¡± the Crystal Ball wobbled, ¡°because you can wear them or not, there¡¯s no strict requirement, so it wasn¡¯t mentioned.¡± Bai Youwei sneered, ¡°Are you sure it doesn¡¯t matter whether we wear them or not? Then why did the mother bear attack those who weren¡¯t wearing dresses as soon as she came in?¡± The Crystal Ball continued to wobble, giving a vague explanation, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because it doesn¡¯t recognize you all ¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s smile went colder, ¡°It doesn¡¯t recognize us because those who don¡¯t wear doll clothes can¡¯t be considered the masters of the Dollhouse, right?¡± The ball grumbled, ¡°If you already know, why do you ask me?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t ask you, I suppose you¡¯ll voluntarily tell me?¡± Bai Youwei mocked, ¡°By the time you voluntarily tell me, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be long dead! You Inspectors really make me sick, on one hand saying fair and selfless words, on the other hand secretly tricking players into the game, and that¡¯s not enough! You also deliberately hide the game rules! Why doesn¡¯t the game eliminate you wastes first!¡± Chapter 263 - Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Perfect Everywhere Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Perfect Everywhere Translator: 549690339 ¡°How can you say that?! That¡¯s outrageous!!¡± The sphere shouted in anger, ¡°For a game with such a lavish reward, of course the difficulty needs to be increased on an existing basis! Otherwise, how could there be balance in the game?! How?!¡± Red lights flickered inside the crystal ball, and the floating snowflakes were illuminated by the red light, looking like boiling plasma! ¡°You bunch of laymen! You don¡¯t understand anything at all!¡± It roared like a child. ¡°The Inspector has not only the duty to ensure the smooth running of the game but also to intervene in time when the game becomes unbalanced! I did not deliberately hide the game rules!¡± Bai Youwei looked at it steadily, ¡°So, if we dress correctly while giving it the teddy bear, there won¡¯t be any problems, right?¡± ¡°Well ¡± The sphere¡¯s voice faltered and then became angrier, ¡°Are you purposely trying to trap me with questions?!¡± Bai Youwei denied, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Sphere: ¡°You¡¯re clearly trapping me with questions!!!¡± Bai Youwei no longer wasted words with it, and turned to Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen, ¡°It seems to be just a clothing issue. Let¡¯s go upstairs to change clothes.¡± Yan Qingwen gave her a deep look, nodded, and turned to go upstairs. The others also followed one after another. Shen Mo was the last to leave, leaving Bai Youwei and the sphere alone on the first floor, as well as the unconscious Li Li on the sofa. The Crystal Ball floated unsteadily towards Bai Youwei, and said gloomily, ¡°Do you think you can pass the game just like this? Don¡¯t dream the difficulty of the Dollhouse is not that simple. Soon, you will pay the price for your arrogance!¡± Bai Youwei smiled. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± she said. The sphere was slightly stunned and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Actually your game is the lousiest one out of all games! It¡¯s simply appalling!¡± Sphere: ¡°See, you paid the price even faster than me.¡± Bai Youwei smirked, ¡°Like right now, forced to endure humiliation in front of the players. Are you happy?¡± Sphere: So furious. I wish she would die soon. One by one, the people upstairs came down. Everyone had changed into new clothes, all feeling a bit uncomfortable. Zhu Shu was still okay, as she was used to wearing all kinds of performance costumes and theatrical clothes, so she was quite comfortable with these kinds of clothes. But Su Man was quite awkward. She hardly wore dresses, unless necessary, and her normal outfit was a simple women¡¯s dress shirt with jeans. But now she had to wear this puffy princess dress with all sorts of lace and decorations. Su man looked quite upset. Teacher Cheng wore a black tuxedo, looking like the butler of some old mansion. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were like the eldest and younger sons of that mansion. Lun Ang was robustly built, and even in a full suit, he still looked like a bodyguard. Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen were handsome enough, with good figures, looking like dignified and refined princes once dressed up¡ª Especially Shen Mo, maybe because there was a filter in Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes. When she saw Shen Mo coming downstairs, she almost stared. The broad outfit, the firm contours, the stern features, the deep eyes every aspect was perfect. Her gaze was undisguised, almost greedily admiring him. Shen Mo came to her, his thin lips slightly raised. ¡°Is it my illusion?¡± He laughed softly, ¡°Why do I feel that your eyes seem a bit lustful?¡± ¡°Really ¡± Bai Youwei laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist, her small hands wandering around, ¡°The clothes fit so well.¡± At this, several others looked upset. ¡°Yeah ¡± Lun Ang muttered, ¡°It¡¯s as if they were tailor-made for us.¡± Chapter 264 - Chapter 264: Chapter 264: Sigh of Relief Chapter 264: Chapter 264: Sigh of Relief Translator: 549690339 Su Man was wearing a dark red dress with black lace trim, she assertively whipped the whip in her hand, complaining: ¡°How can I fight dressed like this? It¡¯s even difficult just to get upstairs!¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°We can¡¯t have too many people on the first floor. The space is too small, if the number of people increases, it will be difficult to dodge. Su Man, you take Li Li upstairs.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, then looked at Tan Xiao: ¡°You go too.¡± Teacher Cheng was quite worried: ¡°If so, wouldn¡¯t we have too few helpers downstairs?¡± ¡°This is enough,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Later, I will go to get the teddy bear. All of you should stay away to avoid injury due to the props. If the teddy bear does not work, I will use the puzzle to exit the game before the bear rushes over. The rest of you are responsible for restraining it to prevent it from going upstairs to harm others.¡± After a pause, she glanced at the music box not far away, then continued: ¡°However, I do not think there is likely to be an incident. If there is an issue with the teddy bear, the Inspector would not have answered so smoothly just now.¡± The Crystal Ball sat on top of the music box, quietly, refusing to talk. Everyone in the room looked at each other. They all have seen the power of Bai Youwei¡¯s prop, if it is her, maybe she can really do it. Yan Qingwen handed the two teddy bears to Bai Youwei. Shen Mo picked up the dry rabbit charging by the fireplace, walked to Bai Youwei, and gently placed it on her lap. The rabbit had been drying all night, it was completely dry and carried the warm feeling of the fire, it was incredibly warm. It sat motionlessly on Bai Youwei¡¯s lap along with the two teddy bears, as if they were just ordinary stuffed toys. Bai Youwei stroked the fur on its ears and said to Shen Mo: ¡°Push me to the door.¡± The others heard and exchanged glances, they went to the second floor and the attic to find places to hide. Without much hesitation, Bai Youwei turned to the door and said, ¡°Guest, please come in.¡± The door again creaked open. The mother bear sat at the door, and after receiving permission from her host, she stood up with a robust and impressive body, she staggered in¡ª¡ª From such a close range, the sheer size of the beast was more oppressive than before, the sunlight at the door was almost completely blocked by this beast, and the shadow of the beast engulfed Bai Youwei. The foul smell of the beast permeated out, making her frown involuntarily. The mother bear lowered her head and approached. The breath from her mouth was so strong that she wanted to close her eyes, she gritted her teeth and held out the two teddy bears in her hand. The mother bear sniffed the cubs in her arms, then suddenly gave a loud roar! Bai Youwei was slightly startled, she then saw the bear raising its paws! Shen Mo on the other side clenched the fruit knife in his hand! Yan Qingwen held onto him and whispered, ¡°Wait and see.¡± Two healthy bear paws attacked Bai Youwei! With a thud, the bear hugged the teddy bears in her hands! ¡°Roar roar roar roar roar! ¡± The mother bear roared! She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of happiness from getting back what she lost, or it was scolding the two children who ran away from home. She held the two toy bears, turned around satisfied, and then slowly walked out of the room ¡ª¡ª down the slope and into the woods she disappeared. Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen both breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. Although they were pretty sure before the operation, they still felt flustered for a moment when they saw the bear raising its claw. Fortunately, nothing happened. ¡°Our guess was correct, the first time the guest went berserk was because we didn¡¯t change into the dollhouse¡¯s clothes,¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°It seems that in the guest¡¯s perception, if the player does not change clothes, they are not considered the master of the dollhouse, but more like a strange invader, an enemy.¡± After speaking, he forced a bitter smile: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the clothes would hold such a mystery. The Inspector intentionally hid it, maybe he wanted us to experience the guest¡¯s rampage?¡± Chapter 265 - Chapter 265: Chapter 265: Summer Preparations Chapter 265: Chapter 265: Summer Preparations Translator: 549690339 ¡°Next, as long as we find the items required by the guests of summer and autumn, we should be able to pass.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°However, since the teddy bear¡¯s bow tie required us to draw and sew ourselves, the second round treasure won¡¯t probably be easy.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°That¡¯s what I think. At present, that ship matches the characteristics of the treasure. But the so-called treasure is not necessarily restricted to gold and silver jewels.¡± Shen Mo thought for a while and said, ¡°There¡¯s still time. After meeting the summer¡¯s guest, maybe we will get some hints.¡± Yan Qingwen walked up the stairs. ¡°I¡¯ll call them down.¡± Shen Mo slightly nodded, grabbed the wheelchair handle, and pushed Bai Youwei back to the living room. Bai Youwei casually placed the bunny back to where it should be charged and continued charging it. ¡°What do you think the treasure could be?¡± Shen Mo asked. Bai Youwei gently shook her head. ¡°The hint given by the nursery rhyme is very limited. Before seeing the guest, anything is possible.¡± She asked Shen Mo, ¡°Have you guys found anything suspicious after ransacking this house?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°If it¡¯s about the treasure, probably, the ship model found by Tan Xiao and Li Li.¡± Bai Youwei frowned. The difficulty of the game should be increasing, not decreasing. Since the first round toy bear required the player to refine manually, how simple could the second round be? She turned her head and glanced at the inspector in the distance. The Crystal Ball seemed to be bothered by her previous act of evasion, humph, it turned it¡¯s back and presented its music box¡¯s gear lever towards her. Bai Youwei nonchalantly withdrew her gaze. At this point, companions from upstairs were coming down in succession. Besides Su Man, she stayed upstairs to take care of Li Li. Eight people sat in the living room, discussing what should be done next. ¡°The second part of the nursery rhyme goes, ¡®In summer, the rain is so heavy in the pitch dark that the treasure is nowhere to be seen.¡¯ Yan Qingwen looked at everyone, ¡°Anyone has any ideas, you can share.¡± Tan Xiao looked left and right, ¡°Isn¡¯t the treasure we found with Li Li the ship?¡± Lun Ang picked a toothpick and held it in his mouth to relieve some of his craving for nicotine, and vaguely asked, ¡°How sure are we about the ship?¡± Yan Qingwen thought for a while and said, ¡°Thirty percent.¡± Tan Xiao bulged his eyes in surprise, ¡°Thirty percent?! That¡¯s so low!¡± He didn¡¯t believe it and turned to Bai Youwei for confirmation, ¡°Weiwei! He says it¡¯s only thirty percent!¡± Bai Youwei lazily looked at him, ¡°If you ask me .only ten percent.¡± Tan Xiao: Shen Mo: ¡°Considering our current understanding of the doll game, the game¡¯s difficulty should be increasing, not decreasing. We haven¡¯t got sufficient reason to believe that it¡¯s the ship. Since there are less than four hours from the arrival of summer, I suggest we start a new round of search. Not looking for the treasure this time, but observing every detail in this house, making note of all suspicious points, and then reasoning with all the clues after the summer guest arrives.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded and said, ¡°There¡¯s a study and three bedrooms upstairs. We can assign four persons to search, and three persons downstairs. After finishing their own assigned areas, they can start swapping for further search. Su Man will stay in the attic to look after Li Li. She will be responsible for the attic area.¡± He paused for two seconds and looked at Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Also, Xiaoxin, in addition to searching your own assigned area, you should also check the stairway and hallway areas. You¡¯re younger and might notice things we could overlook. Can you do that?¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded with a grave expression on his little face. ¡°Get one more person out.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°So far we have been only looking inside the house. The exterior eaves, window sills, and roofs should also be within this house area.¡± Yan Qingwen slightly nodded, scanning others with his eyes. Choosing the person was a problem. The outside of the house is more dangerous than inside. He thinks Shen Mo is the best choice, but Bai Youwei might not agree Although they haven¡¯t known each other for long, he can see Bai Youwei is very attached to Shen Mo. Chapter 266 - Chapter 266: Chapter 266: Until the Summer Begins Chapter 266: Chapter 266: Until the Summer Begins Translator: 549690339 ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Lun Ang stood up, stretching his legs. ¡°It¡¯s too exhausting for me to look for small details, my eyes are tired. I¡¯ll go outside and move around.¡± Yan Qingwen agreed. After some discussion, everyone set off on their own tasks. Lun Ang made a new discovery just as he stepped outside¡ª He hauled back a large iron bucket. ¡°Hey! The bear left its fish here!¡± Lun Ang couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Such fat fish!¡± The iron bucket was filled with seven or eight large Coho salmon, still alive, their mouths opening and closing in the cramped bucket, looking chubby and dumb. Master Chang quickly took it into the kitchen, filled the sink with water, and put the fish in it, preparing for a big feast. ¡°Two for soup, two for steaming, two for frying, and the remaining two how do you guys want to eat them?¡± Master Chang, who had only given them a few strands of instant noodles in the morning, asked apologetically. ¡°But why are there only eight fish? We have ten people!¡± Lun Ang grumbled, ¡°This damn game, always throwing strange things at us, but stingy when it comes to rewards.¡± Master Chang reassured him: ¡°Eight fish are enough.¡± ¡°Fine then.¡± Lun Ang patted his stomach and walked out, ¡°I¡¯ll go and see if there¡¯s anything else outside ¡± The others also dispersed to search the house. Bai Youwei, with nothing to do, sat on the first floor, taking in the house¡ªold, rustic, cozy with a touch of uncanny, just like a doll¡¯s house. The search lasted for more than an hour. By the end, the fish that Master Chang had cooked was ready. The entire room was filled with the aroma of fish, making everyone¡¯s mouth water. Who could still concentrate on the search? In the two days since they had arrived, other than a few loquats and strands of noodles, they hadn¡¯t had a proper meal. Although their bodies were coping, everyone was struggling with hunger. On the table, there was fish soup, fried fish fillets, and fish chunks, etc. The scent of fish was overwhelming. Everyone gathered around the table, praising Master Chang while eating. ¡°Master Chang! This fish is cooked perfectly!¡± Tan Xiao wolfed down his food, ¡°So delicious!¡± Chang Weicai, for once, didn¡¯t show any modesty: ¡°I also think the taste of the fish is quite good. Being single, I rarely cook such big meals. However, for some reason, this fish is easy to cook and doesn¡¯t have a fishy smell. Just a little bit of salt makes it taste great ¡± He took a bite of the fish, chewed and added: ¡°Even the fish bones are soft, so you don¡¯t have to worry about fish bones.¡± All anyone else at the table could do was eat; they didn¡¯t have time to talk. Yan Qingwen thought for a moment, picked up another bowl, and scooped some fish soup into it. ¡°This fish might be the first round reward. It could be beneficial for our bodies. I¡¯ll bring some up to Li Li.¡± Shen Mo asked: ¡°Is his injury serious?¡± Yan Qingwen shook his head: ¡°There should be no life-threatening danger. The bandage is one of our props, it can heal any wounds; the only disadvantage is that it works slowly. If it¡¯s not applied for a long time, you can¡¯t see the effects.¡± Shen Mo understood. The mud in their hands was also a prop and it worked extremely quickly. However, it was only effective for surface wounds. It helped stop bleeding and heal wounds but was useless for fractures or internal bleeding. In comparison, each prop had its advantages and disadvantages. Not long after Yan Qingwen went upstairs, he returned to the dining room downstairs, followed by Su Man. ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite.¡± Su Man sat down at the dining table with a gloomy look, still concerned about Li Li in the attic. ¡°This is the reward for the first round, it might be helpful for the next round. Try to eat some.¡± Yan Qingwen encouraged her. After hearing this, Su Man reluctantly took a sip of soup. She seemed surprised by the exquisite taste and soon began to eat the fish meat in the soup. Shen Mo walked over to the window, squinting slightly, and asked: ¡°How many hours until summer?¡± Yan Qingwen, seeming to understand what he meant, looked out of the window. In the far distance, the sky had started to darken¡­ Chapter 267 - Chapter 267: Chapter 267: Two Hours Left Chapter 267: Chapter 267: Two Hours Left Translator: 549690339 It was dark clouds. A sinking feeling hit Yan Qingwen as he recalled the heavy rain when they first entered the game. ¡°When we were woken up, it was around 7 a.m., each season lasted 8 hours, so summer¡­ is two hours away.¡± Two hours. They didn¡¯t have much time. What initially seemed like a long 8 hours was now ominously short because according to the game¡¯s difficulty level, the visitor in the summer would indeed be scarier than the bear in the spring. Yan Qingwen asked Shen Mo, ¡°How tough do you think that bear was?¡± Shen Mo glanced at him, ¡°¡­ Outdoors, I¡¯d give it a rating of 5. Indoors, 7.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Out of 100?¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ruffling her hair, ¡°Out of 10.¡± Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t willing to accept this answer. She thought Shen Mo should be able to instantly overcome any obstacle. But on second thought, she understood why: First, their movement was constrained by the space. If a beast entered, they would be trapped and unable to effectively fight back. Second, their weapons were regulated. Even if their bodies were enhanced by the maze, they would be at a disadvantage barehanded against a fierce beast. ¡°The bear was indeed tough to handle,¡± Yan Qingwen pondered, ¡°The visitor blocking the door doesn¡¯t allow us to leave. As hosts, we can¡¯t leave the dolls¡¯ house, which is the game field. Besides, the doll game doesn¡¯t allow players to carry any weapons¡­ With the time left, in addition to looking for the ¡®treasure¡¯, we need to prepare some self-defense tools.¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t fight back effectively, can we make some traps using the existing conditions?¡± Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°I don¡¯t have any experience, but it¡¯s just a thought. For example, we could pile up furniture like beds and wardrobes near the staircase. If the visitor rampages, we can hide on the second floor. Having these things blocking their path could buy us at least a few extra seconds, right?¡± As long as they held on for 1 minute, they could survive. ¡°I can do this.¡± said Yan Qingwen, ¡°But I need some help. Some mechanisms cannot be installed by one person.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± Lun Ang stepped up, ¡°We¡¯re used to working together. I know what materials he needs.¡± Bai Youwei turned to Lun Ang, ¡°The dry grass you found on the roof just now, right?¡± Lun Ang was stunned, ¡°Yes, would you like me to bring it over? I left it in the living room.¡± Bai Youwei slightly shook her head: ¡°Xiaoxin found some dried grass on the edge of the staircase too. It looks like water grass. I suggest you make your traps waterproof.¡± Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang exchanged glances. If they had to waterproof the traps, any mechanisms involving fire had to be scrapped. That was a pity. Fire was the simplest and most effective means of attack. Especially when Bai Youwei had an electric rabbit, the combination of the two would surely be effective. Yan Qingwen looked out of the window again. The dark clouds were spreading wider. He furrowed his brows and said solemnly, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up.¡± Everyone started to get busy. Two hours. It¡¯s not long, yet not short. As time approached, the sky gradually darkened. Black clouds enveloped the entire sky, devoid of any light, rendering the room pitch black. Shen Mo turned on the light. The mountain top cabin emitted spots of light in the impending storm. The music box on the windowsill flickered. The long silent snowflakes started to flutter again¡ª The sphere said, ¡°It¡¯s so dark in the summer rain, can¡¯t see where the treasure is¡­¡± Whoosh! The downpour came suddenly! All the views outside the window were blocked by the curtain of rain, just like when they first arrived at this house. Chapter 268 - Chapter 268: Chapter 268: Summer Guests Chapter 268: Chapter 268: Summer Guests Translator: 549690339 ¡°Is it here?¡± Bai Youwei asked, unable to see clearly through the window. Outside was pitch dark, and the sound of the rain was like a waterfall, they couldn¡¯t see or hear what kind of guest was arriving. Shen Mo rubbed his foot on the watery floor, saying, ¡°Let me take you upstairs first.¡± Yan Qingwen also noticed the increasing accumulation of water on the floor. His eyebrows furrowed as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s all go upstairs, the first floor might get flooded.¡± The aquatic plant on the stairway was not there for no reason, this house surely had been submerged during the game debugging phase, and it had been flooded for a considerable amount of time. Everyone went upstairs. The staircase was a ¡°7¡± shape. They paused at the bend, continuing to monitor the conditions on the first floor. The rainfall continued to seep into the house, with the water level rising at a rapid pace, soon submerging a whole step. There was no sign of the rain ceasing outside. ¡°What the hell just arrived¡­¡± Lun Ang muttered, ¡°The damn thing flooded the whole house. Now we can¡¯t use the props.¡± Everyone instinctively looked at Bai Youwei. Speaking of offensive props, Bai Youwei¡¯s rabbit was undoubtedly the most powerful. If it can¡¯t be used, it would mean a great loss of strength. Bai Youwei sat quietly, ignoring the gazes studying her surroundings. The water level was rising steadily. In just moments, three levels of steps were submerged. Everyone started to look panicked. Professor Cheng said, ¡°If this water keeps rising, we we must think of a solution¡­.¡± What kind of solution? Turn into fish and swim away? Even if they managed to turn into fish, they would need to open the doors and windows, but their guest outside was waiting for them¡­ When the water level flooded the fifth step, perhaps due to a short circuit, the indoor lights flickered then suddenly went out. The first floor was engulfed in darkness. Only the lights on the second floor and attic were still on. The darkness compounded the chill and terror in the atmosphere, stretching the tension to its limit. Finally agitated, Lun Ang suggested, ¡°How about trying the boat! After all, we haven¡¯t found any other ¡®treasures¡¯. We can¡¯t just wait around!¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°It¡¯s worth a try. We can¡¯t see the guest outside now, we can¡¯t analyze the true meaning of the ¡®treasure¡¯, let it in. Even if it¡¯s wrong, at least we¡¯ll know the power of the other party.¡± Yan Qingwen glanced at the others. They all nodded in agreement. Even if they knew the boat might not be the right answer, it was at least an answer. It was better than doing nothing! ¡°Alright.¡± Yan Qingwen gritted his teeth, making the decision, ¡°Bring the boat over.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± Lun Ang volunteered, ¡°You keep an eye on the trap on the stairs. As soon as anything goes wrong, release the trap.¡± The only one who could accurately control the timing of the trap release was Yan Qingwen. The space at the bend of the stairs was narrow, to avoid interference, the rest continued upwards and stopped at the entrance of the second floor staircase. Lun Ang held the large ship model with both hands, staring at the direction of the door, took a deep breath, then shouted: ¡°Please come in, guests!¡± The door sprang open with a bang! Unlike the previous slow creaking opening, it was quickly forced open by the water! The whole house seemed to be submerged in the sea, an endless amount of water poured in from the door! With a roaring sound, the water level rose rapidly in front of their eyes! Six steps! Seven steps! Eight, nine, ten steps! Half of the ¡°7¡± shaped staircase was submerged! Everything from Lun Ang¡¯s stomach down was in the water! ¡°Lun Ang! Can you see the guest now?¡± His companions on the second floor shouted. Lun Ang scanned the area, noticing a dark shadow in the water. ¡°There¡¯s something in the water!¡± He shouted up to the second floor, ¡°It¡¯s big! But it¡¯s too dark, I can¡¯t see clearly! Does anyone up there have a flashlight?¡± Before his words were finished, there was another loud rushing sound of water! A huge monster surfaced from the water! Chapter 269 - Chapter 269: Chapter 269 Anglerfish Chapter 269: Chapter 269 Anglerfish Translator: 549690339 A massive monster emerged from the water! The black and flat body, a mouth that took up half of its body, long fin spines were suspended above the water! They flickered back and forth, like a lure for fishing, tempting people to take the bait¡ª¡ª ¡°An anglerfish?¡± Bai Youwei exclaimed in shock, ¡± No, how could an anglerfish be so big?!¡± Mr. Cheng and Zhu Shu from upstairs brought over flashlights, the light beams shone on the water, making everyone¡¯s vision clearer. The Water Monster looked like a deep-sea anglerfish, but as big as a water buffalo! Its protruding broad lower jaw was lined with sharp teeth, above the gill slit were bulging eyeballs. The eyeballs were black with a ring of gray-white, as if they had already degenerated of their supposed function. Half of its body floated above the water, while the other half sunk underwater, it was clumsily and slowly approaching Lun Ang¡ª¡ª When faced with such a creature, Lun Ang¡¯s sturdy frame appeared insignificant. He involuntarily took half a step back. Realizing his own fear, he gritted his teeth, steadied himself, and slowly put down the boat model in his hand. The boat model was made of wood, it sunk slightly in the water, and then bobbed back up to the surface. The Water Monster had come up to the front of Lun Ang. There was only a boat model separating the two. The flashlight¡¯s beam shone on both of them, like the focus of everyone¡¯s attention at the beginning of a show. Lun Ang remained vigilant, his eyes unblinking as he stared at the half of the fish face above the water surface, ready to evacuate at any sign of movement from the monster. However, the fish remained still. The colossal creature just floated there silently, its gills slowly pulsating. Under the strong light of the flashlight, its grisly, ghastly face displayed crumpled, grey-white skin. Its shadowed contours were intense, its eyeballs rotated and slightly twitched. Lun Ang was doubtful, wondering why the monster remained still. Yan Qingwen was uneasy. If the conditions for passing had been met, guests should have taken its item. Its lack of movement at the moment could only imply that they were wrong! With this in mind, Yan Qingwen couldn¡¯t help but feel chills. He shouted, ¡°Lun Ang! Come up!¡± Lun Ang turned around to go upstairs! At the same time, a splash of water erupted! The enormous anglerfish leapt out from the water, opened its mouth full of sharp teeth, and lunged at Lun Ang! Lun Ang rolled sideways, grabbed the staircase railing using his inertia to continue to move upwards! Yan Qingwen let go of the rope in his hand, the furniture rested alternately on both sides of the staircase fell down, blocking the channel at the angle he had calculated! However, he did not take into account the buoyancy of the water wave! After the wooden furniture jammed the staircase channel, it became loose due to the buoyancy, and broke into pieces under the collision of the Anglerfish Monster! ¡°Ah!¡± The wide-open jaw snapped shut at lightning speed, biting Lun Ang¡¯s leg. The turbid accumulated water immediately turned red. It was a horrifying scene of bloodied water! Under the bright light, Lun Ang¡¯s face was ghastly pale, twisted in pain! He tried to break free, but the pulling force of the Fish Monster was astonishingly powerful! Lun Ang¡¯s grip on the railing inevitably loosened, and his body rapidly moved backward under the dragging force! Just as he was about to be pulled into the water, a hand grabbed him! It was Shen Mo! Shen Mo held onto Lun Ang with one hand and forcefully threw a fruit knife with his other hand! The tip of the knife pierced the Fish Monster¡¯s cheek! The enormous deep-sea anglerfish let out an agonizing shriek, its gigantic mouth opened, finally releasing Lun Ang¡¯s leg. Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen, working together, dragged him to the second floor! The anglerfish monster swung its tail with great force, attempting to pounce again! A whip crack was heard in the air! The whip smacked squarely on its fin! The Fish Monster quickly sunk back into the water! Unsatisfied, Su Man lashed out several more times with the whip! The surface of the water made a cracking sound as it was whipped, splashes of water flew everywhere! The heavy air in the room was saturated with rainwater, the Fish Monster¡¯s whereabouts unknown. It could be hiding, or it could be lurking in the dark ready to strike. Yan Qingwen called Su Man to come back, but she stubbornly refused. Red-eyed, she stood on the water-soaked staircase, seething with anger and wishing she could land another whip on it to vent her rage! Yan Qingwen had to take care of Lun Ang and could not attend to her. It took Mr. Cheng, Tan Xiao and Zhu Shu to pull the obstinate Su Man back to the second floor By now, the water level had risen to submerge the whole staircase! The first floor, was completely flooded! Chapter 270 - Chapter 270: Chapter 270 Black as Pitch Chapter 270: Chapter 270 Black as Pitch Translator: 549690339 Lun Ang was lying on the wooden floor of the second-floor corridor, panting heavily. He was soaked through, his face covered not only by rainwater but also by cold sweat that kept seeping out! On his right leg, there were a few completely through-and-through bloody holes, gushing out fresh blood incessantly! Losing blood at a rapid pace caused his face to display a defeated pallor, the usually chipper stubble on his face seemed to wilt in an instant. Yan Qingwen gritted his teeth, silently knelt down on the ground, ripped open the fabric around the wound, and swiftly tore a long strip of white cloth from his own body. He tightly tied it around Lun Ang¡¯s thigh where there was an abundance of blood vessels, attempting to staunch the bleed. Shen Mo held him back: ¡°The wound is too large; you need to use a tool on him as soon as possible.¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s expression was strained as he responded, ¡°There¡¯s none left the last bandage has already been used on Li Li.¡± Shen Mo frowned and took a chunk of mud from his clothes, kneading it like putty and stretching it into a wide noodle shape, then covering Lun Ang¡¯s wound with it! The dark mud quickly turned gray. Shen Mo drew back his hand, the mud regained its elasticity, whooshing back to its original shape. And Lun Ang¡¯s leg wound had completely healed! Yan Qingwen was surprised and overjoyed at the same time, he asked, ¡°A tool?!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s expression did not relax in the least, he slightly nodded and said, ¡°Although it works quickly, it only heals flesh wounds. The crushed bones can only heal slowly on their own after being set.¡± ¡°Thank you ¡± Lun Ang said thanks coarsely and heavily. He continued, ¡°We¡¯ve been through the maze twice, our bodies¡¯ self-healing ability is still, not bad help me up ¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say his bones were also crushed?!¡± Chang Weicai impatiently said, ¡°Let¡¯s not help him up, get a bed board and lift him instead!¡± They dismantled a bed board and several of them lifted Lun Ang. Tan Xiao asked again, ¡°Where do we take him?¡± The second floor was already flooded with a shallow layer of water, making everything wet underfoot. ¡°To the attic.¡± Yan Qingwen said. ¡ª The house was two and a half stories tall, and the attic only took up half a floor, packed just like a storage room with all sorts of odds and ends, and also dolls. The small space was crammed with ten people and it instantly felt claustrophobic. There was limited space, Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair was inconvenient to bring upstairs, so she had to sit leaning against the wall. Apart from Pan Xiaoxin, everyone else couldn¡¯t stand upright. Everyone found a spot to sit down. Outside, it was pouring heavily. The rain slamming on the roof echoed throughout the entire attic. The atmosphere was oppressive. Li Li had woken up, leaning against the wall without speaking. Lun Ang was also greatly weakened. Shen Mo glanced at everyone and calmly said, ¡°There¡¯s still time, let¡¯s think, what else could possibly be the treasure.¡± There was no response. Yan Qingwen¡¯s team has consecutively had two people injured, severely affecting his condition. Although Tan Xiao and Su Man differed in temperament, both were action-oriented and not adept at brainstorming. Zhu Shu was a celebrity and was used to reading people and situations, not daring to speak freely without absolute certainty. Pan Xiaoxin was even more cautious than Zhu Shu. Mr. Chang looked at everyone, uncertainly saying, ¡°The monster is like some sort of fish, so the treasure could it be related to fish?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Could it be the fish we ate? We already ate them, we can¡¯t just make it vomit them back up can we?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, several people felt nauseous. Bai Youwei thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°The summer rain is so heavy, it¡¯s pitch-black outside and we can¡¯t see where the treasure is If we can¡¯t see it in the dark, it must be in bright places. Only the second floor and the attic are lit right now, we should focus on searching these areas.¡± She spoke as she turned to look at Chang Weicai, ¡°Mr. Chang, lead some people to search the study thoroughly. See if there are any books related to the Water Monster.¡± Chapter 271 - Chapter 271: Chapter 271: The Water Monster’s Liking Chapter 271: Chapter 271: The Water Monster¡¯s Liking Translator: 549690339 Aside from three bedrooms, the second floor also had a small study room. Despite the room¡¯s small size, there was no shortage of books. Even if one were to skim through each book, it would take more than 24 hours, or even 24 days to go through them all. Ever since they began searching the room, Professor Cheng had already busted through dozens of books. The books in the study room were diverse, in Chinese, English, and even in Latin, which they couldn¡¯t understand. They could only skim through them roughly. While they were flipping through books on the second floor, those in the attic were still pondering over the weird nursery rhyme: Summer rain patters loud, the darkness veils where the treasure could be found Li Li voiced his weak suggestion, ¡°Could there be a chance it¡¯s on the first floor all the lights are off down there, which fits the ¡®pitch-dark¡¯ environment.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, disagreeing with his proposal. ¡°The first floor is flooded. There¡¯s no light and it¡¯s underwater, making it impossible to conduct any searches.¡± ¡°What about using a flashlight?¡± Li Li asked. Bai Youwei wanted to say that if they used a flashlight, it would not fit the ¡®pitch-dark¡¯ environment. Besides, their flashlights weren¡¯t waterproof. If they only shone them on the surface of the water, visibility would be very limited. The treasure shouldn¡¯t be hidden in a place where the players can¡¯t find it. But Li Li was only proposing a possibility. She shouldn¡¯t immediately extinguish this tiny glimmer of hope. At least they should try. As Bai Youwei was contemplating this, she closed the mouth she was about to open. She thought for a moment, then changed her question. ¡°Where¡¯s the Inspector now?¡± ¡°Not sure,¡± Yan Qingwen answered. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen it since the first floor was flooded.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s brows furrowed tighter. So much for guiding and providing hints throughout the game. Now in only the second round, it had vanished. Truly an unreliable cream puff. Feeling thirsty, she remembered that all the food and water were on the first floor. Now she had neither food nor drink, her mood grew increasingly irritable. She could only close her eyes to force herself to calm down. The attic¡¯s light was dim and dull. Time elapsed slowly About forty minutes later, the search on the second floor and attic ended. They had searched the place multiple times already and no matter how hard they tried now, they found nothing new. Except for Bai Youwei and the injured Li Li and Lun Ang, everyone else went to the study room to search the books with Professor Cheng, hoping to find some clues. Reading was a meticulous task. Because the answer to passing this level might be hidden in a book, on a page, or within an obscure phrase. After waiting for what felt like an eternity, Bai Youwei fell asleep. When she woke up, it was still pitch-black outside, and the rain continued to fall. Li Li could now get up. He couldn¡¯t make any large movements, but leaning against the wall, he managed to take a few steps. Not wanting to be idle, he asked Su Man to bring over a dozen books from the study room so he could flip through them in the attic. Lun Ang also felt bored lying around and decided to grab a book to read. Even though his leg wound was healing, the bone inside had not yet mended and the throbbing pain was unbearable. He wanted to distract himself with a book, but not only did it not soothe his leg pain, but it also stirred a headache. Lun Ang sighed in frustration. Bai Youwei glanced at him, ¡°What, scared you might become lame?¡± Lun Ang: He unwittingly glanced at Bai Youwei¡¯s leg. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Don¡¯t worry, if you do end up lame, I can share my diapers with you,¡± Bai Youwei evaluated Lun Ang from head to toe, ¡°But first, you¡¯ll have to lose weight, otherwise, they won¡¯t fit.¡± Half of Lun Ang¡¯s face turned red while the other half, which was covered by his thick beard, seemed unbothered. He recalled the first time he met Bai Youwei when he inadvertently made fun of her being lame. Now the tables have turned, and he was Sigh Lun Ang¡¯s emotions were complicated. ¡°Ah!¡± Li Li suddenly called out, ¡°Quick, come over here and look at this!¡± Everyone was alarmed and rushed over from upstairs and downstairs¡ª Regardless of his injuries, Li Li held up the book in his hand, ¡°It¡¯s written here! The Water Monster likes shiny objects!¡± Chapter 272 - Chapter 272: Chapter 272: Going to the First Floor Chapter 272: Chapter 272: Going to the First Floor Translator: 549690339 Li Li found an old English book with tattered pages, which recorded many foreign folk tales. As they were not fairy tales, many were incomplete, and some legends were only briefly mentioned. About the Water Monster, the book recorded: The Water Monster¡¯s home lies deep underwater, where shiny treasures are kept. There was only that. Li Li spent over two hours thoroughly perusing the book all the way to its last page, but regrettably, he found no further information on the Water Monster. Nobody else found anything in the books they were looking at either. Information on the Spring Bear and Autumn Nail Teeth Monster was also missing. Of course, there were still many unread books where the remaining clues could be hidden, but they would need more time and energy to read through all the books in the study. This was not feasible. Without food and water, they couldn¡¯t continue to exhaust themselves like this. Everyone reconvened in the attic. Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Summer starts at three in the afternoon and it¡¯s now eight at night. If we haven¡¯t found the treasure three hours from now, summer will continue.¡± According to the game rules, a change of season occurs every eight hours, but if after eight hours, the guests still remain outside, then time will stay within the corresponding season. Li Li asked, ¡°Did any of you find anything shiny?¡± They looked at each other. ¡°The scope for ¡®shiny¡¯ is too broad.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Mirrors in the house, the glass windows, reflective silver forks and spoons, even the glass eyeballs on these dolls, all could be considered shiny. Just from this, we can¡¯t pinpoint the target.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s something to be given to a guest, it must be quite unique mirrors, glasses, these things, are probably not it.¡± Zhu Shu looked at everybody and hesitantly said, ¡°What if, we search again? There are still three hours, we have time ¡± ¡°We¡¯ve searched almost eight hundred times, if it could be found, we¡¯d have found it by now.¡± Su Man was irritable though her hands never stopped rummaging through the items around her. She found a glass bottle hourglass and muttered, ¡°Does this count as shiny? She then found a piece of a toy train and touching the metallic engine asked, ¡°Does this count?¡± If anything shiny was acceptable, then the range would be just too wide. ¡°I still think the treasure is on the first floor.¡± Li Li lowered his head, his voice weaker than usual because of his injuries, ¡°The Spring Bear woke up and it was truly worried when it lost two kids. The bear was looking for a teddy bear that looked like itself, then¡­ this heavy summer rain made everything pitch black, it¡¯s hard to see where the treasure is. There must be a reason why they specifically mentioned pitch black, every word in the nursery rhyme has its deeper intent, we should probably look for the treasure in pitch black places.¡± ¡°You mean we should search the first floor?¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°But the first floor is flooded!¡± Li Li looked at him, ¡°As long as the flashlight is wrapped in plastic wrap before diving into the water, it should be alright.¡± Tan Xiao was more surprised: ¡°Where are we going to find plastic wrap?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s no plastic wrap, then a plastic bag can substitute.¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°I think Li Li¡¯s method is worth a try.¡± ¡°The problem is we don¡¯t have plastic bags either.¡± Tan Xiao looked at them, his face full of confusion, ¡°Almost everything that could be used is on the first floor! But the first floor is flooded!¡± After thinking for a moment, Shen Mo stood up, ¡°I can go down for a look. It¡¯s hard to find ¡®treasure¡¯ in the dark, but it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to find things if we know the exact location and direction.¡± Chapter 273 - Chapter 273: Chapter 273: Emotion got healed Chapter 273: Chapter 273: Emotion got healed Translator: 549690339 At his words, the heavy atmosphere instantly lightened, and everything felt different. But Bai Youwei was not happy. She frowned slightly at Shen Mo, thinking: why must it be Shen Mo? Why couldn¡¯t it be someone else? Then she looked around and discovered that among the old and the young, there really was no suitable candidate. Tan Xiao was young and energetic, but no one trusted him. There was also Yan Qingwen who could be used, but on Yan Qingwen¡¯s side, two people had already been injured. She and Shen Mo had no reason not to send anyone. Sometimes, it¡¯s easy to understand logic, but how one feels about it is a different story. Bai Youwei pouted her lips, sitting silently among the crowd, without speaking. Chang Weicai said: ¡°The plastic bags are in the second cupboard from the right in the kitchen, the cling film is also in there.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly and went downstairs to prepare. Even though it was summer, the temperature was not high at all. On the contrary, it was somewhat cold, not to mention the idea of having to soak in the pitch-black and cold rainwater. Bai Youwei stayed in the attic, hearing Chang Weicai who followed Shen Mo downstairs nattering on about safety precautions, urging him to come back soon, and suggesting to tie a rope around himself so they would know if there was any trouble by pulling the rope. She wanted to say something to him, so she slowly moved her body with the support of both hands on the floor, gradually making her way to the stairs down from the attic. She saw a crowd of people around Shen Mo. Apart from the nagging Teacher Chang, there was also Yan Qingwen, Su Man, and Tan Xiao. Yan Qingwen said, ¡°We¡¯ve thoroughly searched the first floor. The problem now is if there are changes we didn¡¯t anticipate after the rainwater soaked in For safety, we should ensure to get the waterproof bags and cling film first this time.¡± Su Man interjected, ¡°Brother Yan, maybe I should go too?¡± Yan Qingwen shook his head: ¡°You¡¯re not a good swimmer. If there were danger, he would have to find a way to save you too. Every second under the water may cost lives.¡± Tan Xiao wanted to go down, but Shen Mo rejected him too. ¡°You stay here and keep an eye on the rope,¡± said Shen Mo. Bai Youwei stood at the entrance of the attic, staring quietly at the group of people downstairs. Shen Mo, standing amongst them, was tall, composed, calm, and full of energy. He had the approval and trust of everyone. And she could do nothing. Before figuring out the solution, she could only huddle in this tiny attic. Without Shen Mo, she could only wait for the moment someone felt sympathy and extended a protective hand to her. Bai Youwei¡¯s hands unwittingly clenched into fists. She suddenly realized that she was surplus to requirements ¡ªThe game gave her the illusion of independence, and the game could shatter this illusion at any time. Not far away, Shen Mo looked up at her. Bai Youwei was startled, then saw Shen Mo walk towards her, ascend the stairs, and stand in front of her. He was tall, and even sitting down, slightly stooped, could obstruct the light in front of her. The relative darkness brought her closer to him, and Bai Youwei held her breath. ¡°I¡¯m going down now,¡± Shen Mo said. Bai Youwei pursed her lips, shifted her face to the other side, and retorted indifferently: ¡°You¡¯ve made the decision, why bother telling me?¡± ¡°Feeling bad again?¡± Shen Mo asked with a wry smile. She didn¡¯t look at his face, but just from his tone, she could imagine the helplessness and frustration on his face. No matter, let him feel that she is being capricious and throwing a tantrum again. Bai Youwei thought to herself, not caring. A hand stretched over, holding hers. Bai Youwei froze. Before she could react, her hand was against Shen Mo¡¯s abdomen. Bai Youwei: Shen Mo: ¡°Feeling better now?¡± Bai Youwei: She moved her fingertips slightly, the firm and warm touch seemed to calm her heart. ¡°Hmm somewhat better,¡± she said softly. Shen Mo let go of her, ruffled her hair, rose to his feet, and left. Chapter 274 - Chapter 274: Chapter 274: Her Weakness Chapter 274: Chapter 274: Her Weakness Translator: 549690339 The rainwater has flooded the whole first floor; even the ceiling is submerged. Standing on the second floor, all you can see is a rectangle of water occupying the stair entry point. Yan Qingwen is squatting by the water¡¯s edge holding a rope. Everyone else stands to the side, their eyes fixed on the rectangular body of water. Shen Mo has been under for a minute now. Besides some minor ripples, the surface of the water remains unchanged. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart is aflame with anxiety. She wants to pull the rope but fears it would disrupt his movements underwater. But without pulling the rope, she has no way of judging his circumstances from the black and somber water surface. Her eyes are transfixed on the water. She bites her lower lip without blinking, frequently glancing at the rope in Yan Qingwen¡¯s hand, hoping to see some movement. But none comes. Nothing happens at all. Perceiving Bai Youwei¡¯s nervousness, Yan Qingwen turns his head towards her and says, ¡°An ordinary person can usually hold their breath underwater for about 1 minute. Those with professional training can manage around 3 minutes.¡± The implication was clear: Shen Mo was indeed trained for this sort of situation. Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t respond. Her eyes remain fixed on the water surface while she mentally counts the passing seconds. With every ticking second, the minutes feel like years to her. By the time three minutes have passed, she can¡¯t stand the wait anymore and turns to Tan Xiao, saying: ¡°You should go take a look.¡± Upon hearing this, Tan Xiao begins to take off his shoes and clothes. Yan Qingwen tries to dissuade him. He thinks it¡¯s not the right time. If there¡¯s true danger underwater, another person going under would only lead to more sacrifice. But on second thought, if Lun Ang or Li Li were the ones in the water, even if he knew of the dangers, Yan Qingwen admits that he would go in after them. He mulls this over and says: ¡°Let me try pulling the rope first. If there¡¯s no response, it¡¯s not too late for you to go down after that.¡± Bai Youwei nods, knitted brows betraying her worry. Yan Qingwen starts to reel in the rope. Four attempts in, the rope suddenly becomes taut and motionless. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Bai Youwei anxiously asks him. Yan Qingwen shakes his head with a grave look on his face, ¡°Something has jammed the rope if that¡¯s the case, even if he¡¯s pulling the rope underwater, we won¡¯t be able to feel it.¡± Bai Youwei instantly pales, her scared expression so pitiful it¡¯s hard to bear seeing. Tan Xiao hollers, ¡°What are we waiting for then? Hurry up and tie a rope around me so I can go down and take a look!¡± With a panicked look on her face, Su Man paces back and forth helplessly in the hallway, blurting out, ¡°¡­We don¡¯t have any more ropes. The one tied to your boss was our only one!¡± ¡°Can we use the bed sheets?¡± Zhu Shu suggests, ¡°When we¡¯re acting, we do this often. We tear the bed sheets into strips and tie them together¡­¡± Professor Cheng quickly says, ¡°Yes, yes! Bed sheets, comforters, curtains; we can use all of these! If you¡¯re worried that it¡¯s not strong enough, just tie multiple layers around!¡± Yan Qingwen agrees: ¡°Good. There¡¯s no time to lose. Go get the bed sheets now. Get all of them. Also, take down the curtains. I¡¯m going in too.¡± Tan Xiao, together with Professor Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin, heads towards the bedrooms. As they walk they shout at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei! Keep calm. We promise we¡¯ll bring back Shen Mo!¡± Bai Youwei sits at the door leading to the loft and doesn¡¯t utter a single word. Her lips are tightly pursed and her face is snow white. Anybody can see that her emotional state is on the verge of collapse. Yan Qingwen wants to comfort her but feels disheartened. Five agonizing minutes have already passed ¨C not even a professional diver could stay underwater for five minutes without any aids. There¡¯s a very high likelihood that Shen Mo is in danger! Yan Qingwen doesn¡¯t feel particularly upset or heartbroken by this ¨C at most, he can sympathize with the related pain. His more pressing worry is how to get the summer guests out if they can¡¯t go by the water route?! Meanwhile, Tan Xiao is back with a pile of bedsheets and comforters. In the chaos, everyone hurriedly rips and secures the fabrics into rope-like strands, with Su Man and Zhu Shu also lending a hand. Just then, with a sudden splash After being underwater for five minutes, Shen Mo comes back out! Chapter 275 - Chapter 275: Chapter 275: The Effect of Fish Meat Chapter 275: Chapter 275: The Effect of Fish Meat Translator: 549690339 Everyone stared at Shen Mo in shock, unable to believe their eyes! Five minutes! Staying in a pitch-black, cold, oxygen-deficient environment for more than five minutes, and coming out unscathed?! Shen Mo wiped the rain off his face, tossed a plastic bag onto the corridor, took a brief breath, and said: ¡°After opening the cabinet, everything inside floated away due to the buoyancy. It¡¯s too dark below; I can¡¯t see anything. It took me a bit of time to find the plastic bag.¡± Seeing everyone still looking at him, he paused and continued: ¡°Maybe it has something to do with the fish we just ate. It seems fine to stay underwater a bit longer.¡± ¡°Really?! Let me try too!¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t wait, wading into the water. A chill gripped him immediately, and he hopped back out, ¡°Damn, the water¡¯s freezing!¡± Shen Mo advised: ¡°Warm up before getting in the water. Otherwise, a sudden drop in body temperature might cause cramps.¡± ¡°Oh ¡± Tan Xiao replied, half-understanding. He found a spot in the corridor and began doing chest-expanding and leg-lifting warm-up exercises. Chang Weicai passed a dry towel to Shen Mo: ¡°Go to the room and change your wet clothes quickly, don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± After wiping himself with the towel, Shen Mo turned his gaze towards Bai Youwei on the loft. She stood blankly, staring at him. Holding the towel, he climbed the steps, scrutinizing her face, he asked: ¡°Worried?¡± Bai Youwei tried to speak: ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay.¡± She realized her tongue and mouth were stiff; she was stuttering. She was more than worried She was afraid, terrified! She couldn¡¯t imagine what she would do without Shen Mo! This panic didn¡¯t just stem from objective helplessness, but also the collapse of her emotional support! Since when did it start? Unbeknownst to her, he had become irreplaceable in her heart. Shen Mo held up his hand to touch her cheek. Her body was icy cold, even colder than him, who had just emerged from the chilly water. Her back was soaked with cold sweat. He was silent for a while, then said: ¡°I was going to inform you guys, but I was afraid the plastic bag would be even harder to find if the location shifted.¡± ¨CImagine searching for a plastic bag bobbing with the water currents in the pitch-dark underwater. ¡°I understand¡­¡± Bai Youwei took a deep breath, attempting to relieve her rigid body, ¡°Go change your clothes¡­ I¡¯m, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Okay¡± He put the towel in her hand and instructed, ¡°Wipe your sweat.¡± Bai Youwei nodded as she held the towel. After Shen Mo went to change his clothes, she stood at the door of the loft in a daze. She didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. Maybe she was just spacing out, or pondering issues she hadn¡¯t even realized. When she snapped back to reality, she noticed Tan Xiao and Yan Qingwen on the second floor had changed their clothes. Su Man had changed too. Ditching the cumbersome dress, she put on her shirt and jeans again, preparing to dive with the others. Considering they would need to go underwater again, Shen Mo, who had returned, was still wearing his wet clothes. This time, four people would be diving. Shen Mo took Tan Xiao, Yan Qingwen took Su Man, two people per rope. They made an agreement with Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin, who watched over the ropes from above the water. Every 1 minute they would tug the rope ¨C if they were okay, they would tug back. This would ensure the safety of all. With everything ready, the four of them, each with a flashlight sealed in a plastic bag, slowly plunged into the water This time, they stayed even longer than five minutes. Every minute, Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin would tug the rope, each time getting a response. As time passed, everyone stopped panicking. That Shen Mo could stay underwater for so long was due to his unique abilities, but now everyone had surpassed five minutes, indicating that the fish really worked! Receiving rewards naturally made everyone happy, but it was a shame the crisis was not yet resolved, otherwise, it would be a good moment to celebrate. Chapter 276 - Chapter 276: Chapter 276: Finding Beads Chapter 276: Chapter 276: Finding Beads Translator: 549690339 Fish meat has only enhanced everyone¡¯s adaptability in the underwater environment without turning them into fish who do not require air to breathe. Fifteen minutes later, Shen Mo emerged from the water with Tan Xiao, holding 5 beads in his hand. Tan Xiao also had a few beads. ¡°Where did you get these from?¡± Teacher Chang couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°We¡¯ve searched the first floor several times and didn¡¯t see these beads.¡± Shen Mo explained, ¡°There are many of these beads on the floor underneath, but the water is too turbid to see through, even with flashlights. The visibility is very limited. They¡¯re tough to find.¡± Tan Xiao, who was rubbing his arms because of the cold, hastily handed the beads he found to Teacher Chang and hurried off for a hot shower. Chang Weicai found a glass vase and put the beads in, suggesting to Shen Mo, ¡°Go take a hot shower to warm up. You¡¯ve been in the freezing water for far too long. Don¡¯t let it harm your health.¡± Shen Mo shook his head and looked at the water, ¡°No need, I will have to dive in in a while.¡± Everyone understood his intention. The sudden presence of these beads on the first floor could very well be key to their clearance. Therefore, they had to keep diving in, looking for more beads. After another ten minutes, Su Man came back from the water with a poor complexion and her skin frozen blueish-white. She had found a little more, 9 beads. Yan Qingwen was the last one to return. Wanting to put his underwater tolerance to test, he stayed under for a full half hour. ¡°Fish meat can slow down the human body¡¯s oxygen consumption rate. After entering the water, our oxygen consumption automatically decreases. You start to feel suffocated after 20 minutes, 30 minutes is the limit. But, if you exercise intensely underwater, you must come up to the surface within 20 minutes.¡± As Yan Qingwen spoke, he took his time to inhale and regulate his breathing. ¡°Hypoxia can cause brain damage. Be careful to keep track of time when you dive in.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. Teacher Chang proclaimed, ¡°I¡¯ll keep the time for you all. If it exceeds 20 minutes, regardless of how many beads you found, we¡¯ll pull the person up immediately!¡± Yan Qingwen has faith in Teacher Chang. He nods and gratefully says, ¡°Thank you.¡± In the following time, these individuals took turns diving for beads. Finding something underwater is a difficult task, let alone looking for something as tiny as beads. Especially when the water visibility is less than a metre, even with a flashlight, the turbidity of the water further compounded the difficulty of finding these beads. Occasionally they were lucky, bringing up six to seven beads; Sometimes they were not, only finding two or three. As the number of beads accumulated to 32, they started returning empty-handed more frequently, seemingly struggling to find any more beads. Unbeknownst to them, the time had passed 11 p.m. Meaning, they have been trapped here over eight hours into the summer. Originally, they believed that searching such a house would take at most two hours. But now, they have been trapped in the summer for eight hours¡­ ¡°Are we sure that the answer is the beads?¡± Lun Ang asked. ¡°Most likely.¡± Li Li definitively replied, ¡°The home of the Water Monster locates in the depths of the water, storing glittering treasures. The shiny treasures pointed to the treasure! Now the beads, which we have never seen before on the first floor, appear. When light illuminates the beads, they become shiny; obviously, they fit the answer. The only problem now is, we cannot determine the quantity of the beads. Is it that as long as we hand over the beads, we will pass the level, or do we have to find all the beads? But how many are there in total?¡± Zhu Shu looked at Li Li, then at Yan Qingwen, tentatively suggesting, ¡°How about I also go down and look for it?¡± Yan Qingwen nodded after consideration, ¡°Everyone has their own way to look for things. If someone else gives it a try, there may be new findings.¡± He looked at the others, ¡°Everyone, take a break. Warm up as soon as possible. If we¡¯re sure that these are all the beads, we¡¯ll give it another try.¡± Chapter 277 - Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Entertain Guests Tomorrow Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Entertain Guests Tomorrow Translator: 549690339 Let¡¯s try again. As these words were spoken, everyone fell into a synchronised silence. If we make another mistake, I fear even the second floor will be flooded Even the normally confident Li Li hesitated, unwilling to make a decision on a whim. Tan Xiao seemed perplexed, looking around at everyone¡¯s changing faces and asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Haven¡¯t we found the beads? Why the long faces?¡± Li Li said, frustrated, ¡°We¡¯re worried about misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°How could we misunderstand?¡± Tan Xiao asked, his eyes wide with confusion. ¡°If they¡¯re not beads, what else could they be?¡± Everyone exchanged glances. Indeed If they¡¯re not beads, what else could they be? They had searched the entire house countless times! Apart from the ship they found in the whale stuffed toy, there was nothing else that could be considered treasure. These shining beads were their only hope! After a moment of contemplation, Shen Mo suggested, ¡°Just to be safe, let¡¯s move everything we can use from the second floor to the loft. If the second floor floods, we won¡¯t be able to use anything down here.¡± Professor Cheng said, ¡°Let¡¯s move the books we haven¡¯t finished too!¡± Shen Mo nodded. Maybe there were other clues in the remaining books. Everyone rallied and began moving the items from the second floor to the loft. Some carried books, others moved bedding and pillows. During this time, Zhu Shu went into the water once and found a bead. After a brief rest, she went back under to search, but had no such luck on the second attempt. The loft, now housing 10 people and with the added clutter of books and household appliances, felt cramped and stuffy, even the air felt heavy. Lun Ang, a man of robust build, feeling much too suffocated, asked Tan Xiao to open a window. The loft had only one small window. The latch was rusted, and it took Tan Xiao a couple of hard shoves before he was able to push it open. The salty wind carrying with it light rain blew in, bringing in fresh air and dampening the floor by the window. Tan Xiao stuck his head out of the window to check the view¡ª all he saw was an endless expanse of water. The hills and forests were no longer visible, and their house seemed like an island in the middle of the sea, facing the risk of submersion at any moment. Pulling his head back in, he sighed, ¡°The window is too small. If we get flooded here, we won¡¯t be able to get out.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll take it head-on!¡± Lun Ang said gruffly, ¡°We have ten people here. Even if we think of something, surely we can take down a fish?¡± ¡°It¡¯s tough and thick-skinned, how do we take it down?¡± Tan Xiao was worried, ¡°We don¡¯t even have any weapons.¡± Their only utility knife had fallen into the water when they were rescuing Lun Ang. Having heard this, Shen Mo calmly responded, ¡°The utility knife should be near the stairs, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to find it. But we should verify the number of beads first.¡± Including the bead found by Zhu Shu, they had a total of 33. But were there only 33 beads? If a few beads were missing when they served them to the guests, would the guests become irate? Then, Yan Qingwen advised, ¡°Let¡¯s do one more thorough check. Each one of us should dive one after another. The beads are small, when we swim underwater, the waves could shift the beads. Everyone, please be more careful.¡± Apart from the injured Lun Ang and Li Li, along with Professor Cheng and Bai Youwei who couldn¡¯t swim, the remaining six went to the second floor. This time Xiaoxin went too. They took turns diving for beads. Before they knew it, another two hours passed. At three in the morning, everyone was extremely exhausted. Dragged their wet, cold bodies back to the loft, they put all the beads they found together¡ª ¡± everyone rest on the spot. Tomorrow, we will serve the guests.¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s voice rang out like the final verdict. Chapter 278 - Chapter 278: Chapter 278 Quiet and Peaceful Chapter 278: Chapter 278 Quiet and Peaceful Translator: 549690339 Some people could fall asleep as soon as they lay down, while others were restlessly tossing and turning. Tired and weary bodies, but the nerves were strained and could not relax. Shen Mo leaned next to Bai Youwei, head down, silently thinking about every event that had happened since they started the game. He and Bai Youwei had played numerous games, but this was undoubtedly the toughest. It had taken such a long time, they had suffered so much, and they hadn¡¯t even cleared the second round. Bai Youwei remained unusually silent. She seemed to be scared because Shen Mo didn¡¯t surface for a long time the first time he jumped into the water. Even as she closed her eyes to sleep now, she was clutching his hand tightly, daring not to let go. Shen Mo subtly adjusted his position to avoid crowding her. Bai Youwei opened her eyes. Shen Mo paused, whispering, ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping either¡­¡± Bai Youwei moved a little and lay on her side facing him. ¡°Hmm,¡± Said Shen Mo casually, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the game. If we fail to find the ¡®treasure¡¯, the only way to clear the game would be to kill the guests. However, our mobility underwater is greatly impaired, unless we can find a way to get the fish to shore.¡± Bai Youwei did not respond, just pursed her lips. She could have used her rabbit to deal with the fish, but the house was too damp Water was everywhere, and the fish caused flood when it raged. No one could guarantee where the electric current would go. And to be effective, the electric shock must be concentrated in one point. If it was dispersed in the entire body of water, could it seriously injure the fish? After all, she couldn¡¯t see the fish underwater. No matter how she considered it, the risks seemed to outweigh the benefits. After pondering for a bit, she croaked, ¡°This game is difficult because¡­ the hints are too vague. The golden orb of the frog asked us to find the golden orb; the friends reunion game required us to pick the most beautiful flower. Every game has a specific objective, yet in this game, we¡¯re left to guess what we¡¯re looking for. The only clue is a nursery rhyme.¡± She sighed softly, closed her eyes and continued, ¡°The summer rain is so heavy, it¡¯s pitch-black, and we can¡¯t see where the treasure is¡­ Based on this line alone, there could be two completely different interpretations. One is what Li Li has said¡ª the treasures are hidden in the darkness and are thus hard to find because we cannot see them. The other is that the treasures are not hidden in the dark, so no matter how we look in the dark, we¡¯ll never find them. Either interpretation can be logically consistent within the context of the nursery rhyme. We found the beads on the first floor¡­ Based on the hint that Li Li found in the book, the beads possess the characteristic of being shiny. But one thing I don¡¯t understand is, shiny objects usually reflect or refract light to shimmer. So, without a light source, how can the beads shine?¡± Shen Mo, hearing the mention of light, reflexively asked, ¡°Could it be the flashlight?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°The Inspector said the answer is in the house, and the flashlight was something we brought from outside the game.¡± Shen Mo pondered for a moment and said softly, ¡°For now, there is a good chance it¡¯s the beads. We¡¯ll give it a try tomorrow. Perhaps we¡¯re overthinking this, and the answer is not that complicated.¡± Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°I hope so¡­¡± The two spoke on and off before closing their eyes to rest. The night passed. In this environment, no one could get a peaceful sleep. The room was cold and damp. The walls around were soaked, and even though the water only flooded the first floor, moist vapor still filled the entire house. Bai Youwei drifted in and out of sleep, the sound of pitter patter rain and occasional movements and breaths of people in the room echoing in her ears. She opened her eyes in a daze and saw Shen Mo¡¯s handsome face, deep and shallow shadows cast on his face in the dim light. She looked for a while, snuggled into his arms, and fell asleep again¡­ The night passed quietly. Chapter 279 - Chapter 279: Chapter 279: An Argument in the Morning Chapter 279: Chapter 279: An Argument in the Morning Translator: 549690339 The next day, Bai Youwei woke up a bit disoriented. The light in the attic had been on all night, and it had been raining outside continuously. She couldn¡¯t tell how long she had slept. She learned from Yan Qingwen that it was now seven thirty-five, realizing she¡¯d probably been asleep for about four hours. After a night¡¯s rest, both Li Li and Lun Ang looked substantially better. However, Zhu Shu¡¯s face was flushed, seemingly feverish. While tidying up the beds, Su Man muttered under her breath, ¡°Not even saying anything about catching a fever, trying to tough it out for who to see, purposely wanting to attract someone¡¯s sympathy, aren¡¯t you¡­¡± Zhu Shu, feeling dizzy and unwell from her fever, leaned against the wall, staying silent. Feeling re-energized today, Li Li hit back directly, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal with being ill? Zhu Shu¡¯s previous injury had just gotten better, and she¡¯d gone underwater several times yesterday. Isn¡¯t it normal for her to fall ill? You think everyone is as strong as an ox like you?¡± Staring at him, Su Man¡¯s chest heaved incessantly, fuming with anger. She then rounded on Zhu Shu and vented all her frustration, ¡°Are you happy now?!! A man has stepped up to defend you! Are you satisfied now, stirrer of trouble?!¡± Zhu Shu: Li Li walked over directly, standing in between the two women. Pointing at Su Man¡¯s nose, he scolded, ¡°I think you¡¯re the actual troublemaker! If she says she¡¯s sick, you accuse her of being melodramatic. Now that she¡¯s keeping quiet, you¡¯re accusing her of stirring up trouble! Can you clarify what exactly she should do to please you?¡± Zhu Shu opened her mouth to mediate, but thinking about Su Man¡¯s character, she closed it again. She shouldn¡¯t say anything at this time, it¡¯d only add fuel to the fire. If she said anything now, Su Man would surely hate her even more, thinking she was putting on a sanctimonious act. ¡°Li Li! You bastard!!!¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes were red with anger. Lun Ang joined in from the side, ¡°Yeah, Li Li, you are really going overboard¡­ You¡¯re a guy, go easy on her¡­¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Li Li retorted in indignation, ¡°When did I ever not accommodate her? I can¡¯t recall how many times I¡¯ve done so since we were kids! Ask her, how many times I¡¯ve taken the blame for her during childhood? How many beatings I¡¯ve taken?¡± Simultaneously furious and irritated, Su Man wished she could pounce on him and hit him! If it weren¡¯t for the bandage across Li Li¡¯s chest reminding her that he was still injured, She would have probably launched at him long ago! In the tone of an elder brother, Lun Ang commented, ¡°Li Li you¡¯re a man, stop harbouring grudges let¡¯s all say less, we¡¯re not even certain we can escape from here¡­¡± Consumed with grief and anger, Su Man glared at him with reddened eyes, ranting, ¡°Who knows what love potion Miss Goody-Two-Shoes has swayed him with! Now he talks nothing but nonsense to me!!!¡± Zhu Shu, holding her forehead, Looking around at everyone, Yan Qingwen spoke calmly, ¡°Since we all have this much energy, let¡¯s discuss how to entertain our guests.¡± The air went quiet in an instant. Neither of the two quarrelling parties spoke. Scanning everyone, Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyelids slightly, looking at him. Yan Qingwen also turned to look, ¡± If successful, summer will pass; if unsuccessful, the rain will flood the second floor too.¡± He paused for two seconds, turning to everyone, ¡°If there are no other suggestions, for the second visit, let¡¯s try using these beads.¡± The beads in the bottle gave out a faint glow. They were bigger and fuller than pearls, emanating a warm orange glow under the light, reminding everyone of marbles played with during childhood. Yan Qingwen glanced at his wristwatch, saying, ¡°The final hour of preparation, everyone change into the dollhouse clothes.¡± He went downstairs with Shen Mo. Li Li and Su Man, who had been arguing, glanced at each other, temporarily setting their conflict aside as they also headed downstairs. Mr. Cheng, Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin also followed in succession. Only Bai Youwei, Lun Ang, and Zhu Shu remained in the attic. Zhu Shu, still clutching her burning forehead, sat down beside Bai Youwei. After a moment of silence, she asked, ¡°What do you think how likely is it that it¡¯s the beads?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, looking at Zhu Shu. ¡°You haven¡¯t said much since yesterday ¡± Zhu Shu tentatively asked her, ¡°Is the answer these beads?¡± Chapter 280 - Chapter 280: Chapter 280: A Fifty Percent Feeling Chapter 280: Chapter 280: A Fifty Percent Feeling Translator: 549690339 Although it seemed somewhat unfair to say this, for some reason, she was more inclined to trust Bai Youwei¡¯s judgement rather than Li Li¡¯s analysis. From their very first encounter, she noticed something different about Bai Youwei. She had intended to get to know her, but her plans were disrupted several times by Su Man, preventing her from making direct contact. Throughout her many years in the entertainment industry, Zhu Shu had managed to avoid any negative publicity and secure top-tier resources in film and television. Her success was due to her uncanny ability to align herself with the strong ¨C a strategy that had become almost second nature to her. Bai Youwei was the ¡°strong¡± person she had identified. Of course, seeking protection also spoke volumes about Zhu Shu¡¯s lamentable situation. She was very clear about this. But over the years, she had become accustomed to it. If she was suddenly asked to live in any other way, she would be at a loss. Just like in this abnormal world. Bai Youwei remained silent, watching her, her eyes inexplicably sharp. Zhu Shu understood that this was a long-honed caution, an instinctive response, the same as how a cat would tense up when seeing a stranger. Zhu Shu did her best to look sincere. But it seemed to have little effect. Bai Youwei remained indifferent, answering with a blank expression, ¡°I¡¯m silent because I haven¡¯t found the answer yet.¡± A chill ran through Zhu Shu¡¯s heart. ¡°It¡¯s not the beads?¡± Bai Youwei looked down at the damp wooden floor, ¡± I hope so. But if you ask me how I feel, I¡¯d say there¡¯s a fifty percent chance.¡± Fifty percent. Zhu Shu¡¯s heart dropped. Fifty percent. Did that mean there was only a fifty-fifty chance? Lun Ang beside her cursed under his breath. Not at Bai Youwei. But at this goddamned world. Yan Qingwen¡¯s team set up a few large bed boards on the stairs leading to the loft, reinforcing them with other pieces of furniture. Having learnt from their previous close call, he had upgraded the setup, even incorporating a rusty axe from outside the front door into the setup. The old axe, now separated from its wooden handle, was wrapped with a rope, one end hanging in mid-air, the other tied to a beam above. Once the Fish Monster breached the boards, gravity would pull the axe towards it! Against such a massive creature, a rusty axe would have miniscule effect, but even a few extra seconds to escape would be considered fortunate. All was set up. Shen Mo stood at the top of the second-floor staircase with the gathered beads, while the others spread out along the corridor and the stairs. Shen Mo glanced at his companions behind him, then back to Bai Youwei at the entrance of the loft. Then, refocusing on the surface of the water¡ª ¡°Do come in, guest.¡± There was no sound, perhaps drowned out by the water. The water level began to rise, spreading, submerging the second floor and the stairs to the loft. Everyone retreated further. When the water flooded one meter high, they retreated one meter, and when it flooded two meters, they retreated two meters When the water reached half the height of the staircase, the second-floor lights flickered and went out. Darkness enveloped the room, leaving only the dim glow from the loft as their only light source. Simultaneously, there were heavy sounds coming from downstairs, as if something was clumsily making its way up from the water Bang! Something collided with the two large wooden boards Yan Qingwen had erected on the stairs. The boards, shaking and almost ready to fall, managed to stay upright, held in place by the ropes. The Fish Monster lay motionless at the bottom of the water. As if waiting, just like the previous round. The beam from their flashlight cast upon the water¡¯s surface could only make out a blurry shadow. Shen Mo, holding the beads, stepped into the water. One step And another step He was now within striking distance of the Water Monster. Bai Youwei watched as he moved deeper into the water, her heart jumped into her throat. She wanted to call him back, but found herself unable to utter a word. Suddenly, with an enormous boom! The Fish Monster leapt up! Splashing monstrous waves! Chapter 281 - Chapter 281: Chapter 281: Unaware of Life and Death Chapter 281: Chapter 281: Unaware of Life and Death Translator: 549690339 It smashed its entire body into the bed board. The solid wood, as fragile as a thin wafer, shattered instantly! Shen Mo immediately ducked down, an axe flying out from behind him and smashing into the grotesque head of the Fish Monster with a thud! The Fish Monster let out a squawk, seemingly in pain, retreating back into the water with a boom! ¡°Quick, get up!¡± Yan Qingwen shouted, extending his hand towards Shen Mo in the water! As Shen Mo just pulled himself out of the water, the Fish Monster leapt again from behind him¡ª- A huge shadow fell over Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen. Both of them dodged to the side, one tumbling over the staircase handrail, the other retreating into the loft. The Fish Monster, mouth wide open, landed down, instantly smashing the wooden staircase steps, biting away a huge chunk! Both men were swallowed by the water! The water level kept rising! In an instant, the second floor was flooded by rainwater! Everyone scampered back into the loft, only hearing the house being bombarded, unable to see what was happening underwater! Everyone¡¯s heart clenched in fear! The beam of the flashlight swept back and forth. Apart from the muddled surface of the water, they could see nothing! Teacher Cheng was anxious, staring at the water surface and fretting, ¡°What to do what to do ¡± Su Man stood at the edge of the loft by the water, holding her whip tightly, she shouted, ¡°Elder Yan! Elder Yan, where are you?!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go down and take a look!¡± Tan Xiao jumped into the water! Bai Youwei shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t go!!!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Tan Xiao started to tremor! His body convulsed as if dancing, while the water surface flickered with blue light! Even Bai Youwei¡¯s hands resting on the floor felt a numb sensation! It was electricity! She instinctively looked at her fluffy bunny, then with disbelief, looked back at the water surface! It wasn¡¯t the bunny! ¡°Come back! The fish can produce electricity!¡± Bai Youwei shouted! As she finished the sentence, fear was etched onto everyone¡¯s faces. If the Water Monster could create electric shocks, what would happen to Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen underwater?! Tears welled up in the usually strong Su Man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Damn it!¡± she cursed through her teeth, ignoring the danger of electrocution, repeatedly striking the whip on the water surface! ¡°Come out! You monster! Come out!!!¡± ¡°Have you lost your mind?!!!¡± Li Li rushed over, holding her and dragging her back to the depths of the loft. Lun Ang, supporting his unhealed leg, stood up and shouted, ¡°Goddamn! I¡¯m going to fight it!¡± ¡ª¡ªBOOM!!! Half of the loft floor was blown up! The huge Fish Monster had gnawed through the loft floor, causing Bai Youwei, Li Li, and Su Man to plunge into the water! Su Man, quick to act, managed to whip out, the whip hanging from an iron wall lamp. She grabbed Li Li, and their bodies stopped momentarily in the water! The whip loosened again! They uncontrollably slid into the water! Just before they fully submerged, Lun Ang grabbed the whip, pulling them up with all his strength! However, the Fish Monster underwater twisted and gnawed on another big section of the floor! The loft floor, unlike the second floor which was bricked, consisted of a thin layer of wooden boards laid over a steel frame, simply unable to withstand the Fish Monster¡¯s gnawing and battering! Zhu Shu at the side fell into the water hole! Lun Ang hurriedly reached out an arm to catch her! Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin also tried to help. But as soon as they neared, the floor beneath their feet began to crack. They had no choice but to crawl on the ground, each of them grabbing onto Lun Ang¡¯s one leg, preventing him from being dragged into the water¡ª- Even so, Lun Ang¡¯s body kept sliding closer to the water. He couldn¡¯t hold up against the weight of three people, his leg injury was not healed yet, and the pain he was experiencing made his face twisted. Zhu Shu bit her lip and suddenly let go of Lun Ang¡¯s hand. ¡°Zhu Shu!¡± Lun Ang was shocked and reached out to grab her but only managed to pull up a handful of wetness. Su Man and Li Li, one after the other, climbed back onto the loft, panting heavily, sitting with Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin in the corner of the loft. Everyone looked blankly at everything in front of them. Only half of the loft floor was left. The water surged in waves, gloomy and boundless. Their companions were nowhere to be seen, their fate unknown. Chapter 282 - Chapter 282: Chapter 282 She Knows the Answer Chapter 282: Chapter 282 She Knows the Answer Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei¡¯s body was sinking. Continually sinking From the moment she fell, she hadn¡¯t struggled, instead remaining motionless, letting her body slowly descend in the water. The surroundings were dim, but there was a faint light from above, a beam leaking from the loft. Occasionally, a dark shadow would streak by, seemingly the Water Monster chasing the light. Someone had dropped a flashlight. The beam of light agitated the monster, like a bull enraged by a red cape, and it came rushing, gnawing, and crunching the flashlight to pieces! It swallowed it whole and swum off to another location, shaking its head and wagging its tail. Lucky Although it was a crazed monster, it couldn¡¯t see her hidden here in the dark water as long as she didn¡¯t make too much noise. Bai Youwei quietly stayed in the water. Her cumbersome dress made it more difficult for her to move in the water, but it also indirectly provided her with cover. Her wide hem, floating in the water, resembled a cluster of seaweed. Her hand slowly felt around the surroundings. A wooden floor, a steel bed frame, coarse wallpaper judging by their locations, she must have fallen from the loft to the side of a bedroom on the second floor. Yan Qingwen¡¯s people had taken the bed base away, leaving only a bare bed frame. She couldn¡¯t swim, so if she wanted to return to the loft, she¡¯d have to go around the outside of the door and climb up the damaged staircase. There¡¯s no hurry. The monster was still around, so she could wait until the three minutes of its frenzied period passed before making a move. Anyway, she had eaten fish, so it should be okay to stay in the water a little longer. However The water was really cold Bai Youwei thought about Shen Mo. Was he also somewhere on the second floor? Maybe he was close by, but they couldn¡¯t see each other because it was too dark under water. Was he safe? Did he get hurt? No, he should be alright. Given his intelligence, he should have quickly realized the monster¡¯s weakness in having poor vision. If he stayed still, he could avoid being discovered. Speaking of which, most fish have poor vision. People say eating fish eyes can improve eyesight, but in fact, almost all fish are highly nearsighted, and the vision of deep-sea fish has mostly degraded. They rely on other sensory organs to get around. Hold on. What was that clue Li Li found? [The Water Monster¡¯s home is in the deep waters, hiding glittering treasures.] The deep waters At a depth of 100 metres, only 7% of the light from the surface penetrates. As the water gets deeper, the intensity of light rapidly declines. Around 2000 metres deep, it¡¯s virtually pitch black. If there¡¯s no light, the beads won¡¯t ¡°glitter¡±, so how did people spot the ¡°glittering treasures¡±? The beads must be wrong. The ¡°glittering treasure¡± must emit light. Bai Youwei¡¯s body was cold under the water her mind, as if stimulated by the cold water, was extraordinarily clear. Of course, it was that thing It could shine It could generate electricity The water rippled as though something big was approaching. She slowly shrunk her body, silently tucked against the wall, keeping her eyes open, utterly motionless. In the murky water, the light was so faint it was almost nonexistent. She saw a massive figure swimming by slowly. It seemed that the three-minute frenzy period had ended. It sluggishly waved both of its pectoral fins, bumping into the door or furniture occasionally, then opened its big mouth, gnawing irritably to the left and right! Bai Youwei stared at its long fin spines, and her previous guess turned into certainty. She knew what the answer was now. Chapter 283 - Chapter 283: Chapter 283: Like a Human Chapter 283: Chapter 283: Like a Human Translator: 549690339 For the second time this summer, they suffered tremendous losses. Shen Mo and Qingwen, who were the first to fall into the water, were injured to varying extents. Shen Mo, smeared in mud, was luckily not impacted much as his injuries were treated timely. But, Zhu Shu, when in the water, was badly hurt by a spike on the fin of the Fish Monster; she was near death when pulled out of the water. Shen Mo saved himself, saved Qingwen, saved Zhu Shu. The mud was used up three times in a row. When Zhu Shu regained consciousness, she was dazed. She subconsciously touched her stomach. She remembered clearly that her guts were exposed. But the skin there was intact now. It felt as if it was all a big dream. Someone was calling her name repeatedly nearby, ¡°Zhu Shu, Zhu Shu ¡± It was Li Li. He was holding her hand, regretfully saying, ¡°Why did you let go. You shouldn¡¯t have ¡± ¡°If she hadn¡¯t let go, the ones falling into the water to feed the fish would be us,¡± Su Man muttered from the side, ¡°Lun Ang was not strong enough to hold on to three people.¡± Li Li became sadder, ¡°Zhu Shu did it to save me.¡± Su Man rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t argue with him, considering the situation. Zhu Shu pulled her hand back from Li Li and, while holding her stomach, slowly sat up. The wound was gone, there was no pain anymore Someone must have used some tool on her. Su Man took Li Li away to check on Lun Ang¡¯s recurring leg injury. Zhu Shu was sitting alone in a daze, still somewhat confused. She let go to save others but it wasn¡¯t just for that. Zhu Shu knew her worth to the team compared to Li Li and Su Man. Instead of waiting for Lun Ang to eventually let her go, it was better for her to let go proactively. This way, she would not only manage the situation but also earn respect. Why not? Seeing her still in a daze, Qingwen frowned and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Zhu Shu snapped out of it, looked at him, and gently shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine ¡± After a pause, she whispered, ¡°I, once again, caused you to waste another tool.¡± Upon hearing this, Qingwen subconsciously looked towards Shen Mo. The tool was provided by Shen Mo, it didn¡¯t seem like a waste to them. At this time, Zhu Shu spoke slowly, ¡°Actually every celebrity has thought about their exit. Is it by having their public image tarnished, being caught up in negative news; or is it after growing older, being phased out by the younger generation of fans; or is it by fading away from the industry due to a lack of work Some celebrities would carefully design their exit, a concert or a performance, leaving at the peak of their glory; it¡¯s a wonderful thing, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve thought about that too. If I have to die sooner or later in this Doll Game, I hope that my death is beautiful. Not because I¡¯m too stupid to solve the riddles and end up being a doll, or by playing mind games to fight for a chance to survive. I wish to die like a human.¡± Live like a human. Die like a human. Being able to maintain the bottom line till the end, being genuine, and kind. Having experienced life and death firsthand, she poured out her feelings. The room was silent for a long time. Zhu Shu looked around, only to realize that she was under everyone¡¯s gaze at some point. Li Li and Su Man, Qingwen and Lun Ang, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, as well as Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Xiaoxin every single one of them was looking at her. After a while, Qingwen said, ¡°Of course. If we lose our humanity and become demons to win the game, then even if we win, it¡¯s a loss.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t lose!¡± Li Li declared with excitement, ¡°Even if I have to dive in to find it myself, if we can find all the beads, we definitely can clear the stage!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to look for the beads,¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was unusually calm, ¡°What the Water Monster wants is not the beads.¡± Chapter 284 - Chapter 284: Chapter 284: Outlandish Ideas Chapter 284: Chapter 284: Outlandish Ideas Translator: 549690339 Li Li was stunned, ¡°Not beads? Then what is it?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s light.¡± Bai Youwei responded. ¡°Light?¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°Why light? The rain in summer was so heavy, you couldn¡¯t see where the treasure was hiding in the darkness Why would the treasure be light?¡± Bai Youwei explained: ¡°The nursery rhyme did not say that the Water Monster cannot find the treasure, only that it cannot see the treasure.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s light.¡± Li Li disagreed, frowning, ¡°Besides, how do you explain those beads? Why did they suddenly appear in areas that were flooded?¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°It¡¯s not hard to understand. If a bear can bring fish, then a fish can bring beads.¡± Li Li was dumbstruck upon hearing this. Yes If a bear could bring fish, then why couldn¡¯t a fish bring beads? Could it be that the beads they found were actually the reward for the second round? ¡°Try to recall that nursery rhyme again.¡± Bai Youwei murmured softly, ¡°Spring Bear is awake, it loses two children and gets really worried; Heavy rain in summer, can¡¯t see where the treasure is in the darkness; Who¡¯s here in autumn? Look, the Nail Tooth Monster opens its mouth and where are his teeth Spring and Autumn both mentioned the names of the guests, so why doesn¡¯t summer? The nursery rhyme could have been made like this¡ª¡ª The Water Monster can¡¯t see where the treasure is. Why did they not write it that way and instead say, can¡¯t see where the treasure is in the darkness? Because ¡®Darkness¡¯ is the name of this Water Monster. It is ¡®lightless¡¯ and can¡¯t see its own treasure, it can¡¯t see anything! And we we were all misled by the term ¡®treasure¡¯!¡± ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is, what we need to do now is not to find the treasure,¡± Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°but to help it see the treasure?¡± Bai Youwei nodded, saying: ¡°When I fell down earlier, it was really dark underwater, even when the fish swam up to me, everything was still dark. It seems to be very sensitive to light sources, and it looks like an Anglerfish, which should have a luminescent substance on its fin spines ¡± ¡°That would be a glandular cell.¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°The glandular cells of the Anglerfish can secrete luciferin, which, catalyzed by luciferase, can glow through a chemical reaction with oxygen. But where can we get these glandular cells for it? Do we give it a flashlight?!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need a flashlight.¡± Bai Youwei lightly shook her head, ¡°If my guess is correct, there should be a light bulb in this house that will match it.¡± ¡°Light bulb!?¡± Li Li yelled! He thought that Bai Youwei was being unduly imaginative! Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°If this Anglerfish monster can generate electricity, it¡¯s highly possible there¡¯s a light bulb.¡± Li Li: ¡°But this house has many light bulbs, which one is it?¡± Teacher Cheng asked. ¡°The one that won¡¯t light up,¡± Bai Youwei said confidently. Everyone looked at each other. Out of all these light bulbs, which one doesn¡¯t light up? Now that the first and second floors were flooded and the electricity was gone, it was impossible to test them, unless Their eyes involuntarily went to the rabbit in Bai Youwei¡¯s arms. Shen Mo spoke up, ¡°The light in the storeroom doesn¡¯t work.¡± Everyone was taken aback. ¡°I¡¯ve searched the storeroom,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I tried the switch a few times, the light didn¡¯t turn on. I thought the bulb was spoiled, but now that I think about it, it seems like that¡¯s the only light in the entire house that¡¯s spoiled.¡± Listening to this, Yan Qingwen added, ¡°In that case, you go and get the bulb from the storeroom, I¡¯ll go and remove the other lights we haven¡¯t switched on. Then we can compare.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly. The two men agreed and one after the other went into the water. Outside the window, the rain was relentless. The rain had flooded everything, only the small triangular roof of a house could be seen from the oceanic expanse. Inside the house, the people were sitting on the half piece of remaining attic floor, waiting for the last piece of news¡­ Chapter 285 - Chapter 285: Chapter 285: No More Preparation Chapter 285: Chapter 285: No More Preparation Translator: 549690339 ¡°Will it be a success this time?¡± Su Man looked at the enveloping flood outside the window, her nerves frayed. ¡°This is our last chance If this is wrong too, we¡¯ll be drowned here.¡± No one spoke. A sense of death permeated the room. After a while, Li Li broke the silence, ¡°If we still fail to get through Lun Ang, give my piece of the puzzle to Su Man, and you and Yan Qingwen should take her and leave. All the research data is in the bag anyway. You guys just need to take it to Professor Song. Whether I¡¯m there or not doesn¡¯t matter ¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Su Man instantly scowled, ¡°Do you plan to stay here with Zhu Shu? What for? You¡¯ve only known each other for a few days, and you already want to die together?¡± Li Li snapped back irritably, ¡°Will you ever let it go! Or would you rather I leave the puzzle for Zhu Shu, and die with you? I bet then you¡¯d complain again! Saying that I only care about the damsel in distress and neglecting your well-being, right?!¡± Su Man fumed, ¡°Who¡¯s asking for charity?! Can¡¯t you keep the puzzle for yourself?!¡± ¡°Keep it to myself? Zhu Shu just saved me, how could I abandon her here and run, would I still be a man?!¡± ¡°So, in the end, all this for her! You just want to be with her!¡± ¡°You¡¯re utterly unreasonable! A lunatic! A madwoman!¡± The two started arguing as usual. The others remained silent. They¡¯d often interject in the past, but now everyone was absorbed in their own thoughts, letting them argue incessantly. Until the water rippled, and a splash sounded¡ª Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen had returned. All eyes turned to them. Yan Qingwen took a deep breath and nodded gravely at them, ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s the light bulb.¡± A simple sentence felt like a royal pardon. Everyone exhaled in relief. Shen Mo produced the storage room light bulb for everyone to see. It was a small, oval bulb. Unlike regular ones, several hair-like black objects emerged from this bulb, thicker than hair, looking like nerve cords. Furthermore, Shen Mo had also found a full box of similar bulbs in the storage room. This was the type of bulb actually used in the storage room. Everyone had come across these bulbs when they were searching, but just assumed that they were regular replacement bulbs. The answer was right in front of their eyes. Everyone looked at each other, registering surprise, suspicion, hesitation in each other¡¯s eyes ¡°If we¡¯re wrong this time too ¡± Li Li was anxious. ¡°We won¡¯t be.¡± Shen Mo cut him off. Holding the light bulb, he paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Dear guest, please come in.¡± Li Li¡¯s face went pale. ¡°Hey! We¡¯re not ready yet!!!¡± ¡°What do you need to prepare for?¡± Shen Mo asked. ¡°I! ¡± Li Li was speechless. At this point he really didn¡¯t have anything to prepare. Regarding injuries, the healable parts were more or less healed, and the intractable parts weren¡¯t going to get better any time soon; In terms of defense, there was only half a floor left in the attic. If the water came up, there would be nowhere to defend! And speaking of water, here it came¡ªit seems that every time they formally invited the ¡°guest¡±, the water level would rise. It was as if the increase was specifically to facilitate the monstrous fish¡¯s approach. The water surged into the attic. It submerged the floor, reached their ankles, their calves Everyone stood up. Mr. Cheng and Tan Xiao were supporting Bai Youwei from either side. Shen Mo glanced over at her. Bai Youwei gave him a barely perceptible nod. Shen Mo redirected his gaze, looking back at the rippling water surface. The waves were heavy, the attic wall light finally went out, leaving only a small light up above and a few rays from flashlights illuminating the surroundings. Following some thudding and bumping sounds, the massive fish monster, guided by the light source, came to the edge of the attic. Chapter 286 - Chapter 286: Chapter 286: It’s Not Over Yet Chapter 286: Chapter 286: It¡¯s Not Over Yet Translator: 549690339 Its colossal head floated on the surface of the water, revealing a grotesque, terrifying half-face, protruding fiendish teeth, and a thin, curved fin spine. A small glob of black, meaty substance hung off the pointed end of the fin spine. No one had noticed this before. Even when it had appeared numerous times in front of them, they had never associated it with a light bulb. Even now, it was hard to think of a connection between a light bulb and this glob. This time could they be wrong again? They couldn¡¯t afford to be wrong again. If they continued to be wrong, all those who were unable to solve the puzzles would be eliminated! Shen Mo jumped into the water with the light bulb in his hand. Everyone¡¯s nerves were on edge, anxiously watching the human and fish in the water, only one question on their mind: is this right, or wrong? The anglerfish monster in the water was as quiet as ever. It had been so the previous two times as well. It would stay stationary before going berserk, as if waiting for something. However, the calmer it was, the more uneasy people felt. They feared it would suddenly leap up and swallow all the players alive! Yet, Shen Mo¡¯s movements were decisive and swift. After he jumped into the water, he raised his hand to grab the fin spine, presenting the light bulb! He did it in one swift, unhesitating motion! Everyone held their breath for a moment. The glob of meat-like substance stretched out like tiny claws, securing the light bulb tightly! Zzzt, Zzzt The light bulb flickered twice, then lit up! Everyone was dumbstruck. The fish monster seemed pleased, grinning widely. Then, it blew out a string of large bubbles, sank slowly into the water, swayed its tail, and swam away Everyone: They felt a bewildering sense of relief as if they had finally sent away a plague. The water level was falling. It dropped rapidly, revealing the floor, the stairs, the wallpaper on the second floor. Looking out of the window, they could see the clouds dispersing, the rain stopping, and the hillside and forest gradually emerging from the water. What was more surprising was that the receding tide not only took away the water but also restored the building¡¯s structure. All the stairs and furniture that had been bitten and damaged were restored to their original state. Everyone came down to the first floor and found many shiny beads on the floor ¨C not just 33, but at least a hundred at first glance! Shen Mo picked up one. [Rejected Egg of Water Monster: It stings when you¡¯re hit and there¡¯s a 20% chance of triggering the Thunder Blast Effect.] These descriptions were not present when they picked up the beads just now. Now, however, they floated into their minds. It seemed that only after passing the level could the rewards genuinely become rewards. As everyone was being attracted by the shiny beads scattered on the ground, a surprised and high-pitched voice sounded¡ª ¡°You guys actually survived?!¡± The Crystal Ball couldn¡¯t help but hop up from the music box, whizzing in front of them! It seemed incredulous, circling around them twice before stopping: ¡°How is this possible?!! You guys actually survived the summer without losing anyone?!! No impossible! Is there an error in the data? I¡¯m going to recheck the information!¡± It flew back to the music box and stood still, seemingly processing internal information. There was silence for no more than two seconds when the Crystal Ball screamed again! ¡°You guys really passed the summer! Just a bit more! Ahhhh just a tad more, and the Water Monster would have swallowed you whole! What a pity!!!¡± Everyone: Bai Youwei gave it a tired glance, then said to Shen Mo, ¡°Let¡¯s clean up the beads on the floor first. Even though they are rewards, if we trip on them and fall, we might get hurt.¡± Yan Qingwen also heard her and nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s clean up together, watch your step.¡± Having barely escaped with their lives, it would be a real pity if they were to die due to the reward items. Everyone took this seriously and started picking up the scattered beads on the floor. No one paid any attention to the Inspector. Unwilling to be left out, the Crystal Ball flew over again, swayed around, and finally settled in front of Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t be high and mighty! It¡¯s not over yet! You won¡¯t escape from the Nail Tooth Monster in the fall! You¡¯ll never get out of this game!!!¡± Chapter 287 - Chapter 287: Chapter 287: The Final Reward Chapter 287: Chapter 287: The Final Reward Translator: 549690339 Yes, it¡¯s not over yet. When summer ended, autumn followed. Unbeknownst to them, the grass on the hill had all dried up, and the trees at the foot of the hill had turned yellow. The autumn breeze blew in through the doors and windows, causing those in damp clothes to shiver from the cold. Thankfully, the house had been restored to its original state, with the walls and floors all dry, as well as the firewood in the fireplace. Shen Mo reignited the fireplace. Everyone scattered; some went to take hot showers, some sat by the fireplace to warm up, and others searched in corners to see if any beads had been overlooked. The guest of autumn had already arrived. Stationed at the front door. However, everyone was too worn out, trapped in the summer for nearly eighteen hours; each person was physically and emotionally drained. All they wanted for the moment was to properly relax and rest, they didn¡¯t care about the guest outside. Two hours later ¡ª by the time everyone had bathed and changed, and assembled in the living room looking fresh and clean¡ª Professor Chang poured ten cups of hot tea and placed them on the coffee table in the living room. Thin columns of steam rose from the tea. The firewood in the fireplace crackled. Ten individuals in exquisite doll costumes gathered in the living room. If you overlooked the serious or troubled expressions on their faces, it almost felt like a tea party. ¡°There are a total of 102 beads. I suggest we divide them evenly.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. ¡± Logically speaking, as you two have passed the round, you should gain more. But we still have the third round of the autumn game to come. Once the guest begins to lose control, the injured, elderly, women, and children will all need more props for support.¡± He paused, before continuing: ¡°This is just my personal opinion. If you guys don¡¯t agree, we can discuss other ways to divide them.¡± Unlike fish meat, beads serve as reward props. With fish meat, everyone could share a pot, but everyone could not share the limited quantity of beads. As long as there is a fixed amount, there will be disparities. Yan Qingwen was smart. He had ulterior motives; he wanted to get more beads for the injured Lu Ang and the delicate Zhu Shu, but he did not say it. Instead, he pointed out the predicaments of Professor Chang and Pan Xiaoxin. If only those passing the game receive beads, how would the previous round be accounted for? The idea had been Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s, and Zhu Shu was the one who sewed the bow, but neither of them received any extra fish meat as a result. Furthermore, if Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t get any beads, what would they do in the following round? If danger arises, Shen Mo would have to step in and save them. It would be better to give them more beads now, allowing them the ability to protect themselves and making things easier for Shen Mo. Shen Mo also had his considerations. Each round of the game was more challenging than the last, and they still didn¡¯t know how to deal with the guest of the autumn round. For players right now, the most important thing was cooperation. If disagreements arose over the distribution of rewards, it would be undesirable. After some thought, he said, ¡°Then let¡¯s each take 10 beads. The extra two will go to Bai Youwei.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Are my ideas only worth two beads?¡± Yan Qingwen couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°How many beads do you want? Just say a number and we can discuss it.¡± Bai Youwei had actually given this some serious thought and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s just divide them as you guys suggested.¡± Yan Qingwen was taken aback, ¡°There¡¯s no need to force yourself If you¡¯re not satisfied, we can split it 40-60 or 30-70. We¡¯d be fine with that.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°Actually, you guys were right. There¡¯s still the third round, and it¡¯s better to have more protection for the old, the women, and the children. This will allow those with good physical abilities to handle things without being restricted. Moreover, I trust that the game¡¯s final reward will be fair and just. I don¡¯t need to worry about this.¡± Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, ¡°The final reward?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Bai Youwei gave a faint smile, ¡°As for these little beads, whether it¡¯s a few more or a few less, I really don¡¯t care. My aim is the final reward.¡± Chapter 288 - Chapter 288: Chapter 288: Looking for a Nail Chapter 288: Chapter 288: Looking for a Nail Translator: 549690339 Yan Qingwen remained silent for a while, then let out a light smile. ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, ¡°This is only the second round. Only after autumn passes can we truly clear the game.¡± Li Li encouraged everyone: ¡°We made it through summer despite its difficulty, why fear autumn!¡± Lun Ang also nodded in agreement: ¡°Even if the third round is difficult, but we¡¯ve experienced spring and summer, we should be able to deal with autumn. I believe we won¡¯t be clueless.¡± The Crystal Ball sat quietly on the Eight Immortals cabinet, watching them discuss their next strategies. Shen Mo walked over, turned the winding box on the music box, and a familiar nursery rhyme floated around the room with the music: The Spring Bear is awake, It¡¯s really worried about losing two children; Summer rain is so heavy, It¡¯s pitch-black, and the treasure can¡¯t be seen; Who comes in the fall? Look, isn¡¯t there a tooth in the wide-open mouth of the Nail Tooth Monster? Winter, winter finally comes Who will see the snowflake? Shen Mo leaned against the window, and the half-open window vaguely reflected guests outside, ¡°Just as expected, it¡¯s the Nail Tooth Monster Who comes in the fall? Look, isn¡¯t there a tooth in the wide-open mouth of the Nail Tooth Monster? Just as the nursery rhyme says.¡± Everyone quickly moved to the window, curious to see what the guest outside looked like. The window and the door were in a parallel line, and the doorposts and coverings on the sides of the door made it impossible to see directly through the window, leaving them to rely on the reflection on the glass window to increase their visual range. The guest of autumn, in terms of size, was not as big as the bear or the anglerfish. It looked like a walking shark, just without fins and a tail, with glossy gray skin, strong lower limbs, slender claws, plus an extremely large head¡ª It stood at the door with its mouth wide open, and only about seven or eight pointed teeth could be seen. The teeth looked like nails. Shen Mo looked at the rest of them, ¡°For this round, it seems our task is to find nails.¡± Yan Qingwen observed the reflection carefully on the window glass and slowly nodded, ¡°And it looks like we¡¯re going to find quite a few nails.¡± Scarred from the last round, Li Li looked at the two leaders uncertainly, ¡°Are you confident? Is it really just to find nails? What if it¡¯s something else?¡± He turned his head to ask Bai Youwei, ¡°Do you also think it¡¯s nails?¡± Bai Youwei glanced at him expressionlessly, ¡°No matter what it is, the one-minute rampage in the first round is unavoidable.¡± Whether it¡¯s the bear or the anglerfish, without real contact, it¡¯s hard to find out what they really need based only on the clues from the nursery rhyme. Hearing this, Su Man next to him nervously tugged at her dress. She¡¯s sick to death of this game, because dressing like this was affecting her performance. However, if she didn¡¯t dress like this, she¡¯d be attacked by the guests. Zhu Shu asked, ¡°If it¡¯s nails, how many do we need to find?¡± ¡°Its mouth was wide open ¡± Yan Qingwen squinted his eyes a bit, ¡°Just by looking at it, there should be about 26 upper teeth, 24 lower teeth. Minus the six nails in its mouth, we¡¯re left with 44.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°The game can¡¯t be that simple, it¡¯s possible that there are double or multiple layers of teeth.¡± Shen Mo pulled his gaze back, looking at the facilities in the room, ¡°If it¡¯s double-layered teeth, then it¡¯s 100 nails, triple-layered, 150 nails, four layers, 200 nails In other words, the more nails we find, the better.¡± Li Li¡¯s scalp tingled hearing these numbers. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit outrageous? We¡¯ve turned over every corner of this room, and apart from the dozen or so nails in the storage room, there are none at all!¡± Tan Xiao patted him on the shoulder with one hand, tapped his chest with the other hand and said seriously, ¡°You need to look carefully! As it is said, nothing is too difficult if you put your heart into it! We must keep at it until death!¡± Li Li snapped, ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be ¡®stick to it until the end¡¯!¡± Who the hell wants to keep at it with you until death! Get lost!!! Chapter 289 - Chapter 289: Chapter 289: Remove The Stumbling Block Chapter 289: Chapter 289: Remove The Stumbling Block Translator: 549690339 A simple two and a half story townhouse was thoroughly searched. In the end, only 23 nails were found. This number, was far from sufficient. Tan Xiao picked up two more from under the bed and dropped them into the nail dish, clinking softly. He looked up at Li Li, patted his chest, seemingly indicating: see? Look carefully! Li Li hadn¡¯t found a single nail and didn¡¯t want to deal with him. Pan Xiaoxin, with a small backpack on his back, came down to the living room and took out a handful of nails from his bag! At least forty or fifty by visual estimation. This number far exceeded the combined total of everyone else! Everyone suddenly exclaimed: ¡°Xiaoxin! Where did you find these nails?¡± Pan Xiaoxin scratched his head and honestly said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any nails Then I saw a toy train in the attic, so I dismantled the train ¡± ¡°Ah! That train!¡± Su Man recalled, ¡°I took it when I was looking for shiny objects. It¡¯s metallic and has so many nails on it!¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded, ¡°It also has a metal track, with two nails on each rail.¡± Everyone had a sudden burst of inspiration! ¡°If this is the case, every metal toy in the house can be dismantled!¡± ¡°The nails holding up the paintings on the wall can also be removed!¡± ¡°All things with nails can be taken apart! This game is very tricky, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of removing nails if it wasn¡¯t for the child ¡± There were all kinds of screwdrivers in the tool box in the storage room. Everyone picked up a few and started to dismantle the nails. This way, their reach was greatly extended. Of course, not all nails could be undone. Some couldn¡¯t be unscrewed no matter what, especially ones related to the structure of the house or furniture. Everyone gradually summarized the experience, ¡°Structural¡± nails couldn¡¯t be dismantled, but ¡°movable¡± and ¡°decorative¡± nails could be taken apart. The entire house echoed with a symphony of clanging sounds. Chaotic, yet lively, no nail-laden toy was spared, nor were the wall lights, the living room sofa, bedroom drawers, the bathroom towel hooks everything was cleaned out. Tan Xiao initially wanted to uninstall the doorknob, but it seemed the system wouldn¡¯t allow it. No matter how he turned the screwdriver, he couldn¡¯t unscrew it. Even so, they managed to collect 226 nails! How many teeth the Nail Tooth Monster had was unknown, but 226 nails such a quantity, ought to be enough, right? Bai Youwei glanced at the crystal ball on the cupboard. This ball When lively, it made lots of noise. But when quiet, it could easily be mistaken for an ordinary music box. Who knows what kind of mischief it was up to. ¡°The first rampage is unavoidable.¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Whether nails are necessary or how many are needed, we¡¯ll know after this round.¡± Shen Mo looked at him, ¡°The time of the first round is short, but the uncertainty is the highest, and the danger is the greatest. The player inviting guests must be agile, or they will not escape.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Yan Qingwen said calmly, ¡°You¡¯ve taken the lead twice this summer, it¡¯s my turn.¡± ¡°Yan, if it¡¯s about agility, I¡¯m not bad either.¡± Su Man stepped forward, ¡°You need to take Li Li to see Professor Song, you can¡¯t afford to get hurt. I¡¯ll invite the Nail Tooth Monster in.¡± Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment, nodded and said, ¡°Alright, you go first in the first round, be careful.¡± He knew his position in the team. Letting Su Man go was not because he was afraid of dying, but as the backbone of the team, his accident would likely affect the team¡¯s morale and performance in the next round. Besides, Su Man might be impulsive, but her agility certainly wasn¡¯t inferior to his. ¡°Then, let¡¯s stick to our usual plan.¡± Yan Qingwen stood up, ¡°The elderly, women, children, and those who are injured, go upstairs and find a place to hide for now. Those who remain, prepare to receive our guest.¡± Chapter 290 - Chapter 290: Chapter 290: Laying a Nail Chapter 290: Chapter 290: Laying a Nail Translator: 549690339 Chang Weicai, Pan Xiaoxin, and Zhu Shu, lacking the ability to protect themselves, headed upstairs. Lun Ang¡¯s leg bone hadn¡¯t fully healed and couldn¡¯t be of assistance, so he went upstairs as well. Bai Youwei was still hiding in the storage room. Only Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Yan Qingwen, Li Li, and Su Man remained on the first floor in the living room. After facing a bear and anglerfish, everyone¡¯s faces had lost a bit of panic and gained a bit more calm and composure. Su Man stood by the door, holding a large glass bowl that had previously been filled with loquats, but now was filled with nails. At Yan Qingwen¡¯s signal, she pursed her lips, watching the door and said, ¡°Please come in, guest.¡± Click¡ª¡ª The door opened slowly. Upon seeing the monster up close, they found that it looked even more ridiculous than they had imagined. Its head was disproportionately large, and its front claws were pitifully short. Originally, they thought it was like a shark with arms and legs, but now it seemed more like a miniaturized Tyrannosaurus Rex, only without a tail. It walked in with a pattering sound, all the way to Su Man, sat down on the floor, raised its head, and opened its mouth wide! How wide? The upper and lower jaws almost opened past 90 degrees! Its mouth was full of tiny pits instead of a tongue, like the suction cups on an octopus¡¯s tentacles, some of which had grown nails out of them! Su Man felt nauseous at the sight of these dense pits, her face going pale. The Nail Tooth Monster sat motionless in front of her. ¡°Su Man.¡± Yan Qingwen softly reminded her from the side. Su Man snapped back to reality, biting her lip as she tremblingly picked a nail from the glass bowl The one she randomly picked was black, thin, long, and the tip was a helix. She held the nail and cautiously approached the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s open mouth. At this moment, the numerous suction cups in the monster¡¯s mouth began to ¡°joyfully¡± contract, as if they could sense the nearby nail. They contracted and expanded, contracted and expanded, like countless hungry buds! Disgusting! As a tomboy, Su Man wasn¡¯t afraid of smelly rogues, ferocious beasts, but she couldn¡¯t stand these nauseating things! Her heart leapt as she clenched her teeth, her fingers trembling as she placed the nail inside the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s mouth¡ª The sucker-like buds had a strange affinity for the nail. As soon as they touched the nail, they sucked it in! The nail was firmly embedded in the flesh-like suction cups. At first glance, it even seemed as if the nail had grown out of the flesh! With one nail in place, the other small sucker-like buds contracted even faster! They seemed unbearable! They even began secreting a sticky oil-like liquid which trickled out, just like drool! The Nail Tooth Monster found the feel of the suction cups and drool in its mouth uncomfortable. It rumbled from its throat and closed its mouth, rubbing its mouth hard¡ª Su Man thought it was about to go wild and pulled her hand back in fright! As it turned out, the Nail Tooth Monster only swayed its head. It wasn¡¯t satisfied and began to grind its mouth on the floor, smearing oil all over the place. Everyone exchanged glances. It hadn¡¯t gone berserk, which meant the nail was indeed the right choice, but what was the Nail Tooth Monster trying to do? After rubbing its mouth on the floor for a while, the Nail Tooth Monster sat up again and opened its mouth wide towards Su Man. Su Man was somewhat stunned. ¡°Keep feeding it nails.¡± Yan Qingwen commanded. Su Man nodded, took a deep breath, picked up another nail from the bowl, and placed it into the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s mouth¡ª The flesh-like suction cups quickly sucked in the nail! The more she practiced, the smoother her feeding action became, and Su Man became faster at feeding the nails. When she heard the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s throat rumbling, she knew that the monster was itchy and couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She pulled her hand back, waited for it to grind itself a few times, then continued to feed it nails. Chapter 291 - Chapter 291: Chapter 291: Missing Nails Chapter 291: Chapter 291: Missing Nails Translator: 549690339 Placing hundreds of nails, one by one, was time-consuming. While Su Man was busy with the nails, Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo were also not idle, closely examining the Nail Tooth Monster. ¡°Its height is around 1.5 meters, length approximately 2 meters. The front limbs are small and non-threatening, but the head is huge, so the biting power is probably extraordinary.¡± ¡°Its hind limbs are strong, it shouldn¡¯t be too slow.¡± ¡°Not only is it fast, but it also has a strong jumping ability. In combination with the powerful bites, fighting it would be tricky.¡± ¡± However, it has no tail and an oversized head, so its balance should be quite poor.¡± ¡°We could try changing directions during the attack.¡± Shen Mo and Yang Qingwen exchanged thoughts back and forth. Tan Xiao listened in blankly on the side. He didn¡¯t understand; how could these two extract so much information just from a few glances at the monster full of nails in its mouth? Tan Xiao quietly nudged Li Li, whispering, ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Li Li replied impatiently, ¡°Even if I told you, you wouldn¡¯t understand. Just keep quiet and listen, don¡¯t interrupt.¡± Tan Xiao suddenly realized, ¡°Oh you don¡¯t understand either, do you? Well, I¡¯m relieved. As long as I¡¯m not the only one who doesn¡¯t get it.¡± Li Li: ¡°You !¡± ¡°Don¡¯t disturb.¡± Tan Xiao insisted, ¡°We should just listen.¡± Li Li: He wanted to swear. The number of nails in the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s mouth was increasing. Yet, the number of nails left in Su Man¡¯s bowl was decreasing. Seeing the dwindling quantity, Yan Qingwen reminded Su Man, ¡°Slow down on placing the nails.¡± On hearing this, Su Man nodded, intentionally slowing down her pace. Yan Qingwen took the chance to count the remaining nails in her bowl; there were seventeen left. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough nails.¡± Shen Mo furrowed his brows, staring at the flesh-like suckers inside the monster¡¯s mouth. ¡°Even including the 17 nails in the bowl, we¡¯re still short by around thirty.¡± ¡°Thirty something?¡± Yan Qingwen responded, ¡°We need to know the exact number to figure out the answer.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed tighter, staring into the monster¡¯s mouth, ¡± 36 or 37; the suckers keep moving, you guys come and count too.¡± Yan Qingwen, Li Li, and Tan Xiao gathered around; each of them counted the sucker missing a nail and subtracted the number of nails left in the bowl ¡ª Yan Qingwen got 38. Li Li got 37. Tan Xiao got 31. Li Li was speechless toward him: ¡°Your number is the lowest!¡± Tan Xiao was defiant and recounted. This time, he ended up with 44 nails. Su Man¡¯s pace had slowed down significantly, the nail count kept decreasing, and the bowl now had fewer than ten left. She took out a nail, slowly, very slowly placing it into the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s mouth, asking anxiously, ¡°Are you guys done yet?¡± The men huddled around the monster and recounted, but failed to get a unanimous count. Either 36 or 38. Because the flesh-like suckers constantly contracted, enlarging and shrinking at different times. When contracted, it would be blocked by other enlarged suckers. With none contracting at the same time, it was tough to determine the exact number. There were only three nails left in Su Man¡¯s bowl. Yan Qingwen commanded, ¡°Disperse and get ready to attack.¡± ¡°As soon as you put in the last nail, run! Got it?¡± Li Li instructed Su Man. ¡°Look out for yourself!¡± Su Man retorted impatiently, ¡°I¡¯m sure I can run faster than you!¡± Two left. Tan Xiao gripped his piece of firewood, fiercely declaring, ¡°I¡¯ll stand behind it and whack it before running!¡± Shen Mo stood quietly on one side, a folded fruit knife open in his hand. One left The tension reached its climax¡ª When the sucker enveloped the last tiny nail, Yan Qingwen cried out: ¡°Run!!!¡± Su Man and Li Li turned and bolted! Tan Xiao swung down his stick! The firewood splintered! Shen Mo drove his knife towards the monster¡¯s neck. The blade sparked as it failed to penetrate and chipped! Both he and Yan Qingwen¡¯s faces changed! ¡°Its body is made of metal!¡± ¡°Roarrrrrrr!!!¡± The Nail Tooth Monster let out a hoarse roar, opening its mouth full of nails, lunging to bite them!¡ª Chapter 292 - Chapter 292: Chapter 292: Rampaging Nail Tooth Monster Chapter 292: Chapter 292: Rampaging Nail Tooth Monster Translator: 549690339 Shen Mo and Tan Xiao were closest to the Nail Tooth Monster! The monster kicked up its hind legs and charged directly at Shen Mo! Shen Mo countered with a swift knife strike! He was strong enough, but the cracked blade wasn¡¯t tough enough. When it hit the monster¡¯s massive head, it was like chopping a rock! The fruit knife completely broke! Half the blade flew threw the air! But the Nail Tooth Monster became even more furious and lunged in retaliation! Shen Mo dodged to the side; swiftly changing direction, he moved to the monster¡¯s left. He pulled out a Bead and tossed it at the creature! The Nail Tooth Monster, less agile than Shen Mo, accidentally rammed its head into a wall. Dust flew up everywhere! Ignoring the pain, it raised its head only to be hit by another Bead in the back of its head! A loud bang resounded! The sound wasn¡¯t loud, but the monster seemed to be in excruciating pain, squealing and clutching its head! But its forelimbs were too short to hold its head. After a few frantic cries, it saw Tan Xiao nearby and charged at him! Tan Xiao turned and ran towards the dining hall! The Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s hind legs were powerful. Chasing Tan Xiao, it quickly caught up despite his attempt at blocking it with a table Shen Mo yelled from a distance, ¡°Use the Beads! All other means of attacks are useless against it!!!¡± But it was still too late! Tan Xiao, unable to extract a Bead in time, was flung against a wall by the monster! The monster, its head hard and huge like a block of iron, slammed into Tan Xiao¡¯s back. He immediately coughed up blood! The next second, the monster bit into his shoulder, its sharp nails piercing deep into his flesh as if it was paper under a stapler! Blood splashed everywhere! Boom! Yan Qingwen threw a Bead that promptly exploded into a spark on the monster¡¯s head! The Bead achieved a 20% Thunder Blast effect! The Nail Tooth Monster was immediately caught off guard. It retreated a few steps, groggy, its body swaying. ¡°Hold on a little longer!¡± Yan Qingwen shouted to everyone, ¡°Only 30 seconds left!¡± Seizing the opportunity while the Nail Tooth Monster was still dizzy, Shen Mo raced forward, picked up Tan Xiao, and ran up the stairs! The others also found places to hide. But the beast was only dazed for six to seven seconds. It quickly realized that the room was empty and, with a roar, charged up the stairs! It was remarkably fast and soon caught up to Shen Mo! Su Man threw down her whip from upstairs to hinder the monster¡¯s ascent, but the monster was unfazed by it. With a powerful leap, it jumped straight up from the staircase to the second floor and bit Su Man¡¯s hand holding the whip! ¡°Ah!!!¡± Su Man shrieked in agony! She fell straight down from the balcony of the second floor staircase! The monster kept its mouth open for another bite, but Shen Mo quickly pulled out a Bead and threw it! The monster managed to dodge, roaring fiercely. It strangely gave up on attacking them and turned towards the storeroom next to the stairs! Bai Youwei was in the storeroom! Shen Mo¡¯s face turned grim, he put down Tan Xiao and swiftly ran towards the storage room! But before he could get in, he heard several loud bangs! The monster bellowed in pain and stumbled backward while a layer of crystalline Beads¡¯ powder was scattered across the storeroom doorway! Yan Qingwen was stunned as well! They had all been throwing Beads one by one, who knew Bai Youwei would toss a handful! At least seven or eight Beads, three of which had triggered a Thunder Blast effect, leaving the Nail Tooth Monster disoriented! There were only a few seconds left. By the time the Nail Tooth Monster had recovered, the one-minute frenzy time was also over. It chomped its mouth, and then rubbed its un-nail-studded fleshy disc against the floor, before finally leaving the house reluctantly .. Bai Youwei stepped out of the storeroom, gripping her wheelchair tightly, her face dark with displeasure, ¡°Why did it know I was in there?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s not right with this monster¡¯s vision.¡± Shen Mo looked grim, ¡°When it attacked me, from that angle it shouldn¡¯t have been able to see Tan Xiao. Yet, not only did it discover Tan Xiao, it executed a precise attack on him!¡± Chapter 293 - Chapter 293: Chapter 293: Still Missing Nails Chapter 293: Chapter 293: Still Missing Nails Translator: 549690339 ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s unusual,¡± Yan Qingwen said with a serious expression. ¡°When it attacked Su Man, it didn¡¯t rise up. It seemed to be able to know our location without needing eyes.¡± ¡°Considering those little eyes of it, it¡¯s impossible for them to be giving it a 360-degree field of view,¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, her face remaining indifferent. ¡°The Inspector must have missed something again.¡± Shen Mo looked in the direction of the staircase. Tan Xiao and Su Man were both severely injured, their wounds where the Nail Tooth Monster had bitten them were drenched in blood. It was a gruesome sight. ¡°Let¡¯s save them first.¡± Despite the one minute rampage, their injuries were serious. The wound where the nail had punctured was bloody and mangled, even the bone inside had been pierced. Even though Shen Mo had tried to treat the wound with mud, the effect was still minimal. Su Man¡¯s right hand was nearly broken off, and Tan Xiao was still unconscious. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t survive for 3 minutes if it rampages again.¡± Yan Qingwen warned. While the Nail Tooth Monster wasn¡¯t the biggest of its kind, its speed, strength and precision of judging the position of its targets made it far more terrifying than the previous two monsters. One minute had already resulted in two serious injuries. What would happen if it rampaged for 3 minutes? Upstairs, teacher Cheng, Pan Xiaoxin, and Zhu Shu, there¡¯s no use hiding no matter how hard they try; Bai Youwei might have a rabbit, but even electric shock might not be effective; They themselves could not think of any solutions in front of the monster, which was as hard as metal; And about those beads, normal attacks could delay for two or three seconds, thunder effect could extend to seven to eight seconds, these were indeed useful in one minute of rampage, but what if the rampage lasts for 3 minutes? What¡¯s the use of these few seconds gained through delaying? Their predicament had reached a deadlock. Unless . The remaining nails can be found. ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°36 to 38 nails, that¡¯s the minimum, it can¡¯t be fewer than that.¡± Li Li stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s check again to see if we¡¯ve missed any nails. Thirty plus is not a small number, there must be some place we¡¯ve overlooked.¡± Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin both nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll look in the kitchen.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to the attic .¡± Everyone dispersed, each going his own way to search for the nails. Two hours later, they regrouped in the living room, each shaking their head. Not a single nail was found. This wasn¡¯t surprising. Long before they decided to allow the ¡®guests¡¯, they had already scoured this house several times. Trapped here for several days, they were all too familiar with every corner of the Dollhouse. Any nail that could be removed had been removed by them, with virtually no oversights. Searching again, the result would naturally be the same. Everyone sat silently in the room. The Nail Tooth Monster was still outside. From time to time, it would grind its teeth against the ground. The scraping sound made people irritable. Li Li couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. He stood up and began pacing back and forth to alleviate his restless mood. Su Man sat on the sofa, holding her injured hand, more silent than ever. Bai Youwei was also irritable. Her eyes flicked to the crystal ball on top of the eight-drawer cabinet, she began, ¡°What if we ¡± Before she could finish, the ball unexpectedly spoke up: ¡°Hey! I should remind you, attacking the Inspector is a major violation!¡± Pan Xiaoxin looked at the ball, then Bai Youwei, and quietly said, ¡°Sister Weiwei, the music box can¡¯t be dismantled.¡± Bai Youwei mused, ¡°But it¡¯s weird the appearance of a music box here has no use, other than reciting a nursery rhyme but there is no need for the nursery rhyme to be recited through a music box, right? The game rules could be completely announced by the Inspector. Earlier they mentioned it was for a sense of ceremony ¡± She voiced her thoughts and frowned at the crystal ball. ¡°Was it really just for a sense of ceremony? Or perhaps it was to mislead us, to let us assume that the crystal ball and the music box are one and the same?¡± Chapter 294 - Chapter 294: Chapter 294: Still Missing Nails Chapter 294: Chapter 294: Still Missing Nails Translator: 549690339 The Crystal Ball remained silent. Bai Youwei looked at it with growing suspicion. After a while, she said to Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°You go, bring the eight-note box here.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: The Crystal Ball, enraged, yelled, ¡°Hey! Can¡¯t you understand me?! I¡¯ve made it clear that attacking the Inspector is against the rules! It¡¯s a serious, violation of the rules!!!¡± Pan Xiaoxin, who was about to stand up, froze, unsure whether to listen to Bai Youwei or the Crystal Ball. Bai Youwei gazed at Pan Xiaoxin calmly and gently, ¡°It¡¯s alright, we¡¯re just going to look at it, wind it up, listen to the music, we¡¯re not going to violate the rules by attacking it.¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded, walked over with a serious face, picked up the eight-note box, and walked back. The Crystal Ball on the eight-note box snorted, ¡°You better not play any tricks! Don¡¯t try to exploit loopholes in the rules! Any violation will be punished by the Inspector Ahhh! ¡ª¡ª¡± Pan Xiaoxin suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud! He held the eight-note box in his arms, but the Crystal Ball was flung out in a parabolic arc, hitting the ground hard, bouncing twice and rolling to the corner of the room! ¡°Ah! Xiaoxin, are you okay? Get up quickly!¡± Bai Youwei, who was startled, held her chest, ¡°How could you accidentally fall? It¡¯s lucky you didn¡¯t do this intentionally, otherwise the Inspector would consider it a malicious attack!¡± Pan Xiaoxin on the ground: The Crystal Ball on the ground: Teacher Cheng hurriedly helped Pan Xiaoxin up, dusting off his legs, ¡°Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself? Be careful next time, the floor had just been flooded, did you slip because there was still standing water?¡± Pan Xiaoxin silently set the eight-note box on the table and then looked at Bai Youwei. Why did he feel just now, it seemed like Sister Weiwei tripped him? Hmm Sister Weiwei¡¯s legs are disabled, aren¡¯t they ¡°Where¡¯s the screwdriver?¡± Bai Youwei was eager, ¡°Now that the Inspector is not around, it¡¯s okay to dismantle it, right? Let¡¯s do it, let¡¯s do it!¡± Shen Mo picked up the screwdriver and began to dismantle the eight-note box. The Crystal Ball, covered in dust, slowly rolled back from the corner of the room¡ª The ball pressed against the wooden floor made a creaking sound. The floor it rolled over cracked slightly, as if bearing a tremendous force, leaving a long track like silent, simmering anger. It rolled back into the living room and came to a halt, watching as these people took the eight-note box apart. They were counting screws as they dismantled it. ¡°One, two, four eight ¡± ¡°Do you think, by dismantling the eight-note box, you can clear the game?¡± A sullen child¡¯s voice echoed from the depths of the Crystal Ball, ¡°Dollhouse has one life in one season, and in the trial stage, 6,798,052 players stayed in the doll¡¯s house, only 1,289 of them survived to autumn! And none of these people survived till winter!¡± Bai Youwei looked at the Crystal Ball on the floor. The counting voice next to her ear had stopped It stopped at 12. The number of screws they needed was far more than this. The Crystal Ball on the ground laughed out loud, ¡°Haha! Stupid humans! Thought by dismantling the eight-note box, you could clear the game? The Dollhouse is not the simple game you used to play before! Its difficulty is unparalleled!¡± People looked at the screws on the table, fell silent, their faces slowly showed signs of despair. ¡°Dollhouse, one life in each season ¡± Yan Qingwen gave a bitter smile, lightly sighing, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yan Qingwen looked up at her, ¡°Remember the first round in summer? Tan Xiao and Li Li found a model ship ¡± He did not finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant. Li Li¡¯s face turned pale as paper, he mumbled to himself, ¡°There were many screws on the model ship ¡° Chapter 295 - Chapter 295: Chapter 295: Still Missing Nails Chapter 295: Chapter 295: Still Missing Nails Translator: 549690339 At the start of the summer, they had found a model of a pirate ship filled with gold, silver, and jewels, and fed it to the anglerfish as a treasure¡ª Now, they¡¯re short on nails. Where do they find them? Are they truly going to be trapped here until death?! So, the difficulty of the doll house game isn¡¯t how obscure the clues are, or how hard it is to find the objects, but it makes you unknowingly use resources that you¡¯ll need in the next round! Everyone¡¯s faces drained of color. Words were pointless. They had forced themselves into a dead end! Bai Youwei bit her lip and held Shen Mo¡¯s hand: ¡°Lift me up.¡± Shen Mo looked at her. She closed her eyes, as if making a difficult decision, she reluctantly said: ¡°Dismantle the wheelchair.¡± Everyone: Ball: Holy shit! The ball couldn¡¯t help but burst into the air! ¡°You guys actually brought a wheelchair into the game! That¡¯s unfair! That¡¯s unfair!!!¡± Li Li was overjoyed: ¡°Hahahaha! We still have a wheelchair! How could we forget about the wheelchair hahaha!!!¡± Yan Qingwen, being civil, understood the importance of the wheelchair to Bai Youwei and said, ¡°If we can escape from the game, we¡¯ll help you look for a similar wheelchair when we search for resources.¡± Bai Youwei turned up the corners of her mouth, did not utter a word, and quietly pulled Shen Mo. Shen Mo held her up, gently rubbed her back, as if comforting a child. Leaning on his shoulder, she muttered: ¡°My wheelchair was imported from Germany, it¡¯s very expensive.¡± Shen Mo gently patted her: ¡°Hmm.¡± She continued: ¡°This model was discontinued a long time ago, you won¡¯t be able to find it.¡± Shen Mo kept patting her: ¡°Hmm.¡± She was still not feeling comfortable, ¡°I¡¯ve been sitting on it for several years, leaving it only when I go to sleep ¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Shen Mo responded, but added, ¡°It was bound to leave eventually.¡± Bai Youwei froze and looked up at him. A gentle smile graced Shen Mo¡¯s lips. Bai Youwei blinked, all of a sudden realizing, perhaps, Shen Mo had seen her trip Xiaoxin. ¡°Can you stand up now?¡± Shen Mo smiled at her. After staying silent for two seconds, Bai Youwei feigned weakness in his arms: ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t feel well ¡± Shen Mo laughed and continued to hold her. While they talked in whispers, Yan Qingwen and Li Li proficiently disassembled the wheelchair, counting the number of nails as they went. One nail, two nails Four nails, five nails Ten nails Sixteen nails Combining with the twelve nails taken from the music box, they ultimately obtained thirty-eight nails. Thirty-eight. When Su Man placed the nails earlier, they estimated there were thirty-eight nails missing! The Crystal Ball sat silently on the floor, not making a sound, only the snowflakes inside were swirling wildly! Like a storm was raging within! Yan Qingwen counted the nails one last time, assured that it was indeed thirty-eight, he couldn¡¯t help heaving a sigh of relief and looked towards everyone: ¡°We should be alright this time.¡± Nails back in full, everyone felt relieved. Li Li concurred, ¡°Su Man¡¯s hand is injured, let me do it this time.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Bai Youwei suddenly straightened up in Shen Mo¡¯s arms, her tone was slightly childish, ¡°It¡¯s my wheelchair!¡± Everyone: Everyone knew that Bai Youwei suddenly volunteered because the person chosen to usher in the guests was likely to influence the final distribution of rewards. However The nails were taken from her wheelchair, it made perfect sense for her to install the nails. Besides, she had one of the puzzle pieces, which gave her more confidence than others. Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°In that case, everyone else finds a hiding place and prepare to greet the guests.¡± Chapter 296 - Chapter 296: Chapter 296: Still Missing Nails Chapter 296: Chapter 296: Still Missing Nails Translator: 549690339 ¡°Guest, please come in.¡± The tall and skinny Nail Tooth Monster walked in, its footsteps creating a clapping sound all the way to Bai Youwei. Just like last time, it sat down in front of her, and then it tipped its head back and let its mouth fall open! Whoosh! Last time, it had a mouthful of dense meaty suckers; this time, its mouth was full of nails. Each nail stood erect in its mouth, wet with an oily saliva that made them glisten, their sharpness extreme! Bai Youwei frowned at this. There were still dozens of meaty suckers left unfilled in the monster¡¯s mouth, convulsing constantly, and their sight was revolting. Fortunately, Su Man had already filled more than half of them, or else if they were all clumped together she would probably faint on the spot from trypophobia. The Nail Tooth Monster stayed still with its mouth wide open, like a children¡¯s toy ¡°Shark Teeth¡± ¨C slightly careless and one might get bitten by it. Bai Youwei picked up a nail and put it into the monster¡¯s mouth. The sucker quickly attached itself to the nail, becoming one with it. Some of the suckers were particularly small, so small that they were hard to find due to their constant contraction. She held her breath and concentrated, gently putting in nails and counting silently 38 nails, fewer and fewer; The mouth of the Nail Tooth Monster was getting fuller and fuller. Bai Youwei¡¯s expression gradually became somber. She repeatedly glanced at the monster¡¯s mouth and the nails in her hand, her eyebrows knitting tightly as sweat began to form on her brow. Shen Mo sensed her uneasiness first, and asked, ¡°Not enough nails?¡± ¡± Not enough,¡± Bai Youwei said with gritted teeth, ¡°We are still 4 nails short.¡± The moment the words fell, everyone tensed up! ¡°Why are we still short?!¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°We counted before! It can only be lacking 38 nails at most! We found exactly 38! Is it still not enough?!¡± ¡°It should be 42 ¡± Bai Youwei said gravely, ¡°The farthest sides of the upper and lower teeth have 4 tiny suckers very small. I only just noticed.¡± ¡°Slow down!¡± Yan Qingwen immediately said, ¡°Li Li, Zhu Shu! Start looking to see if there are any nails left on the wheelchair that can be dismantled!¡± Everyone panicked! Li Li and Zhu Shu hurriedly scoured the components of the wheelchair. Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin also joined in! The Crystal Ball on the ground was also taken aback by this situation before it began to hoot with laughter! ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that, did you? Even if you dismantle the wheelchair, it won¡¯t be enough! From the moment you threw that boat away, you were destined to lose! Destined to die in autumn! This is what you get for being so arrogantly confident!¡± The Crystal Ball flew into the mid-air, singing triumphantly: ¡°Ignorance and stupidity are not the biggest barriers to survival, arrogance is! Death awaits, humans! Wahahaha! ¡± Bai Youwei tightened her lips. The snoring sound from the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s throat seemed almost impatient with the speed she was installing the teeth. Another nail was engulfed by a sucker. She only had five nails left in her hand, and Yan Qingwen still hadn¡¯t found any. Bai Youwei picked up the penultimate fourth nail and slowly put it into the monster¡¯s mouth. Her heart was in her throat. The sweat was dripping down her body. She clenched her wet palms and said to Shen Mo, ¡°Tell them to stop looking, go upstairs, find a place to hide ¡± Shen Mo nodded and asked her, ¡°Do you have the puzzle piece?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± She had the puzzle piece to save her life. But what about Shen Mo? His puzzle piece had been used up during the Truth or Dare game! Given his character, he definitely wouldn¡¯t rob someone else of their puzzle piece! Bai Youwei bit her lip, every single cell in her brain working in high gear! She was thinking of a way to survive! A way to clear the game! Where in the world were the missing nails?! Did the game really not leave them any chance at all?! Chapter 298 - Chapter 298: Chapter 298: Golden Key Chapter 298: Chapter 298: Golden Key Translator: 549690339 Three grey icons appeared in front of each player. They were icons of a bear, a fish, and a nail respectively. As the Light Orb¡¯s voice fell, Shen Mo¡¯s fish icon got illuminated, and Bai Youwei¡¯s bear and nail icons got illuminated as well. This was consistent with the guests they had invited. The Light Orb reluctantly shifted toward Bai Youwei, its voice icy: ¡°Congrats, you are now the master of the Dollhouse. Ding! The icons vanished, and a golden key materialized out of thin air and fell into Bai Youwei¡¯s palm. The moment she touched the key, relevant information abruptly appeared in her mind: [Dollhouse Key: Turn the key clockwise half a turn to open the Dollhouse in any space.] Bai Youwei gripped tightly onto the golden key, an idea popping up in her mind. The scene in front of her began to warp, becoming detached and illusory, eventually transforming into a vast white light. As the light faded, they were back at the corner where it had all started. Upon seeing the familiar streets which they had been away from for several days, they all appeared stunned. Shen Mo picked up the gold coin by the roadside. It was the very same coin that had brought them into the game. The gold coin was still a gold coin, but it was now dull and its words faded. Holding it produced no reaction. ¡°The game is shut down. This gold coin is probably completely out of commission now,¡± Yan Qingwen walked over and said. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it as a souvenir.¡± Shen Mo turned around, came to the still unconscious Tan Xiao, bent down, and placed the gold coin in his pocket. Looking at Tan Xiao, Yan Qingwen reassured Shen Mo, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have sustained worse injuries before. After leaving the Maze, the self-healing ability is very strong. It just takes time. You guys just need to take good care of him for the next few days.¡± Shen Mo asked him, ¡°How is Su Man¡¯s injuries recovery going?¡± Yan Qingwen frowned slightly and looked at Su Man who was not far away, ¡± It¡¯s not very promising. Her hand bones are almost pulverized. Even if we used tools to reconnect them, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to use her whip in the future.¡± Not only could she not use her whip, the right hand likely wouldn¡¯t be able to exert any strength for a long time. ¡°Being alive is enough.¡± Yan Qingwen murmured under his breath. With a game instance exceeding normal difficulty, ten people entered, and ten people exited, this alone was enough for them to be grateful. ¡°What are your plans now?¡± Yan Qingwen asked. Shen Mo looked around, finally resting his eyes on Bai Youwei. She sat on the side of the road, sans her wheelchair, looking rather rough. At the moment she was glaring at him unhappily. Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°Next I need to find a wheelchair.¡± On the first day they exited the Dollhouse, the two teams camped and rested together. On Yan Qingwen¡¯s side, most of the players were injured and needed rest. On Shen Mo¡¯s side, since Tan Xiao was unconscious and Bai Youwei without her wheelchair was immobile, their team also needed to regain their strength. A bonfire blazed brightly in the night, under a sky filled with twinkling stars. They all gathered around the bonfire, engaging in leisurely conversation, discussing both their gains and losses. ¡°They say the rewards would be great, but all we got was a snowflake ¡± Li Li said sullenly while holding the icily cold snowflake, reading out its effect. ¡± only the snowflake can invite the guests of winter, and the guest of winter leaves when the snowflake dissolves. What kind of guests are the winter guests? Are they more brutal than the Nail Tooth Monster?¡± ¡°That should be enough. Didn¡¯t we also eat the fish and pick up the beads?¡± Lun Ang consoled, ¡°Plus, we are lucky to be alive. Who cares about the rewards ¡± Li Li frowned, ¡°It¡¯s not the same, wasn¡¯t it so difficult for us to make it out! You hurt your leg, Su Man hurt her hand, Zhu Shu and I both nearly lost our lives! If it wasn¡¯t for the tools ¡± ¡°The loss this time was indeed significant.¡± Yan Qingwen lifted his gaze towards Shen Mo¡¯s side, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the tools, some of us might have been dead already.¡± Chapter 299 - Chapter 299: Chapter 299: Better Not to Say Chapter 299: Chapter 299: Better Not to Say Translator: 549690339 In terms of rewards, they had obtained a bear¡¯s fish, a water monster¡¯s egg, and a winter snowflake, totalling three rewards. Moreover, Bai Youwei got the final reward, the Golden Key. It seemed like a substantial harvest. But if we¡¯re talking about losses, the injuries of Li Li, Lun Ang, Su Man, Zhu Shu, they could claim their lives at any moment. Bandages and mud saved them! They had used up the last life-saving bandage, and Shen Mo had used the mud resource up to six times! Was the reward they received enough to offset this loss? No one could clearly figure out this math problem. ¡°The reward explanation is vague, nobody dares to use that tool until we understand what the Winter Guest refers to ¡± Li Li put the snowflake back in his hand and said, ¡°However, those beads are quite thrifty, whether for hitting people or monsters, they¡¯re very convenient.¡± ¡°The Maha fish is also good.¡± Zhu Shu gently interjected, ¡°If we encounter underwater games in the future, the physical change can be of great help.¡± ¡°Since the first two rewards were good, the last reward shouldn¡¯t be bad either.¡± Yan Qingwen took over the conversation, ¡°Although the dollhouse game is dangerous, each reward gives great help to the players, there¡¯s no doubt about that.¡± ¡°Not all, right? What about the gold coin from the last lucky Q&A?!¡± Li Li frowned in disgust, ¡°That old man has screwed us over!¡± Mentioning the old man in the gray robe, Yan Qingwen also fell silent. ¡°That was an accident.¡± Shen Mo spoke lightly, ¡°It seems that as long as the players do not break the rules, even if the Inspector wants to target the players out of personal reasons, he must do so within the system rules. The Inspector gave us a gold coin, but it also brought opportunities. If it was purely punishment, the system wouldn¡¯t allow it.¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t help grumbling, ¡°What is this ¡®system¡¯ after all?¡± Shen Mo looked up at him, ¡°That¡¯s what you guys at SCO need to research.¡± Hearing this, Li Li let out a deep sigh. Alas, it¡¯s a world-class problem. The bonfire crackled and burned, casting shadows on everyone¡¯s faces, showing deep thought, confusion, or weary numbness Silence ensued for a while. Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the master of the dollhouse? Can that golden key keep opening the dollhouse?¡± As soon as the words fell, everyone looked at Bai Youwei. Being the final reward, how could anyone not be curious? Bai Youwei, who had been leaning lazily against Shen Mo, saw many gazes coming over, she lifted her eyelids and let them drop back down, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Li Li raised his voice in surprise. Bai Youwei lifted her eyes again, her voice slightly cold, ¡°You can guess, but I won¡¯t say.¡± Everyone fell silent. The atmosphere became a bit tense But yet there was nothing to blame, because when they came out of the game, the cooperation between the two teams had already ceased. Everyone had a snowflake, so speaking of its use was no problem, but there was only one golden key, and those who didn¡¯t have it, simply didn¡¯t qualify to know its purpose. After a long silence, Yan Qingwen suddenly chuckled. He said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t tell us. Human nature can¡¯t stand the test, and I¡¯m not a saint. If it¡¯s a particularly tempting reward, I might not be able to suppress my covetous heart, so it¡¯s better not to say.¡± He smiled at Bai Youwei, ¡°At least this way we¡¯re still friends, right?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, then at Li Li, Lun Ang, Su Man, and Zhu Shu sitting next to him. After a moment, she reluctantly grunted an ¡°Mhmm¡± from her nostrils. Chapter 300 - Chapter 300: Chapter 300: The Master of the Dollhouse Chapter 300: Chapter 300: The Master of the Dollhouse Translator: 549690339 With Yan Qingwen¡¯s intellect, Bai Youwei believed he must have guessed a large part of the truth. Li Li and Zhu Shu, despite their limited perspectives, probably also had their own ideas about what the final reward would be. What they guessed was their business. Whether she told them was her business. If she indeed told them everything about her own reward, Bai Youwei felt that would be something only a fool would do. Who could guarantee that someone among them wouldn¡¯t ¡°sell¡± her out in the future? Of course, until such a thing happened, these people could remain as her friends. In this day and age, having an additional friend, especially a clever one, could be more valuable than having an extra tool. Later, everyone chatted about their future plans, intentionally or unintentionally avoiding the topic of rewards. Children tend to fall asleep early. During their conversation, Pan Xiaoxin was nodding off next to his teacher, falling asleep like a pecking chicken. The tent, initially meant for three to sleep in, was now occupied by the injured Tan Xiao and was no longer suitable for others. Zhu Shu made her tent available. She decided to share a tent with Su Man, who didn¡¯t object. Once the child and the elderly were settled, everyone else went about their personal routine of washing up and resting. As the night grew darker, it became quiet and tranquil. Bai Youwei restlessly tossed and turned in her tent, clutching the golden key, unable to fall asleep. When Shen Mo came back, she sat up and asked, ¡°What were you discussing with them for so long?¡± ¡°I was confirming tomorrow¡¯s route with Yan Qingwen.¡± Shen Mo sat beside her and took out several pieces of the puzzle, placing them next to her. ¡°Yan Qingwen asked me to give these to you. They are five pieces of a puzzle.¡± ¡°He¡¯s quite trustworthy.¡± Bai Youwei took the puzzle pieces and leaned in closer to ask, ¡°Are we definitely going to Shanghai?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Yes, I would like to meet Professor Song. I¡¯ve asked the teacher and Xiaoxin, and neither of them opposed the idea.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t oppose it because they have no idea, right?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but retort. ¡ªWhat difference does it make which city we go to now that the world has turned into such a mess? At this, Shen Mo chuckled and asked her, ¡°What about you?¡± Bai Youwei blinked, pondering, and said, ¡°I have no objections either.¡± Shen Mo smiled and tapped her forehead with his finger, ¡°Hurry up and get some sleep.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Wait a moment ¡± She suddenly became coquettish, catching Shen Mo¡¯s attention. He smiled and asked, ¡°What is it now?¡± Bai Youwei held the golden key in one hand and Shen Mo¡¯s hand in the other. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light of the tent. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the dollhouse, shall we?¡± she suggested. ¡± Right now?¡± Shen Mo raised an eyebrow. Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°Or shall we wait another half an hour? Once everyone is asleep, we can ¡± Her words became more provocative, causing Shen Mo to laugh and hold her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡± Bai Youwei opened her hand. Even in the darkness, the golden key was dazzlingly bright, just as attractive as that gold coin had been when they first found it. ¡°Hold the key turn it half a circle clockwise, you can open the dollhouse in any space.¡± Bai Youwei held the key, looked around the inside of the tent. ¡°There are no restrictions, theoretically, it should work here as well ¡± She was a little nervous, but also a little excited. She took the key and turned it half a circle against the tent cloth¡ªlike opening a door. Click! A familiar sound. It was the sound the door used to make every time they invited guests into the dollhouse when they were trapped inside! ¡°It¡¯s opened.¡± Bai Youwei looked at Shen Mo. Shen Mo reached out and touched it. The cloth still felt like cloth, but he could distinctively feel the texture of a metal door handle. He held the handle. Then pushed it open. The living room of the dollhouse appeared in front of them! It was the same house, but this time, there was no eerie feeling. The furnishings all around looked commonplace, absolutely quiet, just like an ordinary house that couldn¡¯t be more ordinary. Chapter 301 - Chapter 301: Chapter 301: Bang Bang Chapter 301: Chapter 301: Bang Bang Translator: 549690339 Shen Mo carried Bai Youwei into the house, setting her down by the edge of the sofa. Bai Youwei took in her surroundings. Perhaps due to suddenly becoming the owner, she saw the same environment with a different perspective. ¡°Can we stay here?¡± she looked around, incredulous, ¡°Does that mean we don¡¯t have to sleep in tents anymore? This game always loves to torment people, it¡¯s surprising that they suddenly gave me such a nice reward¡­¡± Shen Mo found a pair of pink ladies¡¯ slippers in the shoe cabinet. Thinking about how Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t walk, he put the slippers back. They¡¯d come directly from the tent, so they were both barefoot, and the floor was not very clean, covered with a layer of dust. Bai Youwei looked at the dust on the floor, frowning in complaint, ¡°It¡¯s so dirty here¡­ Can¡¯t it be a bit cleaner?¡± Thud, thud! There were suddenly two loud sounds in the house! The sounds were so sudden that Bai Youwei jumped in fear. Shen Mo stood in front of her, looking warily toward the storage room next to the stairs. ¡°Did the noise come from there?¡± Bai Youwei asked him in a low voice. ¡°Mmm.¡± Shen Mo responded in a deep voice, ¡°You stay here, I¡¯ll go see.¡± Feeling apprehensive, Bai Youwei worried the reward would carry a trap like the Gold Coin, so she warned Shen Mo, ¡°¡­ Be careful.¡± Shen Mo nodded and slowly walked over¡ª His steps were steady and quiet, but he only took two steps when the door to the storage room squeaked open! Shen Mo froze, looking both wary and confused at the door. Then he saw a dustpan and a broom, hopping out of the room. Shen Mo: Bai Youwei: After a stunned moment, a bucket and a mop also came rattling out of the storage room! They aligned behind the dustpan and broom and began to sweep and mop the floor energetically. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other, too shocked to utter a word. After a while, Bai Youwei regained her voice, ¡°Why not just give me an intelligent cleaning robot instead? Considering the system¡¯s technological capability, it could manage that. Why opt for something so old-fashioned, making me, the owner, look childish.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s lips twitched, suppressing a smile. ¡°What are you laughing at!¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows. Shen Mo replied, hiding his amusement: ¡°Nothing.¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°It seems the Dollhouse executes the master¡¯s instructions, I just don¡¯t know to what extent¡­¡± She looked at the broom cleaning and commanded, ¡°Go sweep the stairs clean.¡± The broom and dustpan indeed changed their direction and went to sweep the stairs. She looked at the fireplace and said, ¡°Light the fire.¡± The fire suddenly started in the fireplace, burning the wood with a crackling sound. She turned to the kitchen again and said, ¡°I want tea.¡± The faucet turned on, the kettle filled itself up with water, and sat on the stove to heat up. Bai Youwei again said, ¡°I want a steak.¡± This time, the Dollhouse stayed silent. Shen Mo rubbed her head, ¡°Don¡¯t torture it, at least give it a cow first.¡± ¡°Just trying.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care, throwing the rabbit in her arms onto the floor, ¡°Go charge yourself.¡± The rabbit got up, looked left and right, saw a plug in the wall corner, and walked over with its short legs. ¡°The intelligence level of the Dollhouse seems quite like that of the rabbit.¡± Bai Youwei stated, ¡°Both can accept brief verbal commands.¡± Shen Mo looked around, saying faintly, ¡°After all, they were created by the same system.¡± He lifted Bai Youwei in his arms, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s check upstairs.¡± Chapter 302 - Chapter 302: Chapter 302: Considered a Bargain Chapter 302: Chapter 302: Considered a Bargain Translator: 549690339 Shen Mo and Bai Youwei took another turn around the dollhouse. Aside from the house becoming smarter, the layout and furnishings remain largely the same, but all the dolls that filled the house were gone, the books in the study were gone, and in the wardrobe, the only clothes left were Bai Youwei¡¯s previously-worn black Lolita dress. Presumably, the dollhouse was now designed for only one master. When they exited through the front door, they found themselves back in the tent. If they went out through the back door, they would come to the slope outside the dollhouse. Walking down led to a forest, while walking forward would loop around to the house¡¯s front door. After wandering around, the pair returned to the living room. The floor was polished clean, a fire was burning in the fireplace, and tea was set on the coffee table. Bai Youwei sipped the piping hot tea, put it down, and puckered her mouth, ¡°It doesn¡¯t taste as good as the tea Teacher Cheng makes.¡± ¡°Teacher Cheng made tea to your taste, which obviously differs from this thoughtless brew.¡± Shen Mo also took a sip of tea, looked around at the furnishings in the room, and said calmly, ¡°This reward is a bit out of the ordinary.¡± Bai Youwei momentarily froze, then nodded. ¡°Indeed, not only did they provide us with shelter, but they also offer unlimited water, electricity, and gas. No wonder the sphere said the game is in the debugging phase. It seems both the difficulty and rewards of this game are somewhat exceptional.¡± Most of the props in the doll game are single use. Sometimes, items like mud that could be used multiple times would appear, but their usage range would be correspondingly limited, such as only being applicable for superficial wounds. But the dollhouse was like a game bug. For example, if a player entered the dollhouse during the game, would the game fail to proceed due to insufficient numbers? What would the Inspector do? Wait for the player in the dollhouse to come out, or wait for other people to join the game? Furthermore, some mazes were incredibly challenging to the human limits, such as deserts, rainforests, and glaciers. Any extreme environment could appear. But if a player brought the dollhouse into such a place, enjoying fine food and drink every day in the maze, would the maze¡¯s difficulty still hold any meaning? ¡°Do you remember the rabbit man from our first Tortoise and the Hare race?¡± Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo. Shen Mo nodded, ¡°Hmm?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°At that time, I exploited a loophole in the rules. To avoid breaking the rules, the rabbit man gave me a tenth of the rabbit as a compromise. You found it strange that even with advanced technology, it still needed to recharge to replenish energy. Now I think about it, wasn¡¯t it all for game balance?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Shen Mo pondered and said, ¡°If a player brings a prop into the game that can discharge infinitely, it would be extremely unfair to other players. For balance, the Inspector restricted the prop¡¯s energy replenishment method, which can be considered a remedial measure.¡± Bai Youwei smiled slightly, ¡°But now, I can recharge infinitely.¡± ¡°Indeed strange.¡± Shen Mo shook his head with a wry smile, ¡°They clearly care about the balance of the game, so how could they come up with such a reward?¡± ¡°Perhaps Yan Qingwen guessed right.¡± The corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s lips curled up, ¡°The difficulty and rewards of this game are both very inappropriate. The game hasn¡¯t been debugged to an acceptable state yet, it seems we¡¯ve picked up a loophole.¡± ¡°We¡¯d better not pick up such loopholes next time. No matter how many times we do, it wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡± Shen Mo rose from his seat, mussing her hair, ¡°Are we going to rest here tonight?¡± Bai Youwei extended her hands towards him, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the tent, lest Teacher Cheng can¡¯t find us and gets a heart attack.¡± Seeing her act so naturally, Shen Mo was somehow slightly taken aback. Bai Youwei held out her hands, cocking her head to look at him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Hug me.¡± Shen Mo watched her face, not blinking for several seconds. Bai Youwei looked even more puzzled and asked again, ¡°What¡¯s with you? Are you going to hug me or not?¡± He came back to his senses, bent over to pick her up, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± She snorted, ¡°Then why were you dilly-dallying!¡± Shen Mo remained silent. Just now, it was as though his heart was gently poked¡­ The way she asked for a hug was sort of adorable. Chapter 303 - Chapter 303: Chapter 303: Time to Sleep Chapter 303: Chapter 303: Time to Sleep Translator: 549690339 This feeling was quite strange. From childhood to adulthood, he had seldom interacted with women. The occasional women he had contact with were mostly mature, well-mannered, and elegant female elders. He hadn¡¯t expected to associate the word ¡°adorable¡± with a grown woman. In the past, he would only associate this word with his five-year-old niece. But then again, Bai Youwei¡¯s affectation was not much different from his five-year-old niece¡­ Thinking of this, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help but smile, somewhat amused. The woman in his arms noticed his slight change in emotion¡ª ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Bai Youwei challenged him fiercely. ¡°Are you mocking me in your heart? Do you think I¡¯m glad to be held by you? If it wasn¡¯t for your people dismantling my wheelchair¡­¡± Shen Mo changed the subject: ¡°Is the new wheelchair I found for you suitable?¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback and then scoffed disdainfully. ¡°Hmph, it smells like disinfectant¡­¡± But she didn¡¯t say it was bad. The wheelchair was something Shen Mo had fetched from Hangzhou Hospital. Returning to the tent, it was still a quiet night. Everyone was resting, and no one noticed the couple had gone out. Laying side by side, they kept awake, one moment reminiscing about the rewards from the dollhouse game, the other contemplating their impending destination. Bai Youwei turned over, facing Shen Mo, and asked softly: ¡°What are you planning to do after we see Professor Song?¡± Shen Mo stared at the roof of the tent, and after a while, he said, ¡°¡­ I might try to find my family members.¡± ¡°Where will you look?¡± Bai Youwei asked further. Shen Mo shook his head slowly. In this world without electricity, internet, or any means of communication, finding someone was like finding a needle in a haystack. He looked at her: ¡°What about you? Have you thought about looking for your parents?¡± Bai Youwei replied quickly: ¡°No.¡± Shen Mo: Bai Youwei explained to him: ¡°Think about it, they¡¯re either in trouble now, or they¡¯re not. If they¡¯re in trouble, there¡¯s no point in finding them; if they¡¯re not, they¡¯re surely struggling. A daughter with disabled legs suddenly showing up isn¡¯t that going to put more burden on them?¡± Shen Mo laughed: ¡°You¡¯re thoughtful.¡± Bai Youwei candidly replied: ¡°I just don¡¯t like to be annoying.¡± ¡°Are you not afraid that I find you annoying?¡± Shen Mo asked with a smile. Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei slightly narrowed her eyes, her gaze becoming dangerous, ¡°¡­. Are you annoyed?¡± This question was a bit tricky, not easy to answer, it¡¯s either perfunctory or ambiguous. Just as Shen Mo was pondering, Bai Youwei suddenly said: ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m suddenly so sleepy¡­ I should sleep now.¡± She then turned over, and went completely silent. Shen Mo looked at her for a while before closing his eyes. The night became increasingly silent. The distance from Hangzhou to Shanghai is 177 kilometers. If you drive fast, you can get there in 2 hours. But in order to avoid the roads with the fairy dolls, they spent a lot of time on the road. Upon reaching the Humin viaduct, they noticed many strange road signs along the way. For example: 1.2 kilometers ahead game, trigger number 12, 2119-7-30, A05. The game probably referred to the fairy doll game, the numbers following it were the date, the significance of A05 was temporarily unknown. It looked like the road signs were very friendly, providing safety alerts to passersby for free. As they continued forward, they discovered more similar road signs, some pointing to the left, others to the right. Yan Qingwen stretched his hand out of the car window, waving back. Both cars stopped one after another. Yan Qingwen walked over to the SUV and said to Shen Mo: ¡°It seems that Shanghai is safe. These road signs don¡¯t look like individual actions, they should have been put up by a relatively large organisation after their investigations.¡± He paused, then added: ¡°We didn¡¯t find any fog up ahead.¡± Teacher Cheng sat in the car, puzzled: ¡°Shanghai has so many people, why is there no fog?¡± Chapter 304 - Chapter 304: Chapter 304 People’s Square Chapter 304: Chapter 304 People¡¯s Square Translator: 549690339 According to their previous conjectures, the mazes and games tend to appear in densely populated areas. Cities like Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, were the first places where the dolls appeared, so logically, they should also be the first places where mazes appear. So why is there no fog in Shanghai? They gazed ahead, the towering buildings in the distance were densely packed, and the interweaving elevated highways gave a sense of the prosperity of a modern metropolis, as if the city was unscathed in the disaster. Shen Mo said, ¡°Shanghai has a large population, and there are naturally many capable people. If three groups pass through the maze, the maze will disappear.¡± Just like in Hangzhou. In Hangzhou¡¯s maze, Shen Mo¡¯s group was the third to get through, Yan Qingwen¡¯s group was the second, and they had no idea who completed it first and where they went. This was also why Shen Mo initially arranged their destination in Jiaxing and Shaoxing. If they want to compete for puzzles, they will have more opportunities in secondary and tertiary cities surrounding major cities than in major cities themselves. The group set off again. One was a powerful modified jeep, the other was a rugged large off-road vehicle. After driving for less than ten minutes, a roadblock suddenly appeared in front of them, and two uniformed men stopped them ¨C ¡°Spread out! Keep a gap of at least one minute between each car!¡± the man in the uniform said, ¡°Those are the rules!¡± They had no problem with the dispersion; they can cooperate. However, they needed to understand why it was necessary. Yan Qingwen got out of the car to negotiate: ¡°The signs show that the number of game triggers nearby is over 20. We should be within a safe range.¡± The other party was relatively polite and explained, ¡°This is a regulation from our superiors! To avoid a high concentration of people within a square kilometer and attract new game instances, all vehicles entering the city need to disperse! We hope for your cooperation!¡± Shen Mo heard this in the car, frowned slightly, and leaned out to ask, ¡°Which higher-ups are you referring to? I am an action director for the National Security Administration. I am currently looking for a professor named Song Mingchuan. If possible, I hope you can assist.¡± With that, he showed them his identification. The two uniformed men were stunned. They both looked and behaved untrained, clearly hastily promoted. They became somewhat nervous at the sight of an ¡°official representative¡± like Shen Mo. They turned Shen Mo¡¯s ID over and over several times, looking at each other. ¡°We¡¯re in traffic control; we¡¯re not sure¡­¡± One of them returned Shen Mo¡¯s ID and said, ¡°You can ask around People¡¯s Square. The people from the headquarters are there.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Shen Mo retrieved his ID and looked at Yan Qingwen. Yan Qingwen gave a faint smile, waved at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei in the off-road vehicle, and said, ¡°It seems like it¡¯s very safe in the city. See you at People¡¯s Square later.¡± The jeep took off first. Only after a minute did Shen Mo¡¯s party start their vehicle. The road was smooth, with occasional pedestrians. Although there weren¡¯t many, about one or two every kilometer, it was still much better than in Hangzhou because these pedestrians reacted normally when they saw the vehicles on the road. At least it indicated that the current situation in Shanghai was stable, with sufficient food and water, so the people here did not need to be overly tense. As they turned from Ninth River Road into People¡¯s Square, they noticed an increase in the number of people. About twenty people were crowding around a large public notice board outside People¡¯s Square, with a few men in duckbill caps maintaining order. Just as Shen Mo was about to get out of the car to take a look, one of the men suddenly lifted the brim of his duckbill cap and shouted in surprise, ¡°Brother Mo!!!¡± Chapter 305 - Chapter 305: Chapter 305: Younger Cousin Shen Fei Chapter 305: Chapter 305: Younger Cousin Shen Fei Translator: 549690339 Everyone was taken aback. A young man around 20, with handsome features and a striking resemblance to Shen Mo, was standing there. He excitedly ran over, throwing his arms around Shen Mo, who had just gotten out of the car! ¡°Bro Mo! You¡¯re not dead! This is great! We all thought that you had been killed by that vixen¡¯s daughter!!!¡± ¡°Shen Fei? What are you doing in Shanghai?¡± Shen Mo was also surprised. Seeing a familiar face, he naturally broke into a smile: ¡°What vixen¡¯s daughter are you talking about?¡± ¡°Wang Jingxian¡¯s disabled daughter!¡± The young man named Shen Fei responded indignantly, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, why would you have disappeared for so long?! Uncle¡¯s been worried sick about you! Uncle¡¯s really clueless, you were on a mission, why did he insist you go pick up her daughter? I think uncle was just trying to curry favor with Wang Jingxian! He¡¯s completely smitten by that woman!¡± The passenger¡¯s door was pushed open abruptly. Shen Fei paused, looked over and saw a pretty girl in a white dress sitting in the passenger seat. ¡°Bro, who¡¯s she?¡± Shen Fei nudged Shen Mo with his elbow. Before Shen Mo could answer, Bai Youwei flatly said: ¡°She¡¯s Wang Jingxian¡¯s disabled daughter.¡± Shen Fei: ¡°Stop teasing.¡± Shen Mo laughed, introducing, ¡°This is my cousin, Shen Fei.¡± He went to the trunk to get a wheelchair, and the others also got out of the car and greeted Shen Fei. Everyone from Yan Qingwen¡¯s side also got out of the car. The crowd was quite large, and Shen Fei was a little overwhelmed as he greeted everyone. He stole a glance and saw Shen Mo lifting Bai Youwei up, and he was instantly startled! ¡°Bro! You?! ¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Shen Mo placed Bai Youwei in the wheelchair and straightened up, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Shen Fei looked at Shen Mo, then at Bai Youwei, his expression complicated, his emotions even more so. ¡°No¡­nothing, um¡­I¡¯ll take you to your lodgings first.¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°Are there places to stay here?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Shen Fei nodded repeatedly, ¡°Because population density can¡¯t be too high, people coming into the city can¡¯t just live anywhere, they must stay in designated dormitories, but don¡¯t worry, the living conditions aren¡¯t too bad, apart from having no electricity, everything else is the same as before.¡± He moved ahead and waved his hand: ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to register, it¡¯s just up ahead.¡± A row of red-roofed houses, from People¡¯s Square, were the original activity center, now turned into a temporary registration point with few people inside, only three or five. Shen Fei led ten people in, and among the ten, one was disabled, which instantly drew everyone¡¯s attention. Murmurs of surprise fell upon them, looking them up and down without stopping. Bai Youwei had grown accustomed to this type of attention, she simply lowered her gaze and didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°This is my brother, he just arrived, I brought him and his friends to check in.¡± Shen Fei explained as if he was a regular here, ¡°Can you arrange something closer?¡± ¡°If you want something closer¡­¡± The staff member looked at them, and flipped open a large book, ¡°Hmm, can you consider Kraus Road? Building 5 and 6 are still vacant, there are 10 of you, 5 people each is just perfect.¡± ¡°No need, arrange for 9 people will do.¡± Shen Fei quickly said, ¡°My brother of course needs to stay with me, we¡¯re at the Bund, can you check if there are any spots available there?¡± The staff member nodded, flipping the book further back, Shen Mo said: ¡°No need, I¡¯ll stay with everyone else on Kraus Road.¡± ¡°Bro?¡± Shen Fei asked surprisingly, ¡°You¡¯re not staying with uncle?!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Shen Mo replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll still go over to see him, but there¡¯s no need to stay together. These people were brought here by me, it wouldn¡¯t be right to just leave them.¡± Shen Fei¡¯s eyebrows knitted together, he looked at the old, young, and disabled people, then back at Shen Mo, ¡°Bro, you couldn¡¯t possibly be¡­¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°Couldn¡¯t possibly be what?¡± Shen Fei hesitated for a while, and forced a laugh: ¡°Um¡­nothing.¡± Chapter 306 - Chapter 306: Chapter 306: Are You Excited? Chapter 306: Chapter 306: Are You Excited? Translator: 549690339 After the registration was over, Shen Fei led them to their accommodation. It looked like an ordinary residential area, and they ran into a few people moving their luggage at the entrance of the neighborhood, seemingly new residents too. Shen Fei explained, ¡°This is a recently refurbished residential area. Each building is occupied, but each is sparsely populated. By regulation, no building can accommodate more than five people, so most of the residents are families.¡± Everyone asked as they walked, ¡°The limit of five people, is it to disperse the population density?¡± ¡°Yes. Not only are there limits on the number of residents, but also on the number of people traveling. There is traffic control on each road section, and gatherings of crowds are strictly prohibited.¡± Shen Fei stopped, took out a key to open a door, and explained amicably, ¡°Keeping the city in its current state is not easy. I hope everyone can understand and abide by the regulations.¡± The door opened to reveal a three-bedroom apartment, elegantly decorated, and the furniture arrangement hinted at the former owner¡¯s bourgeois taste. ¡°There¡¯s another room in Building 6, also a three-bedroom, similar layout, but it¡¯s on the other end of the neighborhood, about a hundred meters away. Who wants to go there?¡± Shen Fei asked. It seems they were serious about dispersing the density of the population; they did not feel secure even with only five people in a building, and even had to maintain a distance of over a hundred meters between buildings. Feeling too lazy to move again, Bai Youwei chose the three-bedroom on this side, and Shen Mo, along with Mr. Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin, began to move their luggage in. Although Tan Xiao had regained consciousness from his coma, his injuries were not fully healed. He sat sulking on the sofa, unable to help with the physical labor. Shen Fei silently counted the people. Bai Youwei could share a room with the kid. The man on the sofa was seriously injured and certainly needed a bed to himself, so Shen Mo would have to share a bed with the old man. He sighed in his heart. His cousin could have lived with his uncle, wouldn¡¯t a room to himself be more comfortable than sharing with an old man? But on second thought, among all his brothers and sisters, this cousin of his was always the most responsible and dependable. So it wasn¡¯t surprising that he chose to stay and take care of these people. As Shen Fei watched Shen Mo moving in and out with their luggage, he couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°If there aren¡¯t enough rooms, I can open another one for you. Don¡¯t worry, there are plenty of vacant places in the city right now, just fill out a form at the registration center ¡­¡± ¡°No need,¡± Shen Mo interrupted him, ¡°we have enough space here.¡± Shen Mo looked at Yan Qingwen, ¡°Do you need another room?¡± Yan Qingwen shook her head and replied, ¡°No need. Su Man and Li Li¡¯s families are currently in Shanghai. They will live with their families. The three of us remaining will have enough room.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you to your quarters.¡± Shen Fei said, turning to Shen Mo, ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll take them there first, then I¡¯ll take you to our uncle.¡± Shen Mo gave a faint nod. ¡°Okay.¡± Everyone split up, and only five of them remained in the apartment. Mr. Cheng helped Tan Xiao into bed to rest, and then, together with Pan Xiaoxin, began arranging the room and unpacking their luggage. Shen Mo showed Bai Youwei around the house, looking into the bedrooms for sleeping and the bathroom for washing up. Just like Shen Fei had said before, aside from the lack of electricity, it was a pretty good place. Shen Mo opened the refrigerator to look inside, commenting, ¡°The appliances here are all quite new, probably recently purchased. Should we move them into the dollhouse? There¡¯s no electricity here anyway, so they¡¯re just decoration.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move them tonight.¡± Bai Youwei replied nonchalantly. Then glanced at the expression on his face, ¡°You¡¯re about to see your father, don¡¯t you seem excited at all?¡± Shen Mo was taken aback, looking at her, ¡°What about you? If you see my father, you should also see your mother. Aren¡¯t you excited?¡± Bai Youwei yawned lazily, ¡°I am excited.¡± Chapter 307 - Chapter 307: Chapter 307: Regrouping Chapter 307: Chapter 307: Regrouping Translator: 549690339 Her expression, posture, gaze, and even the laziness seeping from every strand of her hair, showed no sign of excitement. Shen Mo, accustomed to her indirect way of speaking, reached out to touch her hair and gave a faint smile. Bai Youwei leaned on the sofa, half-closing her eyes, and said softly, ¡°Originally¡­you promised my mother to take me to Yangzhou. Although it didn¡¯t work out, if you could bring me to my mother, then it would be considered mission accomplished. After that¡­is there any need for us to see each other?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s movements paused slightly, then slowly withdrew his hand. ¡°Is Brother Mo leaving?¡± A feeble voice sounded. The two turned their heads and saw Pan Xiaoxin, who had been packing up her stuff, standing at the door, looking at them in astonishment. ¡°¡­Xiaoxin, who did you say is leaving?¡± Teacher Chang also came out of the room. Shen Mo explained, ¡°I¡¯m going to meet my family soon. Before settling down, I won¡¯t leave everyone behind.¡± Chang Weicai suddenly realized, Shen Mo¡¯s family was in Shanghai. Just like Su Man and Li Li, although they were in the same team as Yan Qingwen, now that they¡¯ve found their families, they naturally want to return to them. After thinking about it, Teacher Chang hesitated before saying, ¡°Xiaoshen, you¡¯ve saved us many times along the way. Now that you can finally reunite with your family, you should cherish it more. We¡¯ll be okay, we can take care of ourselves. You don¡¯t need to feel guilty. There¡¯s no such thing as a banquet that doesn¡¯t end¡­¡± As he spoke, he paused for two seconds and asked in confusion, ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Weiwei siblings? Don¡¯t you plan to take her with you?¡± Shen Mo lowered his eyes and glanced at Bai Youwei. ¡°I¡¯ll take her to her mother.¡± A sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s lips. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to go, I¡¯ll take care of her,¡± he added. Bai Youwei froze, looking up at Shen Mo. He continued to gaze at Teacher Chang, his stern profile was calm and composed. in a steady tone he said, ¡°Everyone needs to settle down first, rest well. The situation here is unclear, we don¡¯t know anything yet, it¡¯s too early to talk about parting ways. Though we had different motivations when we first gathered, don¡¯t forget, what our current goal is.¡± ¡°We need to complete the puzzle!¡­¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s voice, hoarse and ragged, echoed in the room. Bai Youwei burst out laughing! Once she laughed, everyone else also started to smile, lightening the heaviness of their imminent departure. Pan Xiaoxin hurried back to the room, ¡°Brother Xiao, you have to rest, stop speaking¡­¡± Chang Weicai shook his head, sighed, ¡°Miracles emerge with every rising sun, may its sublime radiance enlighten all beneath. Outraged by the sight of injustice, a thousand-year-old sword grinds within my chest! ¡ª¡ª I might be old, but I am still healthy and willing to do something, that¡¯s much better than living out my twilight years in mediocrity.¡± Bai Youwei held back a laugh, ¡°You¡¯re full of vigor in your old age, to live out your twilight years is too early for you.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave soon, it may take half a day. Please take care of the house.¡± ¡°Just go, leave the house to me.¡± Teacher Chang rolled up his sleeves and mumbled as he walked into the kitchen, ¡°I¡¯ll start preparing dinner¡­¡± Only Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were left in the living room. Shen Mo looked at her, ¡°If you really don¡¯t want to see her, I can let them know over there, but I can¡¯t assure you that Aunt Wang won¡¯t come looking.¡± After all, they are mother and daughter, if they really want to find each other, emotionally and rationally, Shen Mo can¡¯t stop them. Bai Youwei looked out the window and said lightly, ¡°See her?¡­Of course, I will, but one meeting would be enough.¡± Chapter 308 - Chapter 308: Chapter 308: Poaching People Chapter 308: Chapter 308: Poaching People Translator: 549690339 After Shen Mo left, the house seemed suddenly empty and quiet. Though he used to be silent and didn¡¯t talk much, his quiet presence was comforting and reassuring. Now that he¡¯s gone, it takes some getting used to. Bored, Bai Youwei decided to bring Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin into the dollhouse. Once inside the dollhouse, they were all surprised, amazed, curious, bewildered, delighted, excited, and at a loss. This roller coaster of emotions will not be detailed further. Once they got in, they didn¡¯t want to leave. The summer in Shanghai is unbearable without electricity or air conditioning. It¡¯s like stewing in a sauna room. The season in the dollhouse seems to be spring, pleasantly cool and comfortable. Once they sorted out the rooms, Tan Xiao didn¡¯t even want to shower and just sprawled out on the bed to sleep. Teacher Cheng took out a paper and pen, sat at the dining table making a list, If they were to live in the dollhouse, many supplies would need to be collected all over again. For instance, something like slippers that weren¡¯t needed before, now¡­ hmm, let¡¯s prepare four pairs first. After thinking it over for a while, Teacher Cheng finally wrote on the paper: Slippers, four pairs; House slippers, four pairs. Pan Xiaoxin was excited about the new environment and finally started acting like a child, running up and down the stairs non-stop. He ran over to Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°Sister Weiwei, will we live here from now on?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youwei lazily nodded her head, ¡°Yes~¡± ¡°Can I live in the attic?¡± Pan Xiaoxin looked at her, even more excited. Bai Youwei grimaced at the question, ¡°There¡¯s no bed in the attic.¡± ¡°I could sleep on the floor!¡± Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Please let me stay in the attic, let me stay there!¡± Bai Youwei started to feel a sudden itch! She couldn¡¯t stand kid¡¯s whining, it was making her skin crawl. ¡°Whatever, sleep there if you want to!¡± ¡°Woohoo! I¡¯m going to live in the attic!¡± Pan Xiaoxin excitedly ran up the stairs, his footsteps clattering up and down, he lugged all his bedding upstairs, the whole house echoed with the sounds of him setting up his new space! ¡°What the hell, he has a bed but wants to sleep on the floor?¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. Teacher Cheng laughed merrily, ¡°He is a child.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips, saying: ¡°I¡¯m leaving first, in case Shen Mo comes back and can¡¯t find anyone. You guys tidy up.¡± Teacher Cheng hurried to his feet, ¡°Wait a moment, wait a moment¡­ I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Bai Youwei had already opened the front door. Teacher Cheng, not comfortable leaving her alone, quickly ran after her. Once they got back to one of the three bedrooms, before they could settle down, they heard a knocking on the door. The persistent pounding went on. ¡°Hello! Is anyone there?¡± The brusque voice sounded like Lun Ang. Teacher Cheng walked over to the door, peeked out through the peephole, and sure enough, it was him. Yan Qingwen and Zhu Shu were standing at the door as well. ¡°Coming, coming¡­¡± Teacher Cheng opened the door for them. As soon as the door opened, Lun Ang complained: ¡°Why did it take so long to answer? We thought you¡¯d all gone out!¡± He leaned his neck to peek inside, asking: ¡°Hasn¡¯t Shen Mo returned yet?¡± Bai Youwei rolled out in her wheelchair, nonchalantly closing the bedroom door behind her, ¡°He hasn¡¯t. Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin are sleeping, Teacher Cheng and I were tidying up the bedrooms.¡± ¡°No wonder!¡± Lun Ang said, ¡°We saw your vehicles all empty when we came over! So, are you really planning to settle down here?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Bai Youwei shrugged her shoulders casually. Lun Ang laughed heartily: ¡°You certainly want to stick around Shen Mo! Just like Su Man, always clinging to Li Li! But not everyone has to follow Shen Mo right?¡± He turned to ask Teacher Cheng: ¡°Teacher, do you want to consider it? Oh, and ask that kid to join us too!¡± Bai Youwei blinked, looking at Yan Qingwen in surprise, ¡°Wait, you guys are really doing this, aren¡¯t you? Just settled down and you¡¯re already over here recruiting people?¡± Chapter 309 - Chapter 309: Chapter 309: Du Lai Chapter 309: Chapter 309: Du Lai Translator: 549690339 Yan Qingwen gave a faint smile, not denying, nor continuing on the topic. She just said, ¡°It¡¯s still early, we¡¯re about to go for a stroll, do you want to come along?¡± ¡°No,¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Shen Mo.¡± ¡°Who knows when he¡¯ll be back!¡±, Lun Ang urged, ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s stuffy and hot in here! It will be cooler outside! Besides, we still haven¡¯t figured out what the situation is around here!¡± Yan Qingwen smiled saying: ¡°Friends who have played the game together should be trustworthy, right?¡± After hesitating for two seconds, Bai Youwei nodded: ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go for a stroll.¡± Teacher Chang surprised she agreed, as they had never separated from Shen Mo to act independently before. ¡°What about Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin¡­¡± Chang Weicai brought them up hesitantly to Bai Youwei. Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin were still in the Doll House. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Just leave them a note.¡± Thinking for a moment, Teacher Chang pulled out a blank sheet of paper and wrote a few reminders. They didn¡¯t have a specific destination in mind when they went out, they just wandered around to see what they could find. The streets were very clean, with clear evidence of effective waste classification. All the stores and supermarkets along the street were empty, no useful supplies were seen, probably taken away by the ¡°superiors¡± for organized and effective distribution. After walking towards People¡¯s Square for about seven or eight minutes, they crossed paths with someone. But this character appeared indifferent, barely cast them a glance before hurrying away. Qingwen didn¡¯t bother to greet him. It seems that although this place appears peaceful, it¡¯s not as comfortable as they expected. When they were near People¡¯s Square, they saw people gathering in groups under the trees, chatting, enjoying the shade, and smoking. Seeing the exceptionally lovely Zhu Shu, a teenager whistled. Lun Ang immediately glared at him: ¡°What are you doing?!¡± The other party was instantly scared and dared not act rashly, laughing nervously: ¡°No¡­ nothing.¡± After they moved away, the guy seemed to have changed his attitude due to Lun Ang¡¯s strong physique. Suddenly he became enthusiastic, shouting, ¡°Hey! Bro, want to join a game? We are lacking one person, Russian roulette, there¡¯s a guide!¡± Lun Ang turned to look at him, his eyebrows knitted, then he glanced at Yan Qingwen next to him. Yan Qingwen slightly shook her head. Knowing the man was dodgy, Lun Ang paid no mind. The man called out a few times, but seeing no reaction from Lun Ang, he gave up. ¡°Interesting,¡± Bai Youwei hooked the corner of her mouth, a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, ¡°Russian roulette, with a guide, needing one person. Not only do they know the specifics of the game, but also the triggers for the number of players and methods to win, who provided them with information? The organizer of the survivors in Shanghai?¡± ¡°No one would provide it for free,¡± Yan Qingwen was calm, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Suddenly inviting Lun Ang, this mustn¡¯t be a good thing.¡± ¡°Are they wanting to trap me?¡± Lun Ang clasped his hands into fists, making a crackling noise, ¡°Should we go teach him a lesson?¡± Yan Qingwen shook her head lightly, ¡°We just arrived, let¡¯s just see how things are for now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a smart one.¡± A stranger¡¯s voice suddenly rang out from ahead. Everyone was taken aback. Looking towards the direction of the voice, no one was to be seen. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± The young voice rang out again, coming from a tree! Before anyone could look up, a shadow jumped down from the tree. A man in a gray hoodie slowly stood up in front of them: knee-length shorts, canvas shoes, and a wide hood covering his head, preventing anyone from seeing his face clearly. ¡°Hello, my name is Du Lai, I only deal with smart people.¡± He pulled back his hood revealing a handsome young face, smiled broadly, displaying two canine teeth, making him appear a little childish. Bai Youwei quietly observed the height from which he had jumped. This man¡­ must have been through the labyrinth before. Chapter 310 - Chapter 310: Chapter 310: Enter the Game on Time Chapter 310: Chapter 310: Enter the Game on Time Translator: 549690339 The young boy named Du Lai, with a beaming smile, extended his right hand towards Yan Qingwen. Yan Qingwen took a dispassionate glance at him without putting out her hand. ¡°Excellent vigilance.¡± Du Lai raised his palm, revealing a blade held between two fingers. Lun Ang was instantly infuriated: ¡°You! ¡­¡± ¡°Tall guy, don¡¯t rush, look at these two ladies here, they¡¯re much calmer than you¡± Du Lai mischievously flipped his hand, and the blade which was supposed to be between his fingers disappeared into thin air. Zhu Shu widened her eyes in surprise. Lun Ang was also taken aback: ¡°What the hell? ! Prop?¡± ¡°It¡¯s magic,¡± Bai Youwei said coldly, ¡°and it¡¯s the most inferior street magic that emphasizes speed but lacks artistic appeal and skill.¡± Du Lai¡¯s smile froze slightly, his eyes fell on Bai Youwei, his languid tone carrying a threat: ¡°Little girl, such sharp words, ain¡¯t cute¡± Bai Youwei laughed lightly, looking at his hands, and said unhurriedly: ¡°Every magician I¡¯ve ever met emphasises on hand maintenance. Not a bit of dirt can be in their nails, and your hands¡­ are very dirty.¡± She slightly looked up, smiled, and asked him: ¡°So, are you a wandering street performer? Or¡­ a thief?¡± It was as if Du Lai had been stung, and the smile on his face froze. After a few seconds of pause, he took a deep look at Bai Youwei, then stepped back half a step. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t friendly at all¡­¡± He smiled wryly, forcing a laugh: ¡°Alright, let me get straight to the point. I need a partner for a game I¡¯m playing ¨C a doll-grabbing game. Here¡¯s the guide, and I need one good player to join.¡± His gaze lingered on Lun Ang for half a second, adding: ¡°And he can¡¯t be too fat.¡± Lun Ang: ¡°Damn!¡± Yan Qingwen laughed: ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are game guides running rampant on the streets of Shanghai?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Du Lai shook his head lightly. ¡°The game guide is in the hands of the review team. After we schedule the game time, the review team will tell us the detailed guide. But don¡¯t get your hopes up too much, because most of the game is competitive. Even if you know the guide, you might not make it out alive.¡± As he said this, he leaned casually against the trunk of a tree by the sidewalk, looking at the young man who had greeted Lun Ang just now. ¡°For instance, the guy who just called you guys is trying to trick you into being the sacrificial lambs. In the game of Russian roulette, at least one person must die to clear the game.¡± ¡°And what about you?¡± asked Yan Qingwen. ¡°Why did you choose us?¡± ¡°Because everyone else here is too stupid.¡± Du Lai sighed. ¡°I value my life. I don¡¯t want to be dragged down by idiot teammates. Don¡¯t worry, the claw machine game is not player-against-player, it requires cooperation. Of course, if we fail to cooperate and you die in the game, you can¡¯t blame me.¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and asked, ¡°The game is so risky, why do you guys still participate in it?¡± ¡°Of course, for the props.¡± Du Lai naturally responded. ¡°A good prop can save your life at a crucial moment. Besides, everyone who lives here has to play the game. The more props you have, the more confident you are when playing the game.¡± ¡°Everyone has to participate in the game?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly shocked. ¡°Ah¡­ it looks like you guys are really new here, owning no idea what¡¯s going on.¡± Du Lai chuckled. ¡°The game reviewers take care of our food and accommodation, and regularly provide us with game guides. Of course, this is not a free service. The only requirement they impose on us residents is¡­to participate in the game on time.¡± Chapter 311 - Chapter 311: Chapter 311: Three Rules Chapter 311: Chapter 311: Three Rules Translator: 549690339 Twenty-three game zones have been detected around the city, these games are like hungry monsters that will move towards densely populated areas if not ¡°fed¡± within seven days. In order to maintain the space for human survival, an organization has established the following rules based on the characteristics of the games¡ª Firstly, each resident must participate in the game assigned by the organization; Secondly, residents who refuse to participate in the assigned game will no longer receive food, housing, and strategies provided by the organization; Thirdly, residents who submit game clear tools can exchange them for leave passes, offsetting one assigned game. Du Lai briefly explained the current situation in the city to them. Yan Qingwen thoughtfully nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s an intelligent method. With 23 games, as long as each city resident takes turns, it can ensure that the games won¡¯t move for a certain period of time, indirectly guaranteeing everyone¡¯s safety.¡± Bai Youwei also nodded, ¡°If there are more than two thousand residents in the city, participating in a game every seven days, we could win three hundred days. With over four thousand residents, that equates to almost two years of peace. However, implementing this in reality may lead to various problems, right? For example, loss of population, how will it be accounted for? The number of people is bound to decrease over time.¡± ¡°Any policy changes over time, there has never been a method that remains unchanged and effective over ten or more years,¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°When the time comes, there will probably be a new plan.¡± Du Lai also added, ¡°Actually population loss is not a concern, the real trouble is the game¡¯s anti-brushing system.¡± ¡°Anti-brushing system?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly surprised. She remembered hearing about it from Tu Dan and his students, but she wasn¡¯t paying attention at the time. ¡°If everyone clears a game, the game will activate the anti-brushing system and disappear,¡± Du Lai explained, ¡°It may have moved to another place, or it might cease to exist. No one knows.¡± Lun Ang couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing if it just disappears?¡± ¡°No,¡± Du Lai retracted his smile, ¡°Once an old one is gone, a new one will come. For a new game to appear, many lives have to be sacrificed¡­ to come up with a strategy.¡± With his words, everyone fell into silence. Through the journey, they had seen enough of good, bad, the deserving and undeserving¡­ Zhu Shu sighed quietly, murmuring, ¡°Looking on the bright side, it¡¯s already quite good here. At least everyone has a goal, and they¡¯re still alive.¡± If stranded outside, there would be nowhere to go and no direction. Perhaps they would lead a muddled life and then unknowingly fall into a game on some road, dying in confusion. After a moment of silence, Du Lai did not forget to remind Yan Qingwen, ¡°Can you now consider taking part in the claw machine game?¡± He smirked and said, ¡°I have a feeling that our partnership will be invincible.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say it¡¯s not good?¡± Bai Youwei interjected. Du Lai was taken aback, ¡°What?¡± ¡°The anti-brushing system.¡± Bai Youwei teased him, ¡°If everyone clears the game, the anti-brushing system will activate. You also said that when an old one is gone, a new one will come, and many lives will have to be sacrificed then. I think¡­ Yan Qingwen, it¡¯s best not to agree, to avoid more sacrifices.¡± Du Lai: Yan Qingwen grinned helplessly, ¡°We can consider cooperating again in the future.¡± Du Lai¡¯s smile looked forced and cold. He glanced at everyone and said, ¡°It seems that I¡¯m destined to leave empty-handed today.¡± Nobody paid him any mind. Du Lai finally looked at Bai Youwei one last time before turning around and leaving. After he had left, Lun Ang asked quizzically, ¡°What happened? Was he trying to pull something over us?¡± ¡°He probably genuinely wants to find a partner,¡± Bai Youwei watched his retreating figure, ¡°But as for that claw machine¡­ it¡¯s likely a 2V2 mode. I wonder which two unfortunate souls will end up being his opponents¡­¡± Chapter 312 - Chapter 312: Chapter 312: Exchange Place Chapter 312: Chapter 312: Exchange Place Translator: 549690339 After meeting the uncertain friend or foe Du Lai, they proceeded to the notice board in People¡¯s Square. A large city map was affixed to the notice board, marking out the game zones around the city. Several places highlighted in red represented the registration center, the supply depot, the exchange center, and the headquarters of the so-called organization. The registration center was where residents were registered and managed. The supply depot was where supplies were collected and distributed. The exchange center was where tools could be traded for leave permits. Of these, the exchange center was the most popular. In addition to trading for leave permits, new functions gradually evolved, such as trading tools or forming teams. The reason was simple, those who came here possessed tools. And those who possessed tools were generally more capable, making the crowd here much better than the bustling mix of characters in the square. Yan Qingwen had a look around, got a general idea of the situation, and prepared to return home. However, Bai Youwei seemed reluctant to leave. Her eyes were gleaming as she looked around. She asked Teacher Chang to call over a staff member to inquire if there was a place where they could exchange puzzle pieces. Not far away, Lun Ang was startled and asked Yan Qingwen in a low voice, ¡°Is she planning to collect puzzle pieces here?¡± Ever since Bai Youwei took their five puzzle pieces, they knew what she intended to do. However, openly collecting puzzle pieces in such a place, wasn¡¯t it kind of¡­drawing too much attention? Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment and said, ¡°We should go over there as well. Since we brought her out, we need to ensure she returns safely.¡± Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang walked over. Zhu Shu thought for a moment and followed. They had only taken a few steps when they heard two nearby people commenting: ¡°Old man, who would exchange their puzzle pieces? A puzzle piece can exempt you from the doll game once, it¡¯s even more useful than a leave permit!¡± ¡°Yeah, even if the organization opened a channel for exchanging puzzle pieces, nobody would do it.¡± Chang Weicai hurriedly explained: ¡°We can exchange used puzzle pieces.¡± ¡°Used puzzle pieces?¡± The two men looked at each other, then asked Chang Weicai, ¡°What are you guys going to do with used puzzle pieces?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°Just say whether you¡¯ll exchange or not. After hearing about puzzle pieces, you two reacted quite strongly. Is it because either of you have puzzle pieces? Or perhaps, do any of your friends have them?¡± The two men looked at Bai Youwei, their faces alert, ¡°¡­Even if it¡¯s a used puzzle piece, it¡¯s still a puzzle piece. It might still have some unknown utility for all we know. Why should we exchange it with you?¡± ¡°Because I have tools.¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°You¡¯ve been squatting here for so long, aren¡¯t you looking to exchange tools? Do your own tools not work well? Do you want to exchange them with someone else¡¯s? I can exchange with you~ I¡¯ll give you a tool if you give me a puzzle piece. It¡¯s a great deal, isn¡¯t it?¡± As she spoke, more and more people started gathering around them, looking at Bai Youwei and Chang Weicai with curiosity and suspicion. People had seen trade-offs of food and medicine. Even tool exchanges weren¡¯t uncommon but no one had ever traded puzzle pieces. Yan Qingwen frowned and led Lun Ang and Zhu Shu to stand beside Bai Youwei, just in case these people thought it would be easy to bully an old man and a crippled man. Lun Ang whispered in his ear: ¡°This girl is reckless, daring to stir things up in such a place without even bringing her rabbit. Only Shen Mo would be able to tolerate her.¡± At his words, the corner of Yan Qingwen¡¯s mouth twitched, but he didn¡¯t say anything. His gaze shifted slightly and he saw a familiar face. ¡°¡­It¡¯s the same guy from before.¡± Lun Ang looked surprised, he followed Qingwen¡¯s gaze into the distance and saw that Du Lai was among the crowd, looking spellbound at Bai Youwei, apparently curious about what kind of tools she would bring out. Seeing the crowd expanding, the exchange center staff, fearing trouble, said to Bai Youwei: ¡°Any transactions must be posted on a notice. Once it is posted on the trading board, the parties involved can trade in private. The exchange center will not take responsibility for any problems that may arise.¡± Chapter 313 - Chapter 313: Chapter 313: Changing Jigsaw Puzzle Chapter 313: Chapter 313: Changing Jigsaw Puzzle Translator: 549690339 Mr. Cheng asked, ¡°How do we write it? Is there a standard format?¡± The staff casually picked up a few outdated notices for them to look at. Each one had a similar layout ¨C the first line listed items they possessed, the second listed the items they wanted in return, and the contact address was at the very bottom. Bai Youwei took the pen and paper, and wrote: ¡°Trading a used jigsaw puzzle; details to be discussed in person. Available items for trade are¡­.¡± After pausing a while, she wrote: ¡°Modified flower seeds; can bloom into a sea of flowers within 24 hours, regardless of the season or environment. Once nourished by life, flowers can last a long time.¡± A buzz started amongst the onlookers. ¡°It is an offensive tool! And it can cover a large area!¡± ¡°Is it like plants versus zombies? Plant a circle of flowers and you don¡¯t have to worry about defending yourself, hey! This tool is not bad!¡± ¡°Is there any game that needs this around here?¡± ¡°Not sure¡­but if we come across one, this tool would be very useful.¡± ¡°¡­Guys look! She¡¯s writing again!¡± Bai Youwei continued to write: ¡°Starting gun, people within a radius of 10 meters will run at full speed. Effect varies with distance, environment, and individual will. The one holding the gun is not affected by the gunshot.¡± ¡°Full speed running? What could this tool be used for?¡± ¡°This lady has quite a few tools¡­¡± ¡°If she can afford to trade them, she must have plenty in store. But it seems less practical than those flower seeds¡­¡± ¡°Whether it is useful or not is not comparable in this way, it depends on the specific environment,¡± a middle-aged man among the crowd said, ¡°If the game field is on a ship, bridge, or cliffs and volcanic lava, imagine how powerful it would be to have this tool in hand.¡± People pictured that scene and fell into silence, their faces becoming grim. Yet Bai Youwei¡¯s pen did not stop. ¡°Substitute Doll, can act as a second body for the user¡­¡± Before she even finished writing, gasps arose from the crowd! Even Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, stepping forward to place his hand over her paper and whisper a reminder, ¡°This type of tool is better kept for saving your own life.¡± Bai Youwei looked up at him, puzzled. Yan Qingwen looked back into her eyes, ¡°Two tools are enough for trading the puzzle.¡± Bai Youwei gave a nonchalant smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I am doing.¡± Both Lun Ang and Zhu Shu who were standing by, had complex expressions on their faces. Yan Qingwen let go of her hand, thought to himself: This lady is too provocative. Shen Mo needs to come back and monitor her, or else she¡¯ll cause trouble sooner or later. Bai Youwei finished the rest: ¡°¡­Act as a second body for the user, endure all harm within 36 hours until completely destroyed. Interested parties may contact, Kraus Road¡­Building 5, Room 102.¡± Mr. Cheng asked a staff member for transparent glue and stuck Bai Youwei¡¯s notice on the trading column. Before it was even fully adhered, someone already asked impatiently, ¡°How many puzzle pieces for the third tool?¡± His voice was loud. The chaotic atmosphere of the exchange place suddenly calmed down after his question. A multitude of eyes focused on Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei glanced at him, her voice soft, ¡°Well of course¡­ to the highest bidder.¡± As she finished saying this¡ª The silence grew even quieter. And the hush even more profound. Bai Youwei rolled her wheelchair towards the door and stopped at the entrance. ¡°Well.¡± She turned around, smiling. ¡°If you are not satisfied with these items, I have other tools. Feel free to come to me for a trade. Just remember, only puzzles are accepted ¨C nothing else interests me.¡± She left cheerfully. Leaving behind a crowd of people with various expressions. Yan Qingwen looked around, sighed to himself, and followed Bai Youwei with the rest of the group. Chapter 314 - Chapter 314: Chapter 314: Don’t Want to Go Chapter 314: Chapter 314: Don¡¯t Want to Go Translator: 549690339 Du Lai stared at Bai Youwei¡¯s retreating figure in a daze. A man beside him threw an arm over his shoulder and chuckled, ¡°Du Lai, I remember you had a couple of puzzle pieces in your possession, didn¡¯t you?¡± Du Lai blinked and then laughed, ¡°Yes, but I thought they were useless after I used them, so I donated them to the organization.¡± ¡°You donated?¡± The man seemed taken aback and wore a skeptical expression, ¡°Both puzzle pieces were donated?¡± ¡°I had no choice but to donate.¡± Du Lai forced a bitter smile, ¡°As you know, I was severely injured when I managed to make it out of that hide-and-seek game. I used up all my tools and had to donate the puzzle pieces in exchange for medical supplies.¡± The man listened with a mixture of belief and doubt, ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the situation.¡± Du Lai gave a casual laugh and gently shrugged off his arm, ¡°I still need to find my claw machine partner, so I¡¯ll chat with you later~¡± With a lightness to his steps, he strode away in no time. Turning a corner, he left the exchange point entirely. In the deserted alleyway, Du Lai looked around to ensure he wasn¡¯t being followed. He pulled out two puzzle pieces from his clothes, weighing them in his hand and a smirk curling on his lips. Tools were not something scarce. Anyone who had survived so far in the city would have a few tools, more or less. But it was exceedingly rare for someone like Bai Youwei to expose three tools at once. Because tools are used up as much as they are gathered, everyone tends to use one or two after entering the game. Unless they are absolutely useless, they won¡¯t be brought to the trading point for exchange. Bai Youwei¡¯s tools were without a doubt extremely tempting. Those with puzzle pieces can exchange them for her tools; Those without puzzle pieces can steal puzzle pieces from others. ¡­or one could be more direct, by stealing Bai Youwei¡¯s tools. ¡°No. 5 Kraus Road, Room 102.¡± The young man in the deep alley squinted his eyes, a deep secretive smile on his face, ¡°Well now¡­ things are sure to get rowdy.¡± On their way back, Chang Weicai asked Bai Youwei in confusion: ¡°Weiwei, don¡¯t we live in Room 101? Why did you write a wrong address?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter~ Anyway, if anyone knocks on the door of Room 102, we¡¯ll hear it from Room 101~¡± Bai Youwei replied nonchalantly. ¡°But what if we don¡¯t hear¡­¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t hear, the person can just leave a note, or they can come back some other day. It won¡¯t delay anything~¡± Chang Weicai considered it for a moment then nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Lun Ang, who was behind them, had a silent exchange of looks with Yan Qingwen. Lun Ang silently mouthed in amazement: This girl is so clever¡­ If anyone attempts to do anything shady at Room 102 in the middle of the night, they¡¯ll definitely come up empty, and might even end up being counter-attacked by the people in Room 101. Yan Qingwen, resigned to Bai Youwei¡¯s tactics, could only shake his head with a laugh. The five of them chatted and walked, quickly reaching the entrance to their residential community. As they entered the community, they saw Li Li leading a group of people towards them! ¡°Yan bro!¡± Li Li called out enthusiastically. Although they had been apart for only half a day, it felt like they hadn¡¯t seen each other for days, even his overall appearance seemed changed. Now, Li Li had returned to the SCO¡¯s research team, promoted to one of the core members of the organization, living with other SCO researchers, and allotted four bodyguards for protection when he is out and about. Now, he stood before them glowingly rejuvenated, and for some reason, the phrase ¡°returning to one¡¯s native place in glory¡± popped into Bai Youwei¡¯s mind, making her want to laugh. ¡°I told Professor Song about what you all did, the professor is very grateful! He hopes to meet you guys in person.¡± There was a note of complacency in Li Li¡¯s voice, ¡°There¡¯s a banquet being held at the headquarters this evening, the professor asked me to come and pick you all up!¡± With that, his gaze landed on Bai Youwei, his tone becoming unconsciously careful. He cleared his throat, saying, ¡°And you¡­ along with Shen Mo, are also invited to attend the banquet.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Bai Youwei responded indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t feel like going.¡± Chapter 315 - Chapter 315: Chapter 315: Joining the Organization Chapter 315: Chapter 315: Joining the Organization Translator: 549690339 Li Li suddenly became anxious, ¡°Shen Mo is also going!¡± Bai Youwei frowned upon hearing this, repeating his words, ¡°¡­ Shen Mo is also going?¡± Li Li, having experienced Bai Youwei¡¯s unique temperament, nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, Shen Mo is also going! Don¡¯t you want to see him?¡± Bai Youwei muttered a little discontentedly, ¡°Shen Mo has also become vulgar.¡± Li Li: ¡°Are we going now?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I have to take Mr. Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Xiaoxin with me, otherwise, it¡¯s meaningless to go alone.¡± ¡°Xiaoxin probably doesn¡¯t need to go.¡± Li Li frowned, ¡°This dinner is very formal, it¡¯s not appropriate for children to attend¡­¡± In fact, he felt it would be best if Tan Xiao also didn¡¯t go, that silly fool, who knows what kind of mess he may cause. But then he thought about Bai Youwei¡¯s personality, so Li Li didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°What¡¯s so formal~¡± Bai Youwei laughed at him, ¡°Isn¡¯t this organization just a makeshift outfit? It¡¯s not a real government agency, how formal can it be~¡± Li Li felt awkward, his face turning an embarrassing shade of red from being choked up. Mr. Cheng stepped in to smooth things over, saying to Li Li, ¡°If we all go, it is not appropriate to leave Xiaoxin, a child, home alone. What if something happens at home? Let¡¯s take him with us. Xiaoxin is a sensible child, he won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Li Li cornered his mouth, ¡°But it seems that Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin are not here, I already tried knocking on their door. If you are waiting for them to come back, you may miss the dinner time¡­¡± ¡°Then you didn¡¯t knock hard enough.¡± Bai Youwei wheeled herself towards Building 5, ¡°I¡¯ll go call them.¡± Mr. Cheng gave an apologetic smile to Li Li and hurried to follow Bai Youwei. With those two far away, Li Li finally let loose a long sigh. He once again looked at Yan Qingwen and seriously said, ¡°The dinner this time is actually mainly to invite you to join the organization. Su Man and I have already joined. Brother Yan, Lun Ang, with our guarantee, there should be no problem for you to join too. But it won¡¯t be easy for Shen Mo and Bai Youwei; the organization¡¯s resources are limited and can¡¯t include the elderly and children. Considering Bai Youwei¡¯s attitude, she most likely won¡¯t stay.¡± ¡°What exactly is this organization?¡± Lun Ang was impatient, ¡°Li Li, explain your words clearly, just what is happening here?¡± Li Li explained, ¡°It¡¯s Professor Song. He and the survival team of the special situation group established this organization. While they continue to conduct research, they also ensure the residents¡¯ livelihood. Although there are deficiencies in various aspects, life here is much more steady than outside!¡± Li Li looked at Yan Qingwen and urged once again, ¡°Brother Yan, stay! You guys saved me from the labyrinth, now it¡¯s my turn to help you! As long as you are willing to stay, I can assure you, any vacant position within the organization is yours to pick!¡± Lun Ang stroked his goatee, looking towards Yan Qingwen. After a moment of silence, Yan Qingwen gave a faint smile, ¡°What to do, I¡¯ve been freelancing for quite a while, already not used to living a life with this kind of regulation.¡± After hearing this, Lun Ang understood Yan Qingwen¡¯s meaning, and stated directly, ¡°I will go with Old Yan.¡± Li Li looked disappointed, then turned to Zhu Shu, ¡°Zhu Shu, what about you? You¡¯re a girl, are you planning to continue wandering?¡± Zhu Shu pursed her lips, asking Li Li, ¡°If I stay, can I join the organization?¡± Li Li showed a troubled look, hesitated for two seconds, and said, ¡°Probably not this time¡­ but I promise, as long as you clear the game more than twice, I will help you apply to join the organization!¡± Hearing this, Zhu Shu slowly walked behind Yan Qingwen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Li Li¡­ without Brother Yan and Lun Ang, I¡¯m afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to clear a single game.¡± Zhu Shu said softly, ¡°So¡­ I should stick with everyone else.¡± Chapter 316 - Chapter 316: Chapter 316: The Five Travelers (Extra update for Bobo ) Chapter 316: Chapter 316: The Five Travelers (Extra update for Bobo ) Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei led people out and found that something was clearly amiss. ¡°What happened?¡± She looked at Li Li, then at Yan Qingwen with a smirk, ¡°Did you guys have a fight?¡± ¡°No. We just talked about something.¡± Yan Qingwen asked with a smile, ¡°Why, are you hoping for us to have a fight?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Bai Youwei candidly said, ¡°It¡¯s clear you guys aren¡¯t on the same page. It¡¯s strange if you didn¡¯t argue when you¡¯re together~¡± ¡°You!¡­¡± Li Li was furious. ¡°Did I say anything wrong?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him confusedly. ¡°You guys weren¡¯t on the same page to begin with. If it weren¡¯t for Yan Qingwen entering the maze to save you, you wouldn¡¯t even have crossed paths.¡± Li Li ground his teeth and shot back at her: ¡°Then you, Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Mr. Cheng, and Pan Xiaoxin aren¡¯t on the same page either! You guys are¡­¡± He childishly held up a hand with all five fingers spread, stressing, ¡°You guys are five-page people!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°So what if we are five-page people? At least we have a common goal now. What about you guys? Do you have one?¡± Li Li¡¯s face turned a mix of green and white at her comment, an expression of utter discomfort! Lun Ang patted his shoulder sympathetically and said, ¡°You¡¯d better argue with Su Man, don¡¯t argue with her, you won¡¯t win.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s arguing! I was just reasoning with her!¡± Li Li shook off Lun Ang¡¯s hand, stood tall and continued forward. ¡°Come on! The banquet is about to start!¡± Tan Xiao clucked his tongue and said, ¡°Mr. Four Eyes is not to be trifled with.¡± Li Li clenched his fists and swallowed his anger, he chose not to argue with him and kept going forward. It seemed that today was just not his day, having his invitation rejected by his companions, and then dealing with a quarrelsome Su Man. Just because he supported a female colleague who was about to fall, Su Man made a big fuss about it. In the end, it took Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang¡¯s intervention to calm her down. And it didn¡¯t stop there. When they got to the headquarters, he led a group to meet Professor Song, but was stopped by the security team. No matter how he explained, they refused to let him pass! Li Li felt disgraced! ¡°How many times do I need to explain this?!¡± He said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m Li Li from the SCO Research Group! I¡¯m Professor Song¡¯s research assistant! I left my pass at the dorm!¡± He pointed to the security guards behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize them?! All of them can vouch for me!¡± The security guard glanced at the people behind Li Li and said sternly, ¡°Professor Song just convened an emergency meeting. Anyone without a pass is not allowed near the conference center. If you insist on going in, I need to ask for higher-level permission.¡± Li Li said irritably, ¡°Then go ahead and ask!¡± The security guard took out his walkie-talkie and said a few brief words. About three minutes later, a woman in a brown combat suit appeared at the front of the corridor. She had short hair, slightly tanned skin. Even though she didn¡¯t say a word, her sharp eyes showed she is not someone to mess with. ¡°Leader! This man insisted on going in. He claimed to be Professor Song¡¯s assistant and said that Professor Song asked him to bring people over, but he did not have a pass. The people behind him are security guards assigned by the research team.¡± The woman in the combat suit frowned at Li Li and said coldly, ¡°The meeting is not over yet. Let the men in, but the women and the old man will have to wait outside.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± Su Man was the first to object, ¡°When you invited us, you sure didn¡¯t have this attitude! Why can men go in, but women can¡¯t?!¡± ¡°Why?¡± The woman sneered and took two steps towards Su Man. She was tall and towered over Su Man, who¡¯s just five feet seven, by half a head. She looked down at her contemptuously: ¡°Let me tell you why Because a clamoring, noisy woman like you belongs in a marketplace or a dance hall, not here, at the conference center.¡± Chapter 317 - Chapter 317: Chapter 317: Parting on Bad Terms Chapter 317: Chapter 317: Parting on Bad Terms Translator: 549690339 Su Man was known for her fiery temper, and having been harshly rebuked, she boiled over with anger and swiftly struck! However, as the security team leader, her opponent was naturally skilled. One move followed another, with both women locked in a fierce fight! Li Li was both anxious and furious, wanting to step in to mediate but fearing accidental injury. He bellowed, ¡°Hold it! Stop! As the leader of the research group, I command you to stop!¡± Unfortunately, as a newly installed leader, his words carried little weight. The two women ignored him, with their brawl intensifying! ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stop them?!¡± demanded a frantic Li Li, looking at Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang. Lun Ang frowned, ¡°You want me to hit a woman¡­?¡± Yan Qingwen simply watched the melee, ¡°Su Man should be able to handle this for now.¡± Even Yan Qingwen decided to stay out of this, so Bai Youwei was even less likely to intervene, preferring to watch the chaos unfold. ¡°Hmm, Su Man is quite tough~¡± Bai Youwei surprisingly sincerely praised someone for once. She had only seen Su Man use a whip in a game at the Dollhouse before. She hadn¡¯t realized how excellent her fighting skills were. Even Bai Youwei, despite not being trained in combat, could tell that each of Su Man¡¯s moves was precise and powerful, bearing no less than a man in her fierce attacks. Naturally, the security team leader who was fighting with Su Man was also no pushover. Her moves were swift, decisive and similarly matched. Su Man performed a sweeping leg kick, but her opponent nimbly evaded it and reached out to grab Su Man¡¯s shoulder! Su Man closed in using the force and quickly turned around to land a powerful punch! The opponent dodged sharply, the punch grazing past a few strands of her short hair! She then caught Su Man¡¯s arm and forcefully twisted it behind her! Su Man seethed with anger, biting her lip and struggled to break free, yet her face suddenly turned pale and she broke out in cold sweat! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Bai Youwei was perplexed. Su Man had been holding her ground just moments ago, how had she suddenly slipped into a disadvantageous position? Things deteriorated rapidly, with Su Man getting punched several times, before being pinned against the wall, unable to move! ¡°Su Man injured her right hand.¡± Zhu Shu comments, with furrowed brows. Clap! Clap! Yan Qingwen clapped twice, and chuckled coldly, ¡°Indeed, impressive skills for a security team leader. You have certainly opened our eyes. May I know your name?¡± The short-haired woman let go of Su Man and replied icily, ¡°Yu Yaqing. If you wish to file a complaint, feel free.¡± Zhu Shu helped Su Man up, noticing that her swollen right hand had been injured. Zhu Shu turned to Yan Qingwen with concern, ¡°Brother Yan, Su Man is injured.¡± Seeing Su Man¡¯s injuries, Li Li chastised her, ¡°Look at you! You knew your hand wasn¡¯t healed, but you still rushed forward to fight! You knew you couldn¡¯t beat her!¡± ¡°Who said I couldn¡¯t beat her!¡± Su Man glared at him, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for¡­¡± She bit her lip, and didn¡¯t finish her sentence. Glaring at Yu Yaqing, she lowered her head reluctantly and retreated behind Yan Qingwen alongside Zhu Shu, looking visibly upset. Yan Qingwen ¡®s voice was calmly nonchalant, ¡°As for filing a complaint, that¡¯s a bit too much. We did intrude into the conference center without an access pass. That was our mistake. Now that our companion is injured and not fit for the banquet¡­ Well then, sorry to have troubled you, we should take our leave.¡± Having said his piece, Yan Qingwen turned to leave. While he appeared polite in his words, when he truly got angry there was no room for negotiation. Li Li hurried to catch up, ¡°Brother Yan! Brother Yan! Please don¡¯t leave. Professor Song will be done with the meeting soon!¡­ Where are you going?¡± As Li Li was about to leave, Bai Youwei scowled, ¡°Li Li, didn¡¯t you say you were going to take me to meet Shen Mo?¡± Li Li retorted irritably, ¡°Who has the time for you!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned cold instantly, livid she roared, ¡°Are you playing me?!¡± A sudden flash of blue-violet light appeared! Like a rapidly flying light bird, its wings crashed into Li Li, knocking him flat. He convulsed on the ground! Gurgling sounds came out of his mouth, ¡°Erk Erk Erk Erk Erk¡­¡± Chapter 318 - Chapter 318: Chapter 318: Rely on Oneself Chapter 318: Chapter 318: Rely on Oneself Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei looked at him disgustingly, holding the rabbit, she said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The rabbit was the toy she had taken out earlier from the dollhouse when she called Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin. If it wasn¡¯t for charging, she would never leave it behind. Teacher Cheng pushed the wheelchair out, followed by Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin. As they passed by the fallen Li Li, the three let out a sigh simultaneously, shaking their heads in dismay. Teacher Cheng: ¡°Confucius said, ¡®I don¡¯t know what one can do if they¡¯re not trustworthy.¡¯ Li Li, we came with you because we trusted you, but you¡­ sigh, look out for yourself from now on.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°I never thought you were that type of person! Humph, I despise you!¡± Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°You¡­¡± After a thought, he as a child, decided not to meddle in adults¡¯ affairs and just followed behind Tan Xiao. The security team slowly gathered up, looking at the retreating figures, then turned to Li Li on the ground. Someone went over to check Li Li¡¯s breath. Li Li was fine. He had survived two labyrinths and Bai Youwei had showed restraint. The level of electric shock had just made him uncomfortable, but it was not life-threatening. ¡°Team leader, those people just now¡­¡± ¡°I saw.¡± Yu Yaqing held up her hand, ¡°It should be a tool, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a tool that can release electricity, and it seems to be reusable, no wonder the professor invited these people.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ did we, did we offend them?¡± ¡°Are you afraid of them?¡± Yu Yaqing glanced unhappily at her subordinate, reprimanding harshly, ¡°Foolish! Tools only lead to endless dependency! What we ultimately rely on is ourselves! Not the damned tools the game gives us! All of you, double the training tonight!¡± She lifted her arm, clenched her fist tightly, ¡°Remember! Never slack off! What we can rely on, will always be ourselves!¡± The subordinates chorused, ¡°Yes! Team leader!¡± On the other hand, Yan Qingwen took Su Man back to Kraus Road. Although there were no tools with healing effects, they commonly had wound medicines for pain relief, anti-inflammation, detoxification, and blood stasis. Slice open the swollen flesh, let out the blood clot, apply medicine, and re-wrap. Yan Qingwen put a splint on Su Man. Such injuries that damage tendons and bones would normally take at least two months to recover. For players who have been through the labyrinth, it would take no more than two weeks. After treating the wound, Yan Qingwen said to Su Man, ¡°The starting point of this organization is good, however, it¡¯s still newly formed and lacks the stability to last long. Maybe in the future, it will become better, or it could¡­ get worse. I know you and Li Li grew up together and you¡¯ve never been apart, but I still suggest you reconsider whether you can leave the organization.¡± Su Man lowered her head and replied quietly, ¡°Brother Yan, I will join the organization, not just for Li Li. My family has moved here, I must stay and look after them.¡± Yan Qingwen thought for a while and then nodded, ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no choice. Of course, family is the most important.¡± Lun Ang sighed, ¡°Sigh¡­ I used to run around here and there without thinking, but now I want to go home, I don¡¯t even know where my old folks are.¡± He looked at Zhu Shu and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your family? Is it alright for you to be with us?¡± ¡°My parents are abroad.¡± Zhu Shu smiled faintly, ¡°Even if I wanted to go to them, I couldn¡¯t.¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°Are you all really leaving? Brother Yan, you have a connection with the Li Family, why won¡¯t you stay? The world is a mess now, no matter how bad it is here, it¡¯s a lot better than being unsure of tomorrow¡¯s survival.¡± Yan Qingwen was silent and didn¡¯t reply immediately. After a while, he said something completely irrelevant, ¡°Today, Bai Youwei exchanged used puzzles for tools at the exchange point.¡± Chapter 319 - Chapter 319: Chapter 319: Just Not Dead Chapter 319: Chapter 319: Just Not Dead Translator: 549690339 ¡°Exchange the prop¡­for used puzzle pieces?¡± Su Man was in a daze. ¡°¡­Why?¡± Why exchange for those puzzle pieces? And why did Yan brother bring up this matter? Yan Qingwen looked down, his tone calm: ¡°At first, I thought she was joking. After all, concerning the maze, except for knowing that it can produce puzzle pieces, we almost know nothing about the rest. We don¡¯t even know how many puzzle pieces there are in total. How do you put together a complete puzzle?¡± But she paid for it with actions and even traded valuable props.¡± He spoke, raising his eyes to take a glance at the people present. ¡°Later, I realized that she was not really trying to complete the puzzle.¡± Su Man furrowed her brows: ¡°Then what does she want to do?¡± ¡°A goal.¡± Yan Qingwen replied, ¡°A goal large enough to attract the people around and bring hope.¡± Looking at him, Su Man vaguely thought she understood, but also vaguely felt that she didn¡¯t entirely grasp it. Yan Qingwen said: ¡°A valuable goal can generate immense motivation. As long as this force exists, even if they die on the road in the future, they will not regret it. As for us staying here, other than repeating the tasks set by our supervisors daily, nothing changes by sticking to the guideline of tackling the games assigned by the organization. We will never get the answers about the doll game.¡± ¡°Brother Yan, by staying here, we can pursue the answers too! There is also hope!¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Professor Song¡¯s research team has never given up on studying the doll game!¡± ¡°That¡¯s them, not us.¡± Yan Qingwen calmly looked at her, ¡°Staying here is not called pursuing answers, that¡¯s called waiting for the answers. Su Man, you should understand, Lun Ang and I are not fond of sitting and waiting for death.¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes were red, ¡°But¡­the chance of survival outside¡­is really low¡­¡± ¡°Honestly¡­the way we live now¡­we can¡¯t really call it living.¡± Zhu Shu murmured softly. Su Man looked at her. Zhu Shu stated, ¡°We¡¯re just not dead yet.¡± Everyone was silent. After a moment, Yan Qingwen smiled faintly, ¡°Humans can never change their inherent curiosity and adventurous spirit. Since the world has changed, why not live as we wish to live, so we won¡¯t regret and feel pitiful when we die. Su Man, you don¡¯t need to persuade us anymore.¡± Su Man bit her lip, hung her head, and said no more. Lun Ang joked self-deprecatingly, ¡°If I had known we needed to collect the puzzle pieces, I wouldn¡¯t have bet with that girl. Alas, I lost five puzzle pieces all at once!¡± Yan Qingwen also laughed, turned his head towards Zhu Shu beside him, ¡°Are you scared? You might struggle a bit if you follow us.¡± Zhu Shu shook her head lightly, ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as I¡¯m not bothering you.¡± Seeing them so resolved, Su Man looked even more depressed. They all barely escaped death many times, and although there were occasional conflicts and arguments, their bond was no ordinary one. If possible, she really didn¡¯t want to part ways. Unfortunately¡­ There¡¯s no feast that doesn¡¯t end. The night deepened. The temperature didn¡¯t cool down because of the nightfall; the air was still humid and hot, making people sweat all over, uncomfortably sticky. Bai Youwei hugged a fluffy bunny, sitting in the pitch-black living room. Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin were all asleep in the doll house, while she couldn¡¯t sleep, often coming out worrying that Shen Mo might return without anyone being there. Shen Mo didn¡¯t return all that time. The next door did welcome a few waves of guests though. One of them was clever, after finding out that room 102 was uninhabited, he pried open the door of room 101. But as soon as Bai Youwei heard the sound, she went into the doll house. The man found nothing after turning the 3-bedroom flat upside down, and left in frustration. He should be grateful that the hot weather made Bai Youwei exhausted and lazy, reluctant to even move her fingers, so she let him go. At three in the morning, Shen Mo finally came back. Chapter 320 - Chapter 320: Chapter 320: Appearance of Many New Characters Chapter 320: Chapter 320: Appearance of Many New Characters Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei heard the familiar sound of footsteps and the taut string in her heart finally relaxed. She had always been worried about him. Even though she had endlessly pondered and thought, and she believes that the organization has only intentions to curry favor with Shen Mo, her heart wouldn¡¯t cooperate and she was still worried. Shen Mo opened the door and came in, quickly noting that something was off. Seeing Bai Youwei come out of the bedroom, he asked her, ¡°Did someone come to the house?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important¡­¡± Bai Youwei yawned sleepily, ¡°I waited for you for so long, I¡¯m almost falling sleep.¡± ¡°The research group found a game approaching the city and held an emergency meeting¡­¡± Shen Mo paused, walked over and held the armrest of her wheelchair. ¡°¡­Anyway, we¡¯ll talk inside.¡± The two of them moved into the bedroom one after the other, shut the bedroom door. Bai Youwei pulled out the golden key and opened the door to the doll house Once inside the doll house, Shen Mo carried Bai Youwei upstairs to their room and continued speaking: ¡°The structure of this organization is quite complex, including the members of the SCO Research Group, a special task force, refugee old families, and some scattered local police¡­¡±. Shen Mo continued as they walked, ¡°However, the organization is primarily made up of researchers, led by Chu Huaijin, a former leader of a special task force, and then comes Song Mingchuan, a professor at SCO that I¡¯ve mentioned to you before.¡± Bai Youwei was sleepy in his arms, and she asked with her eyes closed: ¡°Oh ¡­ so why did they call you to the meeting?¡± ¡°Shen Fei introduced me.¡± Shen Mo made his way into the bedroom, put her onto the bed, hesitating on how to introduce his cousin. ¡°He¡­ has always looked up to me and hopes that I could join the organization. He even recommended me to Professor Song and sung praises about me¡­ I¡¯m also quite interested in Professor Song¡¯s recent research results, so I attended their meeting.¡± Bai Youwei laid on the bed, barely managing to open her eyes halfway. She asked him in a murmur, ¡°So are you going to join?¡± Shen Mo pondered for a moment, then asked her: ¡°If I join, would you join?¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± Bai Youwei yawned again, her voice faint. ¡°But they probably wouldn¡¯t want a cripple.¡± Shen Mo smiled and gently played with her hair. ¡°I still want to go to the place with the maze¡­after we put together all the puzzle pieces, I want to see what happens for myself.¡± ¡°Then go¡­¡± Her voice became more and more unclear, as if she was fighting sleep. ¡°By the way¡­ have you seen my mom?¡± At her words, Shen Mo froze. Recalling the words of his father, and Shen Fei¡¯s resentful description, he was silent for a few seconds before telling Bai Youwei: ¡°Aunt Wang is currently not in Shanghai.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh¡­¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t want Bai Youwei to feel awkward, so he tried to explain in the most gentle terms: ¡°After the incident in Yangzhou, my father brought Aunt Wang to Shanghai. Because they heard that the extreme north was not within the range of the Doll game and it was very safe, Aunt Wang¡­ left by boat with a man.¡± He left out many details. He did not mention how his father cared for Wang Jingxian all the way, or that the family members of the organization¡¯s members did not need to enter the games. To avoid being assigned to the games, Wang Jingxian stayed as his father¡¯s companion. However, she met another old friend in Shanghai, who had once been her suitor. She left Shen Mo¡¯s father without any considerations for past sentiments to board a ship with the man and left Shanghai. That¡¯s why Shen Fei would feel indignant for his uncle and since Shen Mo was nowhere to be found, he grew to despise Wang Jingxian, and by association, Bai Youwei became in his eyes the ¡°daughter of the fox spirit¡±. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t respond for a long time. Shen Mo hesitated for a moment before speaking again: ¡°We do not have a boat, the chances of finding Aunt Wang are slim.¡± Bai Youwei: Shen Mo looked down at her closely. She was already asleep. Chapter 321 - Chapter 321: Chapter 321 The Person Who Exchanges Props Chapter 321: Chapter 321 The Person Who Exchanges Props Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei slept late into the night and didn¡¯t wake up until mid-morning the next day. In the doll house, it was easy to become deeply relaxed and quickly recover energy, making it an ideal rest spot. So easy, in fact, she often slept heavily. Because of its comfort, everyone spent the morning in the doll house, tidying up, doing laundry, moving pots of coriander and spring onions to the backyard for sunlight¡ª While preparing breakfast, Teacher Cheng casually looked around the kitchen and said solemnly to Shen Mo: ¡°Our food supplies are running low. We still have plenty of rice and flour, but are in short of vegetables and meats, and our eggs are nearly gone.¡± Vegetables didn¡¯t last long and were always in short supply, while our meat supply relied entirely on the pile of vacuum-sealed cooked food, now completely depleted. Even instant noodles were reduced to a dozen or so packets. ¡°The city¡¯s resources are distributed by the organization, we can¡¯t gather supplies here,¡± Teacher Cheng sighed, ¡°unless we join the organization, we can collect food from the resource point for free. It seems, if we don¡¯t plan to join, we can¡¯t stay here for long.¡± Shen Mo casually replied, ¡°Eat lightly this morning, we won¡¯t stay here for too long.¡± Bai Youwei gave him a glance. Shen Mo¡¯s situation was different than the rest; his father was in Shanghai. Would Shen Mo really be willing to leave his family to find those unknown pieces of the puzzle? ¡°I¡¯ll go out first.¡± Shen Mo got up and headed for the door, ¡°Everyone should come out once they¡¯re ready, to avoid suspicion.¡± The main door was open, connected directly to their bedroom. As he was about to leave, there was a knock on the door. Since the door was open, the sound also echoed into the doll house. Bai Youwei tilted her head in thought, then wheeled over, ¡°It¡¯s probably for me.¡± ¡°For you?¡± Shen Mo asked, a bit puzzled. When he opened the door, two lanky youths stood outside. Seeing Shen Mo, a mix of wariness and curiosity flashed in their eyes, though they remained courteous: ¡°Does Bai Youwei live here?¡± Shen Mo raised his brow and turned to look back at Bai Youwei. ¡°While you were away yesterday, I posted a notice at the exchange to trade items.¡± Bai Youwei explained, ¡°Let them in.¡± Shen Mo stepped aside, allowing the pair to enter. The two youths glanced at each other, approached Bai Youwei and produced two puzzle pieces: ¡°We want to exchange them for the Substitute Doll.¡± Bai Youwei casually glanced at their puzzle pieces, then shook her head lightly, ¡°You¡¯re quite a few pieces short.¡± ¡°How many do you need?¡± One of them asked. Bai Youwei counterposed, ¡°How many do you have?¡± ¡°We¡­¡± After a moment the man grudgingly replied, ¡°This is all we have. Only people who have entered the maze have puzzle pieces. Even having two is already a lot! Most don¡¯t have any!¡± ¡°Too few~¡± Bai Youwei still shook her head, blandly explaining, ¡°Even for a starting pistol or seeds, I won¡¯t exchange them with such a paltry number of pieces, let alone the Substitute Doll.¡± ¡°How many do you want then!¡± The other one was getting anxious. Bai Youwei held up a hand, her pale fingers fluttered, ¡°At least five pieces.¡± ¡°And for the Substitute Doll?¡± ¡°Less than ten isn¡¯t worth considering.¡± Both youths exchanged looks, not speaking for a while. Bai Youwei drawled, ¡°You can go back and think it over, but I must remind you, this price will only go up, not down. After all, used puzzle pieces are worthless. I¡¯m just curious and want to collect them for fun. Maybe by tomorrow, I¡¯ll regret it, find it a bad deal and not want to trade anymore.¡± Both of them frowned. One of them finally said, ¡°¡­ Okay, we¡¯ll go back and think it over.¡± Chapter 322 - Chapter 322: Chapter 322: Underground Parking Lot Chapter 322: Chapter 322: Underground Parking Lot Translator: 549690339 After sending the two of them away, a few more people came soon after, also wanting to exchange puzzles for props. However, denied by Bai Youwei due to insufficient number. Shen Mo closed the door, furrowed his brows and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°The labyrinth of Shanghai has been cracked, at most 9 pieces of the puzzle. Even if outsiders who have entered other labyrinths come to Shanghai, it shouldn¡¯t be that many¡­¡± ¡°Yeah~¡± Bai Youwei put her hand on her cheek and thought for a while, and suddenly smiled, ¡°I underestimated them, I never thought, in this kind of environment, they could make fakes.¡± ¡°You mean, the puzzles are fake?¡± Shen Mo showed surprise, ¡°¡­used puzzles, when touched, do not generate any information in the mind, look like ordinary metal pieces, indeed they could be faked. However, if they want to deceive, they are too naive.¡± He pondered for a while, then got up and went outside. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Bai Youwei widened her eyes and asked. Shen Mo replied: ¡°In the shop outside where they repair electrical appliances, there should be a magnet.¡± Bai Youwei froze first, then curved her eyebrows, laughing. The puzzle came from the game system. It only looks like steel, but its material is not of any substance found on earth. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were preparing to welcome guests who wanted to exchange puzzles, only to unexpectedly have a few cars showing up in the neighborhood when the clock was pointing towards 12 noon The organization once again sent people to invite them as well as Yan Qingwen. This time, Li Li didn¡¯t come. Instead, Chu Huaijin, who is the organization¡¯s leader, and Shen Fei did. Chu Huaijin is originally a member of the special events group, in the same system as Shen Mo, naturally they are close. Shen Fei is Shen Mo¡¯s cousin, although not a blood brother, in these circumstances, just seeing a living friend or relative is already a rare occurrence. Bai Youwei suspected that they wanted to bind Shen Mo with familial affection, she just didn¡¯t know if Shen Mo would fall for this strategy. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sure either. She didn¡¯t have any ill feelings towards this place, whether to stay or not didn¡¯t matter. Anyway, the game can not be avoided, and the labyrinth will show up sooner or later, no matter where, it¡¯s all the same. The car moved forward, entering the underground garage of a large shopping mall. Bai Youwei initially found it strange, why did they park in the dark underground? The car didn¡¯t stop, from the first underground level of the car park, it drove into the second level, the third level¡­ until the fifth underground level! Usually, the underground parking lot of a shopping mall has at most three levels, she didn¡¯t expect this place to go all the way down to the fifth level. What¡¯s more, the fifth level underground has light! Having light means having electricity. The man named Chu Huaijin led the way after getting off the car, with guards following on both sides. As he walked, he explained, ¡°Since the outage, we found that all power supply facilities have been unable to function properly, be it hydroelectric power, wind power, or other methods¡­ Although the equipment clearly works, it can¡¯t generate electricity. The diesel generator was able to generate power, but again could only support a short period of time. Once the power-on time lasts for a few hours, the electricity mysteriously disappears.¡± At this point, he sighed, his tone even more gloomy. ¡°It feels as if we are being monitored by something. As soon as it detects us using electrical energy or communication equipment, it immediately nips it in the bud.¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°So you all moved underground?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly foolproof underground either, but fortunately Professor Song has tested out a safe range at present. As long as we use it in a limited way, we are temporarily safe¡­¡± Chu Huaijin stopped at the corner, raised his hand and made a ¡°please¡± gesture: ¡°This way, please.¡± The line of people followed him around the bend. On one side of the corridor, a huge screen was set up, displaying a city district map. It could be seen that the surrounding areas were circled by colored blocks. Bai Youwei counted and there were 24 circles. ¡°Didn¡¯t it say that there are a total of 23 detected game areas?¡± she asked, ¡°Why is there one more?¡± Chu Huaijin stopped and looked at the screen, ¡°That¡¯s a new game that appeared last week. Don¡¯t worry, the number of people needed to trigger this game is likely to be very many, and even if they moved here, given the current distribution of people in the city, it would not trigger the game.¡± Chapter 323 - Chapter 323: Chapter 323 Special Trigger Conditions Chapter 323: Chapter 323 Special Trigger Conditions Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei found it quite remarkable, saying, ¡°Professor Song is really impressive, able to determine the number of players required to trigger the game.¡± Chu Huaijin looked a bit awkward and explained, ¡°Professor Song can determine the game¡¯s distribution location and range through anomalies in the magnetic field, but as for the number of players required to trigger it¡­we have to figure it out ourselves.¡± ¡°Figure it out ourselves?¡± Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°How do you test that?¡± Chu Huaijin, sitting under the lamp, appeared somewhat serious. He looked about the same age as Yan Qingwen, but his face was more rugged. He stood straight, his skin slightly dark. He didn¡¯t resemble a commander-in-chief but rather a general charging into battle. He said solemnly, ¡°Normally, I, or the deputy leader, would lead the team into the gaming area to test. We start with two people, then three, then four, then five¡­ adding one at a time until we enter the game. The number of people that allowed us to enter the game is the minimum number of players needed to trigger the game.¡± Bai Youwei was even more surprised, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid you won¡¯t be able to get out?¡± Chu Huaijin sighed with a bitter smile and shook his head, ¡°Initially, it was indeed difficult, and we lost many team members¡­ But now things have improved. Since the prop exchange system has been established, everyone brings props into the game, which has significantly increased the survival rate.¡± Shen Fei, who had accompanied them, interjected, ¡°Although the rules may seem harsh, you have no idea the sacrifices we¡¯ve had to make each time we test a new game!¡± His tone was slightly bitter, ¡°The peace and tranquility in the city that we¡¯re enjoying now is all thanks to the collective efforts of the research group and testing team!¡± ¡°Xiaofei,¡± Chu Huaijin stopped Shen Fei, then spoke in a pacifying manner, ¡°There¡¯s no need to say more. I believe that over time, everyone will understand our intentions.¡± He turned to look at Shen Mo, as well as Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin behind him. ¡°The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. Right now, our abilities are limited, and there are many shortcomings in the base¡¯s construction. Eventually¡­ eventually, we will try to exempt the elderly and children from playing the games,¡± Chu Huaijin said, ¡°For now, each core member in the organization can obtain a maximum of three quotas, exempt from the assigned games, to conveniently take care of their family.¡± Shen Mo slightly nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve put in a lot of thought. Not everyone might have done as well as you.¡± Bai Youwei, still interested in the game aspect, asked, ¡°How many people have you tested the games nearby with at the most?¡± Chu Huaijin told her, ¡°The game in the vicinity that required the most number of players to be triggered was a marathon game with 32 people. However, for game No. 24, we tested with over a hundred people but were not able to trigger the game. Professor Song believes that either the number of people is still not sufficient, or the game has special triggering conditions.¡± While they were speaking, the group had already walked to the end of the corridor, on the right was a glass sensor door. The sensor was no longer in use, and the glass door was wide open. Two security personnel stood on both sides, one of whom Bai Youwei recognized. It was Yu Yaqing, the stern female team leader from yesterday. Bai Youwei, who had been asking about the games, suddenly saw Yu Yaqing and was taken aback. She wanted to ask something but forgot what it was. Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t give Bai Youwei any surplus attention. Her expression was normal when she saw them. She saluted Chu Huaijin, her movements brisk as she moved to the side. Chu Huaijin led them in while the guard stayed outside the glass door. The room inside was brightly lit, with a number of tables arranged around. The tables were laden with fine wine and delicious food, and there were seven or eight scattered guests sitting at them. ¡°Please, sit here,¡± Chu Huaijin courteously said, ¡°We can talk slowly once everyone is seated. The dinner was postponed due to an unexpected meeting yesterday consider this meal as our apology to you all.¡± Chapter 324 - Chapter 324: Chapter 324 Du Lai Chapter 324: Chapter 324 Du Lai Translator: 549690339 Even though the surroundings were simple, after all, they were in an underground parking lot. But the tables were arranged neatly, tablecloths hanging down with pretty pleats, the dishes were inviting in color, and lights and flowers were sprinkled around. It gave off an illusion of banquet grandeur. Bai Youwei took a glance; the venue could accommodate at least fifty people when fully seated. She didn¡¯t see the so-called Professor Song, but there were still only a few guests present. Perhaps Professor Song would be the last one to arrive. After settling them down, Chu Huaijin briefly introduced the other guests. They were all core members within the organization, from the Evaluation Group, Research Group, Supply Group, Interior Affairs Group and so on. ¡°Professor Song always stays in his lab. Without anyone reminding him, he would forget to eat,¡± Chu Huaijin said to everyone with a smile. ¡°You start eating, I will invite Professor Song over.¡± After speaking, he stood up and left, asking Shen Fei to take care of everyone before he went. A few more guests arrived shortly after Chu Huaijin left. Apart from the internal members of the organization, there were also ¡°external individuals¡± like Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen. Presumably, they were all targets that the organization wanted to recruit, so they were also invited. Shen Fei sat next to Shen Mo, quietly introducing him to the guests: ¡°¡­That bald man who looks strong has been in the maze. He¡¯s very powerful, able to crush stones¡­ The thin one next to him is his good buddy. The two of them just joined the evaluation group for a short time.¡± ¡°The middle-aged man wearing glasses used to be a bank financial manager. He¡¯s especially good at math and logical reasoning.¡± ¡°The boy in the red T-shirt is young, only 17 years old. He¡¯s a gymnast, with a very strong balance and explosive power¡­¡± A young man wearing a hoodie and hip hop shorts walked in the entrance. His eyes swept around and landed precisely at the table where Shen Mo was seated. A smile crept up in the corners of his mouth. Shen Fei was taken aback: ¡°Brother, do you know him?¡± Shen Mo frowned, replying: ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Shen Fei lowered his voice: ¡°His name is Du Lai. They say he¡¯s a street magic performer. He¡¯s been in the mazes in Hangzhou and Shanghai. He¡¯s the only one who has ever come out alive from the Hide and Seek game.¡± After a pause, he added: ¡°Those who went into the game with him¡­ none of them survived¡­ oh no, why is he coming over here?!¡± Shen Mo squinted slightly, watching the boy in the hoodie approaching, his gaze shifted and landed on Bai Youwei next to him. Bai Youwei was eating. Most of the dishes here were cold, so she didn¡¯t eat much. However, she kept sipping the wine, not knowing where their Supply Group got it from, but they were all vintage good wines. Shen Mo said in a low voice: ¡°Drink less.¡± Bai Youwei was in the middle of enjoying her wine and ignored him. He reached out and held her wine glass. She tugged, but it was as if the wine glass was nailed to the table, immovable. Bai Youwei: ¡°Alright.¡± Bai Youwei gave in. ¡°I won¡¯t drink after finishing this half glass, okay?¡± Just then, Du Lai had walked up to them, greeting with a smile: ¡°Miss Bai Youwei, what a coincidence~ I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Shen Mo removed his hand from the wine glass and looked at him: ¡°Is there something you need?¡± Du Lai was a bit stunned. Meanwhile, Bai Youwei was drinking her wine. Du Lai glanced at Yan Qingwen sitting at the next table, quickly realizing his misunderstanding. The real companion of Bai Youwei was this person in front of him¡­ He chuckled, politely replying: ¡°I wanted to ask about the trading of items.¡± ¡°We are here for the banquet today, to eat, not to do business.¡± Shen Mo said indifferently. The smile on Du Lai¡¯s face faltered, ¡°¡­ I heard quite a few people came to visit today, so I wanted to ask before it¡¯s too late. Afraid that other people might get the Substitute Doll first.¡± ¡°Baits for big fishes are not easily given away.¡± Said Shen Mo as he withdrew his gaze, not looking at him anymore, ¡°You can go sit back down, Mr Du.¡± Chapter 325 - Chapter 325: Chapter 325: Few Women Chapter 325: Chapter 325: Few Women Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei finished her glass of wine. While Shen Mo and Du Lai engaged in conversation, she exchanged her glass with Shen Mo¡¯s ¨C His glass was full. As Shen Mo dismissed Du Lai, she had just finished half of her drink. Seeing Shen Mo looking at her, she took a small sip and said, ¡°I¡¯m not finished drinking yet.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°I never knew you could drink so much before.¡± He responded helplessly, swapping her wine glass with a glass of water. Bai Youwei: ¡°I tend to drink more when it¡¯s good wine.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink so much even if it is good wine.¡± Bai Youwei pouted and replied, ¡°Everyone¡¯s drinking like this!¡± Shen Mo glanced around the surrounding tables and indeed, that was the case. Most people were drinking in succession, pouring cup after cup down their throats! Only Yan Qingwen¡¯s table was slightly more restrained. Yan Qingwen and he were both teetotalers, a habit formed over the years due to disciplinary requirements, to always keep a clear mind. As for Lun Ang and Tan Xiao, they drank wine as if it were water. Even Shen Fei chimed in, ¡°Bro, you should drink more. These wines are rare collectibles from a wealthy merchant¡¯s collection, all bought at auction, you can¡¯t find them for sale outside, it¡¯s quite rare.¡± Bai Youwei spoke with a playful tone, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this scene look like¡­ a martial arts novel, where a certain sect hosts a banquet to honor heroes, serving luxurious food and drinks, but secretly poisoning the wine, plot a scheme silently, and no one can escape it¡­¡± Tan Xiao shivered, not knowing whether to spit out the wine in his mouth or swallow it. After¡­hesitating for a while, he finally swallowed it. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Shen Fei frowned, ¡°Professor Song invited everyone here in good faith.¡± ¡°I was just joking~¡± Bai Youwei replied lightly, she didn¡¯t typically bother engaging much in conversation with unfamiliar people. Shen Fei still looked unhappy, but out of consideration for Shen Mo beside him, he held back his words. ¡°Indeed, everyone invited here today is of the younger generation.¡± Shen Mo served some food to Bai Youwei, and added, ¡°Apart from those at our table, there are no elderly or children at the other tables.¡± Shen Fei¡¯s expression grew worse, ¡°Bro, you too¡­¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡¯m not doubting Professor Song¡¯s intentions. I¡¯m just thinking that there must be a reason for gathering us.¡± Bai Youwei glanced around and murmured, ¡°There are also very few women¡­just Su Man, Zhu Shu and me¡­ Eh? Who¡¯s that woman with Li Li?¡± The table next to them had originally four guests: Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Zhu Shu, and Su Man. At some point, two more chairs were added, and Li Li brought a girl over. But now, he looked furious, apparently in a dispute with Su Man again. The two of them were like arch-enemy, always arguing whenever they met, and never had a peaceful meeting. Everyone, whether it was Yan Qingwen¡¯s group or Shen Mo¡¯s group, had become numb to their squabbles. Given that they were surrounded by guests, Su Man tried to keep her voice down in spite of her anger. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I will say it one last time! I didn¡¯t bump into her! Believe it or don¡¯t!¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t bump into her, then did Xiaoqian twist her ankle on her own?!¡± Li Li accused her angrily, ¡°You always do this! You always target Xiaoqian without evidence! I brought her here to introduce her to Brother Yan, why are you being so jealous! Would you be happy if you hit her?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Su Man angrily slapped the table! Everyone turned to look. The girl next to Li Li quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m sure Sister Su didn¡¯t mean it. Her hand is injured, she may have lost her balance while moving the chair and bumped into me¡­ It¡¯s my fault, if I moved away in time, I wouldn¡¯t have been¡­¡± Chapter 326 - Chapter 326: Chapter 326 Spider Chapter 326: Chapter 326 Spider Translator: 549690339 Li Li frowned, saying, ¡°I know she hurt her hand, but she could at least apologize for bumping into someone! She¡¯s always so stubbornly unpleasant! It¡¯s been like this since we were children, I can¡¯t stand it!¡± Su Man bit her lower lip, her eyes fixed on him tightly. Yet, Li Li didn¡¯t look at her but at the girl beside him, asking after her with a series of sympathetic questions: ¡°Is your foot okay? Can you walk later? If you can¡¯t walk, tell me. Don¡¯t try to be tough, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, it¡¯s a little painful.¡± The girl lowered her head weakly with a gentle sigh, ¡°I can only walk slower now¡­ oh, if only the place where I live was closer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you home later,¡± Li Li offered, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll help you reapply for a housing assignment. The place you live now is indeed too far, it¡¯s inconvenient for you to commute to HQ.¡± ¡°Oh, Li Li, you¡¯re so kind¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a small matter.¡± Su Man watched the back-and-forth between the two, her eyes slowly reddening as she bit her lip and didn¡¯t say a word. Suddenly, she rose to her feet and said curtly, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± Zhu Shu looked at her, hesitated for a bit, then also stood up. ¡°Heading to the restroom too?¡± Lun Ang munched on his food, his words unclear, ¡°You women always have the most drama. You even have to go to the restroom hand in hand¡­¡± Zhu Shu gave a bashful smile. She followed in the direction Su Man had left. In reality, Su Man hadn¡¯t gone to the restroom. She just felt on the brink of tears and wanted to find somewhere without people to gather herself. Unexpectedly, she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Zhu Shu after quickly wiping her tears. ¡°What are you here for?¡± Su Man asked, not in the best of moods. Zhu Shu didn¡¯t approach, standing around ten steps away. After a moment of silence, she said, ¡°I saw it. You didn¡¯t bump into her. I didn¡¯t say anything at the time because¡­ Li Li probably wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Su Man bit her lip, her eyes looking back towards the party, ¡°He would probably say, ¡®Zhu Shu, you don¡¯t need to speak on her behalf¡¯, ¡®She loves starting drama, it¡¯s not the first or second time it¡¯s happened¡¯¡­¡± Zhu Shu gave a smile, ¡°Su Man, you really know him well. You¡¯ve even got his tone down perfectly!¡± ¡°Of course, we grew up together!¡± Su Man laughed too, a hint of pride in her smile, ¡°I even know what color his crotchless pants were when he was little!¡± While speaking, her smile gradually faded and she murmured, ¡°We used to be so close, I don¡¯t know when it started, but now it¡¯s all just bickering¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhu Shu moved closer to her, tentatively grabbing her arm, ¡°Li Li only speaks so rudely to you because you¡¯re so familiar to him. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± After thinking for a moment, Su Man also felt that she had overreacted by running out. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± The two returned to their seats. On their way past the girl named Xiaoqian¡¯s seat, Zhu Shu lightly tugged at Su Man. Su Man paused, looking at her in confusion. She then saw Zhu Shu take a broken long hair from her shoulder and wink at her knowingly. Su Man was puzzled, only to see Zhu Shu¡¯s face suddenly change! Her expression became somber, instantaneously welling up with tears! With a slight flick of her finger, the broken hair landed on the girl¡¯s neck. At the same time, Zhu Shu let out a suppressed and trembling scream: ¡°Ah! A spider just fell!¡± ¡°AAAAH!!!¡± The girl screamed, standing up from the table abruptly, stomping on the ground and scratching at her back. ¡°Spider! Spider!¡±, she cried, ¡°Get it off me!!!¡± Li Li also hurriedly stood up, ¡°Where? Where¡¯s the spider?¡± ¡°Ah ¡­ I¡¯m sorry, it seems like I saw wrong ¡­¡± Zhu Shu said in a small voice, with tears in her eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t scare you, did I? But your foot seems fine? That¡¯s great¡­ I was worried earlier when you kept hopping around that your foot might have gotten worse.¡± Chapter 327 - Chapter 327: Chapter 327 Professor Song Chapter 327: Chapter 327 Professor Song Translator: 549690339 ¡°Xiaoqian, your ankle¡¯s okay?¡± Li Li was surprised, helping her up to check, ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± The girl stood awkwardly in place, ¡°Uh¡­ Mhm, I sprained it, but then, just now, I hopped around a bit and¡­ and it seemed to set itself right.¡± ¡°So, your ankle healed itself! I¡¯m so lucky!¡± Zhu Shu slapped her chest in relief, ¡°If it had gotten worse, Li Li would have had it out with me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal¡­¡± Li Li scratched the back of his head apologetically, ¡°As long as you¡¯re fine, let¡¯s all sit down and eat¡­ come on, sit down¡­¡± Su Man seemed momentarily dazed but then sat down, poured herself a glass of wine, and downed it in one go! Li Li jumped in surprise, blurting out: ¡°What are you doing! You can¡¯t drink like that, what if you get drunk!¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Su Man slammed her empty glass down and poured herself another one, ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Li Li was confused, muttering under his breath, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother fussing over you.¡± Yan Qingwen watched them with a cool expression before finally settling gaze on Zhu Shu, who was eating, and asked with a smile, ¡°I remember there was a film festival where you were up for best actress or something¡­did you go?¡± Zhu Shu looked a little surprised and shook her head, smiling, ¡°No, no, it was the Newcomer Award, and I didn¡¯t win it. I was just nominated.¡± ¡°Even being nominated is quite an achievement,¡± Li Li praised. As they were talking, there came a synchronized sound of footsteps from the entrance. Everyone eating and drinking paused, turning their heads to look. It was Chu Huaijin, bringing Professor Song with him. This national treasure-level scientist, for whom the higher-ups had deployed eight special teams, was now seated in a wheelchair, being slowly pushed in by Chu Huaijin. A wheelchair doesn¡¯t necessarily mean someone¡¯s lame, they could be too aged or weak. Bai Youwei felt that Professor Song was both. His hair was entirely white, his skin old, he looked to be in his seventies or eighties, sitting weakly in his wheelchair, exuding a sense of age-worn melancholy. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Bai Youwei quietly asked Shen Mo. Shen Mo explained in a low voice: ¡°Professor Song has a son who was a researcher in SCO. He turned into a puppet on the way to the evacuation¡­¡± He paused slightly, lowering his voice even further: ¡°Professor Song wasn¡¯t this old before, but in an attempt to save his son, he used a tool that would draw upon the user¡¯s vitality to heal others. Sadly¡­ despite using the tool, his son never made it out of the game.¡± Losing a child can lead to unimaginable changes in a person. Bai Youwei nodded in understanding. Professor Song and Chu Huaijin arrived at the center of the banquet. Chu Huaijin poured him half a glass of wine. Professor Song raised his glass, saying, ¡°This is for everyone, thank you all for coming.¡± His voice sounded significantly younger than he looked. Professor Song finished the wine in his glass. The guests silently watched him, waiting for what he had to say next. ¡°I asked you all here because I need your advice,¡± Professor Song said. The room quieted even more. Everyone knew that this banquet wasn¡¯t just for eating and drinking. ¡°Everyone here has experienced life and death situations in the game, your understanding of the game is much deeper than ordinary people¡¯s and your experiences far richer, among us are experts who have entered the maze.¡± Professor Song scanned the room, his tone grave and steady. ¡°I¡¯m sure some of you are aware, the organization has been at its wits¡¯ end about the 21st Hide and Seek game, up until now not a single person has completed it, the solution is virtually nonexistent. Yesterday, the entire team that entered the 21st game was wiped out, and the 24th game experienced a shift! If we don¡¯t take action, I fear it will be the city¡¯s downfall in seven days!¡± Chapter 328 - Chapter 328: Chapter 328 Number 21 Chapter 328: Chapter 328 Number 21 Translator: 549690339 The reason people in the city were willing to rotate into the game was because the review group would provide a guide. As long as there was a guide, although the game still carried risks, the chance of clearing the level was high, and upon completion, players would receive valuable items. That¡¯s why everyone was willing to cooperate with the rules set out by the organization. But who would be willing to enter those games with a high death rate and without a guide? If no one played the game, the game would move to populated areas, disrupting the hard-earned peace in the city! Then everyone would once again lose their homes! ¡°Who¡¯s scheduled for the 21st? Let those people play.¡± Someone suggested. The twenty-three games around the city all operated on a rotation system, and Game No.21, ¡®Hide and Seek,¡¯ was no exception. Everyone fell silent. The atmosphere was heavy. Professor Song surveyed the room, his face expressionless, and said, ¡°The people who entered Game No.21 last week have all turned into dolls. The same thing happened the week before that, and the week before that too¡­ If this continues, sooner or later it will be your turn, yours, or yours¡­ It will be all of our turns! Therefore, I believe, to tackle this game, we must gather the best talents we currently have in the base! Increasing the success rate is the only way to ensure the survival rate of all of us!¡± When he finished speaking, everyone fell silent, looking at one another. Everyone understood the logic, but who would be the first to bite the bullet? ¡­That¡¯s not right. Many people have already bitten the bullet before, but they all died. Someone raised their voice: ¡°We understood what the Professor said, but this ¡®Hide and Seek¡¯ is unusually sinister. You think highly of us and consider us to be the best talents in the base, so let me say something presumptuous: If all of us, these so-called talents, die in this game, do you think there would be any hope left for this base?¡± Chu Huaijin stepped forward: ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s no need to deny this rashly. We invited you here today not to force you into the game, but to discuss a solution. After all, every day we delay, there¡¯s one day less. A week¡­ no, in six days, if no one clears ¡®Hide and Seek,¡¯ we will probably have to evacuate.¡± But no one knew what sort of game they¡¯d encounter after the evacuation. The twenty-odd games near the current base might not seem like many, but the stability they provided was bought at the cost of blood. Would they have to abandon this hard-won stability because of just one game? Chu Huaijin surveyed the expressions of everyone present and opened his mouth again: ¡°Of course, I hope that someone can volunteer to take on this responsibility. I know that in addition to completing assigned tasks, you usually form teams on your own to enter other games. Now, all the top players in the base are here. A strong alliance is more reliable than any guide. Besides, difficult games often come with high-value items¡­ What do you think?¡± The room fell silent again. After a while, Professor Song broke the silence: ¡°Whoever can survive ¡®Hide and Seek,¡¯ I¡¯m willing to offer, in my personal capacity, the eight puzzle pieces I own.¡± As soon as his words fell, the room became restless. ¡°Although the puzzle pieces have been used, I know someone is offering a safety-ensuring item that lasts 36 hours in exchange for 10 pieces,¡± Professor Song said solemnly. ¡°What do you think? Consider this, you only need to gather 2 more pieces to trade for this high-level item, and I believe that for you, finding those two pieces is not difficult.¡± Some glanced at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei responded generously: ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the person who wants to trade puzzle pieces. My Substitute Doll can absorb all damages for the user for 36 hours. Whoever gives me 10 puzzle pieces, I¡¯ll give them the doll. But~ no counterfeits, please¡± Chapter 329 - Chapter 329: Chapter 329: Number 24 Chapter 329: Chapter 329: Number 24 Translator: 549690339 The room was buzzing with chatter, the sound of discussions never ceased. Some people had seen Bai Youwei¡¯s notice, and knew about this, while others were clueless, whispering inquiries to those around them. ¡°Professor Song¡¯s sources are really exceptional.¡± Bai Youwei murmured to Shen Mo, ¡°I just posted the notice yesterday, and he knew about it today.¡± Shen Fei, sitting next to Shen Mo, overheard her comment and immediately responded with pride, ¡°Every exchange in the exchange area, every piece of trading information, is sorted into documents by specialized personnel, and delivered to Professor Song¡¯s research room before 9 pm.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, puzzled, and grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s hand, frowning, ¡°Why does your cousin love to interrupt when no one is talking to him?¡± Shen Fei: Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°He just likes to be involved.¡± Bai Youwei snorted, ¡°Boys should avoid being too eager to help others, or they might end up appearing nosy.¡± Shen Fei: At that moment, there was another commotion at the other tables. The bald strong man Shen Fei had introduced earlier began to speak up: ¡°Du Lai! You are the only one who has come out of the Hide and Seek game. Come on, tell us what that game is really like!¡± ¡°Yeah, indeed.¡± The skinny youth sitting next to the bald man echoed, ¡°You at least have to let us know what¡¯s going on inside to allow us to make decisions.¡± They seemed to have developed an interest in the game; there was otherwise no reason for them to be so keen on the details. Du Lai lifted his eyelids, clearly disinterested, ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯ve mentioned it almost a hundred times, aren¡¯t you bored? Hide and Seek is just Hide and Seek, there is a huge ragdoll cat in the game that sleeps during the day and kills at night. The player¡¯s task is to find a hiding spot! If found by the cat, you will die!¡± ¡°How can we clear the game?¡± The skinny guy asked him, ¡°When the Inspector made the rules, he should have told you the conditions to clear the game, right?¡± Du Lai chuckled, ¡°The conditions to clear game are¡­ either kill the cat or kill Mary.¡± ¡°Mary? Who¡¯s Mary?¡± ¡°Mary is the cat¡¯s owner. Only when the cat dies, or the cat¡¯s owner dies, can the Hide and Seek game end.¡± As Du Lai spoke, he sighed deeply, ¡°Whether it¡¯s the cat or Mary, we couldn¡¯t handle either. We tried to take advantage of the cat¡¯s nap time to attack Mary, but we accidentally woke up the cat. Everyone died as a result, and I was also seriously injured. In the end, I had to use the puzzle to leave the game. So, I don¡¯t know how to clear the game.¡± After he finished his words, the noise around seemed to get louder. Everyone was discussing how to kill the cat or Mary in all different ways. Shen Fei, all eager, asked Shen Mo, ¡°Mary clearly seems easier to deal with, but since Mary and the cat are inseparable, brother, what do you think should be done?¡± ¡°There are many methods, but not all are applicable.¡± Shen Mo replied indifferently, ¡°Without witnessing the actual situation, it¡¯s not right to judge.¡± Someone suggested making a large trap during the daytime to trap the ragdoll cat. Someone else proposed a plan to separate the cat from Mary, then concentrate their attack on Mary. Yet another person pointed out that the cat must have a weakness, perhaps in its whiskers or tail. All sorts of crazy ideas were spoken. Footsteps approached. The originally door-guarding Yu Yaqing walked into the banquet step by step, stopped in front of Chu Huaijin and Professor Song, saluted, and said firmly: ¡°Game number 24 is moving towards us, should I arrange for an emergency evacuation?¡± Compared with the much feared number 21, game number 24 had virtually no presence. Since its existence, no one had triggered it. As a result, the city¡¯s people always unconsciously ignored it, remembering only the other 23 games. Chapter 330 - Chapter 330: Chapter 330: Rumblings in the Dark Chapter 330: Chapter 330: Rumblings in the Dark Translator: 549690339 If a doll game fails to attract players for a long time, it will start to hunt for prey on its own, shifting locations every seven days. But for game number 24 to have just shifted yesterday and then shift again today, such a situation has never occurred before. ¡°Number 24? What is number 24?¡± someone asked in confusion, ¡°Another new game has appeared near the base?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the new game that appeared last week, but no one has triggered it. No matter how many people go, the game remains unresponsive.¡± So we should be safe, right?¡± ¡°Well, since we can¡¯t trigger it anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter where it moves to¡­ ¡± Chu Huaijin slapped the table and shouted: ¡°Quiet please! Ever since the research team discovered the existence of game number 24, they¡¯ve been monitoring it closely. Although we were unable to determine how many people or what conditions are needed to trigger the game, we can¡¯t take it lightly. The banquet is temporarily cancelled now. Please, everyone, follow the members of the security team and evacuate!¡± ¡°Do we really need to evacuate?¡± ¡°Just in case, let¡¯s go, there¡¯s gonna be no more drinking¡­ ¡± ¡°Hey, let¡¯s stay and continue drinking, even if it does shift over, we can¡¯t trigger it, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t say it like that, the game always shifts every seven days, and now it suddenly starts to move, there must be some reason¡­ ¡± The surroundings were filled with murmuring voices. Yu Yaqing¡¯s subordinates came in to evacuate the guests. People were divided into several groups, with five or six people in each group, going in different directions towards the underground parking lot. The people gathered at the banquet were gradually scattered to different locations in the underground parking lot. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo followed behind Yu Yaqing. The path before them became darker and darker¡­ they were almost walking in the darkness, the artificial smell of cement paint filling their nostrils, the echo of their footsteps in the empty space reverberated. ¡°Why we aren¡¯t going up?¡± Tan Xiao grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s pitch dark here, not a single light, we can¡¯t see anything!¡± ¡°We need to distance the guests, once the previous group is far enough away, we can leave.¡± Yu Yaqing explained calmly, with indifference. Tan Xiao asked, ¡°How do you know the previous group has left? We can¡¯t see them at all, unless we turn into owls!¡± Yu Yaqing irked by his incessant complaints, coldly retorted, ¡°We use sound as a signal.¡± No sooner had her words fallen than a very sharp whistle came from the left front, two short and one long. It was the signal. ¡°Alright! Heard the signal! Let¡¯s get moving!¡± Tan Xiao, not wanting to stay another second, urged Yu Yaqing. ¡°No,¡± she firmly disagreed, ¡°this is the signal for group two. We are group three, we still need to wait a while.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Tan Xiao squatted down, extremely annoyed. Shen Fei was also with them and advised, ¡°Everything is to ensure our safety. We should follow Yu¡¯s instructions.¡± No one said a word. No one liked the darkness. Shen Fei didn¡¯t like it either, darkness always made one feel dangerous, tense, uneasy¡­ Pan Xiaoxin silently leaned against Tan Xiao. Teacher Cheng took Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hand and Bai Youwei, holding her rabbit, was muttering to herself in her wheelchair: ¡°The game is like a hunter. If there is no prey in this place, it changes to another place. If there is no prey in that place, it swaps again¡­ Now the sudden move towards us, could it be because there is its prey here?¡± Tan Xiao called out, ¡°Weiwei! It¡¯s already scary enough in this darkness, stop talking!¡± Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°What, are you afraid?¡± Tan Xiao grabbed his hair, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the game, but when it comes out from your mouth¡­ it¡¯s really creepy.¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help laughing, pleasantly said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m quite curious about a game that is constantly untriggered. It must be very special.¡± In the darkness, Yu Yaqing sneered, ¡°You can pray to be the one to trigger the game later.¡± Chapter 331 - Chapter 331: Chapter 331: Waiting for Her Chapter 331: Chapter 331: Waiting for Her Translator: 549690339 ¡°Maybe, you know~¡± Bai Youwei replied unbothered, laughing, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because none of you ever prayed, so you couldn¡¯t trigger the game. After all, any condition might trigger it.¡± Yu Yaqing just huffed and didn¡¯t say a word. She found Bai Youwei irrational and did not bother to engage in a verbal spat. It was Shen Fei on the side who took up the conversation, saying, ¡°There should be no problem. Most of the people invited to the feast today have entered game zone 24, but none of them have triggered the game! It doesn¡¯t make sense that there would be an incident now, just when they¡¯re having a meal!¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment and asked, ¡°It¡¯s clear that these people are all physically fit young people. Since they can¡¯t trigger the game, is there anything special about the rest of them?¡± Shen Fei was taken aback, ¡°¡­ You mean, the rest of the people might trigger the game?¡± At that moment, a whistle sound echoed from the distance again. Three short and one long this time. ¡°It¡¯s our turn.¡± Yu Yaqing stepped forward, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Everyone followed her. Remembering what Bai Youwei had just said, Shen Fei groped along in the darkness, asking as he went: ¡°The remaining people¡­ that¡¯s you guys¡­ oh! And Yan Qingwen, that bulky guy surnamed Lu, the girl in pink¡­ But what could you all have in common? Are you all newcomers here?¡­ No, that doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± Teacher Chang sighed heavily: ¡°Unless the game is actually triggered, no one could determine what the conditions are. Alas, it seems that sacrifices are inevitable¡­¡± ¡°Ay! You guys are talking nonsense!¡± Tan Xiao said nonchalantly, ¡°You¡¯re talking like we¡¯re about to enter the game! Do you think, as we walk, someone might suddenly disappear? That would be too creepy! Right, Brother Mo?¡± Shen Mo stopped. As soon as he stopped, Tan Xiao bumped right into his back, halting with a yelp. Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin behind him also bumped into each other. ¡°What happened?¡± Tan Xiao rubbed his nose, ¡°Why aren¡¯t we moving?¡± Shen Mo remained stunned¡­ His two hands, held in a bent position, were suspended in mid-air, yet his palms¡­ were empty. The handles of the wheelchair were gone. ¡°Bai Youwei?¡± He called out tentatively. His voice was quiet, but each echo in the desolate underground car park was clear and audible. Tan Xiao was shocked: ¡°Weiwei¡¯s gone?!¡± He took out a lighter from his pocket and illuminated the surroundings, but there was nothing. ¡°Damn! What kind of way did that bitch take us on!¡± Tan Xiao cursed, ¡°How did she just disappear?!!¡± Shen Fei, standing alone at the front, trembled, ¡°Stop cursing¡­ Team Leader Yu is also gone¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s face turned pale as she tightly grasped Teacher Chang¡¯s hand, ¡°Sister Weiwei has entered the game¡­¡± ¡°It is women.¡± Shen Mo suddenly said. Everyone turned to look at him. In the dim light from the lighter, his figure was deep and dark, every line of his face tense. ¡°Many women were at the feast today.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice dropped lower with each word, he said solemnly, ¡°Only women can trigger game 24.¡± They were stunned. Shen Fei paled, ¡°The wife of the supply team leader was also there today. She hardly ever shows up¡­¡± ¡°They need to be contacted immediately.¡± Shen Mo declared definitively, ¡°Tan Xiao, get in touch with Yan Qingwen, there must be trouble on their end as well! Food, water, medical supplies, and tents, have it all brought here! Teacher Chang, you, and Xiaoxin, go back first!¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Teacher Chang asked worriedly. Shen Mo pursed his lips, and replied: ¡°I will wait for her here.¡± Chapter 332 - Chapter 332: Chapter 332: White Wedding Gown Chapter 332: Chapter 332: White Wedding Gown Translator: 549690339 ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! The theme of this game is ¡®The Last Bride¡¯. The rules are as follows: First, reject the game and become a doll! Second, lose the game and become a doll! Third, win the game and get a doll as a reward! ¡­¡± Bai Youwei had become quite familiar with this voice. Every time a game started, it echoed in her ears while a familiar white light lit up in front of her¡ª Subconsciously, she closed her eyes. She knew very well that as soon as she opened them again, everything would change. In front of her was a small, enclosed space. The material was solid wood, the seats were made of leather. The ride was bumpy underneath her, as if she were in a horse-drawn carriage. There were seven women in the carriage, including her. She saw Yu Yaqing, Su Man, Zhu Shu, and that girl whose name included ¡®Xian¡¯, plus an unfamiliar middle-aged woman and a slightly younger woman. They were all women. And all of them were wearing white wedding dresses. This was the first time Bai Youwei had ever worn a wedding dress, and she hadn¡¯t expected it to be under these circumstances. First, she reached for the rabbit in her arms, then the golden key around her neck, and finally the canvas bag hanging beside her wheelchair they were all there. Bai Youwei felt a bit more at ease. ¡°We¡­ have likely triggered the game.¡± The first to speak out was Zhu Shu. She glanced at the expression on everyone¡¯s face, hesitating as she said: ¡°Since we are here, perhaps we should introduce ourselves first? To better understand each other¡­ ¡± Yu Yaqing looked displeased, but she willingly cooperated with Zhu Shu¡¯s suggestion. ¡°My name is Yu Yaqing, head of the security team. It appears only women can trigger this game. I hope we can cooperate fully. If you feel like crying or yelling, keep your mouth shut. Don¡¯t cause trouble for the rest.¡± The words were not very pleasant, but with everyone feeling very uneasy, no one took her attitude to heart. ¡°My name is Su Man, I joined the evaluation team just a few days ago.¡± Su Man introduced herself briefly. She wanted to mention her proficiency in fighting, but her hand was still in a splint, so she didn¡¯t say anything more. Zhu Shu asked the girl next to her, ¡°What¡¯s your name? I heard Li Li calling you ¡®Xiaoqian¡¯.¡± ¡°Cheng Xi. I am in the same research group as Li Li.¡± The girl answered in a quiet voice, nervously glancing around, ¡°What¡­ what kind of game is this?¡± ¡°We are not sure yet. We¡¯ll probably find out when the carriage stops.¡± Zhu Shu looked at another woman, ¡°May I ask, what¡¯s your name? You look like you¡¯re from the security team¡­ ¡± ¡°Hu Ya.¡± She responded concisely, her gaze shifting to Yu Yaqing, ¡°I report to the team leader. I was arranging the evacuation of the supply unit leader and his wife when I was suddenly drawn into the game.¡± ¡°Can you handle this? Have you played the game before?¡± The middle-aged woman asked anxiously. ¡°What did that voice just say¡­ something about ¡®The Last Bride¡¯? What does that mean?¡± ¡°You should introduce yourself first.¡± Zhu Shu kindly reminded her, ¡°Right now, getting flustered won¡¯t help.¡± The middle-aged woman was unsettled and spoke in a stammering manner: ¡°I¡­I am Zhao Lanfen. You¡­you can also call me Auntie Li, because my husband¡¯s last name is Li.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own name? Why do you need to take a man¡¯s surname!¡± Yu Yaqing made a disgusted comment. Zhao Lanfen, however, only cared about leaving this place. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Yu Yaqing and urged Bai Youwei, ¡°What about you? What¡¯s your name? Quickly introduce yourself¡± Bai Youwei smiled, looking at them: ¡°My name is Bai Youwei. I am a cripple.¡± Chapter 333 - Chapter 333: Chapter 333: A Manor Chapter 333: Chapter 333: A Manor Translator: 549690339 The carriage swayed as it moved along, neither climbing any incline nor descending any slope. The road underneath was a primitive dirt one, full of bumps and jolts. They were trapped within the carriage, unable to see the world outside or hear any sound from out there. Yu Yaqing tried knocking on the inner walls of the carriage; each wooden plank was heavy and durable, proving challenging to break from within. Unable to escape, they could only calmly wait. Fortunately, the wait was not too long ¨C About a quarter of an hour later, the carriage came to a stop. The heavy carriage doors swung open on either side. The weather outside was excellent, with bright sunlight and lush greenery. Through the square-shaped carriage doors, they could see a long trail. The trail had two faint wheel tracks that extended deep into the forest. The seven women, each dressed in a wedding gown, disembarked one after the other. Their white gowns touched the ground and instantly gathered a layer of dirt, making them appear a bit more disheveled. When the last one of them stepped off the carriage, the doors squeaked shut. The carriage continued its journey along the winding trail, disappearing from their sight. And now, what lay in front of their eyes was an incredibly grand and luxurious manor! Bright and colourful flower beds combined with golden cobblestones, rows of stunning rose arches stood tall. The red petals swayed gently with the dark green leaves, as if silently welcoming their arrival. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± Cheng Xi couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. Yu Yaqing glanced at her with scorn, ¡°Beautiful? If we were to die here, would you still think it¡¯s beautiful?¡± Hu Ya, who was Yu Yaqing¡¯s subordinate, echoed her sentiment: ¡°You¡¯re still in the mood to enjoy the scenery after entering the game; I have no idea what you¡¯re thinking about! I bet she won¡¯t even know how she dies when she does!¡± Cheng Xi¡¯s face blushed at their ridicule; she was both embarrassed and aggrieved. Biting her lip, she defended herself, ¡°I was just saying¡­ is there a need for this? We should be supporting each other since we¡¯re all in this game together¡­¡± Tears welled up in her eyes while she sought an ally. She grabbed Zhao Lanfen¡¯s arm, ¡°Aunt Li, look at their attitude¡­¡± ¡°Enough, you!¡± retorted Hu Ya, annoyed, ¡°How amusing, you relied on men outside and now that there are no men inside the game, you want to rely on us? Do you understand the concept of self-reliance? We have to depend on ourselves! Got it? We can only ever depend on ourselves!¡± The words startled Zhao Lanfen, who reacted hastily, ¡°Hold on! Isn¡¯t something wrong? Aren¡¯t you guys from the security team?! Shouldn¡¯t you be ensuring our safety? ¡­Talking about depending on ourselves, you¡¯re just trying to wash your hands off any responsibility! That won¡¯t do! My husband is the leader of the resources team! You must ensure my safe exit!¡± Bai Youwei thought that Yu Yaqing, being averse to women, would retort Zhao Lanfen¡¯s words. However, Yu Yaqing only frowned and replied: ¡°Rest assured, as far as my capabilities allow, I¡¯ll do my best to ensure everyone¡¯s safety.¡± Although Hu Ya, the follower, was still fuming, she didn¡¯t object and instead agreed with Yu Yaqing¡¯s perspective. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but smirk. It seemed that power did indeed overrule everything, and even Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t escape from it¡­ She laughed silently as she moved ahead in her wheelchair, not paying any heed to their arguments. Zhu Shu came forward and asked, ¡°Do you need me to push it for you?¡± ¡°No need,¡± she replied, indifferent. She didn¡¯t enjoy being pushed around as it left her with no control over her own direction, except when it was Shen Mo. Perhaps it¡¯s because she got lazy when Shen Mo was around. Su Man patted Zhu Shu¡¯s shoulder with a stern expression, ¡°Follow behind me.¡± Zhu Shu nodded to her. The group followed the rose arches and in the distance, they saw a tall man with unusually out-of-proportion stature¡­ Chapter 334 - Chapter 334: Chapter 334: Women’s Special Chapter 334: Chapter 334: Women¡¯s Special Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei squinted her eyes slightly. As she approached, the man¡¯s figure and features became increasingly clear. Like a male character from a shoujo manga stepping into reality, tall and thin, with opulent golden hair, fair skin, curly lashes, and always affectionate blue pupils. He was the Inspector from the friend¡¯s gathering. ¡°Welcome to the ladies¡¯ exclusive game,¡± the Inspector greeted with a smile, bending slightly in a gentleman¡¯s bow. ¡°I am the Inspector in this game and look forward to sharing a pleasant time with you.¡± Nobody replied. Only Bai Youwei responded noncommittally with a ¡°huh¡±. The Inspector¡¯s gaze fell upon her face, his smile unchanged, ¡°We meet again, miss. I am looking forward to your performance in the game.¡± Bai Youwei replied expressionlessly, ¡°Sure, women¡¯s friend.¡± The Inspector: A hint of stiffness shadowed the smile at the corner of his mouth, only for it to seemingly vanish the next moment as if the previous stiffness was just an illusion. ¡°Well¡­ please, follow me,¡± the Inspector turned and walked, maintaining grace and elegance, leading the women into the manor as magnificent as a castle. ¡°This game is for women only, as the name suggests, exclusively playable by women.¡± The Inspector continued to explain as he walked. ¡°Presumably, you have noticed, our game theme is ¡®The Last Bride¡¯, and as you can see, you have all dressed in wedding gowns. From this moment, you are the seven brides who are marrying the Duke.¡± ¡°A Duke?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned. ¡°Yes, the noblest, richest, and most passionate Duke. When the sun sets, he will return. Prior to that, I, in the role of the butler, will stay here to provide you with necessary assistance for the game,¡± the Inspector bowed, ¡°Now, please, follow me.¡± Yu Yaqing cast a suspicious glance at him, paused for a moment, then continued to move forward. The others followed suit. They walked through the dining room, the front courtyard, and the patio surrounded by roses¡­ As they delved deeper into the manor, they began to feel the extreme opulence, everything within sight sparkled with gold. Even the handrails of chairs were made of gold, and every wall lamp was studded with jewels, dazzling to the extreme. ¡°The Duke possesses inexhaustible wealth but also harbors a cruel temperament. Anyone who angers him will pay with their life,¡± the Inspector paused at the entrance of a long corridor, turned to them, and said gently, ¡°Even though you are a group of lovely brides, I must remind you not to anger the Duke.¡± ¡°Is this a hint for clearing the game?¡± Bai Youwei asked, keeping her eyes locked on his, ¡°Don¡¯t anger the Duke?¡± Zhu Shu was also stirred, ¡°So¡­ if we infuriate him, we have to pay with our lives? Does this mean players who anger him may die, and whoever survives until the end can clear the game? So, is that why the game is called The Last Bride?¡± Looking down at them condescendingly, the Inspector replied with an ambiguous smile: ¡°You can interpret it that way, or not.¡± Indignant, Su Man complained, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? Aren¡¯t you going to clarify the rules of the game? Your vague explanations aren¡¯t helping. Who can understand?!¡± ¡°Beautiful bride, please don¡¯t be angry,¡± the Inspector smiled, ¡°Every game has its rules. But in this game, the winning condition was already stated right from the start ¨C become the last bride.¡± Everyone¡¯s faces changed color. What did it mean to become the last bride?! Did it infer being the last one standing? Cheng Xi asked anxiously, ¡°Does this mean¡­only one of us can survive?¡± Chapter 335 - Chapter 335: Chapter 335: Bluebeard Chapter 335: Chapter 335: Bluebeard Translator: 549690339 All seven women turned to look at the Inspector. If the answer was ¡°yes,¡± then they would have to start tearing each other apart from this moment on! If the answer was ¡°no,¡± then they need to reconsider the implication of ¡°the last bride.¡± However, would the Inspector really disclose the answer so easily? It calmly observed the varying expressions of the women, and after a long pause, grinned slightly and said, ¡°You brides must be exhausted from your travels. Please return to your rooms and rest. Later, I will prepare a hearty luncheon for you.¡± Disappointment swept over the women¡¯s faces one by one. Except for Bai Youwei. As if she had already anticipated that the Inspector would not tell the truth, she calmly rolled her wheelchair past him and headed straight toward her room. Seeing this, the others hesitated for a moment before reluctantly making their way to their rooms. The Inspector watched as the women receded into the distance. His sense of satisfaction suddenly felt unfulfilled as if someone had scrawled across an immaculate wall, or stepped on a pair of pristine white shoes¡­ Or, as though he was just beginning to grasp the subtlety and richness of human emotions when he suddenly encountered a hard cold wall. Bai Youwei¡­ He had encountered players of all sorts, some as intelligent as her, some as calm, but none¡­ none like her, as if she were a born gamer. Out of all of them, she was the one who adapted best to the game. If such a player were to die in the game, he would certainly feel regret. However¡­ what kind of amazing data would she show at the moment of her death? The mere thought of it was tingling with excitement. He was¡­quite looking forward to it. ¡°There is another hint to the game¡¯s winning condition¡­ ¡± The Inspector lingered at one end of the hallway and spoke again. The women ahead came to a halt. All they heard was the Inspector saying softly, ¡°You can roam freely in the mansion and use any items you come across. However, please avoid the locked rooms, otherwise the Duke will be very, very¡­ irate.¡± After saying this, the Inspector smiled at the women, turned around, and slowly walked away from the hallway. The women stood rooted to their spots, gazing at each other in bewilderment and terror. Cheng Xi was trembling with fear, even though she knew both Yu Yaqing and Hu Ya didn¡¯t like her, she couldn¡¯t resist moving closer to them and whispering, ¡°Is this the second hint? ¡­What does he mean by that?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°It sounds like he¡¯s talking in reverse, deliberately making us look for the locked rooms?¡± ¡°¡­Could it be Bluebeard?¡± Zhu Shu spoke up. ¡°Bluebeard?¡± Cheng Xi froze a moment before hurriedly explaining, ¡°I know that fairy tale. There was once an aristocrat with a blue beard that scared everyone away. No one dared to marry their daughter to him. Eventually, he got married. After the wedding, he told his wife she could unlock any room in the house, except one! This¡­this is very similar to the Inspector¡¯s hint!¡± ¡°Since you know of Bluebeard, you should also know the original version of the story, right?¡± Bai Youwei gave her a glance, ¡°In fact, Bluebeard was a habitual killer. Every wife he married would be subjected to brutal violence, and their bodies¡­ would be in that locked room.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Cheng Xi whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Are we going to be killed? ¡­I don¡¯t want to be the bride¡­.¡± Zhao Lanfen also sobbed uncontrollably, ¡°Why did they have to hold this feast! Why did they invite us for a meal! If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to the banquet with Old Li!¡± Although Hu Ya didn¡¯t seem as frightened as the others, she was just as anxious inside, turning to Yu Yaqing to ask, ¡°Sister Yu, what should we do?¡± Gritting her teeth, Yu Yaqing proposed after some thought, ¡°The Duke won¡¯t be back until the sunset. Let¡¯s wander around and see if we can find any clues.¡± Chapter 336 - Chapter 336: Chapter 336: Two Hints Chapter 336: Chapter 336: Two Hints Translator: 549690339 The manor was large, and gathering clues is not something that could be accomplished in a short time, so they first went to their respective rooms. There were seven rooms lined up along the long corridor, each with a plaque on the door bearing their names. After Bai Youwei entered her room, she first checked the walls, floor, and ceiling for any compartments. Then she examined the furniture such as tables, chairs, wardrobes, beds, and so on. Lastly, she inspected smaller items like candlesticks, mirrors, and jewelry boxes. Finding nothing unusual, she locked the door and carefully took out a golden key from her collar As long as you hold the key and turn it clockwise half a circle, you can open the dollhouse in any space. Although she did not plan to hide immediately, she was curious whether the dollhouse could be normally used in the game? Bai Youwei looked around, her gaze landing on the door of a standing wardrobe carved with a rose pattern. She wheeled over, placed one end of the golden key against the wardrobe door, turned it clockwise, slowly twisted it half a circle¡­ Click. The lock was opened. Bai Youwei felt a sudden relief. The dollhouse could also be used in the game! This was undoubtedly good news! Opening the wardrobe door also opened the door to the dollhouse. Seeing the hallway and living room, she wanted to go in, but found she couldn¡¯t. Bai Youwei reached out again to touch it. It was as if there was a barrier blocking her from outside. A cold system alert rang in her mind: ¡°Players are in the game, and they cannot leave the instance.¡± Bai Youwei: She frowned and withdrew her hand in displeasure. It seemed that while the dollhouse could be opened, she could not enter it. Bai Youwei pouted, her mood not so good. At this time, there were light knocks on the door from outside. She knitted her brows, slowly wheeling herself around and towards the door. She opened it. Zhu Shu and Su Man were standing outside. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Bai Youwei frowned. ¡°We wanted to ask¡­¡± Zhu Shu pursed her lips, choosing her words carefully, ¡°ask about the game. What are your thoughts on it?¡± Bai Youwei looked at her, then at Su Man, sighed a little annoyedly, and stepped aside, saying, ¡°Come in first.¡± Zhu Shu and Su Man immediately entered and closed the door. ¡°We mainly want to confirm whether only one of us can survive in this game?¡± Zhu Shu asked, observing Bai Youwei¡¯s face for any signs or hints. ¡°¡­If only one can survive, Su Man and I are willing to give up.¡± ¡°Give up?¡± Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°What do you mean? Are you going to kill yourselves?¡± The two of them looked at each other, their eyes firm. ¡°No.¡± Su Man said, ¡°We know you have the greatest chance of winning. So, rather than killing each other until we¡¯re unrecognizable, it¡¯s better to cooperate. Zhu Shu and I can help you become the ¡®last bride¡¯.¡± Bai Youwei was a bit taken aback. Or rather, she was surprised. She had not expected Su Man and Zhu Shu to stand together, nor did she expect¡­ that these two suddenly had a sacrificing spirit? Women, they are truly a mystery. Bai Youwei gave a faint smile, lowered her eyelids, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Zhu Shu and Su Man were slightly stunned. ¡°The inspector¡¯s hints were already very clear.¡± Bai Youwei said languidly, ¡°The first hint was to become the last bride; the second hint was Bluebeard ¡ª Bluebeard murdered one wife after another, married one bride after another, who would be the last bride? Ah, unless he dies, there will never be a last.¡± Zhu Shu¡¯s eyes widened a bit, ¡°You mean¡­ as long as we kill Bluebeard, we can all become the last bride? We don¡¯t need to kill each other until only one remains?¡± ¡°Yes, at least that¡¯s what I think.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Just like the fairytale, Bluebeard was killed, and the woman inherits all of his possessions, and lived a new life thereafter.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s too easy then!¡± A smile appeared on Su Man¡¯s face, ¡°There are seven of us, can¡¯t we kill one man?!¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei sighed quietly, ¡°¡­The games of that inspector, they¡¯re never easy.¡± Chapter 337 - Chapter 337: Chapter 337: Searching the Second Floor Chapter 337: Chapter 337: Searching the Second Floor Translator: 549690339 Su Man asked, ¡°Why do you say that? Are you familiar with this Inspector?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m familiar per se, but I¡¯ve certainly encountered him before.¡± Bai Youwei responded nonchalantly, ¡°I once participated in a game where the Inspector was also present. He¡­ he seems to enjoy flamboyant things. Things like roses, afternoon tea parties, balls, pretty dresses, and all sorts of other bling-ey stuff¡­¡± Pausing briefly, she arched her brows and continued, ¡°But, all that glamour is merely on the surface, cruelty is the reality. What he seemingly enjoys most is watching the players butcher each other.¡± Su Man sneered, ¡°He¡¯s seriously underestimating us if he thinks he can get us fighting each other with the ¡®Last Bride¡¯ hint alone. Should we warn the people with Yu Yaqing to ensure they don¡¯t fall into his trap?¡± ¡°No rush, there should be something else¡­¡± Bai Youwei mused, ¡°They selected only women to partake, there has to be a reason.¡± She pondered momentarily and finding no immediate answers, looked up to find the other two women¡¯s eyes fixed on her. She felt slightly helpless. ¡°What are you looking at me for?¡± Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s get going. Let¡¯s explore while the Duke is absent.¡± The three women exited together. They came across Yu Yaqing and her group of four in the central room. ¡°Should we explore the rooms?¡± Su Man proposed, ¡°This place is vast. We might cover more ground if we split up.¡± Yu Yaqing glanced over at her. They had a fight just yesterday, but now that they were in the game together, it would be better to put past disputes aside for the time being. Yu Yaqing nodded and replied succinctly: ¡°You take the left side, we¡¯ll take the right.¡± Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Bai Youwei headed to the left. Yu Yaqing, Hu Ya, and Zhao Lanfen went to the right. Cheng Xi hesitated in the middle for a moment, eventually following Yu Yaqing¡¯s lead. Truth be told, she wasn¡¯t really welcomed in Yu Yaqing¡¯s group. Hu Ya was always making sarcastic remarks about her, and even though Zhao Lanfen would seemingly defend her, she really only cared about her own safety. But looking at the other three women on the left¡­ A limping woman, a woman with a wounded hand, and a celebrity who could only sing and dance. No matter how you looked at it, the group with the security team leader Yu Yaqing was a safer bet. The grand room had two spiral staircases on either side, and featured an exquisitely patterned crimson carpet. The baroque-style banisters were made of solid gold. Climbing the staircase, one could see the crystal chandelier shimmering in the center of the room, with its layers of cake-like crystals hanging upside down, elegantly radiant and breathtakingly beautiful. Were it not for the threat of the game, perhaps they would¡¯ve paused to admire the sight. However, as the threat of the game visibly hung over them, no matter how beautiful the scenery was, all they saw was the eerie presence of impending death. The rooms Bai Youwei¡¯s group searched were all unlocked. A turn of the knob and a gentle push and the doors would swing open. Whether it was rooms filled with jewels, hung with extravagant clothes, or displaying an array of precious dinnerware, tables, chairs, mirrors, tapestries¡­ it was all an awe-inspiring sight. They opened a total of 63 rooms, moving from initial amazement to a state of numbness, and fell into somewhat of an aesthetic fatigue when it came to precious gems and metals. Su Man opened the 64th room. This time, the room housed an array of exquisite armours. Not just human armor, but also horse armor, adorning wooden frames. With the knight¡¯s armor mounted on top of the horse¡¯s, it gave off an air of opulence and grandeur, as if a knight and his horse were standing there. Zhu Shu took hold of a whip hanging on the waist of one of the armors, and offered it to Su Man: ¡°Find this useful?¡± Su Man took it, tested it with her left hand, and found it a bit unwieldy. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it for now.¡± She slung the whip around her waist, pulled a sword from the armor¡¯s scabbard, and swung it a bit to test its balance. The sound of voices carried from outside. From the tone, it seemed to be Yu Yaqing and her group. The three women emerged from the room to find it was indeed Yu Yaqing and her group. The corridor on both sides formed a circular arc. If they kept walking from where they were, they would eventually end up on the other side. Seeing Bai Youwei and the others exit the room, Yu Yaqing asked, ¡°Find anything?¡± Chapter 338 - Chapter 338: Chapter 338: Dining on the First Floor Chapter 338: Chapter 338: Dining on the First Floor Translator: 549690339 ¡°A heap of gold and silver jewels,¡± replied Su Man. Yu Yaqing added, ¡°Us too, all gold, silver, and jewels, with clothes, shoes, handbags, and some medieval collectibles. We searched 64 rooms and found none locked.¡± ¡°We also searched 64 rooms. So, this means there are 128 rooms on the second floor.¡± Su Man looked up at the ceiling, ¡°Should we go upstairs and have a look?¡± Yu Yaqing nodded in agreement. Everyone decided to go back to the spiral staircase, ready to ascend to the next level, when suddenly, from downstairs, a bell rang¡ª Ding-dong, ding-dong¡­ Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Yu Yaqing said in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go down and check.¡± One by one, they all headed downstairs. Bai Youwei was the last one. She took the folding cane off her wheelchair and struggled to stand up, leaning on the cane at the edge of the stairs. Staring down at the flight of stairs, she started to get a little dizzy after a while. She bit her lip, trying to take another step forward¡­ ¡°Let me carry you down.¡± Su Man turned back and said with a frown, ¡°You¡¯re too slow like this.¡± Zhu Shu wanted to say something but stopped, considering Bai Youwei¡¯s pride. She quietly explained, ¡°The staircase here is quite steep; it¡¯s more strenuous going down than going up.¡± Su Man took two steps down the side of Bai Youwei, crouched and turned her back towards her, ¡°Hop on.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her back and then at her injured right hand, hesitated for a moment, finally, put down her cane and leaned on Su Man¡¯s back. ¡°Can you handle it? Don¡¯t cause us both to trip, I don¡¯t want to be your cushion.¡± Bai Youwei pouted. ¡°You always talk so much! Hurry up and get on! My good intentions are wasted on you!¡± Even though Su Man grumbled, she propelled herself and Bai Youwei briskly forward with impressive strength. Zhu Shu chuckled, picked up the wheelchair, and followed them downstairs quickly. The bell sound came from the dining room. A long table draped with a clean tablecloth was placed in the middle of the room, laden with a sumptuous meal. Of course, the word ¡®sumptuous¡¯ here couldn¡¯t really be compared to the banquet the group ate back at base. But even by pre-apocalyptic standards, this spread would be considered unimaginably extravagant, beyond the wildest imagination of common folk. Prime steaks, beautifully roasted suckling pig, aromatic turkey, various vegetables and fruits, and an array of finely decorated cakes and desserts. The feast was a feast for the eyes. The Inspector stood politely beside the table and invited them with a smile, ¡°Lovely brides, it¡¯s time for lunch. Please, help yourselves.¡± Truth be told, none of them were particularly hungry as they had eaten quite a lot before they entered the game. But in the game, time advanced to morning, and after some searching around, it was now noon. One by one, everyone took their seats. The table was so long that all seven of them were spread out considerably, sitting quite a distance apart from each other. Bai Youwei took a sip of her wine. It tasted rather bland, so she set the glass down again. She mused: Although the system is capable of perfectly replicating the taste of grape wine, it still can¡¯t replicate the flavor which comes with time. The wine here tasted a bit off. But it would be really fussy to complain about this given the scarcity of supplies. With that thought, she looked again at the food on her plate. As she seemed to be observing the food for quite a while, the Inspector ventured to ask in a friendly manner: ¡°Is there something wrong with our white truffle and gold-thin pancake? You don¡¯t seem to have much of an appetite. Although I can comprehend the melancholy that brides might feel when they are far away from home, I would still recommend you try eating more. The duke will choose the menu for dinner.¡± The duke¡­ What would he prefer? If it all were something they couldn¡¯t eat, would that imply they¡¯d have to go hungry for the whole day if they didn¡¯t finish lunch? The women exchanged glances and got started on their food, motivated by some worrying assumptions. Bai Youwei kept silent for a while then started having her lunch. Chapter 339 - Chapter 339: Chapter 339: Tools and Props Chapter 339: Chapter 339: Tools and Props Translator: 549690339 There was far too much food; it was impossible to finish it all. After hurriedly eating until she was about 80-90% full, Yu Yaqing asked the Inspector, ¡°How many floors are there in total here?¡± ¡°If you include the basement, four,¡± replied the Inspector. ¡°And which room is locked?¡± Yu Yaqing asked again. The Inspector laughed at the question, not quite answering her. ¡°Dear bride, please do not open the locked room, otherwise the Duke will be very angry. Trust me, you won¡¯t want to see that.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t necessarily need to open it, but I do need to know where it is!¡± ¡°The locked room is naturally somewhere in this mansion,¡± said the Inspector. It seemed he had no intention of enlightening them any further. Yu Yaqing put down her utensils and stood up, turning to Hu Ya, ¡°Are you full? We don¡¯t have much time. If each floor has 128 rooms, we will need to start exploring every room before sunset, and we must hurry up!¡± Everyone had already eaten a bit and was not too hungry, so they all stood up, ready to leave. Only Bai Youwei didn¡¯t move. ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming?¡± asked Zhu Shu. ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t had enough to eat yet. You all go on,¡± Bai Youwei casually cut into her pancake, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not convenient for me to climb stairs. I¡¯ll investigate the rooms on this floor once I have finished eating.¡± Everyone found that reasonable and began to leave the dining room. Zhu Shu glanced at Bai Youwei and followed Su Man out. The grand dining hall was left with only Bai Youwei and the Inspector at opposite ends of the table. Bai Youwei ate her food and mumbled to herself: ¡°The roasted pig is too big, I can¡¯t fit it in. But I could take some of the steaks, roast chicken, meatballs¡­ Never mind, I should put it in the freezer. The fridge is for fruits and vegetables¡­ Can¡¯t reach it? Then you¡¯d better bring a chair and stand on it.¡± The Inspector politely smiled, ¡°May I ask, do you need me to assist you with anything?¡± Bai Youwei was startled and glanced at him, ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you.¡± The Inspector: After swallowing her food, Bai Youwei spoke again, ¡°Could you leave? I don¡¯t like to be watched while I¡¯m eating.¡± The corners of the Inspector¡¯s mouth curled into a slightly cold smile, ¡°Of course. Then, please enjoy your meal.¡± He gave a slight bow before leaving. As he passed by Bai Youwei, he noticed that most of her plates were empty and couldn¡¯t help but mock, ¡°If the Duke could see how much his bride eats, he would be quite¡­¡± His sentence hung halfway, unable to be finished. Because he saw a fluffy toy rabbit crawl out from under the tablecloth! It jumped onto the table following Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder, then dragged away an entire plate of pan-seared salmon! The Inspector¡¯s beautiful blue eyes were wide in surprise! The rabbit hopped off the table, quickly disappearing under the tablecloth. After a while, it emerged again. This time, it had taken away a dish of chocolate mousse! ¡°How could you!¡­¡± Shocked, the Inspector strode over and pulled up the tablecloth covering the table in front of Bai Youwei! ¡°Hey!¡± Bai Youwei exclaimed, irritated, ¡°You stained my dress!¡± The Inspector stood still in front of the table. Underneath, the fluffy rabbit held a key in its paw, turning it halfway and opening the door of a dollhouse! The rabbit held the chocolate mousse over its head and rushed into the house! ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the system judge you as breaking the rules?!¡± The Inspector turned around to question Bai Youwei, his tone was furious and urgent. He tore off his gentlemanly facade, leaving behind only anger and ferocity! ¡°Why would I be breaking the rules?¡± Bia Youwei, shaking the oil stains off her dress and frowning, asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your game allow for the use of props?¡± The Inspector: ¡°Of course, you can use props, but your props!¡­¡± ¡°If that is the case, then there are no problems,¡± she replied with a light smile, ¡°I¡¯ve merely used some props.¡± ¡°But! There shouldn¡¯t be these types of props!¡± he angrily pointed at the entrance of the dollhouse and then at the rabbit that just came out of the dollhouse, ¡°These props, and this prop, the system shouldn¡¯t allow these types of equilibrium-disturbing props to exist!¡± Chapter 340 - Chapter 340: Chapter 340: Need to Patch the Loopholes Chapter 340: Chapter 340: Need to Patch the Loopholes Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei bent down to lift the rabbit, placing it on her lap and stroking it. Her hand came away oily. She scrunched up her face in disgust, tearing off a napkin from the table to wipe her hands. ¡°Who knows what the system was thinking¡­ Anyway, these items were all given to me as game rewards.¡± She wiped down her hand as she spoke slowly, ¡°Since they were given to me, I¡¯m surely allowed to use them? It wouldn¡¯t make sense otherwise. As for it affecting balance¡­¡± She lifted her head to smile at it, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Inspector¡¯s job to worry about?¡± Inspector: Bai Youwei ignored it, put down the napkin, wheeled herself around in her chair, and gradually exited the dining room. The Inspector watched her retreating figure, emotions cresting and falling. Other people use items, but she¡­ She uses items to use items! Is it the same?!! ¡­However, there was one thing she got right¡ªmaintaining game balance is the responsibility of every Inspector! It took a deep breath, even though it didn¡¯t need to breathe, but with the increase in its data richness, its emotional responses were becoming more and more human-like. It lightly tapped the air with its fingers a few times. A ball fell from the sky ¡°Why did you call me here?¡± The ball surveyed its surroundings, ¡°Is this the game instance you are managing? Wow~ You have really put in a lot of effort, it looks very fancy~¡± Not in the mood for idle chatter, it asked the ball directly: ¡°I just inspected some data and found a player with rewards obtained from instance No. 7016! That is your jurisdiction, this reward will clearly severely disrupt game balance! Why would you give them to the player?! Don¡¯t you know it could interfere with the normal operation of other games?!¡± The ball paused before scoldingly replying: ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t assume that just because you have richer data samples that you can yell at me! You¡¯re just a trainee Inspector! Don¡¯t gloat in front of me!¡± The ball slammed the floor in fury! A crater appeared on the floor. The ball had disappeared. The Inspector, frustrated, called for the ball again: ¡°Instance No. 7016 is your responsibility! You must return to repair this loophole! That person also has a rabbit in their possession; I can¡¯t track down the instance record!¡± The ball didn¡¯t appear, only its voice echoed: ¡°Fix it yourself! I¡¯m not helping you!¡± The Inspector gritted its teeth: ¡°I am a trainee Inspector! I don¡¯t have enough authority!¡± This time, no response came. Just as it was about to call out a few more times, it heard the ball tauntingly respond: ¡°You deserve it.¡± Inspector: Why is it my fault? It¡¯s your mess to begin with!!! Bai Youwei was giving the rabbit a bath in the bathroom. When it was used to carry dishes, its fluffy paws unavoidably got stained with oil and soup. Cleaning it was a lot of trouble. Zhu Shu and Su Man returned from outside, following the sound of running water to find Bai Youwei in the bathroom. ¡°Did you guys find anything?¡± Bai Youwei asked, wringing out the rabbit whose round head was twisted into a twisty bun by her. Both Zhu Shu and Su Man shook their heads, looking both weary and dejected. ¡°The third floor is the same as the second, filled with gold, silver, jewelry and rare collectibles, clocks, blankets, models¡­ but we never found a locked room.¡± Bai Youwei asked: ¡°Did you count them? How many rooms are on the third floor?¡± They hesitated a moment. ¡°You didn¡¯t count them, did you?¡± Bai Youwei placed the rabbit down and looked at them. ¡°Over one hundred, I guess¡­¡± Su Man hesitated, ¡°There were too many rooms. We started feeling dizzy looking for them all, so we forgot to keep count.¡± Zhu Shu muttered with sudden realization: ¡°The layouts of the upper and lower floors are exactly the same, so the third floor should also have 128 rooms. If any floor is missing a room, that would mean the locked room is somehow hidden!¡± Grabbing on to the understanding, she turned to go and count, ¡°I¡¯m going to go count!¡± ¡°Come back.¡± Bai Youwei stopped her, ¡°Have you visited the basement?¡± Chapter 341 - Chapter 341: Chapter 341 Duke is back (Added more for Yurand) Chapter 341: Chapter 341 Duke is back (Added more for Yurand) Translator: 549690339 ¡°Yu Yaqing went with people. Zhu Shu was worried about you, so we came back first,¡± Su Man asked, ¡°Shall we go to the basement now?¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment and shook her head: ¡°Forget it. We should save some time and go to the courtyard. If Yu Yaqing finds any clues, she won¡¯t hide them.¡± She thought Yu Yaqing was as straightforward as iron. She might be disliked, but she would never engage in plotting and scheming. The day gradually darkened and the sun set faster than they had imagined. Everyone instinctively quickened their steps. Apart from the seven rooms for the brides on the first floor, the rest are all empty. The rooms on the second and third floors were filled with gold, silver, and jewels. The basement was full of odds and ends and dust ¨C there was nothing suspicious to be found. Apart from flowers, there was nothing to be found in the courtyard. They had spent a whole day searching and had found nothing. The outside was getting darker¡­ Finally, the seven brides gathered in the hall. Zhao Lanfen collapsed on the sofa, panting heavily, ¡°You all look for it. I can¡¯t go on anymore. I can¡¯t take another step!¡± Her hair was loose, her back was soaked, and her white wedding dress clung to her body like a pale spiderweb. Cheng Xi was in the same desolate state, soaked through and through. Both she and Zhao Lanfen had never been involved in games or mazes before. Their physical condition was the worst among the seven of them. They really couldn¡¯t handle running around inside such a large mansion. Bai Youwei looked at the setting sun outside and said softly, ¡°I remember there were some weapons in a room on the second floor. Let¡¯s have a look and pick some out. It¡¯s better to be prepared in case something happens later.¡± The game was not allowed to bring in weapons, but players were allowed to use the items in the game. Yu Yaqing and Hu Ya stood up to pick weapons. Cheng Xi and Zhao Lanfen, who were too tired to move, also forced themselves to stand up. In the end, everyone except Bai Youwei ended up with a knight¡¯s sword. When the dinner bell rang, the Inspector laughed when he saw these women, with solemn expressions, dragging heavy iron swords into the dining room. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? Dine with the Duke with your weapons! Like you¡¯re plotting to kill your own husband. Aren¡¯t you afraid the Duke will be angry?¡± At his words, their faces changed, and they were at a loss whether to hold or drop their swords. Zhu Shu looked at everyone and said softly, ¡°The Duke will not be angry. We are just worried about him going out early and coming back late every day, so we want to give him a sword for self-defense. Quickly hide the sword under the table. This is a surprise gift we prepared, and we can¡¯t let the Duke see it in advance.¡± Her words were so convincing that even the Inspector took a second look at her. Just as they had hidden their swords, a sudden boom rang out from the main entrance! Without any warning, a huge figure appeared at the door! His appearance was so sudden that everyone was startled and turned to look, their faces changing! Included in the group was Bai Youwei, who was given a real fright! ¡°Where¡¯s my dinner?! Are you trying to starve me?!!¡± The man¡¯s voice was deep and resounding, his roaring echoingly throughout the entire hall! As he approached, they gradually saw what he looked like ¨C rather than calling ¡°he¡±, it was more appropriate to use ¡°it¡± because¡­.the Duke had clearly the face of a beast! He was dressed like a gentleman, but he was as big as a giant bear, his face covered with black, purplish thick mane! Under the lighting, it gleamed with a blue tint! Bluebeard! He was Bluebeard! Everyone felt a cold shiver, staring at him in horror. Another loud bang! A bloody buffalo fell onto the dining table out of nowhere, smashing the plates, shocking these women. The Duke grabbed the horns and hooves of the buffalo, and effortlessly ripped off its head! Then, he opened his mouth, took a bite into its leg, tore off the fresh, red meat with a squelch and swallowed it after chewing. ¡°My brides, why don¡¯t you eat?¡± The Duke¡¯s cold eyes swept over them, ¡°Could it¡­be that you don¡¯t want to dine with me?¡± Chapter 342 - Chapter 342: Chapter 342: Fighting (Extra for Quasimodo) Chapter 342: Chapter 342: Fighting (Extra for Quasimodo) Translator: 549690339 He ripped open the belly of a cow, blood and guts spilling out in a gush. He reached in, pulling out a slimy liver and, dripping with blood, tossed it onto the table! Thud. Blood splattered onto the bride¡¯s white dress. ¡°Taste it, this is the tastiest part.¡± He grinned, baring a fearsome smile, non-human fangs still holding chunks of bloody meat. Everyone at the table fell silent, none daring to move! Bai Youwei slightly frowned and closed her eyes, her face filled with undisguised disgust. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± The Duke¡¯s chilling smile vanished, his beast-like golden eyes narrowed, ¡°Don¡¯t you love me?!! You women! You liars!!!¡± He slammed the table in anger, cutlery crashing down in the violent tremor! Even the bloody cow seemed as if it would come to life at any moment! Zhao Lanfen was the first to crack, screaming and running away! ¡°Get back!¡± Yu Yaqing yelled. Enraged even further, the Duke roared and gave chase! Zhao Lanfen was falling apart, crying and screaming as she fled: ¡°Monster! Ahhhh monster!!!¡± Fear tends to spread. Seeing Zhao Lanfen running, Cheng Xi could sit no longer. Trembling, she approached Yu Yaqing and said with a pale face: ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s get out of here fast¡­¡± ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± A scream of agony echoed through the entire dining room! Zhao Lanfen, tripped by her long wedding dress, was caught by the Duke. With a few quick steps, he grabbed her by the hair! Feeling her impending doom, she screamed and struggled even though already captured! The skin on her scalp was pulled and twisted until it bled. She cried out continuously, but to no avail! Like a fish entangled in a white fishing net, her struggle was hopeless and brutal! The Duke dragged Zhao Lanfen by her hair, pulling her out of the dining room ¨C Su Man bent down to pick up a sword from under the table and ran after him! Seeing this, Yu Yaqing also armed himself with a sword and followed her. Hu Ya and Zhu Shu hesitated for a few seconds but eventually picked up weapons and ran after them. Cheng Xi, who was left behind, looked at her companions raising their swords against the Duke. Her face turned deathly pale as she asked in a trembling voice: ¡°Have you¡­ all gone mad? How could you possibly face him¡­¡± While saying this, she saw Bai Youwei moving in her wheelchair too. She was stunned and asked: ¡°You¡¯re going too?! Have you all gone insane?! The Duke is provoked, you¡¯ll die if you go there! He will kill you!!!¡± Bai Youwei frowned slightly, glanced at her, remained indifferent, and continued moving forward. Cheng Xi was filled with fear. However, she was more terrified of being alone. In the dining room, only her and a bloody cow remained, its blood was everywhere. The gooey, salty smell of blood filled the room, the cow¡¯s blood-red eyes staring at her¡­ Tears welled up in her eyes, she bit her lip, supporting her shaking legs, she went to follow Bai Youwei The women up ahead had already reached the spiral staircase in the hall. Su Man and Yu Yaqing surrounded the Duke from both sides, their cold, gleaming swords piercing into his back! Despite their force, the blades could only penetrate a bit before stopping as if meeting solid stone! The Duke roared in anger, turning and grabbing the swords, yanking them out! The initial wounds elicited by the swords grew significantly deeper due to his force. His densely thick fur was soaked with his own bright red blood. If anything, the loss of blood only made him more ferocious. He roared and flung Yu Yaqing, who was attacking with his sword from the other side, against the wall! Yu Yaqing spat out a mouthful of blood. Su Man, now swordless, took out a whip from her waist. Zhu Shu held her back, took out two beads, and hurled them forcefully at the Duke! Boom! One of the beads burst open by the Duke¡¯s ear! Chapter 343 - Chapter 343: Chapter 343: One Dead Chapter 343: Chapter 343: One Dead Translator: 549690339 ¡°Water Monster¡¯s unwanted egg ¨C it hurts to be hit by it and there¡¯s a 20% chance of triggering a Thunder Blast Effect.¡± The bead Zhu Shu threw out was like a bolt of lightning, mangling half of the Bluebeard¡¯s face into a bloody pulp! ¡°Ahh! My face!!!¡± The humanoid beast roared in a coarse voice, turning around, ¡°Damn woman! How dare you!¡± He roared, picking up the broken sword from the ground, and flung it fiercely at Zhu Shu! Su Man pulled Zhu Shu¡¯s hand to urgently dodge backwards, in the process of descending the stairs, they tripped, the sharp blade grazing Zhu Shu¡¯s upper arm, causing both to fall! The beads in their hands scattering all over! Zhu Shu didn¡¯t bother to get up, she knelt on the ground anxiously picking up the beads, and shouted at Su Man, ¡°We can¡¯t let him take Zhao Lanfen! Even if we can¡¯t save her, we still need to kill the Duke! Otherwise, he will continue killing tomorrow night!¡± ¡°He¡¯s getting away!¡± Yu Yaqing wiped the blood off from the corner of her mouth, picking up the sword she chased upstairs again. Bluebeard was faster! Despite his massive size, he wasn¡¯t clumsy at all, dragging Zhao Lanfen quickly up the spiral staircase, all the way to the third floor! Yu Yaqing, Su Man, and Hu Ya chased him from downstairs relentlessly, but when they reached the third floor, they found that both sides of the corridor were empty, there was no sign of Bluebeard. Bang! The sound of a door closing echoed through the hallway. The three women stood panting, looking left and right, wondering which room Bluebeard had entered. At that moment, a shrill scream rang out again! ¡°Ahhhhh!!!¡± Unaware of what torture she was enduring, Zhao Lanfen¡¯s scream was heart-wrenching! The scream echoed through the entire building, seeming to come from the right, yet also from the left. On careful listening, her voice was everywhere ¨C the high, vast ceiling, the winding staircase, the walls covered in vintage floral wallpaper! Chilling! ¡°Zhao Lanfen!¡± Yu Yaqing shouted, randomly opening a room and then running to another room, but no matter how she searched, she couldn¡¯t find Zhao Lanfen. The screams didn¡¯t stop. She screamed until her voice was hoarse, until she was gasping for breath, then it suddenly ended on a high note! ¡­It stopped. The entire building quieted down. Yu Yaqing gritted her teeth, punching the wall fiercely! She knew, Zhao Lanfen was dead. Silence, it¡¯s unknown how much time had passed, perhaps only a few seconds, perhaps several minutes¡­ Yu Yaqing took a deep breath, moved forward, and began to search every room. Su Man and Hu Ya also joined in. Since Bai Youwei had questioned about the number of rooms, Su Man started to count the number of rooms while searching. However, they had opened a total of 128 doors and found nothing! They were the same rooms filled with gold, silver, and jewels, no Bluebeard and no Zhao Lanfen, they had disappeared as if into thin air. The three women returned to the spiral staircase, all temporarily out of ideas. Hu Ya looked at Yu Yaqing blankly, hesitated, and asked, ¡°Team leader¡­ Should we continue searching?¡± Yu Yaqing closed her eyes for a moment, and said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs first.¡± Zhu Shu was downstairs, frustrated while picking up the beads. These items were too round and smooth, once dropped, they roll into unknown corners. Despite searching for a while she only managed to find 6. ¨C In the dollhouse, she was given 10 beads, she had used 2 just now, so there should still be 8 left. She was short by two beads, she couldn¡¯t find them no matter what. She looked up, intending to ask Cheng Xi to move, before she could open her mouth, Cheng Xi, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, yelled in a shrill voice: ¡°Why are you looking at me?! I didn¡¯t take your beads!!!¡± Zhu Shu replied, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°Go away!¡± Cheng Xi was mentally unstable, staring fiercely at Zhu Shu, ¡°Get away from me! Don¡¯t come near me!¡± Zhu Shu frowned, looked at her for a moment, didn¡¯t say anything, silently walked over to Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Zhu Shu glanced at Cheng Xi again, ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Chapter 344 - Chapter 344: Chapter 344: Screams Chapter 344: Chapter 344: Screams Translator: 549690339 Only two beads were left, and most likely, they were taken by Cheng Xi. But what could she do about it? Robbery, body search?¡­ Either way, it could be the final straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. Zhu Shu didn¡¯t want to do that. Because a person forced into a dead end can go crazy. Su Man, Yu Yaqing, and Hu Ya came down from upstairs, all looking upset. Zhu Shu asked them, ¡°Have you seen where Blue Beard went? Wherever he went could be the locked room, and the key to passing this level might be there!¡± Hu Ya said, ¡°He moved too fast, by the time we got to the third floor, we couldn¡¯t see him anymore, we only heard the door closing!¡± Hu Ya spoke hurriedly, as if eager to vent the suppressed and tense emotions from the third floor, emphatically saying, ¡°He was too fast! He crossed six or seven steps in one stride! Like a monster! ¡­No, that¡¯s wrong, he is a monster!¡± Zhu Shu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Were there no signs of dragging on the ground? Or footprints, scratch marks, anything?¡± Hu Ya shook her head, pale-faced. Su Man took over and explained, ¡°The carpet on the third floor is very old, there are traces in front of every door, it¡¯s impossible to distinguish.¡± After saying this, she paused and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°I counted the rooms, it¡¯s the same as the second floor ¨C 128. We checked each one and didn¡¯t find the Duke or Zhao Lanfen.¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows as she sat in her wheelchair, stroking her plush rabbit, deep in thought. Her mobility was limited, so she couldn¡¯t dash up and down the stairs like they did. Since Su Man and Hu Ya said as much, checking all over again probably wouldn¡¯t yield any changes. Unless they could come up with a new approach. Bai Youwei raised her head, looking towards the large crystal chandelier hanging in the middle of the hall. From this grand light fixture, the spiral staircase leading to the top floor could be seen, connected to the handrail on the third floor. ¡°The Inspector said that there are a total of four floors in this mansion, including the basement. Since you all saw the Duke head to the third floor, and the third floor is the highest, the locked room must be on the third floor.¡± She mumbled thoughtfully, ¡°¡­Is there a hidden compartment?¡± ¡°If there is a hidden compartment, we might have to wait until tomorrow to find it.¡± Yu Yaqing, who had been silent all along, spoke in a low voice, ¡°The light on the third floor is too dim, it would be very hard to find any clues.¡± This mansion was bathed in brilliant sunlight during the day, but became creepy and eerie at night, with the lights fading from level to level. The first-floor hall was brightly lit, the second floor was much dimmer, and by the time you got to the third floor, it was as dim as a dark alleyway, with the antique bulbs emitting a faint light. Upon hearing Yu Yaqing¡¯s words, Cheng Xi nearly burst into tears, ¡°We¡­we have to spend the night in this place? Will we¡­can we survive this night¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that,¡± Bai Youwei calmly said, ¡°It seems that the Duke can only kill one person each day. Even when you all attacked him just now, he merely defended himself while keeping one hand on Zhao Lanfen the entire time. He didn¡¯t actively attack you all before leaving, he must be bound by the rules of the game, only able to attack one bride at a time.¡± Zhu Shu had scorched half his face, and in his furious state, his most ferocious counterattack was merely throwing a broken sword at her. He didn¡¯t doggedly pursue Zhu Shu, nor did he entangle himself with Su Man and Yu Yaqing. He left quickly. ¡­Why so quickly? Was it his inherent speed, or was there another reason? ¡°He doesn¡¯t want his secret to be discovered¡­¡± Bai Youwei muttered thoughtfully, ¡°Could the secret be the same as in the fairy tale?¡± ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± A sudden scream interrupted her thoughts. Everyone was startled. Scream after scream, filled with utter terror! They all looked around, but couldn¡¯t discern where the voice was coming from. ¡°It¡¯s Zhao Lanfen¡­¡± Cheng Xi trembled behind Yu Yaqing, ¡°She¡­she¡¯s not dead¡­¡± Chapter 345 - Chapter 345: Chapter 345: It’s Fake Chapter 345: Chapter 345: It¡¯s Fake Translator: 549690339 ¡°It¡¯s fake.¡± Zhu Shu stated, ¡°This was her scream before she died; I can tell, it¡¯s identical.¡± However, this explanation failed to ease Cheng Xi¡¯s panic; on the contrary, her fear escalated! ¡°Why¡­ why are they making us listen to this sound?¡± Cheng Xi¡¯s voice quivered with tears, ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen¡­ I don¡¯t want to hear this sound¡­¡± Unable to stand it any longer, the quiet Yu Yaqing slammed her fist on the wall! With a crash, blood began seeping from between her fingers! ¡°Damn it!¡± She cursed under her breath, ¡°Damnable game! I won¡¯t lose! I won¡¯t let these monsters triumph!!!¡± Full of rage, she stormed towards the staircase, shouting, ¡°Hu Ya! Come! Let¡¯s check the third floor again!¡± Even though her fear had not yet fully subsided, upon hearing Yu Yaqing¡¯s voice, Hu Ya bit her lip and followed along. After thinking for a moment, Su Man told Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu, ¡°You two go back to your rooms first, I will go check the third floor.¡± The stairs were too steep for Bai Youwei, and Zhu Shu was not agile enough; if they were to go, they might not be able to help, but instead could become a burden. Both of them nodded, cautioning Su Man to be careful. While Cheng Xi was somewhat flustered, she asked them, ¡°What about me? What should I do?¡± ¡°You?¡± Su Man frowned, ¡°Go back to your own room then.¡± ¡°No!¡± Cheng Xi cried, ¡°Don¡¯t leave me alone! Please, let me come with you! I beg you!¡± To the point of kneeling down in front of Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu, she began to cry uncontrollably. By the looks of it, even if they rejected her, she would definitely insist stubbornly. ¡°If you want to come with us, then shut up,¡± Bai Youwei said in annoyance, ¡°If you dare to make any noise, do you believe I¡¯ll throw you outside!¡± Cheng Xi nodded repeatedly, covering her mouth with her hands. Only her tears were falling silently. The three of them returned to their rooms. Zhao Lanfen¡¯s terrifying scream echoed again. Startled, Cheng Xi trembled, and dared not utter a word behind Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu. Through the entire night, the screams never ceased. This mansion, as if harboring malicious intentions, released Zhao Lanfen¡¯s dying scream every time they were about to drift off to sleep, terrifying them out of their wits! It kept their nerves on edge! And wore them out! Finally, morning arrived, the sun came out, and the screaming stopped at last. Each of them had bloodshot eyes. The Inspector, who had disappeared all night, also appeared. He brought breakfast to each of them. Compared to the rich lunch from yesterday, today¡¯s breakfast was much more frugal. Each person received only a cup of milk and a piece of dry bread. Bai Youwei had no appetite. She didn¡¯t touch the bread, drank the milk, and then went back to her room to sleep. Seeing Bai Youwei¡¯s carefree attitude, Yu Yaqing, with a dark expression asked, ¡°At times like this, are you sure you can sleep?!¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to sleep?¡± Bai Youwei responded emotionless, ¡°Lack of sleep will affect my thought processes. I not only must sleep ¨C I suggest that you do the same, unless you feel you have enough energy to fight that monster until tonight ¨C if you¡¯ll excuse my frankness, I think that would be suicidal.¡± Yu Yaqing was annoyed, ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Leader¡­ let¡¯s rest a bit.¡± Hu Ya couldn¡¯t help but advised, ¡°Without any clues, it¡¯s unlikely we will have any breakthrough just by continuing the search¡­¡± They had not slept the entire night, and food was scarce; they simply didn¡¯t have enough strength to carry out another large-scale search of the mansion. After looking at the two of them, Su Man said, ¡°Rest then, three or four hours should be enough.¡± Yu Yaqing bit her lower lip. After a long pause, her expression finally softened. She nodded. They spent the entire morning resting. The mansion was very quiet. Then lunch arrived, and the Inspector rang the meal bell Ding dong, ding dong¡­ Chapter 346 - Chapter 346: Chapter 346: Trying One’s Luck Chapter 346: Chapter 346: Trying One¡¯s Luck Translator: 549690339 ¡°Beautiful brides, did you sleep well last night?¡± The Inspector stood by the dining table with a smile, his graceful manners unchanged from yesterday. Bai Youwei wheeled past him, saying lightly, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well. The soundproofing is too poor. There was noise all night.¡± There was no sarcasm in her words. It was just a simple statement. Her mind was constantly thinking about the clues in the game. She really wasn¡¯t in the mood for a verbal sparring with the Inspector. However, the Inspector took her every word very seriously. ¡°So, do you need me to change your room?¡± a cartoonishly handsome smile crossed his lips. ¡°The third floor is the quietest. Do you want to switch to a room on the third floor?¡± The third floor. Zhao Lanfen had disappeared on the third floor. Cheng Xi, Hu Ya, Yu Yaqing, Zhu Shu, and Su Man, all changed their expressions, staring at the Inspector with vigilance. Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair came to a stop. She frowned, turned her head, and said displeasedly, ¡°Are you brainless? Look at my legs. How am I supposed to get to the third floor? By flying?!¡± Inspector: ¡°[Silent]¡± Ignoring him, Bai Youwei wheeled to the dining table in a bad mood, ate a few bites, but her expression became increasingly annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite; I¡¯ll take these back to my room to eat.¡± She brazenly consolidated several dishes onto one plate, put it on her lap, held a tropical fruit platter in her hand, and left the room. The others followed suit, saying they didn¡¯t have the appetite and needed to eat back in their rooms. They knew very well that they couldn¡¯t eat dinner tonight, so they all took double or even triple rations for fear of having nothing to eat later. Soon, there was no one left in the dining room. Only the Inspector remained. He watched as the women left, his polite smile freezing at the corners of his mouth as his expression grew colder¡­ Suddenly, he laughed. There was no need to be angry. What if she got an unfair tool? As long as she died here, the mistake would be naturally corrected. And his game would continue to create value for the system. Other Inspectors were right. He was indeed a bit overinvested. Moderation in the game, moderation¡­ The Inspector slowly left the dining room¡­ The women were eating lunch in Bai Youwei¡¯s room. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know how this came about. Maybe because Zhu Shu and Su Man wanted to eat with her, Yu Yaqing wanted to find Su Man. Hu Ya and Cheng Xi followed Yu Yaqing, and it ended up that everyone was gathering and eating in her room. Yu Yaqing said, ¡°The light was too dim last night, we couldn¡¯t find any clues. After lunch, we should go to the third floor again to see if we can find anything.¡± ¡°Going again?¡± Bai Youwei asked casually while eating, ¡°We¡¯ve been there several times already. Shouldn¡¯t we look somewhere else?¡± ¡°Where else?¡± Hu Ya chimed in, ¡°The Duke left traces of his disappearance on the third floor. We saw it clearly!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°What I meant was, shouldn¡¯t we look for clues somewhere else? After all, we¡¯ve been to the third floor many times. Going there a few more times may not yield any results.¡± She had always been very calm, so even though Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t particularly like her, she wouldn¡¯t underestimate her, and asked seriously, ¡°Where do you think we should look?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I plan to go to the basement. I heard there¡¯s a cage down there.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°There is indeed a cage, but it¡¯s empty and the other parts of the basement are cluttered with various items, empty bottles, rotten wood, broken cans and the like. We¡¯ve already searched it all.¡± ¡°I want to look again,¡± Bai Youwei answered calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about where the locked room is, and then I thought, isn¡¯t the locked room the jail? So, since we haven¡¯t found anything on the third floor, why not take a chance in the basement?¡± Chapter 347 - Chapter 347: Chapter 347 Basement (Extra Update/Bonus Chapter with Monthly Tickets!!!) Chapter 347: Chapter 347 Basement (Extra Update/Bonus Chapter with Monthly Tickets!!!) Translator: 549690339 Yu Yaqing contemplated for a moment before nodding, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make another trip to the basement.¡± After the six women had finished lunch, they tidied up and headed together to the basement. The mansion¡¯s basement had no lights. Each of them took a candlestick for illumination. Once they reached the basement, they used the candlelight to light up the torches hanging on the walls. The basement was cold, damp, and gloomy. On one side, there was a damp and icy stone wall, while the other side had iron-made prison cells. It was unclear what had been imprisoned in the cells; it could have been humans or animals. Some dry straw was scattered all over inside the prison cells, but aside from that, there was nothing else. Surprisingly, there was quite a lot of stuff leaning against the bars of the prison cells. Like Yu Yaqing mentioned, there were empty wine bottles, rusty iron cans and rotting wooden boxes. As soon as you opened them, a strong smell of mold and dust pounced on you, making people cough. They continued walking past a long row of prison cells. They walked to the very end. Bai Youwei, who stood before the door of the last prison cell, said, ¡°Someone come and see if you can open this.¡± Su Man stepped forward and tugged at the lock on the door, then looked up at them and said, ¡°It¡¯s locked.¡± Although the previous cells were also closed, they weren¡¯t locked, just loosely fastened with iron chains, and the doors could be pushed open. Unexpectedly, the last cell was actually locked. Surprisingly, Yu Yaqing¡¯s eyes went wide as she glanced unconsciously at Hu Ya and Cheng Xi beside her. Hu Ya and Cheng Xi also looked shocked, and muttered, ¡°We had examined it all before¡­¡± When Yu Yaqing first brought people down here, indeed, they thoroughly checked each cell. However, by the end, some cells had only been glanced over¡ªafter all, even without entering, they could easily look in through the bars. Considering the dim lighting and eerie ambiance, along with over a hundred cells, all heightened their psychological exhaustion and anxiety For various reasons, they didn¡¯t manage to notice the peculiarity of the final cell. Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help but ask Bai Youwei, ¡°How did you know there was something wrong with this cell?¡± Bai Youwei had been sitting in her wheelchair all this time, not even touching the cells. Why was it that she had detected the cell¡¯s anomaly before they did? ¡°Because this is the 129th cell,¡± Bai Youwei casually explained, ¡°Since we came in, I¡¯ve been counting. Any extra cells would definitely have issues, but not necessarily the last one. We found it out now, I guess we¡¯re just lucky.¡± Lucky? Yu Yaqing never believed in luck; she only believed in strength. She narrowed her eyes slightly and studied Bai Youwei, who was sitting in her wheelchair, ¡°You¡¯ve played a lot of games.¡± She asserted confidently. Bai Youwei glanced at her without denying, ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve played a lot, and I understand the little tricks in the games better than you do.¡± No boasting, no showing off, just stating facts. Everyone was at a loss for words. After a moment of silence, Yu Yaqing spoke up, ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡± She turned around and called, ¡°Hu Ya, come with me to find something to unlock this.¡± Hu Ya immediately picked up her candlestick and hurried after Yu Yaqing. In one of the rooms upstairs, there was an array of weapon collections, from saddles, armor, swords, bows to crossbows. Almost everything was there. Both of them managed to find some large axes and swords, returning to the basement and unlocking the door. The six women walked in. The last cell was just like the other cells. Aside from the mess of straw on the ground, there was nothing else. ¡°What the hell¡­ she¡¯s so high-and-mighty as if she looks down on us, but she still got it wrong. We¡¯ve done all this for nothing,¡± Hu Ya muttered resentfully. She didn¡¯t like Bai Youwei, a cripple who relied on others to survive, yet didn¡¯t know how to read people. She acted full of herself and ignored everyone. Cheng Xi suited her better. At least Cheng Xi knew that times had changed and was honest in her actions and words. Chapter 348 - Chapter 348: Chapter 348 The End of the Passage Chapter 348: Chapter 348 The End of the Passage Translator: 549690339 ¡°Quick, everyone! Come over here!¡± Zhu Shu, who was touching a wall, exclaimed in surprise, ¡°The temperature over here is different!¡± Yu Yaqing walked over, raised her hand to feel it, then touched the wall next to it, her voice resonating in the silence, ¡°The bricks here are warmer and drier, there must be a space behind it.¡± Su Man squatted down, swept away the straw at the root of the wall, and declared out loud, ¡°The bricks are loose.¡± The women quickly squatted down to pry at the bricks. Hu Ya momentarily felt awkward. Bai Youwei glanced at her disinterestedly, and said, ¡°It¡¯s completely normal for me to look down on you.¡± Hu Ya: Layer by layer, the loose bricks were removed, revealing a faint glow from within. Yu Yaqing then pounded on it fiercely, causing a ring of bricks to collapse! A square passage capable of accommodating an adult had revealed itself in the dungeon wall. The passage was deep and seemed to lead upwards; the inner wall bore scratch marks and splotches of blood, along with strands of hair and broken nails. It looked like a chute for dumping corpses. As for why it was blocked, no one knew. Maybe it was simply to dupe their eyes. Yu Yaqing wrapped the hindering wedding dress skirt around her waist, bent down to crawl into the passage, and said, ¡°Hu Ya, follow me.¡± Hu Ya hesitated a little. No one knew where the passage led, and anything could happen. Perhaps they might see Zhao Lanfen¡¯s brutal death, or find a trace of Bluebeard himself. And if the monster went mad again, wouldn¡¯t they be walking into a trap? She was at a loss as to how to persuade Yu Yaqing, who was always firm in her actions¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Suddenly, Su Man spoke. She also tied the wedding dress skirt around her waist, disregarding whether it looked graceful or not, and followed Yu Yaqing into the passage. Yu Yaqing inside frowned, ¡°Your hand is injured, you won¡¯t be able to move easily in the passage.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been resting all night, my hand is fine now as long as you don¡¯t twist my wrist like last time,¡± the usually serious Su Man self-mockingly quipped. Thinking about what had happened, Su Man still felt slightly bitter. She had never lost a battle among women, but to her surprise, the one to defeat her was Yu Yaqing. ¡°You follow behind me, but keep your distance. In case something happens to me, slide down immediately, inform the others at the bottom, and seal off the passage. Then think of another way, ¡± Yu Yaqing instructed. Su Man nodded. The two of them entered the passage one after the other, leaving the remaining four women waiting below. The air in the passage differed from the gloominess of the basement; it was warm. The higher Yu Yaqing went, the hotter it felt. Sweating profusely, her crawling elbows and knees began to slip. She held her breath, becoming more cautious with every move. Behind her, Su Man, as if sensing something, also slowed down. Finally, they reached the end of the passage. Something unknown had blocked it. Yu Yaqing cautiously reached out to touch it; it was made of metal and a bit hot, but not enough to cause a burn, it was still within the limits of what she could endure. She went closer to listen, but didn¡¯t hear anything. She then deliberately knocked on the metal to probe if there was any movement beyond. Still, there was no sound. Yu Yaqing torn off the skirt wrapped around her waist, layered it over her hand several times, and then pressed against the metallic object at the end of the passage, pushing it forcefully! Squeak The metal made a cringing, ear-piercing noise as it scraped the floor, and a heavy stench of blood assaulted their noses! At last, the view beyond the passage was revealed to Yu Yaqing, who covered her mouth and nose in shock, staring wide-eyed. It was beyond words! A sight drenched in blood, to put it mildly. Everywhere she saw, it was bloody red! Gory! Ancient torture racks lined the room, their surfaces covered in dried, solidified blood, bearing witness to countless silent screams of tormented souls! Chapter 349 - Chapter 349: Chapter 349: Traces of the Mechanism Chapter 349: Chapter 349: Traces of the Mechanism Translator: 549690339 ¡°Yu Yaqing?¡± After a moment of silence, Su Man called out to her from below. ¡°Yu Yaqing, are you okay?¡± Finally coming back to her senses, she wanted to speak, but found her throat was dry and hoarse. Yu Yaqing closed her eyes to recuperate a moment before replying, ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s up there? Is it safe?¡± Su Man asked again. Yu Yaqing exhaled slowly, composed herself, and opened her eyes again ¡°Up here¡­ it¡¯s a large room, very dark, lit by a few fire pits, but the fire inside seems to be dying out¡­ There are¡­ seven torture racks spread around, but no sign of Bluebeard.¡± She crawled out a bit further, lifting herself up to afford a wider view. That¡¯s when she noticed a pale figure lying on the floor in front of her. Her body froze instantly. ¡°Don¡¯t come up yet.¡± Yu Yaqing commanded with a serious expression, staring at the figure before her. ¡°There¡¯s someone up here, it might be Zhao Lanfen. Let me check it out first, then you can come up if it¡¯s safe.¡± Down below, Su Man fell silent for two seconds before replying, ¡°Be careful.¡± She couldn¡¯t simply go and help because at the bottom of the passage, there were other companions waiting for her to bring back news. Yu Yaqing cautiously exited the passage, slowly stood up and began to walk step by step towards the figure. As she got closer, she realized it wasn¡¯t Zhao Lanfen, but a man. A man laying there unconscious. He was dressed in a medieval classic white shirt with broad sleeves shaped like lanterns and an elaborately frilled collar ¡ª grandiose yet beautifully flamboyant. The man looked frail, his skin was pale, his breathing faint. Yu Yaqing finally let out a sigh of relief. Despite her bravery, even surpassing that of a typical man, her subconscious still dreaded facing scenes of brutality or bloodshed. Yu Yaqing returned to the entrance of the passage and informed those below, ¡°There¡¯s an unconscious man here. He doesn¡¯t seem to be dangerous. You can come up now.¡± At her words, Su Man began to climb up. The moment she climbed up, she was rooted to the spot by what she saw. Goosebumps erupted all over her body as she exclaimed disgustingly, ¡°¡­How perverted!¡± Looking at the torture devices, even Yu Yaqing was at a loss for words, ¡°Unexpected, isn¡¯t it? Men and women are just people¡­ yet they can make devices like this¡­ as if they derive pleasure out of torturing females. Tell me, why did these men think it? Were they not born to mothers?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that¡­¡± Su Man frowned, surveying the torture devices. ¡°These are relics from medieval Europe, a dark period full of pillage and slaughter, devoid of law and order. People back then were more barbaric and cruel. Such things wouldn¡¯t exist today!¡± Yu Yaqing smiled wryly, uttering in a low voice, ¡°Only because you haven¡¯t encountered them. To free ourselves from the yoke of men, we have to be stronger.¡± Su Man didn¡¯t want to discuss gender issues at such a time. She furrowed her brows and looked around, asking, ¡°Is this the third floor? How did we miss such a huge room before?¡± ¡°The door is here.¡± Yu Yaqing located the door, grabbed the handle and pulled it open Behind the door was a wall. She was taken aback. She pushed the wall and found that it was movable, able to rotate a full 180 degrees! ¡°So the mechanism is here.¡± Su Man was also amazed. The two women shifted the stone wall 90 degrees together, forming two exits. Outside was the corridor of the third floor! Then it dawned on Yu Yaqing, ¡°If we can¡¯t open the door from inside, even if we found traces of a mechanism on the third floor, we wouldn¡¯t be able to get in. Only when the door on the inside is opened, is there enough space for the stone wall to rotate.¡± Su Man stepped out, took a look at the corridors on both sides, and said, ¡°I will go down and inform them.¡± Chapter 350 - Chapter 350: Chapter 350 Gardener Chapter 350: Chapter 350 Gardener Translator: 549690339 When Su Man led Bai Youwei and the others to the third floor, the man in the torture chamber was also regaining consciousness. Upon seeing a group of women in front of him, he didn¡¯t seem surprised and introduced himself as the mansion¡¯s gardener. The gardener, due to his handsome appearance, was imprisoned by the Duke here. Whenever the Duke wanted to test a new bride, he would let him out, and if the bride had even the slightest contact with the gardener, it would provoke the Duke¡¯s anger. After hearing this, everyone understood that this man was likely a NPC from within the game. However, it was quite rare for an NPC with its own plot to appear in the game¡­ Since they were all presumably oppressed by the Duke, and all shared the same tragically unfortunate circumstances, the gardener had a friendly attitude towards them and told them: ¡°The Duke only executes brides that make mistakes. As long as you don¡¯t make any, there is no danger.¡± ¡°How can we avoid making mistakes?¡± Zhu Shu asked, ¡°He killed one of our companions during dinner last night.¡± The gardener replied: ¡°You cannot remove the wedding dresses that symbolize your identities, you cannot refuse to dine with the Duke, you cannot speak to any men other than the Duke¡­ As long as you do not anger the Duke, he will not harm you.¡± ¡°But we have already disobeyed his orders¡­¡± Cheng Xi trembled as she spoke, ¡°We entered the locked room¡­ We¡­ We also talked to a man other than the Duke¡­¡± As she spoke, she looked at the torture instruments inside the room, her heart chilled. She instinctively stepped back but unexpectedly hit a witch¡¯s chair and pricked her hand back, scaring her into screaming. The witch¡¯s chair, an ancient tool of torture, had nails on its back and armrests. Sitting on it, the nails would continuously puncture the body. During the Middle Ages, countless innocent women had been executed as witches on this chair. Cheng Xi¡¯s hand was only slightly pricked, but her mind was perilously close to breaking down! She covered her hand, shouting in terror, ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here! I want to go back to my room!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small prick! It¡¯s not like your hand got chopped off! Can¡¯t you calm down?!¡± Hu Ya berated her, ¡°Keep this up, you¡¯ll alarm Bluebeard!¡± Cheng Xi¡¯s eyes widened, as though she was terrified. She curled up, glancing left and right fearfully, as if she feared Bluebeard would suddenly pop out from a corner. Su Man had always disliked this girl who was always flaunting herself in front of Li Li, but she really didn¡¯t feel good looking at her unraveled state now. After examining all the torture instruments in the torture chamber, Bai Youwei asked the gardener, ¡°Do you know how to leave this place?¡± The gardener paused a bit before answering, ¡°To leave this place, you must find the key.¡± ¡°Key?¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes slightly, ¡°The Inspector told us that to leave, we must become the last bride. He did not mention needing to find a key.¡± The gardener shook his head upon hearing this, ¡°I don¡¯t what the last bride means. I only know that if you want to leave this place, you need the door key to the mansion. The Duke has hidden that key somewhere in this mansion.¡± Bai Youwei frowned and silently scrutinized him. The Inspector wanted them to become the last bride, while the NPC told them to find a key. Was it the Inspector playing a word game, or was an NPC lying? Zhu Shu whispered beside her, ¡°The NPC might have limited information, so it¡¯s normal if he doesn¡¯t know the Inspector¡¯s clue. I think we can look for the key.¡± After some thought, Bai Youwei tested him, ¡°Isn¡¯t it that we have to kill the Duke to leave this place?¡± ¡°Kill the Duke?¡± The gardener¡¯s voice suddenly got higher, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! No matter how severely injured the Duke is, he heals very quickly. No one can hurt him! You should find the key as soon as possible! If you wait until sunset, it will be too late!¡± Chapter 351 - Chapter 351: Chapter 351: I’m Not Him Chapter 351: Chapter 351: I¡¯m Not Him Translator: 549690339 The Gardener¡¯s urging sent panic through their hearts. He kept mentioning the key. The key, the key! With such a large estate, hundreds of rooms upstairs and downstairs, how are they supposed to find the key? Bai Youwei felt irritated, she thought there was something fishy about the Gardener. But when it came to articulating her suspicions, she was at a loss for words. If she really had to say¡­ Perhaps it was the man¡¯s appearance that made her feel uncomfortable. This Gardener, despite possessing a distinctively European look, somehow reminded her of Shen Mo. Both had prominent noses and deep-set eyes¡­ Are all handsome men¡¯s features similar when looked at individually? The Gardener added, ¡°There are hundreds of rooms here, so you must spread out to search for the key. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to find it before the sun sets.¡± They were indeed running out of time. The women discussed again briefly, deciding to follow the Gardener¡¯s advice and search for the key separately. Everyone felt it was unlikely they would find such a small key in such a vast place, but they had no choice but to try. Hu Ya was losing her patience as she rummaged through the room. This room was decorated with various clocks, each a masterpiece in its own right. But she had no mood to appreciate them, as she frantically searched for the key to the main door as the Gardener had mentioned. ¡°Have you found the key?¡± Somewhere along the way, the handsome Gardener walked in, saying to her kindly, ¡°If you¡¯re tired, take a break.¡± Hu Ya retorted irritably, ¡°No, this place is too big. It takes forever just to search one room, let alone all the rooms!¡± After grumbling a bit, she realized that she was talking to an NPC and found it absurd that she was arguing with it and stopped talking. Unexpectedly, the Gardener continued the conversation with her. ¡°As long as you keep looking, you¡¯re bound to find it.¡± He comforted her kindly, speaking softly, ¡°You still have a chance to leave, but I must stay here forever. Doesn¡¯t that make you feel a bit better?¡± Hu Ya looked up at him in astonishment. He¡¯s an NPC and of course can¡¯t leave the game, but¡­ He¡¯s just an NPC, why does he seem so human-like? Maybe she stared at him too long, the Gardener smilingly said, ¡°Please don¡¯t look at me like that. If stared at by such a lovely lady like you, I would blush.¡± Hu Ya blushed slightly. No boy had ever complimented her this way before, and she felt embarrassed¡­ even though he was an NPC. ¡°Lovely¡­ what¡­¡± she murmured back, ¡°Those are just sweet nothings.¡± ¡°They¡¯re sincere.¡± The Gardener replied gently, ¡°You look cute when you¡¯re serious.¡± Hu Ya was taken aback for a moment, then looked at the Gardener again, her expression slowly changing¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The Gardener asked softly. ¡°No¡­nothing.¡± Hu Ya gave a sheepish laugh and averted her gaze, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve thought since a while ago, you look like someone I know¡­¡± The Gardener asked, ¡°Really? Like who?¡± As Hu Ya casually continued her search, she was reminded of the past, ¡°You look like my senior. He¡­ was really handsome, very smart, and he also said something similar, that I looked cute when I was serious¡­¡± Hu Ya paused, her expression freezing in place. The boys in her class never liked her. They mocked her, saying she was too robust, too fierce, too loud, her clothes too outdated. They even teased her with various nicknames. Only that senior was kind to her. She wondered how he was doing now¡­ ¡°No wonder I felt a sense of familiarity when I saw you.¡± The Gardener said with a smile, ¡°It must be the system projection at work.¡± Hu Ya was momentarily stunned, then asked him, ¡°You mean¡­my thoughts of him might have influenced you?¡± ¡°Perhaps, to some extent.¡± The Gardener moved closer to her, gazing at her gently, ¡°So I felt your longing, and your pain.¡± Tears welled up in Hu Ya¡¯s eyes. She whispered, ¡°¡­ Are you him? My senior?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not him, but I can help you like he did.¡± The Gardener gently took Hu Ya¡¯s hand. Chapter 352 - Chapter 352: Chapter 352: A Key (Extra update for stinky tofu) Chapter 352: Chapter 352: A Key (Extra update for stinky tofu) Translator: 549690339 Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling! A sudden and urgent ringing sound echoed! Hu Ya quickly came to her senses. She hastily let go of the Gardener¡¯s hand, her heart greatly embarrassed! What was she thinking?! How could she be holding hands with an NPC?! NPCs are created for games! They are virtual! They are not real at all! Meanwhile, the incessant chiming of the clock was discomposing her mind. ¡°Why is it suddenly making so much noise, it¡¯s deafening¡­¡± Hu Ya irritably looked around until she spotted an alarm clock. The clock was of an ancient design and quite solid. It was enclosed by a wooden case with floral patterns and statues of angels. Unable to locate any mechanism to stop the ringing alarm, she was irritated and upset and she lifted the alarm clock to slam it on the table! ¡°What a piece of junk! Stop ringing!¡± Thud! The wooden bottom fell off revealing a metal key that dropped to the ground. Simultaneously, the ringing also ceased. Hu Ya was startled as she stared at the key on the floor, not believing her own eyes. She actually found it? Is it really the key to complete the level? ¡°See, I told you,¡± the Gardener smiled warmly from the side. ¡°As long as you persist in searching, you will certainly find it.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Hu Ya picked up the key and immediately headed towards the door, ¡°I have to tell the team leader!¡± ¡°Please wait.¡± The Gardener suddenly held her back, ¡°You can¡¯t tell the others.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hu Ya immediately became vigilant, ¡°Why can¡¯t I tell the others?¡± Looking suspiciously at the Gardener, she pulled her hand back and said in a chilly voice, ¡°Listen, don¡¯t you try anything tricky with me. I am not easily deceived like those other girls!¡± The Gardener sighed softly past her protective wall, ¡°I said I would help you. In fact, there is something that I didn¡¯t tell you all earlier. Only one bride can escape from here. If you give the key to others¡­ Hu Ya, I am genuinely worried about you.¡± Hu Ya was stunned, ¡°Why¡­why can only one person leave even when we have found the key?¡± ¡°Because the carriage only comes on Sunday. Without the carriage, anyone who escapes will be caught by the Duke.¡± The Gardener took her hand once again, bent over and whispered in her ear. ¡°The duke kills a bride every night, Hu Ya. If you want to get out of here, you must persist until Sunday, to be the last bride.¡± Hu Ya stared blankly at him, her heart in a turmoil and her mind chaotic. The key in her hand suddenly felt incredibly heavy, even prickly, as if it was piercing her palm. ¡°Only¡­only one can escape?¡± She muttered in a daze, ¡°Can¡¯t one more person come along? What about the team leader¡­?¡± ¡°Her?¡± The Gardner looked extremely concerned. ¡°If she is left till the end¡­¡± ¡°No! What I mean is¡­ is that the two of us¡­¡± Hu Ya hastily started explaining, but halted midway. She looked more lost than before. If she and Yu Yaqing were the last ones left, and there was only a single chance for survival, then¡­ would Yu Yaqing spare her? No¡­ That won¡¯t happen. Who doesn¡¯t want to live? Aren¡¯t we all trapped here, looking for a chance to survive?! So anyone can be left behind, except for Yu Yaqing! Because Yu Yaqing is the only person she definitely cannot overcome! ¨C That crying Cheng Xi! That injured Su Man! That simperingly fragile Zhu Shu! Or that wheel-chair bound Bai Youwei! She can beat all of them! Only Yu Yaqing! Her fingers slowly clenched into a fist. The key in her palm deeply embedded into her skin. Hu Ya stood there, stunned. Was she¡­ going to turn on Yu Yaqing now? Yu Yaqing pulled open a drawer and opened a jewellery box. The sparkling treasure didn¡¯t interest her, she was just frowning and searching, looking for the key. The sound of footsteps echoed at the entrance, she swiftly turned around, her gaze stern and demanding: ¡°Who is it?!¡± The gardener slowly walked into the room, raising his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed, I just¡­ wanted to help you.¡± Chapter 353 - Chapter 353: Chapter 353: Two Keys Chapter 353: Chapter 353: Two Keys Translator: 549690339 ¡°No need,¡± replied Yu Yaqing coldly, continuing her search for the key. Without leaving, the Gardener slowly approached her. ¡°Stop!¡± Yu Yaqing turned abruptly, pointing an iron sword at the Gardener, ¡°Stay where you are! Speak up! What are you trying to do?!¡± ¡°You seem to be very repulsive towards men,¡± the Gardener raised his hands, gesturing he meant no harm, ¡°Please believe me, I won¡¯t harm you. I only want to help you escape¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your help,¡± she retorted coldly, ¡°I can save myself! You¡¯re just a game NPC! How can you save others? It seems to me you¡¯re just trying to manipulate the situation to please your Duke master!¡± She looked at the Gardener with utter disgust, venting her anger, ¡°I will not trust you! You, the Duke, the Inspector and this damned game are all the same, all loathsome! You all want to enslave us!¡± The Gardener looked at her. After a while, he calmly started, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be angry. As you mentioned, I am just an NPC. I am here to give you a clue.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°What clue?¡± ¡°The key,¡± the Gardener said, ¡°There¡¯s more than one. They can be real, or they can be fake.¡± Yu Yaqing¡¯s face changed color¡­ ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°Everyone will receive clues, and everyone¡¯s clues are different.¡± Looking at her, the Gardener said, ¡°Your clue is that only one key is real ¨C you can choose to share this clue, but I must remind you, your companions may not share their clues with you.¡± Startled, Yu Yaqing blanked out, lost in thoughts for a moment. Without her noticing, the Gardener slowly moved closer to her. He looked frail, only up close could one realize that he was a man after all, taller and stronger than women¡­ He towered over Yu Yaqing, blocking the light before her, then bent down to whisper in her ear: ¡°The fewer people who complete the level, the richer the rewards. The survivors can inherit the rewards of the deceased players. If there¡¯s only one bride left, she can receive seven times the original reward. Of course¡­ I believe that more than any reward, you would like to save your companions. But your companions¡­ Do you think they would share the real key with you, if they found it?¡± Yu Yaqing pressed her lips together, saying nothing. The Gardener sighed sadly, ¡°Are you really going to make the same mistake twice? ¡­ Back then, you were imprisoned in a cellar along with a group of girls. In order to escape, you deceived your master into giving you a hairpin, planning to work the lock with the metal from the hairpin. But¡­ Your plan failed. Because you were too kind, you wanted to take everyone with you. They betrayed you, just because you were the master¡¯s favorite! Living in confinement wore down their will, and petty jealousy added to their stupidity! They were the informants! They were the traitors! They relied too much on men and lost their own personalities, betraying their comrades, depriving you of your chance to escape, and getting you beaten as punishment! ¡­¡± ¡°Stop it!!!¡± Yu Yaqing roared. She grabbed the Gardener by his collar. ¡°Why do you know all this?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± The Gardener looked calmly into her eyes, ¡°The moment I met you, this information just entered my brain. Maybe it¡¯s all part of the game setup, a test for you.¡± Yu Yaqing furiously shoved him away. Barely visible, a smile played at the corner of the Gardener¡¯s lips. Thrust backward, he crashed into a display cabinet behind him. Clang! A small, intricate box fell from the top of the cabinet, the lid flung open! Releasing the key that was once hidden inside! Yu Yaqing was startled into silence. After a while, she bent down to pick it up, examining the key in her hand. The Gardener¡¯s smile widened, ¡°Congratulations, the key you found is real.¡± Chapter 354 - Chapter 354: Chapter 354: The NPC is Strange Chapter 354: Chapter 354: The NPC is Strange Translator: 549690339 Congratulations, you¡¯ve found the ¡°True Key¡±. So, are you going to share it with your comrades? Will your comrades share their ¡°False Keys¡± with you? The fewer the people who pass, the more bountiful the reward. Who will be the traitor among them? Who harbors ill intent? The Gardener watched quietly at the changing expressions on Yu Yaqing¡¯s face. Her internal struggle, doubt, regret, and agony all served to enhance his pleasure! Women¡­ Selfish, greedy, vain, foolish! No matter how independent or strong they become, they are destined to be playthings! Women! Either conquer them with power or lose them in tenderness! They will eventually obey the words of men! So, which bride should he see next? He was eager to taste their suffering¡­ The Gardener left the room and walked leisurely along the corridor. As he passed a room, he saw Zhu Shu on tip-toes, struggling to remove a decorative painting on the wall. He walked in, intending to kindly ask: ¡°Do you need help¡­¡± Before he could finish, Su Man came over from the other side, swiftly taking down the painting, saying: ¡°You¡¯re too short, be careful the frame doesn¡¯t fall and hit your head.¡± ¡°I¡¯m 163cm, not too short, the painting is hung too high¡­¡± Zhu Shu looked behind the painting and showed disappointment, ¡°There¡¯s no key. I used to hide stuff behind paintings.¡± ¡°There are several other paintings over there, you can take them down and look.¡± Su Man turned around, only to see the Gardener at the door, and suspiciously asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The Gardener gave a gentle smile: ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡± ¡°Strange¡­¡± Su Man furrowed her brows, took a few steps closer to look at him, ¡°Why do I think you look¡­ uh¡­ a bit like Li Li?¡± ¡°You think he looks like Li Li?¡± Zhu Shu looked surprised, glanced from Su Man to the Gardener, ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it, which part does?¡± The Gardener slightly bowed: ¡°The sun is about to set, I have to get back to the dungeon, or if the Duke finds out, there might be trouble. I hope you find the key soon.¡± He turned and left, leaving the two women in mutual consternation. ¡°This NPC is so weird¡­¡± ¡°Never mind, ignore him. Let¡¯s continue looking for the key! Ah, where would the Duke hide the key? Such a hassle¡­¡± The Gardener continued along the corridor, occasionally looking over his shoulder with slight annoyance. He had told them to split up and look for the key, but those two were still together. Which bride is still alone now? He squinted his eyes slightly and spotted Bai Youwei ahead. She was sitting in a wheelchair, alone, stationed quietly at the entrance of the spiral staircase, gazing downstairs, seemingly lost in thought. No family, no friends, no healthy body, and naturally arrogant and sensitive! Which other woman could be a better ¡°target¡± than her? The Gardener approached her. ¡°Why are you here alone?¡± He asked with a smile, ¡°Everyone else is looking for the key, aren¡¯t you going to join them?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, closing her eyes. The Gardener took a few more steps towards her, softly asked: ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°I hate it when people talk to me while I¡¯m deep in thought.¡± Bai Youwei opened her eyes with evident displeasure, ¡°Can you get lost?¡± The Gardener: After a pause of two seconds, he rephrased his words: ¡°You might be able to protect yourself from harm with a thorny exterior, but you also often hurt yourself. If you stay here alone and the key is found by others, you¡¯ll be on the defensive. Do you want the situation to become like that? Have you not had enough of those passive days? You are clearly very smart, but because of your body, you are forced to passively accept all arrangements. No one asks if you like it, if you¡¯re happy with it, if you¡¯re willing¡­ Now, you¡¯ve finally tasted the flavor of initiative. Are you going to give it up?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him expressionlessly: ¡°I said, get lost.¡± Chapter 355 - Chapter 355: Chapter 355: Need Any Help? Chapter 355: Chapter 355: Need Any Help? Translator: 549690339 The gardener stood still in front of her. After a moment, he averted his gaze, preparing to shift to another target. However, before he could take ten steps, Bai Youwei called out to him from behind, saying, ¡°Hey, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± The gardener was taken aback, then a slight smirk played on his lips. Ah, women¡­ He turned around to face Bai Youwei with an understanding expression and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to see if the other brides need help.¡± ¡°Who could need more help than a cripple?¡± Bai Youwei said flatly, ¡°Just stay here and help me.¡± The gardener smiled, bowing politely, ¡°I am honored to serve you.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face revealed no emotion and she said lightly: ¡°Since I am the Duke¡¯s bride, the lady of this mansion, and you¡¯re a mere gardener, of course you should serve me.¡± The smile on the gardener¡¯s face faltered, ¡°¡­As long as it¡¯s within my means.¡± Bai Youwei pointed downwards: ¡°They¡¯re all looking for the key on the third floor. I want to search downstairs. Carry me down.¡± After a moment of thought, the gardener said, ¡°Alright.¡± He crouched down in front of Bai Youwei, waited for her to climb onto his back, then carried her downstairs. Upon reaching the first floor, he set Bai Youwei down on the couch in the hall. Bai Youwei said: ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I¡¯m a cripple and I can¡¯t possibly look for the key in such a huge place. I should stay on the third floor to keep an eye on the others so they won¡¯t hide the key while I¡¯m not there.¡± The gardener considered her words. He picked up Bai Youwei once more, taking her back up to the third floor. As soon as Bai Youwei touched her wheelchair, she sighed in frustration: ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s return to the first floor. So much time has already passed, if they wanted to hide the key, they¡¯ve likely done so already. There¡¯s no point in me watching them. I might as well rest in my room.¡± The gardener started to feel something was off, hesitating, he asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to go to the first floor?¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to?¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows, ¡°You mentioned earlier that you would serve me, didn¡¯t you? As an NPC, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could act accordingly, okay?¡± The gardener: Left speechless, he once again crouched down in front of her. He picked up Bai Youwei and swiftly returned to the first floor, setting her down once more. Bai Youwei said: ¡°Let¡¯s go back up to the third floor again.¡± The gardener lost his temper at last:¡± What for this time? The sun is about to set. I must return to my quarters before the Duke comes back!¡± ¡°Why the big reaction?¡± Bai Youwei frowned displeasedly. ¡°My wheelchair is still on the third floor, do you mean you are not going to get it for me?¡± The gardener was taken aback, then stared at her with a dark expression, ¡°¡­Alright, I will retrieve it for you.¡± Once again, he traversed those lengthy spiral stairs to retrieve Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair. Bai Youwei said: ¡°Okay, you can go to the third floor now.¡± The gardener snapped: ¡°I was genuinely trying to help. You shouldn¡¯t play me like this!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Bai Youwei looked up at him, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who just said you need to return to your quarters before the Duke gets back? If you don¡¯t go up to the third floor, are you planning on having dinner with me here on the first floor?¡± The gardener: Frustration was building within him, his hands clenched into fists, and at the same time, he was perplexed: why would a player behave in such a way? Could it be that she had seen through him? But he hadn¡¯t shown any signs of slips at all! At that moment, frantic crying echoed down from above. Between sobs, Cheng Xi ran around aimlessly in the hallways, murmuring anxiously to herself: ¡°What to do¡­ I can¡¯t find it¡­ I just can¡¯t find it¡­ He¡¯s going to come and kill me¡­ I can¡¯t find the key¡­¡± The gardener adjusted his expression, then ascended the staircase with a naturally gentle and concerned expression, ¡°Do you¡­ require any assistance?¡± Chapter 356 - Chapter 356: Chapter 356: Chaos Chapter 356: Chapter 356: Chaos Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei lifted her head, looking at the two by the railing. The Gardener was comforting Cheng Xi meticulously. Severely frightened, Cheng Xi needed such care. She was sobbing non-stop in his embrace, making them appear more intimate. Bai Youwei shifted her eyes away, refusing to watch the man and woman, and looked down at her own hands instead. There was a button in her palm. The one she just ripped from the Gardener¡¯s shirt. The Gardener, due to his constant coming and going between the floors, lost the gentle carefulness he had at the beginning and was rushing up and down incessantly, totally oblivious to Bai Youwei¡¯s action. She stared at it for a moment, put the button away, and wheeled herself towards the dining room. At this moment, a quarrel broke out upstairs! ¡°Cheng Xi! Are you a dog that cannot change its habit of eating poop?! It¡¯s only been a few minutes since I last saw you, and now you¡¯re in a man¡¯s arms?!¡± Hu Ya¡¯s voice was loud and piercing, filled with nameless fury. Cheng Xi, already frightened like a quail, was now being reprimanded by Hu Ya. Her face turned pale white, tears streaming down her face, unable to utter a word. Yu Yaqing also found Cheng Xi¡¯s behavior inappropriate. At such a critical moment, she was still flirting with the NPC, it was simply absurd. However, Hu Ya¡¯s words were way too harsh. She frowned and said: ¡°What on earth are you arguing with her about at this time?¡± Hu Ya yanked Cheng Xi from the Gardener¡¯s embrace and dumped her onto the ground with utter disgust! Cheng Xi staggered and fell, her teary eyes looked pitiful and ever so fragile. Seeing her in this vulnerable state, Hu Ya¡¯s anger surged, and she raised her hand, ready to slap her! ¡°Hu Ya!¡± Unable to bear it, Yu Yaqing blocked Hu Ya, ¡°What are you going crazy for?!¡± ¡°I need to teach her a lesson!¡± Hu Ya fumed, glaring daggers at Cheng Xi, ¡°I need to cure her disease of not being able to leave men alone for three minutes!¡± Yu Yaqing scolded her coldly: ¡°Enough! What she does has nothing to do with you! Handle your own business properly! Did you find the key you¡¯re supposed to look for? Did you?!¡± Hu Ya bit her lip, replying: ¡°No!¡± Yu Yaqing furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Su Man and Zhu Shu: ¡°What about you two? Did you find the key?¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Man shook her head, saying exasperatedly, ¡°There are too many rooms, we don¡¯t even know where to start looking.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned deeply but said nothing. She thought about what the Gardener said about the True Key¡­ Now, Hu Ya, Zhu Shu, Su Man¡­ all claimed not to have found the key, implying that out of the six of them, only she had found a key, and it was the True Key. They didn¡¯t find a single fake key, is that even possible? Did they hide the information? Just like the Gardener said, were they¡­ all wanting to be the ¡°last bride¡±, in order to receive a high reward? Even at the expense of betraying their comrades? ¡­Comrades? No, they weren¡¯t comrades in the first place. Some of them even had old scores to settle. Yu Yaqing pursed her lips, the scale in her heart tipping from side to side, wavering non-stop. The real key was in her hand. But should she, tell them? ¡­ Meanwhile, Hu Ya was experiencing a different kind of chaos internally¨C I trusted her so much! She actually scolded me in public for that wretched Cheng Xi?!!! What does she take me for?!! A servant girl she could order around and scold at will?! Since she looks down on me! Why should I listen to her?!! Why?!! I will not hand over the key, I will not tell anyone! I must survive till Sunday and become the last bride! Bai Youwei gave these women, each with a different expression, a glance, withdrew her gaze, and wheeled herself directly towards the dining room. There was still a little while till dinner time, and the Inspector was preparing the meal. But the so-called dinner was nothing more than some raw, bloody meat that was absolutely unappetizing. Bai Youwei sat down in silence, studying the Inspector. He glanced over at her, smiling slightly, ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± Resting her cheek on her hand, Bai Youwei slowly said: ¡°I met a gardener in the mansion today. His demeanor and aura reminded me of you.¡± After a pause, she added: ¡°But not as ugly as you.¡± Inspector: Chapter 358 - Chapter 358: Chapter 358: The Second One Chapter 358: Chapter 358: The Second One Translator: 549690339 The women stared at each other, nobody dared to pipe up. The dining hall was deathly quiet. The Duke¡¯s gaze slowly drifted over each of their faces, finally resting on Cheng Xi. Cheng Xi¡¯s trembling body shook even more violently. Her eyes widened in terror, her face devoid of colour. She stood rigid, as if about to faint any moment. The Duke narrowed his eyes at her, his voice slow and cold. ¡°Have any of you¡­disobeyed my orders and entered a locked room?¡± Fearfully, Cheng Xi shook her head. She wanted to deny it, but she was voiceless from extreme fear. ¡°Why always¡­¡± the Duke sighed, putting down his knife and fork. The clanging of metal against porcelain echoed, making everyone¡¯s heart skip a beat. They all tensely eyed the humanoid beast, their hands clenched tightly around their weapons under the table, ready to retaliate. ¡°Why?¡­ Why must women always be this way? No matter how many precious jewels I give you, no matter how many beautiful clothes, you¡¯re never satisfied, always wanting more! Why?!¡± The Duke suddenly roared. He rose from his seat and took long strides towards Cheng Xi. Cheng Xi shuddered violently, watching the Duke loom closer with great terror. She was motionless, apart from the shaking. She couldn¡¯t run even if she tried. ¡°What is this?¡± he grabbed hold of her hand and yanked it upwards. ¡°Agh¡­¡± Cheng Xi was lifted up into the air. Her silence broke, and she let out a sharp, high-pitched scream. ¡°You dared to go to that locked room!¡± the Duke growled, gripping her wrist, ¡°You damned woman, lying right to my face?!!¡± Her wrist was squeezed until it was deformed. The red cloth wrapped around her hand came loose, revealing the wound on her hand. Cheng Xi screamed in pain. ¡°Ah!!!¡­ I didn¡¯t! It was them¡­¡± ¡°Still won¡¯t admit it?!¡± The Duke, face twisted in anger, dragged her towards the dining hall exit. ¡°Disobedient brides must be punished! Only by paying the price in blood can you learn how to be a proper bride!¡± Her bones creaked under his grip, blood dripping down her arm, staining her skin and the bridal gown. That arm of hers was almost crushed! Cheng Xi was dragged along the floor, like a blood-soaked dead fish. Everyone shivered with fear. Catching Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, Su Man knew it was time. She raised Iron Sword and charged without hesitation! Zhu Shu immediately followed suit. Yu Yaqing was taken aback momentarily before realising they hadn¡¯t lied to her. They really hadn¡¯t found the key! Otherwise, Su Man and Zhu Shu could have simply used the key to escape, without taking the risk to attack the Duke! Once Yu Yaqing realised this, all the shadows clouding her heart were chased away, her body feeling lighter. Even though a fierce battle was imminent, at least her heart was no longer under torment! She gripped her sword tightly and chased after them out of the dining hall. Seeing Su Man aiming her sword at the Duke¡¯s chest, she coordinated her strike towards the Duke¡¯s back! Caught between two attacks, the Duke was livid! However, just like the previous time, no matter what kind of attack he was subjected to, he refused to let go of Cheng Xi! He single-handedly fended off Su Man¡¯s and Yu Yaqing¡¯s attacks, showing no signs of weakness! He grabbed hold of the incoming sword held by Yu Yaqing and flung it to the side! Even though Yu Yaqing was prepared and tried to dodge, she was still half a second too late! The overwhelming force flung her high into the air before she slammed onto the staircase! As she hit the ground, she protected her chest and forced herself to sit up. She then saw that Su Man had also been injured, her weapon already broken by the infuriated Duke! ¡°We can¡¯t keep doing this!¡± Yu Yaqing yelled to Su Man, ¡°We can¡¯t hurt him!¡± Chapter 359 - Chapter 359: Chapter 359: Kill Him Chapter 359: Chapter 359: Kill Him Translator: 549690339 Whether it was slashing, chopping, or piercing, all were useless! The Duke was just like an iron wall! Regardless of where they attacked his body, he seemed to be immune to pain! Even if a small injury was inflicted, it would heal quickly! Not to mention hurting him, they couldn¡¯t even stop him now! In just two or three seconds after Yu Yaqing and Su Man stopped, the Duke had already dragged Cheng Xi to the third floor¡ª Upon reaching the third floor, the barely alive Cheng Xi suddenly let out a cry that sounded like both crying and roaring! As if in a final act of resistance, she opened her eyes wide, twisted her body, and used all her strength to throw two beads at the Duke! Of the two beads, the Duke dodged one, and the other hit his shoulder. The Duke¡¯s body trembled twice due to the pain, and a low growl came from his throat, then he continued to drag her forward! ¡°Why¡­¡± Cheng Xi couldn¡¯t accept this outcome, ¡°why didn¡¯t it explode¡­why didn¡¯t it explode?! Why aargh!!!¡± Zhu Shu, who had rushed over, couldn¡¯t accept it either and threw out three beads at once! But the God of Luck no longer favored her. The beads without explosive effects only made the Duke feel pain and couldn¡¯t cause substantial damage. He dragged Cheng Xi more and more quickly. The bride on the ground was screaming, clawing, desperately struggling! She even wished she could bite off her own bloody arm that was being dragged! But she couldn¡¯t escape in the end! Cheng Xi was dragged by the Duke to the execution room. The stone wall turned quickly, the Duke dragged Cheng Xi in, and then the stone wall closed a second before Su Man and Yu Yaqing could reach¡ª Bang! Yu Yaqing¡¯s fist pounded on the wall. The wall was unmoved. Since closing, this wall looked no different from the other walls. Yu Yaqing did not want to give up, and tried to push the wall again. Su Man and Zhu Shu also joined her, but it was useless. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­¡± Yu Yaqing again attempted to push the wall, ¡°why can he go in, but we can¡¯t?!¡± Su Man, who had been pushing for a while, ran out of strength, stopped to catch her breath. Cheng Xi¡¯s painful screams came from inside. As eerie and chilling as yesterday¡¯s Zhao Lanfen, echoing throughout the entire mansion, lingering endlessly¡­ The three women looked at each other in silence. Their eyes were filled with helplessness, defeat, indignation, and the pain of shared hardships. They couldn¡¯t save Cheng Xi, and they were desperate because they had no solution for that man-shaped beast! ¡°The game rules are constraining us, so we can¡¯t enter¡­¡± Zhu Shu looked at the wall and guessed, ¡°maybe, we can only enter this room during the day.¡± Yu Yaqing pondered for a moment, nodding, ¡°It¡¯s very likely. The night is the Duke¡¯s time, the day is the player¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, to find Bai Youwei.¡± Su Man sighed and walked downstairs, ¡°she might have a way.¡± She had never been good at thinking, and before she relied on Yan Qingwen, and now she could only rely on Bai Youwei. When they went downstairs, they saw Bai Youwei waiting for them at the staircase. Su Man shook her head at her: ¡°We couldn¡¯t save her.¡± Bai Youwei, as if she had expected the result, asked calmly: ¡°Did you see it clearly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Man nodded, ¡°I tore open his suit, and indeed, one button was missing from the inside shirt collar.¡± Yu Yaqing was confused, asking, ¡°What button?¡± Bai Youwei took out a button and threw it over gently. Yu Yaqing caught it, and saw that the button in her hand had a gold rim around it, and it looked somewhat familiar. ¡°This is the button from the Gardener¡¯s clothes, it seems it is indeed the same person.¡± Bai Youwei said flatly, ¡°Since we can¡¯t kill him at night, we¡¯ll try during the day. The game always provides a way out.¡± ¡°Kill him?!¡± Hu Ya, who had been silent, suddenly yelled, ¡°Are you so certain that killing the Gardener can bring us through the game? What if it¡¯s wrong?!!¡± Chapter 360 - Chapter 360: Chapter 360: Unable to Open Chapter 360: Chapter 360: Unable to Open Translator: 549690339 ¡°What if we¡¯re wrong?¡± Bai Youwei repeated Hu Ya¡¯s question, her tone somewhat perplexed. ¡°If we¡¯re wrong, we¡¯re wrong, it¡¯s just an NPC. What¡¯s the big deal if we kill the wrong person?¡± Su Man chimed in: ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s not a real person, just a game character. No harm done if we kill it.¡± ¡°You guys!¡­.¡± Hu Ya was getting frustrated and upset, ¡°What do you mean ¡®no harm done¡¯? The Gardener is an NPC, he might have important clues! If you kill him, we¡¯ll lose those clues!¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes and looked at Hu Ya: ¡°What, have you gained any clues from him?¡± Hu Ya hesitated and stuttered: ¡°I¡­I of course have not¡­¡± Yu Yaqing saw the change in her expression and asked sternly: ¡°Hu Ya, do you or do you not?¡± ¡°No!¡± Hu Ya denied vehemently, ¡°I just think her way of clearing the game is flawed! This game, how could it be justified that you just kill somebody and clear the stage? There must be something we don¡¯t know! We do not need to take the risk to attack the Duke. The people caught by the Duke cannot be saved, it¡¯s a waste of effort!¡± ¡°So, you didn¡¯t follow us just now?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned and said, ¡°We attacked the Duke not only to save the people, but also to test the Duke¡¯s strength and weaknesses. Even though he became extremely dangerous in his wrath, if the rule that he kills one person every night holds, then we are actually safe.¡± After a pause, she looked at Bai Youwei: ¡°Through last night and tonight¡¯s attacks, I can confirm our attacks are ineffective. At least the weapons in this manor are useless to him.¡± Bai Youwei considered it for a moment and spoke lightly, ¡°Everyone, take some rest. We will examine the execution chamber once the dawn breaks.¡± As she prepared to wheel herself away, Yu Yaqing called her back, ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Bai Youwei stopped and looked at her puzzled. Yu Yaqing pursed her lips and said, ¡°Actually, I have the clue provided by the Gardener.¡± Su Man and Zhu Shu both looked surprised. Hu Ya was also taken aback, her eyes fixated on Yu Yaqing. ¡°What clue?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°The Gardener once said that to leave this place, we need to find the key to the manor¡¯s main door, but later¡­he told me there are real and fake keys, and mine, is real.¡± As she spoke, Yu Yaqing took out the key, and continued, ¡°The Gardener also said the fewer the number of people who pass, the greater the reward. If there¡¯s only one bride left in the end, she will receive seven times the reward.¡± ¡­Seven times reward! They were all taken aback. Some people¡¯s breathing became quicker. All eyes were focused on the key in Yu Yaqing¡¯s hand, including Bai Youwei¡¯s. She reached out to take the key from Yu Yaqing, her hand hovered in the air, paused for two seconds before retracting it, and said with a calm tone, ¡°Then let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Yu Yaqing held the key and said, ¡°Lets give it a try.¡± The five women came to the mansion¡¯s front door. The door, was tightly closed. Complex patterns extended to the corners of the door frame, with a beautiful lock sitting in the middle like a work of art. Surrounded by golden splendor, it made this place seem even more like a gorgeous cage. Yu Yaqing took a deep breath, aligned the key with the keyhole, and inserted it. Turned. Click¡­ Yu Yaqing frowned and tried turning it the other way, but the key was stuck in the lock. She pulled out the key, looked at the others, looking somewhat confused. ¡°This key doesn¡¯t fit.¡± Yu Yaqing said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t work.¡± Chapter 361 - Chapter 361: Chapter 361: Defects Chapter 361: Chapter 361: Defects Translator: 549690339 ¡°Let me give it a try!¡± Impatient, Su Man took the key from her, poking it back and forth into the lock, twisting it left and right¨C But it wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Could this key¡­be a fake?¡± Zhu Shu asked hesitantly. Yu Yaqing¡¯s face darkened instantly, ¡°He tricked me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic, there might be usage restrictions.¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s try again when daylight comes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a possibility.¡± Zhu Shu nodded in agreement to Bai Youwei¡¯s words, ¡°Just like Bluebeard¡¯s dungeon, it can¡¯t be entered at night, only during the day. We shouldn¡¯t be discouraged; let¡¯s try again tomorrow.¡± Yu Yaqing, somewhat appeased by their logic, nodded her head they said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try again tomorrow.¡± Then, Bai Youwei leisurely added, ¡°Besides conditions, there might be another reason.¡± Yu Yaqing cast her a doubtful look: ¡°What reason?¡± Bai Youwei casually said, ¡°You mentioned earlier¡­the fewer the number of survivors, the more substantial the prize. If only one bride is left, she will receive a sevenfold reward. Regardless of the truth of the gardener¡¯s words, as long as someone believes it, they might hide the true key to prevent us from advancing.¡± Yu Yaqing froze, ¡°You mean¡­someone among us¡­has hidden the real key?¡± She cast her eyes over everyone present¡­ Su Man, Zhu Shu, Bai Youwei, and ¡­ Hu Ya. As Hu Ya met Yu Yaqing¡¯s gaze, she instantly became flustered: ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­I didn¡¯t take the key! Maybe they took it!¡± Pointing at Zhu Shu, then at Bai Youwei! ¡°They¡¯re both so cunning! They¡¯re the ones who must¡¯ve hidden the key!¡± ¡°Enough, stop shouting.¡± Bai Youwei flicked her eyelids, somewhat irritated, ¡°You¡¯re giving me a headache. Regardless, we will know what¡¯s going on by tomorrow.¡± Yu Yaqing thought for a moment and said, ¡°You can return to your rooms, I want to go to the basement again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going alone?¡± Su Man said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Zhu Shu hesitated for a while, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go too¡­¡± Reluctantly Bai Youwei said, ¡°Alright, alright, since we¡¯re all going, let¡¯s go.¡± The women headed for the basement. Hu Ya bit her lip and followed them. The basement was gloomy and cold. They ignited the torches on the walls and reached the end of the cage. The passage was still there. Warm air was flowing out of the passage. Yu Yaqing bent over and crawled in. After a while, Su Man followed her into the passage. It was expected to take a while, but unexpectedly, they both crawled back out after a short time, drenched in sweat, their faces flushed. ¡°It¡¯s too hot, we can¡¯t go in.¡± Yu Yaqing shook her head at them, ¡°The original exit is blocked by a metal brazier, and now there¡¯s a fire burning there, full of red-hot charcoals.¡± ¡°We can only wait until daylight when the fireplace has cooled before we can enter.¡± Su Man sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡± A shrill scream suddenly echoed from the passage. Everyone jumped in fright. Everyone looked involuntarily at the dark opening, thinking about Cheng Xi¡¯s current predicament, a chill ran up from their feet, causing their hair to stand on end. One after another, the fluctuating cries, eerie and terrible, faintly mingled with Zhao Lanfen¡¯s crying¡­ At the other end of the passage, it seemed like a human hell. ¡°Don¡¯t listen anymore.¡± said Su Man with a grim face, ¡°It¡¯s all fake! Cheng Xi and Zhao Lanfen are already dead, it¡¯s the Duke trying to scare us!¡± Zhu Shu¡¯s face also turned pale as she slowly said, ¡°This is a women-only challenge, all the difficulties are targeting women¡¯s weaknesses, we can¡¯t fall for it.¡± Fragility, timidity, sensitivity, suspicion, and jealousy! These insignificant flaws, right now, might cost them their lives! Chapter 362 - Chapter 362: Chapter 362 Hu Ya Chapter 362: Chapter 362 Hu Ya Translator: 549690339 Zhao Lanfen and Cheng Xi¡¯s screams lasted all night. Bai Youwei pulled two balls of cotton out of her pillow, plugged her ears, and curled up to sleep with her bunny. She slept peacefully, but someone else couldn¡¯t. Hu Ya rolled over in bed, opened her eyes, looking at the dimly lit room, she couldn¡¯t calm her heart. Earlier, Yu Yaqing¡¯s key hadn¡¯t opened the door. Did that mean the key in her hand was the real one? Or¡­ were both keys fake? No¡­Impossible! Among the two keys, one must be the True Key! Killing the Duke won¡¯t work. If the keys were also fake, how could one advance in the game?! Hu Ya couldn¡¯t help sitting up in bed, gripping the key. If the key was a fake, it would be useless to surrender it; If she held the True Key, she¡¯d have to consider whether the game might only allow one player to pass. Then, she would have to keep the key. The last bride¡­ Regardless, she must figure out a way to be the last bride! Hu Ya got out of bed, crossed the corridor, entered the hall, and came to the sealed door, pulling out her key¡ª Click, click, click¡­ She turned the key left and right, but no matter how much she tried, it wouldn¡¯t open. The more she tried, the more frustrated she became, pulling it out and pushing it back in, trying repeatedly, the lock wouldn¡¯t budge! ¡°Why won¡¯t it open¡­ why¡­ could it be just like Bai Youwei said, it only opens during the day¡­¡± She bit her lip, turning the key while murmuring to herself, sweat beaded on her forehead. ¡°Stop trying.¡± A voice suddenly sounded behind her. Hu Ya jumped, turned around, and found it was Yu Yaqing! ¡°Tea¡­ team leader.¡± Hu Ya was flustered, ¡°You¡­why are you here¡­¡± Yu Yaqing did not respond, only looked at her coldly: ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? The Gardener is the Duke during the day, his words can¡¯t be trusted, he is deceiving us and wants us all to die here!¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Hu Ya forced a light laugh, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t believe the Gardener, I just wanted to try.¡± ¡°Just trying?¡± Yu Yaqing stared into her eyes, ¡°You didn¡¯t want to escape alone? Hu Ya, what did I teach you?! Hand over the key!¡± Hu Ya took a step back, tucking the key back into her pocket: ¡°Team leader, although we haven¡¯t entered the game before, we¡¯ve heard quite a bit about the game from the exchange area. Most games are competitive. Now both of us have keys, we should work together to win the game. How can you let them lead you around by the nose?¡± ¡°Hu Ya?¡± Yu Yaqing was surprised and angry at her attitude, his voice even harsher! ¡°Have you gone mad?! Do you really think that being the last one standing will give you more rewards? To betray your teammates for rewards?! Sacrifice others?! Have you been brainwashed by the game?!!¡± Hu Ya continued to back away, speaking slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not brainwashed, I¡¯m simply following your teachings. Didn¡¯t you always teach us to be independent and self-reliant?¡± Yu Yaqing retorted angrily: ¡°This isn¡¯t an excuse for you to hoard the key!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Hu Ya continued to back off, ¡°¡­ with the key in my hand, I don¡¯t need anyone, I can finish the game! Instead you, team leader, I¡¯m disappointed in you¡­ You always say that women don¡¯t need to rely on anyone, what about you? Aren¡¯t you being dependent on them? Team leader, they¡¯re using you! Without you, they can¡¯t kill the Duke!¡± Yu Yaqing bellowed sternly: ¡°We can only leave this place after killing the Duke!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Hu Ya bit her lip, her eyes blazing with madness, ¡°Only the last bride can leave this place!¡± Chapter 363 - Chapter 363: Chapter 363: Ask Again Chapter 363: Chapter 363: Ask Again Translator: 549690339 ¡°Hu Ya!¡± Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t want to fall out with her former teammate. She took a step towards Hu Ya and commanded her again sternly, ¡°Hand over the key!¡± Hu Ya continued to retreat and then suddenly turned around to run down the corridor! Yu Yaqing lifted her leg to give chase, but she was a step too slow! Hu Ya ran into her own room, and with a thud, she closed the door! ¡°Hu Ya!¡± Yu Yaqing pounded on the door forcefully, ¡°Come out! Don¡¯t be foolish! The key may be a trap!¡± There was no reply from within the room. Meanwhile, everyone else was stirred awake. One by one, they left their rooms, looking puzzled, asking Yu Yaqing: ¡°What happened? Did something happen to Hu Ya?¡± Bai Youwei also rubbed her ears, sleepily asked: ¡°What are you guys fussing about?¡± Yu Yaqing felt somewhat embarrassed. Even though what Hu Ya did was out of her own volition, she was still part of Yu Yaqing¡¯s team, and Yu Yaqing felt responsible for her actions. ¡°Hu Ya has a key in her hands. She might be planning to do something¡­¡± Yu Yaqing pressed her lips together, softly saying, ¡°I¡¯m worried that something might go awry.¡± ¡°Maybe she came out in the middle of the night to open the door, found that she couldn¡¯t open it?¡± Bai Youwei yawned, casually saying, ¡°So what if she did? If Duke does not die, we cannot escape, and it doesn¡¯t make a difference if she¡¯s gone. Everyone should just go back to sleep.¡± She wheeled herself back to her room, closed the door and went to sleep. Su Man and Zhu Shu glanced at each other and also returned to their respective rooms. Yu Yaqing took a look at their receding figures, and then at the tightly shut door in front of her¡­ she lifted her hand to knock on the door again. Thud! Thud! There was no sound from within the room. Yu Yaqing thought for a while and then said to the door: ¡°Hu Ya, no matter what, I hope you will reconsider. Do not let the game bewitch you.¡± After she finished speaking, there was still no sound. Yu Yaqing stood at the door for a while, then turned around and went back to her own room. Hu Ya¡¯s back was against the door. She slowly sank to the floor, lowering her head to look at the key in her hands. ¡°Is there anything else to think about¡­¡± she mumbled absently, looking at the key, ¡°If Duke dies, I can escape with them. If Duke does not die¡­ they will surely not survive. Only I¡­ Only I could last until the very last day.¡± She closed her eyes, clutching the key tightly. ¡°I can¡¯t trust them¡­ The only one I can rely on is myself.¡± Next day at daybreak, Bai Youwei got up early. By now, it was her third morning in the game, and she thought it was about time it ended. She wheeled herself into the dining room. The Inspector was arranging breakfast ¨C still simple milk and dry bread. Even though it was simple, he tirelessly adjusted the placement and angle of the dishes, like someone suffering from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. The others hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Bai Youwei took a bite of the dry bread first. It felt like she was chewing on wood chips. She put down the bread and took a sip of milk. Thankfully, the milk was fresh. ¡°There¡¯s something that has been bothering me¡­¡± she began, ¡°Considering this game is exclusively for women, isn¡¯t the victory condition of killing Duke a tad violent?¡± The Inspector silently looked at her. Bai Youwei said, ¡°After all, women aren¡¯t best known for their violence. But if isn¡¯t about killing Duke, then the only other alternative is finding the key.¡± At this point, she paused and looked up at the Inspector. ¡°But this alternative seems even less dependable¡­ ¡± She looked at his face, handsome as the boys in a manga, and said calmly, ¡°Because I cannot imagine, if an Inspector in a game deliberately gives out false intelligence, how can the game continue?¡± ¡°The Inspector is always correct,¡± he finally replied, ¡°It¡¯s the players who may misunderstand, not the Inspector.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Then let me ask you once again, is the condition to clear the game to find the key?¡± The Inspector fell silent. After a moment, he answered, ¡°The condition to clear the game is, to be the last bride standing.¡± Bai Youwei gave a faint smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chapter 364 - Chapter 364: Chapter 364: Torture Chapter 364: Chapter 364: Torture Translator: 549690339 The Inspector gave a faint smile, ¡°You¡¯re welcome, I just answered the questions as I should.¡± It bowed slightly, still polite and elegant, ¡°Then, please enjoy.¡± The Inspector left the dining room. When Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Yu Yaqing came over, they happened to see this scene and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What were you discussing?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head lightly, ¡°Nothing much, we were just confirming things again.¡± Just now, the Inspector¡¯s answer didn¡¯t mention the key, which meant that the key had nothing to do with passing the round. Even if it did, it certainly wasn¡¯t essential, otherwise the Inspector would have reasons to tell the players. The Inspector could conceal the process of meeting conditions, but it couldn¡¯t hide the conditions themselves! It could tell the players to find the key and set up numerous obstacles in the process, but it couldn¡¯t conceal the task of ¡°finding the key¡±! If even the purpose is concealed, doesn¡¯t the challenge lose its meaning? A teacher can test students with questions, but you can¡¯t hide the questions and let students guess blindly! That would be unfair. ¡°The Duke must die.¡± She finished the remaining milk, wiped her mouth, and continued, ¡°In a game for women only, the Combat Power required shouldn¡¯t be too high, so the Duke must have a weakness. Since he¡¯s invincible at night, let¡¯s try the daytime gardener.¡± Su Man nodded in agreement, ¡°Yu Yaqing and I will go up from the basement, you and Zhu Shu wait directly on the third floor, we will open the door when we arrive.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, as if she wanted to say something, but then she kept quiet. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Man nudged her in the arm. Yu Yaqing said, ¡°Hu Ya hasn¡¯t emerged.¡± ¡°Once she gets out of here, she¡¯ll feel better.¡± Su Man was unimpressed, ¡°There were many like her, just entered the game and was too shocked, became mentally abnormal.¡± Zhu Shu asked, ¡°Shall we go after breakfast?¡± Su Man said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the second floor first to find weapons, the swords from before have all been broken by him.¡± After a few discussions, they all got up and prepared to go to the third floor. Just as they were about to turn around, they surprisingly saw Hu Ya, who had been hiding in the room, came over. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about what happened yesterday¡­¡± Hu Ya approached them remorsefully, ¡°I¡¯ve thought it over, I want to join you in fighting that monster, no amount of rewards can compare to the importance of everyone working together.¡± Her change was so sudden that everyone was at a loss for words. Yu Yaqing said, ¡°First, come and get the weapons with Su Man and me, then go to the third floor with Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu. You¡¯re agile and could be a great help.¡± Bai Youwei gave Hu Ya a casual glance and did not voice any objections to this arrangement. They split into two groups. One headed to the basement while the other made straight for the third floor. Meanwhile, Hu Ya was behaving honestly, causing no trouble. Before long, Su Man and Yu Yaqing had opened the stone wall. But their faces were extremely grim, standing at the door, not immediately letting Bai Youwei and the others in. ¡°Before you come in, you¡¯d better be prepared.¡± Yu Yaqing said gravely, ¡°Cheng Xi¡¯s corpse¡­ is in there.¡± Bai Youwei was puzzled, ¡°Only Cheng Xi¡¯s?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Yu Yaqing furrowed her brows and glanced inside, ¡°Anyway¡­ you¡¯ll know once you go in.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s heart sank. She had a vague suspicion. She followed Yu Yaqing and Su Man into the torture room, and saw¡­ Cheng Xi was seated in the witch¡¯s chair, her body pierced with dense iron nails! Her once white shroud had long since turned crimson! Cheng Xi¡­ had been tortured! Chapter 365 - Chapter 365: Chapter 365: Run Chapter 365: Chapter 365: Run Translator: 549690339 The sight before them was too grueling, causing Zhu Shu to cover her mouth, feeling the urge to physically vomit. Everyone¡¯s faces were pale with horror. Only after witnessing such brutal sacrifices could they comprehend ¨C becoming a doll was, in fact, a gentle method of death. ¡°Why did Zhao Lanfen¡¯s body disappear, but Cheng Xi¡¯s is still here?¡± Su Man pondered, ¡°Could there be any special reason?¡± Bai Youwei looked around, her expression grim. ¡°Perhaps¡­ Zhao Lanfen didn¡¯t disappear. We just didn¡¯t see her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ Zhao Lanfen might be in this room too?¡± Su Man panicked. Regardless of how brave she was, the mere thought that a corpse was in the same room without them knowing created an immense uneasiness. Zhu Shu followed Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze and landed on a form of torture equipment against the wall. Her pale face blanched even further. ¡°¡­Iron¡­Maiden¡­¡± Goosebumps tingled on Su Man¡¯s scalp, ¡°Speak clearly!¡± Zhu Shu tried to steady her ragged breath, attempting to maintain a calm demeanor. She slowly explained, ¡°It¡¯s a form of ancient torture device made in the shape of a human body, like a giant iron coffin, with a movable door embedded with sharp spikes. Once closed, the spikes pierce the person inside, and they are specifically designed to avoid immediate vital spots. The person wouldn¡¯t die instantly, but rather endure slow death in the darkness amidst unbearable agony¡­ ¡± Zhao Lanfen might very well be in that Iron Maiden. With a shaky voice, Su Man gritted her teeth, ¡°There are seven torture devices in here¡­¡± Seven torture devices. Seven brides. The room plunged into a dead silence. The mere thought of these brutal torture devices potentially being used on them made everyone shiver in terror, their faces pallid and speechless. As if¡­ they had reached their psychological breaking point, the fear ready to drive them insane at any time! Bai Youwei tried to bring her attention back. ¡°The Gardener¡­¡± She closed her eyes and asked, ¡°Has the Gardener awakened yet?¡± In the middle of the torture chamber floor, a man lay. Yu Yaqing went over to check, replying, ¡°No, he¡¯s still unconscious like yesterday.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her companions and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± They had to kill him to end everything! In the fairytale, Bluebeard¡¯s death meant the end of the story. Let the game end that way too! Su Man held up the Iron Sword over the man on the ground, but a sense of pity washed over her as she looked at the Gardener who reminded her of Li Li. Despite her hesitation, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Yu Yaqing took a deep breath, lifting the sword, ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll pierce his heart. If it still doesn¡¯t work, don¡¯t worry about me. Escape.¡± Hu Ya unconsciously retreated a few steps towards the door. Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu fixed their gaze on the blade pointed downwards. Yu Yaqing could hear her heart thumping, thumping¡­in fear and unease. She gritted her teeth, thrusting forward suddenly! The blade plunged deep into the Gardener¡¯s chest! The Gardener jolted awake in that very instant! His surprised expression earnt to Yu Yaqing, to the sword and then his pierced chest! ¡°Aaaaahhhh!!!¡± He let out a howl of agony, suddenly struggling to his feet! With an uncanny strength, he flung Yu Yaqing aside! Then he let out a roar like a furious werewolf! His handsome features twisted hideously! Thick hair sprouted from his neck! And his body! His body began an alarming transformation, growing taller and stronger! It was like a mountain standing between them, his eyes glowing a blood red! Yu Yaqing screamed, ¡°Run!!!¡± Chapter 366 - Chapter 366: Chapter 366: Run! Chapter 366: Chapter 366: Run! Translator: 549690339 Hu Ya was closest to the exit, when she saw the Gardener transforming into a wild beast, progressively retreating, her face turning entirely pale with fear! ¡°I said it before¡­ I said before that we couldn¡¯t kill him!¡± she suddenly screamed hysterically, ¡°I told you before! Only the last bride can escape alive!!!¡± After saying this, she ran away without caring about anyone else! The others ignored her. Su Man was unwilling to give up, ¡°Why is it still alive? If striking the heart is useless¡­ then I will cut off your head!¡± The beast was still raging, raising its head and roaring, completely unaware that Su Man had already raised the Iron Sword high above her head! Bang! The heavy and sharp iron weapon hit the beast¡¯s neck, making a dull sound! Those thick bristles blocked the beast¡¯s attack, and not a single drop of blood was shed! ¡°We have to get out of here!¡± Yu Yaqing pulled Su Man¡¯s arm and dragged her out, ¡°Its wounds will heal quickly! It¡¯s useless to fight!!!¡± Zhu Shu was pulling Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair, swiftly retreating. The Gardener, transformed into a wild beast, roared and charged towards the door, trying to block their escape. Suddenly, an enormous bolt of blue-violet electricity hit him! The beast fell to the ground with a loud crash! This assault was unexpected and abrupt, that not just the beast, even Yu Yaqing and Su Man were stunned. Although Yu Yaqing had seen Bai Youwei use an electric weapon before, that time, it had only caused minor shocks, she had no idea that Bai Youwei could release such a powerful jolt of electricity! The blue light from earlier was like a bolt of lightning that had appeared out of nowhere! There was a faint smell of burnt fur in the air ¡­ All of them froze. They gazed in shock and disbelief at the beast laying on the ground. The humanoid beast didn¡¯t die right away, it laid on the ground, its broad and sturdy back moving slightly, its fur bristling, emitting a coarse breathing sound from its throat. Bai Youwei frowned, and once again released a bolt of lightning! Boom! The blue-violet light exploded! This time, the flash of lightning was bigger! Brighter! Louder! All the clothes on the beast were reduced to ashes, revealing burnt black fur. The skin around its mouth, nose, and eyes, the areas where the skin is weak, was all burned away, revealing strands of blood, looking absolutely terrifying. It fell silent and motionless on the ground. Before long, that low breathing noise resounded again The massive body was breathing, quivering, its claws scratching the floor, making creaking noises ¡­ Looking at this, Bai Youwei¡¯s face darkened, ¡°It has an immortal body now, no matter how it¡¯s killed, it will come back to life! I can only release this kind of electrical shock two more times. You all should take advantage of this time to find a place to hide!¡± ¡°What about you?!¡± Su Man asked anxiously. Bai Youwei bit her lip, looked back at Zhu Shu, and said, ¡°Zhu Shu stays, you and Yu Yaqing should go quickly!¡± Now was not the time to exercise modesty, the beast on the ground would soon recover! Su Man and Yu Yaqing exchanged a look, decisively ran out of the torture chamber, their footsteps gradually distancing away. With hundreds of rooms upstairs and downstairs, as long as they hid, even if the beast searched room by room, it may not be able to find them. With grinding teeth, the beast rose from the ground, creaking and gnashing. The burnt skin around the eyes had peeled away, leaving only two bloodshot eyes, glaringly at Bai Youwei! Bai Youwei¡¯s expression was icy cold; another bolt of electricity was launched! The beast fell to the ground once more! Zhu Shu pulled the wheelchair hurriedly outwards, her heart pounding, with hands all sweaty! The beast was on its feet not long after they landed in the corridor, scorched all over, entirely black, and was walking toward them step by step The air was filled with the smell of burning and the stench of blood. Bai Youwei released another bolt of electricity, in an attempt to push him back! The blue-violet light, like a broadsword, fell on the beast again! Only this time, the dazzling halo seemed a little smaller than the last time. Bai Youwei had stated earlier that she could only repeat this kind of attack twice, and this was already the second time! Chapter 367 - Chapter 367: Chapter 367: Run! Chapter 367: Chapter 367: Run! Translator: 549690339 Zhu Shu¡¯s heart was in her throat as she saw the beast seemingly showing signs of revival. Her limbs were almost numb with panic as she pushed the wheelchair and sprinted in the opposite direction! Once her pace quickened, the sound of her footsteps could hardly be concealed. Sooner or later, the beast would track the noise and catch up! ¡°Head towards the stairs!¡± Bai Youwei ordered. ¡°But! ¡­ ¡± Zhu Shu gasped, her face full of sweat, ¡°I can¡¯t run fast while carrying you downstairs!¡± Zhu Shu had been through this labyrinth. With her physical ability, she could carry Bai Youwei. Although not as fast as Su Man, she could run quite fast. But This ¡°fast¡± was far from comparable to the speed of the beast! ¡°Do as I say, head towards the stairs!¡± Bai Youwei commanded again. Zhu Shu gritted her teeth and, increasing her speed, ran towards the spiral staircase ¡ª Heavy footsteps echoed from behind once more, the humanoid beast was catching up! After ¡°The Gardener¡± transformed into ¡°The Duke,¡± his speed and strength were greatly enhanced. Coupled with his body¡¯s continuous self-healing ability, he was virtually an indestructible killing machine. He slowly closed the distance towards Su Man and Bai Youwei. His charred body was quickly healing, although the scorched skin and fresh blood did not disappear, which made him look terrifying! He seemed like a demon crawled out from some corpse burning site! ¡°My lovely bride¡­¡± A hoarse voice arose from his throat, filled with a cackling laughter that seemed to ridicule their futile attempts to escape his clutches and showed excitement at finally cornering his prey down. He stared at Bai Youwei, his mouth covered in burnt skin and exposed a horrid smile: ¡°Since you are so eager, then¡­ let¡¯s start tonight¡¯s dinner a bit early.¡± Zhu Shu gripped the wheelchair¡¯s armrest and backed away. Bai Youwei bit her lip and said nothing. He slowed his pace, relishing the moment, steadily moving closer and closer to them¡­ ¡°What happened¡­¡± he sneered, ¡°My bride, your tool, can¡¯t it be used?¡± Bai Youwei quietly touched the fluffy rabbit¡¯s head and replied softly, ¡°It still works.¡± The Duke froze in his tracks. ¡°When I said it can be used twice more, you really thought that was all it had?¡± Bai Youwei lifted her head, her lips curling up in a smile that was as radiant as it was cruel. ¡°What a fool!¡± The Duke was taken aback, and without realizing, he stepped back just into the stairwell opening. ¡°You¡­¡± Before he could say any more, a massive bolt of lightning smashed down on his head! As terrifying as a monstrous crocodile trying to tear him to pieces! ¡°Zhu Shu!¡± Bai Youwei shouted. Zhu Shu hastily threw out the last three beads she had! All the while praying in her mind: They must explode! They must! Boom! Fate finally smiled upon her again! One of the three beads caused a Thunderstorm Effect. In combination with Bai Youwei¡¯s lighting, they blasted the Duke down the staircase! The enormous being let out a wail of agony. His body fell, breaking the railing of the second floor and slammed heavily onto the first floor lobby! Thud! ¡­ He lay motionless. Zhu Shu nervously looked down at the scene and muttered, ¡°Is he dead¡­¡± ¡°He won¡¯t die, but with such a severe injury, it will take him some time to recover.¡± Bai Youwei swiftly used the golden key to open the dollhouse, completely ignoring Zhu Shu¡¯s shocked expression. She efficiently tossed the rabbit and her bag inside, then opened her foldable cane and got up. ¡°Hurry, throw my wheelchair down.¡± she instructed. The act of throwing down the wheelchair was to deceive the adversary. After all, hiding while using a wheelchair was not ideal. As long as they threw the wheelchair down, the Duke would have no way to determine where Bai Youwei was hiding. Leaning on the cane, Bai Youwei walked into the nearest room to the staircase on the third floor. Zhu Shu threw the wheelchair down and hastily entered the room too, quietly closing the door behind he Chapter 368 - Chapter 368: Chapter 368: Hide Away Chapter 368: Chapter 368: Hide Away Translator: 549690339 This was a room filled with luxurious clothes. Except for the wall with the door, the other three walls were all filled with wardrobes! In the center of the room, there were more than ten lifelike models dressed in gorgeous fashion, their high wigs, puffed sleeves, and vast dragging skirts, as if hosting a court feast from the Elizabethan Era. Zhu Shu opened the door of the wardrobe, guided Bai Youwei into it, then shut the door, and quickly hid herself under the model¡¯s dress. The court dresses of this time were very extravagant, within which was a waist pad made from velvet, the larger the pad, the richer it signified the wearer was. Underneath it, there was a still larger skirt pad, and only outside that was the actual dress. Just a short moment after Zhu Shu was hidden, vibrating footsteps sounded from downstairs. The Duke was back. His footsteps were both hurried and heavy, filled with anger, almost like he had rushed straight to the third floor once he was recovered! Then started looking for them one by one! Just like Bai Youwei had suspected, he skipped the first two rooms and started his search from the third one. The rooms at the end of the corridor were more likely to become the subjects of his suspicion. Bai Youwei stayed quietly in the wardrobe, but her heart was far from settled, as if she were on a roasting fire. She relaxed momentarily when the Duke walked further away but was worried again for Su Man and Yu Yaqing getting found, three of her worries due to their comradeship, and seven attributed to the game¡¯s competitiveness! She couldn¡¯t figure out, where did she go wrong! According to her past gaming experience, killing the Duke would certainly have allowed them to pass the level, and since the Duke was invincible at night, then the daytime gardener was their opportunity! But why did it not work? The gardener did not die! Not only did he not die, he transformed into the Duke, causing the night to prematurely fall! Now, they were all his prey! Regret or remorse are insufficient to describe her current feelings, there was more, a deep skepticism and confusion. The Duke¡¯s teeth-gritting calls echoed throughout the corridor. ¡°My lovely brides, where are you¡­ don¡¯t you know that refusing to dine with me shall enrage me!¡± ¡°Come out¡­ my brides, I can already smell you, like wild cats in a garbage dump, both fishy and unpleasant! Disgusting!¡± ¡°Where are you?! Come out!!!¡± ¡°Liars! Liars!!! Greedy, foolish women! I will tear you apart!!!¡± Roaring and pounding footsteps filled the manor, the floor trembling slightly with the master¡¯s fury. The Duke, having found nothing on the third floor, furiously went down to the second floor, and after another futile effort, went down to the first! As he went further away, the forceful sound of his voice also dwindled and softened. Zhu Shu slightly let her guard down. She huddled under the model¡¯s dress, her feet both sore and numb, yet dared not to move. Just when she was considering whether to stretch her legs, the footsteps suddenly got closer! After searching the lower floor, it seemed the Duke suspected they had not left the third floor and came back again! The nerves she had just let go of promptly tightened again! Zhu Shu held her breath. Thud, bang. The sound of something falling to the floor. Zhu Shu¡¯s heart almost leaped out of her throat! Why on earth would something fall all of a sudden?! Could it be that something happened on Bai Youwei¡¯s end? Damn, this noise would definitely alert the Duke! As expected, the footsteps quickened its pace! Zhu Shu was filled with anxiety but had no solutions. She slightly raised the flower lace of the dress at the bottom ¨C There was no unusual movement near the wardrobe, instead, a piece of cloth swiftly retracted from the doorway. Zhu Shu froze. She recognized that piece of cloth. It was Hu Ya¡­ A chill arose in Zhu Shu¡¯s heart; she hadn¡¯t expected that in the unclear situation like this, Hu Ya wanted to harm them. Chapter 369 - Chapter 369: Chapter 369: Breaking Out Chapter 369: Chapter 369: Breaking Out Translator: 549690339 Such clear and distinct sound, naturally the Duke couldn¡¯t ignore it. He rushed in immediately, his gruff voice full of extreme pleasure: ¡°Oh¡­ I heard you, my bride, stop hiding, I know you¡¯re right here.¡± This time, he was not impatient. Instead, he was very meticulous, opening the rows of closet doors one by one If there were too many clothes inside, he would ¡°patiently¡± reach in and grab a handful! Zhu Shu is hiding behind the dresses, unable to see what¡¯s happening outside. She could only hear the constant sound of doors being opened: bang, bang, bang! Her mind racing, ready to explode! What should she do?! What should she do?! Even though she couldn¡¯t see anything, she knew the Duke was drawing near to the closet where Bai Youwei was hiding! She has no time to pay attention to Hu Ya¡¯s actions now, she only wants to save Bai Youwei! Tears streamed down her cheeks. Zhu Shu felt the dampness and only then realized she was crying out of sheer desperation. Aside from acting, it has been a long time since she has cried real tears. With this in thought, her mind surprisingly calms down. ¡­Yes, think calmly. If Bai Youwei is taken by the Duke, how would things pan out? Su Man is impulsive and often acts on her emotions, unable to think rationally. Yu Yaqing is capable, but has never played the game, and is basically inexperienced. Hu Ya is lurking in the dark, always scheming, wishing nothing more than for them to die. And then there¡¯s herself¡­ All that remains is her¡­What can she do? She doesn¡¯t have the confidence to clear the level! She can¡¯t do it! If it were Bai Youwei! Perhaps several lives could be saved! She can¡¯t quite put a finger on why, but her tears fall faster. In life, she had no control over herself; controlled by her company, pursued by fans, stalked by paparazzi¡­ she could never truly be herself, to the point where she sometimes lost herself¡ª she didn¡¯t know who she was anymore. Now, faced with death, at least, she can choose her own way of dying. Zhu Shu closes her eyes briefly, telling herself silently, ¡°haven¡¯t you decided long ago to die like a human being? Despite the gruesomeness of the torture instruments, as long as you seize the right opportunity, you can escape from the torment.¡± The sound of the closet doors opening is getting closer. She takes a deep breath and finally makes her decision. Not just to save Bai Youwei, but also to save herself. Rather than facing despair later, why not charge out now, filled with hope! Zhu Shu suddenly stands up, fiercely smashing the plastic mannequin towards the beast, then she runs out of the room! The item may not cause pain when it hits, but its suddenness stuns the Duke into a momentary pause. He roars and immediately gives chase! Bai Youwei, inside the closet, felt a sudden dread. She pushed open the closet door, falling onto the floor, disregarding the pain. She looked towards the door only to see the Duke¡¯s retreating figure! She is filled with a mix of shock and rage, sorrow and anger welling up together, she shouted out loud, ¡°Zhu Shu!!!¡± Damn it! Damn it! She doesn¡¯t need to be saved! She doesn¡¯t need anyone to save her!!! Bai Youwei gritted her teeth, picked up her cane to stand up, step by step, she left the room. The room¡¯s door was beside the spiral staircase. She saw Zhu Shu trying to jump over the railing, seeking to end her life to avoid being tortured, but at the last moment, the Duke grabbed her back. The Duke was dragging Zhu Shu by her hair, just like he dragged Zhao Lanfen, just like he dragged Cheng Xi, disregarding her struggles and screams, dragging her towards the torture chamber on the third floor. When he saw Bai Youwei, the Duke¡¯s eyes flashed with menace, seemingly hesitating, thinking to let Zhu Shu go and capture Bai Youwei instead. But he was afraid of Bai Youwei¡¯s lightning, so he just coldly glanced at her, and walked past her with his ¡°prize¡± Bai Youwei threw four beads at him! Chapter 370 - Chapter 370: Chapter 370: Can’t Escape (Monthly ticket extra update!!!) Chapter 370: Chapter 370: Can¡¯t Escape (Monthly ticket extra update!!!) Translator: 549690339 She can¡¯t use the rabbit! The rabbit¡¯s battery power is low, making it hard for it to harm the Duke, let alone its current grasp on Zhu Shu. If the electrical current were to run into Zhu Shu, she will die even before the Duke is harmed! So, she tossed out four beads. In the dollhouse, she obtained twelve beads, eight of which she¡¯d used, leaving her with four. These were the last beads she had! And the only offensive tool that could be immediately effective! The beads hit the Duke. With wide eyes, she finally saw the explosive blast she had been hoping for! Boom! But the Duke¡¯s body merely swayed, without letting go of Zhu Shu. The charred skin on his back had a glaring red wound caused by the explosion of the beads. The Duke briefly looked back at Bai Youwei, his eyes were extremely venomous. Bai Youwei bit her lip tightly and pushed herself forward with her cane. The Duke glanced at her leg, sneered, then turned his gaze away, continuing to drag the struggling Zhu Shu towards the torture chamber. Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned pale and her steps were more frantic. She couldn¡¯t keep up with him! Suddenly, two figures charged out from behind her, heading straight for the Duke and Zhu Shu! It was Su Man and Yu Yaqing! They charged at the Duke, swords in hand, slashing at him ferociously! They were well aware that their weapons couldn¡¯t harm him and that he was Immortal; but even if they could make him loosen his grip just a bit and save Zhu Shu, their efforts would not be in vain! They stabbed at his back and his ankles. They chopped at his wrist and his head. No matter how they attacked, the Duke seemed fully aware of their intentions, his grip on Zhu Shu never loosened. With one hand, he sent Yu Yaqing crashing into the wall, then brought his hand down to slap away the ever pestering Su Man. With this force, Su Man was knocked back, falling and twisting the hand she had previously injured. A soft grunt of pain escaping her. Finally, the Duke arrived outside the torture chamber! The parallel walls of the chamber flipped open, revealing a passageway. Just as the Duke was about to drag Zhu Shu inside, the struggling Zhu Shu suddenly threw out an object! A snowflake! [Snowflake: Only a snowflake can invite guests from winter. Guests will leave when the snowflake melts.] No one clearly understood the tool¡¯s capabilities, so no one had ever used it after leaving the dollhouse. But now, Zhu Shu was hanging by a thread and was unwilling to risk her last life-saving tool! The Duke paused, stopping in his tracks. Within a second, a snowstorm suddenly broke out within the room and the temperature plummeted! From the gathered snow emerged a giant snowman almost three meters tall. White all over with sharp claws and red eyes. When it roared, it echoed like the chilling howl of the northerly wind. The snowman roared and charged straight at the Duke, throwing him forcefully into the torture chamber! Yu Yaqing and Su Man hurriedly pulled Zhu Shu out of there! One of them carried Zhu Shu and the other carried Bai Youwei, running for their lives. But unexpectedly, as they passed by a room at the stairs, Hu Ya rushed out frantically, knocking into them! This time, it wasn¡¯t Hu Ya¡¯s intention to do so. Originally, she intended to hide until everyone was dead before trying the keys, but when the temperature suddenly dropped and she heard the snowman¡¯s roar, she got anxious and decided to leave the third floor for a safer hiding place. Zhu Shu and Bai Youwei were well-aware of what Hu Ya had done, but this wasn¡¯t time for personal revenge. The beast behind them could catch up at any moment! Everyone hurriedly ran downstairs. Seeing the chaos at the end of the hallway, Hu Ya, overwhelmed with panic, also ran downstairs. Gasping for breath, Su Man asked, ¡°How long can the snowman hold on?¡± ¡°Not long,¡± Zhu Shu replied in despair. ¡°The snowflake melts when guests leave. If it were winter now, the effect of this tool could last for a while. But in the torture chamber¡­ there¡¯s a fire basin¡­¡± The snowman would melt soon. And they had no place to hide¡­ Chapter 371 - Chapter 371: Chapter 371: The Third One Chapter 371: Chapter 371: The Third One The seemingly endless spiral staircase stretched on. Whether it was due to their fraught nerves, the extreme fatigue of their bodies, or the dizzying rotation of the staircase¡­ it was a never-ending climb, a never-ending climb. Hu Ya wanted to overtake them, but the staircase wasn¡¯t wide enough to accommodate three people walking side by side. In the end, all five of them fell together in the shuffle. Zhu Shu fell down and hit the metal railing, clamping down on her lip with a mute groan, her whole body breaking out in cold sweat. When she had been seized and dragged on the ground by the Duke, her bones in her hand were crushed and her knees were scraped raw. Su Man and Yu Yaqing also bore injuries of varying severity. They struggled to their feet, helping each other down the stairs, with Hu Ya recklessly at the lead, scared of ending up at the back. The Snowflake creatures were melting faster than they expected. Angry roars echoed from the third floor, swirling overhead like the shadow of death. Hu Ya panicked and ran even faster. The roar was closing in, the handrail was shaking! The Duke chased them to the staircase entrance while struggling! A Snowflake creature the size of an arm bit tightly onto his head, its sharp icy teeth piercing deep into his skull. It was the hardest ice crystal, capable of piercing bone and freezing flesh and blood! Half of the Duke¡¯s face was frostbitten! But as he struggled and as time went on, the frost on his face was fading and the Snowflake clinging stubbornly on his head was getting smaller¨C Until it finally melted into a puddle of slush. The Duke simply shook his head forcefully, and the snow scattered into tiny flakes, turning into crystal droplets, completely disappearing in the air. Every one of them felt the utter desperation of death drawing near! The Duke¡¯s bloodshot eyes fixed on them, filled with resentment and hatred! His chest heaved violently, his whole body riddled with wounds, bloodied, after the brutal fight with the Snowflake! If not for his powerful Self-Healing Ability, he would have never made it this far! He tilted his head back and let out a howl like a wolf, then abruptly leaped over the railing and jumped straight down from the third floor! Thump!!! There was a loud crash as he impacted the ground! The floor beneath him shattered! He happened to block the exit of the first-floor staircase, cutting off their only escape route! Unable to go down, they were forced to turn and flee upstairs. Hu Ya, who had been leading the way earlier, was now at the end, and the Duke caught her by the leg, holding her upside down! ¡°Aaaaaahh!!!¡± She screamed shrilly. The Duke, clutching the woman who was struggling for dear life, turned his gaze to the remaining four on the staircase above. A low growl came from his throat as his hand continued to tighten around Hu Ya, causing her screams to become even more terrifying, almost splitting her voice. Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu, Su Man and Yu Yaqing, were almost at the third floor. The Duke gritted his teeth with a grating sound. In his rule, he could only kill one bride each night, but now he wanted to kill more. He wanted to kill the women upstairs¡­ Those women who dared to defy him! The Duke let out an angry roar, suddenly swung Hu Ya in his hand and threw her away, before rushing up the stairs at a breathtaking speed! Hu Ya¡¯s body slammed into a large hanging crystal chandelier with a loud crash! The dangling crystal hexagonal prisms turned into a row of sharp blades instantly, slicing her hands and feet, piercing her skin! She tried to grab onto something, but was unable to hold on to anything, and with the sound of clinking and clattering, she finally fell hard onto the floor! Blood was all over her! Despite the terrible state she was in, she still managed to prop up her upper body and laugh hysterically: ¡°He didn¡¯t kill me! He didn¡¯t kill me! Ha ha ha ha ha!!! I¡¯m the last bride, I found the True Key, so he won¡¯t kill me! I¡¯m the last bride! The last bride!!!¡± Ding, dong dong Two crystal hexagonal prisms fell to the ground. Hu Ya was startled and looked up. The crystal chandelier that was heaped onto the ceiling of the hall was swaying precariously. Her pupils shrunk as she saw the entire chandelier coming down! ¡°Aaaaaaaaah!!!¡­¡± Chapter 372 - Chapter 372: Chapter 372: The Fourth One Chapter 372: Chapter 372: The Fourth One In this life and death situation, Hu Ya¡¯s tragic death did not attract anyone¡¯s attention. They could only worry about themselves, longing to break away from the chase behind. However, the Duke was too fast, and he quickly caught up with them. His strong claws targeted Bai Youwei¡¯s back and launched a grab! Yu Yaqing quickly knocked Bai Youwei down, blocking the strike. But her back was slashed off a layer of flesh! Su Man turned around and threw the beads at the Duke¡¯s face! She got 10 beads in the Dollhouse. At this moment, she threw out 5, with amazingly good luck; two burst upon contact with the Duke¡¯s body, blasting his flesh into a mess! The Duke let out a painful howl, leaning backward and barely managed to keep from falling by grabbing the staircase handrail! The four women upfront had already rushed up to the third floor and ran deeper into the corridor. The Duke roared furiously! He charged up the stairs again, faster than before, stronger than before! Without leaving the women any time to recover, he pounced on them, roaring! The next second, Su Man hurled the remaining five beads at him! This time, none of the beads exploded, the Duke only paused slightly before closing in on her and Zhu Shu¡ª If there were two people he hated the most, it would be Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu! One unleashed lightning that left him badly scorched! One summoned a snow monster that bit him until he was covered in wounds! Bai Youwei¡¯s lightning had been released again and again. He had to stay cautious, but a prop like the snow monster should not reappear, so he did not hesitate to grab Zhu Shu! Smack! The riding crop whipped through the air, making a sound and tightly coiling around his wrist! ¡°Run!¡± Su Man held the other end of the whip and yelled. Zhu Shu instantly rolled to the side, got up, and ran onwards! The Duke roared with rage, forcefully lifted his wrist, and following the whip, he caught Su Man in his grip! ¡°Su Man!¡± Bai Youwei lunged at the Duke! As did Yu Yaqing! The two of them, one held Su Man¡¯s hand, the other grasped Su Man¡¯s leg. Zhu Shu¡¯s eyes were rimmed red. The Zhu Shu who had run away came back, fell to the ground, and firmly held Su Man¡¯s waist! The three women tried their best, but they still couldn¡¯t stop the Duke from dragging Su Man toward the torture room. All the usable props were gone, leaving them with no way out! They had no solution! As the distance to the torture room grew nearer¡ª Yu Yaqing freed one hand, picked up half a broken sword from the ground, and drove it hard into the floor. As she was dragged along, blood flowed from her palm, and the sword blade traced a streak of blood on the ground. Bai Youwei¡¯s arm was being rubbed raw against the ground, she looked pale, clutching Su Man¡¯s hand tightly, and kept repeating, ¡°Su Man, hold on¡­ You must hold on¡­¡± Zhu Shu gripped Su Man¡¯s waist, crying uncontrollably. She kept applying force, the tips of her shoes digging hard into the ground, trying to create resistance against the Duke. However, everything seemed in vain. ¡°Catch me!-¡± She cried out, ¡°I¡¯ll be your bride tonight! Catch me, you bastard!!!¡± The wall outside the torture room swung open. Zhu Shu screamed hysterically: ¡°No!!!¡± ¡°Let go.¡± Su Man¡¯s lips curled into a bleak smile, ¡°And stop wasting the props. Hu Ya is dead, with only four of us left, someone has to go to the torture room tonight¡­¡± The Duke kills a bride every night; this is an unwavering rule. If he didn¡¯t grab her, he would grab another bride! Half of Su Man¡¯s body had already been pulled into the torture room. Yu Yaqing could no longer hold herself up. She released the bloody broken sword from her hand. Bai Youwei, too, was blocked by the stone wall outside. The stone wall swung shut, Zhu Shu exerted all her strength to push and beat the wall, but all was for naught. In the last moment before the wall closed, she heard Su Man say from inside: ¡°Zhu Shu, about before¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Chapter 373 - Chapter 373: Chapter 373: The Fourth Day Chapter 373: Chapter 373: The Fourth Day The stone walls sealed shut From within the torture chamber echoed a stifled cry of agony from Su Man before descending into a haunting silence. No one knew what had happened to her. The witch¡¯s chair, Iron Maiden, bronze bull torture, pear torture, the dustman¡¯s daughter, Catherine wheel, two-man saw¡­ Seven torture tools, each one a nightmare for women. The corridor was deserted, silent as a tomb. All sounds choked in their throats¡­ Zhu Shu covered her face with both hands, her body violently trembling, tears falling inaudibly. Bai Youwei leaned against the wall, sitting on the floor, head drooping as she gasped for breath, speechless. Yu Yaqing also sat on the floor, clutching her injured hand, silently staring down the end of the corridor. She thought about Hu Ya¡¯s death, their current predicament, the future of this world¡­ Her heart was filled with bewilderment. This night seemed unbearably long. They stayed outside the torture chamber. Su Man¡¯s voice was no more. Silently, Yu Yaqing prayed that Su Man found the strength to end her suffering. It was better than being tormented by torture tools. She got up to help Bai Youwei stand, telling Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu: ¡°Su Man bought us another day. We cannot let it go to waste. Let¡¯s return to our rooms to rest, then reconsider our options.¡± She thought they would continue to be despondent, or even collapse emotionally, but they didn¡¯t. Even though tears still flowed, Zhu Shu stood up quietly and started walking towards the stairs one step at a time. They returned to the first floor. The hall was strewn with shattered crystals. Hu Ya was silently crushed beneath the massive crystal chandelier, her form unseen. They walked past the hall to return to the bride¡¯s room, though sleep eluded them, despite knowing they needed rest. Zhu Shu sat at the edge of the bed, her tears unceasing. Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t try to console her. Perhaps, expressing the grief was better¡­ The door creaked open. Yu Yaqing looked up to see Bai Youwei leaning on her crutch by the doorway, ready to leave. ¡°Bai Youwei¡­¡± Yu Yaqing stood up. Before Yu Yaqing could say anything, Bai Youwei quietly said: ¡°I want to be alone for a while.¡± Her hair was disheveled, hiding half of her face. Her bangs cast shadows over her eyes that obscured her expression. Yu Yaqing gazed at Bai Youwei. She understood that Bai Youwei was suffering. She wanted to comfort her ¡ª it¡¯s okay, there¡¯s no need for guilt, don¡¯t be sad, we all agreed to your plan, and if it¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s not your fault alone¡­ Su Man wouldn¡¯t blame us¡­ We all did our best¡­ Sigh¡­ How powerless words seemed. Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak. Every sentence she formulated felt so superficial, so weak. Finally, she sat back down in silence. Bai Youwei opened the door and, leaning on her crutch, walked out. For the entire night, no one slept. In the morning, they gathered in the dining room, nibbling on tasteless dry bread, all of them silent and lifeless. The Inspector watched them with a smile. ¡°Only three brides left, I see. It seems we¡¯ll need to reduce the breakfast portions tomorrow.¡± No one responded. Bai Youwei sat quietly, eating. Whether she was daydreaming or pondering, she seemed not to hear him at all. The Inspector found it unamusing. He wished to revel in their misfortune, but without any response, his mocking seemed pointless. After finishing their simple breakfast, Bai Youwei rose, leaning on her crutch for support. Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing followed her lead. The Inspector looked slightly surprised, blurting out, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Bai Youwei stopped, slowly turned around, and looked at him. The Inspector couldn¡¯t help feeling curious, he scrutinized her eyes¡­ Dark, tranquil, like an unfathomable well, devoid of light, wind, or any emotional upheaval. Just as he was about to ask, Bai Youwei suddenly spoke: She said, ¡°If the reward of this game doesn¡¯t satisfy me, then you are nothing but¡­trash.¡± Chapter 374 - Chapter 374: Chapter 374: An Eye for an Eye Chapter 374: Chapter 374: An Eye for an Eye The Inspector stood rooted to the spot. He didn¡¯t understand¡­ What did Bai Youwei mean by what she said? Had she found the solution to passing the level? If not, why would she mention a reward when they were evidently severely injured? How could it be possible¡­ Perhaps she was just trying to test him. Like before, trying to trick him into revealing information! But if she really could pass through the level, he would gladly accept. After all, collecting precious data from her death would be great, but losing such a unique sample too soon would be a waste. In the end, there are still so many¡­ so many games that are expecting her arrival¡­ The Inspector laughed and left the dining room. Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu, and Yu Yaqing headed towards the torture chamber. In the chamber, it was considerably warm with braziers set all around, each one with a branding iron in it. One of them stood extinguished, effectively blocking the exit of the underground cells. The Gardener was lying quietly on the ground wearing a white shirt. The chamber was reset to its original state. Except for the woman on the torture instrument¡­ There was no sign of Su Man, and they didn¡¯t dare to wonder about her current whereabouts. After surveying the room, Bai Youwei pointed to the saw, instructing Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing to unhitch it. ¡°Where should we saw?¡± Yu Yaqing asked her, ¡°The neck?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯d be too quick,¡± replied Bai Youwei with a cold, calm voice. ¡°I want to see him suffer.¡± Zhu Shu looked at the both of them, hesitatingly asked, ¡°Will it work this time?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Bai Youwei responded with an unfazed expression, nodding her head. ¡°Cheng Xi only got a small cut, and she was bleeding so much that the white cloth used for bandaging turned entirely red. There were blood stains all over her room¡­ This tells us her wound wasn¡¯t healing.¡± She paused for a moment, then looked at her two companions, ¡°What happens when a torture instrument that prevents wounds from healing meets a body that has self-healing abilities?¡± Zhu Shu, holding one end of the saw, locked her eyes on the man lying on the floor and asked, ¡°Was it purposely designed this way? Making us fear these torture instruments, too terrified to think about using them on him¡­ If we had realized this sooner¡­¡± She thought of Su Man, tears welling in her eyes as she looked away. Yu Yaqing, clutching the other end of the saw, stepped up beside the Gardener and slowly spoke: ¡°Instruments of torture symbolize oppressive violence, a violence that seeks to subjugate females as much as males. Perhaps this is what the game wants us to learn: only by overcoming our innermost fears, resisting it, and defeating it, can we truly call it escape! I refuse to believe that the only way to pass this test requires us to be the last one standing! Even if that is the real way to survive, I¡¯ll never compromise!¡± Bai Youwei observed Yu Yaqing, then Zhu Shu. They both nodded back at her, determination in their eyes. Bai Youwei lowered her gaze, finally looking at the man on the floor, muttering under her breath, ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s begin. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.¡± Women are not naturally soft, they can accomplish anything once they overcome their innermost fears. The sawblade descended The Gardener woke up in shock. Like the last time, he screamed in pain, struggling violently! In a short time, he had transformed into a massive beast! And blood was gushing out of his stomach! ¡°Aaargh!!!¡± He howled, launching himself at Bai Youwei! Boom! The familiar lavender glow emerged once again! His limbs twitched spasmodically while his entire body felt as if his blood was boiling. He collapsed to the floor with a thud! And the sawblade fell yet again, relentless! Unable to accept this outcome, he looked at Bai Youwei in agony, ¡°Why¡­you¡­¡± On Bai Youwei¡¯s cool face, a faint smirk finally emerged, ¡°Because I had a good night¡¯s sleep and am all charged up again¡± Blood splattered around her, blooming like a flower. Chapter 375 - Chapter 375: Chapter 375: No Need for Trash Chapter 375: Chapter 375: No Need for Trash The man bled unceasingly, his blood eventually congealing into a puddle, blending with his stinky hair and blood-soaked clothes. He lay lifelessly on the ground, utterly silent. Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing held onto the long saw, watching in stillness. Once they realized he would not come back to life, they finally let go of the saw. Clang The heavy steel saw fell to the ground. It was over. ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve completed this game.¡± The blonde, blue-eyed Inspector stood politely at the door, a suitable smile playing at the corners of his mouth. ¡°This game is designed specifically for females, assessing primarily their¡ª First, their suspicion; Second, their weakness; Third, their dependence. The players who win this game will receive the ¡®Duke¡¯s Secret Key¡¯ as a reward.¡± As the Inspector¡¯s words fell, a key appeared in the air before the three women. It was a blood-red key as if it had been drenched in blood. Bai Youwei reached out and held it, information about the tool instantly appearing in her mind¡ª [Duke¡¯s Secret Key: Can summon a random instrument of torture during the game to forcefully eliminate a player.] The Inspector continued, ¡°Meanwhile, to reward the precious friendships you¡¯ve formed in the game, from this moment on, the system will bind you all together. From now on, you can be summoned as external support by one another. This hairpin is proof of that.¡± A hairpin appeared in front of each woman. It was pink, embellished with a lifeless flower, resembling the cheap kind sold at a primary school gate for fifty cents. Bai Youwei held the hairpin in her hand and slightly furrowed her brow. [Plastic Flower Hairpin: The holder of this tool can be summoned into the game as external support by a player with the same tool. There will be no punishment upon losing, and no reward upon winning.] ¡°If someone else also clears the game and gets this tool, would I be summoned by a stranger?¡± Bai Youwei asked unhappily. ¡°No,¡± The Inspector explained gently, ¡°If other players clear the game, their hairpins would not be of the same design. Only the three of you own this design.¡± With those words, the Inspector paused and looked at Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing with a slight smile: ¡°Of course, a summoning is not mandatory. You can refuse, just smash the hairpin. After all¡­it¡¯s plastic and fragile.¡± Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing gave the Inspector a chilly glance, silently accepted their hairpins. Bai Youwei also accepted her hairpin. She tossed the blood-red key at the Inspector¡¯s feet without a hint of expression on her face, ¡°I don¡¯t want this reward.¡± The Inspector was taken aback. Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing tossed their keys too. Three blood-red keys fell onto the floor, sending out a harsh, crisp sound. ¡°You willingly give up the reward?¡± The Inspector was astounded, his beautiful blue eyes widening slightly in confusion. ¡°Why?¡± They had gone through great pain and hardship to finally clear the game. Why would they discard their hard-earned items?! Bai Youwei threw a disgusted look at him, ¡°Because it¡¯s trash.¡± The Inspector: ¡°It truly is trash.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned in agreement. Zhu Shu added, ¡°And disgusting.¡± Bai Youwei continued, ¡°Trashy game, trashy prizes, just trash.¡± The Inspector: ¡°Since we¡¯ve already cleared the game, send us out.¡± Yu Yaqing urged coldly. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve made up your mind?¡± The Inspector managed to pull a smile, ¡°You¡¯re really giving up the reward? After all the trouble you¡¯ve gone through, and the sacrifices you¡¯ve made, to get this reward¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need it!¡± Yu Yaqing roared in disgust, ¡°Even if we encounter a player whom we must eliminate in the future! I would rather stab them to death than use such an inhumane instrument of torture!¡± Bai Youwei calmly added, ¡°I don¡¯t need trash.¡± The Inspector: Chapter 376 - Chapter 376: Chapter 376: The Importance of Balance Chapter 376: Chapter 376: The Importance of Balance The three women exited the game, gradually disappearing before the Inspector¡¯s eyes. They didn¡¯t know, that as they were leaving the game, a system prompt sound rang in the Inspector¡¯s ear ¡ª ¡°Error! Game settlement error! Data anomalies detected, please have the responsible inspector urgently manually resolve¡­¡± The Inspector frowned. When players turned down the rewards, it impacted the overall data balance of the entire game, as the ratio of input to payback was not proportional. If this issue was not resolved, the game would have to temporarily shut down. The solution was simple, actually ¨C just set up another reward system for when the player rejects the initial rewards and use the backup plan instead. But if we¡¯re talking about being troublesome, indeed it was troublesome. Because balance is a very subtle thing. The balance within this game might become a bug in the next game Take Dollhouse, for example, it¡¯s a game-changing item. To avoid throwing off the balance, a restriction has been placed stating ¡°cannot be entered during the game¡±. But they didn¡¯t anticipate Bai Youwei having Rabbits. The Rabbits are remarkable game-changing items. To maintain balance, Rabbit Heads had a restrictive feature that they could only be used after charging. Especially in a global power outage situation, finding a charging station is almost impossible! But they didn¡¯t consider Bai Youwei having a Dollhouse. So, never underestimate the rewards in the game, for each one is the result of thorough thought and calculation by the inspectors. The handsome cartoon guy left the dungeon, glancing at each room while deliberating slowly. The backup rewards needed to maintain a balance in the game while align with the game¡¯s theme¡­ Suddenly, he stopped. He looked into a room with a sense of disbelief. When he opened the door, it was actually empty! A room full of gorgeous court dresses was gone!!! How could this be?! The Inspector walked out with quick steps, with his long legs that could cover two meters in one pace, he quickly reached the door of another room, and opened it! Empty again! This room was supposed to display a variety of medieval weapons, all gone! When did this happen?! Why is this happening?! He couldn¡¯t believe it. He continued to investigate the exceptional data in several rooms. All beautiful clothing was gone! The gold, silver, and jewels were gone! The knives, swords, and armor were all gone! Even those expertly crafted and luxurious carpets and rugs were also all gone! At least a third of his meticulously arranged mansion was empty! Although those were just insignificant decorations, but¡­ but!!! ¡°Bai¡­ You¡­ Wei¡­¡± He clenched his teeth in anger. ¡°Bai! You! Wei!!!¡± Bai Youwei returned to the underground parking lot. Leaving the noble and magnificent mansion and coming to the dark and dismal underground parking lot, there was a strange sense of homeliness, her nerves completely became at ease. She saw Shen Mo and Tan Xiao sitting not far ahead of her. In the pitch-dark underground, a single emergency battery-powered light provided all the illumination. The smoke from his cigarette enveloped his face, making his handsome profile daringly attractive under such hazy illumination. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know why she felt this way. Maybe because she had been seeing the Duke in the game for the past few days, her eyes had become used to his unattractive appearance, so now any pose he took, she found appealing. The sound of her footsteps startled Shen Mo and Tan Xiao. The two looked over together and both were stunned to see the three women emerging from the darkness. Tan Xiao was the first to react, he jumped up and yelled, ¡°Holy crap!¡± Then he ran towards the parking lot exit while shouting, ¡°They¡¯re out! They¡¯ve beaten the game and come out!!!¡± Chapter 377 - Chapter 377: Chapter 377: Are You Alright? Chapter 377: Chapter 377: Are You Alright? Shen Mo stared intently at Bai Youwei. It seemed as if time had come to a halt. Two to three seconds later, bewilderment appeared in his eyes, as if suddenly roused from a dream. He then quickly got up and strode towards her! Upon reaching her, his body stiffened a bit. He withdrew the arm he was about to extend, lightly coughed to suppress his emotions, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Bai Youwei opened her mouth, suddenly feeling at a loss for words. Okay? Yes, having finally escaped, they were okay now. But seeing Zhu Shu¡¯s teary eyes and Yu Yaqing¡¯s body covered in scars, and thinking about those who had died¡­ How could she possibly say the words, ¡°I¡¯m okay¡±? During the silence, she was suddenly embraced. Startled for a moment, her cheek was already resting on his chest. She heard him whisper, ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay.¡± The hoarse voice echoed in his chest and reached her ears, warm. She couldn¡¯t help blushing a bit, muttering, ¡°What do you mean, okay¡­ Don¡¯t you see we¡¯re all hurt?¡± Shen Mo loosened his hold on her slightly and glanced at Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing. ¡°I¡¯ll help you all get out. After you triggered game 24, this area was locked down. All the organization¡¯s electrical equipment was moved elsewhere. Yan Qingwen, Shen Fei and I have been taking turns guarding here, so you wouldn¡¯t be left alone when you got out.¡± Without any light, it would have been incredibly difficult to find the exit in the pitch-black fifth underground floor. Shen Mo bent down to carry Bai Youwei, leading them out of the underground parking lot. The journey was long. All the while, Shen Mo asked them about the game. Most of the recounting was done by Bai Youwei. ¡°¡­The last night, I couldn¡¯t sleep, my wheelchair was broken and I couldn¡¯t use it, so I could only hobble around leaning on my crutch. I became quite annoyed after seeing how glittering and extravagant those rooms were. I threw all the jewelry and accessories into the Dollhouse. I also threw the clothes in. Actually, a lot of the furniture was pretty nice, but I wasn¡¯t strong enough and as I had a limp, moving things around was really difficult. But I didn¡¯t leave any weapons behind. Those weapons came in handy ¨C we couldn¡¯t bring in external weapons into the game, but these weapons were part of the game itself, and could be used within the game! ¡­Later on, the reward was a torture device. We passed on it. That prop was a piece of crap that made us uncomfortable, whether we used it or not.¡± At this point, she let out a long sigh and said, ¡°I kinda miss Snowflake.¡± Although Snowflake was a wildcard, the rewards he gave were undeniably useful. ¨CThe mud from the frog had saved them countless times. The Dollhouse and Snowflake were priceless lifelines. They were much stronger than the flamboyant comic book handsome man! Shen Mo listened quietly, letting out a silent chuckle. These Inspectors were all products of the Doll game. He didn¡¯t like any of them, but if he had to choose, he felt the rabbit-headed gentleman from the first game was okay. That Inspector gave Bai Youwei the ¡°tenth of me¡± prop. Without it, she probably wouldn¡¯t have survived the women-only game. As Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing were both injured, their pace was slow. After some time, they finally reached the surface. Many people had arrived. The research group members, the security group members, the organization¡¯s head, Chu Huaijin, and Li Li were all there. They had all rushed over after hearing from Tan Xiao that they had emerged. Of course, they were all men, avoiding any female contact. Zhu Shu walked up to Li Li, supporting her injured hand, head bowed, with so much to say but unsure of how to express it. ¡°Li Li¡­¡± As she began to speak, her eyes became moist. She bit her lip tightly, took a moment to calm her emotions, then continued: ¡°Su Man¡­ she¡­ in order to save me, she¡­¡± Li Li stared at her blankly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡­¡± Zhu Shu broke into tears, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Li Li! I¡¯m the one who caused Su Man¡¯s death!¡± Chapter 378 - Chapter 378: Chapter 378: How Could Nothing Be Wrong Chapter 378: Chapter 378: How Could Nothing Be Wrong Li Li¡¯s expression was very rigid, marked with an inexplicable sense of bewilderment. Staring at the woman in front of him who couldn¡¯t stop shrugging her shoulders, his mind was blank, and subconsciously tried to comfort her, ¡°This¡­ You can¡¯t be blamed for this. After all, life is unpredictable once the game begins, you didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± Zhu Shu¡¯s crying stopped. Stopped abruptly. Starring blankly at Li Li, after a brief pause, the sadness in her eyes deepened, fermenting into resentment. She cried out at Li Li: ¡°How can you not blame me?! How can you?! Don¡¯t you understand? I caused Su Man¡¯s death! She died because of me! She¡¯s dead!!! Do you understand?!! Just because it wasn¡¯t intentional, can you forgive a person easily? Even if that person who died had been with you for over a decade! Don¡¯t you care?! Don¡¯t you feel angry?! Don¡¯t you want to take revenge for her?!! Li Li! Su Man was killed because of me!¡± Zhu Shu gripped his collar tightly, her eyes filled with unstoppable tears. ¡°Hit me! Why won¡¯t you hit me? Why won¡¯t you even swear at me? You bastard! Bastard!!!¡± ¡°Zhu Shu¡­¡± Li Li looked at her, unable to express his feelings, his eyes also turning red. Zhu Shu was crying uncontrollably. She despised Li Li¡¯s indifference, yet she knew she had no grounds to blame him. However, her emotions were uncontrollable. Every time she thought of the scene where Su Man was dragged into the execution room, her heart ached as if she was going to die of grief. Chu Huaijin separated the two to avoid Zhu Shu doing something irrational out of her loss of control. Li Li¡¯s neck had been scratched red. He stared at Zhu Shu, who was crying uncontrollably, vaguely feeling that he might have made a mistake, but he was unsure¡­ exactly where he¡¯d gone wrong. Shattered footsteps sounded from behind, followed by a familiar female voice¨C ¡°Zhu Shu.¡± Li Li turned his head in surprise, only to see Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang bringing Su Man over. ¡°Su Man?¡± Li Li was even more confused, ¡°But haven¡¯t you already¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a figure rushed over! Zhu Shu hugged Su Man tightly, her face filled with joy and relief: ¡°You¡¯re okay?!¡± ¡°How come you¡¯re all right? We all thought you had already¡­¡± Yu Yaqing was both shocked and delighted. She couldn¡¯t help but go over and slap Su Man on the shoulder. ¡°Never mind! Anyway, it¡¯s great that you made it out safely!¡± Su Man rubbed her slugged shoulder, a little embarrassed, and explained: ¡°I can¡¯t exactly say I¡¯m unscathed¡­ I have quite a few injuries. I fainted as soon as I got out of the game. Fortunately, brother Yan and Lun Ang were there. They spent the whole night looking for medicine for me.¡± Hearing this, Li Li couldn¡¯t help but turn his head to ask Yan Qingwen: ¡°Did Su Man get out earlier? Why didn¡¯t you notify us?¡± Before Yan Qingwen could explain, Lun Ang loudly explained: ¡°Where were we supposed to tell you? Neither Old Yan nor I knew the new address after the headquarters was moved. Not to mention when Su Man came out, it was late at night. The city was like a ghost town! Not a soul in sight! We almost broke a leg just trying to find medicine for her. We¡¯d just laid down to rest for barely two hours when Tan Xiao came knocking and woke us up!¡± Yu Yaqing was incredulous, asking Su Man: ¡°What exactly happened? How did you make it out?¡± Su Man looked at Bai Youwei and said, ¡°¡­She gave me a piece of the puzzle.¡± Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing were both taken aback. Zhu Shu asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°When did she give it to you? How come we didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°It was when I was dragged into the execution room¡­¡± Su Man took a gray puzzle piece out of her pocket and lightly rubbed it with her fingers, ¡°At that time, I thought I was done for, and I didn¡¯t want to waste any more tools. I thought if someone had to die from the four of us, it might as well be me. But then Bai Youwei said¡­¡± Su Man looked at Bai Youwei. Her usually sharp and arrogant gaze softened. She walked over to Bai Youwei and gently placed the puzzle piece in her hand. ¡°She said, ¡®Su Man, you must hold on.¡¯¡± Chapter 379 - Chapter 379: Chapter 379: A Nightmare Oh Chapter 379: Chapter 379: A Nightmare Oh ¡°The Last Bride¡±, along with Su Man, four people altogether escaped from the game. All four of them were injured to varying degrees, and Chu Huaijin immediately arranged for their treatment. Bai Youwei¡¯s injuries were the lightest, only some minor abrasions. Considering her constitution, even without medical treatment, she could recover quickly. She and Shen Mo returned to the three-bedroom apartment provided by the organization. There were some unfamiliar faces in the community. Seeing her and Shen Mo, they came over in small groups to greet them. They seemed polite in their conversation, but were actually probing for clues about the 24th game¡¯s content and rewards. Curiosity is a common trait among humans. Not to mention that the game is a matter of life and death. If the rewards are substantial and paired with the knowledge of the game¡¯s content, one can totally call up a group of people to play and ¡°farm¡± the rewards in the game. But Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with these people. She followed Shen Mo home, then closed the doors and windows, and lay down in bed to rest. She had walked so much in the game, even with a crutch, her feet and hands were inevitably sore, and her underarms ached with burning pain. She was used to getting in and out with a wheelchair, how would she have ever experienced such hardship? Bai Youwei let out a languid sigh. With the curtains drawn, the room felt like dusk, dark and quiet. She relaxed her body and closed her eyes. Considering that the organization members might visit at any time to inquire about the game, it was inconvenient to enter the dollhouse now, so she could only rest this way temporarily. Teacher Chang brought over a bowl of egg custard, muttering, ¡°Weiwei, come quickly and eat this. Shen Fei sent the eggs; I added slices of ham and chives. It¡¯s very nutritious¡­¡± Just as he got to the bedroom door, he was stopped by Shen Mo. Shen Mo made a shushing gesture at Teacher Chang and silently glanced back at Bai Youwei. Following his gaze, Teacher Chang saw that Bai Youwei on the bed was already asleep. ¡°She must be exhausted.¡± Teacher Chang sighed and whispered to Shen Mo, ¡°I¡¯ll set it aside for now, and reheat it for her when she wakes up.¡± After taking a couple steps, he turned back and handed the bowl to Shen Mo: ¡°You eat it. You¡¯ve been on watch these days and must be exhausted too. I¡¯ll make another bowl for Weiwei later.¡± Shen Mo shook his head gently, saying, ¡°Give it to Xiaoxin to eat. I¡¯ll stay here with her for a while.¡± Tan Xiao, who was in the living room, overheard and immediately said, ¡°Xiaoxin is so young, he can¡¯t finish it! Give it to me, give it to me! I¡¯ll eat half of it for him!¡± Pan Xiaoxin said quietly, ¡°I can finish it¡­¡± Shen Mo laughed, then said to Chang Weicai, ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time, please make another bowl.¡± The voices from outside didn¡¯t wake Bai Youwei up, she was fast asleep, almost falling asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. In her sleep, she had a nightmare. In the dream, she was being chased by a duke transformed into a beast. She ran hard, ran hard¡­ In reality, her legs couldn¡¯t run at all, but she was running in her dream. Just as she was about to be caught, her legs suddenly reverted to their handicapped state, and she fell to the ground! In panic, she searched for her crutch and wheelchair, but it was pitch black all around, and she couldn¡¯t see anything. That¡¯s when the duke caught up! In the nick of time, she reached for her puzzle with her last hope! But there was nothing¡­ Her hand was empty. Her puzzle had been given to Su Man; she didn¡¯t have it anymore. The yawning maw of the duke loomed before her, she shot up in her bed, awaking from her dream! ¡°Huff¡­¡± Bai Youwei gasped heavily, only realizing she had been dreaming when she saw Shen Mo by her bedside. Shen Mo reached out to gently pat her back, feeling the cold sweat on her back. ¡°I¡¯ll go fetch a towel,¡± he said as he got up. ¡°No need.¡± Bai Youwei took his hand, her forehead leaning against his arm, ¡°Stay with me a while.¡± Shen Mo fell silent, and sat back down. Bai Youwei closed her eyes and leaned against him. After a moment, she said in a low voice: ¡°Shen Mo, I gave my puzzle to Su Man.¡± Chapter 380 - Chapter 380: Chapter 380: Scared Chapter 380: Chapter 380: Scared Shen Mo hummed in acknowledgment before asking her after a while, ¡°Do you regret it?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s forehead rested on his shoulder, her head shaking slightly. She didn¡¯t regret it, but ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± she murmured with closed eyes. Shen Mo used his puzzle piece in the third round of ¡°Friends¡¯ Gathering¡±, and now her piece had been used up in ¡°The Last Bride¡±. That meant that whenever they would encounter a dead-end in the game in the future, they would no longer have any means to save their lives, only death awaiting them. Indeed, Bai Youwei still had quite a few items. But she had learned her lesson! Almost all of the items were meant to be used against players! To enhance their advantage by eliminating other players. If they truly encounter a life-and-death situation in the game, the items would be of no use! Take, for instance, the snowman summoned by the Snowflake. Bai Youwei believed that if used correctly, the snowman could be very invincible. However, in ¡°The Last Bride¡±, the rule was that the Duke had to kill a bride every night! No matter how powerful the snowman was, it couldn¡¯t change the rules! It could only afford the user a temporary escape, but the other gamers would become the Duke¡¯s target. That was also the reason why Su Man gave up on using the Snowflake at the time. Bai Youwei was scared. She was frightened of being confronted with such a scenario again, feared watching the people by her side die one by one, while being powerless to do anything about it. The most terrifying thing was never death. It was when you finally establish a bond with this world, you have to witness the process where that bond was cut off, torn, and destroyed! And in the end ¡­ you become alone again. Bai Youwei took a deep breath, tightly holding Shen Mo¡¯s arm, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the maze.¡± ¡°Go to the maze?¡± Shen Mo was taken aback. The maze in Shanghai had disappeared due to three consecutive clears, and there were no other mazes nearby. ¡°Until I get a puzzle piece, I don¡¯t want to enter the game for now.¡± Her voice was low and sad, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m scared.¡± This was the second time she mentioned the word ¡°scared¡± after coming out of the game. Shen Mo remained silent. Wasn¡¯t he scared too? When he was waiting in the dark and saw Zhao Lanfen and Cheng Xi¡¯s dolls appearing one after another, but with no news from Bai Youwei, wasn¡¯t he worried too? Thinking of her inability to walk, her personality that easily offends others, no matter what he couldn¡¯t ease his worry. This time she successfully escaped the danger, but what about next time? What about the time after that? The game world¡¯s rules were ever-changing, wanting to keep her safe was undoubtedly an empty promise. Without a puzzle piece, he couldn¡¯t protect the person he wanted to protect. As Shen Mo thought about these things, he slowly said, ¡°If we¡¯re going to the maze, we can either go south or north, but considering rumors say that the north is safer, I think, people should be gathering to the north in the future.¡± ¡°Mazes will appear in densely populated areas.¡± Bai Youwei understood his meaning,¡± We¡¯ll head north.¡± After a pause, she couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°How did these rumors about the north being safer start?¡± ¡°It actually has something to do with Professor Song¡¯s SCO Organization,¡± Shen Mo explained to her, ¡°Before the widespread power outage, there was an online interview report about SCO, in which the interviewed researcher made some conjectures, claiming that the abnormal changes in Earth¡¯s magnetic field were probably due to a kind of high-dimensional space force that uses the sun as a medium and disassembles and irradiates the earth.¡± ¡°Using the sun¡­as a medium?¡± Bai Youwei had a slight realization, ¡°That¡¯s quite an interesting guess.¡± Though high-dimensional space seems superior to low-dimensional space, high-dimensional ¡°beings¡± can¡¯t enter low-dimensional space, just as humans can¡¯t get into a comic strip. But if both worlds have the sun, perhaps it could be used as a medium. Chapter 381 - Chapter 381: Chapter 381: Conjecture Chapter 381: Chapter 381: Conjecture ¡°Suppose there really is such an advanced civilization that radiates its power to the entire earth through the sun. Then, perhaps only the places where the sun does not shine, could humans be spared. So, the conclusion of this hypothesis is that the two poles, North and South, will become safe havens. We are in the northern hemisphere, hence the rumor that it¡¯s safer to head north.¡± With that, he shook his head gently, ¡°But these are just hypotheses. Nobody knows if they¡¯re true, and furthermore, not everyone can manage to flee to the Arctic and live there.¡± He paused briefly, suddenly thinking of Bai Youwei¡¯s mother, Wang Jingxian. Wang Jingxian had gone north with the ship, and most probably, her destination was the Arctic. It seems unbelievable to go to the Arctic, but actually, many people have visited the Arctic for tourism. As long as you¡¯re well prepared, visiting the Arctic isn¡¯t as difficult as imagined. Even if you can¡¯t get an icebreaker, you can still go there by land. Start with St. Petersburg in Russia, then follow the railway line of the Arctic tourist train, passing Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Kaim, to reach Murmansk in the Arctic part of Russia. Cross the national border to Norway, where there¡¯s a small Arctic coastal town, Kirkenes¡­. Of course, they will encounter many difficulties along the way. Low temperatures and food shortages could be fatal. But perhaps¡­ perhaps the Arctic region hasn¡¯t been affected by the doll game and is still the same as before? Such considerations seemed distant. Bai Youwei suddenly asked him, ¡°When does the polar night in the Arctic start?¡± Shen Mo slightly raised an eyebrow, ¡°September, should be around the 20th of September, until March of the following year. During this half a year, the sun is not visible.¡± Bai Youwei calculated the timing in her heart. It is now August. If they leave for the Arctic from here, it will take over a month. They can just make it in time for the polar night and then safely spend six months in the place where the sun can¡¯t shine. Her mother had quite a dreamy plan. Seeing her asking in such detail, Shen Mo thought she was considering it and asked: ¡°Do you believe in the Arctic hypothesis?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not true, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°There aren¡¯t many people there, even making up a Mahjong game would be difficult. Even if the game area covers the entire Arctic Circle, it¡¯s unlikely to be activated. I was just thinking, could the blind spots in the Arctic be left intentionally by the game, to attract survivors to gather there? Otherwise, how could all the puzzle pieces be collected.¡± Hearing this, Shen Mo frowned, and pondered, ¡°If the survivors are always dispersed, the puzzles that can be collected would be very limited. We don¡¯t have any means of transportation to get to the mazes in other areas, like Australia¡­ The doll game shouldn¡¯t set a goal that we can¡¯t achieve at all.¡± Even if blind zones are set to attract people, there will definitely be people who cannot reach the Arctic for various reasons. So, how would the puzzle pieces from those parts be collected? Both fell silent, as if they had both realized it was a dead end, or rather, a cul-de-sac. After a long while, Shen Mo said: ¡°Collecting all the puzzles can clear all the games. This is a clue Zhang Tianyang got from the Brocade Bag prop, so it shouldn¡¯t be wrong. Maybe when we have more puzzle pieces, there will be more clues.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, took out all the puzzle pieces, and started trying to put them together on the bed. Shen Mo also wanted to know what these puzzles can form. Unfortunately, with their only eight puzzle pieces, each piece¡¯s shape didn¡¯t match any other. After trying numerous combinations with nothing forming, they were totally clueless. Shen Mo sighed lightly, ¡°It seems we need more puzzle pieces¡­¡± Suddenly, Shen Fei¡¯s voice came from the outside: ¡°Professor Cheng! Is my brother here?¡± Chapter 382 - Chapter 382: Chapter 382: Another Meeting Chapter 382: Chapter 382: Another Meeting ¡°She¡¯s in there.¡± The teacher pointed towards the bedroom, ¡°She¡¯s sleeping with Weiwei.¡± Shen Fei¡¯s steps faltered, doubting if he had heard correctly, he stared blankly at the teacher, ¡°What?¡± As if he hadn¡¯t noticed Shen Fei¡¯s stunned expression, Chang Weicai kept himself busy sweeping and mopping the floor while suggesting, ¡°You should come back later, they just fell asleep, they need their rest¡­ Weiwei just finished the game and your brother has been exhausted from standing guard at the parking lot for days¡­¡± Shen Fei: ¡°My brother and Bai Youwei are in the same room?!¡± His voice suddenly rose an octave, causing the teacher, at last, to look up at him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± His tone indicated confusion as if he could not understand why it was strange that Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were sleeping in the same room. The teacher said, ¡°They have always been sleeping together¡­¡± ¡°They have always been sleeping together?!!¡± Shen Fei¡¯s face twisted even further. His voice seemed stretched tight, shrill, and sharp! Chang Weicai was taken aback by his reaction, fearful that he may be thinking too much, promptly explained, ¡°No¡­ Xiaoshen, don¡¯t misunderstand. Your brother stays in the same room to take care of Weiwei. After all, it¡¯s not convenient for her because of her leg¡­¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not convenient, there¡¯s no need to share a room!¡± Shen Fei couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. He walked to the door in a few strides and started banging on it! The door opened quickly. Shen Mo was standing at the doorway, his face expressionless. Shen Fei had always held his cousin in great respect. Seeing him, his voice immediately softened, ¡°Bro¡­ Why, why are you sharing a room with a woman¡­¡± As he was speaking, he couldn¡¯t resist peeking inside the room. Seeing that there was only one bed in the room, his eyes immediately bulged, forgetting to disguise his voice, ¡°You two share one bed?!¡± Inside the room, Bai Youwei calmly looked at the bed and nodded, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a double bed.¡± Shen Fei was agitated, ¡°That¡¯s not the issue! It¡¯s¡­¡± Before he could finish, Shen Mo pushed him a couple of steps back and closed the door. ¡°What did you want to see me about?¡± Shen Mo asked him. ¡°Mo! Mo!¡± Shen Fei was stuck amidst the shock of his brother cohabiting with a woman, ¡°How could you sleep with that woman? How long have you two been together? When did this occur? How did this happen? Who initiated this?!! Does our uncle know about this?!!¡± One question after another bombarded Shen Mo making his head ache, he frowned, ¡°What¡¯s your actual concern?¡± ¡°Bro¡­¡± Shen Fei gritted his teeth, grabbing Shen Mo¡¯s shirt and pulling him to a corner, lowering his voice to say, ¡°You cannot follow in our uncle¡¯s footsteps.¡± Shen Mo frowned, ¡°Weiwei is different.¡± Upon hearing his reply, Shen Fei got even more anxious and clutched his chest, ¡°Bro, what do you mean by this? Are you really with her now? Do you two¡­have you two¡­? ¡± As he spoke, Shen Fei seemed to have realized something and started nodding as if he understood, ¡°I get it! You acted impulsively, right? I understand! A man and a woman alone together¡­it¡¯s unavoidable sometimes! But you don¡¯t have to take responsibility for her lifetime! Bro, times have changed. Your old-fashioned ideas need a rethink¡­¡± Shen Mo found him annoying and turned around to go inside, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going back in.¡± ¡°Hey?! Hey, wait!¡± Shen Fei hastily spoke, ¡°I have something! I have something! Professor Song asked me to invite her to a meeting at the headquarters! It¡¯s about discussing the game on the 24th!¡± Shen Mo stopped, turned around to look at him, and asked, ¡°Now?¡± Shen Fei shook his head, ¡°No need. Professor Song knows they are injured, so the meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, letting them rest for a day first.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°I will take her there tomorrow.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also another thing¡­¡± Shen Fei hesitated, ¡°You haven¡¯t visited our uncle for a few days. You didn¡¯t have time before because you had to stay in the underground parking lot. Now that she has emerged from the game, don¡¯t you think¡­ you should¡­ go see our uncle?¡± Shen Mo was silent for a while and then nodded, ¡°Hmm, I got it.¡± Chapter 383 - Chapter 383: Chapter 383: Arrange, Arrange Chapter 383: Chapter 383: Arrange, Arrange The next day, Bai Youwei slept until the sun was high in the sky, finally waking up completely rested and full. Teacher Chang was preparing lunch. Without a gas stove, it was inconvenient to cook, so Teacher Chang always started preparing way ahead of time. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were helping out on the side. Though sometimes their help created more work. The morning was quiet and relaxed. Bai Youwei brushed her teeth while watching them busily prepare food. She felt like she was forgetting something. Had she forgotten about Shen Mo? ¡­Probably not, he had told her he was going to visit his father before he left. What else could it be then? Bai Youwei continued to ponder. ¡°Ah!¡± she remembered, ¡°Let¡¯s have steak for lunch!¡± Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Pan Xiaoxin all looked at her, completely baffled. Bai Youwei took out a golden key, opened the door of the dollhouse, and said excitedly, ¡°Since you are all here, after having the steak, you can help me tidy up the house.¡± As the dollhouse door swung open, a dazzling brilliance of gold blazed from within! All three of them were stupefied. Tan Xiao was amazed and cried out, ¡°Oh my god! Weiwei, did you get another set of houses?! Is this a reward from a new game?¡± ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei walked in with her crutch, waving at them from amidst heaps of gold and silver jewelry, ¡°Come in quick, let¡¯s talk inside.¡± Exchanging glances, the three of them ¡°squeezed¡± into the dollhouse It was indeed crammed. The entire first floor could barely accommodate any people, the floor being covered with gold, silver, jewelry, and fancy clothes. There were at least seventy or eighty hats alone! Studded with gems, covered in fur, adorned with silk flowers, all sorts of hats! Some exquisite and expensive tableware were haphazardly placed underneath everything, they were in danger of stepping on them and breaking them. Teacher Chang was quite distressed over it. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t fit in the house, just throw it outside.¡± Bai Youwei seemed indifferent, she muscled her way through to the fridge, pushed aside the hefty golden bars nearby, and finally managed to open the fridge door¡ª¡ª She took out a few pieces of steak. The steaks were already cooked, perfectly medium-rare. Although they had lost some of their fresh taste after being frozen, having steak now was a luxury in itself. ¡°Teacher Chang¡± Bai Youwei called to Chang Weicai, ¡°Can you take a look at the fridge? If there¡¯s any expired food, throw it out! Keep whatever we can eat! We¡¯re having steak for lunch!¡± ¡°Xiaoxin You¡¯re in charge of putting all clothes on the second floor in the wardrobe. If the wardrobe gets full, just stuff them in the study! It¡¯s not like we¡¯re using it much right now!¡± ¡°Tan Xiao~~ Your job is to put all the weapons in the storage room. Pile the gold and silver jewelry in the yard! It¡¯s too much in the way piled up here!¡± After a round of instructions, everyone was clear on what to do. Tan Xiao¡¯s task was the heaviest and required the most strength. After hauling several loads of gold, he couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°Weiwei, if you aren¡¯t going to use these things, why did you move them into the dollhouse?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to look at, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s pleasing to the eye to see a mountain of gold and silver when you open the window?¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not bad to use it to hit someone when you don¡¯t have a weapon on hand.¡± Tan Xiao weighed the gold bar in his hand and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Then he continued moving the gold. ¡­Only Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t busy. Once the house had been cleaned up and Teacher Chang heated up the steaks, Bai Youwei opened the door to check outside, but Shen Mo was still gone. It wasn¡¯t surprising; a father and son meeting would definitely include a meal together. At the lunch table, Teacher Chang gently cleared his throat and hesitantly said, ¡°Weiwei¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Bai Youwei was eating her steak. Teacher Chang said, ¡°On this journey, Xiaoshen has helped us a lot. I heard his father isn¡¯t feeling well recently. Should we¡­ pay him a visit?¡± Chapter 384 - Chapter 384: Chapter 384: Mentioning the Female Lead’s Mother Chapter 384: Chapter 384: Mentioning the Female Lead¡¯s Mother ¡°Visit Shen uncle?¡± Bai Youwei swallowed the food in her mouth, and thought, ¡°Is that necessary?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a matter of necessity¡­ it¡¯s a matter of courtesy.¡± Teacher Cheng took the time to instruct, ¡°We are all in Shanghai, not far away from each other, both emotionally and reasonably, we should go and visit.¡± With this, teacher Cheng sighed deeply and went on: ¡°Times are not the same as before. If we don¡¯t take advantage of the opportunity to meet and talk, it will become challenging to meet again when everyone is miles apart.¡± With that said, the atmosphere inevitably became tinged with melancholy. Tan Xiao didn¡¯t want to listen to his nagging, so he was merely nodding while eating, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll go together!¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± She was just afraid that the other party would feel awkward when she saw her. Bai Youwei knew a little bit about her mother. Although she was over forty, she looked no more than thirty since she had taken great care of her appearance. Combined with her refined and elegant demeanor, it attracted many suitors. However, her mother didn¡¯t have any plans of remarrying, focusing her entire attention on the company instead. She kept normal friendships with all suitors, unintentionally accumulating many ¡°backup options,¡± and Shen Mo¡¯s father was one of them. Some women may think this behavior is offensive, but in reality, this is just a typical business person¡¯s interpersonal relationship model. Business people will not easily quarrel with anyone, maintaining a harmonious relationship with everyone. Thinking of this, Bai Youwei could not help but pause. Actually¡­ She was not harmonious with everyone, um¡­ except with her own daughter. ¡°Weiwei?¡± Teacher Cheng noticed her in a daze and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Bai Youwei came back to herself and chuckled lightly, ¡°Nothing, I was just thinking about what to bring as a gift if I were to visit Shen uncle.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ask Shen Mo when he comes back,¡± Teacher Cheng suggested, ¡°See if there¡¯s anything his father needs or if there¡¯s anything he particularly likes to eat or use¡­¡± Bai Youwei absent-mindedly responded. The conversation came to an end. And Shen Mo never did come back. In the afternoon, Chu Huaijin personally came to pick up Bai Youwei, Su Man, and Zhu Shu. Although Chu Huaijin was officially the head of the organization, Bai Youwei realized that he was just a doer. The real spiritual leader of the organization was Professor Song Mingchuan. They met Yu Yaqing outside the meeting room. With a jest, Su Man said, ¡°We¡¯re not going to be barred from entering this time, are we?¡± Yu Yaqing laughed when he heard that, he patted Siman on the shoulder, ¡°Holding a grudge?¡± Zhu Shu smiled at Su Man, ¡°Women, of course, hold a grudge.¡± ¡°And love dredging up old scores,¡± Bai Youwei added. The four women looked at each other, unable to hold back a chuckle. Seeing them in this state, Chu Huaijin couldn¡¯t help but smile too. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s all go in. Professor Song has a lot of questions about the game that he wants to ask you all.¡± Mentioning the game, their smiles suddenly paused. That wasn¡¯t a beautiful memory at all. Yu Yaqing, serious, walked ahead and was the first to push open the door to the meeting room¡ª Inside was a long corridor with rooms on both sides, moving in further, they saw one room with a light on. ¡°Professor Song,¡± Chu Huaijin stood at the door with a respectful attitude, ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± Bai Youwei curiously looked at the person inside, leaning her head. With a few days gone by, she felt Professor Song had aged even more. He was bending over the desk to work, buried in piles of draft papers. Because computers were not to be used casually, all the calculations had to be performed manually by him or other researchers. They had to be checked repeatedly to ensure accuracy. He already seemed quite old yet took on such a heavy task. Honestly speaking, Bai Youwei wondered if he might suddenly pass away from the stress. Chapter 385 - Chapter 385: Chapter 385: Got a Name Chapter 385: Chapter 385: Got a Name Professor Song straightened up from a pile of documents, removing his glasses. He pointed to the chairs across the desk and said, ¡°Have a seat.¡± Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu, Su Man, and Yu Yaqing sat down one after another. The old professor handed out a prepared form to each of them. His voice was rough and solemn: ¡°In order to facilitate our communication and avoid possible omissions, I have prepared these forms. The questions I need answers to are basically covered here I hope that you can fill them out as comprehensively and accurately as possible.¡± Each of them got a form, thick as a textbook, which caught them by surprise. It¡¯s so thick¡­ Even if they filled it out all day, it might not be enough? Then, they heard Professor Song say, ¡°Here are the forms for other games. You can refer to them, consider it as a token of appreciation from the research group.¡± Bai Youwei turned to the back, and found that what they actually had to fill out was only on the first two pages, the rest was information on other games. ¡ªApart from game number 21, other games numbered from 1 to 23, systematically arranged. These pieces of information were collected by the members of the organization, some games had only one page of information, some had five to six pages. Bai Youwei briefly flipped through them and thought that this professor was quite efficient. ¡°You can start filling out the forms now,¡± Song Mingchuan said hoarsely, ¡°If you are unclear about anything, feel free to ask me at any time.¡± They each picked up a pen from the table and began to fill out the forms. The first question was ¡°Theme of the game¡±. This was easy. Bai Youwei wrote, ¡°The Last Bride¡±. The second question was ¡°Characteristics of the Inspector¡±. Bai Youwei frowned and started writing, ¡°Adult male appearance, blond hair, blue eyes, lanky body resembling noodles, and exquisitely dressed¡­¡± As she wrote, she suddenly paused, turned over to the back of the form. As expected, she found a similar description, and at the front of the description, there was a note: Cartoon Man. Bai Youwei was slightly surprised, ¡°Is this the Inspector¡¯s name?¡± Professor Song raised his head and said expressionlessly, ¡°Inspectors have no names, no gender, no age. The notes are the most common terms that players refer to them by, as a means of differentiation. We internally adopted the same terminology.¡± He spoke, then glanced at the form Bai Youwei was holding, and added, ¡°Sometimes, one Inspector may have more than one name. For example, the Cartoon Man is also called Noodle Man or Long-legged Mannequin. When recording, we choose the most commonly used name.¡± Bai Youwei flipped through the pages, finding records of basically every Inspector she had encountered. The Ball had the most consistent name, called either ¡°Ball¡± or ¡°Round Ball¡± or ¡°Gravity Ball,¡± always including the word ¡®ball¡¯; The Rabbit-headed Man had the names ¡°Gentleman with a Rabbit Head¡± or ¡°Magician¡±; The Grey-robed Old Man had the most names ¨C ¡°Hurricane Monster,¡± ¡°Faceless Monster,¡± ¡°Wind-robed Old Man,¡± ¡°Cloak Man,¡± ¡°Mushroom Cloak¡±¡­ When Bai Youwei saw ¡°Mushroom Cloak,¡± the corners of her mouth twitched. Recalling the sight of that old man, standing still in his cloak, he did resemble a mushroom. Beyond the four Inspectors she recognized, she also saw unfamiliar names like ¡°Puppet Master,¡± ¡°Ghost Fire,¡± and so on. It seemed there were more than four Inspectors. She just wondered how they divided their work, whether there was a hierarchy among them, and whether they would cooperate or compete with each other? The professor was waiting for them to fill out the forms, so her questions had to be pushed aside for now. Bai Youwei picked up her pen and began to write. Knowing that piles of game information were waiting for them, she wrote in great detail. There was a subconscious give-and-take at play, from which she was not exempt. She wrote a lot, then glanced at Su Man¡¯s form and couldn¡¯t help but stare. Chapter 386 - Chapter 386: Chapter 386: Su Man’s Hand Chapter 386: Chapter 386: Su Man¡¯s Hand Su Man¡¯s form was sparsely filled out. In stark contrast to Bai Youwei¡¯s form, under each question, she had only written a few words. For instance, on the question about the game setting, Bai Youwei provided a detailed description of the manor¡¯s interior and exterior structure. Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing also mentioned, to varying degrees, about the revolving stone wall on the third floor and the hidden passage in the basement. But Su Man just wrote four words: ¡°Manor, very big¡±. Su Man was straightforward, she probably wouldn¡¯t deliberately withhold information. After some thought, Bai Youwei understood the reason. Su Man¡¯s right hand, seemed to have a hard time writing. Her right hand was bitten off by a guest in the doll house. Although she immediately used mud at that time, after the wound healed, fine movements had significantly weakened. She had difficulties not only with writing, but also in daily life activities like picking up food or threading a needle, actions that required delicate finger movements. However, compared to losing one¡¯s life in the game, losing a hand wasn¡¯t much. Besides, there¡¯s still the left hand. Bai Youwei casually asked, ¡°Is the injury on your left hand okay?¡± In ¡°The Last Bride¡±, whenever the Duke dragged a woman into the punishment room, he would either grab her hair or twist her wrist. Both Zhu Shu and Su Man¡¯s wrists were injured, with Su Man¡¯s seemingly more severe. Su Man, who was struggling to hold her pen and whose handwriting was crooked, looked pained. Hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s query, she was momentarily stunned before she laughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She slightly lifted her left arm, wrapped in bandages on the front of her chest, and said, ¡°I should be fully recovered in a few days. After all, I have experienced the maze twice.¡± Bai Youwei nodded lightly, and turned to ask Yu Yaqing and Zhu Shu on the other side, ¡°How about your injuries? All healed?¡± Yu Yaqing: ¡°It¡¯s better. Although it hasn¡¯t completely healed, it doesn¡¯t hinder my movement.¡± Zhu Shu: ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry, we have all been through the maze. Our bodies¡¯ self-healing abilities are stronger than average people.¡± Listening to their conversation, Su Man dropped her arm, her right hand slowly gripping her left forearm. She remained silent without uttering a word. After completing the form, Professor Song asked for some details about the game. He was very concerned about the game that first introduced gender restrictions and believed that future games would gradually evolve in this direction. If this time was women-exclusive, would the next one be men-exclusive? Child-exclusive? Or even career-oriented, such as a group of chefs participating in a culinary competition? Just like a large-scale competition, initially, the selection is rough, but as it progresses, the design of the competition stages becomes more refined. However, what kind of person is this selection process actually looking for? What is the ultimate goal of the game? It¡¯s still unknown. Bai Youwei recalled the games she had been through ¨C ¡®The Tortoise and the Hare¡¯, ¡®The Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯, as well as ¡®Lucky Quiz¡¯, all of them had high elimination rates. Groups of participants would die almost as soon as they entered. She mused, ¡°The earlier games¡­ required at least 30 or 20 people to trigger, but the later ones required fewer participants to trigger. 10 people¡­ 7 people¡­¡± Professor Song, whose face was expressionless, nonchalantly responded, ¡°Yes, as the population decreases, the conditions for triggering the games changes accordingly. In the future, fewer and fewer people would be required to trigger the games. We speculate that games which can be triggered by a single person may even appear.¡± As he said it, he lifted his eyelid and looked at the four young women in front of him. Then he said, ¡°The fact that you guys made it out of the gender-specific game means you¡¯ve gained some experience. Future games may not have overly complex rules and formats, but they will definitely be more difficult and competitive.¡± Yu Yaqing suddenly stood up, her expression serious, and said to the professor, ¡°Professor Song, I believe that the games are a challenge that everyone must face. All members of the security group should regularly participate in these games to improve our abilities and gain experience. I hope you can approve my proposal!¡± Chapter 387 - Chapter 387: Chapter 387: A Suggestion Chapter 387: Chapter 387: A Suggestion Song Mingchuan remained silent, his aged face deep with wrinkles, his eyelids drooped, and even without uttering a word, he emanated an unexplained seriousness. Chu Huaijin, who was next to him, spoke, ¡°Team Leader Yu, I understand your concerns, but there is a testing team responsible for the gaming part. The members of the security team should focus on their primary roles first.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°I understand that ensuring the complete safety of the scientific research team is the main role of the security team. But if we don¡¯t arrange for everyone to go into the game, their gaming experience will amount to nil. If they have to go into the game in the future, it would be really disadvantageous¡­¡± ¡°If they were willing to enter the game, why didn¡¯t they join the testing team in the first place?¡± Professor Song suddenly asked her. Yu Yaqing was struck dumb. ¡°Your suggestion is merely wishful thinking on your part,¡± Song Mingchuan bluntly said. ¡°The main reason your team members joined the security team is that they don¡¯t wish to enter the game.¡± Yu Yaqing looked slightly annoyed but due to Professor Song¡¯s revered status, she curbed her anger, ¡°Professor Song, neither my team members nor I are cowards who fear death!¡± ¡°Is it wrong to value life and fear death?¡± Song Mingchuan let his eyelids drop, his voice remained indifferent, ¡°I wonder, how many people in this world do not cherish their lives and are not scared of death?¡± Chu Huaijin stood up, trying to calm the tense atmosphere, he addressed Yu Yaqing, ¡°Team Leader Yu, you can discuss it with your team members before making a decision. The testing team is indeed in need of new members since many have left. If you insist, I¡¯ll consider transferring someone from your team.¡± Yu Yaqing solemnly nodded her head, ¡°I will go back and relay this information to my team.¡± Someone knocked on the door from outside. The assistant pushed open the door and asked, ¡°Professor, the candidates for Game No. 21 have arrived, should we meet them now or ask them to wait?¡± ¡°Let them come.¡± Song Mingchuan answered, then he addressed the four women in the room, ¡°You all can leave now. I appreciate the information you have provided for the scientific research team.¡± They all said their goodbyes to Professor Song and left the temporary research room. During her walk, Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t let go of the anger she felt due to the way Professor Song had spoken earlier. She believed in her team members; they only needed an opportunity to prove themselves. If they were given a chance to enter the game, their performance wouldn¡¯t necessarily be inferior to that of the testing team¡¯s! However¡­ recalling Hu Ya¡¯s actions in the game, Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. Just then, a group of men approached them head-on. Men of all sorts. Tall, short, slim, plump, an agile gymnast, a sharp-minded bank manager, intimidatingly burly men, and quick-witted slim young men¡­ As they passed by, one of them whistled at Zhu Shu. Yu Yaqing frowned wanting to warn them off, but was held back by Zhu Shu who shook her head silently. Better to avoid trouble when possible. Besides, she hadn¡¯t suffered anything; she might as well pretend a fly had buzzed past her. Yu Yaqing shot a glance at the men, swallowed her anger, and left with her colleagues. Surprisingly, Bai Youwei turned around and took another look. She stared at the back of one of the men, her gaze cast downward, falling onto his hand¡ª She saw a pair of white gloves. In the scorching heat of August, he was not bothered by the heat and wore a pair of gloves, which made people curious about his profession or identity. From a glance, he appeared slim, a bit on the thin side, with a calm demeanor. He seemed a bit cold and kept his distance from everyone else. ¡°Weiwei, let¡¯s go.¡± Su Man, who was in front, called out to her. Bai Youwei responded, and with her crutch, slowly followed them. Little did she know, after Su Man had called out to her, those men were also talking about them. ¡°Not bad benefits at this base, they even have a cripple, how strange.¡± ¡°¡­She¡¯s surprisingly good-looking though.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t provoke that cripple. You guys are new here, you don¡¯t know. The one who needed props to exchange for puzzle pieces was her! She has a lot of props in her hand!¡± ¡°Really? I couldn¡¯t tell¡­¡± The man wearing the white gloves looked at Bai Youwei¡¯s retreating figure, a thoughtful expression on his face¡­ Chapter 388 - Chapter 388: Chapter 388: The Situation on Shen Mo’s Side Chapter 388: Chapter 388: The Situation on Shen Mo¡¯s Side Along the roadside, a row of beautiful garden villas stood. Shen Mo walked into one of them, opened the wrought iron gate and under a grape tree in the courtyard, a middle-aged man was sitting at a short square table, playing Chinese chess alone. The chess set was an original item in the villa, made of wood. The lacquer had already faded and the edges were worn smooth and rounded. Shen Mo sat down at the other end of the table, observing the situation on the chessboard. It seemed like a game of life and death. He glanced at his father across the table. In his memories, his father had never played Chinese chess. His usual pastimes were quite fixed: reading, writing, mountain climbing and golf. Of course, some of those pastimes are now impossible to enjoy. Looking at the chessboard, the middle-aged man spoke calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t take Shen Fei¡¯s words to heart. I¡¯m not some old man in his sixties or seventies who can¡¯t move. I can look after myself and certainly don¡¯t need constant care from my children. You don¡¯t need to come here to check on me all the time.¡± Speaking, he looked up at Shen Mo, laughing lightly, ¡°Even if I were in my sixties or seventies, I wouldn¡¯t necessarily need care. I heard there¡¯s an old man in your team, is that true?¡± Sitting across the table, Shen Mo replied, ¡°Yes, his name is Chang Weicai, a teacher in a middle school in Nanjing.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shen¡¯s father nodded, bowing his head again to focus on the chessboard. Silence reigned, as if father and son had nothing to say to each other. After a while, Shen Mo said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could play Chinese chess.¡± ¡°When I was young, I played with your grandfather.¡± Shen¡¯s father picked up a chess piece, hesitated, and put it back down, sighing, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I touched this, I¡¯ve become rusty.¡± Shen Mo looked, picked up the rook, and moved it five squares straight ahead of the general, ¡°Check.¡± Shen¡¯s father chuckled, ¡°That won¡¯t work, my horse is guarding here.¡± He jumped the horse and captured Shen Mo¡¯s rook. Shen Mo moved his pawn forward, ¡°Check.¡± ¡°This is a dead end, it won¡¯t work.¡± Shen¡¯s father shook his head, advancing a soldier and capturing the pawn. Shen Mo moved his cannon, landing it on the general, ¡°Check.¡± Shen¡¯s father was taken aback. Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°Move two steps if there¡¯s dead end in one, three if there¡¯s a dead end in two. My grandfather used to say, the way out is to keep moving.¡± Shen¡¯s father stared at the chessboard for a good half a minute, then moved the piece he had played back to its original position, ¡°I made a mistake just now, I won¡¯t use the horse.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t take moves back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a game, not a real battlefield. Just a game between father and son, it can¡¯t be considered taking moves back.¡± Shen¡¯s father reset the chessboard, moving the general behind the minister, ¡°Now, I should be safe.¡± Shen Mo looked helpless. But seeing his father¡¯s white hair at his temples, his mood was a bit harsh. His father was a typical rich man¡¯s son, raised in luxury and grandeur. Because of strict parenting, he had not picked up any bad habits and thanks to his grandfather¡¯s fairness, there had been no scandals over inheritance among the brothers. One could say his life had been worry-free. For him to remain so calm in this situation was quite impressive. After a while in silence, Shen Mo turned to his father and said, ¡°I plan to head north in a few days.¡± ¡°Head north?¡± Shen¡¯s father looked up at him in mild surprise, ¡°¡­Are you trying to help Weiwei find her mother?¡± Wang Jingxian had also gone north. Shen Mo shook his head, ¡°The area is too big, it¡¯s very difficult to find one person. We¡¯re heading north to collect puzzle pieces.¡± ¡°Collecting puzzle pieces¡­¡± Shen¡¯s father understood, ¡°I heard from your second uncle that there are labyrinths in Wuhan and Zhengzhou, but I don¡¯t know if they still exist after all this time¡­¡± He said, sighing lightly, ¡°Even though Shanghai doesn¡¯t have a labyrinth, it has attracted the game instead. If we can¡¯t conquer the 21st game, I fear the base will have to relocate elsewhere.¡± Chapter 389 - Chapter 389: Chapter 389: It’s Still Shen Mo’s Side Chapter 389: Chapter 389: It¡¯s Still Shen Mo¡¯s Side Shen Fei and his father both served the organization, so they were always well-informed. Shen Mo had also heard about the base relocation from Shen Fei. ¡°Has it been confirmed about the relocation?¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°Where are we moving to?¡± ¡°The professor suggests moving south along the coastline.¡± Father Shen replied, ¡°It¡¯s August now, autumn is just around the corner. Without electricity and heating systems, moving north would pose too many challenges, especially with the shortage of food.¡± Moving south would mean warmer climate, continuous plant growth, and people wouldn¡¯t starve to death. Head north? Or move south? Two completely opposite directions. Shen Mo furrowed his brows. If the base were to move, his departure would mean cutting ties with his family. In a world like this, losing contact was a terrifying thing, because it was like¡­a final farewell. Father Shen understood his concern and said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, the professor has already recruited a team that will enter the game tomorrow. They¡¯re all top players, so there¡¯s a high chance they¡¯ll clear the game. If Area 21 is successfully conquered, there will be no need to relocate.¡± Shen Mo pondered, nodding in agreement. ¡°By the way.¡± Father Shen remembered something and asked Shen Mo, ¡°Since we¡¯re leaving, when will you bring Weiwei over for me to meet?¡± Shen Mo was taken aback, looking at him. ¡°Shen Fei told me you two are living together.¡± Father Shen paused, then added, ¡°Sleeping together, too.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Even though the world is in chaos, certain rules must be observed. If you¡¯re sure about being together, bring her over for me to meet.¡± Father Shen reminded. Shen Mo gave a barely perceptible frown, remaining silent for a moment. Father Shen eyed his reaction, somewhat puzzled, and asked: ¡°Was it a misunderstanding by Shen Fei?¡± After two seconds of silence, Shen Mo replied, ¡°I¡¯ll bring her over tomorrow.¡± It was now Father Shen¡¯s turn to be silent: ¡°¡­¡± He was slightly taken aback. His son had always been reticent, never sharing personal matters. Was this answer a veiled admission that he and the girl were together? He patted Shen Mo heavily on the shoulder, ¡°Come around tonight, and don¡¯t let your second uncle and cousin find out. They already have a lot to say about Auntie Wang, if they found out about Weiwei coming, they would definitely bug me about it.¡± Hearing this, Shen Mo found it somewhat amusing. ¡°Dad, haven¡¯t you given up on Auntie Wang yet?¡± he asked. ¡°Why should I give up? Don¡¯t repeat your second uncle¡¯s words.¡± Father Shen just smiled, ¡°They don¡¯t understand the beauty of love.¡± Shen Mo: The father and son chatted for a while, then Uncle Shen arrived, and it was time for the uncle and nephew to catch up. When he learned that Shen Mo was planning to collect jigsaw puzzles, Uncle Shen immediately praised him, saying: ¡°You are truly a man of the Shen Family! A man should be adventurous, don¡¯t worry, your father will be looked after by me and Xiaofei!¡± He then pulled Shen Fei over, called a few Shen Family relatives, and held a farewell party for Shen Mo. Some of them had been distant relatives, but now that the Shen family only had a few of them left, they became closer than before. After eating, it was inevitable for them to drink. After drinking, it was inevitable for emotions to run high. From the afternoon to the evening, the whole table was unbridled with laughter, shedding tears, drowning their sorrows in alcohol. Some were crying over death, some were laughing their heads off, some were cursing the fickle nature of the world¡­ Shen Mo watched this spectacle, holding his glass. Behind a glass wall, he observed this spectrum of human life clearly and in silence. He has always been this way since he was a child. Adults praised him for his maturity, but in reality, he was just indifferent. Father Shen gently patted his shoulder, saying: ¡°Remember tonight well. Even if we don¡¯t get to see each other in the future, when you reminisce, you can still recall how we were all drinking together.¡± Upon hearing this, waves rippled in Shen Mo¡¯s calm lake of a heart. When he looked again at the relatives and friends at the table, he seemed to share in their joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness¡­ he could feel some of it too. Chapter 390 - Chapter 390: Chapter 390: The Situation on Bai Youwei’s Side Chapter 390: Chapter 390: The Situation on Bai Youwei¡¯s Side He returned home quite late. Shen Mo opened the door, the light was on in the living room. A candle was placed on the coffee table. It was burnt to the end, and the flame was like a small monster tethered by the wick, jumping incessantly but unable to escape. Bai Youwei was sitting on the sofa, dressed in a white nightgown with her black hair loose. She coldly stared at Shen Mo, then she hummed lightly and said, ¡°Well, you remembered to return home?¡± The corner of Shen Mo¡¯s mouth curled into a smile. Bai Youwei was indignant, ¡°What are you smiling for!¡± As Shen Mo approached, a wave of alcohol entered her nostrils, making her even more angry: ¡°You¡¯ve been drinking!¡± Shen Mo sat down, casually lifted her onto his lap, hugged her, and smiled lightly, ¡°Hmm, had a little.¡± Bai Youwei: The sudden intimacy made her uncomfortable. She couldn¡¯t help but stare at Shen Mo¡¯s eyes, doubting whether he was¡­ drunk? Some people tend to cross the line when they¡¯re drunk. She couldn¡¯t help but feel an odd anticipation¡­ Her hand stealthily moved to his abs, cautiously asking, ¡°Are you drunk?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Shen Mo leaned back into the sofa, his single arm looping around her waist, gently explaining, ¡°My father was here, and so were many uncles. We don¡¯t get together often, so I drank a few extra cups.¡± Bai Youwei was quietly touching his abs. It was a rare opportunity; usually, he was so serious and didn¡¯t let her touch him. She had hardly tentatively felt his abs when Shen Mo caught her hand, preventing her from moving it. Bai Youwei felt slightly disappointed, she had not expected him to be so alert even when drunk¡­ Shen Mo raised a corner of his lips and said, ¡°Just now, you looked exactly like a wife in a TV drama who gets furious when her husband comes home late after drinking.¡± An image of a curly-haired, slightly chubby middle-aged woman in slippers suddenly popped into Bai Youwei¡¯s mind. ¡°Nonsense! Am I that fierce?!¡± Shen Mo chuckled softly, couldn¡¯t stop himself from laughing for a moment. He was usually reserved, rarely laughing like this. Bai Youwei stared at him, feeling tonight¡¯s Shen Mo was a bit strange. After a moment, Shen Mo hugged her and cooed, ¡°You¡¯re not fierce, I was just praising your authority.¡± The authority of the mistress of the house. Bai Youwei pondered a bit, her face turning slightly red. Fortunately, the living room was dimly lit, so it wasn¡¯t noticeable. Shen Mo adjusted his position slightly, still hugging her, and asked, ¡°What did you do today?¡± ¡°Cleaning the house. I got tons of trash from that new bride game. It¡¯s useless to keep it, but it¡¯s wasteful to throw it away. Then Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin went to the river to dig some dirt, saying Professor Cheng wants to plant vegetables in the backyard of the dollhouse¡­¡± Bai Youwei stopped talking, remembered something, turned around on the sofa, picked up a stack of documents, and handed them to Shen Mo. ¡°I met with Professor Song this afternoon, this is what he gave me, all gaming data from nearby areas.¡± Shen Mo took it and briefly skimmed through it. He originally thought he was just slightly tipsy, but looking at the closely packed words on the paper, he suddenly felt a bit dizzy. He put the paper down and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Want to go?¡± Bai Youwei made a face: ¡°These games, one can¡¯t go simply because they want to. Each game requires at least one death, otherwise a full-team clearance will trigger an anti-brushing system, and once a game disappears, a new unknown game will appear. So, the organization has stipulated, until a new game¡¯s strategy has been figured out, the old game cannot be fully cleared. If someone clears it, they must take responsibility to figure out the strategies for the new game that appears thereafter.¡± She picked up the documents, continuing: ¡°Although we can¡¯t go, this information is very important, it can be processed to let Professor Cheng and others have a look and gain some game experience.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Let¡¯s take it slow. I¡¯ve already mentioned to my father about heading north, Tomorrow you come with me to his place.¡± Recalling Professor Cheng¡¯s advice, Bai Youwei nodded in agreement, ¡°Sure.¡± Since everyone thinks it¡¯s not a problem, she should visit her elders. Chapter 391 - Chapter 391: Chapter 391: Going Out Together Chapter 391: Chapter 391: Going Out Together The next day, Shen Mo found that Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin were all dressed up, ready to go out and visit someone. This surprised him, so he asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Boss, are you serious?¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°Weiwei said we¡¯re visiting Uncle Shen today!¡± Teacher Cheng said: ¡°We should have thanked him in person a long time ago, but there hasn¡¯t been an opportunity.¡± Pan Xiaoxin was carefully smoothing the folds of his clothing, ¡°Sister Weiwei said we need to behave well today and not embarrass her.¡± Shen Mo: It was a little different from what he imagined¡­ Bai Youwei came out of the house to see that everyone was dressed neatly and was also surprised. ¡°Wow¡­ you guys are exaggerating too much. I just didn¡¯t want you to dress too casually, but you¡¯ve dressed up as if you¡¯re going to a wedding!¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t notice the mockery and touched his hair proudly, ¡°Of course we must be grand on matters concerning the boss!¡± Meanwhile, Teacher Cheng started mulling over, ¡°Or¡­should I go back and change into something old? Visiting someone¡¯s home looking too flashy can be intimidating. That wouldn¡¯t be appropriate¡­¡± Tan Xiao, still excited about his fresh look and unwilling to change, frowned and said, ¡°I just finished applying this hair oil! If I change my clothes they won¡¯t match!¡± ¡°Brother Xiao, you applied too much oil.¡± Pan Xiaoxin said, pointing to the back of his collar, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of oil on your neck.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, holding her crutch and cackling. Shen Mo watched their antics; some were old, some were young, some silly, and some noisy¡­ He was feeling rather helpless. Boom, boom. Someone was knocking on the door outside. He sighed silently, got up to open the door, and found that it was Yan Qingwen and her crew, accompanied by Yu Yaqing. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Shen Mo looked at them in surprise. Seeing them dressed smartly, Yan Qingwen was also taken aback, ¡°Have we come at a bad time? You all seem to be heading out?¡± Looking at the people in the room, Shen Mo nodded, ¡°We¡¯re about to make a trip to my dad¡¯s place.¡± Tan Xiao hurriedly explained, ¡°We¡¯re about to leave! After Mo bro and his dad live miles apart, they wouldn¡¯t see each other much. We¡¯re going there so his father can recognize our faces and have some peace of mind!¡± Teacher Cheng also added: ¡°Xiaoshen has helped us a lot along the way. So we all wanted to pay a visit to express our gratitude.¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Qingwen laughed, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s join you.¡± Shen Mo: This unexpectedly large group left him speechless. ¡°What brings you guys here?¡± Bai Youwei curiously asked, looking at Yu Yaqing, ¡°Why are you all here together?¡± ¡°The assessment team is recruiting new members. After telling Zhu Shu about it, we all got interested and wanted to try it out.¡± Yu Yaqing replied with a smile, before glancing at the others, ¡°We came to see if you guys want to join us?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you from the security team?¡± Yu Yaqing¡¯s smile stiffened, ¡°I¡¯ve quit.¡± Bai Youwei was wide-eyed. Even a rank-and-file position held some power, and she just quit like that. Zhu Shu glanced at Yu Yaqing and turned to Bai Youwei to help explain, ¡°Sister Yaqing wants to enter the game to challenge herself. As a member of the security team, it¡¯s not easy for her to participate in the game, so she decided to switch to the evaluation team.¡± The claim that she couldn¡¯t participate in the game was probably because all team members objected, right? Bai Youwei thought for a moment and understood everything. Actually, under the premise of a game guide, entering the game for practice isn¡¯t too big of a deal. But it was clear that Yu Yaqing intended not just one game experience, but regular, continuous, and multiple-game experiences! This increased the risks, and members of the security team obviously disagreed. Professor Song was right, the majority of people in this world fear death. Why bother risking their lives in the assessment team when they could live safely in the security team? Chapter 392 - Chapter 392: Chapter 392: Another Death Chapter 392: Chapter 392: Another Death Shen Mo asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°Are you joining the review team with the intention of staying here for the long term?¡± Yan Qingwen shook his head lightly, ¡°The review team is mainly recruiting temporary members this time. As long as you can return from the game and provide new clues, you will get a map. The map will mark the nearby game areas and the suspected range of the maze.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°The professor is so cunning. Most temporary members want to leave here. For them, nothing is more tempting than a map.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a clear deal, so it¡¯s fair,¡± Yan Qingwen said casually with a smile. ¡°If I were Professor Song, I might not be more generous than him.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then turned to Shen Mo, ¡°Should we go too?¡± Shen Mo was taken aback. Yan Qingwen was also surprised, ¡°There will be many opportunities for cooperation in the future. If we get the map, we can share resources. Not everyone has to go to get it.¡± His implication was that Shen Mo and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t need to risk bringing more people into their team just for a map. Yu Yaqing also agreed, ¡°If I get the map, I can give it to you. I don¡¯t plan to leave here for now, so the map is of no use to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the map,¡± Bai Youwei chuckled softly. ¡°I want to see who wants to join the review team. If we meet them in the game, we should be more cautious.¡± The greatest opponent in the game was never the game itself. But the other players inside the game. They went to the exchange area. This place was relatively crowded with players who also wanted to join the review team and had to sign up here. Many people arrived earlier than they did, but few signed up. It seemed everyone was watching and hesitating. When Bai Youwei entered, many eyes fell on her. Her crutch was hard to ignore. Anyone who had been to the exchange area and seen her exchange notice knew ¨C there was a cripple in the base who wanted to exchange props for puzzle pieces. Bai Youwei looked around and noticed something. She quietly tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shen Mo asked quietly. ¡°Look,¡± Bai Youwei slightly tilted her chin, ¡°Over there, aren¡¯t those two people in white gloves discussing us?¡± Shen Mo frowned and followed her gaze. Those two appeared reluctant to attract attention. As soon as they realized Shen Mo was looking at them, they turned around and headed for the corner. ¡°They¡¯re wearing gloves in this kind of weather¡­¡± Bai Youwei stared at the two individuals, ¡°I saw someone else wearing white gloves at Professor Song¡¯s yesterday. Those gloves were so white¡­¡± Shen Mo looked at them, frowning, as he too found it strange. Just like Tan Xiao¡¯s shiny hair. In this place where everyone is rushing around, overly clean and tidy things give people a sense of incongruity. Wearing a pair of white gloves was indeed unnatural, especially since their clothing and shoes weren¡¯t particularly clean but their gloves were immaculate. They were as white as if they were brand new. Suddenly, there was a stir outside. Everyone in the exchange area turned towards the door. Some ran out and shouted, ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°The people from Game No. 21 are back!¡± ¡°So soon? Didn¡¯t they just leave this morning?¡± ¡°How many came back?¡± ¡°They came back so soon, they must not have cleared the game!¡± Everyone hastily went outside to find out what was going on. Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen shared a look and followed the crowd outside. They saw a man in his thirties, thin and scholarly in appearance, wearing a light blue Oxford shirt and white gloves, surrounded by a crowd outside. He spoke to the crowd with a haggard expression: ¡°Everyone is dead¡­ I was lucky to have the puzzle pieces to escape¡­¡± The crowd seemed about to explode. Everyone was extremely shocked! They couldn¡¯t believe it and find it impossible to accept that so many top players went into the game together, and still couldn¡¯t clear it?! Just how difficult is Game No. 21?! Chapter 393 - Chapter 393: Chapter 393: Seeing the White Glove Again Chapter 393: Chapter 393: Seeing the White Glove Again The crowd was buzzing with excitement. There were doubts, questions, and persistent confusions that couldn¡¯t be sorted out. ¡°How did they die?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they use any props?¡± ¡°Aqiang brought so many props with him. How could he have died?!¡± ¡°Exactly! Even if he died, it shouldn¡¯t have happened so quickly!¡± Regarding these questions, the man could only weakly shake his head, responding, ¡°The cat was too powerful¡­ too fast, no one could react in time¡­¡± He started coughing quietly as if he was really weak. A few staff members came forward to maintain order and took the man away for questioning. Finally, the commotion and chaos at the scene gradually subsided. Bai Youwei watched as the man retreated, a sneer curling her lips. ¡°He¡¯s lying.¡± Yu Yaqing was taken aback upon hearing this. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°The 21st game is hide-and-seek, I¡¯ve read about it. The game requires at least ten participants, and once inside, players need to find a place to hide, to avoid getting caught.¡± Bai Youwei turned to her and asked, ¡°Do you think the players would all hide in the same spot?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°Of course they would spread out and hide.¡± Bai Youwei, ¡°Since they would disperse, how could he possibly know that all the others are dead?¡± Yu Yaqing was struck dumb. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Leaving the game using the puzzle piece would only happen when faced with extreme danger with no other means of survival. There¡¯s no way in such circumstances someone could keep an eye on what¡¯s happening to the other players unless all those ten people stayed together the whole time.¡± Unable to hold it back, Lun Ang commented: ¡°Maybe when he came out, he saw the others¡¯ dolls, so he assumed they all were killed in the game.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there is still a contradiction.¡± Shen Mo reminded Lun Ang calmly,¡±He said earlier that it was due to the cat¡¯s ¡®fast speed¡¯, while all ten players were scattered, how would he know their cause of death? Also, when so many people came up to question him earlier, he didn¡¯t panic at all. A normal reaction would be to deny and say he didn¡¯t know anything.¡± A scornful smile tugged on Bai Youwei¡¯s lips: ¡°That man is definitely implicated in the deaths of those nine people. Either he killed them directly, or he indirectly set a trap for them.¡± ¡°Why would he do that?!¡± Yu Yaqing, already believing in Bai Youwei¡¯s deductions, couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°What was the purpose of killing nine people and wasting an opportunity with the puzzle piece?!¡± Zhu Shu was also confused, wondering aloud, ¡°If it was just for murder, there was no need to do it in the game¡­¡± ¡°Who knows~¡± Bai Youwei shrugged nonchalantly, ¡°I do have a piece of advice for you. After joining the review team, if you come across the man who was wearing white gloves earlier, keep your distance. Don¡¯t join the same team as him.¡± Yan Qingwen gazed at the retreating figure, squinting minutely. ¡°¡­it¡¯s certainly strange. It¡¯s never wrong to be cautious.¡± ¡°Indeed, his white gloves were very odd,¡± Zhu Shu added. Almost everyone had taken note of the white gloves. The incongruity was glaring. Yu Yaqing had another concern, ¡°If even such a large group of experts couldn¡¯t clear game number 21, in 7 days time the city area will become a danger zone. Then, the base will have to be relocated to another place.¡± She pursed her lips and turned to the others, ¡°I need to go to headquarters, I¡¯ll be leaving first!¡± Yu Yaqing left in a hurry. Watching her leave from the entrance gate, everyone¡¯s thoughts varied. Lun Ang asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°Should we still apply for the assessment team?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait for some news.¡± Yan Qingwen pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a nonchalant tone, ¡°If we have to relocate the base, there¡¯s no point joining the review team now.¡± Chapter 394 - Chapter 394: Chapter 394: Switch Chapter 394: Chapter 394: Switch Yan Qingwen never made a losing deal. Now joining the evaluation group, with familiar games around, an organized strategy guide in hand, a small amount of risk could lead to substantial returns. Plus, she could get the map from Professor Song. But once the base moved somewhere else and all the games in the vicinity were unfamiliar and lacked strategy guides, dragging companions into such games would be akin to courting death. The loss would outweigh the gain. Bai Youwei thought for a while and turned to Shen Mo, ¡°Should we go to your dad¡¯s first?¡± Shen Mo pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°We should head back first.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She was puzzled, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to see Uncle Shen?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go another day.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I¡¯ll let him know in advance next time so he¡¯ll be prepared for the crowd.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bai Youwei replied. Deep down, she was somehow concerned. She felt that Shen Mo was holding something back. During the scorching afternoon, two men were leisurely smoking under the tree, occasionally glancing at the tall building behind them. Their clothes were not exactly clean, and their bodies were covered in dust. However, they were both wearing a pair of white gloves, so white it was dazzling. When they finished their cigarettes, they were finally greeted by the arrival of the person inside. They quickly stepped forward and asked, ¡°What took so long? Did those guys give you a hard time?¡± The man who came out of the headquarters curled his lips, ¡°With so many people dead, they had to question thoroughly. But rest assured, even if they suspect me, they have no evidence.¡± ¡°Those idiots, they probably couldn¡¯t even figure out how they died!¡± His partner laughed triumphantly and impatiently asked, ¡°How¡¯s the loot this time? I heard that the team was full of base elites. They must have had plenty of items and puzzles, right?¡± Another companion was equally excited, ¡°Since they dared to enter the game, they must have brought some life-saving goods!¡± The man frowned, unhappy. He pulled out two items from his pocket, a piece of chalk and a colored string. Both were props. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± His partner couldn¡¯t believe it, picked up the props in his hand and said angrily, ¡°These two props are practically useless! You wasted our puzzle piece just to bring back this garbage?!¡± The man instantly turned cold at his words, his expression becoming grim. Seeing the man react negatively, the other partner quickly motioned to their companion, reminding him, ¡°He didn¡¯t know it would turn out this way, and you agreed to go to Game 21! Saying this now is useless!¡± It seemed like both were nervous and cautious around the man. Even though they were dissatisfied, they dare not express their displeasure easily. ¡°I¡¯m just anxious¡­ I don¡¯t mean to blame anyone¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get going. This time we were just unlucky¡­ How stupid were they? They dared to enter the game with so few props. How absurd?!¡± The man slightly raised the corners of his lips and whispered, ¡°Stupid? I don¡¯t think so.¡± He opened his other hand, revealing three puzzle pieces. ¡°Is that a puzzle piece?!¡± His companion exclaimed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take it out earlier! We thought you failed this time!¡± ¡°Look carefully.¡± The man picked up one piece, and with a slight force, the metal puzzle piece broke in half. ¡°These puzzles are fake.¡± He discarded the broken pieces and gently patted his hand. His white gloves were still pristine. His two companions exchanged confused glances. ¡°What¡¯s going on? ¡­ Why would they bring fake puzzles into the game?¡± ¡°Deception, Fraud, Deception.¡± The man briefly glanced at them, ¡°Before we made our move, the real puzzles were already swapped with fake ones.¡± Chapter 395 - Chapter 395: Chapter 395: Arguing Chapter 395: Chapter 395: Arguing After Shen Mo returned, he picked up the game data that Bai Youwei had brought back and reread it. He had only skimmed through it with a bit of a buzz when he saw it yesterday. Now, he found the information for game B21¡ª The title ¡°Hide and Seek¡± was written on it. This was a game that had never been cleared before. Little was known about the game because everyone who played it died, except for Du Lai. The information was also given by Du Lai to the organization. The data mentioned the gameplay method and features, and also described how the puppet cat in the game is incredibly strong and agile. All the details only took up one page, but Shen Mo reads it for a long time. Ever since he returned, Bai Youwei had been observing him. Now seeing him reading the data for game number 21, she started to guess what he was up to. Without realizing it, she furrowed her brows and asked Shen Mo, ¡°Are you thinking about entering Hide and Seek, number 21?¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t respond right away. After looking at the game information for a while, he finally said, ¡°If we can beat game number 21, Shanghai Base can maintain its current state.¡± Bai Youwei frowned at this, ¡°Even if we don¡¯t have the 21st, there will be the 31st, 41st, 51st, 101st! Are you planning to stick around forever? You promised to accompany me to collect puzzle pieces!¡± ¡°The base had always been stable before game number 21 appeared.¡± Shen Mo calmly stated, ¡°No matter how difficult the other games could be, someone will always beat them. Not every game is as difficult as number 21.¡± ¡°So, you actually acknowledge the difficulty?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes and criticized, ¡°The organization put a bunch of elites into the game, and all of them died. Do you think you¡¯re more capable than all those elites combined?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s face darkened slightly. Bai Youwei continued to scorn, ¡°Others have puzzle pieces and props. What do you have? All you have is a block of mud! You have nothing! What makes you think you can go into the game?!¡± The situation seemed ready to erupt into an argument. Teacher Chang, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin exchanged glances and quietly entered the house¡­ In the living room, Bai Youwei¡¯s harsh words echoed one after another, ¡°Even if you enter the game, what makes you think you can clear it? Relying on that fruit knife? Ah! I almost forgot, that fruit knife was already broken into two pieces in the Dollhouse game! Unfortunately, you have to save the world bare-handedly! Ha! Do you think you¡¯re a superhero?¡± Despite being tucked away in the house, the three of them felt the heat of Bai Youwei¡¯s rebuke, even though it wasn¡¯t directed at them. Listening at the door, Tan Xiao spoke in a low voice, ¡°Poor Mo. He hasn¡¯t said a word till now.¡± ¡°Weiwei is only excessively harsh because she¡¯s worried about him.¡± Teacher Chang shared his concern, ¡°But Xiaoshen can¡¯t keep quiet forever either. He needs to reason with Weiwei. As long as he explains it, Weiwei will understand. We need to convince her with logic¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin pursed his lips and whispered, ¡°When my grandmother scolds people, my grandfather never says anything.¡± ¡°What a coincidence?!¡± Tan Xiao exclaimed. ¡°Same goes with my grandparents!¡± Suddenly, Bai Youwei became furious outside and she shouted, ¡°If you love being a hero so much, then go! Go ahead! Leave!!!¡± Teacher Chang became anxious, ¡°No! We must go out and intervene!¡± Tan Xiao quickly opened the door He opened a crack, then clumsily closed it again! ¡°Hey, why did you close the door!¡± Teacher Chang said urgently, ¡°Go out and mediate before they start arguing even more!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t go!¡± Tan Xiao looked nervous, ¡°They¡¯re hugging each other! If we barge in now, Weiwei will tear me apart!¡± Chang Weicai: Pan Xiaoxin: Chapter 396 - Chapter 396: Chapter 396: Dare to Move or Not Chapter 396: Chapter 396: Dare to Move or Not The situation outside was in fact far from their imagined warmth. All of it occurred because Bai Youwei, overtaken by her emotions, threw her walking stick at Shen Mo, demanding him to leave. But she didn¡¯t hit him and instead, she almost lost her balance and fell. Shen Mo swiftly caught her just in time¡ª And that was what Tan Xiao saw. When Shen Mo helped Bai Youwei sit on the sofa, he noticed her flushed face and the tears welling up in her eyes. He felt infuriated, but also found it humorous. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± he asked, ¡°You cursed me out, and I didn¡¯t say a word. What do you have to cry about?¡± Bai Youwei turned her face away: ¡°Hmph!¡± Shen Mo grabbed a few tissues from the coffee table to wipe her tears. Bai Youwei immediately slapped his hand away! ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Shen Mo took the hit, there was no blood, but a red mark appeared on his arm. He slightly frowned and looked at Bai Youwei again, his voice becoming stricter: ¡°If you dare move again, do you believe that I will cut them all off?¡± Bai Youwei: She bit her lip. Then, she raised her hand, looking both determined and hesitant¡­ And scratched Shen Mo a bit. Shen Mo: He didn¡¯t want to indulge her in this habit. A minute later, Bai Youwei¡¯s ¡®weapons¡¯ were forcibly confiscated. Both of her hands were tied up tightly, Shen Mo took a nail clipper, and started to trim her nails one by one. The three people in the room, hearing the silence outside, tiptoed out, completely confused at the sight. Tan Xiao was particularly puzzled: ¡°What kind of kinky fetish is this?¡± However, looking at their faces, it seemed like a temporary ceasefire had been called. Teacher Cheng affectionately asked Shen Mo: ¡°I thought I heard you say you were heading to the 21st game? Is that true?¡± Shen Mo, while handling Bai Youwei¡¯s ¡®paws¡¯, and trimming her nails, explained: ¡°¡­The 21st game not only threatens the base¡¯s safety, but also endangers my family. I want to solve this problem before leaving.¡± Bai Youwei glared at him, frantically speaking: ¡°If you can¡¯t handle the 21st game, just move somewhere else! The base should have an evacuation plan, right? There¡¯s absolutely no need to fight so hard with a game! So many people have died, it¡¯s clear that the game is too difficult. Why are you so keen on throwing your life away?!¡± As she spoke, her eyes started to redden once again, ¡°I won¡¯t allow it! I said it before, no entering the game until we collect the new puzzle pieces! Do I not have any dignity?!¡± ¡°The game may not actually be that hard.¡± Shen Mo remained calm, ¡°The reason we suffered a total defeat this time might be due to sabotage, which may not necessarily be linked to the actual difficulty level of the game.¡± Teacher Cheng thought for a moment, looking worried, ¡°Little Shen, Weiwei is right. We understand your concerns for your family, but if something happens to you in the game, it¡¯s going to cause even more pain for your family¡­ maybe you should reconsider?¡± Shen Mo slowly shook his head: ¡°Shanghai exists as a ¡®vacuum¡¯ safe zone because of the maze that was here. The locations of all the nearby games have been confirmed, and we understand their moving patterns. There won¡¯t be anyplace safer than here. Even if there is, it will be separated by a vast distance.¡± He glanced at Bai Youwei and added: ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Chu Huaijin, and we¡¯ll recruit another team.¡± Bai Youwei retorted bitterly: ¡°So many people have died, even the elite team was annihilated! Who would be foolish enough to join you in the game?! You will surely fail to recruit anyone!¡± Shen Mo looked at her: ¡°If I can¡¯t gather enough people, I¡¯ll give up on the 21st game; I¡¯ll move to a new stronghold with the base, then head north with you all.¡± Bai Youwei clenched her jaw in frustration. His words made her look unreasonable, but¡­ considering their current situation, they really weren¡¯t suited for entering the game! Chapter 397 - Chapter 397: Chapter 397 Du Lai has arrived Chapter 397: Chapter 397 Du Lai has arrived Bang, bang, bang The standoff was interrupted by the knocking on the door. Teacher Cheng turned to open the door. Outside stood a young boy in a grey hoodie. He pulled down the wide hood connected to his collar, revealing a face with a smile, his two prominent front canines making a strong impression. ¡°I am Du Lai, is Bai Youwei here?¡± Teacher Cheng was taken aback, turning his head towards the room, ¡°Weiwei¡­ someone is looking for you.¡± Bai Youwei had already heard, without needing Teacher Cheng to say it. She lifted her tied hands, and forcefully hammered Shen Mo! ¡°Quickly untie me!¡± A passing stranger seeing this would misconstrue it! It was a loose knot. Shen Mo pinched one end, pulling lightly, and it fell apart instantly. Bai Youwei¡¯s hands were finally free. She didn¡¯t have nails scratch him with, so she angrily pinched the flesh on his arm! Shen Mo stopped her hand and whispered a warning: ¡°Is there no end to this?! If you continue, I will bind your entire body tonight!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face reddened, she angrily pinched him again, ¡°Pervert!¡± Shen Mo paused, in what way was he a pervert? At the door, Du Lai had already walked in, an innocent smile on his face. ¡°Long time no see, Miss Bai~¡± He walked up to Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, looking them over. ¡°I heard you escaped from the 24th game, I have yet to congratulate you on acquiring another tool.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him disdainfully: ¡°Others congratulate me on getting my life back, you congratulate me on getting another tool. Is my life not worth your congratulations? Can¡¯t you be a bit more humane?¡± Du Lai: He was silenced, his smile faltered, ¡°¡­Seems like you are not in a good mood today.¡± ¡°Yes, so you better not haggle with me.¡± Bai Youwei bluntly stated, ¡°Want to trade tools, bring out ten puzzle pieces! One piece less and it is no deal~¡± For a long time Du Lai has been coveting her Substitute Doll. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t think of a second reason he would come to find her. ¡°Of course, fair and square, I like this kind of transaction.¡± Du Lai chuckled, staring into Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes. ¡°But how can I be sure that the Substitute Doll is still with you? Maybe¡­you already used it in the game?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly, was silent for two seconds, then called out, ¡°Xiaoxin, bring my bag over!¡± Pan Xiaoxin was startled, he ran into the bedroom and soon came out holding a bulging canvas bag, passing it to Bai Youwei¨C Du Lai¡¯s gaze heated up a few degrees, watching the bag closely. Meanwhile, Bai Youwei¡¯s action was quite rough. She unzipped the canvas bag, directly turned it 90 degrees upside down, and the contents inside clattered onto the couch! The Substitute Doll was among them. She picked up the doll and placed it on the coffee table. Her actions were swift and decisive, showing no sign of reluctance to part with the tool. ¡°Here, you can check the merchandise.¡± Bai Youwei stated. Her attitude was fearless and nonchalant, not worried at all about the chance of Du Lai taking the item and running off. Du Lai inevitably grew more cautious. He surveyed the people in the room once again, Tan Xiao, Teacher Cheng, Pan Xiaoxin, and¡­ Shen Mo, who was sitting next to Bai Youwei. Then he reached out his hand, cautiously touching the doll on the coffee table. [Substitute Doll: Can act as a second body for the user, withstand all damage within 36 hours until completely destroyed.] That¡¯s right! Exactly the same as what Bai Youwei had written on the notice! This was what he wanted! Du Lai¡¯s heart was pounding, he couldn¡¯t help but want to take the doll into his arms right away, his fingertips trembling slightly. However, another hand was placed on the Substitute Doll. Shen Mo reminded him: ¡°We haven¡¯t seen your stuff yet.¡± Chapter 398 - Chapter 398: Chapter 398: Not Enough Chapter 398: Chapter 398: Not Enough Du Lai snapped back to reality, slowly retracting his hand¡­ But his eyes remained focused on the doll lying on the coffee table. Bai Youwei slightly raised an eyebrow, feeling puzzled. Many people wanted the Substitute Doll, but Du Lai¡¯s demeanor¡­ seemed to show more determination than anyone else, as if he could settle for nothing less. This was quite strange. However, she generally couldn¡¯t care less about others¡¯ business, as long as Du Lai could offer the puzzle pieces, she would complete the trade. Du Lai¡¯s hoodie had a large pocket in the middle, accessible from either end. He took out a handful of puzzle pieces from the pocket, one by one, laying them out on the coffee table. One piece, two pieces, three pieces¡­ six pieces, seven pieces. That was all. Bai Youwei looked at him coolly, ¡°Hey, we agreed on ten puzzle pieces.¡± ¡°I know, ten puzzle pieces,¡± Du Lai answered calmly, ¡°Ten¡­ used puzzle pieces. But what I¡¯ve given you are six used pieces, and one¡­ unused piece.¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Others in the room looked surprised as well. Tan Xiao blurted out: ¡°Are you crazy? Why don¡¯t you keep the unused puzzle piece for yourself? Why are you exchanging it for an accessory?¡± While Substitute Dolls only protect against injuries, puzzle pieces can directly enable players to leave the game. Comparatively, it¡¯s evident that the puzzle pieces hold more value! Let¡¯s take a simple example¡ª¡ª In ¡°The Last Bride¡±, what would happen if a player captured by the Duke used a Substitute Doll? For a time, they would indeed be immune to damage, but what about after that time passed? The player attached to the torture device would still die! Unless during that window, other players managed to complete the game! Given this, Du Lai¡¯s behavior was highly unusual. Bai Youwei reached out and ran her fingers over the puzzle pieces on the coffee table one by one. She hesitated when she got to the seventh piece. It indeed was an unused puzzle piece, as information would flash in her mind when she touched it. She looked at Du Lai, her eyes squinting slightly. Her silent gaze was both an examination and a questioning. ¡°You don¡¯t need to doubt my intentions.¡± Du Lai replied with a smirk, a blend of naughtiness and coolness, ¡°Puzzle pieces can let players leave the game, but they can¡¯t make them win the game. And what I want¡­ is to win.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s index finger lightly tapped twice on the coffee table. She looked at Shen Mo. After reflecting for a moment, Shen Mo told her, ¡°Trade should be based on trust.¡± Bai Youwei contemplated this, ¡°Hmm¡­ trust should indeed be valued.¡± She picked up the doll from the coffee table, putting it away, said, ¡°I won¡¯t trade.¡± Almost losing his composure, Du Lai¡¯s expression twitched! ¡°No trade?¡± he asked incredulously, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say trust is important?!¡± ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s why I won¡¯t trade,¡± Bai Youwei replied nonchalantly, ¡°We agreed on ten puzzle pieces for the doll, and you only have seven pieces.¡± ¡°Among these seven puzzle pieces, there¡¯s one which gives exemption rights!¡± Du Lai spitefully stressed. ¡°This one piece of puzzle alone can equate to ten used puzzle pieces!¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head slightly,¡±You just said your goal is to win, I have my goals too. My goal is to collect puzzle pieces, the more the better. What others may regard as precious, I regard as just another piece. Because of this piece, I missed out on three others which I find unacceptable.¡± Du Lai looked at Bai Youwei and then at Shen Mo, pointed at them, and shouted, ¡°Are you guys playing me?!¡± Is this what they call trading? This was clearly finding fault on purpose! ¡°Not at all~¡± Bai Youwei sat on the couch, speaking in an unconcerned manner,¡±You can use this piece to exchange for four used ones, when you have ten in total, you can come find me anytime~ I¡¯m always open.¡± Chapter 399 - Chapter 399: Chapter 399: Another Piece Chapter 399: Chapter 399: Another Piece Du Lai sneered, ¡°I think you just don¡¯t want to swap props! Once I gather ten pieces, you¡¯ll come up with another excuse!¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°If you really think that way, that¡¯s just boring. You know, I always keep my promises.¡± Du Lai snorted coldly, bent down to pick up the jigsaw puzzle pieces on the coffee table, and put them back in his pocket. ¡°Bai Youwei, there¡¯s a saying ¨C ¡®The heart of man is insatiable as a snake¡¯, I advise you not to be too greedy. At the base right now, I dare say I am the only one who can bring out ten pieces.¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei curled her lips into a sweet smile, ¡°Du Lai, it¡¯s a wise man who knows the times. I¡¯d advise you to read the room. Among all the people at the base right now, I dare say I¡¯m the only one who can present these kinds of props.¡± Du Lai: He was filled with frustration. As he walked to the door, he stopped unwillingly as if he had a fierce internal struggle, then suddenly turned around and walked back! ¡°Would one more piece be enough?¡± Du Lai took out the puzzles from his pocket, and from another pocket, another piece, aggressively placing it on the coffee table! Snap! ¡°Eight pieces! I can¡¯t give more!¡± Du Lai uttered indignantly, ¡°Six have been used, two haven¡¯t. These are all the pieces I have!¡± ¡°Deal¡± Bai Youwei quickly grabbed the canvas bag and swept all the puzzle pieces on the coffee table into the bag. Du Lai: Why did he get the feeling that she had been waiting for him to raise the price? Shen Mo picked up the Substitute Doll and gently tossed it to Du Lai, ¡°Take it, the prop you wanted.¡± ¡°Eight puzzle pieces, and two of them haven¡¯t been used, tsk tsk. Let me guess, you¡¯ve gathered so many puzzle pieces, how did you do it? ¡­The death of those players in the 21st game, is it your doing? Didn¡¯t see that coming, you¡¯ve got a malicious heart~¡± Bai Youwei stored the puzzle pieces away jokingly. Du Lai¡¯s expression darkened, with a hint of gloom in his eyes. Perhaps considering there would be no testimony from the dead, he didn¡¯t deny the accusation immediately. Instead, he mockingly smiled and gave a noncommittal reply: ¡°What could it have to do with me? Their deaths were due to their stupidity, regardless of whether they had puzzle pieces or not, the outcome would not have changed.¡± ¡°You seem to know something.¡± Shen Mo furrowed his eyebrows and examined him. Du Lai gave a forced smirk, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. The more you know, the faster you die. Even I understand such logic~¡± He put away the Substitute Doll, waved casually at everyone inside the room, and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure doing business with you, goodbye~¡± Du Lai left breezily and disappeared from sight quickly. As soon as he was gone, Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°Has this guy gone mad?! One puzzle piece wasn¡¯t enough for him, he actually gave us two unused puzzle pieces! Two! Unused puzzle pieces! He just handed them over to us!¡± Bai Youwei gave him a sidelong glance and laughed carelessly: ¡°He¡¯s not crazy, nor is he stupid. He¡¯s confident that he can retrieve his puzzle pieces. That¡¯s why he dare to hand the puzzles to me.¡± Tan Xiao was clueless, ¡°What?¡± Shen Mo spoke to everyone, ¡°Lock the doors and windows tonight and rest in the puppet room. No one stays outside.¡± ¡°Leaving nothing outside?¡± Bai Youwei drawled, ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave something for this master thief to steal? It¡¯s a rare opportunity for such a visit. He¡¯ll be disappointed if we don¡¯t prepare anything.¡± Shen Mo felt a bit helpless, but not surprised. He would probably find it strange if she ever stopped causing mischief. ¡°What do you propose?¡± Shen Mo calmly asked. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°Hmm¡­ a simple¡­ welcome ceremony?¡± Chapter 400 - Chapter 400: Chapter 400: Master Thief Chapter 400: Chapter 400: Master Thief The pitch-black night It¡¯s three in the morning, a time when most people are in deep sleep, and also the favorite time of activity for thieves. A small iron wire, slowly pushed into the keyhole, doesn¡¯t take much force, just skill to open it easily. Du Lai slowly pushed the door open, his sense of touch immediately noting something was not right. Looking up, he noticed a bulging garbage bag hanging over the door, teetering on the edge of falling. If he had pushed the door any harder, that bag would have fallen, hitting him on the head. He gently touched the bag, and inside, it was filled with a liquid, oily substance like leftover food or soup. Du Lai¡¯s eye twitched twice. But this minor obstacle would not stop him. His nimble hands removed the garbage bag and gently placed it on the ground, his movements were extremely light. However, as he was about to move forward, he saw the plastic bag rapidly deflate, the soup inside seeping out and emitting a strong smell of seaweed and shrimp, wetting the soles of his shoes. With a frown, he looked more closely and found thumbtacks scattered all over the floor! Not just near the entrance, but thumbtacks were everywhere on the living room floor! Du Lai: Damn, this woman is ruthless! It seems she was well prepared for someone trying to steal her stuff. It¡¯s normal to be prepared, after all, her props are too alluring to people. But she thinks she can stop him with these thumbtacks, that¡¯s naive. Du Lai gently stepped over the thumbtacks, recalling Bai Youwei¡¯s mockery during their first meeting. She was right, he is indeed a thief. But at the same time, he is also a magician. For these two identities, sometimes he alternates between them, sometimes he possesses both, so he himself actually isn¡¯t sure, is he more of a thief or a magician? ¡­It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. He continued to walk into the room, his movements quick but light, not making a sound. Opening the bedroom door, the sheet on the bed covering two protruding figures, the canvas bag just hung on a clothes rack a little first away. Du Lai¡¯s heart tightened as he held his breath, his movements became even slower and lighter¡­.. He gently lifted the canvas bag¡¯s two handles, took it, and carefully retraced his steps back along the path he had just taken ¡ª Using a puzzle to exchange for a prop seemed rather foolish, but he thought it was worth it. But if he could acquire this prop without using a puzzle, he¡¯d find it even more worth it. Du Lai retreated all the way to the door, silently weighing the canvas bag in the corridor ¨C it was quite full and heavy. Was she too arrogant? How could she just casually leave such an important prop next to the bed? Or was she certain that her trap would definitely work? Du Lai smirked, picking up the bag and quickly left. He didn¡¯t head toward his own place, but instead chose to head out of town. Trying to avoid attention, he parked his car in a secluded place, the night sky sparse and dim, he traveled under the glimmering stars and waning moon. At the intersection, a figure suddenly appeared. At three in the morning, a person standing in the middle of the intersection. This was rather shocking. Du Lai slowed his steps, remaining cautious. The sky was overcast that night, thick clouds obscuring the moonlight, casting heavy shadows, and he couldn¡¯t make out the stranger¡¯s face. He could only make out that it was a tall thin man, standing silently not far from him, with unclear intentions. Most likely, they were hostile. Du Lai stopped without a change in his expression, rapidly constructing escape routes and strategies in his mind. Then, the man spoke. His voice was like a serene river, calm, gentle, but also cold. ¡°The puzzle, is it on you?¡± Chapter 401 - Chapter 401: Chapter 401: The Bellingr Chapter 401: Chapter 401: The Bellingr ¡°What puzzle pieces?¡± Du Lai cautiously retreated, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± The man approached him and asked, ¡°How wouldn¡¯t you understand? If my speculation is correct, you should have at least three¡­no, at least four puzzle piecess. Am I right?¡± He drew closer, and under the night sky, his skin was so pale that he didn¡¯t look alive; instead, he resembled a nocturnal vampire. His hands, clothed in dazzlingly white gloves, starkly white and eerie, only amplified the effect. It suddenly occurred to Du Lai what he had heard earlier. ¡°You¡¯re a survivor from Game 21, aren¡¯t you? Du Lai smirked, ¡°Looks like you killed off all those people.¡± ¡°Oh¡­That¡¯s not a very polite thing to say.¡± The man smiled, ¡°I only¡­sent them on their way.¡± Du Lai provocatively raised an eyebrow, ¡°After all that effort, you ended up with nothing, right? That why you came out in the middle of the night, bothered?¡± The man¡¯s eyes were cold as he looked at Du Lai, ¡°Yes¡­thanks to you.¡± Whoosh! A flash of silver light emerged! He attacked all of a sudden! A metal tube materialized between his hands and was mercilessly swung at Du Lai! Du Lai skillfully sidestepped. The metal tube hit the cement floor with a loud bang! The man kept attacking! Du Lai rolled on the ground and then made a mad dash towards the alleyway. His speed was incredible! The man was relentless, his speed matching Du Lai¡¯s! ¡°Why are you running? Haven¡¯t you got plenty of tools from them? Don¡¯t you plan on using any? Let me see¡­ How can you survive without using any tools?¡± His tone was gentle, his voice eerily sing-song, but the metal tube in his hand was relentless! Like the scythe of death, he wildly swung it, leaving destruction in his wake! Du Lai made good use of his surroundings and fled swiftly! One moment he was darting through a street, then twisting into an alleyway, then hopping onto an awning with the help of an outside air conditioning unit! He then sprung high and in one swift move, climbed up the sixth floor to the rooftop via the security grill window! It was dark in the street below. Just when he thought he had lost the man, he heard a shattering sound under his feet! A hand with a white glove smashed the sixth-floor window and grabbed the edge of the roof! Du Lai clenched his teeth. This bastard was a persistent one! Du Lai reached into Bai Youwei¡¯s canvas bag to fetch any useful tool he could find. But, to his surprise, he pulled out a wooden clock box, and out popped a cuckoo bird. It gave him a proper scare! ¡°Cuckoo Cuckoo ¡± The hourly chime in the silent night was particularly loud! Du Lai was pissed! ¡°Damn it, both of them are so annoying!¡± He raised the canvas bag and slammed it down on the white glove. He then turned and ran! When he reached a corner of the roof, he stepped back a few paces, took a deep breath, and ran towards the edge. Like a nimble leopard, he leaped onto the rooftop of the building next door! Du Lai smirked triumphantly. He easily got up, dusted off his hands, and walked away. Shatter! A chain hit his ankle! Du Lai¡¯s face turned ghastly. He fell forward, instinctively steadying himself with his hands, but the chain snugly wrapped around his ankle pulled him back! He turned to see, the man in white gloves had somehow climbed to the rooftop, and in his place of the iron rod was this stubborn chain! The chain was tightly knotted on his ankle! With each tug, the man gradually reduced the distance between them! Chapter 402 - Chapter 402: Chapter 402 Mr. Magician Chapter 402: Chapter 402 Mr. Magician Du Lai grabbed the rusty railing on the rooftop. He curled the corners of his mouth into a sneer, glancing coldly at the man, his smirk with a touch of wickedness. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for the puzzle pieces, you¡¯ve indeed come to the wrong person.¡± The man¡¯s gaze remained unchanging, cold as ice. Holding onto the chain, he said, ¡°You have something I want.¡± ¡°Oh, why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± Du Lai released one hand from the railing, taking something out of his pocket with it. A verdant leaf. The lively color stood out in the dusky night. The man¡¯s movements paused, his gaze fixed on the leaf in Du Lai¡¯s hand as if wondering what kind of artifact it might be. With a smirk on his face, Du Lai continued to smile, ¡°Due to the fear of getting caught with the stolen puzzle pieces on me, do you really think I would keep those on hand? ¡­Of course not, I¡¯ve sold the puzzle pieces to someone else, if you want them¡­ go get them from Bai Youwei.¡± The man slowly furrowed his brows, ¡°¡­ Bai Youwei?¡± Du Lai placed the leaf atop his head, snapping his fingers and grinning, ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Magician.¡± Boom! A large plume of smoke burst forth, engulfing the surrounding area in a matter of seconds! When the smoke cleared, Du Lai had vanished without a trace. At the end of the chain, only a withered leaf remained. The man frowned, looking around without noticing anything suspicious. He stood there, waiting a while before slowly pulling the chain back into his palm. An endless space seemed to exist within his palm, as the long chain was completely drawn inside without leaving a trace. Du Lai watched this scene from the shadows, holding his breath, not daring to make a sound. He had heard rumors that three strange men had recently arrived at the base, all wearing a pair of white gloves. After overheard their conversation about the Magician that became their nickname, as for the true purpose of the white gloves, no one knew. Now, Du Lai had seen it firsthand. The gloves seemed to be able to create things at will. ¡­All the game artifacts had limitations, even the Magician¡¯s powers likely could not be truly ¡°unlimited¡±. But to determine their actual limitations from his brief interaction was impossible. The man had already walked far and disappeared around the street corner. Du Lai slowly let out a breath, his tense nerves relaxing. The artifact, ¡®Catnip¡¯s Leaf¡¯, could only transport someone within a 50-meter range, serving as a smokescreen rather than a true escape tool. Luckily, the man didn¡¯t thoroughly search the area. Du Lai closed his eyes, ready to get up and leave when he smelled gasoline. He froze, his relaxed nerves suddenly going on high alert again. Carefully peeking through the window, he spotted the man who had returned, carrying two buckets of gasoline and splashing it around as he walked! The old building where Du Lai was hiding was on fire! He gritted his teeth, muttering a curse under his breath, quickly ran to the bathroom to completely soak himself with water! Afterward, he returned to the window to see the man had set two more buildings on fire! The flames roared, aiming to cut off all his escape routes! ¡°Damn!¡± Du Lai cursed silently, ¡°Such a ruthless bastard!¡± The fire had spread to the second floor, if Du Lai were slower to react, he might have been trapped on the sixth floor, turning into a roast chicken. He wrapped himself up in the wet clothes, covering his mouth and nose as he ran down to the third floor, then jumped amidst the billowing smoke His vision was blurred by the thick smoke. His abdomen hit the crossbar of an air conditioning unit, leaving a bloody gash. Du Lai didn¡¯t dare to delay. As soon as he hit the ground, he rolled into a sprint, then clutching the wound, he ran in the opposite direction of the man! All the while cursing his luck, not only had he failed to retrieve the puzzle pieces but also ran into this lunatic. Luckily, he was just about to leave Shanghai. The lunatic could go on causing mayhem for someone else! Chapter 403 - Chapter 403: Chapter 403: Can’t Gather Enough People Chapter 403: Chapter 403: Can¡¯t Gather Enough People News of the failure of Game 21 quickly spread throughout the entire base, causing quite a stir. Afterwards, Chu Huaijin once again posted a recruitment notice, recruiting 10 people to challenge Game 21 again, but no one showed interest. Just like what Bai Youwei predicted, after so many elite players lost their lives in the ¡°hide and seek¡± game, people wanted to keep their distance from Game 21. Even when Professor Song put out eight puzzle pieces as a reward, and even when Bai Youwei¡¯s announcement still had two items waiting to be traded, nobody was willing to go. Chu Huaijin had given up hope on this and began preparing for the migration of the base. Through his own set of calculations, Professor Song had determined the location for the new base. It was a long way off. Who knows how many days it would take to get there, or how many casualties there would be along the way. Bai Youwei had initially taken delight in Shen Mo¡¯s inability to rally the troops, but as time went by and he still couldn¡¯t find enough people, she started to get angry. She thought: How could the people in this base be so shortsighted? She was in a foul mood, and in her house, she cursed everyone in the base, as if those not willing to join the game with Shen Mo were all cowardly and incompetent! Teacher Chang, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin listened in silence, not daring to chime in. ¡°A bunch of imbeciles! Do they think that following the organization to a new place will keep them safe?! The more they fear death, the sooner they¡¯ll die! When the time comes for the organization to establish a new order, people will be shuffled around again, and they won¡¯t have the ability to protect others! It¡¯ll be good enough if they can keep that old man named Song safe! This pile of junk has the nerve to call itself a ¡®base¡¯? I think we should stop calling it a ¡®base¡¯! ¡®Refugee Gathering Squad¡¯ is more fitting! Or even ¡®Home for Losers¡¯! It sums up the character of these cowards!¡± Bai Youwei turned to Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin, and asked, ¡°Am I right or not?!¡± The three of them all nodded in agreement: ¡°Right, right, right¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so infuriating!¡± She slapped the sofa cushion angrily, ¡°We stooped so low to help them through the game, and they don¡¯t appreciate the opportunity! They¡¯ll regret it in the future!¡± Tan Xiao also chimed in: ¡°Yeah, even our Boss personally stepped in, and they¡¯re all too blind to recognize it!¡± Bai Youwei glared at him, ¡°Shen Mo is not ¡®it¡¯!¡± Tan Xiao hesitated: ¡°Then¡­they don¡¯t recognize people?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s no longer a person?!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s annoyance intensified, ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re making no sense!¡± Tan Xiao silently rubbed his nose. Teacher Chang attempted to soothe the situation: ¡°There are still two days left. After all, this is a matter of life and death, so people are bound to hesitate. Maybe by tomorrow, we will have the people we need.¡± Bai Youwei scowled. Teacher Chang¡¯s words did make a certain amount of sense. People always agonized a bit more when it came to life-and-death decisions. But what if¡­ What if by the seventh day, no one still wants to go? What then? They surely couldn¡¯t bring along all of Shen Mo¡¯s relatives, could they? They were heading northward to collect jigsaw pieces, not to go on a vacation! The more people they brought along, the heavier the responsibility on their shoulders. Because their lives weren¡¯t only their own, they also had to protect the safety of so many others! ¡­Of course, they could be a bit tougher and not care about what happens to the others. But if they didn¡¯t care about the others, then why bother bringing them along? As Bai Youwei thought about these things, she got a terrible headache and rubbed her temples with her eyes closed. Footsteps echoed from outside the door. She heard Shen Mo talking and looked up to see him leading a few people into the house He introduced them, saying: ¡°Since everyone has decided to go into the game together, I think it¡¯s necessary to get to know each other and make preparations in advance.¡± Chapter 404 - Chapter 404: Chapter 404: Gathering People Chapter 404: Chapter 404: Gathering People Among the newcomers, Bai Youwei recognized three and didn¡¯t know two. The three she recognized were Yu Yaqing, Yan Qingwen, and Lun Ang. Of the two she didn¡¯t know, one was dark and strong like charcoal, while the other was pale, fat, and bald. Since she knew the first three, there was no need for introductions. Shen Mo introduced to them the latter two: ¡°This one is Robin, a student from the sports academy, proficient in weightlifting, discus throwing, and sprinting. This one is Zhao Mingdeng, a salesperson and also a webmaster of a gaming site, specializing in designing game guides. If we can gather enough people by tomorrow, we will enter the game the day after. If we cannot gather enough people, we will withdraw tomorrow evening.¡± Tan Xiao asked in confusion: ¡°Haven¡¯t we gathered enough people already? Five people here, plus the five of us makes exactly ten. We can enter the game.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still two short.¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°According to the information on the 21st game, the biggest challenge in the game is a puppet cat that is exceptionally fast. That¡¯s why I am bringing people with agile physical responses. Teacher Chang and Xiaoxin will stay behind.¡± Pan Xiaoxin blinked and then uttered an ¡°oh¡±, calmly accepting this arrangement. It was perfectly normal for Shen Mo not to let him go as he was young and would be at a disadvantage in the game. The 21st game was also quite perilous. However, Teacher Chang¡¯s expression was somewhat gloomy, and he silently sighed. Yan Qingwen lightly joked: ¡°Zhu Shu also wanted to go, but unfortunately, Shen Mo didn¡¯t want her.¡± Yu Yaqing followed with a chuckle: ¡°Actually, Zhu Shu has gone through two mazes. Her physical ability is quite impressive, she just lacks experience because she hasn¡¯t practiced before.¡± ¡°This is just a lack of game operation awareness. It¡¯s natural. Most people are like this.¡± The chubby man said matter-of-factly. ¡°Some people will just blindly attack when they see monsters. But some people will time the cooldown, and consciously plan the order and combination of each ultimate move. This is awareness, awareness~¡± Tan Xiao frowned at the fat man, then looked back at Shen Mo, unable to resist asking: ¡°Hey, Mo, didn¡¯t you say¡­ you¡¯re only bringing nimble people?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t underestimate people!¡± The fat man felt his own belly and performed a hula hoop move. ¡°I may be fat, but I¡¯m quite agile.¡± The flesh on his belly moved up and down, shaking rapidly. The athlete next to him glanced at him in annoyance, then turned to Bai Youwei, and said: ¡°I¡¯ll say this in advance, I didn¡¯t know you guys were bringing disabled people. If anything happens to her in the game, I won¡¯t rescue her. Inside the game, it¡¯s life or death, and I will only take care of myself. Don¡¯t blame me afterwards for not giving face.¡± ¡°No worries about that.¡± Yan Qingwen lightly tapped the young man¡¯s shoulder and teased, ¡°Even if you wanted to save her, you probably couldn¡¯t get there in time. So, relax.¡± Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh. Seeing a fuming Bai Youwei, and feeling that his laughter was inappropriate, he awkwardly hid it with his hand. Shen Mo said: ¡°Since we all are going into the game together, we only have one goal: to clear the stage. As for other things, you can do what you wish, and there is no need for any burden.¡± Bai Youwei frowned at him: ¡°We¡¯re still short by two. How are you planning to solve this?¡± The game requires at least ten participants to start, and even one less is not acceptable. Chang Weicai hesitantly spoke up: ¡°Actually¡­ I can¡­¡± Shen Mo cut him off: ¡°Teacher Chang, game 21 demands not only physical ability but also the familiarity with a complex game environment. It would be better if you stayed here and wait for the news with Xiaoxin.¡± Teacher Chang: ¡°Ah¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a bit, then looked at Yan Qingwen: ¡°How is Su Man¡¯s injury?¡± Yan Qingwen slowly shook his head, ¡°You should know what kind of personality she has. If she could come, she would have been here by now.¡± ¡°No rush.¡± Shen Mo said quietly, ¡°There¡¯s still a day left tomorrow; we¡¯ll wait some more.¡± Chapter 405 - Chapter 405: Chapter 405: Insomnia Chapter 405: Chapter 405: Insomnia Shen Mo said there was no hurry, but Bai Youwei was agonizing for him. She didn¡¯t know what was happening to her, her feelings were indescribable. At first, she felt a bit of schadenfreude when he couldn¡¯t find teammates, but then she worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to gather enough people. Now¡­ now that they were just two short of a full team, she started to panic. On one hand, she hoped that he would succeed, but on the other, she didn¡¯t want him to risk himself. These conflicting feelings were like a seesaw, making her incredibly anxious. Thankfully, she had exchanged two pieces of the puzzle with Du Lai; otherwise, she would have been even more anxious. Bai Youwei was tossing and turning in bed. She probably woke Shen Mo up. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his embrace. ¡°Why are you moving around so much?¡± Shen Mo asked in her ear. His voice was low, his breath brushing against her neck, warm and slightly tickling. Bai Youwei froze for a moment, then stopped moving¡­ Shen Mo then asked again, ¡°Need to go to the bathroom?¡± Bai Youwei: Any remnants of a romantic atmosphere were instantly diffused. Disappointed, she pinched his arm irritably, ¡°Can¡¯t I have something else on my mind besides going to the bathroom?!¡± Shen Mo chuckled quietly, asking, ¡°¡­Thirsty? Want some water?¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t just want to pinch him now, she wanted to bite him! Did he think that all she did was drink and go to the bathroom?! Couldn¡¯t she have a little, just a little bit of a girl¡¯s troubles? Bai Youwei was too irritable. She wriggled restlessly in his arms. Shen Mo chuckled and sighed, wrapping one arm around her waist and using his other hand to brush away the hair caught under her. He coaxed her, ¡°Just go to sleep. Stop overthinking.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t sleep.¡± She rolled over to face him, ¡°You think, why would Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang want to join Game 21? Do they also want to play the role of saviors, like you?¡± ¡°Are you finished?¡± Shen Mo pinched her chin gently, ¡°When did I say I wanted to be a savior?¡± Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°Not a single person from the assessment team has come out, yet you¡¯re rallying people to join the game. Isn¡¯t this playing the role of a savior?¡± ¡°This is not being a savior; this is doing my best.¡± Shen Mo let go of her, running a hand through her hair, ¡°Only by doing our best can we avoid regret in the future.¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei grumbled in dissatisfaction. Clearly unhappy, she didn¡¯t say anything more. After a moment of silence, she asked again, ¡°You didn¡¯t answer me yet. Why do Yan Qingwen and the others want to join Game 21?¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, ¡°¡­ When I ran into them, Chu Huaijin was also there. Perhaps they reached some agreement with the organization. For example, if they get through Game 21, they might receive a certain item or something like that.¡± Bai Youwei pondered on this. If there was some form of deal or condition involved, then it would make sense. After all, this was consistent with Yan Qingwen¡¯s style. Although he had been selfless and fearless in the past, managing a security company after retirement seemed to have had a greater impact on him. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but suspect that he had almost gone bankrupt a few times, hence developing such a business-like mentality ¨C willing to accept anything except a loss. Shen Mo coaxed her quietly, ¡°Sleep now¡­¡± ¡°Should we also negotiate terms with Chu Huaijin?¡± Excited by the idea, Bai Youwei perked up, ¡°Can¡¯t let Yan Qingwen take all the benefits.¡± Shen Mo gave a resigned smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree before, Professor Song had given his 8 puzzle pieces to him willingly. What more benefits do you want? Moreover¡­ we might not enter since we are still short of numbers.¡± Bai Youwei thought about it, closed her eyes in his embrace, ¡°Anyway¡­ we¡¯ll know tomorrow.¡± Chapter 406 - Chapter 406: Chapter 406: Su Man’s Situation Chapter 406: Chapter 406: Su Man¡¯s Situation On the same night, another person was suffering from sleeplessness. Su Man sat at her vanity, unbandaging her left hand, round and round. As she was injured on her right hand already, unwrapping the small bandages round by round was proving difficult and she fumbled clumsily. She gritted her teeth, finally released the last knot, and exposed her entire left arm to the air, then took a long, exhausted breath¡­ To prevent others from seeing the abnormality of her left hand, she had wrapped a multitude of bandages around it, as thick as if she were bundling her arm in a quilt. Having finally removed them, the sweat and burden were also lifted, and she felt much lighter. But her mood was anything but light. Her mother¡¯s voice came from outside the door: ¡°Manman, are you asleep yet? You haven¡¯t had dinner. I made noodles for you ¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep!¡± Su Man bit her lip, and quickly turned off the lamp, ¡°You and Dad eat. I¡¯m about to sleep!¡± The voice outside the door stopped. After a few seconds of silence, it spoke again: ¡°Manman¡­ You¡¯ve been staying in these past few days, even when Li Li came, you didn¡¯t meet him¡­ Did you two argue again?¡± Su Man frowned and bit her lip, remaining silent. ¡°Li Li is simple and easily led by others, you don¡¯t need to grudge over this, it¡¯s not worth it.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with him!¡± She replied irritably, ¡°It¡¯s because my wounds hurt that I don¡¯t want to see anyone! It¡¯s not just about him!¡± Did the medicine your father brought back last time work?¡± Su Man looked at her hand. Even in the dark, she could see its ghastly state. She closed her eyes, feeling a sour sting, and replied, ¡°It was alright¡­¡± ¡°Next time, let him bring some more. He¡¯s in medical, if he comes across this kind of medicine, he¡¯ll know before others.¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m really tired¡­ Can we talk about this tomorrow?¡± ¡°Alright, alright¡­ you get some rest. Don¡¯t let your injury burden you, even if your left hand has after-effects, you still have your right hand.¡± Su Man uttered a low acknowledgment. The footsteps outside the door gradually receded. Only when she could no longer hear the footsteps did Su Man turn the lamp back on. She picked up the medicine bottle, bit off the lid, and began to apply the oil to her left arm bit by bit. It was a twisted arm. From forearm to fingertips, all were twisted. Her fingers were even more severely twisted, torn and broken, but due to her body¡¯s self-healing ability, they had healed in the wrong positions. Or to be precise, the whole arm was in the wrong position! It was twisted! Her fingers were dislocated! Even if the wound healed, all the nerves were misplaced, and the fingers could not be controlled! This left hand was utterly useless! Su Man closed her eyes in agony, repressed her emotions, and reopened them. She took out new gauze and bandages from the cabinet and grimacing, wrapped them around the twisted arm round by round. If it was just one hand, she might not be so desperate. But the truth was, her right hand was also injured. She didn¡¯t dare tell her family, nor her friends, only telling them that she was almost healed. While in reality¡­ she would never heal again! Su Man bit her lip hard, her eyes welling up with tears. She refused to accept that she had become a cripple! Had Bai Youwei used her most precious puzzle pieces to save a cripple?! What could she do?! She looked out the window into the sky, shrouded in darkness. It was as if the darkness had also enshrouded her, offering no light and making it hard to breathe. Actually¡­ Actually, there was a solution. There was another solution. The only one¡­ that could save her. Su Man stood by the window, gazing at the boundless darkness in the distance. As long as she entered the labyrinth one more time, she could definitely heal ¡­ Chapter 407 - Chapter 407: Chapter 407: Still One Short Chapter 407: Chapter 407: Still One Short Enter the maze. It¡¯s easier said than done. She¡¯s not as smart as Bai Youwei, nor as meticulous as Zhu Shu, and she doesn¡¯t possess her former agility. Can she do it? Can she survive in the maze? ¡­she must survive, she doesn¡¯t want to become a cripple! Her hands should wield a knife! A sword! A whip! She should be able to lend a hand when a friend is in trouble! And fend for herself when she is in peril! She doesn¡¯t want to become a cripple! Not like she is now! So pitiful¡­ she can¡¯t even fasten her own buttons! Tears began to fall. Su Man raised her arm to ruthlessly wipe them away. She took a deep breath and gazed at the dark clouded sky outside her window. Suddenly she made a decision, standing up to pack her baggage. In this world, everyone has their own path to tread. Since the morning, the sounds from the vehicles outside the residential area hadn¡¯t ceased. One vehicle after another assembled near the square. Delivering goods, gathering personnel, arranging routes, everything was carried out calmly. The bustling registration area, the supplies area, and the exchange area, all temporarily ceased operation. Everybody knew, the organization was evacuating. They had to, because in one day, game 21 would move into the city area, making it impossible to maintain the base. Facing the uncertain journey, many people are perplexed. Used to a regulated and ordered system for the games, they suddenly feel terrified of the future. What if they encounter a game on the way? What if the new base also hosts games like 21? No¡­ There are no ifs. The answer is certain! They will encounter games en-route! And entirely unfamiliar ones! Everybody is frantic! Only 10 more people! 10 more people and they can maintain the current base¡¯s stability to support the lives of the thousands there! Why isn¡¯t anybody stepping forward?! Why?!! Chu Huaijin posted a notice in the square. It read, game 21 still lacks ¡ª¡ª1 person! The stormy clouds roiled, the afternoon was stifling and heavy. Occasionally, a gust of wind brought a hint of coolness amid the heat, making everyone wish for the rain to arrive soon to disperse the unbearable heat. Shen Mo brought back a new wheelchair. ¡°We leave earlier. The first batch will be the supplies team, we¡¯ll leave at three in the afternoon, together with the research team.¡± ¡°But the weather doesn¡¯t look too good.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the dark clouds outside, ¡°It¡¯s going to rain heavily.¡± ¡°We have no choice, even if it rains. We must evacuate. If everyone stays together, it will be even more dangerous.¡± He pushed the wheelchair over, ¡°Try it.¡± Bai Youwei got up with the help of her crutches and tried sitting in the wheelchair. It was passable, usable. Shen Mo asked, ¡°Is it comfortable?¡± She shifted a bit, ¡°It¡¯s okay, but a bit hard.¡± Shen Mo lifted her onto the sofa, took a cushion from the sofa, put it on the new wheelchair, and readjusted the height. He carried Bai Youwei over and asked her, ¡°Is it still hard?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ no, it¡¯s not.¡± She adjusted her sitting position uncomfortably, frowning and saying, ¡°But the cushion doesn¡¯t match the color of the wheelchair, it looks a bit ugly.¡± Shen Mo: As always, she¡¯s hard to please. He stood up and said, ¡°You can¡¯t see the bottom so it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s ugly.¡± ¡°No, take it away.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face showed displeasure, ¡°This thing will lessen my aura.¡± Shen Mo asked helplessly, ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Bai Youwei seriously pondered this question, ¡°¡­I took a batch of blankets from Duke¡¯s mansion and piled them all in the small study in the Dollhouse. Could you get me one? It must be hand-knitted, without any prints, and preferably in navy blue.¡± She took out the gold key hanging around her neck, opened the door to the Dollhouse and asked him, ¡°Do you know what color navy blue is? Don¡¯t bring the wrong one, it¡¯s a very deep blue, like the night sky, not the kind of stifling black, but with a touch of mystery. If there are tassels, it would be even better¡­ hey, do you know what tassels are? They¡¯re the thin strands at the bottom of the blanket¡­¡± Shen Mo frowned his brows as he listened. Chapter 408 - Chapter 408: Chapter 408: Gathered Enough Chapter 408: Chapter 408: Gathered Enough In the end, they couldn¡¯t find the navy blue one, but they found a deep grey blanket with fringes that barely met Bai Youwei¡¯s description. Shen Mo laid it on her new wheelchair, covering the backrest as well. The wheelchair suddenly carried somewhat of an aristocratic aura. If they embedded some gold, silver, and jewels, it could probably match the throne of a European medieval lord. ¡°How is it now?¡± Shen Mo asked her. Bai Youwei sat silently in her new wheelchair for a moment before looking up at Shen Mo: ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit warm.¡± Shen Mo silently looked at her. At this time, someone was knocking on the door from outside. ¡°Bro! Open the door. I brought some people. We have enough members now!¡± Gathered enough? Shen Mo and Bai Youwei in the room glanced at each other, both somewhat surprised. Shen Mo went to open the door. Only to see Shen Fei standing at the door, prompting the people behind him to enter one by one¡ª Yu Yaqing, Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, the athlete Robin who had visited last time, the gaming fanatic Zhao Mingdeng, and a young man with thin eyebrows and small eyes. Bai Youwei lightly furrowed her brows. She saw the man at the end wearing white gloves. ¡°This is Jiang Hao, he recently came to Shanghai, a survivor from the 21st game. He is their teammate, they all came from Guangzhou, having gaming experience, they even entered the maze before, quite strong players!¡± Shen Fei very enthusiastically brought the other party to Shen Mo and introduced: ¡°This is my brother! He used to work at the National Security Bureau. He is very awesome! He does not need props, he can still complete the game on his own!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you¡­ Nice to meet you¡­¡± the man called Jiang Hao smiled, and extended his hand, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, I hope our cooperation will be pleasant.¡± Shen Mo glanced at his white-gloved hand, hesitated for two seconds, shook it, and asked flatly, ¡°The gloves seem very special. Are they props?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, they are,¡± Jiang Hao answered with a smile. ¡°Too conspicuous, right? They frequently attract people¡¯s attention, these are props that my brothers and I obtained in the game. As for the specific function¡­ I guess we¡¯d better not discuss it?¡± The function of the prop is everyone¡¯s trump card and privacy. They cannot possibly tell others easily. However, Shen Mo was somewhat curious. If it was truly a prop, why didn¡¯t any related information appear in his mind when he touched it? Then he thought, the gloves were in pairs. So, will touching both gloves at the same time give him the answer? ¡°But with Jiang Hao, that¡¯s only 9 people?¡± Bai Youwei asked looking at them, ¡°Who¡¯s the tenth?¡± Upon hearing this, Shen Fei replied, ¡°Me!¡± Decisive! Full of momentum! Shen Mo frowned, ¡°Did your parents agree?¡± Shen Fei immediately deflated by half, ¡°Bro¡­ I¡¯m not a child anymore. They agreed.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Tell the truth.¡± Shen Fei closed his eyes, ¡°My dad agreed.¡± My mom was crying at home. After pondering for a bit, Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei shook her head at him. Seeing this, Shen Fei thought Bai Youwei was not allowing him to go, and he immediately became anxious, ¡°My dad agreed! Brother! Please let me go!¡± Bai Youwei smiled gently and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and discuss it.¡± She held the armrests on either side of the wheelchair, turned around and headed towards the bedroom. Shen Mo glanced at the people in the room, and said calmly: ¡°Yan Qingwen, Yu Yaqing, let¡¯s discuss my brother¡¯s matter in the room. We won¡¯t delay everyone¡¯s time too much. Please wait outside for five minutes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shen Fei protested discontentedly, ¡°Why do we have to discuss my matter with them? My dad agreed already!!!¡± Shen Mo replied: ¡°To ensure that others don¡¯t find you annoying.¡± Shen Fei: He kept staring as his cousin led them into the room and then, closed the door. In the room, Shen Mo calmly looked at Yan Qingwen and Yu Yaqing: ¡°I think, you all have noticed, right? The white gloves.¡± Chapter 409 - Chapter 409: Chapter 409: Let the Game Begin Chapter 409: Chapter 409: Let the Game Begin ¡°Last week, ten people entered game number 21 and only one came out alive, the one wearing white gloves. Even though this time the person wearing white gloves is not the same as the last time, we can¡¯t let our guard down because of this.¡± Shen Mo looked at them and continued to ask: ¡°Should we accept them and enter the game together, or reject them and evacuate from here?¡± Yu Yaqing deeply furrowed her eyebrows. Yan Qingwen leaned against the table, silently contemplating. Bai Youwei observed the changes on their faces and said, ¡°Let me share my thoughts first. My suggestion is to reject. In the game, dealing with the Inspector¡¯s tricks and the rules¡¯ whimsy is already mentally draining. If we add a teammate whose allegiances are uncertain, the risk is too high and accidents are likely.¡± Shen Mo glanced at her, ¡°Let me share my thoughts too. My suggestion is to accept. Now, everyone in the base knows that we are one person short of the required number of players for the game. Since we have finally gathered enough people, there¡¯s no reason to give up when the time comes. If we retreat, those who don¡¯t know the reasons might think we are chickening out, which would negatively affect the morale of the whole base. Furthermore, we will always encounter all kinds of people with ulterior motives in the game. Their tools are hidden in the dark, making them unpredictable. But this white-gloved person is visible to us, which can serve as a reminder.¡± Yan Qingwen burst into laughter, looking at the two of them, ¡°So, how should we choose? Both of you hold opposing views. No matter which side we choose, we will offend the other.¡± Yu Yaqing also chuckled, and calmly answered, ¡°I choose to accept. I think Shen Mo made a good point. We will always meet people with hidden intentions, and there will always be white-gloved people; we can¡¯t retreat every time we encounter one. Among the 24 games around the base, this is the only game we haven¡¯t cracked. Whether it¡¯s white gloves or black gloves, I want to give it a try.¡± Bai Youwei curled her lips, glared at Shen Mo, and said nothing. After pondering for a long time, Yan Qingwen finally said, ¡°I also choose to accept. I will warn Lun Ang to be cautious of him.¡± He looked up at Shen Mo, ¡°But I can only rely on you for Shen Fei, that kid seems to trust him a lot.¡± ¡°Hmm, I will handle it,¡± Shen Mo nodded lightly. Bai Youwei asked resentfully, ¡°If we fall into the water together after entering the game, whom will you save?¡± Yan Qingwen: Yu Yaqing: Shen Mo patted her head and said, ¡°Stop messing around.¡± Bai Youwei continued resentfully, ¡°Is Fei indispensable? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s reliable at all. It would be better to bring Xiaoxin instead.¡± Shen Mo helplessly smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be prejudiced against him. Shen Fei has participated in two games, he¡¯s good, and not as unreliable as you think.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and sighed, ¡°Okay, let it be.¡± Shen Mo looked at her and then turned to Yan Qingwen and Yu Yaqing. Both of them nodded at him, indicating their decision was final. Shen Mo walked to the door, reached out, and opened it. The people outside were still waiting for their decision, some already showing impatience. Shen Fei anxiously asked, ¡°Have you made a decision? Can I go? Bro! My dad has given his approval, there¡¯s no reason for you to stop me!¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t answer him. His gaze drifted over Shen Fei¡¯s face eventually landing on the crowd. ¡°If none of you have objections, you can all go prepare now. We will meet at the entrance of game number 21 at nine o¡¯clock tomorrow. I hope all of you will be there.¡± Let the game, begin Chapter 410 - Chapter 410: Chapter 410: Chicken Soup before Departure Chapter 410: Chapter 410: Chicken Soup before Departure That day, all of the base¡¯s relocation activities were suspended. After the torrential rain that morning, everyone gathered at the entrance of Game 21, waiting for the ten players to enter. Or rather, ten warriors. The puddles on the ground were reflecting the azure sky, like countless mirrors, clear and bright. The wheelchair rolled through them, creating ripples and infusing them with new colours. Black was the colour of her hair, white was her long skirt, and dark grey was the blanket draped over her. Her light ink-colored pupils were dyed a hint of sky blue, exuding a piercing coldness despite their clarity. She was clearly a languid and coquettish girl, yet somehow, she gave off a cold and gloomy aura. Shen Mo slowly pushed Bai Youwei forward. Countless eyes landed on her. There was surprise, confusion, admiration, alertness, and probing, but no disdain whatsoever. No one dared to underestimate her. At this time, being able to enter Game 21 was, in itself, a representation of one¡¯s strength. The entrance to Game 21 was at the door of an amusement park in the Pudong New Area. Everyone had already gathered. Shen Fei was the last to arrive. His parents had both come. Shen Mo¡¯s father had also come, not only to see off his nephew but also his son. If these ten people fail this time, their current meeting would be their last. The atmosphere became a little oppressive and emotional due to the farewell of their family members. Shen Fei¡¯s mother held back her sobs, her tears fell incessantly while the men, who were unaccustomed to showing emotions outwardly, showed redness around their eyes. Shen Fei¡¯s father only patted Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°We will wait for you and your brother to come out.¡± Shen Mo consoled his uncle, ¡°I will look after him.¡± Bai Youwei was idly observing from the side. She thought she would have to keep a close eye on Shen Fei. If anything happened to him, Shen Mo might give up his own life to save this silly cousin. Sigh, it would have been better if Xiaoxin were here, but Shen Mo didn¡¯t agree¡­ ¡°Weiwei, do you still recognize me?¡± A mild male voice rang by her side. She turned to see Shen Mo¡¯s father. ¡°I do.¡± Bai Youwei considered her response. Given his identity, she adjusted her expression, curling up her lips into a sweet smile, tenderly saying, ¡°You¡¯re Uncle Shen. Once I went to the hospital for a check-up, and my mother¡¯s car broke down. You came to the hospital to pick us up and even bought me ice cream on the road.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s father laughed, ¡°That¡¯s right, and I had to buy it twice. The first time I bought chocolate ice cream but you insisted on matcha flavor, which made your mother throw a tantrum in the car.¡± This was not a good impression. Bai Youwei¡¯s voice turned even more sweet and obedient, ¡°I was young and didn¡¯t understand things, sorry to have troubled you.¡± Tan Xiao next to her gave her a strange look. ¡°Weiwei, why are you talking like that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She pretended to ask innocently, ¡°This is how I always talk~¡± Tan Xiao silently rubbed his arm. Shen Mo¡¯s father bent down, his smile growing warmer, ¡°You¡¯re just as cute as you were when you were little. I hope you¡¯re still as determined as you were, not changing your mind easily.¡± He looked at Shen Mo, who was pushing the wheelchair, ¡°Whether you can clear the game or not, persisting in itself is a power. You both have that power.¡± As always, Shen Mo was indifferent to his father¡¯s pep talk, expressing emotionlessly, ¡°Dad, you should go back. We are about to enter the game.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of Shen Mo.¡± Bai Youwei waved her little hand warmly towards Shen Mo¡¯s father, ¡°Goodbye, Uncle Shen¡± ¡°Alright, goodbye, Weiwei~¡± Shen Mo¡¯s father also waved back to her. ¡°Wave your hand.¡± Bai Youwei tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s sleeve. Shen Mo raised his hand and waved it twice. Everyone else had already entered the amusement park. Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei in, followed by Shen Fei. The figures of the ten players disappeared into the ai Chapter 411 - Chapter 411: Chapter 411: The Cat Playing Hide and Seek Chapter 411: Chapter 411: The Cat Playing Hide and Seek ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! The theme for this game is ¡®Hide and Seek¡¯, and the rules are as follows: One, reject the game and turn into a doll! Two, lose the game and turn into a doll! Three, succeed in the game and win a doll!¡± The familiar voice echoed in their ears, but the surrounding scene remained unchanged. They were still in the amusement park. According to the information provided by Game 21, the scene of the Hide and Seek game was an exact copy of this amusement park, with all elements exactly the same as the actual one. Shen Mo glanced back at the entrance of the amusement park. The street and crowd outside the gate were gone, leaving only an empty white space behind. ¡°Welcome to the Doll Game. I am the overseer of this game, and I look forward to your performances,¡± came a voice. Everyone¡¯s eyes followed the direction of the sound. Not far away, a figure dressed in a white bow tie shirt and black tailcoat approached. Holding a top hat in its hand, it presented itself as a gentleman, yet it had the head of a rabbit, and its voice was as gentle and intelligent as a woman¡¯s. The drastic combination of characteristics was surprisingly harmonious and natural. Everyone instinctively gathered together, warily watching the steadily approaching overseer. It stopped about ten steps away from the group, its gaze resting lightly on their varied expressions. When it saw Bai Youwei, its gaze lingered slightly before shifting downward and spotting the fluffy rabbit in her arms. Bai Youwei frowned, turning her rabbit around so that the back of its head was facing the overseer. The rabbit-headed man silently smirked. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get started with the rule explanation. Please follow me¡ª¡± It turned and began walking down a black and white checkerboard-patterned path. On both sides, there were brightly colored flower beds, cartoon statues, and the festive flags and balloons commonly seen throughout the amusement park. Everyone stood still, hesitating for a moment before following the overseer. The amusement park was large and very quiet. Apart from their footsteps, there was no other sound¡ªnot even the wind. It was markedly eerie and cemetery-like. The overseer was at the forefront, walking and explaining the rules: ¡°Hide and Seek is Mary¡¯s favorite game. She and her cat play every night and they¡¯re very good at it¡ªno one has ever found them. What you need to do is hide when night falls and avoid being found by Mary and her cat¡­¡± ¡°What happens if we are found?¡± Yu Yaqing asked. ¡°If you¡¯re found¡­¡± The rabbit-headed man slowed his pace and turned to look at her, ¡°being found means you¡¯ve lost. You will stay here forever and keep playing Hide and Seek with Mary and her cat.¡± Shen Mo then asked, ¡°What¡¯s the win condition?¡± The overseer answered, ¡°Kill Mary, or Mary¡¯s cat. The death of either will make the game impossible to continue, and the players will naturally win.¡± It¡¯s the same as stated in the game information. The success condition is very clear¡ªat least it doesn¡¯t sound ambiguous or filled with wordplay. Either kill Mary; Or kill Mary¡¯s cat. It¡¯s that straightforward and brutal. The rabbit-headed man stopped in front of a massive carousel, raised a hand pointing to the top of the carousel, and introduced: ¡°Here are Mary, and her cat.¡± Following the overseer¡¯s pointing, they saw a red and white striped canopy on the carousel. The edge was painted with gold powder and adorned with colorful lights, making it exceedingly gorgeous. Above the canopy, an enormous stuffed cat lied, and on top of the cat, there was a little girl in a puffy princess dress! It¡¯s the cat! And Mary! The overseer explained, ¡°After many adjustments during the beta testing of the game, we¡¯ve decided to implement a 6-hour system: 6 hours of daytime, 6 hours of nighttime. I hope you all can utilize your time fully to achieve the winning condition.¡± After finishing, it turned to face them, gently asked, ¡°Now, is there anything about the rules that is not clear?¡± Chapter 412 - Chapter 412: Chapter 412: About The Internal Testing Part Chapter 412: Chapter 412: About The Internal Testing Part Everyone glanced at each other. As for the game rules, they had thoroughly studied the game materials before they ever entered the game. The difficulty of the game lies not in the rules, but in the players who enter the game. So far, not a single one has managed to ¡°kill Mary¡± or ¡°kill Mary¡¯s cat¡±. Shen Mo looked at the Inspector and asked, ¡°I want to ask, what you mentioned earlier about the game¡¯s internal testing, what was that all about?¡± The rabbit-headed man chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s a question unrelated to the game at hand.¡± ¡°Not necessarily unrelated, right?¡± Bai Youwei interjected, ¡°Every word the Inspector has said in the game could potentially serve as a hint or a clue. Since you mentioned the game¡¯s internal testing, you should clarify it for us. As for whether the content is irrelevant to the game, we should be the ones to judge ¨C that would be fair.¡± Shen Fei looked at her in surprise. He too had played the game, but he had never seen anyone so brazenly question the Inspector ¨C what an eye-opener¡­ The rabbit-headed man¡¯s voice was mild and composed, ¡°Your words sound like a clever excuse, but I¡¯m willing to answer this question for you all. Under the premise of not violating the rules, I am very happy to see players actively participating in the game.¡± He reached into his large top hat, grabbed something and strewn it into the air¨D As if sprinkling a handful of gold dust, the air was instantly aglow, and a moment later, the dazzling light-spots formed numerous images! Just like countless holographic projections playing right before their eyes! In the scenes were players in various situations throughout the amusement park! Bitten to death by a cat! Falling off a roller coaster to their deaths! Hiding in a building only to be crushed by a collapsing structure! ¡°Every game we create goes through internal testing until the data stabilizes, that¡¯s when it can be truly implemented.¡± The Inspector pointed to these scenes, selecting a few to explain. ¡°Initially, the cat was too large, making it hard for players to get close to the cat, or Mary. So we adjusted the size of the cat in the later stages. The cat you see now has been halved in size compared to the initial model.¡± ¡°Here, the player is hiding in a dwarf¡¯s mine hut, which should have been a secure hiding place. However, due to the cat¡¯s unintentional actions, the mine collapsed along with the internal structures, burying the player. In the later stages, we reinforced all building models and adjusted the cat¡¯s stats to prevent this situation.¡± ¡°And here¡­ a player exploited the cat¡¯s large size, which prevented it from entering pipes, and hid in the sewer for up to two weeks, until they starved to death. This significantly hampered the game experience, so we rectified this Bug later on. Now, all sewers are sealed off and inaccessible.¡± He gave a brief explanation, and then told everyone: ¡°In conclusion, internal testing for games is a process of constantly fixing bugs and perfecting details. Every game you come across has been modified and adjusted multiple times. You could also say, it¡¯s the culmination of the Inspectors¡¯ meticulous work.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the number of people?¡± Shen Mo asked frowning, ¡°Some of the scenes seem to have more than 10 players?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The rabbit-headed man gave a slight nod, calmly explaining, ¡°During the internal testing stages, we randomly select players to be put into the game. After repeated testing, we finally determine the optimal number of players for the game.¡± After hearing this, everyone¡¯s faces changed. Shen Mo¡¯s expression was icy, while Yu Yaqing was angrily trembling all over. Random selection¡­ This meant even if you weren¡¯t in the gaming region, you could still be dragged into the game! Just for an internal test! Or maybe¡­ a cold-blooded experiment! Chapter 413 - Chapter 413: Chapter 413 – Wishing you guys have fun Chapter 413: Chapter 413 ¨C Wishing you guys have fun Bai Youwei finally understood, the people who initially turned into dolls, they were fine while eating, walking, chatting, shopping, cooking, sleeping¡­ How did they turn into dolls? So that¡¯s how it was¡­ So, that¡¯s what had happened. ¡°What if we pass the internal test?¡± she asked, ¡°Can we survive?¡± The bunny-headed man gently turned his head to look at her. ¡°The game in the internal testing stage is unstable in all aspects, the chances of clearing it are slim to none, and even if you luck out and clear it¡­ you will become part of the game.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s brows knitted together, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Inspector: ¡°The existence in the objective world disappears, but the will remains and integrates into the game, endowing the game with more diverse vitality.¡± A sinking feeling settled in Bai Youwei¡¯s heart. According to this, those people¡¯s will integrated into the game, could it be¡­ the NPCs in the game? The Duke in the mansion, Mary in the theme park, they¡­ are they actually human beings? Yu Yaqing voiced out her inner shock for her: ¡°Are you saying, the NPCs in the game are actually humans?!¡± ¡°Are they? Or aren¡¯t they?¡± The bunny-headed man said with a smile, ¡°What is the human definition of existence? I also want to know the answer to this question. As inspectors, we would imbue our designed game characters with certain basic attributes. After the design is completed, the characters gradually become complete and rich in the process of operation, and the internal test players provide excellent nourishment for them. So, you can regard them as evidence of a part of human existence, or you can regard them as¡­ functional tools that have absorbed human consciousness.¡± ¡°¡­Tools?¡± Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t believe it, murmuring in a stunned expression, ¡°A living human life, in your eyes, is just a¡­ functional tool? That¡¯s too cruel¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I upset you,¡± The rabbit-headed man¡¯s tone was still calm and gentle, ¡°I hope it won¡¯t affect your performance in the game.¡± It slightly bowed, showing a gentleman¡¯s courtesy. ¡°Seems like I¡¯ve sidetracked too much. Anyway, I wish you all to have fun.¡± As his voice fell, he put on his top hat, and suddenly disappeared as if he had gone into the hat! And the remaining black top hat, after spinning a few rounds in mid-air, also vanished ¡ª People stood in place, waiting for a while, but the surroundings remained silent. The inspector didn¡¯t appear again. The plump Zhao Mingdeng stepped forward and said, ¡°Looking at it this way, the game should have officially started, did you all notice the clock over there?¡± He pointed in a not-too-distant direction. This amusement park was very, very large, and a tall clock tower was built right in the middle, and the clock could be seen in all four directions of east, south, west, and north. At this moment, the hour hand was pointing to the 12 o¡¯clock position. Zhao Mingdeng spoke as if he was experienced, ¡°Just now, the inspector said that there are 6 hours of daytime and 6 hours of night. That means, when the hour hand points to 6 o¡¯clock, it will be dark. We now have 6 hours to familiarize ourselves with the venue, find hiding places, and discuss how to kill Mary and the cat. I suggest we take 2 hours to quickly walk around the park to get a preliminary understanding of the environment, then return here after 2 hours to discuss how to clear the game, and use the last one hour to hide.¡± After he finished speaking, his gaze swept around, and he said with a slightly smug look, ¡°If you have any better suggestions, you can put them forward.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°The park is too big, 2 hours is only enough for a rough look, how about we explore in divided areas? We split into 3 groups, each group responsible for 2 themed park areas, this way we can explore more carefully, and find hiding places on the way.¡± Chapter 414 - Chapter 414: Chapter 414: Where to Hide Chapter 414: Chapter 414: Where to Hide Zhao Mingdeng was a bit upset: ¡°This is too localized. If we have a head-on conflict with Mary¡¯s cat, and during the chase we run to other parts of the park that we aren¡¯t familiar with, won¡¯t that put us at a disadvantage?!¡± Bai Youwei casually remarked, ¡°If you have explored your assigned area and still have spare time, you can roam about in other places. No one is stopping you.¡± Zhao Mingdeng thought for a while and realized that he was right, so he stayed silent. On the carousel, Mary and her cat were still sound asleep. Due to their position, they couldn¡¯t clearly see the canopy. Looking from below, both the cat and Mary were motionless, appearing more like decorations on the carousel. Not far from them was a large map of the amusement park. Shen Mo went over and took a glance, stating, ¡°Our current location is the central point of the amusement park. If we break into three groups, the first group will explore Fantasy Street and Dreaming Garden, the second group will take responsibility for Adventure Island and Treasure Bay, and the third group will take care of Future World and Fairy Tale Kingdom. The third group will deal with the largest area, so we can assign four people there.¡± No one raised objections. The teams were naturally divided. First group ¨C Zhao Mingdeng, Robin, Jiang Hao. Second group ¨C Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Yu Yaqing. Third group ¨C Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Shen Fei. Ten people in total. ¡°I hope everyone avoids splitting up and stays with their team as much as possible,¡± Shen Mo glanced at everyone and calmly stated, ¡°We will gather back here in two hours. If there are no issues, you are dismissed now.¡± All of them had participated in the game before, so they were quite relaxed, not showing the usual panic and fear people have when they first play. After a brief chat, they parted ways and each went to their assigned areas. Following the priority of distance, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei headed for the Fairy Tale Kingdom first. The Fairy Tale Kingdom, as the name suggests, is a play area built around fairy tales. It features a grand and magnificent fantasy castle, a fun and amusing Fairy Tale Village, a Secret Forest filled with adventure vibes, and a wide array of dazzling amusement facilities. Of course, these attractions and facilities were all currently closed. The path was unbelievably quiet. Tan Xiao strolled around, looking here and there, and said, ¡°Finding a hiding place is too easy! With just one glance, I can spot dozens of places where a person could hide!¡± Shen Fei also looked around and thoughtfully said, ¡°The park is large and there are indeed numerous places to hide, but since no one has ever cleared the game before, that means ordinary spots won¡¯t do. We must find somewhere more concealed¡­¡± ¡°Why are we still searching? This place seems pretty good!¡± Tan Xiao pointed to a penguin-shaped trash can by the roadside, ¡°Hide in here, I don¡¯t believe that cat could possibly find us!¡± ¡°¡­You want to hide by the road?¡± Shen Fei was apprehensive, ¡°Isn¡¯t that too conspicuous? What if the cat knocks the trash can over as it passes by, won¡¯t we be exposed?¡± ¡°Look! That hot dog cart seems pretty good too!¡± Tan Xiao jogged forward and leaned over the cart to glance underneath, shouting, ¡°Perfect! It can just accommodate one person!¡± Shen Fei frowned, ¡°What if the cat passes by and knocks over the hot dog cart¡­¡± ¡°Argh! You¡¯re such a worrywart! Then where do you suggest we hide?¡± Tan Xiao asked him irritably. Shen Fei looked around, and finally pointed towards a mine in the distance and said, ¡°We can go there to take a look. There¡¯s a tunnel inside the mine which is very dark and has many forks. Hiding there should be sufficiently concealed.¡± Chapter 415 - Chapter 415: Chapter 415: No nutrients Chapter 415: Chapter 415: No nutrients ¡°Hide in the mine? No, no, no¡­¡± Tan Xiao shook his head repeatedly, ¡°You obviously have no experience! If you hide in there and the cats come after you, you¡¯ll have nowhere to run! It¡¯s better to listen to me and hide on the side of the road, especially at intersections. Even if you¡¯re discovered, you can just take off running! That¡¯s how we used to hide when we were caught alone in fights!¡± Shen Fei¡¯s eye twitched, his feelings extremely complex. He could not understand why his wise and brave cousin would¡­ associate with this kind of street thug? After all, Shen Mo had always been revered like an idol among their siblings in the Shen family! When they were playing in the mud and jumping rubber bands, Shen Mo passed by them coldly, and the adults would say, ¡°Look at Shen Mo, he was admitted to an elite school!¡± When they were studying hard for exams, Shen Mo passed by them coldly, and the adults would say, ¡°Look at Shen Mo, he¡¯s skipped a grade!¡± When they had finally graduated and were striving hard in their careers, Shen Mo appeared on television, cool as ever, and the adults would say, ¡°Look at Shen Mo, he¡¯s serving the nation!¡± So! Shen Fei had always regarded his cousin as the beacon of his life, guiding him through the fog in the dark and pointing him the direction in which to proceed! But now! Actually getting involved with a street thug?! Is this still the cousin he held in high esteem?! ¡°XiaoFei, you go with Tan Xiao to the mine.¡± Shen Mo said. Shen Fei was dumbfounded, ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°The paths near the mine are not suitable for wheelchairs, I¡¯ll take Weiwei to the castle.¡± Shen Fei was stunned, he didn¡¯t have time to respond before he saw Shen Mo pushing Bai Youwei towards the direction of the castle! ¡°Hey¡­ No, I¡­ You¡­ How¡­¡± Shen Fei was a bit confused. Tan Xiao slung an arm around his neck, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let Brother Xiao show you, how to scout out the terrain before a fight!¡± Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were getting further and further away, and Shen Mo briefly paused after Bai Youwei said something, bending down to pick her up! And then- He carried her away! ¡°Why did he even carry her?!¡± Shen Fei¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°How, how, how could he carry her¡­¡± ¡°Ah, what¡¯s so surprising about him carrying her~¡± Tan Xiao dragged him towards the mine, ¡°Would it be better if he carried you instead? Come on, come on~¡± Shen Fei was reluctantly dragged away. Shen Mo carried Bai Youwei towards the castle, avoiding the blazing sun, and only put her down when they reached the rainbow-colored bench under the shade of the trees. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± He asked, ¡°Are you still hot?¡± Bai Youwei grudgingly nodded her head, ¡°My back is all sweaty.¡± ¡°Should have thought twice before using a blanket in this heat.¡± Shen Mo was reluctant to comment on her, and said blandly, ¡°I¡¯ll go remove it.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei knitted her brows, ¡°Even if you take off the blanket, the seat will still be hot! The basic issue here is that the weather is too hot.¡± Shen Mo was at a loss, ¡°What do you want to do then?¡± ¡°You carry me over there.¡± Bai Youwei stretched out her hand towards him, self-assured, ¡°Once we¡¯re in the castle, we¡¯ll need to climb stairs anyway. The wheelchair is useless.¡± Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°So carrying you would make you less hot?¡± Bai Youwei retorted, ¡°Are you hot?¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°See, that¡¯s it¡± she said as though it was exactly her point, ¡°Heat transfers. If you¡¯re not hot, my heat will transfer to you, and I won¡¯t be hot anymore.¡± ¡°What if I get hot?¡± Shen Mo asked with amusement. Bai Youwei looked him up and down, her eyes examining him from head to toe, ¡°If you get hot, you can take off your shirt.¡± Shen Mo: After a moment of silence, he picked her up and walked towards the castle. He really shouldn¡¯t have engaged her in this pointless conversation. Chapter 416 - Chapter 416: Chapter 416 Cold Weapons Chapter 416: Chapter 416 Cold Weapons The midday sun was intense, but thankfully it was cool inside the castle, with the air feeling cool and slightly gloomy. The interior was beautifully decorated with colorful cartoonish toys displayed around, creating a playful atmosphere. In the center of the ballroom, there was a sculpture of Beauty dancing with the Beast, perfectly replicating the fairy tale scene and allowing visiting guests to immerse themselves in a world full of fantastical colors. But at this moment, there were no lights, and the dim environment made the originally romantic and splendid sculpture appear eerie and gloomy. The beauty¡¯s smile was so rigid, and the beast¡¯s face was so ferocious. Bai Youwei had seen this fairy tale as a child and found it quite romantic¡ªthe power of true love transforming the beast back into a prince. It did hit the soft spot for little girls. But now, upon seeing this thing, she couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of the Duke, resulting in a conditioned dislike. Thinking back to the female protagonist falling in love with a beast, she thought those were indeed some strange tastes. ¡°There are quite a few corners in the castle where one could hide.¡± Shen Mo looked around, inspecting at a leisurely pace. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Yes¡­ Inside the cupboards, under the bed, behind the sculpture, inside the wine barrels, and in these treasure chests filled with treasures. All could be hiding spots.¡± She let Shen Mo put her down, and picked out a Gold Coin from the chest, with a cartoon design and a plastic texture. Quite normal. The props in the amusement park, of course, would not be real gold coins. Otherwise, she would have had another looting spree in the toy house. Bai Youwei overturned one of the treasure chests filled with ¡®gold and silver treasures¡¯. Shen Mo raised his eyebrows, ¡°Are you planning to hide in the chest?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± She took out the golden key and casually opened a toy house somewhere. Pan Xiaoxin was eating yogurt inside the house. He was taken aback when he suddenly saw the door open. Bai Youwei was also startled, and then raised her eyebrows, ¡°Xiaoxin! What tasty thing are you hiding and eating?!¡± ¡°Yogurt¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin paused for two seconds, and then quickly explained, ¡°Teacher Chang made it from milk that was close to its expiration date, he didn¡¯t want to waste it.¡± He emphasized ¡°close to expiration¡± to avoid any misunderstandings that might interfere with unity and camaraderie! Bai Youwei said, ¡°I want some too, go get me a bowl!¡± Pan Xiaoxin quickly left to find Teacher Chang with his bowl. Chang Weicai filled a bowl full of yogurt for Bai Youwei, put it into a lunch box, and handed it to her. He glanced outside and asked with concern, ¡°Has your game started? Why is it so dark out there? Is it dangerous¡­?¡± Bai Youwei tasted the sour yogurt, and her face wrinkled up, ¡°This is too sour!¡± Teacher Chang paused for a moment, then hurriedly said, ¡°Did I forget to add sugar? Come, hand me that bowl¡­¡± Just as his finger appeared outside the door, Shen Mo frowned and said: ¡°Don¡¯t come out!¡± Alarmed, Teacher Chang stood frozen, not daring to move. Bai Youwei handed the bowl back to Teacher Chang, ¡°Add sugar, add raisins, dried cranberries, and if there are oat flakes and cheese nuggets, add those too. I almost died from sourness¡­¡± Shen Mo warned Teacher Chang, ¡°We are in a game instance. If you come out, you won¡¯t be able to return and the player count will change. This may indirectly influence the game, so it¡¯s better to be careful.¡± Teacher Chang nodded repeatedly holding the bowl, ¡°Xiaoshen is right, I wasn¡¯t paying attention¡­¡± Bai Youwei told Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°Go get some weapons from the storage room.¡± Pan Xiaoxin quickly left to do as instructed. Teacher Chang added sugar and dried fruits to the yogurt till it was quite full, then he helped Pan Xiaoxin get the weapons. Broad sword, short sword, spear, battleaxe, flail, throwing axe¡­ He fetched a large assortment of them and put them all in Bai Youwei¡¯s emptied ¡®treasure chest¡¯. Bai Youwei threw in some plastic gold coins and pearls into the chest as well, and after the decoration, it seemed as if this chest was originally filled with cold weapons. Shen Mo looked down at her and asked, ¡°You plan to have everyone fight the cat with these things?¡± Chapter 417 - Chapter 417: Chapter 417: Misunderstandings Chapter 417: Chapter 417: Misunderstandings Bai Youwei looked up, smiling at him, ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing, right? The biggest problem in hide and seek is that you can¡¯t find a decent weapon in the garden. So, when a player faces the cat, they can only run in a pathetic manner, without any power to counterattack.¡± Shen Mo picked up a broadsword and gripped it, nodding, ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not bad, these are part of the Duke¡¯s collection~ If they were in ancient times, they would be renowned swords!¡± She scooped in spoonful of yoghurt into her mouth, her eyes curved into crescents, ¡°Eating cool yoghurt is so refreshing in hot weather~¡± After scooping up another spoonful, she offered it to Shen Mo, ¡°Want some?¡± Shen Mo shook his head, picked up a treasure chest, and reminded her, ¡°Remember to wipe your mouth.¡± He moved the chest outside the castle, rolled the wheelchair back in, and found that the door of the dollhouse was closed, and a bunch of snacks and drinks were scattered on the ground. Shen Mo: ¡°What kind of look is that on your face?¡± Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t pleased, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a glutton? Do you think I don¡¯t know that the amusement park doesn¡¯t allow you to bring in food from outside? It was Teacher Cheng who worried about our physical strength, so he insisted I bring them along!¡± Shen Mo sighed silently, ¡°You¡¯d better think about how to explain it to the others.¡± He brought a backpack containing food and water when he came in. Now that there were so many additional snacks, it would definitely attract the attention of the others. ¡°Bag them up.¡± She pointed at a new canvas bag. The new bag was the same style as the old one. She had dozens of such bags from past material-collecting, so she easily swapped them out when they got dirty or old. Shen Mo bent down to help her pack the snacks. The two continued to stroll around the castle for a while. Soon, they heard the voices of Shen Fei and Tan Xiao from below. ¡°Bro! Bro! Where are you?!¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the rush, nothing can go wrong if Mo is with Weiwei¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve finished exploring on our side! Why aren¡¯t they out yet?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Weiwei has difficulty moving, so it¡¯s natural for them to be slower. What¡¯s the rush¡­.¡± The conversation stopped, Tan Xiao noticed the two who had just arrived and nudged Shen Fei, ¡°See, aren¡¯t they here now?¡± Shen Fei ran up to Shen Mo, stating seriously, ¡°Bro, I think it would be better for us to explore together, because¡­.¡± Noticing the yoghurt stain on Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth, he paused, ¡°What were you guys up to?¡± Shen Mo was slightly taken aback, following his brother¡¯s gaze, he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Weiwei, wipe the yoghurt off your mouth.¡± he said. ¡°Yogur t¡­? !!! You guys think I¡¯m a fool?!!¡± Excited and flustered all at the same time, Shen Fei asked, ¡°How on earth could there be yoghurt here?!!! What on earth were you guys doing?¡± ¡°Is your brother alright?¡± Bai Youwei frowned at Shen Mo, ¡°Has he been acting strange since the game started, is he having a mental breakdown?¡± ¡°You¡­..!¡± Shen Fei was aggrieved. Shen Mo said nonchalantly, ¡°Maybe because he hasn¡¯t played the game much, he¡¯s a bit nervous.¡± Shen Fei¡¯s irritation intensified, ¡°Bro! How could you¡­.¡± Shen Mo took out two lunch boxes from Bai Youwei¡¯s bag, handed one to Tan Xiao, and one to Shen Fei ¡°This is Teacher Cheng¡¯s homemade yoghurt, eat it, it¡¯ll help you cool down.¡± ¡°Wow! My bro is the best!~ He¡¯s reliable!¡± Tan Xiao, who was always carefree, opened it to eat. He didn¡¯t even use a spoon, he just tilted his head back and gulped. Shen Fei silently took the lunch box. The familiar translucent sealed lunch box seemed like it had been chilled, giving a cool sensation in his hand. Recalling the misunderstanding just now, Shen Fei felt a sudden flash of heat on his face, stuttering, ¡°This¡­Where did this come from? Why is it so cold?¡± Chapter 418 - Chapter 418: Chapter 418: Choosing Weapons Chapter 418: Chapter 418: Choosing Weapons ¡°What are you, a three-year-old?¡± Bai Youwei, who had long found him annoying, couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and blurted out, ¡°You whine whenever you see others eating, and when you get fed, you still have endless inquiries. Shall I buy you a copy of ¡°One Hundred Thousand Whys¡± for you to read?¡± Tan Xiao took a few gulps of yogurt, belched on the side, and frowned, ¡°Yeah, be mature, isn¡¯t it just a game? With Brother Xiao covering your back, what¡¯s there to worry about?¡± Shen Fei felt wronged and sulkingly looked at his cousin. Shen Mo didn¡¯t look at him, pushed Bai Youwei to leave. As they passed by, he lightly patted his cousin¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be that anxious.¡± Shen Fei felt another hit to his chest, even more aggrieved. After leaving the castle, they continued their search in Fairy Tale Kingdom. They went to the Seven Dwarfs¡¯ house, Pinocchio¡¯s carpenter¡¯s hut, Alice¡¯s Wonderland Maze, and the joyous stage filled with an array of fairy tale characters. The numerous facilities in the amusement park were dazzling. They spent over an hour just investigating this one theme area, leaving less than an hour. They rushed to ¡°Future World¡±. Unable to explore thoroughly, they could only roughly understand the layout, memorize each fork in the road to avoid getting lost if they had to escape here. Two hours later, everyone regrouped at the carousel. Zhao Mingdeng, Robin, Jiang Hao, all came back empty-handed. Yan Qingwen and Yu Yaqing had taken some ropes from the shipwreck building on Adventure Island and used them as weapons. Lun Ang was carrying a giant iron anchor with a chain all by himself! He surprisingly didn¡¯t find it heavy! Shen Mo asked Tan Xiao to place the box full of weapons on the ground. The box opened, and the magnificent cold weapons embedded with gold and gems caught everyone¡¯s eyes. They all took a sharp breath. ¡°You guys are really lucky to have found weapons!¡± Zhao Mingdeng was the first to speak, ¡°All we found on Fantasy Street were some clothes racks, not even a pair of scissors!¡± Yan Qingwen picked up a broadsword, weighed it, looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, his tone held a sinister edge: ¡°The props in the amusement park are nicely made.¡± Yu Yaqing chose a battle axe. Her fingertips swept lightly over the blade. Her eyebrows slightly raised, her adamantine face reflecting in the silvery axe body. ¡°These weapons are very sharp,¡± she said, ¡°With these weapons, our chances of winning will increase significantly.¡± ¡°But why wasn¡¯t this mentioned in the game information?¡± Zhao Mingdeng couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°Could it be that the previous players didn¡¯t pass the game because they didn¡¯t find the weapons?¡± Jiang Hao, with his white gloves, selected a pair of battle axes from the box and laughed, ¡°It¡¯s possible. After all, the game requires us to kill the cat, but the amusement park didn¡¯t provide any weapons, which is illogical.¡± The sportsman Robin rummaged through the box but didn¡¯t find any weapon that suited him, so he simply put it down, frowned, and coolly said, ¡°You guys pick. I¡¯m used to using my fists.¡± ¡°Obviously, you gotta use a butcher¡¯s knife in a fight.¡± Tan Xiao reluctantly picked a broadsword after stating his complain, ¡°Ahh, these swords are too thin¡­ Shen Fei struggled for a long time before choosing an axe. He wasn¡¯t good at fighting. Even though he used to train due to his admiration for his cousin, his work nature leaned more towards the technical side. He suspected that axes would be less skill-dependent compared to swords. He¡¯d just test it out for now. The designs of these swords were extremely vintage. Even though the materials felt too realistic, they didn¡¯t arouse any suspicion. Everyone picked their weapons. Jiang Hao turned to Bai Youwei, asking her with curiosity, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to choose a weapon?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Bai Youwei patted the canvas bag hanging on the side of her wheelchair, ¡°My weapons are all in here.¡± Chapter 419 - Chapter 419: Chapter 419: Holding a Small Meeting Chapter 419: Chapter 419: Holding a Small Meeting The impression Bai Youwei usually gives people often includes a few characteristics: 1. She¡¯s in a wheelchair; 2. She holds a plush rabbit; 3. She has a canvas bag hanging on her wheelchair. The canvas bag contains her personal items and props. Everyone takes this for granted, assuming she plans to use her props as weapons. But a bag that big, sure does arouse one¡¯s curiosity. Jiang Hao¡¯s glance lingered on the canvas bag a few seconds longer. ¡°Alright, now that we have weapons, let¡¯s discuss how to kill Mary and the cat!¡± Zhao Mingdeng is always the most enthusiastic one. His enthusiasm for the game is palpable¡ªhis tone is like discussing game strategies on a forum. ¡°I believe! The primary strategy of the game should focus on Mary, not the cat! The cat is as big as a bus. An average human is no match for it, let alone killing it! But Mary, you¡¯ve seen her, haven¡¯t you? Mary is about the height of a human girl, even more frail than an average one! Clearly much easier to deal with!¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying, previous players must have thought of.¡± Lun Ang frowned in disagreement, ¡°I actually think Mary is a trap. The game might be taking advantage of our mentality, making us think Mary is easy to deal with, as a result, everyone ends up dead.¡± Zhao Mingdeng widened his eyes: ¡°Are you suggesting we deal directly with the cat? Such a big animal, even if ten of us attack it together, we might not be able to kill it!¡± These knives and swords would probably amount to nothing more than toothpicks when used against the cat! ¡°I do have another approach,¡± Yan Qingwen interjected from the side. Everyone turned towards him. ¡°Whether we are dealing with the cat or Mary, as long as we target one, we¡¯ll inevitably encounter the other,¡± said Yan Qingwen calmly. ¡°What if we separate them, might the outcome be different?¡± Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s eyes lit up instantly, ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! According to the game data, Mary and the cat are always together. Particularly the cat, it¡¯s almost invincible, if we separate them, there might be openings on both sides?!¡± ¡°But how can we separate Mary from the cat?¡± Yu Yaqing asked. Yan Qingwen thought for a moment, looked at everyone and said, ¡°We could set up a trap to separate Mary from the cat. But this method comes with its own risk, moreover, we must plan our escape route in advance. After all, none of us can be sure what will happen once the two are separated.¡± ¡°How long will it take to set up a trap?¡± Shen Mo asked. Yan Qingwen glanced around and quickly came up with a few plans in his mind. He answered, ¡°About 40 minutes.¡± ¡°And planning the escape route?¡± Shen Mo asked again. Yan Qingwen replied with a slight smile, ¡°At least two hours.¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Really? It takes that long?!¡± ¡°Two hours is actually a shorter estimate.¡± Shen Fei commented seriously, ¡°Planning an escape is not about running around aimlessly. It involves intricate calculations to utilize terrain and environmental features, artificially designing about three to five blind spots to aid safe escape. Moreover, the direction of escape cannot be the same for everyone. So, the number of required escape routes equals the number of participants. This requires a high level of computational proficiency!¡± Upon finishing his statement, Shen Fei gave Yan Qingwen a look of admiration. Rational, wise, and calm, that¡¯s the type of friend his cousin should be making! As opposed to hanging out with Wang Jingxian¡¯s daughter and knowing all sorts of riffraff! It¡¯s as if a top student has been led astray by bad kids, beyond redemption! Yan Qingwen, with a teasing smile, said to Shen Mo, ¡°If you get Weiwei to help me, perhaps we can save some time.¡± Shen Fei: Chapter 420 - Chapter 420: Chapter 420: Not Allowed Chapter 420: Chapter 420: Not Allowed ¡°Yeah, split up would be a good idea.¡± Yu Yaqing said earnestly, ¡°We¡¯ll help Yan Qingwen set the trap, while Weiwei can plan the retreat route. Since it¡¯s not convenient for Weiwei to move around, perhaps Shen Mo could accompany her. This way, won¡¯t it be faster?¡± Shen Fei moved his lips, unsure of what to say. At a time like this, shouldn¡¯t his cousin be leading the charge like a hero arriving on scene? Why was his assigned task to ¡°accompany¡± Bai Youwei?! Isn¡¯t that a waste of resources?! He turned to look Shen Mo. Shen Mo nodded impassively, ¡°Alright.¡± Not alright! What do you mean by Alright, brother ?!!! Turbulent waves set off in Shen Fei¡¯s heart. Meanwhile, Lun Ang let out a laugh and said, ¡°Since we¡¯re all in this game together, Weiwei, stop keeping secrets. Let¡¯s give our poor Qingwen a break.¡± Tan Xiao, with hands on his hips, stood in front and said, ¡°Wow, of course my boss should make the grand finale! To have you guys boss her around now¡­ wouldn¡¯t that be too disgraceful!¡± Shen Fei stared at them, his expression stiff. He didn¡¯t understand. Why¡­why did they all seem to trust Bai Youwei so much? What on earth made Bai Youwei so competent?! Entrusting the retreat route to Bai Youwei was akin to entrusting their lives to her! Even the slightest flaw in the escape route could result in death! Lun Ang laughed heartily and teased Tan Xiao, ¡°Which one is your boss? The tall one, or¡­ the short one?¡± Considering Bai Youwei was in a wheelchair, she was naturally shorter than everyone present. Her face turned sour as she glared at Tan Xiao, as if ready to blow up if his response didn¡¯t meet her satisfaction. Tan Xiao, struck by a sudden inspiration, loudly declared, ¡°My boss is riding on the shoulders of the Giant! She¡¯s taller!!!¡± Bai Youwei usually leaned on Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder, so it was kind of like riding on him. With that remark, he¡¯d managed to compliment both of them. Tan Xiao puffed out his chest in triumph. He was over the moon! He felt like he¡¯d just reached a new high in his life! Bai Youwei coldly withdrew her gaze. Shen Mo had a faint smile on his lips. Shen Fei¡­ Shen Fei was deeply puzzled. Zhao Mingdeng urged, ¡°We have less than three hours until it gets dark. We should make the most of the daylight for a preliminary scout.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Bai Youwei said emotionlessly, ¡°With the current information, we can¡¯t guarantee a 100% safe retreat. The Cat¡¯s height and speed directly affect its and Mary¡¯s view. A meter higher or lower would greatly affect the effectiveness of the retreat route. I¡¯m not interested in pointless effort.¡± Zhao Mingdeng frowned, ¡°So what do we do now?¡± ¡°Familiarise yourself with the area you¡¯re in charge of, find a hiding place and then¡­¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°Wait for nightfall~¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that be wasting daylight?!¡± Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s eyebrows furrowed even deeper, feeling that it wasn¡¯t right, ¡°And we¡¯ve already found hiding places just now!¡± Shen Fei scorned in his heart She¡¯s refusing because she doesn¡¯t want to plan the retreat route, trying to shirk responsibility! Bai Youwei kept her nonchalant tone, ¡°I suggest you abandon the first hiding spot. It would be best to give up on the second backup as well. Hide in the third or fourth spot you find, because the first two locations are likely places previous players hid, and Mary and the Cat will prioritize searching these places unless they¡¯re stupid.¡± Shen Mo stated, ¡°Right now, we are not yet familiar with the entire amusement park. We also lack understanding of the strengths of Mary and the Cat. Even with a trap in place, it would be hard to make it effective.¡± Zhao Mingdeng pondered, then let out a deep sigh, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll wait till tonight and assess the situation then!¡± Chapter 421 - Chapter 421: Chapter 421: Watching Her Chapter 421: Chapter 421: Watching Her ¡°Won¡¯t this be too passive?¡± The always silent Robin couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°There are six full hours at night, can we just wait till then? Why not test their strength now!¡± Robin was a sports student, he looked just like a hot-blooded man, clenching his fists, eager to immediately charge at the carousel and take on the giant puppet cat! Yu Yaqing frowned and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, will we do nothing tonight?¡± Passive waiting was also against Yu Yaqing¡¯s style. Bai Youwei helplessly shrugged and said, ¡°If you guys want to probe them now, I have no objections. But I must remind you, according to the game rules, the person who wakes the cat during the day becomes the cat¡¯s attack target and the attack lasts until the cat falls asleep again. So provoking them before we understand the situation, I don¡¯t agree with.¡± ¡°Then we don¡¯t give it a chance to wake up!¡± Robin said coldly, ¡°While it sleeps, we take its life!¡± Yan Qingwen gave him a glance, ¡°The game instructions say the same thing. Those players wanted to attack Mary while the cat sleeps, but somehow, even though they were careful enough, they woke the cat as soon as they got close.¡± Zhao Mingdeng hesitantly asked, ¡°Could it be that they were careless¡­¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°The only survivor among those players is Du Lai, and he is the best at approaching targets silently and without a trace. I dare say none of us here is as agile and light-footed as he is.¡± Upon her saying that, everyone fell silent. There must be reasons for the cat being awakened. Either the cat is alert beyond their imagination, or there¡¯s a key point hidden here that no one has noticed. Either way, it isn¡¯t conducive to them launching an attack against Mary and the cat now. After some contemplation, Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Let¡¯s do this. We will set up some traps near the carousel first. Once Mary and the cat wake up tonight, the people nearby can observe their reaction when they encounter the traps and maybe find the cat¡¯s or Mary¡¯s weakness.¡± ¡°Could the traps separate Mary and the cat?¡± Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help asking. The topic has come full circle. Yan Qingwen laughed and shook her head, ¡°To separate them, the traps must be more refined, just like what Weiwei said. We need to know the height, length, shape, and even the weight and speed of the targets. If we don¡¯t have this information, we need manual operation, coordination of multiple people, and adjustment of the trap mechanisms according to the situation.¡± Yu Yaqing understood. A manually operated trap would reveal our position, and the night is when Mary and the cat come out to play hide and seek, everyone should hide well. Revealing positions is no different from suicide. Who would want to do it? She let out a sigh, apologizing to Yan Qingwen, ¡°It was presumptuous of me, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yan Qingwen just smiled faintly. After discussing for a while, everyone starts to act. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t be of help in making the traps. She pushed her wheelchair away, towards the Clock Tower to observe the entire amusement park from above. Shen Mo was worried about her. When he saw her wheelchair moving farther and farther away, he waved at Shen Fei and instructed, ¡°You go watch over her, if anything comes up, come back for me.¡± Shen Fei seemed reluctant, ¡°Don¡¯t we need hands for setting up traps?¡± ¡°Go on, we won¡¯t miss one person here.¡± Lun Ang chuckled, ¡°But your brother should stay, there are some places only he can reach.¡± Yu Yaqing glanced at Shen Fei, ¡°Or, I¡¯ll go instead?¡± Shen Fei felt a little irritated. Why can¡¯t that woman just sit still?! Making everyone worry over her! ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go!¡± Shen Fei grumbled, ¡°You guys proceed, I¡¯ll go keep an eye on her.¡± Zhao Mingdeng looked up and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t one person enough? We¡¯re short of hands for setting up traps here! Hey? Where did Jiang Hao go?¡± Shen Mo scanned around, his eyes slightly darkened. Chapter 422 - Chapter 422: Chapter 422: Stay Away from Me Chapter 422: Chapter 422: Stay Away from Me She had just been here helping to set up the trap, but now there was no sign of her. Yan Qingwen knew of Shen Mo¡¯s apprehension. Seeing his expression darken, she leaned in and quietly asked, ¡°Should we check on her?¡± Shen Mo glanced towards the Clock Tower, ¡°No need, she can handle it.¡± The Clock Tower wasn¡¯t too far from the carousel. Following the little path paved with red bricks, there was a flower garden in sight, with four arch bridges reaching out to each side of the Clock Tower. It was a tad strenuous pushing uphill with the wheelchair on the arch bridge. Bai Youwei decided to stand and walked forward using her cane for support. Noticing an extra shadow on the ground, she halted, turned her head, and realized the man behind her was now less than ten meters away. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, ¡°Keep your distance.¡± Jiang Hao grinned, ¡°I saw you heading here alone¡­So I thought I¡¯d check in on you. Do you need help?¡± His seemingly friendly demeanor was marked by dominance. His encroaching steps toward her did not falter. A mocking, cold laugh curled up at the corners of Bai Youwei¡¯s lips. She was well aware of his intentions. No doubt, he must have been growing impatient waiting for this opportunity. Once night falls, everyone will scatter. Mary and the cat will wake up, making the act of ¡°killing for treasure¡± much more difficult. If he isn¡¯t aiming to clear the game, there¡¯s no need to wait for nightfall to take a risk. It¡¯s best to acquire what he wants during the day, then find an opportune moment to exit the game using the puzzle piece. Of course, it would be best to eliminate all other players before leaving, so there¡¯s no need to worry about his disguise being exposed. For example, the man with the white gloves who emerged from the game last time. Jiang Hao continued to approach her. Bai Youwei looked at him with a cold gaze. She was slightly curious, what kind of tool was the white glove? Why was it so powerful? Of the ten people who entered the game last time, apart from the man with the white gloves, everyone else died¡­ ¡°Weiwei! It¡¯s really high up there! There¡¯s even a telescope!¡± Tan Xiao suddenly rushed out from the Clock Tower, caught sight of Jiang Hao, and was taken aback. He asked bluntly, ¡°Hey! Why are you following us? What, trying to slack off from work?!¡± Jiang Hao paused then replied with a smile, ¡°I couldn¡¯t really do anything to help over there, so I came over.¡± He continued walking towards Bai Youwei, slightly raising his hands clad in white gloves¡­ Bai Youwei laughed again. How interesting. ¡ªHe didn¡¯t even abandon his target despite seeing Tan Xiao come down from the Clock Tower. It seemed like Tan Xiao posed no threat to him, at least not in the eyes of this man named Jiang Hao. Her curiosity deepened. Just how powerful were the white gloves? Were they enough to give him the confidence to take on two players? As the distance closed, the plush rabbit perched on Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder raised its head. Its beady little eyes stared silently at the man. Jiang Hao paused. The rabbit spent a large portion of the time on Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder ¡°acting cute¡±, so Jiang Hao was unclear about its true function. He hesitated slightly. Although he was confident in dealing with two people at once, the emergence of an unexpected prop compelled him to be cautious. ¡°Jiang Hao? What are you doing here?¡± Shen Fei walked over in surprise, then noticed Tan Xiao and couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°Why are you all here? They¡¯re swamped over by the carousel, aren¡¯t you going to help?¡± Tan Xiao pleaded his case, ¡°I was going to help! But they said I¡¯d just be in the way and told me not to, so since I had nothing to do, I came to help Weiwei survey the area!¡± Shen Fei: Jiang Hao gave them a smile, ¡°I think I¡¯ll head back then. I was worried Miss Bai would be unattended, but since you¡¯re all here, I¡¯ll go back and help.¡± With that, he walked away at a leisurely pace, both hands in his pockets. Bai Youwei found it a pity. She was so close to seeing his true colours. But she was sure¡­ he would make his move again soon. Chapter 423 - Chapter 423: Chapter 423: Unexpected Chapter 423: Chapter 423: Unexpected Not long after Jiang Hao left, Shen Fei also left. He had no fondness for Bai Youwei to begin with, and seeing that Tan Xiao was now in her company, he had no desire to impose himself, preferring instead to return to his brother. Using her crutches, Bai Youwei exerted effort to climb the Clock Tower. The view from the top of the Clock Tower was extremely open, overlooking the entire amusement park. Each direction was equipped with a telescope, convenient for sightseeing. Bai Youwei adjusted the telescope towards the direction of the carousel and studied it closely. Atop the carousel, the mannequin, Mary, and the cat were quietly sleeping. The cat was much more noticeable than Mary. It was indeed a rag doll ¨C not a Ragdoll breed as Bai Youwei initially thought, but a feline figure created from floral fabric and cotton ¨C Colourful and pieced together from various fabrics, it had buttons for eyes, springs for whiskers. It had no teeth, no sharp claws, it was hard to imagine that this cat had killed so many people. As for Mary, she was modeled after a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, lying sound asleep on the cat. She had beautiful curly golden hair, bound into two braids, it looked like she had two pieces of gold cotton candy on top of her head. Her dress was pink with white lace trimmings, a puffy skirt adorned with fancy satin bow ties, paired with checkered pink and white stockings, and she wore a pair of red shoes. She was also carrying a doll bag ¨C The overall appearance was innocent and childlike, very lifelike. Having finished observing Mary and the cat, Bai Youwei adjusted the telescope to look at the other side. Yan Qingwen¡¯s trap was gradually taking shape. To increase the success rate, he set traps on several paths near the carousel. Due to limited time and materials, these traps weren¡¯t very elaborate, but they should be able to inflict some damage or slow down the cat. Shen Mo, Yu Yaqing, and others were all helping. Jiang Hao had returned and was also in the crowd. Perhaps he felt that the current situation was not the optimal time to kill and steal treasures, he had temporarily hidden his fangs and did not show any abnormality. The sky was getting darker, and the hour hand of the clock tower was slowly moving towards six. Bai Youwei had looked over the area around the carousel, and had a general idea of the situation. She slowly went downstairs with the support of her crutches. Tan Xiao offered to carry her, but she declined, descending at her own pace. After making her way a third of the way down, Shen Mo came over to assist her. ¡°Is everything ready?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, everything is ready,¡± he replied. She put away her crutches, he picked her up, and before nightfall, they entered a gift shop on Fantasy Street. Through the window, they quietly observed the carousel in the distance. When the hour hand pointed to 6, the clock tower let out a ¡°clang¡±! It was crisp and loud! Night fell, and the entire sky turned pitch black! Immediately after, it was as if the amusement park came to life! Brilliant colored lights lit up, and music played like a wave. Every building was brightly lit! This included the gift shop where Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were hiding! They looked at each other in surprise. They didn¡¯t expect this turn of events! Now that lights were on, dark corners were exposed, much to their dismay, many of their hiding places were no longer concealed! Shen Mo frowned, grabbing Bai Youwei and ducking under the cash register as he hid himself behind the curtains ¨C Through the glass window, he saw the entire amusement park bustling with activity! The roller coaster emitted the noise of the wind as it rushed by, the carousel swayed to the music, the Ferris wheel¡¯s colorful lights were stunning, all the motionless dolls seemed to have come to life as they stumbled in line, following the parade of flower-decked carnival floats in a procession! Chapter 424 - Chapter 424: Chapter 424: Shining Lights Chapter 424: Chapter 424: Shining Lights The lights flashed, and the carousel spun round. The puppet cat on the canopy stood up, arched its body, yawned, and let out a long, ¡°meow~~~¡± The voice was sharp and high pitched, clearly audible to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei in the room, even with the surrounding din of music! Mary, on the cat¡¯s back, also yawned. She rubbed her eyes, stretched out her slender white arms, grabbed the cat by the tip of an ear, and complained like a short-tempered little girl: ¡°Alright, stop sleeping! You lazy feline! It¡¯s hide and seek time, get up!¡± Mary, riding on the cat¡¯s neck, tugged at the cat forcefully. Roused by this, the puppet cat let out a ¡°meow¡±, and leaped off the carousel with Mary on its back¡ª ¡°Where is everyone?¡± the little girl sitting on the puppet cat¡¯s back said, her bright face bearing a malicious grin, ¡°Aha~ I just love hide and seek! I love the expressions on your faces when you are found. They are such a joy!¡± Her slow gaze swept over the place, her smile full of pleasure, ¡°I see you guys~~ You really don¡¯t know how to hide!¡± Shen Mo by the window squinted his eyes, watching the outside unblinkingly. The puppet cat had already stepped on a trap. The netting, taken as a decoration from the pirate ship on Adventure Island, was suspended five or six centimeters off the ground, and was now entangling one of the cat¡¯s feet. The cat raised its foot irritably, and ripped free from the net! The long mast rigged at both ends of the net were pulled in, converging on the middle! Mary let out a yelp, and the cat dodged swiftly! Escaping the plight of the mast, yet triggering the second trap set by Yan Qingwen!¡ª The big red chairs initially set on the flying chairs were launched like red bullets, one after another! The puppet cat dodged the first one, but was hit in succession by the second and third ones! It let out a wail and fell on the side of the road! Mary also failed to escape! She got hit by the fourth red chair hard on her shoulder! ¡°Ah!!!¡± She got up, yelling in anger, ¡°You players are too bad! Too bad!!! I¡¯m going to let my cat catch all of you! Tear you guys into pieces!!!¡± ¡°Meow!¡± The cat also cried as if to echo her. The next second, the puppet cat adjusted its direction and headed straight for Fantasy Street! Shen Mo was taken aback. At first, he thought it was a coincidence, but when he discovered that Mary and the cat were unmistakably heading in his direction, his heart skipped a beat! He quickly moved to the cashier counter, picked up Bai Youwei in an instant! ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Bai Youwei asked in surprise. From her hiding place below, she could not see what was happening outside, and had no idea that Mary and the cat were already coming their way! Shen Mo, holding her, jumped out of the window from the other side and took a few hurried steps, sprinted into the candy store next door, and replied, ¡°Mary knows where we are!¡± ¡°What?¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback, ¡°Did she find us so soon?¡± ¡°No, she didn¡¯t look!¡± Shen Mo looked around. This time, instead of choosing the cashier counter, he placed her behind the door and dragged over an indoor plant to cover her. Then, he turned around and jumped out of the window again! At the same time, as the cat¡¯s roar came through and the roof thundered with the sound of something heavy running over it, as if a monster ran across the roof! Through the gaps in the leaves, Bai Youwei saw a giant puppet cat leaping down from the roof and landing with a thud! The angry little girl atop the cat yelled, ¡°Catch him quick! You stupid cat! Catch him and don¡¯t let him escape!!!¡± Shen Mo dashed into the toy store. Mary and the cat also rushed after him! The large figure rammed the store door, shattering the glass with a crash! Inside, sometimes came the sound of the shelves collapsing and sometimes Mary¡¯s shrill roars! Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t see what was going on inside! Chapter 425 - Chapter 425: Chapter 425 Found You Chapter 425: Chapter 425 Found You Her mind was racing, her attention fully focused on the chaotic toy house! Shen Mo¡¯s goal was to distract Mary and the cat, so he would definitely hide further away, the further the better! But this would separate her and him! What should she do? She couldn¡¯t see his position, couldn¡¯t judge what she should do next! She couldn¡¯t help him either! And what did Shen Mo mean by what he said just now? ¡°Mary knows where we are!¡± ¡°No, she didn¡¯t look!¡± Didn¡¯t look? If she didn¡¯t look, how did Mary find out they were hiding here? Even if Mary¡¯s eyes had super vision, she would at least have to look around first before¡­ unless she knew their location all along! So she didn¡¯t even need to look, she just aimed directly at Fantasy Street and rushed over! Bai Youwei¡¯s face was visibly pale. If this was true, everything made sense now¡­ The amusement park was so vast and had so many buildings, not to mention hiding 10 people, even hiding 100 people wouldn¡¯t be easy! Why did none of the people who entered the game survive?! Because no matter where they hid, Mary and the cat would find them! ¡­Wait. This still didn¡¯t make sense. If the cat would find us no matter where we hid, then what¡¯s the point of playing hide and seek? Boom!!! A loud noise interrupted Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts! All the house¡¯s glass shattered! A huge cat head poked in from outside the window, its plastic button eyes silently stared at the green plant in front of Bai Youwei. Mary sat on the cat, giggling slyly. Her voice was like a midnight bell, clear yet eerie: ¡°Ah la I found you¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s chest tightened, holding her breath! As if to savor the fear of the prey, the cat didn¡¯t attack Bai Youwei immediately. Instead, it started to step on the lush green potted plant very slowly¨C Crushing it! Creaking¡­ creaking¡­ creaking¡­ The sound of ceramic shards and nutrient soil scraping and crushing, that sound made people¡¯s scalp tingle! ¡°I found you¡­¡± Mary crawled down the cat¡¯s body, from the cat¡¯s neck, to the top of its head, then slid down to the cat¡¯s nose. She grinned, her eyes glowing with a green light in the darkness. But in the next moment, shock, even terror, flashed in her eyes! Without time to evade, a plush rabbit jumped out, pounced on her face, and released a flash of electricity! ¡°Aaaaaah!!!¡± Mary¡¯s scream echoed in the room! One hand clutching the cat, the other vigorously pulling off the bunny from her face! The stuffed cat was also struggling in pain! The cat¡¯s head was stuck in the window and couldn¡¯t get out, it shaking its head and body desperately, violently thrashing! In the struggle, all the glass cabinets shattered, colorful candies fell like rain on Bai Youwei. She dared not to be careless, kept staring at Mary, didn¡¯t miss any reactions, and waited until the moment that the cat was about to pull its head out of the window, she yelled, ¡°Attack the stuffed cat!!!¡± The rabbit let go of Mary, and as it landed, its fur stood on end! It unleashed blinding purple-blue electricity! The electricity was like a giant blade, slashing straight at the cat¡¯s head! ¡°Meow!!!¡ª¡± The plush cat screamed in pain, its head gave a violent shake, and Mary finally couldn¡¯t hold on, she was thrown off the cat! She fell heavily to the ground! Her beautiful golden curls were scorched from the electric shock, and her tender white face was smeared with a layer of black ash. ¡°Damn it!¡± Mary staggered up and glared at Bai Youwei in anger, ¡°you ¡­¡± A flash of cold light! Shen Mo appeared behind her out of nowhere, raising his broadsword high and slaying it towards Mary¡¯s head! Chapter 426 - Chapter 426: Chapter 426: One Step Late Chapter 426: Chapter 426: One Step Late ¡°Ah!¡± Mary exclaimed in terror, twisting her body to avoid the attack! But it was still too late! The sharp blade sliced off her arm! With two thuds, the slender white arm fell to the ground. Shen Mo frowned, lifting his sword again to strike at Mary¡¯s head. Mary let out a horrified scream! The cat from outside rushed in, and she leapt onto it. Immediately afterwards, the ragdoll cat charged out of the candy store with Mary, jumping onto the roof! Shen Mo was about to give chase when he heard Bai Youwei shouting loudly at him from behind: ¡°Shen Mo!!!¡± Shen Mo paused in his steps, turned and saw the severed arm on the ground tightly gripping Bai Youwei¡¯s ankle! The five fingers were clenched tightly into the flesh of her ankle, as if wanting to break Bai Youwei¡¯s foot off! Shen Mo¡¯s heart lurched, and he swiftly stabbed his sword into that severed arm! The grip on the ankle finally loosened, and Bai Youwei immediately withdrew her foot. A clear mark of five fingers emerged on her fair skin, slowly turning into a bruise. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Shen Mo asked, holding her up. Bai Youwei shook her head, catching her breath, ¡°Mary might be going to find the others. There might be something wrong with the way we were hiding, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have found us so quickly, unless she has X-ray vision!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s face was stern: ¡°If Mary knows everyone¡¯s location, this is not a game of hide and seek, but a hunt.¡± He was thinking the same as her. But the situation was urgent, and they couldn¡¯t figure out what the problem was in the short term! A scream came from outside! The scream punctuated the chaotic music, suddenly rising and then quickly fading away. It was unclear who was being attacked and who was scrambling to escape. Bai Youwei looked out the window and said with knitted eyebrows, ¡°You¡¯d better go and help.¡± Shen Mo looked at the severed hand on the ground, ¡°And you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, just go,¡± she pushed him gently, ¡°I can handle this.¡± Shen Mo gave her a lingering look. With an inexplicable courage, Bai Youwei suddenly held his face and bit his lip forcefully! She quickly let go after two seconds, took a deep breath and said, ¡°Don¡¯t die. If you can¡¯t handle it, use puzzle, understood?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s eyes flickered with countless emotions, dark and deep. He put her down, held her jaw, and said in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s not enough time now, I¡¯ll pay you back when we¡¯re out.¡± After saying this, he turned around and ran towards the screams. Bai Youwei stared blankly at his retreating figure until it disappeared from sight, and her racing heart gradually calmed down¡­ She let out a sigh of relief, turned her head to look at the arm pierced by the sword on the floor. It was still twitching. But Shen Mo¡¯s sword had pierced too deeply and ruthlessly, it couldn¡¯t break free! The fingers scratched at the floor unyieldingly, like a fish on a chopping board, devoid of blood. Nothing strange about that, the cat was a ragdoll, and Mary was certainly not human. Bai Youwei used a golden key to open the dollhouse. Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin inside the dollhouse were taken aback by her dishevelled appearance. ¡°Wei¡­Weiwei?! You¡¯re okay, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chang Weicai asked anxiously, ¡°Where¡¯s your wheelchair? Your cane? Isn¡¯t Shen Mo with you?¡± ¡°We can talk about it later.¡± Bai Youwei hurriedly instructed them. ¡°Go pick up some burning firewood from the fireplace and throw it here. Dry firewood as well, the more, the better.¡± ¡°All right, all right! We¡¯ll get it for you right away!¡± Balls of fire were thrown out from the dollhouse, igniting the wallpaper, igniting the cabinets, igniting the dolls. The candies in the candy store melted under the high temperature, forming puddles of sticky liquid and setting ablaze. The air was filled with a mix of burnt and sweet smell. The flames raged on¡­ Chapter 427 - Chapter 427: Chapter 427: Is it an Illusion? Chapter 427: Chapter 427: Is it an Illusion? ¡°The fire was getting bigger. Leaning against the wall, Bai Youwei slowly moved forward. Her knee throbbed with pain. It was like walking on the tip of a knife. Despite regaining sensation, she still could not walk properly. She walked out of the Candy House, only a dozen steps away, covered in cold sweat, her legs trembled. The bunny followed behind, matching her pace. Once she got to the door, she saw her wheelchair and breathed a sigh of relief. She told the bunny, ¡°Go, bring my wheelchair over here.¡± The bunny flicked its ears and hopped towards the wheelchair. Although it was a bit small, the pavement was smooth. The wheelchair was pushed forward intermittently and sometimes spun around, before finally reaching Bai Youwei. At this moment, the fire in the Candy House started spreading outside. Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair, clutching the bunny, and left Fantasy Street. Behind her, the toy store, dessert shop, gift shop, ice cream parlor¡­ all the shops on Fantasy Street were being devoured by the widespread fire. Fantasy Street was next to the Dreaming Garden, an area filled with vibrant flowers and beautiful landscapes, made up of countless individual gardens. Bai Youwei traveled through the garden, trying to find a high-vantage point to see where Shen Mo and the others were. As she passed the cartoon statues in the garden, she felt something eerie. The statues¡¯ eyes were painted black, like deep dark holes, seeming to stare at her¡­ Bai Youwei furrowed her eyebrows and sped up her pace. A familiar unease started to surface. She suddenly halted and turned around to look at the cartoon statues again. They were motionless. Could it have been her imagination? Bai Youwei pondered for a moment but she was more concerned about Shen Mo. She put her doubts aside for now and continued forward. She emerged from the garden onto the main park path. The sounds of various theme park music entered her ears; the claw machine music, bumper car music, and hovercraft music¡­ It was too noisy for her to determine where Shen Mo was, and she couldn¡¯t see Mary and the cat. The park was just too big. Another wave of music approached. Bai Youwei frowned and looked down the road. Coming from the other end was a parade float, the music was coming from there. Snow White stood high on the float, holding a red apple, followed by the seven dwarfs and a variety of other cartoon characters. They formed a long line and were happily parading the grounds. During the day, they were silent inanimate objects, but they all came to life after dark, singing along with the music: Everywhere that Mary went, She would bring along her little doll, People met them everywhere, Mary and her merry doll¡­ The parade passed right in front of her and then moved away. The music also dissipated. Suddenly, loud bangs echoed! The chaotic fighting noises became clearer with the retreat of the music, as though something had been knocked over, or perhaps something had been hit. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart leapt, and she swiftly rolled her wheelchair in the direction of the noise! A shadow suddenly lunged at her! ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± Sweaty and frantic, Shen Fei demanded, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here! Get away!!!¡± Without waiting for a response, he began to push her wheelchair and ran forward! ¡°Stop!¡± Bai Youwei coldly ordered. ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble! My brother can¡¯t deal with you right now!¡± Shen Fei was running so fast that Bai Youwei had no chance to argue! He looked back from time to time, and when he saw that the cat was not following, he made a sharp turn with the wheelchair¡ª And rushed into the Old Vine Monster Tree House on the side of the road! Bai Youwei was about to speak when Shen Fei covered her mouth! ¡°Stay quiet!¡± his voice was anxious and low, ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡± Chapter 428 - Chapter 428: Chapter 428: Harmonious Handling Chapter 428: Chapter 428: Harmonious Handling Bang! The sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Bai Youwei was startled, her eyes darted to the outside, forgetting her argument with Shen Fei. Zhao Mingdeng fell to the ground, his face as white as a sheet. He couldn¡¯t make a sound, nor could he stand up. He was trembling as he crawled forward, leaving a trail of bright red behind him. But it wasn¡¯t blood! Rather, it was a red, jelly-like substance continuously seeping out of his body and also his mouth! Boom! Another loud noise. A puppet cat as big as a bus pounced, landing not far behind Zhao Mingdeng. Mary on the cat¡¯s back was laughing and singing a nursery rhyme: ¡°Crawl and crawl, Blood turns to jelly, Innards turn to cotton, In the end, oh, in the end, feed it to the kitty¡¯s mouth~¡± The cat paw came down and stepped on Zhao Mingdeng. Like toying with a mouse, it held him down but didn¡¯t kill him immediately, just watched him struggling. Shen Fei couldn¡¯t bear to look. He quietly said to Bai Youwei, ¡°Mary says that blood is filthy. This is a playground for children, all bloody scenes must be sanitized. She¡­ she doesn¡¯t consider us humans! She treats us like toys!¡± Mary was laughing outside, enjoying this moment immensely, repeatedly singing the nursery rhyme: ¡°Crawl and crawl, Blood turns to jelly, Innards turn to cotton¡­¡± Suddenly, several figures shot out! Mary¡¯s voice halted abruptly! Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen rushed over with their weapons and hacked at the cat¡¯s paw that was pinning Zhao Mingdeng down! However, the cat¡¯s paw was soft, and the blade hitting it was like punching cotton! Pointless! Yu Yaqing and Lun Ang worked together, simultaneously slashing at the cat¡¯s belly¡ª¡ª Balls of cotton spilled out from the ripped fabric, the cat wailed, but its paw stiffly held on! Robin leaped from above, taking the opportunity to attack Mary on the cat¡¯s back. Just then, a cat tail swung mid-air! It sent him flying into the wall! Bai Youwei noticed the sweat soaking Shen Mo¡¯s forehead hair. Everyone else looked exhausted. Yes, exhausted. In the ten-odd minutes they had been fighting the giant puppet cat, they had exerted tremendous physical effort. If they failed to come up with a solution soon, all of them, not just Zhao Mingdeng, would struggle to even defend themselves! Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s chubby body continued to be pinned down by the cat¡¯s paw¡­ His body had been squeezed to the point of deformation, he was in too much pain to make a sound, his eyes bulging, his head and arms flailing frantically. The sight of him was rather comical, but no one found it funny. Bai Youwei thought it looked like a hamster she once had when it tried to squeeze through a crack in the door¡­ His body was squeezed to the max, ¡°jelly¡± oozed out in large clumps from his mouth and nostrils, and finally the deflated remnants of his body yielded something resembling cotton stuffing. Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s body, like a squeezed doll, finally, completely, stopped moving. True to Mary¡¯s demand, Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s death scene was sanitized; there was no trace of gore. But Bai Youwei thought¡­ Zhao Mingdeng would have preferred to die bloodied and mangled. It was, after all, more dignified. Shen Mo didn¡¯t let up attacking. He was constantly aiming to exploit Mary¡¯s and the cat¡¯s weak spots! While Yu Yaqing and Lun Ang were attacking the cat¡¯s belly, he jabbed his blade into the cat¡¯s paw and, in the process, pulled himself upward! The other cat paw swung forward! Shen Mo leaped, grabbing on to the cat¡¯s springy whiskers! Springing to mid-air using the force, he raised his broadsword And lunged at Mary! Mary seethed with hatred towards Shen Mo! Her stump of an arm was his doing. Now, seeing him lunge at her again, she immediately tugged at the cat¡¯s neck to make it raise its head! ¡°Meow! Chapter 429 - Chapter 429: Chapter 429: Button Eyes Chapter 429: Chapter 429: Button Eyes The big mouth of the plush cat opened, blocking Shen Mo¡¯s escape route! Shen Mo quickly changed his direction, slashing at the cat¡¯s eyes with his sword! Thump, thump, thump! A huge plastic button fell to the ground, bounced twice, rolled to the side of the road, and fell over. Only a piece of black thread remains where the cat¡¯s left eye was. Mary shouted angrily, ¡°You horrible people! I will kill you all! Kill you all!!!¡± The doll cat meowed, almost standing straight up, and then pounced on Shen Mo ferociously! ¡°Brother!¡± Shen Fei, with his eyes red in anxiety, raised his axe and charged! Bai Youwei was horrified, thinking that he was going to his death, but Shen Fei¡¯s nimble movements surprised her. With Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen¡¯s help, he managed to slash the doll cat several times! However, regardless of whether its limbs were cut off, its belly was slashed open, or its eyes were gouged out, the doll cat remained a doll cat, its relentless attacks overwhelming everyone. Robin fell injured against a wall. Shen Mo, Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Yu Yaqing, and Shen Fei gradually shifted from aggressively attacking to passively defending. If it were not for their experience in the maze, they might have collapsed from exhaustion long ago. As for Tan Xiao and Jiang Hao, they had been missing all this time. Bai Youwei was very worried. She was worried about the situation at hand, but also about Tan Xiao. He was like an open book, transparent in all his actions. If Jiang Hao had malicious intentions, Tan Xiao was likely to fall into his trap. It was as if her brain wanted to split in several directions, worried on one side and anxious on the other. Bai Youwei bit her lip tightly, finding herself engulfed in anxiety. The night lasted a full six hours, and not even an hour had passed. They could not afford to continue grappling with Mary and the cat here! Should she let the rabbit out now? ¡­No, she couldn¡¯t! The rabbit could be used for surprise attacks, but it wouldn¡¯t last in a protracted fight! If it frequently released lightning, its electrical energy would quickly run out! The most pressing matter was to get everyone to retreat entirely! ¡­But where to retreat? No matter where they might hide, they would be found by Mary and the cat. What would be the point of such a retreat?! The others gradually retreated from view while still fighting, leaving Bai Youwei¡¯s line of sight. She noticed the button eyes the doll cat had left on the road. The Button eyes¡­ Eyes? Bai Youwei¡¯s mind went blank as she vaguely felt that she had overlooked something. On closer thought, didn¡¯t this situation seem familiar? Back at the dollhouse, the Nail Tooth Monster seemed to have X-ray vision, heading straight for her as soon as she entered the house! It was the same now! What was the commonality between the dollhouse and this game of hide and seek? She desperately scanned her surroundings. What was the commonality¡­ Where was the commonality? Both were full of childlike fun? Why were both full of childlike fun? Because¡­ Because¡­ ¡­Dolls? Bai Youwei paused. As her thoughts connected, she suddenly became incredibly lucid and looked around again¡ª Indeed¡­there were so many, countless dolls! Whether it was at the previous gift shop or the subsequent candy house, there were countless dolls on display, fluffy ones, rubber ones, ceramic ones, wooden ones, clay ones, fabric ones, felt ones¡­ All sorts of dolls. Mary was watching them through the eyes of these dolls! ¡°It¡¯s the dolls!¡± An idea sparked in Bai Youwei¡¯s mind. She rushed out of the treehouse and threw the rabbit at Mary, shouting at the same time, ¡°Scatter!!!¡± Everyone fighting with the doll cat retreated instantly. Shen Fei was a beat slow, but Shen Mo pulled him away! Before he could figure out the situation, the cat in front of him suddenly collapsed to the ground! Electricity snaked across its body! Bai Youwei shouted from the doorway of the treehouse, ¡°All the dolls here are observers! Find a place without dolls to hide! Don¡¯t let the dolls see you!!!¡± Chapter 430 - Chapter 430: Chapter 430 The Day Breaks Chapter 430: Chapter 430 The Day Breaks ¡°What?¡± Shen Fei exclaimed in surprise. Shen Mo pushed him aside,¡±Go!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± Shen Fei was extremely anxious. His eyes widened as he watched Shen Mo run to the treehouse, pick up Bai Youwei and jump behind it, disappearing from sight. The others also scattered and ran. Electricity danced around Mary and the toy cat, sparking fearfully, and no one dared to approach. In a few seconds, the rabbit had stopped sparking and also bounded off! Shen Fei gritted his teeth and turned to run! But the whole route was full of dolls! Display windows were filled with different types of dolls, street signs held dolls, even the trash cans were shaped like cartoon animals! Dolls were everywhere in the amusement park, but where was a place without dolls?! A sign for a unisex bathroom appeared ahead. Shen Fei took a quick glance behind him, and seeing no sign of the toy cat, he sped up and turned into the bathroom! Shen Mo, holding Bai Youwei, hid in the equipment room of the water ride. The room was filled with orange life jackets. Shen Mo looked around, saw no dolls, put down Bai Youwei, and then got up to close the door. Once the door was shut, the room became quiet, separating them from the raucous music. It seemed as if both danger and chaos had instantly moved away from them. Bai Youwei closed her eyes, and her erratic heart finally calmed down. Bang! Something hit the newly closed door. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart, which had just settled, lurched up again. It startled her! Shen Mo furrowed his eyebrows and moved closer to the door to listen. He heard nothing. He picked up the longsword again, and with other hand gripping the doorknob, he cautiously and slowly began to open the door¡­ The crack in the door had barely widened when a fluffy rabbit pushed its way in. Both of them were stunned. Shen Mo opened the door fully and the rabbit hopped in, scampering into Bai Youwei¡¯s arms. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei looked at each other, and the previously tense atmosphere instantly eased, leaving only a smile. Shen Mo closed the door again and sat down, asking, ¡°How much power does it have left?¡± Playing with the rabbit¡¯s ears, Bai Youwei answered softly, ¡°About half.¡± ¡°Let it go and recharge.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She opened the toy house, the rabbit went inside to recharge, and they were the only two left in the equipment room. Shen Mo pulled her into his arms and they sat, resting by the wall. He was sweaty, and his upper body was soaked, but Bai Youwei didn¡¯t mind. Her head rested on his chest, as she listened to his strong, steady heartbeat. It made her feel safe and comforted. She closed her eyes too. The confrontation with Mary had been too exhausting. Time ticked by, minute by minute. No one spoke. Occasionally, they heard loud footsteps outside and became even quieter. Mary kept cursing outside, furiously destroying the scenery and facilities on both sides of the road but she was unable to locate anyone. The cat¡¯s body was excessively large, preventing it from entering many narrow areas. If the dolls hadn¡¯t silently provided clues, Mary would be wandering aimlessly within the park, like a headless fly! She had the cat knock over the roadside trash cans, break the treehouse¡¯s trunk, ruin a long string of colourful flags, and then wreak havoc in the ball pit. Finally, the night was coming to an end. Reluctantly, Mary and her cat returned to the Merry-go-round. The speed of the Merry-go-round gradually slowed, and the music became softer. At last, it stopped. The toy cat let out a ¡°meow¡±, curled itself up into a ball and fell asleep on top of the carousel roof; Mary patted her puffy skirt, found a comfortable angle on the cat, and also lay down to sleep. Meanwhile, the clock tower let out a single ¡°dong¡±! Dawn arrived. Chapter 431 - Chapter 431: Chapter 431: Nine People Chapter 431: Chapter 431: Nine People Everyone hesitantly emerged from their hiding places, staring at the sun outside, revealing expressions of relief as if they had survived a catastrophe. However, this relief couldn¡¯t last too long. Because they only had 6 hours. In 6 hours, Mary and the cat would awaken again, and they must come up with a self-rescue plan during the day. Everyone gathered again under the carousel. Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Shen Fei, Yan Qingwen, Lu Ang, Yu Yaqing, Robin, Jiang Hao, Tan Xiao. Nine people in total. Everyone had varying degrees of fatigue in their eyes. Yan Qingwen looked around and said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss everyone¡¯s experiences from last night or any discoveries.¡± ¡°The cat is controlled by Mary.¡± Shen Mo started, ¡°When Mary does not give specific instructions, the puppet cat seems to lack an attack consciousness, so our next attack should still be targeted at Mary, we must separate Mary from the cat.¡± Yu Yaqing nodded, ¡°If the puppet cat is controlled by Mary, it makes sense. No wonder no matter how we attack it, it has no effect.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than just not being effective, we can¡¯t move it at all.¡± Lu Ang said worriedly, ¡°It¡¯s too big, and the cotton inside is hard, like some sort of steel frame. With the weapons we have, it¡¯s like using matchsticks¡­¡± ¡°Matches¡­¡± Yan Qingwen pondered, ¡°We could consider using fire, the outer cotton cloth and cotton of the puppet cat are all flammable, and once it catches fire, Mary will leave the cat. Fantasy Street was on fire last night, we should be able to get a fire source if we go there now.¡± ¡°What if it jumps into the lake?¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°There¡¯s a large lake at Treasure Bay, and a big fountain at the entrance of the amusement park, there¡¯s plenty of water in these places.¡± Shen Fei explained to him, ¡°The purpose of using fire is not to burn the cat, but to force Mary to leave the cat, so that everyone can focus their efforts on Mary.¡± Shen Mo asked Tan Xiao, ¡°Where did you and Jiang Hao hide last night? Why didn¡¯t we see you guys?¡± Tan Xiao was stunned, and answered with wide eyes, ¡°I was at Treasure Bay, in a trash can by the road. I¡¯m puzzled, nothing happened all night long, I almost fell asleep.¡± Everyone was speechless after hearing this. Treasure Bay is on the other side of the lake, mirroring Adventure Island, it¡¯s far from the other parks, so it¡¯s no wonder that Tan Xiao had no idea about what happened last night. Robin asked the always silent Jiang Hao, ¡°What about you? Where did you hide?¡± Jiang Hao looked up at everyone, explaining with a smile, ¡°I hid under the ferris wheel, in the control room, you know that small house with a red roof.¡± Several people listened, their expressions somewhat odd. Last night when they were attacking Mary and the cat, they had passed by there, but Jiang Hao didn¡¯t appear. Either, Jiang Hao was lying; Or, Jiang Hao actually saw them but chose not to help. Thinking about their desperate fight, and the indifferent observer in the dark, even knowing that the observer wasn¡¯t close to them, there was still a sense of discomfort. Yan Qingwen didn¡¯t dwell on this, she simply said in a light voice: ¡°The trash cans at Treasure Bay, the control room of the ferris wheel, neither of these places had any toys, the fact that they safely stayed there all night reaffirms this, so what we need to do next, is destroy all the toys we can see! Especially their eyes, if we can¡¯t destroy them, we still need to find a way to cover them all¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Yu Yaqing looked up at the carousel, hesitatingly asked, ¡°What about during the day?¡± Chapter 432 - Chapter 432: Chapter 432: Divided into Three Groups Chapter 432: Chapter 432: Divided into Three Groups Yu Yaqing said, ¡°In the last game, Bai Youwei and I had to face a Duke who killed every night. The Duke was invincible at night, and we only had a chance to attack during the day. I think the games share similarities in some areas, and Mary¡¯s weakness could be hidden in daylight.¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°Indeed, Mary seems easier to deal with than the doll cat. Moreover, Shen Mo has cut off half of her arm, this is a good opportunity to press the attack.¡± He looked at Shen Mo and said, ¡°Let¡¯s split into two teams. Shen Mo, Lun Ang, and Jiang Hao will stay and help me set up the traps, and the rest will take care of the dolls in the park.¡± Jiang Hao was surprised when his name was suddenly mentioned. Looking up at Yan Qingwen, he asked, ¡°I¡¯m staying?¡± Since entering the game, he had deliberately reduced his presence, it was a bit strange for Yan Qingwen to suddenly keep him at this time. With a casual tone and a slight smile, Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Yes, Yu Yaqing and Robin got a bit hurt last night, to save their strength, I think it would be wise to have them rest.¡± This explanation from Yan Qingwen was acceptable. Robin, who was displeased with Jiang Hao¡¯s indifference the previous night, said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t want to do anything, plan to hide until the game is over? You better have the ability to survive until then!¡± Jiang Hao forced a smile, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, I was just asking casually. I¡¯ll stay and help.¡± Yan Qingwen exchanged a glance with Shen Mo. It was a crucial moment in the game¡¯s progress, best to keep Jiang Hao under their watchful eyes to prevent him from messing up. After arranging the teams, they split up to take action. Yan Qingwen, Shen Mo, Lv Ang, and Jiang Hao were left to set up the traps. Bai Youwei, with Yu Yaqing, Robin, Tan Xiao, and Shen Fei went to handle the dolls in the amusement park. All the small dolls were put into boxes, locked in sheds, or thrown into black garbage bags; The larger dolls had their eyes poked out, their heads smashed, or their heads wrapped in garbage bags; Even larger cartoon statues were either destroyed if possible or had their heads covered with cloth and their eyes sealed with stickers if they couldn¡¯t be destroyed. In short, they tried everything to ensure they wouldn¡¯t be seen. The amusement park was vast, and there were too many dolls. It took them more than two hours just to clear the dolls on the main road. Shen Fei was anxious to go back and check on the progress of Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen, but Bai Youwei and Yu Yaqing were lagging behind. ¡°Can you move any faster?¡± He urged them impatiently. Yu Yaqing pointed to the large rainbow umbrella outside the drink shop, ¡°We need to move the umbrella to the right.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference between left and right?¡± Shen Fei couldn¡¯t understand. Despite complaining, he still went over to help them move the umbrella. Bai Youwei then directed Tan Xiao and Robin, ¡°No glass windows can be left, every pane in this food stall should be smashed to prevent the reflection of people.¡± Shen Fei finally got it, Bai Youwei was planning their retreat routes. He couldn¡¯t help but glance towards the direction of the clock tower, asking, ¡°It¡¯s almost three o¡¯clock, will there be enough time?¡± ¡°There will be enough time. Three people in each group, three retreat routes will be sufficient.¡± Bai Youwei squinted, scanning the surroundings, ¡°This place is good, both the Adventure Island and Gourmet Town can be reached. But these glasses are a hindrance.¡± Shen Fei frowned. Previously, everyone had been hiding alone and having three people in a group seemed too many¡­ However, if it¡¯s a planned retreat, this pairing isn¡¯t too bad. At the very least, it¡¯s better than being isolated when the cat pursues. He asked her, ¡°How do you plan to divide the groups?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°I¡¯ll form a group with Shen Mo and Tan Xiao. You, Robin, and Jiang Hao will be another group. Lastly, Yu Yaqing will join Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang.¡± Shen Fei frowned again, ¡°Can¡¯t I be in the same group as my brother?¡± He really didn¡¯t feel comfortable leaving her alone with his cousin the whole time. Chapter 433 - Chapter 433: Chapter 433: Starting Work Chapter 433: Chapter 433: Starting Work Bai Youwei smiled at his words, and asked him, ¡°Do you have any props?¡± Shen Fei was taken aback. What does this have to do with props? As an organization staff, he didn¡¯t have to enter the game forcefully, regularly, and in turn, but he had to hand over all the props on him to the game-play evaluation group, so¡­ Shen Fei replied in a muffled voice, ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Bai Youwei spoke cheerfully, with a hint of schadenfreude, ¡°That¡¯s why you are safe being in a team with Jiang Hao because you don¡¯t have props.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shen Fei frowned. Having heard this, Robin looked at Bai Youwei thoughtfully. ¡°Alright, we need to speed up now.¡± Yu Yaqing interrupted them, ¡°You guys continue to deal with the doll, I¡¯ll go with Weiwei to confirm the rest of the routes.¡± ¡°Okay~ Let¡¯s get to work! Let¡¯s get to work!¡± Tan Xiao rallied, spontaneously treating Robin and Shen Fei as his sidekicks, and dragged them to work. ¡­ Time flies. When the hour hand pointed at four o¡¯clock, everyone gathered again under the carousel. The place looked completely different now. ¡ª Fires were built around the carousel, large brick tiles were pried open, they got candles from somewhere and melted them in the grooves without the tiles, turning into streams of hot wax surrounding the area. On the outskirts, there were high-hanging hemp rope fishing nets, rows of wooden masts, and disassembled plush toys piled up like small hills. These were all extremely flammable materials. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at the setup and couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°Yan Qingwen, don¡¯t burn us along with it.¡± Yan Qingwen laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the burning range is controllable, but the wax oil is indeed very dangerous, you guys find a place to hide in advance later.¡± The burning wax oil, once splashed on the body, would cause serious burns and are difficult to clean in a short period of time. Bai Youwei let out a deep sigh, ¡°I¡¯m missing Su Man a bit.¡± Yu Yaqing smiled when he heard it, ¡°Yeah, I miss her a bit too.¡± Su Man was good at using a whip. If she were here, she could easily pull Mary down from the cat. They wouldn¡¯t have had to set such an elaborate trap. Yan Qingwen laughed, ¡°Although it took us a lot of effort, I still hope that the trap won¡¯t come in handy in the end. It would be best if we could finish it off in one shot.¡± Bai Youwei blinked curiously, ¡°What are you guys planning to do?¡± Lun Ang growled from the side, ¡°Go up and chop her up in one shot!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°I¡¯m the most familiar with the trap. If anything unexpected happens, I can withdraw more easily than you guys. Shen Mo and Lun Ang, you guys focus on controlling the direction of the fire, the rest of you find a place to hide.¡± ¡°Let Weiwei stay.¡± Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°She can be helpful at the crucial time.¡± Shen Mo would not blindly protect Bai Youwei. He believed she was qualified to stay. Shen Fei hesitated, ¡°Brother, what about me¡­¡± ¡°You find a place to hide.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°If the fire becomes uncontrollable, leave according to the withdrawal route.¡± Shen Fei: ¡°¡­¡± Why is the treatment so different? ¡°I¡¯ll stay too.¡± Robin stepped forward, his tone firm, ¡°You don¡¯t need to agree, my brother died in this game, the cat, that Mary, I won¡¯t let them off!¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. The expressions on their faces were bland. Yan Qingwen thought for a moment, and looked at everyone, ¡°Then it¡¯ll be me, Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Lun Ang, and Robin, the five of us will stay, the rest of you find a place to hide, if anything happens, withdraw according to the planned route immediately.¡± Chapter 434 - Chapter 434: Chapter 434: You Bad Guys Chapter 434: Chapter 434: You Bad Guys Everything was ready. Next, during Mary and the cat¡¯s slumber, they were going to take Mary down! Climbing the carousel wasn¡¯t difficult for Yan Qingwen. The challenging part was climbing without making a sound or disturbing Mary and the cat. All the players who tried to launch a surprise attack on Mary and the cat during the day had failed for unknown reasons, so Yan Qingwen did not hold out much hope for this operation. He was a very rational person who accepted failures. Now he was placing his hopes more on the successful activation of the trap after possible failure, as long as Mary and the plush cat could be separated completely, then their efforts would not have been in vain. He grabbed the protruding carvings on the edge of the canopy, looked left and right before flipping himself up¡ª Shen Mo and Lun Ang were in their spots, ready to knock down the high fire basins and set all the wax oil on fire as soon as the cat jumped down! Meanwhile, Bai Youwei was sitting quietly by Shen Mo¡¯s side, ready to create a retreat opportunity with lightning if the cat retaliated fiercely. Seeing them, Yan Qingwen suddenly felt calm. Both attack and defense were calculated. All he had to do was follow the planned steps one by one. Even if they failed, it didn¡¯t matter. Shen Mo and Lun Ang were here. Even if they failed, it didn¡¯t matter either. Bai Youwei was here too. Only when you fight together can you understand the power of trust and tacit understanding between teammates. He inhaled deeply, exerted force on his arm, jumped high, and landed smoothly on the top of the carousel! Then he quickly turned around! Mary and the cat were sleeping. The one-eyed cat, its ginormous figure curling Mary in the middle. Mary¡¯s eyes were closed, her body covered in dust, her hair scorched. Where Shen Mo had cut off her arm, she didn¡¯t bleed, revealing a material similar to that of a porcelain doll, embedded with a skeleton like steel bars. Neither the man nor the cat on the carousel was disturbed. Yan Qingwen pulled out the ax strapped to his calf, eyes fixed on Mary. Once Mary¡¯s head was chopped off, it would all be over. It didn¡¯t seem difficult. The little girl in front of him showed no signs of waking up, the plush cat was also quiet, nothing seemed to be awry. So, how did the previous players die? Yan Qingwen moved closer step by step, his emotions in turmoil. Even when there was only one step between him and Mary, he felt an unnoticed danger lurking about. He didn¡¯t believe the game would end so easily. But where was the danger? The ax remained unmoved in his hand. He was thinking. Unintentionally, he saw the doll hidden behind Mary, half of its face peeking out, its black eyes staring straight at him! Instantly, chills rushed up Yan Qingwen¡¯s spine! A cold shiver infiltrated his bones! Mary was asleep, but her dolls weren¡¯t! The eyes of the other dolls were covered, but Mary¡¯s doll saw him!!! Yan Qingwen knew it was bad. Without hesitation, he raised his ax and swung at Mary! Clink!¡ª The sound of metal clashing! A triangular sharp spike shot out from Mary¡¯s severed arm! It forcefully blocked Yan Qingwen¡¯s attack! The steel spike came fiercely and abruptly. Yan Qingwen¡¯s hand, gripping the ax, was numbed from the impact. ¡°You bad guys¡­¡± Mary sat up, glaring sinisterly at Yan Qingwen, ¡°I¡¯m going to squeeze out all the jelly and cotton from your bellies!¡± Without hesitation, Yan Qingwen gave up the attack and turned to flee! He jumped off the carousel! Mary immediately chased after him! Chapter 435 - Chapter 435: Chapter 435: Want to Play Dirty Tricks Chapter 435: Chapter 435: Want to Play Dirty Tricks She landed heavily, riding on the gigantic stuffed cat. The triangular cone was like a reaper¡¯s scythe, shattering and slicing through everything in its path! Yan Qingwen sprinted into a predetermined path and yelled loudly, ¡°Left!!!¡± Lun Ang on the left summoned all his strength and tipped over the fire basin along with its stand! Mary and the cat immediately dodged out of the way. Yan Qingwen again shouted, ¡°Right!¡± The fire basin on the other side also fell! Mary quickly dodged on the cat, but bumped into the bonfire. The stacked firewood collapsed as if carefully calculated, creating a slippery mess of wet wax all over the cat¡¯s paws! The flames quickly engulfed the cat, the fire growing more intense as it rolled! However, against everyone¡¯s expectations¡ª Although the cat was almost entirely ablaze, Mary refused to get off it! According to the original plan, they would strike down Mary and the cat the moment they separated. But now, the raging fire impeded them, making it impossible to get near! Mary¡¯s red shoes were burnt to a crisp, disintegrating into fragments that fluttered down. Her beautiful puffy dress too caught fire! And her most beloved rag doll, one of its braids was engulfed by the flames! ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± she screamed as she tore off the rag doll and hurled it away! Her entire person screamed furiously in the air, not from pain but from anger! ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all! I¡¯ll kill all of you!!!!¡± Yan Qingwen, who had originally retreated to a safe area, saw that the situation was amiss and immediately warned Shen Mo and Lun Ang in a loud voice, ¡°She¡¯s going to spread the fire! Move quickly!!!!¡± Mary followed the sound of Yan Qingwen¡¯s voice, her face turned black and twisted in the flames. The layers of black sticky substance were melting, making her look horrifying at the moment! She rode out of the fire circle on the burning cat! Wherever she went the flames roared! The fire blazed uncontrollably! Bai Youwei anxiously said from not far away, ¡°The fire is too big, I can¡¯t use the rabbit!¡± If the fluffy rabbit came in contact with the flammable wax oil, it would be reduced to ashes! Shen Mo pushed his wheelchair and retreated, stopping at a junction and instructed her, ¡°You go first, I¡¯ll go help Yan Qingwen!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± Shen Fei ran over from a distance. Shen Mo frowned, ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t I tell you guys to find a place to hide first?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to help you!¡± Shen Fei looked anxious, ¡°Plus, seeing the fire on your side so huge, how could I just stand by?¡± Shen Mo had no time to scold him now, he quickly handed the handle of the wheelchair to Shen Fei and barked out a cold command, ¡°You and Weiwei get out of here first! I¡¯ll retreat with Yan Qingwen from another route and meet you at the Clock Tower after it ends!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he picked up his weapon and ran towards Yan Qingwen¡¯s direction, getting closer and closer to Mary and the cat. Bai Youwei bit her lip and held the rabbit tightly in her hand, her eyes fixed on the man who was leaving. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly!¡± Shen Fei pushed the wheelchair and ran onto another road. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Bai Youwei turned her head and saw Shen Mo¡¯s figure gradually obscured by the thick smoke. Unable to bear it any longer, she fiercely threw the rabbit out! ¡°Go help him!¡± she shouted. The rabbit was important, but Shen Mo was more important! Shen Fei had a change of heart towards her due to her actions, but now wasn¡¯t the time to think about those trivial matters. He pushed the wheelchair and ran like the wind. However, he caught sight of Jiang Hao popping up from somewhere and rushing towards him! ¡°Why did you come over too?!¡± As Shen Fei was running, he shouted, ¡°Did something go wrong with your evacuation route?!¡± Jiang Hao didn¡¯t answer but just smiled at him, his grin eerie. He was moving fast, running parallel to them with only a flower bed in between. Bai Youwei, sitting in the wheelchair being jolted about, annoyingly scolded Shen Fei, ¡°Are you a pig-brain? Your judgement of direction is all wrong, he¡¯s clearly been trailing us! He¡¯s trying to pull a fast one!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Shen Fei was taken aback, he was incredulous, he looked at Jiang Hao again. Chapter 436 - Chapter 436: Chapter 436: Sprinting All the Way Chapter 436: Chapter 436: Sprinting All the Way ¡°Pick me up quickly! Forget about the wheelchair!¡± Bai Youwei shouted. Jiang Hao heard her words, his smirk getting colder. No longer pretending a chase, he suddenly drew closer to them at the end of the flower beds, extending his hands clad in white gloves! Even without knowing what the white gloves did, just him stretching them out like that was scary enough! In his rush to evade, Shen Fei gripped the armrests, sharply veering the wheelchair and causing it to topple sideways. Bai Youwei was thrown out due to the inertia, the pain making her grit her teeth. ¡°Bastard¡­¡± She propped herself up on her elbows, furious. ¡°Shen Fei! That¡¯s the second time you¡¯ve thrown me! Remember this!¡± ¡°Run!!!¡± Shen Fei yelled, not bothering to say anything more, he picked her up and dashed forward! Jiang Hao, however, stooped down to pick up the canvas bag that had fallen on the ground, dismissing the chase for now. But when he unzipped the bag and saw the full assortment of snacks inside, the expression on his face contorted instantly! He tossed the bag away in frustration and gave chase to Shen Fei and Bai Youwei once again! ¡°Run faster! He¡¯s catching up!¡± Bai Youwei hurried him. Shen Fei was drenched in sweat, panting heavily, ¡°I¡¯m already running at my fastest!!!¡± Bai Youwei grumbled, ¡°Then stop running! Stand your ground and fight him off!¡± Shen Fei felt uncertain, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what his gloves do¡­¡± Just then, another person darted out onto the road ahead! ¡°Whoa! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Tan Xiao watched them, dumbfounded, ¡°Why¡¯s there a huge fire? Why is Jiang Hao chasing you?¡± Bai Youwei immediately responded, ¡°Tan Xiao! You and Shen Fei, both of you need to take down Jiang Hao!¡­ Why are you running?!¡± Before she could finish speaking, she saw Tan Xiao turn and flee! Tan Xiao was shouting while running ahead, ¡°The cat is coming! ¡ª¡ª The cat is coming! ¡ª¡ª¡± Tan Xiao was in the lead, followed by Shen Fei carrying Bai Youwei, with Jiang Hao stubbornly giving chase. Further away, Mary and a cat, racing towards them with flames in tow! The cat moved at an astonishing speed! Once the cloth and cotton was burnt off, a seemingly indestructible steel frame was revealed. The thumping noise it made when running on the ground was daunting! It barely looked like a cat anymore! This was more like a steel monster! ¡°Don¡¯t run aimlessly! Follow the path I showed you!¡± Bai Youwei shouted at the people in front. Seemingly remembering this information just now, Tan Xiao hastily veered and ran into the back of the Magic Flying Fish facility. It was now that Bai Youwei¡¯s planned evacuation route truly came into play. They sprinted into a narrow alley between two buildings. The ragdoll cat couldn¡¯t get in, and as Bai Youwei had anticipated, it jumped on the rooftop, only to realize that the area below was filled with umbrellas making it impossible to discern where Tan Xiao and Bai Youwei had gone. Enraged, Mary jumped down from the cat, sweeping away the sea of umbrellas, not realizing that Bai Youwei and the others had not crossed the alley. They had used the umbrellas as a distraction only to run in another direction after leaving the alley. ¡°For God¡¯s sake! What¡¯s happening?¡± The breathless Tan Xiao asked while running, ¡°How did that cat turn into such a monstrous thing? Where¡¯s Brother Mo? How come it¡¯s just you guys? Shen Fei, what¡¯s the deal with you and Jiang Hao? And isn¡¯t your evacuation route supposed to be in the other direction?!¡± Tan Xiao asked a series of questions, but no one answered him. Slowing down, he leaned against a wall, panting, ¡°I¡¯m too tired, I can¡¯t run anymore¡­¡± Shen Fei was also slowing down, his energy significantly depleted from all the running. Bai Youwei saw Jiang Hao catching up from behind, a pair of axes in hand seeming even scarier with his cold glare. A sense of dread overcame her, the next second, she saw Jiang Hao throw an axe in their direction! ¡°Get down!¡± Bai Youwei shouted urgently. ¡°What?¡± Shen Fei hadn¡¯t processed what was happening, he turned around to get a look at the situation whereupon the axe slammed into his back with a thud! Chapter 437 - Chapter 437: Chapter 437: Please Answer the Question Chapter 437: Chapter 437: Please Answer the Question By sheer luck, it wasn¡¯t the blade edge that hit them. Even so, Shen Fei was knocked off balance, and he toppled over with Bai Youwei! ¡°What the hell is happening?!¡± Tan Xiao screamed in rage, ¡°Has he gone mad, throwing an axe at us?! Weiwei, electrocute him!¡± Hearing this, Jiang Hao smirked coldly, lifted another axe and said, ¡°Her rabbit has been taken by Shen Mo!¡± ¡°Damn it! So arrogant?!¡± Tan Xiao stopped running and raised his sword to meet his enemy, ¡°Let Master Xiao teach you a lesson!¡± The two began to fight. Tan Xiao was unpredictable, leaving Jiang Hao unable to keep up for a while! Injured at the back, Shen Fei gritted his teeth, stood up, picked up Bai Youwei again, and forced himself to keep running. Seeing their escape attempt, Jiang Hao¡¯s eyes flashed with malicious intent, and he suddenly made a move! A metal pipe shot out from his gloved hand with a whoosh! The metal pipe was incredibly long! It aimed at Shen Fei with a lightning speed, piercing through his shoulder blade and out the front of his chest! It grazed Bai Youwei¡¯s face, and to their horror, penetrated Shen Fei! ¡°Ahh!!!¡± Shen Fei screamed in pain. Bai Youwei fell onto the ground from his arms. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Tan Xiao was scared out of his wits, staring at Jiang Hao, ¡°What the hell kind of monster is this?!!¡± From behind, the faint glow of fire hinted that the target-less puppet cat was heading their way. Time was of the essence. Now was not the time for a drawn-out battle. Bai Youwei struggled to sit up and yelled to Tan Xiao, ¡°Tan Xiao! Come and help!¡± She couldn¡¯t remove Shen Fei from the pipe by herself. ¡°Trying to escape?¡± Jiang Hao sneered as he approached, ¡°Without the rabbit, let¡¯s see what you can do. Hand over the puzzle and props!¡± Shen Fei was kneeling on the ground, his face deathly pale, on the verge of collapse. Tan Xiao held the steel pipe to prevent the wound from ripping even more. Bai Youwei, disheveled and leaning on the ground, with her long white dress dirty with dust, looked like a trapped white bird in Jiang Hao¡¯s eyes. She seemed desperate and hopeless, unable to fight back. The sight of her distressed expression only heightened his appetite. He took one step at a time, his palm gradually retracting the steel pipe, and asked with a hint of satisfaction, ¡°Where did you hide the puzzle and props? ¡­Are you scared? ¡­Want to escape? Then bring out the puzzle, as long as you have the puzzle, you can leave the game, right?¡± Tan Xiao swore at him loudly, ¡°You motherfucker! You think we¡¯re idiots?!! If you knew where the puzzle and props were, you¡¯d kill us before we even get them out!¡± ¡°Tan Xiao, stop arguing with him!¡± Bai Youwei propped herself up, fuming, ¡°If he wants the puzzle and props, just give them to him!¡± ¡°What?¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback. Jiang Hao looked at Tan Xiao, narrowing his eyes, ¡°Are the puzzle and props hidden on you?¡± Without thinking, Tan Xiao blurted out, ¡°Yes! They¡¯re in Master Xiao¡¯s pocket! What about it? If you have the guts, come and get them! I¡¯ll beat you to death, you damn melancholic fart!¡± His stream of foul words made Jiang Hao¡¯s face twitch. Just as he was about to approach, Bai Youwei took advantage of his distraction and suddenly pulled out a card! She shouted, ¡°Quiz time!¡± Jiang Hao was taken aback and hurriedly retreated! At the same time, the gloved hand clenched into a fist, and the steel pipe snapped off, tilting backward because of gravity. Caught off guard, Shen Fei and Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t steady themselves. They staggered and almost fell over. Tan Xiao knelt on one knee and held up the broken pipe again. The wound on Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder was torn even more, creating a gaping hole! And now, a card appeared in front of Jiang Hao! The card hovered right in front of his eyes. His body stiffened, unable to move, not even his eyes! He could only stare at the card in front of him! Bai Youwei coldly declared, ¡°Please answer! ¡ª¡ª What is 735670783 multiplied by 30791325 plus 530351216 equal to?!¡± ¡¤ (Friendly reminder: The numbers here are the group numbers for the Doll Game special group, the adult fan group of Huahua, and the underage fan group of Huahua) Chapter 438 - Chapter 438: Chapter 438: How Annoying Chapter 438: Chapter 438: How Annoying [Lucky Question Card: Allows the holder to ask any player a question. The player must answer correctly, otherwise they will be penalised and unable to move freely for 60 seconds. If they answer incorrectly a second time, the penalty increases to 120 seconds, and to 180 seconds for a third incorrect answer. After this, the constraint will automatically be removed.] As Bai Youwei finished speaking, words appeared on the blank card: 735670783 x 30791325 + 530351216 =? ¡ª¡ªPlease answer the question. Jiang Hao gritted his teeth, how could he possibly answer this?! He struggled desperately, even attempting to move his toes with all his might, but he still can¡¯t budge a bit! Apart from breathing, blinking, and speaking, he couldn¡¯t move any other part of his body! It¡¯s as if his eyeballs were locked in place! He could only stare at the quiz card! He felt helpless and had no choice but to guess blindly! Jiang Hao: ¡°265¡­7890¡­7¡­¡± A sudden notification appeared in his mind: [Beep! Wrong answer, you can re-answer after being penalized for 60 seconds.] Jiang Hao almost vomited blood out of frustration! Meanwhile, Bai Youwei and Tan Xiao worked together to remove the steel pipe from Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder. With a clang, the metal pipe was finally pulled out, and a lot of red jelly-like blood gushed out instantly from Shen Fei¡¯s wound! ¡°This is bad, Weiwei, he¡¯s going to die!¡± Tan Xiao yelled in panic, ¡°Mogu¡¯s brother is dying! What should we do?!!¡± ¡°Stop yelling!¡± Bai Youwei said irritably, ¡°Get the mud out!¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback, then remembered the mud he¡¯d been carrying, and quickly pulled it out of his jeans pocket to press it onto Shen Fei¡¯s wound! Bai Youwei was infuriated: ¡°You really kept the prop in your ass-pocket?!¡± Tan Xiao responded: ¡°I don¡¯t have pockets on my clothes!¡± Bai Youwei glared at him furiously. Tan Xiao looked innocent and a bit wronged. If he didn¡¯t put it in his back pocket then where should he put it? Should he carry a canvas bag like Weiwei? As a man, wouldn¡¯t carrying a bag make him look less manly? The wound on Shen Fei¡¯s body began to heal visibly under the mud, but the damaged bones and internal organs inside had to rely on his self-healing abilities. Jiang Hao stood rigidly a few steps away from them, still immobile and staring at the quiz card, his face devoid of any additional expressions. Tan Xiao glanced at him and turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Should we take this chance to get rid of him?¡± Get rid of him? Of course! Bai Youwei was about to nod when several clusters of fire suddenly fell from overhead. They looked up to find the fire had unknowingly spread, igniting the decorative flags on the house, with other decorations on the verge of falling at any moment. ¡°Forget it.¡± Bai Youwei scowled irritably, ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t bother with him! He¡¯s not going to survive anyway!¡± Shen Fei, clutching his shoulder, slowly got to his feet, his face pale as he said, ¡°The cat is still nearby, we need to find a safe place as soon as possible.¡± They didn¡¯t hesitate any further. Tan Xiao carried Bai Youwei on his back, with Shen Fei following behind, and they all left together. Although Jiang Hao¡¯s eyes were glued to the quiz card, he overheard their entire conversation clearly. His heart pounded fiercely as his body filled with anger and resentment! A cluster of flames landed on his back, and the high temperature quickly burned through his clothes, causing agonizing pain on his back¡¯s skin! Yet, he couldn¡¯t move! Damn it! Was he forced to use the puzzle piece to leave the game? ¡­No, he can¡¯t waste a puzzle piece again! He had to collect more puzzle pieces and props, otherwise, this journey would be in vain! The flames continued to burn on his back, sweat the size of soybeans trickled down from his cheeks, he could already smell the scent of his flesh being charred. The physical pain, the mental torture¡­ after enduring for a full 6 minutes, he finally regained his freedom! He quickly rolled over on the ground, clasped his hands together and swiftly opened them. A bottle of water appeared in his palms¨D Chapter 439 - Chapter 439: Chapter 439: Rubber Band Chapter 439: Chapter 439: Rubber Band [Magic Gloves: Can store items whose weight equals the wearer¡¯s own body weight, unlimited item quantity. Attention, when the weight of the items exceeds the wearer¡¯s weight, the hands will break due to overload; Attention, the cross-section area of the stored items should not exceed the area of the palm; Attention, once used, the gloves cannot be removed. ] The equipment provided in the toy game, any useful ones, always come with various limitations. A pair of gloves with storage capabilities are no exception. They¡¯re so blatantly white, so starkly white, as if they want the whole world to know, this is an extraordinary item. Jiang Hao swiftly poured water on the part of his body that was on fire, then gritted his teeth and gave a few strong pats, finally managing to put out the flames. Dragging his injured body, he gritted his teeth with anger, wishing he could shatter Bai Youwei and Tan Xiao into pieces! Now, where have Bai Youwei and Tan Xiao gone? ¡­Haha, of course, he knew where they went. Either this evacuation route or that one, there was no need to think too hard. Besides, Bai Youwei was limping and Shen Fei was injured, they couldn¡¯t have gone far! A figure suddenly appeared in his line of sight. It was Robin. Jiang Hao paused for a moment, then a thought came to his mind. This kid might also have some helpful items. Although they may not match those of Bai Youwei, a mosquito leg is still meat. Today hasn¡¯t been successful so far, better to earn a little where possible. Jiang Hao feigned concern and greeted: ¡°How did you get here? Was there an accident on the evacuation route over there?¡± Robin was looking for cover, but when he saw Jiang Hao, he was taken aback, then briefly replied: ¡°Mary and the cat have drawn the fire over there, I just managed to shake them off.¡± Jiang Hao silently joined his palms together, saying: ¡°The fire here is getting bigger and bigger. I know a place where we could hide. You want to come with me?¡± Half-believing, half-doubting, Robin walked towards him: ¡°Which place?¡± Jiang Hao: ¡°Over there in Adventure Island¡­¡± Boom! ¡ª¡ª A giant metal cat suddenly rushed in! Roof tiles fell noisily! The colossal cat head was lowered, the formerly pretty girl on top was now only a metal frame, with the rubber that hadn¡¯t burnt completely clinging onto her joints, charred and sticky; and only a pair of eyes ¡ª¡ª A pair of glass eyes glowing green were fixed on Jiang Hao and Robin! ¡°Ah, la~ Look at what we found! Two cute¡­little mice¡­¡± Mary sneered. As her mouth opened and closed, her burnt skin flaked off. Jiang Hao and Robin turned and ran! ¡°Meow!~~~¡± A thrilling cat¡¯s shriek echoed around them. They both darted into an adjacent exhibition hall, the overhead noises of booming and booming! Mary and the cat followed closely! The cat¡¯s claws were stomping heavily on the roof, almost crushing them through the ceiling! Jiang Hao suddenly stopped, looking out the window, he saw the Ferris wheel not far away. He glanced at Robin running ahead and, without hesitation, jumped through the side window of the exhibition hall and ran straight towards the Ferris wheel! He originally intended to let that physically robust but simple-minded jock draw Mary and the cat¡¯s attention. However, Robin, to his surprise, followed him in no time! ¡°Jiang Hao! You fucking trying to screw me?!¡± Robin shouted out while running, obviously faster than the severely burnt Jiang Hao. However, his shout also drew Mary and the cat¡¯s attention! Mary shifted the direction of the cat and started chasing them! ¡°Idiot!¡± Jiang Hao couldn¡¯t help cursing, becoming even more contemptuous of Robin. He quickened his steps, and after a few vigorous strides, he leapt high. At the same time, he flung out a piece of elastic band from his hand! The elastic band, initially only half a metre in length, quickly elongated in the air! It wrapped around the cabin of the Ferris wheel nearly a hundred meters away, as if it had infinite tensility! Chapter 440 - Chapter 440: Chapter 440: Seven More Remaining Chapter 440: Chapter 440: Seven More Remaining Whoosh! Propelled by the tension of the rubber band, Jiang Hao¡¯s body soared into the air, reaching a height of a hundred meters in the blink of an eye! He tightly clung to the outside window of the cabin, as the rubber band shrank back to its original length. Below, a frustrated cat slammed against the base of the Ferris wheel. Steel clashed against steel, creating a cacophony of sound, causing the cabin to shake incessantly. Amid the shaking, Jiang Hao somersaulted into the cabin. Before even settling down, he took a glance downwards¡ª Just as he predicted, the Ferris wheel was stationary during the daytime. The cat, no matter how fearsome, wouldn¡¯t be able to jump this high. It could do nothing but repeatedly slam futilely against the base of the wheel. The structures here were incredibly durable. Although the tiles, doors, windows, and various ornaments had been thoroughly ravaged by Mary and the cat, the integrity of the buildings remained unscathed, the Ferris wheel included. So, for the moment, it was rather safe for him to stay here. Jiang Hao sat down, exhaling in relief. Next, he only needed to find a hiding spot before nightfall, or he could stay put and hide in this exact cabin. ¡­ No, wait a second. Did he really need to wait for the night? Given how Mary had suffered today, she would undoubtedly wreak havoc in the amusement park tonight! Why should he take risks alongside the others? However¡­ How could he bear to just walk away like this? His initial intention in entering the game was to get Bai Youwei¡¯s puzzle pieces and tools. However, against his expectations, he had not only failed to get any puzzle pieces but had also wasted a tool. Exiting the game now would mean having to use up one puzzle piece! Just thinking about it made Jiang Hao wince! The loss was too great to bear! He couldn¡¯t just let it go. With the injuries he sustained, he had to settle the score with Bai Youwei! Where was Bai Youwei now? Whilst thinking about this, Jiang Hao stood up once more, peering out the window. From his elevated perch, his vision was unobstructed. He saw Mary and the cat have left the base of the Ferris wheel, seemingly led away by someone. In the direction of ¡­ the pirate ship? The people on the ship were howling and shouting. Could tan Xiao be among them? Was Bai Youwei also on board? Just as Jiang Hao squinted, trying to get a better look, there was a sudden thump from the top of the cabin. Following that, a hand grabbed hold of the window! It was Robin! Incredibly, Robin had climbed up! This height! Was he insane?! Even if he was seeking a hiding spot, climbing this high wasn¡¯t necessary! Astonished, Jiang Hao stared wide-eyed as Robin hauled the upper half of his body into the cabin¡ª Robin¡¯s arm muscles were tensed to the limit, his eyes dark and brooding, he demanded, ¡°Why did you have that tool?¡± ¡°What tool?¡± Jiang Hao forced a smile, his hands behind his back, clasped together, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± ¡°The rubber band just now!¡± Robin roared in anger, ¡°It can bind anything! An infinitely stretching rubber band! That was clearly Aqiang¡¯s tool, why did you have it?!!¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Jiang Hao took a step back, ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Robin advanced on him, ¡°Because what?!¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Jiang Hao suddenly smiled, extending his hand towards Robin, ¡°Because of this¡ª¡± A section of iron pipe abruptly lunged forward! Piercing through Robin¡¯s waist, propelling him out of the cabin and sending him plummeting down! Jiang Hao¡¯s lips curled into a cold, mocking smile, leisurely withdrawing the iron pipe. Walking over to the now vacant cabin entrance, he responded mockingly, ¡°Of course it¡¯s because¡­someone killed him, you idiot.¡± Just then! A hand suddenly grabbed his ankle! Jiang Hao¡¯s face instantly drained of all color! On reflex, he jerked his leg back to evade, but his opponent¡¯s strength exceeded his, wrenching him violently. He was dragged outside the cabin! His only saving grace, the tight grip he maintained on the edge of the cabin doorway! ¡°Let go! Let go!!!¡± Jiang Hao cried out in terror! Robin¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, fiercely grabbing his ankle! Jiang Hao attempted to reach for a weapon or puzzle piece from his glove! But the glove required both hands to activate! His grip began to slip, and with a desperate cry, Robin yanked him down! Two figures plunged from the Ferris wheel¡ª Chapter 441 - Chapter 441: Chapter 441: Close your eyes and mend your spirit Chapter 441: Chapter 441: Close your eyes and mend your spirit ¡°Weiwei, did you hear anything?¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but look into the distance. ¡°Seems like someone shouted.¡± They were now on a pirate ship in Adventure Island, near the lake, so the terrain was lower and all they could see were lush green plants and roller coasters rising and falling in the distance. ¡°Hurry up and get in, stop worrying about that!¡± Bai Youwei urged anxiously, ¡°You just knocked over that huge pirate flag, for all we know, Mary might be riding her cat towards us!¡± Tan Xiao immediately deflected blame: ¡°It was Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang who messed up everything on the ship, so when I lightly touched it, the flag fell!¡± Bai Youwei retorted, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have just not touched it?¡± Tan Xiao responded, ¡°I thought it was about to fall, so I touched it to see if it would, who would¡¯ve thought it really would fall!¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear another word from you in the next ten minutes!¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei held onto the stairs and went down to the lower deck. Tan Xiao scratched his head and followed her, saying, ¡°Weiwei, it seems that you can walk without the crutches, just a bit slowly¡­¡± Bai Youwei turned around and said in a cold voice, ¡°Ten minutes!¡± Tan Xiao quietly touched his own nose. ¡­ Bai Youwei arrived on the lower deck. This place depicted some aspects of pirate life, like treasure maps nailed onto wooden boards, sailors¡¯ diaries placed in cabins, rooms filled with gold, silver and jewels, which were suitable for tourists to take pictures. However, for Bai Youwei, the best part was that the entrance was quite narrow, preventing the cat from entering. Shen Fei was sitting in the passageway, his face pale and breathing slowly. Hearing Bai Youwei and Tan Xiao, he looked at them and weakly asked, ¡°Is it safe here?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Bai Youwei, supporting herself down the stairs, didn¡¯t have much energy either. Her legs hurt, her head hurt, she was in pain all over. ¡°According to what the Inspector said earlier, all the facilities in this amusement park are very sturdy and there¡¯s no danger of collapse. The cat can¡¯t get in for now, so we should be safe.¡± ¡ªIf the structures were not sturdy enough, Mary just needed to have the cat destroy every building, leaving the players with nowhere to hide, and she could win the game. It was a huge injustice. After listening, Shen Fei slowly nodded and then closed his eyes. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t want to see him close his eyes. Although she knew he was tired and injured, she thought it was like he was dying when he closed his eyes. She didn¡¯t want Shen Mo¡¯s brother to die. At least not in front of her. ¡°Have you been in a maze?¡± Bai Youwei asked him. Shen Fei slightly lifted his eyelids to look at her, ¡°I have¡­ ¡± ¡°How many times?¡± she asked again. Shen Fei thought for a moment, ¡°Once¡­ in Shanghai, when I was trapped in the maze, I thought I wouldn¡¯t survive¡­ Later, Professor Song and a special forces team cracked the maze, taking others and leaving together, there were over a hundred people¡­ These people became the core members of the organization.¡± Bai Youwei gave a small smile, ¡°Shanghai¡¯s maze was indeed a blessing to mankind.¡± It had enhanced the physical abilities of over a hundred people. ¡°You¡¯re lucky, if you hadn¡¯t been through the maze, with this kind of injury, even with mud therapy, it would be hard to recover.¡± Bai Youwei reassured him casually, ¡°Have a good rest, you¡¯ll get better soon.¡± Shen Fei looked at her, moved his lips as if wanting to say thank you. But Bai Youwei already closed her eyes, as if resting. He didn¡¯t know what to say, thinking he would disturb her. After staring at her for a moment, he also closed his eyes. A few seconds later ¡ª The ship shook violently! ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Tan Xiao jumped up in surprise and ran out! Chapter 442 - Chapter 442: Chapter 442 Left Window Chapter 442: Chapter 442 Left Window ¡°Come back!¡± Bai Youwei barked. ¡°Going out is suicide! Sit back down!¡± Again, an impact! A clatter of bangs rang out! Wood splintered, a cat¡¯s screech was drawn out and the harrowing sound of scratching felt as if it were right above their heads! They could keenly perceive, the sharp, metallic, clattering sound of the cat¡¯s claws scraping against the ship¡¯s body! Its long claws were lodged in the entrance, shattering the deck! It crushed the stairs, its large head pressed against the narrow passage, attempting to squeeze in! ¡°Will it come in?!¡± Tan Xiao asked anxiously, a hint of panic in his voice. ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, her voice steady, ¡°If the information provided by the game files is correct, once the cat is woken up during the day, as long as it can¡¯t see any players within its field of view, its rage meter will quickly deplete, and then it will go back to sleep on the carousel. It has already hovered outside for a while now, it should be leaving soon¡­¡± As she finished speaking, suddenly everything outside went quiet. Shen Fei questioned doubtfully, ¡°It left?¡± All was silent. Quiet all around. Tan Xiao tiptoed towards the exit, intending to investigate the situation. Suddenly! The ship jolted even more violently! Tan Xiao fell flat on his back! This collision was no longer from above, but from the side¡ª A series of thuds ensued! Each one louder than the last! Each collision increasingly brutal! With each impact, the ship¡¯s position shifted, tilting to the other side! ¡°What¡¯s it doing?!¡± Tan Xiao cried in astonishment. ¡°It knows it doesn¡¯t have much time left, and wants to knock us into the lake before it falls asleep!¡± Bai Youwei gripped the doorframe tightly to stop herself from sliding down the tilting floor, ¡°Hold on tight! This is not a real ship, if it falls into the water, it will sink quickly! Be careful not to be hit by things on the ship!¡± Even before she finished speaking, with the last violent bump, the ship turned over by 90 degrees¡ª Everything inside the cabin¡ªtables, chairs, stools, wine casks props, all hurtled towards them! Bai Youwei was hit by some scattered decorations and slipped down, but was caught in mid-air by Shen Fei! The ship was still tilting, almost fully capsized at 180 degrees! Unable to brace herself in time, a heavy wooden table collapsed onto Shen Fei¡¯s back! Both hit the ceiling hard! Bai Youwei felt like her back was about to break from the pain, made even worse by Shen Fei¡¯s body pressing on top of her. ¡°Shen Fei!¡± She pushed him hard, only to realize that he was unconscious. He had been hit on the head and had passed out. Water was rapidly filling the cabin. ¡°Tan Xiao! Tan Xiao!¡± Bai Youwei shouted out Tan Xiao¡¯s name. After a few seconds, Tan Xiao came running over in a state of total chaos, startling at the sight of the unconscious Shen Fei, ¡°What happened to him?! Is he dead???¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t leave now, we¡¯re really going be dead!¡± Bai Youwei spoke quickly, ¡°You get to the exit quickly and then find something to break the third window on the left side of the pirate ship! Save me and Shen Fei!¡± Tan Xiao responded, ¡°Aren¡¯t you two coming with me?!¡± ¡°We¡¯re too slow, by the time we reach the exit, the ship will have sunk!¡± Bai Youwei urged him anxiously, ¡°Hurry up!!!¡± The water had already reached their ankles, Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t delay any longer, and ran towards the exit in a panic. The stairway was blocked by fallen objects, and moving these things out of the way consumed even more time. The water level rose rapidly, quickly reaching his calves. The lake water was turbid, and the lights around them flickered. In a state of panic, Tan Xiao finally found the exit, took a deep breath and plunged into the water¡ª Just as he was out of the hatch, he could already feel the lake¡¯s sludge below. He hurriedly picked up the pace, kicking his legs! He swam far away instantly! Meanwhile, behind him, the pirate ship was heavily pressed down, with the deck and the hatch both deeply submerged in the mud. Tan Xiao turned around to look at the sunken ship underwater, thinking to himself, this is bad! Weiwei had mentioned the window on the left, but left¡­ which side was left again? Chapter 443 - Chapter 443: Chapter 443: Losing Consciousness Chapter 443: Chapter 443: Losing Consciousness After the boat sank to the bottom, the rate at which the water level rose slowed, possibly due to the internal air pressure and the exit being blocked by mud at the bottom of the lake. But the threat of death still loomed. Bai Youwei held up Shen Fei¡¯s head, pushing hard upward, attempting to keep him in a sitting position so his head would stay above water. She struggled with these efforts, cursing under her breath, growing increasingly agitated. If only she hadn¡¯t made those claims before entering the game. Something about rescuing someone if they fell into the water, what nonsense! Now, not only could she and Shen Fei not wait for Shen Mo to rescue them, but she also had to figure out a way to save Shen Fei herself! The water had already reached her neck, and there was no sound from the outside. She grew worried, would that idiot Tan Xiao not know his left from his right? She had rushed him earlier and hadn¡¯t had the chance to clarify which ¡°left¡± she meant. It would have been better if she had defined directions using the cardinal points. ¡­Could Tan Xiao even distinguish north, south, east, and west? With these thoughts running through her mind, Bai Youwei¡¯s headache intensified. As Shen Fei kept tilting his head downward in his unconscious state, water flooded his mouth and nose. Bai Youwei found it increasingly difficult to hold him up. She had no choice but to force herself to stand, with one hand holding onto a window frame and the other yanking his hair, pushing his head upwards. At this point, who cared about being too rough? She was struggling just to stand herself, now she was forced to support another person too. It was truly an unreasonable situation! Bai Youwei was filled with resentment. Bam! A muffled noise resounded through the cabin. Startled, she immediately turned to look¡ª It was pitch black under the water, through the window she could only see the murky water filled with mud, with a few dark strands of algae floating by occasionally. The banging noise continued, but Tan¡¯s Xiao figure was nowhere in sight. Without a doubt, he had hit the wrong window. A sense of despair rose within Bai Youwei! Which implied that she had to drag Shen Fei to the window by herself! Of course, she could wait for Tan Xiao to climb into the cabin, find them, then drag Shen Fei out. But once the window was broken, the cabin would fill with water immediately. If Shen Fei stayed underwater too long, he would drown! After all, not all players were like them, having eaten the fish brought by the spring guest, able to stay unharmed underwater. She had to get Shen Fei out as quickly as possible! Her mind was filled with chaotic thoughts. Bai Youwei clenched her teeth, enduring her volatile temper and pulling Shen Fei¡¯s collar, she headed toward the opposite cabin. Moving underwater was no easy feat. But thankfully, buoyancy made it barely possible for her to drag an adult man. After finally reaching the aisle, she heard a loud bang! The window in the opposite cabin was broken! Water rushed in! Under the force of the rushing water, Bai Youwei quickly grasped the doorframe while Shen Fei was swept away! Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud: ¡°Damn it!!!¡± ¡­ Shen Fei was swept to the end of the hallway by the current, slamming into various debris, too disoriented to identify what they were. He vaguely knew he was underwater, it was cold and dark all around¡­ Someone grasped his hand. He exerted effort to open his eyes, intending to see who it was, but all he could see were the black algae, forming tangled strands, rippling along¡­ The touch was gentle yet icy-cold, vivid yet dreamlike. Incredible. But the suffocation intensified his dizziness¡­ He reached out to part the black algae and saw a pure white dress, as light as semi-translucent cicada wings, it seemed to glow under the rippling water, making his vision even more blurry. In the chaos, he was yanked up to the surface. The sunlight was blinding. His lungs burned. He could vaguely hear Shen Mo¡¯s voice, Yan Qingwen¡¯s voice, various voices¡­ Then, he lost consciousness Chapter 444 - Chapter 444: Chapter 444: Another Pair of Eyes Chapter 444: Chapter 444: Another Pair of Eyes A bustling stage¡ª The music surged, lights converged, and cartoon puppets performed on stage. Below the stage was an invisible area, typically used as a secret passageway for performers to make unexpected entrances or exits. This was a place hidden from the audience¡¯s view, and even the performing puppets couldn¡¯t see. At this moment, it was filled with the survivors of the game so far ¡ª Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Shen Fei, Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, and Yu Yaqing. Their actions had not achieved the desired effect, and everyone was anxious. Yan Qingwen counted and said, ¡°There are seven left.¡± Pausing slightly, his gaze shifted from the unconscious Shen Fei and wounded Yu Yaqing, adding, ¡°Among the seven, two are injured.¡± Bai Youwei felt this man was obsessed with numbers. It was clear enough to the eye that the number of people had decreased, yet he insisted on emphasizing it. Yu Yaqing, pressing on his abdominal wound, said, ¡°My injury isn¡¯t severe. A few hours of rest, and I will recover quickly.¡± Lun Ang, annoyed, exclaimed, ¡°This game is somewhat twisted, isn¡¯t it? We burnt Mary and the cat into metallic skeletons, and yet they still aren¡¯t dead! Did we do all that for nothing?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not completely useless,¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°At least, we all know now that Mary and the cat aren¡¯t afraid of fire. Their weaknesses must lie elsewhere.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded lightly, ¡°Exactly, we¡¯ve tried knives, electricity, fire. Mary and the cat took the blows but ended up recovering completely. Now, facing these two metal skeletons, we need to consider other possibilities. What part did we overlook¡­¡± ¡°The knife doesn¡¯t work?¡± Tan Xiao, baffled, glanced around, ¡°Brother Mo cut off Mary¡¯s arm with a sword, right? How can that be useless?¡± Yan Qingwen paused slightly, and asked Tan Xiao, ¡°How was Mary¡¯s arm when you saw her?¡± Tan Xiao shook his head, ¡°It turned into a triangular knife, but surely it doesn¡¯t transform wherever it¡¯s cut, unless it¡¯s a Transformer.¡± Yan Qingwen pondered, ¡°So, although we can¡¯t hurt the steel skeletons, we can dismantle them at the joints¡­ and after dismantling, Mary¡¯s form changes accordingly.¡± ¡°But does dismantling account for ¡®killing¡¯ them?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°The game¡¯s victory terms are to ¡®kill¡¯ Mary or the cat. Just severing an arm wouldn¡¯t suffice.¡± Lun Ang snorted heavily, ¡°I just don¡¯t believe it. Chop off its head and see if it can still live!¡± ¡°Old man, don¡¯t blow your own trumpet~¡± Tan Xiao made a cynical remark, ¡°We can¡¯t even get close to them for now, are we supposed to kill from afar?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t get close¡­¡± Yan Qingwen contemplated with a stern expression, and continued slowly, ¡°If we could get the doll off Mary¡­ perhaps we could succeed.¡± He spoke, then looked at everyone, ¡°We¡¯ve all overlooked the ragdoll on Mary. The dolls in the amusement park all serve as Mary¡¯s eyes. When I climbed onto the carousel, the doll saw me, which is why the ambush failed. If we want to succeed next time, we must figure out how to deal with the doll first.¡± Yu Yaqing realized, ¡°You mean¡­ if we don¡¯t deal with Mary¡¯s doll, it¡¯s just like, they are sleeping with their eyes open?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Qingwen confirmed, ¡°The game is divided into day and night, it must have a purpose. Just as you said earlier, if they are invincible at night, then they must have a weakness during the day.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned and thought for a while, looked hesitantly at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, what do you think?¡± Chapter 445 - Chapter 445: Chapter 445: Fallen a Few Times Chapter 445: Chapter 445: Fallen a Few Times Bai Youwei sat next to Shen Mo, lacking energy. After returning from the lake, she had changed into dry clothes, but her hair was still soaked and hanging down her back. The smell of lake water made her feel uncomfortable. Fortunately, everyone present was familiar. Even though they saw her change clothes, they politely refrained from asking where the clothes came from. Shen Mo looked down and explained for her, ¡°She is a bit tired. Since entering the game, we have been continuously active for over 20 hours.¡± These 20 hours were not normal days of leisurely living, but twenty stressful and tense hours; being tired was only natural. Bai Youwei frowned slightly, speaking slowly, ¡°I think Yan Qingwen¡¯s idea is correct¡­ If it weren¡¯t for the rag doll, the daytime assault would have succeeded. The issue is, the doll is carried around by Mary and it won¡¯t be easy to separate them¡­ I can¡¯t think of a good solution right now, the music outside is too loud¡­¡± Seeing her straining, Yan Qingwen looked at the others. Apart from the constant game face of Shen Mo and Tan Xiao¡¯s endless energy, the others showed signs of fatigue. Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Since we can¡¯t think of any solutions, let¡¯s discuss it in the daylight. This place is well hidden; Mary and the cat won¡¯t find us. Everyone, rest. Tomorrow, we may have new ideas.¡± After that, everyone discussed a bit more and then looked for places to rest. This place had no beds, no pillows, you could only find a wall or a pole to lean on and shut your eyes for a bit. Mary and the cat could appear at any time, so they couldn¡¯t fully let their guard down to fall asleep. Shen Mo held Bai Youwei in his arms, adjusting his position to make her sleeping more comfortable. It was unclear when they started, but they had gotten used to this kind of intimacy. Natural and close, irrelevant of any passion. Shen Mo held her shoulder and said in a low voice, ¡°If we still can¡¯t think of a solution tomorrow, you and Shen Fei stay here, and Yan Qingwen and I will deal with the rag doll.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, somewhat speechless. ¡°You want me to stay with him?¡± ¡°Someone needs to take care of you.¡± Shen Mo gave a small smile, ¡°He was injured and almost drowned, he probably won¡¯t be in a good state tomorrow, not suitable for joining us.¡± As he said this, he looked at Shen Fei, who was still unconscious. His voice became even quieter, ¡°I also have my selfish reasons, Tan Xiao still has a puzzle piece to protect himself even if danger comes, but Shen Fei doesn¡¯t¡­ I hope that when we leave the game, I can return him, unharmed, back to our parents.¡± ¡°What about me if he is unharmed?¡± Bai Youwei pokes him in the chest, unsatisfied, ¡°Do you know how many times your brother dropped me today? Four times!¡­ No, that¡¯s wrong, it was five times! I lost count, anyway, he dropped me so many times! ¡± Shen Mo was taken aback, looking down at her, ¡°He intentionally dropped you?¡± ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t intentional, can he just drop me as he wishes?¡± Bai Youwei rolled up her sleeves to show him her elbow. ¡°Look here, it¡¯s skinned, and also here¡­¡± She brushed back her bangs to show him her forehead. ¡°Is it swollen yet? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s swollen, right? I can feel it! And there are also my legs, look¡­my knees, my waist, all over¡­¡± Shen Mo grabbed her hand that was about to lift her skirt, speaking helplessly, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± Bai Youwei was upset and dropped her skirt, ¡°In my whole life, I haven¡¯t been dropped as many times as I have today! I don¡¯t care, tomorrow you must keep him away from me! I don¡¯t want him to take care of me.¡± The further away he stays, the safer it will be, in case he dies, it won¡¯t have anything to do with her. Even if Shen Mo wouldn¡¯t blame her, she decided to nip any potential disruption to their relationship in the bud! Chapter 446 - Chapter 446: Chapter 446: The Big Lion Chapter 446: Chapter 446: The Big Lion Shen Mo hesitated a bit, he would be worried leaving Bai Youwei alone. No matter how intelligent Bai Youwei was, her ability to handle emergency situations was almost negligible. Although Shen Fei was injured, he would definitely have no problems escaping with her. There was indeed some discord between the two, but Shen Mo believed that in the face of safety issues, such minor disagreements could be completely disregarded. Just like when he used to carry out missions, personal emotions were always put last. Bai Youwei could tell from his expression that he was not in agreement. Her lips pursed with disappointment, and her face fell. Shen Mo said, ¡°Overcome it.¡± Bai Youwei wrapped his neck around hers, ¡°¡®Don¡¯t want to overcome it~¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so obstinate.¡± Bai Youwei burrowed her face into his shoulder pit: ¡°Whining~¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± He sensed that everyone else had turned to look¡­ An indescribable look was on everyone¡¯s faces. It wasn¡¯t as if they were seeing a cute little girl throwing a tantrum, but rather a ferocious lion, very disconcerting. Shen Mo patted Bai Youwei¡¯s back silently, feeling helpless. There was no other way. If she didn¡¯t want to overcome the situation, then he had to. ¡­ All night, neither Mary nor the cat showed up. When the hands of the clock again pointed to 12, and daylight came, the clock tower let out a deep bell sound ¨C The amusement park returned to tranquility. Shen Fei had also woken up. Having regained his consciousness, he was somewhat excited. He was sharing his dream from yesterday with Tan Xiao and Lun Ang, emphasizing that he had seen the Water Demon! ¡°Her hair was like black seaweed! Her skin as white as crystal! I couldn¡¯t make out her features clearly in the water, it was very mysterious¡­hey, stop laughing! Maybe this is a key clue from the game!¡± Lun Ang laughed heartily, ¡°You¡¯re still half asleep!¡± Shen Fei earnestly said: ¡°At first I thought it was a dream, a hallucination, but the feeling was too real! I even touched her skirt!¡± Lun Ang teased: ¡°The Water Demon wore a skirt? I thought Water Demons and mermaids didn¡¯t wear clothes.¡± Tan Xiao also made fun of him: ¡°Your brain is waterlogged! What Water Demon! That was Weiwei! Hahaha!¡± Shen Fei froze, then instinctively looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°No, the Water Demon I saw was wearing a white skirt, she was wearing blue¡­¡± He stopped mid-sentence, Shen Fei¡¯s expression became stiff. Bai Youwei was¡­ indeed wearing a white skirt yesterday. Could it be, he really misunderstood? His face reddening for some reason, Shen Fei¡¯s cheeks burned hot with embarrassment. Lun Ang placed his arm on his shoulders and laughed, ¡°That¡¯s normal, who doesn¡¯t have a dream lover when they¡¯re young, right? Heh heh¡­¡± ¡°No¡­ I, I don¡¯t!¡± Stifled with embarrassment, he kept shaking his head. Noticing Bai Youwei¡¯s indifferent gaze in the distance brought a certain inexplicable disappointment. Bai Youwei only glanced at Shen Fei before controlling her gaze. She tugged at the arm of the man in front of her, looking disgruntled: ¡°You can¡¯t go back on your word after a good night¡¯s sleep. Where is your basic integrity?¡± Shen Mo smiled, ¡°What are you talking about? I asked you to stay in the clock tower with him, didn¡¯t say you had to be together.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t being in the clock tower together?!¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes and exaggerated, ¡°The tower is high with so many steps, do you want me to trip and fall at all 360 degrees?!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t fall.¡± Shen Mo pinched her cheeks, ¡°You can stay at the top, I¡¯ll have Shen Fei guard the bottom.¡± Chapter 447 - Chapter 447: Chapter 447: The Last Day Chapter 447: Chapter 447: The Last Day Bai Youwei was stunned. By asking Shen Fei to stay under the clock tower, was it equivalent to¡­asking Shen Fei to shield her? ¡ªIf Mary and the cat found the clock tower, they would first find Shen Fei and launch an attack on him, ignoring the possibility of others hiding on top of the tower. Bai Youwei¡¯s feelings became somewhat intricate. She wanted Shen Mo to treat her better, but for her safety, he unhesitatingly let his cousin use himself as a shield. That was really ruthless! ¡­It made her feel a little embarrassed~ (Blushing) ¡­ In fact, Shen Mo hadn¡¯t given that much thought. He just felt that as a man of the Shen Family, Shen Fei should protect women and the weak. This was a responsibility a man should bear, and it had nothing to do with anything else. (Aloof) ¡­ The group left the stage and walked out of the puppet theater. The sun was bright outside, the blue sky was cloudless, the white daylight shone on everyone¡¯s faces, bright enough to be suffocating. They had already spent two days and two nights in this game. Now it was the third day. On the way to the carousel, things began to change a bit. They found many stuffed toys by the side of the road, but these were toys that were left only with their outer layer; their fluffy inner cores had been hollowed out. Seeing flattened teddy bears, dogs, and little ducks laying on the ground, it gave off an inexplicable eeriness. Everyone became vigilant and continued forward. They arrived again at the carousel. After burning all night, the area was no longer bright and shiny as it first was, but a mess, blackened all over, filled countlessly with disassembled puppet dolls. The cat puppet¡¯s head had been sewn back on, and cotton was stuffed into its two front paws, wrapped in cloth. But the back legs had not been fixed in time, left bare, revealing the metal frame. Mary had also been partially fixed; the scorched face had become fair and delicate again. As there was no suitable material to fix the hair, yellow wool was temporarily used as a substitute. The part below the head was still metallic, just like a robot doll with a human head. She was leaning on the rag doll, sleeping on the cat puppet. One arm was a triangular bayonet, while the other hand was holding a needle and thread, as if she had been sewing all night and was exhausted. For a moment everyone looked at each other. No wonder nothing had happened last night; it turned out that Mary didn¡¯t bother looking for them at all. Was sewing the cat puppet back together more important than finding the hide-and-seek players? This matter was unfathomable, and they had no way of finding an answer to it. Yan Qingwen looked around and said, ¡°Quite a lot of places have been burned.¡± Fantasy Street and Dreaming Garden were almost all ruined, nearly half of the Fairy Tale Kingdom was also burnt. Fortunately, the mine of the dwarves had blocked the spread of the fire; otherwise, it would have been hard for them to find a hiding place if everything was burnt. ¡­Suddenly a sense of having shot themselves in the foot. Yan Qingwen sighed. ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t need to find a hiding place anymore.¡± Yu Yaqing said seriously, ¡°As long as we kill Mary this time, the game of hide-and-seek will end.¡± Will it end? Everyone looked at each other and fell silent. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get started.¡± Yan Qingwen stretched his arms, and began assigning tasks, ¡°Yu Yaqing and Tan Xiao are responsible for finding hiding spots. Find all the possible places to hide in the amusement park, and then everyone decides where to hide tonight. Shen Mo, Lun Ang and I will set up traps around the carousel. Shen Fei is injured, he can rest somewhere. Youwei, you just mentioned going up to the clock tower, go up and survey the situation, perhaps from above, there are aspects we may have failed to notice¡ª¡± After saying everything, he looked at everyone and extended his right hand: ¡°Let¡¯s hope, this is the last day.¡± Chapter 448 - Chapter 448: Chapter 448: The Death of the Immature Chapter 448: Chapter 448: The Death of the Immature Lun Ang placed a hand atop Yan Qingwen¡¯s, and said with a grin, ¡°We¡¯ve played so many rounds, what¡¯s one more!¡± Tan Xiao also extended a hand: ¡°My lucky stars are shining bright, we¡¯ve got this!¡± Yu Yaqing looked at them and without hesitation reached out, solemnly saying, ¡°Last day, let¡¯s give this our all.¡± Shen Mo smiled faintly, staying silent, but placed his hand in theirs. Shen Fei, seeing his brother join in, eagerly followed suit. Lastly, Bai Youwei¡­ Bai Youwei looked at them. And they all looked back at her. Expectation filled their eyes, smiles played at their lips, and words of encouragement hung in the air¡­A spectrum of emotions reflected onto her. Flushed and uncomfortable, she bit the bullet and slowly, extended her own hand. Just as she put it down, someone firmly grasped hers. All hands pushed down together and then lifted high¨D ¡°We¡¯ve got this!!!¡± Tan Xiao shouted the rallying cry. Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, complaining outloud, ¡°¡­So childish!¡± Everyone laughed uproariously! The pressure lifted, the tension disappeared, and their laughter and joy spread to all, as if it were only a casual game. It had nothing to do with life or death, the world outside. Just a game. That¡¯s all. Bai Youwei looked at them in confusion, unable to comprehend their mood. Although it appeared as though they were simply putting their hands together, she had a strange feeling that somehow¡­things had changed¡­ As if a new force emerged, shining brightly, reaching ever upward. But where did this power come from? Lost in her thoughts, she turned to look at Shen Mo. Shen Mo was still smiling too, his lips slightly lifted revealing a softness in his eyes. He raised a hand and gently ruffled her hair, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the Clock Tower.¡± Lun Ang clenched his fists with fervor, ¡°Alright, we should start setting traps!¡± With a faint smile, Yu Yaqing added, ¡°And we¡¯ll find strategic defensive positions.¡± Each drew into action. Shen Mo pushed the wheelchair forward. The fact that it survived the conflagration was a miracle in and of itself. In no time, they reached the base of the Clock Tower. Shen Mo hoisted Bai Youwei onto his back and walked in. The stairway twisted upwards like a thread through the eye of a gargantuan bolt. The staircase grew higher each step, seeming infinitely endless. Bai Youwei rested her chin on Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder, asking, ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± ¡°Yan Qingwen plans to use lassos,¡± answered Shen Mo in a steady voice as he continued his ascent. ¡°He will take on Mary. I¡¯ll provide backup. Lun Ang, Yu Yaqing, and Tan Xiao will handle the cat. Once they have ensnared either one, they will drag them apart, separating Mary and the cat.¡± After pondering for some moments, Bai Youwei said, ¡°Yan Qingwen is quite impressive¡ªalways coming up with solutions, no matter the situation.¡± With a slight smile, Shen Mo agreed, ¡°Indeed, he sometimes comes up with some quite creative ideas.¡± Bai Youwei also agreed with this assessment. While hanging onto his back, she mused, ¡°The doll¡¯s field of vision is limited. If we can find its blind spots, we may be able to ensnare them while Mary and the cat sleep¡­yet beheading them could be much trickier.¡± Shen Mo softly agreed, ¡°There is some degree of difficulty. It is practically impossible for one person alone to kill either Mary or the cat.¡± ¨DKilling the cat was impossible due to its iron skeleton, and every evening, Mary would stitch its body back together. ¨DKilling Mary was no simpler. It could grow blades from an amputated limb, and with a doll attached to its back, it seemed to have eyes in the back of its head; there was no taking it by surprise. Lost in thought, Bai Youwei uttered a peculiar, ¡°Huh!¡± At this, Shen Mo halted in his steps and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rather strange¡­¡± Bai Youwei stared blankly, ¡°If we hadn¡¯t brought those swords and knives in, there would be no weapons in the amusement park. It doesn¡¯t seem fair for the players to deal with these two targets unarmed.¡± Chapter 449 - Chapter 449: Chapter 449: Trap It Chapter 449: Chapter 449: Trap It Shen Mo stopped and asked her, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with the way we¡¯re doing things right now?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, unsure of how to respond. Their strategy¡­their strategy was not inherently problematic, whether it was using fire to separate Mary from the cat previously or using a lasso to force them apart now. Regardless of the results, from a conceptual standpoint, there was nothing wrong with their strategy. However, considering the standard conditions for clearing the game in prior instances, it wasn¡¯t about forcing everyone to become martial arts experts, nor was it about deliberately making things difficult for the players¡ª Giving Mary and the cat an almost ¡°Immortal Body¡± setting and then asking the players to kill them, isn¡¯t that a contradiction within itself? There was also another point that had been bothering her. ¡­Hide and seek. As far as she could tell, up till now, there didn¡¯t seem to be any correlation between the game and ¡°hide and seek.¡± It¡¯s just that the clues available at the moment were too fragmented, making it hard to piece together a complete logical line. She thought hard but was still clueless. ¡°Regardless, be careful,¡± Bai Youwei said softly, ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± Shen Mo lifted her slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll remind them.¡± They continued moving upwards and arrived at the uppermost level of the clock tower where the lighting was bright. Bai Youwei leaned over the railing to look down. Even without a telescope, she could clearly see Yan Qingwen setting up traps near the carousel. The ropes were winding in all directions, and even Lun Ang¡¯s giant anchor was lifted. It was unclear what purpose it would serve in the end. Setting up a trap was an exercise in calculation and inference, especially spatial reasoning. Even the simplest trick of using a rope to trip someone up requires considering the other party¡¯s stride, the height of their step, the angle of their foot landing, and so on. Shen Mo didn¡¯t stay in the clock tower for long and quickly went down to help. As Bai Youwei leaned on the railing, watching everyone busy below, she couldn¡¯t help but question, could she have misunderstood? Even though the game did not force the players to become martial arts experts, people with high combat power often received more favor, because¡ª If you were able to fight your way out of a horde of rabbits, even if you chose the wrong path, you could still run back; If you managed to kill the giant frog, you would have unlimited time to find Jin Qiu; If you could kill either the ragdoll cat or Mary now, this round of hide-and-seek would end¡­ She believed that there were common elements in games. If something was off, there had to be a problem somewhere. Several hours passed in a flash. All the efforts that should have been made were made; now, all that remained was to see the results. The girl and the cat on the carousel, seemingly unaware of the threatening atmosphere surrounding them, were sleeping peacefully. Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, and Shen Mo were all in their assigned positions. They were holding strange rope loops in their hands, made from hemp ropes but wrapped with thin iron wires as if to increase their stiffness. Yan Qingwen instructed them, ¡°Pay attention to the peak of the carousel¡¯s roof. Don¡¯t let your height exceed that range; it will enter the doll¡¯s field of vision.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly and also reminded him, ¡°If you trap it successfully, give us a signal right away, and we¡¯ll come to help you.¡± ¡°You too,¡± Yan Qingwen looked at them, ¡°If something goes wrong, hide in any of those spots. Don¡¯t try to fight it out. Mary and cat can¡¯t see players, they will soon go back to sleep, and then we will still have a chance.¡± Everyone nodded, their eyes once again landing on Mary and the cat up high. Whether it will work or not, it all depends on this attempt! All preparations were ready. Lun Ang gripped the rope loop tightly in his hand, the coiled iron wire was a bit sharp, yet he remained unfazed, his eyes unwaveringly fixed on the cat on the carousel. His mission was to lasso the stuffed cat! He took a deep breath, tightening his grip on the rope loop in his hand. Three¡­ ¡­two¡­one¡­go! Chapter 450 - Chapter 450: Chapter 450: In the Trap Chapter 450: Chapter 450: In the Trap Lun Ang forcefully threw out the lasso! The lasso, reinforced with a wire, remained in a perfect circle for a more accurate throw. However, he threw it too high and it exceeded the height Yan Qingwen had suggested. It was about to fly over the roof when Shen Mo, from below, barely jumped up, grabbed the end of the lasso and threw it downwards. The lasso descended and steadily landed on the cat¡¯s head! ¡°Pull!¡± shouted Shen Mo. Lun Ang immediately pulled back the rope with all his strength! All the iron wire wrapped around the lasso tightened, and instantly squeezed the cat¡¯s neck! ¡°Got it!¡± Lun Ang roared, slung the coarse rope over his shoulder and began to tug in the opposite direction like a tug-of-war contest! At the same time, Shen Fei, Tan Xiao, and Yu Yaqing also tightly held onto the rope, pulling together with Lun Ang. With the loud roar of the colossal cat puppet, it fell from the carousel! ¡°Meow!~~~¡± It struggled, shaking its head violently. Suddenly, they all lost their grip on the rope as if they lost balance like a kite in the wind! Just as it seemed the cat was about to free itself, they heard Yan Qingwen shout from afar, ¡°Got it!¡± Unbelievably, the cat ceased all movements and fell face down to the ground. ¡ª¡ªTheir guess had been correct. Once the cat was far enough, Mary could no longer control it! Shen Mo quickly said, ¡°You guys drag the cat away as far as you can! I¡¯m going to help Yan Qingwen!¡± After saying that, he immediately ran off. Yan Qingwen at the other end was engaged in a fierce battle! Mary had immediately awakened when caught, and was both startled and furious. She lifted her misshapen arm and furiously cut the rope! The rope snapped instantly, but the wire stayed connected. Shen Mo, who had just arrived, quickly picked up the other end of the rope! The trap was triggered instantly and a series of reactions formed within the ropes, creating layers that crossed around Mary¡¯s body, hoisting her into the air¡ª¡ª ¡°Yan Qingwen! The rope!¡± Shen Mo shouted, tightly holding on to one end of the rope. Yan Qingwen quickly ran a few steps and grabbed the other end of the broken rope! The dual forces suspended Mary in the air and at the same time, a large black anchor was swung from the middle and came whizzing through the air, hitting Mary on the head with an unstoppable force! Bang!!! Mary¡¯s entire body was sent flying! Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen were also knocked over by the force! The anchor landed, creating a loud noise and then dust settled, making all silent again. Shen Mo rolled twice on the ground before quickly standing back up. His immediate reaction was to look at Mary. Yan Qingwen did the same. They saw Mary lying not far from them, her head tilted from the anchor hit, connected to her neck by only a few strands of wire. She was barely intact. The trap had worked! They had separated Mary from the cat, and they had subdued Mary! At the moment, her limbs are twitching, convulsing as if she was a frog on its death throe. She propped herself up, her head swaying atop her neck. Then, she tried to stand back up again¡ª¡ª Just then, Lun Ang rushed over from a distance, let out a roar, and raised his broadsword, to strike her harshly! Bang!!! Mary¡¯s head and her body separated completely. Her head rolled to one side and was picked up by Lun Ang by the hair. Mary¡¯s face still showed her startled and angry expression. With her eyes wide open and mouth in a grimace, her severed head was a terrifying sight. Lun Ang was relieved to see her in such a sorry state! ¡°Mary is dead!¡± He held Mary¡¯s head high for all his companions to see. Then he shouted once more, ¡°Mary is dead!¡± ¡°Lun Ang! ¡­¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s face turned ashy, ¡°Run!!!¡± Lun Ang froze, failing to react in time as he saw a shining white conical dagger penetrating his chest. Chapter 451 - Chapter 451: Chapter 451: The Last Night Chapter 451: Chapter 451: The Last Night He bent his head down, staring blankly. Surprisingly¡­ It didn¡¯t hurt much. Blood turned into jelly, internal organs into cotton; his flesh, bones, and skin progressively transformed into the rubber stuffing of a doll at a speed visible to the naked eye. His vision blurred¡­ His consciousness scattered¡­ He faintly saw Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo rushing towards him, they were calling, screaming, but he couldn¡¯t hear them¡­ He could only watch their mouths opening and closing. The conical knife piercing his chest was suddenly withdrawn. Then, it was violently thrust in again! Once! Twice! Thrice!!! Lun Ang¡¯s body almost split into two halves, his fingers finally let go¡ª Mary¡¯s head fell to the ground, and after rolling a few times, her face turned upwards, revealing a strange smile at him. It seemed to be mocking his overconfidence. ¡°Lun Ang!!!¡± Yan Qingwen screamed uncontrollably! The once sturdy and robust body toppled right before their eyes, weak and fragile, as if even a gust of wind could blow it away¡­ All around were sticky jelly and red-dyed cotton. And the metal skeleton he had once been, was slowly standing back up behind him. It had no head, and walked with the stumbling steps like a blind person, clumsily picking up its own head from the ground, attempting to return it to its neck. Shen Mo grabbed Yan Qingwen, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Yan Qingwen stood there blankly, staring at the doll remains on the ground, not moving. Shen Mo jerked him once, twice, forcibly dragging Yan Qingwen away! Not far away, Tan Xiao and Yu Yaqing came back to their senses and started running, but the gruesome manner of Lun Ang¡¯s death was imprinted deeply in each of their minds¡­ ¡­ Bai Youwei witnessed everything from the tower¡¯s top. She felt suffocated, as if an invisible hand was covering her mouth and nose; it was so uncomfortable that she could not breathe. Sitting slowly on the ground, she closed her eyes. Lun Ang was dead. So¡­they were still wrong. Even after decapitating Mary, they still couldn¡¯t kill her. Where is the mistake? What must they do in order to win? Her mind was in chaos, her thoughts entangled like a mess. She couldn¡¯t think clearly! What must they do to win?! How?!! Footsteps suddenly echoed, she opened her eyes and looked towards the stairs. Shen Fei was slowly walking up. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, wasn¡¯t Shen Fei supposed to stay downstairs? ¡°I heard Brother Yan¡¯s voice¡­¡± Shen Fei looked at her, hesitatingly asked, ¡°About Lun Ang, did he¡­¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyes, saying softly, ¡°See it for yourself.¡± Shen Fei hesitated for a moment, then walked to the railing to look towards the carousel. Mary had attached her head back. She did not seek revenge on the players but instead found her cat first, then took it back to the carousel, took out her needle and thread, and continued sewing the cat. Indeed, she was not in any hurry. Because these players were helpless against her, except awaiting death, they couldn¡¯t do anything. After ten minutes, Mary and her cat fell asleep again. At this point, they had less than two hours left before the next nightfall. Actually, if they hurried, two hours was not short. A lot could be done in two hours, provided hope remained and courage as well. For them right now, the fate of Lun Ang was like a heavy blow, leaving them all dazed. The one only unaffected was probably Shen Mo. He calmly found a hiding spot, led the group into hiding, had Yu Yaqing and Tan Xiao look after Yan Qingwen, then left for the Clock Tower to bring back Shen Fei and Bai Youwei. ¡°Are we all hiding together now? Is that okay?¡± Shen Fei asked, feeling worried. ¡°It won¡¯t matter.¡± Bai Youwei leaned against the wall, speaking faintly, ¡°Mary is busy with her dolls. Tonight, she probably won¡¯t have time to come looking for us.¡± Everyone was silent. The moment to rest brought no relief to their hearts. In a low voice, Yu Yaqing asked, ¡°What should we do next?¡± Chapter 452 - Chapter 452: Chapter 452: Just Feel Noisy Chapter 452: Chapter 452: Just Feel Noisy ¡ª¡ªWhat to do? Shen Fei and Yu Yaqing instinctively looked at Yan Qingwen. He always had numerous plans. But right now, he couldn¡¯t think of any plans at all. He sat quietly against the wall. His head was dropped low and his hands were trembling slightly. Bai Youwei had never seen such a desolate side of Yan Qingwen as if he had reached the point of absolute despair¡­ Shen Mo glanced at everyone present, his eyes finally falling on Yan Qingwen, asking, ¡°Does Lun Ang have a puzzle piece?¡± Yan Qingwen closed his eyes and replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Lun Ang had a puzzle piece, but he didn¡¯t get a chance to use it, then¡­ Thinking about it made him feel so suffocated that it felt like a knot was tied in his throat, and he could not speak due to the pain. Shen Mo had always been calm. He turned his head to look at Yu Yaqing, asking, ¡°Do you have a puzzle piece?¡± Yu Yaqing gently shook her head. After considering for a while, Shen Mo said, ¡°We have to prepare for the worst. If we can¡¯t pass through, we must figure out how to evacuate. Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Yan Qingwen and I all have puzzle pieces. Tomorrow we will find an opportunity to recover Lun Ang¡¯s puzzle piece for Yu Yaqing to use. In the meantime, I would come up with a way to prepare a puzzle piece for my brother.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him in surprise. Looking at her, Shen Mo calmly explained, ¡°We will just have to inconvenience Xiaoxin this time, using it as a temporary solution. We will make it up to him next time if we manage to clear the maze.¡± Pan Xiaoxin had also received a puzzle piece in the Snake Maze. Despite feeling guilty, Shen Mo had no other choice. He couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch his brother die. In a hoarse voice, Yan Qingwen said, ¡°You can use my puzzle piece. I¡¯m not going.¡± Hearing this, Shen Mo frowned, asking him, ¡°Do you realize what you are saying?¡± After hesitating for a while, Shen Fei quietly said, ¡°Brother Yan¡­ we know, you might not be able to accept it¡­ but Lun Ang would never want you to stake your life in the game if he were alive.¡± Yan Qingwen slowly shook his head, ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Raising his head, he looked at them, his eyes as still as a stagnant pool. ¡°If I leave here, then what happened today will forever remain here, and I won¡¯t be able to move past it. Can you understand that?¡± Even if he escaped, he was already dead. He had died in every previous second of Lun Ang¡¯s death! Everyone was silent and there was no sound. The loss of a comrade-in-arms, everyone more or less felt this pain. None of them were able to reassure each other, or knew what to say to comfort each other. After a while, Shen Mo said, ¡°Let¡¯s try it one more time then.¡± Everyone looked at him. Shen Fei hesitated, ¡°But¡­ doesn¡¯t decapitation not work?¡± ¡°Although it will not instantly kill Mary, it can still hinder her movements.¡± Shen Mo calmly said, ¡°If we can behead her once, we can do it again. We need to find a way to hide the head once it is severed. By getting rid of the threat, we can slowly figure out a way to clear the game.¡± As he spoke, he looked towards Yan Qingwen who was keeping his head down, ¡°After that, get some rest.¡± Yan Qingwen didn¡¯t respond, he just kept his head hung low. The remaining light outside painted a shadow on the wall, silent, veiled in (grief/loss), and lonely¡­ ¡­ The daytime was running out fast. Soon, it was night again. The lights turned on and music played. The outside world became excitedly noisy, bustling with noise. It seemed like mockery and derision, their spirits had sunk to an all-time low, but this amusement park insisted on creating an atmosphere of extreme fun. All they felt was irritation. Shen Mo took a short trip outside and came back to tell everyone, ¡°Mary collected many plush dolls again, she¡¯s sewing cloth cat dolls.¡± This indicated that they were safe for the evening. But it also implied¡­ Once Mary finished sewing the dolls, what awaited them the following evening would be an even more brutal game of¡­ hide and seek. Chapter 453 - Chapter 453: Chapter 453 It’s Noisy Around Chapter 453: Chapter 453 It¡¯s Noisy Around Although Mary wasn¡¯t moving, they still couldn¡¯t go out. If the remaining dolls outside discovered them, they would still be attacked by Mary. So, they could only continue to wait. Waiting for daylight to come, to see if there might be a chance. While it was still safe, they seized the time to get some rest. They were in the projector room of a 4D cinema inside an amusement park. It was similar to a simple office, not too large, but enough to accommodate them. Bai Youwei was sitting quietly against the wall, her mind in turmoil. Though her body and mind were grossly exhausted, Lun Ang¡¯s death was like a knife stabbing her heart, the pain throbbing. She couldn¡¯t sleep no matter what. Everyone else was the same. Yu Yaqing, lost in thought, Tan Xiao in a daze, Shen Fei furrowing his brows¡­ Perhaps they weren¡¯t as badly affected as Yan Qingwen, but in the face of life or death, everyone needed some space to themselves. It was noisy all around. Outside, a chaotic animated film was playing. The electronic games room below was bustling and noisy. Shen Mo pulled her into his arms, gently patted her, calmly saying: ¡°Sleep.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes¡­ She didn¡¯t sleep well, waking intermittently, having numerous bizarre dreams. The fluctuating music kept disturbing her, making her even more restless. She adjusted her position in Shen Mo¡¯s arms. Shen Mo, who was resting with his eyes closed, opened them and asked her in a low voice: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too noisy¡­¡± Bai Youwei, leaning against him, said, ¡°It¡¯s so loud I can¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Shen Mo stated lightly, ¡°Amusement parks are noisy.¡± Those noises filled every corner, deafening, chaotic, so cheerful they were almost boiling over, like a wild, revelry feast. Shen Mo moved Bai Youwei closer, covered her ears with his hand, and said softly again: ¡°Sleep.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback, her heart gently trembled. Of course, covering her ears couldn¡¯t really block out the disturbing music, but his warm palm against her ear felt like a protective shield around her, warm, carrying a bit of weight, steadying her restless heart. She lowered her head, burying herself deeper into his chest. Although it was still noisy outside, she suddenly felt as if the world was peaceful¡­ ¡­ Time passed, second by second. After who knows how long, she heard the others whispering, the opening and closing of the door, and soft footsteps. Then she realized, she had really fallen asleep earlier. ¡°How long did I sleep?¡± Bai Youwei slowly straightened herself from Shen Mo¡¯s arms. ¡°Less than an hour.¡± Shen Mo said. Sitting diagonally from her, Yu Yaqing said: ¡°It¡¯s good to sleep for a while, to rejuvenate. The mind will be clearer. I want to sleep, but I can¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei rubbed her head, and said in jest: ¡°With all this noisy music everywhere, of course we can¡¯t sleep. No wonder Mary and Cat slept during the day. That song keeps playing in my head over and over, it¡¯s nauseating.¡± Yu Yaqing also chuckled lightly, ¡°This song sounds familiar, I think we learned it in kindergarten, but I don¡¯t remember what the lyrics were¡­¡± Bai Youwei, while listening to the music outside, discerned carefully, and slowly started singing: ¡°Everywhere that Mary went, She would bring along, her little doll, People met them everywhere, Mary and her merry doll¡­¡± As she singing, her expression grew solemn, as if she sensed something, she repeated: ¡°Mary and her merry doll¡­ Mary and her merry doll¡­ Her merry doll¡­¡± Chapter 454 - Chapter 454: Chapter 454: Mary and the Doll Chapter 454: Chapter 454: Mary and the Doll Bai Youwei had sung so many times that everyone in the room was looking at her. Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, reciting the lyrics as well: ¡°Mary and her merry doll¡­ Mary and her doll¡­¡± Yu Yaqing looked puzzled from Yan Qingwen to Bai Youwei, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this song?¡± ¡°From the lyrics, it¡¯s about Mary in the amusement park.¡± Shen Fei also carefully listened to the song, translating every word and sentence¡ª ¡°Wherever Mary goes, She always brings her doll, Wherever people see them, Mary and her doll are always together.¡± Shen Fei thought for a while, looked up at Yu Yaqing, ¡°If we only look at the lyrics, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any problem. Mary always brings her cloth doll, which is like her second pair of eyes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case¡­¡± Bai Youwei slowly shook her head, recalling the sparse clues from the beginning of the game, her face grew increasingly somber, ¡°Do you remember how the Inspector introduced the rules when we entered the game?¡± Everyone looked at each other. Yu Yaqing answered: ¡°When we entered the game, the Inspector said that hide-and-seek was Mary¡¯s favorite game. He told us to hide when night fell so as not to be found by Mary and her cat.¡± Bai Youwei said: ¡°Besides that, the Inspector also said¡­ Mary is so good at hide-and-seek that she has never been found.¡± She looked at Yu Yaqing, then at the others and asked: ¡°We have spent three days and three nights in the game, have you ever seen Mary hide?¡± No. Mary was always with the cat; she never hid! ¡°What does that mean?¡± Shen Fei was confused and couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious, ¡°Did the Inspector intentionally mislead us?¡± Bang! A sudden muffled noise. Yan Qingwen¡¯s fist heavily hit the wall, his voice breaking from the gritted teeth: ¡°The Inspector didn¡¯t mislead us¡­ on the contrary, he gave us hints!¡± ¡°What?¡± Shen Fei was even more confused. Shen Mo understood what Bai Youwei meant, his face also didn¡¯t look good as he said in a deep voice: ¡°The Mary we have been killing¡­ is not Mary, so no matter what¡­ we can¡¯t kill her.¡± Shen Fei was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t speak. Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened as he asked: ¡°We¡¯ve been killing all this time, and she¡¯s not Mary? Then who is Mary???¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and said the answer: ¡°It¡¯s her cloth doll!¡± Yu Yaqing, Shen Fei, and Tan Xiao were all stunned, standing there unable to react. While Yan Qingwen had already figured out the answer, his expression was filled with regret! If he could have thought of this earlier¡­ perhaps Lun Ang wouldn¡¯t have died! ¡°If the cat can be manipulated, why can¡¯t the little girl be manipulated?¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyes, continuing in a low voice, ¡°In fact, we all thought wrong, Mary controls the puppet cat, Mary also controls ¡®Mary¡¯! The target we have been killing is actually Mary¡¯s doll! That¡¯s why there¡¯s this song, repeatedly reminding us¡ª Wherever Mary goes, She always brings her doll, Wherever people see them, Mary and her doll are always together!¡± Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help but stand up, ¡°The condition to complete the game is to kill Mary or Mary¡¯s cat! Even if we got Mary wrong, what about the cat? We still can¡¯t kill the cat!¡± Bai Youwei looked up at her, ¡°The cat¡­ must be killable, it might need decapitation or a shot to the heart, I don¡¯t know¡­ but it can definitely be killed, that¡¯s why Mary sewed the cat up first hand, so we wouldn¡¯t see the flaw.¡± Chapter 455 - Chapter 455: Chapter 455: Actually, It’s Very Easy Chapter 455: Chapter 455: Actually, It¡¯s Very Easy Yu Yaqing fell back helplessly, feeling like she had been made the brunt of a cruel joke! She was furious! So many people died, and they hadn¡¯t even figured out who their target was supposed to be! She clenched her fists tightly, suppressing her boiling anger, and said through gritted teeth, ¡°No wonder¡­No wonder the first thing she did after the dummy cat caught fire, was to throw the doll off her body! It was to protect the real Mary!¡± Shen Fei also came back to his senses, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Even if we know the doll is the real Mary now, how can we kill her? She has been with fake Mary all this while.¡± The fake Mary has an immortal body. It was made of steel ¨C it could not be chopped off nor burned! It was also riding a giant ragdoll cat! How could they kill Mary with these two obstacles? ¡°It¡¯s actually quite easy.¡± Shen Mo uttered, ¡°If we have a bow and arrow, we can assassinate her from afar.¡± ¡°But where can we find a bow and arrow?¡± Shen Fei blurted out. ¡°We have them.¡± Yan Qingwen stood up and declared in a deep voice, ¡°The bow and arrow are near the carousel, I¡¯ll get them now!¡± On the street north of the carousel, there was a long line of shooting game areas. It was quite a common prize game in amusement parks ¨C you win a prize if you hit the balloons or dolls. The arrows used in the game had rounded tips and weren¡¯t sharp, so nobody thought of using them against Mary or the cat. But if it was to shoot a ragdoll, these arrows were absolutely sufficient. Knowing that Yan Qingwen was going to kill Mary, Shen Mo reached out to grip his shoulder and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s all go together.¡± Bai Youwei looked at them, ¡°You two can¡¯t do this without support.¡± ¡°Yes, we should all go together.¡± Yu Yaqing clenched her fist, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know archery, I can support from the sidelines!¡± Tan Xiao also chimed in, ¡°Yeah! I can help you¡­uh, help distract their attention!¡± Shen Fei hesitated, then walked over, ¡°Bro¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Shen Mo calmly said, ¡°Yan Qingwen and I are just going to get the bow and arrows, to verify whether our guess is correct. In addition, even if we want to kill Mary, we certainly will wait until daylight. The night¡¯s vision is not in our favor.¡± As he spoke, he lightly looked at Yan Qingwen, ¡°What do you think, Yan Qingwen?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned towards Yan Qingwen. They all understood that Yan Qingwen probably wanted to immediately avenge his friend, he couldn¡¯t afford to wait a second longer! But as Shen Mo pointed out, the night put them at a significant disadvantage! Dolls serving as ¡°Observers¡± could lurk anywhere in the night. Coloured lights could affect their judgment of the target¡¯s position. Additionally, the ragdoll cat was always alert at night, not falling asleep frequently like during the day. Yan Qingwen understood all of these, but how many could remain calm and composed when rage swelled up in their hearts and hatred clouded their vision? He looked at the familiar and unfamiliar faces in front of him¡­ Lun Ang also appeared, trusting him completely in his hallucinations, and directly asked, ¡°Old Yan, what should we do next?¡± Yan Qingwen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, Lun Ang¡¯s figure had disappeared. He clenched his fist, his voice barely audible: ¡°¡­We will get the bow and arrows, and then, wait for daytime.¡± Everyone sighed in relief. Shen Mo patted Yan Qingwen¡¯s back, saying: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The two left the room one after another. Watching their backs, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but pray in her heart: Hope, everything goes well¡­ ¡­ Chapter 456 - Chapter 456: Chapter 456: Keep Calm Chapter 456: Chapter 456: Keep Calm Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen headed towards the shooting location. Though the dolls they passed by were cleaned up, some seemed to move positions overnight, appearing unexpectedly at crossroads, behind trees, next to windows¡­ It wasn¡¯t long after they set out that their movements were witnessed by these dolls. Next, Mary detected them and sent the dolls to chase them, each mounted on a puppet cat ¡ª Since they had encountered them before, both Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen had an idea of their speed and strength. They maintained their composure, cooperating and grabbing a bow and arrow, planning to use nearby buildings as a cover to return to their hiding place and meet with the others. Festive lights sparkling on both sides of the street, the music getting louder. In the middle of the chase, Mary noticed their bow and arrow, and hesitated for a moment ¡ª whether it was the puppet cat or the doll on it, they both froze momentarily. After a moment of hesitation, it suddenly backed away! The puppet cat retreated a few steps, then swiftly turned around, carrying Mary and running in the opposite direction at an extremely high speed! The two men stopped, frowning at the retreating silhouette of the puppet cat, then looking at each other. Only two seconds passed before Yan Qingwen¡¯s face changed dramatically. He chased after them, ¡°Mary is trying to hide!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed even more, as he immediately followed! However, no matter how fast they were, they couldn¡¯t catch up to the huge yet agile puppet cat. They chased it all the way to Treasure Bay, where they finally lost the trail of Mary. Yan Qingwen wasn¡¯t willing to give up and searched around trying to find the direction in which the puppet cat had gone, but the lights were so dazzling that it caused the darkness to blur his vision. While he was searching for clues, the giant puppet cat leaped up from the dark and pounced on him! Yan Qingwen dodged to the side! Shen Mo swung his sword and slashed! The blade tore through the cotton cloth on the cat¡¯s paw. The overflowing cotton fluff, like rolling clouds, didn¡¯t hurt or itch the creature. It seemed like all their efforts were in vain! The two escaped from under the cat¡¯s paw, taking refuge in the kitchen of an island-themed restaurant. The cat kept meowing outside, seemingly knowing that they were hiding nearby and kept pacing around the restaurant. ¡°Mary is gone.¡± Yan Qingwen peered through the gap in the kitchen door, staring unblinkingly at the outside, ¡°Mary is hiding. She¡¯s in Treasure Bay!¡± ¡°We should go back first,¡± Shen Mo advised with a frown, ¡°The cat outside is too tricky. We should meet with the others first, and look for an opportunity when it¡¯s daylight.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Yan Qingwen flatly refused! Shen Mo was slightly startled, his face turning grave. Yan Qingwen seemed to perceive his own unpredictability, took a deep breath and, after a pause, explained: ¡°Once we leave, Mary will change her location again! The entire amusement park is so big, trying to find a single doll is like looking for a needle in a haystack! But now¡­ at least now, we know that Mary is in Treasure Bay! So we can¡¯t leave!¡± He took another deep breath, emphasizing to Shen Mo, ¡°We can make our move in the daylight, but for now, I can¡¯t leave!¡± Shen Mo also looked outside. The puppet cat couldn¡¯t find them and was reluctantly wandering nearby. Riding on the cat¡¯s neck was a metal skeleton doll; only its head resembled a human¡¯s. Its woolen hair was messy and tangled at the back of its head, and its pupils glowed faintly. This ¡°fake Mary¡± should have been carrying a cloth doll on its back, but now, it was gone. The real Mary was gone. Yan Qingwen stared outside, his tone firm, ¡°I can¡¯t leave here. This is our only chance to find Mary, Shen Mo¡­ you don¡¯t need to worry about me, I¡¯ll be patient until daylight.¡± Shen Mo glanced at him, his voice devoid of any emotion, ¡°You may want to wait until tomorrow, but they might not give you this opportunity. If Mary is indeed hiding here, she will definitely do everything she can to clear the park tonight. We two alone might find it difficult to handle it. You wait here, I¡¯ll go back and alert them.¡± Chapter 457 - Chapter 457: Chapter 457: An Example Chapter 457: Chapter 457: An Example Yan Qingwen had his own determination, something Shen Mo could not impose upon. Seeing the opportunity, Shen Mo managed to escape. Soon after, the doll and puppet cat located him. However, after he had put some distance between them, the puppet cat stopped chasing him, returning to the vicinity of the food street, continuing its search for Yan Qingwen. Apparently, Mary was very anxious about being found. Shen Mo took a distant glance, then retracted his gaze and turned to leave. Returning to their hideout, in just a few sentences, he briefed the others about the situation. Bai Youwei showed little surprise on hearing that Mary was in hiding. The name of this game was hide-and-seek. And now, the real game of hide-and-seek had begun. ¡°Yan Qingwen did the right thing; he must stay in Treasure Bay,¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°As long as the puppet cat cannot locate him, Mary will stay hidden due to fear, unable to change her location at will. We now need to hurry over and share the burden with him, guarding all exits from Treasure Bay.¡± Shen Fei fetched a map and laid it out for everyone to see: ¡°In terms of size, Treasure Bay is the second largest park, just after Fairy Tale Kingdom, mainly divided into five attractions ¡ª The Lost Ghost Ship, the Mysterious Crystal Tower, the Sea Monster Food Street, Treasure Bay Theater, and the Jungle Adventure. All five settings would take a significant amount of time to search. The Sea Monster Food Street houses several restaurants offering both Western and Chinese cuisines; the Jungle Adventure is filled with countless climbing pipes and ropes. And then there¡¯s the Crystal Tower, the Theater, and the Ghost Ship. Mary could be hiding in any of these five attractions.¡± Shen Mo pointed to the position of the food street on the map, ¡°We were here when we lost track of Mary. So, we can rule out the food street. The Jungle Adventure and Treasure Bay Theater, the attractions nearest to the food street, are her most likely hiding spots.¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°It could be a diversion, hence the ambush at the food street.¡± Shen Mo frowned, deep in thought, ¡°¡­So, our priority now is to narrow down the search area.¡± ¡°But how?¡± Shen Fei asked anxiously, ¡°If Mary¡¯s doll and cat don¡¯t leave Treasure Bay, we can¡¯t get close. It¡¯s even more impossible to search each place one by one!¡± Hearing this, YU Yaqing also looked grave: ¡°Also, once we find Mary, her doll and puppet cat will definitely come to rescue her, and we aren¡¯t a match for them.¡± Everyone fell silent. Shen Mo looked at the group. After a long pause, he said, ¡°Regardless, we must make our way to Treasure Bay as soon as possible. As long as we last till dawn, our chances of winning will greatly improve.¡± Yu Yaqing bit her lip and nodded, ¡°Right, this is our chance. We have to seize it.¡± Just as everyone was about to set off, Bai Youwei suddenly said, ¡°I might have a plan¡­.¡± All eyes were on her. ¡°But there¡¯s substantial risk,¡± Bai Youwei cautioned as everyone looked intently at her, ¡°We may not know where Mary is hiding, but don¡¯t forget that her doll and cat do. If we make separate attempts at each attraction, we¡¯ll definitely find her.¡± Yu Yaqing gave it some serious thought, ¡°I see what you mean¡­ if Mary is hiding on the Ghost Ship, then when we split up to search the Ghost Ship and the Food Street, the doll and the cat will definitely prioritize attacking those searching the Ghost Ship. As feasible as this plan sounds, we need to ensure timely communication for it to work. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be ineffective.¡± Here is an example: Bai Youwei is searching for Mary on the food street while Shen Mo is searching for her on the Ghost ship. If Shen Mo is first attacked, he will be unable to determine if the cat attacked him first; Bai Youwei, unaware of the situation on the Ghost Ship, equally can¡¯t infer if Mary is there. Or consider this extreme example: Shen Mo is killed on the Ghost Ship! Even if he saw Mary, a dead person can¡¯t relay the information! Chapter 458 - Chapter 458: Chapter 458: The Cat Arrives Chapter 458: Chapter 458: The Cat Arrives So, for Bai Youwei¡¯s method to work, it requires a basis: real-time information transmission! Shen Mo said: ¡°We can use walkie-talkies.¡± ¡°Walkie-talkies?!¡± Shen Fei was shocked, ¡°But¡­ but walkie-talkies need electricity.¡± Yu Yaqing was also stunned for a moment, then reacted, his face lit up with excitement! ¡°We have electricity! It¡¯s night time at the amusement park. The walkie-talkies can be used!¡± There were many walkie-talkies in the amusement park! Not only the security room had them, but every amusement facilities¡¯ operation room also had walkie-talkies! With the biggest problem solved, the group immediately set off for Treasure Bay¨C Yu Yaqing and Tan Xiao took a detour from the west to Treasure Bay, Shen Mo entered Treasure Bay from the south to join Yan Qingwen, Bai Youwei and Shen Fei, who were the weakest in action, so they stayed at the outskirts of Treasure Bay. They went quickly, and Yu Yaqing¡¯s voice came from the walkie-talkie: ¡°We¡¯ve arrived! We found the target wandering around the Ghost Ship. Mary is likely on the Ghost Ship¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei spread out a map on the bench, and sternly stated: ¡°That¡¯s not right, Mary isn¡¯t on the Ghost Ship! The doll and cat are prowling near the Ghost Ship probably to deceive us! The space under the ship is too narrow for the cat to enter, but the entire ship is movable. Once it lures us all in, the cat would crash the ship into the lake!¡± The Ghost Ship appeared to be even more dilapidated than the previous pirate ship, and it would sink much faster once it hit the water! Over the walkie-talkie, Bai Youwei heard Tan Xiao cursing on the other end. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you guys just observe the doll and the cat.¡± Bai Youwei said as she stared at the amusement park map, her voice unusually calm, ¡°Even though they¡¯re guarding the Ghost Ship, they will always be watching to see if Mary¡¯s hiding place is safe. Just look at their eyes, wherever they look at the most, that¡¯s where Mary is hiding!¡± The other end of the walkie-talkie went quiet. Shen Fei, who had been with Bai Youwei all this time, couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. When a thief breaks into a house, the first thing people do when they come home is to check on their valuables. This basic principle that Bai Youwei mentioned might not necessarily occur to everyone. The location where Mary is hiding would certainly garner more attention from the doll and the stuffed cat! Even if they pretend to ignore it, their eyes cannot conceal it! They waited for two to three minutes. ¡°From the time of the conversation just now, until the present¡­Mary looked southeast five times, northwest three times, northeast, nine times¡­¡± Yu Yaqing secretly replied over the walkie-talkie. Shen Fei looked at the map. To the northeast of the Ghost Ship, there were two attractions, the Treasure Bay Theater and the Mysterious Crystal Tower. ¡°Both places are possible.¡± Shen Fei looked up at Bai Youwei,¡±What should we do next to test?¡± Bai Youwei held the walkie-talkie, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°Yu Yaqing, go to the theater; Shen Mo, go to the Crystal Tower; Tan Xiao, wait for them to leave for three minutes, then go to the Ghost Ship.¡± The voice of Tan Xiao immediately resounded in the walkie-talkie: ¡°Why do I have to go to the Ghost Ship? Didn¡¯t we say the Ghost Ship was a front?!¡± Bai Youwei scrunched up her eyebrows: ¡°Of course, it¡¯s just a precaution, the Ghost Ship must have someone.¡± What if Mary was really hiding on the Ghost Ship? ¡°Oh¡­ brilliant indeed!¡± replied Tan Xiao. Shen Fei doubted whether he actually understood or not. But it didn¡¯t matter whether he understood or not, as long as he could follow the instructions. On the other end of the walkie-talkie, all was quiet, everyone was heading toward their respective destinations. Shen Fei found a tree nearby, managed to climb up on it, stood on a branch to look around and saw a dark shadow heading north from the direction of the Ghost Ship. The cat had indeed left the Ghost Ship! However, from Shen Fei¡¯s position, distance, and angle, he couldn¡¯t tell whether the cat¡¯s destination was the theater or the Crystal Tower. A moment later, Shen Mo¡¯s voice came through the walkie-talkie: ¡°The cat is here.¡± Chapter 459 - Chapter 459: Chapter 459 The Cat Left Chapter 459: Chapter 459 The Cat Left The cat, it first went to Shen Mo! Bai Youwei¡¯s heart lifted instantly, telling those on the other end, ¡°Avoid a head-on conflict, find a place to hide!¡­ Yu Yaqing, can you hear me? Get out of the theater now and head to the Ghost Ship to rendezvous with Tan Xiao!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Yu Yaqing¡¯s response was short and swift, followed by silence. Shen Fei asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Why send her to the Ghost Ship?¡± Why not let Yu Yaqing meet Shen Mo at the Crystal Tower? Wouldn¡¯t the two of them together be more secure in dealing with the puppet cat? If this were earlier, he would probably have challenged Bai Youwei instantly, but now, he instinctively felt that Bai Youwei must have a reason. ¡°When I get a chance, I¡¯ll have to buy you a copy of ¡®One Hundred Thousand Whys¡¯,¡± Bai Youwei, looking at the map, coldly explained, ¡°Sending Yu Yaqing back to the Ghost Ship is because I can¡¯t let Mary think she¡¯s been discovered. I have to make Mary think that our real target is the Ghost Ship, not the Crystal Tower.¡± She paused for a moment, lifted her head to look directly at Shen Fei, and asked, ¡°Imagine, if you were Mary, what would you do now? Go to the Ghost Ship, or go to the Crystal Tower?¡± Shen Fei thought seriously, ¡°If I were Mary¡­¡± If he were Mary¡­ Weak, helpless, pitiful Mary who could only protect herself by controlling the dolls. Faced with a group of players determined to win, Mary cautiously hid in the Crystal Tower, letting the doll and puppet cat guard near the Ghost Ship, misleading players into thinking she was on the Ghost Ship. But what Mary didn¡¯t anticipate was that someone would suddenly break into the Crystal Tower. In a panic, Mary called the doll and cat over, wanting to kill or drive away the intruder, for fear of exposing her location. However, the intruder hid, and meanwhile, two players arrived one after another at the Ghost Ship. What was she to do? If she ignored the Ghost Ship, the players would definitely suspect that Mary wasn¡¯t there! Therefore, even if only for appearance¡¯s sake, Mary had to send the doll and puppet cat to the Ghost Ship! Understanding all this, Shen Fei became perplexed, muttering to himself, ¡°When players appear in both the theater and the Crystal Tower, the first place Mary attacks is where she is most nervous and worried about exposure!¡± ¡°The cat is here!¡± There¡¯s a sudden loud bang from the transceiver, accompanied by Yu Yaqing¡¯s shout! Bai Youwei responded quickly, ¡°Shen Mo! Keep searching the Crystal Tower! As soon as the cat leaves the Ghost Ship, make your way from the Crystal Tower to the Treasure Bay Theater! Then retreat from the theater to the Ghost Ship! We must make Mary believe that our target is the Ghost Ship! The Ghost Ship!¡± Turbulent sounds got louder from the transceiver! No one knew what was happening, followed by several shouts in a row! Bai Youwei became flustered and desperate, gripping the transceiver, persistently asking, ¡°What happened?! What¡¯s the situation over there?!¡± There¡¯s more chaos from the transceiver! After a while, Yu Yaqing, panting, answered, ¡°No problem¡­it¡¯s Tan Xiao, Tan Xiao just fell into the lake, he¡¯s alright, but his transceiver is broken.¡± Pausing for a moment, she added, ¡°The cat has left.¡± The puppet cat headed towards the Crystal Tower. Shen Fei looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Mary must be in the Crystal Tower! Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for the doll and puppet cat to let Tan Xiao and Yu Yaqing off the hook! But the Crystal Tower has seven floors. Even if we know Mary is inside, it will take some time to find her! What do we do now?¡± He was burning with impatience, his brain hard at work: ¡°Should we hide and wait until daylight? But if we hide, won¡¯t Mary take the chance to slip off somewhere else while we can¡¯t see?¡± Or¡­ should we stay nearby and keep our eyes on that puppet cat? ¡­No, that won¡¯t work, it¡¯s been running around all night, wanting to wipe us all out! It won¡¯t let us live peacefully until the day comes! This kind of chase won¡¯t last long before everyone is too exhausted to carry on!¡± Chapter 460 - Chapter 460: Chapter 460: Why Is That? Chapter 460: Chapter 460: Why Is That? Bai Youwei was annoyed by his rambling, ¡°Shut up!¡± Shen Fei was still panicking: ¡°Or should we use fire? ¡­ No, starting a fire would take time, and not many items inside the Crystal Tower can easily burn, it¡¯s hard to start a fire¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!!!¡± Bai Youwei shouted irritably. Shen Fei started, standing frozen on the spot, staring blankly at her. Bai Youwei roughly grabbed his hand, shoved a lighter into it, and ordered, ¡°Go to the jungle adventure side and start a fire. The bigger the fire, the better!¡± Shen Fei was stupefied. Why the jungle adventure side? ¡ª If it¡¯s about dealing with Mary, the Crystal Tower should be chosen; ¡ª If it¡¯s about dealing with the puppet cat, the Ghost Ship should be chosen! Why the jungle adventure?! But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look at him anymore. She picked up the walkie-talkie and spoke quickly: ¡°I¡¯m off to the Crystal Tower now, you guys buy me some time! I¡¯m not very mobile, Mary won¡¯t rush to deal with me. What she wants most right now is to kill everyone before day arrives! So, you don¡¯t need to worry about my safety. Just try to distance yourselves as far as possible! The further the doll and the cat are from the Crystal Tower, the better!¡± After finishing speaking, she turned around to find Shen Fei still there. She immediately widened her eyes and asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone yet?!¡± Shen Fei stuttered: ¡°Why¡­why we should go to the jungle and start a fire¡­¡± ¡°Are you some alien baby?!¡± Bai Youwei said irritably, ¡°Your injury hasn¡¯t healed, you can¡¯t run or jump, and can¡¯t trick the cat or the doll like others. Of course you can only distract Mary by starting a fire!¡± Shen Fei¡¯s face turned red, ¡°What baby? That¡¯s a bit too much¡­¡± ¡°What are you blushing for?¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. She pushed him twice, ¡°Hurry up and go!¡± She packed up the map herself, wheeled towards the Crystal Tower, and didn¡¯t pay any more attention to Shen Fei. Shen Fei hesitated on spot, he really wanted to catch up with her and ask: If distractions were needed, wouldn¡¯t it be better to set fire to the grand theatre instead? Why does it have to be the jungle adventure? Why? Why? He remembered Bai Youwei scolding him as ¡°alien baby¡±¡­ With an embarrassed bow of his head, Shen Fei hastily headed for the jungle adventure. ¡­ Bai Youwei safely made her way to the Mysterious Crystal Tower. Although the wheelchair wasn¡¯t too slow, once inside the Crystal Tower, there were upward spiraling stairs which required her to leave the wheelchair. And she did not have a crutch. The crutch had been lost somewhere long ago, and if she wanted to get up, she had only her less-than-reliable legs to rely on and would have to climb up the banister step by step. Even Mary probably hadn¡¯t made a move against her because of this. Bai Youwei studied her surroundings while pulling out her walkie-talkie. ¡°I¡¯m at the Crystal Tower now. There are many crystal ornaments and some cartoon pirate sculptures here. Mary might be hiding at the top. I am now going up. How is the situation on your end?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m starting the fire. It¡¯s almost¡­done¡­¡± Shen Fei¡¯s halting voice transmitted over. Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you, where¡¯s your brother?!¡± After a while, Shen Mo¡¯s voice came from the walkie-talkie: ¡°Yu Yaqing and I are in the Ghost Ship. The Puppet Cat is smashing against the ship, trying to knock us into the lake.¡± His voice was calm, without a trace of panic. If she hadn¡¯t heard the puppet cat¡¯s banging noises, she would find it hard to imagine that he was in danger. Bai Youwei raised her head, looking upward along the staircase and took a deep breath. ¡°Everyone, hold off the doll and the cat for me, ten minutes.¡± She looked up towards the top of the tower, ¡°In ten minutes, we will definitely win.¡± Chapter 461 - Chapter 461: Chapter 461: Ten Minutes Chapter 461: Chapter 461: Ten Minutes Boom!!! With the violent impact, the ship shuddered! Yu Yaqing clung to the door frame, telling Shen Mo: ¡°This ship won¡¯t hold out much longer! At most, after three more hits, the ship will flip into the lake!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Shen Mo retreated outwards, taking advantage of the time interval between attacks, with Yu Yaqing quickly following him. A doll-sized cat was outside furiously battering the Ghost Ship! The dense wooden hull was brutally smashed, causing a massive hole, and timber shards were splattering everywhere! As soon as it saw Shen Mo and Yu Yaqing coming out of the ship, it immediately stepped back, before running forward and hitting the ship¡¯s hull even harder! Another bang! The entire ship groaned, tilting to one side, and then causing huge waves! Shen Mo and Yu Yaqing leaped into these waves, barely landing ashore. Before they could steady themselves, a doll riding the cat pounced on them! Shen Mo and Yu Yaqing did not confront them head-on, but battled while retreating, retreating towards the jungle, trying to lure the doll and the stuffed cat further away from the Crystal Tower, buying more time for Bai Youwei. The stuffed cat was mammoth in size, large-headed and fat-tailed, with sturdy limbs, and each pounce brought a seismic shake. This was what made it terrifying, but it was also it¡¯s weak point¡ª it couldn¡¯t enter narrow rooms or passages! As long as Shen Mo and Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t venture into those flatter, unobstructed areas, the various shaped buildings in the amusement park alone would suffice to dodge this cat. They retreated all the way from the Ghost Ship to the food street. A row of similar-looking restaurants would suffice¡ª jumping into a window, the cat couldn¡¯t do a thing to them, it could only vent its anger by stomping furiously on the rooftop! Sweat started to appear on Shen Mo¡¯s face. Yu Yaqing¡¯s stamina was also hugely depleted, with sweat dampening his back. Just as they had retreated to the last building on the food street, the attacks from the stuffed cat subsided, as if it was tired of this game of cat and mouse. The doll sitting on the cat¡¯s back frequently looked back, gazing in the direction of the Crystal Tower. Seeing this, Shen Mo felt a sense of dread. He no longer deliberately evaded, but rushed out of the building and stabbed at the stuffed cat with his sword, trying to reignite its anger! Yu Yaqing also followed, cooperating with Shen Mo to attack the doll and the cat, even though they both knew deep inside that such minor injuries wouldn¡¯t affect the stuffed cat at all. The stuffed cat meowed and lifted its front paw to pounce hard once! Yu Yaqing and Shen Mo both rolled to the side to evade. To their surprise, the cat didn¡¯t attack again, instead it turned around and ran towards the Crystal Tower, as if the last pounce was just to scare them off! ¡°How many minutes has it been?¡± Yu Yaqing asked. ¡°Six minutes.¡± Shen Mo started chasing after it again. Bai Youwei wanted them to delay for ten minutes, now only four minutes were left! With the speed of the stuffed cat, it only needed half a minute to run from here to the Crystal Tower! ¡°Mo, I found what you¡¯re looking for!!!¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s voice suddenly came. At the crossroad not far away, Tan Xiao was running like a madman! He had a bundle of ropes on his shoulder, both thick and heavy. That was the lasso Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang had previously made! Reinforced with wire, then cut by the doll, now it¡¯s back in Shen Mo¡¯s hands. Shen Mo quickly retied the rope, threw one to Yu Yaqing, kept one in his hand, ran quickly for some distance, then jumped up behind the running stuffed cat, throwing out the rope in mid-air! He lassoed the running stuffed cat! The huge dragging force directly pulled Shen Mo down, dragging him along the ground! Tan Xiao fell behind him, grabbing the end of the rope, then wrapping it around a street light! Squeak¡ª- The street lamp bent and cracked from the pulling! The stuffed cat also stopped because of this, the rope was pulled taut! Chapter 462 - Chapter 462: Chapter 462: The Last Minute Chapter 462: Chapter 462: The Last Minute ¡°Meow!!!¡± The cat trapped in the rope howled in agitation. At the same time, Yu Yaqing caught up from behind, throwing another loop of rope, trapping the doll attached to the cat! The doll was caught unprepared and tumbled onto the ground with a thud! ¡°Seven minutes!¡± exclaimed Shen Mo. Upon hearing these words, Yu Yaqing tugged on the rope even harder, practically using every ounce of her strength! She ran in the opposite direction to the ragdoll cat, dragging the doll behind her! The doll, enraged, raised its arm wielding the cone-shaped dagger, and fiercely cut down! The rope snapped! Yu Yaqing, losing her grip, instantly collapsed! ¡°Stop!!!¡± She got up, unwilling to give up and lunged forward, once again holding onto the severed rope attached to the doll, pulling it back with all her might! She couldn¡¯t let the doll get close to the cat! And she definitely couldn¡¯t let the doll get close to the Crystal Tower! Only three more minutes and this damn game would be over! The doll stumbled on the ground, angrily cut the rope once again with a backhand movement, and fiercely stabbed towards Yu Yaqing! Exhausted, Yu Yaqing¡¯s evasion was not quick enough, her arm was instantly cut open, leaving a long gash. However, the doll didn¡¯t continue its attack, it seemed to realize that something had happened at the Crystal Tower and, without any delay, it turned to sprint towards the Crystal Tower! ¡°Eight minutes!¡± Yu Yaqing gritted her teeth, and gave chase once more. On the other side, the ragdoll cat was struggling even more! It seemed anxious to chase after the doll. Its claws were scratching, its head was shaking, and its long tail was swinging, it almost uprooted the fragile utility pole! Shen Mo and Tan Xiao were having a hard time holding it off and they both had retreated to the side of the road. Bang! The ragdoll cat finally broke the rope! Tan Xiao jumped out to block its path, but was pinned to the ground with one swipe! A huge pressure hit him! Tan Xiao suddenly tasted iron in his throat, as if his internal organs were about to be crushed! Before he could react, he heard Shen Mo yelling at him: ¡°Tan Xiao!!!¡± Tan Xiao, frightened, opened his eyes wide! He saw the ragdoll cat¡¯s movements slow down. Because it was too far from the doll, it lost control and its massive body was falling towards him, as heavy as Mount Tai! Bang!!! The ragdoll cat thumped to the ground, raising dust that completely obscured Tan Xiao¡¯s figure. Shen Mo ran up quickly, lifted the cat¡¯s paw with all his strength, and saw no one beneath it¡ªa sigh of relief escaped his lips¡ª Tan Xiao wasn¡¯t there. He must have used the puzzle piece to escape. Now was no time for relief, the doll and Yu Yaqing were already heading towards the Crystal Tower. Shen Mo picked up his sword and gave chase once more. ¡­ But the doll didn¡¯t run as fast as the ragdoll cat, and was soon caught up by Yu Yaqing. It swung its cone-shaped dagger randomly a few times and dashed forward. Johnson stuck to it like glue! The doll, annoyed, once again turned to stab at Yu Yaqing. ¡°You¡¯re annoying as hell, woman! Die!!!¡± This time, Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t avoid it. Her body had already reached its exhaustion limit, and she was only able to hold onto the piece of severed rope on the doll¡¯s body by sheer willpower. Unable to dodge, she was instantly stabbed in the chest by the cone-shaped dagger! There was a sudden ringing in her ears. She looked at the doll¡¯s ferocious face, then down at her hand clutching the rope¡­ She couldn¡¯t let go. Just one more minute¡­ The final minute¡­ Whoosh! The dagger was pulled out, and the doll, in a frantic rage, stabbed her again! ¡°Let go! Let go!!!¡± Yu Yaqing¡¯s world spun. The doll, furious, stomped its feet and stabbed her over and over again! All the while making her look like a blood-soaked person. Then, with a swift pull of the dagger, it broke free and ran away! Yu Yaqing¡¯s body, slowly, softly, collapsed¡­ Chapter 463 - Chapter 463: Chapter 463: Top of the Crystal Tower Chapter 463: Chapter 463: Top of the Crystal Tower She saw jelly-like blood gushing out of her body, a numbing weakness at the wounds, feeling no pain¡­ ¡°Yu Yaqing!¡± Shen Mo hurried to help her up as he arrived. Shen Mo¡¯s calls to her sounded fuzzy, as if her ears had turned into cotton. Shen Mo used mud to treat her, but there were only three uses of it left. Yu Yaqing had over ten wounds in her body. As they treated one, others continued to bleed out bright red jelly-like blood. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ waste¡­ supplies¡­¡± Yu Yaqing grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s arm, forcing out words from her throat: ¡°¡­how¡­ long¡­ has it been?¡± A dull pain clenched Shen Mo¡¯s heart. He looked in the direction of the Crystal Tower and said, ¡°Ten minutes. Yu Yaqing, we¡¯re going to win.¡± ¡°Shen Mo¡­you¡­tell Bai Youwei¡­¡± Her voice was growing fainter and fainter. Shen Mo bent down, listening closely as she whispered: ¡°Tell Bai Youwei¡­ she must¡­ win, win till the end.¡± Shen Mo gritted his teeth and replied: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell her.¡± ¡­ The Crystal Tower¡ª The spiral staircase led to a dead end. There was no way forward. The top of the Crystal Tower was different from the rest. The seventh floor was designed like a giant Crystal Stone, therefore it was entirely made of glass. This meant that the visitors could directly see the sixth floor from there. But now, the glass floor of the seventh floor was gone. Including the staircase that was built on the glass floor, it was all destroyed. Now, where Bai Youwei was, the sixth floor, the floor was covered with shards of glass of all sizes. Even though she was careful, she couldn¡¯t avoid getting cut. She raised her head to look at the doll on the top of the tower. It was sitting atop the mysterious Crystal Stone in the center of the seventh floor. The ¡®mysterious Crystal Stone¡¯ was not mysterious at all, just an artificially crafted sculpture hung there to give a sense of achievement and pleasure to the children who reached the top. They could take pictures, buy souvenirs, or make a wish on the Crystal Stone. The small doll sat there, with its golden yarn hair, pink cotton dress, a flat face with a pair of dark glass bead eyes, and a curved mouth stitched with thin threads. Through the glass, the doll looked at the blazing fire in the ¡°Jungle Adventure¡± direction and said slowly: ¡°Oh, all that fire burned were some trees. I thought the fire would spread over here. I was so scared that I kept watching.¡± Its voice was as sweet as a baby, but it carried a heavy tone of mockery. Bai Youwei asked it, ¡°Are you Mary?¡± It looked down at Bai Youwei, ¡°Surprise, surprise~ Aren¡¯t you lame? Yet here you are. Quite unexpected, huh! But even if you made it here, what good will it do?¡± It laughed. ¡°What good will it do? After all the trouble to get here, only to find there¡¯s no way forward, how would that feel? Oh la la~ Just thinking about it makes me want to laugh. Ha-ha-ha-ha~¡± The laughter suddenly stopped. As if mood-swinging, it cursed suddenly: ¡°You think, just by keeping my doll and cat busy, you could kill me? You bastards! Bloody bastards! You all deserve to die! In tonight¡¯s game of hide and seek, I¡¯ll make sure none of you survives! None!!!¡± Bai Youwei took out the rabbit. Mary began laughing again¡ª ¡°Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! Have you gone mad from anger? Or have you become stupid? How are you going to electrocute me? Don¡¯t you know that glass is an insulator? And there are conditions to use that item of yours, right? Only effective within 2 or 3 meters? Are you going to throw it here? Can you throw that high? Why don¡¯t you jump up here yourself? Oh¡­ I forgot, you¡¯re lame, you can¡¯t jump. Ha-ha-ha-ha!!!¡± Chapter 464 - Chapter 464: Chapter 464 Long Time No See Chapter 464: Chapter 464 Long Time No See Mary was spewing the vilest words, incessantly insulting, cursing, ridiculing, and mocking! It was standing on the Crystal Stone, its tiny body towering over everything else, utterly arrogant! ¡°You lot of filthy rats! You all deserve to die!!! Those who cannot find me will die sooner or later! Even those who find me will die! You will die!!!¡± The sounds of metal clashing, mixed with the rustle of footsteps, rose from below. Mary let out a ¡°huh¡± and sneered, ¡°You actually made it this far, pretty impressive. But even if you are impressive, it ends here.¡± It laughed wickedly and ominously, ¡°Because as long as I am alive, my dolls will never die!¡± ¡ª Dolls wouldn¡¯t tire, wouldn¡¯t feel drowsy, wouldn¡¯t feel hungry, and they wouldn¡¯t possess a vulnerable and sensitive heart like humans. As long as Mary was alive, her dolls would fight forever! Shen Mo was just an ordinary person after all, no matter how strong he was, how long could he last? The sounds of fighting grew closer, even if she couldn¡¯t see what was happening below, Bai Youwei knew that Shen Mo was gradually being worn out. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the dolls caught up to her and killed her. Bai Youwei silently put down her stuffed bunny. As the stuffed bunny¡¯s fluffy hands touched the ground, a blue-purple current started to spread. The Mary sitting on the Crystal Stone became startled and mocked, ¡°Hey! Can¡¯t you think of anything else, so you¡¯re desperately trying anything? I¡¯ve already said it, glass is an insulator! This Crystal Stone is also an insulator! You can¡¯t electrocute me!¡± Bai Youwei raised an eyebrow but remained silent. ¡°Hey! Have you gone mute? I¡¯ve already told you, it¡¯s useless! Useless!¡± Mary shrieked in her childlike, shrill voice. However, Bai Youwei seemed to ignore her, and ordered her bunny in a low voice, ¡°Increase the electric output.¡± The sizzling sound of electricity became even louder. A creaking sound echoed from the surrounding glass walls. Mary, suspicious, couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Bai Youwei was plotting something. She nervously glanced around, not understanding what was going on. ¡°Hey! What the hell are you up to?¡± Mary demanded. Bai Youwei ignored her and simply continued to order her bunny, ¡°Increase the electric output further.¡± ¡°No matter how much you increase it, it won¡¯t work!¡± Mary shouted irritably, ¡°Even a hundred-fold increase won¡¯t work! Even if you hit me with it, it won¡¯t work! I¡¯m a cloth doll! I¡¯m not afraid of electricity! I¡¯m not afraid¡­ Ahhhhh!¡± Bang! All of the surrounding glass expl*ded! Mary screamed sharply in surprise! It clung to the Crystal Stone, trembling, surrounded by the sounds of expl*sions and shattering glass. Finally, when the sound ceased, it raised its startled head to look around, only to find that all the glass walls in the tower had been shattered! There were none left! The tower had been reduced to nothing but an empty framework! The electricity had caused extremely high temperatures and caused the metal frame around the glass to twist and warp. The distortion led to the upper layer of the glass being squeezed and shattering! Looking back at Bai Youwei on the ground below, Mary shouted in anger, ¡°You¡¯re so cruel, you wicked woman! Are you trying to scare me to death? I¡¯m telling you! Your tricks are useless against me! My dolls will arrive soon, and by then, none of you will be alive! None of you will be left alive!¡± Bai Youwei looked up at her, her lips curving into a mocking smile. Mary was furious, ¡°What are you laughing at? What are you laughing at?! Do you realize your doom is upon you?! You won¡¯t be laughing soon!!!¡± Bai Youwei squinted her eyes and smiled, ¡°Look, with the glass gone, isn¡¯t the view outside much prettier?¡± Mary looked up, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? So what if the jungle adventure has turned into a bonfire, you think I¡¯d be scared? Hmph¡­¡± Thud! An arrow suddenly shot at her! It pierced through Mary¡¯s cloth body in an instant! With the impact, Mary¡¯s body fell straight down¡ª It couldn¡¯t believe what had happened, it struggled to turn its head in the air, and saw a man standing on the roof of the theater on the other side. The man held his shooting stance, his eyes cold as ice, he said softly, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been waiting.¡± Chapter 465 - Chapter 465: Chapter 465: The Best Prop Chapter 465: Chapter 465: The Best Prop Mary fell with a clatter into a blanket of shattered glass. Almost instantly, the lights of the entire amusement park went out. The rollercoaster stopped running, the carousel stopped spinning, and the Ferris wheel stood still. Even the puppets fell silent. The music faded away. The world plunged into darkness. Bai Youwei looked outside, Yan Qingwen stood amidst the darkness, strikingly calm and silent, akin to a statue. She finally relaxed genuinely, her knees buckled, and she propped herself up on the stair railings and knelt down. ¡°Sorry, it took a while to find the shooting spot,¡± Yan Qingwen said. His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but the amusement park was so quiet, so quiet that even though they were distant, Bai Youwei heard him clearly. She made a bitter smile, lowered her head, and her cheek¡¯s sweat fell on the ground. She whispered softly, ¡°Finally¡­if it was any later, I really couldn¡¯t hold on.¡± Not far away, the bunny approached slowly, its fluffy head rested on her knee, staying still, seemingly also exhausted. Bai Youwei picked it up and stroked it. Well¡­it was almost out of energy, indeed a tough job. Bai Youwei cradled the bunny and rested quietly. There were distinct footsteps from below the stairs. She didn¡¯t turn around until a warm pair of hands, slightly damp from sweat, embraced her and progressively lifted her. The familiar warm embrace eased her, giving her a sense of returning home. Even if the man was sweaty, bloody, and covered in dirt, he could always bring her a sense of security. Bai Youwei leaned against Shen Mo¡¯s chest, closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and asked, ¡°Where are the others?¡± Shen Mo, cradling her, descended the stairs and answered softly, ¡°Tan Xiao is injured, he left.¡± Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°What about Yu Yaqing?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s steps momentarily hitched, then resumed. He continued moving downward and answered, ¡°¡­she had an accident.¡± Upon hearing the news, Bai Youwei froze, ¡°She¡¯s dead?¡± Shen Mo acknowledged with a faint ¡®mmhmm¡¯. The two remained silent, the only sound in the winding stairs was their footsteps, one following another. After a while, Bai Youwei asked him again, ¡°Did it hurt when she died?¡± Shen Mo stopped and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°It didn¡¯t. When she died¡­she didn¡¯t suffer much.¡± Upon hearing that, Bai Youwei nodded her slightly dazed head, whispering, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡­ The two exited the Crystal Tower to see Yan Qingwen and Shen Fei waiting for them outside. Further away, the Inspector was slowly making his way towards them¡ª ¡°Congratulations, you have cleared this game.¡± Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Shen Fei, Yan Qingwen. The Rabbit¡¯s gaze swept over each of their faces as it spoke warmly, ¡°You all performed even better than I imagined. Doll Games is always generous to its victors. You will receive the best rewards in history.¡± ¡°The best reward?¡± Yan Qingwen ridiculed sharply. Shen Mo responded indifferently, ¡°So many people have died unless they can be revived from death, I don¡¯t think any reward can be considered the ¡®best¡¯.¡± The Rabbit chuckled softly, ¡°The reward that allows one to resurrect indeed exists, but it¡¯s not in my games.¡± When it finished its sentence, all four people present were stunned. A reward that allows one to resurrect from death? Did such a thing truly exist in the world?! Yan Qingwen asked anxiously, ¡°Where is this game you speak of? Which game do we need to enter to receive such a reward?¡± The Rabbit answered, ¡°There are 7124 Doll Games in total. After the initial trial run, 3361 games were shut down due to irreparable glitches, 2156 were shut down due to overly homogenous data, 1092 were shut down because the clearance rate was lower than 0.01%, and 343 were shut down because the clearance rate was higher than 10%. Only the remaining 172 games are running normally. The game that has the reward to resurrect from death is just one. Your chance of encountering it is roughly five out of a thousand, so I don¡¯t believe you would be that lucky.¡± Chapter 466 - Chapter 466: Chapter 466: The True Needs of the Heart Chapter 466: Chapter 466: The True Needs of the Heart ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Yan Qingwen stared at the Inspector, his voice extremely low. ¡°Just because I haven¡¯t encountered it doesn¡¯t mean others haven¡¯t. As long as someone has come out of that game before, they can definitely gather relevant information.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± said the Rabbit head man with a mild smile, ¡°You¡¯re a wise man, I hope you get what you wish.¡± In the end, he did not disclose any clues about that game. The Rabbit head Inspector held up his black top hat with one hand and reached into it with the other¡ª ¡°Next, it¡¯s time to distribute the game rewards¡­¡± He produced a cloth doll from the hat. Everyone¡¯s nerves tightened instantly as they stared intently! Because the cloth doll in the Inspector¡¯s hand looked exactly like Mary! The Rabbit head man explained, ¡°Hide-and-seek Mary loves to hide, and she also loves making dolls. As a reward, Mary will custom-make a doll for each of you.¡± He paused for a moment and then added with a slight smile, ¡°This is the best reward for you, because each one is tailor-made to fulfill your current desires.¡± With that, he set the doll down and said gently, ¡°Go on.¡± With a soft thud, the cloth doll landed on the ground and stood in front of Yan Qingwen taking a serious look at him. Then, it moved a few steps towards Shen Fei, quietly observing him as well. Finally, it observed Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. After inspecting all four, it strolled off. Just when everyone was puzzled, the Inspector explained, ¡°Mary needs some time to make the dolls. Please wait patiently.¡± This was unusual. Previously, game items would be given out directly, but this time they were being made on the spot. As they waited patiently, they grew curious about what kind of dolls the cloth doll would create. During this wait, Bai Youwei asked the Rabbit head man, ¡°You just mentioned that there used to be 7,124 games in total, but only 172 are still in operation now. Is this number fixed or will it change over time?¡± The Rabbit head man replied politely, ¡°Yes, this number can change at any time. For example, we will be closing down some games that require a large number of players.¡± With the world population continually dwindling, the games that had participation requirements of thirty to fifty people were no longer necessary. Because no one was able to activate them anymore. Yan Qingwen remembered something else and told them, ¡°The games around the base have maintained a high success rate due to the strategies provided by the organization. However, he mentioned that 343 games were closed due to a success rate above 10%. This suggests that even if the organization avoids triggering the anti-grinding system, it can¡¯t stop the arrival of new games.¡± Shen Fei voiced his concern, ¡°We must inform Professor Song about this situation. If the games near the base are gradually closed down, new games will surely appear to fill the gap, putting everyone in danger.¡± ¡°The 10% is possibly calculated based on the total number of people.¡± Shen Mo added, ¡°Currently, each game has claimed at least a thousand lives. Based on a population of a thousand, 10% would be 100 people. So, a game will be removed only if the organization sends 100 people to it. If we go by the rate of sending a team of five people into the game every seven days, it would take at least 140 days to reach that number.¡± This 140-day estimate is for a game with a total population count of 1,000. In fact, the actual number of players in each game far exceeds a thousand ¨C often several thousand, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands. Therefore, the current situation at the base is relatively stable. Chapter 467 - Chapter 467: Chapter 467: Steel Puppet Chapter 467: Chapter 467: Steel Puppet During the conversation, a knocking sound echoed from the distance, like the beating of a gong, or hammering of iron. The incessant sound persisted and did not stop. Everyone looked over in suspicion. The noise continued for quite some time. When it finally ended, the night too came to an end. A loud chime rang from the clock tower, proceeding which, dawn broke. The Inspector smiled and said: ¡°Perfect timing, I hope you are satisfied with your game rewards.¡± ¡ª At the distant intersection, a towering silhouette slowly approached, like a fully armed heavy knight. With each step, a heavy sound was produced, accompanied by the noise of metal friction. Everyone stared at the sight in astonishment. Yan Qingwen couldn¡¯t help but step forward: ¡°¡­Lun Ang?!¡± His initial excitement lasted for a mere two seconds. When he recognized the silhouette, he felt an immediate sense of profound loss and pain¡­ Because it was not Lun Ang, but an armoured knight with a silhouette similar to him. Moreover, the part of the armour on the head was designed like a beard made of iron wire, making it remarkably similar to Lun Ang. This was a steel doll, modelled after Lun Ang. Yan Qingwen outstretched his hand and gently placed it on the steel puppet¡¯s chest. It was cold, hard, void of warmth or heartbeat. Meanwhile, information about the item appeared in his mind: [Mary¡¯s Doll ¡¤ Yan Qingwen: equipped with an automatic defense system, capable of defending and protecting an area with a diameter of 6 meters centered around the user. Please note, this prop is now bound to the user.] Unable to hold back, Yan Qingwen lowered his head, his eyes moist, a bitter smile at the corners of his mouth. ¡°Are you satisfied with your reward?¡± The rabbit-headed person courteously asked. Yan Qingwen lifted his head, took a deep breath, patted the armor of the steel puppet. As the metallic clanging echoed, he said, ¡°Satisfied. Yes¡­I am very satisfied.¡± Everyone stared at the towering puppet, reminded of Lun Ang¡¯s death, and fell silent. Next up for the reward was Shen Fei¡¯s. Shen Fei received a tiny cloth doll. ¡ª It was even smaller than Mary, just the size of his palm, with black hair, a white dress, and a round face with eyes and mouth embroidered with black and red threads, and rosy cheeks. Upon seeing his reward, Shen Fei¡¯s face went red, evidently uneasy. He awkwardly glanced at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei next to him, upon seeing no apparent change in their expressions, he slightly relaxed. Even so, he still felt embarrassed. ¡°Wh-why is it this kind of prop¡­¡± Shen Fei questioned in a low, awkward voice. The rabbit-headed person asked, ¡°Do you not like it? But the rewards are tailor-made. In theory, Mary should fulfill your deepest needs.¡± The deepest needs of the heart. If it hadn¡¯t mentioned it, it would have been fine. But with its words, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei furrowed their brows, looking once more at the cloth doll in his hand. Shen Fei had no choice but to let them look. Fortunately, the appearance of the cloth doll was very abstract; its round face and round eyes wouldn¡¯t let anyone associate it with¡­ associate it with Bai Youwei. Shen Fei¡¯s cheeks burned. He didn¡¯t understand why Mary had given him such a doll. Could it be¡­ could it be because the impression of the water demon when he was unconscious was too deep? Feeling Shen Mo¡¯s assessing gaze, Shen Fei¡¯s heartbeat quickened, he pretended to act nonchalant, ¡°Haha¡­ I am a man, giving me a doll as a prop, that¡¯s strange¡­¡± Bai Youwei commented, ¡°This doll looks a lot like Mary.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The Inspector explained gently, ¡°The appearance of the cloth doll is based on Mary herself.¡± Shen Fei: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 468 - Chapter 468: Chapter 468: No Rewards Chapter 468: Chapter 468: No Rewards ¡°God¡­ Why on earth would he have misunderstood it like that?! To think that he¡¯d actually assumed¡­ Ah!!! I can¡¯t bear to think about it anymore! Shen Fei wished he could give himself two big slaps on the spot! Shen Mo looked at his cousin¡¯s face, which was flushed red, and narrows his eyes in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No¡­I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Shen Fei buried his head deep, so embarrassed that he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground! Bai Youwei impatiently said, ¡°Why are you blushing? Hurry up and tell us the use of the doll prop. With all that effort we put into passing the game, I hope the prop isn¡¯t just some piece of rubbish!¡± Shen Fei didn¡¯t dare to look at her, and replied with his head lowered, ¡°It¡­it has an automatic danger warning system. It seems to mean that it can warn of danger. It can¡­give six warnings per day.¡± [Mary¡¯s Doll¡¤Shen Fei: It has an automatic warning system, which can give an early warning of any dangers the user might encounter. It can give a warning up to 6 times in 24 hours. Note, this prop has now been bound to the user.] ¡°That¡¯s quite useful.¡± Shen Mo said calmly. ¡°Since it can give early warnings of danger, you should carry it with you every day.¡± Shen Fei managed to respond with a reluctant ¡°Okay.¡± Just contemplating the fact that he, a fully-grown man, would have a cloth doll in his pocket every day made him feel¡­odd. But to Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, this reward was practical and very suitable for him. ¡°What¡¯s Shen Mo¡¯s reward?¡± Bai Youwei anxiously asked Mary. The most eye-catching steel puppet went to Yan Qingwen, while the tiny cloth doll went to Shen Fei. Now, the only thing left in Mary¡¯s hand was something that looked like a steel ruler. When she unrolled the so-called ¡°steel ruler,¡± Bai Youwei realized that it was a paper doll. It was as hard as steel yet as soft as paper, it could be folded and stretched. When the doll¡¯s arms and legs were closed, it turned into a dagger. When the doll¡¯s body was stretched out, it became a longsword. [Mary¡¯s Doll¡¤Shen Mo: A paper doll with various ways to play. It can cut any target except the user itself and can change its form according to the user¡¯s will. It has a total of 6 forms. Note, this prop has now been bound to the user.] The paper cutout took the form of a dagger in Shen Mo¡¯s hand, it looked sharp and firm. However, when the blade made contact with Shen Mo¡¯s skin, it immediately curled up like paper, which was astonishing. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but touch it curiously; although she didn¡¯t use much effort, just a simple touch opened a small cut on her fingertip. Shen Mo furrowed his brows and put away the paper human, rolling it into a loop around his wrist like a bracelet. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t really care, she casually wiped her finger on Shen Mo¡¯s clothes and casually said, ¡°Now we¡¯re all set, at last, we have weapons and moreover, we can carry them into the game without restrictions.¡± Just as the Inspector said, all the rewards were tailored to their inner needs by Mary. I wonder what her reward will be like? What about an automatic wheelchair? Or that huge cloth cat would also be nice. Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts flittered about in her mind, full of anticipation. Just then, she heard the bunny head Inspector say, ¡°The game rewards have been disbursed. So, see you¡­¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Bai Youwei stared at him in astonishment. ¡°Where¡¯s my reward?¡± Others were also confused and looked at the Inspector. Four people had passed the game, there¡¯s no reason for only three rewards to be dispensed, right? The rabbit-headed human stood in front of them, his suit impeccably tailored, his shirt snow-white. He just quietly looked at Bai Youwei, without uttering a word for a long time. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and asked him again, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I get a reward?¡± Finally, the rabbit-headed human spoke, ¡°As to why you didn¡¯t get a reward, I think¡­you should know better than I do.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback. The Rabbit-headed human laughed softly, his voice gentle, ¡°Goodbye, I look forward to meeting you again.¡± It seemed like he was saying that to Bai Youwei, and also to the bunny in her arms. Chapter 469 - Chapter 469: Chapter 469: Game Number 21 Ends Chapter 469: Chapter 469: Game Number 21 Ends The game is over. The Inspector vanished before their eyes, and silence spread around them, leaving only the sun silently illuminating them. Shen Fei tentatively glanced around, ¡°Have we gotten out?¡± ¡°We have.¡± Yan Qingwen lifted his head to look at the sky, ¡°The sun is in the west, it¡¯s morning in the game, but in the real world, it should be the evening.¡± They turned around to find that the Crystal Tower behind them had returned to its original state. The large crystal at the top was dyed orange by the setting sun, absorbing the brilliance of the evening twilight, sparkling brightly. Shen Mo pushed his wheelchair forward. Shen Fei and Yan Qingwen followed him. Occasionally, they came across humanoid dolls. They had come with a mission or ambition in their past lives. Now, they were all mixed together with the original dolls in the amusement park, as if they were a part of the amusement park. Yan Qingwen¡¯s pace suddenly increased. Faster and faster. In the end, he abandoned restraint and ran towards the carousel! The Steel Puppet followed him, matching his pace. Each step produced a heavy echo. Everyone knew in their hearts that Yan Qingwen was going to look for Lun Ang. Near the carousel, Lun Ang¡¯s doll stood quietly. The setting sun cast a long shadow behind him. The doll was in perfect condition, without any wounds, its face bore a stiff expression of surprise. It was hard to imagine how brutal his death in the game had been. When Shen Mo and Bai Youwei arrived, they saw Yan Qingwen roping up Lun Ang¡¯s doll and tying it behind the Steel Puppet. ¡°If in the future¡­we can find a tool that allows resurrection, then maybe it can be useful,¡± Yan Qingwen said lightly as he stared at the doll. The doll on the Steel Puppet¡¯s back looked lifeless, stiff, clumsy, and even funny. But nobody managed to laugh. Bai Youwei said to Shen Mo, ¡°Let¡¯s bring Yu Yaqing too.¡± Shen Mo nodded. Although the prospects were dim, it was better than having no hope at all. ¡­ The four people and two dolls walked out of the amusement park¡¯s gate. A few scattered young people were loitering outside who, judging from their attire, seemed to be part of the organization¡¯s assessment team. Shen Fei recognized them, waving at them from a distance while explaining to Shen Mo, ¡°Professor Song must have sent them to wait here to relay the news in a timely manner.¡± When these young people saw them come out, they all froze, as if they couldn¡¯t believe their own eyes. One hesitated to ask, ¡°Did¡­did you use a jigsaw puzzle to get out?¡± Shen Fei stepped forward, ¡°No, we got out after passing the game, take us to Professor Song quickly! We can provide the organization with a guide!¡± ¡°You really passed the game?¡± The young people were both surprised and excited, ¡°Hide and Seek has been cleared? Really cleared?!!¡± They cheered and jumped around, running excitedly on the street! Their calls attracted more people. As survivors spread the news, the cheers echoed throughout the city¡ª ¡°They¡¯ve cleared it! Cleared it!!!¡± ¡°The 21st game has been cleared! We don¡¯t have to move away!¡± ¡­ However, joy and sorrow are incompatible. Shen Fei looked back, seeing the indifference on the faces of his companions and the dolls of Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing, his just-appeared smile froze on his face. He felt deeply ashamed as if he¡¯d been taken by surprise and been slapped in the face. The so-called victory, was won with the lives of their comrades. So, how could he laugh heartily? Shen Mo patted him on the back with his free hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go, get some proper rest, don¡¯t let your parents worry.¡± Shen Fei bowed his head, only responding with a dull ¡°hm¡±. Chapter 470 - Chapter 470: Chapter 470: Square Carnival Chapter 470: Chapter 470: Square Carnival People need the rejuvenation of climbing a peak every time they hit a valley. On the evening of the 21st, when news of the game being cleared spread, people gathered spontaneously in the square, lit bonfires and threw a party. All were reveling in the merriment. Chu Huaijin, the person in charge of the organization, knew this was an excellent opportunity to rally spirits. He had his subordinates distribute supplies in abundance, providing food and drinks for the grand feast. Professor Song also hosted a banquet once again for those who cleared the game, the locale being the activity center in the square. Neither Shen Mo nor Bai Youwei were particularly interested, but they attended anyway. This feast was meant not only for celebration but also to discuss the next step and to exchange the rewards from the current game, to assemble the eight puzzle pieces. Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin also attended, even the injured Tan Xiao did. The atmosphere was truly vibrant. They dined and drank inside the room while the lively bonfire party was just outside. Young men were singing, dancing, shouting, and the few women meandered through the clusters of men, their laughter chimed like bells. It has been a while since they had relaxed like this. People lived day by day at the base without much thought, it was only when they were threatened with eviction that they realized how much the land beneath their feet meant to them. Clearing the game was not just a morale booster, it was also a signal telling them that it¡¯s time to unite. ¡­ Shen Fei was well-liked at the base, and as soon as he reached the square, he was towed off to join the frolic around the bonfire. Tan Xiao also joined, even his bandaged chest did not dampen his love for festivity. He was surrounded by a group of people, engaging in discussions about everything under the sun, especially the game. ¡°¡­Confronting Mary and the cat was hellacious! The cat was as massive as a truck! But no fear, none at all! We had Yan brother, the forefather of setting traps! In a blink of an eye, he laid a net around them! Roasted Mary and the cat like pigs! But the most unexpected thing was¡­¡± He slapped his thigh, spittle flying. ¡°Shocking as it was, Mary and the cat were not afraid of fire at all! And to top off it all, we had a traitor among us!¡± ¡°Ah? A traitor?¡± ¡°What traitor?¡± ¡°Who is it?! Who is the traitor?¡± The crowd around him, listening to his story, erupted in confusion, all asking who the traitor was. ¡°The guy wearing white gloves!¡± Tan Xiao was still furious at the mention, ¡°That guy with the beady eyes and small nose, didn¡¯t look trustworthy at all! If we hadn¡¯t needed more players, we wouldn¡¯t have brought him! He didn¡¯t think about clearing the game, even dared to covet my Sister Weiwei¡¯s¡­ oh, wrong, covet my Weiwei¡¯s prop!¡± Everyone looked at each other, curiously asked him: ¡°Then what happened? Didn¡¯t Jiang Hao come out with you guys? Did you guys get rid of him?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t even have time to do that!¡± Tan Xiao sighed, ¡°The fire was so fierce, we barely escaped, how could we have time to deal with him? But it was so close, If we hadn¡¯t brought the healing prop, Shen Fei would have nearly lost his life to Jiang Hao!¡± Someone immediately protested: ¡°Didn¡¯t Jiang Hao have two buddies with him? Did they come? They should clarify! Those who joined them in the games never came out alive before!¡± ¡°Exactly! They need to explain what happened!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Even if Jiang Hao died, we can¡¯t just let the matter drop!¡± The crowd was a buzz, becoming more heated. Someone chimed in, ¡°They left a long time ago!¡± ¡°What? When did they leave?¡± ¡°They probably heard the game was cleared, worried that Jiang Hao¡¯s actions would expose them too, so they hurried away¡­¡± ¡°Those scoundrels!¡± Everyone was cursing to vent their anger. Chapter 471 - Chapter 471: Chapter 471: Stop Showing Off Chapter 471: Chapter 471: Stop Showing Off ¡°Not far off, Shen Fei was also surrounded by a group of people. They were all in their early twenties, around the same age as Shen Fei, and they were also discussing matters related to the game of hide and seek. In stark contrast to Tan Xiao¡¯s lively chattering, their discussions here were heated, yet calm and rational. Everyone was attempting to analyze and summarize Shen Fei¡¯s commentary, hoping to learn something. Inevitably, Jiang Hao¡¯s name came up in their conversation. ¡°¡­According to what Shen Fei said, it seems that this Jiang Hao, this isn¡¯t his first time doing something like this.¡± ¡°Killing is much easier than completing a game. They guarantee their survival rates by grabbing items and piecing together puzzles, showing absolutely no humanity.¡± ¡°Next time we come across a person wearing white gloves, we should all be careful. We might encounter people associated with them¡­¡± The ruckus from Tan Xiao¡¯s side would sometimes overshadow the conversation on Shen Fei¡¯s side. A few showed their distaste. ¡°Those are just people who managed to escape using puzzles, they didn¡¯t even clear the game. Yet they boast as if they¡¯re so great, it¡¯s laughable!¡± ¡°Not surprising at all, there are a few notorious braggarts over there. They¡¯ve barely played the game, but boast as if they¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t stand this sort of person, aren¡¯t they trying to steal Shen Fei¡¯s spotlight?!¡± A young man said to Shen Fei, ¡°Shen Fei, didn¡¯t you gain a bonus item? Show them off, let those ignorant people widen their horizons!¡± Shen Fei felt awkward and declined, ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­ Tan Xiao is pretty amazing¡­ I didn¡¯t really help much in the game¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re way too modest!¡± A friend by Shen Fei¡¯s side gave an exasperated sigh, shook his head and said, ¡°Shen Fei! Even modesty should have a limit, are you really going to let others steal your spotlight?¡± Shen Fei, feeling embarrassed, shook his head, ¡°As long as everyone makes it out safe, that¡¯s good enough. Having the spotlight or not¡­ isn¡¯t important.¡± This was what he truly meant. In the past, he might feel resentful in such circumstances, but after facing life and death experiences together, one realizes that fighting for the spotlight or saving face doesn¡¯t matter, and there¡¯s no need to be critical. Nevertheless, everyone dismissed his words as modesty and humility. ¡°Forget it. If Shen Fei doesn¡¯t want to, let¡¯s not force him¡­ Those guys just talk big, but really, they¡¯re ignorant and incompetent. Did you hear that guy called Tan Xiao reading Mary¡¯s rhyme? He pronounced ¡®doll¡¯ as ¡®dough¡¯, his pronunciation was hilarious. I wonder where that bumpkin comes from, never seen the world¡­¡± ¡°Have you seen the world?¡± A sudden woman¡¯s voice rang out. There are few women in the base, and even fewer young ladies so a crisp and soft voice like this isn¡¯t common, especially when it¡¯s icy cold. ¡°Bai¡­Bai Youwei¡­¡± Shen Fei stands up uneasily. Bai Youwei, however, didn¡¯t look at him and instead directed her indifferent gaze at the young man who spoke earlier: ¡°Your so-called worldly experience is speaking standard American English? Having polite conversation and organized dialogue? Do these things make you proud? If your parents did not send you to learn English, if you were not born in a well-off family, if you grew up in a poor remote area without internet, would you have any of these things? In the end, everything was given to you! There¡¯s nothing on you that you earned through hard work, so what do you have to be proud of?¡± The young man was flushed and embarrassed by her words. Bai Youwei scoffed, ridiculing him, ¡°Bumpkin? Never seen the world? Do you understand what it means to ¡®see the world¡¯? Seeing the world doesn¡¯t just mean looking up, but also down! Look at where you stand, don¡¯t get carried away!¡± Chapter 472 - Chapter 472: Chapter 472: Not What You Think Chapter 472: Chapter 472: Not What You Think Everyone held some awe for the four individuals who¡¯d managed to clear the levels, and with Bai Youwei being notoriously resourceful and not to be messed with, her current tirade went unchallenged by the young boys. The boy she was berating directed a plea for help at Shen Fei. Shen Fei awkwardly looked away, thinking to himself: I wouldn¡¯t dare either¡­ ¡°Shen Fei.¡± Bai Youwei called out. ¡°A¡­ah?¡± Shen Fei jumped in surprise, immediately standing up straight. ¡°Wha¡­what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Come here.¡± Bai Youwei beckoned to him. ¡°I have something to discuss.¡± ¡°Oh, alright¡­¡± Under the watchful eyes of his friends, Shen Fei followed Bai Youwei. They moved to a nearby corner, a less noisy area. Shen Fei asked, puzzled, ¡°What is it?¡± After looking around, Bai Youwei whispered to him, ¡°Do you have a car? Can you give me a ride home?¡± ¡°Home?¡± Shen Fei couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back with my brother?¡± Struck with displeasure, Bai Youwei raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you driving me or not? If not, I¡¯ll ask someone else!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drive¡­¡± Shen Fei brought out his car key explaining, ¡°I thought you were going with my brother, so I was just asking.¡± ¨C Automobile fuel was a precious commodity, so although most people in the city owned cars, they generally refrained from using them. They would walk if they could, and would only drive when going on long trips. Shen Fei had some standing within their organization, so both the vehicle and fuel were supplied internally. He thought that Bai Youwei had asked him to save on fuel, but once they were in the car, she dictated, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Shen Mo, just take me back later.¡± Shen Fei: ¡°Why¡­¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows. Shen Fei clamped his mouth shut, asking no more. He had to find a way to escape being referred to as the planet¡¯s baby! ¡­ When Bai Youwei reached her residence, she instructed Shen Fei to wait in the living room. She then went into her room, locked the door behind her, and took out a golden key to unlock her dollhouse. Both Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin were playing in the square, so the dollhouse was empty for now. She then quickly washed her hair and body in the bathroom, followed by blow-drying her hair. All these simple actions weren¡¯t as easy for her, so they took some time. Once freshened up, she pulled out a lake-blue long dress from her wardrobe. With a deep V-neck, ruffle edges, and a soft fit, even her less than perfect figure looked stunning. The wave pattern below the knees on the dress wonderfully concealed the imperfections on her legs. Looking at herself in the mirror, Bai Youwei let out a sigh, then pushed herself out of the dollhouse in her wheelchair. She wasn¡¯t done yet. She had returned because she remembered that the dressing table in her room was laden with makeup left by the room¡¯s previous owner. Sitting before the dressing table, she meticulously applied foundation, drew her eyebrows, and even tried mascara to make her eyes more vibrant. She decided to forego eyeshadow altogether as she had never used it before. Next was the moving of the lipstick, she cut off a small slice and gently applied it to her lips, followed by puckering. She considered trying a small amount of perfume, but didn¡¯t like the scent left behind by the previous owner and decided to skip it. Finally, Bai Youwei fluffed her hair up a bit, giving it more volume. In the mirror, her snow-white skin contrasted with her red lips. The delicate, girlish face hidden beneath the expansive dark hair blurred age boundaries, displaying both the innocence of a girl and the charm of a woman. She was finally satisfied. The night sky, a bonfire, strong liquor, and aromatic food brewing; such an environment was perfect for her bold and bright makeup. As she opened the bedroom door, she saw Shen Fei asleep on the living room sofa. Bai Youwei woke him up and asked, ¡°How do I look?¡± Shen Fei was taken aback. He looked at the made-up Bai Youwei and stammered, ¡°I, uh¡­I think¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to think.¡± Bai Youwei looked intently at him. ¡°Would your brother like this?¡± Chapter 473 - Chapter 473: Chapter 473: Suddenly Getting Angry Chapter 473: Chapter 473: Suddenly Getting Angry Shen Fei: ¡°¡­¡± How was he supposed to know whether Shen Mo liked it or not? However, it was indeed hard to figure out Shen Mo¡¯s tastes. From childhood to adulthood, this cousin of his seemed to have never had a particular liking for anything, including hobbies and romantic relationships. Back in the day, Shen Fei and his peers had many preferences like a particular game, a movie, a pop song¡­ They would imitate the dressing styles of celebrities, cheer for a soccer match, keeping a fresh and robust interest in everything. But Shen Mo was always indifferent. Even with academics, he only stuck to routine without much zest. Every task he performed was like a robot, precise, perfect, but rigid. He faintly remembered once overhearing his uncle and father at a family gathering discussing how this kind of personality suited better if Shen Mo joined a military academy as he might struggle to succeed in other fields. Later on, it came to pass that Shen Mo did indeed go¡­ Thinking about all this, and then thinking about how differently Shen Mo treated Bai Youwei, Shen Fei couldn¡¯t help but feel peculiar. ¡°Hey, why are you zoning out?¡± Bai Youwei waved her hand in front of his eyes, ¡°Is my dress okay? Actually, the bonfire party would match better with a red dress, but since we just played the game and red implies blood, I chose blue. How does it look? Pretty?¡± ¡°Um¡­pretty.¡± Shen Fei nodded affirmatively, ¡°My brother likes blue.¡± ¡°Great, let¡¯s go.¡± Urged Bai Youwei, ¡°Hurry up, back to the square.¡± She had it all figured out. Though she couldn¡¯t dance, she was determined to stand up, and with railings, she could even walk a few steps. She wanted to face the crowd. She wanted to see a different self in his eyes. She eagerly wanted to. ¡­ Driving back to the square only took several minutes. On their way back, they bumped into some young boys and girls returning from the square. Bai Youwei had spent quite a while showering, drying her hair, dressing up, and by the time she finished, the bonfire party was near its end and some people were already heading home. Shen Fei, gripping the steering wheel, saw a couple kissing under a tree. The headlights unintentionally shined upon them, causing the surprised couple to glance their way, which made Shen Fei blush. The girl at the scene covered her collar, complained that the boy shouldn¡¯t do such things by the road. The boy wrapped his arms around the girl¡¯s waist, whispered soothing words which just made the girl more embarrassed, and she playfully chased him to the other side of the road, disappearing quickly from sight. Shen Fei had encountered such scenes before and didn¡¯t feel much, but now with Bai Youwei in the same car, he inexplicably felt awkward and embarrassed. He coughed lightly and told Bai Youwei in a normal tone, ¡°I¡¯ll park the car ahead and take you to my brother.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go back.¡± Shen Fei stopped, ¡°Why¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you stop asking why!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly exploded, angrily saying, ¡°Why why why! I don¡¯t know why! I don¡¯t know! Can¡¯t I just want to go back?!¡± Shen Fei stared at her in silence. Bai Youwei turned her face away in frustration, silently gazing out the car window. An awkward silence spread throughout the car. Neither of them spoke. Shen Fei couldn¡¯t understand why she exploded out of nowhere. She had spent over an hour grooming herself. Why didn¡¯t she want to go now, when they were just about there? She seemed to be in quite good spirits just now. How did it suddenly¡­ He knew better than to ask any more questions. Silently, he turned the car around and took Bai Youwei back home. Chapter 474 - Chapter 474: Chapter 474: After Starting a Fire Chapter 474: Chapter 474: After Starting a Fire Returning to her abode, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t hold in her resentment any longer, regardless of whether Shen Fei would hear from outside. She went into her room and swept all the cosmetics from her vanity onto the floor! All the jars and bottles were smashed! Perfume and powder made a mess on the floor! Still not enough, she threw pillows and tore the bedsheets! Whatever could be smashed, she smashed, whatever could be broken, she broke, and whatever could be destroyed, she destroyed! She kept picturing in her mind that couple running and chasing after each other ¨C the young girl full of youth, dressed in denim shorts. Her bare legs were unobscured, dazzling and eye-catching! So what if you can stand? What does taking a few steps mean? Can you run? Can you jump? Do you have that pair of healthy, lively, long legs? Jealousy! Fury! Unprovoked anger drove her to want to scream hysterically! All negative emotions overwhelmed Bai Youwei. She clenched her teeth and grabbed the hem of her skirt, wishing she could burn it clean! Her carefully selected long skirt, an expensive and beautiful dress, also used to hide her shortcomings! It was like a joke before those legs! What a huge joke! Jerk! The ripping sound of tear and pull, the curtains were ripped apart! She opened the wardrobe again, threw all the clothes inside to the floor indiscriminately, and even wanted to push the wardrobe over and smash it to pieces! Suddenly, voices were heard from outside the door. Bai Youwei froze in her actions. She was stunned as she turned to look at the locked bedroom door¡ª In the living room, Shen Mo who just returned home asked Shen Fei, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Despite it being a very ordinary question, Shen Fei stammered in response, ¡°I, I drove Weiwei back¡­¡± Shen Mo raised his eyebrow, ¡°Weiwei?¡± Shen Fei sensed something and corrected himself, ¡°I drove Sister Weiwei back¡­¡± Shen Mo nodded lightly, ¡°Go home early. You need a few more days to recover from your injuries. Be careful.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Shen Fei replied, hesitated as he glanced at the tightly closed door behind him, then departed quietly. When Shen Fei left, Shen Mo knocked on the bedroom door. ¡ªKnock, knock. ¡°Weiwei?¡± Bai Youwei looked around the messy room. Why did he have to come at this time¡­ She closed her eyes, holding herself back at her limits. ¡°Weiwei, are you in there?¡± Shen Mo asked again. ¡°Yes!¡± Bai Youwei shouted back, quickly picking up the clothes on the floor and stuffing them back into the wardrobe! As she tidied up, she yelled out, ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯m changing my clothes! Give me a second, then I¡¯ll open the door!¡± Picking up all the cosmetics from the floor! Unable to clean up all the jars and glass shards, she simply swept all under the bed! The bedsheets? The bedsheets need to be tidied up quickly! ¡­Damn it! The lipstick and eyeshadow had stained the sheets irresistibly! No choice, she had to change the sheets! But where were the clean sheets? Bai Youwei yanked her hair out of frustration, pulling the wardrobe door open again and flipping through it frenziedly for the bedsheets. The clothes she had just stuffed in the wardrobe fell out again. She was at her wits¡¯ end, but finally found the clean sheets after hard searching. With great effort, she spread them out on the bed, only to notice the pillows were missing. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!! Where the hell had she thrown the pillows?! ¡°Weiwei, are you alright in there?¡± Shen Mo, who had been waiting for a while, asked suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯m fine! ¡­I, I¡¯m just slow in changing clothes, wait a little longer!¡± She explained again. Wheeling around the room, Bai Youwei searched for the pillow, but to no avail. Eventually, she found it strangely underneath the bed. She had to get off the wheelchair, lay down on the floor and crawl under the bed to pick it up. While reaching for it, her palm was cut by the glass shards under the bed. When she crawled out, she bumped her head on the bed frame. She patted the two pillows clean and placed them neatly at the head of the bed. While arranging them¡­ for some reason, she suddenly felt overwhelmingly sad and upset. The tip of her nose tingled, and tears dropped heavily onto the pillows¡­ Chapter 475 - Chapter 475: Chapter 475 Let’s Continue Chapter 475: Chapter 475 Let¡¯s Continue ¡°Weiwei? Are you done changing?¡± Shen Mo asked from outside the door. ¡°Done.¡± Bai Youwei replied. She rubbed her tears fiercely, not realizing that she had smeared her mascara creating a black mark. She supported herself with both hands to return to her wheelchair, took a deep breath, and then opened the door. When Shen Mo outside the door saw her, he was a little taken aback. Bai Youwei acted as if nothing had happened, casually flipping her long hair, pretending to complain, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? You made me panic, took me half a day to change my clothes, this skirt was hard to put on¡­¡± Shen Mo had a smile in his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Bai Youwei was slightly stunned, looking at him, bashfully asking, ¡°¡­ Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, really.¡± Shen Mo nodded, stepping into the room. He noticed that the bedsheet had been changed, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei casually said, ¡°The previous sheet was dirty.¡± Crick¡ª¡ª As her voice fell, he stepped on a piece of broken glass. Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei again. Bai Youwei turned her face away uncomfortably, ¡°Ah¡­ It seems like the room hasn¡¯t been cleaned for a few days.¡± The corner of Shen Mo¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, he walked to the window and closed the curtains. Swish¡ª¡ª The torn curtain came down in one piece with a light twist. Bai Youwei said, ¡°You¡­ are too careless¡­¡± Perhaps because the reason was too far-fetched, she spoke without much confidence. Shen Mo looked at her with an unfathomable smile. Bai Youwei was a little embarrassed and mumbled, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Shen Mo smiled lightly, ignored the curtain, walked over lifted her onto the bed from the wheelchair, took out a few tissues from the side table, and gently wiped the traces on her face. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you came back?¡± ¡°I wanted to come back and change my clothes. Seeing you having a good chat with some people from the organization, I didn¡¯t want to disturb you¡­ Mao,¡± Bai Youwei made up a half-true, half-false excuse, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come back so quickly. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have wasted my effort.¡± Shen Mo held her in his arms, his nose brushing against hers, he chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not a waste, you look gorgeous.¡± The man who was usually reticent and cold, had praised her for the second time today. Bai Youwei felt surprised. Unable to react in time, her face had a somewhat blank expression. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Shen Mo lowered his head, getting closer to her, his lips almost touching hers¡­ Caught off guard by his natural affection, Bai Youwei blurted out, ¡°Did you drink?¡± His thin lips curved slightly, getting closer to hers, lightly touching the corner of her mouth, ¡°Didn¡¯t drink, maybe it¡¯s the smell of liquor from the dinner table¡­ does it smell bad? Do I need to take a bath?¡± Bai Youwei blanked even more, ¡°¡­¡± This¡­ Is he¡­ ¡­ Kissing her? It couldn¡¯t be an accidental touch could it?! She felt a mix of emotions for a moment, nervousness, excitement, and anticipation! Acting as if possessed, she¡­ she also touched his. Her heart pounded wildly. She said, ¡°No¡­ It doesn¡¯t smell bad.¡± The laughter in Shen Mo¡¯s eyes deepened, ¡°Shall we continue?¡± Bai Youwei wrapped her arms around his neck, ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± Chapter 476 - Chapter 476: Chapter 476: Drum-like Biceps Chapter 476: Chapter 476: Drum-like Biceps Shen Mo is lying down on the bed with Bai Youwei, the two of them quiet. Yes, quiet, but to Bai Youwei, there is a noise. Her heartbeat, was unbearably loud to her¡­ She didn¡¯t know what Shen Mo was feeling right now, but she simply couldn¡¯t fall asleep, tossing and turning. Shen Mo had his eyes closed, letting her move around in his arms. Eventually, probably fed up with her restlessness, he grabbed her hand and placed it on his waist. Ah¡­ Abdominal muscles~ Bai Youwei calmed down, quietly touched his abdominal muscles, and along with oblique muscles, deltoid muscles, latissimus dorsi muscles¡­ She poked at his biceps, curiously asking: ¡°Why isn¡¯t it as bulging as those male celebrities on TV shows?¡± Shen Mo flexed his muscle for her to see. Bai Youwei¡¯s fingers sank in, only to be pushed out again. She couldn¡¯t help grinning delightedly and coiled around Shen Mo to continue playing. One moment it bulged, then it would soften. After about a dozen of these cycles, Shen Mo finally opened his eyes, adjusted his position hugging her and said, ¡°Stop playing.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Shen Mo replied: ¡°Because it¡¯s tiring.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Are you even a man? Making excuses like exhaustion, doesn¡¯t it hurt your pride? How tiring can flexing a bicep be? Bai Youwei mumbled harshly in her heart. After mumbling, she coiled around Shen Mo¡¯s waist and suggested sulkingly: ¡°Let¡¯s rest in the dollhouse then~¡± Shen Mo stroked her head, and grunted in assurance. Resting outside was not safe enough, especially now that they had so many jigsaw pieces, they had to be more cautious. Bai Youwei opened the doll house. It was also nighttime, there were no lights on in the living room, everything was dark. Shen Mo turned on the light and found a severed arm lying on the living room floor, catching them off guard. Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei was also stunned. ¡°Oh this¡­ I almost forgot, this is the arm you chopped off.¡± She explained, ¡°I wanted to burn it, but it wasn¡¯t afraid of fire and kept struggling, so I casually tossed it into the dollhouse.¡± What kind of ¡®casual¡¯ is that? It seems taking things from the game had become her habit. Shen Mo asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t it frighten Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin?¡± ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head lightly, ¡°They were both on the second floor at the time. Moreover, I am the owner of the dollhouse, and everyone and everything inside have to obey my commands, so I wasn¡¯t worried it would cause trouble.¡± She said, letting out a sorrowful sigh, then said, ¡°It¡¯s probably because of this that the Inspector didn¡¯t reward me.¡± Thinking about it, Bai Youwei was quite upset. The rewards Yan Qingwen, Shen Fei, and Shen Mo received were all excellent. The iron doll provided an extra bodyguard, the rag doll could provide early warnings, and the metal doll could transform into a close-range weapon. In the end, all she got was a severed arm¡­ Ah! She made a huge loss! What was she thinking at the time? It was too late for regrets now. Bai Youwei was filled with regret and frustration. Shen Mo picked up the arm, which didn¡¯t react at all. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s broken.¡± Shen Mo said. ¡°Broken, huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei moved closer to take a look, ¡°Should we throw it out? It¡¯s quite nauseating.¡± The hand on the severed arm suddenly clenched itself into a fist, and then a finger stretched out, vigorously waving. Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± After two seconds of silence, Bai Youwei gave Shen Mo a complex look: ¡°Now it¡¯s even more disgusting.¡± A severed arm that could move. Truly revolting. Chapter 477 - Chapter 477: Chapter 477: One Hand Chapter 477: Chapter 477: One Hand Shen Mo thought for a moment, then tossed the severed arm on the couch, ¡°Let¡¯s keep it for now. We can¡¯t just treat it like regular garbage; it might cause trouble.¡± What if throwing it away ended up hurting someone, or was taken advantage of by others? But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t consider these points. Wrinkling her brow unhappily, she said, ¡°It was just lying on the floor and now you¡¯ve tossed it on the couch. I just changed the couch cover. It didn¡¯t even wash its hand!¡± The hand on the couch rolled onto the floor, palm down, arm up, and began to crawl stiffly towards the kitchen¡ª Suddenly Bai Youwei and Shen Mo heard the sound of a faucet being turned on, and the running water. The two exchanged a glance, their expressions rather delicate. Shen Mo was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Now you don¡¯t have to worry about it getting your couch cover dirty.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± ¡°However¡­¡± Shen Mo stroked her head, ¡°Remember to tell Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin beforehand.¡± Otherwise, it would be quite scary to see a severed arm in the middle of the night. Bai Youwei was still mulling over how to deal with this thing. Right then, the water in the kitchen stopped. Not feeling reassured, she went to the kitchen with Shen Mo. They saw the arm was wiping its ¡®hand.¡¯ Immediately, Bai Youwei blew up! ¡°You¡¯re wiping ¡®hand¡¯ with a dishcloth?! After just washing it?! The dishcloth is full of oil!!¡± The hand gave a large jump, then, with a thump, fell from the edge of the sink and quickly hid in the narrow crevice behind the refrigerator, shivering with fright. ¡°There¡¯s dust behind the refrigerator! It¡¯s filthy!¡± Bai Youwei angrily said, ¡°Refrigerator! Move out of the way!¡± The refrigerator stood still. Shen Mo gave her a look, ¡°The refrigerator was moved in from outside.¡± It¡¯s just a normal household appliance, not an object from the game. It wasn¡¯t that intelligent. Bai Youwei bit her lip and slapped her hand against the refrigerator, making a loud banging sound. ¡°Come out! Go wash your ¡®hand¡¯ again! Use soap to wash, then dry with the paper towel on the dining table. After that¡­ stay on the chair! Don¡¯t touch the floor!¡± No one could disobey the house-owner¡¯s order in the dollhouse. The hand came out trembling, and according to Bai Youwei, it started to rub the soap with its palm and back of the ¡®hand¡¯, trying hard to work up a lather¡­ Bai Youwei watched the hand suspiciously from the side, ¡°If you make the stuff in the house dirty again, I¡¯ll send you out to chop wood! You won¡¯t be allowed back in!¡± Shen Mo found it all rather amusing as he watched. He then glanced at the fluffy bunny in the living room silently charging up, and couldn¡¯t help but think: this home was becoming more and more lively¡­ ¡­ In an empty and vast space, countless cubes were systematically arranged. One cube was emitting a pure white light, flickering in and out of intensity, as the Bunny-headed Inspector stood in front of the cube, methodically carrying out data repair. This was its work and its duty, tirelessly toiling day in and day out¡­ all for the endless satisfaction of the system¡¯s demands. A ball rolled to its feet. The Bunny-headed creature stopped, turned around, and saw a blue-eyed, blond-haired handsome cartoon male walking towards it. Apart from him, there were also marionettes with strings, an old man in a grey robe, a three-faced stone statue, a floating Ghost Fire¡­ and many others. Everyone had gathered. The Bunny-headed creature quietly watched them, its eyes finally falling on the cartoon male¡¯s face, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The cartoon male said, ¡°There has been an anomaly in the system. I discovered that you¡¯ve given players a functional prop from the game as a reward.¡± The Bunny-headed creature nodded slightly, replying calmly, ¡°Yes.¡± Feeling disgruntled, the cartoon male questioned, ¡°Could you explain your reason? The items this player carries have greatly disturbed the balance of the game. Why would you still¡­ In any event, we can¡¯t help but suspect that you¡¯re showing favoritism in managing the game.¡± The Bunny-headed creature seemed slightly surprised, ¡°You mean¡­ favoritism?¡± Chapter 478 - Chapter 478: Chapter 478: Which One Do You Prefer Chapter 478: Chapter 478: Which One Do You Prefer The ball rolled around at the foot of the rabbit-headed figure, saying dismissively, ¡°Oh well~~ I think it¡¯s impossible, protect players or anything, what good would that do for us? Everyone is way too tense~~ Protecting players, that¡¯s just not possible~~¡± ¡°An explanation would still be more appropriate.¡± The rabbit-headed figure calmly scanned the room, ¡°In the game, functional items became severely damaged after being attacked. Some of the broken parts were taken by the player and placed into their own possessions, creating a hidden risk in the game. So, I temporarily corrected the game, cancelling that player¡¯s reward, and replacing the reward with the broken parts she took away, to prevent the situation from escalating further. Even though it was extraordinary, in my opinion, such remediation is perfectly justified under critical circumstances.¡± ¡°Yeah right, yeah right, I see no issue either~¡± The ball quickly chimed in, rolling around, ¡°We can¡¯t just let the player take away the parts and give them a reward, too? Wouldn¡¯t that be even worse?¡± Manga guy frowned, ¡°The rewards we¡¯ve prepared for the players have restrictions when in use. But those functional items, even if they are just parts, once they leave the original game copy, we cannot predict the ramifications. This is an even bigger risk that may not be fixable! Why didn¡¯t you recover those parts?¡± The rabbit-headed figure gave a light laugh, ¡°She put the parts into the dollhouse, how was I supposed to recover them?¡± He turned his gaze towards the ball, ¡°One of the dollhouse rules, without the owner¡¯s permission, no one is allowed entrance. That includes the Inspector.¡± The ball bounced up immediately, exclaiming, ¡°Are you blaming me now? ¨C I¡¯ve said it before! My dollhouse wasn¡¯t fully debugged! Not fully debugged! Not fully debugged! The game was triggered too soon, I simply didn¡¯t have time to rectify it!¡± Difficult games must be matched with corresponding rewards, but such rewards may easily affect the game balance! It¡¯s really hard to juggle all aspects! The ball hopped aggrievedly on the floor, with a ¡®dong¡¯ sound demonstrating its indignation. ¡°If you must blame someone, blame him! He¡¯s the one who handed out the Gold Coin!¡± The ball mumbled towards the gray-robed old man. Hidden under the cloak hood, the mask of the gray-robed figure made him look like a big mushroom with his bent back. Under the gaze of the other Inspectors, his back hunched even more, his body shrank smaller under the wide robe, turning into a dry, twisted mushroom. ¡°A player has entered the game, I must be going¡­¡± The gray-robed old man said hoarsely. The ball jumped three meters high, and in a clear and crisp voice, ¡°You¡¯re evading responsibility!!!¡± ¡°Evading¡­responsibility?¡± The figure in the gray robe paused, his shriveled body began to swell up, it looked like a bunch of clothes being filled with air, billowing and ballooning. ¡°When distributing rewards, the system didn¡¯t penalize me!¡± It emphasized strongly, ¡°I didn¡¯t break any rules, so why should I bear the responsibility?! The rewards I gave out matched the difficulty level of the game! Even though the dollhouse wasn¡¯t fully debugged, it still met the requirements for the rewards within the system¡¯s rules!¡± Ball: ¡°Well¡­that sounds too¡­¡± Before the words ¡®shameless¡¯ left his mouth, the rabbit-headed figure gave a slight smile, ¡°Every time we select, towards the end, there are always a few players who step out of line. This time, it¡¯s just that it happened a little earlier. Everyone, there¡¯s no need to be so tense.¡± ¡°That sounds about right.¡± The ball mumbled, ¡°Players who rise to the top too early usually die early. I wonder who will be the final winner this time¡­¡± ¡°The Doctor.¡± The Puppet Master spoke with a raspy voice. ¡°That guy huh¡­¡± The ball considered, ¡°Yeah, the chances are pretty high.¡± He asked the manga guy: ¡°Who do you favor?¡± Manga guy frowned, ¡°¡­Jefferson, or the Doctor.¡± ¡°And you?¡± The ball asked the rabbit-headed figure. The rabbit-headed figure responded with a chuckle, ¡°I favor Bai Youwei.¡± ¡­ Chapter 479 - Chapter 479: Chapter 479: Su Man is Missing Chapter 479: Chapter 479: Su Man is Missing Bai Youwei had no idea what kind of trouble she might have caused for the game¡¯s supervisors. She had had a good sleep and even received a morning kiss buff, so she felt increasingly energetic. However, her mood was affected when she saw the hand in the dining room. Seeing this severed hand reminded her of the missed reward. The hand was lying on the chair. Bai Youwei forbade it from landing yesterday, so it spent the entire night on the chair, tossing and turning like a bored hamster, picking off the plush layer of the chair cushion bit by bit. There was a thin layer of dust on the floor under the chair. Bai Youwei believed that if it were allowed to stay on the chair for a month, it could make a hole in not only the cushion but also the wooden chair itself. ¡°Nevermind,¡± Bai Youwei sighed, she shouldn¡¯t have had any expectations for this kind of ¡°wreckage¡±, ¡°Come down.¡± The hand slid down from the chair! It seemed to be quite fearful of Bai Youwei, hiding behind the refrigerator as soon as it came down. Bai Youwei frowned and commanded, ¡°I¡¯ll set three rules for you! First, do not go to the second floor; Second, do not damage any items in the house; Third, wash your hands frequently to keep clean! ¡ª Go wash your hands now! I have told you that it¡¯s dirty behind the refrigerator!¡± The hand obediently came out and went to wash itself. Shen Mo said with a light smile, ¡°It looks very energetic. I wonder if it needs to be charged.¡± ¡°It probably doesn¡¯t,¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°Mary¡¯s doll doesn¡¯t need charging, so it shouldn¡¯t need it either¡­I just don¡¯t know where it gets its energy.¡± Shen Mo looked at the hand crawling away with interest, ¡°Let¡¯s keep it for a few days and see, maybe we will find something.¡± Bai Youwei nodded gently. Since there was an extra hand in the house, they had to explain it to the others. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo formally introduced the hand to Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin, who had stayed outside last night. All three felt extremely uncomfortable! Even though the hand was indeed beautiful, white and plump, with delicate fingers and small dimples on the back of the hand. But after all, it was a ¡°disjointed wreckage¡± crawling around in front of them, which was visually indescribable. Xiaoxin looked the most uncomfortable. After all, as a child, seeing such a thing was inevitably horrifying. Tan Xiao adjusted the quickest and even suggested that the hand could help him scratch his back when he couldn¡¯t reach. Teacher Cheng was compassionate and although troubled at first, she couldn¡¯t help but sympathize when she saw Bai Youwei bossing the hand around. She even found a glove for the hand to use as ¡°slippers¡± to prevent it from dirtying the sofa and getting scolded by Bai Youwei. While discussing in the dollhouse how to accommodate this ¡°new member¡±, Pan Xiaoxin suddenly proposed, ¡°Su Man¡¯s hand was injured. What if this arm could be attached to her? Wouldn¡¯t it fit perfectly?¡± The hand shivered. ¡°Su Man¡¯s injury hasn¡¯t healed yet?¡± Bai Youwei was surprised. ¡°Yes,¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded, ¡°Zhu Shu told me. She came looking for you early this morning, but you were in the dollhouse and didn¡¯t know.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Did she say why she was looking for me?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say. When she noticed you weren¡¯t around, she asked us about Su Man,¡± Pan Xiaoxin answered seriously, ¡°Su Man seems to have left the base and no one knows where she went. Zhu Shu asked a lot of people but no one knew.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other, both a bit puzzled. Su Man¡¯s family was here, and Li Li was also here. Why did she leave the base all of a sudden? ¡°Are you sure she left on her own?¡± Bai Youwei asked with a frown, ¡°Could something have happened to her?¡± Pan Xiaoxin shook his head blankly, ¡°Zhu Shu didn¡¯t say.¡± After thinking for a bit, Bai Youwei said to Shen Mo, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Zhu Shu and Yan Qingwen lived on the other side of the neighborhood, quite close by. They could just go ask and find out. Chapter 480 - Chapter 480: Chapter 480: Going to a Place Chapter 480: Chapter 480: Going to a Place Bai Youwei and Shen Mo visited the residences of Zhu Shu and Yan Qingwen together. It took a long while for the door to be answered. Zhu Shu opened the door and paused slightly upon seeing them. She then stepped back to let them in, saying, ¡°I was just looking for you two over there¡­¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were also startled. As Zhu Shu was wearing an apron, she had an air of a dutiful wife and loving mother. This might seem ordinary to others, but for Zhu Shu who was once a star, it appeared somewhat refreshing. Once inside, they noticed that the living room was cluttered with supplies. ¡ª¡ª They also had these stuff. These were gifts from the organization as a token of gratitude for passing the 21st game. As Zhu Shu moved rice, flour, oil and salt to the kitchen to make room for Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to sit down, she explained, ¡°Brother Yan hasn¡¯t eaten anything or had any appetite since he exited the game yesterday. I thought of making some nourishing soup, and just finished preparing the ingredients. It¡¯s just a bit troublesome starting the fire¡­¡± Hesitating slightly, she made a bitter smile: ¡°In other aspects, I¡¯m not much help either.¡± Shen Mo glanced at the bedroom door, which was tightly closed, ¡°Is it because of Lun Ang?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Zhu Shu also looked towards the bedroom door, ¡°He didn¡¯t sleep all night. He said that the moment he closed his eyes, he saw Lun Ang standing in front of him. After he found out that Su Man disappeared, he was more unable to sleep¡­ I was worried that his body couldn¡¯t take it, so I got some sleeping pills from the medical team and he just fell asleep.¡± Shen Mo paused briefly, then said, ¡°It may take Yan Qingwen some time to come out of this.¡± Zhu Shu merely uttered a low, ¡°Mm¡±. ¡°Now¡­I am the only person left by Brother Yan¡¯s side, and I want to take good care of him.¡± The five of them had come together through a series of coincidences. Perhaps at first it was because of debts, mission, or benefits, but along the way, they had formed an irreplaceable bond as a team. But after coming here, Li Li returned to the research group, parting ways with them, followed by Lun Ang¡¯s unfortunate death, and now Su Man¡¯s mysterious disappearance¡ª¡ª Out of the original five, only Zhu Shu and Yan Qingwen remain. As Zhu Shu thought about this, she let out a deep sigh, ¡°Brother Yan may seem indifferent to everything, but in reality, he cares about teammates more than anyone else ¡­ Lun Ang¡¯s death was a huge hit to him, and now with Su Man¡¯s incident, I really worry about him.¡± At certain moments, Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo seemed similar: both indulging in aloofness. But if you interacted more with them, you would find that Yan Qingwen is ¡°sociable¡±, even though he is aloof, and can easily command attention in a group. Shen Mo¡¯s coldness is genuinely cold, like a lone drifter, emitting a lax indifferent to people and things unlike others. Losing teammates is definitely a heavy blow to Yan Qingwen, who naturally belongs to a ¡°team¡±. It¡¯s like an orchestra conductor losing his band, a flock of geese scattering, or a leading general finding himself charging alone¡­ The loneliness and desolation are something that ordinary people can¡¯t comprehend. Bai Youwei asked Zhu Shu, ¡°How could Su Man suddenly disappear? Are you sure she is alright?¡± Zhu Shu gave a bitter smile, ¡°Yesterday, her family came looking for us with a handwritten letter Su Man left behind, asking if we knew where she went. In the letter, Su Man wrote that she was heading off to somewhere, and that her family should take care of their health and not to worry about her.¡± Bai Youwei widened her eyes, ¡°¡­ she is heading off to somewhere?¡± ¡°Brother Yan suspects she entered the labyrinth.¡± Zhu Shu sighed again, ¡°When Su Man left ¡®The Last Bride¡¯, her right hand was severely injured. Brother Yan and Lun Ang brought her back from the underground parking lot at the time, and they were the ones who treated her wound. She didn¡¯t want us to worry, so she asked Lun Ang and Yan Qingwen to keep it a secret and didn¡¯t inform her family. Now I think about it, she probably ran off without saying goodbye because of this, heading to the labyrinth.¡± Chapter 481 - Chapter 481: Chapter 481: Which One Will It Be? Chapter 481: Chapter 481: Which One Will It Be? If Su Man¡¯s hand really was seriously injured, wouldn¡¯t she be risking her life going into the maze alone? Bai Youwei frowned and asked, ¡°Does Su Man have any tools on her?¡± ¡°Probably just the Snowflake left,¡± Zhu Shu expressed with concern, ¡°The water monster¡¯s eggs have been used up, and apart from the Snowflake, she doesn¡¯t have any puzzles or tools. Her parents mentioned that there are a few first aid supplies and weapons missing from the house, which must have been taken by her.¡± ¡°But how would she know where the maze is?¡± Bai Youwei was puzzled, ¡°If she wanted to go to the maze, she would need to know its location, right? She can¡¯t just wander aimlessly.¡± Zhu Shu hesitated for a moment, then said quietly, ¡°Her father works for the organization; he might have some information we don¡¯t know about. It¡¯s not impossible that Su Man obtained some clues about the maze from him.¡± But in the end, these were all just speculations. Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Professor Song?¡± Zhu Shu gently shook her head. Professor Song was a special presence within the base. When he wanted to see you, it would seem like quite a mundane and easy affair. But if he didn¡¯t want to see you, when he was engrossed in his research, trying to get an appointment with him was as difficult as reaching the heavens. Even the organization leader, Chu Huaijin, might not be able to see Professor Song. Shen Mo said: ¡°It¡¯s the same if we look for Chu Huaijin. If there¡¯s any information about the maze, as the main person in charge, he should know.¡± ¡°Yeah, worth checking out,¡± responded Bai Youwei, ¡°If we want to collect puzzles, sooner or later, we need to find out about the maze.¡± Without further delay, after discussions, Shen Mo left to find Chu Huaijin. They thought it would take some time to know the results, but Shen Mo quickly returned. Chu Huaijin had also come, and he brought a map and two sheets of paper with him. The two sheets of paper were very thin and nearly transparent. They depicted some red dots and yellow areas. The patterns looked similar but had some local differences. Chu Huaijin explained, ¡°These should have been delivered to you yesterday. This was the reward initially promised to you, the marked maps of the maze and the game.¡± ¡°You have to know that neither the maze nor the game¡¯s locations are fixed. The maze will expand in diameter, and the game will randomly shift. So Professor Song worked tirelessly last night to make these corrections. One of these pages shows the results from a month ago, and the other reflects the corrections from last night. With our current technology, we can only guarantee 70% accuracy. We hope it will be of help to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Shen Mo said nonchalantly, taking the two sheets and placing them on the map. The red dots and yellow areas overlapped with the map, making it immediately clear. The yellow overlay was the maze, and the red dots represented the game. ¡°Is this the largest area we can currently detect?¡± asked Shen Mo. The map he was holding was slightly larger than a city map, covering the surrounding provinces and cities, but it didn¡¯t include any farther places. Chu Huaijin nodded, ¡°Yes. Since establishing the base, the research team¡¯s personnel and equipment have been heavily depleted. The detection range now is already the base¡¯s limit.¡± Shen Mo frowned, looking at Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu beside him. ¡°Looking at the map, the two closest mazes are to the north, towards Xuzhou, and to the south, towards Fuzhou. Su Man should be in one of them.¡± Zhu Shu and Bai Youwei looked at each other. Two mazes, all unknowns, and judging by the distance, they were not far apart. So¡­ which maze did Su Man likely go to? Chapter 482 - Chapter 482: Chapter 482: Big Arrow Chapter 482: Chapter 482: Big Arrow The blue sky, serene as a tranquil sea, with faint wisps of clouds like white foam on the waves. Su Man sat in the car, lifting her hand high out of the window, feeling the wind weave through her fingers, bearing the faint chill of autumn. Summer was on the verge of passing. She wondered if her companions had made it out of Game 21. Without her dragging them down, they should have been able to complete the game smoothly. Now, after enduring a tough journey spanning two days and three nights, she had finally reached the edge of the maze. She should have arrived much sooner but had had to drive using only her right hand, which, coupled with detouring around blocked roads and frequent stops, delayed her. Fortunately, her journey was a safe one. Perhaps it was because traveling alone didn¡¯t trigger the game, but at any rate, her journey was free of surprises and danger. Su Man squinted at the fog ahead. She estimated it was still over a kilometer away, and she decided not to drive any farther. She stopped the car, unloaded all her supplies, lowered the bicycle tied to the roof, and then strapped the food, clothes, water, and a collapsible tent onto the rear of the bike. As for the remaining supplies, she wrapped them up layer by layer in prepared black trash bags and stuffed them into a nearby dumpster¡ª Surely, if anyone came by, they wouldn¡¯t rummage through a trash can for supplies, right? The corner of Su Man¡¯s mouth curled into a slight smile. She had learned this from Zhu Shu. Back when Zhu Shu had suggested this method for hiding supplies, Li Li had praised her endlessly. She remembered feeling jealous and sulking for several days. Looking back now, it was quite remarkable that despite living on the edge of life and death daily, she could still find room for jealousy. Su Man shook her head with a wry smile, mounted her bike, and headed toward the maze¡­ The fog was just ahead. The distance was closing in. Her riding pace was slowing down¡­ For some reason, Su Man suddenly lost her confidence. As she looked at the fog just before her, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder, after going in, would she be able to come out?¡­ If she died inside, would she regret this decision? Causing her family to worry, making her friends upset, why had she so recklessly left without a word? ¡­No, no, that¡¯s not right. It¡¯s not like that. How could she start retreating now? Hadn¡¯t they all agreed not to be a burden on each other? The maze was right in front of her! As long she goes in and comes out, she would recover! It wasn¡¯t about leaving without a word; she simply didn¡¯t want to keep living under the protection of others! Su Man mentally cheered herself on and quickened her pace. The fog began to slowly swallow her form. ¡­ Once inside the fog, Su Man stepped down from her bicycle, pushing it along as she walked on. The path under her feet gradually became soggy and wet, and the light dimmed, making her feel anxious, as if her preparations were not sufficient. ¡­Well, they couldn¡¯t really be sufficient. After all, no two mazes were the same; every maze represented the unknown, and no one could foresee what they might encounter within. As the white fog dispersed completely, Su Man realized she was standing amidst a dense bamboo forest. The bamboo grove was so thick that she couldn¡¯t push her bicycle through. She had no choice but to abandon it and carry all her supplies on her back. In all honesty, it was quite heavy. If not for her improved physical ability from navigating two mazes, she might not have been able to carry it all. If she¡¯d only taken the essentials, it would surely have made moving easier. However, Su Man knew her limitations. She knew she wasn¡¯t the cleverest, so she could only resort to this ¡°dumb method¡± of bringing as many supplies as possible, so she wouldn¡¯t panic when she needed something. After a tough trek through the dense bamboo forest, she came across something. A gigantic arrow. This starkly contrasting, huge arrow, unlike anything in the surroundings, stood before her eyes, seemingly guiding her in a certain direction. Chapter 483 - Chapter 483: Chapter 483: The Person on the Motorcycle Chapter 483: Chapter 483: The Person on the Motorcycle Su Man curiously gazed up at the arrow. The arrow, nearly a hundred meters in length, mysteriously hung in the air above the bamboo forest without the aid of any external force. This was a maze. A maze meant it was easy to lose one¡¯s way. Yet an arrow appeared to show her the way, making Su Man wary. She wondered, how would Yan Qingwen analyse this situation if he were here? What would Bai Youwei do if she were here? ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ Well, she couldn¡¯t figure it out. Su Man gave up. With a resigned acceptance, she picked up her backpack and began walking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Not far along, she saw some mini arrows scattered around the bamboo forest, all pointing in the same direction. The arrows made no sound, but when they all appeared before her, it was as if they carried their own sound effects, nagging at her mind: this way, this way, this way¡­ Su Man knitted her eyebrows in suspicion, but she continued to move forward. And just like that, she managed to leave the bamboo forest smoothly¡ª To find herself on a flat asphalt road. The difference between the asphalt road and the bamboo forest was stark, as if they were cleanly cut apart. The damp soil and the solid concrete had no transition between them, crudely juxtaposed. Su Man was a bit taken aback. There were arrows on the asphalt road too ¨C on the street lamps, the dustbins, they were everywhere. Something didn¡¯t feel right, but she didn¡¯t have any leads. Not knowing where else to go, she subconsciously continued following the arrows. Along the way, she spotted many, many mannequins. Most carried big and small bags like she did, while others were in cars, filled with their entire households, as if fleeing for their lives. Yet, they were all frozen in place, turned into static human figurines. There must be some problem with this maze; otherwise, these people wouldn¡¯t have turned into mannequins. Su Man grew increasingly cautious, observing her surroundings meticulously. At the same time, she was hesitating over whether or not she should continue following the arrows. Based on the mannequins¡¯ position, all of them had encountered problems while following the arrows. Could the arrows be traps then? However¡­ After entering the maze, apart from the obvious arrows, she had found no other clues. If she didn¡¯t follow the arrows, where should she go? Su Man¡¯s mind became completely blank. This was really vexing. If Yan Qingwen were here, or if Bai Youwei were present, they would surely have some idea by now. Why couldn¡¯t the Gods give her a smart mind? Su Man looked ahead in a daze. There were even more mannequins in front, packed closely together. As far as she could see, there were only mannequins. She didn¡¯t know how many people this maze had swallowed. The more she thought about it, the more conflicted she became. Not knowing whether she should continue, she stood frozen in place. Just then, she heard a loud motorcycle engine behind her¡ª Vroom! Vroom! Turning around she saw a motorcycle coming her way from the distance. It made a lot of noise, but its pace was slow, stopping every now and then, which was accompanied by boisterous laughter and shouting from a young man. She hadn¡¯t expected to find any living people in this maze. Did they enter by accident, or were they here for the puzzle? Su Man glanced at the sides of the road. She quickly put down her luggage, opened the door of a parked car, squeezed in next to a mannequin, and then watched the back with alert. After waiting for a while, the motorbike finally arrived. Only when they were near did she realise that aside from the three young men on the motorbike, there was also a man with his hands tied together with a rope hanging at the back of the bike¡ª The man was wearing glasses and appeared to be the same age as the men on the bike, but his predicament was a sorry sight. He stumbled along behind the motorbike, his knees bruised and bloody from all the falls. Whenever his strength gave out and he fell, the bike would stop. The boys on it would curse and jeer at him, waiting till he managed to get up before they revved up the bike and moved forward again. Chapter 484 - Chapter 484: Chapter 484: The strong bullying the weak Chapter 484: Chapter 484: The strong bullying the weak Su Man saw this and instantly felt the injustice! She hated this kind of bullying more than anything! It was completely detestable! If it wasn¡¯t for the fact she was outnumbered and her injured hand had not yet healed, she probably would have already rushed out to teach those rascals a lesson! Yan Qingwen always told her not to be impulsive, not to act rashly, and not to act recklessly when she got angry! ¨C She knew being this way wasn¡¯t good, but temper wasn¡¯t something that could simply be changed by just wanting to change it. The motorcycle drove past the car. Those people hadn¡¯t noticed her at all. There were too many dolls around, and even if they saw Su Man, they probably would carelessly mistake her for just another doll. Once the sound of the motorcycle was distant, Su Man emerged from the car, only to find dolls toppled over everywhere, naturally creating a path in the middle. She deeply furrowed her eyebrows. Then she picked up her bag and followed the trail left by the motorcycle. ¡­ The motorcycle did not go too far. It wasn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t want to go further, but rather the man tied to the back of it had exhausted all his strength. After being dragged for some distance, they were afraid he would die, so they stopped to rest. Su Man had been carefully following them all this time. She hid behind the roadside vegetation, which had been left untrimmed for a long time, flourishing enough to conceal her well. Through the gaps in the branches and leaves, Su Man carefully watched those people. She thought to herself that it wasn¡¯t that bad, as she didn¡¯t know anything about this maze. By following them, she might as well use them as stepping stones. If anything happened to them, she could take the opportunity to uncover the potential dangers in the maze. However, she was still not sure¡­ who these people were, and why they had kidnapped that man? The man with glasses collapsed on the roadside, several young people seemed not to worry about him escaping. The ropes carelessly tossed on the ground, they didn¡¯t tie him up nor pay any special attention to him. Seems reasonable, with the poor man barely breathing and his legs soaked in blood, how could he run? Even if he did try to run, how could he outrun these fit and youthful kidnappers? Su Man bit her lip, hesitating about how to rescue him. She not only needed to consider how to save him but also how to provide for him afterward, after all, they were in a maze. It was already challenging for her to protect herself, let alone another person? As Su Man was pondering, one of the young men walked up to the man with glasses, carrying a water bottle. He crouched down, unscrewed the cap and started pouring the water on the man¡¯s knees. The clean water washed over the dust-stained bloody wounds, revealing a fresh red wound. The man grunted in pain, his legs uncontrollably twitched. ¡°How¡¯s it going? Can you still walk?¡± the young man in a denim jacket, and a metallic necklace asked coldly, ¡°Even if you can¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t matter, right? Since you¡¯re crippled, having one less leg doesn¡¯t make much difference to you¡­¡± Hearing these words, Su Man was taken aback. ¡­ Was he crippled? But just a short while ago, she saw him running and falling behind the motorcycle. He seemed to walk just fine. One of the young man¡¯s accomplices grumbled angrily: ¡°This guy just needs a lesson! If we didn¡¯t need him to show us the way, I would have killed him a long time ago!¡± The young man in the denim jacket stood up, frowning, ¡°Enough. Looking at his condition, he can¡¯t walk anymore today. You two go set up the tent, I¡¯ll go find a place to collect some water. We ran out of it.¡± Chapter 485 - Chapter 485: Chapter 485: It’s Settled Chapter 485: Chapter 485: It¡¯s Settled The two men got up to work, still cursing and telling vulgar jokes and obscenities. It seems that the man in the denim jacket is their leader. Now that man has gone to fetch water, leaving two others behind to pitch a tent. Their movements were rough and temperamental as if their frustrations were due to being stuck in the maze for a long time. Once the tent was up, and the man who went to fetch water hadn¡¯t returned, the two went scavenging for supplies in the roadside store. They made a mess, leaving the place in tatters. Even the glass cabinets were shattered clean, even those in the antique shop that they clearly had no use for, its contents were destroyed maliciously. They are nothing more than a bunch of hoodlums! Su Man watched, furious, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder: With the game killing so many people, how come these scumbags aren¡¯t the ones falling prey? She looked at the other side, the man on the ground was silent and seemed so exhausted that moving about seemed to be an arduous effort, let alone escaping. She thought for a while and decided to continue observing, to see if there was a chance to rescue this man. From what she had overheard earlier, they needed this man to lead the way. He must have some knowledge about the maze; if she could save him, perhaps out of gratitude, he could teach her how to get out of the maze. After all, men who wear glasses are usually quite intelligent. Such as Li Li (at least that¡¯s what she thinks). And he is a cripple. Bai Youwei is clever. Su Man was deep in thought, and at this moment, the man who had gone to fetch water returned carrying a large bucket of purified water, which looked as if it had been ripped straight off someone¡¯s water dispenser. He pointed it at the man with glasses on the ground and poured it directly onto his face! The column of water splashed all over the man¡¯s face. ¡°Lu Yuwen, get up and drink,¡± the man in the denim jacket ordered rudely, ¡°Don¡¯t play dead with me, get up and figure out the map, let¡¯s see where we go next.¡± Su Man was slightly startled. ¡­Lu Yuwen? There¡¯s a ¡°wen¡± in his name. Seems like men who have ¡°wen¡± in their name are quite intelligent. Such as Yan Qingwen. So this man = Li Li (wears glasses) + Bai Youwei (crippled) + Yan Qingwen (name contains ¡°wen¡±) Su Man thought to herself: I need to save this man! She quietly retreated, hid her luggage, and then armed herself with only a whip and dagger, ready to wait and observe again ¡ª From day to night. When it comes to laying low, she was patient enough to hold still for hours. A fire was lit on their side. They cooked a pot of instant noodles and chatted while eating. After listening for a little while, Su Man was able to get a rough understanding of their situation. The young man in the denim jacket is called ¡°Brother Xiao¡±. The somewhat shorter one is called Yang Zi. The last one, a dark-skinned man, is named Zhang Ke, a ¡°double¡±. The three of them met Lu Yuwen in the last game. Lu Yuwen came up with the solution to win, and they worked with Lu Yuwen to succeed. They were mutually beneficial to each other. However, after the game ended, they turned on him, trying to snatch Lu Yuwen¡¯s reward props! To elude them, Lu Yuwen purposely ran towards the direction of the maze and accidentally encountered the maze expansion zone, getting all four of them sucked into the maze! These three men hate Lu Yuwen to the bone! They knew themselves well, knowing they were not as intelligent as Lu Yuwen, so they held on to Lu Yuwen, waiting for him to find a way out. And so, Su Man saw what she saw at the beginning. Now that they were full and satisfied, they left some instant noodle remnants for Lu Yuwen in a stainless steel bowl. Lu Yuwen didn¡¯t eat, but they forced him, drenching him in soup ¨C a man being treated worse than a dog. Chapter 486 - Chapter 486: Chapter 486 Lu Yuwen Chapter 486: Chapter 486 Lu Yuwen Su Man watched from the shadows. Although she and Lu Yuwen were strangers, she steeled her teeth in rage at their actions. She wished she could rip apart these three villains! But now was not the time¡­ She would have a better chance of success if she waited until they all fell asleep at night, or when the three of them were separated. Only then would she make her move. Su Man clenched her teeth, her gaze fixed on the men as she waited patiently. The man in a jean jacket named Xiao released Lu Yuwen, letting him fall to the ground in agony, coughing up broth and noodles. He then grabbed Lu Yuwen by the hair, forcing him to look at the map in his own hands and threatened, ¡°It¡¯s already the third day, look at this damn map carefully. Figure out where we should go tomorrow. If we don¡¯t get out, don¡¯t blame me for showing no mercy.¡± Yuwen weakly closed his eyes, answering hoarsely, ¡°Even if you¡­ kill me¡­ I would not know the way. This maze is split into a 10¡Á10 square lattice, like¡­ a chessboard. We must pass through all 100 squares to find¡­ a way out¡­¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± Brother Xiao shoved Lu Yuwen¡¯s head down, grinding his face against the hard cement floor. Blood seeped out. A short, young man in their group grumbled, ¡°We¡¯ve only made it through 35 squares! By his calculations, we¡¯re stuck here for another five or six days!¡± Zhang Ke, with his dark complexion, chuckled nonchalantly, ¡°There¡¯s water here, we have food, and we don¡¯t have to worry about those twisted games. I think it¡¯s just fine here¡­¡± ¡°You must be fucking insane!¡± The short man shouted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see those puppets on the way?! At least in the game, you know how you¡¯re going to die. In this maze, you won¡¯t even know how you died!¡± Zhang Ke responded with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes, ¡°A death is a death. What¡¯s the difference.¡± ¡°You can die if you want! I don¡¯t want to wait here another minute!¡± The short man, irritable, stood up and went inside the tent. Zhang Ke purposely raised his voice and asked, ¡°Yang Zi, you seem quite angry, do you want me to come in and cool you down?¡± The man inside replied with a roar, ¡°Get lost!!¡± Zhang Ke smirked apathetically and turned his gaze back onto Lu Yuwen on the ground. Lu Yuwen¡¯s body was covered in blood and dirt, and he looked like he was half-dead. Zhang Ke moved his gaze away with regret. His companions were ugly and unpleasant, and the only good-looking one had been tormented into this wretched state, making the situation uninteresting. Brother Xiao advised, ¡°Save your energy, rest up. We don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll encounter tomorrow.¡± Zhang Ke, finding it boring, went to his own tent to sleep. Brother Xiao sat outside for a while, diminishing the blaze of the fire before joining the short guy in his tent for rest. Time ticked away. There was no movement from the tents. After a while, the sound of snoring echoed from inside. They appeared to be asleep. In this maze, apart from the numerous arrows, there was no visible danger. They slept without a care, oblivious to the fact that someone was watching from the shadows. Su Man continued to wait. She intended to save Lu Yuwen when these people were deeply asleep. While she was contemplating rescue plans, her eyes remained focused on the tents, alert for any slight movement. Right when Su Man was about to take action, she was startled to see Lu Yuwen, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly sitting up! She held her breath instinctively. She had assumed Lu Yuwen was asleep! After all, after being dragged by a motorbike for half a day and without a proper meal or water, how could an average person have the energy to keep going? The Lu Yuwen in front of her was just like that. He used up all his strength to stand up, and then¡­ slowly¡­ headed in the direction of the motorbike. Chapter 487 - Chapter 487: Chapter 487: The Smell of Gasoline Chapter 487: Chapter 487: The Smell of Gasoline Lu Yuwen was moving very slowly. On the one hand, he didn¡¯t want to make any noise; on the other hand, his legs seemed to have been born defective, limping, and with an injured knee, he was having difficulty moving. Su Man did not know what he was up to, so she watched warily. She had thought that he might want to get on the motorcycle and escape, but upon further thought, she realized that was not possible since the keys to the motorcycle were with the man called Brother Xiao. It was too dark, Su Man could only see Lu Yuwen¡¯s silhouette. Soon after, she heard the rustling sound, she smelled the scent of petrol. Su Man suddenly realized¡­ Could he possibly¡­ Lu Yuwen tore a strip of cloth from his knee, stuffed it into the small opening of the fuel tank, and waited until the cloth was soaked with petrol, then gently pulled it out. Because his hands were tied, he tried several times, tearing four or five pieces of cloth, then slowly walked back with even more cautious steps. He twisted the cloth along the edge of the tent, and the gasoline dripped out¡­ Su Man watched his actions, her heart pounding with fear. Could he possibly be planning to burn those people alive?! Although those people indeed deserved to die, the thought of committing arson to murder someone was indeed ruthless! Su Man watched Lu Yuwen in the darkness, her heart pounding with anxiety, although it was not her business, she was genuinely worried about him being discovered by those people! Suddenly, a noise came from the tent! Su Man hurriedly covered her mouth, afraid she might make a sound! Lu Yuwen froze in his tracks. A curse came from the tent, ¡°Lu Yuwen! What are you doing out there?! Don¡¯t you fucking act smart! You believe me or not, I could kill you now?!¡± Zhang Ke¡¯s voice came from the other side of the tent, ¡°What¡¯s all the noise about in the middle of the night? Are we going to sleep or not?¡± Lu Yuwen gritted his teeth, quickly threw away the cloth in his hand, and then grabbed a handful of soil from the ground, kneading it a few times to cover the smell of gasoline on his hands. ¡°I was¡­ going to the toilet¡­¡± he explained in a low voice. ¡°Going to the toilet?¡± The short man came out from the tent and kicked Lu Yuwen to the ground with a foot that was outside the tent! After kicking, he still was not satisfied, he stepped cruelly on Lu Yuwen¡¯s injured knee twice! ¡°FUCK you! You chose to take a piss at my sleeping spot?!! Go piss over there!¡± He grabbed the rope on Lu Yuwen¡¯s wrist, roughly pulled him up, and barked, ¡°Move it! I¡¯ll take you to the toilet! And see what tricks you¡¯re trying to play!¡± He then pushed Lu Yuwen and started walking, all the while cursing, ¡°Bloody cripple! Don¡¯t think you¡¯re smart enough to play tricks. Dare to piss me off, even if Brother Xiao wanted to save you, I would still rough you up real good!¡± He pushed Lu Yuwen, walked from one end of the road to the other, closer and closer to where Su Man was hiding. Su Man held her breath, her nerves tense, and clutched the dagger tightly in her right hand, ready to strike at the first sign of being discovered! She could not give the short man any chance to call out for help! Just as she thought she was about to be exposed, the short man stopped. It seemed like he had no intention of going any further. Su Man let out a sigh. The nighttime visibility was poor, and there was a hedge between them. As long as he didn¡¯t come any closer, they should not be able to see her¡­ Bang!¡ª The short man suddenly used his strength, seemingly fed up with Lu Yuwen¡¯s slow pace, he kicked Lu Yuwen¡¯s back, causing him to fall to the ground! His elbow hit hard on the brick edge of the planting strip! He gritted his teeth, withholding a cry of pain, and when he opened his eyes, through the dense foliage nearby, he saw Su Man on the other side of the hedge! Su Man was also staring at him with wide eyes. Both were shocked and nervous. ¡°You want to piss, right! Let¡¯s see you piss! Ah!¡± The short man pulled Lu Yuwen back by the rope like dragging a dog, his foot stepping on Lu Yuwen¡¯s face. ¡°Can¡¯t piss, can you?! I knew you were up to something! Tell me! Were you trying to escape?!¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s face was being stepped on into the mud, he kept his eyes closed and stayed silent. ¡°Yang Zi, that¡¯s enough! Stop fucking around!¡± Brother Xiao¡¯s voice came from the tent, sounding very impatient. Chapter 488 - Chapter 488: Chapter 488: The Transformation of the Monkey Chapter 488: Chapter 488: The Transformation of the Monkey ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s all the noise about at this time of night¡­¡± In the tent on the other side, Zhang Ke said lazily: ¡°Even if he wants to escape, isn¡¯t that normal? Whatever he does, he can¡¯t get far with his lame leg. Besides, isn¡¯t he bound with a rope¡­¡± Yang Zi grunted heavily, pulling the rope to bind Lu Yuwen to a nearby tree tightly and snarled at Lu Yuwen: ¡°Behave yourself!¡± With that, he turned around and went back into the tent. Inside the tent, Brother Xiao and Yang Zi whispered a few words, their tones not very pleasant. After a while, the voices faded, as if they had fallen asleep. The night was once again silent¡­ ¡­ Su Man quietly got up and came in front of Lu Yuwen. She said to him in lipspeaking: ¡°I, save you.¡± Then she showed him her dagger, gesturing towards the rope on his body. Lu Yuwen looked at her and silently shook his head. Su Man slightly frowned, a little puzzled. What does it mean? Did he not want her to save him? Did he not trust her, or did he misunderstand her intentions, thinking that she was going to hurt him as well? No matter! Get the person out first and deal with it later! If he goes on being tormented by those thugs, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t survive. Su Man gripped the dagger tightly, slashing down on the rope! ¡ª¡ªThe sensation was as though she had encountered a very tough cow tendon string! It wouldn¡¯t cut?! Su Man was startled and paused, subconsciously tried again, but still failed! Why? It looked like just an ordinary leather rope! Lu Yuwen spoke barely audible two words: ¡°Prop.¡± Su Man was slightly surprised, reaching out to touch the rope, and the information of the prop instantly appeared in her mind¡ª¡ª [Mr. Dongguo¡¯s Rope: Once knotted, no one other than the user can untie or damage the rope. Note, the prop loses its effect after the user¡¯s death.] No wonder he wanted to set a fire before! Because unless they die, he can never escape! Su Man was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a situation. Unless the tree was cut down now, there was no way to rescue Lu Yuwen! Could it be cut down? ¡­ Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not impossible, but it¡¯s impossible to cut down a tree without waking those thugs. What should she do now? The man was within her reach. But she couldn¡¯t save him! Lu Yuwen scratched the ground with his foot a few times and wrote a word: MAP. Map? What does he mean? Did he want her to get the map? Lu Yuwen nodded in the direction of the motorcycle. Su Man seemed to understand but was not sure, looking at him hesitantly, then tiptoed to the motorcycle¡ª¡ª The back box was not locked, several papers were squeezed into the gap, which could be opened with a light lift. The night was too dark to see the scribbles on the paper, she took them all in her hand, a thick stack. Then she returned to Lu Yuwen again. ¡°Take the map, find a place to hide.¡± Lu Yuwen said in a low voice. Su Man asked, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to get out.¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s voice was even lower, glancing nervously at the tent, worried that Su Man would stay longer and wake those people, he urged, ¡°You hurry up and go!¡± Su Man bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then turned around and hurried off. These maps are the key to getting out of the maze, she must hide them well! ¡­ After a long time, Su Man finally found a place she thought was safe. She hid the maps and then went back to find Lu Yuwen. Lu Yuwen stared at her in disbelief: ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to hide?!¡± Su Man was stunned: ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to hide the map?¡± Lu Yuwen was choked. There was a rustling noise from the tent. Alarm bells rang in Lu Yuwen¡¯s head. He was about to chase Su Man away when the figure in front of him suddenly leaped up and climbed up the tree in the blink of an eye, hiding in the dense branches and leaves. Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡± Is this woman a monkey?! Chapter 489 - Chapter 489: Chapter 489: Lost the Map Chapter 489: Chapter 489: Lost the Map The person who emerged from the tent was Zhang Ke. He got up in the middle of the night to urinate, and faintly noticed some movement from Lu Yuwen¡¯s side, casting a suspicious glance their way. ¡ª¡ªLu Yuwen was tied to a tree, head sagging, seemingly unconscious. There were sporadic snoring coming from the nearby tent. Zhang Ke withdrew his gaze, only to dismiss the noise as a mishearing. He walked to the side of the road to pee, and after zipping up his pants, prepared to head back to the tent. Accidentally, he noticed the lid of the motorcycle¡¯s rear box was not fully closed. It was not too far, so he walked a few extra steps, raised his hand to reopen the box lid, intending to close it properly. Upon opening it, however, he found the pile of papers inside was gone. Zhang Ke was dumbstruck. On instinct, he assumed the other two had taken the map into the tent to study it. But after a few steps, he felt something was wrong. The tent was pitch black, there was no light, nothing to aid in reading a map. Besides, the map has always been kept in this position, there was no reason for it to suddenly move. Zhang Ke once again looked at the bound Lu Yuwen. With Lu Yuwen bound by those tools, it was impossible for him to steal the map. The only remaining suspects were either Brother Xiao or Yang Zi, unless¡­there was a fifth person here? At this thought, Zhang Ke became vigilant and scanned his surroundings¡ª¡ª Everything around him was too dark, too quiet, anyone hiding would be hard to detect. Despite him thinking the possibility was slim, he still cautiously approached the tent and tentatively asked, ¡°Brother Xiao¡­ Brother Xiao? Is the map with you?¡± After a few seconds of waiting, a muffled male voice came from the tent, ¡°What do you want with a map in the middle of the night¡­¡± Yang Zi was also woken up and grumpily complained, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, not sleeping in the middle of the night?¡± Zhang Ke said, ¡°Oh¡­ The map isn¡¯t on the motorcycle, so I thought I¡¯d ask if it¡¯s with you.¡± The two people in the tent were taken aback, instantly wide awake! Brother Xiao crawled out of the tent and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? You said the map isn¡¯t on the motorcycle?¡± ¡°I just glanced at it.¡± Zhang Ke pointed in the direction of the motorcycle, ¡°Everything else is there, but the map is gone.¡± Brother Xiao didn¡¯t believe it and hurriedly walked to the motorcycle. He swung open the box with a smack! It was indeed gone! Other than the map, everything else was in the box! ¡°Yang Zi! Have you taken the map?¡± Brother Xiao asked with a frown. The short young man angrily retorted, ¡°Why would I take the map?! Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s useless unless we have all 100 squares?¡± He looked at Lu Yuwen, ¡°I¡¯m sure it was him! I¡¯ve said it before, this guy isn¡¯t trustworthy!¡± As he said this, he moved to confront Lu Yuwen. Brother Xiao, annoyed, held him back, ¡°He¡¯s tied to the tree by you, how could he take the map?! Even if he did, where could he hide it? That thick pile of papers couldn¡¯t possibly be hidden on him!¡± Zhang Ke was on guard as he looked around. All the shadows in the darkness became suspicious. ¡°Brother Xiao, it seems this place isn¡¯t as safe as we thought.¡± said Zhang Ke. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yang Zi asked with a furrowed brow, ¡°Could it have been carried off by an animal?¡± ¡°What nonsense! Since the world turned into this, have you seen any animals?¡± Brother Xiao retorted, ¡°Even if there were, have you ever seen an animal that only eats paper?¡± Finally, the realization hit Yang Zi, ¡°You mean¡­ there are others here?¡± He looked around, ¡°Impossible¡­ ever since we arrived, we¡¯ve only encountered mannequins, no living people¡­¡± ¡°Regardless, we have to arrange someone for night watch.¡± Zhang Ke looked at Brother Xiao, ¡°Losing the map isn¡¯t a big deal, we can always redraw it, but we can¡¯t afford to carelessly lose anything else.¡± For instance, our lives. Brother Xiao, with a grave expression, nodded in agreement. Chapter 490 - Chapter 490: Chapter 490: Is It a Monster? Chapter 490: Chapter 490: Is It a Monster? Yang Zi couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Lu Yuwen? He was outside all night long, he might have seen or heard something!¡± Brother Xiao glanced in Lu Yuwen¡¯s direction, frowning even deeper. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you to be careful! If you want to vent, wait until we¡¯re out of the maze! Now you¡¯ve turned him into a half-dead man, and you still expect him to hear something?!¡± ¡°Yes, after being tied up all night, we don¡¯t even know if he will be able to walk tomorrow.¡± Zhang Ke said sarcastically, ¡°If he really cannot walk, will we have to figure out how to carry him?¡± Brother Xiao became even more exasperated upon hearing this, said, ¡°Yang Zi, go and untie him!¡± Yang Zi was somewhat reluctant. He hated how Lu Yuwen looked down on them just because he was smarter, but thinking that someone would take turns to keep watch tonight and Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t escape, he compromised and went over to untie him. Lu Yuwen, appearing feeble, slid to the ground leaning against a tree trunk, his body tilted to one side. Even though the ropes on his body were loosened, those on his wrists remained. The other end of the rope was tied to the tent, so they could detect any movements as soon as Lu Yuwen pulled on the rope. For the rest of the night, the three of them took turns to keep watch. Su Man couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to rescue Lu Yuwen. She couldn¡¯t even find a chance to speak to Lu Yuwen. In the blink of an eye, day had broken. Looking at the three men packing up the tent, preparing to start again, she sank into deep confusion ¡ª what was she supposed to do to rescue Lu Yuwen from such dire circumstances? With no good ideas in mind, she could only continue to follow them. Unfortunately, not long after they started, their motorcycle ran out of gas. The group of people cursed and muttered, attributing it to the ¡°thief¡± who stole the map last night. They didn¡¯t suspect Lu Yuwen at all. Like this, after traveling for three blocks, they couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and had to stop. Without the motorcycle, it was just too hard to traverse the maze on foot. Lu Yuwen was almost dragged along, feeling an intense burning pain below his knees, his legs felt useless. Zhang Ke, Yang Zi, and Brother Xiao, who were dragging him, were no better. They were sweating profusely, but their youthful strength allowed them to endure much more than Yuwen, the cripple. Lu Yuwen glanced back with some concern. At this pace and intensity, he doubted any woman could keep up. However, it was better that she couldn¡¯t keep up. Being further away from these men was safer. If a woman was entangled in this, escaping would be even more troublesome. No sooner had this idea crossed his mind, than he saw a flash of red dancing at the corner of his eye before disappearing. Su Man was not only closely following behind, she also moved with agility and showed no signs of fatigue. Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡± Where on earth had this woman come from?! Was she a monster??? ¡°What are you looking at! If you have the energy then hurry up and move!¡± Yang Zi from the front yelled, ¡°We¡¯ve lost our map, you have to redraw the entire thing for us! Be quick about it!¡± Lu Yuwen turned his gaze forward again and silently walked onwards¡­ ¡­ As Lu Yuwen had described earlier, the environment inside the maze comprised of massive, square blocks. Without any measuring tools, the exact size of the blocks remained unknown. They could only estimate that both sides were about 2 kilometers long. For example, the present 2 kilometers they were traveling was a highway. When they moved onto the next 2 kilometers, it could suddenly become a field or a hill, or the change could be smaller, turning into a different bloc. It was as if a city had been sliced into 100 pieces, randomly shuffled, and then reassembled. What they had to do was not just walk through each 2-kilometer block. They also had to map every block to look for patterns and clues. Despite his extreme fatigue, Lu Yuwen was painstakingly meticulous in his map drawing. After all, it was directly related to whether he could escape from the maze. Just as he was carefully drawing the layout of the streets nearby, Yang Zi suddenly pulled him up. Lu Yuwen¡¯s paper and pen fell to the ground ¨C Chapter 491 - Chapter 491: Chapter 491: Mentally Deficient Personality Chapter 491: Chapter 491: Mentally Deficient Personality Lu Yuwen was taken aback. Brother Xiao and Zhang Ke were out looking for gasoline, and now it was only him and Yang Zi left. Could it be possible that the latter was planning to vent his anger on him while the other two were away? In Lu Yuwen¡¯s view, the short fellow named Yang Zi had a classic dim-witted personality ¨C Lacking intelligence, he was unable to control his emotions, much like a wild animal with no understanding of restraint or camouflage. For dealing with such people, Lu Yuwen¡¯s wisdom was to avoid provoking them at all costs. Resisting or communicating were pointless, as they lacked human IQ. Lu Yuwen silently followed Yang Zi, not asking why he had suddenly jerked him up, nor where he was taking him. Yang Zi, leading Lu Yuwen by the rope, took him into the restroom of a nearby mall. He kicked open a toilet stall door, blatantly disregarded Lu Yuwen¡¯s presence, unbuttoned his pants with one hand while holding the rope with the other, and started defecating on the toilet in front of him! Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Heh, the low IQ dwarf ape. Keeping hold of the rope was becoming bothersome, so Yang Zi simply tied it to the restroom door and lit a cigarette for himself. Cigarette smoke, stench¡­ The toilet¡¯s smell was indescribable. Lu Yuwen stood outside the stall, his face extremely unsightly. At this moment, he suddenly saw a head peeking out from the deepest stall in the restroom! He was startled, his eyes widened! Even though he tried to control himself after realizing it was Su Man, his sharp intake of breath still attracted the attention of the dwarf ape! ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Yang Zi asked, frowning. Lu Yuwen quickly lowered his head, pretending to be spineless and scared, ¡°Cock¡­cockroach¡­¡± ¡°A cockroach scared you like this?¡± Yang Zi snorted, warning him, ¡°Behave, don¡¯t try any tricks!¡± Lu Yuwen said nothing, his head lowered but his mind was in turmoil! What was that woman doing?! Why was she in the men¡¯s restroom?! When did she sneak in? Why didn¡¯t he see her?! What was she intending to do?!! ¡­ Su Man came prepared. Knowing that Lu Yuwen was constantly being watched, she had brought a notebook and pen. So even if they couldn¡¯t talk, they could pass messages quietly. Su Man wrote a sentence on the notebook, held it above the stall¡¯s door for Lu Yuwen to see: ¡°He is alone now, do you want to take him down?¡± Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡± Do what?! Was it appropriate for a woman to be this impulsive?! Not knowing the enemy¡¯s strength, how did she plan to take action? She might end up getting herself hurt instead! Lu Yuwen pretended his neck was uncomfortable, turned his¡­ stiff head to shake it no. Seeing this, Su Man slightly furrowed her brows. He didn¡¯t agree? But now was a particularly good opportunity, why didn¡¯t he agree? Even though she was injured, she should have no problem dealing with this shorty. Wouldn¡¯t their chance be lost if the other two returned? Su Man lacked confidence in her own judgment. After thinking it over, she decided that Lu Yuwen must have his reasons for not letting her take action. Therefore, she continued writing on the notebook: ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡± Of course he had a plan, only it couldn¡¯t be explained in a sentence or two. He once again feigned a sore neck, twisted his¡­ stiff head and nodded. ¡°Hey!¡± The man on the toilet suddenly called him. Lu Yuwen was startled, thinking that his small movements had been noticed, so he hurriedly looked up. ¡°There¡¯s no toilet paper, go check the other stalls for some!¡± Yang Zi ordered him impatiently. Chapter 492 - Chapter 492: Chapter 492: Toilet Paper Chapter 492: Chapter 492: Toilet Paper Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you dawdling for?! Go find it!¡± Yang Zi cursed, ¡°Should I myself bend over searching for toilet paper?! Damn it!¡± The rope was long enough, so there should be no problem finding toilet paper in the restroom. Lu Yuwen hung his head and opened the next cubicle. ¡°Found any paper?¡± Yang Zi asked. Lu Yuwen paused for two seconds, removed the half roll of paper from the box, tucked it under his arm, and replied, ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°If not, then keep searching! And do it quickly!¡± Lu Yuwen pretended to search for toilet paper. Once he reached the last cubicle, he received a pen from Su Man and quickly wrote a message¡ª¡ª ¡°Stay close to us. When you see me signal you, reverse the direction of all the arrows! The exact direction will depend on my hand signal!¡± Arrows? Reverse the direction? The big arrow that spans hundreds of meters cannot possibly be reversed. The arrows that Lu Yuwen is referring to must be the smaller arrows scattered around the big one. But what good would reversing the arrows do? Su Man looked at him skeptically. Yang Zi in the cubicle began cursing again: ¡°Damn it! How hard is it to find some toilet paper?! Have you found it yet?!¡± ¡°Found it.¡± Lu Yuwen pretended to struggle, patting the nearby toilet paper box, making a noise, ¡°The roll is stuck inside, almost done.¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± Lu Yuwen didn¡¯t dare delay any further. Without allowing Su Man the opportunity to ask any questions, he rushed out and handed the toilet paper to Yang Zi. He wasn¡¯t sure if such an impatient and thoughtless creature would burst out due to the urgent need for toilet paper. After all, the latter had no bottom line. Once Yang Zi had finished up, presumably finding the smell too foul, he left the restroom immediately without further trouble for Lu Yuwen. Su Man looked at the words Lu Yuwen had left behind, contemplating for a moment before leaving the restroom as well. Brother Xiao and Zhang Ke had already returned outside. They had found some gasoline, but the motorcycle was still parked where they rested last night, so the gasoline was of no use for the time being and they had to carry it along as they moved forward. ¡°Let¡¯s go two more squares and head back.¡± Brother Xiao said, ¡°We¡¯ll use the motorcycle instead, it¡¯s more efficient.¡± ¡°The motorcycle won¡¯t be that much more efficient.¡± Zhang Ke glanced in the direction of Lu Yuwen, ¡°At most, three people can sit on a motorcycle. Unless someone gets down, to let Lu Yuwen up, otherwise, the motorcycle can¡¯t move faster.¡± Yang Zi snorted: ¡°Let him ride the motorcycle? While we chase behind? You really do care about him.¡± ¡°And do you have a plan?¡± Zhang Ke didn¡¯t mince his words, ¡°Could your brain possibly produce a plan?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t understand! Isn¡¯t he just drawing maps? Can¡¯t we draw maps? Do we absolutely have to rely on him?!¡± Yang Zi violently tugged the rope wrapped around Lu Yuwen, almost making him stumble! ¡°We¡¯ve been trapped in this damn place for three days, aside from drawing maps, what useful things has he done? Even if he drew hundreds of maps, it wouldn¡¯t guarantee an escape! Do you truly believe that he has an idea?!!¡± ¡°Enough! What¡¯s there to quarrel about?!¡± Brother Xiao impatiently interrupted the two, ¡°If you have the energy to quarrel, you might as well move more maze squares! Look for an exit!¡± The two stopped arguing but neither looked particularly pleased. Lu Yuwen held the map in his hand, silently following behind. Occasionally, when the people in front of him were not paying attention, he secretly glanced back¡ª¡ª He couldn¡¯t see Su Man¡¯s shadow. He was slightly anxious. They were almost there and he wasn¡¯t sure whether Su Man had caught up¡­ When he saw her, he worried that the group would discover her, but when he couldn¡¯t see her, he was worried she couldn¡¯t keep up. Lu Yuwen intentionally or unintentionally, slowed down his pace, secretly praying: I hope the plan will work! Chapter 493 - Chapter 493: Chapter 493: The Block is Broken Chapter 493: Chapter 493: The Block is Broken Brother Xiao¡¯s plan was to go back after going two squares farther, but they didn¡¯t expect that after advancing one more square ¡ª the road, was blocked. Or to put it precisely, the square was blocked. A huge collapsed pit appeared in front of them! At least a kilometer away! The pit edge was neat and squarely shaped, as if a chess piece had been dug out of a full chessboard! Perhaps the sight was too spectacular, the group didn¡¯t speak for a long time, fixated on the scene. ¡°How could this happen¡­¡± Brother Xiao stared at the giant pit, ¡°What on earth is this place¡­¡± Yang Zi, too, was stunned for a long time before he asked: ¡°Could it be¡­an exit?¡± Lu Yuwen was shocked by the scene and collapsed to the ground, his legs trembling. Zhang Ke picked him up, ¡°Hey, smart guy, what do you think this place is?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Lu Yuwen struggled to adjust his glasses, ¡°This is the only place without¡­without any arrows. Perhaps there might be some clues. I¡¯m not certain, we need to¡­ we need to go down and see¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so high! How do we get down?!¡± Yang Zi immediately opposed, ¡°Plus, who knows what dangers lie below!¡± Zhang Ke and Brother Xiao looked at each other, both hesitating. Brother Xiao stood at the edge, looking down ¡ª The bottom of the pit was about as high as a four or five-story building from where they stood. They could clearly see the smooth mud floor below. There were no buildings, no trees, nothing at all. It was completely empty and visible in its entirety. They also couldn¡¯t see any danger. ¡°If we want to go down¡­it¡¯s not impossible, we can use a rope,¡± Brother Xiao said with a furrowed brow, ¡°We¡¯re here now, even if we turn around and leave, we¡¯ll have to go down and check it out the next time we come.¡± ¡°If anyone¡¯s going down, let him go first!¡± Yang Zi pointed at Lu Yuwen. Lu Yuwen was stunned. Brother Xiao frowned: ¡°How is he gonna go down with those two legs of his? He can hardly walk, and if you drop him down, you¡¯ll have to drag him back up. Want to go through that trouble? We should move quickly, go down for a quick look and come right back up. We¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s down there first.¡± Yang Zi: ¡°And what if he runs?!¡± Zhang Ke chuckled, picked up a brick from the road, and smashed it viciously onto Lu Yuwen¡¯s knee! Lu Yuwen screamed in agony, clutching his leg as he collapsed to the ground! Zhang Ke tossed the brick, and said nonchalantly with a smirk: ¡°Fine, now we don¡¯t have to worry about him running.¡± Yang Zi cast a glance at Lu Yuwen and smirked. He didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s all prepare, see how we can get down.¡± Brother Xiao looked around and noticed several residential buildings nearby, ¡°Follow me to get some mattresses and pillows. If we slip and fall, at least they¡¯ll cushion the fall.¡± The two followed him. Since Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t even stand up, they didn¡¯t worry that he would try to escape. They didn¡¯t even glance at him when they left. As soon as they all went into the residential building. Su Man, who had been hiding in the dark, immediately came out, helped Lu Yuwen sit up, and said angrily but anxiously: ¡°They¡¯re gone. Let¡¯s get out of here quickly!¡± Lu Yuwen, soaked in sweat and pale as a ghost, was still in agony from Zhang Ke¡¯s hit ¨D the pain nearly made him bite off his gums! ¡°We can¡¯t. If we leave like this, we won¡¯t be able to untie the ropes!¡± He was panting and shaking his head, ¡°Listen to me. When they go down, rotate the arrow towards my direction!¡± Still rather uneasy, he asked Su Man: ¡°Do you know where the arrow is?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Man nodded, ¡°It¡¯s about five hundred meters around the corner. I remember it. As soon as they go down, I will turn the arrow around!¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, urging her: ¡°Go quickly, they¡¯re about to come out.¡± Su Man looked back at the direction of the residential building, bit her lip, quickly retreated and hid herself again. Chapter 494 - Chapter 494: Chapter 494: Meticulous Calculations Chapter 494: Chapter 494: Meticulous Calculations Xiao Ge and his partners threw down seven or eight mattresses, along with all the sheets, quilts, and pillows they had scavenged from the residences. In a matter of moments, they filled the bottom with a thick layer of padding. At the first glance, they looked rough and relentless, like desperadoes, yet they valued their lives so much when it came to the crunch. Lu Yuwen sneered at their cowardice. Yang Zi untied the rope from Lu Yuwen¡¯s wrists, which were deeply bruised, having been bound for too long. The rope was long and stretchy. Xiao Ge tied one end to a nearby tree and wrapped the other end around his waist before gradually descending the rope. Once at the bottom, Yang Zi pulled the rope back, tied it around his waist like Xiao Ge had done, and slowly descended. Zhang Ke was the last to go down. Seeing all three men had descended, Lu Yuwen cracked a cold smile. He leaned on his arms, attempting to get up. His knees had been severely damaged by Zhang Ke, leaving him unable to exert any force. Thus, he could only crawl forward by rolling onto his side. Nevertheless, his wrists, ankles, thighs, and knees were in terrible pain. As he cursed under his breath and painstakingly crawled forward, a figure suddenly appeared. It was Su Man, who was briskly running towards him! Lu Yuwen was startled and blurted out, ¡°Why are you here? Weren¡¯t you adjusting the direction of the arrows?!¡± As Su Man supported him up, she replied, ¡°I did!¡± ¡°You did? That was fast!¡± Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t believe it. She had to sprint half a kilometer, adjust almost a hundred small arrows, and then run another half kilometer to get back to him. ¡°What speed is she running? What¡¯s her endurance?¡± he wondered. She explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you! If I adjust a few of the small arrows, the nearby ones will automatically adjust their direction too! After adjusting more than 50, all the arrows start changing their direction, so I didn¡¯t need to adjust each one manually!¡± Before she finished speaking, they felt something trembling! They turned their heads to see the massive arrow suspended between the buildings, swaying and changing direction just like the small ones! While they were still surprised, the ground beneath them trembled violently, like an earthquake! They both fell to the ground! ¡°What¡¯s going on?!!¡± Xiao Ge¡¯s furious voice echoed from the pit below. ¡°Damn! Why is there an earthquake all of a sudden?!¡± Yang Zi roared from below, ¡°Hurry up! Zhang Ke, you son of a turtle! Give us the rope!¡± The rope was with Zhang Ke? Realizing this, Lu Yuwen grabbed Su Man¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Help me up! Zhang Ke is climbing up!¡± Zhang Ke was the last one down, so it¡¯s highly likely he hadn¡¯t reached the bottom when Su Man had changed the direction of the arrows! Su Man was faster than Lu Yuwen had anticipated, and now the whole area was moving quickly in the direction the large arrow pointed to! The building at the other end of the pit was quickly closing in! Meanwhile, the yelling of Xiao Ge and Yang Zi abruptly stopped! The pit they were in was being filled up! ¡°Quickly, let¡¯s move to the green belt over there!¡± Lu Yuwen shouted, ¡°Otherwise, when the section of earth stops, we¡¯ll be thrown out by inertia!¡± No one could predict how great the force of inertia would be! It¡¯s like standing on a speeding train that suddenly stops. How far would a person be thrown? Su Man tried to support Lu Yuwen to the green belt, but he was too slow. He was so anxious that he pushed Su Man away, ¡°Forget about me! You go!¡± Just as the pieces of land were about to collide, Su Man was frantic! In a moment of desperation, she suddenly picked up Lu Yuwen and charged forward! Lu Yuwen: ¡°!!!¡± Despite all his cunning, he never thought there would be a day when a woman would carry him and run! Chapter 495 - Chapter 495: Chapter 495: Good Name Chapter 495: Chapter 495: Good Name ¡ªBOOM!!! With a loud crash, Su Man and Lu Yuwen both tumble into the green belt, the branches and leaves of the shrubs scraping their skin while also shielding their bodies! If they hit a wall or an electrical pole at this moment, broken ribs would be the least of their worries! Even so, the impact leaves Lu Yuwen bewildered, disoriented, and dizzy! Su Man, who is much stronger than Lu Yuwen, quickly gets up. She helps Lu Yuwen to his feet and drags him away from the green belt. Looming overhead, a glass window of a building nearby sways precariously. Just after the pair move away, it crashes to the ground, shattering to pieces! Su Man carries Lu Yuwen and flees, running until they reach a wide, open meadow. Once assured that there are no risks of falling objects nearby, Su Man finally puts Lu Yuwen down. ¡°Hey! Hey?!¡± Su Man slaps his face, ¡°Lu Yuwen! Are you okay?!¡± Lu Yuwen, feeling groggy, struggles to open his eyes, ¡°¡­How did you know my name?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they were calling you.¡± Su Man explains, simultaneously pressing on his chest and arm. Lu Yuwen, weakly and breathlessly, asks, ¡°Why are you¡­ poking around¡­¡± Su Man says with a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯m checking to see if you¡¯ve broken any bones.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lu Yuwen is at a loss for words as he lies on the ground, gasping, ¡°Even if they¡¯re not broken, you¡¯re going to finish the job.¡± Su Man quickly withdraws her hand and asks him anxiously, ¡°Does it hurt badly? Where does it hurt? I brought some medicine for injuries. I can apply it for you.¡± Lu Yuwen waves her off, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡± Su Man scans their surroundings and nods vehemently. ¡°You¡¯re right. This place is too strange. Let¡¯s get moving!¡± With that, she tries to lift Lu Yuwen up again. Upon seeing her efforts, Lu Yuwen quickly grabs her arm, ¡°Wait, wait a minute! I¡¯m too heavy. This isn¡¯t appropriate¡­ ¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing inappropriate about it.¡± Su Man replies, ¡°I¡¯m strong, don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t drop you!¡± Lu Yuwen thinks to himself: I¡¯ve already experienced your strength, but whether or not you drop me isn¡¯t the point! He then suggests a compromise, ¡°Can you carry me on your back instead?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Su Man furrows her eyebrows and supports his arm over her shoulder, slightly discontented. ¡°I¡¯m not embarrassed. Why should you be? The important thing now is to get out of here. What¡¯s the difference between carrying or piggybacking? Who are you pretending for?¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s mouth twitches. He doesn¡¯t want to argue, ¡°¡­ Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Su Man hoists him onto her back and starts walking. After a while, she feels a strange sense of unease, like something is off. It takes her a moment to realize what¡¯s wrong. She¡¯s used to getting snappy responses from Li Li when they talk. So much so that she¡¯s adapted to speaking bluntly and aggressively. Now that she¡¯s suddenly getting agreement, she doesn¡¯t know how to handle it¡­ Deep down, she knows that men have their pride, and being carried around by a woman isn¡¯t really dignified. Su Man thinks about what to say to remedy the situation. After all, she still needs him to find their way out of the labyrinth¡­ ¡°What should I call you?¡± the man on her back asks. ¡°Su Man,¡± She replies, ¡°Su as in Suzhou, and Man as in vine.¡± ¡°Nice name,¡± Lu Yuwen says, ¡°It reminds me of a verse from the Book of Songs, ¡®In the wild fields, sparkle the dew-drops shed, There is a beautiful lady, pure and fair.¡¯ There are more engrossing lines to the verse, but Lu Yuwen chose not to speak them for now. Anyway, they¡¯ve just met. Starting with small talk is a good way to work towards deeper conversation. Su Man seems not to understand the remark, and replies flatly, ¡°Really? I¡¯ve always thought my name was a bit old-fashioned. When I was in school, I always met people with the same name. Zhang Man, Li Man, He Man¡­ Eventually, I added a ¡®grass¡¯ character to my name.¡± Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­I see.¡± Suddenly feeling that the conversation just died a death. Chapter 496 - Chapter 496: Chapter 496: A Complete Mystery Chapter 496: Chapter 496: A Complete Mystery He didn¡¯t speak, but Su Man took the initiative and asked, ¡°How did you know that changing the direction of the arrow would cause the land parcel to move?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± Lu Yuwen pondered for a while before replying, ¡°That, of course, I figured out from my analysis.¡± ¡°Your mind is really amazing.¡± Su Man sincerely exclaimed, ¡°I also saw those arrows, but I never thought that the arrow¡¯s direction could be changed, nor did I ever imagine that the land parcel could actually move.¡± No one dislikes being complimented, especially when complimented by the opposite sex. Lu Yuwen felt smug about it, but modestly said, ¡°After all, I¡¯ve been here for three days, so I¡¯ve pretty much figured out the environment and clues.¡± Having said this, he couldn¡¯t help but ask Su Man, ¡°When did you come in?¡± ¡°Yesterday.¡± Su Man answered, ¡°I was quite shocked when I first arrived and saw them dragging you on a bike. I didn¡¯t expect to meet people in the maze.¡± Lu Yuwen seemed surprised, ¡°Did you come in by yourself?¡± Su Man nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± From the tone of her voice, it didn¡¯t sound like she accidentally fell in here. On the contrary, she seemed to have willingly entered the maze? Why? Everyone tries to avoid the maze, so why would someone willingly enter it? ¡­Could it be that her relatives or friends are in here? However, they had just met not long ago. Asking too many questions could easily cause discomfort, so Lu Yuwen buried his suspicions in his heart, preparing to ask Su Man at an appropriate time later. This woman is full of mysteries¡ª Entering the deadly maze alone; Possessing astonishing strength and speed; Her left arm seems to be injured, with the entire forearm to the hand wrapped in bandages, but she still can use it. At least now, as she was carrying him, he felt that arm was quite strong. If that¡¯s the case, why wrap it in bandages? All of these signs¡­ are too strange. Su Man was unaware of Lu Yuwen¡¯s complicated thoughts. She carried Lu Yuwen on her back and turned back, only to find the original path was blocked since the land parcel had moved. ¡ªThe original location of the land parcel had become a large depression, like a deep foundation pit that had been dug but no building constructed. Su Man had no choice but to take a detour along the edge of the pit. Lu Yuwen, fearing her strength would fail her, asked her to rest. Su Man shook her head, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to stay first.¡± By coincidence, there was a private clinic nearby. She carried Lu Yuwen in, expertly disinfecting and medicating his wound. Lu Yuwen¡¯s trousers were already in an embarrassing state. Su Man went to a nearby clothing store to find a few pairs of trousers, taking care of him personally. Since she didn¡¯t know Lu Yuwen¡¯s size, she brought back a pile of clothes and trousers, not forgetting socks and shoes. When she returned to the clinic, Lu Yuwen was washing his face and head with cold water. For the three days he had been in the maze, he had been living like a dog, his hair was even filled with dried instant noodle flakes, and his body stank terribly. If not for worrying about his leg wound getting wet, he would have love to take a thorough bath! Su Man put the clothes on the hospital bed, lifting her eyes she saw Lu Yuwen¡¯s freshly cleansed face, and was taken aback. She didn¡¯t expect¡­ She didn¡¯t expect him to be so¡­ handsome. Previously, his face was all covered in dirt and dried blood, only giving the impression of a clean and handsome appearance. Now she discovered, he had long eyebrows, slightly upturned eyes, and his facial features were more exquisite than most men. He looked a bit like an immortal prince from period dramas, carrying a kind of androgynous elegance. Some men are handsome, some are cool, some are good-looking, but Lu Yuwen was not any of those, he was simply¡­ beautiful! Lu Yuwen took the clothes and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± He thought Su Man would turn away while he changed his clothes, but she didn¡¯t move. Recalling Su Man¡¯s previous remark about him being pretentious, Lu Yuwen decided not to be pretentious and casually took off his ragged shirt¡ª Chapter 497 - Chapter 497: Chapter 497: Chicken Soup for the Soul Chapter 497: Chapter 497: Chicken Soup for the Soul Su Man: ¡°¡­¡± She froze for a moment, then quickly turned around! Finally caught up by embarrassment, she stammered, ¡°You¡­ you should change your clothes first. I¡¯ll go back and bring our luggage and the map!¡± With that said, she hurriedly left. Lu Yuwen watched her retreating figure, looked down at the clothes in his hand, wavered for a moment, but finally, unable to stand the stale smell on his body, gritted his teeth and decided to take a cold shower! ¡­ The temperature, bearing the chill of early autumn, although not yet that cold, taking a cold shower was truly torturous. After bathing, Lu Yuwen sneezed countless times. Though he had cleaned up, his body was not okay. His head started to feel heavy and feverish. He knew it was bad. He quickly rummaged through the clinic, looking for cold medicine! When Su Man returned with their luggage, she was surprised to see Lu Yuwen¡¯s flushed face as he lay on the medical bed, ¡°What happened to you?¡± Didn¡¯t we just disinfect the wound? And didn¡¯t I apply the medicine? Why does it seem to be getting worse? Lu Yuwen was at a loss for words. Was he going to tell her that he¡¯d been self-indulgent again and gotten sick from taking a cold shower? In the end, his frail body wasn¡¯t fit for survival in a world like this! After taking the medicine, he felt exhausted. He weakly asked Su Man, ¡°Did you bring the map back?¡± ¡°I brought it back.¡± Su Man handed it to him. Lu Yuwen didn¡¯t have the strength to take it. He glanced at the map in her hand and said faintly, ¡°If I get better tomorrow, I¡¯ll help you complete the rest of the map. This maze isn¡¯t scary. As long as we complete the map square by square, in the correct order, we can find the correct route¡­ If I can¡¯t get better, you¡¯ll have to complete it yourself, understand?¡± Su Man reached out to touch his forehead and frowned, ¡°Why the sudden fever? Did you take the medicine? I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve taken it¡­¡± Lu Yuwen grabbed her hand, his voice hoarse from the fever, ¡°It¡¯s probably because the wound on my leg is inflamed, plus the chill¡­ It won¡¯t be better in a few days. If you can leave, leave as soon as possible and don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Su Man¡¯s frown deepened, ¡°I will surely take you out with me!¡± Lu Yuwen shook his head, ¡°¡­listen, I¡¯m a cripple, my legs were bad to begin with. Staying in the maze is safer, you don¡¯t need to take me out. Besides, I don¡¯t like owing people favors¡­¡± ¡°So what if you¡¯re a cripple?!¡± Su Man cut him off, her tone showing exasperation, ¡°You¡¯re just troubled with one bad leg, I know a woman who has two! But isn¡¯t she still living well?! Not only is she living well, but everyone is also afraid of her! No one dares to provoke her! You have to buck up too!¡± Lu Yuwen scoffed, ¡°Thanks for the pep talk, but I can¡¯t quite swallow it¡­¡± ¡°This is not pep talk! It¡¯s a real story!¡± Su Man persisted, ¡°She is far worse off than you, at least you can still walk. She can only use a wheelchair, even needs help to go to the toilet! But she has never given up and has passed many games! You shouldn¡¯t give up, either!¡± Lu Yuwen thought: How can someone in a wheelchair complete games? Could she be a little more sincere when giving motivational speeches? Forget it¡­ This girl was straightforward and kind-hearted, just trying to encourage him. Why should he dampen her spirits? But seriously¡­ being sick really felt awful. Lu Yuwen closed his eyes, let out a weak sigh, and once again said faintly, ¡°If I can get better, we¡¯ll leave together; if I can¡¯t, you should go by yourself. Like I said before¡­ we were strangers, you don¡¯t have to be dragged down by me, I don¡¯t like owing people favors.¡± He then stopped talking and closed his eyes to rest on the bed. Su Man bit her lip, her mood gloomy as she watched him. Were people with mobility problems always so stubborn? Chapter 498 - Chapter 498: Chapter 498 Friends Chapter 498: Chapter 498 Friends At night, Lu Yuwen remained in a semi-conscious state. He woke up a few times during this period: Once, Su Man yanked him awake to feed him medicine, her movements were rough, almost like force-feeding him; Another time, Su Man removed his shirt to wipe him down and apply a cold compress, her strength was overpowering, the towel rubbing against him almost peeling off a layer of skin; And yet another time, Su Man insisted on him getting up to soak his feet, claiming it was a method she learned from the Chinese medicine clinic next door. According to her, soaking the feet, followed by a massage on specific acupuncture points, could speed up his recovery. Lu Yuwen was extremely unyielding when it came to anyone seeing his feet, especially his congenitally disabled one. However, Su Man was stronger than him, and he couldn¡¯t resist her. Afterwards, he almost passed out from the pain. He thought he would have half his life tormented away by this woman but unexpectedly, he felt his spirit gradually improving as he slept into the late night. Although his body was still dripping sweat, his head didn¡¯t feel as heavy anymore. Lu Yuwen opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath. Su Man was asleep next to him. She was leaning against the side of the bed, her eyebrows still slightly furrowed in concern, her right hand holding a thermometer while her left hand was placed beneath it. He hadn¡¯t looked closely before, but now that he did, her left hand, wrapped up in thick bandages, looked somewhat unnatural, uneven and lumpy. He had no idea what it looked like beneath the bandages¡­ Lu Yuwen felt a pang of pity for her. Such a good-looking girl, but her hand was injured. He hoped she could recover in the future and wouldn¡¯t end up like him ¨C always attracting ridicule wherever he went because of the way he walked. He sat up, intending to reach for some water. Su Man was highly alert and woke up almost instantly. Her clear, distinct eyes opened wide, like a cat¡¯s in the dark of the night, sharp and energizing! Not the least bit groggy! Seeing Lu Yuwen awake, the sharpness in her eyes softened as she asked him, ¡°Do you want some water?¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, then asked her, ¡°Got anything to eat?¡± Su Man rummaged through her bag and took out a packet of compressed biscuits. Struggling to open the packet with one hand, she used her teeth. Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Let me do it.¡± Su Man handed it to him. He took it, opened the packet and took out seven or eight biscuits, then handed the remaining half packet back to Su Man. Both of them ate their biscuits with hot water in silence. The indoor ambiance composed of soothing chewing sounds, the rustling of the packaging, and a small camping kerosene stove in the middle of the room quietly agitating its flames. After eating for a while, Lu Yuwen said, ¡°When dawn breaks, let¡¯s go back to where they went down.¡± Su Man was momentarily startled, and asked, ¡°You worry that they might climb back up?¡± Lu Yuwen shook his head lightly and said, ¡°Xiao and Yang Zi should have been crushed to death, but in the end, Yang Zi called out Zhang Ke¡¯s name, which means Zhang Ke wasn¡¯t at the bottom at that time. He might be hanging somewhere in the middle. I¡¯m not certain if he managed to climb up after that, so I want to go back and check again.¡± ¡°Zhang Ke is the guy who swung the wrench at your knee?¡± Su Man asked. ¡°Mm.¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, ¡°Yes, him.¡± Su Man knitted her brows disapprovingly, ¡°These people are ruthless and vicious, I hope none of them survive!¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter if they did.¡± Lu Yuwen pondered for a moment, then slowly responded, ¡°Once we get out, he would be trapped in here all alone. Unable to call out for help, that would truly be a fitting fate.¡± ¡°No!¡± Su Man said firmly, ¡°This kind of person should be killed to eliminate future troubles! Otherwise, the next time someone enters the labyrinth, he might harm people again!¡± Lu Yuwen was taken aback, then gently smiled. Su Man glared at him, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Lu Yuwen laughed, ¡°You are unexpectedly quite righteous and hate evil.¡± Su Man fell silent and slowly lowered her head. ¡°I indeed hate such people, bullies who are underhanded and treacherous ¡­ When I think about my friends, who might encounter them in the game or labyrinth, who might even get into trouble because of that, I wish I could kill them all!¡± ¡°Your friends?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± She looked out of the window. ¡°I wonder how they¡¯re doing now¡­¡± Chapter 499 - Chapter 499: Chapter 499: The Lady in Black Skirt Chapter 499: Chapter 499: The Lady in Black Skirt Dusk. An off-road vehicle sped down the smooth highway. Bai Youwei, on the passenger seat, was dozing off. The long drive, monotonous scenery, warm sunshine¡­ all tempting her to succumb to sleep. Curbing a yawn, she said, ¡°Next time, we should let Tan Xiao sit in the car. Despite his constant chatter, he can help us stay alert.¡± Shen Mo glanced at her, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let him sit in the car this time?¡± ¡°To save fuel, duh!¡± Bai Youwei eyeing him, ¡°Your car guzzles fuel, don¡¯t you know?¡± That¡¯s why not only the luggage had been moved into the dollhouse, but Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Pan Xiaoxin were also banished into it. Shen Mo chuckled, not answering. In his heart, he thought Bai Youwei was deliberately creating more alone time for the two of them. ¡°Hang in there a bit longer, we¡¯re almost there,¡± Shen Mo said. Bai Youwei mustered the energy to look forward, seeing a beautiful landscape flashed by. Further ahead, heavy mists indicated the presence of the maze. ¡°I wonder if Su Man is in there¡­¡± she worriedly sighed. After discovering Su Man¡¯s disappearance, they and Yan Qingwen split into two groups to look for her. One group was dispatched to Xuzhou, the other to Fuzhou. In an environment lacking means of communication, finding someone was really hard. Yet with Lun Ang gone, Yan Qingwen did not want to see Su Man get into trouble again. Plus, collecting puzzle pieces from the maze was their original goal. It would, of course, be even better if they could find Su Man in the process. So, after some discussion, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei set out for Fuzhou, while Yan Qingwen and Zhu Shu headed to Xuzhou. Looking ahead, Shen Mo murmured, ¡°According to the map, we should drive for another hour before seeing the fog, but seeing it now means the maze has expanded in the meantime.¡± Bai Youwei, leaning on the car window, muttered, ¡°What would happen if no one ever came out from a maze?¡­ Would the maze keep expanding? Expanding non-stop, covering the entire continent? The entire earth?¡± ¡°That depends on the purpose of the game system,¡± Shen Mo slowed down his car¡¯s speed and said calmly, ¡°If it¡¯s goal is to kill, the maze and the game¡¯s difficulty will increase. But if it aims to select certain people, it will surely leave some leeway.¡± Bai Youwei turned to look at him, ¡°Do you want to be selected?¡± Shen Mo answered frankly, ¡°Of course. Only by winning to the end can we uncover the truth.¡± Bai Youwei pondered before asking, ¡°Is knowing the truth important to you?¡± Shen Mo gripped the steering wheel, turned to glance at her, ¡°Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing both died in the game. Don¡¯t you want to know why they died?¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a moment. Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing were killed by the doll, which was created by Mary, who was created by the game itself. But who created the game? Why did the game come into existence? This remained an unsolved mystery. But in truth¡­ Bai Youwei didn¡¯t intend to pursue the truth. In fact, she was somewhat resistant to it. Once the truth arrived¡­ would everything return to the way it was? She looked down at her own legs. After so much struggle, she was about to stand up again¡­ But this thought can¡¯t be shared with anyone, not even Shen Mo. She didn¡¯t want to appear dark, selfish, or even malevolent in his eyes. The car suddenly stopped. Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°Why did we stop?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a car up ahead,¡± Shen Mo squinted, ¡°Beside the car there¡¯s a tent and a woman.¡± Bai Youwei also looked in that direction, ¡°Could it be Su Man?¡± Chapter 500 - Chapter 500: Chapter 500: Long Time No See, Du Lai Chapter 500: Chapter 500: Long Time No See, Du Lai Bai Youwei only took one glance to know for sure that it wasn¡¯t Su Man. Because sitting beside the car in the distance was a woman in a black skirt. Although too far away to discern her face, Su Man never wore skirts. Probably the only time was in the Doll House, when she was compelled to put on a doll costume. Moreover, it was truly odd to wear a long skirt while traveling. Bai Youwei wore skirts because wearing trousers was too much of a hassle for her. If she could run and jump, she would, of course, choose comfortable sportswear. As Shen Mo and Bai Youwei scrutinized the woman, she also noticed them. Sitting upright, she turned her head towards them. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were both stunned. Because the woman was not only wearing a long black skirt, but there was also a long black veil on her head. The two had initially thought it was her long hair draped over her shoulders, but only when the woman turned her head, revealing no face, did they realize her head and face were both covered by the black veil. She was wrapped up more tightly than an Arabian woman; at least they would reveal their eyes, whereas this woman didn¡¯t even reveal an eyebrow! This was too strange. Wasn¡¯t she hot in that outfit? Although it was already autumn, the heat was still intense, with the daytime temperature reaching as high as twenty-seven or twenty-eight degrees. Bai Youwei felt she would probably suffer from heatstroke if she dressed like that woman. ¡°So strange¡­¡± Bai Youwei murmured under her breath. ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look.¡± Shen Mo started the car again. As the woman in the black skirt saw them coming, she lowered her head and bent to enter the tent. Following that, a young man in a hoodie came out of the tent, casting a wary glance at Shen Mo¡¯s car. This man was none other than Du Lai, who had previously swapped the Substitute Doll with Bai Youwei. Du Lai was camping near the maze with a woman? Interesting. Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes. As Shen Mo pulled up with the car and stopped, she greeted Du Lai with a smile, ¡°Long time no see~¡± ¡°It¡¯s you guys.¡± Du Lai¡¯s face relaxed upon recognizing them, and he returned Bai Youwei¡¯s smile. Bai Youwei grinned and asked, ¡°Who else did you think it could be?¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think it was anyone specific.¡± Du Lai glanced at Shen Mo, who was at the wheel, and casually asked, ¡°Are you two thinking of entering the maze? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a bit short-staffed?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there also just two of you?¡± Shen Mo replied nonchalantly. ¡°Indeed, the maze is filled with perils, and two people do make for a weak team. Which is why we haven¡¯t really decided whether to enter yet.¡± Du Lai glanced at the tent and introduced with a jovial tone, ¡°That¡¯s my girlfriend inside. She¡¯s not fond of talking much, hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°We are also resting here. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± There was a slight stiffness in Du Lai¡¯s smile as he answered, ¡°No, not at all.¡± A low grumble came from inside the tent, ¡°There¡¯s plenty of space, why do they have to rest here¡­¡± The voice was soft, but Bai Youwei and Shen Mo heard it clearly. Du Lai smiled, turned around, and retreated into the tent. Bai Youwei could hear him appeasing the woman with a low voice, but they were talking in the dialect, so she couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying. After a while, the woman stopped talking, and no more sounds came from the tent. Shen Mo asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Are you sure about resting here?¡± They had the Doll House, they didn¡¯t necessarily have to fight for this space with Du Lai. Plus, when searching for Su Man, the faster they find her the better, in case something happened to her in the maze and they wouldn¡¯t be there to help. Bai Youwei glanced at the tent not too far away, her eyebrows furrowing slightly, ¡°I¡¯m slightly concerned¡­ If we could cooperate, it¡¯d be one thing, but what if he decides to cause trouble for us?¡± Chapter 501 - Chapter 501: Chapter 501: Red Wine Braised Beef Chapter 501: Chapter 501: Red Wine Braised Beef Whether it is a labyrinth or a game, what is most unsettling is that among the players travelling with you, some have ulterior motives, leaving you in constant vigilance. Du Lai is camping so close, it¡¯s clear he plans to enter this maze. His delay could be due to hesitation, as he said, but Bai Youwei feels it¡¯s more likely that he¡¯s waiting for a scapegoat or a fall guy. After all, everything about this labyrinth is still unknown. To get clues, using people as sacrifices is the easiest way. Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t want to have to guard against such people after entering the maze, it would be too draining. Plus, there¡¯s his so-called ¡°girlfriend,¡± which has her on edge as well. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll go first and they will follow,¡± Bai Youwei frowned with annoyance, ¡°it¡¯s so annoying, why did we have to run into him¡­¡± Shen Mo parked the car on the side and calmly said, ¡°Du Lai is an opportunist. If we¡¯re having a smooth run in the maze, he might be willing to cooperate and help us, but should we encounter any trouble, showing any weakness, he won¡¯t hesitate to trip us up for his own benefit.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, frowning, ¡°That is indeed the case¡­so the timing of entering the labyrinth is critical¡ª If we let them go first, I¡¯m worried that they¡¯ll hide any clues they find; If we let them go last, I worry they¡¯ll pick up the pieces if something goes wrong; And if we go with them, I¡¯m still worried¡­¡± If it was someone else, Bai Youwei might not be this cautious, but it¡¯s Du Lai himself that really makes her uneasy. Just thinking about him stealing all those puzzle pieces, it reveals a lot about his character and tactics. ¡°Since we¡¯ve run into him, there¡¯s no way to avoid it,¡± Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°we¡¯ll enter the labyrinth tonight while they sleep.¡± So as to have least possible direct confrontation. ¡°Looks like that¡¯s the only way.¡± Bai Youwei grimaced, clearly unhappy, ¡°feels like we¡¯re chickening out.¡± ¡°Finding Su Man is the priority, no need for reckless confrontation, and besides¡­¡± Shen Mo glanced over at the other group¡¯s tent, ¡°if I¡¯m not mistaken, when that woman turned her head to look at us just now, her shoulder didn¡¯t move.¡± Listening to this, Bai Youwei was initially puzzled but then her eyes slowly widened. When people turn their heads, their shoulders usually shift accordingly. It¡¯s impossible for them to remain completely still unless they¡¯re a robot. ¡°Are you suggesting¡­¡± Bai Youwei drew closer and whispered into Shen Mo¡¯s ear, ¡°Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend, is not human?¡± ¡°Yan Qingwen got a hold of the Steel Puppet, it¡¯s not surprising that Du Lai has a similar doll,¡± Shen Mo said. Bai Youwei exclaimed, ¡°But she spoke just now¡­¡± It couldn¡¯t be a puppet doll starting to talk on its own, could it? Shen Mo chuckled and ruffled her hair, ¡°I¡¯m just speculating. In any case, it¡¯s safer to stay away from them.¡± After pondering it for a while, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t mind her hair being ruffled up, and agreed, ¡°So, we¡¯ll rest up well now and set off when we¡¯re fully refreshed.¡± ¡­ Shen Mo and Bai Youwei casually set up their tent, made a fire, then took out a well-cooked dinner from the dollhouse. They ate while warming themselves by the fire. As night fell, darkness quickly enveloped the surroundings, with only the two fires at the roadside casting a silent glow. Du Lai was also having his dinner. Much simpler than Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s food, he had some hard and dry flatbreads in his hand and instant noodles by his side. But he didn¡¯t bother boiling them since it would require firing up an extra pot, which he found tiresomely inconvenient. Meanwhile, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo was enjoying a meal of beef stewed in red wine. Chapter 502 - Chapter 502: Chapter 502: Du Lai’s Girlfriend Chapter 502: Chapter 502: Du Lai¡¯s Girlfriend ¡°Du Lai, why is your girlfriend always in the tent?¡± Bai Youwei asked with a mischievous grin, ¡°Is she not hungry, or does she think your flatbreads are awful?¡± Du Lai blinked, then glanced at the flatbread in his hand, chuckling, ¡°It¡¯s indeed not good.¡± ¡°Invite her out to eat together.¡± Bai Youwei proposed genially, ¡°We have cooked plenty, it would be such a waste if left uneaten.¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t respond to her, laughing and teasing, ¡°Doesn¡¯t beef need to be stewed for a long time to soften up? I¡¯ve never seen you guys cook so quickly. It¡¯s quite impressive to see steaming hot food ready so fast.¡± Keeping her composure, Bai Youwei continued her invitation: ¡°Would you like to try some? It¡¯s really delicious~¡± Du Lai chewed silently, taking a piece of the flatbread and swallowing it down with some cold water, responding, ¡°Thanks, but you guys eat.¡± He patted the bread crumbs off his clothes and walked into his tent. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged a glance. Just as they were about to say something, a woman¡¯s complaining voice came from the tent: ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me out to eat? I want to eat! What are you afraid of¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t eat¡­¡± Du Lai¡¯s voice responded. His voice was quickly drowned out by the woman¡¯s: ¡°I can¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t do that! Is there anything I¡¯m allowed to do?! Why did you save me if that¡¯s the case? You might as well have let me die! ¡­¡± Her voice dropped as if Du Lai was calming her down. After a little while, her voice became lamenting: ¡°Do you not love me now that I¡¯ve become like this?¡± Du Lai¡¯s voice seemed helpless: ¡°I love¡­¡± Woman: ¡°Then you say it, I love you.¡± Du Lai: ¡°I love you.¡± Woman: ¡°Say it louder!¡± Du Lai: ¡°Cough¡­ they will hear¡­¡± Woman: ¡°So what if they hear?! Is our love something to be ashamed of? Why did you save me if that¡¯s the case? You might as well have let me die!¡± ¡­ Outside the tent, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were speechless. Bai Youwei silently mouthed to Shen Mo: ¡°Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend has quite a character~¡± Shen Mo glanced at the tent across from them, murmuring, ¡°Seems like we were wrong. Du Lai doesn¡¯t have the time to scheme against us now, let¡¯s leave early.¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then nodded: ¡°Mm, okay.¡± ¡­ Indeed, Du Lai had no time to scheme against others now, as he spent almost all his time comforting his girlfriend. This was quite unusual. For a street performer like him, who had seen it all, was skilled in manipulation and well-versed in the tricks of the trade, it was a surprise to see him being so submissive and patient with a woman. Bai Youwei felt she had a very limited understanding of Du Lai prior to this, but today she had truly seen another side of him. And then¡­ She cast a sneak peek at Shen Mo. Would Shen Mo treat her the same way Du Lai did if she acted like Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend? Hmm¡­ She felt a bit eager to test it out. ¡­ Shen Mo was packing up. He was skillful; the fire pit was extinguished with sand, utensils packed away neatly, even the tent had to be undid, folded and bound, ropes were wound adeptly, his actions flowing like water, his arms sinewing strength with every motion. Sensing Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, he looked back at her and asked,¡±What¡¯s up?¡± Bai Youwei fixed her eyes on his, and quietly asked, ¡°Do you love me?¡± Shen Mo was slightly startled, then looked towards the tent across the road, realizing Bai Youwei had been ¡°inspired¡±, barely suppressing his smile. Seeing he didn¡¯t respond, Bai Youwei hesitated, then asked again, ¡°Does this question¡­ make you hesitate?¡± Shen Mo walked over, leaned down and lightly kissed her lips, answering with a soft smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± What the hell is ¡®it¡¯s okay¡¯? Chapter 503 - Chapter 503: Chapter 503: What the Hell is Going On Chapter 503: Chapter 503: What the Hell is Going On After packing things up, Shen Mo returned to the car, ready to rest a bit before heading into the maze. Entering the maze at midnight wasn¡¯t the best idea, but Bai Youwei had her dollhouse, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Unexpectedly, someone else was more eager than they were. Du Lai and his girlfriend, who was fully covered in a black cloak, set off ahead of them, driving towards the maze. This was something Shen Mo and Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t anticipated. ¡ª¡ªThey had been wary of Du Lai, but now it seemed like Du Lai was much more on guard against them. ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel like Du Lai at all,¡± Bai Youwei complained to Shen Mo, ¡°In our previous encounters, he was always interested in my props and puzzles. But now he behaves like we¡¯re some sort of terrible threat he must avoid urgently.¡± Shen Mo stared at the fading taillights, his brow furrowing slightly, ¡°He¡¯s in such a hurry to leave, he probably doesn¡¯t want to have any more interactions with us¡­ it seems he¡¯s worried about his girlfriend revealing some secrets.¡± ¡°Might be,¡± Bai Youwei said thoughtfully, ¡°After all, we are camping on the opposite side, they might feel somewhat intimidated¡­ Moreover, I only saw his girlfriend at the beginning. Afterward, she stayed in the tent the whole time, never coming out, and we only heard her voice.¡± For any normal person, staying in the tent all the time without eating, drinking, or using the restroom, would that be possible? Bai Youwei became more and more suspicious, and wondered if Shen Mo was right ¨C maybe Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend wasn¡¯t human?! Shen Mo asked her, ¡°Do we go now?¡± If they left now, they would likely run into Du Lai. After thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Since he is being cautious right now, there¡¯s no need for us to be overly wary. Let¡¯s go now before they take the lead.¡± With that, Shen Mo didn¡¯t say another word and followed in his car ¡ª¡ª The two vehicles were not far apart, Shen Mo could see the taillights of the car in front. But not long after they set off, a soft rain began to fall from the sky. The rain wasn¡¯t heavy, but together with the cold autumn wind, it brought a desolate feeling. The visibility became blurred. Shen Mo switched on the windshield wipers, but even amidst the night rain, the road ahead remained blurred, and he could no longer see the lights from Du Lai¡¯s car. After driving like this for another two minutes, the road started to become bumpy and uneven. It was no longer a smooth asphalt road, but more of a muddy one like in mountainous areas. ¡°Something seems off,¡± Shen Mo furrowed his brows and stopped the car to check. Bai Youwei also rolled down the windows. The drizzle outside came in, bringing with it the cold chill of autumn. She shivered involuntarily. The temperature drop was unnaturally sudden. ¡°Could we already be inside the maze?¡± Bai Youwei asked, confused. The maze was hidden in the fog, and with the poor visibility at night, could they have unintentionally entered the maze, which happened to be in a cold, rainy environment? ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± Shen Mo got out of the car, the rain quickly soaking his shoulders. He surveyed the surroundings with a frown. The environment indeed had changed. The green belts and buildings on both sides of the road were gone, replaced by dense, dark forest, and a small forest path leading somewhere unknown. Could they really be in the maze already? It was normal for Bai Youwei to think like this, but Shen Mo, being the driver, had a sharper sense of distance than Bai Youwei did. Given the speed they were driving at, it was impossible to have reached the confines of the maze in just two minutes. Unless¡­the maze had expanded again. But the maze had already expanded once before, could it possibly expand again in such a short time? While he was pondering, suddenly a light flashed up ahead. Then he saw Du Lai and his black-cloaked girlfriend hurriedly approaching them, with an air of frustration. Du Lai called out angrily to Shen Mo: ¡°Hey! What on earth are you guys up to?!¡± Chapter 504 - Chapter 504: Chapter 504: Female Fate Corpse Chapter 504: Chapter 504: Female Fate Corpse Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were both taken aback. ¡°We¡­ made the ghost?¡± Bai Youwei said in amusement and annoyance, ¡°The people who created the ghost should be you! We followed your car and ended up in this ghostly place!¡± Du Lai, who previously had a grin on his face, was noticeably agitated and rebuffed, ¡°What kind of ghost could we make?! We just wanted to get to the maze, but obviously ended up in the wrong place!¡± Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend complained, ¡°Can we stop mentioning ghosts all the time? It¡¯s already scary enough, and you people keep bringing up the ghost!¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. The most ghost-like person here was this woman! She was drenched, with wet black clothes covering every inch of her body, her face barely visible. Yet she complained about their usage of the word ¡®ghost¡¯! How ridiculous! Could anyone be more horrifying than her current state? The rain trickled more heavily. Shen Mo frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it in the car.¡± Not wanting to be polite, Du Lai took his girlfriend by the hand and got into the back seat, immediately bringing a wave of damp chill with him. ¡°Our car can¡¯t be driven.¡± Du Lai wiped the rain off his face and said to Shen Mo, ¡°Can yours drive?¡± Shen Mo got back to the driver¡¯s seat, tried to start the vehicle, but got no response. ¡°The car won¡¯t start,¡± he said in a deep voice. ¡°Du Lai, look!¡± his girlfriend said, clutching Du Lai¡¯s arm in fear, ¡°There¡¯s something coming!¡± Bai Youwei also looked in that direction, just in time to see a faint light in the distance, the size of a soybean at first, gradually becoming larger¡­ This light was slowly bobbing in the dark curtain of rain, like a person carrying a lantern approaching them! However, when it got closer, they realized it was not a lantern, but a bunch of ghoulish, blue Ghost Fire! Despite the rain, the fire remained unaffected, leisurely floating in the air, coming all the way to the front of Shen Mo¡¯s car, it¡¯s flickering flame taking the form of a spectral face. ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! This game¡¯s theme is ¡®Fortune Corpse¡¯, and the rules are as follows: One: Refuse the game and become a doll! Two: Lose the game and become a doll! Three: Complete the game and receive doll as a reward!¡± A familiar voice rang out, and the four people in the car simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to multiple uncertainties, at least the game was controllable, the game had rules. However, contemplating the idea of cooperating with unknown allies and opponents caused their nerves, which were just beginning to relax, to once again become tense. Bai Youwei turned to Du Lai in the back seat and asked hesitantly, ¡°Du Lai, did you create this game?¡± ¡°Me?!¡± Du Lai snorted sarcastically, ¡°Miss Bai, you overestimate me. I don¡¯t have the ability to command the Inspector!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly. It seemed that Du Lai did not know that certain items could activate a game, like the gold coin Tan Xiao once obtained. Observing the situation outside the vehicle, Shen Mo said, ¡°Logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be any games near the maze. This game probably started roaming after the maze expanded, and hasn¡¯t had the chance to relocate.¡± Based on prior experiences and information provided by Professor Song, they knew that every game would avoid the maze while moving. So, the periphery of the maze often forms an apparently safe ¡°void zone¡±, an area without any maze or games. Of course, this safety is only temporary, as the maze could expand at any moment. Moreover, once the maze disappears, the games nearby would still be attracted and relocated here. The base in Shanghai was established utilizing this characteristic. Bai Youwei looked around, aside from the tranquil Ghost Fire floating around, she couldn¡¯t see anything else in the pitch-black surroundings. ¡°Since we¡¯ve already entered the game, why don¡¯t we see the Inspector?¡­ Could that fire be the Inspector?¡± Chapter 505 - Chapter 505: Chapter 505: Don’t Understand, Don’t Understand Chapter 505: Chapter 505: Don¡¯t Understand, Don¡¯t Understand ¡°It is likely,¡± Du Lai said coldly, ¡°I remember the base¡¯s intel mentioned the Ghost Fire game.¡± After a pause, he wrinkled his nose in disgust, ¡°But that¡¯s a ghost wall game, not this woman¡­ woman what¡¯s it again?¡± ¡°Woman¡¯s Destiny,¡± his girlfriend interjected. ¡± ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny¡¯ is a tune from the Min opera.¡± Du Lai seemed not to want his girlfriend to make her presence known in front of these two, discreetly pinching her palm. However, his girlfriend was determined to oppose him and raised her voice: ¡°What are you doing! I can¡¯t even speak now?! If that¡¯s the case, why did you save me? It¡¯d be better if you had let me die!¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡± Shen Mo glanced at the woman in black before turning his gaze on Du Lai, ¡°I remember the Min opera is a local opera genre in Fuzhou, but I¡¯ve never paid much attention to it or know much about it. Now that we¡¯re in the game, if we¡¯re to act together, shouldn¡¯t some information be shared?¡± ¡°Indeed~¡± Bai Youwei chimed in, ¡°if you don¡¯t want to act together, you can leave now.¡± ¡°If I have to leave, then I¡¯ll leave! Who cares!¡± the woman in black snapped, her temper larger than Bai Youwei¡¯s. Just as she was about to open the door and get out, Du Lai grabbed her, ¡°Wait a moment¡­¡± His girlfriend frowned displeasingly, ¡°What the heck are you doing?!¡± She suddenly spoke in dialect. Du Lai kept gripping her hand and said to Shen Mo, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s safer to move together. We¡¯ve heard a lot about your extensive experience in clearing games. You wouldn¡¯t withhold any clues you find, would you?¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly, his voice calm: ¡°As long as there¡¯s an alliance, information resources should be shared.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Du Lai nodded, held his girlfriend¡¯s hand and said, ¡°We¡¯ll get off together, we¡¯ll ask the inspector about the rules. If the game isn¡¯t competitive, I¡¯m willing to form an alliance. We will share any information about the game we have.¡± After saying this, he looked at Bai Youwei and smiled, ¡°How is that? Is it sincere enough?¡± Bai Youwei returned a cold smile and said nothing. Shen Mo held Bai Youwei¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get off together.¡± ¡­ A drizzle was falling. The cold wind was bleak. As soon as the car door was opened, the ethereal green Ghost Fire outside flickered, burning even more intensely. The ghostly face amidst the flames grew increasingly abstract and eerie. All four got off the car together. The fluctuating ghost fire floated towards them, its voice genderless, serene, slow, like a mournful chant from the depths of an ancient tomb- ¡°Welcome¡­ to¡­ the doll game¡­¡± The flames danced around them slowly, getting very close, nearly touching their skin, and yet they felt no heat at all. ¡°Rules of the game, as follows¡­ Li¡¯s wife, carried a corpse from the east to the west of the village¡­ then from the west to the east¡­ day in day out, without rest, if you can make her stop, you can win.¡± Bai Youwei, frowning in impatience, snapped, ¡°Speak comprehensibly!¡± Ghost Fire: ¡°¡­¡± Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend: ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s not a human! How can it speak like one!¡± Bai Youwei look annoyed: ¡°I don¡¯t understand, repeat the rules!¡± The ghastly fire stared at Bai Youwei. It recognized her. She had obtained ¡°One Tenth of Me¡± from the rabbit head, ¡°Doll House¡± from the ball, and recently acquired a few parts, which led the comics man to suspect the rabbit head of favouritism, simply because¡­ this player has too many uncontrollable factors, causing everyone much trouble. Unexpectedly, it would meet her in its own game¡­ However, it¡¯s game shouldn¡¯t be exploited by her, should it? After all, its game, among all the doll games, was the most conservative, the most rigorous, and the most solid. The number of times it had been patched was close to zero. Chapter 506 - Chapter 506: Chapter 506: Repeat Rule Chapter 506: Chapter 506: Repeat Rule The Ghost Fire repeated the rules again: ¡°A woman from the Li family transports corpses from the east of the village to the west, and from the west back to the east, day after day without rest. If you can make her stop, you win.¡± Bai Youwei was speechless, ¡°As an Inspector, don¡¯t you plan on translating this?¡± The Ghost Fire remained silent. Of course, it could have explained the rules more plainly, but it suspected that Bai Youwei¡¯s repeated inquiries were a scheme to find a loophole in the game. And it could not give her such an opportunity! This was no ordinary player. Therefore, it had to be extra cautious not to make the same mistakes that the other Inspectors had made. The Ghost Fire cautiously backed away a bit. Bai Youwei was flabbergasted, ¡°Why are you standing so far away?¡± The Ghost Fire replied, ¡°The rule presentation has finished, and¡­ good luck¡­¡± With that, the flame trembled and suddenly disappeared, leaving only a string of tiny shimmering clusters of fire, casting a faint glow along the path. Bai Youwei was speechless again: ¡°This is so irresponsible!¡± Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend commented, ¡°It seems like it ran away in panic¡­¡± Du Lai added, ¡°That¡¯s the Inspector¡¯s style, to appear and disappear unpredictably. Perhaps it will reappear soon.¡± Shen Mo frowned and glanced at the distant clusters of fire, his voice was stern but determined, ¡°Let¡¯s follow the Ghost Fire. The real game area should be up ahead.¡± The four of them fell silent and exchanged glances before following the direction indicated by the clusters of fire. The tiny greenish clusters of fire floated in the air. As they passed each cluster of fire, one went out. Unwittingly, they found themselves deep in the dense forest. The light rain continued to fall. But inside the dense forest, which was protected by the dense foliage, it was drier than outside. With the visibility being poor, Shen Mo manoeuvred the wheelchair carefully and slowly said, ¡°The rules of this round are somewhat vague, but it seems to be clear that it¡¯s not a competitive game.¡± If it¡¯s not competitive, then they could let down their guard for now. Bai Youwei was very dissatisfied and grumbled, ¡°Not just vague, it¡¯s too vague! An ancient character can have multiple meanings, which could easily lead to word games. Who is ¡®it¡¯ referring to in ¡®it never rests¡¯? Does ¡®it¡¯ refers to the corpse transporting woman or someone else? And what does ¡®it¡¯ refer to in ¡®make it stop¡¯? Does it mean to stop the corpse transporting, or just to make the woman stop? Instead of explaining, the Inspector just fled!¡± ¡°The ancient text needs to be interpreted within its wider context and background.¡± Shen Mo tried to soothe her, ¡°Perhaps when we get there, we will understand.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a while and turned her head towards Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the story of the Min opera that you just mentioned?¡± The woman in black was complaining to Du Lai about being blindfolded and barely being able to see the path. She was taken aback by Bai Youwei¡¯s question and lost her footing, almost falling. She was infuriated and tried to pull off her blindfold but was stopped by Du Lai. ¡°Miaoxue.¡± Du Lai called her name seriously, ¡°Stop tampering.¡± The woman in black was even more angered, ¡°It¡¯s pitch black here! How can I move with this blindfold on? I¡¯m not on a wheelchair! Carry me if you can!¡± After a brief pause, Du Lai bent over, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll carry you.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Irritated, the woman in black pushed him roughly. With an overwhelming force, Du Lai fell, covered in mud, in a very embarrassing state. ¡°Am I so unbearable to look at?! Then why did you save me?! Why did you save me?! Wasn¡¯t it better for me to die?!!¡± She was having a tantrum and screeched: ¡°I¡¯m telling you! I want to make a scene! I¡¯m not afraid if they see me!!!¡± ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Upon hearing her name, Du Lai got up quickly trying to stop her, but was a step too late! The wet blindfold was forcefully torn off, revealing the woman¡¯s true face¡ª Chapter 507 - Chapter 507: Chapter 507 Fu Miaoxue Chapter 507: Chapter 507 Fu Miaoxue It was a very young and beautiful face. Bright eyes, white teeth, a fair complexion, black hair, a small nose, and a sharp chin. However¡­ it was a doll. Du Lai¡¯s chest heaved violently. He had painstakingly hidden the truth, only for her benefit, not wanting her to be treated as a monster by others! Bai Youwei was merely disabled in both legs and had to endure so many strange looks. If she appeared before the world, what would be the consequences?! He rushed up to cover her again with a cloth! But she pushed him away once more! ¡°You¡¯ve already seen, what¡¯s the point of covering!¡± She flicked her soaked hair irritably and turned to look at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo. However, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s faces only revealed slight surprise before quickly returning to calm. It was as if her being a doll was nothing shocking. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you surprised?¡± asked the woman in black. With an impassive expression Bai Youwei replied: ¡°We were surprised.¡± The woman in black: ¡°¡­¡± Humph! They were clearly not surprised at all! Seeing that it was impossible to salvage the situation, Du Lai had to resort to damage control and explained to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°Miaoxue turned into this in the game. I used a prop to save her, but for some reason, her body is still in a doll state. I hope you can keep this secret for us! I trust you understand just how much trouble this would cause if others saw her!¡± The woman in black immediately retorted: ¡°So what if others saw! How troublesome can it be? If you find me troublesome, why did you bother saving me in the first place? You should have left me to die!¡± ¡°Fu Miaoxue!¡± Du Lai couldn¡¯t take it anymore, ¡°Can we discuss this after we exit the game?!¡± But her attitude was even more unreasonable, ¡°Du Lai! Don¡¯t think that just because you saved me, you have the right to dictate my life! I¡¯ll live as I please! Either go with my plan, or we break up!¡± Du Lai was too angry to speak, gritting his teeth as he glared at her. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged glances. They had complicated feelings about these two. Although they were evidently lovers, their relationship seemed more like enemies, not necessarily filled with hatred but certainly antagonistic. Especially Fu Miaoxue, who seemed to be venting her anger on Du Lai all the time, and Du Lai simply putting up with it! It was truly baffling! Shen Mo intervened to break up the standoff¡ª ¡°Du Lai, the prop you mentioned, is it an item that can resurrect the dead?¡± Bai Youwei was stunned, looking at Shen Mo. She hadn¡¯t thought about that. Du Lai also paused before his eyes dimmed and he said slowly: ¡°¡­So you two know too.¡± Fu Miaoxue continued coolly: ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up. You may finally get the item after going through great difficulty just to find out that your resurrected loved ones don¡¯t want to live in such a state. Look at me now, doesn¡¯t it seem like a joke? Is it worth it?¡± She said this, glancing at Du Lai. Her casual tone conveyed her scorn: ¡°Are you an idiot, thinking it¡¯s worth it?¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t say a word, his face becoming gloomy. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei remained silent as well. They were considering if such an item was used on Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing¡­ Transforming a person into a talking and walking doll, would this truly be a salvation or simply a new form of torment? Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sure what Yan Qingwen would think when he learned about this, but she believed that Yu Yaqing¡¯s pride would never allow him to become a toy. Because it would symbolize failure, a most miserable one! Unconsciously, they had already left the forest. Outside the dense forest was a hillside. At the bottom of the hill were some houses, like a small village with few scattered lights twinkling through the dim drizzle. Fu Miaoxue stood on the hillside, speaking slowly: ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to know what the play ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny¡¯ is all about? I¡¯ll tell you now~¡± Chapter 508 - Chapter 508: Chapter 508: The Small Village at the Foot of the Mountain Chapter 508: Chapter 508: The Small Village at the Foot of the Mountain Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°This opera is one of the early classics of Fujian opera¡¯s ¡°Scholar Forest¡± troupe. It tells the story of a man named Hua Zhou from Qi Country during the Spring and Autumn period. He led a military expedition against Lu Country, but unfortunately met his end on the battlefield. His wife, Jiang Ji, went to Lu Country to retrieve his remains and buried him in his hometown after facing many difficulties. On her way back, she encounters bandits, but her husband¡¯s spirit appeared and saved her.¡± At this point, she paused briefly, then added, ¡°However, the Inspector just mentioned that the woman who transported the corpse was a Mrs. Li, which probably has little to do with this story. It may just be that the game¡¯s theme chose this name because of the similarity in carrying the remains.¡± ¡°The game won¡¯t give useless clues, let¡¯s keep it in mind for now,¡± said Bai Youwei. ¡°We might need it later.¡± ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡± Fu Miaoxue looked around. ¡°It¡¯s pitch black here, we can¡¯t see anything, and it¡¯s raining, so how are we supposed to investigate clues?¡± She grabbed Du Lai¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Speak up, what do we do next?¡± Just a minute ago she was screaming at Du Lai, now she¡¯s acting as if nothing happened. Du Lai seemed unfazed by Fu Miaoxue¡¯s fast changing temperament, and calmly suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s get off the mountain and find shelter from the rain. We can enquire information from the villagers along the way, they should know something.¡± His plan aligned perfectly with Shen Mo¡¯s thoughts. The four descended the mountain together and saw an old willow tree at the eastern end of the village. On the muddy ground next to the tree were several deep wagon wheel tracks ¨C some overlapped, some intersected, but all were the same size ¨C as if the same wagon had repeatedly passed over and over the same spot. Shen Mo raised his eyebrows and looked around, ¡°These must have been left by the corpse-carrying woman.¡± From the eastern side of the village, she would transport corpses to the west, then from the west she would transport corpses to the east, day in and day out, without rest. Hence the tire tracks left on the road. Du Lai also became alert, observing the surroundings and calmly stated, ¡°The rules tell us to make the corpse-carrying woman stop, but they don¡¯t say what will happen if the players encounter her.¡± ¡°The corpse-carrying woman is key to the whole game. Until we find out more, it¡¯s better not to make direct contact with her,¡± Shen Mo continued to plod forward. ¡°The rain is getting heavier, let¡¯s find shelter as soon as possible.¡± Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue followed him. ¡­ The village was small, with only twenty or so households, and most of them had no lights on, as if they were already asleep. Shen Mo approached one of the houses where a light was on and knocked on the door. There was no response from inside. Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue similarly knocked on several other doors, all with the same result. Some even turned off the light immediately after they knocked, as if they were fearful of something and wouldn¡¯t open the door no matter what. They took shelter from the rain under the eaves of a house, then Du Lai tried pushing the door, saying, ¡°This door latch structure is simple. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to get in.¡± For Du Lai, picking door locks was as easy as eating a meal, no challenge in the slightest. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Shen Mo said lightly, ¡°Even if we break in, we may end up getting driven out by the owner. There¡¯s another house up ahead, let¡¯s try there instead.¡± The house Shen Mo referred to was clearly owned by a wealthy family in the village. There were two stone lions crouching by the gate, and the mansion was many times larger than the other houses in the village, set apart at a far distance. It was likely that the owner didn¡¯t want to live next to the poor, or found them noisy, so they chose such a secluded location, with no neighbors around, and only flowers, trees, and a large lotus pond nearby. Shen Mo was about to knock on the door when he found it already open¡ª The gate to the outer courtyard was not locked. Chapter 509 - Chapter 509: Chapter 509: Must Memorize Chapter 509: Chapter 509: Must Memorize Everyone was taken aback. But since the door was open, they made their way inside. ¡ª It was a three-tiered ancient mansion with white walls, green tiles, vibrant red lanterns that seeped into the darkness of the night, turning darker in the shadow and redder in the light. Coupled with the rustling trees in the courtyard, it was eerily gloomy. In the melancholic pitter-patter of the rain, an old man¡¯s recitation of verses seemed to hover faintly, his voice aged and hoarse¡­ The atmosphere became increasingly creepy. They quickly came across a second door, which was also open. Through the narrow, vertical door frame, they could see an old scholar standing beneath the eaves of the main house, pacing and muttering verses: ¡°Fish, I desire; bear¡¯s paw, equally I desire¡­¡± The four people outside the second door shared a look. ¡°What is he reciting?¡± Fu Miaoxue whispered to Du Lai. Du Lai shook his head: ¡°I can¡¯t tell.¡± Shen Mo frowned, watching for a while before raising his voice from outside the door: ¡°Excuse me, sir, we¡¯re just passing through. Can we come in to escape the rain?¡± The old scholar did not seem to hear him, continuing to mutter repeatedly, ¡°Fish, I desire; bear¡¯s paw, equally I desire¡­¡± Shen Mo became more perplexed and asked again, ¡°Sir?¡± The man continued to ignore them as if he couldn¡¯t hear their words. ¡°Is this crappy game¡¯s NPC supposed to be a deaf person?¡± Bai Youwei, soaked in rain and in a bad mood, grumbled, ¡°The Inspector speaks in riddles, and even the NPCs in the game spout verses. They¡¯re being pretentious for no good reason.¡± Classical poetry was not Bai Youwei¡¯s strong suit. Fu Miaoxue chuckled, ¡°So the Inspector is problematic after all!¡± Shen Mo thought for a while, tightened his grip on the handle of the wheelchair and stepped over the threshold with Bai Youwei¡ª As the wheelchair landed, the two entered the courtyard between the main house and the second door, only a dozen steps away from the old scholar. However, the man remained indifferent to them, lost in his reverie, repeating over and over, ¡°Fish, I desire; bear¡¯s paw, equally I desire; the two cannot be had together¡­ the two cannot be had together¡­¡± Seeing that Shen Mo and Bai Youwei had safely entered, Du Lai also took Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hand and followed them in. Shen Mo, pushing his wheelchair, approached the old scholar, coming directly before him. Yet, the scholar paid them no heed, engrossed in his chant. Shen Mo ventured to respond, ¡°Both fish and bear¡¯s paw are desired, yet the two cannot be had together; hence, one would give up fish for the bear¡¯s paw.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The old scholar paused briefly. At last, he responded. He slowly turned, lifted his head, and looked at Shen Mo. His face was that of a man in his seventies, with white hair, antiquated, but with a pair of dark and bright eyes, staring fixedly at Shen Mo, which was kind of alarming. ¡°Indeed, indeed¡­¡± the old scholar nodded repeatedly, ¡°Fish, I desire; bear¡¯s paw, equally I desire. The two cannot be had together, hence one would give up fish for the bear¡¯s paw.¡± Everyone instantly realized this was an obstacle designed by the game. Solving it would probably yield clues for the next step. Just when they thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, the old scholar continued, ¡°Life, I want; righteousness, I also want. These two cannot be had together¡­ cannot be had together¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei frowned in disgust: ¡°This old guy is never-ending!¡± Fu Miaoxue, grinning, uttered, ¡°This is simple too; it¡¯s to give up life for righteousness!¡± The old scholar¡¯s eyes brightened further, his face full of smiles, ¡°Ah¡­ indeed! Life, I desire; righteousness, I desire as well. They can¡¯t be had together, hence one gives up life for righteousness.¡± Everyone was speechless. This old scholar just wouldn¡¯t stop! Again, he began reciting intently, ¡°Life is what I want, what I want is more than life, hence I would not unworthily live¡­ I would not unworthily live¡­ I would not unworthily live¡­¡± They were stuck once more. Chapter 510 - Chapter 510: Chapter 510: Two Old Men Chapter 510: Chapter 510: Two Old Men Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡± After the old bookman recited ¡°I desire nothing more than righteousness¡± ten times, Shen Mo asked, ¡°Who remembers what comes after this line?¡± Du Lai looked at Fu Miaoxue. Fu Miaoxue rolled her eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I only remember the first two parts!¡± Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei let out an irritated sigh, ¡°Fine, I know.¡± Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue were confused. Shen Mo told them, ¡°Wait here for a while.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Du Lai asked in confusion. ¡°Outside.¡± Shen Mo glanced at Bai Youwei, ¡°We have something to discuss.¡± He led Bai Youwei outside the second door. As Du Lai was puzzled, he faintly heard a lowered conversation from outside, like an old man sighing heavily, ¡°Ah, this is a classic verse that every junior high student must memorize¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t attend junior high!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice overwhelmed his. The old man was silent. Fu Miaoxue tightly clung to Du Lai¡¯s arm, whispering, ¡°It¡¯s so scary~ Another old man has suddenly appeared¡­¡± Du Lai frowned, looking towards the threshold. After a few seconds, an elderly voice from outside recited, ¡°Life is what I desire, but there¡¯s something I desire more than life itself, thus I wouldn¡¯t abandon it for trifling gain; death is what I detest, but there¡¯s something I detest more than death itself, thus there are troubles that cannot be avoided!¡± The old bookman inside the door, a little startled, responded, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing we desire more than life, then why wouldn¡¯t we do whatever it takes to prolong it?¡± The old man outside insisted, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing we detest more than death, then why wouldn¡¯t we deter troubles at any cost?¡± The Old Bookman responded again, ¡°Thus, there are things more precious than prolonging life; thus, there are hardships one wouldn¡¯t avoid at any cost!¡± The old man countered again, ¡°Precisely! There are things we desire more than life itself, and things we detest more than death itself!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not just the wise who know this¡­¡± ¡°Everyone knows it, only the wise do not lose sight of it!¡± These two old men, one responding to the other. Back and forth between them! One with full expression! The other, passionately eloquent! One with robust power! The other, melodiously graceful! In this gloomy old house, two old men passionately intoning together, reciting the entire verse of ¡°Fish is my desire¡±! Fu Miaoxue was terrified. Listening to two old men reciting poems in the middle of the night, it was just too damn scary! Finally, when they finished reciting, the old bookman laughed heartily three times: ¡°Splendid! Splendid! You are all so talented, with your ready wit and profound knowledge, I am truly impressed! Your esteemed presence brightens up my humble abode!¡± He bowed to them, ¡°Please, come in, please come in quickly¡ª¡ª¡± As he spoke, he pushed open the main hall door with a loud thud! Fu Miaoxue let out a short scream, then jumped into Du Lai¡¯s arms! Du Lai¡¯s face looked even worse than hers! (After all, he is not a puppet, his expressions are more vivid.) Inside the brightly lit hall was a long blood-red table with fruit and incense in the middle and high-backed chairs on either side, each occupied by a paper figure! The paper figures were made of white paper, with painted black eyes and red mouth. They were dressed in exquisitely vivid paper robes! The old bookman with white hair bowed to the two paper figures, saying, ¡°Father, mother, we have guests from afar. I invite them to sit for a while.¡± Fu Miaoxue clung to Du Lai¡¯s neck tightly. If she were still alive, she¡¯d surely be crying by now! Du Lai was being strangled to the point of gasping for air. When Shen Mo and Bai Youwei came back and saw the paper figures in the hall, their expressions shifted. After the old bookman explained the situation to the paper figures, he walked out to the door of the hall and bowed to them, ¡°Esteemed guests, please come in quickly¡ª¡ª¡± Chapter 511 - Chapter 511: Chapter 511: The Humble House Chapter 511: Chapter 511: The Humble House In ancient times, a hall usually served two functions ¨C one was to pay respect to ancestors, and the other was to receive guests. There were calligraphies and paintings hanging on the wall facing the entrance, with couplets on both sides. Next to the wall, there was a long table with a sacrificial altar, candlesticks, and fruit desserts. In front of the table was a square table with high-backed chairs on both sides. The rest of the space was filled with tea tables and stools, ready to accommodate guests. After the four of them entered the room, they sat on the chairs on both sides. There were four chairs on each side, but they all chose the two near the door. They didn¡¯t want to be too close to the two paper figures. Next to their seats, there was a plate of nuts, a plate of snacks, and a cup of tea. The old scholar warmly welcomed them: ¡°Please have some tea, make yourselves at home.¡± Bai Youwei picked up the teacup and took a small sip¡­ ¡ª The tea was cold, with a musty taste. It didn¡¯t taste like tea at all, but rather like the rainwater from outside. She quietly put down the cup. She didn¡¯t want to touch the nuts or snacks either. The old scholar asked: ¡°It is a remote and desolate place here, what brings distinguished guests like you from so far away?¡± Shen Mo was very straightforward, he said: ¡°We want to know how to stop the female corpse from walking.¡± Du Lai, sitting opposite, stared at him in astonishment. He hadn¡¯t expected Shen Mo to put it so bluntly. The old scholar pondered for a moment, then replied: ¡°I have been a government official for numerous decades, and since retiring and returning to the countryside, I¡¯ve roamed around. I moved here not long ago, and indeed heard rumors about the ¡®walking female corpse,¡¯ but am not entirely clear on the matter. As it is already late, why don¡¯t you rest here for the night and inquire the local villagers tomorrow, perhaps you can find more information.¡± Shen Mo gave a glance at Bai Youwei, then Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue, seeing that everyone had no objections, he said to the old scholar: ¡°Then we will impose on you.¡± The old scholar stood up, bowed again towards the two paper figures, and said respectfully: ¡°Father, mother, I¡¯m going to take our guests to their rooms.¡± The paper figures didn¡¯t speak, their faces were coated with bright red rouge, smiling joyously, but their silence was eerie and hair-raising. Everyone avoided looking, shied away their gaze, and followed the old scholar out of the hall. ¡­ Behind the hall was the master¡¯s living room, and further behind it was a small garden. The garden was full of winding paths and dense floral shadows, it was charmingly landscaped like an ancient garden. However, the vegetation was too dense, the massive tree crowns covering the sky, far from being pleasant, it gave people a sense of suffocation. The old scholar led the group along the winding corridors until they reached a row of side rooms. He stopped and with a friendly smile said: ¡°This place is simple, please make yourselves comfortable.¡± Shen Mo uttered a brief ¡°thank you¡±. The old gentleman nodded in acknowledgement, turned, and left. Waiting until the figure of the elderly man disappeared, Du Lai pushed open the door in front of him¡ª The side room was less than twenty square meters. There was a bunk bed, an old wooden table, a round stool, a screen, and a washstand. It was already fully furnished. They opened the rest of the rooms one by one, all of them were furnished and arranged in the same way, there were four in total, coincidentally one for each of them. ¡°Are we supposed to sleep separately?¡± Fu Miaoxue clung to Du Lai¡¯s arm and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s too scary. I can¡¯t sleep alone at night!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s pair up.¡± Shen Mo suggested in a calm tone, ¡°We can live in adjacent rooms. If anything happens at night, we can help each other.¡± Du Lai agreed. They chose the two rooms in the middle and each entered a room. The rooms were dark and damp, the bedding smelled of mildew, not knowing how long it hadn¡¯t been washed. Bai Youwei opened her dollhouse, letting Chang Weicai help bring out a new set of bedding. Considering that clues might appear at night, both of them didn¡¯t change into their pajamas, they laid on the bed with their clothes neatly on, in case there was an emergency in the middle of the night¡­ Chapter 512 - Chapter 512: Chapter 512: Babbling Chapter 512: Chapter 512: Babbling When closing the door, Teacher Cheng repeatedly instructed Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to be careful. He also handed over a fully charged rabbit toy as a precaution. Teacher Cheng also wanted to give them the severed hand, but Bai Youwei objected. Because the hand was too noisy, like a person with hyperactivity disorder, constantly picking and scratching around the room creating squeaking sounds. The noises only stopped if the hand was locked in the storage room. Bai Youwei did not want to be disturbed by it at night. ¡­ After laying out clean bedding, they could finally lie down and rest. If one ignored the howling wind and the candlelight¡¯s flickering glow, the accommodation arranged by the scholar was not bad. From time to time, whispers came from the adjacent room, mostly Fu Miaoxue chattering with Du Lai occasionally joining in. As Bai Youwei lay on her bed, fatigue quickly washed over her. ¡°¡­what time is it now?¡± She rolled over, keeping her energy alive to ask Shen Mo. Shen Mo was lying next to her, he lifted his wrist to check his watch, the minute hand having stopped at the moment they entered the game, at thirteen past ten. ¡°It should be around midnight.¡± Shen Mo estimated the time. Bai Youwei thought to herself, ¡°So it is almost midnight, it is normal for me to feel sleepy¡­¡± ¡°Now that Fu Miaoxue is a puppet, I wonder if she¡¯ll feel tired.¡± Bai Youwei muttered with her eyes closed. Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°You can ask her tomorrow.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to ask.¡± Bai Youwei snuggled into his embrace and hummed, ¡°She has such a bad temper.¡± With a smile on his lips, Shen Mo kept quiet. But in his mind, he thought: When I first met you, you were not much different from her, easily set off. After a moment of silence, he heard Bai Youwei softly say in his arms, ¡°But if I found out that I was becoming a puppet, I would probably be freaking out.¡± Shen Mo gently stroked her head, whispering softly, ¡°Sleep.¡± His low, hoarse voice seemed to carry a hypnotic power, and Bai Youwei really fell asleep¡­ ¡­ In the middle of the night, she vaguely heard someone singing an opera. The unintelligible tunes were jarring to her ears and she tossed and turned restlessly in bed. But the singing grew louder, heartbreaking and melancholy¡­ Each line struck her heart, discomforting and suffocating her, making it hard to breathe. Unable to bear it any longer, Bai Youwei opened her eyes. The room was dim, with tree shadows flickering on the window. Shen Mo was lying quietly beside her. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, sensing something amiss. Shen Mo was usually the most vigilant one. Why was he sleeping soundly now? Was he not hearing the loud singing outside? At this thought, Bai Youwei became a little scared¡­ She was not omnipotent, facing such a scary and creepy environment naturally caused her heart to flutter with fear. Particularly when the man always protecting her was sleeping soundlessly, it made her terribly uneasy! ¡°Shen Mo, Shen Mo¡­¡± She gently nudged his arm. Shen Mo woke up quickly. He opened his eyes, looking questioningly at Bai Youwei, and asked: ¡°Why are you up?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°There¡¯s a noise outside.¡± ¡°A noise?¡± Shen Mo looked confused. He concentrated keenly for a moment, only hearing the gentle sound of the rain. He asked Bai Youwei: ¡°What kind of noise is it?¡± Surprised, Bai Youwei blurted out: ¡°How can you not hear such loud opera singing?¡± Shen Mo really couldn¡¯t hear it. He thought for a moment, got out of bed, and opened the door¡ª The sound of falling rain was clearer, the melancholic opera singing was intermittent, but audible. ¡°There is indeed a noise, but¡­¡± Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei and said, ¡°at least to my ears, the noise isn¡¯t loud and seems very distant, like it¡¯s coming from the village.¡± Chapter 513 - Chapter 513: Chapter 513: Heard a Little Bit Chapter 513: Chapter 513: Heard a Little Bit The old scholar¡¯s mansion was very remote, separated from the other villagers by a large lotus pond. Coupled with the incessant wind and rain, it was really hard to hear what was happening in the village. If Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t pointed it out, Shen Mo would not have noticed, hidden among the patter of the rain was the distorted sound of a woman singing opera. Just as they expressed their confusion, the door next to them opened, and Fu Miaoxue dragged Du Lai out, complaining, ¡°There¡¯s clearly a sound, a very loud sound, how can you not hear it!¡­¡± Seeing Shen Mo standing under the eaves, she paused, ¡°Did you hear it too?¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°Weiwei heard it, I only noticed after I opened the door.¡± Hearing this, Du Lai listened intently again, and finally managed to catch the semblance of a tune amidst the chilling wind. ¡°I can only hear a little too.¡± Du Lai said, his face serious, putting away his nonchalant demeanor and looking seriously at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, ¡°It seems like the corpse carrier woman has emerged, but I don¡¯t know why, her voice seems to only affect women. Maybe the key to the game lies with the women.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and check it, you stay and look after them.¡± Du Lai frowned, promptly stipulating, ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, this mansion isn¡¯t safe either. If anything happens, I can only take care of Miaoxue at most. I can¡¯t handle another person.¡± Shen Mo thought to himself, Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t need your protection. But considering they had just allied themselves, there was no need to be constantly competitive, occasionally showing weakness was also necessary. He said coolly, ¡°Then I will stay, you go and check the situation.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be separated from my boyfriend!¡± Fu Miaoxue clung to Du Lai¡¯s arm. Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°Then the two of you can go together~¡± Fu Miaoxue snorted, ¡°Why should we? Why don¡¯t you go with your boyfriend?!¡± Bai Youwei, originally quite angry, felt a sudden shift in her mood at the mention of ¡°boyfriend¡±. She couldn¡¯t rouse her anger and even found Fu Miaoxue somewhat cute. Boyfriend¡­ She glanced at Shen Mo at her side, realizing that she now also had a boyfriend! Meanwhile, Fu Miaoxue was still clinging to Du Lai obstinately. Du Lai, always patient attempted to reason, ¡°Right now, the singing of the corpse carrier woman can only be clearly heard by the two of you, so the voice might have an effect on women, so both of you must stay. I¡¯ll go alone, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Fu Miaoxue asked, ¡°How soon is soon?¡± ¡°20 minutes.¡± Du Lai said. Fu Miaoxue turned her head in refusal, ¡°No! That¡¯s too long! I give you 20 seconds, you have to be back in 20 seconds!¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± 20 seconds? Is that even humanly possible? But Du Lai, as if having seen everything, calmly haggled, ¡°How about 15 minutes? 20 seconds is too short.¡± ¡°15 minutes and you call that ¡®coming back soon¡¯? Why don¡¯t you say you¡¯ll come back slowly then? Can 15 minutes be called soon?!¡± Fu Miaoxue was indignant. ¡°40 seconds! Not a second more!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Pff¡­..¡± She wanted to laugh, but held it in¡­.. After contemplating for a bit, Du Lai said, ¡°10 minutes then. I¡¯ll run over, check what¡¯s going on and come back immediately.¡± ¡°No, no, absolutely not!¡± Fu Miaoxue angrily stated, ¡°The most I can give you is 6¡­¡± ¡°6 minutes, right?¡± Du Lai interrupted her, leaned in to quickly plant a kiss on her face and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in 6 minutes, off I go~¡± Before Fu Miaoxue could react, Du Lai quickly ran out. To save time, he didn¡¯t even take the corridor, but climbed straight over the wall and jumped out! He had a skill in climbing walls, springing high, thrusting his hands onto the edge of the brick wall, and then pushing himself up with his legs, he vaulted over the wall with finesse. Bai Youwei was shocked, ¡°Did your boyfriend train in Qinggong?¡± His technique was merely superb. Fu Miaoxue raised her chin proudly: ¡°Hmph, my boyfriend is naturally awesome~¡± Her face then turned grim once more, she stared at the wall Du Lai had scaled over, murmuring, ¡°I clearly wanted to say 60 seconds¡­..¡± Chapter 514 - Chapter 514: Chapter 514: The Old Woman Chapter 514: Chapter 514: The Old Woman The rain outside keeps falling without pause. Du Lai puts on the hood to his jacket, an inconspicuous gray outfit, and races forward through the rainy night. A plaintive woman¡¯s voice comes and goes, weeping and lamenting, piercing the lingering, chilly autumn rain with a biting cold. Following the sound, he runs to the wall of someone¡¯s courtyard. Sensing that the voice is close by, he deliberately slows his pace, silently searching for the woman singing the opera. But the night is truly too dark. It¡¯s raining and there are no lights nearby. The entire village is pitch black and it¡¯s even hard to see the road. As he hesitates, he suddenly feels that the voice is much closer! As if it¡¯s right behind him! A scared Du Lai hurries to hide behind a nearby stack of straw bales! Just after squatting down, he hears the squeaking sound of a cart wheel¨C An emaciated old woman, pushing a wooden cart, slowly comes around the corner of a house! Du Lai¡¯s nerves go taut and he ducks lower, his eyes unblinkingly fixed on the old woman. In the dimness of the rainy night, he can¡¯t make out the woman¡¯s face, only sensing that she is very old, extremely old¡­ stooped and bone-thin, with disheveled white hair over her shoulders, her stiff and faltering gait makes her seem less than human. The wooden cart, too, looks old and weather-beaten, soaked through and splattered by mud, as though it was dug out from the earth. On the cart, covered by a thoroughly wet straw mat, is a faintly discernable skeleton. ¡ªThere is a woman named Li, carrying a corpse from the east of the village to the west, and again from west to east, day after day, without rest¡ª If we combine Fu Miaoxue¡¯s explanation of the opera¡¯s plot with what¡¯s happening, then this old woman pushing the cart is Li, and the corpse on the cart is Li¡¯s husband. Du Lai holds his breath as he watches the old woman push the cart past him. As she walks, she sings. Her voice is plaintive and hoarse; it¡¯s hard to imagine that such a sound could carry so far, from the village all the way to the annex of the old scholar¡¯s mansion. However, in a game like this, nothing out of the ordinary is actually out of the ordinary. Du Lai stays in place for a while, making sure the sound is far enough away before silently rising up, then quickly returning to the old scholar¡¯s mansion. ¡­ While Du Lai was away, Fu Miaoxue stayed with Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. She didn¡¯t mind being the third wheel. It was certainly better than sitting alone in her room. Bai Youwei curiously asks her, ¡°You technically died once, why are you still so afraid of ghosts?¡± ¡°I may have died once, but I didn¡¯t become a ghost.¡± Fu Miaoxue says disdainfully, ¡°I just became a doll, that¡¯s all!¡± ¡°You turned into a doll huh¡­ so you lost the game?¡± Bai Youwei asks, ¡°Did you enter the game with your boyfriend?¡± ¡°No,¡± Fu Miaoxue shakes her head and speaks indifferently, ¡°I entered the game alone. I wasn¡¯t as lucky as you all, I entered a test game.¡± ¡°Test game, I¡¯ve heard of it¡­ I¡¯ve heard that there isn¡¯t a single person who has survived a test game,¡± Bai Youwei continues slowly. She thinks about something the Rabbit-headed person said. It said that test games are full of bugs, making it practically impossible to complete. Even if a player was able to complete it, they could never come out alive. ¡ªJust like throwing a group of rabbits into an unfinished experimental cabin. Even if a rabbit survived the experiment, does it deserve to live? Thinking about it now, the Rabbit-headed person seemed to be more than willing to tell them about the game system, while other Inspectors would either bashfully dodge the topic or not mention it at all¨C Why does it act this way? Does it have special privileges, or¡­ does it have an ulterior motive? Chapter 515 - Chapter 515: Chapter 515: Riddle Kingdom Chapter 515: Chapter 515: Riddle Kingdom As Bai Youwei was pondering, Fu Miaoxue asked her, ¡°How do you know about the test game? I only talked about it with my boyfriend.¡± There probably aren¡¯t many people in the world who know about it. After all, everyone who entered the test game died. Bai Youwei said, ¡°I heard about it from the Inspector, both my boyfriend and I know.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± He realized that since he entered this game, he and Du Lai seemed to have lost their names. ¡°The Inspector told you about this?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked, confused, ¡°I never met him, there¡¯s no Inspector in the test game, only a set of instructions telling us what to do first, then what to do next¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked her, ¡°What kind of game was it?¡± Upon hearing this, Fu Miaoxue¡¯s face fell, recalling bad memories, ¡°At that time, the internet and power outages hadn¡¯t yet occurred, and the news about people turning into dolls had just come out. I was walking in my garden at home, and suddenly I found myself in a completely unfamiliar place called Riddle Kingdom!¡± The test game was different from the actual game, there was no formal entrance, so there were no triggers, selections were entirely random by the system. Fu Miaoxue angrily said: ¡°That game is just insane! It required players to find clues on their own to leave Riddle Kingdom, but for every question we asked the inhabitants of the Kingdom, we first had to answer one of their questions. My answer was clearly correct, but I still died!¡± ¡°You die even though you answered correctly?¡± Bai Youwei exclaimed, ¡°This game is seriously flawed.¡± Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°One of the inhabitants asked me, ¡®why didn¡¯t the glass cup shatter when the King of Riddle Kingdom threw it?¡¯¡± ¡°Why?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°The correct answer is, ¡®because the cup was caught.¡¯¡± Fu Miaoxue chuckled cynically,¡±Sounds absurd, right? It¡¯s utterly nonsensical!¡± ¡°So what was your answer?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°My answer was, ¡®the cup was thrown into the water, so it didn¡¯t shatter. I thought there was nothing wrong with it, a cup thrown into the water wouldn¡¯t break! But they insisted I was wrong, then they threw me into the water, and I drowned!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± This is such a wrongful death, worthy of being a test game. It really isn¡¯t reliable! ¡°So after that, you were stuck in Riddle Kingdom all the time?¡± Bai Youwei continued asking. ¡°No.¡± Fu Miaoxue shook her head lightly, ¡°After five or six rounds, I was moved to another game by the system. There is no real death in the game, it¡¯s all about individual willpower. Everyone¡¯s circumstances are different¡­ Some people can¡¯t stand it after the third or fourth round and slowly turn into inhabitants of Riddle Kingdom, forgetting who they are and what the game mission is. They only know to follow the rules, ask, ask, and ask. As soon as a player asks how to leave Riddle Kingdom, they present them with the riddle of the glass cup.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re remarkable.¡± Bai Youwei seriously said, ¡°To persist through so many rounds without giving up.¡± ¡°Not as remarkable as you both.¡± Fu Miaoxue smiled, taking in Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, ¡°You¡¯ve been winning from the very beginning, and for me, I¡¯ve been losing right from the start.¡± No matter how excellent she performed afterwards, it was of no use. Because from the beginning, she lost, and even if she was revived, there was no going back¡­ ¡°Being remarkable isn¡¯t about winning or losing.¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°Knowing how you lose means you know how to avoid danger. Du Lai is also very perceptive to danger. Maybe together, one plus one is greater than two, and you might produce unexpected results.¡± Chapter 516 - Chapter 516: Chapter 516: Sing Quickly Chapter 516: Chapter 516: Sing Quickly Speaking of Du Lai, Bai Youwei glanced towards the door subconsciously, ¡°¡­ Du Lai has been gone for a while, hasn¡¯t he? Why hasn¡¯t he returned yet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dark outside, finding the running-chime woman safely might not be easy.¡± Shen Mo asked them, ¡°Can you still hear that opera singing?¡± Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue nodded almost simultaneously. ¡°The sound isn¡¯t as loud as before, but I can still hear it clearly.¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly, murmuring, ¡°If only we knew what the singing was about¡­¡± Since coming out of the dollhouse, she was very sensitive to the dolls in the game. Since coming out of the hide-and-seek game, she was very sensitive to the sounds in the game, always feeling that there could be some key clues hidden in them. But she couldn¡¯t understand Beijing Opera, let alone Fujian Opera? Bai Youwei looked at Fu Miaoxue, asking: ¡°Do you understand what she¡¯s singing?¡± ¡°That¡­ should be lyrics from ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny.¡¯¡± Fu Miaoxue pondered for a moment, saying, ¡°Actually, I also can¡¯t quite remember, but when she sings this tune, I can recall a few lines¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue cleared her throat, humming slowly along with the mournful tune amidst the sound of rain: ¡°In an instant¡­ In an instant, the cold air strikes people, thick clouds cover all around. I can only adjust my clogs, dare not pause. In a deserted wilderness, nowhere to shelter. In waves, oh, In waves, the bitter wind and rain soaks my clothes. Ah¡ª¡ªoh¡ª¡ª Oh heavens! I am weak and helpless, not leaving my family. Just for my husband¡¯s remains, I have trudged over mountains and waded through rivers, enduring great hardships. Suddenly encountering wind and rain, the thunder does not stop its thunderclap. Scaring me to the point my liver and intestines shatter, trembling with fear. Liver and intestines shatter, trembling with fear¡­ Ah¡­¡± The clear and sweet voice of Fu Miaoxue was much more pleasant than the distant eerie female voice. She sang the lyrics in Mandarin for Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to hear, then said: ¡°¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny¡¯ has several long sections following it, but the voice outside did not continue singing. She¡¯s been repeating the section I just sang. Just looking at the words, it doesn¡¯t seem suspicious.¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t figure it out either. After some thought, she pulled out a pen and paper from her canvas bag, deciding to write down Fu Miaoxue¡¯s lyrics. ¡°Sing it again, I¡¯ll write it down.¡± Fu Miaoxue remarked:¡± Your bag really has everything in it. You even prepared a pen and paper¡­¡± Previously, she had heard Du Lai say to be careful of Bai Youwei, even mentioning she was a bit strange. Could it be that Bai Youwei, like Doraemon, has a magic pocket? Fu Miaoxue reached out to touch the canvas bag. ¡­ The feel was quite ordinary, just a regular canvas bag, and no information came to her mind. That means the canvas bag is not a prop. ¡°Hurry up and sing.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her somewhat bewildered, ¡°Let¡¯s write down the lyrics so we can find clues together.¡± Fu Miaoxue absentmindedly responded.¡± Without Du Lai, she lacked motivation. Just as she prepared to sing again, she caught a glimpse of a figure reflected in the window, and her heart leaped with joy: ¡°My boyfriend¡¯s back!¡± Shen Mo and Bai Youwei both looked over, and saw an unfamiliar figure had appeared at the window, judging by the height and build, it looked like Du Lai. Fu Miaoxue went to open the door cheerfully. But when she got to the door she stopped, feeling that something was amiss. The figure in the window remained motionless. Not making a sound, nor showing any sign of movement¡­ Fu Miaoxue remained silent for a few seconds. For some reason, she backed off a couple of steps, whispering to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°Du Lai left over the south wall, but this figure¡­ seems to have come from the east corridor¡­¡± Chapter 517 - Chapter 517: Chapter 517: Shasha Chapter 517: Chapter 517: Shasha Du Lai promised Fu Miaoxue that he would return quickly. Given the choice between detouring along the winding corridor and scaling the wall, the latter was obviously faster. But if the person outside wasn¡¯t Du Lai, then who could it be? All three stared at the figure with caution. In an instant, the atmosphere in the room became incredibly tense. Shen Mo pulled the piece of paper from his wrist. With a swoosh, it transformed into a dagger in his hand, and he told Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue in a low voice, ¡°Both of you, step back.¡± Fu Miaoxue quickly grabbed Bai Youwei¡¯s arm! Bai Youwei tugged twice but couldn¡¯t pull free. Fu Miaoxue turned towards Shen Mo, her voice strained with tension, ¡°Be careful. What if that¡¯s actually my boyfriend outside?¡± Bai Youwei retorted internally, if it really was Du Lai, deliberately trying to scare them by lurking outside, he deserved a good slash. Suddenly, Shen Mo sprang into action! His movements were lightning-fast. The two women were taken aback and before they could respond, Shen Mo had flung open the door! The dagger in his hand gleamed cold and deadly. It thrust straight towards the figure outside the door! A rustling sound echoed. There was no screaming, no shouting. Only the soft rustling, much like the sound of tearing paper! Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue watched in horror as a paper man outside was stabbed by Shen Mo and sliced in two! The rustle¡­ An incredibly thin paper man met an extremely sharp blade. In the span of an instant, it was cut in half, sent flying and then gently fell in the garden below. The falling rain soaked the painted face of the paper man. Black eyeballs¡­ Bright red lips¡­ The color slowly had seeped out, following the drops of rain and depicted a form of painful scars. Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue stood in the doorway, their gaze fixed on the paper doll in the garden. It felt like something was squeezing their throats, and their hearts pounded uncontrollably. They had grown up in the city and even though they had witnessed some folk customs and funeral cultures, most of those were influenced by the West. Now, facing this paper doll, they felt an indescribable discomfort, goosebumps erupted in waves, even their scalps tingled. They didn¡¯t understand why their ancestors had invented something so horrifying. Couldn¡¯t they conduct funerals in a straightforward manner? Paper, being just a thin layer glued to slender bamboo strips and once soaked with rain, disintegrated rapidly. Like colorful muddy scraps, it hung from the bamboo, swaying and trembling in the wind and rain. They were silent for a while when they suddenly heard the sounds of urgent footsteps. As they turned around, they saw Du Lai gasping for breath as he ran towards them! Fu Miaoxue cried out in relief and rushed towards him! ¡°Why did it take you so long to return?! You scared me to death!!!¡± She angrily gripped Du Lai¡¯s collar and interrogated him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll be back in six minutes?! How many six minutes have passed now? How many? Answer me!!!¡± Shen Mo also asked him in suspicion, ¡°Did something happen on the way?¡± Du Lai¡¯s delay in returning was indeed abnormal. His face was as white as a sheet, soaked through with both rain and perspiration. He didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d gone out briefly but rather as if he¡¯d run a marathon! ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it inside.¡± Du Lai jerked his hand free from Fu Miaoxue¡¯s grip, hastily dragging her inside. Shen Mo was the last to enter, casting a cautious glance around, he shut the door. Inside the room, Du Lai sat in a chair to catch his breath. After a while, he told them, ¡°Getting to Yunhai¡¯s woman didn¡¯t take much time, but on my way back, I encountered ghost walls. No matter how much I tried to bypass, I kept looping in the corridor.¡± ¡°It must have been that paper man causing trouble!¡± Fu Miaoxue shivered, burrowing deeper into Du Lai¡¯s arms. ¡°Just now it mimicked your appearance. I was about to open the door for it!¡± Chapter 518 - Chapter 518: Chapter 518: The Young Voice Chapter 518: Chapter 518: The Young Voice ¡°Impersonating me?¡± Du Lai asked, furrowing his brow. ¡°Did anything happen to you all?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°The paper figure didn¡¯t seem to attack us, but this raises questions about why it appeared at our room door?¡± Was it merely to scare people and add a sense of horror to the game? Everyone was at a loss. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Let¡¯s first talk about the corpse-bearing woman.¡± Spotting pen and paper on the table, Du Lai picked them up to draw a rough sketch. There were twenty-three households in the village, each represented by a square on his sketch. He roughly drew out a distribution map and circled two points at the extreme east and west¡ª ¡°There¡¯s an old willow tree on the east, an old locust tree on the west. Based on the scenes I¡¯ve seen and the traces left by the wheels, the path of the corpse-bearing woman is approximately like this¡­¡± He drew a winding line that started from the east, moved to the west, and then looped back. The path was essentially a circle through the village. ¡°An elderly woman in her seventies or eighties, pushing a handcart with a mat on top. The mat must be covering a corpse,¡± Du Lai succinctly explained the situation. ¡°I didn¡¯t show myself, so I¡¯m not sure if she poses a threat.¡± ¡°Did you only see the old woman?¡± Bai Youwei asked doubtfully. ¡°I heard a very young woman¡¯s voice.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Fu Miaoxue added. ¡°The voice sounded very young.¡± Du Lai shook his head, ¡°Apart from the old woman, I didn¡¯t see anyone else.¡± In a serious tone, Shen Mo said, ¡°So, we now have two problems. One, why did the paper figure suddenly appear at our door? Two, why did the voice of the corpse-bearing woman sound younger than the woman Du Lai saw?¡± He paused, and looking at them, said, ¡°Do you have any thoughts about it?¡± ¡°Every household in the village has their doors closed. Only the old scholar¡¯s door is open. It seems that besides asking the villagers about the situation tomorrow, we should also find a chance to investigate this mansion,¡± Bai Youwei suggested. Fu Miaoxue reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we were able to enter because we recited the Classical Chinese verse. If we want the villagers to talk, we¡¯ll probably need to make an effort, just as it was when I played ¡®Riddle Kingdom¡¯. Each inhabitant had a set of riddles to solve! The theme of the game might be different, but many mechanisms are interconnected!¡± Bai Youwei agreed with Fu Miaoxue¡¯s viewpoint and nodded in approval. Those who have played games extensively will notice that no matter how the game rules change, some things always interconnect. ¡°The ultimate goal of corpse-moving is burial,¡± Shen Mo analyzed. ¡°Once we figure out why the corpse-bearing woman hasn¡¯t buried the body yet, we would be close to clearing this game. Let¡¯s investigate together when daylight comes.¡± A trace of a smile appeared on Du Lai¡¯s tired face. ¡°It seems this is like a detective riddle game, where you have to solve A, which usually needs B, and to solve B, you usually need C. The answer comes only when A, B, and C are all connected.¡± Fu Miaoxue sighed, ¡°Damn, this is bothersome. I hate it when I have to use my brain~¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I love using my brain.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Asked Fu Miaoxue, looking at her with innocent eyes. Bai Youwei patted her own leg and said, ¡°Because there¡¯s nothing else I can move.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue had a sudden realization. After a while, she felt something was off. She looked at Bai Youwei suspiciously, then at Du Lai, and whispered, ¡°Why do I feel like she just insulted me?¡± Du Lai chuckled and, taking Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hand, said to the others, ¡°We¡¯re going back to our room. Contact us if anything happens.¡± Shen Mo slightly nodded. All four of them were not new to the game and had their own approach to it. After finalizing their plan, they each went back to their rooms for rest. The scare that night seemed to be but a minor episode. Chapter 519 - Chapter 519: Chapter 519: The Old Man Can’t Stay Idle Chapter 519: Chapter 519: The Old Man Can¡¯t Stay Idle The next day, when Bai Youwei woke up, Shen Mo was not by her side. He was standing by the window, which was half-open. The rain outside had stopped, but the sky was still gloomy. ¡°What time is it?¡± Bai Youwei asked as she got up. ¡°Seven o¡¯clock,¡± Shen Mo replied. Bai Youwei was a bit dazed. Had she slept that long? Judging by the sky, she thought it was five or six o¡¯clock, but it was already seven¡­ She usually couldn¡¯t sleep well in foreign environments and she didn¡¯t know why she fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes this time. She had a feeling that this wasn¡¯t a good thing. Bai Youwei sluggishly got out of bed. Over by the screen were washing utensils: a damp wooden basin, a coarse bristled toothbrush, and a cloth with a musty smell of earth. She didn¡¯t touch any of these things. Instead, she opened the dollhouse and asked Teacher Chang for their toiletries. You might as well bring breakfast too. Teacher Chang had made scallion flower rolls and multigrain soy milk. Every day in the dollhouse, while idle, Teacher Chang cooked, studied menus and significantly improved his culinary skills. Over breakfast, Teacher Chang on the door side asked Bai Youwei and Shen Mo on the other side of the door, ¡°Weiwei¡­ is the game this time difficult?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite difficult. Both Shen Mo and I cannot understand the Fuzhou dialect,¡± Bai Youwei said as she nibbled on the flower bun, asking Teacher Chang, ¡°Do you speak Min language?¡± ¡°Min language?¡± Teacher Chang shook his head in confusion, muttering, ¡°Isn¡¯t it about archaeological poetry?¡± Bai Youwei burst into laughter, ¡°Teacher Chang, have you not had enough fun?¡± He had been debating with someone in a poetry contest with great momentum last night. Chang Weicai smiled awkwardly and admitted: ¡°You two have been taking care of me. I also want to help¡­¡± ¡°If we need your help, we won¡¯t hesitate to ask,¡± Bai Youwei said between bites of the soft and chewy flower roll, which had a savory and salty flavor followed by a hint of sweetness, ¡°¡­.this is so delicious.¡± ¡°Then eat more,¡± Teacher Chang responded with a smile, ¡°Xiaoshen, you should eat more too. There are still plenty in the steamer.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s send some to Du Lai,¡± Shen Mo suggested to Bai Youwei, ¡°He only has ration biscuits. He probably won¡¯t last a few days.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Bai Youwei agreed, nodding her head, ¡°Just tell him it¡¯s from the old scholar¡¯s kitchen. He can believe it or not.¡± Having allied themselves, they could be more generous, sharing their food and drink was no big deal. Shen Mo then took some steamed buns to the neighbor. Teacher Chang later discussed with Bai Youwei: ¡°I¡¯ve almost finished tidying up the vegetable patch on the slope. The place is big, but lacks color. Other than green, there¡¯s nothing else. Shall we plant some flowers ¡­¡± If growing vegetables and crops is for food, then planting flowers is purely for their appeal. It wasn¡¯t necessarily important, it was because the old man couldn¡¯t idle around, he always wanted to find something to do, to prove himself valuable. ¡°Good, in a while Shen Mo and I will dig up a few.¡± Bai Youwei responded enthusiastically. The old scholar¡¯s garden was full of peonies and paeonies, which seemed to be top-grade. Teacher Chang rose, saying, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and find two shovels for you ¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, a crying sound came from afar¡ª Teacher Chang was taken aback. Bai Youwei also paused, immediately closed the dollhouse door and quickly said, ¡°Teacher Chang, I¡¯ll go see, we¡¯ll talk about planting flowers later!¡± She went to the door in her wheelchair, but was stopped by the elevated threshold. This ancient architecture was not friendly to her at all. Shen Mo returned soon, lifting the wheelchair effortlessly out the door. Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°Where are Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue?¡± Shen Mo shook his head, ¡°They¡¯re not in the house.¡± Chapter 520 - Chapter 520: Chapter 520: Those Cries Chapter 520: Chapter 520: Those Cries Just after they had spoken, they saw Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue approaching from the garden. Shen Mo asked, ¡°Where were you guys?¡± ¡°Went to the kitchen to get something to eat.¡± Du Lai raised a plate of cold, stiff buns in his hand, then saw the hot steam bun in Shen Mo¡¯s hand and couldn¡¯t help but pause, ¡°Where did you get those?¡± Shen Mo paused for a moment before answering, ¡°I got them from the kitchen.¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡± Shouldn¡¯t there be basic respect? Even if you¡¯re going to lie, at least be earnest about it, right? Fu Miaoxue wasn¡¯t interested in the food and directly asked them: ¡°Did you guys hear that crying noise? I think it might be a clue. Shall we check it out together?¡± Shen Mo handed the steam bun to Du Lai, ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s go together.¡± Du Lai gently squeezed it. It was soft and with a slight warmth, clearly it hadn¡¯t been out of the pot for long. It was fresh. He couldn¡¯t help but look at Bai Youwei. She was willing to give him the Substitute Doll, suggesting she got hold of a better item. But isn¡¯t balance the key to the game? Why are Bai Youwei¡¯s items all so¡­ Bai Youwei looked calm and composed. Du Lai didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore. ¡­ They all left together. As they passed the main hall, they again ran into the old scholar. The old scholar was crafting paper figurines. The paper man that Shen Mo had smashed was still lying in front of the room in the garden. Only a few bamboo pieces and some paper scraps remained. The one the old scholar was currently crafting was a new paper figurine. ¨C Thin bamboo sticks were woven into a round head and further added to a cylindrical body. Then, coated with layers of white paper, a form took shape. Before he could paint the eyes and nose on, it was just a blank silhouette. The smell of paste filled the air. Another paper figure sat perfectly intact in a high back chair. What was missing was the old scholar¡¯s ¡°mother.¡± Bai Youwei was curious about the paper figures, but when they moved a bit closer, they heard the old scholar mutter as he applied paste: ¡°The gentleman said, learning can never stop¡­ learning can never stop¡­¡± Everyone was speechless. Are they going to have to recite lessons to get answers again? ¡°Let¡¯s go to the village first,¡± Shen Mo said casually, ¡°The corpse carrier woman has been wandering around the village all night, there should be clues there.¡± Bai Youwei mumbled to herself, ¡°I hope not every NPC will have us recite lessons¡­¡± ¡­ As it turned out, while not all NPCs asked them to recite lessons, as Fu Miaoxue guessed, every clue did come with a test. They heard sobbing coming from a house. The people inside were dressed in mourning clothes with constant crying, white lanterns outside the house, and paper underworld coins scattered around. Villagers were coming in a steady stream to lament at the house. Shen Mo and his companions also went to mourn. But they couldn¡¯t enter the doorway, as if an invisible wall was stopping them. The homeowner asked them, ¡°Who are you mourning for?¡± Who? They didn¡¯t know. They had just arrived here last night, they didn¡¯t know anyone, let alone who had died! Without the answer, they can¡¯t enter. They had to ask the people coming in and out. But no matter whom they asked, they could not get an answer. All the mourners had crying faces and aside from crying, they didn¡¯t speak a word. Bai Youwei saw a group of children playing by the corner of the wall. The adults were crying while the children didn¡¯t understand, they were laughing and playing. Among them, one child was holding a puzzle. Bai Youwei felt that it was promising and signaled Du Lai with a glance. With a big grin, Du Lai squatted down in front of the child, asked with a friendly smile, ¡°Do you know who is being mourned in this house?¡± Chapter 521 - Chapter 521: Chapter 521: Conducting a Funeral Chapter 521: Chapter 521: Conducting a Funeral The child expressionlessly handed over the puzzle to Du Lai, ¡°Daddy can¡¯t play with me. He said he will only come back home when I can solve this.¡± Du Lai chuckled and gently took the puzzle from the child¡¯s hand. For street magicians, the puzzle and the Nine Linked Rings are basic skills and must-practice items. In just two or three moves, Du Lai disassembled the puzzle into separate pieces. Placing it back in the child¡¯s hand, he once again ¡°kindly¡± asked: ¡°Kid, do you know what happened to this family? Who died?¡± This time, the child replied quickly: ¡°Everybody knows, Lizheng was decapitated last night. The Ma Family slept next to the headless man the whole night and wet her pants when she woke up in the morning. How embarrassing! Is it embarrassing? How can an adult pee in their pants!¡± After saying this, the child made a face and ran off! Watching the child run off, Du Lai stood up pensively and said to his companion: ¡°In this conversation, two people were mentioned, one is Lizheng who was beheaded last night, the other is Mrs. Ma, who should be Lizheng¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°Who is Lizheng? Is it a name?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked. ¡°It refers to the village head.¡± Du Lai explained, ¡°Last night, the head of this village was beheaded.¡± Fu Miaoxue frowned, ¡°That¡¯s gory. I don¡¯t want to see a headless corpse.¡± ¡°This is getting interesting.¡± Bai Youwei mused thoughtfully. ¡°Her husband was lying next to her, decapitated, and the wife remained completely oblivious, only finding out in the morning¡­ Strange isn¡¯t it? Decapitation is neither quiet nor bloodless. How could the person sleeping in the same bed remain oblivious?¡± Shen Mo added, ¡°The murderer is either a local or a pallbearer from last night. There¡¯s no third possibility. Let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± They attempted to enter the house again. At the entrance, the homeowner asked them, ¡°Who do you grieve for?¡± Shen Mo replied: ¡°We grieve for Lizheng.¡± The owner respectfully stepped aside, ¡°Please come in, honored guests.¡± Having received permission, they somewhat relaxed. If this method works, then the same pattern should apply when looking for other clues. Shen Mo, who was pushing the wheelchair, stopped and slightly furrowed his brows. Du Lai also paused solemnly before the threshold. The barrier at the entrance ¡­ still existed. They couldn¡¯t get in. Why? They had correctly answered the homeowner¡¯s question, so why couldn¡¯t they enter? Just as they were puzzled, Fu Miaoxue walked briskly over the threshold. She tried to take Du Lai¡¯s arm in habit, but ended up grabbing only air. She turned to look back and found- All her companions were still outside! ¡°Why aren¡¯t you coming in?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked, perplexed. Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, and Du Lai all looked at her with complicated expressions, simultaneously realizing a very basic etiquette. There are certain dress codes when visiting someone¡¯s house to pay respects. One should wear neutral colors as far as possible, preferably black, gray or white. Among them, Fu Miaoxue was the only one dressed all in black. Sure, Shen Mo¡¯s shirt was black too, but it was a short-sleeved T-shirt. In ancient times, wearing short sleeves to a mourning visit was considered disrespectful. As for Du Lai, he wore a grey hoodie, but his hiphop shorts were adorned with patterns. Bai Youwei wore a white dress covered by a camel colored shawl. So, in the end, only Fu Miaoxue was ¡°dressed appropriately¡±. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go in alone!¡± Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t accept this. She had just said that she wouldn¡¯t go see the headless male corpse! Why now not only does she have to go see it, but she has to do so alone?! No way! Absolutely not! Chapter 522 - Chapter 522: Chapter 522: A Head Chapter 522: Chapter 522: A Head ¡°Going to prepare for clothing now would be a waste of time,¡± Du Lai patiently persuaded her, ¡°Miaoxue, what you can do is quite simple. Just remember every single thing you see as hard as you can, then come out and recount it to us. That would be enough.¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t go in alone!¡± Fu Miaoxue insisted, ¡°How much time can preparing clothes waste? Can¡¯t you just steal a few black outfits from the nearby area? After all, everyone from the village has come to the funeral, so no one should be home!¡± Oddly enough, what she said made sense¡­ Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, took off her camel-coloured shawl and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with her. You guys can check nearby, if you can find clothes to change into and join us in paying respects, that would be best.¡± ¡°So be it.¡± Shen Mo took her shawl, turned around, and left with Du Lai. Without the shawl, Bai Youwei instantly felt the chill of autumn. However, when she looked at the two gentlemen walking away bear-armed and bare-legged, she felt she needed to improve her physical constitution. Fu Miaoxue and Bai Youwei entered with trepidation. The crying inside was even louder. Lizheng¡¯s home was much simpler than the academic¡¯s residence. It was just a plain courtyard, with a square yard right after the entrance, followed by three large brick-and-tile houses at the front, left, and right. The sons and their wives lived on the sides, while Lizheng and his wife lived in the main house. The coffin was placed in the hall directly in front of them. There were some crying, some singing, some burning paper, and some offering incense. It was extremely lively. The woman known as the lady of Ma family who appeared to be in her fifties or sixties, sat beside the coffin wearing mourning clothes, appearing foolishly lost. The entire room was filled with wailing, but only the old lady hadn¡¯t cried. It seemed as if she had lost her senses due to the sudden shock. Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue overheard some mourners whispering to each other: ¡°Looking at Lady Ma in this state, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t live much longer.¡± ¡°Yeah, Mrs. Li was the same way. First her husband was decapitated, and not long after, she also passed away.¡± Mrs. Li? The first sentence Inspector gave as a clue was: A female, Mrs. Li¡­ Bai Youwei pounced on this information, almost immediately asking: ¡°Was Mrs. Li also decapitated?¡± The mourner replied, ¡°How could it be? It was her husband, Leper Li, who was decapitated. Mrs. Li had dementia. After her husband¡¯s death, she stopped eating or drinking and naturally passed away shortly after. Just like Lady Ma now.¡± As they spoke, they saw Mrs. Ma¡¯s daughter-in-law trying to feed her some water. Mrs. Ma couldn¡¯t even open her mouth and stared blankly at the coffin in a daze. The mourners sighed and shook their heads at this sight. ¡°Mrs. Ma won¡¯t live much longer¡­¡± many echoed this sentiment. At this time, Lizheng¡¯s son asked: ¡°Is father¡¯s last meal ready?¡± The woman who was feeding Mrs. Ma put down the bowl and said, ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡± In ancient times, something was usually put in the mouth of the deceased, known as ¡°the last meal¡± or ¡°subduing the tongue¡±. Rich people would use gold beads or jade. Poor families used food, implying that the deceased would not suffer hunger or hardship on the road to the underworld. The daughter-in-law scooped up a half-spoonful of white rice, about a mouthful, compacting it in the spoon, handed it to her husband who then respectfully said to the corpse in the coffin, ¡°Father, your son has prepared a meal for you.¡± Having said this, he reached out and pinched Lizheng¡¯s chin, trying to put the white rice in his mouth. However, the old man¡¯s mouth remained tightly closed. No matter how hard he tried, he could not open it. The son cried out, ¡°Dad! Please open your mouth, so you won¡¯t go hungry or cold on your journey in the afterlife!¡± The force he applied increased, as he tried to pry open his father¡¯s mouth with the spoon of rice. Unexpectedly, he applied too much force. The old man¡¯s head rolled over, was pried right out of the coffin, and flew out! It landed right in front of Mrs. Ma! Chapter 523 - Chapter 523: Chapter 523: Who Cut It? Chapter 523: Chapter 523: Who Cut It? This sudden change surprised everyone, quieting the entire hall as everyone stared at the skull in front of Ma Family! Lizheng¡¯s corpse had been cleaned up long ago, so when the head fell, it was not bloody, but the horror was in no way diminished! The skull was grey and withered, the hair and skin as well. The eyes were tightly shut, and the skin on the face was wrinkled. The place where it had been severed was coated with a layer of glutinous rice paste, smeared sticky and thick; it had been applied by Lizheng¡¯s sons in an attempt to put the head back. At this moment, the glutinous paste smeared all over Ma Family, carrying a bit of flesh-pink color, which was from the bloody threads leaked from the skull. Ma Family¡¯s gaze blankly moved from the coffin to the skull in front of her. She slowly stretched out her hands¡­ Slowly, she picked up her husband¡¯s head¡­ Everyone watched in horror as Ma Family suddenly burst into laughter during this tense moment! ¡°Hahahaha!!!¡± All the people in the room looked at the laughing old woman, shocked and unbelieving! At a funeral, in front of a corpse, Ma Family was laughing hysterically as if she had gone mad! ¡°Hahaha! Hahaha! Haahaha!!!¡± The ear-piercing laughter echoed throughout the room! Fu Miaoxue, frightened, clutched Bai Youwei¡¯s hand tightly! Since she was a puppet, her fingers were harder than those of a living human, making Bai Youwei¡¯s hand hurt. Meanwhile, Ma Family, holding Lizheng¡¯s skull, stood up, her eyes were wide open, pupils contracted, and her mouth stretched open until it could no longer close, exposing her gums and tongue! Her face was fierce, like a demon! ¡°Ma Family is possessed!!!¡± cried a villager suddenly in the room. Ma Family¡¯s sons and daughters-in-law snapped out of their shock and rushed in to pin the laughing Ma Family to the ground. One of them slapped her hard across the face twice! But Ma Family remained oblivious, her laughter continued crazily as if she had reached the heights of joy, or the depths of pain! ¡°Hahahaha!!¡­¡± Tears flowed down her face, her mouth was split open, her lips stretched to a point where they could no longer open, with blood oozing out of the corners. In the ensuing chaos, people gathered, some yelling about killing chickens to exorcise evil, while others were busy using a straw rope to tie up Ma Family! Others were busily picking up Lizheng¡¯s head, cleaning it, and placing it back into the coffin- Chaos was everywhere! Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue were ousted to the side, following the other villagers out of the hall. The funeral home was in disarray, the funeral was temporarily unable to proceed, and the yard was full of people rushing to relay the news. Ma Family¡¯s sons and daughters-in-law were still weeping loudly in the hall, the scene could not be more chaotic. ¡°Shall we leave?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked Bai Youwei, looking around. She was clearly terrified just a moment ago, but now she seemed completely unbothered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the headless male corpse anymore?¡± Bai Youwei said, shaking off her hand in exasperation, her hand already red. Fu Miaoxue shook her head, her eyes wide open, ¡°Compared to his wife, the headless corpse is nothing.¡± Laughter from Ma Family was terrifying. Bai Youwei glanced over at the funeral hall and said, ¡°Ma Family has gone crazy, her sons and daughters-in-law are all in the funeral hall, shall we go take a look at the back?¡± Fu Miaoxue nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± The two of them headed to the back of the hall. Behind the hall were the bedrooms and a small courtyard. One side of the courtyard was the kitchen, and the other side was piled with firewood. There was a stump next to the firewood. An axe was lodged in the stump. The axe was covered in blood¡­ If one looked closely, one could see a few strands of bloody hair stuck on the blade. Fu Miaoxue whispered to Bai Youwei, ¡°Case solved, right? Lizheng was definitely murdered by his own family.¡± Why else would his family¡¯s axe be so bloody? Bai Youwei squinted slightly and followed the trail of the axe to the threshold of the bedroom. A few dark red bloodstains were visible on the ground, clearly visible even though they had been smudged by mud. ¡°Strange¡­¡± she murmured, ¡± If Lizheng¡¯s head was cut off by his own family, then who cut off Mr. Li¡¯s head?¡± Chapter 524 - Chapter 524: Chapter 524: The Big Rooster Chapter 524: Chapter 524: The Big Rooster From the direction of the bloodstains, it¡¯s clear that someone took the ax from the courtyard, went into Lizheng¡¯s bedroom, killed Lizheng in his sleep, returned to the courtyard, and put the ax back. The ax handle was engraved with a ¡°Ma¡± character, which indicates that this ax was indeed the murder weapon. The disappearance of the blood traces by the stump also suggests that the murderer did not leave the yard. Of course, one could also assume that a murderer, who could nimbly traverse roofs and walls, left the crime scene without leaving any traces. But this game isn¡¯t set in a wuxia novel; instead, it¡¯s in a poor, remote little mountain village. Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t believe that the game would create characters incompatible with its context. She thought, just like Shen Mo said, the murderer could either be the corpse carrier woman or one of the villagers here, with no third possibility. ¡°Why would his household want to kill Lizheng? Was it to assume the new role as Lizheng themselves, so they killed the old Lizheng?¡± Fu Miaoxue contemplated, ¡°¡­But this doesn¡¯t make sense either, if they wanted to fool people, it would be more convenient to simply strangle or smother him to death. Why bother to decapitate him with an ax? And they barely cleaned up the blood ¡­ Also, what¡¯s up with the Ma family? Why did they suddenly break into hysterical laughter?¡± She knocked her head in frustration, ¡°I just hate having to think so hard!¡± Bai Youwei chuckled and glanced at her: ¡°Even though you hate thinking, the questions you brought up are all critical.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure if this was her inherent talent or potential forced out by the test game. ¡°Of course!¡± Fu Miaoxue huffed, ¡°I¡¯m playing the test version of the game after all, I¡¯ve encountered even more absurd situations! I still managed to unravel them~¡± Bai Youwei said: ¡°Regardless, our aim is to discover the reason that the corpse carrier woman refuses to stop her actions. The game wouldn¡¯t provide useless clues; Lizheng¡¯s death, the Ma family going mad, must have some connection with the corpse carrier woman. What we lack now is the bridge that connects these clues.¡± ¡°A customer mentioned the Li family just now, should we go investigate their house?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked. Bai Youwei nodded: ¡°Hmm, we should check it out.¡± The Li family is key in this game; they definitely needed to inspect her home. Just as the two were about to leave, Bai Youwei in her wheelchair suddenly stopped, her gaze directed to one side of the courtyard wall. Seeing this, Fu Miaoxue also stopped and asked her in confusion: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes slightly widened, a look of astonishment on her face as she said: ¡°¡­ Look, over there.¡± Fu Miaoxue looked over. It was just a rooster standing in the corner of the wall, surrounded by a few hens. Fu Miaoxue found it incomprehensible. They were just some chickens, was such a big reaction really necessary? ¡°Could this be the ¡®bridge to the clues¡¯ you mentioned?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked with furrowed brows. Bai Youwei gently shook her head, her eyes fixed on the chickens, saying: ¡°I haven¡¯t seen animals in a long time.¡± The rabbit in the Tortoise and the Hare wasn¡¯t a normal rabbit. The frog in Jin Qiu¡¯s ¡®golden frog¡¯ wasn¡¯t a normal frog. The cats in Hide and Seek weren¡¯t normal cats¡­ At first, she could still see birds in the sky, fish in the water, and occasionally encounter wild cats, wild dogs, and mice scurrying about on the roadside¡­ She didn¡¯t know since when, but there were no more birds in the sky, no fish in the water, and even ants and crawling insects had disappeared. Looking at those chickens, Fu Miaoxue said with a chill: ¡°In no time, you might not be able to see a single person either. Let¡¯s go~¡± Bai Youwei was reluctant to leave, and told Fu Miaoxue: ¡°You go first, check if they¡¯re back, I want to watch the chickens.¡± ¡°Watching chickens?¡± Fu Miaoxue was speechless and walked away, lifting her skirt. When she got to the front yard, she felt something was wrong. Could watching chickens be more important than investigating clues at the Li¡¯s house? She turned back, and saw Bai Youwei still sitting in her wheelchair. Fu Miaoxue looked behind Bai Youwei¡ª Huh? Where are the chickens? ¡­ Chapter 525 - Chapter 525: Chapter 525 Li Family Chapter 525: Chapter 525 Li Family Shen Mo and Du Lai rushed back to Lizheng¡¯s house, where they found Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue already waiting at the door. Fu Miaoxue kept staring at Bai Youwei with strange eyes, as if she was a rare specimen. Bai Youwei paid no mind to Fu Miaoxue¡¯s scrutinizing gaze. She looked Lan and Du Lai up and down, then doubtedly asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you change outfits?¡± After being gone for so long and not changing their clothes, could they have been delayed by something? Shen Mo calmly replied, ¡°We found a place and will take you there later. For now, let¡¯s talk about what you¡¯ve discovered on this side.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei slightly nodded, ¡°During the mourning ceremony, Lizheng¡¯s head fell out of the coffin, and his wife, Lady Ma, suddenly started to laugh hysterically. Some guests said that when a tragedy befell the Li family, he also laughed like this, so we plan to visit the Li family¡¯s house.¡± ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, glancing at Du Lai, ¡°We found a place, which is just the Li family¡¯s house, where they used to live.¡± Bai Youwei immediately asked, ¡°Where did the Li family live?¡± Du Lai said with a cold smirk at the corner of his mouth, ¡°In the east of the village, near the old willow tree.¡± ¡­ The sky was gloomy as if it would rain at any moment. The four of them quickly headed east of the village. On the way, Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue also told Shen Mo and Du Lai about the hatchet. Du Lai speculated, ¡°Given this, the murderer who killed Lizheng must be someone from his family. The game wouldn¡¯t provide useless clues. Is it possible that the murderers on both sides are the same person, and due to grievances, the corpse bearer has been delaying her husband¡¯s burial?¡± ¡°People in ancient times indeed believed in the concept of having unfinished business,¡± deliberated Shen Mo, ¡°Li¡¯s husband, like Ma¡¯s husband, was decapitated. The murderers might very well be the same person. If we go by the line of reasoning that they want to see justice served, we¡¯ll only be able to let Li give her husband a proper burial once the murderer is found.¡± ¡°What if we don¡¯t go by that line of reasoning?¡± questioned Fu Miaoxue curiously. Bai Youwei answered, ¡°When a person dies but cannot rest in peace, there are generally two reasons¡ªunfinished vengeance or unfulfilled wishes.¡± So is the corpse bearer seeking unfinished vengeance, or does she have unfulfilled wishes? The village is not large, and the four of them unknowingly arrived at the eastern end where a mud house stood. Compared to Lizheng¡¯s green-bricked and tiled house, Li¡¯s home looked quite shabby. ©¤ There was only one brick room, the kitchen was a makeshift straw shed in the yard, the courtyard wall even simpler, made of branches and wheat straw mixed with yellow mud and built half a person high. The top was lined with bamboo sticks, which rattled and dropped clods of dirt when pulled with force. The gates were locked, rusted all over. Shen Mo didn¡¯t use much force to pull the rusty lock off the wooden door. Inside, everything lay desolate¡­ No one lived here after Li Laitou and Li died. Dust-covered underworld paper flew all over the courtyard, with the wild grass on the rooftiles rustling. The door squeaked when lightly pushed open¡­ As this place has hosted two successive funerals, remnants of the funerals remained in the house, several pieces of underworld paper covered with dust, some burnt candle stubs, and an ancestral tablet placed in the middle of the house. The wooden tablet read: In memory of the deceased husband Li Qianggui. Li Qianggui. That must be Li Laitou¡¯s real name. ¡°Didn¡¯t Li also pass away? Why is there only one ancestral tablet in the room?¡± Fu Miaoxue curiously poked at the tablet. Du Lai pulled her hand back, ¡°After Li¡¯s death, since there was no one left in her family, no one set up an ancestral tablet for her.¡± Sometimes when a household¡¯s population was sparse, the neighbors had to help with the funeral arrangements, but only immediate family members could set up the ancestor tablets. Bai Youwei glanced around the room and muttered, ¡°How do they not have any children¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps we should ask the neighbors,¡± suggested Shen Mo. As soon as he spoke, everyone fell silent. They had been through ancient texts and solved a puzzle, so this time¡­ what would it be? Chapter 526 - Chapter 526: Chapter 526 The Sun Zi Mathematical Classic Chapter 526: Chapter 526 The Sun Zi Mathematical Classic Next to the Li family¡¯s house lived another family in a mud-brick courtyard, impoverished to the extreme. Generally speaking, in this village other than the grand residence of the old scholar, only Lizheng¡¯s house was somewhat decent in appearance, everyone else was poorer than the next. An old woman sat in the dusty courtyard, smoking a pipe stuffed with crude tobacco, puffing away. The smoke was very strong and harsh, probably the cheapest tobacco leaves. Feeling the gaze from the outside, the old woman lazily lifted her eyelids, took a cursory glance, and then continued puffing on her pipe, paying them no mind. ¡°Seems like most of the villagers are elderly.¡± Bai Youwei whispered to Shen Mo. Whether it was the old scholar, Lizheng, or the Ma family, they were all people around seventy or so. And even Lizheng¡¯s son and daughter-in-law they had seen in the hall were in their early forties. If there were any younger, they were just children. Oddly, there were no youths in their teens or twenties. ¡°In such a remote and poor place, which youngster would choose to stay?¡± The old woman in the yard suddenly said, ¡°Those who could leave, have already left. The only ones remaining are the elderly who cannot move, and the old bachelors who can¡¯t get married.¡± The group was taken aback, not expecting this NPC to offer information so readily. Du Lai stepped into the yard and politely asked, ¡°Do you know the Li family next door?¡± Hearing this, the old woman laughed silently, wrinkles on her face like deep-set crevices, exuding an extremely unsettling feeling. At that moment, a fit of coughs echoed from within the house, followed by an old man¡¯s voice: ¡°I¡¯ve been ill for so long, when will my daughters come to see me?¡± The old woman took another drag from her pipe, gently knocked it against the ground, and said to the old man in the house: ¡°Didn¡¯t your eldest daughter come to see you just yesterday?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t all three of them come to see me together?¡± The old woman scoffed, replying, ¡°That¡¯s not easy. The eldest returns every five days, the second every four days, the youngest every three days. Who knows when they¡¯ll be able to see you again together.¡± While chatting, her gaze shifted to Du Lai, and behind him to Fu Miaoxue, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. Everyone then understood, this NPC was challenging them with a riddle. Bai Youwei breathed a sigh of relief inside. Thank goodness, this wasn¡¯t a difficult challenge. She asked the old woman, ¡°When were the three daughters last together?¡± ¡°They met during the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡± The old woman responded. ¡°How many days have passed since the Mid-Autumn Festival?¡± Bai Youwei asked again. The old woman laughed coldly, ¡°I¡¯m old and forgetful, I can¡¯t remember clearly¡­.¡± Bai Youwei slightly wrinkled her brow. Not just her, Shen Mo and Du Lai frowned too. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Fu Miaoxue was confused, ¡°Is the riddle too hard?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that the riddle is difficult, we¡¯re just missing something,¡± Bai Youwei explained, ¡°This is an old riddle from Sun Tzu¡¯s ¡®Arithmetical Classic¡¯, asking about three daughters: the eldest returns home every five days, the second every four days, and the youngest every three days. After the three daughters leave home together one day, on what day will they meet together again?¡± ¡°How many days?¡± Fu Miaoxue blurted out. Bai Youwei: ¡°Sixty days.¡± The number of days is derived from finding the least common multiple between the intervals the daughters revisit home. That is, multiplying the numbers 3, 4 and 5, and it¡¯s 60. Fu Miaoxue blinked and said: ¡°Then just tell her the answer.¡± Du Lai grabbed her hand and moved her behind him, ¡°What¡¯s missing here is the precondition ¨C we don¡¯t know on which day the three daughters left together.¡± ¡°There should be clues nearby for the Mid-Autumn Festival,¡± suggested Shen Mo, ¡°Let¡¯s split up and look.¡± Once they figure out when the Mid-Autumn Festival was in this game, they could calculate when the three daughters will return home together next. Fu Miaoxue complained, ¡°Why go through all that trouble~¡± After saying that, she bounced up to the old woman: ¡°Hey, your three daughters will be back tomorrow~¡± Chapter 527 - Chapter 527: Chapter 527: A Firecracker Chapter 527: Chapter 527: A Firecracker Everyone was stunned. Including the old woman, who was taken aback. The answer wasn¡¯t, of course, ¡°tomorrow,¡± so the old woman didn¡¯t say anything, just watched them with a baffling stare. ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Du Lai pulled Fu Miaoxue back, concern for her safety evident. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying~¡± Fu Miaoxue frowned and pulled her hand back, before bouncing back to the old woman and said, ¡°Hey, your three daughters will be back the day after tomorrow~¡± The old woman: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei already knew what Fu Miaoxue was up to, and she struggled to hold back laughter. Fu Miaoxue noticed her and shot her an annoyed glance: ¡°What are you laughing at? If a method works, that¡¯s all that matters, right? Who knows how much time would be wasted finding clues for the Mid-Autumn Festival!¡± Bai Youwei, smiling, agreed: ¡°Yes, you¡¯re absolutely right~¡± Fu Miaoxue turned back to continue: ¡°Hey, your three daughters will be back in three days~ Your daughters will be back in four days~ Your daughters will be back in five days~ ¡­¡± The old woman: ¡°¡­¡± Her weathered face stiffened slightly. In the quiet, morose farmhouse, only Fu Miaoxue¡¯s clear and crisp answers could be heard. Bai Youwei was holding back laughter the whole time, thoroughly amused. Shen Mo and Du Lai both couldn¡¯t suppress their amusement ¡ª they hadn¡¯t expected Fu Miaoxue to discover such a bug in the game. Since the amount of answers were unlimited, it would only take a couple of hours to express sixty days ¡ª or even six hundred days. Before they knew it, Fu Miaoxue had counted up to the forty-first day. ¡°¡­Your daughters will be back in forty-one days~ Your daughters will be back in forty-two days~ Your daughters will be back in forty-three days~ Your daughters¡­¡± Finally, the old woman reacted. She tapped the pipe in her hand against the doorframe and scowled at Fu Miaoxue: ¡°Old man, did you hear? These outsiders say our daughters won¡¯t be back for another forty-three days.¡± Ms. Fu put her hands on her waist victoriously and shot a glance back at Du Lai. ¡°Oh, thank you¡­ Cough, cough!¡± The old man inside the house coughed, then said, ¡°What do the outsiders want in our house?¡± ¡°They want to ask about the Li family next door,¡± the old woman replied expressionlessly. The old man inside murmured, ¡°I¡¯m not well. My spirit is low. If you don¡¯t have more than three questions, I should be able to answer a couple.¡± Fu Miaoxue immediately demanded, ¡°How can we clear the game? Why does the corpse carrier keep carrying corpses? What should we do to stop the corpse carrier?¡± She asked all three questions at once, not leaving any chance for others to inquire. Bai Youwei was speechless and stared at her wide-eyed. A moment ago, she thought Fu Miaoxue¡¯s cleverness was like a firecracker. It could give the game an unexpected jolt! But now she realized that this firecracker could also explode on them! She was too unpredictable! The old man in the house was silent for a long time. Finally, he answered slowly, ¡°I¡¯m too old to understand what the guests mean ¡­ What do the guests want to ask?¡± The wife outside the house coldly said, ¡°My husband only knows things related to the neighbours. For other things, you might want to try asking someone else.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Fu Miaoxue replied casually, ¡°then I want to ask¡­¡± Before she could finish, Du Lai grabbed her arm, ¡°Wait before asking.¡± He reminded her, ¡°We have three questions. Think carefully before asking.¡± But Fu Miaoxue frowned, ¡°But what you want to ask, is not necessarily what I want to ask.¡± ¡°Then let each side ask one.¡± Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°Shen Mo and I will ask one, you two ask another, and the last question is decided by all of us together. Is that okay?¡± Fu Miaoxue thought about it, figuring she wouldn¡¯t be at a disadvantage, she nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± So, the first question was posed by Shen Mo: ¡°How did Li Qianggui die?¡± Chapter 528 - Chapter 528: Chapter 528: Waking up Slowly Chapter 528: Chapter 528: Waking up Slowly ¡ª¡ªHow did Li Qianggui die? The elder in the room was silent for a moment, slowly opening his mouth, ¡°Ah¡­ You are asking about Li, the wretch from next door, right?¡± Shen Mo nodded, ¡°It¡¯s Li, the wretch.¡± The old man replied, ¡°Last Autumn¡­ I recall it wasn¡¯t long after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Li family came to borrow white cloth from us, saying that their old man had died. We rushed to their home, and saw the wretch Li laid on the bed, his head severed, the bed was soaked with blood. We asked the Li family what had happened, but they seemed foolish and mumbling, not making any sense. As there was no one else in the Li family, a few of us in the village helped them arrange the funeral. Suddenly, Mrs. Li began laughing uncontrollably on the mourning hall, she refused to eat or drink, didn¡¯t even touch a drop of water, and not long after, she was gone too.¡± The old woman sitting by the door sighed long, ¡°Mrs. Li, a pitiful woman¡­¡± This answer was quite honest, practically everything that needed to be said was said. There was no intentional avoidance of crucial clues, nor playing with words. Next, it was Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue¡¯s turn to ask the second question. The two of them quietly discussed for a while, then Fu Miaoxue eagerly asked: ¡°Is it because you¡¯re all afraid of the woman transporting the corpse that the village closes their doors at night? Why is that?¡± The old woman began to tap her smoking pipe discontentedly at Fu Miaoxue, the pipe making a loud clanging sound, ¡°My old man only knows about matters related to the Li family next door.¡± Fu Miaoxue pouted, ¡°Hmph~¡± Du Lai whispered a few words into her ear. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes rolled and she asked again, ¡°Why do you all close your doors tightly after the family of Li perished, and not open them at night?¡± Isn¡¯t this related to the Li family now? But Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t stop after finishing her question. She said aggressively, ¡°I suspect that Mrs. Li was killed by you all! You make no sense! Stop talking nonsense! I¡¯m aware of many such cases, when the man at home dies, the remaining orphans and widows are easy to bully, right? The person who killed Mrs. Li, not only you all are involved, your whole village is involved too! You intended to take the Li family¡¯s properties and houses! Hence, Mrs. Li died with her eyes wide open, pushing her man¡¯s corpse, unable to find peace even in death!¡± The old woman, suddenly pinned with this blame, was so angry that smoke seemed to be coming out from her nose. She abruptly stood up and shouted, ¡°Wake up Insane! Nonsense!!!¡± Fu Miaoxue was furious, pointing at the old woman and asking others, ¡°Is she cursing at me in the Fuzhou dialect?¡± Bai Youwei was gleefully watching from the side, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who understands Min language?¡± Fu Miaoxue retorted indignantly, ¡°Understanding Min opera and being able to speak Min language are two different things!¡± Just like how some people can sing Cantonese songs but may not be able to speak Cantonese. The old man in the room also grew anxious, he raised his voice, ¡°Why would we plot to kill for wealth when the Li family was so poor that they had to scrape and toil? At night, the village closes their doors because Mrs. Li¡¯s resentful ghost won¡¯t rest in peace! Everyone is afraid of inviting this evil spirit into their homes so regardless of what noises we hear at night, we never open our doors! Li, the wretch, had a head full of sores and was impoverished, if it wasn¡¯t for the villagers¡¯ help, he wouldn¡¯t even have been able to afford a wife! How could we possibly covet his properties? That¡¯s utter nonsense!¡± Miaoxue blinked, turned around, and murmured to Du Lai: ¡°Well, I guessed wrong.¡± A little regretful. Du Lai asked Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, ¡°We still have a third question, do you have any questions you¡¯d like to ask?¡± Shen Mo slightly frowned, ¡°We originally wanted to ask if the Li family had any enemies, but it doesn¡¯t seem likely that there is a motive for revenge here.¡± Du Lai also nodded, ¡°In rural villages, even if there are murders, they are mostly due to verbal disputes, done in a moment of impulse. A murder committed in the middle of the night seems like a long-plotted scheme, but if it was truly a premeditated plan, they shouldn¡¯t have only killed Li, the wretch, and spared Mrs. Li, who was in the same bed.¡± Bai Youwei looked at them and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t have any questions, I would like to ask, why Li Qianggui and Mrs. Li didn¡¯t have any children.¡± Chapter 529 - Chapter 529: Chapter 529: The Village Registry Chapter 529: Chapter 529: The Village Registry This issue wasn¡¯t too crucial, but Bai Youwei was still somewhat concerned about it. Every household in the village had two or three children. Why didn¡¯t the Li household have any? To the point that after his death, there was no one left to mourn for him. The old woman immediately shook her head: ¡°Mrs. Li was too frail, too delicate.¡± The old man in the house then replied: ¡°Mrs. Li was quite young when she married into our family. The first time she gave birth, she nearly lost her life, and although she managed to survive, the child didn¡¯t live past a month. The babies she gave birth to afterwards all died in infancy¡­¡± When the old man finished speaking, he sighed, and said tiredly, ¡°I am tired¡­ Wife, is there any water?¡± The old woman¡¯s face dropped, she got up and went into the house, slamming the door shut with a loud bang. Once the three questions were answered, the NPC exited the scene. The four people outside looked at each other. Fu Miaoxue muttered, ¡°Didn¡¯t people in ancient times get married early? They were wed at fifteen or sixteen. If Mrs. Li was younger than that¡­ how old was she? Fourteen? Thirteen?¡± Bai Youwei reminded her, ¡°Li Laitzi was a poor man with a head full of scabs.¡± Fu Miaoxue shuddered dramatically: ¡°That ugly, how desperate must her parents have been to marry her off to him?¡± Du Lai said: ¡°Perhaps Mrs. Li¡¯s family was even poorer, and like many families in ancient times, they were so poor they couldn¡¯t make a living, hence they sold their daughter in return for dowry, or to save resources for their son¡¯s future marriage.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another possibility.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Mrs. Li herself could¡¯ve been ugly, or ill.¡± Like attracts like. If Li Qianggui was a dumb, poor man with a head full of scabs, then Mrs. Li might also have had some kind of defect. ¡°This might be tricky,¡± Du Lai laughed, ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about Mrs. Li ¨C her name, age, where her family lives, nothing. Hence, we still can¡¯t infer why her dead body wouldn¡¯t rest.¡± ¡°At least we can rule out the possibility of her retaliating against her husband,¡± Bai Youwei analyzed calmly, ¡°No children, an ugly husband, and a poor family¡­I don¡¯t think they were a loving couple under these circumstances. A grudge seems more likely.¡± Shen Mo pondered for a moment, looked up at the sky, and said, ¡°There should be a household register at Lizheng¡¯s house. We should have enough time to go now.¡± Du Lai nodded. In terms of theft, nobody was more adept than him. Du Lai quickly found a house with laundry hanging out to dry, changed into a villager¡¯s homespun outfit, grabbed a handful of yellow earth from the ground to smear on his face until he looked dusty and unremarkable, then he hunched over and headed towards Lizheng¡¯s house. Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, and Fu Miaoxue waited for him outside. It wasn¡¯t long before they saw him coming out. He came out quickly, his expression gloomy. Everyone thought he had failed and didn¡¯t get the register. Much to their surprise, Du Lai pulled a register from his bosom and handed it to Shen Mo. ¡°Got it.¡± Du Lai frowned slightly, ¡°But Mrs. Li¡¯s name isn¡¯t in it.¡± Bai Youwei froze, and then seemed to think of something. ¡°Let me see.¡± Shen Mo had just opened the first page and handed it to her. The first page was an introduction to the village, roughly detailing its population, how much farmland it had, what crops it grew, and so forth. The following pages contained information on each household, arranged in order of seniority, starting from the grandparents¡¯ generation, down to the present. Bai Youwei found Li Qianggui¡¯s name. His parents had long since died, his two brothers had also passed away one after another. Li Qianggui lived to be 70, which was rather old. If he hadn¡¯t been decapitated, he might have lived even longer. Next to Li Qianggui¡¯s name, there were small characters that read: ¡°Wife, Mrs. Li.¡± There was no name, no age, no introduction, nothing. She was like an attachment existing or not, no one would know. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, flipped through a few more pages, and took a deep breath. ¡°Most of the women in this village don¡¯t have names.¡± Chapter 530 - Chapter 530: Chapter 530: It Has Been Dug Open Chapter 530: Chapter 530: It Has Been Dug Open ¡°In ancient times, men were valued over women, so it¡¯s normal for women¡¯s names not to be recorded,¡± said Fu Miaoxue dismissively. ¡°Even if the names weren¡¯t recorded, their family histories would at least be noted.¡± Bai Youwei flipped over to the page about Lizheng, demonstrating to her. Lizheng¡¯s surname was Zhao. Lizheng¡¯s wife¡¯s surname was Ma. Hence, next to Lizheng¡¯s name, they wrote: Zhao, Mrs. Ma, married into this village from Ma Family Village¡­ Even if her name wasn¡¯t written, all the information about Mrs. Ma was crystal clear. Where she was born, which family she married into, and how many sons and daughters she had were all indicated on the roster. Then looking at Li¡¯s Mrs., besides knowing that she was Li Laitze¡¯s wife, there was no other information about her. Fu Miaoxue read through a few more pages and murmured, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s strange indeed¡­¡± ¡°Either she¡¯s from this village or she married into this village from another,¡± Shen Mo analyzed, ¡°Given that the Li Family needed the villagers¡¯ help with funeral arrangements, it¡¯s likely that Mrs. Li had no relatives in this village. It¡¯s very likely that she came from another place, she might even have been bought.¡± With confusion, Du Lai said, ¡°If she was bought, Li Qianggui was 70 years old when he died. After so many years, resentment should have subsided, right? Moreover, both Li Qianggui and Lizheng are dead now. If Mrs. Li had any grievances, they should have resolved.¡± ¡°¡­Look at this.¡± Bai Youwei turned another page, ¡°It¡¯s that old woman we saw earlier, she doesn¡¯t have a name either.¡± Li Laitze¡¯s neighbor, an old man with the surname Liu, hence, the old woman was only referred to as Mrs. Liu. But Mrs. Liu had a bit more information than Mrs. Li: Mrs. Liu had three daughters who got married off to different villages. Apparently, this place was really poor. Every family with daughters would rather marry them off to other villages. They flipped through the roster back and forth several times, gathered quite a bit of scattered information, yet none could be pieced together to form a complete clue. Fu Miaoxue furrowed her brow, seemed a bit irritated and complained, ¡°Is playing the official game always this mentally taxing? Why won¡¯t the body transporter woman stop?¡± After thinking for a while, Du Lai suggested, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because she died alone and was not properly buried? Why don¡¯t we go take a look at Mrs. Li¡¯s grave.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°We should not only check Mrs. Li¡¯s grave but also Li Qianggui¡¯s. If Li Qianggui¡¯s grave remains intact, the ¡®body transporting¡¯ hypothesis doesn¡¯t hold up. Is Mrs. Li really ¡®transporting the body¡¯? Is she really transporting Li Qianggui¡¯s body?¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Fu Miaoxue rubbed her arm, ¡°Your words are giving me goosebumps!¡± Bai Youwei glanced at her arm, ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I just express how I feel?¡± Fu Miaoxue hid her hands behind her back, looking displeased. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Mo looked at the clouded sky and said, ¡°I hope we can find it before the rain.¡± Shen Mo then pushed Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair and Du Lai took Fu Miaoxue by the hand. The two women quieted down as they all headed towards the gravesite. ¡­ The tomb was located on a hill not far from the village. It was where they had originally descended from the hill. As they climbed up the hill path, they could see several graves every few steps, simple mounds of earth with tombstones, or stones weighing down pieces of yellow paper. The sky had darkened. It was gloomy, and it felt like it could rain any minute. Considering Li Qianggui died last year, his grave shouldn¡¯t be too old. Shen Mo and Du Lai split up to search for it. After some time, they finally found Li Qianggui¡¯s tombstone in a desolate patch of weeds ¡ª The tomb had been dug up. The decayed straw mat, now visible from the damp soil, concealed a faint presence of white bones underneath. Chapter 531 - Chapter 531: Chapter 531: Gloomy Wind and Severe Rain Chapter 531: Chapter 531: Gloomy Wind and Severe Rain Judging from the colour of the soil and the condition of the surrounding weeds, this grave had been dug up quite some time ago. They had looked at several nearby graves, but found none belonging to the Li Family. Considering Li Qianggui and the Li family members died successively, and that the Li family had no relatives or friends in the village, it¡¯s unlikely that anyone would have established a separate grave for them. Therefore, it¡¯s highly plausible that they were buried together. To confirm their conjecture, Shen Mo and Du Lai continued to dig the half-dug graves. The soil was loose, with the corpses buried quite shallow. In no time they had exhumed the remains of Li Qianggui. The corpse had decomposed into dry bones, without a coffin, only wrapped in a mat, with clear signs of hacking on the neck, undoubtedly, it was Li Qianggui. Shen Mo and Du Lai continued to dig deeper, hoping to find the remains of Mrs. Li. Although Mrs. Li died after Li Qianggui, according to ancient customs, when a husband and wife are buried together, it is strictly forbidden for the wife to be placed on top of the husband. If Mrs. Li is not on the right side of Li Qianggui, she must be buried deeper. Gloomy winds blew intermittently, the temperature dropped rapidly, and night was approaching. Yet they have gained nothing. Drip¡ª A droplet of rain landed on Bai Youwei¡¯s cheek, making it feel damp and cool. She reached up to touch it, then looked up at the sky. Dark clouds had obscured the sky firmly without a gap, more rain came down, drizzling and then pouring. The rain was intensifying. ¡°Let¡¯s stop digging and leave here quickly¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue, who had been impatiently waiting, stamped her foot in frustration at the spot. She was both afraid and nervous, fearing that Du Lai and Shen Mo might dig up something from the ground. Bai Youwei silently stared at the deepening hole and then at the gloomy woods around, finally, she spoke: ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mrs. Li¡¯s bones are not here.¡± The two men also felt the prospects were grim and climbed up in succession. After catching his breath, Du Lai said: ¡°Li Lai Zi¡¯s bones are here, Mrs. Li¡¯s are not. Does this imply that the Corpse Carrier Woman has been carrying, not her husband¡¯s corpse, but her own all along? If we let her rest in peace, maybe she will stop.¡± The Corpse Carrier Woman¡¯s ceaseless actions are certainly driven by some reason. Either, it¡¯s a vengeance she hasn¡¯t avenged yet; Or, it¡¯s a wish she hasn¡¯t fulfilled yet. ¡°It¡¯s worth a try.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°If what she¡¯s carrying is indeed her own corpse, this approach is worth trying.¡± Fu Miaoxue said: ¡°But we don¡¯t know anything about her identity or her real name! Even if we make her a new grave, we can only write ¡®Mrs. Li¡¯ on the tombstone!¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ the key to this game is finding out the real identity of Mrs. Li?¡± Bai Youwei pondered, murmuring, ¡°Let¡¯s check tonight, to see whose corpse she is carrying.¡± They descended the hill and returned to the village. At this time, the sky was completely dark. In the pitch blackness, only the two hanging lanterns outside Lizheng¡¯s courtyard emitted a hazy light. The dim flame flickered, as if it could be extinguished by the rain at any moment. The village was deathly silent, only the sound of rain and wind could be heard. They took shelter at the Li residence. All the houses had their doors and windows tightly shut, only the uninhabited Li Family¡¯s house was accessible. Ignoring the leaking roof, the ancestral worship tablets on the table, the underworld paper on the floor, and the strong musty smell in the damp air, this place was just about bearable for them to stay. In the bleak wind and heavy rain, they began to hear that hoarse and piercing singing from last night, like an old tape recorder, squeaking and creaking: ¡°In an instant¡­ In an instant, the cold air attacks, and dark clouds gather. This servant had no choice but to presuppose shoes, dare not to stop. Desolate wilderness, no place to hide. A gust¡­ A gust of bitter wind and rain, soaking the clothes. Hey¡ª Ya¡ª ¡­¡± Shen Mo lightly furrowed his brows, holding Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, he whispered: ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly taken aback as she thought he was asking about the sound of the opera, but Shen Mo continued: ¡°Next door¡­ it seems there¡¯s some movement.¡± Chapter 532 - Chapter 532: Chapter 532: Chopping Sound Chapter 532: Chapter 532: Chopping Sound Although they all had entered the labyrinth before, every person has a different constitution, and the intensification and inclination of abilities differ amongst them. Bai Youwei¡¯s hearing was nowhere near as sharp as Shen Mo¡¯s. It could also be due to the fact that her ears were filled with the sorrowful sound of singing opera, making it impossible for her to hear other sounds. After Shen Mo¡¯s warning, Du Lai also noticed the disturbance. ¡°Did someone just open a door?¡± Du Lai suspiciously walked to the window, leaned close to listen again, and said, ¡°Everyone closes their doors after dark, why would there be a sound of opening a door? I¡¯ll go and see what¡¯s going on.¡± The Li family and Liu family were neighbors, separated only by a garden wall. If one could climb over the wall, it would be possible to see the situation next door without leaving the premises. Fu Miaoxue immediately clung to Du Lai, sobbing and refusing to let him go. ¡°Are you leaving me alone again? Why did you rescue me in the first place? You should have just let me die!¡± Her eyes were unable to shed tears, but judging by her voice, her crying was genuine. Shen Mo disliked wasting time, saying straight away: ¡°I¡¯ll go and have a look.¡± The moment the door was opened, a cold wind immediately rushed in, carrying a smattering of icy rain. Bai Youwei instinctively wrapped her shawl tighter around herself. She watched Shen Mo¡¯s retreating back, furrowing her brows as she warned: ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Shen Mo simply nodded in response, quickly disappearing through the doorway. ¡­ The row of bamboo sticks embedded in the mud wall obstructed the view, and couldn¡¯t be climbed as they were too thin and flexible. Shen Mo used a paper doll, transforming it into a dagger to cut a slim slit in the bamboo, looking through it to observe the situation next door. He saw the old woman who had posed them a riddle during the day, searching for something in the courtyard. Shen Mo watched for a moment and then saw the old woman stand up, a firewood axe now in her hand! His heart gave a slight lurch. He watched, shocked, as the old woman casually walked back into the house, holding the axe. The wooden door behind her creaked in the wind. Meanwhile, the old man inside was in a deep sleep, showing no signs of waking up at all! After a short while, Shen Mo heard the sound of chopping! Two sounds, ¡°crack, crack¡±. A while later, he heard a ¡°thump¡±. Must have been the sound of a skull hitting the floor. Unexpectedly, but also quite expected. This could explain why Lizheng died in his bed, without his wife realizing anything. They must all have been influenced by the sound of the opera singing! Worried, Shen Mo furrowed his brows, because Bai Youwei was at a severe disadvantage in this game. After a while, the old woman came out of the house with the axe, expressionless, with a vacant stare. She casually threw the blood-soaked axe back to its original place, then returned to the house and closed the door¡­ From retrieving the axe, killing a person, to returning the axe and resting in the house ¡ª the entire process was exceedingly natural, as normal as can be, without a trace of emotional fluctuation. It was just like sleepwalking! Shen Mo frowned deeply, feeling that their original analysis was still flawed. If it was just a matter of giving Li Shi a decent burial to make her stop moving corpses, then why were these women in the village killing people? They were clearly influenced by the voice of the corpse-moving woman! And this influence originated from the grudge the corpse-moving woman held against the entire village! Shen Mo turned, ready to go back to the house to discuss the situation with the rest. Suddenly, the courtyard door creaked open. Shen Mo thought it was the wind, but when he looked towards the noise, he saw an extremely emaciated, wrinkled face slowly peering out from the barely open courtyard door¡­ An old woman, with loose hair and ragged clothes, resembling a skeletal corpse, was staring fixedly at Shen Mo! Shen Mo watched her vigilantly. The next second, the old woman suddenly raised her arms and charged straight towards him! As she ran, she let out a crazed, hideous laughter! ¡°Hahahaha! Hahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!!!¡± Chapter 533 - Chapter 533: Chapter 533 Sing it Again Now Chapter 533: Chapter 533 Sing it Again Now The laughter was horrifying! Piercing and shrill! Not only did Shen Mo¡¯s face dramatically change, the same happened to the other three in the room! At this moment, a thought simultaneously surfaced in the minds of the four ¡ª Once night fell, every household in the village closed their doors and windows. Was it because the villagers knew that the cadaver carrier would not let them off?! In an instant, the old woman was already approaching, laughing maniacally! Shen Mo drew out his long knife and, without any hesitation, swung it at her! But the knife completely missed! The old woman¡¯s body seemed like a phantom. When the blade fell, it was as if it swept through a cloud of smoke, causing no harm whatsoever! Shen Mo was taken aback. Seeing the old woman pounce, he didn¡¯t have time to think and swerved to dodge! The old woman moved with incredible agility, chasing after Shen Mo, her raised hands looking sharp and terrifying like eagle claws! She left three scratch marks on Shen Mo¡¯s back in an instant! ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± She laughed crazily, her hair disheveled as she chased Shen Mo, her eyes wide open and her jaws wide apart! The shrill laughter was almost piercing through the eardrums! Shen Mo was temporarily at a loss, he could only retreat constantly in a defensive stance. ¡ª He couldn¡¯t harm the old woman, but she could harm him, this fight was hardly fair! Happening upon the cart parked at the entrance of the courtyard, Shen Mo swung his arm to chop off a row of bamboo poles from the courtyard wall, leapt over and simultaneously shouted: ¡°Du Lai! Carry the corpse!¡± The old woman, in pursuit, slammed her lower body into the earthen wall with a thud! Then, like a human spider, she crawled over the wall with shocking speed, chasing after Shen Mo! Du Lai knew that Shen Mo was creating an opportunity for him. He quickly rushed out of the courtyard, lifting the straw mat from the cart¡ª Underneath the mat was a woman¡¯s corpse! The woman seemed to be around 60 years old, her body extremely thin, her limbs like dried branches, grey-white hair loose, her white garment stained with fresh mud, as if she had just died not long ago. The corpse and the zombified old woman looked exactly the same! ¡°Du Lai!!!¡± Fu Miaoxue suddenly shouted from the doorway! Du Lai looked up to see the old woman, who had been chasing Shen Mo, was coming back! She was crawling on the ground with distorting limbs, unbelievably fast! In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Du Lai, emitting spine-chilling laughter from her mouth! Without any hesitation, Du Lai wrapped up the corpse with the straw mat, carried it on his shoulders and turned to run! Bear the corpse, bear the corpse! The ultimate purpose of carrying the corpse was to bury it! Li was so concerned about her own corpse, the corpse must be the key to solving the game mystery. Perhaps as long as the corpse is buried, the game could end? This possibility was great, he had to give it a try! But Du Lai did not expect that the old woman would be so fast. He had barely run a few steps when his ankle was seized¡ª In an instant, the seized leg felt like it was pierced by an icicle! Du Lai fell in pain, his face pale! Shen Mo rushed over from behind, picked up the straw mat from the ground and ran far away. The cadaver carrier released Du Lai and turned to chase Shen Mo! Even agile Shen Mo was no match for her. After running a short distance, he was caught up with. Unable to dodge, he had to drop the corpse wrapped in the straw mat. However, the cadaver carrier still did not give up pursuing them! The frenzied laughter echoed in the dark rainy night, and the entire village was deadly silent. No one opened the door, no one opened the window, Shen Mo and Du Lai had no place to hide, even if they wanted to! In the room, Fu Miaoxue and Bai Youwei were helplessly pacing. Bai Youwei shouted into the dark curtain of rain: ¡°Run towards the old scholar¡¯s house!¡± All the houses in the village were closed. The old scholar¡¯s house was the only place they could hide! Even if there were those strangely acting paper dolls, it was still better than dealing with the monstrous undead before them! Fu Miaoxue was so anxious, she almost wept: ¡°Damn it! The old scholar¡¯s house is too far away, we won¡¯t make it in time! The zombie is too fast!!!¡± Suddenly, Bai Youwei seemed to think of something. She turned to Fu Miaoxue with urgency: ¡°¡­Quick, Quick! Sing that opera you sang last time, sing it again!¡± Chapter 534 - Chapter 534: Chapter 534: Wow Chapter 534: Chapter 534: Wow ¡°Whaah!¡± Fu Miaoxue wailed, ¡°My boyfriend is on the verge of death! I am hardly in the mood for singing!!!¡± ¡°Sing! We might lure the Corpse-Carrier over!¡± Bai Youwei barked urgently, ¡°Sing!!!¡± ¡°What?¡± Fu Miaoxue was taken aback, then came to her senses. ¡°Ah yes, last time it was after I sang that the paper figure appeared. Could this piece of chanting possibly summon ghosts?!¡± She looked to the door. The dim rain obscured her view. She couldn¡¯t see Du Lai or Shen Mo¡¯s circumstance, only heard a shrill laughter in the distance. If they actually lured the Corpse-Carrier over, Du Lai and Shen Mo might escape danger but what would her and Bai Youwei do then? The door to this damn house broke as soon as they entered, so it couldn¡¯t be locked at all! ¡­Never mind! Fu Miaoxue screamed into the dark rain, ¡°Du Lai!!! Run to the old scholar¡¯s house! If not, we are breaking up! Breaking up!!!¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense! Start singing!¡± Bai Youwei urged her. Fu Miaoxue was frustration, ¡°I want to get into mood!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s temper was even bigger: ¡°Wait a few more seconds to feel the mood, and you¡¯ll be carrying Du Lai¡¯s corpse!¡± Fu Miaoxue let out a cry and then began to sob, ¡°Damn it! Shut up! Stop scaring me!¡± Then they faintly heard Du Lai yell, ¡°Miaoxue! Use the puzzle piece! Wait for me outside when you get out!¡± The voice grew fainter, as if he was running in the direction of the old scholar¡¯s house. Fu Miaoxue groped on her body, and found a thin puzzle piece was tucked into her waistband. She was angry, ¡°When the hell did he manage to plant this¡­¡± Looking back into the gloomy rain, she finally mustered up the courage to start singing: ¡°In an instant¡­¡± ¡°In an instant, a cold breath invades, and thick clouds gather. I can only force myself to walk faster, dare not to slow down. In the desolate wilderness, there is nowhere to hide. A gust of wind, A gust of mournful wind and bitter rain, soaking my clothes. Alas¡­ Ah¡­¡± Meanwhile, Fu Miaoxue heard Bai Youwei say behind her, ¡°Mr. Cheng, let me hold your hand quickly!¡± Fu Miaoxue was terrified, there were clearly just the two of them in the room. Who was Bai Youwei talking to?! ¡°Bai Youwei, you scared me again!¡± She complained with a mournful face, ¡°you made me forget the lyrics¡­¡± Just as she was about to turn around, she saw the gate suddenly burst open! An emaciated old woman crawling rapidly! ¡°Ahhhhh!!!!¡± Fu Miaoxue screamed in fright! Bai Youwei threw something out forcefully! Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t see it clearly, a white shadow jumped down from Bai Youwei. It was the rabbit, it discharged a burst of lightnings at the approaching ghoul! The Corpse-Carrier was trembling, backed away abrupt. Fu Miaoxue quickly hid behind Bai Youwei, exclaiming: ¡°Your tool is so powerful!¡± ¡°Quickly close the door!¡± Bai Youwei ordered. Fu Miaoxue was taken aback, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get your rabbit?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Bai Youwei ordered her, ¡°Close the door, quickly!¡± Fu Miaoxue shut the door, then used the only broken table in the house to block the door, grabbing the table edge with both hands, pressing against it! The Corpse-Carrier that had been shocked by the lightning charged once again! Bang! The entire door panel shook! Fu Miaoxue panicked, ¡°How is this monster immune to even lightning?!¡± Outside, a flash of blue-violet light- The lightning was very powerful and exploded with a bang! After that, there was no sound from outside the door. Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t wait for Ms. Li to hit the door panel again. She peered out through the gap in the door, only to see the Corpse-Carrier hurriedly leaving, crawling out of the yard. ¡°She¡¯s gone?!¡± Fu Miaoxue was delighted, ¡°She¡¯s afraid of lightning!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not afraid of lightning, she¡¯s afraid someone will steal her corpse.¡± Bai Youwei coldly said, ¡°Move the table, while she¡¯s distracted, we can hide in the old scholar¡¯s house.¡± Chapter 535 - Chapter 535: Chapter 535: Are You Scared? Chapter 535: Chapter 535: Are You Scared? ¡°Are you sure she won¡¯t come back?¡± Fu Miaoxue hesitated as she moved the table aside to peer outside, ¡°If she catches up with us halfway, we¡¯re all done for.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at her indifferently, ¡°What are you afraid of? If she catches up, it is sure that I will be caught first.¡± Hearing this, Fu Miaoxue coldly snorted, ¡°Am I afraid? What do I have to fear? I¡¯m already the living dead, I don¡¯t fear pain or tickles. Even if she catches up, she can¡¯t do anything to me!¡± Bai Youwei eyed her suspiciously, ¡°So you are now¡­ an immortal body?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Fu Miaoxue glared at her angrily, ¡°I can¡¯t just kill myself for an experiment!¡± Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°What a pity if you don¡¯t try~¡±. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes got even wider, ¡°Demon!¡± After the two women bickered for a few moments, one after the other, they exited the door. Outside, the sky was very dark, and the rain was heavy. The stuffed bunny hopped up onto the wheelchair and lay down on Bai Youwei¡¯s lap, quickly turning into a soggy rabbit. Fu Miaoxue nervously led the way, glancing around from time to time. Her pace was notably faster than the wheelchair-bound Bai Youwei, but she didn¡¯t dare to go ahead alone, always feeling safer by Bai Youwei¡¯s side. After they walked for a long time, with no sign of the body chasing them, they gradually moved away from the village. Not far ahead was the old scholar¡¯s house. A red lantern hung under the eaves, glowing faintly in the black, rainy curtain. Upon seeing this, Fu Miaoxue slightly dropped her guard. However, she felt uneasy again, thinking of the two paper figures inside the house. She really did not want to spend the night in this place, if it weren¡¯t for the dangerous environment in the village! ¡­ Before Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue reached the main gate, Du Lai and Shen Mo heard movement and came to meet them. Seeing both of them unharmed, Du Lai was somewhat surprised. Both he and Shen Mo were strong fighters, yet even they could not deal with the corpse woman and had to run away disgracefully. It was surprising that these two could return safely! Although he faintly guessed that Bai Youwei had something to do with it, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How did you guys escape?¡± Bai Youwei nonchalantly replied, ¡°We used a prop.¡± Shen Mo came over and held her hand, which was icy cold. He frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and talk.¡± ¡ªFu Miaoxue was a puppet and probably wouldn¡¯t catch a cold, but Bai Youwei was weak and prone to becoming ill. The four of them entered the mansion again. The door to the front courtyard was open just as it had been on their first night. The second door was merely ajar and opened with a gentle push. Passing through the stone-paved front yard, the main house was brightly lit. The two paper men were sitting on high-backed chairs, with snacks offered on the table in front of them and a candle flickering. The old scholar, dressed in a gray-green long gown, held a book in his hand and was reading aloud by the paper people¡¯s side. He read very seriously, expressing a sense of nervousness like a child being examined on his homework by his parents. Bai Youwei had thought that the old scholar would have another question for them. Unexpectedly, the old man just greeted them politely upon seeing them, ¡°Ah, our esteemed guests have returned. It¡¯s late, you should rest.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to intend to give them any trouble. That was just as well. They had just narrowly escaped the corpse woman¡¯s claws and really didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with someone else. Somehow, Fu Miaoxue took another look at the paper men. She seemed to fear that they would follow them. After casting a quick glance, she clung to Du Lai¡¯s arm and quickened her pace. Du Lai¡¯s movements were limp. After returning to their room and lighting a candle, the two men checked their injuries. As expected, Du Lai got injured on the ankle where the corpse woman grabbed him. The scratch marks on Shen Mo¡¯s back had turned a greenish-black color, and the skin and flesh seemed on the verge of rotting away. This was not a normal wound. It was more like a poisonous corpse or some evil energy. The mud props had no effect on it. Chapter 536 - Chapter 536: Chapter 536: Venting for Boyfriend Chapter 536: Chapter 536: Venting for Boyfriend ¡°Players who have encountered the Ghost Fire game in the past mentioned that these kind of injuries can only heal naturally, medicines or props are useless,¡± Du Lai said, ¡°It would be best to get some sunlight, it helps to heal faster, but in this godforsaken place, we¡¯re unlikely to see the sun easily.¡± He paused for a moment before adding, ¡°If we stay in the gloomy place, the wounds will gradually deteriorate.¡± Bai Youwei frowned as she stared at the wound on Shen Mo¡¯s back and whispered, ¡°We need to get out of here as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s sort out the clues we have first,¡± Shen Mo retorted, still in a calm tone, ¡°We can now confirm that the corpse that the Corpse Carrier was carrying is in fact hers. And, the women in the village who heard the opera singing women would unknowingly use an ax to behead their husbands.¡± ¡°From this point of view, it must have been Mrs. Li who killed Li Laitzi. The reason why she let the other villagers repeat the things she had done is most likely out of a sense of revenge,¡± Bai Youwei speculated. Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°If Mrs. Li keeps seeking revenge like this, she will end up killing everyone in the village! Will we have to wait until that happens for this game to end?¡± Du Lai slowly shook his head, ¡°I still believe that the key is the corpse. The fact that she is fiercely protective about people touching her corpse must have a reason.¡± ¡°The reason ¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment then hesitated, ¡°Perhaps she¡­ is afraid of being buried again with Li Laitzi, or the fear of being buried without a clear reason?¡± Fu Miaoxue seemed surprised but inspired, ¡°It might be, in her eyes, we are no different from the villagers. She has animosity towards the entire village and certainly would not trust us.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡± Fu Miaoxue pondered, ¡°That means¡­ as long as we can make her believe that we are here to help her, she could let us take her corpse away, and have it buried?¡± Once the corpse is interred, wouldn¡¯t the job of carrying the corpse stop? The four people looked at each other, silent for a while. Playing a game itself involves some degree of luck, sometimes when the thinking is accurate, the path is clear, making the game seem easy, but if the thinking is not right, then it¡¯s like a road leading to a dead end. Without verifying Fu Miaoxue¡¯s words, no one could be certain if it is effective. Bai Youwei said, ¡°In line with the style of previous games, to make Mrs. Li believe in us, either we have to accomplish some task, or, by some item. For example, if we find out the identity of Mrs. Li and shout her name, would she become calm? Or, if we find a keepsake from the Li family, will she trust us?¡± Shen Mo slightly nodded, ¡°Tomorrow, let¡¯s look for more clues in the village, and visit the Li family again to see if we can find something similar to a keepsake.¡± Hid tone was calm, but his face was pale, likely affected by the injury on his back. Bai Youwei worried, ¡°Let¡¯s rest for now. The rest could be discussed tomorrow.¡± Fu Miaoxue felt pity for Du Lai¡¯s foot, ¡°Exactly, let¡¯s rest for now, there¡¯s no point in discussing it this late.¡± She ushered Du Lai to leave and headed to the neighboring room. As soon as the door closed, Fu Miaoxue anxiously whispered into Du Lai¡¯s ear, ¡°I think I know how to beat the game!¡± Du Lai looked at her in surprise, ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Mhm~¡± Fu Miaoxue giggled, ¡°Thanks to Bai Youwei¡¯s hint. Didn¡¯t she mention looking for a keepsake? I know what it is~¡± She wrapped her arms around Du Lai¡¯s neck and whispered even lower, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she took many pieces of the puzzle from you? Huh, that cunning woman¡­ just wait and see~ I¡¯ll get back her puzzles and props! I¡¯ll get back at her for you!¡± Chapter 537 - Chapter 537: Chapter 537: Du Fu Chapter 537: Chapter 537: Du Fu Du Lai had given Bai Youwei a total of 8 puzzle pieces. He wasn¡¯t trying to collect them all. The number didn¡¯t mean much to him, but among these 8 pieces, there were 2 that had game exemption rights. Although uncertain about what the world would become, Du Lai was certain that puzzle pieces would become a scarce resource in the future. Because one maze would only yield up to 9 puzzle pieces, which corresponds to 9 exemptions from the game. So far, the maze codes do not exceed two digits. Assuming there are 9 mazes in total, even if all are completed, only 81 puzzle pieces could be gained. However, there are definitely more than 81 games and definitely more than 81 players. In terms of quantity, the difference is huge. So getting hold of a puzzle piece would only get harder and harder in the future! Last time, he was able to obtain so many puzzle pieces was because Shanghai Base had gathered many players who have ventured into the maze, but what about the future? Du Lai pondered deeply. He didn¡¯t believe that taking Bai Youwei¡¯s puzzle pieces and items was a good idea. Not because of the alliance between both sides, but because until Bai Youwei reveals all her cards, any action carries risk. However¡­ Taking into consideration that he was not alone and needed to plan for Fu Miaoxue, the more puzzle pieces, the better. This risk was worth a shot. Du Lai asked Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Do you think we have a chance?¡± Fu Miaoxue lifted her chin pridefully and said, ¡°Eighty percent.¡± After thinking for a while, Du Lai admonished her, ¡°Do not make a move until the last moment. This duo managed to complete so many games. It¡¯s definitely not just because of luck¡­¡± ¡°Boring!¡± Fu Miaoxue rolled her eyes, ¡°You just don¡¯t think I can beat her! Why did you save me in the first place then? You would¡¯ve let me die!¡± Du Lai hugged her and kissed her, whispering sweetly, ¡°Unless I¡¯m dead, you must stay alive.¡± Fu Miaoxue squirmed in his arms and snorted, ¡°I¡¯ll decide based on your performance~¡± ¡­ The night was quiet, with only the sound of the rain outside. Bai Youwei, unaware of the plans next door, sat by the bed, her brow furrowed as she looked at the wound on Shen Mo¡¯s back. Three scratch marks, no blood, but they left a bluish-black mark on his skin. The skin was barely holding together, the bruise was gradually spreading as if he had been poisoned. This time Shen Mo had really suffered a great deal. Even with an item that could cut through anything, he was helpless against the ghost-like female apparition. Unable to lie on his back due to his injury, Shen Mo slept on his front, softly squeezing Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, he said, ¡°Go to sleep. It will get better once the game is over.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips, her face tense. After a while, she said: ¡°Earlier, Du Lai mentioned that this kind of injury can only heal itself. Sunlight can speed up the healing process and according to folk¡­ Feng, Jian, Mi, Xin¡¯s saying, it¡¯s actually about replenishing yang energy? Apart from sunlight, rooster blood also carries strong yang energy¡­¡± She paused for a moment and hesitated, ¡°Also¡­ urine from a young child is said to be very strong in yang energy, should we try to get some from Xiaoxin¡­¡± Shen Mo chuckled, reaching out to caress her head, ¡°Stop fooling around, come and lie down with me for a while.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, slowly climbing onto the bed, she lay on her side next to him. ¡°Are you sure we won¡¯t try it?¡± she asked, not giving up easily. Shen Mo grinned, ¡°If we are using Xiaoxin¡¯s, mine would do just as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei blushed. She felt that she and Shen Mo had vastly different understandings of a child¡¯s urine. When she said child¡¯s urine, didn¡¯t she mean actual urine from a child under the age of 12? Then she wondered: is he flirting with me¡­ Bai Youwei stared at Shen Mo shyly. Shen Mo smiled slightly, whispering, ¡°Come closer.¡± Bai Youwei scooted closer to him, whispering, ¡°You come closer too~¡± Shen Mo laughed, ¡°Alright, I will come closer too.¡± He moved closer to her lips and gave her a kiss. She also¡­ kissed him back. Then he again¡­ And then she¡­ ¡­ A game they wouldn¡¯t tire of after playing all night. Chapter 538 - Chapter 538: Chapter 538: Stop Playing Dead Chapter 538: Chapter 538: Stop Playing Dead The next morning, the sky was still grey. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t remember when she fell asleep, and upon asking Shen Mo, she learned that it was already eight o¡¯clock. This feeling was terrible. Especially since Lizheng¡¯s wife, from the Ma Family, and Li Laizi¡¯s neighbor, Mrs. Liu, had committed felonies in the dead of night. It made her increasingly wary about the dangers of falling asleep at night. Voices could be heard from outside, Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue had seemingly awoken already. Bai Youwei also sluggishly arose, pondering about the events within the game whilst slowly washing. Laughter like silver bells sporadically drifted into the room, but it was unclear what the man and woman outside were joking about. Bai Youwei slightly furrowed her brows but didn¡¯t say anything. Shen Mo was swiftly tidying the place up on one side and discussed with Bai Youwei: ¡°Although the information is fragmented, we actually have numerous leads, Mrs. Li¡¯s name and background are unknown; Mrs. Li married Li Qianggui, who is very poor and covered in scales; Mrs. Li has not had any children for several decades after her wedding; Mrs. Li harbored a deep grudge against the village; Mrs. Li does not allow outsiders to touch her remains¡­. In ancient times, there were people who specialized in human trafficking. Mrs. Li¡¯s appearance in the village certainly wasn¡¯t voluntary. We could try looking for other women with unknown names and backgrounds. If we come across women who were also sold as part of the same transaction, we might be able to figure out Mrs. Li¡¯s real identity.¡± They had a name list of the village at hand and could look for each person one-by-one. Bai Youwei gave a nod, ¡°Okay.¡± Upon opening the door, she saw Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai strolling in the garden outside. These two certainly had a romantic vibe between them. Du Lai was performing a magic trick to amuse Fu Miaoxue, creating a peony flower at one moment, and a Chinese herbaceous peony the next. His long and nimble fingers danced in the air, like a dance belonging solely to the fingers. Fu Miaoxue noticed the door of Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s room opening and greeted them with a cheery smile: ¡°Good morning~¡± Bai Youwei also gave a faint smile, ¡°Your spirits are so high; have you found a way to get through the game?¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s smile froze on her face: ¡°¡­¡± Damn it, this woman is a demon! £¨Damn it, a common venting phrase in Shanghainese, akin to ¡®Damn¡¯.£© ¡°No¡­ Not at all~¡± Fu Miaoxue draped her arm around Du Lai, leaned her head on his shoulder, ¡°As long as I am with my boyfriend, even if we can¡¯t get through the game, I am happy~¡± ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± Bai Youwei nodded in seriousness, ¡°But my boyfriend and I will definitely get out. After all, we still have two unused puzzle pieces. Speaking of which, we had obtained these puzzle pieces from your boyfriend, didn¡¯t he tell you about it? He had traded a prop with me for the puzzle piece. Looking back at it, he was probably exchanging props to save you, right? Hmmm¡­ in a way, you indirectly saved my boyfriend and me~¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡± Demon! Demon! Demon! Demon! Demon!¡­ Bai Youwei blinked, looked at her, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing,¡± Fu Miaoxue quickly adjusted her smile, placed a peony on her head, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Look, it¡¯s a gift from my boyfriend. Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± Bai Youwei looked a bit confused, glanced at the nearby flower bed, and said: ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird to put flowers like these in your hair? There may be corpses buried under these flowers.¡± Fu Miaoxue looked anxious upon hearing this, ¡°Really¡­?¡± ¡°Look there,¡± Bai Youwei pointed to the bottom of the flower bed. Fu Miaoxue glanced over and saw an arm laying in the mud beneath the dense and lush floral leaves! ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!!¡± Fu Miaoxue screamed! She yanked off the peony from her head and ran frantically into the room, frightened out of her wits! ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Du Lai hastened to follow her into the room. Once the two had left, the expression on Bai Youwei¡¯s face instantly cooled down, she looked blankly at the arm. ¡°Stop pretending, come with me.¡± Chapter 539 - Chapter 539: Chapter 539: The Falling Leaves Return to their Roots Chapter 539: Chapter 539: The Falling Leaves Return to their Roots Bai Youwei took the severed hand to the backyard kitchen, letting it bathe in the large water tank. The severed hand rolled around in the water tank, having a blast. Last night, it was thrown by Bai Youwei to snatch some carcass, getting all muddy and dirty, but it was still very nimble. It seems that the Yin Qi of the corpse-moving woman could only harm players, not affecting objects. ¡°If only it were a bit larger, it might have been able to snatch the carcass.¡± Bai Youwei sighed lightly as she looked at the severed hand, ¡°It¡¯s too small, not strong enough.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°If it were larger, you might have found it cumbersome.¡± Bai Youwei stared at him wide-eyed, ¡°No way, I like larger ones, the bigger the better.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen Mo moved his lips but didn¡¯t say another word. ¡°Let¡¯s call them later to go to the village together,¡± Shen Mo said after a pause. Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Maybe we should just go by ourselves. They¡¯ve been acting weird and I just scared Fu Miaoxue. Is it really okay to find them now?¡± Shen Mo laughed, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll just go together.¡± Lastly, thinking about Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue, he mused, ¡°Fu Miaoxue is like a lady ¨C her manners and temperament ¨C but her speech is entirely vulgar.¡± Constantly cursing, mainly at Du Lai, ¡°Your head is full of shit~¡± Bai Youwei nodded and added, ¡°Yes, and have you noticed their relationship is rather interesting? Du Lai always seems a bit subservient and eager to please around Fu Miaoxue.¡± She still remembered when she first met Du Lai, he showed his strong teeth, smiled freely and arrogantly, and claimed he only dealt with smart people. But that arrogance dissipated entirely around Fu Miaoxue. How should I put it, the old saying goes ¨C Every Jack has his Jill. ¡­ At that moment, Fu Miaoxue was shivering in Du Lai¡¯s arms, both terrified and scared to death! Her courage was quite high among women, but she was truly afraid of dead bodies, ghosts, and body parts! ¡°I have to get out of this damn game! I can¡¯t wait another minute¡­ No, another second!¡± Fu Miaoxue sobbed in Du Lai¡¯s arms, ¡°It¡¯s too scary here!¡± Du Lai was helpless, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would wait until nightfall?¡± ¡°We can find the things first and act as soon as it gets dark, okay?¡± she pleaded, ¡°Bai Youwei won¡¯t find out! She doesn¡¯t understand Min Opera, and the lyrics of that aria were off, even I just noticed last night! ¡®Oh heavens, I am a fragile lone actor, I hope to return to my roots, endure all hardships¡¯ See, the corpse-moving woman¡¯s goal is ¡®returning to roots,¡¯ not ¡®husband¡¯s remains¡¯!¡± Like hearing ¡°Twinkle, twinkle, little star¡± and automatically singing ¡°How I wonder what you are,¡± it had become habitual. Plus, it was rainy and everyone was on edge, so Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t immediately realize the lyrics had changed. But now she had found the abnormality. And she had no intention of sharing this information with Bai Youwei. ¡°To return to one¡¯s roots, the root is where people come from, since she didn¡¯t want to be buried here, she could only be buried at the place we discovered!¡± Fu Miaoxue implored Du Lai, ¡°We just need to find the charm, and we can give her a proper burial. Let¡¯s go¡­ the sooner we find the charm, the less scared I¡¯ll be!¡± After pondering, Du Lai finally nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± Chapter 540 - Chapter 540: Chapter 540: This is the Token Chapter 540: Chapter 540: This is the Token Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai went to the front courtyard parlour, the place where the old scholar had greeted them. Maybe because it was daytime, the paper people who used to sit in the parlour were gone. Despite the absence of the paper people, just the sight of those high-backed chairs was enough to send chills down Fu Miaoxue¡¯s spine. She did not dare to look any longer, and went directly to the rear of the parlour, pulling Du Lai along. This was the old scholar¡¯s bedroom. The furnishings inside were much more extravagant than outside ¨C a golden washbasin, an intricately painted porcelain bottle, a smooth and glossy white jade pillow, and a carved, complex vanity table¡­ Fu Miaoxue walked over to a luxurious canopy bed and patted on the golden silk quilt that was on it. ¡°Look at this; the sheets and quilt are all embroidered with gold threads. What kind of person sleeps in such a bed? I don¡¯t think even an emperor would sleep in this, right?¡± As she spoke, she smiled and looked around the room. ¡°Only one kind of person would sleep in such a bed ¨C the dead. This room is prepared for the deceased. All these items are burial goods!¡± Du Lai walked over to the dressing table, pulled open the small drawers, which contained some finely crafted combs and hairpins that women use. They had seen this room when they had been wandering around the mansion before, but hadn¡¯t thought much of it at the time. Firstly, the old scholar had claimed to have been an official for decades, so it was normal for his home to be lavishly decorated. Secondly, perhaps the dressing table was used by the old scholar¡¯s wife. The fact that they hadn¡¯t seen her didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t exist. And it was far-fetched to associate the sight of a woman¡¯s dressing table with the corpse bride. Looking at this room again, they finally realized that the layout and decoration were more similar to¡­ a woman¡¯s bedroom. And then there was the bed¡­ A quilt embroidered with golden threads? Wouldn¡¯t that be uncomfortable to lay on? If Fu Miaoxue¡¯s conjecture was correct, the room was a burial chamber, and the mansion was a tomb. They had been living inside a tomb all this time! This thought made Du Lai frown. ¡°Have you found the token?¡± Fu Miaoxue was searching around the room, ¡°I think it should be in this room.¡± Du Lai took out some wooden combs and hairpins from the small drawers on the dressing table, still unsure. ¡°Any of these items could be the token, but I think¡­ it should be something more special.¡± ¡°Shall we take them first?¡± Fu Miaoxue held a jade pendant and picked up the jade pillow from the bed, ¡°Maybe we can use all these things.¡± With a slight frown, Du Lai asked, ¡°But if the corpse bride was buried here, what¡¯s the deal with the old scholar? And what about the two paper people? These questions remain unanswered¡­¡± ¡°Who cares what the answer is, as long as we can get out of here¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue looked around hesitantly, sighed, ¡°But you¡¯re right. To lure the corpse bride, we must find something more unique¡­ These bracelets, hairpins, sachets are all too common.¡± They could only gather the things they suspected into their arms. They dared not waste any more time, worried that Bai Youwei and Shen Mo would notice, and also afraid that the old scholar might suddenly appear. As they were leaving, Fu Miaoxue could not help but look back once more. This glance made her stop in her tracks. ¡°That seems¡­¡± She hesitated, her gaze fixed on the long table in the center of the room. That was where the old scholar had placed memorial tablets of his deceased parents. ¡°What is it?¡± Du Lai asked her. ¡°Just a moment¡­ wait for me.¡± Fu Miaoxue put down all the items she was holding and slowly walked towards the set of memorial tablets. She had been somewhat curious about them the night before, but she was too afraid of the paper people to scrutinize them. But now¡­ Fu Miaoxue reached out and gently moved the set of tablets aside. Behind them was an even smaller tablet. Fu Miaoxue picked it up, disbelieving yet excited, ¡°Found it¡­ The spirit plate of the Corpse Bride!¡± She turned around and showed the spirit plate to Du Lai, triumphantly. ¡°This is the token! Du Lai, we can pass the level now!¡± Chapter 541 - Chapter 541: Chapter 541: A Group of Old Women Chapter 541: Chapter 541: A Group of Old Women Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were oblivious to what had happened in the mansion. They arrived in the village, only to find a funeral underway at the house where the incident had occurred last night. Lanterns hung in and around the house. People came and went to pay their respects, just like it had been at Lizheng¡¯s house. If the death toll kept mounting at the rate of one per night, soon every household in the village would be holding a funeral. Following the name list, Shen Mo sought out women like Mrs.Li who were nameless and obscure. The men were paying their condolences while groups of women were sunning beans, washing clothes, or looking after their grandchildren. They were all blossoming teenagers when they got married. Now the oldest among them was over seventy and the youngest was over fifty. Even the village women who were only in their fifties appeared worn out and gray-haired, hardly distinguishable from those in their sixties or seventies. Shen Mo inquired about Mrs. Li. None of the village women knew anything. All of them revealed that they were not acquainted with Mrs. Li and had no interactions with her, only knowing that she was the wife Li Lai Zi had acquired from outside the village. One of them remarked, ¡°Li Lai Zi was so poor, no matchmaker would work for his family!¡± Another woman scoffed, ¡°Lazy and poor, yet he desires to buy a wife, just like a toad wishing to eat swan¡¯s meat!¡± ¡°Yet he finally did get one, didn¡¯t he? ¡± An old woman with a face full of wrinkles tutted, ¡°What an idiot, bringing trouble to the village by kidnapping a woman from outside. You may consider him lucky anyway.¡± Someone else remarked disdainfully, ¡°Lucky? She did not bear him any children. Such a waste!¡± Old customs have it to scorn women who could not bear children. Bai Youwei looked at them, asking, ¡°Having spent so many years here in this village, haven¡¯t you ever thought of going home?¡± ¡°Returning home?¡± The old women looked at each other and eventually shook their heads, ¡°What will we do after going back? Home is also poor, there¡¯s no surplus for a mouth with no use. Even if we return, we¡¯ll be driven back here.¡± Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°Did Mrs. Li ever go back home?¡± This time, the women exchanged glances and simultaneously fell silent. Bai Youwei said, ¡°This question can be answered with ¡®yes¡¯, ¡®no¡¯, or ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯. You all said that you were unfamiliar with Mrs. Li, thus the appropriate answer should have been ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯. But none of you uttered a word, which implies that the answer lies between ¡®yes¡¯ and ¡®no¡¯. If she ¡°didn¡¯t¡± go home, there¡¯s no need for you all to beat around the bush. Your silence most likely suggests that she was trying to return, but was stopped by you.¡± ¡°No, no!¡± ¡°Why would we do that? Young lady, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± ¡°Yeah, we are busy with our household chores every day, who would care if she wanted to go back home¡­¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head considering this, then said, ¡°Maybe there was no obstruction from you all, but your husbands stopped her.¡± The old women once more fell silent¡­ After a while, the youngest old woman among them spoke, ¡°Can one be stopped forever? Young lady, don¡¯t portray us as heartless. What future does a dishonored woman have by returning? It¡¯s better to settle down peacefully, having a son and a daughter is what counts most.¡± The other old women nodded in agreement. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°So, according to you, Mrs. Li later willingly stayed in the village?¡± But the old women no longer paid her any attention, carrying on with their own tasks, sunning beans, washing clothes, looking after their grandchildren. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t extract any useful information, signaling to Shen Mo with her eyes, they had no choice but to leave. Walking along the country road, Bai Youwei suddenly laughed. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Shen Mo asked her. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked up at him, the corners of her lips curled up slightly, ¡°I just realized that the information given by the old women in this village is more useful than that by the old men. Do you remember the three questions we asked that elderly Liu when we visited the Li family¡¯s neighbor last time?¡± Chapter 542 - Chapter 542: Chapter 542 Why Not Go Home Chapter 542: Chapter 542 Why Not Go Home ¡ª¡ªYesterday they went to the neighbor of the Li Family, the Liu Family, to search for clues, asking three questions: 1. How did Li Qianggui die? 2. Why do villagers shut their doors tightly at night after the Li Family died out? 3. Why didn¡¯t the Li Family have any children? Old Liu answered all these questions one by one, and his answers were very detailed, which Shen Mo remembered clearly. But what did old Madame Liu say at that time? It seemed like she chimed in with a few things¡­ Bai Youwei squinted her eyes slowly and said, ¡°When we first met, the old woman said that the village was too poor. Those who could leave had all left, leaving behind only the old people who could not move and the old bachelors who could not get married. Since the girls in the village were all married to other villages, the village bachelors could only buy wives. What about the bachelors who have no money? The old man mentioned this later on, saying that Li Lai was too poor to get married, which is actually hinting to us that there is something wrong with the roots of the Li Family. Later, when we asked how Li Lai died, the old man said a lot, do you remember what the old lady said? She said, the Li Family, they are pitiful people. The one who died was clearly Li Lai, yet she said Li is pitiful. This implies the Li Family probably suffered greatly under Li Lai¡¯s hand. And the last question is the most interesting. We asked why there was no child in the Li Family, the old man said that lady Li was young, and giving birth hurt her body. However, what the old lady said at the time was¡­compassionate¡­.too delicate.¡± ¡°Delicate¡­¡± Shen Mo pondered, ¡°Ordinary daughters of peasant families are not described as delicate.¡± Bai Youwei nodded slightly: ¡°According to this clue, we can infer that everyone in the village laughs at the fact that Li Lai can¡¯t get married, so he got annoyed and tricked a girl from outside the village home. I guess Lady Li¡¯s original family might not be a wealthy and noble one, since it would probably have maidservants and other followers, making it difficult to get her. But she should be from a small wealthy family, not having to deal with much hardship since childhood, with a simple and naive character.¡± ¡°Young age, weak body, forced to give birth injuring her health, this is indeed a plausible explanation.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, then added, ¡°It¡¯s also possible that Lady Li didn¡¯t want to give birth and deliberately damaged her own health. However, if that¡¯s the case, she certainly must have suffered a lot in the Li Family.¡± ¡°If it was so tough, why didn¡¯t she go home?¡± Bai Youwei was a bit puzzled, ¡°Even if she had lost her chastity, she wouldn¡¯t have not attempted to return home at all, would she?¡± Shen Mo said: ¡°Maybe her family values their reputation highly.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head: ¡°In ancient times, only the upper class cared about such things. If ordinary people in rural areas were to follow these rules, they wouldn¡¯t be able to live their lives. In fact, even in the most conservative dynasties, it¡¯s common for widows to remarry and for men to divorce and remarry.¡± For example, everyone knows Arab women are conservative, covering their bodies completely except for their eyes, but in fact, if you go to some poorer villages there, you¡¯ll find that the women need to work in the fields, they can¡¯t afford to dress like that. They¡¯re too busy figuring out how to subsist day by day to care about following those rules. Bai Youwei moved forward slowly in her wheelchair, carefully considering everything. ¡°Something that¡¯s preventable for a while can¡¯t be prevented for a lifetime¡­ Something must have happened to make Lady Li give up the thought of returning home¡­¡± She looked at the distant mansion of the old scholar, suddenly stopped, and slowly widened her eyes. ¡°I understand now¡­ Why she couldn¡¯t go back¡­¡± Shen Mo also stopped, peering at the distant ancient mansion. They had never noticed before, but now, looking from afar, the mansion was situated much lower than the village, with a large, naturally formed boulder standing tall in front of the main gate, making the mansion¡­ look like a tomb. ¡°What if¡­¡± Bai Youwei began softly, ¡°She had an elder or younger brother who had passed the imperial examination and became an officer?¡± Chapter 543 - Chapter 543: Chapter 543: I’m So Evil Chapter 543: Chapter 543: I¡¯m So Evil Once one embarks on an official career, the entire family moves up a social class, thus, they cannot be judged by previous standards. Besides, in the complex world of officialdom, newly minted young officials must tread cautiously so as not to provide any ammunition for personal attacks. Miss Li lost her dignity by marrying a villager covered in sores, which would inevitably bring shame to her family. If she had any sense of familial honour, she would choose to stay and swallow this bitter pain¡­ Shen Mo thought of another detail, as he looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Li was murdered shortly after the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡± On the day of family reunion at the Mid-Autumn Festival, a woman realizes in a daze that time has flown by. That she has spent most of her life unknowingly with a villager covered in sores, and on seeing her white hair in the mirror, what would she think?¡­ What would she do? Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°In earlier years, Li could subdue Miss Li, because he was older and stronger. But as time passed¡­ Li turned into an old man, he grew older, and weaker. This was the perfect moment for Miss Li to take her revenge.¡± ¡°Although she was able to exact her revenge, it entirely destroyed her life,¡± said Shen Mo indifferently, ¡°She could never go back and had to wander around the village, venting her anger and frustration on the villagers.¡± The puzzle, had completely been solved. ¡°I know how to pass the round.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and find that old scholar.¡± ¡­ It was a clear day, but there was no sign of the old scholar, nor the two paper figures. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo searched around the house and found the old scholar¡¯s bedroom. The place had obviously been rummaged through. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t find anything extraordinary, yet she spent a long time sitting in the hall. She came to the central table, gently dusted it off, and said, ¡°Fu Miaoxue was quite clever, she took the most crucial thing.¡± Behind the spirit plate, there was a noticeable dust-free spot, as if something had been placed there for a long time. Shen Mo furrowed his brows, looking suspicious, ¡°They found the clue, but didn¡¯t meet us in the village, and they¡¯re not in this house now. It seems they intend to end our alliance.¡± ¡°Truly ruthless~¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Just like a playboy, breaking up on a whim. However, terminating the alliance isn¡¯t their call to make.¡± Shen Mo looked outside, ¡°This place isn¡¯t big, with a little time, finding them won¡¯t be hard. Should I go look for them?¡± ¡°Forget it~¡± Bai Youwei showed no concern. She carefully took down the spirit plaques of the old scholar¡¯s parents and said unhurriedly, ¡°¡­They will return sooner or later, there¡¯s no need to waste time looking for them.¡± Shen Mo looked at the spirit plaque in her hand, asked, ¡°Shall we take action tonight?¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯s tonight, but¡­¡± Bai Youwei hesitated for a few seconds, then said, ¡°But, I need to make sure I stay awake tonight.¡± ¡­ ¡°Bai Youwei will surely sleep tonight.¡± In a dense forest far away, Fu Miaoxue was discussing her plan with Du Lai. ¡°Her constitution is naturally weak, which becomes even weaker in this game! She sleeps almost every night in the second half and can hardly stay up~~ But, the singing voice of the corpse moving woman affects someone every night, once Bai Youwei is affected, she¡¯s doomed!¡± Fu Miaoxue squinted her eyes, showing a hint of smugness. ¡°Just think about it, once she wakes up and finds the boyfriend that she killed herself, how would she feel? Shocked? Or devastated? Huh hu huh¡­ She¡¯s a cripple, how will she live without her boyfriend? Maybe she¡¯ll lose it and kill herself?¡± Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t help but cover her face with her hands, ¡°I can¡¯t stand it, I¡¯m so evil~ Hehehehe¡­¡± After laughing for a while, seeing Du Lai quietly watching her, she immediately rolled her eyes and snorted: ¡°What, you think I¡¯ve been playing house in this game every day?¡± Chapter 544 - Chapter 544: Chapter 544: You are really too selfish Chapter 544: Chapter 544: You are really too selfish The game changed everyone. Fu Miaoxue still looked like the domineering and arrogant lady she used to be, but she was no longer just his lady. She changed. Du Lai knew he had changed too. Perhaps because people are prone to change, they always prefer to pursue things that are eternal, such as a promise, a pact, or companionship¡­ Du Lai hugged Fu Miaoxue gently. Her body wasn¡¯t as soft as a living person¡¯s now, and her hair only smelled of plastic. ¡°Once this game is over, let¡¯s head to the maze as soon as possible.¡± Du Lai said softly, ¡°The maze can upgrade everyone¡¯s stats, it should be able to turn you back.¡± ¡°What if it can¡¯t?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked. Du Lai loosened his embrace a bit, looked seriously at her and said: ¡°If it can¡¯t, we will find another way. If there¡¯s an item to revive a player, there must be a way to turn a doll back into a human.¡± ¡°Perhaps there is, perhaps not.¡± Fu Miaoxue gave a light laugh, held Du Lai¡¯s hand, and said calmly, ¡°Du Lai, promise me something.¡± Du Lai raised his brows slightly. Fu Miaoxue said: ¡°Promise me, if¡­ if I die, don¡¯t save me again.¡± Du Lai stared at her. But Fu Miaoxue suddenly laughed, her doll¡¯s glass eyeballs revealed a hint of liveliness that only a living person would have. ¡°If I am killed by Bai Youwei, you can avenge me, after all, it shows your love for me~¡± She said with a grin, ¡°But never ever revive me again! Living like this, I¡¯d rather die! It¡¯s too frustrating!~¡± Du Lai¡¯s face was taut and he remained silent. She continued to whine: ¡°If I die again, don¡¯t save me, okay? Du Lai~~ You are the best to me~~~ Promise me~~~¡± Du Lai slowly took a deep breath¡­ Then he asked her: ¡°Then what about me?¡± ¡°You?¡± Fu Miaoxue was slightly surprised, ¡°¡­You, of course, should live on with my love! Remember not to cheat~ otherwise, I won¡¯t let you go even if I become a ghost!¡± Du Lai forced a smile. He neither refused nor agreed, but only replied: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you die.¡± ¡°How can you be so selfish?!¡± Fu Miaoxue looked upset, her eyes wide in anger, ¡°Because you love me, you won¡¯t let me die? You are really selfish!¡± ¡°Maybe dying together here isn¡¯t too bad.¡± Du Lai laughed, ¡°Your plan might not work.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it.¡± Fu Miaoxue became even more upset, ¡°I¡¯m doing all this for you, aren¡¯t I? Only if something happens to Bai Youwei, can we get her item and puzzle piece! Sigh, I wonder if she has realised it yet¡­¡± ¡°Most likely,¡± Du Lai looked out at the village beyond the woods, ¡°But even if she realized it, she probably wouldn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± Plop. A droplet of water landed on Fu Miaoxue¡¯s cheek. She looked up at the moist leaves in the sky and said quietly: ¡°It¡¯s going to rain again.¡± As long as it rained, the corpse-moving woman would be coming soon. Du Lai stood up and pat the mud off his clothing, ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time for us to get moving.¡± Fu Miaoxue picked up the Spirit Plate and looked at it. ¡ªThe spirit position of Liu Yanruo. If she wasn¡¯t wrong, this Liu Yanruo was the corpse-moving woman, Mrs. Li. Use the Spirit Plate to lead the way, bring Liu Yanruo back to that ¡°tomb¡±, and let the leaves return to their roots, then everything in this village will truly end! ¡­Of course, timing is also important. They could only make a move when Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were asleep. As Fu Miaoxue thought about this, she slowed down her pace, a sense of unease started to grow in her heart. Hmmm, this doesn¡¯t look good¡­ There was¡­ a flaw in this plan. Chapter 545 - Chapter 545: Chapter 545 Liu Yanruo (Paying debt! Additional updates for Lan Bingning) Chapter 545: Chapter 545 Liu Yanruo (Paying debt! Additional updates for Lan Bingning) Let there be loopholes, Bai Youwei might not even notice! At this moment, it¡¯s a contest of speed, and who can seize control first! Fu Miaoxue resolutely continued to move forward, eager to reap the fruits of her labor! A la la la ~ Completing a level in a game, getting rewards, collecting a large number of puzzles and tools, and then taking these puzzles and tools further into the maze, making her invincible, feeling ecstatic ~ She took a few quick steps forward with an elated expression, looping her arm around Du Lai, her mood was excellent. ¡­ The long-awaited Corpse Moving Woman appeared again in the late night. The old woman, her hair run down, pushed a dilapidated cart, while singing an opera tune. The wrinkles on her face were as deep as gullies, the skin on her limbs was dry and kindled like dead wood, her gaze downcast, exceptionally slow in her movements, but leaving no footprints, only two deep wheel marks¡­ Despite being mentally prepared, Fu Miaoxue was still terrified when she saw the scene again! She was reminded of the Corpse Moving Woman¡¯s laughter from the previous night, reminiscent of her crawling like a spider, the more she thought about it, the more frightened she was, sending shivers down her spine! Seeing the Corpse Moving Woman approaching, Du Lai extended his hand towards Fu Miaoxue: ¡°Give me the Spirit Plate. I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°No¡­ No!¡± Fu Miaoxue stared at the slowly moving figure in the rainy night, ¡°If we¡¯re pursued, I have an advantage over you. I¡¯m not scared of the Yin energy¡­¡± I¡¯m just afraid of ghosts, that¡¯s it. Fu Miaoxue again worked up her courage, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll lure her to the cemetery, you go ahead and wait for me.¡± Du Lai looked at her with furrowed brows: ¡°Are you sure you can do it alone?¡± ¡°Why not?!¡± Fu Miaoxue was quite annoyed, feeling that Du Lai was undermining the courage she had finally gathered. She said irritably: ¡°I¡¯m alone, she can¡¯t eat me or even harm me! What do you have to worry about?¡± Without waiting for Du Lai to dissuade her further, she clutched the Spirit Plate and rushed into the rain! ¡°Liu Yanruo!¡± Fu Miaoxue shouted at the old woman in the rain! The old woman was stunned. Her figure suddenly froze on the spot, staring blankly at Fu Miaoxue. Fu Miaoxue felt a surge of joy! This Spirit Plate really works! She held up the Spirit Plate, shouting even louder: ¡°Liu Yanruo!¡± This time, the old woman didn¡¯t hurl herself to attack but instead, she took half a step back in a daze! Fu Miaoxue was ecstatic, she held the Spirit Plate and shouted: ¡°Liu Yanruo! Liu Yanruo! Liu Yanruo!¡± With each shout, the old woman¡¯s form trembled, twisted and blurred, sometimes coalescing, sometimes dissipating. Fu Miaoxue watched anxiously, her heart full of anticipation. The mass of smoke continued to shrink and tremble until it became a smaller mass, vanished like a Ghost Fire, disappearing completely! Just when Fu Miaoxue was puzzled, there was a rustling noise from the cart. ¡­The mat cover moved. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, she couldn¡¯t help but take half a step back. Then she saw the Spirit Plate in her hands. She gritted her teeth, took a few more steps forward, and yelled at the remains under the mat: ¡°Liu Yanruo!¡± Whoosh! The rotten corpse suddenly sat up! Fu Miaoxue was so scared that she almost screamed! The female corpse turned its head with a creaking noise, its eyes glowing green, staring straight at her. For a moment, it seemed like Fu Miaoxue¡¯s throat was mute. She couldn¡¯t utter a single word, just stared at the zombie-like corpse. The female corpse stiffly raised both hands and lunged at Fu Miaoxue without any warning! Fu Miaoxue finally couldn¡¯t suppress her terror, and screamed hysterically! ¡°Ahhhhhhh!!!¡± She ran towards Scholar¡¯s house with all her might! ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Du Lai chased after her! ¡°Throw the Spirit Plate to me!¡± Fu Miaoxue was crying and shrieking, but in her mind, she was crystal clear, wailing in front of her: ¡°I can¡¯t give it to you! Your body can¡¯t withstand her Yin energy!¡± Seeing that she had finally reached the courtyard gate, she immediately threw herself against the door! With a bang! Fu Miaoxue was knocked backwards! Ignoring her pain, she got up and was shocked, ¡°Wha¡­ what¡¯s going on?! Why is the door locked?!¡± Chapter 546 - Chapter 546: Chapter 546: Please Open the Door Chapter 546: Chapter 546: Please Open the Door Fu Miaoxue rushed to the door once again! The door was bolted shut; she couldn¡¯t get in! What was going on?! The scholar¡¯s house never bolted its doors, whether it was day or night. These doors had always been open! Why, at such a crucial time, was the door closed?! Fu Miaoxue had a sinking feeling in her heart. This was the slip-up she had feared. Even if Bai Youwei was asleep, even if Bai Youwei made preparations in advance, it would still cause trouble for her and Du Lai! But it didn¡¯t matter. For others, it might have been a thorny problem, but her boyfriend was strong! As long as he could climb over the wall, he could help open the door from the inside! Behind her, an awakened corpse was rushing towards her; its limbs were stiff, its eyes filled with ferociousness, and it let out harsh, raspy laughter. It was slower than in its ghostly state. Fu Miaoxue could barely dodge, but her situation was becoming increasingly dire. Du Lai sprinted from behind, gracefully climbing over the wall. Just as he was about to jump down to open the door, his body suddenly jerked violently! Then he fell backward off the wall! ¡°Du Lai!¡± Fu Miaoxue screamed. Immediately stumbling, she almost got toppled over by the chasing female corpse, hastily steadying herself. Du Lai was unharmed. But when he tried to climb over the wall again, another weak electrical current surged through his body! It wasn¡¯t enough to harm him, but it could numb his joints, rendering him unable to exert strength! At this point, both of them finally realized that Bai Youwei was causing mischief! Looking up, they saw Bai Youwei¡¯s stuffed rabbit, which she always carried, now perched atop the wall, pacing back and forth like a patrolling guard. Then, Bai Youwei herself peeked over the wall, grinning at them both as if enjoying a show. The corpse was still relentlessly pursuing Fu Miaoxue. In her desperation, Fu Miaoxue shouted, ¡°Bai Youwei! Quickly open the door for us!¡± ¡°Why should I~¡± Bai Youwei asked with a laugh. ¡°What do you mean, why?¡± Fu Miaoxue dodged the corpse¡¯s attacks while pretending to be innocent, ¡°Didn¡¯t we form an alliance?!¡± ¡°Oh, I almost forgot.¡± Bai Youwei was nonchalant, ¡°Right, we did form an alliance~¡± ¡°Yes! So open the door quickly!¡± Fu Miaoxue was extremely anxious and was almost knocked over by the female corpse several times! Although being turned into a doll meant she wouldn¡¯t feel physically exhausted, she was wearing a cumbersome long dress and running on a rocky mountain path. Combating the female corpse for a long period had taken a toll on her! She hadn¡¯t expected this to happen! Why wasn¡¯t the corpse obeying her? Was her assumption wrong?! Du Lai, standing beneath the wall, shouted, ¡°Miaoxue! Throw the spirit tablet over here!¡± Fu Miaoxue tightly clutched the spirit tablet. She couldn¡¯t give it to Du Lai. Du Lai¡¯s injured foot was still bruised. Every step he took caused him immense pain! If he were to get wounded by the female corpse again, it would be disastrous! However, if she got hurt, it wouldn¡¯t really matter. After all¡­ she was just a doll! Whether she was torn, rotten, or broken, it didn¡¯t matter at all! Fu Miaoxue gritted her teeth, using a natural boulder near the front door to shield herself while continuously dodging the attacks from the female corpse behind her. ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t respond, Du Lai ran over to grab the spirit tablet, ¡°Give it to me!¡± The female corpse would only attack the holder of the spirit tablet! Fu Miaoxue clung onto it for dear life! During their quarrel the corpse caught up with them, and Fu Miaoxue swiftly pushed Du Lai away. The decayed, bark-like face was closing in, and a ghastly cold air assaulted her face! The female corpse clasped Fu Miaoxue¡¯s neck; it laughed in her face, ¡°Hahaha! Hahahaha!!!¡± Grinding his teeth, Du Lai threw something at the female corpse¡ª Upon seeing this, Fu Miaoxue screamed, ¡°That¡¯s your last tool!!!¡± Chapter 547 - Chapter 547: Chapter 547: Bullying the Puppet Chapter 547: Chapter 547: Bullying the Puppet The object hit the female corpse and then bounced off, landing on the ground! ¡ª It turned out to be a round, black spinning top! The top landed and began to spin immediately. The female corpse subsequently let go of Fu Miaoxue and, as if out of control, ran towards the spinning top, running in circles in the direction of the spinning top¡¯s rotation! ¡°So that¡¯s it¡­¡± Bai Youwei, who was lying on top of the wall, looked at the spinning top, ¡°This prop seems to be able to limit the recipient¡¯s movement. How long does it last? Until the spinning top stops spinning? Ah¡­ if that¡¯s the case, Du Lai, you are at a disadvantage in this game. After all, the ground here is not even. The spinning top won¡¯t spin long before it falls, right?¡± As expected, the spinning top was slowing down! Just as Bai Youwei had said, the timing of using each prop was essential, and Du Lai, obviously, was driven to desperation! Having failed to pass the game and wasting a prop, Fu Miaoxue was furious. She shouted at Bai Youwei: ¡°Bai Youwei! Why don¡¯t you open the door?! This is a betrayal!!!¡± Bai Youwei admired her brazenness but didn¡¯t get angry. She casually laughed, ¡°I¡¯m disabled, I can¡¯t open it.¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°Then get your boyfriend to open the door!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°He¡¯s supporting me down there. If he should go to open the door, I will fall.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°Are you going to stand by and watch us die?!¡± ¡°How could I?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so ruthless. I just want to see if the puppet will really die~¡± ¡°Demon!¡± Fu Miaoxue was furious, ¡°You¡¯re a demon! Bai Youwei! You¡¯re the most vicious woman in the whole world¡­ No! In the entire universe!!!¡± Du Lai looked at Bai Youwei, reminding her coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the Spirit Plate is in our hands, without it, you won¡¯t pass either.¡± Bai Youwei looked indifferent, ¡°We have jigsaw puzzles~¡± Du Lai sneered, ¡°You¡¯re willing to waste two puzzle pieces to go out in front of the pass item? Bai Youwei, who would believe such words?¡± Bai Youwei also laughed, ¡°Yeah, no one would believe it, so let¡¯s wait until she can¡¯t hold on and then rescue her. After all, we only need to save the person holding the Spirit Plate~¡± Hearing this, Fu Miaoxue was both shocked and angry. She instinctively raised her hand to give the Spirit Plate to Du Lai! But when she saw the female corpse staggering not far away, and the top slowing down, her heart clenched! She tightly grasped the Spirit Plate again! ¡°Bitch!!!¡± Fu Miaoxue suddenly woke up, ¡°Bai Youwei! You¡¯re a bitch! You deliberately set me up!¡± Once the Spirit Plate was given to Du Lai and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t open the door, there was no way out for Du Lai! Bai Youwei curled up her mouth, her smile full of playfulness, ¡°Fu Miaoxue, you¡¯ve played so many test games, all just playing house? Quit talking such childish nonsense about being bitchy~¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue was choked. The top was about to stop! The female corpse was coming again! Fu Miaoxue almost crushed her teeth in anger. The ultimate anger turned into resentment! When had she ever been bullied like this in her life?! Furious! Furious to death ahhhh!!! Fu Miaoxue frantically asked, ¡°What do you want before you will open the door?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment and suggested in a negotiating tone, ¡°How about you meow like a cat?¡± Fu Miaoxue fell apart even more, crying, ¡°You bully people!!!¡± The spinning top stopped, and the eerie female corpse lunged at them! Du Lai hugged Fu Miaoxue and rolled away to avoid the attack. He snatched the Spirit Plate from her arms and ran away! At the same time, he shouted, ¡°Miaoxue! Use the jigsaw puzzle to get out!¡± Chapter 548 - Chapter 548: Chapter 548: You Swear Chapter 548: Chapter 548: You Swear The female corpse chased after Du Lai! ¡°I don¡¯t want you to save me! I don¡¯t want you to save me!¡± Fu Miaoxue cried hysterically, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m happy living like this?! Neither human nor ghost! I¡¯d rather die straight away! I don¡¯t want you to use the jigsaw to save me!!!¡± She looked up straight at Bai Youwei: ¡°Meow! Meow! Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow!!! Are you satisfied now?! Are you satisfied?!!¡± Bai Youwei lay on the wall, propped on her elbow, and replied leisurely, ¡°Not satisfied~.¡± Fu Miaoxue was taken aback. Even a little stunned. It never crossed her mind that after making such a huge sacrifice, even giving up her dignity and self-esteem, Bai Youwei still refused to open the door! ¡°Bai Youwei! You¡¯re going too far!¡± Fu Miaoxue shook with anger, and racked her brain, wondering how to turn the situation around?! Du Lai nimbly climbed the towering rock in front of the gate. The female corpse couldn¡¯t get up for the time being and could only circle the rock. The crisis seemed to be temporarily resolved but was actually at a stalemate. They were supposed to have the upper hand! Why did it turn out like this?! Are they really going to use Du Lai¡¯s last jigsaw piece? No! She will not give up! At this critical moment, Bai Youwei said: ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll give you one more chance, the last one~ You now swear that after I open the door, you will bow down to me. Anything I say, you will do, otherwise¡­ uh, otherwise you¡¯re a fool, an idiot, unable to pass the game, unable to level up in the maze, cheated on by your boyfriend every day, suffering while living, and punished after death.¡± Fu Miaoxue trembled all over. She felt humiliated! Bai Youwei asked her, ¡°So what? Do you agree?¡± Fu Miaoxue was indignant: ¡°You just now said you¡¯d open the door if I meowed!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°But you see, your meowing doesn¡¯t sound like it should, it¡¯s heart-wrenching, like a ghost¡¯s cries; I meow much better than you~ Meow~¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡± And Shen Mo, standing at the bottom of the wall: ¡°¡­¡± Elsewhere, the female corpse was chasing the tablet in Du Lai¡¯s hand, desperately trying to climb the rock. Her decaying corpse scratched and kicked aimlessly, stumbling, her eerie laughter gradually fading, and a wisp of smoke began eerily to float from her body¡ª¡ª Fu Miaoxue was horrified, could it be that the phantom version of the corpse carrier is coming out?! If it is it! Truly, nothing else in the entire game, save the door panel, could stop it! ¡°I promise!¡± Fu Miaoxue hurriedly looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°I promise! I agree to everything! Open the door quickly!¡± Bai Youwei unhurriedly said: ¡°Then make your vow.¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°I swear!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°You have to recite it all for it to count, otherwise, what if the oath doesn¡¯t work?¡± Curse it! Even if she recites the whole thing, it still might not work! Those words, other than to humiliate her, are still just to humiliate her! The purpose is simply, unequivocally to humiliate her!!! Fu Miaoxue wished she had wings to fly up and strangle Bai Youwei! But she couldn¡¯t. Forget the fact that she didn¡¯t have wings; even if she did and she flew up there, she¡¯d be shocked by Bai Youwei¡¯s rabbit! She swallowed her pride and said, ¡°I swear, after I entered, I would bow down to you! I would do whatever you say, otherwise, I¡¯d be an idiot! From then on, I won¡¯t pass the game! I won¡¯t level up in the maze! ¡ªIs that enough now?!!¡± Bai Youwei reminded her: ¡°You¡¯re still missing the last sentence.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push people too far!¡± Fu Miaoxue roared, ¡°I¡¯d rather die here than accept my boyfriend cheating on me! Even just saying it out loud is unacceptable!¡± Bai Youwei smiled lightly. Then grabbed the plush rabbit on the wall and threw it down¡ª¡ª The rabbit landed with a roll and then ran to a position two meters from the female corpse, releasing lightning! The female corpse was instantly forced back by the lightning, fell off the rocks! At the same time, the door opened! Bai Youwei on the wall said: ¡°Hurry up and get in~¡± Chapter 549 - Chapter 549: Chapter 549: Dad, Mom Chapter 549: Chapter 549: Dad, Mom Fu Miaoxue, Du Lai, and the stuffed bunny entered one by one. The door closed again. The pursuing female corpse collided head-on with the door, making a loud bang! Fu Miaoxue sighed with relief. When she looked back, she realized she was correct! There was indeed no latch on the door of the scholar¡¯s residence! But Bai Youwei had used a severed arm as a door latch! This demon! Fu Miaoxue cursed again in her heart, overwhelmed with grief! Shen Mo lifted Bai Youwei down from the wall and placed her on the wheelchair. Bai Youwei cheerfully said, ¡°All right~ Now that everyone is here, just follow me.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Fu Miaoxue, both frightened and resentful of Bai Youwei, asked anxiously, ¡°If you want the spirit plate, just take it!¡± ¡°Oh, that thing¡­¡± Bai Youwei casually wheeled past the second gate, leisurely continuing forward. ¡°You can keep that spirit plate for now.¡± Fu Miaoxue followed her, questioning uncertainly, ¡°Don¡¯t you need that to clear the level?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not time yet.¡± Bai Youwei stopped at the entrance to the hall and motioned inside with her chin. ¡°Go on, you two. Bring the paper dolls out.¡± In the middle of the candle-lit hall, two vibrant paper dolls sat silently smiling. The thing Fu Miaoxue feared the most! Instinctively, she stepped back, inches away from hiding behind Du Lai! ¡°I refuse!¡± ¡°You just vowed.¡± Bai Youwei said in all seriousness, ¡°After entering the door, you¡¯re bound to obey me. You must do what I say, or there are dire consequences for breaking an oath¡­¡± Du Lai stepped forward, calmly observing her: ¡°Speak. What do you want us to do?¡± Bai Youwei pointed at the two paper dolls: ¡°Go, move them to the door so they can welcome the child.¡± A shiver ran through Fu Miaoxue! She¡¯d rather move two pigs than paper dolls! Du Lai, however, had already left to perform the task. Expressionless, he embraced one with both hands¡ª And the paper doll wouldn¡¯t budge?! Du Lai frowned, tried again, no success. The paper doll seemed to weigh a thousand pounds! Meanwhile, Shen Mo took the spirit plates of their parents from the table. He and Bai Youwei each held one. Du Lai felt the paper doll suddenly become lighter. He was taken aback and exchanged glances with Fu Miaoxue. They both immediately understood the secret¡ª The spirit plates were indeed the key. They hadn¡¯t taken the wrong spirit plates, they had just got the order wrong! The four of them returned to the door. The female corpse outside laughed manically. Scratching and pushing at the door and the wall, she seemed to sense something, pacing anxiously. The severed arm fell to the ground, and the door creaked open. The female corpse saw the spirit plates held by Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, then saw the paper dolls in Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hands. A wail suddenly sounded from her throat! Rushing forward again, her voice was a gentle and plaintive woman¡¯s: ¡°Daddy! ¡ª¡ª Mommy! ¡ª¡ª¡± The spirit plates clattered to the floor from Bai Youwei¡¯s and Shen Mo¡¯s hands. Du Lai¡¯s spirit plate also fell to the floor with a thud. The paper dolls in their hands involuntarily fell away. As if they had a consciousness of their own, they clung tightly to the female corpse! This spectacle was incredibly horrific! It was like an old woman with white hair, but her voice was like a young girl, and her movements were the same, calling the paper dolls her parents, pulling up her braids, acting sweetly towards them¡­ From her rotten, skeletal body, a blue light gradually seeped out, sparking and setting her, as well as the paper dolls, ablaze¡­ The three of them slowly merged into one flame. The paper dolls turned into ash. Only bones remained of the corpse. Three spirit plates quietly lay on the ground. Bai Youwei and the others were stunned. At that moment, the old scholar appeared from somewhere nearby, picked up the spirit plates, and sighed, ¡°With the family reunited, I have finally fulfilled my parents¡¯ dying wish. Now, I can finally face them.¡± Having said that, he turned and entered the hall, the door closed with a slam! ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve passed this game.¡± Chapter 550 - Chapter 550: Chapter 550: One Person, One Item Chapter 550: Chapter 550: One Person, One Item ¡°Congratulations on completing this game.¡± Before the Ghost Fire appeared, the voice of the Inspector had already echoed through the air. At the same time, the rain finally stopped. The ground trembled, and the scenery all around slowly descended. The ancient house sank continuously, just like an ancient tomb that has never been sealed in the deep mountains. Doors once shut tight were opened again, and the Ghost Fire Inspector drifted hauntingly out of the house. The interior scene had undergone a drastic change. It was no longer an ordinary hall but a complete tomb! The Ghost Fire said: ¡°When Liu Yanruo left home, her brother was studying abroad and was not aware of this bitter injustice. In the decades that followed, he enjoyed high government ranks and earthly wealth, but their parents could not find peace and died from depression. They had requested in their dreams that throughout his lifetime, he must find his younger sister, bring her home, and reunite the family. Players have achieved the mission goal, stopped the female ghost, and can now enter the tomb for reward calculations. Each person is free to choose a burial accessory as a reward.¡± Bai Youwei sneered slightly. Using burial accessories as reward items really was in line with Ghost Fire¡¯s characteristic image. Upon hearing the slight sneer, the Inspector glanced at Bai Youwei silently. Well¡­ Being able to complete the game, she really was skilled. No wonder other Inspectors had such a headache dealing with her¡­ It seems being extra cautious was necessary indeed. The four followed Ghost Fire into the tomb. It was again the same meticulously decorated boudoir. What had changed was that the canopy bed was now a coffin. The visual field wasn¡¯t dark with oil lamps lit all around, and everything was clearly visible. These so-called burial accessories were the items used when alive and buried after dying. Bai Youwei curiously observed the tomb and discovered many new objects. Aside from some items for women¡¯s daily life, there were numerous underworld coins, gold and silver ingots, colorful bronze coins, and more¡­ ¡°How do you define ¡®one¡¯ when it comes to a burial accessory?¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°For example, these ingots made of paper are all stacked together. So, does ¡®one¡¯ mean one ingot or the whole pile?¡± Ghost Fire paused. Here it comes¡­ Here it comes¡­ She begun seeking loopholes! ¡°¡®One¡¯ usually refers to one individual unit, an absolutely single entity,¡± Ghost Fire answered cautiously. ¡°¡®One¡¯ means an indivisible item . Thus, one ingot can only mean one, not a pile.¡± Bai Youwei wandered around as if deep in thought, walked to the eight-section chest, and lightly patted, ¡°If I choose this chest? Will everything in the chest belong to me too? Or will it just be an empty chest?¡± The Ghost Fire became more cautious. Indeed, a troublesome player. Even at this moment, she was still seeking ways to take advantage of the rules¡­ If the things in the chest could be chosen together with the chest itself, wouldn¡¯t that mean they could pile other items in the chest and take everything in one go? ¡­Well, there¡¯s nothing to worry about, its game rules were the most thorough and secure. As long as it responded carefully, there wouldn¡¯t be any hitches. The Ghost Fire said: ¡°A chest is composed of wood, nails, and locks. If a player chooses a chest, they will get only the wood, nails, and lock and nothing else.¡± After a pause of two seconds, it added, ¡°The eight-section chest in this scene can be chosen, but it¡¯s not a reward item. Relevant information about the reward item will be available after touching it. Please choose carefully. Once a reward item is touched, the system will bind it to the player immediately and take effect. No changes can be made.¡± Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°But without touching, we won¡¯t know the function of the item at all. Isn¡¯t this entirely relying on luck then?¡± Ghost Fire: ¡°Luck¡­is also part of strength. Now, please choose.¡± Chapter 551 - Chapter 551: Chapter 551: Treating Players Equally Chapter 551: Chapter 551: Treating Players Equally As soon as the Inspector finished speaking, Fu Miaoxue was the first to press her hand on a painting on the wall, declaring, ¡°I want this one!¡± Soon, it seemed like she sensed the purpose of the prop. A look of excitement washed over her as she took down the painting and showed it to Du Lai ¡ª It was an ink painting, depicting a small house obscured by mountains. A towering pine tree stood beside the house, lush and green, with surrounding mist adding to the atmosphere of the scene. From a short distance away, Bai Youwei could not discern the function of the painting. However, judging from Fu Miaoxue¡¯s reaction, it seemed promising. When Fu Miaoxue noticed Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, she instinctively stepped in front of Du Lai and huffed coldly, ¡°Hmph! This is mine!¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°Childish.¡± Shen Mo glanced around the room before finally setting his gaze on the coffin, asking, ¡°Can the coffin be opened?¡± Ghost Fire responded, ¡°Yes it can.¡± Shen Mo upturned the heavy coffin lid, revealing a female corpse adorned in brocade attire underneath a golden silk quilt, surrounded by countless jewels and jades. Shen Mo harbored no interest in these objects, but if he had to choose, he picked the longevity lock hanging around the corpse¡¯s neck. It was made of silver and was quite small; one side was carved with goldfish and lotus flowers, while the other side was engraved with characters indicating long life and wealth. It was very refined. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Did you get lucky?¡± Shen Mo smiled, placed the silver lock in her hand, and replied, ¡°Mmm, not bad.¡± [Miss Liu¡¯s Longevity Lock: Whoever wears this can offset some damage. It offsets 75% of the damage the first time, 50% the second time, and 25% the third time. After three uses, the prop becomes void.] In other words, if one were to be stabbed with a knife and the wound was 10 cm deep, with the offset from the longevity lock, the wound would shrink to 2.5 cm. It¡¯s a shame that it can only offset a significant amount of damage the first time, half the second time and is practically negligible the third time. Nevertheless, as a whole, this prop was fairly practical. After walking a full circle in the tomb chamber, Du Lai finally picked up a hairpin. He frowned slightly; the reward he had chosen seemed somewhat mediocre, hence he didn¡¯t show the least bit of joy. Only Bai Youwei was left to make her selection. Picking a prop without understanding its specific function was indeed a test of luck. She pondered for a long time before pointing to an incense burner on the table and asked the Inspector, ¡°If I choose this, can you give me the incense that¡¯s inside as well?¡± The Ghost Fire flickered, its airy voice replied, ¡°The incense must be chosen separately.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier! I¡¯m the only one who hasn¡¯t picked yet, and now it¡¯s too late to ask for help from someone else!¡± Ghost Fire burned silently, shutting down any potential loophole. Bai Youwei furrowed her brow and asked, ¡°Odd? Why do I feel like you¡¯re singling me out? By your logic, when she chose that painting, she should¡¯ve had to take down the scroll! The painting and the scroll is two different things!¡± Fu Miaoxue jumped, urgently saying, ¡°Bai Youwei! Just because your choice doesn¡¯t follow the rules doesn¡¯t mean you can drag me into it!¡± Bai Youwei glared at her, ¡°Hey, have you forgotten the oath you swore? Watch your tone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue quietly scooted behind Du Lai. Bai Youwei looked at the Inspector again and questioned in clear annoyance, ¡°What kind of incense burner is it without the incense? Are you messing with me?!¡± ¡°The game treats all players equally¡­¡± Ghost Fire hesitated, then explained again, ¡°The function of the incense burner and the incense are the same, but used together, they become more effective. Players can choose one or the other.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face remained expressionless, clearly unhappy. Shen Mo said to her, ¡°The difficulty of this game isn¡¯t too high and the props have limited effects. You should just pick something else.¡± Chapter 552 - Chapter 552: Chapter 552: Here It Comes Chapter 552: Chapter 552: Here It Comes The game Female Corpse Lottery might seem terrifying, but compared to hide and seek, its difficulty was far lower, and the benefit from the props correspondingly limited. Take for example the longevity lock Shen Mo obtained; at first glance, it seems useful, but upon closer consideration, it paled in comparison to the frog¡¯s mud. The mud could instantly heal wounds nine times. The longevity lock could only reduce injury severity three times, and the third time¡¯s effect was practically negligible. The only slight advantage, probably, was that the injuries the longevity lock could reduce were not limited to physical wounds. Bai Youwei, facing the Inspector, scoffed again, ¡°And what if I choose the female corpse in the coffin? Are you going to strip away the jewels and clothes on her body before handing her over to me?¡± Ghost Fire hesitated, ¡°Technically¡­ that is correct.¡± Bai Youwei gave a cold laugh, her eyes chillingly fixed on Ghost Fire. Ghost Fire: ¡°¡­¡± For some reason, it took a small step back¡­ Remembering its divine status, it overcame its nervousness, moved forward again, letting its flames surge to demonstrate its aura. Bai Youwei stormed off towards the door with a stern face. Shen Mo stopped her, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Bai Youwei replied irritably, ¡°I¡¯m going out to cool off!¡± Without another word, she rolled away in her wheelchair. Shen Mo followed her out. Fu Miaoxue immediately sprang out from behind Du Lai, curiously watching the spectacle, ¡°Wow, they both left! Does this count as giving up the reward? Can we leave now?¡± Ghost Fire said, ¡°The game can only end after the reward distribution is completed.¡± Fu Miaoxue pursed her lips, ¡°That¡¯s annoying. What if she never chooses a reward? Would we be stuck here forever?¡± Du Lai held her hand and gave her a reassuring look. ¡ªThere was no food or drink here, they couldn¡¯t stay long. Bai Youwei would have to return and choose her reward sooner or later. While pondering this, they suddenly heard voices outside. The buzzing chatter was fine and fragmented, unclear what was being said, but it was clear there was more than two people. At this moment, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo came back. And three more people had joined them! Tan Xiao! Chang Weicai! Pan Xiaoxin! Wearing pyjamas and slippers, they followed behind Bai Youwei with excited expressions! Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai were taken aback, their eyes widened with surprise! ¡°What kind of prop does she have?! How can she conjure live people?!¡± Fu Miaoxue clutching Du Lai¡¯s arm, exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°That old man! The guy who recited ancient texts on the first night?!¡± Bai Youwei ignored her, and instead walked straight up to Ghost Fire, questioning in a cold tone, ¡°Is it true that any player who survives until the end of the game can choose a burial tribute, right?¡± Ghost Fire looked at her in horror, its blue flames shaking violently! Here it comes! Here it comes! She was about to exploit a loophole again! ¡°If the Inspector doesn¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll take it as a yes!¡± Bai Youwei coldly swung her hand, ¡°Move everything.¡± Tan Xiao rushed ahead and grabbed an incense burner! Chang Weicai picked up a stringed instrument! Pan Xiaoxin looked left to right, and grabbed a bronze mirror! No¡­¡± Ghost Fire shook fiercely! Like a torch in the wind, the flame was chaotic! In the midst of the chaos, a severed hand unnoticed by everyone slipped into the coffin and swiped up a handful of jewels! And then sprang out of the coffin with a whoosh! With lightning speed, it darted out of the room! The precious jewels scattered all over the floor with a clatter! ¡°No!!!¡± Ghost Fire finally roared and chased after it. But upon reaching the dollhouse, it encountered an invisible wall and could not get in no matter what! ¡°This is cheating!!!¡± Its hoarse roar echoed with indignation! Bai Youwei followed through the door, she too was a bit surprised. She looked towards the Inspector and said, ¡°You can¡¯t blame me for this. I didn¡¯t instruct it to do this. If I did, I definitely wouldn¡¯t let it take just the gold and silver jewels.¡± Chapter 553 - Chapter 553: Chapter 553: End of the End Chapter 553: Chapter 553: End of the End Ghost Fire is in pain! Lots of pain! It looks at Bai Youwei, then at Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Pan Xiaoxin who are following her. ¡°It¡¯s you!!!¡­¡­.¡± Before it could finish, the four shook their heads in unison. Tan Xiao shakes his head particularly quickly. His shabby hair swings back and forth, as if shaking off all responsibility: ¡°It¡¯s not us! That wasn¡¯t our hand!¡± Bai Youwei quickly recovers from her surprise and instead looks curiously at the Ghost Fire. ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­ they¡¯re just some jewelry, why such a big reaction? Will this get you punished? What kind of operating mechanism is there within you inspectors? Is there a reward and punishment system? Is there competition among you? Are there different ranks among the inspectors?¡­¡± Ghost Fire is afraid of her probing questions! ¡°No!¡± It replied, ¡°Please do not ask questions unrelated to the game¡­..¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly gives a soft shout, pointing at the dollhouse door, ¡°The hand is coming out!¡± Ghost Fire shivers violently! Seeing the little white hand crawling quickly towards the vaults, it panics. ¡°Game rewards have been settled! Settled!¡± Shadows flash before everyone¡¯s eyes¡ª The scene changes, and they¡¯re back beside the road. Not far from them, their car is parked. The game is over. ¡­ Within the massive diamond-shaped space, the pure white cube¡¯s light flickers on and off. Ghost Fire stands in front of the cube, burning quietly. A ball rolls past it. ¡°Oh! ~ It¡¯s rare to see you repairing the game!¡± The ball stops to join the fun, ¡°You look awful. Did you get robbed? Hahaha!¡± The core of its green-blue flame is extremely pale, that¡¯s its ¡°expression¡±. Ghost Fire doesn¡¯t speak. The ball continues, ¡°There are fewer and fewer players lately, the game is being activated less often, I¡¯m so bored. Even if I wanted to repair the game, I wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity!¡± Ghost Fire: ¡°¡­¡± The ball probably is really bored. It rolls around on the spot a few times and then talks to Ghost Fire again, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t be silent like a real ghost just because your image is set to be Ghost Fire~¡± Finally, Ghost Fire couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and earnestly told the ball, ¡°Your dollhouse¡­ has caused significant damage to my game! Now that you have nothing to do, you should thoroughly inspect the game instances you are responsible for to prevent similar errors from happening!¡± Ball: ¡°¡­¡± Two seconds later, the ball responded reluctantly, ¡°How could you say it was my dollhouse¡­ It isn¡¯t my dollhouse anymore. And the dollhouse can¡¯t be used in the game, players can¡¯t even enter, how could it have any impact?¡± Ghost Fire is agitated, ¡°But the items can go in! And players can come out from inside!¡± It¡¯s relatively easy to understand why the players can come out. The doll game always encourages players to participate actively, so they wouldn¡¯t prevent players from entering the game in game production rules, only from leaving the game! As for the items being able to go in, the ball was confused and murmured, ¡°Whoever¡¯s item it is, go find them~~ It¡¯s got nothing to do with me.¡± Ghost Fire: ¡°But¡­¡± Before it can finish speaking, suddenly all the blocks in the space start to flicker! Soon, all the inspectors emerged from their respective game instances, rabbit-headed people, comic men, elders in gray robes¡­ they all gather together, as if they¡¯re welcoming a grand event! The ball happily exclaims, ¡°Awesome! This is the hint that the maze progress is more than halfway!¡± The rabbit-headed people look around, the cube is gradually returning to normal. ¡°We can now start planning the Maze War.¡± It calmly says, ¡°More than 55% of the puzzle pieces have been activated. The preliminary rounds will start soon. Everyone please get ready.¡± Chapter 554 - Chapter 554: Chapter 554: The Arrow Maze Chapter 554: Chapter 554: The Arrow Maze While Bai Youwei and her team were clearing the game, Su Man and Lu Yuwen were still trapped in the maze. This maze was divided into 10X10 grids, with each grid measuring 1.5-2 kilometres on average. They needed to go through all 100 grids to make an overall assessment and piece them together using deduction. After the grids were successfully pieced together, the right path would naturally appear. All this, Lu Yuwen explained to Su Man. Su Man felt incredibly lucky! If she hadn¡¯t run into Lu Yuwen, she would definitely be stuck in the maze! Now all she had to do was follow these arrows, she could get out, then her left hand and right hand could get better, ah! ~ What a great situation! With this in mind, her pace quickened unknowingly, her mood lightened, the road ahead was even and bright, all problems vanished! ¡°Su Man!¡± She faintly heard someone calling her. Other than her and Lu Yuwen in the maze, there was only Zhang Ke, who was unaccounted for. The person calling her must be Lu Yuwen, right? ¡­Remembering Zhang Ke, Su Man started to worry. When she and Lu Yuwen returned to their fall site, the edges of the two maps were tightly joined together, but the rope was gone. The rope didn¡¯t just disappear, it must have been Zhang Ke who climbed up at the last minute, took the rope and ran away! However, the map was so big, meeting by chance was likely no easy task. As long as she and Lu Yuwen found the exit first, then¡­ ¡°Su Man!¡± The voice came again. What was Lu Yuwen calling her for again? Su Man tried to stop and take a look, but strangely, her feet¡­ why couldn¡¯t she stop? Wait a minute¡­ It wasn¡¯t her feet that wouldn¡¯t stop, it felt like her brain did not want to stop¡­ ¡°Su Man!¡± Lu Yuwen grabbed hold of Su Man, panting heavily, ¡°You¡¯re walking too fast!¡± Su Man finally stopped; she was a bit dazed, ¡°¡­Did you call me?¡± Lu Yuwen was gasping for breath, ¡°I didn¡¯t just call you, I¡¯ve been chasing and calling you more than a dozen times!¡± Su Man looked at him, bewildered, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it¡­¡± Lu Yuwen was catching his breath, it took a while for him to recover. Resting his hands on his knees, he said, ¡°When you¡¯re walking, don¡¯t look at the arrows, you will be influenced. My legs can¡¯t move as fast as yours, I may not be able to catch up next time.¡± His limp made it difficult for him to move around, particularly with his injured knee. Su Man came back to her senses, surprised, ¡°We¡­can¡¯t look at the arrows?¡± ¡°The big arrows are fine, but don¡¯t focus on the small arrows,¡± pointed Lu Yuwen towards a few figures on the side of the road, ¡°If you follow the arrows the whole time, you¡¯d end up like them, incessantly moving forward until you lose your sense of self and turn into puppets.¡± Su Man remembered her earlier confusion and was slightly scared, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened¡­ I kept thinking, if I follow the arrows, I can get out, if I follow the arrows, I can get out¡­¡± Lu Yuwen sighed, ¡°Ah, Su Man, I¡¯ve never said that following the arrows would get you out.¡± Su Man realized that indeed Lu Yuwen had never said so. He only mentioned figuring out the 100 grids but why did she start believing that following the arrows could lead her out while walking? She had been undercover for so long before but never had such thoughts. That¡¯s probably because she was fully focused on Lu Yuwen and those three thugs at that time. But now that she wanted to get out, she started noticing the arrows near the road inadvertently and was influenced by them. The more Su Man thought about it, the colder she felt at her back. She looked up at Lu Yuwen with seriousness, ¡°Thank goodness you called out to me, you saved my life. I will forever be grateful and ready to return the favour whenever you need me!¡± Chapter 555 - Chapter 555: Chapter 555: Su Man and Lu Yuwen Chapter 555: Chapter 555: Su Man and Lu Yuwen Lu Yuwen politely declined, ¡°You¡¯ve helped me quite a bit too.¡± Grateful to him, Su Man glanced again at his kneecap and said, ¡°Let me carry you. I¡¯m strong and won¡¯t get tired.¡± ¡°No, no need!¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s hand gesture became even more emphatic, ¡°I can walk on my own! You still have to carry the luggage, don¡¯t you? We¡­we¡¯re in no rush, we can take our time, see things more clearly this way!¡± ¡°You make a valid point.¡± Su Man considered his words seriously, ¡°But there are so many arrows all around; I can¡¯t help but be drawn to them. It¡¯s like the more you forbid me from thinking about elephants, the more I will think about elephants.¡± She spotted another small arrow in the bushes and promptly averted her gaze. At that moment, an idea popped into her mind¡ª ¡°Aha! I¡¯ve got it!¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes lit up as she said to Lu Yuwen, ¡°We can change the direction of these arrows! For instance, some of them point east, others west, and so on, in all cardinal directions. This way, the arrows won¡¯t be able to control me anymore!¡± Assuming that when all arrows point in the same direction, they will have the greatest influence on a player, would they still have an impact if each arrow pointed differently? Unexpectedly, Su Man had a moment of inspiration. Exhilarated, she rolled up her sleeves to get to work. Lu Yuwen stopped her, ¡°We can¡¯t disperse the direction of the arrows. We should keep moving.¡± Slightly surprised, Su Man inquired, ¡°Why can¡¯t we disperse them?¡± Lu Yuwen contemplated for a while, looked up at the sky which was still early, and thought explaining to her wouldn¡¯t waste much time. ¡°How about this,¡± Lu Yuwen started, ¡°You just change the direction of one small arrow for now, and then I¡¯ll explain.¡± Skeptically, Su Man glanced at him, walked to the side of the road, and turned around one of the small arrows on the lamppost so that it was pointing in the opposite direction. ¡°We should be able to change the direction. Don¡¯t you remember? You asked me to do this once before. After changing the direction of all the small arrows, the big arrow also changes¡­¡± Lu Yuwen chuckled to himself, held onto a tree branch acting as a crutch, and told her from the roadside, ¡°Be patient, you¡¯ll understand in a moment.¡± Confused, Su Man stared at the small arrow. Just as Lu Yuwen mentioned, after a little while, the small arrow unexpectedly jerked! Stunned, Su Man¡¯s eyes widened as she saw the arrow automatically switch direction, turning back as it had before, returning to its original position! ¡°How could this be?!¡± Su Man was astonished, ¡°I was clearly able to change the direction before! Why did it flip back this time?¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s mouth curved up slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t keep me in suspense, come on, tell me!¡± Su Man implored impatiently, her clear, bright eyes studying his, free of blemishes. She was always so straightforward, wearing her heart on her face. Lu Yuwen cleared his throat and proposed, ¡°Try changing the direction of a few other nearby arrows. You don¡¯t have to change many, four or five is enough.¡± Following his advice, Su Man altered the direction of the arrows under the streetlights, on the left, right, and in the bushes. ¡°Now what?¡± she turned her gaze back to Lu Yuwen, eagerly awaiting his answer. Lu Yuwen pointed to the arrows, ¡°Then, you just watch.¡± ¡°Just watch?¡± Su Man was again puzzled as she cast her glance back onto the arrows. After about three to five seconds, the small arrow on the streetlight shook lightly. Then, it changed direction, becoming the same as the nearby arrows! ¡°Ah!¡­ That¡¯s exactly how it happened last time I changed the directions!¡± Su Man exclaimed immediately, ¡°As soon as the number of arrows changing direction increases, it affects the nearby arrows. So in the end, I didn¡¯t spend much time making all the arrows change their direction!¡± Lu Yuwen thought to himself, even so, you were really fast. From the changing patterns of the arrows, Su Man discerned a message, thoughtfully comprehending, ¡°I get it now. The arrows change according to the state of the other arrows, so we can¡¯t make the arrows point in mutually exclusive directions.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, flashing a faint smile, adding, ¡°It¡¯s the same concept as people being swayed by majority opinion.¡± Chapter 556 - Chapter 556: Chapter 556: Echoing Others Chapter 556: Chapter 556: Echoing Others ¡°Just echoing others?¡± Su Man blinked, just when she thought she understood, she found herself confused by Lu Yuwen¡¯s words. ¡°Exactly.¡± Lu Yuwen looked at a humanoid doll not far away and spoke gravely, ¡°The essence of echoing others is that the minority conforms to the majority. In order to adapt to the environment and integrate into society, each of us has, to a greater or lesser extent, echoed others, giving up our own thoughts and blindly following others, eventually walking on a path that seems right. The maze magnifies this effect, turning people into dolls who can¡¯t think or act on their own.¡± Su Man looked ahead as she listened to his words. She could almost imagine the panic that would ensue when the maze suddenly appeared. ¡ªPeople scrambling to find an exit, quickly spotting these arrows, banding together, following the arrows towards the exit¡­ increasing in numbers to a crowd¡­ Others would see this scene, invariably join the flow, thinking that the people leading the way knew where the exit was, filled with hope, yet, the result¡­ Death occurred without any warning. Su Man closed her eyes, unable to bear thinking about it further. However, Lu Yuwen beside her spoke again, ¡°However, there¡¯s something strange.¡± She opened her eyes and looked at him, ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡± Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Even if people followed these arrows, it¡¯s impossible that all of them were not conscious enough to see through this trap. Let¡¯s say there were ten thousand people here. With this scale, wasn¡¯t there a single person able to see the trap? Not even a one in ten thousand chance? That seems unlikely¡­¡± Su Man thought for a moment and said, ¡°The people who realized it was a trap must have left. Isn¡¯t it normal for them not to be in the maze?¡± Lu Yuwen still shook his head, ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s not right?¡± Su Man didn¡¯t understand. Lu Yuwen patiently explained, ¡°Imagine the maze as a 10¡Á10 sliding puzzle. If someone found the exit by solving the puzzle and then passed it to you, what do you think the state of the puzzle would be?¡± Su Man was taken aback, then her eyes slowly widened as she seemed to understand. ¡°¡­Completed?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Lu Yuwen furrowed his brow and continued, ¡°If someone had left following my method, the puzzle should now be solved. But, as you¡¯ve seen, during our journey thus far, we¡¯ve only come across a maximum of three grid squares in a row, with almost all the other tiles in the wrong positions.¡± Stunned by this revelation, Su Man realized there was something off. ¡°Could it be¡­ that none of these people in the maze made it out alive? But even if they couldn¡¯t solve the entire puzzle, they should have solved at least part of it, right?¡± The current state of the maze showed no sign of someone having tried to solve it! Glancing around, Lu Yuwen frowned and said, ¡°Either the exit doesn¡¯t require solving the map, or they encountered insurmountable difficulties while attempting to do so.¡± He then added, perhaps not wanting to worry Su Man, ¡°No matter what the situation, we will continue in our way. We will find out the truth sooner or later.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Su Man nodded. The two continued to walk for some distance until the edge, where they unexpectedly discovered another large pit. ¡°Pit¡± was not exactly accurate. The previous pit was smooth at the bottom, an empty space on the maze¡¯s map. The scene before them was more like a sunken terrain, the buildings completely submerged, the ground level at the bottom of the pit was about a story lower than where Su Man was standing. Su Man quickly understood and said, ¡°The city¡¯s surface is a curved plane. When a lowland plot is joined with a highland plot, there will be a height difference. But this plot is really low, we should detour.¡± After saying this, she turned to look at Lu Yuwen, but was taken aback. For some reason, Lu Yuwen¡¯s complexion had greatly deteriorated! Chapter 557 - Chapter 557: Chapter 557: Dead Angle Chapter 557: Chapter 557: Dead Angle ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Man asked. Lu Yuwen returned to his senses, staring at her, finding himself lost for words. Increasingly confused, Su Man stared at him, ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± Cold sweat appeared on Lu Yuwen¡¯s forehead. A suspicion in his mind struck like a massive bell, making his brain buzz relentlessly. He was utterly dumbfounded. How could he express his thoughts?! ¡°Is your leg hurting again?¡± Su Man, naturally impatient, became even more agitated as he remained quiet. She asked repeatedly, ¡°What¡¯s bothering you exactly? What¡¯s going on? Say something, will you?¡± Lu Yuwen took a deep breath¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s rest for a while.¡± He tried to sound as calm as possible. ¡°Having moved for a while, the wound indeed hurts a bit. Let¡¯s rest first. I also need to organize the map.¡± Su Man looked around, spotting a small supermarket nearby. She then helped Lu Yuwen walk towards it. As they made their way, she couldn¡¯t help complaining, ¡°I¡¯ve told you I could carry you, but you refused steadfastly. See? Your wound has worsened again. You¡¯re too proud for your own good!¡± Lu Yuwen barely smiled, not disputing her claim. Once at the supermarket, Su Man put down the luggage and efficiently cleared a space inside for them to rest. She then proactively gathered combustible materials nearby to start a fire and boil some water. As soon as Su Man left, Lu Yuwen took out the map he had drawn from his bag. He had prepared 100 sheets of A4 paper, cut into squares, with the map drawn on one side and a sequence number on the other. Most of the sheets now held a piece of the map. According to the plan he and Su Man had, they would fill up the 100 grids on the map within two days at most. Then, the puzzle assembly process would begin. For Lu Yuwen, assembling a jigsaw puzzle, whether it¡¯s 10¡Á10 or 100¡Á100, wasn¡¯t an issue once he mastered the technique. The final step involved arranging the maze tiles in sequence to form a whole, from which the correct path would emerge. ¡ªThat was under ideal conditions. However, the current reality was¡­ he had overlooked the issue of differences in the horizon. Most of the map cells they encountered so far were all on the same level. Even if there was a difference, it was merely a step-like disparity. He hadn¡¯t anticipated that the terrain difference could be so pronounced. This implied that certain arrows at certain spots were destined to be unreachable. They were what was referred to as¡­ dead ends! For instance, on mountaintops, or underwater. The maze cells had always been in a state of disorder, most likely because someone inadvertently moved a piece into a dead end while assembling, hence preventing the entire puzzle from being correctly put together! He and Su Man¡­ might not be able to get out. They were trapped here. What should he do¡­ Should he tell her? Outside, Su Man returned with an armful of firewood. Instead of coming in straight, she started a fire and set up a stove on the sidewalk outside the supermarket. Glancing back into the supermarket, she noticed Lu Yuwen looking at her. She smiled at him. Lu Yuwen felt increasingly uneasy. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak. Su Man had put her utter trust in him, always believing that he could lead her out of the maze. But in reality¡­ he was helpless. He looked down at the map once again. Could it be that there really was no way out? ¡°Want some mixed congee for dinner?¡± Su Man had found some canned food in the supermarket and asked Lu Yuwen, ¡°We¡¯d get tired if we continued to eat biscuits and instant noodles, don¡¯t you think? There¡¯s canned mixed congee; want some?¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Su Man laughed again, ¡°I should thank you. Opening canned food is a bit tough for me; why don¡¯t you do it?¡± After the words were out, she stopped short. It was strange how she always consciously or unconsciously hid her hand¡¯s disability from friends and family but felt no psychological burden explaining it to Lu Yuwen, a man she had only known for a few days. Why was that? Was it sympathy from shared adversity? Or¡­ because he was a ¡°stranger¡± she didn¡¯t quite know, it simply didn¡¯t matter? During Su Man¡¯s moment of thought, Lu Yuwen received the can from her. With a casual tone, he asked: ¡°Su Man, why did you enter the maze?¡± Chapter 558 - Chapter 558: Chapter 558: Why Enter the Maze Chapter 558: Chapter 558: Why Enter the Maze ¡­Why enter the maze? Su Man startled momentarily, gently holding her left hand without uttering a word. Lu Yuwen¡¯s gaze fell on her left hand, asking, ¡°How did you hurt your hand?¡± ¡°A game¡­¡± Su Man frowned lightly, ¡°I and some friends encountered a challenging game. She gave me her puzzle piece; otherwise, I would have not only lost a hand, but also lost my life.¡± ¡°Puzzle piece?¡± Lu Yuwen was taken aback, subconsciously looking at the map in his hand. Seeing his reaction, Su Man was taken aback for a moment too and hurried to explain, ¡°Not that kind of puzzle, it¡¯s that¡­huh? You don¡¯t know about the maze puzzles?¡± Lu Yuwen shook his head: ¡°What is a maze puzzle?¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You don¡¯t know about the maze puzzles?! As long as players pass through the maze, they can enhance their physical constitutions and also receive puzzle pieces! Each maze can produce up to 9 puzzle pieces. Once all 9 puzzle pieces are obtained by the players, the maze would disappear! Don¡¯t you know???¡± Lu Yuwen really didn¡¯t know, he shook his head again, ¡°All I know is not to get close to the white fog, where there is a maze that people can¡¯t get out of. How did you learn about this?¡± Su Man blurted out: ¡°We followed a rescue team, and almost everyone knew about this news.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Lu Yuwen chuckled lightly, ¡°We didn¡¯t wait for the rescue team. Later, the city lost power and internet connection, and we lost contact with the outside world. We learned about the maze from the players we encountered in the game.¡± Su Man was left speechless upon hearing this. Several of her family elders were military officials, and Li Li¡¯s family worked for the national research institute, so when the incident happened, they were categorized as key protection targets and were arranged to be evacuated in the first batch. Assuming that she was safely evacuated, she naturally presumed the same for others too. Assuming that she had received the news about the maze, she naturally presumed that everyone else, too, knew about it. But the truth is, a multitude of people didn¡¯t wait for the rescue and had to seek refuge on their own, gathering allies and partners on the way, and relying on the most primitive methods to exchange and disseminate information. Many are left dead or injured in the process; those who could hang on until now, like Lu Yuwen, are definitely few. Lu Yuwen didn¡¯t mind much about this particular point, asking Su Man instead: ¡°When you mentioned body enhancement earlier, what did you mean?¡± Su Man carefully responded, ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s just a manner of speaking. Some say it¡¯s a promotion, some call it optimization, and some mention it as a kind of evolution. In general, various aspects of one¡¯s body become stronger, speed, power, endurance, and self-healing ability all seem to significantly improve, depending on each individual¡¯s physical characteristics.¡± Lu Yuwen understood, ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ve entered the maze before?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Man nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve been in the maze twice. This is my third time.¡± Having said that, she couldn¡¯t help but look gloomy, and softly said: ¡°Only with everyone¡¯s joint efforts could we get through the maze. Now that I¡¯m the only one left, I can¡¯t do anything¡­¡± Su Man looked up at Lu Yuwen and smiled, ¡°I really envy you guys, so smart, the maze game can¡¯t stump you.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not just about being smart¡­¡± Lu Yuwen stared at her, ¡°If you¡¯re left on your own, you¡¯ll quickly become disheartened, demoralized, devastated. But if you have friends, supporting each other, encouraging each other, you can persistently overcome difficulties, figure out ways to solve problems. Therefore, getting through the maze is not only credited to their strength, but your strength is also essential.¡± Su Man stared at him blankly. After a moment, she grinned sheepishly, ¡°Thank you¡­ this is the first time I¡¯ve been¡­ complimented like this¡­¡± Chapter 559 - Chapter 559: Chapter 559 Spend Some Time Chapter 559: Chapter 559 Spend Some Time Su Man felt embarrassed. Lu Yuwen also felt somewhat awkward. He was used to being alone, rarely opening up to others. When words of praise came out of his mouth, it unexpectedly seemed like sweet talk. If he continued, would it make him seem frivolous? Lu Yuwen averted his gaze, looked at the canned food in his hands, and said softly: ¡°Anyway¡­as long as we work together, we can definitely escape the maze.¡± ¡°Yes! Absolutely!¡± Su Man was full of vigor. She stood up and declared, ¡°I won¡¯t give up! I¡¯ll look around again. Maybe there are other useful things. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow!¡± Su Man turned to leave, full of energy. Watching her retreating figure, Lu Yuwen felt his spirits, only just revived, dissipate again. He was again despondent¡­ That thing¡­he wasn¡¯t able to tell her. While she was full of expectations, telling her that they were trapped, that they would never be able to escape, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say those words. Lu Yuwen irritably tugged at his hair. What should he do? Even if he kept it from her, he couldn¡¯t conceal it for long! As soon as all 100 squares were explored and there was no next move, Su Man was bound to become suspicious! Unless he could find a solution to the dead-end problem before that. With this thought, Lu Yuwen paused. Looking at the can of eight-treasure porridge in his hand, his thoughts began to settle¡­ Here they had food and water. If given more time, perhaps¡­perhaps he could find a solution. Lu Yuwen reached once more for the maps¡­ ¡­ After two more days, they had finally completed the diagram for the 100 squares. Because the last dozen or so squares connect, presumably assembled by those before them, it saved them a lot of time. After they finished drawing all the squares, Lu Yuwen took only 22 minutes to assemble the 100 scattered squares into a map. Su Man was amazed, ¡°That¡¯s incredible¡­I wish I were that smart.¡± Lu Yuwen said with a laugh, ¡°This is actually quite slow. Some of the map drawings weren¡¯t very accurate, after all, we¡¯re not professionals.¡± ¡°So next, do we just need to match this map to assemble the squares?¡± Su Man looked at him expectantly, shining with admiration. She had no resistance against such a clever man¡­or rather, against such a smart brain. Lu Yuwen laughed and said, ¡°Next, we need to assemble it again.¡± Su Man froze, ¡°Assemble it again?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Yuwen returned the map-drawing paper to its original position, ¡°Just now was just a test. Now we need to find the optimal solution, or in other words, the method to assemble the squares in the fewest steps.¡± Su Man nodded repeatedly, ¡°Right, we have to assemble the squares in reality. Each square is about 2 kilometers away. If we can find the optimal solution, we can save a lot of time.¡± She stood up, telling Lu Yuwen, ¡°You focus on finding the optimal solution. I won¡¯t bother you. I¡¯ll take a walk outside.¡± Su Man thought of Lu Yuwen as a scholar, and felt that such a clever person should be ¡°singly focused on their studies, oblivious to the outside world¡±. As for her, who couldn¡¯t solve the problem and couldn¡¯t come up with any ideas, she took care of all the physical labor. Finding food, scouting the environment, clearing roadblocks, she managed all of these tasks perfectly well without Lu Yuwen¡¯s assistance. However, she didn¡¯t expect that Lu Yuwen would take two whole days to find the optimal solution and still not find it¡­ Su Man hesitated. She wanted to ask him, but looking at Lu Yuwen furrowing his brows and facing those messy maps, she didn¡¯t dare to ask. She was worried that pushing him might stress him out, and even more interfere with his work in finding the optimal solution. Perhaps noticing Su Man¡¯s anxiousness, Lu Yuwen put away all the maps after one more day and told Su Man, ¡°Let¡¯s begin assembling.¡± Chapter 560 - Chapter 560: Chapter 560: Two Grids Chapter 560: Chapter 560: Two Grids The map drawn by Lu Yuwen spanned from the Jiaolonghai Railway overpass in the east to Xuzhou Amusement Park in the west, Quanshan Forest Park in the south to Yangtun Station in the north¡ªthe whole area was divided into equal blocks of 100 squares. Eighteen connecting blocks were located at the southwest corner of the map, and Su Man suggested that they should start putting the puzzle together from these blocks. However, Lu Yuwen proposed that they should start from the northeast corner, where numerous machine factories, coal factories, fertilizer plants, and electrical machinery factories were scattered. This area was an industrial park, which made it easier to identify the blocks when looking for them because of their distinct features. It was easy to strategize on paper, but the execution was extremely challenging in reality. Lu Yuwen and Su Man spent an entire day only to piece together¡­ two blocks. It wasn¡¯t because they were lazy, but rather every time they had to move a block, they had to return to the adjacent original block position, move the block just to create an empty slot, which allowed the target block to continue its movement. Just to accurately place the first block, they had to travel thirty kilometers! Su Man quietly calculated the time. If they put together two blocks per day, then it would take a total of fifty days to put all 100 blocks together! Even if they subtracted the eighteen blocks which were already pieced together, it would still take at least forty days! Taking into account the time already wasted in the labyrinth, wouldn¡¯t it be near to two months before they could get out? This thought frightened Su Man. Two months later, she had no idea what the world would look like. Would Yan and Zhu Shu still be in Shanghai? Where would she go to find them? Lu Yuwen comforted her, saying that usually, the first few pieces of a 10¡Á10 puzzle game take the longest time because they have to travel the furthest. After they¡¯ve completed a portion, the speed will pick up. For example, after completing the peripheral 36 blocks, the map would become 8¡Á8, then after another 28 blocks, it would become 6¡Á6. As such, the map would be getting smaller, and assembling it would become increasingly easier. Su Man trusted him and calmly continued to piece together the blocks. The next day, their progress was¡ª Two blocks. The third day¡ª Still two blocks. ¡­ Su Man started to feel anxious. Although she desperately wanted to keep moving the blocks without sleeping, Lu Yuwen was physically weaker than her. Already, ten hours of work per day was his limit. Once again, Lu Yuwen reassured her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve looked at the map, and according to our progress, we should be able to assemble at least four blocks tomorrow.¡± Su Man mustered a smile. Four blocks, although the number had increased, but¡­ However, having only moved ten blocks in four days, it wasn¡¯t exactly an optimistic speed. There were still 72 blocks left¡­ ¡­ The next day, Su Man and Lu Yuwen were busy from morning till night, and just as Lu Yuwen predicted, they managed to assemble four blocks. As the sun set, they pitched their camp along the road. Lu Yuwen said to Su Man: ¡°We¡¯ll assemble another four blocks tomorrow. The initial speed will be slow, but don¡¯t worry too much. There is plenty of food and water here. It will be safer if we spend more time on this.¡± Su Man nodded and responded earnestly: ¡°Alright, I believe in you.¡± Lu Yuwen was slightly startled. He didn¡¯t dare meet Su Man¡¯s gaze and looked away, mumbling, ¡°I¡¯ll go check the map again¡­¡± With that, he turned and went into the tent. ¡°I want to scout the road ahead,¡± said Su Man, who was sitting outside, speaking to him through the tent. ¡°That way, we can get a smoother start tomorrow. You should get some rest, don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± There was no response from the tent. Su Man looked at the increasingly darkening sky, added a few more pieces of firewood to the fire, and then got up and left. She couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. The slow progress was making her anxious! She was naturally impatient, but now she had no choice but to calm down and follow Lu Yuwen¡¯s pace, step by step. It was so frustrating! What¡¯s more, their relationship was not so familiar. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t treat him as she did her old teammates¡ªfreely urging him, questioning him, blaming him! No matter how anxious she was inside, she had to swallow her feelings and empathize with his difficulties! Ah! Su Man walked about a hundred meters away, only to realize she had forgotten to take her dagger with her. Her anxiety morphed into vexation, and she had no choice but to go back the same way. Unexpectedly, shortly after turning back, she saw a dispute had arisen by the tent! Chapter 561 - Chapter 561: Chapter 561: The Reason for Procrastination Chapter 561: Chapter 561: The Reason for Procrastination It¡¯s Zhang Ke! In the many days that had passed, Su Man had almost forgotten about this guy! She had even thought that he might have been injured and died in some obscure corner! But it turned out, he suddenly reappeared! ¡°Hey!¡± Su Man quickened her pace and ran over, ¡°Bastard! Let him go!¡± Zhang Ke was still in his original attire, but now coated with mud and blood, his disheveled hair, haggard face made him look like a fugitive wandering in the wilderness, extremely wretched. At the moment, he grabbed Lu Yuwen¡¯s collar, pulling him in front of him while strangling Lu Yuwen¡¯s neck with his elbow. In his other hand, he held a knife, pressing it against Lu Yuwen¡¯s throat. He wasn¡¯t afraid of Su Man at all. He grimaced as he watched her run back, the point of the knife dug into the flesh, a bead of fresh blood spilling out, trickling down Lu Yuwen¡¯s handsome neck. Su Man frowned and stopped a few steps away from the bonfire. Zhang Ke lifted the knife slightly, but it was still against Lu Yuwen¡¯s neck. His gloomy eyes fixed on Su Man, he said, ¡°What are you nervous about? I¡¯m just chatting with my buddy here. I¡¯m a timid man, you know. If you start shouting and startle me, this knife might do something reckless¡­¡± ¡°You want to kill him?¡± Su Man sneered, ¡°If you kill him, you can forget about ever getting out of here!¡± Zhang Ke¡¯s gaze became colder, his tone ambiguous, ¡°Do you think we can leave now? Heh¡­¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Su Man stood her ground, calmly negotiating with Zhang Ke, ¡°Our goal is to get out of this maze. You can let him go. If you just want to vent your anger, let me make this clear to you: if you kill him now, you won¡¯t have a chance to escape either!¡± Zhang Ke watched her, a contemptuous smile on his face. ¡°¡­Idiot.¡± Su Man¡¯s face changed slightly, ¡°What did you say?!¡± ¡°I said, you¡¯re dumb!¡± Zhang Ke suddenly shouted, ¡°Do you think we¡¯re still trying to piece together a map?! Idiot! He¡¯s been leading you in circles these past few days! Don¡¯t you see?! He¡¯s just buying time!¡± Upon hearing this, Su Man froze, staring at Lu Yuwen in shock. Zhang Ke raised his arm, grabbing Lu Yuwen¡¯s hair roughly, forcing him to lift his head high, the cold blade still pressed against his throat! ¡°Tell us why you were deliberately delaying, hmm?¡± Zhang Ke said in Lu Yuwen¡¯s ear, his malicious gaze fixed on Su Man, ¡°Did you fancy this woman¡­ and that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t want to leave?¡± Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t speak. With gritted teeth, Su Man defiantly called out, ¡°Let him go! Puzzle-solving is always slow at first, and it¡¯s mentally exhausting! If you can¡¯t do it, don¡¯t assume someone else is stalling for time!¡± Zhang Ke laughed, full of mockery, ¡°Really a dumb woman¡­So easily fooled, it¡¯s no wonder that after several days, she doesn¡¯t doubt you. However, don¡¯t think of fooling me, understood?¡± The sharp blade pressed tighter against Lu Yuwen, Zhang Ke asked quietly, ¡°Even at this point, you¡¯re still not willing to talk?¡­ Lu Yuwen, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t have the guts to do it.¡± Blood flowed down the slashed wound. While it didn¡¯t reach the artery, the threat was clear. Lu Yuwen¡¯s throat bobbed, he managed to say, ¡°I¡¯ll tell¡­¡± ¡°Very good.¡± Zhang Ke curled his lips, loosening his grip and the blade slightly, ¡°Tell us, why have you been stalling? Don¡¯t treat us like fools, if you dare lie, I¡¯ll skin you alive!¡± Finally, his gaze shifted to the stunned Su Man on the side, his smile cold, ¡°Let this stupid woman hear it too, how her trustworthy companion has been fooling her these past few days.¡± Chapter 562 - Chapter 562: Chapter 562 Collaboration of Three People Chapter 562: Chapter 562 Collaboration of Three People Su Man looked at Lu Yuwen, her eyes filled with confusion. After all these days¡­ had Lu Yuwen been deceiving her? Why? With a knife pressed against his throat, Lu Yuwen gasped, ¡°All these days¡­ I wasn¡¯t stalling. I was¡­ waiting for you.¡± ¡°Waiting for me?¡± Zhang Ke narrowed his eyes, pressing the knife against his skin. ¡°I warn you, don¡¯t try to fool me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Lu Yuwen answered weakly. Blood was smeared around his neck, and his face bore bruises from being hit. His situation was dire, but his tone was calm. ¡°Zhang Ke, if you have been following us, you would have noticed that our slow pace is due to the need to make room for moving after every step. In essence, we are short-handed. If¡­ if you could join in, our efficiency would improve by at least double!¡± Zhang Ke scrutinized him suspiciously, ¡°Your reason, doesn¡¯t sound very convincing¡­¡± Lu Yuwen said: ¡°Suppose this place is a 3¡Á3 puzzle, with grid cells marked from 1 to 8, and the 9th cell is the blank space. If my starting position is 8 and I want to move 8 to position 5, I would need to walk to 6, move down to 6, then diagonally walk to position 5, move right to 5, return to 8, move up, only then can I get 8 to position 5¡ª Even though 8 and 5 are adjacent, my movement distance is not just one step, but at least three steps! What if the three of us stand in positions 5 and 6? You move position 6, then Su Man and I move position 5. While we¡¯re doing that, you move from position 6 to 8. At this point, position 8 has arrived at position 5! Do you understand now? The whole process only requires one step of movement on our part!¡± Zhang Ke furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly deep in thought. Lu Yuwen spoke again: ¡°If you join us, completing the whole puzzle would take us at most six days! But if you continue hiding in the shadows, hoping to reap the benefits, then you¡¯ll have to wait at least a month to leave this place! Zhang Ke, think about it. Do you want to collaborate with us?¡± Zhang Ke frowned without giving a response. His face, cast in the light of the fire, looked as if he was somewhat persuaded by Lu Yuwen¡¯s words. Suddenly, a cluster of flames flew into their sight! It was Su Man, kicking a burning log, sparks flew, and Zhang Ke hastily retreated! Taking the opportunity, Su Man grabbed Lu Yuwen and pulled him over! ¡°You?!¡­¡± Zhang Ke, without his hostage, glared at them, ¡°You played me?!!¡± Shielding Lu Yuwen behind her, Su Man retorted coldly: ¡°Even if we were to collaborate, I wouldn¡¯t let Lu Yuwen be with you. Who knows what dirty tricks you might play!¡± Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Nobody is playing you, Zhang Ke. It¡¯s out of necessity that I suggested collaboration, but under the current circumstances, we must join forces.¡± With a cynical look, Zhang Ke spat, ¡°We can team up, but I want to be paired with Lu Yuwen. Let the woman stay at the neighboring plot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Su Man immediately refused. Zhang Ke glared at them menacingly, ¡°You think I¡¯m a fool? Sending me alone to the nearby plot means keeping a distance of 2 kilometers between us! What if you guys escape after all the plots are assembled?!¡± ¡°You can tie me up with a rope.¡± Lu Yuwen suggested. Su Man immediately groaned, looking at Lu Yuwen, ¡°How could you¡­¡± Lu Yuwen squeezed her hand, giving her a quietly reassuring look. Turning to Zhang Ke, he said, ¡°Mr. Dongguo¡¯s rope should be in your possession now, right? As long as you stay alive, the rope can¡¯t be untied. You can rest assured, we certainly won¡¯t leave the maze before you.¡± Chapter 563 - Chapter 563: Chapter 563: Missing a Piece Chapter 563: Chapter 563: Missing a Piece ¡°Mr. Dongguo¡¯s Rope: Once a knot is tied, no one but the user can untie or damage the rope. Be aware, when the user dies, the item ceases to work.¡± This rope, originally belonged to Yang Zi. After Yang Zi¡¯s death, Zhang Ke, who used the rope, naturally became the ¡°user¡± of this item. Therefore, as long as Zhang Ke does not die, Lu Yuwen will never be able to free himself from the bondage of the rope! Lu Yuwen stood in front of Zhang Ke, letting Zhang Ke tightly bind his hands together. Su Man wanted to say something but stopped herself, and in the end remained silent. Zhang Ke glanced at her, smiling insincerely, ¡°This is the best way, you guys can rest assured, and so can I.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re relieved, you can leave now.¡± Lu Yuwen said calmly, ¡°With my hands tied, I am virtually disabled, so as long as I can leave the labyrinth, I will definitely find a way to bring you along.¡± Su Man stared at Zhang Ke coldly, ¡°If you go back on your word and don¡¯t untie the rope after we leave the labyrinth, I guarantee you¡¯ll die a horrible death.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhang Ke let out a sound of derision. Despite his face showing disdain, he knew of Su Man¡¯s capabilities since he¡¯d been following them all this time. Thus, without saying anything, he turned and left, his figure gradually disappearing in the distance. A delicate balance formed between the three of them. ¡°Will he keep his promise?¡± Su Man didn¡¯t feel relieved as she watched his figure depart. ¡°This kind of man can¡¯t be trusted, even if he cooperates with us, he will surely betray us in the end!¡± ¡°We have no choice¡­¡± Lu Yuwen sat on the ground, exhaling slowly. Blood was flowing from the wound on his neck, his collar soaking wet. He wanted to wipe it with his hand, but his hands were tied and he couldn¡¯t move comfortably, so he gave up the thought. ¡°I forced him out not just because we were inefficient, but for another reason¡­¡± Lu Yuwen said. Su Man took out some antiseptic and a bandage to treat his wound, and asked, ¡°What other reason?¡± Lu Yuwen remained silent for a moment, then said, ¡°There¡¯s something¡­ that only he can do. Neither of us can do it.¡± Su Man blinked, looking a bit puzzled, ¡°What is it?¡± Lu Yuwen looked up at her, ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± His words halted. Su Man knitted her brows in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Lu Yuwen hesitated, then lowered his head again, ¡°Never mind, you¡¯ll find out in a few days.¡± ¡°Why are you keeping me in suspense!¡± Su Man sighed in frustration. ¡­ Zhang Ke might be a jerk, but he kept his word after the cooperation. The next day, as agreed, he started moving the blocks in the pre-arranged time, place, and direction. By the time the sun went down in the evening, they had completed 10 blocks. At this pace, they doubled their progress compared to when Su Man and Lu Yuwen were working together. That evening, Zhang Ke received the new route from Lu Yuwen. The third day, their efficiency was even higher, completing 16 blocks! The fourth day, they completed 22 blocks! Plus the 18 blocks they¡¯d originally completed at the southwest corner of the labyrinth, they¡¯re 24 blocks away from the total of 100. Excluding the empty block, there¡¯re just 23 blocks left to go! Which means, if they speed up a little more, they can leave the labyrinth by tomorrow! But when Zhang Ke went to Lu Yuwen again for the route, Lu Yuwen only marked two blocks on the paper. ¡°Where¡¯s the rest?¡± Zhang Ke raised his eyebrows at Lu Yuwen. Lu Yuwen handed the map over with his tied-up hands, he pointed out the area with difficulty and said, ¡°Once you go two more blocks, it¡¯ll connect to the 18 blocks at the southwest corner, but there¡¯s a block missing in this area¡­ Chapter 564 - Chapter 564: Chapter 564: In the Water Chapter 564: Chapter 564: In the Water Zhang Ke took the map, examined it carefully, then questioned Lu Yuwen with doubt: ¡°Missing a piece? Of the 100 parcels, 99 are there besides the empty space, so why do you say one is missing?¡± Su Man looked at the map puzzled too, the southwest corner of the region was Yunlong Lake, with 2 pure water areas and 6 half water half land, occupying a total of 8 parcels. ¡°Which one is missing?¡± She asked. Lu Yuwen pointed to the map again, saying, ¡°It¡¯s in the water.¡± Zhang Ke and Su Man both froze. In the water¡­ This meant that the arrows were also in the water. They needed to dive under the water to change the direction of the arrow, and then move the parcels! How deep do they need to dive? Unknown; how clear is the underwater visibility? Unknown; is it dangerous? Still unknown! Zhang Ke, who had regained his senses, felt a surge of anger, grabbed Lu Yuwen by the collar, and said menacingly, ¡°You¡¯ve been planning to screw me over all along, haven¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°Let go!¡± Su Man grabbed Zhang Ke¡¯s wrist and pulled hard! Zhang Ke, strong and robust, was pulled off balance by Su Man. He stumbled but managed to steady himself, his expression became even more fierce! ¡°If we have to go underwater, you guys go on your own! I won¡¯t go in!¡± he gritted his teeth and said. ¡°So I only gave you two parcels of the route.¡± Lu Yuwen was calm, ¡°The missing piece, shall we figure it out slowly?¡± ¡°Figure it out slowly?¡± Zhang Ke sneered and pointed at Su Man, ¡°Let her go down!¡± Su Man was stunned. Lu Yuwen spoke directly: ¡°She can¡¯t.¡± Su Man was surprised again, looking at Lu Yuwen with wide eyes, she didn¡¯t understand, why couldn¡¯t she? Did Lu Yuwen think she couldn¡¯t swim? Actually, her swimming ability was okay¡­ ¡°Her hand is not functioning, she can¡¯t tie knots underwater.¡± Lu Yuwen said, ¡°The underwater visibility is limited, we find an arrow, then we need to find another arrow, this process can¡¯t be as fast as it is on the shore, when we find the next one, the previous arrow has already resumed its original direction, so, if we want to turn multiple arrows at the same time, we have to use certain methods, like tying them with ropes to fix the direction of the arrows.¡± Hearing this, Zhang Ke sneered, ¡°You¡¯ve even figured out the method, it seems like you¡¯ve long been waiting here for me. You can¡¯t go underwater because of your limp leg, she can¡¯t tie the rope with one hand, so who¡¯s left? Me! If I won¡¯t go, we¡¯ll just wait here together to die! Is that what you mean?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go down, then don¡¯t go down! Why are you yelling?!¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t stand Zhang Ke¡¯s attitude and stood up to say, ¡°If you¡¯re so capable, come up with a solution! Complaining does no good! If it comes to that, I¡¯ll go into the water, if one hand can¡¯t tie the knot, I¡¯ll just wind it more times!¡± Zhang Ke looked at her sarcastically, ¡°Bind? Do you not know there¡¯s buoyancy underwater? Unless you tie it dead tight, no matter how many times you wind it, it¡¯ll come loose!¡± Su Man glared at him, ¡°Then what are you suggesting we should do?!¡± Zhang Ke gritted his teeth, brooded for a while, then he snorted, ¡°Let¡¯s check out the site tomorrow first!¡± After he finished speaking, he took the route map given by Lu Yuwen and turned to leave. Each step was deliberate, as if to vent his anger. After he left, Su Man finally couldn¡¯t help but ask Lu Yuwen, ¡°Is that the other reason you mentioned last time? Even without Zhang Ke, I could go into the water myself!¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s face looked serious, ¡°Finding arrows underwater is not as easy as you think.¡± He was stating the fact, but somehow, Su Man felt as if there was a raging fire burning inside her, she retorted, ¡°How difficult could it be? Do you think I can only handle easy tasks and not the challenging ones?!¡± Lu Yuwen was taken aback. Su Man bit her lip and whispered, ¡°I know, you all think I¡¯m a fool who can only do things that don¡¯t require thinking.¡± Lu Yuwen opened his mouth, ¡°Su Man, I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Su Man lowered her head, murmuring, ¡°Forget it¡­I was just speaking off the top of my head.¡± She turned around and entered the tent. Chapter 565 - Chapter 565: Chapter 565: Encountering Such a Person Chapter 565: Chapter 565: Encountering Such a Person Su Man knew she was wrong to have such an outburst. The timing was wrong, and so was the target. She shouldn¡¯t have lost her temper at Lu Yuwen, it could be that spending too much time in the maze had made her anxious, combined with concern for friends and missing her family¡­ These emotions piled up, leading to an untimely explosion. In retrospect, Lu Yuwen was entirely innocent. He was constantly thinking of a solution, but still had to deal with complaints from her and Zhang Ke. After calming herself a little, Su Man felt she should apologize to Lu Yuwen. But she was always obstinate and had never bowed her head to anyone, except for Bai Youwei. As she was thinking this, the curtain of the tent behind her was lifted, and Lu Yuwen walked in. ¡°Su Man, I am sorry about what just happened¡­¡± The man naturally began, apologizing to Su Man: ¡°The reason I spoke like that was not to doubt your abilities, but out of concern. I believe that if your friends and family were here, they would not want you to go into the water either because anyone who cares about you would not want to see you take any risks, even the slightest one.¡± Lu Yuwen sighed: ¡°Su Man, I am as concerned about your safety as your friends are.¡± Upon hearing this, Su Man blushed slightly. His words were too sweet, making her almost shy¡­ The strong-willed Su Man softened for the first time, stuttering: ¡°Actually, actually, I was also wrong, I¡­I lost my temper, earlier, I didn¡¯t mean to target you specifically¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, as long as we clarify it, everything will be fine.¡± Lu Yuwen gently responded, ¡°Next, we just need to consider how to get out of the maze as soon as possible.¡± Su Man felt that what Lu Yuwen said was absolutely right. She immediately nodded in agreement. Lu Yuwen continued: ¡°Zhang Ke will definitely not volunteer to go into the water tomorrow, and so you might need to go down again.¡± Su Man nodded resolutely, ¡°With or without him doesn¡¯t matter, I can do it alone!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± Lu Yuwen laughed, explaining, ¡°If Zhang Ke sees that you can change the direction of the arrow all by yourself, then he will not bother with the other arrows. So, after you go into the water tomorrow, you should first pretend to be unable to find the arrow, forcing him to go in. We can¡¯t let him reap the benefits without doing anything, understand?¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t help asking: ¡°What if Zhang Ke also can¡¯t find the arrow?¡± ¡°He will find it.¡± His eyes deepened in the dim light of the tent. ¡°He will find it. If you worry that he cannot do it alone, you can help him, but remember, you have to go into the water in the order I arranged, understand?¡± Su Man paused, then nodded and replied: ¡°Mmm, I understand.¡± Lu Yuwen showed his gentle smile again, ¡°Go to bed early, goodnight.¡± Su Man also smiled at him, ¡°Goodnight.¡± She felt a sense of contentment and peace. She thought to herself how fortunate she was to have met such a person in the maze. ¡­ Early the next morning, when the sun was just right, Su Man and Lu Yuwen set off. So did Zhang Ke. They followed the planned route and quickly pieced together two pieces of the map, arriving at the edge of Yunlong Lake. Frankly speaking, if it had not been for Lu Yuwen¡¯s prior explanation, neither Su Man nor Zhang Ke would have noticed anything amiss about the lake¡¯s edge. This piece of land should have belonged to an old channel of the Yellow River, but somehow it had been moved here, and because the area was very low, four-fifths of it was submerged in the water of Yunlong Lake, at first glance it seemed like nothing more than a grassy slope on the lake¡¯s edge. Su Man looked at the sparkling water and took a deep breath. Lu Yuwen reminded her, ¡°On the first trip, you don¡¯t have to do anything other than familiarize yourself with the depth of the water, and we will discuss everything else once you are back onshore.¡± Su Man nodded, took off her shoes, and stepped barefoot into the water¡­ Chapter 566 - Chapter 566: Chapter 566: Intentional Chapter 566: Chapter 566: Intentional Two minutes later, Su Man surfaced. Having consumed the mahi-mahi provided by Spring Bear, she could hold her breath for a long time. However, visibility underwater was terribly poor. No matter how long she could hold her breath, it was of no use since she had no idea where to look. Dejectedly, Su Man returned to shore and said to Lu Yuwen and Zhang Ke, ¡°The visibility underwater is extremely low. A simple stroke of my hand mixing the silt and dust into the water, making it murky, and I couldn¡¯t see a thing.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll cloud up the water if you wade in.¡± Zhang Ke frowned, ¡°We should get a boat and go straight to the center of the lake. Arrowheads are generally distributed in the center area of the plot!¡± Lu Yuwen shook his head, ¡°There may be no boat available around here, and we are unsure about the depth in the center of the lake, it¡¯s very risky to just plunge in.¡± Zhang Ke was dismissive, ¡°How do we know if there are no boats without looking? Searching along the shore like you guys, we might not find the arrowhead even by nightfall!¡± Although Su Man despised Zhang Ke, she had to admit his words made sense. She looked uncertainly at Lu Yuwen and asked, ¡°Should we¡­?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep trying here. It¡¯s safer.¡± Lu Yuwen insisted, with steady confidence, ¡°Su Man, please go underwater one more time. You don¡¯t need to hold your breath for too long this time, around one minute will do. Just feel the underwater situation nearby.¡± ¡°Lu Yuwen, are you out of your mind?¡± Zhang Ke was finally angered, ¡°What can be achieved in a minute? Aren¡¯t you willing to let this woman go underwater?!¡± Lu Yuwen watched the lake surface, still calm, ¡°She and I are partners, and it¡¯s quite normal to worry about her facing dangerous situations underwater. Zhang Ke, if you¡¯re unhappy about it, you can figure out your own method. Anyway, I won¡¯t let Su Man take the risk.¡± Zhang Ke sneered, ¡°A lame and a cripple, what a perfect match.¡± ¡°You!¡­¡± Su Man¡¯s eyebrows raised, her temper flaring. Lu Yuwen held her back, shaking his head, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Su Man. Please go underwater again, this time at a different spot. We¡¯ll take it slow, safety is our top priority.¡± Su Man bit her lip and nodded. This wasn¡¯t the time for rash actions. The priority was to find the arrowhead. Su Man prepared to dive. Zhang Ke muttered under his breath, ¡°Two idiots.¡± Then he left. ¡­ Su Man¡¯s second dive was still fruitless. When she emerged from the water, she couldn¡¯t help but say to Lu Yuwen, ¡°I think Zhang Ke¡¯s suggestion is not devoid of reason. Perhaps we should find a boat, row to the center of the field, and then go underwater to find the arrowhead¡­¡± Lu Yuwen handed her a bath towel, ¡°No rush, Zhang Ke will go find the boat.¡± Su Man took the towel, paused and asked, ¡°¡­Shouldn¡¯t we¡­help him?¡± Lu Yuwen shook his head, ¡°Zhang Ke does not fully trust us. It would be better for us to let him deal with this instead of making him paranoid. Even if we want to use a boat, we should let him suggest it. By proposing the solution himself, he will not only lower his guard but also fully cooperate. Now all we need is rest.¡± It¡¯s similar to a company meeting. If a person proposes a certain scheme, they will keep looking for supporting arguments to uphold their proposal¡¯s validity when facing others¡¯ skepticism ¨C it¡¯s a psychological defense mechanism. Su Man¡¯s eyes widened, looking at Lu Yuwen with both shock and admiration, ¡°Did you do it all on purpose?!¡± Lu Yuwen glanced at her, gently smiled, but said nothing. Su Man started to get excited, ¡°Lu Yuwen! You¡¯re so clever!!!¡± Lu Yuwen felt awkward and replied shyly, ¡°It¡¯s just simple psychological knowledge, not much to do with being smart¡­¡± Su Man was aware that she overreacted, but she was still excited and her eyes sparkled as she looked at Lu Yuwen, ¡°Even if it was just simple knowledge, I didn¡¯t think of it¡­ I wish I could be as clever as you.¡± After speaking, she lowered her head to look at her soaking wet clothes; her mood unknowingly declined: ¡°Lu Yuwen, if I hadn¡¯t met you, I would never have been able to get out of this maze alone.¡± Chapter 567 - Chapter 567: Chapter 567: Not A One-Man Show Chapter 567: Chapter 567: Not A One-Man Show Su Man was feeling some regret. When she had set out, she was filled with fervor, driven by zealousness, believing herself to be brave, strong, fearless! But now, she was feeling her own weakness and helplessness more acutely! Would she have been able to accurately draw out the map if she hadn¡¯t encountered Lu Yuwen? Could she have pieced together the scattered plots of land? She feared she would have been confused by those misleading arrows and turned into a puppet before she even realised. Why was she always like this? Why couldn¡¯t she be as calm as Lu Yuwen and think things through clearly? A shadow fell over her as Lu Yuwen stepped in front of her. ¡°Su Man, if I hadn¡¯t met you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out of the labyrinth either,¡± said Lu Yuwen. He wanted to pat her shoulder in comfort, but realized that his hands were tied, so he put them back down. Su Man mustered up some courage and forced a smile, ¡°Hmm, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine!¡± It was just a moment of short-lived dejection. ¡°Be it the game, or the labyrinth, it¡¯s never a one-man job,¡± Yuwen said again. Su Man nodded in agreement. There was a small boat appearing on the lake in the distance. As it got closer, they saw Zhang Ke on the boat, waving at them. Zhang Ke had indeed found a boat¡ª It was a pedal boat, a common sight in water parks, with four seats. The main propulsion came from pedaling, stirring the blades, pushing water away. It also had a couple of oars. When Zhang Ke docked the pedal boat, Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Although you found a boat, sliding into the center of the lake and diving into an unpredictable depth is still too risky¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just tie a rope?¡± Zhang Ke interrupted impatiently, ¡°There¡¯s a rope on the other side of the lake. Get onboard, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Lu Yuwen stood still, his eyes scrutinizing the pedal boat, ¡°Are you sure the rope is long enough for us to dive to the bottom¡­¡± ¡°Stop nagging!¡± Zhang Ke frowned, ¡°If it¡¯s not long enough, just tie several ropes together, hurry up and get on board!¡± Su Man looked silently at Lu Yuwen. As he had predicted, after Zhang Ke proposed the plan, he took the initiative to start resolving problems in the implementation process. Zhang Ke thought he had taken control, yet he was oblivious to the fact that everything was a result orchestrated by Lu Yuwen. The three of them got on the boat, went to the other side to fetch some hemp ropes, and then arrived at the center of the submerged land. Through the surface of the water, the forest beneath was barely visible. The boat occasionally scraped against the treetops. The branches rubbing against the bottom of the boat produced a creaking sound. Su Man was the first to dive in. As she went under, Zhang Ke was continuously watching the surface of the water with conflicting emotions. He wanted to dive in for himself yet he was worried about being tricked. He had played the game with Lu Yuwen before. He knew that he was not as innocent as he seemed, but was rather cunning! Otherwise, in the past, both Brother Xiao and Yang Zi wouldn¡¯t have been so cautious of Lu Yuwen. This time Su Man spent two minutes underwater. For an average person, that was quite a long time. Zhang Ke frowned at her, ¡°Why did it take so long?¡± ¡°What is the situation under the water? Did you see the arrows?¡± Lu Yuwen asked. Su Man took a deep breath, looked at both of them, and said, ¡°There is good news and bad news¡ª The good news is that many of the arrows are on the tree trunks, meaning we don¡¯t need to dive to the bottom. We can find the arrows by diving just over three meters.¡± The bad news is¡­ branches can entangle the rope; I got stuck when I was coming up and it took me a few seconds to free myself.¡± Under the water, every second of delay could be fatal. Su Man looked at Zhang Ke and seriously suggested, ¡°When you dive later, it¡¯s better not to tie a rope. Having a rope might actually be more dangerous.¡± Chapter 568 - Chapter 568: Chapter 568: Strike First Chapter 568: Chapter 568: Strike First Zhang Ke refused without hesitation, his tone icy: ¡°I won¡¯t tie the rope. Who knows if you¡¯ll run away if I get into trouble? Just choose a gap between the trees when you get into the water.¡± Su Man wanted to persuade him, but the look in Lu Yuwen¡¯s eyes silenced her¡­ Zhang Ke was completely in control of the rhythm on the boat. He instructed Su Man to retrieve the arrows from the water; Lu Yuwen to prepare the short rope to bind the arrows; When Su Man returned, he told her to inform him of the exact location of the arrows. Su Man and Lu Yuwen complied obediently, following his command to the letter. As the task of positioning the arrows required Zhang Ke to get into the water, some compromise was essential for cooperation. Zhang Ke understood this well. However, despite the complying attitudes of Su Man and Lu Yuwen, he still did not trust them. Before jumping into the water, he replaced the ordinary hemp rope with Mr. Dongguo¡¯s rope. One end was tied around his waist, and the other was knotted around Lu Yuwen¡¯s wrist. Lu Yuwen calmly suggested, ¡°It¡¯s better if you tie it to the boat. If something really happens, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be much help to you.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she also here?¡± Zhang Ke sneered at Su Man, ¡°I believe she could abandon the boat, but she definitely won¡¯t abandon you.¡± Su Man gritted her teeth, seething internally. ¡°It seems you still don¡¯t trust us,¡± Lu Yuwen calmly responded, sitting on the boat with his tied hands resting on the back of the front seat. ¡°Even if I try to persuade you further, it would be seen as an excuse for escape. So, I will make only one request. Su Man must stay on the boat when you are in the water.¡± ¡°Are you afraid of dying?¡± Zhang Ke mocked, tightening the rope around his waist, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll untie you if we can get out of this damn place.¡± After he finished speaking, he dove into the water. With a splash, Zhang Ke submerged under the water. Su Man, clearly annoyed, reluctantly watched the water surface before sitting down beside Lu Yuwen. She loathed cooperating with someone like Zhang Ke. He was selfish, ruthless, and would resort to any means to achieve his ends. He cruelly injured Lu Yuwen¡¯s knee to prevent him from escaping. Who knows what he might do once they escaped the maze! At this thought, she glanced at Lu Yuwen. Lu Yuwen was calming himself in quiet meditation. His peaceful demeanor reminded Su Man of Yan Qingwen¡­ ah, how she longed for her teammates. She thirsted for their exit from this labyrinth. Su Man prayed earnestly in her heart. ¡­ As time passed, the weather was fair and sunny. Zhang Ke and Su Man took turns diving underwater ¨C one to bind arrows, the other to locate them. The short rope used for binding arrows was quickly diminishing on the boat. After Zhang Ke had dived once again, Lu Yuwen told Su Man, ¡°Next time you look for arrows, try to find ones farther and deeper.¡± Su Man was taken aback, ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes, just as you thought.¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, ¡°Xiao and Yang Zi were both killed because of me. After leaving the maze, Zhang Ke will certainly not let me go, nor untie the rope. We must make the first move.¡± ¡°How dare he?!¡± Su Man¡¯s face darkened immediately. Lu Yuwen found her expression amusing and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him. Even though he can¡¯t defeat you physically, he still has two items.¡± Su Man asked, ¡°What items?¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s smile faded as he replied, ¡°One is Mr. Dongguo¡¯s wolf, and the other is Mr. Dongguo¡¯s book, which was stolen from me. The former has strong attacking power, and the latter can negate the effectiveness of items. If you have any items, be careful.¡± Su Man became cautious. If things were as Lu Yuwen said, then this was indeed the best opportunity to kill Zhang Ke. She was confident in dealing with Zhang Ke, but not so sure about dealing with Zhang Ke armed with items. If Zhang Ke lived until they escaped the maze, neither her nor Lu Yuwen would survive! ¡°I know what to do.¡± Su Man finally nodded slowly. Chapter 569 - Chapter 569: Chapter 569: The Great Whirlpool Chapter 569: Chapter 569: The Great Whirlpool Zhang Ke¡¯s presence cast a pallor of anxiety over Su Man and Lu Yuwen. It was as if they were perennially on edge, unable to relax. They set out once again to locate the arrowhead, and this time, per Lu Yuwen¡¯s suggestion, Su Man intentionally chose a spot deeper under the water. Zhang Ke returned to the boat for a break and asked Su Man where the next arrowhead was to be tied. Su Man pointed it out to him. ¡°From here, go down about three or four meters¡­¡± ¡°Is it three meters or four?¡± Zhang Ke challenged with a raised eyebrow, evidently dissatisfied. ¡°Did you leave your brain on the boat when you dove?¡± Without missing a beat, Su Man fired back: ¡°I did bring my brain with me! But not a ruler! How am I supposed to measure under the water? Or did you expect me to provide you an exact measurement to the centimeter?¡± Zhang Ke retorted, ¡°You¡¯re so fucking stupid. Can¡¯t you see where the rope is wet on your body? Isn¡¯t that a clear indication of how deep you dived?¡± With that, he got up to grab the rope on her. Su Man¡¯s heart started racing! She was already not good at pretending, now seeing Zhang Ke checking the rope, she became increasingly panicky! ¡°Why is your entire rope drenched?¡± Zhang Ke asked, holding and inspecting the wet rope. Lu Yuwen provided a calm explanation: ¡°Every time she climbs aboard, the rope gets rolled up. So naturally even the dry parts would get wet.¡± Zhang Ke frowned but said nothing more. After briefly resting, he leapt into the water following the direction Su Man pointed out¡ª Su Man immediately stood up, gripping the railing to peer below. ¡°Will he come back?¡± she nervously watched the water¡¯s surface. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure now¡­ What if the arrowhead I pointed out wasn¡¯t deep enough? ¡­Or, if he thinks it¡¯s too deep, what if he comes back halfway?¡± Zhang Ke was no fool. Regardless of whether he found the arrowhead or whether it was securely tied, he certainly would have saved enough time to hold his breath. After all, nothing was more vital than his own safety. Lu Yuwen said, ¡°When he went underwater to tie the arrowheads earlier, it took him an average of about 70 seconds each time. That¡¯s his safe limit, I suppose. If we presume his limit is 20 seconds more than that, it¡¯s one and a half minutes. I just have to jump off the boat within 70 seconds and let the rope wrap around the tree. His death would be inevitable.¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°What about you?!¡± Lu Yuwen gave a faint smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? I can also hold my breath. Although I can¡¯t do it as long as you two, I assure staying underwater for 30 seconds should be no issue.¡± Su Man stood up, unable to hide her anxiety. ¡°No! It¡¯s too risky. What if ¡­¡± Before she could finish her thought, the boat jolted! The lake roiled as if some massive beast was stirring beneath the surface. Waves began to lap against the boat! Both of their complexions transformed. They knew too well that this was a sign of the arrowhead changing direction! Lu Yuwen immediately stood up, and with a sense of urgency, said to Su Man, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you, but the most dangerous part of this plan is not finding or tethering the arrowhead. It¡¯s when the arrowhead is changing its direction. The movement of the landmass will cause a massive underwater whirlpool! Zhang Ke has tied the rope around me, whether I jump into the water or not, I¡¯ll be sucked into the vortex! Su Man, remember! No matter what happens, you must stay aboard! Otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain!¡± ¡°Lu Yuwen!¡± Su Man reached for him; she didn¡¯t want him to make the plunge! But then a wave crashed against the boat! In an instant, the whole vessel tilted dangerously! She lost her balance and had to grasp the railing. With helpless horror, she watched Lu Yuwen disappear into the water! The boat she was riding, like a frisbee being thrown, was lifted into the air before violently crashing back onto the surface of the water! Thrown by the impact, Su Man hit the railing and blackness threatened to envelop her vision! Without a moment¡¯s respite, the boat started to retreat quickly, propelled by the water¡¯s current. It was a result of the lake water pouring into the now vacant space created by the shifting landmass! If Lu Yuwen was sucked into that vacancy by the whirlpool, death would be the only certainty! Steel determination flashed across Su Man¡¯s face as she rolled overboard and plunged into the water. Chapter 570 - Chapter 570: Chapter 570: Rapid Stream Chapter 570: Chapter 570: Rapid Stream The water is rushing fast! The water level is dropping rapidly! Su Man couldn¡¯t control her own body. The turbulent flow swept her away, and with a bang, she smashed into a large tree! The massive impact almost shattered her back. If it weren¡¯t for her enhanced physique, she probably would have been knocked unconscious on the spot! She didn¡¯t dare to imagine what would happen if it were Lu Yuwen who was hit. Could he withstand the force? Now the only hope was that he had, as planned, used a rope to wrap around a branch. Otherwise, being swept into the open space, from a height of four to five stories, would be enough to kill him! Even if he was lucky enough not to die from the fall, the water would sweep him into a colossal pit nearly 4000 square meters in size. Even if Su Man wanted to save him, she wouldn¡¯t know where to find him! Her only chance was now! But where was Lu Yuwen now?! The water level dropped rapidly. Su Man looked around and finally saw Lu Yuwen. He was tangled in a tree, the top half of his body emerged as the water level dropped. ¡°Lu Yuwen!¡± Su Man shouted at him. Lu Yuwen was floating in the water, his life or death unknown. A bit farther away, there was another figure, being shaken ceaselessly by the water, and too showed no signs of life. Between the two of them was a long rope, hanging from a branch. The branch couldn¡¯t bear the weight of the two and could snap at any moment. Su Man gritted her teeth and let go. She started drifting with the water current, grabbing onto the rope between Lu Yuwen and Zhang Ke! In an instant, the branch carrying the weight of three people immediately broke! Su Man collided again with a tree trunk in the swift current. She grunted with pain, her left hand hooked around a branch while her right hand held tightly onto the rope. The immense pull nearly broke her hand bones! She intended to pull Lu Yuwen closer but her injured left hand gave out and let go. Under the force of the water, she and Lu Yuwen collided and were both swept away even farther! Within moments, they were swept more than a hundred meters away! Su Man felt searing pain all over her body. Under the rapid current, countless branches tore against her skin as if slashed by a thousand swords. Her right hand gripped the rope so tightly, it felt as if it was about to rip apart. With all her strength, she swung her left hand around, trying to find something to hold on to in the water. Finally, when she collided with a lamppost, she managed to hook on to it! But at this point, they were already near the edge of the open space; the ferocious waves gushed downwards like a waterfall. Her entire body was in pain, her right hand appeared to be holding onto not a rope, but the edge of a blade! It was tearing into her palm! Su Man gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face, pain wracking her body, making her weep out loud. Using up her last bit of strength, she tried pulling Lu Yuwen to her side by the lamppost, all the while shouting his name: ¡°Lu Yuwen!¡­ Lu Yuwen!¡­¡± Lu Yuwen weakly opened his eyes and silently watched her. Submerged and surfacing, the water kept washing over his face, drowning his mouth and nose. His face was so pale it was frightening, it seemed like he could lose his life at any moment. Su Man shouted at him, ¡°Lu Yuwen! Wake up! When the water level drops a bit more, we¡¯ll be safe!¡± Indeed, the water level was dropping rapidly, but right now Su Man was not pulling one person, but two. Zhang Ke¡¯s body floated not far away. Each wave that hit his body brought a gravitational pull, equivalent to another round of torture on Su Man¡¯s right hand! Lu Yuwen whispered hoarsely, ¡°Forget it, let go¡­ Su Man clenched her teeth and shook her head desperately, her eyes red. Looking at her, Lu Yuwen somehow managed a weak smile and opened his mouth again: ¡°Su Man, remove¡­ remove my glasses. They were just a prop¡­ the reason why I could tell the arrows in the maze were messed up¡­ now, I give it to you¡­ in the future, you will be very smart. You will never¡­ never have to envy others¡­¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t!¡± Su Man sobbed, ¡°Lu Yuwen are you still a man or not! Stop talking like you¡¯ve given up! We will survive!!!¡± A piece of driftwood floated in the fast current, suddenly hitting Lu Yuwen¡¯s shoulder, and his body instantly submerged underwater. ¡°Lu Yuwen!!!¡± Su Man shrieked, plunging herself into the water! Chapter 571 - Chapter 571: Chapter 571: All is Well Chapter 571: Chapter 571: All is Well The night was serene, utterly tranquil. At the edge of the frigid, silent lake, firewood crackled and campfires raged. Lu Yuwen opened his eyes and saw the stars filling the sky, momentarily finding himself in a daze. ¡­ Had he not died? Or had he died, entering another world? Lu Yuwen closed his eyes. The clear sensation of pain traveled throughout his body, his throat burning, his head heavy and foggy. Then, he heard soft sobbing. He opened his eyes, turning to see Su Man sitting not far off, her head deeply buried in her knees as if she were crying. ¡°Su Man¡­¡± Lu Yuwen tried to call her name, but his voice was hoarse when he opened his mouth. With great effort, he picked up a stone at his side and threw it towards her, causing a disturbance. Su Man lifted her head, and seeing that Lu Yuwen was awake, she quickly wiped her tears and walked towards him. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Are you feeling better? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?¡± Lu Yuwen opened his mouth, ¡°Water¡­¡± ¡°Water?¡± Su Man said in confusion, ¡°You¡¯ve been soaked in water for so long, you still want to drink water?¡± Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t help but feel both amused and frustrated, and could only look at her helplessly. Realizing her ridiculous reaction, Su Man awkwardly stood up and went to get Lu Yuwen some water. The cool, clear water slid down his throat, and Lu Yuwen¡¯s raspy voice gradually recovered. He looked at Su Man in front of him, then at the hastily treated wounds on his body, full of mixed feelings, ¡°How did I not die¡­.¡± In that situation, no matter how he thought about it, he should have been dead¡­ Su Man was a little upset, ¡°What are you talking about dying? Of course it¡¯s because I saved you.¡± Lu Yuwen looked at her with a gentle, pleasing smile, ¡°But in that situation, you could have died too if you tried to save me¡­¡± Su Man pursed her lips, her eyes focused on the burning bonfire, she murmured in response, ¡°Someone once told me, to keep going¡­ no matter what, you must persevere.¡± Perhaps, even the most desperate situations can turn around with just a little bit more perseverance. Lu Yuwen fell silent upon hearing this. After a while, he whispered, ¡°Yes¡­we should persevere.¡± ¡­ The next day, they began piecing together the land blocks again. Without Zhang Ke¡¯s help, their efficiency decreased significantly, but with no threats from Zhang Ke, both of them felt relaxed mentally and advanced smoothly. When the last land block was inserted into the correct position, the arrows on the maze began to vibrate, like countless bees flying into the sky, densely packed, yet orderly! The arrows, they were all pointing in one direction! Su Man and Lu Yuwen looked at each other. Both of them knew that this time, the place the arrows pointed to, must be the real exit! After enduring so many long days and nights in the maze, now, they were finally about to leave! The anticipation turned into reality right before their eyes, Su Man¡¯s heart was pounding, her excitement was beyond words. Carrying Lu Yuwen on her back, despite her physical and mental exhaustion, seeing the exit close at hand made her steps incredibly light, even quickening as she went¡ª Su Man stepped into the gate pointed to by the arrows! ¡°Congratulations to the player for clearing Maze No. 6.¡± The long-lost voice rang in her ears, and Su Man was so excited that she almost shouted out loud! The familiar mechanical voice continued: ¡°The player is the first to clear Maze No. 6 and can receive 3 pieces of the doll jigsaw.¡± ¡°Player¡¯s ranking for clearing this round of the game is, first. Now upgrading player data¡­ Ding, the upgrade is finished.¡± ¡°Rewards have been calculated, players are invited to continue the game, strive to clear more levels¡ª¡± As the voice ended, the white mist dissipated. Su Man was the first to unwrap the bandage on her left hand! The hand was smooth and white, the fingers slender and supple. Her hand was completely healed! Unable to contain herself any longer, Su Man wept for joy! She held her own hand crying like a child. Lu Yuwen just stood there, stunned, a short distance away. Overjoyed, Su Man ran over to him, ¡°Lu Yuwen, my hand is healed! See, completely healed!¡± Lu Yuwen lowered his head to look at his own foot, ¡°My foot¡­it¡¯s healed too¡­¡± Chapter 572 - Chapter 572: Chapter 572: Wonderful Chapter 572: Chapter 572: Wonderful Su Man froze, repeating his words in bewilderment, ¡°Your foot¡­ is healed?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lu Yuwen gazed down at his own crippled foot, equally astounded. This foot of his was congenitally deformed. Although surgery made it functional enough for walking and everyday tasks, its limping gait was far from elegant. From a young age, every time school ended or classes were over, he was always the last one to leave the classroom. He didn¡¯t want people to see him hobbling along. Who would have thought that this foot, limping for over twenty years, would be healed just because of a maze? Even though Su Man had said before that the maze could boost one¡¯s physical constitution, such a change was too¡­ too fantastical¡­ Su Man, on the other hand, considered another point¨C The maze could not only heal recent injuries but even old ones! If Lu Yuwen¡¯s foot could be healed, wouldn¡¯t Bai Youwei¡¯s leg also be curable?! With this thought, Su Man became even more excited, and she couldn¡¯t help hugging Lu Yuwen tightly, happily exclaiming: ¡°That¡¯s excellent! Lu Yuwen! That¡¯s great! Really great! ¡­¡± Lu Yuwen blushed slightly as she held him. Even though going through life and death together could indeed breed feelings, Su Man¡¯s enthusiasm still caught him off guard, leaving him a little flustered but also feeling warm inside; he didn¡¯t expect Su Man to care so much about him. Lu Yuwen hesitated before stretching out his arms and¡­ also hugging Su Man. Su Man suddenly pulled away from him, exclaiming excitedly: ¡°Quick, see how many puzzle pieces you¡¯ve got?¡± He was taken aback, opening his palm, which held two puzzle pieces. ¡°This thing¡­ is it a puzzle piece?¡± Lu Yuwen gently caressed the thin silver metal piece, trying to fit the two puzzle pieces together, but the grooves on each side couldn¡¯t snap into place. ¡°I¡¯ve never got this many puzzle pieces before!¡± Su Man was overjoyed, ¡°Lu Yuwen, we are the first ones to pass this maze, so we got a total of 5 puzzle pieces! 5 pieces! We wouldn¡¯t be afraid of dying in the game even five times now!¡± Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°You, thinking about death so soon¡­¡± Su Man, holding the puzzle pieces, laughed. As she laughed, her eyes teared up; her nose stung, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from crying. She was laughing and crying, unsure of explaining her emotions. Lu Yuwen lightly patted her shoulder, comforting her. Surrounding scene suddenly changed again, leaving only pure white and an overwhelmingly large door wreathed in a white light. ¡°Maze war progress has exceeded 55%, please get ready for registration.¡± A baffling sentence popped out of nowhere. Lu Yuwen furrowed his brow questioningly and asked Su Man, ¡°What do we need to register for after passing the maze?¡± Su Man also looked puzzled, gently shaking her head: ¡°I don¡¯t know, nothing like this ever happened before after exiting the maze¡­¡± Lu Yuwen surveyed the surroundings once more, his gaze falling back to the glowing door. Besides the entrance, they had nowhere else to go. ¡°Let¡¯s go, enter and see what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Both shoulder by shoulder stepped through the door¡ª And were met with a blinding white light. Su Man and Lu Yuwen instinctively closed their eyes. Once they adjusted to the light, they found themselves in a gigantic white room. Rather than a room, it might be more accurate to call it a square given its vastness, even though it was closed off on all sides, including the endlessly tall ceiling. All was white. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, all composed of white blocks. The texture between metal and glass made it hard to describe. Scattered about the room were individuals standing alone, watching them warily. Su Man was shocked to discover that¡­ almost everyone here was a foreigner. Chapter 573 - Chapter 573: Chapter 573: Comrades Chapter 573: Chapter 573: Comrades There were foreigners in the country, but after the world changed, everyone scattered, hiding and fleeing to various places. Yet this place had gathered so many foreigners. Su Man and Lu Yuwen remained silent on the surface, but their nerves were on edge simultaneously, alertly watching the people around them. Those people were also looking at them. However, no one came forward to talk. People grouped in threes and fours, forming small groups, discussing something in whispers. Su Man and Lu Yuwen continued forward and saw that this was not just a gathering of ¡°foreigners¡±, but a gathering of people from all over the world¡ª Various skin colors, various costumes, they also saw Asian faces. What was going on? Why was everyone gathered here? Was it for that so-called maze war? Just as they were puzzled, a white square nearby suddenly lit up. Three people entered from the light, just like Su Man and Lu Yuwen when they had first arrived, their eyes wide in surprise. These were three black men. They looked around in surprise, asking, ¡°What is this place? Hey, what¡¯s going on?!¡± Though it seemed like they were speaking in English from lip movements, what Su Man and Lu Yuwen heard was strong, fluent Chinese! The two were once again taken aback and glanced at each other. ¡°Su Man?!¡± A familiar male voice called from a distance. Su Man looked in the voice¡¯s direction, even more shocked. Was that Yan Qingwen?! Next to Yan Qingwen were Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, and others from the Shanghai Base evaluation team. All were people she knew! Su Man, overjoyed, immediately picked up the pace to greet them, ¡°Why are you all here?!¡± Yan Qingwen glanced at Lu Yuwen standing behind Su Man and asked, ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°Ah! I forgot to introduce us¡ª¡± Su Man pulled Lu Yuwen to the front and introduced him joyfully, ¡°This is Lu Yuwen, I met him in Maze No. 6. Lucky he was with me, or I certainly wouldn¡¯t have made it out!¡± Then, Su Man introduced her companions to Lu Yuwen. ¡°This is Yan Qingwen, this is Shen Mo, this is¡­¡± When she introduced Bai Youwei, Su Man¡¯s eyes crinkled in a smile, she said to Lu Yuwen, ¡°This is Bai Youwei. See, I wasn¡¯t lying, right?¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s gaze went directly to Bai Youwei¡¯s legs. He thought Su Man was just comforting him, but it turned out to be true¡­ How could it be? Without even the basic ability to move, how could she pass through those bizarre games? Bai Youwei was sitting in a wheelchair, her expressionless face looking at the two, ¡°Hey, Su Man, has your new friend never seen a cripple before?¡± Su Man burst out laughing, ¡°Hahaha¡­ Weiwei, don¡¯t misunderstand, actually, he used to be a little lame, so that¡¯s why he¡¯s staring at you like that!¡± Bai Youwei frowned at Lu Yuwen¡¯s leg. ¡°His leg has healed!¡± Su Man hastily told Bai Youwei, ¡°It turns out that the maze can heal any injury, even old ones can be cured! Weiwei, you¡¯ve entered the maze a few times, your legs must be getting better, right?!¡± Everyone looked at Bai Youwei. Shen Mo was also looking at her. Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± She had never mentioned this to Shen Mo, now that Su Man laid it bare, it was a bit embarrassing. ¡°¡­Of course not!¡± Bai Youwei replied irritably, with a hint of embarrassment, ¡°He was only lame, but I can¡¯t move at all, okay?! Are we even comparable?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Su Man nodded understandingly, ¡°If you enter the maze once more, you will certainly recover!¡± Bai Youwei made a face, saying disgruntledly, ¡°Now suddenly being brought to such a place, where is there any maze? It¡¯s so annoying¡­¡± Su Man looked around in puzzlement. ¡°Yes, why are we suddenly brought here¡­¡± Chapter 574 - Chapter 574: Chapter 574: Another Acquaintance Chapter 574: Chapter 574: Another Acquaintance Su Man glanced around, noting that while there were many familiar faces, there were also many people missing. ¡°Where are Zhu Shu and Lun Ang?¡± She looked around, but didn¡¯t see them. ¡°Yu Yaqing and Li Li are also missing¡­¡± There was silence from Bai Youwei, her lips pursed shut. Yan Qingwen¡¯s face darkened. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were whispering to each other behind her¡­ Unaware, Su Man continued scanning the crowd for familiar faces, ¡°Strange, Yan, isn¡¯t it true that Lun Ang and Zhu Shu are always with you? Why can¡¯t I see them?¡± Lu Yuwen noticed Yan Qingwen¡¯s troubled expression, and suspected that something had happened to the people Su Man mentioned. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess. After all, with the world as it is now, every single game or trip into a maze is a matter of life and death. Having spent so much time in the maze with Su Man, how could her friends on the outside always be safe? ¡°Since it¡¯s called the Maze War, only those who hold puzzle pieces are summoned here,¡± Lu Yuwen said to Su Man. ¡°The friends you named may not have any pieces.¡± He tried to redirect her attention, so as not to let her go from the elation of escaping the maze to the painful reality of losing her friends. Su Man was confused for a moment. ¡ªZhu Shu and Yu Yaqing surely didn¡¯t have any puzzle pieces, Li Li used to have one, but he¡¯s in the research team, he probably had to hand it over¡­ As for the piece Lun Ang had, it might be held by Yan? Yan Qingwen took a serious look at Lu Yuwen and added, ¡°That¡¯s right. The only ones brought here are those who have puzzle pieces, even the ones that have been used.¡± ¡°Did you all hear that? The Maze War progression has reached 55%. Reserve players please report to the registration area,¡± Lu Yuwen said. On the other side, Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°After we left the game, we received the registration notice. When we arrived, the system informed us that because some people are still occupied in games or mazes, the preliminaries won¡¯t officially start until everyone is accounted for.¡± After a pause, he looked at Lu Yuwen and Su Man and said quietly, ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any new notification yet, which implies that there are other players with puzzle pieces still in the game or maze.¡± Bai Youwei grumbled in frustration, ¡°I wonder how worried Master Chang will be with us suddenly gone¡­¡± Chang Weicai was the only one of the five of them without a puzzle piece. Not far away, Fu Miaoxue said coldly, ¡°Maybe the old man¡¯s enjoying himself. He doesn¡¯t have to play games or go into a maze, unlike us, now. He¡¯s probably a lot more comfortable than us~¡± Yes, Fu Miaoxue was there too. But Du Lai was not. Most of the puzzle pieces Du Lai had were exchanged with Bai Youwei. The last remaining life-saving piece was also given to Fu Miaoxue. Shen Mo scanned the nearby area. Besides Fu Miaoxue, there was one more semi-familiar face amongst the crowd of Asians ¨C The White-gloved Man. The man was about 30, dressed in a grey trench coat, slightly open, revealing a light blue Oxford shirt underneath. He was slim and handsome. He was standing silently in the crowd. If it were not for the pair of white gloves that had caught Shen Mo¡¯s attention, he would have almost been unnoticed. Shen Mo quietly adverted his gaze. With the mischievous Fu Miaoxue, the dangerous White-gloved Man, and the newly appeared Lu Yuwen, whose bottom line was still unknown¡­ This preliminarily fight seems like it won¡¯t be an easy one. There was another commotion in the crowd. A new player had emerged from the glowing cube. Shen Mo looked towards the disturbance and was surprised. It was another familiar face¡­ Chapter 575 - Chapter 575: Chapter 575: Welcome, Welcome Chapter 575: Chapter 575: Welcome, Welcome These were two Asian men in their twenties, young but not naively so. Their battle gear silently announced their special professional identities. However, they were currently coated in grime and bloodstains, it was unclear what sort of game they had experienced before this. Upon their entrance, stunned expressions briefly flashed across their faces before quickly returning to normal. They started walking towards us. There were no prompts or requests, but grouping was almost a natural human instinct. All the players had unconsciously formed different camps based on skin color and clothing style. The men naturally approached towards the cluster of Asian players. Once they noticed Shen Mo, they stopped in their tracks, stared this way, their faces filled with shock. Bai Youwei noticed them, and quietly posed a question to the Shen Mo at her side: ¡°Do you know them?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Mo gave a slight nod. ¡°They were my subordinates.¡± The two men continued to stand in their place, seemingly uncertain whether they should approach us or not. Only when Shen Mo signaled them did they finally walk over¡ªtheir faces could not hide their excitement¡ªas they choked out: ¡°Leader¡­¡± Shen Mo held up his hand to stop them, his voice calm: ¡°Call me Captain.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain!¡± Both of the men responded with red-rimmed eyes. Shen mo introduced them to the others: ¡°This is Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui, former members of a special forces unit. We lost each other on the way to meet up with Professor Song.¡± Everyone shared their names in a brief exchange, and acquaintances were made. At that moment, the white walls all around them suddenly flickered. The walls began to display large amounts of text, as if on a liquid crystal screen. It was densely packed! Upon further inspection, it turned out to me a single sentence, translated into various languages and arranged together¡ª ¡°Welcome,¡± ¤è¤¦¤³¤½,¡± welkom,¡± Bienvenue,¡± Willkommen,¡± Graditevi,¡± Bienvenida,¡± ¡­¡± A cold mechanical voice echoed through the air: ¡°Number of pre-qualifiers for this game, 241 people; Number of activated puzzle pieces, 502; Progress, 56%; Conditions for initiating the war have been met. Opening the sign-up channel for the war, please continue the game and strive to clear the level¡ª¡± Once the voice stopped talking, everyone was still puzzled. What preliminary competition? What war? What sign-up channel? No one knew what it all meant! As everyone was lost in confusion, the walls underwent another change. The heavy blocks of text vanished, replaced with the image of the Rabbit-head Inspector. ¡°Welcome, everyone.¡± In the image, the Rabbit-head Inspector courteously said: ¡°This preliminary round, will be moderated by me explaining the rules. I believe you have all heard that if you collect all the puzzle pieces, you may clear all the games. However, with the mazes located all over the world, it is unrealistic for one person to collect all the maze puzzle pieces. So, for the sake of fairness, when the activation ratio of maze puzzle pieces surpasses 55%, the system will lock up the rest of the maps and initiate the Maze War. You will, through the Maze War, achieve your collecting goal by plundering the puzzle pieces of others. After claiming victory, you will also win the opportunity to unlock new mazes. However, please note¡ª One, once a player signs up, they may not withdraw midway. Two, if a participant forfeits the race, their puzzle pieces will be collected immediately.¡± Once these words were uttered, everyone was shocked. Every person¡¯s puzzle pieces were hard-earned. Now the Inspector was saying that if they didn¡¯t sign up, those hard-earned pieces would be taken back?! ¡°If you have no intention of collecting all the puzzle pieces, then what is the point of keeping them?¡± the rabbit-headed figure said with a slight smile. ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s more, the sign up roles for the competition are divided into ¡®King¡¯ and ¡®Subjects¡¯. If you don¡¯t want to take part in a brutal war, and yet don¡¯t want to give up your puzzle pieces, I suggest that you sign up under the role of ¡®Subject.''¡± Chapter 576 - Chapter 576: Chapter 576: King or Subject Chapter 576: Chapter 576: King or Subject ¡°Vassals who fail in the plundering war will not become puppets but will lose puzzle pieces; Vassals who win in the plundering war will not get rewards, all the spoils are handed over to the King, and the King has the right to distribute rewards. When a vassal holds no puzzle pieces, the vassal is demoted to a commoner and leaves the battlefield. ¡­ ¡± With the Inspector¡¯s explanation, the wall became illuminated once again with texts, displaying the complicated rules one by one before everyone¡¯s eyes¡ª When you say it¡¯s complicated, it¡¯s actually not, it¡¯s nothing more than the system letting a group of players slaughter each other. But to say it¡¯s simple, it¡¯s not simple, because it involves two different identities: The King, and the vassal. The Inspector asked everyone with a smile, ¡°So¡­ do you choose to be the King, or the vassal? Or do you choose to quit the war and completely give up the chance to complete the puzzle? You have 10 hours to consider it.¡± After speaking, the figure of the Inspector disappeared, leaving only the text of the rules on the wall. Almost immediately, some people started to back out. Su Man was one of them. Not long ago, she was excited about acquiring three puzzle pieces, but now she just felt like she was holding a hot potato! ¡°I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t do it¡­¡± Su Man regretted ruthlessly, ¡°I can¡¯t do it¡­¡± She knew very well her capabilities, if she were to enter the game with her comrades, she might be able to play a role, but if she were to enter the game alone, playing games of wits and strategy, she wouldn¡¯t stand a chance! Lu Yuwen comforted her: ¡°If you give up, the puzzle pieces will be recycled, you might as well choose to be a vassal. This way, even if you lose the game, there¡¯s no danger, you will just lose one puzzle piece.¡± ¡°But who will be the King?¡± Su Man asked anxiously as she looked at her companions. Vassals must rely on a King for survival. A Yan Qingwen thought for a while, then looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, ¡°King or vassal, what have you two decided?¡± Bai Youwei calmly replied, ¡°The king has the right to distribute, can recruit vassals, punish vassals, definitely choosing to be the King~¡± ¡°But the risk of being the King is high.¡± Yan Qingwen analyzed calmly, ¡°If a vassal loses the game, they only lose the puzzle piece, but if the King loses the game, they lose their life. This means that the King must maintain a winning streak in the war game in order to collect all the puzzle pieces.¡± ¡°The higher the risk, the higer the reward.¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, showing no intention of changing her mind, ¡°The King can recruit vassals, get the vassals¡¯ spoils, freely distribute rewards, and can demote vassals to commoners. With so many privileges, it¡¯s normal for the risk to be a little higher.¡± ¡°Our original intention was to collect puzzle pieces, if we choose to be vassals, that would amount to voluntarily handing over our rewards, what¡¯s the point in that?¡± Yan Qingwen thought for a while, then turned his head to Shen Mo: ¡°What about you?¡± Shen Mo replied lightly: ¡°I also choose to be the King.¡± Yan Qingwen raised his lips slightly: ¡°Not worried about internal competition?¡± Shen Mo shook his head indifferently, ¡°The King has one chance to surrender. This small detail is obviously designed to promote teamwork. Internal competition can be resolved through surrender, but if there is only one King, the risk is too concentrated, which is even more disadvantageous.¡± Once Bai Youwei fails, the remaining vassals will be a headless dragon, and they will have to rely on other Kings.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Bai Youwei, then at Shen Mo: ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s like you two have to maintain a winning streak, or you could die.¡± Bai Youwei lazily propped her chin and asked him: ¡°After all this babble, which side do you choose?¡±¡± ¡°Me¡­¡± Yan Qingwen smiled, ¡°I choose to be the King too.¡± Bai Youwei laughed: ¡°What, aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡± ¡°Afraid, of course I am.¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s smile faded, ¡°It¡¯s just that, compared to dying, there are worse things to fear.¡± Chapter 577 - Chapter 577: Chapter 577: Four Kings Chapter 577: Chapter 577: Four Kings Fears of a life leading nowhere, fear of making wrong choices, fear of not giving it your all, resulting in lifelong regrets, and an eventual death of frustration. Compared to these torments, what is death, really? Fu Miaoxue craned her neck to see them in discussion, and couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, ¡°Hey hey hey! There are already three of you Kings! Even though a King gets one chance to surrender, no one knows when they¡¯ll meet an ally. You might end up dead before you even meet each other!¡± A labyrinth war, from one King to another. The chances of meeting allies in the game are not high. Yan Qingwen glanced at the crowd in the distance. They were discussing in hushed tones too; although they tried to hide their anxiety, the tension was clear to see. Those who could make it here had naturally gone through many games and mazes. Everyone knew what this game ¨C the so-called ¡®War¡¯ ¨C meant. Yan Qingwen said slowly, ¡°There are a total of 241 people here; assuming that there are 10 people per game, that¡¯s 24 games. If two people per game progress, that¡¯s 24 going down to 12, then 12 to 6, then 6 to 3, and finally we¡¯ll have the champion from the last 3 groups. Of course, the exact rules aren¡¯t clear right now. But if we go by this progression, a King needs to lead their subjects to win four games in a row for ultimate victory. On the other hand, if teams are divided, the likelihood of victory might increase if they meet an ally and surrender, thus consolidating their forces. I guess that¡¯s what everyone else is deliberating too: whether to split their teams to gain the biggest advantage.¡± ¡°Wow ¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue blinked, ¡°Going by your logic, if we can gather more Kings¡­ umm¡­ let say 12! As long as we meet an ally, we surrender, surrender, and surrender. Winning will be a breeze!¡± ¡°How is that supposed to be easy?¡± Bai Youwei resting her cheek on her hand grumbled, ¡°The total number of people doesn¡¯t change, the more Kings there are, the fewer subjects there are to command. In plain terms, that means less help in the game. If other Kings have seven helpers, but you only have one, how are you playing this game? You¡¯d definitely be battered severely.¡± Fu Miaoxue pouted unhappily, ¡°It¡¯s so bothersome; it¡¯s a problem whether there are too few or too many Kings. Du Lai isn¡¯t here either. I don¡¯t want to play anymore~ I¡¯ll opt to be a subject, you all carry on!¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei squinted her eyes, thought of something and gave a smile: ¡°Are you sure about signing up to be a subject? Ah~ I remember the rules mentioned that a King can recruit subjects. But that¡¯s only if you have spare puzzle pieces. You only have one puzzle piece; even if you want to recruit Du Lai, you probably can¡¯t~¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes sparkled, she immediately responded: ¡°I¡¯ll sign up to be a King! A King! A King! No take-backs!¡± What¡¯s there to fear with just a single puzzle piece? As long as she wins one round, wouldn¡¯t she be able to recruit Du Lai? Since Su Man didn¡¯t know Fu Miaoxue and found this veiled woman quite strange, she couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°In this case, there will be four Kings¡­¡± Lu Yuwen looked at this group of people, all of them strangers. The only person he could really talk to was Su Man. ¡°I¡¯ll be a subject,¡± Lu Yuwen stated, ¡°I¡¯m not really interested in collecting puzzle pieces, but I also don¡¯t want to be demoted to a commoner, so I¡¯ll choose to be a subject.¡± He looked at Su Man and asked, ¡°Which King will you choose? I don¡¯t know these people. Whichever one you choose, I¡¯ll follow.¡± After hesitating, Su Man chose to go with Yan Qingwen after glancing between him and Bai Youwei. Zhu Shu and Lun Ang were not around, so she couldn¡¯t just let Yan Qingwen fight alone. Shen Mo¡¯s former subordinates, Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui, naturally continued to follow Shen Mo. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin followed Bai Youwei. Fu Miaoxue was amused, ¡°Only two subjects and even a child, hahaha!¡± ¡°Crazy,¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°I have puzzle pieces to recruit subjects. You don¡¯t even have a single extra puzzle piece, yet you still find it amusing. You¡¯re really optimistic.¡± Fu Miaoxue bit her lip, ¡°¡­Just you wait! My puzzle pieces will exceed yours one day!¡± Chapter 578 - Chapter 578: Chapter 578: The Composition of Spoils of War Chapter 578: Chapter 578: The Composition of Spoils of War Bai Youwei didn¡¯t want to argue with her, waving her hand and saying, ¡°You should first worry about saving your own life~¡± The Inspector had given them 10 hours to consider, which was too precious to waste on a war of words. Bai Youwei ignored Fu Miaoxue, concentrating on the rules displayed on the white wall and carefully pondering them. Yan Qingwen also fully utilized her time. After briefly discussing with Su Man and Lu Yuwen, the three of them left the team and walked towards the distant crowd, apparently intending to gather information. The two members of the base assessment team were discussing in low voices, still hesitating; should they choose to pledge allegiance to a king here, or form their own king¡¯s team? Several other unfamiliar Asian faces were huddled in small groups, discussing in hushed tones. Everyone was trying to find a way to increase their chances of survival within these 10 hours. Fu Miaoxue stood alone in the corner, watching everyone bustling around. She felt somewhat bewildered¡­ ¡­ Tan Xiao squatted against the wall, idly scratching his hair in boredom. His hair had grown quite long. It was no longer the fashionable ¡°granny grey¡±, but was half white and half black. He was prepared for this. Taking a red sports headband out of his pocket, he comfortably put it on. It covered his black roots and revealed his white hair tips. After standing up and shaking out his oversized T-shirt and slapping off the dust from his ripped jeans, he still felt like a trendy, cool young man~ Pity nobody was there to appreciate it. To his left, Shen Mo was talking to the two new guys; To his right, Bai Youwei was staring at the rules on the wall, remaining silent. Even Pan Xiaoxin had something to do, taking notes on a small notebook beside Bai Youwei. Tan Xiao thought for a moment, then leaned over to Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°Weiwei¡­ Are we really going to separate from Brother Mo?¡± The several of them had always been together. Without Shen Mo, Tan Xiao felt uneasy. ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei was looking at the game rules, her tone a little lonely, ¡°There¡¯s no choice. We need to have at least two kings. That¡¯s the only way we stand a chance in the labyrinth war.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I know, you just said that.¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head, ¡°If we only have one king, we¡¯d have to win many games in a row to win. If we lose once, there¡¯s no room for mistake. But if there are three kings and one loses, there are still two. Also, we can surrender to each other during the game. Is that the idea?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just one of the reasons we¡¯re splitting up¡­ there¡¯s another one¡­¡± Bai Youwei pointed to a line in the rules, ¡°Take a good look at this rule.¡± Tan Xiao got a headache when he saw such dense explanatory text. He never even read the instruction manuals for appliances. But since Bai Youwei asked him to read, he had no choice but to go ahead and read it. The rule read¡ª The war game itself provides no rewards, but the winning king can acquire spoils of war. The spoils of war consist of two parts: The first part, all puzzle pieces and items of the enemy king; The second part, every subject of the enemy must contribute a puzzle piece. Tan Xiao finished reading. But he was still confused, not understanding how this related to them splitting up? ¡°Do you know why the ancient kings loved to wage war?¡± Bai Youwei looked at the rows of characters, her expression cold, ¡°¡­Because war is the most efficient way to amass wealth. If two kings went to war once, they could bring back 2 spoils of war. If they went to war twice, they could bring back 4 spoils of war, and if they went to war thrice, they could bring back 6 spoils of war. But if there was just one king, he would have only amassed 3 spoils of war by then¡­ With the exponential accumulation of spoils of war, the advantage will become greater and greater. The puzzle pieces can be used to recruit more subjects, and the items will increase the team¡¯s survival rate. The games to follow will become easier. So do you understand now? If there¡¯s only one king, the later the game, the more difficult it will be!¡± At this point, Bai Youwei paused, murmuring to herself in a low voice: ¡°Of course¡­ the risks are high¡­especially in the early stages of the game with no accumulation. It¡¯s easy for everyone to get wiped out.¡± Chapter 579 - Chapter 579: Chapter 579: Never Give Up Rights Chapter 579: Chapter 579: Never Give Up Rights Even after careful consideration, even after making the resolution, the thoughts of separation still make me uneasy. It¡¯s not about how much she trusts Shen Mo or how much Shen Mo feels comfortable with her. But after the two of them discussed, they found they had to break up¡­ Without separating, even if they manage to win at the beginning of the game, it wouldn¡¯t change the trend of them being at a disadvantage. So, they must separate. Bai Youwei sighed in silence. Looking around, she noticed that Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were staring at her in a daze. Pan Xiaoxin hesitated to ask, ¡°Sister Weiwei, we still have Brother Yan, right?¡± Tan Xiao also whispered, ¡°Sure, Brother Yan has a king on his side. Wouldn¡¯t it be all right if we work with him? It¡¯s far better than our separation¡­¡± Bai Youwei listened and frowned, ¡°Can they be the same? If Shen Mo¡¯s the King, when he runs into me in the game, he¡¯d certainly surrender to me. Try asking Yan Qingwen to surrender you all? We would be ripped off by him without knowing how the bargaining would end up!¡± It¡¯s not that Yan Qingwen was not good, it¡¯s just that their friendships with him were not so profound that he would willingly give up the Maze War! Pan Xiaoxin and Tan Xiao should be clear about this, why would they still raise such points? Bai Youwei pondered a bit and she soon figured it out. Pan Xiaoxin and Tan Xiao did not have such a strong desire to piece together the puzzle, even maybe, they did not truly understand the significance of piecing the puzzle, therefore, they naturally chose a more conservative method. Understanding this, Bai Youwei felt a bit stunned. ¡­Did she make assumptions too easily? Perhaps nobody is willing to risk anything for the puzzle and it would be more comfortable to stay in the dollhouse, right? Gathering all the puzzle pieces was initially the goal of only a few people¡­ More people just wanted to survive, then to live one day after another. As for the questions about the truths of the world, the meaning of life, the value of existence¡­ These grand issues are not cared about by everyone. Bai Youwei was deep in thought. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin look at each other, oblivious to her feelings. After a while, she finally said, ¡°You guys can surrender¡­ There¡¯s no penalty for not entering the game, just your puzzles would be taken away¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do that!¡± Tan Xiao got extremely agitated all of a sudden, ¡°Good buddies should be loyal to each other, ready to protect each other no matter what! How can we surrender now?! The rumor of it would make a bad effect in future!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­.¡± Having been with him for this long, she still could not figure out Tan Xiao¡¯s way of thinking. The actual puzzle doesn¡¯t interest him, but the intangible virtues such as loyalty somehow make him animated? What¡¯s there to be animated about¡­ Really¡­ Pan Xiaoxin is way more practical than Tan Xiao, he answered, ¡°I won¡¯t surrender either. I¡¯m young, if I participate as a commoner, maybe they¡¯ll underestimate me, and we can take the opportunity.¡± Tan Xiao rubbed his head with a smile, ¡°Not bad, Xiaoxin! You even know about taking opportunities!¡± Pan Xiaoxin was struggling to prevent Tan Xiao from rubbing his head, ¡°Even if we lose¡­ that¡¯s okay, we would just become commoners. But we can¡¯t surrender now, Sister Weiwei will definitely need support in the game¡­¡± Tan Xiao praised him again, ¡°Great! Your deeds of loyalty look just like me when I was young and adventurous!¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help laughing and her gloomy mood faded away. Maybe she was the narrow-minded one. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin did not have much interest in the puzzle, but they had their reasons to exist in this game. Bai Youwei laughed and said, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s bring together all of the tools and puzzles, see how we should arrange them.¡± The three of them brought out all different tools and puzzles, scattered all around. ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao exclaimed in surprise. Pan Xiaoxin was holding a tool, his face changed. ¡°What happened?¡± Bai Youwei looked at them, her gaze fell on the bronze mirror in Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hand. She reached out and took the bronze mirror, frowning immediately. All these tools¡­ All, have malfunctioned. Chapter 580 - Chapter 580: Chapter 580: Invalid Prop Chapter 580: Chapter 580: Invalid Prop [Miss Liu¡¯s bronze mirror: ineffective] [Miss Liu¡¯s incense burner: ineffective] These were the props obtained in the game of ¡®Fair Fortune¡¯. After the game ended, they received an enrollment notification and were subsequently transported here, so the props hadn¡¯t had time to be stored in the doll house and were all still held in hand. Despite the hurry at the time, Bai Youwei could confirm that the props obtained by Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin were effective. Because if they noticed the ¡°ineffective¡± message the moment they touched the prop, they would surely put the prop down and choose another reward prop. But they didn¡¯t do so. That is, the props became ineffective after leaving the game. Bai Youwei frowned, placing the box of incense she had chosen in the game in her hand. [Miss Liu¡¯s aromatherapy: enhances some props, must be used with Miss Liu¡¯s incense burner.] Her prop was still effective, but Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s props were all ineffective. She guessed that the pipa that Teacher Cheng got also suffered the same fate. ¡°Should we ask Teacher Cheng?¡± Pan Xiaoxin quietly asked. Bai Youwei frowned and shook her head, ¡°Opening the doll house in this place is too conspicuous, and we came directly here after exiting the game, Teacher Cheng is not inside the doll house.¡± Shen Mo, not far away, saw that they seemed to have some problems, so he walked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Bai Youwei put away the prop, feeling a bit uncomfortable inside, ¡°The props they took from the ¡®Fair Fortune¡¯ game turned invalid.¡± They initially thought they had scored a huge bargain, but it turned out to be nothing. The feeling was like being fooled. Thinking about how triumphant they were at that time, it felt even more aggrieved¡­ Shen Mo picked up the bronze mirror and looked at it, saying: ¡°After all, Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin did not directly participate in the game. It seems that players who join halfway through are deemed invalid in the system¡¯s judgment, so they can¡¯t obtain rewards.¡± His voice paused, and he pondered, ¡°Since it¡¯s invalid¡­ and it doesn¡¯t restrict entry into the game, then perhaps it won¡¯t restrict exiting either? Next time you find an opportunity, try to see if you can get everyone out of the game, and then go back.¡± Bai Youwei thought about his idea, and she felt enlightened. ¡°Indeed¡­ the players in the game are not allowed to leave the instance, but if they are considered invalid players unrecognised by the game system, then what reason does the system have to not let them leave?¡± As long as this is used properly, doesn¡¯t it mean that in future games, they would have several invisible helpers? It truly adheres to the old adage! When God closes a door, He always opens a window! Bai Youwei¡¯s mood was completely healed by Shen Mo! Her mood brightened, and she cheerily asked him, ¡°How¡¯s your progress over there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve recruited five subjects.¡± Shen Mo glanced at his subordinates and said indifferently, ¡°Fang Yu and Ya Chahui, as well as three individuals who were alone. I just had a chat with them, and there shouldn¡¯t be any issues.¡± There shouldn¡¯t be any problems, meaning those three individuals who were alone really were alone, not some schemers, or spies. It wasn¡¯t surprising that people who were alone approached Shen Mo. In such a situation, everyone is a stranger, but if they see two people dressed in combat suits among those following Shen Mo, they would undoubtedly feel that Shen Mo was trustworthy. Subjects pledging allegiance to a King would usually choose someone they feel assured with. On the other hand, Yan Qingwen also seemed to have some gains and was leading a few people back. From over two hundred people, from several large racial groups, they slowly subdivided into various small groups. Everyone was nervously making preparations. Bai Youwei glanced around, seeing Fu Miaoxue in the corner. She was still all by herself. Chapter 581 - Chapter 581: Chapter 581 Doctor Chapter 581: Chapter 581 Doctor Fu Miaoxue was dressed in a black dress, her head wrapped in ablack veil, and her entire person was covered from head to toe, even her hands were clad in black embroidered gloves. It can be said, not a single inch of her skin could be seen. Such attire was too striking, so nobody spoke to her. And she, assumming an air of importance, didn¡¯t seem to be actively seeking to form a team. Noticing Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, Fu Miaoxue glared at her through the black veil, and then walked off in a huff. Bai Youwei dismissed it with a casual twitch of her mouth. Shen Mo also saw Fu Miaoxue as she walked away, speaking lightly, ¡°If she were a citizen, she could be recruited, but sadly she¡¯s a king.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to recruit her, keeping her near would be like having a ticking time bomb,¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Such a bothersome individual is better left to cause trouble for others.¡± Shen Mo quirked his lips slightly, ¡°So you deliberately lured her to sign up as a king?¡± ¡°Others don¡¯t understand her, and will surely find her to be a thorn in their side, but I understand her¡­¡± Bai Youwei squinted her eyes, looking towards the departing Fu Miaoxue, ¡°She is like a paper tiger, often frightening others.¡± Having such a person serve as a king would both suppress other kings and pose no threat to Bai Youwei ¨C why wouldn¡¯t Bai Youwei be pleased with this? Compared to Fu Miaoxue, Shen Mo was more interested in the actions of the gentleman in the white gloves. In a short time, several people had already gathered around the gentleman in white gloves, suggesting he was also one of the kings. Yan Qingwen walked over with an unhappy expression; behind him were Su Man and Lu Yuwen. Bai Youwei tilted her head and asked curiously, ¡°Where are the citizens you just recruited?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± Yan Qingwen pointed in a certain direction with a unhappy expression, gesturing for Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to look in that direction. There was a crowd of people over there. In the middle of the crowd stood a man wearing a white coat, likely in his forties. He looked gentle, carrying a kind smile. His demeanor and appearance were completely non-threatening, and easily evoked a sense of familiarity. However, the presence of such a benevolent face at the Maze War pre-selection sign-up venue felt bizarre. ¡°That guy, nicknamed ¡®Doctor¡¯, has already recruited sixteen citizens.¡± Yan Qingwen said with a frown, his tone exuding a hint of frigidity, ¡°The other teams have only recruited about four to five citizens each. He is the only one who has exceeded ten. The people we had just recruited were also attracted over.¡± ¡°Could he be someone who specialises in psychology?¡± Bai Youwei murmured suspiciously as she looked over at the man in the distance, ¡°I wonder if we will encounter him in the upcoming games.¡± Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°It would not be surprising if someone selected by the system possesses some extraordinary abilities.¡± Yan Qingwen frowned, ¡°We still have plenty of time, let¡¯s continue observing. We mustn¡¯t overlook even those unassuming players. They could potentially end up being our opponents in the upcoming games.¡± As the saying goes, knowing the enemy and knowing oneself are the keys to victory. Their strategy for the remaining time was to interact with as many players as possible. That was Yan Qingwen¡¯s approach, and the same went for Shen Mo. Time slowly passed amidst these cautious observations and probes¡­ When the ten hours of deliberation came to an end, the image of the Rabbit Inspector appeared once again on the wall ¨C ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you all again. After ten hours of deep thought, I am confident that all of you have made your decisions¡­¡± The rabbit-headed figure took a turn, smiling. ¡°However, before each of you announces your decision, I have an announcement to make.¡± Everyone looked at it, confused. It then spoke, word by word, ¡°This competition is a preliminary round. All registered players are required to enter the arena. Those who triumph are successfully registered.¡± Chapter 582 - Chapter 582: Chapter 582: Preliminary Competition Rules Chapter 582: Chapter 582: Preliminary Competition Rules The rules of the preliminary match are as follows: First, all registered players enter the field for the game; Second, winning the game means successful registration. Third, losing the game means failed registration. The King will be demoted to subject if they lose, and the subject will be demoted to commoner if they lose. In other words, registration is not ¡°free¡±, but only achievable through victory in the game, granting eligibility for the Maze War. One cannot simply become a king or subject by will, if lost, an identity downgrade awaits. Fortunately, whether you are a king or a subject, losing a game does not pose a risk to your life. This fact slightly reassured Bai Youwei. If it were a matter of life and death, she would rather have Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin forfeit and become commoners directly, because it¡¯s worrying when these two act alone. Two beams of light appeared in the massive white space. In one beam of light, the shadow of a sword appeared, while a crown emerged in the other. ¡°Please make your final choice.¡± The Inspector¡¯s voice was gentle and polite, yet also full of anticipation. ¡°King players, please choose the Crown; Subject players, please choose the Sword. Please take with you your props and puzzles too, as the preliminary matched will commence immediately once all players have made their selections.¡± The entire room filled with the chatter of 241 people, a constant buzz of voices. Bai Youwei pulled Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin aside and whispered, ¡°The Inspector didn¡¯t specify the details of the preliminary match game. Perhaps everyone will participate in a large-scale game together, or perhaps it will be divided into groups. I lean towards the latter. In games with large numbers of players, it¡¯s too easy for opportunist behavior to occur. If the system genuinely wants to confer the titles of kings and subjects, it should separate these hundreds of players into distinct matches, but this would probably mean we won¡¯t be in the same game.¡± ¡°You two have never experienced solo games before. Listen to me now: no matter what situation you encounter in the game, your first move is to find someone to team up with! Choose the strongest player to team up with! If you can¡¯t tell who¡¯s the strongest, use this—¡± Bai Youwei handed each of them four puzzle pieces. ¡°These four puzzle pieces, along with those you already have on you, make five. That¡¯s a pretty substantial number among the subjects. Any king with ambition will find ways to win you over in order to get the puzzle pieces in your hands. The king will strive to secure victory with you. Do you understand?¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded with a serious look on her face. Tan Xiao listened attentively as well. Shen Mo came over, taking Miss Liu¡¯s longevity lock and putting it around Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s neck. Bai Youwei was slightly taken aback and asked him, ¡°And what about you?¡± ¡°My mud can still be used twice,¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°Xiaoxin doesn¡¯t have any healing props. It¡¯s safer for her to wear this.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, then reiterated her point to the two, ¡°Be smart. Use your props when you need to. You both still have the Lucky Question Card and the Snowflake. If you lose, all your props will belong to someone else!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Tan Xiao immediately replied, ¡°Even if we lose, we¡¯ll use up all the props before that happens. Otherwise, we would be strengthening our enemies! Don¡¯t worry, Weiwei, I get this! It¡¯s like when we used to fight for territory with big brother. We¡¯d take all we could, and smash the rest. We¡¯d never let those bastards profit!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± So that¡¯s how you developed your underworld vibe? ¡°Look over there.¡± Shen Mo said. They looked over and saw that the light ring of the crown was densely packed with people, while the light ring of the sword only had a few scattered around. Tan Xiao was stunned: ¡°Wow¡­ so many Kings?¡± Chapter 583 - Chapter 583: Chapter 583: The Preliminary Competition Begins Chapter 583: Chapter 583: The Preliminary Competition Begins Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s not hard to understand. If the King loses, he can continue the game as a subject. But if a subject loses, he becomes a commoner, losing the right to play the game. In other words, those who apply for the position of King have an additional way out.¡± King loses ¨C becomes a subject ¨C continues the game. Subject loses ¨C becomes a commoner ¨C leaves the game. ¡°But the King will die in the official labyrinth war.¡± Pan Xiaoxin, though young, was very cautious, he frowned, ¡°Even if the subjects lose in the war, they only lose a puzzle piece. Whichever way you look at it, choosing to be a subject seems safer, right?¡± The King has a chance to surrender.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Most of the people here are solo players, or duos, very few are teams of three or more. These players lack the conditions to compete for king. For them, surrendering to anyone is the same.¡± Tan Xiao hesitated, ¡°Then¡­ should we apply to be the king too?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°In case the two of you win and become kings, I¡¯ll have to worry about whether you¡¯ll surrender in the official game.¡± Pan Xiaoxin grabbed Tan Xiao¡¯s arm and said seriously, ¡°Brother Xiao, if we become the King, it¡¯ll be very troublesome. If we lose, we will die. If we surrender, we will become subjects to others, and the hope of winning¡­ isn¡¯t too high.¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head, ¡°Then let us choose to be subjects¡­¡± Bai Youwei turned to Shen Mo and handed him some puzzle pieces, ¡°Do the subjects you just recruited need these?¡± She remembered that two of the recruits were Shen Mo¡¯s former subordinates, they have a close relationship, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to pay a little more attention to them. Shen Mo reached out and pulled out a piece from them and put it into his pocket, ¡°I¡¯ll keep a puzzle piece. If they pass the preselection game, I can still give them puzzle pieces later.¡± Bai Youwei pondered and then nodded slightly, ¡°That¡¯s okay, by then we can give each of them a piece, plus their own puzzles, to ensure they don¡¯t become commoners in the game even if they lose.¡± Since they are being recruited, of course they need some benefits. Giving them puzzle pieces is just the first step, if they want these players to be loyal in the game, they will probably have to distribute props to the subjects in the later stages of the battle game. Shen Mo asked her, ¡°Do you have anything else for me?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly stunned. He doesn¡¯t need puzzle pieces, he has enough props, so what hasn¡¯t she given him yet? She lowered her head and rummaged through her own bag¨C A dart gun, flower seeds, friend invitation card, Snowflake, hairpin, Miss Liu¡¯s perfume¡­ The more she rummaged, the more disgusted she became. Over this long period of time, she had unwittingly accumulated so much ¡°junk¡±. Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned a bit unpleasant. A shadow fell in front of her, Shen Mo leaning over, his hand on the arm of his wheelchair. He stared into her eyes, silent for a moment, then gently kissed her lips and said in a low voice: ¡°Be careful in the game.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Her face slowly turned red¡­ ¡°You¡­you too, be careful¡­¡± She stuttered in reply, her face turning even redder. Damn it, why was she stammering? So annoying! Shen Mo smiled, kissed her again, then squeezed her little hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± From a distance, people watched the two of them approach, casting sidelong glances, but it was only a few quick looks before their attention was redirected. At this moment, everyone was more interested in the upcoming game. The Crown halo was filled with players, and in contrast, the crowd under the Sword halo appeared pathetically few. The Rabbit-headed Inspector announced calmly: ¡°A total of 241 players, 5 people forfeit, 197 people applied for King, 39 people applied for subject. So, the preselection game¡­ begins.¡± Chapter 584 - Chapter 584: Chapter 584: Red, Yellow, Blue Chapter 584: Chapter 584: Red, Yellow, Blue ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game!¡± ¡°The theme of this game is ¡®Red, Yellow, Blue¡¯, a non-conventional game, the win or lose scenario will be determined by the supervising Inspector¨C¡± As the white light shone, the familiar voice echoed, and at least this time it didn¡¯t repeat the part about turning into a doll again. Before Bai Youwei could see what was in front of her, she first felt the chill under her feet, then realized, dazedly, that she was on a beach. The icy sea water was washing over her feet. Her socks and shoes soaked, Bai Youwei knitted her brows and rolled her wheelchair towards the shore. She wouldn¡¯t want to be drowned by the sea before figuring out the game. Pushing the wheels sunk deep into the sand was challenging. When she finally moved a little further away from the sea, she saw a blond man not far away staring at her. Bai Youwei looked back at him. Oddly, the man¡¯s eyeballs were red. Seeing Bai Youwei getting closer, the blond man ran away in a panic. When he turned to run, Bai Youwei saw a number printed on his back: 17. The conspicuous red number stood out on his white shirt. It didn¡¯t look like a decoration on clothes. Could this be a number in the game? Maybe each player has one? With this nagging suspicion, Bai Youwei stopped and sought a secluded spot to check if she had a number as well. When she turned her head, she saw a ¡°11¡± printed near the shoulder on her right sleeve. Seems that the each player¡¯s number was placed at a different location. Bai Youwei frowned in slight annoyance. If the number was on her back, it would be easier to conceal, for her long hair and the chairback of her wheelchair would shield it from view. But if the number was on her sleeve, it¡¯d be rather hard to hide. At that moment, there was a peal of bells in the distance. It sounded like a call to gather people. Perhaps these numbers weren¡¯t significant, so she should first head towards the bells. But if these numbers were important¡­ Her complacency at this moment might lead her into a predicament. After much consideration, Bai Youwei decided to disregard the bells temporarily, cover the number first, and then deal with the rest. She found a cinder block on the beach, hid behind it, took off her dress, and turned it inside out before putting it on again¨C The inside-out dress looked odd, but only upon close inspection would the anomaly be evident. Bai Youwei inspected it repeatedly to be certain that the number couldn¡¯t be seen before she confidently emerged from behind the cinder block. The bell was still tolling. She leaned on the stone wall as she slowly moved back to her wheelchair, wheezed a breath, and then rolled her wheelchair in the direction of the bells¡­ ¡­ This place appeared to be a man-made island. The deeper she went, the fewer plants there were, and the road became smoother. There were no obstacles for Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair and it moved faster and faster. As she approached the center, she found that it was almost a huge, incredibly flat square. And in the middle of the square, many players had gathered. The players were vigilantly watching each other. Some of them had red eyes, some had yellow eyes, while others had blue eyes. Red, yellow, and blue. Bai Youwei roughly understood why the blond man had run away. He must have been scared by the color of her eyes, even to the extent of viewing her as a monster in the game. There was also a small house in the middle of the square. A sphere rolled out from the house¨C This time it wasn¡¯t Jin Qiu, nor was it a glass sphere, but a solid stone sphere. ¡°Hello everyone! I am the Inspector of this game, Welcome to the Doll Game!¡± The sphere rolled happily on the ground, with three different colored eyes carved on its surface. As it rolled, those three colored eyes took turns appearing in everyone¡¯s field of vision¡ªred, yellow, and blue. Chapter 585 - Chapter 585: Chapter 585: Guest X Chapter 585: Chapter 585: Guest X ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve all noticed, haven¡¯t you? This game has to do with your eyes~¡± The sphere said cheerfully, then sprang onto a small house. The small house was cylindrical, and its roof was shaped like an inverted bowl, perfectly supporting this huge stone ball. It revolved on the rooftop, making a squeaking noise while saying: ¡°On this island, there are 30 residents, which is to say, all of you¡ªRed Eyes, Yellow Eyes, Blue Eyes. The game will only end once everyone has the same eye color. In other words, the requirement to clear this game is for there to be only one remaining eye color!¡± Out of red, yellow, and blue, only one color can survive! The atmosphere instantly tensed up. People with different eye colors began sizing each other up, on guard, confronting each other. The sphere said unhurriedly, ¡°Hey~ what kind of looks are those? Hey hey hey, violence is forbidden~ Absolutely no violence. If discovered, the violators will be immediately eliminated!¡± Among the crowd, a muscular black man spat out in annoyance. His body brimming with muscles, his advantage was quite obvious, but unfortunately, the Inspector didn¡¯t give him a chance to leverage it. ¡°You all see this small house?¡± The Inspector hopped twice on the roof, ¡°Well~ All you have to do is come in and vote every 8 hours. The 5 players with the highest number of votes will be eliminated. After five rounds of voting, there will be 5 players remaining. If these 5 players have the same eye color, then congratulations~ You¡¯ve won the game and gained the qualification to join! But if the colors aren¡¯t the same among the five¡­ then you lose. Only the X-guest could win the game! ~Ah, did I forget to introduce the X-guest to you?¡± The sphere hit the ground with a bang, quickly rolled in a circle around the house. ¡°The X-guest is not a resident of the island, so his eye color is fake! He¡¯s hiding among you all as we speak!¡± Everyone was taken aback and began looking more nervously at one another. The sphere laughed heartily in triumph. ¡°How could the X-guest be found so easily? They could be disguised as Red Eyes, Yellow Eyes, or even Blue Eyes! ~ If you can eliminate the X-guest, regardless of the color of the remaining players¡¯ eyes, all of you will win the game!¡± Bai Youwei listened quietly. The rules sounded complicated, but really, all she needed to grasp were two key points. The first, if the players all have the same eye color, they can pass. The second, if the X-guest is eliminated, they can pass. Either condition can be met to pass. A tall woman in the crowd asked, ¡°What is the specific manner of voting? Who counts the votes? If there is a tie in the number of votes, how would it be resolved?¡± ¡°Wow~ good question.¡± The sphere chuckled and explained, ¡°The way to vote is just as I¡¯ve described earlier, in this small house. Only one person may enter at a time, everyone must vote, and no one may abstain! When voting, use the numbers on each of you as the voting codes!¡± Once these words were spoken, many people in the crowd¡¯s expressions significantly changed as they suddenly realized they had numbers on them! Some on the collar, some on the leg, some on the heel, and some on the hat! All were in places not easily noticed by oneself! They attempted to cover their numbers with their hands, but it was too late. Some people had already noticed their numbers! The clever ones had already noted it down! The sphere¡¯s voice deepened as it emphasized again: ¡°Absolutely no violence allowed~ and no skipping voting too! Don¡¯t think you can take this lightly just because it¡¯s a preliminary competition, otherwise, you¡¯ll definitely regret it!¡± Chapter 586 - Chapter 586: Chapter 586 What is Your Dream (Added more for an emotionless fairy) Chapter 586: Chapter 586 What is Your Dream (Added more for an emotionless fairy) Regret? What could there be to regret about? Losing the game does not mean losing one¡¯s life. In that respect, this game is a hundred times gentler than those out there. Bai Youwei believes that some were forced, like ducks to the water, to participate in these preliminaries. It was just like Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin, who, despite having a puzzle, showed little interest in snatching other¡¯s puzzles. If they lost, they would simply withdraw from the ¡°Labyrinth War¡±. There was nothing to lose. As for completing the puzzle, making all the dolls¡¯ games disappear, someone else will do such world-saving things. After all, tall people will hold up the sky when it falls. Seemingly discerning Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts, the Inspector asked the crowd leisurely: ¡°Hmm, odd¡­ Why does it seem like no one here is enthusiastic? Do you believe that it doesn¡¯t matter if you lose?¡± Everyone silently watched the ball, their nerves taut, no one bothered answering. The ball wobbled, moving as if shaking its head. ¡°This won¡¯t do! A game without a competitive spirit is boring! Uninteresting! Meaningless! Are you all intending to forfeit the fruits of victory so easily? Are you indifferent to how the world might change? Once you complete the puzzle, anything could possibly happen~¡± Immediately, someone in the crowd asked, ¡°After completing the puzzle, wouldn¡¯t all the games disappear? What else could happen?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The ball asked curiously, ¡°Who told you that completing the puzzle would make all the games disappear?¡± The crowd responded, ¡°The inspector from the preliminaries said so!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± The ball shook its head again, ¡°As an inspector, how could I provide wrong information? Think again, what exactly did the inspector say?¡± With a frown, Bai Youwei tried to recall. Indeed, it was the rabbit-headed man who said that, but he actually began with, ¡°You should have heard¡­¡± You should have heard¡­ Complete the puzzle, and all games will disappear, was only a ¡°rumor¡±. After thinking it over, she voiced out, ¡°I know someone who once obtained a special object that allowed him to ask the inspector any question. He asked how to make the dolls¡¯ games disappear, and the inspector replied that he needed to complete the puzzle.¡± The ball chuckled ominously, and mystically affirmed, ¡°After completing the puzzle, anything could happen, including the disappearance of the dolls¡¯ games~¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s expression shifted, ¡°Anything¡­ What does that mean?¡± The ball rotated on its own, shaking its tricolored eye totem, ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re all so dense! The Labyrinth War categorizes you into kings and subjects for a reason! What is a king? A king does whatever he or she desires. If you want the games to disappear, sure thing! If you want the games to continue, you certainly can!¡± It rolled up to a shorthaired woman and asked her, ¡°You, what is your wish?¡± Caught off guard, the woman blurted out involuntarily. ¡°Just say anything, come on~¡± The ball urged. With a hint of hesitation, the woman said, ¡°I¡­ I want my family to come back to life.¡± ¡°Possible!¡± The ball replied briskly, ¡°A king can do whatever he or she desires!¡± It then rolled over to a broad bearded man, asking, ¡°And you? What is your dream?¡± The bearded man answered solemnly, ¡°I want my nation to become the greatest! All those damned whites should drop dead!¡± ¡°Ha, ha, ha! Sure, sure!¡± The ball laughed joyfully, ¡°A king can do anything they wish!¡± Next, the ball rolled up to Bai Youwei, ¡°What about you? Let¡¯s hear your dream!¡± Stuffed with malice, it asked, ¡°Do you want the game to disappear? Wish for your family to come back from the dead? Want the world to revert to its original state, like nothing ever happened, and you are still the forgotten, immobile, diaper-bound, stockpiler of countless sleeping pills, yet too frightened to take one, wretch?¡± Bai Youwei bit her lower lip tightly. Chapter 587 - Chapter 587: Chapter 587: The Persistence of Circle Chapter 587: Chapter 587: The Persistence of Circle She didn¡¯t respond. Globe laughed heartily, ¡°The king who wins the war can do anything he wants!¡± ¡ª¡ªNot just anything, such immense authority is akin to being a creator-like being! If they wish for someone to live, they will live! If they desire someone to die, they will die! Whether it be destroying the world or granting eternal life, it all rests within the thoughts of the king! By then, who would care whether the doll game exists or not? Bai Youwei discovered that the expressions of those around her had changed. Their breaths grew heavy and their eyes shone brightly, as if aflame, they were displaying a strong desire to win the game! The globe had successfully kindled the prologue of this preliminary competition, instilling fighting spirit in every player! Bai Youwei silently observed the crowd. This was going to be a chaotic battle, she had to find allies fast. Unfortunately, out of the 30 people, she only recognized Shen Mo¡¯s two subordinates, one named Fang Yu and the other¡­ something Hui. The situation wasn¡¯t looking great, in a game involving a voting system, without allies, you are almost guaranteed to lose. Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, considering an opportunity to make contact with those two. At that moment, the globe hopped back onto the roof of the cylindrical building, its tone full of pride and arrogance: ¡°The game begins now, please return here for the first round of voting in 8 hours. Now, you may all go rest in your own rooms. There will be food and water in the room, along with a map of this island.¡± As soon as the sphere finished speaking, more than a dozen people rushed into the surrounding woods! They were all players who hadn¡¯t have time to conceal their number tags. After hearing the rules, they were impatient to find cover. Shen Mo¡¯s two subordinates hurried away as well. One of them glanced at Bai Youwei before leaving. His companion urged him, ¡°Hurry! There might be new clues in the room!¡± Without any more hesitation, he left with his companion. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t move from her spot, her brow slightly furrowed. They trusted Shen Mo, but not necessarily her. Plus, there was a good chance that the color of their eyes was different from hers, that they were from different camps, making it even less necessary for them to strike up a conversation with her. They had blue eyes¡­ Then her eyes should be either red or yellow. When Player 17, a foreign man, saw her, he looked terrified. At the time, he didn¡¯t know the rules of the game. So what eye color would make a person feel such fear? It definitely can¡¯t be blue eyes. That¡¯s not uncommon abroad~ Bai Youwei mused. She knew that some religious devotees believe red eyes to be a symbol of the devil. Following this line of thought, her eyes were likely red. Of course, yellow was also a possibility¡­ what if Player 17 was just a panicky person by nature? It seems she needs to find another way to verify this. By this time, there were few players left on the plaza. Bai Youwei also proceeded into the woods in her wheelchair, searching for her room. A small circular path was paved with stone bricks in the forest. Bai Youwei felt that the sphere¡¯s eccentricities were incredibly apparent. It had a preference for anything round. With the cylindrical house in the center, the plaza was round, the surrounding woods were round, the stone path in the woods was round. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, the sand beach beyond the woods was also likely round, forming a large circle, the entire game map. Not far from where she had set off, Bai Youwei saw a small cylindrical building similar in appearance to the voting house in the plaza. It was rounder with a sliding door and no windows. Approaching it, she saw this ugly building actually had a facial recognition system that kept her from entering unless it identified her face. Chapter 588 - Chapter 588: Chapter 588: Xu Fanghe Chapter 588: Chapter 588: Xu Fanghe The LCD screen on the door displays a name: James Collier. It seems, players can¡¯t freely choose their rooms here, but instead are allocated by the system to designated rooms for rest. Bai Youwei turned her wheelchair doubtfully, continuing forward to find a place to rest, she felt strange about this design. Is every house different? If they are all the same, then it shouldn¡¯t matter in which house anyone stays, should it? She continues to search, finding seven or eight cylindrical small houses along the circular brick road. Some had already been occupied, some remained empty, and on every door, there was a name in different languages such as English, Russian, French, Spanish¡­ all varieties. Finally, she saw a Chinese name: Xu Fanghe. This person¡¯s name ¡­ why does it sound so strange? After pondering a bit, Bai Youwei realized, this probably is a Japanese name, isn¡¯t it? Just as she was thinking this, she heard a young man¡¯s voice in the distance: ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe, your room is this way, please follow me¡­ It¡¯s wonderful that we can play in the same game as you, and in the same camp. With Dr. Xu around, I believe we can surely pass this test ¡­¡± A woman¡¯s voice then asked, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe, in your opinion, what should we do next?¡± The conversation abruptly stopped when they saw Bai Youwei¡¯s figure. Bai Youwei looked at them. Two men and one woman. The leading man was the middle-aged man known as ¡°Doctor¡±, and the other young man and woman, a man wearing glasses, the woman wearing a scarf, were his recruits. All three of them had yellow eyes. Quickly making up her mind, Bai Youwei greeted them with a smile, ¡°Great, I also have yellow eyes. Can I join your team?¡± The woman stared at her, dumbfounded. The man, however, frowned and counter-questioned, ¡°Who told you it was yellow?¡± Bai Youwei blinked her eyes and replied without a second thought, ¡°A man I met on the road earlier, named James Collier, he said my eyes are yellow. What¡¯s the problem? Did he lie to me? So, what color are my eyes?¡± She looked small and weak which seemed to make her innocent act quite convincing. Dr. Xu Fanghe spoke gently and said, ¡°Your eyes are indeed yellow. We plan to unite all the players with yellow eyes. Join us in a while.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Bai Youwei nodded seriously, ¡°I will find my room first and then come to help. We must work together, or else the Blue Eyes and Red Eyes will eliminate us.¡± The doctor smiled and nodded, ¡°Yes, unity is crucial in this game. Only when we unite as one can we find a way out.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Bai Youwei nodded vigorously once again. After bidding farewell to the three, she wheeled away. Once she was at a distance, she turned around for a glance. The dense planting in the woods obscured the gray cylindrical small house. She was sure they would not refuse her. If she possesses yellow eyes, she undeniably adds power to their team; if she has red eyes, even better, not only can she help the Yellow Eyes Camp get one more vote, but she can also take a vote away from the Red Eyes Camp. Therefore, at least in the first round, both the Yellow Eyes Camp and the Red Eyes Camp would not eliminate her. Thinking about it, Bai Youwei suddenly paused. No¡­ The point of the game isn¡¯t color but number. Without knowing the number of the opposing team, how to choose when voting? Is it a blind selection??? Chapter 589 - Chapter 589: Chapter 589: Just Missing You Chapter 589: Chapter 589: Just Missing You The game had just started, there were too many questions, and it was hard to tackle them all at once. Bai Youwei had to temporarily put her doubts aside and find her room first. The next house was her rest room, with the name ¡°Bai Youwei¡± displayed on the liquid crystal display screen on the door. Unexpectedly, she and Xu Fanghe had become ¡°neighbors¡±. Bai Youwei wheeled herself to the sliding door. The spherical detector above the door scanned her face, and then with a click, the lock of the sliding door opened. Inside was a pure white room, arranged similarly to a standard hotel single room, with a big bed. An independent bathroom was on one side, and on the other side, there was an open kitchen. When she opened the fridge, it was filled with food. In terms of Chinese food, there were buns, dumplings and meal boxes; for western food, there were pasta, pizza and salad. Regardless of taste, there was plenty of food to last for the next two days. Bai Youwei also inspected the bathroom and bathing room, surprisingly, there were no mirrors. She soon understood why: this was the first hurdle set by the game for the players, which didn¡¯t allow them to see the colour of their own eyes. For instance, the glass sliding door at the entrance was designed to be frosted, not allowing any reflection. Curious, Bai Youwei wanted to find a bug in the game, so she turned on the tap¨C A gurgling liquid flowed out. It was milky white with a slight scent. It seemed¡­ to be milk? There was a slight twitch at the corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth. No way¡­ Did that mean she could only quench her thirst with milk for the next two days? Bai Youwei went back to the kitchen and turned on the tap there¨C As expected, it was milk again! Moreover, it was thicker than the milk in the bathroom! Bai Youwei wondered if bringing back some seawater from the nearby sea could help reflect the color of her eyes? Such an obvious flaw was probably patched up by the game in another way, right? She should focus on the game. Bai Youwei let out a slight sigh, lying down on the bed to rest. There was still some time before the voting. Presumably, people from the three camps were all figuring out ways to form alliances, right? Not forming alliances was not an option. In the circumstances of being unaware of the codes, randomly choosing could easily harm members of their own camp, so they must gather their own people and use the process of elimination to figure out the codes of the other two camps. Those who exposed their codes today would become the top targets of everyone else. Bai Youwei remembered Shen Mo¡¯s two subordinates. They were Blue Eyes. She wondered if they could survive the first round of voting¡­ Should she ask them for their code? That way, when voting, she could avoid their codes and prevent any accidental harm. But would they be willing to tell her? With different factions, many simple matters became complicated¡­ Bai Youwei was somewhat annoyed. These kinds of relationships were the most awkward. They weren¡¯t exactly close, but they weren¡¯t distant either. She couldn¡¯t wholeheartedly help them, nor could she standby and watch them die. It was tough. No matter what, she had to find an opportunity to contact them privately. After resting for a while in her room, Bai Youwei got back onto her wheelchair, ready to head outside and find the two of them to gauge their attitudes. To her surprise, as soon as she exited the room, she saw the woman with the scarf from the Doctor¡¯s side poking and prying around. She was probably worried about Bai Youwei interacting with the Red Eyes. While guessing what was going on, Bai Youwei raised her hand and waved to the woman, asking, ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± The woman in the scarf shook herself out of her thoughts and looked solemnly at Bai Youwei: ¡°The Doctor called us over¡­ let¡¯s go, almost everyone has gathered.¡± ¡°That fast?¡± Bai Youwei feigned surprise. The woman in the scarf gave her a disgusted look and said, ¡°That¡¯s because the Yellow Eyes had noticed us forming a team, they took the initiative to come over, of course they would be faster than us notifying everyone individually. Let¡¯s go, you¡¯re the only one missing.¡± Chapter 590 - Chapter 590: Chapter 590: Choosing the Number Chapter 590: Chapter 590: Choosing the Number ¡°Alright, alright~¡± Bai Youwei had a positive attitude and seemed very enthusiastic. Though enthusiastic, her speed remained slow. On the road, she tried to squeeze information out of the woman with the scarf while idling, but the woman was tight-lipped and didn¡¯t talk much. Perhaps Xu Fanghe had warned her about something privately¡­ Bai Youwei made various assumptions in her mind and thought of all possibilities. Before she knew it, she had arrived at Xu Fanghe¡¯s residence. A few individuals with yellow eyes gathered together. When they saw the woman with the scarf and Bai Youwei coming, they all looked at them and quickly looked away. Bai Youwei found it amusing. She was used to people¡¯s curious or inquisitive gazes, but these people just glanced at her and hurriedly diverted their eyes. If no one had instructed them, she did not believe they would have such a reaction. Wouldn¡¯t they find it strange to encounter a cripple in the game? Isn¡¯t a pretty girl in a wheelchair deserving of more than just a glance? They didn¡¯t even take an extra moment to look. Bai Youwei silently curled her lip, convinced that something fishy was going on. Most likely, Xu Fanghe had instructed them beforehand to avoid making too much eye contact with her, especially not to stare at her eyes, to prevent arousing her suspicion. This Japanese doctor was indeed meticulous, but by attempting to be crafty, he had inadvertently alerted Bai Youwei that something was amiss. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but think: Is this the extent of his skills? If he could recruit so many subjects, he must have some other means, right? All players have now arrived. Xu Fanghe, ever the gentleman, spoke, ¡°I presume everyone is clear about the rules of the game. We are currently lacking clues about the X guest, so all we can do now is try to avoid being eliminated. However¡­ the current situation is not in our favor.¡± Xu Fanghe looked around, continuing, ¡°There are only 9 of us with yellow eyes. It seems that the distribution of red, yellow, and blue eyes is not even.¡± Bai Youwei listened and pondered. Out of the 30 players, there were 9 with yellow eyes. Removing herself as an imposter, only 8 remained. So it was easy to deduce: the total number of red and blue eyes was 22. If these 22 votes all went to those with yellow eyes, just one round of voting would lead to the defeat of the yellow eyes. Of course, this scenario was unlikely to occur. After all, most players¡¯ numbers were confidential at this stage. Unless red eyes and blue eyes formed an alliance, and exchanged numbers openly in the first round? It was improbable. The conclusion Xu Fanghe came to was not much different from Bai Youwei¡¯s. ¡°If 21 votes want to eliminate 5 people, each person will need an average of 4 votes, but since it¡¯s only the first round, I believe more people are observing, and it¡¯s unlikely red eyes and blue eyes would ally and overlap their votes this early.¡± ¡°We need to at least eliminate three players in this round while the two sides are not united.¡± He slowly analyzed the situation with everyone, calm and steady, almost unconsciously instilling trust. ¡°Only by reducing the number of people lost each round compared to the others can we gain the advantage. Currently, we have a total of 9 votes, so we will distribute them as 3+3+3 when voting¡­¡± ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe.¡± A worried voice said, ¡°Will three votes be too little? From what I see, wouldn¡¯t it be more prudent to divide them as 5+4?¡± A young man next to the doctor retorted displeasedly, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe arranged it this way for a reason! If you don¡¯t understand, don¡¯t recklessly suggest a plan!¡± ¡°Not at all, it¡¯s my fault for not explaining clearly to everyone,¡± Xu Fanghe explained gently. ¡°Our numbers are few, if we only manage to eliminate two of them, our disadvantage will be even greater in the next round, so even if 5+4 is more secure, it is meaningless to us¡­¡± Another person asked, ¡°Then¡­ which numbers should we vote for?¡± Chapter 591 - Chapter 591: Chapter 591: Is She Cold-blooded? Chapter 591: Chapter 591: Is She Cold-blooded? ¡°Vote for Number 8!¡± someone suddenly proposed, ¡°I saw it, the short-haired woman has an 8 on her shoe! She is Blue Eyes!¡± ¡°We can also vote for Number 27! I saw it too, Number 27 is Red Eyes!¡± another person said. The bespectacled man next to the doctor said, ¡°We need to vote for at least three people in the first round; we¡¯re still short of one, who should we vote for?¡± According to the game rules, five people must be eliminated in each round. If they only eliminate two outsiders, then the remaining three spots will likely be filled by Yellow Eyes¡¯s group. They only have nine people (including Bai Youwei who is posing as a yellow eye). If they eliminate three people, there will only be six left. That means, in the second round of voting, they¡¯ll only have six votes to manipulate. With such a small number of votes, a comeback would be impossible! So in the first round, they must try to eliminate three people from the outsiders! ¡°About the numbers, I would like to discuss something with all of you¡­¡± Xu Fanghe spoke slowly, ¡°The numbers we decide to vote for should definitely avoid our own people¡¯s numbers. However, since we all just met, if I ask you to reveal your own numbers, everyone would probably hesitate. So, I have an idea¡­¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe took out a piece of paper and a pen. ¡°I¡¯ve written nineteen numbers on this paper. There are nine of us, each person will cross out two numbers. The remaining numbers will be those we vote for this round. Everyone, what do you think?¡± People murmured amongst themselves, nodding in agreement. ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe¡¯s method is very good.¡± ¡°Yes, this way we don¡¯t have to reveal our own numbers.¡± The bespectacled man boasted, ¡°I told you before, following Dr. Xu Fanghe is always the right decision. The doctor isn¡¯t like those who only think about winning! He truly cares about everyone!¡± Xu Fanghe modestly waved his hand, responding lightly, ¡°Victory gained by sacrificing companions is meaningless. Everyone who made it to the preliminary game must have already seen much ugliness and evil. However, what did we gain? The ugly will only become uglier, and the evil will only become more evil. If the Doll game is the Heavenly Punishment for the world, we need to embrace a heart of benevolence if we want salvation. My friends, selfish brutal actions are never a sustainable plan. If necessary, I am willing to sacrifice myself and distribute the puzzle pieces and tools among you all, to provide you with a chance to live. In this way, my life will also have meaning¡­¡± Everyone was touched by his words and showed sympathetic expressions. Long and drawn-out life-or-death experiences in the game, with the continuous mental pressure, usually create two types of people: One, those whose humanity has been worn away by the game rules, turning into cold-blooded killing machines; The other, those who struggle to escape but do not know how to change their current situation. These people might have some abilities, but their spirits are weak and they are easily manipulated. The woman with the scarf had teary eyes as she earnestly said, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe! Please lead us forward!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± She silently observed the eight people around her, at least six of them looked touched. ¡­What was going on? Was she especially cold-blooded? Why wasn¡¯t she touched at all, only feeling that the other party was putting on a show? However, she was slightly moved when Xu Fanghe said he wanted to distribute the puzzle pieces and tools to everyone¡­ Because she simply didn¡¯t believe that such self-sacrificing and dedicated people would end up in the Maze War preliminary contest! He must have killed many people, right? Bai Youwei watched as Xu Fanghe, surrounded by people, continued. He made two marks on the paper with the pen, then passed on the paper with the numbers¡ª Chapter 592 - Chapter 592: Chapter 592: What color are the eyes? Chapter 592: Chapter 592: What color are the eyes? By the time Bai Youwei received it, six numbers had already been crossed out on the paper. Nineteen numbers were lined up vertically, 1-5 at the top, 10-18 in the middle, and 24-27 at the bottom. Bai Youwei¡¯s number 11 was crossed out, and since everyone had to cross out two numbers, the previous people might also cross out the numbers of the people after them. Bai Youwei casually crossed off number 1 and number 17, then passed the paper to the next person. After one round, number 2 was the only one left uncrossed, so the final three numbers they were going to vote for were 2, 8, and 27. Once the numbers were determined, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The fact that the first step went smoothly and cautiously seemed like a good omen. Everyone stayed with Dr. Xu Fanghe, continuing the discussion about the possible scenarios of the game, planning to go together to the kiosk in the plaza to vote when it was time. Not long after, they heard a commotion. People looked at each other, filled with curiosity and confusion, looking in the direction of the noise. However, the woods were too dense to see what was happening. Dr. Xu Fanghe proposed: ¡°The game rules do not allow violence. Let¡¯s go and take a look together.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. Walking along the semi-circular brick road, they quickly found the source of the conflict. The people with Red Eyes and Blue Eyes were arguing. It appeared that everyone had found their teams in a very short time and had selected their leaders. The leader of the Blue Eyes Camp was a burly black man. The leader of the Red Eyes Camp was a short-haired woman with an androgynous style. Both parties were very assertive. The black man was harshly scolding a man in a suit: ¡°You fool! You¡¯ve been fooled by that woman! You¡¯re a Blue Eye!¡± The short-haired woman retorted coldly: ¡°What, jealous that our team has more people, trying to poach from us? Allen, think carefully, if you were a Blue Eye, would we have included you in our team from the start?¡± ¡°Bullshit! It¡¯s your Red Eyes who are conning him together!¡± The black man grumbled angrily, wishing he could go up and give the man in the suit a beating, but was restrained by the game rules. ¡°Dramatic, keep performing!¡± The short-haired woman sneered, ¡°You certainly act the part, it¡¯s a pity you¡¯re not an actor with that talent.¡± ¡°You damned woman¡­¡± The black man nearly burst a vein in anger, wanting to attack, but his companions held him back. Annoyed, the black man¡¯s friend yelled at the man in the suit: ¡°Won¡¯t you come over here?! How can there be such a stupid player in the preliminary round! Couldn¡¯t you tell they were making fun of you?!¡± The man in the suit looked distraught, glancing left and right, growing increasingly confused. Finally, he turned to the short-haired woman and asked in a tense voice, ¡°Are my eyes¡­ are they red?¡± The short-haired woman nodded calmly, ¡°Yes, your eyes are red.¡± ¡°They¡¯re blue! Damn it!¡± The black man noticed Xu Fanghe approaching with his group, pointed at them and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, ask them! What¡¯s the point of asking the Red Eyes? They¡¯re just messing with you!!!¡± The man in the suit gritted his teeth, looked towards Xu Fanghe and asked again, ¡°You tell me! What color are my eyes?!¡± Xu Fanghe hesitated momentarily, then looked at the black man. He paused for two seconds before telling the man in the suit, ¡°Your eyes¡­ are blue.¡± ¡°Did you hear that? They¡¯re blue!¡± The black man shouted. The short-haired woman laughed out loud, ¡°You sneaky black man! You sure know how to play! Knowing that this old man wouldn¡¯t dare to offend you, you deliberately had Allen ask him. How could he possibly tell the truth?¡± After a bout of mockery, she turned to the man in the suit and said, ¡°Allen, really think about it. Why didn¡¯t he answer you immediately? Why did he pause for a few seconds, even looking at that damned black man before responding?¡± Chapter 593 - Chapter 593: Chapter 593: The Disordered Colors Chapter 593: Chapter 593: The Disordered Colors The black man and the short-haired woman both made valid points, causing the man in the suit to once again feel conflicted. He held his head in his hands, his face a picture of intense struggle! Bai Youwei, witnessing all of this, was taken aback. She thought Xu Fanghe was cunning to an extreme. Without offending any parties, he skillfully used delay and eye contact to mislead the man in the suit! After all, he did give the real answer ¨C blue! Whether the man in the suit believed it or not, was none of his business! And Xu Fanghe¡¯s actions were easy to understand. The more chaotic the situation, the more advantageous it would be to those with the fewer numbers. The Yellow Eyes. It would be best if the people from the Blue Eyes Camp could hate the Red Eyes so much as to turn all their votes on them! ¡°Bastard!¡± The black man gnashed his teeth, staring at the man in the suit with fury. ¡°Now both the Blue Eyes Camp and the Yellow Eyes are saying your eyes are blue. Even then, are you still not willing to believe it?!¡± ¡°Of course, he can¡¯t believe it.¡± The short-haired woman interrupted contemptuously before the man in the suit could answer, ¡°We, Red Eyes, are the majority in number. You two teams, with fewer members, are clearly planning to team up. It¡¯s only natural that you breathe through the same nostril.¡± ¡°Filthy woman!¡± The black man cursed angrily, ¡°I am definitely going to decapitate you!¡± His companion held him back, subtly pointing in Bai Youwei¡¯s direction and whispering something in his ear. The black muscular man paused, looked towards Bai Youwei, and his face instantly relaxed from the anger it previously held. Noticing the black man¡¯s change in mood, the short-haired woman also suspiciously turned to look and grew pale when she saw Bai Youwei standing with Xu Fanghe¡¯s team. The short-haired woman led a team of Red Eyes over and bluntly stood in front of Bai Youwei, looking down at her from an elevated position: ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the deal with you? You¡¯re clearly a Red Eye, so why are you here?¡± Bai Youwei looked puzzled. ¡°¡­Are you talking about me?¡­ I¡¯m a Red Eye?¡± The black man from afar bellowed with laughter: ¡°Yo! They ¡®borrowed¡¯ a Blue Eye from us. Now, they can¡¯t wait to dig around the Yellow Eyes? Isn¡¯t that a little too greedy?!¡± Xu Fanghe, who was calm and collected, said to Bai Youwei: ¡°Even if I tell you now that you¡¯re a Yellow Eye, I doubt you¡¯ll believe me. Why not ask the people from the Blue Eyes Camp?¡± ¡°Ask them? Those liars!¡± The short-haired woman scowled at Xu Fanghe. ¡°After failing to steal from us, they¡¯re grudging us. They¡¯d love to see us Red Eyes lose a member!¡± ¡°So, what do you think we should do?¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s tone was congenial. ¡°I said she¡¯s a Yellow Eye, you say she¡¯s a Red Eye. There¡¯s no result from this argument. Why not let her decide for herself?¡± The bespectacled man next to Xu Fanghe could not help but speak up: ¡°You are so wicked! After deceiving the Blue Eyes, you now want to deceive our Yellow Eyes! Hey! That guy¡­ Alan, was it? Your eyes are blue! Dr. Xu Fanghe never lies to anyone! You¡¯ve been tricked by that woman!¡± The man in the suit looked this way, confusion written all over his face. The tall short-haired woman grinded her teeth in irritation. If the stalemate continued, it was possible that not only would they fail to win Bai Youwei over, but the man in the suit might also start to waver. She was still hesitating, but then Bai Youwei suddenly spoke, saying, ¡°May I ask the people from the Blue Eyes Camp?¡± Xu Fanghe still responded with an unruffled smile: ¡°Of course, you can.¡± The black muscular man observed with a look of anticipation. However, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t turn to him, but directed her gaze towards the two men wearing battle uniforms from the Blue Eyes team and earnestly asked, ¡°What color are my eyes?¡± These two men, Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui, were Shen Mo¡¯s former subordinates and members of the special task force. Ya Chaohui lowered his head, his expression hard to decipher. Fang Yu answered: ¡°Your eyes¡­are Yellow.¡± Chapter 594 - Chapter 594: Chapter 594: Voting Has Begun Chapter 594: Chapter 594: Voting Has Begun Bai Youwei watched the two of them silently. The silent atmosphere seemed contagious, it was so quiet around that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was looking at Bai Youwei, waiting for her reaction. Perhaps it was Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze that made Fang Yu uncomfortable, he turned his face away and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask others.¡± Bai Youwei seemed to snap back to reality, clutching her chest in mock horror, and giving a smile: ¡°You scared me! I almost thought I was one of the Red Eyes! Thank you guys!¡± She returned to Xu Fanghe¡¯s side, let out a long sigh of relief, and started muttering to herself: ¡°I knew it, I¡¯m certain I have Yellow Eyes¡­ the vote is just about to begin. Suddenly telling me that I am a Red Eye, there must be something fishy¡­¡± On Xu Fanghe¡¯s side, the bespectacled man and the woman with the scarf swapped glances. The woman with the scarf said to Bai Youwei: ¡°Let¡¯s go, these people are up to no good. It¡¯s not necessary to continue listening to their nonsense.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s all go, they are starting to argue fiercely and loudly, it¡¯s quite scary~¡± Xu Fanghe slowly said: ¡°The game forbids us from using violence, perhaps it also took this into consideration¡­¡± The chaos was interrupted, everyone returned to their own rooms to wait for the moment of voting. ¡­ Ya Chaohui went to Fang Yu¡¯s room and couldn¡¯t resist asking him, ¡°Why did you just say her eyes are yellow?¡± ¡°You agreed too, didn¡¯t you?¡± Fang Yu replied with a frown, ¡°Yellow Eyes clearly wanted to see the Red Team make a fool of themselves. The Red Team took one of our people and lost another, they really didn¡¯t gain anything. We can¡¯t just give them another person, can we?¡± Ya Chaohui looked troubled, ¡°I know¡­ it¡¯s just, her relationship with Commissioner Shen¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Fang Yu dismissed, ¡°This is just a prelim match anyway, she won¡¯t die if she loses. Maybe the Commissioner will even thank us for getting her eliminated early, so she won¡¯t have to participate in those brutal competitions later on.¡± Ya Chaohui sighed, nodding, ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. I just feel¡­ guilty about deceiving her.¡± ¡°So what do you propose we do?¡± Fang Yu was clearly displeased, ¡°Tell her she¡¯s a Red Eye and let the Red Team become 13 strong, and then there¡¯s Yellow Eyes, he¡¯ll definitely take issue with it!¡­ I¡¯m not afraid of him, but you need to understand, he has both of our numbers.¡± When deciding who to vote for, all the members of the Blue Eyes Camp had shared their own numbers with the leading African American, to avoid friendly fire during the voting. Ya Chaohui stopped talking and just sighed. ¡­ Approximately 8 hours after the start of the preliminary rounds, around 10 am, the sun had half-set on the horizon, and the sea was bathed in a fiery hue of the sundown. Bai Youwei heard the tolling of bells. It was the signal to start the first round of voting. She calmly and unhurriedly wheeled herself towards the square. As it was inconvenient for her to move around, she was naturally last to arrive. When she arrived at the square, the short-haired woman had just emerged from the voting room. It seemed she was still holding a grudge over Bai Youwei wrongly joining their faction. As she walked past her, she cursed, calling her a ¡°dumbass¡±. ¡°Hey~¡± Bai Youwei reached out and grabbed her arm, smiling and asking, ¡°Just now, were you cursing me?¡± With a deliberate emphasis on the word ¡°me¡± in her tone, a veiled threat lingered. The short-haired woman looked at her with a weird expression. Finally, she shook off Bai Youwei¡¯s hand and walked back into Red Eyes¡¯ group with a grim expression. Bai Youwei shrugged it off with a smile, rolled her wheelchair into the voting room¡ª The sensor door opened before her and closed once she was inside. The small cylindrical space was now filled with only her presence. In front of her was a display screen showing thirty numbered options from 1 to 30. According to Xu Fanghe¡¯s instructions, she was supposed to cast her vote for Number 2. But strangely enough, all the numbers were grayed out and unselectable, except for Number 1 and Number 9. Chapter 595 - Chapter 595: Chapter 595: Yellow Eyes becomes severe (Added more for this quite dumb~) Chapter 595: Chapter 595: Yellow Eyes becomes severe (Added more for this quite dumb~) Is this damn thing broken? Bai Youwei knocked mildly annoyed on the screen, causing a knocking sound. When pressing the number 9 key, a prompt pops up: [Confirm Vote? ¡ª¡ª9] Bai Youwei stared at the line of text, slowly realizing¡­ The other numbers are not selectable, very likely because the vote count for 1 and 9 is equal now. To avoid a tied ranking situation in the case of only one vote left, players have to choose from these two numbers. Bai Youwei thought for a while. Earlier, Xu Fanghe presented nineteen numbers for them to eliminate. Among these numbers, 9 was not included, but 1 was, suggesting a high probability that the Yellow Eyes player is number 9. So, should she pick 9 now? After weighing her options, Bai Youwei eventually chose to press the number 1 key and confirmed her selection. She didn¡¯t want a vast difference in numbers between the Red, Yellow, and Blue-eyed players. Gradual attrition is what could force the X guest to reveal themselves¡­ As Bai Youwei stepped out of the voting hut, everyone outside turned to look at her. The last person has cast their vote. This signified that the voting results were about to be announced. The stone ball on the roof rotated once, with the child¡¯s voice ringing out clear and bright, exuding an enthusiastic joy¡ª ¡°We are now announcing the elimination numbers and vote counts for the first round!¡± ¡°Number 1, four votes.¡± ¡°Number 8, six votes.¡± ¡°Number 18, four votes.¡± ¡°Number 19, five votes.¡± ¡°Number 27, six votes.¡± As the Inspector called out the numbers, figures on the field vanished one after another. Two individuals had disappeared from both the Red Eyes and the Blue Eyes teams, while the Yellow Eyes team had lost just one. The team numbers were as follows: Red Eyes: 10 (including 1 Blue Eye), Yellow Eyes: 8 (including 1 Red Eye), Blue Eyes: 7. The Red Eyes still held a slight advantage in terms of numbers. The crowd hummed with speculation: ¡°The votes were very concentrated¡­¡± ¡°Those people might not have hidden their numbers properly, they got seen by others¡­¡± ¡°If your number is seen, of course you¡¯re likely to be targeted. It seems that at least two teams had vote overlap, that¡¯s why the votes are comparatively concentrated.¡± ¡°The next round probably won¡¯t be the same as this, right? The numbers that were seen were basically all eliminated this round¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The stone ball announced cheerfully: ¡°The first round of voting has ended! Everyone can go back to their rooms to rest now. The second round of voting will take place in 8 hours! Don¡¯t oversleep~¡± Bai Youwei scoffed inwardly. In a place like this, how could anyone possibly oversleep? Not being able to sleep would be the real deal. The twenty-five people scattered. People didn¡¯t return to their rooms, instead, they all spontaneously gathered at their leader¡¯s residence to discuss the strategy for the next round of voting. The Yellow Eyes team was no exception. The atmosphere was tense, as their situation was the most severe. By the correct color count, the Yellow Eyes team only had seven people. They were the smallest team of the three! ¡°It seems that¡­ we have to form an alliance with the Blue Eyes team¡­¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe looked around at everyone, analyzing carefully, ¡°Their situation isn¡¯t optimistic either, so they shouldn¡¯t reject us. Only by forming an alliance with them can our vote exceed the Red Eyes.¡± Everyone exchanged glances, all remained silent. The game has a total of five rounds of voting, leaving the last 5 people with the same color to pass. Yet, they were only in the first round and their numbers had been dwindled down to 7. There are still 4 more rounds of voting¡­ If their number decreases in the next round, they might actually lose. ¡°Everyone, relax.¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s smile remained gentle, reassuring everyone, ¡°Trust me, in the second round, not a single Yellow Eye will be eliminated.¡± Chapter 596 - Chapter 596: Chapter 596: Find the Red Eye Chapter 596: Chapter 596: Find the Red Eye Next, Xu Fanghe took out another piece of paper and according to the original method, he let everyone choose the numbers to be eliminated in the second round. ¡°The number 2 we chose in the last round wasn¡¯t eliminated, so this round, number 2 counts as one, and there are two other numbers. Everyone should choose, please.¡± With his calm demeanor, he wrote a string of numbers on the paper, crossed out two of them, and then passed the paper to the man in glasses standing beside him. ¡°Here are eighteen numbers, we have eight people, each crossing out two numbers. In the end, there will be two numbers left. These, then plus number 2, are the numbers for the next round of votes.¡± As he said this, as if suddenly recalling something, he looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Right, at the last vote, which number did you choose? Why wasn¡¯t number 2 eliminated?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°When I went into that room, I found out only number 1 and number 9 could be selected, so I chose number 1.¡± ¡°Oh¡­I see.¡± Xu Fanghe nodded slowly, ¡°It seems the order of voting is crucial as well. If you vote too late, you might lose the chance. In the second round of voting, all of you should try to go earlier.¡± The others agreed and nodded. The voting paper was passed around the room and by the time it reached Bai Youwei, most of the numbers on it had already been crossed out. The numbers written by Xu Fanghe were still vertically lined just like last time, with 3-7 on the top, 10-17 in the middle, and 21-25 at the bottom. Four numbers were left uncrossed: 7, 11, 23, and 25. Bai Youwei crossed out her own number 11 and then crossed out number 7. She thought for a moment, and asked, ¡°In the last round, we had nine members and we voted for three numbers, three votes each. But now, we only have eight, how can we vote for three numbers? 3+3+2? Two votes seem to be insufficient for eliminating a member, unless there are overlapping votes.¡± After she said this, the others also realized and looked toward Xu Fanghe. ¡°That¡¯s right, Dr. Xu Fanghe, what are we to do?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we do 4+4? Concentrate the votes more and increase the chance of elimination.¡± Xu Fanghe smiled and shook his head, ¡°No need to worry, these three numbers will ultimately be selected by the guy with Blue Eyes.¡± Bai Youwei looked somewhat puzzled. Xu Fanghe continued, ¡°We have 8 votes, Blue Eyes have 7 votes, a total of 15 votes. If we can eliminate more than three Red Eyes in the next round, we can gain a tremendous advantage. Theoretically, if we follow my method, eliminating three Red Eyes should not be a problem.¡± Everyone became excited when they heard this! There are ten Red Eyes in total right now, eliminate three and there will only be seven left! The numerical advantage would disappear in an instant! The bespectacled man looked at Xu Fanghe excitedly, his fervor clear, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe! Whatever you need us to do, just give the word!¡± The lady with the scarf also had an expression of utmost devotion, bowing to Xu Fanghe, ¡°Doctor, please lead us moving forward!¡± The others felt that the man and woman were somewhat exaggerated, but they also praised Xu Fanghe one after another. Speaking a few words of flattery wouldn¡¯t cost them anything. As long as it didn¡¯t harm their self-interest, they were willing to grovel and flatter. Xu Fanghe slowly shared his method: ¡°I will give these three numbers to Blue Eyes, and at the same time, Blue Eyes will give us three filtered numbers, totaling six numbers.¡± ¡°Then, we will cross out those of Yellow Eyes, and they will cross out the ones of Blue Eyes. The remaining numbers will naturally be Red Eyes.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, all six numbers will belong to Red Eyes. Of course, this likelihood isn¡¯t great, but with this method, we can easily find two to five Red Eyes¡¯ numbers.¡± Chapter 597 - Chapter 597: Chapter 597: Exchange Numbers Chapter 597: Chapter 597: Exchange Numbers Once Xu Fanghe finished speaking, everyone concurred, considering it the most secure method. Even though scratching off the numbers would reveal their own, they were exposing them while Blue Eyes were also doing the same ¨C it had the semblance of an equal exchange. Unless they were extremely unlucky: Blue Eyes gave all Yellow Eyes¡¯ numbers, causing them to wipe off three numbers. However, this probability was minutely small. Bai Youwei quietly listened to these people¡¯s discussions. As a Red Eyes, she certainly did not wish for Red Eyes to be sandwiched from both sides. The reason she voted for the 1st player in the last round was that she did not want a significant disparity in the number of people. Imagine, if Red Eyes, relying on their numerical advantage, easily wiped out Yellow Eyes and Blue Eyes, but the X-person happened to be among the Red Eyes, what then? That would be the worst-case scenario. ¡ªIn the same team, order would break down, trust would shatter, and the person who controlled the discourse could effortlessly crush the remaining players! Yes, it would be the three leading figures controlling the narrative. Amongst these three, there must be one person who is the X-person! Because, in this game, if the X-person wants to win, they must exhibit an extreme need to control, to ensure they survive each round of voting. Going with the flow or blindly following the vote, would absolutely not work. Xu Fanghe could be the X-person, Blue Eyes¡¯ boss could be the X-person, as well as the boss¡¯s white companion, and the short-haired woman in the Red Eyes team¡­ Bai Youwei remembered very clearly, the Inspector¡¯s exact words were: ¡°After five rounds of voting, there will be only five players left. If the eye colours of these five players are the same, then congratulations~ You have won the game, gaining entry qualifications! But if the eye colours of the five players differ¡­ You have lost, and only the X-person will be the winner!¡± Therefore, rushing to eliminate other colours now is not wise. It is imperative to find out who the X-person is. Bai Youwei lowered her eyelids, leisurely touching the plush rabbit in her embrace. It¡¯s such a shame that violence cannot be used¡­ Otherwise, she would have electrocuted them one by one, sooner or later she could have found the X-person, why bother using so much brainpower? ¡­ After some discussion, Xu Fanghe, along with the spectacle-wearing man, went out to negotiate cooperation with the Blue Eyes, while the woman with the scarf was assigned to watch over the Red Eyes, preventing them from making any unusual moves. Bai Youwei had no tasks. She idled, playing with the rabbit. She couldn¡¯t possibly have a task since she was a Red Eyes. Subconsciously, the Yellow Eyes would always guard against her. About an hour later, Xu Fanghe returned with the spectacle guy. And he brought back three numbers: 17, 22, and 26. Immediately, someone¡¯s complexion changed and stuttered, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe, I ¡­ my number is 22 ¡­¡± Xu Fanghe crossed out 22, then asked others, ¡°Are the remaining two numbers any of yours?¡± Everyone looked at each other, no one spoke. Xu Fanghe folded the paper and handed it to the specs guy, ¡°In that case, we can confirm that 17 and 26 are Red Eyes. Hand this over to the other side.¡± The specs guy nodded, meticulously put the paper into his pocket, and then left under the darkening sky. When he returned, he brought back a new set of numbers: 17, 23, and 26. Xu Fanghe decided conclusively, ¡°For the second round of voting, we vote for these three numbers.¡± Bai Youwei silently glanced at him. The three numbers provided by Yellow Eyes were ¡°2, 23, 25¡±. 2 and 25 were both crossed out, which meant that, both these numbers were Blue Eyes. Chapter 598 - Chapter 598: Chapter 598: The Second Round of Voting Chapter 598: Chapter 598: The Second Round of Voting ¡°The arrangement for the second round of voting was straightforward. Xu Fanghe figured that, if Red Eyes voted for two people, they would distribute their 10 votes as 5+5; with three individuals, it would be a 4+3+3 division. However, the Red team would probably consider the possibility of a Yellow and Blue alliance. The 4+3+3 distribution doesn¡¯t have an advantage in terms of individual vote count, so Red Eyes should proceed with a 5+5 approach. The Yellow and Blue Eyes had a total of 15 votes, which they could also divide as 5+5+5, enabling them to eliminate at least three Red Eyes individuals. As for the unavoidable sacrifices of the two remaining members, they didn¡¯t need to think about them just yet. ¡­ In the middle of the night with the moon shining brightly, everyone gathered in the plaza well before the summoning bell rang. Red Eyes, 10 in total. Yellow Eyes, 8 in total. Blue Eyes, 7 in total. The Stone Ball Inspector roamed leisurely on the rooftop, his tone light and cheerful: ¡°The second round of voting is now underway~ Line up, line up, go into the booth one by one to cast your vote~¡± Everyone, with different expressions, entered the booth one by one to vote. The whole process was quiet and silent without a single word uttered¡­ After Bai Youwei entered, she discovered the numbers of those eliminated in the previous round had been dimmed, leaving 25 numbers available for selection. The number of votes each number received wasn¡¯t visible. She thought for a moment and pressed number 2. ¡­ All votes were cast. The Stone Ball was excited, its rotation speed even faster, churning out a loud whooshing sound. ¡°Ah! This is my favorite part!~ Now we will announce the numbers and vote counts of the second round¡¯s elimination!¡± ¡°Number 2, 4 votes.¡± ¡°Number 12, 4 votes.¡± ¡°Number 22, 5 votes.¡± ¡°Number 23, 4 votes.¡± ¡°Number 26, 5 votes.¡± As soon as number 22 was called, his face turned pale, he looked at Xu Fanghe in disbelief: ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe¡­ why? Wasn¡¯t my number crossed off¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, his body completely disappeared into thin air! Gone with him was also a Yellow Eyes woman with a silk scarf! Xu Fanghe abruptly turned to look at the gangster! This was not what he had anticipated! Based on his calculation, the vote counts of the five eliminated people should either be 5+5+5+5+5 or 5+5+5+4+3. But why were the numbers now so chaotic?! Not only the Red Eyes did not vote using the 5+5 method, but the Blue Eyes didn¡¯t either! Numbers 17, 23, 26 planned to be voted off, but now, only 23 and 26 had been eliminated! Where were the 5 votes for number 17? Could those 5 votes for number 22 be the ones that were supposed to be allocated to number 17? Had those Blue Eyes individuals lost their minds?! Instead of voting for the Red Eyes, they voted for their own, Yellow Eyes!!! Fury choked him. The normally genteel Dr. Xu Fanghe looked gloomy for the first time. He walked over to the gangster with a somber expression, his calm tone revealing no sign of anger or joy: ¡°You and your people, it seems you didn¡¯t vote according to our agreed plan.¡± The gangster sneered at Xu Fanghe, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? I know very well what the outcome will be if we vote according to your plan. Sure, that¡¯s right! If we could collaborate to eliminate three Red Eyes, it would severely undermine them. But what about the remaining two spots? If those two spots all fall on us, Blue Eyes, the greatest winners will be you! Yellow Eyes! Will you continue to cooperate with us then?¡± If they had voted according to Xu Fanghe¡¯s request, the situation might have been as follows: Red Eyes: from 10 people to 7 after eliminating 3. Yellow Eyes: from 8 people remains 8 with zero elimination. Blue Eyes: from 7 people to 5 after eliminating 2. The gangster¡¯s mouth curled up into mockingly cold smile as he lightly patted Dr. Xu Fanghe¡¯s shoulder: ¡°Previously, we were the team with the fewest numbers, so of necessity, we had to accept your offer for cooperation. But now¡­ it¡¯s you with the least people. You¡¯ll have to obey me in the next round of voting, you understand?¡± Chapter 599 - Chapter 599: Chapter 599: Unspeakable Suffering Chapter 599: Chapter 599: Unspeakable Suffering The current situation is: There are 10 Red Eyes, with 2 eliminated, it drops to 8. There are 8 Yellow Eyes, with 2 eliminated, it drops to 6. There are 7 Blue Eyes, with 1 eliminated, it drops to 6. By the looks of it, Yellow Eyes and Blue Eyes seem to have equal numbers, but in reality, there is a big difference. Out of the 6 Yellow Eyes, one is Bai Youwei, meaning there are actually only 5 Yellow Eyes! Although the Blue Eyes are also down to 6, there¡¯s still one Blue Eyes member in the Red team, so the real situation looks like this: 8 Red Eyes. 5 Yellow Eyes. 7 Blue Eyes. After his alliance with Xu Fanghe, the black brother subtly changed the vote count, immediately gaining an upper hand! The Yellow Eyes, now with only 5 survivors, cannot afford any more losses, they have to make the best of the situation and work with him. Against a Red team of 8, a difference of one vote is nothing to fear! Moreover, after joining forces with Xu Fanghe, the black brother controls 12 votes, and has every confidence in defeating the Red team! The brother didn¡¯t just screw over Xu Fanghe once, he screwed him over so hard that Xu Fanghe was left speechless. The righteous Glasses Man burst out, ¡°How could you have broken your promise?! How are we supposed to cooperate with you now?!!¡± The black brother burst into laughter, as if he had heard some joke. His white companion also smirked, saying, ¡°Of course, you can choose not to cooperate with us, but considering your current numbers, without our cooperation, what waves do you think you can make? Hahahaha¡­¡± The two howled with laughter. Xu Fanghe¡¯s face was as cold as ice. But he didn¡¯t lose his temper. Instead, he spoke up loudly after a period of silence: ¡°Given how things are, of course, we have no choice but to cooperate with you! However, I hope you understand this ¨C Traitors will eventually be punished by, Heaven, Punishment!¡± The last two words were said firmly and with weight, almost like a curse. The black brother looked at him as if he was an idiot, then turned to his companion and laughed, ¡°Did we laugh him into some kind of stupor? He¡¯s got serious issues!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, back to sleep.¡± his companion sighed dismissively, ¡°Just seeking save his pride by trying to get the last word in, let¡¯s just ignore them¡­¡± The Blue Eyes left. The Yellow Eyes followed suit. The Red Eyes, having enjoyed the show, also finally left. Stoneball watched these players leave, still spinning around on the rooftop feeling unsatisfied, talking to himself: ¡°Isn¡¯t that the ¡®Doctor¡¯, whom many Inspectors had high hopes for? ¡­ It seems that he is nothing special, and that Bai Youwei, who has been silent all this time, hmm¡­ who will win? Who will win?¡­ this feeling of suspense is really great, so good~ so good~¡± ¡­ The black brother and his companion returned to their resting room. He took out a notebook and quickly wrote down a series of numbers, then passed a note to his companion: ¡°Pass this note to the doctor, let him take down the numbers of the Yellow Eyes, then return the note to me. In the next round of voting, we have to eliminate three of the Red team players.¡± The companion took the note, hesitated and said, ¡°Should we wait until tomorrow morning? They¡¯re probably still pretty heated right now¡­¡± The black brother snorted disdainfully, ¡°Know this, people¡¯s prejudices are like moving a mountain, no matter how much you work at it, you¡¯ll never fully succeed. They see that I¡¯m black and big, and think I¡¯m easy to fool, that all I have are muscles and no brains, haha, but to me, they¡¯re all a bunch of clowns! Stupid and laughable!¡± His white companion insisted, nodding in agreement: ¡°These guys are indeed fools. They should consider this, the game values fairness the most. How could it assign someone who¡¯s strong in a physical sense to a game where violence is prohibited? Every player who gets into this game has a lot of strategical thinking.¡± ¡°Not necessarily, I see plenty of fools!¡± The black guy waved, ¡°Go ahead, no matter how angry he is, he will agree to cooperate, unless he doesn¡¯t want to win.¡± The white companion took two steps outside, then looked back hesitantly, ¡°About that thing he said, Heavenly Punishment¡­¡± The black brother snorted: ¡°Just a trick to intimidate us.¡± ¡­ Chapter 600 - Chapter 600: Chapter 600: The Suspect (Added for kklin) Chapter 600: Chapter 600: The Suspect (Added for kklin) Xu Fanghe quickly received a note sent by the thugs. There were six numbers written on the note this time: 3, 4, 5, 17, 29, 30 As usual, Xu Fanghe asked everyone for their opinion. After finding out that there was a person corresponding to number three, he crossed out the number three. Then, after pausing for half a second, he crossed out 29 and 30, as well. Everyone looked confused. Xu Fanghe calmly replied: ¡°Just a smokescreen.¡± He added, ¡°There are still several hours left before the third round of voting. Everyone, go back and get some rest.¡± Someone hesitated and didn¡¯t want to leave, expressing their worry to Xu Fanghe: ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe, if we lose more members in the third round of voting, then¡­¡± There were only five people left with Yellow Eyes. If they lose more members, even if they make it to the last round of voting, there¡¯s no way they can win the game! That¡¯s because the condition for clearing is that, after five rounds of voting, the eye color of the survivors should be consistent. If there are only five people left after five rounds, how can they ensure the consistency of eye color if there are not enough Yellow Eyes? Xu Fanghe, who was sitting on his knees with his eyes closed, calmly replied: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this. You all go back first.¡± Seeing no other choice, everyone reluctantly left. Bai Youwei also wheeled away in her wheelchair. As she left, she heard two men speaking in hushed voices: ¡°No idea what he¡¯s up to¡­ If he says he¡¯ll handle it, he should let us all know how he plans to do it¡­¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s out of options, right? He promised that none of the Yellow Eyes would be eliminated in the last round, but what happened? We lost two more people!¡± ¡°What should we do¡­ If we lose another one, we¡¯re sure to lose¡­¡± ¡°We were played by Blue Eyes, and all that talk about Heavenly Punishment¡­ really¡­¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have let him lead in the first place¡­¡± The two men walked further away, discussing and sighing as they went. Bai Youwei watched them for a while, before slowly wheeling away¡­ ¡­ At the front door of the cylindrical house, just as she prepared to open the door, a figure emerged from behind the house. Bai Youwei immediately looked around. No one was following, and the surroundings were eerily quiet. She opened the door and waved towards the figure behind the house: ¡°Come in.¡± The person who arrived was the leader of the Red Eyes, that short-haired woman. ¡°Their planned voting numbers this time are 4, 5, 17. The numbers crossed out by Xu Fanghe are 3, 29, and 30. I suspect his number is either 28, 29, or 30.¡± As Bai Youwei spoke, she tore off a piece of paper and quickly wrote down all the numbers she had just mentioned. The short-haired woman shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not 30; 30 is a Red Eye.¡± Bai Youwei crossed out 30 and made a special circle around 28 and 29, ¡°In the previous two instances when Xu Fanghe listed the numbers, he never went beyond 27. I suspect his number is in between 28 and 29. We should try to vote out these two numbers in the next round.¡± Looking suspiciously at her, the short-haired woman asked, ¡°Are you really sure that Xu Fanghe is the X guest?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Bai Youwei responded candidly, ¡°If it¡¯s not him, then it must be the thug. There is no third option.¡± The short-haired woman was even more puzzled, ¡°Why have you never suspected me? And why did you tell me your number?¡± When the short-haired woman had called Bai Youwei a ¡°Fool¡±, Bai Youwei seized her wrist and asked if she was calling her ¡°me¡± stupid. She emphasized the word ¡°me¡± and wrote ¡°11¡± on the short-haired woman¡¯s arm. Bai Youwei answered, ¡°Because I¡¯ve tested you, and you¡¯re not the X guest.¡± ¡°You tested me?¡± The short-haired woman knitted her brows in recollection, ¡°¡­When?¡± Bai Youwei smiled gently, ¡°Last night. I told you that I suspected the thug was the X guest. You said it didn¡¯t seem like him, that his white partner seemed more like the X guest. If you were the X guest and found out I was suspecting the wrong target, you should have reinforced my mistake, not tried to correct me. So, you¡¯re definitely not the X guest.¡± Chapter 601 - Chapter 601: Chapter 601: Risk Chapter 601: Chapter 601: Risk The short-haired woman was rendered speechless as she hadn¡¯t expected her flaws to be so easily spotted. She stubbornly asked, ¡°But still, determining that I am not a mole based on this is rather arbitrary, right? It¡¯s possible I¡¯ve been pretending!¡± ¡°Your demeanor then was so natural; it didn¡¯t seem feigned at all.¡± Bai Youwei remarked calmly, ¡°And of course, there¡¯s always the unlikely chance that my judgement might be wrong. If so, I fully accept my loss.¡± In such a game, nothing is won without risk. Every move made is a calculated probe, each step fraught with chance and probability. The actions made by Bai Youwei were simply attempts to increase her own chances of winning. ¡°There¡¯s another thing.¡± Bai Youwei continued, ¡°By actively recruiting Blue Eyes to your team, it shows that you¡¯re impulsive and risk-taking. Red Eyes, from the outset, had the numerical advantage. However, despite this, you sought to increase this advantage even further with the intention of determining victory or defeat as quickly as possible. Such a course of action is pointless for a mole. That¡¯s because, no matter the final color of the players, as long as they live until the 5th round, they¡¯re the winner.¡± The short-haired woman challenged, ¡°So what about Doctor? Isn¡¯t it the same since you were invited into Yellow Eyes Team? Why would you still be suspicious of him?!¡± Bai Youwei smirked slightly, ¡°It¡¯s not the same. I wasn¡¯t invited; rather, I voluntarily joined their ranks.¡± The short-haired woman: ¡°¡­¡± She fell silent, speechless in the face of Bai Youwei¡¯s explanation. ¡°By the way,¡± Bai Youwei spoke again, ¡°How did you vote in the last round? The numbers don¡¯t match up.¡± ¡°In the last round we voted for number 2- three votes, number 12- four votes, number 16- three votes,¡± the short-haired woman explained, ¡°We predicted that Yellow and Blue would form an alliance, and with total votes as 5+5+5, they could at least eliminate 3 of our members. Our 10 votes, whether distributed as 5+5 or 4+3+3, could only guarantee two ranks among the top five vote recipients. Hence, we chose the latter option, gambling on luck. However, we didn¡¯t expect that they wouldn¡¯t use the 5+5+5 voting method.¡± Bai Youwei mused, ¡°So, number 22 really was voted out by them¡­¡± The short-haired woman inquired, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Number 22 represents Yellow Eyes, a number that we had already crossed out. Blue Eyes¡¯ choice to do this gives off the impression of a deliberate attempt at maintaining numerical balance.¡± The numbers which Yellow and Blue decided to vote out this round were 4, 5, 17, all of whom were Red Eyes. If Red Eyes also eliminated 1 person from both Yellow and Blue teams, the situation would look like this: Red Eyes: 8 people, after eliminating 3, becomes 5 (including one Blue Eyes). Yellow Eyes: 6 people, after eliminating 1, becomes 5 (including one Red Eyes). Blue Eyes: 6 people, after eliminating 1, becomes 5. All three teams would have exactly the same number of members. Alternatively, it could become Red: 5, Yellow: 6, Blue: 4, or Red: 5, Yellow: 4, Blue: 6. This would depend on what number Red Eyes team finally voted out. ¡°Are we sure about voting for 28 and 29?¡± the short-haired woman turned to ask Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei creased her brows and pondered for a while. If correct, the mole would be eliminated, and the remaining 15 players would win the game. If incorrect¡­ If incorrect, then only 4 of Yellow Eyes, 5 of Red Eyes, and 6 of Blue Eyes would remain. By then, Blue Eyes would stand unopposed and undoubtedly target Red Eyes for the next elimination. Even if Red and Yellow teamed up, it would be near impossible to avoid losing at least one member. And once they lost one member, leaving Red Eyes with just 4 people, Red Eyes would also lose the chance of victory like Yellow Eyes! And an even worse case! That would be, after the round of voting, none of the three teams fulfilled the condition ¡°remaining 5 members with the same eye color¡±! In short, if she didn¡¯t win in the next voting round, she would certainly lose in the round after that! Gain is always accompanied by risk ¨C it¡¯s unavoidable. Bai Youwei shut her eyes in frustration and said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this again tomorrow. If everything goes as planned, vote for 28 and 29.¡± Chapter 602 - Chapter 602: Chapter 602: The Large Black Moth Chapter 602: Chapter 602: The Large Black Moth Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t surprised. She¡¯d merely spoken to deter herself from changing her mind at the last minute, but she hadn¡¯t anticipated¡­the real scenario. At nine-thirty in the morning, half an hour before the third round of voting, everyone gathered early in the square. Initially, a black member from the Blue Eyes camp suddenly collapsed. His Caucasian companion rushed forward, shouting his name, while curious onlookers surrounded them. The muscular black man lay sprawled on the square with the white sunlight shining on his ashen face. Anxiety spread amongst the crowd like a plague. Remembering Xu Fanghe¡¯s comments about ¡°Heavenly Punishment¡± the previous night, everyone instinctively looked towards him. Then, the black man on the ground suddenly twitched and everyone recoiled in fright. Immediately after! The black man¡¯s throat began to undulate frenetically, as if something were trying to claw its way out! ¨CHis cheeks bulged and his lips stretched apart as a big, fluffy black moth crawled out of his mouth! Everyone retreated in shock! Even the Caucasian companion of the black man stepped back in horror, staring at his fallen friend. But it wasn¡¯t over! After the first moth emerged, another appeared, followed by a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh¡­countless! The black man¡¯s body was quickly covered in large, fluffy moths! His companion, unable to bear it, ripped off his shirt and flung it at the moths! A swarm of moths then scattered into the air, disappearing instantly, leaving nothing but a shriveled corpse. ¡°It¡¯s you!!!¡± the Caucasian man glared at Xu Fanghe, ¡°You did this!¡± ¡°How could it have been me?¡± Xu Fanghe stood unmoved, his voice devoid of emotion. ¡°This is Heavenly Punishment. Betrayers and schemers will inevitably face divine retribution.¡± The Caucasian man turned his gaze towards the sphere poised above them, furiously shouting, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Inspector going to do anything about this?! Violence is forbidden in the game! Anyone who harms others in the game should be immediately eliminated!!!¡± ¡°Violence?¡± Xu Fanghe finally showed emotion, the corners of his mouth curving slightly into a smirk. ¡°I¡¯d like to know, I never even touched him¡­ could that be considered violence?¡± Sphere: ¡°¡­¡± How troublesome¡­ Always dealing with these players who exploit the game¡¯s loopholes. This was inevitable. Precisely because the majority of the system¡¯s rules were too rigid, there was a need for an Inspector, to supervise every game, provide a more ¡°humanized¡± interpretation of the rules, and timely patch any loopholes and bugs. ¡°That doesn¡¯t count.¡± The sphere responded in a neutral tone, ¡°In this game, only physical altercations and direct attacks that aim to physically harm others are prohibited. This current situation, erm¡­ it doesn¡¯t fall within the violation of game rules.¡± ¡°This is unfair!¡± The Caucasian man cried out in indignation. The sphere audibly huffed, ¡°Where is the unfairness? You could also arrange a similar death! Make someone commit suicide! Or fall into the sea, die from food poisoning, suffer a heart attack, whatever works. Being bitten to death by bugs also counts. If you can make it happen, the game will judge it as an accidental death! Hmph~ In essence, you¡¯re just not capable enough. Instead, you blame my game for being unfair!¡± The sphere squarely washed its hands of any responsibility: ¡°My game can¡¯t be unfair!¡± A chill settled over everyone. It was not possible for these black moths to spawn out of nowhere. It was clear that Xu Fanghe was responsible, likely possessing a powerful tool, and yet they were helpless to do anything about it! Even Bai Youwei, after deep contemplation, couldn¡¯t determine which of her own tools could challenge Xu Fanghe. None of her tools were strong enough to kill him instantly, while the stronger tools were off-limits, as using them would violate the game rules. Xu Fanghe then reached into his pocket, withdrew a piece of paper, and handed it to the Caucasian man saying, ¡°In this round, please vote according to the new number. Thank you for your cooperation.¡± Chapter 603 - Chapter 603: Chapter 603 What Will Happen Chapter 603: Chapter 603 What Will Happen The white man gritted his teeth in hatred, but he had no choice but to accept the piece of paper, lowering his head toward Xu Fanghe. The man with glasses was extremely excited: ¡°Dr. Xu¡¯s contributions are immeasurable! The Creator God punishes the demon with the Sword of Justice, and shines the light of love and kindness upon the land! We will win! We will win!!!¡± His fanaticism failed to resonate with the rest. As they looked at Xu Fanghe now, they felt only coldness, eeriness, and hairs raising on end. The black man was the tallest and strongest among them, yet he was killed by Xu Fanghe in such a mysterious way. The so-called Heavenly Punishment is just a prop, but what makes it terrifying is¡ª They don¡¯t know what kind of prop it is, how it works, how many more times it can be used, and when it will be used next! With a smile, Xu Fanghe turned around and amiably said to Yellow Eyes, ¡°There¡¯s a slight change in this round of voting. We need to add another number on top of the original three, and then vote in a 3+3+3+2 format¡­¡± 3+3+3+2. Bai Youwei slightly furrowed her brows. Was Xu Fanghe planning to eliminate four people at once? Indeed, someone instantly voiced her question: ¡°Are we eliminating four people at once? But aren¡¯t two votes a bit risky¡­?¡± Before Xu Fanghe could respond, the man with the glasses immediately chastised the questioner with dissatisfaction: ¡°Doctor Xu has his reasons for doing this! We just have to follow his orders!¡± The person who asked the question mumbled to themselves, cautiously glanced at Xu Fanghe, and fell silent. Perhaps they were a little wary of Xu Fanghe. Dr. Xu smiled and said gently: ¡°Two votes are indeed a bit less, but I have another plan in mind. You go ahead and vote as I instructed¡­¡± Then, Dr. Xu told them how to vote, assigning specific numbers to each person. Although his demeanor seemed amiable and friendly, his desire for control was obviously strong. Not only did he strictly assign numbers, but he also paid great attention to the voting order. When it was Bai Youwei¡¯s turn, Xu Fanghe said: ¡°You, vote for number 5.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Bai Youwei readily agreed. The stone ball was spinning on the ceiling, impatiently urging: ¡°Are you guys done yet? Done yet? It¡¯s time already~ Time for the third round of voting! Line up to vote~¡± People gradually entered the voting booth. First, it was Blue Eyes, then Yellow Eyes, and then Red Eyes. Smiling amiably, Xu Fanghe asked everyone, ¡°Did you all vote as I asked?¡± Blue Eyes clenched their teeth in resentment. Yellow Eyes admitted sheepishly. One Red Eye exited the voting booth while another one went in. Seeing that almost everyone had finished voting, Xu Fanghe said to one person, ¡°Please wait a moment¡­¡± Just about to go in to vote, Red Eyes paused, looking at Xu Fanghe with a mix of confusion and fear. Xu Fanghe spoke, ¡°Actually¡­ I really despise self-destruction. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we all worked together? Aiming at each other only brings tragedy and regret. I sincerely hope that you will accept my suggestion and vote for number 25 once you go inside. Let¡¯s end this game as soon as possible.¡± After hearing this, the white man¡¯s face turned pale. He was number 25! After the black man got killed, was he the next unlucky one?! A short-haired woman couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and confronted him, ¡°Why should we listen to you?!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Xu Fanghe looked at them confused, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? I¡¯m trying to save you all! I can¡¯t just stand by and watch you become nests for bugs. Is a war quota more important than your own life? If you lose, you¡¯re just a commoner, but if we continue, who knows¡­ what will happen next?¡± Chapter 604 - Chapter 604: Chapter 604: Vote as Required Chapter 604: Chapter 604: Vote as Required ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him!¡± The short-haired girl stood firm, talking to her companion about to vote. ¡°Stick to the original plan! He¡¯s just afraid we¡¯ll vote him out!¡± Red Eyes hesitated between options. ¡°What a pity¡­¡± Xu Fanghe sighed softly, looking at them with regret. ¡°It seems, to prevent further conflict, I have to rely on the Heavenly Punishment¡­¡± At the mention of the words ¡°Heavenly Punishment¡±, everyone¡¯s faces changed! They were reminded of those moths just earlier! Nobody wanted to die that way! Even turning into a doll would be better than being hollowed out by a swarm of bugs! The Red Eyes looked very hesitant, obviously vacillating. All that Bai Youwei could think of at this moment was: despicable. ¡ª Using an advantage that others didn¡¯t have to control the votes in the game, such behavior was truly despicable. Although she had done similar things before, bearing the feeling of being manipulated now that the roles had switched was really uncomfortable. Xu Fanghe looked at the four Red Eyes who had not yet voted, and said relaxedly: ¡°We could have coexisted peacefully. The game only requires us to vote, not to fight to the death, so why bother?¡­ Let¡¯s put an end to all of this. Battles will only lead to hurt. I¡¯m saying this for the good of everyone¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s deceiving you!¡± The short-haired girl glared viciously at Xu Fanghe. ¡°Stick to the original plan! As long as we eliminate him, we can definitely win!¡± ¡°¡­Win?¡± Xu Fanghe slowly smiled. ¡°Is winning so important? If so, think about it yourselves¡­ abandon the obsession with victory and defeat, vote with me for No. 25, or stubbornly pursue victory or defeat, facing the Heavenly Punishment at sunrise tomorrow?¡± Here, he paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over the four faces of the Red Eyes¡ª ¡°I¡­ remember your faces.¡± His words sent shivers down one¡¯s spine! ¡°Damn it!¡± The short-haired girl was about to lose her mind. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! Don¡¯t listen to him!!! No matter who you vote for, he won¡¯t know!!!¡± ¡°I will know.¡± Xu Fanghe shook his head, smiling. ¡°Right now, No. 25 has two votes. If, when the Inspector announces the votes, No. 25 doesn¡¯t have six votes, then it means that one of you four certainly didn¡¯t do as I said.¡± The short-haired girl questioned her companions: ¡°Are you really going to do as he says?! He¡¯s just trying to scare you! He¡­¡± ¡°I say¡­¡± the sphere on the roof became impatient, ¡°are you voting or not? Can you hurry up?¡± Urged on, the Red Eyes lowered their heads and hurried into the voting booth. One after another, they entered to vote, until everyone had done so. The stone sphere started spinning again. As it rumbled, spinning and turning, it announced merrily¡ª ¡°Now announcing the eliminated votes for the third round!¡± ¡°No. 4, 3 votes.¡± ¡°No. 5, 2 votes.¡± ¡°No. 17, 3 votes.¡± ¡°No. 25, 6 votes.¡± ¡°No. 28, 4 votes.¡± At the announcement of 6 votes for No. 25, Bai Youwei closed her eyes in regret. Her plan had been completely disrupted. The players around her were disappearing one after another. 3 of the Red Eyes disappeared. 2 of the Blue Eyes disappeared. Yellow Eyes remained intact. The people left: 5 Red Eyes (including 1 Blue Eye), 6 Yellow Eyes (including 1 Red Eye), 3 Blue Eyes. But according to Bai Youwei¡¯s plan, the last four votes from the Red Eyes should have been for No. 29! Along with her own vote, the eliminated numbers should have been: 4, 17, 25, 28, 29. But how could anyone have known that Xu Fanghe was going to stop those four people midway and openly bribe them? The Inspector was only watching the commotion, not intervening at all! If the votes were continuously controlled by Xu Fanghe, there would be no point in playing the game! Just as she was becoming increasingly frustrated, Xu Fanghe slowly walked up to her, looking down at her from above, squinting his eyes and asking: ¡°May I ask¡­ why didn¡¯t you follow my request when you voted just now?¡± Chapter 605 - Chapter 605: Chapter 605: The Breaking Point (Adding more for Chen Hui) Chapter 605: Chapter 605: The Breaking Point (Adding more for Chen Hui) Yellow Eyes cast their vote before Red Eyes, with Bai Youwei casting her vote early. According to the agreement she made with the short-haired woman, they were to concentrate their votes on the numbers 28 and 29, predicting that one of these would be Xu Fanghe¡¯s number. Unfortunately, she could not foretell the future. After casting her vote for number 29, she didn¡¯t expect Xu Fanghe would call out to the one voting for Red Eyes and utter such a threatening statement. As a result, the four votes that should have gone to number 29 all went to number 25 instead. The situation now was: Five Red Eyes (including one Blue Eye), Six Yellow Eyes (including one Red Eye), Three Blue Eyes. In terms of actual colors, there were five Red Eyes, five Yellow Eyes, and four Blue Eyes. The Blue Eyes group which only had four members was certain to be demoted to commoners. With no chance of winning, they were even less likely to confront Xu Fanghe. If Xu Fanghe could just eliminate one more Red Eye, he would have a near guaranteed victory! Now, facing Xu Fanghe¡¯s interrogation, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but wonder, was he going to target Red Eyes next? Dr. Xu Fanghe stared at Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes as he asked, ¡°Why does number five only have two votes?¡± ¡°Yes, why indeed?¡± Bai Youwei replied coolly, ¡°I cast my vote, maybe others didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You voted, huh¡­¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s mouth curved into a slight smile, but his eyes were as cold as a snake¡¯s. ¡°Little girl, children who don¡¯t tell the truth, also receive Heavenly Punishment.¡± ¡°Heavenly Punishment?¡± Bai Youwei blinked her eyes, ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say that Heavenly Punishment would only come at sunrise tomorrow? It¡¯s only 10 in the morning now, and there are still two rounds of voting before tomorrow¡¯s sunrise. By the time Heavenly Punishment comes, the game will have long been over, won¡¯t it?¡± Xu Fanghe: ¡°¡­¡± His smile froze at the corner of his mouth. Slowly bending down, he whispered in Bai Youwei¡¯s ear, ¡°Before that¡­ I can still eliminate you, because¡­ I know your number¡­ is 11.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed, almost imperceptibly. ¡°Are you sure?¡± She held his gaze bravely, ¡°What a coincidence, I also know your number¡­ it¡¯s 29.¡± Xu Fanghe was slightly taken aback, then a hint of scornful laughter flashed in his eyes, ¡°Oh¡­ so my number is 29, is it? We can try it in the next round.¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s try it in the next round.¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s gaze became icy cold. He stood straight up, leading the Yellow Eyes away. The rivalry between both sides was now laid bare. The short-haired woman came up to Bai Youwei, worriedly asking, ¡°What should we do in the next round? He surely will not let us off. If we lose another one, we will surely lose.¡± Bai Youwei, furrowing her eyebrows in thought, looked in the direction of the Blue Eyes. Only three were left. Luckily, both Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui were still there, along with a slightly chubby, curly-haired man. Bai Youwei remarked, ¡°If we work together, Red and Blue add up to 9 votes, while Yellow Eyes only has 5 votes¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no chance of collaboration,¡± Fang Yu interrupted her coldly, ¡°No matter how seamlessly we plan now, by the time the fourth round of voting comes, he will manipulate the vote results again. If we don¡¯t vote according to his requirements, we would be regarded as challenging Heavenly Punishment. I know you Red Eyes want to win, but we won¡¯t risk our lives to help you.¡± Ya Chaohui gave an awkward, apologetic smile, ¡°We¡¯re really sorry, but we can¡¯t take such a risk¡­¡± With an apologetic bow, he took Fang Yu and the other curly-haired man and left. Only those with Red Eyes were left in the square. The short-haired woman gave a helpless sigh, ¡°This won¡¯t work unless we find the truth about ¡°Heavenly Punishment¡± and diffuse the threat in the remaining seven hours. Otherwise, they won¡¯t collaborate with us. Yellow Eyes is definitely on alert against us, and time is so short. What do we do¡­¡± Watching the direction Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui had gone, Bai Youwei coolly responded, ¡°Searching for the truth would be too strenuous, I have a simpler method¡­¡± Chapter 606 - Chapter 606: Chapter 606: Guess the Number Chapter 606: Chapter 606: Guess the Number The short-haired woman blurted out, ¡°What method?¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then gave a light smile, ¡°I think I better talk to them again. If I use that method¡­it would be quite embarrassing.¡± Short-haired woman: ¡°¡­¡± She had thought herself clever enough, but after entering the game, she still felt overwhelmed. It was as if everyone else was driving a sports car, while she was only riding a small motorbike. It was then that Bai Youwei said: ¡°Blue Eyes is now leaderless and poses no threat. In the next voting round, Yellow Eyes will most certainly go all out against us. There are five slots to be eliminated every time, no matter how hard we try, it¡¯s impossible to occupy all five. In other words, at least two or three of us in this group will be eliminated.¡± The short-haired woman¡¯s expression grew grave, ¡°That means we won¡¯t be able to fulfill the final condition of having the same eye color among the five survivors unless we can identify the X guest.¡± Bai Youwei gently shook her head: ¡°The clear conditions may seem to allow an either-or choice, but in reality there¡¯s only one ¡ª eliminate the X guest. If we cannot eliminate the X Guest, it wouldn¡¯t matter how many of us are left in the end. There¡¯s no way we could have uniform eye color because the X guest¡¯s eye color is fake.¡± ¡°Could the Doctor be the X Guest?¡± the short-haired woman asked, ¡°Last time you said that Xu Fanghe¡¯s number was either 28 or 29. As number 28 was eliminated in the third round, should we vote number 29 next round? How certain are you?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows. She was originally 80 percent sure, but reflecting on Xu Fanghe¡¯s reaction just now, something didn¡¯t feel quite right. The reason she guessed Xu Fanghe¡¯s number to be 29 was that he avoided numbers 28, 29, and 30 in both his numerical sections, and since 28 was already eliminated and 30 belonged to Red Eyes, only 29 was left. Only 29, really? Did she miss something? The number selection Xu Fanghe provided the first time: 1-5, 10-18, 24-27. The number selection Xu Fanghe provided the second time: 3-7, 10-17, 21-25. Both sections lacked 8, 9, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30. Of these, 8, 19, and 28 had already been eliminated, 30 was Red Eyes, so Xu Fanghe¡¯s number must be among 9, 20, 29. No matter how you look at it, number 29 is highly suspected. When the mob boss let Xu Fanghe pick from numbers, Xu Fanghe, without consulting anyone, crossed out 29 and 30. Crossing out 30 was to spread smoke ¨C what about crossing out 29? He clearly had a strong desire to protect this number! ¡­Of course, if she looked back at all those chaotic numbers, 9 and 20 also seemed suspicious. ¡°Just to be safe, let¡¯s have each of us giving two votes for numbers 9, 20, and 29,¡± Bai Youwei suggested. The short-haired woman¡¯s expression darkened as she glanced at her comrades unconsciously. The previous round of voting, these so-called ¡®comrades¡¯ hadn¡¯t voted according to the plan. One of them raised his hand, confessing, ¡°Although I also want to win, my life is more important. I don¡¯t want to deal with the ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯. So, during the voting round, if the doctor is still threatening us, I may not vote according to your xplan, sorry.¡± Another person also raised his hand, ¡°Same here.¡± The others followed suit, declaring they wouldn¡¯t vote according to Bai Youwei¡¯s request. The short-haired woman¡¯s expression grew even darker. They were said to be comrades, but were merely strangers who gathered together due to the same eye color. Between them, there was neither understanding nor basic trust to speak of. How could they ever win the game like this? Chapter 607 - Chapter 607: Chapter 607: Lets Analyze Chapter 607: Chapter 607: Let¡¯s Analyze Bai Youwei looked at them incredulously, ¡°Are you serious¡­ I thought players who could enter the preliminaries would have some understanding of the game and the props. Do you really think that the game system would give players a prop that can be used without any restrictions?¡± Everyone exchanged glances. Of course not. The game system values fairness the most. The harder the game, the more powerful the rewards, and the more powerful the rewards, the more demanding the conditions to use them are! Usually, use is limited by number of times, or time, or otherwise restricted to certain targets. One way or another, players are never allowed to use props recklessly. As for the so-called ¡°Heavenly Punishment¡±, Bai Youwei was completely unfazed, saying clearly: ¡°If the prop in his hand really is that powerful, why would he need to wait until the voting stage? Since the Inspector can¡¯t determine that he¡¯s cheated, he could easily kill us all, then win the game with Yellow Eyes~ He didn¡¯t do that ¨C why not? Because his prop is limited, he couldn¡¯t do it.¡± A simple principle, understandable to everyone. It was only due to the horrifying scene of those giant black moths crawling out of people¡¯s bodies that left such a strong impression in their minds! Fear affected their judgment! One of the men frowned, saying gravely, ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but¡­ I still don¡¯t want to take the risk. No one can be sure that the ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯ won¡¯t befall them.¡± After the man finished speaking, another two or three people with Red Eyes nodded in agreement. For a moment, even the short-haired woman who was in the lead was hesitant. Bai Youwei looked at them coldly. This wasn¡¯t cowardice, but a conservative choice after a comprehensive evaluation of the risk and reward ¨C also known as conservatism. Usually, once there¡¯s one such person in the group, a second will appear, then a third¡­ a fourth¡­ eventually influencing the majority¡¯s decision. Bai Youwei sighed silently in her heart. ¨C Not having compatible companions in the game felt like a chef without a suitable knife, unable to make the best use of her abilities~ ¡°I¡¯ll brief you one last time.¡± She carefully chose her words, before speaking again. ¡°The second round of voting was at 2 o¡¯clock in the morning, Xu Fanghe was betrayed by Blackie, and then they didn¡¯t see each other again. By the time the third round of voting came around, which was around 9:30 in the morning, Blackie was in trouble. From that, at least two pieces of information about the prop can be inferred.¡± The short-haired woman was a bit confused, wasn¡¯t this something everyone knew? How did it reveal two pieces of information? The others also looked at Bai Youwei puzzled. ¡°What are the two pieces of information?¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyes, continuing, ¡°Firstly, this prop can only afflict one person at a time. Blackie and his white friend have always been the leaders of the Blue Eyes, yet Xu Fanghe only killed one of them, then eliminated the white man by voting. Did he suddenly have a change of heart? No, the most likely possibility is that his prop can only target one person at a time. Therefore, there is no reason to worry too much. If Xu Fanghe is going to act today, his target will certainly be me¡ªyou all will be safe.¡± After saying this, everyone¡¯s faces visibly relaxed. Indeed, as Bai Youwei had said, if Xu Fanghe¡¯s prop is so powerful, he certainly wouldn¡¯t use it carelessly. Even if he were to use it, he would target prominent leaders like Bai Youwei or the short-haired woman. The short-haired woman asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What¡¯s the second piece of information?¡± ¡°Time,¡± Bai Youwei calmly replied, ¡°Moths don¡¯t just appear out of thin air. From egg to larva, then from pupa to moth, the entire process takes time. This also perfectly explains why Blackie wasn¡¯t attacked until the next day. Put simply, if Xu Fanghe wants me dead by the next round of voting, he needs to act against me now. This brings us to the third piece of information¡ª How did he attack Blackie?¡± Chapter 608 - Chapter 608: Chapter 608: Rejected Again Chapter 608: Chapter 608: Rejected Again ¡°The third piece of information is my personal clue,¡± Bai Youwei continued. ¡°Although after the second round of voting, the two didn¡¯t meet again, in fact, Xu Fanghe and the gangster had two indirect encounters.¡± The man with Red Eyes stared at her blankly. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t interested in creating suspense and gave the answer directly: ¡°The first time was when the gangster wrote down the vote count on a piece of paper and sent it over. The second time was when Xu Fanghe crossed out Yellow Eyes¡¯ number and returned the paper. I guess it was at that time that Xu Fanghe pinned the insect egg in the paper. When the gangster opened the paper to see the number, his skin came in contact with the insect egg. The egg entered his body, hatched into Poisonous moths after a few hours, and became the ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯ that Xu Fanghe mentioned.¡± Bai Youwei raised a finger and gently shook it: ¡°Based on the above, to avoid this so-called ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯, we just need to keep our distance from Xu Fanghe. Before the next vote, it¡¯s best for each of us to stay in our rooms, keep the doors and windows closed, and avoid contact with anyone or anything suspicious to prevent facing the ¡®Heavenly Punishment.¡¯ Therefore, you can vote without worries in the next round, there¡¯s no need to fear him.¡± After she finished, everyone looked a bit dazed. So¡­ Is it that simple¡­? We just need to stay away from Xu Fanghe? After Bai Youwei¡¯s thorough explanation, their previous fear of Xu Fanghe suddenly seemed so ridiculous. ¡°So, he¡¯s not that special after all,¡± someone murmured. ¡°Just a trickster.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said another one, with a determined look. ¡°In the next round, we¡¯ll completely get rid of him!¡± The short-haired woman looked at Bai Youwei, then looked at her companions and seized the moment: ¡°Xu Fanghe is probably the culprit ¡®X¡¯. As long as we vote him out in the next round, we can win this preliminary game and also share in the loser¡¯s props and puzzle pieces!¡± Props, and puzzle pieces! Of the 30 players in the game, only 5 will remain in the end. The victorious five will be able to split the props and puzzle pieces of the 25 losers! For a moment, the atmosphere suddenly lifted, and everyone had a relaxed smile on their faces. Bai Youwei still wore an expression of indifference. Such things are like magic tricks. When you can¡¯t see through them, they seem fascinating, as does the magician. But once you understand the key, it becomes so boring, just like that¡­ ¡°If there are no questions, everyone should go back and rest,¡± Bai Youwei suggested casually. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t have contact with anyone.¡± All agreed. The short-haired woman was about to leave when Bai Youwei stopped her: ¡°Stay for a moment.¡± The short-haired woman asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Come with me to talk to the people from the Blue Eyes group,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°We need to gather some votes.¡± ¡­ Bai Youwei took the short-haired woman to find Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui. Although they had refused her earlier, she still wanted to try again to explain the situation, maybe they would reconsider their decision. The man with Red Eyes had initially declined cooperation as well, but now he had been persuaded by her. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t see it as a big deal. As long as she explained the situation to the two of them, and added in Shen Mo¡¯s personal relationship, they could surely secure some votes. First, she and the short-haired woman went to Ya Chaohui¡¯s room. There was no one there. Then they went to Fang Yu¡¯s room. They could faintly hear people talking inside. After knocking on the door, they heard Fang Yu¡¯s stern voice from inside: ¡°Who is it?!¡± Bai Youwei was slightly taken aback. She hadn¡¯t expected him to be so alert. She furrowed her brow and tentatively said: ¡°About the next round of voting, I¡¯d like to talk to you. Can you open the door?¡± There was no response from inside. The short-haired woman leaned in to listen, then shook her head at Bai Youwei. In a low voice, she said: ¡°There are people inside¡­¡± And quite a few. Chapter 609 - Chapter 609: Chapter 609: Who is the X guest? Chapter 609: Chapter 609: Who is the X guest? A sense of foreboding bubbled up within Bai Youwei. As expected, Fang Yu¡¯s voice rang out again a moment later: ¡°You can go. We¡¯ve decided to withdraw from this game. We won¡¯t help with your voting.¡± ¡°Withdraw from the game?¡± Bai Youwei calmly asked from outside the door, ¡°You mean willingly getting eliminated? Well, if that¡¯s the case, you might as well give us a few votes before you go~ The game forbids all violence, so as long you guys beat each other up after the voting ends, you can safely leave the game without worrying about retaliation from the doctor. When we win the game and receive the reward, we can share some of it with you. It¡¯s a deal you won¡¯t lose out on~¡± The room went silent. Bai Youwei leisurely continued, ¡°What¡¯s there to hesitate about? Cast your votes with us, you are assured a share of the puzzle pieces and props after the game¡¯s over. If you¡¯re worried about being retaliated against, have a good brawl to get eliminated. You won¡¯t lose anything by doing so¡­¡± The short-haired woman also chipped in, ¡°The doctor might be the undercover imposter. If both sides cooperate and eliminate him, we would win the game.¡± Fang Yu eventually responded. His voice was firm and cold, ¡°You should leave. There¡¯s no need to say more or to look for the others with blue eyes. We already know who the imposter is.¡± The short-haired woman frowned, ¡°What do you mean by that?!¡± No one spoke inside the room. She forcefully knocked against the door again, but it remained quiet inside. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Bai Youwei said, expressionless, ¡°We¡¯re too late.¡± ¡°Too late?¡± The short-haired woman glanced in puzzlement at the door. ¡°Do you mean¡­they¡¯re in there as well?¡± Had Yellow Eyes started soliciting votes too? With this thought in mind, the short-haired woman couldn¡¯t resist a cynical comment, ¡°And to think they were so imperious with their ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯ threats. Turns out they also have to rely on votes to win the game.¡± Bai Youwei remained silent, silently wheeling her wheelchair away. The short-haired woman watched the closed door and Bai Youwei¡¯s retreating figure, reluctantly following behind. Her mood was foul. ¡°Without the votes from the Blue Eyes, the next round of voting will be very precarious¡­¡± The short-haired woman let out a sigh of disappointment, ¡°Perhaps both of us will be voted out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but¡­ I definitely won¡¯t be voted out,¡± Bai Youwei said. The short-haired woman shot her a glance, growing increasingly puzzled by her unwavering confidence¡­ ¡­ Inside Fang Yu¡¯s room, both Blue Eyes and Yellow Eyes had congregated together, packing the small room full. Xu Fanghe calmly explained to Fang Yu, a piece of paper in front of him: ¡°Whenever I give you a series of numbers, I intentionally divide them into three sections, arranged vertically. This way, people will naturally focus on the top, middle, or bottom section when they look at the numbers. And Bai Youwei always¡­ puts her focus on the middle section, which suggests that her number is in the middle¡­ around the 10-14 range.¡± Using a pen, he circled the numbers on the piece of paper and continued: ¡°During the second number selection, she confidently crossed out number 11, and then number 7, so there is a high probability of it being 11.¡±. With a gentle gaze, Xu Fanghe looked at everyone and spoke with a smile, ¡°Based on my observations, there is no doubt that Bai Youwei is the undercover imposter. Although we lack the numbers on the Blue Eyes¡¯ side, as long we eliminate her this round, regardless of how many remain, we and you all are certain to emerge victorious. I have said it before, there is no future in infighting. Only by working together in unison, can we achieve true mutual victory.¡± Ya Chaohui couldn¡¯t hold back his question, ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s the undercover imposter?¡­ How did you observe and come to this conclusion?¡± Chapter 610 - Chapter 610: Chapter 610: Eliminate Number 11 (Extra for hhghguig) Chapter 610: Chapter 610: Eliminate Number 11 (Extra for hhghguig) Xu Fanghe squints slightly, looking towards Ya Chaohui, ¡°If she isn¡¯t, who do you think among us¡­ might be?¡± Ya Chaohui frowns but doesn¡¯t answer. He¡¯s very careful and cautious about judging anyone or any situation. No matter what¡¯s laid out before him, it¡¯s all about the evidence. Dr. Xu Fanghe smiles, asking Ya Chaohui, ¡°Have you ever suspected me?¡± Ya Chaohui responds stiffly, ¡°I consider everyone to be suspicious.¡± Fang Yu tugs at him, his eyes warning him to watch his words. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe doesn¡¯t mind, his smile remaining warm and friendly. No one truly believes he¡¯s friendly. Although they agreed to work together, the mutual caution and wariness didn¡¯t lessen. ¡°As you said, indeed, everyone here is suspicious, but in my opinion, she is the most dubious. Do you know why?¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe asks. Ya Chaohui thinks for a moment, but still shakes his head. Xu Fanghe answers, ¡°Because X-guest¡¯s purpose is most evident in her.¡± ¡°The purpose of¡­ X-guest?¡± Ya Chaohui furrows his brows, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xu Fanghe chuckles, ¡°If I were X-guest, what do you think I¡¯d do right now? Do I need to lobby you guys for votes? ¡­No, I don¡¯t need to at all, because as long as Red Eyes and Yellow Eyes eliminate just one more person, I win. But what am I doing now? I¡¯m doing everything possible to ensure that the five Yellow Eyes survive to the last round, because if there¡¯s one less Yellow Eye, I lose! So under no circumstance can I let a Yellow Eye be eliminated!¡± He taps lightly on the number 11 on the paper with his pen, continuing, ¡°In contrast, for X-guest, it would be ideal to get an even distribution of eliminations among the three eye colors. Because once there are less than five of each eye color in round four, everyone loses hope, they become suspicious of each other and everyone becomes cautious. At this time, X-guest¡¯s chances of winning will rise drastically.¡± Putting down his pen, Xu Fanghe looks at the people in the room, repeating, ¡°In the next round, voting for #11, we will win. If you¡¯re unwilling, I don¡¯t mind taking some measures¡­ because, I¡¯m truly doing this for everyone¡¯s good.¡± ¡­ When evening falls and reaches six o¡¯clock, it¡¯s voting time again. Bai Youwei arrives earlier than anyone else. Sitting in her wheelchair, she waits quietly outside the door, ready to be the first one to vote when time comes. As time approaches, the players gather in the square again, five Yellow Eyes, five Red Eyes, and four Blue Eyes. They look at Bai Youwei as if they are looking at a dead person. Because they know, Bai Youwei will be out in this round of voting. The ball spins around cheerfully a few times, encouraging, ¡°Come on, come on! Come in and vote!¡± Before Bai Youwei went in, she turns her head to glance at everyone, a hint of an elusive smile on her face, mysteriously eerie. Before anyone gets a clear look, she rolls into the room in her wheelchair¡­ ¡­ Inside the voting booth, only 14 numbers remain on the screen. Originally, it should¡¯ve been 15, but after the gangster¡¯s death, his number has also become unselectable in grey. Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t vote immediately. She opens the Dollhouse, takes out the fluffy rabbit which has been charged for several hours, grabs it and places it on the inclined screen ¡ª right on the #11 spot. The rabbit perfectly blocks the number 11. ¡°Stay here, don¡¯t move an inch.¡± Bai Youwei instructs it, ¡°If someone touches you, pushes you, does anything to you, you know what to do, right?¡± The fluffy rabbit: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 611 - Chapter 611: Chapter 611: Blind Investment Chapter 611: Chapter 611: Blind Investment Bai Youwei emerged from the voting booth. Her wheelchair was parked outside the booth, and she seemed to suddenly remember something, letting out a high-pitched ¡°Oh my!¡± All thirteen people outside stared at her, puzzled. ¡°Oh no! I think I¡¯ve forgotten something!¡± She brought a finger to her chin, pretending to be deep in thought, ¡°What was it¡­ Ah! I remember now, I left my prop inside!¡± Everyone else: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei gave everyone a slight smile: ¡°But to prevent delaying everyone¡¯s voting time, I won¡¯t go in and retrieve it. No need for anyone to fetch it for me either. My prop is a bit special. If anyone else touches it, it¡¯ll trigger a Thunderstorm Electroshock. Sorry for the inconvenience~¡± Everyone else once again: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xu Fanghe kept his face serious, silent, seemingly considering whether Bai Youwei¡¯s words were true or false. The Inspector on the roof curiously peered out halfway from the sphere, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°Did you really leave your prop inside?¡± ¡°Yes~¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head and smiled, ¡°I accidentally left my prop inside. That doesn¡¯t violate the game rules, does it? Even if someone gets half roasted from setting off the prop effects, it has nothing to do with me, does it? After all, I did warn them~¡± Sphere lowered its voice: ¡°All forms of violence are prohibited in this game¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Bai Youwei spread her hands, ¡°I¡¯m not capable of doing much damage, anyway~¡± Sphere: ¡°¡­¡± Sigh¡­ Another one¡­ This was supposed to be a mystery game involving intelligence, but these players turned it into a violent mess. Sigh, how frustrating. The sphere rolled back. In the crowd, Xu Fanghe asked, ¡°I¡¯m curious, would there be a prop in the game that disrupts the balance like this?¡± As soon as he opened his mouth, others looked skeptical too, as if Bai Youwei was just bluffing. ¡°Compared to props that can incubate moths inside someone¡¯s body, mine is far less potent~¡± Bai Youwei humbly said, ¡°Moreover, using it has many restrictions. Although it can roast someone to perfection in one shot, it¡¯s very inconvenient if the battery runs out. It¡¯s so hard to find a place to recharge these days~¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe cracked a smile, ¡°So¡­ your prop may not have enough battery left, is that it?¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head to size him up, her lips curved in a smile, ¡°You can try it if you want. If you¡¯re worried about the risk, you can always ask someone else to¨C you¡¯ve got so many followers after all. Losing one or two shouldn¡¯t matter, should it, Dr. Xu Fanghe?¡± Xu Fanghe didn¡¯t say anything. No one else said anything either. As Bai Youwei rolled her wheelchair, she spoke in a relaxed manner, ¡°The game only requires us to vote. It doesn¡¯t ask us to put our lives on the line. So why must we attempt to outdo each other? Confrontation only leads to tragedy and regret. I¡¯m saying all this for everyone¡¯s welfare¡­¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s expression grew increasingly grim. It was pure mockery. Those words were exactly what he had said during the last round of voting. Bai Youwei returned to Red Eyes¡¯ group. Those who needed to vote, no matter how they felt, had to go cast their votes. Everyone who came out after voting cast a complicated glance at Bai Youwei. The bespectacled man kept asking: ¡°Did anyone vote for number 11? Did you? Did anyone vote for number 11?¡± ¡°No¡­ I couldn¡¯t vote for number 11, so I randomly voted for number 16.¡± ¡°Damn! I¡¯m number 16! What the hell were you thinking?!¡± ¡°Well, did you vote for number 11 then? How the hell else was I supposed to vote?!¡± ¡°I voted for number 13! Didn¡¯t the Doctor say that the X guest¡¯s number is between 10-14¡­¡± ¡­ The voting¡­ It was a total mess. Chapter 612 - Chapter 612: Chapter 612: Announcement of the Fourth Round Chapter 612: Chapter 612: Announcement of the Fourth Round It was the turn of the short-haired girl to vote. Before entering, she rubbed her hands together, a little excited, curious to know how Bai Youwei¡¯s prop had intimidated these people. The door opened, she walked in, all she saw was a fluffy rabbit squatting on the display screen filled with numbers. Isn¡¯t this the rabbit that Bai Youwei always cradles in her arms? So, this thing was her prop! The short-haired girl marveled, looking more closely at the rabbit. Fluffy¡­ Round¡­ So adorable, she wanted to touch it. The rabbit looked up at her, its black-bean-like eyes unwavering. The short-haired girl clutched her chest, her heart was melting. She couldn¡¯t resist it! She really wanted to reach out and touch it! However, as soon as she stretched out her hand, she heard the crackling sound of an electric current! A ring of purplish-blue light encased the fluffy rabbit, all its fur bristled. Its body radiated a dazzling light that pulsed slightly, as if the slightest touch by the short-haired girl would trigger an explosion! ¡°Hehe, just kidding.¡± The short-haired girl laughed awkwardly, quickly directing her outstretched hand towards number 29! But there was no response. She paused, noticing that the number 29 button was unselectable, grayed out. On the whole display, only numbers 9, 16, and 20 were lit, and the rest were all unselectable. Here we go again. Payment order issue causing a tie in the results, the final vote could only be cast for numbers 9, 16, and 20. The short-haired girl furrowed her brows slightly. According to their plan, numbers 9, 20, and 29 each have 2 votes, and her vote should have gone to number 29. But she hadn¡¯t expected that she wouldn¡¯t be able to select 29. But number 20 was also within the target range. After thinking for a moment, the short-haired girl pressed number 20. She walked out of the voting booth, and at the same time, the results of the fourth round of voting were unveiled. The Inspector walked around on the rooftop, announcing loudly: ¡°Now to announce the fourth round elimination numbers and the vote counts!¡± ¡°Number 9, 2 votes.¡± ¡°Number 13, 3 votes.¡± ¡°Number 16, 2 votes.¡± ¡°Number 20, 3 votes.¡± ¡°Number 30, 3 votes.¡± When the number 20 was called out, Xu Fanghe¡¯s expression froze. He suddenly looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Why the¡­¡± Before his words trailed off, his body had disappeared! The bespectacled man, desperately grieved, lunged towards Xu Fanghe¡¯s spot, finding only empty air! He knelt down at the spot where Xu Fanghe had disappeared, wailing inconsolably, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe!!! How could you leave us! Without your guidance and help, what shall we do! What shall we do!!!¡± Bai Youwei was also slightly surprised, so Xu Fanghe¡¯s number was 20. So, since he¡¯s now eliminated, should the game be over? The Inspector loudly announced, ¡°The fifth round of voting will take place in 8 hours! Which will also be the final vote! Since there are only 9 people left, you only need to vote out 4 people in the next round! The remaining 5 will successfully register for the ¡®Maze war¡¯ tournament! The victory is just a step away, dear X-challenger~ The rest of you should also try hard. If the X-challenger wins, all of you will be demoted, every single one of you will be demoted!¡± The short-haired girl was shocked, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°What happened? Isn¡¯t Xu Fanghe the X-challenger?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, she too didn¡¯t expect this outcome. If Xu Fanghe wasn¡¯t the X-challenger, then who was? The spectacled man shouted at her in hatred, ¡°It¡¯s you!!! You¡¯re the X-challenger! In order to win this game, you stopped at nothing to eliminate Dr. Xu Fanghe! Originally, the doctor would have led us all to victory! But you¡¯ve ruined everything! You¡¯re the X-challenger!!!¡± Everyone stared at Bai Youwei in shock. And in a split second ¡ª She became the public enemy! Chapter 613 - Chapter 613: Chapter 613: The Doubting Person Chapter 613: Chapter 613: The Doubting Person Nighttime. The surroundings are eerily silent, as still as a stagnant pool. Besides the pale moonlight and the uniform stone bricks around me, there¡¯s nothing but the ink-colored shadow beneath my feet. Bai Youwei stood alone in the square, propping up her chin, silently pondering about the voting. Xu Fanghe¡¯s elimination was within her calculations, but the fact that Xu Fanghe wasn¡¯t the X Guest did surprise her. There are still nine people on the field. In Red Eyes, there¡¯s the short-haired woman and a pale-skinned man, along with herself. In Yellow Eyes, there are the three follower doctors led by the bespectacled man. In Blue Eyes, there¡¯s Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui, along with a man in a suit who always thinks he¡¯s a part of Red Eyes. 3:3:3, nine people in total. Either five people win, or only the X Guest wins. Who is the X Guest after all? Having to go through round after round of voting, and remain until the end, doesn¡¯t it seem like the criteria for the X Guest to clear the game is stricter than anyone else¡¯s? Well¡­ not exactly. On the surface, it seems hard, but on closer thought, the X Guest, like the rest of the players, is also vying for the last five spots. The only difference is, they have to find out who the X Guest is, whereas the X Guest doesn¡¯t have to do anything¡­ Footsteps sounded from behind. Bai Youwei turned her head and saw the short-haired woman slowly walking over from a distance. The sound of her boots scraping against the stone slab was dull, reflecting her current mood. The short-haired woman stopped about ten steps away from Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°Are you¡­ really, the X Guest?¡± Bai Youwei looked at her curiously and counter-asked, ¡°Do you think I am?¡± The short-haired woman hesitated and replied, ¡°Not¡­ really?¡± Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°You can remove the ¡®really¡¯.¡± The short-haired woman let out a sigh of relief, then walked over and said, ¡°You can still laugh about it. Everyone thinks you¡¯re the X Guest, and the real X Guest is still hiding, probably delighting in this.¡± As she spoke, she sighed again and glanced up at the moon, ¡°Ah¡­ this damned game, inventing all sorts of ways to drive people mad.¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head and regarded her, ¡°Do you believe me?¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± the short-haired woman¡¯s tone was uncertain. Bai Youwei just smiled without any comment. The short-haired woman looked down at her, fell into silence for a moment, then repeated her answer, ¡°I do.¡± This time, there was no ¡°guess¡±. ¡°What¡¯s your reasoning?¡± Bai Youwei asked her with a smile, ¡°Which of my actions or comments made you think I am not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling¡­¡± the short-haired woman said, ¡°Sometimes gut instincts are more reliable than your brain. When I can¡¯t figure things out, I trust my instincts.¡± With a deeper smile tugging at the corners of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth, she asked, ¡°Then, what does your gut say about who the X Guest is among those who are left?¡± This question gave the short-haired woman a headache. ¡°This damn game¡­¡± she muttered, then added with a gloomy tone, ¡°Aside from the two of us, I suspect the remaining seven.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any leads either. Why don¡¯t we talk about it and discuss our suspicions. Maybe we can come up with some new ideas.¡± The short-haired woman thought for a bit and agreed, ¡°Alright. Should I go first?¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Even though I have suspicions about everyone, there are two who I¡¯m most suspicious of,¡± the short-haired woman said, ¡°The first one is that thin, dark-skinned man from the Blue Eyes team. He wears combat gear and has a square face¡­¡± ¡°Fang Yu.¡± Bai Youwei chipped in, ¡°That man¡¯s name is Fang Yu.¡± The short-haired woman snorted, ¡°Fang Yu? No wonder he has such a square face¡­ Isn¡¯t he just weird? When we tried to align with Blue Eyes, his attitude was so bad.¡± ¡°His bad attitude was probably due to Xu Fanghe¡¯s comments¡­¡± Bai Youwei responded. The short-haired woman shook her head, ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s another possibility. For instance, if he is the X Guest, of course, he¡¯d love to join hands with Xu Fanghe against you!¡± Chapter 614 - Chapter 614: Chapter 614: Nervous and Jumpy Chapter 614: Chapter 614: Nervous and Jumpy Bai Youwei had considered this as well. In the game, it¡¯s easier to gravitate towards players you¡¯re familiar with, even when you¡¯ve only met once, and when you¡¯re looking to form an alliance or a team, it¡¯s common to prioritize those players. However, it seemed as if Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui never had the intention to ally with her from the very beginning. In the beginning of the game, when the mobster held a leading position in the Blue Eyes¡¯ team, Fang Yu refused to interact with her in order to avoid making the mobster suspicious. This excuse was somewhat reasonable¡­ But what if Fang Yu was ¡®X¡¯? What would he have considered then? Bai Youwei ponders for a moment, and then asks the short-haired woman, ¡°Who¡¯s the other one?¡± The short-haired woman purses her lips and whispers, ¡°Number 14.¡± ¡°Number 14?¡± Bai Youwei is taken aback, but quickly realizes that the short-haired woman is referring to the blue-eyed man in the Red Eyes¡¯ team, who is actually the gentleman who was tricked into joining their team. ¡°Don¡¯t you find him suspicious?¡± the short-haired woman frowns, ¡°He¡¯s in the same situation as you, being part of a team that doesn¡¯t match his eye color. Our team has always avoided voting for him during each voting round to take advantage of his vote, but coincidentally, or perhaps intended, the Blue Eyes¡¯ team also hasn¡¯t voted for him!¡± Bai Youwei understands, ¡°So you¡¯re saying, he intentionally revealed his number to the Blue team, which means neither team would vote for him, thus increasing his chances of survival.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± the short-haired woman nods vigorously, ¡°If he¡¯s ¡®X¡¯, everything would make sense! He¡¯s afraid of being eliminated early, so he¡¯s set up two safety measures.¡± Bai Youwei bargains, ¡°It does seem plausible¡­¡± The short-haired woman asks, ¡°Who are your suspects?¡± Bai Youwei thinks to herself, the people I suspected are already out of the game. The mobster is gone, and Xu Fanghe got disqualified. ¡°I still think that¡­ ¡®X¡¯ should be someone who takes the initiative in the game. Otherwise, waiting passively for others to vote is no different from gambling on luck.¡± Bai Youwei propped her chin thoughtfully and spoke slowly, ¡°Number 14 is suspicious, but he¡¯s mostly relying on luck in the later stages. ¡®X¡¯ needs to not only avoid being voted off but also guide other players to vote for other numbers. Only then, can ¡®X¡¯ guarantee to survive till the last round¡­¡± The short-haired woman gives a embarrassed smile, ¡°Who you¡¯re describing is the Doctor, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bai Youwei laughs lightly, ¡°Indeed.¡± But the Doctor is already out, and the game isn¡¯t over yet. With no leads, the two women fall into a synchronized silence. After a while, Bai Youwei asks, ¡°Why does everyone call Xu Fanghe ¡®Doctor¡¯?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a doctor?¡± the short-haired woman casually replies, ¡°He wears a white lab coat. He looks like a doctor, and remembering names is too troublesome. So, we just call him ¡®Doctor¡¯.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± Bai Youwei replies quietly, ¡°I actually thought he didn¡¯t look like a doctor. He doesn¡¯t have that aura¡­¡± ¡°What kind of aura?¡± the short-haired woman laughs, ¡°the smell of disinfectant? After so long since the world has ended, even if there was a smell it would have long disappeared!¡± Finally, she cannot help but comment sarcastically, ¡°But his team is full of sick people. It¡¯s good to have a doctor around to cure them. They¡¯re all fucking insane! Especially that highly myopic guy, mumbling all day. He¡¯s not lightly afflicted!¡± Bai Youwei chuckles and nods, ¡°Those guys are really odd.¡± While being part of the Yellow Eyes¡¯ team, she was often on the verge of laughing while watching the scarf woman and the glasses man worship Xu Fanghe every day. Jokes aside, after a thought, the short-haired woman notes, ¡°The Yellow Eyes¡¯ team was always under the control of the Doctor. Now that he¡¯s out, they¡¯re completely disorganized, without anyone controlling the votes. This is also an opportunity¡­ The next voting round will eliminate four people. Without anyone to manipulate the game, even by simply guessing, there¡¯s a 44% chance of winning.¡± Chapter 615 - Chapter 615: Chapter 615: Manipulating (Additional update for no progress) Chapter 615: Chapter 615: Manipulating (Additional update for no progress) Bai Youwei mused on the interesting choice of words the short-haired woman used. ¡°You mentioned manipulation¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth?¡± The short-haired woman shrugged helplessly. ¡°Those Yellow Eyes, utterly controlled. It¡¯s unbelievable. This is the preliminary round, yet so many clueless people have appeared.¡± After saying this, she continued thoughtfully: ¡°But, I once heard a concept that humans have an innate nature to role-play. For instance, when dealing with a doctor, one might unconsciously put themselves in the position of the patient¡ªthe inherently weak and dependent role¡ªhardly rejecting the doctor¡¯s requirements.¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently: ¡°In this world, everyone is naturally playing various roles. In fact, some can only be that role. Few can be their true selves.¡± The short-haired woman nodded with a sigh, ¡°Yes, for someone to be their true self is truly a blessing¡­¡± Seeming to have fallen into her own thoughts, she paused for a moment before abruptly ending the conversation- ¡°It¡¯s getting late, time to go back and rest.¡± The short-haired woman gently patted Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder, and teased: ¡°You¡¯ll have to crawl out of bed for the vote in the middle of the night, don¡¯t oversleep.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Have you decided who you¡¯re voting for?¡± The short-haired woman was taken aback. ¡°Have you decided?¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± Bai Youwei nodded. The short-haired woman¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner!¡± ¡°It just came to me.¡± She said lightly, pulling out the short-haired woman¡¯s hand and writing a number in her palm¡­ ¡­ Two in the morning. It was voting time again. The nine of them gathered in the plaza, Bai Youwei still the first to arrive. When the others saw her standing at the door of the voting booth, they showed disdain, thinking Bai Youwei was underhanded. Her bunny was completely blocking her number, making it impossible for them to vote even if they wanted to! The most annoying part was that the Inspector didn¡¯t even bother to stop this blatant cheating! If they can¡¯t eliminate the X guest, they lose regardless; they might as well vote randomly! Almost everyone had this kind of thinking. After Bai Youwei left, the short-haired woman was the second to vote. Then it was the turn of the white-skinned man with Red Eyes. Followed by the man in the suit with the number 14. When it was Ya Chaohui¡¯s turn, the man in glasses asked him to wait. ¡°Wait a moment¡­I, I have something to say to both of you.¡± Ya Chaohui and Fang Yu looked at each other, both puzzled. The two followed the man in glasses aside and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± The man in glasses fumbled with the frames, stammering, ¡°Well¡­I was thinking¡­ as everyone already knows, the X guest¡­ is the woman in the wheelchair. If we just eliminate her, the rest of us can win this game¡­¡± Ya Chaohui shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible, we can¡¯t even touch her number.¡± Fang Yu frowned, ¡°Tell us your plan. You wouldn¡¯t have asked us over if you hadn¡¯t found a way, right?¡± Ya Chaohui looked at Fang Yu, ¡°Let it go, Fang Yu, if she wants to win, let her win¡­¡± ¡°I want to win.¡± Fang Yu said. Ya Chaohui was taken aback, ¡°You¡­what are you saying? She and Officer Shen¡­¡± ¡°I want to win.¡± Fang Yu repeated. He remained stern, with a determined look: ¡°The world is already like this, where is there room for any officer? All this time, did he help us? Did he look for us? Did he save us?! Chaohui, I want to save everyone! The teammates who died in the game! I want to save them! Only by becoming the King can I achieve this, do you understand?!¡± Ya Chaohui looked at Fang Yu blankly and said nothing. Fang Yu didn¡¯t pay him any more attention, instead continuing to question the man in glasses, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s your method?¡± The man in glasses grinned pleasingly, pulling out a white porcelain cup from his pocket, ¡°It¡¯s simple¡­ Block your hand with an insulator, swiftly brush off the rabbit and press number 11 as fast as possible¡­¡± Chapter 616 - Chapter 616: Chapter 616: The Final Round of Voting Chapter 616: Chapter 616: The Final Round of Voting The porcelain cup isn¡¯t big, just an ordinary drinking cup, taken from the resting room. The bespectacled man explained quietly, ¡°Although I came up with the method, it¡¯s not something anyone can do¡­ It requires someone with exceptional skills to dodge the electric shock quickly after pressing the voting button¡­ As you can see, only the cream of the crop can do it¡­¡± Fang Yu glanced at him irritably, ¡°Stop with the hypocritical compliments, we don¡¯t need it! Just tell us what to do!¡± ¡°How to do it¡­¡± The bespectacled man chuckled, his voice getting lower, ¡°It¡¯s simple. If you¡¯re quick enough, you can press number 11 before the device reacts. They said it would trigger the Thunderstorm Electroshock, but who knows if it¡¯s true or not? It might be a bluff. Will the electric shock be as powerful as she said? What would happen if we throw a heavy object from a distance?¡­ No matter what, we have effortlessly survived until the final round, we shouldn¡¯t give up now. With just two votes, we can eliminate her. Let¡¯s win this game together.¡± Ya Chaohui held Fang Yu back, once again trying to persuade him, ¡°We¡¯re still not certain if she¡¯s the X-guest¡­¡± ¡°If not her, who can it be?!¡± Fang Yu said through gritted teeth, ¡°She¡¯s obviously a member of the Red Eyes, but she blended in among the Yellow Eyes, and survived so many voting rounds unscathed, it doesn¡¯t add up! Wasn¡¯t the Doctor eliminated because of her arrangement? The X-guest is most likely her, if not, then it¡¯s the man in the suit!¡± The bespectacled man immediately said: ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already discussed with the members of the Yellow Eyes, they will unanimously vote the gentleman out, including the short-haired lady from the Red Eyes Team, who is also very suspicious¡­ In short, in the last round, as long as we eliminate the four most suspicious people, we can certainly win.¡± Fang Yu frowned: ¡°In that case, do we have enough votes? We are only two here, add you and the two Yellow Eyes, that¡¯s only five votes in total, how can we eliminate four people?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The bespectacled man laughed, ¡°To put it precisely, we have seven votes.¡± ¡°Seven votes?¡± Both Ya Chaohui and Fang Yu looked surprised. The bespectacled man said, ¡°Yes. Apart from the short-haired woman and the man in the wheelchair, I¡¯ve tried to approach everyone else, and as expected, everyone is already dissatisfied with those two women. So in this vote, as long as we work together, we can definitely eliminate the X-guest.¡± Fang Yu still frowned, pondering. Ya Chaohui was also quite hesitant. The game itself is a competition, there¡¯s no need for courtesy. Although Bai Youwei and Shen Mo are on their side, it would be better if he and Fang Yu win. However, the hierarchical relationship was deeply rooted in him, and attacking his ¡°allies¡± in the game felt inappropriate. ¡°Fang Yu, with the captain¡¯s ability, we can definitely make it to the end. Since we¡¯ve agreed to become his subjects¡­¡± The bespectacled man interrupted him with a twinkling gaze, ¡°I hate to break it to you, but the games in the Doll World are unpredictable. The strong may not actually be strong and the weak may not actually be weak. Maybe when we win and get out, your captain has already been demoted to a subject? Shouldn¡¯t we consider for ourselves? Like me, I¡¯m also a subject, but the Doctor is gone just like that, what can I do? In the end, don¡¯t we have to rely on ourselves?¡± Fang Yu shot him a cold look, ¡°You¡¯re right. Instead of waiting for someone to save us, it¡¯s better to save ourselves.¡± Ya Chaohui wanted to persuade him again, but he heard the Inspector urging loudly: ¡°Hey! Those who haven¡¯t voted yet, are you planning on forfeiting your votes? Forfeiting your votes is equivalent to voluntarily getting eliminated~¡± The ball on the roof was impatiently rolling around. Everyone was also looking at them. Ya Chaohui sighed heavily and stepped into the voting booth. Chapter 617 - Chapter 617: Chapter 617: Ya Chaohuis Choice Chapter 617: Chapter 617: Ya Chaohui¡¯s Choice In the voting booth, the display screen was showing only 8 digits. Number 11 was was obscured by the rabbit and couldn¡¯t be seen. Ya Chaohui stood in front of the screen, his expression perplexed. He never expected that he and Fang Yu would be pitted against Bai Youwei in the game. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo seemed to have a deep relationship, and they originally wanted to side with Shen Mo. But now, they were going against Bai Youwei, and no matter how he thought about it, it didn¡¯t feel right. However¡­ The man with the glasses was also right ¨C this was a game, and games were meant to determine a winner and loser. There was no need to consider personal relationships. If only Bai Youwei was not the X guest¡­ His gaze swept over each number. Bai Youwei was not the only one with doubts. Wasn¡¯t the suit-wearing man with the blue eyes also suspicious? After so many rounds of voting, the suited man should have realised that his eye colour was actually blue, yet he insisted on staying in the Red Eyes Team. Why was that? As Ya Chaohui considered this, the more he thought, the more he found the man in the suit suspicious. Rather than saying he found the suited man suspicious, it was more accurate to say he hoped the suited man was suspicious. Because if the suited man was the X guest, then the game could end harmoniously! There would be no need to target Bai Youwei, no need to feel guilty towards Mr Shen, and there would be no need to persuade Fang Yu anymore. Ya Chaohui held his breath and placed a vote for number 14. ¡­ The only people left who hadn¡¯t voted were the man with the glasses and Fang Yu. When Glasses guy saw Ya Chaohui come out unscathed, he knew he must not have chosen number 11. He couldn¡¯t help but show disdain on his face. How did such a cautious and hesitant man even enter the preliminary contest? The man with the Glasses gave a contemptuous glance, and then turned to look at Fang Yu. Compared to Ya Chaohui, he preferred the expression on Fang Yu¡¯s face ¨C determination, toughness, and an unyielding obsession to achieve one¡¯s goal! It was quite pleasing to the eye¡­ Glasses guy curled the corner of his mouth and said, ¡°My turn? I will vote for number 11.¡± His voice was not low, and Bai Youwei along with the short-haired woman both heard him and looked over, their expressions unusual. ¡°Did you see her look?¡± Glasses guy lowered his voice and said in Fang Yu¡¯s ear, ¡°She is nervous that her toy rabbit will be exposed¡­ She must be the X guest.¡± Fang Yu¡¯s face was tense. The man with glasses chuckled, held the porcelain cup in his hand for everyone to see, then walked into the voting booth. The plush rabbit was still on the display screen, motionless. Anytime someone approached, it would generate electrical sparks, always appearing ready to attack. Glasses guy chuckled softly. He would never be foolish enough to use himself as the experiment. Now that things had progressed this far, it didn¡¯t matter who got eliminated, because¡­ the winner would definitely be him. If he had to choose someone, it might as well be that short-haired woman. She was as fierce as a man, it would be better if she was eliminated sooner so that he wouldn¡¯t have to encounter her again. The short-haired woman¡­ she should be number 3 or 7, right? The glasses guy pondered for a while, pressed the digit 7, then turned around and left the voting booth¡ª Just as he was about to exit, his right hand dove into the porcelain cup, while his left hand tightly gripped his right hand. He walked out of the booth slowly, appearing to be enduring pain. The people in the plaza watched him. Glasses guy scanned the crowd, and finally, he smiled towards Fang Yu and exclaimed: ¡°I¡¯m fine! Just as we thought, the rabbit¡¯s electric charge is limited, it can¡¯t electrocute anyone to death!¡± Bai Youwei slightly furrowed her brows, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart. Glasses guy dramatically walked up to Fang Yu, shook his hand, and handed the porcelain cup to Fang Yu saying, ¡°As long as you move quickly, you¡¯ll be fine¡­ Getting shocked really isn¡¯t comfortable, my hand is still numb.¡± Chapter 618 - Chapter 618: Chapter 618 Fang Yus Choice Chapter 618: Chapter 618 Fang Yu¡¯s Choice Fang Yu took the porcelain cup, glanced at Bai Youwei in silence, then walked towards the voting cabin. Bai Youwei called out to stop him: ¡°Fang Yu!¡± Fang Yu didn¡¯t stop. Bai Youwei¡¯s face finally changed, warning him urgently: ¡°Fang Yu! Would you rather believe him than me? Even if you disdain to cooperate with a disabled person, there¡¯s no need to be stupid enough to be used, is there?¡± Fang Yu finally stopped. He stood at the door of the voting cabin, back to everyone. Even the globe on the roof looked curiously at these two, wondering whether Fang Yu would waver because of Bai Youwei¡¯s words. Bai Youwei was really angry. She was never a patient person to begin with, and now seeing Fang Yu want to vote for her number 11 made her even more furious¡ª¡ª ¡°Let me tell you! My rabbit either stuns people or electrocutes them to death! It can never be gentle enough to only numb one hand! The man with the glasses is obviously using you, can¡¯t you see that? Don¡¯t think that because you were subordinates to Shen Mo, I will let you go! If you dare to touch the rabbit, bear the consequences!¡± Fang Yu sneered, slowly turned around, staring at Bai Youwei. ¡°I remember that you chose ¡®King¡¯ when you signed up, right?¡± Fang Yu asked. Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°So what?¡± ¡°If the King loses, he can continue to fight as a subject, but if the subject loses¡­he can only become a commoner, forever losing the chance to make it to the end.¡± He spoke slowly, with increasingly cold eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want to lose, so¡­I will have to trouble you to lose.¡± Bai Youwei opened her eyes wide, ¡°Fang Yu¡­Fang Yu! I warn you!¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, Fang Yu had already entered the voting cabin. ¡°Damn it!¡± Bai Youwei cursed angrily, wheeling her chair towards the cabin, ¡°Fang Yu! I¡¯m not joking with you! If you dare¡­¡± Boom!!! The cabin shook violently! Even the globe on the roof swayed, exclaiming, ¡°Is this the upgraded effect? It¡¯s amazing¡­¡± Looking at the stunned players in front of him, the globe couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Bai Youwei had warned them several times, so why did they still look so surprised? Ya Chaohui was the first to rush forward, banging his fist on the door! He smelled the burnt smell leaking from inside and shook uncontrollably! The Inspector said leisurely: ¡°Why the panic? I am opening the door for you now, opening the door¡­.and then the voting results will be announced¡­.¡± The door opened, and the burnt smell became even stronger. A person was lying on the ground, his whole body burned black, unrecognizable! Ya Chaohui looked at his companion in disbelief, his mind blank, his legs gave way, he knelt on the ground, his trembling hands nowhere to rest. He wanted to help Fang Yu, but he didn¡¯t know if he should touch him¡­ The man¡¯s skin and clothes were all burnt black together, like coal dust, and small black fragments fell off with a slightest touch. Ya Chaohui¡¯s throat was sore, gasping for breath, unable to speak, and large tears fell from his red eyes! Who would have thought¡­ Who would have thought that after overcoming many difficulties, his teammate did not die in the game, but died¡­died at the hands of a woman! The rabbit on the ground moved its ears, jumped onto Bai Youwei¡¯s legs. Ya Chaohui¡¯s gaze followed. The rabbit was lying in Bai Youwei¡¯s arms. She was the root of all evil, she was also the murderer! Bai Youwei killed Fang Yu! Ya Chaohui breathed heavily, as if his blood was flowing backwards, his vision became dark under the surging emotions! He was about to pass out! The man in glasses came in and saw this scene, he burst into laughter! ¡°He voted! He really voted! Hahaha! He voted number 11! I won!!!¡± Chapter 619 - Chapter 619: Chapter 619: The Biggest Winner Chapter 619: Chapter 619: The Biggest Winner The man in glasses laughed wildly. Ya Chaohui was furious. He forced himself to rise, intending to teach the man a lesson. The short-haired woman blocked his path, saying, ¡°Violence is forbidden in the game. If you want to beat him up, wait until the game is settled!¡± Ya Chaohui¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the man in glasses. The man in glasses, however, didn¡¯t care. He laughed loudly as he stepped out of the voting booth, insolently urging the Inspector, ¡°Hurry up and announce the results! Let these stupid ones disappear and give their tools and puzzles to me! All of them belong to me!¡± Ya Chaohui felt even more furious, his teeth gritted, ¡°So you are the traitor! You used us!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t using you guys pretty standard?¡± The man in glasses didn¡¯t stop laughing, ¡°What do you think this place is? It¡¯s a game of puppets! Did you think it¡¯s a mutual aid society?! If I don¡¯t use you, how can I win the game?! Ah, and that dumb doctor, what a laugh thinking he¡¯d save the world hahaha¡­¡± ¡°If you call him a fool, don¡¯t you see that you are one too?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her wheelchair forward slowly, her tone ice-cold, ¡°If you weren¡¯t, why would you follow his every word and suck up to him? You two are cut from the same cloth.¡± Hearing this, the man in glasses turned to Bai Youwei, adjusted his glasses and sneered, ¡°You might not understand if I tell you. I was treating him, got it?¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, ¡°Oh¡­ treating him?¡± ¡°Exactly, curing the doctor¡¯s ailment.¡± The man in glasses smirked arrogantly. ¡°He likes to play the doctor, so I pretended to be a patient. He enjoys controlling people, so I pretended to be under his control. Whatever he wanted his patients to turn into, I would pretend to become. Blindly following, mindlessly trusting, unduly flattering ¨C that¡¯s what he wants to see! I satisfied all his psychological needs and in turn, he gave me everything I desired! Just like a doctor pays more care for his patient, the more dependent the patient becomes on the doctor, and the more dependent the patients are, the more obligated the doctor becomes towards them! Do you see? He naturally looks after me! Protects me! Because¡ªI am his precious patient!¡± ¡°Hahaha, you bunch of fools! Do you understand now? Human relationships are about reciprocal influence and interaction! While a doctor can control his patients, patients can also control their doctors! I am the puppeteer of this game, I am the grand winner!¡± Bai Youwei looked at him with cold indifferent eyes, her voice flat, ¡°Given that emotional relationships are about mutual influence and interaction, won¡¯t patients find it hard to survive once they¡¯ve lost their doctors¡­¡± ¡°Are you joking? I¡¯ve already won!¡± The man in glasses laughed arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯ve won! Hurry up and announce the voting results!¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes, not saying another word. The Inspector glanced at Bai Youwei, the man in glasses, and the others, then finally announced: ¡°Now I¡¯ll announce the numbers and votes from the fifth elimination round!¡± ¡°Number 6, 1 vote.¡± ¡°Number 7, 1 vote.¡± ¡°Number 14, 2 votes.¡± ¡°Number 24, 2 votes.¡± ¡°Number 29, 2 votes.¡± The man in glasses looked stunned, questioning whether he had heard wrong, ¡°How¡­ how could this be? Where is number 11? Why isn¡¯t number 11 here! Didn¡¯t he press number 11 earlier?!¡± After a moment of silence, the ball said, ¡°He did press it.¡± ¡°Then why isn¡¯t it there?! Number 11 should at least have 1 vote! And what about you all! What happened? Why didn¡¯t you vote as I instructed you?!¡± The man in glasses was thrown into confusion, scanning each face of the participants, ¡°Who voted for number 29?! Who?!!¡± Bai Youwei looked at him calmly, ¡°Well, of course¡­ that¡¯s what I told them to do.¡± Chapter 620 - Chapter 620: Chapter 620: You Talk Too Much Chapter 620: Chapter 620: You Talk Too Much ¡°Why?!¡± The man with glasses couldn¡¯t accept it, he grabbed a Yellow Eye and asked, ¡°Who did you vote for? Why did you listen to her?! Did you figure out I was the X Guest from the beginning?! No¡­ No! It¡¯s impossible!!!¡± The Yellow Eye slipped his arm out of the man¡¯s grasp, responding irritably, ¡°We didn¡¯t figure it out, but she promised us that if we voted her way, win or lose, we would all get tools.¡± The man with glasses widened his eyes, ¡°Can¡­ can it be done like this?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Another Yellow Eye said, ¡°If she really is the X Guest, we¡¯re doomed anyway. Since number 11 was blocked by the Rabbit and couldn¡¯t vote, we might as well listen to her, even if we were to lose, we could still get tools.¡± Even if demoted to commoners, tools are still a very important asset. Unless dolls disappear completely from the world, tools would lose their value. The man with glasses didn¡¯t expect that he would be defeated by such a small detail. He roared with unbearable fury, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid she will renege?!¡± ¡°She won¡¯t go back on her word.¡± Short-haired girl stepped forward, ¡°We got the Inspector as our witness. As long as we eliminate the real X Guest in the final round of voting, regardless of winning or losing, we could split tools.¡± That means, apart from number 29, the people who were eliminated, numbers 6, 7, 14, and 24, would only lose puzzles, but not tools, and they could even share tools with the winner! Such a huge temptation, no one could resist. The short-haired girl looked towards Ya Chaohui, bit her lip, and added, ¡°We tried to contact you and your partner, but you locked yourselves away, refusing any communication.¡± Ya Chaohui¡¯s head was low, his face gray, he couldn¡¯t speak a word. The man with glasses refused to give up, pointed at the corpse in the room and argued, ¡°Even so! This shouldn¡¯t be the result! He had just voted, why it doesn¡¯t count?! Is the Inspector deliberately covering up?!¡± ¡°Hey, how can you talk nonsense?¡± The spectating ball quickly interjected, ¡°He did vote, but his vote was invalid. Didn¡¯t you notice that numbers 6 and 7 were tied? I mentioned that in this round only four people would be eliminated, so he should have chosen one from numbers 6 and 7 to vote for. But who would know, he pressed the invalid number 11, and now, well, all five have to be eliminated.¡± ¡°Tied¡­ votes?¡­ Invalid?¡± The man with glasses stumbled a half step backward, looking dismayed, ¡°How¡­ how could this happen.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him emotionlessly, speaking in a light tone, ¡°I guessed you would vote for number 7, so I had everyone take the first four spots during the initial voting. Counting your vote for number 7, that leaves five in total. But the final round is limited to eliminating four people, which means the remaining two people who haven¡¯t voted could only choose from those with one vote.¡± ¡°What if they both voted for number 11?¡± The man with the glasses stubbornly gritted his teeth, ¡°If they both voted for 11, then your vote count is 2! Even if I lost, you would lose with me!¡± ¡°In theory, yes, but, practically, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Bai Youwei gently patted the rabbit in her arms, ¡°Do you think, after the Thunder Effect was used once, anyone would be foolish enough to press number 11 again?¡± The man with glasses was taken aback. Once someone presses number 11, it will trigger Thunderstorm Electroshock! Seeing a living person turned to charred remains, who would dare to press 11 again? Are they an idiot?! ¡°Even¡­ even if it¡¯s like this¡­ why did you all¡­¡± he tried with all his might to find a reason, unable to face his defeat. The ball finally lost patience, ¡°You talk too much! I¡¯m going to start the rewards calculation now!¡± The man with glasses suddenly disappeared into thin air. Chapter 621 - Chapter 621: Chapter 621 Different Preliminaries Chapter 621: Chapter 621 Different Preliminaries There were seven people remaining on the field. Because they had agreed to distribute their props among those who lost, Number 6, 7, 14, and 24¡ª who should have been eliminated¡ªwere still in the game. The Inspector announced, ¡°The winners of this game are three people, Number 3, 11, and 15. They have respectively, Eliminated 25 people. Killed two people. Received 42 puzzle pieces to distribute. Received 38 props to distribute. We now proceed to the rewards distribution¡ª¡± As he finished speaking, a dazzling orb of light appeared in front of each person. The orb was gently floating and held within it puzzle pieces and props. All they had to do was extend their hands to obtain them easily. In Bai Youwei¡¯s orb, there were 14 puzzle pieces and 6 props. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She had been collecting for so long and had only managed to amass 23 puzzle pieces. But now, in just one game, she had received 14 more. It truly lived up to the name ¨C a skirmish of the preliminary competition. Everyone else also looked relieved. For the four who were eliminated, while they lost their puzzle pieces, they were able to keep their own props and even received new ones. This was undoubtedly the best outcome. Only Ya Chaohui looked dejected with no color of joy on his face. Above them, the stone sphere on the roof made a full turn, the eye patterns on its body disappearing one by one. After the eliminated four got their props, they too vanished one by one. Only the winning trio was left in the square: Red Eyes Bai Youwei, Blue Eyes Ya Chaohui, and a white person with Yellow Eyes. According to the competition rules, there should¡¯ve been five winners, but now there were only three. The sphere was somewhat dissatisfied with this, but no matter what, this game had ended successfully and its harvest was quite bountiful. Rolling joyfully, it said to everyone: ¡°Congratulations to you all for winning this game! With your victory, the official beginnings of the Labyrinth War¡ª This will be a protracted contest where the King needs to vigorously expand his territory and the subjects need to choose a proficient sovereign; it¡¯s only through their unanimity that victory can be achieved in the end. The detailed rules will be introduced by the other Inspectors once you return to the Rest Hall. You now have three minutes of preparation time. This is a special privilege granted to the winners~¡± Three minutes of preparation time. Since they now held so many puzzle pieces and props, those who intended to hide their strength obviously could not return to the Rest Hall immediately. The white man with Yellow Eyes got a long twig among his props. It was hard to conceal, so he hurriedly ran to roll in the woods, returning dirt-streaked and with dried leaves in his hair. Holding the twig in his hand this way, it no longer stood out. Ya Chaohui¡¯s props were all quite small; he casually put them in his pocket, and some he carried on hand. Fang Yu¡¯s death had hit him hard, and it seemed he was not quite himself: his mind seemingly not in the game. Seeing him like this made Bai Youwei uncomfortable. Although they were two insignificant people, almost strangers, but¡­under these circumstances, it was hard not to care. Moreover, until now, she had used her rabbit only as a deterrent, never to kill, unless it was to fight against the game¡¯s monsters. This was the first time¡­she had doomed someone. Bai Youwei glanced at Ya Chaohui, growing more irritable. She entered the voting cabin alone, opened her Doll House, and dumped all her puzzle pieces and props inside. When she emerged, she carried in her arms only her rabbit. In the square, a giant square exit appeared, shimmering with pure white light. The Inspector had disappeared. One after another, the three of them walked into the square exit, stepping into the white light. When they opened their eyes again, they were back in that enormously vast white room. This place, it turned out, was called the Rest Hall. Chapter 622 - Chapter 622: Chapter 622: Rest Hall Chapter 622: Chapter 622: Rest Hall In the rest area, a scattering of people were gathered, around seventy to eighty in total. It seemed that the preliminary contest was not yet over; some players were still in the game and hadn¡¯t emerged. Bai Youwei scanned the room from her wheelchair, searching for familiar faces. She didn¡¯t see Shen Mo, nor Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin, but she did spot Dr. Xu Fanghe in a corner, his expression gloomy. The king had been demoted to a commoner, lost the puzzle and props, and had no more followers by his side. The man with glasses was nowhere to be seen, probably because he was demoted to a commoner and thus banished from this space. ¡°Weiwei.¡± Someone called out to her from not too far away. Bai Youwei turned her head and saw Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen walk towards her. Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°Did you win?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, then asked them, ¡°Where¡¯s Su Man?¡± Yan Qingwen gently shook his head: ¡°It seems that the preliminary contest assigns games based on each person¡¯s traits; Su Man wasn¡¯t with us.¡± Obviously, Su Man was the type to use force. Yan Qingwen asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What about Shen Mo and Tan Xiao? Are they still in the game?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them; they must be still in the game,¡± Bai Youwei replied with a worried look, ¡°Xiaoxin has not come out either.¡± ¡°Xiaoxin¡¯s situation is special, he probably won¡¯t be assigned a difficult game,¡± Yan Qingwen reassured her. Bai Youwei sighed softly: ¡°I hope so¡­¡± She originally thought that losing the game just meant becoming a commoner, but after going through a round, she realized that some people would stop at nothing to ensure a win. She was quite worried about Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin. Naturally, she was worried about Shen Mo too. If the games were truly assigned based on individual attributes, was it a case of the strong against the strong, the weak against the weak? Who would Shen Mo meet as an opponent? Just then, she heard Lu Yuwen comment: ¡°According to the Inspector in the game just now, apart from selecting the qualified kings and commoners, the preliminary contest also aims to familiarize us with the competition system. The real competition will have similar confrontational games. Did the Inspector in your game reveal anything about the War?¡± Bai Youwei hesitated for a moment before replying: ¡°I encountered a ball that told me a King needs to expand his territory. I¡¯m still not clear about this point, but when everyone is present, the Rabbit-headed Inspector will surely provide an explanation.¡± This piece of information was only given to the winners. Considering Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen also got the message, it appeared they had won their games too. ¡°What were your preliminary games like? Did you encounter anyone special?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°Those people might become our opponents in future.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re talking about special, then everyone is special ¡ª the man in the prison uniform, the woman pushing a baby stroller, the priest in black robes¡­¡± Yan Qingwen glanced around and said casually, ¡°All these people, including me and Lu Yuwen, were trapped on a desolate island, and the game could perhaps be considered a puzzle survival game. Out of the 22 participants, five small boats were hidden on the island, and each boat could hold only one person. Whoever made it to a boat and left the island won the game. In the end, only four people made it.¡± Even though there were five boats, only four were winners. It seemed certain that somebody met a tragic end in the game. Not a game goes without casualties. Lu Yuwen said, ¡°There was a British man called Willard who was a bit of an oddity. He was always talking to thin air, probably has some special item¡­¡± Bai Youwei made a mental note of this for future reference, just in case they crossed paths. Just as the three of them were exchanging information, another yell came over¡ª ¡°Hey! So this is where you are!¡± Bai Youwei looked up to see the short-haired woman from the game bounding over toward her. Chapter 623 - Chapter 623: Chapter 623 Asarina Chapter 623: Chapter 623 Asarina The short-haired woman had previously collaborated with Bai Youwei in the game, so she was very friendly towards her. She walked over with a smile, confidently extending her hand: ¡°Let¡¯s reintroduce ourselves. I am Asarina, from Thailand, previously a King, now demoted to a commoner. If you¡¯re recruiting, consider me!¡± Bai Youwei shook her hand, giving a brief self-introduction: ¡°Bai Youwei, Chinese.¡± The short-haired woman then looked at Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen. ¡°Are these two your friends?¡± She reached out her right hand, saying cheerfully, ¡°Guys, if you¡¯re recruiting, consider me too. I may not have a particular talent, but I¡¯m well-rounded and know a bit about everything.¡± Yan Qingwen shook her hand, checking her out and asked, ¡°A man?¡± The short-haired woman looked surprised, exclaiming, ¡°You can tell?¡± Bai Youwei was even more surprised, ¡°A man?¡± Yan Qingwen said indifferently, ¡°The Adam¡¯s apple, broader shoulder, hip bones, and large shoes.¡± There was a pause, then he added, ¡°Big shoes as well.¡± With him pointing out these details, Bai Youwei took another look at the short-haired woman and noticed that she was right. Earlier, Bai Youwei had just thought the woman was dressed in a masculine way, taller than average females with a rather neutral voice, but it turned out she was a he¡­ The short-haired woman, looking somewhat embarrassed, explained, ¡°I have had a surgery; now, I am a woman!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze unconsciously fell to her chest and she was puzzled, ¡°Is this the result of the surgery?¡± ¡°Sex reassignment surgery doesn¡¯t just happen overnight!¡± The other party explained somewhat exasperated, ¡°It takes at least three operations to be considered complete! Just finished the top part, haven¡¯t had time for the rest. ¡­Damn it, there¡¯s no place to do surgery now.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Anyway, she felt sympathy for her situation. A tall man in the distance beckoned to the short-haired woman, ¡°Brother Jiwang! Come quickly! ¡­¡± The short-haired woman frowned, responding unhappily, ¡°I¡¯ve said it a hundred times! Don¡¯t call me by my old name!¡± She gave an awkward smile to Bai Youwei and the others, ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s my younger brother, probably got himself into trouble again. I need to sort it out. I¡¯ll catch up with you guys later.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s chat later.¡± ¡°Remember to consider me when you¡¯re recruiting subjects.¡± Asarina reiterated before she left. Watching her walking away and engaging in an animated conversation with the man who called her name, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of envy. Asarina and her companions were all safe. After observing for a while, Bai Youwei turned her attention back to Yan Qingwen, asking, ¡°What do you think of her? Is she useful?¡± ¡°She¡¯s okay.¡± Yan Qingwen gave a slight nod, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about her ability, but it seems like she has a good sense of team cooperation.¡± Lu Yuwen was observing the crowd around them and said in a deep voice, ¡°More than half of the players are already out.¡± While they were talking, the number of people in the lounge had risen to over 150. However¡­ Su Man, Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, and Shen Mo still hadn¡¯t emerged. ¡­ On the dazzling round stage, a Clown in a colorful outfit bowed to the audience. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Happy Chaos Field!¡± Despite the overly short chubby body and rounded head, he stood on stage, looking like a plump pumpkin. Just a simple bow and he tumbled over in an ungainly manner. The Clown struggled to sit up, his painted face berating the silent audience: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you laughing?!! I was hilarious! My expressions were so amusing! Why aren¡¯t you laughing?!! Those who don¡¯t laugh will be eliminated!!!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, dry and sparse laughter erupted from the audience seats: ¡°Ha¡­ haha¡­¡± Tan Xiao snuck over to Shen Mo, whispering: ¡°I couldn¡¯t find Sister Weiwei, but I saw Su Man, she¡¯s in the second row¡­¡± Chapter 624 - Chapter 624: Chapter 624: Happy Chaos Field 1 Chapter 624: Chapter 624: Happy Chaos Field 1 The clown, hearing laughter, finally expressed satisfaction. It stood up straight with its plump pumpkin-like body, raised its short thin arms, adjusted the ruffled neckband around its neck, then spoke joyfully: ¡°Welcome, welcome! ~ Welcome to the Happy Chaos Field, this is the Brawl Stage, I am the Inspector of this field, and I will explain the rules of the game ¨C ¡± The clown raised its right hand and snapped its fingers. Boom! Five spotlights from above casted down beams of light, each illuminating a chair high up on the stage! The chairs were all bright red with a velvet texture, with gold trim and multi-colored gems on the top and armrests. They were extraordinarily luxurious and silently indicated the exceptional status of those who sat on them. The clown¡¯s sausage-shaped mouth in bright red peeled open, revealing a row of neatly polished teeth. He smiled and said, ¡°This is the War King¡¯s Throne! Out of all the 30 participants, only 5 winners will get a seat! The rules are very simple. As long as you come to this stage, you can happily brawl at will. The winner gets points, the loser loses points! The first player to reach the passing score can take the War King¡¯s seat!¡± Boom! He snapped his fingers again! A circle of vertical holographic projections lit up around the stage, each showing a half-body image of a player and their score. All 30 holographic projections showed each player with 0 points. In the audience, a player raised his hand and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the passing score?¡± ¡°30 points,¡± the clown replied with a smile, ¡°The full score is 50 points, the passing score is 30 points. Absolutely fair.¡± ¡°How many points can you get for winning a match?¡± Another question came from the audience. ¡°If 30 points can get you a seat, what¡¯s the point of setting a full score of 50?¡± ¡°Does the brawl have specific rules? Can we use props?¡± ¡°¡­ Is there a time limit?¡± ¡°How many times do I have to win in order to pass?¡± More and more people started asking questions, causing an uproar. The clown raised both hands, palms down, pressing downwards. ¡°Silence¨C¡± Its voice was as if amplified by a super high-powered sound system, deafeningly loud! The whole field was stunned. Some people had to cover their ears directly, in so much pain they had to squat under their seats! The clown saw this, toned down his voice, and said, ¡°Oh dear, oh dear? It seems like some of you are not in great shape. Have you only ever been through a maze once? This could be problematic during the brawl¡­ ¡± No one spoke. Even if they wanted to, at this moment they were too scared to speak out. The clown continued, ¡°No need to rush, before the official round begins, I will explain all the rules in detail! Now listen to me¨C One day during a solar eclipse, I didn¡¯t see the sun. Do you know why?¡± The entire place fell silent. Everyone looked at the clown on stage in bewilderment, as his words seemed out of context. The clown tiptoed and executed a comical twirling move: ¡°Because of the solar eclipse! I was busy eating all day, of course I couldn¡¯t see the sun! Hahahaha!¡± The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± What the hell is going on¡­ The Inspector standing on the empty stage was laughing loudly, leaving the players puzzled. Suddenly, laughter broke out from the audience, ¡°Hahaha, solar eclipse!!!¡± Shen Mo silently watched Tan Xiao, who was beside him, laughing uncontrollably. ¡°I¡¯m dying of laughter hahaha¡­hiccups¡­¡± Tan Xiao was laughing so hard he was almost in tears, ¡°Too funny hahaha! Solar eclipse¡­eating all day hahaha¡­¡± Everyone turned to look at Tan Xiao. It was then that Su Man noticed a familiar face. She quickly switched seats to sit next to Shen Mo and Tan Xiao. But before she could start a conversation with them, a spotlight suddenly shone on Tan Xiao! Tan Xiao was stunned. The clown on stage pointed at him and said, ¡°The Happy Chaos Field should be as joyful as this! You, the man laughing heartily, please come on stage to demonstrate the brawl, and assist me in explaining the rules to everyone!¡± Chapter 625 - Chapter 625: Chapter 625: Happy Chaos Field 2 Chapter 625: Chapter 625: Happy Chaos Field 2 Tan Xiao ran his fingers through his hair, walking onto the stage with a somewhat dazed expression. The Clown stood in the center of the stage, waving at him: ¡°Come on over to me~ this way, sir.¡± Tan Xiao obediently walked over. The Clown said, ¡°Now, hit me.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Please, hit me!¡± The Clown raised his massive smiling face, drawing in closer, ¡°Go on, stretch out your fist and give me a good punch! This is a special situation. Even if you attack the Inspector, you won¡¯t be punished!¡± Tan Xiao lifted his fist with hesitation. The Clown before his eyes was too short, Tan Xiao looked here and there, unsure of how to make his move. The Clown urged, ¡°Hit me! Hit me! Anywhere you like!¡± ¡°If you insist¡­¡± Tan Xiao squinted his eyes and concentrated. ¡°Then I¡­aha!¡± He landed a punch directly on the Clown¡¯s head! The Clown¡¯s head was instantaneously launched into the air! Tan Xiao jumped back, ¡°Heck! I didn¡¯t even use my full strength!¡± The spectators, shocked to their core, all rose from their seats. To their surprise, a long spring connected the Clown¡¯s body to the flying head. The round and plump body was dragged forward about seven or eight meters and started rolling on the stage. It looked like a ball bouncing on the ground, the round head stretched and shrunk with the spring! It, however, wasn¡¯t a ball. After a two or three rotations, it finally came to a halt. The Clown lay there, motionless. Just as everyone was still in shock and confusion, a giant glowing number ¡¯10¡¯ appeared above the Clown¡¯s body¡ª Next, the ¡¯10¡¯ changed into a ¡®9¡¯, Then an ¡®8¡¯, And a countdown began 7, 6, 5, 4¡­ Until it finally reached ¡®0¡¯! Ding! The points displayed on Tan Xiao¡¯s holographic projection changed to 1 point! The Clown immediately got up, his spring-neck contracting. The Clown laughed, ¡°How was it? How was it? Isn¡¯t it very direct and clear?¡± His body wobbled for a few seconds before finally steadying itself. His tone still fired up, ¡°As long as the opponent is knocked down and can¡¯t get up within 10 seconds, you win a round and are awarded 1 point!¡± The audience was dumbfounded. ¡­It¡¯s only one point. Tan Xiao curiously asked, ¡°One point for winning one opponent, so doesn¡¯t it mean we have to defeat 30 people to accumulate passing points?!¡± What does consecutive 30 wins even mean? Just the physical exhaustion alone could kill someone! The Clown laughed, ¡°Yes, yes, one point for winning one opponent, but losing one game doesn¡¯t necessarily mean losing one point. Players with 0 points will not lose points if they lose, Players with up to 10 points will lose 1 point, Players with up to 20 points will lose 5 points, Players with up to 30 points will lose 10 points, Players with up to 50 points will lose 20 points!¡± The higher the score, the higher the deduction if you lose, and the greater the risk is. The audience was left stunned. This sort of exploitative fighting was just as brutal as gladiatorial games! If they never score passing points, are they supposed to keep fighting in this chaos forever? Will they never get to leave?! ¡°This game has no time limit, it ends when everyone¡¯s happy!¡± The Clown waved his stubby arms at the participants. ¡°Why so glum, folks? Laugh! Be happy! ¡ª¡ª A sewer was trying to solve a difficult math problem. After thinking for a long time without finding a solution, it said in frustration ¡®I can¡¯t figure it out!¡¯ And then it got blocked!¡± The audience was all rendered speechless. This Inspector really enjoyed making people laugh, although his methods were¡­ quite, awkward. Tan Xiao: ¡°Hahaha the sewer got blocked!¡± The Audience: ¡°¡­¡± He¡¯s actually laughing at this crap??? The Clown was highly satisfied with Tan Xiao¡¯s response, he waved his tiny stout hand and Tan Xiao¡¯s score was boosted by another 5 points, it now read 6 points! ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Please don¡¯t forget, this is the Happy Chaos Field ¡ª Happy chaos, happy chaos¡­ scoring points for chaos, and happiness will earn you points too.¡± The Clown squinted his eyes as he spoke, his smile widening with each word. ¡°The Inspector has a special authority to award additional points, minimum 1 point, maximum 5 points. How to go about it, I believe you all understand, right? Now¡­ let the games begin.¡± Chapter 626 - Chapter 626: Chapter 626: Happy Chaos Field 3 Chapter 626: Chapter 626: Happy Chaos Field 3 Upon hearing the Inspector announce the start of the game, Tan Xiao sauntered towards the exit of the stage. However, just after a couple of steps, the Clown mysteriously uttered from behind him, ¡°Sir, leaving now would result in a deduction of points¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao turned around, looking perplexed, ¡°But I¡¯m not ready for the brawl yet, shouldn¡¯t you let me warm up or something first?¡± The Clown wore a gleeful smile, ¡°Nah nah~ One can only leave the stage after losing. If you step down now, it¡¯d be equivalent to admitting defeat voluntarily, resulting in a deduction of 1 point.¡± ¡°So, you mean¡­ I have to brawl with someone before I can leave, right?¡± Tan Xiao asked, sort of understanding, sort of not. The Clown, however, disregarded him and faced the audience again, beaming invitingly, ¡°Are there any gentlemen or ladies who wish to have a 1v1 brawl with our friend here?¡± ¡°For real¡­¡± Tan Xiao muttered. Fighting was his strength, but this was too sudden. He hadn¡¯t adjusted his mental state and there wasn¡¯t even a brick lying around nearby¡­ ¡­ In the audience, Su Man anxiously asked Shen Mo, ¡°Can Tan Xiao handle a fight?¡± Shen Mo responded, brows knitted slightly, ¡°Depends on the opponent.¡± If it¡¯s any of those few people shaken by the voice to the point of squatting under their chairs, Tan Xiao could definitely handle them. After all, there¡¯s a difference in physical ability between those who have been through the maze twice and those who have been through once. But if it¡¯s a professional¡­ or rather more professional boxer, martial artist, he¡¯s unsure if Tan Xiao can handle it. In the meantime, the Clown on the stage continued to chatter about the rules: ¡°Happy Chaos Field has no time limit, no restrictions on methods, no restrictions on attempts. As long as an opponent is knocked down and stays down for more than 10 seconds, a point can be earned. It¡¯s that easy, doesn¡¯t anyone want to give it a try? No one? Are you all worried about something? Worried that if you win points, you won¡¯t be able to leave? Ah~ That¡¯s for fairness! The winner stays in the Brawl Stage, accepting challenges from the next player until they are defeated¡­ Even so, defeat only means deducting a few points, which is still pretty worthwhile~ What? Can props be used, you ask? Of course! But all offensive props are prohibited! After all, this is the Brawl Arena and we are assessing everyone¡¯s inherent abilities¡­ Eh? What kind of props count as offensive? You don¡¯t need to worry about that. All offensive props will naturally become void when on stage! Alright, you guys have asked so many questions, doesn¡¯t someone want to participate in the brawl now? ¡­Why is no one coming forward? If there¡¯s no brawl in the Brawl Arena for more than 60 minutes, a forced lottery brawl will be triggered, and that¡¯s not good¡­ Because you can¡¯t predict the kind of opponent you¡¯ll end up with.¡± The Clown¡¯s final words finally had an effect. Many in the audience stirred. Among them, a burly man stood out. With a stature over 2 meters tall, a face full of scars, abundant tattoos and an intimidating presence, he was exceptionally eye-catching! Moreover, his right hand was replaced by a metal iron hook, creating an extremely creepy appearance! Seeing this, other audience members resumed their seats, staring uneasily at the burly man. No one wanted to be this man¡¯s opponent. Only Shen Mo stood up and walked towards the stage. Su Man¡¯s heart thumped in apprehension as she chased after him, asking uncertainly, ¡°You¡¯re going too?!¡± Shen Mo cast gaze at the burly man, tone calm, ¡°Tan Xiao is no match for him.¡± In the large crowd, only two were heading towards the stage. The man quickly noticed someone else was approaching alongside him. The burly man looked towards Shen Mo, his lips curling into a strange, cold smirk, as if mocking Shen Mo¡¯s audacity. Unfazed, Shen Mo quickened his pace. Just on the verge of reaching the stage, he lunged forward, leaping onto the stage! A second later, the burly man too, arrived at the Brawl Stage! With a loud thud! His massive body stood before the Clown like a Giant! Chapter 627 - Chapter 627: Chapter 627: Happy Chaos Field 4 Chapter 627: Chapter 627: Happy Chaos Field 4 ¡°Wow¡­¡± The Clown looked up, staring at the towering ¡°Giant¡± in front of him. ¡°Hey! I know you. You¡¯re Jefferson, the one who killed the Cyclops Monster. You know you¡¯re famous, right?¡± The Clown chuckled, circling around the other man. ¡°Dear me¡­ Just look at this size, look at these muscles, no wonder some Inspectors fancy you. But hold your horses, someone arrived before you. Although there aren¡¯t many rules in the Brawl Arena, it doesn¡¯t allow multiple adversaries.¡± The man known as Jefferson glanced disdainfully at Shen Mo in the distance, then stepped off the stage without saying a word. He had an incredibly arrogant aura, as if everyone else was nothing but ants beneath him, not even worthy of a second glance. Tan Xiao sidled up to Shen Mo, curiously watching the retreating ¡°Giant.¡± He whispered, ¡°He¡¯s been on the steroids, hasn¡¯t he?¡± Shen Mo frowned and punched Tan Xiao on the shoulder. ¡°Down,¡± he said. Tan Xiao held his shoulder, looking at Shen Mo in shock. A few seconds later, he finally caught on and quickly sprawled on the ground! ¡°Ah! Ow, ow, ow¡­ I can¡¯t move!¡± It was obviously fake, but the system accepted it, displaying a large number ¡°10¡± above Tan Xiao. The countdown began! The number dropped from 10 to 0, and the scores changed ¨C Tan Xiao¡¯s score dropped from 6 to 5, while Shen Mo¡¯s score rose from 0 to 1. ¡°Perfect!¡± The Clown cheered. ¡°You have all given us a perfect demonstration! Now, the loser please step down, and the winner remains to continue the brawl! If there¡¯s no brawl within 60 minutes, a random draw will initiate!¡± They didn¡¯t need to wait for 60 minutes. Because Jefferson, who had just left, returned to the stage¨C Everyone held their breath, believing that Shen Mo was definitely doomed! Facing such a huge monster, who could cope without weapons? Especially, the Brawl Arena prohibits the use of attack items! Was there any hope of victory?! Tan Xiao stayed near the edge of the stage, watching the battle. He didn¡¯t want to leave, worried about Shen Mo¡¯s safety. As the Clown declared the start of the brawl, Jefferson charged at Shen Mo like a giant bear! Shen Mo sidestepped to avoid him, but his opponent was surprisingly swift! With his left hand grabbing onto Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder, his right-hand hook swiped directly at Shen Mo¡¯s face! Tan Xiao widened his eyes; his heart sank. ¡°Boss!¡± At the critical moment, Jefferson let out an angry roar! He let go of Shen Mo with his left hand, allowing him to fall, and his hook swung through the air, hitting nothing! The spectators were baffled. ¡°What happened? He had Shen Mo pinned. Why would he just let go?¡± ¡°Yeah, why did he suddenly let go?¡± ¡°Did he deliberately let Shen Mo off?¡± ¡­ Su Man listened to their comments, while never taking her eyes off the stage. She understood. Jefferson didn¡¯t go easy on Shen Mo; instead, Shen Mo had landed a hit on the joints between his index and middle fingers, forcing him to loosen his grip! If you hit certain joints and pressure points during a fight, you could gain the upper hand. She had learned it too, but her accuracy wasn¡¯t nearly as good as Shen Mo¡¯s. The ¡°Giant¡± of a man quickly went from being the attacker to getting attacked. Shen Mo controlled the battle with every move. Although due to the other¡¯s resilient skin and flesh, he didn¡¯t inflict significant injury, the situation had decidedly improved. His victory seemed only a matter of time! ¡°Go Boss!¡± Tan Xiao cheered for Shen Mo. ¡°Take that, gorilla! You¡¯re going down!!!¡± Under Shen Mo¡¯s onslaught, Jefferson crashed to the ground! A countdown appeared above his body. Shen Mo, mildly sweaty but unscathed. Tan Xiao was so excited he nearly whistled! But in the audience, Su Man turned pale with fright. She stood up and yelled, ¡°Be careful!¡± Suddenly, the hook in the strong man¡¯s right hand, like the Clown¡¯s head, extended out. With a swish, it ripped through Shen Mo¡¯s abdomen! Chapter 628 - Chapter 628: Chapter 628: Happy Chaos Field 5 Chapter 628: Chapter 628: Happy Chaos Field 5 The situation took a sudden turn for the worse! One moment, Shen Mo was on top of the world, the next he was on the ground, his abdomen pierced by an iron hook. Blood gushed out from him and the hook linked to a nearly two-meter-long thin iron chain was firmly locked around Jefferson¡¯s right arm! A countdown appeared above Shen Mo. ¡°Mo bro!!!¡± Tan Xiao, supporting his own arm, wanted to rush onto the stage. But the Brawl Stage was blocked by an invisible wall, Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t go up at all! The Clown Inspector was still laughing: ¡°Not to worry, not to worry~ The stage can only accommodate two players at a time, if you want to up, you need to wait for the countdown to end¡­¡± ¡°This is cheating!¡± Su Man on the grandstands shouted, ¡°I thought offensive items weren¡¯t allowed?! Why can he use it?!!¡± The Clown leered towards the audience, ¡°This isn¡¯t a prop, it¡¯s actually part of his body.¡± Su Man was dumbstruck, ¡°How is that possible?!¡± ¡°So that¡¯s who he is¡­¡± someone in the audience muttered, ¡°I thought he looked familiar, now it all comes back to me, he¡¯s the death row inmate Jefferson, who used to be a laborer. Because he violated operation regulations, his right hand was crushed by a machine, and later he installed a hook on his right arm¡­which he used to stab to death more than a dozen workers in the factory¡­he should¡¯ve been given a death sentence, but he escaped during the arrest, supposedly to Mexico, it was a big news for a while¡­¡± Another person grumbled: ¡°Damn it, with a monster like him on stage, how are we supposed to score?!¡± ¡°Hey! Look at the stage!¡± The situation on the stage changed once more! Shen Mo, whose countdown was nearing its end, slowly got up, one hand covering his bloody wound, the other gripping the iron hook! The audience gasped! ¡°What kind of person is this guy?!¡± ¡°He must have passed through the maze at least twice, right? How else could he get up with such injuries?!¡± ¡°¡­But even if he gets up, in his state, he¡¯s no match for Jefferson.¡± A buzz went around the audience, Su Man¡¯s mind was in a whirl, she abandoned her seat, ran to the stage, and stood by Tan Xiao. On the stage, Shen Mo was painstakingly pulling the iron hook out from his flesh. Just from watching, Su Man felt her teeth grow soft, the motion had to be slow, steady, otherwise the hook would cause the wound to tear again! It could severely damage his internal organs! Jefferson on the other hand, apparently, wasn¡¯t planning on giving Shen Mo this opportunity. He lifted his right arm and yanked hard on the chain! He pulled Shen Mo directly in front of him and threw a punch at Shen Mo¡¯s abdominal wound! Everyone gasped! Su Man¡¯s face turned pale! But the scene they were expecting did not unfold, Shen Mo grabbed the iron hook and leapt up! He stepped on his opponent¡¯s shoulder and used the thin iron chain to cinch tight around the monster¡¯s neck! Whoosh! Whoosh! The thin iron chain wound around twice, squeezed tight! Shen Mo jumped off his back, leveraging his weight and gravity to pull the massive figure down to the ground! With a thud, Jefferson turned horizontal, and a countdown began for him! The entire sequence unfolded in a fluid motion, stunning everyone present! Someone unable to hide their shock exclaimed: ¡°I thought he was injured?!¡± ¡°He must have used some life-saving tool!¡± On stage, Jefferson¡¯s face turned beet red, still struggling mightily, attempting to roll on the floor to break free from Shen Mo¡¯s chokehold. But Shen Mo was far nimbler than him, his struggle was futile! Instead, the iron chain grew tighter! It bit deeper! Blood finally gushed out! ¡ª¡ª Jefferson¡¯s head separated from his body. The countdown began. 10, 9, 8, 7¡­..3, 2, 1¡­.. Chapter 629 - Chapter 629: Chapter 629: Happy Chaos Field 6 Chapter 629: Chapter 629: Happy Chaos Field 6 ¡­0. The countdown ends. Shen Mo¡¯s points change to 2, while Jefferson¡¯s score and semi-portrait projection disappear. Shen Mo stands on the stage, glancing at the soil in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed. The soil, after multiple uses, has changed from its original black-gray to current gray-white, and feels like a lump of dough in his hand. He has one last chance to use it. However¡­ He looks up, his long and thin eyes slightly squinted as they face the glaring lights and gaze towards the audience. ¡ª¡ªIf he wins this battle, he would be dividing the items from the other 25 people, and perhaps, there might be some with healing functions. ¡°That was amazing!¡± Tan Xiao excitedly shouted from below the stage, ¡°Boss, you were absolutely terrific! Let¡¯s see who dares to come up next¡­¡± Before he finishes his sentence, a tall and skinny man jumps onto the stage! Tan Xiao: ¡°???¡± The skinny tall man doesn¡¯t say a word, nor does he give any form of introduction, he simply raises his fist and swings it directly at Shen Mo! Tan Xiao is shocked and blurts out, ¡°What is happening? Is he seeking revenge?!!¡± Su Man calmly replies, ¡°He¡¯s not here for revenge¡­ These players know that Mo just had a tough fight with that big guy, and he¡¯s injured, his physical strength also significantly depleted, so this is their best chance to score points.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Tan Xiao glares at the tall skinny man on the stage, cursing, ¡°What a dirty trick! What kind of hero is this?!¡± ¡°A hero?¡± The man sneers as he continues to attack Shen Mo, ¡°I didn¡¯t sign up for the Maze War to play a hero!¡± With that, his attacks grow fiercer and quicker! His punches are extremely fast, as if he is a professional boxer! Shen Mo dodges repeatedly, taking several steps back. He then lifts the iron hooks he had just used and throws them! The man doesn¡¯t dodge in time and the fist he was throwing out gets caught in the hook! Immediately, his wrist is tangled in the chain, his face changes drastically as he hastily halts his attack, trying to untangle the iron chain around his hand. But Shen Mo pulls him towards himself by the chain and swings a punch¡ª¡ª Boom! Right on his face! The guy falls instantly! Shen Mo¡¯s punch is strong and fierce, leaving the tall skinny man with spinning vision. It takes him about seven to eight seconds to gather his strength and attempt to rise, but he stumbles again and falls to the ground, unable to get up! At this moment, Shen Mo¡¯s score changes to 3 points, while the score of the tall skinny man remains the same. ¡°My goodness, that was awesome!¡± Tan Xiao exclaims, ¡°To take him out with a single punch! It is such a pity that Wei did not witness this first-hand¡­¡± Su Man is also astounded. She knew Shen Mo was capable but she never expected him to be this capable! One punch? One punch to takedown a man who has been through the Maze? At this moment, the tall skinny man on the stage stands up and walks down, his face gloomy. Tan Xiao and Su Man are even more shocked, he could not get up just a moment ago, how are able to walk as soon as the countdown ended? On the stage, Shen Mo calmly comments, ¡°He knew he couldn¡¯t beat me, so he chose to stay down, both to preserve his strength and to wait for other players to further deplete my strength before reentering the Brawl Arena. At that time, it would be easier for him to win. As for now¡­ It wouldn¡¯t matter anyway since he wouldn¡¯t lose any points from the zero on scoreboard.¡± Tan Xiao and Su Man then come to a deep realization. Before another two minutes pass, another man comes onto the stage. Although not as massive as Jefferson, he was nevertheless a big guy. Tan Xiao shouts from below the stage, ¡°How is there another one?!¡± Su Man racked her brain and reasoned, ¡°Perhaps he knows that Mo just had a round with that big guy, and another round with the skinny tall guy just before this, the two rounds of Brawl must¡¯ve taken a considerable toll on his strength. So at this moment, he has the best chance to score points.¡± Chapter 630 - Chapter 630: Chapter 630: Happy Chaos Field 7 Chapter 630: Chapter 630: Happy Chaos Field 7 Two minutes later, the man was defeated, leaving his points unchanged. Shen Mo¡¯s score was 4. He was still 26 points short of the passing score of 30 points. Tan Xiao and Su Man thought there should be a little respite at this point, but to their surprise, another challenger stepped out from the audience less than a minute later. Tan Xiao marveled, ¡°That¡¯s harsh, they¡¯re planning to use on-rotation battles¡­¡± Su Man analyzed, ¡°They think Shen Mo must be worn out after fighting three consecutive matches. So they believe this is the moment¡­¡± ¡°The best chance to score!¡± Tan Xiao finished her sentence. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t state the obvious. I got it!¡± Su Man: ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ The player who climbed onto the stage this time was KO¡¯ed by Shen Mo in less than three minutes. More challengers followed, but each was knocked out within minutes by Shen Mo. Of course, Shen Mo¡¯s skill aside, the main reason was that those who came forward to challenge him were just testing the waters, not giving their all. After all, if they lose at zero points, they wouldn¡¯t lose any points anyway. So why risk a direct confrontation with Shen Mo? The most likely outcome: earn 1 point for victory, yet also deplete considerable energy, even get injured, then be defeated by the next challenger, and lose points! All the effort for nothing! So, they couldn¡¯t afford to rush, had to take it slow~ The Brawl Stage was gradually turning into a tug-of-war dominated by Shen Mo. The points accumulated more and more, and the twenty-odd players showed no sign of backing down. They were clearly from different countries and of different races, but they had an astonishing tacit understanding on one thing¡ªthe strategy of exhausting Shen Mo! Just like a pack of wolves facing a lion, they bit him turn by turn. Even the mightiest lion would eventually run out of energy under a relentless attack! However¡­ They didn¡¯t know what Shen Mo¡¯s limit was. Unconsciously, seven or eight rounds of brawl later, Shen Mo¡¯s score had increased to 12! If the player¡¯s score is within 10, they lose 1 point if they lose. For scores between 10-19, the losing player would lose 5 points. Meaning, whoever could beat Shen Mo now would get 5 points in one fell swoop! Facing this, they¡¯re even more unwilling to back down! Some players who¡¯ve already taken the stage once were even eager to go up again! In their minds, they harbored a glimmer of hope: he¡¯s already fought more than a dozen battles, he must be tired now, right? Surely he¡¯s worn out, right? He¡¯s at his limit, right? However, they still lost! Shen Mo was still standing on the Brawl Stage, calm and composed. He had taken Jefferson¡¯s hook, which had turned into the most powerful weapon in the field. In the audience, some muttered impatiently, ¡°Has he used some special prop? How else could he maintain this pace?¡± ¡°No, he is tired,¡± replied someone, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? Initially, he only took 1 minute to beat someone. It gradually increased to 2 minutes, then 3 minutes¡­ The last fight took him a full 7 minutes! He¡¯s reached his limit, just holding on and pretending to be relaxed to fool us all!¡± A man with a thick mustache stood up, unwilling to admit defeat, ¡°I¡¯ll go give it another try!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going again? You¡¯ve already lost twice!¡± ¡°Maybe I can win this time! Who wouldn¡¯t want 5 points?!¡± The mustachioed man strode towards the stage. In the back of the stands, a muted laughter resonated. Everyone turned their gaze to that direction, where a robust-looking Russian man, around forty years old, with a scruffy beard, was sprawled out. His crossed legs were resting on the back of the chair, and his boots were spreading a horrible smell. This guy had been sleeping in the back row since the beginning of the game. He hadn¡¯t participated in any of the brawls! Someone asked him, ¡°Hey! Beardo, what are you laughing at?!¡± ¡°Laughing at you idiots¡­¡± the bearded man lazily glanced at the stage, ¡°Just wait and see, they¡¯re still going to lose.¡± Chapter 631 - Chapter 631: Chapter 631: Happy Chaos Field 8 Chapter 631: Chapter 631: Happy Chaos Field 8 ¡°You¡¯re so sure? Maybe he will win. After all, the Asian man has already played more than a dozen matches. He¡¯s almost out of energy!¡± Someone in the crowd retorted. To make his statement more convincing, he added, ¡°In the last brawl, it took him 7 minutes to defeat his opponent!¡± ¡°He took 7 minutes, not because he¡¯s tired, but because he was adjusting his pace.¡± The burly man with the beard lowered his leg, slowly sat up, and watching the stage, he continued, ¡°Just like marathon runners¡­ when they realize the race is still far from over, they consciously adjust their pace to avoid burning their energy out too quickly. The slower pace of the runner is not because he can¡¯t run, but a way of preserving his strength. Understand?¡± ¡°Hmph, you talk as if you know everything, why don¡¯t you go and try?¡± ¡°Me?¡± The burly man chuckled, lazily laying back and closing his eyes, ¡°I need to rest¡­ While they rest on the stage, I rest offstage. I¡¯ll regain my energy and then go up¡­¡± Hearing his words, the crowd became annoyed. He actually referred to Shen Mo¡¯s match on the stage as ¡°rest¡±! Wasn¡¯t this an indirect insult, implying all of them to be weaklings?! Everyone continued watching the game, and as the burly man predicted, Shen Mo seemed to be dragging his feet more and more. It took 8 minutes for the match to end. Shen Mo¡¯s score became 14. He beckoned towards Su Man below the stage, ¡°Su Man, come up.¡± Startled, Su Man used one hand to support herself and flipped onto the stage, ¡°¡­ Mo, you¡­ are you going to fight me?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m tired.¡± Shen Mo casually said, ¡°Just hit me.¡± Su Man: ¡°Oh¡­¡± She raised her fist and hesitantly¡­ touched Shen Mo¡¯s arm. Shen Mo laid down on the spot, staring calmly at the countdown numbers appearing above him. Su Man: ¡°¡­¡± After ten seconds, Shen Mo¡¯s score dropped to 9 and Su Man gained 5 points. With the change in scores, Su Man heard faint sighs from below the stage¡­ Shen Mo also heard it, a faint smile playing on his lips. He jumped agilely off the stage, leaving the thin metal chain on the hook for Su Man before walking away. It could be used as a whip. Now his score dropped from 14 to 9. ¡ª Players with less than 10 points will deduct 1 point. That meant, after a great effort to defeat him, they would only get 1 point, which makes it unworthy. After Su Man replaced Shen Mo on the stage, more players came up to challenge. Perhaps due to underestimation, or the effectiveness of the chain, Su Man won two rounds in a row and eventually lost to a bald man in the third. When Su Man stepped down, she let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, her score was less than 10 points. Otherwise, instantly losing 5 points would¡¯ve been a waste of the 5 points Shen Mo gave her. Overall, the situation isn¡¯t bad. Shen Mo had 9 points, Tan Xiao had 5, and Su Man had 6. Shen Mo led Tan Xiao and Su Man toward the seating area. Tan Xiao happily followed, not bothering to ask why. Looking backward to the fierce fights on the stage, Su Man forgot to ask, ¡°Where are we going? Don¡¯t we need to stay and watch?¡± Watching these people¡¯s moves, would also help in understanding their possible tactics. Bai Youwei, Yan Qingwen, Lu Yuwen were no longer by her side, and Su Man felt that even if she wasn¡¯t adept, she should consider all possible situations and outcomes¡­ Shen Mo ahead casually responded, ¡°No hurry, the game has no time limit. Follow me first.¡± ¡­ Shen Mo walked around the seating area, finding the burly man sound asleep in the last row. He led Tan Xiao and Su Man over, sat down next to the burly man, calmly asking him, ¡°Want to cooperate?¡± The burly man opened his eyelids to look at him. ¡°You noticed too, right? The trap in this game.¡± Shen Mo gave a slight smile, ¡°So you¡¯ve been waiting here¡­ for the right opportunity?¡± Chapter 632 - Chapter 632: Chapter 632: Happy Chaos Field 9 Chapter 632: Chapter 632: Happy Chaos Field 9 The bearded man pondered Shen Mo for a bit before slowly raising himself to a seated position. He rummaged through his tangled brown curls and muttered: ¡°I can¡¯t tell what you¡¯re on about¡­ I am lying here, just wanting to wait until everyone else becomes weary before going onto the stage. Anyway, if I go up there now, I¡¯m just handing out points to others¡­¡± His voice was low, yet robust and powerful, with a sharp hint of alcohol odor. That smell made Su Man screw up her face in displeasure. Of course, there was also the virtually unendurable body odor emanating from him as if he hadn¡¯t bathed for months. ¡°You want to wait till everyone¡¯s tired¡­¡± Shen Mo smiled wryly. ¡°There are 30 players in the field. Some will be tired, while others recuperate after rest; you¡¯ll never wait out till everyone is tired. Besides, don¡¯t forget that there¡¯s no food or water here; the longer we drag, the more disadvantageous for us and the higher the chances of someone else claiming the War King¡¯s position first.¡± The bearded man knitted his eyebrows, ¡°Such a hassle¡­ So what should we do? Just so you¡¯re aware, I won¡¯t get involved in anything that isn¡¯t profitable. Don¡¯t waste your breath.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°When I go on stage, you don¡¯t. When you¡¯re on stage, I hold back.¡± The bearded man was taken aback for a moment before slowly narrowing his eyes. His gaze on Shen Mo was full of intrigue. Shen Mo said: ¡°Toppling a person is not the difficult part, the challenge is in maintaining that position. High points mean high risk; once you fall, all previous efforts go to waste. The most dangerous times in this game are when you score up to 29. To avoid having their places taken and to secure the 10 points, every jackal, tiger, and leopard may show up.¡± At his words, the bearded man burst out laughing: ¡°Now you¡¯re being modest, hmm? From what I see, your stamina seems good, having defeated Jefferson and even scored so much. Even if there are ten more games, you should do well, no?¡± Shen Mo thought carefully before nodding faintly: ¡°Yes.¡± The bearded man: ¡°¡­¡± You could be a bit more modest, you know, young man? ¡°However¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s tone changed before he continued, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to see you on that stage when I score up to 29.¡± That statement pleased the bearded man, lightening his mood and changing his perception of Shen Mo for the better. ¡°Understood, you¡¯re afraid you can¡¯t beat me then.¡± The bearded man loftily twirled his beard showing his satisfaction. Shen Mo didn¡¯t respond directly but merely glanced towards the stage and calmly stated: ¡°Though there are 30 gamers here, in reality, only two or three of them can be considered worthy opponents. As long as these few don¡¯t make their moves, I think it should be easy to secure passing points.¡± ¡°What if they do make their moves?¡± queried the bearded man, narrowing his eyes. Shen Mo responded neutrally: ¡°There are five spots for the victors.¡± Even though there are five places, why engage in clashing egos? Joining forces is always better compared to both coming out worse after a fierce battle, and then having the spoils seized by some nobodies. ¡°Presumably, you wouldn¡¯t want to see me on the stage when you reach 29 points either,¡± Shen Mo said, fixing him with an appraising gaze. The bearded man burst out into hearty laughter, ¡°You¡¯ve found me out, have you?¡± His laugh was too robust and so hearty that it drew quite a few glances in his direction. The bearded man didn¡¯t seem to care. Still chuckling, he spoke to Shen Mo, ¡°But have you considered, even if you don¡¯t come up, there are others who will. Don¡¯t assume the gamers here have no skills because you had an easy time earlier. That¡¯s because their scores were low, which is why they weren¡¯t giving everything they had. But to keep a winning streak of 30 matches, once the scores go up, is impossible.¡± ¡°Which is why we need to cooperate,¡± Shen Mo explained, ¡°Every time when the score reaches 19 or 29, I and my companion will go on the stage to divert your scores. You can take this chance to rest, recuperate and come back when you¡¯re ready.¡± Chapter 633 - Chapter 633: Chapter 633: Happy Chaos Field 10 Chapter 633: Chapter 633: Happy Chaos Field 10 ¡°Are the companions you¡¯re talking about, these two?¡± The bearded man looked at Tan Xiao and Su Man, chuckling, ¡°This girl, she can hold her own in a fight, but this guy¡­ looks like a dolt, don¡¯t he? With such weak teammates, can they keep your points safe?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in dissatisfaction, and as he was about to retort, Shen Mo interjected: ¡°Consider the rules, your points, they could at least keep half of them.¡± Players with up to 10 points will lose 1, Players with up to 20 points will lose 5, Players with up to 30 points will lose 10, Players with up to 50 points will lose 20. Let¡¯s not mention the rule for 50 points for now, think about 29 points. If you pretend to lose to Tan Xiao and transfer 10 points, along with Tan Xiao¡¯s original 5 points, that would be 15 points in total. Even if Tan Xiao loses the next round, he would only lose 5 points. Listening to Shen Mo¡¯s explanation, the bearded man asked, puzzled, ¡°So, will the remaining 5 points be returned to me?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°If it¡¯s 5 points, the best time to return them to you would be when you accumulate 25 points. That way, you could pass immediately and secure the position of the War King.¡± The bearded man considered this. This plan was clearly all benefit and no harm to him. Not only did it ensure his safety when he had a high score, but it also greatly reduced the risk of losing points. And the only condition for the collaboration was, when Shen Mo went on stage, he couldn¡¯t act against him. Of course, when he was on the stage, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t act against him either. This situation was win-win. If the two of them fought to the death in the Brawl Arena, they would only benefit the rest of the rabbits¡¯ spawn. After some deliberation, the bearded man nodded in agreement, ¡°You better keep your promise. If you take away my points and don¡¯t give them back, you need to realize there will be consequences.¡± Shen Mo responded with a faint smile: ¡°Same goes for you.¡± At this moment, a clamor came from the front row of the spectator seats. They looked over to see a player on the stage taking a severe beating and even after the countdown had ended, he refused to leave the stage. It seemed like he had been provoked to the point of fury and started shouting: ¡°Let¡¯s go again! One more round! You bastard, I wasn¡¯t ready yet! Do you think I can¡¯t beat you?¡± The victory went to a slightly tan boy who seemed to be only seventeen or eighteen, very young. He stood on the stage looking quite nonchalant: ¡°Old man, can¡¯t you see that you¡¯re making a fool of yourself?¡± The other party was even more infuriated and stormed over: ¡°You little¡­!¡± The Clown Inspector waddled in between the two, and with a chuckle, stopped them: ¡°No, no, no~ Only the winning player can stay on the stage, the losing player needs to go down~ Go down~¡± ¡°Just wait and see!¡± The player angrily exited the stage. Other players nearby discussed amongst themselves: ¡°That kid throws some fast punches.¡± ¡°Yeah, not only fast, his angles are quite cunning too¡­¡± Maybe due to some hesitation, no one immediately jumped on the stage to challenge. After all, the game had no time limit, so everyone had plenty of time to think. Shen Mo watched the boy on the stage, deep in thought: ¡°He¡¯s a promising one, agile.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see him take the stage earlier,¡± Su Man remarked. Tan Xiao immediately responded: ¡°That¡¯s just because our Brother Mo is formidable. The boy was too scared to come out. Now, with all the small fry on stage, it¡¯s a good opportunity for him to earn points! Once Brother Mo takes the stage, he won¡¯t have a chance!¡± Su Man¡¯s face was filled with an awkward expression. Although she admired Shen Mo, she really couldn¡¯t get used to such bootlicking tone. Shen Mo slowly said while looking at the stage: ¡°He¡¯s dexterous, has great explosive power, and knows how to find opportunities¡­ This boy might interfere with our plans.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a pesky little brat.¡± The bearded man lazily threw his leg over the other one, and once again closed his eyes to rest, ¡°Skinny arms, skinny legs, looks like he doesn¡¯t have much endurance, might win two or three rounds at most¡­¡± Shen Mo said: ¡°There are five spots, we are just missing one.¡± The bearded man suddenly opened his eyes: ¡°You want to work with him as well?¡± Chapter 634 - Chapter 634: Chapter 634: Happy Chaos Field 11 Chapter 634: Chapter 634: Happy Chaos Field 11 Shen Mo nodded, ¡°When a person is exhausted, the most frightening thing is to face an opponent with explosive strength and speed. If we can¡¯t win him over, it will be difficult to deal with him later.¡± ¡°Then we should get rid of him in the arena! It¡¯s a quick solution!¡± The bearded man impatiently said, ¡°Cooperating with that kid, who knows if he¡¯ll betray us? What if he takes the points and doesn¡¯t repay them? I appreciate your goodwill to help our teammates pass, so I¡¯m willing to cooperate with you. But why should I trust that brat?¡± Shen Mo listened calmly and finally spoke up, ¡°If possible, I would not only seek allies but as many as possible. This game¡¯s mechanism is designed to exhaust all player¡¯s endurance. To win, we must break the cycle.¡± The bearded man frowned, ¡°¡­Break, the cycle?¡± Shen Mo looked towards the stage and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that this game¡¯s rules are very unfriendly to winners? After winning, you can¡¯t leave the stage. Accumulating higher points brings more risks. Once you lose¡­ the winning player will repeat this process¡ª You can¡¯t leave the stage, continually increasing your points. Once your score reaches nearly 30, you risk losing points. The loser leaves, the winner continues¡­¡± ¡°And what if we win?¡± the bearded man disagreed, ¡°Maybe we will.¡± ¡°The chance is slim,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°The longer the game lasts, the more endurance it consumes. So everyone tends to challenge high-scoring players at the end, because the cost-effectiveness of beating a player and gaining 1 point is not the same as beating a player and gaining 5 or 10 points. Also, players in the audience seats can recover their strength, but there is no rest for those on the stage. As the score goes up, players on stage will get exhausted¡­ If the boy understands this, he should concede in the next round.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, someone in the front row of the audience stood up and walked towards the stage. The bearded man chuckled coldly, ¡°If he plans to conserve his strength by sacrificing 1 point, he is too naive. Not many fools can make it into this preliminaries.¡± The two on stage started fighting! As Shen Mo had predicted, the young boy was more cautious than before, constantly retreating, purely on defense. His opponent, however, was aggressive! The boy looked grave, after dodging he rolled on the ground, intending to lay down and wait for the countdown. Even though he had already yielded, his opponent didn¡¯t let up! He grabbed the boy¡¯s arm and flipped him over! Snap¡ª A crisp sound of a bone breaking echoed in the air. The boy screamed in pain! The bearded man, as if he had expected this, nonchalantly said, ¡°See? Sometimes you can¡¯t lose even if you want to. If he¡¯s fast with his punches, others would want to break his hand. In this way, even if we meet him later, we won¡¯t fear him. Also, we can easily win points. It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone.¡± Shen Mo watched as the boy, now injured, left the stage, feeling a little regretful. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s brutal?¡± The bearded man laughed carelessly, ¡°If they weren¡¯t able to gain points from him, they might not only break his hand but take his life as well.¡± Su Man hesitated before looking at Shen Mo, ¡°If his hand is really broken, do we¡­still need to cooperate with him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t judge too quickly, let¡¯s watch a little longer.¡± Shen Mo looked towards the figure in the distance. Everyone watched curiously to see the defeated boy take out a handkerchief from his pocket to tightly wrap his injured place. A few seconds later, when he unwrapped it, his arm was unharmed?! ¡°A prop!¡± Tan Xiao exclaimed excitedly, ¡°What a useful prop!¡± ¡°Those who can make it into these preliminaries are never simple,¡± Shen Mo said with a light smile, looking at the bearded man, ¡°He lacks endurance, and could really use the opportunity to cooperate.¡± The bearded man grumbled, ¡°Do as you please.¡± Chapter 635 - Chapter 635: Chapter 635: Happy Chaos Field 12 Chapter 635: Chapter 635: Happy Chaos Field 12 Shen Mo really did go to find that young boy. The boy was more straightforward than the bearded man, agreeing almost immediately, perhaps because he had no other way out. The five gathered together, formally agreeing to cooperate, taking turns introducing themselves. The young boy¡¯s name was Lucas, an American, 18 years old. The bearded man was named Leonid, a Russian, 37 years old. Tan Xiao was surprised: ¡°Uncle, you look like you¡¯re 50!¡± The bearded man glared at him: ¡°You look like you¡¯re 5!¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback, touching his own face: ¡°¡­Is it because I have some baby fat?¡± The bearded man was stunned: ¡°¡­¡± Is it really okay to collaborate with someone like this? Lucas, unfamiliar with them and not in the mood for joking, asked Shen Mo carefully, ¡°Utilizing this strategy, we can indeed get plenty of rest and drastically reduce risk, but after getting enough points to pass, your companions still won¡¯t have enough points to pass. What do you plan to do?¡± Tan Xiao and Su Man were only helping to hold the points temporarily, which did not mean that Lucas and Leonid were willing to simply give their points to them. Shen Mo replied: ¡°After passing, I will continue to stay on stage, players with 30-50 points, if they lose, will be deducted 20 points in one fell swoop.¡± ¡°Brother Mo!¡± Tan Xiao exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock. Even Su Man was surprised, turning to look at Shen Mo: ¡°Brother Mo, Tan Xiao and I will try to get points, we won¡¯t hold everyone back.¡± ¡°No, your points can¡¯t be too high.¡± Shen Mo calmly responded, ¡°Your points should remain in the 0-9 range to facilitate receiving points from Leonid and Lucas. Once they both ascend to the War King position, we¡¯ll then figure out how to accumulate points.¡± Ultimately, the focus of Shen Mo¡¯s plan was to elevate players who could potentially become strong opponents to the War King position first. This way, he could secure more opportunities for Tan Xiao and Su Man. Leonid raised an eyebrow at Shen Mo¡¯s words, his thick beard trembling with laughter: ¡°That¡¯s quite ambitious, aiming for 50 points¡­¡± Shen Mo said: ¡°We don¡¯t need 50 points, 30 is enough.¡± Leonid: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The intention of this rule may be to encourage players to form alliances. It¡¯s just that no one has noticed it yet.¡± Shen Mo added. ¡°Even if they realize¡­ not everyone would carry it out.¡± Lucas stared solemnly at the players in the front rows, ¡°It¡¯s not so easy to form an alliance with a group of strangers.¡± The only reason the five of them could form an alliance is because Shen Mo had an overwhelming advantage. Once Shen Mo made some concessions, driven by benefits, there was no reason for Leonid and Lucas not to cooperate. The five of them continued to discuss for a while. By now, there had already been several intermittent brawls on the stage. Some people had become completely consumed by the fight, battling with each other as if they were avenging personal grudges. They didn¡¯t care about their injuries or their points. Especially some players who had spent years in fighting arenas, who had a short temper by nature. Once their anger exploded they often lost control. Not everyone could remain calm in the rage-filled Brawl Arena. The clown on the stage was almost laughing hysterically, ¡°Fight! Fight! The last man standing will be crowned the War King!¡± Some were bleeding, some were injured, and some even tried to cooperate¡ª One deliberately conceded points, while the other kept winning, but the winner ended up breaking their word. They refused to share the points with their partner, causing the two to become enemies, fighting against each other on the stage! The facts proved that it was impossible to achieve cooperation without trust. Leonid, itching to get in on the action, said excitedly from below the stage, ¡°It¡¯s so lively up there, maybe it¡¯s time for me to join¡­¡± Chapter 636 - Chapter 636: Chapter 636: Happy Chaos Field 13 Chapter 636: Chapter 636: Happy Chaos Field 13 The burly Russian man took the stage and immediately swept his opponent, winning three rounds in a row. He was in the heat of the moment, but after three rounds, no one dared to go on stage again. Everyone was not stupid, the person on stage was clearly a tough opponent, why would they voluntarily contribute points? Leonid waited for about a quarter of an hour on the stage with no challengers, he was somewhat dispirited. ¡°No one is coming up, now what¡¯s the game plan?¡± He asked Shen Mo in the audience. Lucas said, ¡°Worst case scenario, we bide our time. After 60 minutes, we¡¯ll initiate a lottery battle and randomly draw.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too time-consuming.¡± Shen Mo frowned, looking at Tan Xiao and Su Man, ¡°You two take turns up there, give your points to Leonid.¡± For others, they may not be willing, but Tan Xiao and Su Man trusted Shen Mo, so they didn¡¯t question him. They nodded in agreement. The two took turns going up, repeatedly losing, their points quickly depleted, Leonid¡¯s score turned from 3 points to 14 points. At this point, Tan Xiao and Su Man¡¯s points both became zero, but without Shen Mo saying stop, they kept going up to give away points. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they pushed Leonid¡¯s score up in this way, pushing it to 21, 22, 23¡­ The goal of 30 points became so simple, and the Clown Inspector just sat back and watched, grinning as they pretended on stage, without any intention of intervening. He didn¡¯t need to, because as Leonid¡¯s points piled up, more and more players gathered beneath the stage¡­ Lucas took a look at the crowd gathered around, his body tightened, he whispered to Shen Mo, ¡°The higher the score, the more players are attracted.¡± At this point, the big guy¡¯s score reached 26. Whoever can beat him will get 10 points at once! More importantly, Leonid only needs another 4 points to claim the first War King¡¯s Chair! There are only five chairs available. Once one is taken, there¡¯s one less available! Other players will definitely not sit by and let the big guy nab a chair! Sure enough, before Tan Xiao could go onstage for the next round, a figure quickly leap onto the stage! Leonid laughed heartily on the stage, fists clenched, ¡°Ready for another round? Great! I¡¯ve been bored and impatient!¡± Ding! Leonid¡¯s score went up another 2 points ¨C to 28. He blinked in surprise, ¡°How did my score go up without fighting?¡± Not far away, the Clown grinned, ¡°Happily adding points! In the Happy Chaos Field, joy adds points, as does chaos~¡± Upon hearing this, Leonid immediately burst into laughter ¡°Hahahaha!!!¡± Just 2 more points, and he could pass the challenge directly! But the score didn¡¯t change. The burly fellow asked the Clown: ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any increase in points this time?!¡± ¡°Only true happiness will add points! Like me~¡± The Clown laughed at him, ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Leonid: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Big fella! Watch out!¡± Tan Xiao shouted from below. The person who rushed the stage had already attacked! Leonid assumed a defensive stance, but the other side suddenly pulled back their fist and threw something at him! He couldn¡¯t dodge and got hit! Luckily, the thing that hit him was small and didn¡¯t hurt, but upon a closer look, he found that it was a wobble-man toy, falling to the ground and swaying wildly! From the audience, Shen Mo squinted slightly, ¡°Finally getting serious, huh¡­¡± To Leonid¡¯s dismay, his body began to sway in sync with the wobble-man toy! The way the wobble-man toy swayed, so did he! The way the wobble-man toy fell, so did he! Both of his hands and feet were completely uncontrolled, let alone turning around or throwing punches! ¡°Damn it!¡± Leonid swore, looking grim as he was punched. Boom! A solid hit landed on his chest! Then, it was his abdomen! Leg! Face! Neck! Shoulder! ¨C He was like a live target on the stage! Chapter 637 - Chapter 637: Chapter 637: Happy Chaos Field 14 Chapter 637: Chapter 637: Happy Chaos Field 14 Leonid¡¯s face turned red! Being beaten publicly and with no ability to fight back was such a disgrace! Where was his honor as a man?! In a fit of anger, he roared, ¡°How much longer will this damned prop last?!¡± Thump! Another punch hit him in the face. A warm sensation surged from his nose, trickling onto his collar. ¡°Big Beard! You¡¯re bleeding!¡± Tan Xiao was anxiously shouting down from the stage, ¡°Protect your face! Don¡¯t you have any experience?!! When getting hit, always protect your face!¡± Damn it! Did this have anything to do with experience?! His body was simply not cooperating! Leonid tried his best to shift his stiff body, avoiding critical blows. After an unbearable full three minutes, the Weeble-Wobble finally lost its effect! Leonid immediately relaxed! His long-suppressed rage erupted! He lifted his opponent high in the air! The other was shocked, not expecting Leonid to remain standing after being pounded for three minutes! Within a second, he was airborne! Leonid slammed him onto the floor! It felt like all his organs were shattered! His body was in extreme pain! ¡°Bastard! How dare you use a prop on me!¡± Big Beard strode over, full of fury. With his towering height and size, the opponent quickly got up and ran! Leonid grabbed him, threw him ruthlessly over his shoulder, and this time the guy couldn¡¯t get up again. ¡°Come on! Who else dares to fucking challenge me?!¡± Leonid roared at the crowd. He now had 29 points, just 1 point away from 30! ¡°Su Man, you go,¡± Shen Mo suddenly said. ¡°Now?¡± Su Man hesitated, ¡°But he¡¯s only a point away from¡­¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t replace him now, he¡¯ll be targeted with props,¡± Shen Mo explained. Struck with realization, Su Man quickly went on stage¨C Seeing Su Man approach, Leonid didn¡¯t say anything. He merely grunted and deliberately lost 10 points to her. Then Tan Xiao came on stage, and Su Man lost 5 points to him. In this back-and-forth swap, Leonid ended up with 19 points, Su Man 5, and Tan Xiao 5. Shen Mo said to Leonid, ¡°You rest for now, the game has no time limit, the points will come back.¡± Leonid wiped the blood off his beard and stalked off to a seat in the stands. Being mercilessly beaten for three minutes, he needed a rest. The pain wasn¡¯t fatal, but it would affect his speed and reactions. If he encountered another person with a prop like the Weeble-Wobble¡­ The risk might be fatal. Tan Xiao stood on the stage, but no one came to challenge him. Probably because the amount of points was too low, no one was willing to waste their energy to win that 1 point, nor did they want to expose their precious props for just 1 point. Shen Mo glanced at Lucas, ¡°You¡¯re up.¡± Lucas nodded somberly. Using their usual tactic, Su Man and Tan Xiao took turns to give all their points to Lucas, pushing Lucas¡¯s score to 29. They didn¡¯t wait for other players to approach the stage, rather, they initiated the point transfer. Lucas lost 10 points to Tan Xiao, Tan Xiao lost 5 points to Su Man, and then Shen Mo came onstage to replace Su Man. All was going smoothly. As long as they continued like this, Shen Mo, Lucas, Su Man and Tan Xiao would all reach the required points. That is, if¡­ no one came to disrupt their pace. However, when Shen Mo¡¯s points were pushed to 29 by Su Man and Tan Xiao, someone finally interrupted¡ª They had beat them to the Brawl Stage. Chapter 638 - Chapter 638: Chapter 638: Happy Chaos Field 15 Chapter 638: Chapter 638: Happy Chaos Field 15 It was a bald man. After walking onto the stage, he didn¡¯t immediately launch an attack. Instead, he just stood there, staring at Shen Mo. Everyone was confused when suddenly, the bald guy pulled out a pill from his pocket and swallowed it. Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help but frown. The crowd was murmuring amongst themselves. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± ¡°No idea¡­ looks like he swallowed some kind of pill?¡± ¡°Where would he have gotten medicine from in a place like this? Most likely, it must be a prop¡­¡± Suddenly, the bald guy¡¯s veins began to bulge as if he was experiencing unbearable pain. He let out a terrifying scream on stage! Everyone was shocked and watched in horror. At first, it was a shriek filled with agony, but as he continued to scream, it evolved into a fierce animalistic roar! ¡°Awoooooo!¡± The bald man¡¯s back arches, thick black hair starts to grow on his face and neck, fangs become visible. He¡¯s turned into a werewolf! The werewolf roars and launches at Shen Mo, its speed and strength both incredibly terrifying! Shen Mo can¡¯t confront it head-on and is forced to dodge and retreat. Both shocked and furious, Su Man confronts the Inspector: ¡°Doesn¡¯t this count as an attacking prop?!¡± ¡°Nope~¡± the Clown answers with a grin on his face, ¡°This is a transformation prop, not classified as an attacking prop.¡± Su Man is beyond speechless at these absurd game rules. Turning into a werewolf isn¡¯t considered an attacking prop??? ¡°If this isn¡¯t considered one, then just what kind of prop is?!¡± she asks indignantly. ¡°Any props that explicitly mention attack in their description or include functionalities to maliciously target other players are considered attacking props,¡± the Clown explains, ¡°But this prop he¡¯s using only enhances the user¡¯s strength and speed for a period of time, resulting in a Berserk State. So it¡¯s not considered an attacking prop.¡± Shen Mo, on stage, manages to swiftly dodge the werewolf¡¯s swipe, and asks, ¡°How long does this Berserk State last?¡± The Clown simply smiles: ¡°See for yourself.¡± The werewolf misses its attack, scraping the stage floor and causing debris to fly! Shen Mo barely evades it, barely has time to catch his breath, the werewolf is roaring and launching at him once again! Shen Mo darts a few steps, tossing a card behind him! ¡°Question!¡± Shen Mo raises his voice, and the werewolf halts in his tracks! The card floating in front of the werewolf¡¯s eyes ¡ª¡ª No matter how crazed or out of control the werewolf is, it has to submit to the question card. It must read and provide a careful and precise answer! Shen Mo stops in his tracks, turns around and faces the werewolf: ¡°Answer this question, what¡¯s the result of 973723 multiplied by 150 plus 589612333?¡± Werewolf: ¡°Awooooo!¡± Crowd: ¡°¡­.¡± Clown: ¡°¡­.¡± Tan Xiao starts to laugh heartily in the crowd: ¡°I almost forgot about this prop! Well, this is going to be interesting now. The guy is turned into a werewolf and can¡¯t talk anymore!¡± Su Man also chuckles: ¡°Not only can he not talk, but his thinking is also affected. He¡¯s completely lost his senses, how can he possibly answer the question? Even if asked him what 1+1 equals, I bet he couldn¡¯t answer.¡± While they were both pleased for Shen Mo, they then see him casually lying down. Tan Xiao: ¡°???¡± Su Man: ¡°???¡± A countdown appears above Shen Mo. ¡°Bro Shen?¡± Tan Xiao asks in confusion, ¡°Kill him while you have the chance! Losing now would cost you 10 points!¡± Lying on the stage, Shen Mo calmly replies: ¡°If the Lucky Question Card¡¯s question is answered incorrectly there are three penalties, adding up to six minutes but the werewolf¡¯s body is exceptionally robust, healing rapidly. I¡¯m not confident I can kill him in six minutes.¡± A hint of awkwardness appears on Tan Xiao¡¯s face, he softly retorts: ¡°Boss¡­ you should lower your voice, it¡¯s kind of embarrassing if others hear this.¡± At his words, Shen Mo simply smiles. Once the countdown ends, he loses 10 points to the werewolf. With an indifferent expression, he stands up, brushes off the dust on his body and jumps off the stage. Chapter 639 - Chapter 639: Chapter 639: Happy Chaos Field 16 Chapter 639: Chapter 639: Happy Chaos Field 16 The werewolf stayed still on the stage, emitting subdued growls from its mouth. Shen Mo glanced at it and said, ¡°According to the legend of werewolves, they usually recover during the day of the second day. I¡¯m not sure how this prop is set up but we should wait and see. The game has no time limit, so there¡¯s no need for us to take risks unnecessarily.¡± The rest of the group nodded in agreement. ¡°But¡­¡± Su Man hesitated as she looked at the half-human, half-beast creature on the stage. ¡°In-game items usually only last for a few minutes¡­ This one¡­ won¡¯t last the whole night, right?¡± ¡­ As it turns out, it did. Once the effect of Shen Mo¡¯s Lucky Question Card wore off, the werewolf started to move again. It ferociously howled and ran across the stage, seemingly gaining endless energy. It scratched the floor, ripped off the curtains, and howled over and over! Even the Clown Inspector retreated and kept a distance. Nobody dared to go on the stage to challenge it. The Brawl competition was at a standstill because of this. Everyone started to wait. They were waiting for the werewolf to return to its senses, and for the game to restart. ¡ªThe waiting lasted for a whole 12 hours. They were forced to go through 12 random draws! Luckily, none of them were chosen in the 12 draws. The unfortunate players who were chosen had to fight the werewolf one-on-one! Of course¡­ nobody was a match for the werewolf. The casualties on the stage kept piling up, and the werewolf¡¯s points kept accumulating. It had even surpassed 30 points. But since it had no sense at the moment, it didn¡¯t even think about sitting on the chair, it just kept howling and frolicking on stage, utterly insane! By the time the twelfth drawn brawl came to an end, the werewolf had gained 5 more points, reaching a total of 36. Shen Mo noticed the werewolf¡¯s worsening condition and anticipated that it would soon recover its human form. So he made a decisive move and jumped on stage to attack the werewolf! But unexpectedly, after just one punch from Shen Mo, the werewolf collapsed, spewing fresh blood from its mouth! It returned to human form, lying helplessly on the ground¡ªa stark contrast to its previously ferocious and rapid state. He was weak, laying on the floor just like a bedridden patient. Not too long after being punched, he took his last breath. It seemed that although this prop was domineering, once it wore off, the user would be left terribly weak! There was an uproar from the crowd. Tan Xiao and Su Man also called out in surprise: ¡°Mo, look at your score!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s scores had hit 50 points! ¡°Why is it 50 points?! Isn¡¯t it supposed to be deducted 20 points at most? With his initial score, it should be 39!¡± ¡°Because the bald guy died, so all points were transferred to him!¡± Even the Clown Inspector was amazed: ¡°Incredible! He even exceeded the full score! If there was no score limit, you would have 55 points now, awesome! ~Congratulations on being the first to sit on the Throne of the War King!¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment and shouted to the crowd, ¡°Tan Xiao, come up!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Tan Xiao instantly jumped onto the stage. Then, Shen Mo performed a quick series of score transfers! He transferred 20 points from his score of 50 to Tan Xiao, who then transferred 10 to Su Man. Shen Mo got back on stage and transferred another 20 to Su Man¡ª Su Man accumulated a total of 30 points, becoming the first person to sit on the Throne of the War King! Then, Shen Mo asked Lucas to come on stage, and alternately lost to him, pushing his score of 19 all the way to 30! Lucas became the second person to sit on the Throne of the War King! During this time, a few people tried to enter the stage to steal points, but none of them succeeded. When Shen Mo prepared to use this same method to give points to Big Beard, Leonid flatly refused: ¡°What¡¯s the point for me to just sit around while you and this idiot fight? I will join in to steal points later!¡± Shen Mo laughed, ¡°Stealing points later¡­ won¡¯t be easy.¡± He looked around to see faces filled with hatred. They had already taken up two positions. To the other players, they were enemies who could not be allowed to share the same sky! Big Beard looked at these people and sneered, ¡°That¡¯s more exciting.¡± Chapter 640 - Chapter 640: Chapter 640: Happy Chaos Field 17 Chapter 640: Chapter 640: Happy Chaos Field 17 By now, most players in the audience had scores between 0 and 9, with a few exceeding 10. Shen Mo¡¯s initial plan was to team up with the strongest players and avoid both sides getting hurt. But now, props have become a crucial factor affecting his whole plan. Although the game rules prohibit using offensive props, some supportive props pose quite a headache, like the wooden doll and the pill that could turn you into a werewolf. What would Bai Youwei do if she were here? To seize the remaining chairs, every player did their utmost, fiercely grappling and jostling on stage! Fortunately, some players had been severely injured by the werewolf earlier, which somewhat alleviated the pressure on the trio. The only thing they needed to be wary of was the props. The props in this doll game were just too bizarre. Shen Mo encountered a player with a pen who started drawing on the stage with flourishing strokes as soon as he stepped up. His strokes were bold and forceful. And within a few strokes, a chillingly cold large cleaver appeared on the canvas! The spectating players gasped in astonishment. But even an extra cleaver was no match for Shen Mo. The player was floored within a few rounds, unable to get up. Sitting on the champion¡¯s seat, Su Man watched the stage nervously, ¡°Thank goodness he drew a cleaver. If it had been a gun, wouldn¡¯t Momo be in grave danger!¡± Once on stage, Leonid snorted at her words, ¡°Drawing a cleaver is simple. It¡¯s usable whether you draw it straight or crooked. Let him try drawing a gun. If the gun barrel isn¡¯t straight, it will backfire when fired!¡± Tan Xiao, ¡°Backfire? Hahahahahaha!!!¡± Lucas pondered, ¡°It seems that this prop requires the user to hone their drawing skills¡­¡± Tan Xiao shouted encouragement from below the stage, ¡°Big Beard! Go for it! Keep going!!!¡± Leonid roared, ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡­ The trio took turns on the stage, conserving their energy and constantly exchanging scores. Leonid was the most aggressive and refused to leave the stage until he had won several rounds. When he felt satisfied, he would let out a hearty laugh and shout, ¡°Refreshing!¡± Then, the Clown would give him ¡°Happy Style¡± bonus points, ranging from one or two to four or five points! Everyone blinked at Leonid in envy, wishing they could tear him to pieces on the stage. They wanted to feel ¡°happy¡± too! But frankly, they couldn¡¯t manage! After several rounds, Leonid¡¯s score had reached a towering 34 points, well beyond the passing score, but he remained on the Brawl Stage with no intention of leaving. Tan Xiao shouted from below, ¡°It¡¯s my turn! I should be up there!¡± ¡°One more round!¡± Leonid declared enthusiastically as he flailed his fists, ¡°I¡¯m really enjoying this!¡± A short man leapt onto the stage, darted towards Leonid swiftly! Leonid countered head-on, throwing a punch at him. The opponent rolled aside quickly, avoiding it, quickly drew a wooden figure from his bosom, and shouted to Leonid, ¡°Wooden Doll!¡± Leonid started cursing loudly, ¡°Damn! A prop again?!!¡± He couldn¡¯t move! This time it wasn¡¯t just his hands and feet, his entire body was frozen, like he had turned into wood! Shen Mo and the others including Tan Xiao and Su Man were suddenly startled. The immobilised Leonid was completely unprotected. He was bound to lose this round! But win or lose hardly mattered, the most pressing issue was how to survive under such circumstances! Unexpectedly, the short man didn¡¯t keep attacking Leonid; instead, he just sat right there on the spot ¨C resting. This set the crowd buzzing. Shen Mo quickly figured it out and said to Tan Xiao, ¡°It seems that the restriction of this prop is that it can¡¯t touch the affected target.¡± Tan Xiao was mystified, and asked with wide eyes, ¡°What¡¯s he trying to do?¡± Not being able to touch meant the man couldn¡¯t attack Leonid. If he did, the Wooden Doll prop would become ineffective, then¡­what was the use of this prop to him? Chapter 641 - Chapter 641: Chapter 641: Happy Chaos Field 18 Chapter 641: Chapter 641: Happy Chaos Field 18 Time ticked by, each second merging into the next. Leonid stood stiffly on stage, other than his eyes and mouth, the rest of his body was as if wood, devoid of any sensation. At first, he had the strength to curse, but eventually ran out of curses and decided to keep silent and rest. At first, the players were taken aback, but then they began to grow restless. Because the two on stage were deadlocked, the Brawl Arena match could go no further. The Inspector had no intention of intervening either, he simply grinned and said, ¡°There¡¯s no time limit for this round~¡± Everyone had no choice but to wait patiently. The short man on stage took out a compressed biscuit and took a few bites. A sense of unease began to rise within the crowd. Sure enough, after the guy finished his biscuit, he took out a small water bottle and took a few sips¡ª a clear indication he was prepared for a prolonged battle. Down below the stage, Tan Xiao was eyeing keenly and unconsciously swallowed, saying, ¡°I¡¯m also thirsty.¡± He and Shen Mo had ventured in two mazes, going without food for a day or two was tolerable, but going without water for a long time was really uncomfortable. Other players were also disgruntled: ¡°This guy actually brought food and water? Damn it! Is he trying to starve us to death?!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, he turned and walked towards the seating area, telling Tan Xiao, ¡°Sit down and rest.¡± Tan Xiao glanced at the stage, followed behind Shen Mo towards the seating area, sighing, ¡°If only Bai Youwei was here.¡± With the Dollhouse open, who would ever worry about not having food or drink? Shen Mo thought of Bai Youwei, momentarily lost in thought. His original plan was to bring the combatants together for a quick and decisive battle, using a full-on aggressive strategy. He never thought it would be disrupted by multiple props. The previous werewolf had already delayed them for 12 hours, now another wooden figure had popped up, making it unpredictable how much longer they had to wait. Exiting late, will she be worried if she doesn¡¯t see him? Thinking of these trivial matters, Shen Mo¡¯s mood started to fluctuate, making him feel somewhat restless. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down and rest. Tan Xiao looked at Shen Mo, then glanced at the other players around them, feeling extremely bored, he could only gaze anxiously at the stage. ¡­ The short man on the stage only brought a small amount of food and water. After finishing it, he leaned against the railings at the edge of the stage and fell asleep. Many of the contestants felt contempt for his delay tactic, but they were helpless. They thought that once he had rested, he would start the fight. But after sleeping soundly for almost seven or eight hours, he still showed no sign of making a move. Leonid stood on the stage, unable to sleep, and his eyes were red from fatigue. From below the stage, Shen Mo told him: ¡°He wants to wear you out, don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t take too long, at most two days, otherwise he would not be able to keep up his energy either. This is hurting the enemy a thousand only to injure self eight hundred.¡± Leonid blew his beard and stared, ¡°Damnit, two days is not considered long?!¡± However vexed he was, it was all in vain. If he couldn¡¯t move, he just couldn¡¯t move. Tan Xiao sighed: ¡°This prop is so strong, it can last this long¡­¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s quite a waste,¡± Shen Mo casually commented, ¡°If he met a team with companions, this prop would be worthless.¡± The reason the bearded man was having such a hard time was because no one could go on stage to help him. If anyone were to touch him casually, he would regain freedom, and the effects of the prop¡¯s confinement would be naturally useless. Now that the bearded man couldn¡¯t move, the opponent couldn¡¯t strike him, and the match could not proceed. Anxiety spread throughout the arena. Everyone went from being anxious to infuriated, then helpless and numb, with no choice but to keep waiting. ¡­ Only after a full 36 hours, Leonid¡¯s body swayed and suddenly fell to the ground. His opponent who had been waiting for a long time rushed forward as soon as the time was up, launching an attack at the fallen Leonid! Chapter 642 - Chapter 642: Chapter 642: Happy Chaos Field 19 Chapter 642: Chapter 642: Happy Chaos Field 19 A burst of pent-up punches and kicks! Leonid was defenseless, getting hit until his nose turned blue and his face swollen. Both eyes went dark! Once mighty as a lion, now slumped on the ground like a toothless paper tiger. The countdown quickly appeared! The short man stopped his punches and kicks, a smirk of satisfaction curled at the corner of his lips as he watched the countdown 10, 9, 8¡­ Tan Xiao gasped from the audience, ¡°How did the big-bearded man become so weak¡­¡± ¡°36 hours without eating, drinking, moving, or sleeping. If it were you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to resist either,¡± Shen Mo replied coolly, looking at the stage, ¡°That guy is already at 9 points. If he takes 20 points from Leonid and wins another round, he could claim the War King title.¡± Tan Xiao thought about it, then turned and yelled at the stage, ¡°Big Beard! We will get revenge for you!!!¡± Leonid, lying on the ground, was so angry that he almost spit blood! He wasn¡¯t dead yet! Leonid forced himself to stand, the countdown disappeared, a trace of fear flashed in the short man¡¯s eyes, and he instinctively backed off¡ª ¡°Bastard¡­¡± Leonid climbed up, ¡°This old man just¡­ had numb legs!¡± Bam! Leonid pounced, grabbing the short man¡¯s ankle and lifting him up abruptly! He swung him harshly in the air and smashed him to the ground! Before the man could get up, he lifted his elbow, and with all his weight, pushed down upon him! The spine crackled, the short man was almost crushed to death, his face turned red, and he finally passed out! ¡­The audience was completely silent. Leonid got up, took a couple of breaths, his legs were still somewhat shaky as he walked. He looked towards the audience and scowled, ¡°You brat! Get up here and replace me!¡± Tan Xiao nimbly jumped onto the stage! There were sighs of regret from the audience because the players realized too late that Leonid was at the end of his rope, and they had missed their chance to score. Leonid stepped down, his score fell to 15, giving Tan Xiao 20 points. His body had been immobile for too long, causing poor blood circulation, numbness in his hands and feet, and he was in dire need of rest. Shen Mo helped him and said, ¡°It will be hard for your body to recover to its best condition in a short time, don¡¯t play anymore later, get enough passing points and then go rest in the War King spot.¡± Leonid scowled, looking disgruntled, but he nodded in agreement, no longer putting up a front. They had accumulated quite a few points now, they only needed Tan Xiao. Shen Mo turned to go up on stage but found that an extra layer of obstruction had been added in front of the stage. Looking up, he realized that someone had set their sights on Tan Xiao, and had seized the opportunity to rush to the Brawl Stage whilst he was talking to Leonid. Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed slightly as he sized up the man. He was a robustly built muscle man, holding a steel helmet in his hand and cautiously approaching Tan Xiao. Shen Mo speculated that that helmet was likely another troublesome prop. Tan Xiao now had 25 points, even if he lost, he would only lose 10 points, so it didn¡¯t really matter. Shen Mo advised blandly, ¡°Tan Xiao, safety first.¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± Tan Xiao replied. Someone in the audience whispered, ¡°That¡¯s Iron Man¡¯s helmet, that kid¡¯s gonna be in trouble¡­¡± Iron Man¡¯s helmet? On hearing this, Shen Mo looked at the stage again. The muscle man had slipped the helmet on, and his body was suddenly covered in iron. It was as if he was clad in armour! ¡°Wearing Iron Man¡¯s helmet is essentially like being invincible, there¡¯s no way to fight him¡­¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t hear the murmurs of the audience. He simply rushed forward, and threw a punch at the muscle man! The muscle man stood firm. Tan Xiao¡¯s face instantly contorted as he held his hand and started wailing! ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch!!!¡­¡± At the same time, the muscle man swung his iron fist and landed a solid punch in Tan Xiao¡¯s chest! Chapter 643 - Chapter 643: Chapter 643: Happy Chaos Field 20 Chapter 643: Chapter 643: Happy Chaos Field 20 With a loud bang, Tan Xiao was flung through the air! He then crashed heavily onto the ground, unable to get up for a while! The muscle man in iron armor had not only an impressive defense but also incredible strength! Tan Xiao managed to get up when the countdown reached 5, hobbling towards the edge of the stage, while the muscle man stalked him step by step. Although the iron armor made him less agile, even somewhat cumbersome, it was more than enough to deal with the injured Tan Xiao. ¡°Run faster!¡± Su Man, who sat high above, yelled anxiously. ¡°I can¡¯t run!¡± Tan Xiao answered, clutching his chest, his face twisted in pain. He wasn¡¯t sure if his ribs were broken, but every step he took was piercingly painful! The muscle man behind him trudged on, seemingly intent on ending him! ¡ª Of course, he wanted to kill him, because defeating him would only earn him 10 points, but if he finished him off in one go, he would get all his points! In a 1v1 brawl, not even gods could save him now! Tan Xiao felt a moment of despair. He stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud, causing the wound to hurt even more! And the iron man was catching up from behind! Frightened, Tan Xiao shrieked, hurriedly throwing out a quiz card, yelling, ¡°Question! Question! ¡ª What is 11111 times 11111? Answer!!!¡± When they first entered ¡°Lucky Quiz¡±, not only did Bai Youwei and Shen Mo receive quiz cards, so did he, Pan Xiaoxin and Teacher Cheng! The iron man stopped in his tracks, motionless. The threat was temporarily averted. Breathing a sigh of relief, Tan Xiao then smugly got up, unhurried, flashing the iron man the middle finger, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the only one with a prop? See this? Brother Xiao also has props!¡± Then he heard a muted answer from inside the Iron Helmet, ¡°¡­ It equals 123454321.¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The quiz card floating in front of the iron man flickered brightly and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The iron man regained his freedom and once again started chasing him! ¡°Damn it!¡± Tan Xiao sprinted away, running clumsily, and shouted, ¡°That damn card! It worked for Wei and Mo, why didn¡¯t it work for me?!!¡± Leonid, down on the stage, grumbled, ¡°You pig brain! Can¡¯t you give a more difficult problem?!¡± Tan Xiao was really aggrieved, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that difficult enough?!!¡± Multiple digits multiplication isn¡¯t difficult?! Su Man was also worried for him, ¡°The multiplication was okay, it¡¯s just that the numbers you gave were too simple!¡± Well, it¡¯s too late to say anything now! The iron man was invulnerable, and Tan Xiao was injured. He couldn¡¯t do anything but run for his life to buy time. Shen Mo below the stage reminded him, ¡°Tan Xiao, find his weak spot. That suit of armor either has a time limit or other weaknesses.¡± Too busy running for his life, Tan Xiao had no time to look for weaknesses. In a panic, he searched through his pocket for items¡ª First, he found the snowflake prop, but was reminded that it was an offensive item and thus unusable; Then he found a gold coin. It seemed useless, so he threw it away! Like throwing a stone! Unexpectedly, the tiny gold coin had a huge impact when it hit the iron man! The iron man stumbled and fell, his iron armor clanging loudly as he hit the ground! Tan Xiao was stunned, he turned around and saw the fallen iron man, and wondered if he was afraid of gold coins?¡­ or was he afraid of metal? The iron man propped himself up with both hands to get up, tensing his knees. But when he tried to rise, he fell flat again! Tan Xiao witnessed it clearly this time. It turned out that the gold coin he had thrown out, by some fluke, had lodged itself in the knee joint of the iron man¡¯s armor. It prevented the knee joint from bending. Of course, without the ability to bend his knee, the iron man kept falling! Tan Xiao chuckled, looking gleeful, he stood on the stage, laughing uncontrollably, ¡°Ahahahahaha!!!¡± Ding! ¡ª¡ª ¡°Happy Bonus~¡± the Inspector smiled brilliantly, ¡°You received a Happy Bonus, 5 points.¡± Tan Xiao was dumbfounded. His points went from 25 to 30. Leonid immediately roared, ¡°What are you standing there for?! Run! Run towards the throne of the War King, you idiot!¡± The players below the stage: ¡°¡­¡± Damn, this goddamn luck¡­ Chapter 644 - Chapter 644: Chapter 644: Poor Judgment Chapter 644: Chapter 644: Poor Judgment Tan Xiao became the third person to ascend to the War King¡¯s throne. After that, Shen Mo and Leonid were practically invincible. Even though they encountered some strange items, none of them exaggerated the roles of the Werewolf, the Wooden Man, or the Iron Helmet. As for the remaining players, after several rounds of competition, their energy had sharply depleted, their capabilities greatly reduced, and dealing with them was relatively easy. When the five chairs of the War King¡¯s throne were occupied, the other players in the field immediately disappeared, leaving only five people sitting in high places. The stage lights shone brilliantly, creating an opulent, vibrant display. Standing at the converging point of the lights, the Clown Inspector solemnly announced: ¡°In this game, we have five winners. Twenty-two players were eliminated, and three players are dead. There are 36 puzzle pieces available for distribution. 14 tools can be distributed. The reward calculation will now begin¡ª¡ª¡± As soon as he finished speaking, five glistening orbs appeared on the stage. The orbs floated to everyone, containing puzzles and items. Just stretch your hand into the orb, and you can easily retrieve them. There were 9 puzzle pieces and 3 items in Shen Mo¡¯s orb. The quantity was less than he expected, particularly the items. Out of the total items owned by 25 players, there were only 14 pieces. However, after thinking through, it made sense¡­ after all, during the second half of the game, everyone had thrown their items around recklessly, and almost all usable items had been exhausted! The remaining 14 items, either were not efficient enough to be used, or were in the category of attack items. The Clown looked at them with a full smile: ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations on your successful enrollment in the Maze Wars! Hopefully, you will become outstanding Kings and subjects in the following games, and achieve ultimate victory. The transfer portal to the rest hall will open soon, other inspectors will explain the detailed war rules to you. So, good luck~¡± After the Clown finished speaking, he revealed a big smile and then, all the lights on the stage went off. Suddenly, it was all dark. Only a glowing square exit appeared in the center of the stage. Everyone looked at each other in hesitation. Su Man looked at Shen Mo and Tan Xiao: ¡°Should we¡­ leave?¡± ¡°What else can we do if we don¡¯t leave?¡± Leonid immediately stood up and strode into the square glowing body, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and go out for some food and drink!¡± Shen Mo also got up and walked towards the glowing square, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Tan Xiao and Su Man followed closely behind. Lucas also walked into the exit. ¡­ After completing his task, the Clown strolled leisurely in the pure white cube. The cubes lined up in rows, columns, and layers, all around, up and down, spread out endlessly, countless. A ball rolled out of the cube and greeted the Clown happily: ¡°Have you also finished on your side?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Clown smiled and said, ¡°Seeing everyone fully engaged in the game is a joyous thing.¡± He then sighed deeply: ¡°But it¡¯s a pity that some players didn¡¯t perform satisfactorily.¡± ¡°Same here~¡± said the ball, ¡°The Doctor, who was favored by that Inspector, didn¡¯t even survive the preliminary round and has already become a subject~¡± The Clown seemed to have met a kindred spirit: ¡°Same here~ The player with the iron hook hand, Jefferson, who the Inspector had high hopes for, is not even a subject, he¡¯s already dead~¡± ¡°That Inspector is really blind!¡± exclaimed the ball, ¡°Because of his misplaced focus on that Doctor, I missed the excellent performance of other players.¡± ¡°Yes, truly blind,¡± agreed the Clown, ¡°The players he had his eyes on have all lost in the preliminaries, all two of them.¡± Both Inspectors yelled in unison: ¡°Such poor judgment!¡± The comic man, who had just come out of the cube, was like: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 645 - Chapter 645: Chapter 645 Only One Person Came Out Chapter 645: Chapter 645 Only One Person Came Out Inside the resting lounge, more and more players were gathering. The walls of the lounge were made up of a series of square sections. Each time a qualifying round ended, one of the squares would emit a blinding white light, and the victorious players would emerge from within. At times, there would be three or five of them, or even as many as seven or eight. Bai Youwei anxiously waited for the appearance of Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, and the others, but to no avail. She sat in her wheelchair, her fingers tightly interlaced with unease, feeling unbearably terrible. Without Shen Mo, without Tan Xiao, without Teacher Cheng and without Pan Xiaoxin, she had nothing! Even though Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen were by her side, it was not the same. She repeatedly forced herself not to let her thoughts wander but instead focused her energy on the selection match itself. ¡ª241 players, 5 resigned, 197 registered as King, and 39 registered as subjects. Which is to say, 236 players participated in the qualifying match. Assuming 30 people were in a match, there would be around eight games. If each game selected about 5 players, there would be 40 players left¡­no, something¡¯s not right. The majority of players registered as Kings, so even if they lost, they would remain as subjects. If Shen Mo, who registered as King, lost, he would become a subject. So, there¡¯s no problem¡­Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin registered as subjects. If they lost, they would become commoners. It didn¡¯t matter, being a commoner might even suit them better. So, why was she worried? What was she worried about¡­ Bai Youwei was restless. She suddenly heard a commotion not far from her and looked up to see another square emitting white light¡ª A blood-drenched person was slowly emerging¡­ God knows what sort of brutal game he had participated in, but he was drenched head-to-toe in blood! Even his hair was soaked, droplets of blood trickling down from it. The only clean part of him was a pair of gloves¡ªpristine white. ¡°It¡¯s White Glove.¡± Yan Qingwen observed the figure coldly. ¡°He is the only one who came out.¡± Just one person emerging meant that only one person was victorious. What about the rest? The number of players in each game ranged from 20 to 30. Could all of them be weaker than White Glove? All the speculations were fear-inducing. Everyone retreated with apprehension, avoiding White Glove who stood at the center. Their multicolored gazes scanned him, observing and wary of him. Some whispered among themselves: ¡°The players who ended up against this guy are simply unlucky. Look at all that blood, they must¡¯ve all died at his hands.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s heart pounded erratically, leaving her breathless. Suddenly, another side of the wall also emitted white light, Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, and Su Man and others emerged from it. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart stopped beating abruptly¡ª It¡¯s as if it halted in the air and then slowly lowered. .. Finally, she regained her breath. The feeling was like descending from Heaven to Hell. She exhaled a long breath and looked at Shen Mo with a relaxed smile on her face. Shen Mo embraced her as he walked over then turned to look at Yan Qingwen, Lu Yuwen, and Ya Chaohui standing next to her, asking: ¡°Where are Fang Yu and Xiaoxin?¡± A single simple question left both Bai Youwei and Ya Chaohui speechless. Seeing their reactions, Shen Mo got an idea. He paused for two seconds and asked again: ¡°Did something happen to them?¡± Ya Chaohui looked down in dismay, offering no response. He wasn¡¯t sure how to answer. Bai Youwei held Shen Mo¡¯s hand tightly and murmured: ¡°Xiaoxin hasn¡¯t come out yet.¡± Not seeing Xiaoxin implied that she had seen Fang Yu, and consciously not mentioning him obviously meant Fang Yu was in trouble. Shen Mo stayed silent and didn¡¯t ask further. Noticing the peculiar glances around him, he looked towards White Glove along with everyone else. Soon, the striking blood on the floor disappeared, leaving the floor as impeccably as white. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t dare to think about what would have happened if Pan Xiaoxin had encountered White Glove in the game¡­ ¡°The preliminaries are not over yet.¡± Shen Mo held her hand tightly, consoling her in a low voice, ¡°Wait a little longer.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and nodded slowly. Chapter 646 - Chapter 646: Chapter 646: Picking Walnuts Chapter 646: Chapter 646: Picking Walnuts ¡ª¡ª Inside the lush forest, Fu Miaoxue brushed off the dried grass and twigs stuck to her clothes, her mood sunk to the bottom. She had initially thought herself lucky, the preliminary game she entered seemed simple enough; it was merely about plucking walnuts. The more walnuts one collected, the closer they were to victory. Being a doll, no one could beat her in terms of stamina, so naturally, she believed she would be the one to collect the most walnuts! But to her damn luck, the game surprisingly didn¡¯t prohibit violence! No matter how many walnuts she picked, they would all be snatched by the other players! She just was a doll, even if her physical strength was better, and her strength greater, she was powerless in the face of those brute forces! After all, she was a lady! Fu Miaoxue missed Du Lai terribly. Leaning against a tree for rest, through a thin layer of black veil, she could see green walnuts hanging from the branches, heavy with promise. Fu Miaoxue kept her gaze upwards, showing zero interest in picking any more. After all, they would probably be snatched away by others anyway. This game was an unforgiving design, not only did it not prohibit violence, but it also dragged for 48 hours! But the forest didn¡¯t hold that many walnut trees! Which meant, in two days, this was basically a heist of the walnuts! How could she possibly compete against the gangs formed by the others? Furthermore, the two walnuts in front of her would barely make a dent. Fu Miaoxue sighed endlessly, backed against the walnut tree. From the direction of the forest came the rustling sounds of footsteps, looking up she saw a child with a basket approaching. Fu Miaoxue recognized the child, the elementary school student that always accompanied Bai Youwei. Eyeing the basket the child carried, she smirked¡ªthere was only one walnut. It seemed he had experienced the same fate of thievery. Pan Xiaoxin was carrying his basket, walking carefully while scouting the surroundings for walnut trees. He stopped under a tree, struggling to reach the high-hanging walnuts, but no matter how hard he jumped, he simply couldn¡¯t reach them. Then, he set his sights on Fu Miaoxue¡¯s walnut tree. Fu Miaoxue calmly watched him. Pan Xiaoxin stood still, hesitated for a moment, then asked, ¡°May I¡­ ask for those two walnuts? Will you need them?¡± ¡°If you want them, then pick them.¡± Fu Miaoxue said indifferently, ¡°Only the top five players with the most walnuts can win. The presence or absence of these two walnuts won¡¯t make a difference for me.¡± Pan Xiaoxin stayed silent upon hearing this. He quietly walked under the tree, set down his basket, and then slowly climbed up, picked the two walnuts, and tossed them into his basket¡ª Now, his basket held three walnuts. Fu Miaoxue curiously eyed him, ¡°Even with three walnuts, you can¡¯t win, hey, I suggest you just give up. If someone snatches them away again, you might not survive.¡± Pan Xiaoxin climbed down the tree and grumbled, ¡°The game¡¯s ending is still a few hours away, I have time. I¡¯ll collect slowly, little by little, there might be hope.¡± Fu Miaoxue scoffed at him, ¡°Just give up, it¡¯s impossible. Haven¡¯t you noticed that the others have formed alliances? Teams of three or four are forever ahead of you, a lone child.¡± Pan Xiaoxin frowned, ¡°There¡¯s still hope. Although the forest seems filled with walnut trees, only about thirty actually bear any, and each tree holds no more than 50 walnuts. Therefore¡­ as long as I can collect 300 walnuts, I can definitely rank in the top five.¡± Fu Miaoxue rolled her eyes, ¡°Ha! 300! You only have 3 now. Boy, you sure know how to boast!¡± Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t bother responding, he just picked up his basket, remaining silent as he moved on. Fu Miaoxue paused for a moment before realization hit her, she hurriedly caught up with him, ¡°Woah~ Kid, you¡¯re not playing fair. Tell me, have you been hiding walnuts? How many have you hidden?¡± Chapter 647 - Chapter 647: Chapter 647: The Most Walnuts Chapter 647: Chapter 647: The Most Walnuts ¡°Nope,¡± Pan Xiaoxin stopped, showing her the bamboo basket. ¡°That¡¯s all I have.¡± ¡°You really think I¡¯d buy that?¡± Fu Miaoxue scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re one of Bai Youwei¡¯s mates. God knows what tricks you¡¯re up to!¡± Pan Xiaoxin sighed, an old man¡¯s sigh, helpless and resigned, and glanced at Fu Miaoxue¡¯s bamboo basket, asking: ¡°Sister, you didn¡¯t pick a single walnut?¡± Fu Miaoxue flared up at the mention of it, rolling her eyes dramatically, ¡°They got stolen!¡± Not just stolen, someone even threw rocks at her head. If not for her miraculous transformation into a puppet, her head would have been gushing blood by now! Fu Miaoxue irritably brushed off the leftover dirt on her veil, her face a picture of sulking. Pan Xiaoxin picked out a walnut from his own basket and put it in hers, saying: ¡°Sister, stop dawdling. There are still a few hours left till the game ends. If you pick more, maybe you can win.¡± Having said that, he sighed again, picked up his basket, and walked away. Fu Miaoxue was left dumbstruck, looking at the walnut and then back at Xiaoxin¡¯s retreating figure, a little taken aback. She thought to herself: This annoying kid is actually a lot more adorable than Bai Youwei. ¡­ Pan Xiaoxin moved over to a bush, looked around to confirm that no one was near before crouching down and crawling into the low underbrush. He gently pulled aside a layer of dried leaves and stuffed two walnuts he just picked into the pile of leaves. Underneath the pile of leaves was the stash of walnuts he¡¯d been collecting for a while. Being small, he knew he was an easy target, which is why he¡¯s been playing weak since the game began. While others filled their bamboo baskets full, he never did. He only kept two or three walnuts, inciting no interest in stealing even if someone saw them. Then he would hurriedly hide the walnuts, fearful of getting caught. This strategy worked efficiently because most people were drawn to the players with ¡°fulfilling¡± bamboo baskets, completely overlooking him. However¡­ Every time he got two or three walnuts, he would have to hide them, which made his walnut collection very slow. After spending a day and a half looking for walnuts without food or drink, he had only saved up ninety-eight. Short of a hundred¡­ Pan Xiaoxin looked at his stash of walnuts and sighed wearily. It seems he was really about to become one of the commoners. Although being a commoner would probably be safer, who doesn¡¯t want to win? ¡°Ha-ha! I knew you were hiding walnuts!¡± The crisp voice of a girl rang out. Pan Xiaoxin jumped in surprise, whirling around to find Fu Miaoxue standing right behind him in the bushes! Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s face went pale with shock! Seeing this, Fu Miaoxue huffed scornfully: ¡°What? You think I¡¯m going to steal your walnuts? Who¡¯d bother with such a small amount of walnuts? Even if you gave them to me, I still couldn¡¯t pass!¡± Upon hearing this, Pan Xiaoxin slowly recovered from his shock, looking gloomier than ever. He muttered grumpily: ¡°There¡¯s still some hope¡­ There are 1500 walnuts in total; if they select five people who have the most walnuts, that¡¯s 300 walnuts each on average. But if players outside the top five hoard walnuts, or¡­or the number one player takes more than half of the total walnuts, then even though these walnuts are inadequate, they might squeeze into the top five.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s heart stirred, she repeated his words with a mutter: ¡°Get more than half of the total walnuts¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin glanced at her, suspicious. As if struck by an idea, Fu Miaoxue¡¯s lips curved into a tricky smirk. She ruffled Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hair and said with a laugh, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get more than half of the walnuts. That way, you¡¯ll definitely enter the top five! Kid, be sure to thank your sister~ ¡± Pan Xiaoxin asked in bewilderment: ¡°¡­What¡­what are you planning?¡± Chapter 648 - Chapter 648: Chapter 648: Assistant Inspector Chapter 648: Chapter 648: Assistant Inspector Fu Miaoxue extended her hand to him: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just lend me 10 walnuts for now, I will pay you back 200 later!¡± Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°¡­¡± He had never before seen anybody so assertively asking for something on loan. However, he still managed to scramble up ten from the bottom of his pile of leaves, with a mindset to keep the peace, he handed over the walnuts to Fu Miaoxue. Fu Miaoxue dropped her bamboo basket, held the walnuts in her skirt, and skulked away. Pan Xiaoxin was puzzled. ¡­ In one corner of the forest, there was an open area with a small wooden house. Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t see the Inspector. When they had first entered the game, a Puppet Master Inspector who explained the game rules to them was outside the wooden house, but now the door of the house was shut, presumably, the Inspector would only appear towards the end of the game. Fu Miaoxue, with walnuts bundled up in her skirt, made her way around the back of the wooden house, removed her veil and ditched her black dress. Under her black dress was a pale pink petticoat. She tied three or four walnuts together, then hung them around her neck, wrists and waist, put up her hair high, and placed a walnut leaf on each side of her bun ¨C Then, a cold smirk crawled up her face, she strutted out from behind the house, looking completely different than her initial masked black clothed figure when they had begun the game! Now she looked like a real walnut puppet! ¡°Dare to steal my walnuts ¡­ Hmph, I¡¯m going to take them all back!¡± Fu Miaoxue cast a menacing glance towards the forest, then dragged two large bamboo baskets in front of herself, and then, she stood still. Yes, she stood still. ¡­ As time passed, with the end of the game nearing, more and more game-players accumulated in front of the house. When they saw the ¡°walnut puppet¡± in front of the house, they were very puzzled. Beside the puppet were bamboo baskets, which seemed to be there for the purpose of collecting walnuts. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Can we submit the walnuts now?¡± ¡°We should be able to submit them, right? Only ten minutes left until the end.¡± ¡°Hey! Do they want us to submit early?¡± Fu Miaoxue looked at them with a radiant smile, ¡°Welcome everybody to this game, I¡¯m the Inspector¡¯s assistant. To avoid any disputes at the time of game settlement, you can do the calculation here in advance. Once settled, the number of walnuts will not change.¡± ¡°The Inspector¡¯s assistant?¡± Someone said suspiciously, ¡°This is the first time I heard the Inspector has an assistant¡­¡± But since Fu Miaoxue herself looked like a puppet, it was very deceiving. They could never imagine that a puppet could actually be a player. Even though they felt it was strange, they did not doubt Fu Miaoxue and poured all the walnuts they had collected into the two bamboo baskets beside her. Other players who reached the house saw this scene and naturally considered it as part of the game. Without giving it too much thought, they followed the crowd and poured the walnuts into the baskets. The two baskets were soon filled to the brim. ¡°Can we announce the results now?¡± a game-player asked. Without giving anything away, Fu Miaoxue responded with her puppet-like, monotone voice, ¡°Once everyone has settled, the results of this game can be announced.¡± ¡°Who has not yet settled?¡± a burly, impatient man looked around and prodded, ¡°Hey! Whoever hasn¡¯t settled yet, hurry up! Don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time! You guys hiding a few walnuts here and there won¡¯t lead to a win!¡± This burly man was the first to form a team at the beginning of the game. His five-man squad specialized in stealing other people¡¯s walnuts! As a result, the team had the highest number of walnuts among all the players, barring any mishaps, the winners of the game would undoubtedly be these five people. Perhaps because victory was within grasp, the burly man was being especially arrogant, shouting and hollering, until finally, the very last player showed up ¨C The last person to arrive at the house was Pan Xiaoxin. Chapter 649 - Chapter 649: Chapter 649: Zero Chapter 649: Chapter 649: Zero Pan Xiaoxin had his own plan. Being small and weak, he couldn¡¯t compete with these adults, so he arrived late intentionally to avoid his hazelnuts being stolen on the road. In this way, he could not only lower his profile, but also not worry about theft, as other players had already settled their game. However, Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t expect to see Fu Miaoxue again upon reaching the cabin, and in such a guise¡­ Pan Xiaoxin was a bit dumbfounded. Others didn¡¯t recognise Fu Miaoxue, but he did, and he certainly could distinguish between players and NPCs! ¡°Hey, Kid! Hurry up and put the hazelnuts in the bamboo basket!¡± the stout man impatiently urged, ¡°Don¡¯t waste time, how come a kid like you is allowed to participate in the game? Your parents really are careless!¡± Pan Xiaoxin pursed his lips, his little face tense. As for whether his parents were careless or not, he didn¡¯t know, but this big guy clearly didn¡¯t care. Pan Xiaoxin lifted the heavy bamboo basket with great difficulty, then slowly walked towards Fu Miaoxue. Looking at the two large bamboo baskets beside her, he couldn¡¯t help but admire her audacity. He purposefully dragged out his arrival until the last possible moment, and now, the Inspector could appear at any time. Wasn¡¯t Fu Miaoxue afraid of being exposed? If these players found out that she was playing tricks¡­ The consequences were unimaginable. Pan Xiaoxin silently looked at Fu Miaoxue, his complex gaze saying it all. Fu Miaoxue also looked at him, her eyes faintly carrying laughter and a sense of triumph. Just at that moment, the door of the cabin creaked open¡ª The Puppet Master, holding a marionette, walked out from inside. Wearing a red top hat, a royal blue vest and black trousers, and a pair of green boots, the Puppet Master held a marionette dressed identically to himself, sophisticated and flashy. ¡°Oh, it seems everyone has their hazelnuts ready, Jamie, we have work to do,¡± the Puppet Master said to the marionette in his hand. The marionette was lifelike, its jaw opening and closing and speaking in a childlike voice: ¡°Understood, Jack, we need to count the number of hazelnuts. Um¡­ let¡¯s start with the player who has the least!¡± The Puppet Master nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s do as you said. Any players who do not have enough hazelnuts cannot participate in the Maze War, and can be eliminated immediately.¡± Every player had a number after entering the game. The marionette opened and closed its jaw: ¡°Number 14, zero hazelnuts, eliminated!¡± A man in the crowd looked shocked, he looked down at his number on his body, before he could speak, his body vanished before everyone¡¯s eyes. ¡°Number 23, zero hazelnuts, eliminated!¡± the marionette continued. Another person widened his eyes in shock, ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­ I, I clearly have so many hazelnuts¡­¡± And he disappeared. The crowd began to get restless, suspicious glances being cast at Fu Miaoxue. The marionette: ¡°Number 8, zero hazelnuts, eliminated!¡± Number 8, furiously and shockingly pointed at Fu Miaoxue: ¡°I have hazelnuts! My hazelnuts have already been settled in the bamboo basket!¡± The Inspector or the Inspector¡¯s puppet showed no interest in his explanation, and the body of Number 8 vanished. Everyone finally felt something was wrong and walked towards Fu Miaoxue, questioning: ¡°Hey! What the hell is going on?! Didn¡¯t we already give our hazelnuts to the Inspector¡¯s assistant?!¡± ¡°Assistant?¡± The marionette looked up at the Puppet Master, ¡°Dear Jack, aside from me, do you have any other assistants?¡± Before the Puppet Master could answer, Fu Miaoxue suddenly kicked over the bamboo basket! Then with the speed of lightning, she picked up another basket of hazelnuts and ran into the woods! A basket of hazelnuts spilled all over the ground! Everyone was shocked! ¡°Kid! Run!¡± Fu Miaoxue had already rushed into the woods, with only her voice coming through. Pan Xiaoxin instantly sprang up, grabbed his own hazelnuts, and ran towards the woods! The crowd was incensed! ¡°Damn! Chase her!¡± ¡°Hurry up and catch that guy!¡± Chapter 650 - Chapter 650: Chapter 650: Miss Hu Tao Chapter 650: Chapter 650: Miss Hu Tao Those who snapped out of their initial shock charged in pursuit! Some sprinted, others slipped on walnuts, while some paused to collect the fallen nuts. Meanwhile, the Puppet Master and his wooden puppet continued to announce indifferently: ¡°¡­Number 12, zero walnuts, eliminated! ¡­Number 27, zero walnuts, eliminated! Number 30¡­¡± Finally, someone bellowed, ¡°Stop fucking chasing! Too late! Start picking up walnuts!!!¡± Perhaps they wouldn¡¯t catch up to Fu Miaoxue before they were disqualified for not having any walnuts, so it made more sense to pick up as many walnuts as possible before their numbers were called! With bitter resignation, the competitors stopped dead in their tracks to scrouge for walnuts. Not only were they picking, but they were also fighting for them! ¡ªWithout a doubt, Fu Miaoxue had the most walnuts and the child who hadn¡¯t dropped his into the bamboo basket would also claim a spot. The final three spots could only be grabbed! A chaotic free-for-all ensued, with fights and squabbles erupting everywhere. Even erstwhile allies were no longer wary of anything, frenziedly scrabbling for walnuts! Upon hearing the commotion, an escaping Fu Miaoxue could not help but crack up, hidden in the woods: ¡°A bunch of idiots! Hahaha!¡± Pan Xiaoxin followed her, clutching his own bamboo basket and panting heavily, ¡°Are¡­ we¡­ not going back¡­¡± ¡°Sure, we¡¯re going back.¡± Fu Miaoxue glanced back then smiled brightly, feeling quite pleased, ¡°The Inspector calls out starting from the players with the least number of walnuts. Since we have the most, I¡¯m sure our numbers will be last. Now is probably the right time to return.¡± She stripped off her walnut accessories and stuffed them all into Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s bamboo basket. Then, she scooped up a hefty helping of walnuts from her own basket and stuffed them into Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s¡ªwhatever didn¡¯t fit she shoved into his pockets and his hoodie. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I would return these to you with interest? Is that enough? Do you want more?¡± Pan Xiaoxin repeatedly nodded: ¡°Enough, enough¡­ Thank you, sister!¡± Fu Miaoxue squinted her eyes, laughing: ¡°What a sweet talker.¡± The two gathered their walnuts and returned to the clearing outside the hut. Just moments ago thirty players had been crowded here, but now only three remained. Including the two of them, five. When the remaining three saw Fu Miaoxue and Pan Xiaoxin, they were seething with hatred. However, the game was over, and even killing Fu Miaoxue would not change the outcome. Besides, it was not necessarily possible. With resentment, everyone waited for the Inspector to announce the final results. The string puppet¡¯s jaw moved up and down: ¡°There are a total of 5 winners in this game, and 25 people are eliminated. We have 33 puzzle pieces to allocate. 24 props are available. Let¡¯s start calculating the rewards¡ª¡± Following a series of calculations, Pan Xiaoxin received 7 puzzle pieces and 5 props, while Fu Miaoxue received 8 puzzle pieces and 5 props. ¡°Good luck in the upcoming maze war, everyone~¡± The string puppet¡¯s voice was high-pitched, ¡°Jack, who do you have your eye on?¡± ¡°Jamie, why do you keep asking me these questions.¡± The Puppet Master replied seriously, ¡°Of course it¡¯s Miss Hu Tao, you know, I¡¯m attracted to bodies that are different.¡± The string puppet: ¡°Haha! Just like hook-handed Jefferson, a different body!¡± Puppet Master: ¡°Exactly, modified bodies are fascinating.¡± The string puppet: ¡°But he is dead.¡± Puppet Master: ¡°What a pity¡­¡± They took turns speaking, as if performing a comedy routine. Fu Miaoxue had already grown impatient hearing them, just as she was about to interrupt them, the Puppet Master suddenly cried, ¡°Ah! Jamie, we were so busy chatting that we almost forgot something important!¡± The puppet immediately voiced: ¡°Yes! We forgot to send them back to the rest hall!¡± As soon as the sentence was finished, a giant glowing square appeared in the open space. ¡°Please, everyone,¡± The Puppet Master and his puppet simultaneously said, ¡°Good luck~¡± Chapter 651 - Chapter 651: Chapter 651: Please Note the Following Points, King Chapter 651: Chapter 651: Please Note the Following Points, King Fu Miaoxue picked up her black skirt and black veil, dressing herself anew. When she emerged from the back of the wooden house, she found that the other three players had already entered the glowing square passage, with only Pan Xiaoxin waiting for her in place. She lifted the corner of her mouth in a slight smile, feeling a bit cheerful, she fondly patted Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s head: ¡°Hmm, you still have some conscience~¡± Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°¡­ Sister, you shouldn¡¯t randomly touch a boy¡¯s head.¡± ¡°Tsk! Such a spoilsport~¡± Fu Miaoxue retorted, pulling her hand back. Both of them entered the luminous channel together. After just a few steps, the white light faded, and once again, they found themselves in the same expansive white space as before. Fu Miaoxue was surveying their surroundings when suddenly she heard Bai Youwei¡¯s voice: ¡°Xiaoxin!¡± Pan Xiaoxin turned his head to look and instantly ran over excitedly: ¡°Sister Weiwei! Brother Mo! Brother Xiao! ¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin had already run afar; he had finally reunited with Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, and Tan Xiao. Yan Qingwen and Su Man and others were huddled around them. Their companions asked with concern about his experience in the game, expressing their care and concern, creating a joyful scene. Fu Miaoxue watched in silence from afar, mumbling to herself: ¡°¡­ What an ingrate.¡± Then, she saw Bai Youwei gleefully ruffling Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hair. Fu Miaoxue pursed her lips, growing even more displeased, she muttered: ¡°What about the ¡®no touching the head¡¯ rule? Why can she touch it?¡± Anyhow, she felt dejected. The white light flickered beneath her feet, causing Fu Miaoxue to pause. The other players also looked down at their feet. The originally pure white tiled floor transformed into a painting, like ink unfolding across a scroll¡ª More accurately, it was not a painting, but a panoramic satellite map! The blue ocean, white glaciers, brown land, and green forests ¨C every corner of the earth was vividly displayed before them. ¡°Congratulations to all of you for passing the preliminaries¡ª¡± the voice of the rabbit-headed Inspector echoed. Everyone looked around, but they couldn¡¯t see the Inspector. Despite that, the voice was clear and very audible. ¡°In total, 241 players participated in the preliminary competition. Five forfeited, 197 enrolled as Kings, and 39 enrolled as servants. Thirty-two won, while thirty-eight lost. Among the winners, 26 were Kings and 6 were servants. Among the losers, there were 135 servants and 31 commoners.¡± Bai Youwei listened silently, mentally computing. Initially, 197 registered as Kings, now there were only 26 left, which meant the remaining either lost and became servants or were killed in the game. She wondered what form the next game would take. And the map beneath their feet¡­ what was it for? The Inspector¡¯s voice continued¡ª ¡°The Maze War is a war among the Kings. The 26 Kings, please take out your puzzle pieces and choose your territories on this map. Meanwhile, the Kings should take note of the following points: First, each puzzle piece represents 10,000 square kilometers of territory. Second, once the territorial scope is determined, the puzzle pieces cannot be moved and must be attached to at least two other pieces to successfully occupy a territory. Third, no mazes or games will appear within your territory to ensure that the Kings get sufficient rest during non-war periods.¡± At this point, the rabbit-headed figure seemed to chuckle softly, his words filled with unexplained delight: ¡°As a personal piece of advice¡ªservants need to have puzzle pieces to participate in the wars. Therefore, please make sure to keep some puzzle pieces in hand, lest you don¡¯t have enough to recruit servants when the war begins.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other. Of all the rules, they were most interested in the third point: no mazes or games will appear within their territory. If they collected enough puzzle pieces, wouldn¡¯t it mean¡­ the world would return to its original state? Chapter 652 - Chapter 652: Chapter 652 Many Rabbit Heads Chapter 652: Chapter 652 Many Rabbit Heads An expansive white space, beams of light rising from the ground. Whenever a king conquered a territory, an additional beam of light would appear on the ground. The bunny-headed figures seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Not just one, but 26 bunny-headed Inspectors moved among the crowd, kindly and patiently offering detailed explanations to the 26 kings. Bai Youwei held two puzzle pieces in her hand, unable to fit them together no matter what she tried. A bunny-headed Inspector came over to her, lightly took the puzzle pieces from her hand, and smiled faintly, ¡°Two pieces belonging to different kings cannot be joined together.¡± It returned one piece to Bai Youwei and handed the other to Shen Mo, politely saying, ¡°Different kings¡¯ territories can only be adjacent, not overlapping. Please try to reassemble.¡± Not far away, Tan Xiao was curious and placed a puzzle piece onto the satellite map at his feet. But the puzzle piece did not react at all. A bunny-headed inspector went over to remind him, ¡°Subjects have no territorial rights. The puzzle piece you¡¯re holding can only be used for competition, not for occupying territories.¡± Someone, overly anxious, accidentally dropped a puzzle piece into the seawater region of the map. A bunny-headed figure swiftly caught it and gently said: ¡°The territory is the king¡¯s leisure and rest area, please choose a place that is abundant in water sources and food.¡± Leonid stood on the map, looking baffled. The bunny-headed figure by his side asked, ¡°Is there anything you need help with?¡± Leonid scratched his hair in frustration and looked at the satellite map under his feet, ¡°In terms of territory, of course, I would first think of my hometown. But where I live now is not in Russia, occupying my hometown seems meaningless.¡± He was originally living in Vladivostok, working during the day, drinking at night, and occasionally going fishing with friends. However, this peaceful life was gradually disrupted; with more and more residents in town turned into dolls, everyone was preparing to leave. Subsequently, one day, the city faced a sudden power outage, network signals disappeared, and everyone panicked. No rescue organization arrived. The people in that city, some of them went abroad to unknown locations, some moved northward in search of relief, and some, like him, directly entered neighboring countries. Unexpectedly, this was not a trap laid by one country for another, but a global disaster! Thus, it would be meaningless for Leonid to choose his hometown as his territory. The city was already deserted. He couldn¡¯t save anyone. The bunny-headed figure asked him, ¡°Do you have any companions?¡± After some thought, Leonid responded, ¡°¡­ I guess you could say that.¡± The bunny-headed figure smiled and said, ¡°Then choose the place where your companions are as your territory.¡± After a moment of contemplation, Leonid pieced two puzzle pieces together and placed them near Cangzhou. Upon seeing this, Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t resist coming over and asked, ¡°Big Beard, so you have relatives living here!¡± With a frown, Leonid replied: ¡°How could my relative possibly be here? Stop joking. I chose this place because a little friend lives here. The puzzle piece I used for the preliminaries was given to me by her.¡± Therefore, the fruits of victory should not be tasted solely by him. This was something that Leonid was very clear about. Bai Youwei pieced together three puzzles and placed them on Shanghai, Suzhou, and Changzhou respectively. Following Bai Youwei¡¯s arrangement, Shen Mo placed two puzzle pieces on Zhenjiang and Nanjing. And Yan Qingwen¡¯s two puzzle pieces were placed in the south near Hangzhou. Fu Miaoxue chose Fuzhou. Because before entering the preliminary contest, she and Du Lai were in the territory of Fuzhou. Once the puzzle pieces were set, the area would emit a beam of white light, symbolizing the area as safe. There would be no maze engulfed in dense fog, nor any elusive games. And one puzzle piece happens to cover an area of 10,000 square kilometers. They used to wonder what shape the puzzle would finally take, but now they understand their real purpose. Chapter 653 - Chapter 653: Chapter 653: Four Battles Chapter 653: Chapter 653: Four Battles When all the kings had chosen their territories, the rabbit-headed creatures beside them disappeared one by one. Soon, only the players were left in the entire lobby. ¡°Now that you have selected your territories, let¡¯s move on to the next step.¡± The Inspector¡¯s voice echoed through the air. ¡°All kings, please choose your first battle¡ª¡± In front of Bai Youwei, a glowing operation panel appeared. On the panel were the 3D holographic images of four inspectors, each with a number in front of them: 1, 5, 10, and 20, respectively. The Inspector explained: ¡°There are four battles to choose from, each requiring a corresponding number of puzzle pieces as collateral. If you win, all puzzle pieces will be returned; if you lose, the paid puzzle pieces will be deducted.¡± This was different from what Bai Youwei initially thought. She assumed that it would be a randomly matched one-on-one duel, but didn¡¯t expect such options. It felt like playing a game: would she choose an easy, medium or hard level? The others had the same thought as Bai Youwei¡ªwould the difficulty increase as the number of puzzle pieces increased? In response, the Inspector clarified: ¡°The difficulty of the battle game always depends on your opponents, not the game itself.¡± The Inspector added: ¡°Please note, kings only get one chance to surrender, and this must be used before the battle starts. Once used, the king and all his subjects will become subjects of the other party. Moreover, each battle cannot be chosen twice. Four battles will be followed by a final battle. If a king does not possess enough puzzle pieces to participate in any battle, he will be eliminated.¡± Elimination means death. Bai Youwei understood. It was still a one-on-one competition, but imposing a limit on the number of puzzle pieces. For example: if she chose 10, she would only face players who also chose 10. After hearing the rule, Yan Qingwen pondered and said, ¡°The main point of the battle rule is that each battle cannot be chosen twice. Regardless of how we choose, we must participate in these four battles. Therefore, we must be cautious in the order of selection.¡± ¡°We definitely cannot choose 1, right?¡± Lu Yuwen proposed, ¡°If the king doesn¡¯t have enough puzzle pieces to participate in any battle, he will be eliminated. I guess everyone will save 1 as the last resort. In case they lose puzzle pieces along the way, as long as they have more than one puzzle piece, they can participate in the battle labeled 1, preventing elimination.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded slowly, ¡°Exactly, not only can¡¯t we choose 1, but we also can¡¯t choose 20. Most kings currently have about 10 puzzle pieces each, minus the 2 for territory and those for recruiting subjects, the remaining number is just enough to participate in the battle labeled 5.¡± Lu Yuwen also nodded: ¡°Choosing 5 is the safest way. 1 is a lifesaver, we are not qualified for 20, 10 is too risky. The best order should be 5 first, accumulate more puzzle pieces for the second battle of 10, then 20, and finally 1.¡± Su Man was getting dizzy listening to all these numbers, whatever they said, she would follow. She looked towards Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, wondering whether they would all coincidentally meet each other if they chose 5 and asked, ¡°What do you two plan to choose?¡± Bai Youwei paused for thought and turned to Shen Mo beside her. Shen Mo stared back at her and calmly said, ¡°The number of kings choosing 5 will be the most, followed by 10, and then 1. Which one do you want to choose?¡± Bai Youwei grabbed his hand and whispered, ¡°We choose 20.¡± Chapter 654 - Chapter 654: Chapter 654: So Many Puzzles Chapter 654: Chapter 654: So Many Puzzles Su Man¡¯s eyes widened suddenly. She knew that Bai Youwei always played in an unconventional way, but hearing her say she chose 20, Su Man was still caught off guard. That was 20! A battle wagering 20 puzzle pieces at once! But what surprised her even more was that Shen Mo did not hesitate at all and responded with a nod, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s choose 20 then.¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes widened even more. Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen beside her were only slightly taken aback, but they didn¡¯t seem surprised. ¡°Brother Yan¡­¡± Su Man looked at him with a complex expression, ¡°Weiwei¡­ she wants to choose¡­ 20!¡± Yan Qingwen responded with a casual ¡°Mm¡±. He glanced over at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo and said, ¡°They probably plan to use their surrender option. At this point, I doubt any other king would choose 20, so the chances of them being assigned to the same battle are high. The question now is, who will surrender to whom.¡± He wasn¡¯t trying to lower his voice as he spoke, so Bai Youwei and Shen Mo heard him clearly. Bai Youwei turned her face around, smiling as she said, ¡°Brother Yan is as sharp as ever. What about you guys, do you want to choose 20 too?¡± Yan Qingwen smiled back, ¡°We can¡¯t. We don¡¯t have enough puzzle pieces to do so.¡± Su Man silently did some calculations. She and Lu Yuwen had obtained 5 puzzle pieces in the maze. Later in the preliminary competition, she got 6, while Lu Yuwen and Yan Qingwen each obtained 4. Including the one original piece Yan Qingwen had, they only managed to gather 20 puzzle pieces. How should these 20 pieces be allocated? Firstly, the territory required 2 pieces. Next, if she and Lu Yuwen were to participate in the battle, they needed to have at least 1 piece each; Finally, to ensure that she and Lu Yuwen would not instantly become commoners after a defeat, they would need an additional piece to hold on to. So, as a king, Yan Qingwen only had 14 puzzle pieces to spare! Su Man was confident the other kings wouldn¡¯t be much better off than Yan Qingwen. Where then, did Bai Youwei and Shen Mo get their 20 pieces from??? Maybe she looked too perplexed. Bai Youwei explained with a smile, ¡°Ya Chaohui and I each won 14 pieces in the preliminary competition. Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin also got some, so we have enough quantity.¡± ¡°14?!¡± Su Man was stunned. This time, not only her, but Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen were also surprised, ¡°How did you get so many?¡± They all won the preliminary competition, but whereas they only got 4 each, Su Man slightly more with 6, Bai Youwei and Ya Chaohui each got 14! The difference was too dramatic! Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then explained, ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the ¡®Doctor¡¯. He seemed to have accumulated a lot of puzzle pieces. After losing his eligibility to be a king in the preliminary competition, his puzzle pieces and props were divided between us, the winners.¡± Understanding dawned on Yan Qingwen and the others. The preliminary competition itself was a fair game, but since the number of puzzle pieces each player had was different, disparities in rewards were inevitable. Just as everyone thought this topic was finished, Ya Chaohui, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: ¡°There¡¯s also another reason.¡± Everyone was taken aback and turned to look at him. With a slightly shy expression, Ya Chaohui spoke in a low voice, ¡°Because¡­ there were only three winners in the end. The rewards meant for five people were divided among the three of us, so of course, it seemed like more.¡± Somehow, after these words were spoken, the atmosphere turned cold. Shen Mo frowned slightly, staying silent. Bai Youwei silently looked at Ya Chaohui, clear about what he was implying but chose not to utter a word. At this point, the Inspector¡¯s voice rang out again: ¡°The first battle will commence in a month. All kings are to maintain their health during this period, and actively recruit subjects. If needed, you may return to the rest hall at any time. I will provide you with access to the maze. You will all have the opportunity to enter the maze once before each battle starts. I hope you all¡­ seize it.¡± Chapter 655 - Chapter 655: Chapter 655: The Maze is Important Chapter 655: Chapter 655: The Maze is Important The Inspector¡¯s words temporarily diverted Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts from Ya Chaohui. Because the maze is very important. Not only can you obtain puzzle pieces in the maze, but you can also improve your physical ability, which is absolutely crucial in a game dominated by combat power. In many cases, perhaps just running a little faster, jumping a little further, exerting a little more force, can bring the victory. And these kings, they must be eager to improve themselves and increase the number of puzzle pieces they possess before the first battle arrives. Bai Youwei looked around and sure enough, everyone¡¯s expression was different. Even Yan Qingwen¡¯s face showed more gravity. The Rabbit-headed Inspector¡¯s voice was gentle, saying unhurriedly: ¡°You guys who just finished the preliminaries must really need a rest, and you need time to recruit teammates¡­ so let¡¯s start the maze privilege seven days later. The rules of the maze remain the same as before. The first group to pass the maze will get 5 puzzle pieces, the second group will get 3 pieces, and the third group will get 1 piece. Seven days later, as long as you are ready, come find me to activate the privilege at any time. Of course, you can also choose not to go. After all, if you die in the maze¡­ you won¡¯t be able to continue participating in the Maze War.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips. How could she not go? Even if she doesn¡¯t participate in the Maze War, she would still go into the maze! She operated on the illuminating panel in front of her, choosing ¡°20¡± ¨C a confirmation interface popped up, suggesting that the ¡°20¡± battle requires ten participants. Without any thought, Bai Youwei pressed the confirmation button. The glowing panel instantly melted away, turning into a mass of light, which then wrapped around her wrist, just like a luminous wristband, firmly locked onto her wrist. The light-sensitive wristband was imprinted on her skin, faintly visible, with the king¡¯s mark, the countdown to the first battle, as well as the battle participants and current number of puzzle pieces she had. All information was clear and concise. ¡°See you, everyone¡­¡± The Inspector¡¯s voice was as graceful as peaceful drizzle, ¡°You will return to where you were before the preliminaries, but kings, next time, you will return directly to your own territory.¡± All players disappeared from the enormous white space. Only the sparkling beams of light on the satellite map remained, flickering and flowing. ¡­ Bai Youwei and Shen Mo returned to the side of the highway. Du Lai was still there. Teacher Chang was also there. Their companions had disappeared suddenly when they left the game together earlier. Both Du Lai and Chang Weicai were frightened and didn¡¯t dare to leave. They could only stay nearby and wait for everyone to return. When Bai Youwei and the others suddenly appeared, Du Lai and Chang Weicai were stunned for a while before they came back to their senses. Fu Miaoxue leapt into Du Lai¡¯s arms with a shout! Tan Xiao, seeing Chang Weicai, was also excited: ¡°Old Chang! These few days I¡¯ve been starving! Got anything to eat?¡± Chang Weicai kept nodding and quickly turned to get food from the car: ¡°There¡¯s instant noodles, wait a moment, I¡¯ll cook it right away¡­¡± Without Bai Youwei¡¯s doll house, Chang Weicai had to rely on Shen Mo¡¯s supplies to survive. He did not eat much, and there were residential areas a bit nearby for resupply, so he has been able to manage these few days. However, not knowing why Bai Youwei and the others suddenly disappeared, and whether they were alive or dead, he couldn¡¯t help being on pins and needles. Teacher Chang busily cooked a pot of instant noodles, found a spicy sausage stick, and cut it into thin slices to cook with the noodles. The air was filled with the savory aroma of pepper. Except for Fu Miaoxue, everyone has a bowl, and they gathered around the fire to finally discuss what happened after they disappeared¡ª They talked about the preliminaries, the Maze War, and the maze that was to open in seven days¡­ Chapter 656 - Chapter 656: Chapter 656: Find an Opportunity to Surrender Chapter 656: Chapter 656: Find an Opportunity to Surrender After listening to everyone¡¯s story, the teacher sighed deeply: ¡°The road ahead is long and winding, to win all these battles, the task is arduous and the journey far exhausting!¡± Du Lai frowned and said to Fu Miaoxue, ¡°In the next battle, look for an opportunity to surrender.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Fu Miaoxue pouted, ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to be a king?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t indulge her as he usually did, his tone serious, ¡°If the king¡¯s puzzle is lost completely, they will die. Surrender in the next battle, then lose the game as a subject, that way, you can become a commoner and completely withdraw from the war.¡± ¡°But if we win as king, we will have supreme power!¡± Fu Miaoxue scrunched her brows slightly, unwilling, ¡°At that time, we can do whatever we want, play the game or not, we can revert to being human, and resurrecting our families and friends wouldn¡¯t be difficult¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s good enough as it is now,¡± Du Lai interrupted her, ¡°Let others be king, it doesn¡¯t matter if our bodies are impaired, it doesn¡¯t matter if our families and friends are gone, as long as we two are together, we can have a good life without being king. Most importantly, I don¡¯t want to see you risking yourself in any way.¡± Fu Miaoxue was deeply moved, holding back tears, she buried herself in Du Lai¡¯s arms, ¡°Du Lai, I love you so much!¡± Du Lai hugged her: ¡°I love you too.¡± The others: ¡°¡­¡± These two never cared about the glances of others when they were being lovey-dovey. ¡°Such touching love~¡± Bai Youwei impassively threw cold water on the scene, ¡°but when players become commoners, their puzzles and props will be confiscated. Are you sure that you two can live well in such a world without any props?¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue frowned disapprovingly, ¡°Why are you so annoying!¡± Such a spoilsport! Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°You¡¯re even more annoying than I am.¡± Fu Miaoxue got angry and poked at Bai Youwei¡¯s sore spot, ¡°You cripple!¡± Bai Youwei retorted without courtesy, ¡°You¡¯re full of prosthetic limbs.¡± Fu Miaoxue abruptly stood up, ¡°You!¡­¡± Seeing that a quarrel was about to start, the teacher hurriedly stood up to mediate, ¡°Ah, don¡¯t quarrel¡­ don¡¯t quarrel, Du Lai, Shen Mo, you guys intervene!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡± Both boyfriends stayed silent. Seeing this, the teacher coughed lightly and tried to mediate, ¡°As the proverb goes, brothers should forget grudges at the sight of each other, laugh and forgive each other. We¡¯re all fellow countrymen, and now the big battle is imminent, we should help each other even more, why harm our harmony by arguing over words? Come on, sit down¡­ let¡¯s all sit down and talk¡­¡± Du Lai gently pulled Fu Miaoxue. Fu Miaoxue sat down with a huff, marking yet another grudge against Bai Youwei in her heart. Shen Mo calmly said, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the game. Everyone must have noticed it by now. From the multitude of players in the prelims, it¡¯s apparent that the puppet game has a global scope. If we want to break free from this game system, there¡¯s only one way, and that¡¯s to become the final king. No matter who the final king is, as long as no games emerge within their territory, the surviving people can live peacefully as before. But we all know that this possibility is slim because no one can guarantee what the person who becomes the king will do to this world. If I were to be the king, I would hope that the world could return to its original state, and the puppet game would disappear completely. I want to know, what kind of world would you want if you were to be the king?¡± Fu Miaoxue scowled, ¡°Are you joking? If I were to be the last king, I would have had to endure countless life-and-death crises, and gone through a lot of hardships to finally gain supreme power. Why would I be so stupid as to let the world return to its original state? I must occupy the pinnacle of power; no one must disobey my orders! Otherwise, how could I justify my efforts?¡± Chapter 657 - Chapter 657: Chapter 657: Seed of Evil Chapter 657: Chapter 657: Seed of Evil ¡°Understood.¡± Shen Mo nodded lightly, ¡°So, you and Du Lai are the first opponents I have to defeat.¡± Fu Miaoxue stared at him, speechless. Chang Weicai said, ¡°Xiaoshen¡¯s idea is right! Standing at the peak of power is indeed thrilling, but only momentarily, such a world is distorted, unstable! For everyone, for the whole world, we should work together to restore the world to its original state! To let everyone live a peaceful life!¡± ¡°What a grandiose speech!¡± Fu Miaoxue scoffed disdainfully, ¡°Acting so noble, as if you have no ulterior motives. Who would believe that?!! When you guys become the last kings, you might be even worse than us!¡± As she spoke, she noticed Bai Youwei lowering her head and immediately pointed her out, ¡°See! She is feeling guilty as I just said!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei raised her head, irritable, ¡°¡­Keep it down, stop bothering me!¡± Shen Mo calmly said: ¡°You have a point. As long as one is human, they will have their own desires. But my reason to do this is not to save all of humanity, nor is it for world peace, I just¡­don¡¯t want to be controlled.¡± Fu Miaoxue was stunned. Bai Youwei bowed her head lower. Shen Mo said, ¡°What do you think the purpose of this game is? Establishing a series of rules, and now creating this thing called ¡®war¡¯, makes us fight each other with all our might, exposing all the extremes of human nature, like lab rats undergoing various experiments until we become nothing more than a string of data. The so-called ¡®maze war¡¯ may be the last of these experiments, where the ¡®king¡¯ represents the results the game seeks to validate.¡± Saying this, Shen Mo purposefully glanced at Du Lai beside Fu Miaoxue. ¡°As ¡®king¡¯, if you approach this world in the mindset of playing a game, even if you win, it¡¯s the game that wins. The humans are still the losers.¡± Du Lai frowned but said nothing. Professor Chang solemnly nodded his agreement, ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ the game wants to turn us into monsters. If we want to win, we have to return the will of the world back to human hands.¡± Professor Chang took a deep breath and asked everyone, ¡°Do you know about the news from a year ago about a college student hiring an assassin?¡± Everyone shook their heads. There¡¯s too much news on the Internet every day. Among a myriad of bizarre stories, a student hiring an assassin hardly makes a ripple. ¡°I was once assigned to work at that school.¡± Professor Chang said, ¡°It was an ordinary middle school with both high and low-performing students. Fights would occasionally break out but they were manageable. However, eventually¡­ A transfer student arrived at the school, a child who had been previously in a juvenile detention center. He became the school bully, enforcing a set of rules on the students. Anyone who broke these rules would be punished and had to pay a hefty fine. Many students were suffering. We teachers tried to intervene but our efforts were futile. The entire school was in a state of chaos. Students couldn¡¯t study peacefully, fights broke out all the time. If anyone shed blood during a fight, they were regarded as ¡®cool¡¯ or ¡®powerful¡¯¡­ Later on, the headteacher and I made great efforts to contact parents, the education bureau, and other departments. We managed to expel that transfer student. We thought the school environment would improve after his departure, but it didn¡¯t¡­ not at all.¡± The situation in the school worsened. The bullying rules put in place by the transfer student didn¡¯t disappear after he left. A group of students, in their struggle to become the next ¡®Boss¡¯, went so far as to hire an assassin, leading to the death of a former schoolmate! ¡°That child¡­ he left the seeds of evil behind.¡± Chapter 658 - Chapter 658: Chapter 658: As Long As Were Together Chapter 658: Chapter 658: As Long As We¡¯re Together Everyone present knew exactly what the teacher¡¯s story meant. The game was like the transfer student who came from the juvenile detention center. And they, the players, were the students struggling to survive under his rules. Even if they seized the position of ¡°Boss¡±, it was not a real victory, but the beginning of domestication. This was why Shen Mo proposed to restore the world to its original state. He wasn¡¯t trying to save the world out of heroism, he just didn¡¯t want to be manipulated by the game. ¡ª¡ªHumans can choose their own destruction, but should never be enslaved until death. The atmosphere was heavy. The silence lasted for a long time, before Bai Youwei quietly spoke: ¡°Nobody really knows what happens after becoming a King. Whatever the Inspector said is pure speculation. The only thing we can be certain of at this point is that, within the King¡¯s domain, these games do not exist. Therefore, let¡¯s think about how to fight the next battle. As for the rest¡­ we can talk about it later.¡± The topic was closed. The teacher tried his best to lighten the mood a bit. He chatted about dinner, the weather, and the future development of the city, all sorts of grand yet hollow topics. Others cooperated with him, intermittently speaking for a while, but it was clear everyone was preoccupied. ¡­That night, everyone¡¯s mood was inevitably depressed. Except for Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin, who slept without the burden of anxiety, others were somewhat insomniac. Since Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue were also there, Bai Youwei did not open the dollhouse, but only had Shen Mo bring out two quilts to lay inside the tent. When they were about to lie down, Shen Mo held her by the waist from behind, whispering: ¡°You didn¡¯t seem to say much before.¡± Bai Youwei stopped. She indeed hadn¡¯t said much¡­ What should she say? That she had been domesticated? That she had gotten used to the rules and was enjoying them? Bai Youwei closed her eyes and murmured, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just tired.¡± Shen Mo remained silent for a while at her words, held her and laid down, cradling her in his arms. The warm quilt enveloped both of them, the glow of the campfire flickering in the tent illuminated them. Shen Mo slightly tightened his arm. His jaw rested on top of her head, gently rubbing it. He whispered, ¡°Indeed, really tired¡­.We were in there for almost three days, never getting a chance to rest. Who knows how the Inspector will plan the next battle. If it¡¯s this exhausting, we need to prepare food and water in advance.¡± Mentioning the game, Bai Youwei came to her senses, ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need to, is there? Our chosen Battle 20 shouldn¡¯t involve other players.¡± She calculated: ¡°The participation requirement for Battle 20 is more than ten persons, which means the King has to recruit at least 9 subjects to meet the battle requirements. Moreover, 20 jigsaw puzzles plus 9 for recruiting subjects, add 2 for occupying the territory, and one more as a backup¡­all in all, a King needs to hold 32 puzzles to choose Battle 20.¡± Aside from Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, it was doubtful if any of the current 26 Kings had that many puzzles. Even if they did, it would be highly unlikely that they would choose Battle 20, which requires the most participants, for the first battle. Listening to her talking about the game details, Shen Mo¡¯s lips twitched into a slight smile. He moved aside her long, smooth hair, revealing her slender neck, then gently pressed against it¡­ ¡°Do you know¡­¡± He spoke in a low voice, ¡°Du Lai just said, let others become the King, it doesn¡¯t matter if our bodies are incomplete, it doesn¡¯t matter if our friends and family are not with us, as long as we are together, we can still live a good life without being King¡­those are also the words I want to say to you.¡± Bai Youwei felt stirred. She should feel sweetness and warmth, but for some unknown reasons, a chilling sensation was gradually creeping up from the bottom of her heart. Chapter 659 - Chapter 659: Chapter 659: Returning to the Base Chapter 659: Chapter 659: Returning to the Base How could she possibly not care? How could she possibly be okay? Bai Youwei knew the answer deep within her heart. Even if Shen Mo did not mind her leg, they would not have a happy ending because the disease did not only hurt her body but also her spirit and will! How could he possibly continue to love her when she became despicable, sensitive, dark and selfish? Even her own mother couldn¡¯t bear her and left her to a nanny, how many feelings could Shen Mo spend on her? ¡ª¡ªWhy can¡¯t she be more positive, more optimistic, stronger? It¡¯s like a wealthy man asking a destitute scavenger: Really? As long as you work hard and use your brain, you will definitely make more money, why suffer for this little money? Conclusion: All nonsense. If change was that easy, then where would all the pain in life come from? Bai Youwei closed her sore eyes, gently turned around, faced Shen Mo, and burrowed into his chest. ¡°I want to sleep.¡± She said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Hold me ¡­¡± Shen Mo held her. She continued: ¡°Hold me a bit tighter ¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s thin smile curled up, as he hugged her tighter, ¡°Is it tight enough now?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­tight enough.¡± With her eyes closed, Bai Youwei softly said, ¡°Goodnight.¡± ¡°Goodnight.¡± ¡­ The next day, they returned to Shanghai by car. As they hadn¡¯t been in a rush, they¡¯d taken a couple of rests along the way, not reaching Shanghai until after dark. The sight in the city was shocking. For the streetlights along the roads were all brightly lit! They had electricity. Everyone found it incredulous, gazing out the window, unable to believe their eyes, repeatedly confirming whether those lights were candles or props? It wasn¡¯t until they saw Yan Qingwen who had come to meet them and had a careful inquiry that everyone believed that the city had indeed returned to its original state. The vanished electricity and signals had all returned. They finally truly felt the significance of King taking over the territory. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t exactly like the word ¡°take over¡±, because this land never belonged to anybody, or in other words, it belonged to each and every person living here. She felt it would be better to change the word, for example, ¡°reclaim¡±. Reclaiming their world from the hands of death game. Yan Qingwen said: ¡°We knew you¡¯d be back today, so we¡¯ve been waiting here since the morning. Professor Song is eager to see you.¡± Shen Mo asked him: ¡°How¡¯s the situation in the city?¡± ¡°The areas covered by the puzzle pieces have all returned to normal.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at the lights on the side of the road and sighed, ¡°As you can see, all the electricity systems are running normally, there are signals, and a temporary network has been set up to meet basic communication needs¡­ Some people who fled to the countryside for refuge have returned and there are quite a few people in the city now.¡± He paused and then added: ¡°But we might not be able to keep them here. More people could lead to chaos, and food supply is also a problem. Unlike the countryside, the city cannot sustain itself.¡± Du Lai asked: ¡°Do we need to see Professor Song too?¡± ¡°Everyone should.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Fu Miaoxue standing by his side, ¡°Both King and citizens should probably go and see what Professor Song has found.¡± What thing? Everyone looking at each other with confusion then followed Yan Qingwen to the base headquarters. ¡­ With the return of electricity, the conditions at the base were much improved. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo entered the brightly lit building and saw a lot of new equipment and facilities. Now that the puzzle pieces had connected cities like Nanjing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, there were a lot more ways to acquire research equipment. They no longer needed to worry about the supply transport teams encountering the death games on the road. Outside Professor Song¡¯s lab, there were security personnel on guard. They must have been informed beforehand. Seeing Yan Qingwen coming back with people, the security personnel automatically opened the door. Inside the door, there were countless computers, instruments and various display screens. And all the screens were frozen on the same image¡ª¡ª It was a diamond-shaped geometric figure floating in the air. Chapter 660 - Chapter 660: Chapter 660 Diamond Diamond Chapter 660: Chapter 660 Diamond Diamond The white diamond-shaped geometric body gave Bai Youwei an inexplicable sense of familiarity. But she should have seen this thing for the first time. ¡°You¡¯re all here,¡± Professor Song¡¯s voice echoed in the room. Everyone looked towards the sound to see Professor Song hunched over his work behind a computer. He looked older than before with a hoarse and weak voice, and his eyes were bloodshot from overwork. His health condition gave cause for concern. ¡°These instruments and devices were brought in as soon as power was restored, but they¡¯ve been of no use. After discovering this item, no form of survey could yield any results,¡± Professor Song, staring at the diamond on the screen, said slowly. ¡°That¡¯s all we can do¡­¡± Shen Mo looked at it and said, ¡°The power has been restored for less than two days. Isn¡¯t it too early to draw conclusions? If we continue the investigation, there may be new findings.¡± Professor Song shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s pointless. Apart from its visibility, this diamond object cannot be detected in any other way. It has no gravity, no mass, no sound¡­ magnetic field, electromagnetic wave, thermal energy, radiation, all of these, it has none. It¡¯s as if it doesn¡¯t exist.¡± He spoke quickly, panting. His trembling fingers tapped the screen, ¡°This is not a product of human civilization. If we can figure out what it is, we may be able to unlock the key to the world¡¯s anomalies. I called you here because I hoped you could provide related clues¡­ Have any of you seen anything similar in the game?¡± Everyone was silent. No one had seen this thing before. Bai Youwei stared at the screen, saying, ¡°Can it be magnified?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Professor Song worked on the computer, his voice hoarse. ¡°After magnification, you can see that the object is composed of countless cubes. The internal structure is unclear, it¡¯s white on the outside, can reflect all colors of light, yet we can¡¯t detect any physical substance.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then turned to Shen Mo, ¡°The place where we stayed, the rest hall, was also a white square.¡± When she mentioned this, others also realized the connection. ¡°It¡¯s not just a white square, the walls and floor tiles of the rest hall are also squares,¡± Yan Qingwen pointed out. He paused before adding, ¡°When we leave the game, we pass through a glowing passage, which is also square-shaped.¡± Everyone exchanged looks. After a while, Tan Xiao asked in a daze, ¡°¡­You mean we are in this diamond?¡± Everyone was silent. It was a highly probable yet absurd theory. If the rest hall was a cube, then was every game they experienced a cube as well? Countless cubes, countless games, this unidentifiable diamond-shaped object, selecting players around the world; what was its purpose? Professor Song dropped his head, letting out a hoarse, dry laugh. The game had taken away his loved ones and his life. With his time running out, he devoted all his energy and effort to uncovering the truth before death arrived. But in the end, he was still helpless. Many things could not be achieved by effort alone. With his current capabilities and conditions, it was very difficult to uncover the secrets of the doll game. ¡°Perhaps only by becoming the final King, can one enter the core of the diamond.¡± Professor Song gave a bitter smile, looking at the young people before him. Among them were soldiers, young ladies, misfits, middle school teachers, elementary school students, street performers¡­ Who would have thought that the future of the world would be entrusted to such a group of people? ¡°The rest is up to you,¡± Professor Song looked at them. ¡°If you need anything, contact Chu Huaijin. I, as an old man, can¡¯t help much anymore¡­¡± Chapter 661 - Chapter 661: Chapter 661: Headquarters Headquarters Chapter 661: Chapter 661: Headquarters Headquarters As the chief-in-charge of the base, Chu Huaijin prepared a building for the players who signed up for the King. A building named King¡¯s Headquarters. The name sounds a bit childish, but Chu Huaijin has his own reasons. ¡ª¡ªAlthough the Kings compete with each other, when viewed in the context of the whole country, even the whole world, a King should get the best resources to cope with the brutal battles that lie ahead. He earnestly met with Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Yan Qingwen, as well as Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue, hoping they would accept his arrangement. The building had a total of 32 floors, equipped with a restaurant, conference room, gym, training room, combat arena, indoor swimming pool, and rooftop garden, etc. All the daily living facilities were of the highest standard, with a strict security system. There were also trainers to help them enhance their physical ability and teach them professional combat and fighting skills to deal with all kinds of crises in the game. Considering the complexity of the game, Chu Huaijin invited several instruction teachers to help players improve their spatial reasoning, logical thinking, memory enhancement, and other abilities. Furthermore, Chu Huaijin planned to recruit excellent players, centralized training plans, offer the King a selection of soldier candidates so that the King isn¡¯t short of people during battles. There was a lot to do. The King¡¯s Headquarters could only be improved slowly in the future. Bai Youwei was touched somewhat. Whether it was Professor Song or Chu Huaijin, although they did not participate in the Maze War directly, they were fighting in their own way. During their tour of King¡¯s Headquarters, one floor was dedicated to data analysis, where a dozen youths were working on data analysis. Although the number of people was not large, they were very busy at work. Curious, Bai Youwei picked up an analysis report, that read: Inspector Sphere ¡ª¡ª 87.35% of games have aggressive animals or monsters; 76.23% of games revolve around physical ability and reasoning; 98.91% of games consist of more than ten players; 92.65% of games last less than 72 hours¡­ ¡­ Chu Huaijin explained, ¡°This was Yan Qingwen¡¯s idea to analyze and compare each inspector¡¯s game to derive data results. This way, we can be prepared before the battle starts. Now that we have restored power, relieving a great computing pressure, I hope these data will come in handy.¡± Bai Youwei nodded thoughtfully. She still remembered that when choosing a battle, each one had a 3D holographic projection of an inspector. Battle 1 had the Clown, Battle 5 had the Comic Man, Battle 10 had the Sphere, and Battle 20 had the Grey-robed Elderly Man. Yan Qingwen¡¯s aim was clear, collect as much game information as possible and analyze the game characteristics of these four. For instance, in the Sphere¡¯s battle, they needed to prepare wound medicine and high-attack tools. For the Grey-robed Elderly Man¡¯s game, which leaned towards knowledge-type, they needed to find allies with a rich knowledge reserve. King¡¯s Headquarters took everything into account. Either considering Chu Huaijin¡¯s intention or the tangible benefits placed before her eyes, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t find a reason to refuse. In the end, they all moved in. After Ya Chaohui moved in, he got a bit of his spirit back, no longer sulky, perhaps because the whole setting and standard of the headquarters made him feel like he was back in the organization. Teacher Cheng, however, was a bit unsettled. He felt that he wasn¡¯t qualified, staying in such a place seemed somewhat improper. He was more at ease in the Doll House. But he was also aware that frequently entering and exiting the Doll House was pretty unsafe. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin adapted pretty quickly. Every day, they trained their physical ability and exercised logical thinking with the instruction teachers. Regardless of progress, at least they were working toward an aim. Yan Qingwen, Lu Yuwen, Su Man, and Zhu Shu also moved in. Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue were not so sociable. Although they lived on the same floor, they seldom showed up. Du Lai was occasionally seen in the restaurant. But considering Fu Miaoxue¡¯s special circumstance, it was understandable. She was a doll, didn¡¯t need to eat, nor train her physical ability, so she naturally stayed in her room every day. Like this, a week passed quickly. Chapter 662 - Chapter 662: Chapter 662: Complain Complain Chapter 662: Chapter 662: Complain Complain The opening of maze privilege will be in a week. Bai Youwei believes that all the players who are ready will make their way through the maze as soon as they can, because only the first batch of players who manage to pass through can receive 5 puzzle pieces. Also, the maze is a way to improve physical strength, so it¡¯s a vital opportunity for the king and his subjects. Yan Qingwen is preparing to take Lu Yuwen, Su Man, and Zhu Shu with him, and they¡¯ve been packing since early in the morning. Su Man¡¯s parents and Li Li have all come to see them off, and Zhu Shu is pretty popular in the base, so quite a number of people from the evaluation and security teams have arrived as well. A group of people are laughing and bidding farewell to each other, it¡¯s lively all around. Things are much quieter over at Bai Youwei¡¯s. That¡¯s because Shen Mo went to see his father last night. Given the dangerous nature of the maze, it¡¯s quite understandable that he wanted to say goodbye to his family, but Bai Youwei has been waiting for him for a really long time, and he only came back at noon. Is he only going to return after lunch? She has things on her mind and seems listless, even Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin are trying not to disturb her, Just then Fu Miaoxue sneaks into her room, half-sticking out from the half-open door and gesturing to Bai Youwei, ¡°Hey, do you want to know where your boyfriend is?¡± Bai Youwei frowns, ¡°Fu Miaoxue, what are you up to?¡± ¡°Come quick, hurry!¡± Fu Miaoxue urged. Bai Youwei slides her wheelchair over hesitantly, ¡°What is going on¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°You will see when we get there.¡± She takes Bai Youwei down in the elevator to the conference room. Du Lai is guarding the entrance to the conference room. ¡°How¡¯s things? Is he still inside?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked, a little excited as she sidled up to Du Lai. Du Lai nodded quietly, handed her a pair of earphones. Fu Miaoxue accepted it and promptly put an earbud in Bai Youwei¡¯s ear. Bai Youwei was taken aback, then she heard Shen Mo¡¯s voice from the earphone¡ª ¡°¡­ If we¡¯re talking about suitability, I¡¯d wager none of us here is completely suitable. She can become the king not because she¡¯s suitable, but because she wants to.¡± ¡°So she can do whatever she wants just because she wants to? Sir, I admit, she¡¯s very clever, but is she really fit to lead this team? ¡­ I think she¡¯s myopic and over-ambitious, willing to do anything to achieve her goals, with no regard for other people¡¯s lives. Having her as our king will cause us trouble sooner or later.¡± This was Ya Chaohui¡¯s voice. Bai Youwei was vaguely aware. What does this mean? ¡­ Is this a covert report? She should¡¯ve known that Fang Yu¡¯s death would have left Ya Chaohui filled with resentment, sure enough, he bears a grudge. Then she heard Shen Mo say, ¡°We¡¯re talking about two different things ¡­ I understand that Fang Yu¡¯s death has left you in a rut. If you don¡¯t like this, you can stay behind tomorrow, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to enter the maze with us ¡­¡± Bai Youwei was agitated, she took the earphones off and cast a cold glance at Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Does stirring trouble gives you an immense satisfaction?¡± ¡°Absolutely, it does~¡± Fu Miaoxue tilted her head and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m quite vindictive, whoever annoys me, I¡¯ll make them a hundred times more miserable! How about that? Are you feeling upset? Wronged? Want to cry?¡± ¡°Psychopath!¡± Bai Youwei threw the earphone, intending to leave. She didn¡¯t want Shen Mo to find her eavesdropping outside, it was simply degrading! Fu Miaoxue chased after her from behind, grabbed the handle of her wheelchair, and whispered in her ear, ¡°Bai Youwei, the biggest difference between you and me is, Du Lai only has me, but how many people are behind Shen Mo? Have you ever counted? Can you handle all of them? Can you make them all accept you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was icy; her eyes stared straight ahead, ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to accept me.¡± She slid her wheelchair away. Du Lai helplessly walked over to Fu Miaoxue and sighed, ¡°Feel better now?¡± ¡°Somewhat~¡± Fu Miaoxue haughtily hmphed, ¡°Who asked her to call me a cripple.¡± Chapter 663 - Chapter 663: Chapter 663: Labyrinth Labyrinth Chapter 663: Chapter 663: Labyrinth Labyrinth The eavesdropping device was planted by Du Lai. Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue had long noticed that Ya Chaohui wasn¡¯t as close to Tan Xiao and his group or Bai Youwei. When they happened to see Ya Chaohui stopping Shen Mo today, claiming that he had something to discuss, they guessed it might involve Bai Youwei. Du Lai deliberately walked past the two and in the slight brush, the listening device found its way onto Ya Chaohui. He was agile, carrying out the task without raising any suspicion. However, Ya Chaohui did not bash Bai Youwei as they had expected. Instead, he objectively admitted that Bai Youwei was indeed smart, followed by suggesting that the young girl was not up for the big task, urging Shen Mo to think it through carefully. He wasn¡¯t as harsh as they¡¯d hoped, which Fu Miaoxue found mildly disappointing. But seeing Bai Youwei¡¯s face change, Fu Miaoxue felt that their purpose had been achieved. They had finally evened the score. ¡­ When Shen Mo returned, he noticed that Bai Youwei was acting strangely. She seemed distracted, often zoning out while speaking. When he asked her what was wrong, she brushed him off saying she was thinking about entering the maze the next day. Her words were seven parts truth and three parts lies, which roused suspicion in Shen Mo, though he couldn¡¯t discern her thoughts. This state of hers continued until the evening. Both of them lay in bed, unable to sleep. ¡°If you¡¯re tired¡­ or not feeling well, you can rest for a few more days.¡± After some thought, Shen Mo suggested, ¡°Delaying entering the maze by a few days isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± Bai Youwei immediately countered, ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t do it?¡± Her sudden sharpness took Shen Mo aback. And Bai Youwei¡¯s heart recoiled at once! What was she saying? Why was she speaking to him in such a tone? Her frustration and anger had nothing to do with him! But¡­ she didn¡¯t know what to say to fix it. After a while, she decided to give up, abruptly saying, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m tired, going to sleep.¡± She didn¡¯t hear a response from Shen Mo. She didn¡¯t want to dig deeper. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to fall asleep quickly. Behind her, a sturdy arm encircled her waist, pulling her into a warm embrace. She still refused to open her eyes. A sigh sounded low in her ear. The night was peaceful. ¡­ The next day was the day to enter the maze. Before going into the maze, they needed to go to the rest hall to allow the bunny-headed inspector to grant access. By pressing the identity mark on their wrists, they would be automatically transported to the resting hall. When Bai Youwei and Shen Mo arrived, pretty much all the other kings were present. Each king brought about three to five companions, and there were many citizens around to watch the excitement. Everyone was looking around confusedly, having been told by the inspector that maze access would be opened today, but seeing no action. Suddenly, someone noticed an anomaly on the satellite map at their feet. Near each territory, a mist slowly gathered, initially a light white, eventually thickening into an obscuring fog. Looking down at the map, the fog looked like white clouds. Someone wondered, ¡°Could this be the maze?¡± Someone attempted to step onto the ¡°white cloud¡± on the map. Indeed, it reacted, flashing a dazzling light, followed by the sudden disappearance of the person who had just stepped in. The ¡°white cloud¡± disappeared too. Bai Youwei watched with a frown as more and more kings entered the maze. Every time a group of people entered, a cloud would disappear. It seemed that once the maze access was opened, there was no limit on the number of citizens allowed, but only one king was allowed to enter each maze. Yan Qingwen chose the cloud near Changsha. Before leaving, he waved to them, ¡°Good luck to you.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other, then, as if by mutual agreement, turned towards the direction of Zhou Mountain. There too was a cloud. However, they couldn¡¯t enter at the same time. They would have to separate again¡­ Chapter 664 - Chapter 664: Chapter 664 Big Sea Big Sea (For cloud extra addition) Chapter 664: Chapter 664 Big Sea Big Sea (For cloud extra addition) A maze that only allows one king entry at a time. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo hadn¡¯t anticipated this situation. They froze temporarily, finding it difficult to decide. They were short on manpower. If it were just one maze, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo along with Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, and Ya Chaohui would be sufficient. But now, they had to divide into two teams, immediately appearing thin on strengths. A few subjects gathered around, attempting to negotiate with them: ¡°Do you need to recruit?¡± These people had been demoted from kings to subjects, not recruited by anyone, so they had no choice but to wander the main hall, seeking opportunities. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo wouldn¡¯t have considered recruiting these unfamiliar people if they hadn¡¯t been short on hands. Fortunately, Bai Youwei recognized someone in the crowd. She saw Asarina and immediately waved at her: ¡°Asarina!¡± ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Asarina spotted Bai Youwei as well and excitedly approached, bringing along two others. ¡°Hey! You recruiting?¡± ¡°Entering the maze, will you?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Asarina was straight to the point, making her offer. ¡°Two puzzle pieces and a defensive item. If you recruit all three of us, you get a discount; one puzzle piece per person.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, replying, ¡°I¡¯ll give you each two puzzle pieces, but I only have supplementary items. I don¡¯t have many defensive ones.¡± After some thought, Asarina nodded: ¡°Deal!¡± ¡­ Shen Mo also managed to recruit two young men on his side. He always had concerns for Bai Youwei and wanted to assign a resourceful person to stay by her side. Ya Chaohui was the most suitable candidate, but considering his grudge against Bai Youwei, Shen Mo could only keep him with himself. As for Tan Xiao, despite his quick-witted adaptability, he was far too unpredictable and unreliable for protection duty. Pan Xiaoxin was even less suitable; he was still a child. Just as Shen Mo was in a quandary, Bai Youwei had already recruited three subjects. She told Shen Mo: ¡°Let Xiaoxin join me; he is young if anything dangerous occurs, I can put him into the dollhouse.¡± After some consideration, Shen Mo agreed and, while gripping her shoulder, reminded, ¡°Be careful once you enter.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Bai Youwei took hold of Shen Mo¡¯s hand, reluctant to let him go, ¡°You too.¡± Shen Mo led Ya Chaohui, Tan Xiao, and the two newly recruited subjects toward the maze near Qingdao. Bai Youwei, along with Pan Xiaoxin, Asarina, and Asarina¡¯s two followers, went to the maze near Zhou Mountain. As she was about to enter, she couldn¡¯t resist turning her head for one last look. Perhaps it was a mutual sympathy, but Shen Mo also turned around, their eyes meeting. If only for a brief moment, they exchanged knowing smiles. Standing nearby, Asarina curiously wormed in, ¡°That¡¯s your boyfriend, huh? Quite handsome~¡± A casual remark like that somehow lifted the gloom from Bai Youwei¡¯s head from the previous night until today. She chuckled and nodded: ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s quite handsome~¡± ¡°Oh, how nice it would be if I also had such a handsome boyfriend¡­¡± Asarina sighed. The little guy in the front turned his head, ¡°Jiwang elder brother, you said to wait until the surgery¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± An annoyed Asarina interrupted, promptly smacking both of them on the head, ¡°Did I ask for your reminder?!¡± The other little follower covered his head in resentment: ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡± Upon seeing this, Pan Xiaoxin chuckled off to the side. Bai Youwei also laughed, and wheeling towards the white mist, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go; we are entering the maze.¡± As the scenery in front of her changed, her balance suddenly shifted, and she fell off her wheelchair with a thump! Those who entered with her also lost their balance and fell. Then, Bai Youwei felt the sea breeze, salty and fishy air, damp and cold deck, and the crash of pounding waves. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked forward. This time, was the maze located on the vast sea? Chapter 665 - Chapter 665: Chapter 665: A Ship Chapter 665: Chapter 665: A Ship The ship swayed violently as Asarina helped Bai Youwei up, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°Just fell, nothing serious. Let¡¯s check our surroundings first.¡± Upon hearing this, everyone dispersed and went to check the boat¡¯s bow and stern. Bai Youwei settled back into her wheelchair, grabbed the railing, and started observing the environment. This was an old small fishing boat. The wood on the deck was wet and decayed, and the outer layer of the hull was covered in rust. She gripped the railing, her hand full of rusty dirt. There was no sail, and no noise coming from an engine, but the fishing boat was bobbing up and down on the waves, driven forward by the tide. The sky was a heavy, oppressive dark. The roiling clouds covered the whole sky. Within the gloom, they could see a massive shadow in the distance ¨C an island, no doubt the location of this maze. Asarina stepped out of the cabin and immediately felt a blast of cold air. She quickly zipped up her jacket and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a bit cold¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go inside,¡± Bai Youwei turned her wheelchair, ¡°We can¡¯t reach the shore yet. This boat is heading towards the small island ahead.¡± Asarina nodded, ¡°Most likely. I looked around in the cockpit just now, none of the buttons were responsive. The boat is on autopilot.¡± One of her underlings climbed up from below the deck and shouted, ¡°Boss, there are loads of fish below the deck!¡± ¡°Call me ¡®big sister¡¯!¡± Asarina shouted back, unimpressed, ¡°Call me ¡®boss¡¯ again, see if I don¡¯t cut your ears off!¡± The underling immediately bowed and nodded, ¡°Big sister, big sister!¡± Pan Xiaoxin appeared holding a pile of life jackets, ¡°Sister Weiwei, there are life jackets on this boat, exactly five.¡± Bai Youwei noticed the life jackets in his hands and furrowed her brows almost imperceptibly. Pan Xiaoxin was puzzled. He looked at the life jackets, then at Bai Youwei, ¡°¡­ Is there a problem, Sister Weiwei?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later, let¡¯s go inside the cabin first,¡± Bai Youwei responded with a frown, ¡°The wind and waves outside are too strong, let¡¯s all go inside and put on the life jackets.¡± The cabin was small, with two rows of benches that could barely fit six people when squished together. In the front was the cockpit, even narrower and only enough room for one person. The wind and waves were strong at sea. They sat wobbly inside the cabin as it got darker outside. The dim yellow boat light made a creaking sound, as if it would suddenly be extinguished under the jolts at any moment. Asarina sniffed the smell of the life jacket on her body and grimaced, ¡°It stinks of fish. I bet the fish on this boat are supposed to be our food supply for the maze.¡± ¡°The food we brought can last for two days ¡­¡± said her underling, in a whisper. Asarina¡¯s two underlings were almost of the same height and build, both stocky and sunburned, with short cropped hair. Bai Youwei could not distinguish between the two of them; she only knew one was called Along and the other Aqing. Bai Youwei asked them, ¡°Are you good swimmers?¡± Asarina was taken aback, ¡°Why, are you worried something might happen to the boat?¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°In the mazes I¡¯ve encountered before, the system doesn¡¯t specifically provide tools. If this maze really is on that island, I don¡¯t think the system would have provided us with life jackets. We might be forced into a situation where we have to swim.¡± Everyone was stunned and turned their heads to look outside through the mottled glass window. The sky was dark, and visibility was blurred, but they could still see the fishing boat heading towards the island, and it was getting closer. ¡°Could it be, something will happen to us on the way? Or is there something wrong with this ship?¡± Asarina looked out, puzzled, ¡°What kind of a maze is this¡­¡± Chapter 666 - Chapter 666: Chapter 666: A Hole Chapter 666: Chapter 666: A Hole A maze, by definition, refers to a structure full of complex passages where once entered, it¡¯s difficult to find an exit. But now they were drifting in the sea, not even knowing where the entrance was, let alone the exit? Bai Youwei reflected and said to Pan Xiaoxin at her side: ¡°Xiaoxin, take out the tools and see if there are any that can be used.¡± Pan Xiaoxin carried a small backpack with a few miscellaneous daily necessities, as well as tools he obtained from the preliminaries. In principle, one should keep tools concealed and unknown to others. But when he saw Bai Youwei taking out her tools, he also let down his guard and unzipped his backpack¡ª ¡°This is all our tools. Before entering the maze, I promised everyone could pick one tool,¡± Bai Youwei spoke, ¡°Now since we¡¯re in this maze together and danger is inevitable, I hope everyone can cooperate as much as possible and trust each other under the premise of not hurting each other¡¯s interests.¡± Putting out all the tools can quickly put others at ease. A heart-to-heart approach could also work, but Bai Youwei didn¡¯t have the time nor the desire to waste her breath. She shuffled through Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s tools, picked out a dull-looking stone and said, ¡°This is a Lucky Stone. When worn, it has a 25% chance of evading attacks. Xiaoxin is the youngest and has no defensive abilities, so he should keep this tool. As for the rest, you all can choose.¡± Along and Aqing both looked at Asarina. Asarina laughed and promptly said: ¡°Then we won¡¯t be polite, let¡¯s work together from here on!¡± Besides a bunny and the golden key to a dollhouse, Bai Youwei brought out all her other tools. Plus the six tools she won in the preliminary contest, there were a total of 12 tools¡ª a starting gun, improved flower seeds, friend invitation card, Snowflake, a plastic hairpin, Miss Liu¡¯s incense, white conch, large pea, a last straw, Firefly, Easter egg, and swan meat. These tools lacked obvious offensive or defensive abilities¡ª they were mostly supportive in nature. Asarina and her two subordinates checked them over, having some difficulty deciding. They originally wanted a tool useful in the maze but didn¡¯t find any suitable ones, however, this also confirmed Bai Youwei¡¯s prior statement¡ª she truly didn¡¯t have defensive tools. In the end, Asarina took the last straw. Along took the Easter egg. Aqing took the swan meat. As for the other tools, they would be of little use in this maze. For example, the white conch, from its name, it seems to be related to water, but it¡¯s actually a long-distance communication device. The use of the friends invitation card is utterly baffling. Miss Liu¡¯s incense was even more speechless, it had to be used with an incense burner, and then there was the large pea which would grow into a giant pea vine when it came into contact with the ground, but they were at sea right now! Pan Xiaoxin had four other tools left. Asarina didn¡¯t choose any, perhaps because she probably felt bad taking from a kid. After choosing tools, Bai Youwei, staying faithful to her promise, gave three puzzle pieces to each person, making a total of 6 pieces. Due to her generosity, Asarinia was the one feeling somewhat embarrassed and declined, ¡°We can do this when we¡¯re out. After all, the maze isn¡¯t a formal battle where you have to hold puzzle pieces.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Bai Youwei retracted her hand. Pan Xiaoxin, leaning out the window, suddenly said, ¡°Sister Weiwei, there seems to be a cave ahead!¡± Bai Youwei followed his gaze. Their boat was now very close to the island. Rather than calling it an island, it was more like a mountain, without any place to dock. All that could be seen above the layers of rolling black waves were steep burnt rocks and mountains. And directly in the front of their boat, was a dark cave. Chapter 667 - Chapter 667: Chapter 667: A Bunch of Shells Chapter 667: Chapter 667: A Bunch of Shells No wonder the system provided them with a fishing boat at the very beginning. If the cave is the entrance to the labyrinth, without a boat, they wouldn¡¯t be able to enter in such conditions. ¡­ As the fishing boat approached the cave, the waves gradually calmed down, and the boat didn¡¯t rock as violently. The boat was slowing down. Until it entered the cave, the fishing boat completely stopped. Outside was pitch black. Although there were lights on the boat, their reach was very limited, leaving most of the cavern still immersed in darkness, cold, serene, and eerie. They didn¡¯t know where this cave led to, how long it was, or whether there was any danger inside. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Along had no idea, looking helplessly at Asarina. Asarina thought for a moment, then got up and went to the cabin. After fiddling for a while, she turned her head to look at everyone and said, ¡°It seems like we can set off with this boat now, let me give it a try.¡± ¡ª¡ªFrom the moment they arrived at the starting point, they had control over the operation of the boat. ¡­ The long cave seemed to have no end, and Asarina did not dare to speed up rashly. She could only proceed slowly along the tunnel. There were no split paths in the cave, and it was so dark that one could not see their hand in front of them. The dim light from the two lamps outside the cabin barely illuminated the damp stone walls, their color dull and cold. Bai Youwei took a flashlight out of her bag and shone it around, hoping to find some clues. Unfortunately, all she saw were grey rocks and piles of shells, nothing else. After seeing similar scenes for too long, she began to feel like they were spinning in circles in one place. Just as Bai Youwei hesitated about whether to stop the boat, the path ahead suddenly opened up! The boat left the cave and arrived at a wide body of water! They were still in a cave, but this one was much wider and spacious than the previous one, like a naturally formed hollow in the belly of a mountain. Directly in front of them, there were seven identical caves! ¡°Well, it¡¯s really a labyrinth.¡± Asarina said with a sardonic smile from behind the wheel, ¡°No splits at first, but suddenly there are seven. Which one should we choose now?¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Which one do you want to try?¡± ¡°How about the one in the middle?¡± Asarina suggested, ¡°If it¡¯s a dead-end, we can come back and try another.¡± The maze wouldn¡¯t be so simple, but it seemed they had no other option but to try. Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try the middle one first.¡± No one else objected. Asarina steered the boat towards it. They thought they might encounter obstructions, like entering a dead-end passage, but unexpectedly, this cave was just like the first one, completely empty. With her flashlight moving back and forth, Bai Youwei only saw the same monotonous stone walls and shells. After traveling through the cave for a few minutes, the path ahead suddenly opened up again! They had arrived once more at a large body of water. Ahead of them, once again, were seven caves! ¡°Damn¡­¡± Asarina swore under her breath, ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Boss¡­¡± Along asked hesitantly, ¡°Do we¡­still choose the middle cave?¡± ¡°Does it feel like we just ran in circles?¡± Aqing was also uneasy, ¡°Do you think these seven caves are just the ones we encountered earlier?¡± Asarina was worried. If it was really like that, things would be difficult. She turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Perhaps you should choose this time?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, her eyes focused as she scanned the surroundings. The beam of her flashlight swept over a pile of shell creatures, then swept back and stayed there. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She held the flashlight, shining it at a pile of shells, ¡°Who can go take a look?¡± Asarina got up, looked for a moment, ¡°¡­Shells? Scallops? These things are all over the cave.¡± ¡°But many of them are broken,¡± Bai Youwei said, her brows furrowed, ¡°As if something chewed on them.¡± Chapter 668 - Chapter 668: Chapter 668: A Fish Chapter 668: Chapter 668: A Fish After she said that, the others were slightly alarmed. Asarina took the flashlight from her hand, strode out of the cabin, and stood on the railing pole to have a careful look, her expression solemn. ¡°Everyone be careful, and pay attention to the surroundings at all times. There might be something living in these caves.¡± Asarina frowned and looked at the shells in other places again, ¡°Judging from the tooth marks, this creature has extremely sharp teeth, but it¡¯s not much bigger than a human.¡± Along asked anxiously, ¡°What could it be? ¡­A shark?¡± ¡°Sharks don¡¯t eat above the water surface on purpose.¡± Bai Youwei dismissed this assumption, ¡°Besides, sharks don¡¯t strip bones.¡± There were some fish bone remnants near the broken shells. Asarina said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring the boat closer.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then said to Xiaoxin, who was on the side, ¡°You also keep an eye out. If anything sudden happens, you¡¯ll be in charge of the boat.¡± Pan Xiaoxin obediently nodded and squeezed into the cockpit with Asarina. Despite the old appearance of this fishing boat, the operation was cutting-edge touch-screen based. There was a touch screen in the cockpit with a plan of the boat on it. By moving and rotating the fingers, one could control the boat¡¯s direction. After teaching Pan Xiaoxin, Asarina rolled up her trousers, climbed over the railing, and then jumped onto the nearby weathered rocks. She grabbed a handful of broken shells and put them into her pocket first, and then found a few more shells, placing them on the rocks protruding from the water in the form of a cross. ¡°I¡¯m making a mark.¡± Asarina hopped toward the side of the boat in a few steps, standing on a rock. She tiptoed, jumped up with full strength, grabbed the railing pole in mid-air and quickly climbed onto the deck. She took out the handful of broken shells from her pocket, spread them out on the deck, and picked out a few for Bai Youwei to see. ¡°Look at these. Aren¡¯t they scales?¡± Bai Youwei smelled a strong fishy odor and couldn¡¯t help wrinkling her nose. Before her eyes were somewhat transparent grey-green scales. Under the bright light of the flashlight, you could see a circle of patterns on the scales. ¡°The biggest one is about as long as a thumb, and the smallest one looks like a cut fingernail.¡± Asarina analyzed, ¡°Regardless of what kind of creature this is, judging from the scale and tooth mark, its size should be similar to that of a human.¡± Along and Aqing were on high alert, staring at their surroundings. The water surface was calm, with only shallow ripples waving. Nothing extraordinary happened, and no strange creatures were seen. It was undoubtedly dangerous here, but the danger still hid in the dark. ¡°Which cave are we going into this time?¡± Asarina asked Bai Youwei. Seven caves. They previously entered the middle cave from the starting point, and once again, they faced seven caves. Which one should they choose? After a moment of pondering, Bai Youwei said, ¡°Let¡¯s try the first one.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Asarina didn¡¯t hesitate. Right now, they had no clue, so it didn¡¯t matter which one they chose. It was merely a matter of luck. She walked into the cockpit and steered the fishing boat toward the entrance of the first cave¡ª Several bamboo poles were available on the boat. Along and Aqing each took one, using them as weapons. Pan Xiaoxin stayed by Bai Youwei¡¯s side, ready to respond at any time. They entered the cave. Just like before, it was still damp and cold, with a faint fishy smell in the air. The farther they went, the stronger and heavier the fishy odor became. Bai Youwei shone the flashlight over the water surface, then suspiciously illuminated the stone walls on both sides. The thick smell of rot in the surroundings made her uneasy. Suddenly, the boat swayed as if it had collided with something! Aqing lost his balance and his bamboo pole fell into the water immediately. As he bent over to pick it up, a shadow suddenly leaped up from the water! Aqing was startled and fell backward, crashing heavily onto the deck! The shadow lashed out in vain and hit the boat! Sharp claws scraped against the hull before sliding back into the water, letting out piercing scratching noises! The people on the boat were still in shock, staring at each other. What was that just now? Chapter 669 - Chapter 669: Chapter 669: Seven Holes Chapter 669: Chapter 669: Seven Holes Asarina furrowed her brow and passed the steering to Pan Xiaoxin as she left the cabin. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She walked over to Aqing, grabbed his collar and lifted him up, ¡°What was that just now?¡± Aqing was a bit dazed, ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t see it clearly.¡± Along, holding his fishing rod, was equally puzzled, ¡°I only saw a black shadow, it hit the boat and then fell into the water¡­it was very fast.¡± Asarina took Along¡¯s fishing rod, quickly whittled it down a bit with the dagger she always carried, and then walked over to the railing. The lighting in the cave was very dim, everything beyond the deck lit by the ship¡¯s lights was pitch-black. She noticed deep claw marks on the edge of the railing and couldn¡¯t help but frown. The scrape marked even the iron, which indicated that the monster¡¯s claws were very sharp and incredibly hard. ¡°Arrange people for ship guarding,¡± said Bai Youwei. ¡°We will guard one side each ¨C front, back, left, and right.¡± Asarina nodded, she turned to instruct Along and Aqing, but then the boat suddenly shook again! She quickly steadied herself and, in a swift turn, a black shadow hurtled toward her face! Asarina lifted the rod and plunged it sharply! The monster immediately fell onto the deck with a thud! It then let out a lizard-like scream! It was a half-human half-fish monster! Its body was covered in blackish-gray scales, with an inverted triangular head, bulging eyes, a broad lower jaw, and a mouth full of sharp teeth! On its back, a high ridge protruded out, featuring a row of dorsal fins as sharp as blades! The monster was very angry after falling onto the deck, it roared at Asarina! The skin membrane around its neck formed a dilated collar, just like an angry lizard! ¡°Along!¡± Asarina shouted, lifting the rod and stabbing again! Along also gripped his rod tightly and stabbed at the monster! The two of them attacked the monster together, one aimed at the abdomen and the other at the tail! But the monster¡¯s scales were extremely hard, the rod did not harm it at all, it only pushed the monster to the side of the railing and then could not make it budge. The monster screamed loudly, its neck¡¯s umbrella-like skin membrane shaking incessantly! The two membrane-covered claws grabbed the bamboo pole and broke it instantly, reducing the length of the pole significantly! ¡°Find where it doesn¡¯t have scales!¡± Asarina moved the rod to another position and stabbed it in the throat! As soon as she relaxed slightly though, the Fish Monster counterattacked immediately! Along couldn¡¯t control it and cried out in panic, ¡°It¡¯s too strong!¡± Aqing then rushed over from one side, jabbing the rod at the monster¡¯s head! Asarina seized the opportunity. She took a few steps, plunged her dagger into the throat of the Fish Monster and pulled it harshly downwards; viscous blood sprayed all over her in an instant! Along and Aqing then simultaneously exerted their strength to ruthlessly flip the severely injured monster and push it overboard! A ¡°plop¡± was heard as the monster fell into the water, it caused a splash, then it disappeared without a trace. The three of them went over to examine the spot where the monster fell into the water. The water¡¯s surface was dark and they could not see what was beneath it, they could only see the blood left on the ship, which was flowing downstream. Bai Youwei wheeled herself over and peered down at the water. The surface was calm. ¡°Do you think the throat could be its weak point?¡± she asked Asarina. Asarina looked down at her dagger in her hand, ¡°The scales on the throat are indeed weaker than those on the abdomen and back, however, this creature¡¯s strength is immense. Even with the bottom half of its body being a fish, it doesn¡¯t hinder its agility and is a bit difficult to handle.¡± If there was only one, the three of them could still manage, but if there were two? Or three? Asarina looked at Bai Youwei, a hint of worry in her gaze. Bai Youwei looked at the water, silent and thoughtful. At that moment, Pan Xiaoxin stuck his head out of the drive room and said, ¡°It seems we are¡­ we are about to exit¡­¡± Everyone looked towards the bow of the boat. The fishing boat was slowly passing through the cave entrance into an open water area, and even further ahead were seven identical cave entrances. Chapter 670 - Chapter 670: Chapter 670: Return to the Starting Point Chapter 670: Chapter 670: Return to the Starting Point Everything was back to square one, and they faced the choice again. This time, which cave should they go into? Asarina located the spot where she had made a mark, noticing a cross-shaped pattern made with shells on the scorched rock. It seemed that they had indeed returned. They had returned to their starting point. Everyone looked at each other and nobody spoke. The dark waters, the vicious Fish Monster, and seven difficult-to-choose caves. This maze left them completely clueless. ¡°Which one to choose this time¡­?¡± Asarina asked Bai Youwei. She remembered Bai Youwei¡¯s performance in the Red, Yellow, Blue Game, and thus was confident in Bai Youwei¡¯s abilities. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have voluntarily volunteered to be recruited. After all, following an unreliable king could be a life or death gamble. But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t answer her. Asarina continued, ¡°We chose the first one last time. What about trying out the second one this time? We may find an escape if we try each one.¡± Bai Youwei frowned in deep thought but said nothing. Asarina stared at her suspiciously. Along and Aqing exchanged glances, whispering, ¡°¡­Boss?¡± ¡°Shush!¡± Asarina gave them a glance, lowering her voice, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb her, let her think.¡± Everyone on the boat fell silent. After a long while, Bai Youwei finally spoke up, ¡°Let¡¯s try the third one.¡± Asarina was slightly taken aback, ¡°Why the third one?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Now we can be sure that we have returned to the original position, therefore we face two possibilities. The first one is, as long as we go into the wrong cave, we will return to the original position and can¡¯t move forward. The second one is, whether we go right or wrong, we will return to the original position. Under these two circumstances, there lies a question, how can we discern whether the path we took is right or wrong? The mermaid encounter just now may be a hint.¡± This might sound a little confusing, but once you think about it, everything falls into place. After all, the purpose of a maze run is definitely to find the exit. But if the player cannot confirm that their chosen path is correct, how could they find the escape? Is it all based on luck? Asarina was slightly lost in thought, ¡°You mean¡­if we take the wrong path, the Fish Monster will appear, is that it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei gave a small nod, ¡°A maze differs from a game. The rules of the game are explicitly given by the inspector, but the rules of a maze need to be found by ourselves. If the players can¡¯t judge whether the path they are on is correct or not, they won¡¯t be able to find the exit. Therefore, there must be some hidden clues here. On the way here, I¡¯ve been observing the environment. The rocks, shells, water, and light, even the smell, almost had no differences. Even the reefs protruding from the water surface were spread out very evenly, as if purposefully not providing any memory differences for the players. The only difference was the Fish Monster. The first time we walked through the middle cave, there was no Fish Monster, but the second time we went through the first cave, we encountered the Fish Monster and the air inside the cave also became more putrid.¡± Asarina said, ¡°But why choose the third cave? I still don¡¯t quite understand¡­¡± ¡°Because I want to know if there¡¯s some pattern tied to the number of Fish Monsters.¡± Bai Youwei looked at the cave entrance not far away. The cave was pitch dark, and her eyes were cold. ¡°There was one Fish Monster in the first cave, so¡­ are there two in the second, and three in the third? Or perhaps there¡¯s no change in numbers, and as long as we choose the wrong cave, one Fish Monster will appear? Or maybe the quantity increases¡­ there are many possibilities here, we have to try again.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t object, but¡­¡± Asarina¡¯s expression became serious, ¡°I must remind you, if the situation is like your first assumption, and there are three Fish Monsters in the third cave¡­ we might not be able to handle it.¡± Chapter 671 - Chapter 671: Chapter 671: Too Few Clues Chapter 671: Chapter 671: Too Few Clues It had taken the three of them to subdue just one Mermaid Monster. If there were three such monsters on the boat at the same time, the danger would be clear without saying. After Asarina¡¯s point, Bai Youwei also started to hesitate. But the clues were currently too scarce. Without giving it a try, it would be difficult for her to find a pattern in this maze. ¡°How about this¡­¡± Bai Youwei suggested a compromise after some thought, ¡°Let¡¯s first look for clues around here. If we still can¡¯t find anything, we¡¯ll go with my plan and enter through the third cave.¡± Although they had already surveyed this area, it was inadequately lit, and the darkness could potentially hide missed information? Everyone looked at each other, no one had any objections. Then Pan Xiaoxin steered the fishing boat, moving slowly along the edge of the cave. The surroundings were quiet, except for the sound of water. Along and Aqing stood at the bow and stern of the boat, respectively, Bai Youwei, and Asarina each covered a side, carefully observing the environment. They didn¡¯t miss a single outcropping of reef or shattered shell. After circling around, apart from finding the cave entrances eerily similar, they found no other clues. ¡°Am I overthinking it?¡± Bai Youwei mused, ¡°Maybe the condition for passing is to kill the Fish Monsters. Now that they¡¯re gone, maybe we can exit if we go into the cave again?¡± Asarina shook her head: ¡°If you could pass just by killing Fish Monsters, there would be no need to set up 7 identical caves.¡± After a pause, she shook her head again: ¡°No, it¡¯s 8 identical caves.¡± This included the cave they had just emerged from, and the corresponding 7 caves up ahead. A total of 8. ¡°It¡¯s like looking in a mirror, seven mirrors¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered, conceiving another possibility, ¡°Could each cave be guarded by a Mermaid, and to open the exit you have to kill seven mermaids?¡± It was a simplistic idea, but plausible. Asarina thought it over and sighed deeply. ¡°It seems we have to venture in again. The lack of clues is killing us.¡± Despite the obvious risk, going in was their only option. Asarina looked at Bai Youwei, indicating for her to make the decision. Bai Youwei nodded after looking back at her. Asarina slowly inhaled and shouted, ¡°Xiaoxin, let¡¯s go! Head for the third cave!¡± In response from the cabin, Pan Xiaoxin steered the fishing boat towards the cave entrance ¡ª The third one. Its dark cold ambiance unchanged. With a sharp bamboo pole in hand, Asarina watched the water¡¯s surface vigilantly. Along and Aqing were also armed with bamboo poles, standing guard on the deck. There were plenty of bamboo poles on the boat, but unfortunately, their fragility compared to the monster¡¯s claws made them feel somewhat inadequate, only slightly safer than melee weapons like knives. While petting the bunny, Bai Youwei pondered the risks of using an electric shock in such an environment. The stench in the air seemed to be growing stronger. Feeling uneasy, she frowned and quickly scanned the water surface. ¡°Xiaoxin, back out.¡± Agreeing with her, Asarina along with Along and Aqing showed no objections. It seemed they also sensed something. The fishing boat reversed course. Bang! Suddenly, there was a thump! Immediately after, bang, another and then rapid succession of thumping noises came from beneath the boat! The color drained from everyone¡¯s faces on the deck, their grips on their weapons tighten. The next second, a soaking-wet Fish Monster climbed aboard! After grabbing onto the railing, it tried to make its way onto the deck by pulling itself up with just its upper limbs! Asarina lifted her bamboo pole and jabbed at it! She was trying to knock it off the boat! The Mermaid Monster winced in pain but didn¡¯t let go. Instead, it flared its fringed gill, emitting a threatening hiss! Then another dark shadow leaped from beside it, hurdling over the railing and lunging at Asarina! Asarina stepped back hastily, evading the attack, while another Fish Monster attempted to board the boat! ¡°Get off!¡± Along gave a roar, his bamboo pole aimed straight at the Fish Monster¡¯s throat! Aqing also sprinted over from the other end, bamboo pole in hand, targeting the stubbornly gripping claws of the Fish Monster! Chapter 672 - Chapter 672: Chapter 672: No Way Out Chapter 672: Chapter 672: No Way Out The Fish Monster finally loosened its grip but still refused to leave; its sharp claws dug into the metal skin of the ship, its thick tail lashed at the ship. Hanging on the side of the ship, it let out a resentful roar! Along and Aqing attacked desperately. Whether it was bamboo poles or knife blades, nothing hurt when they stabbed its hard scales! On the other hand, Asarina was caught in a tough battle! She couldn¡¯t handle the Fish Monster alone! She knew that the throat was its weak spot. But with the Fish Monster crawling on the deck, it was difficult for her to find an opportunity to touch its throat! She tried stabbing it with a bamboo pole. The Fish Monster opened its mouth and bit down! The long bamboo pole was broken into pieces, just like an eaten cane. The broken bamboo pole had a torn fishing net attached to it. The Fish Monster continued to chew relentlessly. Asarina wanted to curse! Meanwhile, Along and Aqing were still in grave danger. The Fish Monster under the ship was too strong, and it seemed to climb onto the deck again! For a moment, Asarina didn¡¯t know whether to continue to dodge or help Along and Aqing. Two Fish Monsters indeed gave them a hard time. ¡°Back off!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly shouted. Asarina threw the last fishing net over the Fish Monster¡¯s mouth and turned to run! At the same time, Bai Youwei threw the rabbit. A beautiful blue-purple electric light fell on the Mermaid Monster. Crackling! The Mermaid Monster shivered violently! Asarina turned her head just in time to see this scene, and couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. Yet the Fish Monster that was electrocuted only crawled for a few seconds before quickly raising its upper body and agilely crawling towards Bai Youwei! Asarina felt a contraction in her heart and hurried to help! But the Mermaid moved faster! Its fishtail slammed hard on the deck, propelling its body towards Bai Youwei! Boom! A massive blast of electric light! It was as if the Mermaid Monster was slapped in mid-air and fell heavily on the deck! Asarina figured it must undoubtedly be dead now, right? Still not! The Mermaid Monster only fainted for a few seconds before it shakily got up again. Its neck membrane flared in anger, letting out a piercing shriek! ¡°This¡­this monster isn¡¯t even afraid of electric shocks?¡± Asarina was in awe! She had gone through mazes, played games, seen all kinds of strange creatures, but this Fish Monster was simply too strong! As the Fish Monster prepared to attack again, Bai Youwei launched another electric shock. This time, the Fish Monster didn¡¯t even faint. It only retreated half a meter and then angrily came back! Bai Youwei frowned as the rabbit continued to release electric shocks. If this continued, the situation would be disadvantageous for her since the rabbit¡¯s electric charge would eventually deplete. She didn¡¯t know how long they would have to wait for the ship to exit the channel. They might not be able to escape without killing the Fish Monster! Bai Youwei saw the bamboo pole that the Fish Monster had bitten to pieces on the ground and suddenly had an idea. She turned to the cockpit and shouted, ¡°Xiaoxin, open the hatch of the hold!¡± ¡°The hold?¡± Asarina realized, ¡°¡­those fish!¡± ¡°Yes! The bamboo poles were used to dry the fishing net, and they have the fishy smell on them!¡± Bai Youwei gritted her teeth, ¡°¡­ it might work!¡± The Mermaid attacked again! They had no time to think more. They had to deal with the immediate threat while creating an opportunity for Pan Xiaoxin. Pan Xiaoxin ran quickly. Carrying his small backpack, he ran to the deck with the fish. He pulled hard on the ring attached to the wooden board! The strong smell of fish immediately filled the air! The two Mermaid Monsters were immediately attracted, abandoning their current targets to quickly crawl down towards the lower deck, diving into the incredibly stinking pile of dead fish! Asarina showed up the next moment. She kicked the wooden plank and slammed it shut! She then quickly locked it! Chapter 673 - Chapter 673: Chapter 673: Go Back Chapter 673: Chapter 673: Go Back Securing the latch and still not feeling reassured, Asarina dragged several bamboo poles over, laying them side by side across the wooden hatch of the lower deck. The ends of the bamboo poles were wedged into the gaps of the iron railing, locked tight! Along and Aqing weighed down on the bamboo poles with their bodies! Chewing noises could be heard emanating from beneath the deck, a gnashing, crunching sound, interspersed with occasional thumping, as if two Fish Monsters were fighting over food. This commotion continued for three to five minutes before the Fish Monsters realized that they were locked up. They began to struggle. With their claws, their teeth, their tails! They struggled desperately! But the confined space of the lower deck suppressed their strength. Each time they nearly forced the hatch open, Asarina and the others pushed it back down! A few minutes later, all was finally quiet below the deck. Whether the Fish Monsters had exhausted themselves or had died from being out of the water for too long, they were unsure. They dared not casually open the lower deck to check. Asarina¡¯s back was soaked through and sweat trickled down her face as she maintained the pressure on the wooden hatch. She looked up at Bai Youwei, drawing in heavy breaths. ¡°Two of them.¡± Asarina gasped. ¡ª Two Fish Monsters in the third cave. So, the number of Fish Monsters wasn¡¯t increasing according to the sequence of the caves, but with the number of their mistakes. If they made a mistake once, a single Fish Monster would appear. If they made a mistake twice, two Fish Monsters would appear. If they made a mistake three times¡­ Asarina paled. Given their strength, could they withstand three Fish Monsters? Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, squeezing the ears of the plush rabbit in her hand. Half of the rabbit¡¯s power was already depleted. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this place first.¡± She said. The fishing boat had already retreated halfway out of the cave. Pan Xiaoxin returned to the cockpit, steering the vessel, continuing their retreat, all the way out of the cave. They were back in the vast open waters. On one side was a single cave, whilst on the other side, seven distant caves echoed their presence, forming a semi-circle. Asarina stared at these identical caves, feeling utterly powerless. ¡°One Fish Monster in the first cave, two in the third cave, yet none in the fourth cave¡­ Could the exit be in the fourth cave?¡± But, entering the fourth cave just brought them back here. It couldn¡¯t possibly be that they should choose the fourth cave every time, right? ¡°We continue retreating.¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, stroking the rabbit. ¡°Now, we can be pretty sure that the number of Fish Monsters is related to the number of mistakes we make, but is it about each singular mistake, or does one mistake lead into a series of subsequent faults? I think for safety¡¯s sake, we¡¯d best return to the starting point and walk through it again.¡± Along couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°If we continue retreating and enter the first cave, will we encounter another monster?¡± They were all almost exhausted. Bai Youwei pressed her lips together, responding, ¡°If it¡¯s only one, we should be able to handle it. As soon as we go in, let Xiaoxin navigate the boat out of the cave at full speed.¡± Asarina pondered for a moment before nodding. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do it. If it¡¯s only one, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to handle. We still have some tools left.¡± With that decided, the fishing boat continued its retreat after exiting the third cave. They stayed onboard, nerves fraying, eyes fixed on the dark waters, unable to predict where the Fish Monster might spring from. Perhaps it was due to the tension, but Aqing couldn¡¯t stop drinking water, looking increasingly agitated. Along cautioned him, ¡°Drink slowly. We only brought four bottles, and we don¡¯t know how many days we¡¯ll be stuck here.¡± Aqing just murmured in response, his grip on the water bottle unyielding as he kept drinking. Meanwhile, Pan Xiaoxin had navigated the fishing boat out of the first cave. Chapter 674 - Chapter 674: Chapter 674: I Need Water Chapter 674: Chapter 674: I Need Water It was calm and no Fish Monster appeared. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After entering the maze, they followed this order for entering the caverns: middle, first, third. Therefore, if they retreated once more, they would return to the entrance. The fishing boat continued reversing. Back and back they continued¡ª No matter how much they retreated, it was like there was no end. Once they emerged from a cave, they still saw the same seven identical caverns again! Besides those seven caverns, they truly had nowhere else to go. Although the time they had spent in the maze wasn¡¯t long, the dark and damp environment was uncomfortable, the darkness was oppressive, and the appearance of the Fish Monster added even more psychological strain¡ªeveryone on the boat seemed to be under a pall of gloom. Anxiety and unease infected everyone. Aqing¡¯s water bottle was empty. He clutched the empty bottle and paced back and forth on the deck, the plastic bottle creaking in his grip. Asarina and Bai Youwei were discussing what to do next. The noise Aqing was making was disturbing her, so she irritably said: ¡°Aqing! Can you stay inside the cabin?!¡± Aqing snapped back to reality, scratched his head in agreement, then walked into the cabin. Along stood guard at the wooden hatch leading to the lower deck, constantly on the lookout for any signs of movements from the two Mermaid Monsters below. Meanwhile Asarina and Bai Youwei were having a quiet conversation: ¡°The entrance we chose when we came in was the middle, the fourth one, and we did not encounter the Fish Monster ¡­ does this mean that the fourth entrance is the correct one? If we continue from the fourth entrance this time, would we pass safely?¡± ¡°What do you think are the odds we guessed right on our first go? One in seven¡­ We¡¯ve already been through entrances one, three, and four. I think we can try another entrance.¡± Asarina didn¡¯t seem assured: ¡°But if we choose wrong, according to your speculation, we will encounter three Fish Monsters.¡± Bai Youwei slowly shook her head: ¡°There isn¡¯t much difference, there is no way to avoid risk. Even if we go through the fourth cave now, we may still meet the Fish Monster, since we don¡¯t yet completely understand the pattern behind these seven caves¡­¡± Not far away, Along looked at Asarina, then glanced towards Aqing in the cabin, and after some hesitation, he yelled: ¡°Boss, something seems to be wrong with Aqing.¡± Hearing this, Asarina turned her head to look at the cabin. Aqing was turning their backpacks inside out, which held their everyday items such as knives, lighters, moisture-proof mats, compressed biscuits, and water. He was flipping through them hastily, as though he couldn¡¯t find something, and the contents of the backpacks were in disarray. ¡°Aqing!¡± Asarina called him out. Aqing was startled and looked up at her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Asarina, her brows furrowed. Aqing touched his sore throat, appearing uncomfortable, and said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m looking for water¡­¡± ¡°Water?¡± Asarina was visibly perplexed, and she walked towards him, ¡°Isn¡¯t the water in the pack? What¡¯s wrong with your throat? Your voice is so hoarse¡­¡± She had just approached the cabin¡¯s entrance when she saw several empty bottles on the floor. She stopped abruptly. It wasn¡¯t that Aqing could not find water but that he had consumed all the water he could find! ¡°Aqing¡­¡± Asarina looked shocked, ¡°What¡¯s happening? You drank all that water?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thirsty¡­¡± Aqing¡¯s voice was unnaturally throaty. He rubbed his neck non-stop, his breathing seemingly difficult, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m too thirsty¡­¡± Asarina¡¯s face turned particularly dreadful. Four whole bottles of water! Enough for the three of them to last two days, and Aqing had drunk them all in a matter of minutes! This was obviously not normal! Aqing kept frantically rummaging through the packs, muttering deliriously, ¡°Water¡­ water¡­ I need water¡­¡± Chapter 675 - Chapter 675: Chapter 675: Need Cleaning Chapter 675: Chapter 675: Need Cleaning ¡°Stop looking, there¡¯s no water!¡± Asarina barked in frustration, ¡°You¡¯ve had enough! There¡¯s no water left!¡± Aqing paid no heed, he was still unceasingly looking for water, even going so far as to disregard his image, crawling on the ground. At last, Asarina could not take it any longer. She lifted him with one hand and roared, ¡°Aqing! Wake up! All the water¡¯s gone, drank by you! There¡¯s no water left! No water left!!!¡± Aqing¡¯s eyes glazed over. He looked at Asarina, then at Along who rushed over at the sound, and finally, his gaze rested on the dark waters beyond the fishing boat. ¡°Water¡­ there¡¯s water there¡­¡± he mumbled and walked distractedly towards the edge, ¡°There¡¯s¡­ lots of water there¡­¡± Asarina grabbed him and pulled him back, shouting to Along, ¡°The rope!¡± Along stood numbly looking at Aqing, feeling that his once familiar comrade had now become alien to him. ¡°Along!¡±, Asarina roared again, ¡°Get the rope, quick!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ oh-oh, okay!¡± Along snapped back to reality, hurriedly bent over to get a rope from the bag. Together with Asarina, they tied Aqing up securely! Aqing, still barely holding on to his sanity, begged in a feeble voice, ¡°Let me go, I¡¯m too thirsty¡­ big sister, I can¡¯t stand it, I really can¡¯t¡­ I need water¡­¡± Asarina¡¯s eyes were red-rimmed, biting her lip to stay silent. She tightened the knot forcefully, tied the other end to the doorknob, and without saying a word, she removed the life vest that was getting in the way on Aqing to check the wounds on his body. Bai Youwei was observing the scene from her wheelchair just outside the cabins. The young man¡¯s body was exposed to the air, his dark skin and sturdy build seemed healthy and natural, showing no obvious external injuries. Unwilling to accept it, Asarina pulled Aqing over, examining him repeatedly and murmuring, ¡°How could this be¡­ There¡¯s no reason for it¡­ It doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked Along, ¡°Has Aqing come into contact with any special part of the mermaid when he was attacking it? Like the fins, scales, teeth, or claws?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Along responded, with a confused look. When dealing with the Fish Monster, everyone was all hands on deck ¨C too preoccupied with their own situation to notice what happened to others. Seemingly unable to accept that a companion was in trouble, Along hesitated to ask Asarina, ¡°Boss¡­ will Aqing be okay? He¡¯ll get better, won¡¯t he?¡± Asarina said nothing, biting her lip, her eyes full of pain. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Does Aqing have any wounds on him?¡± ¡°No.¡± Asarina shut her eyes, using deep breaths to control her emotions, ¡°Only some small cuts on his hand from scrapes with bamboo shards, not even much blood¡­ I don¡¯t understand how could¡­¡± To prove her words, she flipped up Aqing¡¯s hand to let Bai Youwei and Along take a good look. There were a few thin bloodstains in the palm of his hand, hardly anything serious. But Asarina froze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±, Bai Youwei asked with a furrowed brow, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Asarina hesitated, then gently pressed her finger on Aqing¡¯s palm. A thin layer of sticky gunk came up on her finger¡­ She brought the finger to her nose and sniffed ¨C a familiar fishy putrid smell. Asarina turned, her face rigid, and asked Along, ¡°Did any of you touch the Fish Monster with bare hands?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Along shook his head hurriedly, ¡°Perhaps it brushed against the railings, and Aqing¡¯s hand accidentally got smeared¡­ Boss, it¡¯s not safe to touch the mucus on the Fish Monster¡¯s body? But I¡¯ve touched it quite a few times too!¡± As he spoke, Along held out his own hand. The back of his hand and forearm were shiny with the mucus. ¡°Maybe the toxicity of the mucus only works when it comes into contact with wounds.¡± Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°Regardless, we should find a way to wash off the mucus from our bodies as soon as possible. Any injuries need to be wrapped up quickly to avoid infection.¡± Clean it? How to clean while in this situation? All the water they had brought along had been drunk by Aqing alone! Although the sea water beneath the boat was endless, was it clean? Chapter 676 - Chapter 676: Chapter 676: Find a solution tomorrow Chapter 676: Chapter 676: Find a solution tomorrow Bai Youwei scanned around; the deck, the railing, traces of slime were everywhere. During the battle, the slime from the two Fish Monsters had smeared all over the place. Even the wheels of her wheelchair were not spared. Maintaining cleanliness in this situation was futile, but ignoring it posed a considerable risk, as Aqing¡¯s condition was the best proof. Although she didn¡¯t want to reveal it, but¡­ She saw Asarina¡¯s agony and the fear on Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s face. Silently weighing the pros and cons, she finally made a decision. ¡°There¡¯s a place¡­¡± Bai Youwei began softly, ¡°where we can clean safely.¡± ¡­ Bai Youwei opened her doll house. This was the first time she had exposed her secret in front of ¡°outsiders¡±. Chang Weicai was surprised when he saw Bai Youwei leading a group of people into the doll house, especially since one of them was bound. ¡°The bathroom is to your right up the stairs,¡± Bai Youwei pointed towards the stairs and said to Asarina, ¡°Turn left for the study, which I¡¯ve converted into a storeroom. Inside, you¡¯ll find clothes for all seasons, both men¡¯s and women¡¯s designs. The sizes might not fit perfectly, but you can pick something once you¡¯ve had a bath.¡± Asarina looked around. The cozy fireplace, warm d¨¦cor, plentiful food and water, and even electricity in this place. Indeed, the dollhouse was surprising, but she was too preoccupied to marvel at it. Her gaze finally fell back on Aqing. Aqing was still in his pitiful state, curled up on the ground as if in extreme pain, wailing non-stop, begging for water. Bai Youwei muttered under her breath, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t be worse off here than outside.¡± Asarina knew this all too well. She left Aqing in the living room and took turns with Along to clean up in the bathroom. Chang brought each of them a bowl of tomato and egg noodles. Not long ago, they were battling for their lives in a dark, damp cave. Now, they sat peacefully at the dining table, eating noodles, sipping soup, basking in the warm sunlight from the window, and enjoying the scents of home-cooked food in the air. It almost seemed like a temporal dislocation. Along hesitated, ¡°Could we¡­ Could we hide here when the Fish Monster climbs aboard? Wouldn¡¯t that avoid danger?¡± ¡°Pointless.¡± Bai Youwei rejected his suggestion without hesitation, ¡°Unless we deal with the Fish Monster and the cave, we can¡¯t leave the maze. Unless you plan to live here for the rest of your life.¡± At this point, she stirred her noodles but suddenly lost her appetite. ¡°The rest of your life¡­ It could be long, or it could be short, maybe until we grow old, or perhaps until tomorrow. The game system won¡¯t give us a lot of time¡­ and the food here will only last for a month.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Asarina stared at her bowl of noodles, ¡°Hiding here won¡¯t help.¡± Chang looked around nervously and asked, ¡°So¡­ do you have any clues on how to get out of this maze?¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips slightly. Worried that she might be upset, Chang quickly reassured, ¡°It¡¯s okay! We¡¯ve just started! Enough rest and sleep may bring about new progress. Your friend¡­ he needs time to recover too. Let¡¯s not rush¡­¡± With that said, everyone¡¯s glance landed on the living room. Aqing was lying next to the fireplace, having worn himself to exhaustion. He no longer asked for water. This kind of state was not that of a regular wound, and even mud wouldn¡¯t cure this. Bai Youwei sighed briefly and said, ¡°There¡¯s no lead for now, let¡¯s just rest today and think of a solution tomorrow.¡± Chapter 677 - Chapter 677: Chapter 677: There Is Still Hope Chapter 677: Chapter 677: There Is Still Hope Despite understanding the need to rest well, she couldn¡¯t relax mentally. All day, Asarina and Along stayed in the living room watching over Aqing. There was constant moisture on Aqing¡¯s body, which they initially attributed to sweat. However, they later discovered it was water, water with a fishy smell. He couldn¡¯t lie on the sofa for a few minutes without dampening a large patch of it. They had to move him back to the side of the fireplace and keep him close to the fire to try and keep him dry. Semi-conscious, Aqing was constantly muttering for water. He became increasingly confused¡­ ¡­ At night, Master Cheng took Pan Xiaoxin upstairs to rest, leaving only Asarina, Along and Aqing in the living room. Bai Youwei sat at the dining table, calculating with paper and pencil. The maze was extraordinary to her, so she was very careful not to miss any opportunity to find clues. On her scratch paper, the initial entrance was marked as ¡°Mother Cave.¡± The other seven entrances were numbered from left to right from Sub-cave 1 to Sub-cave 7. She believed there must be a pattern among the seven Sub-caves. As long as the pattern was discovered, they could escape. No matter whether they went forward or backward, right or wrong, the fishing boat would always return to the Mother Cave, suggesting a kind of spatial jump. Unfortunately, the information was inadequate. If she could enter the caves two more times, she might be able to determine the crux. However, with Aqing in his current condition, perhaps Asarina didn¡¯t feel up to looking for clues? At that thought, Bai Youwei quietly sighed. After the first maze, her leg regained sensation, and after the second maze, she could force herself to walk. Perhaps if she experienced another maze upgrade, she might recover completely. ¡­ Was she too cold-hearted? Aqing was in this condition, yet she still considered her own legs. He wasn¡¯t one of her own, so even though something bad happened to him, she could only feel some sympathy. She couldn¡¯t truly empathize with the pain Asarina and Along were experiencing at this moment. Bai Youwei stared at the scratch paper in front of her, lost in thought. Humans are indeed complex creatures. Sometimes they could shed tears for others¡¯ tragedies, and sometimes¡­ they could display their selfishness and heartlessness to the fullest. Asarina walked over quietly, picked up the scratch paper from the table and looked at it. There were some numbers and messy diagrams. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± she asked softly. Bai Youwei slowly shook her head, ¡°I have a few conjectures, but they all require verification.¡± From the direction of the living room there came several low groans. The two looked over upon hearing the sound. It was Aqing talking in his sleep. He curled up next to the fireplace, one side of his body dried by the heat, the other side wet again, constantly secreting fluid. Perhaps it was because he was cold, his limbs tied with ropes twitched occasionally, and he muttered nonsense. Along was already exhausted and was sound asleep on the sofa. ¡°Will he get better?¡± Asarina looked at Aqing mumbling, unclear whether she was asking Bai Youwei or talking to herself. Bai Youwei looked down, not saying a word. She held a pessimistic attitude towards this. From the experience of the previous two mazes, the maze could consume the ones who failed. She remembered the dolls embedded in the wall in the Mirror Maze. She also remembered the man in the Gluttonous Snake Maze, his body fused with the maze. Now, given Aqing¡¯s condition, she feared he might not recover¡­ ¡°You should get some rest.¡± Bai Youwei said softly, ¡°If we could get out of the maze, perhaps the maze upgrade could cure him.¡± Her words gave Asarina hope. She looked at Bai Youwei and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. As long as we can get out of the maze, there¡¯s hope for Aqing.¡± The premise was, would Aqing be able to hang on until the moment they escaped? Chapter 678 - Chapter 678: Chapter 678: Mother Cave and Sub-cave Chapter 678: Chapter 678: Mother Cave and Sub-cave Asarina sat down beside Bai Youwei, analyzing the cave patterns with her. The sooner they could solve the mystery of the maze, the better chance Aqing would have of survival. From what they knew so far, there was one main cave with seven sub-caves corresponding to it. Retreating from the main cave would lead them back to the entrance; Moving forward from the main cave would lead them to the seven sub-caves, and choosing any one of them would also lead them back to the entrance. Asarina asked, ¡°Could it be a M?bius strip? No matter where you go, you always return to the starting point, only by breaking the routine can you escape the circular path.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve considered that possibility. From the perspective of overlapping spaces, it makes sense, but how do we then explain the seven sub-caves?¡± Bai Youwei frowned slightly, ¡°A M?bius strip only needs one path to form, but what we¡¯re facing are seven paths. The fish monsters don¡¯t fit this theory either¡­¡± ¡°There are fish monsters in caves 1 and 3, could it be that there are fish monsters in every odd-numbered cave?¡± Asarina suggested, ¡°For instance¡­ caves 1, 3, 5, 7 have fish monsters, whereas 2, 4, 6 don¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t think it would be as simple as an odd-even distinction, but it was certainly a lead to consider. ¡°In any case, we can only verify it by trying tomorrow.¡± She stated, ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll enter from cave 2.¡± Asarina nodded. At that moment, the sound of drinking water came from the direction of the living room. The two of them froze simultaneously. Asarina subconsciously thought that Along might have relented and given Aqing water to drink, but when she turned her head, she saw that Along was still sound asleep on the sofa, while Aqing was stretching his neck hastily, eagerly drinking water from a spoon in front of him. Where did the spoon come from? She stood up for a better look and was taken aback! A severed hand was feeding water to Aqing with a spoon! Bai Youwei also noticed and immediately flew into a rage, yelling, ¡°Who let you out?!¡± The severed hand got startled! It trembled in fright, dropped the spoon, and scurried under the sofa! Water from the spoon spilled all over the ground. The commotion woke Along. He opened his eyes, didn¡¯t see the severed hand, but saw Aqing moving his bound body, licking the water off the floor¡ª¡ª ¡°Aqing!¡± Along hastily pulled him away, stopping him from drinking. Not far away, Asarina¡¯s emotions were indescribable. She walked over quickly, grabbed Aqing by the collar, and said passionately, ¡°Aqing! Wake up! You can¡¯t keep drinking water!¡± Aqing looked dazed, it took he a while to recognize Asarina standing in front of him. The normally composed man¡¯s eyes teared up, he choked out: ¡°Boss¡­ just let me drink, I really¡­ can¡¯t take it anymore¡­ Either way, I¡¯m dead. Please, let me¡­ die quickly¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! Who told you that you¡¯re going to die?!¡± Asarina said sharply, ¡°It¡¯s just a few days without water, it won¡¯t kill you!¡± ¡°Boss, let me drink water, I can¡¯t stand it¡­ please, let me drink¡­ I want water¡­¡± No matter how he pleaded, Asarina remained resolute, not responding at all. This time, she and Along bound him even tighter, even gagging his mouth, denying Aqing any chance to drink water. Aqing, already weak, lost all strength to struggle after being bound like this. Seeing her companion in this state, how could Asarina feel at ease? Holding back her grief, she said to Aqing, ¡°Hang in there, just a little bit longer¡­ it will get better, we¡¯ll get out of this maze, and everything will definitely get better.¡± Chapter 679 - Chapter 679: Chapter 679: Born to be Useful Chapter 679: Chapter 679: Born to be Useful Bai Youwei watched from the side, her heart feeling uncomfortable. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the severed hand peeking out from under the couch and shot it a glare! The thumb retreated in fright. Seeing this, Bai Youwei became even more irritated. This severed hand never ceased to cause trouble¨C always moving about like it had ADHD. It was supposed to be locked away in the storage room and she guessed that it must have heard Aqing constantly asking for water out of curiosity, hence its brazen act of getting water on its own volition. Mainly it was merely reveling in the excitement of the situation. Asarina picked up the spoon from the floor, returned to the dining room and placed the spoon on the dining table, looking weary. ¡°That¡­ was one of my props.¡± Bai Youwei explained to her, in order to avoid any misunderstanding. ¡°It doesn¡¯t listen very well, I usually keep it locked up, but I think it snuck out when it heard Aqing¡¯s voice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok¡­¡± Asarina managed a weak smile, ¡°It¡¯s just a spoonful of water. Besides, most of it spilled anyway. I¡¯m just more concerned about Aqing¡¯s condition.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know how to comfort her. Fortunately, Asarina didn¡¯t sulk for long. She gave Bai Youwei a faint smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to bed now. You should rest soon too. We can think of a solution together tomorrow morning.¡± Bai Youwei nodded. As soon as Asarina had gone upstairs, Bai Youwei started tidying up the draft papers on the table. Absently, she noticed Teacher Chang peeking from the staircase. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Teacher Chang?¡± she asked doubtfully. Teacher Chang hesitated for a moment, then crept downstairs lightly and quietly, whispering to her, ¡°Weiwei, should we really not give him any water? If he doesn¡¯t drink for several days, will something bad happen¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s been poisoned, drinking water will only make him die faster.¡± Bai Youwei frowned slightly, taking a good look at Teacher Chang. ¡°Teacher Chang, did you happen to make that severed hand deliver the spoonful of water?¡± ¡°No, no way!¡± Teacher Chang waved his hands, speaking in defense of the severed hand, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at it, it has a childlike nature and meant no harm.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°Whether or not it means harm, it¡¯s a constant troublemaker! Always creating trouble, never useful for anything!¡± Teacher Chang said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not entirely useless¡­¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes and asked, ¡°What¡¯s it good for?¡± After pondering for a while, Teacher Chang hesitantly replied, ¡°¡­feeding chickens?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± After a long silence, Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°Teacher Chang, I really don¡¯t have the energy to joke with you right now. Next time I lock it away in the storage room, don¡¯t be soft-hearted and let it out again. You¡¯ve already spoiled it.¡± Feeling somewhat awkward, Teacher Chang smiled, ¡°Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll help you back to your room and after that I¡¯ll lock it back in the storage room. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Bai Youwei propped up her arm, took great effort to stand. Chang Weicai supported her arm. ¡°You just need to help me to the stairs, I want to go up on my own.¡± said Bai Youwei. So Chang Weicai let go and watched as Bai Youwei slowly, one step at a time, ascended the stairs. Then, Chang Weicai looked under the couch, shaking his head in resignation. He opened the door to the storage room, saw that the severed hand had no intention of returning to the room, and coaxed it gently: ¡°Come on, there¡¯s only dust under the couch. If you get dirty, you¡¯ll be scolded.¡± Only then did the severed hand crawl reluctantly out from under the couch. It was scared of Bai Youwei, but not afraid of Chang Weicai. Because Chang Weicai spent most of his time in the dollhouse, the severed hand was closest to him. The storage room was filled with all sorts of items, messy but orderly, organized by Chang Weicai. There was a round basket on the storage rack, the severed hand¡¯s little bed. The basket contained a small pillow and a blanket¨Call crafted by Chang Weicai himself. Scattered around were various toys, jewels and trinkets that belonged to the severed hand. Chang Weicai placed the severed hand back in the basket, speaking softly to it: ¡°You have to behave. No more causing trouble. You must live a life of purpose to make your existence worthwhile.¡± In the end, he sighed lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t be like me, utterly useless¡­¡± Chapter 680 - Chapter 680: Chapter 680: Return to the Maze Chapter 680: Chapter 680: Return to the Maze The next morning, after a quick breakfast, they prepared to reenter the maze. This time they made more preparations, not only carrying weapons like knives and swords, but also wearing gloves. The vulnerable parts of their bodies were tightly wrapped in bandages to prevent contact with the viscous slime. Upon opening the door, a fishing boat still greeted them outside, unchanged¡ª On one side was the main cave, on the other were seven sub-caves. As planned, they were going to enter Sub-cave 2 this time. But if they were mistaken, three Mermaid Monsters would emerge from Sub-cave 2. Three Mermaid Monsters¡ªAsarina deemed a victory unlikely. The good news, however, was that when they checked beneath the ship¡¯s hull, they discovered that the two Fish Monsters they had faced before were dead, and some of the fish remained uneaten. If they could make good use of this, they should be able to handle three Mermaid Monsters. Asarina and Along worked together to throw the corpses of the Mermaid Monsters back into the water and set a trap at the entrance of the hold. Pan Xiaoxin sat in the cockpit, steering the boat into the Sub-cave 2. Bai Youwei, cradling the rabbit doll that had been fully charged the night before, attentively surveyed their surroundings. Once again, they entered the cave¡ª As the boat gently swayed on the rippling water, the damp and cold atmosphere suggested dangers lurking everywhere. In the darkness, every ripple in the water was unnerving, and the rocks protruding from the water¡¯s surface resembled gruesome skulls. A tense atmosphere silently permeated the air. However, this situation didn¡¯t last too long. Because about seven or eight minutes later, their boat came out of the cave! No Fish Monster! The tension quickly dissipated, everyone was baffled¡ªthis time, they didn¡¯t encounter any Fish Monsters! ¡°Could it really be that the even-numbered caves are the ones to take?¡± Asarina couldn¡¯t believe it. The odd-even number hypothesis, which she had casually mentioned yesterday, had not undergone rigorous reasoning. It was surprising that there really wasn¡¯t a Fish Monster in Sub-cave 2! Bai Youwei was also astonished. Now there were Fish Monsters in Sub-caves 1 and 3, while Sub-caves 2 and 4 were safe. Had Asarina correctly guessed that there were Fish Monsters in all odd-numbered sub-caves, while the even-numbered sub-caves were safe? ¡°Let¡¯s try Sub-cave 6 next!¡± Asarina couldn¡¯t help suggesting, ¡°If the odd-even conjecture stands, Sub-cave 6 will definitely be safe!¡± ¡°¡­Wait,¡± Bai Youwei said uncertainly, ¡°before we move on to Sub-cave 6, I want to try something else.¡± ¡°Something else?¡± Asarina stared blankly, ¡°¡­What do you want to try?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°I want to go back and try Sub-cave 1 again.¡± ¡°Sub-cave 1?¡± Asarina frowned, ¡°But there is a Fish Monster in Sub-cave 1.¡± Bai Youwei nodded: ¡°I know there¡¯s a Fish Monster in Sub-cave 1, but isn¡¯t it weird? If we select between the three even-numbered sub-caves each time, the player will have a success rate of three in seven, which is about 43%, almost half! Isn¡¯t this probability a bit too large for a maze?¡± Asarina was momentarily speechless. A chance of success approaching fifty percent was indeed too high. If there happened to be a lucky player, they could successfully guess the safe pathways three times in a row by blind luck. Mazes shouldn¡¯t be this simple. ¡°Then¡­ what¡¯s the purpose of going back and choosing Sub-cave 1?¡± she asked. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t exactly sure either, it was just a hunch¡­ ¡°I want to see what the probability of getting it right or wrong is when choosing a cave for the first time.¡± she said, her meaning unclear. ¡ªIn the hold, half a load of fish remained. Even if they encountered a Fish Monster again, they could lure it in with the fish, ensuring their safety. Asarina agreed with Bai Youwei¡¯s decision. The fishing boat began to move back. Returning to the entrance again. This time, as Bai Youwei suggested, they chose the first cave. And the result was¡ªstill no Fish Monster. Everyone was confused. Why was there no Fish Monster in Sub-cave 1 this time? Could it be that because the previous Fish Monster had died at their hands, no new Fish Monsters would appear in this sub-cave? Bai Youwei subtly had an idea. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and try Sub-cave 5.¡± Chapter 681 - Chapter 681: Chapter 681: No. 2 Chapter 681: Chapter 681: No. 2 They not only tested Cave 5, but also Caves 6 and 7. They didn¡¯t encounter the Fish Monster. Afterward, they retested Caves 3 and 4, but still no Fish Monsters were found. This meant that their safe passage through the middle cave the previous day wasn¡¯t a stroke of luck, but due to the fact that, when they first entered the cave, from Cave 1 to Cave 7, there wasn¡¯t a Fish Monster in any of them! ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Asarina asked, puzzled, ¡°Why aren¡¯t there Fish Monsters in any of the caves?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, looking at the seven caves ahead of them, ¡°Is there a likelihood¡­ that the path leading outside changes according to the entrance we choose?¡± Otherwise, why would seven caves all devoid of Fish Monsters exist? What¡¯s the point of it? ¡°It¡¯s like a series of linked electric lights.¡± Bai Youwei explained, ¡°Some switches control the ceiling lights, some control the spotlights, others the bedside lights. Press different switches, you light up different lights.¡± Asarina seemed to understand what she meant, ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ the first cave entrance we chose may influence if Fish Monsters appear in the caves that follow?¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Yesterday we chose Cave 4, and then we encountered the Fish Monster in Cave 1, so the corresponding correct entrance in relation to Cave 4 should be among Caves 2 to 7. The likelihood of it being Cave 4 again is low, so we can try Caves 2, 3, 5, 6.¡± ¡°A one in four chance¡­¡± Asarina frowned, ¡°If we guess wrong, we¡¯ll encounter three Fish Monsters.¡± After a moment of silence, Bai Youwei said, ¡°And after those three, if we still guess wrong, we¡¯ll face four Fish Monsters.¡± The number of wrong guesses is directly proportional to the number of Fish Monsters. The more mistakes, the more danger. Moreover, even if we guessed right¡­ it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean we could leave. Perhaps there would still be seven cave entrances, forcing them to guess again. This maze seemed to leave no room for survival, offering pitifully little guidance. Bai Youwei always felt they were missing something. Otherwise, trying to find the way out based on this limited information would be almost pure luck. She looked around. Where could it be? The hidden clue, where was it? Asarina standing next to her said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s choose one then. Either way, we will get a result.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her. Actually, according to her own thoughts, Bai Youwei would prefer to return to the dollhouse and consider other possibilities. But Asarina was in a hurry. It was natural. Aqing¡¯s condition was getting worse. They couldn¡¯t keep withholding water from him. It would be best to leave here as soon as possible. Even if there were not enough clues, Asarina couldn¡¯t wait anymore. ¡°Which do you want to choose?¡± Bai Youwei handed the decision to Asarina. She just needed to analyze; if it were purely a matter of chance, it didn¡¯t matter who chose. Asarina said, ¡°Since Caves 2, 3, 5, and 6 are all possibilities, let¡¯s just go through them one by one. Let¡¯s try Cave 2 first.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s first enter Cave 4, then Cave 2.¡± Everyone braced themselves and set the boat in motion. The day before, after entering Cave 4, they chose to enter Sub-cave 1 and then encountered the Fish Monster. This time, they chose Cave 2 ¡ª Xiaoxin carefully controlled the fishing boat, slowly entering Cave 2 after passing through Cave 4. Asarina stood at the bow of the boat, watching the choppy water surface closely, tightly clutching her weapon. Along was vigilant at the stern, watching the surroundings ready for potential attacks from Mermaids. Bai Youwei also held her breath, intently listening for any subtle noises in the cave. The sound of the water murmured, and the echoes resonated. They were moving forward in the darkness. Chapter 682 - Chapter 682: Chapter 682: Number 6 Chapter 682: Chapter 682: Number 6 The tense atmosphere continued until the fishing boat passed through the cave entrance. ¡ªCave No. 2, there was no mermaid monster. Everyone on the boat was somewhat bewildered. Had they actually managed to pass through successfully? Asarina¡¯s emotions shifted from disbelief and shock to exhilaration as if a heavy burden was lifted! ¡°We made it out!¡± she turned to Bai Youwei, her eyes wide open, ¡°Nothing happened at No. 4, and now the same for No. 2! It seems like the even-numbered caves are safe! So, if we go through No. 6 next, can we get out of the maze?!¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. Following this logic¡­ as Asarina pointed out, it indeed seemed like the even-numbered caves had a high likelihood of being safe. Otherwise, how could one explain that Cave No. 1 and No. 3 were infested with fish monsters, while No. 2 and No. 4 were not? But¡­ But, her sense of the caves was that there was a progressive layering. If they purely considered odds and evens, it lacked that sense of progression. Was she overthinking it, or was Asarina being too hasty? As Bai Youwei contemplated these things, Asarina was becoming quite impatient, her gaze fixed on Bai Youwei, asking: ¡°What do you think? Should we go into Cave No. 6 and power through this place?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow slightly, still considering. Asarina added: ¡°After all, choosing other caves still involves risks, right? We might as well try No. 6, perhaps we can really make it out.¡± Fearing Bai Youwei¡¯s disagreement, she lowered her voice and earnestly added: ¡°Moreover, we still have half a catch on the boat. Even if we encounter three fish monsters, we should be able to handle it.¡± Bai Youwei looked at Asarina. At such a moment, unless she could propose a more effective plan, there was no reason to stop Asarina. Besides, what Asarina said did make sense. Risks were inevitable. Choosing any other cave would still be dangerous. If that was the case, why not select No. 6, which had a higher probability of being safe? Bai Youwei spoke softly: ¡°If you insist, then prepare yourself.¡± Asarina¡¯s gaze was resolute as she nodded her agreement. The two decided, and after passing caves No. 4 and No. 2, the fishing boat began to navigate towards Cave No. 6. All the caves were the same. After progressing a distance in the darkness, Bai Youwei smelled the familiar stench and her heart sank. She turned her head to look at Asarina near the cabin door, unsurprisingly, Asarina¡¯s face had also turned ugly. Fear and even more so, disappointment surged within them. Because they had been wrong again. On the other side, Along¡¯s expression was equally serious. It seemed, everyone had smelled that scent. Bai Youwei gestured to Pan Xiaoxin in the cockpit. Pan Xiaoxin nodded, silently altered the course and began to reverse the boat. But what was fated to come, still came. The boat¡¯s speed could never outpace the monsters in the water. They heard the sound of splashing water, as if something was rushing up from the water, shortly afterward, that something began to hit the hull of the boat! Thump! Thump! The massive fishtail smacked the water¡¯s surface and the mermaid monster leapt several meters high! It clung to the edge of the boat, revealing its wet, triangular head! ¡°Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!¡± With its jaws wide open, revealing sharp teeth, it issued a threatening warning at them! Intent on tearing these invaders who dared to violate its territory to shreds! Asarina pressed her hands against the cabin door, roaring: ¡°Come on! You stupid things!!!¡± The three mermaid monsters, as if provoked, puffed up the ruffs around their necks! They scrambled towards Asarina! Asarina yanked the cabin door open abruptly! In an instant, the stench of the dead fish filled the air, driving the mermaid monsters crazed! They hurriedly crawled into the cargo hold filled with dead fish beneath the deck!¡ª Chapter 683 - Chapter 683: Chapter 683: 3 only Chapter 683: Chapter 683: 3 only One crawled in, two crawled in, and three crawled in! However, they had overestimated the space in the hold, the small hold was half-full of fish, and it was hard to accommodate three Fish Monsters the size of grown men! The third mermaid only got halfway in before it was attacked by the other two mermaids! Unable to get to the fish, it was particularly anxious and immediately turned its aim towards Asarina, who was closest! Asarina was on guard, she lifted the long sword by her side and fiercely slashed at it! The hardness of the fish scales was unthinkable. The weapon was not even as useful as a bamboo pole, which could at least help them maintain a distance from the mermaids. At the critical moment, Along rushed in, striking the mermaid¡¯s dorsal fin with a knife! Wham! The blade collided with the dorsal fin, causing Along¡¯s hand to feel numb! The mermaid¡¯s dorsal fin was only nicked a little, which shows its toughness. The mermaid was irritated, the umbrella-like collar on its neck trembled non-stop, secreting a transparent mucus from its mouth, looking like it was going to squirt out. ¡°Back off!¡± Bai Youwei shouted! Along dodged sideways, and the mermaid followed suit! A lightning bolt struck down immediately after! With a big bang, the mermaid was thrown back several meters! Asarina seized the opportunity and swung her sword at the mermaid¡¯s neck! The blade made a cut and drew blood, but the wound was not deep because it was blocked by the swelling skin on the neck, the cut missed the vitals. Asarina held the sword tightly and, during the few seconds when the mermaid was dazed by the electric shock, pushed it forcefully into the hold! ¡°Along! Bamboo!¡± Asarina shouted, putting all her strength into closing the hatch! At the same time, she quickly took the bamboo pole in her hand and placed it across to lock the hatch. Before Along could even place a few more bamboo poles he had retrieved, the hatch began to vibrate violently! It almost flung open! Asarina pressed down on the hatch with all her might, her forehead lined with bulging veins, and her muscles strained! ¡°Hurry up!!!¡± She yelled forcefully. The mermaid inside struggled again! Before Along even had the chance to wedge with the bamboo pole, he threw himself onto it, pressing the hatch down with all his strength! Seeing the predicament, Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, turned to the cockpit and shouted: ¡°Xiaoxin! Come out and help!¡± Asarina and Along alone couldn¡¯t possibly restrain the three mermaids underneath! Although Pan Xiaoxin was a child, he had at least been through the labyrinth twice and should have a decent amount of strength. Bai Youwei opened the dollhouse again and called out their Teacher Cheng to help. The young and old pressed down hard on both sides of the bamboo pole. The mermaids struggled wildly! Even though these creatures came on land to forage, they were all water creatures. Once they were out of the water for too long, they would die of dehydration. The hatch kept being lifted by the mermaids and was pushed back down by Asarina and the others! The strength of the three mermaids was far too great, even though they had four people, they were gradually unable to hold on, as Bai Youwei frowned and stood aside, ready to release an electric shock whenever a mermaid came out. Just then, a staggering figure emerged from the dollhouse ¡ª It was Aqing! He was still tied up and gagged. With a surge of unknown strength, he stood up and hobbled out of the dollhouse, falling straight towards the railing! Everyone was taken aback! ¡°Aqing!¡± Asarina got up to chase! Bai Youwei¡¯s face changed dramatically: ¡°Don¡¯t let go!¡± But it was too late! Once Asarina let go, a mermaid violently pushed open the hatch! One of the mermaids escaped! Along, Teacher Cheng, and Pan Xiaoxin tried to lock it again, but another mermaid poked half its body out, trying to bite them! Everyone scrambled back in panic, Bai Youwei suppressed one of them with an electric shock, the other one escaped, causing havoc! But Asarina failed to catch up with Aqing, watched helplessly as he fell off the boat and into the water! Chapter 684 - Chapter 684: Chapter 684: 4 Only Chapter 684: Chapter 684: 4 Only Asarina gritted her teeth, turning to face the Fish Monster, letting her grief fuel her rage! First, she devoured Aqing¡¯s item ¡°Swan Meat,¡± which boosted her speed by 30%. Thanks to the speed advantage, she slit the throat of a Mermaid Monster, causing a flow of crimson blood. Next, she used the ¡°Last Straw¡± to pin another Mermaid Monster onto the deck, rendering it immobile. Then, alongside Along, Teacher Chang, and Pan Xiaoxin, they locked the final Mermaid Monster in the cabin, preventing it from breaking out! The crisis was averted; all three Mermaids were subdued. However, the cost was exhausting two of their items. If they did not find a way out and had to fight four, or even more Mermaids, without enough items, it would be an impossible task. Asarina fell to her knees on the deck after a rollercoaster of emotions, her expression blank. She had thought they could escape this time, but they failed. Worse still, Aqing was in danger¡­ Bai Youwei opened her mouth, unsure how to comfort Asarina. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin, asking, ¡°Were any of you injured? If so, dress the wound, try not to get the slime on it¡­¡± Everyone hurriedly checked themselves. They had been clenching so hard earlier, they had no clue whether they had been injured, or whether they had come into contact with the slime. Bai Youwei also inspected her rabbit, sighing in disappointment at its low battery. Usually, releasing a small electric ball was sufficient to shock people. But this time, despite continually discharging electricity, it didn¡¯t seem to do much damage to the Mermaids. Unbeknownst to them, more than half the battery had been drained. Then, suddenly, there was a loud bang! The ship shook! Their nerves, which had just begun to relax, tensed up again instantly! Everyone looked around nervously. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is there another Mermaid?!¡± Bang! Another loud noise! A dark figure slammed into the ship, tightly gripping the railing, its fan-shaped dorsal fin shimmering ominously in the darkness. Its mouth was filled with sharp teeth, its bulging, white eyes were terrifying, yet maintained some trace of a human face. Asarina, who had been holding back her tears, finally broke down at this sight! ¡°It¡¯s Aqing!¡± She cried out, shaking as she raised her knife, tears streaming down her face, and lunged at her former companion! ¡ªAqing was no longer the same Aqing. He had become a Mermaid, turning his body so that his sturdy tail blocked the knife, covered in scales as hard as armor. Asarina was swept aside by the tail, falling heavily onto the deck. Aqing, however, showed no interest in her and instead, let out a growl and targeted Along, Teacher Chang, and Pan Xiaoxin! It crawled towards them, its teeth bared! And it crawled fast! Along ran forward with his knife! Bai Youwei tried to find an opportunity to electrocute it on the side, while Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin also picked up bamboo poles to jab it now and then! It finally lost patience. Not just lost patience, it also realized it was no match for the group of humans. Letting out a harsh roar, it thrashed its tail with great force! As if making a last-ditch effort! The fishing boat rocked violently due to it! Everyone hastily stabilized themselves, but the Mermaid Monster seized this chance to pounce again! Bai Youwei discharged lightning once again! It couldn¡¯t dodge and fell heavily to the ground. During its thrashings, it somehow toppled over Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair¡ª Bai Youwei fell, and then was dragged by Mermaid Monster off the boat! With a splash, Bai Youwei felt her whole body grow cold! Salty seawater rushed in from all sides, instantly engulfing her whole body. The Mermaid Monster was continually dragging her deeper! If it kept dragging her down, she would undoubtedly die. Even if she had eaten the Mahi-Mahi, which allowed her to stay underwater for an extended time, her body wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the pressure at the seabed. Fortunately, she still had the rabbit in her hand. The user will not be affected when using the item to release electricity, so Bai Youwei had no reservations. She had the rabbit release an electric current; the Mermaid Monster immediately let her go, and her body floated upwards because of her life jacket. However, when Bai Youwei surfaced, she was taken aback by the sight before her¡­ Chapter 685 - Chapter 685: Chapter 685: Ouroboros Chapter 685: Chapter 685: Ouroboros The hull of the ship was adorned with a pile of tangled Ouroboros snakes! Bai Youwei had never imagined that the most crucial clue had been right before her eyes all along, and yet she had been oblivious to it! The Ouroboros, also known as the tail-devouring snake, is a common symbol in religion and myth, taking the form of a snake consuming its own tail, creating a closed circle. Humans often attribute meanings such as ¡°infinity¡± and ¡°cycle¡± to this symbol. It perfectly corresponded to the labyrinth they were in now, where no matter which way they went, they always ended up back at the starting point. On the fishing boat in front of Bai Youwei, there were seven Ouroboros snakes! The seven snakes were entwined with each other, like a tangled mess of yarn. Their bodies were a harlequin pattern of black and red color, with a black that was almost rust-colored, and red that resembled blood. Under the dim lighting, it was hard to see clearly, Bai Youwei was absorbed in observing them when Asarina and Professor Cheng on the boat extended a long bamboo pole towards her- ¡°Quick, get on board!¡± The water is not safe; if they wanted to solve the puzzle, they would probably need another opportunity. She reached out to grab the bamboo pole, when suddenly, the boat was jolted strongly! The Mermaid Monster was climbing up from the other side! Professor Cheng had not managed to steady himself, hastily grabbing onto the railing, his other hand clutching the bamboo pole. Asarina picked up a knife from the ground and chopped toward the Mermaid! The mermaid in the hull, which was barely alive, seemed to sense the presence of its companion and struggled violently! The cabin door was continually being battered! Along and Pan Xiaoxin rushed to hold it shut! The boat was in chaos; Professor Cheng was anxious and extended the bamboo pole with all his might, shouting to Bai Youwei: ¡°Weiwei! Hurry up and get on board!¡± After Bai Youwei fell into the water, she was some distance away from the fishing boat. Amidst the upheaval on board, Asarina was knocked over by the Mermaid! She fell heavily onto the deck! The Mermaid opened its jaws wide apart, revealing its full fanged mouth. Asarina brandished her knife in front of her, forcefully pushing against the Mermaid, tears welling up in her eyes. She knew the Mermaid before her was Aqing, and that this time, either she would die or he would! ¡°Boss!¡± Along shouted anxiously, pressing hard against the cabin door that was constantly being lifted. He was stretched thin and unable to rush to Asarina¡¯s side to assist. Watching as the sharp teeth of the Mermaid grew increasingly close to Asarina, Professor Cheng grit his teeth, lifted the bamboo pole with all his might, and swung it! With a violent smash! The bamboo pole struck the Mermaid¡¯s head! A strong rebounding force forced Professor Cheng to release his grip. His hands were numb and aching! Having been hit by the bamboo pole, the Mermaid Monster turned its anger onto Professor Cheng. It let out a roar, and with a violent swing of its tail, leapt onto Professor Cheng! Professor Cheng, caught in a surprised panic, was unable to dodge in time. Both he and the Mermaid fell off the boat into the water! All of this happened in mere seconds. Bai Youwei watched wide-eyed as Professor Cheng fell into the water, feeling as though the icy water was freezing her bones. Two seconds later, Asarina quickly took off her life jacket, picked up the knife and dived into the water to rescue them. Following closely, Along grabbed a rope and dived into the water as well! Splashes hit the black water surface, then everything calmed down, leaving nothing behind¡­ One can see nothing, hear nothing, and have no way to judge the life or death beneath the water. Bai Youwei was stunned. After a while, she heard Pan Xiaoxin on the boat yelling for her, and snapped back to reality. Bai Youwei was hauled up onto the boat by Pan Xiaoxin alone. Once back on the boat, she was soaking wet, her hands and feet were beginning to go numb from the cold. She turned her head to look at the water below the ship, asking Pan Xiaoxin to bring over a flashlight so she could see more clearly. Both of them sat by the railing, silently watching over this stretch of water. After a while, Bai Youwei asked Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Are you scared?¡± Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s eyes were red. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Scared.¡± Bai Youwei hugged Pan Xiaoxin into her arms, wanting to gently pat his back. But she saw her fingertips trembling. She drew a deep breath and whispered softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Nothing¡¯s going to happen¡­ Nothing¡¯s going to happen¡­¡± Chapter 686 - Chapter 686: Chapter 686: Its Not Over Chapter 686: Chapter 686: It¡¯s Not Over The wait wasn¡¯t long, about two minutes, but to Bai Youwei, it seemed like a century had passed. The first one to surface was Asarina. Her face was pale, skin tinged blue from the seawater. After a few weak strokes, she lost her strength and began to sink. Along was the second one to surface, supporting Asarina from behind. He had Chang Weicai on his back. Their bodies were tied together with a rope. Bai Youwei heaved a sigh of relief. But when she noticed that Chang Weicai¡¯s head hung low, seemingly unconscious, her heart tightened as though being strangled. If a person is unharmed, how could they lose consciousness? Chang Weicai must be injured¡­ Pan Xiaoxin tied a life jacket to a rope and tossed it across. Asarina clung to the life jacket. With much effort, the three of them finally managed to return to the boat. Everyone lay on the deck without uttering a word, panting heavily. Bai Youwei came to Chang Weicai¡¯s side to find that his shoulder had been bitten through. The wound was washed white by the seawater, with clear scratch and bite marks on his shirt. She stared at him in shock. Chang Weicai slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. Unaware of this, Bai Youwei stared at Chang Weicai¡¯s wound, thinking to herself, she had stood by when Aqing got into trouble. Now, she was experiencing the pain that Asarina suffered then. If this is some kind of divine justice, it seems too cruel¡­ Along helped Asarina up, asking non-stop, ¡°Boss? Boss! Are you okay, bro?!¡± Asarina tugged the corner of her mouth, unusually withholding her temper. Her voice hoarse, she retorted, ¡°For upteenth time, call me big sis, you brat¡­¡± Along lifted his arm to cover his face and began to sob. Pretending to be angry, Asarina rebuked, ¡°Why are you crying? ¡­ I¡¯m not dead yet.¡± Everyone kept silent. Being injured was not the major issue. The real problem was¡­ no one knew if Asarina or Chang Weicai would end up like Aqing? Asarina turned to Bai Youwei and said, ¡°The mermaid is stronger underwater, and both the old man and I got injured. I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s my fault for not keeping a close eye on Aqing, which led to this situation¡­¡± Bai Youwei shook her head and replied in a low voice, ¡°It was my fault; I didn¡¯t successfully close the door to the dollhouse in time.¡± Chang Weicai interrupted them, ¡°The gold has its flaw, and man is no exception. You¡¯re not gods; you can¡¯t always be perfect and as expected. If anyone is to blame, it¡¯s this old man. I was useless and dragged you into danger¡­¡± He gave a heavy sigh then continued, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for saving me, she wouldn¡¯t have gotten injured.¡± Asarina tried to smile, ¡°Old man, you were the one who saved me first.¡± Bai Youwei lowered her gaze, trying to keep her voice calm, ¡°Let¡¯s get inside the dollhouse first. We should treat the wounds and keep them dry¡­¡± Asarina disagreed, ¡°I will stay out here. Just tie me up with a rope. If you notice anything wrong with me, don¡¯t hesitate. Aim for the neck¡­ and make it quick.¡± Hearing this, Chang Weicai nodded, ¡°Bind me as well.¡± Everyone fell silent, all lowering their heads, not saying a word. Asarina frowned, made eye contact with each one, before her gaze landed on Along. She ordered, ¡°Along, you go! Fetch a rope!¡± Along lifted his arm to wipe away his tears, then silently got up, picked up the rope on the deck, and tied Asarina up tightly. Then he tied up Chang Weicai as well. Whilst he was doing all that, Bai Youwei and Pan Xiaoxin watched silently from the side. Once Along had tied both of them securely, Bai Youwei spoke in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not over¡­¡± All eyes were on her. She closed her eyes, then spoke again, ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. As long as we can get out of here, you all will be fine ¡­¡± Chapter 687 - Chapter 687: Chapter 687: Finding Patterns Chapter 687: Chapter 687: Finding Patterns The fishing boat backed out of Cave 6. Asarina seemed alright, but the teacher was in worse condition. Perhaps due to his age, he appeared half-conscious and lethargic. The boat stopped in front of seven cave entrances. Pan Xiaoxin looked uncertainly at Bai Youwei. ¡°Sister Weiwei, which cave should we enter this time?¡± They had already passed through Cave 4 and Cave 2. Now, Cave 6 was impassable, they had to make a choice again. Bai Youwei studied the caves and asked Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Xiaoxin, do you see a pattern between 4 and 2?¡± Pan Xiaoxin paused, ¡°They¡¯re both even numbers, and then¡­ there¡¯s only one digit between them?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Counting from right to left, there¡¯s a 3 between 4 and 2. If the pattern holds for the next cave, counting forward from 2, which cave should we choose?¡± ¡°¡­7?¡± Pan Xiaoxin hazarded uncertainly. Asarina asked, ¡°Are you sure about 7?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell.¡± Bai Youwei lowered her gaze and spoke softly, ¡°Just now, under the boat, I saw patterns of Ouroboros, seven of them exactly. Near the Ouroboros was a picture of a mermaid, as if¡­ once we leave the safety of the Ouroboros, we¡¯ll be attacked by the mermaids.¡± Pan Xiaoxin hadn¡¯t gone under the boat, and thus hadn¡¯t seen those patterns. Hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s words, he realized, ¡°I see now, the seven Ouroboros correspond to the seven caves, is that right, Sister Weiwei?¡± Bai Youwei nodded slightly, murmuring, ¡°At the very start, no matter which cave we chose, we¡¯d not encounter the mermaids since we were at the snake¡¯s head. Every snake¡¯s head could guarantee our safety, but once we move deeper, to the snake¡¯s body, we¡¯d effectively be choosing a closed circular path. We¡¯d have to follow the path corresponding to the specific Ouroboros or we¡¯d lose its protection.¡± Unable to contain his curiosity, Along asked, ¡°But how do we know the path corresponding to each snake? Are there any clues in the pattern?¡± This was the most difficult part for Bai Youwei. Because the pattern on the boat depicted a cluster of snakes intertwined, and since the light was dim, it was quite hard to make out the details. Also, due to the mermaids¡¯ repeated attacks, the patterns were severely damaged. Iron plates had fallen off in some places. ¡°Each Ouroboros corresponds to a certain path that follows its own rules¡­ I can¡¯t find any obvious clues, but their colors alternate between black and red. If the head is black, then the tail is red, the colors are on a perfect cycle.¡± Asarina mused, ¡°If the sequence of entering the caves also follows this cyclic rule like the colors, entering Cave 4 first, then move two steps forward to Cave 2, then it¡¯s Cave 7, Cave 5, Cave 3, Cave 1, Cave 6, and back to Cave 4. We¡¯d need to enter the caves eight times to complete a cycle.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡± After a pause, Bai Youwei added, ¡°Counting from right to left, there¡¯s one number between 4 and 2, while counting from left to right, there¡¯re four numbers between 4 and 2.¡± 1-2-3-4-5-6-7. Upon hearing this, Asarina nodded, ¡°I see. You mean the number of the next cave we choose corresponds to its gap from the cave before. If we started with Cave 1, the next would be Cave 3, then Cave 5, Cave 7, Cave 2, Cave 4, Cave 6, and back to Cave 1. It also makes a cycle through eight steps.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just one possible pattern.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice grew softer, ¡°Should we decide on the caves according to the color hints, or not? Let¡¯s hear your opinions.¡± Asarina thought for a moment and looked at Along, ¡°You go down and check, how many color blocks are on those Ouroboros.¡± Chapter 688 - Chapter 688: Chapter 688: Poisonous Chicken Soup Chapter 688: Chapter 688: Poisonous Chicken Soup Along tied a rope around himself, the other end secured to the deck. Equipped with a flashlight and a knife, he slowly slid off the boat. Trying to make out the designs on the rusty ship hull was challenging enough, not to mention that parts of the designs were submerged in the water. Along was underwater for a long time, with Pan Xiaoxin watching him from the railings. Bai Youwei sat next to Mr. Chang during the long wait, wiping his body dry with a towel to keep him as dry as possible. Several times, Mr. Chang opened his eyes but said nothing, only watching them for a while before closing his eyes again, seemingly very tired. Bai Youwei wiped Mr. Chang¡¯s face, his arms, and his hands until she felt something hard¡­ Like a fingernail. She gazed down at it in silence. There, on the back of Mr. Chang¡¯s hand, grew a layer of tiny¡­ semi-transparent fish scales. Pan Xiaoxin also noticed them and turned to Bai Youwei with reddened eyes, ¡°Sister Weiwei¡­¡± Without saying a word, Bai Youwei stared for a long time, then released Mr. Chang¡¯s hand to check on Asarina. Asarina was also seriously injured, but for some reason, she didn¡¯t display any abnormalities. Asarina reflected for a moment, then told Bai Youwei, ¡°Perhaps the sea water diluted the sticky fluid, so I¡¯m okay.¡± Meanwhile, Mr. Chang had been bitten by the mermaid while still on board. Asarina, observing Bai Youwei¡¯s expression, carefully said, ¡°As you said, it¡¯s not over yet. Only once we leave here, will the outcome remain unknown.¡± So don¡¯t give up easily. Until the last moment, no one knows what the outcome will be. However, such pep talk, to Bai Youwei, was as tasteless as plain water. After a moment of silence, she asked Asarina, ¡°How did you¡­ reconcile the fact that you had to hurt Aqing when he¡­ was in trouble?¡± Asarina was taken aback by her words. Bai Youwei lowered her head, her hands gripping the moist skirt over her knees. In a low voice, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by it, I was just wondering, if¡­ if Mr. Chang can¡¯t be saved, how should I¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t continue. Asarina stared at her in silence, understanding her meaning. If Mr. Chang ended up like Aqing, someone among them would have to end his life. And the obvious choice for this task would be Bai Youwei. Gently, Asarina said, ¡°I had only one thought then, that Aqing was in severe pain, very severe pain, so I must do my utmost to stop his suffering.¡± Bai Youwei nodded vaguely, ¡°Hmm, I see¡­¡± ¡°But I also regret it.¡± Asarina added. Bai Youwei looked confused, baffled. Asarina explained, ¡°As humans, even when we make decisions that we believe are right, we still regret the outcomes we bring about. I was the one who killed Aqing. I will never forget that. I regret it, and it pains me. But if given another chance, I would still kill him. Do you think you can escape the afflictions of your conscience by uttering a few seemingly reasonable statements? That¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no getting by in this world without bearing one¡¯s own cross.¡± Bai Youwei held her lips, took a deep breath, and responded, ¡°¡­I understand.¡± She turned around to continue drying Mr. Chang, pondering Asarina¡¯s words¡ª Even when making decisions believed to be correct, guilt is inescapable. Fancy words are just placating, they can¡¯t change the essence of pain. A tear dropped onto Mr. Chang¡¯s hand. Bai Youwei blinked, hastily wiped her eyes, and continued wiping off Mr. Chang¡¯s body. On the other side, Along finally climbed back onto the boat. Anxious, Asarina immediately asked, ¡°How did it go? Did you figure out the pattern of the colors?¡± Along nodded, panting, ¡°Yes, although I couldn¡¯t ascertain some parts due to obstructions, there are certainly eight segments, both black and red repeated eight times!¡± Chapter 689 - Chapter 689: Chapter 689: Will Succeed Chapter 689: Chapter 689: Will Succeed Asarina breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Bai Youwei with joy, ¡°The cycle of the color blocks is 8 times, and the cycle of the serial numbers is also 8 times. According to the method you mentioned, it should be correct!¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. She was always proud, even somewhat conceited. Yet now she seemed hesitant and indecisive, as if she had lost herself. If they made another mistake, they would face four mermaids. It would be impossible for her and Along, the injured Asarina, and the young Pan Xiaoxin to cope. In the past, she was at ease in the game. Shen Mo¡¯s support gave her the confidence that ¡°even if she made a mistake, she could recover¡±. But now¡­ Now, dare she try? Risking the lives of her companions, does she dare? ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Asarina became impatient, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a strong resolve in the Red Yellow Blue game? Why are you so hesitant now? You¡¯re like a childish ghost! As soon as you face a huge risk, you become timid and cautious. You¡¯re just too cowardly and afraid to take on responsibility!¡± Bai Youwei bit her lip. Pan Xiaoxin said urgently: ¡°Sister Weiwei just doesn¡¯t want to make a hasty decision!¡± ¡°But the elderly man beside you doesn¡¯t have much time!¡± Asarina asked Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Kid, are you afraid of death?¡± Pan Xiaoxin shook his head with a tense little face, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid!¡± ¡°Along, are you afraid of dying?¡± she asked again. Along shook his head resolutely. Asarina looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Do you see that? We¡¯re not afraid to die, so go ahead and make a decision! How will you compete with other players for the King role in the future? ¡ª¡ªKing! You have to remember, you¡¯re the King! Don¡¯t make me regret being your subject!¡± Asarina¡¯s words felt like a slap to Bai Youwei¡¯s face. It burned. She was indeed cowardly and weak, afraid to bear the responsibility for others¡¯ lives. She had always been alone, without the care of friends. She never experienced the joys and sorrows of gathering and parting. She was accustomed to being alone! So she couldn¡¯t bear this pressure. She really couldn¡¯t! It was too heavy! And too heartbreaking!¡ªThe people she cared about! If they died because of her mistake, she would never forgive herself! A hand gently tugged at her sleeve. It was Teacher Cheng. He squinted his eyes, his expression calm and gentle, ¡°It¡¯s okay, take your time¡­Don¡¯t rush, don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself¡­We¡¯re not in a hurry¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s nose tingled, she quickly turned her face, not letting Teacher Cheng see her tears. After a long while, she said, ¡°Along¡­take Asarina and Teacher Cheng into the cabin. Xiaoxin, head to the control room¡­¡± She bit her lip, her lips stinging, and then spoke again: ¡°Set course for cave number 7.¡± Asarina breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°We will definitely get out.¡± Asarina said confidently, ¡°This time, there will be no mistakes.¡± In order to get out of this maze of seven caves, they had to follow a certain pattern. What was this pattern? The Ouroboros gave them a hint. The seven snakes formed seven closed paths, each with its own pattern. They must ¡°go from start to finish¡±. Pick one of the patterns, stick to it, until the cycle is completed, from the head of the snake, back to the head of the snake! The snakehead they chose was number 4. They had to make eight choices to return to number 4¡ª 1-2-3-(4)-5-6-7-1-(2)-3-4-5-6-(7)-1-2-3-4-(5)-6-7-1-2-(3)-4-5-6-7-(1)-2-3-4-5-(6)-7-1-2-3-(4)-5-6-7 Like a snake, the black and red alternate to form a cycle. Asarina silently calculated, closed her eyes, and prayed in her heart: You will succeed, Bai Youwei¡­you will succeed. Chapter 690 - Chapter 690: Chapter 690: Her Legs Chapter 690: Chapter 690: Her Legs Everyone remained inside the cabin. Bai Youwei stood guard at the door, bunny in her arms, quietly awaiting the outcome. If mermaids appeared, she would fend them off with thunder, and also instruct Pan Xiaoxin to leave the cave as quickly as possible. It didn¡¯t matter if the boat wasn¡¯t fast enough; she could get everyone into the doll house where they would be safe. If they couldn¡¯t leave, then they would outlast the mermaids, they surely couldn¡¯t stay on the boat forever. The mermaids were water creatures, without water, they would eventually suffocate¡­ When they¡¯d finally have to leave, she would then exit the doll house and drive the boat out of the cave. Even though she was slower than them, after trying enough times, even if she could only move 1 centimeter at a time, she would eventually get out of the cave¡­ What else? ¡­Where else should she be careful? ¡­ ¡°Sister Weiwei¡­ Sister Weiwei? Sister Weiwei?¡± Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s voice brought Bai Youwei back from her thoughts. She turned her head and found that everyone in the cabin was staring at her. Bewildered, Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°We made it out!¡± Asarina exclaimed. ¡°Bai Youwei, you were right! The pattern of Cave #4 is to move counterclockwise by four terms each time!¡± Pan Xiaoxin also cheered: ¡°Sister Weiwei! We can leave now!¡± Bai Youwei looked around in a daze. Unknowingly, Xiaoxin had already navigated the boat out of the cave, and they were once again faced with the choice of seven caves. ¡°Let¡¯s take it in one go!¡± Asarina said. ¡°Next, is cave #5!¡± Bai Youwei looked at the drowsy Master Chang, pursed her lips, and nodded: ¡°Alright, Cave #5.¡± ¡­ They made it through Cave #5 without any incidents. Then it was caves #3, #1, and #6¡ª For the last time, they would have to travel through Cave #4 again. If Bai Youwei¡¯s speculation was correct, when they successfully made their way from the snake¡¯s head to its tail and back to the snake¡¯s head, they would complete the cycle and unlock the exit to the maze. The fishing boat moved onwards. It was still dark in front and, but Bai Youwei could hear the sound of waves. A little while later, she felt the wind blowing on her face. Bai Youwei held her breath, turned to look at Chang Weicai, and then called out anxiously: ¡°Master Chang! Wake up, we¡¯re about to get out!¡± Master Chang slowly opened his eyes. The sea breeze blew across the deck, the sound of the waves was thunderous, and their surroundings shifted into an expanse of blank white¡ª ¡°Congratulations to the player for clearing Maze #3.¡± The system notification sounded, and Bai Youwei found herself in a stark white space, alone. ¡°The player is the first to clear Maze #3. The current round¡¯s game clearing rank is, one. You have acquired 2 doll jigsaw pieces.¡± ¡°Now upgrading player¡¯s data¡­¡± Ding, the upgrade has been completed.¡± Bai Youwei could clearly feel the changes in her body. She felt lighter, her breathing smoother, her senses sharper, and her legs¡­ She tried to stand up. Her knees didn¡¯t buckle, her calves didn¡¯t tremble, she could walk again! Bai Youwei looked down, staring blankly at her own legs. She couldn¡¯t believe it, she sat back down and put her hand on her leg. Was this really her leg? ¡°The reward distribution is complete. Please continue the game, strive to clear the game¡ª¡± The system¡¯s voice disappeared and she was back in the rest hall. There stood Pan Xiaoxin, Asarina, Along, and Master Chang by her side. Master Chang was smiling at her. Great! Everyone was safe! Not far from them, Shen Mo was leading Tan Xiao and Ya Chaohui towards them. It seemed that Shen Mo¡¯s team had gotten out of the maze earlier than them. Bai Youwei wanted to run towards them, but as she was about to push off from her wheelchair and stand, a thought flashed through her mind. She then happily sat back down and extended her arms towards her boyfriend. Shen Mo was amused. He walked over to her, held her in his arms, and asked: ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied, burying her face into his chest. ¡°Everyone¡¯s okay.¡± Chapter 691 - Chapter 691: Chapter 691: High Heels Chapter 691: Chapter 691: High Heels In the rest area, quite a few game players who had also made it through the maze were gathered in small groups, quietly exchanging information. Bai Youwei did not see Yan Qingwen. She didn¡¯t know whether he hadn¡¯t managed to exit the maze or if he had already returned to the base with Su Man and Zhu Shu. After a brief chat to ensure everyone was safe, they prepared to return to the base. A minor episode occurred in the process¡ª When Bai Youwei gave Asarina and Along two puzzle pieces as agreed, their glowing wristwatches immediately showed a change, adding an icon for King¡¯s Territory. In other words, from this point on they were bound to Bai Youwei, and could only switch locations between the rest area and King¡¯s Territory, unable to leave the King¡¯s Territory for anywhere else. On Bai Youwei¡¯s side, her King¡¯s wristwatch also displayed an additional information column that showed the profiles of Asarina and Along, and the number of puzzle pieces each held. Currently, it showed Asarina with four puzzle pieces and Along with three. From this, Bai Youwei knew that during the maze¡¯s reward settlement, Asarina had obtained two puzzle pieces and Along had obtained one. The design of this function was likely meant to allow the King to easily control their subjects, clearly showing how many puzzle pieces each subject held, making it impossible for them to hide any. Bai Youwei gave Xiaoxin one puzzle piece. The character icon on the watch was updated to include Xiaoxin with two puzzle pieces. After sorting out recruitment matters, the group left the rest area and returned to base. Then a new problem arose. After leaving the maze and the game, in reality the miraculous ¡°simultaneous translation¡± function was no longer working, and no one could understand the Thai spoken by Asarina and Along. Fortunately, both of them understood some English. Although their accents were heavy, they could still be somewhat understood, so this issue was temporarily resolved. On returning to the King¡¯s Headquarters Building, Chu Huaijin was overjoyed and enthusiastically arranged rooms for Asarina and Along. He reminded everyone to rest well, confirming that as soon as Yan Qingwen returned, they would hold a big celebration party. Only then did Bai Youwei realize that Yan Qingwen, along with Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Lu Yuwen, had not emerged from the maze yet. Perhaps because her leg had healed, Bai Youwei was in high spirits and feeling energetic. Even on knowing that Yan Qingwen could be in danger, she wasn¡¯t too worried. Instead, she was optimistic that they would overcome this hurdle and return with huge rewards. Everyone was exhausted after coming out of the maze, and practically went straight to bed once they were back at headquarters. Except for Bai Youwei. Her emotions were running high, and, stifling her excitement, she quietly inquired the front desk about shoe stores nearby. Having received special training, the front desk staff treated each candidate for the King¡¯s role with the utmost respect. ¡°Do you need shoes? If you could provide us your size and preferences for style and color, we¡¯ll do our utmost to meet your requirements¡­¡± ¡°No need, just tell me the location. I¡¯ll pick them myself.¡± Bai Youwei responded. The front desk recommended, ¡°There are a few shoe stores on Nanjing Road. It might rain tonight, I¡¯ll arrange a car for you.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, emphasizing, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else that I¡¯m going to buy shoes.¡± She wanted everyone to be surprised. Of course, she mainly wanted to surprise that person. Would his usually calm and indifferent face show some interesting reaction? She was really looking forward to it. The driver dropped Bai Youwei off on Nanjing Road, stopping specifically outside a sports store. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t interested in sports shoes, she asked the driver to keep driving and finally stopped outside a luxury store¡ª Inside, there was an elegant and refined collection of high heels on display. In this transformed world, they seemed like gorgeous and dreamy illusions. Beautiful, yet unreal. As a result, the store didn¡¯t have many visitors and still looked more or less the same as pre-transformation. Bai Youwei chose a pair of champagne-colored stiletto heels. Chapter 692 - Chapter 692: Chapter 692: Want to Fight Chapter 692: Chapter 692: Want to Fight High heels have always been synonymous with elegance and sensuality. Some people may scoff, thinking that the beauty of women does not necessarily have to be shown through high heels, but for Bai Youwei, high heels have always been a distant dream. Since the car accident when she was 12, there was only one type of shoe she could wear: easy-to-put-on-and-take-off, soft cloth shoes. She doesn¡¯t own any high heels. And lacks a curvaceous silhouette. Below the waist, a casual pinch would feel protruding bones. Her calf muscles had atrophied to the point of losing all aesthetic appeal. There are no signs of maturity on her body. She seems to have forever remained 12 years old, even puberty continued slower than her peers. Even though the labyrinth had improved her physical condition, she still lacked high heels. Yes, she wanted high heels. ¡­ Bai Youwei returned to the King¡¯s Headquarters with the pair of high heels. All along the way, she sneaked around, fearing to be seen. But she was lucky, and didn¡¯t run into Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, or Teacher Cheng. Where had everyone gone? Bai Youwei didn¡¯t have time to ponder over this. Filled with anticipation, she dove into her room, locked the door, took out her prepared dress, and wore it with the high heels. She then stood in front of the full-length mirror ¨C The girl in the mirror had an awkward and nervous stance, but there was no denying that she looked young, beautiful, and eye-catching. Bai Youwei stared at herself. Then, she gently lifted her dress¡­ And quietly watched her own legs. Fair, slender, straight¡­ completely flawless, even her knees were plump and tender, glowing with a lustrous sheen. She tried to take a step in front of the mirror. The heels were too high, putting strain on the front of her foot. It was quite uncomfortable. But it looked so good¡­ She carefully took steps in front of the mirror, walking back and forth, thinking to herself: It looks so good. Would he like it? Like these legs¡­ Come to think of it, he hasn¡¯t been seen since earlier. Where on earth could he have gone? Was he sought out by Chu Huaijin again? Bai Youwei thought for a moment, let down her dress, and decided to check the conference room. When she left her room, the hallway was empty. The clip-clop of the high heels on the polished tiles was like rhythmic music. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart was elated, and her steps became even lighter. Passing by Teacher Cheng¡¯s room, she heard talking from inside. She stopped, looking at the door in confusion. ¡°The doctor has thoroughly examined, although a few test results are not out yet, it has generally been affirmed that Teacher Cheng¡¯s health is quite good, but as for recovery¡­ I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. The advancement of the labyrinth civilization is far beyond ours too much¡­¡± It was Chu Huaijin¡¯s voice. Bai Youwei stared at the door blankly, her thoughts stuck. What does he mean? They had just said that his health was excellent, why couldn¡¯t he recover¡­ Teacher Cheng¡¯s voice came: ¡°For the time being, don¡¯t tell Weiwei about this¡­ She¡¯s always thought I was fine. Don¡¯t let her get upset. That girl doesn¡¯t take these things well, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get over it.¡± Chu Huaijin also said: ¡°Being alive is more important than anything else. You must rest well. We¡¯ll help to keep this from Miss Bai.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, the Labyrinth War is serious. If Wei gets distracted because of this, it will be disadvantageous,¡± chimed in Tan Xiao. ¡°With her psychological quality, she¡¯s unsuited for Labyrinth War from the start,¡± Ya Chaohui said coldly. ¡°War is a test of how to command the troops, and requires decisiveness and a big-picture view. It¡¯s not a game you can win by just being clever a couple of times.¡± Tan Xiao retorted unsatisfied, ¡°What¡¯s your problem! Looking down on our boss?¡± ¡°I dare not underestimate her. I¡¯m just stating the facts. The fact that Teacher Cheng ended up like this also indirectly shows she¡¯s unsuitable for becoming a King.¡± Tan Xiao rolled up his sleeves, ¡°Damn it, I think you¡¯re looking for a fight!¡± Chapter 693 - Chapter 693: Chapter 693: All is Quiet Chapter 693: Chapter 693: All is Quiet ¡°Everyone, quiet down.¡± Shen Mo spoke calmly, ¡°I led you here to visit Mr. Chang, not to fight or argue. If you want to do that, leave.¡± Ya Chaohui lowered his head, apologizing quickly: ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Tan Xiao gave him a displeased glare, humming loudly in response. The sound of high heels echoed from outside the room. Shen Mo was indifferent, assuming it was just a passing staff member. He said, ¡°Even though he seems healthy now, things are still not the same as before. We¡¯ll wait until all the medical test results for Mr. Chang are out and then decide what to do next.¡± Then he turned to Chang Weicai, asking, ¡°How do you feel? Is there any difference compared to before?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Mr. Chang, looking a bit troubled, touched the fish scales on his arm, ¡°If it gets too dry, some areas will itch, which is a bit uncomfortable¡­¡± Tan Xiao looked at Chang Weicai with a straight face, ¡°Mr. Chang, you¡¯ve turned into a fish! Is there anything you feel like eating? Earthworms?¡± ¡°Tan Xiao, stop teasing,¡± Shen Mo frowned in disapproval. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Tan Xiao replied seriously, ¡°If Mr. Chang¡¯s diet has changed, we would need to prepare it ahead of time. He won¡¯t be able to eat at the restaurant anymore!¡± ¡°About food¡­ I don¡¯t feel any difference.¡± Mr. Chang responded with a bitter smile, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because it hasn¡¯t been long since my transformation. I will keep an eye on it.¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°The two people who left with Weiwei, do they know about your transformation?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Mr. Chang hesitated, ¡°Everyone was so happy to have escaped from the maze that they probably didn¡¯t notice me. And I was wearing long sleeves and pants, so most of me was covered up.¡± ¡°But what about your neck¡­¡± Tan Xiao extended two fingers, lifting up the thin membrane on Chang Weicai¡¯s neck, his expression troubled, ¡°This can¡¯t be covered¡­¡± Mr. Chang looked embarrassed. He quickly pulled the keratin back down, tucking it all back into his collar, just like stuffing a handkerchief there, ¡°¡­I can use a scarf to cover it¡­¡± Everyone watched him in silence. The scales and fins on his body could be ignored as they were covered by his clothes, but this feature on his neck made Mr. Chang stand out with an unusual trait. It was hard to imagine what he could encounter if he insisted on living in the Human World with such an appearance¡­ It was hard to imagine what Mr. Chang would have to face. Shen Mo was silent for a while before he spoke again, ¡°Mr. Chang, you should stay in your room for now. Try not to go out until the medical check results come out.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Mr. Chang nodded, his face carrying a helpless yet gentle smile, ¡°In my current state, it¡¯s really not suitable to go outside. Thank you for your concern.¡± Tan Xiao wanted to suggest that staying there would be too boring and that it might be better to go to the doll house, but sensing the presence of an outsider, he held his tongue, only giving Mr. Chang a meaningful look. Mr. Chang wasn¡¯t able to understand Tan Xiao¡¯s hint. ¡°You should rest now. We¡¯ll come over if there is anything else,¡± said Shen Mo, leading everyone out of the room. Outside the room, Shen Mo took Chu Huaijin aside, leaving Tan Xiao and Ya Chaohui behind, ¡°If it¡¯s possible, can we check Mr. Chang¡¯s blood sample for toxicity?¡± Chu Huaijin was taken aback, ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Just in case,¡± Shen Mo stated lightly, ¡°According to their descriptions, the mucus secreted by mermaids is infectious. But since Mr. Chang has already undergone the labyrinth transformation, he might be safe.¡± Chu Huaijin, after listening, nodded earnestly, ¡°Your suggestion is very valid. I will make sure that they perform thorough testing. With the electricity back up, most of the equipment can be used and we should get the results quickly.¡± Upon saying this, he paused for a second, speaking earnestly, ¡°But¡­ for safety, I may arrange for guards to be stationed near Mr. Chang. I hope you can understand.¡± Chapter 694 - Chapter 694: Chapter 694: Go Back and Think Clearly Chapter 694: Chapter 694: Go Back and Think Clearly Chu Huaijin wanted to ensure the safety of the people in this building, and if Master Cheng did pose a risk of spreading a contagious toxin, then his personal freedom must be limited. This was a reasonable request. ¡°No need,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I will find another place for Master Cheng. He won¡¯t stay here, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the spread of an infection.¡± Chu Huaijin asked, ¡°Where are you planning to take him?¡± Shen Mo casually replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to concern yourself with that, anyway it will not pose a threat to the safety of city residents.¡± Chu Huaijin didn¡¯t ask any further and simply smiled, ¡°I hope the check-up results are normal.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± Shen Mo sighed softly. He hoped it was just pointless worry. ¡­ After Chu Huaijin left, Shen Mo prepared to return to his room but heard Tan Xiao and Ya Chaohui arguing. It turned out that they hadn¡¯t gone back to their rooms earlier but had resumed arguing. Tan Xiao, rudely clutching Ya Chaohui¡¯s collar, gave him a lesson in a rather boisterous manner, ¡°You are just a little follower, what are you being arrogant about?! Dare to point fingers at the boss, are you getting bored of living? You understand the rules of the game?!¡± Ya Chaohui, expressionless, stared straight ahead, and said, ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re trying to act tough with me here?¡± Tan Xiao, annoyed, clenched his fist, ¡°I think you need some disciplining!¡± With that, he swung a punch! However, Ya Chaohui responded swiftly, he dodged like lighting and effortlessly grabbed Tan Xiao¡¯s incoming fist, twisting his hand back sharply! Ya Chaohui¡¯s military background had endowed him with superior fighting skills compared to Tan Xiao. However, Tan Xiao proved to be more crafty as he pretended to spit low onto Ya Chaohui¡¯s bent leg! Ya Chaohui, disgusted, instinctively withdrew, allowing Tan Xiao to break free and kick him over! After landing a successful attack, Tan Xiao, doubled over with laughter, said in glee, ¡°Did you think I was really going to spit?!¡± This is called a dragon¡¯s bluff! You¡¯re not that lucky!¡± Ya Chaohui was furious and got right up, ready to retaliate! However, his punch was deflected in mid-air by Shen Mo. The room instantly fell quiet, not just Ya Chaohui drew back his fists, even Tan Xiao cringed, chuckling awkwardly at Shen Mo, ¡°Brother Mo¡­¡± Shen Mo glanced at him indifferently and said, ¡°Go downstairs and find a fighting trainer to practise more. If you meet someone who¡¯s not put off by your dirty tricks, you¡¯ll only get beat up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head and headed towards the elevator. Shen Mo looked at Ya Chaohui, ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡­ They went to the emergency exit. The stairway was dimly lit. Shen Mo didn¡¯t speak immediately, taking a moment to light a cigarette instead. He was not a regular smoker and would only smoke when he was feeling troubled. Ya Chaohui too, wasn¡¯t feeling great. He harboured a grudge against Bai Youwei. He didn¡¯t approve of Tan Xiao¡¯s crudeness either, but he held a deep respect for Shen Mo. He believed that Shen Mo embodied all the qualities of a competent ¡°King¡±. Unfortunately¡­ Unfortunately, the boss and these people were on the same side. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to provoke anyone.¡± Ya Chaohui said quietly, ¡°I was just expressing my opinion, boss, I agree with her strategy, but I don¡¯t appreciate her personality. Right now, the base is pooling its resources to support the King, all in order to save more people. But she¡­ she doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± Shen Mo took a puff of his cigarette, lightly exhaled the smoke, his indifferent expression giving away no emotion. He asked Ya Chaohui, ¡°Who do you think gave her this status?¡± Ya Chaohui was taken aback, looking at Shen Mo. Shen Mo said, ¡°Not you, not me, and neither the base. This status, it¡¯s bestowed upon her by the maze and the game. Remember, I will only say this once, who deserves to be the King ¨C the maze and the game know it better than you and me. Go back and think carefully. Once you figure it out, join us in the maze war.¡± Chapter 695 - Chapter 695: Chapter 695: I invite you Chapter 695: Chapter 695: I invite you Bai Youwei, clad in heels, strode forward. Clink, clink, clink, clink¡­ What she originally felt was a cheerful rhythm now only seemed noisy, grating on her nerves, and irritating! The sound seemed to deride her, mocking her: her companion met mishap and she only wanted to show off her legs! These long-awaited legs of hers were, after all, nothing more than mere legs. Her joy was far from being timely. Taking pleasure in inappropriate times could turn into a sin. Bai Youwei suddenly felt bone-tired. She took off her shoes, tossed them into the trash at will, then took the elevator downstairs barefoot, leaving the Headquarters Building. She walked aimlessly onward. Passing pedestrians threw her surprised glances, unaware whether they recognized her or noticed her barefoot stroll. She couldn¡¯t care less. Having walked barefoot on the hard pavement for a while, with a hidden pain in her soles and cool rainwater trickling down her face, she snapped back to reality on a strange street. The rain was getting heavier and heavier. The front desk had indeed reminded her it would rain today. She started to feel foolish. If she wanted to calm down, she could¡¯ve just stepped into the Dollhouse, why had she ventured out into the rain? Moreover, having walked all this distance, why had she wasted her newly recovered legs in such a way? Bai Youwei took off the golden key around her neck, preparing to open the Dollhouse, when she noticed the sensor bracelet on her wrist. ¡­Actually, she didn¡¯t necessarily have to go to the Dollhouse. Bai Youwei pressed the icon for the Resting Hall on her wristband, and with her surroundings changing almost instantly, she arrived at the Resting Hall. Even though the first battle was still half a month away, there were quite a few players in the Resting Hall. Some of them had just exited the labyrinth, while others were subjects hoping to be recruited by a king. Having nothing in particular to do, Bai Youwei found a spot to sit and rest, meanwhile observing the traits of those who came out of the labyrinth. Though that was her plan, her thoughts would uncontrollably wander off, from time to time recalling Teacher Cheng¡¯s incident¡­ Why hadn¡¯t Teacher Cheng recovered? Could the labyrinth¡¯s physical evolution and upgrades not counteract such toxins? As she pondered, a figure approached her. What first entered her sight was a pair of black leather shoes, and following up the straight, sharp dress pants¡­ No need to look up, she knew who it was. People in the game and the labyrinth were too busy to dress that way, so the only possibility was¡­ the Rabbit-headed Inspector. ¡°Madam, do you need help?¡± the Rabbit-headed Inspector looked at her with a smile, ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve lost your shoes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, thank you,¡± Bai Youwei replied coldly. The Rabbit-headed Inspector still maintained his smile, his eyes landed softly on her knees as he asked, ¡°Having made it out of the labyrinth smoothly, isn¡¯t that worth celebrating? Why can¡¯t I see any joy in you?¡± ¡°What does my mood have to do with you?¡± Bai Youwei knitted her brows, slightly annoyed, she shot him a glance, ¡°Aren¡¯t you inspectors always eager for us all to die?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± the Rabbit-headed Inspector replied politely, ¡°I¡¯m concerned about every single one of you.¡± Bai Youwei smirked a silent, derisive laugh. The Rabbit-headed Inspector gazed deeply at her and then suddenly suggested, ¡°Maybe a game could cheer you up. Would you like to play a game? My treat.¡± That was a fresh proposal. Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Can a game be treated to?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the Inspector said with a smile, ¡°But only in terms of entertainment, so no reward will be offered, nor any penalty or danger. How about it? Would you like to give it a go? Only if you want to.¡± ¡°I do not wish to¡ª¡ª¡± Bai Youwei declined without thinking, ¡°A game without a reward would just waste my time.¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector looked slightly helpless, ¡°Alright then¡­ I can personally offer a reward.¡± Chapter 696 - Chapter 696: Chapter 696: The Highest Point Chapter 696: Chapter 696: The Highest Point ¡°What reward?¡± Bai Youwei blurted out, ¡°If it¡¯s a useless prop, I¡¯m not interested.¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector smiled and said, ¡°It will be something you need, of course.¡± Bai Youwei glanced suspiciously at him. Is he being good-hearted? A game with only rewards and no penalties? ¡­ Wasn¡¯t the emphasis always on balance before? The Inspector lifted his hand, tapped gently in the air, and a glowing square appeared before them. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, come in.¡± The rabbit-headed man tipped his hat at her, smiled, and walked into the glowing square first. Bai Youwei hesitated and looked around. It was strange. Such a vast square emitting light, yet others seemed oblivious to it, showing no reaction at all. Is it some kind of trick by the rabbit? She confronted the glowing square before her once again. The Inspector oversees the Labyrinth War, he wouldn¡¯t purposely set her up, playing a game, could it be¡­ Bai Youwei slowly stood up and finally stepped in ¡ª¡ª ¡­ Inside was a world resembling a grand cathedral. The Rabbit-headed Inspector stood at the central structure, hands clasped behind his back. Seeing Bai Youwei enter, he smiled slightly and said, ¡°This is an abandoned game instance, so you can try it freely, without worrying about being punished by the system.¡± ¡°Abandoned¡­game?¡± Bai Youwei murmured, looking curiously around her. It looked like both a cathedral and a pagoda. The walls were not even, and upon a more careful observation, it became clear that everything here was built from blocks. The Rabbit-headed Inspector said, ¡°The game rules are quite simple, reach the top, get the game reward, and you win.¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector looked up at the top. Bai Youwei followed his gaze. At the top of the tower, there was a chandelier. The chandelier was in the gothic style, with an iron hook at the top, connected by eight chains. At the bottom hung a disk, around which were individual candle holders, each bearing a thick white candle. The rabbit-headed man said, ¡°We can¡¯t see it from down here, but once you climb a bit higher, you¡¯ll see a gift box inside the disc. Getting the gift box means you¡¯ve cleared the game.¡± Bai Youwei looked up thoughtfully. ¡°How much weight can the disc bear?¡± She asked. The rabbit-headed man: ¡°It can support the weight of three adult men.¡± If so, there was no trap in the chandelier itself, then the difficulty of the game lies in¡­ Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze slowly moved towards the side of the chandelier. Just by estimating, the top was about 50 meters from the ground. The unevenness of the surrounding walls provided numerous crevices to climb up, but the roof was a smooth, bowl-shaped arch, providing no points for leverage. If you were to climb up the side walls, it¡¯s very likely that you¡¯d get stuck close to the top ¡ª¡ª Unable to climb up or down. Unless you have a prop that can help you crawl along the walls, you can only take the risk and leap towards the chandelier. But given the height of the chandelier, considering gravity and other factors, players would probably fall from a quarter of the way up. Of course, even climbing down might lead to death. This steep climbing route was easy to climb up but deadly to climb down. So¡­how was she to reach the top and get the gift box on the chandelier? Bai Youwei looked at the Inspector, her eyes sharp. The rabbit-headed man just smiled, seemingly wholeheartedly, ¡°Considering your legs have recovered, this game should be perfect for you.¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°Suitable, really? Why do I feel¡­ that just when my legs are healed, you want to break them again?¡± Chapter 697 - Chapter 697: Chapter 697: Thats Not Called Treatment Chapter 697: Chapter 697: That¡¯s Not Called Treatment The rabbit-headed person laughed, unsurprised by Bai Youwei¡¯s reaction. It said, ¡°You can give up. This game instance has been abandoned, there¡¯s no compulsion for your participation.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment and then asked curiously, ¡°If there¡¯s no issue with the game settings and rules, why has it been abandoned?¡± ¡°Because the success rate has exceeded 30%,¡± the rabbit-headed person explained, ¡°If the challenge isn¡¯t enough, the selection loses its meaning, so this was discarded.¡± Bai Youwei could¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What exactly are you selecting players for?¡± The rabbit-headed person smiled at her words and replied, ¡°To help you live better.¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but grimace, ¡°If you can¡¯t say it then don¡¯t say it, there¡¯s no need for such mystery.¡± The rabbit-headed person chuckled, ¡°When you enter the finals, you will understand.¡± ¡­The finals? It still seemed far away. Bai Youwei silently calculated the time in her mind. There were still three weeks until the first battle. If the battles proceeded in a one-on-one elimination manner every month, then at least four months later would be the day of the finals. That¡¯s almost half a year. In fact, looking back, from the emergence of the doll game till now, only half a year had passed, but the world had dramatically changed¡­ Time passed like money ¨C gone before you know it. ¡°Would you like to play this game?¡± the rabbit-headed person asked her. Bai Youwei snapped back to reality, once again glanced at the chandelier in the sky, and scoffed dismissively, ¡°Play? It¡¯s so simple, of course I¡¯ll play.¡± She walked around along the wall, studying the structure of the entire building. With a success rate of over 30%, many people have succeeded, there¡¯s no reason she can¡¯t. It would clearly be impossible to simply climb up. Even if she miraculously made it to the top, she would still be obstructed by the dome¡¯s curvature. However, this building was constructed of building blocks, which meant she could change its structure. Of course, she would have to be very careful when making changes. Once she moved a load-bearing block, the whole structure might collapse, and she could be crushed to death. Bai Youwei carefully inspected the building¡¯s structure and then withdrew blocks from the wall that she believed wouldn¡¯t affect the overall structure. She extracted block after block, like playing Jenga, and piled them up layer by layer, creating the base of a spiralling staircase. Though it was easy in theory, it was not that simple in action. Because the blocks were large and moving them required a lot of effort. Some blocks were high up, requiring not only strength but also skill to retrieve. Luckily Bai Youwei¡¯s legs were healed; otherwise, she might not have been able to withstand this game. It would have been easier if she had a partner to help her. As she thought this, her mind drifted to her teacher¡­ He had a perfectly healthy body, but now possessed the traits of a mermaid¡­ Could he be healed in the future? This time it was her teacher, but who would it be next time? Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, Shen Mo, Asarina¡­ or someone else? She couldn¡¯t guarantee everyone would get through each game or maze unharmed. If the sacrifices became inevitable, would the path to advancement be full of heartbreak? Bai Youwei paused and sat on the steps she had built, resting her chin in her hand. The rabbit-headed person asked her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± she replied nonchalantly, ¡°There is no time limit anyway. I¡¯ll just build it slowly.¡± The Inspector, the rabbit-headed person, chuckled without asking further questions. However, Bai Youwei looked at him, hesitated for a moment, and asked, ¡°Can the maze heal everything? Are there any conditions it can¡¯t cure?¡± ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± The rabbit-headed person answered smilingly, ¡°The maze is not a doctor.¡± ¡°But it healed my legs,¡± Bai Youwei said. The Inspector slowly shook his head: ¡°That¡¯s not healing, it¡¯s an enhancement. It systematically analysed the microcells in your body, and then, made your physique, approach perfection.¡± Chapter 698 - Chapter 698: Chapter 698: You Know What to Choose Chapter 698: Chapter 698: You Know What to Choose The maze is neither a doctor nor a time machine, it¡¯s an upgrade to one¡¯s cells, making the body faster, stronger, and more vibrant. Su Man¡¯s hand will heal, Lu Yuwen¡¯s foot will recover, and Bai Youwei¡¯s legs can walk normally because their cells inherently contain the coded information of the human body. But when the teacher left the maze, his body¡¯s cells had already undergone changes. The maze system, in its default state, didn¡¯t regard the changes in the teacher¡¯s body as defects, hence, even after the upgrade, the characteristics of the mermaid still remained on him, even more intensified. Bai Youwei understood these facts, and was momentarily taken aback. She would not place the blame on herself because of what Ya Chaohui said, but thinking deeply about this matter indeed left a bad taste in one¡¯s mouth. One man¡¯s meat is another man¡¯s poison. In the maze, she gained a healthy body, while the teacher turned into a freak¡­ This was just the beginning. In the future, there might be more things like this. After all, not everyone views the game and the labyrinth as salvation, like her. ¡ª¡ªWhat they want to defeat is exactly what she relies on. The more Bai Youwei thought about it, the more confused she was. She chose to flee and stop thinking about it. She climbed up and down, continuously increasing the height of the stairs, with the building blocks getting higher and higher, and getting closer and closer to the chandelier. To her, this game is child¡¯s play. When Bai Youwei stood at the highest point, stepping into the chandelier disc with ease and receiving the gift box, she cast a contemptuous look at the rabbit-headed gentleman, full of arrogance. The rabbit-headed Inspector smiled. ¡°Open it and see your reward,¡± it said. In response, Bai Youwei opened the gift box to find a pair of shoes¡­ A pair of brown loafers. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but frown. She took out the shoes, not reacting at all to the fact that it was just a pair of shoes¨C Just a pair of shoes, not a tool! Bai Youwei¡¯s brow furrowed even deeper. ¡°Try them on,¡± the rabbit gentleman smiled, ¡°miss without shoes.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± She really wanted to complain, but considering the level of difficulty of this game, she decided to let it go¡­ She reluctantly put on the loafers. Though the design was simple, they looked quite good on her feet, and they were versatile. Then, the Inspector asked her, ¡°How did you feel about this game?¡± As Bai Youwei wore the exquisite loafers, strolling nonchalantly, she replied, ¡°What could it be like, a puzzle game that requires teamwork to build blocks, tests solidarity and cooperation, and is best to play with around three people¡­ Building these blocks alone is too laborious.¡± The rabbit-headed Inspector looked up at her and smiled, ¡°In the real game, there aren¡¯t so few people and there aren¡¯t so many blocks.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback, ¡°Why¡­¡± If there weren¡¯t enough blocks, how would they¡­ ¡°Look down at your feet,¡± the rabbit gentleman said softly. Bai Youwei looked down and her face immediately turned pale! The blocks under her feet had somehow turned into dead bodies! She wasn¡¯t stepping on blocks, it was a staircase formed by stacked bodies! Bai Youwei¡¯s body swayed, her lifted foot hung in the air, hesitating to step down. If she had been barefoot stepping on these bodies, she would probably scream! As she was about to lose her balance, the Inspector flew over and supported her with one hand, speaking gently, ¡°You have to get used to them, they are just blocks for you to step on your way to the top.¡± Bai Youwei was breathing heavily, her back was full of cold sweat! The Inspector¡¯s voice lowered, ¡°If you can¡¯t reach the top, you will just be a stepping stone for others, Bai Youwei, do you want to be stepped on?¡± Bai Youwei stiffly turned her head to look at the rabbit gentleman, ¡°You¡­¡± It smiled, leading her slowly and stably down with her hand in his. ¡°You know what to choose, don¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 699 - Chapter 699: Chapter 699: What to Give? Chapter 699: Chapter 699: What to Give? A blank, white space. A person and a sphere stood in front of a cube. The workload had recently decreased significantly, enabling the inspectors to have quite a lot of leisure time. They happened to notice that a player had logged into a replica that had been closed for a long time, which intrigued them to take a closer look. The comic man stared at various events within the cube, and muttered in a strange tone, ¡°He gave her a pair of shoes.¡± The sphere said, ¡°It¡¯s a nice gesture~ It¡¯s not a prop anyway, so there¡¯s no need to worry about it affecting the game balance.¡± The comic man hesitated, ¡°Will it really not affect? Though it¡¯s just a pair of shoes, his attitude is obviously questionable¡­¡± The sphere shook impatiently, ¡°Ahh~ The system didn¡¯t set any rules on our attitudes, besides haven¡¯t you shown favoritism towards some players? That¡¯s perfectly normal!¡± The comic man defended himself hurriedly: ¡°How can that be the same?! Although I¡¯ve favored them, I¡¯ve never given them anything¡­¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you given enough?¡± the sphere shouted, ¡°Not only shoes, but you also gave out 214 luxury dresses! 349 pieces of jewelry! 102 sets of silver tableware! 78 weapons! Even the velvet blankets and pillows were taken away by her quite a bit, weren¡¯t they?!¡± The comic man choked: ¡°¡­¡± The sphere continued to watch the situation inside the cube, murmuring to itself, ¡°It seems that he really appreciates her. Maybe¡­ I should also give her something?¡± The comic man: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­ Bai Youwei, who had left the game, was on her way back home. The rain was drizzling, carrying the chill of autumn. Luckily, she was wearing shoes, otherwise she would have had to step on the muddy road. Thinking about it that way, today¡¯s gift, though not a prop, came in handy. After walking for five or six minutes, a off-road car suddenly drove up in front of her. Bai Youwei recognized it as Shen Mo¡¯s car, but through the hazy rain curtain, she couldn¡¯t clearly see if the man on the driver¡¯s seat was him¡­ The car was driving at a high speed, Bai Youwei stepped aside onto the roadside, but still couldn¡¯t avoid getting her skirt splattered with mud. Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± If the person stepping out of the car is not Shen Mo, she is determined to give him a piece of her mind. The car door swung open quickly. As soon as Shen Mo got out of the car, he grabbed her hand and asked with a frown, ¡°Where did you run off to?¡± Bai Youwei hesitated where to start. At that moment, Shen Mo saw her dirty skirt, and his eyebrows knit tighter, asking, ¡°How did you get it like this?¡± She retorted without thinking, ¡°What do you think?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± After two seconds of silence, he pulled her into the car, closed the door, then walked around the front of the car to get back to the driver¡¯s seat¨C The car door closed with a bang. In the small, enclosed space, all Bai Youwei could see were the windshield wipers swaying in front of her. She remembered a crucial piece of information and immediately turned to Shen Mo and asked, ¡°How come you have no reaction?!¡± Seeing her walking independently from the wheelchair, shouldn¡¯t he be shocked?! Shen Mo grabbed some tissues from the car drawer, wiped the rain off her face, then wiped her skirt, his tone full of helplessness, ¡°I¡¯ve watched the surveillance video almost eight hundred times.¡± Bai Youwei suddenly realized. The city¡¯s power and network had been restored, so traffic surveillance cameras could function normally. No wonder he found her so quickly. Bai Youwei continued to probe, ¡°What were your feelings the first time you saw it?¡± Shen Mo crumpled up the dirty tissue, pulled out a few more pieces, and continued wiping. ¡°Your height was a bit taller than I imagined.¡± He replied. Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Such an uninspiring answer. ¡°And¡­¡± Shen Mo paused in his movements, looking up at her, ¡°I wasn¡¯t as happy as I thought I would be.¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. Shen Mo leaned in closer, dropped a kiss on her forehead and sighed, ¡°Not being able to see you in the wheelchair, I felt like you could run off any moment¡­ so, I felt very uneasy.¡± Chapter 700 - Chapter 700: Chapter 700: Satisfaction Chapter 700: Chapter 700: Satisfaction Bai Youwei looked into Shen Mo¡¯s eyes. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t help but feel as if everything that had just happened in the game was known to Shen Mo. Of course, this was impossible. The only reason Shen Mo would say so was that he cared about her, he couldn¡¯t leave her. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart was pounding, she couldn¡¯t help but throw her arms around Shen Mo¡¯s neck, burying her face in his shoulder. The feeling of being needed was really wonderful. In a groggy voice, she mumbled, ¡°Where did you learn to sweet talk¡­¡± Shen Mo grinned, stroking her long hair, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home, everyone¡¯s worried about you.¡± Bai Youwei lifted herself up, pouted at him adorably, ready to give him a kiss~ Shen Mo said in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s a camera.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback. Then she realized there was a traffic surveillance camera by the road. Suddenly, she felt disappointed. Now that the city had returned to normal, privacy was just as transparent as before. Reluctantly, Bai Youwei released Shen Mo, allowing him to buckle her seatbelt, her face was gloomy. Shen Mo gently pinched her face, then he reached back and took a coat from the back seat, covering her head with it. Bai Youwei: ¡°???¡± While she was still dazed, Shen Mo also stuck his head into the coat¡­ Inside the pitch-black coat, neither of them could see each other. They could only find the most intimate position by their breaths and touch, their lips tightly interwoven. ¡­ Eventually, they finished. Bai Youwei¡¯s cheeks were flushed, her eyes gleaming. She glared at Shen Mo angrily. Shen Mo thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°Uncomfortable?¡± Bai Youwei was shy and annoyed. She grabbed the coat and threw it at Shen Mo¡¯s face, ¡°¡­ Drive your car!¡± Shen Mo raised the corner of his mouth, moved the coat aside, and started the engine. ¡­ A few minutes later, they arrived at the Headquarters Building. As usual, Shen Mo walked to the trunk, opened it, took out a spare wheelchair, pushed it outside the passenger side, then opened the door¡­ Bai Youwei in the car was taken aback. So was Shen Mo, who was outside the car. Her legs were fine now. There was no need for a wheelchair. Shen Mo hesitated for two seconds, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll put it back.¡± Just as he was turning around, Bai Youwei grabbed him, ¡°Hey, I want to sit on this.¡± Shen Mo raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at her confused. Bai Youwei tilted her head and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Finally my legs have recovered, of course I need to take good care of them~¡± Shen Mo laughed, ¡°I thought you¡¯d want to go to the gym and jump around.¡± ¡°No, no, no.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I think now I need a massage.¡± She¡¯d had enough of running and jumping. Not just running and jumping, she had also climbed up and down, fully enjoying the joy of having legs. Now, all she wanted was to pamper them! Shen Mo curled his finger and scraped it against Bai Youwei¡¯s soft cheek, chuckling, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home and pamper ourselves.¡± So, just like before, Shen Mo picked up Bai Youwei, gently placed her on the wheelchair, covered her with a blanket, and pushed her into the Headquarters Building. Nobody asked about Bai Youwei¡¯s legs, and Bai Youwei tactfully didn¡¯t ask about Teacher Cheng¡¯s condition. After returning to the room, Bai Youwei first soaked her feet in hot water. The steam bathed her legs, helping her blood circulation. After that, she rubbed essential oil onto her legs, massaging both her legs inch by inch, from thighs, calves, knees, ankles, even her toes were glowing too. Lastly, she applied a thick layer of body lotion on her legs, used the warmth of her palms to rub it in, slowly pressing and massaging, leaving her skin silky and tender. After all of the steps, two hours later, Bai Youwei was tired but satisfied. She looked up at Shen Mo and asked him, ¡°Did you learn? Tomorrow it¡¯s your turn.¡± A smile hung on Shen Mo¡¯s face, he stayed silent. ¡°What are you laughing at¡­¡± she bit her lip, covering her embarrassment with arrogance, ¡°Tomorrow! If you don¡¯t learn, you won¡¯t be allowed to sleep!¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that if I learn, neither of us will be able to sleep.¡± Bai Youwei grabbed a pillow and threw it at him! Annoying! This guy is becoming a troublemaker! Chapter 701 - Chapter 701: Chapter 701: In Maintenance Chapter 701: Chapter 701: In Maintenance The following day, the King¡¯s Headquarters Building was extraordinarily bustling. Because Yan Qingwen had returned. And she had returned unscathed ¨C Yan Qingwen, Su Man, Lu Yuwen, Zhu Shu, none of them were missing. These four people couldn¡¯t say what they had gone through. They looked relaxed when they returned, but they were also terribly fatigued. They didn¡¯t take the time talk about their ordeal in the maze and instead went straight to their rooms to sleep. As they slept, the outside was in uproar, filled with joy and celebration. Because Yan Qingwen¡¯s return meant that the base¡¯s four kings had all retained their positions from the first battle. It was a cause worth celebrating. At noon that very day, Bai Youwei received notice: There would be a victory banquet in the Headquarters Building restaurant the following evening. She didn¡¯t really care, but Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were both very joyous. Even the staff who could be seen everywhere in the building were overflowing with happiness. Perhaps because, this is the way people liked to encourage themselves. However, Teacher Cheng was not among the invited. Because his examination results had not yet arrived, he was temporarily restricted from traveling about and couldn¡¯t interact with crowds, let alone attend such a banquet. Fortunately, Teacher Cheng was open-minded and didn¡¯t care for such things. He packed up his stuff and moved into the Dollhouse¡ª The Dollhouse had undergone a significant transformation. What was originally just a house on the top of a hill now had flower beds in front, vegetable gardens at the rear, a wood frame overgrown with grape vines, and a few chickens fluttering their wings occasionally in the distance. Teacher Cheng, dressed in a high-necked sweater with his trousers rolled up and gloves on his hands, was hard at work in the backyard, looking somewhat unorthodox. He was trying to expand the fish pond he had drilled earlier. No doubt, he was preparing for his future food reserves. Straightforward Teacher Cheng was only mindful of covering his upper body, little realizing that the tiny scales on his heels had long been clearly seen by Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei sat with her legs propped up, sunning them on the balcony on the second floor. Exposure to the sun promoted the absorption of calcium in the bones, which is also a way to guard against osteoporosis and one of the ways of self-care. Downstairs, Teacher Cheng straightened up and waved at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, I am going to pick a few eggs. Let¡¯s have an egg pancake tonight.¡± ¡°Okay~¡± came Bai Youwei¡¯s languid reply. They hadn¡¯t any experience in poultry farming, and the chickens they kept ran all over the place, laying their eggs here and there with no predictable spot. They were content if they got any eggs to eat. Given the great living conditions at the Headquarters Building, there were no fresh eggs in the restaurant, only century eggs and salted duck eggs¡­ As Bai Youwei collected her thoughts from random things, she shifted her gaze, picked up her prepared face masks, and began to apply them one by one on her legs. While sunbathing was indeed good, overexposure could accelerate skin aging and cause dryness due to loss of moisture. That¡¯s why she had to replenish the moisture of her legs from time to time. While masking her legs, which made it inconvenient to move around, Bai Youwei picked up her nail polish and began to paint her nails. After finishing her fingernails, she painted her toenails. A severed hand, weak and staggering, crawled towards her. Bai Youwei was really frustrated at it, and with a swift kick, pushed it away. She didn¡¯t know if its character was influenced by Mary, despite being only a severed hand, it was fond of dressing up, coiling dozens of necklace-bracelets around its arm, its fingers full of rings, looking ever so silly with all the pearls and jewels. The severed hand rolled around, the pearl necklace, the jade bracelet, and the gold bangles on its arm jingling and jangling. It crawled back towards the nail polish, relentless in its pursuit. ¡°Alright then, stop shoving, I¡¯ll paint for you,¡± Bai Youwei said, cringing at the sight. ¡°Once your nails are done, you can go pick up the eggs, understand?¡± The severed hand lifted one of its fingers into a hook, kind of like nodding in agreement. Suddenly struck by a thought, Bai Youwei curved her lips into a smile, saying to the severed hand, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a really good paint job¡­¡± Chapter 702 - Chapter 702: Chapter 702: Resting Chapter 702: Chapter 702: Resting After ten minutes, not only had the severed hand painted its nails, but it had also gained an extra ¡°face¡± on its forearm. Bai Youwei applied the new makeup techniques she¡¯d recently learned, drawing brows and eyes, applying lipstick and blush, and even sticking on a pair of thick and curled false eyelashes. The severed hand cheerfully descended the stairs to collect eggs. Returning to the courtyard, Teacher Chang was startled by the sight and nearly dropped the eggs he had in hand! Watching from the window, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t contain her laughter. She laughed so hard that the facial mask on her leg fell off in pieces. Downstairs, Teacher Chang sighed and reassured the severed hand. After a while, Bai Youwei heard the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs and heading towards the bathroom as if to help it clean up. The sound of running water mixed with Teacher Chang¡¯s intermittent soothing words came through: ¡°Don¡¯t be sad¡­ Weiwei¡¯s just pulling a prank on you¡­¡± Teacher Chang really has the heart of a bodhisattva, even extending his kindness towards this game creature and offering it comfort. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t imagine doing the same, perhaps her blood is colder by a few degrees than others¡¯. If she hadn¡¯t met Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Teacher Chang, Pan Xiaoxin, Su Man, Zhu Shu, Yan Qingwen, and Yu Yaqing¡­ Perhaps, she¡¯d be even colder. Teacher Chang gently knocked on Bai Youwei¡¯s door, sounding helpless: ¡°Weiwei, do you know how to wash this off?¡± Opening the door, Bai Youwei saw the severed hand lying in Teacher Chang¡¯s arms, in a feigned death position as if it had lost the will to live. She couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter again! Teacher Chang sighed: ¡°Don¡¯t bully it anymore. Think of how we can clean this up¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need makeup remover for this.¡± Bai Youwei turned to find the makeup remover, laughingly said, ¡°Teacher Chang, you¡¯re really kind to it, as if you¡¯re caring for a pet.¡± ¡°Do no evil, carry out all that¡¯s good¡­¡± Teacher Chang mused, ¡°If you¡¯re good to others, they¡¯ll also be good to you. It¡¯s all mutual.¡± Really? Bai Youwei felt that most of the time, when you¡¯re kind to others, they only take advantage of your kindness. She shrugged it off with a laugh, handed him a cotton pad and makeup remover, and returned to him. Chang Weicai carefully helped clean up the severed hand. Watching from the side, Bai Youwei suddenly spoke up: ¡°Teacher Chang, in three weeks, it¡¯ll be time for the first King¡¯s Battle. You¡¯re aware of this, aren¡¯t you?¡± While wiping, Chang Weicai nodded: ¡°Yes, Xiaoshen has set up a task for Tan Xiao. He¡¯s been training with the coach daily, and Xiaoxin is taking logic classes. Everyone¡¯s working hard.¡± Bai Youwei asked: ¡°Did you know that in the first battle, one of us two, either Shen Mo or I, has to exercise our right to surrender? So, there can only be one King for the second battle.¡± Chang Weicai nodded again: ¡°There¡¯s no other way around it. If defeated, we¡¯d lose lots of puzzle pieces. Besides, both of you are stronger when you¡¯re together.¡± Bai Youwei smiled and asked, ¡°So, who do you think is more suitable to be the King between Shen Mo and me?¡± Teacher Chang was taken aback. It seemed he had never considered this issue. Or rather, he never perceived it as an issue. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo being in a romantic relationship, who becomes the King, what difference would it make? ¡­No, on further thought, it does make a difference. ¡°Have you two discussed this matter?¡± Teacher Chang asked. ¡°We just got out of the maze, hadn¡¯t had time to discuss it.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°But, I believe I¡¯m better suited for it.¡± Teacher Chang looked at her with concern: ¡°Weiwei, being a King is dangerous¡­¡± ¡°Let me finish.¡± Bai Youwei waved off his worry with a smile, ¡°Then you think about it, who has the greater advantage as the King.¡± Chapter 703 - Chapter 703: Chapter 703: Preparing Chapter 703: Chapter 703: Preparing Actually, Chang Weicai felt he had no right to interject in this matter. Who should be the King should be determined by Shen Mo and Bai Youwei themselves, and he respected everyone¡¯s decision after careful deliberation. But if Bai Youwei wanted him to listen, he would listen. ¡°The battle is in the form of a confrontational game. Once lost, both the King and the subjects will lose their jigsaw puzzles. When the number of puzzles is insufficient, the King will die, and the subjects will just turn into commoners.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Professor Chang, it¡¯s clear that the King bears more risks than the subjects.¡± Professor Chang nodded and sighed: ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Bai Youwei continued, ¡°To enter the final battle, at least four rounds of battles have to be won. What the final game will be like is still unknown. Pessimistically speaking, our chance of winning until the end is very, very small. Since casualties are inevitable, why not choose the person who has an escape route?¡± Professor Chang looked at her in shock: ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Professor Chang, I have the dollhouse.¡± Bai Youwei said with a faint smile, ¡°If I feel that I can¡¯t win, I can hide in the dollhouse before the game begins. But if Shen Mo is the King, no matter what sort of opponent he faces, he must face them head-on without any way to retreat.¡± After hearing this, Professor Chang appeared hesitant, ¡°Weiwei, are you worried about Shen Mo getting into trouble, so you¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I worry about him.¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°But you can¡¯t deny that my analysis just now makes a lot of sense, right?¡± Professor Chang frowned, falling into silence. Bai Youwei¡¯s voice dropped a bit as she slowly said, ¡°Professor Chang, as long as I¡¯m in the dollhouse, you all will definitely think of a way to save me. But if something happens to Shen Mo¡­I don¡¯t have any recourse.¡± These final words had a clear impact on Chang Weicai. He nodded heavily, saying: ¡°I understand¡­If anyone asks for my opinion, I will support you.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips into a smile. She didn¡¯t know if they could win in the end, and she hadn¡¯t decided what she wanted the world to look like, but at least for now, she wanted to hold as much power as possible in her own hands¡­Even if the opponent was Shen Mo. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust Shen Mo, but rather, she really didn¡¯t want to¡­become just another stepping stone, a puzzle piece. She wanted to be the King. ¡­ At night, the lights in the training room were still on. Ya Chaohui launched a heavy punch at the sandbag, finally withdrawing his fist to rest on a bench nearby. Not far away in the ring, Tan Xiao was throwing punches at Shen Mo. Tan Xiao had trained with the coach all day but still hadn¡¯t gotten the hang of it. His moves had begun to lose control, so Shen Mo took over the training personally. Ya Chaohui watched for a while, before he heard the sound of a wheelchair entering the room. He didn¡¯t need to turn around to know who it was. In this building, there was only one person who used a wheelchair. Ya Chaohui continued to gaze indifferently ahead, pretending not to hear, and didn¡¯t react to the commotion behind him. The sound of Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair grew nearer and nearer until it finally stopped beside him. Only then did Ya Chaohui spare her a glance. Bai Youwei gave a faint smile, ¡°I know, you¡¯ve always been unwilling to accept this. You believe that only Shen Mo deserves to be the King, right?¡± Ya Chaohui glanced at her, then looked away without saying a word. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to argue with her, or perhaps he simply disdained to communicate with her. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t mind. Watching Shen Mo and Tan Xiao training in the distance, she said softly, ¡°If the King wins, the subjects will share in the victory with him. But if the King loses, he dies, and the subjects merely return to being commoners¡­Are you sure you want to choose him as the King?¡± Ya Chaohui furrowed his brows deeply, turning his hostile gaze towards her: ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Bai Youwei responded with a light smile, ¡°You should know very well what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± Chapter 704 - Chapter 704: Chapter 704: In the Elevator Chapter 704: Chapter 704: In the Elevator From a distance, Shen Mo saw Yu Chaohui chatting with Bai Youwei. He furrowed his brows and let go of Tan Xiao. Tan Xiao looked at Shen Mo, stunned, ¡°Mo, are we stopping training?¡± ¡°Do the set of moves I just taught you another 30 times.¡± Saying this, Shen Mo started moving directly towards Bai Youwei. Upon seeing Shen Mo approaching, Bai Youwei waved joyously at him, ¡°Is the training over?¡± ¡°Almost,¡± Shen Mo replied casually. His gaze swept over both of them before moving back to Bai Youwei. ¡°Why did you suddenly come to the training room?¡± ¡°Got bored staying in the room~¡± Bai Youwei giggled and grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s arm, bending him over to whisper in his ear. ¡°The teacher cooked an egg pancake, fried some luncheon meat and wrapped it along with pickles. It tastes amazing~ When are we going back to eat?¡± Shen Mo chuckled, straightening up, and tousled her hair, ¡°We¡¯re going back right now.¡± He turned his head and shouted to Tan Xiao in the distance: ¡°Do the moves 30 times and then come back to our room.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Tan Xiao responded. Shen Mo then addressed Yu Chaohui, who was sitting on a bench, his tone neutral: ¡°Rest early.¡± Ya Chaohui simply nodded in response. Shen Mo began to push Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair outside. Bai Youwei looked back curiously to find Yu Chaohui packing his things, preparing to go back to his room. ¡°Different treatment, aren¡¯t you afraid he takes it the wrong way?¡± Bai Youwei whispered. ¡°He already has his own ideas, this won¡¯t make a difference,¡± Shen Mo replied calmly as he walked, ¡°Forcing him to come with us would only accentuate his sense of alienation. After what happened with Fang Yu, he¡¯s been stuck in a dark place. We just have to wait until he comes to terms with it.¡± ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t?¡± Bai Youwei asked again. Shen Mo glanced at her, ¡°Whether he does or doesn¡¯t, that¡¯s his concern.¡± Bai Youwei laughed: ¡°So cold~¡± ¡°Cold, am I?¡± Shen Mo calmly responded as he pushed her wheelchair into the elevator and pressed the up button, ¡°If his physical ability is lacking, or his skills are insufficient, I can help him improve. If he¡¯s in danger, I can also save him, but if he can¡¯t come to terms with things¡­ there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Not only could he not help, but he had no obligation to interfere. Everyone is responsible for their own life. Ding ¨C The elevator arrived. Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei into the elevator. ¡°After all, if someone wholeheartedly follows you, you have to care about them, right~ Otherwise, what happens if, when I become king, they¡¯re dissatisfied?¡± Bai Youwei said leisurely. She was testing Shen Mo. She wanted to know Shen Mo¡¯s attitude towards the idea of becoming a king. As expected, Shen Mo looked at her and asked, ¡°You want to be king?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s heart leaped, but she kept her face calm and replied nonchalantly, ¡°Look, as the war continues, there will inevitably be matters of selection. If you were king, choosing either him or me to take part in the war would upset one of us. Choosing both of us and putting us together would also cause issues. So¡­ isn¡¯t it better if I were the king?¡± Eyeing Shen Mo¡¯s expression, she continued, ¡°You¡¯re his superior, he¡¯d certainly be more willing to work with you. Even if he got eliminated, he wouldn¡¯t complain¡­¡± Ding ¨C The elevator arrived. Shen Mo didn¡¯t immediately step out, instead, he stared at Bai Youwei. ¡°¡­What?¡± Bai Youwei blinked, asking, ¡°Do you¡­ want to be king too?¡± Shen Mo remained silent. Bai Youwei clung to his arm, feigning innocence and begged: ¡°Let me be the king~ I really want to be the king~¡± Shen Mo asked her, ¡°Just now in the training room, is that what you and Yu Chaohui were discussing?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 705 - Chapter 705: Chapter 705: These Are Two Iron Plates Chapter 705: Chapter 705: These Are Two Iron Plates Bai Youwei was hugging Shen Mo¡¯s arm, silent. Shen Mo looked down at her, continuing to ask, ¡°What did you talk about with him? Want him to change his mind and support you to be king?¡± Bai Youwei kept her head down, not making a sound. Shen Mo glanced at her hand and asked again, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to keep playing the spoiled child?¡± Bai Youwei finally lifted her head, her face full of frustration. ¡°Is acting spoiled useful?¡± Shen Mo chuckled, pushing his wheelchair swiftly out of the elevator, saying, ¡°No use.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Then why on earth should she even act spoiled! ¡­ It felt like Bai Youwei had hit a steel plate. If Shen Mo wouldn¡¯t budge, then all the groundwork she¡¯d laid would be for nothing! She slept that night with her back to him, huffing in anger. She even took all the quilts, ignoring him. Shen Mo felt both helpless and slightly amused. He lay on his side next to her, gently moving her hair, asking, ¡°Do you want so badly to be king?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to? If you don¡¯t, then let me do it!¡± Bai Youwei retorted irritably. Shen Mo was silent for a while, then kissed her ear, whispering, ¡°Being king¡­ could get you killed.¡± ¡°Tch, it¡¯s not so easy to die,¡± Bai Youwei scoffed. ¡°The campaign has four levels. Even if you lose one, you won¡¯t immediately die. Can¡¯t you just win it back in the next round?¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°What if you lose the next round too?¡± ¡°How could I possibly lose two in a row?!¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯ve got a rabbit, and a dollhouse!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Electric shocks might not be available every round, and you can¡¯t go into the dollhouse during the game.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go in before the game starts!¡± Bai Youwei protested. ¡°Before the game starts, how would you know if you¡¯re going to lose?¡± Shen Mo continued. ¡°If you could win, of course there¡¯s no need to go in. Only when certain to lose would you need to resort to the dollhouse. With your personality, would you admit defeat?¡± Bai Youwei, left speechless by his words, felt both angry and annoyed, turning to scratch him! ¡­Caught by Shen Mo¡¯s hand. ¡°Can you guarantee a 100% win if you¡¯re king?!¡± She gritted her teeth, struggling hard. Shen Mo held her hands down, kissing her bit by bit, whispering, ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee a 100% win, but¡­ I can guarantee that you won¡¯t die.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s body stiffened. She understood what he meant¡­ If a subject lost, they merely became commoners. Even if there was danger, as a king, one had the power to demote a subject to a commoner. If a crisis occurred, Shen Mo¡­ he might very well demote her! ¡°Behave,¡± Shen Mo kissed her. ¡°I know that you want to win. As a subject in the battle, you can still win¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes gradually reddened as she continued to struggle, her lips pouting in infinite grievance. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I want to be king¡­ I want to be king¡­¡± Shen Mo held her, cooing at her softly, and even placed her hand on his abs. Bai Youwei scratched him hard, her voice tearful. ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke! I don¡¯t want to feel your abs either! I just want to be king!¡± Shen Mo was silent for a while, seemingly out of ideas, and heaved a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to fob me off!¡± Bai Youwei threatened him fiercely, ¡°Even if you disagree, on the day of the battle, I definitely won¡¯t surrender!¡± A man and a woman on a bed, not talking about love, but discussing battles and surrender. Shen Mo felt a bit of a headache, asking her, ¡°Why do you insist on being king?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Because I have a rabbit! I have a dollhouse! I have a higher chance of winning!¡± ¡°Aside from that?¡± Shen Mo looked at her confusedly, ¡°Knowing the risk is so high, why do you insist on being king? Is there something you wish for that I can¡¯t help you achieve?¡± Hearing that, Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze calmly settled and even seemed a bit cold¡­ ¡°Why should my own wishes be fulfilled by someone else?¡± Chapter 706 - Chapter 706: Chapter 706: Do You Still Remember the Monkey? Chapter 706: Chapter 706: Do You Still Remember the Monkey? ¡ª¡ªThey dispersed in displeasure. It wasn¡¯t quite a falling out, but it was still not far from a cold war. Bai Youwei was still seething during the celebration feast the next day and refused to leave the dollhouse. Shen Mo wasn¡¯t talented at placating girls. He tried to soothe Bai Youwei with a few words but she grew tired of hearing the same two phrases and pushed him out of the door. ¡°You¡¯re really not going?¡± Shen Mo asked her for the last time. Bai Youwei turned her head away in disdain, expressing her contempt with a huff. Shen Mo said, ¡°If only three of the four kings show up, they might think you¡¯ve given up on the competition for the title of king.¡± ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t go either!¡± Bai Youwei seethed. ¡°Preparing for a feast requires a lot of manpower and resources, Chu Huaijin has sincerely planned this celebration for us. If neither of us attends, it would be disrespectful.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice was even and calm, ¡°Besides, Yan Qingwen has come out of the maze. Don¡¯t you want to know what happened to them? Su Man and Zhu Shu must have a lot to tell you¡­¡± Bai Youwei lunged at him, attempting to shut him up by grabbing his mouth, ¡°You are really annoying!¡± Shen Mo caught her hands with ease, subduing her and coolly said, ¡°You¡¯ve been more lively since your leg recovered.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Teacher Cheng chimed in from the side, cheerfully saying, ¡°Your liveliness is a good thing, Weiwei, you were too quiet before. Weiwei, you should go with Xiaoshen. When everyone sees you standing up, they¡¯ll surely be happy for you. You don¡¯t have to feel embarrassed.¡± Bai Youwei silently curled her lips. Was she really not attending the feast because she felt embarrassed? Shen Mo held her shoulders from behind, whispering, ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s a narrow opportunity for everyone to gather together like this before it invariably becomes rarer and rarer.¡± This was still just the preliminary round of the war, no one could predict the number of casualties that would occur as the campaign progressed. Bai Youwei hesitated, her brow furrowed, before finally acquiescing. ¡­ The feast had already begun. In the style of a buffet, the room was filled with guests clinking drinks, a record player was set up on one side of the dining area casting melodious music throughout the room in a continuous loop. Bai Youwei had arrived with a wheelchair. Fu Miaoxue, spotting her the moment she arrived, couldn¡¯t resist an antagonizing remark, ¡°I heard you made it out of the maze~ But, it couldn¡¯t heal your legs? You¡¯re quite the cripple~¡± However, her opponent was even more brutal. ¡°Why did you bother coming to the feast with your fake limb? You can¡¯t eat or drink,¡± Bai Youwei questioned, ¡°Did you come to display your indigestion?¡± Fu Miaoxue left, humiliated and fuming. A soft chuckle came from Shen Mo. Bai Youwei glared at him, annoyed, ¡°You¡¯re laughing while I¡¯m being insulted!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Shen Mo replied with a lopsided smile, ¡°I just thought she seemed quite concerned about you. Among the crowd, she noticed you immediately, which means she must have been watching the entrance, waiting for you to arrive at the feast.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural for her to care about me,¡± Bai Youwei muttered, ¡°Du Lai has always been trying to transform Fu Miaoxue back into a human through leveling up in the maze. Now that neither of them went to the maze, they surely are curious as to whether my leg got healed or not. She came over here just now to poke and prod at me, trying to figure things out.¡± Shen Mo glanced in the direction of Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai, ¡°Fu Miaoxue doesn¡¯t have many puzzle pieces, so she can¡¯t recruit many vassals. Du Lai is a cautious person, given the lack of manpower, he certainly wouldn¡¯t risk entering the maze casually.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they charge into the maze when it was just the two of them?¡± Bai Youwei pointed out. At her words, Shen Mo smiled slightly, ¡°They were in a do-or-die situation. Now, they have puzzle pieces and props so they should strategize.¡± If they managed to win more puzzle pieces and recruit more vassals, their odds of winning when they enter the maze again would be much higher. ¡°Ah! So, you guys are here!¡± From a distance, Tan Xiao beamed as he approached them with a tall, muscular man following behind. ¡°Mo! Sister Weiwei! You wouldn¡¯t believe how small the world is!¡± Tan Xiao excitedly held up his hand, revealing two grey clumps of mud sitting on his palm, ¡°Do you guys remember the monkey?! He stole my and Old Cheng¡¯s clay, but look! Now the clay is back with us!¡± Chapter 707 - Chapter 707: Chapter 707: Rumors Abound Chapter 707: Chapter 707: Rumors Abound Monkey? Clay? Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were surprised. It took them a few seconds to react. There was indeed a small-time thief nicknamed Monkey who had stolen the clay props from Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai. But now¡­ Shen Mo picked up the two pieces of gray clay and weighed them in his hand. When these two pieces of clay were stolen, one had 9 uses left, the other had 8. But now, one had only 2 uses left, and the other just 1. How did Monkey use them? From 17 uses, they were down to just 3! Weren¡¯t his injuries too frequent? ¡°Did you encounter Monkey?¡± Shen Mo asked Tan Xiao. ¡°No! But I ran into my brother Shan!¡± Tan Xiao excitedly pushed the sturdy man standing behind him to the front of Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, introducing, ¡°This is Brother Shan, his real name is Hu Dashan! My good buddy! We¡¯ve known each other since we were kids, we¡¯re really close!¡± Bai Youwei asked, seeming puzzled: ¡°He looks at least 10 years older than you, how did you guys share one pair of pants in your youth?¡± Tan Xiao chuckled, ¡°I was just using a figure of speech to describe our close relationship¡­¡± The man called Hu Dashan also laughed, introducing himself, ¡°We originally lived in Taizhou. Thanks to you two, Taizhou is now completely free of those dangerous games! I heard that the base here is recruiting citizens, so a few of us brothers specially came over from Taizhou, if needed, you can consider us¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re all on the same side! What¡¯s there to consider?!¡± Tan Xiao patted his chest promisingly, ¡°Rest assured! We¡¯ll definitely recruit you first!¡± Then turned to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°Brother Mo, Sister Wei, I¡¯m not boasting! These brothers of mine are top-notch when it comes to fighting! And they are loyal and righteous as well! See, the clay is the best proof!¡± Hu Dashan¡¯s smile became even more pleasing, ¡°That¡¯s right, we have a guy named Monkey in our team, the clay was his. If we knew it was stolen from you guys, we would¡¯ve returned it much earlier.¡± Shen Mo and Bai Youwei understood. This was their way of showing loyalty through the clay. The clay¡­only 3 uses were left¡­ Shen Mo pondered for a moment before speaking: ¡°The date of the first battle is still a while away. You guys can stay in the Headquarters Building for some training first. We will contact you when we need to recruit.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Train first!¡± Tan Xiao said to Hu Dashan, ¡°You can train with me, I¡¯ve been practicing some new moves recently! They¡¯re really cool!¡± A glimmer of disappointment flashed through Hu Dashan¡¯s eyes. Bai Youwei noticed it, her lips curling into a smile as she slowly spoke: ¡°There¡¯s no rush, you can take your time to train your martial arts. Because in this battle, one of us will exercise the right to surrender, and we won¡¯t need citizens to fight. The real participation will be in the battle after.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Hu Dashan forced a smile, ¡°That¡¯s also good¡­ We¡¯ll have plenty of time to prepare.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go drink!¡± Tan Xiao wrapped his arm around Hu Dashan¡¯s shoulder, highly spirited, ¡°Tell me how you ended up in Taizhou! Why didn¡¯t you bring me along¡­¡± The two turned and walked into the crowd. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo glanced at each other. ¡°What benefit is there to volunteering to be a citizen?¡± Shen Mo asked, feeling perplexed. Bai Youwei also couldn¡¯t understand. Although the citizens can share the fruits of victory when the king is victorious, the risks involved are unpredictable, and¡­ isn¡¯t it a bit too early to submit to someone now? At that moment, Ya Chaohui who was quietly drinking on the side spoke up: ¡°It probably has something to do with the recent rumors circulating around the base.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo turned to look at him, asking: ¡°What rumors?¡± ¡°There are all sorts of rumors.¡± Ya Chaohui responded with a dull expression, ¡°Some rumors say that the victorious citizens and the king will gain an Immortal Body, some rumors say that the citizens will be allotted their own territory, there are also rumors that¡­ citizens can usurp the throne and replace the king after the war.¡± Chapter 708 - Chapter 708: Chapter 708 Chirping Chapter 708: Chapter 708 Chirping The rumors earlier could be easily dismissed, as everyone knew that the Inspector emphasized the benefits of winning the war just to incite their participation. The rumors just made these ¡°benefits¡± explicit. But the last one, suggesting that subjects could overthrow the king later, was rather malign. If the possibility of usurping the throne was real, subjects could just hide within the king¡¯s team, waiting to betray and strike back in the final battle. All the efforts of the king would go in vain, only to result in preparing feasts for others. Under such circumstances, how could the allies trust each other? And the direct result of mistrust was¡ª The king would be hesitating and cautious, the subjects¡¯ coordination would be poor, the entire team would lack unity, ultimately leading to their collective destruction. Everyone would lose the game! ¡°Do you know where these rumors originated from?¡± Shen Mo asked Ya Chaohui. He and Bai Youwei would often spend time in the dollhouse, one aloof, the other arrogant, they ironically knew less about the base than the later-arriving Ya Chaohui. ¡°It seems to have come from the King¡¯s Headquarters.¡± Ya Chaohui said, looking at the distance, ¡°It probably has something to do with those guys over there.¡± Off in the distance was Yan Qingwen, who was conversing with someone over wine. Now that the residents in the city area had gradually resumed their normal lives, there was indeed no need to fabricate rumors about the king and his subjects. Even if such rumors were made up, not everyone would believe them. But what if the king himself was the one spreading these rumors? Shen Mo picked up a glass of wine and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go ask.¡± Bai Youwei saw Su Man and Zhu Shu at another table and gestured, ¡°I¡¯ll be over there.¡± The two went their separate ways. Su Man and Zhu Shu also saw Bai Youwei and enthusiastically waved at her. After greeting her, Su Man couldn¡¯t wait and asked Bai Youwei in a low voice: ¡°Is your leg better after we left the maze?¡± She had been obsessing over this issue with her healing hands. Bai Youwei nodded happily, ¡°Yes, much better.¡± ¡°Can you walk now?¡± Su Man scrutinized her leg. ¡°Of course.¡± Bai Youwei raised her leg, ¡°Not only can I walk, but I can also cross my legs.¡± ¡°Alright, put down your leg now! You¡¯ve just recovered, take good care of it!¡± Su Man gently lowered Bai Youwei¡¯s leg and exclaimed, ¡°Oh my, your leg is so smooth!¡± Bai Youwei flaunted with a smug look, ¡°I¡¯ve just done a face mask, of course, it¡¯s smooth.¡± Su Man curiously touched her calf. Bai Youwei swatted away Su Man¡¯s hand and said bluntly, ¡°Go touch your own leg!¡± Su Man laughed with her hand covering her mouth, then turned to Zhu Shu and said, ¡°Weiwei here has put a face mask on her leg.¡± Zhu Shu chuckled, ¡°Remember to exfoliate before applying the mask. I used to exfoliate once a month, then apply body lotion, it feels great.¡± Bai Youwei and Su Man echoed incredulously, ¡°Exfoliate?¡± Let¡¯s chat, ladies¡­ Care to share some health tips? The girls chatted and laughed, discussing skincare and wellness tips. Meanwhile, the men¡¯s conversation was a tad more serious. Shen Mo asked Yan Qingwen about the rumor, and Yan Qingwen admitted without hesitation, ¡°Indeed, I was the one who spread the rumor, though I¡¯m not responsible for the last one.¡± Shen Mo frowned. If it wasn¡¯t Yan Qingwen, then who could it be? He scanned the banquet hall, his gaze falling upon Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue in the distance. Yan Qingwen also looked at the pair, saying, ¡°I guess it was those two. Among the four types of battle in the Maze War, other than Battle 1, the number of participants in the other battles are at least five or more. They don¡¯t have enough people, and given Du Lai¡¯s bad reputation at the base, they needed a strong bait to attract others. ¡± No player who had previously entered the game with Du Lai had been spared from being tricked, hence, up till now, Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue had failed to recruit any subjects. Shen Mo observed them for a while, withdrew his gaze, and asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°Which battle have you chosen for the next round?¡± Chapter 709 - Chapter 709: Chapter 709: Cough Cough Cough Cough Chapter 709: Chapter 709: Cough Cough Cough Cough ¡°Battle 5,¡± Yan Qingwen answered, ¡°The Inspector is the comic man; he demands a team of five for the war.¡± At her answer, Shen Mo nodded and asked, ¡°Who are you thinking of bringing along?¡± Yan Qingwen frowned; she seemed troubled, ¡°I¡¯ve not decided yet¡­ Definitely bringing Su Man along, as she¡¯s agile and good at team work. Lu Yuwen is smart, he¡¯d be a great help. Zhu Shu, although she doesn¡¯t have an obvious upper hand, is adaptable to the game and great at observing¡­ I¡¯m still short of one more person. Maybe I¡¯ll pick from those who were chosen to be officials.¡± ¡°Have you considered Li Li?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°You two have collaborated before and are rather familiar.¡± Yan Qingwen gently shook her head, ¡°He did approach me, but I turned him down. The Li family had been kind to me in the past, I can¡¯t bring their only son into this.¡± ¡°You still have a couple of weeks,¡± Shen Mo reassured, ¡°Comic Man¡¯s games tend to be mental battles. When selecting your team, it¡¯s not just about how smart they are, but there must be an enough strong willpower as well. Otherwise, it could get dicey.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°I get it.¡± Finally, Yan Qingwen asked Shen Mo, ¡°What about your side? Have you all decided on who¡¯s going to be the King?¡± At the mention of this, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help furrowing his eyebrows. Before he could answer, Yan Qingwen continued, ¡°Let Bai Youwei be the King.¡± Shen Mo looked at him somewhat surprised, ¡°You think she¡¯s more suitable too?¡± Yan Qingwen quirked the corner of his lips, ¡°It¡¯s not about who¡¯s more suitable, but rather who you can¡¯t say no to.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± He glanced at the distance, where Bai Youwei was chatting excitedly with Su Man and Zhu Shu. He had no idea what the three women were talking about, but they all seemed to be having a great time. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to take the risk,¡± Shen Mo sighed. ¡°It¡¯s natural for a man to want to protect his woman,¡± Yan Qingwen teased, ¡°Just think of it as the end of the world, and her last wish is to be the King. As her man, are you going to help her or not?¡± Shen Mo smiled, not saying a word. ¡­ On the other side, the ladies were laughing at something, attracting quite a bit of attention and curious looks from the nearby men. Lu Yuwen brought over a fruit platter, smiling as he asked, ¡°What are you chatting about that makes you all so happy.¡± ¡°We¡¯re talking about having a tomato bath,¡± Su Man took the fruit platter from him, picking a grape to eat, ¡°¡­Ugh, it¡¯s so sour!¡± ¡°Be content that you have something to eat~¡± Bai Youwei picked out a piece of melon and popped it into her mouth, ¡°The melon isn¡¯t bad¡­ And the tomatoes, Zhu Shu, can we use these for a tomato bath?¡± ¡°Sure, as long as you have enough of them,¡± Zhu Shu laughed, ¡°Though I guess after you come out, you might look somewhat terrifying.¡± Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you just say that a tomato bath is rich in organic acids, which can help exfoliate and promote skin metabolism¡­ Also, it can help maintain the balance of the skin¡¯s pH?¡± ¡°Well, yes, that¡¯s true¡­¡± Zhu Shu bit into a cherry tomato, she added with a smile, ¡°But when you come out immediately after the bath, you might look like you¡¯ve just been to a bloody battle.¡± ¡°Pff!¡± Su Man burst out laughing, ¡°Hahaha *cough cough cough! Cough¡­cough¡­cough!¡± Lu Yuwen gently patted her back, watching her cough, he found it somewhat amusing, ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water.¡± Su Man: ¡°*Cough¡­ Cough cough¡­Alright¡­* Bai Youwei winked at Su Man, ¡°Su Man, Lu Yuwen is quite nice to you~¡± ¡°Yeah, he is! *Cough¡­ cough¡­*,¡± Su Man replied, ¡°We have¡­ *Cough¡­ Cough cough! Coughed our lungs out together!¡± Bai Youwei glanced at Lu Yuwen¡¯s retreating back, teasing, ¡°Together till the end? Oh~ Have you two made vows to each other already?¡± Su Man was coughing so hard it was earth-shattering, ¡°*Cough cough cough cough cough!!!¡± Chapter 710 - Chapter 710: Chapter 710: Good Temper Chapter 710: Chapter 710: Good Temper Lu Yuwen poured a glass of orange juice, thought about it, and then put it back down. He asked a nearby server, ¡°Do you have any boiled water, lukewarm?¡± ¡°Yes. You can find it if you walk forward.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± A female customer leaning over to make conversation: ¡°I also fancy a drink of water, handsome guy. Could you help me fetch a glass?¡± Lu Yuwen, pointing towards Su Man with a smile, said, ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t do that with all these people.¡± Upon hearing this, the female customer knew she was getting nowhere. She laughed awkwardly and then walked away. This kind of flirtation seemed quite novel to Lu Yuwen. In his school days, because he was lame, his female classmates seldom mingled with him. Then later, after starting his own business and making some money, he did attract some women¡¯s attention. However, in a seemingly ironic twist, they were willing to marry him but not invested in dating him or traveling with him¡­ Su Man was the only one. She was the only woman who didn¡¯t mind his limp at all. Reminiscing about her various attitudes, Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He couldn¡¯t determine whether she was just broad-minded or was born without a sense of precaution. He held a cup of water and a cup of orange juice and started walking back. As he passed a group of young people, he happened to catch the mention of Su Man¡¯s name and halted abruptly. ¡°¡­The Li Family and the Su Family have been on good terms for generations. If Su Man¡¯s parents can persuade your family, they might agree to let you go.¡± Li Li frowned, ¡°What kind of bad idea is that? If Su¡¯s mother finds out, she will only join my parents to persuade me.¡± His companion replied, ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing we can do. If your family doesn¡¯t yield, even if Yan Qingwen agrees, it won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Forget it! If I can¡¯t go, then I can¡¯t go! Aren¡¯t you always annoyed about being bothered by Su Man? You¡¯ve finally got your peace!¡± another companion chimed in. ¡°Well! They are childhood buddies and it¡¯s only normal for them to be all over each other. Besides, they¡¯re going to be together forever! Hahaha!¡± teased another person. With a furrowed brow, Li Li responded, ¡°Stop joking. If I were to live with that kind of woman for the rest of my life, she¡¯d drive me crazy!¡± ¡°That¡¯s heartless! She¡¯s still a pretty girl¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know about her endless problems! Let me tell you¡­¡± While Li Li was talking, a man suddenly bumped into him. All the orange juice and boiled water splashed all over his body! Half of Li Li¡¯s clothes were soaked! The man who¡¯d bumped into him didn¡¯t react. He just picked up his empty cup and continued walking forward. ¡°Hey!¡± An irritated Li Li chased him, ¡°Are you blind? Aren¡¯t you supposed to apologize when you bump into someone?!¡± Lu Yuwen turned around. His expression was unchanged, but his words were extraordinarily rude, ¡°I merely hit a dog. Why should I apologize?¡± ¡°You?!¡± Li Li, enraged, raised his fist and swung it towards him! Yet, before his fist could land, the man sneered, then stumbled backward in a dramatic fall, crashing into a table, breaking a bunch of dishes and plates in a loud clatter! Such a huge commotion drew everyone¡¯s attention, including Su Man and Bai Youwei from afar. Seeing Lu Yuwen fall, Su Man was alarmed. She hurried over to help him up, ¡°Are you okay? Where did you hit?¡± Lu Yuwen shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Su Man glared at Li Li, ¡°Hey! Apologize!¡± ¡°Me, apologize to him?!¡± Li Li was fuming, pointing to his water-stained clothes, ¡°Then how about him spilling all the drinks on me?!¡± Li Li¡¯s friends gather around and chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right! He was the one who bumped into you first. We all saw it.¡± Lu Yuwen frowned slightly, dusted off his disheveled clothes, and calmly said to Su Man, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I did apologize, but he thought it wasn¡¯t sincere enough.¡± Su Man, trusting him, glared at Li Li in annoyance, ¡°Li Li, you really are something, even bullying Lu Yuwen, who is usually so good-natured!¡± ¡°I bullied him?!¡± Li Li was so exasperated he felt like spitting blood, ¡°Su Man! Are you blind or what?!¡± His friends also chimed in, ¡°This guy is obviously picking a fight on purpose¡­¡± Su Man pointed at them and yelled, ¡°You¡¯re all in this together! Of course, you¡¯re siding with Li Li!¡± At this, Lu Yuwen grabbed her hand and tried to pacify her, ¡°Let it go¡­ He¡¯s just a little too eager to replace me as a subject¡­¡± Chapter 711 - Chapter 711: Chapter 711: One Month Chapter 711: Chapter 711: One Month The moment these words were said, Su Man¡¯s face immediately changed. Even the onlookers around them began to whisper amongst themselves. ¡°Oh really? So that¡¯s your trick! In order to get Brother Yan to take you in, you¡¯ve even thought of such a dirty tactic!¡± Su Man pointed at Li Li, seething with anger, ¡°Li Li, you wait for me! I¡¯ll definitely tell Uncle Li and Auntie Li!¡± ¡°Are you stupid, Su Man?!¡± It was obvious that he was trying to hurt me!¡± Li Li shouted in a fury, ¡°I didn¡¯t touch him at all! He fell on his own!¡± Su Man wasn¡¯t buying it, ¡°Yuwen doesn¡¯t even know you, why would he want to hurt you? Do you think everyone is nuts just like you?!¡± She helped support Yuwen¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll help you rest.¡± Yuwen said, ¡°We should clear it up. After all, our two families are close¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t bother with this crazy guy.¡± Su Man was nonchalant, ¡°I¡¯ve known him since we were young, I know him too well. When we were young, if he couldn¡¯t get the toys he liked, he would throw tantrums at home. Even as an adult, he still behaves so disgustingly.¡± Li Li¡¯s face was getting extremely ugly. The surrounding crowd was whispering and gossiping. Yuwen was limping as he walked, and Su Man asked worriedly, ¡°Did you hurt your foot?¡± ¡°¡­I might have twisted it.¡± ¡°Your foot had just recovered, and this Li Li¡­never mind, I¡¯ll carry you back¡­¡± Without permitting any refusal from Yuwen, Su Man carried him on her back and left the hall. The rest of the guests watched the drama for a while, then gradually dispersed. Li Li stood on the spot, his hands clenched into fists, trembling with rage! His friend walked up and patted his shoulder, saying solemnly, ¡°Li Li, you¡¯ve met your match¡­¡± With a pale face, Li Li swore, ¡°Sick f*ck! I clearly didn¡¯t touch him, he fell by himself!¡± However, besides him, it seemed that no one cared how Yuwen really fell. Li Li could no longer stand being at the banquet, removed his wet coat, and left with a dark face. ¡­ Having watched the drama, Bai Youwei withdrew her gaze and looked at Zhu Shu beside her. Zhu Shu was also looking at her. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Zhu Shu squinted her eyes and smiled: ¡°You go first.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°The same old recipe¡­¡± Zhu Shu chuckled and responded, ¡°But a different flavour.¡± The two of them could not hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. ¡­ Afterwards, the straightforward Su Man really went to the Li Family to report the incident. Li Li was severely scolded by his parents, and his relationship with Su Man became even more strained. Even during times of truce, the moment Yuwen showed up, things would always get chaotic. Su Man accused Li Li of being petty. Li Li cursed Su Man for being brainless. It seemed like their childhood bond of over twenty years might be completely strained, and neither Yan Qingwen, Bai Youwei nor others had any intention of reconciling the two, allowing their bickering to intensify and ultimately leading to a deadlock. And Yuwen kept visiting the Su family to advise Su Man, increasingly winning the approval of Su Man¡¯s parents¡­. Days were passing by in a bickering manner. Unconsciously, the deadline of one month was fast approaching. During this month, everyone was preparing with all their might, whether it was gathering resources or training their bodies, no one dared to slack off. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo registered for Battle 20. According to the estimated situation, only the two of them should be registering for Battle 20, so as long as one of them surrenders, they could successfully advance to the next round. But now as the situation was pressing, they inevitably felt nervous, always thinking what¡­if¡­ what if some clueless king also registered for Battle 20, what would happen then? Bai Youwei felt knots in her stomach. Before setting off, she looked at the indifferent Shen Mo and asked solemnly once again: ¡°Once we arrive on the battlefield, you will surrender, won¡¯t you? You will, won¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 712 - Chapter 712: Chapter 712: The Kings Choice Chapter 712: Chapter 712: The King¡¯s Choice Shen Mo responded with his usual unchanging reply: ¡°Let me think about it.¡± Bai Youwei could only glare at him, emphasizing: ¡°Regardless, I will not surrender!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± He indeed couldn¡¯t argue with her. ¡­ [Author: Could my friends who are reading pirated versions possibly switch platforms? Could you come to QQ Reading? If that¡¯s too much trouble, you could also use the QQ mobile app! QQ- Updates- Reading, look for the book title there! If not, Qidian, Hongxiu, Xiaoxiang are all good platforms! If everyone spent a few bucks, you all would be rescuing a struggling author!] ¡­ Returning to the rest hall, the number of people had increased compared to before. Originally there were 26 kings and 141 subjects, but now, Bai Youwei felt there was almost 200 people in the rest hall. This was not hard to understand, as a large part of the subjects were previous kings who were weeded out during the preliminary rounds. Now the current kings would rather recruit their friends and family as subjects, rather than taking old rivals from the game. In addition to the increased number of people, the number of Inspectors had also grown. The Clown, the Ball, the Comic Guy, and the Old Man in the Grey Robe: four Inspectors stood in a line at the side of the rest hall. Behind them were large glowing squares, which were undoubtedly the entrances to the ¡°Battlefield¡±. The Rabbit-headed Gentleman was also there. He stood directly in front of the four Inspectors, and politely said to the crowd: ¡°May the 23 Kings please lead your subjects to enter the battlefield.¡± Bai Youwei tugged on Shen Mo¡¯s hand: ¡°Did you hear that? ¡¯23 Kings¡¯.¡± At the end of the preliminary round, there were clearly 26. The missing three probably died in the maze. Shen Mo also looked towards the entrance and slowly said: ¡°Entering the maze gives an advantage on Physical Ability, but also brings the risk of early elimination. It seems Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue made the right decision not to go into the maze. If the maze is open after every battle, we need to seriously consider it next time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right~Not every game requires Physical Ability.¡± Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°Generally, two enhancements should be adequate to handle sudden circumstances. The rest that needs to be improved are not Physical Abilities, but agility, skills, and such. If we continuously challenge the maze just to increase Physical Ability, we¡¯ll lose more than we gain.¡± As they were speaking, the Kings started to enter the arena. The Rabbit-headed Gentleman slowly and carefully repeated the rules: ¡°There are four battles to choose from, each requiring a corresponding amount of puzzle pieces as collateral. If you win the game, the puzzle pieces used as collateral will be returned, and you will receive the opponent¡¯s collateral pieces; If you lose the game, your collateral puzzle pieces will be forfeited. Battle 1 requires 1 puzzle piece as collateral, with no limit on the number of participants. Battle 5 requires 5 puzzle pieces as collateral, with a limit of 5 participants. Battle 10 requires 10 puzzle pieces as collateral, with a limit of 8 participants. Battle 20 requires 20 puzzle pieces as collateral, with a minimum of 10 participants. Please note, each battle can only be chosen once, and the final contest will be held after all four battles are completed.¡± More and more people entered the glowing entrances. Some chose the Clown, some chose the Comic Guy, and some chose the Ball. No one entered the glowing square behind the Old Man in the Grey Robe. That was the entry to Battle 20. Battle 20 required 20 puzzle pieces as a collateral and a participation of at least 10 players. Assuming each subject has 2 puzzle pieces, the King must contribute at least 40 puzzle pieces to this battle. Out of the 23 Kings present, excluding Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, no one else could possibly produce that many puzzle pieces at once. Even if there was such a person, it doesn¡¯t make sense to take such a risk in the first battle. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo waited, waited for all the Kings to enter the battlefield before confirming the number of players. 10 Kings chose ¡°Battle 1¡±, 8 Kings chose ¡°Battle 5¡±, 3 Kings chose ¡°Battle 10¡±, leaving two Kings ¨C Her and him, chose ¡°Battle 20¡±. Chapter 713 - Chapter 713: Chapter 713: The First Battle Chapter 713: Chapter 713: The First Battle Bai Youwei stepped into the glowing square which was practically cloaked in white, much like the feeling she had when she was just stepping out of the labyrinth. As she was carefully taking in her surroundings, Shen Mo suddenly appeared before her! Bai Youwei got startled, but upon a closer look, she realized it wasn¡¯t Shen Mo but a three-dimensional hologram of Shen Mo that was identical in all proportions. ¡°Damn, you scared me¡­¡± Bai Youwei muttered. On the right side of Shen Mo¡¯s hologram, a few lines of information appeared¡ª [Enemy King, Age 26, Height 186cm, Weight 75kg, Blood Type A¡­] Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°Is this for a battle, or a marriage proposal?¡± The system probably didn¡¯t expect this reaction from her. The display of information froze for a second before slowly revealing the remaining information: [Holding puzzles, 32] [Has Subjects, 2] [Choose to surrender? The time allotted for consideration is 60 seconds. Initiating countdown 59, 58, 57¡­] Bai Youwei stared at the countdown timer; her initially relaxed mind began to grow tense. Would Shen Mo choose to surrender? Was he, at this very moment, also looking at her personal information and feeling indecisive? In all honesty, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea if he became the King¡­ Given his personality, win or lose, he wouldn¡¯t abandon her. Plus, his reputation and trustworthiness would give him an advantage when recruiting subjects¡­ But what if something happened to him? He had teammates, friends, family¡­ everyone needed him¡­ he couldn¡¯t be in danger. Moreover, she really, really needed this opportunity to become the King¡­ The countdown was decreasing second by second, and Bai Youwei¡¯s heart was likewise filling with apprehension. The King only had one chance to surrender before battle commenced. Once used, the King and his subjects would all become subjects of the other party. 42, 41, 40, 39, 38¡­ Why wasn¡¯t he surrendering? Could it be that he wanted to hold out until the last second to add more suspense? Bai Youwei was a little anxious. Unconsciously, she bit her fingernails, eyes fixed on the countdown. She didn¡¯t want to go head-to-head with Shen Mo. If Shen Mo didn¡¯t surrender, then she¡­ then she¡­ Bai Youwei reached out, hovering over the surrender button. Should she surrender? 31, 30, 29, 28¡­ Bai Youwei took a deep breath, bit her lower lip, and pulled her hand back! ¡­Damn! Shen Mo, you jerk! Burgeoning male chauvinism? Why won¡¯t you surrender! Are you trying to play mind games to force me to surrender instead?! You bastard bastard bastard! Just because I like you, you¡¯re cocky! Asshole!!! ¡°Ding!¡­ The enemy King chose to surrender, obtained 32 puzzles, and gained 3 subjects.¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. The system¡¯s notification sound rang again: ¡°The battle is over. Please proceed to the resting hall and prepare for the next battle.¡± Just¡­ like that? Shen Mo¡¯s 3D hologram and all relevant information disappeared, the surroundings returned to a vast expanse of white. The ending was too abrupt. Bai Youwei was a bit disoriented. Standing still for a while, she finally turned around and slowly exited the hall¨C Shen Mo was waiting for her outside. Bai Youwei looked at him in a daze, her emotions surging like the tide, she asked softly, ¡°you¡­.you surrendered?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Shen Mo walked up to her, cupped her cheeks, leaned in, and nuzzled his nose against hers. ¡°Can¡¯t refuse you.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback. She regained her composure and pushed his nose hard. She snapped, ¡°Why did it take you so long to surrender?! Were you¡­ were you hesitating? Were you? Were you? Were you?!!¡± Shen Mo suppressed his laughter and gently said, ¡°No, I just spent a bit more time looking at your personal information.¡± Bai Youwei:¡±¡­¡± Shen Mo continued, ¡°So, you are really of age¡­¡± Bai Youwei huffed, ¡°What, have you always thought that I was underage?¡± Shen Mo rubbed her head while smiling, ¡°Yes, I always thought you were three.¡± Bai Youwei instantly began to gnash her teeth! Chapter 714 - Chapter 714: Chapter 714: Choosing the Next Scene Chapter 714: Chapter 714: Choosing the Next Scene ¡°Sorry to interrupt you two.¡± The Rabbit Gentleman walked over with a smile, ¡°I just found out that the king who finished the first battle first has already been born. Now, please choose the next battle, Your Majesty.¡± A selection panel appeared in front of Bai Youwei just like before¨C Battle 1 Clown, Battle 5 Comic Man, Battle 10 Ball, Battle 20 Grey-robed Old Man; these four options appeared before her. Among them, ¡°Battle 20¡± has been greyed out and the button status cannot be selected. For the next battle, Bai Youwei need to choose one from 1, 5, and 10. ¡°Do I have to choose right now?¡± Bai Youwei asked, feeling she was not ready yet. ¡°You have ample time to consider.¡± The rabbit-headed Inspector smiled, ¡°However, you cannot leave the rest hall until a choice is made.¡± Bai Youwei frowned. She looked again at the three options. After a while, she suddenly thought of something and looked at the Rabbit Gentleman: ¡°I have a question.¡± The Rabbit Gentleman slightly nodded his head and asked gently: ¡°Please ask.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I currently have a total of 48 puzzle pieces, I just won his 32 pieces, plus 4 puzzle pieces in the hands of my subjects, totally making 84 pieces. So, even if I lose all the three upcoming battles, I can still advance to the final, right?¡± According to the rules, the king can only be eliminated when the number of puzzle pieces is insufficient to participate in the competition. The rabbit-headed Inspector smiled and said, ¡°Even though it¡¯s not explicitly stated in the rules, actually¡­the difficulty of the battles will gradually increase.¡± ¡°Increase? Bai Youwei was stunned, ¡°didn¡¯t you say before that the difficulty of the battle only depends on the matched opponent?¡± The Rabbit Gentleman nodded again, ¡°Let me put it another way¨C The risk of battle will gradually increase, and by the third battle, the loser is almost unlikely to survive.¡± If they can¡¯t survive, what good will the puzzle pieces bring? They would still be eliminated. Bai Youwei pondered with a frown. Shen Mo suggested on the side, ¡°Choose Battle 10.¡± After thinking about it, Bai Youwei also thought Battle 10 would be more appropriate. Because by the time the next battle begins, the king in Battle 10 will be a player who advanced from Battle 1 or Battle 5. Once a person advances, they often become more relaxed than before. But at that time, Battle 1 and Battle 5 are likely to encounter defeated kings. People often fight to the death when they are close to the edge of death, even at the risk of a total collapse. Bai Youwei chose Battle 10. The Inspector for Battle 10 is Ball, who Bai Youwei is well acquainted with and familiar with its game type. ¡°The number of participants required for Battle 10 is eight people.¡± Bai Youwei pointed at herself and Shen Mo, ¡°Apart from us, six more people are needed. Ball¡¯s games are usually more violent, so we need to choose players who have a physical advantage.¡± There is definitely no problem with Tan Xiao and Ya Chaohui, Asarina and Along can also work, but Pan Xiaoxin is not suitable. Bai Youwei still lacked two subjects. The Rabbit Gentleman smiled, ¡°There is one month until the next battle, please prepare during this period. Also, the new maze authority has been opened, would you like to apply to enter now?¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed as she shook her head. She still remembered what happened to Aqing clearly and didn¡¯t want her companions to take more risks. Now that her leg was healed and her companions had entered the maze two or three times, managing the game wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Giving up the application¡­¡± the Rabbit Inspector nodded knowingly, ¡°You can apply to enter the maze whenever you want. Good luck.¡± After speaking, he took a step back and disappeared in an instant. Only four glowing squares remained in the empty rest hall, along with some subjects who had not been recruited lingering nearby. Chapter 715 - Chapter 715: Chapter 715: The Call of the Plastic Sisters Chapter 715: Chapter 715: The Call of the Plastic Sisters Bai Youwei and Shen Mo left the rest hall and returned to the Headquarters Building. They essentially advanced by eliminating one of their own, so they didn¡¯t have a real understanding of the content and mechanism of the official campaign game, nor had anything to talk about. Therefore, after returning, they only had brief conversations with Chu Huaijin before they went back to their rooms to rest. Shen Mo took out game materials related to the ball, sat on the sofa to peruse them. Bai Youwei, on the other hand, took out a map, laid on her bed, and studied where to ¡°occupy¡± next would be most suitable. Currently, she had a lot of surplus puzzles, which she could use to expand her territory. Even though she was not interested in saving the world, she had to admit that, the more cities were recovered, the faster all kinds of industry supplies would bounce back, and the living conditions in the base would improve accordingly. For instance, if she were to ¡°occupy¡± coastal areas, the fishing industry would be revived, and a variety of fruits and seafood would be transported continuously. Bai Youwei was measuring and marking the map, carefully planning. She didn¡¯t notice when Shen Mo came over. He lifted his long arm, his fingers reached over from behind and pointed at a position on the map: ¡°This place won¡¯t do. Someone¡¯s already taken it.¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s taken it?¡± Bai Youwei paused, ¡°I didn¡¯t notice. Who took it?¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°That guy with the white gloves. He placed two puzzle pieces around here.¡± Mentioning the man with the white gloves, Bai Youwei felt incredibly uneasy, she frowned and muttered: ¡°I really don¡¯t want to encounter people like him in the game.¡± In the preliminaries, when the man with the white gloves emerged from the game, he was bloody all over. It was other people¡¯s blood. Not a single player in his team made it out. Shen Mo recalled and said, ¡°His first campaign choice was Campaign 5, the same as Yan Qingwen. I wonder if they¡¯ll meet¡­ ¡± ¡°I hope they don¡¯t meet.¡± Bai Youwei puckered her lips, ¡°If they meet, I hope Yan would swiftly defeat him, so we don¡¯t have to encounter him afterward.¡± Shen Mo laughed, ¡°Are you scared of him?¡± ¡°Not scared¡­¡± Bai Youwei rubbed her arms, ¡°I just feel very uncomfortable. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s bizarre? Seems like he¡¯s not quite right in the head¡­ With other players, you could either engage in a battle of wits or strength, but with him¡­ Nevermind, perhaps he will be eliminated in the first round.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment and acquiesced, ¡°Indeed, anything can happen in the game.¡± Thus, they dropped the topic, not mentioning it again, and solely focused on preparing for the next campaign. A month was more than enough time. Bai Youwei thought she simply had to wait patiently for the arrival of the campaign next month, yet she didn¡¯t expect events to unfold the very next morning. She was having breakfast with Shen Mo, Mr. Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin, having scrambled eggs, sausages, mushroom soup, and vegetarian buns. Suddenly, she heard a voice next to her ear: ¡°Weiwei!¡± It was Zhu Shu¡¯s voice. Bai Youwei almost thought she was hearing things, her mind blanking for a full two seconds. Afterward, she noticed the plastic flower hairpin flying out from her canvas bag! It flew right in front of her! Zhu Shu¡¯s voice was much clearer, ¡°Weiwei!¡± Bai Youwei instinctively picked up the hairpin. Zhu Shu¡¯s cry for help instantly floated into her mind, asking her if she could provide help now. Shen Mo asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei blinked blankly, looking at Shen Mo: ¡°Zhu Shu¡­ seems to be calling me for help.¡± ¡°Something¡¯s happened to Yan Qingwen?¡± Shen Mo asked. Zhu Shu and Yan Qingwen were together, so if something happened to Zhu Shu, it probably meant something had happened to Yan Qingwen as well. ¡°I¡¯m not clear on it yet¡­¡± Bai Youwei hesitated, ¡°The message only told me that the other possessor of the item, Zhu Shu, needed my help, asking if I¡¯d like to head over. If I agree, I have to wear the hairpin. If I refuse, I crush the hairpin.¡± As she spoke, she held the hairpin and tentatively clipped it into her hair ¡ª Without any warning, the scene suddenly changed, and she appeared on the sofa in a strange room, and right in front of her, Zhu Shu and Su Man were looking at her! Chapter 716 - Chapter 716: Chapter 716: Tomorrows Inn Chapter 716: Chapter 716: Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Bai Youwei stared at the pair, a plain bun still in her hand. Su Man and Zhu Shu were wide-eyed too, matching her gaze. After a long silence, Su Man, all of a sudden, hugged Bai Youwei, exclaiming with glee, ¡°My God! The prop is a godsend! It actually managed to bring someone over!¡± Bai Youwei was rocked back and forth in her embrace, nearly dropping her bun. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡± she inquired. Su Man let go of Bai Youwei, exchanged a glance with Zhu Shu, and their happiness visibly subsided. ¡°Where¡¯s Yan Qingwen?¡± asked Bai Youwei, looking around the room. Except for Su Man and Zhu Shu, there was nobody else. ¡°Why on earth is it just the two of you?¡± Zhu Shu signaled something with her eyes to Su Man. Su Man seemed to understand, tiptoed quietly to the door, gently opened it to check both sides of the room, then returned and shook her head at Zhu Shu. ¡ªNobody was outside, all clear. Both women relaxed their taut nerves a bit. Zhu Shu whispered to Bai Youwei, ¡°Something has happened to Yan and Lu Yuwen, let¡¯s move to another room.¡± With her eyebrows knotted, Bai Youwei repressed her confusion and followed the two to another room. Outside the room, there was a dimly lit corridor. Rooms were on the right side, a wall cut off the outside world on the left. Raindrops thrashed against the glass windows, water stains trickled from the corner of the wall leaving behind brown marks, the damp, musty scent filled in the air¡­ The place resembled an ancient European-style hotel. After they passed two rooms, Su Man and Zhu Shu stopped. Bai Youwei took a glance and noticed the room number in gilded letters on the door: 304. ¡°There are four floors in total. The first floor is the lobby and kitchen, the rest, from the second to the fourth floor, there¡¯re five rooms on each,¡± Zhu Shu twisted the doorknob, gently pushed the door open and added, ¡°Lu Yuwen stays in this room.¡± Bai Youwei entered with them. The room was much brighter than the corridor. The walls were covered with rose-patterned wallpaper, the floor carpeted in red. The orange glow of the light illuminated European-style furniture, half a seam was torn in the arm of the leather sofa. Everything in the room carried the essence of the 19th-century Europe ¡ª old but exquisitely so. Lu Yuwen lay on a large bed, his eyes tightly closed, as if asleep. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Bai Youwei asked in surprise. ¡°Where is he hurt?¡± ¡°He is not injured.¡± Zhu Shu slightly opened the collar of Lu Yuwen¡¯s shirt to reveal a puncture wound on his neck, her voice serious, ¡°He was injected with a potent anesthetic. It¡¯s not fatal, but it would knock him unconscious. He woke up once, stayed lucid for less than 5 minutes and then passed out again.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°How do you know it¡¯s an anesthetic?¡± ¡°The doctor downstairs said so,¡± Su Man replied quickly, ¡°There are a few NPCs downstairs, a doctor, a chef, and a detective.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, wait¡­,¡± Bai Youwei was a bit dizzy, ¡°why is there a doctor? What role do the chef and detective play? If Lu Yuwen is unconscious, what about Yan Qingwen? Is he unconscious, too?¡± Zhu Shu said, ¡°Let me explain everything from the beginning.¡± This is how it happened ¡ª Yan Qingwen selected Campaign Five, five people in total. He brought Su Man, Lu Yuwen, Zhu Shu, and a young man from the base evaluation group into the campaign. The theme of the campaign was ¡°Motel Tomorrow¡±. Event Introduction: Five ruthless murderers lurk in the Motel Tomorrow. They can kill stealthily. Detective is utterly vexed over this. Will the kind-hearted guests help the detective unearth the five murderers? Points to note: First, have meals promptly at 9 o¡¯clock in the morning and 6 o¡¯clock in the evening; Second, do not leave your room between midnight and 6 am; Third, if you get caught by the detective, you¡¯re out of the game. Chapter 717 - Chapter 717: Chapter 717: Because of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 717: Chapter 717: Because of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Zhu Shu said, ¡°We entered the game in the morning. First, we had breakfast with all of the guests at the inn, then we all gathered in Yan¡¯s room to discuss our plans. Around noon, we heard a woman¡¯s scream from outside, so we all rushed out to see what happened. We found a woman¡¯s body outside. Yan and Lin Kui checked the body¡­ Lin Kui is a subordinate that Yan recruited from the testing team. The body was not far from Yan¡¯s room. It was a female guest staying in room 305, and her chest had been stabbed several times. As Yan was preparing to search for more clues, the guests and detective came upstairs¡­ The detective discovered the body and questioned each of us. Unexpectedly, the guests from room 405 suddenly accused Yan and Lin Kui, saying they were the murderers.¡± When she mentioned this, Su Man was indignant, ¡°Yan and Lin Kui touched the bloodstains on the body while investigating it, and this was even used as evidence! Now they are being held by the detective on the first floor!¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Just because they came into contact with the blood¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Zhu Shu said. ¡°There were blood stains at the entrances of rooms 401 and 403, and there were bloody handprints on the doors.¡± Zhu Shu explained to Bai Youwei, ¡°Rooms 401 and 403 are Lin Kui¡¯s and Yan¡¯s.¡± A woman died outside Yan Qingwen¡¯s room, and the area nearby was covered in blood. On top of that, the detective arrived just in time to see Yan Qingwen and Lin Kui checking the body. It was almost impossible to clear their names from suspicion. Bai Youwei contemplated, ¡°Hmm¡­ Yan Qingwen was taken off guard and plotted against first.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with these people? Why are they plotting against us?¡± Su Man expressed indignantly, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for us to find the murderer together and clear the game?!¡± Bai Youwei twitched her lips and looked at Su Man speechlessly, ¡°I mean¡­ Can¡¯t you think it over? This isn¡¯t an ordinary game, it¡¯s a battle game. In a competitive game, players can hardly cooperate. Your task is to find the murderer, but theirs may not be the same~¡± Su Man was stunned, ¡°You mean¡­ their task is not to find the killer?¡± Bai Youwei placed a hand on her forehead, this was such a belated response¡­ Zhu Shu sighed lightly and whispered, ¡°Weiwei is right. We wasted too much time initially. We never thought the opponent would start setting up their moves just a couple of hours into the game.¡± ¡°Exactly, where¡¯s the logic in murdering someone right off the bat?¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I thought they would at least wait until nightfall.¡± ¡°The opponent took advantage of everyone¡¯s mentality, which made it easy for them to succeed.¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°At the onset of the first battle, every player tends to be cautious. Once in the game, most are busy observing and getting familiar with their surroundings. This is actually when they are least alert.¡± After a two-second pause, Bai Youwei lowered her voice and continued, ¡°Besides¡­ Yan Qingwen might not realize that he¡¯s been exposed. The opponent saw that he is the leader of your team, so they targeted him first.¡± Zhu Shu and Su Man looked at each other in dismay. If Bai Youwei¡¯s analysis holds, then¡­ they were being watched from the moment they initially met in Yan Qingwen¡¯s room! Su Man suddenly felt a chill, furrowing her brows and saying, ¡°Who could it be¡­ The game has only just started, and they¡¯re already plotting to this extent. It¡¯s just too perverted¡­¡± Bai Youwei fell into silence. Honestly speaking, if she were to enter this game, she would fall for it too. Because when people are in an unfamiliar environment and given a task, they subconsciously gather with their companions and plan together. Especially since Yan Qingwen had been in the military, this kind of schematic approach was deeply ingrained in him. But he definitely had no idea that even such a small detail could be used as a point of weakness. Chapter 718 - Chapter 718: Chapter 718: The Note from Tomorrows Inn Chapter 718: Chapter 718: The Note from Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Bai Youwei glanced at Lu Yuwen on the bed and continued to inquire: ¡°What happened to him?¡± Zhu Shu explained, ¡°After Detective apprehended Yan Qingwen and Lin Kui, we sought to identify the real killer of the woman in Room 305, so we thoroughly searched this entire inn. Lu Yuwen found a strange note in a vase on the staircase. He was on his way to inform us when he was attacked and injected with anaesthetic from behind! According to Lu Yuwen, the attacker was very skilled. The anaesthetic worked incredibly fast, causing him to collapse upon contact. He¡¯s been unconscious ever since¡­ The note was stolen and only half of it remained in his palm.¡± ¡°This is the note¡­¡± Su Man took out the note and handed it to Bai Youwei, ¡°Presumably the person was in a hurry to leave, worrying about being discovered, and did not manage to yank the rest of the note.¡± Bai Youwei took the note. It read in pencil: [Surrounded¡¤Solid Circle Back¡¤Map Treasure Circle] ¡°In Chinese characters?¡± Bai Youwei was somewhat taken aback. ¡°Correct.¡± Zhu Shu nodded, ¡°It surprised us too. Out of the fifteen guests at the inn, apart from our group of five, the other ten are all white.¡± Bai Youwei inspected the note, surprised for quite some time, and despite scrutinising it, still couldn¡¯t fathom the underlying mystery. ¡°This is indeed peculiar, but with only half the note, it¡¯s hard to infer any useful information¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked up at Zhu Shu and Su Man, ¡°Did the doctor mention when Lu Yuwen would regain consciousness?¡± ¡°Apparently this state could last a whole day¡­ He¡¯d intermittently sleep and wake up, only completely recovering by tomorrow.¡± Zhu Shu sighed, appearing extremely worried. ¡°I¡¯m really concerned¡­Weiwei, we¡¯re completely at a disadvantage right now. We¡¯re also in the dark about the killer¡¯s information. Under these circumstances, if anything were to happen to Su Man and I, the likelihood of turning the tables is virtually zero.¡± ¡°Alright~ I get it, if it wasn¡¯t urgent, you wouldn¡¯t have called me over.¡± Bai Youwei slowly rolled up the note and placed it in her pocket, then calmly said, ¡°Now, let¡¯s sort through the clues we have.¡± She looked around and asked, ¡°Is there pen and paper?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Man quickly walked to the table, took out a stack of white paper, and a few pencils. Every room in the inn was equipped with the same pencil and paper set. Bai Youwei drew a 5¡Á3 grid on the paper, asking, ¡°You remember who stayed in each room?¡± ¡°I remember.¡± Zhu Shu nodded, ¡°I remember everyone¡¯s faces and the corresponding rooms, but I don¡¯t know their names.¡± Su Man next to her exclaimed in astonishment, ¡°Zhu Shu, you¡¯re amazing¡­¡± Zhu Shu gave a small smile, ¡°I used to spend a lot of time on set, so I interacted with a lot of people. Over time I¡¯ve slowly developed this ability.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t know their names. Just tell me their genders and their approximate ages.¡± Zhu Shu nodded, going floor by floor starting from the second to the fourth. Bai Youwei labelled each grid, indicating that Su Man stayed in 201, Zhu Shu in 301, Lu Yuwen in 304, Lin Kui and Yan Qingwen were in 401 and 403¡­ After some thought, Bai Youwei pointed a pencil at the block for 402, and after a moment, she asked, ¡°Did you immediately rush out after hearing the scream?¡± ¡°Yes, we went out immediately after hearing the noise.¡± Su Man hurriedly replied, ¡°After all, our task was to find the killer, so we had to act as soon as there was a disturbance.¡± ¡°Was the guest in Room 405 the last to come out?¡± Bai Youwei continued to ask. Su Man nodded, ¡°Yeah, a woman around forty years old lived in that room. She only came out after the detective arrived.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Bai Youwei, propping her chin on her hand and doodling away, slowly said, ¡°I may not know who the killer is yet, however, I think I¡¯ve figured out who set a trap for Yan Qingwen¡­¡± Chapter 719 - Chapter 719: Chapter 719: The Third Team of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 719: Chapter 719: The Third Team of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn ¡°Who is it?!¡± Su Man and Zhu Shu exclaimed almost simultaneously. Bai Youwei winced slightly, ¡°¡­Could you both lower your voices a bit?¡± Su Man immediately ran to the door, opened it, cautiously looking around, then turned back and gave an ¡°OK¡± hand signal. ¡ª¡ª It¡¯s safe! Zhu Shu anxiously asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, who exactly set up the trap?¡± Bai Youwei drew a circle on both room 202 and 402. Zhu Shu was slightly stunned. She could understand why a circle was drawn on room 402. After all, it was the nearest room, and its door remained closed during the incident. Only when the detective questioned them downstairs did she see the guest from room 402 saunter down. But why was there also a circle on room 202? Bai Youwei slowly said: ¡°There are 15 guests in the inn. Excluding you and Su Man, there are only three female guests. One is the deceased, one is a middle-aged woman in room 405, and the remaining one is in room 202. You said that the woman was stabbed several times, you all ran out after hearing a scream, then saw the body lying in a pool of blood¡ª¡ª But this doesn¡¯t add up. When you¡¯re really stabbed, you usually can¡¯t cry out. Moreover, the mess from the bloodstains implies a violent struggle before death, causing blood to splatter everywhere. But you guys didn¡¯t hear any noise, which implies one thing, someone was setting up outside while you were gathered in the room, then used a young woman¡¯s scream to lure you out.¡± Bai Youwei pointed at room 202: ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t rule out the possibility of a male guest using a disguised voice to confuse you. But so far, the one in room 202 is the prime suspect. She screamed on the fourth floor, then hid in room 402¡­ Hmm, the two of them must be accomplices, and maybe room 405 as well.¡± Bai Youwei circled rooms 202, 402, 405 on the map, pondering: ¡°It¡¯s not clear what their motives are¡­ It should be related to the task. The number of guests is 15, five per team, which means there are three teams in this inn, so¡­ does that imply there are three different mission targets in this game?¡± Zhu Shu suddenly realized: ¡°Our goal is to find the murderer, and the murderer naturally wants to kill. There are five people left, and their goal is¡­ to confront us?¡± Bai Youwei nodded: ¡°That¡¯s highly possible. Team A targets Team B, Team B targets Team C, and Team C targets Team A. It forms a balance, which falls in line with the usual characteristics of the puppet game.¡± ¡°But, but how do we know who the murderer is among Team ABC?¡± Su Man looked perplexed at the two sisters, unable to keep up with their line of thinking. Zhu Shu laughed, ¡°Su Man, we just need to find out who¡¯s hindering us, the rest would be the murderer!¡± Su Man was in a daze. Bai Youwei took the sketch she drew, nonchalantly ripped it up into pieces, then threw it in the waste bin. ¡°With motive resolved, the remaining question is¡­ what is the meaning behind the words on the note? Why was Lu Yuwen spared? And who will be the next victim?¡± As the questions lingered, everyone fell silent. No one knew who would be the next to die, nor what kind of conspiracy would unfold along with the next death. In the silence, a crisp bell rang from downstairs. Zhu Shu and Su Man instinctively looked towards the door. ¡°It¡¯s the breakfast bell for nine o¡¯clock. The inn provides two meals each day, and all guests must eat downstairs.¡± ¡°So, this is the only two times a day¡­ when we can see all the guests.¡± Bai Youwei gently patted her skirt, speaking lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s see what kind of demons and monsters we¡¯re dealing with.¡± Chapter 720 - Chapter 720: Chapter 720: The Strange Man of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 720: Chapter 720: The Strange Man of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn They left Lu Yuwen¡¯s room and encountered two other guests who also resided on the third floor. Both men were very young ¨C one resembled a businessman from Wall Street, and the other a basketball star from a school team. Let¡¯s just call them ¡°Businessman¡± and ¡°Basketball Guy.¡± When they saw Bai Youwei leaving her room, they both looked surprised. Clearly, they hadn¡¯t expected a sixteenth guest to appear in the hotel. Despite their surprise, they didn¡¯t say anything. They just shot Bai Youwei a cautious glance, and then looked away, heading towards the staircase. Bai Youwei followed behind them nonchalantly. On their way to the first floor, they encountered a few guests who lived on the second floor. Among them was a woman who lived in room 202, pushing a baby stroller. She wore pink glasses and had a head full of curled, golden hair. Pairing a cream blouse with a pink knee-length skirt and wearing a pair of white loafers. To be fair, she looked young and attractive, but her behavior seemed a bit off. The baby she took out from the stroller was a worn and pretty old-looking doll, with much of the color on its cheeks and mouth faded away. ¡°Oh, oh¡­ don¡¯t be afraid, baby. Mommy will carry you down the stairs.¡± The woman hoisted the doll with one hand and picked up the stroller with the other. The stairway wasn¡¯t wide, and she stumbled while carrying the stroller down. Behind her was a man in a gray sweater. Taking the stroller from her, he kindly said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, let me hold that for you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ thank you so much.¡± The woman expressed her gratitude promptly, ¡°Mr. Robert, you are truly a gentleman.¡± Mr. Robert smiled, ¡°I¡¯m happy to be of service.¡± Observing the scene from behind, Bai Youwei whispered to Zhu Shu, ¡°Did they know each other before?¡± ¡°Not sure,¡± Zhu Shu whispered back. ¡°During breakfast yesterday, several guests introduced themselves. Robert was one of them, so just knowing his name doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they knew each other¡­¡± Bai Youwei understood, she asked while walking, ¡°Apart from Robert, who else introduced themselves?¡± Zhu Shu tried to recall, ¡°Mr. Robert was the one who first suggested the self-introduction. After him, the gentleman sitting next to him, Mr. Karl, introduced himself second. However, when it came to the guest from room 204, he declined the proposal claiming it was completely unnecessary, so the act of self-introduction ended there¡­¡± Bai Youwei nodded slightly. Just as she was about to move forward, Zhu Shu tugged at her arm¡ª Zhu Shu whispered in her ear, ¡°Look, that man¡­ he is the guy from room 204.¡± Bai Youwei looked in the direction Zhu Shu was indicating. The man was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers. His short brown hair was neat and clean. His skin was fair, his eyes were deep, and his slender form reminded Bai Youwei of a pianist. If he had been ten years younger, he would definitely fit the image of a handsome young intellectual. The young man, sensing her gaze, slightly turned his head and looked back. Their eyes met, his gaze was tranquil, he just faintly smiled, exuding friendliness and amiability. ¡°This man¡¯s name is Willard. Yan Ge ran into him in the preliminaries. He often talks to himself, as if he¡¯s speaking to himself. Yan Ge suspects he has dissociative identity disorder¡­¡± Zhu Shu lowered her voice and told Bai Youwei, ¡°He hardly interacts with others after entering the game ¨C he¡¯s just weird¡­¡± Bai Youwei nodded softly. Watching these people moving towards the dining room on the first floor, she couldn¡¯t help thinking: there really are many odd characters in this doll game¡­ Chapter 721 - Chapter 721: Chapter 721: The Temptation of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 721: Chapter 721: The Temptation of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Down the stairs to the first floor, there is a small hall, with a front desk and small sofas for relaxation, used to welcome guests. At this moment, two men are sitting on the sofa conversing. ¡°Detective, look at this awful weather, it seems we won¡¯t be able to leave again today,¡± said the man in a grey trench coat. The other man, a middle-aged man sporting a mustache replied, ¡°I will not leave until all criminals are arrested and the case is closed, Doctor.¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t take too much time, you¡¯ve already apprehended two suspects.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t certain since the killers are always very cunning¡­¡± Clearly, these two NPCs are the Detective and the Doctor. There was also a sturdy middle-aged woman, bustling back and forth between the kitchen and the dining area with dishes, an agile worker who appeared to be the head of cooking and serving. Bai Youwei looked around and asked Zhu Shu next to her, ¡°Where are Yan Qingwen and Lin Kui?¡± ¡°They are in the detective¡¯s room, and they are not allowed to interact with other players,¡± Zhu Shu glanced out at the heavy rain, ¡°They are merely suspects for now. If the real culprit is still not arrested when the rain stops, the detective will formally arrest Yan Qingwen and Lin Kui, take them away from this inn, which means they will be eliminated from the game.¡± ¡°When will the rain stop?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± As they walked and talked, they arrived at the dining area, the lighting was as dim as the corridor, with each lamp barely emitting a faint and yellowish light. The cook, probably because of the darkness, had placed four candlesticks on the table. The candlelight cast a gloss over the food in the dishes, making the simple dishes look somewhat appetizing. Yes, simple. Some cornflakes with milk, accompanied by slices of bacon and sausages, and boiled beetroots in water. A strange combination. Bai Youwei was thankful that she had eaten a vegetarian bun before coming here. They took their seats in the dining area. 15 chairs were set up along the long dining table, Zhu Shu and Su Man asked Bai Youwei to sit in the middle, and they sat on either side of her. Bai Youwei scanned all the individuals at the table, blatantly observing every single one. The other people were sizing her up too. She ignored them and continued to observe the guests at the table without hiding her actions or avoiding anyone¡¯s gaze. ¡°If this was a scene in a novel, it would be a great start,¡± Mr Robert picked up the metal soup spoon and slopped two spoonfuls of beans in tomato sauce into his plate, ¡°¡­ a peaceful morning, a mysterious guest suddenly visits and joins everyone for breakfast, ¡­¡± ¡°No way~ I can¡¯t stomach a breakfast like this,¡± Bai Youwei said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to critique local food culture, but I can¡¯t eat this stuff, let¡¯s just say I am here to enjoy the view.¡± After a two-second pause, she turned to Mr. Robert and asked, ¡°You¡¯re British, right? Your bean-scraping motion comes very naturally, it seems you¡¯re used to this style of food? At this table, only you, the gentleman wearing the plaid shirt, and the bald-headed gentleman on the left had these beans. Do you come from the same place? Are you companions?¡± Mr. Robert¡¯s soup-spoon wielding motion stopped abruptly. The man wearing the plaid shirt, as well as the bald-headed man on the left, also tensed momentarily, instinctively looking to Robert for his reaction. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bai Youwei realized, ¡°It seems you¡¯re not just companions but you¡¯re their leader! Look, they instinctively look at your face when there¡¯s a situation. I think everyone should be honest, why must we pretend not to know each other? That¡¯s just awkward~¡± Chapter 722 - Chapter 722: Chapter 722: The Fairness of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 722: Chapter 722: The Fairness of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn An eerie silence fell over the dining table. After a few seconds, a man in a checkered shirt stood up, enraged, accusatory: ¡°You, what are you blabbering about! You are the most suspicious one! Where did you come from, speaking these baseless words, trying to lead the Detective to suspect us?!¡± ¡°Exactly! Where did this woman come from?!¡± A bald man was also very angry, turning and shouting towards the inn¡¯s front desk direction, ¡°Where is the Inspector? Shouldn¡¯t the Inspector come out and explain the situation?! Why does a game of 15 people turn into 16?!¡± The woman holding a baby raised her eyebrows unhappily: ¡°I say you people, could you keep it down?! You¡¯re upsetting my baby!¡± A young basketball-playing boy retorted impatiently: ¡°If you don¡¯t like the noise, cover your ears! What baby, it¡¯s just a fucking doll¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± The woman yelled, ready to fight with a fork in her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak about my baby like that!!!¡± ¡°Detective! Someone is trying to assault!¡± The basketball boy dodged behind a chair, ¡°Hey! This woman has gone mad! Is nobody going to take care of it?!¡± The middle-aged woman sitting next door, with Tarot Cards spread out on the table, flipped one and casually said: ¡°You asked for it¡­ you shouldn¡¯t have mentioned her baby¡­ you deserved it¡­¡± Chaos ensued. Bai Youwei felt like she was in a large meetup of deranged people. The Detective outside quickly ran in, shouting discontentedly, ¡°Who dares to attack in front of me! Arrest immediately!¡± The woman dropped the fork, quickly returned to her seat, picking up the child and soothing it, putting on a loving motherly facade, as if the one just threatening with a fork was everyone¡¯s hallucination. The Detective didn¡¯t pursue it further, he gave a hard stare and turned and walked away. It seemed, unless an actual murder occurred, the Detective wasn¡¯t going to arrest anyone. Now, as the host of the inn, the Inspector arrived in leisure. Compared to the previous man she had seen, his proportions appeared much more normal this time. Although still lanky, he was not nearly as exaggerated as before. Bai Youwei quickly understood. This game, set neither in a vast wilderness nor in a grand mansion, but in an old inn. If he were still the same height, he¡¯d probably not be able to stand straight, right? As the cartoon-like man arrived, a few players started competing to complain: ¡°What is going on here? Why did the number of players suddenly increase?¡± ¡°This is clearly against the principle of fairness! How can the number of competitors arbitrarily increase or decrease?! She should be expelled!¡± The bald man, filled with hostility towards Bai Youwei, was probably resentful of being called ¡°bald¡±. The cartoon-like man looked towards Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei returned the gaze nonchalantly, waiting to see how he would respond. ¡°Up to this point in this game, no rules have been violated.¡± The cartoon-like man said calmly, ¡°A player reasonably used an auxiliary tool within the rules. Everyone need not worry too much, please continue playing the game according to the established rules, until this battle game ends.¡± ¡°This is not fair!¡± The bald man muttered, ¡°The numbers are not the same! How are we supposed to play?!¡± ¡°Hey~¡± Bai Youwei replied in a relaxed tone, ¡°The ones who really should be crying foul should be us, right? This game, from the start, created the largest unfairness for us.¡± She looked at the cartoon-like man, her tone cold: ¡°Even though the rules aim to be balanced, the Inspector seems to have forgotten, our skin color is not the same. To us, all of you look white, indistinguishable, but what about you? You can tell we are on a team at a glance due to our skin color, thus putting us at a disadvantage from the start¡ªit¡¯s just too unfair.¡± Cartoon-like man: ¡°¡­¡± He knew it, dealing with her would be nothing but trouble. Chapter 723 - Chapter 723: Chapter 723: The Chinese of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 723: Chapter 723: The Chinese of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Bai Youwei sneered: ¡°I can¡¯t believe such a major flaw exists in this battle game.¡± The cartoonish-man maintained his composure and explained: ¡°¡­..Luck is also a part of strength. Recruiting citizens of the same skin color means considering the possibility of facing this kind of situation.¡± ¡°They¡¯re really lucky then, not needing to care about color or worry about food.¡± Bai Youwei poked at the salty meat on her plate. ¡°I doubt whether eating this kind of meal constantly would hit hard the thinking capacity of Asians?¡± The cartoonish-man swallowed his frustration and replied as calmly as possible: ¡°The supplies provided by the game must naturally match the environment! It¡¯s unrelated to whether the game mechanism is fair or not¡­.¡± Before he could finish, a furious roar of the Detective came from outside the diner: ¡°What on earth is this?!¡± ¡°Oh my God!¡± The doctor exclaimed, ¡°Detective, this must be the handiwork of the murderer!¡± Everyone was shocked. The expression on the cartoonish-man¡¯s face returned to calm, and he looked at the players in front of him with a teasing smile and said: ¡°Gentlemen, you¡¯d better focus more on the game. After all, if you get eliminated here, the only way ahead is ¡®Campaign 1¡¯¡­..¡± The players in the restaurant got up and left to see what was happening. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t bother anymore with the Inspector. She followed the crowd to the front hall, filled with curiosity. The Detective was bellowing near the staircase. After chatting with the Doctor, the Detective was heading back to his room. As he passed by the staircase, he noticed a strange paper stuck on the wall! Why was it strange? Because some incomprehensible characters were written on it: [Four¡¤Pi Hui¡¤Pi Hui Tuan¡¤Four Nian Pi Yin Hui Tuan Yuan] [Nan¡¤Four Nian Dun Dun¡¤Tu Hui Kun Wei¡¤Gu Tuan Wei Hui¡¤Tu Bao Quan Tuan] Bai Youwei, Su Man, and Zhu Shu exchanged glances immediately. They all remembered the similar text on the half paper strip in Lu Yuwen¡¯s hand. But what did this text mean? The woman holding the child screamed: ¡°It wasn¡¯t there when I came downstairs earlier. What¡¯s going on? Who posted it? When was it posted?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? It must have been done by one of us.¡± The impeccably dressed businessman coldly said, ¡°Someone must have put up this note unnoticed while we were having breakfast. We were all walking forward, one would hardly notice it unless they turned back.¡± Zhu Shu looked at the paper with a frown, utterly puzzled. ¡°Why would the person post such a paper? What¡¯s the aim? What message is he trying to convey?¡­ We don¡¯t understand these characters at all.¡± ¡°Are you really clueless? Or is it an act?¡± The middle-aged woman living in room 405 sneered, ¡°Even though I can¡¯t understand, I recognize¡­ these characters are Chinese¡­¡± The bald man immediately glared at Bai Youwei, Su Man and Zhu Shu, and grunted! ¡°That¡¯s right! The most suspicious ones are these yellow-skinned people! Detective, arrest these yellow-skinned people all at once! They¡¯re all suspects!!!¡± Zhu Shu snapped back: ¡°By your logic, if this paper was written in English alphabets, then everyone here is a suspect, right?¡± Bai Youwei stepped forward, stood on her toes, and took the paper off the wall for a closer look. She said blandly: ¡°The person who posted this paper, it must have been a man, at least 175cm tall. Anyone shorter than that would find it hard to paste the paper at this height in a rush.¡± As she spoke, she lifted her eyes, slowly sweeping her gaze across their faces¡­. Despite her seemingly careless expression, it sent chills down their spines, making them fearfully apprehensive. Chapter 724 - Chapter 724: Chapter 724: The Detective of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 724: Chapter 724: The Detective of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn The atmosphere was tense. Some avoided Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze with a look of annoyance, while others squared off against her with justified confidence. The men felt indignant for being suspected. The women, on the other hand, didn¡¯t say a word, as if they were detached from the situation. Suddenly, the Detective spoke: ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is! If one is acting hastily, they wouldn¡¯t have time to choose a location! Hence, this note was most likely hastily stuck on. Being able to stick it at this height swiftly implies that the person who posted this note isn¡¯t too short!¡± The Detective sternly faced the men and asked, ¡°Who placed this note here?¡± Of course, no one confessed. ¡°Don¡¯t outsmart yourselves,¡± the Detective said with a stern face. ¡°I know the culprit is among you, I¡¯ve noted down the suspicions.. From now on, I¡¯ll be monitoring your actions closely. If I spot any anomalies, I will arrest you!¡± The men looked on, their faces grim. Bai Youwei pondered: It seemed that as long as she provided leads to the Detective, he would automatically record the suspicions. And when these suspicions accumulate to a certain degree, they would be deemed as: Arrestable. The reason Yan Qingwen and Lin Kui got arrested was due to the accumulation of suspicions: 1, they were seen in contact with the corpse; 2, the door and the entrance were covered in blood; 3, they were accused of being the murderer by the guests in room 405. ¡­ Robert suggested, ¡°Since we are clueless now, let¡¯s go back to the dining hall for breakfast. They only serve two meals here per day, and the next one isn¡¯t until six in the evening. So, we better eat as much as we can.¡± Upon hearing this, everyone slowly returned to the dining hall. Bai Youwei lagged behind and asked the Detective, ¡°Detective, can I copy the note?¡± The Detective looked down at Bai Youwei, ¡°Of course. In fact, I plan to leave the note in its original place to see what the culprit is trying to do. Miss, are you trying to uncover the murderer¡¯s plot? It¡¯s not going to be easy.¡± Bai Youwei gave a light smile, ¡°It¡¯s worth a try~¡± ¡°What a beautiful lady,¡± the Detective chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are overestimating your abilities or you are really smart. Either way, I look forward to getting an answer from you. After all, this is a very complicated case, and it would be great if someone could help me.¡± Bai Youwei smiled, took a pen and paper from the front desk, and copied the strange message from the note exactly. When she returned to the dining hall, everyone was eating breakfast. They didn¡¯t really care about the taste, just filling their bellies was enough. Everyone was silent, only the clattering sound of cutlery against plates could be heard in the dining hall. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t touch her utensils, but spread a pile of papers on the table, with a pen in hand, she scribbled, sometimes stopping to think, sometimes seeming to have thought of something and vigorously writing on the paper. Mr. Robert, sitting diagonally across from her, asked with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ve been studying these Chinese characters, have any clues been found?¡± ¡°No, not yet.¡± Bai Youwei answered. ¡°Yet, I want to try and study it because I am very curious¡­ ¡± She raised her head and looked at Robert and the others sitting near Robert, and asked: ¡°Aren¡¯t you all curious? I reckon only the criminal wouldn¡¯t be curious.¡± People were getting agitated by her words. But Robert didn¡¯t lose his temper, he squinted his eyes and said, ¡°Miss, you are very humorous.¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± Bai Youwei responded modestly with a smile. ¡°I truly thought so. Because only the murderer would know the meaning of these messages, right? The murderer wouldn¡¯t need to rack their brains thinking like me, and they wouldn¡¯t be curious about the content on the note. Mr Robert, don¡¯t you feel curious about the meaning behind the words on the note?¡± Chapter 725 - Chapter 725: Chapter 725: Recognizing Characters at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 725: Chapter 725: Recognizing Characters at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn The air seemed slightly congealed. The silent atmosphere further amplified due to Bai Youwei¡¯s harsh words. The way Bai Youwei spoke directly hinted at Robert being the killer. Faced with such an accusation, Robert managed to stay composed, smiling, ¡°In that case, I shall look into it too, may I have a piece of paper, please?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Bai Youwei pulled out a blank piece of paper from beneath and handed it to him. She then looked around at the others, ¡°Anyone else need paper?¡± No one spoke. After a while, a man with a flamboyant air spoke up, ¡°Sorry, I am not interested.¡± He rebuffed Bai Youwei¡¯s suggestion bluntly. ¡°The killer would dare to write it out boldly, fully confident that no one could unravel the secret in the paper. If you folks could deduce the truth just by a glimpse, that would be too fortunate. Anyway, I don¡¯t have the patience. You all can carry on.¡± The effeminate man put down his utensils, walked out of the dining room with a sway in his gait, and coldly sneered, ¡°So many murderers seated at one table, I better stay in my room¡­¡± At his words, other guests who had finished breakfast also got up and left, seemingly reluctant to engage with Bai Youwei any further. Contrarily, a man named Willard extended his hand towards Bai Youwei, a polite smile on his face, ¡°Could I see the text you¡¯ve just copied?¡± Bai Youwei paused for a moment, ¡°¡­Sure.¡± She handed it over. He accepted it. Bai Youwei noticed that his fingers were slender and elegant. Even his nails were very clean and neat. This man named Willard had a unique aura, impossible to go unnoticed even when sitting quietly. After examining it briefly, for about ten seconds or so, he handed back the paper and pen to Bai Youwei, saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± Bai Youwei stared into his eyes, asking curiously, ¡°Did you see anything?¡± The man¡¯s expression remained unflustered, his eyes were vaguely smiling as if he was an emotionless robot, blandly replied, ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows in suspicion. Willard stood up and left the dining room, and the rest followed his lead, leaving in twos and threes. Some returned to their rooms directly, while others stayed on the first floor, smoking, drinking tea, gazing at the rain outside the window, and passing time in melancholy. No one could leave until the rain stopped. Bai Youwei along with Su Man and Zhu Shu stayed in the dining room for a while before leaving as well. In the end, only Robert remained seated by the dining table, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth, he lifted the paper taken from Bai Youwei, and studied the minute scratches on it against the candlelight. The paper underneath where the writing is done usually bore some traces¡­ ¡°What exactly was written on the paper¡­¡± Robert squinted at the paper, intrigued, ¡°did you really see through it¡­?¡± He deciphered the markings on the paper bit by bit. A few nonsensical lines, small circles¡­ irregular squares¡­ and then words appeared: A¡­pig¡­learns¡­¡­to read? Robert was stunned. After a moment, he took a second look at the paper, disbelief coursing through him. A pig learns to read. Yes, he wasn¡¯t mistaken! What Bai Youwei jauntily wrote on the paper wasn¡¯t some research but this sentence! Robert¡¯s face turned ashen! ¡°Dare to make a fool of me¡­¡± He gritted his teeth, fists clenching and then angrily tore the paper into shreds! Just then, someone walked into the dining room. Robert turned around to look. It was Zhu Shu. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here.¡± Zhu Shu walked straight to the seat, picked up a pen from the table, and walked right out. It seemed like she had just come to retrieve something she left behind. Robert¡¯s face alternated between pale and flushed. Every muscle in his face tensed, his heart filled with regret! The torn pieces of paper on the table seemed to mock him silently! ¡°Did she see it?¡± Robert closed his eyes, deeply inhaling, ¡°It seems¡­I¡¯ve met my match¡­¡± Chapter 726 - Chapter 726: Chapter 726: The Password of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 726: Chapter 726: The Password of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Zhu Shu hurried upstairs, quickly returning to the Room 304 where Lu Yuwen was staying. Both Su Man and Bai Youwei were present. ¡°How did it go? Did he notice?¡± Su Man asked anxiously. Zhu Shu cautiously closed the door, then turned to Su Man and Bai Youwei and nodded affirmatively: ¡°I took a quick glance and saw some torn paper on the table, it must have been torn by him.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°It seems that he does indeed understand Chinese characters. Since he understands Chinese, it makes sense that he could also encode messages in Chinese.¡± ¡°Should we inform the Detective?¡± Su Man glanced at Bai Youwei, then at Zhu Shu, ¡°Should we tell the Detective so he can arrest him?¡± ¡°How can he arrest him without any evidence?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head lightly, ¡°He can easily deny it and fabricate any excuse to get himself off the hook. In any case, our current predicament is that despite almost certainly knowing who the mastermind is, we can¡¯t sentence him with no tangible evidence. We must find more evidence.¡± Frustrated, Su Man ran her fingers through her hair, ¡°Ah! How do we find any¡­ Those guys are too cunning, we can¡¯t catch them at all!¡± Zhu Shu raised her troubled brows, whispering, ¡°Our task is to help the detective find the five murderers. Even if we arrest him now, it¡¯s no use. As long as there¡¯s a single one who escapes, all our previous efforts will be wasted¡­¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Bai Youwei agreed, ¡°We need to catch all five to win. Whether we fail to find one or fall short by one, the result is the same.¡± She pulled out the half piece of paper from her pocket, lined it up along with the information she¡¯d written on a separate piece of paper, and laid them out on the table. ¡°If we can decipher the true meaning of these characters, we might find a chance to counter-attack.¡± ¡°Easier said than done¡­¡± Su Man sighed while looking at those characters, ¡°I can¡¯t understand them at all¡­¡± The words on the half piece of paper read: [À§Î§¡¤¹ÌÍÅΧ»Ø¡¤Í¼àîȦÍÅ] The characters Bai Youwei copied from the wall read: [ËÄ¡¤‡æ»Ø¡¤‡æ‡éÍÅ¡¤ËÄàî‡æÒò‡éÍÅÔ°] [àËÄàî¶Ú¶Ú¡¤Í¼»ØÀ§Î§¡¤¹ÌÍÅΧ»Ø¡¤Í¼àîȦÍÅ] Bai Youwei circled the second half and analyzed calmly: ¡°The text on the wall, and the words on the half piece of paper, match perfectly. I think that Lu Yuwen interrupted the opponent¡¯s message transmission, making them realize their original method wasn¡¯t safe enough. So they changed their strategy, deliberately posting the coded message where everyone could see. Doing so, the message is successfully passed on, without worrying about it being seen through, and it even stirs a series of tension¡­ The more tensed humans are, the more they tend to make mistakes.¡± Staring at the characters, Zhu Shu furrowed her brows, ¡°If it¡¯s a cipher with a key, no matter how much we analyse it, we won¡¯t find the answer.¡± Su Man asked her: ¡°What¡¯s a key?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that can decipher the code, usually it¡¯s a book.¡± Zhu Shu explained, ¡°Suppose each of these characters stands for a page number. Then you just need to turn to that page in the key to find the corresponding character.¡± Su Man¡¯s face turned grave, ¡°¡­ If we don¡¯t have the key, doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯ve certainly lost?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be that complicated,¡± Bai Youwei reassured them, ¡°Bringing a key into the game is a liability, easy to be discovered. I think the cipher of these characters should have a simpler solution.¡± Zhu Shu sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve tried dissecting the characters, homophones, reversing the order, but nothing works. I can¡¯t decipher any useful information no matter how I try.¡± Bai Youwei gave it some thought and said thoughtfully, ¡°Even though it¡¯s in Chinese, the code was written by a foreigner¡­ We might be over-complicating things.¡± Chapter 727 - Chapter 727: Chapter 727: Awakening at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 727: Chapter 727: Awakening at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn When confronted with their native language, people often understand it more deeply and think more widely. However, for foreigners, Chinese characters, no matter how simple or complex, may just appear to them as a series of different shapes. Bai Youwei examined the characters once more, thought for a moment, and then took out another sheet of paper. Using a pencil, she marked the locations of all the guests in the inn. First was the second floor¡ª¡ª Room 201 was Su Man, room 202 was the woman with a baby, room 203 was Robert, room 204 was Willard, and room 205 was the bald man. Then was the third floor¡ª¡ª Room 301 was Zhu Shu, room 302 was the businessman, room 303 was the basketball boy, room 304 was Lu Yuwen, and room 305 was the murdered female guest. Lastly was the fourth floor¡ª¡ª Room 401 was Lin Kui, room 402 was the effeminate man, room 403 was Yan Qingwen, room 404 was Carl, and room 405 was the middle-aged woman with the Tarot card. ¡­ Interestingly, the first room on each floor, i.e., 201, 301, 401, was occupied by a subordinate of Yan Qingwen. This meant that if the people in the rooms behind ever wanted to use the stairs, they would most likely be spotted by Yan Qingwen¡¯s men because the stairs were located right next to rooms 201, 301, and 401. ¡ª¡ªThis convenience was probably granted by the game to Yan Qingwen. It was just unfortunate that he was abruptly arrested before he could take advantage of it. Having finished her sketch, Bai Youwei decided to inspect the so-called crime scene on the fourth floor. Su Man stayed behind to take care of Lu Yuwen, while Zhu Shu accompanied Bai Youwei upstairs. The staircase was not carpeted, so footsteps echoed clearly. Bai Youwei was increasingly convinced that the woman in room 202, after luring others out with her screams, hid in the nearest room 402. Otherwise, if she had run downstairs, her footsteps would have been heard. So, could the guests in rooms 202 and 402 be Robert¡¯s subordinates? ¡­Well, not necessarily. When the victim fell at Yan Qingwen¡¯s doorstep, the crime scene had been set up in advance. Therefore, the actual location of their death must have been elsewhere. After the victim had died, their body was moved to the fourth floor to mislead Yan Qingwen. To move the body, the woman from room 202 would have needed help. She couldn¡¯t have done it alone. Who could it have been? As Bai Youwei stared at the dried blood stains on the door, she pondered in silence. Hurried footsteps echoed from the direction of the stairs¡ª¡ª Su Man came running up, telling Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu, ¡°Lu Yuwen has woken up!¡± Bai Youwei paused for a moment, then immediately said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go check on him.¡± The three women quickly went downstairs and returned to Lu Yuwen¡¯s room. Lu Yuwen was struggling to sit up, propping himself up on his elbows. Su Man poured him a cup of water. His hands were still numb and unable to grip the cup, so Su Man fed him the water bit by bit. Despite her carefree personality, her feeding motions were incredibly smooth, as if she had done so before. Bai Youwei asked Lu Yuwen, ¡°How much do you remember before you passed out?¡± Yuwen leaned against the bed, taking a moment to recuperate. He seemed more lucid now than before, not as dazed, it¡¯s just that he was exceptionally tired. ¡°¡­I remember finding this paper in the flowerpot, I had just turned around when I was attacked¡­¡± After a bit of thought, he said faintly, ¡°The assailant was a man¡­his sleeve¡­ was white.¡± White sleeves? Zhu Shu hesitated, ¡°Even if we¡¯re sure the sleeve was white, we can¡¯t necessarily identify the suspect as the guests in rooms 302, 203, 204 all have white sleeves on their clothes.¡± Bai Youwei was puzzled, ¡°Knowing there¡¯s a risk of you seeing him, why didn¡¯t your attacker finish you off? Even if time was of the essence, dealing with a paralysed man shouldn¡¯t be that hard¡­¡± Chapter 728 - Chapter 728: Chapter 728: The Small Experiment at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 728: Chapter 728: The Small Experiment at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Lu Yuwen pondered and proposed a hypothesis: ¡°Is it possible¡­ that the perpetrator is under certain restrictions? For instance, they can only kill one person a day, and since the guest in room 305 was murdered yesterday, they could only knock me out in the heat of the moment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s highly probable.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°If their mission was to kill five guests, they could have just started killing players right at the beginning of the game to swiftly complete their mission. But they didn¡¯t do this, which means there must be some kind of restriction.¡± Zhu Shu also nodded in agreement, ¡°Indeed. Everyone was unfamiliar with the mission objectives at the beginning of the game, so that would¡¯ve been the best time to strike. Moreover, they were equipped with anesthetics, making it easy to deal with anyone. The game rules must have imposed certain restrictions on them, otherwise it¡¯d be too unfair to the other players.¡± ¡°Perhaps, the restriction could be even stricter¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered and slowly voiced, ¡°Such as, only being able to kill one person a day, and furthermore, each of the five perpetrators needs to kill one person.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, they¡¯d have to coordinate their efforts, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Su Man widened her eyes in surprise, ¡°Otherwise, it could easily lead to two people killing the same person, or to a surplus of kills.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°That¡¯s why the five perpetrators have to convene after each murder to discuss their next target. But this could draw unwanted attention, hence the coded message on the slips of paper. To prevent exposure of the information, it¡¯s encrypted in a code that only the culprits could understand.¡± Su Man was dumbfounded for a moment but gradually understood, ¡°You mean, the text written on the paper represents the next person they aim to kill?¡± Bai Youwei picked up the note, contemplating in silence. There are a total of 15 guests at the inn. Excluding Yan Qingwen¡¯s squad of five, and the unfortunate woman who was killed, at least five people should be able to comprehend the message on this slip of paper from among the remaining nine¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s conduct a harmless little experiment,¡± Bai Youwei proposed. ¡­ This time, Lu Yuwen remained conscious for much longer, enduring for approximately an hour before slipping back into a drowsy sleep. Bai Youwei wrote several notes and, along with Zhu Shu and Su Man, approached the detective downstairs with a sincere proposition: ¡°Detective, if the code on this note is in Chinese, it suggests that the perpetrator might understand Chinese. We could write some personal secrets on the note and test them. If anyone gets it, their countenance will certainly give them away.¡± After hearing the plan, the detective expressed his agreement, ¡°This indeed seems a wise approach. So, what do you plan to write?¡± ¡°Of course, it would be content that elicits an emotional response from the suspect.¡± Bai Youwei waved the note in her hand like a fan, ¡°Detective, come with us as a witness.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be my pleasure, miss,¡± he responded, as he stood up and stroked his mustache. ¡°I¡¯m rather keen to see if they give themselves away.¡± Bai Youwei smiled, holding the note as she said, ¡°Let¡¯s start from the second floor.¡± The first room on the second floor was room 201, which belonged to Su Man, so they bypassed it and proceeded to room 202. A woman holding a baby opened the door, an annoyed expression on her face, ¡°What do you want? I¡¯m trying to get my baby to nap.¡± ¡°We found a new note in the vase and wanted to check if you can comprehend the writing on it.¡± Bai Youwei handed out the small note to the woman with a smile. The note read: The child in your arms is as disgusting as something picked out of a sewage ditch. The woman quickly read it and snapped back, ¡°I don¡¯t understand it! If you yellow-skinned people can¡¯t understand it, how could I possibly do?¡± Bai Youwei withdrew her note, saying with a smile, ¡°Sorry for the disturbance, goodbye.¡± Chapter 729 - Chapter 729: Chapter 729: Robert of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 729: Chapter 729: Robert of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn The next was the third room on the second floor, Room No. 203. Upon the knock, Mr. Robert opened the door. Seeing Bai Youwei at his door and the detective standing beside her, he squinted slightly, ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Bai Youwei noticed the book in Robert¡¯s hands as she lowered her eyes. It was an English novel, quite thick. ¡°Mr. Robert, what a leisure time you¡¯re having~¡± She said with a smile, ¡°Reading a novel.¡± ¡°Just to pass the time,¡± Robert laughed nonchalantly, ¡°Reading detective novels is a small hobby of mine.¡± Probably to avoid raising Bai Youwei¡¯s suspicions, he deliberately spread the book in front of her and said with a smile, ¡°We are not sure how long we will be here, we need to find something to do. If you¡¯re bored, feel free to borrow a book from me.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°No need~ I can¡¯t read detective novels, the kind I like, you don¡¯t have here.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Robert asked with a smile, ¡°What genre of books do you like, Miss?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Books where everyone¡¯s life is worse off than mine.¡± Robert: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ha~ I am just joking.¡± Bai Youwei giggled, handing him a note, ¡°We found another note from the vase, can you see what¡¯s written on it, Mr. Robert?¡± Robert glanced at the note and saw: If you look down now, you will find that your fly is open. Robert: ¡°¡­¡­..¡± This is not a formidable adversary, but someone deliberately messing with him, right? ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Robert?¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head, examining his expression, ¡°Did you figure out anything? What¡¯s written on the note?¡± ¡°¡­.Nothing,¡± Robert¡¯s back teeth clenched, but he forced a friendly smile at the corner of his mouth, ¡°Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t figure out the meaning of these words.¡± ¡°Then, sorry to disturb, see you.¡± Bai Youwei efficiently withdrew her hand and turned to the next room. Su Man mumbled behind them, ¡°If he couldn¡¯t understand it, why stare at it for so long¡­.¡± The smile on Robert¡¯s face grew stiffer. He watched as Bai Youwei led the others to Room 204, with a sinister look in his eyes. ¡­Everything was going so smoothly, he didn¡¯t expect this kind of character to suddenly show up, first testing him with text, and now boldly coming to his doorstep, what a nuisance¡­ However, if she thought she could handle him this way, she was too innocent. His teammates, although fluent in codes, did not understand Chinese at all¡­ ¡­ Bai Youwei and the detective showed the note to everyone in each room, but unfortunately, everyone reacted indifferently, completely unaffected by the words on the note. The detective was quite disappointed. But Bai Youwei seemed relaxed, as if the result was expected. After the detective left, Zhu Shu worriedly asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What now? Are they concealing it too well? I feel like they really do not know Chinese.¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t, they don¡¯t~¡± Bai Youwei shrugged carelessly, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and rest.¡± Zhu Shu and Su Man looked at each other in confusion, both puzzled. Su Man couldn¡¯t help but speed up her steps to catch up with Bai Youwei and ask,¡±Weiwei, why don¡¯t you seem worried at all?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Worried? Why would I be worried?¡± ¡°Because we can¡¯t find the killer.¡± Su Man looked distressed, ¡°Now we only suspect that Robert is the problem, then¡­404 and 205 might be his accomplices, but who are the other two people? Could it be the woman holding the baby? I feel like she¡¯s off, and the Tarot Card woman, she is too odd¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know soon,¡± Bai Youwei winked at her, ¡°Once I crack the code.¡± Chapter 730 - Chapter 730: Chapter 730: The Strange about Tomorrows Inn Chapter 730: Chapter 730: The Strange about Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Su Man¡¯s mouth formed an ¡°O¡±. Bai Youwei continued to walk on. Su Man followed her, stammering in surprise: ¡°Wei, Weiwei, have you already deciphered the code?¡± ¡°Almost there¡­¡± Bai Youwei walked slowly with her hands behind her back, ¡°If we come across a similar text again, we should be able to decode it.¡± Su Man was incredibly delighted: ¡°Incredible!¡± Worry, however, was written all over Zhu Shu¡¯s face. Those words were no different from a death warning. If there were to be more of them, it would mean that the killer already had a new target in mind. The killer had a tranquilizer supplied by the game; it was almost impossible for them to miss their shot. Even someone as skilled as Su Man could hardly avoid falling into the trap. So how should they protect themselves now? Without realizing they had reached the door, Zhu Shu was still worried when a man¡¯s shout suddenly rose from downstairs ¡ª ¡°Help! Quick, someone help!¡­Fire! Fire!!!¡± Along with the voice came the smell of burnt odor, drifting up the stairs. All three women were shocked. The guesthouse was on fire?! ¡°Lu Yuwen!¡± Su Man rushed into the room hastily! Zhu Shu thought of Yan Qingwen, who was locked downstairs, her face turned pale as she ran down the stairs! Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, following and saying, ¡°Don¡¯t panic. The game scene wouldn¡¯t be that fragile. Moreover, Inspector hasn¡¯t announced anything yet. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on.¡± Zhu Shu managed to calm herself down, but her steps were still frantic. While they were taking Yuwen to the first floor, the commotion aroused the other guests, prompting them to run outside. Thick, black smoke filled the first floor, as if there was a real fire! Everyone¡¯s vision was blurred by the smoke, but they didn¡¯t feel the heat of the flames. Someone opened a window, and the cold, damp air rushed into the house as the black smoke trailed out, leaving everyone shivering. What happened? The detective stood at the door of the kitchen, questioning angrily, ¡°What the hell are you doing in there?!¡± The cook also stood at the kitchen door, screaming, ¡°Oh god! Look what you¡¯ve done! You¡¯ve ruined everything!¡± Everyone turned to look. A balding, fat man blackened with soot stormed out of the kitchen, shouting: ¡°I just wanted to have an extra meal! Two meals a day are just not enough, who knew that the stove was so hard to use!!!¡± Everyone fell silent for a moment. It was all just for an extra meal¡­ A woman holding a baby scolded without hesitation, ¡°Are you kidding me?! Didn¡¯t you prepare food and water before entering the game?! Running to the kitchen for an extra meal and causing so much smoke! You scared my baby!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The fat, bald man retorted fiercely, ¡°If you have food, bring it out! Yesterday, I didn¡¯t have enough to eat all day!¡± The woman widened her eyes in alarm, held her baby tightly, and ran back to her room. At this point, the man in room 404 came down while dressing and coughed a few times due to the smoke. He asked, ¡°What happened? I was napping. I just heard you¡¯re all shouting.¡± After seeing the smoky kitchen, he was surprised and said, ¡°How did it get like this? What are you all doing standing there, go put out the fire!¡± The detective said angrily: ¡°The fire is already out, but the smoke hasn¡¯t dispersed. Sir, you must pay for what you have done. Please clean the kitchen immediately! Otherwise, I will arrest you on charges of arson!¡± The fat bald man sneered, didn¡¯t fight back, and cooperated by nodding, ¡°Alright, Detective Sir¡­¡± This small incident ended quickly. Seeing that nothing serious had happened, everyone went back to their rooms. ¡°Really, what a mess¡­¡± Su Man complained, and lifted up Yuwen to return to the third floor. Looking at the pitch-black kitchen, Bai Youwei thoughtfully glanced at the fat man with a embarrassed look on his face¡­.. Something seemed off. Chapter 731 - Chapter 731: Chapter 731: Su Man is Done at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 731: Chapter 731: Su Man is Done at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Because the kitchen was destroyed, the inn didn¡¯t provide dinner that night. But that wasn¡¯t really a big deal. Players would never come into the game empty-handed. Before entering, they would make various preparations, and food was undoubtedly essential. So, when dinner time came, everyone stayed in their rooms without coming down. Lu Yuwen also woke up again at this time. This time, his condition was much better than before. He was not only conscious but also able to get out of bed and walk a few steps. The numbness in his hands and feet had greatly diminished. He had almost fully recovered. Su Man accompanied him up and down the stairs a few times, and urged him to drink more water to boost his metabolism and metabolize the drug quickly. Zhu Shu said with amusement, ¡°Su Man, you usually seem rather relaxed and casual, but I never knew you took such good care of people.¡± Su Man frowned and said with annoyance, ¡°I have to be careful. Who else is going to take care of him since he can¡¯t do anything himself!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she saw that the cup in Lu Yuwen¡¯s hand was slightly tilting. The water would spill out soon, so Su Man quickly reached out to steady the cup. ¡°See, see? Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Su Man took over the cup, feeling helpless towards Lu Yuwen, ¡°I take my eyes off you for a second, and you create a mess! Lu Yuwen, are you some scholar from ancient times? Please be more careful!¡± Lu Yuwen smiled warmly without getting angry and replied, ¡°My wrist still lacks strength.¡± ¡°Sigh! Alright, I¡¯ll just feed you then,¡± Su Man said, holding the cup for him and slowly helping him drink. Lu Yuwen was leaning on her, looking like a scholar, weak, helpless, and pitiful. After watching them for a while, Zhu Shu withdrew her gaze and whispered to Bai Youwei beside her, ¡°Su Man is done for.¡± ¡°Yes indeed.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the couple and agreed, ¡°She¡¯s done for.¡± ¡°What are you two saying?¡± After Su Man finished feeding Lu, she looked at Zhu Shu and Bai Youwei, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®done for¡¯?¡± ¡°You misheard us, I said, ¡®goodnight,¡± Zhu Shu smiled and stood up. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. After midnight, we must stay in our own rooms.¡± Su Man moved the bedside table a little closer, placing a water cup and compressed biscuits on it so Lu Yuwen could reach them from the bed. Then she reminded him, ¡°We¡¯re leaving now, you rest well. Be careful when drinking water, don¡¯t spill it again. The slippers are on the right side of the bed, and the switch for the bedside lamp is behind the light.¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, ¡°Hmm, you too be careful. Make sure to lock the doors and windows and it would be best to place a bowl behind the door. There should still be some beetroot soup left from this morning. If you pour the soup into the bowl, anyone attempting to break in would inevitably spill the red soup and step in it. That stain would be hard to clean, serving as physical evidence.¡± Upon hearing this, Su Man¡¯s eyes sparkled while she looked at Lu Yuwen. She couldn¡¯t resist this kind of wit and intelligence, perhaps because she lacked it herself and thus found it irresistible when she saw it in others. ¡°That¡¯s a brilliant idea! I¡¯ll go to the kitchen right now and place a bowl in each of our rooms tonight!¡± Su Man said excitedly. Bai Youwei found this amusing and teased her, ¡°You should hurry then. That soup was almost finished off by the bald fat guy this morning. I¡¯m not sure how many bowls it will fill now~¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Su Man¡¯s steps halted, disappointment was evident on her face. Lu Yuwen on the bed said, ¡°Ink will also work. As long as someone steps on it and leaves a footprint, they won¡¯t be able to deny it.¡± Su Man¡¯s hope was rekindled, ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll first go to the kitchen to see if there¡¯s any soup left, then go to the front desk to get ink.¡± With that, she turned around and hurried off. A moment later, Bai Youwei also left the room. She called out towards the staircase, ¡°Inspector, which room do I stay in?¡± Chapter 732 - Chapter 732: Chapter 732: Midnight at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 732: Chapter 732: Midnight at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn In this game, the Inspector exists within the game scene in the role of a hotel owner, rarely appearing. After shouting upstairs, Bai Youwei went downstairs to shout. Just as she was about to go upstairs after failing to find anyone downstairs, the faint voice of the Inspector came from behind her: ¡°You can stay in room 305.¡± Bai Youwei turned around, standing on the staircase, looking at the cartoon man in disbelief. ¡°Is this some kind of joke?¡± she said, eyes wide open, ¡°You want me to sleep in a room where someone died?!¡± The cartoon man looked annoyed, but as the Inspector, he had a duty to treat all players equally, so he explained dutifully, ¡°Between midnight and 6 a.m., players must stay in their rooms.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t expect me to sleep in a room where someone died!¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t accept it, ¡°Hotels usually always offer the option for an extra bed, right? Just add a bed to room 201 or 301 for me.¡± Room 201 belonged to Su Man, and room 301 belonged to Zhu Shu. The Inspector refused her stoically: ¡°You must have a room to yourself. If you don¡¯t want room 305, you can choose between room 401 and 403.¡± Room 401 was Lin Kui¡¯s room, and 403 belonged to Yan Qingwen. Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened even more: ¡°You want me to sleep in a bed where a man has lain? I have a boyfriend, you know. If he smells an unfamiliar scent after the game ends, how am I supposed to explain that?¡± The corner of the Inspector¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Your boyfriend¡¯s issues are not within my jurisdiction. Right now, the only available rooms are 305, 401, and 403. There are no other choices.¡± ¡°What if I want to stay in the living room?¡± Bai Youwei asked. The Inspector shook his head, repeating the same sentence: ¡°Between midnight and 6 a.m., players must stay in their rooms.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°Why do we have to stay in our rooms? ¡­Could something happen at night?¡± The cartoon man, seasoned in his responses, didn¡¯t pick up on her bait, to avoid falling into a verbal trap. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Fine then, I choose room 403.¡± The cartoon man turned around and left. ¡°There¡¯s bound to be trouble tonight,¡± Bai Youwei muttered under her breath as he walked away, ¡°otherwise there would be no need to restrict our movement. Our rest time is when the culprit is active, right? Werewolf kill game, huh?¡± The cartoon man: ¡°¡­.¡± He ignored her and kept walking, determined not to take the bait. Bai Youwei nonchalantly brushed it off with a dismissive pout. ¡­ After midnight, the inn went eerily silent. It was as if someone had hit the mute button, even the sound of the rain outside the window seemed distant. Instead, the silence brought forth a different kind of noise; the creaking of bed springs as she moved, the rustling sound of the pillow, and the inexplicable creaking sounds from this old building¡­ Bai Youwei used bedding and pillows from the Doll House. She quietly lay wrapped around her bunny, occasionally turning over in bed, afraid to fall asleep in case she missed any sounds. No victims had appeared all day today. If the rule of murdering one person a day held, tonight would be their adversary¡¯s last opportunity. Moreover¡­ If she guessed correctly, a new death notice would appear after the emergence of the new victim. It was a pity she wasn¡¯t able to go outside. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve liked to go out and investigate. What would happen if she went out? Would she be disqualified for breaking the rules? ¡­Whatever, after all, she was just an external aid. As long as she told Su Man and Zhu Shu how to crack the code before being disqualified, she¡¯d be fine. Thinking this, Bai Youwei sat up reflexively. The stuffed bunny in her arms fell to the ground with a thump, waking up and looking around in confusion. A plush bunny¡­ asleep? Bai Youwei felt somewhat incredulous. Ever since its last ¡®level up¡¯ in the Mermaid Maze, the bunny almost seemed more ¡®alive¡¯. Before, it could only follow simple commands. Now, it acted like it had a will of its own. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sure if this ¡®level up¡¯ was a good thing. Sometimes, things that were too unpredictable were not as reliable as those which would just obediently follow commands. Chapter 733 - Chapter 733: Chapter 733: The Snap at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 733: Chapter 733: The Snap at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Bai Youwei picked up the plush rabbit and draped a blanket around her shoulders before making her way to the door. Then, she clutched the doorknob. Inside, she was hesitant, thus she paused for quite a while before proceeding. No one, no matter how unafraid of being eliminated, ever truly wants to face elimination¡­ Bai Youwei stood still, considering her next move. As she vacillated, the doorknob she was holding suddenly began to move on its own. Click. The faint sound seemed especially clear in the silent night¡­ Bai Youwei froze. She watched as the doorknob she was gripping began to slowly turn on its own¡­ Click. Again. The doorknob turned to a certain position and jammed. The door was locked from the inside. Bai Youwei held her breath, slowly releasing her grip. The doorknob began to twist on its own, clicking continuously! The sounds became more frantic! Until it finally crashed against the door panel without any restraint, causing loud noises! It seemed as if it was trying to break the door! Bai Youwei¡¯s heart hung up in her chest as she took two steps back in horror, hugging the rabbit more tightly. There was someone outside! Someone was trying to break into her room! She stared directly at the spinning doorknob, straining every nerve in her body! Waiting to strike the moment the intruder broke in! But then the noise suddenly stopped. The doorknob ceased moving, the hitting sounds disappeared¡­ everything went eerily silent. Bai Youwei frowned, and after a moment, she gently approached the door, straining to catch any noise from outside. She heard heavy footfalls, one step, two steps, three steps¡­ gradually moving away from her door. Had they changed their target? The footsteps seemed to be coming from rooms 404 and 405¡ª In room 404, there lived a man who wore a plaid shirt, named Carl; while in room 405, a middle-aged woman holding tarot cards resided. Who would be the victim tonight? Bai Youwei put her ear to the door, attempting to pick up more information, but there was nothing. It was incredibly quiet outside. She sat down slowly, leaning against the door and waited. The rabbit kept sleeping on her lap. About six to seven minutes later, the footsteps reappeared, along with a strange, rustling sound. It was like something heavy was dragging across the floor¡­ Bai Youwei waited for a while longer, and when she heard the footsteps descending the stairs, she lightly twisted the doorknob, intending to see what was happening. But she quickly realized she wasn¡¯t able to open the locked door even from the inside! What was happening? Did the game lock the door to prevent players from stepping out randomly? Or was her room special? Or was it because of her special role as an outside helper? Bai Youwei frowned and continued to wait behind the door. She wanted to know if the footsteps would return. Time ticked away. Before she even realized it, she had fallen asleep leaning against the door. ¡­and like this, she slept until daybreak. The persistent rain blurred the distinction between day and night, plunging the room into an endless gloom. When Bai Youwei woke up, her first instinct was to open the door. She managed to open the door easily this time, and stepped out hurriedly, intending to check rooms 404 and 405 for potential traces left by the perpetrator the night before. However, the moment she stepped outside her room, she heard a scream from the third floor! It was Su Man¡¯s voice! Bai Youwei¡¯s heart jumped, and she hurriedly ran downstairs! People had already gathered outside room 304 on the third floor! Bai Youwei pushed her way through the crowd and peered into the room. Her face turned ashen! The middle-aged woman from room 405 was lying in a pool of blood, with her tarot cards scattered all over the floor. And Su Man¡­ Su Man was standing there with a bloody knife in her hand, staring at the body on the floor in shock. The detective¡¯s voice echoed down the hallway: ¡°I can¡¯t believe someone dared to murder right under my nose! I¡¯m arresting you all! Everyone¡¯s under arrest!¡± Chapter 734 - Chapter 734: Chapter 734: A Mistake at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 734: Chapter 734: A Mistake at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn The detective pulled out a pair of grim, metallic handcuffs, cuffing Su Man on one side and Lu Yuwen on the other. He spoke sternly, ¡°I am detaining both of you! You¡¯ll be taken for questioning back at the station once the rain stops. Now, follow me downstairs!¡± Lu Yuwen appeared to have been through a fight, with scratches and bite marks on his body. Su Man stood rooted to the spot, struggling to accept the outcome. ¡°We¡­ we were acting in self-defense!¡± she retorted loudly, ¡°Can¡¯t you see she was attacking us?!¡± ¡°No matter what the reason, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you broke the law by committing a violent act!¡± The detective was unforgiving, ¡°And if it was self-defense, both of you could have easily restrained her. Why did you use a knife?!¡± Su Man dropped the knife in her hand, crying injustice, ¡°This isn¡¯t our knife! She was already carrying it when she came in! I just pulled it out as she was attacking us!¡± The detective scoffed, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that she was stabbed, but instead of seeking medical help, she ran to attack you guys? Who would believe such a ghost story? Do you have any evidence? I think it¡¯s clear that both of you conspired to commit a violent act!¡± Furious, Su Man swore, ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You both are under arrest now! Follow me downstairs!¡± The detective didn¡¯t indulge her any longer, and turned to leave. Su Man realized that she had no control over her limbs, like a convicted criminal, unable to shake off the shackles, and could only obediently follow. The spectators at the doorway spontaneously cleared a path. As Lu Yuwen passed by Bai Youwei, he muttered something to her, then followed behind Su Man out of the room. Bai Youwei slightly furrowed her brows, watching their retreating figures. The other spectators, having had their fill of the spectacle, slowly dispersed. Left in the room were Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu, along with a corpse. Zhu Shu went to the body and picked up the knife dropped by Su Man, sighing, ¡°Weapons aren¡¯t allowed in the doll game. So this knife¡­ it really isn¡¯t ours. But we don¡¯t have any evidence¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then walked over to the body, and after a while, asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s too little blood?¡± Zhu Shu was taken aback, looking down at the floor. A fair amount of blood had already seeped from beneath the corpse. Could this be considered little? ¡°Just now, Lu Yuwen told me that this middle-aged woman was dead before she entered his room,¡± Bai Youwei said. Zhu Shu¡¯s eyes widened slightly. Bai Youwei took the knife from her hand, stabbed it forcefully into the body, then pulled it out, ¡°¡­Look, although I¡¯m not a forensic expert, isn¡¯t the flow of this blood a little too slow?¡± Zhu Shu stared at the wound. Several seconds passed before the blood slowly welled up from inside. Zhu Shu tried moving the corpse¡¯s arm and murmured, ¡°The joints¡­ are very stiff.¡± She found it unbelievable, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°If we prove to the detective that this woman has been dead for a while, will he release Su Man and Lu Yuwen?¡± ¡°Probably not.¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°Proving the woman died long ago still doesn¡¯t explain why she appeared here, or prove that someone else was the murderer.¡± Zhu Shu furrowed her brows, ¡°If it was a dead body, why did it appear in Lu Yuwen¡¯s room and attack him? It¡¯s very strange¡­¡± Su Man turned up in Lu Yuwen¡¯s room because she was worried about him and went to check on him early in the morning, but how did a corpse manage to move from the fourth floor to the third? Bai Youwei dropped the knife in her hand, slowly wiping her hands, ¡°Zhu Shu, I realized that I made a mistake. But fortunately, we still have time to rectify it.¡± ¡°What mistake?¡± Zhu Shu asked. Bai Youwei gave her a faint smile, ¡°Our mission was to find out who the five murderers are, so I¡¯ve always considered the murderers as our biggest enemies in this game. But in fact¡­ our biggest enemy is not the murderers, but the other five people.¡± Chapter 735 - Chapter 735: Chapter 735: The Anxious Person at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 735: Chapter 735: The Anxious Person at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Zhu Shu¡¯s mind was turning quickly, immediately understood Bai Youwei¡¯s thought, and mused: ¡°A¡¯s target is B, B¡¯s target is C, C¡¯s target is A.¡± In this cycle, assuming we are C, our mission is to catch the murderer A, but the real enemy is B that aims to exterminate us all¡­¡± Bai Youwei nodded, saying: ¡°Think about it, it¡¯s a game of 15 people, 5 people in each group, who is in a favorable situation now?¡± Zhu Shu gave it some thought, her expression gradually became grave: ¡°¡­it¡¯s Team B, because they have written off four of us, as long as they out one more person, Team B will win!¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Our attention has been drawn to Group A, but in fact, no matter how cruel Team A is, they can only kill one person a day. On the other hand, there seems to be no limit to the number of people Team B can eliminate.¡± Zhu Shu turned pale: ¡°Team A has killed two people, Team B has done four, we¡­ we haven¡¯t been able to eliminate anyone from Team A so far.¡± ¡°Interesting~¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°So this is a race. Whoever completes their elimination task first, wins first.¡± Zhu Shu looked worried: ¡°What do we do? I¡¯m the only one left on Brother Yan¡¯s side, if they eliminate another one, we¡¯ll lose¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t lose.¡± Bai Youwei smiled confidently, ¡°Although Team B is clever, you must not forget that Team B only starts acting once there¡¯s a death in the hotel.¡± If they wanted to frame Zhu Shu, there had to be a new victim in the hostel. Realizing this, Zhu Shu felt somewhat at ease. ¡°Let¡¯s go and check it out.¡± Bai Youwei casually looked toward the doorway, ¡°The next death notice should have appeared by now.¡± ¡­ This time, the death notice was posted in the restaurant. A white paper, on which it was written with a pencil: [ˆ@-ËÄàî¶Ú¶Ú-‡æàñ»Ø-¹ÌÍÅΧ»Ø-ͼ»ØÀ§Î§-¿Ú‡æ-àïàîÔ°Ô°ÍÅΧ] The detective, too, saw it and was furious: ¡°These villains! So brazen! Planning to commit further crimes! I will interrogate every person!¡± Having said that, he strode towards the staircase to call for everyone. Bai Youwei took out her pen and paper again and silently copied the words down. After finishing, she held the piece of paper and pondered for a while, for some reason, an amused smile crossed her lips. Zhu Shu asked: ¡°Can you understand it?¡± ¡°Yes~¡± Bai Youwei turned around, lightly patted Zhu Shu¡¯s shoulder, a smile on her face, and whispered in her ear, ¡°Something interesting will happen soon, wait and see~¡± ¡°¡­Interesting?¡± Zhu Shu was confused, ¡°Will it be dangerous?¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes: ¡°Of course, but the ones in danger won¡¯t be us, but¡­ them.¡± People were being called downstairs by the Detective one by one. Bai Youwei saw Robert. ¡°Zhu Shu, do you know that someone else is also anxious, not just you. This person is more anxious than you¡­ because he was originally in control, but now he is losing the advantage, if he doesn¡¯t do something, he really is going to lose¡­¡± Zhu Shu slightly frowned, and also looked towards the approaching Robert. Yes¡­ Robert indeed had the advantage. He could kill these guests unnoticed, but unfortunately, someone else was planting evidence more efficiently, calculating more accurately, the gap between the two sides was widening¡ª¡ª If it¡¯s delineated with letters and scores, it goes like this: Team A Scored 2; Team B Scored 4; Team C Scored 0. If Team A continues in their current way, and kills another person, their score becomes 3, then Team B will subsequently eliminate another person, score 5, and thus win. So, if Team A wants to compete to the end, they must reconsider their strategy. Chapter 736 - Chapter 736: Chapter 736: Do You Like the Tomorrows Inn? Chapter 736: Chapter 736: Do You Like the Tomorrow¡¯s Inn? The detective gathered everyone in the dining room, scolding and interrogating them one by one. In the end, no conclusions were drawn and everyone gradually returned to their rooms. As for the paper in the dining room, those who could understand it naturally understood, and those who couldn¡¯t have pretended they never saw it. Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu stayed in the living room, sitting opposite the detective and the doctor, killing time and listening to these two NPCs chat aimlessly. According to Bai Youwei¡¯s wishes, Zhu Shu should stay by the detective¡¯s side as much as possible from now on to avoid being framed in case another murder happens. Zhu Shu understood, but there was one thing she couldn¡¯t figure out. In the morning, a woman from room 405 was found dead in Lu Yuwen¡¯s room. Given the rule that only one person dies per day, would anything really happen today? Bai Youwei said: ¡°Don¡¯t forget that when the woman with the tarot cards entered, according to Lu Yuwen, she was already dead.¡± Bai Youwei winked at Zhu Shu and whispered, ¡°Who knows if she died today, or yesterday¡­¡± ¡°You mean¡­last night?¡± Zhu Shu thought for a moment. ¡°Actually, I did hear some noise outside the door last night.¡± ¡°No, it probably wasn¡¯t last night.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°It might have been earlier.¡± ¡°Earlier means¡­¡± Zhu Shu furrowed her brows, deep in thought. If it was even earlier, could it have been¡­at that time? She found it hard to believe and looked at Bai Youwei in surprise. Bai Youwei nodded: ¡°That¡¯s right, just as you thought, it was when the kitchen caught fire.¡± At that time, almost all the guests had run downstairs, but had the woman with the tarot cards ever come down? Now that she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t remember. No one saw her. Ever since breakfast, that woman had stayed in her room and hadn¡¯t come out. ¡°Who could have done it?¡± Zhu Shu¡¯s heart pounded as she murmured, ¡°Could it be that man?¡­Room 404, the one called Carl?¡± ¡°His room and the middle-aged woman¡¯s room are the closest to the corridor, making him the ideal candidate. As for how¡­¡± Bai Youwei glanced towards the staircase direction and smiled faintly, ¡°He had access to a certain anesthetic which made it possible to do things silently. Then, pretend to be flustered and run downstairs. I remember¡­ he seemed to be the last one down, right?¡± Zhu Shu nodded: ¡°Yes, he was the last.¡± ¡°The teamwork of this bunch is rather good. It¡¯s just a shame that they met a more formidable opponent.¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but revel in their misfortune. ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it¡­ I wonder if Robert will be able to counterattack successfully?¡± Thinking about what might happen next made her extremely cheerful. Seeing Zhu Shu looking at her, she asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Zhu Shu hesitated, ¡°Weiwei¡­ don¡¯t you think the game is¡­fun?¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback. Was it fun? A teammate had been captured, their safety uncertain, two players were already dead, and who knows who will be next; all were fearful. Under such circumstances¡­could it still be considered fun? Bai Youwei fell silent for a while, then explained, ¡°No, I was just thinking¡­ when two quarrel, a third profits. The more intensely they fight, the greater our chances of victory, so I felt a bit joyful earlier.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Zhu Shu nodded, ¡°That makes sense, you always know what to do.¡± Bai Youwei gave a faint smile. After a moment of silence, having a nagging doubt, Bai Youwei cautiously asked Zhu Shu, ¡°Do you think¡­ the average person would find the game fun?¡± Zhu Shu thought for a moment, then answered in a soft voice: ¡°Maybe¡­ but those who enjoy the game must be very powerful people.¡± Zhu Shed smiled at Bai Youwei and self-deprecatingly said, ¡°As for someone like me, who is destined to be trampled on in the game, it¡¯s certainly not enjoyable, is it?¡± Chapter 737 - Chapter 737: Chapter 737: The Last Dinner at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 737: Chapter 737: The Last Dinner at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Bai Youwei knew in her heart. Zhu Shu would only ask such a question, if something felt off. She was well-cultured, masters art of conversation, and never made others embarrassed. If the person was normal, they would worry about the safety of their teammates, they would worry about their own situation, and they would be distressed about the outcome. Then how could they find the game enjoyable? Bai Youwei just laughed lightly, no longer delving into it, and trying not to think about it, because it was hard to come up with a result. Better not to face it. The two of them passed the time downstairs until dinner time at 6 o¡¯clock. The inn only had two meal times in a day, once at 9 AM and once at 6 PM. Once again, the ten people gathered in the downstairs dining room, everyone¡¯s expressions were calm, but the atmosphere was always tense. Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu sat together, next to the woman holding the baby, and across from them was Willard. And on both sides of Willard were Carl from room 404 and the bald man from room 205. Although there were empty seats, these three occupied a row, visually crowded compared to other places. The woman holding the baby looked at them several times, seemingly wanting to say something, but finally shut her mouth, quietly rocking the baby doll in her arms. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï The others also glanced inconspicuously towards Willard. Zhu Shu was a bit unsettled, she lowered her voice and said to Bai Youwei beside her: ¡°Weiwei¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Bai Youwei was cutting the roast pork chop on her plate, ¡°Let¡¯s just enjoy the show.¡± She cut off a piece, put it in her mouth and chewed slowly. The meat was good, but sadly the seasoning was appalling, just like the scene in front of her ¡ª The idea was wonderful, but the characters were terrible. The bald man clenched his dinner knife and suddenly stabbed Willard! Everything happened unexpectedly, startling everyone at the table! Willard seemed to have anticipated it, leaning back to avoid it ¡ª But Carl on the other side didn¡¯t let him dodge! He raised his hand and struck Willard¡¯s back, forced him into the path of the knife! With a hiss, the shiny dinner knife was buried half in his chest! Willard¡¯s white shirt was dotted with crimson. ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± The woman holding the baby screamed, ¡°Murder! Murder!!!¡± At this moment, the situation suddenly changed! The bald man pulled out the dinner knife from Willard¡¯s chest, moved past him and stabbed Carl in room 404! The other party was completely unprepared for his ally¡¯s betrayal, and was punctured twice in the chest. ¡°Fatso! Are you crazy?!¡± Carl raised his hand to block the attack and hurriedly retreated, but the bald man caught up with him and stabbed him several more times, hitting his arms and shoulders! At this point, the detective from outside heard the commotion and rushed in, shouting, ¡°Stop!!!¡± Carl breathed a sigh of relief and took cover towards the detective. Yet, the fat man from behind continued to attack him, stabbing him in the neck for the last time! He pulled out the knife ruthlessly! Carl¡¯s body froze, his eyes bulged wide¡ª Warm blood gushed out, splashing on the dining table, mixing with the greasy pork chop, the smell of blood was nauseating. The detective strode over, pulled out his handcuffs, and tightly cuffed the bald man! ¡°You¡¯re under arrest!¡± Dragged the bald man out of the dining room, his tone was both angry and triumphant: ¡°Finally got you, the five criminals! Now, the rain will finally stop, and tomorrow I¡¯ll lock all you scum in prison!¡± Bai Youwei saw a very thin black thread falling from the back of the fat man. It looked like a piece of thread from a piece of clothing, and also like a strand of long hair, so thin that it disappeared in the blink of an eye¡­ Chapter 738 - Chapter 738: Chapter 738 The Opportunity of Tomorrows Inn has Arrived Chapter 738: Chapter 738 The Opportunity of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn has Arrived Willard took his seat slowly, for a player who had passed through the labyrinth, this degree of injury was minor. He picked up the napkin on the table, neatly folded it, and gently pressed it on the wound. A blood rose seemed to burst forth on his chest. The dining table was silent. Everyone was watching him. From being attacked, stabbed in the chest, to Carl being assaulted, the bald assailant was taken away¡­ throughout all the incidents, Willard¡¯s emotion showed no change whatsoever. He picked up his own knife and fork again, and began to savour the pork chops on his plate. With a bloody taste in the meat juice, he ate it bite by bite, swallowing it elegantly and calmly. It was as if it tasted delicious. Zhu Shu¡¯s eyebrows tightened, wanting to throw up. However, Bai Youwei noted that Robert¡¯s hands, the hands clutching his knife and fork, were trembling slightly. She understood that Robert intended to eliminate Willard by trading one for one. Choosing dinner time was to not give the opponent a chance and time to frame him. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã? In this way, even if the bald man was arrested, they still had 4 people left in their team and without Willard, Team B would no longer be able to compete with them! But he never expected¡­ His actions not only failed to eliminate Willard but ended up costing him two of his own team members! An oppressive silence lasted for a long while. Willard consumed most of the food on his plate, gently wiped the corners of his mouth, rose, and exited the dining room, without uttering a word and displaying no expression. After he had left, Robert clenched his fist and smacked it hard on the dinner table! With a bang! To vent his anger! As he stood up, his chair toppled over. Robert, his face grim, stalked out of the dining room¡ª The reactions of the rest were varied. The food on the table had been smeared with blood, nobody wanted to eat. After sitting for a while, they all gradually left as well. When everyone else was gone, Zhu Shu nudged Bai Youwei, and extended her wrist. ¡°Look.¡± In her glowing wristwatch was a task progress bar divided into five parts. Now, the progress was two-fifths completed. Bai Youwei gave a laugh, ¡°Willard has helped you progress part of the way~¡± Zhu Shu lowered her wrist, pondering thoughtfully, ¡°Three more people to go¡­ Robert is one of them, but who could the other two be¡­¡± The woman in Room 202 who was holding the baby. The businessman in Room 302. The young basketball player in Room 303. The effeminate man in Room 402. Two of these four people were Robert¡¯s teammates. If she could find evidence of their involvement in the crime with Robert, she could help Yan Qingwen win the game! But¡­ wait, if they hadn¡¯t made any moves since the beginning of the game, what was she supposed to do? Zhu Shu felt a headache coming on, ¡°¡­ Robert is cunning. From the very beginning he had his team act individually. Even if one or two team members are discovered, it could still ensure the concealment of the other team members.¡± She looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, what do we do? We¡¯re at a stalemate now.¡± If Willard eliminated just one more person, he would win. Robert, in order not to fulfil his opponent¡¯s desire, would definitely not kill anyone else. But if no one else was killed, how would Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu find clues and evidence? What to do?¡­ It was a total deadlock. ¡°What are you talking about? This is the best situation~¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s lips curled up in a triumphant smile, ¡°Now that neither side is making a move, our chance has come, Zhu Shu.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhu Shu pursed her lips, looked outside where no one was paying attention, and quietly asked Bai Youwei, ¡°¡­ How should we proceed?¡± Chapter 739 - Chapter 739: Chapter 739: Tomorrows Hotel - Youve Been Arrested Chapter 739: Chapter 739: Tomorrow¡¯s Hotel ¨C You¡¯ve Been Arrested Upon returning to his room, Robert was still unable to quell the rage boiling inside him. Everything had been going according to his plan until he encountered such a formidable adversary, making him feel incredibly frustrated! Each time he eliminated one person, the adversary would take out two of his; If he eliminated two, the adversary would take out four! The task that the game had assigned him was to find ways to kill five specific targets, and it had even provided him with five doses of potent anesthetic! But now, after only eliminating two, he had run into trouble! That man named Willard, he must have some kind of special tool, otherwise how could he so easily manipulate a corpse and control the bald fat man in an instant?! So what should he do now? During the dinner just now, the bald man had stabbed and killed Carl, today¡¯s quota had already been used up. The next action could only be taken tomorrow, but what about tomorrow¡­ how will he make his move? Robert felt a sense of urgency consuming him, as if he were on fire! All his advantages had now been wiped out. If he couldn¡¯t come up with a solution, he would lose the first round of this battle game! What to do? What to do?! What to do!!! Robert looked at his reflection in the mirror, where was the calm demeanor he had when he first entered the game? He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï Think of a solution. Although he cannot strike at that guy now, perhaps¡­ if it¡¯s just to restrict his freedom, it should be possible. That¡¯s right¡­ this is what he will do. With limited quota, let¡¯s not aim for his life, but just incapacitate him, or break his arms and legs, cut off his tongue, gouge out his eyes¡­ See how he can make moves then! There are less than five hours left until midnight, he must quickly come up with a foolproof plan to suppress his opponent! Only in this way can his team continue their mission tomorrow¡ª From midnight to 6 o¡¯clock in the morning, it was not the time for murderers, but the time for Willard¡¯s team to operate. After weighing the pros and cons, Robert decided to take action himself. Now that the two best men on his team were gone, all that remained were two unreliable ones. One was young and impulsive, and the other always wanted to preserve his own safety. Robert opened the bag he had brought into the game and started looking for useful items within it. Suddenly, a knock sounded from outside the door¡ª Pang, pang. Robert looked puzzled and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± No one answered. There was no more knocking. Robert watched the door warily for a while, then slowly walked to the door, bent over, and saw a note shoved under the door. Raising his eyebrows, Robert picked up the note. The note read in a coded message: Meet in room 201. Room 201, that was Su Man¡¯s room. Now that Su Man had been arrested, the room was naturally vacant, open to anyone who wanted to enter. Looks like his two remaining team members were also panicking, hence why they broke the usual protocol, and wrote a note to contact him. Robert resided in room 203, just a single room away from Su Man¡¯s. Should he go over now? The note did not mention any specific time. He should just go and check it out¡­ lest they got anxious and did something else to arouse suspicion. Robert opened the door, making sure no one was around, and arrived at the doorstep of room 201 with a stern expression. He grasped the door handle, turned it tentatively, and then pushed the door open¡ª The room was in total darkness, with no lights on, but a shadowy figure could be vaguely made out standing by the bed. Frowning, Robert raised his hand to look for the light switch on the wall, but then a light suddenly snapped on, blinding him. The intense light forced him to shut his eyes! Someone had turned on the bedside lamp, aiming the light at him like an interrogation! Robert quickly turned off the light switch on the wall, turned slightly to avoid the light, and finally saw who was in the room. His eyes widened in shock! Because the person in the room was the Detective! ¡°So, you are the murderer,¡± the Detective said coldly, holding up a pair of handcuffs as he slowly approached Robert, ¡°You are under arrest!¡± Chapter 740 - Chapter 740: Chapter 740: The Meaning of the Inns Somber Language Tomorrow Chapter 740: Chapter 740: The Meaning of the Inn¡¯s Somber Language Tomorrow Robert was taken aback, he didn¡¯t even understand what had happened! ¡°Why?!¡± He attempted to struggle, but his body continuously refused to respond, unable to resist the detective handcuffing him! ¡°Only the murderer could understand that note.¡± The detective retorted coldly, ¡°Your presence here proves that you¡¯re the murderer! What more excuses do you have?!¡± Robert¡¯s brain felt as though it had been struck mercilessly with a sledgehammer! His secret code had been deciphered?! Impossible¡­ how could that be possible?! It must be those two, knowing they couldn¡¯t win, who betrayed him! It must be! The door was opened again. Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu stood outside, very understandingly telling the detective: ¡°Detective, people have also entered rooms 304 and 401~¡± ¡°Good!¡± The detective strode outward, ¡°I¡¯m going to catch all these damned criminals! Arrest them all!¡± Robert looked at them in bewilderment: ¡°Did you two meddle with the note?!¡± ¡°Yeah~¡± Bai Youwei backed away with her hands behind her, smiling at him, ¡°Was my imitation alright?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã? ¡°How is it possible?¡± Robert couldn¡¯t accept it, ¡°How could you break that secret code?!¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s quite simple~¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, nonchalantly saying, ¡°None of you understand Chinese, which means the characters on the paper are not real words, but symbolic imageries. Your teammates just memorised them blindly.¡± ¡°Even so, you couldn¡¯t possibly guess the true meaning of those words!¡± Robert excitedly questioned her, ¡°Did they tell you? How did you bribe them?!¡± ¡°Ha~¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Did I bribe them? Was there a need?¡± To be honest, from the beginning, I doubted the true meaning of these words, I just didn¡¯t have a precise direction. But then you said you enjoy mystery novels, which gave me a clue, after all, I¡¯ve also read Holmes.¡± Robert¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°One of the stories is called ¡®The Dancing Men¡¯, which also uses a code, a symbol representing a letter, right?¡± Bai Youwei enjoyed his expression, speaking unhurriedly, ¡°Then I started to think, if I were the culprit, wanting to quickly convey a message within a limited space, what¡¯s the first thing that should be conveyed?¡± Robert slowly bit his lower lip, watching her unwillingly: ¡°You¡­ deduced it that way?¡± ¡°More or less~¡± Bai Youwei grinned, ¡°I think the first thing to be conveyed should be the target, who the plan is against, this should be made clear. But if none of you know each other¡¯s names, how to refer to it? ¡­ The room number is the most direct way, right?¡± Robert kept his face stern, remaining silent. Bai Youwei continued: ¡°I noticed that in the secret code, the combination of ¡®¹ÌÍÅΧ»Ø¡¯ kept reappearing, it appeared in each cryptic message, so I boldly guessed it was the English ¡®0¡¯, because no matter who you plan against, the room number will necessarily contain an ¡®0¡¯! With that, I got four letters, z, e, r, o. Furthermore, as soon as your secret code appeared, the female guest in room 405 met with trouble, therefore I deduced that the words before ¡®¹ÌÍÅΧ»Ø¡¯ referred to ¡®four¡¯, and the ones after, to ¡®five¡¯¡ª ¡®Í¼»ØÀ§Î§¡¤¹ÌÍÅΧ»Ø¡¤Í¼àîȦÍÅ¡¯, these word combinations together would denote ¡®four-zero-five¡¯, 405. I used these known letters in the whole sentence, making connections and guesses, hence I got even more letters.¡± Bai Youwei squinted her eyes, a playful smile forming on corner of her lips: ¡°At last¡­ I used these letters to write several notes and pushed them into everyone¡¯s rooms, anyone who could understand would want to take a look, right? Just like you~ at this moment.¡± Chapter 741 - Chapter 741: Chapter 741: He Lost in Tomorrows Hotel Chapter 741: Chapter 741: He Lost in Tomorrow¡¯s Hotel Bai Youwei looked at Robert tauntingly, pulling out the two pieces of paper that she had copied down earlier. ¡°Before the middle-aged woman in room 405 died, your coded message was: Four ¡¤ ‡æ return ¡¤ ‡æ ‡é group ¡¤ Four º¢ ‡æ Òò ‡é group park, àï ¡¤ Four º¢ ¶Ú ¶Ú ¡¤ Picture return trapped ¡¤ ¹Ì ÍÅ surrounded by return ¡¤ ͼ àî Circled group, As long as you substitute these words for four zero five, this coded message becomes- Four ¡¤ ‡æo ¡¤ ‡æ ‡ée ¡¤ Fouri ‡æ Òò ‡ée park, àï ¡¤ Four ¶Ú ¶Ú ¡¤ four ¡¤ zero ¡¤ five, At first glance, it still doesn¡¯t make much sense, but the second part of the ¡®four ¶Ú ¶Ú¡¯ got me thinking. This is a four-letter word, the second word is i, and the last two words are the same. Considering the experience of the guest 405, it¡¯s not hard to guess that the word is ¡®kill¡¯. Hence, I know that ¡®four¡¯ is k and that ¡®¶Ú¡¯ is l. Substitute these back into the coded message and it transforms into- k ¡¤ ‡æo ¡¤ ‡æ ‡ée ¡¤ ki ‡æ Òò ‡ée park, àï ¡¤ kill ¡¤ four ¡¤ zero ¡¤ five, I suspect ¡®ki ‡æ Òò ‡ée park¡¯ this term, could potentially be referring to the kitchen as you once told the bald-headed man to burn the kitchen. However, I¡¯m not completely certain. Fortunately, the appearance of a new coded message reassured me that my decoding method was correct. The new coded message is ¨C park ¡¤ Four àî ¶Ú ¶Ú ¡¤ ‡æ ‡é ‡é ¹Ì ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡æ ÍÅ ÍÅ ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡æ ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ºóʲ²Êϼ¸øÁËÂÞ²®ÌغÍËûµÄͬ°éÖÂÃüÒ»»÷. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã0 Such a mistake, designing this troublesome coded message when you should have been collecting more useful tools instead~¡± Robert clenched his teeth, his face turning ashen. He had not expected to be completely outplayed by this woman that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere while he was still plotting against Willard. The other party not only guessed the entire coded message but even used false coded messages to trick him! Moreover, they intentionally arranged to meet near his room. Just a few meters away, it¡¯s sinister! Anyone would have been curious and wanted to check. Robert bowed his head, looking at the metal handcuffs on his wrists. It was hateful! Too hateful! After losing this time, he could only participate in ¡°Battle 1¡± given the number of pieces he had left. If he lost again, he would be doomed! Damn this labyrinth battle! Damn this puppet game! Why does the world have to have such things! Footsteps could be heard from the staircase, looking up, it was the Detective with his two teammates. Robert closed his eyes in despair. He, had lost. ¡­ The Detective arrested Robert and his teammates, and the progress bar on Zhu Shu¡¯s wristwatch instantly filled up. Then, the rain outside stopped. The dark clouds dispersed, and the moon emerged. Puddles on the road bathed in the moonlight, reflecting a silver-white brilliance, like shattered mirrors. And within the mirror, the reflection of Inspector¡¯s tall figure appeared. Chapter 742 - Chapter 742: Chapter 742: The Game at Tomorrows Inn Ends Chapter 742: Chapter 742: The Game at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Ends The game had ended, and the Inspector stood outside the inn, waiting for the surviving players to come out- The woman from room 202 holding the baby, Willard from room 204, the effeminate man from room 402, as well as Zhu Shu and Bai Youwei. The comic man looked at these people with a faint expression. In the end, his gaze shifted away from Bai Youwei¡¯s face, inexplicably feeling a bit of a toothache¡­ ¡°Hurry up and announce the results,¡± Bai Youwei rubbed her knee through her skirt, ¡°I missed a few days of applying face masks, I am in a rush~¡± The comic man: ¡°¡­¡± Ever since her leg got better, this woman had been getting more and more arrogant¡­ Why can¡¯t anyone keep her in check? Why can¡¯t anyone? Why can¡¯t there be? She has passed another game. Thankfully, this time she was only an outside helper. Even if she won, there were no rewards¡­ ¡°Hey, are you down?¡± Bai Youwei became impatient, furrowing her brows at the comic man, ¡°Really? Freezing during the settlement, how trashy can you be?¡± The comic man¡¯s eyes darkened, dismissively replying, ¡°Please do not equate the Inspector with those low-end electronic products.¡± Bai Youwei blinked, surprised, and defended herself: ¡°That¡¯s because you just behaved very low-end, so I misunderstood.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã0 The comic man¡¯s countenance became even colder as he wanted to retort but reconsidered and shut his mouth instead. Forget it¡­ He wouldn¡¯t bicker with her. The labyrinth battle was the top priority. Besides, as the Inspector, how could he stoop to arguing with a player? The comic man faced the remaining players, elegantly straightening his collar and calmly announced: ¡°The battle has officially ended, now we proceed to the final settlement. There were a total of 16 players in the game. The winner was the player from room 301, all other players are eliminated. Each eliminated King will lose 5 puzzle pieces, and each Parliamentary subject will lose 1 piece. Amongst which, the puzzle pieces held by the 3 deceased players will be reclaimed by the system¡­¡± Bai Youwei, being an outside helper, was unaffected by rewards or punishment, so she listened impatiently and yawned, standing lazily next to Zhu Shu. The faces of the other three were quite unpleasant. Their feelings at the moment were even worse than Robert¡¯s, as they were just one step away from victory. The game was lost, no matter what they said or did, it was already too late¡­ Willard studied Bai Youwei thoughtfully. Bai Youwei noticed his gaze, turned her head and frowned, saying, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Are you a king, or a subject?¡± Willard asked calmly, ¡°To be summoned into the game as an outside helper, you should be a subject, right? Your allies seem weak, why not become my subject, what do you think?¡± Bai Youwei was surprised: ¡°Are you trying to recruit me?¡± Willard slightly nodded, stating, ¡°I have plenty of puzzles to handle the next game and many items for you to choose from. Why not consider it? In a game of dolls, an alliance of the powerful is the wisest move.¡± Bai Youwei scoffed, took her gaze off him and casually said: ¡°Loser, what right do you have to recruit me?¡± The color drained from Willard¡¯s face, his eyes darkening. He could handle everything else calmly, but he could not stand being considered a ¡°loser¡±! ¡°No one has ever beaten me twice.¡± Willard¡¯s voice was as cold as ice. Bai Youwei replied carelessly: ¡°Twice is still too few? So far, I¡­ have never lost~¡± Willard: ¡°¡­¡± The comic man watched these two with a furrowed brow. He was still calculating, yet these two started a bitter exchange, utterly disregarding him! Due to his duty, he opened the square gateway, saying, ¡°The portal to return to the Rest Hall has been opened, players may leave at their will.¡± Bai Youwei exhaled a sigh of relief. It was finally over. ¡°Let¡¯s go~¡± She stride toward the luminescent square, sighing, ¡°I can finally go home and treat my legs.¡± Chapter 743 - Chapter 743: Chapter 743: Boyfriends Gift Chapter 743: Chapter 743: Boyfriend¡¯s Gift After stepping out of the glowing square, Bai Youwei found that she hadn¡¯t returned to the lounge as expected, but had been taken directly to the headquarters¡¯ dining room. Zhu Shu was nowhere in sight. Before delving into the game, Bai Youwei had breakfast with everyone in the dining room. Now it was deep into the night, and naturally, the dining room was deserted. Zhu Shu was probably back in the lounge with Yan Qingwen and the others. Bai Youwei rubbed her leg and left the restaurant, taking the elevator back to her room. The timing within the game and outside world varied slightly. Sometimes it was longer, sometimes shorter, and sometimes it syncs perfectly. Bai Youwei remembered that it was around nine o¡¯clock when she left the game, but as she walked the desolate corridors of the building, it felt much later than nine, probably around eleven or twelve at night. The sound of her footsteps echoed loudly in the eerily quiet hallway. Bai Youwei instinctively tread lightly and arrived at her room¡¯s door, which was unlocked. With a gentle push, the door opened. Shen Mo must have left it unlocked, worried about her returning late at night. Bai Youwei pursed her lips, the urge to laugh and play a prank on him, to give him a little fright, arose out of nowhere. She tiptoed into the room and silently shut the door behind her. The man lying on the bed immediately bolted upright! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã0 ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± His voice was low but authoritative, like a hawk roused from sleep. His sharp, merciless black eyes swept over her, radiating a hint of fierceness. Bai Youwei stood frozen at the doorway. She was startled¡­ As soon as Shen Mo realized it was her, his intense aura dissipated instantly. He got out of bed and walked over to her, gently took her hand, stroked her head, and finally cupped her face, asking gently, ¡°Have you sorted everything out?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Bai Youwei answered, then snapped back to her senses and accused him, ¡°You were harsh with me just now!¡± Shen Mo let out a chuckle, then flicked on the light, brightening the room. ¡°Are you tired? Want to take a bath?¡± He went to run hot water in the bathroom, adding with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize your footsteps.¡± Bai Youwei took a seat on the edge of the bed, kicked off her shoes and plaintively replied, ¡°Yes, you couldn¡¯t even recognize my footsteps.¡± Shen Mo had no comeback, and instead admitted lightly, ¡°Yes, I couldn¡¯t recognize them.¡± Because most of the time, she used a wheelchair. With a whining, spoiled tone, Bai Youwei flopped down and grumbled, ¡°I overused my legs this time, I can¡¯t walk a single step now. My legs need rest.¡± When Shen Mo returned, he picked her up and asked with a smile, ¡°So these legs that need rest, are they going to take a bath now?¡± ¡°Yes~¡± Bai Youwei hugged his waist like a lazy cat, rubbing her head against his chin, acting coy while insisting, ¡°You carry me, okay~¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°I¡¯ll carry you to the bath, and when you¡¯re done, I have a gift for you.¡± ¡°A gift?¡± Bai Youwei perked up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Shen Mo. ¡°What gift?¡± You will know it in a while.¡± Shen Mo smiled, not giving it away. Normally such a serious person, he suddenly seemed mysterious and romantic, causing Bai Youwei to reevaluate him. How strange~ What could the gift be? While soaking in a rose essential oil bath in the bathroom, Bai Youwei was mulling over, was there a recent holiday? Christmas was approaching, but Shen Mo didn¡¯t seem the type to celebrate Christmas. Besides, if it was a Christmas gift, it should be given on the actual holiday. ¡­Could it be a birthday? He had only recently known her age, it was unlikely he knew her birthday. Then what could it be? Gifts usually come with a reason, right? As Bai Youwei pondered, a sudden thought flashed vividly into her mind! Could it be¡­ With her hand over her heart, sitting upright in the tub, an incredulous thought crossed her mind: Could he be proposing to me?! Chapter 744 - Chapter 744: Chapter 744 Miss Liu Chapter 744: Chapter 744 Miss Liu Bai Youwei was getting excited. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that it was a proposal. In previous times, a relationship might involve two to three years of courtship before taking the next step. However, the current situation was different. From the moment they met to the point of sharing a bed, their relationship had fast-forwarded quite significantly. Shouldn¡¯t marriage have already become part of the conversation? ¡­ Could it be that her disappearance in the last few days had caused him great anxiety, urging him to propose to her? Possibly, that gift was a wedding ring? If not, then it must be a similar ¡°pledge of love¡±. She was confident that her excellent deductions were indeed accurate. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t wait any longer. After a quick bath, she hastily put on her bathrobe and left the bathroom. She scanned the room, her gaze finally landing on Shen Mo. ¡°Where¡¯s my gift?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°Finished bathing so soon?¡± Shen Mo, who was tidying up the bedding, glanced at the table. ¡°It¡¯s right there.¡± Bai Youwei followed his gaze and saw a box on the table, just slightly smaller than a shoebox. It clearly wasn¡¯t the kind of box that would hold a ring. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã¦Ï ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s lips puckered in disappointment. She slipped on her slippers and shuffled over to unbox the gift, a bit listless. ¡°What kind of gift is this¡­¡± ¡°You will know once you open it.¡± Shen Mo answered. When Bai Youwei lifted the lid, she frowned, ¡°What is this? Why did you get me an urn?¡± Did he want them to die and be buried together? The ¡®urn¡¯ seemed a bit small for that purpose. Shen Mo laughed, ¡°Take it out and have a proper look.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, and took the ¡®urn¡¯ out of the box¡ªoh, it wasn¡¯t an urn, it was an incense burner. [Ms. Liu¡¯s Incense Burner¡ª has a strengthening effect on some props, and needs to be used in conjunction with Ms. Liu¡¯s Incense. ] Bai Youwei was a bit startled as she turned to look at Shen Mo, ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°I traded it with someone.¡± Bai Youwei echoed, ¡°Traded with someone?¡± Her rising intonation betrayed her surprise. Such an artifact was not easy to find. Players had to enter the game of ¡®Distressed Woman¡¯, win, and coincidentally choose this as their reward. To top it all, they had to be at the Shanghai Base to trade with Shen Mo! The likelihood of these events coinciding made the situation seem almost impossible. Bai Youwei gently placed the incense burner down, examining and touching it. It felt cold to the touch, with an antique brass finish, surrounded by images of the auspicious Lotus. It was quite elegant. When she had first got ¡±Ms. Liu¡¯s Incense¡±, she presumed it had some special significance. However, without the corresponding incense burner, it was practically useless. But now, she had finally found the matching burner¡­ Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but ask Shen Mo, ¡°How did you manage to trade it?¡± Shen Mo explained, ¡°Recently, Chu Huaijin has been collecting items at the base, trying to support the King¡¯s logistics. For example, players living within the King¡¯s territory can participate in collecting living necessities or props. I traded this incense burner for five of my props.¡± ¡°Five props?!¡± Bai Youwei grumbled, hitting him on the shoulder, ¡°Spendthrift! Have you heard of haggling?¡± Shen Mo laughed, grasping her hand lightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I had won quite a few props in the preliminary rounds, which were of minimal use to me. It¡¯s better to exchange them for this incense burner, to see what it can do.¡± He then asked, ¡°Do you want to test the incense in it?¡± After thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try it.¡± The description said, ¡°has a strengthening effect on some props,¡± but it wasn¡¯t clear which props it enhanced or to what degree. Chapter 745 - Chapter 745: Chapter 745: Enhanced Effects Chapter 745: Chapter 745: Enhanced Effects Bai Youwei takes out her long-preserved incense. Shen Mo lights the incense and places it in the incense burner. A faint but fragrant scent spreads from the burner without visible smoke or sparks. Had Shen Mo not smelled the fragrance himself, he would not have been sure that he had indeed lit it. Since unsure which ¡°part of the prop¡± the incense would affect, Bai Youwei takes out all her game props. The starting gun, improved flower seeds, friend invitation card, Snowflake, white conch, large pea, Firefly, Paper Bell, silver box, the Queen¡¯s magic mirror, Cuckoo¡­ Also, four chunks of clay that have almost exhausted their uses, two of which were returned by Tan Xiao¡¯s previous companion, Hu Dashan. The scent from the incense burner is pleasantly mild. It neither overwhelms nor irritates the nose. Breathing in a bit more deeply almost seems as if it would disperse the scent. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo hold their breath, concentrating at the side of the table, quietly waiting for a while. Subsequently, they try touching the props placed around the incense burner. There¡¯s no change. ¡°Strange, was the time not long enough?¡± Bai Youwei wondered, ¡°Among these props, there are offensive, supportive, and healing ones. There should not be a single one that¡¯s unresponsive.¡± After some thought, Shen Mo said: ¡°Perhaps a longer time is needed for the incense to take effect. We should rest for now. It¡¯s already late, and you must be tired since coming out of the game.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï Bai Youwei looks hesitantly at the incense burner. She¡¯s indeed a little tired, but she also wishes to see the enhancement of the props firsthand. They wait for another half an hour, but the props still do not respond. Unable to bear it any longer, Bai Youwei expresses her frustration: ¡°Why is there still no response? Did we do something wrong? Ah¡­ This incense burner was exchanged with five props, if it¡¯s useless, can we apply for a refund without reason?¡± Shen Mo laughs, gently taps her head: ¡°Go to sleep, whether it¡¯s useful or not, we¡¯ll handle it tomorrow morning.¡± Bai Youwei sulks and is reluctantly coaxed into going to bed. She fell asleep quickly. Although there wasn¡¯t much physical labor in the game, the perpetual tension was exhausting. Now, returning to Shen Mo¡¯s side, she lowers all her guards, completely relaxing. Her speed of falling asleep was almost unbelievable. She slept dreamlessly. ¡­ The next morning, Bai Youwei wakes up leisurely. The first thought upon opening her eyes is to check the incense burner. Shen Mo woke up before her and is currently observing the burner. Bai Youwei eagerly asks him: ¡°How is it? Any changes?¡± Shen Mo turns his head, beckons her: ¡°Hmm, come see for yourself.¡± Bai Youwei drapes a blanket over as she leans in, her fluffy self jostles against Shen Mo, ¡°Hiss¡­ It¡¯s so cold.¡± Shen Mo lifts his arm and enfolds her into his embrace, ¡°It has gotten colder today. Luckily, the heater has been working well since we got electricity, otherwise, people in the city would suffer.¡± Bai Youwei smells the fragrant scent. It is the same as yesterday¡¯s, even the intensity of the fragrance is similar, indicating that the incense is still working. ¡°Touch these chunks of clay.¡± Shen Mo says. Bai Youwei places her hand on the clay and to her surprise, she finds that the number of uses for these almost used-up clays has increased! Out of the four chunks, three have increased in usage by one! ¡°Oh my God¡­¡± Bai Youwei is stunned. She fingers the clay pieces, then looks at Shen Mo with disbelief in her eyes. The effects of using incense with the incense burner were ground-breaking! ¡°What about the other props?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Most of them haven¡¯t changed, but¡­¡± Shen Mo picks up a packet of flower seeds and an insect specimen, places them in Bai Youwei¡¯s hands, ¡°These two props have changed.¡± Improved flower seeds, which could grow into a sea of flowers regardless of the season or environment within 24 hours after touching the ground. Now, 24 hours has become 20 hours. The Firefly, which could illuminate a space of 1000 cubic meters. Now, it can illuminate a space of 1500 cubic meters. Bai Youwei exclaims in surprise, then turns to Shen Mo: ¡°I¡­ I feel like I suddenly got rich¡­¡± Chapter 746 - Chapter 746: Chapter 746: A Transitional Chapter Without a Worthy Name Chapter 746: Chapter 746: A Transitional Chapter Without a Worthy Name Bai Youwei made a quick decision and moved the incense burner and all her props into the dollhouse. After all, the dollhouse is essentially a prop! If you¡¯re going to smoke one thing, you might as well smoke a bunch. The more, the better! Bai Youwei calculated that from last night to this morning, the burning incense was effective for about 8 hours. If every eight hours of fumigation gave the mud one extra use, then after 56 hours, the mud would return to its initial state of being usable nine times! Four pieces of mud together¡ª36 uses! To put it bluntly, it¡¯s like saving 36 lives! Bai Youwei decided to stay in the dollhouse, going nowhere, checking the condition of her props every hour, intent only on waiting for the final result. Yan Qingwen came to see her during this, along with Zhu Shu and Su Man, presumably to thank Bai Youwei. But since she was inside the dollhouse, they didn¡¯t find her. Bai Youwei stayed from morning to afternoon, for a total of 8 hours. The usage count of the mud didn¡¯t increase, and the condition of the Firefly and flower seeds didn¡¯t change either. Strange¡­ ¡­ Chang Weicai was outside the courtyard watering vegetables, feeding the chickens, and collecting some dead branches, considering if he could build a chicken nest in the woods. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã0 When he came back for tools, he saw Bai Youwei was still sitting motionless in the living room with an incense burner and a pile of props on the coffee table. ¡°Weiwei, where¡¯s Xiaoshen?¡± Chang Weicai asked. Bai Youwei, propping her chin in her hand and looking at the incense burner, said, ¡°He¡¯s training with Tan Xiao.¡± ¡°And Xiaoxin?¡± ¡°In the conference room doing quizzes, he said he needed to improve his general knowledge.¡± ¡°Everyone is busy¡­¡± Chang Weicai muttered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei turned to look at him, ¡°Do you need something, Chang sir?¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡± Chang Weicai replied, ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯re bored. If so, go out and take a walk. I¡¯ll keep an eye on this for you, checking once an hour, right?¡± Bai Youwei hesitated, she was not a patient person. She had been waiting here full of excitement for eight hours and was about to reach her limit. Chang sir added, ¡°Also, the little hand is also at home, it can help watch too.¡± Bai Youwei gave him a glare, ¡°Chang sir, it would¡¯ve been fine if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it. Now, I dare not leave. I don¡¯t doubt it would mess things up when I¡¯m not around!¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say things like that¡­¡± Chang sir defended the hand, ¡°It has been behaving well lately, improved a lot compared to before. We shouldn¡¯t always deny and discourage it, but must encourage it. We should guide its growth with a positive attitude. That¡¯s the way to teach it properly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. She had no intention to reinforce it. All she wanted was to torment it. ¡°Bunny, come over here and watch this place for me.¡± Bai Youwei called out to the corner of the room. The bunny, which had been charging in the corner, twitched its ears at her call and hopped over. Bai Youwei lifted it onto the coffee table, tapped its plush forehead, and said, ¡°Especially be on guard against this hand. Don¡¯t let it come near these props. Understand?¡± The plush bunny nodded its head. Chang sir also said to the bunny, ¡°It won¡¯t come close; it would just be curious and watch. You two need to get along well. No conflicts¡­¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. She stood up, pulled her wheelchair over, sat down briskly, and said, ¡°Chang sir, you¡¯re not teaching high school, you¡¯re teaching kindergarten.¡± Chang sir laughed, ¡°Are you coming back for dinner?¡± ¡°Nope~ I¡¯m going to eat at the canteen.¡± Bai Youwei slid out the door on her wheelchair, ¡°I¡¯ll come to eat when those chickens get fat.¡± When mentioning those chickens, Chang sir sighed, ¡°They run wild in the woods every day, they have all gotten thin¡­¡± ¡­ Chapter 747 - Chapter 747: Chapter 747: Digging Furiously at the Foot of the Wall Chapter 747: Chapter 747: Digging Furiously at the Foot of the Wall The residential area of the Headquarters Building was very quiet, but as the elevator descended to the training area, it started getting lively. There were people exercising, attending classes, holding meetings, conducting research¡­ all sorts of people coming and going. At the entrance of the training room, a few young men saw Bai Youwei. They exchanged glances; they had heard about this ¡°legendary figure¡± sitting in a wheelchair who allegedly had never faced defeat. ¡°Ms. Bai, Bai,¡± they greeted Bai Youwei anxiously. Bai Youwei raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at them, ¡°Ms. Bai, Bai? What, are we riding the wave of repetition?¡± The young men:¡±¡­No, no.¡± ¡°No, no?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°I am not a little girl; why are you trying to act cute?¡± The guys felt even more awkward. But Bai Youwei ignored them. At the door of the training room, she looked inside¡ªthere was a long glass wall at the entrance where one could clearly see a group of men inside training. You could hear their shouting and commands during combat, and see their firm muscles and flowing sweat. A wave of masculinity was engulfing the room. Shen Mo and Tan Xiao were among them, along with Ya Chaohui and Tan Xiao¡¯s buddies. Shen Mo instructed them in their combat techniques, adjusting positions, and demonstrating again and again with an athleticism that made him stand out. ¡°So handsome~¡± Bai Youwei watched Shen Mo with admiration, ¡°How can he be so handsome?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã0 The group of young men beside her exchanged glances. Feeling annoyed by the crowd around her, Bai Youwei left leisurely on her wheelchair and strolled around the next level. The level below was a gathering place for strategy type players. Players would repeatedly grind their brain here, working on their logical thinking abilities. The training instructors here converted the gameplay into numerous simulation tests, allowing players to practice extensively. Whether this method could improve abilities was debatable, but after such training, the players were indeed calmer during the game and found it easier to find solutions. However, it had drawbacks too. Once someone else laid out the direction of thinking for you, it became challenging to depart from stereotypical thinking and consider new methods. Bai Youwei wandered around casually and soon bumped into someone she knew. She saw Fu Miaoxue sitting next to Pan Xiaoxin in a classroom-like room, persuading him patiently, ¡°What¡¯s the use of you following her? She treats you poorly, ordering you around all the time. You¡¯re still in the growing phase, and she just takes everything from you like exploiting child labor. There¡¯s no care for young seedlings!¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback, thinking, are they talking about me? ¡°If you come with us, it¡¯ll be different~¡± Fu Miaoxue bragged, ¡°We just passed battle 1 with ease! We got loads of puzzle pieces and props, showing our strength. As long as you agree to come, you can pick any puzzle piece or prop you want, and we won¡¯t force you to go into battle. What do you think? Isn¡¯t this a sincere invitation?¡± Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t make a sound, just shook his head silently. Getting a little impatient, Fu Miaoxue pleaded, ¡°What will it take for you to consider joining my side? Did my offer not appeal to you? What do you want? You can tell me.¡± Embarrassed, Pan Xiaoxin stood up holding his papers and blurted out, ¡°¡­No need, I have to submit these now.¡± Without another word, he left the seat and ran out of the room to look for the teacher. Frustrated to the extreme, Fu Miaoxue slumped down in the chair, jolted the table with her leg and created a loud sound. ¡°You¡¯re trying hard to poach, huh~¡± Bai Youwei walked in laughing. Fu Miaoxue turned and looked at her, not showing any sign of guilt. Instead, she replied confidently, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong! He would definitely be better off with me than you! Hey, how did you persuade that kid? Damn it! I offered such generous terms, and he didn¡¯t even say a word to me!¡± Chapter 748 - Chapter 748: Chapter 748: The New King Chapter 748: Chapter 748: The New King ¡°Because you¡¯re stupid~¡± Bai Youwei said, laughing at her. Fu Miaoxue raised her eyebrows. ¡°Say that again!¡± ¡°Even if I say it a hundred times, you¡¯re still dumb~. You couldn¡¯t even figure out why you couldn¡¯t dig up the corner. If you¡¯re not dumb, what are you?¡± Bai Youwei mocked her mercilessly. ¡°You passed the first battle thanks to good luck with Du Lai.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know?! Of course, you¡¯re playing tricks!¡± Fu Miaoxue cursed. ¡°You are deliberately opposing me, wanting me to embarrass myself, right?! You venomous and wicked woman! You demon!¡± Bai Youwei accepted it all, nodding continuously. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m a venomous woman. I¡¯m a demon. As for you, you¡¯re just a fool and a blockhead.¡± Fu Miaoxue, greatly upset, slapped the table and stood up, pointing at Bai Youwei and shouted: ¡°Hey! Bai Youwei, don¡¯t think I won¡¯t dare to do anything to you!¡± The people outside the classroom all watched, but no one dared to step forward and intervene. The two Kings were having an offline confrontation¡­ ¡°What could you possibly do to me?¡± Bai Youwei cocked her head, examining Fu Miaoxue with amusement. ¡°Do you want to kill me or keep digging at that corner? Fu Miaoxue, you can¡¯t even dig properly. I seriously worry that you won¡¯t be able to gather enough members for the next battle¡­next month, you¡¯ll be facing Battle 5, right? How is your recruitment going?¡± Fu Miaoxue bit her lower lip, remaining silent though her face was livid. Battle 1 required at least one person, no limit to the number of participants; however, Battle 5 requires the King along with four other subjects to participate in the fight. Besides her and Du Lai, there were still three vacant positions. Even though they could recruit members within the Headquarters Building, finding suitable ones is particularly hard. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã? Bai Youwei laughed while looking at her: ¡°Well~ let the venomous woman and the demon teach you. if you want to recruit, simply promising benefits won¡¯t work, you need to ensure the team members feel secure and a sense of belonging¡­.¡± Fu Miaoxue sneered in disdain, ¡°Who can¡¯t promise sweet talk? I have already offered the best terms possible, how is that not enough to provide a sense of security?¡± ¡°As for Xiaoxin, just give up on him as he¡¯s a hard nut to crack.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°You could give the others a try.¡± Fu Miaoxue was not convinced. ¡°Why can¡¯t I get to Xiaoxin?¡± Bai Youwei replied: ¡°I make him work every day, making him feel that the team can¡¯t do without him, thus giving him a sense of self-worth and security. These things are much more reliable than any items you could promise.¡± ¡°Humph! I think you¡¯re full of nonsense!¡± Fu Miaoxue felt that Bai Youwei was simply using this opportunity to mock her. Outside the classroom, Du Lai suddenly arrived, and waved at Fu Miaoxue from the door. Fu Miaoxue left Bai Youwei, walked over huffily, ¡°What is it? Can¡¯t you come in and speak? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m in the middle of¡­¡± Du Lai whispered a few words into her ear. Fu Miaoxue immediately fell quiet, looking somewhat nervous. ¡°He¡¯s really here?¡± She asked Du Lai. Du Lai nodded. Without further ado, they left hastily. Bai Youwei watched their receding backs, feeling puzzled, as there was a low buzz of conversation and footfalls outside. Several people in the corridor moved to the sides, making way for the newly arrived visitor¡ª Then, Bai Youwei saw Chu Huaijin leading a man wearing a white glove walking past the classroom door. Bai Youwei froze. ¡­ White Glove? Why was he here? Could it be that Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue¡¯s reaction just now was due to White Glove? Did they have a grudge against him? Bai Youwei, intrigued, rolled her wheelchair out to observe the situation. Chu Huaijin was introducing the facilities and services within the Headquarters Building to ¡°White Glove¡±. With White Glove¡¯s arrival, the building had gained another King. For Chu Huaijin, of course, this was a good thing. His goal was to do his utmost to support the Kings. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was this King or another King. In the end, it was all for the sake of peace. However, for the other Kings in this building, White Glove¡¯s arrival was absolutely not good news¡­ Chapter 749 - Chapter 749: Chapter 749: Ye Chong Chapter 749: Chapter 749: Ye Chong At dinner, it¡¯s unknown whether the reason was due to the new king¡¯s arrival, but in addition to the food, the restaurant was also supplying plenty of good wine. Everyone was eating and drinking together, talking about the new king, a man named Ye Chong, whose territory was around Lianyun Port. After Bai Youwei¡¯s territory expanded, it bordered his, and he came over to investigate the situation. Fortunately, Chu Huaijin had been dedicated to recruiting all kinds of talents, as long as they were kings and subjects, he wished they all could be sent to the headquarters, given centralized training to contend for as many sparks of humanity as possible. Therefore, Chu Huaijin immediately invited the latter, who willingly accepted. Although there were distinctions between territories ruled by kings, they were in fact lands reclaimed from the puppet game by humanity. There was no need to discriminate just because someone was a king or subject from another territory. Chu Huaijin personally led Ye Chong on a tour around the headquarters, introduced everything inside and outside, and finally brought him to the restaurant in the middle floor of the building. The restaurant operated buffet style. Due to the efforts of Chu Huaijin and Professor Song, there were no issues with the food supply at the base apart from fresh meat. Seafood such as fish, shrimp, crab, and clams had temporarily replaced meats like chicken, duck, pork, and lamb. If anyone really wanted to eat meat, they could choose canned food. Bai Youwei overheard two servers chatting: ¡°Do you think those white gloves are his props? Are they powerful?¡± ¡°Not sure¡­ but I heard during the preliminary games, everyone in his gamefield was killed and not a single one survived. So this guy must be really powerful, right¡­?¡± A player getting food nearby chimed in: ¡°You guys must be new here, right? There were several people who wore white gloves from Guangzhou, their skills were pretty good. They ran away after some incident, I¡¯m not sure if this guy with the white gloves is affiliated with them.¡± ¡°An incident? What kind of incident?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï After several months of construction at the base, many new residents have been absorbed and internal structures adjusted, so not everyone knew about the ¡°Hide and Seek¡± incident. Some people, even if they knew, didn¡¯t think it was something serious. In this new world where the law of the jungle reigned, to improve their own survival rate by betraying their allies in the game, seizing puzzles and props, was indeed a brutal and despicable act. However, the more they were accustomed to the fights in the game, the more their original sense of justice and morality seemed to decrease. Thus, the little society maintained by Chu Huaijin and Professor Song at least preserved a basic level of stability, where murder, robbery, theft, and other illegal behaviors were to a certain extent restrained. ¡°Who do you think among these kings will win in the end?¡± ¡°Shh¡­ Are you tired of living? Be careful, if anyone hears this kind of talk, no matter which king it reaches, you will offend someone!¡± ¡°That bad¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that those who have been through the labyrinth a few times have much sharper hearing than ordinary people?¡± ¡°Ah¡­then let¡¯s not talk, let¡¯s get back to work¡­¡± Bai Youwei listened to the lively conversation for a while but found it uninteresting when there was nothing new. She absentmindedly grabbed some fruit salad and prepared to return to her seat. Zhu Shu came over and asked with a smile: ¡°Did you overhear it too?¡± ¡°Yes, they are all talking about the new king.¡± Bai Youwei replied indifferently, ¡°He might get eliminated at any time, what¡¯s there to talk about?¡± She was not fond of the guy with the white gloves. Zhu Shu turned towards Chu Huaijin¡¯s direction and whispered: ¡°If the death of those people in the preliminary game really had something to do with him, having such a king win the game wouldn¡¯t be good news.¡± Opinions differed on this matter. Some people said that a giant monster appeared during the preliminary games, killing everyone and the man with the white gloves was the only one who managed to escape; Others said the preliminary game was a massive melee, where the man with the white gloves was the only one who broke through and achieved final victory. No matter what the story was, it all came down to one fact: the man with the white gloves was formidable. Chapter 750 - Chapter 750: Chapter 750 Difficult Decisions Chapter 750: Chapter 750 Difficult Decisions ¡°Never mind, no matter what he¡¯s doing, let¡¯s talk about you guys,¡± Bai Youwei spoke, ¡°Has Yan bro come up with a plan yet? The next battle requires eight team members. Have you gathered enough people?¡± Zhu Shu gently furrowed her brows and lowered her eyelids, ¡°Not yet¡­ After the game at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn is over, the Inspector asked him to choose the next battle. He chose Battle 1.¡± Bai Youwei paused, ¡°Battle¡­1?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhu Shu nodded, speaking softly, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t want to involve us¡­¡± Bai Youwei realized. Having passed Battle 5, Yan Qingwen was left with Battle 1, Battle 10 and Battle 20 to choose from. Among these battles, only Battle 1 allowed a single person to participate. Bai Youwei said, ¡°But¡­ participating in Battle 10 wouldn¡¯t necessarily result in a loss.¡± Why was Yan Qingwen, who didn¡¯t seem to lack confidence, giving up so completely? ¡°He¡¯s worried about encountering the game mode from Tomorrow¡¯s Inn,¡± Zhu Shu sighed and said to Bai Youwei. ¡°Willard¡¯s team members were destined to be prey within the rules. Yan bro is concerned that we may end up in a similar situation and, no matter how hard we try to clear the level, sacrifices would still be inevitable. So, he decided not to involve us citizens.¡± The Willard Zhu Shu spoke of refers to Willard. In Tomorrow¡¯s Inn, Willard¡¯s team was targeted by Robert. No matter how prepared they were, there were casualties. Yan Qingwen always valued his teammates, and his decision to forfeit the battle would match his character if considered from the perspective of life safety. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã? ¡°Even if he participates in Battle 1 this time, what about next time?¡± Bai Youwei asked in confusion. ¡°For Battle 10 and Battle 20 he still needs manpower.¡± Zhu Shu pursed her lips, saying, ¡°Maybe¡­ he never intended to participate in the last two battles.¡± Bai Youwei was somewhat surprised. After thinking for a while, she lightly patted Zhu Shu¡¯s shoulder: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yan Qingwen, that shrewd old fox, must have thought things through more thoroughly than we did. Since he has made a decision, he must have his reasons. Let¡¯s just patiently wait for his good news.¡± Zhu Shu understood this reasoning as well, and worriedly said, ¡°Weiwei, sometimes I¡¯m really scared¡­ without us by his side, if something happens to him while he participates in Battle 1 alone, we wouldn¡¯t even know.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know what to say. Even she and Shen Mo often faced danger in the game. ¡°Unless we become commoners¡­¡± she murmured, ¡°Let him use the right to surrender, and then have the opposing King demote you guys to commoners. Otherwise, as long as you¡¯re in the battlefield game, the crisis won¡¯t be resolved.¡± ¡°He¡¯s determined to avenge Lun Ang¡­¡± Zhu Shu couldn¡¯t help but bite her lower lip, feeling sad. Bai Youwei was also silent. Yan Qingwen¡¯s decision touched her. As the war progresses, there would certainly be more and more casualties, should she also consider¡­ reconsidering? For the next battle, should she really let her constant companions take risks? It¡¯s a dilemma. Those unfamiliar can¡¯t be fully trusted in the game; Those too familiar, it¡¯s hard to let them risk their lives. At that moment, a crisp sound of a glass being strike echoed in the restaurant¡ª ¡°I apologize, everyone, for taking up some of your time¡­¡± The one who spoke was Chu Huaijin. Everyone, including Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu, looked in his direction. Chu Huaijin walked to the side of the restaurant¡¯s LCD screen and faced everyone, ¡°I believe everyone knows that Professor Song and I have always been committed to city reconstruction work. We have never stopped researching the game system. Recently, Professor Song has made some new discoveries. Since all our Kings have successfully completed the first battle, Professor Song would like to take this opportunity to share the latest research findings with everyone.¡± Chapter 751 - Chapter 751: Chapter 751: Dont Want It to End Chapter 751: Chapter 751: Don¡¯t Want It to End The LCD screen lit up, subsequently revealing an extremely aged face. Professor Song lay on a hospital bed, his face pale, his looks withered. An oxygen mask cloaked his face and surrounded by drip bottles and various medical equipment, he appeared as though he would pass away at any moment. The attendees in the dining room gasped. Many people had never seen Professor Song before. They knew that there was such an elderly professor at the base, but they hadn¡¯t expected him to be so weak that he was bedridden. Chu Huaijin sighed and said, ¡°Actually, we have collected therapeutic items that could alleviate the professor¡¯s pain, but he declined. He only accepts human medical technology. At this moment, the professor is still in recovery. This video was pre-recorded, and we hope that everyone will listen patiently to what the professor has to say¡­¡± A unanimous silence fell on the room; all whispered conversations ceased, and all eyes in the dining room were fixed on the old man in the video. Professor Song began to speak slowly: ¡°The game¡­it¡¯s a selection process, and it¡¯s also a conspiracy. Only by winning, you can really reach the center of the diamond. And you, the kings¡­you are¡­our last hope.¡± His voice was hoarse, slow, and weak. After a few pauses, he went on, ¡°Data research has shown¡­The game has very likely visited Earth before, but how the previous Maze War turned out and where the victorious King went afterward¡­all remains unknown. Perhaps, the last Maze War ended without anyone winning; perhaps, the victor has gone to another world. If you want to know the answer, you must win every round¡­ win to the end, and then, end it all. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã? I don¡¯t have much time left¡­after deliberation, we¡¯ve decided to publicly disclose all our research materials. Any King can peruse them in the headquarters reading room. This is where my efforts stop¡­I hope to see the day when you end all this.¡± At that point, the elderly man on the bed suddenly opened his eyes wide, staring straight into the camera, he asked: ¡°Will you end this? ¡­Can you? Can you maintain a firm will, not let the game control you, and win to the end¡­can you do that?¡± The video stopped at that second. Chu Huaijin heaved a heavy sigh, switched off the video, and then faced everyone. ¡°The deterioration in Professor Song¡¯s body¡­is not due to sickness, but irreversible aging, a side effect of the game object, we can only mitigate his pain with medication, apart from that, there¡¯s nothing much we can do. If the world is restored to its former state, perhaps other remediation measures can be used. But the world rules have been replaced with game rules. Therefore, we can now only place our hope in you, the Kings, hoping you can¡­find the ultimate answer and find mankind¡¯s final exit.¡± After he finished speaking, Chu Huaijin bowed deeply to everyone. The dining room fell silent. This topic was unquestionably heavy. ¡­ The atmosphere in the dining room became much more oppressive for some time afterward. Everyone conversed in low voices, discussing the words of Chu Huaijin and Professor Song. Bai Youwei picked at her food absentmindedly, pondering the meaning of their conversation. First, only the ultimate winner could enter the core of the diamond and understand what was really happening. Second, the game may have existed before, so what made it disappear? Finally, Professor Song¡¯s deteriorating health prevented him from continuing his research. Therefore, he decided to share all the research materials, encouraging more people through the shared information. Moreover¡­ Bai Youwei¡¯s fork paused in her hand as Professor Song¡¯s last sentence echoed in her mind- ¡°Will you end this? Will you?¡± Not too far away, Shen Mo, holding a glass of wine, was approaching her. As Bai Youwei gazed at his handsome features, she thought: I honestly don¡¯t want it to end¡­ Chapter 752 - Chapter 752: Chapter 752: Who to Take With Chapter 752: Chapter 752: Who to Take With Shen Mo came over, greeted Zhu Shu who was next to Bai Youwei, and asked, ¡°Where is Yan Qingwen?¡± ¡°He said he was going to have a smoke, he should be back soon.¡± Zhu Shu responded, ¡°I will transfer the message from Professor Song and Director Chu to him later.¡± Shen Mo nodded, saying, ¡°We need to decide on the members as soon as possible, we only have a month to get used to each other.¡± Zhu Shu appeared somewhat gloomy upon hearing this. Bai Youwei, who was by her side, explained for her, ¡°Qingwen has chosen Campaign 1 and is going to join the battle alone.¡± Shen Mo was slightly surprised and paused before responding indifferently, ¡°He must have his own considerations.¡± Zhu Shu forced a smile and looked around, ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go find him, you guys start eating.¡± She then left the dining hall. As Shen Mo watched her leave, he turned to Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°What about you? Have you decided on your team members?¡± ¡ªThe next battle for Bai Youwei was Campaign 10, which required eight people. ¡°Let me think about it¡­¡± She picked up a slice of orange from her plate, slowly put it into her mouth, her gaze drifted to the distant scene, observing the familiar and unfamiliar faces in the dining hall. As for how she would ultimately choose and arrange these eight people, she needed to think it over carefully¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï Think it over¡­ ¡­ That night, Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, and Pan Xiaoxin returned to the Dollhouse to rest. Tan Xiao did not come back. Ever since he reunited with his old pals, they had been hanging out together every day, eating, training, cracking jokes, always being the liveliest group. When they were preparing to rest, Shen Mo brought up the team issue again: ¡°The two of us, along with Tan Xiao, Ya Chaohui, Xiaoxin, Asarina, and Along, that¡¯s seven people. We need one more to qualify. Tan Xiao¡¯s friends have always wanted to join. They may not fight well individually, but respond quickly and are fearless. Their combined performance in actual combat should be better than during training.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t bring Xiaoxin this time¡­¡± said Bai Youwei, sitting on the edge of the bed and massaging her legs slowly, ¡°The inspector for Campaign 10 is Ball, its games usually are brutal and require high physical strength. No matter how much we work on Xiaoxin¡¯s physical ability, a child is always less than an adult.¡± She paused briefly, then sighed and continued anxiously, ¡°Of course, Tan Xiao and his friends have good teamwork, but I worry that if something happened to his friends in the game, would Tan Xiao act rashly?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s execution is inferior to most people¡¯s, and his temperament is rather erratic. You could say, he is the team member most likely to cause ¡°unexpected¡± situations. And these unexpected situations could be either positive surprises or troublesome predicaments. Indecisive, Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo: ¡°How many candidates have Chu Huaijin provided us?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve gathered 22 qualified volunteers, approximately 17 or 18 of them have considerable physical abilities. Of these, about four or five have interacted with Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue,¡± Shen Mo said. ¡°If you want to choose from these people, you should decide as soon as possible. The sooner we finalize the team, the earlier we can train for unity and coordination.¡± Did Bai Youwei not understand this principle? Currently, Tan Xiao and his pals worked well together, so did Asarina and Along. However, to reorganize these people into a single cohesive force takes more than just a simple command from her. Shen Mo scrutinized her for a moment and asked, ¡°Are you influenced by Yan Qingwen?¡± Bai Youwei sighed without affirmation or denial. She glanced at him and asked, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s necessary for Tan Xiao to participate?¡± Upon hearing this, Shen Mo was silent. After a moment, he raised his hand to ruffle Bai Youwei¡¯s hair. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I understand you want to keep everyone safe, but bringing a bunch of strangers into the game will definitely affect our chances of success, understand? No matter how unruly Tan Xiao is, he is at least trustworthy. Ya Chaohui may hold a grudge against you, but he won¡¯t make any mistakes when it comes to vital situations. Being from a different country doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t cooperate with Asarina and Along. There are no perfect subordinates, only those who are useful and those who aren¡¯t.¡± Chapter 753 - Chapter 753: Chapter 753 Lets Go Chapter 753: Chapter 753 Let¡¯s Go ¡°A black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice, it¡¯s a good cat.¡± Shen Mo was obviously a pragmatic person. Bai Youwei closed her eyes, sighing, ¡°All right, all right, I get it ¡­¡± Shen Mo looked at her, ¡°You, me, Tan Xiao, Ya Chaohui, Asarina, Along, plus two more people chosen from Tan Xiao¡¯s friends.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°¡­ Then you go ahead and arrange it.¡± Shen Mo smiled, gently pinched her face, ¡°Go to bed earlier, I will talk to them individually tomorrow to get a sense of what they think.¡± Bai Youwei still felt uneasy, not knowing what the best arrangement was. She hesitated for a long time without saying a word, in the end she simply fell asleep quietly. She spent the whole night half-awake and half-asleep. One moment she dreamed of being chased by something, the next she dreamed of Tan Xiao standing in front of her covered in blood, she just couldn¡¯t sleep peacefully. She woke up the next day before six o¡¯clock, couldn¡¯t go back to sleep anymore, so she got up to check the incense burner and her tools downstairs¡ª The number of times she could use the clay had increased by one. The growth time for the seeds had extended by 16 hours, and the lighting range of the firefly had been expanded to 2000 cubic meters. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï It seemed that the incense burner wasn¡¯t useless, it just had diminishing effects. If she wanted to keep increasing the uses of the clay, she would probably need to fumigate it for a longer period of time. Bai Youwei thought for a moment and put down the piece of clay in her hand. No worries, she had plenty of time. When the battle games began, she would distribute the four pieces of clay. This way, she would be able to provide her companions with more chances of survival. Bai Youwei exhaled gently, feeling somewhat relieved. The nameless burden that had weighed heavily on her heart since yesterday was significantly lightened by the clay. She walked to the door to see the dawn. The vegetables in the backyard were spreading their bright leaves, the pumpkin vines crawled from the fence all the way to the foot of the mountain, the corn she¡¯d planted some days ago had gained a new section unnoticed, and the pond that Tan Xiao had dug glowed brightly in the morning sunlight. The sudden crow of a rooster rang loudly and rhythmically. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but giggle. At this moment, she felt extraordinarily rich. ¡­. If Bai Youwei was the Queen, then Shen Mo was like her Prime Minister, arranging the personnel for her to command. While Bai Youwei was in the dollhouse resting, Shen Mo devised a training plan for each team member. He was initially planning to include Tan Xiao¡¯s buddies, he just didn¡¯t expect that they would reject his invitation. They had just recently offered him and Bai Youwei a piece of clay to show goodwill; they wanted to join the team, and now when Shen Mo formally invites them, they all expressed unwillingness. Changing one¡¯s mind halfway wasn¡¯t unusual, after all, this was a matter of life and death, it was normal to be cautious. Shen Mo didn¡¯t mind, he focused all his energy on integrating the new members. For a whole month, they trained, climbed, hiked, and practiced martial arts. They also arranged for everyone to participate in competitive sports together¡ªsoccer, basketball¡ªthese could subtly improve the team¡¯s cooperation in due time. A month could be long or short. The dollhouse hatched a bunch of chickens. At the same time, the time for the new battle had also arrived. Each Queen began to gather her subjects. With each flicker of a bright light, they were teleported one by one into the waiting hall. Bai Youwei, sitting in her wheelchair, came out. Outside the door, stood her team members who had been trained by Shen Mo for a whole month, they had been waiting for a while. Compared to the mysterious masked woman (Fu Miaoxue), and the weirdly gloved man (Ye Chong), and the calm and wise Yan Qingwen, Bai Youwei was the most harmless and relaxed looking Queen. ¡°You can still back out now if you want to, anyone leaving?¡± She asked with a bright smile, as if going off to not a life-and-death battle, but a fun trip. Everyone looked at each other. Tan Xiao immediately said, ¡°Stop joking, if we quit now, wouldn¡¯t our past month¡¯s hard work be wasted? Weiwei, let¡¯s set off now!¡± The other people also nodded one after another. Bai Youwei cocked her head, her gaze moving over each person¡¯s face one by one, she smiled and nodded, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s set off~¡± Chapter 754 - Chapter 754: Chapter 754: The Second Battle Chapter 754: Chapter 754: The Second Battle Returning once again to the rest area, there were noticeably fewer people than before. Surprisingly, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s group spotted Tan Xiao¡¯s brothers in the resting hall. They were with the man in the white gloves. Astonished, Tan Xiao went over without a second thought to interrogate: ¡°¡­ Brother Shan, how did you guys get recruited by this guy?¡± The followers of the man in white gloves immediately glared back. ¡°What¡¯s with this guy and that guy? Hey, watch your manners when you talk!¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback; he had never backed down, he immediately puffed up his chest and scoffed: ¡°What¡¯s being impolite about this? I¡¯ve spoken like this since I was a kid, do you really need to teach me?! Who the hell do you think you are!¡± ¡°Damn! You¡¯re asking for death, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Hu Dashan hurriedly came forward to defuse the situation: ¡°We¡¯re all from the same base, why should we ruin the harmony over a few misunderstandings? It¡¯s nothing¡­ I¡¯ll go clear the confusion with him¡­¡± With that, he pulled Tan Xiao aside and softly persuaded: ¡°Why are you causing a scene? Those are tough guys on the other side, do you have a death wish?¡± Tan Xiao felt wronged and asked Hu Dashan sulkily: ¡°Brother Shan, didn¡¯t we agree that you and Xiaoqi would join us? Why did you go over there?¡± Hu Dashan looked around and lowered his voice even further, saying to Tan Xiao: ¡°Why don¡¯t you come over too?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï Tan Xiao was taken aback, his expression growing even more depressed, ¡°Brother Shan, why did you go to that side? You didn¡¯t even tell me, it¡¯s not fair. Aren¡¯t we supposed to be good brothers?¡± ¡°Tan Xiao, because you¡¯re my brother, that¡¯s why I am telling you this¡­¡± Hu Dashan gave him a meaningful look and whispered,¡± If you¡¯re going to be a follower, of course you should choose the king with the highest winning rate. That Ye Chong over there, did you see him? His white gloves are resistant to fire and water and it¡¯s impervious to weapons! It¡¯s better to follow him than a disabled person, right?¡± Upon hearing this, Tan Xiao¡¯s heart was filled with mixed emotions, it was hard to swallow. He never thought that Hu Dashan would change his mind at the last minute due to this consideration. ¡°My sister Wei is much more powerful than him.¡± Tan Xiao said seriously, with a furrowed brow. Hu Dashan gave a laugh, ¡°Alright¡­ if you think she¡¯s powerful, then she¡¯s powerful.¡± From his expression, it seemed he didn¡¯t really believe it. ¡°I won¡¯t say any more, I¡¯m heading back.¡± Hu Dashan patted Tan Xiao¡¯s shoulder, ¡°If you change your mind and want to join us, let me know anytime, that¡¯s it.¡± After he finished speaking, he turned and went back into formation, then waved at Tan Xiao, signaling him to quickly return. Tan Xiao watched for a while, then dropped his head, and returned dejectedly to Bai Youwei¡¯s team. Shen Mo asked him, ¡°What did you talk about?¡± ¡°Nothing much, I just asked him why he went over there¡­¡± Tan Xiao sneakily glanced at Bai Youwei, fearing that she might get angry, ¡°Brother Shan said¡­ the chances of winning¡­ are greater on that side.¡± Bai Youwei smiled faintly upon hearing this, saying: ¡°The odds of winning might be high, but it also depends on who the opponent is. If they encounter me. Heh¡­¡± Everyone remained silent. At such a time, nothing seemed appropriate to say. On the other side, the Clown, Sphere, Cartoonish Man and Elder in the grey robe, four Inspectors as always stood in front of the glowing square, waiting for the kings to enter the battlefield. The rabbit-headed gentleman looked at everyone and announced with a smile: ¡°The second battle is about to begin, with a total of 14 kings participating in the battle. 6 Kings have chosen ¡°Battle 1¡±, 4 Kings have chosen ¡°Battle 5¡±, 2 Kings have chosen ¡°Battle 10¡±, 2 Kings have chosen ¡°Battle 20¡å. All kings please be aware. If you win the game, the pledged puzzles will be fully returned to you, and you will also get the other party¡¯s pledged puzzles. If you lose the game, the pledged puzzles will be deducted. If the number of puzzles is not enough for the next battle, you will be immediately eliminated. Each battle can only be chosen once, and after four battles, the final battle will begin. Now, everyone, please enter the battlefield ¡ª¡± The Kings shuffled into the glowing square behind the Inspectors¡¯ silhouette. Bai Youwei purposely stayed back. She saw the man in the white gloves lead his followers into the ¡°Battle 10¡± battlefield, her brows twitched in response and her expression took on an uncanny note. ¡°Interesting,¡± Bai Youwei curled her lips into a smirk, ¡°he has also chosen ¡®Battle 10.''¡± Chapter 755 - Chapter 755: Chapter 755: Numerous Animals in the Wildlife Park Chapter 755: Chapter 755: Numerous Animals in the Wildlife Park When the Rabbit-headed gentleman announced the battle contestants, he mentioned that two players had chosen Battle 10. So, her opponent this time was undoubtedly White Glove. Both of them were Asians, living in the Headquarters Building, and now they were to compete in a game. It felt a bit like an ¡°internal struggle¡±. Bai Youwei laughed a little, pushed her wheelchair, and slowly entered the glowing square. She didn¡¯t care. Because she had to win until the end, regardless of whether the competition was internal or external. No one could understand the meaning of the game better than she nor desire to win more than she did. ¡­ Inside the square, a proportional 3D projection of White Glove appeared in the white space. On the right of the projection, the opponent¡¯s information appeared. [Enemy King, age 28, height 179cm, weight 70kg, blood type O¡­] [Do you choose to surrender?] ¡­Of course not. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.§ã? Bai Youwei quietly waited for the countdown to end. ¡­5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. Everything in front of her disappeared, be it the 3D projection or the text on the right. In their place was another square door. Outside the door were lush trees and vibrant plants, seemingly a forest. Bai Youwei slowly moved towards it in her wheelchair. As she touched the soft grass, the square light door behind her instantly disappeared, and her companions appeared behind her, marveling at this incredible world. The towering trees gave them the illusion of being in a primitive jungle. ¡°What kind of game is this?¡± Shen Mo asked Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei shook her head: ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I also just arrived.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, they heard a buzzing sound overhead, like the hum of a helicopter. Everyone looked up simultaneously. The foliage of the tree canopies was dense, they could only see drones flying by in the gaps. ¡°They went in that direction!¡±, Ya Chaohui pointed in one direction and decisively said, ¡°And there is more than one drone.¡± Bai Youwei said: ¡°Let¡¯s go and check.¡± The group headed in the direction of the drones. The wheelchair was difficult to maneuver in the dense grass, but the distance was very short. After only a few dozen meters, they arrived at a flat grassland¡ª Four or five drones were dropping food and drinking water onto the grassland. White Glove¡¯s people were also there. Even though the game hadn¡¯t officially started, the two sides were already poised for action, warily watching each other. A ball¡­ To be precise, it was a wooden ball. It rolled out from the dense bushes. ¡°Hello everyone! Welcome to this battle game, ¡®Wildlife Zoo¡¯. I am the Inspector of this game and also the Zookeeper of the Wildlife Zoo! ~ Again, welcome to all of you!¡± The wooden ball was covered in wooden bumps, some parts even had leaves on them, it looked like a round wooden stake. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t understand why it insisted on making itself look like this? The wooden ball chattered joyfully, its body spun habitually, and it continued: ¡°In the Wildlife Zoo, there are eight kinds of animals: rat, cat, fox, wolf, leopard, lion, bear, and elephant. The elephant can eat the bear, the bear can eat the lion, the lion eats the leopard, the leopard eats the wolf, the wolf eats the fox, the fox eats the cat, the cat eats the rat, and the rat can eat the elephant. Do you all understand now?¡± The wooden ball twisted a bit, its laugh crisp and pure: ¡°Whichever team¡¯s animals are eaten up first, is deemed the loser! And the other side wins! Pay attention~ Which animal you each represent shall be decided by your King.¡± Chapter 756 - Chapter 756: Chapter 756: The Rule of Elimination in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 756: Chapter 756: The Rule of Elimination in the Wild Animal Park After Wooden Orb explained the game, everyone had a general impression of ¡°Wildlife Park¡±. It¡¯s a bit like a real-life version of Animal Chess, only the animals differ slightly. The animals in Animal Chess are: Rat, Cat, Dog, Wolf, Leopard, Tiger, Lion, Elephant. And the animals in Wildlife Park are: Rat, Cat, Fox, Wolf, Leopard, Lion, Bear, Elephant. ¡°What does it mean to be eaten?¡± Shen Mo asked out loud. Wooden Orb spun in circles on the ground, its green leaves were crushed, only to sprout new buds. It shook a little and several fresh leaf buds appeared, like the antlers of a fawn. ¡°Being eaten means being eliminated.¡± It shook its own ¡°antlers¡±, and said in a light-hearted tone¡ª ¡°This game recognizes three methods of elimination, listen closely~ First, when a higher animal in the food chain encounters a lower animal, a hunting button will appear on your watch. Simply touch your opponent¡¯s body with the button to ¡®eat¡¯ and thus eliminate them.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï Everyone looked down and examined their own watches. A simplified topographical map was displayed on the watch, with eight glowing small dots gathered in the center section. The orb explained: ¡°The watch will display your own and your teammates¡¯ locations. Blue dots are you, and white dots are your teammates. However, you cannot see the enemies¡¯ positions! Also, by clicking on the dots on the map, you can contact those respective teammates.¡± A teammate from team White Glove said: ¡°I can¡¯t see the hunting button.¡± ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t see it yet~¡± The Wooden Orb rolled over to him and explained, ¡°The hunting button only appears after the King has assigned the animal roles! Is everyone clear on the first rule? You¡¯ll have time to try out the map and contact features later. I¡¯m going to tell you the second rule now!¡± Everyone lowered their hands and looked at the Wooden Orb on the ground. ¡°The second method of elimination!¡ª Although this is a Wildlife Park, it¡¯s full of dangers just like a primitive forest. There are eight traps set up in the game area. If you inadvertently fall into a trap, you¡¯re instantly eliminated!¡± Shen Mo asked: ¡°What do the traps look like? Can they lead to death?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t! Although they cannot lead to death, the traps will immobilize the animals, making them lose their mobility.¡± At this point, the orb paused a moment, let out a weird chuckle, and continued: ¡°An animal that falls into a trap loses its ability to defend itself. If someone passing by wants to ¡®eat¡¯ them, it¡¯s not forbidden.¡± Shen Mo understood and said lightly, ¡°So what you mean is, an animal trapped in a trap becomes the bottom of the food chain. Any animal can attack it, but it won¡¯t change the elimination result. Whether dead, or alive, it¡¯s still considered eliminated.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how it is!¡± The orb chirped happily. Asarina, who was standing aside and listening with a frown, couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Why is there such a rule? If falling into a trap means they¡¯re already considered eliminated, then what is the point of ¡®eating¡¯ them? Isn¡¯t it redundant?¡± The orb snorted pridefully, ¡°There¡¯s good reason for this design. You will have your own experiences in the game. Now, let¡¯s announce the third method of elimination. The third one is very simple: if a player dies, they are eliminated. Is it clear? Even if the hunt button does not touch your opponent¡¯s body, if you can somehow manage to kill them, they are also eliminated. But please note this¡ª If your rank in the food chain is lower than the opponent¡¯s, and they die at your hand, then you will be eliminated along with them.¡± Perhaps for dramatic effect, all the green leaves on the orb withered and fell to the ground. It lowered its voice and emphasized very seriously: ¡°I¡¯m not joking¡­ unless the target is in a trap, you must attack your targets according to the order of the food chain! Don¡¯t think about cheating! Also, don¡¯t think that as long as you don¡¯t do it yourself, the system won¡¯t know! Whoever violates the food chain will be eliminated!¡± Chapter 757 - Chapter 757: Chapter 757: Food in the Wildlife Park Chapter 757: Chapter 757: Food in the Wildlife Park ¡°I understand¡­¡± Ye Chong, wearing white gloves, slowly said, ¡°In short, to avoid being eliminated, I must ensure I don¡¯t die, don¡¯t fall into traps, or have my body touched by the wristband of an animal higher up in the food chain.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± The wooden ball was very pleased, sprouting new shoots and looking lush, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The three elimination rules: One, death; Two, falling into a trap; Three, being touched by the predator button on the body. ¡°Besides the elimination rules, there are a few other rules that need to be clarified,¡± the ball continued, ¡°First, for food, drones will deliver food and water at noon every day. The drop location is where you are now. Secondly, each animal in the park has its own habitat, also known as a safe hut! If an animal is in its safe hut, no other animal can attack, even if it is higher up in the food chain! Finally, the time limit for this game is 30 days. If no winner is determined after 30 days, both teams will be eliminated!¡± The ball whirled once between the two teams, its voice crisp and clear: ¡°The battle officially begins at dawn tomorrow. You have sufficient time to familiarize yourselves with the terrain and practice the functions on the wristband. Now, if there are any questions, feel free to ask!¡± ¡°Can we use tools when hunting?¡± Ye Chong asked. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?0 Although he was addressing the Inspector, his dark eyes were watching Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, filled with anticipation or perhaps, excitement before the hunt. The ball chuckled, ¡°Of course! There are no restrictions on the hunting method, as long as your food chain level is higher than that of your prey.¡± Over here, Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What is the maximum number of players a trap can hold?¡± The wooden ball waggled its branches and leaves, chuckling, ¡°Paying attention to this, it¡¯s truly worthy of¡­¡± Its voice trailed off, recalling the Inspector¡¯s instructions to treat all players equally, at least in appearance, without any special treatment. The ball adjusted its tone, ¡°Hmm¡­it¡¯s really worthy of¡­worthy of the mindset of starting the game. Are you guys getting nervous now?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± The ball continued, ¡°The trap can contain multiple players, up to eight. But once activated, it becomes invalid immediately. For example, if one player triggers an iron cage trap and gets caught, then other animals passing by do not have to worry about setting off the trap! Alright, any more questions? Any more?¡± Nobody spoke up. The ball chuckled, ¡°Then everyone can collect their food and get ready for tomorrow¡¯s battle!¡± It rolled away. After rolling seven or eight meters, it rolled back two meters, saying, ¡°Oh right, while it may seem unnecessary, just in case¡­ I still need to remind certain people, before the battle officially starts, violence, attacks, and causing harm are not allowed. Those who violate this will be eliminated immediately.¡± After delivering this message, the ball finally rolled away. Leaving the 16 players standing where they were. After a moment of silence, everyone started to collect the food dropped by the drones. The food was in square, black boxes dropped by drones. The boxes contained bread, cookies, milk, water, and a small apple. Though the type of food was diverse, the portions were very small. For instance, there was only 150ml of milk, three cookies, and a tiny bread roll no larger than a palm. The only thing in ample supply was water, which was 850ml. This food was just enough for an adult to maintain a day¡¯s energy ¡ª carbohydrates, sugar, fat, protein, and so forth, were all included. There were 16 black boxes in total, one for each player. If you don¡¯t want to starve, you had to be on time to collect the food at noon every day. Otherwise, if the food was taken by the opponent, one would have to fight them on an empty stomach. Bai Youwei certainly didn¡¯t need to worry about food, but she didn¡¯t want to watch the others eat too much either, so she still had to take the food she was entitled to. Chapter 758 - Chapter 758: Chapter 758: Allocating Roles at the Wildlife Park Chapter 758: Chapter 758: Allocating Roles at the Wildlife Park Once everyone had received the black box, it seemed time for each team to hold a small meeting and discuss their next move ¡ª specifically, how should they assign the animal roles? But Bai Youwei had no such plan in mind. Sitting in her wheelchair, she gave the surroundings an emotionless scan before saying, ¡°Split into pairs, first get familiar with the terrain. If you find a trap or a safe house, communicate through the wristwatch.¡± The volume of her voice was normal, she didn¡¯t intentionally avoid the other team; everyone on Ye Chong¡¯s side heard her very clearly. All members of Ye Chong¡¯s team watched him, waiting for their King¡¯s command. ¡°Find your own safe houses while surveying the environment,¡± Ye Chong said. The plans of the two kings were not much different. As the battle game hadn¡¯t officially started yet, the atmosphere wasn¡¯t too tense. One by one, the sixteen people scattered, their figures quickly disappearing into the dense forest. Bai Youwei was naturally paired with Shen Mo. The place was truly vast, not just a forest but also grasslands, slopes, shrubs, sand dunes, and more, as if it had condensed the whole nature. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo found a safe house ¡ª but it belonged to the other team. Since it wasn¡¯t their safe house, they couldn¡¯t enter. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï From the outside, the shape of the cottage resembled an igloo built by Eskimos ¡ª semi-circular and all white. But instead of ice, it was made of sturdy white steel. Naturally, if you hide in here, there¡¯s no need to fear any animal. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo advanced further and discovered safe houses for the wolf and the leopard, with identifiable animal head symbols marked on the doors of the houses. Two beeping sounds came from the wristwatch, followed by Asarina¡¯s voice: ¡°Safe houses for the mouse and the fox found in the southeast direction.¡± Ya Chaohui¡¯s voice came over too: ¡°Found a trap¡­¡± Shen Mo glanced down at the position of his teammates and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Ye Chong¡¯s domain seems to be in the north, while ours is in the south. Should we go back and check?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head lightly. ¡°Let¡¯s keep exploring¡­ while it¡¯s still light. I want to see more of the environment.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly and pushed her deeper into the forest. ¡­ The wildlife park was enormous. It took Bai Youwei and Shen Mo nearly two hours just to walk through it once. This was merely one round ¨C not enough for familiarity. To have a thorough understanding of the environment and to quickly choose the best route during the offensive and escape, they would have to go around a few more times. The same task was being undertaken by Ye Chong¡¯s team too. Whoever becomes familiar with the environment first will gain an advantage in the battle. The sun gradually started to set¡­ Unconsciously, dusk began to darken, the setting sun bled across the horizon, the impending night gave the entire forest an indescribable sense of oppression. Ya Chaohui found a clear patch of land and started a fire. The sky still had a hint of brightness. Everyone sat around the fire, silently eating the food from the black box. As the one who could not hold back his words, Tan Xiao asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, how are you going to assign us the roles?¡± Bai Youwei was drinking milk. She hadn¡¯t tasted fresh milk for a long time. It was just 150ml. If only there was more¡­ like 150 liters ¨C then she¡¯d be able to have a milk bath for her legs. Noticing that all her companions were looking at her, Bai Youwei slowly raised her head and looked at everyone through the firelight: ¡°Don¡¯t rush¡­In fact, before distributing our animal roles, we should think about how the other team might assign their roles. Mouse, Cat, Fox, Wolf, Leopard, Lion, Bear, Elephant, the most important roles are the Mouse and the Elephant. If we could know who the Mouse and the Elephant of the other team are, our role distribution would be more effective.¡± Scratching his head, Tan Xiao said, ¡°But how are we supposed to guess that¡­¡± Chapter 759 - Chapter 759: Chapter 759: Distribution in the Wildlife Park Chapter 759: Chapter 759: Distribution in the Wildlife Park Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Have any of you had any interaction with Ye Chong?¡± Everyone shook their heads. A buzz-cut young man spoke up, ¡°He¡¯s been to our training room, asking who was the strongest. He didn¡¯t look like much of a fighter, but given that he had the courage to ask such a question, he probably possesses a powerful item.¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± a slightly dark-skinned young man added, ¡°The entire base is buzzing about those oddly powerful gloves of his. Also, I heard that during the preliminary rounds, not even a single player from his arena made it out alive.¡± These two men, Wu Meng¡¯an, and Zhang Yu, were chosen by Shen Mo from a list provided by Chu Huaijin. They had been previously part of the assessment team before applying to become subjects, curious to see what the final winning world would look like. Although they were not top-tier in terms of individual strength, they excelled at team cooperation. After a month of intensive training, their coordination with the rest of the team improved greatly. Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°So he¡¯s self-assured, arrogant and highly aggressive. Someone like that would never allow themselves to be at the bottom of the food chain when assigning animal roles. I predict he¡¯s either an elephant or a bear.¡± Bai Youwei picked up a charred twig from the firepit and began to draw out various small animal figures on the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s go over the food chain hierarchy. A mouse can eat an elephant; A cat can eat a mouse; Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï A fox can eat a cat, a mouse; A wolf can eat a fox, a cat, a mouse; A leopard can eat a wolf, a fox, a cat, a mouse; A lion can eat a leopard, a wolf, a fox, a cat, a mouse; A bear can eat a lion, a leopard, a wolf, a fox, a cat, a mouse; An elephant can eat a bear, a lion, a leopard, a wolf, a fox, a cat. The most powerful animals are the bear and the elephant. They can prey on six types of animals and have only one predator. On the other hand, the weakest animals are the mouse and the cat. They can prey on one type of animal but face six predators. Under normal thinking, animals lower on the food chain are responsible for luring and assisting enemies, while those higher up are responsible for attacking and hunting. Therefore, I intend to assign the powerful animals to individuals with high offensive power and high hunting success rates, while the weaker animals will be assigned to individuals with strong cooperative skills and high survival rates.¡± Everyone listened in silence, with no objections. This arrangement was practical and the most common. Ya Chaohui asked, ¡°Who do you plan on assigning to be the mouse?¡± The mouse is crucial. If the mouse is eliminated, then the enemy¡¯s elephant will become undefeatable, able to eliminate any animal, which would indirectly lead to the destruction of the entire team! After a pause, Bai Youwei said, ¡°I will be the mouse. The mouse has too many predators and is easily hunted, and until the action route of the opponent¡¯s elephant is clear, the mouse can hardly move. This will result in a waste of manpower in the early stage. Therefore, I will be the mouse¡­¡± She looked up at Asarina, ¡°For the same reasons, before we figure out who the mouse is, the cat cannot act impulsively. Asarina, your role is the cat, you will stay by my side and protect me. Shen Mo and Ya Chaohui, you two have the strongest offensive capabilities, so you will be the elephant and bear. Along, you will be the lion. Tan Xiao, you will be the leopard. Wu Meng¡¯an, Zhang Yu, you will be the wolf and the fox.¡± Then Bai Youwei made some operation on her wristwatch, and everyone received messages about their assigned roles. ¡°Remember your roles. Each pair will act according to circumstances tomorrow,¡± Bai Youwei continued, giving instructions while operating the device, ¡°Don¡¯t venture beyond our own territory to avoid falling into potential traps set by the enemy.¡± At this moment, Ya Chaohui said, ¡°Can we switch the ones assigned to be the mouse and the cat?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, taken aback. The rest of the group also turned their attention to the conversation. No one had expected any subject to question the decisions of the King. Chapter 760 - Chapter 760: Chapter 760: Someone in the Wildlife Park Disagrees Chapter 760: Chapter 760: Someone in the Wildlife Park Disagrees Ya Chaohui disregarded the eyes around him and calmly said: ¡°The mouse is the only creature that can restrain the elephant and is likely to become the target of focus in the whole competition. Therefore, I believe the mouse player should be someone who can act swiftly, respond sensitively, and have certain self-defense capabilities. Asarina is quite skilled and quite apt for the role. As for the cat, it¡¯s optional, relatively safer than the mouse, and more suitable to be commanded by the King from behind.¡± As Ya Chaohui finished, everyone looked at him, and then Bai Youwei. The atmosphere was subtly grim. Indeed he made some sense, but to say it bluntly like that, it was as if he was questioning the King¡¯s decision. Shen Mo furrowed his brows but remained silent. He couldn¡¯t defend Bai Youwei because doing so in this situation would not only not be helpful but would also make Bai Youwei seem incompetent. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t angry. She sat in her wheelchair, slightly raising her chin, and indifferently looked at Ya Chaohui. ¡°You¡¯re right ¡­ the mouse player must have self-defense capabilities, so, I¡¯m the best choice.¡± She gently stroked the plush rabbit in her arms. A weak layer of blue electrical light rippled out like waves. Zzzz- Everyone felt a brief numbness from an electrical flow under their feet. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?? Everyone was dumbstruck: ¡°¡­.¡± Anyone who could become the King naturally had some advantages. Ye Chong had the white gloves, while Bai Youwei had the rabbit. Ya Chaohui gave a silent smile, tinged with some desolation: ¡°Yeah, you have a rabbit, how could I forget¡­ you still have this rabbit.¡± Bai Youwei stroked the ears of her plush rabbit, ignoring Ya Chaohui¡¯s fluctuating emotions, and just calmly said, ¡°You all can rest assured, the mouse won¡¯t be eliminated. Because no one can get near me.¡± Her gaze swept over everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°If there are no issues then let¡¯s start the distribution of props.¡± She handed out four mud pieces. One each to Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Asarina, and Zhang Yu. Eight people. Two sharing one mud piece is just right. The incense in the censer had been burning for seven days and seven nights straight, increasing the mud piece¡¯s usage to four more times than originally. It should be enough. After that, Bai Youwei brought out four bundles of rope. ¡°The rope is just an ordinary rope. Take it, and when necessary, tie your opponents up and drag them into a trap,¡± Bai Youwei instructed, ¡°The safest way to eliminate someone is to use a trap before finding out what animal they are.¡± Asarina asked: ¡°Should we sneak over there tonight? We might even gather some intelligence.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of this strategy, the opponents will have corresponding precautions.¡± Bai Youwei disagreed, ¡°Right now we only know that Ye Chong has white gloves, but what about his subjects? What is their strength? What tools do they have in their hands? What are their hidden trump cards? We know nothing about these, rushing over there might just be us walking into a trap.¡± Tan Xiao had a sudden insight: ¡°Weiwei, how about we lure them over and shock them all! How would that be?¡± ¡°Attacking an animal higher than yourself in the food chain will result in immediate elimination.¡± Bai Youwei gently shook her head, ¡°The Sphere never introduced the rules with honesty. This time it didn¡¯t explain whether ¡®elimination¡¯ meant leaving the battlefield or death. We can¡¯t take that risk.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly and said in a low voice: ¡°The Inspector emphasized many times that attacks have to follow the food chain order. If we can attack arbitrarily, the game would lose its original meaning.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Bai Youwei threw a twig into the fire and said slowly, ¡°With the restriction of the food chain, this game can¡¯t be won quickly. It can only be a battle of attrition¡­ Later, everyone should get familiar with their surroundings and rest early. Once it¡¯s dawn, it¡¯s time for the battle to officially start.¡± Chapter 761 - Chapter 761: Chapter 761: Daybreak at the Wildlife Park Chapter 761: Chapter 761: Daybreak at the Wildlife Park After talking around the fire for a while, everyone finished the food in their black boxes and began to familiarize themselves with the surroundings and the environment based on what Bai Youwei had said. Because the Inspector had previously stressed, no attacks could occur before the start of the game, so the night was tranquil. Both sides were busy in preparation, and even when met halfway, no conflict occurred. Bai Youwei was not idle, either. She had Asarina accompany her round and round until they finally found the highest point from where they could overlook the forest and the grassland. ¡°From here, we can see the fire they¡¯ve lit.¡± Asarina observed, ¡°The light in the safe_shelter is also on. Do we really not need to go there? As long as we guard the outside of the safe house, we can know what kind of animals they are when they come out the next day.¡± Bai Youwei still shook her head: ¡°It might be bait.¡± Asarina thought for a moment and sighed, ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s better to be cautious in a battle game.¡± After a while, she asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we also refrain from resting in the safe house?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Before the game, everyone should have prepared tents and sleeping bags. Let¡¯s make do tonight¡­ at least for the first two nights, we must not enter the safe house.¡± In the first two nights, all information was unknown. Whoever exposed themselves first would reveal a hint of defeat. ¡°Understood,¡± Asarina nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t enter the safe house unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, even if we¡¯re running away.¡± Upon saying this, Asarina once again looked toward the distant fire, somewhat contemplative: ¡°That man named Ye Chong, he must be planning right now, who knows what steps they will take¡­¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï ¡°That man¡­ is very aggressive.¡± Bai Youwei looked into the distance, deep in thought, ¡°And very arrogant¡­ He wasn¡¯t long at the base when rumors about him circulated everywhere. I¡¯m a bit suspicious that he himself might be the source of those rumors.¡± ¡°The rumor that all other players in the same selection match died?¡± Asarina said, ¡°It¡¯s true, I also saw it, it really was only him who came out¡­¡± ¡°No, you misunderstood me.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her and explained, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that he¡¯s lying. What I mean, is¡­ is¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°Unless someone personally saw him emerge from the selection match and then boasted about it at the base, how would anyone know about it? Moreover, the rumor spread so quickly that almost everyone knows how dangerous he is by merely hearing his name. Yan Qingwen, Fu Miaoxue, and I all have won selection matches, so why aren¡¯t there rumors about us?¡± Asarina was puzzled: ¡°You mean, he is spreading rumors about himself? What¡¯s he trying to achieve?¡± ¡°He enjoys it, relishes it, he enjoys the awe and fear in people when they speak of him.¡± Bai Youwei attempted to analyze, ¡°This man, enjoys killing, and delights in it. Tomorrow, he is likely to take unexpected actions.¡± Asarina opened her mouth but was at a loss for words. Finally, she looked towards the enemy¡¯s direction. Tomorrow, the answer will be known. ¡­ At dawn the next day, Shen Mo, Ya Chaohui, Tan Xiao, Along, Wu Meng¡¯an, and Zhang Yu, in groups of two, cautiously explored from the left, center, and right directions. Shen Mo and Ya Chaohui were together, and on their way, there was neither a surprise nor a danger. They were close to the enemy¡¯s area, yet they hadn¡¯t seen a single person. The scenery along the way was rather delightful with various flourishing plants and flowers. Probably because they hadn¡¯t seen anyone for a long time, Shen Mo pressed the talk button to check in: ¡°Tan Xiao, Along, is there anything on your side?¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°No, we haven¡¯t seen anyone!¡± ¡°Same here, we haven¡¯t seen a single person either¡­ really weird¡­¡± Wu Meng¡¯an from the other group said. However, as this was said, Wu Meng¡¯an suddenly said: ¡°Oh no!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed as he heard a shocked Wu Meng¡¯an on the other end of the wristwatch radio: ¡°They¡¯ve, they¡¯ve come! What should we do?! Eight people, all have arrived!¡± Chapter 762 - Chapter 762: Chapter 762: Eliminating One in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 762: Chapter 762: Eliminating One in the Wild Animal Park Meanwhile, Bai Youwei, situated on the slope, also noticed something. Although she had the geographical advantage, she couldn¡¯t see what was happening in the forest. Only when the eight people came out of the forest and walked into an open grassland without any cover, could she clearly see them. ¡°Zhang Yu, run to the Cat¡¯s safe house! Wu Meng¡¯an, you run to the Fox¡¯s safe house! Be careful of traps!¡± With Bai Youwei¡¯s command, Zhang Yu and Wu Meng¡¯an dashed into the forest separately, while the eight people from Ye Chong¡¯s side also split into two groups of four to chase them! Bai Youwei squinted her eyes, watching these people disappear from her view, then issued another command: ¡°Shen Mo, Ya Chaohui, go and support at the Fox¡¯s house! Along and Tan Xiao go and support at the Cat¡¯s house!¡± She turned her head to look at Asarina next to her: ¡°You go and support too.¡± Asarina nodded, swiftly and neatly jumping down the slope, sprinting towards the safe house. Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair, looking at the seemingly calm forest in front of her with a thoughtful expression: ¡°Four people chasing the Cat¡­four people chasing the Fox¡­so where would the Mouse be? Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?0 Firstly, Ye Chong had no companions, which meant he didn¡¯t trust anyone. Secondly, he was fond of killing. In order not to let the Mouse¡¯s trouble affect his enjoyment of hunting, he would not let the Mouse leave his sight. Thus, the Mouse was likely to be in Ye Chong¡¯s group. There were three people with Ye Chong just now- A muscular black man, a young man in a duckbill cap, and a girl with a ponytail. So who could the Mouse be? As Bai Youwei thought, Shen Mo¡¯s voice came from her wristwatch: ¡°Wu Meng¡¯an has been eliminated. The other side acted quickly. After eliminating Wu Meng¡¯an, they immediately retreated.¡± After a pause of two seconds, he said again: ¡°We arrived too late.¡± ¡°What¡¯s Wu Meng¡¯an¡¯s situation like now?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Shen Mo replied, ¡°He was touched by a tall, lean man with a wristwatch and disappeared on the spot. The other party retreated quickly, should we go after them?¡± Tall and lean?¡­It must be the young man wearing the duckbill cap. ¡°No need to chase.¡± Bai Youwei touched the white dot near the cat¡¯s house on her wristwatch, and asked again, ¡°Zhang Yu, what¡¯s your situation?¡± Zhang Yu didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Zhang Yu?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s voice came in: ¡°Along and I are near the Cat¡¯s house, we can¡¯t see Zhang Yu!¡­Zhang Yu? Zhang Yu where are you?!¡± Zhang Yu¡¯s voice finally came: ¡°I¡¯m in the tree¡­I¡¯m hiding, those people just retreated.¡± In other words, Ye Chong led all his teammates to rush in all at once. They quickly made a move, eliminating one person, and then immediately retreated. This was indeed a good strategy. With their overwhelming numbers, in the face of eight people rushing over at once, any animal target would be able to find a superior predator on the food chain. Even if they couldn¡¯t find one, they could use their collective strength to force the opponent into a trap. Bai Youwei thought for a moment and said: ¡°Everyone, come here on the slope.¡± A moment later, Shen Mo, Ya Chaohui, Tan Xiao, and others all returned. They gathered around Bai Youwei, their momentum somewhat downcast. They had just lost a companion. Although they were only one wolf short, they were at a numerical disadvantage. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, although we are one less, the other side made a move and we have obtained some information because of it.¡± Bai Youwei calmly said, ¡°The tall and thin young man with the duckbill cap should be a Leopard, or an Elephant.¡± Ya Chaohui frowned: ¡°He suddenly sped up within a few seconds. We didn¡¯t have time to get there at all before Wu Meng¡¯an was eliminated by him. If such a person is an Elephant, we will have a hard time dealing with him.¡± ¡°The sudden speed increase should have been with the use of a prop, right?¡± Asarina said, ¡°Speeding up should either have a time limit or a usage limit. It can¡¯t be unlimited.¡± Chapter 763 - Chapter 763: Chapter 763 Climbing to the Top of the Tree in the Wildlife Zoo Chapter 763: Chapter 763 Climbing to the Top of the Tree in the Wildlife Zoo Bai Youwei said, ¡°This person is able to attack without any hesitation. There can only be two possibilities. Either, he is an elephant and is certain that we will not easily send out a mouse, hence he brazenly attacks; Or he is a leopard. Ye Chong allowed him to attack as a way to probe Wu Meng¡¯an¡¯s identity.¡± Zhang Yu, who had just narrowly escaped from death, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why a leopard?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him and explained, ¡°In the food chain, leopards and wolves are in the middle tier. This position is very delicate. Under them are foxes, cats, and mice, which can only run when faced with an enemy, while above them, elephants, bears, lions are all suitable for launching attacks. If I were Ye Chong, faced with an unknown opponent, I would send out a leopard or a wolf. If the opponent is a lower-level animal, they can easily be eliminated by a leopard or a wolf. Wu Meng¡¯an is a wolf, and if that person can eliminate Wu Meng¡¯an, he can only be a leopard.¡± ¡°What if we come across a top-tier animal?¡± Zhang Yu asked, puzzled. ¡°There is a chance we might encounter top-tier predators, right? According to the order of the food chain, if a low-grade animal attacks a high-grade one, the low-grade one will be eliminated! Won¡¯t they lose more than they gain then?¡± If Wu Meng¡¯an is not a wolf, but a lion or a bear, the opponent wouldn¡¯t just fail to eliminate him, they would actually be the one to get eliminated! However, Bai Youwei shook her head lightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, by using this method to probe, no matter what animal the opponent is, it is always a no-lose situation for Ye Chong.¡± Zhang Yu widened his eyes in shock, ¡°How is that possible¡­¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï Shen Mo, who was standing next to them, softly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, they have eight people corresponding to eight animals. If the tall and thin man attacks Wu Meng¡¯an and gets eliminated, it indicates that Wu Meng¡¯an ranks higher. Suppose Wu Meng¡¯an¡¯s rank is a lion, then Ye Chong just needs to send out an elephant to eliminate Wu Meng¡¯an.¡± Then, the situation would become a seven on seven. It seems like the numbers have not changed, but in reality, Ye Chong¡¯s side has only lost a leopard, while Bai Youwei¡¯s side has lost a lion. That¡¯s why Bai Youwei said, by using this method to probe, no matter what animal the opponent is, it is always a no-lose situation for Ye Chong.¡± Zhang Yu nodded in confusion, never realizing that there could be so much complexity behind a single attack. Tan Xiao was also listening with a confused expression, feeling dazed. Shen Mo looked at everyone and said, ¡°Since the other team is moving as an eight-member group, our split group formation is very disadvantageous. Everybody, try not to separate as much as possible moving forward.¡± Everyone nodded in silence. Bai Youwei looked up at the sky and said with a faint voice, ¡°The opponent is very arrogant. After easily succeeding this time, they will certainly launch another attack. We need to go to the park center to get food at noon, so we need to be prepared before then.¡± She asked the others, ¡°Do you remember which direction the drone came from?¡± Everyone looked instinctively towards the park in front of them¡ª It was a vast rectangular area, the two ends of which were slope lands piled up by rocks and stones, and the middle was a spacious grassy field, like a green ribbon, dividing the forest into two halves. The northern forest was Ye Chong¡¯s territory; The southern forest was Bai Youwei¡¯s territory. The forest wasn¡¯t just made up of trees. Inside, there was a mix of sandy grounds, grasslands, bushes, and so on. Shen Mo pointed in a direction, ¡°The drone flight path seemed to come diagonally across. There were two in total.¡± ¡°Food is only supplied once a day. They probably will get to the center of the field early to prevent us from getting all the food,¡± Bai Youwei speculated. After thinking for a while, she asked, ¡°Who among you can climb trees?¡± Everyone looked at each other. Tan Xiao, looking a bit stunned, raised his hand and asked, ¡°How high do we need to climb?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Climb to the top.¡± Chapter 764 - Chapter 764: Chapter 764: Analysis of the Wildlife Park Chapter 764: Chapter 764: Analysis of the Wildlife Park While Bai Youwei was analyzing Ye Chong, Ye Chong¡¯s team was analyzing Bai Youwei as well. ¡°Those people are really stupid! Hahaha they actually scattered, we¡¯ve eliminated one, now they¡¯re certainly panicking!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too carried away, those eliminated by Tian Li couldn¡¯t be anything impressive. The truly dangerous are yet to act¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that, after all, they¡¯re down a man.¡± ¡°If only we knew what animal the eliminated person was, hopefully a mouse!¡± ¡°A mouse? How can we casually encounter a mouse¡­¡± ¡°Hey, among them, who do you think is the mouse?¡± The group was discussing animatedly. Ye Chong sat to one side, his fingers interlaced, his index finger rubbing gently, seemingly deep in thought. ¡°The mouse, it¡¯s among the unseen ones,¡± he said. Everyone looked at him, ¡°The unseen ones?¡± Ye Chong slowly explained, ¡°When we attacked, two people came over, trying to save their comrade. Such rescue acts can only be done by an elephant, bear, or lion. The mouse must be among the remaining group.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï The muscular man nodded vigorously, ¡°That makes sense! The mouse is at the bottom of the food chain, it wouldn¡¯t clumsily rush out to save someone! For now, as long as we continue our attack, we¡¯ll be able to figure out their animal roles from their reactions!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t keep it up,¡± Ye Chong gave a faint smile, ¡°they¡¯ve suffered a loss this time, certainly, they won¡¯t scatter again. But there¡¯s no need to rush, let them panic a bit longer. If it ends too quickly, it would be a little less fun.¡± Everyone had varied expressions upon hearing his words. Some showed fear, unable to understand his idea of fun. Some forced a smile, agreeing, ¡°Yeah¡­ we can¡¯t make it easy for them, we need to show them how formidable we are.¡± ¡°Right, a mere girl daring to compete with us, she¡¯s bit off more than she can chew¡­¡± Everyone laughingly flattered him. Ye Chong looked towards a tall, thin young man with a duckbill cap and instructed, ¡°Tian Li, when you go to get lunch, go alone, and also probe them a bit to see if they¡¯ll attack you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I- I¡¯m going again?¡± The young man, Tian Li, uncomfortably lowered his head, ¡°What if I get eliminated¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ye Chong lightly patted Tian Li¡¯s shoulder with a casual smile, ¡°Even if you¡¯re eliminated, it¡¯s for the sake of everyone¡¯s victory.¡± Tian Li looked uncomfortable and turned towards his companions. No one said a word, heads low. Tian Li awkwardly smiled, ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯m not unwilling, but isn¡¯t this kind of probing too obvious? What if they don¡¯t fall for it?¡± ¡°I see¡­ you have a point.¡± Ye Chong pondered seriously and then looked towards another person in the crowd, ¡°Then let the wolf do it. Xiaoqi, are you up for it?¡± Xiaoqi, a short young man, stiffened at his words. Hu Dashan quickly added, ¡°Xiaoqi runs slow, Tian Li is more suitable! Tian Li just eliminated one of their players. If they find Tian Li alone, they¡¯ll want revenge for the old grudge and new resentment! That would be our opportunity!¡± Ye Chong, the corners of his mouth turned upward, seemed to be watching a drama as he looked at Hu Dashan, then at Tian Li. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± He said to Tian Li with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re still the most suitable.¡± Tian Li pursed his lips and managed a smile, ¡°Well¡­ I am the fastest runner¡­¡± Ye Chong then turned to Hu Dashan, and asked with a smile, ¡°By the way, that guy with black and white hair, he¡¯s your brother, isn¡¯t he?¡± Hu Dashan¡¯s eyes flickered, he stammered, ¡°Ah¡­ kind of, but we¡¯re not actually close, not close¡­ ¡± Ye Chong just smiled at him. Chapter 765 - Chapter 765: Chapter 765: Playing Scatter in the Wildlife Park Chapter 765: Chapter 765: Playing Scatter in the Wildlife Park Noon arrived in the blink of an eye. Ye Chong led all team members to the area between the two forests in advance to prepare. Tian Li waited alone for the drone, while the others hid behind the trees at the edge of the forest. Strangely, there was no sign of Bai Youwei and her team. ¡°Did they forget mealtime?¡± Hu Dashan scratched his head, puzzled. ¡°¡­Or are they too scared to come out?¡± ¡°Good, they should be scared!¡± The muscular man grunted heavily, his muscles rippling in response, ¡°We have eight people, they have seven, of course they¡¯re afraid! They better be so scared that they don¡¯t dare to come out for food every day!¡± The girl on the team with the ponytail quietly remarked: ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that starve them to death¡­¡± Hu Dashan added, ¡°They can¡¯t be that stupid, can they?¡± Ye Chong looked around suspiciously, suspecting a trick. The surroundings were eerily quiet, with not a single person or noise from Bai Youwei¡¯s side. Tian Li also found it strange, he hesitated as he returned, saying, ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡± The distant humming of a drone was faintly heard. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï ¡°They could show up at any moment, stay alert.¡± Ye Chong reminded the others. Everyone was at the ready. Suddenly, a loud boom came from far away! It seemed like something had exploded! Everyone was startled and looked in the direction of the sound, but all they saw was a trail of black smoke. What just happened? While they were puzzled, Ye Chong¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he immediately ran towards the smoke. The others quickly followed! They rushed into the forest, running all the way! Finally, they arrived at the scene of the accident ¡ª The ground was scattered with drone wreckage, and the black box carried by the drone was blasted to pieces! The bread and biscuits were charred to a crisp, and the water was spilled without a single drop left! The instigator had already left, and it was too late to catch them now. Everyone gasped in surprise at the scene before them, exclaiming, ¡°What kind of weapon did this? Or was it a prop?¡± ¡°I heard that the rabbit in that woman¡¯s hands can emit electricity¡­¡± ¡°But this is too outrageous!¡± ¡°Why would they blow up the drone? Do they want to starve us by destroying the food?¡± ¡°Are they stupid? We all brought food and water when we entered the game. Even without the drone delivering food, we have enough for two days.¡± ¡°But what if they do this every day¡­¡± Ye Chong looked at the mess on the ground, his face growing even darker, and gritted his teeth: ¡°Let¡¯s go back right away!¡± Saying so, he swiftly walked deeper into the forest. Seeing this, the others sensed that something was wrong. As expected, when they arrived at their temporary camp, they found that all the backpacks had been rifled through, food thrown haphazardly on the ground. The food was still edible, but every bottle of water had been opened; only a little bit of water was left in each one. The absence of food was not a big problem; with their physical condition, they could cope for a few days without any. But without water, how long could they last? ¡°Damn!¡± The muscular man slammed the empty water bottle in frustration, cursing, ¡°That bitch is cruel! Playing a game of attrition! Damn it!¡± Hu Dashan picked up his own empty bottle, feeling quite upset, muttered in his heart: Not even leaving a bit for me, that brat¡­ The girl with the ponytail worriedly said: ¡°What should we do? If the other side keeps doing this, we won¡¯t be able to keep up with our physical strength.¡± ¡°Do you think her goal is to make us die of thirst?¡± Ye Chong coldly curled his lips, ¡°A group of fools, her aim is to disperse us.¡± Carrying all the supplies would increase the weight, which would hinder the action, so someone had to stay and guard the supplies. The drone was flying in the sky and could be attacked at any time, so someone had to follow it as well. No matter how they arranged it, their eight people would have to be divided into at least two groups. If the other side sent seven people after his divided team¡­ At that thought, Ye Chong clenched his teeth tightly. Chapter 766 - Chapter 766: Chapter 766: Crushing in the Wildlife Park Chapter 766: Chapter 766: Crushing in the Wildlife Park On the hillside, lush grass billows greenly. Bai Youwei sits in her wheelchair, watching the wisp of black smoke in the distance thin out, a cold sneer playing on her lips. The game has just begun, and if anyone thinks they can defeat her that easily, they¡¯re sorely mistaken¡­ ¡­ She waits on the hillside for a while, and Shen Mo, Ya Chaohui, Tan Xiao, and Along return together. The rabbit perched on Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder leaps off halfway up the hill, hopping back to Bai Youwei¡¯s side in a few energetic jumps. Tan Xiao, exuding confidence and energy, leads the climb up the hill, ¡°Now let¡¯s see how they brag! With no food or drink, they can wait and starve! Hahaha!¡­¡± Smiling, Bai Youwei unpacks the ready-made food, handing it to Tan Xiao: ¡°You must be hungry too, right? Head to the camp and eat, here, this was prepared by our chef earlier, take it to the camp and share it with Asarina and the others.¡± Tan Xiao sniffed the food eagerly, ¡°Wow~ large white buns, eggs, and sausages! Our chef¡¯s skills are improving!¡± He turns and calls to the group, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Back to camp for dinner!¡± Ya Chaohui looks a bit uncertain, furrowing his brows, ¡°Is this enough? They probably brought their own food before entering the game¡­¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã? Tan Xiao dismisses the concern, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine! Even if they did bring their own, they can¡¯t last for too many days. With the way my brother eats, his supplies will be gone in a meal!¡± Bai Youwei responds with a faint smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ve made arrangements for the food they brought.¡± ¡°Did you hear that? Sister Weiwei has a plan, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go~ let¡¯s go eat!¡± Tan Xiao wraps an arm around Ya Chaohui and heads off, regardless of his willingness. Along follows behind as well. Only Bai Youwei and Shen Mo are left on the hillside. Shen Mo watches their companions walking off into the distance, then asks Bai Youwei, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± Bai Youwei flashes him a sweet smile, ¡°Our chef made something special for me, I¡¯ve already had mine, you go and eat. I¡¯ll stay here and keep watch, I¡¯ll call you if they start making moves.¡± Seeing the rabbit in her arms, Shen Mo feels reassured. He ruffles her hair gently, ¡°I¡¯ll come up later.¡± Bai Youwei bats her innocent, wide eyes, like the rabbit in her arms, scrunches her nose and lets out a cute squeal, ¡°Mmhmm~¡± ¡°You¡¯re just like a little kid.¡± Shen Mo chuckles, pinching her cheek before turning to leave. Bai Youwei touches her pinched cheek, watching Shen Mo walk away with a sweet feeling in her heart. After a while, she shifts her gaze, leans down and tells the rabbit in her lap, ¡°See that? Men also need to be coddled.¡± The fluffy rabbit stares blankly at her. ¡°Forget it, you wouldn¡¯t understand anyway.¡± Bai Youwei adjusts to a more comfortable position, crosses her legs, squints at the distance and murmurs, ¡°That guy. It¡¯s about time he came back, right?¡± ¡­ She waits a little longer. Rustling noises come from the foot of the hillside. Bai Youwei stands up to see, the severed hand is scrambling up the hill. It¡¯s wearing a green woolen glove, with various weeds and green leaves stuck on it, at first glance, it looks like a small creeping plant. Bai Youwei sets the rabbit down and walks towards the slope to meet it. ¡°Mission accomplished?¡± Bai Youwei asks. The hand raises a finger, making a ¡°nodding¡± gesture towards her. Bai Youwei warns with an icy voice, ¡°Raise your middle finger again, and see if I don¡¯t stomp you flat.¡± The hand trembles and swiftly lowers the finger, replacing it with an index finger for the ¡°nod¡±, then scrapes a small flower off its back and presents it to Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei bends down to pick up the flower, saying casually, ¡°Alright, no need to suck up. You did well this time, once the game ends, I¡¯ll reward you with 10 bottles of nail polish, okay?¡± The severed hand hops twice in place, ecstatically happy. Bai Youwei smiles and looks towards the forest to the north. A breeze passes by, lifting her long hair and white skirt. The flower she was holding slips out of her hand, she lowers her gaze and steps on it, grinding it to pieces under her heel, just like she would grind those people on the other side. Chapter 767 - Chapter 767: Chapter 767 Wait for the Wildlife Park Chapter 767: Chapter 767 Wait for the Wildlife Park It was a calm afternoon, with no movement from the other side. As darkness fell, the view from even the best vantage point on the hillside became increasingly unclear. However, the lights from the safe houses stand out even stronger. By position, the wolf¡¯s safe house on Bai Youwei¡¯s side has no lights on, but on Ye Chong¡¯s side, all eight safe houses are lit. It seems that the existence of the safe houses, in addition to providing the last refuge for the players, also serves as a reminder: which animal has been eliminated becomes obvious at night. Asarina, who was on the hillside with Bai Youwei, whispered to her, ¡°The white gloves have been quiet all afternoon. Will they take action at night?¡± ¡°Maybe they will, maybe they won¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei casually gazed at the dark forest, ¡°Let¡¯s let it be for now, after all, we¡¯re not the ones in a rush.¡± Asarina was still uneasy, feeling that Bai Youwei was a bit negative and passive in her tactics, having given no orders all day besides destroying the drones. Although she felt this way, Bai Youwei¡¯s prior escapes from danger made Asarina feel that she should trust her. Perhaps¡­ this was a psychological tactic? Asarina hesitantly asked, ¡°So tomorrow, do we continue to intercept the drones?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, then proceeded to observe the movement paths of several white dots on her wristwatch, saying, ¡°Ye Chong would either scatter his teammates as I predict, or come up with a new trick. We just need to counter their tactics, don¡¯t worry too much, I have everything under control.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï She pressed the call button and informed everyone, ¡°Take turns keeping watch tonight, be careful, don¡¯t leave anyone at the camp.¡± Naturally, the camp is left unattended because those bonfires were like brightly telling the opponents: there are animals here. Bai Youwei took out her blanket and wrapped it around herself. She decided not to sleep tonight, in case of any sudden incidents. Asarina also sat down beside her, quietly staring at the endless night in front of her. ¡­ The night was uneventful. Bai Youwei dozed off for about half an hour. With their current physical condition, staying awake all night had little effect. She yawned lazily, remarking with either admiration or sigh,¡±This Ye Chong really has patience¡­ I guess our drone interception won¡¯t go as smoothly today.¡± Just as Asarina was about to inquire further, Bai Youwei¡¯s wristwatch chimed in: ¡°The dawn is typically when people¡¯s alertness is at its lowest. We could rush over now and catch them off guard!¡± It was Ya Chaohui¡¯s voice. Bai Youwei lazily replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need, stand by on the spot.¡± Ya Chaohui took a deep breath, ¡°We¡¯ve been standing by since yesterday noon! Are you saying that as long as they don¡¯t take action, we won¡¯t either?!¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly, saying, ¡°They haven¡¯t panicked even though they haven¡¯t had anything to eat or drink, what¡¯s your rush?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want to miss a good opportunity to attack them.¡± Ya Chaohui said. Bai Youwei considered his words, then relaxed her brow, calmly responding, ¡°Is it truly a good opportunity to attack, or a good opportunity to walk into their trap? You know, they¡¯ve been silent since yesterday noon. Have you considered why they¡¯ve been silent? Either Ye Chong doesn¡¯t know how to deal with us yet; Or Ye Chong has already figured it out and is just waiting for the so-called ¡°right moment¡± to strike! Ya Chaohui, do you think Ye Chong is the kind of person who couldn¡¯t figure out how to deal with us even after a day of thought?¡± There was silence on the other end. Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then reiterated: ¡°All of you listen, without my command, no one is to enter the northern forest.¡± Several acknowledgements came from the teammates on the other end of the wristwatch. Asarina looked towards the distance, the sun was slowly rising, shedding warmth onto the barren forest. ¡°What do we do now?¡± she asked. Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, curled up like a cat in her fluffy blanket, soft and lazy, she responded with just one word: ¡°Wait.¡± Chapter 768 - Chapter 768: Chapter 768: Continuation of the Elimination in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 768: Chapter 768: Continuation of the Elimination in the Wild Animal Park They waited until noon. There was no conspiracy, no action, the forest was so tranquil that it seemed as if Ye Chong¡¯s group had disappeared. The time for the delivery by the unmanned drone was approaching. This time, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t object, Shen Mo, Ya Chaohui, Along, Tan Xiao, and Zhang Yu all set out, entering the forest to intercept the drone. Bai Youwei said to Asarina, ¡°You should go too.¡± Asarina was surprised, ¡°What will you do?¡± Her duty was to protect Bai Youwei. What if the others weren¡¯t around and the enemy outflanked them and targeted Bai Youwei? Bai Youwei¡¯s fluffy bunny had already been given to Shen Mo, she now had nothing to rely on. ¡°The forest is vast, I can just find a place to hide for a while. If it¡¯s not safe, I can go into the safe cabin.¡± Said Bai Youwei lightly, ¡°You should go. The five of them may not be able to cope.¡± After hesitating for a moment, considering Ye Chong¡¯s methods, Asarina didn¡¯t delay any longer and left in a hurry. Everyone had been waiting from noon yesterday until noon today, and they were indeed somewhat impatient, eager for a showdown. Bai Youwei lowered her eyes to look at her wristwatch, a white dot was slowly approaching the north of the forest. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã¦Ï She pressed the talk button and cautioned, ¡°Do not approach the other side¡¯s safe cabin and traps, try to approach the target location from the edge¡­ ¡± Shen Mo suddenly said, ¡°They are coming.¡± Bai Youwei was slightly surprised and frowned, ¡°How many people?¡± ¡°Eight, they did not split up.¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t have time to say more, staring at the figures that appeared in front of him, he tightened his grip on the rope and went up! Then Bai Youwei¡¯s order came through the wristwatch again. ¡°Attention! There¡¯s a man with a strong build in their team, and a girl with a ponytail, focus your attacks on these two! For the others with animal roles, judge according to their reactions!¡± Stalwart build¡­ ponytail¡­ Shen Mo¡¯s eyes swept over the people rushing up, quickly locking onto his targets. ¡°Tan Xiao! Zhang Yu! Attack the girl!¡± Shen Mo commanded on the spot, ¡°Ya Chaohui and I will attack the strong guy, Along will assist!¡± The strong guy and the girl quickly realized they had become the targets. They were originally charging toward this side along with the team, but when they saw Shen Mo leading his people swiftly toward them, they all turned pale and turned to flee! They fell into the trap! Bai Youwei guessed right, the opponents are low level animals! Otherwise, there is no need for them to flee! ¡°Idiots!¡± Ye Chong frowned and cursed, raising his hand to block Tan Xiao and the others¡¯ chase! Three bamboo spikes nearly ten meters long sprang from his palm! They went straight towards Tan Xiao! The bamboo spikes were extremely fast, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t block them in time and they pierced through Tan Xiao¡¯s calf and arm in an instant! Tan Xiao screamed in pain and fell to his knees! Before he could react, Ye Chong opened his palm again, and another three bamboo spikes shot out! He wanted to finish off Tan Xiao! Just in the nick of time, Asarina pulled Tan Xiao from behind and with a fierce pull, all of those bamboo spikes plunged deep into the ground! At the same time, Shen Mo threw his lasso around Ye Chong, the rope tightly bound his arms, not letting him lift his arm! Asarina helped Tan Xiao up and applied mud therapy. Then she glared at the stunned Zhang Yu and shouted, ¡°Hurry up and chase!!!¡± The girl had already fled far away. Zhang Yu came back to his senses and hurriedly gave chase. As for Ye Chong, he unexpectedly pulled out a dagger from his palm and abruptly cut off the rope! He turned and ran, somewhat unknown what he had stuffed into his mouth, his speed miraculously soaring! Once Ye Chong fled, his teammates followed suit! Seeing him chasing Along, Shen Mo shouted in shock, ¡°Along! Be careful!¡± Along was chasing after the strong man, he seemed to sense the danger and quickly threw a resurrection Easter egg behind him¡ª Fireworks exploded, colorful fog accompanied by colorful silk ribbons spilled over the sky! Ye Chong and others chased into the forest, but they couldn¡¯t see Along¡¯s figure. There was a scream from the teammates behind them. When they turned back, they saw the ¡°fox¡± in their team collapse under Ya Chaohui¡¯s hunting key, disappearing in an instant. A deep and gloomy look flashed in Ye Chong¡¯s eyes. Chapter 769 - Chapter 769: Chapter 769: Order in the Wildlife Park Chapter 769: Chapter 769: Order in the Wildlife Park ¡°Back to base!¡± Ye Chong ordered, leading his team deeper into the forest! Shen Mo, Ya Chaohui, and Along all gave chase! Owing to having applied mud twice, Tan Xiao¡¯s injuries had healed, and he was back in shape. He and Asarina pursued them into the forest. Ye Chong didn¡¯t run far. He stopped along with Hu Dashan and a man covered in tattoos, acting as a roadblock against Shen Mo and team¡¯s pursuit, allowing the rest of the team to scatter and escape. Fearing Ye Chong¡¯s white gloves, Shen Mo and his group also halted, keeping a wary eye on the trio before them. Shen Mo whispered, ¡°Daring to blockade us here, these three must be the Elephant, the Bear, and the Lion.¡± Ye Chong curled his lips into a predatory smile, pointing at Shen Mo and Ya Chaohui. ¡°Daring to attack here, you two must be the Elephant and the Bear, right?¡± Shen Mo casually toyed with the rope in his hand. ¡°Guess.¡± ¡°No need for guessing, and I can¡¯t either.¡± Ye Chong¡¯s malicious gaze swept over Along, Tan Xiao, and Asarina. ¡°At least now I know¡­ these people are all my prey!¡± Then, he abruptly attacked! ¡°Damn!¡± Tan Xiao, having suffered under the white gloves before, was spooked and immediately turned to run! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï Asarina and Along also ran! The three of them took off in three different directions! Ye Chong targeted Along and chased him down! Ya Chaohui and Shen Mo tried to chase down Ye Chong, but they were blocked by the tattooed man. He raised his wrist, displaying the Predator key, and advanced menacingly towards Ya Chaohui! Before he could reach Ya Chaohui, a lasso had already wrapped around his neck, yanking him to the ground! ¡°Ya Chaohui!¡± Shen Mo yelled, gripping his rope tightly. Ya Chaohui immediately threw out his own rope, in sync with Shen Mo, they tangled up their assailant. Then with no delay, they briskly dragged him to the closest pitfall and threw him in! The tattooed man slammed hard onto the ground! Just as he landed, poles sprung out from the neighboring grass, caging him in like a birdcage- At the same time, the light on the tattooed man¡¯s wrist faded away, and his wristwatch disappeared as well. He was eliminated. ¡°Damn it!¡± The tattooed man cursed, punching the iron bars in frustration. Shen Mo retracted his rope and said to Ya Chaohui, ¡°This one¡¯s either the Elephant or the Bear.¡± Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t dare to take on both him and Yea Chaohui alone. Ya Chaohui said, ¡°We only need to deal with two more, and the game¡¯s outcome will no longer be uncertain.¡± No sooner had he finished speaking then they heard the crunching sound of twigs being crushed up ahead. The two looked up to see Tian Li, standing rather stunned behind the shrubs, apparently not expecting the tattooed man to fall into the trap. Soon he noticed that he had been spotted by Shen Mo and Ya Chaohui, and his face turned pale. Without a word, Ya Chaohui dashed towards him! ¡°He¡¯s the Leopard, low-ranked! Open for attack!¡± Fear flashed in Tian Li¡¯s eyes as he turned to run away! His speed was extreme. Within a few seconds, he had vanished into the thick forest. Ya Chaohui chased him for over thirty meters when Bai Youwei¡¯s voice came from his wristwatch: ¡°Everyone, return to the safehouses!¡± ¡°Retreat?!¡± Ya Chaohui exclaimed indignantly. He had already reached a cluster of flowers. Tian Li was just up ahead! Perhaps the effect of the speed-up item had worn off, Tian Li¡¯s speed was visibly decreasing. If Ya Chaohui kept running a few tens of meters, he could definitely eliminate him! ¡°Give me two more minutes¡­ no, only one minute! I can catch up to him!¡± Ya Chaohui roared into the wristwatch. ¡°Ya Chaohui, I order you! Now, immediately, instantly, retreat to your safehouse! Everyone else, report your situations!¡± Asarina: ¡°I¡¯ve retreated back to the Cat House. There are no pursuers.¡± Along: ¡°I¡¯ve retreated back to the Lion¡¯s safehouse. The White Glove is chasing closely and currently lurking outside.¡± Zhang Yu: ¡°¡­ I¡¯m rushing back. I don¡¯t have any pursuers¡­ I couldn¡¯t catch up to that girl.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°I¡¯m also rushing back! I¡¯m almost there!¡± Looking at the ¡°Leopard¡± who had already run far away, Ya Chaohui gritted his teeth, turned around, and ran back towards his own safehouse Chapter 770 - Chapter 770: Chapter 770: Another One Eliminated in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 770: Chapter 770: Another One Eliminated in the Wild Animal Park No matter how resentful or bitter he was, he had to obey Bai Youwei¡¯s command! Because the King could demote his subjects at any time. Also because the discipline to obey superiors was ingrained in him. For people like Ya Chaohui, who constantly perform tasks in the field, emotions and actions are two separate things. Ya Chaohui steeled his anger and pressed ahead. Bai Youwei said in her wristwatch, ¡°Ye Chong is near the lion¡¯s safe-house. Be cautious when withdrawing and avoid direct contact with Ye Chong¡ªhis ¡®white gloves¡¯ are difficult to handle.¡± ¡°Received.¡± ¡­ Tan Xiao jumped over a tree root, running crazily in the forest. Hu Dashan was chasing him from behind, cursing and swearing, ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re running so fast, you think you¡¯re reincarnating?¡± Tan Xiao shouted from the front, ¡°Would I run if you weren¡¯t chasing me?!¡± Hu Dashan retorted, ¡°Would I chase you if you didn¡¯t run?!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã0 ¡°Then stop chasing me! I¡¯ll stop running!¡± Tan Xiao yelled back with force. Hu Dashan kept cursing, ¡°Stupid boy! You¡¯re daydreaming! ¡­Woah FUCK!¡± With a terrible cry, Hu Dashan tripped and fell, tumbling over twice before coming to a halt; he then lay motionless. Tan Xiao in front, stopped and turned around asking, ¡°Brother Shan? What happened to you? ¡­ Hey! Hu Dashan?!¡± Hu Dashan remained silent. ¡°Hu Dashan, stop pretending, I¡¯m not falling for your tricks!¡± Tan Xiao stood where he was and said. Hu Dashan still didn¡¯t move. Tan Xiao furrowed his brow, mumbling, ¡°I hope nothing serious has happened¡­ I suddenly remembered there¡¯s a trap around here, could he have been caught in it?¡± He stood observing for a while, feeling torn. Eventually, pretending to leave, he called out, ¡°Keep on pretending! Anyway, I¡¯m not falling for it, I¡¯m leaving~¡± He walked about ten steps forward, stopped, then stealthily turned around to observe what was happening with Hu Dashan. After observing awhile, Tan Xiao finally scowled, stomped his feet, and walked back. ¡°Hu Dashan, you¡¯d better not be fooling me, or we can¡¯t be brothers anymore ¡­¡±, Tan Xiao walked over to Hu Dashan, cautiously turned him over, and found a large bump on Hu Dashan¡¯s forehead. ¡°Hm, did he hit his head and faint?¡± Tan Xiao took a breath to test Hu Dashan¡¯s breath, murmuring, ¡°I thought he¡¯d dropped dead.¡± He waved his hand and stood up, ¡°As long as he¡¯s not dead, you can lie there, I¡¯m going back to the safe house~¡± With that, he turned and started to leave. Just as he took a step, the man on the ground opened his eyes and suddenly grabbed Tan Xiao¡¯s ankle! Tan Xiao was taken aback! Without time to react, he was immediately taken down! ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re playing dirty with me!¡± Tan Xiao swore. Hu Dashan grabbed Tan Xiao, lifted him upside down, and threw him forcefully towards the nearby trap! There was a loud bang as Tan Xiao and all the dry weeds and branches around him fell into the pit! At the same time, a rank of spikes appeared at the edge of the hole, making it impossible for anyone to climb out of the pit! ¡°Ha ha! Sorry! I had no choice!¡± Hu Dashan laughed mockingly by the side of the trap, ¡°We each have our own masters to serve, right? Kid, just stay down there! Bye bye~¡± Tan Xiao fell into the pit and was unable to get up for a long time. His whole body ached, and his geosensor wristwatch was missing, which infuriated him even more! ¡°Hu Dashan! You¡¯ll pay for this!¡± Hu Dashan departed in wild glee, ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha!¡± ¡­ Bai Youwei noticed on her wristwatch map that a white light-point had disappeared, so she frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± asked Shen Mo, who had just returned. Bai Youwei looked at him and replied, ¡°Tan Xiao has been eliminated.¡± Chapter 771 - Chapter 771: Chapter 771: Inviting Guests to the Wild Animal Park Chapter 771: Chapter 771: Inviting Guests to the Wild Animal Park Hu Dashan hurried back, panting heavily, to regroup with his team. But when he reached the camp, he found that two people were missing. The Elephant and the Fox were gone. Hu Dashan¡¯s face changed. He wouldn¡¯t mind if the Fox was gone, but how could the Elephant, at the top of the food chain, be missing too? How were they supposed to continue the fight? everyone¡¯s faces darkened, particularly Ye Chong¡¯s. ¡°That Shen Mo and the man next to him, their attacks were fierce. They must be the Elephant and the Bear. I said it before the action, delay the Elephant and the Bear, our targets are the others. What have you done?¡± Ye Chong¡¯s cold gaze swept across everyone¡¯s faces, his voice soft, low: ¡°You guys, you actually ran.¡± The muscular man and the girl with the ponytail trembled and lowered their heads in fear. ¡°We ¡­ we were afraid we¡¯d be eliminated.¡± the muscular man stammered out. ¡°They charged at us¡­¡± ¡°Idiots!¡± Ye Chong rebuked sternly, ¡°How do you know they are not bluffing?! Because you two ran too fast, now they¡¯ve marked you two as the low-level animals!!!¡± The two were trembling, their heads bowed and not daring to make a sound. Ye Chong closed his eyes, took a deep breath, his voice and expression regaining their calmness: Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í¨À¦Ï.§ã¦Ï ¡°We can afford to lose a cat, but we can¡¯t afford to lose a mouse. Our elephant has been eliminated, but their elephant is still very much alive. The next move is to figure out how to tackle their elephant, otherwise, the scoreline of six to seven is not favorable for us.¡± Hearing this, Hu Dashan raised his head and said cautiously: ¡°Not six to seven ¡­ it¡¯s six to six.¡± Ye Chong looked at him. Hu Dashan sheepishly replied: ¡°I mean ¡­ just now, I trapped one of their team members in a pitfall, I didn¡¯t know what animal he was, so I didn¡¯t use the predation key.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± A hint of laughter flashed in Ye Chong¡¯s eyes, a vague smile emerging, ¡°Which trap?¡± Hu Dashan was stunned, looking at Ye Chong: ¡°You ¡­ you have another plan?¡± With a chilling smile on his lips, Ye Chong gently stroked his crossed fingers, ¡°Nothing much, just thinking of inviting our guest over for a visit ¡­¡± ¡­ When Tan Xiao saw Hu Dashan return, he thought that he had a change of heart and came to rescue him. He sat at the bottom of the pit, defiantly swearing: ¡°It¡¯s too late for regrets now! Hu Dashan, I don¡¯t need your help! I¡¯ve been eliminated already, why are you pretending to be a nice guy? Fake villain! You¡¯re a disgrace!¡± Hu Dashan dared not look at him, silently tossing down a rope. Tan Xiao ignored it, scoffing: ¡°I don¡¯t need your phony help! I¡¯m very well off here, go cool off somewhere else! I don¡¯t have a friend like you!¡± Hu Dashan remained silent. From the other side of the pit, another snare was thrown down, latching around Tan Xiao¡¯s neck, pulling him straight up! Tan Xiao was startled, grabbing the rope around his neck and pulling hard, cursing, ¡°Damn! Hu Dashan, what are you up to! Can¡¯t you see the spikes up there?! Are you trying to pull me out and kill me?!!¡± Looking up, he couldn¡¯t see Hu Dashan, only the rapidly approaching spiked opening of the pit. He struggled harder, but it was inevitable, he was pierced by the spikes! The pain made Tan Xiao¡¯s world go dark, and he immediately passed out. When he woke up again, he found himself in a cave, tightly bound, covered in injuries, and surrounded by people with faces as gloomy as a funeral. The bonfire was burning fiercely, Ye Chong walked in from outside, smiling at everyone: ¡°Why don¡¯t you look cheery?¡± Hu Dashan responded in a cautious whisper, ¡°Um ¡­ probably because we haven¡¯t eaten much these past few days ¡­¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Damn! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Hu Dashan so submissive! Hearing this, Ye Chong put his hands together, then casually pulled out biscuits, canned food, bottled water and other food from his palm and placed them in front of everyone. ¡°Indeed, a bit tired.¡± He smiled lightly, ¡°Since we had a good catch today, everyone replenish your energy and take a good rest.¡± Chapter 772 - Chapter 772: Chapter 772: The Brothers of the Wildlife Park Chapter 772: Chapter 772: The Brothers of the Wildlife Park Ye Chong left the cave. After he left, the atmosphere in the cave seemed to slightly relax; however, everyone present still appeared dispirited, despite the fact that they now had a captive. Everyone picked up the biscuits and water Ye Chong had distributed, eating and drinking in silence. Hu Dashan looked at the bottle in his hand, stood up and went over to Tan Xiao, intending to offer him some water. Upon seeing this, Tian Li couldn¡¯t help but warn, ¡°Hey, are you looking for trouble? If he sees this when he returns, he might take it as an excuse to torment us again.¡± Xiaoqi quietly stood up, tugged at Hu Dashan, and shook his head at him. Hu Dashan hesitated, contemplating his actions. Finally, he resigned to sit back down, stealing a guilty glance at Tan Xiao in the corner. Tan Xiao lay on the ground, panting heavily, with bloodstains all over his body. When they had forcibly dragged him out from a trap, his body had been pierced in several places. Even if he weren¡¯t bound, he probably couldn¡¯t move now. Hu Dashan turned his head away, finding it too painful to look anymore. Tian Li finished his water in a few gulps, crushing the empty bottle. With a disheartened expression, he closed his eyes, murmuring, ¡°Damn it¡­ Why did we have to pick this king?¡± The muscular man, considering his situation, said helplessly, ¡°What should I do¡­? I pissed him off by trying to escape with Han Lu earlier. Now even our elephant is gone. He¡¯ll definitely come after me tomorrow. What should I do¡­?¡± Tian Li shot him an annoyed look: ¡°What else can you do? As the mouse, your job is to take out the opponents¡¯ elephants!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã? ¡°But¡­ what if the opponent is a bear?¡± His expression of fear and anxiety was at odds with his bulky frame. Grabbing his hair tightly, he said in a low voice, ¡°Everything now is just speculation, that man Shen Mo may be the elephant, but he might also be the bear, right? What if¡­ what if he¡¯s the bear¡­¡± His eyes were filled with extreme anxiety, and he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. A girl with a ponytail, sitting on the side, buried her head among her knees and began crying. Tian Li felt increasingly irritated and let out an exasperated sigh. Tan Xiao lay weakly on the ground, observing the scene. He thought to himself how strange it was that everyone in the cave looked as mournful as if their parents had just died. It seemed like they were even worse off than him, who was the actual captive. He simply couldn¡¯t understand it. He tried to move, but his body ached. The places on his body that were pierced continued to bleed. Tan Xiao dared not to move again. He didn¡¯t want to bleed to death. After what felt like a long time, the people in the cave gradually left, leaving behind only Tian Li and the muscular man as the night watch. Tan Xiao fell into a daze and fell asleep. After an uncertain amount of time, Tan Xiao felt something cool running through his mouth. Opening his eyes, he saw Hu Dashan giving him water. Pissed off, Tan Xiao spat out a mouthful of water, cursing ¡°You have the nerve to come back¡­¡± ¡°Shush!¡­¡± Hu Dashan panicked and covered Tan Xiao¡¯s mouth, gesturing him to look around. Tan Xiao turned to see, the people on night watch had now changed to Hu Dashan and the girl with ponytail who was now asleep against the cave wall. ¡°This level of attention while on night duty?¡± Tan Xiao said in disgust, ¡°She¡¯s sleeping so heavily, she wouldn¡¯t even know if a dog had dug into her house!¡± ¡°You little shit, who are you calling a dog?¡± Hu Dashan smacked Tan Xiao¡¯s head in response. Tan Xiao yelped in pain! The panic-stricken Hu Dashan immediately covered his mouth again and looked nervously at the girl. In her drowsy state, the girl only frowned slightly and didn¡¯t wake up. Relieved, Hu Dashan let out a sigh, released his hand, and blamed Tan Xiao, ¡°Why are you yelling? Do you want to attract everyone¡¯s attention and only then be happy?¡± ¡°Try slapping yourself to see whether you yell or not?¡± Tan Xiao glared, ¡°I am injured all over!¡± Not wanting to argue further, Hu Dashan frowned and passed the mineral water to Tan Xiao¡¯s mouth again, ¡°Hurry up and drink some water, eat something.¡± After two sips of water, Tan Xiao said, ¡°If you have even a shred of humanity left, you¡¯d untie me right now. Don¡¯t think you can pretend to be a good person by offering this little kindness. Let me make it clear¡ªI don¡¯t buy it.¡± Chapter 773 - Chapter 773: Chapter 773: The Hunger Disease of the Wildlife Park Chapter 773: Chapter 773: The Hunger Disease of the Wildlife Park Hu Dashan heaved a sigh, saying, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help it, I really can¡¯t let you go. You may just get eliminated, but if any of us get eliminated¡­¡± While saying this, he cast a glance at Han Lu, who was asleep not far away, and murmured in a low voice: ¡°If we get eliminated, we only have death ahead.¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°No way¡­ Even if one loses, only the King would die, his subjects would just become commoners, right?¡± ¡°Becoming a commoner requires possessing at least two puzzle pieces!¡± Hu Dashan responded, both angry and helpless. ¡°A subject will lose a puzzle piece if he loses. If all the puzzle pieces are deducted and the total is zero, he would die! That¡¯s why under normal circumstances, the King would promise to give at least two puzzle pieces when recruiting subjects!¡± Tan Xiao looked at him blankly, ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ it is indeed like that, we all have two.¡± Hu Dashan sighed heavily once again, saying earnestly, ¡°We only have one, so¡­ we must win this game.¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback, and after awhile he asked, ¡°You and Xiaoqi only have one puzzle piece?¡± ¡°Yes, just one.¡± Hu Dashan confirmed, ¡°Not just me and Xiaoqi, all of Ye Chong¡¯s other subjects also only received one.¡± ¡°You guys are idiots¡­¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help blurting out, ¡°You agreed to be subjects for just one puzzle piece? Are you guys really that silly?¡± Hu Dashan opened his mouth, then closed it, unable to retort. In fact, he thought he was quite the idiot himself. ¡°When Xiaoqi and I approached him, he said he had almost enough subjects, and he was not familiar with us, so he couldn¡¯t completely trust us. If we really wanted to follow him, it wasn¡¯t impossible. He would give us a puzzle piece to recruit us, and if we were really willing to follow him into the game, he would give us another one later.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã? Hu Dashan was filled with regret as he recalled this, he continued to say: ¡°As you know, the rumors about the white gloves were all over the base, everyone felt Ye Chong was powerful. To be his subject, we thought we would have a chance to follow him to the new world. So Xiaoqi and I went to him, but we didn¡¯t expect to be tricked¡­¡± ¡°You guys are way too gullible¡­¡± Tan Xiao started to sympathize with Hu Dashan, then further asked, ¡°What is this new world?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, we also heard it from others¡­¡± Hu Dashan lowered his head, murmured, ¡°The last King would bring his subjects to the sky, to become superior beings.¡± Anyway, they were fascinated by the benefits, so they hastily accepted the recruitment, fearing that they would lose the opportunity to enter the new world. Moreover, Ye Chong had many puzzle pieces; he didn¡¯t need to withhold the ones from his subjects. Now he is doing this, just to force everyone to fight desperately! Hu Dashan took several sips of water, shook the almost empty mineral water bottle helplessly, and continued: ¡°Look, ever since you guys destroyed the drones last time and ruined the water at the camp, all our remaining supplies have been put into his glove. Now we can only rely on him for food and water to replenish our strength¡­ Now we¡¯re so dependable on him that we can¡¯t even drink water without watching his face.¡± ¡°No wonder your team didn¡¯t split up, you guys didn¡¯t even need to guard the supplies.¡± Tan Xiao finally realized. He initially thought the white gloves were some kind of transmitter but it turned out to be a storage space. ¡°Sigh, I don¡¯t know what will happen tomorrow¡­¡± Hu Dashan let out a sigh, bent down to stand up, suddenly feeling dizzy, his body swayed unsteadily. He tottered a few steps, quickly steadied himself against the stone wall, taking a moment before standing up straight again. ¡®,¡±What the hell are you doing¡­? Are you hungrier than me, the patient?¡±, Tan Xiao, laying on the ground, asked in shock. Chapter 774 - Chapter 774: Chapter 774: The White Glove in the Wildlife Park Chapter 774: Chapter 774: The White Glove in the Wildlife Park ¡°Damn it! How can I not be hungry?¡± grumbled Hu Dashan, ¡°Just this little food, it¡¯s not even enough to fill a tooth gap! I don¡¯t see how much food he has stashed in that glove of his. If your team destroys our drone again tomorrow, I¡¯m certain I¡¯ll starve to death before you!¡± Tan Xiao quickly added, ¡°Untie me and I promise I won¡¯t touch your drones!¡± Hu Dashan glanced at him with a complex look, murmuring, ¡°Just go to sleep.¡± He then walked alone to the entrance of the cave to keep watch for the night. Unwilling to give up, Tan Xiao tried to wear down his bonds by rubbing them against the jagged rocks. But the ropes were thick and tight. Despite his efforts, the ropes wouldn¡¯t loosen and he was left panting and worn out, his wounds beginning to split open further. Tan Xiao ran out of ideas, fought to stay awake for a while, and finally fell asleep¡­ ¡­ At night, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were observing the situation from a hillside. ¡°¡­The elephant and the fox are missing,¡± Bai Youwei looked at the safety hut¡¯s lights and slowly spoke, ¡°Ye Chong wouldn¡¯t rank himself too low, thus, the animal he corresponds to should be a bear. ¡°During the first attack, he brought along a man in a duckbill cap, a muscle man, a ponytailed girl ¡ª a group of four. I infer that he would keep the mouse by his side, and since the man in the duckbill cap is a leopard, the mouse must be either the muscle man or the girl.¡± ¡°However, since their elephant is gone, we shouldn¡¯t rush things. The more we engage with them, the clearer their animal ranks become. ¡°I guess they have also speculated about our animal allocation by now.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?0 ¡°Correct,¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°In this attack, their main targets were Tan Xiao, Along, and Asarina as they likely guessed that these players rank lower.¡± After a pause, he went on, ¡°Actually, the most effective strategy is to prioritize getting rid of the white glove. Capturing the king first, the minions will naturally lose their footing. However, tackling the white glove isn¡¯t easy. He can swiftly shoot bamboo shoots, almost twenty meters long, from his glove, which is essentially like having an additional long-range weapon.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment then asked, ¡°Can you tell how far his range is?¡± Shen Mo frowned, pondered a moment and said, ¡°If we¡¯re talking about range, it should calculate the distance between the landing and launch points, but his bamboo shoots, follow his footsteps.¡± ¡°So, the length of the weapon determines the range of the attack?¡± said Bai Youwei. ¡°In the previous hide-and-seek game, Shen Fei was also injured by a player wearing a white glove. I remember it was a very long metal pipe that penetrated Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder, and it continued to move forward at high speed until the entire metal pipe came out of the glove¡­.¡± Getting to that point, Bai Youwei paused abruptly and fell silent. ¡°I think I understand¡­.¡± she murmured, ¡°The white glove could be a bug item.¡± Shen Mo raised an eyebrow, ¡°How so?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°Could it be a type of storage item? For instance, it allows players to store things inside it and take them out whenever they need to.¡± After listening, Shen Mo pondered for a moment, understanding her point. ¡°Assuming the time it takes to retrieve an item is constant, say, one second, then there is a stark difference in velocity whether you¡¯re pulling out a 5 cm matchstick or a 5 m pole.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°That would explain it. He deliberately keeps exaggeratedly long objects in the glove. Once retrieved, the acceleration gives the item a significantly high damage value! And bamboo shoots or steel pipes, given their great physical harm when moving at high speeds, all make sense!¡± Items that damage the balance of the game rarely appear. Bai Youwei¡¯s Rabbit item was extraordinary, but it was also restricted by a need to recharge. Compared to that, the white glove was overly excessive. Bai Youwei glanced at the northern forest, her expression turning cold, ¡°¡­He is indeed a tricky opponent.¡± Chapter 775 - Chapter 775: Chapter 775: Screams in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 775: Chapter 775: Screams in the Wild Animal Park A proper storage tool, yet he had turned it into a human flesh mill. It was clear that Ye Chong was not just cunning, but ruthless as well. Facing such an opponent, merely eliminating him would not be enough to set Bai Youwei¡¯s mind at ease. It¡¯s only the second battle now. Even if Ye Chong loses, there¡¯s still a chance for him to turn it around. She didn¡¯t want to face off with such a bug player in the final. Bai Youwei said to Shen Mo, ¡°Tomorrow you and Ya Chaohui should take him on together. Stay a bit afar, if you can lasso his hand that would be best. If his hands are tied, he shouldn¡¯t be able to take anything out, right?¡± Shen Mo thought the plan was feasible and nodded. He then asked, ¡°How about the others?¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°The elephant and the fox are out. Ye Chong is the bear. The muscle man and the girl should be the lowest rank, the cat and the mouse. The remaining few are the lion, the leopard, the wolf. Only Along has a high enough level to handle them on our side. Both Zhang Yu and Asarina¡¯s levels aren¡¯t high enough, this is a bit troubling¡­¡± Shen Mo furrowed his brows, ¡°We can only play it by ear then. If we really face off, Asarina should face the cat and the mouse, Along and Zhang Yu should deal with the remaining three, and if I and Ya Chaohui can handle on our side, then we will go help them.¡± Bai Youwei rubbed her hands together, looking eager to join in, ¡°We¡¯re short-handed, should I help out too?¡± ¡°You?¡± Shen Mo looked amused, surprised, but also a bit dismissive, much like an adult looking at a child. Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°What? I¡¯ve never been in a fight before! I want to try it, is that not allowed?¡± Shen Mo gently ruffled her hair, ¡°Cut it out.¡± ¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?? Next morning. The sun rose through the dense foliage, casting dazzling halos throughout the forest. A beam of sunlight hit Hu Dashan¡¯s eyes. He squinted against the brightness, suddenly realizing that he had fallen asleep while on watch. Having been in the game for a long time, his energy seemed to be dwindling day by day. With a start, he sat up, peering to his left and right. Ye Chong hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Hu Dashan breathed a sigh of relief. He then glanced at Han Lu, who was sleeping heavily beside him. Irritated and helpless, he poked the girl, ¡°Hey, wake up.¡± The girl dazedly lifted her head, her complexion pale, her eyes listless and unfocused. Hu Dashan sighed, ¡°Wake up fully, Ye Chong could be here any moment! We¡¯re responsible for the second half of the night. We can¡¯t fall asleep before the next on-duty group arrives!¡± Han Lu finally came to her senses, she got up with difficulty. In order to wake up quickly, she even pinched her arm hard. They were both scared of Ye Chong. In the time that followed, they took turns walking up and down the hill, patrolling. They polished off the leftover bit of food from yesterday and managed to regain some energy. Not long after, Ye Chong¡¯s voice came through the wristwatch: ¡°Everyone report to the camp, the cat stays on the hill to keep watch.¡± Han Lu heard this and felt relieved. To her, keeping watch was the easiest job. As it meant not having to face Ye Chong, hence avoiding his vents and punishments. The cave was beneath the hill. Ye Chong, Tian Li, Xiaoqi, and Muscle Man left their respective safety houses and gathered in the cave. Hu Dashan looked very conscientious, he reported with a lowered head, ¡°It was very quiet last night. There was no activity, he¡­ he didn¡¯t make a sound either. He¡¯s been unconscious the entire time.¡± By ¡°he¡±, he was referring to Tan Xiao. Tian Li, seemingly concerned for Ye Chong, said, ¡°The people on the other side don¡¯t seem to attack that often. They even gave up a good opportunity to sneak attack at night. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re planning.¡± Ye Chong, with an indifferent look, walked directly into the cave, squatted down in front of Tan Xiao, and casually prodded a bloodied hole in his leg. Tan Xiao was jolted awake by the pain. He glared at the man before him and shouted, ¡°What are you doing?! ¡­ Ahh!!!¡± He screamed. Chapter 776 - Chapter 776: Chapter 776: Playing at the Wildlife Park Chapter 776: Chapter 776: Playing at the Wildlife Park A newly healed scab, ripped clean off by Ye Chong, along with a small patch of skin, was bloody and tossed onto the ground. The clothing around the wound, stained with rust-like patches, was now drenched in bright red blood. Yet, this still wasn¡¯t enough. Ye Chong¡¯s hand hovered around the edge of the wound, exploring. His fingers even dug into the newly-healed flesh. He slightly furrowed his brow, ignoring Tan Xiao¡¯s repeated screams of agony. With a detached tone, he stated, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your recovery ability to be this good¡­ Looks like, this guy¡¯s been through the maze more than twice. His cell healing ability is extremely robust¡­¡± Ye Chong withdrew his hand, casually wiping off the blood on his fingers. His voice was soft, but carried a frigid indifference, ¡°How enviable¡­¡± The others in the cave remained silent. Tan Xiao was heaving on the ground. His bangs were soaked with sweat, sticking to his forehead strand by strand. Ye Chong turned to his companions and flashed a smile, asking, ¡°How many times have each of you been through the maze?¡± Hu Dashan honestly replied, ¡°Just the once¡­¡± Xiaoqi also said, ¡°Once.¡± The muscle man confessed, ¡°Once, I accidentally got trapped inside and followed someone else to escape¡­ I avoided it after running into it again.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï ¡°Twice for me¡­¡± Tian Li answered quietly, ¡°I escaped with the help of others both times. The first time, the enhancement to Physical Ability was really obvious, but the second time, it felt less than half as effective.¡± Ye Chong smirked, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve been there twice as well, but mazes aren¡¯t as fun as games. There aren¡¯t enough people, it¡¯s too hard to find someone to play with, too lonely¡­¡± No one responded, all shivering at his reference to ¡°play.¡± Despite the awkward silence, Ye Chong didn¡¯t mind. He clasped and separated his hands, and suddenly, dozens of thin rebars shot out, piercing through Tan Xiao¡¯s body! This time, Tan Xiao didn¡¯t make a sound, passing out instantly! Hu Dashan lost his composure, shouting, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Ye Chong slowly retracted his hand, and the thin rebars followed suit, each withdrawal causing blood to gush from the wounds. He turned his head towards Hu Dashan, ¡°Are you, talking to me?¡± In the heat of the moment, Hu Dashan had momentarily forgotten about Ye Chong¡¯s cruelty. He swallowed hard, his momentum faltering. Nervously, he said, ¡°I¡­ what I mean is, his wounds are serious, why¡­ why would you still¡­¡± ¡°To use him for a trade, it¡¯s better if he looks more miserable. More miserable, so our opponent would be more alarmed, more cautious.¡± Ye Chong responded with a nonchalant smile, ¡°You used to be friends, right? Don¡¯t worry, his physique is stronger than any of ours, these injuries, they¡¯ll heal quickly.¡± Hu Dashan opened his mouth, his throat parched, unable to utter a word. By now, all the rebars had been completely retracted back into his glove. Despite the gruesome scene, his glove remained immaculate. It was a piercing, dazzling white. ¡°We¡¯ll trade him at noon.¡± Ye Chong announced, turning to leave the cave. Perhaps the reason for not taking any action now is because his teammates were too weak and needed food and water at noon. Ye Chong left. The others also slowly left the cave. Tan Xiao¡¯s blood silently seeped into the ground, slowly trickling down seams and hollows in the rocks. Hu Dashan squatted down regretfully, heat welling up in his eyes. Off to the side, Xiaoqi tugged at him, whispering, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Brother Shan, we still have patrol duties in the morning.¡± Hu Dashan lifted his head to look at Xiaoqi, ¡°Xiaoqi, let¡¯s save Tan Xiao¡­¡± He never thought he would be responsible for hurting Tan Xiao in this way. Originally, he just planned to eliminate him but in order to avoid Ye Chong¡¯s wrath, he tried to gain credit and the situation spiraled uncontrollably to this point¡­ Chapter 777 - Chapter 777: Chapter 777: Scum of the Society in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 777: Chapter 777: Scum of the Society in the Wild Animal Park Xiaoqi¡¯s face turned ugly, and he urged Hu Dashan, ¡°Brother Shan, what time do you think this is? We should prioritize our own lives. If we let him free, we¡¯ll definitely be killed by those who are unarmed! ¡­Besides, the transaction is happening at noon, and he, he might not necessarily be in danger¡­¡± There was considerable uncertainty in his words, but Xiaoqi also knew that given Ye Chong¡¯s brutal character, even during a transaction, he would not simply hand over Tan Xiao. It¡¯s very likely ¡­ It¡¯s very likely that during the transaction, he would deliberately trick them into receiving a dead body ¡­ Although they were sworn brothers, Xiaoqi could not hide his discomfort. However, given the situation, it was crucial for him to stay alive. He tugged at Hu Dashan again, saying reluctantly: ¡°Brother Shan, let¡¯s go. Who isn¡¯t killed in this game? Ajun, Guizi, they all died in the game, even that monkey died, didn¡¯t he? It¡¯s unavoidable that Tan Xiao ended up this way¡­ We can¡¯t save him. Let¡¯s just go ¡­¡± Hu Dashan really wanted to help but felt powerless. He got up and followed Xiaoqi towards the exit, casting another look at Tan Xiao: ¡°Will he die ¡­¡± ¡°No, he won¡¯t.¡± Xiaoqi pulled him forward, ¡°He¡¯s completed more maze challenges than us, he won¡¯t die that easily. Wasn¡¯t he so badly wounded yesterday that he was almost healed overnight?¡± Hu Dashan wanted to mention the less severe wounds from yesterday but felt weak. What difference would it make? Could he save Tan Xiao? No, he couldn¡¯t. He could barely save himself, let alone anyone else¡­ ¡­ Close to noon. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï Tan Xiao woke up from unconsciousness, feeling himself on someone¡¯s back. The bouncing made his whole body ache and his eyes felt blurry. Although there was some pain, he barely felt it due to the numbness caused by blood loss. Hu Dashan put him down in a cluster of bushes and hurriedly gathered some branches and leaves to cover him. A weak Tan Xiao opened his eyes a crack and hoarsely asked, ¡°What are you doing ¡­¡± ¡°Shush, don¡¯t talk!¡± Hu Dashan¡¯s voice was tense and filled with fear, ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t move, I think I have a way to save you!¡± Tan Xiao, devoid of strength, closed his eyes again. He wanted to say that he couldn¡¯t move even if he wanted to ¡­ Footsteps gradually receded. Hu Dashan ran away. Lying in the bushes, Tan Xiao thought: Hu Dashan, you street scum. Leaving me here is some way of saving me ¡­ ¡­ Hu Dashan hurriedly returned to the cave, relieved to find it deserted. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t dare, but this opportunity was too good to miss. He walked into the cave. Only a muscular man was on guard in the cave, but he was fast asleep. They were all getting more exhausted, falling asleep at the slightest chance. They needed replenishing with water and food immediately, or else they wouldn¡¯t have the strength to fight. It was strange. There was some food and water available, which Ye Chong had distributed among them. Technically, it should have been enough ¡­ Hu Dashan shook his head, deciding to stop thinking about all the mess. Seizing the moment, he left the cave and carefully concealed himself. He didn¡¯t wait too long. Only four or five minutes passed before someone appeared on the small path to the left of the cave. It was Tian Li. Tian Li looked weary as he returned, his steps wobbling, like an old man¡¯s walk. His knees seemed to give out with each step on to the thick foliage. Hu Dashan quickly emerged, pretending he had just returned from his own patrol, and shouted out a greeting, ¡°You¡¯ve returned, for a rest too?¡± Tian Li glanced at him, and nodded without effort, ¡°I can¡¯t go on. I¡¯m returning for some rest.¡± The two walked into the cave together. The muscular man in charge of guarding the cave had fallen asleep, and aside from a puddle of blood, there was no sign of Tan Xiao! Taken aback and angry, Tian Li didn¡¯t pause to rest. He kicked the muscular man hard! ¡°Damn it! Are you trying to get us all killed? The man you were supposed to be watching, where did he go?¡± Chapter 778 - Chapter 778: Chapter 778 Run Away from the Wildlife Park Chapter 778: Chapter 778 Run Away from the Wildlife Park The muscles man immediately woke up in alarm! He opened his eyes and glanced inside the cave, then outside of it, his face filled with confusion but even more fear! ¡°No¡­No way?¡± He even frantically dusted off the ground, as if Tan Xiao had dug a tunnel and escaped. ¡°Did he really run away?¡± The muscles man couldn¡¯t believe it, his face paling as his question hung in the air, ¡°¡­but he¡¯s so badly hurt, how could he run¡­¡± ¡°Whatever, We¡¯ve got to notify the King quickly!¡± Tian Li raised his wrist, ready to hit the call button. The muscles man trembled and knelt before Tian Li, clutching his legs and pleading, ¡°Don¡¯t tell him! I beg you! You must not tell him! ¡­¡± Tian Li, irritated and unable to shake off the burly man, snapped, ¡°Even if I don¡¯t say, it can¡¯t be hidden! You were responsible for keeping watch here, you let him escape while you were asleep and it¡¯s all your fault!!¡± ¡°I beg you! Don¡¯t tell him, or I will die! I will definitely die!!!¡± As they argued, Ye Chong walked in from outside, barely glancing at the scene. The atmosphere froze in an instant. The muscles man appeared to be frozen by Ye Chong¡¯s gaze, rigid on the spot without moving an inch. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï Ye Chong¡¯s gaze shifted and finally landed on Hu Dashan, asking, ¡°Tell me, what happened?¡± Hu Dashan stammered his explanation, ¡°He¡­he fell asleep while on guard, and the hostage escaped¡­¡± Then he quickly added, ¡°Considering the severity of the wounds, he couldn¡¯t have gotten far. If we split up and pursue him right now, we might still catch him!¡± Fearing he would be the target of blame next, Tian Li nodded in agreement, ¡°When Hu Dashan and I came in, this guy was asleep! We don¡¯t know how long the hostage has been gone. Why don¡¯t we go look for him now? The forest is so big, he probably hasn¡¯t escaped it.¡± To his surprise, Ye Chong didn¡¯t lose his temper. After a moment of thought, he said calmly, ¡°Alright, split up and look for him.¡± The forest was vast, and everyone spread out to search. Hu Dashan wandered aimlessly in the forest, his heart clenched as tight as a wrung-out rag. His plan had already succeeded halfway. Just one more half to go. He glanced around, made sure no one was nearby, then changed his direction, bolting towards Tan Xiao¡¯s hiding place! He sprinted towards the familiar bushes, swiped his hand to clear away dried twigs and leaves, Tan Xiao sounded weak from beneath, ¡°What on earth are you doing¡­ Running around¡­¡± Seeing Tan Xiao still able to speak, Hu Dashan didn¡¯t know whether to cry or laugh, he cursed, ¡°Are you that inflated, you brat! After having been in the maze a couple of times! You were seriously injured and yet you¡¯re still not dead!¡± As he scolded him, he felt relieved. Hu Dashan dragged Tan Xiao out of the bushes and carried him on his back again, just as he was about to leave, he heard footsteps behind him. Startled, he froze in his tracks, afraid to turn around. The footsteps came closer¡­ step by step. ¡°That makes sense,¡± Ye Chong emerged from behind the trees, smiling, ¡°Even with such severe injuries, he couldn¡¯t have escaped without accomplices helping him, right?¡± Hu Dashan closed his eyes in despair¡­ They have been discovered. He¡¯s going to die this time. The white gloved man will not let him go let alone Tan Xiao What to do? ¡­Instead of continuing to play dumb, why not run away? Run¡­ If he escapes now, there might still be a glimmer of hope. Hu Dashan inhaled deeply, gritted his teeth and grabbed Tan Xiao on his back tightly, then he bolted forward as if his life depended on it! He ran extremely fast! Fearing that a bamboo spike or a steel bar might come flying at him, he kept zigzagging around, using larger trees as cover, desperately looking for an escape route in the forest! The trees began to thin out ahead, the light got brighter, and it gave Hu Dashan hope. He was about to run out of the north forest! Whizz! A sound of the wind rushed towards him and a sharp bamboo stick pierced through his ankle. Chapter 779 - Chapter 779: Chapter 779: Not Wanting to Die in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 779: Chapter 779: Not Wanting to Die in the Wild Animal Park Hu Dashan and Tan Xiao, whom he was carrying, suddenly fell hard to the ground. Both fell simultaneously, a grunt of pain escaping their lips. Ye Chong approached them step by step. Tan Xiao, severely injured, was paralyzed and lying on the ground, unable to move. Hu Dashan, shot through the ankle, was equally immobile. Ye Chong walked up to the two of them, slowly squatting down, a faint smile on his face as he watched them. ¡°Quite touching¡­¡± He said slowly, ¡°Hu Dashan, I¡¯d never noticed before how loyal you are. Just goes to show¡­ no one truly knows what kind of person they are until they¡¯re cornered.¡± Hu Dashan, drenched in cold sweat from the pain, gazed at Ye Chong in terror. Tan Xiao spoke with great effort: ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s your¡­ teammate. If he dies¡­ your team¡­ will be one man down¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± Ye Chong stood up nonchalantly, his voice barely above a whisper, ¡°As long as I¡¯m alive, that¡¯s enough.¡± In his eyes, this game within the wildlife park was never an 8v8. It always had been a 1v15. Winning the game held no joy for him compared to the thrill of killing sharks. His desire to win was only to prolong that euphoria¡­ He looked down at Hu Dashan lying on the ground. His gaze was soft but devoid of warmth. He raised his hand, hovering over Hu Dashan¡ª The next second, a steel rod pierced Hu Dashan¡¯s back, pinning him harshly to the ground! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï Hu Dashan¡¯s mouth gaped wide open in agony, but he couldn¡¯t even scream. All that could be heard was a hoarse groan and the twitching of his tortured flesh. Next, it was Tan Xiao¡¯s turn. Taking into consideration Tan Xiao¡¯s severe injuries, to prevent him from dying, Ye Chong avoided hitting any vital areas, driving a rod just through Tan Xiao¡¯s shoulder. Blood seeped from the corner of Tan Xiao¡¯s mouth, his teeth practically grinding in fury. Both of them lay there like insects brutally pinned into a display, unable to move. Ye Chong¡¯s gaze casually swept over the ¡°specimens¡±. He casually pulled back his hand, and walked away, pressing the call button as he went: ¡°Come and clean up. The hostages and lion are at ten o¡¯clock¡­ Yeah, they can¡¯t run away now.¡± ¡­ The man was gone. The forest was still. Tan Xiao turned his face, straining to look at Hu Dashan. Hu Dashan, in far worse shape than Tan Xiao, was now gasping for breath on the brink of death. ¡°Brother Mountain ¡­ Brother Mountain¡­ Hu Dashan¡­¡± Tan Xiao rasped his name, ¡°Hu Dashan, don¡¯t you die¡­ I still have mud in my pocket¡­ I still have mud¡­¡± He wanted to reach for the mud but his body was void of strength. Like a dragonfly or grasshopper caught in a trap, he vainly flapped his wings, only to shred his body even faster. Hu Dashan¡¯s eyes were open, but his vision was fuzzy. All he could see was a sea of green. He murmured on the ground, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have saved you, damn it¡­ got myself involved¡­¡± After a while, he asked Tan Xiao, ¡°Are we still brothers?¡± His thoughts seemed muddled and he became increasingly confused. He mumbled on, ¡°Damn¡­ you got me killed¡­¡± ¡°This damned world¡­¡± ¡°This damned game¡­¡± ¡°Tan Xiao¡­ if not for this crap game, we¡¯d still be good brothers¡­¡± Hu Dashan¡¯s pupils gradually dilated, his voice as feeble as a withering leaf, ¡°Damn¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s face buried in the grass, he wept like a child. ¡­ Beep¡ª One less white spot on the map. Ye Chong saw it, casually dropped his hand, and spoke to those beside him: ¡°The drone¡¯s time is almost up. Let¡¯s go, bring the hostages. We¡¯re going to negotiate a deal with Bai Youwei.¡± Chapter 780 - Chapter 780: Chapter 780: Wildlife Park Chapter 780: Chapter 780: Wildlife Park Noon. Across the broad green meadow, the two sides stood absolutely still, separated by over twenty meters. Tan Xiao was sprawled on the ground, half-dead. Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair, propping her head with her hands as she watched Ye Chong. Shen Mo and Ya Chaohui stood by her side while Asarina, Along, and Zhang Yu stayed behind them. Ye Chong violently dragged Tan Xiao up by the back of his collar, his harsh tug causing Tan Xiao to let out a cry of pain. He held onto Tan Xiao and said to Bai Youwei, ¡°See? Still alive.¡± His casual tone was like someone discussing a fish they had picked up from the market. Bai Youwei heard a cracking sound ¨Cthe sound of Ya Chaohui¡¯s fists clenching. Shen Mo¡¯s face was also exceedingly grim. Such a provocation and insult were unbearable. However, Bai Youwei remained expressionless, silently watching Tan Xiao. After a while, she said in a flat voice, ¡°While I greatly value my comrades, your demands are way too excessive. Not only are you demanding us to cease our attack on the drone, but also to exchange a leopard for an elephant, is it that I have gone mad or have you?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï ¡°Then what else should we exchange?¡± Ye Chong asked amiably, ¡°A wolf? A kitten? Or a mouse? I¡¯m out of elephants here, so there¡¯s no point in dealing with mice right now. Besides, we¡¯re capable of eliminating these lesser animals ourselves; why go through the trouble of trading? Since we are trading¡­there should be some benefit, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Why would I exchange one teammate for another?¡± Bai Youwei said languidly, ¡°In that case, what¡¯s the difference with swapping my right hand for my left hand? As you wish, to save him, I can make some compromises, but you should cease to na?vely think that my concessions are limitless.¡± Ye Chong narrowed his eyes slightly, sizing up the people around Bai Youwei and seeming to contemplate who to choose to maximize his gain. Bai Youwei spoke again, her voice carefree, ¡°I see your team members look rather sallow¡­ Have they been eating and drinking well these past two days? It seems in this game, only by eating the food supplied by the drone can we recover our strength¡­¡± Ye Chong¡¯s face darkened slightly. He released his grip, and Tan Xiao¡¯s body hit the ground, his wounds gushing fresh blood again. Despite Bai Youwei¡¯s composure, she couldn¡¯t help her gaze from faltering. Ye Chong said, ¡°After giving it some thought, eliminating the other animals besides the elephant is indeed not particularly useful to me. Just like this leopard on the ground, it only takes one second for me to¡­¡± His gloved hand hovered above Tan Xiao¡¯s body. Bai Youwei on the outside looked calm, but on the inside, her heart pounded. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°How about this¡­ you want an elephant, I¡¯m hesitant to give up the elephant, so you choose instead. From these followers of mine, whomever you choose, I will eliminate. How about that?¡± Ye Chong squinted his eyes, studying Bai Youwei with keen interest. ¡°You¡¯re letting me choose?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Bai Youwei, a smile curling on her lips as she stared at him inversely. ¡°You want to eliminate my elephant, right? But first, you need to figure out which one of us is the elephant, don¡¯t you?¡± A provocation. But it worked wonders on Ye Chong. Almost without hesitation, he scanned her team, then lifted his hand and pointed at Shen Mo. ¡°I want to eliminate him.¡± Ya Chaohui immediately frowned and couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°We already have fewer high-level animals than they do! If we eliminate another one¡­¡± ¡°You can eliminate me.¡± Shen Mo interrupted Ya Chaohui, his tone indifferent, ¡°We have to eliminate someone to get Tan Xiao back.¡± After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Ye Chong and asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to choose me? No regrets?¡± Ye Chong smiled lightly, shaking his head. Shen Mo asked, ¡°Then how can we be sure that after I¡¯m eliminated, you will return him to us alive?¡± Asarina glared at Ye Chong with distaste and added coldly, ¡°Exactly, how can we trust you? Once we¡¯ve eliminated one of our elephants on our side, who¡¯s to say you won¡¯t pull another trick? It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if someone like you broke their word!¡± Chapter 781 - Chapter 781: Chapter 781: The Secret of the Wildlife Park Chapter 781: Chapter 781: The Secret of the Wildlife Park ¡°How about this¡­¡± Bai Youwei began at the right moment, ¡°Since we do not trust each other enough to complete a trade, we can only find a place where everyone feels safe. We can choose a trap that would ensnare the person we want to rescue, and the person you want to eliminate, trapping them together¡ª In this way, the person we want to rescue has a guarantee of safety, and the person you want to get rid of will also be immediately eliminated.¡± Ye Chong pondered for a moment before responding, ¡°Agreed.¡± There are eight traps in the forest, four to the north and four to the south, each one different. ¡°For safety¡¯s sake, I suggest we choose a trap on our side,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°to prevent any problems with you after the fact.¡± Ye Chong smirked, a hint of contemptuous pity in his tone, ¡°Fine.¡± If he really wanted to do something, not even a trap would prevent him. Both groups headed towards the southern forest, maintaining a distance of more than twenty meters between them, always watching each other warily, ready for any surprises. There¡¯s a small clearing ahead where the trees are sparse, covered with a net of a similar color to the dirt, rough in texture, half-hidden by leaves. Most of the traps in the forest are quite obvious, and can be spotted easily as long as one is careful. But come nightfall, even with a good memory of its location, it¡¯s easy to stumble into one. Ye Chong, dragging Tan Xiao, started to approach the trap, as did Shen Mo. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?? ¡°You¡¯d better be more careful,¡± Shen Mo cautioned Ye Chong, ¡°If he dies halfway, our deal is off.¡± Ye Chong chuckled and was about to continue his journey when Shen Mo added: ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve chosen me? Maybe I¡¯m not the elephant.¡± Ye Chong paused, his face wearing a challenging smile. ¡°Even if you¡¯re not the elephant, getting rid of you would be the best course.¡± A subtle hint at Shen Mo¡¯s position within the team and his abilities. Shen Mo just smirked, standing at the edge of the trap, and said, ¡°Throw him in.¡± ¡°At once?¡± Ye Chong looked at him, his face cunning and opportunistic. ¡°That¡¯s why I said ¡®throw¡¯.¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t look at Ye Chong, only at the middle of the net. ¡°He has suffered heavy injuries. I will catch him and consequently fall into the trap with him.¡± Ye Chong thought it over, considering that it wouldn¡¯t be a loss for him. If the opposition reneged on the deal, he could always kill the hostage on the spot. And so he did as he was told, throwing the nearly dead Tan Xiao¡ª Sure enough, Shen Mo rushed over to the point where Tan Xiao was set to land, catching him! Then, the trap was triggered! The spread-out net suddenly bulged upwards, tightening around the two men like a thick fishing net! Shen Mo immediately applied some mud to some key points on Tan Xiao¡¯s body, extending his life for the time being. Bai Youwei threw out a rabbit! The fluffy rabbit was thrown high up into the air, grabbed onto the net hanging from the tree, then climbed to the top, wiggling its ears, and looked down on everyone. A ring of light blue electric light rippled out. Everyone instinctively stepped back. Actually, this electric current was very weak. Everyone felt a slight tingling sensation at the soles of their feet when they touched it. Bai Youwei calmly explained, ¡°Just to be safe, I will leave a tool here, to prevent something happening to both of them and then dealing with someone coming to bargain with me. If I trade away more animals, I really won¡¯t be able to play this game any longer.¡± Ye Chong had heard a bit about Bai Youwei¡¯s rabbit. He thoughtfully glanced at it, then laughed and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit wasteful to not keep such a practical tool with you?¡± ¡°You need not worry about me.¡± Bai Youwei smiled at him, ¡°I have a secret weapon which is more than enough.¡± Ye Chong narrowed his eyes, ¡°Oh? A secret¡­ weapon?¡± Chapter 782 - Chapter 782: Chapter 782: The Wildlife Park Attacks Again Chapter 782: Chapter 782: The Wildlife Park Attacks Again Maybe she really did have a secret weapon. Or, perhaps she was just bluffing. When they returned to the camp, Ya Chaohui couldn¡¯t wait to ask Bai Youwei what the secret weapon was. With an indifferent tone, Bai Youwei replied, ¡°You¡¯ll know in a few days.¡± Agitated, Ya Chaohui exclaimed, ¡°A few days? We don¡¯t have many people left! How much longer can we last?!¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, lacking the energy to deal with his questions. All she could think of now was Tan Xiao¡¯s torment, and the elimination of Shen Mo due to Ye Chong¡¯s pressure today, which further upset her. In the long run of this game, when had she ever felt so stifled? But, she should have anticipated situations like this. After all, when competing against a psychopath, anything could happen. Ya Chaohui declared, ¡°We are now down to 5 individuals! Apart from me and Along, we¡¯re left with the lowest level of animal characters! Mice! Cats! Foxes! But in their forest, there are wolves, leopards, lions, and bears!¡± The disparity was glaringly obvious now. Lower-level animals in the food chain couldn¡¯t attack the higher-level ones. But right now, Ye Chong¡¯s team consisted of higher-level animals that heavily outnumbered Bai Youwei¡¯s. If this situation did not turn around, Bai Youwei¡¯s chances of survival become extremely precarious. ¡°We shall continue according to our initial plan.¡± Bai Youwei said exasperatedly, scrunching her brows, ¡°Stay in your respective positions, avoid contact with the high-level animals. If they come after you, try to use traps and engage them. Moreover¡­ Ya Chaohui and Along, you guys are responsible for the muscular guy and the girl with a ponytail. Focus your attacks on them.¡± Ya Chaohui frowned, ¡°Eliminating these two is pointless. Our only hope for victory is to get rid of the glove puppet.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï Bai Youwei shot him a cold glance, ¡°That¡¯s under the assumption that Shen Mo is here. Without him, you¡¯d be marching towards your death. Or, do you think you alone can take him down?¡± Ya Chaohui clenched his teeth. Bai Youwei withdrew her gaze vanishingly without looking at him any longer, ¡°Anyway¡­ let¡¯s start the elimination by targeting their mouse and cat first. One step at a time.¡± The others exchanged glances, lacking better ideas, they heeded Bai Youwei¡¯s advice and split up. Bai Youwei went up the hill alone. A severed hand absentmindedly rolled on the slope, pinching a tiny flower it had picked somewhere; it was trying to crush the petals to coat its nails. Normally, Bai Youwei would have made a sarcastic comment to it, but right now, her mind was elsewhere. She merely asked, ¡°You¡¯re done with the tasks?¡± The hand promptly crawled up, stood straight and bent its index finger, signaling a nod. Bai Youwei glanced into the distance, opened the dollhouse with a golden key and said, ¡°You can go back.¡± The hand hesitated for a moment before crawling back in. Preferring to stay with Dr. Cheng, it was still scared of Bai Youwei and would rather avoid her if possible. In the distance, between the forests, a few figures hurriedly ran past. Bai Youwei lifted her wrist, instructing the remaining four team members, ¡°They¡¯re coming, the five of them, from the southeast. The target is uncertain. Everyone, find cover first. If you spot their whereabouts, immediately inform the others.¡± Everyone acknowledged her orders. While they were talking, Ye Chong¡¯s troops had already entered the southern forest. Once inside the forest, they completely lost sight of their whereabouts. They couldn¡¯t ascertain where Ye Chong was going or who he was after. Bai Youwei thought¡­ Such quick aggression could possibly mean he was aware of his advantage and thus decided to seize the opportunity to attack? It didn¡¯t matter¡­ She looked around, considering a hiding spot. Without Shen Mo or the rabbit by her side, things got rather inconvenient. She single-handedly lifted her wheelchair, lightly bounded up and flitted amidst the rocks, agile as a deer in the forest. At this moment, hurried footsteps echoed from ahead, sounding like a group of people. Chapter 783 - Chapter 783: Chapter 783: There Is a Traitor in the Wildlife Park Chapter 783: Chapter 783: There Is a Traitor in the Wildlife Park It¡¯s definitely not Ya Chaohui¡¯s crew. If it were any of her team members coming, she¡¯d at least have received a notification on her wristwatch. So these are Ye Chong and his team. They came so fast, loud and brash, with no attempt to hide their trace. So why did not Ya Chaohui, Asarina, Along, or Zhang Yu notice or give a warning? It seems a bit late to think about this now. The footstep sound is getting nearer. Bai Youwei let go of her wheelchair and coldly gazed in the direction of the sound. Then, she took out a starting pistol- Bang! Immediate, startled cries echoed throughout the dense forest. Bai Youwei sneered, turned around and ran into the forest in the opposite direction, disappearing quickly. ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± Tian Li roared while running wildly through the forest. Rough branches and weeds brushed against his face, causing a burning pain. The muscle man was also running uncontrollably, shouting: ¡°I don¡¯t know! My, my legs won¡¯t stop! Someone help me! Help me! ¡­¡± Han Lu tripped, her legs kicking spasmodically. She was so frightened by her own legs that she cried: ¡°I can¡¯t run anymore! I really can¡¯t run anymore¡­¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã¦Ï Xiaoqi banged into a tree, his head spinning, yet he kept running! Ye Chong grabbed onto a tree branch, trying hard to stop. He looked around and saw his team was in total chaos! ¡°What¡¯s the panic?! It¡¯s just a prop! Everyone stop!¡± He ordered. His stern shout was quite effective. In quick succession, the members managed to shake off the influence of the starter pistol, finally coming to a stop, drenched in sweat. Including Ye Chong, they were all sweaty. The slightly out of control running had depleted what little energy they had left. They arrived at the foot of a hill, but Bai Youwei was nowhere in sight. They only saw a wheelchair at the foot of the hill, as if mocking them silently. Tian Li exclaimed incredulously: ¡°Isn¡¯t she a cripple? How did she run away?!¡± The running away wasn¡¯t the problem. The problem was that now they had angered Ye Chong, and they all were in trouble. Xiaoqi glanced at Ye Chong cautiously, asking: ¡°¡­Should we chase her?¡± Ye Chong wore a gloomy look, ¡°Chase? Where would you chase? The forest is vast, and the plants are so dense that we don¡¯t know where she¡¯s gone. If she has already hidden in the safety cabin, then chasing her would be a waste of time.¡± Xiaoqi said no more. Nobody else dared to speak. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡­. she can¡¯t hide for too long, she¡¯ll have to come out eventually¡­.¡± Ye Chong surveyed their surroundings and began to speak, ¡°We have already done away with the two elephants, and the next strongest animals are the bears. Dispose of the bear from their team by noon tomorrow, and the rest, we can deal with¡­. slowly.¡± Xiaoqi couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What if the remaining people hide in the safety cabin and don¡¯t come out?¡± Ye Chong smiled faintly, curling his lips: ¡°Then we guard the entrance of the safety cabin. Either they come out, or¡­ they starve in there.¡± ¡­ The white glove returned empty-handed, retreating back into the northern forest. Bai Youwei¡¯s circumstances hadn¡¯t improved much with his departure. This escape was like a fish caught in a net, leaping out of the lake, a brief struggle. She gathered all her team members¡ª¡ª Ya Chaohui, Asarina, Along, and Zhang Yu. Bai Youwei came straight to the point: ¡°It seems that we have a traitor among us.¡± As her words fell, everyone exchanged glances. Ya Chaohui raised an eyebrow and asked: ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Traitor, spy, mole¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s something like that.¡± Bai Youwei said matter-of-factly, ¡°Ye Chong led his people straight up the slope, obviously having prior knowledge of my location. How did he come to know it? Furthermore, even if, as a counter-argument, he made an extremely accurate guess, due to his high intelligence and analytical capabilities, how do you explain the fact that not one of you gave me a warning in advance when he was on his way?¡± Chapter 784 - Chapter 784: Chapter 784: Bow and Arrow in the Wildlife Park Chapter 784: Chapter 784: Bow and Arrow in the Wildlife Park At this point, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I asked each of you to guard the four directions of the forest. No matter where Ye Chong and his men come from, at least one of you should spot them. Even if your vision is obscured by plants, you couldn¡¯t have missed their footsteps, could you?¡± Ya Chaohui frowned, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± Asarina shook her head, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything either, the forest is too big.¡± Along and Zhang Yu shook their heads as well. Bai Youwei¡¯s face remained calm as she said casually, ¡°The traitor, of course, won¡¯t expose themselves. I¡¯m just curious, what¡¯s their motive? Why would they help their enemy?¡± Asarina narrowed her eyes, suspiciously looking at the others. Having known Along for many years, she firmly believed it wasn¡¯t him. Leaving only Ya Chaohui and Zhang Yu as potential traitors. Zhang Yu hesitated, his gaze shifted to Ya Chaohui¡­ ¡°Why are you all looking at me?¡± Ya Chaohui¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°You think I¡¯m the traitor?!¡± Asarina scoffed and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural to suspect you? You¡¯ve always been unhappy with the King, constantly raising objections. Out of all us, you¡¯re the one who least wants the King to win!¡± ¡°You!¡± Ya Chaohui snapped, ¡°These are totally unrelated!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?? ¡°Enough, no more quarreling.¡± Bai Youwei looked at the sky and said nonchalantly, ¡°Regard the traitor, I may be overthinking it. I want to go check the trap before dark, I¡¯m a little uneasy about the surprise attack from the White Glove. What if they target Shen Mo and Tan Xiao next¡­¡± She glanced at Ya Chaohui and then Asarina. Her gaze lingered on them momentarily, finally resting on Asarina. ¡°Asarina, come with me.¡± Bai Youwei said. Even though she said that she might be overthinking things, it seemed¡­ she didn¡¯t quite trust Ya Chaohui either. Ya Chaohui frowned, ¡°What about us?¡± ¡°You guys¡­¡± She paused, then continued, ¡°Keep trailing them. Let me know if anything happens. But I think it should be fine¡­ Ye Chong just made an attack, he wouldn¡¯t make a second one so soon.¡± After Bai Youwei finished speaking, she turned and headed in the direction where the trap was set. Asarina promptly followed after her. Ya Chaohui, Along, and Zhang Yu were left standing still in their places. As he watched the two women move further away, Ya Chaohui felt suffocated. He glanced at the other two and grumbled, ¡°Let¡¯s go, keep trailing.¡± ¡­ Up front, Bai Youwei and Asarina continued walking. Bai Youwei walked quite slow, her silence proposing that she was deep in thought. Asarina looked back, her confusion towards Bai Youwei evident, ¡°Is it really Ya Chaohui? Thinking he¡¯s already lost, so he sided with White Glove? Or¡­did he deliberately want to take revenge on you?¡± Staring straight ahead, Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What do you think? Besides him, who else could it be?¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely not Along.¡± Asarina said categorically, ¡°Along¡¯s not that kind of person.¡± Hearing her defend her friend, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°How about Zhang Yu? Is it possible?¡± ¡°He is someone brought in from the evaluation group, I am not familiar with him. Seems like he¡¯s the rule-abiding type, but he could also be threatened by White Glove¡­¡± Asarina sighed, ¡°Whoever it is, it¡¯s really troublesome, equivalent to us short one person.¡± Bai Youwei stopped in her tracks. Asarina continued for a few more steps before noticing Bai Youwei had stopped. She turned around and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Asarina, do you know how to use a bow and arrow?¡± ¡°I do, but I haven¡¯t used it for a long time¡­¡± Asarina responded, surprised by the sudden question, ¡°Why are you asking this all of a sudden?¡± Bai Youwei further asked, ¡°If the distance is between twenty and thirty meters, are you sure you can hit a person?¡± Asarina had a vague idea of what Bai Youwei was planning. She pondered before answering earnestly, ¡°If you give me a bow now and let me practice a few times to familiarize myself, hitting a person shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Chapter 785 - Chapter 785: Chapter 785: One Arrow in the Wildlife Park Chapter 785: Chapter 785: One Arrow in the Wildlife Park Ye Chong received the message and immediately led his men towards the trap. If Bai Youwei thought there wouldn¡¯t be a second ambush after the first one, he would catch her off guard. ¡­No, perhaps he should be gentler. Scare her, intimidate her, let her live in fear and panic, then appear in front of her, one after another, eliminating her team! Then watch her cry, watch her hurt, watch her beg for mercy¡­ That would be very interesting. Ye Chong¡¯s heart pounded violently, his blood seemed to be boiling inside him, eager to witness such a scene of despair and beauty. The people behind him were slow to move, so he had to slow down his pace, stopping with frustration. ¡°Hurry up!¡± Ye Chong urged them. In fact, Ye Chong was also tired, although he had eaten the food supplied by the drone today, it hadn¡¯t seemed to restore much of his energy, he was still weary, and lethargic. Aside from him and Tian Li, who had entered the labyrinth twice, the rest, Xiaoqi, the muscle man, the girl with a braided ponytail, were all lagging behind, their faces pale as they hurried along their way, stumbling. But Ye Chong didn¡¯t care, even if these wastes were eliminated, he wouldn¡¯t blink an eye. Because the ultimate winner only needs him alone. ¡°I can¡¯t go on¡­I¡¯m so tired, let me rest please¡­¡± Han Lu pleaded at the end of the team. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã0 She wasn¡¯t running anymore, and even walking was a struggle. As a girl, she was the weakest in the team physically. Her lips were pale, her cheeks were covered in cold sweat, she seemed incredibly weak as if she had just recovered from a serious illness. The muscle man, despite appearing physically strong, was not in a much better condition than her, gasping for breath after every step, completely exhausted. Tian Li, equally fatigued, tried to suggest upon seeing his companions like this: ¡°Let¡¯s walk slowly¡­ anyway, she won¡¯t leave there right away, and, walking over there quietly, we¡¯re less likely to be noticed by her.¡± It sounded reasonable, Ye Chong considered for a moment and agreed. They got to catch their breath, walking slowly into the forest, gradually approaching the trap where Tan Xiao and Shen Mo were trapped. It was a small open space, very easy to recognize, but they didn¡¯t see Bai Youwei when they arrived. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Did she leave already? She shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± ¡°Did that guy lie to us?¡± ¡°If he dares to deceive us, isn¡¯t he afraid we¡¯ll get tough?¡± All kinds of speculations were being debated. Ye Chong slightly squints his eyes, scanning the various trees, grasses, and bushes around. A little further ahead, was the boundary guarded by rabbits, getting slightly closer would trigger an electric warning. Ye Chong felt something was off. Did he run here in vain? Did Bai Youwei change her mind at the last minute and didn¡¯t come here? Just as he was puzzled, he suddenly heard the sound of air being torn apart! Swish! In an instant, an arrow pierced the muscle man¡¯s chest! ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± Han Lu screamed in terror! Following closely, another arrow shot over, directly penetrating her leg! Han Lu immediately fell, screaming with pain! Just as Ye Chong was about to find the archer¡¯s position, the third arrow came, shot into the grass nearby, from a completely opposite direction! Then came the fourth arrow! The fifth arrow! Clearly, they had been ambushed! Watching his men scatter in confusion, Ye Chong was seething with anger, yelling: ¡°Retreat!!!¡± He quickly rushed out of the shooting range, Tian Li quickly followed, Xiaoqi carried Han Lu who was injured on his back, rushing back with them! In a few seconds, except for a corpse on the ground, no one was left. Asarina jumped down from the tree, picked up the arrows on the ground, unable to contain her joy: ¡°They were so arrogant before, I never thought they¡¯d be so easily scared off this time, hahaha¡­¡± Bai Youwei came down from the tree on the other side, her face didn¡¯t look too good. She didn¡¯t hit anyone with her arrows before. Chapter 786 - Chapter 786: Chapter 786: The Ring in the Wildlife Park Chapter 786: Chapter 786: The Ring in the Wildlife Park Asarina, being a cat, could only attack the opponent¡¯s mice and cats. The remaining arrows missed their mark, fired by Bai Youwei. Although she intended to intimidate, she never expected not even to graze a piece of the opponent¡¯s clothing, let alone pierce their skin. Bai Youwei glanced upwards. The net hanging densely in the air confined Tan Xiao and Shen Mo. From inside, they couldn¡¯t see what was happening outside; only the bunny curiously looked down from the edge. She pursed her lips and gloomily walked over to the corpses. The muscular man was lying still on the ground, half an arrow protruding from his chest, which was stained with blood. This was an arrow from medieval Europe. After fully drawing the bow, the penetration power was immense, capable of piercing through a knight in armor. ¡°Is he dead?¡± Bai Youwei prodded the body with her foot. Asarina gripped the arrow shaft, pulled it out forcefully, revealing a bright red smear of blood. The body didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°He should be dead.¡± she wiped the blood off the arrow, looking a bit reluctant to let go, ¡°This weapon is practical, it would be powerful if it could be taken into the game!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point~¡± Bai Youwei coldly said, ¡°It can¡¯t attack animals of higher rank, and it¡¯s heavy and large, affecting the speed. After you fire six or seven arrows, and run out of arrows, the bow is useless. You won¡¯t always have the opportunity to retrieve these arrows¡­¡± After hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s words, Asarina was starting to doubt the value of her new weapon too. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï ¡°I don¡¯t know if this guy was a mouse or a cat.¡± Asarina muttered, putting away her weapon. Bai Youwei said: ¡°I hope he was a mouse.¡± Asarina was slightly taken aback, looking at her: ¡°Why? We have already been eliminated, eliminating the opponent¡¯s mouse doesn¡¯t seem to be of any use.¡± Bai Youwei chuckled and casually said: ¡°That¡¯s one less enemy to deal with~¡± Asarina was puzzled, and before she could question further, Bai Youwei had already turned around and casually walked away. Halfway, they bumped into Ya Chaohui, Along and Zhang Yu who were rushing towards them. Ya Chaohui immediately asked: ¡°What happened?! We just heard a woman screaming!¡± The muscular man was indeed hit by an arrow and the girl with the ponytail did let out a scream. Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze swept over them, and she said with a smile: ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Our foes tried to ambush us near their trap, Asarina shot two of their weaker animals, the rest run away.¡± Ya Chaohui frowned hard and shouted: ¡°You just said you were checking the space near the trap, and they followed right after, there must be a mole!¡± Along seemed confused: ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ from here to the north forest to relay the message and then run back here, it would take quite some time. They arrived too fast.¡± Asarina couldn¡¯t help but worry: ¡°Could it be some kind of a spying tool?¡± Bai Youwei laughed lightly, looking at them: ¡°If it¡¯s a tool, then it must be on someone¡¯s person, right? Otherwise, how could they hear my conversation no matter where I am?¡± Everyone immediately became alert, checking themselves for suspicious objects and observing each other for anything questionable. After a while, Along saw something shiny on Zhang Yu¡¯s finger and asked: ¡°Zhang Yu, where did you get this ring from?¡± Zhang Yu¡¯s eyes flickered, instinctively he covered his hand, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve had it on since before I entered the game¡­¡± Ya Chaohui frowned, grabbed Zhang Yu¡¯s wrist and pushed him to the ground! Zhang Yu fell to the ground, his face pale as a sheet! ¡°¡­Don¡¯t, don¡¯t touch me!¡± Chapter 787 - Chapter 787: Chapter 787: The Mind Ring in the Wildlife Park Chapter 787: Chapter 787: The Mind Ring in the Wildlife Park Ya Chaohui didn¡¯t care. He pushed Zhang Yu to the ground and handcuffed him! Zhang Yu struggled but couldn¡¯t get free, his clenched fingers were pried open one by one by Ya Chaohui! ¡°Damn, it¡¯s a prop!¡± Ya Chaohui forcefully pulled off the ring, his face turning grim. Zhang Yu, on the verge of collapse, shouted, ¡°Give it back to me!¡± ¡°Bastard!¡± Ya Chaohui kicked Zhang Yu away and handed the ring to Bai Youwei. He detested such traitors! Bai Youwei took the ring from Ya Chaohui¡¯s hand, and suddenly the information about the prop came to mind: [Mind Ring: As the name suggests, the two people wearing the ring can communicate thoughts.] Which means, there should be a pair of these rings. Zhang Yu wore one, and the other should be with Ye Chong. Earlier, while Zhang Yu was shouting and struggling, perhaps Ye Chong already received the message that this mole was caught. But it didn¡¯t matter, given Ye Chong¡¯s personality, he definitely would not come to the rescue. Bai Youwei gently tossed the ring in the air and caught it, asking the grounded Zhang Yu, ¡°Tell me, what did they offer you, or what were their threats?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï Zhang Yu hung his head and remained silent. Bai Youwei smiled and didn¡¯t mind, she continued, ¡°It was my carelessness¡­ You came from our base and so did Ye Chong¡¯s recruits. The circle is small, it¡¯s normal to encounter familiar faces. Among them, is there¡­ your friend?¡± Zhang Yu suddenly raised his head and fell onto his knees, begging Bai Youwei. He kept bowing down! ¡°Please! I beg you! Can we lose this battle? You have a lot of puzzle pieces, right? Even if we lose, it¡¯ll be fine! As long as we win the next battle, we can still participate in the decisive match! Please, let us surrender! I beg you!¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face instantly turned cold. Asarina shouted, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?! You want us to forfeit voluntarily? Have you lost your mind?!!¡± Zhang Yu sobbed, ¡°We won¡¯t suffer from our loss, but they will die if they lose! That guy¡­ He only gave Lulu a single puzzle piece, if eliminated, she will die! I beg you, have mercy! I am willing to do anything as long as you are willing to forfeit!!!¡± Everyone was taken aback, and didn¡¯t know what to say. Ye Chong only gave one puzzle piece to his subject? Isn¡¯t he afraid that if the subject died, he wouldn¡¯t be able to recruit new ones? Ya Chaohui swallowed his anger and bluntly asked Zhang Yu, ¡°Who is Lulu?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend¡­¡± Zhang Yu knelt on the ground, his face filled with regret, ¡°We promised each other that we would each choose a king with great odds of winning. This way, as long as the selected king wins in the end, at least one of us could go to the new world. But we didn¡¯t anticipate¡­ the two kings would meet inadvertently¡­¡± Bai Youwei indifferently said, ¡°This isn¡¯t by chance but is highly probable. If you understood the man power of both kings, then you should know that both Ye Chong and I chose Battle 10. The Labyrinth Wars has reached the second round, and nearly half of the kings are eliminated. The fallen kings are concentrated in Battle 1 and Battle 5. Not many kings can choose Battle 10, so the chance of a clash is very high.¡± Zhang Yu tugged his hair in frustration, filled with extreme regret, ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­ I thought it wouldn¡¯t happen! Please! Concede! Vertigo Gentlemen are invincible anyway, and now that Shen Mo is eliminated, why bother with a fight till death?! Please, give up! I beg you to give up¡­¡± ¡°Stop acting like a madman!¡± Asarina, unable to bear it anymore, glared at Zhang Yu in disbelief, ¡°Even if we concede, do you think the Vertigo Gentlemen would let us off? Do you think your girlfriend would be safe?! Forget it! We will never give up!!!¡± Chapter 788 - Chapter 788: Chapter 788: The Elephant in the Wildlife Park Chapter 788: Chapter 788: The Elephant in the Wildlife Park ¡°Lulu will die!¡± Zhang Yu screamed in despair. Asarina told him sternly, ¡°She might already be dead. I shot her with an arrow just now.¡± Zhang Yu froze, looking utterly stupefied, unable even to cry. Bai Youwei turned her head away indifferently, raising her eyes to look at the distant northern forest, murmured, ¡°No matter the reason, I will not be your stepping stone¡­¡± Ya Chaohui frowned, seemingly puzzled. At this moment, Bai Youwei also looked at him and calmly said, ¡°Find a trap and throw him into it. Although it¡¯s a bit of a pity, we have no other choice¡­at this critical juncture, keeping him around will only cause trouble.¡± Ya Chaohui nodded, grabbed Zhang Yu and walked towards the dense forest, Along followed to help. Asarina stayed by Bai Youwei¡¯s side and followed her gaze, looking very concerned, ¡°What should we do? Without Zhang Yu, there are¡­only four of us left.¡± ¡°Rest assured,¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°Our opponents might not have more than us.¡± Asarina silently calculated, the other side also had four, but that girl named Han Lu was injured in the leg and presumably didn¡¯t have much attack power, she could be disregarded¡­that left only three¡­ Frankly, the number of people didn¡¯t matter much, the main issue was the difficulty of dealing with Glove! It was headache enough just to deal with him alone! ¡°Tomorrow, you help Ya Chaohui deal with him,¡± Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°use that bow and arrow.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.?¦Ï ¡­ The sun was setting, and it was getting darker and darker. After Han Lu was shot with an arrow and returned to the camp, although the bleeding had been stopped, her situation was very grim and she remained unconscious. Xiaoqi¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t looking good either, even though he didn¡¯t have any visible injuries, he still went into brief periods of unconsciousness. Ye Chong and Tian Li were slightly better off, but they were also exhausted, as if the two surprise attacks had drained all their energy. Something wasn¡¯t right. They had eaten the food provided by the drone, drank the drinking water provided by the drone, why were they still feeling weak and gradually becoming frail? Ye Chong couldn¡¯t figure it out, he had a hunch that something was off, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint the reason. Now, everyone was too tired, they could only retreat to the safe house to rest. Han Lu, who was unconscious, couldn¡¯t enter the safe house on her own, so she was left in the camp to fend for herself. Ye Chong walked up to the hill alone, searching for the light from the safe house opposite in the darkness. One, two¡­ Four. Only four safe houses were lit. The light in the Fox¡¯s safe house was out. It was to be expected. Since Bai Youwei had discovered him, how could she continue to keep Zhang Yu? Using a trap to eliminate the traitor was the best choice. Thinking of Bai Youwei personally eliminating her own team member, Ye Chong was amused. He turned up the corners of his mouth wanting to smile, but his smile froze at that moment¡ª In disbelief, he widened his eyes! He walked forward! Until the top of the hill, his eyes were glued on that bright spot! ¡­ How is this possible? That position¡­ That position was clearly, the Elephant¡¯s! Ye Chong suddenly recalled Shen Mo¡¯s words¡ª ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re choosing me? Maybe I¡¯m not the Elephant.¡± It turned out Shen Mo really wasn¡¯t the Elephant! But if he wasn¡¯t the Elephant, then who was?! Was it the man who was always around Shen Mo, wearing a combat suit?! According to the lit safe houses, the animals remaining on the opposite side were the Elephant, Bear, Lion, and Cat! The strongest top-level animals, not a single one missing! He had been fooled! Ye Chong¡¯s teeth gritted¡­he couldn¡¯t wait to rush to Bai Youwei now and tear her to pieces! ¡°Bai Youwei¡­ Bai Youwei¡­¡± Ye Chong muttered this name in the dark, with a vicious tone, like a curse, ¡°Bai¡­ You¡­ Wei¡­¡± Chapter 789 - Chapter 789: Chapter 789: Late to the Wildlife Park Chapter 789: Chapter 789: Late to the Wildlife Park Dawn arrived. The sun slowly crawled above the treetops, casting a warm and generous glow upon the forest. The temperature was just right, as was the humidity¡ªtoday was an excellent day. Bai Youwei ordered, ¡°Stay on your respective positions and inform me if anything pops up.¡± Ya Chaohui looked at her without saying a word. Since starting the game, Bai Youwei had never once launched a proactive attack. Every strategy was reactive! He had questioned, annoyed, pestered, and rushed her to no avail. Ya Chaohui stopped asking. He wouldn¡¯t get the answer regardless. Bai Youwei instructed Asarina again, ¡°Stand on the front line of the forest. The bow and arrow can¡¯t function well within the forest; you can only use it before they enter.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± said Asarina, picking up her bow and arrows and placing them on her back. With all the necessary instructions given, Bai Youwei had nothing more to say. She pulled her wheelchair over, sitting down and calmly said, ¡°Go now. I¡¯ll wait here on the slope for your good news.¡± Everyone exchanged glances and headed to their respective positions. Ya Chaohui took the left-side guard, Along the right, and Asarina at the center. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?? Seated in her wheelchair, Bai Youwei gazed into the wide open meadow between the two forests. If her prediction was right, Ye Chong would be launching an attack soon. He was a man with a strong sense of pride. Once he realized he had been deceived last night, he would undoubtedly be fuming and fingertips on the trigger for revenge. Hence, they wouldn¡¯t have to wait long¡­ As she was contemplating this, a few figure did appear on the grassland. Bai Youwei squinted her eyes and raised her wrist, ¡°The other side is starting to move. Three people, they seem to be planning to enter the forest from the southeast.¡± Ya Chaohui: ¡°Southeast is Along¡¯s position, Along, do you see anything?¡± Along: ¡°Yes, but¡­ something¡¯s off¡­¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°What¡¯s off?¡± ¡°They¡¯re walking very slowly¡­¡± Along uncertainly replied, ¡°They¡¯re a bit far, I¡¯ll observe more closely.¡± One would naturally prefer a quicker pace, if planning to sneak. Slow walking would only expose oneself more easily. Why so slow? Could it be another prop? Another plot? Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Ya Chaohui, Asarina, go support Along and find out what¡¯s going on. Be careful!¡± The two of them acknowledged. In a while, Asarina¡¯s voice came through, ¡°We¡¯ve met up with Along. The three coming are indeed Ye Chong and his team members, but we don¡¯t know why they¡¯re moving so slowly. I¡¯m ready to try shooting them with my arrow to see their reaction.¡± Bai Youwei merely hummed in acknowledgment, ¡°Be safe and adapt as needed.¡± At that moment, frantic footsteps echoed from within the forest. Bai Youwei froze, her gaze attentive as she asked, ¡°Are you sure that the three people are Ye Chong and his teammates?¡± ¡°For sure.¡± Asarina affirmed, ¡°They are walking towards the forest¡­¡± A foreboding sense rose in Bai Youwei, ¡°Asarina, retreat for now. Do not attack¡­¡± But it was too late. An arrow had already been shot! A scream emanated from Asarina! ¡°Asarina?!¡± Bai Youwei urgently asked, ¡°What happened?!¡± Along cursed loudly, followed by Ya Chaohui¡¯s voice, ¡°Those three aren¡¯t real! They are decoys! They¡¯re probably some tool from the white gloves that can inflict a backlash attack. Asarina¡¯s arrow hit the fake¡¯s stomach, and now Asarina has been hurt in her stomach too! White gloves this time are playing a game of luring the tiger away from the mountain. You better find a place to hide!¡± Looking coldly at the three figures at the bottom of the slope, Bai Youwei slowly lowered her wrist, ¡°Too late¡­¡± They had already arrived. Chapter 790 - Chapter 790: Chapter 790: The Balloon in the Wildlife Park Chapter 790: Chapter 790: The Balloon in the Wildlife Park Ye Chong, Tian Li, Xiaoqi. ¡ªBear, leopard, wolf. Bai Youwei was always wary of Ye Chong, not only because of the tact he employed as his facade, but also due to the seemingly infinite array of props that were at his disposal beneath this polite exterior. She looked at the three men before her, took no more than a second to think, and then turned and ran! Ye Chong barked, ¡°Chase!¡± Tian Li and Xiaoqi closed in from both sides, pursuing Bai Youwei! Bai Youwei dashed down the slope and fled into the depths of the forest! She had participated in three labyrinthine adventures, yet her speed was still weaker than that of ordinary people. Tian Li, with his surprisingly quick agility, caught up in no time! ¡°Stay put!¡± Tian Li cried, lunging at her, seizing her shoulder. Bai Youwei abruptly halted, spun around, and thrust her hand forth. Lodged on her wrist was the handcuff key, landing squarely on Tian Li¡¯s chest! Tian Li¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Before he could speak, he vanished in an instant! Xiaoqi, trailing behind, halted, gawking at Bai Youwei in a daze. ¡°Human instincts are really something¡­¡± Bai Youwei smiled at him, ¡°Seeing me run, you naturally gave chase, without bothering to consider what kind of creature I truly am.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?? Xiaoqi¡¯s face went ashen white as he stepped back. The corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth curved into a smirk. ¡°So, what truly are you?¡± Ye Chong emerged behind her, almost ghostlike. He asked slowly, ¡°¡­A lion, a bear, or an elephant?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s brows furrowed, turning cautiously. Blocked off by Xiaoqi on one side and Ye Chong on the other, her paths of retreat were cut off. Distant footsteps were hastily advancing. It was Ya Chaohui and Along rushing over. Bai Youwei spoke in a calm and eerie tone: ¡°Regardless of what I am, do you still think you stand any chance of victory? There¡¯s¡­only two of you left.¡± Ye Chong sneered: ¡°Even if all were left was me, I¡¯d still be the only one to win.¡± He snapped his fingers. Xiaoqi¡¯s face paled instantly, ¡°No¡­don¡¯t, I beg you, please don¡¯t¡­¡± Ye Chong had used some kind of prop, causing Xiaoqi¡¯s body to start expanding! Like an inflating balloon, he grew and swelled larger and larger! Bai Youwei watched in disbelief. Even though she considered Ye Chong to be an unscrupulous demon, she never imagined that he could be so cruel as to turn a living person into a prop! ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, this is actually a very good prop.¡± Ye Chong smiled lightly as he watched Xiaoqi, swollen beyond recognition. He said casually: ¡°He won¡¯t feel any pain, but he will turn into a balloon in a short time. Then he will float up and effortlessly cross a river, a mountain¡­¡± Of course, Xiaoqi couldn¡¯t float ¨C there were too many trees in the forest. He got wedged awkwardly between them. His clothes burst and his skin was stretched to the limit, shimmering under the light, with blue veins throbbing underneath. Bai Youwei could barely recognize Xiaoqi¡¯s face, only tracking him by his agonized wailing and pleading. ¡°Have you ever tried finding the bug in the props of the game?¡± Ye Chong sidled up next to Bai Youwei and whispered in her ear, ¡°If you haven¡¯t, then you should definitely give it a shot. It¡¯s a lot of fun¡­ It¡¯s less a bug and more of an added feature bestowed by the game. Take this balloon for example, what do you think will happen if it encounters a high-temperature object?¡± Bai Youwei blinked, her expression changing slightly as she quickly raised her wrist and ordered, ¡°Retreat! Get out of here! Ya Chaohui, Along, don¡¯t come here!!!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she was abruptly choked by Ye Chong, who dragged her away! At the same time, Ye Chong threw something far away! It was sparking, sharp-edged, and aimed inexorably at the human balloon! Bai Youwei instinctively closed her eyes! ¡ª¡ªBoom!!! A massive explosion resounded through the whole forest, as if hundreds of hydrogen balloons had been ignited! The shrubs and trees went up in flames! Bai Youwei opened her eyes, seeing only a sea of fire in the distance! ¡­ Chapter 791 - Chapter 791: Chapter 791: The Captives in the Wildlife Park Chapter 791: Chapter 791: The Captives in the Wildlife Park Bai Youwei was captured by Ye Chong, who dragged her toward the northern forest. Her body was tied with ropes, her hands pinned behind her back; she was helpless, unable to attack. It was only due to the hierarchy of the food chain that Ye Chong did not cause her further harm. Behind her, plumes of thick smoke billowed from the southern forest and the fire was gradually spreading. Bai Youwei hoped that Ya Chaohui and Along hadn¡¯t encountered any mishaps. She didn¡¯t want them to come for her, instead to cleverly take Tan Xiao and Shen Mo ¨C who were trapped ¨C to safety. Passing fields of lush grass, Ye Chong led Bai Youwei into the northern forest. The forest was dense, large roots twisted and gnarled onto the path, Bai Youwei stumbled. Held up by the rope, she asked, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Ye Chong turned around, a cold smile on his face, ¡°¡­ Obviously, to a trap.¡± A bear can¡¯t hunt an elephant; the only way to beat Bai Youwei now, is to lead her into a trap. Bai Youwei smirked derisively, following him at a steady pace. They crossed the woods, wove through bushes, traversed meadows in full bloom. Bai Youwei paused to ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Ye Chong was forcing himself to press on: his knees were weak and his pace slowed. Stopped abruptly by Bai Youwei, he who was keeping her bound staggered, nearly falling over. Suddenly, Bai Youwei yanked on the rope, causing Ye Chong to truly fall. ¡°Can you get up¡­¡± Bai Youwei slowly walked to his side, the rope between them shortening. For a moment, it wasn¡¯t clear who had captured who. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï Ye Chong felt his strength rapidly ebbing away. Though he had been feeling this way for days, it had never been as intense as this moment. He should¡¯ve been able to stand, but exhaustion overcame him. Every cell in his body screamed for rest, yearning for a brief respite, a little more sleep¡­ even his eyelids failed him, wilting shut despite his efforts to keep them open¡ªit was sheer agony. Ye Chong rolled over, noticing the rope had slipped from his hands. Bai Youwei, hands tied behind her back, stood smiling in front of him showing no sign of discomposure. ¡°What trick did you pull?¡± Ye Chong stared at Bai Youwei, realizing he may have fallen into another ¡°trap¡±. But he couldn¡¯t figure out when¡­ ¡°Could it be¡­ did you swap out the drone¡¯s food?¡± Ye Chong asked. ¡°Nope~¡± From the high ground, Bai Youwei smiled down at him, ¡°I fooled you; the drone¡¯s food was nothing special.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± Ye Chong struggled, attempting to stand Bai Youwei put her foot on his right hand, a faint smile on her lips, ¡°Oh? Trying to use your gloves? Not a chance!¡± She pinned down his other hand, stomping hard! ¡°Why else?¡± she glared at him with a malicious grin, grinding her foot into him, ¡°Obviously because of those damned gloves, forcing me to risk using the item I least wanted: spreading flower seeds in the northern forest¡­Didn¡¯t you notice? The scenery in the northern forest is especially beautiful, look at these flowers, aren¡¯t they gorgeous¡­¡± [Improved Flower Seeds: Upon contact with the ground, the seeds will grow into a sea of flowers in 8 hours, regardless of seasonal conditions. The flowers bloom for 24 hours, but can last longer if they absorb life energy.] ¡°Do you know how much of a hassle this is?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°The duration of blooming depends on the amount of life energy absorbed. In a forest this big, the flowers in areas where no one has passed will quickly wither, which would likely arouse suspicion. So, every night, I was forced to adjust the sowing range, trying to make the flowers grow in your usual routes without being too obvious!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­. ¡°Ye Chong gasped, even his breath was waning, ¡°Every night¡­every night I send people out to patrol. You can¡¯t possibly have a chance to sow seeds¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I have my ways.¡± Bai Youwei bent down, looking at Ye Chong¡¯s dying face, the corners of her eyes twinkling, ¡°I¡¯ve said a lot¡­ now, can you die?¡± Chapter 792 - Chapter 792: Chapter 792: Zoo Fish Death and Broken Net Chapter 792: Chapter 792: Zoo Fish Death and Broken Net Ye Chong stared at her for a long time. He and his team had passed through the flower bushes so many times, yet not once did they suspect anything. Every time they felt tired and weary, they naturally attributed it to the lack of food and water. He had not expected to fall into this trap¡­ Nor had he expected, after killing so many people, that he would also have his day of being killed. A smile threatened to break out on the corners of Ye Chong¡¯s lips at this thought. He closed his eyes, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Although I don¡¯t have much energy right now¡­ I won¡¯t die immediately, why didn¡¯t you eliminate me directly? Don¡¯t you worry about unexpected changes that could come with time?¡± Bai Youwei coldly sneered, straightened her body, and stared at him, ¡°From the very beginning, I never intended to eliminate you. I had always been thinking about how to kill you!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ye Chong opened his eyes, ¡°Why?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Those people in the preliminary match, you killed them all, right? There were about 30 people per preliminary match, assuming each person had 2 props, then as the only winning player, you should have at least 60 props. Without considering the puzzle pieces you gained, just looking at the number of props you have, how could I not be wary of you? Furthermore, given your ruthless style, I think, there is no reason for me to give you a chance to turn the tables. Your death here is the best outcome.¡± Ye Chong laughed, his smile faint and light, ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I do have many props, and now that you¡¯re pushing me into a corner, are you not afraid that I will fight you to the death? You should know that those who have more props usually have fallbacks.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t attempt to deceive me.¡± Bai Youwei slightly smiled, ¡°Your props are all in your gloves, and even if you want to use them, you would have to be able to move your hand first¡­¡± With a bright smile on her face and her foot forcefully stepping on his hands, she appeared both cruel and beautiful, like a witch. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã¦Ï Ye Chong let her stomp on him, his expression unchanging. Life was fleeing rapidly. He closed his eyes and reflected on his life. From being imprisoned for serious crimes, to escaping from jail due to a shift in the world, to this moment, everything that had happened felt like a dream¡­ A beautiful dream. The feeling of ending someone else¡¯s life was so captivating. Even now when it was his turn, he found it satisfying. To him, death was a journey filled with poetic implications. And if someone could accompany him, what more could he ask for? Ye Chong slowly spoke, ¡°You know I can pull things out of my glove using my thoughts, but¡­ do you realize, these gloves can also store things¡­¡± Bai Youwei was slightly startled, and instinctively lowered her head to look. Her foot rested on Ye Chong¡¯s hand, but beneath it was half a rope! The other end of the rope was attached to Bai Youwei¡¯s hands, tied behind her back! Bai Youwei sucked in a breath and immediately tried to escape! But it was too late! A sudden, immense suction force pulled her down! The rope was drawn into the pocket dimension of the white gloves, and Bai Youwei¡¯s hands were firmly affixed to the palm of the white glove! ¡°Dammit!!!¡± Bai Youwei cursed loudly! The laughter from Ye Chong behind her abruptly ceased, as though he¡¯d gotten his fill of satisfaction. Bai Youwei struggled desperately, dragging Ye Chong¡¯s body forward, but her hands remained fixed on the white glove! ¡°Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!!!¡± Bai Youwei was seething with rage, unable to shake herself free no matter what she tried! Her strength was also rapidly leaving her body, the flowers not only harmed Ye Chong, but also herself! This was why she repeatedly warned the team not to go into the northern forest! This was why she had never launched an attack and only focused on defense! Except for Tan Xiao who was caught, everything else was going as she had anticipated. But now, to possibly lose her life right here!?! ¡°Aaaaaaaah!!!¡± Bai Youwei screamed out in frustration, ¡°Ya Chaohui! Along! Is there anyone out there?! Is there anyone left alive?!!¡± Chapter 793 - Chapter 793: Chapter 793: Im Not a God in the Wildlife Park Chapter 793: Chapter 793: I¡¯m Not a God in the Wildlife Park ¡°Ya Chaohui!¡± ¡°Along!¡± ¡°Asarina!¡± ¡°Is anybody there?! Is there any alive?!!¡± ¡°Is there any left at all¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was nearly gone from yelling, but no third person appeared in the flower bed. She refused to give up, putting all her strength into crawling away from these ¡°man-eating¡± flowers, but Ye Chong behind her was like a thousand pounds weight, making it extremely hard for her to even stand up! Bai Youwei bit her lower lip tight. The influence these flowers had on the body differed greatly whether you rushed past them or lied flat inside. The larger the contact area, the more obvious your vital energy drained, and she had already lost her strength. If they lingered any longer, they¡¯d have trouble even remaining conscious! Bai Youwei pushed herself as hard as she could. Even if she couldn¡¯t stand up, it¡¯d be good to sit up, minimizing contact with these flowers to buy herself more time. Buy some time¡­ time¡­ Damn it! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í¨À?.§ã¦Ï She needed someone to rescue her, then buying time would make sense! Otherwise, what awaited her was simply death! Bai Youwei cursed in her heart! If it weren¡¯t for being wary of the white gloves this time, she wouldn¡¯t be using such a costly tool! Now her hands were tied behind her back, unable to control her wristwatch, she couldn¡¯t even get the key to open the dollhouse! She was definitely going to be killed by these white gloves this time!!! Just as Bai Youwei was freaking out in her mind, she suddenly heard footsteps from ahead. Overjoyed, she looked up to see Ya Chaohui walking over covered in blood, stumbling with each step. Bai Youwei caught her breath and blurted out, ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°Human balloon¡­ the self-destruction power was huge.¡± Ya Chaohui came over with difficulty, ¡°Along is hurt even worse¡­¡± His body was covered in blood, and even his face was blackened with plot blood; Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t tell where he was injured. She hurriedly said: ¡°These flowers drain human vitality! We have to leave here quickly!¡± Ya Chaohui came over to pull her up but failed when he noticed her hands were bound with Ye Chong¡¯s white gloves. He reached out to take off the gloves. Those gloves looked like a layer of ordinary fabric, but the fibers were deeply embedded into the flesh, connected to nerves, and could not be removed at all. ¡°Use the knife!¡± Bai Youwei urged in a rush. When allocating weapons earlier, they each received a dagger, studded with gold edges and gems, one of those spectacularly impractical designs used by European royalties. Ya Chaohui took out his dagger and cut the ropes. He was wounded and weak, his hand that held the knife was shaking uncontrollably, causing Bai Youwei¡¯s skin to be scratched. Bai Youwei held back a yell of pain and kept urging him, ¡°Hurry up! Cut it quickly!¡± Every additional second here was a risk! Ya Chaohui didn¡¯t have enough energy to speak, he kept his head down and cut the ropes. Finally, the ropes were cut. Bai Youwei instantly obtained freedom, broke away from the ropes, grabbed Ya Chaohui¡¯s arm and ran towards the edge of the flower bed! Injured severely, Ya Chaohui didn¡¯t get far before collapsing, a mouthful of fresh blood gushing out! ¡°If you¡¯re going to die, don¡¯t die here!¡± Bai Youwei grabbed his arm and pulled with all her might! ¡°¡­Get up, get up! Don¡¯t die here!¡± Ya Chaohui somehow started laughing, his voice hoarse, ¡°Last time¡­ did you think the same way?¡± Bai Youwei cursed at him, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying! If you have the strength to laugh, stand up right now and let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°It¡¯s about last time¡­¡± Ya Chaohui closed his eyes slowly, staring blankly at the sky, ¡°When Fang Yu was killed by you¡­¡± Bai Youwei clenched her teeth. ¡°You could¡­ you could have commanded the rabbit to create smaller electric shocks, but you chose not to.¡± He laughed, tears streaming down his face, ¡°Just like now, you could have won, but you chose these flowers¡­ to win, you can overlook anything¡­¡± Bai Youwei, out of patience, her eyes bloodshot, yelled, ¡°What else could I have done?! What could I do?! I had to consider the bigger picture! Avoid casualties! I had to cover all bases and win?! Ya Chaohui! I¡¯m not a god!¡± Chapter 794 - Chapter 794: Chapter 794: Settlement at the Wildlife Park Chapter 794: Chapter 794: Settlement at the Wildlife Park ¡°Get up!! Get up!!!¡± Bai Youwei tugged at him desperately, ¡°You can¡¯t die here!!!¡± Weakened, Bai Youwei suddenly fell down, and when she stood up, she found the flowers underneath Ya Chaohui were almost drenched in blood. Bai Youwei suddenly felt a sense of fear. Placing the rabbit on her number was to win! Spreading flower seeds across the forest was also to win! But others wouldn¡¯t see it that way, they would only think, you could have avoided risks! Why create sacrifices! ¨C As if anyone in her position could have done better! It¡¯s always so easy to accuse someone when you¡¯re not in a predicament. Bai Youwei was unwilling to accept this, she bit her lower lip tightly, got up, and grasped Ya Chaohui¡¯s sleeves, dragging him out of the flower bush. The dragging was slow, the walk was tough. In a hoarse voice, Ya Chaohui asked her, ¡°Does Shen Mo know about the flower seeds?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s actions froze. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know, right¡­¡± Ya Chaohui said hoarsely, ¡°If the superior knew, he wouldn¡¯t agree¡­¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï According to Shen Mo¡¯s personality, he would fight hard to eliminate competitors, but he wouldn¡¯t resort to killing them. Being manipulated by the game, causing humans to kill each other has always been highly despised by Shen Mo. But Bai Youwei¡¯s act of scattering the flower seeds showed that from the beginning, she had no intention of sparing the players on the opposing team. Upon deep thought, she seemed extremely cold and ruthless. Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes turned red, she bit her lip, stayed quiet, grasped Ya Chaohui¡¯s clothes and continued to drag. Ya Chaohui said again, ¡°You¡¯re saving me now¡­ Not really because you want to. You¡¯re just¡­ afraid that if I died, you couldn¡¯t explain to the others¡­¡± He stared at the sky, muttering dazedly, ¡°Why is this happening¡­ Why would they make someone like you the King¡­¡± Bai Youwei squatted down, cried sadly out of the blue in the flower bushes. Perhaps it was the discomfort of being seen through, or the grievance of being misunderstood. Vulnerability struck like a bolt from the blue, tears uncontrollably dripping down. They were always honorable, yet she was always sly and despicable. She thought she had finally escaped from the humiliation of reality, and from then on she could look down on others, being capricious, satisfied, arrogant¡­ but in fact, she was still annoying, hateful, and fearsome to others. Bai Youwei shut her eyes, holding back her tears, ¡°¡­Wanting goodness and victory at the same time, Ya Chaohui, where in the world is there such a good thing?¡± Hearing this sentence, Ya Chaohui smiled for some reason. The face burned by hydrogen was bloody and blurry, the corners of his mouth curled up, the skin and flesh leaking fresh blood ¨C both pitiful and horrific. ¡°If I die¡­¡± He began softly speaking, ¡°if I do die¡­ tell them, it was the White Glove that killed me.¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. Ya Chaohui closed his eyes and said, ¡°The King cannot be tainted¡­ Since you¡¯ve come this far, keep going¡­ Don¡¯t lose, you cannot lose, otherwise, both me and Fang Yu will be a joke¡­.a joke¡­¡± The entire special operations team were like brothers, but one after another, they lost their lives, leaving only him and Fang Yu struggling in various bizarre games. They barely survived, only for one to die from the thunderstorm, and the other to rest beneath the flowers. Such a pathetic way to die¡­ If Bai Youwei ended up losing in the end, he would question himself, what was the point of living through all of that? Bai Youwei gritted her teeth and stood up, ¡°I won¡¯t let you die here! You won¡¯t die! You can¡¯t die!¡± ¡­ Blue sky, white clouds, green grass. The wooden ball covered in green leaves rolled to the middle of the grass field, looking around, counting the people. ¡°This battle officially ends now and we will begin the tally. Total number of players, 16. 1 winning King, 3 subjects, 12 eliminated subjects, of which 8 have died. Now deducting 10 puzzle pieces from the defeated King, 1 puzzle piece from each eliminated subject, all puzzle pieces of the 8 deceased players will be taken back by the system¡­¡± Chapter 795 - Chapter 795: Chapter 795: Harsh Chapter 795: Chapter 795: Harsh Bai Youwei returned to the lounge in a daze. The Rabbit Gentleman walked over with a smile, ¡°Please, King, choose the next campaign.¡± Still dazed from the end of the game, she blinked slowly as the selection panel appeared¡ª Campaign 1: Clown, Campaign 5: Comic Man, Campaign 10: Ball, Campaign 20: Grey-Robed Old Man. Of the four options, ¡°Campaign 20¡± and ¡°Campaign 10¡± were greyed out and could not be selected. Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze lingered between ¡°Campaign 1¡± and ¡°Campaign 5¡±. Without much thought, she chose ¡°Campaign 1¡±. Campaign 1 was the only game without a player limit. One person could participate, whereas Campaign 5 required at least five participants. Despite winning this game, it was a hard-fought victory. The endless items from White Glove had inflicted severe damage on her team. She wasn¡¯t sure if their injuries would have healed by the next campaign. Hence, for safety, she chose Campaign 1. Looking back at that bastard¡­ he was a maniac, attacking even his teammates ensnared in traps! Utter madness! But luckily, he was dead¡­ He was indeed dead¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï From now on, she would never meet another maniac like him again. As Bai Youwei remained lost in thought, the Rabbit Gentleman asked, ¡°Two mazes are now available to unlock. Do you wish to proceed?¡± Bai Youwei looked at it, startled. ¡°Although there is a limit to increasing physical ability, enhancing your Self-Healing Ability could be beneficial for future campaigns,¡± the Rabbit Gentleman said softly, his tone gentle, ¡°It is inevitable that there will be casualties in a war.¡± Bai Youwei hesitated, ¡°I¡­ I need to think about it¡­¡± The mazes could increase their Self-Healing Ability, but they came with risks too. Most of her allies were seriously injured now. She was unsure about stepping into the maze. The Rabbit Gentleman looked at her quietly. Behind her, Shen Mo stepped up and gently held her shoulder, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go back first.¡± Bai Youwei nodded. They all left the lounge. Tan Xiao and Along were in dire need of medical attention. Although Asarina had used her mud technique, her injuries were still serious. And then there was Ya Chaohui¡­ In comparison to the others, Ya Chaohui¡¯s injuries were the least severe. But the treatment was the most difficult ¨C he had had his vitality drained from him. His only option was slow convalescence. After they returned to the Headquarters Building, Chu Huaijin sent a medical team to treat their wounds and then spoke to Bai Youwei and Shen Mo individually about the campaign. They also clarified what had happened with Zhang Yu. When Bai Youwei had asked him to follow Han Lu, he lied about failing to catch up to her. It was during that time Han Lu had begged him to put on the Mind Ring. The ring wasn¡¯t all-powerful. He had to be close to the person to ¡®connect minds¡¯. But talking about this now seemed too late¡­ Han Lu was gone, and Zhang Yu could no longer stay as a servant. Bai Youwei demoted him to a commoner and paid him no more attention. With one less White Glove, the headquarters became quieter without all those people who used to flatter them. People¡¯s gaze towards Bai Youwei subtly changed. It was admiration, respect, but also tinged with some¡­ unclear rejection and aversion. It was like those gossip-ridden times when they discussed a female star¡¯s rise to fame and, save for a hint of envy, they always had an undertone of insinuation: ¡°She¡¯s so successful not only because of her skills but also because she slept with many men¡­¡± Bai Youwei sat in the cafeteria, overhearing two waitresses saying: ¡°She even got rid of a White Glove, really terrifying¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, she must have a deep mind to do that¡­ People without a cruel heart can¡¯t do it, right?¡± ¡°Well, I could never do it. I have a soft heart, even a stray cat or dog on the street make me feel sorry¡­¡± ¡°Haha¡­ we can¡¯t compare with the king¡­¡± Such comments, whether praise or criticism, were all unpleasant to hear. Chapter 796 - Chapter 796: Chapter 796: Apology Chapter 796: Chapter 796: Apology ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!!¡ª¡ª¡± With a sudden scream, the trays in the hands of two waiters were completely overturned! The pristine porcelain plates shattered with a clatter, and the instigator, still unsatisfied, picked up two bottles of red wine and poured them over the two waiters, drenching them from head to toe! All the guests looked on in astonishment, not understanding why Fu Miaoxue would lose her temper so violently. ¡°Is your work too easy or have you lost your mind?¡± Fu Miaoxue, draped in her black veil, voiced crisply and clearly, ¡°Damn, while we¡¯re fighting tooth and nail in the battle, you guys are here shooting the breeze! What a good time you¡¯re having!¡± The bullied waiters dared not fight back, their heads hung low, shivering with fear as the wine trickled down their hair¡­ ¡°You are soft-hearted, you are naive, how great! How about next time you come into the game with me? Let¡¯s see if the Inspector will be moved by your kindness, and let you win just like that!¡± The wine bottles emptied, Fu Miaoxue used the empty bottles to knock the waiters on their heads, causing a loud thud. ¡°Do you think the game is a charity? Are you nuts! Without our ruthless aggressiveness, who knows where you would be now!¡± Du Lai uttered lowly: ¡°Miaoxue.¡± He hinted for her to ease up, these waiters were ordinary people and would not withstand her blows. Fu Miaoxue turned her head away, and complained, ¡°They verbally attacked me first.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã0 The two waiters were furious but dared not to speak. The restaurant manager came over to apologize to Fu Miaoxue. Fu Miaoxue pointed at Bai Youwei, ¡°What good does it do to apologize to me? Go apologize to her. You think the peacefull days fall from the sky, without her puzzles?¡± Bai Youwei continued eating placidly at her spot, as though she was not involved in the matter. The manager led the two waiters to Bai Youwei, apologizing profusely. ¡°These days have been too easy, they¡¯ve lost their heads. They spoke without their brains engaged. Please don¡¯t take it to heart. Everyone at the base knows your contribution,¡± the restaurant manager said, a humble demeanour, ¡°As for their punishment, I will deal with them according to regulations.¡± According to the regulations? ¡­What regulations? The base doesn¡¯t have a rule against whispers. The punishment would be a reprimand at most, perhaps a reassignment. However, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t really hold a grudge against the waiters for a few casual comments. She was picking sweet corn kernels one by one off the plate and popping them into her mouth, nonchalantly saying, ¡°It¡¯s fine. They didn¡¯t lie. I¡¯m not a saint.¡± With her response, the manager and the two waiters became anxious, fearing that Bai Youwei would hold them accountable. Bai Youwei looked at them, calmly, ¡°It¡¯s really fine. It was just a casual conversation between friends. You guys don¡¯t need to be so nervous. Go and change your clothes. Your hair and clothes are all wet. Be careful not to catch a cold.¡± The manager nodded and led his servers to leave. Bai Youwei called after them, ¡°Hey¡­ wait.¡± They halted their steps and cautiously turned back to face Bai Youwei. ¡°There is one thing¡­ I need to clarify.¡± Bai Youwei put down her fork, ¡°Among the eight people who followed Ye Chong, one was trapped in a pitfall. Ye Chong thought he was useless and stabbed his throat with a piece of bamboo. Another one, Hu Dashan, was brutally killed by Ye Chong with several steel rods through his body. Xiaoqi was turned into a human balloon by Ye Chong and blowed up. The rest were indeed eliminated by us, but Ye Chong only gave each of them one puzzle piece. When they were eliminated, they didn¡¯t have any puzzles to save their lives, so they died too.¡± The two waiters became nauseous as they imagined the scene Bai Youwei described, their faces turning pale. ¡°I¡¯ve said my piece.¡± Bai Youwei picked up her fork again, continuing to eat her sweet corn, ¡°¡­you can go now.¡± Chapter 797 - Chapter 797: Chapter 797: Fu Miaoxues Subjects Chapter 797: Chapter 797: Fu Miaoxue¡¯s Subjects The manager led the waitstaff away, and the dining room gradually returned to normal. Fu Miaoxue sidled up to Bai Youwei, curiously asking her, ¡°When did your temper become so good? I thought you¡¯d lay into them and really give them a piece of your mind~¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t say anything wrong, why would I cuss them out?¡± Bai Youwei calmly continued eating, glanced at her and asked, ¡°Do you have a lot of spare time? Why are you here stirring up trouble?¡± Fu Miaoxue was a puppet, she didn¡¯t need to eat at all. ¡°I¡¯m here to accompany my boyfriend~¡± Fu Miaoxue linked arms with Du Lai who was beside her, and then asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What about your boyfriend? Why isn¡¯t he accompanying you?¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a moment, then replied, ¡°He¡¯s in the medical area.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Your boyfriend got injured? Wow¡­he is so powerful. I can¡¯t believe he would get injured.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not the one who got injured; our team mate did.¡± Bai Youwei frowned in irritation. She thought of the white gloves again. Tan Xiao was injured by bamboo splinters and steel bars, Asarina was hurt by the cloned puppet, human-air balloons injured Along and Ya Chaohui¡­ If they hadn¡¯t prepared mud in advance, they might not have been able to save either Tan Xiao or Asarina in this battle game. Bai Youwei looked up at Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai, ¡°And you? Was the battle game smooth for you?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã? ¡°Absolutely smooth!¡± Fu Miaoxue said proudly, ¡°We didn¡¯t even enter the game, the opposite side surrendered! Haha~ I won without effort!¡± ¡°They surrendered¡­¡± Bai Youwei contemplated, ¡°Probably because they had no interest in competing in the maze war or they cannot meet the required player count.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fu Miaoxue nodded, ¡°There were only two people on their side. So few people simply can¡¯t afford to play. I happened to have a shortage of people, so now they are all my subjects!¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Do they know your true identity? Were they scared?¡± Not everyone can accept a puppet as a king. Fu Miaoxue thought seriously, then told Bai Youwei, ¡°The tall one didn¡¯t seem to care, but that little girl, she¡¯s sly, she seemed to have figured it out¡­¡± ¡°Little girl?¡± Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°I say, despite not being human anymore, don¡¯t go too far. There¡¯s no need to involve the little girl in the game, is there?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know! She¡¯s not very old, but she¡¯s experienced!¡± Fu Miaoxue frowned in displeasure, ¡°Besides, how am I not human anymore? Where don¡¯t I look like it? Huh?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze slipped past her shoulder and saw two figures, a tall one and a short one, emerging from behind Fu Miaoxue. She was briefly startled, finding the smaller figure oddly familiar. That seemed to be the student she had met back in Yangzhou, who was with Tu Dan¡­ what was his name again? ¡°Have you found someone to enter the labyrinth with yet?¡± The girl and the tall man approached together, catching sight of Bai Youwei behind the dining table, they too were momentarily startled. Fu Miaoxue, reminded by her, finally realized that she got caught up chatting with Bai Youwei and hadn¡¯t mentioned the actual matter at hand. ¡°This is Chen Hui and Leonid. We suspect that the difficulty of the third battle will escalate significantly, so we want to make a trip to the maze, but we are short of hands.¡± Fu Miaoxue asked Bai Youwei with a cheerful smile, ¡°You have so many team mates, could you lend us a few?¡± Seeing Bai Youwei, Chen Hui covered her mouth in surprise, seemingly somewhat excited, ¡°Do¡­ do you remember me? In the second maze, it was you who led us out!¡± Fu Miaoxue was utterly baffled, looking at Bai Youwei and then at Chen Hui, ¡°What? You two know each other?¡± Bai Youwei nodded, and because of their acquaintance, her smile was noticeably warmer. She asked Chen Hui, ¡°You said before that you were looking for Teacher Tu¡¯s son. Where did you go after that? How did you end up participating in the maze war?¡± Chapter 798 - Chapter 798: Chapter 798: Think It Over Chapter 798: Chapter 798: Think It Over Chen Hui said, ¡°I¡¯ve been traveling north, to Jinan, then to Shijiazhuang, and finally to Beijing. There¡¯s a base in Beijing, too, bigger than this one, but everyone there is mainly focused on game strategy, not on exploring the maze.¡± While saying this, she introduced Leonid, who was beside her, with a laugh, ¡°Leonid is Russian, and I have no idea how he ended up in Beijing. When I met him, he was like a vagrant who hadn¡¯t bathed in months; stinky, dirty, with a frightfully unkempt beard. But after we started playing the game together, I found him surprisingly easy to get along with.¡± Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°You talk about him like that¡­¡± Chen Hui, seeming more lively compared to half a year ago, playfully winked and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, he doesn¡¯t understand Chinese outside the game. All he can say is hello, thank you, and goodbye.¡± Leonid, unaware of what they were talking about but sensing that it was related to him, raised his hand and waved at Bai Youwei, saying, ¡°Hello.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Hello.¡± Fu Miaoxue, slightly surprised, went up to Leonid and asked, ¡°Can you speak English?¡± Leonid furrowed his brows and from under his thick beard, issued a heavily accented string of English. Fu Miaoxue was stunned; she didn¡¯t understand. Du Lai, standing nearby, explained, ¡°He said A little¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue murmured, ¡°Luckily, we can communicate without hindrance in the game.¡± Chen Hui said to Bai Youwei: ¡°Back then I carried the puzzle for the No. 2 Maze, hoping to find Teacher Tu¡¯s child. I knew it was unlikely, but I couldn¡¯t let it go without trying. Then I ran into the uncle¡­Leonid¡­who helped me in the game. Since then we partnered up, and I entrusted the puzzle to him. After all, he¡¯s a big guy, so it¡¯s safer with him.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï She sighed, and continued: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that triggering the puzzle would instigate a Maze War. We weren¡¯t really interested in competing for the throne, so after fending off the first battle, we voluntarily surrendered on the second.¡± Bai Youwei asked her, ¡°What are your plans next? Are you going to join Fu Miaoxue in the maze?¡± Chen Hui pursed her lips, didn¡¯t answer immediately but looked at Fu Miaoxue, then slowly replied: ¡°We have few tools on hand. If we encounter players with more tools, we could only rely on our strength and resources to counteract them¡­¡± In the game, victory could be decided either by external aids or one¡¯s own abilities, such as intelligence, speed, strength, and even the self-healing ability mentioned by the Rabbit Gentleman. Breaking in, Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°Anyway, your companions have to enter the maze sooner or later. Why not let them join us on a run first! I won¡¯t have to ask Chu Huaijin for people then~¡± Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been so nice today. You want to poach from me again.¡± The two would usually argue whenever they met. But now that Fu Miaoxue needed something, she suddenly became nice. How canny. Far from being ashamed, Fu Miaoxue slammed the table confidently, lifting her chin, ¡°Consider it carefully, okay? Your people won¡¯t be at a loss if they join me in the maze! Think about it, either I take them out, and their physical ability goes up a notch, or I die inside, and you have one less competitor in your third battle. Got it?¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Regardless of whether you live or die, you¡¯re not my competition.¡± ¡°Bai Youwei! Don¡¯t look down on people!¡± Fu Miaoxue fumes. Du Lai holds back Fu Miaoxue, turning to Bai Youwei, ¡°No need to reject right away. Though the exact number of mazes is uncertain, their types are quite similar. As of now, apart from the No.1 Maze, our people have encountered pretty much every other type of maze. If we could share information, even if your companions join us, the risk wouldn¡¯t be too high. You might want to reconsider.¡± Pausing for a moment, he added, ¡°We¡¯ll also negotiate with Yan Qingwen.¡± Chapter 799 - Chapter 799: Chapter 799: The Possibility of Cooperation Chapter 799: Chapter 799: The Possibility of Cooperation Bai Youwei squinted her eyes, understanding the situation. Fu Miaoxue approached her to borrow a team member, not so much for the extra hand, but for the person¡¯s experience. For instance, if Asarina had been through Maze No.3 with Bai Youwei, and Fu Miaoxue encountered the same maze, then Asarina would be a great asset to have. Of course, this strategy could be implemented only if both parties were not in competition, otherwise, it would just mean strengthening an enemy¡¯s power. Bai Youwei gave a thin smile and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but most of my companions have been injured, so I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no chance for cooperation this time¡­¡± ¡°You can lend me Pan Xiaoxin.¡± Fu Miaoxue responded immediately, ¡°He¡¯s not injured!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± After a moment of silence, she curled up the corner of her mouth, ¡°You are quite persistent¡­¡± This was not the first time she tried to poach Xiaoxin. Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all, she unabashedly said, ¡°I wanted to borrow Shen Mo too, but would you allow that?¡± Bai Youwei actually contemplated about it and responded, ¡°I will talk to him about it.¡± ¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï After lunch, Bai Youwei packed some food from the dining hall and took the elevator to the medical area. The injured were in different wards, care of Shen Mo, Professor Cheng, and Pan Xiaoxin, who were more comforting to them than the nursing staff. Bai Youwei brought them lunch, asking about how everyone was doing. Tan Xiao had the most severe injuries but recovered faster than anyone else, yet the death of Hu Dashan had left him in a terrible state. As for Along, his life was not in danger, but he had suffered extensive burns over his body and would likely be left with scars even after healing. Asarina had internal injuries and it would take some time for her to recover completely. Bai Youwei fell silent for a moment, then asked Shen Mo, ¡°How is Ya Chaohui doing now?¡± Shen Mo looked surprised, he didn¡¯t expect Bai Youwei to ask about Ya Chaohui¡¯s condition, ¡°Ya Chaohui woke up for a while, he also asked about you.¡± ¡°¡­Asked about me?¡± Bai Youwei looked momentarily stunned, ¡°If anything happened to me, you all would be stuck in there.¡± Shen Mo gave her a light smile, pulling her into his arms, he said with a sigh of relief, ¡°It was indeed very dangerous this time. Thank God your spirit animal was an elephant, it turned the tide for us.¡± He didn¡¯t know about the flower seed, he assumed that Bai Youwei had eliminated Ye Chong by utilizing her level advantage. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t clarify and stayed silent in his arms, not objecting to his statement. ¡°Ya Chaohui¡¯s injuries are not as severe as Along¡¯s, but for some reason, his recovery is slow¡­¡± Shen Mo remarked thoughtfully, ¡°Also, his state of mind doesn¡¯t seem quite right.¡± Bai Youwei casually asked, ¡°Oh?¡­ How does it not seem right?¡± Hearing her words, Shen Mo lowered his gaze, his warm palm gently stroked her long hair, his voice was very soft, ¡°Actually¡­ I think, you also seem a bit different.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat, she closed her eyes and leaned further into his embrace, responding, ¡°Maybe I am just tired¡­¡± ¡°Then go back to the room and rest.¡± Shen Mo gently ruffled her hair, saying softly, ¡°Once the nurses come, I will go back and keep you company.¡± Bai Youwei hummed in agreement, obediently nodding her head, and turned towards the elevator area. After a few steps, she came back. ¡°By the way¡­ I ran into Fu Miaoxue earlier, she wants to borrow some of our people to enter the maze,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°She might also seek help from Yan Qingwen, probably for some form of information sharing about the maze. I think this method may work, anyway, we won¡¯t encounter her in the next battle.¡± Bai Youwei had passed Battle 10 and Battle 20. On the other hand, Fu Miaoxue had passed Battle 1 and Battle 5. So, in the next two battles, they would not be opponents to each other. Without an adversarial relationship, there was a possibility of cooperation. Shen Mo pondered for a moment and nodded at her, ¡°I will talk to them later.¡± Chapter 800 - Chapter 800: Chapter 800: Dont Want to Play Anymore Chapter 800: Chapter 800: Don¡¯t Want to Play Anymore After Bai Youwei left, Shen Mo took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit one for himself. A nurse came over and reminded him, ¡°Mr. Shen, you can¡¯t smoke here.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± Shen Mo pinched the cigarette and didn¡¯t immediately put it out. He looked around and asked, ¡°Is there a place nearby where I can smoke?¡± The nurse replied, ¡°Keep walking straight ahead, then turn right to go to the staircase.¡± Shen Mo nodded and walked forward with his cigarette. Between the staircase and the medical area, there was a heavy fire safety door. Upon opening it, a biting cold wind hit him in the face. Someone had opened the window in the staircase. Shen Mo saw Yan Qingwen leaning against the window, holding a cigarette between two fingers. He took a few puffs and, seeing him, pressed the burning cigarette butt onto the metal window sill. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± Shen Mo asked as he approached. Yan Qingwen slowly shook his head. He lit another cigarette, switched it to his other hand, and leisurely exhaled clouds of smoke, ¡°Let the wind blow a bit, it helps clear the head.¡± Shen Mo chuckled and walked to the window. The sky outside was a pale white tinged with a hint of blue-gray. The bare branches of the trees below shook as if they were shivering like people in the freezing, piercing wind. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã¦Ï Yan Qingwen glanced over with a smile and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t smoke often, do you?¡± ¡°Hmm, occasionally,¡± Shen Mo responded indifferently, ¡°Smoking is harmful to health.¡± At this, Yan Qingwen laughed. His gaze resting vacantly on the buildings outside the window, he said, ¡°Maybe I wouldn¡¯t be alive tomorrow, who would care about health then?¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is this game not going smoothly?¡± Yan Qingwen shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s a matter of life and death for a group of people, it¡¯s not about going smoothly, just about surviving by luck.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also true.¡± Shen Mo exhaled a puff of smoke and spoke calmly, ¡°Two more rounds to go, I wonder what the final battle will be like¡­¡± Yan Qingwen fell silent for a moment and then said, ¡°I might not see the final battle.¡± Shen Mo raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced over. ¡°In the next round, I¡¯m going to surrender,¡± Yan Qingwen flicked the ash and continued, ¡°You and Bai Youwei need to put in the effort, don¡¯t let us down.¡± Shen Mo was somewhat surprised and asked, ¡°Are you encountering any trouble?¡± ¡°No, not really,¡± Yan Qingwen said calmly, as if he had thought it through, ¡°I¡¯ve just changed my mind, I don¡¯t want to play anymore. The remaining two battles, one battle requires eight people, and the other twenty requires ten people, I don¡¯t have the confidence to lead these people safely out of the game.¡± He sighed with a laugh, his tone tinged with self-mockery, ¡°Although I¡¯d like to know the truth about this world, if someone dies because of it, honestly, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth it¡­¡± As he spoke, Yan Qingwen looked at the steel doll guarding him¡ªthis doll, which resembled Lun Ang, had become much older and bore numerous scratches, showing that it had saved Yan Qingwen more than once. After Lun Ang was gone, it took a long time for Yan Qingwen to recover. If something were to happen to other friends too, he wasn¡¯t sure how he would face it. Between the truth of the game and the lives of friends, if he had to choose, he would choose the latter. ¡°I heard you guys were seriously hurt this time, have you considered the worst-case scenario?¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Shen Mo and seriously suggested, ¡°If not, it¡¯s better to think about it now¡­ which people you can let go, and which you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I understand¡­¡± Shen Mo gazed into the distance and murmured lowly, ¡°But not trying would leave me feeling regretful.¡± Yan Qingwen took a deep drag of his cigarette, exhaling a light white smoke, and said softly, ¡°I feel the same, I want to win too.¡± But he couldn¡¯t¡­ He couldn¡¯t, just because he wanted to win, stake the lives of others. In this labyrinth war, how many people were pursuing the truth? And how many were helpless, being pushed forward? Chapter 801 - Chapter 801: Chapter 801: Mint Candy Chapter 801: Chapter 801: Mint Candy When Shen Mo came back, Bai Youwei was napping. He unconsciously lightened his footsteps, undid his coat, and slowly lay down beside her. The bed dipped on one side, Bai Youwei, sensing his presence, cuddled closer with eyes closed, and then frowned slightly, muttering, ¡°Smoking?¡± Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°I deliberately stayed outside a bit longer, you can still smell it on me?¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Bai Youwei got up, draped a blanket over herself, and started rummaging through the room. Shen Mo asked her, ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for the mint leaves I dried before¡­¡± Bai Youwei brought out a glass jar from a drawer with only two or three dried mint leaves left inside; she looked disappointed, ¡°Ah¡­ there¡¯s only a little bit left.¡± Shen Mo came over to put down the glass jar, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, don¡¯t catch a chill.¡± He carried Bai Youwei back into the bed and then stuffed something into her hand. Bai Youwei felt it, picked it up to look, and it was a mint candy. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh, squinting her eyes as she asked him, ¡°Where did this come from?¡± ¡°I ran into Yan Qingwen while I was smoking, he gave it to me.¡± Shen Mo took the candy from her hand, tearing the outer wrapping. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï Bai Youwei lifted her head, her lips puckering up, ¡°Give me half~¡± ¡°Not going to sleep anymore?¡± Shen Mo broke off half and she snatched it with her mouth, ¡°This thing is quite invigorating.¡± ¡°If someone is truly sleepy, not even thunder would wake them, what¡¯s a mint candy then~¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care, with the candy in her mouth and a grin, ¡°Why would Yan Qingwen have the habit of carrying candy around? Must be Zhu Shu who gave it to him, Zhu Shu likes these little things, tea, coffee, mint candies¡­ Oh right, what did you two talk about?¡± ¡°We talked about matters in the game.¡± Shen Mo, propped up on the bed, gently patted Bai Youwei¡¯s back while chatting with her, ¡°¡­Next battle, Yan Qingwen doesn¡¯t have enough citizens, so he probably will surrender.¡± ¡°Surrender?¡± Bai Youwei looked stunned, ¡°But if the King surrenders, he becomes a commoner, and the King¡¯s former commoners would switch over to become the others¡¯.¡± ¡°I guess he will demote Su Man and the others to commoners beforehand because he said he doesn¡¯t want to risk his companions anymore.¡± Shen Mo pinched Bai Youwei¡¯s cheek as he spoke, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same? You chose Battle 1 because you didn¡¯t want to drag everyone into it, right?¡± Bai Youwei pouted, her voice coquettishly soft, ¡°That¡¯s because I was afraid you guys would hold me back, okay? Injured and disabled, no telling when you¡¯ll be fully healed!¡± ¡°And what about me?¡± Shen Mo lifted her up a bit and asked with a smile, ¡°My King, I am not injured, may I join you in battle?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes twirled, teasingly, ¡°You say you¡¯re not injured and that¡¯s it? ~I, the King, must personally inspect!¡± ¡°How will you inspect?¡± Shen Mo asked with a smile. Bai Youwei¡¯s hand moved lower, poking at someone¡¯s abdominals, glaring at him with suggestion. Shen Mo stroked her head, saying, ¡°It seems you really don¡¯t want to sleep anymore.¡± ¡­ The next day, Chu Huaijin called a meeting, requesting the presence of the King and important subjects. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo arrived in the conference room only to discover Fu Miaoxue was up to her tricks again; she wanted to share information about the maze but didn¡¯t wish to owe anyone favors, so she used Chu Huaijin as a front. Chu Huaijin wouldn¡¯t refuse anything beneficial to the King¡¯s participation in battle. Moreover, everyone lived in the Headquarters Building; it¡¯s hard to say no when you are eating from someone else¡¯s hand, so naturally, they were willing to cooperate, as long as it did not affect their own interests. Now, all three Kings from the base had arrived. Fu Miaoxue had three subjects, Du Lai, Chen Hui, and Leonid. Yan Qingwen came with Zhu Shu, Su Man, and Lu Yuwen. Bai Youwei only had Shen Mo and Pan Xiaoxin by her side. Including Chu Huaijin, twelve people sat in the conference room. Chu Huaijin said, ¡°Thinking long-term, sharing maze information is very necessary and beneficial for everyone to varying degrees, so I arranged for us all to gather here today, sit down, and have a good talk. I¡¯m here to witness, and I hope that we can all¡­ speak freely.¡± Chapter 802 - Chapter 802: Chapter 802: Various Labyrinths Chapter 802: Chapter 802: Various Labyrinths Fu Miaoxue looked left and right, and seeing that no one else was speaking, she eagerly suggested, ¡°How about we start?¡± Yan Qingwen tapped her fingers gently on the table and calmly asked, ¡°How can we ensure that the person sharing information is telling the truth?¡± Lu Yuwen also raised a concern, ¡°In a situation where information is not equal, if someone provides false information in exchange for true intelligence, it will be hard for us to detect it.¡± Chu Huaijin explained, ¡°Previously, the base not only collected data on various games but also on mazes. Some players have escaped from mazes, and even though the exits were found by others, the descriptions of the maze clues provided by these people still have some reference value. So, if someone lies, I can compare the data here and should be able to discern it.¡± Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t think of people so darkly. I genuinely want to collaborate with everyone. Why would I intentionally provide false information? Let¡¯s quickly eliminate the mazes and then lead our citizens in to gain experience. How great would that be!¡± She gently nudged Du Lai, who was next to her, with her elbow. Du Lai said, ¡°The maze I entered before was Maze 9, set in a tropical rainforest. There were crocodile groups in the eastern river, and pythons in the western river. The method to clear it involved letting the two fight each other, finally obtaining an electronic key inside the python¡­¡± With Du Lai taking the lead, the conversation flowed much more smoothly. Yan Qingwen followed up, ¡°Maze 8, set in a desert. The method to clear it involved finding quicksand that flowed like a river, while also ensuring enough drinking water.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Maze 2, filled with many mirrors and multiple exits. The method to clear it was to ensure that you always remained within the range of the mirrors¡¯ reflections while exiting and to be cautious not to stare at the mirrors for too long or stand too close to them.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Maze 7, the environment resembled chunks of organs with the capability to heal infinitely. A certain type of small creature that existed in the maze could nibble away the flesh membrane of the maze. Additionally, there were creatures that interfered with the players like greedy snakes. It¡¯s important to note that wounds should not come into contact with that flesh or they would assimilate.¡± Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t help but rub her arms, ¡°Ew, that¡¯s disgusting.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í¨À¦Ï.§ã¦Ï Seeing Bai Youwei glaring coldly at her, she whispered in explanation, ¡°I mean the maze is disgusting, not your boyfriend¡­¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes and continued, ¡°Maze 3, set in a stone cave in the sea. Players would enter the cave on a dilapidated boat, and inside the cave were seven other caves. The method to clear it was to choose the correct entrance. The next cave entrance would always be the interval of its own number away from the last, for example, if you first enter Cave 3, the next entrance would be Cave 7, three caves away from Cave 3, and the next after that would be Cave 4, continuing until you return to the original Cave 3 entrance, forming a cycle to exit the maze.¡± Fu Miaoxue frowned, ¡°It sounds so complex; Maze 3 seems particularly difficult¡­¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Yan Qingwen also said, ¡°Looking at the sequence of the mazes, it seems the earlier the number, the more difficult it is.¡± ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t Maze 1 be the hardest?¡± Fu Miaoxue scanned the room, ¡°Has anyone been through Maze 1?¡± Everyone shook their heads. Lu Yuwen said, ¡°The maze I entered was Maze 6, set in a disordered ordinary city. Many arrows were placed within the scene. If you blindly followed these arrows, you would slowly turn into a doll. The method to clear it involved first drawing out a complete map, then using the arrows to move the sections of the city around, and when finally assembled correctly, the arrows would point to the real exit.¡± After Lu Yuwen spoke, everyone shared a few more maze details, some of which overlapped. After organizing everything, they realized if Maze 9 was the maze with the highest number, they were still missing information on Maze 1, 4, and 5. Bai Youwei solemnly concluded, ¡°If we happen to encounter the mazes that nobody has been to, like number 1, 4, and 5, then this meeting would have been all for nothing.¡± Chapter 803 - Chapter 803: Chapter 803: Number of People in the Maze Chapter 803: Chapter 803: Number of People in the Maze After Bai Youwei finished speaking, the conference room fell into a brief silence. Shen Mo pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Weiwei¡¯s words are not without reason. Before the start of the Maze War, I went through maze number 2 and number 7. After the war began, all the mazes were locked. When I entered the maze again, the one that unlocked was maze number 9. Now it seems that everyone¡¯s situation is like mine. After the Maze War, the mazes that we entered were not ones we had encountered before. Does this suggest that the system has an algorithm that can automatically determine which mazes we haven¡¯t passed and then make arrangements accordingly?¡± Lu Yuwen questioned, ¡°If the mazes we¡¯ve been through can¡¯t be re-entered, then isn¡¯t it possible that, if all of us are gathered, the maze we enter would likely be one of the ones none of us have been to¡ªeither maze number 1, 4, or 5? If we infer backwards, to avoid mazes 1, 4, or 5 would it be better to have fewer people enter the maze?¡± ¡ªSuppose Bai Youwei was the one to challenge the maze this time. Since she had been through mazes number 2, 3, and 7, the system should select a maze for her from among 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9. But if Bai Youwei took Shen Mo with her, the choices would narrow down to 1, 4, 5, 6, and 8. With Yan Qingwen added, the choices would further narrow to 1, 4, 5, and 6. Bringing Lu Yuwen along would limit the options to 1, 4, 5. The more people involved, the more likely they are to encounter a maze they know nothing about. Upon hearing this, Fu Miaoxue hesitated and glanced at Du Lai, tugging at his sleeve. ¡°Why do I feel like¡­ what they¡¯re saying makes a lot of sense?¡± Originally they came to poach people to increase their chances of winning, but after a thorough examination, they found that not poaching might be the best? After thinking it over, Du Lai said, ¡°Analyzing it this way, indeed, we shouldn¡¯t have too many people, but also not too few. For instance, in maze number 9 that we encountered before, we needed to make the crocodile and python meet by opening a sluice gate in the middle of the river. The gate was very sturdy, requiring at least four or five adults to force it open.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Maze number 7 is the same; we needed someone to distract the gluttonous snake while ensuring a small creature continuously damaged a meat membrane at a fixed location. With fewer than three people, it¡¯s nearly impossible to complete these tasks. Considering the casualty rate as well¡­ five people is the most suitable number.¡± Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Even though Su Man and I got through maze number 6, if we had had more companions, it might not have been so strenuous, and it was fortunate that Su Man is a good swimmer, or we wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã? Su Man is a good swimmer because she had eaten Mahi-Mahi given by the bear, but in this world, not everyone has eaten the fish like her. Bai Youwei thoughtfully said, ¡°Speaking of which¡­ the maze number 3 that I passed through, although once the method is mastered it could be passed by one person, without any clues, sacrifices are inevitable. At least encountering the Fish Monster twice is necessary to find the pattern¡­ so, the number of people who pass maze number 3 should be at least¡­ three?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s words were suggestive, and the conference room quieted down as everyone vaguely formed some thoughts. Chen Hui asked, ¡°Could the numbers of each maze be a hint at the minimum number of people required to pass?¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Then what about maze number 1? Should only one person go in? Is that the idea?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not consider maze number 1 for now; after all, these are just our guesses,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Just preparing for mazes number 4 and 5, it would be best to keep the number around five people.¡± She paused for a while and then spoke in a low voice, ¡°Some mazes require deaths to discover the patterns. If we consider the casualty rate, perhaps we could increase the number by a few more.¡± There was silence. Chu Huaijin¡¯s expression was somber as well. It was a harsh reality¡ªin the absence of any clues, it was often only after someone died that the survivors could find leads from the incident. Chapter 804 - Chapter 804: Chapter 804: All Must Surrender Chapter 804: Chapter 804: All Must Surrender At the conference table, Fu Miaoxue curled her lips. ¡°If you put it that way¡­ it¡¯s obvious that whoever enters the labyrinth with us is just going to get killed. Who would be willing to go?¡± Du Lai looked at everyone and tentatively asked, ¡°But if we don¡¯t enter the labyrinth and go straight to the third battle, what are our chances of winning?¡± Yan Qingwen leaned back, his posture relaxed against the back of his chair, and said, ¡°I will surrender in the third battle. It doesn¡¯t matter what the chances are. If my citizens want to enter the labyrinth, I won¡¯t interfere.¡± Chu Huaijin was stunned, looking at Yan Qingwen perplexedly, ¡°You¡¯re going to surrender?¡± Yan Qingwen nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to surrender.¡± Chu Huaijin¡¯s face showed confusion and regret. ¡°After so much effort to win two battles, just two more battles to go, and we would have entered the final competition¡­ Is it because you don¡¯t have enough people? The base can provide you with manpower! And we can find you the props, just say the word¡­¡± To Chu Huaijin, one more king meant one more chance at victory; naturally, he preferred having as many kings as possible. Zhu Shu stood up, cutting off Chu Huaijin, ¡°I told him to surrender.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± Chu Huaijin furrowed his brow, a bit displeased, ¡°The base has exhausted its resources to help you. Suddenly announcing a surrender, there must be some reason, right? If Yan Qingwen drops out, then we¡¯re left with¡­ just Miss Bai and Miss Fu, two ladies competing for the final battle.¡± Chu Huaijin was deeply worried as he asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°Have you really thought this through?¡± Just as Yan Qingwen was about to explain, Zhu Shu stopped him again. ¡°Let me explain,¡± Zhu Shu said calmly. ¡°Brother Yan decided to quit the fight for our sake. Although citizens who are eliminated in the game just become commoners, as the difficulty of the game increases, so does the mortality rate. No one can guarantee their citizens¡¯ safety. So¡­ rather than carrying such a psychological burden, it¡¯s better to give up and give others the chance.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï The last sentence was harsh, highlighting that Yan Qingwen was carrying a ¡°psychological burden.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Zhu Shu, smiling helplessly. Zhu Shu didn¡¯t look at him and continued, ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t want him to continue either because the number of puzzle pieces we have is very limited. After the preliminary contest, Brother Yan and our pieces together amounted to 20. We used 2 to claim territory, won 10 in the first battle, and 5 in the second battle, totaling only 33 pieces. Out of these 33 puzzle pieces, 16 are needed to recruit citizens, leaving us with 7 after setting aside 10 as collateral for the battle¡­¡± Zhu Shu pursed her lips, looking straight at Chu Huaijin, ¡°If we lose the third battle, Brother Yan would die, because he doesn¡¯t have enough puzzle pieces to participate in battle 20. But if it¡¯s another king¡­ if it¡¯s Weiwei, even if she loses both the third and fourth battles! As long as she¡¯s alive, she can participate in the final battle!¡± Chu Huaijin was silent for a while before holding on to his last hope, he asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Can puzzle pieces be transferred?¡± Bai Youwei had the most puzzle pieces of anyone. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Bai Youwei lifted her wrist. ¡°Even if I gave him the pieces, the number shown on the wristwatch wouldn¡¯t change.¡± Fu Miaoxue glanced over and saw the number of puzzle pieces displayed on Bai Youwei¡¯s wristwatch: 94. ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± she exclaimed, gaping, ¡°So many puzzle pieces! Where did they come from?!¡± Fu Miaoxue knew Bai Youwei had a lot of puzzle pieces, but not this many! Almost into triple digits! Bai Youwei nonchalantly dropped her wrist and asked Fu Miaoxue, ¡°What about you? If you lose the third battle, do you have enough puzzle pieces left to save your life?¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes darted about cleverly, and with a charming smile, she said, ¡°How many puzzle pieces I have left doesn¡¯t really matter, because, perhaps¡­ I might also surrender.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Chu Huaijin finally couldn¡¯t stay seated and stood up abruptly! Chapter 805 - Chapter 805: Chapter 805: Actively Preparing for War Chapter 805: Chapter 805: Actively Preparing for War ¡°Why surrender?¡± Chu Huaijin simply couldn¡¯t understand and asked her anxiously, ¡°Haven¡¯t you been actively preparing for battle in the labyrinth to get ready for the next fight?!¡± Fu Miaoxue replied nonchalantly, ¡°Preparing for battle in the labyrinth is for the sake of entering it, duh~ If it weren¡¯t for the chance to enter the labyrinth, why would I bother being this thankless King, huh~¡± Bai Youwei remembered that the first time she met Fu Miaoxue, Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai were outside the labyrinth. These two had always wanted to enter the labyrinth, but after the war for the labyrinth began, all the labyrinths were locked. The only way to unlock them was to gradually proceed through the battle games. Indeed, Fu Miaoxue had always done as she pleased and never had a strong desire to win or lose. Chu Huaijin was extremely disappointed and turned his wistful gaze to Bai Youwei, asking hesitantly, ¡°¡­What about you, Miss Bai, what¡¯s your take?¡± Bai Youwei felt a strange urge to laugh, ¡°Me? I don¡¯t think I need to surrender.¡± Chu Huaijin¡¯s expression lightened at her words but was still bitter and heavy, as though he was experiencing the heart-wrenching anguish of a looming defeat of his country. Clearly, having two out of the three Kings considering surrender was a major blow to Chu Huaijin. The meeting ended inconclusively, without any decision or plan being formulated. Everyone left the meeting room with different thoughts. The next day, when Bai Youwei went to the medical area to visit Asarina, Asarina, with her somewhat broken English, pleaded with Bai Youwei to demote Along to a commoner. She had only two close companions and had already lost one. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose another. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï At the start of the war, everyone was full of ambition and fervor. But once they truly experienced the war and saw people around them get hurt, die, and disappear, ties and bonds began to weigh them down, leading to withdrawal, surrender, and hesitation. Sometimes, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but wonder, at this point, what was it that drove those Kings who could still forge ahead? Was it the same for them? Were they also becoming gradually addicted to the game¡­ Bai Youwei did not comply with Asarina¡¯s request. She promised Asarina that she wouldn¡¯t take Along into battle again, but she would keep him as a subject. That way, if she really won in the end, Along could share in the fruits of victory. After all, she had plenty of puzzle pieces. A few days later, Tan Xiao was discharged from the hospital. His injuries had mostly healed, and his body recovered at a remarkably fast pace, a stark contrast to others who were still undergoing treatment. Perhaps the difference between entering the labyrinth three times and two times was minimal, but even such a small gap could make a crucial difference at a life-and-death moment. As a result, improving physical recovery abilities became urgent. The trip to the labyrinth needed to be scheduled soon. In the time following, Bai Youwei began to ponder her team selection. She believed that the safest number of people was seven ¨C even if two or three were lost, there would still be enough left to get through difficult parts of the labyrinth¡¯s design. Tan Xiao likely couldn¡¯t go this time, as he was still caught up in the Hu Dashan matter. Shen Mo was definitely going. Asarina needed to improve her Physical Ability, so she would be brought along as well. Pan Xiaoxin has always been the weak link in terms of physical strength due to his age, but Bai Youwei was unsure about taking him; after all, he was just a child, and the labyrinth presented unknown dangers. Bai Youwei was hesitant to make a decision; then, Fu Miaoxue personally brought her own subjects before her¡ª Du Lai, Chen Hui, and Leonid. Bai Youwei glanced at their packed luggage and asked Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯ve been waiting here all along?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re at a loss~¡± Fu Miaoxue said to her earnestly, ¡°You take my people into the labyrinth first, and once you¡¯re out, I¡¯ll lead your people in. It¡¯s a win-win~¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°I can¡¯t promise they¡¯ll come out alive.¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed softly and responded, ¡°You¡¯ll bring them out alive.¡± Chapter 806 - Chapter 806: Chapter 806 More Clearly Chapter 806: Chapter 806 More Clearly Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°You trust me that much?¡± Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°It¡¯s because you have life-saving artifacts with you. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know~ Last time inside the Bone Transporter Maze, you suddenly called so many helpers. Where were they hiding before? You must have an artifact that can conceal people! And the space inside the artifact must be large, large enough to hide several people, right? And, they came out in their pajamas, which means that the artifact space must be livable!¡± Fu Miaoxue lifted her chin, crossed her arms over her chest, and looked down at Bai Youwei with pride, ¡°You can¡¯t hide it from me.¡± Bai Youwei smiled faintly and sized her up, ¡°Everyone else is fine, but you¡¯re willing to let Du Lai go with me? Let me make it clear upfront, even if we have the artifact, we might not have time to use it. Anything could happen in the labyrinth. If something happens to Du Lai, you better not come crying to me.¡± Fu Miaoxue thought for a moment, her voice unusually cold, ¡°Even if something happens to him, he owes me that. If it weren¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this.¡± ¡°Such a vengeful heart~¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°If Du Lai heard you say this, I wonder what he would think¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue fell silent for a moment, then suddenly lifted the black veil on her head, revealing her delicate doll-like face. Her glassy eyes stared steadily at Bai Youwei as she said, ¡°Although I really dislike you, I¡¯ve always thought that you should understand my feelings better than those people.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her, saying nothing. Fu Miaoxue lowered her veil and walked away. ¡­ With 20 days left until the third battle, Bai Youwei was preparing to lead her team into the labyrinth. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï The weather was cold, and a layer of blurred steam covered the glass windows of the meeting room. A light wipe with a finger left a shiny trace. After a moment, fine droplets of moisture began to condense again over the trace. Bai Youwei stood in front of the window, idly tracing shapes on the glass to pass the time. The people in the room gradually gathered. At the door, Fu Miaoxue was hugging Du Lai¡¯s arm, sweetly cooing, ¡°After we enter the labyrinth, you must think of me. If you don¡¯t miss me, you¡¯re not allowed to go~¡± Du Lai wrapped his arms around her waist, repeatedly nodding his head, ¡°Of course I¡¯ll miss you. You also have to think of me. Once I improve my Physical Ability, we¡¯ll be able to go to the labyrinth ourselves.¡± ¡°Wuwuwu¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue buried her face in his chest, ¡°Du Lai, you¡¯re doing all this for me. I love you~¡± Du Lai: ¡°I love you too¡­¡± Chen Hui felt a bit awkward on the side. Leonid was chattering away in a string of incomprehensible Russian, gesturing with his hands, pulling Chen Hui into a corner as if to tell her: ¡°Not suitable for children, look away.¡± Meanwhile, Bai Youwei watched them for a while and, seemingly inspired, approached Shen Mo and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything you want to say to me?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei hugged him, also cooing, ¡°Do you love me? Do you love me?~¡± Shen Mo felt his face warm, looking around¡­ He wasn¡¯t the type to express his feelings openly in public. But Bai Youwei was persistently clingy, incessantly cuddly. In his exasperation, Shen Mo grasped her waist, spun her around, and pressed her against the wall, whispering in her ear, ¡°Teasing me again, huh?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s ears felt hot, and she pursed her lips, asking softly, ¡°Well, won¡¯t you tell me~ do you love me or not?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Shen Mo whispered, biting her earlobe. Bai Youwei was satisfied, snuggling up to him and drawing a heart on the glass window with his finger. Shen Mo watched the heart form, a smile creeping across his face, his cold finger tapped her nose as he sighed, ¡°We¡¯re about to enter the labyrinth, and you¡¯re not the least bit nervous.¡± Bai Youwei giggled, ¡°Love has blinded my senses~¡± Shen Mo had no answer for her, just watching her with a smile. ¡­ Chapter 807 - Chapter 807: Chapter 807: Twelve Locks Chapter 807: Chapter 807: Twelve Locks A party of six entered the maze. As Bai Youwei had envisioned, enhancing physical abilities should, of course, benefit everyone¡ªthe more, the better. Ideally, Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, and Teacher Cheng should have joined in. But considering the dangers, they could only be left in the dollhouse, waiting for her to get a clear grasp of the maze¡¯s situation before deciding whether to let them participate. Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Asarina, Du Lai, Chen Hui, and Leonid, together walked through the maze door opened by the Inspector¡ª At first, it was just like entering any other maze, blanketed in white nothingness. The people beside her had all disappeared. As she continued inward, the white fog grew darker until it turned pitch-black. She felt the wet and slimy stone walls on either side, as if they were layered with moss that had never seen the light of day. This touch made Bai Youwei quite uncomfortable. She retracted her hand, took out a flashlight from her backpack, and shone it around. Perhaps it was the environment that was too gloomy and oppressive, but the flashlight¡¯s beam still looked sinister in the corridor, failing to bring any sense of brightness or warmth. At the end of the corridor stood a wooden door, rotten and ancient, with its edges wrapped in rusty iron sheets and without a bolt in place. Bai Youwei pushed firmly, and it opened. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã¦Ï This heavy door made no sound as it swung open. She stepped inside; the room, roughly two hundred square meters, had four doors set into each of the walls. There were no windows, only a rectangular pillar standing from the floor to the ceiling in the center. Small oil lamps, no bigger than beans, burned at each corner of the pillar, barely illuminating it. One by one, Bai Youwei¡¯s companions started to appear in this stone chamber. They did not enter through doors but emerged from the shadows around the stone chamber, then each observed the environment. ¡ªOther than a single pillar, there was nothing. Despite there being doors on each side, everyone was too wary to open them. No one knew what might lie beyond. They eventually gathered in front of the stone pillar. On one side of the pillar was an iron door with locks, and the other three sides were covered with murals. The murals appeared to be the clues for this maze. They carefully examined each one with their flashlights. The first mural depicted a Minotaur, chasing a group of tiny people, who were so abstract in their drawing that they only came up to the Minotaur¡¯s knees. The second mural showed the Minotaur feasting. Its huge claw grabbed a tiny person, biting them in half at the waist as the remains lay scattered at its feet while other tiny people huddled together, seemingly in utter terror. In the third mural, the Minotaur lay on the ground while a slightly taller person plunged a sword into its chest, with several tiny people dancing around them. Turning to the fourth side of the pillar, there were no murals, just an iron door secured with exactly twelve locks. Bai Youwei stretched out her hand and, from top to bottom, gently ran her fingers over the metal locks¡ªthe texture was cold, hard, heavy. ¡°It seems that something of utmost importance must be behind this door,¡± said Du Lai, looking at the others, ¡°Should I give it a try?¡± Being a professional of a particular sort, Du Lai was an expert at picking locks. Bai Youwei nodded in response, and everyone backed away to give Du Lai space to work. Du Lai took out a piece of wire, without much effort bent it to the curvature he wanted, and then inserted it into the keyhole. His ear pressed close, he listened for the tiny sounds made by the wire colliding with the interior of the lock, trying to determine its internal structure. He frowned as he tried for a while, then straightened up and shook his head at everyone, ¡°No use, I can¡¯t hear anything.¡± After pondering for a moment, Bai Youwei looked up at Shen Mo, ¡°You try as well, both the lock and the door.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s paper figurine was incredibly sharp, said to pierce through anything. But this time it was also utterly ineffectual. The knife-shaped paper doll hacked away at the lock without so much as a spark, and the iron door remained impenetrable. Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°It seems¡­ unless we find all twelve keys, this door cannot be opened.¡± Chapter 808 - Chapter 808: Chapter 808: Minos Maze Chapter 808: Chapter 808: Minos Maze After passing by the Mermaid Monster in the maze, Asarina was still haunted, saying, ¡°Although we can¡¯t open the door, at least the mission is clear now, which is much better than the last time when we had no idea what to do.¡± Last time they truly had no clues, faced with seven identical caves, they could only guess blindly. But this time, at least they knew they needed to find twelve keys. Chen Hui walked over to a wall with murals, pondering, ¡°Could the murals be clues to the locations of the keys?¡± There were no keys shown in the murals. Only the Minotaur, dwarves, wreckage, swords, and a slightly taller person. Bai Youwei looked at the murals, puzzled and said, ¡°This seems familiar¡­ I recall a Greek myth with such a Minotaur?¡± ¡°Minotaur, the half-man, half-bull creature,¡± Chen Hui knew the myth. ¡°King Minos¡¯s wife gave birth to a monster with the body of a human and the head of a bull, so he built a maze for it and sent boys and girls into the maze every few years until a hero named Theseus killed the Minotaur.¡± Leonid furrowed his brows and glanced at the third mural, unable to appreciate these abstract lines. Asarina asked, ¡°The last mural, with the person standing on the Minotaur, could that be Theseus? Does it mean that we have to kill the Minotaur to leave this maze?¡± Chen Hui said, ¡°According to the myth, Theseus used a ball of thread to solve the maze, then killed the Minotaur with a Magic Sword.¡± After pausing for a few seconds, she added, ¡°The legends don¡¯t mention these locks.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a backdrop; not every detail has to match the myth,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°I played a game called ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny,¡¯ themed after ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny,¡¯ but the actual plot was far different from the story of ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny.''¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã? She then looked back at the murals, thoughtfully saying, ¡°However¡­ the murals didn¡¯t appear here for no reason. Whether Theseus is in the maze or not, the Minotaur might be, so everyone be careful.¡± Everyone drew their weapons, watchfully scanning the surroundings as if ghosts and monsters could appear from the dark corners at any moment. The stone chamber was thoroughly searched, and besides the mural, the door, the locks, and the four dim lanterns, there was nothing else. There were four unlocked doors in four directions on the stone walls. Now, other than opening doors, they seemed to have no other options. Everyone looked to Bai Youwei, who had to choose which door to open. ¡°The initial clues are not clear; let¡¯s try our luck,¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Who has the best luck?¡± They glanced at each other. After a while, Du Lai stepped forward, ¡°Shall I try?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Choose one.¡± Du Lai picked the door corresponding to the direction of the third mural. The door was heavy, but when pushed open, it made no sound, and nothing could be seen inside due to the darkness. Everyone didn¡¯t rush in but stood cautiously at the entrance, shining flashlights inside. Inside was an empty stone chamber with bare stone floors and stone walls, and the walls had identical iron doors. Bai Youwei frowned, walked in, swept the flashlight around to ensure the stone chamber was empty, then said to Du Lai, ¡°Choose another door.¡± Du Lai picked a door in the same direction. This time, when the door was opened, another stone chamber appeared identical to the one they were currently in, dark and empty. A bad feeling rose in Bai Youwei¡¯s heart; last time in maze number 3, she also got trapped in endlessly repeating caves. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the previous room,¡± she said with knitted brows, ¡°Something¡¯s not right about this place.¡± Chapter 809 - Chapter 809: Chapter 809: The Duplicate Chapter 809: Chapter 809: The Duplicate A group of people retreated, retreating back into the Stone Chamber they had just left. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Keep going back.¡± Asarina replied, ¡°If we go back further, we¡¯ll arrive at the mural.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They continued on their way back, but this time, they did not see the mural, the iron door, the 12 locks, the pillars¡ªnothing. There was only an empty Stone Chamber. Everyone realized something was off. They had returned the way they had come, but the place they returned to was not where they had started. Had they been confused about the direction, or was there some trick to the Stone Chamber¡¯s interior? Du Lai held a flashlight, closely inspecting each stone brick and lightly tapping on them, testing for potential traps. Shen Mo leaned his head against the stone wall, frowning as he listened for a while, then gestured for Du Lai to stop, ¡°There seems to be something nearby.¡± Everyone quieted down, pressing against the wall, listening intently. It was the sound of a beast¡¯s heavy breathing¡­ huff, huff, very coarse and deep, accompanied by heavy footsteps, one after another, passing along the cold stone wall¡­ For a moment, the image of a towering Minotaur materialized in everyone¡¯s mind. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.§ã¦Ï ¡°There was no sound before,¡± Du Lai said, looking at Bai Youwei. ¡°Could it be¡­ this creature is looking for us?¡± Their nerves instantly tensed. When they first entered the labyrinth, they had stayed in the room with the mural for a long time and had carefully listened to the noises coming from the four doors without hearing any sound. Now, the emergence of noises, did that mean the creature was drawing closer to them? Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°In myths and legends, Minotaurs would devour humans offered as sacrifices. Perhaps while we search for the key, the Minotaur is also searching for us. We should try to avoid it as much as possible.¡± She looked again at the door they had retreated through, ¡°However, what¡¯s more important now is to figure out our direction.¡± If they couldn¡¯t determine their direction, they might keep going in circles in this place. Shen Mo took out a compass, checking it¡ªif the compass wasn¡¯t malfunctioning, the door they had exited from, which was the direction indicated by the third mural, was to the east. ¡°Should we change our direction?¡± Du Lai asked. The two Stone Chambers to the east had been exactly the same, which likely meant they would lead nowhere. Bai Youwei looked at Shen Mo and said, ¡°Try to make a mark on the wall.¡± Shen Mo nodded, unraveled the paper doll on his wrist into a dagger, and carved a ¡°Z¡± on the wall at one spot. Afterward, they opened the door to the south, which led to another empty Stone Chamber. Bai Youwei pulled out two spent batteries from her bag, stood them up in the middle of the Stone Chamber, and then once again asked everyone to return to the previous room. The breathing sounds became more distinct, as if they were very close now, and they didn¡¯t need to press their ears against the wall to hear them clearly. The breaths were mixed with a low growl, huff¡­ huff¡­ The footsteps were anxious and heavy, thump¡­ thump¡­ Chen Hui couldn¡¯t help but edge closer to Leonid, her face tense as she stared at the northern door, murmuring, ¡°It seems¡­ it¡¯s getting closer¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo, ¡°Is the mark still there?¡± Shen Mo shook his head, his expression serious, ¡°The mark is gone.¡± Du Lai carefully observed each door¡¯s texture, ¡°These Stone Chambers are all exactly the same, there¡¯s no difference to tell them apart, it¡¯s like¡­ they¡¯re copies.¡± Asarina, wielding a knife, listened for a moment to the noise from the northern door, then asked Bai Youwei, ¡°That thing is very close to us, should we leave here first?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s still take the southern door,¡± said Bai Youwei. The six people entered the door to the south, and outside was still a Stone Chamber. Bai Youwei went first to the middle of the Stone Chamber and found that the two batteries she had placed there¡ªjust like Shen Mo¡¯s mark¡ªwere gone. Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°This is getting troublesome¡­¡± Chapter 810 - Chapter 810: Chapter 810: The Changes in the Stone Chamber Chapter 810: Chapter 810: The Changes in the Stone Chamber Every Stone Chamber had four doors, and Bai Youwei had walked through several rooms, all exactly alike. Even if someone tried to make a mark, it couldn¡¯t change the fact that the Stone Chambers seemed like ¡°clones¡± of each other. Continuing like this, there was no way to determine whether the Stone Chamber she entered was a new one she had never entered before or an old one she had already been through. Bai Youwei squatted in the middle of the Stone Chamber and reached out to touch the spot where the waste batteries had just been placed; the hard stone brick gave no indication of any mechanism. So, where had the batteries gone? And why had the ¡°Z¡± inscribed by Shen Mo disappeared? ¡°Listen¡­¡± Asarina pressed her ear against the north door, ¡°There are no sounds anymore.¡± The previously approaching sounds of panting and footsteps had vanished completely as they entered this Stone Chamber. Why was there such a big difference after just walking into another room? As Bai Youwei pondered, she slowly said, ¡°There are two possibilities right now¡­ The first possibility is that these Stone Chambers only appear to be connected, but in reality, they are in different spaces, like a Teleportation Array, so we can¡¯t go back to the original room. The second possibility is that once the doors of the Stone Chamber close, the state of the Chamber will reset. No matter what changes we make, it will revert to its original state.¡± Bai Youwei felt somewhat irritated; this was the type of maze she hated the most: going in endless circles. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï If time permitted, it wouldn¡¯t matter to keep going in circles, but there was a monster that could approach at any moment within the maze. ¡°How about¡­ we try not closing the door?¡± Asarina suggested hesitantly. ¡°I can hold the door and prevent it from closing, you all go in first, then we¡¯ll see what changes might happen in the Stone Chamber.¡± ¡°Could there be danger?¡± Chen Hui was worried. ¡°What if it¡¯s the first case, and the Stone Chamber teleports us, and we all are transported away, leaving only you behind? What then?¡± Being left alone in the maze was obviously very dangerous. After thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei said, ¡°Chen Hui is right¡ªletting you hold the door is dangerous. I¡¯ll use a stone block to try.¡± A stone block? Everyone looked at each other in confusion. There was nothing in the Stone Chamber¡ªwhere would they find a stone block? Only Shen Mo and Asarina knew what Bai Youwei meant. She took off the golden key from around her neck, opened the dollhouse, and saw Du Lai, Chen Hui, and Leonid staring at her. She explained, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, this is my prop.¡± Then she shouted towards the dollhouse, ¡°Xiaoxin! Help me bring a large stone block over!¡± The dollhouse was built on top of a mountain, where stones were in abundance. Pan Xiaoxin immediately went down the mountain to pry a large one loose. Together with Teacher Chang, they labored to carry it out, a hefty mountain rock still damp with moist soil at the bottom. ¡°Sister Weiwei, is this maze difficult?¡± Pan Xiaoxin looked around, seeing the dim and gloomy atmosphere of the Stone Chamber, and couldn¡¯t help but rub his arms. Teacher Chang also felt uncomfortable. ¡°The chill is so strong, I¡¯ll make you some ginger soup¡­ Will you come back for lunch?¡± Teacher Chang meant well, but his words really broke the immersion. Their expressions complex, it felt as if they had suddenly moved from the set of a horror film to that of a domestic drama. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Tan Xiao?¡± ¡°Asleep on the second floor,¡± Pan Xiaoxin replied helplessly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t talk much, doesn¡¯t really pay attention to people, and he didn¡¯t even have breakfast when called.¡± Bai Youwei frowned. ¡°Never mind him. You guys go back, I¡¯ll call you if there¡¯s something.¡± Pan Xiaoxin and Chang Weicai left as told, Bai Youwei closed the door to the dollhouse, retracted the key, and when she looked up again, she found everyone staring at her dumbfounded. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Bai Youwei touched her face, puzzled. ¡°Carrying the stone block, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Such a rare prop¡­¡± Leonid muttered, walking over and lifting the large stone block, asking, ¡°Which door?¡± Bai Youwei pointed towards one of the doors, which still faced south. Shen Mo pushed open the south door, shone a flashlight inside, and looked back at them with a slight nod, ¡°Safe, it¡¯s the same room as before.¡± Now, they were about to test what would happen to the previous Stone Chamber once they entered another one. Chapter 811 - Chapter 811: Chapter 811: Meeting Someone Chapter 811: Chapter 811: Meeting Someone Leonid placed the rock between two Stone Chambers. The boulder leaned against the door, half in the front chamber, and half in the rear chamber. Aside from this rock, Bai Youwei had purposely sprinkled a puddle of water on the floor just to see if there would be any change in the condition of the Stone Chambers. Everyone stepped over the rock and entered the new chamber. The rock silently stayed on the tiles, with no changes at all. Bai Youwei shone her flashlight on the puddle of water she had sprinkled earlier¡ªthe water stain was still there. After waiting another seven or eight seconds, the water stain suddenly disappeared! Bai Youwei was startled and immediately looked at the rock! Only half of the rock was left! The portion that was on the other end had disappeared! It looked as if it had been neatly sliced in half; now, only half of the rock leaned against the door! Asarina couldn¡¯t help but gasp, ¡°If the rock wasn¡¯t there but instead it was me, would I not¡­¡± The rest of the group also looked uneasy. If every Stone Chamber was like this, how would they find the keys? How could they find the way out? Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï Bai Youwei remained calm as usual and analyzed in an even tone, ¡°If every room has a teleport function, there must be a fixed teleportation point, or a set of rules for teleportation; otherwise, no one could leave the maze. If it¡¯s not teleportation but a reset state, there must be a way to prevent the chambers from resetting, otherwise all rooms being the same, it¡¯s impossible to exit the maze.¡± ¡°Do you mean we missed some clues?¡± Shen Mo asked. ¡°Maybe,¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°The maze wouldn¡¯t leave the players with no way out~¡± Du Lai said upon hearing this, ¡°But, we¡¯ve already checked that chamber with the mural repeatedly; we shouldn¡¯t have missed any clues¡­ If we could go back there, maybe there¡¯s something we didn¡¯t notice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late to think about going back now,¡± Bai Youwei sighed deeply, ¡°No wonder the maze exposed the critical point to us from the beginning. It knew we couldn¡¯t go back. Even if we gathered all 12 keys, it would be futile without returning to the starting point.¡± After this speech, everyone couldn¡¯t help feeling discouraged. It seemed they could only wander around aimlessly like headless flies, which was really disheartening. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°We¡¯ll keep heading south and see if we can reach the end.¡± Chen Hui murmured softly, ¡°If these are endless rooms, that would be really awful¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be endless,¡± Bai Youwei turned to her with a smile, ¡°If rooms were infinite, the Minotaur would never be able to catch the players.¡± Therefore, the number of Stone Chambers must be limited. The group¡¯s spirits were lifted, and they again opened the door to the south¡ª This time, as soon as the door opened, terrified screams came from inside! ¡°Ah ah ah ah ah ah!¡­¡± ¡°Help!!!¡± ¡°The Minotaur! The Minotaur is coming!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s here! The Minotaur is going to eat us!!!¡± The screaming was hysterical, frantic, and human in nature. Shen Mo shone his flashlight on them, and these people finally shut up, using only their pair of dry, murky eyes to watch fearfully from behind the light, looking at Bai Youwei and her group. Bai Youwei also examined them. Here were three men, huddled in the corner, gaunt and disheveled, their hair and beards looked like they hadn¡¯t been tended for months, their clothes stained with spots of black and red, as if they were blood that had clotted long ago. Their appearances were pitiful, barely human-looking, their eyes dull and fixed on the flashlight¡¯s beam. Chen Hui, somewhat scared, asked Bai Youwei softly, ¡°Are they NPCs?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t quite seem like it,¡± Bai Youwei replied with a frown, ¡°Also, we¡¯ve never encountered NPCs in the maze before.¡± Finally, the three men came to their senses, one of them scrambling and rolling over to Bai Youwei, hurriedly explaining, ¡°We¡¯re people! We¡¯re human! We¡¯re not NPCs! We can help you get out!¡± As they spoke, they lifted the three keys they had, ¡°We just need to collect all 12 keys! Then we can escape!¡± Chapter 812 - Chapter 812: Chapter 812 Dirty Things Chapter 812: Chapter 812 Dirty Things Those three keys had been clutched in their hands for who knows how long, covered with dried bloodstains, dust, and perhaps even sweat. Even without touching them, Bai Youwei could make out the stickiness, the filth. Shen Mo, Leonid, and Du Lai, the three men, stood in front of Bai Youwei to prevent these people with unclear identities from getting any closer. The person holding the keys visibly shrank back, slowly retreating while he said in a low voice, ¡°We truly are humans¡­ We bear no malice¡­ If only you are willing to lead us out, these keys¡­ can all be yours¡­¡± His tone was cautious, filled with humble pleading, as if he was extremely fearful of Shen Mo and the others¡¯ might, yet unwilling to let go of a potential lifeline. Shen Mo held a flashlight and shone it around¡ªthe stone chamber only contained the three emaciated men in front of them, with no other people or things in sight. Doubt clouded his mind, and he looked at these people again, asking, ¡°How long have you been trapped here?¡± ¡°We¡­ we can¡¯t remember,¡± the man with the keys replied. ¡°Our flashlights ran out of battery a long time ago, there¡¯s no light here, we can¡¯t tell time¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed, his gaze sweeping over their hair, ¡°If you guys used to have short hair, judging by the length of your hair now, you¡¯ve been trapped here for at least three months.¡± Three months ago, the labyrinth war had not yet started, and the labyrinth wasn¡¯t locked, so it was very possible for ordinary people to be trapped in a labyrinth. Unable to help herself, Chen Hui asked, ¡°For such a long time, what have you been eating? What have you been drinking? There¡¯s nothing here, not even¡­¡± She stopped, not finishing her thought. What she wanted to say was that there wasn¡¯t even a used piece of toilet paper here; if they managed their eating, drinking, and waste for months, how could there be no trace? Unless they were robots or NPCs with no physiological needs! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï Thinking this, Chen Hui¡¯s look toward these men became more skeptical; she didn¡¯t believe living people could survive this long in a labyrinth. At that moment, another man moved, taking off a leather bag from his waist and muttering an explanation, ¡°We have this prop¡­ It can produce an endless supply of bread and spring water.¡± After saying this, he demonstrated it for them. He untied the cord at the mouth of the leather bag, then pulled out a long loaf of bread and a bottle of spring water. ¡°I beg you¡­ please lead us out¡­¡± the man crawled on the ground, shivering, whether from cold or hunger, ¡°As long as we can get out, this bread¡­ no, you can take this leather bag! As long as we can leave this place, we¡¯ll give you anything!¡­¡± Everyone looked at each other, all feeling it was unbelievable. They had been inside labyrinths before but had never encountered survivors who could hold on for so long. Moreover, with this labyrinth being dark and airtight, even if they had ample food, enduring for such a long time in the darkness¡­ was unimaginable. The man placed the leather bag on the ground, bowed his head, and slowly pushed it toward their feet. Leonid picked it up, his expression subtly changing, and handed it to Bai Youwei, ¡°It is indeed a prop.¡± Bai Youwei took it, and the moment she touched the leather bag, information about the prop flashed through her mind. [Mountain Spirit¡¯s Magic Bag: A bag under a curse that contains endless bread and unending spring water. However, should the bag be damaged, the curse will immediately dissipate.] The prop was real. Bai Youwei chose to believe a third of what these people said. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°After you drink the water, how do you deal with the empty bottles?¡± The man kneeling on the ground replied, ¡°We use them¡­ to hold urine. When they¡¯re full, we just¡­ toss them into the room next door.¡± No wonder the place was clean and didn¡¯t look like it had been lived in for three months. They had disposed of all their waste. Chapter 813 - Chapter 813: Chapter 813: Summing Up Experience Chapter 813: Chapter 813: Summing Up Experience Bai Youwei looked around and asked the man, ¡°Which room did you throw it in?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve tried all of them¡­¡± the man answered honestly. ¡°Any of the four rooms, it¡¯s all the same. Anything unclaimed that¡¯s thrown in disappears automatically.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s brows knitted together as she asked, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®unclaimed objects¡¯?¡± The man explained, ¡°Anything that¡¯s left behind by a person, or any marks made by a person, will be considered ¡®unclaimed¡¯ by the room after the person leaves, and then¡­ erased¡­¡± Everyone exchanged glances once more. This was exactly what they had experienced in the Stone Chamber. It turned out the markings Shen Mo made and the batteries Bai Youwei left were determined to be ¡®unclaimed objects¡¯ by the Stone Chamber, so they disappeared¡­ Bai Youwei reassessed the three men before her. ¡°It seems¡­ you know quite a bit about the maze. Let¡¯s hear it. If it¡¯s valuable information, we might consider taking you with us.¡± The man couldn¡¯t wait to speak, ¡°We¡¯ll tell you! We¡¯ll tell everything! Just as long as you agree to take us out, we¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± The three men were tripping over themselves to confess. It wasn¡¯t clear whether it was because they had been trapped in the darkness for too long, but their speech was jumbled. Sometimes a single word could convey their meaning, yet they often repeated and embellished their descriptions, their minds not entirely lucid. When they became agitated, they even burst into tears. But it was precisely for this reason that Bai Youwei let her guard down a bit. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã? To her, these men truly appeared to be suffering the mental breakdown of those trapped for an extended period. When someone¡¯s broken down like that, where would they find the energy to scheme against others? They would throw themselves at even the slightest hint of hope, mad with desperation! ¡­ The man with the key was named Mark. The man holding the leather bag was called Dylan. And the least talkative and most mentally disturbed was called Slade. These three claimed to have been sailors, and there were more than a dozen others who entered the labyrinth with them, all dead at the hands of the Minotaur. The Minotaur was said to possess immense strength, have a taste for human flesh, and move effortlessly in the darkness, making an encounter with it almost certainly fatal. The sailors had trudged through the maze, suffering losses and losing many lives before they slowly worked out a pattern¡ª First, as long as they stayed still, the Minotaur would not move. Second, if they moved, the Minotaur would move an equal number of rooms. It was like a game of chess; you move a few pieces, and the opponent moves a few as well. And once they reached a dead end or chose the wrong escape route, they were likely to be caught by the Minotaur. Once caught, the four doors of the room would lock down, no force able to open them until someone was sacrificed. Only then would the doors open, allowing the survivors to escape. Their companions died one after another in this way. At first, when encountering the Minotaur, they would fight together, but as they realized they stood no chance against the beast, they would only run for their lives! They even hoped for others to meet mishaps because the doors would only open upon a death! The three men Bai Youwei¡¯s group encountered were the final survivors. Knowing they couldn¡¯t defeat the Minotaur, they dared not move carelessly, so they hid in the Stone Chamber, surviving on bread and mountain spring water, enduring an eternity of unending time¡­ After listening to their stories, Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, ¡°According to what you¡¯ve said¡­ that Minotaur actually knows the exact location of every person in the maze, right?¡± ¡°Yes! It knows! It knows everything!¡± Mark said, ¡°But we don¡¯t know where it is! It¡¯s not fair. We can only tell the direction when it¡¯s far away. If it¡¯s close, like just a room away, echoes of the creature will come from all around, and we can¡¯t tell which way to flee!¡± Chapter 814 - Chapter 814: Chapter 814: Sense of Dissonance Chapter 814: Chapter 814: Sense of Dissonance ¡°Even so, it must be difficult for the Minotaur to catch up with you, right?¡± Bai Youwei felt something odd, and wondered if there were details they hadn¡¯t clarified? ¡°Suppose the Minotaur¡¯s initial position is 20 rooms away from you, and you move one room while it also moves one room, the distance between you would always remain 20. Even if you turn into a dead-end midway and need to reverse direction, those 20 steps should be enough to escape, right? But according to what you¡¯re saying, it seems like you encountered the Minotaur quite easily. Why is that?¡± The three men were stunned. Their faces showed utter confusion and bewilderment. ¡°Some rooms¡­ are very strange,¡± said the man named Dylan hesitantly, ¡°Sometimes even though we are ahead of the Minotaur, after opening a few Stone Chambers, somehow¡­ we end up behind the Minotaur¡­¡± If they continued opening doors ahead and the Minotaur turned back to open doors in the opposite direction, they would directly encounter each other. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that some rooms can cause spatial jumps?¡± Bai Youwei asked them, ¡°Do these rooms look any different from the regular rooms?¡± ¡°No¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± The three men shook their heads in bewilderment, not appearing as though they were lying. Bai Youwei asked further, ¡°Do the positions of the jumps have anything in common? For example, are those rooms always located near the corners, or dead ends?¡± They still shook their heads blankly. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.§ã? However, that was to be expected. If they had completely figured out the room situations, they wouldn¡¯t still be trapped here. Asarina asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What should we do next?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s rest for now. Randomly entering rooms is pointless and will only attract the Minotaur. We need to sort out our thoughts first.¡± Everyone listened, set down their luggage, laid out moisture-proof mats, and each found a spot to rest. Since they had just entered the labyrinth, they only took out water and drank a few sips. The three men were very attentive, taking out a lot of bread and water from a leather bag, and respectfully offering it to everyone. It felt as though they had been exiled to Mars for three months and suddenly saw other living people, exerting all their strength to try and please those around them. Although Bai Youwei was not particularly keen on the bread and water, she accepted some. She tore off a small piece of bread and didn¡¯t eat it but just sniffed it under her nose¡ªit smelled like high-quality wheat. Chen Hui moved closer and whispered, ¡°Youwei, are these people really not NPCs?¡± ¡°NPCs would not hold items,¡± Bai Youwei replied. Chen Hui pursed her lips and looked towards the three men, muttering, ¡°I still feel something is off about them¡­¡± ¡°Yes, something is quite off,¡± Bai Youwei said, also glancing over. Mark, Dylan, Slade had finished handing out bread and water and were now huddled in a corner, clinging tightly to each other for warmth. ¡°What¡¯s off about them?¡± Chen Hui whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t you think they are too thin?¡± Bai Youwei said emotionlessly, withdrawing her gaze, ¡°Eating bread every day with no other activities, they shouldn¡¯t look that thin, should they? Their current state looks as if¡­¡± Bai Youwei paused for a moment and then said, ¡°as if they haven¡¯t eaten properly in months.¡± Listening to this, Chen Hui instantly felt unsettled. She was not without compassion, but sharing a room with such people felt inexplicably uncomfortable. ¡°Could it be¡­ because they¡¯ve been in a repressive environment for a long time¡­ that they can¡¯t eat, and that¡¯s why they¡¯re thin?¡± Chen Hui tried to rationalize. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m overthinking,¡± Bai Youwei said nonchalantly, ¡°Also, when we first met, they even wanted to give us the Magic Bag as a gift, giving me the impression they don¡¯t care about food¡­ even though they are so thin, why aren¡¯t they concerned about food?¡± Chapter 815 - Chapter 815: Chapter 815: Flashlight Chapter 815: Chapter 815: Flashlight Chen Hui felt goosebumps all over her body from Bai Youwei¡¯s description. Bai Youwei spoke lightheartedly again, ¡°But we haven¡¯t been trapped for that long to objectively speculate on their psychology. Maybe their minds are no longer clear. To them, as long as they can seize the chance to get out, food and tools are all trivial.¡± Chen Hui still felt uneasy and whispered, ¡°Then¡­ we should keep a closer eye on them.¡± ¡°Of course, we definitely need to be vigilant,¡± Bai Youwei nodded. Shen Mo came over and handed Bai Youwei three keys, ¡°Those people gave them to us.¡± They had said they would give them earlier, but Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t taken them because she found it disgusting. Now they were eagerly brought over, as if they were really worried that Bai Youwei and the others would abandon them. Bai Youwei looked at the keys in Shen Mo¡¯s hand, sighed deeply, and said, ¡°Get a few more bottles of water from them to wash these¡­¡± Shen Mo nodded, turned around to go, but was called back by Bai Youwei, ¡°Your hands, remember to wash them too.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± He gave her a helpless glance. ¡­ Shen Mo got two bottles of spring water from those people, one to wash the keys, the other to wash his hands. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï The clean keys still felt old, with no distinct features, about 10cm in length, and each in a different color¡ªone in tortoise shell green, another in grape purple, and the third in old ginger yellow. Bai Youwei picked up the keys, put them down again, touched and tapped them, examined them, but couldn¡¯t figure out anything special and simply asked Shen Mo to keep them for the time being. Keys were just keys, nothing more. Before finding other keys, these three keys were worth the same as zero. The light nearby flickered twice. Leonid¡¯s flashlight had gone out. Leonid hastened to say, ¡°I¡¯m using old batteries, so the power isn¡¯t sufficient, but no problem, I have spares in my bag.¡± He expertly opened the back of the flashlight, took out the old batteries, and was about to replace them with new ones when Bai Youwei said, ¡°Let¡¯s turn off the other flashlights as well, leaving just one beam should be enough. We don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be here, so let¡¯s conserve what we have.¡± After hearing this, everyone promptly turned off their own flashlights, leaving only one in the middle of the Stone Chamber to provide illumination. The light from a single flashlight naturally couldn¡¯t light up the entire Stone Chamber; apart from a strong beam in the center, the edges of the chamber remained immersed in darkness. However, they did not need to explore their surroundings or engage in combat right now, so having dimmer lighting was of no consequence. Shen Mo took out a blanket from the luggage and draped it over Bai Youwei. There wasn¡¯t the biting chill of the outside winds here, but another kind of persistent, gloomy cold that, after a while, would chill your hands and feet without you noticing. Bai Youwei drew the blanket closer around her and slipped her hands inside Shen Mo¡¯s clothes to warm up, saying to him, ¡°Shall we set up the tent in a bit?¡± Shen Mo glanced at the other people in the Stone Chamber, murmured a low ¡°Mhm,¡± took her hands, flipped them over, and warmed the back of her hands for her. Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°You think you¡¯re making flatbreads?¡± Shen Mo, hearing this, also laughed. He let go, playfully pinched her nose, and turned to go set up the tent. The tent was prepared for outdoor camping. Logically speaking, in such a closed space, setting up a tent was completely unnecessary; to rest, all one needed was a moisture-proof mat and a sleeping bag. Bai Youwei wanted Shen Mo to set up the tent because she needed a private space¡ªat least when entering or exiting the Doll House, she wouldn¡¯t be seen by the few individuals with unclear identities outside. She wrapped herself in the blanket and entered the tent, turned on a small lamp inside, then took out her customary pen and paper to write and draw, searching for ideas. After a while, Shen Mo also entered the tent. Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°What is everyone else doing?¡± ¡°Nothing much, just resting,¡± Shen Mo paused before adding, ¡°Those three are sleeping.¡± Chapter 816 - Chapter 816: Chapter 816: Its All a Misunderstanding Chapter 816: Chapter 816: It¡¯s All a Misunderstanding Bai Youwei twirled her pen thoughtfully, ¡°The daily routines of these three people must be a mess; living in an environment without light and having nothing to do, I reckon they spend most of their time sleeping each day¡­¡± ¡°Besides sleeping, there really isn¡¯t much else to do,¡± Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°unless they have the courage to step out of this Stone Chamber and move into a new one. But they don¡¯t, for fear of the Minotaur.¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°I still find it strange. According to them, they¡¯ve been attacked by the Minotaur at least seventeen or eighteen times. Yet they also said that the Minotaur moves as many spaces as the player does. Such frequent attacks¡­ That just doesn¡¯t seem very likely to me.¡± Shen Mo picked up the piece of paper in front of her and looked at it. She had drawn some squares, seemingly trying to simulate the route they had just taken. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with that, it¡¯s not accurate,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°In all the rooms we walked through just now, there was at least one spatial jump. We can¡¯t determine the location of the displacement now, so any map we draw would be wrong.¡± Shen Mo mused, ¡°We need to find a way to mark these rooms, otherwise, if we just randomly open doors, we¡¯ll eventually run into the Minotaur. I¡¯ll go out and talk to everyone, pool our ideas, and see if we can come up with a solution.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Bai Youwei sighed lightly and lazed down, ¡°I¡¯ll take a rest as well¡­¡± Darkness sometimes induces fear and tension, but at other times, it brings relaxation and the desire to rest. In a short time, no one could come up with a good idea, and there was no progress on Bai Youwei¡¯s side, so they decided to stay and rest in this Stone Chamber for the day. By nightfall, everyone was extremely exhausted and all lay down to rest. Shen Mo arranged for guards to keep watch in shifts. ¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï Wrapped in a blanket, Bai Youwei snuggled into Shen Mo¡¯s arms for warmth. The tent was cozy from their closeness, fostering an indescribable warmth and comfort. Later, the light outside went out. Leonid¡¯s voice was heard complaining, ¡°These batteries really don¡¯t last¡­¡± Fumbling in the dark, Leonid¡¯s voice rustled as if he were rummaging through a bag for batteries. Inside the tent, Bai Youwei quietly asked Shen Mo, ¡°Is Leonid on guard duty?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°He¡¯s on until midnight, then it switches to Asarina, at 2 a.m. it¡¯s Du Lai¡­ I¡¯ll take over at 4 a.m.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too exhausting.¡± Bai Youwei leaned on him and muttered, ¡°If we could get into the dollhouse, we wouldn¡¯t need to keep watch at all¡­¡± She thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we two sneak in?¡± After all, both of them were in the tent, even if they entered the dollhouse, the people outside wouldn¡¯t know. But Shen Mo disagreed, ¡°If something happens while we¡¯re in the dollhouse, we wouldn¡¯t be aware of anything.¡± No sooner had he finished speaking than, as if on cue, a scream sounded from outside the tent! Bai Youwei jumped with fright! Chen Hui¡¯s voice rang out loudly, ¡°What are you going to do?! Get away! Get away!!!¡± Shen Mo immediately dashed out of the tent! Leonid had already caught the assailant outside and shouted, ¡°What were you trying to do just now?!¡± Everyone woke up. Several beams from flashlights converged on the emaciated, pale man, who shivered and lay on the ground, not daring to move. Chen Hui stood by, still with a look of shock on her face. Bai Youwei stepped out of the tent, frowned, and glanced over, asking, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding¡­ all a misunderstanding!¡± Mark and Dylan hurried over, pulling Slade up from the ground, ¡°He must¡¯ve been dreaming again¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right, he was dreaming! He¡¯s not in his right mind, often confusing dreams with reality. He didn¡¯t mean to scare you; please don¡¯t take it the wrong way!¡­¡± Bai Youwei frowned and turned to directly ask Chen Hui, ¡°Chen Hui, what do you say happened?¡± Chapter 817 - Chapter 817: Chapter 817: Confused Chapter 817: Chapter 817: Confused Chen Hui¡¯s face looked incredibly awful as she bit her lower lip, glaring hatefully at that Slade for a long while before answering, ¡°He¡­ he just now¡­ licked¡­¡± She was so grossed out that she couldn¡¯t continue, simply raising her arm to show Bai Youwei, ¡°Licked here.¡± Licked her arm? What kind of sickness is that? Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and looked again toward Mark, Dylan, and Slade, all three of them. ¡°He¡¯s fucking asking for it!¡± Leonid was furious, feeling that the other party was clearly messing around, and he kicked out! As a result, these men were unbelievably weak; not only did Slade get knocked over, but Mark and Dylan, who were supporting Slade, were also kicked several meters away! Crack¡ª The sound of bones breaking echoed, particularly clear in the Stone Chamber. Leonid stiffened for a moment, the second kick he was about to deliver, he forcibly held back. He only wanted to teach them a lesson, not expecting them to be as ¡°fragile¡± as cookies, breaking bones from a single kick?! But then again, it made sense, given that these men were nothing but skin and bones, without even a small amount of muscle visible, skinny like that, long-term lack of exercise, plus malnutrition¡­ It was not surprising that they were injured. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.?¦Ï ¡°It¡¯s really a misunderstanding¡­¡± Mark clutched the painful area, still struggling to explain, ¡°Slade has been staying in the dark for too long, he has recently been unable to distinguish dreams from reality, otherwise how could he dare¡­¡± On an inappropriate note, although Chen Hui was just a young girl, compared to the skeletal Slade, she could be considered ¡°strong.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s a misunderstanding, let¡¯s disperse and everyone should rest early,¡± Bai Youwei said unperturbedly, calmly stating, ¡°Leonid, help Chen Hui set up her tent, so she can rest assured through the latter part of the night.¡± Leonid didn¡¯t say another word and immediately went to get the tent from their luggage. Bai Youwei turned to look at the man named Slade. His eyes were still fixated on Chen Hui. More accurately, they were staring at the section of arm Chen Hui had shown to be licked, with suspiciously¡­ traces of saliva still oozing at the corners of his mouth. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Shen Mo suddenly spoke, his tone very cold. Bai Youwei came back to her senses, only then noticing that while she was observing Slade, another guy named Dylan was also staring at her. So that was why Shen Mo had suddenly become aggressive. Shen Mo¡¯s presence was enough to intimidate most people, but Dylan¡¯s mental state was clearly also compromised; he stared blankly for a long time without responding, finally, Mark helped him out, explaining to Shen Mo: ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s also groggy! He¡¯s been in the maze for too long, it wasn¡¯t intentional¡­¡± Mark tugged forcefully at Dylan, ¡°Dylan, Dylan! Wake up! Get it together!¡± Dylan finally snapped out of it, but he seemed to be unaware of the situation, giving a confused glance to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei before withdrawing his eyes and cowering back into a corner. Leonid cursed, feeling that all these people were fucking insane! Bai Youwei stood in place for a while, then reached out to grab Shen Mo, bending down to return to their tent. ¡°Was he looking at me just now?¡± Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo for confirmation. ¡°Yes, first he was looking at Chen Hui, then at you,¡± Shen Mo frowned, quite displeased, ¡°Not only the two of them, but also that Mark, who talks the most, his eyes keep going to both you and Chen Hui¡­ inexplicably.¡± Bai Youwei then thought of something else¡­ ¡°Why would it be me and Chen Hui?¡± she pondered slowly asking, ¡°Do I and Chen Hui have anything in common?¡± ¡°Both are females,¡± Shen Mo responded, ¡°Both very young, beautiful.¡± Chen Hui was around fifteen or sixteen years old, a girl of that age is like a flower, almost never ugly. And Bai Youwei was always delicate, looking younger than she was, appearing to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. Bai Youwei said, ¡°I am sleeping in the tent, plus I have you guarding me. But Chen Hui is alone, with Leonid on watch, not by her side. If it really were people confused from sleep or unclear in their minds, could they accurately¡­ find the right targets?¡± Chapter 818 - Chapter 818: Chapter 818 Chattering Chapter 818: Chapter 818 Chattering Bai Youwei finished speaking, furrowed her brows, and hesitated, ¡°¡­ but that doesn¡¯t seem right either. If they could calmly analyze the objectives, they should know they have no chance of succeeding. Knowing they would be discovered, why would they still do it?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°If we can¡¯t trust these few people, we might as well go our own way. We can leave them behind.¡± ¡°No, we must bring them along.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head. ¡°They have been in the labyrinth for months and know the situation better than us. Moreover, if we let them roam freely here, we won¡¯t be able to track their movements. What if they act at the same time as us? Wouldn¡¯t that be like giving the Minotaur double the steps?¡± Shen Mo frowned and thought for a while, also finding it troublesome, and asked here, ¡°How are you planning to proceed tomorrow?¡± ¡°Tomorrow¡­¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips and sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s first try and see if we can find a corner room.¡± ¡­ Nothing happened in the latter part of the night. The next day, everyone woke up in the darkness. Bai Youwei announced they would set off in half an hour; everyone started eating and packing their bags. The three people in the corner also woke up. They took out a loaf of bread from the Magic Bag, broke it into three small pieces, and each ate a piece slowly. Du Lai, with his hands in his hoodie pockets, strolled over to them, curiously sizing them up. ¡°Why not take two loaves of bread?¡± Du Lai asked. ¡°Is that little bit enough?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï ¡°Enough¡­¡± Mark replied softly. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do anything staying here, so our appetite has decreased gradually.¡± He said, stuffing the bread into his mouth and, like the others, bowed his head and ate. The soft bread seemed hard to swallow for them; after several gulps of water, they finally managed to get it down. After finishing, Mark noticed Du Lai still staring at him and explained, ¡°Having eaten it for several months, it really makes one nauseous.¡± ¡°Is it.¡± Du Lai smiled, said casually, ¡°Eating the same thing for months can indeed make one feel sick.¡± Du Lai reached into his pocket, pulled out a packet of biscuits, and offered, ¡°Want to try something different?¡± ¡°No need, no need, keep it for yourself!¡± Mark hurriedly said. ¡°We¡¯re already full. Now that our stomachs have shrunk, a little fills us up.¡± Du Lai smiled noncommittally and put the biscuits back, ¡°Since you¡¯re full, then all right.¡± Mark gave a sheepish smile. Dylan also raised his head, a face full of bread crumbs, and smiled at Du Lai. Slade was still in a daze, holding the bread but unable to swallow it, just drooling over Chen Hui who was not far away. Leonid saw it, and flames of anger surged, but it wasn¡¯t right to lash out. It¡¯s not good to argue with someone mentally ill. Chen Hui shot a disgusted glance at the man, then turned and walked to Bai Youwei¡¯s tent, asking, ¡°Sister Weiwei, everything¡¯s ready, shall we set off early?¡± From inside Bai Youwei¡¯s tent, a soft chirping sound came. Chen Hui, puzzled, called out again, ¡°¡­ Sister Weiwei?¡± ¡°Mhm, coming.¡± Bai Youwei responded. After a while, Bai Youwei emerged from the tent, carrying a bamboo basket filled with about a dozen fluffy chicks. Chen Hui was extremely surprised, ¡°Sister Weiwei, where did these chickens come from?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Hatched from eggs.¡± Chen Hui, ¡°Where did the eggs come from?¡± Bai Youwei, ¡°Laid by the chickens.¡± Chen Hui, ¡°¡­¡± Du Lai also walked over, reached into the bamboo basket and with a smile said, ¡°Haven¡¯t seen these creatures for a long time. So, you plan to use these chickens to scout the way?¡± Before Bai Youwei could answer, Mark stood up and said, ¡°That won¡¯t work. As long as you and the chickens aren¡¯t in the same Stone Chamber, the chickens will be considered ¡®ownerless¡¯ and will disappear!¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head to look at him and asked with a smile, ¡°Have you tried it?¡± Chapter 819 - Chapter 819: Chapter 819: Three Chickens Chapter 819: Chapter 819: Three Chickens Mark choked. Of course, he hadn¡¯t tried with live chickens, but they¡¯d tried other things. ¡°We¡¯ve thrown lots of things into these rooms: clothes, socks, torn-off fingernails, pulled-out hair¡­ even props we couldn¡¯t use. All of them disappeared! Nothing stays unless there¡¯s a living person in the room.¡± Mark looked at the bamboo basket with regret, ¡°These chickens¡­ it would be such a pity if they were gone¡­¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°You just said that living people are fine, and these chickens are alive too.¡± ¡°But the chickens are yours¡­¡± Mark was anxious and started to gesture with his hands, ¡°You have to be in the same Stone Chamber as the chickens, or your chickens will disappear!¡± Bai Youwei shrugged indifferently, ¡°These chickens aren¡¯t mine.¡± Mark was stunned, ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°To be precise¡­¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°These chickens should belong to themselves. ¡®Ownerless objects¡¯ is a concept you guys came up with; it¡¯s not an explicit rule of the maze. Since it¡¯s all about playing with concepts, why not play it at a higher level~ Every life is an independent entity, no life belongs to another, so if live people aren¡¯t erased, live chickens shouldn¡¯t be either.¡± She set down the bamboo basket, picked a chick, and tied one of its claws with a cotton thread. Then she walked to a door and said, ¡°Open the door.¡± Du Lai, standing by her side, opened the door, revealing pitch darkness. It was the same Stone Chamber. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã? Bai Youwei tossed the chicken inside, and everyone else crowded around, shining their flashlights, watching the chick¡¯s condition in the chamber on the other side. The chick chirped, seemingly calling for its companions, its tender yellow, tiny claws trembling slightly. The environment of the Stone Chamber was too cold and dreary for it. It was somewhat cruel, but there was no other way. It was like a tomb robber digging a tunnel and then sending in a sparrow or a cat, all to survive. ¡­ The chick chirped in the Stone Chamber for about a minute and didn¡¯t disappear. Bai Youwei pulled at the cotton thread, slowly reeling it back in and placing the chick back into the basket. ¡°Which door is this?¡± she asked Shen Mo. Shen Mo glanced at the compass, ¡°It¡¯s the southern door.¡± ¡°Then take three more chickens and try the Stone Chambers behind the east, west, and north doors,¡± Bai Youwei instructed everyone. ¡°Remember to tie them with cotton thread firmly. Don¡¯t let the chickens break free, or else we¡¯ll have to go in and catch them¡ªgoing into a room means making the Minotaur move to another room, so be very careful.¡± Du Lai, Chen Hui, and Leonid each took a chick, tied it with cotton thread, and tossed them into the chambers behind the east, west, and north doors. Perhaps it was their good luck, but every chicken remained intact, chirping safely inside the Stone Chambers. Bai Youwei decided to continue southward. She wanted to figure out just how many of these identical Stone Chambers there were and where the end might be. She led the group into the southern Stone Chamber, and Mark, Dylan, and Slade hurriedly followed, afraid of being left behind. Upon entering the new Stone Chamber, Bai Youwei repeated her tactic, releasing the chicks to probe the conditions of the three rooms. This time, the chick behind the eastern door vanished. The thread tied to its claw was also gone without a trace. ¡°It seems this Stone Chamber is a transport point, but it¡¯s not clear if the destination of the transport is fixed¡­¡± Bai Youwei took a handful of millet from her bag and threw it into the eastern Stone Chamber. A few seconds later, the millet too had disappeared. ¡°With this temperature, the chickens might not live very long,¡± Shen Mo reminded her. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then turned to ask Mark, ¡°Hey, you said before that living people are fine in the Stone Chamber, what about dead ones? Do dead people disappear?¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was worried about the chickens but that she feared if the chickens died, they would disappear directly, not leaving even a feather behind, and then she wouldn¡¯t be able to determine the Stone Chamber¡¯s new location after it shifted. Chapter 820 - Chapter 820: Chapter 820: No Matter How You Go Chapter 820: Chapter 820: No Matter How You Go Mark stammered in response, ¡°Probably¡­ three to four days, the bodies begin to decompose and then disappear.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a while, then said to everyone, ¡°Before we release the chicken, let¡¯s mark it somehow, like using a unique way of tying the knot.¡± Du Lai asked her, ¡°Are we still heading south?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s see how many rooms we can go until the end,¡± Bai Youwei replied. They continued on their way. And in the next room, they made a new discovery¡ª A dark blue key. Mark and the others were very excited to see the key, ¡°Four keys now! I didn¡¯t expect there to be a key in this room! That¡¯s great!¡± It was actually only four keys, still far from the twelve needed, but the three men all showed happy expressions, clearly very eager to leave this place. Mark picked up the key eagerly, bending over to present it to Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei, however, showed obvious disdain and refused to touch it, asking him to give it to Shen Mo. At that moment, something vaguely flashed through her mind, she thought hard but couldn¡¯t figure out what that strange feeling was about. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï She looked around, Du Lai and Chen Hui were carrying the chicken to explore the surrounding rooms. Actually, they had already used a chicken to explore the chamber they were in, but because each chamber was more than two hundred square meters, and the flashlight had only been focused on the chicken, they hadn¡¯t seen the key on the floor. Finding it now was not too late. Chen Hui waved to Bai Youwei, ¡°Sister Wei, there¡¯s no problem with the room to the south, shall we continue south?¡± ¡°Yes, keep going.¡± They moved one more grid south. A beast¡¯s roar suddenly came from behind them! Everyone jumped, turning to look at the closed door!¡ªThe Minotaur seemed to be right behind the stone wall! It roared, it bellowed, pacing back and forth restlessly wanting to devour them all! Mark, Dylan, and Slade were especially reactive to the sound! The three of them almost immediately collapsed to the ground, their legs trembling, unable to even stand up! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Leonid couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°The sound seems very close, but how could this creature suddenly appear?!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s expression turned solemn, ¡°It¡¯s the teleportation point from before.¡± Leonid was taken aback, ¡°The room where the chicken disappeared just now?¡± ¡°This is troublesome¡­¡± Bai Youwei frowned and said, ¡°It seems the Minotaur not only clearly knows our location but also can use teleportation points to quickly reach the room closest to us.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the teleportation point from earlier, then it¡¯s only two grids away from us now,¡± Shen Mo took off the paper doll, turned it into a knife, and held it in his hand, ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips and said, ¡°Continue south.¡± Du Lai pushed the door to the south, it didn¡¯t budge, ¡°¡­We can¡¯t go south, it¡¯s a dead end.¡± Mark, Dylan, and Slade kept trembling, stammering, ¡°Maybe¡­ we shouldn¡¯t go¡­ just, just if we don¡¯t move, the Minotaur won¡¯t be able to move either¡­¡± Bai Youwei ignored them, pointed to a door, and was the first to walk in, ¡°Go west!¡± She entered the western stone chamber, tried to push another western door, but the door wouldn¡¯t budge!¡ªThe west was blocked too! Bai Youwei then tried the southern door again¡ª Still a dead end! This time, Bai Youwei¡¯s expression finally changed. And the growls behind them grew closer! Leonid said, ¡°If we can¡¯t go south or west, let¡¯s go north!¡± But Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s too late, no matter which way we go, we¡¯ll meet the Minotaur face to face.¡± Leonid, normally not a fool, pondered for a moment and then understood. Suppose there are nine stone chambers, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Bai Youwei is currently in 7, and the Minotaur is now exactly in 3. If Bai Youwei goes north, she would be caught by the Minotaur in room 1, if she goes east, she would be caught in room 9! No matter where she went, she would encounter that man-eating monster! Chapter 821 - Chapter 821: Chapter 821 Minotaur Chapter 821: Chapter 821 Minotaur Mark trembled and stammered, ¡°It was the same before, the Minotaur just appeared nearby out of nowhere, and we couldn¡¯t hide no matter what¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you took the wrong route to hide,¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently. ¡°Hiding in panic will certainly not work. You can try drawing nine rooms, assuming our original location was room 2, the teleportation room to the east was room 3, then we found the key in room 5, proceeded to room 8, found there were no rooms to the south, and walked west to room 7, which was a dead end. At this point, the Minotaur appeared in room 3¡ª So facing us were only two paths, either go to room 4 or back to room 8. If we went to room 4, the Minotaur would move to room 2, and whether we went to room 1 or room 5, we would be caught. If we went back to room 8, the Minotaur would move to room 6, and whether we went to room 5 or room 9, we would be caught.¡± Bai Youwei paused for two seconds and whispered, ¡°Unless there are teleportation points in rooms 4 and 8.¡± Leonid sneered and clenched his fist, ¡°We¡¯ll have to face it sooner or later. Since we can¡¯t hide, let¡¯s fight!¡± ¡°Uncle, fighting with the Minotaur can be deadly,¡± Chen Hui reminded him. Leonid pointed at Chen Hui with his hand, ¡°You, just stand next to your Sister Weiwei when the time comes. Don¡¯t get involved in the fighting. As soon as the door opens, run!¡± ¡°Run where? We need to help too,¡± Chen Hui said, shaking the flashlight in her hand. ¡°Without us to light your way, how will you fight the Minotaur in the pitch dark?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Chen Hui is right; you can¡¯t fight the Minotaur in complete darkness. If we encounter it, we need to at least ensure we have lighting. Let¡¯s distribute the flashlights and arm ourselves with weapons, then set out.¡± Hearing this, Mark shuddered and hurriedly ran to Bai Youwei, stammering, ¡°Set out¡­ again? Aren¡¯t you, you afraid of encountering the Minotaur? No one can defeat it! It eats people!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã? ¡°We must go even if we¡¯ll encounter it, unless you want to stay here forever.¡± Bai Youwei picked up her bamboo basket, bypassed him, and had Shen Mo open the door to the north. They still used a chick to test the room; no teleportation point was found, so Bai Youwei directly walked in. The others followed suit. Mark didn¡¯t dare, but as these people left, even the last beam of light in the Stone Chamber disappeared, so he had to grit his teeth and follow, steeling himself. Dylan pulled Slade along to follow as well. In the new Stone Chamber, the roaring sound became clearer, the frantic scratching as if right above one¡¯s head, and the Minotaur¡¯s heavy panting resounded from every direction! Hu-huh¡­ Hu-huh¡­ It was about to arrive! ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± Bai Youwei took a fluffy rabbit out of her bag and held it in her arms. ¡°One more room and we¡¯ll encounter the Minotaur.¡± Leonid furrowed his brow and took out a large knife. Du Lai was accustomed to using a dagger. Asarina wielded a sword. Shen Mo caressed the paper doll on his wrist before pushing open the door to the east¡ª A draft of cold air hit them in the face. The pitch-black Stone Chamber was as cold and dark as all the others, and the beam of the flashlights could not dispel its gloominess. The Minotaur¡¯s howls echoed along the cold, hard stone bricks, reaching their feet, sending chills down their spines. Mark and Dylan, who had just entered, immediately regretted their decision and lunged at the door to leave! But the door was already firmly closed! No matter what, it wouldn¡¯t open! Having all barely escaped death at the hands of the Minotaur before, they knew all too well what it meant for the door to be locked shut. They burst into fearful crying, ¡°It¡¯s locked! We can¡¯t get out! We¡¯re trapped unless someone dies here! Otherwise, none of us can leave!!!¡± Chapter 822 - Chapter 822: Chapter 822 Useless Chapter 822: Chapter 822 Useless They cried and shouted, but nothing could stop it. Several beams of light focused on the door to the north, and the heavy panting of the beast grew closer and closer, as if it were pressed against the door! The nerves of everyone were stretched to the limit as they watched the door open! ¡°Roar¡­¡± The low roar was nothing like that of a cow but rather that of some ursine creature. As the huge bull horns slowly protruded, everyone finally saw the full figure of the Minotaur¡ª It indeed had the head of a bull and the body of a human, but differed somewhat from the abstract murals; the creature¡¯s back and chest were covered in dense black fur, standing stooped over¡ªeven not fully upright, it towered nearly two human heights, exuding an overwhelming presence! It was a hundred, a thousand times more terrifying than the image on the mural! Its blood-red eyes and exposed fangs, its very long nails¡ªblack and hard! Bai Youwei threw the rabbit to the ground, ¡°Go!¡± The small plush rabbit charged towards the massive creature, exerting all its strength to leap high, fiercely unleashing a dazzling lightning sphere! Boom!!! For a moment, the Stone Chamber was as bright as day! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í¨À¦Ï.§ã¦Ï Then it darkened again! The Minotaur let out a long roar and crashed to the ground! At the same time, Shen Mo, Asarina, Du Lai, and Leonid charged at it together! Some stabbed at the eyes, others swung their blades at its throat, and others raised their weapons high, plunging them deep into its heart from behind! The Minotaur was paralyzed, completely unable to resist, as crimson blood gushed from its wounds, soaking the stone tiles on the floor like streams. But Mark and the others were still trembling with fear, stammering, ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­ Even if it¡¯s downed, it¡¯s useless¡­¡± Bai Youwei heard this and slightly furrowed her brows, looking towards the three. Why would it be useless? At that moment, Asarina stood on the Minotaur¡¯s back, gripping the sword hilt with both hands, thrusting deeper! A strong pulsation traveled from the blade into her palms, jolting her. Asarina¡¯s complexion changed drastically; she could feel that it was the heart, still beating! The heart she had pierced was somehow beating again! Asarina jerked the sword out and jumped back, retreating and shouting to her companions, ¡°It¡¯s still alive!¡± The others quickly retreated upon hearing this! The wounds on the Minotaur closed rapidly, it roared and rose, lunging straight for Du Lai, who was closest! Du Lai, extremely agile, rolled on the ground, tumbling under the Minotaur¡¯s groin, and plunged his dagger into the bend of the creature¡¯s leg! The Minotaur howled! The others seized the opportunity to attack once more! But these injuries did not hinder the Minotaur¡¯s movements; it lowered its head, using its hard, massive horns to ram fiercely like an enraged bull in the ring! For a time, Leonid and Shen Mo could not get close while the Minotaur changed direction, charging straight towards Bai Youwei! The plush rabbit ran a few steps sideways, intercepting, straining to release lightning. The bursting blue-purple sparks only caused the Minotaur to stagger slightly, unable to stop the creature¡¯s oncoming charge! The rabbit released several more bolts of lightning in haste, each weaker than the last, each more reluctant, merely causing the Minotaur to pause momentarily, inflicting no damage! The first lightning had almost exhausted its electrical energy; now, the rabbit¡¯s battery was clearly running low. Bai Youwei coldly watched the Minotaur charge towards her. The plush rabbit was her only lifeline; if even the rabbit failed, then she truly had no options left, unless¡­ She looked towards Mark, Dylan, and Slade, not far away. Unless someone made a sacrifice¡­ No sooner had the thought flashed through her mind than the Minotaur let out another terrifying bellow! Bai Youwei turned to look, only to see Shen Mo grasping a bullhorn with one hand while a papercraft-figure-like curved knife in the other hand slit the creature¡¯s throat! ¡°Run!¡± Shen Mo jumped down from the Minotaur, grabbed Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, and quickly moved away. Behind them, blood gushed out like a fan-shaped fountain. Chapter 823 - Chapter 823: Chapter 823: Another Key Chapter 823: Chapter 823: Another Key The Minotaur collapsed once again. Du Lai and Leonid each came up to the east and north doors, trying to open them, but the doors remained locked. ¡°It only took fifteen seconds to resurrect it last time!¡± Du Lai kicked the door violently, then ran back anxiously and angrily, ¡°We¡¯re running out of time!¡± Chen Hui¡¯s hands trembled lightly as she grasped the flashlight. She tried to calm herself and said, ¡°Is there any rope? Tying it up could buy us some time¡­ Ah! What are you doing?!!¡± Slade appeared behind her out of nowhere and suddenly hugged her, frantically gnawing at her shoulder! Chen Hui screamed in panic! Leonid yanked him away in one swift motion and ferociously slammed him to the ground! Slade let out a piercing scream! Although he was hardly touched, he screamed as if he was dying, in both despair and pain, his wails unceasing: ¡°I need to eat! Let me eat!!! We¡¯re all going to die, no one will escape¡­ I need to eat!¡­ I can¡¯t stand it¡­ I¡¯m so hungry!¡­¡± The crowd was terrified, and then they heard Du Lai shout, ¡°Over here! Throw him over here!!!¡± Du Lai was standing beside the Minotaur, which had already opened its eyes. It propped itself up with its hands, ready to stand up from the pool of blood¡ª Leonid didn¡¯t think twice, he picked up Slade and flung him over! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï Du Lai caught him with an outstretched hand and heaved him backward, right in front of the Minotaur! ¡°Ah ah ah ah ah!!!¡± Slade¡¯s face distorted with terror, as if he foresaw his fate. He tried to flee but was easily caught by the creature! The next second, a massive jaw opened wide, and¡ªcrunch¡ªbit through his spine! ¡°The door can be opened now!¡± Du Lai shouted, ¡°Hurry up!¡± Bai Youwei immediately said, ¡°Go through the east door!¡± They hurriedly evacuated through the east door, and then continued eastward. The Minotaur didn¡¯t chase them; it stayed in the original stone chamber, busy devouring its meal and carefully chewing even the bones. ¡­ After passing through seven or eight stone chambers in one breath, Bai Youwei finally stopped. This time, they discovered another key, which was graphite black. But nobody was in the mood for joy, their emotions still trapped in the tension and fear brought on by the Minotaur. Du Lai strode up to Mark and delivered a harsh kick! ¡°You didn¡¯t say it would come back to life.¡± Mark wailed, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could kill it!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the deal with Slade then?!¡± Du Lai sneered maliciously, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re actually from the Cannibal Tribe!¡± Mark replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Du Lai lifted his foot and kicked him again. Mark still clamped his mouth shut, only replying, ¡°I really don¡¯t know! I have no idea why Slade turned out like that!¡­¡± Bai Youwei held her rabbit, feeling heavy at heart. The first lightning attack had obviously worked, but she hadn¡¯t expected that the Minotaur could revive. And until a sacrifice appeared, all the doors were locked shut, trapping the people inside. This was too disadvantageous for them. ¡°We can¡¯t continue today.¡± Bai Youwei looked towards Shen Mo. ¡°The rabbit needs time to recharge.¡± Shen Mo looked around and nodded, ¡°Indeed, we need to rest, everyone¡¯s quite shaken.¡± Bai Youwei was slightly stunned; she vaguely saw something black, like tiny flying insects, crawling over Shen Mo. The stone chamber was dimly lit, and she thought she might have seen it wrong, but soon, she saw another one. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Bai Youwei pointed in shock at his arm. Shen Mo, not noticing anything, looked down only to find a few tiny black bugs about two millimeters big resting on his clothes. ¡°Uncle, why do you have so many bugs on you?!¡± On the other side, Chen Hui also noticed something was wrong and exclaimed, ¡°You have several in your beard!¡± Du Lai and Asarina heard this and started checking for bugs on themselves, quickly finding two or three as well. Even Bai Youwei found two on her dress. While everyone was bewildered, Mark said, ¡°They are lice¡­ As long as you¡¯ve stayed in the same stone chamber as the Minotaur, you¡¯ll pick up a few. We¡­ we have them too¡­¡± ¡°¡± Chapter 824 - Chapter 824: Chapter 824 Lice Chapter 824: Chapter 824 Lice Lice? Bai Youwei instantly felt itchy all over, wishing she could immediately shed a layer of skin! Subconsciously, she wanted to take a bath in the dollhouse, but the effects of these lice were unknown. What if they were transmitted to Teacher Shen and Xiaoxin? Or fell onto the bath towels, the sofa, the bed, the pillows¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that scatter lice all over the place?! At that thought, Bai Youwei felt completely unwell. Shen Mo said, ¡°These bugs are not quite like real ¡®lice.¡¯ Everyone turn on your flashlights, try to maintain illumination, and check carefully¡ªthe cuffs, creases, beards, hair¡­¡± The Stone Chamber was too dark, and the bugs were particularly small, so everyone could only use their flashlights to check each other. Nevertheless, it was hard to say there were no overlooked spots. Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo to set up the tent, and she bent down and crawled inside, only to emerge with a bundle of firewood in no time. Since she could even pull out a chicken, everyone was not surprised to see her fetch a handful of firewood. After starting a fire, Bai Youwei changed her clothes inside the tent, and threw the clothes she had been wearing into the fire to burn them cleanly. At her insistence, Shen Mo, Du Lai, Chen Hui, and Asarina all changed into clean clothes, except for Leonid, who did not change because he was too large, and Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t find clothes and trousers of his size. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?? As the fabric burned in the flames, it emitted a stench of carbonized fibers. Bai Youwei looked around again and asked Leonid, ¡°Can you shave off your hair and beard? They might conceal lice.¡± ¡°Beard? No way!¡± Leonid immediately shook his head, ¡°What kind of man would I be without a beard?!¡± ¡°Then wash it,¡± Bai Youwei went back into the tent, and this time she came out with a bucket, a basin filled with shampoo and conditioner, and a bottle of alcohol. Seeing the alcohol, Leonid laughed, ¡°Nice treatment, washing my hair and drinking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for washing hair, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work, but let¡¯s try it,¡± Bai Youwei said to Chen Hui, ¡°You wash it for him.¡± Chen Hui rolled up her sleeves and nodded. ¡­ Because of these inexplicable lice, they did not enter any more rooms but remained in the same spot, checking, washing, drying, resting. The fire kept burning, driving away the chill of the Stone Chamber. Du Lai, distrusting Mark and Dylan, tied their legs together but left their hands free so they could feed themselves. Leonid sat bare-chested in front of the fire, allowing Chen Hui to busy herself with scissors on his head. He emphasized repeatedly, ¡°You can only cut the hair! Don¡¯t touch my beard!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Chen Hui grabbing a lock of his hair and cutting it, then threw it into the fire to burn it, crackling loudly, ¡°¡­My god, uncle, lice love you! They¡¯re all in your hair! Definitely in your beard too!¡± ¡°They can¡¯t be cut, no matter what!¡± Leonid said irritably, ¡°Just wash it several times.¡± Chen Hui, ¡°I got it, but don¡¯t move around. If I accidentally cut your beard, don¡¯t blame me¡­¡± Leonid immediately sat up straight, motionless. Bai Youwei sat in front of the tent watching Chen Hui cut Leonid¡¯s hair, and she couldn¡¯t help feeling itchy on her scalp, perhaps psychologically. ¡°Can you check for me, do I have lice?¡± Bai Youwei nudged Shen Mo beside her. Bai Youwei had very long, fluffy, slightly curly, dark brown hair that she cherished. She definitely couldn¡¯t bear to cut it all off, but the thought of possibly hosting lice made her feel unbearably devastated. Shen Mo parted her hair and soothed her patiently, ¡°They¡¯re just some little flying bugs, we don¡¯t know yet what impact they¡¯ll have on people, no need to scare yourself.¡± Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°This maze is such a hassle.¡± Shen Mo raised his hand to pat her head, but caught sight of a black ¡°louse¡± resting on his finger. He frowned, withdrew his hand without a sound, and said lightly, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a bit of a problem¡­¡± Chapter 825 - Chapter 825: Chapter 825: Washing Hair Chapter 825: Chapter 825: Washing Hair After Chen Hui cut Leonid¡¯s hair, she used the alcohol Bai Youwei had prepared to meticulously wash his beard. It seemed the alcohol was too strong, as all the little insects crawled out, and with a gentle comb and towel, they were all washed away. This method worked. Du Lai, seeing this, asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Is there any alcohol left? I want to wash too.¡± ¡°There is,¡± said Bai Youwei, ¡°but if you use it to wash your hair directly, it¡¯ll be quite cold. You¡¯ll need to keep warm afterward.¡± Du Lai: ¡°Hmm, got it.¡± Bai Youwei went into the tent, opened the toy house, and called for Teacher Cheng to fetch the alcohol. She had plenty of alcohol, with everything from foreign liquors, baijiu, to beer¡ªdefinitely enough even for bathing. Asarina and Shen Mo each asked for a bottle of strong liquor. Their hair was not long; after washing it with alcohol and rinsing with cold water, they sat by the fire to dry off and didn¡¯t feel too cold. While Shen Mo was drying his hair, Bai Youwei sat beside him, eyes closed, quietly leaning against him. Seconds and minutes passed, everyone sitting around the fire, the atmosphere becoming heavy. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã? Du Lai looked around, his gaze stopping on Chen Hui, asking her, ¡°Did you find any lice on you?¡± Chen Hui paused. ¡°No,¡± Leonid said lazily, ¡°Asarina and I checked her, and she¡¯s very clean¡ªno lice in her hair or clothes.¡± ¡°What about Asarina?¡± Du Lai asked. ¡°There are a few¡­ probably about a dozen or so,¡± Asarina said, scratching her half-dry, half-wet hair, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Du Lai said, ¡°No big deal, I just suspect that lice only appear on those who have attacked the Minotaur, and they don¡¯t seem to be very contagious. Otherwise, we would¡¯ve been infected by those few people at the beginning.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it does seem so,¡± Leonid looked to Bai Youwei, ¡°She doesn¡¯t have many lice on her, maybe two or three? Is it because she used the rabbit to attack indirectly?¡± Bai Youwei, with her eyes still closed, didn¡¯t make a sound. Shen Mo looked down at her for a while and then whispered back, ¡°She¡¯s fallen asleep.¡± Everyone paused for a moment. Stretching, Leonid remarked, ¡°Well, if she can sleep, that means she¡¯s not panicking. If she¡¯s not panicking, it means she must have a plan for leaving this place¡­ Huh, I¡¯m going to sleep too.¡± Du Lai stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll rest as well.¡± Asarina looked at Leonid and then at Du Lai, hesitatingly asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t we setting up a night watch?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to watch,¡± Du Lai said, ¡°The Minotaur won¡¯t act if we don¡¯t move, and those two have been tied up with rope, it¡¯s safe.¡± Shen Mo bent down to lift Bai Youwei, saying faintly, ¡°I¡¯ll take her back to the tent to rest.¡± Bai Youwei slightly woke up, realizing she was in Shen Mo¡¯s arms, and peacefully continued to sleep. Shen Mo placed her in the tent, then slowly backed out while kneeling. Bai Youwei, sensing this, turned over and hooked her small foot around his withdrawing arm, her voice muffled, ¡°Where are you going¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sleep outside,¡± Shen Mo replied. Bai Youwei instantly became alert, sitting up and looking at Shen Mo, ¡°Why?¡± Shen Mo pressed his lips together faintly and said, ¡°I have lice on me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind!¡± Bai Youwei crawled over, vigorously embracing Shen Mo¡¯s arm, ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t Du Lai just say they¡¯re not contagious!¡± Shen Mo quietly looked at her, remaining silent. Bai Youwei scrutinized his expression, feeling that something was off with him. She clung even tighter to Shen Mo¡¯s arm, fearing he would leave. ¡°Besides, there are no spare mats or sleeping bags outside, where would you go to sleep?¡± She gazed into his eyes and said softly, ¡°I want you to stay and sleep here.¡± Chapter 826 - Chapter 826: Chapter 826 Changes Chapter 826: Chapter 826 Changes Shen Mo eventually stayed. In the dimly lit tent, where the orange glow of the fire outside could be glimpsed, a small pale hand rested softly on his chest. Shen Mo had no desire to sleep. Occasionally, low voices would carry over, with his companions talking about the maze, or the Minotaur, or lice¡­ Shen Mo listened, his gaze drifting unconsciously down to the little hand on his chest. He gently grasped it. So soft¡­ So tender¡­ The skin was silky smooth and cool to the touch, turning mildly warm after a while; it was like tofu made of rose petals, fragrant and delicate. As if possessed, he brought the small hand to his face and gently sniffed it. And then¡­ And then¡­ He licked it. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.§ã0 After doing that, he immediately realized what changes had taken place within himself. Shen Mo¡¯s heart plummeted! He let go of Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, his movements as gentle as possible, preparing to leave¡­ Bai Youwei suddenly let out a burst of laughter like silver bells, apparently dreaming about something, she turned over, facing away from him, with his arm under her face as a pillow. Shen Mo¡¯s body stiffened. He slowly, ever so slowly, lay back down, planning to wait until Bai Youwei was in a deep sleep before leaving again. This was undoubtedly torture. Those sweet scents filled the air around him, stirring every hungry cell in his body; he only had to turn his head to smell the fragrance of her hair; he only had to reach out to pull the soft, pliable prey into his arms; he only had to open his mouth¡­ Shen Mo clenched his teeth hard. His temples throbbed, his heart chaotic in its beating against the chambers. Although he was just lying there motionless, he broke out in a cold sweat. Shen Mo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He grabbed a strand of hair and deeply inhaled, unable to resist kissing it. As if driven by some compulsion, once he started, there seemed to be no reasoning to stop. He bent down, lightly touching her back, her arms, her hands¡­ avoiding his teeth as much as possible, containing the urge to ravage, cherishing this bit of warmth while simultaneously hating himself to the point of wanting to tear himself to pieces! Why was this? Why was it so delicious¡­ Bai Youwei giggled in his embrace, wriggling a bit, eyes closed as she said, ¡°Ah, that tickles~¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t reply. Feeling the pressure on her back increase, Bai Youwei started to find it unbearable. She finally opened her eyes and reminded him, ¡°That hurts a little¡­¡± The first time she spoke, Shen Mo seemed not to hear, as if lost in oblivion, occasionally grazing his teeth across her skin, nipping but not biting, giving her a slight prickling pain. So Bai Youwei reminded him a second time, ¡°Shen Mo, it hurts¡­¡± Shen Mo abruptly snapped out of it and pushed her away fiercely! Bai Youwei pulled her collar up, turned around, and silently watched Shen Mo. Neither spoke, the atmosphere eerie. After a while, Bai Youwei forced a light laugh and softly said, ¡°Are you hungry? Did you dream that I was something to eat?¡± Shen Mo nodded. He was indeed hungry. Bai Youwei pulled her backpack over, rummaged through it, and pulled out some biscuits, handing them to Shen Mo. ¡°Have some, there¡¯s still a long way to go. Don¡¯t starve yourself.¡± Shen Mo initially wanted to refuse because he had no interest in eating these things. To him, they were like grass to a hungry tiger, which, no matter how lush and tempting, could not stir any appetite in him. But Bai Youwei insisted, stuffing the bag of biscuits into his hands, saying word by word: ¡°You¡¯re hungry, you must eat, otherwise¡­ you won¡¯t be able to sleep.¡± She insisted he must eat. Shen Mo looked at the biscuits in his palm, uncertain how much Bai Youwei had guessed. He took a deep breath, unwrapped the package, took out one, and forced himself to swallow it down¡­ It tasted like chewing wax. Chapter 827 - Chapter 827: Chapter 827 Difficulty Chapter 827: Chapter 827 Difficulty Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t slept. What should have been the most comforting embrace now felt like a blade against her back; she had to constantly monitor Shen Mo¡¯s condition. The person behind her was quiet. Outside, it was quiet too. She wondered how the others were doing now. This change had crept in unnoticed, and alerting them might only add to their agony. Seeing how Mark and Dylan were coping, able to endure for a few months, meant that this change wouldn¡¯t kill anyone¡ªit only brought physical and mental pain. If one could endure it, then it would be fine. Bai Youwei waited a long time, then heard the breathing behind her gradually even out, as if he had fallen asleep. ¡­Sleeping was good. When asleep, there would be no feeling of hunger. She let out a slightly relieved sigh and closed her eyes too. ¡­ The next day, the atmosphere in the stone chamber was sterner, more oppressive. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï The fire had long gone out, and the air around was bleak and cold. Mark and Dylan were listlessly nibbling on bread in a corner. Perhaps because Slade had already shown his hand, they made no effort to conceal their interest anymore, their eyes gleaming green as they glanced at Bai Youwei and Chen Hui. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t pay them any heed but observed the rest of her companions. She and Chen Hui seemed to be the least affected. The eating speed of the others had slowed down in varying degrees. Leonid¡¯s situation was the most obvious. He spat out his first mouthful of bread, still unaware of the changes in him, and complained, ¡°What¡¯s with the taste of this bread?!¡± Chen Hui asked, ¡°What taste? It tastes the same as yesterday to me.¡± Leonid paused, then tried another bite of bread. He still wanted to spit it out but forcibly kept it down, swallowing it bit by bit as if it were sawdust. Du Lai, sitting beside him, had just finished his biscuit, threw back his head for a gulp of water, and said, ¡°Taste has been compromised. Since that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t think too much, just close your eyes and eat until you¡¯re full.¡± Leonid frowned and asked him, ¡°Is it because of the lice?¡± ¡°Not sure.¡± Du Lai turned his head, looking at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, ¡°Anyway¡­ the longer we stay here, the more disadvantageous it is for us.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s expression was indifferent, seemingly unaffected, and replied, ¡°We should get out as soon as possible.¡± Asarina asked, ¡°What should our next move be?¡± ¡°Keep heading east,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°We need to perfect the map, at least figure out the number and location of the transfer points, otherwise it¡¯s easy for the minotaur to catch up.¡± Mention of the minotaur made everyone¡¯s expression darken. Actually, with their combat power, dealing with a minotaur wasn¡¯t an issue. But frustratingly, the minotaur would resurrect endlessly, and with no one sacrificed, none of the doors around would open! That was somewhat unfair. Bai Youwei thought it over, the more she thought, the more she felt she was missing something. ¡°Do you guys think¡­ which maze might this be?¡± she suddenly asked. ¡°Could it be Maze Number 1?¡± ¡°Unlikely,¡± Du Lai was the first to dissent, ¡°This maze cannot be crossed by one person alone, and I think, Maze Number 1 should be more special.¡± ¡°But the only mazes we don¡¯t know about are Number 1, 4, and 5,¡± Bai Youwei mulled, speaking slowly, ¡°If this is Number 4 or 5, then it should be easier than Number 2 or 3. But now, it feels more difficult than Number 2 and 3, which isn¡¯t logical.¡± Chen Hui asked, ¡°Sister Weiwei, are you saying¡­ this maze isn¡¯t that difficult?¡± ¡°There must be something we are overlooking,¡± Bai Youwei said confidently. ¡°The minotaur shouldn¡¯t resurrect indefinitely. There must be a way to permanently kill it, we just don¡¯t know it yet.¡± Everyone looked at each other. Then, almost simultaneously, they remembered the mural¡ª ¡°That sword in the painting¡­¡± Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°The hero¡¯s sword that slayed the minotaur, where is it?¡± ¡°But we searched the room with the mural thoroughly,¡± Du Lai interjected, ¡°and saw no weapons.¡± Chapter 828 - Chapter 828: Chapter 828: Marking Chapter 828: Chapter 828: Marking ¡°But in that mural room, all of us searched but didn¡¯t see any weapons,¡± Asarina said. ¡°If it¡¯s a key prop, shouldn¡¯t it be placed somewhere conspicuous? ¡­Just like those locks, so obvious, clearly telling us that there are 12 keys in this maze.¡± ¡°You are right, important props should indeed be placed in obvious positions,¡± Bai Youwei spoke slowly. ¡°But what if someone hid it?¡± Hid ¡­ it? Who would hide such a crucial prop? Everyone¡¯s gaze, unwittingly, turned towards the two people in the corner. Mark and Dylan, realizing this, hurriedly denied it: ¡°No, no, it wasn¡¯t us! We haven¡¯t hidden anything! We even gave you all the keys!¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s search them.¡± Shen Mo and Du Lai stepped forward to search them. They were looking for, not a foldable fruit knife, not a petite dagger, but a sword! Such a long and straight cold weapon, almost impossible to conceal on one¡¯s body. After a cursory search, Shen Mo and Du Lai simultaneously looked at the Magic Bag on Dylan¡¯s waist. The Magic Bag could produce an unending supply of bread and spring water, but after all, a bag is a container, one that can hold objects. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã¦Ï Du Lai first felt the outside of the bag, somewhat disappointed, but he still didn¡¯t give up, reaching into the mouth of the bag, groping around. Still, he found nothing. The two turned back and shook their heads slightly at their companions. Bai Youwei frowned, if it was not on Mark or Dylan, could it be on Slade? ¡­But when Slade was attacked by the Minotaur, he didn¡¯t put up any resistance. If he really had the sword, why not take it out? Or, was she wrong in her speculation, and the Magic Sword in the mural simply didn¡¯t exist? No¡­ No, if it didn¡¯t exist, then why were those murals there at all? ¡°¡­Maybe, the sword is still in the maze,¡± Bai Youwei bit her lip and grasped Shen Mo¡¯s hand, ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking.¡± Shen Mo clasped her hand in return, comforting her: ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s look again.¡± His demeanor was calm, as if he was not affected by anything, as if last night¡¯s events were just a dream. Bai Youwei felt uncertain. She hoped he was alright, yet worried that he was just putting on a brave face, just to keep her from worrying. ¡­ After packing up their belongings, everyone set off again. Still heading east, still using a chick to lead the way, they reached a dead end after just one Stone Chamber; the door to the east wouldn¡¯t open. Bai Youwei then chose the north side, taking advantage of the fact that the Minotaur was not close to them, she wanted to move through as many spaces as possible, to figure out how many rooms there were here exactly. However, after moving just one space north, they encountered a teleportation point. Her chick, with a whoosh, disappeared. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, placed a key in her hand down, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go around to the south for one space and then continue.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave the key here?¡± Asarina exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t we need to collect 12 keys?¡± Bai Youwei shook the map in her hand, ¡°As long as we record the map, we can always come back for the keys. What¡¯s more important now is marking the place. We have enough keys, and each key has its own distinct color, they¡¯re suitable for marking.¡± ¡°But what if we can¡¯t come back?!¡± Mark blurted out, unable to help himself. ¡°We¡¯ve already collected 5 keys, almost half! If you throw one away now and can¡¯t find it again later, you will regret it!¡± Bai Youwei placed the key in her hand on the ground like an arrow and adjusted the angle so it pointed towards the room with the teleportation point. ¡°Teleportation points are divided into one-way and two-way types. Just now, the Minotaur was able to teleport from afar to the teleportation point near us, which means the teleportation points here are all two-way ¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was unusually calm, ¡°Before the keys are collected, they can¡¯t be useless. At least now, this key can help us understand where the Minotaur might appear next, to attack us.¡± Chapter 829 - Chapter 829: Chapter 829 Probability Chapter 829: Chapter 829 Probability Bai Youwei spread out the map she had drawn for everyone to see. ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for so long, and now we¡¯ve figured it out. There are a total of twelve horizontal rooms. If we label them with numbers from 1 to 12, the Minotaur last stopped at number 2, and we are now in number 12. Assuming the Minotaur doesn¡¯t move while eating, it would have to move at least 8 spaces to catch up with us.¡± Bai Youwei pointed at the position of the teleportation point with her finger. ¡°Logically, this is a distance which the Minotaur could never catch up. However, there are an unknown number of teleportation points in the maze. If I were the Minotaur, I would choose a position not far from each teleportation point and predict the players¡¯ movement, then select the corresponding teleportation point. So, to avoid being caught by the Minotaur, we must meet two conditions. First, avoid all teleportation points; Second, avoid all dead ends.¡± Chen Hui hesitated and said, ¡°But now¡­ we are both near a teleportation point and close to a dead end¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a while and said, ¡°We need to move one space west now, then head north. If this maze is a 12X12 square, then we only need to move forward nine times to reach the end.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s 12X12?¡± Du Lai asked. ¡°I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s a possibility,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Whether it¡¯s mazes or games, they usually favor regular shapes, and the most common is the square. Now we know there are 12 locks, 12 keys, and precisely 12 horizontal rooms. If there are also 12 vertical rooms, then this maze is likely a square.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.?¦Ï Leonid asked, ¡°What does knowing it¡¯s a square do for us?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t do much.¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyelids and said softly, ¡°At least when the Minotaur is chasing us, we won¡¯t be forced into a dead end.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Chen Hui hesitated, ¡°if we want to confirm this¡­ we¡¯ll have to walk into a dead end at least once more.¡± They had already encountered two ¡°corners.¡± To prove the maze was a square, they still needed to confirm one more ¡°corner.¡± And walking into a ¡°dead end¡± made it very easy to be cornered by the Minotaur. Bai Youwei thought about it and said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s no other way. Even though we know we shouldn¡¯t walk into dead ends, to determine the location of each key, we need to search every room in the maze.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s get out as soon as possible.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him and said, ¡°We will go west.¡± The group moved one space to the west, and as they were about to move on, Du Lai saw a key in the western stone chamber. They moved forward another space and obtained the sixth key. ¡°I¡¯m starting to believe this maze could be 12X12,¡± said Du Lai. Asarina asked him, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because the chances of encountering a key are high,¡± Du Lai replied with a slight smirk. ¡°If there were as many as a thousand rooms, or even ten thousand, the likelihood of finding a key by luck would be almost impossible, right? But if it¡¯s 12X12, there would be a total of 144 rooms. Excluding the teleportation point rooms, the odds of finding a key¡­ might be around 10%.¡± ¡°Is 10% considered high?¡± Chen Hui couldn¡¯t help but ask. Du Lai smiled and asked her, ¡°Do you know about the lottery?¡± Chen Hui nodded, ¡°I know, what about it?¡± ¡°The lowest prize in the lottery, the fifth prize, has a cash prize of 5 yuan, and the odds of winning are about 6%,¡± Du Lai explained. ¡°Our chances of finding a key are much higher than the odds of winning the lottery.¡± Bai Youwei held the key and thought for a moment, saying, ¡°We need to go back and place the key in the stone chamber west of the teleportation point.¡± Chapter 830 - Chapter 830: Chapter 830: Distance Chapter 830: Chapter 830: Distance Du Lai was slightly stunned. ¡°Why?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°First, if it¡¯s nearby, it can signal the location of the teleportation point when we¡¯re panicking and running blindly. Second, when collecting keys, there¡¯s no need to search the entire labyrinth; we only need to go through the teleportation point to retrieve all the keys.¡± Everyone looked at each other and had no objection. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s retreat.¡± ¡­ No matter how they looked at it, every Stone Chamber was identical. They could only advance or retreat based on Bai Youwei¡¯s estimates. They retreated one space east and then advanced one north, with the teleportation point to their right, when suddenly they heard the Minotaur¡¯s voice¡ª The sound wasn¡¯t quiet; it must have been only a few Stone Chambers away to the north. The Minotaur had clearly been to their west before, so why had it suddenly appeared to the north? ¡°It seems to have used a teleportation point¡­¡± Bai Youwei drew on the map, ¡°Based on our movements today, we¡¯ve moved six spaces. If the Minotaur wanted to reach the nearest teleportation point, it would need to travel two spaces, which means it went through the teleportation point and then walked another four¡­¡± Asarina asked her, ¡°Can we avoid it?¡± ¡°We can retreat one space east to reach the teleportation point or head west to the first teleportation point we encountered.¡± Bai Youwei looked at everyone for their opinions, ¡°What do you think? East or west?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã? Du Lai asked, ¡°Where does the teleportation point to the east lead?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°And the one to the west?¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment and replied, ¡°The Minotaur could run to the north of us, which means the original teleportation point leads to the north of the labyrinth¡­ probably the northeast corner.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go west then; at least we can predict the location of the next teleportation point,¡± Du Lai suggested. Bai Youwei looked to the others. They all agreed. They moved one space west, and immediately heavy footsteps came from the adjacent Stone Chamber! The Minotaur was following! It was closer to them than they had thought! The expressions on everyone¡¯s faces changed; they continued moving forward as the Minotaur kept up. Its horns scraped against the solid stone walls, its breathing came through the iron doors, those footsteps echoing as if they were shaking the ground on their side. Being this close felt as if it could burst through the door at any moment! Everyone was cloaked in an urgent tension, their scalps tingling, with no choice but to clench their teeth and keep moving forward. With every door they passed, the door beside them would open as well, following closely! They couldn¡¯t shake it off! After moving six spaces, Bai Youwei checked the map and counted the rooms, then told everyone, ¡°After passing two more Stone Chambers, we can enter the teleportation point.¡± ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t do it anymore¡­¡± Mark, who was at the back, trembled in the legs, his voice tinged with a sob, ¡°I can¡¯t walk anymore¡­¡± Dylan¡¯s reaction was even more dramatic, fainting on the spot! Bai Youwei looked at the others; Shen Mo, Leonid, and Du Lai all looked strained, and Asarina was clutching her abdomen with a pale face. Being too close to the Minotaur seemed to cause certain effects. Now, only she and Chen Hui seemed the least affected. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Leonid frowned, rubbing his stomach, ¡°I just had some bread, how can I be hungry again so quickly¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment then said, ¡°Everyone, hang in there a bit longer. Once we¡¯re in the teleportation point and have put some distance between us and the Minotaur, it shouldn¡¯t be so tough.¡± Everyone nodded and continued to follow her forward. Dylan couldn¡¯t walk, so Mark carried him. They persisted for two more spaces and finally entered the teleportation point. Though it was the same Stone Chamber as before, the sound of the Minotaur vanished instantly. Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Chen Hui, still shaken, asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Could it follow us through the teleportation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked around and sighed softly, ¡°But as long as we don¡¯t move, it probably can¡¯t either¡­ Let¡¯s rest here for now.¡± Chapter 831 - Chapter 831: Chapter 831: Hunger Chapter 831: Chapter 831: Hunger The so-called rest consisted of making a fire, warming up, drinking water, and eating. In fact, less than half an hour had passed since they had eaten in the morning, and their hunger was utterly unreasonable. Du Lai ate half a biscuit before putting away the food and water and taking out a towel to firmly tie around his mouth, making him look like a masked bandit. But no one mocked him. Bai Youwei knew Du Lai was taking precautions, his willpower surprisingly strong as he silently tied his mouth shut to prevent himself from biting someone if he lost control. Leonid, who didn¡¯t bring a towel, tore a piece of cloth from his sleeve and did the same. Chen Hui was a little scared. Initially, she thought it was nothing, but now, seeing Du Lai and Leonid go so far as to cover their mouths, and Shen Mo, who usually stayed close to Bai Youwei, deliberately sitting farther away, she finally realized the gravity of the situation. ¡°Sister Weiwei¡­¡± Chen Hui sat next to Bai Youwei, opened her mouth, but didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was calm, ¡°as long as we get out, they¡¯ll recover¡­¡± Chen Hui bit her lower lip and nodded, ¡°Mhm.¡± After a while, she uneasily whispered to Bai Youwei, ¡°Will we become like this too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Bai Youwei shook her head slowly. ¡°It seems to affect men more at the moment, but I¡¯m not sure if it will affect women over time¡­¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã0 Chen Hui whispered to her, ¡°Sister Weiwei, if I turn out like this¡­ I¡¯d rather die.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still young; don¡¯t always talk about death,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°It will be fine, don¡¯t worry¡­¡± As they were talking, a strong smell of blood suddenly filled the air! The smell alarmed Bai Youwei. In the enclosed space, the strong odor lingered, and everyone looked over. Mark was holding the unconscious Dylan, munching non-stop! Red liquid trickled down from where he had bitten, his involvement in the act evident as his face, neck, and collar were all stained a bright red. Bai Youwei finally understood why their clothes always had that blackish stain¡ªit was layer upon layer of dried blood eventually solidifying. It was unclear whether Dylan was dead or alive¡­ even if alive, likely too weak to resist. Bai Youwei felt Chen Hui trembling violently beside her, but she couldn¡¯t comfort her now, instead, she looked around at the others¡ª Asarina was lost in thought. Du Lai was lost in thought. Leonid was also lost in thought. Bai Youwei walked over to Shen Mo and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡± Shen Mo seemed not to hear, his dark eyes fixed on Mark and Dylan. ¡°Don¡¯t look!¡± Bai Youwei grabbed his arm, trying to make him turn away. But she couldn¡¯t move him. Shen Mo continued to stare transfixed. Unable to wake him, Bai Youwei bit her lip and looked again at her companions. The cloth on Leonid¡¯s mouth was soaked with saliva, his beard also damp! If this went on¡­ Everyone would go mad! Unable to bear it any longer, she walked to the fire, picked up a burning stick, and quickly approached Mark. Mark, engrossed in his eating, didn¡¯t notice her. Bai Youwei, gritting her teeth, gripped the stick tightly and thrust it into his mouth! ¡°Aaaaaaaaaah!!!¡± Mark fell to the ground in agony, howling and rolling! Bai Youwei didn¡¯t let up, hitting him fiercely with the stick¡ªhis legs, his back, his mouth! She bellowed in fury, ¡°Wake up! Stop looking!!!¡± Shen Mo snapped out of it, standing dazed. Bai Youwei threw the stick away, ran over and embraced him, ¡°Don¡¯t look at them, look at me, Shen Mo, look at me, okay?¡± Chapter 832 - Chapter 832: Chapter 832 Food Chapter 832: Chapter 832 Food For a split second, Bai Youwei felt that Shen Mo was looking at her like she was food. But fortunately, it was only a moment, and he quickly came to his senses, pulling her into his embrace and whispering soothingly, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I¡¯m okay¡­¡± Bai Youwei, buried in Shen Mo¡¯s arms, trembled with her hands. She didn¡¯t dare to think, what if Shen Mo hadn¡¯t come to his senses in that second? What if he had wanted to eat her? She dared not think about it. Bai Youwei clutched Shen Mo¡¯s clothes, silently pushing him away, not wanting him to see those¡­ Mark, who had been beaten with a club by her, was now shivering as he crawled back, picked up Dylan¡¯s bloodied arm, and continued to devour it voraciously. Even if his whole body hurt, he had to eat; even if his teeth were smashed, he had to eat; he still had to eat, even if it might kill him! Suddenly, Du Lai strode forward! ¡°Asarina!¡± Asarina was startled, reaching out to stop him but failing to catch him. She watched helplessly as Du Lai walked up to Mark, snatched Dylan¡¯s broken body from his hands! Mark, skinny as a stick, was naturally no match for Du Lai. He pounced on Du Lai, letting out a piercing scream, ¡°Give it back to me!!!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï Du Lai staggered half a step, the stench of blood rushing to his brain, nearly causing him to lose his sanity. Just when everyone thought Du Lai was going to fight Mark for the food, he kicked Mark away, grabbed the body, walked to the door, pulled it open, and threw the body out with force! Everyone breathed a sigh of relief! But Mark, in a frenzy, rushed to the door, trying to snatch the body back! Du Lai blocked the door, refusing to let him pass, and he collapsed, crying and shouting, ¡°Why did you throw him away? Why do this?! If you don¡¯t eat, let me eat!!! He¡¯s already dead! He¡¯s dead! Why won¡¯t you let me eat him?!!!¡± After crying, he became angry, fighting Du Lai furiously: ¡°What right do you have to throw him away?! What right do you have!!! Do you know how long I¡¯ve been hungry?! You bastards! Either take me away from this damned place or let me eat my fill!!!¡± Mark grabbed Du Lai¡¯s wrist and bit down hard. ¡°I¡¯m going to eat you! I¡­¡± Bang! Leonid struck the back of his neck from behind, and Mark immediately collapsed. Du Lai withdrew his hand and quickly tore off a piece of cloth, wrapping his wounded wrist tightly. Leonid saw the spots of deep red spreading from his wound and involuntarily swallowed, muttering, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fight back?¡± Du Lai simply shook his head, not saying a word. ¡ªIn fact, because Mark was covered with Dylan¡¯s blood and Du Lai was so close to him, inhaling that bloody smell, his heart raced, and his head swelled, so just maintaining his sanity was already difficult enough, let alone retaliating. Asarina, covering her mouth and nose, said, ¡°You two¡­ keep your distance from him.¡± Leonid glanced at Mark on the ground, his expression complex, then turned and walked back, ¡°This smell really is unbearable¡­¡± Behind them, Bai Youwei spoke to Shen Mo, ¡°Wait here for me for a moment.¡± Shen Mo fell silent for a while, looked towards Mark in the distance, and nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± Bai Youwei took a deep breath and walked towards Mark. ¡°Sister Weiwei¡­¡± Chen Hui looked worried. Bai Youwei turned back to look at her, hesitated for two seconds, and said, ¡°You come over too, and everyone else keep your distance.¡± Bai Youwei and Chen Hui went over to Mark, crouched down, and began tearing off his blood-soaked clothes, peeling them off, and burning them. Then they took several bottles of water from the Magic Bag, poured them over Mark, and washed away the remaining blood stains. Having done all this, they together dragged Mark closer to the fire to prevent him from freezing to death. During this time, Shen Mo, Du Lai, Leonid, and Asarina all stood far away, keeping their distance. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to help, but they were afraid that the sight of the raw flesh might be too much to handle. Chapter 833 - Chapter 833: Chapter 833: Collar Chapter 833: Chapter 833: Collar The bloody smell in the Stone Chamber finally dissipated. Six people sat around the fire, silently roasting it. After an unknown amount of time, Du Lai spoke, ¡°When do we leave?¡± Originally the most patient of them all, he was now incredibly anxious, wanting nothing more than to leave as soon as possible. ¡°Wait until Mark wakes up,¡± Bai Youwei said softly, ¡°or you can carry him.¡± Du Lai smiled coolly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that if he wakes up halfway, he might bite through my neck.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then took something out of her bag and put it on the unconscious Mark. Du Lai asked, ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°A dog collar,¡± Bai Youwei said, head lowered as she fastened the leather band tightly. [Pet Collar: Wearing the collar doesn¡¯t necessarily make one obedient, but at least it can stop attacks, lasting until the collar is removed.] This was an item she had gotten from the White Gloves. Having won against the White Gloves last time, she obtained quite a few items, all with various effects. Although there were many types, only the right timing and application would bring out an item¡¯s full utility. Du Lai then asked her, ¡°Can this thing be used on the Minotaur?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï ¡°¡­It can,¡± Bai Youwei looked up at him, ¡°but the prerequisite is, you can put it on the Minotaur and ensure the Minotaur doesn¡¯t break the collar.¡± The collar¡¯s effect could only guarantee that the wearer wouldn¡¯t attack, but it didn¡¯t guarantee that the wearer wouldn¡¯t damage the collar. Moreover, given the Minotaur¡¯s size, for Du Lai to successfully fasten this small object around its neck would be no easy task, whereas for someone like Mark who was exhausted, it would be difficult to remove the collar. Du Lai became silent, saying no more. After Bai Youwei finished putting the collar on Mark, she looked at everyone, ¡°We can set off now, shall we go now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. Waiting here is a waste of time,¡± Leonid stood up and picked up Mark from the ground, carrying him on his back, and said, ¡°This kid, I¡¯ll carry him. Although he¡¯s half mad, he can save our lives at a critical moment.¡± Everyone listened in silence. To be honest, that statement was somewhat underhanded, Leonid¡¯s meaning was clear, he wanted to use Mark to secure a chance of survival for everyone. Although vile, it was also inevitable. Once the Minotaur caught up to them, unless there was a death, the doors in the Stone Chamber wouldn¡¯t open! One way or another, someone had to die! Bai Youwei said, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best not to let it catch up to us. If we¡¯re lucky¡­ maybe we¡¯ll find the Magic Sword on the way.¡± The hero in the mural killed the Minotaur with the Magic Sword. But they had no idea where the sword was. Maybe with luck, they would stumble upon it in one of the Stone Chambers; maybe without luck¡­ they would never find it. Bai Youwei led the group away from the teleportation spot. She deliberately counted their steps, marking their path with keys, circling within the maze. Whenever they were close to being cornered, they would head for the nearest teleportation spot, thus widening the distance from the Minotaur. After walking through sixty or seventy Stone Chambers, the Minotaur still hadn¡¯t caught up to them, and the map in Bai Youwei¡¯s hand grew increasingly complete. She also found several new keys, but still had not found that sword. Could it be the Magic Sword didn¡¯t exist? Bai Youwei began to doubt, but if there was no Magic Sword, how would they solve the impasse when they encountered the Minotaur? Was someone¡¯s death truly necessary? She simply couldn¡¯t figure it out. Another door lay before them. Bai Youwei gently pushed it open, about to toss a chick inside to investigate, but to her surprise, this Stone Chamber emitted a faint light. All the other chambers were pitch black. Everyone was stunned, standing at the doorway and observing for a moment before realizing ¨C this was the Stone Chamber with the mural! Hanging from the pillar in the center of the Stone Chamber were four oil lamps! Therefore, this Stone Chamber was lit! ¡°It¡¯s that room we entered when we first came into the maze!¡± Asarina couldn¡¯t hide her excitement. Relief washed over the faces of the others. Because in this room, there was an exit! Even though they hadn¡¯t collected all the keys and couldn¡¯t open the iron door, just looking at it gave them hope! Chapter 834 - Chapter 834: Chapter 834: Taking the Wrong Path Chapter 834: Chapter 834: Taking the Wrong Path Everyone entered the Stone Chamber and sized up the room once again. With a comparison, they realized that this Stone Chamber was bigger than any other they had seen outside, but it wasn¡¯t apparent due to the pillar standing in the middle. The murals were still those three murals. The locks also remained those twelve locks. After looking around, they found no more clues, yet they felt reassured because there was an exit here. ¡°Looking at its position, this seems to be the center of the entire labyrinth,¡± Bai Youwei said, studying the map she had drawn, ¡°¡­Now, except for the northwest area and a few blind spots we haven¡¯t explored, we¡¯ve been almost everywhere else.¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°How many more keys do we need?¡± ¡°We still need three,¡± Bai Youwei pointed at the map, ¡°They must be hidden in those Stone Chambers we haven¡¯t visited.¡± Chen Hui asked eagerly, ¡°Sister Weiwei, so long as we gather all 12 keys, we can open this door and then leave, right?¡± Bai Youwei looked towards the door covered in locks hanging from the pillar, and she too seemed a bit unsure, ¡°It should be¡­¡± Compared to a game, there were too many uncertainties in the labyrinth. Leonid wiped the drool from his beard and said, ¡°Let¡¯s quickly find the rest of the keys and get out!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã? Bai Youwei glanced at the map, ¡°Then¡­let¡¯s go this way.¡± She pushed open the north side door and led everyone through. They had wanted to continue north, but when they got to the door and found it wouldn¡¯t open, Bai Youwei was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Asarina asked, ¡°Did we reach a dead end again?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°This place is in the middle area of the labyrinth, it shouldn¡¯t be a dead end¡­¡± As soon as her words fell, Shen Mo, Leonid, and others all tightened their grip on their weapons and tensed up! The door on the east side had opened at some unknown time¡­ A pair of deep black horns slowly extended from the darkness, followed by a pair of blood-red, bulging eyes! Bai Youwei instantly gasped! ¡°Why¡­¡± Chen Hui asked in terror, ¡°It was clearly behind us just now, why has it suddenly appeared here?!¡± Could it be that Bai Youwei had taken a wrong turn? No¡­ she hadn¡¯t! She hadn¡¯t anticipated that this Stone Chamber was flanked by two teleportation points on either side! The Minotaur, from one side, had reached the other! ¡°Arghhhhh oh!¡± The huge monster with the head of a Minotaur roared as it lunged forward, bringing a foul-smelling breeze! Shen Mo, Du Lai, Leonid, and Asarina immediately countered! The quartet¡¯s assaults were as ferocious as ever. But as they swung their weapons, more blood from the Minotaur splattered, releasing dense swarms of tiny black bugs from the Minotaur¡¯s body! They clung persistently, burrowing into ears and smashing into eyes, nearly suffocating them! ¡°Dammit!¡± Leonid swung his sword in a rage, trying to slice those insects apart! The swarm dispersed and then regrouped, attracted by the stench of blood, flying towards them! The bugs not only interfered with their attack but also affected their consciousness; their stomachs soon cramped with hunger pangs, dramatically altering the men¡¯s complexions! The Minotaur in front of them seemed to no longer be the focus. Mark on the ground, the young Chen Hui, the vulnerable Bai Youwei, all became enticing meals in their gaze. Leonid, momentarily distracted, was suddenly knocked down by the Minotaur, which ferociously bit off a large chunk of flesh from his shoulder! ¡°AAAAAAAHHH!!!¡± he screamed, regaining some clarity as he lifted his knife and stabbed fiercely! Chen Hui held a flashlight to illuminate them, her tears continuously falling, ¡°Uncle¡­ don¡¯t die¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to die!¡± Leonid growled, gripping his knife and piercing one of the bull¡¯s eyes! Shen Mo stabbed the Minotaur in the heart from behind! Du Lai, even more ruthless, cut Mark¡¯s throat directly and rushed to a door, pushing it open! ¡°RUN!!!¡± he yelled at Bai Youwei and Chen Hui! ¡ªAs long as someone died, the door would open, whether killed by the Minotaur or by one of their own. Chapter 835 - Chapter 835: Chapter 835: Coming Out Chapter 835: Chapter 835: Coming Out Bai Youwei and Chen Hui followed Du Lai out of the door, anxiously observing the situation on the other side¡ª The Minotaur had already released Leonid, but Shen Mo¡¯s stab hadn¡¯t killed it! It shook off Shen Mo and pounced towards Asarina! Asarina dodged continuously within the Stone Chamber, retreating to Mark¡¯s side, lifting up Mark who had already turned into a bloodied mess, and threw him! She tried to divert the Minotaur¡¯s attention! The method did not work. Instead, the smell of blood further enraged the Minotaur¡ªit roared angrily! Lowering its head, it aimed its sharp horns at Asarina and charged straight at her! Asarina hurriedly dodged, but the Minotaur was so fast that she barely managed to escape clumsily. Shen Mo and Leonid, one in front and one behind, intercepted, giving Asarina a chance to catch her breath. ¡°Come over here!¡± Du Lai yelled from the door. Asarina glanced back at Shen Mo and Leonid, hesitated for a moment, then finally ran towards the door. At this moment, only the Minotaur, Shen Mo, and Leonid were left in the Stone Chamber, along with the already dead Mark. Leonid had a wound on his shoulder, bleeding incessantly! His body was almost covered by black insects, penalties that would have brought others down, but not him; he slashed fiercely at the Minotaur with one blow after another! ¡°I¡¯ll cover you, go now!¡± he shouted at Shen Mo. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.?¦Ï Shen Mo also had many insects on him! The two had to deal with both the Minotaur and the flying insects, quickly falling behind and barely managing to fight back properly due to their weak condition. ¡°You¡¯re hurt, you go first!¡± Shen Mo, wiping away the insects in front of him, saw the Minotaur lower its head again, charging fiercely towards them! ¡°Go!!!¡± Shen Mo pushed Leonid forcefully, while also rolling to the side, avoiding the charge! The Minotaur¡¯s horns hit directly into the stone wall! With a bang, the whole Stone Chamber seemed to tremble! ¡°Quick!!!¡± Du Lai urged again, stepping forward to pull the injured Leonid out of the door! Bai Youwei was anxiously fretting¡ªthe Stone Chamber now contained only Shen Mo dealing with the Minotaur alone! Her lips tightly pressed together, she watched him nervously. He was increasingly covered with insects; the ¡°lice¡± that had scattered from Leonid seemed to have all flown towards Shen Mo. The Minotaur¡¯s onslaught grew even fiercer and more chaotic, apparently aware it had lost its prey, frantic and furious, using not just its horns but also claws and teeth! It saw Shen Mo as its only enemy! ¡°Shen Mo!¡± Bai Youwei called out to him, her voice trembling. Du Lai began to close the door halfway, also shouting loudly, ¡°Shen Mo! Come over now!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s face was already unrecognizable, his body swarmed with insects! From afar, he looked like a dark shadow! This shadow again dodged the Minotaur¡¯s attack, hurriedly ran over, yet grabbed the edge of the door, trying to close it! ¡°Shen Mo?!¡± Du Lai stared, shocked. Asarina and Leonid were also stunned. Shen Mo looked towards Bai Youwei outside the door. In fact, he could no longer see clearly; insects had crawled into his eyes, his vision blotchy as if rusted, Bai Youwei¡¯s face also blurred. He felt her grab his hand, saying, ¡°Shen Mo, come out¡­¡± Shen Mo steeled his heart, pulled his hand away! ¡°Go.¡± he said, then forcibly closed the door! ¡°Shen Mo! Shen Mo!!!¡± Bai Youwei leaned against the door, pounding it fiercely! The door did not budge! Asarina couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Why won¡¯t he come out?!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Du Lai cursed under his breath, ¡°He¡¯s afraid of what he might do to us!¡± Leonid and Chen Hui were also frantic, ¡°Can¡¯t this door be opened?! Push hard!!!¡± ¡°Push?! How do we push?!!¡± Du Lai exclaimed, ¡°You¡¯re injured! Between me and Asarina alone, we simply can¡¯t push against Shen Mo!¡± Bai Youwei clenched her teeth, suddenly turned around, snatched the dagger from Du Lai¡¯s hand, and said coldly, ¡°I have a way to make him come out.¡± Chapter 836 - Chapter 836: Chapter 836: Get the Wine Chapter 836: Chapter 836: Get the Wine Boom!!! A loud noise occurred as the Minotaur hit the stone wall! It let out a long mournful howl, followed by the chaotic sounds of fighting inside the Stone Chamber, the Minotaur gasping sharply until it finally fell! Bai Youwei stood outside the door, her heart clenching tightly. She knew Shen Mo could handle the Minotaur. He was skilled, and with the paper dolls as weapons, he never backed down from any monster. It was just¡­ he was helpless against those parasites, which is why he forcefully stayed inside! Du Lai and Asarina banged on the door, unable to open it. Du Lai shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°Even if you kill it, it¡¯s useless! Shen Mo! It¡¯ll come back to life in no more than fifteen seconds, and then it will eat Mark! Do you plan to stay in there and compete with it for food?!¡± There was silence behind the door. Bai Youwei closed her eyes and took a deep breath¡­ Suddenly, she raised a dagger and plunged it into her right knee! ¡°Ah!¡­¡± She screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã? Asarina, both anxious and angry, grabbed her, ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Bai Youwei propped herself up on her elbows, looking toward the closed door, shaking all over, ¡°He stays inside because he thinks that, even without him, I could survive¡­ He thinks I¡¯m more likely to survive without him!¡­ That¡¯s why he won¡¯t come out!¡± With that said, she plunged the dagger into her left knee! Blood gushed out, and despite mentally bracing herself, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but cry out again, her forehead covered in cold sweat! Du Lai was extremely anxious, ¡°Bai Youwei! Do you want to become a cripple again?!!¡± Leonid, desperate, tore off the towel on his face and cursed at the door, ¡°Shen Mo! Damn kid! Come out! You¡¯re insane! And your woman too!!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Bai Youwei breathed deeply, holding her wounds and whispering, ¡°This little injury will heal quickly once we get out of the maze.¡± ¡°Is this going to help?!¡± Asarina was extremely distraught, ¡°He might already be out of his mind! Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t lock himself in there!¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and shouted at the door: ¡°Shen Mo! I¡¯m bleeding now, Du Lai and Leonid are hungry, even if you can resist eating me, what makes you think they can?!¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Leonid quickly covered his mouth with the towel, as the scent of blood was indeed making him salivate. Just as Du Lai was about to say that such tactics might not work, the door was suddenly yanked open, and a figure shrouded in ¡°black mist¡± burst out and collapsed straight to the ground! Everyone was shocked! Shen Mo was covered in blood, with a large hole in his abdomen, as if gored by a bullhorn! He was barely conscious, reaching out a hand to grab Bai Youwei¡¯s ankle. His body was swarmed by black parasites, flying around, yet only a few ventured up Bai Youwei¡¯s leg, while many dispersed, drawn to Du Lai, Leonid, and Asarina! At that moment, Bai Youwei finally understood, ¡°It¡¯s about combat strength!¡­ These ¡®Lice¡¯ automatically choose the strongest person to parasitize! That¡¯s why Chen Hui and I are almost unaffected!¡± Du Lai swatted away the parasites, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°Do you have any alcohol?¡± Bai Youwei took out the golden key and opened the dollhouse. Inside, Chang Weicai, Pan Xiaoxin, and Tan Xiao were all present, startled by their ghastly state! ¡°I was only gone for a minute, how did you end up like this?!¡± Tan Xiao stepped forward to help. ¡°Don¡¯t come out!¡± Bai Youwei stopped him, ¡°The parasites here are problematic, none of you come out! Just bring me alcohol, the higher the proof, the better! Hurry!¡± Chapter 837 - Chapter 837: Chapter 837 Magic Sword Chapter 837: Chapter 837 Magic Sword The people in the room were stunned, they all went to grab the alcohol¡ª Du Lai and Leonid popped off the bottle caps and poured it over their heads, the strong scent of alcohol scattered the flying insects around, and Shen Mo was drenched in it, too. The insects clinging to him either died or dispersed. But that still wasn¡¯t enough! The irritating smell of alcohol could ward off the flying insects, but it couldn¡¯t cure the ¡°poison¡± on their bodies. Du Lai and Leonid were still hungry! Asarina felt hungry, too! Bai Youwei treated Shen Mo¡¯s wounds with mud, then took out a collar and put it on Shen Mo. Shen Mo opened his eyes, silently looking at her, motionless. Bai Youwei said expressionlessly, ¡°I can¡¯t walk now, so you¡¯ll have to carry me. If you try to bite me, I¡¯ll let the rabbit shock you. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be lenient.¡± Shen Mo watched her quietly, without saying a word, a hint of resentment hidden in his eyes. ¡°Unhappy with me? Not pleased?¡± Bai Youwei said coldly, ¡°Shen Mo, from the day you forcibly took me out of my home, my life and death have been tied to you! You can¡¯t just abandon me!¡± After saying that, she stopped looking at him and pulled out three more collars from her bag, throwing them to Du Lai and others. Du Lai was speechless for a while before asking, ¡°How many dog collars do you actually have?¡± ¡°These are all I have, it¡¯s up to you whether you wear them or not,¡± Bai Youwei replied indifferently, ¡°But I think you¡¯d better put them on.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?0 Wearing these things was indeed somewhat demeaning, but the influence of the ¡°lice¡± was always present, so what did dignity count for in the face of life and death? Asarina was the most unconcerned, being the first to put one on. She was slightly startled, looked at Bai Youwei, then at Du Lai and Leonid, ¡°¡­seems like I¡¯m not so hungry anymore.¡± Upon hearing this, Du Lai and Leonid also immediately put the collars on themselves and then discovered¡ªthey were still hungry, but the desire for Bai Youwei and Chen Hui wasn¡¯t as ¡°alluring¡± as before. Du Lai touched the collar around his neck and said, ¡°I never thought this item could have such an effect.¡± ¡°Probably because it interferes with brain consciousness,¡± Bai Youwei said lightly, ¡°You guys don¡¯t really want to eat human flesh, it¡¯s just that your thinking has been influenced by the lice, or you could say¡­ your own brains have deceived you.¡± Upon hearing this, Du Lai couldn¡¯t help but glance back at the door, where the sound of gnawing on bones crackled. Du Lai tried hard to ignore the hair-raising noise and hesitated, ¡°¡­With this thing on, if we encounter that creature again, we¡¯ll just be waiting to die.¡± Pet collars would restrict the wearer¡¯s movement and make any form of attack impossible. Bai Youwei thought for a moment and said, ¡°We indeed need to come up with a way to deal with that bull.¡± Chen Hui muttered beside them, ¡°We¡¯ve been through so many stone chambers, and still no sign of the magic sword¡­¡± Everyone fell silent upon hearing this. The more stone chambers they went through, the slimmer the hope of finding the sword became. Did the magic sword that could slay the Minotaur really exist? After a while, Bai Youwei said, ¡°There¡¯s one place we haven¡¯t searched.¡± ¡°Where haven¡¯t we searched?¡± Asarina asked quickly. Bai Youwei took out the map she had drawn, examined it, and circled a spot. ¡°Here¡­ where Slade died,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°We haven¡¯t searched Slade¡¯s body.¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Why do you think the sword is on him?¡± ¡°Such a vital item should be placed at a special location. Although we haven¡¯t finished exploring the maze, the most special places are only two kinds¡ªone is the Mural Stone Room at the center, and the other is the Teleportation Stone Room at the perimeter. But we have checked these rooms, all without a trace, so there¡¯s one more possibility¡ª¡± Bai Youwei pointed her finger on the map. ¡°The magic sword, it¡¯s already been taken by someone. Mark and the others have been here for months, if there really was a magic sword, they couldn¡¯t have missed it.¡± Chapter 838 - Chapter 838: Chapter 838: Care About Chapter 838: Chapter 838: Care About Du Lai asked in confusion, ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°There¡¯s another reason,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Have you ever thought about why, after several months, only Mark, Dylan, and Slade are the ones who have survived in the labyrinth?¡± ¡°Maybe they are the strongest,¡± Du Lai replied. ¡°Looking at them, you can tell they¡¯ve eaten quite a few people.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°Maybe they are the strongest, but if they have survived, it must be because a certain balance was achieved among the three of them. Mark has the key to leave the labyrinth, Dylan holds endless food and water, so what does Slade have in his possession?¡± With her saying that, everyone started to realize. ¡°You mean¡­ Slade has hidden that Magic Sword?¡± Asarina exclaimed in shock. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense! If Slade really had the Magic Sword, why didn¡¯t he use it when the Minotaur attacked him? And when the three of them first saw us, they were in such a hurry to bring out the key and the Magic Bag, but there was no sight of the Magic Sword!¡± ¡°Slade wasn¡¯t clear-headed, and besides, he¡¯s no match for the Minotaur, so it¡¯s not strange that he didn¡¯t produce the Magic Sword in time,¡± Bai Youwei pondered thoughtfully and slowly said, ¡°As for why they didn¡¯t bring out the Magic Sword¡­ perhaps, when they got the sword, they didn¡¯t realize it was anything special and considered it as a regular weapon to keep for self-defense. After all, according to the murals, the sword only has an effect when it pierces the Minotaur¡¯s heart.¡± Leonid said impatiently, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if they have it or not, why don¡¯t we just go and look? Let¡¯s hurry! How much longer are we going to stay here?!¡± It wasn¡¯t just the ¡°lice¡± that could affect them, but also the Minotaur itself and any scent of blood. The collar could only provide some relief, and Leonid was already going mad from hunger. ¡°Walk four squares forward, then head south, and you¡¯ll return to where Slade had his incident.¡± Bai Youwei said, as she grabbed Shen Mo beside her, her tone calm, ¡°Carry me on your back.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã0 Shen Mo¡¯s body was icy cold, still carrying a moist alcoholic scent. He silently stood up, picked up Bai Youwei, and when his hand touched Bai Youwei¡¯s injured knee, his voice became slightly harsh, ¡°Don¡¯t do this again.¡± Bai Youwei wrapped her arms around his neck and snorted, ¡°The same goes for you.¡± Shen Mo walked silently forward without speaking. After a while, he suddenly lowered his head and bit Bai Youwei¡¯s hand! He was truly ruthless; an iron taste filled his mouth as he bit down hard enough to break the skin on Bai Youwei¡¯s fingers! Drops of crimson soaked his lips, giving his stern and solemn face an incongruously vivid tint of beauty, while the collar, sensing his aggressive behavior, began to constrict like a tightening band! Bai Youwei bit her lip and endured the pain. Finally, Shen Mo let go and asked her, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Bai Youwei said resentfully, ¡°It hurts, but it¡¯s better than watching you die in there!¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t restrained myself, the one dying would be both of us!¡± Shen Mo looked at the others ahead, his voice very low, ¡°Or even more.¡± ¡°But you did hold back!¡± Bai Youwei cried on his back, ¡°You came out alright!¡± Shen Mo carried her forward, his voice low, ¡°I¡¯m not alright. Even with this collar on, I still want to devour you¡­ Every minute, every second, I think about swallowing you whole, from head to toe¡­¡± He breathed in slowly, as if greedily inhaling the bloody scent from Bai Youwei¡¯s fingers. Bai Youwei spitefully smeared the blood from her hand onto his neck! ¡°Then go ahead and eat! I don¡¯t care!¡± she said with tears and a cold laugh. Shen Mo stopped in his tracks and said, ¡°I care.¡± After pausing for two seconds, he added, ¡°Weiwei, if I can¡¯t restrain myself, remember to hide inside the dollhouse and no matter what¡­ don¡¯t come out.¡± Bai Youwei saw black bugs crawling by his ear and her tears fell even harder. Chapter 839 - Chapter 839: Chapter 839: A Sword Chapter 839: Chapter 839: A Sword The group made their way back to the place where Slade had met his fate. The stone chamber was pitch dark, void of any glimmer of light. They shone their flashlights around and spotted a short sword at the spot where Slade had lain. It was difficult to call it a sword. Bai Youwei even doubted whether it had been pryed directly from the mural, because it looked just as abstract! The blackish iron object had been rudely fashioned into the semblance of a sword, and it was extremely crude. If they had searched their companions at the start, even if she had found it, Bai Youwei might not have recognized it as a sword; it resembled a poorly crafted cross more than anything. Asarina picked up the sword from the ground and looked around. No sign of Slade. He had already been devoured to the extent that not a bone remained, his hair and clothes entirely erased by the stone chamber. ¡°To think that the sword we¡¯ve been searching for so long would be here¡­¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s go finish off the Minotaur, and we can leave the labyrinth,¡± Leonid declared, clenching his fists in anticipation, ¡°Once it¡¯s dead, I¡¯m going to have a huge meal! Damn it, I¡¯m starving to death!¡± After a moment of silence, Du Lai nodded in agreement, ¡°Let¡¯s make it quick. We really can¡¯t linger in this place for too long.¡± Bai Youwei, perched on Shen Mo¡¯s back, looked down at the compass, ¡°If the Minotaur is still in its original spot, we can take the teleportation point, then head west for two rooms, then south¡­ The Minotaur will move towards us as well.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï As she spoke, she turned her head to look at Leonid, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with that wound?¡± A chunk of flesh had been bitten off Leonid¡¯s shoulder by the Minotaur. Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t used the mud on him, people who had been through the labyrinth several times had a strong ability to recover. Unless it was a fatal wound, there was no need to use the mud. Leonid tightened the bandage on his shoulder and replied, ¡°I won¡¯t die from this; injuries are a trifling matter. Let¡¯s hurry and act while the few of us haven¡¯t gone mad.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked around, her voice dropping, ¡°but I need to remind you, we only have one chance. If it doesn¡¯t die, then one of us must die so the others can escape.¡± They looked at each other. They had agreed to enter the labyrinth to improve their Physical Abilities and until the very end, who would want to die? ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Mo, carrying Bai Youwei on his back, whispered, ¡°As long as there¡¯s no problem with this sword, we don¡¯t have to die.¡± ¡­ This was the first time they were not avoiding, but instead heading directly towards the Minotaur. Black bugs flew and crawled over Shen Mo¡¯s body from time to time. Leonid and Du Lai were not immune to the bugs either, even swatting them away only resulted in their buzzing return after a while. As they neared the Minotaur, the insects became even more gleeful in flight, their numbers subtly increasing. Shen Mo¡¯s breathing grew heavier as well. Bai Youwei knew they were being affected. ¡°Put me down,¡± Bai Youwei said softly. Shen Mo halted his steps, silently for a moment, then gently set Bai Youwei down to check her legs. Having entered the labyrinth multiple times, Bai Youwei¡¯s body had a strong healing ability. The two deep cuts from earlier had stopped bleeding, but the wounds were red, making the knees when bent look like brackets on her legs, a somewhat odd sight. Shen Mo held up her knee, uncertain what to say. In that moment, something fuzzy scurried onto his shoulder, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw it was Bai Youwei¡¯s rabbit. It seemed to disdain the persistent black bugs on him, shifting slightly away. Bai Youwei spoke, ¡°You should take the rabbit. Although it¡¯s only been charged overnight and may not have much power left, it might be able to cause some interference with the Minotaur. When the time comes, you¡¯ll have to seize the moment and pierce its heart with the sword¡­¡± She halted, pressing her lips together, gazing at Shen Mo: ¡°Chen Hui and I will wait outside for your good news.¡± Looking into her eyes, Shen Mo nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 840 - Chapter 840: Chapter 840: The Exit of the Maze Chapter 840: Chapter 840: The Exit of the Maze Bai Youwei chose to stay behind, not wanting to be a burden, as she had the lowest combat power of everyone and had also injured her leg. Between the stone chambers, thick walls separated them; the Minotaur was at the other end, roaring, panting, and making dull sounds with its steps. Shen Mo took one last look at Bai Youwei, removed the collar from his neck, and took the rabbit as he pushed open the door first¡ª Du Lai, Asarina, and Leonid closely followed, also removing their collars. A low growl from the Minotaur came from the darkness, followed by Leonid shutting the door! Their view was blocked by the door, making it impossible to see what was happening on the other side; Chen Hui nervously came to Bai Youwei¡¯s side, her fingers tightly intertwined. ¡°They¡¯ll be fine,¡± Chen Hui whispered softly, not knowing if she was speaking to Bai Youwei or to herself. Bang!!! Suddenly, a loud noise startled Chen Hui! Then, a piercing scream came from behind the door! It was like the roar of a trapped beast, coupled with the howling of a wolf! The sound spread along the stone walls, echoing fiercely. Chen Hui¡¯s eyes widened with fear, staring intently at the door, her heart in her throat! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã0 Until the sound gradually weakened¡­ The sounds of fighting ceased. Completely gone. The door was pulled open from the inside; Leonid stood at the doorway, his shoulder wound had reopened, oozing a layer of dark red, but his face was filled with excitement. ¡°Come in quickly!¡± Leonid exclaimed excitedly, ¡°This maze is so simple! The exit has already appeared!¡± Chen Hui and Bai Youwei were utterly bewildered. Asarina also ran to the door, urgently telling them, ¡°The exit! The exit of the maze has appeared!¡± Chen Hui helped Bai Youwei up and slowly walked into the stone chamber. They saw the Minotaur lying motionless on the ground, with Shen Mo stepping on its chest, resembling the pose of a hero in a mural; he slowly loosened his grip, leaving the sword forever in the creature¡¯s chest cavity. Not ten meters from the Minotaur, a glowing square appeared! They were all too familiar with this kind of square! Because the Inspector had opened the maze entrance for them, it was such a white glowing square, and entering the battle game was through a similar square! Du Lai sighed with relief, looking at Bai Youwei, ¡°We¡¯ve been terribly harmed by those people; if they hadn¡¯t taken this sword, we would have found the exit long ago.¡± Mark and his people had significantly increased the difficulty of the maze! Asarina realized this and felt conflicted, ¡°They were trapped for so long, yet they didn¡¯t know that the sword in their hands could save their lives¡­¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because hunger made them lose their reason,¡± Leonid said to everyone, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and leave; we can finally get out of this hellish place! I am so hungry I could eat a whole sheep!¡± Chen Hui hesitantly asked, ¡°Just¡­ just walk out like this?¡± It felt absurd that they had felt so hopeless just moments ago, and now they were talking about walking out. Du Lai laughed, ¡°This maze wasn¡¯t supposed to be difficult; we were misled at the beginning, otherwise with the Minotaur being continuously revived, we wouldn¡¯t have been so miserable.¡± He waved away the remaining insects in front of him, looking towards the glowing square from an unprecedented ease. ¡°We can finally go out¡­¡± Du Lai stepped toward the square, eager to leave and meet Miaoxue. Shen Mo also approached Bai Youwei, his hair and arms still entwined with black insects. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Shen Mo said expressionlessly, wiping away the annoying insects lightly, ¡°These bugs are endless; I don¡¯t know if they will disappear once we¡¯re out.¡± Bai Youwei looked at Shen Mo, then hesitatedly at Du Lai, ¡°Are we really just walking out like this? We haven¡¯t found all the keys; the iron door behind the mural hasn¡¯t been opened yet¡­¡± Chapter 841 - Chapter 841: Chapter 841: Stay to Guard the Door Chapter 841: Chapter 841: Stay to Guard the Door Du Lai halted in his tracks, and even Leonid, who was about to leave, stopped as well. ¡°The exit has already appeared. Aren¡¯t we leaving?¡± Du Lai was puzzled. ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you say that the greatest use of those keys was to serve as landmarks? We don¡¯t necessarily need to collect them all.¡± Leonid was also getting impatient. ¡°Let¡¯s just get out of here as soon as possible. These lice keep following us, and no matter what we do, we can¡¯t shake them off. Even if we wash with alcohol, it doesn¡¯t last very long before the lice come back.¡± He took off the towel wrapped around his face, unable to bear it any longer. ¡°If we continue to stay here, won¡¯t our symptoms get worse? I am really¡­ so hungry!¡± ¡°The exit is right before our eyes, and it won¡¯t take too much time to find the last few keys. Let¡¯s just endure a little longer,¡± Bai Youwei looked toward the glowing square, her expression anxious. ¡°After all, we can¡¯t be sure¡­ whether these lice will disappear after we leave the maze.¡± ¡°No, that can¡¯t be, can it?¡± Asarina¡¯s heart, which had just settled, lifted again. ¡°Every time we leave the maze, don¡¯t we undergo an upgrade in physical ability? And no matter how severe the injuries to our bodies, they are almost always healed!¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips and remained silent. What she wanted to say was that it wasn¡¯t like that at all. When Chang Weicai left the maze, not only did the scales on his body not disappear, but they also upgraded along with him. Just like how previously he was an aquatic creature and after the upgrade, he became amphibious, capable of surviving on both land and water. And these ¡°lice¡±¡­ it was impossible for Bai Youwei to predict what effect the maze would upgrade them to. Chen Hui looked distressed, glancing around before speaking up, ¡°I think¡­ we should just do as Sister Weiwei suggests. There are only three keys left, and not many stone chambers we haven¡¯t been through. Just a little more time and we can gather all the keys and open the iron door¡­ Whatever the outcome, at least when we leave, we¡¯ll feel more at ease.¡± ¡°But what if the exit disappears?¡± Du Lai frowned, ¡°Will the exit stay here forever, or is there a time limit?¡­ There must be a time limit, right? Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for the next group of people coming in to find the exit?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï Bai Youwei pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°How about this, now that the Minotaur is dead, we don¡¯t have to worry about the step count. One of us will stay here to watch over, while the others go find the keys. Then, we all meet in the maze¡¯s center, that is, the stone chamber with the murals.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay,¡± said Du Lai. Everyone looked at him. It was obvious to those with discerning eyes that Du Lai did not want to miss the chance to leave. He was neither a subject of Bai Youwei nor had any particular relationship with her; indeed, he did not need to follow her orders. ¡°Alright, you stay,¡± Bai Youwei nodded indifferently, and directly assigned tasks to the others. Leonid would search the eastern stone chambers, Asarina the south, Chen Hui the west, and she and Shen Mo would take the north. Before leaving, Bai Youwei handed a white conch to Du Lai. This was an artifact for transmitting sound; as long as Du Lai spoke through the white conch, even through layers of stone walls, Bai Youwei and others could clearly hear him. It was just a pity the artifact could not facilitate conversation; otherwise, it would be almost as useful as a cell phone. Du Lai held the white conch and sat down cross-legged in front of the glowing square, calmly saying, ¡°If the exit shrinks or disappears, I will immediately notify you with the conch.¡± He paused for two seconds, then added, ¡°But if you don¡¯t come back¡­ I won¡¯t wait forever.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him deeply. Tiny black bugs scurried around his neck, and veins bulged faintly on his forehead; he seemed to have endured to his limit¡­ ¡°If you decide to leave first, I have no objections,¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently. ¡°However, think it through carefully, you wouldn¡¯t want to end up in such a ghastly state when Fu Miaoxue has recovered.¡± Chapter 842 - Chapter 842: Chapter 842: The Fourth Picture Chapter 842: Chapter 842: The Fourth Picture Du Lai was too unruly, only showing caution when the name Fu Miaoxue was mentioned. Bai Youwei spoke calmly, ¡°You and Fu Miaoxue joined the King¡¯s war without any real interest in the battle itself, solely focused on entering the labyrinth. You did it to help her recover her body, right? The labyrinth can turn a person into a doll, perhaps it can do the reverse as well. That¡¯s what you were thinking, isn¡¯t it?¡± Du Lai sat in front of the glowing square, his eyelids drooped, his expression unchanged. Bai Youwei continued, ¡°You¡¯ve been through quite a few games, but your experience with the labyrinth is close to zero. So you and Fu Miaoxue agreed to first enter the labyrinth with me to gain enough experience, and then bring her along?¡± There was finally a subtle change in Du Lai¡¯s face, as if dismissing the idea, he gave a nonchalant smile, ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare owe that kind of favor.¡± ¡°Of course¡­ it¡¯s not really a favor,¡± Bai Youwei also responded with a light smile. ¡°Although you brought companions to gain the experience, you indeed helped me as well. It¡¯s a mutually beneficial arrangement.¡± Without Du Lai, Leonid, and Chen Hui, it would not have been easy for Bai Youwei to enter the labyrinth. ¡°You should be careful when you take Fu Miaoxue into the labyrinth in the future,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°We¡¯ve nearly collected all the keys now, it won¡¯t take much more time. It¡¯s always better to come out later than to take the wrong path.¡± Du Lai¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, ¡°You suspect that this exit might not be the real exit?¡± ¡°Anything is possible,¡± Bai Youwei replied indifferently. ¡°At least until we¡¯ve collected all the keys and the door¡¯s secret has been unraveled, I feel it¡¯s not prudent to just leave like this.¡± Du Lai looked down at the tiny lice scurrying between his fingers. They burrowed into his nail crevices, crawled toward the folds of his clothes, fluttering and unsettling his mind. ¡°Understood¡­¡± Du Lai closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for all of you to come back.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?0 Bai Youwei pursed her lips and left the Stone Chamber with the others. ¡­ Without the threat of the Minotaur, their passage through the labyrinth was unobstructed, and they soon found the remaining keys. Following the Stone Chamber¡¯s transmission points, Bai Youwei collected the keys that were marked, including those found by Chen Hui and Asarina, totaling twelve. The group returned to the room with the wall painting. The keys did not seem to require a specific order; any key could fit into the same lock. Shen Mo fitted a key into the lock, turned it, and unlocked it. Click. One lock opened. Then the second¡­ ¡°Will there really be an exit behind the door?¡± Chen Hui asked, uneasily. Asarina looked nervously at the door, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Leonid, dizzy with hunger, tried to restrain himself. He stood a bit distant, muttering lowly, ¡°I hope it¡¯s not a trap.¡± The last lock was opened. Shen Mo turned to look at everyone, finally resting his gaze on Bai Youwei¡¯s face. Bai Youwei nodded at him and said, ¡°Open it.¡± The heavy iron door creaked open¡­ When the door was fully open, everyone was stunned. Because behind the door was not the anticipated exit, but a wall! Precisely, one side of the pillar had been fitted with a door! No exit, no mechanism, the side of the pillar that was concealed by the iron door was the fourth mural. All the beams from the torches converged on the painting. The fourth mural was even more intricate than the previous three. In the painting, the Minotaur was tied over a fire, a group of tiny figures danced around the campfire, and the hero who had vanquished the beast held a knife in one hand and a dark object in the other. Upon closer examination, all the little figures had black objects in their hands as well. The painting was too abstract to discern what they were doing. As Bai Youwei watched, she suddenly felt alarmed, ¡°Quick!¡­ We need to go back and find Du Lai!¡± Chapter 843 - Chapter 843: Chapter 843: A Small Piece Chapter 843: Chapter 843: A Small Piece ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Asarina asked anxiously, ¡°Is there something wrong with this mural?¡± ¡°What they are holding should be meat,¡± Shen Mo reached out and gently touched the mural, ¡°These black lines¡­ are blood. The dead Minotaur was roasted over a fire, and the heroes and the humans offered as tribute shared the Minotaur¡¯s flesh.¡± Leonid did not understand, ¡°Why cover up such a mural with a door and lock it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°only by completing the fourth step can one truly pass through. If I¡¯m not mistaken, those who enter the maze must eat the flesh of the Minotaur to be truly saved.¡± She faced everyone and emphasized again, ¡°We need to hurry back and find Du Lai, if he couldn¡¯t resist and left the maze through the exit, it might cause big trouble! The maze might enhance Physical Ability, but what if it also enhances the lice? If the lice get outside, will they continue to affect brain consciousness? Will they infect others?!¡± Everyone¡¯s faces changed. If these lice were indeed taken outside by Du Lai, it could lead to chaos worldwide! The group hurried back. In the rush and confusion, they took a wrong turn and finally found the Stone Chamber where they had previously eliminated the Minotaur. As the door pushed open, the glowing square was still there, but there was no sign of Du Lai. Everyone¡¯s hearts immediately rose. Had Du Lai really left due to impatience?! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï Holding their flashlights, they scanned the surroundings and finally saw a dark figure not far from the Minotaur¡¯s corpse! Du Lai was covered in black lice, lying motionlessly on the ground, his condition far worse than what Shen Mo had suffered before! There was no time to get the alcohol; they directly took several bottles of water from the Magic Bag and doused Du Lai, washing off the lice! Shen Mo pulled Du Lai¡¯s body off the ground, only for him to suddenly wake and bite Shen Mo¡¯s hand! Blood instantly spilled out, shocking even Leonid who stood beside him, his eyes glazed and drool involuntarily dripping! Chen Hui acted quickly and immediately grabbed Leonid¡¯s arm, pulling him away to prevent him from smelling the scent! ¡°The collar!¡± Shen Mo subdued Du Lai and turned to shout at Bai Youwei, ¡°Quick!¡± Bai Youwei passed the collar, and the others put them on one after another. Their aggressiveness finally subsided, but the black lice kept flying onto their bodies! Shen Mo stripped Du Lai of his lice-infested shirt, lit it with a lighter, and tossed it to the ground. Bai Youwei opened the dollhouse and asked those inside to bring out some firewood; a bonfire ignited. The intense flames and the square¡¯s pure white light illuminated the entire Stone Chamber. Then¡ª Shen Mo walked to the Minotaur¡¯s body and cut off a piece of meat. They should have been disgusted, but their consciousness was so distorted by lice that they found nothing amiss with the bloody meat. Only Bai Youwei and Chen Hui struggled to accept it. In the end, they sliced two small pieces, grilled them on the fire, wrapped them in bread, and swallowed them without even wishing to chew. What the taste was, was uncertain, but immediately after consuming, they felt psychologically comforted. The lice on Shen Mo, Du Lai, Leonid, and Asarina gradually scattered, including many that died. They shook their clothes lightly, and lice fell like dandruff. The six people looked at each other, and at that moment, they truly felt relieved. ¡°Let¡¯s grill a few more slices,¡± Bai Youwei looked at Shen Mo, ¡°Teacher Cheng and the others need to eat too.¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t say a word and silently went to cut another small piece. Chapter 844 - Chapter 844: Chapter 844: Maze Number 5 Chapter 844: Chapter 844: Maze Number 5 Bai Youwei called several people out from the dollhouse and gave each of them a thin slice of meat. ¡°Eat it, then walk out through that glowing square.¡± Bai Youwei pointed to a square nearby. Tan Xiao didn¡¯t think much, put the meat in his mouth, and chewed noisily, ¡°What kind of meat is this? It¡¯s so tough.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Beef jerky.¡± ¡°Though the meat is a bit tough, it¡¯s very fresh.¡± Teacher Cheng chewed slowly and said, ¡°We haven¡¯t eaten fresh meat in a long time, Weiwei, next time we encounter a cow, we must find a way to raise it, sustainable resource development, right?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh.¡± She glanced at Pan Xiaoxin, saw he was holding the meat but hadn¡¯t eaten yet, and raised her eyebrows, asking, ¡°Xiaoxin, eat up! Children shouldn¡¯t be picky.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin silently glanced somewhere not far off. There lay a huge figure on the ground, dimly lit, Xiaoxin couldn¡¯t see clearly and tried to take a closer look, just as Shen Mo moved a few steps, blocking his view. Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up and eat.¡± Bai Youwei urged, ¡°Once we finish, we need to go out.¡± Pan Xiaoxin looked down at the meat in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then closed his eyes and ate it. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï Everyone ate the ¡°beef jerky,¡± and Bai Youwei finally relaxed and announced, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go out!¡± They all gradually entered the square emitting white light. Leaving the dimly lit Stone Chamber, they entered into a void of white¡ª ¡°Congratulations, players for clearing Maze No. 5.¡± Bai Youwei heard the familiar system notification, and as usual, her companions disappeared from her side. ¡°Players may receive 2 doll jigsaw pieces. Now upgrading player data¡­ Ding, this upgrade has concluded.¡± Bai Youwei looked down at her legs, the two wounds disappeared instantly, and her body also felt lighter and more agile. ¡°Reward settlement complete, please continue the game, strive to clear¡ª¡± The system voice disappeared, the white before her eyes faded, she blinked, and found herself in the lounge. Her companions also gradually appeared beside her¡ªLeonid, Chen Hui, Du Lai¡­ ¡°You guys came out quite fast; I thought it would take at least three to five days.¡± A woman¡¯s voice sounded, carrying a unique arrogance, Bai Youwei followed the voice and saw Fu Miaoxue walking slowly over in black veils. So she had been waiting for them in the lounge all along. Fu Miaoxue approached Du Lai and asked, ¡°How was it? Was the maze difficult?¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t know how to answer. To say it was difficult, it really wasn¡¯t¡ªuse the Magic Sword to kill the Minotaur, then collect all the keys. But to say it wasn¡¯t difficult, they almost fell apart in the maze¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go back¡­ I¡¯ll tell you more slowly,¡± Du Lai said with concern, ¡°Was everything okay here at the base these two days?¡± Fu Miaoxue hummed in displeasure: ¡°Without you here, I couldn¡¯t even find anyone to talk with, I was bored to death!¡± Du Lai: ¡°Here I am, back to keep you company¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°You should have come back to keep me company sooner!¡± The two started getting mushy again. Bai Youwei turned to look for Shen Mo; she wanted to be mushy too, but just as she caught sight of Shen Mo¡¯s silhouette, she suddenly felt her knees weaken, and she fell to the ground! Shen Mo, alarmed, quickly stepped forward to catch her! Bai Youwei didn¡¯t fall, but she was quite frightened! ¡°What happened?!¡± Shen Mo asked her, startled, ¡°Didn¡¯t your legs heal after the upgrade?¡± She looked down, supporting her leg, feeling absolutely no sensation below the knee. Bai Youwei murmured confusedly, ¡°It was fine earlier¡­ why¡­ why is this happening¡­¡± Why could she not walk again? The other companions gathered around. The maze was supposed to enhance physical fitness, not cause harm! The small commotion caught the Inspector¡¯s attention. The gentleman with a rabbit head approached and calmly said, ¡°Your legs are fine, but your heart, there¡¯s something wrong with it.¡± Chapter 845 03-25 - Chapter 845: Chapter 845: As One Desires Chapter 845: Chapter 845: As One Desires Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, ¡°What do you mean?¡± The gentleman with a rabbit head smiled, glanced at Shen Mo, and said to Bai Youwei, ¡°You should know what I mean.¡± Something flashed through Bai Youwei¡¯s mind, and she immediately understood. And figured it out. When she looked at her own legs again, she felt her nerves regain sensation, as if the numbness of the previous moment was just an illusion, or perhaps, a psychological barrier. What was she afraid of? What was she resisting? Seeing that she was alright, the gentleman with a rabbit head spoke no further, polite gave a slight bow, and turned to leave. Shen Mo lifted Bai Youwei onto his back, comforting her, ¡°You should rest up when we get back, I¡¯ll ask Chu Huaijin to find a doctor, to look for healing tools, it will be alright.¡± Bai Youwei lay on his broad back, pursed her lips, and kept silent. Perhaps what she wanted was exactly this outcome? Whether it¡¯s a bond or a burden¡­ in any case, to make the person she desired also unable to leave her. ¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.?¦Ï After returning to the headquarters, Bai Youwei sat back in her wheelchair. She used to sit in her wheelchair even when her legs could walk, so it didn¡¯t attract much attention. Shen Mo took her back to her room, then left to find Chu Huaijin. Lying alone on her bed, Bai Youwei gazed at the snow-white ceiling, feeling a void inside. The transient numbness when leaving the maze was real. For that instant, she truly thought she couldn¡¯t walk. It was when the Inspector reminded her that she realized, it wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t walk, but that she had developed¡­ a dependency in her heart. When her legs weren¡¯t good, she always thought that once they healed, she could go anywhere freely. But after they healed, she didn¡¯t want to go anywhere, like the hands of a clock, going round and round but never leaving the center¡­ The Doll Game bound Shen Mo and her together. But this game made separation the norm. Chen Hui lost Teacher Tu, Yan Qingwen lost Lun Ang, Tan Xiao lost Hu Dashan¡­ and many others died, left, and the living initially felt pain and later only numbness. Perhaps Shen Mo had long been prepared mentally to leave at any time, to leave the last bit of hope to her. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help thinking, if Shen Mo really died in that maze, leaving her alone, how would she live? Continue to play the game? Continue to clear stages? ¡­And then what? Die in the game, or win until the end and become the ultimate victor? Even if she won, so what? Maybe some people like to dominate the world, to be the ruler, but for her, there was no joy in that. Without companionship, it was no different from her past days¡ªstill eating alone, sleeping alone, watching TV alone, staying alone the entire day¡­ As Bai Youwei thought and thought, she began to feel scared. For so many years¡­ it was not easy to feel that life had some pleasure, and what she had was like a handful of crystal glass, ready to shatter at any moment. She thought a lot, her thoughts were a mess, a chaotic jumble tumbling in her mind. There was a knock on the door, a couple of thuds. ¡°Weiwei, may I come in?¡± It was Zhu Shu¡¯s voice. Bai Youwei sat up and directed toward the door, ¡°Come in.¡± The door was unlocked. Zhu Shu opened the door and entered, smiling at Bai Youwei and lifting the thermos food container in her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve made red bean rice balls, do you want to try?¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll have a taste.¡± Zhu Shu, carrying the food container, found a table, opened it up, and the steaming vapor instantly wafted out, with the fragrance of red beans. She dished out a bowl and handed it to Bai Youwei, ¡°I made it to my taste, if it¡¯s not sweet enough, I can add more sugar for you.¡± ¡°How come you suddenly thought of making these?¡± Bai Youwei took a taste, squinting her eyes, ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s delicious, the sweetness is just right.¡± Zhu Shu laughed and said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t help much usually, and I was idle anyways, so I thought about making some food. I also delivered some to Su Man. I ran into Shen Mo on the way and found out that you had returned from the maze. He was worried you¡¯d be mulling things over by yourself and specifically asked me to come and keep you company.¡± Chapter 846 03-25 - Chapter 846: Chapter 846 Heart Knot Chapter 846: Chapter 846 Heart Knot Zhu Shu laughed, and said, ¡°Shen Mo is always so careful with you.¡± Her words were sweet, and Bai Youwei felt the red bean soup in her bowl tasted even sweeter. However, remembering how Shen Mo nearly didn¡¯t make it out of the maze, the smile on her lips faded slightly. She didn¡¯t really want to recall what happened in the maze, so she changed the subject and asked, ¡°How has Yan Qingwen been lately? Does he plan to enter the maze?¡± ¡°Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai did come to us before, but Yan Qingwen didn¡¯t want us to take risks and he refused,¡± Zhu Shu sighed softly. ¡°Chu Huaijin has been going to see him these days, probably trying to persuade him not to give up.¡± Bai Youwei curiously asked, ¡°So will Yan Qingwen change his mind?¡± Zhu Shu shook her head gently, ¡°Probably not¡­ He has demoted all of us to commoners now, he doesn¡¯t have any subjects left; he definitely can¡¯t join the battle.¡± After speaking, Zhu Shu smiled bitterly and added, ¡°But living like this every day, so confused, it¡¯s like the Grim Reaper has declared your time of death, yet you can do nothing but passively wait for the tragedy to strike.¡± Bai Youwei joked, ¡°It sounds like the end of the world.¡± ¡°It does feel a bit like that¡­ Although Yan Qingwen hasn¡¯t said it, I can tell he¡¯s also worried,¡± Zhu Shu sighed. ¡°He must really want to know what will happen when all the games are over. The rumors outside are more absurd one after the other, about becoming a savior, about being transformed by Aliens¡­ I don¡¯t believe any of them; sometimes I can¡¯t sleep at night and wonder if all this is just a dream?¡± She looked at Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°If you win in the end and have the power to change the world, what would you do?¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a while, then slowly shook her head, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it¡­ Sometimes when I hear such things, I just think, I¡¯ll decide when the time comes¡­ I don¡¯t even know if I can win the next game.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï ¡°You will definitely win,¡± Zhu Shu smiled. ¡°Yan Qingwen said that among these kings, few can match you!¡± Hearing this, Bai Youwei playfully looked at her, ¡°What is it then? Do you think I can win because you yourself believe it, or because Yan Qingwen said I can win, and that¡¯s why you think I can?¡± ¡°Both, both~¡± Zhu Shu giggled, covering her mouth. ¡°We all think you can win, and besides, you have Shen Mo. With Shen Mo around, it would be hard for you to lose.¡± That was true. Bai Youwei thought to herself: With him around, indeed, there is a great sense of security. She gently stirred the red bean soup in her bowl, speaking slowly to Zhu Shu, ¡°Actually, the most peaceful and comfortable time I¡¯ve had over the years is now. When you just mentioned whether all this might be a dream, for me, I hope it¡¯s a dream that never ends¡­ If there were no maze, no game, Shen Mo and I would not have ended up together, I wouldn¡¯t have met Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, Xiaoxin¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have met you all. I would probably still be sitting in my own room, counting pills day by day¡­ Thinking about this, I really don¡¯t want the game to end.¡± Touched slightly, Zhu Shu gazed into Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes, ¡°¡­And now? What do you think?¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head and smiled faintly, ¡°Now¡­ now I feel that, no matter what the world turns into, as long as the people around me are always there, that¡¯s enough.¡± Zhu Shu gently grasped her hand, opened her mouth as if to say something, but felt at a loss for words. Everyone deeply detested the doll game; the game had caused them to lose family, lovers, friends, but Bai Youwei¡¯s words deeply resonated with Zhu Shu. Because the ties that were forged after each game, those too were precious. Who could bear to erase them? It wasn¡¯t just about romantic love, there were many¡­ many bonds worth entrusting one¡¯s life to, that were fiery and intense, etched into their beings in life-and-death situations, carved into their lives, having long become a part of their own personalities. Zhu Shu took a deep breath, still holding Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, and said, ¡°Even if the game no longer exists, we will definitely still be here.¡± Chapter 847 03-25 - 847 Comprehensive Examination Chapter 847: Chapter 847 Comprehensive Examination While they were talking, footsteps could be heard from outside. Zhu Shu stood up, ¡°It must be Shen Mo returning, I¡¯ll go open the door.¡± When the door opened, Shen Mo stood outside; he had found several doctors over from Chu Huaijin, specialists in neurology, orthopedics, surgery, internal medicine, etc., to treat Bai Youwei. It seemed quite a commotion, but after Yan Qingwen and Fu Miaoxue had both raised the possibility of yielding, Bai Youwei was the only king at the headquarters with the hope of entering the final battle, so it was normal for her to receive such attention. The doctors who entered all wore serious expressions, Zhu Shu did not linger, she greeted Bai Youwei and Shen Mo and left. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t expect Shen Mo to bring so many people over; she was surprised, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need¡­ My leg is already fine.¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°Can you walk?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Bai Youwei got out of bed and walked slowly for a couple of steps, ¡°Just now, I don¡¯t know why, but it was numb; it¡¯s already better now.¡± The doctors looked at each other. ¡°Sudden numbness could be acute osteomyelitis; further examination is needed.¡± ¡°It could also be a neural issue, compression of peripheral nerves, causing temporary paralysis.¡± ¡°Did you engage in any strenuous activities before losing sensation? It might be lumbar disc hyperplasia leading to a complete or partial loss of sensation in the lower body.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã¦Ï Bai Youwei had initially thought it was just a psychological issue, but hearing them speak like this, she couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous. She had always cherished her legs, how could she endure this? ¡°Don¡¯t scare me,¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened. The leading doctor gave an apologetic smile, ¡°We¡¯re just speculating for now. Logically, Miss Bai¡¯s leg should be fine, as those who come out of the maze have physical comprehensive indices far beyond average. Miss Bai has been through the maze so many times, ordinary diseases would generally be immunized by the body. However, for the sake of caution, I suggest it¡¯s better to have a thorough examination.¡± Without hesitation, Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s do the examination, right now.¡± She got up to leave, but after standing, just sat back down again, sitting on the edge of the bed, her face shifting with worry. Shen Mo asked her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei looked up at him, her expression pitiful, ¡°I should just use a wheelchair¡­¡± Shen Mo knelt down, his hands touching her knees, asking, ¡°Still can¡¯t walk?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± she pouted, ¡°What if while walking, it goes numb again? What if I injure my leg?¡± Shen Mo, already feeling tender towards her, couldn¡¯t help but be both amused and exasperated, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile, ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll use a wheelchair.¡± He pushed the wheelchair over, lifted Bai Youwei into it, and accompanied the doctors to conduct the examination. Bai Youwei was cooperative throughout the process, undergoing every possible test. Some tests could not produce immediate results, so Bai Youwei and Shen Mo waited together, her mind buzzing like a swarm of bees, unable to calm down. During this time, they encountered Ya Chaohui. Ya Chaohui was recuperating in the medical area and was about to be discharged soon after having his final check-up. He held his test result sheet and saw Bai Youwei and Shen Mo also waiting for results, so he came over to greet them, his demeanor still as always, stiff and cold. ¡°Injured in the maze?¡± His gaze lingered between Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, unsure who was injured, he asked, ¡°Is it serious?¡± Shen Mo glanced at Bai Youwei and didn¡¯t explain in too much detail, replying, ¡°The doctor said it¡¯s not a big issue, but it¡¯s still best to have a comprehensive check-up to eliminate any hidden problems.¡± Ya Chaohui then knew it was Bai Youwei who was injured. ¡°There are more than two weeks until the next battle; try to rest as much as possible. The risks of the maze are too great; entering this one time is enough,¡± he said. Bai Youwei was a bit surprised, arching an eyebrow as she looked over. How rare, she could actually hear a hint of concern in those words? Chapter 848 03-25 - 848 Less People Chapter 848: Chapter 848 Less People Shen Mo asked Ya Chaohui, ¡°How have you been lately? Has your health improved?¡± ¡°A bit,¡± Ya Chaohui lifted a hand and made a fist, ¡°At first, my body was completely drained of strength, but now it has somewhat recovered.¡± He was injured in the ¡°Wildlife Park¡± and then weakened for a long time after the flowers sapped his vitality. The doctors couldn¡¯t find anything wrong, so they could only advise him to recuperate slowly. In fact, Bai Youwei also spent a long time amongst the flowers, but, unlike Ya Chaohui at that time, she was not injured, and she wasn¡¯t the type of player who relies on physical strength, so the effect on her was minimal. Ya Chaohui asked Shen Mo, ¡°Are you prepared for the next battle?¡± ¡°The next battle is Battle 1, and the minimum number of participants required is one. I¡¯ll go with her, and you all keep resting,¡± Shen Mo replied. Ya Chaohui slightly lowered his head, slowly nodding, ¡°That might be better¡­¡± After a pause of two seconds, he said to Shen Mo, ¡°In a few days, I¡¯m planning to go back to my hometown.¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo was slightly stunned. ¡°Going alone?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ya Chaohui nodded, ¡°The King¡¯s territory has expanded a lot, and the entire journey is within his territory, so there¡¯s no need to worry about danger. I¡¯ll be passing by Fang Yu¡¯s hometown on the way, so I¡¯m thinking of visiting his family.¡± Hearing this, Shen Mo fell silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°Will you come back?¡± Ya Chaohui didn¡¯t say anything. Perhaps because of this question, he also hadn¡¯t made up his mind. Another long silence followed. Shen Mo said, ¡°Go ahead, find a good car, stock up on gasoline, and remember to bring enough food and drinks.¡± Ya Chaohui nodded and then looked towards Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei also looked at him, her gaze neither swerving nor biased, her eyes frank and calm. Between him and her, there really wasn¡¯t much to say; if they had to force conversation, it would all be stale clich¨¦s¡ªthey were two people with differing beliefs, unable to persuade one another. With eyes lowered, Ya Chaohui spoke softly, ¡°I¡¯m off, I wish you success in the next battle.¡± After saying this, he turned and left. ¡°One less subject,¡± Shen Mo said, watching Ya Chaohui¡¯s retreating figure, his voice detached. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. After all, the next battle only requires one player,¡± Bai Youwei said nonchalantly. Shen Mo glanced at her, ¡°The next one is fine, but the battle after that, Battle 5, needs five. You, me, plus Tan Xiao and Asarina, we¡¯re one short.¡± As Asarina was unwilling to see Along take risks anymore, Bai Youwei had promised her not to let Along participate in battles. Now with Ya Chaohui gone, they were suddenly down by two people. Shen Mo said, ¡°When the time comes, let¡¯s see if Chu Huaijin has a suitable candidate.¡± Bai Youwei uttered a low ¡°Hmm,¡± with no immediate ideas. Just then, a doctor came out from the nearby room, holding a medical report, and said with a smile, ¡°The results are out. Miss Bai¡¯s health is all clear.¡± Shen Mo took the report from his hand and thanked the doctor. The doctor added, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s too much stress. Would you like me to call a psychiatrist to see Miss Bai? Talking to a psychiatrist might help to find the cause of the complications.¡± Bai Youwei frowned and declined at once, ¡°No need.¡± She tugged on Shen Mo¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Let¡¯s head back. Maybe I¡¯ll be fine after a few days of rest from this exhausting maze.¡± She didn¡¯t want to seek a psychiatrist, to have someone unrelated analyze her inner thoughts¡ªit was a strange notion, and she wasn¡¯t that fragile. Seeing her reluctance, Shen Mo didn¡¯t push it and took her back for rest. Later, after observing Bai Youwei for a few days and seeing that she preferred to use the wheelchair but was no longer having problems with her legs, he was finally at ease. Chapter 849 03-25 - 849 Different Chapter 849: Chapter 849 Different In the maze and game, she always felt terrified and restless. At the base headquarters, however, it was much more comfortable, and time seemed to slow down. Every morning when Bai Youwei opened her eyes, there was a hot breakfast waiting for her, followed by some reading, daydreaming, and occasionally gazing through the glass windows at the bleak streetscapes outside¡ªan unnoticed day would pass just like that. Of course, this was the royal treatment. Others at the headquarters were busier than she. Shen Mo, for example, would spend several fixed hours in the training room each day, either training himself or helping others. According to him, it was to enhance muscle memory so that the body could react instantaneously when faced with danger, even if the brain had yet to realize it. Bai Youwei asked him if she needed to train too. Shen Mo replied that she could, but that it was not very cost-effective. Bai Youwei was left speechless and gave up on the idea. After idling away for several days, Fu Miaoxue suddenly came looking for her, slamming the door loudly without any courtesy, and shouting her name: ¡°Bai Youwei! Bai Youwei! Are you in there? Hurry up and open the door!¡± Inside, Bai Youwei¡¯s nail polish bottle quivered, and she applied it crookedly. She was anxious, wiping her nails on the towel on the desk and spinning them around on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this later.¡± Bai Youwei tightened the nail polish bottle cap. Her hand was still jittery, tapping on the table loudly. Bai Youwei remarked, ¡°I¡¯ll do your manicure later.¡± Her index finger rose even higher, no longer tapping the table. Bai Youwei opened the door to Fu Miaoxue, with only her and Du Lai outside. ¡°You¡¯re so slow!¡± Fu Miaoxue complained. ¡°Why did it take you so long to open the door?!¡± ¡°I walk slowly,¡± Bai Youwei replied calmly. ¡°So you can¡¯t walk faster?¡± Fu Miaoxue glared. ¡°No,¡± Bai Youwei glanced at her expressionlessly, ¡°What if I twist my ankle? What if I trip? What if I fall? What if I slip?¡± Fu Miaoxue rolled her eyes extravagantly, ¡°Do you need to exaggerate! Are your legs made of gold?!¡± Finally, remembering the purpose of her visit, she stood straight in front of Bai Youwei and earnestly asked, ¡°Look, do I seem different from before today?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°You can roll your eyes now.¡± Fu Miaoxue was irate, ¡°Hey! I¡¯m serious! Can¡¯t you take a proper look?!¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This time it was Bai Youwei¡¯s turn to roll her eyes, ¡°You usually cover yourself so tightly with a black veil, how would I know what¡¯s different about you now?¡± ¡°Look closely!¡± Fu Miaoxue leaned in close to Bai Youwei, ¡°Closely¡­ look!¡± Bai Youwei frowned, scrutinizing her face carefully, and slowly, she did notice subtle changes. ¡°Do you have eyebrows now?¡± Bai Youwei was surprised, Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyebrows used to be like those of a BJD doll, painted on, but now, they seemed to be real, legitimate ¡®brows¡¯! ¡°And here,¡± Fu Miaoxue pulled down her eyelid, showing Bai Youwei her eyeballs. They used to be just beautiful glass-made, but now they exhibited richer, more human-like layers. Bai Youwei understood, and turned to look at Du Lai standing next to Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Did you go into the maze?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Du Lai nodded, ¡°Maze number four, we just came out.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s transformation was clearly a result of an upgrade from the maze. She touched her face excitedly, pinching her arm, feeling incredibly good. ¡°The skin is starting to exhibit fine hairs and has become elastic; if I go into the maze two more times, I could certainly turn back into a human!¡± Bai Youwei coolly said, ¡°Two kings can¡¯t enter the same maze, if you¡¯re here to invite me, I¡¯m sorry, I refuse.¡± Fu Miaoxue grinned, ¡°I never intended to ask you, my boyfriend and I can manage!¡± ¡°Then why did you come here all excited?¡± Bai Youwei expressed flatly, ¡°I get it, you came here to show off.¡± Chapter 850 03-25 - 850: Maze Number 4 Chapter 850: Chapter 850: Maze Number 4 Fu Miaoxue replied righteously, ¡°Others don¡¯t know I¡¯m a puppet, and even if I sought others out, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference either¡ªit¡¯s boring, okay~¡± Bai Youwei said coolly, ¡°What¡¯s so good about becoming human? You feel pain, get cold, feel hunger, and even bleed and get hurt. You age and become ugly.¡± Fu Miaoxue retorted sarcastically, ¡°Then why did you bother healing your leg? Having a lame leg is great too, right? You just sit or lie down all day, and you don¡¯t have to do anything¡ªhow comfortable!¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Are our situations the same?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not the same,¡± Fu Miaoxue said in great spirits. ¡°Even if I became a puppet, I wouldn¡¯t lose arms or legs¡ªI¡¯d be prettier than you!¡± Bai Youwei realized that Fu Miaoxue had come to her solely to annoy her. ¡°And besides, being a human is obviously better than being a puppet,¡± Fu Miaoxue added. ¡°You can smell scents, taste flavors, and even do some unspeakable things~¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­Ahem.¡± Fu Miaoxue tilted her head, looking Bai Youwei up and down with curiosity, and asked, ¡°Have you and your boyfriend ever done it?¡± Bai Youwei kept a straight face: ¡°Done what?¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°Made love~¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Miaoxue,¡± Du Lai coughed lightly, hinting with his eyes, ¡°there¡¯s still something left unsaid.¡± Fu Miaoxue leaned close to Du Lai, pointing and whispering, ¡°Look at her reaction, doesn¡¯t it seem like she hasn¡¯t been with Shen Mo? Sharing a bed every night, is there something wrong with them¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at her coldly, ¡°If you¡¯re going to whisper, please do it quietly, don¡¯t let me hear.¡± ¡°Oh~¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed, ¡°Did I hit the nail on the head?¡± Bai Youwei opened the door, ¡°Are you done? If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave, your chatter is annoying.¡± Fu Miaoxue pouted but wasn¡¯t offended, probably because the upgrade in her condition made her mood better, and she didn¡¯t continue to bicker with Bai Youwei. She said, ¡°We specifically came to give you some information, about Maze No. 4, Stonehenge, you might encounter it later.¡± ¡°Not interested,¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, continuing to shoo them away. ¡°My people will no longer enter the maze.¡± The maze was too dangerous. As a king like Bai Youwei, she only needed to enhance her and her subjects¡¯ bodies to a certain degree, ensuring her team¡¯s advantage in battle games, thus avoiding further exploration into the maze. Only someone like Fu Miaoxue, who relied on the maze to restore her body, would fearlessly venture into the maze over and over again. ¡°Ah,¡± Fu Miaoxue sighed, ¡°It¡¯s really like giving a warm face a cold butt, then we¡¯re leaving.¡± Bai Youwei unapologetically snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so nice¡ªyou¡¯re just currying favor, hoping to trade other maze information from me in the future. Let me tell you, there¡¯s none, and there won¡¯t be any. I and my people will no longer enter the maze.¡± Fu Miaoxue pouted, ¡°You¡¯re really no fun.¡± She let down her black veil, lifted her chin proudly like a peacock raising her skirt, and walked out the door. As Du Lai passed the doorway, he paused for a moment, turned his head to Bai Youwei, and said, ¡°The key to Stonehenge lies in the shadows; the paths formed by the shadows point to the exit, but be mindful of the noon sunlight. At noon, there are no shadows, and the sunlight can turn people into stone.¡± Bai Youwei slightly knitted her brows, watching Du Lai. Du Lai continued, ¡°In the Minos Maze, you saved me.¡± Ahead, Fu Miaoxue urged, ¡°Du Lai, what are you dawdling for? Let¡¯s go!~¡± ¡°Coming.¡± Du Lai quickened his pace to catch up. Bai Youwei called out to him again, ¡°Du Lai.¡± Du Lai turned back, looking at her puzzled. ¡°How many died?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Du Lai glanced at Fu Miaoxue nearby, replying, ¡°Three¡­but don¡¯t worry, our people are safe.¡± Chapter 851 - 851 Manicure Chapter 851: Chapter 851 Manicure Du Lai finished speaking and hastily left. Although he did not specify which three had died, it was no secret. By dinner time, Bai Youwei heard rumors that Fu Miaoxue had entered the maze with Du Lai, Leonid, Chen Hui, and four subjects recruited from the rest area. Eight people went in, five came out. The news had spread throughout the headquarters. In the initial selection competitions, many Kings were eliminated and became subjects. Unable to participate in battles directly, they lingered in the rest area, hoping to be recruited. Such players, though possessing certain strength, were essentially no different from strangers since they weren¡¯t teammates. Cooperation required consideration of synergy and there was always the fear of potential betrayal. For these reasons and more, such players were seldom recruited. Fu Miaoxue recruiting subjects from the rest area clearly meant she was looking for substitutes. Her way of doing things was much admired by Chu Huaijin, as it was ruthless and decisive¡ªsacrifices didn¡¯t faze her, as long as it wasn¡¯t one of their own. Unfortunately, Fu Miaoxue had no intentions of vying for the title of King; her heart was set solely on braving the maze. To her, achieving ultimate victory and world domination were as elusive as the moon in the water or flowers in a mirror¡ªnot grounded in reality. Only entering the maze and evolving her body held tangible benefits. A couple of days later, Bai Youwei heard that Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai entered the maze again. People at headquarters found it incredible since there was less than two weeks until the next battle. Everyone under Bai Youwei was conserving their strength, yet Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t even rest and entered the maze again! There was much discussion. Bai Youwei initially found their hasty venture puzzling but after some thought, she understood. Playing the game relied on a thorough understanding of the rules, while entering the maze depended on experience and intuition¡ª Maintaining a certain level of tension and avoiding too long a relaxation period could result in a higher success rate in the maze. However¡­ If Fu Miaoxue were to enter the maze again, which number would it be? Bai Youwei silently calculated. If it were maze number 2, 3, 6, or 7¡­ Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai should know how to traverse it, since during the last meeting, they had exchanged information about the maze. Only maze number 1 remained a mystery so far. It was unknown just how intelligent the system was; if it could read the players¡¯ brain information and knew they had mastered some mazes¡¯ routes, would it send Fu Miaoxue into the unknown maze number 1? ¡­Forget it, why worry about her? Such a selfish and arrogant person deserved to be trapped in the maze. Bai Youwei no longer pondered these things and picked up the nail polish, slowly applying it to her severed hand. A bright red base with a little white snowflake painted on would give off a festive New Year¡¯s feel. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The idea was nice, but when she actually painted it, the colors blurred into a mess. She thought for a moment and decided to change the snowflake into a white steamed bun. Then came dumplings, sweet rice balls, New Year¡¯s cake¡­ She gently blew on the Crystal Nails of the severed hand, admiring her handiwork and sighed, ¡°These nails do look nice, but they¡¯re a bit long, are you sure you don¡¯t want me to trim them?¡± The hand shook its ¡°head¡± and then retreated. Worried that Bai Youwei might regret giving it a manicure, the hand hurried to a mirror on its Crystal Nails, its fingers moving like stilts, tapping away with a clatter. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t be bothered with it any longer and let it be. Shen Mo came in from outside and on seeing the intricately decorated severed hand, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°Why not paint your own nails too?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s nails were very clean, a soft pink. She replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t do my fingernails, but I did paint my toenails.¡± Saying this, she lifted up her small, pale feet. Chapter 852 - 852 New Year Chapter 852: Chapter 852 New Year Her toenails were painted with a light shade of red nail polish, a tender and youthful color. Shen Mo walked over, cradled her feet in his arms, and gently squeezed them. Bai Youwei felt ticklish and tried to retract her feet, but Shen Mo held them tight. She playfully kicked out, striking his chest, and then he embraced her in his arms and kissed her for a long time. ¡­Every time they shared such intimacy, her heart would flutter. Feeling loved and needed was both sweet and incredibly comforting. Honestly, this was much more interesting than playing games. After fooling around for a while, she gasped for air in his arms and glanced sideways to see the broken hand and the rabbit squatting side by side on the table, looking at them¡ªit was unclear how long they had been watching. Shen Mo noticed too and asked with amusement, ¡°Can they understand what they¡¯re seeing?¡± ¡°They probably¡­ keep looking just because they don¡¯t understand,¡± she replied. Bai Youwei leaned against him, raised two limp fingers, and placed them on his shoulder like tiny legs walking, all the way to his chest, drawing circles and looping around, her voice becoming as soft as cotton. ¡°If you think they¡¯re in the way, I can¡­ chase them back to the Doll¡¯s House,¡± she hinted. Shen Mo understood perfectly, capturing her hand and kissing it lightly, a tender smile playing on his lips, ¡°You¡¯re quite bold, aren¡¯t you scared?¡± Bai Youwei hooked her arm around his neck, her eyes glistening as she looked at him, ¡°Ignorance is bliss, right~¡± His desire kindled by her words, Shen Mo was about to kiss her again when the door was knocked at that moment. Both of them were startled. The dreamy atmosphere evaporated instantly. ¡ª¡ªKnock, knock, knock. Shen Mo tucked Bai Youwei under the covers and got up to answer the door. Bai Youwei pouted, looking at the broken hand and rabbit on the table, mumbling, ¡°If I¡¯d known, I would have dragged him back to the Doll¡¯s House just now¡­¡± ¡­ Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The visitor was Shen Fei; he had come with a message from Shen Mo¡¯s father: ¡°In a few days, headquarters is hosting a dinner to celebrate the New Year, and our family is invited, but Uncle thinks that it¡¯s more meaningful to spend New Year¡¯s with family, so he plans to skip it. He sent me to ask if you could get out of the dinner and come home for a meal.¡± Shen Fei said this while glancing around the room, ¡°Uncle also said¡­ you can bring your friends along.¡± ¡°Did he say anything else?¡± Shen Mo asked. ¡°That¡¯s all¡­¡± Shen Fei looked away, hesitating in his speech, ¡°Actually, this is also my father¡¯s wish. Hearing about your close calls in the maze this time, that you barely made it out, everyone at home is worried. We might not even get to see you one last time¡­ Now that the campaign game is approaching, they want you to come home for a while.¡± Shen Fei summoned his courage and seriously added, ¡°Bro, I think you should visit more often.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Shen Mo spoke indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll go when the time comes.¡± Shen Fei delivered the message and, having nothing else to say, saw that Shen Mo was still blocking the door, showing no intention of letting him inside, so he didn¡¯t stay longer. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Shen Fei said sheepishly, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going, bro.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Shen Mo nodded, ¡°Go on back.¡± Shen Fei took one last look inside the room, saw nothing, and quietly left. After seeing off Shen Fei, Shen Mo returned to the room and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°In a few days, headquarters is having a banquet, do you want to go?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s either singing or dancing, too noisy, I¡¯d rather stay in my own room and sleep.¡± Shen Mo suggested, ¡°Then come with me to visit my dad¡¯s place, and let¡¯s bring Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin with us.¡± Having overheard pieces of their conversation, Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°What¡¯s an appropriate gift when visiting?¡± Shen Mo smiled, ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts; let¡¯s prepare some food and drink. We still have some wine in the Doll¡¯s House, let¡¯s take some bottles over.¡± ¡°When giving gifts, it¡¯s best to consider the recipients¡¯ tastes,¡± Bai Youwei asked earnestly, ¡°What does your dad like?¡± Shen Mo thought carefully, and the conclusion he reached was, ¡°My dad likes your mom.¡± Bai Youwei spread her hands, ¡°Well, that I definitely can¡¯t do.¡± Chapter 853 - 853 Snowing Chapter 853: Chapter 853 Snowing As if to match the festive atmosphere, snow began to fall right before the festival. It was a heavy snow. The few children in the base were ecstatic, running around in packs across the square, building snowmen, and having snowball fights. The adults, usually strict with the children, were exceptionally lenient, letting them play and make noise. For a moment, life seemed to have returned to how it used to be. Chu Huaijin always strove to make life no different from the past; he not only organized a New Year¡¯s Eve banquet but also cleaned up the theater for a performance program. There was peace and prosperity. With some laughter and frolic, the days didn¡¯t seem so hard anymore. In the morning, Bai Youwei opened her eyes and felt the bright whiteness outside her window. She poked half her body out of the bed, exposing her fair skin dotted with light and dark peach tones¡­ A strong, muscular arm reached over and firmly pulled her back. Bai Youwei¡¯s crisp laughter rang out from under the covers, accompanied by affectionate complaints and coquetry. After some playfulness, the two finally got up leisurely. (No doing! Kiss and touch but no doing! What¡¯s up? If I can¡¯t describe a day in detail, I¡¯ll make the male lead suffer for a day! ¡ªFrom the author¡¯s stubbornness) Bai Youwei got dressed and opened the window. White snowflakes drifted into the room in a flurry. ¡°What heavy snow¡­¡± She reached out to catch the snowflakes, and they melted into tiny water droplets before she could see the hexagonal ice crystals properly. ¡°Everything has turned white,¡± Bai Youwei exclaimed as she looked into the distance. Shen Mo embraced her from behind, chin rubbing against her hair. ¡°Do you like the snow?¡± S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Leaning into his chest, Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°¡­Snow falls every year, but every time I see it, it feels new.¡± Shen Mo smiled, ¡°Beautiful things are always captivating.¡± ¡°How can there be something one never tires of¡­¡± She chuckled softly. ¡°I think it¡¯s because humans are forgetful.¡± Shen Mo looked down, a teasing smile on his lips. ¡°Do I detect a hint of resentment? Afraid I¡¯ll get tired of you?¡± ¡°Not at all¡­¡± She turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck, and tipped up on her toes to kiss his lips lightly. ¡°If anyone should be tired, it should be me of you. I¡¯m the King; you don¡¯t have the right to be tired of me.¡± Shen Mo lifted her into his arms, his tone affectionate. ¡°Does the King want to put on another layer of clothes? We¡¯re going out today; you should dress warmly.¡± ¡°I want to wear red!¡± Bai Youwei got down from his embrace, bubbling with excitement as she opened her wardrobe. ¡°I¡¯ll find a new outfit for you too; let¡¯s see if we can match as a couple~¡± The weather inside the dollhouse remained sunny and warm. As Bai Youwei entered, she called out to Teacher Chang, ¡°No need to cook today, Teacher Chang. We¡¯re going to eat at Shen Mo¡¯s house. You and Xiaoxin, find some warm clothes; it¡¯s heavily snowing outside!¡± ¡°Is it snowing?¡± Chang Weicai came downstairs, repeating joyfully, ¡°Good, good, a heavy snow promises a plentiful year¡­ Xiaotan, Xiaoxin, it¡¯s snowing outside!¡± Pan Xiaoxin popped his head out from his attic. ¡°It¡¯s not snowing.¡± ¡°Not in the dollhouse, outside.¡± Bai Youwei suddenly recalled something and called out lightly to Chang Weicai, ¡°Ah, Teacher Chang, we still need to cook. We can¡¯t go empty-handed; let¡¯s make a roasted chicken to take over!¡± Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s mouth watered, ¡°Sister Weiwei, I want to drink chicken soup!¡± ¡°Then one chicken for the soup, and one roasted to eat,¡± Bai Youwei said, casually picking up a metal spoon and tapping the dishes on the table, creating a ringing sound. ¡°Tan Xiao! Get up and catch the chicken!¡± ¡°Me, catch it?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s reluctant voice came from upstairs. ¡°Chang¡¯s chickens are so fierce! Let Xiaoxin catch it!¡± ¡°He just had his nails done; it would be a waste if they get dirty.¡± Bai Youwei urged, ¡°Hurry up, no chicken, no food!¡± Tan Xiao reluctantly got dressed. Once everything was arranged, Bai Youwei, holding the selected clothes, asked Shen Mo, ¡°Should we make a few more chickens to share with Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Chen Hui? It¡¯s been a while since they had fresh meat.¡± Shen Mo was slightly stunned, ¡°¡­Chen Hui isn¡¯t here; she went into the labyrinth with Fu Miaoxue.¡± Chapter 854 - 854: Visiting as a Guest Chapter 854: Chapter 854: Visiting as a Guest Bai Youwei was stunned when she heard this and asked in confusion, ¡°They haven¡¯t come back yet?¡± Calculating the time, had it been three days, or four? Staying in the labyrinth for so long was not good news. ¡°Should we go and ask?¡± Shen Mo suggested, ¡°Leonid didn¡¯t go with them; he got injured in the No. 4 labyrinth and is now in the medical area. We can find him and ask about the situation.¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and thought for a moment, ¡°Never mind¡­ even if we get the details, it¡¯s no use. People in the labyrinth can¡¯t be helped from the outside. Let¡¯s just hope they¡¯re lucky.¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll come out soon,¡± Shen Mo said reassuringly, ¡°Fu Miaoxue has life-saving items with her, they should be fine.¡± Bai Youwei nodded gently, her thoughts no longer dwelling on the matter, ready to get things in order and go to the Shen Family. ¡­ Chang Weicai marinated the chicken and placed it in the oven, put another chicken in a clay pot to stew, then changed into winter clothes, and along with Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin left the house, following Shen Mo and Bai Youwei to visit the Shen Family. He wrapped himself up securely, a thick scarf wound around his neck, his fish scales not showing at all. Tan Xiao, who had been down for a long time, stepped outside and saw the festive decorations, which slightly lifted his spirits. Before, when staying inside, he hadn¡¯t noticed, but upon coming out, he realized how lively it was outside. Staff from the Headquarters Building were bustling in and out with various decorations; the entire first-floor lobby was decorated in a fiery red, and there was a huge Christmas tree, presumably brought over from a warehouse of some mall, adorned with colorful gift boxes. In fact, Christmas had already passed, and now they had just entered the New Year, but it wasn¡¯t yet time for the Lunar New Year. The lobby was decorated in a Sino-Western fusion, with no specific holiday in focus, aiming simply for festivity and cheer. Bai Youwei guessed in her heart that Chu Huaijin arranged these decorations, probably considering the timing of the next battle game. ¡ªIf some people are destined to not return, at least they would have reunited with family and friends before leaving. The snow was still falling, snowflakes sparsely sprinkled down, the roads covered in a thick layer. They drove along the white streets, along the way seeing many places with lanterns hung and the character for ¡®blessing¡¯ posted. While it was not as bustling and noisy as the city once was, it still gave off a sense of auspicious celebration. Tan Xiao leaned against the window and watched for a while, sighed and said, ¡°It looks like New Year¡¯s festivities.¡± He turned to ask Chang Weicai, ¡°Old Chang, when is New Year¡¯s?¡± ¡°If we go by the lunar calendar¡­ it should be on the 25th this month, that¡¯s Spring Festival,¡± Chang Weicai said. ¡°Just a few days before the next battle game,¡± Pan Xiaoxin looked at Bai Youwei in the front seat, ¡°Sister Weiwei, if you go to the battle, you might have to spend New Year¡¯s in the game.¡± Bai Youwei turned back and smiled at them, ¡°Then let¡¯s treat today as celebrating the New Year in advance.¡± Chang Weicai remarked sentimentally, ¡°Thoughts of home stretch a thousand miles tonight, hoary temples witness yet another year¡­¡± After chatting casually in the car for a bit, they soon arrived at their destination. Shen Mo parked the car by the roadside, the gate to the Shen Family¡¯s courtyard was wide open. In contrast to the other homes decorated in red and green, this place seemed much quieter. The snow in the yard had been cleared to the sides, a clump of slender bamboo grew in a corner, and all around was peaceful and silent, as if the master of the house wasn¡¯t home. The group got out of the car one by one. Shen Fei heard their approach and came out to greet them, his face brimming with smiles. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come so early, please come in. My uncle and father are inside, and a few other uncles will be here soon¡­¡± As everyone entered the house and just stepped into the living room, they saw Shen Family¡¯s eldest uncle by the table, writing with vigorous brush strokes, apparently attempting to compose a pair of Spring Couplets. He held his breath, his expression intensely focused. Beneath the table lay a pile of discarded red paper. Chapter 855 - 855 Shen Family Chapter 855: Chapter 855 Shen Family ¡°Dad, Mo and his friends have come over,¡± Shen Fei said. Uncle Shen¡¯s hand shook, ruining another piece of paper. ¡°Ah!¡­¡± He put down the brush, turned around, saw Shen Mo, and finally smiled, saying, ¡°You¡¯re back, all of you sit, sit! Xiaofei, go make some tea!¡± Bai Youwei acted exceptionally proactive, laughing lightly, ¡°Uncle, please continue writing, no need to specifically entertain us. Are you writing in Clerical Script? It seems we came at an inconvenient time, causing your last stroke to be unstable. What a pity to spoil such fine characters.¡± Uncle Shen felt very pleased inside, and his smile turned even brighter, ¡°Just so-so.¡± ¡°If you call this level so-so, then we might as well stop writing altogether, many young people nowadays can¡¯t even hold a brush properly,¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°They say handwriting reflects the person. With an example like Uncle, no wonder the Shen family youngsters are so talented.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Casting a glance at Bai Youwei, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had mistaken her for someone else. Uncle Shen said, ¡°Practicing calligraphy really can temper one¡¯s character! I was not good at it when I was young either, too impatient, and Xiaofei inherited my temper too. Fortunately, I had the foresight to have him practice calligraphy early on. Look, he¡¯s much more stable now¡­¡± Bai Youwei thoroughly agreed, nodding, ¡°No wonder he seems so promising for his age.¡± Shen Fei: ¡°¡­¡± As if the person who had originally called him a ¡®dimwit baby¡¯ was not her. Teacher Cheng admired Uncle Shen¡¯s couplet and praised, ¡°Good couplet, good couplet, ¡®Four seasons bring fortune; Eight festivals endure peace¡¯¡ªnothing better than fortune and peace. Mr. Shen has written it well!¡± If Bai Youwei¡¯s praise could have been taken as flattery, Teacher Cheng¡¯s words completely delighted Uncle Shen. Uncle Shen laughed, ¡°You flatter me! In front of you, I am merely showing off my little skill in front of an expert!¡± Shen Mo looked at the warm atmosphere in the living room and interjected a bit awkwardly, ¡°Uncle, where¡¯s Dad?¡± ¡°In the kitchen!¡± Uncle Shen pointed towards the back, ¡°He said he wanted to cook personally, to prepare a meal for you all.¡± He then laughed again, ¡°He¡¯s been in there a while, and I haven¡¯t even smelled a hint of oil yet.¡± Bai Youwei immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s not right for seniors to labor for the younger ones. Uncle, Shen Mo and I will go check.¡± Uncle Shen said, ¡°Go have a look, and tell him to stop; I¡¯ve already asked someone to start preparing the food. His aunt will bring it over in a bit.¡± So Bai Youwei and Shen Mo went to the kitchen to find Shen¡¯s father. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin, left in the living room with nothing to do, busted out the sunflower seeds. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Teacher Cheng and Uncle Shen began discussing the couplets. Shen Fei sat in the living room for a while but found he shared no common interests with Tan Xiao and even less with Xiaoxin. Feeling awkward, he found an excuse to go out and hurry the preparations for the meal. ¡­ Shen Mo and Bai Youwei went into the kitchen and saw the table and floor were stacked with all sorts of vegetables¡ªradishes, pumpkins, potatoes, cabbages¡ªa rich bounty of greens alone. Shen¡¯s father was wrapping dumplings. In Shen Mo¡¯s memory, this was probably the first time his father had cooked. What could a man who never cooked suddenly prepare? While he pondered, Bai Youwei came over again. ¡°Uncle looks busy, what are you making? It looks delicious,¡± she said sweetly, smiling, ¡°Let me help you with it, and you can teach me what I don¡¯t know.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± A pile of raw dough, how could it look tasty? Shen¡¯s father laughed and replied, ¡°That would be great, I was worried I couldn¡¯t finish it all by myself. Shen Mo, you and Weiwei help me, go wash your hands first.¡± Shen Mo walked to the sink and saw a dead fish with its belly up, its scales and flesh gruesomely removed. Shen Mo: ¡°¡­What is this?¡± Shen¡¯s father: ¡°Ah, I was trying to make Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish, but it failed.¡± Shen Mo silently washed his hands, wiped them dry, and saw a pile of white mushy substances in the trash can. Shen Mo: ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Shen¡¯s father: ¡°Ah, then I tried making stuffed tofu, but that failed too.¡± Chapter 856 - 856: Dumplings Chapter 856: Chapter 856: Dumplings Shen Mo was silent for a long while. No wonder his uncle said there had been no activity for half a day; with this approach, he might not be able to finish a dish even by nightfall. He dried his hands, threw the paper towel into the trash bin, and asked Shen Father, ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°Shrimp dumplings,¡± Shen Father said, placing a dough skin he had rolled out in front of him, quite pleased with himself, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it, but I seem to have some talent for making dough-based dishes. Look at the thickness of this skin, isn¡¯t it very even?¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t respond but silently picked up a skin, scooped a small spoonful of filling into it, folded both sides together, pinched it tightly, and then asked Shen Father, ¡°How many have you made?¡± Shen Father said, ¡°Two.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s movements faltered, his fingers pressed too hard, and the filling oozed out of the skin. Shen Mo felt that this wasn¡¯t about preparing their dinner but rather self-indulgence. Just like before, when his father tasted a type of tea, he would study the life cycle of the tea plant; when he read a poem, he would travel to the places where the poet grew up. In summary, the experience outweighed the outcome, so now, he was probably experiencing life in the kitchen. Shen Father carefully cradled the two dumplings he had made in his palm, showing them off to everyone. Bai Youwei, as if possessed by something, covered her chest and exclaimed, ¡°Oh my God¡­ so exquisite! The size and shape are exactly the same, even the pleats are so beautiful! Uncle, is this really your first time making dumplings? They¡¯re so pretty, I don¡¯t even want to eat them!¡± Shen Father smiled and set the dumplings down, ¡°I¡¯m still too slow, though. No matter how pretty, it¡¯s futile if we can¡¯t eat them.¡± He did have some self-awareness. Shen Mo quietly made dumplings at a very fast pace¡ªpicking up a skin, adding filling, closing it with one hand, pinching the edge with the other, and another dumpling was ready. Of course, in appearance, they couldn¡¯t compare to Shen Father¡¯s ¡°meticulously crafted¡± pair of dumplings, but they were more efficient. ¡°I¡¯ll go roll out some more skins, you two keep making them,¡± Shen Father said as he gave up his spot to the pair and turned to fetch more dough. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei sat together making dumplings. Most of them were made by Shen Mo. At first, Bai Youwei¡¯s dumplings were decent, but gradually she became more casual. Sometimes she added a pair of ears, sometimes she pinched out a tail. In the end, it was unclear whether what she was making was a dumpling, a bun, or something else entirely. Shen Mo dabbed a bit of flour on her nose as a tease, ¡°Didn¡¯t get enough playtime with mud when you were a kid?¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°More than just not enough, I never even played with it, okay?¡± Bai Youwei created four small feet on the dumpling in her hand, seriously stating, ¡°I want to make mine special, so when you eat them, you¡¯ll recognize which dumplings I made.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°It would be hard not to recognize them.¡± Bai Youwei asked curiously, ¡°You¡¯re so fast, did you learn this before?¡± ¡°I never specifically learned,¡± Shen Mo replied while continuing to make dumplings. ¡°Back in the army, during festivals, there would be entertainment programs, organizing everyone to make dumplings together, sort of as an activity to build team spirit.¡± He paused then added softly, ¡°Thinking about it, I grew up with my grandfather. This is the first time¡­ I¡¯ve seen my dad prepare dinner.¡± ¡°My dad does cook. I remember his cooking as pretty good, better than the nanny,¡± Bai Youwei reminisced. ¡°But ever since I became disabled, it seems he has never cooked for me again. During that time, he would quarrel every day with my mom, and eventually, he moved out and never came back.¡± Shen Mo stopped, looked at her face, and asked softly, ¡°Do you miss them?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I did for the first few years, but now it has faded¡­¡± Shen Mo gently rubbed her head. Bai Youwei laughed and slapped his hand away, ¡°Stop it, you got flour all over my head!¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°That¡¯s from when you were making dumplings earlier.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t admit it!¡± Bai Youwei also flung flour onto him. The two began to play around in the kitchen. As they were frolicking, a commotion came from outside. Suddenly, someone shouted, ¡°Bai Youwei!!!¡± Chapter 857 - 857: Maze Number 1 Chapter 857: Chapter 857: Maze Number 1 The voice was extremely hoarse, as if it was a scream made with the last ounce of energy that Shen Mo and Bai Youwei initially couldn¡¯t tell who it was. The outside was noisy, followed by Tan Xiao¡¯s clamor, ¡°What are you doing?! What do you want to do?! If you want to see the Boss, make it clear what you¡¯re here for first!¡± Teacher Cheng was shouting outside, ¡°Don¡¯t get physical! Everyone, calm down! ¡­Ah, what¡¯s happened here?¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo stepped quickly outside and saw that Uncle Shen and Tan Xiao had stopped Du Lai. Fortunately, no rash actions had taken place. Although Du Lai had barged in forcefully, he was in bad shape. Not having seen him for just a few days, he had lost a significant amount of weight; he looked as though he¡¯d been tortured! Bai Youwei exclaimed, ¡°Du Lai? Have you escaped from the maze?¡± Du Lai¡¯s eyes were wide open, filled with bloodshot veins, ¡°Bai Youwei¡­ Save Miaoxue, quickly¡­ hurry into the maze and save Miaoxue! ¡­¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei was confused by Du Lai, ¡°Fu Miaoxue? Didn¡¯t she come out with you?¡± Shen Mo frowned and said, ¡°If you could come out, why didn¡¯t you bring her with you?¡± ¡°We got separated.¡± Du Lai said in agony, gasping for air. ¡°We encountered Maze Number 1¡­ each person enters a different scenario. I made it out, but she didn¡¯t¡­¡± Bai Youwei understood, but became even more confused, furrowing her brows, ¡°You said Maze Number 1 presents different scenarios for everyone, so even if I went in, I wouldn¡¯t encounter Fu Miaoxue. What use is there in coming to find me? Besides, the maze is certainly very dangerous. Why would I risk my life for Fu Miaoxue? Du Lai, I can understand how you feel right now, but you¡¯d better calm down and think of another method. Asking me to go save her is impossible.¡± Unmoved, Du Lai fixed his reddened gaze on Bai Youwei, ¡°I can trade all my items with you! As long as you rescue her, we can give you anything!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need them.¡± Bai Youwei knitted her brows, looking at Du Lai perplexedly, ¡°It¡¯s quality, not quantity that matters with items. I¡¯m not short of them at all. Du Lai, I think you¡¯re desperately grasping at straws. Stop the madness. If you truly want to save Fu Miaoxue, you should sit down now, have a glass of water, and wait until your mind is clear to consider what to do.¡± Shen Mo grabbed Du Lai by the collar and forcibly pushed him onto the living room sofa. He then clutched Du Lai¡¯s wrist, feeling his frantic pulse. Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed even more upon seeing the dark circles under Du Lai¡¯s eyes and his pale lips, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You¡¯ve been in the maze multiple times, and your constitution should be stronger than the average person. Why are you so drained? What exactly is in Maze Number 1?¡± Du Lai hung his head, clutching his own hair tightly, ¡°¡­It¡¯s dreams! Chen Hui and I both got trapped in our own dreams! We couldn¡¯t tell dreams from reality, constantly looping through the same scene! Without food, without rest!¡± ¡°You mentioned Chen Hui?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is Chen Hui out, too?¡± Du Lai looked up at Bai Youwei, ¡°She¡¯s in the medical area. When I came over to find you guys, she still hadn¡¯t woken up¡­¡± Chen Hui was not as physically robust as Du Lai; truly, if she had been stuck in a looping scene without sleep or rest for three or four days, her body surely couldn¡¯t take it. Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°Apart from you and Chen Hui, what about the others? Has no one else made it out?¡± ¡°None¡­¡± Du Lai closed his eyes and replied hoarsely, ¡°Miaoxue, and three substitutes recruited from the rest hall, none have come out.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged glances, neither of them spoke. If Maze Number 1 was each person¡¯s own dreamscape, then taking any number of substitutes in would be of no help. Du Lai was utterly desperate, holding his head and whispering, ¡°I want to save her¡­ but the maze can only be entered once. I have already come out of Maze Number 1, I can¡¯t go back in to find her¡­ Bai Youwei, I know you must have a way, only you can save her now!¡± Chapter 858 - 858 Wang Jingxian Chapter 858: Chapter 858 Wang Jingxian ¡°Calm down, calm down!¡± Bai Youwei said irritably, ¡°Even if I enter the maze right now, it¡¯s not certain I¡¯ll enter Maze #1! And it¡¯s even less likely that I¡¯ll enter Fu Miaoxue¡¯s dreams! You just said that Maze #1 is an independent scene for each person, only she can save Fu Miaoxue now!¡± Shen Mo looked at Du Lai and persuaded gravely, ¡°Since you and Chen Hui managed to come out, Fu Miaoxue might not be hopeless. You should have faith in her, just wait a little longer.¡± Du Lai shook his head, murmuring, ¡°She can¡¯t come out¡­ She can¡¯t come out¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked skeptically, ¡°Why are you so sure she can¡¯t come out?¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t answer, but looked at Bai Youwei and made another proposition¡ª ¡°Do you want to know which game the item that can resurrect the dead comes from? I can take you there, as long as you¡¯re willing to enter the maze to save people, I can tell you how to get the resurrection item.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Game locations are not fixed, and so much time has passed, we have no idea where they have moved to.¡± ¡°What if the game location is fixed?¡± Du Lai stared into Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes. ¡°The game isn¡¯t located anywhere, you can only enter through triggering an item.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback. If it was that kind of game¡­ it did somewhat resemble the Dollhouse which was entered by triggering a Gold Coin. She was silent for a moment, then shook her head gently, ¡°¡­In the past, I might have been interested, but now, I¡¯m about to participate in the third battle game. As long as I win until the end, I think the Inspector wouldn¡¯t skimp on fulfilling a few small wishes.¡± Du Lai looked particularly powerless, almost imploringly looked at her, ¡°Bai Youwei¡­¡± Shen Mo interrupted him, ¡°Du Lai, you should go back and rest. Even if she agrees, I won¡¯t agree. We both know how dangerous the maze is, and furthermore, we¡¯re about to enter the third battle. Entering the maze right now is definitely not a wise decision.¡± Chang Weicai looked at Du Lai with pity, not having the heart to let Bai Youwei take the risk, and advised, ¡°Xiaoshen is right, you should go back and rest. We really want to help but we¡¯re powerless to do so.¡± Tan Xiao said impatiently from the side, ¡°Weiwei already said, even if you enter the maze, you can¡¯t necessarily enter Fu Miaoxue¡¯s dream. I don¡¯t get why he insists on having Weiwei go.¡± Bai Youwei did not understand either¡ªwhy would Du Lai make a proposition that she was sure to reject? Du Lai rose from the sofa, his body swaying slightly due to weakness. ¡°Bai Youwei¡­¡± he began again, ¡°if I say I can help you¡­ find your mother, would you consider going to save Miaoxue in the maze?¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. Not just her, everyone in the room looked at Du Lai in astonishment. Until someone exclaimed incredulously, ¡°You know where Wang Jingxian is?!¡± Shen Mo looked back. It was his father. Shen Family¡¯s uncle frowned and muttered, ¡°She¡¯s been gone so long, why are you still fixated on her¡­¡± Du Lai stood in front of Bai Youwei, his gaze dark, and said slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know where she is? How she¡¯s doing? ¡­She¡¯s supposed to be your only family in this world, isn¡¯t she¡­¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei bit her lower lip lightly and watched him with a cold gaze. After a moment, she said, ¡°How can I be sure you¡¯re not bluffing me?¡± Shen Mo frowned slightly, worry appearing in his eyes. Bai Youwei would ask that, likely because Du Lai¡¯s words had moved her. Du Lai took out a piece of crystal shard from his pocket, ¡°Item, a fragment of the Magic Crystal Ball, which can show the location of the person you¡¯re thinking of. It can be used up to three times, and now, it¡¯s left with its last usage.¡± Then, he took out a red bamboo stick with the character ¡°Bai¡± written on it. ¡°Item, Fortune-Telling Stick, any seemingly impossible trouble can receive a hint when using this Fortune-Telling Stick.¡± Du Lai pointed at the character and said, ¡°You are the only one with the surname Bai in the entire headquarters, so that¡¯s why I came looking for you.¡± Chapter 859 - 859 Too Strange Chapter 859: Chapter 859 Too Strange Du Lai wouldn¡¯t come to Bai Youwei without a reason. Because the fortune-telling sign told him that Bai Youwei was his last hope, he persisted so persistently, repeatedly pleading with Bai Youwei to save Fu Miaoxue. Finally, Bai Youwei loosened up and told Du Lai that she would consider it. Du Lai said, ¡°Miaoxue is now a puppet, and even if she doesn¡¯t eat, drink, or sleep for a long time, her body won¡¯t have any problem. Chen Hui, Leonid, and I are still subjects, which is enough to show that she is currently fine. However, the longer she stays in the dream, the harder it is to distinguish between dream and reality. If she hasn¡¯t come out of Maze No.1 by the time the battle game starts¡­ by then, she will be directly eliminated from the game, and we will become commoners, so¡­ Bai Youwei, make your decision quickly.¡± After saying all this, Du Lai finally left the Shen Family. The originally lively and relaxed atmosphere dispersed completely due to his visit. Shen Fei came in like a deliveryman, carrying the insulated bag, and said to himself, ¡°There are several families gathering for a meal today, and the chefs are particularly in demand. Mom and Auntie are both watching over the chefs. They asked me first to bring some food back. There are two or three more dishes to come once they are ready.¡± He took out the meal boxes from the insulated bag one by one but looked up to find everyone motionless, and he couldn¡¯t help but be stunned, ¡°What¡¯s¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Shen¡¯s father sighed and turned to enter the kitchen. Teacher Cheng also sighed and sat down worriedly. Tan Xiao pulled Pan Xiaoxin, and each grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, continuing to eat them. The atmosphere seemed to gradually recover. But Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t smile anymore; her mind was full of the words Du Lai said before he left¡ª Don¡¯t you want to know where she is? Don¡¯t you want to know how she¡¯s doing? She¡¯s supposed to be your only relative in this world, right? ¡­ Regarding Fu Miaoxue, Du Lai wouldn¡¯t lie; if that Crystal Ball shard could really reveal her mother¡¯s location, she could indeed use it to find her mother. Shen Mo observed Bai Youwei¡¯s expression and said in a low voice, ¡°The risk is too great, you don¡¯t need to consider it. If you want to find Auntie Wang, we can think of other ways.¡± Shen Mo was reminding her that there were many ways to find someone; it didn¡¯t necessarily have to be through Du Lai¡¯s item, because accepting Du Lai¡¯s deal meant that Bai Youwei needed to enter the maze, and the risks of entering the maze were too great. If she went and couldn¡¯t return, the loss would outweigh the gain. Bai Youwei frowned deeply and thought carefully, ¡°¡­I think I know why that sign prompted Du Lai to find me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shen Mo asked. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Her brow was tightly knitted as she said, ¡°Because I have that item¡­but that¡¯s not the point now; what we need to figure out now is why Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t get out.¡± Shen Mo wasn¡¯t pleased, and his expression was slightly cold, ¡°You still want to go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°It¡¯s just too bizarre. Let¡¯s go back to the headquarters and see Chen Hui, shall we? I want to ask her what exactly Maze No.1 is like.¡± Shen Mo knew she wasn¡¯t giving up, raised his hand to stroke her hair, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first, we can talk about it when we get back.¡± Bai Youwei nodded. Chapter 860 - 860: The Recurring Dream Chapter 860: Chapter 860: The Recurring Dream Shen Fei had no idea what had happened, standing beside the table looking somewhat at a loss, until Shen Mo came over to help him arrange the bowls and chopsticks, which gave him the chance to quietly ask: ¡°Did something happen at home after I left?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Shen Fei: ¡°¡­¡± The strange atmosphere did not last too long, as relatives and friends of the Shen family gradually arrived, the room warmed up with their presence. During that time, Teacher Cheng had returned for a while to the dollhouse, bringing out roasted chicken and cooked chicken soup, which made the atmosphere even more cordial. With fine food and clear wine, both the hosts and guests were thoroughly joyful. By the time the gathering ended, it was already eight in the evening. Mr. Shen did not deliberately ask them to stay, probably because he knew Bai Youwei had things on her mind that required calm contemplation. The group returned to the Headquarters Building. The dinner in the lobby on the ground floor of the headquarters was still ongoing, the young people sang and danced, reveling as if it were the New Year, Tan Xiao sought liveliness and stayed on the ground floor to continue the fun. Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin, as usual, went back to the dollhouse to rest. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo went to the medical area. They had planned to visit Chen Hui to ask about the state of the maze, but Chen Hui was in a deep, unrousable sleep. Reportedly, upon being admitted to the medical area, she was extremely dehydrated and malnourished, falling asleep during an IV infusion and had not woken up since. The doctor said that Chen Hui was like this because she hadn¡¯t rested for too long, as long as she slept well for a while, she should be able to recover. As Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were preparing to leave, they learned that Du Lai had also been admitted to the medical area, his symptoms quite similar to Chen Hui¡¯s, also in a comatose state. It seemed he had been sustaining himself on sheer willpower, conveying all he wanted to say to Bai Youwei. Only after he had said everything, he returned to the medical area for treatment. Bai Youwei felt quite emotional inside; although Du Lai was indifferent, his feelings for Fu Miaoxue were genuinely deep. Early the next morning, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo came to the medical area again to see Chen Hui. Chen Hui was still sleeping. Unsure when she would wake, Bai Youwei decided to wait in the medical area, and waited until past noon when Chen Hui finally slowly came to. The doctor timed her, Chen Hui had slept for a full eighteen hours, and even so, she still seemed not to have had enough sleep upon waking. She opened her eyes, saw the doctor, saw Leonid, and then saw Bai Youwei, looking disoriented and unfocused, and finally, her gaze vacantly turned towards the snowy scenery outside the window. ¡°Am I out yet¡­¡± Chen Hui mumbled in confusion, ¡°Or am I still in a dream¡­¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You are out, this isn¡¯t a dream,¡± Bai Youwei leaned down slightly, softly asking her, ¡°Chen Hui, what did you encounter in Maze No. 1? Du Lai said it was a recurring dream; how did you break through the dream and return to reality?¡± Chen Hui was silent for a long time; exhaustion made her reaction slow. ¡°Right¡­ It was a dream¡­¡± she replied slowly, ¡°I dreamt that I was back in school, with Teacher Tu, Zhang Tianyang, Liao Jingjing, Lin Zihang¡­ everyone was there¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°And then what happened?¡± Chen Hui tried to recall, ¡°¡­ we were in class, Teacher Tu asked me to pass down the papers, Zhang Tianyang scored 112 points¡­ he was first again, I had one point less than him, I shouldn¡¯t have got that question wrong¡­ if only I hadn¡¯t made a mistake on that question, I was so annoyed¡­ then Teacher Tu began to explain the questions¡­¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but frown, the details of this dream were simply too realistic¡­ Chen Hui closed her eyes, speaking weakly, ¡°It was terrifying¡­ I thought the doll game was just a dream¡­ I had a nightmare because the pressure from the exams was too great, but in reality, the school is still there, the teachers and students are all still there¡­¡± Chapter 861 - 861 Unwilling to Sleep Anymore Chapter 861: Chapter 861 Unwilling to Sleep Anymore Bai Youwei asked, ¡°You mean¡­ the dream in Maze No. 1 simulated your past life? And it was exactly the same?¡± Chen Hui closed her eyes, as the scenes from the dream flashed vividly before her, so real that they sent shivers down her spine. ¡°It¡¯s even more real than reality¡­ After one class ended, the bell would ring for the break, then it was time for Chinese, math, physics¡­ Everyone was alive, they talked, laughed, someone dozed off in class, and the teacher would get angry about it¡­ After class, Zhang Tianyang came over and asked me what was wrong, whether I was in a bad mood because I scored lower than him, and he even asked smugly if I needed him to tutor me¡­ My deskmate kept complaining about bombing the test and getting scolded once back home.¡± Chen Hui took a deep breath, seemingly unable to continue. She lowered her eyes to look at her hands, tried to clench them, and even doubted whether the place she was in now was also a dream. ¡°Sister Weiwei, at that time¡­ I really thought that the doll game was a nightmare I had because I was too tired and sleepy, and I had dozed off in class, and now that I had woken up from the dream, everyone was still alive, and everything was as it was before.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her and then turned to pour a cup of hot water and handed it to Chen Hui. ¡°Then how did you realize later that you were dreaming?¡± Chen Hui took the cup, holding it in her palms, took a sip, and used the warmth to steady her emotions. ¡°¡­Logically, after four classes, it should have been nap time, but after the fourth class ended, Miss Tu appeared again, she repeated the same words, taught the same lesson, and everything I had experienced happened all over again! I immediately felt something was wrong! But I couldn¡¯t put my finger on what it was, the feeling was indescribable¡­ as if I knew in my heart that I had already been through this class, but my brain naturally accepted it¡­ as if, as if I was meant to live this life!¡± Chen Hui, frightened, looked up at Bai Youwei: ¡°Am I still dreaming now?! Is this a dream?!¡± ¡°No! Chen Hui, you¡¯re back!¡± Bai Youwei reassured her, pointing to Leonid beside the hospital bed, ¡°If you were in a dream, how could you see Leonid? Right? Don¡¯t be scared, you¡¯ve come back¡­¡± Leonid frowned deeply, looking at Chen Hui with concern. Chen Hui slowly nodded, ¡°Right¡­ I¡¯ve come back¡­ I¡¯ve woken up.¡± In the ward, the Doctor was also closely monitoring Chen Hui¡¯s condition and couldn¡¯t help but suggest, ¡°Rest a little longer, it could help you recover faster¡­¡± The Doctor had not finished speaking when Chen Hui, agitated, interrupted: ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep anymore!¡± Her cup spilled hot water, wetting her hands and the bedspread. The room fell silent. Leonid frowned, took the cup from her hand, touched her head, and said something in Russian. Chen Hui might not have understood him, but her mood eventually calmed down. Chen Hui breathed deeply and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy¡­ I want to stay awake¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at her: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, you¡¯ve already come out of the maze; you won¡¯t have that kind of nightmare again. The scenes in the dream are all repetitive and all places you know well, right? You can walk around the headquarters, or we can accompany you outside¡­ Oh, it¡¯s snowing outside, there are many places you haven¡¯t seen, and the maze, even if it wanted to create a dream, couldn¡¯t possibly make up these places.¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Upon hearing this, Chen Hui slowly nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ the scenes in the dream, they¡¯re all places I¡¯m familiar with, no matter what I do, I can¡¯t leave the school. As soon as the bell for the fourth class rings, I¡¯d find myself back in the classroom, starting the lesson again¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Have you thought of any ways to break the cycle?¡± Chapter 862 - 862 Du Lais Dream Chapter 862: Chapter 862 Du Lai¡¯s Dream ¡°I tried many methods¡­ I deliberately interrupted the teacher during class, tore up my homework and test papers, threw away my classmates¡¯ backpacks, and I even ran to the school entrance to make a scene with the security guard, all to get them to kick me out or call my parents, anything would do, I just wanted to see if I could actually leave the school¡ª¡± Chen Hui bit her lip, lowered her head, and her voice grew increasingly muffled: ¡°But no¡­ I was just taken to the head of discipline¡¯s office, got a scolding, and when the bell for the fourth period rang, I was back in the classroom, at my own seat, where my desk mate nudged my arm, asking me how I dared to sleep during the homeroom teacher¡¯s class¡­ Everything had returned to the beginning.¡± As Bai Youwei listened, she pondered. Chen Hui¡¯s description was like a tight, seamless storyline that looped back on itself, forming a closed loop. If someone inside the loop wanted to get out, they had to break the cycle, just like what Chen Hui had done: tearing up papers, arguing with security guards¡ªessentially, doing something to prevent the storyline from continuing as usual. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°How did you finally escape the maze?¡± Chen Hui closed her eyes and replied, ¡°I jumped off the school building¡­¡± A slight shock went through Bai Youwei. Before she could ask anything, Du Lai¡¯s voice came from behind¡ª ¡°I did the same thing.¡± She turned around and saw Du Lai leaning against the doorway, the oversized patient¡¯s garment hanging on his thin frame, devoid of his usual energy and sharpness. ¡°My dream took place on a luxury cruise ship.¡± Du Lai said, ¡°I was the Magician on board, performing magic shows twice a day. Those were relatively peaceful times in my life; I spent three years without ever leaving the ship, and I knew everything there. Probably for this reason, the Labyrinth No. 1 constructed my dream with that scenery.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°How long did it take you after entering to start suspecting you were dreaming?¡± ¡°I started suspecting the moment I entered.¡± Du Lai explained indifferently, ¡°The performers on the ship would sometimes take that¡­ hallucinogen. If dosed correctly, it¡¯s legal abroad. At the time, I was drowsy, and my performing colleague asked me if I¡¯d taken too much, but I knew all this was fake because Miaoxue wasn¡¯t there.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°Even knowing it was fake, finding the courage and resolve to end yourself is not easy, especially since you didn¡¯t know at the time whether dying there would mean your real self would also die.¡± Everyone has an instinct for survival; who would seek death when not driven to desperation? ¡°That¡¯s why I was trapped inside for so many days¡­¡± Du Lai let out a self-mocking laugh, then continued, ¡°I tried almost everything I could think of, but nothing worked¡­ I even intentionally started a fire, trying to burn the ship, but I was discovered, they tied me up, greeted me with knives, one of which stabbed into my heart, and yet I didn¡¯t die¡­ The moment I opened my eyes, I was back in the crew¡¯s rest area, with colleagues asking me if I had overdosed, saying I was talking in my sleep.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei was somewhat surprised: ¡°You died in the dream?¡± Du Lai nodded, ¡°Several times. The owners who run this kind of business all have dirty hands; there were enforcers on board specifically to deal with disobedient staff like me.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°So, is it correct to think¡ªonly if the player themselves seeks liberation can they escape the dream, whereas if the player is killed by someone in the dream, it has no effect, and the dream resets to the beginning?¡± ¡°If you only consider mine and Chen Hui¡¯s situations, that is indeed correct.¡± Du Lai said to Bai Youwei, ¡°Once you figure that out, Labyrinth No. 1 poses no danger. You just need to go in, tell Fu Miaoxue these facts, and then jump from a high place to escape the dream.¡± Chapter 863 - 863: Send Him Off Chapter 863: Chapter 863: Send Him Off Bai Youwei smiled faintly, said nothing. Du Lai pleaded with her again, ¡°Now, you already know the method to get through the maze. Such a maze poses no danger to you; you just need to go in and deliver a message¡­ Bai Youwei, I know you must have a way to save Miaoxue. Please, I beg you!¡± Bai Youwei remained unmoved. With a smile, she said lightly, ¡°You should wait longer. Fu Miaoxue is smart; she might come out on her own soon.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t come out!¡± Du Lai clenched his teeth, his emotions close to breaking, ¡°The longer she stays in the dream, the more she¡¯ll confuse dreams with reality! She¡¯ll forget everything about the real world and completely accept all settings and scripts of the dream! She will be totally trapped in the dream!!!¡± After hearing this, Bai Youwei was silent for a moment before speaking indifferently, ¡°The one who agreed to enter the maze was her. She must have been prepared for whatever consequences she might face.¡± Bai Youwei gently patted Chen Hui on the shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°Take good care of yourself; I¡¯ll come see you another day.¡± After speaking, she turned and walked out of the hospital room, brushing past Du Lai. Shen Mo stayed a bit longer in the room and then said, ¡°Du Lai, have you ever considered, maybe Fu Miaoxue isn¡¯t unable to come out, but rather she doesn¡¯t want to come out.¡± Du Lai¡¯s face looked extremely troubled. Shen Mo didn¡¯t look at him again and followed Bai Youwei, the two gradually walking away. Unable to accept it, Du Lai shouted at their backs, ¡°Bai Youwei! Don¡¯t you care at all whether your mother is dead or alive right now?!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s footsteps faltered slightly, then quickly recovered, and she left the medical area with Shen Mo. Du Lai clenched his fist and smashed it violently against the door frame, his eyes red with emotion. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He indeed had no other options. ¡­ Back in her room, Bai Youwei sat down beside the bed, her expression somewhat vacant. Shen Mo knew she was thinking about the No. 1 maze. ¡°Even if we know the key clue to the No. 1 maze, and even though the maze isn¡¯t dangerous, there¡¯s no need to go at this critical moment. There¡¯s not much time left until the third battle. If entering the maze affects the outcome of the battle game, it would be a loss not worth the cause.¡± Shen Mo tried to lift her spirits and patiently advised, ¡°Anything can be postponed until after securing an absolute victory.¡± Including finding Bai Youwei¡¯s mother. ¡ªWhat if going now affects her condition? What if it leads to failure? What if it results in dying in the game? Not even able to save her own life, even if she finds her mother, wouldn¡¯t they still be separated? What difference would it make? However, Bai Youwei had never considered looking for Wang Jingxian. She had her own path to walk, and her mother, of course, had her own path too. Even the closest blood ties couldn¡¯t prevent them from becoming people of completely separate worlds. Sitting quietly, Bai Youwei thought for a long time, then dug through her canvas bag and pulled out a card, handing it to Shen Mo. ¡°Give this to Du Lai,¡± she said. Shen Mo took it, his brow slightly furrowed. [Friend Invitation Card: Holders of the invitation card can enter uninvited areas, or some restricted areas.] ¡°Can this item be used on the maze?¡± Shen Mo was uncertain. ¡°It should be possible¡­¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°Besides this, I really can¡¯t think of any other reason Du Lai¡¯s divination led him to me. To save Fu Miaoxue, aside from needing someone who¡¯s never entered the No. 1 maze, you also need an item that can enter someone else¡¯s dreams.¡± Honestly, from what Shen Mo knew about Bai Youwei, she wasn¡¯t a person generous with charity. Shen Mo studied her expression and asked, ¡°Are you planning to trade with him using this?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head and said softly, ¡°Giving it to him. Strange, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t like Du Lai, and I dislike Fu Miaoxue, yet for some reason¡­ I don¡¯t want to see these two separated.¡± Chapter 864 - 864: Are You Crazy? Chapter 864: Chapter 864: Are You Crazy? Bai Youwei let Shen Mo deliver the props and stopped worrying about it, focusing instead on collecting intelligence, organizing props, and preparing for the third battle. However, even though she didn¡¯t care, the rampant rumors still made their way into her ears. Everyone in the Headquarters Building was talking about it¡ªDu Lai had set a bounty within the base. ¡ªAs long as someone was willing to enter Maze No. 1 and rescue Fu Miaoxue, Du Lai was willing to give away all the props and information he held and also, provide a maze guide for free to ensure the safety of the person¡¯s life. His props were certainly tempting, but sadly, not a single person wanted to enter the maze. Everybody knew about the dangers of the maze. Why trouble oneself for a thrill when life was good? Moreover, the ones who truly needed props were either the King or his subjects, and now, there were only a few Kings and subjects left in the base. If they didn¡¯t go, who else would? sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Unless Yan Qingwen changed his mind, there might still be a sliver of hope. ¡­ In the evening, Bai Youwei stayed in her room, arranging her remaining props in several rows. She was considering whether these unremarkable props, aside from their inherent functions, could be developed for some other uses. Rapid footsteps could be heard from outside. Then, her door was knocked on. Zhu Shu called from outside, ¡°Weiwei! You should come and see. Du Lai is recruiting someone to enter the maze, and he¡¯s actually recruiting Shen Mingyuan!¡± Bai Youwei went to open the door and asked, puzzled, ¡°Who is Shen Mingyuan?¡± Zhu Shu was taken aback, ¡°You don¡¯t know? Shen Mingyuan, one of the important shareholders of Shen Group, and also Shen Mo¡¯s father.¡± Bai Youwei was also stunned, her eyes widening, ¡°Isn¡¯t this crazy? Even if he can¡¯t recruit anyone else, Du Lai shouldn¡¯t choose him!¡± Shen Mingyuan was over forty years old! He had never entered the game! And had never been in a maze! Had Du Lai lost his mind?! ¡­No, that¡¯s not right, should I say, had Shen¡¯s father lost his mind?! ¡°You should come down and have a look, Shen Mo is also there,¡± Zhu Shu said worriedly, ¡°Shen Mo looks¡­ not too good.¡± Bai Youwei switched her shoes and went downstairs with her, encountering Shen Fei who had just come looking for her while taking the elevator. Shen Fei, upon seeing Bai Youwei, stammered, ¡°Uncle Third asked me¡­ asked me to find you, to persuade my brother not to prevent Uncle Third from entering the maze¡­¡± As Bai Youwei stepped into the elevator, she said, ¡°He wants to enter the maze, and you¡¯re just letting him?! The maze is very dangerous, Shen Mo will definitely disagree!¡± ¡°Du Lai said he would provide the guide¡­¡± Shen Fei hesitated, ¡°I heard there would be no danger, just going in once could improve one¡¯s physical condition. The props obtained could all be given to you, to help in the battle.¡± ¡°What if the guide is useless?¡± Bai Youwei said helplessly, ¡°Anything could happen in the maze. Once the guide Du Lai provided fails, Uncle will be trapped inside! Nobody can save him! Ah, aren¡¯t you just making things worse?¡± She turned to Shen Fei and said, ¡°I¡¯ll hold off Shen Mo later, you¡¯re responsible for dragging Uncle back, and don¡¯t let him have any more contact with Du Lai! Got it?¡± ¡°¡­Ah?¡± Shen Fei¡¯s expression stiffened. He was clearly sent as Uncle Third¡¯s lobbyist, so how did he end up being ordered around by Bai Youwei instead? When they reached the first floor, Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu, and Shen Fei walked outside and soon saw the figure of Shen Mo. He was indeed confronting his own father, and both of their faces looked very ugly. There were also some onlookers gathered around. Du Lai sat on the side, his entire face expressionless, cold and indifferent. Seeing Bai Youwei walking over quickly, he raised his eyebrows. Chapter 865 - 865 Shen Mingyuan Chapter 865: Chapter 865 Shen Mingyuan Bai Youwei immediately said, ¡°Du Lai, Uncle Shen has never entered the labyrinth. Asking him to go in¡ªisn¡¯t that sending him to his death?¡± Du Lai pointed to Shen Mingyuan nearby and answered: Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s not me asking him to go, he wants to go himself. I¡¯m just providing him with strategies and self-defense tools.¡± With a mocking smile, he continued, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Bai Youwei, you don¡¯t want to go yourself, but do you also want to keep everyone at the base from going? Miaoxue and I may have offended you, but we don¡¯t have a deadly feud, there¡¯s no need to be so utterly ruthless, right?¡± Bai Youwei was silenced by his words and knew in her heart that bringing Du Lai into this was useless; the real reason lay with Shen¡¯s father. With a knitted brow, she looked at Shen Mo. Shen Mo and Shen Mingyuan sat opposite each other in the lounge area of the hall, both with somber expressions on their faces. Du Lai coldly said, ¡°Does a son still want to control his father? Tsk, whatever¡­ You and your family should hurry up and discuss it. Give a straight answer whether you¡¯ll go or not. If you¡¯re not going, I need to go elsewhere to offer rewards, don¡¯t waste my time.¡± Everyone turned their gaze to the father and son in confrontation¡ª Shen Mingyuan sat calmly. Clad in a gray pinstripe shirt and a soft, clean cashmere coat, with fine crow¡¯s feet at the corners of his eyes, his face¡ªmatured by years¡ªwas refined and serene. It was hard to imagine that he and the imposing Shen Mo could be father and son. Speaking slowly, Shen Mingyuan said, ¡°You¡¯ve risked your life for her so many times, and I never stopped you once. Now, I want to take a risk for a woman I like¡ªis that not allowed?¡± He raised his head, smiling at Shen Mo, ¡°Kid, you can¡¯t be so double-standard.¡± Uncle Shen was anxious in the crowd, ¡°Why are you so stubborn! She¡¯s already run off with another man!¡± Shen Mingyuan¡¯s brows slightly furrowed, clearly disliking anyone speaking ill of Wang Jingxian. ¡°She went to search for a new refuge.¡± Shen Mingyuan explained unhurriedly, ¡°At that time, Shanghai was not safe. Everyone prepared a large amount of supplies, gathered many technical personnel, because Professor Song said the Arctic might be the only place unaffected by the game, so everyone set off by boat to the Arctic. The man you mentioned, he was the key investor and organizer of that mission; Wang Jingxian and he were just normal friends.¡± This was somewhat different than what Bai Youwei had initially heard. But it didn¡¯t matter anymore. Her mother had plenty of ordinary friends; what she was more concerned about now was how to stop Shen Mo¡¯s dad. Shen Mo said, ¡°The labyrinth is currently in a locked state, you may not be able to enter Labyrinth Number One.¡± ¡°Mr. Du will provide the strategy,¡± Shen Mingyuan answered calmly, ¡°Number Two mirror, Number Three Mermaid, Number Four Stonehenge, Number Five Minotaur, Number Six Arrow, Number Seven Snake, Number Eight Desert, Number Nine Rainforest¡ªalthough the specific details are not clear, Mr. Du has promised that whoever is willing to rescue Fu Miaoxue, to increase their chances of entering Labyrinth Number One, he will offer all the strategies for Labyrinths Two to Nine free of charge.¡± There was immediate buzz all around. Having so much information about the labyrinths all at once was no simple feat. Shen Mingyuan continued, ¡°Moreover¡­ according to Mr. Du, Labyrinth Number One is safer compared to the others, without any harsh environment or dangerous creatures, as long as one constantly reminds oneself that they are in a dream, there would be no problem, even if I can¡¯t rescue Fu Miaoxue, I should be able to get out in one piece.¡± In her heart, Bai Youwei silently said: But it¡¯s precisely because of the special nature of Labyrinth Number One that once something goes wrong, it will result in a dead end, because unlike the other labyrinths, it doesn¡¯t have a clear exit¡ªit¡¯s a dream! Shen Mo, still silent, must have also seen that Shen Mingyuan was determined and difficult to persuade. After thinking for a long time, he asked his father, ¡°Is going there a must?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 866 - 866: The Most Difficult and the Easiest Chapter 866: Chapter 866: The Most Difficult and the Easiest Shen Mingyuan nodded, answering calmly, ¡°After she left, there has been no news, and I am very worried.¡± A simple sentence, inexplicably conveying deeply rooted affections. If he were ten years younger, perhaps no woman could withstand such charm. Bai Youwei felt emotional inside. Compared to Shen Mo¡¯s father, the sweet nothings that Shen Mo usually said to her seemed so dry¡­ Shen Mo continued to persuade him, ¡°Although you have props and strategies, you still lack any experience, and you¡¯re inadequate in dealing with emergencies. Such a decision is very unwise.¡± Shen Mingyuan asked, ¡°If Weiwei were missing without a trace, would you still consider whether your decision is wise?¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo frowned and fell silent. If something had happened to Bai Youwei, even if there was only one in ten million chance, he would still try. But the problem was¡­ could Shen Mingyuan¡¯s feelings for Wang Jingxian be put on the same level as his for Bai Youwei? He seemed to vaguely remember that his dad and Aunt Wang hadn¡¯t reached that stage yet, had they? Adults¡¯ love always involves much calculation, unlike the pure and blind affection of the young, so those who rush through fire and water for it are always the youngsters. Shen Mingyuan smiled faintly, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve always been curious about the labyrinth and the games you all talk about. Now I have a good opportunity, and I can also use it to find out about Weiwei¡¯s mother¡¯s whereabouts. Why not give it a try?¡± Shen Mo furrowed his brows, ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of just giving it a try, but that the risks are unpredictable. If you think it¡¯s necessary to look for Aunt Wang, I should go instead.¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. Shen Mingyuan waved his hand, ¡°Stay with Weiwei. If something really happens to me, you don¡¯t have to worry about it, just think of me as gone to accompany her mother. In such times, living or dying is nothing more than a game.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s frown deepened. His father spoke lightly, but Shen Mo felt that he was just looking for trouble for himself. Bai Youwei watched the two of them, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°If you¡¯re going, I might as well go.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s eyes turned frosty, his expression serious as he looked at Bai Youwei and rejected outright, ¡°You need to prepare for the battle game, you can¡¯t be distracted.¡± ¡°If you go, do you think I won¡¯t be distracted?¡± Bai Youwei said with a faint smile, ¡°Moreover, if Uncle can risk his life for my mother, as her daughter, it¡¯s only right that I should care too, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s expression turned extremely ugly, even glaring fiercely at Shen Mingyuan. Shen Mingyuan said with a smile, ¡°Weiwei, don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t mean to force you to go. Wanting to enter the labyrinth was entirely my own idea.¡± Bai Youwei also smiled, ¡°There¡¯s no misunderstanding. Wanting to enter the labyrinth was also my own idea. At first, I rejected the idea because I feel my mother has always been very independent, and there is no need to disturb her life. But after listening to Uncle, I realized that no matter how well or poorly our parents are doing, as their children we should at least care about their current state¡­¡± Shen Mo suddenly got up and took a few steps to Bai Youwei, ignoring the surprised looks of those around him as he pulled her into the elevator. He tugged Bai Youwei¡¯s hand into the elevator and immediately pressed the button for the floor of his room. The elevator slowly ascended. Shen Mo asked with a somber face, ¡°Are you trying to anger me on purpose? Why did you change your mind?¡± ¡°I already told you the reasons,¡± Bai Youwei blinked, looking innocently at him, ¡°One, I can get news about my mom, two, it would make your dad happy, and three¡­ if your dad is happy, you¡¯ll be happy too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not happy,¡± Shen Mo felt agitated, for the first time could not keep his cool, ¡°My dad is just too idle! You don¡¯t need to involve yourself in this anymore, I¡¯ll enter the Number 1 Labyrinth!¡± Bai Youwei fell silent and then hugged his waist, leaning against him quietly. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s one thing Du Lai is right about¡­¡± she spoke softly, ¡°As long as I constantly remind myself that I¡¯m in a dream, there won¡¯t be a problem¡­ The Number 1 Labyrinth is both the hardest and the easiest.¡± She looked up, tiptoed, and kissed his chin, ¡°Let me go.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 867 - 867 Set Off That Night Chapter 867: Chapter 867 Set Off That Night After all the twists and turns, it was Bai Youwei who went. Even if Shen Mo wanted to go, it was no use, because the choice was in Du Lai¡¯s hands. Seeing that the two hadn¡¯t returned after a long time, Shen Mingyuan turned his head to look at Du Lai and asked with a smile, ¡°Since I am the senior here, shouldn¡¯t I be the one to go? The young have their own affairs to attend to.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Du Lai replied indifferently, ¡°This isn¡¯t like taking a number at a bank, where I care about who¡¯s first or last. I only choose the person with the greatest chance of winning.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Shen Mingyuan sighed softly, ¡°That¡¯s a pity. I had thought I might have this opportunity.¡± Du Lai smiled and looked at Shen Mingyuan, ¡°However, I still have to thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, she wouldn¡¯t have been willing to enter the labyrinth.¡± Shen Mingyuan fell silent for a moment, looking in the direction the two had left, ¡°She should go. The great battle is imminent; it¡¯s only right to see one¡¯s family before parting.¡± ¡°Perhaps for her, that person doesn¡¯t deserve to be called ¡®family¡¯¡­¡± said Du Lai coldly. Shen Mingyuan shook his head with a smile, ¡°You young people, always so free and easy, thinking you can cut off whatever you want just like that.¡± ¡°Because some things are indeed more fragile than you imagine,¡± Du Lai looked down, ¡°With some people, once you turn away, you can never find them again.¡± ¡­ Bai Youwei entered the maze that evening. Why so urgent? Because Du Lai couldn¡¯t wait even a minute longer. He handed over all the props he had to Bai Youwei and drew her a map. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it with the Magic Crystal Shard, Miaoxue is at her family¡¯s home. She lived there for twenty years, so it¡¯s quite normal for the maze to choose it as the scene for the dream.¡± Bai Youwei took the map, quite speechless, ¡°Geez, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a home where you need a map to find your way.¡± The floor plan showed a veritable castle complete with gardens, stables, and even a helipad! It seemed that Fu Miaoxue¡¯s family was very wealthy, much richer than her own and Shen Mo¡¯s families combined. Shen Mo looked at the map for a while, skeptically saying, ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like a building in our country.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, this is a manor overseas.¡± Du Lai explained to them, ¡°Miaoxue¡¯s grandfather is a well-known crime boss internationally, and his den is extremely concealed. The manor is usually managed by a Butler, and besides Miaoxue, there lives a family teacher named Qiao Na, and other servants and maids you needn¡¯t worry about.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, Du Lai took out the crystal shard and reiterated, ¡°This prop can only be used three times; I¡¯ve used it twice already. The last one I¡¯m saving for you, when you bring Miaoxue out, it¡¯ll be yours.¡± Bai Youwei snorted, ¡°No wonder you were so sure Fu Miaoxue wouldn¡¯t come out earlier. You¡¯ve already used the prop to see, haven¡¯t you? How is she doing in the dream state?¡± Du Lai frowned slightly, ¡°¡­She¡¯s merged into the dream. I suspect her memory cycle is much longer than mine and Chen Hui¡¯s.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Does it make a difference?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Du Lai said, ¡°The shorter the memory cycle, the easier it is to detect the anomaly. Chen Hui¡¯s dream cycles about every four hours, mine about every eight, Miaoxue¡¯s could far exceed that.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll play it by ear once I¡¯m in there.¡± ¡°One more thing,¡± Du Lai reminded her, ¡°In the dream, all the props I had disappeared. I¡¯m not sure if your props will disappear after you enter, so just in case, it¡¯s best to leave some important props in the real world.¡± His words were also implying that if she failed, her props would disappear with her. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then took off the key to the dollhouse, stood on her tiptoes, and hung it around Shen Mo¡¯s neck. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 868 - 868: About to Enter the Dream Chapter 868: Chapter 868: About to Enter the Dream Bai Youwei arrived at the rest hall with Shen Mo and Du Lai, showing the Inspector her friend invitation card. ¡°Can this item be used to enter someone else¡¯s dream in Maze No. 1?¡± Bai Youwei asked the rabbit gentleman. The Inspector took the card, looked at it, and asked, ¡°Which player would like to use the item?¡± ¡°Me,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Last time you said I unlocked two mazes, I¡¯ve already been to No. 5, so I should be able to go into No. 1, right?¡± The Inspector didn¡¯t directly answer her but replied instead, ¡°Which maze you enter is up to the system¡¯s judgment; the Inspector has no authority to interfere.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, just tell me if this item is useful or not,¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, her tone casual, ¡°If it can be used, I¡¯ll give it a try, if not, I¡¯ll just go back.¡± The rabbit gentleman smiled upon hearing her words, handing the invitation card back to her, ¡°The item can be used. However, there is only one card, so only one person can enter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going alone to enter Maze No. 1, into Fu Miaoxue¡¯s dream,¡± she pointed at the two men beside her, ¡°They¡¯re here to see me off.¡± The rabbit gentleman glanced at the two men, and finally, his gaze fell back on Bai Youwei¡¯s face, ¡°Are you sure? According to the rules, two Kings cannot be in the same maze at the same time. This is to prevent uneven distribution of puzzle pieces upon clearing the maze. If you now enter the maze of another King, even if you clear it, you won¡¯t be able to receive any rewards.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I already have enough puzzle pieces as it is,¡± Bai Youwei declared, ¡°Hurry up and open the maze entrance, this guy next to me is already dying of impatience~¡± Du Lai remained unaffected by her teasing; he looked at Bai Youwei¡¯s profile and said in a low voice, word by word, ¡°Bai Youwei, as long as you can bring Miaoxue back, in future battles, we¡¯ll help you.¡± His tone was serious as if he were making a vow. Bai Youwei gave a cool laugh, ¡°You guys, just try to stay alive, then you can talk big~¡± The rabbit-headed Inspector waved his arm, and a large, glowing square appeared in front of them, just like the entrance to every maze before. ¡°Please enter with the invitation card in hand,¡± the rabbit gentleman inclined slightly, with a courteous gesture, ¡°Because you are entering someone else¡¯s dream, your identity may change according to their dream, and any items you carry may be limited too, since¡­ the items you have are content that the other party could not possibly dream of. But rest assured, once you exit the dream, your items will be returned to you, just as they were.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Bai Youwei slung her canvas bag over her shoulder and gently patted the side of it, ¡°I¡¯ve only brought two things, can I go in now?¡± The Inspector nodded his head, giving her the way. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei took a couple of steps forward, then stopped and turned her head to look at Shen Mo. Something must have crossed her mind; she light-footedly came back, and without getting close, Shen Mo stepped forward to embrace her tightly. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Bai Youwei laughed lightly in his embrace, ¡°Don¡¯t make it seem like a life-or-death parting, there¡¯s no danger in Maze No. 1 for me, I¡¯ll be out soon.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice was low, ¡°Still, I think I should go.¡± ¡°You?¡± Bai Youwei laughed again, ¡°The chances of you persuading Fu Miaoxue to come back are slim. She¡¯s¡­ well, nevermind, you wouldn¡¯t understand anyway. Just remember to miss me.¡± Bai Youwei hugged him, lamenting, ¡°It¡¯s a pity, if only I could enter your dream as well, I want to see if the lover in your dreams is me.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°I never dream.¡± ¡°What an unromantic response¡­¡± Bai Youwei shook her head sadly. ¡°I only have one kind of dream,¡± Shen Mo leaned down and whispered something into her ear. A blush crept onto Bai Youwei¡¯s face, and she gave him an annoyed glare, ¡°¡­When did you learn to be so teasing?¡± Shen Mo kissed her and said, ¡°Come back soon.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 869 - 869 Dream 1 Chapter 869: Chapter 869 Dream 1 Bai Youwei walked into the glowing square, inside everything was shrouded in white, no different than whenever she entered the labyrinth. She continued to walk inward. Gradually, the fog dispersed, and she could feel the smooth asphalt beneath her feet, the air in her nostrils becoming moist. Proceeding forward, she then saw a massive European-style iron gate standing before her. The gate was magnificent and grand, with each iron bar standing straight, intertwined with openwork rose patterns, lavish and stately. To either side of the gate were tall courtyard walls. Beyond that, there were only trees. Poplar, elm, birch, cherry trees¡­ and many others that Bai Youwei could not name. Bai Youwei saw a display screen on the column beside the gate; she walked over and pressed the call button. After a moment, two security guards came over, one of whom, through the gate, asked her identity. Bai Youwei handed over her friend¡¯s invitation card for them to see. The security guard looked at the invitation card, initially puzzled, but then as if the settings in his brain were altered, his expression suddenly changed, and smiling, he said, ¡°So you¡¯re the young lady¡¯s friend, Miss Bai, please come in.¡± The security guard opened the iron gate, invited Bai Youwei in, and with respect said, ¡°Miss Bai, please wait a moment.¡± He took out a walkie-talkie and spoke to someone on the other end, ¡°¡­send a car over, the young lady¡¯s friend has arrived¡­ yes, right at the main gate.¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but reflect: The place was truly vast, to the point where transportation was needed even from the entrance. After a short wait, indeed, a white four-seater car arrived, similar to those electric cars found on golf courses, and very elegantly designed. The car drove up slowly, stopping in front of Bai Youwei, with the chauffeur nodding and giving a polite bow. Bai Youwei got in, and the car returned on the same path. After passing through a patch of forest road dappled with sunlight, the scenery suddenly opened up; a vast and flat green lawn extended all the way to the estate in the distance, quite spectacular. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But¡­ Although beautiful, living here felt somewhat cut off from the world, inevitably lonely. Considering Fu Miaoxue¡¯s capricious personality, Bai Youwei found it hard to imagine her living in such a secluded place, almost devoid of human touch. A few minutes later, Bai Youwei arrived at the entrance of the front hall. A maid dressed in a uniform was there to greet her, inviting her in while saying, ¡°The young lady is in a lesson, please take a seat for a while.¡± Bai Youwei followed her inside, curiously examining her surroundings. How should she put it? The place could almost be described as dazzling with splendor¡­ and it was that kind of old-fashioned luxury, one that conjures thoughts of decay and decadence. Dark red velvet drapes overlapped intricately, a set of silverware glistened, candelabras, a fireplace, cocoon chairs, and an expensive, exquisite cashmere rug that seemed like a thick ink painting spread across the floor tiles¡ª The servants around held their breath and silenced their movements, adding a hint of oppression to this massive and silent building. Bai Youwei sat in the parlor sipping tea from a beautiful enamel porcelain cup, thinking: Indeed, this is a dreamscape; there was no taste at all to the tea. So this building, as well as the security guards and maids, must all be simulations created by the labyrinth. She had to consider, once she saw Fu Miaoxue, how to speak to her. She couldn¡¯t be too blunt, nor too indirect¡­ She needed to make Fu Miaoxue willing to leave this place. Tap, tap, tap, tap¡ª The crisp sound of footsteps approached. Bai Youwei raised her eyes to look; a delicate girl dressed in a debutante¡¯s gown was walking towards her. There were indeed differences between mannequins and real people, Bai Youwei stared for a moment before she recognized Fu Miaoxue. She seemed to be holding back anger, and even through the thick carpet, her high heels made clear sounds. ¡°Miss, please mind your manners.¡± Behind Fu Miaoxue, a tall middle-aged woman reminded her. Fu Miaoxue bit her lip, her eyes full of defiance, but she did soften the force in her steps, walking with a cold face until she reached Bai Youwei. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 870 - 870 Dream 2 Chapter 870: Chapter 870 Dream 2 Bai Youwei set down her teacup, smiling as she stood up. ¡°Miaoxue, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t recognize her, furrowing her brows as she sized her up. Seeing this, Bai Youwei¡¯s heart immediately sank. ¡ªJust as Du Lai had said, Fu Miaoxue had completely immersed herself in the dream and didn¡¯t recognize Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei once again took out the invitation card and handed it to Fu Miaoxue. ¡°Have you forgotten? It was you who invited me to visit,¡± she said, her face still maintaining a smile. Fu Miaoxue blinked very slowly, staring at the invitation card. ¡°Now that you mention it, I seem to remember¡­ You are Bai Youwei, my friend¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right, you are my friend.¡± Once she had accepted this scenario, Fu Miaoxue¡¯s response became much more natural, and she laughed. ¡°How interesting, I actually have a friend, haha!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. ¡°¡­Yes, I also find it quite amusing.¡± ¡°How did we meet?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked eagerly and curiously. ¡°How long have we known each other? Why haven¡¯t I invited you before¡­?¡± At her side, a middle-aged woman interjected in a timely manner, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s almost time for lunch. Why not invite Miss Bai to stay for lunch? You can chat while you eat.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at her from the corner of her eye. The woman appeared to be around forty, actually quite young-looking, with fair and smooth skin, well-maintained, and just some fine lines at the corners of the eyes. However, her dress was very matronly, with her hair styled in a high bun behind her head, wearing a dark-colored, high-necked long dress, like a stern and serious nun. Du Lai had mentioned that in this manor, besides Fu Miaoxue, there was a governess named Qiao Na, and he had also said that other servants needn¡¯t be paid attention to. So this woman should be Fu Miaoxue¡¯s governess, Qiao Na. Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry, I¡¯m not hungry now, let¡¯s eat later.¡± Qiao Na frowned slightly and said, ¡°A proper young lady should have good daily routines. If you postpone your mealtime now, it will affect your afternoon nap and evening lessons, and reheating the food once it cools will surely lead to nutrient loss. The servants¡¯ scheduled work will also be disrupted. You should go to the dining room for lunch on time.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s face turned ugly. Biting her lip, she headed towards the dining room, grumbling, ¡°I know, nag.¡± ¡°Miss, please watch your language!¡± Qiao Na¡¯s face turned cold as she sternly reprimanded, ¡°Have you forgotten all the etiquette I¡¯ve taught you?!¡± Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t listen at all, raising her voice in irritation, ¡°I said I know!¡± Qiao Na endured for a moment and then said, ¡°Alright, please join your friend for the meal.¡± Ignoring her, Fu Miaoxue kept walking forward, cursing under her breath. Probably not wanting to be scolded, she cursed in Shanghai dialect, which Qiao Na couldn¡¯t understand. Qiao Na looked at Fu Miaoxue¡¯s receding figure with a troubled expression, her dissatisfaction almost written on her face. Bai Youwei looked at the two of them and followed Fu Miaoxue with her footsteps. ¡­ Upon reaching the dining room, Bai Youwei once again witnessed Fu Miaoxue¡¯s frustrations. From the moment she picked up the utensils, Qiao Na was constantly instructing Fu Miaoxue on her etiquette and posture. In Bai Youwei¡¯s view, Fu Miaoxue¡¯s dining etiquette was already very good, except that Qiao Na¡¯s standards were much more stringent. From the placement of utensils to the angle of the bend of a finger, she pointed out flaws one by one. It was clear to Bai Youwei that Fu Miaoxue was struggling to contain herself and was on the verge of erupting. Finally, after Qiao Na reminded her for what seemed like the umpteenth time not to make a noise when the soup spoon touched the bottom of the bowl, Fu Miaoxue angrily threw the spoon into the bowl! The creamy soup splattered in all directions, and Fu Miaoxue shouted furiously: ¡°This tastes disgusting!!! Who made this soup?! It¡¯s fit for pigs! Only animals would eat this!!!¡± Having yelled, she raised her hand and swept all the cups, plates, and dishes in front of her onto the floor! They shattered into pieces! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 871 - 871 Dream 3 Chapter 871: Chapter 871 Dream 3 The servants standing by immediately stepped forward, efficiently clearing away the mess. Everything was orderly and silent, as if such a scene occurred often and everyone was accustomed to it. Qiao Na watched Fu Miaoxue with a cold expression, ¡°Not only have you behaved improperly at the table, but you¡¯ve also been willfully abusive and lack even the basic respect for food. Therefore, Miss, you shall skip this meal.¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She calmly instructed the servants, ¡°Clean up the young lady¡¯s place, and take care not to let those broken ceramics and glass shards injure the young lady.¡± The servants said in unison, ¡°Yes,¡± and continued cleaning. Fu Miaoxue snorted coldly, like a proud and naive princess, saying, ¡°I won¡¯t eat then! What¡¯s so great about that!¡± She got up and left. Qiao Na reminded her, ¡°The evening class starts at three o¡¯clock, Miss, please don¡¯t be late.¡± Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t care at all and hurried away, storming off and soon disappearing from Qiao Na¡¯s view. Only Qiao Na and Bai Youwei remained at the dining table. After thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei put down her utensils and politely bowed to Qiao Na, ¡°I have finished eating, please excuse me.¡± Then she too left the dining room, following in the direction Fu Miaoxue had departed. ¡­ Bai Youwei found that this governess called Qiao Na was no simple character. The manor¡¯s servants all obeyed her commands, and even the capricious Fu Miaoxue had to be subject to her control. She just didn¡¯t know how often this dream scenario recurred. If one had to live under such intense pressure every day, she thought it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to lead Fu Miaoxue out. Bai Youwei followed all the way to the garden. Fu Miaoxue had plucked all the marigolds along the path, clearly very upset. When Bai Youwei found her, she was sitting on a wooden bench in the garden, playing with a flower, her face clouded with gloom. There was no doubt, anyone who appeared before her at this time would probably be the target of her ire. Of course, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t be that venting outlet. Her task was to lead Fu Miaoxue out, not to coax her into happiness, so she found another bench in the garden, sat down with peace of mind to rest, and also to observe Fu Miaoxue¡¯s situation. Unexpectedly, there was indeed someone with a death wish who approached her. Bai Youwei saw a man wearing a flat cap come near Fu Miaoxue and strike up a conversation. The man was dressed in orange work overalls and wore coarse hemp gloves, resembling a gardener of the estate. Bai Youwei felt a bit of schadenfreude, wondering whether Fu Miaoxue would curse him out or go straight to hitting him. To her surprise, Fu Miaoxue actually laughed! The laugh was clear and bell-like, reaching Bai Youwei¡¯s ears, and she was astonished. At that moment, she saw the worker take off his hat, finally revealing that familiar face¡ª He pulled a beautiful rose out of his hat and placed it beside Fu Miaoxue¡¯s ear. Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t stop laughing as she reached out to pull at his hat, finding it empty. Bai Youwei watched, dumbfounded, from a distance. So this was how Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue became acquainted. One was the daughter of a privileged family, and the other was¡­ a gardener? Wait, how did Du Lai end up being a gardener in a place like this? ¡­ Fu Miaoxue flipped the flat cap upside down, her eyes shining as she looked at Du Lai: ¡°I get it, you must have hidden a rose in the hat beforehand, right? Now that there¡¯s no flower in the hat, can you still produce one?¡± With a smile, Du Lai said, ¡°I can¡¯t make another one appear, but since the young lady is so beautiful, perhaps the hat will listen to you.¡± He flipped the hat right side up, his nimble long fingers lightly flicked the brim, and he asked in a ceremonious tone, ¡°Hat, oh hat, do you have a gift you¡¯d like to give the young lady?¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed at his antics, ¡°Stop acting now¡­¡± ¡°Miss, the hat says it has a gift for you,¡± said Du Lai with a smile. ¡°Now, please reach your hand into the hat¡ª¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 872 - 872 Dream 4 Chapter 872: Chapter 872 Dream 4 Fu Miaoxue was half in doubt, half hopeful, ¡°There couldn¡¯t really be something in there, could there? It looked empty to me.¡± The duckbill cap was placed over her hand, and she reached in to feel around, skeptically looking at Du Lai, ¡°¡­There¡¯s nothing at all.¡± Du Lai chuckled, ¡°Miss, the hat is acting coy with you, you see. You have to pet it, kiss it.¡± Fu Miaoxue immediately put on a cold face, displeased, ¡°This dirty hat of yours, also expects me to kiss it?¡± Du Lai was a bit taken aback, then quickly plastered on a grin and humored her, ¡°The status of the young lady is so high and mighty, of course, you wouldn¡¯t deign to do such a thing. Ah, I also think it¡¯s daydreaming! But this hat has a tricky temper, it won¡¯t produce anything if it¡¯s in a bad mood, what to do? Why don¡¯t you¡­ just blow on it, Miss? As a Heavenly Immortal descended to earth, your ¡®Fairy Breath¡¯ will surely invigorate it a hundredfold.¡± Fu Miaoxue snorted with laughter, her eyes shining as she looked at Du Lai, ¡°What¡¯s that mouth of yours made of? You do speak so sweetly. It¡¯s a bit of a waste to have you as a Gardener. How about I move you to indoors work? It would be much nicer than being out here in the wind and the sun.¡± Du Lai lowered his stance, ¡°Wherever you think I fit best, I¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re quite the charmer~¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed, ¡°Well, it¡¯ll depend on this hat¡¯s performance. If it does well, I¡¯ll reward you; if not¡­ how about throwing you into the sea to feed the fish?¡± Bai Youwei, who was a distance away, twitched the corner of her mouth. This was so like Fu Miaoxue¡ªlaughs and chats with someone one second, the next she¡¯s threatening to throw them into the sea. She¡¯s capricious, almost mad, and only Du Lai could tolerate her. Indeed, Du Lai lived up to Bai Youwei¡¯s expectations, bending down and smilingly saying to Fu Miaoxue, ¡°As long as it makes the young miss happy, I¡¯m willing to be fish food in the ocean.¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes: Ha, a pair of lunatics. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fu Miaoxue gently blew into the duckbill cap she held, and then looked to Du Lai, ¡°Alright, your turn now.¡± Du Lai said, ¡°Miss, please flip over the hat.¡± Fu Miaoxue turned the duckbill cap over and a big bunch of red roses suddenly sprang out in front of her! ¡°Wow!¡± she exclaimed in surprise, lifting up the bouquet of roses, and more white roses bubbled up from beneath! ¡°How are there even more flowers!¡± Fu Miaoxue embraced the white roses as well, followed by yet another bunch of pink roses. She couldn¡¯t hold on anymore, and as she stood up, the hat fell to the ground, with rose after rose flowing out of it, creating a carpet of fresh flowers beneath her dress. ¡°Ah ah ah!¡­ So many! So many roses!¡± Fu Miaoxue was ecstatic! ¡°How could a hat possibly hold so many flowers?!¡± She threw the roses in her hand, euphorically rummaging through the pile of flowers to find the hat, ¡°I have to see how it¡¯s done!¡± She searched and searched, but to no avail, almost forgetting her dignity as she was about to dive into the floral mound. ¡°Where¡¯s the hat?¡­ How come it¡¯s gone? It clearly fell on the ground, right at my feet!¡± Du Lai helped her up, smiling, ¡°Miss, the hat is here.¡± ¡°Where?¡± asked Fu Miaoxue, then suddenly brightened with a smile, ¡°Oh, how did it get on your head? When did you put the hat on?¡± ¡°Yeah, how strange,¡± laughed Du Lai, ¡°When did it make its way back?¡± Fu Miaoxue of course knew it was a magic trick, and that Du Lai wouldn¡¯t easily reveal how it¡¯s done, but even if it was fake, she was delighted. ¡°You did well, from now on, work inside.¡± She brushed off the petals from her hem, asking with a cheerful smile, ¡°Tell me, do you have any particular job in mind? An Attendant in the dining hall, a watchman for the corridor, a helper in the kitchen, or perhaps¡­ a chauffeur? Can you drive?¡± Du Lai laughed, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to the young miss to decide, just not on the third floor.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 873 - 873 Dream 5 Chapter 873: Chapter 873 Dream 5 ¡°Why?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked with wide eyes. Du Lai replied, ¡°The servants say that the Fu Family¡¯s Treasure Room is on the third floor. Anyone who approaches it without permission will be dealt with. There was once a servant¡¯s cat that ran away; she chased it to the third floor and never came down again.¡± At this point, Du Lai chuckled, ¡°Miss, I¡¯d like to live a little longer, so I will not venture to the third floor.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t she come back down? Did she die and become a ghost?¡± Fu Miaoxue exclaimed in amazement, ¡°My house actually has such interesting rumors. Are there any others?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Du Lai continued, ¡°It¡¯s also said that old Master Fu has collected the mummy of an Egyptian Pharaoh in the Treasure Room. After 2 a.m., strange noises come from the third floor, which are said to be the Pharaoh scratching at his own sarcophagus.¡± ¡°Hahaha! A mummy!¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed heartily, ¡°That¡¯s a wild tale. How could my grandfather possibly collect corpses? Though he did collect some funerary goods, there¡¯s definitely no mummy¡­ Ah, I know! Could it be those antique armors? As a child, grandpa scared me by pretending that there were ghosts in the armors~¡± Du Lai smiled, ¡°Maybe so, these are all rumors I heard, not to be taken seriously.¡± ¡°Indeed, they cannot be taken seriously,¡± Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°There is no Treasure Room on the third floor. I live on the third floor. Why don¡¯t you become my doorkeeper from now on?¡± Du Lai bowed, ¡°As you wish, Miss.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue smiled mysteriously, then continued, ¡°There is one place you really shouldn¡¯t go, or you might risk your life.¡± Where is that place?¡± Du Lai asked earnestly. ¡°The room at the very end of the east side of the second floor,¡± Fu Miaoxue narrowed her eyes slightly, her smile diminishing a bit, ¡°Grandpa forbids anyone from getting near there. Even I¡¯m not allowed, as they say there are deadly traps inside. You mustn¡¯t do anything foolish.¡± Du Lai, being obedient, nodded, ¡°If the young miss says I shouldn¡¯t go there, of course I won¡¯t.¡± Fu Miaoxue showed a satisfied smile, ¡°You¡¯re wise after all~ Come on, show me a few more magic tricks. I have to go to evening class soon.¡± ¡­ At a distance, Bai Youwei murmured to herself, pondering. A room, if there¡¯s nothing to hide, why on earth set traps? And the deadly kind at that? The greater the security, the more it indicates something important is hidden inside the room. Could it be that the Treasure Room Du Lai mentioned isn¡¯t actually on the third floor, but in that room on the second floor?¡­ Or maybe the room is a secret passage leading to the Treasure Room? She frowned and glanced at Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai. Du Lai started performing magic again; a small silver coin brought huge laughter from the young mistress. After pondering for a moment, Bai Youwei stood up and left the garden. She had no interest in gold, silver, or jewels. However, Du Lai¡¯s recent actions were clearly meant to get information from Miss Fu, so she wanted to understand what the Treasure Room really was. Whether or not Fu Miaoxue could break out of the loop, was it related to the Treasure Room? ¡­ Bai Youwei walked unhindered all the way. With the status of ¡°friend,¡± every servant in the manor treated her with utmost respect. She passed through the front hall, went up the stairs to the second floor, then followed the corridor on the eastern side to its end. On the first floor, a servant stood guard every few meters, but on the second floor, no one was in sight. The hallway was empty, with only the silent sunshine streaming in through the windows, coating the ivory-white window sills with a warm golden hue. As she approached the end of the corridor, Bai Youwei slowed down and observed her surroundings. Nothing nearby seemed like a trap. Could it be inside the room? She reached the door and tried to open it, but it was locked. There was a faint scent in the air, resembling the smell of a wild animal from a zoo. Bai Youwei pressed her ear against the door and listened. Huff¡­ Huff¡­ Her feelings were complicated. She wasn¡¯t sure whether the Treasure Room was inside, but if Du Lai dared to pry this door open, she was certain of one thing¡­ that Du Lai would be torn to pieces. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This Fu Miaoxue¡­ She really had a taste for mischief. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 874 - 874 Dream 6 Chapter 874: Chapter 874 Dream 6 This room clearly housed something, and it definitely wasn¡¯t cats or dogs. Bai Youwei slowly backed away to a window; through the glass, she could see the garden landscape. At that moment, those two were still in the garden. Du Lai was pulling out all the stops to make Fu Miaoxue laugh incessantly, her laughter wafting over in waves. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know what to think¡ª Du Lai probably thought he had successfully wheedled information out of the arrogant and ignorant young lady; little did he know that the young miss had played him with just a few casual remarks¡­ She looked again towards the room at the end of the second-floor hallway, curbed her curiosity, and turned to leave. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s evening classes began at three in the afternoon and ended at five. Exactly what she studied, Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sure, only that Fu Miaoxue looked terrible when she came out of the family teacher¡¯s room, as if she had fought a bitter battle. Afterwards, Fu Miaoxue clung to Du Lai to play. By this time, Du Lai was no longer a gardener; he had been ¡°promoted¡± to accompany the young lady. The family teacher, Qiao Na, had no objections to this. Apart from etiquette and manners, she did not interfere with any of Fu Miaoxue¡¯s other activities. It seemed that Miaoxue actually had quite a bit of authority within the manor. After dinner, Du Lai taught Fu Miaoxue to play poker, and the two were almost always together, paying little attention to Bai Youwei. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Perhaps in this dream, Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t supposed to have a role, so her presence seemed redundant. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t bothered; she wandered alone through the manor, looking here and there, taking a leisurely stroll, silently watching the ¡°plot¡± unfold, all the while keeping track of the time, ready for the loop to start at any moment. Chen Hui¡¯s was four hours, Du Lai¡¯s was eight, and Fu Miaoxue¡¯s dream obviously stretched much longer. Until night fell, the dream showed no sign of ending. The butler arranged for Bai Youwei to stay in a guest room on the second floor. Bai Youwei lay on the bed, utterly sleepless. She still couldn¡¯t understand what was so special about such a dream that it could trap Fu Miaoxue? She sat up, grabbed her canvas bag, and opened it¡ª Inside lay a severed hand. Not seeing her rabbit, Bai Youwei felt somewhat disappointed. As for why the hand could follow her into the dream¡­ probably because it wasn¡¯t a prop or a player, like a harmless little bug that had slipped through the system¡¯s rules. ¡°Go to the third floor and keep watch. If there¡¯s any situation with Du Lai, come back immediately and tell me,¡± Bai Youwei gave a few instructions, quietly opened the door, and placed the severed hand at the doorway. The hand crawled away silently. Bai Youwei closed the door and continued to wait. Time ticked away, second by second. On this quiet night, not a sound could be heard throughout the entire manor. Bai Youwei sat on the edge of the bed, deep in thought. Could this night be a part of the loop? Would everything return to the starting point when dawn broke? Around 2 am, she heard three soft knocks at the door. The sound came from the bottom of the door, and she knew it was the severed hand returning. She quickly walked over, opened the door, and asked in a low voice, ¡°How is it? Did Du Lai make a move?¡± The severed hand raised a finger, tapped it, then straightened out four fingers. ¡°Four?¡­ What does that mean?¡± Bai Youwei asked, frowning. ¡°Are you saying he has accomplices? There are four people?¡± The hand tapped its finger again. ¡°Which floor did they go to?¡± Bai Youwei asked further. The hand put down one finger, leaving three fingers extended. Bai Youwei exclaimed, ¡°The third floor?¡­ They really didn¡¯t go to the second?¡± Just as she was puzzled, a sudden commotion came from outside! A cacophony of footsteps surged endlessly toward the third floor! ¡°We¡¯ve caught a thief! Quick, up there!¡± someone shouted. Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei immediately grabbed the severed hand, stuffed it into her bag, opened the door and followed the others upstairs. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 875 - 875 Dream 7 Chapter 875: Chapter 875 Dream 7 The third floor was brightly lit, and four men dressed in black were tightly bound, kneeling on the floor. One of them was Du Lai. ¡°Miss, these people have destroyed the alarm system and pried open the master¡¯s study; it must have been in search of the master¡¯s treasures.¡± Fu Miaoxue spoke with a cold tone, ¡°This happens several times every year, truly lacking any novelty.¡± Qiao Na, the family tutor, was also present, as she asked Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Miss, do you need to inform the master?¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a trivial matter; why bother Grandfather with it?¡± said Fu Miaoxue nonchalantly. ¡°You handle it. Punish those who need to be punished, interrogate those who need to be interrogated. Find out if there is someone behind this, what they wanted to do, and what their plan was. We need to have all the answers ready by the time Grandfather returns.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Qiao Na nodded respectfully. ¡°Knowing the address here and sneaking in, they¡¯re certainly not ordinary thieves; they must be hired by someone. Don¡¯t worry, Miss, we will get to the bottom of it.¡± Qiao Na then instructed one of the bodyguards, ¡°Break the hands and feet of these men and lock them up in the room at the end of the second floor for now.¡± Bai Youwei listened and her eyes widened. A family tutor speaking such words; no wonder Miaoxue, her student, was so unpleasant and abnormal. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Fu Miaoxue pointed at Du Lai and said, ¡°He stays; he¡¯s my new toy. Don¡¯t break him for me.¡± Qiao Na remarked, ¡°This man doesn¡¯t seem to be the mastermind. If the Miss likes him, we can keep him here. The rest will be locked up temporarily until I finish interrogating them. I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± Fu Miaoxue lazily waved her hand, ¡°Go on then, a burglary in the middle of the night is exhausting me¡­ Ah¡­¡± She yawned out of fatigue. Qiao Na frowned and reminded again, ¡°Miss, please mind your manners.¡± Frustrated, Miaoxue retorted, ¡°I can¡¯t control it¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, Du Lai, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly sprang up! The bodyguard reached to grab him but was evaded by his agile movements. He darted behind Miaoxue and grabbed her throat with one hand! The bodyguard was both shocked and angry, ¡°We had put handcuffs on him!¡± Qiao Na, being comparatively calm, glared at Du Lai darkly, ¡°It seems he is the one who opened the study door and the safe.¡± Now a hostage, Miaoxue was not the least bit timid. Her sleepiness vanished, replaced by excitement, ¡°Oh my God! How did you get your hand out? That¡¯s amazing! Can you do it again? I didn¡¯t see it clearly just now!¡± Du Lai¡¯s demeanor was no longer the fawning one he displayed earlier in the day; his grip tightened, his voice icy, ¡°Miss, you¡¯d be better off worrying about yourself because these hands of mine¡­ not only can they perform tricks and pick locks, they can also snap your neck. Do you believe that?¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Qiao Na, her brow deeply furrowed, spoke to Du Lai, ¡°Your taking the Miss hostage is clearly to escape from here. Let¡¯s hear your terms, and as long as they are not excessive, we can negotiate.¡± Du Lai sneered, ¡°Having Mr. Fu¡¯s most beloved granddaughter in my hands, even if the demands are excessive, won¡¯t you still have to meet them?¡± Qiao Na looked at him and remained silent. Du Lai tightened his grip on Miaoxue and backed up to the wall, his eyes revealing a desperate determination. ¡°Release my comrades! And prepare a car! Let us leave this place!¡± ¡°I can prepare a car for you, and even give you a lot of money, but I cannot release your accomplices,¡± Qiao Na said resolutely. ¡°I must find out who is behind all of this; otherwise, I can¡¯t explain it to the old master.¡± ¡°Then prepare to receive the old master¡¯s granddaughter¡¯s body!¡± he said venomously, tightening his grip on Miaoxue. Miaoxue suddenly found herself unable to speak, her face gradually turning a blood-like shade of red. Qiao Na glanced at Miaoxue, then back to Du Lai, ¡°¡­if something happens to her, you and your accomplices won¡¯t live either.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 876 - 876 Dream 8 Chapter 876: Chapter 876 Dream 8 Du Lai sneered, ¡°If I release her now, I still have no way out!¡± Qiao Na, calm as ever, negotiated with him, ¡°As long as you let go of the young lady, I can arrange a vehicle for you, but I can only release one of your accomplices. Otherwise, if the old man reprimands us, I will die too.¡± She glanced at the people tied up on the ground and said coolly, ¡°You choose one.¡± Bai Youwei, watching unnoticed, secretly cheered. The tutor had skilfully bypassed Du Lai¡¯s proposal, presenting the challenge of ¡°choosing one,¡± leading people to subconsciously ignore the option of ¡°releasing all companions¡± and instead consider ¡°which companion to release.¡± At that moment, Du Lai, holding Fu Miaoxue hostage, was already on edge and probably wouldn¡¯t think carefully, allowing the verbal trap to disrupt his thoughts. He looked at his accomplices on the ground, his gaze lingering before settling on one. Qiao Na sensed his decision and, before Du Lai could change his mind, ordered a bodyguard, ¡°Unlock his handcuffs.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The bodyguard hoisted up the man and took out the key to unlock the handcuffs. Click. The handcuffs opened, freeing the bound hands. Just when Du Lai¡¯s heart had started to ease, Qiao Na suddenly raised her hand and fired a shot at him! Bang!!! Immediately after, another bang, she shot the man who had just been unbound in the head! Du Lai fell heavily to the ground, rendered unconscious. Silence filled the air around them. Qiao Na lowered her gun and pulled out a white handkerchief, wiping the gun¡¯s muzzle without expression. The others remained calm, as though accustomed to such events, methodically cleaning up the scene¡ªdetaining those alive, disposing of the dead. Fu Miaoxue touched her reddened neck and followed Qiao Na, chattering incessantly, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have been gentler? It was so hard for me to find an interesting toy. What if he died? Is his injury severe? Can it be healed? Will it affect his agility? Listen, you must heal him, understand! He still has to perform magic for me¡­¡± Finally, Qiao Na put down the gun, frowning, ¡°Miss, if you want to watch magic, you can hire a professional magician.¡± ¡°What fun would that be?¡± Fu Miaoxue looked down at Du Lai on the ground, lifted her foot clad in bright red high heels, and lightly tapped him with the tip of her shoe, smiling, ¡°I like wild dogs like this¡ªit¡¯s entertaining.¡± Qiao Na expressionless, ¡°I¡¯ll contact the doctor to arrange surgery for him.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°How long will it take for him to get better after the surgery?¡± ¡°It depends on his constitution,¡± Qiao Na replied indifferently, ¡°Miss needn¡¯t worry too much. I will take care of everything. It¡¯s already quite late, please go back to your room to rest. There are lessons tomorrow morning. Please be mindful of the time and not be late.¡± Disgust flashed across Fu Miaoxue¡¯s face. ¡°I know, I know, I¡¯m going to sleep right now¡­¡± She turned to return to her room but stopped after a couple of steps and reminded Qiao Na, ¡°Make sure he¡¯s healed, understand!¡± Qiao Na nodded, ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Still not reassured, Fu Miaoxue added, ¡°After the surgery, move him to my room.¡± Qiao Na furrowed her brow, ¡°Miss, that¡¯s against the rules.¡± ¡°Just a dog, what¡¯s against the rules?¡± Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°Put a collar on him, lock him in a cage, I want to be able to see him every moment.¡± Qiao Na sighed helplessly, ¡°Alright, I understand, Miss.¡± Satisfied, Fu Miaoxue curled her lips into a smile and hummed a tune as she headed back to her room. Bai Youwei witnessed everything that had happened. She watched as people carried Du Lai away, two maids cleaning the bloodstains from the floor with tools. The brief commotion, like a farce that ended as quickly as it began, and the estate returned to tranquility. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then followed the people ahead, deciding to first check on Du Lai¡¯s condition. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 877 - 877: Dream 9 Chapter 877: Chapter 877: Dream 9 Du Lai definitely wouldn¡¯t die, otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t have been his later entanglements with Fu Miaoxue. Bai Youwei followed him and saw Du Lai being taken into a room. Soon after, two men carrying medical kits hurried over and were let into the room by the bodyguards. The moment the door opened, she saw professional medical equipment and surgical lights set up inside. It seemed that this mansion often entertained uninvited guests and that injuries were common; thus, a full set of medical facilities was necessary. Bodyguards stood guard outside the door, and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t go in but waited outside. People in the mansion looked right through her as if she were air. Not one came over to ask why she was there. She waited outside for a little while and heard a crisp ding, like a bullet head dropping into a glass vessel. After another hour, the doctors finished up and came out from the room. Bai Youwei continued to wait. Until dawn broke in the east. Servants were already cleaning up fallen leaves in the courtyard, and the kitchen was starting to prepare breakfast. Bai Youwei glanced at the time¡ªFu Miaoxue¡¯s dream had already lasted 19 hours. Far too long¡­ Bai Youwei wondered if the maze system thought Fu Miaoxue was a king, thus deliberately increasing the difficulty? If that was the case, the system was rather despicable, wasn¡¯t it? At 6:30, Du Lai, lying on the hospital bed, was wheeled out by the bodyguards toward the direction of the elevator. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t even know there was an elevator in this mansion. Puzzled, she followed behind the hospital bed all the way to Fu Miaoxue¡¯s room. The attendant carefully knocked on the door, ¡°Miss, we have brought him.¡± A moment later, the door opened, and Fu Miaoxue appeared behind it, her long hair draped loose, wearing a pink and white silk nightgown. She had just woken up not long ago and looked a bit groggy and irritable, asking, ¡°Is he alive? If he dies in my room, you all can go die too.¡± The bodyguard, seemingly accustomed to the Miss¡¯s way of speaking, calmly replied, ¡°The bullet has been removed, the doctor repaired the ruptured blood vessel, and he has been given anti-infection medication. He just needs a few days of rest, and he should recover quickly.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue yawned, ¡°Bring him in.¡± The bodyguard wheeled Du Lai into Fu Miaoxue¡¯s room, and Bai Youwei followed¡ª Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s room was extremely luxurious, adorned with princess-like opulence and splendor, but that wasn¡¯t what amazed Bai Youwei. In a corner of the room stood a massive cage! The cage was pure gold, with a round base and bars twisted like climbing vines, each one delicate and dazzling. It cast vertical shadows in the morning light, as beautiful as a piece of art. As soon as Du Lai entered the room, he was put on a collar and then placed inside the golden cage. He was still unconscious, but had already become Fu Miaoxue¡¯s ¡°dog¡±. After the bodyguards and servants finished their tasks, they gradually left, all except for Bai Youwei. Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t seem to notice anything amiss. After closing the door, she finally realized something and suspiciously eyed Bai Youwei, saying, ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­ you shouldn¡¯t be here, yet for some reason, it feels oddly normal seeing you in my room.¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re friends,¡± Bai Youwei replied nonchalantly. Fu Miaoxue thoughtfully nodded, ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯re right, we¡¯re friends¡­ It¡¯s rare for me to have a friend. You can stay here then.¡± She stopped fretting about it and went into the walk-in wardrobe to change her clothes. Bai Youwei shifted her gaze back to Du Lai. Through the cage, she noticed Du Lai¡¯s eyelashes quivering slightly¡ªshe couldn¡¯t help but wonder, was Du Lai already awake? Was he just pretending to be asleep because he hadn¡¯t figured out how to deal with Fu Miaoxue yet? Thinking this, Bai Youwei raised her voice and asked Fu Miaoxue in the wardrobe, ¡°Why do you have a cage in your room?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 878 - 878 Dream 10 Chapter 878: Chapter 878 Dream 10 ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the cage for Eureka and Maela,¡± Fu Miaoxue replied. ¡°Eureka¡­ Maela?¡± Bai Youwei asked, puzzled. ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? They are the two pet leopards I keep. They were cute when they were young, but as they grew, their smell became unbearable, so I moved them to the room at the end of the second floor.¡± Fu Miaoxue emerged from the walk-in closet, having changed into a lake blue gown. Her skin was fair, and wearing such a delicate color made her look exceptionally ethereal and beautiful. ¡°How do I look?¡± she asked Bai Youwei, twirling around with a beaming smile. ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood today; this outfit is just perfect.¡± In a good mood? Bai Youwei scoffed internally. A burglary in the middle of the night, a close brush with death, witnessing a bloody execution, and now her prospective boyfriend still locked in a cage¡ªyet she claims she¡¯s in a good mood? Compared to Fu Miaoxue, Bai Youwei felt she truly embodied ¡°virtue and grace.¡± Perhaps sensing something off in Bai Youwei¡¯s expression, Fu Miaoxue slightly furrowed her brows, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you like the dress?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡± Bai Youwei glanced over dismissively and said, ¡°I was just wondering, how do you manage their hygiene in your room? There must be some bad smells, right?¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes widened: ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever had a dog? If they relieve themselves inside, they definitely get a spanking~ They should only do their business when you take them for walks!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth twitched, her feelings complicated as she watched Fu Miaoxue, ¡°You¡­ have to walk him? Take him to the bathroom?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the servants are for, don¡¯t worry,¡± Fu Miaoxue chuckled, walking over to the cage to admire her new pet, ¡°Good boy, I¡¯m going to have breakfast now, you behave, okay?¡± Du Lai kept his eyes tightly shut, unmoving. Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t mind and turned around, tapping Bai Youwei on the shoulder with a smile, ¡°Come on, friend, it¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± Bai Youwei took one last look at the cage and then followed Fu Miaoxue out of the room. ¡­ Fu Miaoxue had a very regular routine. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sure if she had always been this disciplined or if it was something her tutor had recently forced upon her. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡ªWake up at 6:30 AM, breakfast at 7:30 AM, followed by a free hour and a half, and classes starting at 9:00 AM. After breakfast, Fu Miaoxue picked some food from the table and went back to her room to feed the ¡°dog.¡± She was enthusiastic, while Du Lai was unappreciative, his mood gloomy as he leaned against the gold bars, asking her, ¡°Where are my companions?¡± Holding a spoon, Fu Miaoxue tapped on the bowl lightly, ¡°After breakfast, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Du Lai glanced at her with disdain, ¡°I¡¯ll eat by myself.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± Fu Miaoxue said cheerily, ¡°A good pet only eats what its master feeds. You do not touch other food, understand?¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t understand, but he knew that opposing the Fu Family¡¯s young miss wouldn¡¯t bring him any benefits. He could only swallow his pride and ingest the spoonfuls of oatmeal and nut porridge Fu Miaoxue fed him. As she fed him, Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°Your companions¡ªthe ones who were caught last night, they almost all confessed. You guys wanted to steal a top-secret document collected by my grandfather. You believed it to be hidden in the Treasure Room and probably thought you could snatch some antiques on the side to set yourselves up for life, so you sneaked into the manor and kept searching for the Treasure Room.¡± She smiled and fed Du Lai another spoonful of oatmeal, asking, ¡°I¡¯m a bit curious, why didn¡¯t you go to that room at the end of the second floor?¡± Du Lai replied coldly, ¡°We studied the layout of the manor long ago, that room couldn¡¯t possibly be the location of the Treasure Room. You mentioning it like that was just to lead me there, to watch me fall into a trap. The real Treasure Room must be in the study, that¡¯s the most likely place.¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t be so heartless, I¡¯m actually saving you. Or do you really think, after you stole my grandfather¡¯s items and handed them over to the mastermind behind all this, you wouldn¡¯t be silenced?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 879 - 879: Dream 11 Chapter 879: Chapter 879: Dream 11 Du Lai¡¯s expression suddenly changed. At that time, he was still young, around 20 years old, smart but not very cunning. Upon hearing Fu Miaoxue¡¯s words, he immediately asked, ¡°What do you mean? Do you know the identity of that person?¡± ¡°I know~¡± Fu Miaoxue smiled at him, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say, your accomplices have already confessed everything. They are a group of antique thieves, specializing in targeting art galleries and mansions. A big boss was impressed by their skills and offered them a high price to steal my grandfather¡¯s belongings. Basically, if this job was done, it would be enough for all of you to retire and live worry-free for the rest of your lives. But, the locksmith in the team had an accident and was jailed. The employer was pushing hard, they couldn¡¯t wait for the locksmith to be released, so they had to look for someone else. Then, they found you on a cruise ship, saw your talent, and decided to recruit you into the gang.¡± Du Lai¡¯s face grew uglier by the moment. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fu Miaoxue continued, ¡°You didn¡¯t want to take the risk originally, but there was one person in the team, a friend from your childhood, you both stayed in an orphanage together, he was like an older brother to you? Oh, yes, the man who was shot in the head yesterday!¡± ¡°You!!!¡± Du Lai suddenly grabbed the iron bars of the cage, his eyes red with fury. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s spoon was knocked away, and the oatmeal spilled onto the expensive carpet, she just smiled indifferently, put down the utensils, got up, and walked to the table where she pressed the call bell¡ª ¡°Do you need to be so angry? I heard that your ¡®big brother,¡¯ to make you resolve wisely, bribed someone on the ship to frame you for theft. You were arrested, and it was he who paid to bail you out. That indebted you to him and, having nowhere else to go, you agreed to join him in his scheme.¡± Du Lai froze, unable to believe it. Indeed, soon after meeting his childhood friend, he was thrown in jail, and later bailed out by this friend. Due to the fines, he lost his job on the cruise and having nowhere else to go, it was that very friend who took him in, and then¡­ And then, his childhood friend proposed this deal to him. But Fu Miaoxue was telling him it was all a setup? ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue watched him, smiling, ¡°Unexpected, isn¡¯t it? The benefactor who you thought rescued you from dire straits was actually the enemy pushing you into the fire-pit. Without me, you¡¯d be dead already~¡± Du Lai just stared blankly. After a while, he let out a self-deprecating laugh, ¡°Should I thank you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed, ¡°You should obey me.¡± Du Lai glanced at her, lowered his eyelids, and stopped speaking. A servant from outside came in and rolled away the dirty carpet. Fu Miaoxue continued feeding Du Lai his breakfast. After finishing, she then went to the family tutor for lessons. At 11 o¡¯clock, after ending the morning lessons, she returned to her room, excitedly opened the golden cage, and said, ¡°Come, let me take you for a walk in the garden~¡± Actually, Du Lai had just removed the bullet from himself and needed rest more, but he couldn¡¯t refuse any of Fu Miaoxue¡¯s arrangements. Under strict protection of the bodyguards, Fu Miaoxue led her new pet to the garden. The long, fine metal chain, one end attached to Du Lai¡¯s collar and the other end in Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hand, they formed a strange sight as they walked, two to three meters apart, through the garden. After a while, Fu Miaoxue stopped, tugged on the metal chain, and smilingly said, ¡°Hey, perform some magic for me~¡± Du Lai turned around, standing in front of a bush of roses and looking at her, ¡°Sorry, Miss, I cannot.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Fu Miaoxue, with wide eyes, asked puzzledly, ¡°Can¡¯t you do magic like yesterday?¡± ¡°I cannot.¡± Du Lai said calmly, ¡°Magic is all sleight of hand. Without enough preparation and props, I can¡¯t conjure anything out of thin air, much like the flowers yesterday which I had prepared in advance and hidden under the chair. Your attention was fully on the hat, so you didn¡¯t notice at all.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 880 - 880 Dream 12 Chapter 880: Chapter 880 Dream 12 Fu Miaoxue¡¯s expression was slightly stiff. Du Lai added, ¡°And those playing cards from yesterday, do you know why I could guess your suit every time? Because the cards were marked.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s gaze grew colder as she stared at him. ¡°The petals I produced above your head were also prepared in advance. You only paid attention to my cuff, and neglected the movements of my other hand,¡± Du Lai explained, ¡°And those coins, they are double-layered, specially made for magic, so if I want it to be tails, it¡¯s tails, if I want it to be heads, then it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Fu Miaoxue shouted fiercely, ¡°Shut your mouth!!!¡± Du Lai pressed his lips together, the corners of his mouth curling into a disdainful smile. What fun would there be if every magic trick was revealed? Fu Miaoxue glared viciously at Du Lai, grinding her teeth: ¡°Do you think, by making me lose interest in you, I would let you off? I¡¯m telling you, that¡¯s impossible! Either stay here to keep me company, or go to the second floor and improve the meals for my Eureka and Maela! What do you think?!¡± Du Lai¡¯s face darkened. Although no one had told him what Eureka and Maela were, he was very clear about what was inside the room at the end of the second floor. Before this operation, they had investigated the young mistress of the manor and knew that she was spoiled, arrogant, capricious, and extremely wilful. Besides the home tutor in the manor who could suppress her to some extent, no one else dared to defy the young mistress. This was also one of the reasons why Du Lai had taken the initiative to approach Fu Miaoxue. He and Fu Miaoxue were peers, young and handsome, and with magic to entertain the girls, it was no wonder Fu Miaoxue would take the bait. But what they hadn¡¯t anticipated was that Fu Miaoxue was simply a pervert¡­ In the garden, Du Lai stood before Fu Miaoxue, neither begging for mercy nor further challenging her because it simply wasn¡¯t a wise move. His mind raced, thinking of how to escape Fu Miaoxue¡¯s ¡°clutches.¡± At that moment, Fu Miaoxue suddenly laughed. If one were to disregard her abnormal and perverted thinking, her smile was genuinely pleasing to the eye, like an exquisitely dressed, high-end doll in a display window¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t like it? ¡°I understand now, you are angry with me, so no matter what I ask you to do, you won¡¯t cooperate sincerely.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s smile was radiant as she spoke slowly: ¡°Grandpa said, to keep someone by your side, you can¡¯t just rely on intimidation; you also have to let them taste sweetness.¡± This statement was somewhat baffling, and Du Lai couldn¡¯t help but feel vigilant upon hearing it. Fu Miaoxue tugged on the metal chain in her hand, and Du Lai was immediately pulled forward half a step, frowning deeply. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you somewhere~¡± Fu Miaoxue said with a smile, turning to walk back. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Du Lai¡¯s neck was yanked, he glanced at the bodyguards on both sides, and, clenching his teeth, followed without a word. Bai Youwei lingered behind, looking at the backs of the two, then glanced at her watch and sighed deeply, helplessly following them. ¡­ To Du Lai¡¯s surprise, Fu Miaoxue actually brought him back to her own room. He thought he was going to be locked in a cage again, but Fu Miaoxue told the bodyguards, ¡°Stay outside. No one is allowed to come in.¡± The bodyguard said, ¡°Miss, this man is quick with his hands. It might be dangerous not to lock him in a cage.¡± Fu Miaoxue stretched out a hand: ¡°Give me the Electric Whip.¡± After a pause, the bodyguard took the whip from his waist and placed it reverently in Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hand. It was a short, black leather whip with tassels on the front and ultra-fine conductive copper wire exposed, capable of bringing down a cow in an instant. Fu Miaoxue gripped the whip, speaking indifferently, ¡°Alright, you can leave now.¡± The bodyguards filed out one by one. Left in the room were Fu Miaoxue, Du Lai, and Bai Youwei. Fu Miaoxue cast a strange glance at Bai Youwei, muttering, ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t want to be here either, but there¡¯s no helping it, who told us we¡¯re friends?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 881 - 881 Dream 13 Chapter 881: Chapter 881 Dream 13 Fu Miaoxue seemed contemplative, ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s true, we are friends¡­¡± She nodded to Bai Youwei, saying decisively, ¡°Alright, you come with me too.¡± After the room door closed, Miaoxue, with an electric whip in one hand and leading Du Lai with the other, entered the walk-in closet. Bai Youwei was initially puzzled, wondering what they were doing in the walk-in closet. Could it be that she was going to dress up her ¡°dog¡± in new clothes? But then, Miaoxue opened a closet door¡ª Behind the door was a large mirror. Miaoxue led Du Lai inside, and then gestured to Bai Youwei, ¡°Come on in.¡± Bai Youwei curled her lips and walked into the cramped space, filled with confusion, only to see Miaoxue fumbling around on the mirror. Whatever she touched, she began to slowly push the large mirror aside! Behind the mirror appeared an elevator! ¡°Pretty well concealed¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened. Miaoxue smiled proudly, ¡°Of course, with our family¡¯s background, if we truly wanted to hide something, how could we let people easily find out.¡± She entered a password on the elevator¡¯s side panel, then verified her fingerprint. After completing all the procedures, the elevator finally began to descend¡ª With no indicator lights, Bai Youwei had no idea how many floors they had descended and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To the Treasure Room,¡± Miaoxue replied, her lips curling into a smile as she glanced at Du Lai. ¡°Haven¡¯t you always been obsessed with finding the Treasure Room? Voil¨¤~ now I¡¯ve brought you here. You can pick any one thing from inside as a gift from me.¡± She then looked at Bai Youwei with a smiling gaze, ¡°You can pick one thing too.¡± Bai Youwei was slightly stunned, ¡°Thank you¡­ But aren¡¯t the things in the Treasure Room all your grandpa¡¯s? Is it really okay to give them to us?¡± Miaoxue replied with a haughty expression, ¡°My grandpa said everything in there is mine to dispose of as I wish.¡± Du Lai, with aloofness, said, ¡°Since I can pick anything, I¡¯ll take that top-secret file then. I can complete my mission and get the reward.¡± ¡°Complete the mission, and all you¡¯ll do is lose your life,¡± Miaoxue turned her head, her face bearing a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile. ¡°No one would want to oppose my grandpa. You being alive is just a risk for the mastermind behind the scenes, get it? You will realize how much luckier you are than your companions.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± Du Lai said sarcastically, ¡°Then I really should thank you.¡± As he finished speaking, the elevator came to a stop. Complete darkness lay outside. Miaoxue led them out, pressed a switch on the wall, and the lights started to turn on one by one, illuminating the entire Treasure Room as bright as day! When Bai Youwei caught sight of the room¡¯s furnishings, she was so astonished she couldn¡¯t find the words to speak. Even Du Lai was stunned by the scene before him. It was like a mini-museum! Jewelry, gemstones, watches, sculptures, fossils, and specimens¡ªall kinds of extremely rare decorative pieces, and most exaggeratively, the walls! The walls were covered in famous paintings, any single one of which could fetch a sky-high price at auction! Bai Youwei could do nothing but admire the sight; every item here was worth far more than silver or gold. She wondered how long it took Miaoxue¡¯s grandfather to collect so many! Initially, she intended to stay close to Miaoxue and Du Lai, keeping track of the dream¡¯s progress, but the ¡°museum¡± before her was so impactful she couldn¡¯t help but slow down to take a closer look. She approached a sculpture of a young girl. The work was titled ¡°14-year-old Dancer,¡± a famous sculpture by the Impressionist Edgar Degas. Youwei had seen photographs of it in an art album, never expecting to encounter the real thing here. Youwei felt deeply moved. That¡¯s when, suddenly, the Venus Stone Sculpture beside her seemed to come to life and wobbled her way! S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The scene was so eerie that Bai Youwei jumped, startled¡ªuntil she saw Venus ¡°waving¡± at her¡ª Wasn¡¯t Venus supposed to have no arms? Bai Youwei froze and then realized, belatedly, that the broken arm had somehow slipped out of her bag and even climbed onto Venus! ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Bai Youwei snapped, going up to it with a slap! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 882 - 882: Dream 14 Chapter 882: Chapter 882: Dream 14 The severed hand was smacked onto the ground! The next second, it immediately got up, swishing back onto Venus¡¯s body, clinging firmly to Venus¡¯s broken arm! It had the stubbornness of a pig not fearing boiling water. Bai Youwei was puzzled, wondering how it remained so tightly connected to the sculpture without any glue. Was it driven by sheer will?! If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai were nearby, she would have really liked to give this thing a harsh lesson! Such an ¡°assistant¡± that wouldn¡¯t obey commands at critical moments was simply maddening, causing her more fright than assistance! Bai Youwei reached out to pull it. To no avail. It was as if it had grown onto Venus¡¯s body, extremely sturdy. Bai Youwei lowered her voice and scolded, ¡°Do you think by sticking to Venus, you can become as beautiful as the goddess? Get down now! Idiot! We need to go find Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai!¡± The severed hand was unwilling, too attached to Venus. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t possibly carry such a large sculpture with her, so she continued to tug and pull in a struggle. Suddenly, without warning, the severed hand fell to the ground. As Bai Youwei bent down to pick it up and stood up again, she found the surrounding scene had unexpectedly turned into the outside of the manor¡¯s main gate! Had the dream looped?! She was shocked, looking around, no doubt about it, she was indeed back in front of the gate. That meant Fu Miaoxue¡¯s dream had started with her morning lesson and lasted until the end of the second day¡¯s morning lesson, almost 25 hours. This was much longer than Du Lai¡¯s and Chen Hui¡¯s dream durations¡­ Regardless, she finally understood the entire context of the dream. Now she needed to hurry and find Fu Miaoxue, to persuade her to leave this place. Bai Youwei pressed the call button. Just like before, two security guards appeared, and Bai Youwei showed them the friend invitation card. The guards¡¯ lines hadn¡¯t changed at all, ¡°So it¡¯s Miss¡¯s friend, Miss Bai, please come in.¡± They then contacted the inner house servants, who drove over to pick up Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei entered the manor again, met Fu Miaoxue again, and displayed the invitation card again¡ª ¡°Miaoxue, did you forget? You invited me to visit,¡± Bai Youwei said with a smile. Fu Miaoxue slowly blinked, looking at the invitation card, ¡°Now that you mention it, it seems I remember¡­ you are Bai Youwei, my friend¡­ yes, that¡¯s right, you are my friend.¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed, ¡°It¡¯s really interesting, I can¡¯t believe I have a friend, hahaha!¡± Bai Youwei, suppressing her feeling of absurdity, smiled and said to Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Miaoxue, can we talk alone? I have something very important to tell you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so important that we need to talk alone?¡± Fu Miaoxue inquired, ¡°Should I send all the bodyguards away?¡± The house tutor interjected timely, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s almost lunchtime. Why not have Miss Bai stay here for lunch? You can talk over the meal.¡± Bai Youwei quickly said, ¡°It will only take a few minutes, it won¡¯t delay your meal.¡± Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Sure,¡± Fu Miaoxue, filled with curiosity, said, ¡°All of you, step back! I want to talk with my friend alone now!¡± Qiao Na frowned but eventually agreed, bowing and saying, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll wait for you in the dining room.¡± The house tutor and all the security guards and servants stepped back, leaving only Fu Miaoxue and Bai Youwei. ¡°Alright, you can speak now!¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes shone brightly at Bai Youwei, as if expecting her to reveal some earth-shattering secret. Bai Youwei indeed did not disappoint. She said, ¡°Fu Miaoxue, you are currently in a dream!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 883 - 883 Dream 15 Chapter 883: Chapter 883 Dream 15 Fu Miaoxue was stunned. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Once we finish this conversation, you will go to the dining room for a meal and get scolded by Qiao Na due to dining etiquette. Then, you will lose your temper, and Qiao Na will punish you by not allowing you to have lunch. You will go to the garden to sulk, and there you will meet a young Gardener. He will approach you on his own, perform magic to win your favor, but in reality, he is trying to find out the whereabouts of the Treasure Room. He and his accomplice will be caught at two in the morning. Because he can cheer you up, you spare his life, and you lock him in a golden cage and keep him as a pet.¡± Bai Youwei finished in one breath and looked at Fu Miaoxue, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can see if what happens next matches what I told you.¡± Fu Miaoxue was astonished. After a long while, she slowly nodded, ¡°Wow¡­ this really is a¡­ shocking¡­ piece of news!¡± Bai Youwei shrugged her shoulders. Dealing with Fu Miaoxue had to be straightforward and blunt; beating around the bush would only make her more suspicious. It was better to lay everything out for her to think and discern on her own. ¡°If this is a dream, why would I be here?¡± Fu Miaoxue studied Bai Youwei¡¯s expression and slowly asked, ¡°And why would you appear in my dream?¡± Bai Youwei frowned slightly, ¡°It¡¯s difficult to explain in a short time, but essentially, you entered this dream with your companions in order to achieve a certain goal. Everyone else managed to escape, but only you got trapped and lost some memories. I was entrusted by someone to come into the dream to take you out, otherwise you would be stuck in the loop of dreams until you die.¡± This reasoning sounded incredible and was hard to convince anyone, but Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t explain to her about the world anomaly, the doll invasion, how she died in the game, was resurrected by Du Lai, or how she lived as a doll for so long¡­ It was too convoluted. If she told Fu Miaoxue everything in great detail, Fu Miaoxue might believe even less! Sure enough, Fu Miaoxue started to question, ¡°¡­Companions? I¡¯m really curious, who would qualify to be my companion?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue thoughtfully looked at her, ¡°Your words are really far-fetched, but¡­ strangely, your very existence confuses me. I clearly shouldn¡¯t have friends, nor do I remember becoming friends with you. Yet somehow, my brain tells me you are my friend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you are in a dream, and everything here can be manipulated,¡± Bai Youwei replied. Fu Miaoxue pondered for a moment, then asked, ¡°Earlier you said you were entrusted by someone, so who sent you in?¡± ¡°It was Du Lai,¡± Bai Youwei hesitated then said, ¡°The Gardener you¡¯ll meet later. You two are very much in love, and he would give up anything to save you.¡± Fu Miaoxue smiled, raised her chin, and said coldly, ¡°I could never fall in love with a dog.¡± ¡°Maybe something happened between you two, who knows~¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, ¡°Only when you get out of this dream will you understand what your relationship really is.¡± S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fu Miaoxue thought for a while, then asked, ¡°So, how do you plan to take me out?¡± Bai Youwei raised her finger and pointed upwards, ¡°We¡¯ll go to the top floor, and jump down together. As long as you have doubts about this place and truly want to escape, you will be able to get out.¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed, ¡°You know, many people have wanted my life, but you are the first person who has suggested suicide as a way for me to die.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 884 - 884: Dream 16 Chapter 884: Chapter 884: Dream 16 sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I never wanted you to die,¡± Bai Youwei said coldly. ¡°And you can¡¯t die. I told you, this is your dream. Even if you jump off the building and can¡¯t get out of the dream, at most you¡¯ll just start a new cycle.¡± ¡°Oh, really¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue tilted her head and spoke languidly, ¡°Who can prove you¡¯re not lying?¡­ if this place is the real world and I get killed believing your words, wouldn¡¯t that be stupid to spread around?¡± Bai Youwei was getting a bit impatient, ¡°Whether this is the real world or not, you¡¯re going to find out very soon! As long as you go to the dining room now, you¡¯ll discover that everything is exactly as I just described!¡± ¡°No need for that trouble.¡± Fu Miaoxue smirked, ¡°If it really is a dream, even if you died, it shouldn¡¯t matter, right?¡± Bai Youwei froze. ¡°What¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue bent slightly, pulling out a gun from under the tissue box on the coffee table! She lifted her arm, and the dark barrel of the gun was aimed straight at Bai Youwei! Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened in an instant. Bang! Bai Youwei fell backward from the force, and in the last second of consciousness, she could only think of chopping Fu Miaoxue into a thousand pieces! ¡­ When she opened her eyes again, Bai Youwei was back outside the manor gates. She couldn¡¯t believe it¡ªhad that lunatic Fu Miaoxue actually shot at her?! Did people involved in the underworld really have such an attitude? Was life so worthless in their eyes? Bai Youwei was seething! She suppressed her anger and pressed the call button. It was the same two security guards. After looking at the friend invitation card, the guard said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the lady¡¯s friend. Miss Bai, please come in.¡± Bai Youwei entered the manor and faced Fu Miaoxue with a stony expression, ¡°Fu Miaoxue, I¡¯m your friend; here¡¯s the invitation card.¡± Fu Miaoxue blinked slowly, ¡°Now that you mention it, I seem to remember¡­ You¡¯re Bai Youwei, my friend¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right, you¡¯re my friend.¡± Without waiting for her to continue, Bai Youwei said the rest for her, ¡°How interesting¡ªI actually have a friend¡ªis this what you were about to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue blinked in slight confusion, looking at Bai Youwei with a puzzled gaze. Bai Youwei declared, ¡°I have something important to discuss with you alone.¡± Then glancing at the family tutor nearby, she added, ¡°It will only take a few minutes and won¡¯t affect Miss Fu¡¯s lunch.¡± Fu Miaoxue looked at her warily and slowly said, ¡°¡­Everyone, leave us.¡± Qiao Na bowed respectfully, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the dining room.¡± The family tutor, bodyguards, and servants all left, leaving only Fu Miaoxue and Bai Youwei in the living room. ¡°Alright, if you have something to say, you can talk now.¡± Fu Miaoxue furrowed her brow at Bai Youwei, ¡°Why, how could you say exactly what I was thinking?¡± Bai Youwei started over, ¡°Because you are now, in a dream! The scene and script have been cycled countless times! Next, you¡¯ll go have lunch, get scolded by Qiao Na, lose your temper, and run to the garden! You¡¯ll also meet a Gardener who performs magic to cheer you up!¡± As she spoke, Bai Youwei approached Fu Miaoxue and pulled open the small drawer beneath the tissue box on the coffee table, taking out the delicate little handgun. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, clearly unable to comprehend why Bai Youwei would know a gun was hidden there. ¡°And moreover, you¡¯re going to use this, to blow me away, all because you want to verify whether the dream is real.¡± Bai Youwei held the gun, watching Fu Miaoxue coldly, ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not in the mood to waste time here with you. If you want to get out of here, you must accept the fact this is a dream! Only by jumping off the top floor can you return to the real world and see Du Lai; otherwise, you will keep cycling here! Forever in a loop! Do you understand?!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 885 - 885: Dream 17 Chapter 885: Chapter 885: Dream 17 Fu Miaoxue fell silent for a while before asking her, ¡°If this place is truly a dream, then how many times have you cycled through?¡± Bai Youwei frowned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You just said that if you don¡¯t leave, you will keep cycling. How many times have you cycled?¡± Fu Miaoxue walked over to the sofa, rested her hand on the vase next to it, and asked with a smile, ¡°During the cycles, have you ever seen this?¡± Her slender fingers delved into the vase and found the hidden mechanism. The next second, three iron arrows shot out from the mouth of the lion sculpture on the wall behind! One arrow pierced straight through Bai Youwei¡¯s chest and lungs! As her vision started to blur, Fu Miaoxue slowly approached her with a leisurely tone, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m starting to believe that this might really be a dream. Otherwise, how could I have this sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­ But you know, I really don¡¯t like the tone you use when you talk to me.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Damn! ¡­ Bai Youwei returned to the manor¡¯s entrance. Suppressing her fury, she pressed the call button and entered the manor. After seeing Fu Miaoxue again, she presented the friend invitation card and said, ¡°I have something important to discuss with you alone. It¡¯ll only take a few minutes and won¡¯t interfere with your lunch.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Fu Miaoxue looked her over. ¡°Everyone, please leave. I would like to have a private chat with my friend.¡± Qiao Na bowed and said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll wait for you in the dining room.¡± Once everyone had left and only the two of them remained in the living room, Bai Youwei wordlessly approached, first taking the gun, and then smashed the vase! Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing the commotion, Qiao Na came back, hesitatingly asking from a distance, ¡°Miss?¡± Fu Miaoxue looked at Bai Youwei, the doubt in her eyes growing. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care if Qiao Na could hear and repeated her earlier words: ¡°Fu Miaoxue, you are currently in a dream! I clearly told you that you would be scolded by Qiao Na at lunch, then storm off to the garden in a rage! Then you¡¯ll meet a Gardener who will cheer you up with his Magic! ¡­ And when you come out of the Treasure Room with him, the dream will return to the start! Unless you jump from the top floor, you¡¯ll be trapped in this cycle forever!¡± Bai Youwei sneered at Fu Miaoxue, then added, ¡°In order to verify the dream, you killed me twice. Actually, there¡¯s no need for such trouble. I have a better way. Wait for me.¡± After saying that, she hurried out. Fu Miaoxue pursed her lips and stood there, her expression frozen. It didn¡¯t take long for Bai Youwei to return, and she brought Du Lai with her. Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t recognize Du Lai, but for some reason, she couldn¡¯t help but linger on him, feeling that she had forgotten something important¡­ Then she heard Bai Youwei sneer at her, ¡°Like killing, do you? Want to verify the reality of the dream, do you?¡± Finishing her sentence, Bai Youwei raised the gun! It was the same gun she had taken from the tissue box! ¡ªBang! A bullet penetrated Du Lai¡¯s temple, and he fell to the ground heavily! Fu Miaoxue¡¯s face turned pale, her eyes wide in disbelief at the person on the ground. She didn¡¯t recognize him, yet her heart felt as though it had been hollowed out, cold air pouring in, chilling her to the bone! Qiao Na and the bodyguards all rushed over. ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± ¡°Miss? Miss?¡± Bai Youwei watched coldly as her subordinates fussed over her, the mocking smile on her lips, ¡°Fu Miaoxue, I can¡¯t touch you, but can¡¯t I touch a little Gardener in your home? If you want to stay in this dream, fine, continue! Every cycle, I¡¯ll kill him once. Two cycles, I¡¯ll kill him twice! I want you to watch him die every time! How about that? Do you still want to stay here?!¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s lips trembled, ¡°¡­Bai Youwei, you demon¡­ you demon!!!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 886 - 886: Dream 18 Chapter 886: Chapter 886: Dream 18 The wind on the top floor was strong¡­ Even though it was only four stories high, the mansion was built tall and magnificent, incomparable to the ¡°four floors¡± of ordinary civilian buildings. Fu Miaoxue stood at the edge of the rooftop, her legs turning to jelly. Bai Youwei glanced at her sideways, ¡°Afraid of heights?¡± Fu Miaoxue snapped irritably, ¡°I¡¯m afraid of falling and ending up disabled, neither dead nor alive!¡± Bai Youwei gave a cold laugh and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, from this height, you¡¯d definitely die if you fell.¡± Fu Miaoxue gritted her teeth and took a half step back, ¡°¡­You jump first!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Impossible,¡± Bai Youwei refused, ¡°Who knows if you¡¯d jump after I do? There¡¯s only one invitation card from a friend; if I leave, I won¡¯t be able to come back in!¡± ¡°What if I jump and then you don¡¯t?¡± Fu Miaoxue challenged. ¡°Won¡¯t I be at a loss?¡± Bai Youwei shouted at her, ¡°Am I fucking insane?! Why would I stay here if you¡¯re dead? To wait for your family¡¯s bodyguards to beat me up?!¡± Fu Miaoxue bit her lip, torn as she glanced downwards, ¡°¡­Bai Youwei, you¡¯re sure we¡¯re in a dream, right?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for being in a dream, how could I possibly make friends with someone like you? Masochism?!¡± Bai Youwei retorted. ¡°That makes sense¡­¡± said Fu Miaoxue. She was too terrified to jump, looking down at the shrinking tiles and greenery below. The side of her face inadvertently turned fragile and pale, like a leaf swept up by the wind, possibly plunging down at any moment. Fu Miaoxue whispered softly, ¡°If this weren¡¯t a dream, I couldn¡¯t possibly have friends¡­ Bai Youwei, you don¡¯t understand, I¡¯ve lived here since I was six, with few chances to go out, because I¡¯m my grandfather¡¯s only granddaughter. My grandfather¡¯s business grew big, along with an increase in enemies. My parents were kidnapped and brutalized by my grandfather¡¯s enemies; they cut off their ears and tongues and sent them to my grandfather. Other uncles and aunts also met with tragic deaths. Grandpa, afraid something would happen to me too, brought me to this mansion¡­ It¡¯s been over a decade¡­¡± ¡°Quit with the sob story,¡± Bai Youwei said impatiently. ¡°You think you have friends if you live outside? Friends are a luxury item. I haven¡¯t seen such a thing since my car accident at twelve. Sure, old classmates came to visit, but the pity and sympathy in their eyes were utterly boring! And that inexplicable sense of superiority they had was nauseating!¡± Fu Miaoxue glanced at her, trying to salvage some dignity. ¡°Then I¡¯m stronger than you; at least I once had two friends. One was the Butler¡¯s son; the other was an orphan my grandpa adopted from outside to keep me company. No one dared to pity me or show off their superiority in front of me.¡± ¡°And what happened to them?¡± Bai Youwei asked sarcastically. ¡°I bet their fates weren¡¯t any better.¡± Fu Miaoxue pursed her lips and looked down at her toes, ¡°The Butler¡¯s son was manipulated to almost get me kidnapped; later, the Butler dealt with him personally. As for the orphan¡­ she said she wanted to see the outside world and promised to bring me gifts when she returned. I let her go, but she never came back.¡± ¡°She must have been taken care of by your grandpa,¡± Bai Youwei stated with certainty. Fu Miaoxue curled her lips slightly, ¡°Maybe, my grandpa must have had his reasons.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Are you going to jump or not?¡± Fu Miaoxue hesitated, ¡°Is there really someone waiting for me outside?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, how many times do you need to ask?! Someone is waiting for you outside! He loves you like crazy, and if you don¡¯t go out, he¡¯ll die of a broken heart!¡± Bai Youwei said exasperatedly. ¡°Hurry up and jump! Once you do, you¡¯ll see him!¡± Fu Miaoxue looked down, ¡°Alright¡­ then I¡¯ll jump¡­¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Right, hurry up and jump.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, I¡¯m still scared¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue suddenly grabbed her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s jump together!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened, but before she could curse, she was already being pulled down by Fu Miaoxue! ¡ª¡ª Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 887 - 887: Dream 19 Chapter 887: Chapter 887: Dream 19 The wind howled in her ears. The scenery in front of her became elongated shadows due to the rapid descent. Bai Youwei watched as the ground grew closer and closer, her mind going blank in an instant. Unable to think, unable to judge, until she and Fu Miaoxue pierced through the ground! Still plummeting down, it was only then that she finally regained her sanity. ¡­Had they made it out? Bai Youwei looked around. Her body was still falling, the speed unrelenting, and everything around her was white, with bits of light and images flashing by like scenes on a movie screen¡ª She saw Fu Miaoxue¡¯s other dreams. About the manor, about Grandfather¡­ and more, about Du Lai. Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai were playing hide-and-seek. Because this ¡°pet¡± really didn¡¯t listen, no matter how many locks were added or how many bodyguards were on watch, he would always escape. However, the manor¡¯s location was extremely remote, with few visitors; Du Lai would be recaptured in just a few hours each time he escaped. So one fled, and the other chased, back and forth without end. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s greatest pleasure was sitting in a helicopter, flying low, surveying every inch of the land near the manor. When she spotted Du Lai, she would issue a command, deploying a tight dragnet search! Sometimes, she would even intentionally reveal a flaw, allowing Du Lai to escape so that she could revel in the thrill of the chase. Cunning during the pursuit, yet after capture, she would take care of him with utmost attention¡ªbuying him pretty clothes, feeding him various delicacies, tending to the wounds from his escapes, and occasionally speaking ill of his home tutor to alleviate her long-held loneliness. Du Lai loathed her twisted behavior, yet couldn¡¯t stand being imprisoned in the manor forever; even knowing he might be caught again, he couldn¡¯t help but try to escape, if only for a sliver of hope. He had to get out! Finally, one day, he escaped again. He ran further and further, without the helicopter coming after him, and then he saw thick black smoke billowing and flames soaring into the sky from the direction of the manor! It seemed someone else had come seeking revenge on old Master Fu. ¡ªSending Fu Miaoxue to her death and severing the Fu Family line was undoubtedly the best form of revenge. Who knows what Du Lai was thinking, but he didn¡¯t flee; instead, he went back to the manor. Using his agile skills to avoid those fighting at the front, he reached Fu Miaoxue¡¯s door, picked the lock, and rescued the unconscious Fu Miaoxue from a sea of fire. Afterward, the manor was purged, the fire brought under control, and Du Lai¡¯s departure was thwarted. He became a hero to the Fu Family. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Old Master Fu met him in person, offering status and wealth, but the one thing that remained unchanged was that he still had to stay on the estate¡ª Another form of imprisonment, but this time, Du Lai was willing. ¡­ Scenes flashed before her eyes one by one, and it seemed that Fu Miaoxue¡¯s memories also began to return. She looked curiously at the surrounding scenes and said to Bai Youwei, ¡°Look, there¡¯s yours too.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s fragmented memories, or rather, what could be called ¡°dreams,¡± would intermittently appear amidst Fu Miaoxue¡¯s dreams. Perhaps because of their hand-in-hand contact, they were able to see each other¡¯s ¡°dreams.¡± In Bai Youwei¡¯s dreams, she and her mother were dancing together, her mother¡¯s dance elegant. Occasionally, she would stop and patiently correct Bai Youwei¡¯s posture, time and time again, with gentle patience. Once upon a time, they had been as close and harmonious as any mother and daughter. Fu Miaoxue commented, ¡°Wow, your mom is prettier than you~¡± Bai Youwei felt a bit stifled in her heart. She didn¡¯t want to see these things, let alone have Fu Miaoxue see them. Fortunately, it was all fleeting. They fell into the void of white, hearing the familiar system sound: ¡°Congratulations to the players for clearing Maze Number 1.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 888 - 888 Theres No Danger Chapter 888: Chapter 888 There¡¯s No Danger Bai Youwei emerged from the maze. There were no rewards. Because a second ago her body had still been plunging downward, she felt like she hadn¡¯t even steadied herself before leaving the maze. Fu Miaoxue, lively as ever, ran past her and threw herself into someone¡¯s arms, wailing, ¡°Du Lai! Look at me! Look at me!¡± Shen Mo steadied Bai Youwei and asked with concern, ¡°Did it go smoothly?¡± Bai Youwei caught her breath and leaned into his embrace, closing her eyes, ¡°¡­No real danger, but it¡¯s too complicated to describe.¡± She lifted her head and looked at Fu Miaoxue. Fu Miaoxue, clinging to Du Lai, was jumping around ecstatically. It wasn¡¯t hard to see why she was so thrilled; after being upgraded by the maze, Fu Miaoxue had become even more like a real human. Now, unless someone observed her up close, she didn¡¯t look like a doll at all. ¡°Just one more stint in the maze, and I¡¯ll be completely human!¡± Fu Miaoxue exclaimed excitedly. Go in again? Bai Youwei silently rolled her eyes. ¡°Bai Youwei.¡± Du Lai called out to her, pulling out an object and tossing it her way. Shen Mo caught it¡ªit was Du Lai¡¯s Magic Crystal Shard. ¡°The item I promised you,¡± Du Lai said, holding Fu Miaoxue. ¡°Now it belongs to you.¡± Shen Mo handed it to Bai Youwei, ¡°There¡¯s one more use left.¡± Bai Youwei gently took hold of the crystal shard, and after a brief silence, said, ¡°Let¡¯s head back first.¡± She wasn¡¯t ready yet¡­ Did she really want to see that woman? When should she see her? What if she was dead, and if alive, should she seek her out? Bai Youwei¡¯s heart was filled with uncertainty. Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue had already cozily left the rest hall. Shen Mo gently touched Bai Youwei¡¯s head and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s also go back to rest. We don¡¯t have many days before the next battle; you need to adjust your condition as soon as possible.¡± Coming back to her senses, Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°How many days was I inside?¡± ¡°Four days,¡± Shen Mo paused before continuing, ¡°Du Lai and I almost thought you wouldn¡¯t make it out. Chu Huaijin was gathering friend invitation cards throughout the city, trying to let us enter to rescue you.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Of course he was worried. If I had also perished in there, then the whole base would truly be without a King.¡± While speaking, she glanced down at the crystal shard in her hand with a sense of lament, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be inside for such a long time though¡­¡± ¡°Fortunately, you¡¯re unharmed,¡± Shen Mo commented, his tone casual as he also looked at the shard, ¡°Otherwise, for such a small thing, it¡¯s hard to say whether it would¡¯ve been worth it.¡± Bai Youwei looked up, a bit startled, ¡°You don¡¯t want me to find my mother?¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t answer directly, but instead said to her, ¡°I hope you are left with no regrets.¡± Having spent so long together, he knew well the estranged relationship between Bai Youwei and her mother. Whether to find Wang Jingxian or not, he had no opinion and didn¡¯t plan to intervene. Nevertheless, from a rational perspective, Shen Mo thought it was unlikely that Wang Jingxian was still alive. The Doll Game was invasive and pervasive, and the chances of that ship reaching the Arctic smoothly and safely were almost none. If the person she was looking for was likely dead, then Bai Youwei¡¯s journey into the maze seemed rather pointless. Fortunately, she had returned safe and sound. Thinking this, Shen Mo embraced her once again. ¡ªHe truly wished he could always be by her side, facing death together in the face of danger rather than being separated in different worlds. As these thoughts flitted through his mind, Shen Mo suddenly understood Du Lai¡¯s feelings. Nothing could be worse than being apart from her. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 889 - 889: Open Your Eyes Chapter 889: Chapter 889: Open Your Eyes After returning to the Headquarters Building, the news of Fu Miaoxue¡¯s rescue immediately spread like wildfire. Initially, Du Lai had recruited people from all over to save her, making it known throughout the city. Now that Fu Miaoxue was back, even without any publicity, everyone knew that it was all thanks to Bai Youwei. Her reputation soared even higher. Everyone felt that Bai Youwei was certain to make it into the final competition since there were not many Kings left by now. Bai Youwei occasionally heard people enthusiastically discussing her feats. She found the phenomenon quite amusing, as if the apocalyptic crisis had receded into the distance and all the pressure had vanished. Or perhaps, it could be interpreted that all the pressure lay on her, while everyone else simply carried on with their lives as usual. This was probably the only drawback of the base. Chu Huaijin¡¯s hard work made the place feel secure and reliable, yet it also led to complacency. As for Bai Youwei, she didn¡¯t feel pressured. She only felt excited. ¡­ When she went to bed that night, she had a dream. In the dream, she returned to her old home and settled back into her wheelchair. She tried to stand up but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t get up. As she struggled with the wheelchair, she heard an argument coming from outside. So she wheeled herself out, opened the door, and the sunlight from the living room¡¯s floor-to-ceiling windows shone in so brightly that she couldn¡¯t keep her eyes open. Squinting, she looked ahead. Two silhouettes were arguing violently in the backlight. Their voices indicated they were her parents, but she couldn¡¯t make out their faces no matter how hard she tried. ¡°Why can¡¯t you think more about this family?¡± The man stood with his arms akimbo in front of the woman, indignant. ¡°Is my request too much? Considering how Weiwei is now, shouldn¡¯t you, as her mother, be by her side?¡± Sitting on the sofa, the woman¡¯s voice was cold, her spine straight as a rod, ¡°I¡¯m her mother, so what are you? Aren¡¯t you her father? Last month, you only came home three times. What right do you have to criticize me?¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What can I do?!¡± The man retorted. ¡°That¡¯s the nature of my job, you know that!¡± ¡°You have no way, so I¡¯m supposed to have one? Why is it always me who has to stay at home with the kids? Why can¡¯t it be you? Is your work important, while mine is not?¡± ¡°Is your job to keep company with various men?¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± The woman erupted in anger. ¡°I¡¯d rather deal with women! But there are just more men in the workplace. You don¡¯t need to sling mud at me over this!¡± ¡°Alright, alright¡­ Let¡¯s not fight over this; you always have your reasons,¡± The man took a deep breath, trying to suppress his temper. ¡°Let¡¯s just talk about the child today. What¡¯s your plan?¡± The woman: ¡°What plan?¡± The man: ¡°The company¡¯s business, when will you let it go? If you ask me, since your company won¡¯t last much longer anyway, you might as well sell it.¡± The woman fell silent. The man pressed again, ¡°Now that the child is like this, what are you thinking?! Is a company on the brink of failure worth sacrificing your family for?!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± the woman¡¯s voice was as calm as it was indifferent, ¡°I already try to get home early, but to completely let go of the company, I can¡¯t do that. After running it for so many years and finally seeing some success, I can¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°What about the child?¡± the man blurted out. ¡°There¡¯s a nanny at home,¡± the woman answered. ¡°Or would you have me do nothing and sit with her all day? Do you think doing that will make her legs heal?¡± ¡°What is your heart made of?! The child is like this, and you can¡¯t make some sacrifices?¡± ¡°Why does it have to be me making sacrifices? Why can¡¯t you quit your job and stay home with the child?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t work, will you guys drink Northwest wind?!¡± ¡°So now you¡¯re talking to me about money?¡­¡± A new round of arguing ensued. Bai Youwei wanted to say, stop arguing; I don¡¯t want to see either of you! Just get out, all of you! She wheeled herself over, trying to stop the two people, but somehow she lost her balance and crashed to the ground! Bai Youwei startled awake, opening her eyes¡ªshe was awake. Chapter 890 - 890 Snow Country Chapter 890: Chapter 890 Snow Country ¡°Having a nightmare?¡± Shen Mo asked her. Bai Youwei was in a daze for a while, then turned her face to look at the person beside her pillow, ¡°¡­How did you know?¡± Shen Mo smiled gently, brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, and said, ¡°Just now your legs kept kicking out, you kicked me.¡± Bai Youwei also smiled upon hearing this and rubbed her leg against him under the quilt, ¡°Is it slippery?¡± ¡°Behave yourself,¡± Shen Mo admonished, holding her down and kissing her forehead, ¡°Go back to sleep, don¡¯t make a fuss in the middle of the night.¡± Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sleepy. She snuggled in Shen Mo¡¯s embrace and closed her eyes for a while, then opened them again and said, ¡°Get me the prop that Du Lai gave.¡± Shen Mo was slightly startled, looked down at her, and asked, ¡°You want to look at it now?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I¡¯m going to see it sooner or later; I might as well look now.¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t know why she had changed her attitude. When they had come out of the maze, she was still hesitant, but now, in the middle of the night, she had suddenly made up her mind. He rolled over, turned on the light, took out the Magic Crystal Shard from his bag, and handed it to Bai Youwei. The shard was ice cold as it touched her skin. Bai Youwei exhaled softly and silently called to mind the person she thought about; gradually, an image began to appear in the shard. Even though she was mentally prepared, she still couldn¡¯t help but hold her breath at that moment. A woman appeared in the shard. She bore a resemblance to Bai Youwei. She wore no makeup, but her beauty was still unmistakable. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other, both seeing the surprise in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­Is this my mom?¡± Bai Youwei felt a mix of amazement and skepticism. Shen Mo squinted for a better look and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s Aunt Wang, she seems to have gotten younger.¡± Wang Jingxian had always taken good care of herself, looking like she was in her early thirties even though she was over forty. But the image in the shard was even more ambiguous about her age¡ªthere were no traces of time on her face, draped in a white fox fur cape, she stood quietly in the snow, pristine and tranquil, like an elf from the Snow Country. ¡°Look behind her, what are those?¡± Shen Mo pointed to the background beside Wang Jingxian, ¡°They don¡¯t look like hills.¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and peered close. Since the crystal shard was only the size of a palm, the picture too was very small, making the distant background even blurrier. ¡°It looks like¡­ buildings?¡± Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sure. At that moment, the image of Wang Jingxian in the shard began to move. She turned and started walking in a certain direction, and the image shifted accordingly. Bai Youwei began to see more¡­ skyscrapers. They were covered in ice and snow, leaving only irregular outlines. If you didn¡¯t look closely, they resembled a hillside. Shen Mo picked up his phone from the nightstand and hastily snapped a few pictures of the image in the shard. Bai Youwei was momentarily stunned. Shen Mo said, ¡°We can¡¯t be sure how long these images will last, so we should keep them. Maybe they can help us determine your mother¡¯s current location.¡± Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°But it¡¯s all covered in snow¡­¡± ¡°We might not be able to do anything, but Chu Huaijin and Professor Song might be able to,¡± Shen Mo took a few more photos as the phone displayed a low battery warning. He hadn¡¯t used it in a long time; it was occasionally borrowed by Tan Xiao to play the built-in games, so he never made a point of charging it. Shen Mo got up to look for a charging cable. Before he could find the charger, Bai Youwei said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother, the image has disappeared.¡± She put down the crystal shard in her hand, unable to articulate the feeling in her heart. Happy?¡­ Her mother was still alive. Disappointed?¡­ She was alive but had not once come looking for her daughter. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Perhaps it was numbness, for she had never really harbored any hope. It is often said there are no filial children at the prolonged bedside of illness. In the presence of a chronically ill child, her mother¡­ must have endured hardship as well, right? Shen Mo returned to bed and began flipping through the dozen photos he had just taken in the album, ¡°With these pictures, it should be enough.¡± ¡­ Chapter 891 - 891: The Third Battle Chapter 891: Chapter 891: The Third Battle The next morning, Shen Mo took his cell phone and went to find Chu Huaijin. Professor Song¡¯s health had been declining more and more, and his wakeful hours were becoming fewer and fewer, so Chu Huaijin had handed the matter over to the research team, which coincidentally was managed by their acquaintance, Li Li. It was said that a technology existed that could use satellite maps to compare with the buildings in photos to find similar locations, then proceed with manual screening. Anyway, it was now confirmed that Wang Jingxian was not in the Arctic because the Arctic could not possibly have such a dense cluster of buildings. This matter needed a few days to settle, and the third battle was looming. Bai Youwei thus set aside the issue for the time being, got her gear in order, and prepared for her third battle. Her third battle was under the supervision of the Clown Inspector, the rules stipulated the minimum number of participants was one, with no upper limit set. The casualties that occurred in the ¡°Wildlife Park¡± were still vivid in her mind, so this time Bai Youwei brought only Shen Mo with her into battle. The two of them arrived at the rest hall. As the war progressed to this point, the number of contestants had sharply decreased. Bai Youwei casually scanned the hall and saw Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai, saw Yan Qingwen, and also noticed that Willard whom she had met in the Tomorrow Hotel¡­ About fifty to sixty people stood sparsely scattered in the hall. The Clown, the Ball, the Comic Man, and the Grey-robed Old Man, the four Inspectors, stood as always in front of the luminous square, waiting for the King to enter the battlefield. The gentleman with the rabbit-head stood in the middle and announced politely and gently: ¡°The third battle is about to begin, there are a total of 8 Kings participating. 2 Kings have chosen Battle 1, 2 Kings have chosen Battle 5, 4 Kings have chosen Battle 10, 0 Kings have chosen Battle 20. Each battle cannot be chosen more than once, and after the four battles are over, the final battle will begin. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So, please enter the battlefield¡ª¡± The Kings, only eight remained. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart tightened. Only eight remained, not counting Yan Qingwen and Fu Miaoxue, who were bound to surrender sooner or later, she had only five real adversaries¡ªshe was getting closer and closer to that final victory. The Kings confirmed the information on their wristwatches with their subjects, then walked into the glowing square. Bai Youwei took a deep breath and stepped in as well. Inside the white space of the square, the 3D hologram of her opponent appeared, along with relevant information. [Enemy King, age 37, height 181cm, weight 85kg, blood type A, region¡­] [Do you choose to surrender?] Bai Youwei refused to surrender, then quietly waited for the countdown to end. ¡­5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. Everything before her eyes vanished. Bai Youwei found herself in a white square room, Shen Mo was also there, besides the two of them, there was also their opponent for this battle, an unremarkable middle-aged man. A square face, with a broad forehead and high nose, his hair was auburn, his features undistinguished, but his body was exceptionally strong and sturdy, which gave a mismatched impression. He noticed Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, smiled a common friendly smile on his face, and walked over to extend his right hand to Bai Youwei: ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Hans, it seems you are my opponent this time.¡± Bai Youwei slightly raised her brow, looked at his hand but did not move. Shen Mo reached out his hand and briefly shook hands with the man, speaking faintly: ¡°Hello.¡± The man showed no hostility and continued to engage Bai Youwei in conversation: ¡°I¡¯m from Baharah, have you ever been there? It¡¯s a small town in Germany, quite beautiful. If you go there, you will surely fall in love with the place.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s frown deepened, failing to understand the thought process of this man named Hans. Please, they were sworn enemies to the death now, what was he doing talking about these things? As if Hans discerned Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts, he laughed plainly and said: ¡°No matter who among us wins in the end, we will bring peace back to the world, right? So, even if I lose, in a sense, I¡¯m actually a winner, the grand winner who has fought for the world.¡± Chapter 892 - 892 No Normal Person Chapter 892: Chapter 892 No Normal Person ¡°Everyone¡¯s goal is the same, so there¡¯s no need to hate each other, no matter who wins or loses this time,¡± Hans smiled at Bai Youwei once more, ¡°Relax a bit, we can be friends.¡± Bai Youwei found this man very strange¡­ S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Inside the game, it¡¯s surely a fight to the death, how can we possibly become friends? And the way he spoke these words, so casual¡­ This was the third battle, and even she was a little nervous, while the other seemed so relaxed; she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what tricks he had up his sleeve. ¡°It seems this is the third battle¡¯s game field, looks rather small¡­¡± Hans looked around and sighed, ¡°I wonder what kind of game it will be, I hope it won¡¯t be too dangerous.¡± Shen Mo glanced at the few people not far away and asked him, ¡°Those people, are they your subjects?¡± There were a total of ten people in the room, including Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, there were eight others. Hans smiled and nodded, ¡°They¡¯re friends I¡¯ve met in the game, united by the same ideal. We are willing to make any sacrifice as long as it can restore the world.¡± After he finished speaking, he waved over to his companions and said with a laugh, ¡°We¡¯re very strong, we¡¯ve already successfully passed battle 10 and battle 5, and we were actually going to take part in battle 20 if not for being a little short on manpower. Let me introduce them to you¡ª¡± His companions came closer, and Hans introduced them one by one to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°This is Dim, don¡¯t be deceived by his small stature; he¡¯s a master rock climber and the water is no problem for him. This is Julian, the encyclopaedia of our team. And this is Morin, the bravest and most formidable warrior, no one can withstand his fists¡­¡± Hans introduced everyone on his team before turning to Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, his demeanor filled with expectation, seemingly waiting for Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to introduce themselves as well. But Bai Youwei really had nothing much to say. Shen Mo briefly introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Shen Mo, and she¡¯s Bai Youwei, we¡¯re partners.¡± He didn¡¯t add anything else, as there really was no need. Hans didn¡¯t seem to mind and still wore a smiling face, asking, ¡°You two, are you lovers?¡± Bai Youwei froze, looking at this honest-looking, kind-faced ¡°simple man¡± again. Hans gently shook his head and said warmly, ¡°In the game, I¡¯m most afraid of encountering couples, because hurting one will cause great harm to the other. I hope you two have good luck in the game and won¡¯t be separated.¡± These were kind words, but why did they sound so awkward? Finally, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, staring at Hans¡¯s face, she asked, ¡°Are you sick?¡± A flash of surprise crossed Hans¡¯s eyes. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Even if all of you die, my boyfriend and I will be fine, understood?¡± Hans¡¯s eyes slightly widened, as if he was very shocked, his expression froze for two seconds before he smiled warmly, not at all offended. ¡°Your girlfriend is really cute,¡± he said to Shen Mo with a laugh, treating Bai Youwei¡¯s harsh words as though they were just a little girl¡¯s tantrum. Shen Mo gently wrapped his arm around Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder and smiled, ¡°Yeah, she is quite cute.¡± Hans turned to leave. Shen Mo added, ¡°However, I think she¡¯s right.¡± Hans¡¯s steps halted. After a long pause, he turned back, looked deeply at them both, and said regretfully, ¡°I really regret that every opponent I meet doesn¡¯t understand that only by letting the world win can humankind truly achieve victory. Hatred and enmity will only blind one¡¯s eyes¡­ I truly regret that we cannot reach a consensus.¡± Chapter 893 - 893: Chinese Room 1 Chapter 893: Chapter 893: Chinese Room 1 After Hans left, Bai Youwei poked Shen Mo in the waist, her tone melancholic as she complained, ¡°Why is it that none of the players we run into are normal?¡± Shen Mo pondered seriously for a moment before replying, ¡°Maybe they started off normal, but as they played, they became abnormal.¡± Bai Youwei burst into laughter, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± She snuggled up to him and, looking up, asked, ¡°What about me then? Have I become abnormal?¡± ¡°You¡¯re different from them.¡± Shen Mo lowered his head and whispered in her ear, ¡°You were abnormal to begin with and slowly became normal¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face darkened as she pinched his arm hard! ¡­ After waiting another three to five minutes, the Inspector finally arrived. ¡°Sorry~ sorry~ I¡¯m late!¡± The Clown seemed to appear out of nowhere, coming over on a unicycle with awkward twists and turns, bowing to everyone, ¡°The number of people was more than expected, so the game was adjusted on the fly, sorry to keep you all waiting~¡± Bai Youwei frowned and asked, ¡°The battle game can be adjusted on the fly? Won¡¯t that cause problems?¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Not at all~¡± The Clown stretched his mouth into an exaggerated smile, ¡°Battle 1 is a bit different from other battle games because it needs to meet the minimum number of participants, so we must consider the balance between the minority and the majority.¡± In other games, the number of players was basically fixed. For example, in Tomorrow¡¯s Inn, each team had five people, and in Wildlife Park, each had eight people. Now in Battle 1, on Bai Youwei¡¯s side there were two people, and on Hans¡¯s side eight. The Clown mentioned the game needed to ensure balance between both sides, making Bai Youwei curious about how that would be achieved. The Clown cleared his throat twice, speaking gravely, ¡°Hello everyone!~ Welcome to this battle game. I am the Inspector of this game, and now let me explain the rules to you~ It¡¯s so hot, a sheep couldn¡¯t stand the heat and got shorn, and then it couldn¡¯t sleep anymore because it was missing wool! Ahahaha!¡± The Clown laughed uncontrollably. Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± On the other side, Hans and his group played along, laughing a few times. Bai Youwei felt utterly bemused, ¡°What in the world?¡± Shen Mo whispered, ¡°This Inspector likes to pretend he¡¯s very humorous, don¡¯t take it too seriously.¡± ¡°Ah ha¡­ after the laughter, the atmosphere is much better! Let¡¯s begin!¡± The Clown cheerfully said, ¡°This game is divided into A and B War Zones. If, after the game in A War Zone is over, a King emerges victorious, then the game immediately ends. Otherwise, if after A War Zone the game ends without a victor among the Kings, we will immediately proceed to B War Zone.¡± Bai Youwei frowned and asked, ¡°Does that mean we need to play two games?¡± ¡°You could understand it that way, but it¡¯s not necessarily so,¡± said the Clown, gliding over on his unicycle with a grin, ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll sort out the victory and defeat in A War Zone, who knows? Oh~ I¡¯ve even seen a situation where both sides were completely eliminated in A War Zone~¡± Bai Youwei was momentarily stunned, ¡°¡­previously?¡± Hans spoke up, ¡°Is that so? The Maze War has occurred in historical times as well, hasn¡¯t it? What exactly is your purpose?¡± ¡°Purpose?¡± The Clown cocked his head, grinning, ¡°Soon, you will know. Once the war is over, any questions you have will be answered, that is¡­ if at least one of you can survive this battle.¡± It rode the tiny unicycle over to a wall and tapped on the surface. With each tap, a door appeared. The Clown knocked five times, and thus five doors materialized. ¡°The game in A War Zone is themed ¡®The Chinese Room¡¯.¡± Chapter 894 - 894: Chinese Room 2 Chapter 894: Chapter 894: Chinese Room 2 ¡°Each team will be split into two groups: one will ask questions outside the door, and the other will answer inside. Please note, each answer comes with four distracting options and the real answer, making five options in total. Once the player inside answers, the answer will be displayed on the door, and the players outside must determine which door their teammate is behind. If they choose correctly, both indoor and outdoor players pass. However, if they select a false answer, both the indoor and outdoor players are immediately eliminated.¡± The Clown raised a hand and snapped his fingers, and behind him, five doors opened simultaneously, revealing empty white rooms, all identical. ¡°Then, both Kings, please send your subjects into the rooms.¡± The Clown looked at them with a smirky smile, ¡°No rush, you have plenty of time to decide who will answer inside and who will stay outside to ask questions.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other. Being only two, one would surely go inside and one would stay outside. Hans¡¯s team, on the other hand, had to choose four people to go inside. ¡°The theme of this game is the Chinese Room,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Right,¡± Shen Mo nodded, ¡°One of the ten paradoxes. The Inspector chose this theme for a reason.¡± He looked towards the five doors and slowly said, ¡°The so-called distracting options must refer to artificial intelligence, right?¡± The Chinese Room was initially proposed by American philosopher John Searle. The experiment assumes an English-speaking person inside a sealed room who has a manual for translating Chinese. The room is equipped with sufficient paper and pens. Then, papers written in Chinese are passed into the room through a small window, and the person inside uses the book to translate and respond in Chinese. Although he doesn¡¯t understand Chinese, he can make anyone outside believe he speaks Chinese. This thought experiment argues against the idea that artificial intelligence can truly think, suggesting computers can¡¯t genuinely comprehend information but can seemingly process certain programs to create an intelligent impression. Hans¡¯s team, obviously aware of this famous experiment, discussed quietly for a moment before asking the Inspector, ¡°What specific aspects will the distracting options interfere with?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The Clown lazily moved over, ¡°They will mimic you as much as possible and learn your manner of speaking.¡± ¡°Will they read our brains?¡± Hans asked carefully, ¡°¡­like, the memory part?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but glance at him; it was a good strategy to break the game, as artificial intelligence can¡¯t mimic something it can¡¯t access. For instance, she could ask Shen Mo where their first kiss took place. Such a question, artificial intelligence surely couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°Of course not~¡± The Clown explained with a full-beamed smile, ¡°They will only analyze and learn from what you express outwardly. As for what you¡¯re thinking, they don¡¯t know that~¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The Clown¡¯s tone suddenly turned, his mouth twisting into a bigger smile, stretching to a disturbing extent. ¡°In the room, the order of answering is randomized each time, so, if you ask the wrong person¡­ that would be truly unfortunate.¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei frowned; if that was the case¡­ using shared memories to form questions would be futile. Hans then asked, ¡°For the questioners outside, can they ask any question? Are there any restrictions?¡± The Clown replied, ¡°You can ask any question, but the input box for the answers can only accommodate 20 characters.¡± Thus, trying to discern lies through lengthy discussions would also be ineffective. Hans turned back and whispered with his teammates for a little while longer, then spoke aloud, ¡°Inspector, we have made our selections. These four will go inside to answer.¡± Chapter 895 - 895: Chinese Room 3 Chapter 895: Chapter 895: Chinese Room 3 ¡°Oh, so you¡¯ve already made your choice~¡± the Clown looked at Bai Youwei, grinning broadly. ¡°What about you? Have you decided?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I¡¯ll go inside.¡± Bai Youwei grasped his hand, her expression worried. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo reassured her by squeezing her hand gently and whispered, ¡°We can set a code. If it¡¯s my turn, I¡¯ll add ¡®probably¡¯ before I answer and end with ¡®done.''¡± ¡°That obvious flaw, the game system will definitely think of it.¡± Bai Youwei spoke seriously. ¡°Once you¡¯re inside, just answer normally; I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shen Mo released her hand. ¡°I trust you.¡± He turned around and entered one of the doors, which closed behind him. Hans¡¯ four teammates also entered their respective doors one after another. Once all five doors were shut, the Clown suddenly became excited; it smiled so broadly that its mouth almost reached its ears. ¡°Alright, alright~ Five people inside, five people outside, now you can start asking questions!¡± the Clown exclaimed excitedly. ¡°Each person gets to ask one question. Who wants to go first?¡± A touchscreen computer appeared in the room, displaying a keyboard and input field. ¡°No rush~ No rush~ Take your time to think, ask when you¡¯re ready.¡± The Clown showed a benevolent smile and continued, ¡°Out of the five doors, only the person in one door will receive your questions. The other four rooms will provide interference options, so, please be very cautious when you ask!¡± After speaking, it squinted and smiled again, then added, ¡°Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, those who entered the doors will experience short-term memory loss, meaning they will forget the codes or any little cheating tricks they discussed earlier.¡± Bai Youwei felt her heart sink. The expressions of the people on Hans¡¯ side also changed. It seemed they had thought of the same method as Shen Mo. That obvious flaw wouldn¡¯t be overlooked by the game system; now, their only option was to think more carefully about the ¡°questions.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at Hans¡¯ side. Hans also looked at Bai Youwei. Nobody wanted to be the first to ask a question. Everyone knew there would be interference by artificial intelligence, but no one knew just how advanced this AI could be; whoever asked first would undoubtedly be testing the waters. However, the stand-off didn¡¯t last long. Bai Youwei was alone, while Hans¡¯ side had four people; even if they let Bai Youwei ask first, they would still have to ask at least in the second round, so there was no point in delaying. A blond man spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± He stepped forward to the computer, his tone relaxed, ¡°Compared to the previous games, this one isn¡¯t that hard, right? The artificial intelligence has a vast knowledge base; if we ask a sufficiently difficult question that an ordinary person couldn¡¯t answer, can¡¯t we distinguish them that way?¡± Hans reminded him, ¡°That¡¯s a good point, but don¡¯t forget, the Inspector said they can mimic and learn¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I want to ask first,¡± the blond man confidently said. ¡°To give them no chance to learn or mimic.¡± He typed a question on the computer keyboard: ¡°How many stars are there in the Milky Way?¡± The Clown Inspector immediately said, ¡°Question asked. Answer time: 2 minutes. Please wait for a moment.¡± Bai Youwei frowned. Only 2 minutes, not even enough time for extra thought¡­ The blond man waited in front of the computer, relaxed while asking but gradually becoming tense as he waited. He started regretting and thought maybe he should have chosen a more tactful question? But it was already too late¡­ Two minutes later, different answers appeared simultaneously on the doors of the five rooms: [A: I don¡¯t know.] [B: Not sure, perhaps several hundred billion.] [C: I don¡¯t have knowledge about this.] [D: Is it 400 quadrillion?] [E: Help! Who is outside? Quickly, get me out!] The Clown¡¯s smiling face blossomed again. ¡°Come on~ make your choice! Choose correctly to pass, choose wrongly to be eliminated!¡± Chapter 896 - 896: Chinese Room 4 Chapter 896: Chapter 896: Chinese Room 4 Five doors, five answers. A, B, C, D, E, which one to choose? The blond man¡¯s forehead oozed cold sweat. He thought the artificial intelligence would answer this question as thoroughly and rigorously as possible, like a program, a directive, seriously rational, to the letter. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be this situation. ¡°Is it E¡­¡± he said uncertainly, ¡°This tone, it sounds a bit like Mike. If his memory was temporarily erased and he found himself locked up, he would definitely panic and use the answer to call for help, which is completely reasonable¡­¡± As the blond man spoke, he looked around, hoping to get help from his companions, even a confirming look would be good. But the others were also confused. The man named Morin said, ¡°What if it isn¡¯t Mike, but Julian? If it¡¯s Julian, then D would be the real answer, right?¡± Someone else objected, ¡°Most people wouldn¡¯t know this kind of question. Even Julian might not be clear on it. I think we should choose A, the others are just distractions!¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t be A.¡± This time, it was Hans who spoke slowly, ¡°If you¡¯re locked in a room, unable to leave, and partly amnesiac, receiving a question at that moment, anyone sane would know that this question is the key to leaving the room. Since it¡¯s so important, how could you say you don¡¯t know just because you don¡¯t know? Guessing would be better than outright admitting your ignorance, right? I think it should be B, even if you don¡¯t know the answer, try to get close to it. That fits with human strategic thinking.¡± Most people agreed with Hans. Answer A: Don¡¯t know. Like easily giving up the only way out. Answer B: Not sure, could be several trillion. Compared to A, B seems more humanized. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The blond man was still indecisive; he looked at Hans, ¡°Not choosing E? Maybe the person inside is reminding us in this way. After all, artificial intelligence can¡¯t cry for help, right?¡­¡± ¡°What if it can?¡± Bai Youwei suddenly spoke up. Everyone looked at her. Bai Youwei said, ¡°If artificial intelligence can¡¯t cry for help, then the player inside the door could always answer off-topic, right? You ask how many stars are in the sky, and he answers I¡¯m Mike, save me, what would be the point of the questions and answers then?¡± Hans squinted his eyes, ¡°You mean¡­ E is definitely a distraction?¡± ¡°Exactly, A, B, C, D could all potentially be the real answer, but E definitely can¡¯t be,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°And I believe, they must have a set of rules inside the door forcing them to respond to the question itself, otherwise this game can¡¯t go on.¡± After Bai Youwei finished, she also said to Hans, ¡°Also, when you dismissed A just now, I think your reasoning wasn¡¯t sufficient.¡± Hans was a bit taken aback, sizing her up again, ¡°Answer A directly gives up the chance to escape, isn¡¯t that reason enough? It¡¯s like a student in an important exam, even when faced with a difficult question, would do their best to fill out the answer sheet.¡± ¡°That reason holds, but it¡¯s not sufficient,¡± Bai Youwei said expressionlessly, ¡°because your reasoning is based on the assumption that a wrong answer leads to elimination. We, outside the door, know this question is crucial, but do the people inside know? Do they know a wrong answer will result in elimination? What if the system requires them to answer honestly? What¡¯s wrong with answering ¡®don¡¯t know¡¯?¡± Just when they thought they had a clue, Bai Youwei¡¯s words threw them into confusion again. ¡°What do we do now¡­ should we choose A or B?¡± the blond man gazed at Hans eagerly, ¡°Are we still going with B?¡± Chapter 897 - 897: Chinese Room 5 Chapter 897: Chapter 897: Chinese Room 5 S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei knit her brows in irritation, ¡°Any option is possible, creating this situation because the question is too crappy.¡± She looked at the Clown, discontentedly saying, ¡°There¡¯s a balance problem with this game. If the people behind the door are my teammates, yet they get eliminated because of their stupidity, how is that fair? That¡¯s just too unfair!¡± The Clown twisted on his small car, his bright red mouth laughing intermittently, ¡°No need to worry, it¡¯s just a small matter~ Just a small matter, the game system will make the necessary adjustments~¡± ¡°Do you mean¡­ when I ask a question, the people behind the door will be my teammates?¡± Bai Youwei asked, furrowing her brows. ¡°Maybe they will be, maybe not, who knows~¡± The Clown chuckled, ¡°As the Inspector, I¡¯ve already explained all the rules. The remaining part, I might say, or might not say~ Hee hee hee¡­¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Elsewhere, the blond man was still struggling to choose an answer. Hans told him, ¡°Since any option is possible, just go with your gut feeling.¡± The blond man walked past each door, hesitating for a long time, finally choosing B. [B: Not sure, could be several hundred trillion.] Actually, Bai Youwei also felt this answer was the most likely real answer, but with such things, as long as it¡¯s not 100% certain, there¡¯s still a possibility of being wrong. The Clown, grinning, said, ¡°Once you¡¯ve decided, open the door you chose~¡± The blond man looked at his companions, then at Hans, and finally, gathering courage, grabbed the doorknob, twisted, and pushed open¡ª The room behind the door was empty. The blond man stared blankly in place. The next second, his neck suddenly split open! Blood spurted out without any warning! Like a human-shaped sprinkler, he fell straight to the ground! Everyone was shocked! ¡°No, wasn¡¯t it just elimination? How could this happen?!¡± ¡°Why did he die?¡­ What about the people in the room? Will they die too?!¡± ¡°So you die just for choosing the wrong answer?!¡± Everyone was completely disconcerted. Hans looked at the Inspector with a grave expression, ¡°You didn¡¯t say the wrong choice would lead to death.¡± ¡°Did I not?¡± The Clown giggled, ¡°I did say, if the choice is wrong, both parties inside and outside the door get eliminated. What¡¯s the difference between elimination and death?¡± Hans¡¯s expression grew uglier, feeling mocked, but having been deceived by the Inspector in past games, he remained relatively calm and did not blow a fuse. He calmed the remaining three teammates, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, sacrifices in the game are inevitable. As long as we can win in the end, what we¡¯ve lost will come back, even the dead can be resurrected.¡± With those words, the expressions of the others eased a lot. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ as long as we can win in the end, we can restore the world to its original state, and bring all the dead back to life!¡± Bai Youwei on the side curled her lips, thinking these people were quite idealistic¡­ ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve already asked one round, next round, it¡¯s your turn to ask!¡± The man named Morin murmured to Bai Youwei, ¡°It¡¯s only fair this way!¡± ¡°Fair?¡± Bai Youwei smiled faintly, ¡°Where is it fair? I only have one subject, which means I only have one chance to ask. If I choose wrong, I¡¯ll be out immediately, but you, you have four chances to ask. Unless your King is eliminated, no matter how many subjects die, the King won¡¯t be out!¡± She took a cotton pad out of her bag, then sat down on the ground, hugging her knees, looking like she was watching a good show. ¡°You guys go ahead and ask~¡± Bai Youwei said with a smile, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m definitely not going to be the second to ask.¡± Chapter 898 - 898: Chinese Room 6 Chapter 898: Chapter 898: Chinese Room 6 The situation had reached a deadlock. Bai Youwei refused to ask questions, and Hans didn¡¯t dare to. Initially, they thought elimination merely meant elimination, not realizing it involved death. Nobody wanted to die. After a long discussion, perhaps an hour, perhaps two, Hans finally decided on the candidate. ¡°Robert, you do it this time,¡± Hans instructed him. ¡°The question should be crafted skillfully. We don¡¯t know who is behind the door, it could be Eureka, it could be Mike¡­ So, it¡¯s best to avoid professional knowledge. Ask about hobbies, emotional matters; try to make the question as emotive as possible. Artificial Intelligence lacks emotional thinking; it will surely reveal a flaw.¡± The man called Robert had sunken eyes and a face full of fear. ¡°Hans, can¡­ can I abstain?¡± He hesitated, glancing at a companion lying in a pool of blood, his voice growing weaker, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t ask well¡­ Hans, otherwise, you¡­ you demote me¡­ Demote me to a commoner¡­¡± ¡°Robert, don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Hans grasped his shoulders, his voice deep. ¡°Nothing will happen to you, and even if something happens, it won¡¯t be in vain. Have you forgotten the purpose of our trip? Do you really want to continue living aimlessly like this?¡± Other companions also encouraged him: ¡°We must preserve the greatest chance of survival for the King. Robert, whether you succeed or not, it will help us! As long as Hans wins, we all win!¡± Robert hung his head and finally made up his mind, ¡°Okay¡­ alright¡­ You¡¯re right, we have to create an opportunity for Hans.¡± He clenched his teeth and entered the question on the computer screen: ¡°How was your day today?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly taken aback. It was a good question, simple yet profound, excellent for distinguishing between Artificial Intelligence and humans. The Clown Inspector announced with a smile, ¡°Questioning complete, response time 2 minutes, please wait a moment.¡± Hans gently patted Robert¡¯s shoulder, as if to say: Well done. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei sat on the mat, one hand holding a rabbit, the other hand holding her cheek, wondering how she should ask her question. How could she avoid the interference of Artificial Intelligence and accurately find the person she was looking for? Two minutes passed quickly, and five answers appeared on the door: ¡°A: The same as usual, how about you?¡± ¡°B: I¡¯m locked in a room, unsure about my companions.¡± ¡°C: Not well, I might die at any moment.¡± ¡°D: I¡¯ve been locked up! It¡¯s awful!¡± ¡°E: Great, a nutritious breakfast set the tone for my whole day.¡± Everyone took in these five answers, momentarily speechless; the mimicking ability of Artificial Intelligence had exceeded their expectations. B, C, and D could even simulate the mindset of being locked in a room. Bai Youwei was sweating for the one who asked the question, Robert; these responses were difficult to choose from. At least in her view, A and E resembled standard response templates, whereas B, C, and D could all be ¡°real answers.¡± That is to say, Robert only had a 33.33% chance of choosing correctly. Robert looked helplessly at Hans. ¡°Which¡­ which one should I choose?¡± Hans pondered seriously, ¡°Could it be B¡­ being locked in a room, wondering why it¡¯s just oneself, while also worrying about the safety of companions¡­ What do you all think? Which one should we choose?¡± Everyone looked at each other. No one dared to make a decision lightly; choosing could potentially push a companion closer to death. Hans sighed in frustration, ¡°Answer D has strong emotions; it might also be D¡­¡± ¡°B, or maybe D¡­¡± Robert clenched his fists, his eyes tense as he stared at the answers. ¡°Last round, he chose B, and was eliminated¡­¡± Robert walked to the door with answer D, reached out his right hand, and grasped the doorknob¡­ Chapter 899 - 899: Chinese Room 7 Chapter 899: Chapter 899: Chinese Room 7 ¡°¡­Should I choose D?¡± he looked at the doorknob in his hand. Just a gentle twist, and the answer would be revealed. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. B, or D? He gripped the doorknob, his palm already drenched in sweat. In the last round, his teammate had died for choosing B, so this time, he really didn¡¯t want to choose B again¡­ Choose D, no more hesitation, open that door! Even if you¡¯re eliminated, it¡¯s not a loss! As long as you keep the King advancing, they¡¯re still the winners! With a pep talk in his mind and force in his hand, he opened the door that was answer D¡ª¡ª A wave of bright red blocked his vision. He looked down in confusion, only to see more blood spurting out; then the world spun, and with a thud, he fell to the ground. ¡­ Silence surrounded them. No one spoke. Bai Youwei covered her nose; the smell of blood was too strong¡­ ¡°Ah oh~¡± The Clown, riding a unicycle, circled round to the body, the wheel squeaking, ¡°What a pity! Another two have been eliminated, is there no one who can choose correctly?¡± Of the five who went in, two had already died, leaving three chances to ask questions. The atmosphere was deathly. It was thought that there would be another long silence with no one asking, but to everyone¡¯s surprise, the young man next to Hans spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ll go this time.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him with a hint of surprise. Hans was also shocked, ¡°Morin, are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man whom Hans had once praised as the bravest nodded slightly, his face grave as he looked toward the doors, ¡°I¡¯ve decided what to ask.¡± Hans asked him, ¡°What are you going to ask?¡± Morin pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, then replied, ¡°You¡¯ll know when I ask.¡± With that, he did not hesitate any longer, and went straight to the computer. The Clown craned his neck curiously. Morin typed his question into the computer: [What fruit does Morin like to eat?] Hans¡¯s face turned ashen, ¡°Morin?! You¡¯re asking this kind of question! Are you trying to get us all killed?! What are you thinking?!¡± ¡°What am I thinking?¡­ Hans, of course, I¡¯m doing it to keep your chance of advancing.¡± Morin explained in a low voice with a somber look, ¡°Dim and Brail are still inside. If it¡¯s Brail, he must know what fruit I like to eat¡­¡± ¡°But what if it¡¯s not Brail? What if it¡¯s Dim?!¡± Hans yelled out of control, ¡°You¡¯ll indirectly be killing Dim!¡± Morin¡¯s tone was very calm, ¡°Our deaths are not in vain. If Dim is the one who dies, then the next one will likely be Brail. Hans, then you just need to ask something related to Brail, and you can surely advance.¡± Hans stopped in his tracks, staring at him. As the two conversed, two minutes quickly went by. Two answers appeared on the five doors again: [A: An apple a day keeps the Doctor away.] [B: Oranges and bananas are nice, can¡¯t remember which one I like the most.] [C: Morin loves mangoes, but he¡¯s allergic so he can¡¯t eat a lot.] [D: Morin likes strawberries, nobody dislikes strawberries!] [E: Not sure, maybe it¡¯s cantaloupe.] Morin¡¯s eyes reddened instantly. ¡°Choose C!¡± He strode quickly to the door, almost without hesitation, yanked it open, ¡°Brail!¡± He was so lucky! As the door opened, the man inside was indeed Brail! Morin embraced him excitedly? Hans let out a long sigh of relief and went over to pat their backs, ¡°It¡¯s all good now¡­ Just one more question from me, and the game in A War Zone can end.¡± ¡°Dim is still inside, what do you plan to ask?¡± Morin inquired. Hans fell silent for a while, then calmly looked over at Bai Youwei, ¡°Let her ask first.¡± Chapter 900 - 900: Chinese Room 8 Chapter 900: Chapter 900: Chinese Room 8 Hans had already asked three times, and inside the door, only Dim and Shen Mo remained. If Bai Youwei could bring Shen Mo out from behind the door, Hans¡¯s next question would be much easier. If Bai Youwei failed to bring Shen Mo out, that would be even better. Both would be eliminated together, and Hans could win directly without having to enter B War Zone. The worst-case scenario was¡ªBai Youwei encountered Dim and got eliminated together with him. Then, only Shen Mo would be left inside the door, and Hans would have to pose a question to Shen Mo and choose the correct answer. The artificial intelligence¡¯s distracting options were already causing enough headaches, and facing a complete stranger would undoubtedly be more troubling! Hans looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°My side has already asked three times, now it¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of a good one yet~¡± Bai Youwei sat comfortably on her cushion, appearing indifferent, ¡°If you¡¯re in a hurry, go ahead and ask.¡± Morin was infuriated, ¡°Do you plan to keep stalling?!¡± Hans was also very dissatisfied with Bai Youwei¡¯s attitude, ¡°You complained about unfairness earlier and delayed asking questions, but now that we have asked three times, it¡¯s your turn, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still unfair,¡± Bai Youwei said with a light smile, ¡°You and I are both kings. If you learn the way I ask questions and then you and your companion both pass, it would still be unfair to me.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s just dragging out the time,¡± Morin said to Hans with a frown, ¡°She never intended to ask.¡± Brail said, ¡°Perhaps she wants to learn Hans¡¯s method, and there¡¯s more room for play when only one person is left. That¡¯s understandable¡­¡± After thinking it over, Hans surprisingly showed magnanimity, ¡°Learning the method is also good. After all, we can¡¯t be sure that we will definitely encounter Dim, and if we come across her teammate, Dim¡¯s fate will depend on her rescue.¡± The Inspector had never explicitly stated that after their questioning, the person behind the door would certainly be a teammate, so there was still the chance of encountering an opponent. Listening to Hans¡¯s words, Morin felt something was amiss and asked with a frown, ¡°Are you going to ask? Why not let her go first? Hans, in a life or death situation, there¡¯s no need to accommodate her!¡± Hans glanced at Bai Youwei and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s not about yielding, it¡¯s about cooperating. Unless we¡¯re sure of a fatal strike, we need to cooperate to ensure we have enough team members make it into B War Zone.¡± ¡°But as long as she¡¯s eliminated in this round, there¡¯s no need to get into B War Zone!¡± Morin said, his tone tinged with irritation. Hans sighed, raised his hand to reassure Morin, ¡°We¡¯ve already sacrificed enough; we can¡¯t let Dim join them in misfortune.¡± Morin clenched his teeth and lowered his head, ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Brail asked with concern, ¡°Hans, have you thought about what to ask?¡± ¡°Uh, I have a rough idea,¡± Hans nodded slightly, looking at the five closed doors, ¡°We need to ask a question that ordinary people don¡¯t know the answer to, but the artificial intelligence thinks humans do.¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This statement was somewhat convoluted, and both Morin and Brail looked at him puzzled. ¡°Ordinary people don¡¯t know the answer¡­ but the artificial intelligence thinks we do?¡± Morin asked, ¡°What question is that?¡± Hans walked to the computer, hesitated for a moment, and then typed in the question: [Which tooth was the first one you lost?] Morin and Brail were taken aback, ¡°¡­Just like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± Bai Youwei commented with a smile, ¡°Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t remember which was the first tooth they lost as a child, unless they are kids who have just lost their milk teeth, or a doctor, or parents who take care of their children¡­ Obviously, the two people behind the door don¡¯t meet any of these criteria, so neither of them knows the answer. But for the artificial intelligence, this event indeed happened to humans, so how could humans not know?¡± Chapter 901 - 901: Chinese Room 9 Chapter 901: Chapter 901: Chinese Room 9 Bai Youwei¡¯s affirmation brought pleasure to Hans, and his demeanor softened considerably. He nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, the reservoir of human knowledge is gradually replaced with memory, whereas artificial intelligence¡¯s knowledge retention system doesn¡¯t include the concept of forgetting. They are always accumulating and cannot comprehend what humans refer to as forgetting.¡± Morin couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°But in those distracting options just now, there was mention of the phrase ¡®do not remember.''¡± ¡°That happened to others,¡± Hans explained. ¡°In the cognition of some artificial intelligences, humans can easily forget the happiness or pain of others, but if it happens to themselves, they never forget, such as where they have been hurt, which fruit they like, what they have done¡­ And humans particularly emphasize the significance of ¡®the first time,¡¯ so things or people related to the ¡®first time¡¯ always leave a deep impression.¡± For example¡­ The first trip abroad. The first date. The first job. And, the first tooth that fell out. The five answers were displayed¡ª [A: Of course, it¡¯s the lower jaw¡¯s central incisor.] [B: Lower jaw, deciduous central incisor.] [C: Don¡¯t remember.] [D: Central incisor.] [E: Deciduous central incisor, I hid it under the pillow.] Bai Youwei softly exclaimed, ¡°Wow.¡± She actually got it right. Hans also breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, ¡°It seems the real answer is C, the others are just distractions.¡± Although he said that, he still felt nervous about having to open the door. Hans stood in front of the door marked with the answer C, hesitating for a moment, then suddenly pulled out a triangular talisman from his chest, caressed it for a while, and placed it in his chest pocket. Bai Youwei guessed it must be some kind of life-saving item, though its specific effect was unclear. Hans grasped the doorknob, murmuring softly, ¡°Dim, could it be you¡­¡± He opened the door. Behind the door stood a man with a confused expression. As soon as he saw Hans¡¯s face, he showed a sudden realization. ¡°Dim!¡± Hans, greatly relieved, stepped forward and hugged the other man, then gently patted his back, ¡°It¡¯s all right now, you all are finally safe¡­¡± ¡°Congratulations~¡± Clown came over with a cheerful laugh, ¡°You have all finished asking your questions, and if the other party is eliminated in the next round of questioning, then the victory of this battle will be yours!¡± Hans and his teammates all instinctively looked towards Bai Youwei. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei was sitting on the soft cushion, knees bent, elbows on them, appearing lax. She felt it was a pity. Because not only did Hans fail to be eliminated, but he also managed to keep all three of his subjects, which meant that entering the B War Zone, she and Hans would face each other in a 2v4 scenario. She was still at a numerical disadvantage. Yes, Bai Youwei thought this Chinese room game existed to balance the numbers, to give the ¡°minority¡± a chance. The real battle game was actually in the B War Zone. Across the way, a group of men still watched her, as if waiting to see a good show. Only Hans¡¯s eyes showed a hint of compassionate sadness. And this trace of compassion particularly disgusted Bai Youwei. ¡°There¡¯s only one person left,¡± Hans said indifferently, ¡°now asking questions should be very simple, right? You can ask about some private topics that only the two of you know.¡± It was as if staying alive was a chance he was granting her. Bai Youwei laughed. She stood up, gently patted her dress, and asked Clown next to her, ¡°What was that joke you said just now?¡± Clown was stunned for a moment, then narrowed his eyes, ¡°Which joke? I know many jokes~¡± ¡°Just the one you said when we came in,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Ah, that one~¡± Clown said, ¡°It was too hot, a sheep couldn¡¯t stand the heat, went to shave off its wool, and then could never sleep again because it lost its wool!¡± Chapter 902 - 902: Chinese Room 10 Chapter 902: Chapter 902: Chinese Room 10 ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one.¡± Bai Youwei walked to the computer and typed in the question. A sheep was so hot that it couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and got sheared, but afterward, it could no longer sleep because it had lost its ¡°woolen¡± peace¡ªis this joke funny? Clown: ¡°¡­¡± After Bai Youwei finished typing, she turned to look at the Inspector with a meaningful expression and asked, ¡°Do you know the answer? Why is it funny?¡± ¡°Ah ha~ this is my real expertise!¡± the Clown Inspector said enthusiastically, ¡°Because the sheep has ¡®woolen¡¯ insomnia, in Chinese ¡®wool¡¯ and ¡®sleep¡¯ are homophones.¡± After it finished, it suddenly had an epiphany, looking at Hans and his group, ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s why you guys just forced a laugh earlier? Is it because the difference in language and context led to a difference in understanding? How about this, I¡¯ll tell another joke that you¡¯ll understand, to make up for the one just now¡­¡± Bai Youwei interrupted it: ¡°No matter how many jokes you tell, you won¡¯t be able to make anyone laugh, so don¡¯t waste your effort.¡± The Clown was stunned, standing on its unicycle, looking at Bai Youwei with confusion. After a moment, perhaps standing still for too long, the wheel lost balance, and its round body tumbled to the ground, rolling around several times. ¡°Ouch ouch ouch!¡± It exaggeratedly rolled, bumping into a wall with a loud bang, then bounced up like a rubber ball and sat up with a plop! Panicked, it looked around frantically! Bai Youwei and the people with Hans quietly watched it. After a few seconds, the Clown stood up indignantly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you laughing?!¡± Its mood became intense, its tone urgent: ¡°Weren¡¯t my actions just now clownish? Not funny? Why aren¡¯t you laughing?! Why!!!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand what humor is at all,¡± Bai Youwei said slowly, ¡°I told you just now not to waste time on this, because we won¡¯t really find it funny.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand humor? How can you say I don¡¯t understand humor?!¡± The Clown seemed infuriated, its face growing redder and its head swelling larger until with a pop!¡ª Its head shot off! Its neck attached to a spring, like a joke prank doll, it sprung right in front of Bai Youwei! ¡°I am the funniest clown in the world! I know millions of jokes! I have a gut-busting funny face! And a comically round and chubby figure! How can I not understand humor?!¡± Its head bobbed in front of Bai Youwei, its tone sinister with a hint of threat. ¡°Laugh for me now! Laugh!!¡± Dim, Brail, and the others instinctively stepped back, fearing being caught in the Inspector¡¯s rage. Hans narrowed his eyes, observing Bai Youwei¡¯s reaction. ¡°Even if I laughed now, it wouldn¡¯t be because it¡¯s funny,¡± said Bai Youwei expressionlessly, looking at the clown head attached to the spring, speaking calmly, ¡°The essence of humor is schadenfreude; people love seeing others make a fool of themselves¡ªfor instance, stepping in dog poop or falling in mud. The more embarrassed and foolish the victim, the funnier it is because the onlooker develops a subtle sense of superiority. But if that sense of superiority is destroyed, no joke in front of them will be funny. If A and B both step in dog poop, will A still find B funny if A has lost their sense of superiority? Inspector, in front of you, we never feel superior, so no matter what you do or say, we will never truly laugh. Unless you become dumber than us, weaker than us, lower and more pathetic¡­ When that time comes, you won¡¯t need to tell jokes; your every word and action will provoke laughter.¡± The Clown¡¯s head stared straight at Bai Youwei. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look at it, instead raising her eyes to gaze at the five doors not far away, she gently smiled, ¡°Ah¡­ the answer is out.¡± Chapter 903 - 903 B War Zone Chapter 903: Chapter 903 B War Zone The five answers are ¡ª [A: Hahahaha! That¡¯s hilarious!] [B: Because it¡¯s funny that the sheep was sheared.] sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [C: The humor lies in its unexpectedness; even if it¡¯s not funny, that¡¯s part of the joke.] [D: The humor of a cold joke is in the irrationality and banality of its reasoning.] [E: I don¡¯t find it amusing.] Bai Youwei paced from A to E and then turned her head to smile down at the clown¡¯s head on the ground. ¡°There is also someone who doesn¡¯t laugh,¡± she said, ¡°because he never categorizes this type of recreational language as a joke.¡± Bai Youwei reached out to open door E without a second of hesitation. Behind the door stood Shen Mo. He frowned slightly, his gaze sliding to the two corpses on the ground as his memory slowly returned. ¡°How many have been eliminated?¡± Shen Mo stepped out and asked. The clown¡¯s head on the ground was silent for a moment before retracting back with its spring, saying in a strange tone, ¡°Four, but which four, the King can check for himself.¡± As if it bore some grudge against Bai Youwei. ¡ªThe King¡¯s watch could check the status of his subjects, and now, on Bai Youwei¡¯s side, only Shen Mo¡¯s icon was lit up, indicating a normal status, while the rest of the subjects¡¯ icons were gray, indicating they were offline. As for who had been eliminated on Hans¡¯s side, only he would know. The clown, having lost the mood to ride its comical unicycle, spoke in an even tone, ¡°The game in A War Zone has ended, we are now entering B War Zone, and the battle game officially begins. Please prepare yourselves, Kings.¡± Bai Youwei, holding Shen Mo¡¯s hand, whispered, ¡°The game in B War Zone will likely hinge on the number of players, which is why the Inspector made a last-minute adjustment, adding into the A game, all in the name of balancing the numbers.¡± Shen Mo looked toward Hans, speaking indifferently, ¡°What if we have more people than them? Do we have to reduce our numbers?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re strong enough, then we won¡¯t have our numbers cut,¡± Bai Youwei said, also looking toward Hans¡¯s side, ¡°If we¡¯re strong enough¡­ a smaller team won¡¯t matter.¡± The surrounding walls began falling in succession, white, one after another, as if they were inside a gigantic cardboard box where every side was being unfolded to reveal the outside world. Bai Youwei saw the blue sky, the white clouds, their location on a hillside with lush green grass, and a fairy-tale-like village in the distance. Unfortunately, the village, despite its lovely appearance, didn¡¯t have a very pretty name. The Clown Inspector introduced, ¡°Welcome to Werewolf Village, and now let me introduce the rules of the Werewolf Village game¡ª¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged a look. ¡°The name of this game makes me feel like it might cost lives,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Or perhaps the lives of werewolves,¡± Shen Mo said. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten funnier lately,¡± Bai Youwei reached out with both hands to pinch his solemn, cold face, ¡°¡­tsk, I really like your straight-faced jokes.¡± ¡°Maybe I have always been like this, just never had the chance to show it,¡± Shen Mo put her hands down, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s listen to the rules seriously.¡± Hans, along with Morin, Brail, and Dim watched the two in silence. The clown continued to introduce the rules oblivious to the player dynamics behind it: ¡°Every night, one villager will turn into a werewolf, Every night, a werewolf will attack a villager, Every night, villagers must not leave their houses, Players who enter the village will become members of Werewolf Village, and you must promptly find ways to ward off the werewolves to avoid attacks at night. Please note, when a villager is attacked by a werewolf, their Physical Ability will automatically be halved. If they survive the werewolf¡¯s attack, they will be invincible the next night since the werewolf cannot target the same victim two nights in a row. Alright, is everything clear?¡± Chapter 904 - 904 Werewolf Village 1 Chapter 904: Chapter 904 Werewolf Village 1 When Werewolf Village was mentioned, naturally, one would think of the game Werewolf, but the rules sounded very different. In the game of Werewolf, the most important part is the daytime voting session. Without the voting, wouldn¡¯t the villagers just be sitting ducks for slaughter? Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What do villagers do during the day?¡± The Clown glanced at her, ¡°The village holds some secrets about werewolves. Villagers can explore during the day, and when one of the two Kings is killed by werewolves, the other side naturally wins.¡± Hans asked, ¡°Can villagers attack other villagers?¡± The Clown bared his teeth in a sinister smile, ¡°Villagers with a predisposition for attack are considered by others as potential werewolves come nightfall. Therefore, such villagers are often caught and burnt to death in public.¡± Hans fell silent. Attacking during the day would get you burned to death, and at night, you couldn¡¯t leave your house. This meant villagers really couldn¡¯t attack other villagers at any time. Just then, as if inspired, Bai Youwei asked the Inspector, ¡°If the person captured by the villagers indeed turns into a werewolf at night but is burned to death during the day, will there still be a werewolf appearing at night?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± The Clown squinted slightly, looking at Bai Youwei, ¡°then, it will be a peaceful night.¡± Bai Youwei understood, the villager who would turn into a werewolf must show some sign during the day. As long as they were discovered and dealt with earlier, the night would be safe. However, the purpose of this game was certainly not to achieve a complete victory for the villagers, like in Werewolf, but to figure out a way to eliminate the opposing King first. If villagers who would turn into werewolves show signs during the day, would the target they attack also have some indications during the day? sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei was about to ask more, but the Inspector interrupted her: ¡°The rule explanation has ended. Players may now enter Werewolf Village. This game operates on a 10-hour system, 8 hours for daytime and 2 hours for nighttime. Please pay attention to the game time. So, I wish you all good luck, goodbye~¡± The Clown stepped back, the ground beneath his feet suddenly flipped up at a 90-degree angle, as if a box had been opened and then closed again with the lid shut tight. The box got smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely. On the hillside, only six people remained. Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Hans, Dim, Morin, and Brail. Hans led his three subjects down first. Bai Youwei stayed behind to ponder for a while. Night was only two hours ¨C if this was only for the werewolves¡¯ activities, two hours was enough. But considering the whole game, players wouldn¡¯t have enough time to rest. Simply put, there would be no sleep during the night. Bai Youwei calculated that the game could last a maximum of 4 ¡°days¡±; otherwise, it would definitely affect their condition. She had to eliminate the opposing side within 4 ¡°days¡±. Looking towards Hans¡¯s gradually distancing figure, Bai Youwei felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort with the rules¡­ Never mind, it was time to check out the village first. She took Shen Mo¡¯s arm and, lifting her skirt with the other hand, walked lightly down the hillside. ¡­ They followed the winding road surrounded by green grass, wildflowers, cute mushrooms, and trees bearing green and red wild fruits. The sign at the entrance of the village read three words: Werewolf Village. Mostly, the village was made up of short houses with red roofs and white walls, vibrant in color, like those from a fairytale town. Someone was playing an upbeat tune on a street corner accordion; the bakeries exuded tantalizing aromas, and birds chirped merrily from the tree branches. Despite the peaceful scene, the name of the village was shockingly terrifying. Not far off, a man resembling the Clown closely approached them quickly, greeting them warmly: ¡°Welcome, welcome! I am the Mayor of Werewolf Village. Brave heroes, we are delighted to have your assistance!¡± Chapter 905 - 905: Werewolf Village 2 Chapter 905: Chapter 905: Werewolf Village 2 The old man¡¯s face, devoid of any flamboyant paint, almost resembled that of a Clown, especially with that exaggerated sausage mouth which, once he smiled, stretched nearly to the back of his ears. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t as neurotic about telling jokes like the Clown. ¡°Warriors, I have arranged food and lodging for you, please follow me.¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The village chief led the way, guiding them into the village. As Bai Youwei walked, she glanced around her¡ªstanding on the hillside, one might not notice, but upon entering the village, she realized that the houses were all spread out, some distance apart, and none were connected. The villagers were all very friendly, a few who met them smiled and nodded in greeting, children chased and played in the streets, the young people worked hard, and even the elderly were watering flowers, sweeping the courtyard, and hanging laundry in front of their houses. The entire atmosphere was good, warm and pleasant, brimming with the breath of life. Just by looking around, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t detect any clues related to the Werewolf. Unconsciously, they had arrived at the center of the village. Here, there was a round wishing well, with a sculpture of a man and a woman in the middle of the water. ¡°Who are they?¡± Hans asked the village chief, ¡°Why is there such a statue in the village?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ they are our village¡¯s ancestors.¡± The village chief looked up at the sculpture, then closed his eyes and nodded in a gesture of respect and devotion. ¡°It is said that a long, long time ago, there was a big mountain covered in Uto grass, where the Human race and the Wolfman Tribe lived on opposite ends of the mountain, hostile towards each other and frequently engaged in conflicts. However, the Human race¡¯s warrior and the Wolfman Tribe¡¯s Princess, despite such circumstances, developed feelings of love. They loved each other deeply, unwilling to be apart, and were ultimately driven out by their people. The warrior brought the Princess here, establishing their own village, which is our Werewolf Village.¡± So that was it¡­ After hearing this, Bai Youwei felt that the village¡¯s name wasn¡¯t so repulsive anymore, and with the addition of the love legend, it even seemed quite romantic. The village chief let out a heavy sigh, ¡°Originally, our Werewolf Village was very prosperous, possessing both the intelligence and diligence of the Human race and the keenness and strength of the Werewolves; even our longevity far exceeded that of regular humans. Perhaps it was because we attracted too much envy, our village was cursed! Every night, one villager would fall to a Werewolf!¡± Everyone nodded in understanding. This must be the background of the game, explaining why a villager would turn into a Werewolf each night¡ªit was because of the curse. The village chief continued, ¡°Recently, some houses have become vacant. Warriors, please feel free to stay anywhere you like, come this way.¡± He led Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Hans, and the others to a small house, opened the door, and made a ¡°please¡± gesture with a bow. Shen Mo stepped inside. It was an ordinary residence, with a stone bed, wooden table, and chairs, and some simple pots and jars. After a quick scan, not seeing Bai Youwei follow, he turned to look outside. Bai Youwei was standing at the doorway with a somewhat peculiar expression. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Bai Youwei asked with furrowed brows, turning to ask the village chief, ¡°Why can¡¯t I go in?¡± ¡°Each house can only accommodate one person,¡± the village chief explained with a friendly demeanor, spreading his sausage mouth, ¡°This is for the safety of everyone. At night, the Werewolves will choose a house to attack. The more people there are, the more victims.¡± ¡°What kind of logic is that?¡± Bai Youwei retorted, ¡°The more people there are, the safer it is! If there¡¯s a group of people in a house, couldn¡¯t they take on a Werewolf?¡± The village chief¡¯s expression instantly became complicated as if he was a little stunned, surprised, puzzled, and also¡­ troubled, probably because he had never been challenged quite like this before. ¡°No one can withstand a Werewolf,¡± the village chief coughed softly, saying, ¡°The Werewolf¡¯s howl can frighten the bravest souls. Even the most valiant warriors would find their strength and speed utterly inadequate in the face of a Werewolf¡­¡± Chapter 906 - 906: Werewolf Village 3 Chapter 906: Chapter 906: Werewolf Village 3 S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Inspector had said that when the villagers were attacked by a werewolf, their physical abilities automatically halved. Now the village chief was also saying that even the bravest warriors would become helpless in front of a werewolf, with their strength and speed rendered ineffectual. It seemed that if one were attacked by a werewolf at night, it was almost certainly a death sentence. The village chief led them to a few more vacant houses in succession, telling them that they could use any unoccupied house as they pleased, but they had to follow one rule: only one person could enter each house. It wasn¡¯t possible not to abide by this rule, because as long as there was someone inside a house, no one else could enter. After explaining the origins of the village and making living arrangements for them, the village chief stopped concerning himself with them and left on his own. Only six people remained standing there. The coming time would depend on everyone¡¯s own ability; whoever survived to the end would be the winner. Hans glanced at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, a smile with unclear intent forming at the corners of his mouth. He led his teammate and continued towards the deeper parts of the village. Bai Youwei watched their retreating figures and said in a low voice, ¡°If it¡¯s just collecting clues at the beginning, their larger numbers do indeed give them an advantage.¡± ¡°More people, a higher probability of werewolf attacks,¡± Shen Mo surveyed the area and said lightly, ¡°Come nightfall, the werewolf will choose from one of these houses.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s also go check for clues,¡± Bai Youwei, taking his arm, sighed as she looked at the houses here, ¡°It feels like there are at least a hundred households. Finding the werewolf won¡¯t be easy¡­¡± Shen Mo looked around and pointed in a direction, ¡°There are some people over there. Let¡¯s go over and ask.¡± There was a well up ahead, where several women were lined up to fetch water, and a little girl was playing with a rubber ball nearby. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei approached and asked one of the women, ¡°Excuse me, is it true that werewolves appear in the village every night?¡± ¡°Are you the warriors the village chief invited?¡± The woman, carrying her bucket, sized them up curiously, ¡°Though we appreciate you, it¡¯s better not to get involved in this mess. No one can stop the curse. Leave the village quickly.¡± Another woman finished drawing water and, passing by, overheard and chimed in, ¡°If they want to stay, let them stay. After all, they¡¯ll surely leave once trouble starts.¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Knowing that something will happen at night, why don¡¯t you leave? Isn¡¯t living here dangerous?¡± She looked at the little girl playing with the ball, ¡°Moreover, the child is so young, aren¡¯t you worried?¡± The woman drawing water smiled and said, ¡°The werewolf might hurt you, might hurt him, but it will never harm me and my family.¡± Bai Youwei immediately knew that this woman must know a way to protect against the werewolf. Without saying a word, she pinched Shen Mo¡¯s arm, her expression calm, ¡°Really¡­ why are you so sure that the werewolf won¡¯t harm you? Do you have some special method?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes shifted away for a moment, lifting her brimming bucket and replied, ¡°No, I don¡¯t know¡­ But surely, good people will always be blessed by God, won¡¯t they?¡± Without saying more, she picked up her bucket and headed back, calling the little girl, ¡°It¡¯s time to go home.¡± The little girl picked up her rubber ball and obediently followed the woman. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged a look, saying nothing, they tacitly followed the woman. They hadn¡¯t gone far when they saw the woman and the little girl enter a house. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo stopped outside the house, not going in but just surveying the exterior. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Bai Youwei tugged at Shen Mo, gesturing for him to look at the windows. On the doors and windows of the house, there were several nails, silvery-white in color. ¡°Could it be silver¡­¡± Shen Mo squinted slightly, thoughtfully said, ¡°Legends say that werewolves fear all things made of silver.¡± Chapter 907 - 907: Werewolf Village 4 Chapter 907: Chapter 907: Werewolf Village 4 Bai Youwei and Shen Mo walked around the house again, and upon closer inspection, they discovered more silver nails. These nails were hammered from inside to outside, with only a short sharp tip exposed, which shimmered under the sunlight. If it were a pitch-dark night, they would likely go unnoticed. ¡°Look over there,¡± Shen Mo pointed to a nearby house for Bai Youwei, ¡°There are also a row of nails on the door.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment then looked around, whispering, ¡°It seems that many villagers know about this method. If they don¡¯t want to be attacked by Werewolves at night, they need to install silver nails on doors and windows to prevent Werewolves from breaking in. But, where did they get these silver nails?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I saw a bakery and a leather shop on the road earlier. Since the village has everything, there should also be a role like a silversmith. Let¡¯s go find one.¡± S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei nodded, and they continued to stroll around the village, casually observing a few more houses and discovering more silver nails. ¡°This village chief is sly,¡± Bai Youwei sneered, unimpressed, ¡°The empty house he introduced to us doesn¡¯t have silver nails. He wants us to be the Substitute, no wonder he was so enthusiastic~¡± Shen Mo slightly furrowed his brows and said indifferently, ¡°If every household has silver nails, but the rules require a Werewolf to attack someone every night, what would a Werewolf do?¡± Bai Youwei paused, stopping in her tracks, ¡°If every house has silver nails¡­ the Werewolf would still choose a house to attack, so, defense is zero?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shen Mo nodded, ¡°It seems, even if we find the silver nails, we can¡¯t be careless. There must be other methods to avoid Werewolf attacks in this village. Let¡¯s go find the Silversmith for now.¡± They continued wandering around the village, asking several villagers, but while they did not find the Silversmith, they did find a Blacksmith in the village. The Blacksmith¡¯s shop sold tools like hammers, shovels, knives, etc., all forged by the Blacksmith himself, and occasionally, he would help repair silverware. Thus, the Blacksmith¡¯s shop had a small amount of silver. Just as Bai Youwei and Shen Mo walked into the Blacksmith¡¯s shop, Hans and his group were coming out. Hans saw Bai Youwei and Shen Mo and immediately smiled, saying, ¡°You found this place too.¡± Shen Mo glanced impassively over the leather bag in the other¡¯s hand. Hans chuckled, ¡°You are too late, think of something else, or you might encounter trouble tonight.¡± His companions behind him burst into laughter, their eyes full of unbridled mockery, and then followed Hans out of the Blacksmith¡¯s shop. Shen Mo furrowed his brows and watched the group walking away, commenting, ¡°He has changed a lot.¡± Initially a polite person, his behavior turned provocative and scornful after entering the B War Zone. ¡°Maybe he wants to provoke us,¡± Bai Youwei snorted, ¡°After all, showing aggression during the day could lead the villagers to catch and burn him.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, and without further ado, grasped Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡± ¡­ In the Blacksmith¡¯s shop, the old Blacksmith was repairing a broken pot handle, banging away nonstop. Without looking up, he said upon hearing footsteps, ¡°If you¡¯re here to buy silver, there¡¯s none left today, come back in three days!¡± Three days? Bai Youwei was stunned; waiting three days would be too late! ¡°Is there no silver left?¡± Shen Mo asked the Blacksmith. ¡°None left, some people just came and bought all the silver!¡± The Blacksmith stopped his hammering, turned to look at them, and gestured for them to leave, ¡°Go on, get out, there¡¯s no silver to sell to you!¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other. How much silver could a few silver nails use? Even if Hans and his four men each took about ten, they wouldn¡¯t need to buy out the Blacksmith¡¯s entire stock. Clearly, they wanted her and Shen Mo dead. Chapter 908 - 908: Werewolf Village 5 Chapter 908: Chapter 908: Werewolf Village 5 The two hesitated for a moment, but the blacksmith began shooing them away again: ¡°Off you go! Don¡¯t loiter here, the silver¡¯s all gone, I¡¯m shutting up shop!¡± The blacksmith was quite rude and loud, even the people outside could hear him. A young boy came in asking, ¡°The silver¡¯s gone already today?¡± ¡°Sold out!¡± the blacksmith answered, ¡°Those foreigners bought it all, not a filament was left!¡± The young boy showed his discontent, ¡°They bought it all, what do we do if our family runs out of silver? These people had to come now of all times!¡± The blacksmith was indifferent, ¡°You could melt down a silver fork.¡± ¡°We already melted down two last month, there¡¯s not much left in the house.¡± The young boy complained with a frown, but he knew it was no use griping at the blacksmith who had no silver left to sell. He muttered under his breath and turned away. The blacksmith looked at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, ¡°Hey, why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡± ¡°If I provide my own silver, could I get it melted down here?¡± Bai Youwei asked. The blacksmith was taken aback and sized up the two, ¡°¡­You have silver?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei asked seriously, ¡°If I give you silver, can you make me some nails and a silver dagger?¡± She paused, then changed her mind, holding up two fingers, ¡°Two daggers.¡± The blacksmith shook his head repeatedly, ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not doable. Too much work, I can make you one at most. Come to collect it tomorrow!¡± ¡°That long?¡± Bai Youwei showed disappointment, ¡°And the nails?¡± ¡°The nails will be ready by sunset today.¡± the blacksmith replied. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, took Shen Mo by the hand, and left the blacksmith¡¯s shop. They found a secluded corner, opened the dollhouse, and had a rabbit carry out a few silver cups and plates. These utensils were exceptionally elaborate, not only carved with patterns, but some of them were even inlaid with pearls and gemstones. Bai Youwei selected two cups and a plate, returned to the blacksmith¡¯s shop, and handed them over. ¡°Is this enough?¡± she asked. The blacksmith, fondling the exquisite silverware, could hardly let go, ¡°Enough, more than enough.¡± ¡°Okay then, we¡¯ll come back later to collect them.¡± Bai Youwei said, and then she and Shen Mo left. There were still parts of the village they hadn¡¯t explored; they needed to wander around and gather more information. And they had to find an opportunity to check on Hans, just in case he was up to mischief. They continued walking into the village and by chance came upon the young boy they¡¯d met at the blacksmith¡¯s earlier. He was crouched under the window of a house, seemingly busy with something. Bai Youwei was about to get closer to see clearly when Shen Mo pulled her back, swiftly taking cover behind the next house. Bai Youwei, perplexed, looked at Shen Mo and silently mouthed, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shen Mo whispered, ¡°Take another look, see what he¡¯s doing.¡± Bai Youwei peeked out cautiously and after watching for a while, she finally saw what was going on. The young boy was holding a pair of pliers and was busily pulling out the protruding silver nails near the window, one by one! Bai Youwei looked back at the house, somewhat taking pleasure in the misfortune, and said to Shen Mo, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s the house Hans and his people were meant to stay in.¡± The houses arranged for them by the village chief were empty and nail-free. Now, with silver nails appearing on this house, it was evident they were meant for Hans¡¯s people. ¡°Would it be considered shooting oneself in the foot?¡± Bai Youwei said with a chuckle, ¡°That¡¯s what he gets for insisting on buying all the silver, serves him right!¡± Shen Mo thoughtfully said, ¡°I wonder if the number of these silver nails would affect the Werewolves¡¯ decision¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­ he¡¯s gone?¡± Bai Youwei noticed the young boy pocketing his pliers and leaving, with many nails still on the windowsill. ¡°Did he notice us?¡± Bai Youwei stepped out again to look around. Shen Mo said, ¡°Taking them all would be too obvious. He¡¯s probably planning to choose a few households and take seven or eight nails from each to have enough.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 909 - 909: Werewolf Village 6 Chapter 909: Chapter 909: Werewolf Village 6 Bai Youwei curled her lips, clearly disappointed. She had thought that the boy would pull out all of Hans¡¯s nails. ¡°This house has fewer nails than the others, the Werewolf might choose to attack here,¡± Shen Mo pondered, ¡°We must also be careful, lest we find the nails stolen when the sun sets.¡± ¡°How to guard against the Werewolf, we already know, but with so many people in the village, who could turn into a Werewolf?¡± Bai Youwei mused to herself. She and Shen Mo strolled along the road, peering through windows intermittently to observe the people inside. Some were preparing lunch, some wiping tables and chairs, some watering the plants, and some were reprimanding children¡ª ¡°Damn it! What weeds have you planted haphazardly! You¡¯ve destroyed all the vegetables in the house!¡± a mother bellowed inside, ¡°Take them out and burn them! Otherwise, don¡¯t come back for dinner!!!¡± Several handfuls of uprooted weeds were thrown outside, and a little girl was pushed out, taking a harsh fall. Bai Youwei recognized her as the girl playing with a ball by the well, about eight or nine years old, with light brown curly hair, a pink and white dress, muddy white socks underneath, and a pair of coffee-colored little leather shoes. The little girl raised her arm, wiped the mud from her cheek, then picked up the muddy weeds from the doorway, and silently walked off in another direction down the street. After some thought, Bai Youwei approached to strike up a conversation, ¡°Hey, kid~ what did you plant in the yard? Is it these weeds?¡± The little girl ignored her, continuing on with the weeds in her arms. Bai Youwei tried again, ¡°Hey? Does your mom not let you talk to strangers?¡± The little girl stopped, her eyes filled with an eerie coldness, ¡°She¡¯s not my mom.¡± Bai Youwei froze. Was it an illusion or did she catch a glimpse of the girl¡¯s pupils¡­ turning conical for a moment? Shen Mo pulled on her sleeve, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei snapped back to reality and, when she looked ahead, the little girl was already far away. ¡°Something¡¯s off¡­¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, thought for a moment, and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s follow her and see.¡± ¡­ Logically, a child shouldn¡¯t be able to walk very fast, yet Bai Youwei and Shen Mo turned a corner and lost sight of her. They hastened their steps and at the crossroads looked left and right, still not catching a glimpse of the little girl. ¡°Let¡¯s go this way,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°There¡¯s some loose dirt on the ground.¡± The little girl still held the weeds, which would likely drop some soil on the ground, and the two followed the trail forward until reaching the edge of the village. The trail of loose dirt ended there, and the little girl was nowhere to be seen. At the edge of the village was a desolate plaza, silent all around, with tall stone pillars on one side; beneath them was a charcoal brazier, emitting thin wisps of smoke, along with the scent of burning herbs. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo walked over to take a closer look, and found some grass fragments near the brazier. ¡°How odd, why bother to burn them so far away instead of just throwing them out?¡± Bai Youwei picked up a piece of grass that had fallen outside of the brazier, held it up to her nose, and sniffed. It was nothing special, just ordinary grass. ¡°What are you doing?¡± A childish voice rang out, startling Bai Youwei, causing her to drop the grass she held. She turned around and saw the little girl who had vanished earlier, now standing right in front of her and Shen Mo, staring straight at them. Bai Youwei instinctively looked at Shen Mo. A hint of astonishment flashed in Shen Mo¡¯s eyes; it was clear he also hadn¡¯t noticed when the little girl appeared. How could there have been no sound of footsteps? ¡°This is the execution ground, what are you doing here?¡± the little girl asked, her face the very picture of innocence. Chapter 910 - 910: Werewolf Village 7 Chapter 910: Chapter 910: Werewolf Village 7 ¡°Execution site¡­¡± Bai Youwei turned around, looking at the stone pillar. The grayish-green stone pillar was vaguely covered with human-shaped black ash, a remnant of repeated burnings. Realizing this, the smell of burned grass in the charcoal basin seemed weird, as if mixed with something¡­ Bai Youwei felt nauseated and couldn¡¯t help but cover her nose, asking the little girl, ¡°Why burn these grasses? Couldn¡¯t you have just thrown them away?¡± The little girl nonchalantly replied, ¡°Oh, because Mom said to burn them, she doesn¡¯t like these flowers.¡± Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°You just said she wasn¡¯t your mom.¡± The little girl paused, ¡°Did I say that? No way, how could Mom not be my mom.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Isn¡¯t this blatantly lying??? The little girl patted the grass off herself and walked away. As she walked, her little leather shoes clicked crisply against the ground. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged glances, both feeling the eeriness. ¡°Let¡¯s go as well,¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the nearby pillar, ¡°This place makes me uncomfortable¡­¡± Shen Mo nodded, and they left the small square together. They wandered around the village again, found no further clues, nor encountered Hans and his people. Close to sunset, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo went to the blacksmith¡¯s shop to collect a full box of silver nails, then they found two houses not far from each other and nailed silver nails on doors and windows. When all was done, the sun had tilted westward, and the sky darkened. Every household closed their doors and windows, solitude pervading the air. Bai Youwei watched the fiery red sunset on the horizon, murmuring softly, ¡°After dark, the werewolves will come out¡­¡± It was hard to imagine that such a tranquil and peaceful village would have werewolves at night. She sighed, moved closer to Shen Mo, and hugged his waist, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not comfortable staying in a room alone.¡± ¡°Just two hours, not long,¡± Shen Mo patted her head to comfort her, ¡°Keep the rabbit with you, be careful on your own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only way.¡± She let go of Shen Mo, knowing she couldn¡¯t defy the rules of the game, stepped into the house, then turned back and gazed eagerly at Shen Mo. ¡°Be careful too.¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Okay.¡± Shen Mo closed all the doors and windows from the outside, reminding, ¡°Make sure to lock it, I¡¯m leaving.¡± The door could be locked, but the windows didn¡¯t close tightly, and there were no curtains. Bai Youwei picked up a small piece of wood inside, wedged it in the middle, and managed to close the window. Through the glass, she saw Shen Mo hurrying to his house, catching the last few minutes before the sun completely set, entering and closing the door and windows. If her view could tilt just a bit more, she would see Shen Mo behind the window of that house, but the night came too quickly, a blood-red full moon rose, casting a crimson gloom over the whole village, and the silence deepened¡­ Bai Youwei held the rabbit, guarding the window, unsure when or from where the werewolves might appear. The red moonlight tensed the spirit, quickly wearing out the body, urging rest. But Bai Youwei dared not sleep. Her mind flashed with the image of the young man who had pulled out nails, then to the elusive little girl, and the village chief resembling an Inspector with a ¡®sausage mouth¡¯¡ªhe surely had ill intentions. To prevent villagers from dying too quickly, had the chief, who arranged these empty houses without silver nails, laid other traps as well? Bai Youwei sat down by the stone bed, the rabbit looked at her cluelessly, unable to grasp her current anxiety. Time passed, and then a scream shattered the deep night¡¯s tranquility! Followed by crashes! Breaking sounds! And cries for help! ¡°Help me!!!¡­ Hans! Save me!¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face slightly changed. Something had happened. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Something had happened over at Hans¡¯! Chapter 911 - 911: Werewolf Village 8 Chapter 911: Chapter 911: Werewolf Village 8 The night returned to calm. Daylight came quickly. As the bloody moon faded away and sunlight illuminated the earth again, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t wait to open her door. Shen Mo opened his door almost at the same time. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The two exchanged a glance, neither spoke, yet both ran towards the direction where the screams had come from the night before! The scene of the incident, not far from the village¡¯s central fountain, was already crowded with people by the time Bai Youwei and Shen Mo arrived. The scene was horrific, a complete mess, flesh separated from bones as if mauled by some beast, shredded, hollowed out, leaving only a mush and a pool of blood-red water. This was no attack, this was torture! An act of brutal outrage! Hans, Morin, and Brail stood by the fountain, their faces pale. The surrounding villagers gathered more and more, buzzing with discussion. Bai Youwei silently swept the area with her eyes, realizing that it was that man named Dim who had met trouble. It seemed the werewolf had chosen the house with the least resistance. As she was thinking this, Hans took slow steps, one after another, toward the house where Dim had stayed the night. He stared at a dark bloodstain on the door, saying, ¡°This isn¡¯t Dim¡¯s blood.¡± He paused, then added, ¡°Nor is it the werewolf¡¯s blood.¡± Bai Youwei was startled. With no instruments here, could he really distinguish the type of blood with the naked eye? Hans suddenly raised his voice, ¡°Dim was murdered! All the bloodstains are the same color, except for these on the door! They¡¯re almost turning black! They were clearly smeared deliberately before the incident!¡± The crowd murmured even louder. The village head came out and said indifferently, ¡°This is truly unfortunate. Indeed, werewolves are sensitive to the scent of blood. Our brave new visitors may not know this, so please be more careful in the future¡­¡± Hans gave him a cold glance, then looked back at the carnage on the ground. ¡°The trails are still here, perhaps the werewolf who turned back into a human is hiding at home, cleaning up!¡± he shouted as he pushed through the crowd, following the trail of blood, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Morin and Brail immediately followed him. The other villagers also followed, speculating among themselves: ¡°What are they going to do? Could he really find the werewolf?¡± ¡°If he can, that would be great! Those rampaging monsters should all be wiped out!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of finding yesterday¡¯s werewolf? I say it would be best to find out who will transform tonight, so we don¡¯t have to live in fear.¡± ¡°Yes, it would be nice to find tonight¡¯s werewolf¡­¡± As they chattered back and forth, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo followed within the crowd, hearing every word distinctly. Just then, the trail of blood vanished, and Hans also came to a stop. The villagers thought he would be out of options, but Hans shouted, ¡°The werewolf is hiding in these houses right before us! Search them!¡± Now, nearly the entire village was here to see the commotion; if anyone was still inside their houses, they were definitely under suspicion¡ªbecause only a werewolf would need to hide! The villagers buzzed chaotically, while Bai Youwei and Shen Mo silently awaited the outcome. Soon after, Morin dragged a woman out from a house and threw her in front of everyone! ¡°She¡¯s the werewolf! When I entered, she was wiping the blood off her floor!¡± Morin kicked her hard, ¡°Scumbag! She¡¯s the one who killed Dim!¡± The woman rolled on the ground from the kick, her face covered in tears, utterly distressed. She crawled to the village head on her knees, crying and begging for mercy, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! I¡¯m not a werewolf! I really am not!¡± ¡°Still lying?!¡± Brail pulled half a burned sheet from the house and threw it on the woman, ¡°The sheet is covered in blood and flesh!¡± ¡°Oh my god! She really is a werewolf!¡± someone in the crowd exclaimed. ¡°Burn her! Burn this monster!¡± The villagers cursed. But Bai Youwei¡¯s heart was gripped with tension¡­ She recognized that the woman on the ground was the mother of the little girl. Chapter 912 - 912: Werewolf Village 9 Chapter 912: Chapter 912: Werewolf Village 9 According to the game rules, a villager would turn into a werewolf each night. The little girl¡¯s mother happened to transform into a werewolf¡ªthis made sense, but Bai Youwei felt an increasing sense of strangeness, as if she had missed something¡ªor mistaken something? Her gaze moved from the woman on the ground to the house¡ª Red roof, white walls, surrounded by a small courtyard with beans and scallions planted within. She saw the face of a little girl behind the glass window; the girl was staring ominously at the pleading woman on the ground, her mouth corners gradually rising, then stretching wide¡­ Although it was just a cherry-like small mouth, it stretched larger and larger, beaming ecstatically, almost to the back of her ears, like the village chief. Bai Youwei felt a chill in her heart! Just as she thought to tell Shen Mo, the face behind the window flashed by and vanished. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shen Mo noticed her unease and asked softly. ¡°That little girl¡­¡± Bai Youwei breathed slowly, replying softly, ¡°the one who was playing with a ball by the well, chased out of the house by her mother, and then encountered again in the square¡­ I saw her, she was smiling.¡± Shen Mo slightly furrowed his brows and looked toward the house. Through the window, he only saw simple furniture. At this moment, the crowd had turned chaotic, shoving and cursing; someone brought rough ropes from home, tying the woman tight, coil by coil! They shouted loudly, ¡°Burn her! Burn her!¡± The woman wept bitterly: ¡°I don¡¯t know! I really don¡¯t know anything! ¡­ I woke up to find myself at the bedside, covered in blood, on the floor, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Hans demanded her life in return, the villagers despised the werewolf immensely, while the village chief only wanted to calm things down quickly. Everyone was noisy, pushing the woman toward the square, ignoring her cries and struggles. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo hung back, having no interest in watching a live burning. When the crowd had moved off, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo entered the woman¡¯s house¡ª The air still carried a faint smell of blood; the house was larger than their empty dwelling, with several rooms, but it was extremely messy, the floor had several smudges of blood, hastily wiped but not thoroughly cleaned. Bai Youwei did not see the little girl. However, she and Shen Mo discovered bloody werewolf footprints in the woman¡¯s room¡ªfatal evidence proving that the woman indeed became a werewolf last night, and under the loss of reason, attacked Dim. But what triggered the transformation into a werewolf? Was it really just random, by chance, a coincidence? This frustrating inability to grasp the key to the problem made Bai Youwei even more anxious as she paced around the house. Suddenly, a thud! The sound wasn¡¯t loud, but it startled her, followed by another thud close to her ear! Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­ sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The pounding sounds carried a steady rhythm. She and Shen Mo stepped outside, seeing the little girl standing in the courtyard, looking down, repeatedly hitting a ball. The bright red ball, landing on bloodstained stone bricks, then returned to the little girl¡¯s hands, back and forth, again and again¡­ Sensibly, Bai Youwei felt extremely uneasy. Frowning, she walked outside and asked the little girl, ¡°Did you know your mother turned into a werewolf last night?¡± Thud¡ª The ball bounced again and was caught by the little girl¡¯s hands. ¡°I knew.¡± She tilted up a cute face, smiling at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, ¡°She was always a werewolf, everyone is a werewolf.¡± Bai Youwei froze, ¡°¡­Everyone is a werewolf?¡± ¡°You are too,¡± giggled the little girl with a silvery laugh, ¡°everyone who lives in Werewolf Village is a werewolf.¡± Chapter 913 - 913: Werewolf Village 10 Chapter 913: Chapter 913: Werewolf Village 10 A woman¡¯s piercing screams came from a distance. Even though she couldn¡¯t see, Bai Youwei could imagine a woman being tied to a pillar, enduring the burning fire alive. The little girl in front of her continued to play with a ball, her face innocent and naive, as if the person about to be burned to death was someone insignificant. Despite the strange feelings in her heart, Bai Youwei continued to ask her, ¡°Why do you say, we are all Werewolfs? Do we turn into Werewolfs at night too?¡± The girl remained silent, looking down and hitting the ball, seemingly not hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s voice. After asking a few more questions and still receiving no reply, Shen Mo said, ¡°It seems she won¡¯t provide any more clues, let¡¯s go ask the village chief.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips, nodded, and left with Shen Mo. They circumvented the front door and walked in the direction of the square from the side of the house. After a few steps, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help stopping and looking back at the little girl. She was still hitting the ball, thump, thump, thump, the rhythm unchanged, dull and strange, making one¡¯s scalp tingle. Bai Youwei withdrew her gaze and was about to leave when she suddenly froze upon seeing a flowerpot on the windowsill. ¡°Look¡­¡± she grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s hand, asking with suspicion, ¡°She didn¡¯t burn all the grass, she left a bunch.¡± Shen Mo looked over, his eyebrows furrowed, ¡°Are you talking about that blue one?¡± ¡°It has bloomed¡­¡± Bai Youwei murmured softly while staring at the pot, ¡°Maybe¡­ those plants are related to her mother turning into a Werewolf.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, then looked toward the little girl playing with the ball in the yard, ¡°It seems she won¡¯t tell us anything more, let¡¯s still go ask the village chief.¡± The longer they stayed here, the more uneasy they felt. ¡­ The screams had stopped at some unknown time, and when Shen Mo and Bai Youwei arrived at the square, the crowd had already dispersed partially, leaving about ten people gathered near the pillar, watching the flames burning fiercely. The person in the flames had long since lost human form, leaving only a charred and blurred corpse, surrounded by an indescribable smell¡­ The village chief stood not far away, smoking leisurely. Not seeing Hans and the others, it was unknown what they might be scheming. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo approached the village chief to inquire about the little girl: ¡°She said that everyone who lives in Werewolf Village is a Werewolf, do the villagers need a trigger to turn into Werewolfs?¡± The village chief listened, not surprised at all, and responded calmly, ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s not wrong to say, since we are descendants of both humans and Werewolfs, inheriting the power of the Werewolf as well as the ferocity in the Werewolf blood. However, we are a friendly and mild group, only becoming agitated on nights of the full moon. The rules of the village require every villager to stay in their houses at night, untouched by moonlight, and naturally, no incidents will occur.¡± This was also one of the rules of the game: every night, villagers must not leave their houses. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Apart from basking in the moonlight, is there another way that could make the villagers turn into Werewolfs at night?¡± The village chief thought for a moment, then responded, ¡°Even a person with a pure heart, who does not forget to pray at night, might inevitably turn into a Werewolf on a night when the Uto grass blooms.¡± ¡°Uto grass¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, ¡°Is it the one with small blue flowers?¡± The village chief paused, ¡°Have you seen it?¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He then shook his head, ¡°¡­ that¡¯s impossible, the Uto grass near the village was all burned many years ago, it couldn¡¯t possibly reappear. The villagers turning into Werewolfs is because of a curse¡­ because they are cursed.¡± Bai Youwei felt he was being evasive, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s Uto grass, it looks like ordinary weeds, the leaves are split, and the petals are blue-purple, it was on the windowsill of the woman who was burned to death.¡± The village chief still shook his head, ¡°Impossible, you must have seen it wrong, Uto grass has been extinct for many years, there can¡¯t be Uto grass in the village.¡± Chapter 914 - 914: Werewolf Village 11 Chapter 914: Chapter 914: Werewolf Village 11 No matter what Bai Youwei and Shen Mo said, the village head was adamant it couldn¡¯t be Uto grass. Afterward, the two returned to the woman¡¯s home only to find the potted plant on the windowsill gone and the little girl missing. Without evidence, everything was futile, and the most important thing at the moment wasn¡¯t figuring out how to become a werewolf but how to avoid one. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo went to the blacksmith¡¯s shop to collect the silver daggers they had ordered the day before. A hefty dagger, its blade shimmering with silver brilliance, its hilt dark and solid. Bai Youwei, holding the dagger, fell silent for a long while before asking the blacksmith, ¡°Did you use all the silver I gave you?¡± ¡°Yes, all of it!¡± the blacksmith said, without a hint of modesty, ¡°Even that wasn¡¯t enough! I had to add quite a bit of my own iron!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Had there been enough time, she would have definitely forced him to remake it. ¡°Just having silver on the blade is enough,¡± Shen Mo took the dagger and weighed it in his palm, ¡°if it was made entirely of silver, the material would be too soft, not sharp enough.¡± Unhappy, Bai Youwei muttered under her breath, ¡°With the amount of silver I gave him, it should have been enough for two daggers.¡± Shen Mo gave a faint smile, ¡°He¡¯s just an NPC, there¡¯s no need to be so serious about it. Let¡¯s go, we should check out other places. There are only 8 hours of daylight, we need to gather clues quickly.¡± The blacksmith nodded in agreement upon hearing this, ¡°Yeah, you go on with your business!¡± He couldn¡¯t wait for them to leave. Bai Youwei gave him a disdainful look, ¡°Be careful of a werewolf coming for you at night!¡± The blacksmith chuckled, ¡°If you¡¯re not dead, how could it be my turn to die?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows. But the blacksmith didn¡¯t answer and instead hastened them, ¡°We¡¯re closed! Not open for business today, off you go! Off you go!¡­¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were shooed out, the doors and windows of the blacksmith shop banged closed, not leaving the slightest crack open! ¡°What the¡­¡± Bai Youwei kicked the door in frustration, ¡°After raking in so much of my silver, of course he doesn¡¯t need to do business! He¡¯s made a fortune!¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± Shen Mo pulled her back, ¡°Let¡¯s just consider it his labor fee. He was never paid for making nails and daggers.¡± Bai Youwei frowned displeasedly, ¡°Being taken advantage of is a small matter, but what he said just now was weird. What does ¡®if you haven¡¯t died, how could it be my turn to die?¡¯ mean?¡± The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss. ¡°Was the bloodstain in front of Dim¡¯s door just a coincidence? Was it just happenstance to frame him? Or do the villagers intend to band together against us outsiders from the start?¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s nothing we can do,¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°The rules of the game are such that it would be strange if the werewolves only attacked the villagers and not the players.¡± The Clown Inspector had said when one of the two Kings is killed by a werewolf, the other would naturally win. Bai Youwei needed to increase her chances of survival as much as possible. Dim had died on the first night; maybe it would be her and Shen Mo¡¯s turn the second night. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and check the little girl¡¯s house again,¡± Bai Youwei suggested. Shen Mo nodded, and the two left the blacksmith¡¯s shop and headed toward the little girl¡¯s home. Meanwhile, under a few persimmon trees, Hans was discussing in low voices with his subjects¡ª ¡°This village isn¡¯t as simple as it looks,¡± Hans said, ¡°I can¡¯t shirk my responsibility for Dim¡¯s death. If I had discovered the clues earlier, his death wouldn¡¯t have been so tragic.¡± Morin comforted him, ¡°Hans, you don¡¯t need to blame yourself. As a King, you have done all you could.¡± ¡°Fortunately, Hans now knows the key point,¡± Brail sighed, ¡°Dim¡¯s death wasn¡¯t in vain. We will win this battle, just as we have before.¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yes,¡± Hans nodded slowly, looking at the two, ¡°It seems Bai Youwei hasn¡¯t realized it yet¡­ this is our chance, we¡¯ll definitely win.¡± Chapter 915 - 915: Werewolf Village 12 Chapter 915: Chapter 915: Werewolf Village 12 Bai Youwei and Shen Mo returned to the little girl¡¯s house, which was still empty. The bloodstains on the floor had long since dried, the vegetable leaves in the yard hung wilted and droopy, and the kitchen was piled with unwashed dishes, signaling that someone had lived in the house. Finding no clues, the two could only continue their search in the village. They encountered a few villagers and inquired about the Uto grass, only to receive responses nearly identical to the village chief¡¯s¡ªall insisted that there couldn¡¯t possibly be any Uto grass in the village. ¡°It was burned away many years ago and couldn¡¯t possibly reappear.¡± ¡°You must have been mistaken, there are many wildflowers around the village, some are blue as well.¡± ¡°Yes, what you saw were wildflowers, certainly not Uto grass. If anyone saw Uto grass, how could they leave it be? They would definitely burn it.¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and questioned the villagers, ¡°Since it was burned away many years ago, have you ever seen Uto grass? Do you know what it looks like?¡± The villagers were stumped by the question, unable to reply for quite some time, before stubbornly insisting, ¡°Regardless, what you saw was definitely not Uto grass!¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. Afterward, she and Shen Mo found themselves unwittingly by the fountain. By then the fountain had been cleaned up, the water was clear, and the cobblestoned ground was washed clean as well. Bai Youwei, exhausted, sat down by the fountain to rest. She felt as if her legs had been overworked ever since she entered the game. ¡°Look over there.¡± Shen Mo pointed to the statue in the middle of the fountain, ¡°There¡¯s an inscription below it.¡± Bai Youwei frowned slightly and saw a line of small words inscribed below the statue: ¡°Even a person with a pure heart, one who does not forget to pray at night, may inevitably transform into a werewolf on the full moon night when the Uto grass is in bloom.¡± Those were words the village chief had once said, and they were also inscribed on the statue. Bai Youwei looked at the statues of a man and a woman and pursed her lips, ¡°Who knows what that female werewolf was thinking, to fall in love with a human?¡± She had spoken casually, not expecting to be overheard by a nearby villager sweeping the ground, who chimed in with an answer, ¡°Of course she was attracted by the human warrior¡¯s kindness and bravery.¡± Bai Youwei turned to look, seeing an unremarkable old man. ¡°Are there no brave wolves in the Human Wolf Clan? She had to fall for a human?¡± she remarked sarcastically. ¡°Humans are not only brave but also wise,¡± the old villager gazed at the statue, his expression wistful, ¡°The union between humans and werewolves gradually brought peace to both races. Werewolves taught humans hunting skills, and humans taught werewolves farming and weaving. The fragrance of those wheat fields and the sweetness of the fruits and vegetables, those are the fruits of human wisdom¡­¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Aren¡¯t werewolves carnivorous? Why would they need to learn farming?¡± The villager: ¡°¡­¡± Left speechless and pausing for a long while, he finally forced out, ¡°Anyway, the friendship between the human race and the werewolf tribe is beautiful, it¡¯s great!¡± After the old villager finished speaking, he picked up his broom and walked away with a displeased expression. Bai Youwei watched his retreating figure, feeling utterly bored. While sitting by the fountain, she massaged her legs and sighed, ¡°Who knows what Hans is up to¡ªthere¡¯s been no word from him at all.¡± Shen Mo looked up at the sky, noting the sun was about to set. ¡°Having lost a teammate, he¡¯s probably thinking about how to recover the situation,¡± he said indifferently. Bai Youwei also noticed the increasingly darkening sky. She and Shen Mo had wasted much time today. In reality, they had tried their best to find something, yet because they came up empty-handed, it felt like a whole day had been squandered. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she stood up, ¡°let¡¯s head back and see if the number of our nails has decreased, if the door has been smeared with blood, or if there are any wildflowers or weeds on the windowsill¡­¡± Chapter 916 - 916: Werewolf Village 13 Chapter 916: Chapter 916: Werewolf Village 13 Twilight descended once again. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were separated once again. Although they looked for abandoned houses that were not far apart, the thought of the Werewolf appearing and the two of them not being together filled them with unease. Bai Youwei felt that this reliance wasn¡¯t good, being too attached to someone always brought fear of loss. But then she thought, hadn¡¯t all her constant efforts been in order to spend more time with him? ¡­ The game would end sooner or later, but she hoped the person by her side would never leave, never end. The crimson moon rose, casting the entire village in a dark red glow. Bai Youwei sat in front of the stone bed, moonlight filtering through the window and enveloping her in a misty layer. Remembering the small characters on the fountain statue, she felt uncomfortable all over, got up with the rabbit in her arms, and wanted to find something to block the moonlight. It would be best to find some cloth to use as curtains. Old bedsheets were in the large wooden cabinet by the window, Bai Youwei got up and walked over, opening the cabinet only to be greeted by a face-full of dust, causing her to cough twice. The cabinet reeked of mold, mixed with a strange, stale smell. Bai Youwei immediately gave up the idea of looking for cloth; she would rather endure the moonlight for two hours than lift a finger to touch those fabrics that had lain there for who knows how many years. They might have been gnawed by rats, crawled over by spiders, or infested by nameless little bugs¡­ The more she thought about it, the more disgusted she felt. Bai Youwei was about to close the cabinet door when the rabbit by her side suddenly twitched its ears, looking alertly out the window. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat! Almost without thinking, she grabbed the rabbit and crouched down, hiding in the cabinet! She only managed to close one door of the cabinet, a shadow appeared at the window, Bai Youwei dared not move any further, holding her breath, frozen as she stared at that shadow¡­ It was black, massive, clearly projected on the floor, and its long, pointed ears indicated that the shadow did not belong to a human. It stopped in front of the window. Was she tonight¡¯s target? Bai Youwei curled up inside the wooden cabinet, surrounded by moldy fabrics, her brain racing¡ª Why had the Werewolf chosen her? What was different about her house compared to the other houses? What other secrets had she not yet discovered in the village? ¡­The window creaked open. Bai Youwei covered her mouth and nose. The air seemed to freeze, time slowed down eerily, and she heard the Werewolf¡¯s heavy breathing, the rustling of coarse hair against the window, and those claws¡­ those huge, sharp claws, currently dragging across the windowsill¡­ Bang! The sound nearly made Bai Youwei scream! She clamped her mouth shut with all her might, terrified of making the slightest noise! She silently shifted her gaze upward and saw the sharp nails appearing at the edge of the cabinet, and the dark grey fur around its neck¡­ The Werewolf, leaning against the cabinet, poked half its body in; if it looked down, it would discover Bai Youwei inside. But it didn¡¯t. It scanned the room, found no prey, and slowly retreated¡­ Inside the cabinet, Bai Youwei breathed a sigh of relief. She watched the fading shadow on the floor, planning to wait until it was far enough away before coming out of the cabinet. But after waiting a while, Bai Youwei was still trembling with fear and unease. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t give up so easily¡­ With this in mind, she silently held the rabbit tighter and continued to curl up inside the cabinet, waiting for daylight. The black shadow suddenly reappeared! Bai Youwei was shocked, her eyes wide as she watched the shadow on the floor! It had not left at all! It was pretending to leave, trying to coax her out! But why?! Why didn¡¯t it simply search the house? There were hardly any places to hide in this house; if it came in through the main entrance, it would quickly find her hiding in the cabinet! Could it be because the Werewolf was also bound by rules? If it attacked an empty house, would it be unable to attack anyone else tonight? Was that why it dared not truly enter this house? S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. All kinds of thoughts bubbled up, Bai Youwei¡¯s mind was in turmoil, and no matter what, she didn¡¯t plan to come out again! The Werewolf outside the window finally gave up, issuing a roar from its throat before heavily running off towards another house! Chapter 917 - 917: Werewolf Village 14 Chapter 917: Chapter 917: Werewolf Village 14 Bai Youwei listened to the footsteps and her face changed repeatedly. She had just resolved not to come out of the closet anymore, yet the direction the werewolf left in¡­ the werewolf, clearly, was heading to Shen Mo¡¯s house! ¡°Damn it!¡± she cursed silently, bending down to crawl out of the closet and peering through the window, the werewolf indeed was going to find Shen Mo! The massive beastly body slammed open Shen Mo¡¯s door, plummeting inside! Outside the house was bathed in eerie red moonlight, inside it was pitch black, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t see a thing, she could only hear the beast¡¯s roar! Furniture being smashed! The piercing sound of clashing blades! She tried to open the door to help, but the door was incredibly secure! Impenetrable! She also attempted to climb through the window, even though the werewolf had just opened it, but as soon as she approached the window sill, it felt as if an invisible wall imprisoned her inside! One of the game¡¯s rules: Each night villagers may not leave their dwelling. ¡°Damn!¡± she yelled angrily, raising her hand to throw a rabbit out! But the rabbit rebounded back as soon as it touched the window, unable to escape! In short, anything inside the room, even a speck of dust, couldn¡¯t float out! Only the werewolf could enter from outside, and people inside could only be slaughtered at its will! Bai Youwei anxiously paced about the room, and then peered out the window again. The werewolf hadn¡¯t come out since it entered, and she couldn¡¯t ascertain Shen Mo¡¯s situation. Was there any item that could help? She searched through her canvas bag, but there was nothing useful. Even the rabbit couldn¡¯t escape, how could she expect any other item to work? Calm down. Calm down, quickly! Bai Youwei held her head, desperately thinking¡ªwhy did the werewolf change its mind and attack Shen Mo immediately after abandoning her? What was it basing its decision on? Why didn¡¯t it choose another villager¡¯s house? Why didn¡¯t it go after Hans and his people? Could it be that she and Shen Mo were unwittingly being plotted against? Bang!!! A loud noise made Bai Youwei¡¯s heart tremble violently. She hurriedly looked up, only to see a huge werewolf lying in front of Shen Mo¡¯s door! The werewolf¡¯s neck was slashed open, its fur soaked with red liquid that pooled on the ground. The eerie moonlight illuminated the gruesome scene, making it shockingly terrifying. Bai Youwei, nerves taut, watched for a while longer, yet Shen Mo never appeared. Even standing at the door would have been reassuring, at least letting her know he was safe. According to the game¡¯s rules, when a villager is attacked by a werewolf, their physical ability is automatically halved. Was he injured, and therefore didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up? ¡­ Why had he still not shown up? Bai Youwei bit her lower lip, her eyes gaze fixated on the house diagonally opposite. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She waited and waited¡­ Until the sky finally brightened. The torturous two hours passed, and the restrictions on the doors and windows instantly vanished; Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t wait a second longer and dashed out, running to the house where Shen Mo was! She stood at the doorway¡ªall blood inside! Some of the werewolf¡¯s and some of Shen Mo¡¯s! Shen Mo was resting against the wall, awakened by Bai Youwei¡¯s footsteps. Opening his eyes, he realized it was now daylight. ¡°How are you? Is it serious?¡± Bai Youwei could not enter and looked at him eagerly. Shen Mo reassured her, ¡°I already used mud. Although physical ability is halved, the operation of items is unaffected, don¡¯t worry¡­¡± Bai Youwei gradually calmed down. ¡°The werewolf was targeting me,¡± she said quietly. ¡°It didn¡¯t find me, so it chose to attack you. We were set up.¡± Leaning against the wall, Shen Mo slightly adjusted his position; his wounds seemed not fully healed. ¡°Do you know how we were set up?¡± he asked. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll check if our house was tampered with¡­¡± Before she could finish, a clamor arose outside. The villagers had discovered the werewolf¡¯s corpse. Chapter 918 - 918: Werewolf Village 15 Chapter 918: Chapter 918: Werewolf Village 15 Werewolves can be killed, but no one had ever truly killed a werewolf. Because it is so powerful, so terrifying, how could there be someone who would oppose it? One by one, the villagers came out from their homes, gathering around the body, discussing the unsettling night. Such a major event naturally alerted the village chief. When the chief arrived, he immediately exclaimed, ¡°This is a true warrior! Our village is saved! With a warrior here, we no longer have to fear the Werewolf!¡± The crowd was abuzz with admiration, but more with shock¡ªthey hadn¡¯t expected that Shen Mo could defeat the Werewolf with his physical ability reduced by half. Bai Youwei stood in the crowd, observing everyone with a cold gaze. She was searching for the villager who had transformed into a Werewolf last night¡­ who exactly was it¡­ She saw Hans and Brail. Both had pale faces, especially Brail, who, even from a distance, was noticeably trembling. ¡­One was missing. What about Morin? Her gaze returned to the Werewolf¡¯s body on the ground. A thought flashed through Bai Youwei¡¯s mind, and she hesitated, seemingly incredulous, and then looked at Hans again! Could it be what she was thinking?¡­ Then, when had Hans realized it? Hans felt her gaze, turned his head to look over, immediately furrowed his brow, then avoided Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes and whispered something to Brail next to him. The two turned and walked away, seeming to plan to leave the crowd. Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, watching the two from behind, pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised her voice, ¡°Chief! What should we do with the Werewolf¡¯s body? We can¡¯t just leave it here, right?¡± Hans and Brail¡¯s steps abruptly halted. Most of Bai Youwei¡¯s suspicions were confirmed. The chief replied, ¡°Of course, we must move it to the square and burn it.¡± ¡°Just burn it?¡± Bai Youwei said slowly, ¡°If it had attacked another villager last night, there surely would have been another tragedy. In my opinion, we must crush its bones to dust, tear its body to pieces to quench our anger.¡± The villagers echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right! Crush its bones to dust! Tear its body to pieces! All Werewolves deserve such fate!¡± ¡°I notice that the Werewolf¡¯s fur is quite nice, why not skin it to make clothes,¡± Bai Youwei added. Brail angrily turned around. Hans tightly grabbed his arm, quietly trying to calm him. Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze pierced through the crowd, fixed on the two, a cold sneer curling on her lips: ¡°However¡­ wearing it will definitely stink. Better hang it up in the square to expose it to the public, to let the Werewolf¡¯s companions know what fate befalls those who do evil¡­¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The villagers said, ¡°Right! We should hang it up, skin it and extract its sinews!¡± Brail¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot, veins bulging on his neck! He glared at Bai Youwei with intense hatred, teeth grinding, as though he wished he could crush her! Bai Youwei¡¯s smile grew more unrestrained, ¡°This Werewolf died too foolishly; its companions must be fools too¡­¡± ¡°Arrrrghhh!!!¡± Brail let out a beastly roar from his throat and lunged towards Bai Youwei! Bai Youwei dodged behind the chief in panic, shouting, ¡°Catch him! He¡¯s turning into a Werewolf!¡± The chief was knocked to the ground by Brail, yelling in horror! Brail had not transformed into a Werewolf, but his appearance now wasn¡¯t much better than one!¡ªhis eyes completely turned conical, fangs protruding, rough wolf hairs sprouting at his throat! Even his physique had greatly increased! The villagers rushed forward, grabbing Brail off the chief! ¡°Burn him!!! He is tonight¡¯s Werewolf, burn him!!!¡± Not far away, Hans backed away from the crowd, coldly staring at Bai Youwei amidst the chaos¡­ Chapter 919 - 919: Werewolf Village 16 Chapter 919: Chapter 919: Werewolf Village 16 Chaos persisted for a long time until the villagers finally subdued the frenzied Brail. Although he exhibited the characteristics of a werewolf, he hadn¡¯t fully transformed into one and hovered on the verge of madness, completely controlled by rage, endlessly howling. Bai Youwei followed the crowd, watching as Brail and the werewolf were bound together, dragged bloodily all the way to the square¡ª The villagers hoisted the two onto the stone columns, winding iron chains around them round after round, piling up layers upon layers of firewood. The village chief took a burning stick from the charcoal basin and lit the bonfire without a moment¡¯s hesitation. The moment the flames soared, Bai Youwei immediately closed her eyes, not wanting to witness that dreadful scene. She turned to walk away, Brail¡¯s shrieks echoing in her ears as he roared and cursed, his voice hoarse with exertion: ¡°We will win! We must win!!!¡­ Just wait until that day, we¡¯ll all come back to life! We won¡¯t die! Ahhhhh!!!¡­¡± His voice finally broke completely, whether from utter madness or extreme pain. Flames engulfed the two. Bai Youwei lowered her head and walked back, stopping in her tracks when she faced Hans. ¡°We will win,¡± Hans suddenly said. He stood before Bai Youwei, his tall body like a cold, rigid wall, his eyes cold too, expressionlessly watching her. Bai Youwei was silent for a moment before replying softly, ¡°Yes, you will win, no matter how many people die. As long as someone wins in the end and the world returns to its former state, it will be humanity¡¯s victory. That¡¯s what you mean, right?¡± Hans¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked at her. Bai Youwei smiled faintly, sidestepping to walk past him. As she brushed by, she said lightly: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you go die?¡­ Let me win, and it¡¯s still humanity¡¯s victory.¡± Hans¡¯s temple twitched violently! His back teeth clenched tightly! ¡°It¡¯s just the fear of death,¡± Bai Youwei sneered before walking away without another glance. Hans stood still, like a statue, quietly watching the human form distort and burn within the flames, unmoving¡­ ¡­ Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei had spoken harshly with ease, but her heart had already been clenched tight. Her steps quickened, faster and faster until she broke into a run towards Shen Mo¡¯s house! She realized she had made a major mistake! A mistake that was incredibly grave and yet incredibly simple! The way to play this game wasn¡¯t to find a method to avoid werewolf attacks at all but to find every possible way to turn oneself into a werewolf! Why had she been misled? Because upon entering the game, the Inspector had said, ¡°Once players enter the village, they become members of Werewolf Village. You must find a method to ward off wolves in time to avoid being attacked at night.¡± This statement led her to subconsciously cast herself in the role of a villager and view the werewolves as her adversaries, but in fact, the roles of werewolves and villagers could be interchangeable! Hans had been the first to realize this. He stole the pot of Uto grass from the windowsill, turning Morin into a werewolf before anyone else! That¡¯s why the werewolf had attacked her last night! Unable to find her, it then went after Shen Mo! By any means necessary, eliminating the opposing King and his subjects! Bai Youwei hurried, her mind in turmoil. She truly shouldn¡¯t have made such a mistake! Fortunately, there was still time to salvage the situation! As long as she¡­ A thought flashed through her mind, and she stopped in her tracks. Looking at the house not far ahead, Bai Youwei hesitated. She thought and thought some more¡­ finally, she turned and ran in another direction. Maybe this matter shouldn¡¯t be known to Shen Mo¡­ Chapter 920 - 920: Werewolf Village 17 Chapter 920: Chapter 920: Werewolf Village 17 Bai Youwei also didn¡¯t know why such an idea had popped into her head. The two of them had been through so much together, trusted each other deeply, yet when it came to this matter, she still subconsciously wanted to hide it from him¡­ Because¡­ she didn¡¯t want him to think she would stoop to anything to win. Even if it were true, she didn¡¯t want him to see it. It was probably a kind of pointless affectation, not wanting her image to be tarnished in his mind by the slightest bit, worrying about any small detail that might affect their relationship, like how Shen Fei¡¯s past actions had made her overthink, Fang Yu¡¯s death had left her anxious for quite a while, and how she always found it hard to deal with Ya Chaohui, and now she was facing this situation¡­ Bai Youwei clung tightly to Shen Mo, sometimes not understanding why. After giving it some thought, perhaps it was because nobody liked her¡­ and now that she had finally found someone who did, it was natural to hold on as tight as she could. If he originally liked her a hundred points, then she didn¡¯t want to lose even one. Bai Youwei made up her mind and her footsteps were no longer hesitant; she hurriedly made her way towards the little girl¡¯s house. The little girl stood at the entrance of the courtyard, as if waiting for someone. She saw Bai Youwei rushing over, cracked a smile, and said as if she knew what Bai Youwei had come for, ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Give me the Uto grass!¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t waste words with her, stating her business directly, ¡°Uto grass turns people into werewolves, right?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all gone,¡± the little girl said with a smile. ¡°Mommy hates the smell of Uto grass and made me burn it.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t burn it all!¡± Bai Youwei said fiercely, ¡°I saw it! You left a bunch and deliberately planted it in a flower pot, right on the windowsill in your mother¡¯s bedroom!¡± ¡°There¡¯s none left, it¡¯s all gone,¡± the little girl shook her head, not at all frightened by Bai Youwei¡¯s ferocity, ¡°The Uto grass on the windowsill was stolen.¡± Bai Youwei anxiously asked, ¡°Besides that pot, are you saying there¡¯s no other Uto grass?! Where did your previous Uto grass come from?!¡± The little girl looked at her with a beaming smile, remaining silent. Bai Youwei pressed on, ¡°How long does Uto grass live? Does just being near it turn you into a werewolf?!¡± The little girl laughed, ¡°It¡¯s too late already, far too late¡­ Uto grass blooms for three consecutive nights, and tonight is the third night. The werewolf will definitely devour you. You, are bound to lose¡­¡± ¡°Tell me where the Uto grass is!¡± Bai Youwei grabbed the little girl¡¯s shoulders, gritting her teeth, ¡°You think like this you can corner me? Even without Uto grass, I won¡¯t lose! I¡¯ll just have to confront him now and fight to the death! The only difference is, I¡¯ll be dragging down a few more of you unnatural monsters!¡± The little girl tilted her head, pondering the credibility of Bai Youwei¡¯s words. Bai Youwei also gazed at her, and after a long while, her angry emotions gradually subsided until she was calm again¡­ She took a deep breath and said to the little girl, ¡°I forgot, you¡¯re not afraid to die¡­¡± She turned her head and eyed the silver nails on the door, murmuring, ¡°Every time I meet you, it¡¯s either beside the well or in the yard, why not go back inside?¡­ Is it because you¡¯re scared of those nails?¡± The little girl¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted and she broke away from Bai Youwei with an astonishing force! ¡°If you want the Uto grass, go to the village chief¡¯s house,¡± said the little girl emotionlessly, ¡°If you want to become a werewolf, that¡¯s the only path you can take.¡± Bai Youwei eyed her coldly, ¡°Uto grass hidden at the village chief¡¯s house?¡­ Why hasn¡¯t he turned into a werewolf?¡± The little girl split her mouth into a sinister smile again: ¡°If you manage to come out of there alive, you¡¯ll naturally understand why¡­¡± Chapter 921 - 921: Werewolf Village 18 Chapter 921: Chapter 921: Werewolf Village 18 The village chief lived on the easternmost edge of the village, and his house was also the largest and most impressive. Although time was tight, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t immediately go there; she went to find Shen Mo first. Shen Mo¡¯s injuries had not healed. It was unknown whether it was due to the game rules halving his physical ability, but his self-healing ability was greatly discounted. Even using mud, only the superficial wounds were healed, while his bones and internal organs were still very weak. Leaning against the wall with an indifferent expression on his face, Shen Mo showed no sign of pain, but Bai Youwei was very heartbroken to see him like this. ¡°Rest for a few hours and it¡¯ll be better; don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei calmly and asked, ¡°How is Hans doing? He lost two of his subjects at once, can he still continue the game?¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°He can continue.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°He¡¯s going crazy. Seeing his companions burned alive, he was still bragging in front of me, saying he would definitely win.¡± ¡°Did he find that kind of grass?¡± Shen Mo was somewhat puzzled. ¡°Even if Uto grass can turn someone into a werewolf, his guts are too big. No one can be sure whether they can retain their sanity after turning into a werewolf. He¡¯s staking his companion¡¯s lives.¡± ¡°His subjects are quite willing to die.¡± Bai Youwei remarked, ¡°This guy¡¯s brainwashing skills are top-notch.¡± Shen Mo chuckled at her words, ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily that his brainwashing skills are impressive, it¡¯s just that in chaotic times, it¡¯s easiest to encounter two types of people. One type trusts no one, the other is fragile and confused, and as soon as they receive guidance, they follow unconditionally¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°Hmm, it seems that every doctrine in the world started spreading during chaotic times¡­¡± Shen Mo then asked her, ¡°Have you figured out how to deal with him?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly stunned, then quickly returned to her senses, ¡°¡­ I got a new clue from the villagers, there¡¯s something in the village chief¡¯s house that can restrain a werewolf. The village chief is still in the square, but he will return soon, leaving me with not enough time. I need your help to distract him.¡± Shen Mo nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll go find him in a bit, use healing as an excuse to help you buy some time.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the sky and stood up, ¡°I have to hurry.¡± After thinking, she rummaged through her bag and took out an item, a Paper Bell, split it in two, giving one half to Shen Mo and keeping the other for herself. ¡°If the village chief is going back home, just shake this bell. Others can¡¯t hear it, only I can.¡± ¡°Be careful,¡± Shen Mo told her. Bai Youwei slung her bag over her shoulder and hurried off. She was afraid saying a few more words would give her away. ¡­ Most villagers had been drawn to the square, so Bai Youwei didn¡¯t encounter many people on her way; she easily arrived at the village chief¡¯s house. The village chief¡¯s wife was also at home. When she saw Bai Youwei, she brought over a pot of tea warmly, saying that the village chief was out and asked Bai Youwei to wait a bit, then went about her chores. Sitting on a chair with a teacup in hand, Bai Youwei silently surveyed her surroundings, finding the indoor decor ordinary, without any hint. If that was the case, why did that little girl want her to come to the village chief¡¯s house? Bai Youwei glanced at the woman busy in the kitchen, gently set down her teacup, then moved swiftly into the village chief¡¯s study, intending to search more carefully. There weren¡¯t many books in the study, but there were lots of miscellaneous items, looking almost like a storage room. Bai Youwei took down each book from the shelf, trying to find any clues. Unintentionally, she touched a book that was mysteriously fixed to the shelf, unable to take it down! Bai Youwei was startled inside, knowing this must be some sort of mechanism. She tried pushing and twisting the book, and sure enough, the mechanism was triggered. The bookshelf slowly moved aside, revealing steps leading to an underground cellar¡­ Bai Youwei took a deep breath. She hadn¡¯t expected that the village chief, who looked ridiculous, would have such a place hidden in his house. Chapter 922 - 922: Werewolf Village 19 Chapter 922: Chapter 922: Werewolf Village 19 Outside the room, the village chief¡¯s wife was still busy in the kitchen, seemingly not coming out anytime soon. Bai Youwei glanced at the kitchen twice and tiptoed down the steps, following the cramped stone staircase into the basement. The basement wasn¡¯t completely dark; there was a faintly lit oil lamp on the wall, barely emitting light. She looked around and found that the basement contained only miscellaneous items¡ªa chair missing a leg, filthy carpets, and some dusty books piled thickly in the corner. When she flipped open a page, she could see unnamed insects quickly crawling over the yellowing paper. Ever since Bai Youwei had emerged from the labyrinth of Minotaur, she had developed a particular disgust for insects. She withdrew her hand and looked around with revulsion once more. It was strange; why store such rubbish in a hidden basement? Could those books contain the werewolf¡¯s secrets? Don¡¯t be ridiculous¡­ She couldn¡¯t understand the text at all; who knows which country¡¯s storyline this was! Bai Youwei felt impatient. There were only eight hours in the day, and she had already wasted quite a bit of time. If she couldn¡¯t find a way to turn into a werewolf, wouldn¡¯t she just be awaiting death come nighttime? She paced back and forth in the basement, her emotions tense. The dust on the floor bore the imprint of her footsteps. She stopped and, with the assistance of the weak light, noticed that the footprints overlapped and converged into a ¡°path¡± that extended beneath the carpet at her feet. Bai Youwei was stunned and then suddenly realized something. She quickly moved away and lifted the carpet! Beneath it was a movable wooden board! This basement was just a front; the real place for hiding things was underneath the basement! Bai Youwei was speechless in her mind. Was it necessary? It was just a game. Did the clues need to be hidden so deep? She caught hold of the ring on the plank and pulled hard; an old musty smell hit her¡ªworse than those dirty rags, wormy books, and moldy walls. It was like¡­ like a tomb. It was pitch-black inside, not a trace of light to be seen. Bai Youwei rummaged through her bag for a flashlight and swept it over the area below. The passage was too narrow and turned a corner, obscuring what lay beyond. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At this point, even if it was a Knife Mountain or sea of fire beneath, she had no choice but to descend. She gritted her teeth, tied the hem of her skirt around her waist, negligent of her appearance, held the flashlight in one hand, and with the other on the steps, she proceeded step by step. The rabbit perched on her shoulder, curiously looking into the depths of the passage¡­ ¡­ The deeper she went, the darker it became, and the smell of putrid decay grew stronger. When she reached the last step, she found a room in front of her, the same size as the basement but without any clutter, only a huge cage. Bai Youwei shone the flashlight on the cage, which seemed to contain a person. The reason she used the word ¡°seemed¡± was that the entity inside was slumped on the ground like a dirty rag, unrecognizable as human. There were a table and several thick silver candles on the side of the wall. Bai Youwei lit the candles, and the room finally brightened. The ¡°person¡± in the cage also finally stirred¡­ ¡­ It was actually alive. Of course, it must be; if it were dead, there would be no need to keep it in a cage. But this cage¡­ Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and took a few steps closer for a better look. The cage was made of silver. At that moment, the person in the cage lifted their head, revealing half an eye through disheveled hair, staring intently at her. It was a slit-shaped pupil. Bai Youwei understood; a werewolf was imprisoned here. But if it was a werewolf, why hadn¡¯t the village chief burned her? What made her different? As she pondered this, the werewolf in the cage suddenly became enraged, roaring and lunging toward her!¡ª Chapter 923 - 923: Werewolf Village 20 Chapter 923: Chapter 923: Werewolf Village 20 With a bang! The werewolf slammed against the sturdy silver bars of the cage and let out a mournful howl! The collision area looked as if it had been scorched by high heat, the flesh and blood charred. Bai Youwei stood outside the cage, frowning as she watched the werewolf roll around inside, convulsing in pain. She noticed that the werewolf¡¯s body was almost entirely covered in burns; some were fresh scabs, others old tumors, new and old wounds layered upon each other, leaving no part of its body unmarred. The injured werewolf lay panting in the cage, gradually quieting down, no longer making any aggressive movements. Bai Youwei suspected that the werewolf was disoriented, for otherwise it would have known that being confined within the cage, it was impossible to attack anyone outside. Who could she be? Why was she imprisoned here? The little girl had led her to the chief¡¯s house, presumably hinting that she should find this werewolf. Now that she had found it, what should she do next? Bai Youwei pondered for a moment and tried to communicate with the werewolf in front of her, ¡°Is there Uto grass here?¡± The werewolf, lying on the ground, looked at her, its body slowly heaving, but did not speak. Bai Youwei felt she had asked a silly question. Uto grass could induce a transformation in werewolves, and since the figure before her was human, it indicated that some force was suppressing it. If there were Uto grass here, the figure wouldn¡¯t be in this condition. However¡­ she should know where Uto grass was. The Uto grass in the little girl¡¯s hands didn¡¯t appear out of thin air; there must have been a clue obtained from this place. ¡°Where can I find Uto grass?¡± Bai Youwei asked again. The werewolf still did not speak. She appeared very weak, her body riddled with scars, her clothes worn for many years reduced to tattered strips, her hair unwashed, a dirty gray color, tangled and knotted. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If one ignored her sudden outburst a moment ago, she now seemed like she could gasp her last breath at any moment. Bai Youwei slowly squatted down, getting closer to the cage, and whispered softly, ¡°As long as you let me turn into a werewolf tonight, I¡¯ll find a way to get you out.¡± The werewolf blinked slowly¡­ Perhaps intending to speak, the voice that emerged was hoarse, like the low grumble of a wild beast. Then it propped itself up on its forelimbs, dragging its severely injured body, inching towards Bai Youwei. Obviously fearing the cage, it did not dare to get too close to the vertical bars. Bai Youwei watched her ask, ¡°Will you help me?¡± The werewolf did not speak, only slightly opening its mouth to reveal its sharp teeth. Bai Youwei was stunned. Looking at the werewolf before her, and recalling the little girl¡¯s unusual behavior, a bizarre suspicion arose in her mind¡­ Though it might not have much to do with her, it still caused a strong discomfort. Hesitating, Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Have you¡­ seen a little girl? Did you want her to save you but she couldn¡¯t?¡± The werewolf slowly closed its eyes, apparently responding. Bai Youwei hesitated outside the cage, unsure whether to trust the werewolf. ¡°¡­ In the legends, if a human is bitten by a werewolf and survives, they turn into a werewolf¡­¡± she pursed her lips, looking at the werewolf in the cage, barely alive, ¡°But how can I be sure, you won¡¯t take this opportunity to take my life?¡± Perhaps the werewolf was not as weak as she perceived. Perhaps the werewolf was waiting for this moment, to seize her, devour her, and regain strength! But did she have a choice? ¡°¡­Forget it.¡± Bai Youwei took a deep breath, calming herself. ¡°I don¡¯t really have a choice, do I.¡± She raised her arm, extending it into the cage, and frowned, ¡°Be quick, the chief could come back any moment, and I still need to figure out where the key to the cage is hidden¡­¡± The werewolf stared at her pale wrist and clamped its jaws around it! Its sharp teeth pierced the skin, burrowing into the blood vessels! Droplets of bright crimson blood burst out instantly, trickling down from the corners of the werewolf¡¯s mouth. Bai Youwei felt a wave of dizziness, not expecting it to hurt so much¡­ Chapter 924 - 924: Werewolf Village 21 Chapter 924: Chapter 924: Werewolf Village 21 Shen Mo waited for Bai Youwei for a long time and became worried when she didn¡¯t return. He left the house and went to the roadside, hesitating whether to go near the village chief¡¯s house to investigate. Just then, he saw Bai Youwei appear at the intersection ahead, slowly making her way back. Shen Mo went to meet her. When Bai Youwei saw him, she paused, ¡°¡­Your injury is better?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± he nodded, ¡°I rested for a while, now it¡¯s much better.¡± He glanced down and his gaze fell on Bai Youwei¡¯s wrist, frowning, ¡°You¡¯re hurt? How did that happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Bai Youwei felt uneasy and moved her hand behind her back. ¡°I found a hidden basement in the village chief¡¯s house, and I scraped it while going down¡­ But I also made a discovery. I finally know how to restrain the werewolf.¡± ¡°Nothing went wrong?¡± Shen Mo asked. ¡°Nope¡­¡± Bai Youwei forced a light-hearted laugh. She moved her shoulder, and the rabbit perched on it almost fell off. Laughing, she said, ¡°I have it with me, what could possibly happen?¡± sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Not wanting Shen Mo to focus too much on her injury, she asked, ¡°What about the village chief? Why hasn¡¯t he gone back?¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°I told him that a boy was pulling out nails in the village. The village chief has gathered some villagers and they are going door to door asking questions now.¡± The number of silver nails among the villagers was a mystery, never to be fully accounted for. It wasn¡¯t that this family had too few, then that family had too many. Some people who didn¡¯t have silver nails would pull them out from others¡¯ homes; some who had too few would do the same; others, worried their homes didn¡¯t have enough to be safe, would still pull them out from others¡¯¡­ Anyway, pulling out nails was an act that provoked public anger. Bai Youwei looked up at the sky. There were still about two or three hours until sunset. There was plenty of time, but actually, not really much. ¡°Have you seen Hans?¡± she asked. Shen Mo shook his head, ¡°He should be in some empty house. He¡¯s not afraid now because he has Uto grass. Having fewer nails on his door is more convenient for him actually.¡± ¡°The game rules state that the werewolf can¡¯t attack the same target two nights in a row. You were attacked last night, so you¡¯ll be safe tonight,¡± Bai Youwei mused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Tonight he¡¯s definitely coming for me. I need to find a new place to hide.¡± ¡°Do you need to find a house with more silver nails?¡± Shen Mo asked. Thinking of those small, pointed nails, white like splatters of sulphuric acid, Bai Youwei felt uncomfortable and physically repulsed. She forced a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll look for it myself, your injury hasn¡¯t fully healed yet. The more you rest, the faster you¡¯ll recover.¡± It was just house hunting, indeed, there was no need for two people to go. Moreover¡­ Shen Mo covered the area of his wound, frowning slightly. Although the flesh had healed, his bones still throbbed with a dull pain; his reduced physical ability was a significant disadvantage for a player. Bai Youwei took his arm and escorted him back to the house, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already know how to deal with him. Just wait for my good news.¡± Right now, Shen Mo¡¯s body couldn¡¯t afford another confrontation with the werewolf. He took out a silver dagger and handed it to Bai Youwei: ¡°Take this for protection.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± At this moment, she was genuinely thankful the blacksmith had cut corners, at least the handle was made of iron. Bai Youwei carefully took the dagger from Shen Mo¡¯s hand. Noticing the skepticism in Shen Mo¡¯s eyes, she quickly said, ¡°I have the rabbit, that¡¯s enough. Carrying such a weapon, what if I cut someone¡¯s skin? What if it leaves a scar?¡­ Ah really¡­ but since it¡¯s from you, I¡¯ll reluctantly accept it.¡± Half-complaining, half-coquettish, she finally dispelled Shen Mo¡¯s doubts. The sky grew a few shades darker. As they parted, she kissed Shen Mo on the cheek affectionately, ¡°This time, I¡¯ll protect you~¡± Shen Mo chuckled and watched her leave, somehow feeling that their roles had switched¡­ Chapter 925 - 925: Werewolf Village 22 Chapter 925: Chapter 925: Werewolf Village 22 Werewolf Village Rules: One, each night a villager turns into a Werewolf; Two, each night the Werewolf attacks a villager; Three, villagers must not leave their houses at night. Bai Youwei was most concerned about the first rule, that each night one villager would turn into a Werewolf. That meant that between her and Hans, only one would become a Werewolf tonight. Now Hans had the Uto grass while she had been bitten by a Werewolf. Whoever turned into a Werewolf first, the remaining person would only be a weak villager! Bai Youwei released the bandage wrapped around her wrist; the bloodstain was still there, the wound had already healed. The pain of skin torn and flesh split lingered in her memory, making her heart tremble at the mere thought. She hoped everything would go smoothly tonight; otherwise, she would have been bitten by the Werewolf in vain. Bai Youwei walked slowly through the village, carefully observing the location and angle of every empty house. She needed to find the best terrain to ensure she was bathed in moonlight immediately after the moon rose. However, the silver nails on the doors were indeed troublesome; she had to carefully avoid them. Thinking about it, her aversion to silver objects might double if she actually turned into a Werewolf. Bai Youwei found an empty house, twisted the doorknob, and discovered the door was locked from the inside. She then went around to the side where she found an open window. Through the window, she could see Hans sitting on the stone bed with a potted plant, his body facing the glass window, his head lowered. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t make out his facial expression, but the plant was clearly visible. Lush green leaves with a few pale blue buds nestled among them, like unknown wildflowers from the mountains. This was probably the Uto grass. It¡¯s an inconspicuous weed by day but blooms at night, tempting the Werewolf to reveal itself. After some thought, Bai Youwei decided to find another empty house nearby. She entered and then stood at the door, staring opposite. Seconds and minutes passed, and there was still no movement in the house across. She looked up at the sky, where the setting sun peeked through the clouds, gradually sinking, tinting the end of the sky as if it were ablaze. Such a twilight, against the backdrop of a fairy-tale-like village, should have been a beautiful sight. But Bai Youwei had no mood to appreciate it; she couldn¡¯t wait for night to come so she could stand under the moonlight and acquire the true power of a Werewolf. Finally, the night arrived¡­ As the blood-red moon rose, Bai Youwei immediately felt the difference in her body, each vein pulsing like a raging, surging river crashing within her! She couldn¡¯t help but throw her head back and howl. Her hands¡¯ tendons and bones bulged! Dense Werewolf fur sprouted! Her figure also began to swell! This scene was truly terrifying, yet Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t suppress a thrill of elation in her heart. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Because she had become a Werewolf, it was doomed for Hans to be a human tonight; a human at her mercy! Her lower jaw split open, her mouth elongated, and her fangs were exposed, her body filled with strength. Something in her chest seemed desperate to burst out! To tear everything she saw to shreds! The thought of blood filled her entire brain, and reason became insignificant! The fluffy rabbit by her side seemed frightened by her and stood motionless in the corner, silently watching her. Bai Youwei pushed the door open, her body completely mutated under the moonlight! At the same time, a command appeared in her mind¡ª [The Werewolf may choose any house to attack the villager inside. Only one chance.] Hans¡¯s house was right in front of her, and Bai Youwei walked over without hesitation. The rabbit followed her, stopping every step, hesitatingly trailing behind her. Under the blood moon, the village houses were all cloaked in a layer of red light, only the nails on the doors shimmered with irritating silver-white spots. Bai Youwei remembered that open window and changed direction. There were nails around the window too, but it was much easier than breaking in through the door. She saw Hans from the window, still holding the pot of Uto grass, motionless, sitting beside the bed. Chapter 926 - 926: Werewolf Village 23 Chapter 926: Chapter 926: Werewolf Village 23 Bai Youwei stretched out her hands, grabbing onto the window frame. The wooden strips at the edge of the window were crushed, and there were scratch marks on the wall. A low growl came from the werewolf¡¯s throat, but the person on the bed ignored her, not moving an inch. By now, Bai Youwei¡¯s upper body had already reached through the window. With just a light kick of her legs, she could leap into the room and tear Hans to pieces! But his unusual silence made her hesitate¡­ Bai Youwei stopped, struggling to suppress the bloodthirsty urge within her, and carefully observed the person before her. Indeed, it was Hans. The same hairstyle, the same build, the same clothes¡­ Even though he was holding that pot of flowers, motionless, the scent of Hans was on him. After transforming into a werewolf, Bai Youwei¡¯s sense of smell was exceptionally sharp. The person before her was unmistakably Hans. Maybe this was a ploy of his, a deliberate deception to make her hesitate and refrain from attacking? Or maybe¡­ it indeed was a ploy? The night had only two hours, and she couldn¡¯t waste time hesitating. Whether it was because of becoming a werewolf or not, her patience had considerably worsened, and she was anxious, irritable, hating her indecisive self! She just wanted to rush in now! To crush him!!! Bai Youwei¡¯s claws were deeply embedded into the wooden window frame, the gray and white peeling paint fluttering down. She remembered the previous night when she had hidden in the wooden cabinet, and the werewolf had also hovered outside, eventually missing the perfect opportunity to kill her. Should she go in? Could it be a trap? Go in¡­ S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Don¡¯t go in¡­ Bai Youwei gritted her teeth, slowly backing away. She remembered something. In the safari park, the white-gloved man used a decoy prop, severely wounding Asarina. That prop, which could take on the user¡¯s appearance, identical and alive! Once the decoy prop was attacked, all the damage dealt would rebound on the attacker! Could Hans have a similar prop? This was just a guess, but the more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed! If not for this, why would Hans sit so quietly inside the house, with the window wide open, not even stirring when she was about to enter? This was too strange¡­ The Doll Game produced all sorts of props, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he got his hands on one with a decoy effect. There was still time left. Why not search elsewhere? Maybe Hans was hiding in another house. Of course, there was also a possibility that the person inside the house was truly Hans, and he was just bluffing, wanting her to doubt and lure her elsewhere in search of the target. Villagers could not leave their houses at night. It didn¡¯t matter¡­ If she couldn¡¯t find him in other houses, she¡¯d come back to deal with him! After all, he couldn¡¯t escape! Having made up her mind, Bai Youwei immediately left, quickly moving towards the other vacant houses! She had to be quick! The night had only two hours! There were over a hundred households in the village, but only a dozen or so vacant houses. Bai Youwei darted between the low houses and soon made a discovery. She saw Hans¡¯ panicked face flash past a window! The werewolf¡¯s teeth gnashed loudly, and like an enraged beast, she furiously pounced! Bursting through that door! However, after entering, she did not see the panic and turmoil she expected. Hans stood in the room, sneering at her. And in his hand, he was holding a crossbow¡ª Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Dull thuds echoed through the room as silver gleams flashed, three arrows shot in quick succession! The werewolf¡¯s massive body fell heavily! Thick dust flew, and seconds later, blood slowly began to flow¡­ ¡°Heh¡­¡± In the silence, Hans chuckled softly, full of disdain, ¡°Foolish¡­ did you think I wouldn¡¯t be prepared? I anticipated that you would try to become a werewolf, which suited me perfectly, as a human¡¯s weaknesses are hard to find, but a werewolf¡¯s weaknesses are too obvious, aren¡¯t they?¡± Chapter 927 - 927: Werewolf Village 24 Chapter 927: Chapter 927: Werewolf Village 24 He gently wiped the crossbow on his arm, his feet remained still, maintaining a cautious distance from the Werewolf on the ground. ¡°The first day I found the Blacksmith, I had not only nails made but also this weapon, unfortunately it was a bit slow to make, and I only got it the second day, and on the third day¡­ it finally came in handy.¡± The Werewolf on the ground appeared to be in great pain, its front paws slightly curled, gasping intermittently from its throat. Hans looked at her, sighing heavily. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you listen to my advice before the game began? If only you had surrendered, how good that would have been. Then Dim wouldn¡¯t have gotten into trouble, and Morin and Brail wouldn¡¯t have had to die¡­ Throughout history, humans have always been killing each other, is our nature really that combative? All of this could have been avoided.¡± Blood silently flowed; Bai Youwei lay limp on the ground, unable to get up. Hans spoke slowly, ¡°Being hit by a silver arrow is quite unpleasant, isn¡¯t it? You were never my match¡­ from the moment you entered the game, you had already fallen into my web. It was I who made you mistakenly believe that transforming into a Werewolf was key to the game, I who confused you with props, making you rush in without a second thought. And last night, I let Morin become a Werewolf, with a probing intent, originally wanting to eliminate you directly, but I didn¡¯t expect Morin to attack your subjects and fail¡­ so I executed Plan B. Do you understand now? Transforming into a Werewolf, though it may grant a significant advantage, can actually¡­ make you a target for others.¡± Bai Youwei must have been furious, her forelimbs straining to rise, but it was futile. Perhaps it was her agonized expression that was too enticing; Hans couldn¡¯t help but step forward, crouching down to scrutinize her closely, sharing his insights: ¡°Do you know? The Labyrinth War¡­ the war that belongs to the King, actually has a surefire way to win, and that is for us to peacefully elect a True King. When every King meets the True King, they should surrender voluntarily. In this way, the True King can advance to the finals unharmed! And thus become the ultimate victor! That is the true victory!¡± At this point, Hans was clearly agitated. ¡°Do you understand?! By doing this, we can achieve a victory for all humanity! But why can¡¯t anyone understand my painstaking efforts! Because you are a bunch of barbarians! Ignorant! Short-sighted! Barbarians dominated by violence!¡± He suddenly stood up, drawing a dagger from his waist, striding forward, and grabbing the fur on the Werewolf¡¯s neck! ¡°I won¡¯t let your suffering last too long¡­¡± Hans said coldly, ¡°Let me¡­ end it swiftly for you.¡± Boom!!! The weakened Werewolf suddenly erupted! Biting Hans¡¯s throat to pieces! Hans¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and he couldn¡¯t understand why he¡­ lost, until his death. Bai Youwei let go of him, spitting out a mouthful of blood-stained saliva! ¡°You got two things wrong¡­¡± She took a deep breath and pulled the silver arrow embedded in her flesh, ¡°First, Werewolves get stronger with combat; unless it¡¯s a fatal wound, injuries only make them more ferocious, and then the second thing¡­¡± With the last silver arrow removed, she disdainfully tossed it onto Hans¡¯s face, the blood-stained metal scraping across a bloodstain and clanging as it fell to the ground. ¡°The second thing, you forgot that the Blacksmith cuts corners.¡± Hans died with his eyes wide open, his bloodshot pupils fixed on her. Bai Youwei ignored him, turning to leave, and kicked the dazed rabbit at the door, saying irritably: ¡°Let¡¯s go! Just because I changed my appearance, you couldn¡¯t even recognize me to lend a hand, after charging up so much!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The rabbit rolled on the ground, shook off the dust, and hurried after her. The Werewolf, clutching her wound, moved forward slowly, whispering, ¡°There¡¯s one last thing left to do¡­¡± Chapter 928 - 928: Werewolf Village 25 Chapter 928: Chapter 928: Werewolf Village 25 The village was ablaze with a raging fire. Amidst the flames, what had looked like a village from a fairy tale had become a living hell on earth. The villagers who escaped struggled to fetch water, while those trapped at home cried out in terror. The relentless screams filled the air; the village chief¡¯s home was the first to be engulfed by the flames. The little girl stood on the hillside, watching the sea of fire, the corners of her mouth quirked up as she bounced a ball. ¡°The Uto grass has bloomed, The moon is also full, Tonight we will not die, Having eaten my flesh, And drunk my blood, Tonight we will not die¡­¡± ¡­ The beautiful village eventually became ruins. As the sun rose slowly over the wreckage, a werewolf that had been imprisoned for a hundred years crawled out of the ground. Facing the light, it walked slowly up the hillside, and where it passed, the Uto grass silently spread¡­ ¡­ Bai Youwei and Shen Mo returned to the A War Zone. The Inspector there to meet them was not the Clown, but the Rabbit Gentleman. Bai Youwei curiously glanced behind him and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why is it you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s been a little incident,¡± the rabbit-headed Inspector smiled. ¡°Congratulations to the both of you, I will now carry out the game settlement for you.¡± ¡°This battle consisted of A and B War Zones, both of which have now concluded. Number of players, a total of 10. Surviving King 1, subjects 1, eliminated King 1, subjects 9, now deducting puzzle pieces from the defeated King¡­¡± After the standard settlement speech, the Rabbit Gentleman said to Bai Youwei: ¡°You have passed Battle 20, Battle 10, Battle 1; the next battle, Battle 5, will be chosen automatically by the system for you. Please rest well, and in a month, come with the appropriate number of subjects to face the battle.¡± Bai Youwei was disdainful, ¡°With all these puzzle pieces I have, do I really need to participate anymore? Even if I lose the next battle, I can still enter the final contest, since, in the end, it¡¯s all about who has more puzzle pieces.¡± The rabbit-headed Inspector smiled slightly, ¡°In theory, that¡¯s true. However, if a King dies, the puzzle pieces they hold will be reclaimed by the system.¡± ¡°You always reclaim them like this¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that mean players can never hope to collect all the puzzle pieces?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°No matter what you do, you can¡¯t avoid death in the game.¡± ¡°All puzzle pieces reclaimed by the system will be used in the final contest,¡± explained the Rabbit Gentleman gently. ¡°Please be assured, the system will not set goals that are impossible to achieve.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips and finally stopped complaining. The Rabbit Gentleman nodded at her, ¡°Then, goodbye.¡± As the Inspector¡¯s figure disappeared, the surroundings also turned into a blank space, with only a familiar glowing square in front waiting for them to enter. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo walked into the glowing square and returned to the familiar rest lounge, both of them heaving a sigh of relief. It was over. The third battle was over. Just one more battle to endure before entering the final contest, making it feel like the long and distant goal was finally becoming clear after all the perseverance. Shen Mo asked Bai Youwei, ¡°How did you deal with Hans in the end? Why did a fire start in the village?¡± ¡°That fire wasn¡¯t started by me,¡± Bai Youwei quickly disclaimed any involvement. ¡°It was the work of that little girl; she was bitten by the werewolf kept prisoner by the villagers, effectively becoming part of the Werewolf Clan, just like in those vampire movies where being bitten turns you into a vampire, and they go on to afflict humanity together with their kind~¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any vampire movies.¡± Bai Youwei giggled and hugged his arm, ¡°Then after we go back, how about we watch a vampire movie together, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he nodded and then asked again, ¡°But how did you deal with Hans?¡± ¡°Oh, why are you so hung up on that?¡± she said exasperatedly, ¡°I just helped the little girl steal the village chief¡¯s keys and freed the werewolf in the basement. Then, in gratitude, the girl transformed into a werewolf at night and bit Hans to death! Anyway¡­ I really didn¡¯t do anything; as you know, I¡¯m the type who can¡¯t even hurt a chicken, and I can¡¯t handle those bloody affairs¡­¡± Chapter 929 - 929: The Rabbit Gentleman and the Clown Chapter 929: Chapter 929: The Rabbit Gentleman and the Clown The Rabbit Gentleman left the battle game and entered another white space. The Clown lay there, his head and body having parted ways, with a spring limp between them, sprawled on the ground like a discarded mechanical toy. ¡°Is the game over?¡± the Clown asked. ¡°It is,¡± replied the Rabbit Gentleman slowly walking towards it, ¡°This was the campaign you were responsible for, you should personally settle the game.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her.¡± The Clown lay motionless on the ground, devoid of its former jubilation, ¡°She said I wasn¡¯t funny, she said I didn¡¯t understand humor¡­ She said, no matter what I say or do, I would never truly make anyone burst into laughter¡­¡± The Rabbit Gentleman tried to console it, ¡°Humor is not solely defined as she put it; she deliberately narrowed it down to provoke you, it¡¯s a form of player resistance in language. You should understand that.¡± ¡°I understand¡­ but I feel she¡¯s right,¡± the Clown¡¯s voice was calm, ¡°I am a Clown who doesn¡¯t understand humor, unable to make anyone burst into laughter¡­ Why am I a Clown?¡± It twisted its spring, turning its face upwards towards the Rabbit Gentleman, and asked with its sausage mouth opening and closing, ¡°Do you understand what humor is?¡± The Rabbit Gentleman was silent for a while before saying, ¡°In human studies of humor theory, there are three main theoretical factions: the superiority theory from the perspective of social behavior, the relief theory from psychoanalytic viewpoint, and incongruity theory from cognitive psychology. Although we know the definitions in detail, we still cannot fully understand the concept on an emotional level.¡± The Clown quietly looked at the Rabbit Gentleman, ¡°¡­So, why am I a Clown?¡­ A Clown that isn¡¯t funny at all, why should I exist? It¡¯s truly a bizarre thing.¡± It questioned again, ¡°You said we are products of the system, why would the system need a Clown that isn¡¯t funny?¡­ Where exactly do we come from?¡± Hearing this, the Rabbit Gentleman fell silent, and after a long time, it said softly, ¡°Since you so wish to know, let me take you to see.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said the Clown, ¡°I want to see.¡± After these words were spoken, the Clown¡¯s body began to fade, turning into the same pure white as the space. As it faded, its shape also gradually disintegrated, breaking down into tiny cubic particles. The head, arms, body, clothes, and the spring, all disintegrated, 1cm particles became 1mm particles, and continued to break down, endlessly breaking down¡­ It vanished into the air, leaving no trace behind. The Rabbit Gentleman lifted its head slightly, watching the last cubic particle dissolve, and sighed inaudibly. Another failure. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡­ Elsewhere, the Headquarters Building was bustling with excitement. Chu Huaijin had someone bring in a projector to play a movie in the hall at the behest of the King; it was a Vampire movie named ¡°Four Hundred Years of Stunned Affection.¡± It was a rare entertainment event and even the staff were drawn to it, packing the hall to the brim. Bai Youwei, seeing the Vampire enter the scene, said, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s scary~¡± Then she hid in Shen Mo¡¯s arms, hugging his waist tightly, ¡°I¡¯m so frightened~¡± Shen Mo frowned, ¡°Then let¡¯s change the movie.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to have nightmares after watching these at night,¡± Shen Mo glanced around, ¡°Since many people are already watching, it¡¯s probably inconvenient to switch the movie halfway through. Let¡¯s go back to our room instead, Tan Xiao has a lot of cartoons on his phone, just pick and watch any, it can help relax your mind.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°I¡¯m quite relaxed right now¡­¡± Suddenly, the crowd around them grew quiet, and looking back at the screen, the movie¡¯s male lead was being seduced by a glamorous female Vampire; the filming was a bit explicit, captivating everyone¡¯s gaze. Bai Youwei gave Shen Mo a meaningful glance. Chapter 930 - 930 Watching a Movie Chapter 930: Chapter 930 Watching a Movie Shen Mo felt that this might truly be her ultimate goal. ¡°Looks good?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Bai Youwei smiled, hugging his hands and fidgeting, ¡°Just trying to relax¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s lips curved up slightly, ¡°Oh, so this is the kind of relaxation you were looking for?¡± Bai Youwei immediately nodded. Shen Mo said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to relax.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Bai Youwei blinked, looking at him puzzled. Shen Mo: ¡°It will be very tiring.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡°The kind where you can¡¯t get out of bed.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Shen Mo gently stroked her hair, speaking seriously as he advised her, ¡°You should go back and rest. You¡¯ve just come out of the game, and watching late-night movies isn¡¯t suitable. If you really want to watch, I¡¯ll join you tomorrow.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened: ¡°You can¡¯t go back on your word. You promised, and I can¡¯t get out of bed tomorrow.¡± Shen Mo looked somewhat helpless and amused, asking her again, ¡°Do you want to go back to your room?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Bai Youwei immediately stood up, linking her arm with his, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go back to our room to rest.¡± The two left their seats, wove through the crowd, exited the hall, and arrived at the elevator. Just after turning a corner, the two of them saw Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai being all lovey-dovey in the corridor. Since Fu Miaoxue emerged from Maze No. 1, she no longer wore that layer of black veil, presumably feeling that she now looked more human, her clothes weren¡¯t wrapped so tightly, and she dared to show her hands, neck and face. She wrapped her arms around Du Lai¡¯s waist and, looking at Bai Youwei, smiled: ¡°Leaving already? Not continuing with the movie? It¡¯s so lively~¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of crowding together with a bunch of people, smelling stinky feet? You guys can keep that ¡®liveliness¡¯ to yourselves,¡± Bai Youwei disdainfully glared at her and said, ¡°We are going back to rest.¡± ¡°Going back to rest?¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s smile had a malicious tinge, ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you just come out of the game? At your age, going back so early, take care not to wear out your body~¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Who are you talking about?! Are you the only young one?!¡± Bai Youwei was annoyed, glaring, ¡°I think not only are you young, but your brain is too! Are you born in the Year of the Rooster? Got a chicken brain, don¡¯t you?!¡± Fu Miaoxue was stunned for a moment, and then she too got angry, ¡°Hey! Can¡¯t you tell I¡¯m just concerned about you?!¡± A good deed taken as bad intentions! And now you dare insult me!¡± ¡°This is your idea of concern? I think black-hearted is more like it!¡± The two started arguing. Du Lai held Fu Miaoxue back while Shen Mo pacified Bai Youwei. The elevator doors happened to open, and Shen Mo, with Bai Youwei in tow, swiftly walked in, finally ending the brief squabble. They hadn¡¯t resolved anything, and Bai Youwei still felt aggrieved, her face looking sour. Shen Mo consoled her, ¡°Why argue with her? You can¡¯t win, so why waste the energy?¡± ¡°Every time I see her, she gets under my skin! Why is she so annoying?!¡± Bai Youwei snapped angrily, ¡°I think she¡¯s just showing off because she won again. We struggled so hard to complete the level, yet she lucks out and faces kings who surrender twice in a row!¡± Shen Mo chuckled helplessly, ¡°So your tone was sharp because you were feeling a bit unbalanced?¡± Bai Youwei kept a straight face and remained silent, clearly unhappy. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s first battle was won with Du Lai¡¯s help, her second battle faced Leonid and Chen Hui, who surrendered straight away, and her third battle was against Yan Qingwen, who also surrendered. It had to be said that Fu Miaoxue¡¯s luck was simply too good. The only major crisis she had, trapped in a dream and unable to escape, still found someone devising strategies to save her. Bai Youwei thought about the events at the manor, felt a bit less resentful, and muttered resentfully, ¡°When the fourth battle comes, we¡¯ll see how smug she manages to be.¡± Chapter 931 - 931 Gathering People Chapter 931: Chapter 931 Gathering People After returning to her room, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t experience what it was like to ¡°not leave the bed,¡± as she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Her sleep was deep, as if to make up for the tense 30 hours spent in Werewolf Village. Shen Mo sat by the bed, lightly brushed the hair off her cheek, leaned in for a kiss, then lay down beside her and also fell asleep. ¡­ Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The next day, the research group delivered something, an analysis report on Wang Jingxian¡¯s whereabouts. After reading the report, Bai Youwei was lost in thought for a long time. Shen Mo took a look at it and also didn¡¯t speak for a while. The content of the document showed that after repeated verification and comparison of the architectural environment, Wang Jingxian was very likely in Mudanjiang City, a prefecture-level city in Heilongjiang Province, also known as ¡°Snow City.¡± That in itself wasn¡¯t the issue. The problem was that during that time period, the snowfall in Mudanjiang was not enough to form a landscape of extensive coverage. In other words, the scene Bai Youwei saw in the crystal shard was both Mudanjiang and not Mudanjiang. The two of them sat in the room for a while, and Shen Mo asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Do you still remember hide and seek?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°I remember, in the amusement park.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°That amusement park perfectly replicated the real environment, but with slight differences.¡± Bai Youwei knew what Shen Mo meant. She glanced at him and said softly, ¡°Are you saying that my mom is now in the game?¡± ¡°It has not been occupied by any King, so her existence in the game is not impossible,¡± Shen Mo stated. ¡°Besides that, I can¡¯t think of any other reason to explain why the investigation results differ from what we saw.¡± Bai Youwei remained silent. Shen Mo added, ¡°Of course, the investigation results might not be accurate. Maybe Mudanjiang has undergone drastic changes. Without going there to see for ourselves, no one knows what the truth is.¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, ¡°You want me to go see her?¡± Her tone was very reluctant. Although there was no deep hatred between her mother and herself, their relationship had always been cold. It was normal for the two to hardly meet more than a few times a month, and even when they did, they hardly exchanged words. For Bai Youwei to proactively investigate her mother¡¯s whereabouts was already remarkable. If she had to risk her life to bring her back, she truly couldn¡¯t persuade herself to do it. Besides, if her mother really were in the game, even if she went, she might not be able to meet her. ¡°Now is indeed not the right time,¡± Shen Mo said. ¡°Let¡¯s adjust our state first and prepare for the next battle.¡± Bai Youwei nodded. Anyway, judging by the situation in the crystal shard, her mother was not in danger. Therefore, it was better to take care of her own affairs first. ¡­ The following days were as usual. Besides the King, Battle 5 required 4 citizens. Bai Youwei¡¯s side only had Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, and Asarina, lacking one more. She promised Asarina not to let Along risk himself anymore, while Ya Chaohui had left the base, Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin, one too old and the other too young, were not suitable to join the battle. Shen Mo was looking for candidates for her within the base. Meanwhile, Du Lai was also recruiting people inside the base. For Fu Miaoxue¡¯s next battle, which was Battle 20, at least 10 participants were required. Currently, her citizens only included Du Lai, Leonid, Chen Hui, and Yan Qingwen. The gap in the number of citizens was considerable. Moreover, Fu Miaoxue had previously stated her intention to surrender, so suddenly they couldn¡¯t gather enough people. However, Du Lai always had plenty of ideas and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t need to worry about them. It was expected that once they gathered enough people, they could start training soon to enhance team synergy and such arrangements, but after a few days, the person Shen Mo selected refused to join them. After that, Shen Mo invited several more people, but without exception, they all refused them. On the other hand, Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai quickly gathered their people. Chapter 932 - 932: Professor Songs Idea Chapter 932: Chapter 932: Professor Song¡¯s Idea Bai Youwei, upon hearing this news, had one immediate thought: Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai were up to no good again! Otherwise, she really couldn¡¯t understand why, as equally a King and with a much higher prestige than Fu Miaoxue, everyone preferred to be Fu Miaoxue¡¯s subjects and ignored her? It made no sense at all. Shen Mo also sensed something wrong and went to look for Chu Huaijin, who evaded by professing ignorance. But there weren¡¯t many people at the base, and the news couldn¡¯t be hidden. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo soon heard rumors that the base would only support King Fu Miaoxue in the future. A few individuals chosen by Shen Mo had been summoned by Chu Huaijin for private talks, without Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s knowledge, asking them to abandon Bai Youwei and shift their allegiance to Fu Miaoxue. Bai Youwei found this information utterly baffling¡ªwhat kind of spell had Fu Miaoxue cast on Chu Huaijin? If it had been anyone else, she might have investigated quietly, but since it was Fu Miaoxue, Bai Youwei went directly to her doorstep and aggressively knocked. The person who opened the door was Du Lai. Seeing her, Du Lai wasn¡¯t surprised at all. He stepped aside to let her in, and said, ¡°I know what you want to ask, believe it or not, this has nothing to do with us.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°People have run off to your side and you¡¯re telling me it has nothing to do with you?¡± ¡°Blame your own lack of personal charm~¡± mocked Fu Miaoxue, sitting in front of the vanity mirror, applying her makeup. Bai Youwei immediately retorted, ¡°I lack personal charm? What about you? No matter how much makeup you put on, you don¡¯t look any better!¡± ¡°Hey! What did you just say?!¡± Fu Miaoxue, infuriated, threw a box of blush. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°This really has nothing to do with us.¡± Du Lai, exasperated, positioned himself between the two women, ¡°Bai Youwei, think about it, although we need more people, we have no reason to hinder your recruitment. We won¡¯t encounter each other in the upcoming battle; what would we gain by stopping you? Besides, I promised you earlier that as long as you could save Miaoxue, I would support you fully in the battle. I may not have much credibility, but I won¡¯t go back on my word in this matter.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, looking at him and then at Miaoxue, her face full of suspicion. ¡°Is it really not your doing?¡± she asked. Fu Miaoxue snorted disdainfully, ¡°My ranks are already full, why would I bother?¡± Du Lai added, ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, this seems to be Professor Song¡¯s idea, and Chu Huaijin was also very troubled by it.¡± ¡°Professor Song?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s suspicion deepened, ¡°Isn¡¯t that old man nearly dead? I¡¯ve hardly even met him; when did I offend him?¡± Du Lai helplessly said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the specifics, you better look into it more.¡± Bai Youwei, visibly displeased, grimaced and waved her hand, then left Du Lai and Miaoxue¡¯s room. Once she was gone, Miaoxue immediately asked Du Lai curiously, ¡°Was it really Professor Song¡¯s idea?¡± ¡°Who else could make Chu Huaijin change his mind but Professor Song?¡± Du Lai picked up the box of blush from the floor and put it back on the table, ¡°This has nothing to do with us, let¡¯s not bother with it.¡± Miaoxue couldn¡¯t help but ponder, ¡°¡­ What if Bai Youwei can¡¯t gather enough people?¡± Du Lai paused, then replied, ¡°She has many pieces, so even if she loses the next battle, it should be fine, but if she can¡¯t gather enough people for the final showdown¡­¡± Miaoxue tilted her head, looking at him, ¡°What then?¡± Du Lai slightly furrowed his brow, ¡°¡­ She¡¯d probably die.¡± Chapter 933 - 933: Moving House Chapter 933: Chapter 933: Moving House Since Song Mingchuan fell ill, his presence at the base had been almost negligible. If Du Lai hadn¡¯t mentioned it, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t have remembered that this person even existed at the base. She returned to her room with a stomach full of knots, just about to open the door when Chu Huaijin came out from inside. Their eyes met, and both were momentarily stunned. Chu Huaijin seemed a bit embarrassed, managed a forced smile, and then hurried away. Bai Youwei looked suspiciously at his retreating back and asked Shen Mo, ¡°What was he doing here?¡± Shen Mo watched Chu Huaijin, who had walked far away, and said indifferently, ¡°He hopes we move out, given that the base isn¡¯t planning to support us anymore.¡± Bai Youwei felt surprised, originally she was somewhat defiant, but now she was just taken aback and puzzled. She didn¡¯t speak for a long while, then hesitantly asked Shen Mo, ¡°I haven¡¯t¡­ offended anyone lately, have I?¡± It seemed she still had some self-awareness, knowing her temper wasn¡¯t the best, she may have unwittingly offended Professor Song. Shen Mo gave a quiet laugh and patted her head, ¡°Stop thinking about it, let¡¯s pack our stuff.¡± Actually, there wasn¡¯t much to pack, just some commonly used items like towels, toothbrushes, bedding, pillows, and other daily necessities were available in the dollhouse. The two of them packed up in the room, Bai Youwei hesitated several times as if she wanted to say something. Initially, she and Shen Mo were invited to live here, she didn¡¯t care much for this place, but being swept out like this felt really hard to articulate. Bai Youwei thought over and over, still couldn¡¯t figure it out, and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Could that old guy have become senile?¡± He was lying in a hospital bed, surviving on an oxygen machine, how could he suddenly meddle in the affairs of the base? Shen Mo said, ¡°Chu Huaijin didn¡¯t specify, but from what he said, Professor Song has made all passive preparations and will send someone to talk to Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai. If there¡¯s an issue with Fu Miaoxue¡­ we might need to move out too.¡± Bai Youwei heard this and couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes, ¡°¡­So he¡¯s letting Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai taste the sweetness first and then use this as a threat? That¡¯s cunning.¡± Imagine, when Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue were anxious about not having enough followers, suddenly receiving strong support from the base made life incredibly convenient. Both were elevated to a higher position, perhaps they would reconsider the matter of surrendering. Shen Mo pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°I will notify Asarina and Along, are the others in the dollhouse?¡± ¡°Yes, Xiaoxin and Teacher Cheng are there,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Tan Xiao isn¡¯t, he¡¯s probably downstairs in the machine room playing on the computer again.¡± Shen Mo quickly tidied up a bit, then left to inform the others. Bai Youwei called out to him from the doorway, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you guys downstairs.¡± Shen Mo lifted his hand, signaling that he understood. Bai Youwei returned to her room, looked at the familiar furnishings and furniture, and felt a complex range of emotions. This whole situation was¡­just utterly baffling. She threw her luggage into the dollhouse haphazardly, wrapped herself in a down jacket from head to toe, warm and cozy, and went to take the elevator. People in the Headquarters Building seemed unaware of her and Shen Mo being evicted. She encountered a few staff members who still greeted her warmly. Bai Youwei waited in the lobby for a while when she heard the elevator¡¯s ¡®ding¡¯ as the doors opened. She turned to look and saw Fu Miaoxue stepping out wearing a black princess dress and arrogantly walking in high heels. Du Lai followed behind her, lugging bags and luggage. When Fu Miaoxue saw Bai Youwei, she stared at her down jacket for two seconds, then seemed to realize and cooed, ¡°Oh dear! It¡¯s so cold outside~¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± You don¡¯t even have pores, what are you cold for! Du Lai casually draped a scarf over Fu Miaoxue. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei glanced sideways at them and asked, ¡°Where are you guys going?¡± Fu Miaoxue snorted coldly, spitting out two words: ¡°Move, house!¡± Chapter 934 - 934 Conditions Chapter 934: Chapter 934 Conditions Bai Youwei was stunned, she hadn¡¯t expected that even Fu Miaoxue had been kicked out. ¡°Did Chu Huaijin talk to you?¡± she blurted out, ¡°What conditions did he propose?¡± Du Lai: ¡°Chu Huaijin demanded that after we win the final battle, the establishment of the new world must adopt the committee¡¯s suggestions.¡± ¡°Committee???¡± Bai Youwei was astonished, ¡°When did this thing pop up?¡± She had never heard of it. Du Lai chuckled, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s to prevent the King from being autocratic. If we want their support, we must agree to share the profits and powers with them in the future.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback, and after a moment of silence, she slowly said, ¡°Well, that makes sense¡­¡± It was like during elections in some European and American countries, when presidential candidates always promise voters many benefits in their speeches, such as tax reductions or prioritizing environmental protection. For voters, if those in power can¡¯t bring them benefits, why should they support them? Bai Youwei then asked, ¡°Then why did you refuse?¡± She thought that the conditions proposed by Chu Huaijin weren¡¯t unreasonable. Du Lai glanced at Fu Miaoxue next to him, ¡°Because we don¡¯t plan to participate in the final battle.¡± Since they weren¡¯t preparing to fight, naturally they couldn¡¯t make any promises. ¡°I see¡­¡± Bai Youwei slowly nodded. To unlock the maze, one had to win the battle game. Given Fu Miaoxue¡¯s current condition, she probably needed to enter the maze one more time before she could fully turn back into a human. As for the final battle, there indeed was no need to participate. While they were talking, Shen Mo also came downstairs to the hall and told Bai Youwei to wait a bit longer, as Asarina and Along were packing their luggage. Du Lai greeted Shen Mo. Shen Mo asked, ¡°Found a place to stay?¡± ¡°Just because they won¡¯t provide headquarters¡¯ amenities, you can live anywhere you like in the urban areas,¡± Du Lai joked. ¡°It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know what that old professor plans to do next. With both Kings gone, are they planning to retire en masse and wait for death?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, she couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡­ After leaving the Headquarters Building, Bai Youwei moved into the Shen Family home with Shen Mo. Shen Mo¡¯s father showed extreme enthusiasm for their arrival, eagerly recommending several unoccupied French-style villas nearby, which just needed a bit of cleaning before they were livable. With their living arrangements sorted, life was certainly less convenient than it had been in the headquarters¡ªthere was no cafeteria for meals, no medical care for illnesses or injuries, and no professional facilities for physical or mental training. After a few days, the news of the King¡¯s departure spread. The King was almost the only hope for people¡¯s future. Now that the base no longer supported any King, everyone was perplexed. People flocked to confront Chu Huaijin for answers about the situation, gathered outside Professor Song¡¯s hospital room to protest, and some radicals, dissatisfied with the base¡¯s actions, cursed outside the headquarters! Various conspiracy theories also spread, causing a very bad influence! Finally, one day, probably unable to stand it anymore, Song Mingchuan threw out two recordings and played them publicly. One was a conversation between Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­What¡¯s the point of participating in any final battle, tch!~ I have no interest in that. In the end, someone will always win. Let the world become whatever it becomes! All I need is to enter the maze~ Ah, when can we enter the maze again?¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be soon. Win one more time, and we¡¯ll unlock a new maze¡­¡± The other was a conversation between Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu: ¡°If you win in the end, having the power to change the world, what will you do?¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I hope this is a dream that will never end¡­ Without the maze, without the game, Shen Mo and I wouldn¡¯t be together, and I wouldn¡¯t have met Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, Xiaoxin¡­ wouldn¡¯t have met you all. I¡¯d probably still be locked in my room, counting pills day by day¡­ When I think about all this, I truly don¡¯t hope for the game to end at all.¡± Chapter 935 - 935 Just for Oneself Chapter 935: Chapter 935 Just for Oneself These two recordings represented the genuine inner thoughts of the two Kings and quickly spread throughout the entire city. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know how Fu Miaoxue would feel, but her own feelings¡­ were like being stripped of her clothes, stark naked for the public¡¯s gaze! When people fight for survival in desperate situations, there¡¯s no room for excess mercy. Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue soon became the two most infamous individuals. Originally, people flocked to them because the Kings could open a way to life, but now, one unintentionally provoked a decisive battle, while the other even said she didn¡¯t wish for the game to end. What kind of change would such Kings bring to the world?¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s that people¡¯s expectations were too high to begin with. They saw them as saviors, when in reality, they were only looking out for themselves. Zhu Shu knew about this and was particularly furious. She found Chu Huaijin and accused him of quoting out of context. When she had talked to Bai Youwei initially, they discussed a whole lot! Picking out just that one line was obviously meant to mislead people! ¡°Even if Weiwei said this herself, what does it prove? Doesn¡¯t Professor Song understand the complexity of human nature? Even the most compassionate person might harbor a fleeting evil thought! Just because Weiwei said that then doesn¡¯t mean she always feels that way!¡± Zhu Shu was extremely angry, shouting at Chu Huaijin across a few bodyguards, ¡°Is it because Professor Song is sick that he¡¯s not thinking clearly? What about you?! Do you also think this way?!¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chu Huaijin waved his hand, signaling the bodyguards to let her go, and sighed, ¡°You and Miss Bai are friends, so it¡¯s normal for you to defend her. However, I hope you can also consider how many people have died in the game? How many have lost their families and their lives because of it? How many from our headquarters have sacrificed themselves for the game? And¡­ how did Professor Song¡¯s son die? Why does everyone wholeheartedly support the Kings? It¡¯s to stop all this! Yet she says she doesn¡¯t wish for the game to end! How can I continue to support her?!¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t justify releasing these recordings publicly!¡± Zhu Shu retorted angrily. ¡°Zhu Shu.¡± Someone called out from afar. Zhu Shu turned around to see it was Yan Qingwen, with Su Man and Lu Yuwen approaching. She bit her lip and walked over to Yan Qingwen, ¡°Professor Song is crossing the line by planting listening devices in the King¡¯s room and broadcasting the recordings. If this continues, Weiwei won¡¯t be able to recruit any subjects! What does he hope to achieve? What good does it do him if the remaining two Kings at the base are eliminated?!¡± Yan Qingwen glanced at Chu Huaijin not far away, his tone very calm, ¡°Yes, what benefit would it be for him if the King gets eliminated due to a lack of subjects¡­ It¡¯s common sense that everyone understands, so why doesn¡¯t Professor Song get it?¡± Zhu Shu was slightly stunned, feeling that Yan Qingwen¡¯s words seemed to imply something. Turning to look at Chu Huaijin again, the man just offered an apologetic smile and then left with several bodyguards. ¡°They¡¯re being so irresponsible¡­¡± Zhu Shu watched Chu Huaijin¡¯s receding figure, feeling very unreconciled, ¡°Everyone says the wrong thing sometimes. Releasing that recording almost negates all of Weiwei¡¯s efforts! No one will be grateful to her now!¡± ¡°Bai Youwei didn¡¯t join the labyrinth war to be appreciated,¡± said Yan Qingwen. Zhu Shu looked at him incredulously, ¡°Don¡¯t you believe in Weiwei either? Even though she said that, she would definitely not act on it! She cares a lot about her friends!¡± Yan Qingwen smiled faintly, ¡°I do believe her. But you also have to understand, it¡¯s fortunate that the person by her side is Shen Mo, otherwise¡­ whether the Bai Youwei of now would be like what was said in the recording, not wanting the game to end, nobody can be sure.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s understandable,¡± Lu Yuwen took up the conversation, his lips curving slightly, ¡°Without the game, she and I, one with a bad leg and the other with a limp, it¡¯s no wonder we¡¯ve become dependent on it.¡± Chapter 936 - 936: Isolation Chapter 936: Chapter 936: Isolation Beside Lu Yuwen, Su Man listened to his words, silently widened her eyes, and gently nudged him with her elbow, whispering, ¡°¡­You don¡¯t want the game to end either?¡± ¡°How could that be?¡± Lu Yuwen smiled and shook his head, ¡°As long as the game exists one more day, countless people will lose their lives. Of course, I hope the world returns to normal soon. I was just trying to analyze Bai Youwei¡¯s psychology, and I think I can understand it. Of course, it¡¯s normal for the public not to accept it.¡± Su Man sighed, ¡°Alas, it¡¯s a pity that we¡¯ve become commoners and can¡¯t help her.¡± ¡°Even if you weren¡¯t commoners, I wouldn¡¯t recommend you trying to help.¡± Yan Qingwen glanced at her, ¡°The final battle is extremely dangerous. You¡¯re the only daughter in your family and not suitable to fight.¡± Su Man pouted and retorted, ¡°If we don¡¯t fight, will we survive? We¡¯re still just waiting to die¡­¡± Zhu Shu asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°Is there any way we can help Weiwei?¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She was very anxious and added, ¡°If I go and clarify to everyone that there¡¯s something wrong with that recording, will anyone believe it?¡± Yan Qingwen glanced around and said unexcitedly, ¡°Do you think Professor Song targeted the King because he discovered those recordings?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Zhu Shu stared at him, puzzled. Yan Qingwen continued, ¡°His research group must have discovered something recently¡­ Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have taken such a suicidal approach. I think Bai Youwei will have to choose to surrender this time.¡± ¡°We are just about to reach the fourth battle, surrender now?¡± Zhu Shu was astonished, ¡°Weiwei would never agree.¡± Su Man also couldn¡¯t hold back, ¡°Yeah, Brother Yan, that¡¯s a terrible idea! We¡¯re about to win, and surrendering now would mean all our efforts were wasted!¡± Lu Yuwen pondered for a moment and suggested, ¡°If we can find out the progress of the research group, maybe we can understand Professor Song¡¯s true intention.¡± Looking around at each other, they almost unanimously said¡ª ¡°Find Li Li.¡± As Song Mingchuan¡¯s former capable assistant, after Song Mingchuan fell seriously ill and was bedridden, Li Li had become a backbone of the research group. If anyone knew anything, it would be Li Li. ¡­ Meanwhile, Asarina and Along also heard about the recordings. The matter spread far and wide, and translating it into English wasn¡¯t hard to understand. Even Leonid privately asked Shen Mo: does Bai Youwei really think so? Doesn¡¯t she want the game to end? Doesn¡¯t she look forward to the world recovering? How could someone think like this? Zhu Shu believed that it was a momentary lapse for Bai Youwei, but others found it hard to understand or accept Bai Youwei¡¯s extreme ideas. It¡¯s like a group of people who enlisted to fight the enemy, only to have their commanding general say, he fights because he enjoys fighting, and it doesn¡¯t matter if the enemy lives or dies¡­ Their faith collapsed. In English, Asarina asked Shen Mo if the recording was truly Bai Youwei¡¯s, and if it had been tampered with. Having received an affirmative response, Asarina expressed that she and Along wanted to go home; they could no longer fight for Bai Youwei. Even if they stayed reluctantly, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t be able to recruit enough subjects and was ultimately headed for a dead end. Asarina felt there was little significance in them staying. These were the words Asarina said directly to Shen Mo. She had hoped to hear Bai Youwei¡¯s explanation but had not been able to see Bai Youwei. After the incident, Bai Youwei had moved into a dollhouse and refused to see anyone. Without defending herself with even a single word, not expecting forgiveness, nor beseeching for sympathy, she completely isolated herself from the outside world. She isolated herself not only from insults but also from the concern of her friends. Chapter 937 - 937: Gone Chapter 937: Chapter 937: Gone Shen Mo entered the room. Bai Youwei was sitting on the bed, engrossed in a single-player game on her phone. She used to think these games were dumb, but now with nothing else to do, playing to pass the time actually became enjoyable. She heard Shen Mo¡¯s footsteps as he entered, but she didn¡¯t look up and asked, ¡°Has Asarina left?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Mo walked over. ¡°She waited for you for two hours and just drove away.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s fingers paused, then she resumed tapping on her phone screen without a word. Shen Mo sat down by the bed, watching her play. Her score had already far exceeded the historical record. ¡°Asarina and Along leaving means we now have even fewer people,¡± Shen Mo remarked lightly. ¡°Du Lai suggested we join them and go to Beijing. There¡¯s a safety base there, free from interference of rumors. It might be easier to recruit subjects over there.¡± ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Bai Youwei nodded. ¡°When do we leave?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to get some gasoline in the next few days. We should be able to leave tomorrow or the day after,¡± Shen Mo said. ¡°However, reaching a new place, meeting new team members, building trust and mutual understanding takes time. You¡¯ll need to be prepared for that.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, got it.¡± Bai Youwei nodded again, seeming very cooperative. Shen Mo was silent for a while, then said, ¡°If we can¡¯t make it in time, we should add Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin first, getting five people together to cope with the next game. Winning or losing doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The most important thing now was to ensure Bai Youwei didn¡¯t risk her life due to a lack of subjects. Bai Youwei said ¡°okay.¡± She was too compliant today, not uttering a single unnecessary word. Shen Mo stood up, asking her, ¡°Do you want to talk to Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin?¡± Bai Youwei hesitated, her fingers pinching both ends of the phone. After a long time, she replied softly, ¡°You go talk to them¡­¡± This sort of matter, she should have handled herself, including persuading Asarina not to leave, but she pushed everything onto Shen Mo. Shen Mo got up and walked towards the door. He stopped at the threshold, turned around, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°You still want to have dinner in your room?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Bai Youwei lowered her head and continued playing with her phone, ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry; I just want to be alone for a while.¡± Shen Mo stood at the door, quietly watching her. Feeling his gaze, Bai Youwei looked up, slightly uneasy, and gave a small, awkward smile. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that¡­¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Shen Mo said, ¡°Come here, let me hold you.¡± Bai Youwei paused, her smile returning, ¡°¡­if you want to hold me, just come here.¡± ¡°No, you come here,¡± Shen Mo insisted. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The smile slowly faded from Bai Youwei¡¯s face. The room was eerily silent, neither of them spoke until the ¡°game-over¡± sound effect from the mobile game snapped Bai Youwei back to reality. She lowered her head, muttering somewhat discontentedly, ¡°I was lying down comfortably; I don¡¯t feel like moving.¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°Are you too lazy to come over, or can you not come over?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s lips pursed tightly, turning slightly pale. Shen Mo strode toward her. Bai Youwei recoiled as if afraid. She leaned against the pillow, her entire demeanor tense and resistant. Before she could speak, Shen Mo held down her leg. ¡°When did this happen?¡± Shen Mo asked. Bai Youwei bit her lower lip. Shen Mo gripped her knee, lifting the powerless leg slightly and then slowly lowering it back down. ¡°Since receiving the message yesterday, you¡¯ve just stayed in your room. Are you planning to stay in bed all day today too? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyelids, speaking softly, ¡°I thought it would recover quickly¡­¡± Last time, it was just a moment. She hadn¡¯t expected that this time, after an entire day, she still couldn¡¯t¡­ stand up. Chapter 1 - 1: 1 The Tortoise and the Hare Chapter 1 - 1: 1 The Tortoise and the HareTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio May of 2119, humans started to turn into dolls. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Those walking on the street, eating in restaurants, or half-dressed in changing rooms; the unfortunate ones¡¯ movement paused in the moment of transition, their smiles frozen on their faces, as they all became motionless human-shaped dolls. Without warning, without identifiable cause. People were perplexed, terrified, driven to madness, and filled with despair. They marched in protests challenging the suspected terror attacks of mysterious organizations, spread rumors of extraterrestrial invasions on the internet, and some even evacuated to the countryside¡­ They did everything they could but still, the people around them kept turning into dolls one after another. Gradually, people became numb. Those who should go to school, went to school. Those who should work, went to work. Life continued as usual. But there was a new segment on the daily news broadcast- After reading the news, the television newscaster would announce in a standard tone: ¡°If you notice someone around you has turned into a doll, please call the emergency hotline at 123, the relevant departments will handle this promptly¡­¡± ¡°Handling¡± meant sending the dolls off to research institutions. If the scientists found something significant, that was good. If they didn¡¯t, the relatives would be notified to claim the dolls, whether to bury or place them in their homes was up to them. Bai Youwei watched the news for a while, then noticing the time, she took the remote and turned off the television. She then pressed a button on her wheelchair and headed towards the dining room. She had a disability in both legs, her parents divorced in her early childhood and they both started new families. Perhaps due to guilt, they never held back on expenses for Bai Youwei. They let her live in the most luxurious villas and hired expensive caretakers, but they never seemed to have time to spend with their daughter. But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t mind it. She was long accustomed to being alone. The dining room clock ticked on, with the minute hand pointing to 12:10. Bai Youwei ate lunch precisely at noon every day, never late, but now, there was no food on the table. With silence all around, the ticking of the clock emphasized the tranquility of the luxurious villa. Bai Youwei waited for a bit, then noticed the smell of burnt food coming from the kitchen. She adjusted her direction and rolled over in her wheelchair. The caretaker was standing with her back towards her, frozen beside the gas stove, with her hand still holding the pose of stirring food, but she didn¡¯t move. The caretaker had become a doll, just now. Her face was the same, but the material had wholly changed, from fresh flesh and blood to plastic skin, glass eyes, synthetic hair¡­. The previous caretaker had fled back to her hometown, and this one had only been here for two days. Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t even memorized her name yet. Now, the woman had become like this. She gazed at the sight for a moment, then rolled her wheelchair over, turned off the stove, and as advised on the news, dialed the emergency hotline 123. The line was busy. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then decided to call her mother. Since the caretaker was hired by her mother, she should be able to contact the caretaker¡¯s family. Once the call connected, she was surrounded by the sounds of conversations, laughter and music¡­ all accentuating her solitude. A real nuisance. She explained the situation briefly and then hung up the phone. The house was silent, as was outside. The scorching sun was baking the earth. The pond in the garden reflected the glittering light. A hibiscus drooped its purple petals under the intense sunshine. Everything seemed normal, but Bai Youwei knew that the world had already become abnormal. ¡­ At two in the afternoon, the sound of a car engine echoed outside the villa. Through the window, Bai Youwei saw a tall man ringing the doorbell. After a moment of thought, she went to the kitchen to get a folding fruit knife, and then wheeled towards the door. Through the iron gate, she could see the man standing tall, with a stern look on his face, and a pair of deep and quiet eyes under his thick eyebrows. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn¡¯t recall where she had seen him before. ¡°Are you Weiwei?¡± His voice hesitated slightly, bearing the unfamiliarity of their first meeting. ¡°I¡¯m Shen Mo, your mother heard about what happened here and asked me to pick you up.¡± Bai Youwei was startled. Shen Mo? No wonder he seemed familiar, he was Uncle Shen¡¯s son. He looked a bit like his uncle. To clarify, Uncle Shen is her mother¡¯s good friend, as well as her business partner. In Bai Youwei¡¯s opinion, ¡°fall-back option¡± would be a more appropriate description of Uncle Shen¡¯s role. After a moment of silence, Bai Youwei put her fruit knife back in her pocket and opened the door- Shen Mo looked at the girl in front of him. With pale skin and soft long hair, her light blue dress covered her from neck to feet. Just like her name indicates ¨C Bai (white), You (young), Wei (tiny) ¨C one can¡¯t help but associate her with words like pale, young, delicate, weak, and so on. She looked very well-behaved, not at all difficult to get along with, contrary to what her Aunt Wang had described. ¡°Pack your things. I¡¯ll drive you to Yangzhou,¡± said Shen Mo concisely. Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Shen Mo was surprised and raised his eyebrows, ¡°It¡¯s unsafe in the city now. Those who could have already evacuated, if you stay here with nobody to take care of you, you¡¯ll die.¡± Bai Youwei lowered her head to look at the exquisite pattern on her dress, ¡°I¡¯m not going. No matter where I go, with my condition, I¡¯ll die.¡± Shen Mo had not expected such obstinance. He wasn¡¯t good at persuading people and even worse at cajoling children. Without a word, he walked into the house asking, ¡°Which room is yours?¡± Watching Shen Mo, Bai Youwei asked suspiciously, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Ignoring her, Shen Mo went into the house. After walking around, he found her bedroom with certainty and started to pack her clothes and necessities. The girl followed him, her expression somewhat forlorn. After packing the clothes, Shen Mo stood in the room, looking around and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the medicine?¡± Bai Youwei permanently resided in a wheelchair, and medicine was a necessity. She stayed silent. He didn¡¯t bother asking again. Soon, the room was all in disorder. Sitting in her wheelchair, Bai Youwei watched him rummaging through her things, gripping her hands tightly. With a low voice, she said, ¡°Do you¡­ do you think you¡¯re amazing and noble for saving a poor, helpless girl?¡­ Have you ever thought about the consequences of taking me away forcefully?¡­ Once we reach Yangzhou, how am I, a physically-disabled woman, going to survive? You know, I need help even to eat and go to the bathroom. I have to wear adult diapers for long journeys. You¡­,¡± She took a deep breath, ¡°You don¡¯t understand anything! I¡¯m not going with you!¡± At the end of her words, her voice was hoarse, bearing suppressed sobbing. Shen Mo looked at her, stayed silent for a moment, and then he lowered his voice, ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t understand. But at least there¡¯s one thing I understand ¨C if you stay here, you¡¯ll die faster. If you leave, there might be hope.¡± Hope? A chill ran through Bai Youwei¡¯s heart. Even her own parents no longer wished to see her. She was living life like a zombie, without the intention of continuing, even if the world remained normal. She was a hopeless wreck! Shen Mo approached Bai Youwei, his dark eyes heavy with intensity, speaking in a calm and steadfast voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will safely get you to Yangzhou.¡± Bai Youwei bit her lip. She had no choice. Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei out of the villa, towards an off-road vehicle parked by the road side. He lifted her from her wheelchair. She was lighter than he could ever imagine, frail but not making his arms uncomfortable. The girl in his hold was soft and weak. Her face against his chest, a faint fragrance intertwined with a scent of dairy-infused rose, along with a whiff of medicine. It formed a peculiar aroma, inducing a feeling he couldn¡¯t quite describe. Looking at her tense face, he softened a little, reassuring her again, ¡°I¡¯ll drive faster. We will get there in an hour and a half. There is someone at the other end to take care of you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Apparently bearing a grudge against him for his coercion, Bai Youwei turned her face away, refusing to respond. Shen Mo gave a faint smile, closed the car door, and sat in the driver¡¯s seat to start the car¡ª But it didn¡¯t take him long to realize he had miscalculated. The situation was more serious than he had imagined. Dolls had appeared on almost every road. While the reason for people turning into dolls was unknown, it was common knowledge that areas with a high density of dolls were dangerous, and everyone tried to avoid such roads. Shen Mo began detouring. After more than an hour, he finally arrived at the motorway entrance. But even the motorway wasn¡¯t peaceful. As far as the eye could see, there were cars, about sixty or seventy of them, haphazardly stopped right in the middle of the road. Some of the cars were crashed, with no sign of the passengers¡¯ survival. At the end of the line, there were many people like them who had just reached the motorway. These people stood outside their vehicles, craning their necks to get a better view, hesitant about whether to move forward. Shen Mo got out of the car to ask about the situation. Bai Youwei was leaning against the car window, listening to people¡¯s conversations: ¡°What should we do? Should we still go?¡± ¡°Go? There are dolls all over the front, how can we pass?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t go, do you want to wait here to die? The nearest city, only Yangzhou and Taizhou don¡¯t have anyone turned into dolls!¡± ¡°What about other roads, are there dolls on other roads?¡± ¡°If this continues, we are all going to be trapped here and die¡­¡± ¡°Honey, what should we do?¡± A woman with long hair was sobbing, ¡°It must be the end of the world¡­ we¡¯re all going to die¡­¡± Her husband seemed to have no ideas as well, smoking anxiously, without uttering a word of comfort. After listening for a while, Bai Youwei lost interest, closed the car window, and enjoyed her own tranquility. Shen Mo got back into the car. Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°Will we turn into dolls if we pass this road?¡± Shen Mo pondered, ¡°Let¡¯s see the situation first. If it doesn¡¯t work, we will find another road.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t have much trust in him, and muttered under her breath, ¡°There are dolls on other roads too.¡± At that moment, there was commotion up ahead. Everyone was surprised. Looking up, they saw a blue pickup truck slowly moving forward, apparently testing the waters. Several other cars saw this and followed cautiously, maintaining a safe distance. It seemed some people were getting impatient. After all, there was no safe place in the city. Almost every road was filled with dolls, and to leave the city would require risks. The driver of the blue pickup truck was a bald strong man. He steered the car carefully past several vehicles filled with dolls. Seeing no abnormality, he unconsciously sped up. Once he reached the open area that was safe, he leaned out of the car, waving to the people behind him: ¡°This road is passable!¡± The atmosphere was uplifted by his words and the cars behind started moving forward. Some people laughed and made casual conversation with the bald man, ¡°Buddy, we owe you big time this round!¡± The others also relaxed, their faces lit up with smiles. ¡°Seems like there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Shen Mo started the car, following the convoy. Bai Youwei responded indifferently with an ¡°Oh.¡± ¡­ On the motorway, the cars advanced at a snail¡¯s pace, each person was exceedingly careful and cautious. Bai Youwei quietly leaned against the car window. As the car moved ahead, she saw one human-like doll after another. They stood like window-display mannequins from a clothing store, their eyes hollow, their poses rigid¡­ Turning her head, she saw two dolls in a red car opposite them. The male doll was driving, and next to him sat a female doll. The woman¡¯s stomach was noticeably bulging, obviously she was pregnant. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help thinking: Had the child in her belly also turned into a tiny doll? Was it also made of plastic skin, glass eyeballs, and fiber hair? What exactly had they experienced at the moment they turned into dolls? Was it possible that their bodies could not move, but their consciousness was still clear? This thought sent shivers down her spine. She withdrew her gaze and stopped looking. ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! The theme for the game is ¡®Tortoise and the Hare¡¯. The rules are as follows: First, those who refuse to participate in the game will turn into dolls. Second, those who lose in the game will turn into dolls. Third, those who successfully complete the game will be rewarded with a doll! ¡­¡± A strange voice resounded by her ear. Its tone was beautiful enough to be divine. For a moment, Bai Youwei was stunned. ¡°Hey, did you hear¡­¡± she was about to ask Shen Mo in front of her. But her vision blurred, and in the next instant, under the clear blue sky was a vast stretch of green grassland. What was happening ?! Bai Youwei was dumbfounded by the scene in front of her. Just a second ago, she was sitting in Shen Mo¡¯s car. The next moment, she was sitting on the green lawn. And so were their fellow companions! Everyone, with a look of astonishment, was staring at the racetrack outside the lawn. On the track hung a banner with four exaggerated characters that were hard to miss¡ª Tortoise, Hare, Race, Run! Chapter 2 - 2: 2 The Strange Situation Chapter 2 - 2: 2 The Strange SituationTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio What on earth is happening?! Bai Youwei clutched onto the grass beneath her, her fingers digging into the soil. The touch came with a cool, damp sensation ¨C a reality she couldn¡¯t deny. This wasn¡¯t an illusion, and it certainly wasn¡¯t a dream! They had truly been transported from a highway to this unknown location in an instant! S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. What was that voice talking about a game earlier? Could this be the reason why people were transforming into dolls? Would they turn into dolls if they couldn¡¯t leave this place? A shudder of fear crawled into her heart, her previously calm heart started to pound abruptly. Holding onto her numbing legs, Bai Youwei was breaking out in a cold sweat. Shen Mo stood not far in front of her, alert and observing their surroundings. His face looked just as unsightly. The warm sun shone upon the land, fluffy white clouds stretched out across the sky, a gentle breeze carried the faint scent of grass. In this beautiful weather perfect for outdoor picnics, everyone was too terrified to make a move. ¡°Where are we¡­¡± A long-haired woman looked up in horror, ¡°Weren¡¯t we just in the car? Honey, I want to go home. Let¡¯s just go home¡­¡± The woman¡¯s husband pushed her away, his face filled with anger: ¡°Where¡¯s the bald guy? Didn¡¯t he say it¡¯s all safe?!¡± ¡°Yeah, he said we could leave, which is why we followed him!¡± ¡°Damn it! I knew there was something off about him! Otherwise, why would he be so eager to be the first one to proceed? He must¡¯ve led us here on purpose!¡± ¡°Damn that bastard¡­¡± Everyone started cursing, seemingly forgetting their gratitude towards the bald man just moments ago. Bai Youwei silently counted the number of people. Including her, there were seventeen in total. The bald man really was gone. But why? Everyone took the same path, why wasn¡¯t he here too? Could the game¡¯s activation have some kind of hidden secret? Strange¡­ She was plunged into this eerie situation but why did she feel a tingle of thrill along with her fear? What was she expecting? ¡°Everyone, listen up¡­¡± A middle-aged man in a suit began to speak, ¡°Blaming others won¡¯t solve anything at this point. We need to stay united if we want any hope of getting out of here. I noticed earlier that this place looks like a sports field. There¡¯s a track up ahead. Who¡¯s willing to come with me and check it out?¡± The man¡¯s Mercedes and his professional attire gave his words extra weight. Many agreed with his proposal. A young woman wearing glasses timidly spoke up: ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± Another blonde young man retorted her: ¡°So what if it¡¯s dangerous? Do you plan on doing nothing and just wait here to die?!¡± The girl looked at her boyfriend, seeming hurt. The boy was very smooth and quickly chimed in, ¡°Bro, chill, she¡¯s worried about our safety, after all, we have no idea where this place is¡­¡± The middle-aged man contemplated for a moment: ¡°While it¡¯s not an invalid concern, it seems currently safe. However, this place is still unknown to us. Maybe we should leave the women and the elderly here, and the men can come with me to check the path.¡± After mulling it over, Shen Mo turned to Bai Youwei and said: ¡°You wait here, I¡¯ll go ahead and check it out.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Bai Youwei firmly grabbed his arm. Her firm ¡°no¡± was unwavering and loud, drawing the attention of everyone else. Shen Mo was the tallest among the men. He had a lean build and an imposing demeanor. His rolled-up sleeve revealed his firm forearm, clearly a valuable asset in terms of combat power. If he didn¡¯t go, the power of the ¡°scouting party¡± would be greatly undermined. The blonde young man gave her a sidelong glance: ¡°Cutie, in matters of life and death, we have no room for willfulness. Don¡¯t we need to figure out what¡¯s going on to find our way back?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s life or death, what difference does gender make?!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly seemed like a different person, her tone sharp as she retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t know any of you people. If something happens to him, who¡¯s going to look after me, a cripple? I bet you all would run faster than rabbits!¡± Holding onto Shen Mo, Bai Youwei stared directly into his eyes: ¡°Shen Mo, you promised me! You promised to get me to Yangzhou safe and sound! But now, are you going to leave me so soon?!¡± A few of the women also hesitated, looking to their male companions. If all the men left, leaving them with the old and the children, what would they do in case of an emergency? Although Bai Youwei would undoubtedly be the worst off, they wouldn¡¯t fare much better either. ¡°Honey, I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯m scared staying here alone.¡± The long-haired woman changed her mind. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all go together?¡± Someone suggested, ¡°I don¡¯t see much to explore here. Besides the grassy field, there¡¯s a track, and beyond that, a forest.¡± ¡°So, are we supposed to cross the forest?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s check out the banner first. There¡¯s something odd about it¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look, there might be some clues.¡± As everyone spoke, they started walking towards the banner with ¡°The tortoise and the hare race.¡± Shen Mo bent down and lifted Bai Youwei, catching up with the others. Bai Youwei wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes red and her voice back to its delicate softness, but her stubbornness remained: ¡°Are you having regrets? Do you think I¡¯m a burden? Well, it¡¯s too late for regrets now! Shen Mo, don¡¯t even think about shaking me off!¡± As if to prove her words, Bai Youwei tightened her hold around his neck, her look defiant. Shen Mo winced at her surprising strength. He realized it might be because she had grown up without her parents, which made her insecure. With this thought, Shen Mo¡¯s annoyance faded. He comforted her: ¡°I won¡¯t abandon you.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, half-believing. Shen Mo was bewildered too. Given Bai Youwei¡¯s physical and mental condition, why hadn¡¯t Aunt Wang taken her in?¡¯ ¡°Look, there¡¯s someone beneath the banner!¡± As everyone turned to look, so did Shen Mo, cutting off his train of thought. As they got closer, the figure under the banner became clearer. ¡ª¡ªIt was a man dressed like a gentleman, in a white bow-tied shirt and a black tailcoat. On his head was a lifelike rabbit mask with long ears that were particularly noticeable. The red eyes of the mask were fixed upon them, not blinking once. Chapter 3 - 3: 3 Where is the End Point Chapter 3 - 3: 3 Where is the End PointTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The whole scene seemed too bizarre, so everyone slowed down, looking warily at the rabbit-headed gentleman. ¡°Hello everyone, I am the Inspector of this game. Welcome to the Doll Game.¡± Despite the distance, the rabbit-headed gentleman¡¯s voice was clear in the air ¨C a gentle female voice. However, at this moment, even the gentlest voice couldn¡¯t calm the fear in everyone¡¯s hearts. ¡°Who are you? Did you bring us to this place?!¡± Someone with a lot of nerve spoke out. The rabbit-headed figure was holding a large top hat in her hand, her voice gentle and calm: ¡°Please, all players, take your positions at the start line. The race begins when the starting gun fires and crossing the correct finish line will take you to the next round. The game consists of three rounds¡­¡± ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you, can¡¯t you hear me?!¡± A burly man strode over, grabbing the rabbit-headed figure by the neck, ¡°Stop playing tricks with your mask! Speak up! How do we get out of this hellhole?!¡± The rabbit-headed figure was tall and slender, and her gentle female voice made her unthreatening. It was because of this that the burly man brazenly grabbed her throat. Even with her slim neck in the grip of the burly man, her voice echoed again without any hindrance¡ª¨C ¡°This game is divided into three rounds. The race begins when the starting gun fires, crossing the correct finish line¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± The burly man roared in a temper, ¡°I¡¯m not here to play games! Tell me how to get out or I¡¯ll strangle you!¡± Boom! Blue flames exploded, followed by a muffled blast! The burly man¡¯s body trembled violently for a moment! Just like he¡¯d been hit by lightning, his body turned charred black and disintegrated into ash on the ground! The rabbit-headed figure tilted her head, lightly brushed off the black ash from her shoulder. The fur on her neck was clearly exposed, finally making everyone realize that she wasn¡¯t wearing a mask. She genuinely had a rabbit¡¯s head! ¡°Ah¡­ The monster, the Monster!¡± A long-haired woman collapsed on the ground, her legs shaking. Her husband grabbed her arm, intending to escape. But when he turned back, he found that hundreds of rabbits had appeared on the open, flat grassland! Each rabbit was as big as a wolfhound! They were snow-white, with blood-red eyes. Under their three-lobed mouths, sharp teeth gaped menacingly, grinding against each other, making a sound that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. The scene was too horrifying for Bai Youwei to bear and she instinctively pulled into Shen Mo¡¯s arms. She raised her head to look at Shen Mo, finding his face pale but his demeanor still calm, unlike the others, who were panicked and confused. The rabbit-headed figure stood calmly in front of them: ¡°Please, all players, take your positions at the starting point soon.¡± Bai Youwei looked where it was pointing towards the starting line, where those giant rabbits were also moving. They were crawling into the running lane, squished behind the starting line. ¡­A race of the tortoise and the hare. Now that the rabbits were here, did that mean they were the tortoise? ¡°May I ask,¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s teeth clenched as she raised her hand to ask, ¡°Do I still have to participate in the race in my condition?¡± The rabbit-headed figure turned its gaze towards Bai Youwei, lingering a moment before apologizing in a courteous and gentle manner: ¡°I see, my apologies for the oversight.¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Soon after, it extended its gloved hand into the top hat and pulled out a pair of crutches! Bai Youwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat! They were just like her crutches!¡­ No, they were her crutches! The folding crutches she had packed in her suitcase! If the rabbit-headed figure could easily take things from the outside world, did that mean they had to go along with what it said to leave this place? But even if she was given her crutches, there was no way she could outrun those dog-sized rabbits! At this time, Shen Mo, who had remained silent this whole time, asked, ¡°Where is the finish line?¡± The rabbit-headed figure raised its hand, pointing to the other end of the running lane¡ª¨C Chapter 4 - 4: 4: The Correct Finish Line Chapter 4 - 4: 4: The Correct Finish LineTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The endpoint and starting point echoed each other in the distance, marked by a semi-transparent sign. Because of its semi-transparency, no one noticed it previously. The length of the endpoint sign was consistent with the track. The material was unclear, yet it was able to hover high in mid-air. At this moment, the rabbit-headed man pointed at it, and two extremely bold black characters appeared on it: Endpoint. Below the ¡°Endpoint,¡± there were two arrows, pointing to the No.1 track on the left and the No.2 track on the right. Usual sports fields usually have six or eight tracks, but there were only two tracks here. ¡°The track is 200 meters long, and you can proceed to the next round by going through the correct endpoint. The game ends after three rounds,¡± the rabbit-headed man explained the rules. ¡°Will those rabbits run with us?¡± Shen Mo glanced at the rabbit not far away. ¡°Of course.¡± The rabbit-headed man answered in a still mild voice, ¡°The rabbit is a critical part of the tortoise and the hare race. You have to avoid being caught by them.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips and cautiously asked him, ¡°What happens if we are caught up?¡± The rabbit-headed man made no comment. Although the man didn¡¯t comment, somehow, Bai Youwei felt as if he was laughing¡­ The woman hiding behind her husband asked with a tremble, ¡°Do¡­do they bite?¡± Bite? S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The others silently cursed in their hearts: Look at those teeth! It wouldn¡¯t be surprising even if they said these rabbits eat people! ¡°Alright, ladies and gentlemen, the rule explanation ends here. Please follow me to the starting point. The race is about to begin,¡± said the rabbit-headed man as he turned around, supporting his top hat with one hand and headed towards the starting line. Everyone exchanged glances, looking at each other hesitantly, not moving forward. The charred corpse on the ground was still there, exuding a faint burnt odor. The sunlight shone on it, and the semi-transparent endpoint sign in the distance reflected the brilliant light, seemingly beckoning to everyone. Finally, unable to resist the fear in their hearts, they followed the rabbit-headed man step by step with heavy footsteps. Shen Mo looked down at Bai Youwei, ¡°I might run faster with you on my back rather than in my arms. But if you¡¯re afraid of those rabbits, I can carry you.¡± The rabbits were obviously aggressive, so the back and legs would be the parts most easily injured if they were attacked from behind. ¡°You¡¯d better carry me.¡± Bai Youwei also calmed down, ¡°Running not only requires speed but also balance. We need to be agile to avoid the rabbits. It would be a lot of trouble if you were carrying me.¡± They stopped and adjusted their positions, with Bai Youwei lying on Shen Mo¡¯s back. They ended up seeking refuge at the back of the group. ¡°Are you scared?¡± Shen Mo asked her. ¡°I am,¡± Bai Youwei answered in a muffled voice. No one would not be afraid encountering such a situation. She asked Shen Mo in a meek voice, ¡°What about you? If those rabbits run very fast ¡­¡± If they run very fast, he would undoubtedly be dragged down while carrying her. Cradling Bai Youwei¡¯s legs, Shen Mo stepped forward, ¡°Remember what the rabbit-headed man just said? He said there would be three rounds in total. If the rabbits are fast, you could finish the race in one round instead of scheduling three rounds.¡± Bai Youwei was a bit surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected Shen Mo to have analyzed it so far. She looked at the starting line ahead. The giant rabbits looked horrid. However, careful observation revealed each rabbit was a little out of sorts: they were limping, twitching, scratching and kicking at the ground. Some were even biting their flesh in a frenzy. If they ran, their speed might not be so fast. After thinking, Bai Youwei whispered to Shen Mo, ¡°The rabbit-headed man kept emphasizing passing through the correct endpoint, so, if you want to win the race, you don¡¯t need to be the first one over the finish line. Instead, you have to run faster than the rabbits and find the correct endpoint.¡± Upon hearing this, Shen Mo said, ¡°Which side is the correct endpoint?¡± Bai Youwei fell silent. Since there were three rounds in the race, the endpoint for each would certainly be different. It could be on the left, or maybe the right, and a hint might be given during the 200-meter run. Even if there wasn¡¯t a hint, guessing blindly would give them a 50% accuracy rate. The problem now was, they didn¡¯t know what the consequences of running to the wrong endpoint would be. Chapter 5 - 5: 5 Little White Rabbit, So White Chapter 5 - 5: 5 Little White Rabbit, So WhiteTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Everyone came to the starting line of the track. Despite there being only two lanes, it was so wide that sixteen people standing in a line side by side didn¡¯t give off a cramped sensation. Behind them were ghastly giant rabbits. The rabbits pushed each other, baring their teeth and making hissing noises from their mouths and noses. Their hot, terrible smelling breath along with their soft fur almost touched the ankles of the people in front of them, appearing as if they will bite off a chunk of flesh given one more step closer. The woman with long hair was trembling, one of her hands clutching her husband¡¯s clothes hem so tightly, tears streaming non-stop from her eyes. Her husband scolded softly, ¡°Let go! How am I supposed to run with you holding on to me?!¡± The young man with the yellow hair coolly watched the couple as he squatted to re-tie his shoelaces. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The girl with glasses took off her high heel sandals, thought for a moment, picked up the sandals, and tightly held on to them. The middle-aged man in a suit took off his jacket, anxiously staring at the finish line ahead of him. ¡­Sixteen people, each silently preparing themselves. Bai Youwei lying on Shen Mo¡¯s back, asked nervously, ¡°Are you good at running?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°I¡¯m decent.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment before asking again, ¡°Am I heavy?¡± Shen Mo hoisted her up a bit, with a casual tone, ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡± Why he kept saying ¡®okay¡¯? Bai Youwei felt uneasy. She was about to ask again when a voice overshadows her thoughts: ¡°On your mark¡ª¡± A starting pistol was taken out of a tophat and raised high by the rabbit-headed individual. Every one¡¯s nerves tensed up momentarily! A figure suddenly surged past the starting line! Boom! A bolt of blue lightning, like a colossal blade, lept from the hand of the rabbit-headed individual into the body of the figure that ran too early! Bai Youwei could clearly see the individual¡¯s body twist, turn into charcoal, and shatter! The air seemed to have hardened. Not a single person spoke. A pulverised body couldn¡¯t be much worse than this¡­ The rabbit-headed individual withdrew his hand, speaking in a voice that was both gentle and indifferent, ¡°Starting before the gun is against the rules, contestants, please listen for the signal gun.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s hands and feet turned icy cold as she silently laid atop Shen Mo¡¯s back. The last thread of hope in her heart had vanished. She whispered, ¡°Shen Mo, after they start running, you can follow. Don¡¯t worry about the rabbits biting me.¡± Being bitten by a rabbit would at worst result in losing a chunk of flesh, but jumping the gun would mean losing your life. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Shen Mo bent slightly forward, assuming a ready position, ¡°Both of us won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°On your mark!-¡± The rabbit-headed figure raised the starting gun once again. Bang! As the starting gun sounded, everyone dashed past the starting line in unison! A man nearby started to run a beat late, and was immediately pounced upon by a rabbit, releasing a blood-curdling scream! ¡°Husband!¡± The woman with long hair wailed, her pace slowing. She didn¡¯t know whether to keep running or go back to save him. Someone yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him! Run!¡± But it was too late, the rabbits were like zombies that had caught a whiff of human flesh. The moment someone slowed down, they would immediately pounce and tear into them! The woman screamed, but no one dared look back. Everyone ran forward for their lives! Run faster, faster! Even faster than that!!! Shen Mo, with Bai Youwei on his back, was positioned in the middle of the group. At the very front was a skinny man who ran exceptionally fast, leaving a good distance between him and others. The finish line at 200 meters ahead didn¡¯t seem far, nor close, but they were quickly closing the distance. At that moment, the semi-transparent finish line marker suddenly changed! The word ¡®finish¡¯ disappeared, and in its place was a phrase: [Little bunny, white and bright] Chapter 6 - 6: 6: The Surefire Winning Method Chapter 6 - 6: 6: The Surefire Winning MethodTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Little white rabbit, white as can be¡± ¡ª¡ª what does it mean? As my brain was processing the question, my feet didn¡¯t stop running. The first person ran headlong, crossing the finish line on the left without thinking twice. The second person arrived beneath the signboard, hesitated as he looked at the first person, then back at the approaching rabbit. Not willing to waste time, he also went to the left. The third person paused, hesitated for two seconds, then sprinted towards the right finish line¡­ One by one, each person reached the finish line. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Later on, the time pressure ramped up. There was no time to think: some went left; some went right. ¡°It¡¯s the right side.¡± Bai Youwei said, leaning on Shen Mo¡¯s back, ¡°Little white rabbit, white as can be, both its ears are sticking up! ¡®Two¡¯ as in ¡®2¡¯. The answer is the second lane, the right!¡± Shen Mo sprinted past the finish line on the right! The last few people staggered across the finish line. The people on the left snapped out of it, realizing their mistake. But they found an invisible barrier separating the two lanes. They couldn¡¯t cross! Simultaneously, the rabbit charged into the first lane! It surged like a roaring white wave, accompanied by a sharp, salty and gutsy cold wind! Screams, curses, desperation. Then, a gruelling dash for survival! The track was a circle blocked on both sides. To evade the rabid rabbits, those who missed the finish line had no choice but to keep running! The girl with glasses sat crying on the ground, unable to bear the sight of the carnage. She screamed at the participants hoarsely, ¡°Hurry up¡­run¡­ run!¡± But it was too late¡­ Sprinting 200 meters was already pushing their physical limit. Continuing meant slowing down, while the rabbits showed no signs of tiring. They caught up¡ªjumped, bit, and tore! Pitiful screams reverberated across the field. The people on the ground struggled and rolled, ending up bloodied and skinless. From their flesh, white hairs grow one by one! The white hairs kept increasing, growing denser! Eventually, they turned into raging giant rabbits, their eyes dyed red with fresh blood! At the beautiful stadium, every person felt as if they had fallen into an icy hole, their bodies freezing! They had just witnessed their companions horrifically transforming into rabbits! In the distance, the Rabbithead was waving at them, his voice ringing clearly: ¡°Players, please return to the start line for the second round.¡± Second round¡­ The crowd was deathly pale. Unable to refuse, fearing retaliation, and devoid of any time to calm their terror-stricken hearts, they walked back like lifeless puppets. Yes. At this moment, they were mere puppets in Rabbithead¡¯s hands, devoid of freedom and will. Bai Youwei lay on Shen Mo¡¯s back, her heart sinking heavily. Initially there were 17 of them. After the first round, only 9 remained¡­ Could she and Shen Mo really survive three rounds? ¡°You should walk a little slower.¡± Bai Youwei whispered to Shen Mo, ¡°Slow down, stall a bit more.¡± ¡°I have that much stamina,¡± Shen Mo replied in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s just the problem that¡¯s a bit tricky.¡± Difficulty was one thing, but the hardest issue was the timer. The panicked people running for their lives likely didn¡¯t even have the time to comprehend the question. How could they make the correct choice with a clear mind? From seeing the question to crossing the finish line, they only had two or three seconds at the very most! Any longer than that, they would have been caught by the rabbits. Thus the challenge here was not just knowledge, but lightning-fast reflexes! Bai Youwei muttered, ¡°A track lap is 400 meters. If we chose the wrong finish line and couldn¡¯t go back, we¡¯d have to run another 400 meters to reach the right lane. That¡¯s essentially running 600 meters at top speed. Unless you¡¯re a professional athlete, you couldn¡¯t possibly manage.¡± Moreover, Shen Mo was carrying her. If they missed the 200-meter finish line, the fate of Bai Youwei and Shen Mo would be to undoubtedly become rabbits¡­ Shen Mo: ¡°I don¡¯t know which question will be in the next round.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head slowly: ¡°Actually, the question itself doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s the order that¡¯s important. There is a way to win the game with one hundred percent guarantee.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s steps faltered slightly. ¡°Win the game with a one hundred percent guarantee?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei subtly observed the expressions of the others and murmured quietly, ¡°And it is likely¡­ someone has already thought of that method.¡± ¡­ Chapter 7 - 7: 7: Which Side to Choose Chapter 7 - 7: 7: Which Side to ChooseTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The remaining 9 people returned to the starting line. Bai Youwei whispered in Shen Mo¡¯s ear, ¡°During the race, keep an eye on the young man with blond hair and the middle-aged man in dress pants. Try to stay away from them.¡± Shen Mo cast a sidelong glance at the two men after hearing her words. The blonde-haired youth was average in height, dressed in a tight T-shirt and jeans, his biceps protruding as if he were a regular at the gym. The middle-aged man in dress pants was panting, bending at the waist, his right hand holding his jacket, his face flushed from exertion, sweating profusely. Obviously older, he had not yet recovered from the 200-meter run. ¡°The middle-aged man is weak, he will certainly not sit back and await his fate.¡± Bai Youwei said quietly, ¡°He might do something underhanded.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Shen Mo hefted her slightly higher. ¡°Hold on tight. If you fall off, I won¡¯t look back for you.¡± Bai Youwei clung to him closely, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let go even if it kills me.¡± ¡°Ready¡ª¡± The Rabbit-Head raised the starting gun. Everyone focused on the finish line. Held their breath. Bang! The starting gun fired, and they all hurried off the starting line! The rabbits pursued closely, not letting up! Shen Mo, carrying Bai Youwei, was in seventh place, the middle-aged man was last, while the blond was leading the race. Bai Youwei kept her guard up, watching as the middle-aged man gradually approached, she subtly reached into her waist pocket. ¡°Hold tight!¡± Shen Mo warned irritably. ¡°About to pick up the pace!¡± He suddenly accelerated, passing two others, widening the gap between him and the middle-aged man, and firmly held fourth place in the group. Bai Youwei released a sigh of relief, taking her hand out of her pocket and wrapping it around Shen Mo¡¯s neck. Suddenly, a loud shout came from behind! She instinctively looked back, only to see the middle-aged man muster all his strength to throw his jacket. It covered a young man¡¯s face, causing him to stumble. In his panic, he also dragged down a bespectacled girl running alongside him! Like a domino chain reaction, these three fell to the back of the pack! Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look back anymore, a chill settling deep in her chest. She heard screams and wails. She could almost picture the scene where the rabbits were brutally attacking the two, and how the middle-aged man seized the opportunity to escape! At such a critical moment, what would one not do to survive?! The finish line was once again close. The sign at the finish line, where ¡°Finish¡± had previously been displayed, now revealed this round¡¯s question¡ª ¡°The gallbladder of a turtle is in the __ lobe of the liver.¡± Everyone was stunned! The previous question was a childish nursery rhyme, but this was a serious biology question! The young man with blond hair who was leading the race suddenly stopped, standing under the sign, unsure which side to choose! The liver is divided into a left and right lobe, is the tortoise gallbladder in the left or right lobe? Unless there was a vet among them, who would know the answer?! The second person to reach the finish line also halted, standing there with the blonde, contemplating, their faces pale. Left side? Or the right side? Lane 1? Or lane 2? ¡°Do you know the answer?¡± Shen Mo slowed down, asking Bai Youwei on his back. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t make a sound. Her dark eyes stared unblinkingly at the two people ahead, her lips slowly pressing together. Suddenly, the blonde-haired young man made his move! He forcefully pushed the second-place runner into the left finish line! The rabbits, originally scattered on two tracks, seemed to sense that someone had answered the question wrongly, and they all madly rushed to the left side! Like traffic suddenly changing lanes on a high-speed road! Seeing this, the blond man didn¡¯t hesitate and ran to the right side! The answer was the right lobe of the liver! S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 8 - 8: 8: Who is the Weak One Chapter 8 - 8: 8: Who is the Weak OneTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The people behind suddenly understood the intention of the blonde guy and sped up, dashing towards the right finish line! On the other track, the person who was pushed in was already overwhelmed by the wave of rabbits. In the swarm of bunnies, another frantic rabbit was added. Even though everyone knew this act was tantamount to murder, no one condemned it, no one complained. The survivors just sat where they were, panting heavily, tears and sweat flowing together. Everyone looked as disheveled as if they had just been pulled out of the water. In the distance, the rabbit-headed person waved to everyone again: ¡°Please return to the starting point for the third round of competition.¡± The third round. The final round. As long as they could survive the final round, this damn game would end! Everyone tried to pull themselves together and slowly walked towards the starting point. Shen Mo hoisted Bai Youwei on his back again and walked at the end of the group. Bai Youwei could feel the cold sweat on him. Learning from the lessons of the first round, everyone had done their utmost in the second round. Most passed the finish line, only two people died, now there were seven remaining. But this didn¡¯t mean the death toll would lessen in the upcoming third round. This was because after two consecutive life-and-death runs, everyone¡¯s stamina was on the brink of exhaustion. That is to say, by the time of the third round, everyone¡¯s speed would drastically reduce. Especially that middle-aged man, his legs shaking even just walking, he couldn¡¯t run at all. Bai Youwei also noticed that the bespectacled girl who had been dragged down didn¡¯t die, but was injured, her entire arm soaked red with blood. The high heels in her hand were also bloody, the long, thin heels made people shudder after being stained with blood. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The middle-aged man perhaps felt guilty, he consciously avoided her. Along the way, the atmosphere was even more oppressive than before, filled with a heavy gloom. No one spoke, maybe they were feeling desperate, or maybe they were each contemplating strategies for the next round. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei still lagged behind at the end of the line. He asked her, ¡°Is this what you meant by a hundred percent sure way to win the game?¡± ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Bai Youwei nodded gently, ¡°The rabbits can¡¯t enter the correct finish line, so as long as one person runs in the wrong direction, we can judge where the right finish line is from the rabbits¡¯ reaction.¡± Shen Mo smirked, ¡°So, they want us to kill each other?¡± Bai Youwei remained silent. It was indeed so¡­ On the surface, the competition is about physical strength. But in fact, those who could break the bottom line and attack their peers would have a higher survival rate. Like that middle-aged man, or that blonde youth¡­ ¡°You¡¯re quite good at reading people,¡± Shen Mo developed a new understanding of Bai Youwei and curiously asked her, ¡°Why did you think those two would strike?¡± ¡°Nothing, just a feeling,¡± Bai Youwei replied. ¡°A feeling?¡± Shen Mo laughed, ¡°Is that woman¡¯s intuition?¡± Bai Youwei made a face, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a cripple¡¯s intuition. As someone who¡¯s disadvantaged, you become very sensitive to any malice shown by those in power.¡± After listening, Shen Mo pondered: ¡°It¡¯s interesting.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s just bullying,¡± Bai Youwei explained lightly, ¡°When people are dealing with those weaker than themselves, once they harbor evil intentions, they naturally display aggressiveness. Abusive husbands, child-beating parents, elder-abusing caregivers, these people are ordinary in other aspects of life. Why is it that when they face their wives, children, or the elderly, they can¡¯t control their tempers? It¡¯s because of the disparity in power. The strong can amplify the malice in their hearts without any scruples, they can possess, humiliate, and even take the life of the weak¡­¡± As she spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but pause and softly said, ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Even though they weren¡¯t well acquainted, her mother had told her that Shen Mo¡¯s son worked at the National Security Administration, he was their most promising young officer. He, being such a person, would probably never understand what it feels like to be at a disadvantage. ¡°I understand now,¡± Shen Mo replied. At this point, they had returned to the starting line. The rabbit-headed man once again raised the starting gun¡ª ¡°See,¡± Shen Mo crouched low, ready to sprint, ¡°In front of it, we are all weak.¡± ¡°Ready! ¡ª¡ª¡± The rabbit-headed man gave the command. Chapter 9 - 9: 9: The Final Round Chapter 9 - 9: 9: The Final RoundTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Third round of racing¡ª Bang! As the gunshot rang out, everyone dashed off the starting line! Even though everyone was running at full speed, their pace noticeably slowed after tens of meters! Unexpectedly, Shen Mo surged to the front, carrying Bai Youwei on his back and securing the lead. Initially surprised, Bai Youwei soon figured it out: Shen Mo had, on purpose, conserved his energy during the first two rounds. Although a risky strategy, it provided them with an increased chance of survival in the third round. From behind came panic-stricken shouts and curses. Bai Youwei turned her head to see a middle-aged man with a pale face, streaming with sweat, his eyes resembling blood-filled pools. At some point, he had unfastened his belt, swinging it wildly, whipping those who were running in front of him! Those unfortunate enough to be hit either stumbled several steps, or fell in their tracks! Even the pursuing rabbits caught some lashes, seeming to possess some level of understanding, they skillfully evaded the man, preferring to pounce on the injured! Two more people died. Luckily, Shen Mo was at the front and a safe distance away from the man as a few lashings in such a brutal environment could have dire consequences. ¡°You guys wait for me! Wait for me!¡­¡± The man whipped his belt in frantic pursuit, now left with nobody to shield him and more and more rabbits closing in on him. His survival until now was truly a desperate fight. Bai Youwei had expected him to be among the first to die. ¡°You guys wait for me¡­I don¡¯t want to die, I know the answer!¡± The desperate man managed to shout while running at his limit, ¡°Whoever helps me, I¡¯ll tell them the answer! Wait for meeee¡­¡± Regardless of whether this was his desperate final plea, someone was swayed, and slowed down! A young man with blonde hair took off his T-shirt and forcefully hurled it back! It enveloped a rabbit¡¯s head perfectly! Whether it was covered in sweat or blood, the frenzy among the rabbits was temporarily halted, as they turned on the blinded rabbit! Once again, the middle-aged man dodged death! The new question appeared on the finish sign¡ª [Rabbit¡¯s Uterus] ¡°Left!¡± Desperate to prove his worth, the man shouted hastily, ¡°Rabbits give birth to a litter every month! The answer is 1! Choose lane 1 on the left!!!¡± Despite the given answer, nobody dared to believe it easily. The blond man first glanced at the girl with glasses. Having learnt from previous rounds, the girl with glasses kept to the outer edge of the lane, maintaining a distance from everyone. The blond man then turned his gaze to Shen Mo, his eyes revealing the intent to kill. Testing the answer with Shen Mo carrying the crippled girl would undoubtedly be the best option at the moment. Bai Youwei was always on guard, seeing him approach, she immediately pulled out a folded fruit knife from her pocket and flicked it open! The blond man halted in surprise. Nevertheless, he quickly regained compose, appearing completely unfazed by the knife in Bai Youwei¡¯s hand. Feeling pity for the helpless crippled girl, Shen Mo said, ¡°Give me the knife.¡± Bai Youwei passed it to him, saying, ¡°I actually know the answer to this question. Rabbits have two uteri. The answer is lane 2, to the right!¡± Her voice was neither loud nor quiet, everyone remaining could hear her, but no one dared to believe her. Who knew if she was just trying to confuse the blond man by lying?! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hold on, it¡¯s going to hurt a bit.¡± Shen Mo stated abruptly. ¡°What?¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t understand before her body was suddenly airborne! She was thrown by Shen Mo with a ¡°shoulder throw¡± all the way into the right finish line! With a thud! Bai Youwei felt as though all her bones were shattered! But she couldn¡¯t care less about the pain; she scrambled to get up and look for Shen Mo¡ªonly to see herds of rabbits, like a white nightmare, swallowing up both Shen Mo and the blond man! Chapter 10 - 10: 10: Gigantic Lightning Chapter 10 - 10: 10: Gigantic LightningTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Youwei¡¯s heart almost comes to a halt! If Shen Mo were to die at this point, she wouldn¡¯t survive either! The girl with glasses who had been running along the edge wheezes to the finish line. The middle-aged man arrives stumbling and fumbling, his body full of injuries, but fortunately, he has managed to save his life. But Shen Mo and Blondie are still trapped in that white expanse. The rabbits are kept outside the finish line, encircling the two men layered on layer, gnawing, roaring, and attacking like mad dogs! Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei frantically widens her eyes, trying to see the situation inside the rabbit herd. Her pupils contract with fear, worrying that the next thing she might see could be the transformed monsters covered with rabbit fur! A crimson body is thrown over! It¡¯s Blondie, severely injured! His throat has been bitten open, blood splattered all over the place! Then Shen Mo breaks through and leaps gracefully across the finish line! As soon as he crosses the finish line, the rabbits outside immediately fall silent, almost as if the bloodthirsty zombies had suddenly lost their target and become slow and stiff. The rabbits are retreating. In twos and threes, they head towards the grassland outside the track. The middle-aged man kneels down, utterly drained, without an ounce of strength left, lips trembling, muttering: ¡°I¡­ I survived¡­¡± I survived¡­ At last¡­ We¡¯ve survived. The final four. However, Shen Mo isn¡¯t concerned about this. He walks over to Blondie to examine him, finding that the changes in Blondie¡¯s body have stopped. Although some parts of him have grown fluffy white rabbit fur, he hasn¡¯t completely transformed into a rabbit ¨C he still retains a human-like figure. Shen Mo then checks for Blondie¡¯s breath. He is no longer breathing. Did the changes stop because of death or because he reached the correct endpoint? Shen Mo frowns, deep in thought. Bai Youwei suspects Shen Mo¡¯s behavior. How could he have the leisure to care about others after just barely escaping death? She questions suspiciously: ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± As Shen Mo turns to look at her and is about to speak, a horrifying scream erupts from beside him! Bai Youwei and Shen Mo twist their heads almost simultaneously! The girl with glasses, who was catching her breath moments ago, had somehow reached behind the middle-aged man and used all her strength to push him out of the finish line! That horrifying scream was from the middle-aged man! The scattered rabbit herd is stirred up again, they coalesce and rush back towards him! Incredibly fast! The middle-aged man looks terrified as he tries to crawl back over the finish line but his limbs are weak and his reactions slow, he is torn apart, devoured and submerged by the rabbit herd¡­ and then, he disappears. Another frenzied rabbit joins the race. Bai Youwei is speechless. She didn¡¯t expect it to end like this. The girl with glasses kneels on the ground, covering her face, crying hysterically: ¡°He deserved to die! He deserved to die! ¡­ He killed so many people, killed Axiao, and deliberately gave everyone false answers! He deserved to die!¡­¡± The rabbit herd has run far away. Not a single one remains, all have disappeared into the vast forest around, returning to peace. From a distance, the rabbit-headed man approaches with a gentleness that almost feels eerie, he announces in his strange voice: ¡°Attacking competitors is against the rules.¡± A feeling of foreboding rises in Bai Youwei¡¯s heart. Right on cue, the blue blaze appears once more in the next second! It¡¯s a huge bolt of lightning! It springs from the palm of the rabbit-headed man and strikes the girl with the glasses! Beyond measurable electric current, unimaginable high temperature, the girl¡¯s body in a split-second transforms into a pitch-black piece of charcoal! Thud ¡ª It collapses on the ground, shattered. The air freezes. Bai Youwei is chilled to the bone. The girl who was weeping grievously just a moment ago has now been scorched right before her eyes! She looks at the debris on the ground, a chilling air emanates even from the seams of her bones. What has happened is too horrifying¡­ Chapter 11 - 11: 11 One Tenth of Me Chapter 11 - 11: 11 One Tenth of MeTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Why wasn¡¯t that man punished when he also attacked others?¡± Shen Mo asked. The Rabbit-man was not stingy in his explanation: ¡°The Inspector¡¯s duty is to ensure the smooth operation and settlement of the game.¡± So, players who have already cleared the game cannot be attacked after the game ends, because it would affect the game¡¯s settlement. In the same way, players cannot be attacked before the game starts, as a reduction in the number of players might hinder the game¡¯s progress. Only during the game can one act as they please. ¡°Congratulations on clearing this game.¡± The Rabbit-man said this respectfully in front of them, holding up his oversized hat. ¡°The tortoise has finally beaten the hare and deserves a reward. You can choose to receive a Turtle Victory Medal or select something else from the competition field.¡± It took many things out of its hat, as if it was performing a magic trick. There was a small, exquisite starting gun, tiny colored flags from the starting line, and a red ribbon used as the finish line. Shen Mo asked, ¡°What are these things for?¡± The Rabbit-man gave a faint smile upon hearing this. Its face had always been expressionless to the point that at first, people had mistaken it for wearing a head cover. But now, it smiled! Its three-petaled mouth lifted in a strange arc, appearing delighted as if it had found an interesting toy. ¡°The purpose of the reward can only be known once you receive it.¡± The Rabbit-man gazed at the two of them with a smile, giving away nothing else. ¡°So, what is your choice?¡± Shen Mo chose the starting gun. Although it was not a real gun, it still looked intimidating. Moreover, he had a hunch that this gun was not ordinary, since every time he heard the gunshot during the competition, he felt involuntarily compelled to run. As for the other items, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t figure out their uses at the moment. ¡°What about you?¡± The Rabbit-man looked inquisitively at Bai Youwei, tilting its head: ¡°You¡¯re quite unique. You didn¡¯t run a step, but still won the race. So, I¡¯m quite interested to know, what reward will you choose?¡± Bai Youwei bit her lip, slowly raised her hand, and pointed in a certain direction©¤©¤ The Rabbit-man glanced at her uncertainly, then looked down at itself; confused, it asked: ¡°Is the reward you¡¯re choosing¡­ me? But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s within the rules to choose the Inspector as a reward¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such rule!¡± Bai Youwei quickly interrupted it! The moment she heard the word ¡®violation¡¯, she instinctively remembered the horrifying image of the girl in glasses being struck by lightning. Her nerves tightened as she yelled: ¡°You didn¡¯t announce this rule, so you cannot claim that I violated it! It¡¯s the biggest violation to arbitrarily determine others as violators without clear rules!¡± The Rabbit-man silently looked at her. Bai Youwei bit her lip tightly, stubbornly standing her ground. She knew the risk was high, but she was not willing to accept it!©¤©¤She felt like a fool, tricked into participating in a baffling race where so many had died, and now she was expected to accept a few toys as a reward; she just couldn¡¯t accept it! That¡¯s why she¡¯d decided to take a gamble! She stared at the Rabbit-man, and stated, word for word: ¡°You just said that we could choose any other items from the game field as our reward! You are also on the game field!¡± The silence hung in the air for a long time. A long time¡­ ¡°Alright then.¡± The Rabbit-man gave in. Bai Youwei was stunned, somewhat surprised; it was that easy¡­? ¡°Technically, the Inspector should not be part of the rewards. However, you make a good argument; it was my negligence not to explain the rules clearly.¡± The Rabbit-man said, elegantly courteous: ¡°I¡¯m willing to give you one-tenth of myself as your reward¡­¡± One-tenth of itself? What did that mean? Bai Youwei furrowed her eyebrows, only to see the Rabbit-man extend his hand into the oversized hat again©¤©¤ It pulled out a rabbit figurine. ¡°The game rewards have been settled, so¡­ goodbye.¡± The Rabbit-man smiled at her, ¡°I will remember you.¡± Bai Youwei widened her eyes at his words, but before she could ask anything, her sight was again overwhelmed by a blinding white mist! She involuntarily closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was back in the car©¤©¤ In her hand, she held a soft rabbit figurine. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 12 - 12: 12 Communication Paralysis Chapter 12 - 12: 12 Communication ParalysisTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Youwei¡¯s face was slightly pale as she immediately looked at Shen Mo in front of her. In his hand, he held a small toy gun! They were still on the highway, the car had stopped unexpectedly at some point, and the surroundings were quiet, save for the sound of the wind. Their eyes met, both of them clearly understanding that what had just happened was not a dream! Saying nothing, Shen Mo got out of the car to inspect the other vehicles. Everyone who had participated in the ¡°Tortoise and Hare Race¡± game, save for the two of them, had been transformed into dolls¡ª They couldn¡¯t speak or breathe, their rubbery flesh connecting their spherical joints, their eyes now dull, lifeless marbles¡­ these people had lost all signs of life. Bai Youwei murmured: ¡°So this is it¡­ fail the game and turn into a doll; pass the game, get rewarded with a doll¡­¡± So this was it¡­ This is why the world had taken such a turn¡­ As if the fog had been lifted, the clear view turned out to be an endless darkness. Unknown fears spread like tidal water, tension or trembling, with a subtle excitement and stimulation concealed within¡­ Bai Youwei silently held her rabbit plush, lost in complicated thoughts. Shen Mo, his face grave, returned to the car. ¡°We need to leave this place first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ The highway was straight and smooth, seeming to have no end. Only a single vehicle sped along the empty road. Bai Youwei sat in the car, looking at the repetitive scenery retreating rapidly outside the window, her expression somewhat dazed. This was madness¡­ Game, doll, reward¡­ these concepts all felt absurd to her. If every place with a doll has a game, wouldn¡¯t that turn the city into a game level? And the world into a game map? What about Yangzhou? Was Yangzhou really safe? Thinking about this, Bai Youwei quickly rummaged through her bag for her phone, only to find that there was no signal. Calls could not be made, and the internet was not connecting. ¡°Turn on the radio.¡± Bai Youwei suddenly realized something. Shen Mo seemed to have noticed something as well and turned on the car radio. There was only a crackling noise from the radio. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei stared unblinkingly at the radio. Shen Mo looked at the road ahead, one hand on the steering wheel and the other pressing the channel button once every two seconds. The continuous static echoed inside the car, lingering. After doing this more than a dozen times, he stopped, turned off the radio and said, ¡°There¡¯s no signal.¡± The communication system had collapsed. Phones, internet, radio¡­ all were now useless. When did this happen? At the start of the game? No one knew. Bai Youwei¡¯s face became even paler. She didn¡¯t care what the world would become, but she cared about herself. If the end of the world was truly upon them, how would she survive? She clutched the plush bunny tightly, thinking: this annoying farce is less fun than a bloody biochemical crisis! Shen Mo glanced at her through the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°Do you have any clues about the bunny doll in your hands?¡± The seemingly childish plush toy was allegedly the ¡°one-tenth-me¡± game reward. Bai Youwei pursed her lips in hesitation. Of course, she had clues. In fact, as soon as she touched the rabbit, related information appeared in her mind. This sensation was bizarre, yet inexplicably natural. However, could she trust Shen Mo? After considering it, Bai Youwei finally responded, ¡°This rabbit can release electric energy within a 2-meter radius, with the highest energy reaching up to one-tenth.¡± While saying this, she slightly curled the corner of her mouth and continued, ¡°It doesn¡¯t specify the voltage or current value, so it¡¯s unclear how powerful this one-tenth actually is. Plus, it needs charging before use.¡± Chapter 13 - 13: 13 The Despised One Chapter 13 - 13: 13 The Despised OneTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Charge the battery?¡± Shen MO said with an incredulous laugh. Whoever could pull them into a game was obviously the product of incredibly advanced technology. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to think of it as a gesture of an alien civilization. But the rewards bestowed by this technological civilization require a battery charge? Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It¡¯s pretty down-to-earth. ¡°Mine is a one-time-use tool,¡± Shen MO said while driving and exchanging information with Bai Youwei, ¡°It¡¯s a command gun. Once the trigger is pulled, everyone within a 10-meter radius of the shooter makes a full-speed run. The effect may vary depending on distance, environmental factors, and individual will strength. The shooter is not affected by the gunfire.¡± He picked up the toy gun, lightly tossed it to the backseat, ¡°This is of no use to me. You take it. It might save your life at a crucial time.¡± Bai Youwei caught the gun and pondered, ¡°Could it be that the player¡¯s level is too low to receive such high-level rewards, and so their power got significantly reduced?¡± She speculated, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the balance of the game; otherwise, it would be too weak¡­¡± Under normal circumstances, who would need such a thing? A gun that could make the opponent run like mad without any reason and a close-range pistol that shoots out lightning strikes, these items were obviously designed for the game. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s plenty of these kind of games out there?¡± asked Shen Mo. Bai Youwei: ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Shen MO gripped the steering wheel without replying. Bai Youwei thought about his odd behavior earlier in the game, furrowed her brow and asked, ¡°Do you know something?¡± Shen MO raised an eyebrow, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. Bai Youwei said, ¡°In the game, there was no need to save that blond kid, but you risked yourself to pull him out of the rabbit swarm. After that, you kept observing his body changes, are you focused on him?¡­ No, that¡¯s not right, you don¡¯t even know him. As a senior officer from the National Security Administration, there¡¯s no way you¡¯d know such a street thug.¡± Thinking about Shen Mo¡¯s profession, Bai Youwei realized: ¡°You¡¯re here to investigate, aren¡¯t you?¡± Her face suddenly turned cold, she said indifferently, ¡°You didn¡¯t come to pick me up, you just happened to be investigating.¡± The quickness of the girl¡¯s mood changes amused Shen MO a little. Just after a life and death experience, she¡¯s being petty about such small things. It¡¯s hard to tell whether she¡¯s still a child at heart, or it¡¯s just her being oversensitive. Perhaps it¡¯s both. ¡°I am here to pick you up,¡± he responded, ¡°I was in the area performing a task when I received a call from your mother. I came here specifically for you.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s expression didn¡¯t soften, her tone remained cold, ¡°We¡¯re not related at all, why would you go out of your way for me? You just happened to be in the area, and it¡¯s all just a favor. I know my worth, no need for sweet talk. You¡¯re not my babysitter.¡± She is smart, leaving Shen MO speechless. Both felt silent. The off-road vehicle moved ahead. Bai Youwei broke the silence first. ¡°You came to execute a task, was it successful?¡± she asked. Shen MO, focusing on the road ahead, shook his head lightly, ¡°No.¡± ¡°What kind of task?¡± asked Bai Youwei. Shen Mo: ¡°Find a person.¡± Bai Youwei paused for a moment, then asked tentatively, ¡°A scientist?¡± Shen MO laughed, ¡°Close enough, an old professor.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Then you¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t find him. The lab was empty, no people, no dolls,¡± Shen MO added, ¡°We searched in the area, all my team members got turned into dolls. I don¡¯t know why I was the only one who was unharmed. Then later, I received your mother¡¯s call.¡± Shen MO raised his lips into a small smile and asked, ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± Bai Youwei smirked coldly, ¡°You almost lost your life, yet you still had the leisure to pick someone else¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°It was on the way,¡± Shen MO said with a faint smile. Bai Youwei: ¡°Hmph.¡¯ She let out a huff but then felt a bit taken aback. Shen MO did not have to pick her up, but he did as he had promised her mother. She should not have been expecting more or complaining about him. She was a person generally despised by others, and anytime anyone treated her a bit nice, she should be grateful, right? Having this thought, her face regained calmness. There was no longer any sign of resent, or any expression at all.. Chapter 14 - 14: 14 – I will not abandon you Chapter 14 - 14: 14 ¨C I will not abandon youTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After they moved far away from the troubled area, the SUV slowly reduced its speed. Shen MO halted the vehicle. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± Bai Youwei asked. A bottle of mineral water was handed to her. She was momentarily stunned before reaching out to take it. ¡°After a few rounds in the game, dehydration has kicked in.¡± Shen MO popped open another bottle and began to drink, his jawline and Adam¡¯s apple forming a masculine curve as he let his head tilt back. Bai Youwei watched him for a while, then she too lifted her chin to drink, taking small sips reminding one of a lamb drinking from a brook. Once relaxed, the body¡¯s various sensory requirements returned. Not only still thirsty, but she also felt tired, her muscles meticulously limp. ¡°This game isn¡¯t just a simple simulation of reality. The fatigue left in your body feels quite real.¡± Shen MO crumbled the empty bottle, making it emit a crisp noise, ¡°Don¡¯t rush to hit the road yet. First, we should get to a service area to check things, ideally, we could give a call to Yangzhou.¡± Pausing a bit, he then said, ¡°In the meantime, we can charge your rabbit.¡± Whether or not it can really release electricity, they would have to see the effects after charging it. Bai Youwei nodded in agreement. Taking a rest in a suitable place was essential. Given their current state, if there were another race between the tortoise and the hare, they might fail to pass. Shen MO once more revved the car, preparing to hit the road again. That¡¯s when Bai Youwei asked, ¡°If something happens in Yangzhou too, what¡¯s your plan?¡± Shen MO paused in surprise, stopping as he was about to start the car. Staring at the cold chiseled profile of his face, Bai Youwei calmly said, ¡°You promised my mother you¡¯d take me to Yangzhou. You have no obligation to care about whether I live or die there. Besides, you have your mission. You should be returning to report. Once we reach Yangzhou, we¡¯ll part ways. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Still speaking, her eyes gradually grew colder, ¡°It¡¯s the end of the world. Who can care about someone else¡¯s life or death? You came to pick me up, it was your duty, a good deed. However, if you deliver me and then abandon me; honestly, Shen MO, you might as well let me fend for myself right now, I won¡¯t blame you.¡± The atmosphere froze. But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care ¨C anyway, she was always an unlikable person. Shen MO put down the car keys and turned to her. Bai Youwei¡¯s clean, shiny eyes stared directly at him, not backing down, her lips tight in a show of stubbornness. ¡°Come here.¡± Shen MO gestured to her with a beckoning index finger. She frowned and leaned closer, ¡°What?¡± Shen MO stretched out a hand and took hold of her chin. Her plump, baby-like face immediately squished out of shape, her lips pouting. Her stubborn look now took on a childish quality. ¡® Bai Youwei¡¯s brow furrowed even more; she muttered curses in her heart. ¡°Listen well; I¡¯m only going to say this once.¡± Shen MO, holding her face, spoke in a tone like an impatient gentleness, ¡°I won¡¯t throw you away and disregard you. Got it?¡± ¡® She turned her face away, unable to wriggle out of his hand. Shen MO pinched her a bit more like one would a doll, ¡°Did you hear me? Did you get it?¡± Bai Youwei moved her lips: ¡°I heard you ¡­¡± Satisfied, Shen MO let go, turned back, and twisted the car keys. The engine roared softly. He glanced through the rearview mirror at the back seat. Bai Youwei covered her face, her eyes flashing angrily at him. A smile crept onto the corner of Shen Mo¡¯s lips as he hit the road. He finally figured out Bai Youwei¡¯s temper. A typical tough nut, if you¡¯re nice to her, she thinks you pity her, feels uncomfortable, and deliberately picks quarrels with you. Better to be a bit tough; it¡¯s easier and less bothersome. ¡°I am, after all, older than you by a few years. You should have a little more faith in me.¡± Shen MO said, gripping the steering wheel as he spoke with a light smile. In the rearview mirror, the girl¡¯s gaze seemed disgusted, and she looked out the window with a cold face, ignoring him. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It seemed she had developed a grudge against him.. Chapter 15 - 15: 15 Service Area Chapter 15 - 15: 15 Service AreaTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Half an hour later, Shen MO and Bai Youwei arrived at the rest stop. A group of people had gathered at the rest stop, about twenty in total, a mix of men and women, old and young, all huddled in the restaurant. The original staff of the service area was nowhere to be seen. When Shen MO pushed in the wheelchair, all eyes turned towards the door. Seeing it was just a man and a disabled girl, their faces fell in disappointment. Ever since the world was thrown into chaos, people had been waiting for redemption. Whether it was the assistance from government organisations or the salvation espoused by religious groups, anything would do. Even as little as a light in the dark was better than the confusion and despair of not seeing any hope. Shen MO glanced at the people in the restaurant. Sensing the gloomy atmosphere of the rest stop, he pushed Bai Youwei into the nearby supermarket. The shelves in the supermarket had been mostly cleared out. They found an electrical outlet and began to charge the bunny. Even though the charging set was low-end, it utilized high-tech charging methods. All they needed to do was place the fluffy rabbit near the socket to charge it. No plug or direct contact necessary. They had no idea when it would be fully charged. This thing didn¡¯t give a percentage like most electronics; its charge depended entirely on the user¡¯s perception. Bai Youwei tried to gauge it for quite a while but couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡°Describe it,¡± Shen MO said. Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°Do you have a swimming pool at home?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Why?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°It feels like using a thin hose to fill up a swimming pool. Can you guess when it will be full?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Well, that¡¯s one vivid way to describe it. Charging was slow. Bai Youwei, impatient, picked up the bunny and stated her need to use the restroom. She hated being subject to such physiological needs. The folding cane needed to be hung on the side of the wheelchair, toilet paper and wet wipes stored in a cloth pocket on the other side. If there was no accessible toilet, they would also need to carry a small stool. Shen MO wheeled Bai Youwei to the bathroom, commenting, ¡°This is the first time in my life that I¡¯ve been in a women¡¯s restroom.¡± Bai Youwei gave a chilling retort, ¡°You¡¯re just entering the women¡¯s restroom. It¡¯s not like I asked you to pull down a woman¡¯s pants.¡± Having said that, she thought about the past when not just using the restroom, but bathing, massages and such were all taken care of by a nurse or nanny. Now, she had to rely on a man she hardly knew. She felt a surge of disgust. Disgust at Shen MO, but even more so at herself. ¡°But pulling down a woman¡¯s pants should be something you¡¯re quite familiar with.¡± Her mood worsened, and her tone became more abrasive. Shen MO merely gave her a sideways glance. As for pulling down a woman¡¯s pants, this was indeed his first time. But arguing over it would simply be immature. He knew well of Bai Youwei¡¯s unpredictable mood swings. The moment anything touched on her sensitivities, she would turn aggressive, sharp as a porcupine. He couldn¡¯t help but feel amused. Such a soft, cute face trying to put up a fierce front, like a kitten puffing up its fur. Shen MO, holding back his laughter, pushed the wheelchair into a relatively clean stall, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Do you want to sit or stand to remove your pants?¡± Bai Youwei, clenching her jaw, reluctantly took out a pack from the side pocket and shoved it into Shen Mo¡¯s hand. ¡°Put this on.¡± She commanded with the haughty air of a queen. Shen MO unwrapped the package, revealing a disposable toilet seat cover. She must have always carried these whenever she went out. He bent down to place the cover, only to turn around and find that Bai Youwei was already standing with the aid of her cane. She looked strained, small beads of sweat glistening on the tip of her nose. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help?¡± Shen MO eyed her. Bai Youwei shot him a look, ¡°Go stand by the door and don¡¯t let anyone in!¡± Shen MO asked, ¡°Even women?¡± She immediately reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her voice cold and sharp. ¡°Exactly! Women too! Anyone coming in will disrupt my bodily functions! Do I trouble you? Too late to complain now! Grin and bear it! If it weren¡¯t for your insistence on dragging me along, I wouldn¡¯t have to use the restroom in such a disgusting place!¡± She marched into the stall using her cane and slammed the door shut. She was being extremely rude and unreasonable.. Chapter 16 - 16: 16 A Husband and Wife Chapter 16 - 16: 16 A Husband and WifeTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Shen MO touched his nose, feeling he had been too gentle. ¡­maybe next time he could try being a bit tougher. He left the wheelchair at the entrance of the cubicle and turned to leave. While waiting for her outside the women¡¯s restroom, he occasionally heard thuds and bangs, as if a crutch had bumped into something, or perhaps she had knocked against something? What other people might do with ease is a battle for her. His slight annoyance faded gradually. What was there to be upset about? She was just a child, after all. Sickly since young and insecure, she used to live in luxury without a care. Now, however, she had to eke out a living in such times. Her tantrums were understandable. She was only truly powerful in her words. Shen MO stood at the door, listening for noises inside. The sounds of collisions, flushing, rustling of clothes, the crutch scraping the floor and the cubicle door being banged open! ¡ª Bai Youwei emerged, leaning on her crutch, with a tight knit brow, ¡°Take me to wash my hands quickly! This place stinks to high heaven!¡± Shen MO smiled, walked over and helped her into the wheelchair, then pushed her towards the washbasin. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The sensor tap was difficult to operate, and Bai Youwei struggled with it unsuccessfully several times, nearly resorting to strong language, when the tap spluttered out a few weak streams of water like an octogenarian lady with a cough. She washed her hands twice with a great deal of distaste, only slightly easing her dark mood. ¡°The facilities here are limited, bear with it for a while, it¡¯ll be better once we reach Yangzhou.¡± Shen MO said. Bai Youwei grimaced but didn¡¯t reply, thinking to herself: It might not be any better in Yangzhou. Shen MO moved to the back of the wheelchair to push her. However, she reached out to grab the hem of his clothing. Her hand was still moist from washing, the pale skin glowed with the remnants of water, the soft and delicate fingers tinted with cherry blossoms. Shen MO glanced at his own hand on the handle of the wheelchair, the distinct joints, the profound texture, every contour and line exuding masculine strength. The same hand, yet so different. The difference of gender reflected in every single detail. Bai Youwei frowned while speaking, ¡°Are we still going to the supermarket? There¡¯s no signal in this service area, and all the food and water have been cleared out. It doesn¡¯t feel good, maybe we should leave soon before it gets dark.¡± It was already dusk, and she didn¡¯t want to travel by night. Shen MO contemplated it, then nodded, ¡°We won¡¯t go to the supermarket then. If we set off now, we should be able to reach Yangzhou before dark.¡± Once they reach Yangzhou, with internet connection and shelter, things would be easier to arrange. The pair returned to the parking area. Unexpectedly, they saw from a distance a man and a woman by their car, waving at them. When they got closer, they could see that the pair were likely middle-aged, looking like an honest and dependable husband and wife. ¡°Are you going to Yangzhou?¡± the woman asked kindly. ¡°We are also heading there, but there¡¯s a blockage ahead, so everyone is staying put for now. It¡¯s not safe for you to set off now.¡± ¡°Blocked badly?¡± Shen MO asked. The man answered, ¡°It¡¯s blocked for over a hundred meters, the vehicle is full of dolls, no one dares to pass.¡± ¡°If the cars can¡¯t pass, what about going through a detour on foot?¡± Bai Youwei inquired, ¡°Has anyone tried walking to Yangzhou?¡± The man and woman looked at each other, both seemed a bit lost, apparently they had not considered this. ¡°All our things are in the car¡­¡± the woman spoke hesitantly, ¡°Food, toiletries, change of clothes¡­everything is in the car.¡± The man also added, ¡°What if something happens to Yangzhou too? We wouldn¡¯t be able to flee without the car. Sometimes a car isn¡¯t just a means of transportation, it also functions as a safe haven. Unless a major crisis occurred, people wouldn¡¯t just abandon their vehicles. However, in Bai Youwei¡¯s view, walking to Yangzhou in a matter of several hours was better than being stuck here indefinitely. Besides, they would eventually have to abandon the car. Because if the world continues to spiral into chaos, gasoline would soon become a scarce resource.. Chapter 17 - 17 Information Exchange Chapter 17: Information Exchange Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The middle-aged couple assumed Bai Youwei was a spoiled young lady who didn¡¯t understand the gravity of their circumstances. They didn¡¯t take her words to heart. They instead turned to Shen MO to ask, ¡°We are about to have a meeting at the restaurant, would you like to join us?¡± Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei and casually asked, ¡°What kind of meeting? ¡°Just a gathering to discuss and strategize, ¡± the couple responded amiably. ¡°More hands make lighter work. A group brainstorming can be much more effective than worrying alone. But if you don¡¯t want to come, it¡¯s absolutely fine, we will not insist. Shen MO nodded, politely saying, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll join you in a bit.¡± The middle-aged couple, now reassured, didn¡¯t say much further and left together. ¡°Why are we staying? Are you trying to extract information from them?¡± Bai Youwei sneered, disgusted. ¡°The supermarket¡¯s already empty. They must¡¯ve been hiding here, eating and drinking for more than a day or two. They don¡¯t dare take any risks. Can we really expect them to know anything?¡± Shen MO opened the car door, bent over to lift Bai Youwei inside, and then handed her some bread and water. ¡°Since the highway is blocked, if we want to get to Yangzhou, our only option is to take a circuitous route. Perhaps by the time we get there, it¡¯ll be nightfall. Travelling at night, we wouldn¡¯t see the road clearly, making it hard to avoid any dolls. So, it would be better to stay and see what they have to say.¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, noncommittal. She didn¡¯t have a good impression of the people at the service area, but given the current situation, it seemed that no matter what decision was made, none would be completely reliable. Chewing some bread, Bai Youwei asked Shen MO, ¡°Do you think any of them have ever completed their game?¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO, who was rummaging for something useful in the trunk, looked up at her, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I think there must be someone,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Those two just now seemed honest and straightforward, not the type to stir up trouble, but they actively waited for us here. At first glance, they seem warm-hearted, but they seem to me like they¡¯re acting on others¡¯ orders.¡± Shen MO paused slightly, taken aback. He had suspected this, but he didn¡¯t expect Bai Youwei to notice these traces. ¡°Your observation is accurate.¡± He took out a military blanket from the trunk and spread it on Bai Youwei¡¯s legs, calmly saying, ¡°There must be a Leader among these people who wants to gather information. To do so, he needs to constantly make contact with newcomers. As to why he isn¡¯t doing it himself, it¡¯s easy to understand. By sending over an honest-looking couple, they are more likely to gain trust.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him doubtfully, ¡°You know something¡¯s not right, yet you still want to attend that meeting?¡± Shen MO smiled, ¡°Not every situation that seems suspicious has malicious intent. They need information, and we need it too.¡± Ever since the ¡°Tortoise and the Hare¡± game, it became clear that not everyone would turn into dolls. Those who completed their game were able to survive. But why doesn¡¯t anyone in town know about this? Why wasn¡¯t there even a hint of related news? Furthermore, they realized the network connection was interrupted right after they completed their game. Did that imply that¡­ all the other winners had gone to places without network signal, and thus, couldn¡¯t accurately transmit the information? If that was the case, this global catastrophe was far more terrifying than imagined. At 8 PM, night fell, and only the restaurant remained brightly lit in the entire service area. Shen MO wheeled Bai Youwei into the restaurant. The people inside were gathered together. Hearing their entrance, they turned their heads to look. Seeing Shen MO and Bai Youwei, they appeared unsurprised and retreated their gazes. The cold, white light flowed from the ceiling, casting deep shadows on their faces. Their similarly apathetic expressions under this light added an eerie sense to the scene. ¡°Newcomers?¡± A man with glasses looked up, keeping his tone even, ¡°If you wish to join our meeting, you¡¯ll have to participate in an information exchange first.. Chapter 18 - 18: Acting cute Chapter 18: Acting cute Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The man in glasses was seated at the center, appearing to be the speculated ¡°Leader¡±. However, it seems he¡¯s had a rough time, his shirt was wrinkled, his hair greasy, and he looked like he hadn¡¯t bathed properly for several days. Shen MO asked, ¡°What is information exchange?¡± The man gently pushed up his glasses and calmly responded, ¡°You can understand it as information sharing. Each person must express valuable intelligence without any reservation, only this way can everyone work together on countermeasures. If everyone hides their knowledge, expecting others to solve the problems that would yield no progress, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± That was true; it was safer and more effective to work together than it was to work alone. Since ancient times, humans have solved innumerable difficulties by working as a team, arguably one of the greatest wisdoms of humanity. However, when more people work together, it¡¯s inevitable for some to take advantage of the situation. Bai Youwei held her plush rabbit close to her, timidly saying, ¡°But we don¡¯t know what kind of information has value¡­ Hearing her suddenly speak softly, Shen MO was taken aback. His hands on the wheelchair rose in goosebumps. Pretending to be innocent, she raised her head and looked at him pitifully, ¡°Brother, do you know?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He was speechless. Perhaps Bai Youwei¡¯s deceptive appearance was convincing, the man in glasses was receptive, gently explaining, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since you could get here, you must have encountered those dolls. Anything related to the dolls could be shared; the more detailed, the better. Even if you can¡¯t figure something out, sharing it might yield a new perspective.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips, pretending to ponder deeply. ¡°Hmm¡­ on our way here, we met a bald man driving a pickup truck. He drove from a road with dolls, unscathed, so we followed behind him¡­ but those who followed later all turned into dolls. So, I think¡­ are there limits to the number of people? If the number of people is fewer, maybe it¡¯s safe to pass?¡± After finishing, she anxiously looked at the man in glasses, ¡°Is this¡­ valuable intelligence?¡± The man in glasses had a softer expression now, ¡°It counts. Your findings are consistent with our recent observations. Come and sit.¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei visibly relaxed and smiled gratefully at the man in glasses. Seeing her enthusiasm, Shen MO had no choice but to play the part of a taciturn brother and silently wheeled herself closer. The people naturally made room for Bai Youwei and Shen MO, indirectly acknowledging the leadership position of the man in glasses. Sitting down in a chair next to the wheelchair, Shen MO stayed silent. Bai Youwei looked up naively and asked, ¡°If it¡¯s safer to have fewer people, wouldn¡¯t it be safer to go alone?¡± ¡°There are various limiting conditions, and the number of people is just the most obvious one. There could be hidden conditions. After all, the first people who turned into dolls did so while suddenly alone. So for now, it¡¯s hard to say.¡± The man in glasses stopped the topic and looked at everyone else, ¡°Let¡¯s continue with the previous question. Our colleagues who left to scout today haven¡¯t returned yet. What should we do? Do we keep waiting?¡± All eyes darted around the room; no one spoke for a moment. The man in glasses surveyed the room and firmly stated, ¡°Leaving here outright would definitely hold risks, but the utilities in the rest area could stop at any moment, we won¡¯t be able to hold out much longer.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± someone began hesitantly, ¡°We could send out a few more people to scout?¡± The suggestion was immediately dismissed, ¡°Who would go? Those people haven¡¯t returned; they may have already died on the road. Who else would dare to go? Will you go?¡± ¡°¡­But we can¡¯t just wait here for our deaths.¡± ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s no danger, and they¡¯ve run off!¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely, their luggage is still in the rest area¡­¡± Chapter 19 - 19: 19: Scouting Team Chapter 19 - 19: 19: Scouting TeamTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Chatter broke out among the crowd, giving off the vibe of an impending quarrel. Bai Youwei surreptitiously observed the man in glasses, noticing a visible mix of annoyance and contempt in his demeanor. No doubt he was also helpless, having to rely on this group of vulgar and selfish humans for survival. Bai Youwei turned her face and gave Shen MO a look that seemed to say, ¡°See, I told you this bunch can¡¯t be trusted.¡± Shen MO simply smiled in response, not offering any comments. The so-called strategy discussion gradually devolved. It started as a discussion but eventually degenerated into mutual blame. If not for the man in glasses stepping in occasionally to defuse the tension, it probably would have escalated into a showdown. Suddenly, the room plunged into darkness! The most timid were the first to scream. Then someone else cursed, ¡°What are you screaming about! It¡¯s just a power outage, don¡¯t scare yourself!¡± After a moment, when everyone¡¯s eyes had adjusted to the dark, everyone scrambled to leave the restaurant. The man in glasses summoned a couple of people to go check the circuit breaker. Without electricity, everyone idled outside, with nothing to do. Bai Youwei stared upward, looking at the moon and stars. The vast expanse of the sky covered the earth, quiet and broad, making people seem particularly insignificant under the night sky. The night seemed to contain a mysterious power¡ªviewed for a long while, it always left one¡¯s heart beating faster. The crowd grew restless. The man in glasses who had left returned and informed everyone that the circuit breaker was fine; the entire service area was out of power. Perhaps soon, even the water supply would be cut off. The atmosphere turned gloomy and suffocating in an instant. Bai Youwei thought, these people were really hopeless. Apart from the man in glasses, there wasn¡¯t another with any initiative. ¡°I say¡­¡± An old man in the crowd hesitated to speak up, ¡°Why don¡¯t we, try to find a way out?¡± A bystander responded, ¡°Professor Cheng, haven¡¯t we always been trying to get out? What you¡¯re saying is basically pointless.¡± The man called Professor Cheng, around sixty years of age with streaks of white hair at his temples, thin and wearing an old-fashioned coarse cloth shirt, slightly hunched over, seemed insignificant. After being rebuked, Cheng¡¯s face turned tomato-red with embarrassment, at a loss for words, ¡°What I meant was¡­ we could walk, not drive. Isn¡¯t the reason we¡¯re stranded here because the road is jammed, and we can¡¯t drive past?¡± The old man gestured with his hand, ¡°We could go two at a time, leaving every 10 minutes. This way, we could avoid ending up as playthings to a large extent¡­¡± ¡°Professor Cheng, please don¡¯t add to the confusion. Walk without cars? We have so many people, and luggage. Do you expect us to walk all the way to Yangzhou?¡± ¡°Exactly, your armchair stratagems simply won¡¯t work.¡± Everyone started to chime in, the resentment in their voices escalating, as if they were venting their frustration from the power outage on the old man. The man in glasses remained silent amidst the crowd. Confronted with the old man¡¯s pleas for help, he chose to ignore them. Perhaps he also thought there was some truth in the old man¡¯s words, but at such a moment, did he have any obligation to help defuse the crowd¡¯s anger? Survival pressures had been accumulating for a while; someone had to serve as the scapegoat for the group¡¯s venting. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei did not want to get involved. She mouthed silently to Shen MO, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen MO stood still. She gently tugged at him again. To her surprise, he stepped forward and said to the complaining crowd, ¡°Everyone, quiet down¡­¡± Bai Youwei immediately felt like rolling her eyes! Everyone looked over in unison. She and Shen MO suddenly became the center of attention, feeling like they were being stared at by a crowd of hungry ghosts. It was quite terrifying. But Shen MO did not so much as raise an eyebrow. He calmly said, ¡°It seems a vehicle is arriving.¡± The crowd fell silent. Once the discussion ceased, various sounds in the air became especially clear. The distant rumble came closer. At first, it was like the wind, but as it neared, the noise of the vehicle¡¯s tires on the road became clear. Finally, a large vehicle drove into the service area in the dead of the night, its bright headlights shining directly on everyone¡ª Brakes. Stopped. A few spry young men jumped down from the vehicle, one of them whistled and said, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on? Why are you all standing outside?¡± Chapter 20 - 20: 20: Laughing Brother Chapter 20 - 20: 20: Laughing BrotherTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Under the stabbing glare of the car headlights, what should have been an irritating experience, didn¡¯t anger anyone. People were overjoyed, rushing up to exclaim, ¡°You¡¯re back?!¡± ¡°The scouts are back!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! They¡¯re back!¡± The atmosphere suddenly livened up, any previous tension instantly swept away, as if nothing had ever happened. The young man who had been whistling laughed and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you all think we were dead?!¡± ¡°Everyone was worried about you guys. Huh? Why did you change cars?¡± ¡°Our car broke down halfway. We found this one on the road, otherwise, we would have been back sooner! But what¡¯s going on with you guys? Why are you all outside?¡± ¡°The power in the rest station went out!¡± ¡°Well then light some candles, there are still plenty of flashlights in the supermarket.¡± Everyone sprang into action, faces beaming with joy as though as long as they had hope, they were full of energy. Power or water outages were just small bumps on the road, nothing to be scared of. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After a little while, the lights in the rest station¡¯s restaurant came on again. Everyone gathered together, surrounded the returned group of young men in the center, eagerly waiting for them to share news from the outside. The most noticeable among them was the man who started whistling as soon as he got out of the car, everyone called him ¡°Brother Laugh¡±. This ¡°Brother Laugh¡± was wearing graffiti T-shirt and ripped jeans, an unclear English tattoo on his arm, messy short hair dyed ¡°granny gray,¡± and a sparkling earring in his right ear. He was not considered the most noticeable because of his unconventional attire. As a matter of fact, the other young men were all of the same ¡°sort¡±: their tattoos were more dramatic than the other¡¯s, his jeans had bigger rips. Bai Youwei found him memorable mainly due to his disturbingly bright smile. She would smile while talking to Shen MO, and the others in the station would smile while talking to her, still, their smiles were restrained, modest, and courteous. After all, the backdrop was the end of the world! Who would laugh like an idiot, teeth bared? Even if something quite delightful happened, considering the uncertainty of the future, shouldn¡¯t they be a bit melancholic? This ¡°Brother Laugh¡± was perhaps a toothpaste brand spokesperson, his face full of laughter as he passionately recounted his daring ordeal out on the road ¡°¡­ As soon as I saw the dolls on the road, I knew something was off! This was our last road! If this road was blocked, would we have to return empty-handed?! As the saying goes, heaven never seals off all exits! In a flash of insight, I realized something was not right about these dolls!¡± ¡°What was not right?¡± someone chipped in, just like a comic dialogue. ¡°Brother Laugh¡± pointed to his eyes with two fingers, and with a solemn expression, said: ¡°These keen eyes noticed that something was unusual!¡± The other boys who accompanied him were all laughing, cracking open melon seeds, and watched him like they were watching a circus monkey, ¡°Tan Xiao, aren¡¯t you taking this too far?¡± ¡°Brother Laugh¡± ignored them, asking the crowd, ¡°Who knows why we should avoid places with dolls?¡± ¡°This still needs to be said? Because they will turn into dolls!¡± someone immediately replied. ¡°Brother Laugh¡± shook his head mysteriously, posing like he wouldn¡¯t continue if the answer was wrong. Everyone started catcalling, some longer, some shorter. The glasses-wearing guy also laughed and said unhurriedly, ¡°Single dolls appearing incidentally usually pose no threat, but if a large number of dolls appear in a certain area, we should be alert. According to the explanation given by experts in the National Scientific Research Institute, the abnormal geomagnetic fluctuations in those areas can have unknown effects on the human body, this is the reason why everyone should avoid dolls. Okay, Tan Xiao, just spit it out, don¡¯t sell us any more suspense.¡± Still, the words of the leader seemed to carry some weight, Tan Xiao slapped his thigh like a story teller clapping a wooden block¡ª ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll say it!¡± Under the intense gaze of the crowd, only Bai Youwei rolled his eyes in exasperation.. Chapter 21 - 21: A Scene of Jubilation Chapter 21: A Scene of Jubilation Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°The dolls that appear in large numbers usually have a fixed action, like they¡¯re driving, having a meal together, or just standing still. But the dolls we encountered on the road¨C¡± Tan Xiao squints his eyes, giggles in a low voice, intentionally creating a creepy atmosphere. ¡°The dolls we met¡­didn¡¯t have a unified action. They were thrown haphazardly on the ground¡­like they were deliberately tossed onto the road!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes widened, looking at each other in disbelief. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Someone couldn¡¯t comprehend: ¡°Why would someone deliberately throw away the dolls?¡± Normal people would be too scared to get close, let alone arrange the dolls in a concentrated area. Considering this could easily mislead visitors. ¡°It¡¯s because they don¡¯t want people to pass through that road,¡± the Glasses Man casually said. People were shocked by this revelation. ¡°Who would do such a thing?!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t they want people to pass through? What kind of evil mind is that?!¡± ¡°If I ever meet those people, I will make them regret!¡± ¡°Brother Xiao, did you find the people who threw the dolls?¡± Tan Xiao gave a thumbs up, swiped it under his nose with a smug grin. ¡°Of course, we not only found them but also taught them a lesson! Guess what? There was a group of people who occupied a food processing factory. There¡¯s enough food inside to last for several years! They were scared that others would come and take the resources, so they deliberately scared off passing vehicles by throwing dolls on the road! But I has keen eyes! -Hey! My left fist charges like a tiger, and my right leg kicks like a dragon! I beat them until they were searching for their teeth on the ground! Did you see all the stuff on the cars? They are all brought back by brother Xiao and the others from the factory! ¡± ¡°Well done!¡± The crowd cheered and applauded. In the corner, Teacher Cheng sighed softly: ¡°Sigh, those people were also trying to survive¡­¡± Someone overheard him and scolded: ¡°Teacher Cheng, look at yourself, are you sympathizing with them again? They almost trapped us! They want to survive, don¡¯t we too?¡± Teacher Cheng lowered his head without arguing, he sighed long and short, expressing his deep regret at the survival of the fittest situation. This slight disagreement was soon drowned out in the wave of cheers. The Glasses Man assigned people to unload things from the car, including smoked meat, sausages, sauce-cooked ducks, and piles of vacuum-packed cooked food. The atmosphere was more heated, and everyone was excited as if they were dividing the land seized from a tyrant. Shen MO and Bai Youwei also got some food. Perhaps out of sympathy for Bai Youwei¡¯s disability, she was given an extra sauce-cooked pig¡¯s knuckle more than others. After distributing the food, the Glasses Man asked everyone to rest early and set off as soon as it was dawn. They were finally going to leave the service area where they had been trapped for a long time, everyone was extremely excited. They assembled the tables and chair from the restaurant into a large makeshift bed, using the thick and wide European-style curtains from inside the restaurant as bedsheets, men and women, old and young, all lay side by side. Meanwhile, Bai Youwei and Shen MO laid on the floor in the neighboring supermarket. The fallen shelves functioned as temporary bed frames, padded with folded cardboard boxes and soft blankets. Though makeshift, it was more comfortable than sleeping in the car. The moonlight silently poured down, and the night was immersed in tranquility. Rustling leaves outside, people tossing and turning inside, the sound of fabric friction was particularly clear. Bai Youwei lay quietly, tilting her head slightly, she could see the scene in the restaurant. Some people were browsing pictures of loved ones on their phones, others were whispering about plans after leaving. Their whispers filled the dark, making the night even quieter¡­ Shen MO sat at the other end of the shelf, holding a map he¡¯d found somewhere, carefully reading it in the moonlight.. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 22 - 22 Tonight’s Moon Chapter 22: Tonight¡¯s Moon Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The moon tonight was unusually bright. It¡¯s ironic, the human world gets worse day by day, yet the beauty of nature seems to be growing. No smog, no polluted water and fumes, every day was filled with blue skies, white clouds, and a bright moon. Bai Youwei closed her eyes and then opened them again, but sleep evaded her as the events of the day replayed in her mind. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± she asked Shen MO softly. ¡°I will sleep once you¡¯re asleep,¡± Shen MO replied nonchalantly. He wasn¡¯t sleepy yet, and it was awkward for the two to lie side by side because, after all, they have only met today. Bai Youwei said, ¡°By the time I fall asleep, it might be too late.¡± Shen MO replied lightly, ¡°During training, I only needed four hours of sleep a day. That¡¯s enough.¡± Bai Youwei had to admit, this man¡¯s physical ability was impressive, carrying her for three rounds in the game and barely even breaking a sweat. She closed her eyes again, still unable to sleep. Sitting up after a while, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s look at the map together.¡± Shen MO divided the map in half. Suddenly, something soft leaned against his right arm, causing him to pause. ¡°How do you read this?¡± Bai Youwei asked peering at the map. Her lower body was frail, and she needed support when sitting. It was very hard for her to sit upright. Shen Mo¡¯s momentarily tense arm relaxed, and he showed her how to read the map. Since the advent of satellite maps on phones, few people studied paper maps, usually only buying them as souvenirs during trips. ¡°This road is the Hushan Expressway, we¡¯re approximately here¡­ Starting from this position, the latter part of the journey has traps, so we have to switch to the Hurong Expressway tomorrow. The scouting team that went out today will lead the way from Zhenjiang, detouring to Yangzhou¡­¡± Shen MO began explaining. Bai Youwei looked at the dense paths and the miniscule city names, starting to feel dazed. Despite her best efforts to pay attention, her mind started to wander. Her gaze landed unknowingly on the man¡¯s hand. Shen MO had very beautiful hands. His fingers were slender and the joints were distinct. From his solid forearm to his fingertips, the entire hand was streamlined and full of strength. She coveted hands like these. Following his arm up with her gaze, she saw his collarbone, his Adam¡¯s apple¡­ The black hair on his forehead cast a shadow over his brows and eyes, leaving only the high nose bridge clearly visible. His soft voice named unfamiliar places. The low tone reminded Bai Youwei of a cello from her father¡¯s collection. The ¡®cello¡¯ looked at her and asked in a deep voice, ¡°All right?¡± ¡°Sleepy,¡± she replied, laid back down, grabbed her rabbit plushy as a pillow, and tried to sleep. Shen Mo: ¡® After a moment of silence, he folded the map and asked, ¡°Are you cold?¡± Bai Youwei seemed to have already fallen asleep and didn¡¯t respond. Shen MO watched her silently for a while, then stood up and walked away. When he left, Bai Youwei opened her eyes. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Her gaze was serene. Being alone with a man in the middle of the night didn¡¯t bother her. But one can¡¯t prevent their mind from wandering. The more the mind runs wild, the messier the heart becomes until it spirals out of control. Bai Youwei had her fair share of daydreams about heroes saving princesses before her legs were paralyzed. After her paralysis, living a dignified life became her top priority- much more important than love. Plus, this wasn¡¯t even love. It was just a coincidence that she found herself in danger, with a man by her side, who happened to be somewhat decent to her. They say that men and women who share life-threatening experiences easily attract each other, regardless of whether it¡¯s true or not, it didn¡¯t matter¡­ Everything would end once they reach Yangzhou. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to fall asleep. Slow and uncoordinated footsteps came from the direction of the door; it wasn¡¯t just one person. Turning her head, Bai Youwei saw three rogue-like young men approaching her. It was the scouting team that had gone out earlier.. Chapter 23 - 23: 23 Saving Lives Chapter 23 - 23: 23 Saving LivesTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She had anticipated what would happen to her once order collapsed. But she didn¡¯t expect it would happen so quickly. The few short steps the stranger took towards her filled her mind with a flurry of thoughts, suddenly recalling many things. She remembered her family doctor, who, at first, she didn¡¯t quite understand. But when she did, she reported him to her mother through a phone call. But the doctor turned it around, saying that he was diligent and didn¡¯t dare slack off in his work. He claimed that the young misses was trying to intimidate him and was lying on purpose. Her temper indeed wasn¡¯t so great. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So the doctor¡¯s words seemed very convincing. When her mother fired the doctor, she gave him a large sum of money to soothe his ¡°wounded spirit from being tormented by the young misses¡±. As Bai Youwei thought about these past events, she slowly clung to the rabbit¡­ She made up her mind. The three men approached her, leering at her openly. They were unkempt, sleazy, their eyes dull. Not only that, she guessed these men weren¡¯t intelligent. Managing to survive so far purely on a kind of ignorant, fearless savagery. Formerly marginalized and despised by society, now they were the leaders of the survival team, receiving respect and adulation. What could make them more inflated than this change of status? Bai Youwei propped herself up on her arm and sat up, shouting out in a panicked voice: ¡°What are you going to do? Don¡¯t come any closer! Don¡¯t come any closer¡­¡± The neighboring restaurant suddenly fell silent. All the little chatter disappeared, as if everyone had collectively died in their sleep that very instant. ¡°Let me go! Don¡¯t! ¡­Don¡¯t! Help¡­¡± She struggled valiantly while calling for help in a feeble voice. The metallic shelf beneath her creaked in response to her movements, mixing with the thugs¡¯ cruel laughter; it rang out clear and grating on this silent night. No one came to her rescue. People are always generous when it doesn¡¯t endanger their own interests, but at other times, they demonstrate the height of selfishness and indifference. Perhaps the commotion was too much, a man with glasses cloaked in a coat come over from the restaurant. The thugs halted their actions. One of them, a skinny tall man with a necklace looked at the man with glasses with especially provocative eyes. He lightly weighed the dagger in his hand, pointing the blade forward, a threatening gesture. The man with glasses glanced at the knife, then at Bai Youwei who was curled up. He frowned, looked away and said, ¡°Keep it down, her brother will be back soon. ¡± The skinny tall man chuckled, glanced at his companions with a mocking grin, ¡°Did you all hear that? Boss Zhang told us to keep it down.¡± The other two snickered and intentionally replied aloud, ¡°We heard you! Keep it down!¡± Upon completing their taunts, they burst into laughter, becoming unruly and outrageous. The face of the man with glasses grew darker. But he ultimately didn¡¯t say anything further, instead turning back to return to the restaurant, unwilling to meddle in this troublesome affair. ¡°Coward!¡± One of the thugs spat a mouthful of saliva at his retreating figure, his eyes full of contempt. Having successfully challenged the authority of the leader, the thugs felt triumphant. However, they failed to notice Shen MO had returned and was standing at the entrance of the supermarket with a cold expression. Bai Youwei, holding the fluffy rabbit, gave Shen MO an almost imperceptible shake of her head. Shen Mo¡¯s eyebrows knit together as he realized what she was thinking. Earlier when they had just entered the service area, they had charged the fluffy rabbit for a while. Bai Youwei was now probably trying to test the power of the ¡°one-tenth of me¡±. But, lightning was not easy to control. She didn¡¯t have confidence she could strike the thugs as accurately as The Inspector. To prevent accidental injuries, she didn¡¯t want Shen MO to get close. If the power was not strong enough, it wouldn¡¯t be too late for him to step in then.. Chapter 24 - 24: 24 The Brother Outside Chapter 24 - 24: 24 The Brother OutsideTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In short, these three were like lab rats voluntarily walking into a trap. Bai Youwei could use them for her experiment. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even if they were to die by mistake, they would have asked for it. Shen MO turned his body away, leaning against the door outside, his brows furrowed tightly, his eyes heavy with irritation. Bai Youwei using the ones who offended her for experiments, he didn¡¯t object, nor did he have the right to, but¡­ But she had been crying all along. Of course, he knew her crying was fake, truly she had been ¡°performing¡± ever since they arrived at the service area. The reason for his irritation was¡­ she was crying all along, but no one was helping her. Between the supermarket and restaurant was half a wall, and on the other side were almost thirty people, but not even one lent a hand. The harder she cried, the more it highlighted the indifference of people! This feeling¡­ truly upset him! ¡°Let her go!¡± Suddenly a low shout, wavering with age, broke the silence of the night. Shen MO raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking in the direction of the voice. Bai Youwei, stunned, clenched the rabbit tightly, suppressing the noisy current! An emaciated old man picked up a wooden stick from somewhere, stood with a serious expression in the aisle between the restaurant and supermarket, and loudly accused: ¡°Under the bright sun and moon, and this vast universe, how could you do such things?! Don¡¯t you all have mothers? Sisters? Daughters? You¡­ you are utterly lawless! Heartless!¡­ What are you trying to do?! Let me go um um um¡­¡¯ The old of man was lifted, and a pig¡¯s foot was forcibly stuffed into his mouth! It was Bai Youwei¡¯s newly obtained fragrant pig¡¯s foot. Even the packaging was not removed. They pushed it in too forcefully, causing a cut at the corner of the old man¡¯s mouth. A tall, skinny gangster lightly patted the old man¡¯s face, laughing, ¡°Mr. Cheng, this is not your classroom. Here, have a big pig¡¯s foot, if your mouth is itchy, just gnaw on it!¡± Then with a push, Mr. Cheng staggered back, fell, and couldn¡¯t get up due to his trembling legs. ¡°Anyone else has a problem?¡± The tall, skinny man walked a few steps forward, casually sweeping his gaze over the restaurant, ¡°Anyone wanting to play the hero, come out. It¡¯s a rare chance.¡± His companion sneered, ¡°A dog catching a mouse, busying himself with others¡¯ business. Without Brother Hui, you¡¯d still be starving tonight! Ungrateful bunch¡­¡± ¡°Who are you calling ungrateful?¡± Another man leisurely walked in from outside the supermarket. ¡°Tan Xiao?¡± The tall, skinny man frowned. Tan Xiao had just returned from the restroom, one hand tucked in his pocket, the other dubbing his grayish hair, he smirked, ¡°Brother Hui, you and your pals are quite capable¡­ Bullying women and old folk, how come I never noticed this about you before?¡± Brother Hui¡¯s face darkened, ¡°Bro, don¡¯t ruin the mood. ¡°Nope, don¡¯t call me bro,¡± Tan Xiao quickly waved his hands, ¡°As for me, Laughing Bro, I rely on my integrity in this world, always straightforward. I dare not make friends like you!¡± The gangsters laughed instead of getting angry. ¡°Calling you Laughing Bro is giving you face, but now it seems you want to lose face?¡± Tan Xiao pointed to his own face, leaning in closer, ¡°Here, take my face, take it¡­ ¡± Bang! Tan Xiao suddenly made his move, grabbing Brother Hui¡¯s head and giving it a hard head-butt! Staggering Brother Hui completely! ¡°Dammit!¡± The other two instantly got angry and fought back, ¡°Kill him!¡± The three men got into a brawl! Gangsters fighting, devoid of any grace, kicking faces, hitting groins, poking eyes, each move was extremely rough and crude! Tan Xiao had more cunning tricks than the others, one against two, he actually held up well! But as soon as Brother Hui, who got hit in the head by him, recovered, it turned into one against three, and the situation took a drastic turn! He was pinned down to the ground! Both his hands were twisted behind him, his face was stepped on by Brother Hui¡¯s shoe! ¡°Tired of living, aren¡¯t you, huh?¡± The anti-skid lines on the sole of the shoe left red marks on his skin. Tan Xiao gasped in pain, yelling loudly, ¡°Brothers outside! Help! What¡¯s the wait?! Shen Mo: ¡® Chapter 25 - 25: Sons and Daughters of the Jianghu Chapter 25: Sons and Daughters of the Jianghu Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It¡¯s often said, the skill of the expert is immediately known the moment they make a move! The moment Shen MO appeared at the door, his tall and straight figure, like a pine tree, caught everyone¡¯s attention. Wearing a close-fitting, pure black T-shirt, deep camouflage, special training trousers, and a pair of black army boots firmly planted on the floor, he exuded a silent, intimidating aura. Hui¡¯s two henchmen tried to stop him, but there was no fear displayed on Shen Mo¡¯s face. He punched, grappled, chokeheld; his movements were swift and decisive. The goons were left only capable of crying out in agony! Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, temporarily forgetting his humiliation. He muttered, ¡°My God, he¡¯s really a master¡­¡± Seeing the grip on Tan Xiao¡¯s face relax, the guy stepping on him was next tossed aside by Shen MO, swatted away like a broken kite! Literally swatted away. Although Hui was skinny, he still weighed over a hundred and thirty to forty pounds. Can you imagine the strength needed to toss someone like that? Tan Xiao quickly jumped to his feet, placing himself protectively in front of Bai Youwei, shouting, ¡°Had enough now, haven¡¯t you? Care to try again?¡± His voice rang out defiantly. If you ignored the shoe prints on his face, this posturing was actually rather intimidating. The three thugs helped each other up, each looking more humiliated than the last, realizing they had met their match. Gritting his teeth, Hui shot a look at Shen MO and Tan Xiao and scoffed, ¡°He¡¯s nothing more than a cripple, not even a woman by count, and you¡¯re protecting him like treasure? If you like him so much, you can have him!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face became paler, a shadow flitting across her eyes. ¡°Try saying that again?!¡± Tan Xiao threatened, swinging his fist. A look of panic crossed Hui¡¯s face. Gritting his teeth, he limped out of the supermarket with his companions. Once the men were gone, Tan Xiao sidled up to Shen MO, ¡°Bro! You¡¯re amazing! Why did you have to wait until the end to step in?¡± Throwing his arm over Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder with a mischievous smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just want to make a dramatic entrance at the last minute? Don¡¯t worry, I get it! ¡± Shen MO pushed his hand away, walked over to Bai Youwei, picked her up, and turned to leave. ¡°Cool-¡± Tan Xiao whistled, quickly following and grabbing Shen Mo¡¯s jacket left behind at the door, yelling as he ran, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s your name? I¡¯m Tan Xiao, what about you?¡­¡± Chasing them to the SUV, he gave Shen MO his jacket, ¡°This is yours, right? I saw you left it at the door. Why are you wearing a jacket in this heat? Oh¡­ you wanted to get it for your sister in case she gets cold at night, right?¡± He kept talking, but no one paid him any attention. Shen MO remained aloof and indifferent, while Bai Youwei stayed silent, wrapped in her own thoughts. Tan Xiao scratched his nose, finding this pair of siblings strange. Feeling a little disheartened, his spirits lifted when Shen MO accepted his jacket with a quiet ¡°thank you¡±. Buoyed by the gesture, Tan Xiao grinned, ¡°No need to thank me! We, the brothers in the rivers and lakes, stand up for each other when we see injustice! Today I help you, another day you might help me. It¡¯s about loyalty! You can count on me whenever you need help, I won¡¯t turn you down!¡± He just kept talking nonstop. In the car, Bai Youwei moved her lips slightly, muttering: ¡°Nagging.¡± Shen MO merely glanced at her. Unaware of the situation, Tan Xiao continued to engage Shen MO enthusiastically: ¡°¡­If you really want to thank me, I won¡¯t refuse your favor. Could you, perhaps, teach me a few moves?¡± He began to mime punching and kicking in the air. ¡°Like your moves earlier, they were so powerful! How did you do that?¡­ Ahoo! Aha!¡­ Do you think my postures are correct?¡± Shen MO did not feel like talking.. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 26 - 26: Being Followed Chapter 26: Being Followed S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Shen MO was utterly stuck with this Tan Xiao. Tan Xiao insisted on keeping watch over them during the latter half of the night, arguing determinedly that it was to prevent the same group from returning. Even if they didn¡¯t hurt the people, secretly setting fire or puncturing a tire, would also be enough to irritate someone. Shen MO wanted to say that given the injuries those guys had sustained, they would at least have to rest for a night before seeking revenge. However, he couldn¡¯t stand Tan Xiao¡¯s non-stop chattering, so he left him to it. Early in the morning, everyone hit the road. Tan Xiao had stayed up all night and surprisingly was still full of energy. He dragged Teacher Chang out of someone else¡¯s vehicle, insisting that the elderly man should ride his motorbike. His motorbike was a mix of goth and punk style, with dangling tassels at the front, a skull sticker at the back, and metallic rivets for decoration on both sides. Teacher Chang repeatedly waved his hands in embarrassment but Tan Xiao wouldn¡¯t let him go no matter what. Bai Youwei, who was not far away, watched them coldly. She knew this silly boy¡¯s good intentions and that his offer for the old man to ride his motorbike aimed to protect him. However, he didn¡¯t consider that with his old broken motorbike, it would likely jostle him to death. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a faint smile playing at the corners of Shen Mo¡¯s lips. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and asked irritably, ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Shen MO, resting his hands on the steering wheel, shook his head indifferently, ¡°Nothing. ¡± After a while, he added, ¡°Just wondering¡­whether there are more good people or bad people in this world.¡± If there were more good people, when Bai Youwei was in trouble last night, the more than thirty people next door wouldn¡¯t have pretended to be asleep. However, if there were more bad people, a weak, thin old man and uneducated punks would not have stepped up either. Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°How old are you to still be thinking about such naive questions?¡± Shen MO, not taking it to heart, chuckled, ¡°Perhaps all military men are inclined to be idealists.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, turned her face away impatiently, and continued to watch the unlikely pair in the distance: A stern older teacher and a wayward young man. What an odd team they made. Are there more good people or bad people in the world? No, neither is more. The majority are ordinary people, whose good and evil tendencies are determined in a moment. They¡¯re not purely good, nor thoroughly bad. ¡°Let¡¯s have the old man ride in our car,¡± Bai Youwei suggested. Shen MO looked at her and eventually nodded gently, ¡°Yes, to avoid any untoward incidents.¡± He got out of the car and invited Teacher Chang to join them. Tan Xiao, misunderstanding Shen Mo¡¯s act of gratitude towards Teacher Chang for his righteous support the prior night as an act of ¡°brotherly loyalty¡± was overly enthusiastic. He said to Shen MO, ¡°Good man, you¡¯re so loyal! Brother Xiao hasn¡¯t seen wrong! Rest assured, I will keep an eye on those guys later. They won¡¯t dare to pull any tricks while on the road!¡± Shen Mo, having nothing to say to him, simply nodded indifferently and helped Teacher Chang get on their vehicle. Teacher Chang was a gentle old man, whose words and demeanor showed the refinement and humility of a scholar. After he got in the car, he thanked Shen MO and Bai Youwei politely and introduced himself, ¡°¡­ I¡¯m a teacher at Nanjing No.13 Middle School, my name is Chang Weicai. I teach in the school that is currently closed, so I decided to go to Yangzhou to see my elderly parents who live on Jhor Middle Road. I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going, and if it¡¯s out of your way, you can drop me off anywhere nearby¡­¡± Shen MO watched the road ahead and said casually, ¡°We¡¯re heading to Jiangnan Road in Yangzhou.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfect!¡± Teacher Chang was delighted, ¡°Jhor Middle Road isn¡¯t far from there. It¡¯s right on your way! Thank you so much!¡± From the back seat, Bai Youwei gave a sneering laugh. She thought to herself, not only was this military officer an idealist, but he also liked doing good deeds and made sure the beneficiaries didn¡¯t feel any obligation. He was incredibly thoughtful. They never intended to go to Jiangnan Road in Yangzhou. However, given the chaos, it didn¡¯t matter where they were headed next¡­.. Chapter 27 - 27: Another Doll Chapter 27: Another Doll Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio One by one, the cars gradually left the service area, heading onto the highway. Leading the reconnaissance team at the head of the convoy were Tan Xiao and Brother Hui. Tan Xiao, riding his beloved motorcycle, was weaving agilely among the vehicles. He was full of energy, keeping an eye on road conditions up ahead while also on the lookout for the thugs from yesterday. Whether his vigilance worked, or whether Shen MO had effectively scared them, they were surprisingly well-behaved and nothing suspicious occurred during the journey. About an hour into their drive, as they were nearing Zhenjiang, they spotted clusters of figures on the road ahead. Brother Hui was in the lead and saw them first. ¡­Seems like dolls.¡± ¡°Must be the guys from the food processing factory again. They keep pulling the same tricks. Those guys have too much time on their hands!¡± ¡°We stole their food, probably holding a grudge against us.¡± ¡°Ignore them. Just drive straight through!¡± ¡°Will there be trouble¡­¡± ¡°Tch! This is the only available route; even if there is trouble we¡¯ll have to push through! What¡¯s there to be afraid of? We have plenty of buffers behind us!¡± Following a brief, simple conversation, they sped up instead of slowing down. The dolls on the road were immediately torn to bits by the onslaught of vehicles, scattered all over the road, battered by the wind. Shen MO noticed something was off, he slowed down and waved at the nearby motorcycle. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± he yelled over the wind. Tan Xiao slowed down too, matching his pace with the SUV. He shouted back to Shen MO, ¡°Dolls again! It must be the guys from the food processing factory. The factory is nearby!¡± Shen MO frowned, looking at the fallen dolls. He had an indescribable uneasiness. The postures and expressions of the dolls all seemed off, as if being driven by something. Bai Youwei in the back seat saw it too. She furrowed her brow, staying silent. Suddenly, Tan Xiao burst out cursing¡ª ¡°Damn it!¡± He revved his motorcycle and charged directly at a doll dressed in a white ¡°I recognize this old lady! She cursed at me yesterday while we were stealing their sausages! How did she become a doll?!¡± His face pale, Tan Xiao checked on the other dolls in a hurry, then abruptly turned around, speeding in the opposite direction on the highway. ¡°All the people from the food processing factory have turned into dolls! Stop driving forward! Everyone halt! Halt!!! One after another, vehicles parked along the roadside, the faces of people showing both perplexity and terror. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°¡­Apparently dolls appeared up ahead.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡­ Should we turn around?¡± Turn around? Where else could they go? They had nowhere left to go. After alerting the final car, Tan Xiao parked his motorcycle, looking back toward the front of the convoy, thinking they might have to arrange for the vehicles to scatter. If they stuck together, it would be much easier for trouble to occur. Fortunately, they¡¯d noticed in time. If they had continued to push forward, the outcomes were unthinkable. Just when he was feeling relieved, an odd sound rang out in his ears the next second¡ª ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! The theme of this game is ¡®Jin Qiu¡¯s Frog.¡¯ The rules are as follows: First, refuse to play and transform into a doll! Second, fail the game and transform into a doll! Third, win the game and receive a doll!¡­¡± ¡°What???¡± Tan Xiao was shocked and looked around, saying. ¡°Where is this voice coming from?¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This familiar announcement rang in Bai Youwei¡¯s and Shen Mo¡¯s ears at the same time. A piercing white fog shone, forcing them to close their eyes. When they opened them again, the world had once again transformed. This time, they were greeted by a dark cave, a nauseating smell of mud, and an extremely damp atmosphere. ¡°Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it! Cursing non-stop, Tan Xiao leapt up from the mud, furiously questioning, ¡°What kind of trap is this?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a trap, it¡¯s a game.¡± A bespectacled man sitting in the mud, his face a mask of despair and resignation, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Here¡­ is the Doll Game..¡± Chapter 28 - 28: Conical Space Chapter 28: Conical Space Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Doll game? What doll game?¡± Tan Xiao pulled his leg out of the muck, trudging laboriously towards the bespectacled man, ¡°Mr. Zhang, what did you mean by what you just said? What doll, what game? I don¡¯t understand.¡± The bespectacled man hung his head weakly, his entire being steeped in gloom, his lips rigidly opening and closing, ¡°You won¡¯t need me to tell you, you will understand soon¡­ I¡¯ve only experienced it once, that time¡­ there were sixteen of us¡­ In the end, I was the only one who survived¡­¡± Tan Xiao stared at him, his face blank as he scratched the back of his head. Suddenly finding themselves in such a place was like stepping into the nest of an unknown creature. Everyone was shivering in fear, some already whimpering softly. Shen MO scooped Bai Youwei out of the mud, looking around only to find no suitable place to put her. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but wet mud, not a single clean spot to step on. Bai Youwei pointed to a huge snail shell not far away, so Shen MO carried her over through the muddy pits. Whether they had shrunk or the snails had mutated, every single snail here was as big as a double door refrigerator! After seeing rabbits as large as dogs, such snails didn¡¯t seem that extraordinary. Thankfully, only the shells were left, and they were hollow inside. Otherwise, it would have been a horrifying sight. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei sat on the rough surface of the snail shell, her long dress soaked in muddy water. It was heavy and thick, she had to struggle to maintain her balance. The place they were in was a huge mud pit. The surrounding walls were slippery with wet stones. The higher up they were, the narrower they became, until at the center, there was only a small round hole that went straight up like a well. The sunlight seeped through the hole, brightening the middle of the cave, while the surrounding areas were dim. The further away from the hole, the darker it became, with the corners being almost pitch black. In simple terms, this was a conical space filled with mud. After finding a place for Bai Youwei, Shen MO helped the teacher who was not far away onto his feet. They had been in the same car, so their landing spots were close. The poor man in his sixties was pale, covered in mud and his legs were soaking in muddy water. His knees shook uncontrollably. Shen Mo helped the teacher onto another snail shell, then looked around again ¡ª other people were also climbing onto snail shells to avoid sitting in the mud. So far, they hadn¡¯t seen the Inspector. However, this place was large, the light was dim, and there were countless snail shells for cover- perhaps the Inspector was hiding somewhere? Not far away, Dixon and his gang had cornered the spectacled man. The leader, Dixon, held onto Zhang Hua¡¯s collar. He spoke with a mixture of intimidation and fear, ¡°Zhang Hua! You dare lie to us! Why didn¡¯t you mention the game back at the rest-stop?!¡± They were calling him Director Zhang before, but now used his name. Tan Xiao grabbed Dixon¡¯s arm and joined the fray, ¡°You dare to start a fight?! Not enough of yesterday¡¯s beating? Let go of him!¡­Are you deaf! Will you let go?!¡± The men staggered and struggled in the mud pit, none of them had the upper hand and soon they were panting heavily. Zhang Hua, the spectacled man, sat in the mud, watching them as if they were dead men walking, ¡°If I had mentioned it before, could we have avoided it?¡± ¡°Bastard!¡± Dixon cursed, turning around to climb the slippery stone wall. However, the walls were slick and the ground was made of soft mud, making it impossible to get a grip. Zhang Hua sat in the mud, laughing at them, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy. If I were you, I would take this time to observe the terrain. It would save a lot of trouble when the game starts, instead of waiting around clueless and waiting to die.¡± ¡°Who the hell are you saying is going to die?!¡± Another punk yelled angrily, stepping forward to teach him a lesson. The light in the cave then suddenly dimmed. Total darkness. Then, a childish voice echoed, ¡°Oh? There are so many players this time¡­¡± Everyone was taken aback, immediately holding their breath. The rustling sound in the darkness suggested that something was slowly descending from the vertical round hole¡­. Chapter 29 - 29: The Golden Ball of the Frog Chapter 29: The Golden Ball of the Frog Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The darkness lasted only for five or six seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Bai Youwei squinted and saw a sphere sliding down from a gap at the top of the cave¡ªits diameter was a perfect fit with the gap, thus it blocked the only source of light when it came down. After the sphere descended, the light reappeared, and everyone saw a golden sphere hovering under the gap. The sunlight shed on the sphere, making its golden color dazzlingly brilliant and blinding. ¡°Hello, everyone! I am the Inspector of this game, welcome to the Doll¡¯s Game!¡± The golden ball was speaking. Its tone of voice was lively and childish, like a five or six-year-old child. It spun around in the air, drifted past each person, stirring up gusts of wind¡ª ¡°We have so many players this time! Five, six, seven, eight, nine¡­ uh-uh, so many! Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty¡­ thirty-three! A total of thirty-three players for the game! Please play earnestly and try your best to pass!¡± People stared fearfully at the golden sphere, their nerves strained. Even Hui Ge¡¯s thugs forgot what they were doing. ¡°Why are you all staring at me like that? Hey! That woman, and you, why are you both crying? You should play the game happily!¡± The golden ball twisted, showing no expression, but its tone was incredibly animated. ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t want to play?¡± It hummed in displeasure, ¡°If you refuse, you¡¯ll become dolls, you knew that when you came in, right! You can¡¯t refuse to play!¡± ¡°Tell us how to play. What are the rules?¡± Zhang Hua stood up, shook off the mud on his glasses, put them back on, his expression was one of indifference, ¡°Dead sooner or later¡­ I hope it ends soon.¡± He seemed to have given up on struggling, there was not a trace of will to live in his eyes. ¡°It will be very quick.¡± The golden ball chuckled, ¡°The game duration is only 20 seconds, it will end very quickly!¡± Shen MO furrowed his brow. This place was dimly lit and full of mud everywhere. Whether running or jumping, it would require a lot of effort. If the game time was only 20 seconds, it probably wouldn¡¯t be good news for the players. Bai Youwei also slightly furrowed her brow. She knew of her own disadvantage. If the game was action-based and had a time limit, she would probably have no choice but to await her fate. No one could carry her anymore. With mud all over the ground, if Shen MO were to carry her, it would just lead to their mutual demise! ¡°I¡¯m going to introduce the game rules now, everyone, listen carefully! I¡¯ll only say them once, if you can¡¯t remember the rules, you¡¯re likely to die-¡± Your translation should closely resemble those of a native English speaker, so please pay close attention to context and nuance. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The tone of the ¡°oh¡± at the end of the sentence was drawn out very long. This kind of childish tone was cringe-worthy, but no one cared. At this moment, they were hanging on to every word of the golden ball announcing the rules¡ª It rotated around for a bit first. The golden texture of the sphere sparkled under the light. ¡°Have you all seen it? Here, this is a golden ball. In a while, I¡¯ll throw the ball from any position, at any angle, and with any force, your task is to find me within 20 seconds.¡± Jin Qiu spoke with a proud tone, ¡°As long as one person finds the ball, everyone can pass! It¡¯s easy, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s simple and fun! It¡¯s even better than the games by other Inspectors, right?¡± ¡°What constitutes finding it?¡± Tan Xiao, like a calf unafraid of a tiger, daringly stood out and asked, ¡°Does it count if I see it with my eyes?¡± ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t count.¡± The golden ball floated in the air, moving from side to side, mimicking a human shaking their head, ¡°There are two criteria to finding the golden ball¡ª One, your hand must make contact with the ball; Two, the ball must be in a state of rest. It floated a bit higher and said accommodatingly: ¡°To help you all understand better, I¡¯ll give a demonstration first!¡± Chapter 30 - 30 A Demonstration Chapter 30: A Demonstration Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Jin Qiu flitted about the cave, floating up and down restlessly, like a child seeking an ideal spot for a game of hide-and-seek. So childish. Bai Youwei found it a bit of a farce. Although the rabbit-headed figure from the previous game also felt like a comedy act, at least it was calm and composed, and its actions carried an impression of rigid, programmed directives. It seemed like it was merely following protocol, wasted no words, and revealed no emotions. But what was the deal with this golden sphere now? Such an object appearing in this life-or-death situation was quite vexing. Shen MO whispered to her, ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound too difficult, just having one person find the ball will end the game. But earlier on our way here, there were quite a few dead players.¡± In other words, all those people had lost their lives in this game. If it was such a simple game, why did so many people die? Bai Youwei carelessly quipped, ¡°Having a race with a rabbit doesn¡¯t sound difficult either.¡¯ Didn¡¯t many people die anyways? Shen MO fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Could we use the rabbit?¡± Bai Youwei glanced at him, not responding immediately. Gently squeezing the stuffed rabbit¡¯s ears in her hand, mud dripped down with each squeeze. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare use it,¡± she murmured. Leave aside whether the rabbit had enough electricity; just considering the mud-filled environment was enough to deter her. Who could guarantee that a lightning strike wouldn¡¯t char all the players to a crisp? She didn¡¯t care about the others, but Shen MO had to survive. Seeing her like this, Shen MO didn¡¯t say any more. He just quietly told her, ¡°Keep the starting gun close.¡± Bai Youwei obediently responded, ¡°Okay.¡± The starting gun wasn¡¯t actually of much use in this place, but it was better than nothing- -at least she had something to rely on. Meanwhile, Shen MO tucked Bai Youwei¡¯s folded fruit knife into his waistband behind him. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°My military knife disappeared when we entered the game,¡± he said quietly, ¡°From the look of things, any obvious weapon will be shielded by this game.¡± ¡°The Inspector must ensure the game goes smoothly,¡± Bai Youwei sneered. First, they meticulously ensure the players¡¯ personal safety, then cruelly snatch away their lives. Just like the game¡¯s name ¡ª Puppet Game. All entrants are just puppets in the game, with no rights, no individuality, no freedom. ¡°Alrighty! I choose this spot!¡± the childlike voice rang out again. After some indecisiveness, Jin Qiu finally chose a location. Everyone¡¯s heart pounded in their chest. Jin Qiu was seen hanging above a middle-aged, fat man¡¯s head, roughly halfway between the cave ceiling and the mud pit. ¡°Watch closely, once I¡¯m done demonstrating, the game will officially start. Remember, you only have 20 seconds to find the ball!¡± Jin Qiu¡¯s voice rang out loud, ¡°Here goes, I¡¯m going to launch it!¡ª All eyes focused on the sphere. Boom! The ball left a streak in its wake! With unimaginable speed and force, it struck the mud pit, spraying mud and water three meters in the air! The faces of all the spectators turned ashen. But the ball didn¡¯t stop! After hitting the mud, it bounced up high again, striking the solid cave wall with a metallic resonance!- Thud thud thud thud!!! A series of rebounds ensued! Spouts of dark mud erupted, each followed by the deafening impact sound! The occasional unpredictable ricochet was nothing short of a boulder tumbling down a mountain path! ¡°Aaaah!!!¡± A young woman screamed, clutching her head as she tumbled down into a shellfish-like structure. Jin Qiu missed her head by a hair¡¯s breadth and smashed into another structure, ricocheting into the unknown! The entire cave reverberated with the thudding noises¡ªincessantly echoing! When everything finally stopped¡ª The cave bore an entirely different scene. It looked as horrific as an exploded juicer.. Chapter 31 - 31: 31: Violent Ball Game Chapter 31 - 31: 31: Violent Ball GameTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The surrounding stone walls were entirely smeared with thin, saturated mud, trickling downward. The muddy pit beneath everyone¡¯s feet was a myriad of unclear holes. ¡ªJin Qiu was in one of them. No one spoke. Nor did anyone move. The color of gold often gave people a sense of luxury, but it also made it easy for people to overlook its inherent hard metal quality. What would happen if you were hit by a metal as large as a basin and at high speed? The lighter cases would fracture bones. The graver ones would directly result in death! The middle-aged, overweight man, positioned as the server, stood stiffly, his face as white as paper. A large bubble appeared in the mud water beside his legs due to the vibration. It burst with a ¡°pop,¡± prompting the man to shudder. The faint stench of urine pervaded the area¡­ The cave was gloomy, damp, hot, and utterly silent. No one found the time to mock. Everyone only stared at those holes, afraid that Jin Qiu would shoot out again. ¨C It was a ball of extremely hard texture, but it bounced like a fully inflated rubber ball! During its rapid movement just now, Jin Qiu nearly hit people several times. The splash of mud caught everyone off guard and made it impossible to avoid. So now, everyone sat or stood like sculptures, looking pitifully ridiculous covered in caked mud! Even our legs feel weak. Bai Youwei quickly counted and identified more than thirty holes within her line of sight alone, not to mention the countless others beyond her sight, implying that the number of rebounds for Jin Qiu was at least over sixty. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She finally understood why the game lasted only 20 seconds. One of the characteristics of mud is its softness. When a puddle of mud is smashed into a hole, the surrounding mud would slide downward due to gravity, eventually filling up the hole again. Therefore, if they wanted to find Jin Qiu in the hole, they had to take action before the hole was filled. Bai Youwei sorted out her thoughts. In a flash, those 20 seconds had passed. Most of the mud holes had already collapsed and merged with the surrounding mud, leaving behind only a few vaguely visible depression marks. No one knew where Jin Qiu was. Everyone was shocked by the speed and power just now, and moreover, their vision was blurred by the mud splashing around. Nobody knew where Jin Qiu had finally landed. After 20 seconds, a section of the muddy ground suddenly bulged, and Jin Qiu broke out! It shook up and down, rotated left and right, and the mud on it was flung clean off, returning to its brilliant golden appearance. ¡°What the hell¡ª¡± the complaining tone was slow and long, exceptionally dissatisfied. Jin Qiu asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come looking for me? I told you earlier, there¡¯s only one demonstration! The whole of 20 seconds, and you didn¡¯t even look inside one hole?!¡± The faces of the crowd were bitter as they looked at it. Look for the ball? Just a little distracted, and their heads could explode! They didn¡¯t even have time to hide, how were they supposed to look?! Jin Qiu scanned the crowd indignantly (even though it had no eyes) and said begrudgingly, ¡°Forget it, the demonstration is over! Now, let the game begin! The theme of this game is the golden ball of a frog. The Inspector will serve the ball at any location, angle, and strength. If the player finds the ball within 20 seconds, they can pass. To find the ball, one, your hand must touch the ball, two, the ball must be still. Are you ready? Let¡¯s start¡­¡± ¡°Wait a moment, please.¡± A gentle voice resounded from the crowd. Everyone looked towards the voice. It was Bai Youwei. She was sitting on a snail, propping up her elbow. Her scattered long hair was soaked and wet, clumped together in strands, and her wide skirt saturated with mud stuck to the snail shell. She resembled a stranded mermaid, quiet and fragile. Only her gaze was gloomy; a cold smile played on the corners of her lips, forming an eerie contrast with her disheveled appearance. Bai Youwei raised one hand, and asked, ¡°The game rules, aren¡¯t they missing something?¡± Chapter 32 - 32: 32 Where is the Frog Chapter 32 - 32: 32 Where is the FrogTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Jin Qiu was puzzled, muttering to himself: ¡°What am I missing?¡­ No, these are all the game rules.¡± ¡°What about the frog?¡± Bai Youwei sneered at it. ¡°The theme of the game is ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯, where is the ¡®frog!?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, a look of panic appeared on everyone else¡¯s faces. They turned their heads to look around, fearing that countless frogs could suddenly leap out from the dark corners. Jin Qiu fell silent. After a while, it let out a cunning laugh: ¡°The frog, eh¡­ You¡¯ll find out soon.¡± With that, it floated to the highest point of the cave, just beneath the circular opening, with the sunlight making the sphere even more dazzling. ¡°The game is about to start, players have one minute to prepare, now the countdown begins, 59, 58, 57¡­¡± Everyone was panicked! Almost instantly, someone cried in alarm, ¡°President Zhang! What should we do now?!¡± People instinctively sought help from their leader, but at this moment, Zhang Hua wasn¡¯t the gentle, polite, and considerate man they knew. He coldly turned his back on them and stood motionless between two snails, paying no attention to anyone else. Hui Ge mocked, ¡°You see that? Your ¡®President Zhang¡¯ can¡¯t even save himself. Who¡¯s going to care if you live or die? He¡¯s your ¡®President Zhang¡¯, not your dad! What a bunch of morons!¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment and then motioned for Tan Xiao to come over. Tan Xiao was daze but quickly headed towards her when he saw Bai Youwei beckoning him. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Teacher Chang is in poor health, you help him stand over there. The golden ball is bounced off the stone wall and the snails. Places without snails are relatively safer.¡± Without saying another word, Tan Xiao immediately went over to support Chang Weicai. The others heard and hurriedly searched for suitable places. That¡¯s when they realized that the spot where President Zhang was standing was exactly the ¡°relatively safe position¡± Bai Youwei had mentioned. In other words, Zhang Hua knew how to dodge the golden ball, but had no intention of telling them! Everyone¡¯s faces turned bitter and resentful. ¡°How can someone be so selfish? What good does our death do him!¡± a middle-aged woman grumbled. No one indignantly questioned or condemned him because the countdown was nearing its end. Shen MO placed Bai Youwei in a corner of the cave. With the stone wall behind her, a large snail on her right, and the open mud on her left and in front of her. Whether it was hiding or running, this was an excellent location. But Shen MO didn¡¯t plan on staying here because it was too far off to the side and didn¡¯t offer a good view of the golden ball¡¯s trajectory. He was the type who liked to take the initiative. He took off his military boots, rolled up his pants, and stood barefoot in the mud. His black eyes were focused on the far-off ball, waiting for it to prepare to serve. Then, he would make his move. ¡°7¡­6¡­5¡­4¡­3¡­2¡­¡± Jin Qiu moved slightly. ¡°¡­1.¡± It stopped, wobbling in the air before it floated to a spot and declared in its teasing childlike voice that echoed throughout the cave¡ª ¡°Game, start.¡± Bang! The shock happened again! Collisions! Ricochets! Echoes! The entire cave was trembling! Mud splashed all over in front of Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes, making it impossible for her to see where the others were. All she could hear were screams and cries, the noise deafening! ¡°Shen MO!¡± She screamed at the top of her lungs. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Not being able to see him made her anxious. Call her melodramatic or selfish, but the fact was, she couldn¡¯t be without Shen MO right now! Shen MO was her legs! He was her life! A mud-covered figure crawled and rolled over. He paused when he saw Bai Youwei before lunging at her, mumbling in his mouth, ¡°Move! This spot is mine!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened. The figure blended with the golden light suddenly appeared behind him, and in an instant, both the figure and the ball smashed into the stone wall! The golden ball disappeared, but the person remained¡­ Broken and destroyed. He slid into the mud, merging into it.. Chapter 33 - 33: 33 Hide Quickly, Bugs Chapter 33 - 33: 33 Hide Quickly, BugsTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Youwei turned around, feeling nauseous. Her stomach roiled, yet nothing came up. The rumbling on the other side had finally subsided. No one knew how many were killed or injured. Those who survived were standing still in the mud, stunned and at a loss. A tall, skinny guy named Hui was unusually brave. He shouted at everyone: ¡°What the fuck are you waiting for?! Start looking! We only have 20 seconds! Fuck!¡± The crowd finally snapped out of their daze and began to search for a ball nearby. ¡°Look in this direction,¡± Shen MO suddenly said, with chilling calmness. ¡°The last splash was around here.¡± The area pointed out by Shen MO had about a dozen pits, reducing the search area by at least two-thirds. Tan Xiao was the closest one and didn¡¯t hesitate to lead the search. Hui was taken aback for a moment, he immediately followed suit, bringing along two of his men to join the search for the ball. Those who had fought fiercely last night were now uniting in order to survive. However, the pits were collapsing and filling up with time, making it impossible to tell where the golden ball was. The men could only use all their strength to dig in the mud. Handful after handful, their hands were full of the slushy, gooey mud, and they still couldn¡¯t touch the hard texture of the ball. Bai Youwei watched them from a distance. Then, she turned her head and looked at the corpses sinking into the mud. Her terrified heart was slowly calming down¡­ A familiar sense of excitement began to arise from the depths of her heart. She wasn¡¯t happy because people were dying, she wasn¡¯t that twisted. It was just like last time, just like participating in an extreme sport. There was fear, trembling, and unease, but also anticipation. Before she could figure out why she was feeling this way, a child¡¯s voice echoed in the cave, sounding gleeful ¨C ¡°The frog is coming, bugs, hide!¡± Everyone froze. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then the ground started to shake, the mud trembled! A golden ball rolled out of the churning mud ¨C ¡°It¡¯s there!¡± someone shouted with excitement. ¡°Quick!¡­¡± But then an even bigger tremor shook the ground and the entire mud pit seemed to boil. Everyone fell or rolled over, unable to keep their balance, let alone touch the golden ball which was gradually moving away! Large chunks of mud rose and fell and a massive creature finally appeared before them! Its body was as big as a five or six-story building! Its color, a vibrantly rich turquoise! Its eyes bulged out! Its extraordinarily wide mouth nearly engulfed half its head! A frog! The frog that the Inspector had mentioned finally showed up! Someone cried out in horror, ¡°Run!! Before the voice could fade, people were already scattering in all directions! But with the mud everywhere, how fast could they run? And it wasn¡¯t as if everyone was running. Some people were paralyzed, blankly staring at the colossal beast before them, their minds were blank, their legs just not obeying their commands. Bai Youwei saw the frog open its mouth. A long tongue shot out from it. Its bright red color was slick with mucus, like a rubber band, it snapped out, growing longer and longer before sticking to a struggling woman in the pit ¡ª That half-second was extremely short, yet for Bai Youwei, it seemed to last for a minute. She watched as the woman¡¯s expression froze the moment the tongue stuck to her and then it snapped back like lightning! The woman disappeared into the wide mouth before she could even make a sound! Gollum. Swallowed¡­ Bai Youwei¡¯s whole body went numb. She felt as if she was being pierced by countless needles, her body ached! And felt cold! The fleeing people had no idea what was happening behind them. They continued to move, wading through the mud, straining to find a cover! And right behind them, the frog¡¯s tongue continued to extend and retract with a rapid speed, like it was feasting on a swarm of headless flies, enjoying itself to the fullest! The frog is coming, bugs better hide. Bai Youwei slowly clenched her fists. So the frog¡¯s golden ball, that¡¯s what it was all about¡­. Chapter 34 - 34: 34 Current Game Failure Chapter 34 - 34: 34 Current Game FailureTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The frog¡¯s golden ball¡ª Find the golden ball within 20 seconds, or else the frog hiding in the mud will emerge, eating the bugs that disturb its peaceful dreams. As for where the frog will pop out from, it can¡¯t be estimated, because stepping on its squishy skin feels no different than stepping on wet mud. But this isn¡¯t right. Bai Youwei stared unblinkingly at the enormously giant frog with a whirlwind of thoughts in her mind. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This isn¡¯t right. The difficulty level of this stage is too high! First, one has to evade the trajectory of the golden ball, then overcome the difficulty of walking through the mud soup, and the time to find the golden ball is only a mere 20 seconds! In the end, they still have to face this frog, as huge as a skyscraper! A game wouldn¡¯t be possible without giving players any chances to survive. Even in the last brutal race, as long as you ran fast enough, had abundant physical strength, or had rich knowledge, or answered each question correctly, or were heartless enough to use others as stepping stones ¡ª no matter what sort of advantage, you could win the game! But in this game, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t see any hope of survival. How many more people will the frog eat? When will the game end? The golden ball has already appeared, who can get the golden ball under the frog¡¯s nose? Each seemingly simple question is so deadly! At this moment, the screams in the cave gradually subsided, no figures could be seen at a glance. Only by careful observation, would you find people huddled behind snail shells, shivering in terror. No one dared to move, even their breaths were lost in the air. Bai Youwei was unable to move a hair. She sat in the muddy ground, blending almost perfectly with her surroundings, her shimmering eyes quietly searching for Shen Mo. When she found Shen MO and Tan Xiao hiding in a blind spot behind the frog, she relaxed slightly. Shen MO is fine. He is just temporarily safe. No matter how brave he is, he would not be able to face this frog. The frog, after consuming all the people in front of it, crouched motionless in the mud. Due to its gigantic body or perhaps due to the game design, it didn¡¯t move a muscle. The situation turned into a stalemate. Everyone was waiting, waiting for a turn of events. Time ticked away, as if not much time has passed but also as if every second was agonizing. Finally, the frog showed signs of movement¡ª It straightened its two fat front flippers, dug through the mud before it, and burrowed. After pedaling twice with its rear legs, the entire body disappeared into the mud! The soup of mud rippled for a few seconds and then everything reverted to its initial state. Bai Youwei closed her eyes, opened them again, and the frog and the golden ball were both out of her sight, leaving only a crowd of traumatized people in the deadly silent surroundings. After a silent wait, people began to emerge from behind the snail¡¯s shells one by one. They wiped off the mudwater on their faces, their expressions frozen from fear and disbelief. Shen MO came back to find Bai Youwei, examined her from top to bottom, and asked her, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head gently. Shen MO bent down to pick her up and put her on a snail next to them, then turned his head to look at the other people. The crease on his forehead was obvious, hinting at a sense of helplessness. ¡°The 20 seconds have passed and the golden ball hasn¡¯t been found. I don¡¯t know what this stage of the game could mean.¡± he said in a low voice. It certainly does not count as clearing the stage. But they didn¡¯t turn into puppets either, because they were still alive. Crying could be heard in the cave. The survivors were calling out the names of their family members, parents, spouse, classmates, friends¡­ some found bodies with bones smashed by the golden ball; some couldn¡¯t find bodies at all, presumably swallowed by the frog. Just as the grief was about to overflow, the golden ball appeared again. ¡°The current game has failed, there are 19 surviving players, now entering the second round of ¡®The Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯, please prepare yourselves¡ª¡± Chapter 35 - 35: 35 The Role of Field Snails Chapter 35 - 35: 35 The Role of Field SnailsTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Having said that, it floated toward the high part of the cave, still beneath that round aperture, saying in a cheerful tone: ¡°The second round of the game is about to begin. Players have one minute to prepare. The countdown begins, 59, 58, 57, 56¡­¡± The air seemed to freeze. Hatred, anger, pain, heartbreak, in the biting countdown, they all became worthless. All emotions were suppressed by the threat of death. People scattered, their faces expressionless, looking for suitable places to hide. ¡°50, 49, 48¡­¡¯ Shen MO scanned his surroundings, contemplating whether to switch Bai Youwei¡¯s location. Then, Bai Youwei grasped his arm and pointed toward a shell nearby. All the snails here are empty shells, half of their openings sunk into the mud, the other half exposed, like a semi-circular door. By leaning inside, she could vaguely see the space stretching inward. ¡°Do you want me to carry you inside?¡± Shen MO looked into her eyes, ¡°If we are hit by Jin Qiu, the snail shell will sink.¡± Every time it was hit, the snail shell would sink deeper into the mud, perhaps half-way, or perhaps completely, depending on the force of Jin Qiu¡¯s blow. So, if Bai Youwei really wanted to hide inside the shell, she might be buried alive. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was cool and calm, ¡°The air inside should be enough for me to hide for a while. And don¡¯t forget, even if Jin Qiu knocks the shell into the mud, it¡¯s just for 20 seconds. After 20 seconds, the frog will turn the mud, and the shell will come back to the surface.¡¯ Certainly it was so. Earlier, the whole cave was smashed with pits by Jin Qiu, many snail shells were buried, but when the frog appeared, the cave was like experiencing an earthquake, and all the buried shells were turned over. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO pondered, ¡°The game has a lot of snails, they can¡¯t be here for no reason. Perhaps, the presence of snails is to create a cover for the players?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Bai Youwei mumbled. She seemed to be thinking about something else, somewhat absent-minded. Shen MO looked at her, didn¡¯t ask more, and carried her into the shell, placing her securely inside. ¡°32, 31, 30, 29¡­¡± The countdown was still going on. Shen MO didn¡¯t plan to hide. Hiding in a shell, though safe, prohibited him from observing the situation outside. He wanted to stay outside, to clearly see where Jin Qiu will ultimately land. Then, hiding in the corner, teacher Cheng suddenly stood up and shouted with all his energy, ¡°Everybody, listen to me! We can hide in the snail shells, the frog is a creature of motion-based vision! As long as we don¡¯t move, we¡¯re nothing more than clumps of mud in its eyes! It won¡¯t notice us!¡± ¡°Old man, get down! The countdown is about to end!!!¡± Tan Xiao rushed out suddenly, hurriedly grabbed teacher Cheng¡¯s arm, and forcefully dragged him back! ¡°Are you looking for death?! Watch out for that blind ball smashing you into pieces!¡± Teacher Cheng stumbled, looking distressedly at Tan Xiao, ¡°Xiao Tan! We need to think of a way to save ourselves! We can¡¯t just wait to die! Faster, tell everyone to hide in the snail shells! We can¡¯t let the frog eat again!! Perhaps because of his profession, although teacher Cheng¡¯s voice was old and hoarse, it echoed strong, particularly loud. Tan Xiao frantically pushed him into the shell and nodded repeatedly, ¡°Got it, got it! Everyone heard! Hey old man, be quick, climb in as soon as you can!¡± ¡°16, 15, 14¡­ Tan Xiao turned to go to his chosen snail shell, but found it¡¯s already taken by someone ¨C the chubby guy who peed his pants! The fat on his body tightly blocked the shell. Tan Xiao: ¡°Shit!¡± There were other snail shells at a farther distance, but walking in the mud was not easy, and there was not enough time left! Tan Xiao ran desperately toward another snail shell! Jin Qiu hovered in mid-air, its tone was inevitably gloating¡ª ¡°Game, start..¡± Chapter 36 - 36: 36: The Key Is Chapter 36 - 36: 36: The Key IsTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As the words fell, Tan Xiao let out a terrified shriek, lunging towards the river snail and clinging tightly to it! Jin Qiu whizzed past behind him! Bang Bang Dong Dong! A new round of ¡°Dodgeball¡± began! Mud splattered in all directions, the deafening sound echoed, Bai Youwei silently curled up in the shell, she could hear Tan Xiao¡¯s embarrassed screams and curses from outside. She couldn¡¯t hear anything from Shen Mo. This man was really tough, he didn¡¯t have to go so far, wouldn¡¯t it be better to hide in the shell? Why did he always feel the need to save the world? Bai Youwei was dissatisfied in her heart, but she also knew that she was not in a position to criticize Shen Mo. Because if Shen MO was even a tiny bit more selfish, she wouldn¡¯t have survived until now. The crash from outside finally stopped. Next, it was time to look for Jin Qiu. There was a countdown for the players to prepare, but not for the 20 seconds to find Jin Qiu. This easily made one lose track of time. As soon as the crash stopped, Bai Youwei began counting the seconds silently, propping up the inner wall of the shell with her elbow, and slowly getting out. Her legs were numb and her movements were clumsy. When she slid out of the shell, she had already reached 13, which meant that there were 7 seconds left before the frog would come out. Bai Youwei clung to the shell and began to climb upwards. First, she grabbed the edge of the shell with both hands, then propped her upper body up with her elbows, and shuffled forward slowly. But she was wet and the shell was covered in mud. She would slip down each time she climbed, only to climb up again, and then slip back down. She missed the times when Shen MO would effortlessly hoist her onto the snail. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Twenty seconds later, the cave started to shake. The snail tipped over and Bai Youwei climbed up along with it. Once her position was elevated, her field of vision also cleared up. She saw Shen MO and Tan Xiao shoveling mud. In the last round, there were a few young men helping, but this time there were only the two of them, regardless of the danger, regardless of the consequences, they kept digging deeper until their bodies were overturned by the tremendous amplitude, then they retreated, using a nearby snail as a cover. Shen MO saw Bai Youwei lying on top of the shell, his gaze flickered slightly, he was about to call out a warning, but the frogs were already flooding out. He had to keep quiet and warned Bai Youwei to be careful with his eyes. Bai Youwei lay quietly on the snail, watching him for a moment, then slowly turned her gaze elsewhere. She observed the terrain, the frogs, and the snails. There were only these few things in the cave, there must be some trick to it. She noticed that some shells revealed a pair of feet, the person hiding inside didn¡¯t move, but the mud-covered legs and feet couldn¡¯t stop shaking. Just as she had said earlier, when the frogs appeared, they would turn the snails buried in the mud out onto the surface. With this in mind, the existence of the frog, rather than being a punishment for losing the game, is a reset of the game, so that there would be enough snails to serve as launch pads for Jin Qiu in the next round. So, the key was the snails? Bai Youwei had a few ideas in her mind, but she was not quite sure, she might need to try more¡­ She looked again at the massive frog not far away. It sat lazily in the mud, its flesh was saggy and piled up, its oily green flesh was striking against the black-grey mud water. Everyone was hiding from it, thus it had no ¡°insects¡± to eat, it seemed extremely bored. Bai Youwei thought again: There won¡¯t only be one breakthrough in the game, just like a difficult question on an exam paper, there will always be multiple solutions. If the frog never got to eat ¡°insects¡±, could the game still be passed? ¡­No, instead of worrying about what the frog would do, it was better to consider the intention of the game set by the Inspector, otherwise, the mystery would always remain a mystery. She thought about a lot of things in her mind and made various assumptions. Unconsciously, time passed and a frog without ¡°insects¡± to eat burrowed into the mud and disappeared. This movement brought Bai Youwei back to her senses, she was momentarily stunned. Compared to the initial fear, she now seemed¡­ truly immersed in the game.. Chapter 37 - 37: A Little Bit Higher Chapter 37: A Little Bit Higher Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She finally understood the source of her earlier excitement. In this tense and thrilling game, she suppressed her excited heartbeat, because¡­ because here she is no longer incomplete. To some extent, she was the same as them, equal. Even, she might be slightly above them. Because she had a vague idea of how to clear the stage. It was truly ironic that the pitiful Xiaoke, who was discriminated against, ignored, and had no presence in reality and had no say, had found a sense of belonging in a game as absurd as a nightmare. Bai Youwei suddenly understood the boisterousness of those hooligans. Although she despised their behavior at the time, she had to admit that the feeling of having power was indeed wonderful, and few people could resist it. She looked down at the palm of her hand, slowly clenched it, and then slowly opened it again. There was nothing there, she was staring at it. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just as she was staring, Shen MO and Tan Xiao returned. Both of them were covered in mud, with mud in their hair, looking ragged, exhausted, and serious. Even Tan Xiao, the careless one, had lost his jokester demeanor. He said with a mournful expression to Shen MO, ¡°Damn it, there¡¯s too little time, what can we do in 20 seconds? It¡¯s not even enough time for me to pee! I had just dug a hole, and time was up!¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t speak. He checked Bai Youwei¡¯s leg to make sure she was okay, and then turned to Tan Xiao and said, ¡°Three minutes.¡± Tan Xiao blinked, looking confused: ¡°¡­Huh? What three minutes?¡± ¡°He¡¯s talking about frog time.¡± Someone else chimed in. It was Zhang Hua, the original leader. He had just crawled out of a shell and was leaning on a snail taking a breather, saying expressionlessly: ¡°From the appearance of the frog to its departure, it took 3 minutes and 15 seconds in total. If we exclude the mud turning process, there¡¯s only 3 minutes.¡± It seemed that those who had made it through a game round had something extraordinary about them. This Zhang Hua seemed particularly sharp with numbers and time. Tan Xiao understood, and suddenly realized: ¡°So we just need to hold out for 3 minutes to make it to the next round?¡± Shen MO looked at him, corrected him: ¡°Making it to the next round is meaningless, but we have 3 minutes to kill the frog.¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened: ¡°Kill¡­ kill¡­ kill the frog?¡± Zhang Hua also looked startled. ¡°Big bro, are you kidding?¡± Tan Xiao said incredulously, his eyes wide in alarm, ¡°That thing is almost as big as a small building, how can we kill it?!¡± Shen MO had a folding fruit knife in his hand, he opened the knife and calmly wiped off the mud, saying calmly, ¡°20 seconds is too short. Even if we can determine the landing range, we want to find the golden ball among dozens of holes. 20 seconds is not enough. The time limit is decided by the frog. If we can kill the frog, we can extend the time to find the golden ball.¡± The harsh and straightforward reality in front of them was: there wasn¡¯t enough time. The ball was in one of the holes. But whether it was walking in the mud or digging in the mud, it took too much time. Shen Mo¡¯s approach, though seemingly absurd, is undoubtedly correct. 20 seconds is fleeting, they must strive for more time. Tan Xiao opened his mouth and closed it, closed it and opened it again, struggling with a decision, and finally, after a long time, he took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. He said menacingly, ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s do it! I am not scared of it!¡± At his words, Shen MO responded with a strange look, ¡°You¡¯re weaponless, just focus on finding the ball. I¡¯ll handle the frog.¡± Tan Xiao: Wow, that got intense. At this time, Jin Qiu appeared again, floating in mid-air, laughing: ¡°Current game failure, surviving players 19. Now entering the third round of ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯. Please be prepared, players! Countdown to start, 59¡­58¡­57¡­.¡± Chapter 38 - 38 Shen MO’s Arrangement Chapter 38: Shen MO¡¯s Arrangement Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The moment the countdown began, Tan Xiao could not help but swear. Zhang Hua quietly observed Shen MO and Tan Xiao before climbing back into the shell without a word. Out of 19 people, no one died in the second round. Now, as the third round was about to start, only Shen MO and Tan Xiao were brave enough to risk their lives; the rest of them were hiding in their shells¡ª They all knew very well that if they could not find the golden ball, they would remain trapped here, even if they weren¡¯t eaten by frogs. Everyone knew this. And yet not one dared to come out! An old man with white temples tumbled out of the shell, his small body landing in the mud, his mouth full of foul-smelling sludge! He coughed violently, once again imploring the others: ¡°Don¡¯t give up! Cough, cough!¡­ We have 19 people. If each person searches one hole, that¡¯s 19 holes. The probability of finding the golden ball is very high! Cough, cough, cough!¡± Tan Xiao cursed at him: ¡°You old fool, do you have a death wish? Hurry back inside!¡± Chang Weicai strained his voice: ¡°With each additional person, our power grows! We cannot be intimidated, we cannot be defeated! As long as we stand together, there is hope!!!¡± Tan Xiao, bristling with irritation, walked over and furiously shoved Chang Weicai back into the shell. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you, old man? Can you stop messing around? Get back in! In, in, in!¡± Chang Weicai refused, leaning on the shell, he earnestly told Tan Xiao, ¡°Xiaotan, everyone must die eventually. I¡¯m old, it¡¯s not a big loss if I die. But I can¡¯t just watch everyone sit and wait for death! Right now we have the advantage with our numbers, we must act swiftly. Otherwise, if we stay here too long, everyone will get tired, hungry, sleepy and lose their strength¡­ then we¡¯ll be even less likely to get out!¡± Despite his age, the old man was very clear-headed. Tan Xiao was so frustrated he thought his head would explode! S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He wasn¡¯t afraid of arguments or fights, but he dreaded people who reasoned with him. Even more so when the person was a teacher ¡ª someone who could argue with convincing logic until he had no rebuttal! Chang Weicai continued: ¡°The environment here is hot and humid, putrid smelling; if we stay too long we¡¯ll have problems! Do you know how many parasites live on snails? Do you know how many diseases parasites can cause? Do you know how troublesome it is when one becomes infected with parasites? We can¡¯t just wait inside the shell to die!¡± Whether they were genuinely persuaded by Chang Weicai or frightened by the talk of parasites, several people started to crawl out from the shells one after another ¨C men and women, young and old, including a group of hoodlums led by Hui. One among them said, ¡°We don¡¯t want just wait for death, but the ball flies too fast, and there are too many holes where it could be. We really have no idea how to find it. They¡¯d given their reasons, not really out of a fear of death, but to save face in front of everyone else. Shen MO calmly said, ¡°I will try to find the final landing point of the golden ball. If everyone searches near there, the probability of finding it will be higher. After 20 seconds, whether we find it or not, everyone should hide back inside the shell.¡± It was the best arrangement. If they found the ball, everyone would pass the game together. If they didn¡¯t, hiding inside the shell would keep them alive. As long as the frog left, they would have hope in the next round of the game. Everyone exchanged glances, implicitly agreeing to Shen Mo¡¯s plan. The golden ball in the sky didn¡¯t seem to care about the discussion and arrangement among the people below. It continued the countdown joyfully, ¡°¡­5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Haha- the game starts now!¡± Bai Youwei had already been placed inside the shell by Shen Mo. She curled up silently inside the shell, gently touching the interior wall, feeling its vibrations, her mind becoming more peaceful¡­ She was just hesitating¡­. Should she tell him? Chapter 39 - 39: 39 47 seconds Chapter 39 - 39: 39 47 secondsTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Jin Qiu fiercely slammed against the cave walls. Mud splattered everywhere, obscuring vision, and the reverberating echoes messed with hearing. Shen MO kept a keen eye on Jin Qiu, continually adjusting his position to avoid being hit. He saw a large splash of water up ahead, and Jin Qiu no longer bounced back. He immediately sped up to run over there ¡ª ¡°Stop! This way!¡± Everyone crawled out of the snail shell and ran towards where Shen MO was going! Then, without a second thought, they began frantically digging in the mud pit! The scene was truly thrilling and absurdly comical! Bai Youwei leisurely emerged from the snail shell, appreciating the spectacle stoically. Once she caught wind of certain hidden facts, she unconsciously exuded an aura of calm and leisure, beginning to enjoy this feeling of superiority that surpassed life and death. It was exhilarating. It was addictive. Especially when she saw that man standing firm like a pine tree. Broad shoulders, solid back, slender waist, and those straight and powerful legs that were covered in wet mud¡­ It was getting more pleasing to the eye. A handsome man is one thing, but the charisma displayed in the face of life and death is another. Shen MO, apparently, had both. Bai Youwei felt she was indeed a bit offbeat, otherwise, why would she think of such irrelevant things at a time like this? Then she thought: It¡¯s the end of the world, is it not okay for one to be a bit abnormal? She justified herself at ease. ¡°You know how to clear the game level?¡± Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A voice suddenly came from the side, sounding deep, laced with chilliness. Upon hearing the voice, Bai Youwei turned her head and saw Zhang Hua sitting on the edge of the snail shell, looking at her stiffly. The cold light reflecting off his glasses gave him an icy appearance. Bai Youwei thought for a second, then turned the question back, ¡°Do you know?¡± Zhang Hua looked up slightly at the group of people frantically finding the ball in the distance; his cheerless look was chilling. ¡°Our methods are not the same.¡± he said. Bai Youwei, curious, tilted her head and replied, ¡°Oh? What¡¯s your method?¡± Also, how do you know that it is not the same as my method? Zhang Hua, however, did not elaborate further. He turned around and crawled back into the snail shell, muttering, ¡°The Frog is coming, good luck.¡± 20 seconds was indeed too short, and the teasing voice of Jin Qiu came from inside the cave soon after ¡ª ¡°The Frog is coming, bugs, hide!¡± Before the voice could fully echo, those searching for the ball scattered, each looking for cover! But, the Frog came too swiftly this time! The massive body lunged, pushing those who were running away up into the air, their bodies tossed aloft, then splashed back into the mud! Halfway down, they were snatched by a bright red tongue and pulled into the monster¡¯s mouth! Bai Youwei was quite taken aback, She initially assumed that the Frog would crawl out slowly as it had in the previous round, looking for a suitable target to attack. She did not expect that this time, with the Frog¡¯s body not even halfway out, it would already be gaping wide, devouring people! Professor Cheng in the distance shouted in horror: ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t move! Stay in the mud! Don¡¯t move!!¡± Frogs use dynamic vision to distinguish between ¡°prey¡± and ¡°scenery¡±. As long as one remains still, it often cannot tell the difference. People who didn¡¯t have time to hide in the snail shell all lay down, hoping to feign death to escape. But several of them fell with large splashes that gave away their location, and they were quickly rolled up like bugs by the Frog¡¯s long tongue. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly. She saw Shen MO moving counter to the crowd, fearless as he held the knife. He plunged it ruthlessly into the front leg of the Frog! The Frog trembled in pain! He took advantage of the situation, pulled out the blade, flipped and jumped onto the Frog¡¯s back. He raised the knife again and stabbed it down with all his strength! ¡°Croak!¡± A tearing sound echoed! The croaking of the Frog and the sound of its skin tearing happened simultaneously! Improved Frog legs began to jump, the mud vibrating as if waves were surging in the cave! When the waves receded, Bai Youwei saw Shen MO half-hanging on the Frog. In his hand was the knife wrapped in green skin, without a trace of blood. White meat peeked from the inside, as if he had written a long ¡°1¡± on the Frog¡¯s body ¡ª The Frog was in such pain that it crazily dug itself into the mud! ¡°47 seconds.¡± Bai Youwei heard Zhang Hua¡¯s voice coming from not far away.. Chapter 40 - 40: 40: These People Chapter 40 - 40: 40: These PeopleTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio In the previous round, from the frog¡¯s arrival to its departure, it took exactly 3 minutes and 15 seconds. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This time, it only took 47 seconds. Why has the time shortened? Is it because the frog was injured, so it retired early? If it were so, that would mean Shen MO had succeeded in buying us an extra two and a half minutes to breathe. Peaceful silence lingered for a moment, slightly dissolving the frozen atmosphere in the cave. Those hiding in the muck tentatively lifted their heads, as did those in the shellbugs. Everyone looked around All was quiet. No frog, no ball. ¡­Were they really safe? Tan Xiao was the first to rise, scanning his surroundings, ¡°The ball? Does it still count if we find it now?¡± ¡°The ball was buried in the muck when the frog burrowed in just now¡± interjected a young man near Hui Ge. Tan Xiao recognized him, he was thin and tall like Hui Ge, with a small head, large ears, long limbs: they called him Monkey. There was also a shorter one, nicknamed Spiky. Straining his neck, Tan Xiao asked curiously, ¡°Where¡¯s Spiky?¡± The look on Hui Ge and Monkey¡¯s faces turned sour. Tan Xiao belatedly realized he had voiced out a foolish question, his expression temporarily stilled. When someone can¡¯t be seen under such circumstances, what other reason could there be besides being eaten by the frog? It wasn¡¯t just Spiky who was eaten. A middle-aged woman tearfully complained, ¡°I knew I should not have crawled out of the shellbugs. What¡¯s the point of searching for the ball, isn¡¯t it just like seeking death¡­ If it weren¡¯t for us helping you search for the ball, my Old Wu wouldn¡¯t be dead¡­¡± Fatso on the other side chimed in, ¡°The frog appeared so quickly, there was simply no time to hide. You guys sounded so honorable, talking about ¡®unity and cooperation¡¯ but in reality it¡¯s just so you can feel heroic while using us as living targets!¡± Those words were indeed malicious. Bai Youwei coldly raised an eyebrow, her darkened gaze fixating on these people. These people¡­ When she was in danger, these weaklings only pretended to be asleep. Even if they died here, they deserved it. What right did they have to blame others?! ¡°What the hell do you guys have in your brains? Shit?!¡± Tan Xiao exploded, leaping forward and cursing, ¡°I risked my life searching for that ball just to be a hero? You dare to say that again?!¡± Fatso remained silent, and the woman wept softly. Enraged, Tan Xiao pointed at them and shouted, ¡°You dare to say it was to help US find the ball! If you didn¡¯t search for the ball, you think you could still survive?! Let me tell you! Without the ball! None of us can escape! We¡¯re all waiting for death! ¡± He saw Chang Weicai muttering in a corner, anger rising. He roared, ¡°Old man! What are you mumbling?! Are you saying it was our fault those people died? Huh?!!¡± Teacher Chang jumped in fright, hastily waving his hands and saying, ¡°No, not at all! There¡­ There will be sacrifices, due to the frog¡¯s sudden appearance. Our initial plan was sound, there were no issues. If we were to hold someone accountable, it should be the frog and this game that bear full responsibility. Everyone¡¯s lost someone, it¡¯s understandable to be emotionally volatile, it¡¯s understandable, understandable¡­.¡± After a pause, he added politely, ¡°I was just calculating the time. Because the frog appeared and left quickly this time, I wanted to calculate the time¡­¡± ¡°Did you finish your calculations then?¡± Tan Xiao impatiently asked. Teacher Chang shook his head, embarrassed, ¡°No¡­ I did not¡­¡± Tan Xiao furrowed his eyebrows even deeper, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a teacher?!¡± Teacher Chang replied, ¡°I teach Chinese Literature.¡± Tan Xiao was speechless. At that moment Shen MO, who¡¯d been silent the whole time, finally spoke, ¡°The frog did appear and disappear quite swiftly this time. If the same thing happens the next time, our original plan will no longer be applicable.¡± His voice was serene, indifferent, completely unaffected by the accusations made earlier. Tan Xiao scratched his head, exasperated ¡°This frog is like a lunatic, who knows when it¡¯ll be quick! When it¡¯ll be slow!¡± Chapter 41 - 41: He Didn’t Say Chapter 41: He Didn¡¯t Say Translator: 549690339 As soon as the frog was mentioned, the conversation seemed to have reached a dead end. For a moment, everyone was silent, and the cave fell into quietude. But even when they did not speak, time was quietly flowing. Soon Jin Qiu would appear and inform them that the next round of the game was about to begin, putting their lives back on the line. During the silence, Brother Hui studied Shen MO and Tan Xiao. Gradually, suspicion began to surface in his eyes. ¡°You two aren¡¯t chickening out, are you?¡± he asked. ¡°If you¡¯re so brave, why don¡¯t you step up?!¡± Tan Xiao retorted, glaring at him coldly. Brother Hui was momentarily taken aback. He quickly recovered, huffing slightly. ¡°I would, if I could,¡± he glanced at Shen MO, ¡°pity I¡¯m not as physically capable as some others here.¡± Out of everyone present, only Shen MO could inflict substantial damage on the frog. ¡°To those more able goes more responsibility. Buddy, it appears you¡¯ll have to brave the front line in the next round,¡± Brother Hui grinned, his tone audacious and defiant. Tan Xiao despised Brother Hui¡¯s behaviour, but at the moment, it seemed they had no choice but to rely on Shen Mo. So, in an act of solidarity, he slapped Shen MO on the shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll back you up in the next round!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s face remained expressionless throughout. He held a small knife, using the muddy water to wipe off the mucus on it. The cold, fishy smell that emanated resembled that of a typical frog. ¡°The skin of the frog is thin, making it easy to wound, but the muscle is thick, limiting the depth of penetration of the knife. If we hope to buy time by injuring the frog, I¡¯m afraid we need to identify another weak point,¡± he suggested. After finishing his statement, he lifted his muted gaze. His deep, black eyes seemed oppressively forceful, compelling obedience¡ªan authority that his profession bestowed upon him. ¡°As per the last round, we move immediately after the ball stops. Those who fear dying can stay hidden in the snails, but let me remind you all, the snails can¡¯t protect you forever.¡± The faces of the others showed their discomfort. ¡°What if the frogdoes that again¡­¡± someone murmured under their breath. Their greatest fear was the frog¡¯s speedy emergence with no prior warning. One big gulp, and a person would be swallowed whole. How on earth could they find Jin Qiu then? ¡°That won¡¯t happen again.¡± An unexpected voice resounded. Everyone recognised the voice as Zhang Hua. They all turned to look at him but noticed that Zhang Hua remained inside the snail shell, showing no intention of coming out. ¡°The frog didn¡¯t eat any worms in the last round, it was hungry. This round it would come out in a rush. As for the next time¡­¡± he paused, seeming to count something, and then said quietly, ¡°fewer people will be around, so it won¡¯t be the same.¡± This explanation made people uncomfortable, but it also made sense. Teacher Cheng spoke again, ¡°I also think that the frog won¡¯t suddenly appear again. It¡¯s been wounded, which will undoubtedly affect its sensitivity. It might not even show up in the next round! We cannot be scared off by just one setback! We should press on, we must press on!¡± The words of a learned man always elicited disdain but also inexplicably instilled hope. Indeed. The frog had been injured. Who knows, it might be so scared that it won¡¯t come out again? Even if it is large in size, it¡¯s just a timid frog, after all. Brother Hui spat, gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Damn it, let¡¯s try again. I refuse to believe that finding that damn ball would be this difficult?!¡± The others had varying expressions, some showing a sink-or-swim determination while others still hesitated. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei looked at the snail shell in which Zhang Hua was hiding, lost in thought. Zhang Hua was not a warm-hearted person, so why would he help Shen MO urge everyone to search for the ball together? Did he speak up merely because he couldn¡¯t stand these people¡¯s selfishness? ¡­No, if he were really righteous, he would have revealed the method to pass the game earlier. But he didn¡¯t. Of course, she didn¡¯t either.. Chapter 42 - 42 Zhang Hua’s Props Chapter 42: Zhang Hua¡¯s Props Translator: 549690339 S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The group had nearly finished their discussion, and Jin Qiu also leisurely emerged from the muck, a mischievous delight permeating from his artfully whimsical childlike voice¡ª ¡°Current game failure, 13 players are alive, now we are entering the fourth round ¡®The Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯. Please prepare yourselves, players! The countdown to one minute begins. 59, 58, 57¡­¡± After several bouts of shock and fear, they were unknowingly already in the fourth round. The survivors had dwindled from 33 to 13 people. Shen MO picked up Bai Youwei, preparing to hide her back in the shell. However, Bai Youwei gently tugged at his shirt corner and whispered in his ear: ¡°Go over there.¡± She pointed in a direction. Shen MO raised his brow slightly, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I want to keep my distance from him.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°That Zhang Hua, he might go mad.¡± Upon hearing this, Shen MO looked back only to see a dense pile of field snails in the muck. He couldn¡¯t tell where Zhang Hua was hiding in the confusion. However, knowing Bai Youwei, he understood she wasn¡¯t one to speak randomly. It would be good to change positions. Getting further away took more time. By the time Shen MO placed Bai Youwei inside a snail shell, the countdown was nearly over. He stood still without haste, watching the golden ball up high. He had his own approach. The condition for clearing the game was to find the golden ball, which now posed two major challenges: 1, insufficient time; 2, the scope was hard to determine. He had tried narrowing down the area as much as possible through the splashes¡¯ positions, but the short timeframe would only be solved by killing the frog. Given the last attack, killing the frog wasn¡¯t impossible. The frog¡¯s skin was thin, easily torn off by a trivial injury. However, the knife was too small, making it difficult to inflict a deeper wound. What were the frog¡¯s weak points? ¡­The eyes? The belly? While mulling it over, the countdown ended, and Jin Qiu began to bounce ¡°energetically¡± around the cave once more. While everyone else avoided the ball, only Shen MO chased after it. When the ball stopped, Tan Xiao, Hui Ge, and others quickly followed Shen Mo¡¯s lead and searched for traces of the golden ball in the mushy mud. Jin Qiu was very cunning. Each time, it would create sixty or seventy muddled mud holes to confuse everyone. Even when Shen MO narrowed down the range, searching a dozen or so holes was still quite laborious! Professor Cheng, despite his old age and weak limbs, rose from the snail shells and joined them in their search. He looked while calling for others to come out and help. For such a task, the more people, the quicker they would find it. Consequently, some more people crawled out of the snail shells and joined the search for the golden ball. But the time was still not enough, only 20 seconds, merely 20 seconds! After 20 seconds, the mud pit began to tremble, indicating the frog was coming again! The only consolation was that Zhang Hua had guessed it! This time, the frog wasn¡¯t coming as fast as in the last round, but it recovered its slow pace, leisurely rolling out from the soggy mud¡ª Shen Mo¡¯s pupils abruptly contracted. He saw that the frog¡¯s back was oily, shiny, and green, completely intact! ¡°Damn it!¡± Tan Xiao saw it too and cursed, ¡°How did it heal?!¡± Everyone started cursing and turned to flee. However, another sudden change happened! A gunshot rang out! ¡ª Yes, a gunshot! It exploded in the cave. The people who had just reached the edge of the snail shells couldn¡¯t stop their legs. They missed their ¡°refuge¡± and kept running forward! There were groans and curses all over the ground. The panicked people had no idea what had just happened. Even after tripping, they could not control their flailing legs! Mud and water splattered around as the overjoyed frog started its feast! Shen MO was the first person to stop running. He rolled behind a large field snail, his fingers tightly gripping the rim of the snail shell as he forcefully suppressed the urgent thought to run in his mind! He then turned his head to look at Bai Youwei! Bai Youwei had also heard the gunshot. However, being differently-abled, no matter how strong the urge to run, she couldn¡¯t take even half a step. At this moment, she slid out of the snail shell, sitting near the edge, trying to see what was happening outside. When she glanced, she found Shen MO staring at her. She shook her head at him and placed the toy gun on her chest, the meaning was clear: I was not the one who fired the gun.. Chapter 43 - 43: 43 This Life Is Half Yours Chapter 43 - 43: 43 This Life Is Half YoursTranslator: 549690339 The starting gun is a one-time item. If she had used it, the gun wouldn¡¯t be intact in her hand now. Anger flashed in Shen Mo¡¯s dark eyes, and he cast a gloomy glance to the side. Zhang Hua was the one who fired the shot. It was impossible to deal with Zhang Hua at this time, so Shen MO flew into a rage, tightened his grip on his knife, and spun around to handle the frog instead! Just as he turned around, he saw Tan Xiao screaming as he ran past, just brushing past him! ¡°Get inside the shell!¡± Shen MO shouted at him. ¡°Holy fuck, I can¡¯t control myself!¡± Tan Xiao cursed, in heart-wrenching pain, ¡°Damn it, my legs are running by themselves! What kind of crap magic is this?! Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. My legs are going nuts! I¡¯m going to die! I¡¯m going to die!!! ¨C -¡± The frog¡¯s long tongue shot out like lightning, beyond even Shen Mo ts ability to save him! Just as the tongue was about to ensnare Tan Xiao, he stumbled and fell into the mud with a splash! The frog¡¯s tongue scooped up a mouthful of stinky mud. Disliking the taste, the frog clicked its mouth, about to spit out its tongue, but suddenly felt a sharp pain! A small man was stabbing a knife into its body, slowly climbing up blade by blade! The pain made the frog jump up, its croaking resonating loudly! However, the man on its back was incredibly agile. The frog¡¯s desperate thrashing didn¡¯t manage to shake him off, instead giving him the opportunity to climb up to its head, with the knife trapped between its two large eyes. The frog seemed to sense danger, shaking its head and croaking before its webbed feet started digging into the mud! However, Shen MO was faster, pulling out his knife and viciously stabbing it into one of the frog¡¯s eyes! He then continued to rapidly stab several times, causing the frog to roll around in pain, knocking over several snails! Shen MO showed no mercy, each stab crueler than the last! The frog¡¯s eye was almost gouged through by him! ¡°Croak! ¡ª ¡± The frog howled in agony, its entire head burying into the mud and desperately digging in! Obviously, Shen MO couldn¡¯t follow it down. He quickly loosened his grip, jumped onto the shell of a nearby snail, pulled out his knife and smoothly slid into the water, firmly standing within. The frog had escaped. Tan Xiao looked at Shen MO, his eyes now filled with more than admiration¡­but horror! My God, he made such a large monster roll around in pain, with just a small folding fruit knife? Where on earth did this master come from?! Scary indeed! After gasping in amazement for a bit, Tan Xiao realized that the mud under his feet was bubbling. He quickly came to his senses, bent down, grabbed the person in the mud, and pulled him up forcefully! Chang Weicai, fully covered in mud, was lifted up. His mouth was spitting out black mud, and his eyes were tightly closed, unconscious. Tan Xiao hoisted him onto his shoulder and began hitting him in the stomach. More mud water spewed out of the old man¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hey old man, don¡¯t you die on me. If it were not for you making me stumble, I would have been a goner! I owe you half my life! As long as I¡¯m alive, I won¡¯t let you die before me. We repay even smallest debts with the fullest heart. we can throw our lives away, but we would never abandon a brother!¡± After his long-winded speech, he hit the man some more in the stomach and lungs. But nearly choking the old man to semi-consciousness proved still not enough to wake him. Shen MO said, ¡°Put him down!¡± Tan Xiao greatly respected Shen MO, and obediently complied. Shen MO came over and examined him, his eyebrows creased, ¡°He has a bruise on his head, probably fainted after hitting a snail. Or maybe someone pushed him while everyone was running. With the gunshot just now, everyone was thrown into chaos. It¡¯s lucky that he¡¯s alive.¡± Tan Xiao kept nodding in response. He didn¡¯t dare to put Chang Weicai in the snail¡¯s shell, fearing it would suffocate the old man. So he dragged Chang Weicai to the crevice between the stone wall and the snails¡¯ shell, propping him up and sitting him down. After settling everything, he suddenly remembered something, turned around and glared at Shen MO, ¡°A gunshot?¡­.Are you saying that the noise just now was a gunshot?! Who the fuck fired the gun?! Come out here! Why not shoot at the frog instead of randomly firing! What the hell was that!! Chapter 44 - 44: 44 Different Styles Chapter 44 - 44: 44 Different StylesTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO didn¡¯t have the patience to explain the whole situation concerning the prop to Tan Xiao. However, this incident indeed fuelled his anger, disrupting all his original plans with a single gunshot. Shen MO was a man who, due to his profession or personality, possessed a hint of heroism. He was willing to stand up for what was right, had a strong sense of responsibility, and a spirit of sacrifice greater than most people. But that did not mean he was a ¡°saint¡±, or someone who could stand seeing death without interference. On the contrary, he had been to the battlefield and was able to remain calm even amongst the death of thousands. He understood the cruelty of life and death! But what he couldn¡¯t stand was the needless sacrifice! It was absurd! Those people originally had ample time to take cover. However, because of the gunshot, they all lost control and madly ran through the mud, ending up as food for the frogs! Their deaths were pointless and meaningless, akin to the lowest level of a joke! Life shouldn¡¯t be like this. The world has already become so ridiculous due to the emergence of this puppet game, isn¡¯t that enough? Shen MO really wanted to confront Zhang Hua, but found it unnecessary in the end. The cave was filled with snails, and it was unclear to him where Zhang Hua was hiding. Even if he found Zhang Hua, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that there had been heavy casualties. To add to his concern, Jin Qiu could show up at any moment, and who knew what would happen in the next round. Shen MO silently returned to Bai Youwei¡¯s side and leaned against a snail shell without uttering a word. Bai Youwei studied his expression and slowly said, ¡°Suppose that the game Zhang Hua is experiencing is the same as ours, then the prop he has should also be the same. As soon as the gun is fired, everyone within 10 meters of the shooter will run at full speed. The effect is influenced by the distance, environmental factors, and individual willpower. Since we are in an enclosed cave, echoes are easy to create. Hence even those beyond the 10-meter radius can be affected.¡¯ After a pause, she complimented him, ¡°Your willpower was admirable just now as you only ran a few steps before stopping.¡± Her voice was soft, conveying a sense of intimacy and reassurance. Shen MO glanced at her, feeling a strange sensation. Did she seem a bit¡­too calm? He knew that Bai Youwei was not like most people. She didn¡¯t seem particularly scared during the ¡°Tortoise and the Hare¡± game, but this time, rather than panicking, she appeared to be calm, too calm¡­even relaxed? Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°In a while, you should take shelter inside the shell. Although dealing with the frogs is a way out, it is too exhausting for you alone. You need rest.¡± Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo¡¯s gaze became a bit profound. On the other side, Tan Xiao continued his search, swearing under his breath and insisting on searching everyone who came out of the snail shells. The others joined him. They wouldn¡¯t tolerate anyone in their group hiding a gun! They didn¡¯t find Zhang Hua. Shen MO leaned against a snail shell, silently observing the chaos in front of him. After a while, he withdrew his gaze, glanced down to Bai Youwei, a shadow in his eyes. ¡°You know something,¡± he stated, though he phrased it as a question. He was sure that Bai Youwei was hiding something from him. Bai Youwei blinked. The muddy teen had tarnished clothes, yet her eyes remained unusually clear, like washed ink gems. Their twinkle was reminiscent of fireflies and starlight hiding in the night. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± she said with a faint smile, ¡°You have your methods, and others naturally have theirs. Zhang Hua wouldn¡¯t fire a shot at this time without reason. He also wants to pass the game, just in a different way than us.¡± Shen MO contemplated, ¡°His way¡­is to reduce the number of people?¡± Bai Youwei lifted the corner of her mouth, ¡°To put it bluntly, a single frog can catch over 70 insects in one day, around forty to fifty people died just now on the highway. His thought may have been that if a few more people die, and the frogs are filled, he will be safe..¡± Chapter 45 - 45: 45: This Girl is a Little Mischievous Chapter 45 - 45: 45: This Girl is a Little MischievousTranslator: 549690339 Shen Mo¡¯s gaze stiffened markedly. ¡°How did you figure it out?¡± He asked. The rule didn¡¯t elaborate on this at all. Bai Youwei offered a shallow smile and glanced at Shen MO, ¡°Don¡¯t you realize it too? The Inspector for this game has been intentionally dodging rules related to the frog.¡± Shen MO did not utter a word, which was akin to conceding. ¡°Players get one minute to prepare, and the Inspector always counts down very methodically. Yet, we only have 20 seconds to find Jin Qiu. Don¡¯t you find it odd, for such a crucial phase, they didn¡¯t bother to time it?¡± As Bai Youwei spoke, a cool, lighthearted smile played at the edges of her pink-tinged lips. ¡°Not timing it could mean that there¡¯s no time restriction. The Inspector presumes we¡¯ll be eaten by the frog, so he sets a window of 20 seconds. In actuality, based on the speed at which the frog appears each time, the time to find Jin Qiu varies accordingly ¨C that¡¯s why you conceived the idea of killing the frog. As long as it¡¯s dead, we¡¯d have unlimited time, and we¡¯ll eventually find Jin Qiu.¡± Shen MO shot her a deep look. She had correctly guessed most of what he was thinking. Previously, he thought she was just shrewd and clever but now¡­he found this girl slightly sinister. ¡°Tell me about Zhang Hua.¡± Shen MO asked her, ¡°What do you think he¡¯s plotting? The playful light at the edges of Bai Youwei¡¯s lips pulled back slightly. She pondered for a moment. ¡°Zhang Hua¡­ He probably realized it during the third round. The game needs balance. Since the frog gets hungry, it should also get full. What would happen if it was fed a few more bugs? Zhang Hua wanted to experiment.¡± ¡°Just for the sake of experimenting?¡± Shen MO chuckled dryly, ¡°It¡¯s all assumptions. Has he not considered the possibility of failure?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him seriously, ¡°Actually, I think¡­his chances of success are very high.¡± Shen MO arched an eyebrow, expressionless, but Bai Youwei saw his displeasure in his eyes. ¡°As I said, the game requires balance,¡± she explained calmly, ¡°Not everyone is as daring and fearless as you. The game has to leave some room for others. For instance, the middle-aged businessman in the last Tortoise and Hare race. He didn¡¯t run fast, wasn¡¯t particularly intelligent, but he was ruthless enough. If he hadn¡¯t been pushed beyond the finishing line against the rules, he would¡¯ve likely cleared the game¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s gaze turned completely frosty, ¡°Ruthless¡­so, the game is trying to turn us into people like that?¡± Bai Youwei looked into his eyes, realizing her words had upset him and decided to fall silent. She didn¡¯t want to anger him at this crucial moment. Jin Qiu ambled out from a corner, sweeping around the count heads. ¡°The current game has failed, eight players remaining. We now enter the fifth round of ¡®The Frog¡¯s Golden Ball.¡¯ Players, please be ready! The one-minute countdown begins. 59, 58, 57¡­¡± Eight players left. Bai Youwei, Shen MO, Tan Xiao, Mr. Cheng, Brother Hui, Monkey, Zhang Hua, and a middle-aged fat man, who had been hiding in his shell the whole time. The casualties were severe. With so few people remaining, how would they find the ball? Mr. Cheng remained unconscious, Zhang Hua was nowhere to be seen, and the cowardly fat man was even less likely to lend a hand. As for Bai Youwei, her disability made her movement virtually zero. The fewer the people, the harder it was to find the ball, and as for killing the frog¡­ Battling a beast in the mud was extremely energy-consuming. Bai Youwei was right; he needed to rest the most right now. ¡°Boss, what do we do now?¡± From a distance, Tan Xiao stared at him, wide-eyed. Unbeknownst to him, Shen MO had become the centerpiece of the group. Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei beside him, raised his arm to gesture and his face impassive, uttered two words: sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Rest..¡± Chapter 46 - 46: 46 Rest Chapter 46 - 46: 46 RestTranslator: 549690339 ¡ªRest. In the fifth round, everyone burrowed into snail shells, leaving the mudfield quiet. The sound of Jin Qiu¡¯s impacts ceased, and no one came out. Soon after, a frog emerged from the mud, croaking twice. With no bugs to eat, it lay idle in the mud. Shen MO, under the cover of the snail shell, watched the frog. He noticed its bulging eye had healed somewhat, but a scar was still present. This indicated his attack had worked. If the injury was bad enough, it would be difficult to recover. Perhaps next time he could target a different area¡­ Time ticked by. No one came out to find the ball, and the frog didn¡¯t attack either, so the situation turned into a stalemate. Someone took the initiative to start a conversation. Everyone began chatting across the snail shells¡ª ¡°The mud collapses too quickly. If only we could make the ball bounce less, that way with fewer holes, it would be easier to find.¡± ¡°How can it be that easy? There are so many snails. Unless we can push them aside, um¡­¡± The speaker seemed to be putting in effort, then commented a moment later, ¡°So heavy! But I can move it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy, there must be over a hundred snails in this hole. Even if you can move them, can you really push every single one aside? The ball will either hit this one or that one, this method won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°So what do we do? Once the frog rolls in mud, its wound heals by half. How could we possibly kill it¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just hold out for now and see what we can do in the next round¡­¡± Everyone engaged in hushed discussion, with Tan Xiao leading the conversation and Brother Hui and Monkey occasionally chiming in. The fifth round passed without any major incidents. When the countdown for the sixth round began, Teacher Chang woke up. Although he was awake, he seemed dazed. Seeing himself half-submerged in mud, he spoke in a daze: ¡°What difference does it make where one ends. I entrust my body to the mountain. Ah, my life seems to be coming to an end¡­¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t understand him, but courteously tapped a big snail shell and said, ¡°Old man, come here! There¡¯s plenty of room!¡± Chang Weicai turned his head at the sound and saw Tan Xiao. Despite his rough appearance, Tan Xiao was still spirited, which stirred mixed feelings in him. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯ve grown old, and I just can¡¯t be as positive and proactive as you youngsters when things happen. I should learn from you all.¡± He shook his head and sighed, then slowly lifted himself off the ground with effort, wading through the mud to reach Tan Xiao. Impatient as Tan Xiao was, he took a few steps to meet him halfway, scornfully carrying Chang Weicai on his shoulder: ¡°You¡¯re not that old yet. Quit dragging your feet and act like an old man. Let¡¯s hurry up! The countdown is almost over!¡± Chang Weicai just hummed as he was jounced around on Tan Xiao¡¯s shoulder. The snail shell that Tan Xiao found was large, providing ample space for both of them. They had just gotten comfortable when the thumping of Jin Qiu from outside started. One of the impacts precisely hit the snail shell they were in, with a loud bang, sinking the whole shell! Mud suddenly poured into the snail shell, nearly choking Tan Xiao. He quickly crawled deeper into the shell, swearing, ¡°Fuck!¡± Chang Weicai, who was positioned above, didn¡¯t end up in the mud. However, the sudden impact still left him stunned. After the mud surged in, the air in the snail shell quickly turned turbid. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t last long. About 20 seconds later, the surroundings began to tremble. A force bubbled up from below, and the snail shell flipped back to the surface of the mud¡ª Choking on the stale air, Tan Xiao quickly poked his head out. He saw the frog, complacently squatting in the mud. Frustrated, he exclaimed, ¡°That damned frog is back. Dammit! The injury on its eye is healed!¡± Chang Weicai also took a peek, and said, ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡®¡±Huh¡¯ what? Stop crowding here and watch out! It might bite you!¡± Tan Xiao pulled him back inside. Chang Weicai seemed to realise something, ¡°Xiaotan, I think our position seems the same as before. ¡°So what if it¡¯s the same?¡± Tan Xiao replied impatiently, ¡°The damn ball always smashes the snails into the mud, and the frog always pushes the snails out. Anyway, from what I can see, the positions are pretty much the same!¡± Chang Weicai suddenly became serious: ¡°If the position doesn¡¯t change, as long as we know the initial point, it should be possible to calculate where the ball will land!¡± Chapter 47 - 47: 47: Why Do Games Exist Chapter 47 - 47: 47: Why Do Games ExistTranslator: 549690339 Tan Xiao was stunned. Stunned again¡­ After being stunned for half a minute, he slapped Chang Weicai¡¯s chest, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say this earlier! Calculate it quickly! ¡± Chang, the teacher, almost had a heart attack, ¡°Cough, cough, cough, cough!¡­¡± Tan Xiao hurriedly massaged his chest, ¡°Old man, you really can¡¯t take a slap, I didn¡¯t hit that hard¡­ were you serious about what you just said? Can you really calculate it?¡± Teacher Chang shook his head and waved his hands, ¡°cough, cough, cough¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t do it? Didn¡¯t you just say you could! Hey! Can you calculate it or not, tell me straight!¡± Teacher Chang held his chest, ¡°can¡¯t¡­¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Were you just bullshitting?!¡± ¡°I meant theoretically¡­¡± Teacher Chang explained breathlessly, ¡°Theoretically, if we know the initial position and the angle of the shot, we can calculate the landing point. ¡± Tan Xiao grabbed his shoulders and shook him, ¡°Then hurry up and calculate it!!!¡± Teacher Chang felt dizzy, ¡°1¡­1 teach language arts¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter what you teach, you¡¯re a teacher! You must have studied math too!¡± Tan Xiao snapped urgently, ¡°I¡¯ve never passed elementary school math! You must be better than me, right?!¡± Chang Weicai was nearly deafened by his rapid-fire words, it was agonizing, but the words did make some sense when processed. Given the current situation, any method should be tried. It might be a glimmer of hope. Teacher Chang steadied his nerves with effort, taking a deep breath, ¡°When man defies nature, nature provides a way. Alright, alright, let¡¯s give it a shot! Xiaotan, help me out!¡± Tan Xiao quickly slid out of the snail shell and bent over to help Chang Weicai out. The frog, having not caught any bugs, was stunned for a while and had left. The cave was dark and silent, only densely packed with snail shells. Teacher Chang fumbled out a pen from his pocket, didn¡¯t even open it, and began writing and drawing formulas directly on the muddy snail shell with the cap¡¯s tip. The others also emerged from the snail shells one after another. Perhaps they had heard Tan Xiao¡¯s and Chang Weicai¡¯s argument earlier ¨C their uncertain eyes were now tilled with anticipation and doubt. ¡°Can you really calculate it?¡± Monkey asked. ¡°Whether we can calculate it or not, we have to try first!¡± Tan Xiao raised his chin in a lofty manner; he seemed to take pride in the fact that Chang Weicai was his ¡°brother¡±. Everyone remained silent, their eyes fixed on Teacher Chang¡¯s back. They couldn¡¯t contribute anything to this matter. Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei thoughtfully. ¡ªShe was looking at Brother Hui and Monkey. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seemingly sensing his gaze, Bai Youwei turned her head slightly and then looked at him with an innocent and puzzled face. Shen MO averted his gaze, wondering if he had misunderstood¡­ The seventh round started not long after, two consecutive rounds without deaths, and the tone of Jin Qiu became lazy ¡°The current game failed, with eight survivors remaining. Now entering the seventh round of ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯, all players please get ready (yawning)¡­ hey hey, the frog has to try harder.¡± With that, it began the countdown: ¡°59, 58, 57¡­¡± Bai Youwei calmly crawled into the snail shell. Shen MO stayed outside, his deep black eyes watching the golden ball, pondering about the purpose of this game itself, or rather, its significance? If it wanted to kill, it could simply kill, why bother with these elaborate schemes? Even if the apocalypse were to come, aliens invaded, earth was intruded, anything, there should be a reason, right? Why does this doll game even exist? Chapter 48 - 48: 48 She Can’t Leave You Chapter 48 - 48: 48 She Can¡¯t Leave YouTranslator: 549690339 As he was deep in thought, Tan Xiao, not far away, waved at him and shouted, ¡°Boss! You go in first! Maybe the old man will have all the landing points worked out soon. We shouldn¡¯t be too headstrong with that toad demon!¡± He did care about Shen MO quite a bit. Shen MO gripped his knife, rubbing it back and forth on the shell a few times, glanced coldly at the golden sphere high above, and then crawled into the shell. Another round of earth-shaking tremors. The golden sphere came to a halt. The frog emerged. ¡°Ribbit¡ªribbit¡ª¡± The frog, having abstained from food for two rounds, couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, and began to stir the mud with its front legs, poking at the snails in the field, trying to find a few bugs to fill its stomach. This sudden turn of events took everyone by surprise. Feeling the trembling of the mud, everyone tensely tightened their nerves at the same time, and attempted to burrow as far into the shells as they could. They pressed their bodies against the narrow inner walls to prevent being ejected by the vibrations. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ribbit ribbit! ¡ª Ribbit! The frog became increasingly agitated. The mud was constantely shaking due to the frog¡¯s flippers stirring it! Bai Youwei heard a short, sharp scream from outside! A sudden noise that vanished instantly, it was so short in duration that it was impossible to pinpoint the unfortunate victim. Bai Youwei, however, could not afford to make that determination right now, because she was already on the verge of falling! The lack of strength in her lower limbs indeed put her at a great disadvantage in this game! Splash! The snail shell where Bai Youwei was hiding had been flipped over. She was thrown out of the shell and into the thick mud, landing hard. As her body sank, Bai Youwei lay still. She knew she shouldn¡¯t move. If she did, she would be eaten by the frog like a bug! So she had to stay steady, steady¡­ The stench of the swamp water was rushing in from all directions, like slimy serpents, invading her nostrils, her eyes, her ears, and her mouth¡­ Bai Youwei was desperately holding her breath, but the fear of approaching death, and the disorientation of losing her footing, still tortured her mind! The feeling was absolutely horrendous! But to survive, she had to endure! Ironically, she had been someone who constantly thought of death, yet in this game, she revealed such a strong desire to survive. An arm wound around her waist and lifted her forcefully! She was suddenly being exposed to the fresh air! Bai Youwei opened her eyes and gasped for air. Mud dripped down from her face and head. She saw the man¡¯s broad, sturdy chest, and as she lifted her head, it was Shen Mo¡¯s aloof face. Bai Youwei just looked at him, unable to speak a word, panting heavily due to the lack of oxygen. Shen MO wanted to put her down. But she clung to his arm and refused to let go! The fear that the thick mud provoked was still present, and she trembled in his arms like a rabbit that had just survived a catastrophe. Shen MO frowned but didn¡¯t let go in the end. Tan Xiao leaned in from the side, his silvery hair turned to a mess after being stuck with mud. He said to Bai Youwei, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the frog is gone!¡± He then moved his hand back and forth under his neck and mimed the action of cutting his stomach open, afraid that she wouldn¡¯t understand, he added. ¡°Your brother slashed its belly open! It ran away!¡± Bai Youwei heaved a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, burying her face in Shen Mo¡¯s chest without moving. ¡°Your sister seems to be in shock.¡± Tan Xiao sighed with deep understanding, and patted Shen Mo t s shoulder. ¡°Take good care of her. It¡¯s obvious your siblings are close. She can¡¯t be without you.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei was all right before, but that remark inexplicably made her want to laugh. She gave a slight shake of her shoulder stifle a laugh and then asked him in a soft voice, ¡°Have you calculated the landing points?¡± Hearing her tone of voice, Shen MO knew she was back to normal and felt somewhat relieved. Tan Xiao, however, looked heartbroken. He twisted his head and looked at Chang Weicai, who was not too far away, and let out a sigh. ¡°No.¡± After he said this, no one made a noise. In the cave, only the rustling sound of the old teacher¡¯s continuous computation could be heard. The silence was unusually profound.. The taste of despair lingered in everyone¡¯s hearts¡­ Chapter 49 - 49: 49: Tadpole Looking for its Mother Chapter 49 - 49: 49: Tadpole Looking for its MotherTranslator: 549690339 The frog had exited the game prematurely, but Jin Qiu had yet to appear. Chang Weicai listed down innumerable formulas tirelessly, murmuring as he worked, ¡°Initial angle about 45 degrees, bounces back after hitting the stone wall, here it¡¯s about¡­120 degrees, deflects to the lower right¡­60 degrees¡­No, that¡¯s not right, the incident angle and reflection angle form an isosceles triangle, which allows us to determine the path of the ball after it bounces¡­ No, that¡¯s not right either, this approach applies to a flat rectangle, but we are dealing with a cone now, what is the formula for a cone¡­¡± Drops of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead. His right hand was shivering, as his face grew paler and paler. He suddenly loathed himself, why was he a language teacher? If he were a math teacher, perhaps he could come up with a solution at this moment to save himself and everyone trapped with him! Not that language teachers are any less capable than math teachers, however, at this particular time¡­ Plonk. The pen slipped from his powerless hand and fell into the mud. He quickly bent down to pick it up. ¡°Stop it,¡± Shen MO interjected calmly, ¡°Jin Qiu bounces more than 60 times every time. If we want to find its landing point by calculating every single move, we need massive calculations. Here, without a computer, paper, pen, and enough time, it¡¯s impossible.¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Besides, Chang Weicai was merely a language teacher and not proficient in math. Shen MO didn¡¯t say this out loud, but everyone present understood it crystal clear. ¡°Next round, we kill the frog,¡± Shen MO was holding a knife, the blade slowly grinding against the snail¡¯s shell. ¡°Those who want to help, prepare well.¡± With his words falling, everyone looked different. Tan Xiao seemed to be agonizing about how he could possibly help without any weapons. Chang Weicai looked desolate, submerged in deep self-blame. Hui Ge and Monkey looked grim, unwilling to confront the giant frog and yet not ready to give up and wait for death. Interestingly, Zhang Hua had come out of the snail shell, eyeing Hui Ge and Monkey darkly. And Bai Youwei¡­ Bai Youwei was also watching Hui Ge and Monkey. Shen MO took in everyone¡¯s reactions and felt a surge of indescribable restlessness. Suppressing his emotions, he calmly asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Bai Youwei refocused and lifted her head, ¡°Oh, nothing much.¡± A few seconds pause, noticing Shen MO still looking at her, she spoke, ¡°Just a bit worried, you taking on that monster alone, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± Somewhere in Shen Mo¡¯s mind, something clicked. His lips pressed into a tight line. After a moment, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not that dangerous, it¡¯s made of flesh and blood. It¡¯s easier to handle than guns and shells.¡± He carried Bai Youwei back into the snail¡¯s shell. Just at that moment, Jin Qiu popped up. ¡°The current game has failed, with 7 players surviving, now entering the eighth round of ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯¡­ ¡® The repeated lines were getting monotonous even for Jin Qiu. It yawned after its bounce and grumbled, ¡°The frog isn¡¯t trying hard enough, it only ate a single fatty, oh well, now it¡¯s up to me to figure something out-Everyone went on high alert as they heard Jin Qiu¡¯s voice again: ¡°Froggy go home, tadpoles find mommy¨C Froggy go home, tadpoles find mommy- The ground started shaking again, the mud soup stirred! It felt as if the giant beast was about to sweep over them again! But it was different this time. There were more, much more! Black tadpoles began to bubble up from the mud! They were packed tightly, each one as huge as a bathtub! They wagged their tails excitedly and opened their keratin-filled mouths, scrambling towards the snails! Shen MO killed one with a knife, then pulled Bai Youwei out of the shell as fast as possible, lifted her waist-high and put her on the back of a snail! Bai Youwei¡¯s face was pale, but her eyes were fixated elsewhere. Following her gaze, Shen MO saw Hui Ge and Monkey running in terror. In an instant, the mortal peril and long-held suspicions ignited into rage! He clenched his hand around Bai Youwei¡¯s neck and, through gritted teeth, asked: ¡°You knew how to finish the game all along, didn¡¯t you?!¡± Chapter 50 - 50: 50 1 Don’t Want to Die Chapter 50 - 50: 50 1 Don¡¯t Want to DieTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei was being choked by him; her snowwhite complexion quickly turned beet red. Her eyes too were scarlet! They were filled with anger, resentment, and even hatred! Seemingly pricked by the emotions brewing in her eyes, Shen Mo ts grip unconsciously loosened a bit. With indignation, Bai Youwei shoved him away, then bent over, coughing violently- In the distance, Zhang Hua was in a state of utter confusion, ¡°Why are there tadpoles? Why¡­ the frog was just about to be sated. Why did tadpoles appear at this time?!¡± His body was soaked in the muddy water, struggling to climb onto the snail shell again and again, only to slide off repeatedly. Surrounded by seven or eight excited tadpoles wagging their tails and gnawing on him, they quickly devoured him! Strictly speaking, tadpoles don¡¯t have teeth. The mouth of a tadpole has a pair of fleshy lips and a row of hornlike ¡°teeth¡±. These teeth are soft, and shaped like the teeth on a comb, they seemingly lack threat. However, if magnified thousands or tens of thousands times, the suction and biting strength of their mouth would be astounding! Everyone watched as Zhang Hua disappeared entirely before their eyes. Their earlier passive and comfortable mindset, as they waited inside the snail shells, vanished without a trace! Tan Xiao, holding onto Chang Weicai, lay on the snail shell, fiercely kicking away the tadpoles that were leaping upwards with his feet, sending them tumbling back into the mud! The tadpoles were stubborn, persistently surging upwards! The snail wobbled precariously, like a tiny boat in the sea, likely to capsize any second. Big Brother Hui and Monkey were also in a panic, their hands clenching each other¡¯s forearms as they hung on each side of the snail to prevent being shoved off by the tadpoles. Shen Mo¡¯s expression was dark as he forcefully yanked Bai Youwei up. Holding back his anger again, he asked her with a suppressed voice, ¡°You knew all along, why didn¡¯t you tell?!¡± Bai Youwei was limp in his hands like a rag-doll. She didn¡¯t speak, her gloomy eyes were glued to Big Brother Hui and Monkey. ¡°Bai Youwei!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s suppressed anger flared up again. He grabbed her by the collar, yanked her close, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you divulge the method for passing the level?!¡± Chang Weicai slipped down multiple times, only to be hoisted up by Tan Xiao each time. Big Brother Hui and Monkey yelled and cursed amid the grips of struggle. Yet, Bai Youwei seemed unaffected by it all. Those clear, lucid brown eyes of hers were as cold as ice. ¡°Why would I tell?¡± she sneered, ¡°To save them? Are they even worth it?¡± Shen MO was taken aback. Bai Youwei fixed her gaze on him, ¡°What have those people done when I was in danger last night, other than pretending to sleep? Trash like them deserves to be eradicated by the game. If they haven¡¯t been completely wiped out, of course, I won¡¯t say.¡± ¡°Is that how you feel?¡± Shen MO felt his heart jolt, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡± The smirk at the corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth grew more wanton, her gaze filled with malice, ¡°If I die, none of you will survive!¡± Shen MO stared at her blankly, slackening his grip. She slipped downwards, but at the instant before she was grasped by the tadpoles, Shen MO pulled her back up again. For a moment, he was at a loss for how to handle her. Behind them, Big Brother Hui suddenly roared, ¡°Monkey!¡± Shen MO looked round to see Big Brother Hui, drowning in the mud, instantly swarmed by a group of tadpoles. No matter how hard he tried, he could not stand up. He could only try his best to raise his arms high! Raise his arms high!¡­ sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Monkey was still clutching the snail shell tightly with both hands, not extending a hand to pull him out. ¡°Monkey!¡­Monkey!¡­¡± The man in the mud was screaming shrilly. It was as if Monkey didn¡¯t hear a thing, his blood-shot eyes were focused on Bai Youwei! The cry for help grew weaker. Then it vanished. The commotion made by the tadpoles gradually settled, their corpulent bodies rolling over and sinking into the mud. Everyone was watching Monkey. The unremarkable skinny young man¡¯s veins were bulging, his eyes bloodshot; his body was quivering from the suppressed emotions. He had just witnessed his comrade¡¯s death. Just when everyone thought he would charge at Bai Youwei in a fit of rage, he broke into a smile! Tears rolled down his cheeks too, his smile looked extremely awkward. ¡°¡­ can you tell us now?¡± Monkey, with a crazed look in his eyes, fixed his gaze on Bai Youwei,¡±The person who came up with the idea was Cixie, and Big Brother Hui executed it, and all I did was hold the mobile phone for recording¡­l never touched you¡­Can you tell us now? The methods for passing the level, I don¡¯t want to die¡­l don¡¯t want to die¡­.¡± Chapter 51 - 51: 51 Are You Crazy Chapter 51 - 51: 51 Are You CrazyTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Current game failed, five players remain alive. We¡¯re now entering the ninth round of ¡®Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯. Please prepare yourselves; the countdown begins in one minute. 59, 58¡­¡± Everyone was looking at Bai Youwei. Under the pressure of their gazes, Bai Youwei raised her head. She was neither afraid nor ashamed, standing strong with a bit of pride in her voice. ¡°Overturn that snail next to Teacher Chang,¡± she said. Tan Xiao was stunned. ¡°¡­Just like that?¡± ¡°Yes, that simple.¡± Bai Youwei sneered at him, ¡°Calculating the obligatory points in the ball¡¯s traveling route from one hundred and sixty-three snails how come you don¡¯t know how simple it is?¡± A corner of Tan Xiao¡¯s mouth twitched awkwardly. What trajectory? What obligatory point? He was slightly perplexed. But Teacher Chang finally got it. ¡°I see! The ball bounces too many times, so calculating its landing spot is too complex. But we can calculate the obligatory point!¡± Tan Xiao excitedly asked, ¡°Old man, can you do the calculations?¡± Chang Weicai chuckled, ¡°Well, I teach Chinese¡­¡± Tan Xiao remained silent. The monkey walked over to the snail with that unnatural smile still clinging to his face, his eyes frighteningly bright. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± He couldn¡¯t wait, reaching out and gripping the snail. Tan Xiao hesitated for a moment, and then joined in, his face strained with effort. It was hard to push a snail stuck in silt, but if all they had to do was flip it around in a group, it wasn¡¯t too troublesome. Shen MO looked down at Bai Youwei beside him and asked, ¡°How confident are you in this?¡± Without looking at him, Bai Youwei focused on Tan Xiao and the monkey in front of her, her voice emotionless. ¡°About seventy or eighty percent.¡± A choking feeling rose in Shen Mo¡¯s chest. He remained quiet for a moment before warning her, ¡°Don¡¯t do this again.¡± Bai Youwei raised her brows at him, ¡°Don¡¯t do what?¡± Shen MO said nothing. He realized that her mischievousness was returning, not only mischievous but twisted as well. ¡°It¡¯s not worth risking your life for those types of people,¡± Shen MO said in a low voice. Bai Youwei smirked and silently laughed, ¡°The life at stake isn¡¯t mine, but Zhang Hua¡¯s. I have you to protect me; Teacher Chang has Tan Xiao. Those two hooligans might seem like brothers, but they¡¯re only in it for their own benefits. Each of them is ready to stab the other in the back. Zhang Hua realized this, so he kept his eye on them, thinking at least one of them would be sacrificed to feed the frog. Unfortunately, we encountered an Inspector willing to change the rules on a whim. The rule about feeding tadpoles turned into the frog. Zhang Hua died too early.¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo felt a headache coming on, creasing his brows further, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the rule change, you wouldn¡¯t have revealed the method to pass this round, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei nodded calmly, her face expressionless. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in playing the savior. Besides, this game seems to go out of its way to kill players. If I save them, I¡¯m directly opposing the game. What benefits does that bring Anger spiked in Shen Mo¡¯s heart, but he swallowed it and remained silent. Bai Youwei looked up at him, her lips curled in a taunting smile, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you think I¡¯m selfish, or do you find me cruel? Shen MO, let me teach you something poverty makes people humble, hardship makes them bitter, and here I am, a rich girl who is just unlucky. Not only am I bitter, but I¡¯m also coldblooded and take great pleasure in seeing others suffer more misfortune than me. Do you understand?¡± Shen MO took a deep breath. ¡°I understand.¡± After a pause, he said: ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡± Bai Youwei froze, her face changing instantly, ¡°Did you just insult me?!¡± Shen MO thought ¨C yes, that was an insult. If it were someone under me, I wouldn¡¯t think twice about giving them a beating. But their conversation was disrupted by the countdown for the Golden Ball. ¡°¡­3¡­2¡­1. The game begins!¡± Boom! Chapter 52 - 52: 52: Congratulations on Passing This Game Chapter 52 - 52: 52: Congratulations on Passing This GameTranslator: 549690339 The moment Jin Qiu plunged downward, Shen MO scooped Bai Youwei up and retreated to the side of a snail, watching the cave getting splattered with mud once again. Their verbal confrontation momentarily ceased. After over a dozen bounces, Jin Qiu fell into the snail¡¯s mouth at an incredibly precise angle! The snail sank under the force, sinking continuously! It stopped just as it sunk to the edge of the snail¡¯s mouth¡ªthe ball stopped, all noise stopped, leaving only the clear gold ball faintly gleaming at the snail¡¯s entrance. Everyone¡¯s gaze focused on Jin Qiu, even their breaths unavoidably slowing. It seemed unbelievable. After struggling for so long, enduring for so long, from the first round to the ninth round, they thought it was an unsolvable stalemate, yet now it had been cracked so easily? It felt unreal. Tan Xiao rubbed his eyes hard, staring at Jin Qiu stuck in the snail¡¯s shell, ¡°¡­Am I seeing things?¡± Teacher Cheng¡¯s eyes were moist with emotion, ¡°This is the essential point, the essential point¡­ A ball bouncing back and forth inside a hole seventy, eighty, or even a hundred times without falling into the mud, each bounce precisely hitting a snail. Probability-wise, that¡¯s almost impossible! To produce continuous bounces, Jin Qiu¡¯s movement trajectory must be calculated with precision! As long as you can calculate one point, you can find Jin Qiu!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s lips curled up, interpreting these words as praising her. She uttered a nonchalant ¡°Mhm,¡± and said, ¡°The game rules state that the Inspector could serve the ball from any position, at any angle, using any force. This sentence is meant to mislead us¡ªto trick us into thinking the point of the ball¡¯s landing is random. They really went to great lengths, what with their smoking and reducing time limits, and even creating monsters to pressure the players. But in the end¡­ the game itself is just too simple. That¡¯s why they needed these tricks to make the game confusing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re calling my game simple?!¡± Jin Qiu locked in the shell of a snail let out a high-pitched shout, ¡°My game is simple?! It took you nine rounds to clear it, and you have the audacity to call my game simple! You guys are the most shameless players I¡¯ve ever seen!!!¡± Bai Youwei coldly laughed: ¡°What are you excited about? You ought to know, too. The level of a game¡¯s difficulty has nothing to do with its format. Instead, the actions of those within the game that require constant attention.¡± Jin Qiu fell silent. After a while, it said, pretending to be innocent: ¡°I¡¯ve always been watching you¡­ but I just didn¡¯t get it, hey, how did you find out? Was it really through calculating the essential point? That sure is a lot of computation¡­¡± Bai Youwei fell silent. After a few seconds, she turned to Tan Xiao, ¡°It¡¯s trying to buy time. The tadpoles are coming out soon.¡± Jin Qiu: Tan Xiao: Recalling the scene where tadpoles appeared in groups, Tan Xiao got goosebumps all over his body. He promptly stretched out his hands, firmly pressing down on Jin Qiu! ¡ª Two mud handprints were left. Jin Qiu: A sigh echoed through the cave. ¡°Congratulations on clearing this game.¡± Jin Qiu¡¯s voice sounded dispirited. ¡°For winning the golden ball from the frog, you ought to receive a reward. The game has been cleared by five players who can choose¡­¡± Its voice paused before it continued: ¡°¡­oh, the settlement rule has been changed. Players cannot choose their own rewards. They will be distributed by the Inspector. Five pieces of frog mud can be given to the five players. Whoever finds Jin Qiu gets a bonus of a ¡®Princess¡¯s Friend¡¯ Friendship Badge.¡± It sighed again, slowly floating into the air: ¡°Game rewards have been settled. You guys, make sure to cherish the rewards I gave you¡­¡± A familiar white light emerged in front of them. Bai Youwei blinked her eyes and found herself back in the truck. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She had a lump of mud in her hand.. Chapter 53 - 53: 53: The Princess’s Friend Chapter 53 - 53: 53: The Princess¡¯s FriendTranslator: 549690339 The instant the mud touched her hand, its use immediately sprang to mind. [Frog Mud: Amazing mud that can rapidly heal wounds, can be used 9 times.] Bai Youwei poked it. It was soft and quite elastic, a little like the rubber clay kids play with, only its color was dire, dark and indistinguishable. But, seeing as its effects were so great, Bai Youwei carefully kept the mud in her bag, alongside the toy gun and the plush rabbit. How amusing it was ¨C every reward from the game seemed to have an element of childlike innocence. She looked up ahead, Shen MO and The Teacher had stepped out of the car. Monkey and Tan Xiao also got off the vehicle at the earliest opportunity. Each person held a clump of mud in their hands. The expression on everyone¡¯s face was extremely complicated, as if they were dazed and shocked after escaping death. They didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. As usual, Shen MO checked the rest of the people in the convoy. ¡ªWithout exception, those who did not complete the game have all turned into dolls. ¡°Has the earth been occupied by some Dimensional Demon King?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s face was full of disbelief. ¡°This game is too spiritual, this piece of mud that we¡¯re given can heal wounds quickly, no wonder the wounds on the frog healed so quickly!¡± He held the mud to his nose to sniff, but didn¡¯t detect any particular scent. He even opened his mouth to bite it, but it was as tough as a rubber band and he couldn¡¯t bite off a piece. ¡°How does one use this?¡± Tan Xiao asked, somewhat bewildered. The Teacher suggested, ¡°Is it only effective when used on wounds?¡± During the game, The Teacher had bumped his head. Although it didn¡¯t bleed much, the impact caused his wound to swell quite a bit. He held up the mud, and applied it to his head. Suddenly, the color of the mud changed from black to a deep gray. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The Teacher took down the mud in shock, ¡°The number of uses has decreased to 8.¡± ¡°Old chap! Your swelling has subsided!¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, he couldn¡¯t resist and felt the teacher¡¯s wound, ¡°It really has healed! There¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong, even the wrinkles have reduced!¡± The Teacher laughed, feeling his own head, ¡°¡­Really? I do feel like it¡¯s not painful anymore.¡± ¡°Holy shit, this is incredible, truly incredible!¡± Tan Xiao was extremely excited, ¡°Invincible!¡± A laugh emerged from the car. Everyone turned to the sound to see Bai Youwei leaning on the car window, her face propped up by her hand, watching them. Although she didn¡¯t say a word, her eyes practically spelled out the word ¡°stupid¡±- a small bump wasted a life-saving opportunity once, wow, you guys are really great- Everyone, for a moment, felt a bit embarrassed. Shen MO glanced at her, then asked Tan Xiao, ¡°What about the badge? What¡¯s it for?¡± Everyone was taken aback. Oh yeah, the person who found the golden ball, in addition to the mud, also received a ¡°Princess¡¯s Friend¡± Friendship Badge. The mud can heal injuries, but what is the purpose of the badge? Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tan Xiao scratched his head, his expression puzzled, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± After speaking, seeing that everyone was still looking at him, he suddenly felt a bit anxious, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you guys believe me? Why would I lie to you! I really don¡¯t know! This badge only tells me that I helped the princess find her lost golden ball, now I¡¯m the princess¡¯s friend! I¡¯ve no idea what use it is to be friends with the princess! ¡± He took out the gold badge, and swore with three fingers raised, ¡°Don¡¯t disbelieve me! The most unbearable thing for me is being wrongly accused! I swear if you like!¡± The Teacher quickly said, ¡°Believe, believe! We all believe you, we just find it strange.¡± Only then did Tan Xiao lower his hand. Holding the badge in his hand, for some reason, he glanced subconsciously at Bai Youwei, as if wanting to ask, yet also a bit afraid to ask. Bai Youwei squinted her eves, smiled and said, ¡°Keep it. You never know, it might be your turn to depend on the princess to save your life in the next game.¡± After hearing this, Tan Xiao¡¯s hairs stood on end, shuddering hard! He almost dropped the badge from his hand! Chapter 54 - 54: 54: A Sincere Invitation Chapter 54 - 54: 54: A Sincere InvitationTranslator: 549690339 Playing this game once is enough to cast a lifelong shadow, no one wants a next time! Tan Xiao held the badge, feeling particularly hot in his hand. The others stood in the middle of the road, each having different expressions, none speaking. A gust of wind blew, causing the leaves by the roadside to rustle and the leather tassels on Tan Xiao¡¯s motorcycle to flutter wildly in the wind. Shen MO glanced at the dark clouds on the horizon, and said lightly, ¡°Get in the car, let¡¯s leave here.¡± Surrounded by dolls, no one would want to stay in such a place. Without further ado, everyone got into the car. Monkey, Brother Hui and Thorn Head shared a car, he threw the two turned into dolls out of the car. With two thuds, the doll-like figures tumbled on the road surface and were covered with a layer of dust. Shen MO saw this, frowned, but didn¡¯t say anything, and started the car. The storm clouds came quickly. About a quarter of an hour later, the wind got louder, the road was filled with flying sand and stones, dense dark clouds pressed down, roaring ominously as if they would swallow all the buildings and trees. Large raindrops hit the car windows, the heavy rain came pouring down. They stopped at a toll station on the way. Tan Xiao, soaked to the skin, rode his motorcycle with no cover to shield him from the rain, looking like a drenched chicken. Not far away was a group of bungalows, the dormitories and canteen for the toll station staff. Everyone drove their car over to take shelter from the rain. This place had neither electricity nor internet, like the service station, nor could they see a single soul. They prepared some old newspapers and wooden tables and chairs, lit a fire for warmth and illumination. A sudden downpour in the summer wasn¡¯t unusual, but encountering this storm after surviving a life-and-death game seemed to take on extraordinary significance. Like a warning from the heavens. The torrential rain obscured the road ahead. Vague expressions of confusion and loss appeared on their faces, as if even the direction in their hearts had been obscured by the rain. No one knew what was waiting for them ahead. Monkey lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. Tan Xiao sat by the fire drying his clothes, asked for a cigarette from him, and they both puffed together, looking quite practiced. ¡°Where are you headed once the rain stops?¡± Tan Xiao asked Monkey. Monkey and Thorn Head always followed Brother Hui¡¯s lead, now that Brother Hui was gone, Monkey might not stick to the original destination. ¡°East, to Taizhou.¡± Monkey flicked the cigarette ash and said calmly, ¡°My hometown is over there, so I¡¯m going back to take a look.¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He then asked Tan Xiao, ¡°What about you? What are your plans?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Tan Xiao blankly stared at the fire, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it. I heard that there are no dolls in Yangzhou, so I want to check it out¡­There¡¯s not much gas left in my motorcycle, I might need to find a place to stay for a while.¡± ¡°Do you want to come with me to Taizhou?¡± Monkey suddenly asked. Tan Xiao was somewhat at a loss, staring at him blankly. For whatever reason, Monkey turned to look at Shen MO and Bai Youwei on the other side, asking, ¡°How about it, want to consider it? My uncle has a farm in Taizhou. If you come, you wouldn¡¯t lack for food and water. We can look after each other. If we face another game, we will feel more secure.¡± The fire reflected in his eyes and there was a touch of madness in his gaze. He was sincerely inviting them, but the aged and frail teacher Cheng was not considered in his plans. Bai Youwei, sitting in her wheelchair, scoffed disdainfully and closed her eyes, ignoring him. Shen MO was silent for a moment before replying, ¡°We need to go to Yangzhou to find someone. Monkey laughed, ¡°No problem, if you ever want to come to Taizhou, you¡¯re always welcome.¡± He was not making idle talk. He found pen and paper, carefully wrote down his address, and handed it to both Shen MO and Tan Xiao. Tan Xiao was downright baffled and bluntly asked, ¡°Monkey, what are you playing at? We all have families and homes, who would run off to Taizhou with you for no reason?¡± ¡°What do you think the game is?¡± Behind the firelight, Monkey¡¯s face twisted vaguely in the warm haze, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand yet? This is a selection¡­ of all mankind¡­. and we won, we are the chosen ones! We are destined to shoulder the mission of changing the world! ¡° Chapter 55 - 55: Going Mad Chapter 55: Going Mad Translator: 549690339 A selection process for all of humankind? The chosen one? ¡­Changing the world? Tan Xiao was dumbfounded, staring blankly at the ape. He didn¡¯t expect that anyone could dream bigger than he could. ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive, don¡¯t jump to any conclusions before thoroughly investigating,¡± Teacher Chang advised calmly, ¡°Even if there really is going to be a transformative selection process, it should involve a comprehensive assessment of morality, intelligence, and physical ability, with diverse questions related to arts and science. Special talents should be given extra points, that¡¯s the scientific way¡­¡± The smile on the ape¡¯s face turned cold and he gave Chang Weicai a ¡°shut up, you have no idea¡± look. He stared at the burning fire, saying: ¡°This world is rotten through and through. Some people are scorned and work from dawn till dusk without being able to afford a meal. Others do nothing while having endless heaps of money. Why? Why are some people born rich and others destined to struggle? Even God cannot stand by and watch anymore, hence this game¡­ She was right, the trash should be cleared away! It¡¯s not we who killed those people, but their incompetence¡­ he was slayed by the game, not me, not me, I am the winner, I received the divine gift, I am the chosen one¡­ I am different from them¡­¡± His voice trailed into a murmur, as if bewitched, repeating over and over¡ª¡±l¡¯m the chosen one, I¡¯m different¡­l¡¯m the chosen one¡­ S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tan Xiao was at a loss for words, watching the ape. Eventually, he turned to look at Shen MO and Bai Youwei, pointing at his head, implying: is this guy going mad? The ape said, ¡°Right.¡± Surprised, Tan Xiao hastily put his hand down. The ape plastered on a smile, saying to Shen Mo: ¡°Speaking of which, I should thank your sister. If she hadn¡¯t lasted until the ninth round, even if we had completed the game, we might not have so many opportunities to use the mud prize.¡± Passing the ninth round, winning the prize nine times, behind this reward laid several lives. Yet not only did he not bear any grudges, on the contrary, he was eagerly trying to get closer to Shen MO and Bai Youwei. Shen MO remained indifferent, not commenting on this topic, simply saying: ¡°The rain is not likely to stop anytime soon, we can¡¯t drive, let¡¯s get something to eat.¡± The ape nodded, stood up and said, ¡°There are some bowls and pots in the cafeteria. I will go and get some.¡± As he was saying that, he braved the rain and ran out. The others in the room watched his figure disappear, silent for a moment. The ape¡¯s reaction was abnormal, it seemed like he thought of himself as the savior, after experiencing a test of fate he began to think he was superior. Shen MO dropped his eyes to look at Bai Youwei and asked her, ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± Bai Youwei quietly lowered her head, her long hair covering her cheeks, hiding her expression. Watching the two of them, Tan Xiao felt the atmosphere had suddenly become strange and asked puzzledly, ¡°What on earth is going on with the ape?¡± Nobody answered. Teacher Chang shook his head lightly and sighed deeply: ¡°Sigh¡­¡± It was afternoon and the sky was as dark as night. Tan Xiao rummaged through the trunk and found some food¡ªjust canned meat and instant noodles. Everyone made do with a pot of boiling water over the fire and hastily ate their meal. Bai Youwei ate very little, just a couple of bites of her instant noodles and set it aside. She looked low-spirited. She acted differently inside and outside the game. Soft and silent outside; Defiant and wild inside. Shen MO had never met a girl or woman like her. The female colleagues he had encountered at work were all outspoken and friendly. The cousins in his family were all knowledgeable and well-behaved, only Bai Youwei made him feel that every encounter was like getting pricked. It seemed that his initial comparison of her to a small hedgehog was way off the mark. A hedgehog has sharp quills, while Bai Youwei was covered in knives! Killer knives, even.. Chapter 56 - 56: Let Me Go Chapter 56: Let Me Go Translator: 549690339 The rain stopped at eight o¡¯clock in the evening. The sky was also completely dark. Shen MO stood under the eaves, looking at the pitch-black sky, thinking: It wouldn¡¯t be possible to leave tonight. Despite only being less than an hour¡¯s journey away, they had to delay another day. Driving at night was too risky, they could only wait until the next morning. With no electricity, no internet signals, and the situation in Yangzhou unclear, various worries weighed heavily on his mind, making Shen MO feel a kind of indescribable irritation. Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai set up the pot again, adding a few sections of bench legs to the fire, boiling water to cook noodles. The monkey pried the doors of a few dormitory rooms open with wire. Inside were single beds and tables, whether the bedding was clean or not was unknown, but it should be fine for one night. They had dinner around nine, still instant noodles, accompanied by roasted duck and goose they had brought out from the food processing factory. Without rice and vegetables, everyone ate in silence. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t eat much for lunch, and also didn¡¯t eat dinner, claiming she had no appetite. She went to rest in a dormitory room by herself in her wheelchair. She had been meticulous with her diet since she was young, with three meals a day cooked by a nanny to her taste. It was normal for her not to stomach these foods; Shen MO didn¡¯t take it to heart. After dinner, Chang Weicai purposely boiled another pot of hot water, sterilized the clean glass jars two or three times, then filled a jar full of hot water, cooling it in cold water. Once the water was no longer too hot, Chang Weicai handed the jar to Shen MO, saying, ¡°Your sister seems to be feeling unwell, let her drink more warm water.¡± Shen MO was taken aback. Seeing his lack of response, Chang Weicai kindly reminded him, ¡°She barely ate anything for lunch, and hasn¡¯t even had a sip of water until now. This isn¡¯t good, she¡¯ll get sick.¡± Tan Xiao was gulping down water, tilting his head back. Hearing this, he paused, put down the water bottle and asked, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she drink? Isn¡¯t she thirsty?¡± After asking, he answered himself: ¡°Oh, I get it now! She has been sitting still all the time, when the heart is calm, the body naturally cools down, and when it¡¯s cool, she doesn¡¯t sweat, and if she doesn¡¯t sweat, she won¡¯t be thirsty!¡­ What kind of reasoning was that? Chang Weicai looked at Tan Xiao, speechless. However, Shen Mo¡¯s expression gradually grew somber. He picked up the jar and turned to leave. The dormitory where Bai Youwei was resting was the second one from where they were. He grabbed the doorknob and turned, but it was locked. ¡°Bai Youwei!¡± Shen MO knocked on the door, a hint of anger hidden in his tone. There was no response from inside. Shen MO held back again and again, gritting his teeth in frustration, ¡°Bai Youwei! Open the door!¡± Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Monkey sensed that something was wrong, and they all came out to see what was happening, ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡± Shen MO stood outside the door, his face so gloomy it looked like rain was about to fall. Didn¡¯t he understand? Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t hungry or thirsty; she was upset with him from what had happened in the game earlier. She felt she couldn¡¯t rely on him, hence, she was refusing food and water, to avoid having to depend on him to use the bathroom! Just how stubborn could she be? To the point of neglecting her own health over a fit of pique?! Blind rage welled up within him. Shen Mo¡¯s scalp tingled, and he was unsure where the anger came from, whether it was directed at her attitude or his own carelessness. No matter how much he disapproved of her actions, he wouldn¡¯t let a disabled girl suffer because of their verbal quarrel. Yet, indeed due to his negligence, she had gone without food or drink for the better part of the day. After waiting another half a minute and still no response from Bai Youwei, he stopped knocking. With a dark expression on his face, Shen MO took a deep breath, turned around, and kicked the door! There was a loud bang! The door flew open! ¡ªBai Youwei was lying on her side on the bed, her back to him. Even such a loud noise inside the room did not prompt her to turn her head. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO didn¡¯t say a word either, his eyes quickly scanning the single dormitory room. He picked up her folding crutches along with her bags, hanging them on either side of the wheelchair, then bent over to lift the girl on the bed. Bai Youwei was like a cat whose fur has been ruffled, turning around and aiming for Shen Mo¡¯s face! ¡°Let go of me! She screamed.. Chapter 57 - 57: 57: Teach Her a Lesson Chapter 57 - 57: 57: Teach Her a LessonTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO didn¡¯t care and forcefully held her down on the wheelchair! sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei struggled like a madwoman! She clawed and hit Shen MO! Not satisfied that it was not hurting him, she gripped his arm and bit into it! Her white teeth sank into the flesh, tasting a rusty tang, her eyes a fiery red! Everyone who rushed over was dumbfounded by the spectacle, not understanding what feud the siblings were engaged in. ¡°Xiaoshen¡­¡± stuttered the teacher, ¡°you guys, can you please talk things out¡­¡± Shen MO took a deep breath, his tight arm wrestled free from her teeth, showing two rows of bright, bloody impressions. He said impassively to them: ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡¯ Then he pushed the wheelchair and strode away. Everyone was bewildered. Fine?¡­ Can you really call this fine? The air was humid after the rain, and the wheelchair was trundled into accumulated puddles, splashing water everywhere. Shen MO pushed Bai Youwei all the way to the public toilet across the road. The public toilet was for staff and had no access for disabled, so Shen MO moved in front of the wheelchair to lift her up. She wouldn¡¯t let him touch her, and she pushed him, hit him, and twisted, using all her strength! The two had a silent wrestling match in front of the toilet, ending with Bai Youwei being defeated. She was carried by Shen MO into the toilet, with a pair of crutches tucked under her arms. ¡°Stand properly on your own.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s tone was icy, filled with severity. Bai Youwei bit her lip, leaning on her crutches to stand in the toilet. The surrounding stench made her feel sick and humiliated! After Shen MO opened the toilet stall¡¯s door, he placed a flashlight on the cistern, laid out a disposable toilet seat cover, and took out the wet tissue and toilet paper, then tried to pull her in. But she stubbornly refused to move. When his first pull didn¡¯t work, he exerted more force on the second, nearly causing her to lose her balance. He hoisted her into the stall, and his towering figure cast a shadow over her. He ordered her again, ¡°Go to the bathroom.¡± Bai Youwei bit her lip, eyes tightly shut, stubbornly refusing to comply even as she stood by the toilet bowl. Shen MO truly lost his temper then, and grasped her waist. Bai Youwei struggled vehemently in his arms! His anger peaked, nearly losing all sanity! Originally, he only wanted to scare her, but now he felt compelled to teach her a lesson! In his anger, his hand touched something soft, and he froze. ¡­It was a diaper. That item was far removed from his world, but now worn by an adult, it was nothing short of humiliating and embarrassing. So she had put this on her earlier in the room. Shen MO let her go. There were blotchy wet stains on his chest, her tears. She was crying with her eyes closed, her face stained with tears, but stubbornly refusing to make a sound. Shen MO simply couldn¡¯t understand why she had to be so stubborn. ¡°I¡¯ll give you five minutes to get done.¡± he made a compromise, stepping back and closing the stall door. Even though he had acceded to her, he worried that Bai Youwei still wouldn¡¯t comply, and had to continue playing the villain. He threatened her vehemently through the door: ¡°Otherwise, I will throw away all your remaining diapers.¡± A soft sobbing sound could be heard from the toilet stall. Shen MO was in a state of distress. He paced back and forth in the toilet, finally stepping out in frustration and leaning against a tree outside to have a smoke. After finishing his cigarette, Bai Youwei still hadn¡¯t come out. He didn¡¯t rush her, and just lit another¡­ Fifteen minutes later, there was the sound of flushing from the toilet, followed by the opening of the stall door. Bai Youwei, with her head sagging, emerged. Just a trip to the toilet, yet she was like a soldier defeated on the battlefield, looking lost and without will. Shen MO helped her onto the wheelchair, put away the crutches, the flashlight, and the tissue, and then took her to wash her hands. Once they returned to the dormitory, he handed her the large cup of warm water the teacher had prepared, along with a bag of biscuits. This time, she didn¡¯t complain further. She ate the biscuits when she was hungry and drank water when she was thirsty. Later, as she nibbled on a biscuit, she said softly: ¡°I want to take a bath.¡± Running out of patience, Shen MO couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He wanted to ask her if she was now pushing her luck. This run-down place didn¡¯t even have a water heater. Where was he supposed to get hot water for her bath? Bai Youwei swallowed her biscuit, her voice very faint: I haven¡¯t bathed in two days and I feel uncomfortable..¡± Chapter 58 - 58: 58: Making Peace with a Handshake Chapter 58 - 58: 58: Making Peace with a HandshakeTranslator: 549690339 ¡°In the height of summer, who wouldn¡¯t be uncomfortable after not bathing for two days? Shen MO felt the same way. But the problem was, how could one take a bath at a time like this? Shen MO stared at Bai Youwei, slowly exhaling a breath through his nose, his molars clenched tightly. Bai Youwei nibbled on biscuits, not looking at Shen MO, murmuring to herself, ¡°I want to take a bath.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® A moment later, he got up and walked out the dorm room door. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At ten o¡¯clock at night, Shen MO prepared bath water for Bai Youwei. He found two large stainless steel basins in the canteen, washed them clean, filled them with water and heated them. When they were about four to five parts hot, he carried them to their dorm room¡ª Bathing or showering was not possible, they could only use the hot water for scrubbing. Shen MO left the room, guarding outside the door. As he reminisced about the past few days, he found it amusing that he¡¯d ended up doing the things he¡¯d never done in the first half of his life. Who could blame him when she was a patient? Caring for a patient should take precedence over any gender related precautions. Besides, she was several years younger than him, just like a younger sister. It wouldn¡¯t hurt his pride to make a few accommodations for her. The sound of water echoed from the room intermittently. Shen MO, free of any frivolous thoughts, focused on these trivial matters, his anxiety gradually easing. His earlier anger and frustration now seemed unnecessary. When Bai Youwei had finished bathing, she shuffled to the door with her crutch and opened it with a squeak. Shen MO turned around. She had changed into a white dress, her long hair braided and draped over the front of her body. Her wet hair ends glistened, ebony against her clean white face. Under the night sky, her face glowed like a piece of jade, elegant and beautiful, a stark contrast to her sharp in-game persona. He noticed a reddish-purple mark on her neck, quite eye-catching. It was the mark he had left when he choked her in the game. He had promised to bring her safely to Yangzhou, but the first injury on her body was inflicted by his own hand. Shen MO didn¡¯t know how to feel about this. ¡°There¡¯s still a basin of water, do you want to wash as well?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, slightly furrowing her brow, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± There were no mirrors in the room, she had no idea about the mark on her neck. ¡°Nothing.¡± Shen MO averted his eyes, and went into the room to get the water. As he prepared to leave, he said, ¡°If you need to use the bathroom at night, just call me. I¡¯ll be in the next room.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips upon hearing this. After a moment, she responded with a low ¡°Mmm¡±, and said, ¡°Know it.¡± Both of them knew that this was an opportunity for reconciliation. The journey was not yet over, and continued friction would do neither of them any good. This was especially true for Bai Youwei. So, when he extended an olive branch, she accepted it. Before going to sleep, Bai Youwei needed to visit the bathroom again. The procedure was calm and smooth. Shen MO found that as long as she didn¡¯t lose her temper, it was easy to take care of her. On their way back with the wheelchair, they ran into Monkey. Monkey was waiting outside. Upon seeing them return, his face wore a somewhat awkward yet pleasing smile. ¡°We are parting ways tomorrow, so it doesn¡¯t seem right for me to keep this. You decide what to do with it.¡± He pulled out a cell phone and handed it to Shen MO, adding with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the phone has no signal, nothing has been sent out, this is the only copy.¡± Shen MO frowned, then handed the phone to Bai Youwei. The phone contained the video of them harassing Bai Youwei. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to watch it. After handing over the phone, Monkey turned and left. He used to be a small henchman following Big Brother Hui and had a low presence. Now, he seemed to have changed from before. Shen MO stared at his retreating figure for a moment, then wheeled Bai Youwei back into the room, saying, ¡°Delete it. If you are concerned, just take out the memory card..¡± Chapter 59 - 59: 59: Get Lost Chapter 59 - 59: 59: Get LostTranslator: 549690339 The cell phone had no lock screen password, so Bai Youwei immediately saw the video in the folder when she turned it on. She clicked to watch it. In the shaky video, she saw her own figure appearing weak like a frightened quail, pitifully screaming, ¡°Don¡¯t come over! Don¡¯t come over¡­¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t understand why this was worth re-watching. The video continued to play, and she kept on watching. Shen MO didn¡¯t watch, he observed Bai Youwei¡¯s reaction. After a while, a voice from Teacher Cheng can be heard from the phone¡­ Shortly after, Tan Xiao appeared, and then, they started fighting. In the chaos, the cell phone had been tossed aside, continuing to film. The footage was all over the place, but the audio was clearly captured. Huige said, ¡°Just a cripple, not even a woman¡­¡± At this moment, Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned utterly gloomy! The knuckles of her hand clutching the phone turned white, her eyes fixed on the phone screen even though Huige¡¯s face wasn¡¯t shown in the video. Shen MO frowned, snatched the phone, deleted the video in a couple of taps, and threw the phone aside. ¡°Get some rest, we¡¯re leaving first thing in the morning,¡± he said. Bai Youwei muttered something with her head bowed. Shen Mo: ¡°What?¡± Bai Youwei looked up, her small face unveiling a cold smile: ¡°I said, it isn¡¯t satisfying.¡¯ Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed deeper. Bai Youwei: ¡°His death was too easy, it didn¡¯t appease me at all.¡± Shen MO got up to leave. Their relationship had just started to improve, and he didn¡¯t want to start a quarrel with her over words. ¡°Shen MO,¡± Bai Youwei stopped him, ¡°Can you stay tonight? I¡¯m scared to be alone.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He understood her implication and was absolutely sure he hadn¡¯t misinterpreted her. Because that was how crazy she was, willing to risk everything for a grudge. Shen MO inhaled deeply without making a sound, casually glanced at Bai Youwei, and said calmly, ¡°Get some sleep early. You don¡¯t need to take other people¡¯s words to heart.¡± After saying this, he turned and opened the door. Bai Youwei spoke again: ¡°Shen MO, help me up.¡± Shen MO stopped in his tracks, waited a second, then reluctantly returned to help her sit up, supporting her back. Bai Youwei leaned on her hands as if she was out of strength, and gently leaned against Shen Mo¡¯s chest. Shen MO stiffened. Bai Youwei lay motionless in his arms, her body enveloped by his chest and arm, a mix of sweat, smoke, and crisp rain scent, not pleasant, but she didn¡¯t dislike it. She stretched her arms around his waist. His taut muscles were hard yet warm. Shen MO tried to pull away, but she held on tighter. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Bai Youwei,¡± Shen MO inhaled, ¡°Don¡¯t misbehave.¡± ¡°Do you find me disgusting too?¡± She lifted her head up from his chest, her face calm, ¡°Right now I¡¯m not happy, if you stay tonight, I¡¯ll feel better.¡± Shen MO observed her silently, she neither retreated nor compromised. Her eyes were clear but determined, ready to let go of all restraint, unashamed to prove something. Shen MO gently put his hand over hers, grasping her fingers. Bai Youwei began to tear up in front of him. He remained indifferent, sternly prying her fingers off one by one¡­ When he got to the last two fingers, Bai Youwei suddenly pulled her hand back and released him. She sat in the shadows with her head bowed, and coldly spat out a word from her throat: ¡°Get out.¡± Shen MO turned and left without hesitation. It was difficult for him to walk away, but his movements were decisive, with no signs of hesitation. Chapter 60 - 60: 60 Good Morning Chapter 60 - 60: 60 Good MorningTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO had a restless night. Every time he closed his eyes, the image of Bai Youwei, shrouded in gloom and vulnerability, haunted him. She sat silent in the shadows, blending into the darkness, or perhaps becoming the darkness itself. A hint of wickedness in her demeanor, yet she was not one you could easily hate. This was always the case¡ª Ignored and pitied; Intended to help, but irked by her infuriatingly stubborn demeanor. Shen MO had carried out many tasks, complex, dangerous, urgent, but none had given him such a headache as this one. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was pretty annoyed. It was five in the morning. The daylight was just breaking when Shen MO awoke. He got up and went to Bai Youwei¡¯s room. He had left hastily the night before, mainly to put a stop to her sullen behavior. But leaving her alone in the room left him uneasy, given her volatile temper, he was worried she might stir up some new trouble either for him or for herself. He lightly twisted the doorknob, finding it unlocked. As Shen MO pushed the door open, in the dim light, Bai Youwei lay on the bed with her eyes closed. Shen MO breathed a sigh of relief. He went over and bent down to look at her. Sleeping, she looked unusually docile, eyelashes slightly upturned, lips pinkish, small face with baby fat, innocent and lovely. Combined with her skin far paler than the average person¡¯s, she looked extremely fragile and endearing. Without a shadow of a doubt, her appearance was utterly deceptive. Forgetting her last night¡¯s aggressive and stubborn behavior, he found himself watching her. She was deeply asleep, like a child, hugging a fluffy bunny in her arms, its fur rumpled. Shen MO imagined that she probably vented her frustrations on the bunny after he left the previous night. The thought brought a smile to his face, finding the scene rather adorable. Strange and muddled thoughts passed through his mind¡­ Compelled to, he lightly brushed away her hair, to see if the strangulation mark on her neck had faded. As her hair swept across her cheek, the girl¡¯s lashes fluttered slightly. A second later, she opened her eyes and silently watched him. With eyes calm and tranquil, filled with a mix of drowsy disorientation. Shen MO withdrew his hand, unsure of what to say to her. After a slight pause he asked, ¡°Need to use the restroom?¡± Although he asked out of concern, Bai Youwei scoffed and laughed, ¡°You woke me up at five in the morning just to remind me to pee?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® ¡°Nuts,¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, laying back to continue her sleep, exuding an aura of dislike for early mornings. Shen MO was silent for a while, saying, ¡°I will come back at five-thirty.¡± Bai Youwei grabbed the stuffed bunny and hurled it at his face! ¡ªIndeed, she couldn¡¯t have hit him. After all, the difference in strength was far too significant, so it was unlikely she could ever land a hit. Catching the bunny, Shen MO exited the dorm room and stood at the door, smiling quietly. Somehow, his mood brightened up. Is she right? Am I nuts? He touched his nose, muttering to himself. The rising warm sun cast a glowing layer on the handsome man¡¯s face, gradually warming up and making the whole person relaxed. Ignoring the terrible situation for the moment, it felt like a pleasant morning. At the end of the corridor under the eaves, there was a water basin. Shen MO turned on the tap and the cool water poured, he freshened himself with the cold water. Suddenly, there was a sound from behind him. Immediately following, Tan Xiao¡¯s hysterical yell came¡ª ¡°Damn it!!!¡± Brushing the water from his face, Shen MO turned his head in confusion. He watched Tan Xiao rush out of the room, then back into the Monkey¡¯s sleeping chamber where another torrent of curses echoed: ¡°He ran off! That coward!! He stole our clay and ran off!!!¡± Chapter 61 - 61: 61: A Lifetime Thief Chapter 61 - 61: 61: A Lifetime ThiefTranslator: 549690339 The monkey stole Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai¡¯s Healing Mud and ran away. Not only that, but he also emptied the gas from Tan Xiao¡¯s motorcycle, seemingly afraid that Tan Xiao might wake up and chase him. ¡°That bastard! I knew he was a menace the moment he picked the lock with a wire!¡± Tan Xiao cursed, furious and frustrated. ¡°A dog can¡¯t change its habit of eating shit! Once a thief, always a thief!¡± Merely cursing was not enough to express his inner grief. He wailed as he tore at his hair. ¡°My precious mud! I¡¯ve never even used it once!!¡± The more he thought about it, the more upset he became. Compared to Tan Xiao¡¯s rage, Chang Weicai was calmer and earnestly comforted him, ¡°Losses can turn out to be gains. As the old wisdom says, nothing is more blessed than a lack of desire, and nothing is more disastrous than a lack of contentment¡­ O Tan Xiao continued pulling his hair, completely not understanding what was said. Chang Weicai sighed, then asked Shen Mo and Bai Youwei with concern, ¡°Is your mud safe?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s still here.¡± replied Shen Mo. Hearing this, Tan Xiao felt more upset. ¡°Did he target us specifically? Why only bully us?! Damn it!¡± Annoyed by his constant complaints, Bai Youwei said, ¡°If I were him, I would have chosen you two. One of you sleeps like a log without any guard up, the other is full of old bones and easy to knock over. Who else would he rob?¡± Tan Xiao felt wronged. He conceded that Shen MO was formidable, and it was expected that the monkey dared not touch Shen Mo¡¯s belongings. But what about Bai Youwei? Did she really look tougher than him, a frail girl?! Bai Youwei gave a nonchalant yawn and said leisurely, ¡°As for why my mud went untouched, it¡¯s pretty simple to understand. He must have seen that I¡¯m a pampered young lady. Given these harsh conditions, I certainly wouldn¡¯t have a good night¡¯s sleep, I could wake up at any time, so the risk for him is too high. Also, Shen MO was sleeping next door. If anything happened on my side, Shen MO would be alerted right away. So, of course, he wouldn¡¯t be so reckless to target me.¡± After finishing her explanation, she let out a cold chuckle and continued, ¡°And don¡¯t forget¡­ just yesterday, he tried to get me and Shen MO on his side. Best keep some room when you act, just to avoid any unpleasant future encounters. He did have this little wisdom.¡± ¡°Future encounters?¡± Tan Xiao, full of suppressed anger, could only threaten, ¡°If I ever see him again, I¡¯ll make him realise the consequences of messing with me!¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care about his resolution. After another sleepy yawn, she pulled out the mud from her bag and casually threw it over to Tan Xiao¡ª Tan Xiao froze, but his body reacted faster than his mind and he caught it. ¡°Here you go, take it. There¡¯s only one piece, you and Chang can share,¡± said S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei indifferently. Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened. O Not only him, Chang Weicai and Shen MO were also taken aback, looking at Bai Youwei in surprise. ¡°What are you all staring at me for?¡± Bai Youwei curved her lips and didn¡¯t care, laughing dismissively, ¡°Did you think I cared a lot about this thing? Hmph, it can¡¯t cure my leg, what¡¯s the use of keeping it.¡± After a few seconds of silence, Chang Weicai tried to persuade her, ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive¡­ the mud may not look like much, but it¡¯s really useful! It can heal 9 wounds! The world is becoming increasingly dangerous, having a piece of this mud can probably save your life someday. Please reconsider carefully.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at him emotionlessly. Although she didn¡¯t like his feebleness and nagging, she had to admire his ability to resist temptation. Tan Xiao was greedy, but to take Bai Youwei¡¯s mud clearly contradicted the code of his principles. Thus, he laughed, awkwardly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how can I¡­.what if we¡¯ll experience a similar sort of game in the future¡­¡± Chapter 62 - 62: 62: There’s No Reason Why Chapter 62 - 62: 62: There¡¯s No Reason WhyTranslator: 549690339 ¡°The next time we face a challenge, don¡¯t worry about me. He will save me.¡± Bai Youwei glanced casually at Shen MO beside her and said calmly, ¡°Either he¡¯ll save me and I¡¯ll be fine, or he won¡¯t be able to and I¡¯ll die. So, there¡¯s not much use giving me the mud, even if I get injured, aren¡¯t you guys going to use the mud to save me anyway? Fair point. Tan Xiao immediately said passionately, ¡°Of course, we wouldn¡¯t just stand by and watch you die! I¡¯ll remember the favor you did for us today. From now on, we¡¯re brothers, ready to take a knife for each other. If I ever betray this brotherhood, may the heavens strike me dead with five thunders!¡± Bai Youwei let her gaze drift down. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She wasn¡¯t interested in the idea of ¡®taking a knife for each other¡¯, she just wished Tan Xiao would be a bit quieter. Shen MO stood next to her, glanced at her silently, then withdrew his gaze. He turned to Tan Xiao and Teacher Chang to speak: ¡°You guys keep the mud, Mine will be used for her.¡± Teacher Chang still felt uncomfortable. He muttered hesitantly: ¡°How can that be¡­ We lost our mud because we were careless, and now you guys have to bear this burden¡­¡± Bai Youwei frowned, highly annoyed. ¡°If you¡¯re so reluctant to take it, just give it back to me when we get to Yangzhou.¡± Tan Xiao pulled Teacher Chang aside and spoke like a seasoned veteran, ¡°We are all brothers under the heaven! It¡¯s fate that brought us all together. Since Sister Weiwei is so generous, we shouldn¡¯t be ungrateful. If we continue to refuse, it¡¯s going to hurt our relationship!¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes silently, thinking to herself, Since when did I become your little sister? But she didn¡¯t want to bother correcting him. After a lot of hesitation, Teacher Chang finally nodded: ¡°Ah, fine then¡­¡± Bai Youwei lazily watched the two men¡¯s interactions and thought about it. To avoid the risk of her gifted mud being ¡°accidentally¡± lost again, she gave Tan Xiao further instructions: ¡°I suggest keeping the mud safe with Teacher Chang. One, he¡¯s more careful than you, so he won¡¯t lose it; two, he¡¯s physically weaker than you. If you both get injured, you could still hold on until help arrives, but Teacher Chang might not last that long.¡± ¡°Sounds reasonable!¡± Tan Xiao immediately nodded. He believed Shen MO was stronger and Bai Youwei was smarter than him, so following their advice was surely the right thing to do. He instantly gave the mud to Chang Weicai without the slightest hesitation. Chang Weicai held the chunk of mud in his hands, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He knew he was a burden, older and physically slower than the others. But none of them had ever showed any sign of disliking him. They even trusted him with such an important item! Teacher Chang carefully put the small piece of black mud into his shirt pocket, then placed the flap over it and buttoned it up. ¡°I will take good care of it.¡± Without raising his voice, Teacher Chang said calmly, his face unusually solemn. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t interested in hearing about everyone¡¯s heartfelt journeys. All she knew was that she was extremely tired. She was rudely awakened at 5 am and immediately thrown into a noisy dispute over a piece of rotten mud. Damn it, her mood was ruined for the entire day! Bai Youwei went back to her room to pack her bags with a gloomy expression. Shen MO followed her, pushing her wheelchair. ¡°What do you want?¡± Bai Youwei snapped at him, looking over her shoulder. Shen MO gazed at her curiously, and asked, ¡°Why did you give them the mud?¡± No reason,¡± Bai Youwei replied coldly, putting away her clothes she had worn yesterday one by one and placed them in the storage bag. After a couple seconds of silence, it suddenly clicked for her, she turned around to look at Shen Mo. Chapter 63 - 63: 63: Are You Jealous? Chapter 63 - 63: 63: Are You Jealous?Translator: 549690339 ¡°So, you think my show of kindness is a big surprise?¡± Bai Youwei slightly lifts her chin, her lips curving up arrogantly: ¡°Sorry, I am not as idle as you are. I simply don¡¯t want to be a burden when trouble arises. There is no need for you to feel torn anymore. With Tan Xiao taking care of Teacher Cheng and mud on his body, you can wholeheartedly escort me to Yangzhou!¡± Having said this. she sizes Shen MO from head to toe. her voice full of sarcasm, ¡°Or do you think you¡¯re not even worth as much as mud?¡± Looking at her proud and arrogant demeanor, Shen MO is left speechless. After a moment of silence, he seriously asks her: ¡°Are you intentionally trying to provoke me because of what happened last night, or is it because of what happened this morning?¡± Last night, he hurt her pride. This morning, he disturbed her sleep. Bai Youwei¡¯s face instantly turns colder, gloomy. Shen MO says, ¡°Before doing anything in the future, think about whether it¡¯s worth it or not.¡± His tone is plain, yet sincere. He genuinely doesn¡¯t want to see her acting impulsively. ¡°You are not me, how would you know if it¡¯s not worth it?¡± Bai Youwei sneers coldly, her hands pinching the wrinkles of the long skirt on her leg. Her voice is soft, ¡°¡­But you have a point. From your perspective, now that I am like this, the best way for me to live is to eat obediently, sleep obediently, and not cause any trouble for anyone. Because¡­ since I am already like this, what right do I have to demand anything else? Right?¡± Shen MO frowns, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you meant.¡± She smirks contemptuously, ¡°You people are all the same; again and again, you tell me the same old things. You tell me not to be angry, not to be willful, not to harm my own body¡­ But you don¡¯t understand that, for me, my pride is more important than my life! I¡¯d rather harm my body than be laughed at, be humiliated, be insulted!¡± You people¡­ Something lightly grazes Shen Mo¡¯s heart. He recalls a family meal, where his father invited Aunt Wang and hinted at his intention to remarry. His father always wished for a well-behaved and adorable daughter. But Aunt Wang immediately refused, explaining that Bai Youwei¡¯s health is special, and she tends to be willful and not used to living with many people. Shen Mo¡¯s father disagreed, believing that letting a child live alone would make her even more antisocial. However, Aunty Wang was an outsider and since they were still dating, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to interfere much. In the end, the matter was dropped. Now, at the end of the world¡­ Shen MO remains silent. Bai Youwei watches him, her tone icy, ¡°I must¡¯ve been blind last night. The world is full of men. Don¡¯t flatter yourself thinking that I have to be with you¡­¡± Just then, Tan Xiao happens to pass by the door with a bunch of stuff in his arms¡ª Shen MO sees Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes glint, and a chill shoots through his heart. ¡°Tan Xiao!¡± The man and woman¡¯s voices echo simultaneously. Tan Xiao stops in his tracks, looking bemusedly at this pair of ¡°siblings¡±, What¡¯s going on?¡± Shen MO takes two steps forward, blocking Bai Youwei, and calmly says, ¡°Could you also load two more buckets of water into the car? It will make things more convenient on the road.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Okay, there are some drinking water buckets in the dormitory where we were resting.¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t think much about it and turned around to go fetch the buckets. Shen MO breathes a sigh of relief. As he turns around, he sees Bai Youwei sitting in her wheelchair, a pair of clear and bright eyes looking at him with a hint of a teasing smile, her lips curving upward in amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you thought I was going to choose him?¡± Her smile is intriguing, ¡°You rushed out so hastily¡­ was it jealousy? Or are you regretting rejecting me last night?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 64 - 64: No One Chapter 64: No One Translator: 549690339 After a long time¡­ Shen MO sighed lightly, appearing a bit helpless. He went to the bed to help Bai Youwei tidy up the pile of clothes, the tin can of water on the table, and the folding crutch propped up at the corner of the bed¡­ Sorting everything away one by one, and then he pushed her wheelchair. Bai Youwei grabbed his wrist and looked up at him with clear, inquisitive eyes. Shen MO remained silent. Her fingers gently slid down into his palm, which was broad and warm. With restless intent, she idly scratched the slightly rough callouses on his hand. ¡°Hey, say something.¡± Her smile was all innocence, but within it was a mischievous tease, ¡°Do you need me to give you another chance?¡± Shen MO withdrew his hand, ignoring her playful provocations, and firmly pushed the wheelchair onwards¡ª This time, the spoilt girl Bai Youwei didn¡¯t fuss. She let out an icy hmph. Afterward, Shen MO lifted her to the passenger seat, and perhaps because she was genuinely tired, she was asleep soon after the offroad vehicle started moving. Tan Xiao and Professor Cheng sat in the rear seats. Further back, the trunk was crammed with luggage and food, two barrels filled with tap water, and that cool motorcycle, Tan Xiao had regrettably decided to leave it at the toll booth. So, the group hit the road once more. The journey from Zhenjiang to Yangzhou required crossing the Runyang Bridge, and the entire journey would not take more than about 30 minutes; however, Shen Mo¡¯s car had been getting slower and slower. Because along the way, they had not seen a single person. Too quiet¡­ It was as if all life had evaporated into thin air. A city should not be like this. The Yangtze River continued to roll on, and there was no ship visible on its surface, just the sound of wind on the bridge. The car continued to drive forward, occasionally spotting some cars by the roadside, which were empty without a single person or doll in sight. The extreme heat of the sun scorched the earth, but everyone¡¯s hearts felt as if they had been soaked in cold water, giving rise to a wave of chill. No one knew where the city¡¯s people had gone. Shen MO, who was driving, became even more cautious. He drove down the street, observing the surroundings, and even the usually lively Tan Xiao was staring out the car window, daring not to make a sound. According to the original plan, they were to first take Professor Cheng to Jhor Middle Road. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, when they were close to their destination, they encountered a large fog. Yes, just like the fog common in autumn and winter. White and thick, an unexpected haze on a clear day that enveloped all the streets and buildings, making it impossible for them to see the road ahead. The fog was too strange, so Shen MO didn¡¯t approach it. He chose another route, slowly driving along the edge of the fog. They circled around most of Yangzhou City, yet they didn¡¯t see a single person! The streets, shops, squares, parks, and hospitals¡­ They were all devoid of people! Where were the people? Were they all hiding away? Hiding in the fog? Should they also go in? Would there be danger in the fog? What caused it? There were no answers. Professor Cheng thought of his elderly parents back home. He wrung his hands, his expression solemn. Tan Xiao felt a bout of panic for the first time, and asked, ¡°What should we do?¡± Shen MO held the steering wheel and turned the corner ahead, he spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go check out the supermarket first.¡± Tan Xiao was even more confused, ¡°To find food? But the trunk is already full¡­ ¡°It¡¯s to find people.¡± Bai Youwei leaned back calmly with her eyes closed, ¡°Yangzhou is rumored as one of the safe cities. It¡¯s not just accommodating its citizens, but also taking many refugees from outside. Logically, it should be crowded, and food would likewise become scarce. Supermarkets are places people frequently visit, so going to check it out. Perhaps we¡¯ll find some clues.¡± ¡°Yes, we should check out the supermarket¡­¡± Professor Cheng wiped his eye corner and nodded forcefully, ¡°I know a big supermarket not far ahead..¡± Chapter 65 - 65: Shopping at the Mall Chapter 65: Shopping at the Mall Translator: 549690339 The supermarket was not far away, located in the basement of a large shopping mall. At this moment, the shopping mall was empty, the stairway leading to the basement pitch black, with no sign of movement within. Seeing this scene, their hearts were already half cold even before they descended. After a brief discussion, it was decided that Shen MO and teacher Chang would go down, while Tan Xiao would stay outside to watch over Bai Youwei. Firstly, Shen MO was agile, ready to deal with any sudden situation; Secondly, teacher Chang was familiar with the surroundings as he returned here for a short stay every year. Tan Xiao and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t just wait outside, they went into the mall nearby. The first floor of the mall was filled with various branded clothing stores, bakeries, dessert shops, jewelry stores, and so on. As there was no electricity, it became very dark further in. Tan Xiao shone his flashlight around, seeing a few shadows and excitedly dashed towards them, only to find they were mannequins. He even stared at the mannequins from head to toe, suspecting they were dolls turned from humans. Unfortunately, they were not. Bai Youwei slowly browsed around in her wheelchair. Perhaps because fancy clothes were not necessities, the merchandise here was mostly intact. She came to a bedding store which featured high-quality cotton and linen products, exhibiting various styles of cotton and linen sheets and duvet covers. She touched them, finding them to be quite good, although not as good as those at her home. Bai Youwei waved at Tan Xiao. ¡°Hey, which one is better?¡± asked Bai Youwei, holding two sheets, ¡°Mist blue or grey striped?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tan Xiao stared at her blankly, his eyes seemed to ask: Are we here for shopping? S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei, annoyed by his gaze, frowned and grabbed both sheets saying, ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll take both.¡± Tan Xiao: She then patted a sample bed in the store and said, ¡°Move the mattress onto the car.¡± ¡°But the trunk¡¯s already filled.¡± Tan Xiao was surprisingly, he couldn¡¯t figure out why Bai Youwei wanted this mattress. Naturally, the use of a mattress is for sleeping, but during such unusual times, was a mattress¡­ a priority? Without any doubt in her voice, Bai Youwei said, ¡°If there¡¯s no space in the car, there¡¯s always the roof.¡± Tan Xiao was stunned, he scratched his head and lifted the mattress onto his shoulder. Fortunately, it was a foldable type and didn¡¯t require much effort. ¡°There are pure cotton nightgowns over there, help me get one on the way.¡± Bai Youwei ordered him around. Since he was already taking the mattress, he didn¡¯t mind adding a few more pieces of clothing. Tan Xiao picked a nightgown, notice there were men¡¯s pajamas nearby, he also grabbed one for himself. Remembering Shen MO and Chang Weicai, he figured that good brothers should share blessings! Two more! When Shen MO and Chang Weicai came out of the supermarket, they found a small mountain on the top of the car. Bai Youwei said expressionlessly: ¡°The mattress is what I wanted. The clothes, slippers, towels, blankets, thermo mug, sun hats, sunglasses¡­ Tan Xiao wanted.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Teacher Chang: Tan Xiao defended seriously: ¡°All useful stuff.¡± After saying this, his keen eyes noticed Shen Mo carrying a bag, he quickly asked: ¡°And you guys? What did you find in the supermarket?¡± ¡°Not much.¡± Shen MO put the shopping bag into the car, and blandly said,? ¡°The supermarket is almost empty. We found some batteries.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tan Xiao touched his face. Batteries, were indeed very important supplies. Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo: ¡°What¡¯s the situation in the supermarket now?¡± ¡°Almost eighty percent empty inside.¡± Shen MO recalled for a moment, then added, ¡°But it¡¯s not in chaos..¡± Chapter 66 - 66: 66: You’re Late Chapter 66 - 66: 66: You¡¯re LateTranslator: 549690339 Such a large supermarket, with almost eighty percent of all items gone, yet there was no hint of chaos and the shelves were still neat and tidy. Bai Youwei: ¡°No need to think about it further. It must be an organized evacuation.¡± After a pause, she continued: ¡°Yangzhou has no puppet, but it does have the fog. The sudden evacuation might have something to do with it.¡± There had to be a reason, otherwise, all these people couldn¡¯t have just vanished without a cause. Shen MO agreed with her view and pondered: ¡°It¡¯s too clean.¡± No one spoke for a while. Evacuating people is not a simple thing, especially when there¡¯s a power and internet outage, there shouldn¡¯t be no trace at all. Just to give a simple example, if people are being notified to take refuge in a certain place, there should at least be a signboard, right? Large banners, eye-catching flags, notices plastered all over the walls¡­ they didn¡¯t see any of these things. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°There¡¯s another possibility¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze fell on Shen MO, ¡°If the number of people has reduced to a certain extent, it is possible to evacuate without leaving any trace.¡± If there are only a few dozen people left, one could evacuate swiftly just by yelling out. Shen MO looked into the distance: ¡°Let¡¯s search some more.¡± The off-road vehicle moved slowly along North Canal Road, somewhat aimlessly. More than half of the city was shrouded in white fog, not only was Professor Cheng unable to return home, but Bai Youwei and Shen Mo couldn¡¯t either. ¡ª The Shen Family had a private garden residence in Yangzhou next to the Slender West Lake Scenic Area, which now also lain submerged within the fog, prohibiting any approach. The silent road seemed to have no end. When they were nearing Ank Road, two faint figures appeared on the road ahead. As the car drew closer, they could make out two middle school students in uniforms, one was holding a large bag of goods, and the other had a sack of rice on his shoulder. This was the first time they encountered any living being since entering Yangzhou City. Shen MO slowed down the car, pulling up next to the two boys, and asked them, ¡°Where did everyone in town go? Do you know?¡± The two boys stopped in their tracks and cautiously sized them up, as well as their car. Shen MO had a stern appearance and an indifferent expression, while their four-wheel drive was quite robust and covered in dust, just like its owner, it gave off an imposing aura. The two boys exchanged glances but remained silent. Professor Cheng stuck his head out of the rear car window and kindly asked, ¡°We¡¯ve come to Yangzhou to take refuge, it took us two days on the road, and when we finally found the place, we didn¡¯t see a single person. Do you two know what¡¯s going on?¡± Whether it was due to the natural rapport between students and teachers, the boys¡¯ expressions visibly eased. The taller boy said, ¡°You¡¯ve taken the wrong route. Everyone sought refuge at Yangzhou Port, and they can only leave when the next boat arrives.¡± ¡°Boat?!¡± Tan Xiao also stuck his head out, surprised, ¡°Where are we going that we need to take a boat? What if I get seasick?¡± The two boys: They both flinched upon seeing Tan Xiao¡¯s gray hair and shiny earring, once again their eyes filled with doubt, as if they suspected Shen MO and his companions of having ulterior motives. ¡°Tan Xiao, you scared the kids,¡± Bai Youwei, sitting in the passenger seat, responded coolly. ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao was even more surprised, pointing at his own face, ¡°Do I look that scary?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look scary, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that kids are easily frightened,¡± Bai Youwei replied in a calm and collected manner. The two boys blushed a bit. To prove his bravery, one of the boys quickly retorted, ¡°You guys came too late! A massive fog has engulfed Yangzhou, and not a single person trapped in the fog has emerged, everyone else has evacuated by boat! Only the water surface is safe now, you better rush to Yangzhou Port, if you¡¯re late there might not be any spots left on the boat!¡± Chapter 67 - 67: 67 Two Boys Chapter 67 - 67: 67 Two BoysTranslator: 549690339 The boy finished speaking, hoisted his sack of rice onto his shoulder again, and with his companion continued on, ignoring Shen MO and his group. ¡°No wonder the streets are empty, everyone must have gone to Yangzhou Port,¡± Tan Xiao concluded, ¡°We should go there too, see what¡¯s happening.¡± Teacher Cheng said, ¡°If we go to Yangzhou Port, we¡¯ll have to turn back.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and immediately objected: ¡°I¡¯m not going. You can tell just by thinking about it that conditions on the ship will be terrible, people packed like livestock, getting sick and vomiting. Unless it¡¯s a Royal Caribbean, I¡¯d rather jump into the river.¡± Tan Xiao looked confused: ¡°Royal Caribbean, what¡¯s that?¡­A pirate ship?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a cruise ship,¡± Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei, ¡°And the most luxurious kind at that.¡± Tan Xiao suddenly realized: ¡°Oh¡­¡± Teacher Cheng hesitated on one side: ¡°But those two students just now said, it¡¯s only safe on the water surface now¡­¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°They also used to say places without dolls are safe, and now they¡¯re still dangerous with the emergence of this strange fog,¡± Bai Youwei dismissed, ¡°The situation keeps changing, who knows for sure? Anyway, I won¡¯t go. If you want to, then go.¡± Tan Xiao looked at Teacher Cheng, then back at Bai Youwei, hesitantly asking: ¡°Really not going?¡± Bai Youwei scoffed lightly, ¡°I¡¯m not stopping you. Just take pity on this cripple, you guys go. Just don¡¯t bother me.¡± Shen MO was silent for a few seconds, putting his hand gently on her head, Are you still grumpy from just waking up?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Bai Youwei slapped his hand away, grumpily. Tan Xiao: Teacher Cheng: Seems like the answer is yes. Shen MO shook his head helplessly, gripped the steering wheel, and set off again. He didn¡¯t change direction, instead he directly caught up to the two boys who had not gone far. The boys heard movement behind them, turned around, saw the car coming again, and their brows furrowed with visible nervousness. ¡°What do you want now?¡± Shen MO hit the brakes, asking, ¡°If everyone is looking to take shelter on a ship, why aren¡¯t you heading to Yangzhou Port?¡± The boy and his mate glanced at each other. The taller boy was the first to speak, ¡°We are waiting for more people to join us, then we will go with everyone.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s tone was calm, emotionless as stale water, ¡°So, when do you plan to go?¡± The other boy was getting irritated, ¡°What business is it of yours when we go?!¡± ¡°None.¡± Shen MO smiled faintly, ¡°I just wanted to follow you guys, see where you settle down.¡± On hearing this, the boys¡¯ faces soured. He nudged his mate, ignoring Shen Mo¡¯s group, and frantically quickened their pace. But how could they be faster than a car? Moreover, one carrying a bag and the other a sack of rice, they quickly became out of breath and drenched in sweat. ¡°What should we do?¡± The boy looked back at the off-road vehicle that consistently trailed not far behind, his eyes filled with anxiety, ¡°Should we take a detour to shake them off?¡± ¡°No.¡± The tall boy shook his head, huffing, ¡°Taking a detour would waste too much time, and Teacher Tu is waiting for us to bring medicine back. Don¡¯t worry about them, we all have items for protection, we don¡¯t need to be scared of them.¡¯ ¡°Alright, let¡¯s speed up then!¡± The two encouraged each other, relentlessly pushing forward. ¡°What¡¯s up with these two kids? They¡¯re acting like we¡¯re thieves,¡± Tan Xiao leaned forward, looking perplexed, ¡°They blew up at just a few questions, their temper stinks worse than mine.¡± ¡°During these unusual times, it¡¯s normal for people to be a little sensitive.¡± Teacher Cheng heaved a sigh from inside the car, ¡°How did things end up like this, sigh.. ¡°So what do we do now? Keep following them?¡± Tan Xiao asked. From behind the wheel, Shen MO calmly said, ¡°They arrived at Yangzhou earlier than us, they¡¯ll have a clearer idea of the situation here. If they¡¯re not leaving, there must be another reason¡­Besides, wherever they¡¯ve settled should be safer than other places..¡± Chapter 68 - 68: 68: A Certain Academy Chapter 68 - 68: 68: A Certain AcademyTranslator: 549690339 The search for a refuge for survivors was urgent, but Shen MO also wanted to understand what had happened in Yangzhou City. He drove behind the two boys until they arrived at a school. Some signs of the school had fallen off, leaving a few difficult-to-recognize characters: Yangzho..Academy. Shen MO drove in. He drove leisurely along while the boys ran in a hurry. They jogged towards the dormitory building. Some students came out of the dormitory to greet them, along with a female teacher, who seemed to be in her thirties, tall, thin, and sophisticated. The boys rushed to the teacher, speaking and pointing towards Shen Mo. Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao said, ¡°Hey! Are these brats telling on us?¡± The teacher glanced their way, she seemed nervous and ushered the students into the dormitory building. Shen MO parked the car under the dormitory and said, ¡°We¡¯ll rest here for a while. Tan Xiao, you move the stuff, we¡¯ll go out and find gas later.¡± Tan Xiao responded and quickly jumped out of the car, then he asked, ¡°Where am I moving the stuff to?¡± ¡°First floor, choose two dorm rooms.¡± Shen MO casually pointed it out, then got the wheelchair off the car. Teacher Cheng, being of older age, also helped with some small items. While they were moving things in and out, more than a dozen students crowded onto the railings on the third and fourth floors, their heads craning to look, curious and alert. They were like a group of wild cats startled by passers-by, tense for no reason. When Shen MO sat Bai Youwei in the wheelchair, there came a barely audible gasp from the building, as if they had seen something shocking. Bai Youwei was in a bad mood already, and the sound irritated her further. She promptly lifted her eyes and glared at them ¨C ¡°What are you looking at! Never seen a cripple? Keep staring and I¡¯ll gouge your eyeballs out!¡± A few timid students beat a hasty retreat. Bai Youwei pointed at Tan Xiao and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t kill enough yesterday? Go up and slaughter them!¡± The students¡¯ faces changed drastically, scattering like startled crows! Then there was the sound of doors banging shut as they all hid in their dorms! Locking their doors! Tan Xiao: ¡°???¡± ¡®¡­¡±Shen Mo: ¡® Teacher Cheng became anxious, quickly shouting up towards the building, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be afraid. We are just joking, just joking! We are not bad people!¡± Bai Youwei sneered, ¡°Yeah, we were kidding. Cheng, you got to coax them all out, then let Tan Xiao slaughter them!¡± Teacher Cheng: ¡°Alright, calm down.¡± Shen MO said in a composed tone, mixed with a hint of helplessness. He wheeled Bai Youwei into the student dormitory, with a peacemaking tone he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t get enough sleep? Let me get your mattress for you, you can rest for a while.¡± Bai Youwei huffed, ¡°Forget it, these bunk beds can¡¯t fit my mattress.¡± Shen MO looked around the dormitory, ¡°We can put two beds together.¡± Bai Youwei gave him a look, she seemed to be in a slightly better mood, lifted her chin arrogantly and said, ¡°Alright, go ahead and put it together.¡± As Shen MO came out of the dormitory, Teacher Cheng was anxiously pacing outside. Seeing Shen MO, he quickly approached, ¡°Xiaoshen, you see this¡­¡± Before Cheng could speak, Shen MO, understanding his concerns, interrupted, ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and explain to them, don¡¯t worry.¡± He hesitated, then added. ¡°Also, don¡¯t take to heart what she just said.¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Teacher Cheng waved it off, ¡°I know Weiwei means no harm, she¡¯s a good girl ¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡® No, she does have malice. At this moment, footsteps could be heard from the stairs. Both men looked and saw the female teacher. She was holding a pot, and when she got to Shen MO and Teacher Cheng, she apologized with an awkward smile, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, my students misunderstood you.¡± She handed them the pot, ¡°This is some vegetable congee I¡¯ve just made, you can have it if you¡¯d like..¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 69 - 69: 69: The Teacher and the Student Chapter 69 - 69: 69: The Teacher and the StudentTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡ªInteresting. He had not yet gone upstairs to apologize, but the others had already come down to offer their apologies first. The female teacher appeared to have fair eyebrows and clear eyes, with small wrinkles at the corners that were gently curved, showcasing a polite smile. Noticing that Shen MO and Teacher Chang showed no intention of taking over, she gently placed the earthen jar aside, kindly saying, ¡°The rice and vegetables are all cleaned thoroughly. If you find it to your liking, I¡¯ll bring some more down later. There are many students, so we tend to cook in large quantities¡­¡± Her gentle explanation not only came across warm-hearted but also subtly hinted that the porridge was very ¡°clean¡±, meaning nothing had been tampered with, showcasing her meticulousness. Shen MO got the impression that the woman was very cautious. But of course, caution was necessary. After all, leading a bunch of middle school students and suddenly encountering strangers, it was naturally in her best interest to avoid any hostility. ¡°Thank you.¡± Shen MO took the jar, diffusing the tension with just a few words, ¡°We¡¯ve just arrived in Yangzhou and are looking for a temporary place to stay. We won¡¯t stay for long.¡± Teacher Chang also explained from the sidelines, ¡°We came to Yangzhou to look for someone. We didn¡¯t expect such heavy fog in the city. We live on Jhor Road. Rest assured, we are not bad people.¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The female teacher glanced over Shen MO and Teacher Chang¡¯s faces, then glanced at Tan Xiao, who was puffing and panting while moving luggage not far away. She didn¡¯t ask more questions. She merely gave an euphemistic smile, ¡°We¡¯re also temporarily stopping here. You carry on with what you were doing, I have students to attend to. I¡¯ll head upstairs first.¡± As she went upstairs, a few students were peeking out from upstairs, seemingly worried that their teacher might be in trouble downstairs. Seeing that their teacher had safely returned, they sighed in relief in unison. Watching this scene, Chang Weicai sighed repeatedly, lamenting to Shen Mo,¡±Xiaoshen, the world is in chaos now. We are all compatriots, and in the future, when we come across each other, we should try to help each other.¡± Shen MO nodded, ¡°We should indeed.¡± It wasn¡¯t mere lip service. He indeed thought that it would be silly for a group of people to fight amongst themselves after a disaster. Teacher Chang let out a few more sighs, perhaps recalling the uncertain fate of his students and feeling melancholic. ¡°You should go inside and rest,¡± Shen MO pointed at the dormitory on the first floor. Teacher Chang waved his hand dismissively. Unable to relax due to his restless mind, he went over to help Tan Xiao organize their luggage. Tan Xiao had just piled his luggage haphazardly. The old man had a more meticulous approach, arranging everything separately, ensuring that food wouldn¡¯t be stored alongside foul-smelling shoes. Shen MO watched for a while, but didn¡¯t interfere. He picked up the jar and headed to Bai Youwei¡¯s dormitory. The vegetable congee was boiling until it turned into a creamy and aromatic mixture, the scent filled the room as Shen MO entered. Bai Youwei caught a whiff of it. Her clear and bright eyes instantly lit up and said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® This was the first time he heard her express hunger since he started feeding her two days ago. It seemed that instant noodles and biscuits were indeed not suited for her. ¡°The teacher from upstairs sent it.¡± Shen MO placed the earthen jar on the table. Just as he was wondering where to find a spoon, he noticed a small wooden spoon hanging from the rope tied around the lid of the jar. That female teacher was indeed very meticulous. The small earthen jar, somewhat resembling a traditional Chinese medicine pot used for brewing herbal medicines, contained enough porridge for two people. Bai Youwei took out a packet of wet wipes, pulled one out to wipe the spoon, and started eating from the jar. She ate, spoonful by spoonful, saying not a word, but seemed entirely focused on her meal. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ve put poison in it?¡± Shen MO asked jokingly. ¡°Ha, she would dare?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s lips curved into a sly smile, like a cat that had gotten the cream.¡±A woman, leading a bunch of brats in this place, probably lives in constant fear. She wouldn¡¯t have the time to perpetrate any misdeeds, much less willingly cause trouble.¡± Shen MO chuckled. What Bai Youwei said matched his thoughts. ¡°Um¡­ the congee is really well-cooked.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s cheeks bulged as she ate, then asked, ¡°Hey, does she have a sick student?¡± Shen MO was slightly startled, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Chapter 70 - 70: 70: Into the Fog Chapter 70 - 70: 70: Into the FogTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit of a hassle to make porridge for so many mouths?¡± Bai Youwei was eating as she spoke: ¡°Cooking porridge is time-consuming, and it does not fully satisfy the appetite. Besides, it can easily get burnt if you¡¯re not careful. Why should we bother with porridge if the patient¡¯s digestive system is weak?¡­lt has only been a few days since the incident in the city; there should be plenty of food. Why bother to make porridge of all things? Look, there is even dried shrimp and mushrooms in it.¡± Bai Youwei scooped up a spoonful of porridge and waved it in front of Shen Mo. Then she stuffed it back into her mouth and spoke vaguely: ¡°Courtesy demands reciprocity. We can¡¯t just take advantage of them. Go get some food and take it upstairs. ¡± Shen Mo¡¯s mouth curved into a smile: ¡°Just to send food? Aren¡¯t you hoping I¡¯ll go up to gather some intelligence?¡± Bai Youwei remained calm, her action of eating the porridge not even the slightest bit interrupted, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to?¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO chuckled slightly, openly admitting: ¡°Yes.¡± He and Bai Youwei had completely different personalities, but somehow their ideas always seemed to coincide. Shen MO thought for a bit and said, ¡°Let¡¯s send Teacher Cheng instead. They are both teachers, so they should be able to converse easily.¡± ¡°Bring Tan Xiao with you,¡± said Bai Youwei, ¡°so that the old man won¡¯t be bullied. ¡± Shen Mo: ¡°What, being protective?¡± Bai Youwei paused for a moment, as if something occurred to her. After a few seconds, she said plainly, ¡°He¡¯s a good person.¡± Shen MO gave her a deep look, got up and left. Standing in the doorway he said: ¡°Teacher Cheng, could you please come here¡­¡± While Bai Youwei and Shen MO were analyzing the teachers and students upstairs in their dormitory, they didn¡¯t know that those upstairs were also analyzing them. ¡°A tall one, a delinquent, an old man, a disabled person¡­¡± The students gathered together, looking at each other. No matter how you looked at this combination, it was odd. ¡°You all don¡¯t need to worry too much.¡± The female teacher sat among them, her tone soft, ¡°If they are willing to take in the elderly and care for the disabled, they can¡¯t possibly be mean people. Let¡¯s just mind our own business and take care of ourselves.¡¯ A girl with pigtails mumbled, ¡°But that lame one is really fierce¡­¡± Before she could finish, she was sternly looked at by the teacher. The girl, knowing she had said something wrong, was a bit aggrieved and said even more quietly, ¡°It¡¯s not me who said it, it¡¯s her who said it herself.¡± ¡°She can call herself a cripple, but we can¡¯t.¡± The female teacher looked at the student before her and reminded her again, ¡°When we¡¯re out there, we absolutely must not indulge in a war of words. It does no good to anyone, understood?¡± ¡°We understand, Teacher Tu.¡± The students chorused in agreement, with the pigtailed girl nodding awkwardly among them. Another student asked, ¡°Teacher Tu, when are we going into the fog?¡± Teacher Tu was silent for a moment, then turned her head to look to one side¡ª There lay a pale-faced male student, his chest wrapped in thick gauze. He lay quietly, listening to everyone¡¯s discussion with half-closed eyes. Tu Dan lamented silently in her heart, then withdrew her gaze, ¡°¡­We¡¯ll wait till Zhang Tianyang¡¯s wounds heal a bit, then we¡¯ll go inside. And when we go, we can¡¯t all go at once. We¡¯ll have to leave half of the people behind. If more than half of the food is used up and we haven¡¯t come out of the fog, those left behind should take the food and move south along the Yangtze River¡­ to find another refuge.¡± ¡°Teacher Tu¡­¡± ¡°Teacher Tu, don¡¯t go¡­¡± A few girls with moist eyes reluctantly held on to the teacher¡¯s clothes, the boys also had tears in their eyes. Tu Dan looked at the young faces before her, feeling a mix of emotions. She held their hands and said word by word: ¡°We have to go into the fog. These are the clues that we have risked our lives for. Let me ask you, what¡¯s the first rule of the game?¡± The students choked out, ¡°Refuse to play, become a puppet!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­Refusal, evasion, they will only increase its resentment and are of no help.¡± Tu Dan looked at them, ¡°We have to go into the fog..¡± Chapter 71 - 71: 71: Mint Chapter 71 - 71: 71: MintTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei comfortably enjoyed a meal of vegetable porridge. The porridge was thick and sticky, leaving her mouth a little gooey afterward. She soaked a couple of mint leaves in the jar, taking a few sips of the mint water. It was refreshing and cool, making her feel even more comfortable. Shen MO was outside checking the condition of the off-road vehicle. After tinkering around with it, he came back sweating. Upon entering the house and seeing Bai Youwei comfortably lounging on a thick and soft latex mattress, sipping cool water, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°You sure look comfortable.¡± ¡°Happiness comes from such contrasts,¡± Bai Youwei, cradling the jar, replied with a grin. ¡°Watching you guys bustling around, working in the sun and tired, while I just chill inside eating and drinking, is quite comfortable for me.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® After a few seconds, Shen MO said, ¡°As long as you¡¯re comfortable.¡± Being comfortable meant she wouldn¡¯t trouble him. The current routine was to make sure she was well-fed and taken care of every day, so he could eventually return her unscathed to her mother one day¡­ What would she be like afterwards? This question momentarily distracted Shen Mo. It was hard for him to imagine, given Bai Youwei¡¯s personality, how she would fare in such a world. ¡°Hey,¡± Bai Youwei, hugging the stout glass jar, beckoned him over with her small hand. Shen MO walked over. She handed him the jar. ¡°Aren¡¯t you thirsty? Here, have some water.¡± The water looked crystal clear and refreshing, with two or three mint leaves floating, giving off a cool-green hue. ¡°Where¡¯d you find this?¡± Shen MO, accepting the jar with one hand, asked. Bai Youwei pointed out the window, ¡°There¡¯s a whole bunch growing behind the dorm building.¡± ¡°We can pick more when we have time. Mint leaves have good anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, ¡± he said nonchalantly, before drinking the water straight from the jar. Bai Youwei just watched him swallow. After a while, she confidently took his other hand and gently squeezed it. As Shen MO quietly drank and said nothing, he cast a severe glance at her. This warning was lost on Bai Youwei. She pretended not to see it, continued pinching his hand, prodded at the thick calluses on his palm with her soft fingers, and was quite amused. ¡°Last time I touched it, I thought it was pretty interesting¡­ like a dog¡¯s paw,¡± she said. Shen Mo: ¡® What kind of a strange comparison was that? Bai Youwei took his hand and placed it against her face, enjoying the rough feel against her skin. The coarseness offered a unique experience for her. Feeling is always mutual. She could feel him, and he could feel her ¨C quiet, soft, compliant¡­ The room was silent. Shen MO watched her silently. The sweetness of the water and the coolness of the mint infused the air, creating an oddly intimate atmosphere. He wanted to break the mood but considering her rare moment of vulnerability, he let her be. Suddenly, there was a synchronized gasp from upstairs: ¡®Whoa! The two of them were jolted back to reality. Shen MO paused for a moment, looked at Bai Youwei, then withdrew his hand, ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and see what¡¯s up.¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei frowned at the ceiling, turned away dismissively, and began studying the patch of mint plants outside the window without bothering to acknowledge him. Shen MO watched her for a moment before putting down the jar and leaving the room. The sound of his footsteps gradually faded. Bai Youwei remained facing away, her eyes flitting here and there, her gaze ultimately landing on the jar on the table. She picked up the jar, comparing its size with her own hand, thinking of how easily he had held it with one hand. She then brought it close to her and sniffed where he had drunk. There was no particular smell. She reached into the jar with her slender finger and plucked out a mint leaf, popping it into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. She found the absence of his presence somewhat dull¡­ Chapter 72 - 72: 72 Discussion Chapter 72 - 72: 72 DiscussionTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO returned quickly. Following closely behind him were Teacher Cheng and Tan Xiao. Just as Bai Youwei was about to ask them about what happened upstairs, she heard the lively sound of footsteps, thump, thump, thump, descending from the floor above. Two male students rushed over, hauling in a bag of rice and a bag of flour into the dorm. They said, ¡°Teacher Cheng, Brother Xiao, thank you so much! This is just a small token of our appreciation, please accept it! We¡¯re truly grateful!¡± After quickly finishing their sentence, they turned around and dashed back up the stairs without giving anyone a chance to refuse their gifts. Bai Youwei was dumbfounded, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Up until a moment ago, they were seriously criticizing Tan Xiao, yet now they were addressing him as ¡°Brother Xiao¡±? How can she continue her villainous plot now? ¡°One of their students got injured. Teacher Cheng used a mud patch, ¡± explained Shen MO, after a slight pause. ¡°The injury happened in the game.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Is it serious?¡± Tan Xiao gesticulated with his hand and said nervously, ¡°He has a huge bloody wound on his body. I don¡¯t know what kind of animal bit him. It¡¯s a miracle that he is still alive!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head in thought, ¡°So if he made it out of the game alive, it means he cleared the level¡­ Do they have any items? What are they?¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback, he hadn¡¯t considered that possibility. Seeing his reaction, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°Well done, both of you. Not even finding out what items those guys have while revealing your own.¡± Teacher Cheng looked guilty. ¡°It was an emergency¡­¡± The mud patch was Bai Youwei¡¯s item. He felt a bit guilty as he hadn¡¯t informed her before using it, nor had he managed to get any valuable information. ¡°Nevermind,¡± Bai Youwei said languidly, ¡°Expecting you guys to gather information was my mistake. I was too naive and too trusting.¡± Tan Xiao: Teacher Cheng: They were at a loss for words. But Shen MO, accustomed to Bai Youwei¡¯s sarcasm, intervened on their behalf, ¡°Although we didn¡¯t get much information, I did see Teacher Cheng and Teacher Tu talking when I was upstairs.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°So that lady¡¯s surname is Tu?¡± Teacher Cheng hurriedly followed up: ¡°Yes, her name is Tu Dan, a teacher from Hangzhou High School. All those students are from her class, in their first year of high school. They too came to Yangzhou to seek refuge, but were caught in the massive fog. Everyone else fled, but Teacher Tu stayed behind with an injured student. They were unable to board the ship due to the injury, so they¡¯ve been held up here for a few days, nursing the wound and looking for medicine.¡± After finishing all in one breath, he looked expectantly at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh¡­¡± Both Teacher Cheng and Tan Xiao heaved a sigh of relief. Bai Youwei: ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Teacher Cheng: The honest old man was stupefied, unable to react immediately. ¡°So a teacher expects all the students to abandon their escape and stay behind with one injured student? Does that sound like something a teacher would do?¡± Bai Youwei sneered, ¡°Over a dozen students staying here, and you¡¯re telling me there¡¯s no plot? Fat chance.¡± Nobody spoke a word in the room. Perhaps out of embarrassment. Bai Youwei gave them a scornful glance and said lazily, ¡°Whatever, as long as they don¡¯t provoke me, who cares what they¡¯re plotting.¡± Teacher Cheng finally reacted, ¡°No, no, I believe Teacher Tu is a very responsible person, she wouldn¡¯t harm her own students, nor would she harm us.¡± ¡°Teacher Cheng, you never know what people are thinking.¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s expression turned serious as he patted Cheng¡¯s shoulder, ¡°The most important thing in our lives is one word: Caution!¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t even bother to roll her eyes this time. How many words are there in that sentence? Could you please count it again?! S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Suddenly, Shen MO said, ¡°Someone is coming.¡± Everyone in the room looked startled, and then fell silent. The sound of footsteps gradually grew closer until there was a knock at the door. Teacher Tu¡¯s voice could be heard from the outside, ¡°Mr.. Shen, may I come in and talk with you all?¡± Chapter 73 - 73: 73 Exchange Game Chapter 73 - 73: 73 Exchange GameTranslator: 549690339 Everyone in the room exchanged glances. Finally, Shen MO reached out and opened the dormitory door. Tu Dan had long prepared herself mentally outside the door, yet, she was still taken aback when the dormitory door opened. It was¡­ The double decker bed Bai Youwei occupied had surprised her. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But going through such trouble for a disabled girl reassured her in her judgement: the people in this group were worthy of trust. Tu Dan quickly composed herself and walked into the room calmly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Shen MO asked casually. He could guess the purpose of her visit by about seventy to eighty percent, but still asked for formality¡¯s sake. Tu Dan looked around at everyone. Finally, she rested her gaze on the rice and flour against the wall and said apologetically, ¡°Just now¡­ the game prop that Teacher Chang gave to Zhang Tianyang to use¡­ I feel really guilty for letting you use such a valuable prop. I should express my thanks to you properly. But at the moment. besides some food. T don¡¯t know what else T can offer to show my appreciation. I deeply apologize.¡± She said this, then sincerely bowed to everyone. Tan Xiao, having not been treated with such formality before, was taken by surprise. Chang Weicai quickly rushed forward to help her up, ¡°Saying too much, saying too much! The kid was badly injured, we couldn¡¯t just stand by and do nothing, right? Ah! Is he okay now?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s fully recovered.¡± Tu Dan smiled, ¡°He wanted to come down and personally thank you, but he hadn¡¯t been eating properly for a few days since he was confined to his bed. Even though his wound has healed, he¡¯s still weak. So I left him in the dormitory to rest.¡± ¡°He should rest well, have him rest assured. Health is the most important!¡± stated Teacher Chang. Tu Dan smiled and nodded, then directed her gaze to Shen MO, ¡°My students and I don¡¯t have any props that can assist you. However, we could chat about the game. It might be helpful in the future.¡± They were now getting to the main topic. Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei. She had been leaning languidly on the bed, her head drooped, silent, seemingly aloof. However, Shen MO was certain she was observing every minute action of this female teacher. ¡°Was the game your student got injured in very dangerous?¡± Shen MO asked. ¡°What game isn¡¯t dangerous?¡± Tu Dan bitterly smiled, ¡°However, his injury¡­wasn¡¯t caused by the game, but by another player¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± Tan Xiao interjected, ¡°His wound looked like it was from an animal bite!¡± ¡°It indeed was an animal bite¡­¡± Mentioning this matter, Tu Dan¡¯s face turned grim, ¡°That player has a prop¡­that summons beasts. Many of my students were killed by it. In the end, only I, Zhang Tianyang, and that player successfully cleared the game.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°The other students upstairs didn¡¯t enter the game?¡± Tu Dan shook her head: ¡°No, the maximum number of players for the game is eight. Once it reaches its limit, the game area automatically locks and prevents anyone else from entering.¡± Shen MO asked again: ¡°What¡¯s the theme of the game?¡± ¡°The Little Mushroom Picker,¡± Tu Dan explained with transparency, ¡°Once players enter, they¡¯re separated and locked into eight rooms. The room¡¯s door only opens at dawn, which happens every two hours, at which time they must go out and pick mushrooms. To clear the game, the bamboo basket in the room must be filled with mushrooms. Picking mushrooms? Everyone in the room exchanged glances. At least by the sound of it, this game was a lot more comforting compared to their chaotic frog and tadpole battle.. Chapter 74 - 74: 74 The Essence of Games Chapter 74 - 74: 74 The Essence of GamesTranslator: 549690339 ¡°The only variable in this game is the weather.¡± Tu Dan said seriously: ¡°We must pay attention to the weather. Depending upon it, mushrooms appear at different times. And players always need to pre-select a time slot for going out. For example, if the daylight lasts for a total of 30 minutes, the player¡¯s harvesting time is 10 minutes. So one must choose, whether to go in the first 10 minutes, the middle 10 minutes, or the last 10 minutes¨C If one chooses the wrong time slot, either the mushrooms won¡¯t have grown yet or they will have already withered. If one doesn¡¯t pick any mushrooms, that round will be counted as a failed harvest. She explained as thoroughly as possible, saying to Shen MO and the others, ¡°If the harvest fails, as a penalty, your body will sink a few inches into the ground. You can only fail up to three times. If you fail a fourth time¡­ your body will be stuck in the ground and cannot be pulled out, and then¡­ you become a mushroom.¡± What she said at first was ordinary, but the last sentence was bone-chilling. Tan Xiao had goosebumps all over, he rubbed forcefully and couldn¡¯t believe, ¡°Become, become a mushroom? A human head mushroom?¡± Tu Dan¡¯s expression was somewhat lost, as if remembering that scene, ¡°¡­will shrink¡­ like being absorbed of water by the ground, humans shrink smaller and smaller, growing mycelium¡­¡± ¡°How did you eventually pass the game?¡± Shen MO interrupted her memories. Tu Dan came back to herself, ¡°¡­It was still the weather. Allocate time properly. The 10 minutes for going out cannot be all used for finding mushrooms. One must reserve time for predicting the weather for the next round! The sky color, clouds, temperature, and even the ants on the ground, every detail could be a clue for weather changes!¡± Shen MO nodded, ¡°Understood.¡± With this, if they encounter a game with this theme, they will have an idea of what to do. ¡°What about you?¡± Tu Dan naturally asked, ¡°Your game items are very practical. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The danger level of your game must be very high, right?¡± ¡°Of course, it was high!!!¡± Once Tan Xiao heard this question, he couldn¡¯t help but rave, ¡°We encountered a freaking giant frog! As tall as a five or six-story building, can you believe it?! It treated us like bugs and ate us. Its tongue, swish, swish, swish¡­¡± Tan Xiao, without thinking, spilled everything about the game! The teacher felt it might not be appropriate, but remembering that Tu Dan had many students with her, if they also encountered ¡°The Golden Sphere of the Frog¡±, by knowing more clues, they would have more chances of survival. Moreover¡­ The teacher cautiously glanced at Shen MO and Bai Youwei. These two, none of them spoke to stop it. Tu Dan listened very carefully. After learning that Shen Mo¡¯s team passed the game through calculation of crucial points, she couldn¡¯t help but look somewhat regretful on her face. Even though they know the method, the calculation¡­ she and her students, probably no one can do it. Tu Dan made a grim effort to cheer up and said with a smile, ¡°Knowing these makes me feel much better. But still, I hope we won¡¯t run into any games in the future.¡¯ She was being sincere. The teacher sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we don¡¯t have access to the internet now. If everyone could share their experiences with the games, the survival rate of humanity would certainly increase significantly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible¨C¡± Bai Youwei, who had been silent, chimed in lightly. Everyone looked at her. Tu Dan was also studying her with a curious look. The teacher asked in confusion, ¡°Isn¡¯t sharing information and helping each other a good thing?¡± Bai Youwei, resting her chin on her hand, her arm resting on the bedside table, drawled, ¡°It sounds good, Teacher, but you¡¯ve forgotten a crucial point.. What¡¯s the fundamental purpose of the existence of these games?¡± Chapter 75 - 75: 75: A Ruthless Person Chapter 75 - 75: 75: A Ruthless PersonTranslator: 549690339 ¡­The essence of the game? Chang Weicai was stunned. ¡°It¡¯s competition, Mr. Chang.¡± Bai Youwei sighed lightly, looking at Chang Weicai and Tu Dan as if she were looking at two naive children. ¡°Eliminate a group of people and let another group succeed. if that¡¯s not competition, what is?¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°Reward items will be part of the competition. If everyone has the ¡®Frog Mud¡¯, Mr. Chang, you will lose a significant advantage in the game.¡± Tu Dan slowly recovered, her voice trailing off: ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ indeed. Just like when everyone takes an exam, some people know how to solve a particular problem, and this knowledge becomes their scoring advantage. But if everyone knows, the advantage is totally lost.¡± As soon as people realize this, they will never easily share information. Because the next time the game begins, the person sharing the information might become their own competitor. To hold onto their advantage, they naturally need to keep the secrets of the game. This is a very simple truth. It¡¯s not that the people here can¡¯t figure it out; it¡¯s just that the world¡¯s anomalies have only just begun, and everyone is still in a peace-and-love helping-each-other phase. Of course, even end-of-the-world type helpers can provide assistance and love. ¡ªEnd-of-the-world love and assistance is rarer, and therefore more precious. Bai Youwei delicately cuddled the rabbit in her arms, sighing softly, ¡°Ah¡­ I wonder where that item that can summon beasts came from. I really want it.¡± The way Tu Dan gazed at Bai Youwei became much more guarded. A girl who looked like a teenager dared to say such things¡­ More importantly, her tone sounded very confident. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, he summoned a cat and a tiger once, to snatch mushrooms from us.¡± Tu Dan replied. Bai Youwei seemed a bit disinterested, propping up her chin and said: ¡°Ms. Tu, tell us about your other game.¡± Tu Dan was stunned. ¡°What is it?¡± Bai Youwei looked at her, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯ve only entered the game once. You said earlier, ¡®Is there a game that isn¡¯t dangerous?¡¯ This tone doesn¡¯t seem like someone who has only played once.¡± Tu Dan¡¯s eyes widened, flabbergasted and shocked. Did she say that? She didn¡¯t even remember! Bai Youwei: ¡°It was you who said that, thanking Mr. Chang for saving your student with the item. You said you had no items to help us, so you offered to share information about the games as compensation¡ªwe shared one game each, which makes us even. However, if you still want to express gratitude, you should obviously share one more game, that¡¯s logical compensation, right?¡± Tu Dan: It seems she¡¯s run into a formidable character. Tu Dan came down to give her thanks and divulge the games she¡¯s been through in order to demonstrate sincerity and establish friendly relations with Shen MO and the others. But being taken off track by Bai Youwei, it seemed as if she were deliberately hiding something. Not only did this trip not achieve the desired effect, but it may also leave a bad impression! Even the most honest and simple Mr. Chang would doubt her sincerity due to this. Unless she didn¡¯t mind offending these people in front of her, otherwise¡­ she really had no choice but to speak. Tu Dan fell silent for a moment, weighing her options. Tan Xiao and Mr. Chang looked at her curiously. ¡°Ms. Tu¡­¡± Mr. Chang asked in astonishment, ¡°You and your students, have you encountered many games?¡± ¡°Impressive.¡± Tan Xiao also exclaimed, ¡°I nearly lost my life encountering it once. You wouldn¡¯t know it looking at you.¡± Tu Dan finally gave a wry smile and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you. It¡¯s just that game¡­ even if I tell you, it won¡¯t be of any help to you..¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 76 - 76: 76 Thank You Chapter 76 - 76: 76 Thank YouTranslator: 549690339 S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tu Dan thought long and hard, but in the end, she told them about the game¡ª That day, she was in her classroom teaching her students when a sudden bell rang, followed by the dean running down the corridor, shouting for everyone to head downstairs, saying that something had happened, and everyone needed to evacuate urgently. She immediately took students to gather in the playground, under the glaring sun, students whispered their complaints, not knowing what was happening. While calming her students down, she inquired from other teachers what had occurred. It was said that a deadly white fog that consumed humans had appeared in the city center and was spreading rapidly, all departments were evacuating their personnel. Everyone was waiting for the school to arrange transportation for the students, and when a few buses finally arrived, chaos ensued before anyone could board¡­ 36 of them, including herself, found themselves on a huge roulette. There were 36 chairs on the roulette, they were fixed to their seats, waist, legs, feet, were all chained, with a strange metal ring around their necks. It was a game called ¡°Lucky Q&A¡±. The rules were simple, a total of 36 questions, answer incorrectly and face instant death, answer correctly to advance to the next round until all the questions were answered correctly, only then would the game be cleared. Of the 36 people, under her guidance, 17 survived in the end. While making their way to the evacuation site later, they were caught in a mushroom picking game and lost four more students¡­ Tu Dan told them everything in fine detail. At first, she was reluctant to share, but once she had told everything, she suddenly felt much more relaxed. Tu Dan breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°There¡¯s no trick to clearing this game, just cooperate well with your teammates, choose the type of questions that fit you, the chance of getting the right answers would be high. But if you don¡¯t have any teammates..then you can only rely on luck, just like the game¡¯s title, ¡°Lucky Q&A¡±. After saying all this, she looked at the people in the room, smiled faintly, and said, ¡°That¡¯s all I know, I hope it can be of help to all of you. Now¡­l¡¯ll leave you be, I won¡¯t bother you.¡± She turned around and opened the door. ¡°Miss Tu.¡± Bai Youwei called out to her slowly. Tu Dan turned to look at Bai Youwei. She had slowly begun to understand that the ¡°disabled girl¡± in this group wasn¡¯t in a simple protective position, on the contrary, her leadership was possibly stronger than that of the always silent man. ¡°Who among you and your students knows how to calculate the mandatory point of the Frog¡¯s golden ball?¡± Bai Youwei asked her. Tu Dan hesitated, then gave a slight smile, and replied gently, ¡°It¡¯s a bit complicated, we¡¯ll have to think more about it¡­¡± Bai Youwei directly interrupted her: ¡°If you don¡¯t know how, you can observe the snail shells more.¡± Tu Dan was taken aback again. Bai Youwei said, ¡°The more the snail is struck, the higher and dirtier its shell will be when it sinks. You should flip those snails with dirtier inner shells. The probability¡­ is about 25%. Flip a few more, you¡¯re bound to guess one right.¡± Looking at Bai Youwei, Tu Dan was overwhelmed with a mix of surprise, warmth, and a sudden sense of shame. She opened her mouth, her myriad feelings reduced to two words: ¡°Thank you.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s response was far colder, as she lazily propped up her cheek, she replied, ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Tu Dan left. When the footsteps faded upstairs, Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei with a smirk, ¡°I thought you would make her reveal her item before you taught her how to clear the game.¡± The Frog game isn¡¯t far from Yangzhou, if Tu Dan were courageous enough, she could completely take her students for a trip. Even though that comes with risks, being able to obtain the miraculous mud that can heal all external wounds, the risk is worth taking. With Bai Youwei teaching Tu Dan how to pass the game, it was as though she was essentially handing the mud over to Tu Dan. ¡°There is no need to ask.¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°¡­Tsk, so as not to give off the impression that I am battling kids over toys. That wouldn¡¯t look good..¡± Chapter 77 - 77: 77: The Issue of Candidate Selection Chapter 77 - 77: 77: The Issue of Candidate SelectionTranslator: 549690339 ¡°By the time Tu Dan returned upstairs, all the students had gathered around Zhang Tianyang¡¯s bed. Unable to resist, the boys started to touch the spot where his injury used to be. They found it incredible that such a severe wound could heal in no time, leaving not even a scar behind. The girls, though shy to touch, could not help but sneak peeks at his chest. Zhang Tianyang, feeling both helpless and amused, repeatedly assured everyone, ¡°It really doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. I also do not understand the principle behind it. When the mud was applied, it didn¡¯t feel extraordinary¡­¡± While he was speaking, he noticed Tu Dan returning from outside and quickly called out, ¡°Teacher Tu!¡± Everyone turned their attention to Tu Dan and gathered around her¡ª ¡°Teacher Tu, you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been talking with them for quite a while¡­¡± ¡°¡­Teacher Tu, did you find out which game this mud comes from? If we could bring this kind of mud into the fog, our chances of victory would increase significantly, right?¡± With a dozen students speaking at the same time, the not-so-spacious dormitory instantly became noisy. Tu Dan gestured for everyone to stay quiet. ¡°I¡¯ve discovered it, as well as the method to clear the game, but the danger remains high. If you want to go, we will split into two teams as before, based on volunteers. The first team will go first, and if there¡¯s no problem, the second team will follow,¡± said Tu Dan. The risk for the first team is significant, but they get access to the props first. The second team may seem safer, but they usually consist of the more timid ones, who might mess things up. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The students began to discuss privately about the pros and cons of both options. Zhang Tianyang, now fully recovered, slowly got up from his bed and asked, ¡°Teacher, have the names of those entering the fog been decided yet?¡± Tu Dan paused briefly, ¡°Not yet, do you have any suggestions?¡± Zhang Tianyang hesitated for a moment before gathering the courage to say, ¡°Teacher, I want to go into the fog.¡± As his words fell, the entire dormitory went silent. All students were looking at Zhang Tianyang. A girl voiced softly, ¡°Tianyang, your injury has just healed¡­¡± ¡°My injury is fine now.¡± Zhang Tianyang smiled casually, his gaze sweeping across his classmates¡¯ faces. ¡°Though it might sound a bit audacious, but¡­ I have the best academic and physical performance in the class, and I also have experience from two games, so I should be the most suitable candidate, right?¡± He looked at Tu Dan again, his voice pleading, ¡°Teacher, let me go. I really want to know what the doll game is all about, and what happened to our families swallowed by the white fog. If I can¡¯t make it, I fear the other students definitely won¡¯t.¡± Tu Dan looked at the student in front of her, her heavy heart filled with a sense of helplessness. If possible, she did not want to see any student take such a risk, but the world had changed. She could no longer protect them and at times, she even needed their protection. Tu Dan sighed deeply, failing to respond directly, she replied tactfully, ¡°¡­This matter is extremely important, I need more time to think about it.¡± Zhang Tianyang tried to say something more, but Tu Dan patted his shoulder and left the dormitory. At night, Tu Dan laid in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Initially her mind was occupied with each student, but then her thoughts unconsciously drifted to the people downstairs. If¡­the people entering the fog were them, would they be as troubled as she was? ¡°Teacher Tu.¡± Tu Dan came back to her senses at the sound, turned her head and saw a girl from the adjacent bed, named Chen Hui, watching her with bright black eyes. The dorm room housed six people, where Tu Dan and a few other female students shared. The girl sleeping next to her was Chen Hui, the class study representative. Zhang Tianyang wasn¡¯t always the one who ranked first. Occasionally, Chen Hui would take the top spot. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± Tu Dan asked her, while keeping her voice as low as possible to avoid waking the other two girls. In a soft voice, Chen Hui asked, ¡°Teacher Tu, are you still thinking about the issue of who should enter the fog?¡± Chapter 78 - 78: 78 How Old Are You Chapter 78 - 78: 78 How Old Are YouTranslator: 549690339 Tu Dan remained silent for a while before giving a soft acknowledgment. ¡°Although we have obtained a clue¡­what dangers exactly lie in the fog, nobody knows,¡± Tu Dan whispered. ¡°Whether or not we should enter the fog should be a decision made voluntarily.¡± After all, she¡¯s only a teacher. She couldn¡¯t command the students to risk their lives. But the most troubling part was this ¨C those who are willing to go might not be the capable ones, and those who are capable might not be willing. This wasn¡¯t a situation where numbers equate strength. If a team of unevenly qualified individuals were brought into the fog, it would only increase the risk! Tu Dan thought about this, her eyebrows furrowing tighter, mumbling to herself: ¡°If we let those people downstairs go¡­¡± ¡°If they could bring an old man and a disabled man out of the game unscathed, it only shows their ability far surpasses ours,¡± said Chen Hui. ¡°But, Teacher, didn¡¯t you mention that we can¡¯t just reveal the clues to others?¡± Tu Dan was taken aback, and then realized that Chen Hui had heard her mutterings. Nevertheless, this young girl has always been perceptive and calm. Even with only a few bits of information, Chen Hui probably could piece together what was going on. Tu Dan gently told her: ¡°I don¡¯t want people to find out because I¡¯m afraid that after everyone enters the game, allies turn into enemies, not only killing each other, but also using you as shields. You guys are just teenagers, how would you stand a chance in a fight against adults?¡± Chen Hui asked again: ¡°So, Teacher thinks that they can¡¯t be trusted?¡± Tu Dan was unable to respond immediately. After a few seconds, she hesitantly said, ¡°Let me think¡­ let me think a little more¡­¡± The night drags on. Downstairs, two dorm rooms were occupied by Shen Mo¡¯s group. Shen MO and Bai Youwei shared a room, while Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai shared another. Shen MO slept on the top bunk, above Bai Youwei. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With his large stature, if he lay flat then the bed would seem too short, revealing half of his ankles. Therefore, he could only curl up a little as he laid down, secretly sighinz in his heart: this was more uncomfortable than sleeping on the floor. There was a knock on the bed board, producing a clear ¡®thump, thump¡¯ sound in the darkness. ¡°Shen MO, are you up there?¡± Bai Youwei asked from below. ¡°Hmm,¡± Shen MO responded. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± He answered her, but she said nothing more. After a moment, Shen MO asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on, do you need to go to the bathroom?¡± The voice from the lower bunk was filled with complaint: ¡°Do I have ¡®toilet¡¯ written on my face? You always ask me if I need to go!¡± Shen MO couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Wasn¡¯t he just trying to take care of her in case she was too shy to mention it¡­.? After a while, Bai Youwei knocked on his bunk again: thump, thump, thump. ¡°Shen MO, why don¡¯t you make any sound when you sleep?¡± Bai Youwei complained. ¡°It¡¯s so quiet, not even a sound when you turn around. It feels like I¡¯m the only one in the room, and it scares me.¡± She said she was scared, but her tone hardly showed it. Shen MO knew she was just being dramatic, troublesome, and loved to be coquettish. Not in the mood to argue with her, he complied and turned over in the bed. Creak¡­ creak¡­ ¡­creak¡­ Bai Youwei: ¡°That¡¯s too noisy, now I can¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡® He was silent for a while, then patiently asked her, ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Put your hand down so that I know you¡¯re there.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Without a word, she continued knocking on the bed ¨C thump, thump, thump. Shen MO had no choice but to hang one arm down. Half a second later she grabbed hold of it. Her small hand holding his big one. Staring up at the ceiling, Shen MO felt the softness in his palm and casually remarked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you acting childish? Earlier, you were criticizing the middle school kids upstairs for being immature, but I don¡¯t see you as much better.¡± Pausing for a moment, he asked, ¡°How old are you?¡± Bai Youwei glared at the bottom of the top bunk and deflected the question with a chilly retort, ¡°How old do you think I look?¡± Without giving it a second thought, Shen MO responded: ¡°Three years old.¡± Bai Youwei: After a while, she huffed in annoyance. However dissatisfied she was, she didn¡¯t let go of the ¡®paw¡¯ in her hand.. Chapter 79 - 79: 79: Should we go into the fog? Chapter 79 - 79: 79: Should we go into the fog?Translator: 549690339 She couldn¡¯t remember when she had fallen asleep, but when she woke up again, the sky was already bright. Shen MO was not in the room. Bai Youwei slowly yawned, saw a mouthwash cup, toothbrush and toothpaste on the table, and a basin of cold water prepared. She didn¡¯t immediately get started, but sat on the bed in a daze for a while, then slowly changed her clothes, got out of bed, sat in the wheelchair, brushed her teeth and washed her face. She had accumulated two days worth of dirty clothes that she desperately wanted to throw away. However, she reluctantly washed them in the independent bathroom of the dormitory considering she had no more money to waste. It was a nuisance indeed. She had never washed clothes before in her life. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Teacher Chang was cooking in the hallway outside. He borrowed a stove and a pot from upstairs. There were bottles of rice, oil, salt, vinegar, and various other condiment placed next to it. Hearing Bai Youwei getting up, he immediately said, ¡°Weiwei, breakfast will be ready soon. We have porridge and eggs, and Teacher Tu also sent a pack of instant noodles. Which would you like to have?¡± ¡°Any will do¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked from inside the room, ¡°Where¡¯s Shen MO?¡± ¡°He and Tan Xiao went to Yangzhou Port early this morning.¡± Teacher Chang looked in the direction of the school gate, ¡°They should be coming back soon.¡± Bai Youwei responded with a casual ¡°oh,¡± absentmindedly scrubbed her clothes a few times, not concerned about whether they were clean or not, and hung them all in the dormitory. Then with nothing else to do, she went to the back of the dormitory building in her wheelchair, grabbing handfuls of mint leaves from the garden. She pulled out quite a large bunch. She meticulously washed each leaf and dried them in the shadow of the corridor. Perhaps it was because she and Chang Weicai were so laid back, one cooking and the other drying leaves, the students from upstairs didn¡¯t know what to say when they saw them. Tu Dan was preparing to take his students to play a frog game today, so the atmosphere was tense from early morning. Bai Youwei, while watching them bustling about and sipping her porridge, felt a pang of regret because Teacher Chang¡¯s cooking was clearly not as good as Tu Dan¡¯s. She saw thirteen students, along with Tu Dan, in total fourteen people get on their bikes, raise their arms and waved: ¡°Safe travels. Tu Dan also waved back at her, before setting off with his students. Fourteen bicycles left one after another, riding on the campus road, like a school of fish darting through the water. The rhythm and zeal they carried were neat and full of energy. Watching the wheels of those speeding bicycles, Bai Youwei took a sip of her porridge and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m so envious¡­¡± Not long after Tu Dan and his group left, Shen MO and Tan Xiao returned. They had acquired gasoline and collected some living supplies, filling the SUV fuller than ever before, nearly bursting. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Bai Youwei remarked coldly, ¡°It looks like finding a shelter is out of the question, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have bothered to bring back so many supplies.¡± Chang Weicai was anxiously watching Shen MO and Tan Xiao, hoping they could bring back good news. Facing the old man¡¯s gaze, Shen MO, usually so decisive, found it difficult to speak. He pondered for a long time before finally saying, ¡°¡­the ship never came.¡± Teacher Chang¡¯s eyes immediately dimmed. Shen MO continued, ¡°The craft responsible for transporting people used to come every two hours, but in recent days, not a single one has showed up. Some people, unable to wait, seized the ferry at the dock, and some others went south along the Yangtze River bank. Now there are only a dozen tents left at Yangzhou Port. I estimate that the remaining people will also leave in a couple of days.¡± ¡°You mean¡­the ship will never come?¡± Teacher Chang asked shakily, ¡°Those people are not going to wait any longer?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± Tan Xiao sighed on the side, ¡°They say the mist in the city is continuously expanding. At first, it was only as large as a residential area, but now, the entire city district has been swallowed! If we wait any longer, even Yangzhou Port will not be safe!¡± Teacher Chang stared blankly, ¡°Then we¡­we¡­¡± ¡°My suggestion is¡­.¡± Shen MO looked at them and said, ¡°Should we go and check out the mist?¡± Chapter 80 - 80: 80: In the Mist Chapter 80 - 80: 80: In the MistTranslator: 549690339 After Shen MO finished speaking, Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, including Bai Youwei, all three of them remained silent. Shen Mo¡¯s gaze swept over each of their faces before he spoke again, ¡°From my experience, if the rescue ship hasn¡¯t returned, there are only two possibilities First, the rescue ship encountered trouble and couldn¡¯t save itself; Second, the rescue ship encountered no trouble, but the shelter could only accommodate a limited number of people, so the remaining people were abandoned. Regardless of the situation, there¡¯s no reason for us to wait any longer. Moreover, I¡¯ve heard at Yangzhou Port that this sort of fog isn¡¯t limited to Yangzhou, but also found in Shanghai and Hangzhou. Let¡¯s daringly assume, is it that cities with larger populations have the occurrence of the white fog? Yangzhou originally didn¡¯t have much population, but recently a large influx of people gathered, so could it have also produced the white fog? If this hypothesis holds, and the white fog keeps expanding, instead of passively being cornered, it may be better if we take charge and venture into it ourselves. Shen Mo¡¯s words held such significant information, once again it took the group a while to respond. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He wasn¡¯t in a rush. He turned his head towards Bai Youwei, inexplicably confident in his heart that she would agree with his suggestion. ¡°What do you think is in the fog?¡± Shen MO asked Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes whirled a bit, mimicking his phraseology, ¡°From my experience, there are two possibilities¡ªI¡¯ First, the game environment has expanded, and we are all part of a game where the white fog kills upon contact similar to that frog we encountered; Second, the game environment has been split; the white fog is a part of a separate reality game, different from the game we have encountered on the road.¡± A smile tugged at the corner of Shen Mo¡¯s mouth. Tan Xiao kind of understood and kind of didn¡¯t, asking her, ¡°Does that mean¡­we have a fifty percent chance of dying?¡± Bai Youwei glanced at him, ¡°Consider this, the first option violates the game¡¯s fairness policy, so I think the second possibility is more likely.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tan Xiao nodded. Being the indecisive type, he usually found Shen MO and Bai Youwei¡¯s words making sense. He hesitated and then asked, ¡°When¡­when do we go?¡± MO looked at Teacher Chang, ¡°You stay here and wait for us¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming too.¡± Teacher Chang¡¯s tone was sorrowful yet very firm, ¡°As an old man, I¡¯d be just as useless here, might as well go into the fog and see, maybe I can see my parents again.¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°If we really are going¡­the sooner, the better. Let¡¯s try to get out before it gets dark.¡± ¡°We leave after we finish eating,¡± Shen MO decided. If Tu Dan were still here she¡¯d probably die of frustration. She¡¯d been struggling with her decision for days, but they casually decided to go after a few sentences. The white fog, dense and endless. If you look at it from far away, it resembles an unending spider¡¯s web. When you get up close, it looks like evaporating frost or snow. Such heavy fog made driving impossible, so the four of them formed a line and began walking. Shen MO was pushing the wheelchair. The fog was quiet. The sort of absolute quiet. There was no chirping of birds, no buzzing of insects, even the wind seemed to stop here. Under such conditions, where they could see neither the road ahead nor hear any sounds, they walked around for about three to five minutes until the fog started to clear. The sun¡¯s rays pierced through the fog, lighting up everything brightly¡ª All four of the fog-traversers were shocked to silence, their eyes widened in disbelief at the scene before them. All the buildings were combined in strange forms, stacking to form huge walls before their eyes and creating countless winding passages! The city had morphed into a giant maze! Tan Xiao walked a few steps forward in shock, touched the ¡°wall¡± that consisted of power poles, trees, steel bars, tile from single-story houses and vending machines twisted together, turned around with a look of stupefaction and said to Chang Weicai, ¡°Old Chang¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find your way home..¡± Chapter 81 - 81: 81: Huge Labyrinth Chapter 81 - 81: 81: Huge LabyrinthTranslator: 549690339 All four of them were shocked. Chang Weicai walked over, touching the ¡°hybrid¡± wall bit by bit with disbelief, mumbling, ¡°This isn¡¯t scientific¡­ How can these different materials be combined so perfectly?¡± Trees were embedded in reinforced concrete, with green-grey tiles growing on the trunks. A skewed vending machine was squeezed into a corner, as if it were chopped in half, but its branches and leaves were still lush as if they were all naturally one entity. Bai Youwei looked at the faint light in the vending machine and asked, ¡°Who has coins?¡± ¡°I do¡­¡± Chang Weicai had quite a few small change in his wallet. Bai Youwei took the coins and tossed a few into the vending machine. With a few clinks, a bottle of Coke rolled out The group was stunned even more. They didn¡¯t see any power source, but this vending machine was somehow electrified! And it was functional! This is insane! Inspired, Tan Xiao sprinted forward. A bathtub was embedded in the wall across from him. When he turned on the tap, water immediately gushed out! Tan Xiao screamed, muttering, ¡°It¡¯s even freaking hot! ¡°The city has been dismantled into individual components, and then recombined.¡± Shen MO pulled out his long-unused phone and glanced at it, Water, electricity, and the internet seem to be operating as if the city hasn¡¯t changed. ¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s phone had long since run out of power and she didn¡¯t bring it with her. She looked at Shen Mo¡¯s phone and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Even with cell towers built into the walls, there is still phone signal.¡± This isn¡¯t scientifically possible. Shen MO fiddled around with his phone and shook his head slightly, ¡°We can¡¯t contact the outside world, it seems we can only use it within this area.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine too.¡± Bai Youwei looked around, ¡°This place is so big, in case we get separated, we can still use our phones to contact each other. Should we find a place to charge first?¡± ¡°No rush.¡± Shen MO turned around, looking in the direction they came from, ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can turn back first. Shen MO pushed his wheelchair, retracing their steps. As expected, they couldn¡¯t get out. When they arrived, they only walked tor a few minutes before passing through the fog, but now no matter how they moved, they remained within the fog. ¡°It seems we are indeed in a standalone replica.¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± The group returned to the maze. Sure enough, it only took them two minutes this time to walk out of the fog. They stopped at the entrance of a corridor, not in a hurry to go in. ¡°No Inspector, no rule guide, and no other players.¡± Shen MO stared into the depth of the maze, ¡°If the range of the fog coincides with the range of the maze, then the area of the maze in front of us is about 35 million square meters, or 35 square kilometers. Once we go in, we probably won¡¯t be able to get out for several days.¡± Tan Xiao had no concept of these numbers, but just hearing Shen MO describe it, he felt that the maze was incredibly huge! Bai Youwei calmly said, ¡°Although it¡¯s a bit big, water, electricity, and internet can all be used as normal, so at least for a short time we won¡¯t have to worry about supplies.¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t understand why the two big shots were so calm, but as they were calm, he seemed to feel less anxious. ¡°So, it seems¡­ it¡¯s quite nice to stay in the maze.¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head, a bit unsure, ¡°There¡¯s water, electricity, plentiful food, and we don¡¯t have to worry about suddenly falling into some game. It¡¯s¡­ pretty comfortable.¡± Bai Youwei chuckled lightly, ¡°What a beautiful thought you have.¡± Tan Xiao: What did he say wrong? ¡°If it¡¯s really comfortable¡­¡± Bai Youwei laughed, gazing deep into the maze, ¡°Then how do you explain the people who have disappeared into thin air within these walls?¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 82 - 82: 82 Mirror Chapter 82 - 82: 82 MirrorTranslator: 549690339 The fog almost covered the entire central district of Yangzhou. In this area, modern business buildings stood side by side with preserved ancient structures. There were banks, hotels, shopping malls, universities, hospitals, stadiums, Daming Temple, recreational parks, and even the Slender West Lake Scenic Area! How many people would this area comprise of normally? But the maze was eerily silent, devoid of any human sound or sight of a single person. Everyone knew one thing for sure: there was undoubtedly an unknown danger lurking within the maze. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Shen MO nudged Bai Youwei into the passage. Chang Weicai, the teacher, followed. Tan Xiao remained at the rear. The journey was smooth and calm. Shen MO strode along the main path, oblivious to the bifurcations on either side. After walking continuously for over ten minutes, something started to feel off. The walls flanking them were increasingly teeming with mirrors. The reflections and refractions of these mirrors made the forked paths appear convoluted, causing further confusion. ¡°Is this a Mirror Maze?¡± Tan Xiao observed the sides. ¡°I once played in one at a science museum. It was filled with mirrors, even more than here. Walking around, you could see countless reflections of yourself. It was disorienting.¡± Bai Youwei responded in surprise, ¡°You¡¯ve been to a science museum?¡± Tan Xiao nodded in earnest, ¡°Yes, I handed out flyers and balloons to children there when I was low on money.¡± Bai Youwei formed an unspoken smirk. Ahead, the entire side of an unknown skyscraper was lazing on the ground. Its pure glass walls made entirely of mirrors reflected their moving figures, and also the clear blue sky and white clouds. Continuing, they found two rows of public bathroom sinks, each with a mirror above. One could see themselves in the mirrors stretching out for at least a hundred meters. Although they hadn¡¯t reached the end yet, from what they could see, it seemed like ahead was infested with dense mirrors. Shen MO came to a halt. The rest stopped too, casting puzzled looks. ¡°Look at the mirrors.¡± Shen MO instructed. Mystified, everyone turned to look at the mirrors around them. ¡°What are we looking at the mirrors for?¡± Tan Xiao examined his reflection. Wearing the same T-shirt and jeans, sporting the same granny hair, but¡­ something was amiss. He stepped closer to the mirror in bewilderment, and after two or three steps, he jumped back in alarm! ¡°Holy shit!¡± Tan Xiao nearly peed his pants, ¡°Take a look at the mirrors! ¡± In the mirrors, they were still themselves, yet, not themselves. Inside the mirrors, they had turned into dolls! Bai Youwei subconsciously touched her face; her reflection did the same. She touched her hair, and so did her reflection. Bai Youwei removed her gaze from the mirror, looking down at her hands and pinching herself. It hurt a bit, turning a little reddish. She was clearly still human, but the reflection in the mirror showed her as a doll! This feeling nauseated her. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving forward.¡± Shen MO said calmly, ¡°These mirrors are strange. Try to stay away from them as much as possible.¡± The abnormality of the mirrors was their first slight disturbance since entering the maze, startling but harmless. After another 20 minutes, they arrived at an open area With a perfect squared shape, flat and even, there was a round fountain right in the middle, like a standout landmark. ¡°It¡¯s a public square,¡± Chang Weicai remarked while surveying the surroundings, his voice slow and solemn. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s this place¡­ but the trees and flowers are gone, the square was by the canal, but there¡¯s no river here either¡­ ¡® Only countless mirrored walls stood here, and between the mirrors, there were maze interconnections pointing to all directions. Bai Youwei wheeled herself to the edge of the fountain and noticed her reflection in the water: a doll holding a teddy bear. She reached out to touch the water surface, but Shen MO caught her wrist, his eyes flashing a warning. Bai Youwei reluctantly withdrew her hand. Shen MO turned to Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai, ¡°Although there are no inspectors and rule explanations here, it seems that the condition for clearing this area is to find the exit of this maze. If you have any ideas, don¡¯t hesitate to share..¡± Chapter 83 - 83: 83: I Wish Chapter 83 - 83: 83: I WishTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Shen MO tried to gather everyone¡¯s opinions as much as possible. He knew that by involving everyone, he could strengthen their unity and keep an eye on everyone¡¯s status. His approach was largely the same as when he trained his previous squad before. Master Cheng said, ¡°Mazes are generally divided into simple mazes and complex mazes. There are two methods to navigate them; one is from the outside in, and the other is from the inside out. We seem to be in the center of the maze now. If this is the starting point of the maze, then the end point should be around the edges.¡± Tan Xiao also, surprisingly, made a serious comment, ¡°I have experience with mazes. With three steps, you can navigate any maze¡ª First, choose any path and move forward once you enter the maze; Second, if you encounter a dead end, immediately turn back and make a mark at the intersection; Third, if you come across a fork, choose a path you haven¡¯t taken yet. If you¡¯ve taken all paths, turn back and mark the original fork. Repeat the second and third steps until you find the exit.¡± After he spoke, he touched his nose and added in a quieter voice, ¡°I searched for maze strategies on gaming forums. With these, I cleared the Crystal Tower in ¡®Final Fantasy¡¯, the Poker Maze in ¡®Legend of Hope¡¯, and the Four Towers in ¡®Trails in the Sky¡¯¡­¡± Shen MO, who never played games, asked, ¡°What is that?¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Those are RPG games from a hundred years ago.¡± Tan Xiao gave Bai Youwei an approving look! ¡®¡­¡± Shen Mo was speechless. He turned his gaze away and looked down at Bai Youwei, ¡°And you, what are your thoughts about this place?¡± ¡°My thought is¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered with her chin in her hand. ¡°I think¡­¡± she started slowly, ¡°¡­ I want to have a barbecue first.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Are you serious?¡± Bai Youwei feigned innocence, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with wanting something different to eat after days of ramen and plain porridge?¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tan Xiao quickly added, ¡°There¡¯s a Korean barbecue restaurant on the way here! They¡¯ll definitely have meat in their freezer!¡± Master Cheng said, ¡°Since the maze is so large and we can¡¯t leave for a while, we should gather supplies first. We need many things for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He somehow felt that he had been demoted. From an adventure team leader to a tour guide. Two hours later. Top-quality snowflake-style beef and pork belly were sizzling on the grill. There were other uncooked ingredients such as three different types of pork belly, tender beef tongue, squid tentacles, chicken wings, bacon, beef tripe, onions, potatoes, and enoki mushrooms¡­ Shen MO sat amid the bustling, smoky atmosphere, feeling somewhat out of place. ¡°Why the long face?¡± Bai Youwei bit down on a chicken bone, her crunching sounds full of satisfaction. Shen Mo, still on high alert, muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, you guys eat.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°You may not eat, but you can grill, right?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® She pushed a plate of ribeye steak into his hands: ¡°Here, grill this.¡± Shen MO was quiet for a while, then sighed inwardly, picked up the tongs, and joined the grilling team. The grill sizzled with the aroma of grilling meat wafting in the air. Tan Xiao was sweating profusely from the heat, drinking chilled beer in large gulps. He hadn¡¯t enjoyed himself this much in a long time. He bit into a piece of streaky bacon and mumbled, ¡°Is it really¡­ appropriate for us to eat like this?¡± Shen MO transferred the grilled meat into Bai Youwei¡¯s plate. He thought to himself: I knew it was inappropriate. ¡°Eat up.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°We¡¯ll need our strength for the work ahead.¡± Shen MO gave her a glance. As she casually ate, Bai Youwei remarked, ¡°Actually, I have an idea¡­.¡± Chapter 84 - 84: 84: Two Teams of People Chapter 84 - 84: 84: Two Teams of PeopleTranslator: 549690339 Everyone was looking at her. The mood should have been serious and tense, but because everyone was holding food and wine, it strangely felt like the gossip chatting after a party. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Have you come up with a way out yet?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°If it was a regular maze, Tan Xiao¡¯s method would be sufficient. But¡­ in this maze, I think looking for the exit is secondary. What we really need to find is people.¡± ¡°People?¡± Tan Xiao gobbled up a piece of ox tongue, ¡°Which people?¡± Professor Chang Weicai carefully wrapped bacon around an enoki mushroom and sighed. ¡°Weiwei must be referring to those who have disappeared.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°We need to identify the crisis to know where survival lies. The only clue we have now is that there¡¯s something wrong with the mirrors here. Are there any other dangers in the maze? Are there any traps? Are there any taboos? To answer these questions, I¡¯m afraid we have to find those missing persons first.¡± Shen MO pondered,saying slowly, ¡°We won¡¯t know what threats or opportunities there are, until we venture deeper into the maze. Given its size, we will need at least two days to navigate the entire maze. If the maze is even more complicated, it might even take us three days.¡± This is going to be a war of attrition. Unlike the games that ended in a few minutes, in this maze, it is the last ones standing who win. As they chatted, they made a plan to explore: Using the fountain in the center of the maze as the starting point, dividing the maze into eight exploration areas in the shape of a Chinese character ¡®9,¡± exploring two to three areas each day. This way, by the third day, they would have figured out the entire maze. To expedite the exploration of the maze, items such as phones, ropes, paint, spray guns, along with glue and paper for marking were all added to the list of supplies to find. Bai Youwei stated, ¡°We also need to find some tents. I don¡¯t want to have to sleep facing the mirrors.¡± The rest area they were currently located in was in the center of the maze. Surrounded by mirrors on all sides, a casual glance would show their puppet-like reflection in the mirror, an unsettling feeling. Shen MO nodded. He agreed that sleeping in tents would be safer. After all, no one could guarantee what might happen if they constantly exposed themselves to the mirrors. ¡°After we finish eating, we will search an area while gathering supplies,¡± Shen MO calmly ordered, ¡°Keep in mind this is just our first day, no need to rush. Remember to conserve energy, we¡¯ll take turns keeping watch tonight.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement as the barbecue was coming to an end. Just as they were preparing to clear up the leftovers, the sound of footsteps and faint voices came from not far off, gradually getting closer. ¡°I seem to smell grilled meat¡­¡± ¡°Yang Yi, you¡¯re drooling over meat, haha!¡± ..Hey, it does indeed smell like grilled meat, I also smell it¡­¡± ¡°I smell it too!¡± ¡°Professor Tu! There are people up ahead!¡± Tu Dan led a group of students out of the passage and found Shen MO, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, along with their grill and barbecue. Tu Dan¡¯s group was stunned. So was Shen Mo¡¯s group. . Oh my.¡± One of the girls expressed in disbelief, ¡°They are actually barbecuing in the maze.¡± Because of the silence, her voice echoed in the air clearly, making the awl?vard atmosphere even more palpable¡­ Tan Xiao, having size up the situation, casually invite them: ¡°Have you guys eaten? Join us?¡± Tu Dan: The students: . Professor Chang was enthusiastic, ¡°I¡¯ll go gather some more charcoal.¡± ¡®IN-no, there¡¯s no need, Professor Chang,¡± Tu Dan stammered. ¡°We¡¯ve already eaten¡­¡± Her gaze reluctantly landed on Shen MO and Bai Youwei, ¡°So¡­. you guys are also here inside?¡± Chapter 85 - 85: 85: Asking So Much Chapter 85 - 85: 85: Asking So MuchTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO replied naturally, ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot.¡± He then asked Tu Dan, ¡°Did you guys get the mud?¡± Tu Dan curled the corners of her mouth and smirked, ¡°Yep, we got it.¡± Although she said she got it, she didn¡¯t seem too thrilled, as did the students around her, wearing complex expressions. However, they weren¡¯t close enough for Shen MO to probe. After exchanging pleasantries, they busied themselves. Shen Mo¡¯s team was to clean up a heap of leftovers and greasy plates. Tu Dan¡¯s team was evidently prepared. They brought bundles of ropes and different colored flags. By exploring the route and getting the results, they planted differently colored flags at the intersections¡ª Red for dead ends, green for passable routes, and yellow for unexplored paths. These fifteen or sixteen-year-olds, still half children, had more energy than adults. They were so busy that they had quickly planted numerous colorful flags nearby. There was no progress on Shen Mo¡¯s side. Bai Youwei whispered to him, ¡°I want to take a shower.¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t respond verbally but gave her a look which clearly asked, ¡°Are you sure you have to pick this moment?¡± Bai Youwei got the message. ¡°I have to shower, I can¡¯t stand the smell of meat on me, it¡¯s uncomfortable.¡¯ She shouldn¡¯t be uncomfortable. Because once she became uncomfortable, it would make everyone around her feel uncomfortable too. ¡°We have to explore anyway. If we find a place to take shower along the way, just wait for me, it¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Bai Youwei said nonchalantly. A passing female student heard her and couldn¡¯t help but make a surprised face. Inside a maze, their lives were hanging by a thread. Not only did they have the mood to eat barbecue, but they even wanted to find a place to take a shower now?! Did they come here on a vacation? Finding it tedious to argue with the delicate and coquettish Bai Youwei, Shen MO casually agreed. ¡ªThe maze walls were a chaotic patchwork. A bus was squished against a double bed, half a bathroom stuck to the kitchen, a toilet suspended in cement. It was a regular freak show. With her obsession for cleanliness, it was unlikely to find a suitable place for a shower, wasn¡¯t it? The four of them got ready to explore. To avoid interfering with Tu Dan¡¯s team, they set off in the opposite direction. Bai Youwei asked Shen MO to turn on the phone¡¯s built-in pedometer. Walking and recording simultaneously. Whenever they encountered a fork in the road, she stopped and recorded, like 38 meters ahead ¨C left turn ¨C intersection 1, 89 meters ahead ¨C right turn intersection 2¡­ The more detailed the numbers, the more accurately they could reproduce the site map on paper. Whenever she came across a minimally damaged shop, Bai Youwei would note it down as well to ensure they didn¡¯t scramble around like headless flies when gathering supplies. Fairly speaking, when Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t acting out, she was truly a reliable partner. But when she started to¡­ ¡°I want to take a shower.¡± Bai Youwei stopped in front of a budget hotel chain, refusing to take another step. Shen MO glanced ahead, ¡°There are two intersections left and this corridor will be explored.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not moving. I¡¯m not going anywhere unless I can shower,¡± she sat sulking in the wheelchair. ¡°I want to take a shower right now.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® The teacher looked around and said, ¡°There¡¯s a ladder over there, I¡¯ll go get it.¡± Tan Xiao also went to help move the ladder. Forgot to mention that only half of this hotel chain squeezed into the wall. The part with the elevator and stairs was gone, so to access the second-floor rooms, they needed to find a way to climb¡­ The three unlikely companions, old and young, went to great lengths to enable Bai Youwei to take a shower. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bringing a ladder wasn¡¯t enough; they also salvaged boxes, tables, cabinets, sofas from nearby¡­the hotel¡¯s lobby ceiling was too high. After stacking several layers, they finally managed to set the ladder on the second floor. Shen MO carried Bai Youwei on his back to the second floor, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the door. Don¡¯t take too long, call me every three minutes. If you don¡¯t want to talk, just hum so I know you are okay¡­ Don¡¯t wash your hair, drying it would be a waste of time, it¡¯s best if you rinse and come out.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°With so many requirements, why don¡¯t you help me shower?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Chapter 86 - 86: 86 Crying Chapter 86 - 86: 86 CryingTranslator: 549690339 On the fourth day away from home, Bai Youwei finally got her wish and took a hot bath. Without the help of a servant, it was a bit tricky to get cleaned up, but she still washed thoroughly from head to toe. Every few minutes, Shen MO knocked on the door. On average, Bai Youwei would respond once for every two knocks. When Bai Youwei almost finished bathing, she looked at her own white skin, dark wet hair, and shiny droplets of water¡­ Spontaneously, she had a ¡°mischievous idea¡± to tease Shen MO by staying silent on purpose. ¡°¡­Bai Youwei?¡± Shen MO knocked on the door again, sounding irritated, ¡°Bai Youwei, respond if you can hear me.¡± Bai Youwei: It¡¯s hard to say exactly why, but she just wanted to see a hint of a crack on his cold, stern face¡­ Even if it infuriates him, it must be pretty fun. Of course, she also hoped for something else to appear on his face, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on what it was just yet. ¡°Bai Youwei, are you there? I¡¯m coming in.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice sounded somewhat through gritted teeth, ¡°¡­you better not be joking.¡± Bai Youwei chuckled under her fluffy hair as she wiped her long locks with a dry towel. Her hair quality wasn¡¯t great. Being naturally unhealthy, it was thin and soft. However, owing to careful maintenance, it was very smooth, with a beautiful, pale-ink color. She wiped her hair carefully, and as she reached the ends, she looked at her own legs. They were legs deformed from long periods of sitting¡ªpale, thin, and even a bit atrophied¡­ Bai Youwei¡¯s actions halted. It was odd ¨C why did she want him to see her like this? The subtle exhilaration she felt just now dissipated like a breeze, leaving only bland emptiness. The door handle of the bathroom rattled, seemingly, Shen MO was genuinely planning to come in. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She croaked, her voice calm, ¡°Don¡¯t rush me, so annoying.¡± The rattling noise stopped. After a brief silence, the man outside grumbled and dropped two words, ¡°Hurry up.¡± Bai Youwei repeated: ¡°If you think I¡¯m slow, why don¡¯t you come in and help me bathe?¡± There was no sound from outside the door. Bai Youwei slowly dried herself and put on her clothes. The steam in the bathroom gradually dissipated, and the mirror that was covered in condensation became clear again. As she fixed her hair in front of the mirror, the doll in the mirror was also holding a silken brush and combing its hair. Maybe her outlook is inherently different from most people¡¯s, because for her, there was nothing scary about the doll in the mirror when looking at it after a while. Studying more closely, the doll was indeed exquisite, with a full forehead, soft hair, and individually clear eyelashes. While combing her painstakingly grown hair, the doll in the mirror did the same for a while, but then stopped, looking upset, and even began to cry. Bai Youwei was curious, how could a doll cry? She stared at her reflection in the mirror, watching as ¡°she¡± cried with large tears streaming down her cheeks, sobbing so sincerely, so weak and helpless¡­ Strangely, it felt familiar. But she was sure she had never seen such a scene before. Because she couldn¡¯t possibly cry like this, like a complete coward. Bai Youwei looked in the mirror, staring at ¡°herself¡±, and gradually lost focus. Her thoughts started running off on a bizarre tangent, thinking: Why am I crying? What am I crying for?¡­ A scream suddenly came from outside! Bai Youwei was jolted awake, realizing that she had unknowingly leaned close to the mirror, and the tear-streaked doll inside had actually reached out half an arm through the mirror! Bai Youwei instantly sucked in a cold breath! Anger welled up in her heart, and she flung the towel in her hand at it! ¡°Cry my ass off!¡± S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 87 - 87: 87: Suddenly Awakened from the Dream Chapter 87 - 87: 87: Suddenly Awakened from the DreamTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei tossed her towel aside, rushing away from the bathroom in her wheelchair. Shen MO was no longer outside the door. He had jumped down directly! At the moment, he was on the first floor, having just pulled Tan Xiao out of the Koi pond in the hotel lobby! The hotel lobby had a pond on one side, home to dozens of koi fish. Tan Xiao, bored, had been idly trying to catch the fish when he accidentally fell in and couldn¡¯t get out! The depth of the pond was just up to his calves! ¡°This place is haunted by water ghosts!¡± Tan Xiao cried out in fright, soaking wet. ¡°A water ghost pulled me into the water! Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a water ghost!¡± The teacher next to him saw it clearly, his face pale as he exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s a doll, the doll came out from your reflection!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s face paled at these words. He turned his head to look upstairs, only to see a shadowy figure looming behind Bai Youwei! Upon closer inspection, it was a mannequin doll! It reached out its hands, all stiffness like a corpse creeping up on Bai Youwei! ¡°Bai Youwei!¡± Shen MO roared, ¡°Jump down!¡± Even before Shen MO had started showing alarming signs, Bai Youwei already sensed something was off. But hell! How was she supposed to jump?! She was paralyzed for God¡¯s sake?! Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look back. She pushed with her hands, shifting her weight forcefully! And from the second floor, her entire body toppled over The clattering sound next to her ear was her wheelchair toppled over, falling with her. She quickly closed her eyes as she descended, her heart pounding with fear. She couldn¡¯t tell whether she would get hurt from the fall first or get hit by the falling wheelchair. A large hand wraps around her waist. She had a hard fall due to inertia, then that hand steadily lifted her, swaying her in the air for half a circle¡ª She felt dizzy, opening her eyes to see Shen MO holding her with one hand while gripping onto a ladder rung with the other. In his arms, she looked at him, from this angle, his profile was handsome, resolute, with a cold stare. His thin lips pursed into a line, revealing an authoritative aura hidden within his seriousness and restraint. With a dazed backdrop, this scene unfolding before her was truly breathtaking. Bang! A loud noise. Bai Youwei snapped back to reality. She twisted her head to see her wheelchair had hit the ground, lying sideways with its wheels spinning unhurriedly and reflecting the cold metallic light from the axle. The mannequin doll upstairs had vanished without a trace. ¡°Let¡¯s go out,¡± The teacher suggested, his voice trembling with fear as he righted the wheelchair, looking around him. Everywhere seemed unsafe. Shen Mo¡¯s voice was calm, ¡°Be mindful of reflective surfaces when going out.¡± Reflective surfaces included mirrors, glass, water surfaces, and any other objects that could reflect images. For a moment, everyone felt danger even from the tile under their feet! They hurriedly rushed out of the hotel. In the labyrinthine corridor, Shen MO put Bai Youwei on the wheelchair and checked her up and down. Although her hair was messy and scattered, the fact that she was sitting there unharmed was a great fortune. ¡°If the doll in the mirror is the game¡¯s difficulty created for us, then wouldn¡¯t the exit be in the vicinity where the mirrors are most concentrated?¡± Shen MO thought out loud. Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°The mirrors are concentrated in the middle of the maze, it¡¯s too easy if the exit and the starting point coincide, that would be cheating.¡± After a pause, she continued: ¡°I think the doppelganger in the mirror should be a clue or a hint.¡± She turned to Tan Xiao and asked, ¡°Did you notice anything different about your reflection as you were trying to catch the fish?¡± Tan Xiao hesitated, ¡°I didn¡¯t pay attention¡­¡± ¡°Did your doppelganger seem unusual?¡± Shen MO asked Bai Youwei. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°¡­ well, if you guys have a chance, you should carefully observe your reflections in the mirror. Of course, for safety¡¯s sake, someone should be by your side.¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As they all looked at each other, finally, they all nodded in agreement.. Chapter 88 - 88: 88: Return to the Center of the Maze Chapter 88 - 88: 88: Return to the Center of the MazeTranslator: 549690339 In the following time, they finished the remaining stretch of their path, then turned into the branching path, calculating the number of steps they had taken whilst scavenging for supplies. Chang Weicai found a redwood walking stick from a shop. He was not yet old enough to need a cane, but witnessing Tan Xiao¡¯s attack had unsettled him. Having something in his hand that would serve as a weapon gave him solace. Tan Xiao, on the other hand, was forgetful. Seeing a tap on the side of the road, he immediately ¨C and thoughtlessly ¨C took a cold shower. His bathing process was less cumbersome than Bai Youwei¡¯s. He just stood directly underneath the tap, rubbed his T-shirt, and washed his clothes in the process. ¡°Look at this,¡± Chang Weicai pointed at a poster on the wall with his walking stick, ¡°We¡¯ve been seeing these posters and flyers all over since we entered here¡­¡± Using his walking stick to lift a corner of a poster, a polished mirror was revealed. As soon as he saw it, he dropped the poster. Shen MO said, ¡°These must have been put up by people from before.¡± Everyone glanced at the road ahead, noticing more posters messily affixed to the walls. Some mirrors weren¡¯t covered, instead smeared with streaks of paint, looking quite ghastly. The fact that the people previously trapped in the maze also feared mirrors indicated their danger. They became increasingly wary of mirrors. They continued onward. Gradually, they found traces of human activity, such as discarded meal boxes, leftover drinks, and beds that had once served as temporary rest spots. However, there were no signs of people. As the light dimmed, dusk came. They decided to return to the starting point of the maze. Because they had been counting their steps all along, they could easily calculate their way back. Halfway through their return, there was a hissing sound of electric current in the air. Then, the entire maze lit up remarkably! ¨C -It was brightly lit. The darkened houses illuminated their windows, and the high-profile neon lights kept flickering. The maze, imbued with light, resembled a noisy and bustling market from the old days, making people feel as if nothing had changed in a trance. Bai Youwei had never felt that the night view was so beautiful. Although it had only been three or four days since the power outage, she felt as though a century had passed, and was so moved by the sight of the lights. It was ironic. However, beauty always concealed danger. When the brilliant lights reflected on the mirrors, the constant reflection and refraction was enough to disorient people. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Shen MO, pushing the wheelchair forward. ¡°Chang Weicai should stick to the middle, and Tan Xiao will keep an eye on the rear.¡± The two of them nodded in acknowledgment. When they returned to the center of the maze, Tu Dan and the others were having dinner. The things Shen MO and his group brought from the Korean barbecue restaurant were still there. Chang Weicai volunteered to cook dinner. Having had barbecue for lunch, they decided to have something light for dinner. Bai Youwei was picky and didn¡¯t want to have noodles. In the end, she put several bags of frozen dumplings into the pot, and also made a large pot of seaweed egg soup. Chang Weicai was not particularly skillful at cooking porridge, but his soup was superb. The egg flowers were evenly distributed, bright yellow in color, and silky in texture. Some bits of shrimp skin and scallions were added last, making even the simplest dish tempting and fragrant, carrying a warm sense of home. The neighboring students were having a simple meal of instant noodles and sausages, and at the sight of both dumplings and soup on their side, jealousy flared up in their eyes. At this point, they saw Tu Dan and Zhang Tianyang heading their way. The students continued to tease, ¡°Tianyang! Bring back some dumplings!¡± Zhang Tianyang retorted with a smile, ¡°Can¡¯t you cook it yourself if you want some!¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He wasn¡¯t heading there to get dumplings. Zhang Tianyang glanced at the solemn expression on Teacher Tu and felt a heavy weight in his heart. With two groups having entered the maze at the same time, they were either friends or foes. He hoped that he could convince the others to team up with Teacher Tu this time and reach a cooperation agreement¡­. Chapter 89 - 89: 89: Different Ways of Walking Chapter 89 - 89: 89: Different Ways of WalkingTranslator: 549690339 Having an extra ally is always better than having an extra enemy. Tu Dan brought Zhang Tianyang over to Shen Mo¡¯s side, and first thanked Teacher Chang. Zhang Tianyang, the sunny, tall boy, straightforwardly bowed to Chang Weicai. Chang Weicai, holding a pot in his hand, couldn¡¯t avoid it and put down the soup pot to smile at him and asked, ¡°Are you fully recovered now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m completely fine!¡± Zhang Tianyang said with a smile, ¡°I was unable to eat due to the pain from my wound, and was bedridden for two or three days due to hunger. Now, after a good meal and drink, there¡¯s no problem at all!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Chang Weicai replied with a pleasant expression, ¡°Be careful in the future. Consider carefully before taking action, so as to avoid future troubles. Zhang Tianyang repeatedly affirmed his words. After expressing gratitude, it was time to delve into the main topic. Tu Dan carefully sorted out her words, and cautiously proposed, ¡°In the last game, we coincidentally obtained some information about the maze. We thought of trying our luck, but didn¡¯t expect to meet you guys¡­ Since we¡¯re together again, should we cooperate in the next few days and try to find the exit together?¡± ¡°Cooperate?¡± The soft voice of Bai Youwei was unusually noticeable at this time. She stared at him with cat-like eyes, looking at Tu Dan and then Zhang Tianyang standing next to her, and said, ¡°We probably can¡¯t cooperate, can Shen MO lightly tussled her hair and said, ¡°Stop being silly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being silly, we just can¡¯t cooperate.¡± Bai Youwei said innocently, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the ropes and flags they brought? There are probably only about a hundred flags, divided into three colors, which means only about thirty flags of each kind. It¡¯s definitely not enough to cover the entire maze. They probably plan to go forward in a progressive manner, which is different from us.¡± Zhang Tianyang¡¯s eyebrows lifted in surprise as he looked at Bai Youwei. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Though he had already heard from his teacher that she was smart, he never thought that from the ropes and flags in their hands, she could deduce their upcoming strategy. Flags are of limited quantity. If the maze has ten thousand forks, they could not possibly prepare ten thousand flags. So, they had to choose a starting line and orderly advance forward. The areas they¡¯ve passed were left behind, becoming a ¡°waste area¡±, while the flags were always placed in the ¡°new area¡± ahead, repeating this cycle. If the maze was likened to a face of a clock, then they were like the second hand, eventually tracking a complete circle. Shen MO, who didn¡¯t pay much attention to the surprise on Tu Dan and Zhang Tianyang¡¯s faces, casually asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Oh, then what is our strategy?¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a while and turned to look at Shen Mo: ¡°Yarn Ball Method? Sunflower Method? ¡­ Which one sounds better?¡± Zhang Tianyang understood, ¡°You guys are using the point-to-area method? Starting from one point, dividing the maze into several areas, and then exploring each area one by one. Is that it?¡± Bai Youwei ignored him, she tugged at Shen MO and asked, ¡°Which one sounds better?¡± Zhang Tianyang, Shen MO loosened Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, and responded to Tu Dan, ¡°Our strategies are indeed very different. Besides, seeing how well-prepared you are, I don¡¯t think you would switch to our method. Likewise, it seems unnecessary for us to join you. Since we can¡¯t cooperate, we better move separately.¡± Tu Dan looked disappointed, but she could understand and nodded, ¡°Fine, it seems there¡¯s no other way.¡± It was a pity that she was unable to form a strong alliance, but her main goal of this trip was not to create enemies, so she reluctantly accepted this outcome. Just as she was about to say goodbye, Zhang Tianyang could not stay silent and said, ¡°Mr. Shen! Your method is too time-consuming, why don¡¯t you join us?¡± ¡°Tianyang.¡± Tu Dan frowned and called out to him. Zhang Tianyang insisted, ¡°Isn¡¯t it faster to find the exit if we work together? Teacher Tu, you also persuade them!¡± ¡°Haha¡­ this is killing me,¡± Bai Youwei again clung to Shen Mo¡¯s arm,¡± Don¡¯t pay them any heed. Their method has a major flaw.. Let them fumble around!¡± Chapter 90 - 90: 90: Brocade Bag Prop Chapter 90 - 90: 90: Brocade Bag PropTranslator: 549690339 ¡ªBug, refers to some undiscovered flaws or loopholes. Upon hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s words, Zhang Tianyang was taken aback, even a little disbelieving. ¡°Our movement has a bug?! What bug?¡± This was the strategy he and his classmates had discussed together. They had the advantage of numbers, and using a continuous approach would maximize their manpower and allow them to find the correct path as quickly as possible. And Bai Youwei was saying their method had a bug?! Bai Youwei glanced at him indifferently, her tone cold, ¡°Interesting. Why should I tell you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zhang Tianyang was speechless. ¡°Unless you can give a reason for entering the maze, I might consider helping.¡± Bai Youwei raised a corner of her mouth, a cunning smile on her face, ¡°So, shall we exchange information?¡± ¡°I see.¡± Tan Xiao snapped to attention, looking puzzled towards Tu Dan, ¡°You¡¯re a female teacher. Unlike us, you don¡¯t have the abilities or experience. You don¡¯t know anything, so why did you bring students into this and stir up trouble?¡± Being frank can be a double-edged sword. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tu Dan went crimson, a look of embarrassment on her face. Bai Youwei, on the other hand, didn¡¯t hold back her laughter. Tu Dan is usually careful. Of course, she didn¡¯t come here to make trouble, but it¡¯s hard to deal with someone like Tan Xiao, who has his own unique logic. It¡¯s really unspeakable, there¡¯s no way to explain. Shen Mo quietly squeezed Bai Youwei¡¯s palm, signalling her to control her laughter. Whether she didn¡¯t understand or deliberately misinterpreted his intentions, she responded with a beaming smile and squeezed his palm back, giggling, even scratching in a playful manner. Shen Mo: ¡® He did not want to engage in such childish behavior. Shen MO withdrew his hand, looking indifferent, ¡°The reason Ms. Tu is unwilling to speak up could well be related to the final reward of the maze game, right? The reward of an independent instance must be quite tempting. It¡¯s only human, we understand.¡± He lowered his eyelids, continuing without emotion, ¡°Since we are all in the maze, we¡¯ll rely on our own skills from now on.¡± All along, Tu Dan¡¯s attitude has been less than candid, including her current attempt at cooperation, which was a mix of truth and testing, without showing any sincerity. So let¡¯s each rely on our own skills¡ªdon¡¯t actively harm others, but don¡¯t actively help either. This was the most goodwill Shen MO could offer. Tu Dan¡¯s face reddened further in embarrassment, ¡°Mr. Shen, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, it¡¯s not that Ms. Tu doesn¡¯t want to tell you.¡± Zhang Tianyang interrupted Tu Dan, explaining, ¡°It¡¯s because it involves my tool, Ms. Tu was afraid that I would mind, so she didn¡¯t fully explain to you. It¡¯s actually this thing¡­¡± He took a piece of paper from his pocket and calmly handed it to Shen Mo. There were only two sentences on the paper: ¡°Collect all the pieces of the puzzle to clear all games.¡± ¡°Location of the puzzle: The misty place.¡± Zhang Tianyang said, ¡°In the lucky question game, I had obtained the highest score and received a Brocade Bag as a reward. With the Brocade Bag, I could ask the Inspector any question, and he would have to answer.¡± He paused for two seconds, seeming a bit embarrassed, then continued, ¡°I used the item on the spot. The question I asked was¡­ ahem, how to make the puppet game disappear and restore peace to everyone¡¯s lives.¡± Wow, that¡¯s quite ambitious. Bai Youwei craned her neck to take a look, asking him, ¡°You can¡¯t determine that the maze is within the mist just based on this.¡± They had brought so many ropes and flags when they entered, so it was obvious they were well-prepared, unless the Inspector had revealed other information to them. Zhang Tianyang did not immediately respond this time, but instead looked at Tu Dan first. Tu Dan frowned and nodded at him. Only then did Zhang Tianyang continue, ¡°I suppose Ms. Tu has already told you about my injury, which was caused by another player. Actually, after leaving the game at that time, they wanted to continue attacking us, but luckily some people happened to pass by and saved us. We learned about the maze from those people.¡± Bai Youwei curiously asked, ¡°What kind of people were they?¡± Chapter 91 - 91: 91: There’s a Puzzle in the Maze Chapter 91 - 91: 91: There¡¯s a Puzzle in the MazeTranslator: 549690339 There were five people who saved the students, three men and two women. After they rescued Tu Dan and her group, they asked her whether there was fog in Hangzhou City. At that time, Tu Dan had just escaped from Hangzhou with her students and encountered the game; she was in a state of shock. She didn¡¯t understand why these people were courting death, but still guided them. Meanwhile, she heard a fat man saying, ¡°Hurry up, don¡¯t let others beat us to it!¡± Another woman casually replied, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Everyone in the maze is probably dead. Who will compete with us¡­¡± In the time it took for these exchanges, their vehicle had already driven off. Tu Dan didn¡¯t take it to heart. She was focusing on how to seek refuge in Yangzhou, but never expected that there was a dense fog in Yangzhou, too, and the rescue ship hadn¡¯t arrived. Later, Tu Dan and the students gradually calmed down. They found a place to settle down, then re-analyzed the message in the Brocade Bag, combing it with the last two comments from the group, and concluded: One, there¡¯s a maze in the fog; Two, there¡¯s a puzzle within the maze. The quantity of the puzzle should be limited, otherwise the fat man wouldn¡¯t use the word ¡°snatch¡±. The note in the Brocade Bag mentioned, ¡°Completing the puzzle will clear all the games¡±, which proves the puzzle is extremely valuable. That is why Tu Dan hesitated and didn¡¯t clearly explain everything to Shen Mo. She wanted to fight for more chances for herself and the students. Now, Zhang Tianyang made everything clear, stared at Bai Youwei, and asked, ¡°Now can you tell me? What¡¯s the problem with our approach?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°There¡¯s no problem.¡± Zhang Tianyang¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You!¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush. There¡¯s a ¡®but¡¯.¡± Bai Youwei smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no problem with the approach, but the error tolerance is almost zero. That is to say, once a mistake is found along the way, you must start over.¡± ¡°So, you are quite sure that we will make a mistake?¡± Zhang Tianyang asked, unconvinced. ¡°Because you are human.¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, expressing a matter-of-fact manner. ¡°As long as you¡¯re human, you¡¯ll certainly make mistakes. You can¡¯t guarantee that your classmates are as smart and careful as you, or that they won¡¯t go in the wrong direction in the corridor. Just think, when you progress 80% through the maze using your advancement method, and then find that the latest corridor is a dead end, and the correct corridor has been missed without your realizing it, if you go back to check, how are you going to do it? Don¡¯t you have to start from the beginning?¡± Zhang Tianyang¡¯s face turned from white to a forbidding shade of green. Bai Youwei spread her hands, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, that¡¯s alright. After all, if I were you, I would now go and check if there is any problem with the progress just made.¡± Zhang Tianyang was silent for a moment with his lips tightly pressed, then suddenly turned and walked towards the maze passage. ¡°Tianyang!¡± Tu Dan quickly reached out to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless, it¡¯s getting late! ¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Teacher Tu, I¡¯m just going to take a quick look, I won¡¯t go too deep.¡± Zhang Tianyang forced a smile and replied, ¡°Besides, there are lights everywhere here; there¡¯s enough light.¡± He insisted on going. Tu Dan had to look after the other students and couldn¡¯t accompany him, so she yelled to the group of students, ¡°Yang Yi, go with Zhang Tianyang.¡± A tall boy stood up and went with Zhang Tianyang. The other students were left with mixed expressions, clustered in front of their tents, discussing quietly: ¡°Is our approach really not working?¡± ¡°I am not sure¡­ Hey, did you plant the flags correctly when you were doing it?¡± ¡°I think I did, how about you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± After a short while, Zhang Tianyang and Yang Yi returned. Both boys had their heads down and shoulders drooped, looking somewhat disheartened. Chen Hui brought over two bottles of water and asked, ¡°How did it go? Did you find anything?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Yang Yi took a sip of water, his gaze shifted to Zhang Tianyang beside him, ¡°There was a flag misplaced..¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 92 - 92: 92: The Argument Begins Chapter 92 - 92: 92: The Argument BeginsTranslator: 549690339 As soon as the words were spoken, there was a slight uproar among the students. ¡°Were we really wrong?! ¡± ¡°What should we do now?¡­ Did we work in vain today?¡± ¡°How could this happen! Who planted the flag wrongly?!¡± ¡°Lin Zihang, was it you? You said earlier that you were not sure about one place!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?! Didn¡¯t you say that you were also unsure?!¡± The students started arguing. Zhang Tianyang walked to his tent with a stern face, entered without saying a word and ignored everyone else. Tu Dan was also confused, but as a teacher, she had to appease the students¡¯ emotions. ¡°Everyone, stop arguing! If we find a mistake, we correct it. Blaming each other won¡¯t solve anything!¡± Tu Dan spoke in a slightly stern tone, ¡°Now, everyone pack up and get ready to rest!¡± A student raised their hand and asked, ¡°But teacher, our routing is wrong now, shouldn¡¯t we solve this problem first?¡± ¡°What good solution would come out of chattering?¡± Tu Dan said seriously, ¡°There is no problem with the routing itself, it¡¯s everyone¡¯s carelessness that led to this situation. Just be more careful tomorrow and now go to sleep. No more disputes over this matter!¡± They were all fifteen or sixteen-year-old children. They would quiet down as quickly as they would start a ruckus. Bai Youwei watched the commotion from afar. Seeing them quiet down, she lost interest and lightly curled her lips. Understandably, the teacher was worried, so he asked Shen MO, ¡°Should we guide them?¡± Shen MO shook his head, ¡°There are too many of them.¡± Not only were there a large number of them, but they were all adolescent boys and girls. People of this age, lying between children and adults, are individualistic, energetic and yet childish. They are hard to control. The teacher sighed in sympathy for Tu Dan, ¡°Tu Dan shouldn¡¯t have brought all the students here. What if something happens¡­how could she get away with it, ah¡­¡¯ ¡°Actually¡­¡± Tan Xiao interrupted, ¡°It seems that only half of the students got the frog gadgets. They were afraid of missing out on the maze bonus gadgets, so they all came in.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him with curiosity, ¡°How do you know?¡± Tan Xiao replied, ¡°I overheard some students talking when I went over there to use the bathroom. Tu Dan originally divided them into two groups. The first group successfully got the mud, but before the second group could go in, the game disappeared, saying it was to prevent brushing.¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Pfft!¡± Bai Youwei laughed, gloating over their misfortune, ¡°No wonder their expressions were so complicated when they came in, this is not fear of scarcity but inequality, haha!¡± ¡°These students are rather clever, I suspect Tu Dan won¡¯t be able to control them for long.¡± Shen MO remarked. Tu Dan inherently was not a dominating person. Perhaps when the apocalypse just began, the students sought the help of their teacher out of fear and instinct. But once they got deeply involved in this world, accepted the rules and understanding of the game, they would definitely stop obeying the teacher¡¯s orders. This wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing, and even a necessary part of growth, but of course, there would be pros and cons involved in the process. Shen MO, who wasn¡¯t concerned with other people¡¯s affairs, brought Bai Youwei into the tent he had set up, retrieved the rabbit she had been charging all afternoon and handed it to her. ¡°Is it fully charged?¡± he asked. Bai Youwei felt around the rabbit and shook her head. Shen Mo: ¡°How much do you think it¡¯s charged?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say¡­¡± After a moment, Bai Youwei lazily replied, ¡°In any case, there isn¡¯t much power.¡± Shen MO replied, ¡°Continue charging it tomorrow.¡± Bai Youwei only responded with a nod. After a while, she glanced at him, seeming a bit upset, ¡°It seems like you care a lot about this gadget.. What, you think that once I have a gadget in my hand, you won¡¯t need to worry about me anymore?¡± Chapter 93 - 93: 93: You Should Not Ignore Me Chapter 93 - 93: 93: You Should Not Ignore MeTranslator: 549690339 Here we go again. ¡® Shen MO closed his eyes weakly. Opened them again¡­ ¡°What do you think?¡± he looked at her indifferently, his voice devoid of any emotion. ¡°Do you think a fully charged bunny can make you so strong that you don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes rolled, and she replied, ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. After all, I¡¯m quite formidable myself.¡¯ Shen MO got up, ¡°Fine, from now on, I won¡¯t look after you.¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. ¡°I can do without your help, but you can¡¯t abandon me!¡± Shen Mo: ¡® What does that even mean? Is this a tongue twister? It could be a bit more awkward. ¡°Let go.¡± said Shen Mo. Bai Youwei: ¡°No!¡± Shen MO took a deep breath and said calmly, ¡°Weren¡¯t you asking me to look after you? Now, I want you to let go.¡± Bai Youwei: After a couple of seconds, she relented. She let go of his hand, her voice full of resentment. ¡°So, where are you going then?¡± Seeing her yield was a novelty to Shen MO, so he said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to the tent to sleep. I will watch over the second half of the night, so I plan to sleep early. ¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re not sharing a tent with me?!¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t understand what was so surprising about this. They had been sharing a room solely due to circumstances. Now that they had everything they needed in the maze, why did they need to cram into one tent? ¡°If I¡¯m in the tent alone and something happens, what would I do? What about when I have to go to the toilet at night?!¡± Bai Youwei stared at him intently. ¡°Do you want me to scream your name in the dead of the night and let the entire world know I need to go to the toilet?!¡± Having said all this, she suddenly deflated, saying dejectedly, ¡°Forget it, just go.¡± Shen MO was rendered speechless. The tent was dark. She was hugging a stuffed bunny, her head hung low in silence. Her entire demeanor portrayed a sense of fatigue and gloom. For a moment, he had a torrent of words at the tip of his tongue. He pursed his lips and left the tent. Outside, it was bustling and lively. Though it was night, the place was far from lonely due to the electricity. Some people sat in front of their tents chatting; others fetched water together. Some even played music to ease the tense atmosphere. Everything was abuzz. For some odd reason, Shen MO grabbed his backpack and blanket from his tent. As he turned, Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai were both looking at him. Suddenly, he felt an inexplicable toothache. He stayed silent for a while and then explained insipidly, ¡°She is afraid of being alone.¡± The two in front of him showed understanding. ¡°You really should be with her.¡± Chang Weicai said understandingly. ¡°Even though she¡¯s usually strong, she¡¯s still just a girl. It¡¯s too much asking her to stay in this place alone. Poor Weiwei.¡± Shen MO nodded, picked up his belongings and went over. Watching Shen Mo¡¯s retreating figure, Professor Chang turned to Tan Xiao and asked, ¡°Xiaotan, are you close to Xiaoshen?¡± ¡°We met him at the same time.¡± Tan Xiao looked puzzled. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± replied Professor Chang. ¡°I just find it odd. They are siblings, right? But why does one bear the surname of Shen and the other Bai? They never seemed to avoid any suspicion even if they were cousins¡­ ¡® ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Tan Xiao casually replied. ¡°One took the father¡¯s last name, and the other the mother¡¯s!¡± Professor Chang had a sudden realization, ¡°I see, it¡¯s my narrow-mindedness. I forgot that a surname can also be matrilineal. You young folks really think fast. Tan Xiao displayed his teeth in a grin, ¡°Just so-so-. Chapter 94 - 94: 94: Quite Fragrant Chapter 94 - 94: 94: Quite FragrantTranslator: 549690339 The tent was dim and muted, with light seeping through the gaps, diffusing everything indistinctly. Faces of the occupants were barely discernible to each other. ¡°Close your eyes,¡± Shen MO said. Bai Youwei closed them for a moment, only to open them again, ¡°How would you know if I closed my eyes if yours were open?¡± Shen MO was no stranger to her antics. Looking down at her, he asked faintly, ¡°Not sleepy?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± She shuffled a bit closer to him, ¡°I just wanted to see what ¡®I¡¯ look like in your eyes.¡± His breath hitched involuntarily. In the silent dimness, her breath wafted around him, light and sweet, with a subtle coolness, like minty honey and a faint scent of flowers, possibly from the shampoo in her hair. Unaware of their closeness, she looked straight into his eyes, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible: ¡°Eyes are like mirrors, right¡­¡± Shen MO gazed quietly at her. After a moment, he asked, ¡°Can you see clearly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dark, I can¡¯t see clearly.¡± She shook her head slightly. Strands of her hair brushing against his arm tickled him, and he moved away subconsciously. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei reached out and grabbed his retreating arm, ¡°You look at mine as well. ¡± She opened her eyes wide and tilted her face up for him to look. She has a pair of beautiful doe-like eyes that often give people the misperception of her being innocent and weak, but when she smiles, the corners of her eyes curling slightly upwards radiate an entrancing aloofness, making her resemble a proud kitten. ¡°Did you see it?¡± she asked him, ¡°A person or a puppet?¡± Shen MO went silent for a while, replied, ¡°I can¡¯t see clearly.¡± Without emotion, he pulled her hand away from his arm, ¡°Go to sleep.¡± This time she didn¡¯t lean in again, but lazily yawned and mumbled, ¡°Shen MO, remember to look at yourself in the mirror tomorrow, you have to look¡­¡± With that, she turned her back towards him, her breath gradually slow and steady. Seemed like she fell asleep¡­ For some reason, Shen MO let out a sigh of relief. The night was long and he wasn¡¯t the only one who couldn¡¯t sleep. From the neighbouring tent came the rhythmic sounds of someone playing a mobile game. It was Tan Xiao entertaining himself, level after level, it was quite lively. Later, the noises around decreased, and even the sound of the game had disappeared completely. The maze was steeped in silence. Gauging that the time was about right, Shen MO got up quietly and stepped out of the tent. He pulled a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket, lit one for himself, and exhaled slowly. The wispy pallor of the smoke fluttered before his eyes. Without that faint minty sweetness, his head seemed to clear up a lot more. Sometimes he felt she understood everything, other times he felt she was just teasing him. He wondered since when an errand of picking someone up had become so troublesome. On a second thought, had he not picked her up, where would he be at this moment? Probably it would have been quite boring¡­ Shen MO gave a silent laugh, breathed out lightly, and softly blew away the smoke before him. Night watch was dull and tedious. He sat in front of the tent, quietly surveying his surroundings. From some tent, a girl¡¯s murmuring voice could be heard: ¡°The mirrors here are so scary. If we had known, we shouldn¡¯t have entered¡­¡± Another girl¡¯s voice sounded cold: ¡°You were worried that you wouldn¡¯t get enough props, so you insisted on coming in, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Chen Hui, why are you talking like that¡­¡± the girl sounded hurt, ¡°Everyone else was coming in, I didn¡¯t want to be left outside alone.¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, stop overthinking. Sleep.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t sleep. Talk to me for a bit¡­¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­did you notice? That lame guy actually took a shower. He even came back with his hair still wet.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with someone taking a shower? Just go to sleep, it¡¯s almost three.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Many paralyzed disabled people can¡¯t feel the lower part of their bodies and have bladder and bowel incontinence. This means they always have a strange smell and need to bathe regularly¡­¡± In Shen Mo¡¯s mind a thought emerged: No, she smells quite nice.. Chapter 95 - 95: 95 Too Deeply Involved in the Drama Chapter 95 - 95: 95 Too Deeply Involved in the DramaTranslator: 549690339 ¡°¡­Chen Hui? Can you hear me speaking?¡± ¡°I hear you.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you responding?¡± ¡°Liao JingJing, can you just be quiet for a moment? You¡¯ve been complaining since we entered the maze, now you¡¯re discussing others¡¯ rights and wrongs, don¡¯t you find yourself incredibly boring? ¡°Chen Hui, what did I do to upset you? You sound so harsh today¡­¡± ¡°I sound harsh?¡± Chen Hui laughed in frustration, she was just down on her luck to be sharing a tent with Liao JingJing. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± Liao JingJing said, ¡°I didn¡¯t provoke you, why are you picking on me for defending a stranger? Disabled people naturally have issues with incontinence, and they¡¯re filthy. I didn¡¯t say anything wrong¡­¡± Chen Hui rolled over, not wanting to listen to her nonsense. Liao JingJing paused for two seconds before suddenly saying: ¡°Ah¡­Chen Hui, you¡¯ve been defending that cripple. You can¡¯t be falling for her brother, can you?¡± Chen Hui: S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The phrase ¡®holy shit¡¯ doesn¡¯t even come close describing how she felt at this moment. Liao JingJing: ¡°Her brother is pretty handsome, and unlike the boys in our class, he has a certain rugged manliness. Right? ¡­Hey, where are you going?!¡± Chen Hui picked up her things and stormed out of the tent without looking back: ¡°I¡¯m going to squeeze in with Teacher Tu!¡± ¡°What do you mean by that¡­¡± The young girl grumbled in the tent, feeling that Chen Hui was being too heartless. As soon as Chen Hui took a couple of steps, she saw Shen MO nearby. She felt her face burn with embarrassment as she thought about Liao JingJing¡¯s words likely being overheard. She covered her face and dashed into Tu Dan¡¯s tent- Shen MO casually averted his gaze. He wasn¡¯t one to bicker with a young girl, but thinking about Liao JingJing¡¯s words left a bitter taste in his mouth, indeed leaving him displeased. Luckily she was asleep. He glanced at the tent. One look was enough to be a slap in the face. Because Bai Youwei had come out from the tent. ¡°What are you looking at me for?¡± Bai Youwei leaned on her arm, half lying down at the entrance to the tent, ¡°Come over here and hold me.¡± Shen MO paused, then stood up to carry her, not asking whether she overheard anything. He naturally lifted her onto the wheelchair next to them. However, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t let it go easily, she asked: ¡°What were you just staring at me for?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Your hair was messy, I thought Sadako was coming out.¡± Bai Youwei: Shen MO looked at her, ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, Sadako is quite beautiful.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Thanks for that.¡¯ Shen Mo: ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Bai Youwei even more upset, questioned him: ¡°Are you in a particularly good mood?¡± ¡°Are you not in a good one?¡± Shen MO looked at her. Huh, how could she be in a good mood after getting slandered? Bai Youwei¡¯s cold voice said: ¡°There¡¯s no telling when this maze will end, it¡¯s incredibly irritating. ¡± Shen MO handed her a bottle of water, saying: ¡°We¡¯ll make it out.¡± The water was a sports drink, lime flavoured. Although the path ahead was unknown and full of danger, at least they didn¡¯t have to worry about food and drink here. Staying a few more days wouldn¡¯t cause any burden. Bai Youwei held the bottle of water, her eyes gloomy, lost in thought. Just as Shen MO was about to tell her to go back to sleep, she suddenly pointed with an anxious look: ¡°Brother, look over there¡­.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He looked around and saw nothing. ¡°Over there¡­the fountain, something¡­something is crawling out of the water¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice trembled slightly, as though she had seen something terrifying, about to break into tears. Shen MO looked towards the fountain, but there was still nothing. Just as he opened his mouth to ask, Bai Youwei hushed him: ¡°Shh¡­ Don¡¯t talk, don¡¯t let it notice us¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He gave her a warning look: stop making things up. But Bai Youwei was too lost in her act: ¡°It looked like a puppet¡­lt was crawling out, soaking wet, where is it going? ..What do we do? It¡¯s crawling towards the red tent. Should we inform everyone?¡­No, better not. What if it notices us? God, its mouth and eyes were spurting water, so scary¡­ It¡¯s getting closer¡­ah, it¡¯s going to crawl in¡­.¡± Chapter 96 - 96: 96 General Happiness Chapter 96 - 96: 96 General HappinessTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei clung to her drink bottle: ¡°Waaaah, bro, I¡¯m scared¡­..¡± She squeezed the bottle hard! Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A clear stream of water shot out with a hiss and splashed all over the red tent! At the same time, a girl¡¯s scream echoed throughout the camp: ¡°AAAAAH!!! Don¡¯t come in! Don¡¯t come in, ahhhh!!! ¡°Who¡¯s screaming, who¡¯s screaming?! What happened?!¡± Tan Xiao clambered out of his tent. The commotion also woke up all the students on Tu Dan¡¯s side. Bai Youwei quickly shoved the drink bottle back into Shen Mo¡¯s hand. Shen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei calmly patted her own legs, ¡°If she hits me, I can¡¯t run away. You will surely run faster than her.¡± Shen MO was quiet for a moment, then finally said, ¡°You could also choose not to provoke her.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°The night is long, we have to find something to do.¡± Shen MO became increasingly speechless. Elsewhere, Trailing off in the distance, the scared girl gradually calmed down under the comfort of her teacher and classmates. Tu Dan led a group of people over and asked Shen Mo: ¡°Mr. Shen, what happened just now? My student said that you guys saw a mannequin crawling out of the fountain and heading for her tent.¡± Shen MO, who was holding the drink bottle, was at a loss for words. After a while, he said, ¡°We didn¡¯t see anything.¡± Tu Dan was taken aback. Tears streamed down Liao JingJing¡¯s face as she exclaimed, ¡°You clearly saw it! Just now your sister told you¡­¡± Her voice suddenly stopped when she saw the nonchalant expression on Bai Youwei¡¯s face. She also noticed the half-filled water bottle in Shen Mo¡¯s hand and suddenly shook with anger ..Right! You did it on purpose! You are bullying me, making up lies to scare me!!!¡± ¡°Who scared you?¡± Bai Youwei asked impatiently with a frown. ¡°My brother and I were just messing around. We didn¡¯t know you were awake.¡± ¡°Then why did you splash water on my tent!¡± Liao JingJing was furious. ¡°Do you have evidence?¡± Bai Youwei coldly asked. ¡°How are you so sure the water on your tent came from us? Did you taste it?¡± Liao JingJing was insulted by this response, getting so angry that she was almost choked. Her face turned beet red! Bai Youwei glanced down and chuckled at Shen MO, ¡°Bro, I think she wet her pants.¡± Shen MO gently responded, ¡°That¡¯s enough, stop talking.¡± ¡°Oh, I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± Bai Youwei nodded solemnly, ¡°After all, I learned a new phrase today ¡ª urinary incontinence, right?¡± Liao JingJing could not hold back her tears anymore. She burst into tears, turned around, and ran back to her tent. The students looked at each other blankly. Zhang Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but stand up and say to Shen MO and Bai Youwei, ¡°You guys have gone too far.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Wow, I kindly told you that you took a wrong path, and you are still angry at me?¡± Zhang Tianyang: Chen Hui, standing next to him, rolled her eyes. ¡°Idiot.¡± Chen Hui pulled Tu Dan back to their tent. Zhang Tianyang was stunned. He was just helping his dorm mate fight injustice, and yet he was being scolded for it? Bai Youwei reached out to grab Shen Mo¡¯s hand again, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t today¡¯s students know how to respect their elders and care for the young, the sick, and the handicapped? I worry about our country¡¯s future.¡± Shen MO quietly looked at her, his gaze questioning: Are you really that happy just being annoying? Bai Youwei looked back at him: Mmm, I¡¯m just averagely happy. Of course, she could try something even more fun, depending on whether he¡¯d allow it. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sleepy.¡± She stated, holding his hand. Shen MO sighed silently, and without any change in his facial expression, he picked her up and returned to their tent. From a distance, Tu Dan heard about the whole story from Chen Hui. She was so angry that she couldn¡¯t utter a word. Restraining her anger, she shouted outside: ¡°Everyone, go back to your tents and rest! Zhang Tianyang, you too! Don¡¯t cause a scene!¡± Zhang Tianyang: ¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± The students gradually dispersed. Tan Xiao, who had been straining his neck for a while to observe the scene, found that nothing was happening, lost interest, and returned to his own tent. Unbeknownst to them, numerous shadowy figures had gathered in the surrounding mirrors. After a brief pause, they too slowly dispersed¡­. Chapter 97 - 97: 97: Morning Chapter 97 - 97: 97: MorningTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Second day in the labyrinth¡ª In the morning, everyone packed their things and set off to explore the labyrinth. As usual, Bai Youwei carried her pen and paper, counting steps as they walked. Tu Dan¡¯s group still used the push-forward method, but they had made some improvements to it. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know or care about the specifics. The two groups split in opposite directions and quickly delved into the depths of the labyrinth. Bai Youwei and Shen MO kept their gear light. As their strategy led them back to the starting point no matter how far they ventured, they didn¡¯t need to carry much luggage. Zhang Tianyang deemed this as the most time-consuming method. Tu Dan¡¯s group was loaded with bundles big and small, carrying everything from tents to stoves. The nature of their push-forward method necessitated staying in one place with the flag, so they couldn¡¯t afford to retrace their steps. Along the way, Tan Xiao asked, ¡°They are more in number. Will they find the exit before us?¡± ¡°If they find it first, so be it.¡± Bai Youwei responded indifferently. ¡°It would save us some trouble.¡± After thinking for a moment, Tan Xiao felt that Bai Youwei had a point! Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So, they continued their journey in a more relaxed state of mind. Bai Youwei then asked them, ¡°Did you all look into the mirror as I told you to yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes, we did.¡± Tan Xiao replied while walking, ¡°Didn¡¯t notice anything unusual, just a doll that looks just like me.¡± Bai Youwei turned to Chang Weicai: ¡°What about you, Professor Chang?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Professor Chang reminisced for a moment, then slowly stated, ¡°it was a bit odd, my doll¡­ it seemed quite aged¡­¡± Everyone looked at him. Professor Chang: ¡°Why are you all looking at me? I meant that it appeared older than my current age, like maybe¡­ maybe eighty or ninety years old.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Tan Xiao asked, curious, ¡°The dolls reflected in the mirror can differ from us, then?¡± Conveniently, there was a mirror in front of them. Bai Youwei said: ¡°Go on, reflect in it. Just don¡¯t stand too close.¡± Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai stopped about ten steps from the mirror. The mirror revealed two dolls: Tan Xiao¡¯s doll looked just like him, but Professor Chang¡¯s appeared two to three decades older! His face was marked with wrinkles and age spots, his hair was completely white, his sparse teeth were nearly all missing, and even his height seemed to have shrunk. He appeared hunched over, half a head shorter than the current Professor Chang. Professor Chang couldn¡¯t bear to look at it for long, and he shifted his gaze with a sigh. Tan Xiao was in extreme shock, scrutinizing it from all sides. ¡°What¡¯s the principle behind this? Is it a distorting mirror or something spooky? ¡­How can it make people look so old? Why haven¡¯t I changed? Why? Why? He rambled on without end. Bai Youwei turned to Shen MO, who was pushing the wheelchair behind her, ¡°Do you want to give it a try?¡± Shen MO was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°I¡¯m the same as Tan Xiao. There¡¯s no change.¡± Despite his words, he walked up to the mirror¡ª The mirror revealed his doll. It must be said, he was greatly favored by nature. His good looks reflected in his exquisite doll. Standing there, tall and long-legged, the figure looked like a model in a display window, invoking admiration and yearning, while also seeming distant and unreachable. Shen MO claimed no change, but Bai Youwei sensed otherwise. Yet, the change was subtle, concealed in intricate details ¨C the curve of his mouth, the wrinkles between his eyebrows, and the indifference in his eyes. Shen MO always came off as indifferent. This indifference was embodied in his perennially emotionless face. It was not that he was devoid of emotions; he was just better at controlling himself, more rational, and calmer than ordinary people. His smile was faint, and he would suppress even intense anger. But his doll gave off an icy air of apathy. As if devoid of a heart, indifferent to everything around. Chapter 98 - 98: 98 Lunchtime Chapter 98 - 98: 98 LunchtimeTranslator: 549690339 In the noon, with the temperature rising and the shadows thrown by the walls on either side becoming short and narrow, there were no shaded spots, so the four people decided to halt their exploration temporarily. They took a break in a fruit shop. The ¡°wall¡± was made up of numerous shops and mixed concrete. The fruit shop had watermelons, and the ice shaver next door had ice cream. That store was decorated with numerous mirrors. Tan Xiao quickly grabbed a few ice cream bars and ran, not daring to stay any longer. Bai Youwei, sitting in the cool air conditioning while enjoying her watermelon, once again marveled inwardly at how electricity was such a great invention. Tan Xiao spotted a sporting goods store sitting above the fruit shop and, on a whim, decided to climb up to take a look. Fearing he would fall, their teacher held a watermelon slice and nervously watched him from below. The surroundings were peaceful; the only sound that could be heard was the gentle hum of the air conditioner. Bai Youwei paused from eating watermelon after a few bites, her eyes slightly squinting in the afternoon tranquility, giving her a drowsy feeling. The dozen or so watermelon pieces in front of her all had been nibbled at once, with each triangular piece missing the top corner. Shen MO was speechless. While she was free to eat any watermelon in the entire shop, such wasteful behaviour was not something most people would do. He was about to admonish her, but upon seeing her squinting her eyes dozing off, decided to let it go. Bai Youwei¡¯s nap didn¡¯t last long. Tan Xiao threw down a baseball bat from upstairs, startling her awake with a thud. Shen MO saw her eyes widen in fear in that instant as if she were a startled cat. Even her pupils shone brightly. He thought she was about to have a fit, but she just blanked out for two seconds before returning to normal. She didn¡¯t seem grumpy at all. Tan Xiao continued to throw down multiple items, and despite being in a wheelchair, her excitement was undeterred: ¡°Is there more? Is there more?¡± Tan Xiao shouted from above, ¡°Do you want roller skates?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Throw it down, throw it down!¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He asked, ¡°What do you want roller skates for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want them for anything,¡± Bai Youwei looked up with bright eyes, ¡°I just find it fun watching him throw stuff.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao loved sports, so he ransacked the sports goods store and tossed down a heap of sporting goods. He and their teacher then started sorting and selecting his way through the pile of goods. Shen MO, standing not too far away, chatted with Bai Youwei, ¡°Why is it that Tan Xiao hasn¡¯t changed?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s just too straightforward, I guess,¡± Bai Youwei replied with a faint smile, ¡°He has no hidden side, no secret thoughts. His positives and negatives are all out in the open, so the mirror probably wouldn¡¯t affect him.¡± Shen MO looked thoughtful, ¡°So what¡¯s in the mirror is our shadow side?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t exactly call it the shadow side¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment before rephrasing, ¡°It¡¯s more of a negative representation, the things in our subconscious that we dislike or avoid, the things we don¡¯t want to accept. Our teacher seems very open-minded, but he is actually afraid of getting weaker and growing old. You, on the other hand, appear righteous and selfless, like a hero¡­¡± She paused, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Shen MO, ¡°But in reality, you don¡¯t really care about the world at all. You save and help people simply because it¡¯s your job or due to the influence of your upbringing. Your heart is colder than anyone else¡¯s.¡± Shen MO stared at her, his gaze intense. His pupils were pitch black, like an endless abyss where all his emotions were hidden deep within. After a long pause, he finally asked, ¡°And what about you?¡± ¡°1VTe?¡­ Bai Youwei recalled the crying face and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I am a coward..¡± Chapter 99 - 99: 99: Evening Chapter 99 - 99: 99: EveningTranslator: 549690339 In the evening, Shen MO and others returned to the center of the maze, and saw Tu Dan and her students again. Everyone was surprised. Normally, Tu Dan and the others should be staying where they set their flags, rather than returning to the starting point. There was a heated argument taking place even from afar, Tu Dan was speaking anxiously, her forehead covered in sweat, but her students¡¯ voices only got louder and louder. Just like Shen MO had predicted: Tu Dan was losing control over her students. They hastened their pace and the voices over there became clearer. ¡°Enough! I will never agree to this! It¡¯s only the second day, we have plenty of time to explore the remaining passages. There is absolutely no need to take such risks! None of you are allowed to go! Got it?!¡± Tu Dan summoned all her authority, emphasizing sternly to the group of students: ¡°Nobody can go, and nobody is allowed to go near there!¡± ¡°But why, teacher? The exit is right in front of us! If we go in, we will get the reward right away!¡± ¡°Yeah, teacher, even considering the danger, you can¡¯t possibly stop us from even trying, right?¡± ¡°If we found the exit but are not allowed to go in, then what¡¯s the point of exploring the passages?¡± The students clamored and their words were filled with defiance. Tu Dan¡¯s chest heaved violently, and her face became increasingly pale. ¡ª Whether it was the chance to escape or the rewards of the maze, the temptation was too great for these students. Upon their return, Shen MO and Bai Youwei exchanged surprised looks. ¡­Exit? They¡¯ve found the exit so soon? ¡°Liao JingJing, cut it out! Stop stirring up trouble here!¡± Chen Hui, standing by Tu Dan¡¯s side, said indignantly, ¡°The exit won¡¯t run away, Tu Dan is just asking you to wait for safety¡¯s sake, what¡¯s the rush?!¡± ¡°How am I stirring up trouble? I am just thinking about everyone¡¯s best interests.¡± Liao JingJing replied aggrievedly, ¡°This place is too dangerous, which is why I hope we can leave as soon as possible. Several students encountered that thing in the mirror today. If we stay any longer, who can guarantee our safety? Tu Dan?¡± Tu Dan¡¯s face turned ashen with anger, yet she couldn¡¯t muster a word of rebuttal. Yes, she couldn¡¯t guarantee it! As a woman, her combat power was even lower than that of these students. Her only advantage was her constant prudence and caution! However, at this point, even this advantage had become something the students found annoying! Without mincing words, Chen Hui lashed out at Liao JingJing: ¡°If Tu Dan can¡¯t guarantee, can you? Can you promise that once the students enter, they will clear the game with no incidents?¡± Liao JingJing bit her lip, her eyes reddening: ¡°What are you implying, Chen Hui? You¡¯ve been targeting me since last night. Now that I¡¯ve found the exit, instead of offering a few words of praise, you continue to trample on me¡­¡± Chen Hui: ¡°The strategy was devised by Zhang Tianyang. The details were decided collectively. You just happened to be in the group that placed the flags. How could you claim to have found the exit? If it were someone else, they wouldn¡¯t have found it? Ah, now I see why you¡¯re so spirited today. You probably found the exit and are taking all the credit for yourself!¡± Chen Hui¡¯s words were harsh, like repeated slaps to the face. Tears welled up in Liao JingJing¡¯s eyes from anger. Seeing Shen MO and his group return, she immediately pointed at Shen MO and shouted: ¡°You¡¯re just doing all this because you don¡¯t want us to leave so he won¡¯t be left alone!¡± Chen Hui: S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She felt as if her head was about to explode, unable to find the words to retort. She just wanted to slap her to death! Chapter 100 - 100: 100 Nightfall Chapter 100 - 100: 100 NightfallTranslator: 549690339 Although high school students are primarily focused on academics, most of them already know what it feels like to be in love, to feel emotions. It¡¯s not uncommon for even younger middle school students to get it, passing love notes and exchanging small gifts. But, if it is brought up publicly, it is truly embarrassing! Seeing that Chen Hui is getting angry, the students quickly separate the two, for fear that they might start fighting. Teacher Tu is thoroughly exhausted. When she sees Shen MO and the others return, she immediately feels a kinship with the grownup group. She approaches them and says: ¡°Mr. Shen, we¡¯ve found the exit!¡± ¡°Hmm, I heard.¡± Shen Mo casts a casual glance at the students. ¡°Where¡¯s the exit?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Teacher Tu leads the way, speaking hurriedly. ¡°The exit looks like a door, but the inside is completely white and visibility is non-existent. We can¡¯t determine if it¡¯s safe. Plus, there are many dolls around the door! I wouldn¡¯t dare let them risk it, but these kids are impatient and have been arguing about it the entire way! ¡± The students behind Teacher Tu Dan listen to her rattle on, casting embarrassed looks at each other. Zhang Tianyang noticed that Chen Hui, who was looking pissed, had fallen behind the group. He thought for a moment, then approached her, asking curiously: ¡°You really like that guy, huh? He seems much older than us.¡± Chen Hui shot him a side glance: ¡°Go like your grandpa!¡± Zhang Tianyang: Chen Hui angrily walked away. Zhang Tianyang, staring at her retreating figure: ¡°Hey! Why are you cursing?¡± The path through the maze twisted and turned, seeming to have no end. Following the markings they had made, the group walked for a long time. It wasn¡¯t until daylight had completely faded and all the lights were on that they finally arrived at the marked exit. It was a straight path that led to a tall, white glowing door at the end. As Teacher Tu Dan had said, the sides of the path were lined with dolls¡ª hundreds, even thousands of them, its pale faces illuminated in the light, lined the walls. Walking amidst them, there was an eerie illusion that the dolls were saluting them. This unsettling feeling made Bai Youwei frown, but she didn¡¯t sound off. ¡°Here we are.¡± Tu Dan tried her best to make Shen MO agree with her, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any dolls outside, but there are so many here! How can I not be worried? We¡¯ve only explored a quarter of the maze so far. The remaining three-quarters are unknown. Are there other exits? No one knows. So, why can¡¯t we explore more of the maze before making a decision?¡± She looked at her students and emphasized once more: ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop any of you from leaving. But, this exit appeared too quickly and too strangely! Look at these dolls! Isn¡¯t it a bit odd?!¡± Nobody spoke. The exit was within their reach, but they had to pay heed to their teacher¡¯s warning. Liao JingJing murmured quietly, ¡°Maybe the maze is using these dolls to deter people from entering the exit.¡± The silence became deeper. Zhang Tianyang, supporting his chin with his hand, pondered, ¡°Hmm, that could be possible¡­¡± Chen Hui: ¡°Hmmph.¡± Zhang Tianyang felt uncomfortable under her snide laugh, as if he had become a traitor. The students imperceptibly divided into two small groups. Some wanted to leave, others wanted to stay. Shen MO didn¡¯t pay much attention to the students¡¯ disputes. He studied the dolls lining the passage and then went to take a look at the door. Inside the door was a vast sea of fog, while outside, there were mirrors on either side. The mirrors were tall and big, covering half of the wall. The remaining area was crammed with dolls. Very strange. Shen MO stood in front of the mirror, but his reflection was not in it. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Shen Mo.¡± He turned around. Bai Youwei, her complexion pale, looked at him, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, let¡¯s go back..¡± Chapter 101 - 101: 101: A Kind of Hint Chapter 101 - 101: 101: A Kind of HintTranslator: 549690339 It was already very late. Only the ghastly white lights, the quiet puppets, and a door leading to an unknown place surrounded them. No one would feel comfortable staying in such a place for long. Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips, her tone resolute, ¡°I don¡¯t feel well, take me back.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s leave.¡± The teacher, concerned about her health, said, ¡°Weiwei has been with us the whole day, it¡¯s time for her to rest in the tent. If you¡¯re worried about missing anything, Xiaotan can record or take pictures.¡± Upon hearing this, Tan Xiao took out his phone from his pocket and started to take pictures of the surroundings. He took a picture of the mirrors on both sides of the door, marvelling with a sense of wonder, ¡°Wow, what a magical mirror! It can¡¯t capture me- it can¡¯t capture me~¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned pale instantly and she shouted, ¡°Stay away from there!¡± Tan Xiao stopped, turned around, and looked at her. The other students looked at Bai Youwei with various expressions. The vague sense of eeriness that hovered around them became more evident because of Bai Youwei¡¯s unusual behavior¡­ Tan Xiao paused for a second, dropped his playful face, quickly took a few more pictures, then retreated behind Shen MO, as if he was afraid of upsetting Bai Youwei. The other students also hastily took a few photos with their phones before running back together. No one wanted to stay there any longer. On their way back, Bai Youwei fell silent. Shen MO asked her, ¡°Is it because of the mirror?¡± At first, she shook her head, then after a while, she nodded. Shen MO whispered, ¡°You said before that the priority is to find the people, not the exit. Those puppets we just saw, they are probably the people we¡¯re looking for. They walked into that door and turned into puppets ¡ª otherwise, I can¡¯t explain why there are so many puppets around the door.¡± Bai Youwei kept her head down thinking, without saying a word. Shen Mo¡¯s voice lowered, sounding like he was murmuring to himself, ¡°If the door isn¡¯t the exit, then where is the actual exit?¡± ¡°And another thing¡­¡± Bai Youwei reminded him, ¡°Where did our reflections in the mirror go.¡± In a game without any rule explanation, every single detail cannot be meaningless. The presence and disappearance of the puppets in the mirror must have a certain reason, it can¡¯t be simply to scare people. Bai Youwei thought they were a hint. Only by deciphering this hint, could they truly complete the game. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But what exactly was the hint? She needed to think more¡­ Think more¡­ Everyone had a restless night that day. The next morning, Bai Youwei woke up early. She opened her eyes and stayed in the tent without moving. Outside the tent, there were sounds of talking, footsteps, and the clings and clangs from pots and pans. The bustling noises slowly woke up her brain. She got up, opened the tent, and saw the teacher outside cooking tomato noodles. In each bowl of noodles, there were two poached eggs. The red soup complemented the soft white eggs; with one poke of the chopsticks, golden yolk flowed out, mixed with the soup, swirled around the noodles, delighting the taste buds. The teacher, regretting the food left uneaten in the maze, cooked lots. If they couldn¡¯t finish it here, he would give the leftovers to Tu Dan¡¯s students. In return, the students frequently offered their own food to the teacher. Each call of ¡°Master Cheng¡± sounded particularly affectionate. Chen Hui saw Bai Youwei sitting alone by the tent flap. After a moment¡¯s thought, she brought over a bowl of noodles and asked, ¡°Want some?¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look at her and replied lazily, ¡°I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth.¡± Following Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze into the distance, Chen Hui realized she was waiting for Shen MO, so she said, ¡± Your brother went to fetch water, he will be back soon.¡± Bai Youwei answered with a soft ¡°Hmm¡±. Chen Hui noted her dismissive demeanor and turned to leave. But after a couple of steps, she bit her lip and came back, saying to Bai Youwei, ¡°About yesterday, don¡¯t get the wrong idea..¡± Chapter 102 - 102: 102: Do You Like Him? Chapter 102 - 102: 102: Do You Like Him?Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze slowly shifted to Chen Hui¡¯s face. ¡°Yesterday?¡± she asked in confusion, ¡°What happened yesterday?¡± Chen Hui¡¯s face turned red, and she blurted out, ¡°Yesterday, Liao JingJing said I like your brother. Don¡¯t believe it, she was just spouting nonsense.¡± Bai Youwei calmly looked at Chen Hui. Feeling somewhat embarrassed under Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, Chen Hui was about to say something when Bai Youwei calmly voiced an ¡°Oh,¡± and then she shifted her gaze away, no longer looking at her. Chen Hui sighed with relief. Soon after, she felt a mix of emotions. She had lost a whole night¡¯s sleep over this matter, only for Bai Youwei to have such a nonchalant reaction. Forget it, forget it. As long as it didn¡¯t cause any misunderstandings, it¡¯s good enough. As she was about to turn and leave, she heard Bai Youwei slowly ask: ¡°Why don¡¯t you like him? Isn¡¯t he good?¡± Chen Hui¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°He¡¯s so much older than me!¡± She was only fifteen, whereas Shen MO seemed to be in his mid-twenties! ¡°Oh, so you like younger ones¡­.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Like Tan Xiao? He just turned 20.¡± ¡°Why do I have to like them?!¡± Chen Hui felt like Bai Youwei was making fun of her and her irritation rose, ¡°At this point, I won¡¯t consider any emotional issues! I just want to focus on my studies, so in the future¡­..¡± She stopped mid-sentence, her expression freezing. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡­focus on my studies, so in the future, I can attend a good university. But now, even her school was gone. Was there any meaning in her dreams? Forget it. She didn¡¯t want to chat with Bai Youwei about this. Dejected, she turned to leave, only for Bai Youwei to stop her again, ¡°Hey, do me a favor.¡± Chen Hui turned back to look at her suspiciously. Bai Youwei raised her chin, signifying her to look the other way, ¡°That student over there, do you know him? Call him over.¡± Chen Hui was confused, ¡°Why should I call him over?¡± Bai Youwei answered, ¡°For food.¡¯ Chen Hui: She looked at Bai Youwei, bewildered, and then called out in the directed way, ¡°Lin Zihang, come here!¡± He wasn¡¯t too far away, but for some reason, the male student sat there blankly among a group of students, as if he had just woken up, showing no reaction. Chen Hui frowned and called out a couple more times, ¡°Lin Zihang!¡­ Lin Zihang! Come here!¡± The students next to him heard her, nudged him and said, ¡°Hey, Lin Zihang, Chen Hui is calling you.¡± Only then did Lin Zihang respond. However, his response was just ever so slight. He slowly lifted his head to search for Chen Hui¡¯s figure in the crowd. Once she waved at him energetically, he finally saw her. He lumbered his way towards her¡­. ¡°Lin Zihang is acting really weird today.¡± Chen Hui was worried, ¡°Isn¡¯t he sick? There¡¯s no doctor here. I hope he isn¡¯t ill.¡± Bai Youwei watched the student get closer and asked in her usual calm manner, ¡°Do you like him?¡± Chen Hui was thoroughly annoyed, frowning at her, ¡°Why do you have to chat like this!¡± ¡°Good if you don¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s expression was still calm, ¡°He looks out of sorts. Just give him your bowl of noodles.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s words made Chen Hui uncomfortable. However, Lin Zihang indeed didn¡¯t seem well. She handed the bowl of noodles to him and said, ¡°Why do you look so down? Here, have some noodles cooked by Mr. Cheng. Hold it by the bottom so it doesn¡¯t burn your hand¡­¡± Before she could finish, she felt Bai Youwei tugged at her clothes. Caught off guard, the bowl of noodles in her hand tipped over, spilling soup and noodles all over Lin Zihang! ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Astonished, Chen Hui saw Lin Zihang¡¯s blue and white uniform stained with large patches of tomato soup. Panicked, she wanted to help wipe it off but saw Lin Zihang standing there unresponsive. Didn¡¯t he feel the hot soup? Chen Hui was aghast. Her gaze instinctively darted to Bai Youwei, only to see Bai Youwei reach out, pick up a crutch nearby, raise it and poke it forward¡­ She didn¡¯t use much force, yet Lin Zihang toppled over! Chapter 103 - 103: 103: It’s Turned Around Chapter 103 - 103: 103: It¡¯s Turned AroundTranslator: 549690339 Thud! The student¡¯s body fell to the ground, unmoving. A profound silence pervaded the area, reducing everyone to mute spectators. With another clatter, Chen Hui¡¯s bowl slipped from her grasp and shattered onto the ground. Staring incredulously at the fallen classmate before her, a chilling sensation crept from her feet, inducing shivers throughout her body. ¡°Lin Zihang¡­¡± She whispered his name. And repeated it. ¡°Lin Zihang¡­¡± He lay there, eyes wide open, his body immobile, even his facial expression frozen. Tears welled up in Chen Hui¡¯s eyes, ¡°Lin Zihang, don¡¯t frighten me¡­ speak to me¡­¡± The other students slowly gathered around. Noticing the activity, Tu Dan rushed over and, finding her student lying on the ground, reached out in instinctive panic to help him up However, the moment she lifted the body halfway, her hands hastily withdrew as if scalded by its touch! His torso lost its support and fell back down. His head knocked visibly against the ground, bouncing a little before coming to rest as if it were filled with some gelatinous substance. At this point, everyone sensed something was dangerously amiss. No one dared to speak. Even if they had an inkling of what might be happening, they could only watch in horror, incapable of doing anything. The oppressive silence persisted until Shen MO returned. He found everyone crowded around a male student lying on the ground. The student¡¯s condition was peculiar. He seemed to be breathing faintly, yet there wasn¡¯t a hint of vitality in him. And then, there was his skin¡­ taking on a plastic-like quality. Shen MO surveyed the scene and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± No one answered. Chen Hui was jolted awake by his voice. She focused her gaze on Bai Youwei inside the tent¡ª And suddenly lunged towards her! Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO reached out to intervene. With Chen Hui¡¯s shoulder blocked, she stumbled, her tear-filled eyes locked on Bai Youwei as she cried out, ¡°Why is this happening?! Why?!!¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Unaccepting of her answer, Chen Hui sobbed in protest, ¡°You do know! You must know! Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have asked me to call him over!¡± ¡°I just noticed that his school uniform was on backwards,¡± Bai Youwei responded. Everyone was taken aback. And then, their attention was drawn back to the collapsed student. The uniform was sportswear¡ª the school emblem was embroidered on the right chest. However, the emblem on Lin Zihang¡¯s uniform was on the left. At first glance, it seemed like a manufacturing mistake. But upon closer inspection, the abbreviated letters on the emblem were also reversed. Reversed¡­ Everything was reversed. His parted hair had switched sides, his wristwatch had moved from his left wrist to his right, even the logo on his sneakers was backward. The entire person, Lin Zihang, had flipped! Emotions are contagious. Fear and sadness swiftly spread among the crowd. They had witnessed classmates gruesomely killed in the game, but this¡­ this transformation of a living, breathing person into a lifeless doll before their very eyes, sent chills down every student¡¯s spine! Shell-shocked, Tu Dan hardly registered when Shen MO spoke. Only when he prompted her again did she snap back to reality, commanding two male students to carry Lin Zihang back into the tent in an anxious voice. Lin Zihang¡¯s body was anomalously light, the two students lifted him with ease. His body was becoming rigid, his body temperature slowly fading. His lifeless eyes stared at the sky as if it might answer the unspoken question: why has this happened? Witnessing a familiar face turning into a doll was nothing short of psychological torture. It left many students wiping away their tears. Bai Youwei calmly surveyed them and asked, ¡°Who did this male student usually hang out with? Did he end up like this last night or did it just happen this morning?¡± Chapter 104 - 104: 104 The Second Exit Chapter 104 - 104: 104 The Second ExitTranslator: 549690339 The students exchanged glances until finally, all eyes landed on a tall young man. ¡°Yang Yi and Lin Zihang bunked together, they shared a tent.¡± Tu Dan asked the young man: ¡°Yang Yi, was anything unusual about Lin Zihang yesterday? Where did you guys go?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± the lanky boy said with red-rimmed eyes, his voice barely more than a croak. ¡°He was okay when we got back last night, we chatted for a bit before sleeping¡­ I woke up before him this morning, called him to get up, he was just staring blankly, I thought he hadn¡¯t slept enough, so I went to wash up first.¡¯ He buried his head, seemingly unable to face the fate of his classmate, choking on his words. ¡°¡­and then, he turned into this.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason for him to turn into this for no reason, think carefully.¡± Bai Youwei questioned, ¨C ¡°Could it be that he went out after you fell asleep?¡± Yang Yi clutched his head, unable to utter a word. At this moment, a gasp from Zhang Tianyang in the crowd. Everyone turned to look at him. Zhang Tianyang said: ¡°Lin Zihang seemed to have gone to the restroom last night. I went to bed late and heard someone leaving the next tent, but I am not sure who it was, looking at it now¡­ if Yang Yi was asleep, then it must have been Lin Zihang.¡± Shen MO picked up on the crucial point, his brows furrowing: ¡°Is there a mirror in the place where you go to the toilet?¡± ¡°Yes, but we had it covered.¡± Zhang Tianyang stood up and said, ¡°I will take you there.¡± The toilet used by the students was located at a corner from the labyrinth¡¯s center, in an ¡°L¡±-shaped caf¨¦. The caf¨¦ was essentially intact, with a private restroom inside. Any reflective object around was either plastered over with paper or covered with cloth, the mirror in the restroom was also utterly covered with caf¨¦ flyers bound by tape. Shen MO had a quick look around. Then, he raised his head to look at the ceiling. The ceiling¡­ was mirrored. Reflecting its dark glass, were the vague shapes of ¡®them¡¯ silently watching everybody right now. Those who followed Shen Mo¡¯s line of sight all gasped in shock. Without another word, everyone retreated, step by step, until they were outside the caf¨¦¡­ They then returned to the center of the maze. Upon their return, Lin Zihang had fully transformed into a human-sized doll. Tu Dan zipped up the tent door, sealing the doll-like Lin Zihang inside. As if out of sight, the heaviness in their hearts would lighten just a bit. And the plan to explore the maze was put on hold. As the incident had shocked every student, Tu Dan, their team leader, was also in disarray and unsure of what to do next, choosing instead to regroup on the spot. During their break, they collected more paper and tape, covering every visible mirror with paper. As for Shen MO and Bai Youwei, they continued to explore the maze as planned. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei, distracted by thoughts about the dolls as they navigated the maze, delegated the task of counting to Teacher Cheng. Following yesterday¡¯s path deeper into the labyrinth, they found dolls¡ª Wedged into concrete walls, with only their heads and shoulders visible, about a dozen or so. But as they moved forward, the number seemed to grow. At the end of the passage, they turned a corner and found another corridor leading towards a ¡°door¡±. Just like the previous one, both sides were crammed full of dolls. The four of them stalled in the middle of the intersection, no one taking a single step forward. Teacher Cheng looked at his companions with unease: ¡°Should we go back and tell them?¡± Shen MO considered this, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s move on.¡± He looked at Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Bai Youwei stared at the unopened door for a long while before finally replying, ¡°Since there¡¯s no unique exit, let¡¯s move forward..¡± Chapter 105 - 105: Missing Two Persons Chapter 105: Missing Two Persons Translator: 549690339 They made their mark and then took another path, setting off again into the depths of the maze. They once again explored until dusk and then returned along the same path they had taken. Back at the center of the maze, everyone was exhausted. The teacher, Cheng, didn¡¯t cook dinner. Everyone had lost their appetite due to Lin Zihang¡¯s incident anyhow. They made do with a quick meal of instant noodles. Just as they were about to go to bed, another incident took place ¨C Tu Dan was missing two students. During the day, everyone moved freely. Tu Dan didn¡¯t put too many restrictions on the students, only reminding them that wherever they went, they must not go alone. Whether it was for food or restroom breaks, they should always go in groups of at least two. However, when they did a headcount in the evening, two people were missing. Tu Dan found himself in a dilemma. It was already late, and the missing students still hadn¡¯t returned. Should he look for them, or not? ¡ªIf he decided to look for them, what would happen if something else went wrong? ¡ªBut if he didn¡¯t look for them, what if the students were in danger? At this moment, a girl stood up and said, ¡°How about¡­ I go look for them?¡± The one who spoke was Liao JingJing. Tu Dan¡¯s faced darkened instantly, ¡°Sit down. Girls should not run around at night to avoid danger.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any danger¡­¡± Liao JingJing managed a weak smile, pulling a boy beside her closer, she said, ¡°Yang Yi and I will go together. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Yang Yi? Tu Dan looked at him in surprise. Yang Yi hung his head low, muttered an indistinct ¡°Hmm¡± in response but offered no explanation. Liao JingJing linked her arm with his and said to Tu Dan: ¡°They might be lost somewhere. Although we are all familiar with the surroundings, many places are not marked. Yang Yi and I will look for them nearby and return shortly¡­¡± As she was speaking, she began to lead Yang Yi towards the entrance of the maze. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Tu Dan¡¯s face was grim as he stared at Liao JingJing. ¡°Are you planning to go to the door?¡± A momentary stiffness crossed Liao JingJing¡¯s face. She stifled a grimace and said softly, ¡°If we can¡¯t find them nearby¡­perhaps we¡¯ll check there. They might have gone to the door.¡± ¡°Liao JingJing!¡± Tu Dan stood. There was a suppressed rage in her voice, and all the students turned to look. ¡°I said, no one is allowed to go there until we have discussed it!¡± Tu Dan questioned Liao JingJing sternly. ¡°Are you trying to take advantage of this situation to go to the exit? Have you forgotten everything I said last time?¡± Liao JingJing¡¯s face flushed and then turned pale. Tu Dan turned to Yang Yi: ¡°Yang Yi! Do you want to go too? Was it your decision or did she force you?!¡± Tu Dan knew her students. Although Yang Yi was the tallest and the strongest in the class, he was the most easily persuaded. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he was influenced by Liao JingJing, especially after Lin Zihang¡¯s incident. Just as she suspected, after she confronted him, Yang Yi awkwardly pulled his arm free and muttered to Liao JingJing, ¡°You can go alone¡­ I¡­ I won¡¯t go¡­¡± ¡°You promised me just now!¡± Liao JingJing was embarrassed and annoyed. ¡°Liao JingJing, go back to your tent!¡± Tu Dan reprimanded her sternly. ¡°Stop causing trouble! It¡¯s dangerous there! What on earth are you thinking?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s you, Teacher Tu!¡± Liao JingJing shouted anxiously. ¡°What are YOU thinking? We¡¯ve already found the exit, but we¡¯re not doing anything about it! Why would we continue to stay in a place like this?! Are we waiting for death? sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Huh?!!¡± Her indignation was mixed with a sense of aggrievement. Throwing a resentful glare at Yang Yi, she said, ¡°Forget it! I¡¯ll go on my own!¡± With that, she turned and stormed towards the entrance of the maze! ¡°Liao JingJing! Come back!¡± Tu Dan shouted frantically, standing up to give chase. The two struggled and scuffled around the fountain. Liao JingJing, irritated by Tu Dan¡¯s pulling and tugging, resolved to push her away with all her might! ¡°Leave me alone!!!¡± ¡°Teacher Tu!????? ¡± The students gasped in shock! Tu Dan¡¯s body recoiled back, her pupils dilating in fear.. The next instant, she fell into the fountain pool! Chapter 105 - 105: 105: Missing Two Persons Chapter 105 - 105: 105: Missing Two PersonsTranslator: 549690339 S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They made their mark and then took another path, setting off again into the depths of the maze. They once again explored until dusk and then returned along the same path they had taken. Back at the center of the maze, everyone was exhausted. The teacher, Cheng, didn¡¯t cook dinner. Everyone had lost their appetite due to Lin Zihang¡¯s incident anyhow. They made do with a quick meal of instant noodles. Just as they were about to go to bed, another incident took place ¨C Tu Dan was missing two students. During the day, everyone moved freely. Tu Dan didn¡¯t put too many restrictions on the students, only reminding them that wherever they went, they must not go alone. Whether it was for food or restroom breaks, they should always go in groups of at least two. However, when they did a headcount in the evening, two people were missing. Tu Dan found himself in a dilemma. It was already late, and the missing students still hadn¡¯t returned. Should he look for them, or not? ¡ªIf he decided to look for them, what would happen if something else went wrong? ¡ªBut if he didn¡¯t look for them, what if the students were in danger? At this moment, a girl stood up and said, ¡°How about¡­ I go look for them?¡± The one who spoke was Liao JingJing. Tu Dan¡¯s faced darkened instantly, ¡°Sit down. Girls should not run around at night to avoid danger.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any danger¡­¡± Liao JingJing managed a weak smile, pulling a boy beside her closer, she said, ¡°Yang Yi and I will go together. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Yang Yi? Tu Dan looked at him in surprise. Yang Yi hung his head low, muttered an indistinct ¡°Hmm¡± in response but offered no explanation. Liao JingJing linked her arm with his and said to Tu Dan: ¡°They might be lost somewhere. Although we are all familiar with the surroundings, many places are not marked. Yang Yi and I will look for them nearby and return shortly¡­¡± As she was speaking, she began to lead Yang Yi towards the entrance of the maze. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Tu Dan¡¯s face was grim as he stared at Liao JingJing. ¡°Are you planning to go to the door?¡± A momentary stiffness crossed Liao JingJing¡¯s face. She stifled a grimace and said softly, ¡°If we can¡¯t find them nearby¡­perhaps we¡¯ll check there. They might have gone to the door.¡± ¡°Liao JingJing!¡± Tu Dan stood. There was a suppressed rage in her voice, and all the students turned to look. ¡°I said, no one is allowed to go there until we have discussed it!¡± Tu Dan questioned Liao JingJing sternly. ¡°Are you trying to take advantage of this situation to go to the exit? Have you forgotten everything I said last time?¡± Liao JingJing¡¯s face flushed and then turned pale. Tu Dan turned to Yang Yi: ¡°Yang Yi! Do you want to go too? Was it your decision or did she force you?!¡± Tu Dan knew her students. Although Yang Yi was the tallest and the strongest in the class, he was the most easily persuaded. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he was influenced by Liao JingJing, especially after Lin Zihang¡¯s incident. Just as she suspected, after she confronted him, Yang Yi awkwardly pulled his arm free and muttered to Liao JingJing, ¡°You can go alone¡­ I¡­ I won¡¯t go¡­¡± ¡°You promised me just now!¡± Liao JingJing was embarrassed and annoyed. ¡°Liao JingJing, go back to your tent!¡± Tu Dan reprimanded her sternly. ¡°Stop causing trouble! It¡¯s dangerous there! What on earth are you thinking?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s you, Teacher Tu!¡± Liao JingJing shouted anxiously. ¡°What are YOU thinking? We¡¯ve already found the exit, but we¡¯re not doing anything about it! Why would we continue to stay in a place like this?! Are we waiting for death? Huh?!!¡± Her indignation was mixed with a sense of aggrievement. Throwing a resentful glare at Yang Yi, she said, ¡°Forget it! I¡¯ll go on my own!¡± With that, she turned and stormed towards the entrance of the maze! ¡°Liao JingJing! Come back!¡± Tu Dan shouted frantically, standing up to give chase. The two struggled and scuffled around the fountain. Liao JingJing, irritated by Tu Dan¡¯s pulling and tugging, resolved to push her away with all her might! ¡°Leave me alone!!!¡± ¡°Teacher Tu! ¡± The students gasped in shock! Tu Dan¡¯s body recoiled back, her pupils dilating in fear.. The next instant, she fell into the fountain pool! Chapter 106 - 106 Teacher Tu Chapter 106: Teacher Tu Translator: 549690339 All the students surged forward! ¡°Teacher Tu!¡± ¡°Teacher Tu!..¡± Liao JingJing was frozen in place in fright. She hadn¡¯t meant to hurt anyone. She¡¯d just wanted Tu Dan to stop pulling on her! Zhang Tianyang jumped into the water quickly, yelling at Liao JingJing, ¡°Have you gone mad, Liao JingJing?! Teacher Tu has been so good to us!¡± Liao JingJing bit her lip, feeling ashamed but refusing to admit her mistake, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ and besides, the fountain pool isn¡¯t deep¡­¡± No one listened to her excuses. Everyone was searching for the teacher around the fountain pond. Zhang Tianyang and a few male students were moving in and out of the water. The more they searched, the more anxious they became, the more dread grew in their hearts! The water was only knee-deep! Why couldn¡¯t they find Teacher Tu?! A female student started crying. When one cried, it set off a wave of red-rimmed eyes among more students. Chen Hui also jumped into the pond, bending over and using both hands to search in the water, tears dropping down relentlessly, ¡°Teacher Tu!¡­ Where are you, Teacher Tu?!¡­¡± Shen MO stood on the edge of the fountain pond, looked around, and then shook his head silently at Bai Youwei. He hadn¡¯t seen Tu Dan either. After Tu Dan fell into the pool, it was as if she had disappeared into thin air. Bai Youwei silently watched the panicked students in front of her. After pondering a bit, she wheeled herself over to the edge of the fountain pond. This was a very common fountain pond. The edges were tiled and the base of the pool was filled with cobblestones. The middle featured an ascending tower-like sculpture that would spray water once electricity was connected. The sculpture was not spraying water at the moment, and the water in the fountain pond has been churned up by the searching students. Bai Youwei watched for a while and then said, ¡°Everyone, come out. You won¡¯t find Teacher Tu like this. A few male students stopped to look at her. Zhang Tianyang and Chen Hui were still searching. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t find her, we have to keep looking! Teacher Tu is here! I saw her fall in, she can¡¯t just disappear!!!¡± Chen Hui stared at the water surface, her eyes burning red. Bai Youwei closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°Everyone, get out! Let the water surface return to calm. Maybe then we¡¯ll find her!¡± Chen Hui stopped suddenly, ¡°¡­Yes, Teacher Tu didn¡¯t fall into the water, she fell into the mirror! That¡¯s why we can¡¯t find her!¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She climbed out of the pool immediately, pulling others out, and shrieked, ¡°Everybody out! Let the water calm down! Everybody out! ¡± One by one, the students climbed out of the fountain pond. Water ripples shimmered, light danced upon the water surface, and after everyone held their breath in anticipation¡­ the water finally calmed. They huddled together and saw their own reflections in the water ¨C reflections that mirrored them as puppets. Slowly, the figure of Tu Dan started superimposing faintly with their reflections, becoming clearer and clearer. Zhang Tianyang quickly reached out and pulled Tu Dan out of the water! With a splash. The soaking wet Tu Dan was pulled up! Zhang Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but look at Bai Youwei, his eyes full of unspeakable shock. She had been right! But there was no time for questions now. Everyone frantically lifted Tu Dan onto the ground, Tu Dan threw up a few mouthfuls of water, and gradually regained consciousness. She sat up, seeming a bit confused. Looking around at the students, she asked, ¡°Why¡­ are you all looking at me?¡± The students anxiously asked her, ¡°Teacher Tu, are you okay? Do you feel unwell anywhere?¡± Tu Dan stared at them blankly, not saying anything, as if her reactions were slow. After a long time, she finally moved her lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Liao JingJing watched from the periphery of the crowd, and she felt ill at ease. Just now, so many people went into the water to search and yet they couldn¡¯t find her. But as soon as the water surface calmed, she suddenly appeared¡­ She must have been dragged into ¡°that world¡±. So how could she possibly be okay? Her eyes darted up and down at Tu Dan, then she suddenly widened her eyes and shouted, ¡°Teacher Tu¡¯s button on her clothes is backward! Just like Lin Zihang, Teacher Tu¡¯s is also backward!¡± As soon as her words hit the air, the crowd scattered in an instant! Everyone retreated in panic, staring in terror at their teacher in front of them, except for Chen Hui and Zhang Tianyang who stayed on either side of Tu Dan. Chen Hui rose silently, walked up to Liao JingJing, and fixed her gaze on her. Just as Liao JingJing was feeling puzzled, she saw Chen Hui raise her hand and deliver a fierce slap! Chapter 107 - 107: 107: The Mirror Can Bring (Added when Zhou’s Activity Ranking Enters Top 50) Chapter 107 - 107: 107: The Mirror Can Bring (Added when Zhou¡¯s Activity Ranking Enters Top 50)Translator: 549690339 Slap! A red mark appeared immediately on Liao Jingjing¡¯s face, she was stunned for two seconds, then she looked toward Chen Hui in shock: ¡°You slapped me?!!¡± Liao Jingjing opened her eyes wide, feeling extremely wronged: ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that Teacher Tu turned out like this! It¡¯s those dolls! You have no right to hit me!!!¡± Just as Chen Hui attempted to slap her again, Zhang Tianyang stopped her: ¡°Chen Hui! Come and look at Teacher Tu!¡± Chen Hui bit her lower lip, glared at Liao Jingjing with resentment for a moment, and finally let go, turning back to Tu Dan. Tu Dan was completely oblivious to the students¡¯ quarrel. Her thoughts seemed exceedingly dull, her speech slow. In her usual tone, she said: ¡°It¡¯s late¡­ everyone, just go back to your tents and rest¡­¡± The students stared at her, none of them moved. Chen Hui supported Tu Dan¡¯s upper body with an arm and wiped her face with her other hand, asking softly, ¡°Teacher Tu, how do you feel now? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Tu Dan, her eyes drooping powerlessly, voice weakening, stated, ¡°Just feeling¡­ tired¡­ Let me sleep for a while, just a little while¡­¡¯ Tu Dan closed her eyes. Her students surrounded her, none of them left or spoke. All emotions sank into this deathly silence¡­ After a while, Bai Youwei and Shen MO returned to their own tents. Chang Weicai and Tan Xiao stayed outside, afraid that these students would mess up again. Tu Dan¡¯s accident was like a bolt from the blue for everyone. They hadn¡¯t found the way out of the maze yet, the people were dropping one by one, there was no defense against the mirror-infested place. It was impossible to cover all of it even if they wanted to! As long as they survived a day in the maze, they faced the threat of the mirror dolls for a day. They didn¡¯t know how many would be gone by tomorrow. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO sat in his tent without a trace of sleepiness. Looking at the paper Bai Youwei used to draw, she had already restored about one-third of the labyrinth map through counting and inference. If they continued at a faster pace, within two days at most, they could restore the whole labyrinth map. But Shen MO did not feel relaxed at all. Because the ultimate goal of restoring the map was to find the exit, but the exit had already appeared before them. Only that they couldn¡¯t distinguish now, which exit was real, which exit was fake, or maybe¡­all were fake. ¡°Maze, maze¡­at the end of the day, it¡¯s still a game.¡± Bai Youwei, holding her pen deep in thought, ¡°Every game must have rules and solutions.¡± Shen MO looked at her: ¡°But this game didn¡¯t give us any rules, nor even arranged an Inspector.¡± ¡°No, the rules were given to us long ago, we just might not have understood them¡­¡± Bai Youwei stared at the unfinished map in front of her, murmured, ¡°If I were the maze, what would I do?¡± ¡°If I were the maze¡­ She drew a circle on the paper. ¡°First, I would create a starting point for the players.¡± She drew a circle of horizontal lines outside the circle. ¡°I would mark the starting point with mirrors, letting the players know that this is the starting point.¡± She scattered a few small black dots in other parts of the map. ¡°Then, I would establish the finishing point location. The real finish line would be unique, with a unique path out of the labyrinth.¡± ¡°However, discerning the real from the fake wouldn¡¯t be enough challenge for such a large-scale game. I need to continue to create difficulties for the players, especially since I¡¯ve already provided them with enough food and water. She drew danger symbols near the black dots, murmuring to herself: ¡°I would need to increase the difficulty, creating mirror dolls and forcing the players to find the real exit amid heightened danger¡­¡± As she spoke, she abruptly stopped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shen MO asked her, ¡°Did you think of something?¡± Bai Youwei stared in silence, ¡°Mirrors can bring death, but they can also bring life. Tomorrow I want to go and see the first exit..¡± Chapter 108 - 108: 108 Fourth Day in the Maze Chapter 108 - 108: 108 Fourth Day in the MazeTranslator: 549690339 At three in the morning, Bai Youwei was startled awake by a round of crying. With her physical disability, she did not leave the tent, only Shen MO did. Shen MO returned and told her that Tu Dan had completely transformed into a doll, and this maze seemed to automatically ¡°digest¡± dolls. Tu Dan¡¯s body was uncontrollably sinking, gradually being absorbed into the concrete ground. That¡¯s why all her students were crying. Chen Hui cried the hardest. She did everything she could to hold onto Tu Dan, but she couldn¡¯t resist the force of the maze. Not only could she not stop it, but she was forced to cruelly witness the entire process of Tu Dan disappearing. Afterward, she crazily searched for hammers and power drills, wanting to pry open or drill open the slab of concrete and dig Tu Dan out from underground! No one could stop her. It wasn¡¯t until Shen MO knocked her unconscious that things finally quieted down. With moistened eyes, Chang Weicai quietly commented, ¡°She¡¯s just a pitiful child. ¡± ¡ªWho among those trapped in this maze isn¡¯t pitiful? The fourth day in the maze. Zhang Tianyang took Tu Dan¡¯s place, becoming the leader of the students, leading them to continue searching for the exit. Bai Youwei, on the other hand, headed to the location of the exit they had first discovered. As they passed a corridor whose whole wall was made of glass mirrors, Shen MO acutely sensed that something was amiss. He was the first to stop, looking at the reflections of the dolls in the mirror. The others followed suit and halted as well. In the mirror, the positions of the dolls had changed. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although the four of them were clearly standing in a line, the dolls in the mirror were of various sizes and were clearly not standing in a straight line. In other words, some dolls were exceptionally close to the mirror surface. ¡°Damn,¡± Tan Xiao was horrified in his heart and cursed quietly. His doll was the closest among the four; it felt like if he took another step forward, he could break out of the mirror. Next were Shen MO and Teacher Chang. The doll representing Bai Youwei was the farthest. Shen MO said, ¡°We need to look for food and water everywhere and it¡¯s difficult to avoid looking into mirrors. It is likely that this distance is calculated based on how long and often we look into mirrors. Seems like Teacher Tu¡¯s death wasn¡¯t a simple accident.¡± Teacher Tu¡¯s doll must have been very close to the mirror, creating an opportunity to be taken advantage of. ¡°Why didn¡¯t we notice this earlier?¡± Tan Xiao was puzzled. Chang Weicai sighed, ¡°Everyone is afraid to look into the mirror. All the mirrors near the tent are blocked, how could we discover it?¡± ¡°We¡¯re running out of time.¡± The color drained from Bai Youwei¡¯s face, her hands unconsciously clenched into fists, ¡°Even if everyone can guarantee that they will avoid the mirror, with the passage of time, they will eventually come out. We need to find the exit as soon as possible.¡± The four of them glanced at each other and hastened their pace, continuing forward. When they arrived at the exit, all around them were still those intricately stacked dolls, with a hazy white light still filling the area inside the door. The giant mirrors on both sides reflected no human figures, only countless dolls endlessly repeating on the mirror-covered wall, over and over again¡­ ¡°Ah, this is¡­¡± Teacher Chang gasped in surprise. Everyone turned their heads at the sound. Pointing at the dolls on the wall, Teacher Chang¡¯s finger was trembling, ¡°¡­these are the two students of Teacher Tu who had gone missing.¡± Shen MO frowned and said, ¡°It seems those students guessed right; Teacher Tu didn¡¯t allow them to get near the exit, so these two students secretly ran over here.¡± Teacher Chang asked in a trembling voice, ¡°So this exit is fake? So¡­so, is the exit we found real?¡± ¡°Something is not right¡­¡± Bai Youwei seemed to have thought of something.. Her breath quickened, her face turning even paler, ¡°Go find Zhang Tianyang and the others quickly! If they haven¡¯t realized that the dolls¡¯ distance in the mirror is changing, something bad might happen!¡± Chapter 109 - 109: 109: Returning to the Starting Point Chapter 109 - 109: 109: Returning to the Starting PointTranslator: 549690339 The group of people hurriedly tried to return, but before they could reach the starting point, terrified screams rang out from among the students! sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As they rounded a corner, they saw several panic-stricken students running toward them! ¡°What happened?!¡± Shen MO stopped them. Zhang Tianyang, still shock-stricken, gasped, ¡°The dolls¡­ the dolls in the mirror, they came out! ¡­ Two, two classmates, were pulled into the mirror!¡± He turned to look at the people behind him, saw Chen Hui, immediately reached out to pull her to him and looked her over, ¡°No, you¡¯re okay¡­ We¡¯re okay¡­¡± Shen MO took a quick look at the students. There were only six of them. He furrowed his brows: ¡°Where are the others?¡± Chen Hui lifted her head, her eyes full of bloodshot streaks, ¡°They¡­ They turned into dolls after running through a door.¡± ¡°A door?!¡± Professor Cheng asked in disbelief, ¡°Did you find another exit?¡± Zhang Tianyang nodded, struggling to respond: ¡°A very large door¡­ there were so many dolls, more than before, not only on the walls, but also all over the floor ¡­¡± Recalling the sensation of stepping on what felt like a pile of skulls, his face turned increasingly pale as he broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Was there a mirror?¡± Bai Youwei asked anxiously. Zhang Tianyang was stunned upon hearing this. ¡°There weren¡¯t any mirrors.¡± Chen Hui interjected, ¡°There¡¯s not a single mirror near that door.¡± Liao JingJing cried out, ¡°I told you before that the first exit was the real one! Let¡¯s go now! I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore! I want to leave! I don¡¯t want any rewards! ¡°Enough!¡± Chen Hui roughly shoved her, ¡°If you want to go, then go by yourself! Stop whining!¡± Liao JingJing burst into tears and helplessly reached out for Zhang Tianyang¡¯s arm. Zhang Tianyang was both annoyed and pitied her, he tried to unclasp her hand from his sleeve to no avail. He lacked the energy to keep on struggling with her and looked towards Shen MO and Bai Youwei: ¡°Mr. Shen, did you find anything on your end?¡± Shen MO said, ¡°We also found an exit.¡¯ A bitter smile crossed Zhang Tianyang¡¯s face, ¡°So now, we have three exits.¡± Chen Hui said: ¡°The maze has four main parts, so there might be four exits, but there will only be one real exit.¡± ¡°There should be a mirror at both the starting point and the endpoint.¡± Bai Youwei looked at them with both calm and determination in her voice, ¡°If you trust me, let¡¯s go back to the starting point together, gather our things, and I will lead you out of the maze.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back!¡± Liao JingJing shrieked, ¡°Why should we go back?! The dolls are right behind us! If we go back, we¡¯re sure to run into them!¡± ¡°We must return to the starting point.¡± Bai Youwei said expressionlessly, ¡°Otherwise, even if we find the exit, we won¡¯t be able to leave.¡¯ ¡°I won¡¯t go back!¡± Liao JingJing frantically shook her head, crying out, ¡°Why should I trust you?! Since Professor Tu died, you just want to use us students as guinea pigs, to send us back to die! Isn¡¯t it?! You don¡¯t even know which exit is the right one!!¡± Liao JingJing¡¯s mental state was on the brink of collapse, she turned to run, ignoring the shouts of the other students urging her to stop. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her.¡± Bai Youwei responded calmly, ¡°Even if she makes it to the exit, she will not go through.¡¯ Zhang Tianyang: ¡°But¡­ ¡°She won¡¯t go in.¡± Professor Cheng sighed heavily, ¡°We saw your classmate¡¯s dolls at the exit. If she sees them¡­ she definitely won¡¯t dare to go through.¡± The other students fell silent upon hearing this, their faces showing even more fatigue and confusion. Chen Hui turned to go back. Zhang Tianyang hesitated: ¡°Chen Hui, where are you going?¡± ¡°Back to the starting point.¡± Chen Hui didn¡¯t turn back as she responded, ¡°Didn¡¯t she just say it? If you don¡¯t go back to the starting point, you can¡¯t get out of the maze.¡¯ Can we really get out?¡± Zhang Tianyang stared blankly ahead. Bai Youwei closed her eyes and mumbled: ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try¡­¡± Chapter 110 - 110: 110: Can We Go Faster? Chapter 110 - 110: 110: Can We Go Faster?Translator: 549690339 They returned to their starting point and indeed saw a few life-sized dolls standing nearby. The dolls moved slowly, seemingly without any intention to attack them, though the mere sight of them standing there motionlessly was unnerving enough. Bai Youwei insisted everyone to grab their belongings. Everyone followed her order. In reality, there wasn¡¯t much to take along. Most of the items they had were supplies collected from within the maze; dispensable extras. Desperate as they were to get out, there was no time for meticulous packing. Inside Tu Dan¡¯s tent, Chen Hui found a lady¡¯s purse. Tu Dan¡¯s ID card, bank cards, house keys and a family photograph were kept within. In the photo, Tu Dan shared a warm smile, sandwiched between her son and husband. After a brief look, Chen Hui collected the purse and hoisted her backpack, exiting the tent. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Outside, Zhang Tianyang was busy tearing papers from mirrors with his classmates. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chen Hui approached to ask. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Zhang Tianyang looked aghast and glanced at Bai Youwei in the distance, ¡°She ordered us to tear off all the paper on the mirrors.¡± Chen Hui frowned, ¡°But that¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± he began, but before he could finish, a hand reached out from the half-torn paper mirror. Chen Hui quickly pushed Zhang Tianyang away! The doll in the mirror kept its hand extended. Chen Hui warned, ¡°Be careful.¡± Zhang Tianyang wiped his cold sweat, ¡°Thank you.¡± Working together, they quickly stripped away all the paper from the nearby mirrors. Each mirror reflected their miniature selves. The sight of countless reflections was chilling¡­ ¡°They¡¯re coming out¡­¡± one of the students said in trembling voice, his knees went weak. Everyone gathered together, back against back, keeping their watchful eyes on the dolls creeping closer through the surrounding mirrors. Some reaching out a hand, some half-emerging and some still trapped in the mirror, eager to escape. Wheelchair-bound Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What are the odds of success?¡± ¡°Initially, it was fifty percent,¡± scanning the dolls surrounding them, she added, ¡°Now, it¡¯s eighty percent.¡± Surprised, Shen MO cast a quiet glance at her, the surprise fading swiftly, being replaced by an anticipated understanding. Because she was always like this. She was not only smart, but her thought process mysteriously aligned with the game. On this point, Shen MO felt he could never compare. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Bai Youwei maneuvered her wheelchair, gesturing lightly, ¡°No need to push me, just follow me and avoid any unnecessary detours.¡± She led the way sitting in her wheelchair, followed by the rest of the group. Trailing them were the slow-moving dolls¡­ Bai Yuwei, sitting in her wheelchair, was also not quick. There were even instances where she would pause to instruct the others to tear away the posters on the two side walls. As a result, their progress slowed down even further. Watching the dolls inching closer, Zhang Tianyang was petrified. Every time they tore off a poster, revealing a mirror that projected a new doll, their number grew exponentially all along the way! Upon reaching the next road junction, Bai Youwei paused once more. Close to losing his mind, Zhang Tianyang asked anxiously, ¡°Can we¡­hurry up? No one else said a word, their desperate gazes aimed at Bai Youwei though: could they walk faster? Could they? ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei responded coldly. Everyone fell silent. While reviewing the map in her hands and observing the intersection¡¯s environment, Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°We can¡¯t rush. I need to ensure that every step we take is within the mirrors¡¯ coverage range. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to go back and restart.¡± Go back? Everyone turned pale and dare not look back. A sea of dolls, creeping from every mirror, had almost blocked the alley behind them. Everyone exclaimed almost at once, ¡°It¡¯s perfectly good to go slow! Please, take your time!¡± Just as long as they don¡¯t make any mistakes! Chapter 111 - 111: 111: The Road to the End Chapter 111 - 111: 111: The Road to the EndTranslator: 549690339 The exit was getting closer, the number of puppets behind them increasingly numerous. Hundreds of Shen MO, hundreds of Bai Youwei, hundreds of Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, Zhang Tianyang, Chen Hui, Yang Yi¡­ Another poster was torn off, revealing his puppet¡¯s face in the mirror. Zhang Tianyang quickly balled up the torn poster and tossed it. His face was numb with routine. Upon finishing, he glanced back. Followed by so many¡­ so many puppets, it was an impressive sight. Chen Hui asked Bai Youwei, ¡°The puppets seem to have stopped attacking us, but why do they keep following us?¡± ¡°Because they also want to get out¡­¡± Bai Youwei scribbled on paper, mapping out routes, ¡°The maze traps us, it traps them too.¡± Her voice paused, then she looked up and added, ¡°They are us, just another version of us. So, if we want to get out, we must plot a path to the exit for them as well.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Chen Hui nodded, ¡°By using the reflection and refraction in the mirror to move the puppets within, only the doors with mirrors would be the real exits.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t respond, scratching out another path on paper before wheeling herself towards it. Chen Hui caught up and asked, ¡°When did you find out?¡± ¡°This morning.¡± ¡°This morning?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°This morning we went to the exit and confirmed that the mirrors on either side of the door couldn¡¯t reflect us. Surprisingly, the mirrors on the outside of the exit corridor couldn¡¯t reflect us either. As I was reverse engineering on our way back, I found that some mirrors could reflect, while some couldn¡¯t. If the exit is accurate, the issue must lie in the path we¡¯re taking.¡± She paused for a moment, looking ahead, and then added, ¡°Once we reach the exit and the mirrors reflect us successfully, that means our current path is correct. ¡± ¡°What if they still can¡¯t reflect us?¡± Zhang Tianyang asked. Bai Youwei paused, glanced at him, and said: ¡°Then we wait for death.¡¯ S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang Tianyang: Tan Xiao sympathetically patted his shoulder, giving him a silent look that said: cheer up! Teacher Chang sighed on the side, ¡°People have always revered mazes, believing that the entire life of a person is akin to a maze. Only through a difficult and circuitous search can one leave deception and sin behind, finding their true self. In this way, this maze game has been reminding us from the very beginning that we must face the light and darkness of ourselves correctly to avoid being consumed by inner demons.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a pretentious game, how can it possibly contain such profound truths?¡± Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°Even if it did, it¡¯s just the maze adorning itself.¡± She walked alone at the front of the group, her cold tone filled with scorn, . Furthermore, whether to leave behind deception and sin, whether to find one¡¯s true self, that¡¯s my business, not the maze¡¯s!¡± Everyone was left feeling conflicted upon hearing her words. They look back again at the puppets behind them. Those puppets, with faces identical to theirs, followed at just the right distance, crying, laughing, angry, disgusted, seemingly always present¡­ They were the puppets, the puppets were they. In the maze, they were all mere puppets manipulated by the rules of the game. ¡°Alright.¡¯ The girl in the wheelchair in front of them stopped, giving them a temperature-less smile, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Everyone hesitantly moved forward, turned the corner, and saw the door leading to the exit. They also saw the mirrors on either side of the door. The mirrors reflected their images¡ªthis time, they were real, living and breathing people. Shen MO, sensing something, suddenly turned around. The others quickly followed suit. The puppets that had been following them, filling the entire road, had all disappeared.. Chapter 112 - 112: 112: Congratulations on Clearing the Second Maze Chapter 112 - 112: 112: Congratulations on Clearing the Second MazeTranslator: 549690339 Chen Hui stared blankly at the vacant road, muttering, ¡°They¡¯ve disappeared¡­¡± ¡°Because they¡¯ve gone into the mirror.¡± Bai Youwei laughed scornfully: ¡°According to the logic of the maze game, we understand our real selves through the mirror, and to prove that we have accepted the ¡®real me¡¯, we must leave the maze with them. Only then will it be considered a perfect ending ugh, I feel like throwing up.¡± She moved forward in her wheelchair. Shen MO held her back. Bai Youwei looked up at him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was 80% sure before, but now I¡¯m 100% sure.¡± Shen MO frowned, did not try to convince her otherwise, but simply held the armrest of her wheelchair and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in together.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, paused for a moment, and then nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± Both of them stepped through the door together, their figures soon merging into the white mist and disappearing from sight. Tan Xiao looked left and right, didn¡¯t notice anything unusual, so he just went in too. Then came Chen Hui. Followed by Zhang Tianyang and his classmates. Teacher Chang was the last to stay behind, estimating that everyone had safely exited before he reluctantly moved into the doorway, leaning on his cane. Not far away, Liao JingJing huddled at the entrance of the passage, her bloodshot eyes staring intently at the exit. After a long time, she mumbled disbelievingly, ¡°Why¡­ why are they alright? Why didn¡¯t they turn into dolls?¡± She looked down at her right hand ¨C from fingertips to forearm, it had turned into numbing plastic. She had merely tested the waters by extending her hand in for a moment, and it had turned out like this. After that, she found her classmate¡¯s doll, and realized something was wrong with the exit! But why could Bai Youwei get out?! ¡°That crippled girl¡­ she said she was going back to the starting point, said she was going to reflect herself out from the mirror¡­¡± Liao JingJing clutched her forearm, turning around unsteadily to return, ¡°I need to leave, I must leave this place¡­¡± Bai Youwei was surprised. She had obviously entered with Shen MO, but now Shen MO was nowhere to be found. She sat in her wheelchair, alone, surrounded by endless white mist. At that moment, a voice resonated in the air: ¡°Congratulations to the player for clearing the No. 2 maze.¡± ¡°The reward settlement for this round of the game will now begin.¡± ¡°As the first player to clear the No. 2 maze, you will receive a doll jigsaw piece.¡± ¡°The leaderboard for the players who cleared the game this round is as follows, first, now upgrading the player¡¯s data¡­ding, the upgrade is now complete.¡± ¡°The reward settlement is complete. Please continue with the game, strive to clear As the voice concluded, the white mist dissipated. In the blink of an eye, Bai Youwei realized everyone was still there. Everyone stood dazedly on a broad and straight road, only regaining their senses when they saw each other, realizing they had finally escaped from the maze! The mist still lingered behind them. They all gathered together, each examining the jigsaw piece in their hand. ¡°Why are there only five?¡± Tan Xiao held his jigsaw piece, completely puzzled. He turned to Chang Weicai, ¡°Old Chang, didn¡¯t you get a jigsaw piece?¡± Teacher Chang shook his head, ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei, Shen MO, Tan Xiao each had a jigsaw piece in their hand, Zhang Tianyang and Chen Hui also had one, but the remaining three classmates didn¡¯t get one. ¡°They must have been given in order.¡± Zhang Tianyang said, ¡°When the game ended, the system said my rank was five. I reckon the jigsaw pieces would only be given to the first five who walked out the maze.¡± Yi Yang, standing beside him, heaved a sigh of relief. He looked exhausted and flopped down right on the roadside. He slapped the ground hard with his palm and sighed, ¡°Just being able to make it out alive is lucky enough! The jigsaw doesn¡¯t matter anymore!¡± The other classmate who didn¡¯t obtain a jigsaw piece also nodded vigorously, recalling the horrifying scenes in the maze with a lingering fear. Chen Hui suddenly said, ¡°Yi Yang, stand up.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Yi Yang was taken aback. Chen Hui walked over and pulled his hand away. Where Yi Yang had slapped, the brick had cracked. Everyone was stunned. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chen Hui looked at them, ¡°Do you remember? The system also said¡­ Upgrading player¡¯s data..¡± Chapter 113 - 113: 113: What Effect Does Data Upgrading Chapter 113 - 113: 113: What Effect Does Data UpgradingHave? Translator: 549690339 Yes. No matter where that voice came from, everyone heard it clearly; it said: Upgrade the players¡¯ data. This statement was indeed discomforting. They were not machines, what did it mean to upgrade data? Chang Weicai hesitated, then spoke: ¡°Now that you mention it¡­ after we left the maze, I felt like my body has become younger¡­¡± ¡°No way.¡± Tan Xiao scrutinized him, ¡°You still have a lot of wrinkles on your face. Chang seemed embarrassed, ¡°Not¡­not that type of ¡®young¡¯, I mean physically, my arms and legs seem more agile, and I feel stronger than before.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it¡­ I also feel like¡­ something has changed with me¡­¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head, looked around, spotted a tree by the side of the road, walked over and threw a punch! Bang! The tree didn¡¯t break. However, the spot that was hit, the rough bark split directly! The branches and leaves shook, and the leaves began to rustle down! Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened, almost popping out of his sockets in astonishment! ¡°No way¡­¡± He murmured, raising his fist again. This time he used all his strength and fiercely hit the tree trunk¡ª ¡°Behold my unstoppable Herculean punch! ! !¡± Bang! The trunk was split from the inside! The result was indeed astonishing. At the same time, Tan Xiao squatted down, clutching his fist in pain. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It hurt. Seeing this, others began to make their attempts. Some tested their strength, some their speed, some their bodily resilience, and others simply jumped on the spot to see how high they could go. Even Chang began doing push-ups on the ground. For a moment, the scene looked absurd. Only two people remained motionless: One was Bai Youwei, and the other was Shen Mo. ¡°It seems the maze rewards are much more substantial than game rewards. Previous games only rewarded one-time use items, while the maze can upgrade physical abilities in a comprehensive manner.¡± Shen MO said, ¡°With this physical ability, if we participate in a ¡®Tortoise and the Hare¡¯ styled game, it is almost impossible to lose.¡± Bai Youwei slowly nodded, ¡°¡­Also, those who possess a puzzle piece have a chance to skip a game.¡± When grasping the puzzle piece, its function automatically appeared in the mind¡ª [1: Collect all puzzle pieces to win any game] [2: Each puzzle piece grants one additional game exemption] In a world where life-or-death games were encountered at any moment, gaining the right to opt-out of a game is equivalent to gaining an extra life! ¡°But¡­¡± Bai Youwei gently rubbed the puzzle piece with her fingertips, ¡°the information didn¡¯t tell us how many pieces constitute a complete puzzle¡­¡± ¡°Tu Dan said, Hangzhou also has the fog.¡± Shen MO speculated, ¡°If the areas with concentrated populations all have mazes, we may be able to estimate the number of mazes from the number of cities.¡¯ Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then turned to Chang Weicai and asked, ¡°In terms of population, where does Hangzhou rank among our nation¡¯s cities?¡± Chang Weicai was taken aback for a moment, then responded, ¡°Around 20th place.¡± ¡°This ranking may not be a valid reference.¡± Shen MO said, ¡°Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou have the largest populations and were the first ones affected. Later, a large number of people in Shanghai moved to Suzhou and Hangzhou, so Hangzhou¡¯s current population ranking should be significantly higher than 20.¡± Upon hearing their discussion, Tan Xiao naturally asked, ¡°So, are we going to Hangzhou next?¡± The only way to obtain a puzzle piece is by entering a maze. If they want to collect all pieces of the puzzle, they must aim for the cities engulfed in the fog. Shen MO pondered for a moment, then turned to students like Chen Hui and Zhang Tianyang, and asked, ¡°What are your plans for what comes next?¡± Chapter 114 - 114: 114 Where Is Everyone Going Chapter 114 - 114: 114 Where Is Everyone GoingTranslator: 549690339 When you¡¯re trapped in a maze, the greatest wish is to escape the maze. Now that they¡¯re out, they feel even more lost. With the world having undergone drastic changes and life hanging by a thread, where should they go? Five students huddled together, discussing in hushed tones. Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair, watching them quietly, her face expressionless as her hands tenderly stroked her stuffed bunny. She could feel a tingling sensation in her legs. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ever since the car accident at twelve, her legs had for the first time regained their sense of touch, yet she stayed silent, not telling anyone. Because she hated false hope. If one data upgrade could make her legs regain feeling, would a second data upgrade allow her to stand again? What is a maze? ¡­God bless, or devil curse, she doesn¡¯t care. She just wants to stand up again. The students finally came to a decision. Zhang Tianyang said, ¡°We plan to head south along the Yangtze River, see if we can find any assistance, or meet up with other survivors¡­¡± He paused, looking at Chen Hui, ¡°Chen Hui wants to head north, she wants to go to Beijing to find Teacher Tu¡¯s son.¡± Everyone was surprised. Teacher Chang said: ¡°It¡¯s such a long journey, you¡¯re just a young girl¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Chen Hui, Teacher Tu¡¯s son must have taken shelter by now. There¡¯s no way to find him.¡± Her classmates also tried to dissuade her. Chen Hui pulled out Tu Dan¡¯s wallet and showed them a family photo from inside. ¡°Teacher Tu left a letter to her child. I¡¯m thinking of returning it to its rightful owner.¡± There was a message written on the back of the photo. Calling it a letter was probably overblowing it; it was merely a brief message, containing only two sentences. ¡ªXiaohui, Mom misses you a lot. My child, I hope you¡¯re safe. The varying shades of ink indicated that the latter sentence was added recently. Everyone fell silent upon seeing the photo. Chen Hui said, ¡°The address is on the ID card, if I can¡¯t find him, I¡¯ll leave the photo at Teacher Tu¡¯s house. Don¡¯t worry, I know my limits, I won¡¯t do Anything She paused, her voice growing softer, ¡°Teacher Tu has brought us this far, I¡¯d like to do something for her in return.¡± After listening to her, Zhang Tianyang felt a pang of sadness, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Let me accompany you!¡± ¡°No need,¡± Chen Hui gave a light chuckled, ¡°Your task is to finish what Teacher Tu couldn¡¯t, to bring everyone to a safe place. Besides, I have puzzle pieces, so I can protect myself from the game. If all of you come along, even if we use up two pieces, we won¡¯t be able to save everyone. So, it¡¯s enough for me to go alone.¡± She and Zhang Tianyang each had a puzzle piece, but there were five students in total, not enough to let everyone opt-out of the game. After weighing up the situation, they found that Chen Hui¡¯s arrangements were indeed the most suitable. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Chen Hui said with a faint smile as she gestured her clenched fist, ¡°I¡¯m pretty tough now. I may not be as strong as you guys, but I can definitely hold my own against those who haven¡¯t been in the maze.¡± Having come to a consensus, no one tried to persuade her any longer. Shen MO then asked Tan Xiao and Teacher Chang. Tan Xiao was an orphan with no roots, who had lost touch with his wild group of brothers. With no other place to go, he naturally continued to follow Shen Mo. Teacher Chang, on the other hand, hesitated for a moment. His wife passed away when she was still young, and his children all lived overseas. He came to Yangzhou as he missed his elderly parents. However, considering the circumstances, the possibility of his parents getting on a rescue ship was incredibly slim. After thinking for a long time, Chang Weicai let out a sigh, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Hangzhou. I¡¯m old, I¡¯ve lived long enough. If putting together the puzzle can really bring about some good, then I¡¯d die a worthy death.¡± Rather than dying pointlessly in the game, one might as well die for something valuable, something meaningful. Even if it was just a tiny bit. (Author¡¯s note: Recently there has been a serious crackdown on romance, not even fake ones are tolerated.. So, I had to change the setting of the story! Originally, I planned to have the heroine¡¯s mom and the hero¡¯s dad divorced, but that wasn¡¯t enough! Now, the hero¡¯s dad is just a friend of the heroine¡¯s mom! Just friends! Pure friends!) Chapter 115 - 115: 115 Tai Lake Service Area Chapter 115 - 115: 115 Tai Lake Service AreaTranslator: 549690339 The group bid each other farewell before parting. As a token of gratitude for leading them out of the maze, Chen Hui offered Bai Youwei a plump mushroom before he left. Zhang Tianyang, concerned about the dangers Chen Hui might face on his journey alone, gave him a block of frog mud as well. Afterward, Chen Hui set off north. Zhang Tianyang took his classmates and began heading south. Shen MO, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, and Chang Weicai formed a group and traveled by car to Hangzhou¡ª From Yangzhou to Hangzhou, the entire distance was about 297 km, approximately 3 hours and 39 minutes by car. This was the travel time before the Apocalypse. As for now, the congested highways and the neverending dolls were enough to drive them mad. The only convenience was that their enhanced physical abilities allowed Shen MO and Tan Xiao to manually move cars and clear the road when the congestion wasn¡¯t too severe. Chang Weicai also gained a substantial amount of strength. Although he couldn¡¯t compare to the younger men, his stamina had rejuvenated as if he were twenty years younger. He truly didn¡¯t feel tired, dizzy, or short of breath. The direct effect of this change was an improved morale within the group. They seemed to resent the doll game less too. Bai Youwei was unsure if this change was for the better. If it was a positive change, it could mean that everyone¡¯s ability to adapt to the end of the world had increased. If it was a negative change, this could be the game¡¯s first step to domesticate them¡­ It was as if they were smacked across their faces and then given a sweet date. Once they entered the Changshen Expressway, their journey became smoother. There were no congested cars nor dolls in sight. That night, they passed by Tai Lake and decided to rest in the Tai Lake service area. Under the bright moonlight, with the night sky hanging high, they lit a fire in an open section of the service area to heat water and make dinner. ¡°Maze life was better. We had watermelons, roast meat, even a microwave. Now we¡¯ve returned to primitive living. Who knows what the Hangzhou maze will be like¡­¡± Tan Xiao lamented as he threw branches into the fire. Chang Weicai, who was preparing mung bean soup at the side, asked Tan Xiao with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared, Xiaotan?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Tan Xiao responded off-handedly. After pausing for a moment, he added with a grin, ¡°But now that we¡¯re out, it doesn¡¯t seem so scary¡­ Ah, forget it! As adventurers, we¡¯ve got to brave the wind and rain. What¡¯s there to fear in this? Just a drizzle! Like MO here, his face never changes no matter what happens. What¡¯s that phrase again? Described as steady as a mountain in the face of chaos!¡± Chang Weicai explained with a chuckle, ¡°The complete version is ¡®As firm as a rock in face of danger, as composed as a deer in a rut.¡¯ It means that even when Mount Tai collapses, his facial expression remains unchanged, or when a deer crosses his path, he doesn¡¯t even blink.¡± For once, Tan Xiao didn¡¯t tease Chang Weicai¡¯s scholarly manners but praised him, ¡°Being a teacher really shows, very refined.¡± Upon hearing this, Chang Weicai¡¯s expression darkened slightly, ¡°Nowadays, having skills is more valuable than being cultured. Besides teaching, there¡¯s nothing much else I can do¡­¡± As they chatted, Bai Youwei emerged from her tent, asking, ¡°Who touched my rabbit?¡± Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai stared back at her, shocked. Shen MO, who was studying the map, turned to ask, ¡°Has your rabbit gone missing, Youwei?¡± Bai Youwei, furrowing her brows, responded, ¡°No, it¡¯s in the tent.¡± Everyone was left puzzled. If the rabbit hadn¡¯t gone missing, why was she asking? ¡°Never mind.¡± Bai Youwei, appearing slightly annoyed, grabbed her walking stick and strolled closer to the fire, prodding at it. ¡°Are the sweet potatoes ready?¡± ¡°Not yet. They need to roast for a while longer before they¡¯re fully cooked,¡± replied Chang Weicai, quickly pulling her away from the fire. ¡°Be careful not to burn yourself or get sparks on your clothes.¡± Bai Youwei, leaning on her walking stick, moved aimlessly around, expressing her hunger. Tan Xiao offered her a roasted sausage, ¡°Have this one first to soothe your hunger.¡± Disliking the greasiness, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t accept the sausage. Instead, she continued to wander around with her walking stick. Spotting Tai Lake not far away¡ª Under the moonlight, the mountain scenery was captivating. The water reflected the glimmers of light, large patches of lotus leaves spread on the water¡¯s surface. The breeze stirred the lotus leaves, making them sway and ripple like waves. Bai Youwei suddenly felt an urge and glanced at Shen MO, ¡°I want lotus seeds.¡± Shen MO, S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 116 - 116: 116 Team Name Chapter 116 - 116: 116 Team NameTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO asked, ¡°Not eating anymore?¡± Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°This is just an appetizer.¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t want to go, frowning at the distant lake water, ¡°You just want to offer me up as an appetizer to the mosquitoes.¡± ¡°Ahahaha!¡­¡± Tan Xiao burst into laughter, ¡°Brother MO, you are so funny! Serving as food for mosquitoes hahahaha¡­ hic¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s little face fell. She turned around with her crutch and went back to the tent. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She didn¡¯t say anything, but the implication was clear: she wasn¡¯t going to eat anymore. She was acting rather high and mighty, refusing not only to eat the lotus seeds but also not having any dinner! Shen MO put down the map in his hand and said to Tan Xiao, ¡°What you said earlier was quite accurate.¡± ¡°Eh? Which part?¡± Tan Xiao asked with wide-open eyes, ¡°The funny part?¡± Shen MO slowly took off his upper garment, ¡°You said, it¡¯s better in the maze.¡± In the maze, she never acted this way. Eh? Brother MO, where are you heading? Are you seriously going to feed the mosquitoes?¡­ Ah, take me with you, take me with you! I¡¯ll go catch a fish!¡± Half an hour later. They started eating. Bai Youwei sat by the fire, a large lotus leaf laid on her lap, happily peeling lotus seeds to eat. The green lotus seeds made a rustling sound as they fell onto the lotus leaf, forming a pile before being shaken off into the fire, producing a fragrant grassy smell. After eating two lotus seeds, Shen MO, fearing she might have an upset stomach, didn¡¯t let her eat anymore. He dug a well-roasted sweet potato out of the fire, put it in a large porcelain bowl, peeled off a layer of the ashen skin to reveal the honey-orange flesh, gave her a small spoon, and let her dig in. The sweet potato was steaming hot, and the inside was sweet and gooey. You take a bite, blow on it, and then swallow, it¡¯s so soft and sweet that it makes your teeth feel sugary. Teacher Chang gave her a bowl of mung bean soup, without sugar. The taste was mild, but it was perfect for counteracting the sweetness of the roasted sweet potato. Eating and drinking, Bai Youwei found herself content and comfortable. Tan Xiao, nibbling on a sausage and poking at the fire with a wooden stick, said, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys think¡­ we¡¯re kind of like a group? Do we remind you of a pilgrimage? They faced the eighty-one trials, we complete puzzles while gaming. ¡± Teacher Chang chuckled upon hearing this, ¡°In the ¡®Journey to the West,¡¯ they faced the sea of death, who would be their boat? As they passed through the long night of ignorance, who would be their torch? If we are fortunate this time, we can emulate Xuanzang and be a light for the lost souls in the sea of suffering.¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t quite understand, but he found the grouping of four words used by Teacher Chang intriguing and suggested, ¡°Teacher Chang, since you¡¯re so cultured, how about you come up with a group name for us?¡± Teacher Chang was taken aback, ¡°A group name?¡± ¡°How do you not know?¡± Tan Xiao began to explain using his fingers, ¡°The Two Elders of the Mysterious Void, The Three Sages of Kunlun, The Four Heavenly Kings, The Five Elders of Kongtong, The Six Immortals of Taoyuan, The Seven Freaks of the South¡­ like these. Teacher Chang suddenly understood, ¡°Oh, let me think¡­¡± Bai Youwei grinned as she kept eating, amused that Teacher Chang, with his stern countenance, was seriously considering Tan Xiao¡¯s suggestion and brainstorming names. ¡°We are four people, coming from different places, being together like a family, how about¡­ Four Oceans, One Family?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tan Xiao said, ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very imposing. Try again.¡± Chang Weicai suggested, ¡°In the old days, there were the Four Talents of the Study, representing the brush, ink, paper, and ink-stand. We could each take one character from there.¡¯ ¡°Oh, let me think¡­¡± Tan Xiao mused, ¡°Flowers, birds, fish, insects?¡­ Wolves, tigers, leopards? Demons, ghosts, ghouls, goblins? Hey, why can¡¯t we find any good words with four characters?¡± Bai Youwei could no longer hold back her laughter and exclaimed, ¡°How about calling us and the Old, Young, Sick, and Crippled!¡± Tan Xiao: Chang Weicai: ¡® Shen MO, while tending to the fire, asked nonchalantly, ¡°So, which one am I among the Old, Young, Sick, and Crippled?¡± Chapter 117 - 117: 117 Sister Weiwei Chapter 117 - 117: 117 Sister WeiweiTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Chang is old, Tan is young, I¡¯m crippled, and you¡­¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, curling her lips, ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Straight man cancer!¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei: ¡°Hahahahahaha ¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help it, her laugh threshold was particularly low tonight. On the side, Tan Xiao moaned, ¡°Why am I ¡®young¡¯? I¡¯m turning 20 at the end of the month.¡± Bai Youwei confidently replied, ¡°You¡¯re the youngest among us! If you¡¯re not young, what are you?¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Impossible!¡± Tan Xiao looked at her with wide eyes, ¡°I can¡¯t be younger than you! How old are you?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s lips curled imperceptibly, as if he had thought of something. Bai Youwei replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how old I am, I¡¯m older than you!¡± Tan Xiao, in disbelief, exclaimed, ¡°You look so young! You must not be of legal age!¡± Bai Youwei coldly replied, ¡°Sorry¨C I haven¡¯t developed properly since the accident.¡± With this, everyone fell silent, not knowing how to continue the conversation. But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t seem to mind and cheerfully continued to tease Tan Xiao, ¡°Since you call him Brother MO, according to the rules, what should you call Tan Xiao with a bitterness on his face said, . Sister Weiwei.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes immediately curved into two crescents. Shen MO felt that she was a lost cause and silently shook his head, continuing to stoke the fire with the stick in his hand. The fire reflected in his dark eyes, waxing and waning, like the active glowworms in the night sky. A large lumpy, overcooked object was pulled out of the fire ¡ª it was soy-sauce-marinated chicken, pork feet, and duck neck wrapped in lotus leaves. The taste was the same, but the addition of lotus leaves appeared to add a touch of sophistication to the vacuum-packed food; the rich aroma of lotus leaves complemented the savory flavor of the sauce. Bai Youwei reached out to grab a bite. Shen MO gave her a once-over, ¡°You still can eat?¡± Sweet potatoes are quite filling. Bai Youwei licked her lips, eyeing the chicken in his hand, ¡°Let me try it.¡± Shen MO tore off a chicken leg, thought it was too much, cut off a part with a knife, and then handed it to her. After Bai Youwei finished the chicken leg, she moved on to the duck neck, eating with her oily hands, and then ate two fresh lotus seeds. Shen MO was genuinely worried that she would overeat, and asked with a furrowed brow, ¡°Do you feel that there will be a food shortage once we reach Hangzhou?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare for me to have a good appetite, so of course I have to eat more.¡± After eating, Bai Youwei sucked her fingers and breezily replied, ¡°otherwise, it would be a waste of this good mood.¡± Shen MO thought to himself: indeed, your good mood is hard to come by. After dinner, everyone freshened up and prepared to rest. Shen MO had been driving all day, so the person in charge of the night shift was Tan Xiao. Chang Weicai, who wasn¡¯t feeling sleepy yet, decided to keep him company. Presumably because of his improved physical condition, Chang felt staying up all night wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Should we put out the campfire?¡± Tan Xiao asked. At night, a burning campfire is conspicuous. Shen MO casually said, ¡°Let it be, it will come in handy when we want to boil hot water or cook food in the morning.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go gather more firewood.¡± Tan Xiao was full of enthusiasm. Chang Weicai advised, ¡°Try to find dry firewood, wet ones create too much smoke when burnt.¡± Finding dry firewood in a modern city wasn¡¯t an easy task. Tan Xiao decided to burn the tables and chairs in the service area. Bai Youwei, who had finished freshening up, hummed a tune as she returned to the tent. Just as she was about to crawl inside, she suddenly stopped. The rabbit toy that she had put in her bag had reappeared at the entrance of her tent. Bai Youwei frowned and looked around ¡ª Shen MO was packing his personal hygiene supplies, Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai went to collect the tables and chairs, and there was no one else nearby.. Who could have moved her toy rabbit? Chapter 118 - 118: 118 My Rabbit Can Move Chapter 118 - 118: 118 My Rabbit Can MoveTranslator: 549690339 Perhaps she lingered outside the tent for too long, so Shen MO noticed something was off and asked her, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, not hiding anything, she pointed at the plush bunny by the door curtain and said, ¡°My bunny seems to be moving on its own.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® If Bai Youwei¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t so serious, he would have truly believed that she was playing some kind of prank on him again. Bai Youwei picked up the plush bunny, examined it carefully, and not finding anything wrong, right in front of Shen MO, threw the plush bunny back into the tent. Thud. The bunny landed on the cushion, rolled twice, and then stayed still. Bai Youwei frowned as she watched for a while, the bunny remained still. ¡°Could it be that you placed it there yourself and then forgot?¡± Shen MO walked over and asked. Bai Youwei gave him a sideways glance, ¡°I remember putting it in my bag, twice.¡± Bai Youwei has a large canvas bag, specifically for holding personal items like tissues, wet wipes, her mobile phone, her purse, as well as toy guns, frog mud, and the sponge mushroom Chen Hui gave her. Usually, the bunny is also stored inside. After all, it¡¯s not practical to keep holding it in her arms when it¡¯s hot. Bai Youwei only takes it out when she is sleeping at night, using it as a pillow. She thought for a while, then lightly clapped her hands together: ¡°Ah! I got it.¡± Shen MO asked, ¡°Understand what?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°The ¡®one-tenth me¡¯ function allows the user to release electric energy within a radius of 2 meters, so doesn¡¯t this mean, it cannot leave me beyond 2 meters?¡± She let go of her hands and, pushing the wheelchair wheels, moved back, ¡°¡­The current distance is about 1 meter, let me move back a bit more and try again. ¡± Shen MO raised his eyebrows, but before he could say anything, the plush bunny in the tent twitched. Bai Youwei saw it too and smiled, ¡°This thing is sort of interesting.¡± She continued to move backward. The plush bunny wiggled its ears, slowly sat up, then, its head turned precisely towards Bai Youwei¡¯s direction, then it stood up and started walking out with its short little legs. The bunny really moved! Although the scene should have been incredibly eerie, Bai Youwei was laughing uncontrollably. The round, chubby plush bunny walking was just too hilarious! Its legs are so short, it got stuck at the tent curtain and couldn¡¯t move forward, its short legs desperately tried to step over the lower half of the tent but just couldn¡¯t! Bai Youwei burst into laughter, maneuvering her wheelchair even further back. Shen MO reached out and stopped her. ¡°If you roll any further back, it will self, burn.¡± Shen MO said. The wheelchair was close to the fire. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t roll back any further, she returned to the tent to pick up the bunny and said laughingly, ¡°What if I throw it further, how about that?¡± Shen MO reminded her, ¡°It will get dirty.¡± Then she won¡¯t be able to use it as a pillow tonight. Bai Youwei: ¡°Then, will you catch it for me?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei took his silence as agreement, and waved at him, ¡°You move back a bit more.¡± Shen MO remained silent for a moment, somewhat exasperated, he turned and walked about ten steps away, then looked back at her. Bai Youwei was still gesturing, ¡°Even further back!¡± ¡® Shen MO took about ten more steps back. Bai Youwei: ¡°I¡¯m going to throw it now.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s expression changed slightly. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was overthinking it, but he felt like they were playing a game of catch, like playing fetch with a dog. ¡°If you miss, you must still pick it up for me.¡± Bai Youwei called from a distance. Shen Mo: ¡® While Shen MO still hadn¡¯t completely lost his patience, Bai Youwei swung her arm and threw the plush bunny! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The bunny soared through the air in a white parabola before being caught by Shen Mo. He immediately felt the bundle of fluff in his hand struggling. Its short arms and legs were all moving, he couldn¡¯t hold it tightly, he squeezed a bit harder and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his palm! Out of reflex, he loosened his grip¡ª The bunny fell to the ground and started scampering towards Bai Youwei! ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her wheelchair over. As soon as she entered the 2-meter radius, the bunny immediately stopped moving. She picked up the bunny, brought it to Shen MO and saw a bit of red on his palm. Bai Youwei: ¡°Did it bite you?¡± Shen MO looked at her despairingly: ¡°It electrocuted me..¡± Chapter 119 - 119: 119: Rabbit Experiment Chapter 119 - 119: 119: Rabbit ExperimentTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei¡¯s plush rabbit could move by itself. If it was more than 2 meters away from her, it would seemingly activate a program and begin its unyielding journey to find its owner. In this process, if it was obstructed by a living object, it would release a small amount of electric energy for defense. However, if the object was inanimate, such as a tent, stone, tree trunk, wall, etc., the rabbit wouldn¡¯t react at all. Bai Youwei and Shen MO conducted a few more experiments together. For example, Bai Youwei placed the rabbit on the windowsill of a room on the first floor, closed the glass window, and then retreated to a position more than 2 meters outside the window. Afterward, the rabbit would continually press and push against the glass window even though the room¡¯s door was clearly open; it wouldn¡¯t leave through the door. This indicated that the plush rabbit had certain intelligence, but not too advanced. ¡°If the maze¡¯s data upgrade also affects items, why haven¡¯t other items changed?¡± Shen MO speculated, ¡°Could the maze system have taken the ¡®tenth of me¡¯ as a game player?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head: ¡°If it was deemed by the system as a game player, then it should¡¯ve been ranked along with me as first place when we completed the level together. Why didn¡¯t it receive a puzzle piece?¡± The top five players who left the maze all received puzzle pieces. Hence, this hypothesis wasn¡¯t valid. Shen MO furrowed his brows, thinking again, ¡°The system upgrades players based on certain criteria. Supposing that the system targets all beings with intelligence ¨C this item perfectly fits this criterion. However, since the Inspector¡¯s role is inherently excluded from the game, it cannot earn puzzle pieces?¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s possible.¡± Bai Youwei, while stroking the rabbit¡¯s fluffy ears, slowly said, ¡°After all, the Inspector¡¯s status in the game is extraordinary. Even if it¡¯s only a tenth, it cannot be placed on the same scale as regular gamers.¡± While speaking, she suddenly smirked, seemingly thinking about something. ¡°I wonder what extent this data upgrade can reach¡­ Will it turn into a fifth, a third, a quarter¡­ until it becomes a complete Inspector?¡± Shen MO was left speechless for a moment. He found Bai Youwei¡¯s theory baffling and was equally baffled by the existence of the Inspector. Speaking of upgrades, though¡­ Whether they could safely exit the next maze was still uncertain. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO fell into silence for a moment before finally saying, ¡°We¡¯ll see once we reach Hangzhou.¡± Bai Youwei simply responded with a hum. After a while, she quietly said, ¡°I thought you would choose to follow Zhang Tianyang and the others.¡± Upon hearing her, Shen MO turned to look at her. She was gazing into the distance. During the peaceful night, the moonlight lay scattered on the industrial cement road, creating an illusion of frost and piled snow. The two of them sat side by side in front of the tent flap. Bai Youwei said, ¡°I¡¯m not close to my mother, so it¡¯s normal for me not to go look for her. What about you? Have you ever thought of looking for your dad?¡± Shen MO was silent for a moment, his tone still as calm as water, ¡°Given my dad¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t trust in any temporary rescue team. He would most likely seek out his own path.¡± Pausing for two seconds, he continued, ¡°Moreover, what difference would it make if we found him? We¡¯d still need to figure out these games, and the maze¡­¡± As he slowly spoke, his gaze dropped to her slightly bent legs. Thinking about the data upgrade and her physical condition, he wanted to ask, but at that moment, Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai came running from a distance, shouting at them, ¡°Brother MO! Weiwei! Something is coming across the lake!¡± Their shouts were breathless and somewhat unclear. Shen MO stepped forward and asked, ¡°What¡¯s coming?¡± ¡°Looks like a boat!¡± an excited Tan Xiao replied, ¡°There are lights on the boat! And electricity! It¡¯s also rumbling loudly!¡± Chapter 120 - 120: 120: Rescue Team Chapter 120 - 120: 120: Rescue TeamTranslator: 549690339 Chang Weicai was a bit more rational than Tan Xiao, saying: ¡°It¡¯s too far to see clearly, we don¡¯t know who is on it, but in a few minutes, it should be near the shore.¡± Meeting others was a blessing, as it provided warmth in numbers, a chance to exchange information, and mutual assistance. But ever since they heard from Tu Dan¡¯s students, about people attacking others to seize tools, they dared not take others lightly. If that was the case for tools, wouldn¡¯t a jigsaw puzzle be even more tempting? However, currently, not many people have cleared the maze, so the information about the puzzle was relatively isolated. Most people should not know about the existence of the puzzle. After a little thought, Shen MO said to everyone, ¡°Don¡¯t be too anxious, let¡¯s go and see the situation first.¡¯ S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even though he said that, Teacher Chang still brought his crutch, Tan Xiao carried a baseball bat, and Shen MO held the inconspicuous folding fruit knife. As for Bai Youwei, everything was in her bag. The four of them arrived at the lake and found that the boat was already docking. It was an amusement park sightseeing boat, designed in an antique style, with a big red hull, bright yellow curtains, dragon and phoenix carvings, and many red lanterns hanging outside the window grilles. A few people got off the boat and yelled at them, ¡°We are the rescue team! How many of you are there?¡± Everyone was surprised. Having wandered for so many days, they had lost hope of rescue, but now, they had stumbled upon a rescue team? ¡°It must be a rescue team organized by civilians,¡± said Shen MO, ¡°the officials wouldn¡¯t use such a boat for rescue operations.¡± After hearing this, everyone¡¯s excitement calmed down slightly. That¡¯s right. If it were really a rescue team, why would they use a sightseeing boat from the park to collect people? However, encountering a civilian rescue team is also just their luck. The leader was a muscular man, sturdy and tanned, looking a bit fierce but giving an honest and friendly smile. He led two young men over and said to Shen MO and the others, ¡°Fortunately, you had a fire, or we wouldn¡¯t have found you. Is there anyone else? Pack your things and get on the boat, we will take you to a safe island!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°A safe island?¡± ¡°Over there¨C¡± The muscular man pointed, ¡°Sanshan Island, all of our people are there, but it¡¯s too dark now, you definitely can¡¯t see it.¡± A young man next to him, who was clearly impatient to stay on the shore any longer, urged: ¡°Hurry up and get on the boat, Uncle Zhao said, it¡¯s not safe onshore.¡± Shen MO frowned imperceptibly. How could they get on the boat without getting the full picture? ¡°Big brother, it¡¯s pitch-dark over there, I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Bai Youwei pulled on Shen Mo¡¯s hand, her voice soft and pitiful, ¡°Can we not go?¡± Tan Xiao and Teacher Chang were both taken aback by her voice and looked at her in silence. Shen MO, however, was used to it and calmly told the muscular man, ¡°We don¡¯t need to be rescued for now, thank you.¡± Perhaps it was their first encounter with people who refused rescue, the muscular man and the young man were stunned, ¡°What about the fire just now¡­¡± Teacher Chang quickly explained, ¡°We were cooking something, it¡¯s not a rescue signal, sorry for the misunderstanding.¡± The other party stared at them with a strange look. Everyone they had seen before was overjoyed at the sight of rescue, but Shen MO and the others were¡­ Well, rescue is a matter of mutual consent. If someone doesn¡¯t need rescuing, of course, there¡¯s no need to push. The muscular man said: ¡°Well¡­ then, you guys be careful.¡± Having said that, he got back on the boat with his people. Shen MO also led his group back to the service area. But they had only walked a few steps when someone on the boat called out to them again: ¡°Hey! ¡ªWait! Please wait a moment¡­. Chapter 121 - 121: 121 Civilian Rescue Chapter 121 - 121: 121 Civilian RescueTranslator: 549690339 The voice sounded slightly hoarse and weathered, like an old man. Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to see another man disembarking from the boat. He was short and nimble on his feet, his trousers rolled up to his knees, looking like an old sailor who frequently worked on boats. The young men from earlier were all trailing behind the old man, their demeanor completely respectful. Upon reaching the shore, the old man grinned at Bai Youwei, ¡°Young lady, don¡¯t be afraid! Our island is very safe, there are no dolls, and no people-eating fog. You will be safe there and need not worry about food or lodging. It¡¯s practically like your life before, barring the lack of internet connection.¡± Bai Youwei kept up her act, her face full of anxiety as she asked, ¡°But¡­once on the island, will anyone bully me and my brother?¡± She seemed genuinely frightened, her pitiful look compounding as she clung onto the corner of Shen Mo¡¯s clothes. Shen MO could feel her small hand touching his waist through the thin fabric of his t-shirt¡­ He warned her with a stern look: Behave. But she was so engrossed in her performance that she ignored him. The old man laughed and waved his hand, ¡°No one will bully you.¡± The burly man behind him also reassured, ¡°Although we¡¯re only a civilian organization, if you work hard and perform well, there¡¯s a chance to go to a safety base established by the government! So, it¡¯s perfectly safe on the island, no one will deliberately cause trouble for you.¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO calmly stopped her mischievous hand and asked, ¡°What kind of safety base are you talking about? Can you elaborate?¡± ¡°It¡¯s established by the Suzhou rescue organization, located on West Mountain Island, which is larger than Sanshan Island and has more resources. However, due to the influx of people sent from neighboring rescue teams, they¡¯ve imposed restrictions on admissions.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Is there a way to get in touch with them?¡± The burly man: ¡°You can submit your information tomorrow. If you¡¯re lucky, you might be selected, and then naturally you can go over to that base.¡± Shen MO asked again: ¡°To whom do we submit it?¡± ¡°Just give it to Uncle Zhao.¡± The burly guy pointed to the old man next to him. That¡¯s when everyone understood. The elderly man known as Uncle Zhao was currently the only person who could make contact with the government officials. That¡¯s why the young men were so respectful towards him. Shen MO wasn¡¯t very interested in the civilian rescue organization, but the government-established safety base had piqued his interest. If there really were government personnel there, perhaps he could use them to make contact with the Household Registration Department. He still couldn¡¯t believe that a fully-functioning, orderly large-scale organization had actually crumbled and disappeared after the doll invasion. After a brief discussion, the four of them decided to board the boat. They left their SUV in the service area and brought their personal belongings and some food onboard. On the boat, they learned about some specific conditions on the island from the burly man ¨C For instance, everyone on the island had their own roles. Some were responsible for fishing, others for chopping wood, and others for cooking. Even the elderly, women, and children could find work suitable to them. As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. If someone showed laziness, hindered others, or bullied the weak, they would be immediately expelled from the island once discovered. Therefore, the atmosphere on the island was great. Everyone was united and helped each other wholeheartedly. It truly was a breath of fresh air in this end-of-the-world situation. Of course, all of these were the words of people on the boat. As for the reality, Shen MO and his companions would have to experience it for themselves when they got on the island. The lake was broad and tranquil, bordered by mountains under the cover of night. They rolled up and down in succession, towering and majestic. One could only wonder what kind of beautiful scenery it would present during the day. In the distance, they saw faint flickering lights. As the boat neared, the lights gradually became denser, forming a cluster. Although it didn¡¯t match the ¡°lights of thousands of families¡± sight, it didn¡¯t fall short. In context to an uninhabited backdrop, this bit of light brought about a feeling of homecoming.. Chapter 122 - 122: 122: Chatting in the Evening Chapter 122 - 122: 122: Chatting in the EveningTranslator: 549690339 Sanshan Island is a small island within the Tai Lake nature reserve. Being a tourist attraction, it¡¯s not short of vacation hotels. Upon arrival, they were allocated two twin rooms and a burly man also brought them a bag of rice, ensuring their needs for food and accommodation on the island would be met, just as he¡¯d promised before. Of course, although the rice was free, they would have to work to earn their meals after that. With it being late in the day, everything else would have to wait until tomorrow. Everyone returned to their rooms to rest. The soft bedding was much more comfortable than the tents, yet it gave off an unreal sensation. In her bed, Bai Youwei kneaded her slightly sore and numb legs. Whether she moved or remained still, it was uncomfortable. After closing her eyes for a while without falling asleep, she burrowed into her blanket and asked, ¡°Shen MO, are you asleep?¡± Shen MO, from the next bed, remained still, merely grunting in a low, hoarse voice. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± said Bai Youwei. ¡°Let¡¯s chat for a while.¡± After a moment of silence, Shen MO turned his head to her and asked, ¡°Chat about what?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°About feelings?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He turned his head back away, no longer looking at her. Bai Youwei: ¡°If you don¡¯t want to chat about feelings, we can discuss our bodies.¡± ¡°Bai Youwei¡­.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice held a mix of irritation and a hint of helplessness. ¡°Are you going to sleep or not?¡± Bai Youwei also felt troubled: ¡°I want to sleep, but I can¡¯t because we¡¯ve suddenly switched places.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t sleep so you¡¯re bothering me?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t bother you, should I bother myself?¡± she replied in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m not dumb!¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He stopped talking again. Bai Youwei, realizing she¡¯s annoyed him, sighed quietly, turned over in her bed and stared at the mountains outside her window. ¡°It¡¯s so chilly in here¡­¡± she whispered wistfully, ¡°So chill that it doesn¡¯t feel like summer at all.¡± After a while, Shen MO replied casually: ¡°There¡¯s a significant temperature difference in the mountains.¡¯ Bai Youwei, glad he was willing to engage with her again, continued their chat: ¡°There¡¯re more mountains on the other island, it must be even colder there at night. Do you think there¡¯s really a safety base there? I somehow find that hard to believe. The mountains there look dark and menacing, without a single light.¡± Shen MO answered quietly: ¡°Whether there¡¯s a safety base there or not, we¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡± ¡°How will we find that out?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°Uncle Zhao said that he sends people to the base every week, and the next round isn¡¯t until the day after tomorrow. Unless you¡¯re planning on swimming over there tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°If there truly is a large safety base, there will inevitably be ships transferring goods.¡± Shen MO said calmly, ¡°The dolls have only appeared a few months ago, so the safety base can¡¯t possibly be self-sufficient yet. Therefore, there should be transport ships out on the lake tomorrow. If there aren¡¯t, it means Uncle Zhao¡¯s information was fake.¡¯ At this point, he lowered his voice: ¡°As for why he would give out fake news¡­ either it¡¯s to keep people calm, or to conceal a secret. Besides, where do all the people who were sent to West Mountain Island go?¡± If there was no safety base on West Mountain Island, where did all the people who were sent there go? Why hadn¡¯t they come back? ¡°It¡¯s too early to discuss these matters now, we¡¯ll see what happens tomorrow¡­¡± Shen MO mused. After a while, he received no response from Bai Youwei. He turned his head to look, and found that she had fallen asleep, her eyes closed. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO was filled with a sense of helplessness. Yet, her sleeping face was truly adorable, innocent like a well-behaved child. How could a person show such massive contrast? Silently sighing, Shen MO got up to tuck the corner of her blanket in, then went back to bed.. Chapter 123 - 123: 123 Let Me Guess Chapter 123 - 123: 123 Let Me GuessTranslator: 549690339 At seven in the morning, someone from the island knocked on their door, saying they needed to register their information. Bai Youwei, who was disturbed from her sleep, wore a face so gloomy it could rain. With Shen MO shielding her, she somehow managed to not burst out angrily. But once the registration was done and the person left, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore; she immediately returned to bed to catch up on sleep. During this time, she vaguely heard Shen MO say to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go out for a bit. You stay inside by yourself, but don¡¯t wander off.¡± She thought she was dreaming, her mind still groggy from sleep, she murmured under her blanket, ¡°Can I even leave? You¡¯re overestimating my legs.¡± She faintly heard him chuckle. Then she heard his footsteps move away, the door was shut, lightly but distinctly, with a ¡°click¡±. Strangely, she felt very sleepy, but upon hearing this ¡°click¡±, her mind gradually became clear. She realized she could no longer sleep. She checked the time on her phone, it was only seven-thirty. Last night they sat on a boat, disembarking upon reaching the island, then they had to re-arrange their room at the resort, they only got sleep late at night, completely sleep-deprived! But now, she was wide awake! The sullen-faced Bai Youwei got up, took a moment, began washing up, changing her clothes¡­ and then wheeled herself out. The holiday hotel was situated by the mountains and the waters, the nearby surroundings were naturally beautiful, tranquil valleys, evergreen trees and a sight of green hills and clear waters as far as the eye could see. Teacher Chang, dressed in a white shirt styled typical of a government official, was sitting in the hotel garden, chatting with someone. The other person was wearing a linen shirt, crowned with a straw hat. Half his face was obscured by the eaves of the hat. It was only when Bai Youwei got closer, and heard his voice, that she realized it was Uncle Zhao, the man who invited them on the boat yesterday. Upon seeing Bai Youwei come out, Teacher Chang smiled and said, ¡°Weiwei, you¡¯re up. Why didn¡¯t you sleep a bit more? I just brought back breakfast, but it¡¯s still hot right now. The air is good here, why don¡¯t you go for a stroll while it cools, then you can eat.¡± There was soy milk and buns on the stone bench, she didn¡¯t know what they were filled with. Bai Youwei responded absentmindedly with an ¡°Oh,¡± she didn¡¯t go far, just found a cool spot under a tree nearby. The morning was peaceful, and there was a lively human touch to this tranquility. From time to time, people walked by through the garden¡ªa group of young men carrying fishing nets, women with baskets laughing and chatting, and the aunties and uncles busily airing clothes and sheets. A bit further away, just-baked buns were steaming in the restaurant kitchen. The white steam drifted far, carrying the sweet scent of the grains. It was peculiar. Life was tense on the outside, yet it was so quiet and peaceful here, it almost felt unreal. Chang Weicai was still chatting with Uncle Zhao. Perhaps because they were of similar age, they seemed to enjoy the conversation. Uncle Zhao spoke highly of Chang Weicai¡¯s knowledge and culture; Chang Weicai praised Uncle Zhao for being ambitious. Chang Weicai gave Uncle Zhao a thumbs-up and exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯ve been teaching all my life, confined to a single classroom. You¡¯re different. You¡¯re someone who embraces the wider world, which is why you¡¯ve managed to organize the island¡¯s basic necessities so well that everyone can live here peacefully. Your place is not much different from paradise indeed!¡± Excited, he even recited a poem: ¡°Path to Wuling is deep and secluded, Qin people live in the middle with their chickens and dogs. Who are the initial visitors? The source now flows with peach blossoms again!¡± Uncle Zhao laughed heartily, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not that extraordinary, it¡¯s just the result of everyone¡¯s hard work. We did plant some corn in July, if the harvest is good in October, followed by a batch of wheat, we might actually be able to build a paradise.¡± Teacher Chang laughed, ¡°It¡¯s within our reach.¡± Bai Youwei squinted, lazily watching the two old men. The sun gradually rose, and the shade from the tree shifted accordingly. Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair followed the shifting shade. Around eleven, Shen MO and Tan Xiao finally returned. Seeing Bai Youwei lounging in the shade, they walked over. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Don¡¯t speak yet,¡± Bai Youwei smiled as she looked at them, ¡°Let me guess¡­.you didn¡¯t see the transport ship, did you?¡± Chapter 124 - 124: 124: Reap the Consequences of One’s Actions Chapter 124 - 124: 124: Reap the Consequences of One¡¯s ActionsTranslator: 549690339 ¡°How would you know?¡± Tan Xiao gaped. ¡°Well¡­¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyelids,¡± I¡¯ve said I¡¯m just guessing.¡± Shen MO gripped the arm of the wheelchair, pushing her back to the hotel. Seeing her lack of energy, he asked, ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei lazily replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to return.¡± Shen MO said, ¡°This afternoon, Tan Xiao and I will go to explore another part of the island. You and Teacher Cheng stay here, no need to wait for us. If you¡¯re hungry, eat first.¡¯ She pouted, ¡°I have no appetite.¡± Shen MO remained silent, then asked a few seconds later, ¡°Are you sulking?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Yes, so?¡± Shen Mo: ¡® sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tan Xiao suddenly felt the atmosphere was a bit off, but racking his brains, he couldn¡¯t see why. He hesitated and asked, ¡°Weiwei, after we left, did someone upset you?¡± ¡°No one upset me.¡± Bai Youwei said blandly, ¡°Just bored being alone, so playing some tricks on myself.¡± This was a novel reason, leaving Tan Xiao at a loss for words. However, Shen MO understood her perfectly well. When she said she was ¡°bored being alone,¡± she was really blaming him for leaving her at the hotel by herself. Shen MO pushed her silently back into the hotel room, closed the door behind them, and asked her with annoyance, ¡°What now?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Nothing.¡± Shen MO pressed his lips together, ¡°When I was leaving, you didn¡¯t utter a word. Isn¡¯t it a bit late to blame me now?¡± ¡°Did I blame you? When did I blame you?¡± Bai Youwei widened her eyes, ¡°For god¡¯s sake, can¡¯t I even sulk by myself? While you were out admiring flowers and girls, what¡¯s wrong with me sulking a bit?¡± Her unreasonable tantrum infuriated Shen MO, but her sour words also made him find it amusing. Shen MO asked her, ¡°Who¡¯s the girl?¡± ¡°Brother Shen, may I come in?¡± A female voice sounded from outside the door, ¡°It¡¯s your first day here, and Uncle Zhao is concerned you might not be accustomed to the local cuisine, so he¡¯s prepared a feast for you at the restaurant. Let¡¯s go eat.¡± Bai Youwei commented, ¡°Oh, that voice is even more coquettish than mine. Don¡¯t tell me the person outside is a man.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Getting slapped in the face was like a whirlwind. Always catching one off guard. Shen MO was left with mixed feelings for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s the tour guide Uncle Zhao arranged for Tan Xiao and me.¡± He explained. ¡°Hm-¡± Bai Youwei talked in a light tone, ¡°The scenery shown by a female guide would definitely be the most beautiful- I¡¯ Her words had an undertone. What kind of scenery did the female guide show them? Was it mountains, water, or something else? Shen MO gave up explaining, stood up to open the door. After two steps, he stopped, fearing her sarcastic remarks might make things awkward, he turned back, held her chin, and warned her, ¡°Behave yourself later, understand?¡± His words were not at all polite, even autocratic, and hard, but somehow, all the suppressed feelings she had from 7 in the morning until 11 noon suddenly vanished¡­ Watching Shen Mo¡¯s back, Bai Youwei contemplated: Could it be that I¡¯m a masochist? The door opened, a woman in her twenties, dressed in casual clothes, with an average appearance. Makeup had colored her face and her friendly smile added an extra layer of affability. She left a not unlikeable impression. ¡°I was careless this morning, forgetting to remind you all to wear sunscreen. The sun is intense during the day, you can¡¯t go outside at noon. I¡¯ve brought hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen.¡± She went on with her offer generously. ¡°No need, thank you.¡± Shen MO declined. The young woman stuffed a big bag into his arms, laughing, ¡°Brother Shen, don¡¯t be put off because these are women¡¯s items. Under the harsh sun, we don¡¯t differentiate between men and women. You must apply sunscreen, or you¡¯ll suffer at night. Sunburn is no joke.¡± Following behind Shen MO silently, Bai Youwei thought to herself: This woman is unbearable.. Chapter 125 - 125: 125: It’s Him Chapter 125 - 125: 125: It¡¯s HimTranslator: 549690339 As much as they disliked it, they still had to sit at the same table and eat with those they were annoyed with. Eight people were seated at the table. Apart from the four of them, there was also Uncle Zhao, the female tour guide, the sturdy man from the boat and a young man sitting next to him. The meal was mainly fish with plenty of vegetables. They hadn¡¯t had a decent meal like this in a long time. Tan Xiao was gobbling up his food, the professor was clinking glasses and making merry with Uncle Zhao. The robust man and the lad next to him barely spoke, only smiling merrily. The female tour guide was busy serving food and adding water to everyone¡¯s glasses. She offered food to Shen MO most frequently. ¡ªWell, he was irresistibly attractive in both appearance and physique. But Shen MO didn¡¯t eat anything she offered. Otherwise, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t have been able to maintain her calm demeanor till now. After the first round of drinks, Uncle Zhao asked Shen MO with a smile, ¡°I heard you spent the morning exploring the island?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shen MO responded indifferently, ¡°we were just walking around, hoping to spot any passing cargo ships.¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He didn¡¯t hide their actions, the island was too small to keep their movements a secret. Besides, he wanted to gauge their reactions by bringing it up. Tan Xiao chimed in, ¡°We walked around for half a day and didn¡¯t see anything!¡± Uncle Zhao laughed, ¡°That¡¯s because the ferry dock of West Mountain Island isn¡¯t on our side, it¡¯s in the opposite direction, blocked by a mountain. Of course, you couldn¡¯t see it.¡± The old man seemed usual, showing no obvious reactions. Shen MO asked, ¡°Besides the selection to go to the safe base, are there any other ways to contact the people there?¡± ¡°Do you have an urgent matter?¡± Uncle Zhao put down his wine glass and asked kindly, ¡°If it¡¯s something urgent, you can tell me. I can pass the message when I go there next time. But I can only speak to the people at the dock, if it involves those higher up, it¡¯d be a problem.¡± The robust man poured another drink for Shen MO, ¡°What are you rushing for, buddy? Every week, a group of people is selected to go there, a dozen or so a week. There are¡­umm¡­sixty or seventy people on the island now, just wait for three or four more weeks and you¡¯re bound to be selected.¡± ¡°Only sixty to seventy people on the island?¡± Shen MO was slightly taken aback. The number was much less than he had anticipated. While he and Tan Xiao were observing the situation on the island, they had noticed signs of human habitation in many places. The robust man said, ¡°There used to be more, over three hundred at the peak, but then people slowly started moving to the base.¡± Tan Xiao wondered, ¡°Why are you still here then?¡± ¡°Heh heh, just bad luck.¡± The robust man laughed, ¡°My name was never called during the selections. But it¡¯s okay, life on this island is quite comfortable. There are too many rules in the base, I like it here.¡± At the end, he nudged his companion, ¡°Right, Xiaozhang?¡± Xiaozhang pushed him back, laughed and scolded him, ¡°In your dreams! Xiaomei is at the base, of course, I want to go!¡± The burly man burst into laughter, ¡°This guy misses his wife!¡± Everyone at the table laughed. The meal was enjoyable. Apart from Shen MO, the rest of the men drank a bit too much. The professor was a lightweight, his face turned red after a few glasses with Uncle Zhao. His steps were unsteady when he walked, and Tan Xiao wasn¡¯t better off either. Shen MO helped Tan Xiao up, asking Xiaozhang to assist the professor back to the hotel room. When they returned to the hotel room, Xiaozhang put the professor down and prepared to leave, only to find that the door was mysteriously closed Shen MO, Bai Youwei, and Tan Xiao were staring at him in silence. Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Are you sure you want him?¡± Bai Youwei nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him.¡± Xiaozhang was confused, ¡°Wha¡­what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Behave yourself!¡± Tan Xiao suddenly dropped his drunken act, brandished his baseball bat menacingly, ¡°Do what my big brother tells you to do, or you¡¯ll regret it!¡± Chapter 126 - 126: 126: Making Trouble Chapter 126 - 126: 126: Making TroubleTranslator: 549690339 The young man was instantly flustered, but tried to calm himself and asked, ¡°What do you want to do?! If you dare to mess around, Uncle Zhao will certainly expel all of you from the island!¡± Tan Xiao leaned in and whispered to Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, what were we supposed to do to him again?¡± Bai Youwei glanced at him indifferently, ¡°You just watch from the side.¡± Tan Xiao thought for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± Bai Youwei said to Xiaozhang, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s nothing in particular, being new here, there are some things we don¡¯t understand, so we wanted to ask you a few questions. Just answer them honestly, once you¡¯re done, we will let you go.¡± Xiaozhang looked at them suspiciously, ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­Zhang Qi.¡¯ ¡°How long have you been here?¡± ¡°Two months.¡± ¡°Have you been to West Mountain Island?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been with Uncle Zhao for so long, why doesn¡¯t he make some allowance and take you there?¡± Zhang Qi wore a look of annoyance on his face, yet feared these people and didn¡¯t dare to make a scene. He responded sternly, ¡°Uncle Zhao is only responsible for transport. He takes whomever West Mountain selects, he can¡¯t make decisions!¡± ¡°He can¡¯t make decisions huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei seemed to think to herself, then asked him, ¡°What kinds of people have been selected to go to West Mountain in the past?¡± Zhang Qi frowned, ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°You just answer.¡± Bai Youwei smiled at him, ¡°As for the rest, you don¡¯t need to worry about.¡± In the closed room, Zhang Qi told them everything he knew about the people who went to West Mountain Island. Men and women, old and young, at first glance, the selection of people seemed random, the age range was also even¡­ After listening, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t say anything, she just glanced at Shen Mo. Shen MO was also looking at her. Tan Xiao was caught in the fog, watching the two of them exchange glances. He was anxious, ¡°Could you two stop just communicating with your eyes, please say something so I can hear it, too!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Bai Youwei laughed lightly, her gaze once again falling on Zhang Her eyes seemed to laugh and seemed not to, making Zhang Qi feel chills all over. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you everything I know! Can I go now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°We will keep our promise, but before that, I have a gift for you¡­¡± Zhang Qi asked cautiously, ¡°What gift?¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Come here.¡± Bai Youwei beckoned to him, ¡°It¡¯s a great secret.¡± Zhang Qi, glancing at Shen MO and Tan Xiao, clenched his teeth and walked over. ¡°Bend down.¡± Bai Youwei ordered, ¡°I¡¯m only telling you.¡± Zhang Qi complied and bent down. Bai Youwei whispered something into his ear. Zhang Qi¡¯s face changed dramatically, his eyes showing shock. Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Alright, you can go now.¡± Shen MO, standing to the side, opened the door for him. Zhang Qi made no move to leave. He stood still, for a long, long time¡­ Finally, he took a step outside, his face was ashen. After he had gone some distance, Shen MO closed the door and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°The selection of people is suspicious, but it¡¯s a bit of a stretch to hold Uncle Zhao accountable based solely on that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s two things, actually.¡± Bai Youwei lifted two slender, pale fingers, with a glowing smile: ¡°First, Uncle Zhao had people plant grains as early as July, showing that he had never considered seeking the safety of the base, but rather wanted to be self-sufficient. That¡¯s pretty strange, isn¡¯t it? When a disaster strikes, normal people would think of seeking help first, but he simply sticks to this small island. Even if he can¡¯t bear to leave his homeland, how do you explain the second point? The people he sends away are either the elderly or sick who can¡¯t do physical labor, or unstable characters like alcoholics and gamblers. Shouldn¡¯t a normal base select people with special skills first?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right¡­¡± Tan Xiao interrupted from the side, ¡°Aren¡¯t Zhang Qi and Sun Wei also on the island?¡± Sun Wei was the strong man. Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°If I were Uncle Zhao, I would also keep them. They¡¯re strong, obedient, lack brains, and are well-behaved.. Why not keep them?¡± Chapter 127 - 127: 127: Pure Boredom (Extra update if we enter top 50 on the Weekly Activity Chart) Chapter 127 - 127: 127: Pure Boredom (Extra update if we enter top 50 on the Weekly Activity Chart)Translator: 549690339 After she finished speaking, the room fell silent. Only the rhythmic snoring of the teacher on the bed could be heard. Tan Xiao scratched his head, still finding it hard to believe. ¡°He¡¯s old and feeble. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If he really sent hundreds of people over there and something was wrong, wouldn¡¯t someone have noticed? Yet, he¡¯s still alive and well?¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°That¡¯s because there¡¯s a ghost over there. Everyone who goes never comes back so, of course, no one discovered anything.¡± Tan Xiao replied, ¡°If I went to the island and found out I was tricked, I would definitely wait for him at the ferry! Isn¡¯t he sending people over every seven days? I would wait there for him for seven days! And then, revenge is due, retribution as well!¡± ¡°Maybe you won¡¯t even last seven days.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was light and breezy. ¡°Alright.¡± Shen MO frowned interrupted them, ¡°In any case, there¡¯s something fishy about this island. From now on, everyone should remain vigilant. While safeguarding yourself, save anyone you can.¡± There were still about seventy lives on the island. Shen MO then asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What did you say to the one called Zhang Qi?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bai Youwei drawled, ¡°I thought you might find my two points insufficient, so I made up a third reason.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s eye twitched, ¡°What reason?¡± ¡°I told Zhang Qi that if he pretends to break his leg, his name might appear on the selection list tomorrow.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao: ¡°Is that even possible?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s the third reason.¡± Bai Youwei grinned, ¡°If Zhang Qi does as I said, and his name happens to be on the list, it means my deduction is absolutely correct-¡± Tan Xiao curiously asked, ¡°Will Zhang Qi do as you said?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, it doesn¡¯t matter even if he doesn¡¯t-¡± Bai Youwei glanced at Shen MO, ¡°Anyway, Shen MO and I should be on tomorrow¡¯s list.¡± ¡°But why would that happen?¡± Tan Xiao was surprised again, feeling bombarded by Bai Youwei¡¯s words¡ªonce it was fours of a kind, another time it was a pair of kings. He felt overwhelmed! ¡°Because I¡¯m a crippled drag, as for Shen Mo¡­¡± Bai Youwei gave a mischievous smile, ¡°Surveying the island as soon as he arrived, and attempting to contact the security base? Such a person is too restless and needs to be dealt with soon!¡± She placed her hand on Shen Mo¡¯s abdomen and mimicked a disemboweling movement on his abs. Shen MO grabbed her hand and put it back, ¡°Stop messing around.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Tsk-¡± Bai Youwei withdrew her hand, looking disdainful, ¡°Anyway, the probability of what I just said is very high. Otherwise, why would old man Zhao invite you all to dinner the moment he heard you were surveying the island? No other newcomers received such a treatment. Clearly, he¡¯s testing you!¡± Tan Xiao looked at Shen MO in confusion, ¡°Brother MO, I¡¯m getting goosebumps from what Weiwei said. If we really get chosen tomorrow, should we go or not?¡± Bai Youwei clung to Shen Mo¡¯s waist, whining adorably, ¡°Wherever big brother goes, I¡¯ll follow-¡± Shen MO gently pushed her away, ¡°You go back to your room and pack your luggage first.¡± Having been rejected twice, Bai Youwei looked crestfallen and wheeled herself into the next room. As Bai Youwei left, Tan Xiao asked Shen MO hesitantly, ¡°Brother MO, why does Weiwei sometimes talk like that?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°How so?¡± Tan Xiao thought for a moment and made a whining sound, ¡°Like this, with whines¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao: ¡°Professor Cheng said Weiwei is very smart, and she may be trying to confuse the enemy by acting weak, but just now, we were the only ones in the room. She¡­ um¡­ Tan Xiao struggled to explain, his face puzzled and uncertain. After a moment of contemplation, Shen MO patted his shoulder, ¡°She¡¯s just bored.¡± Tan Xiao: Chapter 128 - 128: 128: Wu Lili Gets Hurt Chapter 128 - 128: 128: Wu Lili Gets HurtTranslator: 549690339 Master Chang slept until five in the afternoon. He felt ill from the drunkenness. It wasn¡¯t until after he had consumed several cups of hot water upon waking that he finally felt better. Seeing that Tan Xiao and Shen MO had already packed their luggage, he realized they had no intention of staying long. Master Chang pondered for a while, then sought out Tan Xiao, Shen MO, and Bai Youwei to discuss. ¡°Uncle Zhao¡¯s place is quite pleasant and stable, maybe I should stay here¡­¡± he proposed. Reading their expressions, he slowly explained, ¡°I¡¯m older, and although I¡¯m willing to pull my weight, I might inevitably slow you down. Perhaps it¡¯s better for me to stay here and help Uncle Zhao. What do you think?¡± Tan Xiao instinctively looked at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei¡¯s face remained expressionless. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tan Xiao then looked at Shen Mo. Shen Mo¡¯s expression was equally indifferent. ¡°As long as you have made up your mind, we won¡¯t object. But you don¡¯t need to feel as though you¡¯re dragging us down. Throughout our journey here, you have been of great help to us.¡± Shen MO said. Tan Xiao nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly, good buddies share both the blessings and the burdens. How can we talk about who¡¯s dragging whom? What sort of camaraderie would that be!¡± An emotion stirred in Chang Weicai, moving him deeply yet leaving him feeling conflicted. Although he had not been travelling with them for long, the bond they had forged through shared life and death experiences was naturally profound. However¡­ He hadn¡¯t obtained a piece of the puzzle during the labyrinth adventure. If another game surfaced, he might become a burden. While pondering this, a commotion suddenly broke out outside. There were shouts, interjected by the sound of rushing footsteps in the hallway. Shen MO opened the door, and they all followed him outside, only to see Zhang Qi carrying the female tour guide into the hotel lobby. His frantic companion beside him was shouting, ¡°Xiaohe! Xiaoher, quickly! Lili is injured!¡± A middle-aged woman rushed out of her room with a medical box. In just a few short minutes, the hotel lobby was crowded with people. The injured tour guide was surrounded in the middle of the crowd. Uncle Zhao also quickly came over, asking the middle-aged woman, ¡°What happened to Lili ¡°My leg!¡­ My leg hurts so badly!¡­¡± The tour guide was writhing in pain, clutching her knee. There was no blood, but her pants were covered in mud. ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet.¡± The middle-aged woman replied worriedly, ¡°The pain is quite intense, it might be a fracture. I can¡¯t treat that, and we don¡¯t have any equipment for diagnosis here!¡± Upon hearing this, a sigh swept through the crowd. Everyone knew that in the current environment, where medical resources were scarce, even if a fracture wasn¡¯t life-threatening, it would surely hinder future mobility. In the crowd, Zhang Qi, who was next to the injured tour guide, happened to make eye contact with Shen MO and his group, before quickly looking away¡­ Uncle Zhao arranged to take the injured guide back to her room and had the doctor put on a splint. The woman doctor used to work at a community clinic, treating minor ailments. The injuries the tour guide sustained were beyond her expertise, so she could only estimate how to treat it. Shen MO and Bai Youwei returned to their room. ¡°Wu Lili¡¯s injury likely has something to do with Zhang Qi.¡± Bai Youwei speculated with delight, ¡°The question is, did she cooperate voluntarily, or was she tricked by Zhang Qi?¡± Shen MO was slightly stunned, ¡°Are you talking about the tour guide?¡± His reaction pleased Bai Youwei. ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t you know her name?¡± Bai Youwei said with a grin, ¡°Xiaowu, Lili, Wu Lili, that¡¯s how everyone calls her at the dining table.¡± Shen MO frowned, saying, ¡°She didn¡¯t fracture her leg.¡± ¡°How would you know?¡± Bai Youwei blinked curiously, ¡°She seemed to be in a lot of pain..¡± Chapter 129 - 129: 129: There’s Something Fishy about This List Chapter 129 - 129: 129: There¡¯s Something Fishy about This ListTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO said indifferently, ¡°When you¡¯ve seen enough, you naturally understand it. A fracture doesn¡¯t look like that. Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh¡­¡± Resting her chin in her hands, she thought for a moment and spoke slowly, ¡°If Wu Lili was pretending¡­then there are only two possibilities now. First, Zhang Qi told Wu Lili what I had said, and Wu Lili wanted to go to the safe haven, so she pretended to be injured.¡± Shen MO asked, ¡°What about the second?¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, her gaze at Shen MO became significant. ¡°Second, Wu Lili has motives towards you. So, she has been lingering near our rooms, paying close attention. She saw Zhang Qi leave from here and, motivated by curiosity, she bluffed her way to the truth from Zhang Qi and persuaded her to cooperate with her in performing a play.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® She was analyzing things but insisted on dragging him into the drama and seasoning it with her own assumptions. ¡°This possibility is very high.¡± Bai Youwei stuck out a finger, shaking it playfully in a knowing manner. Shen MO ignored her pointed finger and concluded directly, ¡°Teacher Chang wants to stay here, what do you think?¡± Bai Youwei hesitated, ¡°¡­he¡¯s old now, so it¡¯s perfectly natural that he doesn¡¯t want to roam around. And he seems to get along well with Uncle Zhao, so it would be suitable if they kept each other company.¡± After a brief pause, she muttered, ¡°If we were wrong in our analysis and Uncle Zhao is a good man, I wouldn¡¯t be against Teacher Chang staying.¡± It¡¯s natural that joining a secure haven, or even a shelter, would be better than camping with them. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO nodded indifferently. The next day, everyone got up early, gathering outside Zhou¡¯s bungalow, waiting for the results of the selection. There was a large tree outside the house and the list of potential candidates from the previous batch was posted on the trunk. Sun Wei, holding a cup of paste, came out from the house, walked under the tree, smeared the old list with paste, and then took a new piece of paper from Uncle Zhao and pasted it on top. The paper wasn¡¯t large, just about the size of an A4 sheet, with some names printed on it. Everyone rushed forward to see. Some faces were brimming with joy, while others were once again disappointed. Shen MO and Bai Youwei glanced at each other, both understanding what the other was thinking ¡ª no wonder Uncle Zhao had never been suspected for a long time. The list was printed indicating that the shelter had a generator. This detail was indeed very convincing and easy to deceive people. ¡°They are really lucky, they registered just yesterday, and they were picked today.¡± Someone murmured softly in the crowd. The names of Shen MO, Bai Youwei, and Chang Weicai were written on the list. ¡°The old man is more ruthless than I thought¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at the list on the tree, her eyes cold. She didn¡¯t expect the old man Zhao to add Chang Weicai¡¯s name to the list. Although Chang Weicai was old, he was still not at the age where he could not move. Plus, Chang Weicai was knowledgeable and willing to contribute to the island¡¯s development. Why wouldn¡¯t Uncle Zhao keep him? They seemed to be getting along well when they were chatting yesterday¡­ Bai Youwei¡¯s cleverness was unable to understand the complexities of the human heart. Sun Wei stood under the tree and said, ¡°Alright, everyone step back. The people on the list need to get ready. Gather at the dock at 10 0¡¯clock sharp! Did everyone hear that?¡± Everyone gradually dispersed. At this moment, Zhang Qi suddenly stood up and shouted, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this list! I don¡¯t accept it!¡± Everyone was taken aback and looked over in unison. Including Old Man Zhao and Sun Wei. ¡°Zhang Qi! What are you raving about?!¡± Sun Wei shouted. ¡°I¡¯ve been on this island for two months! I¡¯ve never been selected! I¡¯m not pleased!¡± Zhang Qi¡¯s voice was harsh with anger easily seen on his face, ¡°Even Wu Lili with a broken leg can be selected! Why can¡¯t I go to the shelter?! Chapter 130 - 130: 130: Must Get on the Ship Chapter 130 - 130: 130: Must Get on the ShipTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Why me?! I¡¯ve been here longer than you and I haven¡¯t complained! What are you whining about!¡± Sun Wei yelled in anger, ¡°The list is decided by the safety base, not us! If you have problems with it, go argue with them! What are you trying to prove by yelling at Uncle Zhao?!¡± Zhang Qi: ¡°Great! I am going to go and inquire about it today! I will find out how they came up with this list even if I cannot enter the base!¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sun Wei, looking frustrated, spoke, ¡°Xiaozhang, what¡¯s wrong with you today? Did you take the wrong medicine?!¡± Uncle Zhao responded calmly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Everyone wants to go to the safety base. It¡¯s natural to feel resentment when you¡¯re not chosen after waiting for a long time. It¡¯s human nature, but¡­¡± His voice shifted as he turned to the crowd and spoke slowly, ¡°However, there¡¯s definitely nothing wrong with the list, and no one is manipulating it. You can all trust me, and if you don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Uncle Zhao, don¡¯t say that. We all trust you!¡± ¡°Yes, without Uncle Zhao, we wouldn¡¯t even know what to do right now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Zhao, Xiaozhang just got a bit upset. We will talk to him.¡± Everyone started to speak, trying to defuse the tension. Zhang Qi, standing in the crowd, was still visibly angry ¡ª his face filled with fury. Old Zhao tried to reason with him, ¡°The base is now overcrowded. Deciding who to bring in must involve certain considerations. I reported Wu Lili¡¯s condition just yesterday, thinking they may select her due to better medical conditions in the base.¡± Zhang Qi, still arguing with Old Zhao, snorted, ¡°Anyway, I will go today! If I can¡¯t go, none of you will get on the ship!¡± He then took an axe from his pocket! The crowd gasped in horror and scattered away! ¡°Zhang Qi! Have you gone mad?!!¡± Sun Wei roared. He couldn¡¯t believe his friend would do something like this! Uncle Zhao¡¯s face became cold and expressionless as he looked at Zhang Qi, ¡°Even if I take you there, the base will not allow us to dock if the number doesn¡¯t match. You still won¡¯t be able to step foot on the island.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your problem! You deal with it!¡± Zhang Qi said, still holding on to the axe. ¡°One way or another, I am boarding that ship today!¡± The atmosphere was tense. Zhang Qi clenched the axe. Uncle Zhao remained silent. Neither of them was willing to back down. It was then that Chang Weicai, hesitatingly stepped forward and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t ¡­ let¡¯s give my spot to Xiaozhang?¡± Everyone¡¯s mood lightened for a moment, only to be followed by surprise. They couldn¡¯t believe someone could be so selfless and willing to give up the chance to go to the base. ¡°Mr. Chang, think twice about this.¡± Sun Wei couldn¡¯t help but advise. Chang Weicai smiled softly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to think about. Xiaozhang is anxious to be with his friends and family in the base. Let him go first. I can wait here a few more weeks. There will still be opportunities later.¡± Everyone remained silent, thinking: Everyone knows there will be more opportunities, but who would want to miss it when it¡¯s right in front of them? Chang Weicai lightly patted Zhang Qi on the shoulder, took the axe from his hand, and said amicably, ¡°Go get your luggage. The ship leaves at ten. Don¡¯t be late.¡± Zhang Qi¡¯s eyes reddened, he lowered his head, loosened his grip, and left without saying a word. The others approached Chang Weicai to express their gratitude before gradually dispersing. From a distance, Bai Youwei observed the scene. A thought began to form in her mind as to why Uncle Zhao had written Chang Weicai¡¯s name on the list¡­. Chapter 131 - 131: 131: Friends Gathering Chapter 131 - 131: 131: Friends GatheringTranslator: 549690339 At ten o¡¯clock in the morning, the selected individuals promptly boarded the boat. It was a small cruise ship, with two rows of seats in the cabin, each row could accommodate 12 people, together with the bow and stern, it could hold quite a few people. Legend has it that in the past, the base could select more than thirty people in one batch, and luggage alone could fill the boat to capacity. Now, only 18 people were seated in the boat, making it appear quite empty. Bai Youwei, confined to a wheelchair, felt cramped inside the boat and chose to stay with Shen MO at the back of the boat. There were people on both the deck and the cabin, so they chose to stay silent and enjoy the scenery. In the distance, the green mountains and blue sky were perfectly blended with the gentle waves of the lake and the sparkling of the water surface. It was hard to imagine that such a serene landscape concealed such dangerous hazards. The distance from Sanshan Island to West Mountain Island was very close, only about 4 kilometers if you travelled to the ancient village of Mingyue Bay on West Mountain Island. However, Uncle Zhao did not dock at Mingyue Bay, but chose to take a roundabout route in the opposite direction, circling for more than ten kilometers before starting to dock near the Great Saint Bay. Everyone gradually got off the boat. There was not a soul on the shore, and the surroundings were so silent that not even the sound of a bird could be heard, causing everyone to look at each other with apprehension. ¡°Uncle Zhao, where are the base staff members?¡± Wu Lili, using a branch as a crutch, was limping near the back of the group. ¡°Uncle Zhao, could you ask a staff member to bring over a car? I can¡¯t walk any further with this leg.¡± Old Zhao walked ahead, his strides firm. Without looking back, he responded, ¡°Hang on a little longer, we are almost there.¡± Zhang Qi raised his voice and asked, ¡°Why is there no one on shore? Where are the safety base employees?!¡± ¡°Ahead,¡± Old Zhao¡¯s voice remained steady, while his feet didn¡¯t stop, ¡°We are almost there.¡± Everyone felt uneasy, but since they had come this far, they could only continue forward. After a while, they arrived at a slope where there were stairs built from bluestone. Everyone followed Uncle Zhao, lugging their luggage along the steep slope, growing increasingly weary. Soon after Uncle Zhao reached the top of the slope, his figure quickly disappeared from sight on the other side of the hill. By the time everyone struggled to climb up, Uncle Zhao was nowhere to be found. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Someone was dumbfounded. Without Uncle Zhao, they were like a ship without a rudder. The eighteen people stood atop the hill, gazing down at the vast expanse of houses and trees, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn¡¯t spot Uncle Zhao! Then, suddenly, the scenery in front of them started to vibrate! ¡ªThe hill beneath their feet seemed to transform into a dense carpet, rippling after shaking, and then quickly changing from ash-gray to lush green! The entire hill was covered in luxuriant green grass as far as the eye could see! The houses and the vegetation had disappeared! ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! The theme of this game is ¡®Friends Gathering.¡¯ The rules are as follows: One, refuse the game and become a doll! Two, fail the game and become a doll! Three, clear the game and win a doll!¡± As this familiar narration rang out, everyone on the hill changed their expressions! ¡°It¡¯s the Doll Game!¡± Someone yelled in terror, ¡°Why is there a Doll Game here?!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Doll Game only appear in places where there are dolls?¡± Those who had already experienced the game were totally panicked, and those who had not were scared due to the hearsay, their faces turning pale. ¡°Where is Uncle Zhao? Why would Uncle Zhao bring us to a place like this?¡± Wu Lili burst into tears, threw her crutch, and then charged at Zhang Qi, punching and kicking, ¡°You are going to get me killed! I wanted to go to the safety base! I don¡¯t want to play the game!!!¡± Zhang Qi¡¯s face turned ashen. As he turned his head towards Shen MO and Bai Youwei, preparing to question them, a soft, cold male voice rings out from behind them ¡ª ¡°Oh, miss, please stop. The game is about to start, and attacking the players is against the rules.¡± Everyone turned around at the sound of the voice, seeing a man leisurely walk up the hill. When they saw the man¡¯s face clearly, they all collectively gasped! Chapter 132 - 132: 132: The Third Inspector Chapter 132 - 132: 132: The Third InspectorTranslator: 549690339 ¡°This was the third Inspector that Shen MO and Bai Youwei had encountered. They didn¡¯t know how many Inspectors were part of the game, but so far, each Inspector they had met was extremely unique. The first one was a rabbit-headed gentleman. It had a snow-white rabbit head and a delicate adolescent-like body, conversing in such a detached and calm tone, as if it was an emotionless robot. The second one was Jin Qiu. It lacked the humanoid form but possessed the tone and temper of a human child. Merry and crafty, bad-tempered, and mischievous, it liked to hide the rules like some kind of prankster. The third one was the one right before their eyes. They could say that, it was the most ¡°human¡± inspector they had encountered so far. Its appearance was similar to that of a blond, blue-eyed male model from a magazine, dressed in a complete white suit, with an overwhelmingly striking and handsome face. However, the shocking thing was that it was incredibly tall! Unusually long! Its long arms and long legs were like a character straight from a comic book! Such an appearance would naturally look good in a comic book, but to see it in real life, right in front of them, its impact was indescribable, sending chills down their spines! It walked up the hill, standing close to them, even towering over Shen MO, who was the tallest among them, by several heads! If Shen MO had a perfect nine-head figure, then this being would have at least a terrifying twelve-head figure. ¡°Welcome all, I am the Inspector for this game, I hope we can have a pleasant time together.¡± The Inspector said with a smile. There was silence as nobody spoke a word. Everyone watched him nervously. It was impossible for them to have a pleasant time. They could only hope they wouldn¡¯t die too soon. The Inspector¡¯s gaze calmly swept over everyone¡¯s faces, its tone was casual, ¡°There are a total of 18 players. I wonder who among you will be my friends?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly. She remembered that the theme of the game was ¡°Sophia¡¯s Meeting¡±, and now the inspector said it wanted to be friends with them. Could it be that the Inspector would also be participating in the game? ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, do you see the long white table down the hill?¡± the Inspector asked. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone looked where it pointed. Unbeknownst to them when, a long table appeared in the field under the hill, covered with a white tablecloth, and there were 18 beautifully crafted glass vases placed on it. Each vase did not contain any flowers; it was filled with half a bottle of clear water, which was pure and transparent, reflecting the glow of gold. ¡°The theme for this game is ¡®Sophia¡¯s Meeting.¡±¡® The handsome Inspector told them, ¡°Being a part of the meeting requires bringing a beautiful flower as a token of courtesy. Only those who bring me the most beautiful flower will be considered my beloved friends.¡± Shen MO asked, ¡°Where are the flowers?¡± The inspector pointed in the distance, ¡°Follow the path down the hill, walk through the forest, and you will come upon a ¡®Sea of Flowers¡¯¡­¡± It paused slightly, the smile deepening on its face. ¡°Four hundred years before the Common Era, the great philosopher Socrates, took his students to an apple orchard, asked each of the students to pick the biggest and best apple. They were allowed to choose only once and they couldn¡¯t turn back on their path. Now, you must do the same. I want you to go into the flower sea, which is home to every variety of flower in the world. Each one of you should bring back a flower, choose only once, and you cannot turn back on your path. In the end, I will select the ten most beautiful flowers from the eighteen and the ones who bring back those flowers will be my friends and will get to partake in Sophia¡¯s meeting.¡± Everyone realized the implications. It turned out that this was just a pre-selection, and the real ¡°Friend¡¯s meeting¡± had not even started yet. ¡°What will happen after becoming a friend?¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What will we need to do at the meeting? The Inspector turned its sharp, azure eyes towards her, revealing a hint of a smile, ¡°Oh, dear lady, that¡¯s a secret, I can only tell my friends.¡± So, only those who qualified as ¡°friends¡± would get to know what this meeting was really about.. Chapter 133 - 133: 133: The Most Beautiful Flower Chapter 133 - 133: 133: The Most Beautiful FlowerTranslator: 549690339 Whether they liked it or not, everyone walked down the hillside along a small path, half a meter wide, running through the middle of the grassland. The Inspector stood by the long table, seemingly kindly reminding them: ¡°When making a decision, be resolute and firm, for when the sun goes down, those beautiful flowers will go to sleep.¡± Everyone quickened their pace. ¡ª The most beautiful flower should, of course, be picked at its most stunning bloom. This game seemed quite easy right now, just involving picking a flower. Anyone of normal aesthetic judgment could differentiate between beauty and ugliness. Picking a beautiful flower should be pretty effortless. But, such an apparently easy game had around a 50% elimination rate. Of the 18 people, only 10 would remain. ¡°In the story of Socrates, the ending was that nobody picked an apple they were satisfied with. Shen MO pushed Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair, walking steadily through the bushes, his voice as calm and composed as his steps. ¡°Some students find a good apple, and because they want to find one even better, they continue moving ahead, only to discover at the end of the orchard, that the first apple they saw was the best. Some students pick the apple they think is the best earlier on, only later to find a better one, leading to regrets. They ask Socrates for another chance to choose, and Socrates tells them, life is a one-time irreversible choice.¡± They walked into the woods, and the dense branches and leaves darkened their surroundings, making the scent of flowers in the air gradually stronger. Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What do you think, referencing Socrates, what could be their intention?¡± ¡°Their intentions¡­¡± Bai Youwei rested her chin in her palm and contemplated, ¡°There are many versions of this little story, choosing apples, wheat ears, trees, all of them essentially teaching us to be cautious when making choices. However, I don¡¯t think the Inspector would kindly give us a philosophy lesson.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Shen MO nodded, ¡°Maybe it is to mislead us, after all, the way to choose apples and the way to choose flowers are completely different.¡± Choosing a big and good apple, the criteria are clear-cut. But selecting the most beautiful flower, ¡°beauty,¡± is a word inherently subjective. Bai Youwei thought of the Inspector¡¯s golden hair, blue eyes, and long limbs, and felt uncomfortable all over, ¡°That guy¡¯s aesthetics must be terrible.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­Okay, this isn¡¯t the time to discuss this.¡± They walked in the woods for about a quarter of an hour and then out into the open where the fragrance of flowers hit their faces. It was a vast valley. A long, low depression naturally formed between two mountains¡ªa straight path led into the depths, and the end couldn¡¯t be seen. Both sides were full of colorful flowers! Whether it was the snow lotus from the frigid regions or the cactus from the tropics; whether it was the magnolia blooming on the trees or the water lily growing in the water; whether it was the kerria blooming in March or the osmanthus blooming in August! They were all there! There was no scientific reason for it! Everyone was stunned by the spectacle before them. The seemingly endless sea of flowers left everyone flabbergasted! ¡°There¡­ are so many flowers¡­¡± Wu Lili gazed in shock, and when her eyes fell upon a bunch of violets just by her side, she couldn¡¯t help reaching out, ¡°Are these flowers¡­ all real¡­?¡± ¡°You can only choose once!¡± warned Zhang Qi, frowning. Wu Lili froze, turned around, and laughed awkwardly, ¡°I know, I just wanted to touch it, I can¡¯t believe these are real flowers¡­ Still nursing a grudge over her pretending to injure her leg, Zhang Qi ignored her, keeping a straight face and moving on. Everyone moved slower, afraid of missing the most beautiful flower. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Walking and discussing: ¡°There are so many flowers¡­ how do we choose the ten most beautiful ones¡­.¡± Chapter 134 - 134: 134: King of Flowers Chapter 134 - 134: 134: King of FlowersTranslator: 549690339 This sea of flowers perfectly embodies the visceral experience of the phrase ¡°a feast for the eyes.¡± A ten-meter walk ahead, Bai Youwei saw lotus flowers nestled amidst the florae. With petals as white as snow and gold stamens, clusters of them gracefully stood among the lush, spreading an air of elegance and allure. Bai Youwei tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s clothes, asking him to help her stand up. She wanted to pick lotus flowers. ¡°Did you choose so quickly?¡± The nearby Wu Lili asked in surprise, ¡°there are still so many flowers up ahead.¡± ¡°I just like this one.¡± Bai Youwei leaned against Shen MO and rose, holding onto her crutch. Then she used another crutch to hook the lotus flowers in the thickets. She brought them closer, grabbing their thick, sturdy, dark green stems, covered in tiny thorns. She thought it would take some effort, but to her surprise, it snapped off easily, and the white lotus fell into Bai Youwei¡¯s hands. Everyone else looked at her in disbelief, they couldn¡¯t understand why someone would pick flowers so quickly. Is she not going to consider it? There are still so many beautiful flowers up ahead! The next second, Bai Youwei reached out again! ¡°You can only pick once!¡± Someone couldn¡¯t help but remind her. This time it was not Zhang Qi, but a plump auntie. The way she looked at Bai Youwei only fell short of writing the word ¡°fool¡± on her face. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei ignored her, reached out and hooked a lotus seed from next to the lotus flower she had just picked, and deftly picked it. Shen Mo: ¡® ¡°Do you think we can eat the lotus seeds here?¡± Bai Youwei asked him, holding up the fresh lotus seed. Shen MO was silent. Then he looked around, indeed, the others were all staring at them agape. He looked down and saw Bai Youwei had already begun to peel the lotus seed. Everyone else: Bai Youwei was sitting in her wheelchair, prying out the tender, plump lotus seeds one by one, and putting them on her skirt. She then started to eat them one by one. ¡°It¡¯s a bit bland, not as sweet as the ones you picked for me last time.¡± She peeled another one, completely oblivious to her surroundings, and handed it to Shen Mo¡¯s mouth, ¡°You try.¡± Shen MO looked at her with pursed lips. Everyone else probably thought this pair of siblings had some issues. They glanced at them with complex expressions and stopped paying them attention, each going off to find flowers. After holding it out for a while, Shen MO didn¡¯t take it. Bai Youwei, feeling the ache spread her arm, retracted her hand and ate the lotus seed herself, a bit upset. Shen MO asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of breaking the rules?¡± ¡°I picked lotus seeds, not flowers, there¡¯s nothing to fear.¡± She dismissed it with a pout, ¡°besides, aren¡¯t there still puzzles?¡± Shen MO shook his head, unable to deal with her, and continued on ahead. Bai Youwei trailed behind in her wheelchair, speculating, ¡°Which one are you thinking of picking?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s gaze lingered leisurely on the flowers along the path, saying casually, ¡°There are 450,000 species of flowers in the world. Even by a rough estimate, there are five thousand. It¡¯s quite unrealistic to find the ten most beautiful ones from so many, but¡­¡± He bent down and picked a brightly pink flower from the thicket. Its layered petals resembled the skirt of a princess, luxurious and imposing, dripping with vivid color. ¡°Peonies have been regarded as the King of Flowers since ancient times. Not many flowers can compare to them. If you choose peonies, there¡¯s likely to be a greater chance of winning.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Elder brother, that makes a lot of sense.¡± Bai Youwei looked at the flower in his hand, ¡°But, it seems like you¡¯ve picked a peony.¡± ¡® Shen MO raised his eyebrows at her, ¡°Is it a peony?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a peony.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Then what does a peony look like?¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s pretty similar to this.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s fine.¡± Shen MO pushed the wheelchair, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go back..¡± Chapter 135 - 135: 135: Too Much Happiness Chapter 135 - 135: 135: Too Much HappinessTranslator: 549690339 Both of them had picked the flowers they wanted and returned to the foot of the slope without traversing the entire flower sea. On the way, Shen MO felt as if his flower was wilting rapidly. It was not an illusion; the time he passed through the woods was only a quarter of an hour, and the outer petals began to show wrinkles, no longer as relaxed as they were when he first picked it. This was obviously not normal. If it were in the real world, such a flower could last for at least a few hours after being picked, right? Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei¡¯s lotus. The lotus was still fine, large and full of size. Water droplets slid on the snow-white petals, shining with crystal-clear light. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Because yours is not thick enough.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei pointed to the lotus stem, ¡°The thicker it is, the more nutrients it can provide to the flower, and the longer the flower can maintain its shape. But the stem of the Peony is fine too, let¡¯s hurry up and put the flower in a vase.¡± Shen MO remembered the transparent glass vases on the table were filled with water. He asked Bai Youwei hesitantly, ¡°Did you choose the lotus because you noticed that the flowers here would wilt rapidly once picked?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°I don¡¯t foresee the future- I chose the lotus because the first flower I received from a man was a lotus. I picked it because I liked itShen Mo: ¡® He remembered helping her pick lotus seeds last time, he did take a lotus back for her to play with. Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei and said faintly, ¡°Your attitude is getting better and better.¡± Usually, she was just joking around, but now she dared to goof off with him even in the game. Bai Youwei lifted the lotus flower and laughed, half of her face hidden behind the flower, revealing a pair of clear and mischievous eyes. She said with a laugh, ¡°When I saw the water in the vase, I indeed guessed something like this. After all, flowers and apples are quite different. An apple can be left for a few days without spoiling, but flowers, especially small plants¡­ daisies, evening primroses, tuberose, these will wilt within minutes of being picked.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO nodded slightly, ¡°So you knew.¡± Not only did she know, she also did not remind others. Realizing this, Shen Mo¡¯s brows wrinkled slightly without a trace. Bai Youwei sensed this and asked him, ¡°You¡¯re not blaming me, are you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shen MO replied. Eighteen people had to eliminate ten, this rule obviously had a confrontational nature, and Bai Youwei had no obligation to tell everyone the secret to passing the game. Shen MO truly did not blame her. His slight displeasure now stemmed from the increasing feeling of being obliged to submit to the game rules and the lack of freedom. ¡°It¡¯s good if you¡¯re not blaming me.¡± Bai Youwei said lightly, ¡°After all, I¡¯m still young and not mature enough. I don¡¯t want to play mother quite yetShen MO stopped in his tracks, raising an eyebrow at her. Was he old then? What was this about? Bai Youwei understood his expression, she explained, ¡°I mean like a saint, becoming everyone¡¯s motherShen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei: ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°No reason, I just think you must be very happy.¡± So happy that she was looking for fun all the time. Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Because I¡¯ve found the source of happiness- I¡¯ Shen MO glanced at her and continued forward with his Peony flower, replying, ¡°Take it easy, be careful not to turn it into a source of pain.¡± Bai Youwei looked around herself. How could it be painful?¡­ In such a game, even playing it a hundred times wouldn¡¯t become boring. At least for her, it was much more enjoyable than the real world¡­. Chapter 136 - 136: 136: Remove the First Character Chapter 136 - 136: 136: Remove the First CharacterTranslator: 549690339 When they returned to the small hillside, the Inspector was leisurely enjoying his afternoon tea. An unknown small white round table held delicate English teaware and a golden three-tiered dessert stand. On the first tier was a savoury sandwich, the second tier had scones with cream and strawberry jam, and on the third tier were pretty little cakes. Such a non-human creature, surprisingly, was deeply familiar with human customs and was indulging in them. Seeing Shen MO and Bai Youwei return, it paused, slightly surprised, before placing down its tea cup and rising graciously from its seat. ¡°It appears you two have chosen your flowers already, much sooner than I expected.¡± It glanced down at its wrist, though there was no watch to be found, ¡°Hmm¡­ You only took forty-five minutes, less than an hour.¡± After finishing, the Inspector looked at them sceptically, asking, ¡°Are you certain you¡¯ve chosen the flowers you wanted?¡± Shen MO found all these contrivances in the game rather bothersome, so he didn¡¯t pick up on the Inspector¡¯s prompt and directly asked, ¡°Can we put them in the vases now?¡± The Inspector was slightly taken aback, ¡°Of course you can.¡± Shen MO placed a peony in one of the vases, and then helped Bai Youwei place her lotus flower as well. The Inspector¡¯s gaze lingered between the two of them, filled with curiosity. It approached Bai Youwei, intentionally striking up a conversation: ¡°This lovely lady, your flower is beautiful. It seems you hold the winning ticket for this game, don¡¯t you?¡± Bai Youwei replied with a smile, ¡°Not at all, I think his Peony Flower is prettier. After all, the peony is known as the King of Flowers.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® The Inspector squinted his eyes, sizing up the flower that Shen MO brought back, ¡°Hmm¡­ Miss, you must be mistaken. The peony is a woody plant, and this flower is obviously a herbaceous plant. The flower head is round and large, the flower color is soft and delicate, the petal texture is tender¡­ This is a variety of peony that was bred a hundred years ago.¡± Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable. So, is the judging criterion based on the variety of flowers?¡± ¡°Of course not, the judging criteria are¡­.¡± The Inspector paused mid-sentence, apparently realizing that Bai Youwei was trying to get information out of him. He chuckled, ¡°Miss, you are very unique. I can smell a familiar scent on you.¡± Bai Youwei, with a serious face, responded, ¡°I think your language learning system needs to be upgraded. Otherwise, you should know that casually telling a girl such things really makes you sound like a pervert.¡± The Inspector: . Bai Youwei turned her head to look at Shen MO, raising her arm to him, ¡°Feel this; I have goosebumps. He said it smelled something in my scent. How nauseating! ¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Her soft, white and tender arm glistened. Shen MO casually brushed her hand back, ¡°That is quite disturbing.¡± The corner of the Inspector¡¯s eye twitched. It was the first time he has ever encountered such eccentric duo in all these games he has overseen. He began, ¡°Miss, I think¡­ ¡°Could you stop calling me ¡®Miss¡¯ all the time?¡± Bai Youwei interrupted him. The Inspector pursed his lips, trying hard to maintain an elegant smile, ¡°Then, how should I address you?¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, suggesting in a negotiating tone, ¡°How about you drop the first word?¡± The Inspector: . Shen Mo¡¯s lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile. He lightly ruffled Bai Youwei¡¯s hair, ¡°Be careful not to upset him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking.¡± Bai Youwei replied innocently, ¡°This time the Inspector¡¯s form is very humanoid, so it seems like we can carry on a conversation like normal people. You can¡¯t blame me.¡± ¡°Quite an interesting joke.¡± The Inspector replied with a smile, though there was an icy cold look in his sea-blue eyes, ¡°However, we Inspectors did not take on humanoid forms deliberately. We merely choose forms that are convenient for players to understand.¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, ¡°So you¡¯re saying if you were to reveal your true form, it would be an existence difficult for humans to understand?¡± Chapter 137 - 137: 137: The Favorite Part Chapter 137 - 137: 137: The Favorite PartTranslator: 549690339 The words ¡°Show your true form¡± made the Inspector feel as if his grace had been degraded by a hundred notches. But the sentence that followed subtly improved his mood. ¡°Of course, there are many things in this world that humans don¡¯t understand, aren¡¯t there?¡± replied the Inspector. ¡°So, your humanoid appearance, is it really just for convenience?¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the tea and pastries on the small round table, and asked candidly, ¡°Does having afternoon tea also serve some kind of purpose?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small indulgence of mine.¡± It took its seat once again, crossing its legs. The long, slender legs overlapped like two folded sugarcane stems. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Engaging in popular human activities allows me to have a more accurate understanding of human reactions and changes in the game.¡± It took a delicate sip of tea, smiling elegantly. ¡°A cup of tea, some pastries, they create a cozy and relaxed atmosphere, providing a sense of peace and warmth. It¡¯s a soothing end to a tiring day. Quite fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Afternoon tea is even more fascinating when enjoyed with others, would you like to give it a try?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unable to hold back any longer, Shen MO grabbed her shoulder, ¡°Stop fooling around.¡± Bai Youwei whispered back, ¡°What if it actually agrees?¡± The Inspector chuckled, ¡°What a pity, the time for afternoon tea is always fleeting.¡± It wiped the corners of its mouth lightly with a napkin and stood up, adjusting its golden bow tie. As it finished, the small round table, together with the tea set and pastries, vanished as if by a masterful magic trick. ¡°Dear young lady,¡± said the Inspector, his voice laced with condescension tinged with a potential honesty, ¡°If you manage to survive this party, we might have a chance to enjoy afternoon tea together in the future.¡± Bai Youwei simply uttered ¡°Oh,¡± and continued her inquiries without changing her demeanor: ¡°So, not only did you monitor this game, but there are other games you are involved in as well? If two or more games were activated at the same time, which one would you go to? Do you have any helpers?¡± The Inspector: Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°If you think I am trying to trick you, just pretend I never asked.¡± The Inspector gave Bai Youwei a fleeting glance and then directed his gaze towards the distance, ignoring her with a cold demeanor. Bai Youwei, barely phased, sneered and muttered to Shen Mo: ¡°I¡¯m sure it has some form of assistance, otherwise how could it handle so many games? It even has time for afternoon tea.¡¯ ¡°Not necessarily an assistant,¡± Shen MO replied, ¡°There could potentially be more than one body for the Inspector.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Yes, there might be multiple bodies for the Inspector¡­ Brother, you are so smart!¡± The back-and-forth between the two was indeed noisy, causing slight annoyance to the Inspector. Fortunately, a few individuals emerged from the direction of the forest, which somewhat improved the Inspector¡¯s mood¡ª His favorite part had finally arrived. ¡°Tell me quickly, have you picked the flowers you wanted?¡± The Inspector couldn¡¯t wait to inquire from the five individuals who had returned. With wilted flower stems in their hands and complicated expressions on their faces, they even appeared to be in pain. They had indeed all chosen the most beautiful flowers, but no one had expected that on the return journey, the condition of the flowers would drastically decline with loss of moisture, even the most beautiful of flowers were losing their luster! ¡°If they aren¡¯t put in water soon, they¡¯ll wither for good.¡± Bai Youwei remarked coldly. Upon hearing the reminder, the people no longer dared to delay, and quickly placed their flowers into a glass vase¡ª There were roses, lilies, orchids, tulips¡­ rare King flowers, and the truly beautiful peonies. What a pity that all these flowers were withering to some extent. The petals of the peony and rose had lost their vibrancy, instead were fading into a state of decay with a light brown hue.. Chapter 138 - 138: 138: Green Blanket Chapter 138 - 138: 138: Green BlanketTranslator: 549690339 Five people stared at their flowers uneasily. Their gaze frequently darted towards Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s flowers¡ª pristine white lotus, dignified Chinese peonies, almost undamaged atop the glass vase¡ªmarkedly contrasting from the rest. The atmosphere was stifling. Anxiety, impatience, jealousy, and unease tightly wrapped around them like an invisible net, restricting their breath. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Only when someone else returned from the direction of the woods, their flowers wilting gravely, did the gloomy look in the five¡¯s eyes dissipate slightly. Among the third batch of returnees, Zhang Qi¡¯s flower stood out. He brought back a lush, vibrant cactus, the top of which bloomed a golden flower. Thanks to the nutrients supplied by the cactus, there was no trace of wilt on the flower. However, Zhang Qi¡¯s hands were punctured and stained with blood. Bai Youwei speculated that Zhang Qi must have encountered other returnees on the way and noticed their flowers were wilting. That¡¯s why he came up with this method¡ªit was quick thinking. Except for Zhang Qi, the flowers of the third batch were all wilted beyond recognition. Some could not even be identified. There was no need for comparison. One glance and it was evident who were on Without question, the first two were Bai Youwei and Shen MO, followed by the second batch of returnees. Zhang Qi¡¯s flower could surely make it into the top ten. By this count, only two spots remained¡­ The Inspector cheerfully said, ¡°Well then, please place your chosen flowers into the empty vases.¡± Zhang Qi placed his flower in the 8th vase. The remaining ten vases were still empty. Everyone held their flowers tightly, well aware that the moment they inserted their flowers, they were likely to face elimination. Being eliminated in the doll game would have dreadful consequences. Some had started to tremble¡­ The Inspector¡¯s grin widened as he patiently repeated, ¡°Everyone, please place your chosen flowers in the vases.¡± No one moved. Wu Lili was panicking inside, her eyes kept glancing at others¡¯ flowers as she mentally compared whether she could secure a spot among the top ten. The flower in her hand had wilted, just barely maintaining its blooming shape, but its color was bleak. Of course, others¡¯ flowers didn¡¯t look any better. She bit her lip and, summoning courage, lifted her flower to place it into the vase- Suddenly, a hand reached out! It grabbed her flower and yanked! The wilted petals were completely shattered! Wu Lili¡¯s face distorted instantly with rage as she angrily questioned: ¡°Aunt He! What are you doing?!¡± The middle-aged woman, called Aunt He, disregarded her and swiftly inserted her own flower into the vase! Wu Lili was incensed to the brink and wanted to smash the other¡¯s vase. However, she found that once the flower was in the vase, she could no longer touch that area, as though there was a layer of transparent shield! Everything happened so swiftly, everyone stood in shock. Wu Lili gritted her teeth, made up her mind! One hand buried the naked stem of her flower into a vase, while the other armed with a tree branch, swung fiercely at others! Instant chaos ensued! Shouts and curses filled the air! Some ducked, some fought back. Lazy men, nagging women, weak patients, sneaky kids ¨C everyone turned to enemies together, engaging in life-threatening brawls! Vases without flowers were smashed! Wu Lili¡¯s branch was long taken away. She huddled on the ground, beaten black and blue, her vision blurred, her body in agony as if she would be beaten to death in the next second! However, all punches and kicks suddenly ceased in one instant. She opened her eyes and saw the lush grassland in front of her curling up like a green blanket, revealing moist earth below and plump roots. The roots were like raw, white flesh. On the flesh was a bright red mouth. Mouth filled with countless teeth. In those sharp teeth, there were people, one after another, being swallowed alive¡­ Chapter 137 - 137: The Favorite Part Chapter 137: The Favorite Part Translator: 549690339 The words ¡°Show your true form¡± made the Inspector feel as if his grace had been degraded by a hundred notches. But the sentence that followed subtly improved his mood. ¡°Of course, there are many things in this world that humans don¡¯t understand, aren¡¯t there?¡± replied the Inspector. ¡°So, your humanoid appearance, is it really just for convenience?¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the tea and pastries on the small round table, and asked candidly, ¡°Does having afternoon tea also serve some kind of purpose?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small indulgence of mine.¡± It took its seat once again, crossing its legs. The long, slender legs overlapped like two folded sugarcane stems. ¡°Engaging in popular human activities allows me to have a more accurate understanding of human reactions and changes in the game.¡± It took a delicate sip of tea, smiling elegantly. ¡°A cup of tea, some pastries, they create a cozy and relaxed atmosphere, providing a sense of peace and warmth. It¡¯s a soothing end to a tiring day. Quite fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Afternoon tea is even more fascinating when enjoyed with others, would you like to give it a try?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unable to hold back any longer, Shen MO grabbed her shoulder, ¡°Stop fooling around.¡± Bai Youwei whispered back, ¡°What if it actually agrees?¡± The Inspector chuckled, ¡°What a pity, the time for afternoon tea is always fleeting.¡± It wiped the corners of its mouth lightly with a napkin and stood up, adjusting its golden bow tie. As it finished, the small round table, together with the tea set and pastries, vanished as if by a masterful magic trick. ¡°Dear young lady,¡± said the Inspector, his voice laced with condescension tinged with a potential honesty, ¡°If you manage to survive this party, we might have a chance to enjoy afternoon tea together in the future.¡± Bai Youwei simply uttered ¡°Oh,¡± and continued her inquiries without changing her demeanor: ¡°So, not only did you monitor this game, but there are other games you are involved in as well? If two or more games were activated at the same time, which one would you go to? Do you have any helpers?¡± The Inspector: Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°If you think I am trying to trick you, just pretend I never asked.¡± The Inspector gave Bai Youwei a fleeting glance and then directed his gaze towards the distance, ignoring her with a cold demeanor. Bai Youwei, barely phased, sneered and muttered to Shen Mo: ¡°I¡¯m sure it has some form of assistance, otherwise how could it handle so many games? It even has time for afternoon tea.¡¯ S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Not necessarily an assistant,¡± Shen MO replied, ¡°There could potentially be more than one body for the Inspector.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Yes, there might be multiple bodies for the Inspector¡­ Brother, you are so smart!¡± The back-and-forth between the two was indeed noisy, causing slight annoyance to the Inspector. Fortunately, a few individuals emerged from the direction of the forest, which somewhat improved the Inspector¡¯s mood¡ª His favorite part had finally arrived. ¡°Tell me quickly, have you picked the flowers you wanted?¡± The Inspector couldn¡¯t wait to inquire from the five individuals who had returned. With wilted flower stems in their hands and complicated expressions on their faces, they even appeared to be in pain. They had indeed all chosen the most beautiful flowers, but no one had expected that on the return journey, the condition of the flowers would drastically decline with loss of moisture, even the most beautiful of flowers were losing their luster! ¡°If they aren¡¯t put in water soon, they¡¯ll wither for good.¡± Bai Youwei remarked coldly. Upon hearing the reminder, the people no longer dared to delay, and quickly placed their flowers into a glass vase¡ª There were roses, lilies, orchids, tulips¡­ rare King flowers, and the truly beautiful peonies. What a pity that all these flowers were withering to some extent. The petals of the peony and rose had lost their vibrancy, instead were fading into a state of decay with a light brown hue.. Chapter 140 - 140: 140: The Rules of the Ghost Chapter 140 - 140: 140: The Rules of the GhostTranslator: 549690339 S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Inspector¡¯s finger lightly tapped in the air, and a long table covered with a white lace tablecloth appeared in the courtyard. His finger tapped on the table again, and ten black cards were seemingly summoned and distributed. Bai Youwei received the number 3 card. Shen MO is number 4. Wu Lili and Zhang Qi respectively got the numbers 7 and 10. The numbers on the cards served only as the order for speech, without any reference significance. No one knew what other people¡¯s words were. Bai Youwei looked at her own card and found it blank, without any words. She didn¡¯t know whether it was for confidentiality that the phrases would be revealed only when the game officially started. Here, the Inspector began to announce the rules: ¡°Ten friends, each of you will receive two sets of different words. You will take turns describing the words you¡¯ve got and, after one round, all ten will vote for the person whose word set is different from their own. The two with the most votes will be eliminated from the game.¡± Everyone listened silently, unwilling to miss any detail. The slender Inspector stood at the closest end of the table, casting a slender shadow and maintaining an elegant smile as he looked at the faces in front of him: ¡°There are three rules that you must pay attention to. First, do not use any words from the phrase during the description process; Second, do not use foreign languages, dialects, codes, etc. to transmit information; Third, the game will end when there are only players with the same phrase left. Finally, the winning players will attend a party in the cabin.¡± Shen MO frowned: ¡°There are five spots. If there are not enough players when the game ends, what should we do?¡± ¡°Teammates automatically get resurrected.¡± The Inspector replied with a smile, ¡°Players eliminated during the game are only temporarily eliminated. If their teammates eventually win, they will also get the chance to attend the party.¡± After he spoke these words, many people breathed a sigh of relief. Because this rule meant that even if they were eliminated, they would not necessarily lose. With his blue eyes, the Inspector glanced around at people¡¯s faces, ¡°Now, does everyone understand the rules? If you have any doubts, feel free to ask.¡± No one spoke. Everyone was still digesting the information they had just received. The Inspector raised the corner of his mouth, ¡°Then let¡¯s get started Everyone lowered their heads to look at their own cards. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows because her card was still blank. ¡°Right.¡± The Inspector suddenly spoke again, ¡°I almost forgot. Before the game starts, I need to explain the Ghost Rules.¡± Everyone looked up at him with puzzled expressions. ¡°Among you, two people have no words on their cards.¡± The Inspector smiled and said, ¡°The person who got the Wordless Card is the Ghost. The Ghost is free to form alliances with any team, but only one of the two ghosts can survive. The first Ghost to be eliminated does not have the right to be revived.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Alright, does anyone have any questions now?¡± asked the Inspector. Bai Youwei wanted to curse. If she asked questions now, wouldn¡¯t it expose her as the ghost?! She bit her lower lip, turned her head to look at Shen MO, said nothing, and gazed at him with a pitiful look in her eyes. Shen MO slightly raised his eyebrows as if understanding the message in her eyes: Are you the Ghost? The game doesn¡¯t allow private communication, so Bai Youwei said nothing and turned back with a sullen pout. Shen MO now realized: She is the Ghost. He lowered his gaze to look at his own card, contemplating how he can form an alliance with her. ¡°The game begins now¡ª The Inspector looked to his right with a smile, ¡°Number 1, please speak first..¡± Chapter 141 - 141: 141: Detrimental to Social Harmony Chapter 141 - 141: 141: Detrimental to Social HarmonyTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei was frustrated. She was number 3, which meant that she could only receive two pieces of information at the most! The ghost identity seemed all right, as it allowed her to ally with any team. But in reality, it was the most dangerous. Without a word to describe, it was easy to become the target of a public vote. Number 1 was a slovenly old man, the kind of guy who was always idle, neither working nor doing housework, and who loved bragging around when he was out and leading a muddle-headed life. People like him could talk about everything when idle, but when something happened, they would be of no help at all! Inspector: ¡°Number 1, have you figured out how to describe it to your friends?¡± Number 1 stuttered: ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s something¡­ we often use at home.¡± ¡ª -Ding! Suddenly, a clear sound like the enter key after completing the input rang out. A line of words appeared above the old man¡¯s head: ¡°It is often used at home.¡± Everyone was staring at him with wide eyes. Number 1 was startled, ¡°Why are you¡­why are you all looking at me?¡± He raised his head to look above, reached out and touched his head, but found nothing. ¡°Number 2, please describe the word on your card.¡± The inspector said. Number 2 was a petite and fragile woman, the kind who was mistreated by her in-laws and abused by her husband but never had the courage to fight back. When her friends and neighbors stepped in to help, she would blame them instead, accusing them of making matters worse and then return to her family, lamenting her miserable life with no one to turn to. Almost all those selected by Uncle Zhao, are set to cause disarray in society. Number 2 was terrified, her weak body shivering. She stammered: . it¡¯s used a lot in the summer, and¡­you can, you can hold it to wipe¡­¡± Her voice suddenly stopped. Number 2 disappeared! Roger in front of everyone, she disappeared without warning! Inspector: ¡°Number 2 violated the rules and disclosed the words, thus being automatically eliminated. Now we will replace the word, please all of you recheck your new wordsm.¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows, flipped open her card and took another look. Bai Youwei: She remained silent, staring at the inspector. He was still feigning a smile, his blue eyes full of malice. She suddenly wanted to ask, does the game rule allow the inspector to target the players like this? Why was her card still without words? Got selected as the ghost twice in a Inspector: ¡°Number 1, please describe your words¡± Number 1, the old man, wore a distressed expression, opened his mouth and said: ¡°It¡¯s something you eat¡­¡± His words trailed off, and he added: ¡°But you can¡¯t really eat it.¡± Ding! Two lines of text floated above number I¡¯s head: ¡°It¡¯s something you eat.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t really eat it.¡± Bai Youwei: The inspector turned to Bai Youwei and said cheerfully: ¡°Number 3, please describe your word.¡± Since number 2 was eliminated, the turn came directly to Bai Youwei after number 1. Bai Youwei pursed her lips. Number I¡¯s first sentence, ¡°it¡¯s something you eat,¡± suggested that the first association the word gave him was food. As for his second sentence, it should be used to fill a gap, to prevent misunderstanding. For example, eating coconut, actually means drinking it; or eating betel nut, which actually means chewing it. No matter what word it was, they all had one thing in common- Bai Youwei spoke calmly: ¡°It can be bought at many supermarkets.¡± ¨C -Ding! A line of words floated above Bai Youwei¡¯s head: ¡°It can be found in many supermarkets.¡± Of course, she couldn¡¯t see the line of words. She observed everyone¡¯s reaction. When she found that the others had no reaction after hearing her description, she knew that her deduction was correct. Perfect¡­. She just needs to listen to the remaining seven descriptions calmly. With her brains, she is not afraid that she would not be able to guess the word group. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After all, she has played a similar game before.. Chapter 142 - 142: 142: Who is the Undercover Agent? Chapter 142 - 142: 142: Who is the Undercover Agent?Translator: 549690339 In the real world, there¡¯s a game called ¡°Who¡¯s the Undercover¡±, similar to Friend Game, where you eliminate others through describing words. The slight difference is that in ¡°Who¡¯s the Undercover¡±, usually one undercover hides among seven or eight players, whereas Friend Game divides players into two balanced teams, making the information easily confused and the game more difficult. No matter how the rules change, one point must be remembered: Concealment is far better than exposure. Correctly describing your own idea is secondary, the most important thing is to quickly guess the other party¡¯s phrase so you can adjust your descriptions according to the situation. Inspector: ¡°Player number 4, please describe your phrase.¡± Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei and said indifferently, ¡°Inedible, elastic.¡± Ding! Two lines of text floated above Shen Mo¡¯s head. Bai Youwei: By putting ¡°Inedible¡± first, was he hinting that his word was different from player number 1? So, when it¡¯s time to vote, should she join him to vote out player number 1? Bai Youwei secretly gritted her teeth. No¡­ She is player number 3, player number 2 is already out, if player number 1 is out, she will be the first to speak in the next round, which would be unfavorable to her. At least she needs to ensure that player number 1 survives this round of voting. Inspector: ¡°Player number 5, please describe your phrase.¡± Player 5: ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s sold in supermarkets, price¡­ not too expensive.¡± Next¡ª Player 6: ¡°We occasionally buy it from the supermarket.¡± Player 7: ¡® . . It¡¯s a bit sticky.¡± Player 8: ¡°It¡¯s white¡­ well, not quite, there are also other colors.¡± Player 9: ¡°This thing¡­ can change shape.¡± Finally, it was player number 10, Zhang Qi, he looked gloomily at player number 5: ¡°My word is different from player number 5, this thing comes in many types, some are cheap, some are expensive.¡± Bai Youwei: She was a bit frustrated. Inspector: ¡°The first round of descriptions has ended, please point out who you want to vote for.¡¯ Heads turned, arms were raised. The sight of everyone pointing fingers at each other was quite spectacular. Player number 1 and player number 5, voted for Zhang Qi, player number 10. Player number 6, player number 7, as well as Shen MO and Bai Youwei, all voted for player number 5. Player number 8 voted for Shen Mo. Player number 9 abstained, did not vote. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Every round, two people were eliminated, therefore, players 5 and 10 were voted out. Before they could even make a sound, the two of them disappeared instantly. Inspector: ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin the second round of description. Please pay attention to the description above each player¡¯s head. Your description for the second round cannot be the same as the first round, otherwise, you will be immediately disqualified.¡± Bai Youwei finally understood. So, that¡¯s what the floating words above her head meant. Now there are seven people remaining in the game, their corresponding descriptions are: Player 1 It is a kind of food, but you can¡¯t really eat it. Player 3¡ªCan be bought in many supermarkets. Player 4 Inedible, elastic. Player 6 Occasionally bought at the supermarket. Player 7 bit sticky. Player 8¡ªWhite, but also comes in other colors. Player 9¡ªCan change shape. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows in frustration. Excluding her own information, among the remaining 6 clues, there were two groups of words, plus one piece of false information, because there was still one Ghost. If the word described by players 1, 6, and 7 was the same, she could guess that it was something like chewing gum or bubble gum; And by combining the descriptions of Shen MO, player 4, with players 8 and 9, she could guess it was something like bubble glue or rubber glue. But player number 8 voted for Shen MO, meaning they weren¡¯t on the same team. Then, Shen MO and Zhang Qi both voted for player number 5. Zhang Qi said there were different types, some of which were very expensive. Is there really an expensive type of bubble glue? Bai Youwei found it hard to understand. This was so frustrating¡­ She had to confirm Shen Mo¡¯s phrase as quickly as possible. Otherwise, how could she continue to play with her brother? Meanwhile, The Inspector had already announced the start of the second round: ¡°Player 1, please describe your phrase. Remember, do not repeat your description from the first round..¡± Chapter 143 - 143: 143: Changing Strategies Chapter 143 - 143: 143: Changing StrategiesTranslator: 549690339 After a round of voting, the atmosphere became much heavier. The man at position 1 was no longer non-committal and pondered very seriously before providing a description: ¡°Young people like to eat.¡± He mentioned ¡°eating¡± again, so the word from number 1 must be some type of food. Considering he voted for the player in position 10 in the last round, it should be some kind of cheap food. Combining the characteristics he said: a bit sticky, changes shape, favored by young people, Bai Youwei was almost certain the word was chewing gum. So, the word that Shen MO got must be very similar, yet quite different from ¡°chewing gum¡±. The answer was on the tip of her tongue. Bai Youwei felt more confident and relaxed. ¡°Number 3, please describe your term,¡± the Inspector said. She glanced at the Inspector, realizing she might be able to change her strategy. After thinking for a moment, she said: ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say this, but it seems some people here still haven¡¯t fully understood how to play the game¡­¡± Everyone was looking at her. Bai Youwei hooked the corner of her mouth, and continued, ¡°This game is not about testing your language skill. Everyone, don¡¯t forget, there are ghosts in this game. If the two ghosts guess our term, and manage to survive until the end, have you considered the consequences?¡± The Inspector said, the game ends when only players with the same terms are left. But what if the last people left were all ghosts? Although the probability was low, it was indeed possible. Everyone reacted and simultaneously turned towards the Inspector. The Inspector glanced at Bai Youwei, then politely explained to everyone: ¡°If one ghost survives until the end, they can form an alliance with any team, but if both ghosts survive, it means there are no allies here and the party can¡¯t proceed.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked the middle-aged woman at spot 8 nervously, ¡°What does ¡®unable to proceed¡¯ mean?¡± Inspector: ¡°It means, the party is cancelled, everyone is eliminated, and the ghosts win and leave the game. Do you understand now?¡± Everyone was immediately nervous, their eyes darting back and forth as they tried to find the ghost hiding among them! The goal was achieved, Bai Youwei was satisfied. She spoke again: ¡°Do you get it now? We should deal with the ghosts first! The longer we delay, the more information the ghosts get, and they might guess the terms and hide among us! I suggest in this round, we first eliminate the suspected ghost. After all, those eliminated won¡¯t be our own teammates, so I¡¯m sure no one will object, right?¡± Her last sentence put down an ultimatum¡ªanyone who objected to her was a ghost. Sure enough, although everyone looked doubtful, no one objected in the end. The middle-aged woman at position 8 directly asked her, ¡°Who do you think is the ghost?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°In the previous round, my description was that ¡®it can be bought at many supermarkets¡¯. Then, Number 6 said ¡®he occasionally buys it from the supermarket¡¯, which was a meaningless statement. It was as if he was copying my words, so now I suspect Number 6 is a ghost.¡± Number 6 defended hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Bai Youwei pretended not to hear and continued, ¡°Also, Number 4 said ¡®it¡¯s elastic¡¯, Number 7 said ¡®it¡¯s a bit sticky¡¯, then Number 9 said ¡®it can change shape¡¯. This statement seems to be the combination of the former two. Thus, I also suspect Number 9.¡± Number 9 became indignant all of a sudden, ¡°Stop it! If you can¡¯t analyze, shut up! No one wants to listen to your nonsense!¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wu Lili at position 7 looked around and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t think Number 9 is a ghost¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Bai Youwei smiled with a cocky grin, ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal to be suspected when you don¡¯t describe properly? Just describe better in this round and clear your name, isn¡¯t that easy?¡± Chapter 144 - 144: 144 Who is my friend Chapter 144 - 144: 144 Who is my friendTranslator: 549690339 After she finished speaking, the tense atmosphere slightly eased. Indeed, as long as you describe clearly in this round, you can clear all suspicions. Getting angry now wouldn¡¯t help at all. Bai Youwei said, ¡°In any case, I hope everyone pays close attention to Number 6 and Number 9¡¯s statements later. Of course, I¡¯ll also pay close attention to what everyone else has to say. As for who the Ghost is, I believe we will have a verdict soon.¡± Sparks quickly flashed in the eyes of Number 6 and Number 9. The corners of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth slightly curved upwards, revealing a hint of triumph ¡ª she easily threw the contradiction directed towards her back at Number 6 and Number 9, causing them to suspect each other. This was mainly because there were not many astute people among those chosen by Uncle Zhao; hence, she could get her way this easily. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m about to start describing¡­¡± Bai Youwei paused for two seconds, then said, ¡°This thing, it¡¯s small.¡± Whether it was chewing gum or bubble gum, neither was large in size. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She was confident that this description would not cause any problems. The Inspector said, ¡°Number 4, please describe your phrase.¡± Shen MO thought for a moment and said, ¡°Its packaging is small, but its actual size will change.¡± Bai Youwei smiled inwardly. Of course the size of bubble gum would change once it¡¯s blown up. Yes, perfect- It was now Number 6¡¯s turn. Because Bai Youwei had singled him out, he was particularly nervous at the moment, his face as pale as a sheet and covered with sweat. ¡°This object¡­ this object¡­¡± He stammered, unable to speak coherently. The Inspector voiced a reminder, ¡°Number 6, please describe your phrase.¡± The Inspector¡¯s voice startled Number 6, causing him to sweat even more. Since his youth, he had been reliant on others and never had a proper job even in his thirties. After the doll invasion, he ended up on Sanshan Island, living aimlessly. When Uncle Zhao chose him to go to the safe base, he was quite pleased at first, he never expected to be forced into the game. Fearing that the Inspector would implement some sort of compulsory measure if he continued to procrastinate, Number 6 stuttered, ¡°This object¡­ it¡¯s soft.¡± Number 7 was Wu Lili, who immediately retorted, ¡°Number 4 said earlier that it was elastic, and I said it was a bit sticky, so of course it¡¯s soft! Your description is no different from not speaking at all! You¡¯re definitely the Ghost!¡± Number 6¡¯s face turned beet red as he quickly shouted, ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°You are the most suspicious!¡± Wu Lili huffed, adding, ¡°My description is that it¡¯s damp.¡± Number 8 said, ¡°It¡¯s not too damp¡­ it¡¯s dry when it¡¯s in its packaging.¡± Number 9 agreed, ¡°I concur with Number 8¡¯s description and shall add a point. There are commercials of it on TV.¡¯ The Inspector gazed at them with a smile, ¡°After two rounds of description, I suppose everyone has a clearer judgement. Now, please vote for who you suspect¡ªI¡¯ Almost everyone voted for Number 6. Number 6, panic-stricken, did not vote at all. Shen MO voted for Number 1. As Bai Youwei found it strange, she witnessed Number 1 and Number 6 disappearing before her eyes. Simultaneously, the Inspector¡¯s voice rang out: ¡°The third round of descriptions now begins.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s mind worked quickly, understanding the situation. Shen MO was trying to decrease the number of opponents. Since each round eliminates two people, it¡¯s not necessary to focus all the votes on one person! ¡­But this strategy could easily make him a target for Number I¡¯s teammate in the next round. Now there were five people left in the field, excluding her and Shen MO, they were Numbers 7, 8, and 9. Numbers 8 and 9 seemed to be on the same team, while Number 7 might be on Shen Mo¡¯s side. Now, she had to win Number 7¡¯s trust and form an alliance, which meant they could secure a win with a 3-against-2 advantage. However¡­ She really didn¡¯t like Number 7. ¡°Number 3, please describe your phrase,¡± the Inspector reminded. Bai Youwei furrowed her brow. This round was crucial. Numbers 8 and 9 had already teamed up. If she couldn¡¯t win Number 7¡¯s vote in this round of statements, she was likely to be voted out. She thought for a moment, then said, ¡°I now know who my friend is..¡± Chapter 145 - 145: 145: The Angry Number 9 Chapter 145 - 145: 145: The Angry Number 9Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei turned her head, clearly saying to Wu Lili, ¡°Number 7, listen well to my description, this thing can¡­expand quite a lot.¡± Wu Lili instantly showed a look of understanding. Shen MO looked deeply at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei: S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Did I not say it right? Bubble gum can be blown up quite big Inspector: ¡°Number 4, please describe your phrase.¡± Shen MO gave Bai Youwei a long, meaningful look, ¡°How big it can get depends on its user.¡± Bai Youwei: That¡¯s right, if the person blowing the bubble is skilled, has a large lung capacity, the bubble they blow will be bigger Next up was Wu Lili. Probably running out of adjectives to use, she agonized for a while before saying, ¡°Some of them¡­ um, some of them have patterns.¡± The lady at number 8 said, ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡± The dude at number 9 grouped with the lady, but still expressed distaste, ¡°Can you think properly before you say anything? It¡¯s not always sweet, is it?¡± The Inspector looked at them expectantly, ¡°The third round of descriptions is over, now, please choose who you want to vote for¡ª¡± Bai Youwei and Wu Lili didn¡¯t hesitate to vote for number 8. Numbers 8 and 9 didn¡¯t hesitate to vote for Shen Mo. Shen MO cast a ballot for number 9. In an instant, the woman at number 8 and Shen MO at number 4 disappeared. Though she knew it was only temporary elimination, and that she also had a jigsaw piece to save herself, Bai Youwei still felt a pang in her heart, her face turned gloomy. The Inspector smiled and said, ¡°Only 3 players left, no more order of speaking, it¡¯s now three minutes of free speaking time, after which will be the final public vote.¡± After saying this, it stood leisurely on the side, watching with interest, and didn¡¯t speak again. Bai Youwei shot him a cold look, and said indifferently: ¡°Wu Lili, let¡¯s vote for number 9 and finish the game.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Number 9, on the verge of tearing Bai Youwei apart from across the table, yelled ¡°You crippled idiot! Shut up if you can¡¯t talk properly! All you¡¯ve done from the start is spew nonsense, if I knew earlier, I should have voted you off! ¡± This dude was the kind of¡­ young man in his twenties, a drop out, jobless and roaming idly around, picky about everyone, arrogant and crude, with teenage angst mixed with hooliganism. Bai Youwei calmly said to Wu Lili: ¡°Do you still remember what number 9 said in the last round? He said he saw ads for this on TV, well, I¡¯ve never seen it, and even if there are, there would be very few.¡± Wu Lili nodded solemnly. ¡°You¡¯re stupid, aren¡¯t you, number 7?! I¡¯m the one on your team!¡± Number 9 yelled frantically, ¡°It¡¯s sticky, and wet, and there are patterns on it, people on dates often use it, right?! ¡± Wu Lili was startled, then looked at Bai Youwei with suspicion in her eyes. Bai Youwei immediately cursed in her heart. What¡¯s going on here?! Chewing gum is sticky and wet to eat, some brands also print patterns on it, people on dates would use it because it clears up oral odors, making kissing less awkward! But you, Wu Lili, are frozen over bubble gum, what¡¯s wrong with you?!! Number 9 was still yelling: ¡°Number 7, think about what she¡¯s been saying all along! Don¡¯t let her confuse you, vote for number 3 with me, and we win!¡± Wu Lili looked at number 9, then at Bai Youwei, her expression hesitant. Bai Youwei was almost maddened with anger! She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had guessed the word wrong, but at this critical juncture, she couldn¡¯t think of a new word, the only clue she could count on was Shen Mo¡¯s hint: you can¡¯t eat it! Balloon? Inflatable Gel? She gritted her teeth at Wu Lili, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool, think carefully again, just now number 8 said this thing is sweet, and number 9 immediately said it¡¯s not always sweet¡­¡± ¡°Damn it! It originally has more than one flavor!¡± Number 9 yelled. Bai Youwei had reached her limit too, she shouted back furiously, ¡°Can this damn thing be eaten?!¡± Chapter 146 - 146: Noob Teammate (Extra update for my darling little bunny- kisses) Chapter 146 - 146: Noob Teammate (Extra update for my darling little bunny- kisses)Translator: 549690339 ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not edible?!¡± Number 9 audaciously questioned Wu Lili, ¡°Number 7, think for yourself. Is it edible? Aren¡¯t there many flavors? I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve never tried it!¡± Wu Lili was dumbfounded, weakly echoing, ¡°¡­it seems, it seems not inedible¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at her incredulously. ¡°You can eat it? You¡¯re not repulsed?!¡± Wu Lili hesitated: ¡°¡­Yes¡­lt is quite disgusting¡­¡± ¡°The point is it¡¯s not supposed to be eaten! It¡¯s supposed to be used!¡± Bai Youwei maintained Shen Mo¡¯s ¡°dying words¡±: how large it can grow depends on its user. So, it must be used! Upon hearing this, number 9 bursted into laughter, pointing at Bai Youwei and chimed, ¡°See! She has exposed herself, her hint is different from ours! It¡¯s clearly edible! ¡± Wu Lili was swayed once more, looking at number 9 with suspicion. Noticing an opportunity, Bai Youwei pressed on, challenging number 9, ¡°You said it¡¯s edible, fine! Then tell me how it¡¯s eaten! Who would eat it! And have you eaten it yourself?!¡± ¡°So what if I¡¯ve eaten it?¡± number 9 bragged, ¡°Everyone in my family has eaten it. Chew it, tear it, stretch it, so what?!¡± Bai Youwei pointed at him, ¡°Vote for number 9!¡± Wu Lili raised her hand too. The color drained from number 9¡¯s face, and before he could curse, he vanished. The Inspector, having seen enough of the drama, clapped lightly, ¡°The Ghost has chosen to form an alliance with number 7, bringing all members of number 7¡¯s team back to life.¡± Shen MO and Zhang Qi, as well as the earliest eliminated woman number 2, appeared. Wu Lili, as if waking up from a dream, looked at Bai Youwei in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re the Ghost¡­¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t want to engage with her, feeling exhausted. Constant arguing with number 9 had left her throat tired! She didn¡¯t realize until now how terrifying it was to have an incompetent team member when hanging out with Shen Mo. This Wu Lili was even considering betraying midway! If it weren¡¯t for her strident shouting and desperate attempts to turn the tide, by now it would be a showdown between Wu Lili and number 9! Given the nature of this game, a IVI situation wouldn¡¯t allow voting, only a fight. Wu Lili had just been beaten up, could she endure a fight with number 9? Exhausted, Bai Youwei leaned on Shen Mo¡¯s arm, her forehead against him, ¡°What was your word really? It nearly cost me the game¡­¡± Shen MO stroked her head with gentle warmth, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± Bai Youwei stayed silent for a while before suddenly laughing gently. ¡°Ah¡­ why didn¡¯t I think of it, it¡¯s that thing.¡± Shen MO looked at her, ¡°What thing?¡± Bai Youwei chuckled helplessly: ¡°It¡¯s Slime.¡± Slimy, wet, slippery soft, highly elastic, can be large or small. Zhang Qi¡¯s description fits too, the knockoff Slime dolls are cheap while the authentic Slime dolls are exorbitantly priced. As for whether it¡¯s sold in supermarkets, she wasn¡¯t sure. After all, a sheltered rich girl like her never had much chance to wander around supermarkets. ¡°It¡¯s the Slime, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bai Youwei, holding Shen Mo¡¯s hand with eyes squinted in satisfaction, displaying a childlike pride, ¡°Am I not impressive? Even with an empty card I can still win.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s lips curled up slightly, ¡°Yes, you are impressive.¡± Her eyes curved even more, like a bright crescent moon. Shen MO looked at her, strangely warmed by the sight. It was an indescribable feeling, as if a toughened heart was slowly softening, enveloped by a warm current, feeling its gentleness and warmth. He didn¡¯t say a word, just lightly stroked her head, then pushed the wheelchair towards the cabin. There, their true friends were waiting for them at the gathering.. Chapter 147 - 147: 147: The Real Gathering Chapter 147 - 147: 147: The Real GatheringTranslator: 549690339 Externally, it seemed just like an ordinary wooden cabin. But stepping inside, it has an entirely different charm. While it couldn¡¯t compare with a palace, it could definitely pass as a luxury banquet hall¡ª The first thing you see upon entering is a beautiful circular dance floor, filled with elegantly dressed guests. At the front, one could see a band playing instruments, and countless waiters were scattered around. Some were holding trays of food, some were pouring wine for guests, and some were doing nothing but standing politely. All around was a vista of silks, satins, pearls, and precious stones. It seemed like you were at a banquet hosted by a wealthy person. However, this feeling lasted only for a second. Because everyone realised that whether they were dancing guests, musicians of the band, or the waiters, they all stood still. They were all dolls. The laughter, conversation, and music here were all artificial. It was as if you dressed up the doll puppets in beautiful clothes, moved them into a beautiful house, arranged them in a situational pose, and then coupled it with fitting music¡ª It would be mistaken as real. The Inspector was sitting at a dining table on the perimeter of the dance floor, gently waving at them. The nearby dining tables were all filled with doll puppets, only the table where the Inspector sat was empty. When the five of them went over, they saw six chairs, one of which was occupied by the Inspector, leaving five remaining. Each of them understanding the situation well, they didn¡¯t need to ask any questions and just found a spot to sit down. The moment they sat down, the music stopped. Lifting their heads, they noticed all the dolls around were looking at them¡ª The dancing ones, the musicians, the ones serving wine, and even the ones sitting on the other chairs. They all had turned their heads, some even twisting their necks 180 degrees, staring straight at their table! Everyone was scared stiff, their faces turning pale, with chills shooting up their foot-soles and hand-palms. The banquet hall was so tranquil that it was eerie. The doll puppets gazed silently, like a terrifyingly layered cloud enveloping everyone. The Inspector, however, remained his usual polished and courteous self, wearing a smile. ¡°My friends and I welcome you all here. We hope we can be friends. There was no response. If the price of friendship was to become a doll and stay here, it would probably be their eternal nightmare. Bai Youwei, however, seemed exceptionally brave. She glanced at the nearby tables and asked, ¡°These tables are all for six people, but only five dolls are sitting there. Are they players who lost the game?¡± The Inspector¡¯s blue eyes twinkled slightly, and he responded with a smile: ¡°Indeed. Friends who lose the game stay behind. The gathering of friends never ends.¡± Bai Youwei asked again: ¡°Do you have any friends in the outside world?¡± The Inspector hesitated. ¡°No, right?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°With your way of treating friends, even if you had friends, you would definitely fall out with them.¡± The smile on the Inspector¡¯s face faded a bit: ¡°Miss, I admire your sense of humour, but in the game, it is better to avoid making jokes.¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡± Bai Youwei looked surprised, ¡°I clearly told you the truth. Probably the game system also thought you were pitiful for not having friends and decided to assign you a ¡®friends game¡¯ to oversee. Ah- I just realized that the system is quite considerate.¡± The Inspector¡¯s expression twisted a bit, seeming to be grinding his teeth: ¡°The friends game is my masterpiece, flawless, and it has shown countless valuable data! The system is just¡­¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. All of a sudden, he fell silent. Bai Youwei and Shen MO almost simultaneously voiced out: ¡°Just what?¡± The Inspector looked at them for a moment. Gradually, the annoyance faded, and a smile returned to his face. Almost as if he couldn¡¯t help but chuckled out: ¡°Ha! Interesting humans, but just a combination of water, protein, inorganic substances, and enzymes. Are you that curious to know the answer?¡± All five of them at the table stared at him, their eyes filled with fear, hatred, and endless confusion. What exactly is this doll game? The Inspector spread out the two decks of cards on the table and chuckled: ¡°Play this game with me then, and see whether you have the chance to get the answer from me.. Chapter 148 - 148: 148: Killing the Inspector Chapter 148 - 148: 148: Killing the InspectorTranslator: 549690339 Two decks of cards, one white and one black. The white card has ¡°Truth¡± written on the back. The black card has ¡°Dare¡± written on the back. It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that the game they¡¯re playing is ¡ªTruth or Dare. This is indeed a popular game played at gatherings among friends. But would the game of Truth or Dare in this Doll Game be the same as in the real world? Five participants stared at the cards, each with a different expression. Some lost in thought, others visibly distressed, some silently praying, some weeping uncontrollably¡­ The Inspector took note of everyone¡¯s expressions. ¡°I assume everyone here has played this before?¡± he said, smiling at the five participants, ¡°If so, I won¡¯t bother going over the rules¡­¡± ¡°Maybe you should,¡± Bai Youwei proposed nonchalantly, raising her hand. ¡°I haven¡¯t played this before.¡± The Inspector raised an eyebrow at her, knowing this player to be particularly troublesome. With an innocent look on her face, Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°I really haven¡¯t played because I don¡¯t have any friends to play this game with.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, no need to be upset, miss.¡± The Inspector replied with a slight coldness in his smile. ¡°You¡¯re always welcome at our friend gatherings. As long as you¡¯re here, we will always be friends.¡± She humphed, ¡°I¡¯d rather not. I don¡¯t have any interest in these outdated games. ¡± The Inspector: Shen MO tightened his grip on Bai Youwei, signaling her to stop messing around, and said to the Inspector, ¡°Please explain the rules.¡± The Inspector gave a faint smile as his gaze swept across their faces, then he pushed the black and white cards forward ¡ª ¡°There are a total of 12 cards here, 6 white and 6 black. Each participant will receive one white card and one black card. You need to write the truth question on the white card and the dare challenge on the black card. Once that¡¯s done, we can start playing.¡± He picked up a white card and a black card with his two hands, and continued: ¡°Starting with me, we take turns clockwise. You can choose either Truth or Dare, but keep this in mind ¨C After two consecutive rounds of Truth, the third person must choose the black Dare card, otherwise, you¡¯ll need two Truth questions to offset one Dare instance. Similarly, after two rounds of Dare, the next person must choose the white Truth card, otherwise, you¡¯ll need two Dare instances to offset one Truth question.¡± Once all 12 cards are consumed, the game ends.¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After the rules were explained, a pen appeared in everyone¡¯s hands. The Inspector had one too. Twirling the pen in his hand, he said with a smile, ¡°Friends, it¡¯s time for us to start writing the questions.¡± Bai Youwei spun the pen even faster than him, looked around, and asked, ¡°Can I write whatever I want?¡± The Inspector replied, ¡°You can write anything, but I must remind everyone ¨C if you can¡¯t answer a Truth question or complete a Dare challenge, you will be eliminated immediately.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°What if we manage to do all of them?¡± Inspector: ¡°That card will be consumed and the game will continue.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°What if there are no cards left?¡± Inspector: ¡°The game will end.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Inspector: Without looking at the Inspector, Bai Youwei lightly tapped the table twice, smiled ambiguously at everyone, and said: ¡°Listen here, I¡¯m not looking down on anyone, but some of us should realize our worth and act accordingly. I¡¯ll make it clear right now. In the first round, we lost eight people, in the second round, we lost five ¡ª do you really think he¡¯ll let us off easy in the final round? If you want to end this game, do exactly as I say. On each black Dare card, write the challenge to¡ª Kill the Inspector of this round..¡± Chapter 149 - 149: 149 A Deadlock Chapter 149 - 149: 149 A DeadlockTranslator: 549690339 The two women on the scene turned pale first. Wu Lili exclaimed, ¡°But! The person who cannot complete the Dare will be eliminated! ¡± How could killing the Inspector be possible?! ¡°Are you really that naive or are you just pretending?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes in annoyance, ¡°Of course this is written to eliminate the Inspector! We have 5 people, just have all 5 cards to write this, and the probability of it drawing is up to 83%. As long as it can¡¯t be done, it will be immediately eliminated, or if it¡¯s ruthless, it will eliminate itself, and without the Inspector, the game ends naturally. Understand?¡± Wu Lili panic and shook her head, ¡°No, no, no ¡­ we can¡¯t do this! It¡¯s too risky! What if it didn¡¯t draw and we drew it? I think we should not write anything too outrageous, right? Um ¡­ just, just write something casually, do a few push-ups, or run a few laps, as long as we can finally consume all the cards, can¡¯t we end the game? Why risk it?¡± Bai Youwei had a headache and complained while holding her forehead: ¡°Playing games with this kind of person is simply torture, Inspector, can you pay a little attention to the user experience when you design games in the future? At least match some players of comparable ability.¡± Inspector: It said, ¡°The existence of the game is not to cater to your experience.¡± The tone was a bit resentful. Bai Youwei retorted: ¡°Then what is it for?¡± The Inspector shut his mouth coldly, refusing to be taken by surprise. Shen MO, on the other hand, explained to Wu Lili: ¡°Trying to end the game by consuming cards is not feasible, because apart from the five black cards we wrote, there is a sixth black card written by the Inspector which will definitely be a task we can¡¯t complete.¡± Wu Lili said: ¡°But it¡¯s just one card, we may not necessarily draw it, right?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you shut up?¡± Zhang Qi couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, ¡°Didn¡¯t you understand what they meant? As long as the Inspector¡¯s black card is not eliminated, the game will go on! You will draw it sooner or later!¡± Wu Lili was still not giving up: ¡°Maybe it will draw it itself? Wouldn¡¯t that be good as long as it draws its own card?¡± Zhang Qi was taken aback and speechless for a moment. But Bai Youwei found it amusing. ¡°If¡­¡± She narrowed her eyes slightly and said with a faint smile, ¡°It writes on that black card, ¡®Kill the other players¡¯, then wouldn¡¯t the outcome be the same even if it drew the card itself?¡± Everyone immediately fell silent. If a player draws it, the player will be eliminated because it can¡¯t be done; If the Inspector draws it, killing the other players would be easy. This was a dead end. Unless they can eliminate the Inspector before drawing this card, it¡¯s a death sentence in any case! Zhang Qi clenched her teeth fiercely, grabbed the pen and said: ¡°I trust you! Kill the Inspector! ¡± As she finished, she quickly began writing on the black card. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Both Wu Lili and the second woman, who had just flubbed during the game, hesitated for a moment and then picked up the pen and began to write in silence. Bai Youwei and Shen MO also finished writing quickly. Next, they need to write the Truth on the white side of the card. After all, they were on the line between life and death now, so everyone wrote down some bland questions, not really interested in prying into others¡¯ secrets. On the contrary, Bai Youwei thought for a long time before she slowly started to write. After all the questions were written, the 12 cards returned to the center of the table, the order was shuffled, the white cards and black cards were separated on both sides, face-down. The Inspector sat at the table, interlocked his hands, smiled, and watched them: ¡°So, shall we start now?¡± ¡°Could we wait a moment?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Before we start, there are some things I want to say in advance..¡± Chapter 150 - 150: 150: Detailed Explanation Chapter 150 - 150: 150: Detailed ExplanationTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Oh?¡± The Inspector was no longer surprised by her unconventional behavior, his gaze briefly drifted over her face, ¡°If it¡¯s something important, we might as well¡­ lend our ears, right?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Whether you listen or not doesn¡¯t matter, but it would be better if they all listened.¡± The Inspector, wearing an emotionless smile, gestured for her to continue. ¡°Zhang Qi, Wu Lili, and you¡­ what¡¯s your name again?¡± asked Bai Youwei to the slender woman sitting next to her. The woman replied timidly: ¡°¡­ My name is Zhu Xiaofen.¡± Bai Youwei nodded indifferently, ¡°Alright then, Zhang Qi, Wu Lili, and Zhu Xiaofen, listen to me. We only get one chance to clear this round. We must each choose ¡®Truth¡¯ to use up all the white cards, forcing it to pick a black card in the next round. Do you understand what I mean?¡± All three of them nodded. ¡°Good, if you understand, I¡¯ll continue.¡± Bai Youwei continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve written on the black cards. But in any case, if you do as I said, there is an 83% chance that we will survive and leave this place, and all five of us will make it. But if¡ª¡± Her voice took a cold turn, ¡°If anyone fails to follow my instructions, this strategy will likely fail. So if anyone ends up dead, don¡¯t blame me. Blame the person who couldn¡¯t cooperate~¡± Zhang Qi spoke up, ¡°I wrote exactly as instructed!¡± Wu Lili quickly added, ¡°I¡­ I did too. I wrote it exactly as requested!¡± Zhu Xiaofen: ¡°¡­ I did too.¡¯ ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t quite trust you, but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°Now, let me explain the steps in detail. There are two critical points in the game. The first is the order. The Inspector is first, and he will certainly choose ¡®Truth¡¯ to expend the white cards. The second is the rule that a black card must be chosen after two rounds of white cards. My brother will take a black card once, leaving five white cards, which are exactly enough for the four of us.¡± Zhang Qi blurted out, ¡°But doesn¡¯t that mean your brother will die?¡± ¡°My brother has a way to survive, you don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± Bai Youwei did not explain about the puzzle piece and said lightly, ¡°After my brother takes a black card, I¡¯ll take a white card, Zhu Xiaofen will take a white card. By the game rules, after two rounds of white cards, a black card must be chosen unless two white cards are burnt. So, Wu Lili will use two white cards, and the last white one will be used by Zhang Qi, using them all up¡ª¡± After finishing her explanation in one breath, she let out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve explained in such detail, if anyone still doesn¡¯t understand, I really can¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Zhu Xiaofen asked with trepidation, ¡°You said earlier that the Inspector has an 83% chance to draw, but what about the remaining 17%? What if¡­ if it doesn¡¯t draw¡­ what should we do¡­?¡± Bai Youwei asked her, dumbfounded: ¡°Do you think playing Truth or Dare is about probability?¡± Zhu Xiaofen looked blank. Bai Youwei: ¡°The point of Truth or Dare is to see who has more courage! If you are afraid to take even a 17% risk, then why bother playing Truth or Dare? Why don¡¯t you just stay here and be its friend- I¡¯ S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t be bothered to say more, she yawned lazily and said to the Inspector, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve said all I need to say, we can start the game now.¡± The Inspector examined everyone quite interestingly, and at last, his gaze fell on Bai Youwei¡¯s face, he smiled and said, ¡°Your method could work, but¡­ I don¡¯t trust these people to write exactly as you instruct. But you¡¯re correct, the game of Truth or Dare is all about courage. So, I¡¯ll bet with you too, I¡¯m betting that¡­ due to fear, doubt, selfishness, and ignorance, they will not follow your instructions.¡± Bai Youwei sneered: ¡°If they won¡¯t follow then so be it, either way, I¡¯ve written it. You will draw it..¡± Chapter 151 - 151: 151 Who Wrote This Chapter 151 - 151: 151 Who Wrote ThisTranslator: 549690339 The Inspector silently watched Bai Youwei, then didn¡¯t say anything. He indifferently withdrew his gaze and announced, ¡°Let the game begin.¡± Following the rules, the Inspector was positioned at the starting point, which made him the first to play. He lightly tapped his fingers on the table, laughing, ¡°Five ¡®Bombs¡¯, how frightful¡­ In that case, I will choose a Truth card.¡± He randomly selected a card from the pile of Truth cards and gently turned it over. The sentence on the card read: [Truth: What is your greatest weakness?] The Inspector raised an eyebrow slightly, curiosity reflected in his eyes as he looked at them. Shen MO said indifferently, ¡°I wrote that.¡± The Inspector reacted with a slight smile, ¡°Hmm, a good question.¡± For ordinary individuals, answering the question would be easy, and not being able to answer wouldn¡¯t lead to disqualification. However, for the Inspector, it was quite a private matter. Once an answer is given, it leaves a vulnerability for the player to exploit, especially when the Dares deck hides a task to ¡°Kill the current Inspector¡±. By telling the truth, he could potentially lose his life. But if he didn¡¯t answer, he would be disqualified. The Inspector pondered for a moment, then replied, ¡°My biggest weakness is the system. The system grants me power, but it also limits my freedom and determines my existence.¡± He looked up at Shen MO, a smirk hanging on his lips, ¡°If you want to ask what the system is, sorry, that¡¯s a second question.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s eyes grew icy cold. ¡°As per your plan, you would choose a Dare card next, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± The Inspector laughed, ¡°It¡¯s your turn now, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Shen MO glanced at the six Dare cards, didn¡¯t hesitate for long and chose one, flipping it over¡ª [Dare: Do you dare to pick a flower from the courtyard?] Shen MO paused for a second. Not just him, everyone else stopped too. Bai Youwei quickly looked at Zhang Qi, Wu Lili, and Zhu Xiaofen, ¡°Who wrote The Inspector definitely didn¡¯t write this! The Inspector would only want to kill them, he would never set such simple tasks! Surprise and confusion appeared on Zhang Qi and Wu Lili¡¯s faces, while Zhu Xiaofen turned pale. Realizing everyone¡¯s gaze was towards her, she finally admitted, ¡°It¡­lt¡¯s me, I wrote it.¡± ¡°Hey! Why would you write something like this?¡± Wu Lili immediately became agitated. ¡°1¡­1 was afraid that the Inspector wouldn¡¯t draw it, and then¡­ and then one of us would have to¡­¡± she explained in panic and insecurity, ¡°Now that your brother has drawn it, it shouldn¡¯t matter, right? As long as there are 4 out of the remaining 5 Dare cards that followed the assignment, we still have an 80% chance, right?¡± As she said this, she looked at Bai Youwei imploringly, ¡°Even though I didn¡¯t follow instructions¡­ your brother was saved because of it. So¡­ It hasn¡¯t made any difference right?¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei sneered, ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, I should be thanking you?¡± Zhu Xiaofen shook her head awkwardly, ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I make myself clear before? My brother can save himself. No matter what card he draws, he won¡¯t die. What you did only jeopardize your own chance of survival, and it means nothing else.¡± Bai Youwei was too weary to get angry, then she added, ¡°Never mind, do as you please. You can¡¯t wake a fool.¡± The Inspector gently reminded Shen MO, ¡°Then, please begin your dare.¡± After two seconds of silence, Shen MO stood up from his seat and walked towards the main door of the banquet hall. The human-like dolls inside the hall all spun their heads to watch him as faint and fluctuating voices echoed in the air: ¡°Come back¡­ Come back to us¡­¡± ¡°Be our friend¡­ ¡°Join the party, play with us¡­¡± ¡°Come back¡­¡± Shen MO ignored them, pushing open the door and walked straight out into the courtyard. After a while, some sort of a beast¡¯s roar echoed from outside.. Chapter 152 - 152: 152: The Flower You Want Chapter 152 - 152: 152: The Flower You WantTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei¡¯s face instantly changed. She glared fiercely at the Inspector, ¡°What¡¯s going on outside?!¡± ¡°What else could it be besides flowers?¡± The Inspector smiled slightly, not answering her question. Bai Youwei bit her lip, casting a gloomy look at the other three. ¡°If something happens to my brother, none of you will survive! I may not kill the Inspector, but I have plenty of ways to kill you all!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t write that card!¡± Wu Lili quickly pointed to Zhu Xiaofen beside her. ¡°She wrote it! It has nothing to do with us. If anyone is to blame, blame her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know the term ¡®displaced anger¡¯?¡± Bai Youwei said with a cruel smile, her eyes cold as ice. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t survive either. We¡¯ll all be burying my brother!¡± ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you insane?!¡± Wu Lili was both angry and frustrated. ¡°Crazy!!!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Zhang Qi finally spoke out of irritation. ¡°Let¡¯s follow the rules first! There¡¯s still an 80% chance if the remaining black cards are valid!¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For some reason, a hint of panic flashed in Wu Lili¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡­ what if they¡¯re not?¡± Zhang Qi was taken aback before he exploded in fury. ¡°Didn¡¯t you write as instructed?! What the fuck did you write?!¡± Wu Lili could only cry harder at his yelling, sobbing as she explained. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I followed the instructions, but maybe, maybe she and her brother didn¡¯t!¡± Zhang Qi didn¡¯t trust her anymore, questioning, ¡°Did you write according to the instructions or not?¡± ¡°Yes, I did, I really¡­ really¡­¡± Wu Lili kept nodding as she cried. ¡°You better have!¡± Zhang Qi threatened ominously. ¡°If not, even if I die, I¡¯ll drag you down with me!¡± Wu Lili was both startled and scared, covering her face as she cried non-stop. Outside, the sounds of shouting and fighting were becoming louder. The heavy thuds were unnerving, giving the impression of an intense battle even without seeing it. Bai Youwei felt a tightness in her heart. She believed that Shen MO would be alright, but her heart was beating out of control. She and Shen MO held puzzle pieces that would grant immunity and allow them to immediately opt out of the game. But right now, the commotion outside was only escalating. Clearly, Shen MO had chosen not to use his puzzle piece, and he was up against something¡­ Just as her mind was filled with distress, a pink shadow suddenly crashed in! Bang! The thing fell in the middle of the dance floor, knocking down several mannequins! All of a sudden, Bai Youwei found the room very noisy. The mannequins stood silent, but voices filled the air, soft and elusive, incessant¡ª ¡°He did it! He did it!¡± ¡°He completed the great adventure! ¡­¡± ¡°Look, he killed the man-eating flower of his friend! ¡°He really did it¡­ The Inspector clapped his hands together, and the voices gradually faded away like a receding tide. Shen MO walked in from outside. His eyes were dark and collected. His T-shirt was torn by something, his arm stained with splotches of blood, his hair damp with sweat and somewhat disheveled. Despite this, he didn¡¯t seem flustered at all, but rather carried an air of a triumphant hero. He walked in steadily, reached down to pick up the twitching thing in the dance floor, gave it a light swing, and tossed it in front of Zhu Xiaofen. ¡°Your flower,¡± Shen MO said flatly. It was a flower with a thick stem like an elephant trunk, a dark green stem, and a pink bud, precisely the kind they saw when they entered the yard. At the moment, the flower bud was half open like a twisted blanket, revealing layers upon layers of teeth oozing with a light green fluid. Zhu Xiaofen could hardly utter a sound. She was terrified, curling her legs up and crying incessantly, as if fearing the next moment the man-eating flower would suddenly jump up and bite her! By now, Shen MO had settled back in his seat.. Chapter 153 - 153: 153: Too Young at That Time (Extra update for the Big Boss Mr. Heartless) Chapter 153 - 153: 153: Too Young at That Time (Extra update for the Big Boss Mr. Heartless)Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei reached out to wipe the blood off his face. There were several red marks on Shen Mo¡¯s face, like they had been scraped by a sharp blade. Although they had already scabbed over, the beads of blood that had seeped out still lingered on his face. After wiping a few times, her hand was smeared with blood. Shen MO grabbed her hand to stop her from continuing. ¡°You¡¯ll dirty your hand.¡± He said. Bai Youwei nonchalantly wiped her hand on his clothes. Shen Mo: ¡® What¡¯s the point of you wiping my face then? Her small hands nervously roamed his body, ¡°Are you injured anywhere?¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t hide anything and honestly replied, ¡°I was bitten on the shoulder, but it doesn¡¯t hurt much now.¡± Bai Youwei immediately pulled open his shirt to look. His left shoulder indeed had a large bite mark. The teeth of the man-eating flower were like shark teeth, layered one upon another, biting into Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder. The ring of teeth marks bloomed like a flower, bloodied. Luckily, the wound was slowly healing. It seemed worth it to venture into the maze. With his constitution improving like this, unless he encountered a fatal injury, he wouldn¡¯t need to rely on the frog¡¯s mud. Nevertheless, Bai Youwei turned her head and glared fiercely at Zhu Xiaofen. ¡°So you are players who came out of the maze.¡± The inspector sat to one side, smiling as he watched them, ¡°It¡¯s quite rare. It has been a long time since I saw someone walk out of the maze alive. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei retorted with annoyance, ¡°You¡¯re holed up in this little corner all day, unable to go out. How many people can you possibly see? The less you see, the more peculiar it becomes!¡± The Inspector: ¡°Enough.¡± Shen MO stopped her from further provoking the inspector, ¡°Choose a card, let¡¯s end this game.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, her eyes glancing over the white cards on the table. She casually chose one and flipped it over: [Truth: Speak about one bad thing that you have done.] ¡°Wow¡­ who wrote this? It¡¯s so unoriginal.¡± Bai Youwei complained. No one at the table made a sound. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t pay it any mind, leaning on her hand in thought. ¡°Why are you silent? Can¡¯t answer?¡± The inspector said with ill intent, ¡°You can choose two dares to cancel out this truth.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at him, ¡°And if I pull out all the flowers in your yard?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The inspector asked, ¡°Can you?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes, ¡°Let me think first. I¡¯ve done so many bad things but I¡¯m not sure which one to pick. Everyone: Shen Mo: ¡°Then, please tell us the worst one.¡± Bai Youwei glared at him disapprovingly, ¡°Are we still on the same side?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Shen MO smiled, ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t mind.¡± Only then did Bai Youwei reveal a satisfied smile and graciously said, ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll talk about one- When I was about 14 years old¡­ or maybe 13, I don¡¯t remember exactly, my mother hired a very annoying family doctor who came over twice a week. I asked her to fire him, but for some reason, she handed him a large sum of money as compensation after she dismissed him! I was furious! So, I secretly used her cell phone to send him a few suggestive messages¡ª ¡®Did you receive the money I sent you? I can offer you a better life if you leave that woman.¡¯ Then I anonymously reported him to the hospital where he was assigned. After that, things began to heat up. The doctor¡¯s wife discovered the messages and thought her husband was being kept by my mother. She made a scene at my mother¡¯s company, and even reporters showed up! It took a lot of effort for my mom to resolve this. The money the family doctor got from my mother was all taken by his wife, and his medical license was revoked. Well, my mother suspected me, but she had no proof, so, that¡¯s about it.¡± Bai Youwei looked back on the past and felt a sense of nostalgia: ¡°Now that I think about it, it doesn¡¯t seem that bad, right? I was young then.. If it was now, I could have done it even better- Chapter 154 - 154: 154: Heartfelt Words Chapter 154 - 154: 154: Heartfelt WordsTranslator: 549690339 Zhu Xiaofen couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°She¡¯s only in her teens, how could she think of such vile ways to torment people? She has no grudge against the doctor, and how could she even use her own mother? When I was her age, I was already helping with housework. You can¡¯t spoil children. Otherwise, it¡¯ll cause serious problems.¡± Bai Youwei gave her a cold glance, then let out a laugh devoid of warmth. ¡°Wu Lili, I find the flower on the ground rather beautiful. Would you hand it to Wu Lili shook her head in fear, ¡°¡­I-I-I-I-I dare not pick it up.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Alright, if you don¡¯t pick it up, I¡¯ll have my brother beat you.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® With tears in her eyes, Wu Lili bent down and tremblingly picked up the flower from the floor. To be precise, she cradled it, because the torn stem resembled a thick, bulky elephant trunk and the bud itself was quite large, making it heavy enough to pull downwards. As she handed it over, Shen MO extended his hand to stop her. He turned to Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°Can you handle it?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger.¡± Shen MO thought about it, knowing that she wouldn¡¯t quit unless she had her say. So he let go and sat down. Grasping the stem, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t hesitate for even a second before she swung it directly at Zhu Xiaofen¡¯s face! ¡ª So, this is it. This hit was even more powerful than a slap! Zhu Xiaofen screamed in pain and fell backward! She and the chair crashed to the ground! She seemed to return to the time when her husband abused her. Even though she was just hit in the face, she curled up on the ground, trembling and begging in a weak voice, ¡°Don¡¯t hit me¡­ don¡¯t hit me, I was wrong¡­ Wu Lili couldn¡¯t bear to watch. Yet, Bai Youwei showed no pity in her eyes as she coldly said, ¡°Do you have children? It¡¯s better not to. Cowards who can¡¯t even protect themselves definitely should not have children. Children would not want to be born to you.¡± The Inspector watched for a while, then chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t really want to interrupt you guys, but¡­ shouldn¡¯t the game continue?¡± Looking at Zhu Xiaofen on the floor, he politely asked, ¡°Madam, truth or dare?¡± Zhu Xiaofen remained curled up on the floor, unable to stand up for a while. The Inspector: ¡°Do you concede? Huh, automatic elimination is also an option¡­ Upon hearing the word ¡°elimination¡±, Zhu Xiaofen shuddered violently. Tears staining her face, she got up and picked up a white card from the table. ¡°I choose truth¡­¡± She flipped over the card: [Truth: Have you ever harmed anyone?] Zhu Xiaofen was stunned. Sitting next to Zhu Xiaofen, Bai Youwei snorted, ¡°Yet another boring question, with no novelty at all.¡± Zhu Xiaofen, covering her slapped face, managed to say: ¡°I haven¡¯t¡­ I haven¡¯t harmed anyone¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As she finished, the white card in her hand suddenly emitted a red light, as bright as an alarm. ¡°Ah¡­ the card has turned red.¡± The Inspector laughed, ¡°That¡¯s the signal that you answered incorrectly. If you answer wrong twice in a row, you will be eliminated.¡± ¡°But 1!¡­¡± Zhu Xiaofen was subconsciously defending herself. Her mouth opened then quickly closed. She stared at the card, which continuously emitted red light, her face growing paler while her lips trembled. Her denial was determined by the game system to be the wrong answer. If she continues to deny it, she will definitely be eliminated! But¡­ But she really hadn¡¯t harmed anyone! There was just that one time¡­ Only that time¡­ Zhu Xiaofen looked up at the other players in confusion. They were all waiting for her answer. ¡°I¡­¡± she began, her voice hoarse, ¡°My sister¡­ once came to visit me, and my husband locked her in the room, she¡­ she banged on the door, asking me to open it and save her, even asking me to call the police¡­ but I dared not, I couldn¡¯t call the police! Otherwise, I would be beaten by my husband!¡­ Later on, she said that she wanted to report my husband! How could this be? We¡¯re a family, going to court would disgrace us.. And she¡¯s a girl, how could she make such a fuss about it? How could she get married in future? I was doing it for her own good! ¡° Chapter 155 - 155: 155: A New Friend Arrives Chapter 155 - 155: 155: A New Friend ArrivesTranslator: 549690339 ¡°So, what happened to your sister?¡± Bai Youwei asked Zhu Xiaofen curiously. ¡°I¡¯ve been listening all this time, but I still don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°She¡¯s okay! She went out of town with her boyfriend, living a lot better than me!¡± Zhu Xiaofen hastily explained, ¡°And, I¡¯ve even knelt down for her! What else do I need to do for her to forgive my husband? Why can¡¯t she understand me? I took care of her when we were young, I read stories to her, I braided her hair, I gave up the chance to study so our family could afford her college tuition! Why can¡¯t she just be understanding and force me to get a divorce? It was just sleeping with my husband a few times, she didn¡¯t lose anything! How could she say I hurt her?! How could she¡­¡± The Truth Card turned redder and redder, as though it was about to burst into flames! Finally, Zhu Xiaofen let go of the card as if she had been burned! The card fell on the table, returning to its original white color. The inspector said with a light smile, ¡°Unfortunately, the answer for the second round is still incorrect. You¡¯re eliminated.¡± Zhu Xiaofen¡¯s pupils constricted sharply, and her mouth clamped shut! It was as if an invisible hand was stifling her cries, and she could only make out pitiful whimpering sounds! Behind her, the dolls came to life. Their faces were revealing eerie smiles, mouths wide open and eyes staring wide. Some grabbed at Zhu Xiaofen¡¯s arms, some clasped her waist, some tugged at her legs, and others climbed onto her shoulders¡­ Countless hands reached out, almost engulfing Zhu Xiaofen. ¡°So happy¡­ a new friend¡­ ¡°Come on, come play with us¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s play together¡­¡¯ S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Come on¡­ come on¡­¡± Zhu Xiaofen was unable to speak or move, her eyes wide open in terror and despair! Everyone watched as she was dragged away by the dolls¡­ ¡°What will happen to her?¡± Bai Youwei asked. The Inspector: ¡°She¡¯ll stay here, becoming a permanent friend.¡± Bai Youwei thoughtfully said, ¡°Being eliminated means her second answer was also incorrect¡­ Did she not tell the entire truth? Did she hide something?¡± ¡°She said ¡®a few times,¡¯¡± Shen MO replied. ¡°If the first time was an accident, then the subsequent times were likely when she tricked her sister into coming home.¡± Hearing this, Bai Youwei felt a sense ot melancholy. ¡°We should have hit her harder just now.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s up next?¡± The Inspector looked at Wu Lili, grinning, ¡°After two Truth Card rounds, you must choose the Black Card, otherwise, you need to use up two Truth Cards. What¡¯s your choice?¡± Wu Lili didn¡¯t say a word for a long time. She was shaking throughout. Zhang Qi, sitting next to her, nudged her with his elbow, then noticed Wu Lili had wet her pants. ¡­She was terrified by those dolls. Zhang Qi pursed his lips, calling out to her: ¡°It¡¯s your turn!¡± Wu Lili snapped back to reality, her face turning pale before she looked at the Inspector, ¡°I¡­ I choose Truth¡­¡± She stretched out a trembling hand, picked a Truth Card from the table, and flipped it over: [Truth Card: What is your biggest wish?] Seeing the question, Wu Lili relaxed a bit. ¡°My biggest wish¡­it used to be to have a two-bedroom apartment in Shanghai, but now¡­ now, I just want to go home, back to before all this happened.¡± She answered sincerely, holding back tears. The Truth Card didn¡¯t turn red, but instead disintegrated into dust in her hands. Wu Lili anxiously asked the Inspector, ¡°Does this mean I¡¯ve cleared the card?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Inspector maintained a smile, ¡°Now, please pick the second Truth Card.¡± Wu Lili bit her lip, and trembling, picked and flipped over a second card: [Truth Card: Do you think the girl in the white dress and the tall handsome man present look compatible?] Chapter 156 - 156: 156: Tall and Handsome Chapter 156 - 156: 156: Tall and HandsomeTranslator: 549690339 So many words. It took Wu Lili a while to understand the meaning of the question. She subconsciously looked at Bai Youwei and Shen MO, opened her mouth, but didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°How did you manage to pull this one¡­¡± Bai Youwei muttered under her breath, clearly dissatisfied. Shen MO glanced at the lengthy text, and asked her indifferently, ¡°Did you write this?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± Bai Youwei replied without batting an eyelid. ¡°I don¡¯t remember what I wrote a moment ago.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Zhang Qi: The Inspector: The game system felt insulted by the antics. What it wanted was the energy that bursts out when life is close to death, the light that soul emits when lost in regret, but not these childish pranks! ¡­Well, this could be considered as a new data sample anyway. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Inspector looked at Bai Youwei, silent and speechless. On another note, Wu Lili replied with a complex expression, ¡°Well-matched¡­¡± The white plate suddenly turned red! Bai Youwei: ¡°???¡± The Inspector¡¯s mood improved instantly and reminded her, ¡°The answer is incorrect. Two consecutive wrong answers will lead to disqualification.¡± Bai Youwei, a bit taken aback, looked at the Inspector, ¡°How can this answer be wrong? Is there something wrong with the game system?!¡± The Inspector smiled, ¡°The correctness of a truth-dare answer depends not on the objective fact, but on whether the answer is true to the respondent¡¯s heart. Here is a simple example- If the question is what is 1+1, and the respondent thinks 1+1 equals 3. As long as they truly believe so, then the answer is judged correct by the system.¡± Bai Youwei understood. She turned her head and looked at Wu Lili, her mouth curled in a cold smile, ¡°So, you think my brother and I don¡¯t look well-matched?¡± ¡°Why your brother?¡± The Inspector couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Isn¡¯t the tall and handsome man on the field me, as per literal understanding?¡± Everyone: ¡°Why are you giving me that look?¡± The Inspector put away his smile, and said in an extremely serious tone, ¡°My appearance is a simulation based on a large amount of data. It should correspond to the characteristic of tall and handsome.¡± ¡°You must have misunderstood the word ¡®handsome¡¯,¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Tall and handsome? Hahaha¡­..you look more like tall and pathetic to me!¡± The smile on Inspector¡¯s face vanished, his face instantly turned gloomy! ¡°Ah, I remembered, attacking the Inspector is considered a violation.¡± Bai Youwei sneered and looked at him, ¡°What, didn¡¯t the game system take verbal attacks into account? Don¡¯t you know that language is an art, it can kill without shedding blood. ¡± The Inspector: ¡°Let¡¯s proceed with the game, Wu Lili hasn¡¯t finished answering the question yet.¡± Shen MO held Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, squeezed her palm, hinting her to stop adding fuel to the fire. Bai Youwei pouted and backed down. The Inspector breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the game could finally proceed smoothly. Then again, he felt his reaction was wrong. Why did he sigh with relief? Did his subconscious judge that Bai Youwei could pose a threat or cause interference? He is the Inspector! Why should he sigh a relief because of a player?!! This is simply! ¡­ a humiliation!!! Despite the emotional turmoil, the Inspector showed no sign of it, and attempted to keep his calm tone, ¡°Player, please start your second Truth-Tale response.¡± Wu Lili bit her lip, lowered her head, and answered, ¡°I feel that they don¡¯t match. He is so handsome, so manly, and always serious in his conversations unlike other slick men¡­ he should be¡­ he should be with me instead. I know it¡¯s audacious and disgraceful to say this, and I can¡¯t spit it out, but¡­. but that¡¯s what I truly feel in my heart!¡± Chapter 157 - 157: 157: An Extra Card (Votes for Top 100 Results in Extra Updates) Chapter 157 - 157: 157: An Extra Card (Votes for Top 100 Results in Extra Updates)Translator: 549690339 She didn¡¯t want to look up, she knew that everyone would be sneering at her without guessing. But she had no choice! She chose ¡°Truth,¡± and she had to tell the truth! Otherwise, she would die! She didn¡¯t want to be dragged away by those dolls! Even though she was under everyone¡¯s scrutiny at this moment, she still didn¡¯t want to become a doll! There was silence for two or three seconds. She heard the Inspector calmly saying, ¡°It¡¯s your turn, sir, would you choose Truth or Dare?¡± ..Huh? Why isn¡¯t anyone saying anything about her? Why aren¡¯t they blaming her? And what about Bai Youwei, who was always articulate? Why is she silent? Wu Lili looked up in confusion, but found that no one was paying attention to her. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Both Shen MO and Bai Youwei were focused on Zhang Qi. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Zhang Qi, choose Dare.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± Wu Lili was astonished, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to all choose ¡®Truth¡¯?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes again, ¡°¡­ Do you need me to explain it again? There¡¯s not even a glass of water here, I can get thirsty too, you know? I¡¯m not some NPC in charge of explaining the game!¡± Zhang Qi pointed to the white card on the table and said to Wu Lili, ¡°Zhu Xiaofen didn¡¯t eliminate a card just now, so there¡¯s an extra one now.¡± Wu Lili froze. Truth or Dare. Only by telling the truth or completing the dare can the corresponding card be eliminated. Zhu Xiaofen failed to do so, so her card was left behind; there were still two white cards left on the table. If Zhang Qi eliminates one, then¡­ when it¡¯s the Inspector¡¯s turn, there will be one left. Their strategy was disrupted by Zhu Xiaofen! Even if Zhang Qi survives this round with the white card, the next round awaits them with a consecutive five black cards! Wu Lili went pale and couldn¡¯t speak a word. She saw no hope. They couldn¡¯t win this game at all! Bai Youwei looked into Zhang Qi¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°If you choose the white card now, we will undoubtedly die in the next round, because the four of us will have already drawn the black cards and been eliminated before the Inspector draws. But if you choose the black card, there¡¯s still a chance in the next round.¡± Zhang Qi fell silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°How big is the chance?¡± Bai Youwei watched him quietly for a long time, before finally answering, ¡°One of you and Wu Lili, can survive.¡± At first, Zhang Qi had no expression, but then he smirked coldly, filled with self-mockery, resentfulness, and a touch of insanity. ¡°In that case, choosing the black card does seem more beneficial.¡± He looked at the Inspector, ¡°Hey, freak! I choose Dare! The black card!¡± The Inspector remained calm, ¡°Humans seem to be overly emotional when facing death, often speaking unthinkingly in self-destructive moods.¡± Bai Youwei mocked him, ¡°How many times have you been scolded to come to this understanding? Are you used to it?¡± Inspector: He was no longer provoked by Bai Youwei once or twice, but many times! He took a deep breath, even though he didn¡¯t need to breathe. The system was simulating the most realistic expression of unbridled fury for him! His handsome face twisted in anger. However, Bai Youwei was not afraid at all, she said coldly, ¡°Why are you so mad, you can just think of my words as those spoken in a self-destructive mood-¡± NO! The Inspector thought angrily: You are not speaking without thinking! You are clearly doing this on purpose to provoke me! !! Bai Youwei turned her head and whispered to Shen MO next to her, ¡°What do you think, if I annoy him to the point of attacking a player, will the system kill him?¡± The furious Inspector: Chapter 159 - 159: 159 Are We Friends? Chapter 159 - 159: 159 Are We Friends?Translator: 549690339 Shen MO held the card in his hand and stayed silent for a moment. He gently tossed the black card back onto the table and said indifferently, ¡°I choose to abstain.¡± He presented the piece of the puzzle. A second later, Shen MO disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight. White card: one used card. Black card: three cards to choose from and one used card. The corners of the Inspector¡¯s mouth curved up in a silent smirk. It was Bai Youwei¡¯s turn. She did not rush to draw a card but instead looked at Wu Lili and Zhang Qi. ¡°I wanted to take you all out of here, but¡­¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the now-vacant seat beside her, ¡°as you can see, there¡¯s been an unexpected turn. Now, there¡¯s only one white card left. Whoever draws it, lives. As for who is more deserving¡­ I won¡¯t be the judge, you decide.¡± Having said this, she picked one from the three remaining black cards, saying, ¡°I choose to take a big risk.¡± The black card was flipped: [Dare to cut open your body and let the blood, rich in water, protein, and inorganic matter, flow out?] Bai Youwei raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh¡­l¡¯m lucky, this is the card I wrote.¡± The inspector noted this, his expression was a mix of amusement and intrigue: ¡°A clever challenge.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei punctured her finger with the sharp edge of the black card. Bright red droplets of blood seeped out, staining her white dress in a spotty pattern. ¡°When I wrote this, I remembered what you said. Suddenly, I thought that it would be an intriguing challenge. After all, your present body is unlike a human¡¯s, right? You can¡¯t bleed like us, can you?¡± Having said this, she gently sucked on her wound, locking eyes silently with the Inspector. The Inspector paused for a moment before smiling, ¡°Indeed, I can¡¯t. Lucky that you drew the card.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s black card disappeared. Next up was Wu Lili. White card: one used card. Black cards: two to choose from and one used card. ¡°How will you choose?¡± The Inspector looked at Wu Lili with curiosity, ¡°After two straight rounds of black cards, the white card must be chosen. Otherwise, you will need two black cards to offset one white card.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wu Lili¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, her expression filled with utter despair. The Inspector admired her current state, asking, ¡°What will you choose? Will you willingly sacrifice yourself by choosing two black cards, thereby giving your companions a chance to live? Or, will you choose the white card and leave all black cards for your companions?¡± Wu Lili, in agony, held her head, not daring to look at Zhang Qi¡¯s face. She doesn¡¯t want to die! But she also doesn¡¯t want to watch her friend die! ¡°Lili, choose the white card.¡± Zhang Qi¡¯s voice was calm and steady, devoid of any ripples. ¡°We¡¯re not that familiar anyway. We coincidentally lived together on this island for two months but we¡¯re barely even friends¡­ So, there¡¯s really no need.¡± Wu Lili¡¯s vision was blurred, tears fell freely down her cheeks. ¡­ Are we really not friends? If we weren¡¯t friends, why would she pressure her to answer Bai Youwei¡¯s questions If we weren¡¯t friends, why didn¡¯t she expose her for faking an injury? Are we¡­ really not friends? ¡°Have you made your decision?¡± The Inspector asked, ¡°Truth or Dare?¡± ¡°Lili, choose the white card.¡± Zhang Qi¡¯s voice lowered, ¡°Even if you choose two black cards this round, if he draws the remaining black card, we still won¡¯t survive.¡± The final black card: Dare to kill all other players on the field? Wu Lili lowered her head, her finger trembling as she slowly reached out to place it on the table¡­ Truth or Dare? Truth? Dare? Her finger finally touched the only remaining white card with the remaining riddle that Zhu Xiaofen couldn¡¯t answer¡ª [Truth: Have you ever harmed anyone?] ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zhang Qi.. Wu Lili lowered her head, hot tears burning her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I hurt you! It was because of me! I¡¯m really sorry!!!¡± The white card turned to dust, Wu Lili couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, she wailed in despair.. Chapter 160 - 160: 160: A Friend’s Gift Chapter 160 - 160: 160: A Friend¡¯s GiftTranslator: 549690339 On the table, only 3 black cards were left: 2 cards to be selected, and the card left by Shen MO after forfeiting. If nothing unforeseen happened, the remaining black cards should both say: Kill the Inspector of this game. Zhang Qi closed his eyes, his mind slowly emptied, seemingly deaf to the woman¡¯s sobbing beside him. He emotionlessly stretched out his hand, picked a card, and turned it over: [Dare: Will you dare to kill the Inspector of this game?] He looked at the card for a while, suddenly laughed, sorrowful and determined. Turns out, when people are truly faced with death, they don¡¯t fear it. He raised his head, staring into the Inspector¡¯s cool icy-blue eyes, and said to it word by word: ¡°You, Have, Lost!¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Inspector watched him silently. The surrounding dolls gradually flocked, leaning towards Zhang Qi¡¯s direction, getting closer and closer¡­ they reached out to him, as if they were warm hosts treating their dearest friend. Come¡­ Come¡­ Join us in our play¡­ Zhang Qi could feel his body becoming numb, rigid, unable to move. More and more dolls gathered, pulling him, yanking him, dragging him¡­ Away from the chair¡­ Into the dance floor¡­ He saw familiar faces among the dolls. He didn¡¯t know if it was a hallucination, but he was grateful for it. At least it offered him a final comfort before death. In the last second of his fading consciousness, he stretched out his arms with the last bit of his strength, wanting to embrace it into his arms¡­ Everything, was frozen at that moment. White cards: o. Black cards: 2. According to the game rules, only when all the card options are used up, can the previously used cards be selected. The Inspector turned over the last option card, left by Zhang Qi: Kill the Inspector of this game. It couldn¡¯t do it. Yes. Except for the game system, even itself can¡¯t end its own life. ¡°Congratulations to both of you for completing this game.¡± The golden-haired, green-eyed Inspector sat neatly at the table, with a fitting smile around his lips. ¡°It is truly surprising that the first players to win this game would be two ladies. As guests invited to the party, you will receive a rich reward before you leave.¡± It snapped its fingers. Not far away, two doll waiters, dressed in white shirts and grey vests, walked over holding trays. On each tray, was a beautifully packaged gift box tied with a pretty bow. Bai Youwei curiously took the gift box, feeling it was very light, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the Inspector and say, ¡°I hope the reward inside matches the style of this game.¡± The Inspector: ¡°Oh? What style?¡± Bai Youwei remained silent for a second, looked at the carnivorous plant on the floor: ¡°Big.¡± Then looked around at the dolls: ¡°A lot.¡± Then looked up at the banquet hall: ¡°Extravagant.¡± The Inspector: ¡°¡­I hope your wish comes true.¡± Bai Youwei frowned and unwrapped her gift box ¡ª Inside were three items, a pack of flower seeds, a gold and black invitation card, and a palm-sized doll. The flower seeds are because she had picked the most beautiful flower from the sea of flowers. The invitation card is because she obtained one of the five slots in the party. As for the doll, it must be the ultimate reward of this party game. Bai Youwei picked up one item after another, examining the real use of these rewards. [Advanced flower seeds: Once planted, ignores seasons and environment and becomes a sea of flowers in 24 hours, with a flowering period of 24 hours. If life nutrients are absorbed, the flowering period can be extended.] [Invitation Card: With this card, you can access uninvited areas or certain closed areas.] [Substitute Doll: Can act as a secondary body for the user, absorbing all damage for 36 hours, until completely damaged..] Chapter 161 - 161: 161: Making a Deep Impression Chapter 161 - 161: 161: Making a Deep ImpressionTranslator: 549690339 The rewards were certainly generous. The first reward, a flower seed, seemed powerful, but it came with a 24-hour time limit. Meaning, if you planted the seed now, it would take at least one day to blossom into a sea of flowers. The second reward, an invitation card, was a little confusing. It was not clear what it was for. If it was for an uninvited area, why not just avoid going there? Why insist on entering? The final reward, a doll, was really impressive, extremely useful. If it was used in an incredibly dangerous game, one does not know how many times it could save from death within 36 hours! Bai Youwei tried to organize her thoughts and understand the use of each reward. She put each one of them in her bag. Her canvas bag was already full. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Inspector took her and Wu Lili out. They came into a yard. Once they¡¯d left the yard, they could return to the real world. Suddenly, Bai Youwei remembered something. She stopped and asked the Inspector, ¡°You mentioned earlier that we were the first ones to win the game. Does that mean no one has ever beaten this game before?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the Inspector replied, ¡°Never.¡± ¡°Do you know a man named Uncle Zhao?¡± she asked again. The inspector raised his eyebrows slightly, ¡°Uncle Zhao?¡± Wu Lili eagerly added, ¡°His full name is Zhao Jiantao! He¡¯s about sixty years old, short but stocky!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that player,¡± said the Inspector, nodding lightly, ¡°He also attended the gathering and eventually left using a puzzle piece.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback, ¡°He also entered the maze?¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯t,¡± grinned the Inspector, ¡°Those who¡¯ve been into the maze carry a particular scent, and I cannot mistake it.¡± A realization dawned in Bai Youwei¡¯s mind. Without setting foot in the maze, having a puzzle piece suggests that it was either given by someone or stolen/robbed. Would anyone part with such a precious item? Answer ¨C undoubtedly no. ¡°Well then, ladies, farewell,¡± said the Inspector, stopping at the gate of the yard, peering at Bai Youwei, ¡°I will remember you.¡± These words were familiar, though she couldn¡¯t quite remember who said them. Bai Youwei glanced around at the large man-eating flowers in the yard, her eyes twinkling slightly, ¡°How about¡­ I leave you with a deeper memory?¡± The Inspector looked puzzled, raising his eyebrows at her. Bai Youwei pulled out a grimy big mushroom from her bag and suddenly threw it into the yard! ¨C Boom! Wu Lili was startled, ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°Run!¡± Bai Youwei slapped her, quickly rolling her wheelchair out of the yard! Behind them, the mushroom exploded! Spores were scattered all over the sky! The greyish-white spores covered the roof, the ground, the fence, and the man-eating flowers. They expanded and grew instantly! The entire cottage in the woods was covered with mushrooms of various sizes! And they were still growing! Growing non-stop! Squeezing the flowers, crushing the stems, the mushroom colony crazily seized the air and moisture, killing all the plants in the yard! [Mushroom Bomb: Releases a large number of spores upon landing, rapidly growing into a mushroom colony. New spores are generated from the mushroom colony, difficult to eliminate in a short time.] The Inspector, who was caught in the mushroom explosion, ¡°¡­I, I will definitely remember you!¡± Once out of the game, Bai Youwei and Wu Lili found themselves back on the slope where it all began. Zhang Qi¡¯s doll lay not far away. There was no sign of the others¡¯ dolls. Wu Lili squatted down next to Zhang Qi, her eyes filling up again. Looking around, she said with choking up, ¡°Everyone is gone, even the luggage.¡± Bai Youwei scowled, looking around and shouting, ¡°Shen MO! Shen MO had left earlier and should be nearby. But where was he? There¡¯s no way he would leave her alone! Chapter 162 - 162: 162: Regularly Deliver People Chapter 162 - 162: 162: Regularly Deliver PeopleTranslator: 549690339 Down the slope were walking steps without a ramp, Bai Youwei, who was confined to a wheelchair, had no way of going down and could only stay at the top of the slope, anxiously. ¡°Shen Mo!¡­..Shen Mol¡­¡± She shouted over and over again. Wiping away her tears, Wu Lili offered kindly, ¡°Do you want me to push you down?¡± Bai Youwei threw her an annoyed glance, ¡°How strong do you think you are? I don¡¯t want to tumble down the slope with you!¡± Wu Lili bit her lip in frustration. Bai Youwei commanded her again, ¡°You go down! Go find my brother!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so big here¡­Where should I look?¡± Wu Lili asked. ¡°Go look for him if I say so! Why are you talking so much?¡± Bai Youwei snapped, ¡°How could you know if you could find him or not without looking?¡± Scared of her, Wu Lili went down, wiping her tears. She had just walked a few steps when she noticed the door of a distant cottage open, and Shen MO came out of it. He was dragging Zhao uncle! ¡°Shen MO!¡± Bai Youwei yelled at him. Shen MO freed up a hand and waved. ¡°Quickly push me down!¡± Bai Youwei said to Wu Lili. ¡°Huh?¡± Wu Lili was taken aback, ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say¡­¡± ¡°Just push if I say push!¡± Bai Youwei burst out, losing her patience, ¡°Stop dilly-dallying!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wu Lili dared not anger her again and silently grabbed the wheelchair¡¯s handles and descended the steps. As they approached, they noticed that Zhao Jiantao had been tied up by Shen Mo. With a gloomy face, the man remained silent, apparently having nothing to say. ¡°The dolls are all in those houses.¡± Shen MO pointed to the huts, ¡°Everyone¡¯s luggage is there too. He is quite thorough in his actions, whenever someone enters the game, he waits on the side. As soon as anyone becomes a doll, they are dragged into the house and hidden there, so is their luggage. In this way, when he brings people to the island next time, nobody will find out.¡± ¡°He came with us. How is it that he is unharmed?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Shen MO glanced at Uncle Zhao and said calmly: ¡°I have asked him. He said that players cannot enter the same game twice in a row, so even if he entered the doll game area, the game would not trigger.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°¡­ True, if one mastered the method of passing the game and came back repeatedly to reap the game rewards, it would be cheating. ¡± However, Wu Lili wasn¡¯t as calm as them and rushed forward in few quick strides, grabbed the old man¡¯s clothes, and angrily questioned: sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Zhao Jiantao, why did you do this? Why? You even went as far as to harm others, but why did you harm Zhang Qi? Zhang Qi and Sun Wei have been working for you on this island all along! What kind of heart do you have?! How could you be so heartless? Why? Why?!!¡± Uncle Zhao lifted his gaze to meet hers, his face devoid of any emotion. ¡°He insisted on coming, just like you.¡± ¡ªSmack! Unable to suppress her anger, Wu Lili fiercely slapped him across his face! ¡°Bastard!¡± she cursed, sobbing. Zhao Jiantao remained unmoved, his expression numb. Bai Youwei glanced at Wu Lili, then at Uncle Zhao, and asked curiously, ¡°Hey, I really can¡¯t understand one thing. Knowing the danger on this island, why didn¡¯t you avoid it in the first place? Instead, why did you trick us into believing there was a safe base here?¡± Zhao Uncle lowered his head, ignoring her. Bai Youwei continued guessing, ¡°Could it be that since there were too many people on the island and you wanted to conserve resources, you sent people to the island?¡­ Hmm, but that doesn¡¯t seem right either. Now there are only sixty to seventy people on the island. That¡¯s not a lot. If the number decreases further, there won¡¯t be enough people to do things like fishing and chopping trees¡­¡± She turned her attention to Uncle Zhao, ¡°Could it be¡­that you are actually a murder maniac, who takes pleasure in this?¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Zhao Jiantao sneered, ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.. If it weren¡¯t for me constantly sending people into the games, everyone on Sanshan Island would have been dead by now!¡± Chapter 163 - 163: 163 We Are Sheep Chapter 163 - 163: 163 We Are SheepTranslator: 549690339 ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± Wu Lili indignantly retorted, ¡°The two islands are so far apart, how could anything possibly happen?! We¡¯ve been safe on Sanshan Island all this time, if it weren¡¯t for you!¡­ It¡¯s all because of you! Everybody¡¯s now dead!¡± Zhao Jiantao said: ¡°Do you think there will be no problem as long as there¡¯s a distance? Or as long as there¡¯s water between? Let me tell you, the game is movable!¡± Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°Isn¡¯t the game area static?¡± Zhao Jiantao closed his eyes, answered woodenly: ¡°It was at the very beginning¡­ But if no player joined the game for seven consecutive days, the game area would move, just like hunting¡­ We are sheep, the wolf would automatically hunt where there are more sheep.¡± The three of them were silent for a while. Upon receiving this information, Wu Lili appeared even more dazed. She recalled that since she arrived at Sanshan Island, she had always witnessed Zhao Jiantao sending people to the so-called ¡°safe base¡±. He sent people every week, and everyone trusted him wholeheartedly. The few who occasionally had doubts were quickly ¡°selected¡±, then sent over the next week¡­ Gradually, only those with absolute loyalty to Zhao Jiantao were left! Like her, Zhang Qi, Sun Wei¡­ Turns out, it¡¯s all a hoax! There¡¯s no such thing as a safe base! Those people are all dead! All dead!! Even Zhang Qi died there! S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With the thought of Zhang Qi¡¯s death, she was heartbroken. Her emotions totally collapsed, and she lunged at Zhao Jiantao like a madwoman, hitting him with all her might! ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! All because of you!!! Why don¡¯t you go die! Go die!!!¡± Zhao Jiantao had been tied up and was unable to fight back. He endured her blows without making a sound, his face quickly turning red and swollen. Shen MO grabbed Wu Lili, preventing her from going mad. Wu Lili cried breathlessly. Watching this spectacle, Bai Youwei also felt a headache, and asked Shen MO, ¡°What should we do now?¡± Shen MO thought for a while and said: ¡°Let¡¯s take him back first and let the people on the island deal with this.¡± In the end, he and Bai Youwei were just passing islanders. Zhao had too much blood on his hands, it would be inappropriate for them to interfere directly. Bai Youwei pursed her lips, a bit dissatisfied, ¡°So he gets off just like that for getting us into this game?¡± Shen MO glanced at her: ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to come yourself?¡± Bai Youwei grumbled in a girlish manner: ¡°¡­ Humph.¡± Indeed. They could have backed out initially, as the trip to the safe base wasn¡¯t mandatory. But everyone was keen on the idea, so Shen MO decided to investigate. And Bai Youwei, naturally, wouldn¡¯t leave Shen Mo¡¯s side. She grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s hand, murmuring complaints in a low voice: ¡°He made us waste one puzzle piece.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s lips curled up, he took two puzzle pieces out of his pocket and placed them into Bai Youwei¡¯s hand. ¡°Does this make it up to you?¡± One puzzle piece belonged to Shen MO, the other to Zhao Jiantao. Both puzzle pieces had their exemption rights used up, but the pieces themselves remained rare resources. Bai Youwei happily accepted them. On the return trip, Shen MO untied Zhao Jiantao, letting him steer the boat. No one knew what was on the old man¡¯s mind, or was he just a heartless person to begin with? His face showed no emotion, there was no shame, no fear, as if he was not afraid at all to face the uninformed people back on the island. Wu Lili watched him the whole way, her eyes filled with hatred, wishing she could tear him to shreds! When the boat arrived at Sanshan Island, Sun Wei was working near the dock. Seeing them return, he was surprised. Before, only Zhao Jiantao returned from the safe base alone. ¡°Uncle Zhao, what¡¯s the matter¡­¡± Sun Wei immediately noticed something was off about their expressions.. Chapter 164 - 164: 164 Return to the Island Chapter 164 - 164: 164 Return to the IslandTranslator: 549690339 Wu Lili couldn¡¯t wait to rush ashore, grabbing Sun Wei, she blurted out everything: ¡°There is no safe base! Zhao Jiantao has been lying to us all along! Everyone sent to West Mountain Island is dead! All because of this old bastard! Zhang Qi is also dead!!!¡± Sun Wei was stunned on the spot, his face changed dramatically, ¡°Lili, what¡­what are you talking about? What happened to Zhang Qi?¡± He looked at Zhao Jiantao: ¡°Uncle Zhao, is everything Lili said true?¡± Zhao Jiantao¡¯s face remained calm, and he said without any change of expression, ¡°Sun Wei, gather everyone, I have something to tell everyone.¡± ¡°You still have the audacity to give orders here?!¡± Wu Lili cursed, ¡°Even if you apologize, no one will ever forgive you!¡± Sun Wei frowned, ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯ll go get everyone.¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He turned and walked away. Wu Lili shouted in rage: ¡°Sun Wei! Why are you still listening to him?! Are you deaf?! Zhao Jiantao has killed everyone! He¡¯s going to kill us sooner or later!!!¡± Sun Wei didn¡¯t stop, he walked further and further away. Wu Lili bit her lip and stamped her foot, then hurried after him in both anxiety and anger. Bai Youwei glanced at Zhao Jiantao dismissively and chuckled: ¡°Well, Uncle Zhao, no wonder you have been so calm along the way. All the people have been already trained by you.¡± Zhao Jiantao straightened his clothes, removed the dust from his trousers, his face, full of wrinkles, didn¡¯t reveal any emotions. ¡°It¡¯s not about training or teaching. I just know a bit more, so I led everyone to walk a bit further.¡± He said indifferently. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help laughing after hearing this: ¡°Have you lied for so long that you¡¯ve deceived yourself? You really see yourself as a savior, haha!¡± A flash of anger appeared in Zhao Jiantao¡¯s eyes. But he held back his anger because of the two, dusted his clothes again, and walked away. Bai Youwei laughed behind him. Shen MO watched Zhao Jiantao walking away, his eyes darkening. After a while, he gripped the armrests of the wheelchair and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡± When they returned to the hotel, everyone was coming out in confusion. Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai were also among the crowd. They were surprised to see Shen MO and Bai Youwei return. ¡°You¡¯re back so soon?¡± Tan Xiao exclaimed in surprise. Shen MO and Bai Youwei had told them before they left that they were going to check out the safe base and return by boat afterward. Tan Xiao thought it would take at least half a day, but they returned in the afternoon. ¡°MO Ge, Sun Wei just came over and told us to all go to Uncle Zhao¡¯s¡­¡± Tan Xiao said. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the room first.¡± Shen MO said indifferently, pushing Bai Youwei to their room. Tan Xiao was perplexed, exchanged glances with Teacher Chang, who was also clueless. Tan Xiao watched the crowd slowly leaving, scratched his head, caught up and asked, ¡°Weiwei, what happened?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Call me sister.¡± ¡°Ah-¡± Tan Xiao readily agreed, ¡°Sister Weiwei, did you and MO Ge run into any trouble?¡± Bai Youwei squinted at him, ¡°Two words.¡± Tan Xiao, ¡°Huh?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°So excitingTan Xiao: By the time he snapped out of it, Shen MO had already pushed Bai Youwei past him. Tan Xiao regained focus, stood there in confusion shouting, ¡°Isn¡¯t that three words?¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look back: ¡°Aren¡¯t you bad at counting!¡± ¡® Tan Xiao muttered in a low voice, ¡°But I can count up to ten.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Teacher Chang patted his shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s hear what they have to say, something must have happened.¡± [Note: I just found out that some chapter content was inexplicably deleted by the review system, causing inconsistency between the previous and the following context! I have now added it back, if you find any unconnected content during your reading, please leave a comment, informing me of the chapter number and title! Many thanks!] Chapter 165 - 165: 165: The Final Destination Chapter 165 - 165: 165: The Final DestinationTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO briefly described what happened on the island to Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai. Despite trying to be as concise as possible, due to the newly appeared Inspector, various game formats, and the relationship between Old Zhao and the people on the island, it still took a considerable amount of time to explain. Tan Xiao was so surprised after hearing that, he couldn¡¯t utter a word. He found it inconceivable, how an old man could silently take the lives of hundreds of people, and that none of the people on the island noticed anything amiss! Chang Weicai also didn¡¯t speak. He hung his head, not uttering a word, looking very solemn. Everyone remembers, Chang Weicai originally planned to stay on the island. Who would have thought that what was assumed to be a paradise, hid such filth and evil? ¡°No wonder the old man summoned everyone as soon as he returned. Was he trying to clear things up in front of everyone?¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°Even now, could he still clear his name?¡± Shen MO said, ¡°We can put aside Zhao Jiantao¡¯s matter for now. What intrigues me is the information he provided; the game can move.¡± ¡°So what if it moves?¡± Tan Xiao was indifferent, ¡°If it can move, then I can run. If worst comes to worst, we just run away.¡± Chang Weicai sighed, ¡°Xiaotan, you don¡¯t understand. If the game really follows whoever runs, then there would never be a safe base in this world. As long as we are alive, we are in danger.¡± Tan Xiao was momentarily at a loss for words. ¡°This could also explain why the biggest cities were the first to be affected.¡± Shen MO said blandly, ¡°It¡¯s due to population density.¡± ¡°Also, the maze.¡± Bai Youwei chimed in, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the nature of the maze is to continuously expand. Can we infer that the maze expands its scope and searches for new players when it senses no surviving players inside?¡± ¡°Then¡­then¡­¡± Tan Xiao was confused, ¡°The game wants to capture people, the maze wants to capture people too¡­ Can we even have a place to stay anymore?¡± Shen MO said gravely, ¡°In the future¡­ I fear the entire human race will be forced into the maze. Tan Xiao: ¡°Why not the game?¡± ¡°We consider the maze to be of a higher level than the game, in a certain sense.¡± Bai Youwei explained, ¡°Like a food chain, we need to follow the rules of the game, and the Inspector needs to follow the rules of the system. For now¡­ the Maze is the entity closest to the system.¡± Tan Xiao half-understood, he scratched his head: ¡°But to me, the game seems to be more bothersome? At least you can see and avoid the maze, but the doll game is like stepping on a landmine, popping up out of nowhere!¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°There¡¯s also one more thing. In this game, the Inspector said something, ¡®The Friend Game is my masterpiece, it¡¯s flawless and has displayed countless precious data¡¯.¡± Chang Weicai paused slightly, muttering to himself: ¡°Precious¡­ data¡­¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°I am interested in two things: firstly, the Inspector designed the game; secondly, the game provides data for the Inspector. But what is data for? Why the Inspector needs data?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Zhao Jiantao said that the game can move, and it seems like hunting, whereas we are the sheep. It does indeed feel like the game is herding us towards the Maze.¡± Chang Weicai sighed with a touch of despair, ¡°Complete the puzzle to clear all games. But ultimately, the game steers us towards the maze. No one can escape.¡± No one can escape¡­ S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen MO pondered a bit, and after a moment of silence he said, ¡°The good news is¡­ we are valuable data samples to the system, at least, as long as we don¡¯t break any rules, the Inspector won¡¯t threaten our lives.¡± The four fell silent. This is perhaps, the only good news so far. But it¡¯s only good news in relative terms, just not as bad as the others.. Chapter 166: 166: Uncle Zhao’s Turnaround Chapter 166: 166: Uncle Zhao¡¯s TurnaroundTranslator: 549690339 An otherwise peaceful world suddenly beset by a man-eating game and a man-eating maze. The game, like an unseen monster, prowling everywhere for suitable prey. The maze, like an evil lord, constantly expanding its territory. Driven to desperation, feeling chased by wolves upfront and tigers behind. People were having a discussion in the hotel room when the sound of a heated commotion drifted from the direction of Zhao Jiantao¡¯s residence, waves of voices, muddled between cheers and jeers. Mr. Cheng shook his head at the clamor, ¡°Once they found the game, they should have moved. Why did they have to harm people¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Let¡¯s go see.¡± Shen MO stood up, ¡°Before this becomes a bigger mess.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go- I¡¯ Bai Youwei looked intrigued, ¡°Let me tell you, that old man is not to be underestimated, the crowd might not be able to hold him down.¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°Really, isn¡¯t he just an old man? What else can he ¡°We won¡¯t know until we go see.¡± Bai Youwei replied with a radiant smile, as she wheeled herself out. They all headed to Zhao Jiantao¡¯s place together. There were over fifty people gathered under the tree where the notice was posted. Strangely, despite the noise, the scene wasn¡¯t as chaotic as expected. Zhao Jiantao stood in the middle of the crowd, displaying no signs of panic on his face, his voice steady as he responded to the crowd word by word: ¡°I¡¯m aware! Many of you are struggling to accept this news. But think about it! Do you believe I¡¯m not heartbroken?! That I¡¯m not devastated?!¡± ¡°If I could, I wish the world to be at peace, everyone dwelling in tranquility! But with my limited power, I can¡¯t do it!!!¡± ¡°You think I haven¡¯t considered escaping? But tell me, where should I escape to? Any place without the game? Name one! Speak up!¡± ¡°The game on West Mountain Island is the most extensive one in this vicinity.¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s there, other games won¡¯t approach!¡± ¡°It¡¯s for everyone¡¯s safety that I play the villain! I¡¯ve been tirelessly sending people in distress to the island every week, feeding that thing¡¯s appetite! That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been able to stay here unscathed till now!¡± ¡°Only when it¡¯s sated, can we be safe! ¡°Only when it¡¯s sated, can we continue to live here!¡± ¡°To live peacefully without giving anything in return, how is that possible?! Whoever among you thinks they can do a better job, step up! I, Zhao Jiantao, won¡¯t object! I¡¯d hand over the position of the Island Master immediately!!!¡± The crowd wore varied expressions, the murmuring gradually subsiding. Some said: ¡°Actually Uncle Zhao hasn¡¯t had it easy either¡­¡± ¡°Uncle Zhao is doing it for our safety¡­¡± ¡°Uncle Zhao¡¯s selections for the island aren¡¯t exactly good people, that Aunt He always takes advantage of others, not to mention her gossips, it¡¯s quieter without her.¡± ¡°Yeah, Uncle Zhao must have his reasons for doing this¡­¡± Tan Xiao was baffled, this dramatic turn of events was like opening the door to a whole new world ¡ª The perpetrator who has caused so many deaths was standing right there unaffected. What was even more terrifying was¡­ he found himself agreeing with Uncle Zhao and these people as he listened! Tan Xiao turned to look at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei was watching the spectacle with a smirk, a hint of schadenfreude in her eyes. He leaned in and asked, ¡°¡­Why is this happening?¡± Bai Youwei said: ¡°The people here were all meticulously chosen by Zhao Jiantao. They all share a common trait, that is¡­ they¡¯re witless. To put it more subtly, they lack the ability to think independently and are easily influenced, brainwashed.¡± After saying this, she looked at Tan Xiao with a smile, ¡°Actually, you also fit the description pretty well. Come on, tell me, did you also find their arguments pretty convincing?¡± Tan Xiao immediately puffed out his chest: ¡°No, no!¡± Chapter 167: 167: Let’s Go Chapter 167: 167: Let¡¯s GoTranslator: 549690339 Wu Lili shared the same feelings as Tan Xiao. She was not just astounded, shocked, but filled with uncontrollable anger! She grabbed onto Sun Wei¡¯s clothes, questioning incredulously, ¡°Sun Wei, do you also think what Zhao Jiantao did was right? He killed Zhang Qi! Is that it?!¡± Sun Wei frowned and said, ¡°Lili, we all know why Zhang Qi went to the island. If he hadn¡¯t threatened Uncle Zhao with an axe, Uncle Zhao wouldn¡¯t have chosen him.¡± Someone next to them chimed in, ¡°Exactly, Uncle Zhao is always emotional and would never harm any of us.¡± Wu Lili burst into a bitter laugh, ¡°Emotional? Am I going mad, or are you all mad?! He killed hundreds of people, yet in your eyes, he¡¯s still a sentimental person?¡± The crowd fell silent for a moment. When this point was made, it sent a chill down everyone¡¯s spine. No matter what, his deeds couldn¡¯t be whitewashed. However, these people had become accustomed to trusting and relying on Zhao Jiantao. If they were to reject all assertions by Zhao Jiantao, what would they do? They were more willing to believe that Zhao Jiantao had his reasons. Zhao Jiantao looked at everyone¡¯s expressions, pondered for a moment, and spoke again, ¡°Well, I understand not everyone can accept drastic measures in drastic times. I won¡¯t force you. Those who don¡¯t accept can step forward, take their belongings, and leave on their own. I will continue to bring people back from the outside. If one day, it becomes necessary to choose from among us, we can decide together through voting, how¡¯s that?¡± Bai Youwei scoffed, exclaiming in admiration, ¡°That is an excellent move. Compared to leaving Sanshan Island to live in an unknown dangerous place, staying on the island should feel so comfortable. The issue is simply diluted and dispersed, and just by mentioning ¡®voting¡¯, everyone is lulled into complacency, and he still appears fair¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps he once held a position in some department.¡± Shen MO commented lightly, ¡°He plays some tricks quite proficiently.¡± Bai Youwei had seen enough and said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go, this is boring.¡± Shen MO, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s pack our luggage and ask him to send us back to the service area by boat.¡± Tan Xiao anxiously asked, ¡°What if he refuses to?¡± ¡°Ha-¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°He¡¯d be more than happy to see us leave; why would he refuse?¡± Professor Cheng walked away with his hands behind his back, shaking his head and sighing, ¡°People¡¯s hearts are fickle, just as there is no Utopia in this world¡­ Voting may seem just, but how is it different from ancient villagers sacrificing boys and girls to the river god?¡± Bai Youwei yawned languidly, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡¯ Apart from Shen MO and the others, everyone else dispersed after a while. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wu Lili intended to step forward but was pulled back by Sun Wei, who tried to gently persuade her not to act impulsively and to consider the bigger picture. Someone else spoke to Wu Lili, ¡°Women, with long hair but short sightedness.¡± Wu Lili was so mad that she trembled all over. She pushed Sun Wei away and yelled, ¡°You can stay! I am leaving! You are all mad! I¡¯d rather die outside than stay here any longer!¡± She fled in anger, and Sun Wei hurried after her. Someone nearby held Sun Wei back and persuaded him, ¡°Leave her alone, didn¡¯t you see her acting? The previous fracture was all pretend, she is just a troublemaker, spouting nonsense¡­¡± Sun Wei hesitated, looking at Wu Lili¡¯s retreating figure, unsure of what to do. Throughout all this, Shen MO and Bai Youwei remained oblivious. They were packing their luggage in their room. Halfway through packing, Wu Lili rushed in.. She didn¡¯t look at anyone else, she ran straight to Bai Youwei and said, ¡°You¡¯d better leave right away! I¡¯ve already scattered the flower seeds here!¡± Chapter 168: 168: The Scenery Missed Chapter 168: 168: The Scenery MissedTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei knew what kind of seeds they were, but the others inside the house did not. She slightly raised her eyebrows, looking at the tense expression on Wu Lili¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Is it really necessary to make such a fuss?¡± It seems like they¡¯re all on the path to getting annihilated. Wu Lili¡¯s eyes turned red, ¡°They have all gone mad, they actually believed Zhao Jiantao¡¯s words. None of them is willing to leave with me. They even said they are going to bring more people to be a part of this game we¡¯re playing on this island! There are hardly any survivors left outside now! Zhao Jiantao could only find four people including you in the past week. He will eventually get everyone here involved!¡± Shen MO chuckled, and a faint contempt was revealed, ¡°There¡¯s indeed hardly anyone left outside. We didn¡¯t come across a single car on our way here. If they insist on staying here, they would eventually bring destruction upon themselves.¡± Wu Lili bit her finger, her entire person was steeped in anxious and indignant emotions. ¡°Who can tell for sure? Maybe they can really find some unlucky souls¡­ Anyway, I can no longer stay here. You guys should leave quickly too; I don¡¯t want to implicate all of you,¡± she said. Bai Youwei tilted her head to look at her, ¡°It¡¯s kind of strange, why did your sense of justice suddenly explode? Could it be that you are trying to avenge Zhang Qi?¡± Wu Lili was stunned for a second, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, all I feel is¡­ disgust. I¡¯m utterly disgusted! These people¡­ this island¡­ everything is utterly disgusting!¡± She paused for two seconds, and then mumbled in a confusion, ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯m not much different than them¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for Zhang Qi¡¯s accident, I¡­ would have probably also bought Zhao Jiantao¡¯s words¡­¡± Mentioning Zhang Qi, tears welled up in Wu Lili¡¯s eyes again, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already caused Zhang Qi¡¯s death, I cannot let these people harm others as well!¡± Bai Youwei merely laughed nonchalantly, ¡°Then I wish you good luck.¡± Wu Lili pursed her lips forcefully, and then anxiously looked outside the door, she felt that she had overstayed, and reminded Bai Youwei one last time, ¡°I have to hurry up and leave, you all should hurry up too.¡± After saying this, she hurriedly left. Around five or six o¡¯clock, Shen MO, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, and Professor Cheng left Sanshan Island by boat. Zhao Jiantao did not show up. He had Sun Wei drive the boat to send them off. Probably because he was wary of Shen MO and Bai Youwei, who had already survived the game once. After Bai Youwei boarded the boat and learnt that Wu Lili had left the island a step ahead of them, she asked in surprise, ¡°She left on her own?¡± Sun Wei nodded his head, with a gloomy look on his robust face, ¡°When Lili first came to the island, she paddled a boat here on her own. Just now, she asked me to help move her luggage onto the boat, and then paddled away.¡± Bai Youwei playfully asked him, ¡°You seem to like her quite a bit, why didn¡¯t you go with her?¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Sun Wei¡¯s face blushed uncomfortably, ¡°Go where? It¡¯s so dangerous out there. She is merely acting on impulse, she will come back sooner or later.¡± Bai Youwei just laughed upon hearing this. She wanted to say something more, but then felt there was no need. Since Wu Lili had already made up her mind why should she interfere? Bai Youwei shut her mouth and casually turned her gaze to the scenery with half-closed eyes. Shen MO glanced at her and also chose to remain silent. After the boat docked, Sun Wei returned to Sanshan Island. Shen MO and the rest returned to the service area. Their vehicle and luggage were still there, and the pile of firewood had not been moved, suggesting that no one had passed by here these past few days. The four of them got into the car, ready to set off once again. As Shen MO turned the car key, he heard Bai Youwei sigh deeply: He paused and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± With her cheek resting on her hand, Bai Youwei looked out of the car window, languidly saying, ¡°I just feel¡­ I¡¯m going to miss a beautiful scene and it makes me a bit melancholic.¡± Wu Lili appeared timid and foolish in the game. Everyone on the island thought she was ignorant, even Zhao Jiantao thought he had everything under control. Yet who would have thought, the destinies of everyone had quietly been changed by a woman. The seeds would grow into a spectacular flower sea within 24 hours. If the people on the island were not quick enough to escape, they would be reduced to nutrients for the flowers. Who knows how long the flowering period would last? Bai Youwei closed her eyes, envisioning that scene, her lips curling up at the corners¡­. Chapter 169: 169: The Inspector’s Melancholy Chapter 169: 169: The Inspector¡¯s MelancholyTranslator: 549690339 A massive, semi-translucent object was floating in mid-air¡ª It looked like an equilateral rhombus, but if one looked closely, it was made up of countless geometric cubes. Bathed in sunlight, the object resembled colorless glass. Yet, in certain moments, it refracted marvelous rays of light. Within it, countless identical cubes were scattered. A cube suddenly emanated a pure blue light, and out stepped a 2.78 -meter tall Inspector who, after the light faded, stood still facing the cube. It seemed to be doing nothing, yet its mind was actually interfacing with the system, repairing data inside the cube. A ball rolled past its feet. Gloating, the ball stopped mid-roll to jeer, ¡°Ha-ha-ha! So your game has glitches, too?¡± The Inspector looked down, expressionless, glanced at the ball by its feet, and asked: ¡°Too?¡± The ball said, ¡°The frog in my game is broken as well. After a belly surgery, it now bursts open every time it lays eggs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it swallowed too many players, right?¡± responded the Inspector, speechless. ¡ªThe frog, not a real frog, indeed. When a player gets swallowed, they¡¯re not digested, but rather encased in an eggshell and turned into a frog egg, then hatched into a tadpole. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your game? Tsk tsk¡­ Friend Gathering 2112, isn¡¯t that your masterpiece?¡± The sphere queried. The Inspector replied, ¡°A player damaged the scene using a tool and the system needs to repair it before it can be used again.¡± ¡°What kind of player did you encounter? What nerve!¡± The ball exclaimed, before laughing again, ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, your games are too mild. What¡¯s so fun about friend games and friend gatherings? You should bring out some big monsters ¨C like my frog and tadpoles!¡± Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The ball hopped high in the air, up to the height of the Inspector standing at 2.78 meters, then floated there: ¡°My game is the simplest, but the volume of data it provides is the highest among the Inspectors.¡± In the distance, a soft voice sounded, ¡°Although your game offers the largest volume of data, the type of data is singular. Friend Gathering involves three different games and thus provides ten-fold richer data. You should think about improving your games.¡± A disgruntled sphere fell abruptly and rolled towards the speaker, grumbling, ¡°How can the difference be that much¡­¡± That last speaker was an Inspector with a rabbit head who just walked out from another cube. ¡°Whether or not the difference is ten-fold, go see for yourself.¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector continued forward, ¡°I have to go, a player just entered Hide-and-Seek 3014.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± The 2.78-meter Inspector stopped them, asking with a furrowed brow, ¡°Based on the game rules, if players attack Inspectors, that¡¯s a violation, right? And Inspectors can punish them, right?¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector replied indifferently with a nod, ¡°Do you have a problem?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t verbal assaults included?¡± The Inspector asked. Rabbit-headed Inspector seemed surprised, ¡°Why would you think that?¡± The ball jumped up in shock, ¡°Language is the most direct response from players in the game. If we block offensive language, we¡¯d lose a significant amount of data. The system wouldn¡¯t allow that!¡± ¡°But¡­ what value could data from player insults have?¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector replied, ¡°Swears, slander, and profanity are just another form of human crying. These can relieve emotions and alleviate stress. This is particularly evident in players stuck in restrictive environments. Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± ¡°Any other questions?¡± ¡°¡­No more.¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector stood before them and calmly said after a moment, ¡°I know you too join the third round of the Friend Gathering game. In the future, you should try to avoid participating directly in games. You seem to be affected a bit.¡± . Maybe.¡± Chapter 170: 170 Arriving in Hangzhou Chapter 170: 170 Arriving in HangzhouTranslator: 549690339 As dusk fell, Shen MO¡¯s car arrived at the edge of Hangzhou. They didn¡¯t immediately enter the fog but instead sought accommodations. They planned to explore their surroundings at the break of daylight and make arrangements accordingly. As usual, they prioritized finding a hotel. This place was not short of beds and pillows, and they had a large stock of disposable toiletries. Each room had a private bathroom ¨C a convenient feature for living. Shen MO found a suitable place and carried Bai Youwei out of the car. The girl¡¯s head rested on his shoulder with her eyes closed. She felt drowsy in the car and didn¡¯t wish to move a bit now. More precisely, ever since she got out of the game, she¡¯d been lethargic, as if the real world could hardly invigorate her. Shen MO put her on the bed and then went out, inspecting all the hotel rooms on their floor. Living diagonally across from their room were Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai. Tan Xiao ran out to wave to Shen Mo. ¡°Brother MO, come and see!¡± Shen MO asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°There seems to be someone over there.¡± Tan Xiao pointed at the room window. The window of their room overlooked the street, providing a long view. Teacher Chang, holding a telescope, bent over looking intently through it. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not good. The telescope¡¯s magnification is not enough, I can¡¯t make out if there¡¯s anyone in the house over there.¡± Teacher Chang muttered. Shen MO went to the window and looked in that direction. He could see a few faint lights, as if candles were lit in someone¡¯s house, or other light sources were in use. At night, such light was conspicuous. He counted; there were four such light sources in total. They were too far away to see clearly, and it was getting late. It would be unwise to go and investigate rashly. Shen MO said, ¡°Teacher Chang, could you continue watching? If any light goes off, it probably means there might be people living there. We¡¯ll take a look tomorrow. ¡± Teacher Chang nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep a lookout. You all can go about your own business.¡± Then Shen MO took Tan Xiao downstairs and started a fire in the space in front of the hotel lobby. ¡ªThey just needed to find some bricks, or knock off a few from the edge of the flower bed, and arrange them into a formation that was enclosed on four sides, with only a hole on the bottom, put a pot on top, start a fire below, and it would serve as a simple stove. Most things could be substituted for, but without electricity or gas, the most primitive cooking method had to be adopted to boil water and cook food. They had a small stove in the car which was fine for cooking noodles or porridge, but was too slow for boiling water. Tan Xiao rummaged in the trunk for a few packs of instant noodles, skillfully tore open the packaging and started cooking them. Their food was basically divided into two categories, one was grains and cooking oils etc. collected from supermarkets, and the other was sausage and roast chicken Tan Xiao brought from a food processing factory. Overall, they lacked vegetables and fruits. Skipping them for a few days was alright, but if they kept missing fresh fruits and vegetables, their immunity would decline, making them prone to sickness. Shen MO thought for a while, then told Tan Xiao, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a look nearby.¡± Tan Xiao was ladling water into the pot, upon hearing this, he replied, ¡°Brother MO, come back early, or Weiwei will throw a fit if she can¡¯t find you.¡± Shen MO paused and smirked, ¡°Are you that scared of her?¡± Tan Xiao nodded honestly. ¡°What are you afraid she¡¯ll do?¡± Shen MO asked with amusement. ¡°Has she scolded you or hit you?¡± Tan Xiao considered, then gradually descended into deep confusion¡ª Since Bai Youwei never scolded nor hit him, why on earth was he scared of her? ¡°The water is boiling.¡± Shen MO reminded him, waved and left. There were shops, residences, and parks nearby the hotel¡­ all submerged in the night. Shen MO walked while taking in the surroundings. After a while, he turned into a residential area.. Chapter 171: 171: Five-person Squad (Extra early update for Xi-) Chapter 171: 171: Five-person Squad (Extra early update for Xi-)Translator: 549690339 He chose not to go to the supermarket. Something had happened in Hangzhou before Yangzhou, and the people there had evacuated sooner. There probably wasn¡¯t much left in the supermarket. The residential complex, on the other hand, was worth checking out. Some residents who had left hastily probably left behind some food reserves. Shen MO wanted to find some vegetables and fruits to improve his meals. First, he climbed into a courtyard lush with plants. By a stroke of luck, he found some fresh green cucumbers hanging by the corner of the wall, and in another yard, he found potted cherry tomatoes. After checking a few more courtyards, some had herbs like green onions and garlic while others only had normal plants. It was still good enough. After all, it wasn¡¯t common to find lower-level resident complexes with courtyards these days. Before he realized, he had wandered from the south gate of the residential area to the north gate. Guessing he had been out for a while and preparing to return, the road outside the residential area suddenly brightened as if a vehicle¡¯s headlights in the distance had lit it up. Shen MO raised his eyebrows, slung his backpack onto his back, grabbed a nearby tree trunk, and climbed up in just a few steps to observe from the dense tree canopy. A vehicle was indeed approaching. As the distance decreased, he heard the sound of tires crunching on the road. For some reason, the driver was moving very slowly. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As it got closer, he heard heated arguing¡ªmale and female voices, not quite an argument but definitely not amicable. This robust Jeep came into view after a moment. The vehicle had clearly been modified; its wheels and lights were unique. The roof was open, revealing five people inside. Three men and two women. Shen MO subconsciously furrowed his eyebrows not only because he recalled what Tu Dan had previously mentioned about a group of people, but also because these people were armed. These days, those who could get their hands on weapons were either soldiers or bandits. Shen MO held his breath and made himself unnoticeable in the tree to avoid being discovered. The Jeep slowly drove into the residential area. The driver was a portly middle-aged man¡ªmore accurately, strong, with a hefty torso and a rough face covered in stubble! By contrast, the man in the passenger¡¯s seat was refined and elegant, with a peaceful and scholarly demeanour. Further back, there was a woman in a red dress seated on the left. She wore a look of impatience on her face. On the right was a bespectacled young man, holding an injured young woman, complaining bitterly: ¡°Su Man, that¡¯s enough! Zhu Shu didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Was it necessary to speak so harshly?!¡± ¡°Annoyed by my words?¡± The woman in red sneered, ¡°If not for you, I would have used my fists by now!¡± ¡°Su Man, you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame her¡­¡± The man in his arms weakly interjected, ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡­ I brought this upon everyone¡­ and wasted a tool.¡± The man held her tenderly, ¡°That¡¯s enough, please rest. Your wounds will heal soon, don¡¯t worry¡­¡± The woman in red scoffed sarcastically: ¡°Oh, playing the delicate damsel, are ¡°Su Man! I¡¯m warning you¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± The man in the front passenger seat cut them off. Both fell silent, but they couldn¡¯t hide the hostility on their faces. The man spoke, ¡°Everyone, calm down. We¡¯ve just come out of the maze. We all need to rest. Let¡¯s find a place to stay first. Tomorrow, depending on Zhu Shu¡¯s recovery, we¡¯ll decide whether to set off again.¡± The Jeep turned a corner and moved out of Shen MO¡¯s line of sight. Shen MO remained in the tree for a while longer, ensuring he couldn¡¯t hear any noises before leaping down and leaving the residential complex. As he prepared to go, he glanced at the Jeep¡¯s tire tracks, following the traces with his gaze to the distant mist. ¡°Just came out of the maze, huh¡­¡± He mumbled thoughtfully.. Chapter 172: 172: You’re Spoiling Me (Additional updates for Xin Lan-) Chapter 172: 172: You¡¯re Spoiling Me (Additional updates for Xin Lan-)Translator: 549690339 When they returned to the hotel, it was rather late. Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai were sitting by the fire, chatting. Bowls and chopsticks that hadn¡¯t been tidied up were set aside; they had obviously already eaten. Bai Youwei was nowhere in sight. ¡°Brother MO, here¡¯s your portion.¡± Tan Xiao handed him a bowl. Shen MO didn¡¯t take it, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go up and call her.¡± ¡°I took a bowl up to her earlier, but she didn¡¯t eat. It¡¯s hot out, so she probably isn¡¯t hungry.¡± Mr. Chang chimed in, ¡°When we have a chance, we can pickle some sour beans and cucumbers ourselves. They¡¯re good for stimulating the appetite.¡± Tan Xiao was surprised, ¡°Mr. Chang, you know how to pickle cucumbers?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mr. Chang nodded, seriously explaining, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult as long as you have cucumbers, chilli, salt, vinegar, and garlic ¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a teacher? You¡¯re not a cook by any chance, are you?¡± ¡°Well¡­ when you live by yourself, you inevitably pick up some cooking skills ¡­¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°So, can you pickle radishes? I especially like those!¡± ¡°First thing first, we need to have radishes¡­¡± As the two rambled on, Shen MO bypassed them and went directly to the second floor of the hotel. There was no power, and the corridor was pitch black. Arriving on the second floor, the hallway was equally dark, having no windows. Only a faint light emanated from Bai Youwei¡¯s room. Shen MO found himself instinctively slowing his pace. Advancing in the darkness and silence gave him an uncomfortable sensation, a faint sense of guilt stirring at the bottom of his heart. Despite having been away only for a short while, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he shouldn¡¯t have¡­ Shouldn¡¯t have left her alone in the darkness. Shen MO reached the room. Bai Youwei was sitting with her back towards him in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. The moonlight outside spilled in, gilding the room with a silvery glow, and casting an indistinct halo around her silhouette. The candlelight inside seemed small and dim against the moonlight. It wasn¡¯t very dark. This realization made him feel slightly relieved. He walked into the room and put down his bag. Bai Youwei turned to glance at him when she heard him enter, then turned back dismissively. Shen MO silently chuckled to himself and asked her, ¡°Mr. Chang said you didn¡¯t have an appetite. Are you going to eat dinner?¡± Gazing out the window, Bai Youwei replied, ¡°I do have an appetite.¡± Shen MO asked, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you eat?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® He remained silent for a while, then followed her gaze out of the window. He saw the varying heights of the buildings, the overlapping shadows, and the thick, dark night sky. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Shen MO asked. With a sarcastic tone, Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Seeing what charms the world outside has, that it could lure you away for such a long time.¡± In the face of her periodic digs, Shen MO used to get a bit upset, but he had become almost immune to them now. He gave a resigned laugh and said, ¡°Well, I did come back in the end, didn¡¯t it show that the charm here is greater than that of the outside?¡± He rarely made such jokes, which caused Bai Youwei to stare at him in surprise for a full two seconds, before quizzically asking, ¡°You¡¯re in such a good mood; did you have some kind of romantic encounter outside?¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t answer, but instead took out some cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and loquats from his bag. Bai Youwei immediately reached out, ¡°I want to eat!¡± ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t in the mood?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve cheered me up, so I¡¯m in the mood now.¡± Shen MO laughed, ¡°When did I cheer you up?¡± Bai Youwei pointed to the pile of fruit and vegetables in his hand, ¡°Isn¡¯t this from picking for me?¡± Shen MO teased her, ¡°Who says it couldn¡¯t be for Tan Xiao and Mr. Chang?¡± Bai Youwei confidently replied, ¡°If it was for them, why would you bring it up here? You could have given it to them downstairs just now.¡± Hmm, she had a point. Shen MO turned to leave. Bai Youwei grew anxious and mumbled, ¡°You¡¯re really taking it downstairs?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to wash them..¡± Shen MO moved to the bathroom, his voice laced with a hint of laughter, ¡°We can¡¯t eat them without washing, can we?¡± Chapter 173: 173: Let him have his way for now (Added more for Night Dance Floating Cloud-) Chapter 173: 173: Let him have his way for now (Added more for Night Dance Floating Cloud-)Translator: 549690339 The cucumbers didn¡¯t turn out too great, thin and twisted, not as beautiful as those from the vegetable greenhouse. Thinking about Teacher Chang¡¯s recent suggestion to pickle the cucumbers, Shen MO set them aside and washed the cherry tomatoes and loquats first. The cherry tomatoes were small, just over twenty of them, filling a glass cup perfectly. The loquats were picked at night, and in his haste, Shen MO hadn¡¯t paid attention to their ripeness. It wasn¡¯t until he shone the flashlight on them that he noticed many of them were not fully ripe, their light yellow skin tinged with a faint green. Shen MO discarded a few particularly underripe ones, then carried the remaining fruit to his room. Bai Youwei was eager to eat them right away. ¡°Wash your hands first.¡± Shen MO handed her a moist towel. She quickly wiped her hands and, unable to wait any longer, bit into the largest loquat. ¡°You should eat the tomatoes first. It¡¯s hard to see at night, and these loquats aren¡¯t fully ripe, they might be a bit sour.¡± Shen MO suggested. But Bai Youwei had already taken a bite. She chewed and then spat out the skin and the seed, ¡°It¡¯s not sour at all, actually sweet. You said this is a loquat? It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never had one before?¡± Shen MO peeled a slightly reddish one and handed it to her. ¡°I¡¯ve had loquats, but mostly in stews¡­ pear stew with loquat or loquat with peach gum. Never tried a fresh one.¡± Bai Youwei devoured another one, her eyes twinkling like crescent moons, ¡°This one is even sweeter than the last!¡± ¡°Are they that sweet?¡± Seeing her enjoying the fruit, Shen MO too peeled a loquat and took a bite, ¡® . ¡°Sweet or not?¡± Bai Youwei asked him, grinning from ear to ear. Shen Mo: ¡­He initially thought she was teasing him again, but her laughter appeared genuine. Her glowing eyes were as clear and pure as a spring lit by the moonlight. She truly found it sweet. Quietly chewing on the sour loquat in his mouth, Shen MO spat out the pit, stood up and went to get some water. Upon his return, he took the loquats she was holding. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei stared at him, puzzled, ¡°I still want to eat some.¡± ¡°Loquats are cold in nature, eating too many isn¡¯t good for you.¡± Shen MO handed her the cherry tomatoes, ¡°Eat these.¡± Bai Youwei made a face, ¡°Who hasn¡¯t eaten tomatoes before? They¡¯re not special. I want loquats.¡± Shen MO replied, ¡°I¡¯ll pick some sweeter ones for you tomorrow.¡± Bai Youwei finally seemed satisfied and stopped complaining. After finishing all the cherry tomatoes, she was still hungry. Shen MO carried her downstairs, heated up the leftover noodles from earlier, and made her a poached egg. She didn¡¯t usually eat these kinds of instant noodles, but today she polished off not only the noodles but the broth as well. Seeing her happily sipping the broth from the bowl, Shen MO couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of emotion: this hedgehog of a girl was quick-tempered, vindictive, and harsh, making her difficult to handle when angry. But as long as you were willing to coax her, any hint of sweetness could be turned into the sweetest honey by her. ¡­In fact, she was quite easy to care for. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He reached out and ruffled her hair tenderly. Bai Youwei put down the bowl and looked up at him, ¡°Why do you always touch my head?¡± Shen MO laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t you always touch my hand as well?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Because it¡¯s hard, and interesting.¡± Copying her words, Shen MO replied, ¡°Oh, because I find it soft, and interesting.¡± Hearing this, Bai Youwei blinked her bright eyes, excused herself and went to help Chang Weicai and Tan Xiao clean up. Before going, she caught Shen MO¡¯s hand in both of hers, looked at him and whispered, ¡°There are even softer places, do you want to touch?¡± Shen Mo: Half a second later, he pulled back his hand and lightly tapped her forehead. ¡°Ouch!¡± Bai Youwei yelped in pain, clutching her forehead as she glared at him, ¡°Why¡¯d you hit me!¡± Both Chang Weicai and Tan Xiao looked over, but seeing that they were just fooling around, they returned to what they were doing. Shen MO found this amusing and pinched her cheek, ¡°Behave yourself from now on.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, she wanted to argue with him!¡­ Thinking about the delicious loquats she had earlier made her feel longing again. She licked her lips discreetly, thinking to herself: for all the care he has showered upon me, I¡¯ll cut him some slack for the next couple of days.. Chapter 174: 174: Unity is Strength Chapter 174: 174: Unity is StrengthTranslator: 549690339 After dinner, everyone didn¡¯t immediately retire to their rooms, after all, it was too stifling inside compared to the openness outside. Everyone was casually chatting and packing their belongings. Teacher Chang rummaged through the car and found some expired food. He looked pained as he threw them away. Tan Xiao, however, seemed relatively cheerful, reassuring him, ¡°Autumn is just around the corner, so the corn and grain must be ripe by now. We can just pick up a bag from the village, that should be enough for us, there are fruit trees on the mountains, and fish in the water, we won¡¯t starve!¡± Teacher Chang asked, ¡°But what about winter?¡± Tan Xiao was expected to say that we need to gather more supplies for the winter but seemed like he hadn¡¯t considered this at all. After a pause, he simply replied, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on surviving until winter.¡± Despite the seemingly tragic nature of his statement, somehow Tan Xiao made everyone burst into laughter. Scratching his head, Tan Xiao joined in the laughter, looking adorably clueless. Chang Weicai shook his head and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m worrying unnecessarily. The real challenges that lie ahead are the maze and the game. If we can¡¯t overcome these, having more food is pointless.¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mentioning the maze made Shen Mo recall the five-member team they had encountered earlier. ¡°When I went out earlier, a group came out of the maze. Based on their appearance, the difficulty of the maze here might not be too high.¡± Bai Youwei curiously asked, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Shen MO explained, ¡°They had a jeep, and there were five people in it. That car can only accommodate a maximum of five people.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem with five people?¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t understand. Bai Youwei said, ¡°If five people go in, and five people come out, that means they exited the maze without casualties, so it seems the difficulty isn¡¯t too high Tan Xiao suddenly realized, ¡°Oh¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like there were no injuries, one of the women was hurt,¡± Shen MO paused, then added, ¡°They had a gun.¡± (Note: Words like gun, explosion, bomb, and bullet can¡¯t be written or else the chapter will be blocked, separators don¡¯t work either.) ¡°Could you tell what kind of injury it was?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Shen MO shook his head lightly, ¡°I was too far away to see clearly, but I heard them say that they wasted one item because of it. I guess there might be some danger in the maze, but since the five of them survived, we should be able to handle it.¡± ¡°I thought we weren¡¯t allowed to bring weapons into the game?¡± Tan Xiao asked again. ¡°The maze and the game are not the same,¡± Chang Weicai replied, then muttered to himself, ¡°if only we could ask them about the conditions inside the maze.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me!¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°They have guns, so what happens if they decide to shoot us?¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t rashly approach them since we don¡¯t know their intentions,¡± Teacher Chang waved his hand dismissively, ¡°I was just voicing my thoughts¡­¡± ¡°Even if we did ask them, there¡¯s no guarantee they¡¯d tell us the truth.¡± Bai Youwei tilted her lips up in a sneer, ¡°They might even deceive us.¡± Teacher Chang still held onto the belief that unity was strength, ¡°If everyone only cares about collecting their puzzle pieces, when will the puzzle be complete? As long as the puzzle is not complete, the game won¡¯t be fully cleared. Just like the saying, one thousand people united have the power of one thousand, but ten thousand people disagreeing have the value of none.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, this is a paradox,¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°For collecting, of course, the more, the merrier. But each puzzle piece grants one immunity. That means no one wants to share unless they¡¯ve already used their immunity.¡± Shen MO hesitated, ¡°If we could collect those used puzzle pieces¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes lit up as she understood him, ¡°That would make things much easier, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 175: 175: Inquiring About the News Chapter 175: 175: Inquiring About the NewsTranslator: 549690339 S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Completing the puzzle allows one to clear all game levels¡ª This means liberating oneself from the nightmare-like games once and for all. Therefore, the puzzle pieces were obviously precious and scarce resources! Yet, for most people, the value of a puzzle piece merely lies in the one-time exemption it provides. ¡°If we really want to do this, passing on the information could be an issue.¡± Shen MO said. ¡°As long as someone is still alive, they can definitely deliver the message.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t worry at all. ¡°Didn¡¯t Teacher Chang see some parts of the city lit up today? There must be people living there, as long as we put out the message, trading goods for puzzles, I refuse to believe people wouldn¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao was surprised. ¡°Trade by using our items? Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± ¡°Of course it wouldn¡¯t be a straight one for one trade.¡± Bai Youwei pondered. ¡°I would like to trade one for ten, but I guess there aren¡¯t many people who have spare puzzle pieces currently. One for five or one for three are both possibilities.¡± She looked up at everyone: ¡°What do you guys think?¡± Shen MO pondered for a moment, then replied: ¡°I have no objections.¡± In the short term, items are important, but in the long run, puzzle pieces hold more value. Chang Weicai also agreed: ¡°Completing the puzzle requires persistence and determination, I have no objections too.¡± Tan Xiao glanced at Shen MO, then at Chang Weicai, puzzled: ¡°Do we even have so many items to trade¡­? I only have one badge whose use I don¡¯t understand¡­¡¯ [Friendship Badge: Helped the princess find her lost golden ball, you have become a friend of the princess.] The use of this item was unclear, because no one knew what benefit could be gained from being a friend of the princess. Bai Youwei patted her ¡°prosperous¡± canvas bag. ¡°I still have lots. If not enough, we can earn more from games! That¡¯s still better than running through the maze again and again, how exhausting!¡± Tan Xiao: My goodness, I think running games is no less strenuous than running mazes! Shen MO checked the time and told everyone: ¡°It¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s all go back to our rooms to rest. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll look around again, get to understand the situation. If there are no issues, we¡¯ll enter the maze in the afternoon. ¡± Everyone exchanged looks and nodded unanimously. Bai Youwei reminded Shen Mo: ¡°Don¡¯t forget to pick loquats before entering the maze.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen MO gave her a helpless look, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t forget.¡± The next morning. Shen MO and his team packed up their belongings, got in their car, and slowly drove along the streets on the outskirts of the fog. They occasionally ran into people. Unlike the folks in Yangzhou, who gathered near Yangzhou Port waiting for rescue, people in Hangzhou were scattered throughout the city, cautiously keeping a certain distance from the fog in the city center. When they saw Shen MO¡¯s car, everyone turned vigilant, standing in their place with suspicion and showing a posture that screamed caution, as if Shen MO and his team were intruders. ¡°These people are weird.¡± Through the car window, Tan Xiao noticed two more people collecting supplies by the roadside and hesitated, ¡°Should we get out and ask them?¡± ¡°No rush,¡± Shen MO¡¯s glance was indifferent and he looked forward. ¡°The mental state of these people is overly tense. They would probably have run away before we can even park our car properly. Let¡¯s take a look ahead first.¡± The vehicle continued to move forward. After traveling a short distance, they passed by an intersection where Shen MO saw about ten or so people sorting and packing things from a store onto a tricycle. All men, ranging from teenagers, to those in their twenties or even forties, each played their role. When they saw the off-road vehicle, they were also quite vigilant, but possibly due to their numbers, they didn¡¯t seem afraid or nervous at all, and continued their sorting without pausing. Shen MO parked the car across the street, got out, called Tan Xiao over, and together they went over to ask for information. Teacher Chang was worried that they might get into a conflict, he stood by the car nervously watching. Bai Youwei was also looking out from the window¡ª.. Chapter 176: 176: So Handsome Chapter 176: 176: So HandsomeTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO was making conversation with them. To avoid arousing their vigilance, he carried himself with a touch of ease and relaxation. Standing tall amongst the crowd like a pine tree, his silence radiated power. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge his attractiveness as she watched him. She framed him up with her fingers against the distant scenery, embedding him into this ¡°shot¡±. His side profile was handsome and determined. Standing amongst the crowd, he exuded an even more imposing air. The more she looked, the more she liked. As if sensing her gaze, Shen MO turned his head slightly to meet her eyes. Their eyes met, her heartbeat quickened, and she chuckled as she flirtatiously blinked at him. She saw him mouthing something without making a sound, before he turned back and continued his conversation with the others. Bai Youwei understood. He said two words, ¡°Stop teasing.¡± Propping her chin up, Bai Youwei muttered to herself, ¡°Ah, even when he¡¯s lecturing someone, he¡¯s still so attractive¡­¡± ¡°Weiwei, do you think they¡¯ll run into trouble¡­¡± Professor Cheng was anxious at the side, with this perpetual feeling that those people were not good-natured. Still immersed in her ¡°admiration¡±, Bai Youwei muttered, ¡°Even if they do run into some trouble¡­ seeing him fight would be even more attractive¡­¡± Professor Cheng:??? The conversation lasted only two to three minutes, and Shen MO, along with Tan Xiao, returned to the car. Professor Cheng hastily asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation in Hangzhou right now?¡± ¡°Much the same as Yangzhou, a lot of people didn¡¯t wait for the rescue teams, the escape routes out of the city are insecure, so they decided to stay.¡± Shen MO explained, ¡°They believe that being near the mist is safer as the game almost never appears here, hence as long as they ensure enough food and water, they could survive. Of course, this is under the prerequisite that the mist doesn¡¯t expand further, if the mist¡¯s range broadens, their survival space will be further squeezed.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°How many people are in Hangzhou now?¡± ¡°Unclear.¡± Shen MO gently shook his head, ¡°Without electricity or internet, everyone is confined to a fixed area, occasionally meeting people from other areas, no one has made a proper count.¡± After thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°Why were those people so afraid when they saw our car? Did something happen in the city?¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Probably afraid we were going to steal their stuff,¡± Tan Xiao interjected, ¡°I heard them saying, some people unable to find food resorted to robbing others, and some specifically target game props.¡± Bai Youwei blinked her eyes, ¡°How do they know who has game props?¡± ¡°Yeah, how did they know?¡± Tan Xiao slapped his forehead in regret, ¡°I forgot to ask just now. Should I go back and ask?¡± Shen MO gently shook his head: ¡°Game props all look like toys, anyone carrying toys at this time is undoubtedly in possession of game props. Also, they could ambush near the game zones, and when people coming out from the game let down their guard, the possibility of successful ambush is high.¡± After digesting Shen MO¡¯s words, Bai Youwei fondly stroked her bag, saying, ¡°I wonder if someone will try to steal mine.¡± Observing her expression, Tan Xiao curiously asked, ¡°Weiwei, why do I get the feeling that you are somewhat looking forward to it?¡± Bai Youwei glared at him fiercely, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you calling me ¡®sister¡¯ again?¡± Tan Xiao choked a little, replying with frustration, ¡°Sis, looking at your face, I really can¡¯t say it¡­¡± Bai Youwei was rather petite. With a fair and delicate complexion, when she glares, she looked just like a petulant princess. After glowering at him for a while. Bai Youwei rolled her eves, surprisingly didn¡¯t get angry and proudly declared, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t argue with you. I¡¯ll take it as you complimenting me for looking young.¡± Tan Xiao nodded in agreement, ¡°You indeed look very young.¡± ¡°Men all like young ones, right?¡± Bai Youwei asked with a beaming smile.. Chapter 177: 177 Little Boy (Extra update for Leng Ran – ) Chapter 177: 177 Little Boy (Extra update for Leng Ran ¨C )Translator: 549690339 ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter¡­¡± Tan Xiao ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°As long as they are pretty and have nice bodies, age and such don¡¯t matter.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face darkened. Teacher Chang quickly consoled, ¡°Red Skull, such things are temporary. The most important thing for a girl is her inner beauty, soul beauty is the true beauty¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned even darker. Shen MO silently laughed at the side, the conversation had veered off track so much that he couldn¡¯t bring it back. While they were chatting, a little boy from a distance came over cautiously. Probably figuring their conversation seemed very friendly, he bravely interrupted: ¡°Excuse me¡­ Do you need to buy a map?¡± Everyone turned to look at him. The boy was really young, probably around ten years old. With everyone staring at him, he seemed nervous. It¡¯d been a long time since Bai Youwei had last seen a child. Not only children, elderly people like Chang Weicai were also rare. Of course, her kind, the disabled, were even rarer. ¡°Young man, are you selling a map?¡± Teacher Chang asked kindly. The little boy was holding a map in his hand. It was hand-drawn with a pencil, very detailed. You could see the traces of erasing and re-drawing. ¡°You¡¯re going into the maze, right?¡± Said the boy, ¡°This is the maze¡¯s map. I¡¯ll sell it to you for just one item.¡± A Maze Map? One item? Everyone was taken aback. It didn¡¯t matter if it was someone else selling things, but it was surprising that such a young child was doing business. Teacher Chang inevitably asked, ¡°Young man, how old are you? What¡¯s your name?¡± The little boy didn¡¯t answer. His eyes moved over their faces, finally settling on Shen MO, who he perhaps saw as the ¡°leader¡±. He stared at him and asked: ¡°Do you want the map? I also have a map of the city. Every game area is marked. It will be very safe to leave the city with the map. It¡¯s also only one item. Want it?¡± Shen MO glanced at the map in the boy¡¯s hand and asked calmly, ¡°How can we verify your map is accurate and reliable?¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The question seemed to put the little boy in a tough spot, as he tried to find an answer. Bai Youwei was watching the child. The kid had a round face and serious eyebrows, small eyes, and was quite cute. He was just a bit sunburnt with red and peeling skin. Thinking about it, it was quite pitiful. He had most likely been pampered by his family before but now, they were probably gone. At such a young age, he had to learn to fend for himself. Partly to tease, partly to test him, she asked, ¡°Once you enter the maze, you¡¯re not guaranteed to come out. And no one can verify the usefulness of your map. Why would I use an item to buy it? There¡¯s even less need for a city map. Don¡¯t you know that the game areas are always changing?¡± The child was stunned, ¡°The game area changes?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Tan Xiao interjected, ¡°If no player enters the game for 7 days, the game area will move randomly. The direction and the distance are unpredictable, but it will always automatically lock onto places where people gather!¡± The boy looked lost. After a while, he nodded slowly and muttered, ¡°Oh¡­ in that case, you wouldn¡¯t need my map after all¡­¡± His hopeless tone was enough to stir pity in anyone. Teacher Chang almost couldn¡¯t resist the urge to hand over his mud pie, but Shen MO stopped him. Shen MO asked the boy, ¡°What do you want the item for? You¡¯re so young. Even if you get an item, it could easily be stolen. Worse still, it could endanger your life. An item could bring you nothing but trouble.¡± Upon hearing this, Teacher Chang sobered up immediately. Although he hadn¡¯t acted on his impulse, a cold sweat broke out. It was a close call. He had almost spelled doom for the child. ¡°I want to leave,¡± the boy glanced at a group of young men not too far away, ¡°But without an item, I can¡¯t join Brother Fei¡¯s team..¡± Chapter 178: 178: Collecting Team Members Chapter 178: 178: Collecting Team MembersTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei followed the gaze of the young boy. It was Shen MO and Tan Xiao who had previously inquired about the information from those people. At this moment, those people were staring in their direction, seemingly curious if they would really exchange items with the child. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just playing a trick on you.¡± Bai Youwei curled her lips, giving a wicked grin, ¡°Adults love to play tricks on children, saying if you finish your homework, they¡¯ll let you watch cartoons, but then make excuses after you¡¯re done. Aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ll fool you?¡± The young boy furrowed his brows and said solemnly, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m younger, so if we enter the game together, they can use me as a scapegoat, so they will definitely include me.¡± Bai Youwei smirked, ¡°You¡¯re pretty clear-headed.¡± Tan Xiao also understood, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Since they would use you as a scapegoat, then it doesn¡¯t matter if you have tools, right? Why won¡¯t they let you join?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t have any tools, I would definitely end up as a scapegoat.¡± The young boy replied, ¡°With tools, I might not die.¡± Life and death matters sounded somewhat poignant coming from the mouth of a ten-year-old boy. Everyone exchanged glances and remained silent for a while. Perhaps realizing that Bai Youwei and the others weren¡¯t interested in the map, the young boy once again actively marketed his other goods: ¡°Besides the map, I can also help you find food. Dry food and fresh vegetables are available. There are also emergency medical supplies. With just one tool, I can help you find all of these.¡± Bai Youwei gently shook her head, indifferently rejecting him, ¡°Kid, we won¡¯t be buying these things. In the maze, the value of tools far surpasses food and medicine.¡± The little boy looked disappointed. He pursed his lips, he had no choice but to give up and turn to leave. Chang Weicai was anxious. As a teacher, he couldn¡¯t stand seeing a child suffer, he quickly rushed forward to stop the boy. ¡°Hey, kiddo, you should stop buying these tools, and don¡¯t listen to those people about joining any team. You¡¯re young and too easy to be taken advantage of. Find a place to hide, and live a good life¡­¡± ¡°Chang Weicai, it¡¯s useless for him to hide anywhere in his state.¡± Bai Youwei stopped them, ¡°Hey, kid, would you like to consider joining us?¡± The young boy was stunned, he turned around, his eyes suspiciously rested on Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei said, ¡°You know it very well, don¡¯t you? If we dare to enter the maze, it shows that our strength is much stronger than that so-called Fei Ge.¡± ¡°You¡­ need me as a scapegoat in the maze?¡± The boy asked hesitantly. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He had to be skeptical. Otherwise, why would they be willing to take him in? Don¡¯t all adults look down on children? Yet Bai Youwei burst into laughter, ¡°Hahaha¡­ scapegoat¡­ Only those who are afraid of death need that! I have a bunch of tools that I can¡¯t even use up, would I need you, a tiny kid, as a scapegoat?¡± The boy blushed, but his eyes lit up. He asked hopefully, ¡°Will you really let me join?¡± ¡°Of course, there are conditions. After all, this is not a shelter.¡± Bai Youwei curled her lips, speaking nonchalantly, ¡°As long as you can survive and make it out of the maze, I will allow you to join us. I¡¯ll even give you a tool.¡± The boy was taken aback, ¡°¡­Survive and leave the maze?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him with ease, ¡°If you want to be a teammate, we need to understand each other¡¯s abilities, right? If you only know how to cry when you¡¯re in the maze, I¡¯m not going to take you in.¡± Boy: ¡°I never cry!¡± ¡°Then think it over.¡± Bai Youwei said lazily, then turned to Shen MO, ¡°What time are we going into the maze this afternoon?¡± ¡°2 0¡¯clock.¡± Shen MO replied. ¡°Okay.¡± Bai Youwei looked at the young boy again, ¡°If you¡¯ve decided, meet us here at two in the afternoon. We will enter the maze together.¡± Chapter 179: 179: It’s Hard to Think Chapter 179: 179: It¡¯s Hard to ThinkTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO drove around Hangzhou City, making a large loop and encountering some residents along the way. The information he received was more or less the same as what he had initially learned from Fei¡¯s group. In short, the people who had not received any rescue had nowhere to go, so they remained in the city. There was enough food and water here to sustain their lives, as long as they were careful not to approach the game area while gathering resources. No one knew how long this life struggling in the cracks would last. Seeing that it was almost noon, Shen MO picked a shady spot and stopped the car to prepare for lunch. Bai Youwei reminded him again, ¡°My loquats.¡± Shen ¡°Grocery Management¡± Mo: ¡® ¡°It¡¯s ok, it¡¯s ok, you go pick Weiwei¡¯s loquats, I¡¯ll cook.¡± Teacher Chang confidently lit the fire and readied the pot, murmuring under his breath, ¡°Aren¡¯t loquats usually in season in May or June? Why are there still some in August¡­¡± Bai Youwei chuckled mischievously, ¡°The first appearance of the dolls was in May, maybe time has stopped, and we just don¡¯t know?¡± Shen MO glanced at her, ¡°The lotus seeds you ate mature in July or August.¡± ¡°So it has something to do with the mist then?¡± Bai Youwei casually guessed, ¡°There¡¯s no fog near Tai Lake, so time is normal.¡± These speculations could not be confirmed, and were merely idle chatter. Shen MO picked up his bag and left. His departure was quick, and his return was equally swift. When he appeared in front of Bai Youwei again, his bag was full of glistening yellow loquats. The meal was also ready. White rice, mung bean soup, sweet pumpkin, roasted sausages, and cucumber pickles that Teacher Chang quickly whipped up. The simple and homemade dishes were attractive with their bright colors. Under the shade of the big tree, they set up a small table, and sat around it. The homely atmosphere miraculously made them all hungry. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Aiyo, Teacher Chang makes such good mung bean soup Q¡¯ Tan Xiao praised while sipping, ¡°Even without ice, it tastes refreshing.¡± Chang Weicai laughed, ¡°That¡¯s because Weiwei added mint leaves.¡± Tan Xiao turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei can cook too?¡± ¡°No,¡± Bai Youwei grabbed a squishy piece of pumpkin, nonchalantly saying, ¡°But for a smart person, everything is a piece of cake, nothing is difficult.¡± Tan Xiao thought for a moment, lifted his bowl and moved closer, humbly seeking advice, ¡°Is there a way to become smart?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Read more books, use your brain more.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work, my head hurts whenever I read a book!¡± ¡°Well, then you¡¯re beyond help.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a way¡­ to become smart without using your brain?¡± ¡°There is.¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, leaned closer, and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Bai Youwei pointed to the fog in the center of the city with her chopsticks, ¡°Enter the maz& The maze improves a person¡¯s physical fitness, it might help improve your IQ.¡± Tan Xiao pondered for a moment, ¡°Come to think of it¡­ after going into the maze last time, my memory seems to have improved a bit.¡± ¡°Yeah, I had the same feeling¡­¡± Teacher Chang hesitated, ¡°I thought my memory improved because my body became younger.¡± Shen MO looked at them and said, ¡°The improvement the maze gave to our bodies doesn¡¯t seem to be balanced. For me, the biggest change is in strength, followed by speed, agility, reflexes, endurance¡­ thinking should have improved as well, but it¡¯s not as noticeable.¡± Bai Youwei summarised, ¡°This shows that growing a brain is much harder than growing muscles.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Why did her words sound so insulting? Meanwhile, Teacher Chang sighed, ¡°In that case, it would be good to take the kid into the maze once. Even if he has no props in the future, at least he¡¯ll have the ability to be independent.¡± ¡°Wait a moment~¡± Bai Youwei raised a finger and wiggled it, ¡°Teacher Chang, I¡¯m not bringing him into the maze to do him a favor. I truly want him to join us..¡± Chapter 180: 180: Bai Youwei’s Game Chapter 180: 180: Bai Youwei¡¯s GameTranslator: 549690339 Everyone was astonished. After cohabiting for some time, they all had some knowledge about Bai Youwei. While she wasn¡¯t particularly nasty, she wasn¡¯t specifically kind hearted either. Yet now, she wanted to take in a ten-year old child? ¡­Could there be some hidden agenda? ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bai Youwei frowned slightly, ¡°The way you¡¯re looking at me now, is making me very un-com-fort-able. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Tan Xiao and Teacher Chang diverted their eyes. Shen MO was more direct and asked her, ¡°The reason?¡± Bai Youwei threw up her hands: ¡°Because I think the kid has potential. His observational skills are solid; he guessed our destination to be the maze; he is courageous enough to negotiate a deal with adults at such a young age, and he¡¯s clear-headed enough to realize that his elder brother was just using him as a scapegoat. Of course, he does have some drawbacks, but after all, he¡¯s only ten¡ªI can¡¯t expect too much, can I?¡± ¡°Just because of these reasons?¡± Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei, his eyes expressing doubt. The child¡¯s strengths were apparent, but the drawbacks were even more conspicuous. He was just a child, his capabilities in every aspect were weaker than adults, and he would undeniably be a burden in the game. Like in the first round ¡°Flower Picking¡± of ¡°Friends Gathering,¡± if anyone would snatch his flower, the child would have no power to resist at all. In short, once they took him in, all of them would have to put in a herculean effort just to keep him safe. ¡°Actually¡­ ever since we came out of the game last time, I¡¯ve felt that we are lacking something,¡± Bai Youwei said. Shen MO asked, ¡°Lacking what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to put into words, but you could say¡­ a simpler, more instinctive way of thinking?¡± Bai Youwei put down her chopsticks, fell silent for a moment before continuing, ¡°I think, the doll game isn¡¯t difficult. The difficulty lies in finding a solution. Due to factors like life experiences and upbringing, many of our thinking patterns are relatively set, including mine.¡± She looked at Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know, when we were playing Truth or Dare, I initially thought of a question for the card, but then I remembered the Inspector mocking humans as being combinations of water, protein, and organic substances, so I changed the question on the fly. But afterwards, I realized there was an easier way to pass the game, which I hadn¡¯t even thought of at the time.¡± Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai looked at each other, then asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What method?¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips slightly. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The Inspector can¡¯t kill himself, so I told everyone to write ¡®kill the Inspector of this round¡¯ on the card. But in reality, there are numerous things the Inspector can¡¯t do. He can¡¯t bleed human blood; similarly, I guess he can¡¯t produce ear wax or nose excrement, he can¡¯t rub his scalp to produce dandruff, and he can¡¯t spit out saliva. Don¡¯t these methods sound disgusting? Very crude? But they might be effective, right?¡± Shen MO slightly frowned, ¡°You mean that child could make up for our cognitive shortfalls?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be sure¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s play a game now, treat me as the Inspector, and try to pass the game. How about that?¡± The three men quietly stared at her while holding their bowls. ¡°Pose your question.¡± Shen MO said. Let¡¯s treat it as a dinner party game. Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth curled up into a smile: ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m the Inspector for this round of the game, welcome to the Doll Game.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao: Teacher Chang: Bai Youwei smiled as she stretched out her hands, palms up: ¡°The theme of this round is ¡®Weiwei¡¯s Candy¡¯. Assume I have a piece of red candy and a piece of green candy in my hand.. The red one is watermelon-flavored; what flavor is the green one?¡± Chapter 181: 181: Late (Extra update for the master nine-) Chapter 181: 181: Late (Extra update for the master nine-)Translator: 549690339 Tan Xiao was very eager, immediately replying, ¡°Cantaloupe flavour!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Incorrect.¡± Teancher Chang asked: ¡°Is it grape flavour?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Incorrect.¡± Tan Xiao said: ¡°Teacher Chang, grape flavour is usually purple! Ah, is it kiwi flavour?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Incorrect.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°¡­What about green mandarin flavour?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Incorrect.¡± Teacher Chang seriously pondered: ¡°Since the red candy is watermelon-flavoured, then the green one must also be fruit-flavoured¡­ could it be cucumber-flavoured?¡± ¡°How could that be? Cucumbers are not fruits!¡± Tan Xiao activated his brain cell, ¡°Think again, are there any other green fruits¡­ Ah! I got it! Green apple flavor! I must be right this time, right?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head with a laugh: ¡°Still incorrect.¡± Tan Xiao was completely helpless: ¡°Weiwei, give us a hint!¡± sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve already given you a hint, the red candy is watermelon-flavoured, that¡¯s the clue.¡± Teacher Chang tried again: ¡°Is it lotus seed flavour?¡± Bai Youwei burst into laughter, still shaking her head, she asked Shen Mo: ¡°What do you think it tastes like?¡± Shen MO pondered for a moment, answering: ¡°Sweetness.¡± ¡°What?! That¡¯s allowed?!¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°The answer is sweetness?! No way! That¡¯s so cunning!!!¡± Bai Youwei shook her head: ¡°That¡¯s also incorrect.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The sound of Tan Xiao¡¯s voice abruptly stopped. ¡°¡­¡± Teacher Chang was just about to praise the unexpected win of that answer, only to involuntarily shut his mouth. Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei: ¡°Reveal the answer.¡± Bai Youwei grinned, saying: ¡°The answer is, watermelon rind flavour.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Tan Xiao: Chang Weicai: ¡® . ¡°The red is watermelon-flavoured, the green is watermelon rind flavoured, what do you think? Isn¡¯t it logically consistent?¡± Bai Youwei gloated, ¡°When the nanny¡¯s child came to play at my house, I used treats to tease him, and that¡¯s exactly how he answered. Children¡¯s way of thinking is very interesting, if we truly aim to complete the puzzle collection, we should consider bringing that kid along, we might be pleasantly surprised~¡± She paused, then continued: ¡°If he can make it out of the maze alive, that is.¡± Everyone fell into silence. So, that¡¯s the most important part, right? If he can¡¯t make it out of the maze alive, everything we just discussed is moot! Tan Xiao picked up his bowl to continue eating, mumbling: ¡°I wonder if he¡¯ll show up at 2 p.m.¡± Bai Youwei also picked up her bowl, slowly eating a few bites of rice. Teacher Chang opened his mouth as if to speak, looking at his companions¡¯ expressions, in the end, he shut it and ate in silence¡­ 2 p.m. soon arrived. They returned to the crossroads again. They didn¡¯t bring a car, everyone only brought some portable luggage. There was no sign of the little boy at the crossroads. It was understandable if he didn¡¯t show up, after all, he didn¡¯t know Bai Youwei well, it was normal to be cautious, let alone¡­ not many people dared to enter the maze now. Chang Weicai said: ¡°Shall we wait a little longer? Maybe he got delayed.¡± Everyone looked at Bai Youwei. Her expression was indifferent, she didn¡¯t object, so everyone found a shady spot and waited quietly. They waited for five minutes. The little boy was still nowhere to be seen. Bai Youwei casually yawned. Just then, a few people approached from the right, they looked over¡ª It was two men and a woman, but the boy was still not with them. Bai Youwei suddenly felt completely unmotivated. ¡°Let¡¯s go, no need to wait any longer.¡± She said somewhat frustrated, ¡°He probably won¡¯t show up.¡± ¡°Hey! There¡¯s a handicapped person here.¡± One of the men, a chubby one, was surprised by the sight, meaning no discrimination, merely expressing surprise and having a loose tongue. Bai Youwei lazily lifted her eyelids, giving him a cold smirk. ¡°Listen here, sir, we¡¯re both handicapped people.. Is there a need to discriminate against each other?¡± Chapter 182: 182 MDZZ Chapter 182: 182 MDZZTranslator: 549690339 The fat uncle stared in bewilderment, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Bai Youwei smiled, pointing to her leg, ¡°I¡¯m leg-disabled.¡± Then pointed at his head, ¡°And, you are brain¨Cdisabled.¡± The air seemed to freeze for two seconds. The fat uncle fumed, ¡°How dare you insult me?!¡± Bai Youwei smirked, ¡°It took you two seconds to realise you¡¯ve been insulted. Clearly, your brain isn¡¯t the sharpest tool in the shed.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± The fat uncle rolled up his sleeves, ¡°You insolent little girl, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± Shen MO and Tan Xiao stepped in front of Bai Youwei, while Master Chang cautiously moved the wheelchair back a bit. Meanwhile, the fat man¡¯s companion was holding him back. ¡°Lun Ang, let it go.¡± The man frowned at the sight of Shen MO and his group, his voice very low, ¡°Let¡¯s not complicate things, just take the exchanged items and go.¡± The woman in red was more swaggering, her disdain virtually written on her face, ¡°This little white lotus living off men will be dead in no time. You shouldn¡¯t keep getting worked up about her.¡± ¡°Tch! Were you raised in a single-parent home? Never been supported by your father?¡± Bai Youwei snickered, ¡°Living without depending on a man, what an accomplishment!¡± The woman in red immediately got angry and suddenly pulled out a gun from her waist! ¡°Su Man!¡± The man next to her snapped. Bai Youwei laughed, nonchalantly pulling a toy gun from her bag, ¡°I have one too, want to see whose is more powerful?¡± No one believed she was holding a toy. Who didn¡¯t carry a few life-saving items with them at this point? Both sides reached a stand-off. Shen MO¡¯s side seemed to have more people, but all the opponents were strong and robust. On his side, there was Bai Youwei and Chang Weicai, a disabled young woman and an old man, which subtly tipped the balance of power in favor of the opponents. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei started to fumble in her bag, pulling out item after item with a languid tone, ¡°So many life-saving items, carrying them around every day is a hassle. It¡¯s a good time to try some out today¡­ The crowd: ¡® Shen MO glanced at her, ¡°Put them away.¡± Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t pleased, puffing her cheeks to ask, ¡°Are you suggesting that I am wasting them?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°I am worried you¡¯ll cause an injury.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei packed away the items one by one back into her bag, but the toy gun remained out. Of course, the toy gun normally couldn¡¯t do much damage; it mainly made people uncontrollably want to flee. But¡­ the opponents didn¡¯t know the real purpose of the items. So, she decided to take a gamble. When she saw the apprehension on the three men¡¯s faces, she knew she had bet correctly. ¡°We have no hostility.¡± The leader cast a glance at Bai Youwei, his eyes eventually landing on Shen MO¡¯s face. ¡°We have our items as well, but under the present circumstances, I believe it¡¯s unnecessary to waste our life-saving items on some petty verbal disputes, right?¡± ¡°Verbal disputes?¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°One of them insulted my disability and wanted to hit me while the other called me freeloader and almost shot me. Please clarify, who was the first to throw a punch in this so-called ¡®verbal dispute¡¯?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen MO glances at her again, ¡°No filthy language.¡± Bai Youwei hugged his arm pitifully ¡°Brother, these bad people are bullying me! Boohoo¡­ Tan Xiao, wielding his baseball bat at the forefront, looked at them with contempt, and declared righteously, ¡°We¡¯re working hard to save all of humanity, and you? You¡¯re big fellows, yet you¡¯re bullying a young girl! Tsk, scumbags of the martial world!¡± The three on the opposite side: ¡® Damn idiots, we¡¯ve run into lunatics! Chapter 183: 183: Apologize Chapter 183: 183: ApologizeTranslator: 549690339 The leading man gave a subtle signal to his two accomplices. The chubby uncle took a few steps back with a stern face. The woman in red bit her lip and put away her weapon. ¡°A misunderstanding,¡± explained the man, ¡°My name is Yan Qingwen. This is my partner Su Man, and Lun Ang. We¡¯re quite crude in our speech usually, but we mean no harm. As for calling this lady disabled¡­ there¡¯s no intended insult.¡± He paused for a second, then smiled and continued, ¡°Moreover, isn¡¯t this lady, indeed a disabled person? What should we have said to avoid offense?¡± Bai Youwei laughed and shouted loudly, ¡°Wow, look everyone, there¡¯s a fatso here! Just like a burned pig trotter!¡± Chubby Uncle: ¡°You! . Bai Youwei with an innocent face asked, ¡°Oh, how should I phrase it to be not offensive? He¡¯s actually a fatty, right? And that¡­ man with blindfold?¡± ¡°What did you just say about me?!¡± The woman in red stared at her fiercely. ¡°I said you are blind,¡± Bai Youwei giggled, ¡°You immediately presumed that I rely on a man for living. How did you conclude that it¡¯s not me who supports these men?¡± Shen Mo: Tan Xiao: Chang Weicai: ¡® . ¡°Even if I do rely on men, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Did I eat your rice or stole your man?¡± The chubby uncle couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Your mouth is too venomous, girl! We only criticized you once, and you retaliated a dozen times! Don¡¯t think because you are a girl we won¡¯t fight back!¡± ¡°Go ahead!¡± Bai Youwei patted her toy gun mockingly, rage filled her eyes, ¡°If I kill you guys, I can take over your puzzles!¡± At the mention of the puzzle, the expressions of the three people instantly changed, they looked at her vigilantly. Those who know the existence of the puzzle are most likely to have experienced the maze, and after experiencing the maze, their physical strength has increased. Such people should not be underestimated. The atmosphere was tense, and people on both sides were silently confronting each other. Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei, then turned to the leading man of the other party, and said calmly, ¡°Apologize. Even though you have a weapon in your hands, it may not be more effective than this toy.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Shen MO, and finally, looked at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei nonchalantly played with the toy gun in her hand. Yan Qingwen raised the corner of his mouth slightly, seeming amused more than mad, ¡°Okay, it was our fault. I apologize for my companions. Can we leave now?¡± Shen MO gestured, ¡°Please.¡± Despite still angry, the chubby uncle and the woman in red didn¡¯t say anything and left with Yan Qingwen. When they walked away, Shen MO turned around and knocked on Bai Youwei¡¯s forehead. ¡°Less tough talk in the future, every word stirring up the wind and rain?¡± Such words as killing people and taking over puzzles had scared poor Mr. Chang to the point of turning pale. ¡°We have to act tough, or they won¡¯t be scared.¡± Bai Youwei rubbed her forehead, stating somberly, ¡°Some people only bully the weak and fear the strong. The tougher I am, the more they fear and dare not mess aroun& Tan Xiao nodded repeatedly, ¡°Weiwei is right. Brother MO, when we rough it out, our image matters!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen MO didn¡¯t want to argue with these two ¡°kids¡±. ¡°Look, they seem to be trading with those people.¡± Bai Youwei said excitedly. Some onlookers appeared near the crossroads when the conflict was going on, seemingly predestined to have an appointment with these three people, carrying different sizes of boxes. The three people handed over a gun and some bullets, and they carried back several boxes. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s inside¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at the receding figures, a bit curious. ¡°It¡¯s gasoline.¡± Shen MO said. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I smelled it.¡± Shen MO said indifferently, ¡°Also, besides gasoline, I can¡¯t think of anything else more valuable than guns and bullets.¡± He paused, then said in a low voice: ¡°Our gasoline is almost used up..¡± Chapter 184: 184: Maybe Useful Chapter 184: 184: Maybe UsefulTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°What should we do then?¡± Shen MO replied, ¡°Their gasoline, it must have been collected from the abandoned cars in the city. We can look for these cars in the game area, no residents dare approach there, so we should be able to collect quite a bit.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°And we can also play games at the same time-¡± Shen MO glanced at her, ¡°You¡¯re addicted, aren¡¯t you?¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°No way around it; we need puzzles and to get them we need props, and to get props we need to play games. In the end, I¡¯m doing this all for humanity¡¯s salvation-¡± Shen MO was amused and pinched her cheek, ¡°Just as that man said, you and your mouth¡­¡± Bai Youwei was displeased, she brushed off his hand and complained, ¡°Brother, can you pick another place to touch, my face is getting loose because of your pinching!¡± Shen MO paused. Tan Xiao, standing aside, nodded straightforwardly, ¡°I¡¯ve noticed the same. MO, you¡¯ve been touching Weiwei a lot lately.¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Have 1¡­?¡± Shen MO touched his own nose. While they were chattering, they were unaware that others were discussing them in another place. A chunky, stout uncle carrying two buckets of gasoline walked back, complaining as he went, ¡°That damned girl cursed too harshly, I¡¯ve never been cursed like that before.¡¯ ¡°Qingwen, why did you stop us?¡± The redhead woman was also dissatisfied, ¡°We could have won if we fought.¡± ¡°And then what?¡± Yan Qingwen looked at them indifferently, ¡°Wasting resources and stamina on these people, what¡¯s the advantage for us? Don¡¯t forget, it¡¯s not safe here. We might enter the game any moment, besides¡­¡± He paused, looking back at the distant mist. ¡°Besides, they entered the maze, so they might not come out alive.¡± The redhead woman sneered, ¡°That¡¯s true, no need to waste time on people who are about to die.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just go.¡± The chubby uncle was irritated, ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry back, Li Li will start nagging, it¡¯s annoying! ¡± ¡°Ever since he met Zhu Shu, he¡¯s never had a sober moment.¡± ¡°Enough, let¡¯s say less when we get back.¡± A dispute at the crossroads delayed their entry into the mist for a while. At half past two, they arrived at the edge of the mist, confirmed the items in their bags one last time, and prepared to enter the mist. At this moment, the boy from the morning arrived. He arrived panting and carrying a heavy backpack. He wiped the sweat off his face, his round eyes staring at Bai Youwei, he asked, ¡°Does your promise from this morning still stand?¡± ¡°It stands¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked him up and down, her eyes landing on a few bruised patches, she asked in doubt, ¡°But, are you sure you can enter the maze in your condition?¡± There were quite a lot of injuries on his body, as if he had just been beaten up. The little boy shook his head: ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Shen MO also warned him, ¡°After we go in, we will help you, but when danger comes, we might not necessarily be able to look out for you.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The little boy hoisted his backpack up higher on his shoulders, saying, ¡°I will try to run as fast as I can.¡± Shen MO gave him a final glance, not saying anymore; he pushed his wheelchair forward, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± They continued deeper into the mist. Mr. Cheng fell behind and lightly patted the boy¡¯s bag, ¡°It¡¯s heavy, isn¡¯t it? Let me carry it for you.¡± ¡°¡­No need, I can carry it.¡± The little boy responded in a muffled voice, ¡°Thank you.¡± Tan Xiao, quick with his hand, grabbed the bag with one hand, ¡°I¡¯ll carry it. You¡¯re just a little kid, the bag is so heavy. How will you run when it¡¯s time to escape? ¡­Hey, what¡¯s this?¡± When he picked up the bag, his fingers hooked a thin string around the little boy¡¯s neck. He pulled it slightly, revealing a whistle tucked inside the boy¡¯s collar. ¡°N-No¡­ nothing¡­¡± The boy hastily stuffed the whistle back in, stammering, ¡°Just brought it along, might be useful¡­.¡± Chapter 185: 185: The Second Time into the Maze Chapter 185: 185: The Second Time into the MazeTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO glanced back at them and said nothing. Continuing to walk into the fog for another five or six minutes, they gradually felt the environment change. Everyone knew this was a sign of entering the labyrinth, so no one spoke up. The air became more and more stifling and moist. And beneath their feet¡­ The ground began to soften. This softness was different from the muck found in the ¡°Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡± game. It was a different kind¡­ a distinctly uncomfortable softness. Bai Youwei also noticed the sluggishness of her wheelchair. The ground was no longer flat, but sticky and dull, which felt very strange. She even smelled a¡­ strong scent of blood. Then¡­ The fog parted. City buildings came into view, causing everyone to spontaneously cover their noses and mouths, trying to suppress their urge to vomit¡­ -The city was enveloped by clumps of bloody flesh, indistinguishable as tendons or membranes, wrapped around everything. The sky was also covered, making them feel as if they were inside the body of some monster. The path ahead appeared to be vitals¨Ca windpipe, intestines, or something¡­ Bai Youwei looked extremely uncomfortable. All her excitement and anticipation at tackling the challenge vanished! She had originally entered the game looking for fun, but now she couldn¡¯t bear to stay even for one more second! She just wanted to leave! ¡°Disgusting!¡± She covered her nose and cursed vehemently with two words. Chen, the teacher, tried to touch the wall next to him. The soft and somewhat elastic touch of it was very much like skinless muscle. When his hand covered it, he could even feel the wall pulsating underneath. As if blood was flowing underneath. Chen murmured thoughtfully, ¡°The last time, the labyrinth tested our minds. Could it be testing our physical awareness this time?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Bai Youwei answered quietly while covering her nose and mouth. ¡°Our decision to come to Hangzhou was spontaneous. The game system wouldn¡¯t know which labyrinth we¡¯d choose.¡± Her expression was painful. She tried hard to breathe, then immediately held her breath out of nausea, looking aggrieved and annoyed. ¡°This place is beyond disgusting.¡± Tan Xiao looked left and right, then asked blankly, ¡°Were we¡­ swallowed by some massive monster?¡± Shen MO took out a dagger and walked over to the fleshy wall, raising his hand to stab it. He sliced a wound in the wall and blood flowed out. He dipped his finger in the blood, sniffed it lightly, and frowned, ¡°This labyrinth seems to be¡­¡¯alive¡¯.¡± S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. -Only living things bleed. Everyone stood still, silent for a moment. The realization that whatever they were standing on was alive sent a shiver up their legs. After a moment of contemplation, Shen MO said to everyone, ¡°Let¡¯s move forward for now.¡± Bai Youwei, holding her hand over her mouth, pointed towards the young boy, ¡°Have him bring out the map and follow that.¡± Everyone then remembered that the boy had claimed he had a map of the labyrinth. How could someone who¡¯s never been inside the labyrinth draw one? ¨C It was simply a reproduction of the city located within the area of the fog. The young boy handed the map to Shen MO and said, ¡°We should currently be on Gen Shan West Street. If I am not mistaken, just further ahead there should be a large overpass.¡± Shen MO looked at the map and then at the boy, ¡°Are you a local to Hangzhou?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± The boy nodded. ¡°My name is Pan Xiaoxin. I¡¯m a fifth grader at Hangzhou Central Primary School.¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°11. ¡± Shen MO nodded slightly, returned the map to him, ¡°From now on, you are responsible for keeping track of the route we take.¡± Caught off guard by the sudden assignment, Pan Xiaoxin hesitated, then hurriedly took the map, ¡°¡­.OK, I¡¯ll do it!¡± Chapter 186: 186: A Significant Shock Chapter 186: 186: A Significant ShockTranslator: 549690339 They continued to move forward. The scent of flesh permeated the surroundings. Bai Youwei covered her nose for a while before realizing there was no avoiding breathing, so she lowered her hand and reluctantly accepted the air here. As they walked on, they could faintly make out the outline of a suspension bridge covered with chunks of flesh. Simultaneously, they encountered something else. ¡­It was a group of skinless creatures, with disproportionately large heads and tiny skinny limbs. They perched on the lumpy meat, gnawing it hungrily. The gnawed areas released pus, blood, and slime, causing the pink flesh to turn a rotten purple color. Bai Youwei felt sickened, almost to the point of throwing up. She was reminded of the movie ¡°The Lord of the Rings¡± from over a century ago, specifically, the character Gollum. These things were just like it! No¡­ That¡¯s not right. These creatures were even more disgusting! At least Gollum had bright, expressive eyes. As for these¡­ She had been looking for a while and she couldn¡¯t find their eyes at all! ¡°What in the world is this?¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Alien babies?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, these red creatures seemed to sense his movement and suddenly turned to look at him! On their faces, they had nothing but cracked mouths! ¡°Holy crap¡­¡± Tan Xiao gasped. In an instant! Seven or eight of these creatures were scuttling towards them! Though their limbs seemed small and frail, they climbed over the lumps of flesh like bamboo worms, scurrying swiftly like nothing else! Tan Xiao didn¡¯t have time to swear! He immediately wielded his baseball bat, smacking one creature away and crushing the next with a loud bang! And they really did smash! It felt like bursting a blood packet. Once hit, it immediately splattered and melted into the flesh beneath their feet, leaving nothing behind but a powerful, pungent stench of blood! Chang Weicai wielded a walking stick as a weapon, swinging it nervously without rhythm, but still managing to repel several creatures. ¡°Be careful, everyone!¡± he shouted, ¡°These things might be poisonous, try not to come into direct contact with them!¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You should have said that sooner, Chang!¡± Tan Xiao crushed another creature¡¯s head. He stuck his tongue out in disgust: ¡°Blech! Blech! Blech! Blech!¡± While the creatures were terrifyingly agile, given their small size and lack of toughness, the team could deal with seven or eight of them at once. Pan Xiaoxin was protected in the middle, his face deathly pale. Despite his meticulous preparations for entering the maze, he never expected these people to be so ruthless! Within 5 minutes of entering the maze, they had already begun fighting with monsters! Moreover¡­even the sixty-year-old boss had managed to kill quite a few! Among everyone, only Bai Youwei seemed relatively calm, sitting motionless in her wheelchair like a vulnerable girl. This gave the young Pan Xiaoxin a bit of comfort. The last creature was crushed under Shen Mo t s foot. He controlled his power, rolling the creature¡¯s slippery head under his foot without killing it, and asked with a frown, ¡°Come and see what this is.¡± As Chang Weicai leaned down to get a closer look at the creature, he probed its mouth with his walking stick. ¡°Its body produces some kind of toxin that corrodes proteins and fats, but it seems not to affect us much¡­ Chang looked at Tan Xiao¡¯s unscathed face, then lightly poked at the creature¡¯s head with his stick. Unexpectedly, the creature¡¯s head burst open instantly, turning into a pool of blood underneath Shen Mo¡¯s foot. Chang was taken aback, ¡°¡­well, it seems their heads are unusually fragile, which could be a weak point. They also appear to move in groups, so there may be many more lurking in the maze.¡± Shen MO turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Any thoughts?¡± Bai Youwei made a disgusted face, ¡°This is too disgusting.¡± Shen Mo: ¡® Bai Youwei, looking uncomfortable, repeated: ¡°Too disgusting¡­ too disgusting¡­¡± It seemed their strategist was quite shocked.. Chapter 187: 187: No Clue Chapter 187: 187: No ClueTranslator: 549690339 They had no leads and could only continue along the street. Afterward, they encountered the Skinning Monster a few more times. Small and annoying, their numbers gradually increased. It was still manageable when there were seven or eight of them, but when dozens rushed over together, everyone could hardly cope with them. Not sure what else they would encounter down the road, they found a convenience store to take a temporary refuge in. ¡ªThe convenience store was also filled with chunks of flesh. The fleshy shelves lay here and there, some broken on the floor, some sticking to the walls, growing together with the fleshy walls. Warm and greasy, it gave off a nauseating smell of blood. Interestingly though, while they were surrounded by red flesh and there weren¡¯t any lights, their vision was somehow bright. Chang Weicai reached out again, attempting to touch the chunks of flesh. The walls, the floor, the doors and windows, the shelves, the cashier counter¡­without exception, all had turned into flesh. There was no skin, only a thin layer of meat membrane that would bleed if you barely cut into it. ¡°It¡¯s different from last time¡­¡± murmured Professor Chang. ¡°Indeed it is.¡± Shen MO whispered. The last time in the Mirror Maze, the city still retained the textures of its infrastructure. Cement was still cement, glass was still glass. The city had become a maze only through different combinations and arrangements. But this time, the arrangement of the city¡¯s infrastructure had not changed. The streets, the houses, everything looked the same. The only difference was the change in texture. ¡°If the street positions are the same as on the map, we don¡¯t need to worry about getting lost,¡± Shen MO conjectured, ¡°but where could the exit be?¡± Last time they had been circling the maze in an attempt to find the exit. But this time, the map had clearly marked every position. So where would the exit be located? Professor Chang said, ¡°We can¡¯t take our time like last time, the previous maze had water, electricity, and an ample supply of food. But here¡­the food and water we brought can only last us two days at maximum.¡± They had indeed been negligent. With preconceived notions, they hadn¡¯t prepared enough food and water. Primary concern had been to be unencumbered, ready to cope with danger at any time. They hadn¡¯t expected to be in this kind of situation. ¡­Of course, there was no lack of meat here. But who would dare eat this kind of meat? After thinking for a moment, Shen MO said, ¡°If this maze is a creature¡¯s body, there should be the corresponding organs. We can try to find the main organs, such as the heart, the brain. Maybe that would give us some clues.¡± Naturally, this was just a hypothesis. If it was an alien creature, it might not have the normal set of organs. Tan Xiao asked, ¡°Which direction should we go in?¡± He bent over to look at the map in Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hands, and then asked, ¡°Do we head directly to the city center?¡± According to conventional thinking, important things seemed to be hidden in the most central place. Bai Youwei weakly questioned, ¡°Isn¡¯t this meat¡­it will bleed¡­¡± Her voice was quite soft, her mouth only slightly open, as if opening it further would cause her to breathe in more of the disgusting air around them. ¡°¡­let¡¯s try making a few more cuts. If the maze truly is a single entity, it should have a circulatory system. The speed of the blood flow differs depending on the area. The highest speed is in the aorta, and because capillaries cover a larger surface area, the speed of blood flow is the slowest there. If we want to find the heart, we first need to find the aorta. There was a plan. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone immediately started acting without any further delay. Even though everything was made of flesh, some places had noticeable veins embedded within. Shen MO stabbed into a prominent dark-red vein, and as he pulled the knife out, blood gushed out like water from a burst pipe. A moment later, the flow lessened. Shen MO touched the wound with his hand, his brows furrowing, ¡­It¡¯s healing..¡± Chapter 188: 188: The Great Monster (Added more for being in the Top 100 Weekly Recommendations) Chapter 188: 188: The Great Monster (Added more for being in the Top 100 Weekly Recommendations)Translator: 549690339 This peculiar flesh, it possessed an extraordinary self-healing ability. So, if they wanted to dig out passages or exits here, it definitely wouldn¡¯t work. Shen MO took a knife and poked it in a few places, roughly determining the direction of the main artery, leading everyone to continue moving forward. What was troublesome were those little skinning creatures, from time to time a bunch would show up, not only attacking humans, but also gnawing on the chunks of flesh until they were rotten and pus-filled, blocking vessels, thereby affecting Shen Mo¡¯s judgment of the main artery¡¯s direction. Their group had barely dealt with one wave when they turned a corner and discovered a new wave of monsters. ¡ªAt the bus stop by the roadside, there were at least thirty skinning monsters, red all over, engrossed in wildly gnawing at billboards, benches, and advertising boards, which had all turned into chunks of flesh. They were indeed enjoying themselves! Tan Xiao¡¯s palms were sweaty as he tightened his grip on his baseball bat, ready to strike again. His teacher¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat as he held his walking stick in front of him. Shen MO stood at the front, casting a glance at his companions¡­ If they continued to fight like this, when would it ever end? His gaze fell back on the monsters, their flesh red like fresh meat, massive slippery heads, frail thin limbs, densely packed teeth¡­ They weren¡¯t without weaknesses. These monsters looked frightful, but their heads would burst with a single hit, their limbs would shatter when stepped on, their physical attack power wasn¡¯t much, but their growing numbers were becoming an issue. In an environment without food and water, they could not afford to waste their energy meaninglessly. Shen MO took a step back. The people behind him also retreated back around the corner. In a low voice he explained, ¡°These creatures don¡¯t have eyes, they don¡¯t have ears. They might be using the slight vibrations on the surface of the flesh membrane to locate us. We can try to lead them away¡­¡± Everyone nodded in agreement, finding his strategy reasonable, when suddenly a tremor passed beneath their feet! A very subtle shaking. Like some large creature dragging itself along the ground. Everyone¡¯s heart tightened as they quickly turned around. At the end of the street, appeared a gigantic ¡°snake¡±, rapidly sliding its way towards them! Everyone¡¯s face changed! Calling it a ¡°snake¡± was somewhat inaccurate, it looked more like a gigantic maggot! Eyeless, earless, its head ringed with teeth, its massive body nearly occupying the entire road! Shen MO didn¡¯t have time to think, he picked up Bai Youwei and ducked into a shop by the road. The rest of the people also hurriedly ran inside. Not more than a few seconds had passed when the giant maggot crawled past their hiding place, rolling over Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair left by the roadside, and continued slithering forward! Shen Mo¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, he suddenly put down Bai Youwei, and quickly ran out! In that instant, Bai Youwei felt like she was suddenly sitting inside a pile of flesh, her body shuddering uncontrollably and her face turned deathly pale! Shen MO had already run out of sight. He chased after the fat maggot, witnessing the giant maggot swallow up the skinning monsters around the bus stop one by one. It crawled rapidly, agile and swift, and it quickly disappeared around the corner in the distance. Shen MO stood there for a while. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The vibrations under his feet dwindled as the meat maggot moved further away, smaller and smaller, smaller and smaller¡­ until it finally dissipated. He knitted his brows, turned around to go back, picked up the wheelchair by the road, and re-entered the shop where they had just hidden. When Bai Youwei saw him return, she almost started crying, tears welled up in her eyes as she choked out a shout, ¡°Give me my wheelchair back! Shen MO was taken aback, he moved over to help her back into the wheelchair, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Why was she suddenly so fragile? Bai Youwei dropped a couple of tears. Feeling the solid texture beneath her lower half, she slowly regained her composure, but her complexion remained extremely pale. She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly, ¡°So disgusting, so disgusting¡­¡± The thought filled her mind. She was too disgusted to think of anything else.. Chapter 189: 189: It’s not my cough (Top 50 on the activity list, add updates) Chapter 189: 189: It¡¯s not my cough (Top 50 on the activity list, add updates)Translator: 549690339 With Bai Youwei temporarily out of commission, Shen MO had to continue to lead the team. He turned around, looking at their surroundings, and found that this place was a restaurant. There was a cash register at the entrance. Inside, there were many tables and chairs and decorative paintings hung on the walls, but all had turned flesh-like. Everything had turned red and bloody. Even the air was filled with the salty stench of raw meat. He had left in a hurry earlier, temporarily placing Bai Youwei on a chair covered in flesh lumps. Now, looking at her pale face, it seemed she was frightened. Tan Xiao, out of curiosity, also pulled out a chair, touched it, and then tried to sit on it. His expression was subtle. ¡°¡­It feels like sitting on someone¡¯s lap.¡± He muttered as he stood up, feeling uncomfortable and didn¡¯t sit for long. Chang Weicai was more interested in Shen Mo¡¯s actions when he rushed out earlier, and asked, ¡°What was that thing that crawled by? Is it aggressive?¡± Shen MO shook his head calmly, ¡°Not sure, but it does attack those small creatures. It devoured all dozens of them near the bus stop sign. This creature seems to have a huge appetite.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Its body seems to grow larger after it feeds.¡± ¡°It gets bigger?¡± Tan Xiao wore a nauseated expression, ¡°This is the fastest maggot I¡¯ve ever seen. What would it look like if it got any bigger?¡± ¡°Stop talking¡­¡± Bai Youwei gritted her teeth, feeling so nauseated that her skin was tingling. Seeing her like this, Shen MO felt a bit helpless and slightly amused, trying to reassure everyone. ¡°Whatever it is, let¡¯s share our thoughts first. Should we stick to the original plan and look for the main organs, or try to figure out what¡¯s going on with that creature?¡± After all, they could not always be so lucky to find a hiding place nearby. If they could not avoid it next time, would they have the strength to confront that big ¡°snake¡±? Chang Weicai frowned, ¡°Everything is unknown now. We don¡¯t know how many creatures there are, nor whether their movements are random¡­ or follow a certain pattern¡­¡± While they spoke, both Chang Weicai and Tan Xiao subtly glanced at Bai Youwei. ¡°Why are you all looking at me? I don¡¯t know anything!¡± Bai Youwei felt uncomfortable all over, closed her eyes and asked, ¡°Is there water?¡± Shen MO put down the bag and pulled a bottle of mineral water out of it. The bottle was filled with mint sugar water. Bai Youwei took two sips and managed to suppress the feeling of nausea. ¡°No rush.¡± Shen MO said calmly, ¡°We¡¯ve just come in. Let¡¯s think about it together and we¡¯ll find a way out.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, nodded slightly. She took another sip of water. Thinking about the environment in the maze, she frowned even tighter, decided to save some water, put the cap back on, and returned the bottle to Shen Mo. At this moment, a cough suddenly broke the silence in the room. Everyone paused. Tan Xiao looked at Chang Weicai, Chang Weicai looked at Shen MO, Shen MO looked at Bai Youwei, and Bai Youwei was completely baffled. In the end, everyone turned their attention to Pan Xiaoxin, the youngest member of the team. ¡°Do you want some water?¡± Bai Youwei handed him the bottle. Pan Xiaoxin waved his hand awkwardly, ¡°No¡­ it wasn¡¯t me who coughed.¡± Everyone paused again, looking at each other, their faces gradually tightening with suspicion¡­ Could it be¡­ There were others hiding in the room apart from them? Shen MO furrowed his brow looking around, finally, his gaze landed on the kitchen area of the restaurant. He took the dagger and slowly approached. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tan Xiao picked up his baseball bat intending to follow, but Shen MO stopped him, silently making a ¡°stop¡± gesture, telling everyone to stay put. He continued to move forward. The door to the kitchen was on the right side of the restaurant. The door was closed, but since it had already turned into a piece of meat, it naturally lost its corresponding safety features. The lock was useless. Shen MO stopped in front of the door. He grabbed the door handle, which was covered in meat lumps, and gave it a little force. The door opened.. Chapter 190: 190: A Survivor Chapter 190: 190: A SurvivorTranslator: 549690339 sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Click The door was opened, and inside was filled with chunks of flesh, pink and red, just like outside. The operating table was full of thick, bluish-purple veins. Large clumps of bloody tumors hung on the walls. There were no windows, the air was murky, and a rich smell of blood lingered all around, it was nauseating. Shen MO walked in, it was quiet inside. He keenly noticed a slightly murky sound of breathing. His brow furrowed slightly, and he steadily moved towards the direction of the sound. As he approached the end of the long operating table, the breathing sound became clearer and more rapid. It had nearly turned into a heavy pant. When Shen MO walked around the corner of the operating table, the panting suddenly turned into a tangible scream! ¡°Ahhh!!! Don¡¯t come closer!¡­ Don¡¯t come closer! Don¡¯t come closer!¡± The man screamed in terror! Shen MO put down the dagger in his hand, his brow furrowed even more. Under the operating table, a man was curled up, looking at him with fear. The man was about thirty years old. He was wearing a common white shirt and a suit jacket draped over his legs. It seemed like he was injured, he was slumped on the ground motionless, his hands in front of his body flailing, screaming repeatedly: ¡°Don¡¯t come closer! Get away!¡­ Get away from me! Don¡¯t come closer!¡± The people outside rushed in when they heard the sound. Upon seeing so many people, the man¡¯s expression became even more frightened, his lips were trembling non-stop, and he was staring at them nervously and fearfully. Professor Chang asked Shen MO with concern: ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is he a survivor of the maze? why is he hiding in such a place¡­¡± Tan Xiao also squatted down and asked the man, ¡°Hey! Tell us quickly, what¡¯s the deal with this maze, where is the exit?¡± The man looked at them uncertainly, his face full of cold sweat, he couldn¡¯t speak a word. Tan Xiao saw that it seemed like the man was injured, and reached out to lift the bloody suit jacket on his leg, ¡°¡­are you hurt somewhere?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! The man suddenly screamed! Tan Xiao was taken aback, he withdrew his hand and stared wide-eyed, ¡°Did this guy get scared into some kind of disorder? He seems like a lunatic.¡± Chang Weicai also felt stuffy, he said to Shen MO, ¡°I guess he got a shock, seems a little crazy¡­ I am afraid we might not be able to get any clues from him.¡± Shen MO knitted his brow and looked at the man on the ground. After a moment of silence, he asked coldly, ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡± The man was looking at him nervously, but oddly, he slowly calmed down and said hoarsely, ¡°You¡­ are you here to collect the jigsaw puzzle too? I¡­ I am tool¡­ My companion was eaten by that snake outside! Now I¡¯m the only one left¡­. Shen MO asked, ¡°When did you enter the maze?¡± The man¡¯s face revealed confusion, he murmured, ¡°Four or five days?¡­ Three or four days? I don¡¯t know¡­ there is nothing in this place, I don¡¯t know how many days have passed¡­.¡± Shen MO frowned, and continued to question him, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that snake outside, do you know?¡± The man¡¯s face changed, his eyes exhibited extreme fear. ¡°That¡­ that snake¡­¡± he swallowed hard and replied tremulously, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ gluttonous¡­ its snake, it will get longer and bigger, don¡¯t let it eat you¡­ be careful, if it eats you, then it¡¯s the end¡­¡± Before he could finish, there was a faint tremor under their feet again. ¡°It¡¯s coming again!¡± the man¡¯s pupils contracted sharply, and he cried out, ¡°Close the door quickly! Don¡¯t let it find out about this place!!!¡± The tremor quickly intensified, Professor Chang panicked, ¡°Weiwei is still outside!¡± Bai Youwei had difficulty moving, and she also loathed the heavy smell in the kitchen, so she didn¡¯t follow in. Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed, he turned and left the room! Bai Youwei was sitting by the window, leisurely looking outside. He rushed forward few steps and picked her up.. The house started shaking vigorously! Without time to shield themselves, they quickly hid under the dining table before an even bigger shake happened¡ª Chapter 191: 191: The Greedy Snake Chapter 191: 191: The Greedy SnakeTranslator: 549690339 The whole building was trembling! Be it the ground or the walls, every piece of flesh was shivering and shuddering! Bai Youwei crouched under the table, watching the lumps of flesh hanging from the table edge twitching incessantly. She felt so nauseous that she wished she could just drop dead! Thankfully, fate hadn¡¯t cornered her completely, at least she had a place to shelter ¨C She buried her face in Shen Mo¡¯s chest, clinging to him and breathing deeply. The crisp scent and the smell of his sweat could soothe her heart and alleviate the extreme discomfort caused by the chunks of flesh. Shen MO was completely oblivious. He had no time to bother about how intimate they were at the moment. Holding Bai Youwei, his eyes were staring through the gap between the tables at the restaurant entrance, watching a giant monster crawling past the door! When he saw it ten minutes ago, its body was as thick as a road, but its body had now expanded, filling both pedestrian lanes! Just like a rumbling train rushing past the door, causing the nearby buildings to tremble! sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It took a good seven or eight seconds for its body to completely pass by the door! The vibrations were receding. Gradually disappearing with the increasing distance. Finally, calm returned to the surroundings¡­ Shen MO rose, holding Bai Youwei and placed her back on the wheelchair. Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin, who were in the kitchen, also came out, looking at the duo with lingering fear. ¡°Brother Mo¡­¡± Tan Xiao glanced at the kitchen behind him, faltered, ¡°The guy inside said this is the Snake Maze. Only when the snake reaches its maximum length and size, the exit will open. All the companions who came in with him were eaten by the snake. He was injured while escaping and has been trapped here.¡± Snake Maze? Shen MO frowned and said: ¡°That big creature outside definitely fits the characteristics of the snake. After eating, its body became longer and bigger.¡± ¡°Is it fast?¡± Teacher Chang was concerned about safety, ¡°Can we escape from it with our current physical fitness?¡± Shen MO thought for a moment, and slowly shook his head: ¡°Changes in speed are not significant. In the game mode of Snake, accelerating is to increase the game difficulty. Once the snake crashes into the wall, it¡¯s zame-over. But from what I¡¯ve just seen, this snake won¡¯t be affected even if it hits the wall, so there¡¯s no point in gaining speed.¡± Pan Xiaoxin cast a pale face, ¡°Then¡­ does that mean¡­ that the snake will never ¡°The most important thing in a maze is to find an exit, not to kill monsters.¡± Bai Youwei, suppressing her nausea, said, ¡°But the problem now is¡­ In most cases, the game of Snake has an infinite mode, there is no concept of level clearance. Although some modes have stages, they also have a corresponding points system and only open the entrance to the next level when a certain point is reached. Could this maze have a scoring system that we are unaware Pausing for a moment, she covered her mouth and nose and continued, ¡°Furthermore¡­ If we keep hiding inside the house, how do we judge when it has achieved its maximum size? Can we really trust what that man said?¡± Despite her overwhelming nausea, her mind was relatively clear. Shen MO pondered for a while and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and ask him.¡± They all returned to the kitchen. The man slumped on the ground. Seeing them come back, he looked panicked, ¡°You all saw it, right? That snake¡­ Has it gotten longer?¡± Shen MO studied the frightened man and his expression, and slowly said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s gotten longer. But due to its size, it seems that it can only move outside and cannot enter a room. We should be safe staying here.¡± The man let out a sigh of relief, but still nervously looked outside, ¡°When it¡¯s at its smallest and largest states, it¡¯s relatively safe.. But when it¡¯s in between, you must not get found by it! That snake eats everything! Besides the flesh here, it will eat anything else it finds!¡± Chapter 192: 192: Take This With You Chapter 192: 192: Take This With YouTranslator: 549690339 S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the snake will shrink after it gets bigger?¡± Shen MO asked. ¡°Yes¡­¡± The man nervously swallowed, stuttering in his explanation, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t eat for a long period of time, the snake will shrink, get shorter, and that¡¯s extremely dangerous! Because it¡¯s hungry! It¡¯ll raid all the houses on the side of the road!¡± As he spoke, he seemed to recall the gruesome state of his dead companions, shaking uncontrollably, and muttering under his breath, ¡°They¡¯re all dead¡­everyone¡¯s dead¡­¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes in irritation, ¡°So they¡¯re dead. You¡¯re still alive, right? Stop beating around the bush, be clear!¡± Shen MO silently shot her a glance. With a pout, Bai Youwei snorted and fell silent. Shen MO then asked the man, ¡°When you and your companions entered the maze, apart from the snake, you also must have encountered the skinny little monsters with big heads, right?¡± ¡°Those little monsters¡­they are the snake¡¯s food.¡± The man¡¯s expression was filled with even more fear, his lips quivering uncontrollably, ¡°They¡¯re poisonous, can¡¯t touch¡­will rot¡­if anyone touches them, they¡¯ll rot! You can¡¯t touch them!¡­can¡¯t¡­ His speech was garbled, but they could barely make sense of his warnings. Bai Youwei frowned at Tan Xiao¡¯s face. Just now, Tan Xiao had been covered in monster blood, but it seemed alright now, with no signs of disintegration. Was the man lying?¡­ Or perhaps, one would only be exposed to the poison if bitten by the monster? Something felt off¡­ This place was repulsively nauseating, seriously obstructing her ability to think. She even found breathing painful! Bai Youwei covered her mouth and nose in irritation. Shen MO, however, seemed undisturbed. He discussed with the others, ¡°From what I see, there are mainly two threats in this maze. One is the snake that can elongate and shorten, the other is its prey ¨C the little monsters we¡¯ve encountered. If we follow the pattern of the game Snake, we just need to follow the snake once it has grown to a certain point, and we¡¯ll find the exit.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not easy¡­¡± Teacher Cheng fretted, ¡°The maze is huge. Trying to follow the snake is too risky ¨C it¡¯s a test of speed and stamina.¡± What if they were left behind midway? What if they were discovered midway? What should they do if they bumped into those skin-peeling monsters? What if the exit never turned up? What then? Shen MO contemplated, then said, ¡°Tan Xiao and I are the fastest. We could try to follow the snake first to scout. If we find the exit, we¡¯ll come back and let you guys know. If we can¡¯t find the exit¡­¡± He paused for a moment, his gaze landing on Bai Youwei¡¯s face, ¡°If we can¡¯t find the exit, we will still hurry back. In the meantime, you should lead the group and stay here, don¡¯t run about.¡± Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t keen on separating from him. While she knew her wheelchair was a hindrance, she mumbled resentfully, ¡°¡­just make sure you guys come back soon.¡± Shen MO nodded, reminding her, ¡°If anything happens, discuss it with Teacher Cheng, don¡¯t act rashly.¡± Bai Youwei immediately raised an eyebrow, ¡°When have I ever acted rashly? Stop nagging!¡± Shen Mo chuckled lightly, then turned to Tan Xiao, ¡°Let¡¯s prepare to head out.¡± Tan Xiao nodded, following him out. Bai Youwei silently bit her lip, watching as the two men entered the front restaurant. They emptied their backpacks, filled them with a small amount of food and water, then picked up their preferred weapons. ¡® She quietly followed them, tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s sleeve. Shen MO turned around to look at her. Bai Youwei took a doll out from her bag and pushed it into his hand, murmuring, ¡°Take this with you.¡± The moment the doll touched his palm, Shen MO understood its purpose. He squeezed the doll, a slight smile curving his lips, ¡°Looks a lot like you.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Then you could say that you¡¯re bringing me along..¡± Chapter 193: 193: Only One Chapter 193: 193: Only OneTranslator: 549690339 Shen MO smiled, pushing the doll back into her canvas bag. ¡°No need.¡± He raised a hand to pat her head. ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon. Keep the props. In case something happens here, it will be good for handling the situation.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, displeased. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At that moment, faint vibrations began to rumble beneath their feet again. Bai Youwei¡¯s face grew more sullen. She knew that the monster was once again approaching, and Shen MO and Tan Xiao were about to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen MO put a large bottle of peppermint rock sugar water in her arms and stood up straight. ¡°Hide it well, and take a sip if you feel nauseous.¡± Tan Xiao also said: ¡°Weiwei, when MO and I find the exit, we can leave!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s arrogant expression finally softened somewhat, instead revealing a somewhat pitiful vulnerability: ¡°You guys better come back quickly¡­¡± The two of them left the shop one after the other. The vibrations intensified. It didn¡¯t seem to be coming towards this street. Shen MO estimated the direction and promptly led Tan Xiao towards the source of the disturbance. Bai Youwei watched from the window for a while before being persuaded by Chang Weicai to retreat to the back kitchen. They closed the heavily stacked door, leaving only a narrow slit to monitor the outside situation. The intensity of the vibrations varied, drawing near and then receding. The enormous, elongated snake seemed to be darting about the streets in a frantic search for food. After a while, it moved further and further away and calm was restored¡­ All was quiet. People in the back kitchen collectively sighed in relief. But then, they couldn¡¯t help but worry for the two who had ventured outside. ¡°I hope they encounter smooth sailing.¡± Chang Weicai sighed and prayed. Pan Xiaoxin silently looked at Chang Weicai and Bai Youwei. Coincidentally, those left behind were the old, the young, and the crippled, which greatly unsettled him¡­ Bai Youwei frowned but didn¡¯t speak. She took a sip from the bottle while still cradling it, still feeling frustrated. Seeing a few peppermint leaves floating in the water, she reached out her delicate hand to pick them out and put them in her mouth to chew. The cool, slightly bitter taste diluted the stench of blood in her nostrils, making her feel a bit better. She glanced at the half-dead man on the ground and asked: ¡°How did your companions die?¡± The man hesitated, then replied, ¡°We were following the snake, trying to find an exit. It found us at a turning point before we had time to run¡­ They were eaten, and I was injured.¡± Bai Youwei asked him again: ¡°Have you seen anyone else?¡± The man looked even more confused: ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ve been hiding here, afraid to go out. Had you not rushed in, I wouldn¡¯t even have known other people had entered the maze.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips and looked out, silently counting the time in her heart. She recalled what Shen MO had said earlier ¨C five people had entered the maze. Among them, one had been injured, but in the end, all five had exited the maze. This suggests that the maze isn¡¯t overly difficult, unless those five had extraordinary abilities. Could those five truly have had remarkable talents? She didn¡¯t believe that she and Shen MO, who had both undergone a data upgrade, would be inferior to those five. Also, in the Mirror Maze, as long as the correct method is found, it would be quite easy to escape. The existence of the maze couldn¡¯t possibly solely be for players to battle the monster! Bai Youwei felt a headache, the stench of the meat around her made her feel nauseous again. She tilted her head back and took another sip of the peppermint water. Through the transparent glass bottle, she saw a blurry shadow moving outside the restaurant. Pan Xiaoxin nervously shrank back, whispering in an extremely faint voice: ¡°It¡¯s that¡­skinless monster.¡± Chang Weicai hurriedly latched the door shut, pressing his back against the door, looking stern and tense. ¡°There¡¯s only one, don¡¯t be afraid¡­ It won¡¯t detect us.¡± He held his crutch, whispering to Bai Youwei and Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Stay back a bit, don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m here guarding. It won¡¯t get in..¡± Chapter 194: 194: Two Have Arrived Chapter 194: 194: Two Have ArrivedTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei and Pan Xiaoxin stared at that door, both of them silent. The air seemed to congeal. It was suffocatingly hot and humid. The confined space made the atmosphere even more oppressive, making it hard to breathe. Bai Youwei sat quietly in her wheelchair, sweating profusely in the sweltering environment. Her palms were sticky, her back damp, and sweat trickled down her cheeks. She held her breath and listened to the sound of chewing and tearing flesh from beyond the wall¡­ The sound gradually grew louder, as if it would penetrate the fleshy wall at any moment. The man hiding under the counter was looking increasingly pale. He anxiously eyed the direction the noise was coming from, breathing uncontrollably, his chest heaving, and his sweat pouring like rain. ¡°It¡¯s not going to work¡­¡± His lips were practically white as he muttered, ¡°We need to drive it away¡­You guys, you guys have to get rid of it! Otherwise, more will come! They will attract the snakes! They will bring the snakes here!¡± Bai Youwei glared at him displeased and coldly ordered, ¡°Shut up!¡± The man actually began to cry out of fear, his tears and snot flowing freely. ¡°Once they bite through the wall, we are done for! Please, I beg you, get rid of those monsters! Otherwise, we¡¯ll all die here!!!¡± Chang Weicai gripped the cane tightly and said: ¡°You guys stay here¡­ Don¡¯t make a sound. I will handle it.¡¯ Bai Youwei turned to Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°Kid, do you have anything useful in your backpack?¡± Pan Xiaoxin, dumbfounded, hastily placed their backpack on the floor and emptied its contents; a hodgepodge of items including a water bottle, lunch box, kitchen knife, hammer, rope¡­ and even a brick made it out. He seemed to have brought nearly anything he might come to need in daily life. Bai Youwei picked up the hammer for herself, and instructed Pan Xiaoxin to take the kitchen knife. ¡°You stay to Chang Weicai¡¯s right, and I¡¯ll be on the left,¡± Bai Youwei instructed. ¡°As soon as Chang Weicai opens the door, if anything comes in, we kill it. Understand?¡± Pan Xiaoxin pursed their lips and nodded anxiously. Bai Youwei smiled and complimented him: ¡°Good job, you aren¡¯t crying.¡± Pan Xiaoxin felt a little uncomfortable receiving praise, unconsciously glancing at the canvas bag hanging on the wheelchair. ¡°Want to see what¡¯s in my bag?¡± Bai Youwei laughed and lightly patted the bulging bag. ¡°It¡¯s not the time yet.¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to talk anymore and simply commanded Chang Weicai: ¡°Open the door.¡± Chang Weicai nodded, tightened his grip on his walking stick and slowly pulled open the door¡ª Bang! As soon as the door cracked open, a bloody creature from outside burst in! Squealing, it attempted to wriggle its way in! sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chang Weicai hurriedly barricaded the door with his body! A round Gollum-like head was trapped, engorged and horrifyingly crimson! Its short limbs were still squirming! Not vocalizing, it opened its jaws wide between the gap in the doors, its flesh rubbing against each other to make goosebump-inducing squeals! Chang Weicai attempted to poke its head with his cane to force it out, but the flesh was too thin and soft. As soon as he applied a bit of pressure, it broke apart, instantly splattering flesh all over! The stench of blood hit them¡ª Bai Youwei felt sick, nearly retching! Bang! Bang! The door was suddenly assaulted again! Chang Weicai was too late to stop it, and the door was forced half open! Two bloody skinning monsters crawled into the kitchen, bearing a mouthful of teeth like saws, lunging at them like starving mad dogs! Chang Weicai managed to block off one with his cane. But another scaled the ceiling, dropping from the fleshy tube-like fluorescent light straight onto Bai Youwei¡¯s leg! Bai Youwei¡¯s face changed instantly. The skinning monster squatted on her leg, its jaws full of saw-like teeth spread wide. She gritted her teeth, lifting her hammer, but before she could bring it down, the head in front of her split apart.. Chapter 195: 195: There’s Another One Chapter 195: 195: There¡¯s Another OneTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei looked at Pan Xiaoxin. The boy stood frozen in front of her, holding up the knife, his face pale and fear gleaming in his eyes, as if he couldn¡¯t believe he had just killed a monster. Bai Youwei knew she should praise him, even thank him, but¡­ She looked down at her own legs. The slime from the monster seeped into her skirt after its body melted, running down her legs, smelly, sticky¡­ (Sorry everyone! They deleted a bit of gore but I still needed to reach 1000 words, so let¡¯s just leave it at this.) Bai Youwei: She really didn¡¯t want to say a word. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Xiaoxin is very brave!¡± Teacher Chang didn¡¯t hesitate to give him praise. Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. A man nearby anxiously said, ¡°There¡¯s another one! There¡¯s another one outside!¡± Bai Youwei looked out the door with a frown, indeed, there was another Skinning Monster, but it didn¡¯t come in. Instead, it clung to the restaurant wall gnawing away hungrily. The man stuttered, ¡°Kill it quickly! Or else¡­ otherwise¡­¡± As the monster ate, the area of decay on the wall got bigger and bigger. So did the Skinning Monster¡¯s stomach. It seemed insatiable, continuously biting and swallowing, its belly swelling so much it almost matched its enormous head! Then, Bai Youwei saw a crack open on the monster¡¯s distended belly¡ª Teeth popped out from inside. Everyone¡¯s hearts cold with horror! Its belly continued to sag until finally, it formed a red ball and rolled onto the floor, stretched out its limbs, and birthed another Skinning Monster! So this was how the monsters multiplied! They could not be completely killed! In an instant, Bai Youwei was filled with rage! She glared coldly at the man sitting paralyzed on the ground, demanding, ¡°You knew about this! Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?!¡± The man turned pale, stammers, ¡°Did I not mention it? I¡­ I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know anything! Kill them quickly! The snakes will come! They¡¯re going to attract the giant snakes!!!¡± Biting her teeth, Bai Youwei ignored him and wheeled herself out. However, the ceiling was too high, even Chang Weicai couldn¡¯t reach the monster with his crutch raised! They bared their teeth at them threateningly. Their red heads and tumors pressed against each other, slender limbs clinging to the wall, they looked like giant agile geckos. One of them suddenly jumped off! Chang Weicai thrust his crutch forward, but missed! The monster jumps back onto the wall and quickly scrambles up to the ceiling! As Chang Weicai craned his neck searching, the monster had already flipped and lunged towards him! Bai Youwei quickly threw a hammer at Chang Weicai! She succeeded in smashing the monster¡¯s head, causing it to roll onto the ground motionless. A bloody hole opened up on its head, sticky blood oozed out, then its entire body broke apart like a wet tissue. The monster remaining on the ceiling became more agitated and wary! It gnawed a dark purple hole in the ceiling, hiding itself in a mound of rotten flesh, refusing to come out. Bai Youwei instructed Pan Xiaoxin to throw rocks, only to chip off pieces of rotten flesh, they couldn¡¯t damage it at all! The monster ate in the cavity! One became two, two became four, four became eight! So many they couldn¡¯t all fit in the hole, they started to drop one by one! Those that fell lunged at the people! When their number increased, they quickly became overwhelmed. ¡°Pull back!¡± Bai Youwei ordered coldly. She and Pan Xiaoxin retreated as Teacher Chang swung his crutch defensively to keep the monsters at bay. They hurriedly retreated back into the kitchen, where Teacher Chang immediately shut the door! ¡°Don¡¯t shut it all the way, leave a crack!¡± Bai Youwei said. Teacher Chang was taken aback. Bai Youwei looked at Pan Xiaoxin, speaking coolly, ¡°Hold your knife ready, strike down any that come in!¡± Chapter 196: 196: A lot of them Chapter 196: 196: A lot of themTranslator: 549690339 Teacher Chang hesitated, ¡°Weiwei, Xiaoxin is still a child¡­¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°I know he¡¯s small, so Teacher Chang, make sure you keep the door barred! Leave only a crack, if the gap¡¯s too wide, more of them might rush in, and a child won¡¯t be able to cope.¡± Upon hearing this, Teacher Chang stopped talking immediately and pushed harder against the door! Bai Youwei also pushed against the door, clutching a hammer, waiting for the creature to show its head before giving it a hard whack! The monster wasn¡¯t intelligent. Without a crack to target, it¡¯d gnaw around randomly and potentially create a sizeable hole. But if a crack was left, they¡¯d be provoked and dash towards it. One creature after another was beheaded! Like rupturing blood bags, one after another! The smell of the blood underfoot stung their nostrils. The kitchen knife in their hands was becoming increasingly sticky and heavy. Suddenly, the knife slipped from Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hand and fell to the ground! He hurried to pick it up, but his hands were sweaty and slippery. He failed to pick it up twice! Meanwhile, more and more monsters were swarming in unending waves! Chang Weicai pushed against the door firmly! After smashing a monster with her hammer, Bai Youwei coldly ordered, ¡°Xiaoxin! Stop trying to pick up the knife! Step back! Teacher Chang, back off too!¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded and retreated. Chang Weicai kept pushing against the door, ¡°But¡­¡± Sounds of dull thuds came one after another, just like soccer balls hitting the kitchen door! The door was continuously bumped and squeezed, creaking and shaking ominously! Chang Weicai dared not back off. If he did, the monsters outside would probably all rush in! The monsters pushed and squeezed relentlessly. Driven by the smell of blood, their force was becoming more violent! More insane! The floor began to shake The man lying on the ground cried out in horror, ¡°Quick! Kill them!!! The snake is on the way! The snake will be lured here aaaaah!!!¡± ¡°Stand back!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly pulled Chang Weicai away! The door swung open! Dozens of Skinning Monsters swarmed in! The next second, a blinding bluish-violet electric light burst forth! Everyone had to shut their eyes, the sound of electric discharges crackling in their ears while a burnt stench quickly filled the air! When they opened their eyes, there were only black, foul-smelling monsters lying all over the floor. Two of them weren¡¯t completely dead, convulsing a few times before falling still¡­ Pan Xiaoxin was stunned. Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair with her back to them, her long hair slightly frizzy from the electric current. The stuffed rabbit in her arms was calm and quiet, showing no sign of what had just happened. She exhaled softly, turning her head to look at the others, ¡°It may be just temporary paralysis¡­just in case, you all should double-check¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, the paralyzed man screamed excitedly, ¡°Is this a prop?! Are there any more of these props?! If we kill all these monsters, we can get out!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Bai Youwei rebuked sharply, ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool! With their exponentially increasing reproduction rate, how could we possibly wipe them out?! If I hear another absurd word from your mouth, the first one I kill will be you!!!¡± The man trembled, looking at her afraid. Bai Youwei slid her wheelchair to where the man was sitting, staring at him ominously. Finally, she lifted the hammer and brought it down hard next to his leg! The man screamed in horror, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you everything! I¡¯ll tell you everything! ! ! ¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us that they would reproduce!¡± Bai Youwei asked coldly. The man sobbed, ¡°I did! I said they would multiply!¡± Bai Youwei laughed coldly, rolling her wheelchair over his paralyzed legs¡ª ¡°Aaaaaah! The man screamed in agony, his face deathly pale. Chang Weicai swallowed his words, too painful to watch. Not knowing how to dissuade her, he covered Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s eyes to avoid traumatising the child. ¡°I¡¯ll tell! I tell, I tell!¡± the man wailed, ¡°I thought you guys would die soon, so I didn¡¯t mention it! ¡­I didn¡¯t deliberately keep it from you, I didn¡¯t know you could cope with so many monsters¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m giving you one last chance, or next time, I won¡¯t roll over your legs.¡± Bai S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Youwei smirked, a sinister gleam in her eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll roll over your face instead..¡± Chapter 197: 197: Don’t Know Chapter 197: 197: Don¡¯t KnowTranslator: 549690339 The man recoiled in fear under the control desk, but his injured legs failed him, leaving him paralyzed in the corner. Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°What exactly is the Snake Maze?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know!¡± the man cried, ¡°If I knew what this maze was all about, I would have escaped long ago! I didn¡¯t deliberately deceive you, I truly didn¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Then pick up what you do know.¡± Bai Youwei glared at him coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t play tricks on me!¡± The man pleaded in agony, ¡°Spare me, please! I truly don¡¯t know anything¡­¡± ¡°Xiaoxin.¡± Bai Youwei turned her head to Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Take your cleaver. If ¡®don¡¯t know¡¯ comes out of his mouth again, give him a cut.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: Chang Weicai hesitated, ¡°Weiwei, this¡­ this isn¡¯t right, right?¡± ¡°Chang, this guy isn¡¯t being straight with us. He won¡¯t tell the truth unless we show him some color.¡± Bai Youwei waved Pan Xiaoxin over, ¡°Come here, stand by me.¡± Pan Xiaoxin glanced at Chang Weicai, then at Bai Youwei. He felt deeply conflicted. He picked up the cleaver from a pool of blood and sludge, walked over in silence, and whispered, ¡°Where¡­ where should I cut?¡± Bai Youwei casually replied, ¡°Cut wherever you want.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: Chang Weicai felt it was really inappropriate, ¡°What about¡­ letting me do it?¡± How could such a task be left to an Il-year-old kid? ¡°No need.¡± Bai Youwei responded indifferently, ¡°Chang, you watch the door for us, so no more monsters can get in.¡± A few words gave Chang Weicai a task that he couldn¡¯t refuse. Chang cast another look at the man on the floor before advising, ¡°We won¡¯t harm you. Just tell us anything about the maze, there¡¯s no need to¡­ sigh¡­ ¡® Chang sighed, picked up his crutch and headed outside. The man on the ground was filled with both grief and anger! They had a blade to him and still claimed they wouldn¡¯t harm him! What kind of people were these! Bai Youwei asked one last time, ¡°What exactly is the Snake Maze?¡± The man cringed, truly frightened of her, and replied, ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s a gluttonous snake maze¡­ The snake eats monsters inside the maze. When the number of monsters decreases to a certain level, they replicate, one into two, two into four¡­ then¡­ then¡­ ¨C -Rumble! An intense shudder came from the ground! Pan Xiaoxin and Chang Weicai outside both lost their footing and fell to the ground! Even Bai Youwei, sitting in her wheelchair, was also thrown around. But out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a glimmer of joy on the man¡¯s face! The way he looked towards the door seemed to hold anticipation. Why? Why wasn¡¯t he afraid?! Before she could question him, the man seemed to perceive her scrutiny and his expression changed again to one of pure terror. The shuddering was getting louder, like a train passing by, the snake seemed to be getting closer! The sound of its body slithering over the ground was clearly audible, getting closer and closer! ¡°Xiaoxin! Go and cut down all those monsters outside!¡± Bai Youwei said decisively, ¡°We can¡¯t let the snake grow larger!¡± Pan Xiaoxin hastily got up, ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Upon hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s voice, Chang Weicai also quickly took up his crutch, poking the monsters one by one! Dozens of monsters were being hit and cut by Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin, blood splattering everywhere! Just as there were only two or three monsters left, the giant snake appeared outside the house! ¡°Nevermind those two!¡± Bai Youwei exclaimed, ¡°Quickly, get inside! Close the door!¡± Chapter 198: Temporary Safety Chapter 198: Temporary Safety Translator: 549690339 The snake seemed to have sniffed the stench inside the house, with its head trying to burrow in. Unable to do so, its body started violently slamming against the exterior walls, creating loud booming sounds! The constant tremors made it difficult for Pan Xiaoxin and Chang Weicai to stand up! The two barely managed to roll and crawl their way back to the kitchen, hastily closing the door in one breath without daring to rest! Even after closing the door, they didn¡¯t dare to let their guard down. The old and the young still strained to the limit to brace the door, fearful of the snake breaking in! S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei sat frowning, her eyes coldly glancing at the man on the ground¡ª So far, they knew nothing about him¡ªname, age, identity¡­ Everything was unclear. He seemed to be in a state of terrified confusion, but in reality, he was shrewd enough not to divulge any vital information. Either he was genuinely clueless, knowing nothing at all. Or, he had some ulterior motives¡­ But now, as they were all ¡°fellows in adversity,¡± she couldn¡¯t figure out why they would have any reason to sabotage each other? While pondering, Bai Youwei gently stroked the rabbit in her arms. Her first time using ¡°One-Tenth of Me¡± went rather smoothly, but the battery life was disappointingly short. Dealing with a few dozen monsters had consumed more than half of the power. With the small amount remaining, she wasn¡¯t sure if she could kill the beast outside. If it came to the worst, she would have to use the doll¡­ Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that her tools were rather inefficient. There were too many meant for defence and few for attack! While she was worried, the slamming sounds suddenly ceased. Although it had stopped, everyone was still on edge, not speaking, nor moving, vigilant against the snake that might break in at any moment¡­ In the silence, they heard distinct sounds. The sound of slithering was getting quieter. The tremors were also growing weaker and weaker. It was moving away¡­ Relieved, everyone shot a glance at each other and finally drew a deep breath. ¡ªThey were safe, at least for now. ¡°Weiwei?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice came from outside the door, ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± Upon hearing that, Chang Weicai took a deep breath. Now, they were genuinely relieved. He opened the door to see Shen MO and Tan Xiao standing outside, both blood-stained. Tan Xiao¡¯s injuries were particularly noticeable. Shen MO was taken aback when he saw Bai Youwei, half of her skirt soaked in red. ¡°Where are you injured?¡± Shen MO came over and asked. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head gently. Frowning, she asked him, ¡°What about you? That monster came by just now. Did it notice you?¡± ¡°No, we caught a smaller monster and used it to lead the snake away.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s gaze drifted past her and fixated on the man under the operation table for two seconds, ¡® ¡­the smell of blood here is too strong, let¡¯s talk somewhere else.¡± Bai Youwei appeared to realise something. She also glanced lightly in that direction, ¡°Hmm¡­ let¡¯s go somewhere else. The smell is so sickening I feel like throwing up.¡± The group left the restaurant and settled in a similar shop next door, not too far away. Tan Xiao wasn¡¯t feeling well from his injuries and didn¡¯t mind the shop¡¯s unappealing furniture. He plopped down and lifted a part of his clothing to reveal his wound. A large piece of skin on his back to side had been grazed. The wound wasn¡¯t deep, but it covered a large area and was blood-soaked. It stung fiercely whenever his T-shirt rubbed against it, so he had lifted his shirt up to chest height. Bai Youwei looked at it and looked up to ask the two, ¡°How did you get this?¡± ¡°I was bit while running.¡± Tan Xiao replied, upset, ¡°Shen MO and I were following behind that monster just fine. But unexpectedly, it made a sudden turn! It spotted Shen MO and me instantly. Luckily, we hid quickly!¡­ However, we were still scraped by its teeth. Damn, what rotten luck!¡± ¡°What rotten luck? You¡¯re lucky not to have been swallowed alive!¡± Bai Youwei retorted irritably. She turned to Shen MO and asked, ¡°Why did it suddenly turn? Are there any regular patterns to the monster¡¯s movements?¡± Shen MO frowned and replied, ¡°It encountered another ¡®snake¡¯, that¡¯s why it turned suddenly..¡± Chapter 199: A Little Bit of Broken Skin Chapter 199: A Little Bit of Broken Skin Translator: 549690339 ¡°Another snake?!¡± Bai Youwei was dumbfounded. Ever since they found out that this was the Gluttonous Snake Maze, they have subconsciously convinced that there was only one snake in the maze! How could there be another snake? How many of those monsters are there? ¡°¡­ wait a minute, why did that guy mislead us?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, unable to comprehend, ¡°Doesn¡¯t he want to get out?¡± ¡°Could it be that we got the wrong idea?¡± Tan Xiao said casually, ¡°In some Gluttonous Snake game modes, it¡¯s a multi-player situation, where multiple snakes are racing to eat beans while avoiding each other, otherwise they¡¯ll turn into beans themselves¡­¡± Shen MO glanced at him, ¡°He must have deliberately misled us, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have said that the exit to the maze would only open when the Gluttonous Snake reaches its largest state.¡± Tan Xiao pondered for a while, and then he realized, muttering:¡± Yeah¡­ If there are many Gluttonous Snakes in the maze, which one has to meet what conditions to trigger the Maze¡¯s exit to open?¡­ Dammit!¡± Tan Xiao angrily jumped to his feet and cursed: ¡°They dare to trick us!¡± He turned to leave, intent on retribution. Chang Weicai stopped him, persuasively saying, ¡°You¡¯re injured, take care of the wound first, you¡¯re still bleeding¡­ really now¡­¡± Tan Xiao frowned and touched the injury on his waist. There was a sticky substance mixed with the blood. It was itchy and stinging, quite uncomfortable. ¡°Damn, the monster¡¯s teeth better not be poisonous,¡± Tan Xiao said cautiously, sitting back down with a pale face. Theoretically, after their data upgrade from the previous Maze, their healing abilities had all improved to some degree, a minor flesh wound shouldn¡¯t be bleeding for so long. Bai Youwei helped him clean the wound with a tissue, which came away covered in a sticky substance. It was like blood but not quite, more like a mixture of some kind of glue and blood. She stared blankly at the dark red, viscous substance. Shen MO said, ¡°Regardless of the purpose, it¡¯s clear he lied. There is more than one snake. If we want to open the exit of the maze, we need to think of another way.¡± ¡°He was smiling just now¡­¡± Bai Youwei suddenly said. Everyone looked at her. Shen MO asked,¡± What?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows in thought and said slowly, ¡°Just now¡­when the snake came, I saw him smile¡­¡± After a pause, she raised her head to look at Shen MO, her tone assertive, ¡°He¡¯s not afraid of the Gluttonous Snake.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Tan Xiao was puzzled, ¡°It¡¯s so huge. Isn¡¯t he afraid of the snake eating him? I¡¯d rather face a hundred little monsters than face that gigantic snake!¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback. Yeah, why wasn¡¯t he afraid? She recalled carefully, her face growing increasingly pale: ¡°He is afraid of the little monsters¡­¡± When the Skinning Monster tried to enter, that man scared himself into crying. It didn¡¯t seem as if he was pretending. A snake as big as a building didn¡¯t scare him, but the Skinning Monster which can kill with one jab scared him? That doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ Bai Youwei looked at Tan Xiao¡¯s wound, then at the blotch of viscous gel-like substance on the tissue, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. She smeared the substance on the tissue onto the table. It was deep red and soft red, stickier than blood, softer than flesh, unidentifiable. Why wasn¡¯t he scared? Could it be that he¡­ Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned pale suddenly. She abruptly looked up at Tan Xiao. Tan Xiao was shocked by her gaze, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something wrong with my wound?¡± ¡°Chang Weicai! Get the mud out!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly ordered. Chang Weicai was quick to react and reached into his pocket. Tan Xiao was confused, ¡°Wha¡­what¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s just a little cut, isn¡¯t using the mud a bit excessive¡­¡± Before he could finish, Chang Weicai had already brought over the mud¡­ sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 200: 200: You Have Evil Intentions Chapter 200: 200: You Have Evil IntentionsTranslator: 549690339 The mud acted exceptionally quickly. Tan Xiao¡¯s skin injury healed rapidly, Shen MO rinsed the sticky flesh and blood from his wound, and there was not a trace to be found on his lower back. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Pan Xiaoxin was staring at the hustling and bustling crowd, his eyes wide with surprise. He had never seen such an extraordinary tool before. Although the previous lightning bolt had also shocked him, since he closed his eyes subconsciously, he didn¡¯t see what tool was responsible. However, he saw the mud clearly! It genuinely healed Tan Xiao¡¯s wound! The child couldn¡¯t help but think: Brother Fei was right, these people really do have a lot of tools¡­ ¡°Xiaoxin! Where¡¯s the knife?!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly shouted his name. Pan Xiaoxin jumped in fright and hurriedly handed her the knife. Shen MO intercepted the knife halfway. ¡°What do you need the knife for?¡± Shen MO asked Bai Youwei, with a skeptical look on his face. Bai Youwei was ticked off: ¡°What do I need it for? I¡¯m going to chop him up!!! That guy isn¡¯t afraid of snakes because snakes don¡¯t eat him! He¡¯s tricked us all! She didn¡¯t want the knife anymore, angrily wheeling her chair away. Shen MO reached out to hold the wheelchair armrest, stopping her in her tracks. She turned her head and glared at him furiously! Shen MO said, ¡°Let me push you there.¡± The others looked at each other, following them. The man was still collapsed under the operating table. Seeing Shen MO and Bai Youwei return, his face twisted in fear. ¡°What¡­what do you want to do¡­¡± he asked panicked. Bai Youwei sneered chillingly, which made the man shiver: ¡°What exactly do you want to do?! I, I¡¯ve already told you everything I know! What else do you want?!¡± Bai Youwei slightly curved her eyebrows, her smiling face didn¡¯t hold a shred of warmth, her voice gentle: ¡°We don¡¯t want anything. We just want to ask you¡­ do you want us to take you with us when we leave this place?¡± The man¡¯s eyes flickered indecisively, ¡°Of course¡­ I want to get out of here, but you guys haven¡¯t found the exit, have you?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve just found it.¡± Bai Youwei said, grinning, ¡°We¡¯ll take you out right now. Sounds good?¡± ¡°You found it?¡± The man was astonished, glancing over to check the reactions of Shen MO, Tan Xiao, and the others. The people standing next to Bai Youwei wore different expressions. The man didn¡¯t believe them and shook his head anxiously: ¡°Impossible! How can the exit of the maze be found so easily?! Are you guys trying to trick me?! I¡¯m not going! You want to trick me into going outside so the monster can eat me! I¡¯m not falling for it!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Without going to check, how do you know we¡¯re deceiving you? Let¡¯s go¡­ Tan Xiao, he¡¯s injured and can¡¯t move. You carry him out. ¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Tan Xiao looked at her in surprise, ¡°Carry him out for real?¡± Where were they supposed to carry him? They hadn¡¯t found the exit at all¡­ Bai Youwei said: ¡°Xiaoxin, you come help too, lift this uncle up.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: He walked over silently to help the man. ¡°Get away! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± The man shoved Pan Xiaoxin away violently! Pan Xiaoxin was caught off guard and abruptly fell flat on his butt. The man roared at him: ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!!! You guys are up to no good! You want to trick me into going outside! I¡¯m not falling for it! ¡­ I¡¯m not going out! I¡¯m not going out!!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Tan Xiao was impatient. He stepped forward, grabbed the man¡¯s arm, and yanked him up roughly, ¡°Go out if we tell you to go out ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!!¡± The moment he was pulled up, the man released a terrified scream of pain! The scream was heart-wrenching, shrill, and twisted! His body seemed to be glued to the ground. His skin and flesh were being stretched but couldn¡¯t be pulled up! The sight freaked Tan Xiao out to the point where he loosened his grip, staring wide-eyed and tongue-tied: ¡°Shit¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin turned deathly pale. The man¡¯s suit jacket, which was covering his legs, slipped off, exposing large clumps of meaty tumors underneath. His two legs had incredibly grown into the floor! His entire lower torso was swallowed by the fleshy growth! Chapter 201: 201: Is There a Grudge? Chapter 201: 201: Is There a Grudge?Translator: 549690339 The man was still screaming. The parts Tan Xiao had torn apart were splitting at the seams, with blood gushing out. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was propped up on his hands, breathing heavily; the lumps of flesh that resembled legs rose and fell with his breath, trembling as if they were part of the body. Shen MO glanced at Bai Youwei, thinking about her strong insistence on applying mud to Tan Xiao¡¯s injuries earlier, and understood. ¡°So¡­ In this labyrinth, we can¡¯t get injured, otherwise we become part of the labyrinth?¡± ¡°Most likely so.¡± Bai Youwei coldly observed the man gasping for breath on the ground, ¡°Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible to explain why he was not afraid of the snake, and why, when we first entered the restaurant, he didn¡¯t actively call for help. If he hadn¡¯t coughed, we wouldn¡¯t have noticed someone in the kitchen.¡± When someone is in absolute despair, isn¡¯t it natural to call outloud when they hear another human voice? Why was he hiding instead? Shen MO thought for a moment, then squatted down to look at the man, ¡°The snake only eats foreign objects or intruders in the labyrinth. Little creatures are foreign objects, we are intruders, but you¡¯ve become one with the labyrinth, so the snake won¡¯t attack you. Is that correct?¡± The man nodded weakly, with sweat streaming down his face. His pain seemed to leave him speechless. Shen MO looked at him, his gaze slowly shifted to the man¡¯s ¡°legs¡±, and said softly: ¡°We were careless. You said that you were trapped here for three or four days, without water, without food. But you looked unaffected, your face was still flushed with health. So¡­ Has your body adapted to take in nourishment differently?¡± Once again the man nodded. Without the will to resist, he gasped for air, trembling, like a dying fish. ¡°You deliberately let the snake follow us, hoping for us to be eaten or injured, so we would end up like you?¡± Shen MO slowly stood up, looked down at the man from a higher position, and spoke indifferently, ¡°Sorry to disappoint you.¡± The man raised his head. A weird smile appeared on his face. He spoke weakly: ¡°Don¡¯t be so confident¡­you people¡­sooner or later, will end up just like me¡­¡± Bang! Tan Xiao, unable to restrain himself, kicked the man¡¯s face! ¡°You bastard! Since you want me dead so badly, I¡¯ll send you to Hell first!¡± Tan Xiao kicked him several times! Thinking about how he could have become part of the furniture here because of his injury, made him both angry and frightened, he couldn¡¯t wait to kill this monstrous man! Chang Weicai hurriedly held him back, ¡°Stop hitting him! It¡¯s no use killing him! Let¡¯s hear him out¡­hold on¡­ Tan Xiao stepped on the man¡¯s face with his foot and demanded fiercely, ¡°Just speak! Why did you try to harm us?!¡± Half of the man¡¯s face was pushed into his flesh, there was blood in the corner of his eyes, ¡°Why¡­Ha¡­Why do you think?¡± To Tan Xiao¡¯s surprise, he seriously contemplated and guessed, ¡°Is it because we hold a grudge against you?¡± ¡°Hold a grudge¡­?¡± The man¡¯s mouth split wide open, his tears and saliva streamed down his messy face, ¡°Of course¡­ Of course, there¡¯s a grudge, haha¡­ You guys staying alive is the grudge! I can¡¯t get out of here and neither can you! Not a single one of you!!!¡± Tan Xiao stared at him in utter disbelief, then glanced around at his teammates. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t comprehend such a line of thinking. He retracted his foot, muttering in frustration, ¡°This guy must¡¯ve gone mad from staying here too long¡­¡± The man on the ground sneered, raised his head, and suddenly his expression froze. ¡°Ah¡­ahhh¡­,¡± he opened his eyes wide, gasping for air forcefully! ¡°Ahhhhhh!!!¡± Everyone standing next to him was stupefied. They only saw the man¡¯s tears, sweat, saliva, and blood from his injuries on his face, all mixed together, sticking to the clump of flesh on the floor! He wouldn¡¯t be able to remove his face it! Chapter 202: 202: How Can I Help You? Chapter 202: 202: How Can I Help You?Translator: 549690339 ¡°Save me! Please, save me!!!¡± The man¡¯s face was buried in the ground, he was crying and sobbing, ¡°Help me! I beg you!!!¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°How can we help you?¡± After a two-second pause, she asked again in a quiet, expressionless voice, ¡°Do you want us to cut open your face?¡± The man looked at her crying. ¡°Won¡¯t that hurt too?¡± Bai Youwei continued calmly, attempting to reason with him, ¡°Also, if the wound gets worse, wouldn¡¯t that be even more painful? Anyway, you¡¯ve already lost your legs, there¡¯s no use keeping your face. You were¡­already dead¡­¡± The man finally broke down! His outburst came as a reaction to her words or perhaps out of fear, crying bitterly, yelling and cursing: ¡°You all will meet a bad end! Sooner or later, you will end up just like me! Just like me!!!¡± Shen MO frowned and grabbed his wheelchair handles to take a turn, pushing Bai Youwei out. Bai Youwei widened her eyes: ¡°I was not finished talking to him!¡± Shen MO looked down at her: ¡°Now you¡¯re disgusted?¡± The expression on Bai Youwei¡¯s face slowly developed into a complex one. ¡°Why did you have to remind me¡­¡± She closed her eyes, rubbing her stomach. The others exchanged glances. They looked at the man struggling on the ground, speechless, and successively left the restaurant. The man continued to cry and curse behind them, spewing the vilest of words! A hysterical tone! Expressing the deepest form of despair! He would never be able to leave! Even though the exit was right before his eyes, he would never, ever get back to the Human World¡­ Outside, it was still drenched in red, hot and gloomy. In the distance, a few small monsters could be seen. And the ever-present Snakes, lurking at every corner, ready to appear at any moment. ¡°Let¡¯s clear our minds again.¡± Shen MO pulled his gaze back and said to everyone calmly, ¡°The Snakes eat the Skinning Monsters, the Skinning Monsters eat the Maze, and the Snakes, Skinning Monsters, and Maze eat us. Any thoughts?¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°¡­ We¡¯re so doomed.¡± Bai Youwei burst into laughter. Shen MO glanced at her, ¡°Now we have two options, one is to follow the path of the main artery, find the core of the Maze, and destroy it, there may be an exit. The other is to follow the path of the capillaries, find the edge of the Maze and destroy it, to see if we could make an exit.¡± ¡°But the Maze has a strong healing ability.¡± Tan Xiao said seriously, ¡°Whether we cut or stab it, the wound will heal quickly. We can¡¯t get hurt either, or else it will heal ourselves along with it!¡± ¡°How about using that?¡± Bai Youwei pointed at the Skinners in the distance. Teacher Cheng nodded, ¡°These monsters are like harmful bacteria in the Maze¡¯s body, they can destroy its immune system and hinder wound healing¡­ but how do we control them?¡± ¡°Before considering how to control them, let¡¯s think about where to go first, the center of the Maze or its edge?¡± Bai Youwei gently rubbed the rabbit in her arms and pondered, ¡°If Teacher Cheng¡¯s assumption is correct, then the Snakes should be like white blood cells, swallowing bacteria and foreign bodies, and producing antibodies to resist pathogenic invasions. They would be particularly active in the core of the Maze.¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°So we can¡¯t go to the core.¡± Shen MO said, ¡°We are going to the edge of the Maze. ¡± Bai Youwei bluntly pointed at Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Xiaoxin, lead the way.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: Seeing him distracted, Teacher Cheng, concerned about the child¡¯s comfort, volunteered, ¡°Perhaps I should take a look at the map¡­¡¯ ¡°Teacher Cheng, he¡¯s 11 now, he¡¯s a mature kid.¡± Bai Youwei confidently said, ¡°And he is a local from Hangzhou, he should know best which spot is most suitable for us to break through.¡± Teacher Cheng thought for a moment, gently padded the boy¡¯s shoulder, and kindly encouraged him, ¡°Xiaoxin, don¡¯t feel pressured, we all believe in you!¡± Chapter 203: 203: So It’s That Easy Chapter 203: 203: So It¡¯s That EasyTranslator: 549690339 Pan Xiaoxin was feeling a bit nervous. Ever since they entered the maze, this group of people (especially Bai Youwei) had been bossing him around. It wasn¡¯t that he minded being bossed around¡­ it was just¡­ um, how should he put it, it felt weird. Why on earth would they trust a kid like him? Did they not fear he could mess things up? Pan Xiaoxin took a serious look at the map and hesitantly pointed at a spot, asking, ¡°Here¡­ How about here? Triumph Road is on the edge of the maze, and there are lots of residential buildings. If the Snakeling Monster comes, we would have somewhere to hide . ¡°Right there.¡± Bai Youwei made the decision final and then turned to Shen MO, asking, ¡°Brother, what do you think?¡± Shen MO nodded, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine.¡± Pan Xiaoxin gaped at them. Did they decide just like that? Really? Are you sure? You¡¯re not joking, are you? ¡°What are you spacing out for?¡± Tan Xiao slapped Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Kiddo, lead the way ¡® Pan Xiaoxin quietly adjusted his backpack and took the map, heading towards their destination. Everything went smoothly. Occasionally, they confronted small creatures, but only a few scattered ones. They were easy to deal with before they had a chance to multiply and replicate themselves. Sometimes when tremors approached, everyone would take cover in the nearby houses. The Snakeling Monster usually only looked for food along the streets and didn¡¯t venture inside buildings. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With stops and starts, they were getting closer and closer to Triumph Road. To be honest, Bai Youwei was quite impressed with the kid. In her view, all the city¡¯s buildings looked virtually indistinguishable after having shifted into their maze-like forms, yet somehow Pan Xiaoxin was able to identify each road, each building, with an uncanny spatial and directional sense. There were times when she suspected that he had taken the wrong path, a skeptical glance exchanged with Shen MO, he reassuring her with a nod. She was taken aback. However, on second thought, a grade-schooler who could have survived in such a harsh environment until now must have more than just good luck going for him. Just like her, who was handicapped. Sure, it was fortunate that she had met Shen MO, but did that mean she was completely useless? Of course not! Bai Youwei crinkled her lips into a silent smirk. This was why she loved games ¨C they didn¡¯t abandon you just because you were young, old, handicapped, or for any other reason. While the doll game inflicted pain, it also forever offered players opportunities. Others saw games as instruments of despair and slaughter; she saw them as flowers, dew, sunlight, a spring-warmed, flower-filled amusement park by the seaside. ¡­Wait, hold on. Except for here. Bai Youwei wrinkled her nose in disgust. This maze was genuinely disgusting! After reaching Triumph Road, Pan Xiaoxin completed his role as the guide. Next, Shen MO took over to survey the terrain. Shen MO chose a residential area. The outer wall of the greenery area appeared to be the outermost layer of the maze. They made a lasso out of a hemp rope from Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s backpack, used it to tie a Skinning Monster, and threw it near the courtyard wall to chew on meat. They were standing on a second-floor balcony, pulling the rope from a distance, like walking a dog. They directed it to chew wherever they wished by pulling on the rope. The monster went on eating while replicating itself. The more of it there was, the greater the holes in the wall became. Everything was working out surprisingly well. The only thing they needed to be cautious of was the Snakeling Monster that wandered around the streets¡ª It could easily be drawn by the stench of the Skinning Monster. Shen MO was always the most vigilant one. Whenever he sensed the tremors getting nearer, he would pull back the rope, picked up the Skinning Monster and took it to the entrance of the residential area as bait. He was very good at this kind of diversionary tactic. Whenever the Snakeling Monster was enticed by the smell and wanted to venture inside the residential compound for food, he would tease it with the Skinning Monster, leading the snake around in circles. After going around in circles for a long while, the snake couldn¡¯t manage to eat a single monster, becoming hungrier and thinner. Meanwhile, the compound¡¯s wall was gnawed rotten, gnawed through by the Skinning Monsters! A faint light could be seen. Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°Who knew it would be this easy.¡± But now, the problem was¡­ How were they going to get through hundreds of Skinning Monsters to reach the exit? Chapter 204: 204: The Exit is Found Chapter 204: 204: The Exit is FoundTranslator: 549690339 Tan Xiao stood on the balcony, shouting into the distance: ¡°Boss! We have an exit!!!¡± He saw a man in the distance sprinting towards him, a ¡°snake¡± trailing behind him! But this ¡°snake¡± was too short, without scales, it moved frantically on the ground like a huge maggot! Its size, from being as tall as a two-story building, was now reduced to the size of cattle, it opened its mouth full of teeth, tried to bite Skinning Monster on the hemp rope, but every attack was in vain! With quick movements, Shen MO led it to a rotten festery wound. It was immediately attracted by the stronger fetid smell and wriggled its body aggressively into the hole! The creatures inside started to swarm out! As if a wasp nest had been disturbed! Hundreds of skinning monsters scattered in all directions! Some crawled up to the second-floor balcony where Bai Youwei and the others were stationed, Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai pushed them off with baseball bats and crutches! Meanwhile, the snake in the hole quickly grew bigger! Fatter! Longer! It ate all the skinning monsters in the hole, then began to devour the rotten flesh! After cleaning up the pus and clotted blood, fresh red appeared beneath, and the wound was healing again. Tan Xiao, watching from above, shouted anxiously, ¡°Stop eating! Stop eating! The hole is closing up!!!¡± sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯ll distract it! You take them to the exit!¡± Shen MO remained calm, raising his dagger he stabbed into the serpents exposed plump tail. The gluttonous snake violently trembled in pain. Scrambling to get out, its obese body was too big that it couldn¡¯t turn around, so it had to reverse its way out. Its head swayed from side to side, its corpulent body made a squeaking sound as it squashed itself out of the pile of rotten flesh. As soon as it was out, it wheeled around angrily towards Shen MO! Shen MO was prepared, he lifted the nearly dead Skinning Monster from the hemp rope and drew the gluttonous snake in a different direction. Meanwhile, Tan Xiao grabbed Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s backpack, throwing him and his bag down! It was just over three meters from the second floor to the first floor, and the ground was all meat, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about getting hurt from a fall. A few seconds later, Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair was thrown down. Tan Xiao picked up Bai Youwei and jumped straight down from the second floor. Chang Weicai followed a bit slower, he climbed down the growths on the nearby balcony. The four of them rushed into the hole, dragging the wheelchair. The hole was filled with rotten flesh and pus, uneven and slippery, emerging from there was an arduous task! Having struggled through, they finally reached the opening, glowing white. Tan Xiao, grasping Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s backpack, was about to throw him when Pan Xiaoxin resisted stuttering, ¡°W-wait! Wait a moment! ¡± Tan Xiao said impatiently, ¡°Wait for what?! The more of us get out, the better, hurry up!¡± ¡°No, no! Listen to me! Pan Xiaoxin urgently said, ¡°We can¡¯t go out! There are people waiting outside to steal your tools! It¡¯s dangerous out there!¡± ¡°There are robbers?¡± Tan Xiao paused, turning to Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei¡­.¡± Bai Youwei, who was looking at the exit, waiting for Shen Mo¡¯s return, impatiently said: ¡°Don¡¯t bother me with such trivial matters!¡± Pan Xiaoxin: Is¡­. this a small matter? Tan Xiao smacked the back of Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s head, ¡°Did you hear that? Don¡¯t dawdle over such trifles, hurry up and get out!¡± Not waiting for his agreement, he directly pushed Pan Xiaoxin into the bright exit filled with white light! Teacher Chang was the second to enter. Tan Xiao and Bai Youwei waited at the exit for a while until Shen MO returned. Their hearts finally settled, the three of them entered the exit one after another¡­. Chapter 205: 205: The Maze Disappeared Chapter 205: 205: The Maze DisappearedTranslator: 549690339 Just like before, they had all left together, but she alone was surrounded. Sitting in her wheelchair, Bai Youwei stared at the familiar vast fog with a calm demeanor. After waiting a short while, the sound of the game system echoed in the air: ¡°Congratulations to the player for proceeding through Maze No. 7.¡± ¡°We are tallying up the rewards from this round.¡± ¡°The player is the third one to pass through Maze No. 7. The ranking order in this round is three. Unfortunately, no jigsaw pieces will be rewarded.¡± What? Nothing at all? Bai Youwei frowned. Is it because I finished so quickly that they won¡¯t even give a reward? ¡°Updating player data¡­ Ding! Update completed.¡± ¡°The reward tallying process has completed. Please continue with the game and strive to pass¡ª¡± The voice died off, the fog dispersed. Shen MO, Tan Xiao, Teacher Chang, Pan Xiaoxin ¨C all of them appeared before her. Everyone stared at the area behind them in shock. The fog has disappeared. The labyrinthine fog that loomed over the city center is gone! Looking at the familiar streets and buildings, Pan Xiaoxin couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s Hangzhou¡­ Hangzhou is back!¡± He took a few steps forward, flailing his arms. The sky was clear blue, the air fresh. The buildings were neatly organized, the street-side greenery lush and verdant. Everything was back! As Pan Xiaoxin glanced towards Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, his eyes held a hint of hope, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it mean, if we pass through the maze, it disappears?!¡± Shen MO and Bai Youwei looked at each other, confounded. The last time they had passed through Maze No. 2, the fog hadn¡¯t dispersed back then and the maze remained. Why? While scratching his head, Tan Xiao looked at the clean streets, unable to hold back from muttering, ¡°This is weird, with no fog and even no rewards.¡± ¡°Did you not receive your reward?¡± asked Bai Youwei. ¡°I did, but they didn¡¯t give me any jigsaw pieces,¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°We got three pieces last time.¡± Last time, Shen MO, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Zhang Tianyang, and Chen Hui each received a piece, making it a total of five. But this time¡­ ¡°I¡­ I got one piece.¡± Pan Xiaoxin opened his tiny palm to reveal a silver-grey puzzle piece. ¡°Just one piece?¡± Tan Xiao turned to Chang Weicai. ¡°Teacher Chang, did you get any pieces?¡± Teacher Chang shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Wow, why is this maze being so stingy this time,¡± Tan Xiao was disappointed. ¡°The few of us struggled so much to get out of the maze, and they reward us with just one piece.¡± Shen MO turned to Pan Xiaoxin and asked, ¡°What did the system say when it was totalling the rewards? Do you remember?¡± After taking a moment to remember, Pan Xiaoxin slowly explained, ¡°¡­ The player is the third one to pass through Maze No. 7. The ranking order in this round is one. You may receive one jigsaw piece reward. It was something like that.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°The last time in Yangzhou, the system said it was the first time.¡± She specifically emphasized the word ¡°first¡±. Thinking it over, Shen MO suggested, ¡°So for the first time, you get five puzzle pieces; the third time, you get one, and then the maze disappears¡­ following this line of reasoning, could it mean that the number of puzzle pieces a maze can produce is limited and that the disappearance of a maze closely follows when all puzzle pieces are exhausted?¡± ¡°It has to disappear.¡± Bai Youwei added, ¡°Puzzle pieces are definitely not infinite. If there are no more puzzle pieces and a new player passes through the maze, they won¡¯t be able to receive the puzzle piece reward. That would be extremely unfair to the whole game system.¡± Shen MO pondered, turning to look at her, ¡°How many puzzle pieces do you think a maze can produce at most?¡± ¡°Nine.¡± Bai Youwei answered, ¡°Five for the first time, three for the second, and one for the third..¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 206: 206 Xiaoxin Chapter 206: 206 XiaoxinTranslator: 549690339 Teacher Cheng couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Step-by-step decline does seem fair in the game, but what happens if there aren¡¯t enough players? Won¡¯t that disrupt the pattern? Like, if only one person first gets through a maze, does he get all five puzzle pieces? After pondering for a while, Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I doubt it. The two mazes we¡¯ve encountered seem to require teamwork to get through. During the mirror task, teammates needed to serve as a warning otherwise one could easily fall into a trap. Also, in the last maze, if no one had diverted the attention of the snake, we wouldn¡¯t have made it out easily.¡± ¡°Even if the number of people who pass the maze is less than the number of puzzle pieces, it¡¯s not a big deal,¡± said Shen MO, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we had a sequence number when we left the maze. If the system aims to ensure fairness, it can distribute the pieces according to the order of exiting. For instance, this time five of us passed the maze, but only the first person got the puzzle piece.¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei added, ¡°Not only did our exit sequence have numbers, the mazes themselves had numbers too, like number 2, number 7¡­ Does that hold some special significance?¡± Tan Xiao felt overwhelmed, yelling, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Initially, the plan was to gather puzzle pieces in Hangzhou, but the system only gave us one. What Pan Xiaoxin knew the puzzle pieces were essential. Listening to their discussion, he couldn¡¯t help but look down at the piece in his hands. He got the piece because Tan Xiao was the first to push him towards the exit. This puzzle piece, ought to belong to everyone. Pan Xiaoxin raised his head, hesitated, and asked the grown-ups, ¡°Who¡­ who should this piece go to?¡± Bai Youwei, in a bad mood, glanced at him dismissively, ¡°Keep it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Pan Xiaoxin widened his eyes in surprise, unable to believe what he¡¯d heard, ¡°Can¡­ Can I really keep it?¡± However, Bai Youwei paid no attention to him. Bai Youwei took Shen MO¡¯s hand and complained, ¡°Those five you mentioned must have been the second batch to pass the maze. If not for them, we would have gotten at least three pieces this time. So annoying!¡± Tan Xiao was also irked, ¡°MO bro, what should we do? If they keep getting ahead of us, won¡¯t we be stuck with leftovers?¡± ¡°But how did they determine the direction of the maze?¡± Teacher Cheng pondered, ¡°There must be mazes in other cities too, we don¡¯t necessarily have to follow their path¡­ Pan Xiaoxin: The overlooked child in the corner watched them. ¡°Ah right.¡± Tan Xiao remembered something, ¡°MO bro, someone¡¯s trying to rob us.¡± Shen MO frowned imperceptibly at the word ¡®robbery¡¯? The subject jumped rather dramatically. ¡± Xiaoxin mentioned it.¡± Tan Xiao looked at Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Right? Before we got out, you said something like that?¡± Everyone turned to look at Pan Xiaoxin. He had wanted some attention when they were ignoring him. Now that he was getting it, Pan Xiaoxin felt rather nervous. With a taut face, he nodded, looking somewhat worried and careful, while observing Shen MO¡¯s expression. Like students peeking at the teacher while handing in their exams. Shen MO¡¯s face remained unreadable as he asked Xiaoxin, ¡°Was it the gang led by someone called Brother Fei?¡± Pan Xiaoxin pursed his lips and nodded again. Shen MO asked, ¡°How do you communicate with them?¡± ¡® Pan Xiaoxin touched his collar, ¡°Using this¡­ whistle, they bought guns and ammunition from someone named Yan. They told me to blow the whistle once I got out, then they would come¡­ and shoot at you¡­ and then, steal our props¡­¡± His voice got quieter with each word, until he finally lowered his head so much that his chin touched his chest, not daring to look up. ¡°Damn! They¡¯re pretty ruthless!¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°MO bro, we gotta show these guys we¡¯re not to be messed with!¡± ¡°Whether we show them color or not, there¡¯s no rush,¡± Bai Youwei lazily glanced at Xiaoxin, ¡°But, I bet they have a lot of gasoline stored away right, Xiaoxin?¡±Pan Xiaoxin shivered. Chapter 207: 207: Clearing Time Chapter 207: 207: Clearing TimeTranslator: 549690339 Summer lengthened the daylight, the sun was on its last gasps. The sunset reluctantly dragged the buildings and trees into lengthy shadows, coated in golden twilight, tired, quiet¡­ A car whizzed by, stirring up waste paper and plastic bags on the side of the road, bringing brief uproar to the tranquility. The Jeep slowed down gradually, finally stopping behind a congested road. ¡°Lun Ang, Su Man, you two go to the front and see how far the congestion goes.¡± Yan Qingwen instructed them, ¡°If it¡¯s not that far, let¡¯s move the cars. If it¡¯s too long, we¡¯ll take a different route.¡± Uncle Fatty and the woman in the red dress got off the car as per the instructions, each taking a weapon to scout ahead. Yan Qingwen took out a map to consult; the man and the woman in the back seat also got out of the car, saying, ¡°Brother Yan, we are going to look around nearby to see whether we can find some water.¡± Their food supply was still plentiful, but they could never have too much clean drinking water. ¡°Don¡¯t wander off too far. Zhu Shu¡¯s wound just healed,¡± Yan Qingwen instructed calmly. ¡°We got it.¡± The man chuckled and walked away with the woman. Not long after the two set off, Uncle Fatty, Lun Ang, and the woman in red, Su Man, were already back. ¡°How is the road ahead?¡± Yan Qingwen asked the two of them. Lun Ang wiped the sweat from his face, his mutton-chop whiskers also dripping with sweat, and shook his head, ¡°The congestion is not too bad, but there are dolls about which would very likely trigger a game. We better take a detour.¡± Su Man got into the car and saw the back seat was empty. She asked, ¡°Where did Li Li and Zhu Shu go?¡± Lun Ang laughed, ¡°Where else could they be? Off on a date! They stick together all day. Now that we¡¯re not around, they finally grabbed the chance to spend some time alone! Ha ha ha ha!¡± Su Man¡¯s face darkened, and she frowned at Yan Qingwen, ¡°Brother Yan, why don¡¯t you stop them?¡± Yan Qingwen, face unchanged, kept looking at the map. ¡°Why would I stop them? They are adults in their twenties, not three-year-old children.¡± Su Man pursed her lips. She still wasn¡¯t happy and muttered, ¡°What if they meet with danger¡­¡± ¡°Hey! If you¡¯re so concerned about him, go check on him yourself!¡± Lun Ang blurted out unabashedly, ¡°She clearly likes him but doesn¡¯t admit it. Now look at her, someone else swooped in and took him away!¡± Su Man glared at the fatty fiercely, ¡°Who said I like him?! I¡¯m just afraid they will get into trouble and end up creating trouble for us!¡± Uncle Fatty dug at his ear, ¡°Alright, alright, whatever you say¡­¡± ¡°Brother Yan!!!¡± A shout came from the distance. The three in the car turned their heads and saw the man and the woman running back hastily. Yan Qingwen frowned and got out of the car. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± ¡°Brother Yan, you¡­you look over there!¡± Li Li was so out of breath he could barely speak. He pointed to a distance and said, ¡°The fog over Hangzhou¡­ it¡¯s gone!¡± ¡°Ha?¡± Lun Ang burst out laughing, his laughter booming like thunder, ¡°Li Li, are you seeing things because of heatstroke? Ha ha ha ha! . ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? Go see for yourself!¡± Li Li pushed the woman next to him forward, ¡°Zhu Shu saw it too! We were up on a building nearby and had a clear view!¡± The petite young woman nodded and took small breaths, clutching her chest, ¡°It¡¯s gone¡­ the large fog cloud, it¡¯s gone.¡± Yan Qingwen frowned, returned to the car to get a telescope, hopped on the roof, and looked in the direction of Hangzhou. The others gathered around him, asking, ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Is the fog really gone?¡± Yan Qingwen looked for a while, put down the telescope, his facial expression changing unpredictably, unclear whether it was sunny or gloomy, ¡°¡­It seems someone has passed through the maze of Hangzhou.¡± Li Li said, ¡°When we passed the maze, we didn¡¯t see anyone else. If the other party entered the maze after us, that means, they completed it in less than 4 hours! How could that be possible?!¡± Yan Qingwen looked up and asked. ¡°How long did we take?¡± Li Li replied, ¡°6 hours and 27 minutes.¡± ¡°That must be fake¡­¡± Lun Ang said, ¡°They only took half the time we did?¡± Everyone exchanged glances. Simultaneously, several faces came to mind in their heads¡­. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 208: The Roads are Narrow for Enemies Chapter 208: The Roads are Narrow for Enemies Translator: 549690339 On the streets of Hangzhou, an off-road vehicle sped along the flat and wide road. Wind rushed in from the car window, blowing away the stickiness of sweat on the skin, and it was cool and refreshing. Bai Youwei sat in the passenger seat, humming a song in a cheerful mood. The song went: ¡°Little white rabbit, so white, with two ears standing up, it likes to eat carrots and greens, hopping and jumping so Tan Xiao chimed in from the back seat: ¡°Ha ha! I know this one too! Let me recite for you all!¡± He cleared his throat and recited with varied intonations: ¡°Little white rabbit, so white, with two ears standing up, peel its skin, chop it into pieces, toss it in the pan and stir fry, add some water, cover the lid, sprinkle cilantro before serving!¡± Before anyone else could react, he had already started laughing at his own joke, ¡°Ha ha ha,¡± non-stop. ¡°How was it? How was it? Want to give me a like?¡± Tan Xiao nudged Chang Weicai with his elbow, ¡°Old Chang, you do one! Do one! Come on, teach us some~¡± Unable to decline, Teacher Chang scratched his chin, ¡°Alright, let me think¡­ Ah, got it! I advise you to drink, don¡¯t decline. I advise you twice, don¡¯t doubt¡­ ¡°Old Chang, it doesn¡¯t work!¡± Tan Xiao interrupted him, ¡°You didn¡¯t mention the little white rabbit, it doesn¡¯t count!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t finished yet, let me continue.¡± Chang Weicai continued, ¡°I advise you three times, and then you know, the face today older than yesterday, when drunk, feels better than when sober¡­¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Doesn¡¯t count~ still no little white rabbit!¡± Chang Weicai was anxious: ¡°Let me finish my verse, the rabbit¡¯s coming soon¡­ The sky and earth are long, the white rabbit and red crow chase each other. Piling up gold behind, leaning on the Big Dipper, is not as good as having a jar of wine before death! See, there it is? ¡®The white rabbit and red crow chase each other¡¯, the white rabbit, it¡¯s there, right?¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha! I don¡¯t understand, but fine, you pass. Pan Xiaoxin sat silently on the side: Ever since this group of people found Brother Fei, robbed his house, emptied his gasoline, and bashed his gang, they had been in a continuous ¡°singing and dancing¡± state. ¡­Are all adults this forgetful? ¡°Kid! You¡¯ve got a good eye!¡± Tan Xiao suddenly put his arm around Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You know when to reign in the horse at the edge of the cliff, choosing the right path! In the future, there will surely be a place for you in this world!¡± Teacher Chang added: ¡°It¡¯s reign in the horse at the edge of a precipice¡­¡± ¡°It more or less means the same thing.¡± Tan Xiao shook Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Come on, tell Brother Xiao, what were you thinking? By telling us their plan, weren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯d take revenge?¡± Pan Xiaoxin was shaken dizzy. Chang Weicai said, ¡°Don¡¯t judge by his age, even a child can tell right from wrong. Xiaoxin is a good boy, of course he wouldn¡¯t assist the tyrant, right, Xiaoxin?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Pan Xiaoxin: In fact, it was not that bad¡­ He simply thought that Shen MO and Bai Youwei were more capable than Brother Fei. It¡¯s nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. Even children understand this principle. ¡°Brother MO, where are we heading next?¡± Tan Xiao asked. ¡°We need to find a place to spend the night first.¡± Shen MO held the steering wheel, his eyes straight ahead, ¡°Going north is Jiaxing, going south is Shaoxing, both places where a maze might appear¡­¡± His voice trailed off, as he slowly reduced his speed. Everyone looked out of the car windows. There was a huge traffic jam ahead, and by the road, five people had pitched a tent. Out of them, three were the guys who almost fought with them last time. Tan Xiao subconsciously whistled, ¡°Enemies always meet on a narrow road¡­¡± Bai Youwei let out a disdainful snort.. Chapter 209: Just Pretentious (Additional updates for top 50 Activity) Chapter 209: Just Pretentious (Additional updates for top 50 Activity) Translator: 549690339 When the two parties encounter each other, it¡¯s a bit awkward. The other party has already set up camp and probably plans to spend the night here. If Shen MO were to leave now, it would seem rather cowardly. Shen MO glanced at the sky, parked the vehicle across the road. He thought for a moment and then called Teacher Cheng to scout ahead. Tan Xiao was also eager to go, but Bai Youwei snapped at him: ¡°Go on, go! Leaving a kid and a cripple to carry luggage, set up tents, boil water, and cook really! Tan Xiao gave an awkward laugh: ¡°I forgot¡­¡± Chang Weicai discussed with Shen Mo: ¡°Xiao Shen, maybe we should change places? If something happens at night being this close, it could be dangerous, especially with their group have weapons¡­¡± Shen MO glanced their direction and stated calmly: ¡°There are only a few routes out of the city, if they had any intention of ambushing us, no matter where we hide, they would catch up. It¡¯s safer if we¡¯re close to each other and we remain vigilant. Moreover, we¡¯ll take turns standing guard at night, where we stay won¡¯t matter much.¡± Teacher Cheng considered, found Shen MO¡¯s argument reasonable, and didn¡¯t persuade further. Shen MO and Teacher Cheng went ahead to scout, leaving Tan Xiao behind. Looking around, there are banks, restaurants, fruit supermarkets, laundries, and beauty salons. The fruit supermarket exudes a sour smell from the decaying fruit, not pleasant at all. ¡°Weiwei, where do you want to stay tonight?¡± Tan Xiao asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a Holiday Hotel?¡± Bai Youwei pointed to a building across the street diagonally. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll drive the car over.¡± Tan Xiao quickly switched to the driver¡¯s seat and parked the car in front of the hotel. After they reached their destination. unloaded the luggage. and found that the hotel¡¯s automatic revolving door locked. He picked up his aluminum baseball bat and began to bang on the glass! Bai Youwei glanced at Pan Xiaoxin in the back seat and casually said: ¡°You should have improved physical fitness after coming out of the maze, right? Why don¡¯t you go and help too, test your strength.¡± Pan Xiaoxin uncertainly clenched his fist and looked at Bai Youwei. After two seconds, he took a hammer from his bag and got off the car. Tan Xiao had managed to break one pane of the revolving door, sweating profusely. ¡°Damn, this glass is tough! My hand is numb from the vibration!¡± Pan Xiaoxin picked up a small rusty nail from the ground and gave it to Tan Xiao, ¡°When breaking glass, aim for the edges¡­ you can put something sharp underneath to increase pressure.¡± ¡°Aim for the edges?¡± Tan Xiao held the nail, a bit clueless. ¡°Sounds logical, let me try.¡± He stuck the nail into the gap between the metal frame and the glass. Then he picked up the baseball bat and swung hard! Bang! The shattered glass spread like a spider web, blooming like a flower. Tan Xiao swung the bat again! Crash! All the glass was completely shattered! It saved him who-knows-how-much effort compared to before! ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. Then he looked down at Pan Xiaoxin, admiringly giving him a thumbs up! The little boy shyly smiled, he was also delighted. He continued to hammer away at the edges removing any remaining pieces of glass to prevent anyone from getting cut when walking by. The big and the small one banging away made it lively. People on the other side, however, were annoyed by the noise. ¡°Are they nuts?¡± Lun Ang, scratching his thick beard, looked at the distant Holiday Hotel. ¡°With such a big place, can¡¯t they just set up a tent? It¡¯s just to sleep anyway, why so much fuss? Moreover, the hotel is stuffy and hot with no ventilation, no electricity, and they need to climb stairs¡­¡± ¡°Such fuss indeed.¡± Su Man snorted disdainfully. Suddenly they heard a burst of laughter. They saw Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin carry out a high-quality latex mattress from the hotel and lay it on the ground. Tan Xiao took off his shoes and started jumping on the mattress. ¡°This is so soft! Hahaha, it¡¯s really soft~¡± Lun Ang: Su Man: Endless joy for these childish bunch.. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 210: 210 Fans (Additional updates for Top 100 in the recommendation list) Chapter 210: 210 Fans (Additional updates for Top 100 in the recommendation list)Translator: 549690339 They dragged out four mattresses in a row, both single and double. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t take one. She disliked sleeping on overly soft mattresses, which she felt could disrupt her body¡¯s balance, so she only asked Tan Xiao for a cotton mattress, sturdily laid out within the tent. ¡°The mattresses you brought are too big, they won¡¯t fit in the tent.¡± Bai Youwei advised Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin. Tan Xiao didn¡¯t mind, ¡°If it can¡¯t fit, just sleep like this.¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°What if it rains?¡± Tan Xiao looked up at the sky, ¡°That won¡¯t happen¡­¡± ¡°Whatever, do as you please.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t bother with him and went into her tent. The hotel was her choice, as she didn¡¯t like sleeping in a place without privacy, so there was no way she¡¯d sleep out in the open like Tan Xiao. At the very least she needed a tent. Moreover, it would be more convenient for her to wash and use the restroom with the hotel nearby. Not to mention that, aside from the beds and pillows, the hotel rooms usually stocked food, tea bags, coffee, and the like for guests to buy. All these were usable resources. Observing Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin moving various items, people on the other side couldn¡¯t help but feel tempted. ¡°Brother Yan, can we also grab some bedding?¡± Zhu Shu asked Yan Qingwen. She was about 20 years old, dressed in a pink sports t-shirt. Despite being a bit dirty from the past few days of travel, her small face was still clear and bright. With delicate features, she still looked like a pretty girl. Su Man looked at her disgust, ¡°Are we on a trip or something? If you want comfort, you might as well have stayed home!¡± ¡°Now, what¡¯s gotten into you, Su Man?¡± The man with glasses stood and put his arm around Zhu Shu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s it to you if we grab a few blankets? Zhu Shu, come! I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Su Man bit her lip and didn¡¯t say anything. Lun Ang had grown numb to the three of them constantly arguing. After hearing what they said, he chimed in, ¡°Li Li, bring me a mattress while you¡¯re at it. Since the hotel has so many, we might as well take them¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Li Li turned him down without even looking back. ¡°If you want it, come and get it yourself!¡± ¡°Are you always this stingy¡­¡± Lun Ang sighed, but finally did not get up. Yan Qingwen gave him a glance, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going?¡± Lun Ang waved his hand, ¡°Let the girls be pampered. What¡¯s it to me, an old man, running there grabbing a mattress? I¡¯ll make a fool of myself. Just forget it. I¡¯ll just make do with sleeping like this.¡± Yan Qingwen smiled and went back to studying the map. Then, gasps of astonishment came from the other side, making Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, and Su Man all look up. Tan Xiao looked at Zhu Shu in front of him with exaggerated shock, ¡°Are you¡­are you that actress?! The one who played the Saint Mountain Goddess? Wow, you¡¯re so pretty in person! You look much thinner than you do on TV!¡± Lun Ang: ¡°Oh, she has a fan here.¡± Su Man huffed, ¡°How boring.¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s lips quirked up, but he remained silent. Meanwhile, Zhu Shu politely replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You played your part so well!¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but mime some actions. ¡°Especially in the scene where the Demon Realm has you cornered on Saint Mountain. You stood up against a hundred! You hit them like this, kicked them like this, and like that¡­¡± Zhu Shu laughed and explained, ¡°That was my stunt double.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao froze, ¡°¡­A stunt double?¡± Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Shu still smiled, ¡°Yes, all the dangerous stunts are done by my doubles.¡± Tan Xiao stopped his movements and scratched his head, ¡°Then¡­the action scenes in the Wanmu Bamboo Forest¡­¡± ¡°Also a stunt double.¡± Zhu Shu laughed, ¡°The stunt double did it on a wire in the studio. It was then added in post-production.¡± Tan Xiao: He looked rather disillusioned. Zhu Shu then politely asked, ¡°May we go in and grab some blankets?¡± Tan Xiao snapped back to reality, ¡°¡­Oh, ooh, of course, of course..¡± Chapter 211: 211: Take A Look in The Past Chapter 211: 211: Take A Look in The PastTranslator: 549690339 When Shen MO and Teacher Chang came back, they just happened to bump into Li Li and Zhu Shu, who were carrying bedding and pillows. The four people passed by each other in pairs, and Teacher Chang could not help but take a second look, ¡°That girl, she kind of looks like a celebrity, doesn¡¯t she¡­¡± Shen Mo: Could one really become a fan of stars at his age? Teacher Chang continued at a leisurely pace, ¡°Back in school, students would not concentrate on class and sneakily check out star photos and interviews. I confiscated quite a few of them. That female star on them looked a lot like her.¡± I see¡­ ¡°Bro MO, Teacher Chang.¡± Tan Xiao walked over, ¡°What¡¯s the situation at the junction ahead? Is it passable?¡± Chang Weicai sighed, ¡°There¡¯s not a terrible traffic jam, but there are quite a few dolls. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to take a detour.¡± Bai Youwei poked her head out of the tent, her eyes clear and moist, ¡°Why should we detour? The doll game is everywhere. Even if we avoid this one, we can¡¯t avoid the next one. I think we should take this road.¡± Shen MO chuckled, looking at her: ¡°You sure are brave.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes rolled around, gleaming with a mischievous light, ¡°You two went to scout the path and came back safely, which means the game requires at least more than two participants. If we don¡¯t want to enter the game, we can split into three groups.¡± After a pause, she looked at Shen MO with soft eyes, ¡°But¡­ what if there are useful props in the game? Wouldn¡¯t it be a pity if we missed them?¡± Shen MO smiled and patted her head gently, ¡°Let¡¯s first decide where to go next. . There are many roads, each leading to different directions and destinations. Whether to take this road or not depends on their ultimate goal. If their goal is to collect puzzle pieces, they need to figure out: which cities still have mazes? For dinner, Teacher Chang made scallion pancakes and seaweed egg drop soup. The scallions came from Fei-ge¡¯s group¡¯s house. They were planted in flower pots, lots of them. Besides, there were also miscellaneous vegetables like coriander and garlic sprouts. They didn¡¯t grow very well, but it was better than nothing. Tan Xiao, as usual, roasted their smoked chicken and duck on the fire. The elderly value a healthy lifestyle. Unless they have limited options, they must have staple food, soup, vegetables, and meat in every meal to maintain a balanced diet. The aroma of the meat, soup, and scallions wafted all over, creating a strong ambiance of homey comfort. They sat around the bonfire, eating and discussing their next plan. The campsite of the five people not far away seemed much quieter. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lun Ang stared at the fire, taking a bite of his compressed biscuit, his mood complicated, ¡°The aroma¡­ smells like scallion pancakes. They really know how to enjoy their time.¡± He deeply inhaled the fragrant air, let out a sorrowful sigh. Zhu Shu laughed, leaning against Li Li, ¡°They¡¯re probably not in a hurry, that¡¯s why.¡± Li Li also nibbled on his tasteless biscuit, and said, ¡°There are all kinds of kitchen utensils in the hotel kitchen, and they brought their own flour and green onions. It¡¯s not difficult to make, and we can do the same if we want.¡± Zhu Shu blinked, asking him, ¡°Do you know how to make scallion pancakes?¡± ¡® Li Li paused, he subconsciously looked around, ¡°Su Man, Lun Ang, do you guys know how to cook?¡± Su Man twisted her face away in annoyance, ¡°No.¡± Lun Ang stroked his beard, ¡°I¡¯m pretty good at grilling meat, but cooking¡­¡± ¡°What about you, Yan bro?¡± Li Li turned to Yan Qingwen. Yan Qingwen was calmly eating his biscuit, and replied at his question, ¡°I can cook, but¡­¡± He paused, looking toward the fire in the distance, ¡°The thing about cooking¡­ it depends on the mood.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhu Shu laughed and said, ¡°But, eating delicious food can also improve the mood, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Yan Qingwen gave a slight smile, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Zhu Shu stood up, ¡°The atmosphere over there seems nice, I¡¯m going to have a look..¡¯ Chapter 212: 212: Daily Quarrels Chapter 212: 212: Daily QuarrelsTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Huh?¡± Li Li also stood up with her, ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it inappropriate? If we suddenly go over there, they might think we¡¯re up to something.¡± Remembering how Bai Youwei had threatened them with a toy, Lun Ang also felt it was inappropriate and advised, ¡°Don¡¯t go, those people aren¡¯t easy to deal with.¡¯ Zhu Shu chuckled and said, ¡°When I went to get some bedding earlier, I had a bit of a chat with them. They seemed like very easygoing people, don¡¯t you think so Li Li?¡± Li Li hesitated for a moment. During that earlier chat, only Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were there, one a fan of Zhu Shu, the other a harmless child, both seemed nice. But that limping man, who had remained silent in the tent, and that tall man and the old man, none of them he had interacted with¡­ Smiling coldly, Su Man said, ¡°Why are you stopping her? She¡¯s a big star, she has fans to worry about her, why would you guys need to?¡± Li Li frowned, although he also felt it was inappropriate to go, Su Man¡¯s words were a bit too harsh. She was always targeting Zhu Shu. Just as Li Li was about to speak up in defense of Zhu Shu, Zhu Shu sat down slowly, her face cloaked with an indifferent smile, ¡°If everyone thinks that it¡¯s not appropriate, then I won¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Who are you acting pitiful for? You make it sound as if we¡¯re restricting your freedom.¡± Su Man said coldly. ¡°If you want to go, go right ahead. Nobody¡¯s stopping you.¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Su Man, can you stop it?¡± Li Li lost his temper immediately. ¡°Who are you talking to with that hostile tone? If you can¡¯t find the right words, keep your mouth shut! Nobody¡¯s going to mistake you for a mute!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with saying a few words to her?¡± Su Man got up abruptly. ¡°Did you talk any less about me? Is she so delicate that she can¡¯t take even a single comment? I¡¯ll tell you what, Li Li! We came all this way to find you, not to serve some spoiled princess!¡± ¡°Did I ask you to come?¡± Li Li retorted rudely. ¡°Did I fucking ask you to come?¡± Her eyes suddenly reddened, ¡°If I weren¡¯t concerned about you getting into trouble, do you think I would¡­¡± ¡°Who needs you here?¡± Li Li interrupted her. ¡°You¡¯re not here to find me at all! You are here to make my life worse!¡± ¡°Gosh! You two are arguing again!¡± The quarrel gave Lun Ang a headache as he muttered, ¡°Could you please stop arguing? What¡¯s there to fight about?¡± So Man fumed, ¡°You think I want to argue? However, some people are always instigating!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Li Li yelled in irritation, ¡°Stop beating around the bush, Zhu Shu hasn¡¯t said one bad word about you! You have no right to throw mud at her!¡± ¡°Does she need to say anything? With just one look and a few complaints, you will be running around her like a dog!¡± ¡°Su Man! Say one more word and see what happens!¡± Suddenly, Yan Qingwen stood up. His unexpected movement caused the arguing duo to simultaneously stop dead in their tracks and look at him. ¡°I suggest you both go back in the tent and cool down.¡± Yan Qingwen said blandly, ¡°People opposite us are waiting for a show. If you don¡¯t mind, you can continue.¡± Caught in a trance, Li Li and Su Man instinctively turned towards the direction of the bonfire in the distance. Perhaps because their argument had been too loud, everyone there was now looking at them¡ª They were holding their bowls, sipping their soup, and eagerly watching them as though it was a fascinating show. Su Man bit her lip, then, flushed with anger, she stood up and went back to her tent, yanking the curtain down forcefully! Similarly surprised, Li Li sat back down, facing away from the others, his face grim. Zhu Shu was completely at ease as she waved back at the onlookers, seemingly not embarrassed at all. Tan Xiao enthusiastically waved back in response. ¡°Who are they over there?¡± Shen MO asked. ¡°A female movie star, a rich kid, as for the other three¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± Bai Youwei said leisurely.. Chapter 213: 213: The Transformation of the Rabbit Chapter 213: 213: The Transformation of the RabbitTranslator: 549690339 Chang Weicai said: ¡°The young man with glasses looks like he¡¯s dating that woman who is a star. They seem pretty close.¡± The distance between the two groups was not very far, and the night was exceptionally quiet. The sounds of the argument carried clearly over. Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°No, they aren¡¯t boyfriend and girlfriend. Look at their tents.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen MO had two tents on their side. On the other side, there were five tents. ¡°Five tents, one for each person. The woman, dressed as she was, didn¡¯t seem particularly conservative. The fact they aren¡¯t sharing a tent shows that she and the man with glasses aren¡¯t intimate enough to sleep together. Also, out of the five tents, four are camouflage and one is orange. It looks like she joined them midway through,¡± said Bai Youwei. Shen MO also took a glance, nonchalantly saying: ¡°The four camouflage tents are professional-grade outdoor camping tents, rainproof and windproof. They are very well made. The orange one, though, is just a standard outdoor tent used for family outings.¡± ¡°So when these folks set out, they didn¡¯t include the woman in their plans, nor did they prepare a tent for her,¡± Bai Youwei mused. ¡°Ideally, two women should be able to squeeze into one tent, but the only woman in the group seems to be on bad terms with the new arrival. So they had to pick up an extra tent kit from a supermarket or an outdoor supplies store when they were gathering stuff.¡± Teacher Chang shook his head in bewilderment, expressing his lack of understanding, ¡°Youngsters these days¡­it¡¯s such a time, what is there to argue about? Since they ended up together, they should be supporting each other and helping each other¡­¡± Bai Youwei laughed. Supporting and helping one another is a matter of fate after all. She put down her soup bowl, ¡°I¡¯m full. I¡¯ll go back to the tent to rest.¡± Shen MO took the soup bowl and spoon and stood up to clean them, only to be stopped by Teacher Chang. ¡°You¡¯re on night watch later. You should go rest. I¡¯ll clean up, I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it¡¯ After Teacher Chang sent Shen MO away, Tan Xiao also came to help. But Teacher Chang complained: ¡°Don¡¯t touch, don¡¯t touch. The dishes you washed last time still had leafy bits on them. You didn¡¯t wash them clean at all. Why don¡¯t you take Xiaoxin to play? I¡¯ll tidy up here¡­¡± Tan Xiao stroked his chin, looking at Pan Xiaoxin on his side, ¡°Xiaoxin, would you like to play a game with Brother Tan? ¡­a treasure hunt?¡± Pan Xiaoxin asked with a blank face, ¡°What treasure hunt?¡± Tan Xiao gestured towards the hotel entrance, ¡°We¡¯ve only been to the second floor earlier. There are still several floors above.¡± Pan Xiaoxin considered it and nodded earnestly, ¡°Yeah, the convenience foods and bottled waters in the hotel rooms could be useful to hoard.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°And cigarettes. There are cigarettes in there too¡¯ Tan Xiao inhaled deeply and sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve been ¡®starving¡¯ for several days already!¡± The five of them went their separate ways. Chang Weicai cleaned up the pots and bowls; Tan Xiao took the kid to the hotel; Shen MO and Bai Youwei rested in their tents. The tent was serene and quiet. Shen MO was on the last shift, from three to six in the morning, so he lay down early. But it was still early, and he didn¡¯t feel sleepy yet. Bai Youwei sat next to him, gently petting the plush bunny. Neither of them spoke. After lying down for a while, Shen MO asked, ¡°Did the bunny level up when we got out of the maze this time?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°It did.¡± Shen MO propped up his arm to look at her, waiting for her to continue. However, Bai Youwei had an uninterested look on her face, ¡°But, it¡¯s different from what I imagined a level up would be like.¡± A corner of Shen MO¡¯s mouth curled up in amusement, ¡°What did you imagine leveling up would be like?¡± ¡°At least it could release more electric energy, right?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, holding up the plush bunny in front of him, ¡°But its power has not recovered at all, and the only change is that it can understand simple commands..¡± Chapter 214: 214: No More Talking Chapter 214: 214: No More TalkingTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei said, ¡°Stand up.¡± The fluffy rabbit stood up. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Sit down.¡± The rabbit sat down. Bai Youwei then said, ¡°Take three steps forward.¡± The rabbit stood up again and obediently took three steps forward One, two, three¡­ it came right next to Shen MO¡¯s hand. Shen MO picked it up, wanting to take a closer look. The fluffy rabbit seemed to resist being touched and struggled in his hands. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Having been shocked by electricity before, Shen MO only knitted his brows and then let it down. It scampered back into Bai Youwei¡¯s embrace! Shen MO couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Just like a little puppy.¡± While stroking the rabbit¡¯s fluffy long ears, Bai Youwei said, seemingly upset, ¡°I wasn¡¯t wrong, was I? The upgrade was of no use¡­.at most, it¡¯s an additional toy that understands voice commands.¡± Shen MO replied with a faint smile, ¡°Remember what you said? It¡¯s harder to develop brains than muscles. It seems the maze is helping it grow smarter. It will get more and more intelligent overtime.¡± ¡°Are we stuck with just one-tenth of the power forever?¡± Bai Youwei stroked the rabbit¡¯s ears, looking rather disappointed. Shen MO said, ¡°In terms of power, as long as it can inflict damage, there¡¯s not a big difference between one and ten. However, if it¡¯s smart enough, it might come in handy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s mood lifted, ¡°Even if it can¡¯t turn people into charred corpses like the Inspector, if it can electrocute them to death, the result is the same, right?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­If you want to put it that way, yes.¡± Bai Youwei laughed and briskly poked the fluffy rabbit¡¯s head, ¡°Hey, go fetch me a glass of water.¡± The rabbit just huddled up on her without moving. ¡°Is the command too complicated?¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°Then go fetch my thermos instead.¡± Still, the rabbit didn¡¯t move. ¡°It probably doesn¡¯t know where the thermos is.¡± Shen MO got up, pulled out the thermos from his backpack and placed it nearby, ¡°Try again.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Go fetch my thermos.¡± The rabbit twitched its ears, silently climbed off Bai Youwei¡¯s lap, walked step by step towards the thermos, and embraced it energetically! It dragged the thermos backwards, fell over, got up, shouldered the thermos again, and continued moving with difficulty! Bai Youwei seemed to want to push the rabbit¡¯s limits, so she ordered, ¡°Unscrew the cap for me.¡± Fluffy Rabbit: ¡® It dumfoundedly held the cap. Shen MO took the thermos from its paws, unscrewed the cap, poured a glass of water and handed it to her, ¡°It doesn¡¯t have fingers. How can you expect it to unscrew the cap for you?¡± ¡°I was just testing it out.¡± Bai Youwei took a sip of water and sighed, ¡°I feel that this tool has limited use at the moment¡­ It¡¯s powerful when it releases electricity, but it runs out of charge quickly, and we can¡¯t find a place to recharge it.¡± She passed the cup back to Shen MO, ¡°We can only wait until the next time we enter the maze.¡± Next time they enter the maze¡­ Shen MO pondered for a while, speaking softly, ¡°The maze carries a lot of risks. Next time¡­ we should wait until we collect some self-defence tools, then we can go to the maze.¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a moment before nodding, ¡°Alright.¡± Although they got out of the maze quickly this time¡­ Of course, if it were not for the man¡¯s misleading them at the beginning, Bai Youwei thought they could have exited the maze even sooner. However, as Shen MO said, the maze carries a lot of risks. Without any rules or clues, along with all sorts of disgusting monsters, if not for Shen MO¡¯s skills, they might not have gotten out that quickly. Just the python alone was difficult enough to deal with. In the game, a failure could be redeemed with a puzzle. But in the maze, a failure was the end of everything. Bai Youwei asked Shen MO with a complicated expression, ¡°Where do you think the people who got trapped in the maze ended up?¡± Several moments later, Shen MO lightened the mood by gently touching her head, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about such disgusting things right after we¡¯ve eaten.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes, ¡°¡­okay..¡± Chapter 215: 215: Two Channels Chapter 215: 215: Two ChannelsTranslator: 549690339 At night, Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, and Mr. Cheng were playing poker on the mattress. Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t know how to play at first, but later she and Mr. Cheng took turns winning. Tan Xiao lost every game. Bai Youwei, listening to the sounds of shuffling cards, Tan Xiao¡¯s complaints, the crackling of the campfire¡­ slowly fell asleep. Watching her serene, worry-free sleeping face, Shen MO also closed his eyes. The night passed uneventfully. The next day, Mr. Cheng started to prepare breakfast in a busy fashion. He opened up two bags of milk and cooked a pot of milk porridge. Fearing that porridge alone might not be enough for Tan Xiao and Shen MO, he also mixed some flour into a thin batter, added salt and MSG, then cracked two eggs. He added a little oil to the flat pan, poured on the batter, rotated the handle, and slowly made thin egg pancakes. You could eat them directly, dip them in sauce, or even roll them up with green onions or shredded cucumber. As he was cooking breakfast, Mr. Cheng was muttering, ¡°The milk is going to expire in a few days. But it doesn¡¯t matter if it expires, don¡¯t throw it away. It¡¯s best for steaming buns, it makes them fragrant and fluffy¡­¡± These were all experiences he had accumulated over the decades. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were brushing their teeth by the roadside with their hair tousled. Shen MO accompanied Bai Youwei in the hotel for her usual wash up. The five-man camp on the other side seemed to be influenced by them, so they decided not to hastily settle for anything, they decided to cook to have a proper breakfast. They had abundant ingredients, but their skills were lacking. Lun Ang wanted to cook porridge but instead cooked rice, and it ended up half burnt. Finally, Zhu Shu took over, scooped out the unburnt rice and put it aside, then cooked two potatoes, mashed them, added salt and pepper for seasoning, then added cut-up hot dogs and mixed it with the rice to make dumplings, and fried them in a flat pan. Fry it, press it, turn it over, and you have a fragrant rice crust. Golden yellow, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, with a salty and fragrant taste. Li Li tasted it and praised it heavily, ¡°Zhu Shu! I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to cook!¡± Yan Qingwen took a few bites and was slightly surprised, she looked at Zhu Shu and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t a star¡¯s schedules packed? Do you have time to cook?¡± Zhu Shu smiled, ¡°I wasn¡¯t famous from the start. When I was starting out, I used to cook for myself.¡± Su Man ate in silence. She didn¡¯t complain this time as she ate, probably because she didn¡¯t want to pick a fight. After a while, Yan Qingwen stood up and called for Lun Ang to discuss matters over at Shen MO¡¯s side. They will soon move the congested vehicles. To avoid triggering the game, only two people could do this task, hence they needed to inform Shen MO¡¯s side to prevent the two teams from running into each other and inexplicably getting involved in the game. Zhu Shu brushed off the crumbs from her clothes, stood up too, and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯m used to having a cup of black tea every morning, and there should be teabags in the hotel.¡± Su Man gave her a cold look, ready to accuse her of being pretentious. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But when the words were on the tip of her tongue, seeing Li Li staring at her, she pursed her lips and held back. She didn¡¯t want to spoil everyone¡¯s mood early in the morning. Yan Qingwen led her teammates to the entrance of the hotel. There was leftover milk porridge in the pot, scattered poker cards scattered on the mattress, Tan Xiao carried Pan Xiaoxin up the tree to pick loquats, Bai Youwei was directing under the tree, and Mr. Cheng was watering the green onions and coriander in the flower pots. Even though they were prepared, when they saw this scene, Yan Oingwen had to admire their positive attitude. It was like two channels on the television: one depicted survival at the end of the world and the other reflected a leisurely holiday. Shen MO was inspecting the car. Seeing them arriving, he put down the hood of the car and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Yan Qingwen smiled faintly, slightly lifted his chin towards the congested road and said, ¡°That road is hard to navigate, so we¡¯ve come to ask about your departure time, to avoid travelling at the same time..¡± Chapter 216: 216: No One Can Leave Chapter 216: 216: No One Can LeaveTranslator: 549690339 Shen Mo glanced at his companions and replied, ¡°There is no set time. We might take Hart Road. Certainly not going to bump into you.¡± ¡°Hart Road?¡± Yan Qingwen raised an eyebrow, ¡°Looks like you guys are heading south. What¡¯s your destination? Jiaxing? Or Shanghai?¡± Shen Mo slightly furrowed his brows, his eyes alert. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Yan Qingwen immediately raised his hands in a non-hostile gesture, ¡°Our destination is Shanghai. If we happen to share the same route, even if we¡¯re not together this time, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll need to coordinate later to avoid triggering the game due to a large number of people. I believe you guys wouldn¡¯t want to be dragged into the puppet game for no reason, right?¡± After hearing his explanation, Shen Mo somewhat relaxed, he replied indifferently, ¡°We¡¯re going to Jiaxing, which isn¡¯t far from Shanghai. We might stop by.¡± ¡°Could you tell us why?¡± Yan Qingwen asked. Shen Mo didn¡¯t respond to his question, instead scanning their faces, ¡°What about you guys? Why are you going to Shanghai?¡± ¡°To deliver something.¡± Yan Qingwen explained succinctly, ¡°I have a researcher in my group who has the maze investigation data. It needs to be sent to Shanghai¡¯s research branch.¡± ¡°Research institution?¡± Shen Mo frowned yet again, ¡°SCO?¡± Yan Qingwen paused, ¡°You know about SCO?¡± Shen Mo glared at him skeptically. Yan Qingwen inspected Shen Mo head to toe, with both surprise and affirmation in his tone, ¡°You are from the Special Situation Team? Responsible for escorting the research team to Shanghai?¡± Shen Mo looked at him for a long time before answering, ¡°I am from the National Security Administration. I have received orders. Since all the Special Situation Teams have gone missing, a team was assigned to secure the SCO research institute. But when I arrived at the institute, no one could be found.¡± Yan Qingwen was taken aback. He didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry expressing his helplessness, ¡°National Security Administration¡­ no wonder, no wonder¡­¡± Sighing and rubbing his forehead, he shook his head, ¡°All eight Special Situation Teams are missing because the network signal suddenly failed. In fact, Professor Song has already been securely delivered to Shanghai by one of the teams. You arrived a step too late¡­¡± Shen Mo frowned at him, ¡°Are you a member of the Special Situation Team?¡± ¡°No, I am¡­¡± Just as Yan Qingwen was about to explain, Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin suddenly jumped down from the tree! ¡°Mo Brother! Those guys are chasing!¡± Those guys? Yan Qingwen looked puzzled as he heard the sound of cars coming from the distance. Not just one, and they were driving fast, making a lot of noise. He and Shen Mo walked to the middle of the road, discovering that the cars seemed kind of familiar. Upon closer inspection, Yan Qingwen finally recognized them as the group he had traded with before. The leader was called Fei Ge. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°They are the local gang leaders, how did you get tangled up with them?¡± Yan Qingwen asked in surprise. Shen Mo watched as they approached, and said casually, ¡°We robbed them.¡± Yan Qingwen: ¡°¡­¡± Lun Ang and Zhu Shu looked equally stunned: ¡°¡­¡± One by one, cars pulled up and stopped in front of them, disgorging a big group of about twenty or so people. Seven or eight of them had bruises all over their faces, having been taught a lesson the day before by Shen Mo and Tan Xiao. The leader, Fei Ge, was the worst off with a bandage around his head but his spirit was still strong, his face was sinister, full of muscle and fierce looking. He held a knife, pointed at Shen Mo and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re tough. You defeated ten of my men, but today I brought twenty! Can you take us all? Be wise, return what you stole yesterday, otherwise¡­¡± he sneered. With that, he raised his knife, pointing it straight at Shen Mo, ¡°Otherwise, none of you get to leave!¡± Chapter 217: 217: Lucky Q&A Chapter 217: 217: Lucky Q&ATranslator: 549690339 sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lun Ang couldn¡¯t help but say to Yan Qingwen in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t they buy guns and bullets from us? Why aren¡¯t they using them?¡± Yan Qingwen: ¡°Perhaps¡­they¡¯ve used up all the bullets.¡± Those who haven¡¯t received proper training, even if they got their hands on such lethal weapons, would only shoot recklessly, with their accuracy negligible at a slightly longer distance. However, it was none of their business, so Yan Qingwen led his people to step aside and watched how Shen Mo would handle it. He noticed that the expression on Shen Mo¡¯s face was bland, looking very calm. He must be confident. The girl in the wheelchair beside Shen Mo was even more intriguing, completely looking lazy and indifferent. Interesting. The opposing force was so large, yet it didn¡¯t intimidate her. Perhaps this girl had more than just that toy gun as her confidence. The old man seemed quite nervous. However, despite his nervousness, he was still protecting the child together with the young man who had an unusually gray-white dyed hair. After pondering for a while, Yan Qingwen felt a bit of subtly. The opponent, as a high-ranking official of the Security Department, brought along a disabled person, an old man, an alternative youngster, and a child¡­ This combination was really¡­ ¡­ Seeing Pan Xiaoxin shrinking back, Fei Ge sneered with his knife in hand: ¡°Little bunny, where are you hiding? You¡¯re quite good at changing your loyalties with the wind! Seeing someone with a good prop, and you immediately go and suck up to them! Such a chicken thief!¡± He spat out, pointing at Shen Mo and the others, and cursed: ¡°You guys are a bunch of fools too! Still protecting him? Do you really think he¡¯s something good?! Yes! We are after your props, but this little bunny agreed to cooperate! Did you see the wounds on him? He did it himself! If our robbery failed, he could claim that he was under duress because of his injuries! To avoid bearing your wrath! How about that? Is it cunning enough? Playing both sides! Lying without even blinking an eye! Pan Xiaoxin, you¡¯re good! When I finish with these people, I¡¯ll deal with you!!!¡± ¡°Bro Yan!¡± A shout came from Li Li behind them. Yan Qingwen looked over with Lun Ang and Zhu Shu, seeing Li Li and Su Man running over, probably because they saw a lot of people coming over and feared something bad might happen. Yan Qingwen shook his head at him, was about to tell him not to worry when a familiar sound suddenly rang in his ears¡ª ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! The theme of this game is ¡®Lucky Q&A¡¯, and the rules are as follows: First, refusing the game turns you into a doll! Second, failing the game turns you into a doll! Third, successfully completing the game rewards you with a doll!¡± The color drained from Yan Qingwen¡¯s face, and before he had a chance to say anything, a flash of white light appeared before his eyes! The next second, he was sitting on a giant roulette wheel! Everyone else was there too! The game came so suddenly that everyone was too shocked to react. Everyone stared blankly at the scene, and it took two or three seconds before they panicked¨C ¡°It¡¯s the Doll Game!¡± Someone screamed! ¡°Why did the game trigger? Fei Ge! What¡¯s happening?!¡± ¡°Why?! There are no dolls nearby, there shouldn¡¯t have been a game!¡± Fei Ge was also frantic, yelling, ¡°Shit! How do I know?! It¡¯s all because of this lot!¡± ¡°What does it have to do with us?! We didn¡¯t invite you!¡± Tan Xiao refused to take the blame, and cursed while sitting in his chair, ¡°You people are the real problem! A bunch of jinxes, getting us into the game!¡± Fei Ge was furious, got up to teach Tan Xiao a lesson, but found he couldn¡¯t stand up! ¡°Save your energy~¡± Bai Youwei lazily said, ¡°Each of us have our ankles, waists, and necks locked by metal rings, if you really want to hit him, I suggest firstly twisting your left hand with your right hand, then smacking him with your left hand. That should hit him~¡± Chapter 218: 218: The Fourth Inspector Chapter 218: 218: The Fourth InspectorTranslator: 549690339 Everyone went quiet, then looked at Bai Youwei with complex expressions. Noticing their scrutiny, Bai Youwei slightly hooked her lips, letting out a small smile. Laughing at a time like this? She must be crazy! Bai Youwei remained calm, idly petting her rabbit, seemingly indifferent to others¡¯ gazes. Yan Qingwen was two seats away from her. He glanced at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s side and realized that all five of them were there, while on his side, Lun Ang, Zhu Shu, and Li Li were present, but Su Man was missing. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that they had always been within the Doll Game¡¯s area. The reason why they had been safe was that the number of people never met the game¡¯s criteria. But when Fei Ge brought his large group over, they accidentally fulfilled this criteria. The total number of people present¡­ was 36. He counted again. That¡¯s right ¡ª it seemed that the game wouldn¡¯t be triggered unless there were 36 players. 36 people sat on a giant roulette wheel, the wheel was bright red and the seats were metallic. They were restrained by some special device, which only allowed their hands to move freely. In the center of the wheel, there was a thin, long, black pointer, which was currently motionless, pointing to the midpoint between number 1 and number 36. Li Li sat at number 36. He was the last person to enter the game area. From this deduction, Su Man should be in the world outside of the game, safe for now. As Yan Qingwen contemplated, the roulette wheel began to subtly transform ¡ª S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Above the black pointer, rectangular question boards materialized, one after another. The boards were semi-transparent, like pieces of glass, engraved with words such as: Poetry, Literature, Mathematics, Language, Art, Music¡­ All the boards lined up neatly in layers, forming a long circle, rotating slowly before their eyes, like Tibetan prayer wheels. Bai Youwei whispered to Shen Mo beside her, ¡°This must be the Lucky Quiz that Tu Dan mentioned, right?¡± Tu Dan and his students had encountered two games, one was the Lucky Quiz and the other was Mushroom Picking. ¡°They came across the Lucky Quiz at their school,¡± said Shen Mo, examining the question boards, ¡°It looks like the Doll Game really can move.¡± ¡°I wonder what kind of tool they¡¯re going to reward us with~¡± Bai Youwei seemed a little excited, ¡°It must be more useful than a mushroom, which is why Chen Hui was reluctant to give it to me.¡± Shen Mo gave her a funny look, ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts. Chen Hui gave you the mushroom as a token of affection.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t complain.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Anyway, if it were up to me, I¡¯d definitely keep the good stuff for myself.¡± No sooner had she finished speaking, a grey figure appeared above the pointer. ¡°Welcome, everyone. I am the Inspector for this game.¡± An old, hoarse voice, reminiscent of an elderly person. Through the semi-transparent boards, the crowd saw an old man in a grey robe sitting in the center of the pointer. Although they referred to it as an old man, nobody was certain, for its face was unseen. It wore a white faceless mask with its body wrapped in a wide grey cloak, even its exposed fingers were bandaged as if it was a mummy. This was the fourth Inspector Bai Youwei had seen. She had a feeling that each Inspector represented something, like the first embodied rationale, the second¡ªchildlike innocence, the third¡ªextravagance, and the fourth¡­ antiquity? Conservatism? She couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it. The room fell silent, only the old man¡¯s slow and hoarse voice echoed as he explained the rules: ¡°The Lucky Quiz consists of two rounds. The first round is the Buzz-in, with a total of 36 questions. Each correct answer scores 1 point, with up to 3 points in total. The second round is the Must Answer, with a total of 36 questions. Each correct answer scores 1 point, each incorrect answer deducts 1 point. Once a player¡¯s score reaches zero, they are eliminated. The game will be over after two rounds.¡± Chapter 219: 219: Is there a complaint channel? Chapter 219: 219: Is there a complaint channel?Translator: 549690339 The rules sound simple. First round is a rapid-fire, and the second round is a compulsory answering round. Bai Youwei speculated that the first round of rapid-fire is to accumulate points quickly in order to maintain an upper hand in the second round. Otherwise, during the forced answer round, if you didn¡¯t know the first question, you might be eliminated even if you are a stronger player. So, even though this game is called ¡°Lucky Questions¡±, it not only focuses on ¡°luck,¡± but also strives to ensure balance. After the elderly man in the grey robe finished explaining the rules, he asked, ¡°Does anyone have any doubts about the rules?¡± There was silence among the 36 people present. No one said a word. It¡¯s not that they didn¡¯t have any doubts. On the contrary, they had too many! They wanted to know how to leave the game, what exactly the puppet game was, how to survive! However, these questions had nothing to do with the rules at all! What¡¯s the use of asking about the rules? They are just tools and excuses for them to kill! They all looked at the Inspector at the center of the field, their eyes full of fear and hate, gritting their teeth, and trembling in fear. The grey-robed old man remained seated, hunched back, like a strange old man meditating on the Five Elders Peak. He began, ¡°If there are no questions from anyone¡­¡± ¡°I have a question,¡± a man interrupted. Bai Youwei looked curiously, and found that the one who spoke was Yan Qingwen. The grey-robed old man slightly looked up, and under his big cloak hat, half a white mask appeared. The mask had no facial features, only slightly undulating facial contours. It was eerily strange. Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°What type of questions will be asked? Multiple choice or fill in the blank? Are there standard answers? If the answer is jujube and I answer big jujube, would the system rule it wrong because the first character is different? If multiple players answer at the same time during the rapid-fire round, whose answer will be valid? Do we get points for answering correctly, and is there a penalty for wrong answers?¡± A stream of questions was decisive, revealing the meticulous thought process of the interrogator. The grey-robed old man chuckled softly, his voice extremely hoarse, sounding like a worn-out wooden door creaking in the wind. He replied unhurriedly, ¡°During the rapid-fire round, questions are open-ended, while during the compulsory round, questions are multiple-choice. Every question has a standard answer. The system will intelligently determine it. For example, if the answer is jujube, whether you answer big jujube, small jujube, red jujube, green jujube, jujube fruit¡­will all be considered correct. No multiple players will answer at the same time in the rapid-fire round, because the timing will be accurate to 0.00001 seconds, unless your answering speed surpasses the speed of light. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Finally, there will be no penalties for wrong answers in the rapid-fire round.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded in understanding and looked around, ¡°I no longer have any questions. Do any of you have questions?¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo caught his gaze and vaguely understood his intentions. Seeking further understanding of the game through questioning was secondary. The primary aim was to delay the answering process and allow everyone present to adjust their mental state. Regardless of the others, Yan Qingwen probably wouldn¡¯t care, but he was trying to buy time for Lun Ang, Li Li, Zhu Shu, and a few others. ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± Shen Mo asked Bai Youwei. ¡°Uh¡­ let me think.¡± Bai Youwei pondered carefully. The Inspector asked again, ¡°Does anyone else have questions about the rules?¡± ¡°Excuse me ~¡± Bai Youwei raised her hand, ¡°The game is executed by the system, and the Inspector presides over it. So, if the Inspector fails to act during the game, is there a complaint channel?¡± Yan Qingwen: ¡°¡­¡± Everyone except Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± The grey-robed old man was silent for a few seconds before he answered in a dull tone, ¡°The Inspector will rigorously preside over the game according to requirements, will definitely not be partial or cheat, and no situation of nonfeasance will occur.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Bai Youwei innocently asked, ¡°But I¡¯ve met an Inspector who only explained half of the game rules, and kept the other half hidden. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re intentionally causing trouble or if you¡¯re defective? Prone to malfunctions?¡± Chapter 220: 220: Hurricane Chapter 220: 220: HurricaneTranslator: 549690339 Faulty product? Malfunction? Under the cloak, that pale, faceless mask slowly lifts, staring straight at Bai Youwei¡¯s position. The air seemed to suddenly drop by more than a dozen degrees, becoming extraordinarily cold. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care, and said again, ¡°I¡¯m not purposely stirring up trouble, ask Tan Xiao, and Teacher Chang, didn¡¯t the ball we encountered last time intentionally avoid explaining the rules clearly? And they switched the frog with a tadpole halfway, right?¡± ¡°Yes indeed!¡± Tan Xiao immediately sided with her, ¡°They said you had to find the ball within 20 seconds! But it wasn¡¯t 20 seconds at all! They said the frog was coming, but they thought it was too trivial, so they brought out a bunch of tadpoles! They¡¯re clearly messing with us!¡± Chang Weicai sighed heavily, ¡°Such disregard for the game rules. It¡¯s truly a violation of fairness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡± Bai Youwei nodded vigorously, ¡°What if all the questions they ask are about things we don¡¯t know? Asking us about theory of relativity, quantum physics, the mysteries of the universe, we¡¯re basically waiting for death!¡± As she spoke, everyone else started to panic. ¡°Would they really ask such hard questions?!¡± ¡°Damn! I didn¡¯t even graduate from primary school! It¡¯d be better to just kill me now than to ask me such questions!¡± ¡°This game talks about fairness, but they¡¯re intentionally torturing us!¡± ¡°This is fucking sick! If they want to kill, then just do it! Who is that grandstanding for?¡± ¡°They¡¯re making excuses for the killing¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to answer questions! Let me out! I want to leave! ¡­¡± Bang! A hurricane suddenly struck and everyone was immediately pinned to their seats! The gale roared across their faces, making their flesh tighten! Unable to even speak! Even the breath was stifled! After about ten seconds, the winds calmed and people finally caught their breath. The Inspector said in a flat tone, ¡°All questions will be constructed from the knowledge banks of the 36 players present, and will never exceed your understanding! And I will explain all the rules to you one by one!¡± His voice was low, but resonant and powerful, each word pronounced very clearly, with force! Under the grey robe, it was tumultuous, with the corners of the robe flapping noisily, just like the Inspector¡¯s angry mood at this moment. He asked huskily, ¡°The answer phase is about to start, everyone, are you ready?¡± There was no reply. The Inspector seemed very satisfied with this, sitting on the pivot point of the pointer he read out the first question¡ª¡ª S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The 1st question, what causes the seasonal changes on Earth?¡± As the question was read out, Bai Youwei noticed a square LCD screen appeared in front of her. The top of the screen showed the number 4. To the right of the screen was a red button, presumably the buzzer. She certainly knew the answer, but she didn¡¯t move. Bai Youwei looked around and found that everyone at the scene was motionless, their eyes filled with caution and inquiry, not answering rashly. This was true even for Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen. Even though this question was very, very simple. With no one answering, the old man in the gray robe did not rush, sitting quietly, motionless. After a few seconds, there was a ¡°drip¡± sound on the field¡ª¡ª Inspector: ¡°Player No.1, please answer.¡± Bai Youwei turned her head to look. Player No.1, was Pan Xiaoxin. They had all stood together, so their seats were also lined up from No.1 to No.8 in this order: Pan Xiaoxin, Teacher Chang, Tan Xiao, Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Lun Ang, Yan Qingwen, Zhu Shu. No.36 was Li Li. Other than that, all the seats were occupied by Feige¡¯s people. Pan Xiaoxin answered nervously, ¡°The changes in Earth¡¯s seasons are caused by¡­ Earth¡¯s revolution.¡± ¡°Correct answer, one point added.¡± the Inspector said. An instant love heart immediately materialized in front of Pan Xiaoxin, right where his heart was. It was a pale pink color, looking like a small light hanging in the air. Chapter 221: 221: Grab the Answer, Grab the Answer, Grab the Answer Chapter 221: 221: Grab the Answer, Grab the Answer, Grab the AnswerTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei can¡¯t help but think of a game, The Legend of Zelda, where each time a character gains an extra life, a heart appears for them too. This really is a game, huh¡­ Inspector: ¡°Question 2¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s nerves tense in an instant! Some people¡¯s hands are already poised over the buzzer, ready to press it at any moment! If the first question was a probe, then the second question undoubtedly marks the beginning of the competition! Each heart represents a life! Inspector: ¡°What is the organ with the highest percentage of water content in the human body?¡± What? Everyone is taken aback. Bai Youwei quickly hits the buzzer! ¡ª Beep! ¡°Player No. 36, please answer.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, looked up and saw Li Li waving at her from across the room. She didn¡¯t manage to buzz in time. Li Li waved and laughed. ¡°Sorry, Yan bro~¡± Yan Qingwen gives a faint smile, without a word. Even if she is an ally, there¡¯s no room to give way at this point. Li Li answers: ¡°The eyeball.¡± ¡°Correct answer, accumulating 1 point.¡± declared the Inspector. A luminous pink heart appears in front of Li Li, it¡¯s very eye-catching and beautiful. Grumbles rise and fall around the room. ¡°Damn! It¡¯s the eyeball¡­¡± ¡°The question is so hard¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s so hard? The first question was about Earth¡¯s rotation, even elementary school students know that!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so smart why don¡¯t you buzz in the next question?!¡± ¡°Everyone, shut up! How can we answer the questions if we can¡¯t hear them?!¡± The crowd is in chaos. The Inspector remains indifferent, sitting calmly where he is, reading out the third question: ¡°Question 3, how many pieces are there in a game of Go?¡± ¡ª Beep! Inspector: ¡°Player No. 4, please answer.¡± Bai Youwei lets out a breath. It was really not easy, she finally managed to buzz a question. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°361 pieces.¡± She answers. ¡°Correct answer, accumulating 1 point.¡± replied the Inspector. A small heart appears on Bai Youwei¡¯s chest. She extends her hand to touch it, her fingers slip through the luminescent figure without touching anything, it feels quite strange. The Inspector continues, ¡°Question 4, do fish have hearts? ¡± ¡ª Beep! ¡°Player No. 8, please answer.¡± ¡°Yes, they do.¡± ¡°Correct answer, accumulating 1 point.¡± ¡°Question 5, in what season does a mirage usually occur?¡± ¡ª Beep! ¡°Player No. 1, please answer.¡± ¡°Summer.¡± ¡°Correct answer, accumulating 1 point.¡± The Inspector continues to ask questions, and people continue to buzz in. Order gradually gives way to chaos, with dozens of people fighting to buzz in instead of just a few at first. Especially after someone answered a question incorrectly, people realized there was no punishment for wrong answers and just started buzzing in like crazy! Even if they don¡¯t know the answer, at least they can prevent the smart ones from gaining more ¡°hearts¡±! ¡°Question 35, what is the longest living mammal?¡± ¡ª Beep! Beep, Beep, Beep¡­ The sounds of chaotic beeping are incessant! ¡°Player No. 21, please answer.¡± The player who is selected hesitates, and stammers, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know!¡± Inspector: ¡°Incorrect answer, no points accumulated. Question 36, which river is the longest in the world?¡± ¡ª Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep!!! The sound is even more frantic and disordered! ¡°Player No. 10, please answer.¡± Player No. 10 is Brother Fei. He grabbed the buzzer haphazardly. Being called out makes him a bit anxious. Someone in the field whispers something about the Nile. He hesitates and replies, ¡°The¡­ Nile River?¡± Inspector: ¡°Correct answer, accumulating 1 point.¡± He actually guessed right! A look of joy spreads across Brother Fei¡¯s face. At this point, all 36 questions have been answered. The grey-robed old man stands up, his long robe drags on the ground. His figure is both tall and withered, giving off an indescribable sense of strangeness. He says, ¡°The points have been accumulated, next is the second round of mandatory questions. The rules are different. I will ex-plain the de-tails for you all!¡± He speaks the last sentence especially slowly and emphatically. Chapter 222: 222: The Second Round of Compulsory Questions Chapter 222: 222: The Second Round of Compulsory QuestionsTranslator: 549690339 ¡°The second round consists of 36 compulsory questions. The question type is multiple-choice, with four options to choose from. All members are required to participate in answering. A player will be randomly drawn by the pointer. The player can choose a type of question from the question bank that they are good at, or they can transfer the right to choose to any player who has not been eliminated on the field. Each correct answer will accumulate 1 point, up to a maximum of 3 points; A wrong answer will deduct 1 point, and those with 0 points will be eliminated.¡± The old man in the grey robe announced the rules, paused for two seconds, and then spoke again: ¡°Those who reveal the answer will be eliminated directly, disregarding their score.¡± The audience looked at each other nervously. Bai Youwei scanned the crowd. Of all the people present, only a small half had accumulated points. Her team and Yan Qingwen¡¯s team had taken the lead. Due to the heavy participation in answering, even if they knew the answers, it was difficult to have the opportunity to answer. The highest scorers were Pan Xiaoxin and Li Li, both had accumulated 3 points. She and Yan Qingwen had 2 points. Shen Mo and Zhu Shu had 1 point. Those who remained, Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Lun Ang, all had 0 points. Over on Brother Fei¡¯s side, about ten people also had 0 points. These people would be the most at risk, as for the upcoming compulsory questions, if they were unable to answer, they had no points to deduct, and would be eliminated directly. Bai Youwei frowned slightly. Lun Ang was on Yan Qingwen¡¯s side, she didn¡¯t care about him. Chang Weicai was a teacher, so he should be able to answer compulsory questions. She was more worried about Tan Xiao. But¡­ Tan Xiao still had one puzzle piece that could be used to save himself at a critical time. Bai Youwei asked the Inspector, ¡°The rules stipulate that players must not reveal the answers. So, can we have a conversation?¡± ¡°You can.¡± The old man in the grey robe answered hoarsely, ¡°You are free to talk, but¡­ if the content of the conversation is determined by the system to be a hint or suggestion of the answer, you will also be eliminated.¡± Thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°What if I intentionally mislead others in the conversation?¡± No sooner had the words left her mouth than someone incredulously exclaimed, ¡°Damn, that¡¯s mean!¡± Almost everyone stared at her angrily. Bai Youwei remained nonchalant, silently watching the Inspector. The old man in the gray robe was silent for a moment, then responded, ¡°Regardless of whether the answer is correct or not, it will all be considered by the system as a hint or suggestion.¡± So whether the answer was true or false, as long as it was related to the answer, it couldn¡¯t be mentioned. ¡°OK~ I got it.¡± Bai Youwei said casually, ¡°We can start now.¡± The grey-robed old man said, ¡°Does anyone else have questions?¡± Everyone looked at each other with dissatisfaction, but no one spoke. No matter what was said at this point, it wouldn¡¯t help. Even if they felt resentful, they could only submit! Submit to the rules! Submit the game! Be a good puppet! Submit! The Inspector, high above, declared, ¡°Then, the second round of compulsory questions, now, begins¡ª¡ª¡± The black pointer slowly began to spin, then sped up. Faster. Even faster. Accelerating incessantly¡­ The Inspector stood at the pivot point, with the pointer spinning under his feet. His long robe was as if unaffected, laying quiet and still, like a stationary ghost. The only sound heard throughout the field was the hissing of the stirring air. Then the pointer began to slow down, reaching a peak of oppressive quietness! The pointer passed Bai Youwei, number 5, 6, 7¡­ 11, 12, 13¡­ Getting slower and slower. 16¡­ 17¡­ The few people behind were wide-eyed, their pupils almost bloodshot! The black pointer moved slowly past number 18, and finally stopped in front of number 19¡ª¡ª In an instant! All the characters on the rectangular billboard lit up! Dazzling red light! ¡°Player number 19, please choose a type of question.¡± The old man in the grey robe said in a hoarse and cold voice. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 223: 223: The Rotating Metal Chair Chapter 223: 223: The Rotating Metal ChairTranslator: 549690339 Player number 19 was a young man with medium-length hair parted at the side. His face was long and thin, and an amulet of the Goddess Guanyin hung around his neck. His tank top was soaked with sweat. He was the first one selected, cold sweat continuously breaking out on his forehead. Countless question cards whirled in front of his eyes, forming a circle. The inspector stood behind the brilliantly lit question board, his grey-cloaked figure flickering in and out of sight. Although he should choose a category he was skilled at, but¡­ But looking at these question cards, he could not find a single one he excelled at! Player number 19 looked hard. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¨C Poetry, literature, mathematics, languages, art, music, drama, sports, nature, science, geography, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, history, general knowledge, architecture, food, clothing, folklore, countries, archaeology, animals, coding, astronomy, the arcane¡­ ¡°Player number 19, please choose a topic type,¡± the inspector reminded him again. ¡°If you take more than two minutes, the system will set a question at random.¡± Player number 19 gritted his teeth. With no other options left, he said in a trembling voice, ¡°I choose¡­ general knowledge.¡± Inspector: ¡°The first compulsory question: what color is at the top of a rainbow?¡± Player number 19 was first taken aback, but his nervous look quickly faded, and he let out a soft sigh. Whether or not other people knew the answer, he was very clear about it. Because his favorite band was called Rainbow, and every single one of their album covers featured a rainbow! At this moment, a line of text appeared on the LCD screens in front of everyone: [1. What color is at the top of a rainbow?] There were four options below: [A. Red; B. Purple; C. Green; D. Orange.] The right side of the answer key changed to a 60-second countdown. As long as they weren¡¯t too fogged up from the pressure, everyone should know to choose option A. The colors of a rainbow, from the outside in, are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Of course, some might not be aware of this common knowledge. Like Tan Xiao, Bai Youwei seriously doubted he would get it right. At the moment, Tan Xiao staring at his LCD screen, looking very pained. ¡°If you get it wrong, use a puzzle piece! Don¡¯t stupidly get eliminated! Understand?!¡± Bai Youwei shouted out, brow furrowed. Li Li, sitting across them, was speechless: ¡°Really now? Even for this kind of question, you¡¯d need to use a puzzle piece?¡± Bai Youwei looked stern: ¡°If we don¡¯t use a puzzle piece, will you save him? Can you save him? If you can save him, say the answer! If you can¡¯t, shut up!¡± Li Li: ¡°¡­¡± Damn it, he would love to shout out the answer, but he didn¡¯t dare¡­ Li Li lowered his head in annoyance, busying himself with the question, no longer caring about Tan Xiao. The 60-second countdown quickly ended. Inspector: ¡°The answer is A. Correct answers award one point, wrong answers deduct one point. Players with no points are disqualified¨C¡± As the ruling was announced, cries of misery, screams of terror, and shouts of despair echoed throughout the room. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to play this game! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± ¡°Help, help! No¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ahhh! No, no!¡± Eleven metal chairs slowly rotated as people, bound to them, struggled madly. They tugged at the metal bands around their waists, scratched at the metal rings around their necks. They scratched until their wounds bled, but they still couldn¡¯t break free from the chair that might as well be a torture device. The metal chairs finally turned around completely! Only their high backs were visible now! Surrounding the rotating platform was a dark fog, obscuring everything from view. Unable to see what misfortune had befallen those people, their screams grew even more horrifying, their struggles even more desperate! The chair shook with a squeaking noise and then slowly turned back¨C The people seated on the chairs had vanished¡­ Only exceedingly blinding, mottled bloodstains were left behind. Chapter 224: 224: Joy, Anger, Sorrow, Happiness Chapter 224: 224: Joy, Anger, Sorrow, HappinessTranslator: 549690339 Complete silence fell upon everyone present. Eleven living beings, gone¡­ No one knew what they had encountered, nor where they had gone. They simply disappeared along with the spinning chairs. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Li Li¡¯s complexion was deathly pale, a heart in front of him had just disappeared, now only two heart icons remained. Bai Youwei was simply speechless towards him who had just underestimated the question, but he answered it wrong in an instant, he had really brought this humiliation upon himself. Tan Xiao burst into laughter at the side:¡±I guessed right, hahaha!¡± Tan Xiao gained a little heart icon. Yan Qingwen glanced at everyone¡¯s point status and frowned asking, ¡°Li Li, which one did you choose?¡± ¡°D.¡± Li Li¡¯s answer was dejected, ¡°Rainbow, right? Orange, yellow, red, green, blue, purple.¡± Zhu Shu kindly told him, ¡°Li Li, it¡¯s red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.¡± Li Li made a bitter face, ¡°how can it be ¡­I thought orange, yellow, red, green, cyan, blue, and purple sounded smoother¡­ ¡± Tan Xiao was very smug with his new heart icon, he made a heart symbol with both hands and gestured a heart-sending sign towards Zhu Shu. Zhu Shu can¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Stinky brat! You think I¡¯m dead?!¡± Li Li blew up on the other side, ¡°Go home and look in the mirror before you flirt! Don¡¯t embarrass yourself in public!¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Tan Xiao glared back, ¡°None of your business when I flirt! Are you my mother-in-law?! Li mother-in-law!¡± ¡°Say that one more time¡± ¡°I said it, what ya gonna do about it? Freakin¡¯ four-eyed frog! If you¡¯re so tough, come hit me!¡± Li Li wasn¡¯t good at hurling insults or making threats, and his anger was making him tremble! He pointed at Tan Xiao and said: ¡°I¡¯ll see how arrogant you can be! You¡¯ll be sent to heaven on the next question!¡± Tan Xiao flaunted a jigsaw puzzle piece: ¡°You can¡¯t send me anywhere ~ yo yo, you can¡¯t do it ~¡± Li Li: ¡°You brainless fratboy!!!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you guys had enough?!!¡± All of a sudden, an angry roar exploded from the other side. It was from Fei Ge. He sat in a metal chair, his face was full of anger, his eyes were bloodshot, and his neck veins were bulging! ¡°Dammit! Keep quiet!!! All of my brothers are dead, and you guys are still in the mood to argue here!!! Get lost! Get out of here!!!¡± Fei Ge yelled hoarsely, his eyes welling with tears, and he covered his face and wept uncontrollably: ¡°Damn it! They¡¯re all dead! All of my brothers are dead! My brothers¡­¡± Everyone became silent. The only sound in the room was the anguish and sorrow in a strong man¡¯s cry. Regardless of any feud they may have had before, being strapped to this spinning wheel right now, they were in the same boat. When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Everyone felt uncomfortable. Eleven people were dead. This was something even Bai Youwei did not expect. Because she genuinely thought the question was very, very easy! But who can accurately predict the breadth of knowledge? Everyone has their own areas of ignorance, perhaps the next question, in the eyes of others, may seem incredibly simple, but in her view, it may be baffling. Bai Youwei quietly said: ¡°While you cry over your brothers¡¯ deaths, we laugh at our narrow escapes, and when they had their spat, it made them angry. People¡¯s feelings of joy, anger, sadness, and happiness do not intersect after all. Even if you see a hint of sadness on our faces right now, it really has nothing much to do with your brothers¡­ those emotions, in the end, are because they associate it with themselves.¡± Her voice was soft and free, making it seem extraordinarily cold-blooded in this oppressive atmosphere. It was as if her heart was made of iron and stone. Fei Ge looked up angrily and glared fiercely at Bai Youwei, hatred oozing out of his eyes! He seemed to dump all his hatred onto Bai Youwei alone! -His hatred for the game! His hatred for the world! His hatred for himself! All hatred! Bai Youwei looked at him emotionless: ¡°You cried so painfully just now, was it really just for your brothers? Didn¡¯t you shed a single tear for yourself?¡± Fei Ge didn¡¯t answer, his eyes becoming even redder. The Inspector said: ¡°The game, shall continue¡ª¡± Chapter 225: 225: Elimination Begins Again Chapter 225: 225: Elimination Begins AgainTranslator: 549690339 The black pointer slowly rotated, its speed growing faster and faster. It was like the black reaper knocking on the door, or a message signaling the arrival of bad luck. While it spun, Bai Youwei took another look at the scores on the field. She, Pan Xiaoxin, and Yan Qingwen were in the lead, each with 3 points. Pan Xiaoxin had impressed her. For a primary school student to have accumulated 3 points, and maintaining an advantage, was no easy feat. Shen Mo and Zhu Shu had 2 points each, and Li Li, due to a wrong answer, was deducted 1 point and was also at 2 points. Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Lun Ang all had 1 point each. Her heart lightened a little. Because this meant that everyone still had points left, and even if someone answered the second question wrong, no one¡¯s life would be immediately in danger. The pointer began to slow down. Everyone¡¯s nerves were strained! Who would be the lucky one chosen to have the advantage of choosing the question sign? The pointer slid past Li Li, his breaths short and rapid, his eyes completely focused on the sharp tip of the pointer! But as the pointer leisurely drifted past, he relaxed suddenly, his gaze resentful as he looked to the person beside him¡ª The pointer decelerated further, moving as slow as a snail. Finally, it crept past Pan Xiaoxin and stopped right in front of Chang Weicai! ¡°Player number 2, please choose a question type.¡± Everyone looked at Chang Weicai. Chang Weicai impulsively made a selection without hesitation: ¡°Poetry.¡± He was a language teacher, and this was the type of question he excelled at. Tan Xiao scratched his head immediately upon seeing the question, letting out a long, exasperated sigh. The expressions on everyone else¡¯s faces weren¡¯t too great either. Chang Weicai, realising something, suddenly turned white! ¡°No, no¡­ wait a minute! I want a do-over!¡± Chang Weicai said anxiously, ¡°Inspector! I don¡¯t want the poetry question anymore! I¡¯ll pick something else! I want to change the question!¡± ¡°The question type has been locked and cannot be changed.¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Inspector¡¯s tone was unemotional and absolute, leaving no room for negotiation. ¡°Question 2, ¡®Chun She¡¯ is one of the ancient traditional folk festivals, please name the poem that does not mention ¡®Chun She¡¯, everyone please answer on your answer board.¡± A question and its four-option multiple-choice responses appeared on the liquid crystal display in front of Bai Youwei: A, ¡°Racing Psalm¡± by Lu You; B, ¡°Society Day¡± by Wang Ju; C, ¡°Touring Paddy Village¡± by Lu You; D, ¡°Village Residence¡± by Gao Ding. Among these four poems, which one is not related to ¡®Chun She¡¯? Bai Youwei frowned, not pleased with the situation. Due to her health, she had never received higher education at a school. However, she had never missed an online course, and she had numerous books at home, each and every one of which she had read. She was knowledgeable in literature, history, nature, science, internet trends, Go, and various competitive games. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because she loved studying, but merely to pass the time and to relieve boredom. So she considered herself to be no less knowledgeable than anyone else. However, ancient poetry was indeed her weak point because she wasn¡¯t interested, so she never put much effort into it. She had a rudimentary understanding of commonly known poetry, but when faced with these four options¡­ She didn¡¯t recognize a single one. If she had to choose, the B option ¡°Society Day¡± had the word ¡°Society¡± in it. So the answer could possibly be A, C, or D. She pondered for a moment, without any clues, and could only rely on luck. Bai Youwei chose A. The ¡°Racing Psalm,¡± whatever it was, sounded like a dragon boat race? Or perhaps a praise for a certain song? She couldn¡¯t guess. The one-minute answering time quickly passed. The Inspector announced the answer: ¡°The answer is D. 1 point is added for those who answered correctly, 1 point is deducted for those who answered wrong, and players with no points are eliminated.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t!¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Ah! Help, help¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t fair! It isn¡¯t fair!¡± Horrified screams echoed. This time, five metal chairs slowly rotated, disregarding people¡¯s cries and struggles. The tall chair backs blocked everyone¡¯s line of sight. ¡°Elimination,¡± had once again begun¡­ Chapter 226: 226: Good Luck or Bad Luck Chapter 226: 226: Good Luck or Bad LuckTranslator: 549690339 Ever since the answer was announced by the Inspector, Chang Weicai had been looking down, his fists clenched. As the screams filled the air, he hung his head even lower, his fists clenching tighter. His lean body started shaking uncontrollably¡­ He was regretful. He had instinctively chosen a subject he was good at, he had forgotten, besides him, everyone else in the room were young people! These people basically didn¡¯t know much about ancient poetry! If someone had died because of this¡­ it would be as if¡­.he had indirectly killed them! The metal chair slowly swiveled back. Person on it had disappeared yet again, leaving only the disarrayed blood stains on the chair, and the scraping scratches, giving people a vague sense of the horror after death. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± With tears streaming down Chang Weicai¡¯s face, he held his head low, afraid to face others, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Oh come on Mr. Chang¡­¡± Tan Xiao offered some heartless persuasion, ¡°If I were you, I would have picked the subject I¡¯m good at too! There¡¯s nothing to apologize for!¡± Chang Weicai hung his head, eyes closed, and his heart pounded with a dull, throbbing pain. The Quiz Game ¡ª¡ª The spinning wheel brought good fortune to the selected, but at the same time it also brought misfortune to those who weren¡¯t chosen! It was him. He had killed those five people! In his lifetime, he was always conscientious, honest, and straightforward, he had never even badmouthed anyone! But now, he had indirectly ended five people¡¯s lives! Engulfed by guilt, Chang Weicai couldn¡¯t contain himself. It felt as if he had aged suddenly, each wrinkle on his face revealing his agony and sorrow. Bai Youwei leaned forward to catch a glimpse of Chang Weicai, peering past Tan Xiao. Having been around him for quite some time, of course she understood the kind of person Chang Weicai was. Precisely because of this, she was more concerned. If his mental state was on the verge of collapse at this point, it could affect his performance in the quiz game severely. If he picked himself again, he shouldn¡¯t let his sympathy take over, deliberately choosing a topic he¡¯s not good at, just so others could pass? Compared to poetry and literature, topics like general knowledge, food, and clothing are relatively easier to earn points. Wait a moment¡­ S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A thought dawned on Bai Youwei, a topic he¡¯s not good at¡­ At that moment, Shen Mo, seated to her left, said: ¡°Mr. Chang is old, it¡¯s easy to get stuck.¡± Bai Youwei turned to look at him. Shen Mo didn¡¯t answer correctly just now either, losing 1 point. His current score is 1 point. She pondered for a moment and asked Shen Mo, ¡°What topic would you choose?¡± As Shen Mo¡¯s gaze lingered on the slowly rotating board of subjects, he spoke softly, ¡°I¡¯d probably choose a general knowledge question.¡± ¡°General knowledge, huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei thoughtfully muttered. Sitting to the left of Shen Mo was Lun Ang, and this rugged man chimed in: ¡°Yes! Choosing a general knowledge question would be fairer as majority are aware of such common knowledge! Choosing literature, music, art ¡­ is too specialized! One could kill everyone with a random set of questions!¡± ¡°You idiot, Lun Ang!¡± Li Li yelled at him from across, ¡°Even the most common general knowledge questions, out of the 36 consecutive questions, how many could you possibly answer correctly?! The right strategy is to pick a subject you¡¯re proficient in! Right, Brother Yan?¡± Lun Ang directed his anger at Li Li: ¡°Proficiency? Damn it! I¡¯m not even scoring any points!¡± That last poetry question from Chang Weicai, it only killed five, but it made nearly all the players lose 1 point. Lun Ang¡¯s score currently stood at zero! If the next question were another highly specialized topic, all players with zero points would be eliminated instantly as they would have no points to lose! Bai Youwei glanced around, there were still 20 contenders. Starting from number 1, Pan Xiaoxin had 2 points, Mr. Chang had 2 points, Tan Xiao had 0 points, she herself had 2 points, Shen Mo had 1 point, Lun Ang had 0 points, Yan Qingwen had 2 points, Zhu Shu had 1 point ¡­.. and Li Li had 1 point. The total number of people with no points was¡­.. Chapter 227: 227: Luck is Subtle Chapter 227: 227: Luck is SubtleTranslator: 549690339 As she pondered, Yan Qingwen suddenly spoke up, ¡°Only five people were eliminated in the poetry question round, which is because many people gained a point from the rainbow question. Now that the points have been deducted, if the next question is very difficult, a large number of people will be eliminated ¨C correspondingly, as the number of people declines, our chances of being chosen by the pointer will significantly increase.¡± Shen Mo raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°So, your tactic for passing through involves reducing the number of participants?¡± Yan Qingwen responded with a faint smile, looking at Shen Mo, ¡°The game mechanism is inherently a survival of the fittest. All I can do is to ensure, under this mechanism, that as many of my teammates as possible survive.¡± After a pause of two seconds, he questioned Shen Mo, ¡°Commander, is it too hard for you to watch casualties take place?¡± ¡°It seems you indeed are not part of the special situation team,¡± Shen Mo replied indifferently, ¡°Our primary goal is mission success, and certain casualties are acceptable. But pointless casualties are idiocy.¡± ¡°Really.¡± Yan Qingwen tilted the corner of his lips, ¡°I¡¯ve learn something new.¡± While they were talking, the pointer had already begun its third rotation. Its speed was slowing down, and it was about to stop. Sitting next to Yan Qingwen, Zhu Shu stared at the tip of the pointer in silence. Ever since Yan Qingwen had made his statement, she knew she had been abandoned. Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang were teammates; their knowledge would have overlapping areas, like weaponry. And it was easy to determine Li Li¡¯s knowledge base as well. He was a researcher. If the next question was about physics, he would definitely be able to answer it. In other words, once the number of players had been reduced to a certain level, these three would form a very beneficial cycle¡ª When the question is about weapons, Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang gain points, and Li Li loses points; When choosing a physics question, Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang lose points, and Li Li gains points. One gain and one loss, in a repeated cycle. So long as they coordinate well, they would be able to successfully pass. As for her¡­ She excels in music, dance, and drama¡­ If she chose these types of questions, all three of them would lose points. On the contrary, if any one of those three chose a type of question, she would lose points too! Even if she racked up 3 points, she would be deducted back to zero! So, she could never fit into Yan Qingwen¡¯s pass through strategy! ¡­ Would she really die this time? Zhu Shu felt a little dazed. Death was not scary. What was scary was that after someone gave you hope, you realized that beneath your feet was still an abyss. She was supposed to die in the maze. It was because she met Li Li, then Yan Qingwen who came to rescue Li Li, that she was incidentally saved. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Of course, she got a puzzle piece when she escaped the labyrinth, but on the way, they encountered an extremely horrifying and terrifying game! All the 5 puzzle pieces were used up! Later in the Snake Maze, they got 3 puzzle pieces again, each held by Yan Qingwen, Li Li, and Lun Ang, none for her. Whatever¡­ Let¡¯s just consider this period, as an undeserved extension received from Death¡­ Li Li sat across from her, wanting to speak yet restraining himself. He had understood the situation but had no idea what to say. What would he say? Sorry, we¡¯re going to leave you behind? Unable to help ourselves. Please forgive us? ¡­There¡¯s no need, really no need. In one¡¯s lifetime, we hear too many affections. But when it was time to die, we should look at life as transparent as a mirror, just wanting some peace and cherishing good memories of the world. Zhu Shu smiled at Li Li, then continued to watch the pointer that was moving slower and slower. It was about to stop. Just about¡­ Stopped¡­ Luck was an indescribable thing. It was especially evident in Tan Xiao. For example, he happened to guess the rainbow question correctly. And like now, he had been chosen by the pointer. ¡°Player No. 3, please choose a type of question.¡± the Inspector said. Chapter 228: Is it a Bug? Chapter 228: Is it a Bug? Translator: 549690339 sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tan Xiao glanced at the dense array of quiz boards, feeling a bit lost, ¡°It¡¯s my turn to choose, huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Tan Xiao, pick a subject you¡¯re not good at.¡± Everyone present was taken aback. When picking a quiz board, of course, you would choose what you¡¯re most proficient in! Otherwise, what if you can¡¯t answer the questions?! Even if Bai Youwei wanted Tan Xiao to choose her specialty for selfish reasons, how could she be certain what Tan Xiao was not good at was exactly what she was good at? Bai Youwei¡¯s one statement left everyone scratching their heads, even wondering if she had lost her mind! Pan Xiaoxin couldn¡¯t help but say to Bai Youwei, ¡°Sister Weiwei, Tan Xiao currently has zero points.¡± Zero points, no points to spare, and one wrong attempt would result in disappearing mysteriously behind the seat, just like those earlier! ¡°It¡¯s okay, he has a puzzle piece,¡± Bai Youwei said casually, ¡°I have a hypothesis that I need him to test.¡± ¡°What hypothesis?¡± Tan Xiao immediately asked, full of curiosity. Bai Youwei lazily waived her hand: ¡°Even if I tell you now, you won¡¯t understand. Just quickly pick a quiz board.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°But I¡¯m not good at any of these.¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°Then pick the one you¡¯re least good at!¡± Tan Xiao pondered for a moment then said to the inspector, ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll choose math.¡± Instantly, the lights of the other boards went out, leaving only the Math board gleaming with red. The inspector silently ¡®looked¡¯ at Bai Youwei for a moment, then began to read the question: ¡°Question 3: If a chicken has two legs, how many legs do eight chickens have?¡± The four options were: A, 8 legs; B, 1 leg; C, 2 legs; D, 16 legs. Complete silence fell over the room. Everyone: Is this a joke? Is this an insult to our intelligence?! Is it a brain teaser? But he chose Math! Not a fun trivia question! Bai Youwei burst out laughing, ¡°Hahaha! Genius! Tan Xiao, did you know you¡¯re going to be the savior! Hahaha! It¡¯s too funny!¡± Tan Xiao stared blankly at his LCD screen, scratching his head in confusion, he couldn¡¯t help turning to Bai Youwei, ¡°Is there a trap in this question?¡± Even someone with his intelligence found it overly simple. Bai Youwei smiled widely and said, ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t make a fuss over such a simple question, be careful not to blurt out the answer and get yourself disqualified by the system!¡± Tan Xiao quickly shut his mouth in surprise. Shen Mo was also laughing, his mouth slightly curved upward in a more restrained smile than Bai Youwei. ¡°Apparently, whoever is lucky enough to be chosen by the pointer, can answer any question no matter what type they choose.¡± He said. ¡°This game is just too considerate.¡± Bai Youwei was all smiles. ¡°So, the questions aren¡¯t predetermined, but instead extracted from the knowledge library in the chosen player¡¯s brain, and then the questions are generated in real-time!¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably for the sake of balance.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Everyone¡¯s knowledge library has blind spots, and the game is utilizing this, creating a competitive relationship between us. At the same time, the game has to ensure a certain accuracy rate during the quiz, to avoid complete defeat at a rapid rate¡­¡± But the game didn¡¯t anticipate the existence of someone like Tan Xiao. His blind spot of knowledge is so prominent that the system had no choice but to aim questions within the cognition level of young children. ¡°Ah, I was worried earlier that we might waste a puzzle piece, but it turned out to be so easy.¡± Bai Youwei laughed happily. ¡°For the next ones, let¡¯s let Tan Xiao choose every question. We¡¯ll breeze through the game! Hey, Inspector, does this count as a game Bug?¡± Chapter 229: Let Me Teach You a Lesson Chapter 229: Let Me Teach You a Lesson Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei laughed at the Inspector, ¡°What you know, others may not; what others know, you may not. The essence of this game is to have the knowledge bases of the players countering each other! Truly interesting~~ No wonder there¡¯s a rule in the second round stipulates that the randomly chosen player by the pointer can transfer the right to choose the topic to any player who hasn¡¯t been eliminated. So that¡¯s what it¡¯s for!¡± The Inspector standing in the center of the rotating platform, his faceless mask half-exposed under the cloak, seemed to be looking at her, silent and motionless. ¡°This mustn¡¯t be a bug.¡± Yan Qingwen suddenly interjected from the other side. Bai Youwei was mildly stunned, looking at him. Yan Qingwen continued, ¡°Your method, under ideal circumstances may work, but don¡¯t forget, there are 36 people playing the game, and they may not all know and trust each other. Without one hundred percent trust, how could they follow your commands to select the topics?¡± Why would Tan Xiao choose ¡°mathematics¡± if he wasn¡¯t obedient to Bai Youwei? The reason Tu Dan was able to lead her students to pass safely was because they trusted her, relied on her. Moreover, those students were classmates who spent day and night together, their knowledge overlap was very high! But as for people like Bai Youwei, Yan Qingwen, and Fei Ge! They came from different social classes, different cities, and had different educational levels! No possible way to cooperate! At this moment, the Inspector announced the answer to the third question: ¡°The answer is D. Correct answers earn 1 point, incorrect answers lose 1 point. Players with zero points will be eliminated.¡± This time, no one was eliminated. The surviving 20 players all received a beautiful peach-pink heart. The black pointer on the wheel began to rotate again. As the pointer spun, the Gray Robe Supervisor¡¯s hoarse voice echoed, ¡°Ignorant humans¡­my game, in the end, has never been about how much knowledge you have, but trust between individuals.¡± The pointer slowed down. It gradually stopped. Finally, it pointed to a crew-cut guy standing next to Fei Ge. The Gray Robe Supervisor let out a cackle, as raspy as pouring sand into a coarse earthen jar. ¡°So¡­now, without trust, how are you going to make him obey you, to transfer the right to choose the topic to you?¡± The corners of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth lifted into a disdainful smirk, ¡°Did I hear that right? You designed such a lame game just to test the trust between people? Old man, the fool is you!¡± She cast a sidelong glance at the crew-cut man who was targeted by the pointer, as if looking at an especially ridiculous object. ¡°Today I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson. When you want someone to follow your commands, it¡¯s never about trust, but¡­threat and temptation~¡± -¨C Whoosh! A sound of the air splitting! A streak of silver flashed by! It was followed by a bang! A small knife flew towards the crew-cut man, deeply embedding itself in the gap between his legs! S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone knew how sturdy the metal chair was, yet the knife had plunged so deep into it! The handle was still vibrating from the remaining force! The crew-cut man was shaking like a sieve; his whole face turned ashen! He was so frightened that he didn¡¯t even make a sound! It was Shen Mo who moved. Yan Qingwen raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise. He had thought that Shen Mo was a ¡°kind and gentle¡± officer. Bai Youwei grinned at the crew-cut man: ¡°As long as you do as I say, every one of us can pass the game with full marks, isn¡¯t that great? So why hesitate? Unless¡­you want to die right here and now?¡± The crew-cut man looked at her fearfully; large beads of sweat rolled down his face, too petrified to speak. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her!¡± Fei Ge suddenly roared from the side: ¡°That man only has one knife! He can¡¯t hurt you anymore!¡± Chapter 230: 230 Unity is Strength Chapter 230: 230 Unity is StrengthTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei frowned and looked over. Feige shouted at his comrades, ¡°We all kicked the ball together! You just choose sports, and it¡¯s most likely to be about football! Not only will we be able to pass the level, but also eliminate everyone else!¡± He was hoarse from all the shouting! ¡°Choose sports! ¨C They all deserve to die! They¡¯ve killed so many of us! They all deserve to die!!!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes were dark and cold as she spat out two words: ¡°Idiot.¡± Shen Mo knew what she wanted to do and reminded her mildly, ¡°Take it easy.¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°I¡¯ve always been taking it easy.¡± Then, she picked up the fluffy bunny doll she was holding and casually tossed it out ¡ª Thud. The bunny landed on the carousel. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. All eyes focused on the bunny, wondering why Bai Youwei would throw a toy rabbit. Did she throw it in a tantrum because her scheme didn¡¯t work? The rabbit¡¯s ear twitched. Everyone was stunned, questioning their vision, when they saw the rabbit stand up on its own! ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s a prop¡­¡± someone whispered in horror. How else could one explain a plush toy moving on its own?!! Bai Youwei laughed and said, ¡°That knife was indeed intended to scare you, but who told you that you have to kill with a knife?¡± She lowered her head slightly and spoke to the rabbit in a voice that was both gentle and cruel, ¡°See the guy with the bandage on his head? I want to see him~ dance the poppin¡¯ style.¡± The rabbit shuffled its short little legs and walked towards Feige. ¡°¡­ What the¡­Get away! Get the hell away from me!¡± Feige was a bit frightened, he desperately tried to back away, but his body was firmly strapped down. He wanted to kick the bunny away but couldn¡¯t move his legs! He tried to swat it away with his hands, but his neck was restrained¡ªhe couldn¡¯t bend down! The rabbit solemnly came to him, lifted its head, and looked at him with its little black eyes. Feige¡¯s pupils shrunk, he was tense, unable to predict what would happen next. Suddenly! Blue-violet electricity flashed before his eyes! Like a gliding snake! Or a dazzling light! With a sizzling sound, Feige¡¯s body started to convulse violently! He kept shaking! Kept shaking! His face turned pale, his eyes rolled back, and drool flowed uncontrollably down from the corner of his mouth! Even though there was no sound, no screams, the people around could feel a deep sense of terror¡ª They were at the mercy of the game, and at the mercy of Bai Youwei! The electric shock ends¡­ It only lasted three to five seconds, but it seemed like Feige had lost half his life. He slumped limply in his chair, unable to speak, his limbs twitched from time to time. The rabbit turned around, its footstep tap-tap-tap as it walked back. ¡°No need to come back.¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently with a wave of her hand, ¡°Just stand there. Whoever is unwilling to give up their voting rights, just taser them.¡± The crowd: Bai Youwei said, ¡°Don¡¯t kill them, just taser them until they are willing.¡± The crowd: Where the hell did this demon come from?!! ¡°Why not cooperate well and get out of here together?¡± Bai Youwei clapped her hands lightly, her tone cheerful, ¡°Why do we have to compete? Making it a life or death matter. In times of crisis, humans should unite, right?¡± Pausing a moment, perhaps feeling it strange to say such things, she looked to the other side, ¡°Mr. Cheng, why don¡¯t¡­ you try to persuade them?¡± Chang Weicai was startled. He then wiped away his tears and said determinedly, ¡°Weiwei is right! At this moment, what we need most is unity! What is unity? Unity is the concentration of strength to achieve a common ideal! Those with common interests prevail! United people are strong! A single blooming flower can only appreciate itself, whereas a full field of blossoms can dazzle and shine! We gathered here to pass this game! We are a whole! The nation needs to be united! Society needs to be united! We, too, must be united!!!¡± Chapter 231: 231: Transfer of Topic Selection Rights Chapter 231: 231: Transfer of Topic Selection RightsTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap¡± ¡°Mr. Chang certainly speaks well,¡± Bai Youwei clapped her hands with gleeful eyes, ¡°Whoever you are, have you decided yet?¡± The man with the flat-topped hair shuddered in fear. The rabbit stood right in front of him. He shrank back and stuttered, ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ we should¡­ should unite. I¡­ I choose to yield my question selection privilege to¡­ Player number 3.¡± The Inspector remained silent. It saw everything. From the moment Bai Youwei discovered the hidden rules, Yan Qingwen suggested a strategy to clear the game, Shen Mo threatened players with a fruit knife, Fei Ge resisted with his last breath, then came Bai Youwei¡¯s use of the rabbit prop¡­Chang Weicai¡¯s fervor¡­ S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. One thing led to another. Intimidation, and temptation. The Inspector turned to the man with the flat-topped hair and asked softly, ¡°Does the player confirm the decision to yield the question selection privilege? Once you give up, you will lose the advantage of choosing questions. Your current points stand at 1. If you answer one more question incorrectly¡­¡± ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you just say that you would conduct the game strictly according to the instructions?¡± Bai Youwei interrupted, her tone was very displeased. ¡°What¡¯s going on now? Deliberately inducing players to change their decision? Isn¡¯t that considered tampering with the game¡¯s balance? It seems you Inspectors love to talk the talk but not walk the walk! You flaunt your impartiality, don¡¯t you find it ridiculous?¡± The Inspector fell silent, and after a moment it responded, ¡°My only wish is for players to consider their choices carefully before making important decisions.¡± ¡°Stop speaking eloquently!¡± Bai Youwei mocked it mercilessly, ¡°Is the question selection considered an important decision? Earlier when Player 2 chose poetry, you didn¡¯t give him the chance to rethink his decision. You stated that the question category was locked and could not be changed! Do you have dementia and simply lost your memory from a few moments ago?¡± The Inspector once again fell silent: Bai Youwei tilted her head, giving it a sarcastic smile: ¡°Old fool, just officiate your game honestly. No underhanded tricks, don¡¯t plan on killing any of the 20 people here~¡± The elderly man in grey robe stood silently, all his emotions hidden beneath the shadowed brim of his cowl. Shen Mo narrowed his eyes. He remembered that this thing could summon hurricanes. Even though it looked like a feeble old man, it was undoubtedly a dangerous element. Would it attack Bai Youwei?¡­ As the Inspector, could it attack a player who hasn¡¯t broken the rules? The atmosphere fell into a strange silence. Everyone has their eyes fixed on the Inspector in the center of the field. After a few seconds, the old man in the grey robe moved. He slightly turned his body towards Tan Xiao: ¡°Player number 3, please choose a question category.¡± Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, then mixed feelings of love and hate began to rise towards Bai Youwei. They hated her for being very hateful! But loved her because she could really lead them to survive here! As usual, Tan Xiao chose his weakest category, Math. The Inspector didn¡¯t immediately read the question. It was silent for a long time before calmly reading: ¡°Question 4, a playground measures 100 meters in length and 50 meters in width, how many square meters is the total area of the playground?¡± Tan Xiao exclaimed: ¡°Wow, finally a challenging question! This is probably my limit for math!¡± Inspector: ¡°¡­¡± Everyone: ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, a tiny, subtle, sympathy towards the system began to develop in their hearts. Hmm¡­ Next, the pointer landed on Yan Qingwen. The Inspector asked: ¡°Player number 7, will you yield your question selection privilege too?¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Yan Qingwen. Including the rabbit on the roulette wheel. Yan Qingwen smirked and turned his head to ask Bai Youwei, ¡°As far as I know, most props are disposable. Are you sure it can still discharge lightning?¡± Bai Youwei kept a straight face, ¡°If I say it can, would you believe it? Why don¡¯t you try?¡± Yan Qingwen didn¡¯t want to try. He smiled and looked at the Inspector and said, ¡°I also yield my question selection privilege to player number 3.¡± Chapter 232: 232: Special Reward Chapter 232: 232: Special RewardTranslator: 549690339 Round after round Each person chosen by the pointer granted the power to choose the questions to Tan Xiao. Because Tan Xiao¡¯s mathematics knowledge was pitifully lacking, to ensure the correct rate of the person choosing the question, the system had to continuously decrease the difficulty of the questions. Multiplication was the highest it could go, and even then, they only dared to introduce division with two-digit numbers. As the 36 compulsory questions were gradually reaching their end, everyone remained in a perfect state, with sixty little pink hearts glittering beautifully and neatly across the field. By the last few questions, even without the rabbit looming ominously before the players, they would automatically choose to pass on the power to choose the question. Because they all understood that as long as they held on, they would clear the game! The last question was finally over. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Bai Youwei called back the plush rabbit, carelessly stroking its ears, her tone casual and airy: ¡°This is not a game of intelligence. It tests not knowledge, but human hearts. Whoever controls the hearts controls the game, and players can only be led around by the nose. However, it¡¯s a shame¡­¡± She looked at the Inspector, her mouth curled in a hint of smugness: ¡°This time, the controller is not you, it¡¯s me.¡± The Inspector watched her silently. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± Bai Youwei softly squinted her eyes, returning to her lazy demeanor, ¡°Settle the game, and remove these metal bracelets. It¡¯s very uncomfortable having them on.¡± As her words fell, the metal chairs unlocked with a clicking sound, and everyone was free. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They climbed off the metal chairs one by one, their expressions filled with disbelief as they watched each other, their eyes confirming that they truly escaped the danger. The grey-robed Elder congratulated them with his raspy voice: ¡°Congratulations on clearing this game.¡± Everyone was somewhat uncertain. Happy? Of course, they were happy. However, more than that, they felt lost. How many more such games were there? Would the next game be as lucky as this? The grey-robed Elder stood unmoving at the center of the carousel, speaking in his usual tone: ¡°The total number of players who cleared this game is twenty, each can receive a Lucky Question Card.¡± A card immediately appeared in Bai Youwei¡¯s hand. It was the size of a poker card, without a pattern, and had a black center with red edges. [Lucky Question Card: It allows you to ask a question once to any player. The person who is asked must answer correctly. Otherwise, they are penalized by not being able to act freely for 60 seconds. If they answer incorrectly a second time, they are penalized for 120 seconds; a third time for 180 seconds. The restriction is lifted afterward.] Bai Youwei stuffed it into her bag, feeling that she had gained another useless thing. It was obviously a defensive item, and it could only be used once. It was utterly useless! It was completely disproportionate to the effort she had put in~ She looked up at the Inspector, couldn¡¯t help asking: ¡°Isn¡¯t there an extra reward for the person with the highest score? I remember there being some sort of brocade bag?¡± Everyone stared at the Inspector in surprise. ¡°Brocade bag, that is the only¡­¡± the grey-robed Elder slowly said, ¡°However, I can give you a better reward.¡± He raised his arm, revealing a hand wrapped in bandages from under his sleeve. The bandages were an old yellow-brown and his fingers looked skinny. It looked like the bandages were not wrapping a hand, but a long-buried skeleton. He opened his hand, revealing a gleam of gold in his palm¡ª- It was a shiny gold coin! About the size of a one yuan coin, pure golden in color, with something engraved on it. ¡°In this round, everyone scored perfect. There is no highest score. Hence, whom should I give this to?¡± the grey-robed Elder looked at the crowd, passing his gaze from one to another. ¡°Should I give it to you? ¡­Or you? ¡­What about you? ¡­And you¡­¡± In the end, he paused in front of Tan Xiao, chuckling in a raspy voice. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you young man. You asked the most questions in this round. I believe your courage and wisdom are deserving of this reward.¡± Chapter 233: 233 Gold Coin Gold Coin Chapter 233: 233 Gold Coin Gold CoinTranslator: 549690339 The game settlement finished, and the Inspector and the wheel of fortune disappeared before their eyes. So did those gruesome metal seats. They found themselves back on the street, the sky as blue as ever, trees still lush, and the fire built in front of the tents crackling away. The only difference was the addition of 16 mannequins on the road. Feige gazed dazed at these dolls. Some of those within had willingly joined his team after the incident in Hangzhou. The bond between them wasn¡¯t particularly deep. But among them were also some of his closest friends! He couldn¡¯t quite put a label on the feeling he was experiencing. Neither fury nor sorrow sufficed to describe it. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His eyes reddened, and, fatigued, he motioned for some of his men to help him load the dolls into the vehicle. They had to find these dolls a resting place, so they wouldn¡¯t be left out, exposed to the elements. On the side, Su Man, who had been waiting for a long time, couldn¡¯t help but throw herself into Li Li¡¯s arms and hug him tightly. ¡°Why did you only come out now!!!¡± She barked, the choked sob in her voice evident. Li Li was taken aback, his face slightly embarrassed. He could argue a few points when she was being aggressive, but he was at a loss on how to handle her when she suddenly turned so feeble. Zhu Shu, who was standing next to Li Li, seeing the two embrace, softly stepped aside without a word. Yan Qingwen came over to soothe Su Man¡¯s feelings as Li Li explained what happened inside the game to her. Gradually, Su Man calmed down. At this moment, Feige and his team had already loaded everything into their vehicles and were preparing to leave. Yan Qingwen warned them, ¡°Hangzhou, without its maze, will soon attract the game. This place is not for long-term stay; you¡¯d better make early plans.¡± Feige nodded, but said nothing. Perhaps his heart had grown numb, and his demeanor seemed to lapse into despair. If not staying in Hangzhou, where else could they go? ¡­ There was no safe place left in this world¡­ As everyone watched the convoy drive away, varying emotions swirled within their hearts. The game was strange like that; it could incite hatred and also dissolve enmity. After all, what was more important than staying alive? Li Li, watching the vehicles disappear into the distance, thought for a moment, then sidled up to Tan Xiao and asked, ¡°What did the Inspector give you just now?¡± Tan Xiao shot him a wary look. ¡°Why? You want it? ¡ª¡ªNot giving!¡± Li Li was at a loss for words, but he didn¡¯t lose his temper. After answering over thirty elementary school math problems in the game, he had a new understanding of Tan Xiao! As a respected doctoral scientist of a prestigious research institute, how could he let a primary school student get to him? Right? ¡°I just want to look at what it is,¡± Li Li said. ¡°There are so many people here, it¡¯s not like you think I¡¯d steal it.¡± Tan Xiao looked him up and down, then scoffed dismissively, ¡°Ha! You couldn¡¯t steal it even if you wanted to.¡± Li Li: That¡¯s why he hated kids. They were such brats! ¡°Here, let brother Xiao show you~¡± Tan Xiao opened his hand to reveal the gold coin. Strangely, this tiny gold coin had an indescribable appeal, solid to the touch, glistening gold in color, it caught the attention of those around them. Bai Youwei also watched, curious about the use of the gold coin. ¡°There seems to be words on it.¡± Li Li adjusted his glasses, ¡°What does it say?¡± Tan Xiao squinted, ¡°¡­There are words, they are really small¡­¡± He held the gold coin up to his eyes, trying to make out the tiny, delicate characters, reading them one word one sentence at a time: ¡°Welcome¡­to¡­the¡­doll¡­¡± An ominous feeling surged in Bai Youwei¡¯s heart, her complexion paling, she shouted, ¡°Tan Xiao! Stop reading!¡± ¡°House¡­¡± As the last word left Tan Xiao¡¯s mouth, the gold coin suddenly shone brightly! Chapter 234: 234: In Debugging Chapter 234: 234: In DebuggingTranslator: 549690339 Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment! The gold coin slipped out of Tan Xiao¡¯s hand, bounced high up, and then traced an arc in the air! It landed on the ground Ding! The gold coin spun like a top at a high speed on the ground! As it spun, the space behind Tan Xiao gradually tore open! An elliptical gap appeared, revealing a bottomless darkness within, and with an astonishing suction force! Without giving anyone time to react, it sucked in Tan Xiao and Li Li, the ones closest to it! Zhu Shu and Su Man subconsciously reached out to grab Li Li, but only caught air, and were also sucked into the gap! Shen Mo moved swiftly, grabbing Tan Xiao¡¯s arm in time, but the suction force was so strong that even he was sucked in S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Shen Mo!¡± Bai Youwei cried out anxiously, wheeling toward them. Yan Qingwen held her back, ¡°We¡¯ll go rescue them, you stay here!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Bai Youwei slapped his hand away, allowing herself and her wheelchair to be sucked into the black void! Left behind were Teacher Cheng, Pan Xiaoxin, Lun Ang, and Yan Qingwen. ¡°Xiaoxin, let¡¯s get in there quickly!¡± Teacher Cheng scrambled to pick up his backpack and cane from the ground, and rushed in! Pan Xiaoxin wasted no time, picked up his backpack and rushed in as well! Lun Ang furrowed his brows, asking Yan Qingwen, ¡°Are we going in?¡± The gold coin on the ground began to slow. The gap was getting smaller and narrower, the bulging ellipse gradually thinning. Yan Qingwen guessed that when the coin stopped spinning, this gap would completely close. ¡­Should he go in? There were unquestionably unimaginable dangers waiting for them there. ¡°Our mission is to get Li Li to his destination¡­¡± Yan Qingwen gritted his teeth, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Without time to grab their equipment, the two raced into the now narrow fissure The gold coin was spinning slower and slower. And slower¡­ Clatter, it fell onto the ground. The crevice disappeared. Mirroring its disappearance, the luster of the gold coin faded, seemingly coated with a layer of dust in an instant. Despite its vivid gold color, it lost the dazzling attraction it had just moments ago and looked like an ordinary small coin on the sidewalk. A gentle breeze drifted by. The leaves rustled. The empty street seemed as if nothing transpired at all¡­ In the pure white diamond-shaped space, huge blocks were neatly lined up. A gray-robed Inspector stood in front of one of the cubes, murmuring mysteriously, ¡°Ignorance and foolishness are not the greatest obstacles to survival, arrogance is.¡± Behind him, the rabbit-headed Inspector approached, holding a black top hat in his hands, and asked politely, ¡°This quote is from ¡®The Three-Body Problem 3: Death¡¯s End¡¯, first published in the Human Calendar Year of 2010, which depicts the war between civilizations. Why the sudden inspiration?¡± The grey-robed figure replied in a low voice, ¡°No reason, I just feel¡­that this quote fits perfectly right now.¡± The rabbit-headed figure looked at the cube in front of the grey figure, intrigued, ¡°You activated Game 7016¡­you know this copy is still in debugging, and it will be put into use next month. Players at this stage can¡¯t handle the difficulty of Game 7016.¡± The old man in the grey robe chuckled, his raspy voice letting out a heh heh sound. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Those who went in are players who have undergone two data upgrades. They¡¯re in need of such a challenge.¡± The rabbit-headed figure was silent for a while before it asked, ¡°Do you want them to die?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The old man in the grey robe nodded slowly, ¡°¡­If they don¡¯t die, how could this all end?¡± Chapter 236: 236 Doll House Chapter 236: 236 Doll HouseTranslator: 549690339 ¡­her consciousness is all jumbled up. She has a splitting headache, as if someone was hammering at her forehead. Faintly, she can hear Shen Mo¡¯s voice, deep, even-tempered, each intonation filled with a sandy, magnetic charm, like plucking a string in her ear. Yes¡­it¡¯s the most pleasant G-string on the cello. Bai Youwei¡¯s mind is in disarray. After feeling dizzy for a while, she finally opens her eyes, the first thing she sees is an old-fashioned ceiling, then a countryside-style wall lamp, a wall adorned with patterned wallpaper¡­ and, an old-fashioned fireplace. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The flames within the fireplace are burning, slightly driving away the chill from her body. ¡°Awake?¡± Shen Mo, holding a glass of water, walks over and sits down by her side. The water in the cup is still hot, so he leaves it on the coffee table to cool. He helps her sit up a little and places a pillow beneath her to make her more comfortable. ¡°¡­.Where are we?¡± Bai Youwei breaks the silence only to find her throat is incredibly hoarse. Shen Mo looks around, then says, ¡°We¡¯re in a house on the top of a mountain. After encountering Mr. Cheng and Xiaoxin, we found you halfway up the mountain. Tan Xiao is still missing¡­ Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang went out to look for him.¡± After a pause, he adds, looking at Bai Youwei, ¡°You have a fever.¡± Bai Youwei weakly touches her forehead. She can¡¯t really tell¡­ but she just feels listless, her head spinning. ¡°She needs a bath and a change of clothes, and her hair needs to be dried up,¡± Zhu Shu adds from the side, ¡°There¡¯s no medicine here, we need to figure out a way to reduce her temperature as soon as possible.¡± Exasperated, Su Man retorts, ¡°For goodness sake, she¡¯s a celebrity, where are we supposed to find bathwater for her?! Moreover, this is the doll¡¯s territory, nobody can guarantee this room is safe!¡± Zhu Shu tightens her lips, then says, ¡°There¡¯s a bathroom on the second floor with hot water, and the closet in the bedroom has clean clothes. If you¡¯re worried about potential hazards¡­ I can go check it out first.¡± Su Man raises an eyebrow, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell me you want to take a shower yourself?¡± Zhu Shu looks a bit helpless but doesn¡¯t retaliate, ¡°Being all damp isn¡¯t exactly comfortable.¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Man flatly refuses, her face stern. ¡°I disagree with this. Before Yan left, he asked me to ensure everyone¡¯s safety. Moreover, the clothes in the closet seem bizarre, they look like they¡¯re made for dolls, how could we even wear those?¡± Bai Youwei listens to them talk in silence, her eyes flickering briefly over her surroundings. Where she is laying is a long sofa against the wall in the living room. It¡¯s a deep blue color, adorned with alternating patterns of pink and white roses. There are a few matching pillows on the sofa. In the corners of the living room are a countless number of toy dolls. Stuffed bears, bunnies, little cats, and dogs¡­ She closes her eyes, her muddled mind recalling a sentence that Tan Xiao recited before they entered the game ¡ª Welcome to the Doll House. Is this place¡­ the Doll House? Mr. Cheng brings over the brewed tea, setting one cup after another on the coffee table. ¡°Everyone, have some hot tea to fend off the cold.¡± ¡°Achoo!¡± Pan Xiaoxin suddenly sneezes. Everyone looks over. Xiaoxin rubs his nose, looking embarrassed. Mr. Cheng expresses his worries, ¡°The temperature here is low, I¡¯m not sure if it has anything to do with the downpour outside. It feels like it¡¯s spring or autumn, we¡¯re all drenched and don¡¯t have much to wear, at this rate, it¡¯s easy to catch a cold.¡± Perhaps because she¡¯s facing an elder, Su Man¡¯s assertiveness is slightly softened as she hesitates, ¡°Then¡­ how about you guys take the kid upstairs to shower, I¡¯ll stand guard by the door.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Pan Xiaoxin, still rubbing his nose, walks over and sits by the fireplace, murmuring, ¡°I¡¯ll just stay here and dry my clothes¡­¡± Chapter 237: 237: Ten Sets of Clothes Chapter 237: 237: Ten Sets of ClothesTranslator: 549690339 When they rushed in, there had been no time to prepare a change of clothes. Although Pan Xiaoxin was just a child, he didn¡¯t want to face the embarrassment of being completely naked. Zhu Shu suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°There are also children¡¯s clothes in the bedroom.¡± ¡°Can you stop mentioning those clothes.¡± Su Man frowned deeply, her face full of discontent, ¡°Those clothes are not normal, we can¡¯t just wear them at will!¡± Zhu Shu explained, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, think about it, the style of those clothes upstairs, isn¡¯t it just enough for us to wear? It feels as if¡­ this house was prepared specifically for us, it¡¯s really weird.¡± What she said gave Su Man goosebumps, ¡°No way¡­¡± Zhu Shu extended her finger and counted, ¡°You and I, Yan Ge, Lun Ang, Li Li, that makes five people. Here, there¡¯s also five of us. So that¡¯s ten in total. Upstairs, there are exactly ten sets of clothes, one of which is for children. I remember it very clearly. If the men¡¯s and women¡¯s styles also match us, then there must be a problem.¡± There was no doubt about it. There was something wrong with this place, something wrong with this room, everything here was wrong! With gritted teeth, Su Man got up, ¡°I¡¯ll go up with you to double-check.¡± The two women walked upstairs, one in front of the other. Bai Youwei watched them for a while, then withdrew her gaze and slumped weakly onto the sofa. The water on the coffee table had cooled a bit. Shen Mo brought it over and helped her take a few sips. Her body temperature was scorching, her clothes dripping wet. Her long hair was thoroughly soaked, messily scattered around her, soaking the sofa cover and cushions. After drinking warm water, her flushed face seemed to turn even redder. Her eyes were dark and empty, contrasting with her white dress, she looked more and more like a wounded, dazzling Water Demon, fragile enough to die at any moment. Shen Mo frowned slightly, feeling a pang of distress. She looked blank, as if her high fever had left her in a daze. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo looked at her, his voice unconsciously softened as he asked, ¡°Do you want to take a bath?¡± Bai Youwei was stunned for a few seconds before nodding lightly, ¡°I want to take a bath.¡± Shen Mo said she had a fever, but she felt cold. She wanted to soak in a hot bath. Teacher Cheng said to Shen Mo, ¡°You take care of her, I¡¯ll go upstairs and prepare the hot water.¡± Shen Mo nodded. The two women upstairs quickly returned, both looking very grim. ¡°Those clothes in the wardrobe were indeed prepared for us!¡± Su Man said with a strained face and a heavy tone, ¡°Ten sets of clothes, exactly nine adults and one child, among the adult clothes, six sets for men and three for women.¡± It matched their situation perfectly. Shen Mo calmly said, ¡°Let¡¯s think positively. Since the game has prepared clothes for all 10 of us, it indicates that Tan Xiao and Li Li are safe.¡± ¡°Game?¡± Su Man furrowed her brows, ¡°Are you sure this is a game?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°You can check your weapons.¡± In the Doll Game, fruit knives, scissors, and kitchen knives could be brought in, but military daggers, firearms, and explosives¡­ these conspicuous weapons couldn¡¯t be brought in. Su Man was frustrated. She paced back and forth in the room, finally stopping by the window to look at the torrential rain outside. She wondered, ¡°If this really is a game, it¡¯s far too abnormal. We¡¯ve been here so long and we haven¡¯t seen an Inspector. Could it be that this isn¡¯t a game site?¡± Shen Mo slowly shook his head, ¡°Apart from this house, there¡¯s only the slope and the trees. I am more inclined to believe that the game has not officially started.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Su Man bit her nails anxiously as she stared out the windows, ¡°Perhaps because not everyone is here yet, when they return¡­ the game should start.¡± Zhu Shu also stared out of the window, feeling uneasy. Having just escaped one danger, they seemed to be entering another. The sense of danger was closing in. They didn¡¯t know what was waiting for them this time around. Chapter 238: 238: Everyone is Here Chapter 238: 238: Everyone is HereTranslator: 549690339 This dollhouse, though it looked old and eerie, contained clean and well-arranged living necessities. The bathroom had hot water, the kitchen had an induction cooker, though it lacked modern appliances like a refrigerator, television, and air conditioner, it essentially replicated British rural life. Mr. Cheng had prepared a half tub of hot water for Bai Youwei. Shen Mo asked her if she wanted Zhu Shu or Su Man to assist her. Bai Youwei refused. She did not know these two women well enough, she didn¡¯t like getting too intimate with strangers, even of the same sex. Moreover, she only had a fever, she was not so weak that she needed help to bathe. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, letting her stay alone in the bathroom was out of the question. If something happened, with her small stature, she would not be able to climb out of the bathtub on her own. Bai Youwei suggested to Shen Mo: ¡°We could draw the shower curtain.¡± Shen Mo agreed. They shared rooms and meals all the way here, it wasn¡¯t necessary to put up pretences about the proscription of contact between men and women in this situation. Shen ¡®a gentleman¡¯ Mo, with his clear conscience, believed safety came first. During her bath, the splashing of water could be heard in the bathroom. He stood on one side of the shower curtain, listening to the sounds on the other side. When there was no sound, he would call out Bai Youwei¡¯s name. Bai Youwei complained, ¡°Don¡¯t keep calling my name then not say anything after, it¡¯s so strange. If you¡¯re worried about me, we can talk.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to talk.¡± Bai Youwei sighed, her voice soft and tired: ¡°I indeed don¡¯t have the energy to talk, but if I don¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid I might fall asleep while bathing.¡± ¡°Hold on just a little bit more, there¡¯s a bed in the adjacent bedroom, you can sleep after your bath,¡± Shen Mo said. Bai Youwei contemplated before asking: ¡°How many bedrooms are there here?¡± ¡°Three bedrooms.¡± He paused for a moment, then decided to reveal all the details of the house to her. ¡°This house consists of three floors, or to be precise, two and a half. The first floor has a living room, dining room, kitchen, and storage room. The second floor has three bedrooms and a small study room, and there is an attic on the top half floor.¡± ¡°Are there lots of dolls here?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Shen Mo nodded slightly, then remembering she couldn¡¯t see him, said: ¡°There are quite a few dolls scattered across the house, stuffed teddy bears, rabbits, cats and dogs, and even tin frogs and toy soldiers.¡± Suddenly, the door downstairs opened with a creak. With it came a rush of wind and rain, and people¡¯s voices. Tan Xiao¡¯s voice stood out: ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the glasses! We would have reached the top of the mountain early on!¡± ¡°What the heck are you talking about! You clearly couldn¡¯t find the right direction and ran randomly in the woods! I was the one that guided you out, okay!¡± ¡°If it isn¡¯t for your glasses, why would I go into the woods?!¡± Li Li¡¯s voice was close to breaking: ¡°I said the glasses must be nearby! Who asked you to go into the woods to look for them ah ah ah!¡± ¡°Ah, come on, both of you stop arguing¡­¡± This was Mr. Cheng¡¯s voice. Shen Mo in the bathroom listened for a while and whispered: ¡°Yan Qingwen should have found them and brought them back.¡± ¡°Now that everyone is here, the game can start at any moment¡­¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes, struggling to keep her spirits up, ¡°I¡¯m done bathing, help me out.¡± Shen Mo handed a towel into the curtain. When Bai Youwei had wrapped herself, he came in to carry her. The lower half of the towel was soaked through, and her washed hair was also dripping wet. Shen Mo drenched himself as he carried Bai Youwei and settled her onto a wooden stool, with her leaning against him weakly. He then took a dry towel and slowly helped her dry her hair. While drying her hair, Shen Mo took a quick glance at her discarded dress. The dress was soaked and muddied, with threads unraveling at the hem, as if it had been torn by something. ¡°I¡¯ll help you wash it later and put it near the fireplace to dry. It should dry quite quickly,¡± he said. Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll just wear the clothes from the closet.¡± Chapter 239: 239 Washing Skirt (Additional Update for Top 100 Recommendation List) Chapter 239: 239 Washing Skirt (Additional Update for Top 100 Recommendation List)Translator: 549690339 Shen Mo paused, ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a game, why should I care.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and slowly said, ¡°Besides, my white dress is already worn out, so why bother washing it ¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Even rags get washed, why can¡¯t a dress be washed?¡± Bai Youwei: She had a headache. ¡°Take advantage of my weakness while I¡¯m sick,¡± Bai Youwei grumbled, ¡°Take me to the bedroom, I need to rest.¡± Shen Mo lightly chuckled then picked her up and went to the bedroom. The three bedrooms were similar. Shen Mo randomly chose one, the room was filled with dolls, on the table, ground, windowsill, and even on the bed. He placed Bai Youwei down, swiped up the dolls from the bed. Various plush dogs and teddy bears littered on the floor. Then he went to the neighboring room, selected three sets of women¡¯s clothing from the wardrobe, they were all vintage styled, gorgeous and refined, complete with matching shoes, socks, and accessories. As if prepared for Lolita styled dolls. Bai Youwei sprawled on the bed, already drowsy. When Shen Mo came back with clothes, she half-opened her eyes, picking out a set of black. Shen Mo glanced at the other two sets and asked her, ¡°Are you sure about this one?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Bai Youwei spoke weakly, ¡°It¡¯s a matching outfit.¡± Shen Mo looked down at his own black T-shirt, unsure of what to say. He put the remaining two sets back, when he got back to the bedroom, Bai Youwei was already asleep, hugging the black dress. She must be feeling really unwell, thus draped in the towel and wrapped in a quilt; she slept in her messy state without changing her clothes. Shen Mo sat down next to the bed, touched her forehead, but she remained unaware ¨C sleeping peacefullly. After her bath, her temperature dropped a bit, not as hot as before, but her cheeks were still flushed, hot, and her eyebrows slightly furrowed, like a little annoye kitten. Shen Mo smoothed her scattered hair on her forehead, then got up and left the room. He went to the bathroom. The dirty, wet dress was still there, crumpled next to the sink, not much cleaner than a rag. Shen Mo turned on the faucet to wash the dress. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He finished washing it quickly, like an organized military operation, efficiently scrubbing away the stains, rinsed it with fresh water, wrung it dry, shook it out¡ª Splat! Water droplets sprinkled off the white dress, like rain, shimmering. Shen Mo smiled silently. It¡¯s a pity that the dress is ruined, but he thought she looked nice in a white dress. There was a knock on the door from outside, thump, thump, thump. ¡°Who¡¯s in there?¡± Tan Xiao yelled from outside, ¡°I need to take a bath! I smell like rotten mud!¡± Li Li shouted from behind: ¡°What are you going to wear after your bath?!¡± ¡°None of your business what I wear! But certainly not your clothes!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be naked and blind me, that¡¯s why!¡± Tan Xiao laughed loudly: ¡°Hahahaha you four-eyed chicken! You¡¯d be blind without your glasses anyway.¡± Li Li: ¡°Screw you!¡± The two caused a ruckus. Shen Mo opened the door, Tan Xiao was startled, ¡°¡­ Brother Mo, are you taking a bath?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shen Mo stepped aside, spoke indifferently, ¡°Go ahead, there¡¯s hot water inside.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Once Tan Xiao entered the bathroom, Li Li had no one to argue with anymore. The entire room became considerably quieter, even Yan Qingwen showed a relieved expression. Shen Mo took the dress downstairs, dragging the old pine wood floor coat rack to the fireplace, and hung the dress to warm up. Of the ten people, one was sick, one was in the shower, leaving eight people in the living room downstairs, silent for a moment. Lun Ang wanted to smoke, he pulled out a packet from his pocket, and the cigarette case was dripping with water. He cursed under his breath, irritably threw the rain-soaked cigarette case into the fireplace. The red flames crackled, then continued to burn. Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Now that everyone is here, the game hasn¡¯t started yet, what do you guys think is the reason?¡± Chapter 240: 240 Not Enough Food Chapter 240: 240 Not Enough FoodTranslator: 549690339 Everyone looked at each other, all silent. Zhu Shu asked tentatively, ¡°Could it have something to do with the clothes upstairs? For instance perhaps we need all ten of us to wear the designated outfits to start the game?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded slightly, ¡°But those clothes might also be a trap. Until we have a clear understanding of the situation, I don¡¯t recommend everyone to change into those clothes.¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Shu nodded in agreement, then turned to the others, hesitant, ¡°So what should we do now?¡± No one responded. The rain outside seemed to have grown heavier, as the drops pattered against the window. The room grew even quieter. Shen Mo voiced his thoughts, ¡°My idea is that since the game hasn¡¯t started, we should conserve our strength and prepare. Those who are not feeling well should rest and recuperate as soon as possible. We need to figure out how much water and food we have, how long it can sustain us, and whether there are places in this house we haven¡¯t checked yet, such as hidden compartments or a basement.¡± Chang Weicai chimed in, ¡°When I was boiling water earlier, I searched the kitchen and found no food. But we have electricity and water, and I have a few packs of instant noodles in my backpack.¡± ¡°I have some loquats in my bag¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin took out his backpack, opened it, revealing a bag half full of loquats. The shiny yellow fruits were dotted with raindrops, as Xiaoxin¡¯s bag had been soaked in the rain. Before entering the game, he and Tan Xiao picked loquats from a tree, collecting lots of them. Then, after exiting the question-and-answer game, he brought them into this place inside his backpack. Chang Weicai took a big glass bowl from the kitchen, saying, ¡°Xiaoxin, pour out the loquats. They will go bad if they stay in the bag for too long.¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s group also searched around. But they¡¯d come in even more hurriedly than Shen Mo¡¯s group, bringing nothing with them, let alone food. The only thing that could be classified as a ¡°food item¡± on Lun Ang was probably his cigarettes, which he had already thrown into the fireplace. So, altogether, the only food they have among ten people are two packs of instant noodles and a bunch of loquats. Things were looking pretty grim. In a low voice, Li Li said, ¡°Earlier, Tan Xiao and I searched the woods and didn¡¯t find any signs of animals. It could be because of the heavy rain If there really is nothing here, we ¡± He left his sentence unfinished, but everyone understood his meaning. If there was indeed nothing here, and the game didn¡¯t begin, they would be trapped here and starve to death. ¡°All of us are players with upgraded data, our physical fitness is stronger than ordinary people, a few days of hunger shouldn¡¯t be a big issue.¡± Yan Qingwen glanced at his watch, ¡°We had breakfast this morning, then entered the lucky Q&A, which took about an hour. It¡¯s eleven now, not quite time to get hungry. I suggest that at noon, each of us eats a loquat, and we start rationing our food.¡± Chang Weicai added, ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking. This house is big, there might be food somewhere. When the rain stops, we can look outside¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s split up and look around,¡± Shen Mo suggested nonchalantly, ¡°While searching, everyone should take turns to shower. A hot shower can help prevent anyone else from catching a cold from the rain and also help regain stamina.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded, and consensus seemed to be reached. So, throughout the afternoon, they went around the house searching, taking turns to shower, and drying their clothes. Since Bai Youwei was ill and resting, her room was left until last to search. When Shen Mo entered her room, he found the towel and blankets fallen to the floor. Bai Youwei was quietly lying on the bed, wearing a black dress with white trim. Her long, slightly curled hair sprawled out like seaweed, almost blending with her black dress, and her skin was so white it was almost transparent, like a delicate doll. A doll? Shen Mo felt a chill running down his spine, as he approached and gently called her, ¡°Bai Youwei.¡± Chapter 241: 241: Cold War Chapter 241: 241: Cold WarTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei lay there quietly, without reacting. ¡°Bai Youwei?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice deepened, like a tight string stretched to its limit. She did not move. He held her hand, it was warm. Her cheeks, too, were hot. Her pulse, still there. Her breath, also still there. But why couldn¡¯t she wake up? Had she fainted from a high fever, or Shen Mo clenched his back teeth and picked Bai Youwei up from the bed! ¡°Ah¡± Bai Youwei, caught off guard, let out a sharp scream! Shen Mo was initially stunned, then his eyes filled with surprise and anger! The sound attracted everyone, they saw Bai Youwei sitting on the bed unharmed, and Shen Mo standing in front of the bed, his face dark with anger, as if he could drip ink! ¡°What happened?¡± The teacher looked perplexed as he examined their expressions, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two?¡± Shen Mo stared at Bai Youwei, after a while, he took a deep breath and said, ¡°Nothing.¡± He said it was nothing, but his tone was so cold it was like he was chilled to the bone, not at all like everything was fine! Before the teacher could ask again, Shen Mo turned around without a word and left the room. The few people gathered at the door looked at each other, sensing the subtle changes between Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. The teacher worriedly asked, ¡°Weiwei, what on earth happened? Did you have a fight with Shen Mo?¡± ¡°No ¡± Bai Youwei denied it, then pouted, muttered, ¡°He just now seemed to think that I had turned into a doll.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The crowd: In the silence, Tan Xiao blurted out, ¡°Wow! You didn¡¯t pretend to be one, did you!¡± Bai Youwei glowered at him right away: ¡°Do I look like that kind of person?!¡± Without any hesitation, Tan Xiao laughed out loud, ¡°Yes, yes, you do!¡± ¡°Laugh your head off!¡± Bai Youwei threw a pillow at him! She missed, and Tan Xiao ran off laughing. As he ran, he tattled: ¡°Mo, Weiwei is losing her temper again!¡ª¡ª¡± Bai Youwei: Damn, she really didn¡¯t do it on purpose! Shen Mo ignored Bai Youwei for the entire afternoon. Of course, it¡¯s not that he completely ignored her. When Bai Youwei called him, he would come over, when Bai Youwei wanted a drink, he would pour it, when Bai Youwei needed to go downstairs, he would carry her down. But, he didn¡¯t say a word, not even an extra glance. This made Bai Youwei very uncomfortable, but also a bit fresh. She figured that he was acting this way because he was worried about her, the shock of her potentially becoming a doll seemed quite substantial to him. Thinking about it, she decided to give him a pass this time due to his rudeness. Besides She looked at the white skirt drying by the fireplace. He had even washed clothes for her, how could she stay mad at him? Shen Mo found a bunch of chopped firewood under the eaves outside the back door. He brought in a pile. The firewood was damp, some even had mushrooms growing on them. It looked absurd as he held them in his arms. Bai Youwei laughed watching him. But her laughter didn¡¯t move him. Shen Mo expressionlessly dropped the firewood, drying them by the fireplace, ready for when there was no more wood to burn. As he crouched in front of the fireplace, his dark eyes reflected the firelight, and his muscular arms moved smoothly. He stacked the firewood into a small tower in no time, orderly and tidily, but leaving gaps to improve air circulation, so they would dry faster. Bai Youwei sat by his side, watching him. He was methodical, his aloof expression gave off a clear message ¨C keep your distance. This made him all the more irresistible, exuding a strong masculine charm. It was as if a feather was tickling her heart, she couldn¡¯t help but call out to him, ¡°Shen Mo.¡± Shen Mo turned to look at her, his slightly furrowed brows reflecting his confusion. ¡°If one day, I become a doll,¡± she gazed into his eyes, and asked seriously, ¡°would you cry for me?¡± Chapter 242: 242: Awkwardness Chapter 242: 242: AwkwardnessTranslator: 549690339 Shen Mo¡¯s gaze was icy cold as he silently glanced at her before getting up to leave. Bai Youwei stood still, watching him head for the back door, and couldn¡¯t help but grimace, finding the whole situation quite dull. Pan Xiaoxin, who had been quietly roasting some food over the fire in a corner, glanced at the two and whispered, ¡°Sister Weiwei, if you speak to Brother Mo like that, he¡¯ll get angry.¡± Bai Youwei sneered and rolled her eyes, ¡°What¡¯s there to get angry about? Didn¡¯t I just ask him if he cries?¡± Pan Xiaoxin thought for a moment Despite feeling that Bai Youwei¡¯s question was inappropriate, he couldn¡¯t exactly articulate why. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s unlucky,¡± suggested Pan Xiaoxin uncertainly. ¡°Even if it¡¯s unlucky, it¡¯s only unlucky for me, I never claimed he¡¯d become a doll~¡± retorted Bai Youwei coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal if I just ask? Humph, so petty!¡± Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t know what to say; he opened his mouth, then closed it again, and continued roasting his food in silence. ¡ªAlas, it was better not to meddle in the affairs of adults as a child. ¡°Hey, Xiaoxin.¡± Bai Youwei called out to him. Startled, Pan Xiaoxin looked at her. Bai Youwei irritably said, ¡°Go, bring me my loquats.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°Huh? .. Get .get loquats?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Didn¡¯t you and Tan Xiao pick a lot of them? I remember you kept them in your bag.¡± ¡°Loquats?¡± Their teacher overheard them from the kitchen, and poked his head out to ask, ¡°Weiwei, do you want to eat loquats?¡± He brought out a large glass bowl with about twenty loquats left in it. Bai Youwei¡¯s face fell instantly: ¡°That¡¯s all that¡¯s left?¡± Su Man and Zhu Shu were still seated in the dining area and could not help but feel awkward upon hearing this, as if they had stolen someone else¡¯s snack. Their teacher quickly tried to pacify her, ¡°We didn¡¯t bring any food with us and we don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be trapped here, so we had to eat your loquats first. But don¡¯t worry Weiwei, we¡¯ll pick more for you once we get out.¡± Bai Youwei pouted a bit. Although she was somewhat unhappy, she understood the whole picture was bigger, thus, she didn¡¯t say anything. Fearing that the others misunderstanding Bai Youwei, the teacher explained to Su Man and Zhu Shu, ¡°Weiwei has never had fresh loquats before, the ones in Xiaoxin¡¯s bag were picked especially for her, she really treasures them.¡± ¡°Who treasures them?¡± Bai Youwei said annoyed, ¡°I just haven¡¯t tried freshly picked loquats, that¡¯s all, I¡¯m not particularly fond of them!¡± She turned her face away, staring at the fire, and ignoring everyone. Everyone in the room could feel the sulky tension from her. Resenting such inexplicably childish female behavior, Su Man silently glanced at Zhu Shu by her side. Suddenly, compared to Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu seemed far more adorable. Then Shen Mo came back, his arms once again filled with firewood. He squatted down beside Bai Youwei and started to stack the wood methodically. Bai Youwei thought he would appease her since the loquats were gone. However, he didn¡¯t utter a word or even glanced at her, he just got up and walked towards the staircase, where he began talking to Yan Qingwen, who had just come downstairs. ¡°I¡¯ve checked the entire floor, the flooring and walls, but found no hidden compartments. I¡¯ve asked Li Li to draw a blueprint upstairs to see if anything looks amiss.¡± ¡°There¡¯s firewood and an axe out the back door. The axe is rusty. Nothing else out of the ordinary was found.¡± ¡°We should set up a night watch.¡± ¡°Okay, we need two people downstairs¡ªone for the front door and one for the back¡ªas well as one person in the hallway on the second floor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s three people in total. There are only ten of us, not counting the children. We have just enough people for three shifts.¡± ¡± Count me in,¡± Pan Xiaoxin hesitated as he glanced at Bai Youwei, ¡°Sister Weiwei still has a fever, I¡¯ll take her place.¡± Shen Mo looked at Pan Xiaoxin, then Bai Youwei who had kept her back turned to everyone, thought for a moment, and nodded, ¡°Alright, you can take her place then.¡± Chapter 243: 243: No Way Out Chapter 243: 243: No Way OutTranslator: 549690339 In the evening, Chang Weicai cooked a pot of sugar water with the remaining loquats. Firstly, boiling it with water would give them a sense of ¡®waterful¡¯ satiety; Secondly, the temperature was getting lower, and hot soup would provide some warmth. After finishing the loquat sugar water, he ladled it out bowl by bowl, fortuitously there were exactly ten bowls in the cupboard. The yellowish fruit flesh, pale orange soup, when served in pure white porcelain bowls, looked especially tempting. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chang Weicai then took a spoon to portion the soup, ensuring that each bowl had a similar amount, then carried them to the dining table, and continued to ponder ways to fill everyone¡¯s bellies. Although there was no food in this house, the bottles and jars in the kitchen were not lacking in seasonings, a jar full of salt, another full of sugar, along with spices like pepper and bay leaves. Lunch and dinner, everyone had spent two meals without eating anything substantial. If they didn¡¯t eat tomorrow, it would definitely affect their strength. After all, they had only upgraded, not completely transformed their physical functions. Chang Weicai took out the instant noodles, thinking that he would cook them tomorrow. Whilst he was busy, the others seemed to have a lot more idle time. The places to be searched had been repeatedly searched several times, even the sofas and cabinets were moved around for inspection, but nothing was found. The storm outside did not stop, Lun Ang tried to brave the rain, but came back soaked, finding nothing. Except for this house, there was only the forest downhill which seemed to have no end, as if it was an independent world. Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen were both at their wits¡¯ end. They were trapped. Apart from waiting for the rain to stop and the game to begin, there was nothing else they could do. After dinner, everyone arranged the order for night shifts and went back to their rooms to rest. Two people slept in one bedroom, another person slept on the sofa downstairs, leaving exactly three people to choose from for the night shifts. Shen Mo returned to his room and found that Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t asleep. She sat in front of the window, her elbow propping up her face, silently looking at the rain outside. The room was crowded with all sorts of dolls, which should have made the room feel crowded, but seeing her sitting alone among the pile of dolls, he felt an inexplicable sense that the room was spacious and lonely. Actually, by now, Shen Mo¡¯s anger had mostly dissipated, but remembering it still left a slight annoyance in his heart. He didn¡¯t like Bai Youwei joking about things like this. He looked at the bed, then looked at the chair she was sitting on, asking her: ¡°How did you get there?¡± The wheelchair was downstairs, and she hadn¡¯t brought a cane in, so unless someone had carried her there. Bai Youwei turned her face, her dense lashes hiding deep, watery eyes. She lowered her head further, her face resting on her arm, her eyes fixed on him, calm and quiet, not saying a word. Shen Mo walked over to her. She softly spoke: ¡°I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Honestly, Shen Mo didn¡¯t quite believe her. He understood her quirky humor more than anyone else. ¡°I was sleeping very soundly. When you called me, I thought I was dreaming ¡± Bai Youwei explained in a whisper, ¡°Afterwards I realized it wasn¡¯t a dream and was about to respond to you when ¡± She paused, an unnamed emotion flashing in her eyes. Shen Mo patiently asked her: ¡°What happened?¡± But Bai Youwei just shrugged, slowly saying, ¡°At the time, I was wondering if you would secretly kiss me while I was asleep, so I hesitated for a moment.¡± Shen Mo: Bai Youwei sighed again: ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect you to react that way, my shoulders were almost crushed.¡± Shen Mo: He was left speechless. ¡°Shen Mo, do you know?¡± She turned her face back towards the window, no longer looking at him, her eyes fixed on the rain streaks converging on the glass window, whispering, ¡°If you turned into a doll, I would definitely cry.¡± Chapter 244: 244: Insomnia for All Chapter 244: 244: Insomnia for AllTranslator: 549690339 Shen Mo¡¯s heartstrings quivered, a feeling he couldn¡¯t quite put into words. After a moment of silence, he quietly looked up and watched the dark rain curtain outside with her. Their blurred reflections shimmered on the glass window. Bai Youwei said, ¡°The last time I cried was when I was twelve, and I realized I could no longer walk.¡± Shen Mo wondered, did that mean she regarded him as a second pair of legs? The sound of rainfall outside rustled against the window, stirring up a gust of wind that made the glass shiver slightly. The room was serene. ¡°You did cry last time,¡± Shen Mo said. Bai Youwei was taken aback, looking up at him. Shen Mo mildly replied, ¡°You cried once when I took you to the toilet. I think it happened at the toll gate.¡± First, Bai Youwei¡¯s face registered shock, then surprise, anger, and embarrassment¡ªshe was infuriated! ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± She glared at him, adamant, ¡°I didn¡¯t cry!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°You did.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Bai Youwei cried out in anger, ¡°You saw wrong!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You did! You did! There¡¯s no way I could have cried!!!¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t argue with her anymore, his lips curled in a half-smile watching her, a smirk not quite a laugh. Bai Youwei was infuriated. Shen Mo chuckled while gently stroking her damp hair and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being childish?¡± Bai Youwei raised her hand to smack him! Shen Mo didn¡¯t dodge. Her hit landed squarely on his stomach, solid and hard. For a moment, Bai Youwei was unsure¡ªdid his abs hurt more, or was it her hand? She gazed blankly at the tightly fit black t-shirt, hesitating whether she should strike again. The next second, Shen Mo captured her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go down and warm up by the fire. We can sleep once we¡¯ve dried our hair.¡± His tone regained its usual gentle touch. Bai Youwei blinked blankly. The tense standoff between them seemed to have just dissipated S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. never mind. She thought to herself: let¡¯s make up just like this. Quite a few people were downstairs. Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Li Li, Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin were all gathered in the living room. There weren¡¯t enough seats on the couch, so they used cushions as floor seats, forming a circle around the fireplace. Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair towards the gathering, and everyone naturally made way for her. ¡°Why is everyone here?¡± Shen Mo asked. Yan Qingwen shook his head lightly, a hint of self-mockery in his tone, ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep. It seems more reliable to sleep in a tent.¡± Lun Ang chimed in, ¡°Too many dolls around the house, it¡¯s creepy.¡± Li Li laughed, ¡°Lun Ang, since when did you become so faint-hearted?¡± ¡°What does this have to do with having guts!?¡± Lun Ang glared at him, ¡°Whether I¡¯m frightened or not is not the issue, those things just give me the creeps.¡± As they are chatting, footsteps sounded from the stairs, and Su Man and Zhu Shu also came down. They were to keep the night vigil. The first half of the night passed the easiest, thus Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Pan Xiaoxin were assigned the watch from 9 pm to midnight. The remaining people were to keep watch from midnight to 3 am, and from 3 am to 6 am. Seeing everyone was present, Su Man and Zhu Shu paused instinctively. ¡°Why is everyone here? Is there a new assignment?¡± asked Su Man in assumption. Yan Qingwen answered, ¡°No, just have some time, can¡¯t sleep.¡± Zhu Shu kindly reminded, ¡°You all have to keep watch in the latter half of the night, better get some rest early.¡± ¡°Zhu Shu, it¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want to sleep, they can¡¯t sleep,¡± Li Li mocked while casting a glance at Lun Ang, ¡°There are too many dolls in the room, it creeps them out.¡± Mentioning the dolls, Zhu Shu also showed discomfort, ¡°Indeed, there are perhaps too many dolls here ¡± Even in the living room where they were now, dolls were placed in every corner. On hearing this, Bai Youwei said lightly, ¡°Well, that¡¯s why they call it the Dollhouse.¡± Chapter 245: 245 Introduction to Each Other Chapter 245: 245 Introduction to Each OtherTranslator: 549690339 Dollhouse¡ª Welcome to the Dollhouse. Associating the words with the Gold Coin, all eyes subconsciously turned to Tan Xiao. Tan Xiao looked befuddled, ¡°Huh? Why is everyone looking at me like this?¡± Some people turned their gaze away with complicated expressions. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t blaming me, are you?¡± Tan Xiao refused to be the scapegoat and quickly pointed to Li Li, ¡°If he hadn¡¯t insisted on looking at that Gold Coin, I wouldn¡¯t have even noticed the words engraved on it! If anyone¡¯s to blame, it¡¯s him!¡± Li Li looked as if he were constipated, ¡°It¡¯s normal human curiosity, alright? After coming out of the game, of course, I would be curious about what the final reward would be!¡± Su Man also defended Li Li, ¡°If there¡¯s anyone to blame, it should be the Inspector! What kind of rewards is he giving out? It¡¯s clearly to set us up!¡± ¡°So, by that logic, I should be to blame?¡± Bai Youwei chimed in calmly, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t led everyone to clear the stage and offended the Inspector, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t have bestowed this Gold Coin upon us.¡± Tan Xiao immediately came to her defense, ¡°How could we blame you?! If you look at it that way, shouldn¡¯t we be blaming Fei ge? If he hadn¡¯t brought a bunch of people over, we wouldn¡¯t even be in the game!¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Fei ge came over because you guys robbed them!¡± Lun Ang added. ¡°We robbed them because they were up to no good first! They wanted to steal our items!¡± ¡°How did they know you guys had items?¡± ¡°Would we have revealed the item if you guys hadn¡¯t caused trouble?¡± Round and round they went, ending up right back where they started. ¡°Enough! Stop acting like three-year-olds.¡± Yan Qingwen was both frustrated and annoyed, ¡°Is there any point in arguing at this point?¡± Everyone closed their mouths. There was silence for a while. Shen Mo said, ¡°If the game system is really that strict, why was there no reaction from the system when the Inspector gave the Gold Coin to Tan Xiao as a reward?¡± ¡°Could it be a reward stage?¡± Tan Xiao suggested. He hadn¡¯t attended much school, but he had played a lot of games and was quick-witted when it came to game logic. ¡°There¡¯s such a setting in many online games. You kill a monster and if you¡¯re lucky it might drop a key to a particular instance. These special instances are usually difficult but the rewards are also impressive, like rare equipment and such.¡± ¡°It seems we really have entered the game¡­¡± Yan Qingwen mused, ¡°Though we¡¯ve entered, we haven¡¯t met the conditions to start the game, so nothing has happened so far.¡± Li Li said, ¡°Could it be like what Zhu Shu said, the game will only start when all of us change into those clothes?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a possibility¡­¡± Yan Qingwen thought a bit and glanced at others, ¡°If there¡¯s still no progress tomorrow, shall we try putting on the clothes?¡± They all looked at each other, no one objected. Yan Qingwen continued, ¡°It seems we haven¡¯t officially introduced ourselves yet. Why don¡¯t we each share a bit about ourselves? That way we won¡¯t bumble around once the game starts.¡± Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin turned their heads to look at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei was busy roasting something on the fire, not making a sound. Shen Mo, on the other hand, nodded and said, ¡°Sure, knowing each other would indeed be good.¡± Seeing everyone agree, Li Li couldn¡¯t help but hesitate, ¡°But what if it¡¯s a competitive game ¡­everyone will know each other¡¯s weaknesses.¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°The chances of it being competitive are slim.¡± Li Li: ¡± But what if?¡± ¡°Heh, nit-picker.¡± Bai Youwei laughed disdainfully, too lazy to even flicker her eyelids. Li Li¡¯s expression stiffened slightly, defiantly said, ¡°There¡¯s always a ¡®what if¡¯ in everything, right?!¡± Bai Youwei, with half-closed eyes, replied, ¡°I have a fever, I can¡¯t be bothered with arguing.¡± She glanced at Pan Xiaoxin next to her, ¡°Xiaoxin, you tell him.¡± Chapter 246: 246: Continue Introducing Chapter 246: 246: Continue IntroducingTranslator: 549690339 Li Li¡¯s face turned red! Damn! What the hell! He was a PhD holder, for God¡¯s sake, and a kid was lecturing him! What an insult! Pan Xiaoxin also looked embarrassed, feeling somewhat uneasy. Tan Xiao, who never missed a chance for a spectacle, slapped his shoulder, saying, ¡°Xiaoxin, give this bookworm a good lesson!¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s going too far!¡± Li Li stood up angrily, his face grim. ¡°I¡¯m just concerned about safety! After all, none of us know what kind of game this is!¡± ¡°Alright ¡± Yan Qingwen patted his shoulder, ¡°Relax. It¡¯s unlikely that it¡¯s a competitive format. Typically, reward-based game modes involve team play and strategy, it¡¯s different from the previous games.¡± The past games, the race between the tortoise and the hare, and the Quiz of Luck, were all about the players fighting each other. Li Li sat back down, still appearing indignant, but he didn¡¯t say anything else. Yan Qingwen addressed the group, ¡°To show sincerity, I¡¯ll go first. As you all know, my name is Yan Qingwen. I¡¯m 30 years old. I used to be a|special|forces|soldier. I was injured in a mission and retired afterwards, dealing in some private security business.¡± He glanced at Li Li before continuing, ¡°About half a month ago, I started working for the Li Family. The Li¡¯s only son, Li Li, is a researcher for SCO. He got separated from his team while evacuating. He¡¯s thought to be lost in the fog, and the Li¡¯s hope that we can do our best to rescue him.¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°You¡¯re still doing business in this situation?¡± Yan Qingwen chuckled, ¡°The old man of the Li Family did me a favor. I owe him.¡± The toughest debts to pay back are those of kindness. Shen Mo nodded slightly, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve explained my situation earlier. National Security Administration, Supervisor of Special Missions, it¡¯s a title in name only now. All of my team members have been sacrificed. The organization I am responsible for is practically non-existent. If I could escort Li Li to Shanghai with your help, I would like to see the progress of the research, about these games and mazes, what exactly are they.¡± ¡°Did your team members die because of the game?¡± Yan Qingwen asked. ¡°It seems so.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed and his face turned dark, ¡°While searching for the SCO research team, they were turned into dolls.¡± ¡°It might be the same as our last encounter ¡± added Li Li, ¡°During the Quiz of Luck, we all entered the game, leaving only Su Man outside.¡± Shen Mo nodded: ¡°Doll games indeed have certain personnel requirements. After the incident, I tried to contact my superiors. Neither my mobile phone nor the internet was functioning and I suspected something had happened on their end. Later, I met Weiwei. We got to know Tan Xiao and Professor Cheng when we were leaving the city. We all narrowly escaped death in the same game, so we¡¯ve been traveling together since then.¡± ¡°In fact, your circumstances are similar to ours.¡± Yan Qingwen commented, casting a glance at Lun Ang next to him. Lun Ang nodded, joining in with his self-introduction, ¡°I was on the same team as Yan Qingwen. YHe retired due to injury. I retired for making some mistakes. After leaving, I had nothing to do, so I joined him in the private security business.¡± He paused, awkwardly adding, ¡°I¡¯m 35, that¡¯s all.¡± Next up was Li Li. He looked somewhat troubled. After hesitating for a moment, he finally said, ¡°Well what I¡¯m about to say is actually classified but it doesn¡¯t matter now, given that there aren¡¯t many people left in the world.¡± All eyes were on him, intrigued. Li Li began, ¡°Our original research institution was doing research in high-energy physics, also known as particle physics. This May, after that incident you know, the one where dolls suddenly appeared on the streets, we received a notification not long after. We merged with two other institutions to form a new organization called SCO, specifically researching these doll anomalies And indeed, we discovered something.¡± Chapter 247: 247: Still Introducing Chapter 247: 247: Still IntroducingTranslator: 549690339 ¡°We found anomalies in the magnetic field No, it isn¡¯t right either. To be precise, not only did we discover the anomalous areas of the magnetic fields, but we also found some areas where there was no magnetic field at all.¡± Li Li paused here, looking at the group, he was frustrated to find no reaction from them. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Earth is a giant magnet with magnetic fields everywhere! But our data shows that many places lack magnetic fields! It¡¯s like that area suddenly disappeared! Like it never existed!¡± ¡°Those places must be the mazes,¡± Bai Youwei drawled, ¡°Can we hear something fresh?¡± Li Li: ¡°Yeah, Li Li,¡± spoke Lun Ang. ¡°We don¡¯t understand theory, mate. Tell them something about the mazes.¡± ¡°The Maze .¡± Li Li thought for a moment. ¡°The maze is an.undetectable mysterious object. At least for the time being, no devices we have are able to engage with it. It expands over time and the anomalous regions of the magnetic field near it, also known as the puppet game, repel the maze like the repulsion of two same magnetic poles, maintaining a considerable distance.¡± After pausing for two seconds, Li Li continued, ¡°When we evacuated, we followed this rule to avoid the game, retreating along the edge of the maze, but I underestimated the expansion time and range of the maze. I I and several special task force teammates were forced into the maze, they they all sacrificed their lives.¡± He turned to Zhu Shu, ¡°Later on, I met Zhu Shu in the maze. I was tired and thirsty at the time, and she saved me.¡± ¡°Not really, it was actually Li Li who saved me,¡± Zhu Shu smiled lightly. ¡°I was trapped in Nanchang with my agent. The fog came so suddenly and he said he went for help, but never returned. Then the driver also went to find the way out, leaving me alone in the nanny van. If it weren¡¯t for brother Yan and his team coming to rescue Li Li, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out.¡± After saying this, she hesitated, then continued, ¡°As for me I am 24 years old, I know foreign languages, I¡¯m good at singing and dancing I suppose, I know a bit about fashion design and makeup, but these skills are pretty useless now.¡± She gave a self-deprecating smile. Tan Xiao asked in surprise: ¡°Aren¡¯t you 20?¡± ¡°Oh that .¡± Zhu Shu giggled, ¡°My agent modified my file. It¡¯s easier to draw fans when you¡¯re younger.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Oh¡­¡± His expression once again fell. Bai Youwei curiously asked, ¡°Which number was the Nanchang Maze?¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Number 8. The city turned into a desert, all the skyscrapers became ruins. Vehicles trapped in the sand unable to move. People either died from thirst or were buried in quicksand.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Which do you think is more difficult, the Hangzhou Maze or the Nanchang Maze?¡± The Hangzhou Maze was number 7. Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Number 7 is harder I guess. Although the environment in Number 8 is very harsh, there are no harmful creatures. As long as you find the right direction and avoid the quicksand, you can find the exit.¡± After a pause, he asked Bai You Wei, ¡°Do you think the number of the maze is related to its difficulty level?¡± ¡°Just a guess.¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°We¡¯ll need to face a few more mazes to confirm.¡± The next person to introduce herself was Su Man. She didn¡¯t have much to say, stating it bluntly: ¡°The Su and Li families have been friends for generations. I¡¯ve known Li Li since I was a child. When I heard he was in trouble, I came here with Brother Yan. My strengths are hand-to-hand combat and weapon skills.¡± Mr. Cheng said, ¡°I¡¯m a language teacher at Nanjing¡¯s 13th Middle School, just turned sixty this year, please take care of me.¡± Tan Xiao asked: ¡°What does ¡®just turned sixty¡¯ mean?¡± Mr. Cheng: ¡°Cough, it means sixty years old.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°And twenty?¡± Mr. Cheng answered formally, ¡°That is, of course, one¡¯s coming of age.¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tan Xiao looked puzzled: ¡± Quite weak, huh?¡± He originally wanted to use some high-class idioms, but now he thought better of it. Chapter 248: 248: Introduction Completed Chapter 248: 248: Introduction CompletedTranslator: 549690339 Here¡¯s Tan Xiao¡¯s self-introduction: ¡°My name is Tan Xiao, the same Tan and Xiao from ¡®Speaking and Laughing¡¯. I¡¯m known as Brother Laugh! I roamed the underworld at eight, swore loyalty to an older brother at ten! I¡¯ve seen the ebbs and flows of the underworld for decades! I became strong bare-handed! I live by brotherhood! Come to me if there¡¯s any trouble! Brother Laugh is always at your service!¡± He finished speaking, hands on his hips, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. Everyone: Tan Xiao looked left and right, and yet no one clapped. He was desolate. Only Bai Youwei and Pan Xiaoxin were left to introduce themselves. Pan Xiaoxin glanced at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei, half-lidded eyes, looked nonchalant, showing no intention of speaking. Pan Xiaoxin: sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After contemplating for a moment, he said: ¡°My name is Pan Xiaoxin. I lived with my grandparents in Hangzhou, attended Central Elementary School, grade five After Hangzhou was hit by the calamity, I had nowhere to go, so I wanted to join a group. But those adults, I don¡¯t know why, they fought all the time, they were reckless many people died ¡± While he was speaking, he noticed Bai Youwei glance over at him, eyes still half-lidded. Pan Xiaoxin felt guilty and his voice faded: ¡°Later Later I met Sister Weiwei and Brother Mo, they were willing to take me into the maze, so I felt that this team might survive, so I joined all of you.¡± ¡°Child, you¡¯re not entirely honest, huh~~¡± Bai Youwei spoke slowly and leisurely. With his head hung low, Pan Xiaoxin honestly confessed: ¡°Those injuries were self-inflicted, but I didn¡¯t mean to harm you. I was just scared¡­ scared you would doubt me, so¡­¡± ¡°A kid with a mind for scheming, not cute at all.¡± Bai Youwei lazily said, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. You aren¡¯t a pet, you don¡¯t have to be cute. As long as you can stay alive, it¡¯s enough.¡± Pan Xiaoxin paused, then looked up at her. ¡°Is it my turn now ¡± Bai Youwei stretched, looking tired, ¡°My name is Bai Youwei, a cripple.¡± That was it. Everyone waited quietly for three seconds. Then they realized she had no intention of saying anything more. Their feelings were somewhat complex. ¡°Weiwei, you¡¯re not being fair.¡± Tan Xiao complained, ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell us your age!¡± Bai Youwei glared at him, ¡°Since when is it okay to ask a lady her age?!¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Everyone else said it!¡± ¡°Hmmph, I¡¯m not going to tell you anyway.¡± Bai Youwei turned her face away haughtily, refusing to look at him, ¡°Only two people in the world could know my age, one is the person who gave birth to me, the other is the person who will bury me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Tan Xiao was puzzled. Bai Youwei explained, ¡°Because the person who buries me will have to write on my tombstone, ¡®Here lies Bai Youwei, born in this year and month, died suddenly in this year and month.¡¯ Don¡¯t you understand that?¡± Tan Xiao gave an ¡°oh¡±, ¡± that makes sense.¡± The others had nothing left to say. Yan Qingwen asked another question, ¡°You seem to be good at clearing games, have you had any previous training?¡± ¡°Not necessarily good, but after playing a few times, one can always become more proficient than others.¡± She rested her chin on her hand, speaking casually, ¡°Just like um, if you play connect games more often, your sense of touch will also improve, it¡¯s the same principle.¡± She asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°How many times have you played the game?¡± ¡°Three times.¡± Yan Qingwen smiled, ¡°The first playthrough was successful, and we received an item called the Self-Healing Bandage. The second game was too hard, and we used up five jigsaw puzzles. The third time was the luck-and-answer quiz. If this one also counts, then it¡¯s four.¡± Bai Youwei nodded deliberately: ¡°That¡¯s a bit short. It¡¯s better to go into the game more often. Practice makes perfect, and it saves you from being at a disadvantage in the future.¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t help saying: ¡°The games get sicker and sicker each time, yet we should go more often? What if we die before getting used to it?¡± Bai Youwei burst into laughter: ¡°Then I¡¯ll set up a tombstone for you. ¡®Here lies Li Li, who died suddenly in a certain year and month¡«¡¯¡± Li Li: He just shouldn¡¯t have asked. Chapter 249: 249 Reserve Three Pieces Chapter 249: 249 Reserve Three PiecesTranslator: 549690339 Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Our situation is not suitable for frequent game play. The doll games are mostly competitive, and going in inevitably leads to infighting. What matters now is to safely escort Li Li and the object in his possession to Shanghai.¡± He paused, then added, ¡°I hope nothing has happened in Shanghai.¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo asked him, ¡°If you¡¯re in a hurry to escort someone, why did you come to Hangzhou?¡± Yan Qingwen was silent for a moment. The others around him also fell silent. Shen Mo picked up a piece of firewood and threw it into the fireplace. The flames were suddenly suppressed, then suddenly flared back up, burning fiercely. ¡°Before we entered the fog, we did not know that there was a maze inside.¡± Yan Qingwen spoke again. ¡°After coming out of the maze, our physical abilities had upgraded and we obtained five puzzle pieces. We believed at that time that the puzzle pieces were the key to our research. Unexpectedly, in the subsequent game, we had to use up our game exemption of the puzzle pieces. Li Li is worried if the puzzle pieces, now devoid of their exemption, still hold enough research value to allow SCO researchers to crack the doll game?¡± ¡°So you went?¡± Tan Xiao asked incredulously. ¡°Just for a research sample? Wow, you guys are fearless!¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°We didn¡¯t expect the maze to change! We thought any place with fog would turn into a desert and that we could get the puzzle pieces as long as we got out of the desert. Who would¡¯ve known that the maze in Hangzhou would turn out like that!¡± The inertia of human thinking. If you find a box on the road, open it and find a pair of shoes inside, when you see a second box exactly the same, you would instinctively judge: there is a pair of shoes in the box. ¡°We were too hasty,¡± Yan Qingwen explained calmly. ¡°After our physical abilities were upgraded, we all got a bit too excited and neglected the maze numbers that the game system mentioned when settling the scores.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°The five puzzle pieces without the exemption are useless to you anyway. Why not give them to me?¡± Yan Qingwen was slightly startled, ¡± You want to collect the puzzle pieces?¡± Li Li was shocked. ¡°We don¡¯t even know how many pieces there are in total! How can we collect them?!¡± ¡°In life, we always need a goal,¡± Bai Youwei chuckled. Tan Xiao also chimed in, ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re useless to you guys anyway. Just give them to us~¡± Instinctively, Li Li clutched his pocket tightly, where the puzzle pieces were stored. The pieces were hard-won, and although they were indeed useless to them now it still hurt so much to part with them! ¡°If we can get out of here, we will give them to you.¡± Yan Qingwen said. ¡°Boss Yan!¡± Li Li and Su Man exclaimed almost simultaneously. Yan Qingwen waved his hand and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°It is indeed useless to us. As for research material, the three pieces from the Hangzhou maze are enough. If we can leave here, it can serve as a gift for our encounter.¡± Bai Youwei smiled slyly and glanced sideways at Pan Xiaoxin at her side, ¡°Xiaoxin, learn from it. This is true cunning ¨C don¡¯t spread out the hunting falcons till the hares appear. He¡¯s trying to curry favor while making an outright deal.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: Yan Qingwen smiled faintly, ¡°If you think it¡¯s not appropriate, we don¡¯t need to make this deal.¡± ¡°Sure, we should make a deal,¡± Bai Youwei smiled gleefully. ¡°As long as you take us out, we¡¯ll take those five puzzle pieces, and we¡¯d also like to reserve the other three pieces you have.¡± Yan Qingwen: Li Li couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°You are just too greedy ¡± ¡°Li Li.¡± Yan Qingwen stopped him, a gentle smile playing on his handsome face, ¡°This is a good thing, at least it shows Miss Bai has confidence.¡± Chapter 250: 250: The Sound of Music Chapter 250: 250: The Sound of MusicTranslator: 549690339 Su Man was unconvinced. ¡°What if we¡¯re the ones who get us out in the end? How should we count that?¡± ¡°How to count? Well perhaps I can give you my puzzle?¡± Bai Youwei took out a puzzle from her bag, spread it out in front of them, laying in her palm was three almost identical puzzle pieces. They had a silver-grey metallic texture, reflecting the flickering light from the fireplace, sparkling brilliantly. One piece was hers, another was Shen Mo¡¯s, and the last one had been snatched from Old Zhao. Su Man, Yan Qingwen, and Li Li were all taken aback. Especially Su Man. She had mentioned it offhandedly earlier, not really intending to ask for Bai Youwei¡¯s puzzle. Just as she was about to decline, Bai Youwei suddenly drew back her hand and put the puzzle back in her bag. ¡°There¡¯s no way I would give it to you.¡± Bai Youwei responded coldly,¡±On our last game, I didn¡¯t even charge you for helping you pass.¡± Su Man: Li Li: Unable to contain his laughter, Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°Are you sure you can pass? You must know that the Inspector didn¡¯t issue this Gold Coin for simple reasons. This game is incredibly difficult.¡± Bai Youwei hooked the corner of her lips and squinted at the leaping flames in the fireplace, ¡°Yes, I wonder if I can pass¡­¡± Unconsciously, she was starting to look forward to it If it were too easy, she would find it dull, Only on the line between life and death could she truly appreciate being alive. Therefore She was really looking forward to it. Their late-night discussion lasted until midnight. Everyone then gradually retired to their rooms to rest. Bai Youwei fell asleep by the fireplace. Shen Mo took the middle shift of the night, choosing to stay in the living room with her. When the time came to change shift around three am, Bai Youwei¡¯s hair was already dry. Shen Mo carried her upstairs to rest. Bai Youwei muttered something in her sleep before sinking back into his arms. That night, Shen Mo only slept for two to three hours but slept peacefully. The house seemed to have a certain magic that allowed everyone to let go of all their defenses and fears, resulting in a peaceful night¡¯s sleep until dawn. The first thing Shen Mo felt when he woke up the next morning was surprise. It was eerie to have slept so deeply in a strange environment. The next thing he realized was that the rain had stopped. The clear blue sky outside the window was spotless and cloud-free. The brilliant sunshine poured in, coating the dull wooden floor with a layer of golden glow, the wood grain rippling like gentle waves in water. Bai Youwei was laying with her head on his arm. Under the sunshine, her hair shone brightly, and even the tiny hairs on her skin visible were visible ¡ª pinkish, soft, her facial expression was mildly calm, devoid of the usual sarcasm and arrogance, only childlike innocence remained. She was lying sideways in his arms, her small hand resting on his chest, sleeping peacefully. Shen Mo watched her for a while, thinking about something she had said yesterday. ¡ªWould you sneak a kiss on me while I¡¯m asleep? Yesterday, he thought her thought pattern was unusual. Now that he thought about it, his breathing had unconsciously become gentle. He glanced at the beautiful morning light outside the window again, then swept his gaze over the quiet room. His gaze lowered and fell back on her face. The sound of his heartbeat was clear. He leaned in slightly, the tip of his nose brushing against the stray hair on her forehead, causing a slight tickling sensation. Her eyelashes fluttered, slowly opening her eyes. The light brown eyes, filled with a hint of drowsiness as if on the brink of falling back to sleep. Shen Mo quietly waited for a while, watching her clear eyes gradually awaken. He exhaled gently, reached out a hand and placed it on her forehead. She no longer had a fever. In her drowsiness, Bai Youwei muttered, ¡°Did you hear I think there¡¯s music playing?¡± Music? Shen Mo furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier, but now, he thought he actually heard it¡­ A faint sound of music, almost inaudible, with a soft tinkling like a music box. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 251: 251 Dedicated to Alice Chapter 251: 251 Dedicated to AliceTranslator: 549690339 Without having a chance to wash up, Shen Mo got up hastily and went downstairs, bumping into Su Man, Zhu Shu, Pan Xiaoxin, and Chang Weicai at the front door who had also heard the music. ¡°What¡¯s making that noise?¡± ¡°Not sure, it seems to be coming from downstairs.¡± They quickly exchanged a few words and went downstairs together, where they saw Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, and Li Li. All three were leaning against tables or lying against the wall, having just been roused from sleep. Shen Mo was bewildered. These three were the ones who kept watch during the last night shift, but looking at them now, had all of them fallen asleep?! People coming out of special forces shouldn¡¯t have such a lack of alertness! The only answer was that there was some force at play, causing these three people to fall into an unconscious sleep! Just like he had last night! On thinking about this, he felt tense. This situation was awful. In such a large room, with ten people, not one person was awake. This was too alarming! Yan Qingwen¡¯s face also wore a look of disbelief, evidently also realizing his unusual behavior. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He looked around the room, glancing towards the front door in response to the sound, questioning, ¡°What noise is that?¡± The music seemed to come from outside the door. ¡°We don¡¯t know. We just heard it.¡± Zhu Shu stopped on the stairs, looking uncertainly at the door, ¡°The sound isn¡¯t loud but I don¡¯t know why Su Man and I were awoken by this music almost simultaneously.¡± Lun Ang frowned, ¡°Why did music suddenly start playing? Where did it come from?¡± He walked to the window, trying to peer through it to see if there was anything at the front door. However, within his limited field of view, he didn¡¯t find any suspicious persons or items. Everyone looked at each other in shocked disbelief. The music was beautiful and captivating, lively and soothing, a common tune called ¡°F¨¹r Elise¡± played frequently in music boxes. Yet, in the current situation, it sounded out of place, hauntingly eerie like some requiem. Yan Qingwen was pondering over who should be assigned to open the door. Shen Mo thought of Bai Youwei who was alone in the bedroom, and unable to set his mind at ease, returned to carry her out and set her on the wheelchair near the stairs. Bai Youwei was never in a good mood when she woke up early. She glanced at everyone, asking with annoyance, ¡°What are you all standing around for? Open the door.¡± Lun Ang thought for a moment and, leveraging his tall and robust stature, went to open the door with confidence. Yan Qingwen stopped him halfway. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yan Qingwen handed Lun Ang a piece of firewood to serve as a weapon for self-defense. Seeing this, everyone held their breath and quieted down, their faces tense as all eyes turned to the door. Lun Ang gripped the rough piece of firewood in his hand, stared at the door, and began advancing slowly. Slowly Steadily Closer and closer The music was still playing. Just as he gathered his nerves to reach for the door handle, Bai Youwei lost patience and snapped, ¡°It¡¯s so freaking noisy, who¡¯s that outside!¡± Lun Ang staggered! And just then, the music stopped! A childish yet familiar voice echoed from outside the door¡ª ¡°Aha~ Hello everyone! I am the game inspector for this round. It seems that you¡¯ve all got up, may I come in now?¡± Everyone: What the heck was happening! They could even knock the door??? And they even responded to the knock!!! Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t you come in by yourself? Do we need to invite you in?¡± The voice outside didn¡¯t show any signs of rush or frustration and seemed to chuckle: ¡°Hey hey~ Because of the peculiarities of this game, without the permission of the doll house owner, no one can enter, even if I¡¯m the inspector~¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Huh, then stay outside forever.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good either, if I don¡¯t come in, the game can¡¯t start, if it doesn¡¯t start, it can¡¯t end, if the game doesn¡¯t end, you can¡¯t get out Do you want to stay in the doll house forever?¡± Chapter 252: 252: The Late Inspector Chapter 252: 252: The Late InspectorTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei bluntly shouted at the door: ¡°It¡¯s none of your business whether I want to stay here or not. Just wait outside for now!¡± Su Man stared in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re seriously not letting it in? The game can¡¯t start if the Inspector doesn¡¯t come in!¡± ¡°Did I say it couldn¡¯t come in?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°The question is, do you think now is the right time? What¡¯s the point of letting it in? To start the game? Are you even prepared? You haven¡¯t washed your face or brushed your teeth! What¡¯s the rush?¡± Su Man blushed at her words, biting her lower lip. She was furious but couldn¡¯t argue back. Bai Youwei curled her lips, saying: ¡°I don¡¯t care. I need to wash up first. I also need to drink water, eat something, go to the bathroom I haven¡¯t even combed my hair. I can¡¯t let it in!¡± ¡°Qingwen,¡± Su Man said angrily, turning to Yan Qingwen. Yan Qingwen glanced at Bai Youwei and said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s do as she suggests. We indeed need to make some preparations before the game starts.¡± Frustrated, Su Man stormed upstairs. Zhu Shu thought for a moment and followed her up. Mr. Cheng was the first to rush to the kitchen to make instant noodles, hoping everyone could fill their stomachs before the game started. Everyone else scattered, some to freshen up, some to find handy weapons. With the game not yet started and everyone knowing little about the content of the game, the preparations they could make were also limited, they could only do their best to adjust their conditions. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone was busy, and they all ended up eating a thin noodle soup in the dining room, barely feeling ¡°full¡±. Throughout the whole process, the Inspector actually stayed outside the whole time, playing ¡°F¨¹r Elise¡± over and over again. The originally pleasant melody had turned into ¡°noise¡± after countless repeats, it was terribly annoying, made people nauseous, and their ears almost calloused. When everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and was fully prepared, Bai Youwei finally agreed to let the Inspector in. A click was heard from the door. No one needed to open the door as it opened by itself. A music box with a circular top and square bottom appeared in front of everyone? The main body of the music box was a square box with a white background and gold edges, decorated with a common rose pattern, and one side had a gold winding key. A decorative crystal ball was on top of the square box. It was the kind of glass ball that would ¡°snow¡± if you shook it. ¡°Why is it you guys?!¡± the music box suddenly raised its voice. More precisely, it was the ball on top of the music box that was talking. ¡°I remember you! You stabbed my frog¡¯s belly! You bad man!¡± The voice of the crystal ball was agitated, paused for a second, then forcibly suppressed its emotions and said: ¡°But don¡¯t worry, as the Inspector, I will preside over the game fairly and impartially, and will not take the opportunity to seek revenge, making it intentionally difficult for you~¡± The ending tone of its words showed its schadenfreude nature. Everyone looked at each other. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei naturally recognized it; the childish voice, coupled with this spherical shape, how could they not be familiar? Tan Xiao also recognized it, expressing his surprise: ¡°So the Inspector can change shape? It¡¯s not a golden ball this time!¡± ¡°I can be any ball!¡± the crystal ball said cheerfully and proudly, ¡°Golden ball, silver ball, iron ball, wooden ball, fireball, ice ball, crystal ball~ any ball in the world!¡± It floated into the room contentedly, landing on a cabinet by the wall. Its ball body was crystal clear, with fine snow swirling inside, making it look beautiful. ¡°Can you transform into a soccer ball?¡± Tan Xiao asked. ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°And a basketball?¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s a ball, it¡¯s possible. The perfect sphere is the most perfect shape in the entire universe!¡± it said happily. ¡°So, as long as it¡¯s a ball, you can transform into it? Um uh ¡± Tan Xiao pondered, ¡°Can you transform into a football (rugby)?¡± The crystal ball seemed insulted and yelled: ¡°I keep saying that a perfect sphere is the most perfect shape in the universe! You are still talking about football (rugby)! Is football (rugby) round?!¡± Chapter 253: 253: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Without Winter Chapter 253: 253: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Without WinterTranslator: 549690339 Tan Xiao, feeling guilty under its questioning, whispered to the teacher beside him, ¡°Isn¡¯t the rugby ball round?¡± Upon hearing this, Li Li disdained, ¡°Of course, a rugby ball is olive-shaped!¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback, immediately puffed up his chest and said to the Crystal Ball, ¡°Did you hear that? It¡¯s olive-shaped! Isn¡¯t an olive round? You think I¡¯ve never seen an olive before!¡± Li Li was speechless, ¡°An olive is elliptical! Elliptical!¡± Tan Xiao was angry and looked at him, ¡°Which side are you on?!¡± Li Li was furious, ¡°This TM has nothing to do with which side I stand on!¡± Crystal Ball: It was silent for a few seconds, murmuring disdainfully, ¡°Such a level of player could survive until now this is truly a miracle in the data world ¡± Bai Youwei also joined in the fun, ¡°The Dung Beetle also pushes a ball~¡± Ball: Everyone: Tan Xiao: ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH *burp*!!!¡± He laughed crazily for a while, noticing everyone else was not laughing, he stopped, opened his eyes wide and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you laughing? Don¡¯t you find it funny? It¡¯s shit! It¡¯s shit¨C¡± ¡°Laugh~ Laugh~~ Laughter will be the prelude to your suffering.¡± the Crystal Ball hummed coldly, ¡°Now let¡¯s start the game hey, the guy who was laughing stupidly, come here.¡± Tan Xiao asked in a daze, ¡°What for?¡± The Crystal Ball twisted, and the snowflake inside floated, ¡°Hey, do you see my winding key? Come and turn it a few times, then we can start announcing the game rules.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°Why do I need to wind it? It¡¯s so troublesome, just tell me the rules directly!¡± ¡°It¡¯s called a sense of ritual! Do you understand the sense of ritual?!¡± The Crystal Ball said irritably, ¡°You players just won¡¯t cooperate! Not at all!!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Yan Qingwen stepped forward, grasped the winding key on the side of the music box, and turned it several times. He let go, the golden winding key slowly turned and a soothing melody began to play¨C Ding ding dong dong Ding ding dong dong With the ethereal music, a childish voice recited a joyful nursery rhyme: ¡°Spring Bear wakes up, It lost two children and is really anxious; The summer rain is so heavy, It¡¯s pitch black and the treasure is nowhere to be found; Who came in the autumn? Look, why does the Nail Tooth Monster open its mouth to reveal no teeth? Winter, finally winter is here~ Which child will see Snowflake?¡± As the nursery rhyme ended, so did the music. The Crystal Ball spoke again: ¡°The theme of this game is ¡®Dollhouse¡¯, the rules are very simple. Every 8 hours, the season will change. In spring, summer, and autumn, the dollhouse will receive three guests accordingly. The players need to meet each guest¡¯s needs. When winter comes, the game will end. Be aware that if a guest¡¯s needs aren¡¯t met, time will remain in the season corresponding to that guest.¡± The Crystal Ball laughed, and the snowflake inside it fluttered about. ¡°You understand now, right? If winter doesn¡¯t come, none of you can leave~¡± Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°What are the needs of the guests?¡± The Crystal Ball chuckled, didn¡¯t answer him directly, but recited the nursery rhyme again: ¡°Spring Bear wakes up, It lost two children and is really anxious; The summer rain is so heavy, It¡¯s pitch black and the treasure is nowhere to be found; Who came in the autumn? Look, why does the Nail Tooth Monster open its mouth to reveal no teeth? Winter, finally winter is here~ Which child will see Snowflake?¡± Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment, went to the side, and picked up a stuffed bear on the ground. ¡°The bear in the spring lost its children, so, is the guest a bear? And its need is to find its own child?¡± Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 254: 254: The Bear in Spring Chapter 254: 254: The Bear in SpringTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Aha~ You are a smart player.¡± The Crystal Ball chuckled, ¡°And I am an excellent and responsible Inspector, so I can¡¯t give you anymore hints~¡± Li Li asked with an unhappy look on his face, ¡°If the toy bear is the bear¡¯s child, what about the treasure of summer? We¡¯ve turned this house upside down and haven¡¯t found anything that could be considered a treasure.¡± ¡°It appears to be a scavenger hunt. If the corresponding item isn¡¯t found, the guest won¡¯t leave and the Doll House will remain in a certain season.¡± Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment before asking the Inspector, ¡°If we get it wrong, will there be a penalty?¡± The Ball replied, ¡°Of course! If you upset the guest, they will throw a tantrum!¡± At this point, the Ball seemed particularly excited, and its Snowflake special effect fluttered more lightheartedly. ¡°The first time an incorrect item is found, the guest will throw a tantrum for 1 minute! The second time, 3 minutes! The third time ¨C a full 5 minutes! Trust me, there won¡¯t be a fourth time, because no player can withstand 5 minutes of their tantrum! ¡ª¡± The last sentence was purposely drawn out, resembling a villainous character in an anime. After successfully turning a few player¡¯s faces white, the Ball seemed quite satisfied. Apart from the snowflakes fluttering, its built-in little colored lights also intermittently brightened and twinkled. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged glances. After a moment of silence, Bai Youwei asked an unrelated question: ¡°Why did you come only now? Is the Inspector short-staffed?¡± The Crystal Ball shook head, mimicking the action, ¡°Each Inspector¡¯s avatar count is not less than 99, enough to manage every game. What¡¯s more, the recent decline in the number of online players will make our work less busy in the future~¡± ¡°Avatar? As in a clone?¡± Shen Mo asked. ¡°Clone?¡± The Ball paused, then laughed out loud, ¡°Hahaha, it seems like humans with only one body find it hard to understand the existence of multiple bodies! In fact, I also don¡¯t understand why you only evolved one body? Doesn¡¯t that make things inefficient?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not being efficient either.¡± Bai Youwei retorted coolly, ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because this game is running for the first time, there are many things to debug, the early stage work is very tedious~¡± The Inspector Ball, without a sense of any wrongdoing, cheerfully said: ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start the game now! ~ I will guide and give you hints throughout the game, you just need to wind my spring! ~ Ah ah ah, so excited, it¡¯s the Doll House¡¯s first start!¡± Its colored lights twinkled, its snowflakes danced, and it recited: ¡°The Spring Bear is awake, it is very worried about losing two children ¡± As its voice trailed off, a bear¡¯s roar suddenly came from outside the house! Everyone: There¡¯s really a bear? A brown-gray bear slowly climbed the hillside, its body large and sturdy, with thick fur, and bear paws as big as a human head! The bear at this moment stood upright on the hillside, over 2 meters tall! So fierce, yet with a red bow around its neck! It¡¯s as if it walked straight out of a circus. In its left paw, it carried a bucket containing several fishes. Everyone looked at the bear outside the window and were momentarily speechless. The bear wobbled to the front door, looking rather foolish, then squatted down, lifted its paw, and knocked on the door. Bang, bang! Everyone looked at each other. ¡°¡­Should we give it the toy bear now?¡± Li Li looked at everyone¡¯s expressions, then turned to Yan Qingwen, ¡°Yan bro, if we give it the toy bear, would this round be over, and then we¡¯ll enter summer?¡± Yan Qingwen mused, ¡°Each season lasts for 8 hours, there¡¯s no rush, let¡¯s look around the house first.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 255: 255: Magical or Not Chapter 255: 255: Magical or NotTranslator: 549690339 Out of the ten people present, everyone minus Bai Youwei, who was handicapped started rummaging through the house. The house was filled with countless dolls. Although finding them was a relatively easy task, they soon unearthed a huge pile of teddy bears of various colors, materials, and shapes¡ª Big and small, fat and thin, ones with pants or hats, all types were found. ¡°Look at this one, it¡¯s like the bear outside!¡± Zhu Shu pulled one out of the pile of dolls. It was a brown stuffed bear with a bow at the collar. The bow was identical to the one on the bear outside, both were red with black polka dots. ¡°The Spring Bear has awoken. It has lost its two cubs and is truly anxious There should be one more bear like this,¡± Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, ¡°Everyone look again. Is there another toy bear with a red and black dotted bow?¡± Everyone was busy looking for the bear. Drawers, wardrobes, wall cabinets, storage boxes, underneath beds, behind doors, inside the attic¡ªeven the chimney was not spared! They found different types of bears, but none wore a red and black dotted bow! ¡°Brother Yan, these are all the bears we could find.¡± ¡°Could we have been wrong? Perhaps it doesn¡¯t necessarily have to wear a bow?¡± ¡°But the bears without bows make up for more than forty. The range is too large; we can¡¯t confirm this way.¡± ¡°What about ones with bows? Here we have blue bows, black bows, pink bows¡­¡± ¡°That would also result in dozens ¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve searched every possible place, what do we do now?¡± The group discussed in a clamor, checking the toy bears time and time again. Bai Youwei, having nothing to do, rolled her wheelchair over to the window to look at the bear outside. The bear was still there. It crouched motionless at the door, its massive, hulking figure resembling a mountain of meat. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If a beast of this magnitude ran wild, every single person or even the house would likely suffer severe damages. Luckily it was not coming in yet, giving them enough time to prepare. As the Inspector said, without the toy house owner¡¯s permission, no one could enter. Owner of the Toy House¡­ Bai Youwei mused, finding this detail interesting. Then, Shen Mo came down from upstairs, his hands empty, unable to find anything. He came over to take a sip of water and said, staring out the window, ¡°Each season changes after 8 hours, so the seasons of Spring, Summer, and Autumn take up 24 hours, a full day. But we can¡¯t be searching for things non-stop, there¡¯s no food here, and the longer we stay, the less favourable it is for us.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve just started, let¡¯s take it slow.¡± Bai Youwei remarked nonchalantly as she watched the bear. Being wheelchair-bound, she knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to contribute much to the search. ¡°Brother Yan! Look at this!¡± Li Li suddenly shouted from upstairs. The few people downstairs turned to look as Li Li came downstairs, carrying a model of a pirate ship, with Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai following him. The ship model was about the length of an adult¡¯s forearm, with skull heads the size of a pinky fingernail, along with wood-carved food and gems painted neatly. It looked pretty convincing. ¡°This must be the treasure, right?¡± Li Li placed the ship model on the dining table and said, panting, ¡°When the guest from summer comes, this will come in handy.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at the ship model, slightly nodding, he asked him, ¡°Who found it?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Li Li looked a little uncomfortable. He glanced to the side, ¡± and Tan Xiao.¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t think much of it and straightforwardly said, ¡°We were up in the attic searching for the bear and found a huge whale stuffed animal! When we lifted it, it was pretty heavy! A plush toy shouldn¡¯t weight this much, right? So, we cut open its belly! Wow besides the stuffing, there was this big ship! Magical, isn¡¯t it!¡± Chapter 256: 256 Red Ribbon Chapter 256: 256 Red RibbonTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei chuckled, asking, ¡°Tan Xiao, were you guys playing in the attic just now?¡± Tan Xiao pondered for a moment, claiming seriously: ¡°I misspoke earlier, it should be research! We found this whale, and while examining it, something didn¡¯t feel right, so we found this ship!¡± Bai Youwei wheeled herself over and closely examined the ship model, ¡°Hmm It looks like a pirate ship loaded with treasure that unfortunately sank to the bottom of the sea and into the belly of a whale. If viewed this way, it indeed matches the ambiance of a ¡®treasure¡¯.¡± ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± Yan Qingwen asked her. Compared to others, Yan Qingwen attached more importance to Bai Youwei¡¯s reactions and attitudes. Not only due to Bai Youwei¡¯s calmness during the lucky quiz, but also because of the trust that Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, and Chang Weicai have towards her. However, the Bai Youwei at that moment was languid and careless, lightly shaking her head and remarking: ¡°No, I just feel the nursery rhyme, it seems a bit too simple.¡± Yan Qingwen: ¡°Simple?¡± ¡°As simple as an exam that directly tells you the answers, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Bai Youwei leaned on her hand as she gazed out of the window, murmuring, ¡°The old man in the grey robe brought us in, obviously with a vindictive intent, so there must be something wrong with this game.¡± There must surely exist a trap she had yet to discover or notice. She needs to think it over from the beginning. Spring Bear woke up, it lost two children and is really worried Now they found a pile of bear ¡°children¡±, but among the toy bears similar to the mother bear they found outside, there is only one, why? ¡°Could it be this one?¡± Su Man picked out one from the pile of teddy bears, took off its tiny boots, removed its small hat, and placed it next to the one Zhu Shu found. They looked almost identical, both being brownish-grey. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chang Weicai sighed, ¡°But this toy bear doesn¡¯t have a bow.¡± Everyone was worried. After a moment of silence, Pan Xiaoxin asked hesitantly, ¡°What if we borrowed a bow from another toy? Would that count?¡± Everyone was stunned, then looked towards Pan Xiaoxin. ¡°Xiaoxin, have you seen other toys wearing this kind of bow?¡± Pan Xiaoxin pointed to the other side of the living room, ¡°A plush monkey over there has a red bow tied to its tail. The style is similar to this one.¡± To prove his point, Pan Xiaoxin quickly ran to the corner of the wall and dug out a plush monkey from a pile of stuffed toys. Everyone¡¯s hope was ignited. But when Pan Xiaoxin brought the monkey back, disappointment washed over their faces. The bow on the monkey¡¯s tail wasn¡¯t red with black polka dots, but plain red. Zhu Shu compared the two bows, they were very similar in size and style, the only thing missing were the black polka dots. While contemplating, Pan Xiaoxin spoke again: ¡°There is a black marker in the small study room upstairs. We can draw the polka dots ourselves.¡± Nobody spoke for a moment. A child¡¯s approach can sometimes be surprisingly straightforward. Even though adults are used to the constraints of the adult world, it¡¯s hard for them to return to their original innocence. It¡¯s not that adults can¡¯t think of the same solution, but rather they¡¯re either afraid to think about it, or avoid thinking about it as much as possible. They¡¯re cautious and circumspect, unwilling to oppose the rules they are familiar with. ¡°Is this considered cheating?¡± Lun Ang frowned, ¡°If the bear isn¡¯t satisfied, according to the Inspector, it will ¡®rage¡¯.¡± The indoor space is limited. If a raging beast were to be let loose, no matter where the ten of them would hide, someone would definitely get hurt. Chapter 257: 257: Need to do Needlework Chapter 257: 257: Need to do NeedleworkTranslator: 549690339 Xiaoxin¡¯s face was tiny and tensely creased, particularly serious. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In truth, he was also not sure in his heart, but now he could not find the same type of bow tie, whether this plan could truly work, he had no certainties at all. Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment, then said: ¡°Let¡¯s do this, we¡¯ll search again, if we still can¡¯t find a bear wearing a red bow tie, nor can we find this type of red bow tie, we¡¯ll attempt Xiaoxin¡¯s method.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. Bai Youwei said: ¡°The method to clear this stage should have a unique characteristic. If we can draw black dots on the red bow tie with a black pen to make it work, then wouldn¡¯t a homemade bow tie cut from a red fabric also work? While you are searching, you could concurrently look for fabrics of the same color; for instance, red furniture covers or red doll clothes.¡± ¡°There should be quite a few, I saw several fluffy dolls wearing red earlier.¡± Lun Ang stated. Even Teacher Cheng chimed in: ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen similar fabrics in the kitchen.¡± Once again, everyone spread out to search, but after a circuit of searching, they still gained nothing. Though in their memories an abundance of dolls with bow ties and red clothes existed, upon actual search they found that either the color pattern was incorrect, or the fabric was wrong. Some red was too deep, some red was too pale; some red was purplish, some red was orangey; and some were the correct red but had chequered patterns. Then there was also the problem with fabric. For example, silk and velvet have completely different textures. Even if you were to cut them out and make them into bow ties, the shapes would be very different. Everyone regrouped in the downstairs dining room, where there were two bears set on the dining table. As well as a sewing kit. Yan Qingwen said: ¡°It appears this method complies with the characteristic of uniqueness, we may try it. Who is good at handicrafts here?¡± We need to remove the bow tie from the monkey¡¯s tail, draw black dots of similar size onto it, and finally stitch it neatly in place on the small bear¡¯s collar. This is something that most men cannot do. Zhu Shu looked at everyone, ¡± If none of you are confident, I can give it a try.¡± Li Li asked: ¡°Zhu Shu, do you know how to sew?¡± Zhu Shu: ¡°I can manage to sew things together simply, but I am not able to do anything more complicated.¡± After she finished speaking she smiled lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t speculate from my current state, but when I was studying, I used to score really well in handicraft.¡± Everyone had no objections. Zhu Shu took the scissors, attentively detached the bow tie from the monkey¡¯s tail, then compared it to the other bear, and slowly drew black dots There was just this one red bow tie in the entire room, so she couldn¡¯t make a single error as it would result in wasted efforts. Before anyone realized, Zhu Shu¡¯s forehead was dotted with fine sweat, and her hand was a bit shaky. After thinking for a bit, Yan Qingwen said softly: ¡°We shouldn¡¯t all crowd here, let¡¯s disperse, and let her do it slowly by herself.¡± Zhu Shu was slightly startled, then gratefully smiled at Yan Qingwen. Everyone else also realized belatedly that sticking around here wouldn¡¯t help, and would only make Zhu Shu more nervous. However, the room was so small that there was nowhere to hide. Some people went upstairs to see if they could find any additional clues related to summer or autumn. Having already combed through the areas that could be searched, Shen Mo did not think another search would make any difference. He stayed on the first floor, pulled up a chair, and sat down next to Bai Youwei to rest. Yan Qingwen also came over, stood by the window, and looked outside at the mother bear waiting quietly. ¡°A two-and-a-half-story building, a complete search should take no more than two hours, but the time set by the game system is a full 8 hours. Even after finding the correct item, we must wait for these 8 hours to pass before we can proceed into the next season What do you think is the reason for this?¡± ¡°To make us more restless ¡± Shen Mo said lightly, ¡°To create more doubt and uncertainty.¡± Chapter 258: 258 – How’s My Game? Chapter 258: 258 ¨C How¡¯s My Game?Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°We are the masters of the dollhouse, and they are the guests of the dollhouse. As masters, we entertain our guests If we take the wrong item and provoke the guests, we will have to face their rampage.¡± She seemed thoughtful, her gaze falling on the music box on the cabinet. The Crystal Ball noticed her gaze and gave a light shake, ¡°Hey, why are you looking at me?¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Nothing much, I just find that nursery rhyme catchy. Can I listen to it again?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The ball responded generously, ¡°Just come and wind the spring.¡± Shen Mo walked over, picked up the music box and gave it a few turns. The music followed, along with that nursery rhyme- Spring Bear is awake, it lost two children and is really in a rush; The summer rain is heavy, It¡¯s pitch black and the treasure can¡¯t be seen; Who came in the autumn? Look, the Nail Tooth Monster is toothless when it opens its mouth? Winter, winter is finally here Which child will see the snowflake? Listening to it again, Bai Youwei¡¯s confusion remained unresolved. She rested her chin in her hand and muttered, ¡°Strange why is it so simple ?¡± Yan Qingwen glanced at her, ¡°Spring is about finding the bear¡¯s children, summer is about finding treasure, the Autumn Nail Tooth Monster has no teeth; literally it should mean finding teeth, but we don¡¯t know what the Nail Tooth Monster is yet, so we¡¯ll ignore the teeth for now. The last sentence, ¡®which child will see the snowflake¡¯, should mean which player will survive until winter.¡± ¡°If we take it all literally, indeed there are no obvious challenges.¡± Shen Mo looked around, ¡°Unless what we are looking for is not in this house.¡± Bai Youwei frowned and looked at the Crystal Ball, ¡°Are you sure what we¡¯re looking for is in this house? If it¡¯s out of scope, there must be hints, otherwise it would be breaking the rules.¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s in this house!¡± The Crystal Ball huffed proudly, ¡°Every game designed by the inspectors is absolutely fair and just! How could it possibly be designed to prevent players from passing? Am I really that bad?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°You are.¡± The Crystal Ball jumped! It jumped half a meter high, as if it was infuriated! ¡°You player are crossing the line! If I was so bad, do you think the people last time would have passed safely?!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°If you weren¡¯t so bad, we wouldn¡¯t have had to hold out until the ninth round to pass.¡± Ball: Yan Qingwen said: ¡°So, you¡¯ve met before?¡± ¡°What, haven¡¯t you?¡± Bai Youwei was intrigued, and asked him curiously, ¡°You¡¯ve also passed the game, which Inspectors have you met?¡± Yan Qingwen said: ¡°The first Inspector we met, had a rabbit¡¯s head, looked like a gentleman, but sounded like a lady. The second Inspector we met was very tall.¡± ¡°Was he blond and blue-eyed, looked like an out-of-date character from a 1980s girls¡¯ comic, and had particularly long arms and legs, like a noodle man?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Yan Qingwen laughed, nodding, ¡°I haven¡¯t read girls¡¯ comics, so I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s similar, but he did have blonde hair and blue eyes.¡± ¡°That guy has a lot of tricks, likes to drive people into a corner.¡± Shen Mo frowned slightly, seemingly repulsed, ¡°I hope we don¡¯t run into him again.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s quite interesting, very innovative.¡± Bai Youwei said with a smiling face, ¡°The one I don¡¯t want to meet again is the Gray Robe Monster, his games are so boring, and so rudimentary.¡± ¡°The Rabbit Head¡¯s game is actually not bad, the rules are simple and crude, there¡¯s not so many twists and turns.¡± Yan Qingwen commented. Bai Youwei agreed: ¡°Yes, the simpler the rules are, the more they challenge the balance of the game, and the Rabbit Head is much cuter than the others.¡± Unknowingly, the three began to discuss which Inspector¡¯s game was better. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Crystal Ball, having listened to their conversation, couldn¡¯t contain itself and asked, ¡°What about me, what about me? How about my game?¡± Chapter 259: 259 Unfavorable Impression Chapter 259: 259 Unfavorable ImpressionTranslator: 549690339 The three of them looked at it. With gentle courtesy, Yan Qingwen merely smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯ve just met. It¡¯s not fair to judge.¡± Bai Youwei candidly replied, ¡°I¡¯m not impressed.¡± Shen Mo also said, ¡°I don¡¯t like pranks.¡± The sphere angrily responded, ¡°You ignorant humans! My game has the lowest completion rate, the largest coverage, and the most data among all the doll games ..¡± Getting to this point, it was stumped, recollecting the rabbit man¡¯s comment about the game data being too singular Unconsciously, its voice trailed off, expressing a slight air of guilt. There was a two-second silence before the sphere let out a loud snort! ¡°Humph! Anyway ..you guys just don¡¯t appreciate quality!¡± Meanwhile, Zhu Shu, having finished the bows, shouted from the dining room, ¡°Does this look acceptable to you?¡± Everyone hustled over. The three left the inspector be and headed towards the dining table. Two small fluffy bears sat upon the walnut dining table. Brownish-grey fabric, black eyes and noses, with a bow at their necks that had a red base with black dots. They were almost identical. Li Li exclaimed, ¡°Not bad at all Zhu Shu, you¡¯ve done a good job!¡± Su Man twitched her mouth, sarcasm dripping from her words, ¡°It¡¯s just sewing on a bow, nothing so skilled¡­¡± Yan Qingwen picked one up and inspected it, then looked at the others, ¡°I think it¡¯s acceptable. What about you all?¡± Everyone took turns inspecting the teddy bears. Zhu Shu watched everyone¡¯s expressions nervously while biting her lip. This was their only chance, and she didn¡¯t want to be the one to mess it all up. When no one objected, Zhu Shu, who had the most tense look on her face, clenched her fist and asked in a dry and raspy voice, ¡°So do we open the door now?¡± Yan Qingwen turned to Shen Mo, asking for his opinion with a look. Shen Mo thought for a moment and stated, ¡°If we¡¯re wrong, the guest might go berserk. To be safe, I believe the elderly, children, and women should go upstairs and find a place to hide.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded: ¡°That would be wise.¡± Su Man frowned, ¡°I¡¯ll stay. Let Li Li go upstairs, he¡¯s useless.¡± ¡°Su Man!¡± Li Li¡¯s face turned red, ¡°I am, after all, a man. Can you at least respect that?¡± Su Man gave him a glance, surprisingly her words were not filled with temper this time, ¡°Li Li, I admit you¡¯re smart, but this is not the time to be stubborn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going upstairs either.¡± Bai Youwei said. Everyone looked at her. Bai Youwei said calmly: ¡°I¡¯d be better off staying downstairs. Sitting in a wheelchair, no matter where I hide, it won¡¯t be suitable. I¡¯ll stay in the storage room on the first floor.¡± The storage room was right next to the stairs, a very small room with no windows, piled haphazardly with brooms, dustpans, mops, old cartons, a ladder, and other miscellaneous things. Shen Mo opened the door of the storage room, and the musty smell of dust hit them. He frowned, then turned to look at Bai Youwei behind him: ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face was expressionless, ¡°Just here.¡± Shen Mo looked at her for a moment, then went into the storage room. He moved out some cartons that were taking up too much space and made room for the wheelchair. Chang Weicai took Pan Xiaoxin and Zhu Shu upstairs to find hiding places. Though their bodies had been upgraded through the maze, they possessed neither the skills nor the experience to defend themselves or fight. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Six people were left in the living room on the first floor. Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Su Man, Li Li, Shen Mo, and Tan Xiao. They each prepared, ready to welcome the first guest of the Doll House. Su Man brandished her whip she took from behind her waist. As Tan Xiao didn¡¯t bring his baseball bat, he had to pick up a chunk of firewood to wield in his hand as a weapon. Li Li also picked up a stick, and lit one end in the fireplace¡­ Bai Youwei motioned Shen Mo from behind the partially ajar door. Shen Mo walked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She grabbed his hand gently, and whispered, ¡°The rabbit is charging. If anything happens, I¡¯ll have it help you¡­¡± Chapter 260: 260: In Madness Chapter 260: 260: In MadnessTranslator: 549690339 Ever since he participated in the lucky Q&A, the rabbit¡¯s battery had been almost drained. Placing the rabbit on the turntable for the last few rounds of questions was merely an intimidation tactic. Now that they¡¯ve discovered the house has electricity, Bai Youwei will not miss this opportunity to charge. She¡¯d left the rabbit near the fireplace throughout the night. It might have seemed like she was drying it, but in fact there was a socket on the wall. Charging from noon yesterday till this morning meant it wasn¡¯t fully charged, but it should be enough to deal with the bear outside. The only problem was how to control the current so as not to harm others. Bai Youwei took a quick look at the indoor environment. If it were a living space, the size of the house was just right and cozy. But if they had to fight a monster, the space was too cramped Too cramped; whether to attack or dodge, there wasn¡¯t enough room to maneuver. Shen Mo was also considering this issue, he reminded Bai Youwei, ¡°Don¡¯t attack when you¡¯re not at a safe distance.¡± Bai Youwei nodded in understanding. Shen Mo quietly closed the storage room door, then stood to the right of Yan Qingwen, while Lun Ang stood on his left. Yan Qingwen held the two bear cubs standing two meters from the door. Tan Xiao guarded the stairs, Li Li was next to the drapes, and Su Man stood the furthest away, staring at the door with a whip in hand. Everyone was ready, just waiting for the bear to come in Yan Qingwen¡¯s heart sank and he addressed the door, ¡°Guest, please come in.¡± The door creaked open. Bai Youwei peeked out from the crack of the storage room door¡ª The sow was leisurely walking in, looking like a circus bear, moving its head from side to side, a picture of innocence. Yan Qingwen cautiously handed over the bear cubs. The mother bear slightly bowed her body, her eyes on him. After about two or three seconds, she parted the fur of her cheeks, revealed her shiny teeth, and growled Suddenly, the bear erupted! It raised its neck and let out a roar! It was unclear what had angered it, but the massive creature charged directly at Yan Qingwen with an overwhelming force! Yan Qingwen reacted swiftly, avoiding the charge on the side! The wooden floor behind him instantly shattered! Under the ferocious impact of the bear¡¯s paw, the floor was as fragile as foam! Bai Youwei saw this and her heart skipped a beat. ¡ªWhy didn¡¯t it work?! By then, Yan Qingwen had already dashed towards the living room without thinking! The thundering impacts behind him continued as the bear relentlessly pursued! ¡°Stall for time!¡± Yan Qingwen shouted! A bear in rage can only last for one minute! They just needed to survive 60 seconds to be safe! Boom! The wooden coffee table was crushed by the enormous creature. Yan Qingwen dodged to the window, and the bear missed again! It was even more furious! Seeing Li Li near the fireplace, it let out another roar and went to pounce on him! Li Li paled with fright, and raised a burning log in front of him, waving it and shouting, ¡°Come, come on! Come on!¡± The raging bear was not afraid of fire at all! Lun Ang and Shen Mo grabbed a tablecloth from either corner and netted the sow, quickly switching positions to cross the bear¡¯s path and prevent it from attacking! However, the bear¡¯s strength took everyone by surprise! Its sharp claws tore through the tablecloth like a piece of paper! Pillar¡ª The beast broke free, its huge paw slapped into Li Li! He and the log he was holding were thrown against the wall and fell heavily! He coughed up blood and passed out right there. ¡°Li Li!!!¡± Su Man swung her whip at it! But a whip is not suitable for close-quarters combat. With too many obstacles, the cabinets and tables around them affected the angle and power of the whip. This whip didn¡¯t even phase the bear. The log Li Li had struck before he fell had¡ª Sparks from the log landed on the thick fur, emitting a smell of burning hair, quickly snuffed out. It didn¡¯t harm the bear at all! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 261: 261: Still in Shock Chapter 261: 261: Still in ShockTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei was anxious in the storage room. The rabbit could project electricity within two meters, but right now the distance was inadequate, and she could not lend a hand! She indeed could order the rabbit to get close to the bear, but the bear remained in a berserk state, making it impossible for the rabbit to keep up, and she still needed to take into account the distance of others! Electrical shock was different from other attacks, if she made a mistake, the consequences would be irreversible. By now, everyone had realized the extraordinary strength of this mother bear, each of them were spreading out to distract its attention! With no suitable weapons, and a huge disparity in strength between them, everyone was struggling, including Shen Mo. The previous battle with the frog was successful because there was ample space to maneuver in the cave, and the frog did not have sharp claws or teeth, hence when attacked by Shen Mo it was defenseless as an elephant beset by fleas. But this berserk bear in front of them now Bai Youwei could not bear to think, what if Shen Mo met the same fate as Li Li, would he still survive a bear paw swat? She did not want to wait anymore! Instead of awaiting an opportunity, why not create one yourself! Bai Youwei pushed the door open abruptly! She stepped out, picked up a broom and whacked it at the wild beast! ¡°Dimwit, come here!¡± she said fiercely to the she-bear outside the storage room. The charging position of the rabbit was right behind her. The mother bear turned around, stood up on its hind legs, and ¨C towering over Bai Youwei ¨C let out a deafening roar! sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The roar of the wild beast was filled with threats and wildness, different than the sound effects on TV. Hearing such a roar up close sent shivers down the spine, and evoked an instinctive fear! Bai Youwei was no exception, her heart pounded wildly! But she didn¡¯t dodge, she didn¡¯t retreat! She only waited for the bear to pounce, to strike it back when it entered within two meters! But then something unexpected happened. After the bear roared, for some unknown reason, it didn¡¯t attack Bai Youwei. Instead, it turned its attention to Tan Xiao at the stair entrance! It opened its big red mouth and snapped the piece of wood Tan Xiao was wielding in half! Tan Xiao shrieked! Just when he thought that he was done for, the mother bear retreated, spat out the wood splinters from its mouth, huffed and puffed for a while and then leisurely turned around, swayed, and walked out The door, slowly closed. Everyone was still in shock, They looked at each other and saw the confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. Why didn¡¯t the two cubs work? Why didn¡¯t the bear attack Bai Youwei? Was it just because Tan Xiao was closer? There was no time to think further. Yan Qingwen and Su Man ran over to Li Li, after a brief check, both of them together helped to take off his top, revealing a horrifyingly bruised back. Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, ¡°Lun Ang, bandages!¡± Lun Ang immediately took out a small roll of bandages from his waist pack and handed it to him. Yan Qingwen wound them around Li Li. The bandage was thin and narrow, like the props kids use when playing doctor, but once applied it immediately lessened the bruising. Yet Li Li still didn¡¯t regain consciousness. Su Man kneeled next to Li Li, crying, ¡°Li Li, please be alright you have to be alright ¡± People from upstairs began to come down. When they had heard the beastly roars and howls, they knew something was amiss. Now seeing the mess on the first floor, they became even more uneasy. The bear went crazy, which meant they didn¡¯t get the items right. But if it wasn¡¯t the two cubs, then what were the two children mentioned in the nursery rhyme?! ¡°Is Li Li alright?¡± Zhu Shu asked as she walked over. Yan Qingwen frowned and shook his head, ¡°There might be internal bleeding, and we¡¯re not sure if there are fractures. Let¡¯s apply the bandage first, and move him to the sofa.¡± Shen Mo turned the flipped-over sofa upright, several marks from the beast¡¯s claws clearly visible on the back of the sofa. Yan Qingwen said in a low voice, ¡°Li Li¡¯s body was upgraded and is much stronger than the average person. But even then, just one swipe from the bear and look at the condition Li Li is in now ¡± He paused, raising his head to look at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°The difficulty of this dollhouse is undoubtedly not something an ordinary player can handle.¡± Chapter 262: 262: Clothes Chapter 262: 262: ClothesTranslator: 549690339 This is not something ordinary players can handle, then, who can? The Dollhouse is a game designed specifically for maze players. This thought occurred to the three of them almost simultaneously. ¡°A game that doesn¡¯t match the current players¡¯ strength a game that the Inspector brought in late, a game that needs to be debugged because it was first run ¡± Yan Qingwen speculated, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this game shouldn¡¯t have appeared at this stage. It was deliberately prepared for us by the Gray Robe Monster.¡± Everyone in the room understood what Yan Qingwen meant. Su Man grit her teeth and said, ¡°I must kill it! Kill it!!!¡± ¡°Players who attack the Inspector will be counterattacked,¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°The rabbit-headed man can release lightning, the Gray Robe Monster can control the hurricane, and the ball seems to be able to control its gravity. None of them are easy to deal with.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget, each Inspector has hundreds of copies.¡± Shen Mo looked at them, ¡°Even if you kill one, there are countless others still alive.¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Man bit her lip and cried bitterly. Powerlessness, despair, resentment! The emotions followed them like a shadow, recurring whenever they thought of the game¡¯s control over them, and no matter what they couldn¡¯t be shaken off! ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the game,¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°The bear went berserk after entering the room. Does this indicate that our thinking is incorrect and the bear¡¯s children are not these toy bears?¡± Everyone¡¯s faces turned solemn. ¡°If it¡¯s not the toy bears, what does the bear¡¯s child refer to?¡± Yan Qingwen turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Also, why didn¡¯t the bear attack you? A berserk Beast should not shift its target so easily after being provoked.¡± This point also puzzled Bai Youwei. If she was to say there was something different about her, it was her disabled legs, and also She frowned, looking at her vintage Lolita dress. Yan Qingwen noticed it too. ¡°Is it because of the clothes ¡± Bai Youwei looked towards the Crystal Ball not far away. Surely that thing is enjoying our misfortune, it is unusual for it to be silent seeing us in such trouble. ¡°Hey, Inspector ¡± Bai Youwei called out. The Crystal Ball swayed, a clear childish voice rang out, ¡°Mmm I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll guide you through, you just need to wind up my key ¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already memorized that nursery rhyme. I don¡¯t need to wind your key.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°But I want to know, what is the purpose of the clothes in the wardrobe upstairs?¡± ¡± Clothes?¡± The Crystal Ball hummed and hawed, ¡°Clothes are, of course, to be worn.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such rule in the game.¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because because ¡± the Crystal Ball wobbled, ¡°because you can wear them or not, there¡¯s no strict requirement, so it wasn¡¯t mentioned.¡± Bai Youwei sneered, ¡°Are you sure it doesn¡¯t matter whether we wear them or not? Then why did the mother bear attack those who weren¡¯t wearing dresses as soon as she came in?¡± The Crystal Ball continued to wobble, giving a vague explanation, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because it doesn¡¯t recognize you all ¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s smile went colder, ¡°It doesn¡¯t recognize us because those who don¡¯t wear doll clothes can¡¯t be considered the masters of the Dollhouse, right?¡± The ball grumbled, ¡°If you already know, why do you ask me?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t ask you, I suppose you¡¯ll voluntarily tell me?¡± Bai Youwei mocked, ¡°By the time you voluntarily tell me, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be long dead! You Inspectors really make me sick, on one hand saying fair and selfless words, on the other hand secretly tricking players into the game, and that¡¯s not enough! You also deliberately hide the game rules! Why doesn¡¯t the game eliminate you wastes first!¡± Chapter 263: 263: Perfect Everywhere Chapter 263: 263: Perfect EverywhereTranslator: 549690339 ¡°How can you say that?! That¡¯s outrageous!!¡± The sphere shouted in anger, ¡°For a game with such a lavish reward, of course the difficulty needs to be increased on an existing basis! Otherwise, how could there be balance in the game?! How?!¡± Red lights flickered inside the crystal ball, and the floating snowflakes were illuminated by the red light, looking like boiling plasma! ¡°You bunch of laymen! You don¡¯t understand anything at all!¡± It roared like a child. ¡°The Inspector has not only the duty to ensure the smooth running of the game but also to intervene in time when the game becomes unbalanced! I did not deliberately hide the game rules!¡± Bai Youwei looked at it steadily, ¡°So, if we dress correctly while giving it the teddy bear, there won¡¯t be any problems, right?¡± ¡°Well ¡± The sphere¡¯s voice faltered and then became angrier, ¡°Are you purposely trying to trap me with questions?!¡± Bai Youwei denied, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Sphere: ¡°You¡¯re clearly trapping me with questions!!!¡± Bai Youwei no longer wasted words with it, and turned to Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen, ¡°It seems to be just a clothing issue. Let¡¯s go upstairs to change clothes.¡± Yan Qingwen gave her a deep look, nodded, and turned to go upstairs. The others also followed one after another. Shen Mo was the last to leave, leaving Bai Youwei and the sphere alone on the first floor, as well as the unconscious Li Li on the sofa. The Crystal Ball floated unsteadily towards Bai Youwei, and said gloomily, ¡°Do you think you can pass the game just like this? Don¡¯t dream the difficulty of the Dollhouse is not that simple. Soon, you will pay the price for your arrogance!¡± Bai Youwei smiled. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± she said. The sphere was slightly stunned and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Actually your game is the lousiest one out of all games! It¡¯s simply appalling!¡± Sphere: ¡°See, you paid the price even faster than me.¡± Bai Youwei smirked, ¡°Like right now, forced to endure humiliation in front of the players. Are you happy?¡± Sphere: So furious. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I wish she would die soon. One by one, the people upstairs came down. Everyone had changed into new clothes, all feeling a bit uncomfortable. Zhu Shu was still okay, as she was used to wearing all kinds of performance costumes and theatrical clothes, so she was quite comfortable with these kinds of clothes. But Su Man was quite awkward. She hardly wore dresses, unless necessary, and her normal outfit was a simple women¡¯s dress shirt with jeans. But now she had to wear this puffy princess dress with all sorts of lace and decorations. Su man looked quite upset. Teacher Cheng wore a black tuxedo, looking like the butler of some old mansion. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were like the eldest and younger sons of that mansion. Lun Ang was robustly built, and even in a full suit, he still looked like a bodyguard. Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen were handsome enough, with good figures, looking like dignified and refined princes once dressed up¡ª Especially Shen Mo, maybe because there was a filter in Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes. When she saw Shen Mo coming downstairs, she almost stared. The broad outfit, the firm contours, the stern features, the deep eyes every aspect was perfect. Her gaze was undisguised, almost greedily admiring him. Shen Mo came to her, his thin lips slightly raised. ¡°Is it my illusion?¡± He laughed softly, ¡°Why do I feel that your eyes seem a bit lustful?¡± ¡°Really ¡± Bai Youwei laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist, her small hands wandering around, ¡°The clothes fit so well.¡± At this, several others looked upset. ¡°Yeah ¡± Lun Ang muttered, ¡°It¡¯s as if they were tailor-made for us.¡± Chapter 264: 264: Sigh of Relief Chapter 264: 264: Sigh of ReliefTranslator: 549690339 Su Man was wearing a dark red dress with black lace trim, she assertively whipped the whip in her hand, complaining: ¡°How can I fight dressed like this? It¡¯s even difficult just to get upstairs!¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°We can¡¯t have too many people on the first floor. The space is too small, if the number of people increases, it will be difficult to dodge. Su Man, you take Li Li upstairs.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, then looked at Tan Xiao: ¡°You go too.¡± Teacher Cheng was quite worried: ¡°If so, wouldn¡¯t we have too few helpers downstairs?¡± ¡°This is enough,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Later, I will go to get the teddy bear. All of you should stay away to avoid injury due to the props. If the teddy bear does not work, I will use the puzzle to exit the game before the bear rushes over. The rest of you are responsible for restraining it to prevent it from going upstairs to harm others.¡± After a pause, she glanced at the music box not far away, then continued: ¡°However, I do not think there is likely to be an incident. If there is an issue with the teddy bear, the Inspector would not have answered so smoothly just now.¡± The Crystal Ball sat on top of the music box, quietly, refusing to talk. Everyone in the room looked at each other. They all have seen the power of Bai Youwei¡¯s prop, if it is her, maybe she can really do it. Yan Qingwen handed the two teddy bears to Bai Youwei. Shen Mo picked up the dry rabbit charging by the fireplace, walked to Bai Youwei, and gently placed it on her lap. The rabbit had been drying all night, it was completely dry and carried the warm feeling of the fire, it was incredibly warm. It sat motionlessly on Bai Youwei¡¯s lap along with the two teddy bears, as if they were just ordinary stuffed toys. Bai Youwei stroked the fur on its ears and said to Shen Mo: ¡°Push me to the door.¡± The others heard and exchanged glances, they went to the second floor and the attic to find places to hide. Without much hesitation, Bai Youwei turned to the door and said, ¡°Guest, please come in.¡± The door again creaked open. The mother bear sat at the door, and after receiving permission from her host, she stood up with a robust and impressive body, she staggered in¡ª¡ª From such a close range, the sheer size of the beast was more oppressive than before, the sunlight at the door was almost completely blocked by this beast, and the shadow of the beast engulfed Bai Youwei. The foul smell of the beast permeated out, making her frown involuntarily. The mother bear lowered her head and approached. The breath from her mouth was so strong that she wanted to close her eyes, she gritted her teeth and held out the two teddy bears in her hand. The mother bear sniffed the cubs in her arms, then suddenly gave a loud roar! Bai Youwei was slightly startled, she then saw the bear raising its paws! Shen Mo on the other side clenched the fruit knife in his hand! Yan Qingwen held onto him and whispered, ¡°Wait and see.¡± Two healthy bear paws attacked Bai Youwei! With a thud, the bear hugged the teddy bears in her hands! sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Roar roar roar roar roar! ¡± The mother bear roared! She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of happiness from getting back what she lost, or it was scolding the two children who ran away from home. She held the two toy bears, turned around satisfied, and then slowly walked out of the room ¡ª¡ª down the slope and into the woods she disappeared. Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen both breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. Although they were pretty sure before the operation, they still felt flustered for a moment when they saw the bear raising its claw. Fortunately, nothing happened. ¡°Our guess was correct, the first time the guest went berserk was because we didn¡¯t change into the dollhouse¡¯s clothes,¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°It seems that in the guest¡¯s perception, if the player does not change clothes, they are not considered the master of the dollhouse, but more like a strange invader, an enemy.¡± After speaking, he forced a bitter smile: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the clothes would hold such a mystery. The Inspector intentionally hid it, maybe he wanted us to experience the guest¡¯s rampage?¡± Chapter 265: 265: Summer Preparations Chapter 265: 265: Summer PreparationsTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Next, as long as we find the items required by the guests of summer and autumn, we should be able to pass.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°However, since the teddy bear¡¯s bow tie required us to draw and sew ourselves, the second round treasure won¡¯t probably be easy.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°That¡¯s what I think. At present, that ship matches the characteristics of the treasure. But the so-called treasure is not necessarily restricted to gold and silver jewels.¡± Shen Mo thought for a while and said, ¡°There¡¯s still time. After meeting the summer¡¯s guest, maybe we will get some hints.¡± Yan Qingwen walked up the stairs. ¡°I¡¯ll call them down.¡± Shen Mo slightly nodded, grabbed the wheelchair handle, and pushed Bai Youwei back to the living room. Bai Youwei casually placed the bunny back to where it should be charged and continued charging it. ¡°What do you think the treasure could be?¡± Shen Mo asked. Bai Youwei gently shook her head. ¡°The hint given by the nursery rhyme is very limited. Before seeing the guest, anything is possible.¡± She asked Shen Mo, ¡°Have you guys found anything suspicious after ransacking this house?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°If it¡¯s about the treasure, probably, the ship model found by Tan Xiao and Li Li.¡± Bai Youwei frowned. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The difficulty of the game should be increasing, not decreasing. Since the first round toy bear required the player to refine manually, how simple could the second round be? She turned her head and glanced at the inspector in the distance. The Crystal Ball seemed to be bothered by her previous act of evasion, humph, it turned it¡¯s back and presented its music box¡¯s gear lever towards her. Bai Youwei nonchalantly withdrew her gaze. At this point, companions from upstairs were coming down in succession. Besides Su Man, she stayed upstairs to take care of Li Li. Eight people sat in the living room, discussing what should be done next. ¡°The second part of the nursery rhyme goes, ¡®In summer, the rain is so heavy in the pitch dark that the treasure is nowhere to be seen.¡¯ Yan Qingwen looked at everyone, ¡°Anyone has any ideas, you can share.¡± Tan Xiao looked left and right, ¡°Isn¡¯t the treasure we found with Li Li the ship?¡± Lun Ang picked a toothpick and held it in his mouth to relieve some of his craving for nicotine, and vaguely asked, ¡°How sure are we about the ship?¡± Yan Qingwen thought for a while and said, ¡°Thirty percent.¡± Tan Xiao bulged his eyes in surprise, ¡°Thirty percent?! That¡¯s so low!¡± He didn¡¯t believe it and turned to Bai Youwei for confirmation, ¡°Weiwei! He says it¡¯s only thirty percent!¡± Bai Youwei lazily looked at him, ¡°If you ask me .only ten percent.¡± Tan Xiao: Shen Mo: ¡°Considering our current understanding of the doll game, the game¡¯s difficulty should be increasing, not decreasing. We haven¡¯t got sufficient reason to believe that it¡¯s the ship. Since there are less than four hours from the arrival of summer, I suggest we start a new round of search. Not looking for the treasure this time, but observing every detail in this house, making note of all suspicious points, and then reasoning with all the clues after the summer guest arrives.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded and said, ¡°There¡¯s a study and three bedrooms upstairs. We can assign four persons to search, and three persons downstairs. After finishing their own assigned areas, they can start swapping for further search. Su Man will stay in the attic to look after Li Li. She will be responsible for the attic area.¡± He paused for two seconds and looked at Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Also, Xiaoxin, in addition to searching your own assigned area, you should also check the stairway and hallway areas. You¡¯re younger and might notice things we could overlook. Can you do that?¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded with a grave expression on his little face. ¡°Get one more person out.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°So far we have been only looking inside the house. The exterior eaves, window sills, and roofs should also be within this house area.¡± Yan Qingwen slightly nodded, scanning others with his eyes. Choosing the person was a problem. The outside of the house is more dangerous than inside. He thinks Shen Mo is the best choice, but Bai Youwei might not agree Although they haven¡¯t known each other for long, he can see Bai Youwei is very attached to Shen Mo. Chapter 266: 266: Until the Summer Begins Chapter 266: 266: Until the Summer BeginsTranslator: 549690339 ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Lun Ang stood up, stretching his legs. ¡°It¡¯s too exhausting for me to look for small details, my eyes are tired. I¡¯ll go outside and move around.¡± Yan Qingwen agreed. After some discussion, everyone set off on their own tasks. Lun Ang made a new discovery just as he stepped outside¡ª He hauled back a large iron bucket. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hey! The bear left its fish here!¡± Lun Ang couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°Such fat fish!¡± The iron bucket was filled with seven or eight large Coho salmon, still alive, their mouths opening and closing in the cramped bucket, looking chubby and dumb. Master Chang quickly took it into the kitchen, filled the sink with water, and put the fish in it, preparing for a big feast. ¡°Two for soup, two for steaming, two for frying, and the remaining two how do you guys want to eat them?¡± Master Chang, who had only given them a few strands of instant noodles in the morning, asked apologetically. ¡°But why are there only eight fish? We have ten people!¡± Lun Ang grumbled, ¡°This damn game, always throwing strange things at us, but stingy when it comes to rewards.¡± Master Chang reassured him: ¡°Eight fish are enough.¡± ¡°Fine then.¡± Lun Ang patted his stomach and walked out, ¡°I¡¯ll go and see if there¡¯s anything else outside ¡± The others also dispersed to search the house. Bai Youwei, with nothing to do, sat on the first floor, taking in the house¡ªold, rustic, cozy with a touch of uncanny, just like a doll¡¯s house. The search lasted for more than an hour. By the end, the fish that Master Chang had cooked was ready. The entire room was filled with the aroma of fish, making everyone¡¯s mouth water. Who could still concentrate on the search? In the two days since they had arrived, other than a few loquats and strands of noodles, they hadn¡¯t had a proper meal. Although their bodies were coping, everyone was struggling with hunger. On the table, there was fish soup, fried fish fillets, and fish chunks, etc. The scent of fish was overwhelming. Everyone gathered around the table, praising Master Chang while eating. ¡°Master Chang! This fish is cooked perfectly!¡± Tan Xiao wolfed down his food, ¡°So delicious!¡± Chang Weicai, for once, didn¡¯t show any modesty: ¡°I also think the taste of the fish is quite good. Being single, I rarely cook such big meals. However, for some reason, this fish is easy to cook and doesn¡¯t have a fishy smell. Just a little bit of salt makes it taste great ¡± He took a bite of the fish, chewed and added: ¡°Even the fish bones are soft, so you don¡¯t have to worry about fish bones.¡± All anyone else at the table could do was eat; they didn¡¯t have time to talk. Yan Qingwen thought for a moment, picked up another bowl, and scooped some fish soup into it. ¡°This fish might be the first round reward. It could be beneficial for our bodies. I¡¯ll bring some up to Li Li.¡± Shen Mo asked: ¡°Is his injury serious?¡± Yan Qingwen shook his head: ¡°There should be no life-threatening danger. The bandage is one of our props, it can heal any wounds; the only disadvantage is that it works slowly. If it¡¯s not applied for a long time, you can¡¯t see the effects.¡± Shen Mo understood. The mud in their hands was also a prop and it worked extremely quickly. However, it was only effective for surface wounds. It helped stop bleeding and heal wounds but was useless for fractures or internal bleeding. In comparison, each prop had its advantages and disadvantages. Not long after Yan Qingwen went upstairs, he returned to the dining room downstairs, followed by Su Man. ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite.¡± Su Man sat down at the dining table with a gloomy look, still concerned about Li Li in the attic. ¡°This is the reward for the first round, it might be helpful for the next round. Try to eat some.¡± Yan Qingwen encouraged her. After hearing this, Su Man reluctantly took a sip of soup. She seemed surprised by the exquisite taste and soon began to eat the fish meat in the soup. Shen Mo walked over to the window, squinting slightly, and asked: ¡°How many hours until summer?¡± Yan Qingwen, seeming to understand what he meant, looked out of the window. In the far distance, the sky had started to darken¡­ Chapter 267: 267: Two Hours Left Chapter 267: 267: Two Hours LeftTranslator: 549690339 It was dark clouds. A sinking feeling hit Yan Qingwen as he recalled the heavy rain when they first entered the game. ¡°When we were woken up, it was around 7 a.m., each season lasted 8 hours, so summer¡­ is two hours away.¡± Two hours. They didn¡¯t have much time. What initially seemed like a long 8 hours was now ominously short because according to the game¡¯s difficulty level, the visitor in the summer would indeed be scarier than the bear in the spring. Yan Qingwen asked Shen Mo, ¡°How tough do you think that bear was?¡± Shen Mo glanced at him, ¡°¡­ Outdoors, I¡¯d give it a rating of 5. Indoors, 7.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Out of 100?¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ruffling her hair, ¡°Out of 10.¡± Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t willing to accept this answer. She thought Shen Mo should be able to instantly overcome any obstacle. But on second thought, she understood why: First, their movement was constrained by the space. If a beast entered, they would be trapped and unable to effectively fight back. Second, their weapons were regulated. Even if their bodies were enhanced by the maze, they would be at a disadvantage barehanded against a fierce beast. ¡°The bear was indeed tough to handle,¡± Yan Qingwen pondered, ¡°The visitor blocking the door doesn¡¯t allow us to leave. As hosts, we can¡¯t leave the dolls¡¯ house, which is the game field. Besides, the doll game doesn¡¯t allow players to carry any weapons¡­ With the time left, in addition to looking for the ¡®treasure¡¯, we need to prepare some self-defense tools.¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t fight back effectively, can we make some traps using the existing conditions?¡± Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°I don¡¯t have any experience, but it¡¯s just a thought. For example, we could pile up furniture like beds and wardrobes near the staircase. If the visitor rampages, we can hide on the second floor. Having these things blocking their path could buy us at least a few extra seconds, right?¡± As long as they held on for 1 minute, they could survive. ¡°I can do this.¡± said Yan Qingwen, ¡°But I need some help. Some mechanisms cannot be installed by one person.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± Lun Ang stepped up, ¡°We¡¯re used to working together. I know what materials he needs.¡± Bai Youwei turned to Lun Ang, ¡°The dry grass you found on the roof just now, right?¡± Lun Ang was stunned, ¡°Yes, would you like me to bring it over? I left it in the living room.¡± Bai Youwei slightly shook her head: ¡°Xiaoxin found some dried grass on the edge of the staircase too. It looks like water grass. I suggest you make your traps waterproof.¡± Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang exchanged glances. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If they had to waterproof the traps, any mechanisms involving fire had to be scrapped. That was a pity. Fire was the simplest and most effective means of attack. Especially when Bai Youwei had an electric rabbit, the combination of the two would surely be effective. Yan Qingwen looked out of the window again. The dark clouds were spreading wider. He furrowed his brows and said solemnly, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up.¡± Everyone started to get busy. Two hours. It¡¯s not long, yet not short. As time approached, the sky gradually darkened. Black clouds enveloped the entire sky, devoid of any light, rendering the room pitch black. Shen Mo turned on the light. The mountain top cabin emitted spots of light in the impending storm. The music box on the windowsill flickered. The long silent snowflakes started to flutter again¡ª The sphere said, ¡°It¡¯s so dark in the summer rain, can¡¯t see where the treasure is¡­¡± Whoosh! The downpour came suddenly! All the views outside the window were blocked by the curtain of rain, just like when they first arrived at this house. Chapter 268: 268: Summer Guests Chapter 268: 268: Summer GuestsTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Is it here?¡± Bai Youwei asked, unable to see clearly through the window. Outside was pitch dark, and the sound of the rain was like a waterfall, they couldn¡¯t see or hear what kind of guest was arriving. Shen Mo rubbed his foot on the watery floor, saying, ¡°Let me take you upstairs first.¡± Yan Qingwen also noticed the increasing accumulation of water on the floor. His eyebrows furrowed as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s all go upstairs, the first floor might get flooded.¡± The aquatic plant on the stairway was not there for no reason, this house surely had been submerged during the game debugging phase, and it had been flooded for a considerable amount of time. Everyone went upstairs. The staircase was a ¡°7¡± shape. They paused at the bend, continuing to monitor the conditions on the first floor. The rainfall continued to seep into the house, with the water level rising at a rapid pace, soon submerging a whole step. There was no sign of the rain ceasing outside. ¡°What the hell just arrived¡­¡± Lun Ang muttered, ¡°The damn thing flooded the whole house. Now we can¡¯t use the props.¡± Everyone instinctively looked at Bai Youwei. Speaking of offensive props, Bai Youwei¡¯s rabbit was undoubtedly the most powerful. If it can¡¯t be used, it would mean a great loss of strength. Bai Youwei sat quietly, ignoring the gazes studying her surroundings. The water level was rising steadily. In just moments, three levels of steps were submerged. Everyone started to look panicked. Professor Cheng said, ¡°If this water keeps rising, we we must think of a solution¡­.¡± What kind of solution? Turn into fish and swim away? Even if they managed to turn into fish, they would need to open the doors and windows, but their guest outside was waiting for them¡­ When the water level flooded the fifth step, perhaps due to a short circuit, the indoor lights flickered then suddenly went out. The first floor was engulfed in darkness. Only the lights on the second floor and attic were still on. The darkness compounded the chill and terror in the atmosphere, stretching the tension to its limit. Finally agitated, Lun Ang suggested, ¡°How about trying the boat! After all, we haven¡¯t found any other ¡®treasures¡¯. We can¡¯t just wait around!¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°It¡¯s worth a try. We can¡¯t see the guest outside now, we can¡¯t analyze the true meaning of the ¡®treasure¡¯, let it in. Even if it¡¯s wrong, at least we¡¯ll know the power of the other party.¡± Yan Qingwen glanced at the others. They all nodded in agreement. Even if they knew the boat might not be the right answer, it was at least an answer. It was better than doing nothing! ¡°Alright.¡± Yan Qingwen gritted his teeth, making the decision, ¡°Bring the boat over.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± Lun Ang volunteered, ¡°You keep an eye on the trap on the stairs. As soon as anything goes wrong, release the trap.¡± The only one who could accurately control the timing of the trap release was Yan Qingwen. The space at the bend of the stairs was narrow, to avoid interference, the rest continued upwards and stopped at the entrance of the second floor staircase. Lun Ang held the large ship model with both hands, staring at the direction of the door, took a deep breath, then shouted: ¡°Please come in, guests!¡± The door sprang open with a bang! Unlike the previous slow creaking opening, it was quickly forced open by the water! The whole house seemed to be submerged in the sea, an endless amount of water poured in from the door! With a roaring sound, the water level rose rapidly in front of their eyes! Six steps! Seven steps! Eight, nine, ten steps! Half of the ¡°7¡± shaped staircase was submerged! Everything from Lun Ang¡¯s stomach down was in the water! sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Lun Ang! Can you see the guest now?¡± His companions on the second floor shouted. Lun Ang scanned the area, noticing a dark shadow in the water. ¡°There¡¯s something in the water!¡± He shouted up to the second floor, ¡°It¡¯s big! But it¡¯s too dark, I can¡¯t see clearly! Does anyone up there have a flashlight?¡± Before his words were finished, there was another loud rushing sound of water! A huge monster surfaced from the water! Chapter 269: 269 Anglerfish Chapter 269: 269 AnglerfishTranslator: 549690339 A massive monster emerged from the water! The black and flat body, a mouth that took up half of its body, long fin spines were suspended above the water! They flickered back and forth, like a lure for fishing, tempting people to take the bait¡ª¡ª ¡°An anglerfish?¡± Bai Youwei exclaimed in shock, ¡± No, how could an anglerfish be so big?!¡± Mr. Cheng and Zhu Shu from upstairs brought over flashlights, the light beams shone on the water, making everyone¡¯s vision clearer. The Water Monster looked like a deep-sea anglerfish, but as big as a water buffalo! Its protruding broad lower jaw was lined with sharp teeth, above the gill slit were bulging eyeballs. The eyeballs were black with a ring of gray-white, as if they had already degenerated of their supposed function. Half of its body floated above the water, while the other half sunk underwater, it was clumsily and slowly approaching Lun Ang¡ª¡ª When faced with such a creature, Lun Ang¡¯s sturdy frame appeared insignificant. He involuntarily took half a step back. Realizing his own fear, he gritted his teeth, steadied himself, and slowly put down the boat model in his hand. The boat model was made of wood, it sunk slightly in the water, and then bobbed back up to the surface. The Water Monster had come up to the front of Lun Ang. There was only a boat model separating the two. The flashlight¡¯s beam shone on both of them, like the focus of everyone¡¯s attention at the beginning of a show. Lun Ang remained vigilant, his eyes unblinking as he stared at the half of the fish face above the water surface, ready to evacuate at any sign of movement from the monster. However, the fish remained still. The colossal creature just floated there silently, its gills slowly pulsating. Under the strong light of the flashlight, its grisly, ghastly face displayed crumpled, grey-white skin. Its shadowed contours were intense, its eyeballs rotated and slightly twitched. Lun Ang was doubtful, wondering why the monster remained still. Yan Qingwen was uneasy. If the conditions for passing had been met, guests should have taken its item. Its lack of movement at the moment could only imply that they were wrong! With this in mind, Yan Qingwen couldn¡¯t help but feel chills. He shouted, ¡°Lun Ang! Come up!¡± Lun Ang turned around to go upstairs! At the same time, a splash of water erupted! The enormous anglerfish leapt out from the water, opened its mouth full of sharp teeth, and lunged at Lun Ang! Lun Ang rolled sideways, grabbed the staircase railing using his inertia to continue to move upwards! Yan Qingwen let go of the rope in his hand, the furniture rested alternately on both sides of the staircase fell down, blocking the channel at the angle he had calculated! However, he did not take into account the buoyancy of the water wave! After the wooden furniture jammed the staircase channel, it became loose due to the buoyancy, and broke into pieces under the collision of the Anglerfish Monster! ¡°Ah!¡± S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The wide-open jaw snapped shut at lightning speed, biting Lun Ang¡¯s leg. The turbid accumulated water immediately turned red. It was a horrifying scene of bloodied water! Under the bright light, Lun Ang¡¯s face was ghastly pale, twisted in pain! He tried to break free, but the pulling force of the Fish Monster was astonishingly powerful! Lun Ang¡¯s grip on the railing inevitably loosened, and his body rapidly moved backward under the dragging force! Just as he was about to be pulled into the water, a hand grabbed him! It was Shen Mo! Shen Mo held onto Lun Ang with one hand and forcefully threw a fruit knife with his other hand! The tip of the knife pierced the Fish Monster¡¯s cheek! The enormous deep-sea anglerfish let out an agonizing shriek, its gigantic mouth opened, finally releasing Lun Ang¡¯s leg. Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen, working together, dragged him to the second floor! The anglerfish monster swung its tail with great force, attempting to pounce again! A whip crack was heard in the air! The whip smacked squarely on its fin! The Fish Monster quickly sunk back into the water! Unsatisfied, Su Man lashed out several more times with the whip! The surface of the water made a cracking sound as it was whipped, splashes of water flew everywhere! The heavy air in the room was saturated with rainwater, the Fish Monster¡¯s whereabouts unknown. It could be hiding, or it could be lurking in the dark ready to strike. Yan Qingwen called Su Man to come back, but she stubbornly refused. Red-eyed, she stood on the water-soaked staircase, seething with anger and wishing she could land another whip on it to vent her rage! Yan Qingwen had to take care of Lun Ang and could not attend to her. It took Mr. Cheng, Tan Xiao and Zhu Shu to pull the obstinate Su Man back to the second floor By now, the water level had risen to submerge the whole staircase! The first floor, was completely flooded! Chapter 270: 270 Black as Pitch Chapter 270: 270 Black as PitchTranslator: 549690339 Lun Ang was lying on the wooden floor of the second-floor corridor, panting heavily. He was soaked through, his face covered not only by rainwater but also by cold sweat that kept seeping out! On his right leg, there were a few completely through-and-through bloody holes, gushing out fresh blood incessantly! Losing blood at a rapid pace caused his face to display a defeated pallor, the usually chipper stubble on his face seemed to wilt in an instant. Yan Qingwen gritted his teeth, silently knelt down on the ground, ripped open the fabric around the wound, and swiftly tore a long strip of white cloth from his own body. He tightly tied it around Lun Ang¡¯s thigh where there was an abundance of blood vessels, attempting to staunch the bleed. Shen Mo held him back: ¡°The wound is too large; you need to use a tool on him as soon as possible.¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s expression was strained as he responded, ¡°There¡¯s none left the last bandage has already been used on Li Li.¡± Shen Mo frowned and took a chunk of mud from his clothes, kneading it like putty and stretching it into a wide noodle shape, then covering Lun Ang¡¯s wound with it! The dark mud quickly turned gray. Shen Mo drew back his hand, the mud regained its elasticity, whooshing back to its original shape. And Lun Ang¡¯s leg wound had completely healed! S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yan Qingwen was surprised and overjoyed at the same time, he asked, ¡°A tool?!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s expression did not relax in the least, he slightly nodded and said, ¡°Although it works quickly, it only heals flesh wounds. The crushed bones can only heal slowly on their own after being set.¡± ¡°Thank you ¡± Lun Ang said thanks coarsely and heavily. He continued, ¡°We¡¯ve been through the maze twice, our bodies¡¯ self-healing ability is still, not bad help me up ¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say his bones were also crushed?!¡± Chang Weicai impatiently said, ¡°Let¡¯s not help him up, get a bed board and lift him instead!¡± They dismantled a bed board and several of them lifted Lun Ang. Tan Xiao asked again, ¡°Where do we take him?¡± The second floor was already flooded with a shallow layer of water, making everything wet underfoot. ¡°To the attic.¡± Yan Qingwen said. ¡ª The house was two and a half stories tall, and the attic only took up half a floor, packed just like a storage room with all sorts of odds and ends, and also dolls. The small space was crammed with ten people and it instantly felt claustrophobic. There was limited space, Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair was inconvenient to bring upstairs, so she had to sit leaning against the wall. Apart from Pan Xiaoxin, everyone else couldn¡¯t stand upright. Everyone found a spot to sit down. Outside, it was pouring heavily. The rain slamming on the roof echoed throughout the entire attic. The atmosphere was oppressive. Li Li had woken up, leaning against the wall without speaking. Lun Ang was also greatly weakened. Shen Mo glanced at everyone and calmly said, ¡°There¡¯s still time, let¡¯s think, what else could possibly be the treasure.¡± There was no response. Yan Qingwen¡¯s team has consecutively had two people injured, severely affecting his condition. Although Tan Xiao and Su Man differed in temperament, both were action-oriented and not adept at brainstorming. Zhu Shu was a celebrity and was used to reading people and situations, not daring to speak freely without absolute certainty. Pan Xiaoxin was even more cautious than Zhu Shu. Mr. Chang looked at everyone, uncertainly saying, ¡°The monster is like some sort of fish, so the treasure could it be related to fish?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Could it be the fish we ate? We already ate them, we can¡¯t just make it vomit them back up can we?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, several people felt nauseous. Bai Youwei thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°The summer rain is so heavy, it¡¯s pitch-black outside and we can¡¯t see where the treasure is If we can¡¯t see it in the dark, it must be in bright places. Only the second floor and the attic are lit right now, we should focus on searching these areas.¡± She spoke as she turned to look at Chang Weicai, ¡°Mr. Chang, lead some people to search the study thoroughly. See if there are any books related to the Water Monster.¡± Chapter 271: The Water Monster’s Liking Chapter 271: The Water Monster¡¯s Liking Translator: 549690339 Aside from three bedrooms, the second floor also had a small study room. Despite the room¡¯s small size, there was no shortage of books. Even if one were to skim through each book, it would take more than 24 hours, or even 24 days to go through them all. Ever since they began searching the room, Professor Cheng had already busted through dozens of books. The books in the study room were diverse, in Chinese, English, and even in Latin, which they couldn¡¯t understand. They could only skim through them roughly. While they were flipping through books on the second floor, those in the attic were still pondering over the weird nursery rhyme: Summer rain patters loud, the darkness veils where the treasure could be found Li Li voiced his weak suggestion, ¡°Could there be a chance it¡¯s on the first floor ?all the lights are off down there, which fits the ¡®pitch-dark¡¯ environment.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, disagreeing with his proposal. ¡°The first floor is flooded. There¡¯s no light and it¡¯s underwater, making it impossible to conduct any searches.¡± ¡°What about using a flashlight?¡± Li Li asked. Bai Youwei wanted to say that if they used a flashlight, it would not fit the ¡®pitch-dark¡¯ environment. Besides, their flashlights weren¡¯t waterproof. If they only shone them on the surface of the water, visibility would be very limited. The treasure shouldn¡¯t be hidden in a place where the players can¡¯t find it. But ?Li Li was only proposing a possibility. She shouldn¡¯t immediately extinguish this tiny glimmer of hope. At least they should try. As Bai Youwei was contemplating this, she closed the mouth she was about to open. She thought for a moment, then changed her question. ¡°Where¡¯s the Inspector now?¡± ¡°Not sure,¡± Yan Qingwen answered. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen it since the first floor was flooded.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s brows furrowed tighter. So much for guiding and providing hints throughout the game. Now in only the second round, it had vanished. Truly an unreliable cream puff. Feeling thirsty, she remembered that all the food and water were on the first floor. Now she had neither food nor drink, her mood grew increasingly irritable. She could only close her eyes to force herself to calm down. The attic¡¯s light was dim and dull. Time elapsed slowly S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. About forty minutes later, the search on the second floor and attic ended. They had searched the place multiple times already and no matter how hard they tried now, they found nothing new. Except for Bai Youwei and the injured Li Li and Lun Ang, everyone else went to the study room to search the books with Professor Cheng, hoping to find some clues. Reading was a meticulous task. Because the answer to passing this level might be hidden in a book, on a page, or within an obscure phrase. After waiting for what felt like an eternity, Bai Youwei fell asleep. When she woke up, it was still pitch-black outside, and the rain continued to fall. Li Li could now get up. He couldn¡¯t make any large movements, but leaning against the wall, he managed to take a few steps. Not wanting to be idle, he asked Su Man to bring over a dozen books from the study room so he could flip through them in the attic. Lun Ang also felt bored lying around and decided to grab a book to read. Even though his leg wound was healing, the bone inside had not yet mended and the throbbing pain was unbearable. He wanted to distract himself with a book, but not only did it not soothe his leg pain, but it also stirred a headache. Lun Ang sighed in frustration. Bai Youwei glanced at him, ¡°What, scared you might become lame?¡± Lun Ang: He unwittingly glanced at Bai Youwei¡¯s leg. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Don¡¯t worry, if you do end up lame, I can share my diapers with you,¡± Bai Youwei evaluated Lun Ang from head to toe, ¡°But first, you¡¯ll have to lose weight, otherwise, they won¡¯t fit.¡± Half of Lun Ang¡¯s face turned red while the other half, which was covered by his thick beard, seemed unbothered. He recalled the first time he met Bai Youwei when he inadvertently made fun of her being lame. Now the tables have turned, and he was Sigh Lun Ang¡¯s emotions were complicated. ¡°Ah!¡± Li Li suddenly called out, ¡°Quick, come over here and look at this!¡± Everyone was alarmed and rushed over from upstairs and downstairs¡ª Regardless of his injuries, Li Li held up the book in his hand, ¡°It¡¯s written here! The Water Monster likes shiny objects!¡± Chapter 272: Going to the First Floor Chapter 272: Going to the First Floor Translator: 549690339 Li Li found an old English book with tattered pages, which recorded many foreign folk tales. As they were not fairy tales, many were incomplete, and some legends were only briefly mentioned. About the Water Monster, the book recorded: The Water Monster¡¯s home lies deep underwater, where shiny treasures are kept. There was only that. Li Li spent over two hours thoroughly perusing the book all the way to its last page, but regrettably, he found no further information on the Water Monster. Nobody else found anything in the books they were looking at either. Information on the Spring Bear and Autumn Nail Teeth Monster was also missing. Of course, there were still many unread books where the remaining clues could be hidden, but they would need more time and energy to read through all the books in the study. This was not feasible. Without food and water, they couldn¡¯t continue to exhaust themselves like this. Everyone reconvened in the attic. Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Summer starts at three in the afternoon and it¡¯s now eight at night. If we haven¡¯t found the treasure three hours from now, summer will continue.¡± According to the game rules, a change of season occurs every eight hours, but if after eight hours, the guests still remain outside, then time will stay within the corresponding season. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Li Li asked, ¡°Did any of you find anything shiny?¡± They looked at each other. ¡°The scope for ¡®shiny¡¯ is too broad.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Mirrors in the house, the glass windows, reflective silver forks and spoons, even the glass eyeballs on these dolls, all could be considered shiny. Just from this, we can¡¯t pinpoint the target.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s something to be given to a guest, it must be quite unique ?mirrors, glasses, these things, are probably not it.¡± Zhu Shu looked at everybody and hesitantly said, ¡°What if, we search again? There are still three hours, we have time ¡± ¡°We¡¯ve searched almost eight hundred times, if it could be found, we¡¯d have found it by now.¡± Su Man was irritable though her hands never stopped rummaging through the items around her. She found a glass bottle hourglass and muttered, ¡°Does this count as shiny? She then found a piece of a toy train and touching the metallic engine asked, ¡°Does this count?¡± If anything shiny was acceptable, then the range would be just too wide. ¡°I still think the treasure is on the first floor.¡± Li Li lowered his head, his voice weaker than usual because of his injuries, ¡°The Spring Bear woke up and it was truly worried when it lost two kids. The bear was looking for a teddy bear that looked like itself, then¡­ this heavy summer rain made everything pitch black, it¡¯s hard to see where the treasure is. There must be a reason why they specifically mentioned pitch black, every word in the nursery rhyme has its deeper intent, we should probably look for the treasure in pitch black places.¡± ¡°You mean we should search the first floor?¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°But the first floor is flooded!¡± Li Li looked at him, ¡°As long as the flashlight is wrapped in plastic wrap before diving into the water, it should be alright.¡± Tan Xiao was more surprised: ¡°Where are we going to find plastic wrap?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s no plastic wrap, then a plastic bag can substitute.¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°I think Li Li¡¯s method is worth a try.¡± ¡°The problem is we don¡¯t have plastic bags either.¡± Tan Xiao looked at them, his face full of confusion, ¡°Almost everything that could be used is on the first floor! But the first floor is flooded!¡± After thinking for a moment, Shen Mo stood up, ¡°I can go down for a look. It¡¯s hard to find ¡®treasure¡¯ in the dark, but it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to find things if we know the exact location and direction.¡± Chapter 273: Emotion got healed Chapter 273: Emotion got healed Translator: 549690339 At his words, the heavy atmosphere instantly lightened, and everything felt different. But Bai Youwei was not happy. She frowned slightly at Shen Mo, thinking: why must it be Shen Mo? Why couldn¡¯t it be someone else? Then she looked around and discovered that among the old and the young, there really was no suitable candidate. Tan Xiao was young and energetic, but no one trusted him. There was also Yan Qingwen who could be used, but on Yan Qingwen¡¯s side, two people had already been injured. She and Shen Mo had no reason not to send anyone. Sometimes, it¡¯s easy to understand logic, but how one feels about it is a different story. Bai Youwei pouted her lips, sitting silently among the crowd, without speaking. Chang Weicai said: ¡°The plastic bags are in the second cupboard from the right in the kitchen, the cling film is also in there.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly and went downstairs to prepare. Even though it was summer, the temperature was not high at all. On the contrary, it was somewhat cold, not to mention the idea of having to soak in the pitch-black and cold rainwater. Bai Youwei stayed in the attic, hearing Chang Weicai who followed Shen Mo downstairs nattering on about safety precautions, urging him to come back soon, and suggesting to tie a rope around himself so they would know if there was any trouble by pulling the rope. She wanted to say something to him, so she slowly moved her body with the support of both hands on the floor, gradually making her way to the stairs down from the attic. She saw a crowd of people around Shen Mo. Apart from the nagging Teacher Chang, there was also Yan Qingwen, Su Man, and Tan Xiao. Yan Qingwen said, ¡°We¡¯ve thoroughly searched the first floor. The problem now is if there are changes we didn¡¯t anticipate after the rainwater soaked in ?For safety, we should ensure to get the waterproof bags and cling film first this time.¡± Su Man interjected, ¡°Brother Yan, maybe I should go too?¡± Yan Qingwen shook his head: ¡°You¡¯re not a good swimmer. If there were danger, he would have to find a way to save you too. Every second under the water may cost lives.¡± Tan Xiao wanted to go down, but Shen Mo rejected him too. ¡°You stay here and keep an eye on the rope,¡± said Shen Mo. Bai Youwei stood at the entrance of the attic, staring quietly at the group of people downstairs. Shen Mo, standing amongst them, was tall, composed, calm, and full of energy. He had the approval and trust of everyone. And she could do nothing. Before figuring out the solution, she could only huddle in this tiny attic. Without Shen Mo, she could only wait for the moment someone felt sympathy and extended a protective hand to her. Bai Youwei¡¯s hands unwittingly clenched into fists. She suddenly realized that she was surplus to requirements ¡ªThe game gave her the illusion of independence, and the game could shatter this illusion at any time. Not far away, Shen Mo looked up at her. Bai Youwei was startled, then saw Shen Mo walk towards her, ascend the stairs, and stand in front of her. He was tall, and even sitting down, slightly stooped, could obstruct the light in front of her. The relative darkness brought her closer to him, and Bai Youwei held her breath. ¡°I¡¯m going down now,¡± Shen Mo said. Bai Youwei pursed her lips, shifted her face to the other side, and retorted indifferently: ¡°You¡¯ve made the decision, why bother telling me?¡± ¡°Feeling bad again?¡± Shen Mo asked with a wry smile. She didn¡¯t look at his face, but just from his tone, she could imagine the helplessness and frustration on his face. No matter, let him feel that she is being capricious and throwing a tantrum again. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei thought to herself, not caring. A hand stretched over, holding hers. Bai Youwei froze. Before she could react, her hand was against Shen Mo¡¯s abdomen. Bai Youwei: Shen Mo: ¡°Feeling better now?¡± Bai Youwei: She moved her fingertips slightly, the firm and warm touch seemed to calm her heart. ¡°Hmm ?somewhat better,¡± she said softly. Shen Mo let go of her, ruffled her hair, rose to his feet, and left. Chapter 274: Her Weakness Chapter 274: Her Weakness Translator: 549690339 sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The rainwater has flooded the whole first floor; even the ceiling is submerged. Standing on the second floor, all you can see is a rectangle of water occupying the stair entry point. Yan Qingwen is squatting by the water¡¯s edge holding a rope. Everyone else stands to the side, their eyes fixed on the rectangular body of water. Shen Mo has been under for a minute now. Besides some minor ripples, the surface of the water remains unchanged. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart is aflame with anxiety. She wants to pull the rope but fears it would disrupt his movements underwater. But without pulling the rope, she has no way of judging his circumstances from the black and somber water surface. Her eyes are transfixed on the water. She bites her lower lip without blinking, frequently glancing at the rope in Yan Qingwen¡¯s hand, hoping to see some movement. But none comes. Nothing happens at all. Perceiving Bai Youwei¡¯s nervousness, Yan Qingwen turns his head towards her and says, ¡°An ordinary person can usually hold their breath underwater for about 1 minute. Those with professional training can manage around 3 minutes.¡± The implication was clear: Shen Mo was indeed trained for this sort of situation. Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t respond. Her eyes remain fixed on the water surface while she mentally counts the passing seconds. With every ticking second, the minutes feel like years to her. By the time three minutes have passed, she can¡¯t stand the wait anymore and turns to Tan Xiao, saying: ¡°You should go take a look.¡± Upon hearing this, Tan Xiao begins to take off his shoes and clothes. Yan Qingwen tries to dissuade him. He thinks it¡¯s not the right time. If there¡¯s true danger underwater, another person going under would only lead to more sacrifice. But on second thought, if Lun Ang or Li Li were the ones in the water, even if he knew of the dangers, Yan Qingwen admits that he would go in after them. He mulls this over and says: ¡°Let me try pulling the rope first. If there¡¯s no response, it¡¯s not too late for you to go down after that.¡± Bai Youwei nods, knitted brows betraying her worry. Yan Qingwen starts to reel in the rope. Four attempts in, the rope suddenly becomes taut and motionless. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Bai Youwei anxiously asks him. Yan Qingwen shakes his head with a grave look on his face, ¡°Something has jammed the rope if that¡¯s the case, even if he¡¯s pulling the rope underwater, we won¡¯t be able to feel it.¡± Bai Youwei instantly pales, her scared expression so pitiful it¡¯s hard to bear seeing. Tan Xiao hollers, ¡°What are we waiting for then? Hurry up and tie a rope around me so I can go down and take a look!¡± With a panicked look on her face, Su Man paces back and forth helplessly in the hallway, blurting out, ¡°¡­We don¡¯t have any more ropes. The one tied to your boss was our only one!¡± ¡°Can we use the bed sheets?¡± Zhu Shu suggests, ¡°When we¡¯re acting, we do this often. We tear the bed sheets into strips and tie them together¡­¡± Professor Cheng quickly says, ¡°Yes, yes! Bed sheets, comforters, curtains; we can use all of these! If you¡¯re worried that it¡¯s not strong enough, just tie multiple layers around!¡± Yan Qingwen agrees: ¡°Good. There¡¯s no time to lose. Go get the bed sheets now. Get all of them. Also, take down the curtains. I¡¯m going in too.¡± Tan Xiao, together with Professor Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin, heads towards the bedrooms. As they walk they shout at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei! Keep calm. We promise we¡¯ll bring back Shen Mo!¡± Bai Youwei sits at the door leading to the loft and doesn¡¯t utter a single word. Her lips are tightly pursed and her face is snow white. Anybody can see that her emotional state is on the verge of collapse. Yan Qingwen wants to comfort her but feels disheartened. Five agonizing minutes have already passed ¨C not even a professional diver could stay underwater for five minutes without any aids. There¡¯s a very high likelihood that Shen Mo is in danger! Yan Qingwen doesn¡¯t feel particularly upset or heartbroken by this ¨C at most, he can sympathize with the related pain. His more pressing worry is how to get the summer guests out if they can¡¯t go by the water route?! Meanwhile, Tan Xiao is back with a pile of bedsheets and comforters. In the chaos, everyone hurriedly rips and secures the fabrics into rope-like strands, with Su Man and Zhu Shu also lending a hand. Just then, with a sudden splash After being underwater for five minutes, Shen Mo comes back out! Chapter 275: 275: The Effect of Fish Meat Chapter 275: 275: The Effect of Fish MeatTranslator: 549690339 Everyone stared at Shen Mo in shock, unable to believe their eyes! Five minutes! Staying in a pitch-black, cold, oxygen-deficient environment for more than five minutes, and coming out unscathed?! Shen Mo wiped the rain off his face, tossed a plastic bag onto the corridor, took a brief breath, and said: ¡°After opening the cabinet, everything inside floated away due to the buoyancy. It¡¯s too dark below; I can¡¯t see anything. It took me a bit of time to find the plastic bag.¡± Seeing everyone still looking at him, he paused and continued: ¡°Maybe it has something to do with the fish we just ate. It seems fine to stay underwater a bit longer.¡± ¡°Really?! Let me try too!¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t wait, wading into the water. A chill gripped him immediately, and he hopped back out, ¡°Damn, the water¡¯s freezing!¡± Shen Mo advised: ¡°Warm up before getting in the water. Otherwise, a sudden drop in body temperature might cause cramps.¡± ¡°Oh ¡± Tan Xiao replied, half-understanding. He found a spot in the corridor and began doing chest-expanding and leg-lifting warm-up exercises. Chang Weicai passed a dry towel to Shen Mo: ¡°Go to the room and change your wet clothes quickly, don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± After wiping himself with the towel, Shen Mo turned his gaze towards Bai Youwei on the loft. She stood blankly, staring at him. Holding the towel, he climbed the steps, scrutinizing her face, he asked: ¡°Worried?¡± Bai Youwei tried to speak: ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay.¡± She realized her tongue and mouth were stiff; she was stuttering. She was more than worried She was afraid, terrified! She couldn¡¯t imagine what she would do without Shen Mo! S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This panic didn¡¯t just stem from objective helplessness, but also the collapse of her emotional support! Since when did it start? Unbeknownst to her, he had become irreplaceable in her heart. Shen Mo held up his hand to touch her cheek. Her body was icy cold, even colder than him, who had just emerged from the chilly water. Her back was soaked with cold sweat. He was silent for a while, then said: ¡°I was going to inform you guys, but I was afraid the plastic bag would be even harder to find if the location shifted.¡± ¨CImagine searching for a plastic bag bobbing with the water currents in the pitch-dark underwater. ¡°I understand¡­¡± Bai Youwei took a deep breath, attempting to relieve her rigid body, ¡°Go change your clothes¡­ I¡¯m, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Okay¡± He put the towel in her hand and instructed, ¡°Wipe your sweat.¡± Bai Youwei nodded as she held the towel. After Shen Mo went to change his clothes, she stood at the door of the loft in a daze. She didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. Maybe she was just spacing out, or pondering issues she hadn¡¯t even realized. When she snapped back to reality, she noticed Tan Xiao and Yan Qingwen on the second floor had changed their clothes. Su Man had changed too. Ditching the cumbersome dress, she put on her shirt and jeans again, preparing to dive with the others. Considering they would need to go underwater again, Shen Mo, who had returned, was still wearing his wet clothes. This time, four people would be diving. Shen Mo took Tan Xiao, Yan Qingwen took Su Man, two people per rope. They made an agreement with Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin, who watched over the ropes from above the water. Every 1 minute they would tug the rope ¨C if they were okay, they would tug back. This would ensure the safety of all. With everything ready, the four of them, each with a flashlight sealed in a plastic bag, slowly plunged into the water This time, they stayed even longer than five minutes. Every minute, Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin would tug the rope, each time getting a response. As time passed, everyone stopped panicking. That Shen Mo could stay underwater for so long was due to his unique abilities, but now everyone had surpassed five minutes, indicating that the fish really worked! Receiving rewards naturally made everyone happy, but it was a shame the crisis was not yet resolved, otherwise, it would be a good moment to celebrate. Chapter 276: 276: Finding Beads Chapter 276: 276: Finding BeadsTranslator: 549690339 Fish meat has only enhanced everyone¡¯s adaptability in the underwater environment without turning them into fish who do not require air to breathe. Fifteen minutes later, Shen Mo emerged from the water with Tan Xiao, holding 5 beads in his hand. Tan Xiao also had a few beads. ¡°Where did you get these from?¡± Teacher Chang couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°We¡¯ve searched the first floor several times and didn¡¯t see these beads.¡± Shen Mo explained, ¡°There are many of these beads on the floor underneath, but the water is too turbid to see through, even with flashlights. The visibility is very limited. They¡¯re tough to find.¡± Tan Xiao, who was rubbing his arms because of the cold, hastily handed the beads he found to Teacher Chang and hurried off for a hot shower. Chang Weicai found a glass vase and put the beads in, suggesting to Shen Mo, ¡°Go take a hot shower to warm up. You¡¯ve been in the freezing water for far too long. Don¡¯t let it harm your health.¡± Shen Mo shook his head and looked at the water, ¡°No need, I will have to dive in in a while.¡± Everyone understood his intention. The sudden presence of these beads on the first floor could very well be key to their clearance. Therefore, they had to keep diving in, looking for more beads. After another ten minutes, Su Man came back from the water with a poor complexion and her skin frozen blueish-white. She had found a little more, 9 beads. Yan Qingwen was the last one to return. Wanting to put his underwater tolerance to test, he stayed under for a full half hour. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Fish meat can slow down the human body¡¯s oxygen consumption rate. After entering the water, our oxygen consumption automatically decreases. You start to feel suffocated after 20 minutes, 30 minutes is the limit. But, if you exercise intensely underwater, you must come up to the surface within 20 minutes.¡± As Yan Qingwen spoke, he took his time to inhale and regulate his breathing. ¡°Hypoxia can cause brain damage. Be careful to keep track of time when you dive in.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. Teacher Chang proclaimed, ¡°I¡¯ll keep the time for you all. If it exceeds 20 minutes, regardless of how many beads you found, we¡¯ll pull the person up immediately!¡± Yan Qingwen has faith in Teacher Chang. He nods and gratefully says, ¡°Thank you.¡± In the following time, these individuals took turns diving for beads. Finding something underwater is a difficult task, let alone looking for something as tiny as beads. Especially when the water visibility is less than a metre, even with a flashlight, the turbidity of the water further compounded the difficulty of finding these beads. Occasionally they were lucky, bringing up six to seven beads; Sometimes they were not, only finding two or three. As the number of beads accumulated to 32, they started returning empty-handed more frequently, seemingly struggling to find any more beads. Unbeknownst to them, the time had passed 11 p.m. Meaning, they have been trapped here over eight hours into the summer. Originally, they believed that searching such a house would take at most two hours. But now, they have been trapped in the summer for eight hours¡­ ¡°Are we sure that the answer is the beads?¡± Lun Ang asked. ¡°Most likely.¡± Li Li definitively replied, ¡°The home of the Water Monster locates in the depths of the water, storing glittering treasures. The shiny treasures pointed to the treasure! Now the beads, which we have never seen before on the first floor, appear. When light illuminates the beads, they become shiny; obviously, they fit the answer. The only problem now is, we cannot determine the quantity of the beads. Is it that as long as we hand over the beads, we will pass the level, or do we have to find all the beads? But how many are there in total?¡± Zhu Shu looked at Li Li, then at Yan Qingwen, tentatively suggesting, ¡°How about I also go down and look for it?¡± Yan Qingwen nodded after consideration, ¡°Everyone has their own way to look for things. If someone else gives it a try, there may be new findings.¡± He looked at the others, ¡°Everyone, take a break. Warm up as soon as possible. If we¡¯re sure that these are all the beads, we¡¯ll give it another try.¡± Chapter 277: 277: Entertain Guests Tomorrow Chapter 277: 277: Entertain Guests TomorrowTranslator: 549690339 Let¡¯s try again. As these words were spoken, everyone fell into a synchronised silence. If we make another mistake, I fear even the second floor will be flooded Even the normally confident Li Li hesitated, unwilling to make a decision on a whim. Tan Xiao seemed perplexed, looking around at everyone¡¯s changing faces and asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Haven¡¯t we found the beads? Why the long faces?¡± Li Li said, frustrated, ¡°We¡¯re worried about misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°How could we misunderstand?¡± Tan Xiao asked, his eyes wide with confusion. ¡°If they¡¯re not beads, what else could they be?¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone exchanged glances. Indeed If they¡¯re not beads, what else could they be? They had searched the entire house countless times! Apart from the ship they found in the whale stuffed toy, there was nothing else that could be considered treasure. These shining beads were their only hope! After a moment of contemplation, Shen Mo suggested, ¡°Just to be safe, let¡¯s move everything we can use from the second floor to the loft. If the second floor floods, we won¡¯t be able to use anything down here.¡± Professor Cheng said, ¡°Let¡¯s move the books we haven¡¯t finished too!¡± Shen Mo nodded. Maybe there were other clues in the remaining books. Everyone rallied and began moving the items from the second floor to the loft. Some carried books, others moved bedding and pillows. During this time, Zhu Shu went into the water once and found a bead. After a brief rest, she went back under to search, but had no such luck on the second attempt. The loft, now housing 10 people and with the added clutter of books and household appliances, felt cramped and stuffy, even the air felt heavy. Lun Ang, a man of robust build, feeling much too suffocated, asked Tan Xiao to open a window. The loft had only one small window. The latch was rusted, and it took Tan Xiao a couple of hard shoves before he was able to push it open. The salty wind carrying with it light rain blew in, bringing in fresh air and dampening the floor by the window. Tan Xiao stuck his head out of the window to check the view¡ª all he saw was an endless expanse of water. The hills and forests were no longer visible, and their house seemed like an island in the middle of the sea, facing the risk of submersion at any moment. Pulling his head back in, he sighed, ¡°The window is too small. If we get flooded here, we won¡¯t be able to get out.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll take it head-on!¡± Lun Ang said gruffly, ¡°We have ten people here. Even if we think of something, surely we can take down a fish?¡± ¡°It¡¯s tough and thick-skinned, how do we take it down?¡± Tan Xiao was worried, ¡°We don¡¯t even have any weapons.¡± Their only utility knife had fallen into the water when they were rescuing Lun Ang. Having heard this, Shen Mo calmly responded, ¡°The utility knife should be near the stairs, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to find it. But we should verify the number of beads first.¡± Including the bead found by Zhu Shu, they had a total of 33. But were there only 33 beads? If a few beads were missing when they served them to the guests, would the guests become irate? Then, Yan Qingwen advised, ¡°Let¡¯s do one more thorough check. Each one of us should dive one after another. The beads are small, when we swim underwater, the waves could shift the beads. Everyone, please be more careful.¡± Apart from the injured Lun Ang and Li Li, along with Professor Cheng and Bai Youwei who couldn¡¯t swim, the remaining six went to the second floor. This time Xiaoxin went too. They took turns diving for beads. Before they knew it, another two hours passed. At three in the morning, everyone was extremely exhausted. Dragged their wet, cold bodies back to the loft, they put all the beads they found together¡ª ¡± everyone rest on the spot. Tomorrow, we will serve the guests.¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s voice rang out like the final verdict. Chapter 278: 278 Quiet and Peaceful Chapter 278: 278 Quiet and PeacefulTranslator: 549690339 Some people could fall asleep as soon as they lay down, while others were restlessly tossing and turning. Tired and weary bodies, but the nerves were strained and could not relax. Shen Mo leaned next to Bai Youwei, head down, silently thinking about every event that had happened since they started the game. He and Bai Youwei had played numerous games, but this was undoubtedly the toughest. It had taken such a long time, they had suffered so much, and they hadn¡¯t even cleared the second round. Bai Youwei remained unusually silent. She seemed to be scared because Shen Mo didn¡¯t surface for a long time the first time he jumped into the water. Even as she closed her eyes to sleep now, she was clutching his hand tightly, daring not to let go. Shen Mo subtly adjusted his position to avoid crowding her. Bai Youwei opened her eyes. Shen Mo paused, whispering, ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping either¡­¡± Bai Youwei moved a little and lay on her side facing him. ¡°Hmm,¡± Said Shen Mo casually, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the game. If we fail to find the ¡®treasure¡¯, the only way to clear the game would be to kill the guests. However, our mobility underwater is greatly impaired, unless we can find a way to get the fish to shore.¡± Bai Youwei did not respond, just pursed her lips. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She could have used her rabbit to deal with the fish, but the house was too damp Water was everywhere, and the fish caused flood when it raged. No one could guarantee where the electric current would go. And to be effective, the electric shock must be concentrated in one point. If it was dispersed in the entire body of water, could it seriously injure the fish? After all, she couldn¡¯t see the fish underwater. No matter how she considered it, the risks seemed to outweigh the benefits. After pondering for a bit, she croaked, ¡°This game is difficult because¡­ the hints are too vague. The golden orb of the frog asked us to find the golden orb; the friends reunion game required us to pick the most beautiful flower. Every game has a specific objective, yet in this game, we¡¯re left to guess what we¡¯re looking for. The only clue is a nursery rhyme.¡± She sighed softly, closed her eyes and continued, ¡°The summer rain is so heavy, it¡¯s pitch-black, and we can¡¯t see where the treasure is¡­ Based on this line alone, there could be two completely different interpretations. One is what Li Li has said¡ª the treasures are hidden in the darkness and are thus hard to find because we cannot see them. The other is that the treasures are not hidden in the dark, so no matter how we look in the dark, we¡¯ll never find them. Either interpretation can be logically consistent within the context of the nursery rhyme. We found the beads on the first floor¡­ Based on the hint that Li Li found in the book, the beads possess the characteristic of being shiny. But one thing I don¡¯t understand is, shiny objects usually reflect or refract light to shimmer. So, without a light source, how can the beads shine?¡± Shen Mo, hearing the mention of light, reflexively asked, ¡°Could it be the flashlight?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°The Inspector said the answer is in the house, and the flashlight was something we brought from outside the game.¡± Shen Mo pondered for a moment and said softly, ¡°For now, there is a good chance it¡¯s the beads. We¡¯ll give it a try tomorrow. Perhaps we¡¯re overthinking this, and the answer is not that complicated.¡± Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°I hope so¡­¡± The two spoke on and off before closing their eyes to rest. The night passed. In this environment, no one could get a peaceful sleep. The room was cold and damp. The walls around were soaked, and even though the water only flooded the first floor, moist vapor still filled the entire house. Bai Youwei drifted in and out of sleep, the sound of pitter patter rain and occasional movements and breaths of people in the room echoing in her ears. She opened her eyes in a daze and saw Shen Mo¡¯s handsome face, deep and shallow shadows cast on his face in the dim light. She looked for a while, snuggled into his arms, and fell asleep again¡­ The night passed quietly. Chapter 279: 279: An Argument in the Morning Chapter 279: 279: An Argument in the MorningTranslator: 549690339 The next day, Bai Youwei woke up a bit disoriented. The light in the attic had been on all night, and it had been raining outside continuously. She couldn¡¯t tell how long she had slept. She learned from Yan Qingwen that it was now seven thirty-five, realizing she¡¯d probably been asleep for about four hours. After a night¡¯s rest, both Li Li and Lun Ang looked substantially better. However, Zhu Shu¡¯s face was flushed, seemingly feverish. While tidying up the beds, Su Man muttered under her breath, ¡°Not even saying anything about catching a fever, trying to tough it out for who to see, purposely wanting to attract someone¡¯s sympathy, aren¡¯t you¡­¡± Zhu Shu, feeling dizzy and unwell from her fever, leaned against the wall, staying silent. Feeling re-energized today, Li Li hit back directly, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal with being ill? Zhu Shu¡¯s previous injury had just gotten better, and she¡¯d gone underwater several times yesterday. Isn¡¯t it normal for her to fall ill? You think everyone is as strong as an ox like you?¡± Staring at him, Su Man¡¯s chest heaved incessantly, fuming with anger. She then rounded on Zhu Shu and vented all her frustration, ¡°Are you happy now?!! A man has stepped up to defend you! Are you satisfied now, stirrer of trouble?!¡± Zhu Shu: Li Li walked over directly, standing in between the two women. Pointing at Su Man¡¯s nose, he scolded, ¡°I think you¡¯re the actual troublemaker! If she says she¡¯s sick, you accuse her of being melodramatic. Now that she¡¯s keeping quiet, you¡¯re accusing her of stirring up trouble! Can you clarify what exactly she should do to please you?¡± Zhu Shu opened her mouth to mediate, but thinking about Su Man¡¯s character, she closed it again. She shouldn¡¯t say anything at this time, it¡¯d only add fuel to the fire. If she said anything now, Su Man would surely hate her even more, thinking she was putting on a sanctimonious act. ¡°Li Li! You bastard!!!¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes were red with anger. Lun Ang joined in from the side, ¡°Yeah, Li Li, you are really going overboard¡­ You¡¯re a guy, go easy on her¡­¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Li Li retorted in indignation, ¡°When did I ever not accommodate her? I can¡¯t recall how many times I¡¯ve done so since we were kids! Ask her, how many times I¡¯ve taken the blame for her during childhood? How many beatings I¡¯ve taken?¡± Simultaneously furious and irritated, Su Man wished she could pounce on him and hit him! If it weren¡¯t for the bandage across Li Li¡¯s chest reminding her that he was still injured, She would have probably launched at him long ago! In the tone of an elder brother, Lun Ang commented, ¡°Li Li you¡¯re a man, stop harbouring grudges let¡¯s all say less, we¡¯re not even certain we can escape from here¡­¡± Consumed with grief and anger, Su Man glared at him with reddened eyes, ranting, ¡°Who knows what love potion Miss Goody-Two-Shoes has swayed him with! Now he talks nothing but nonsense to me!!!¡± Zhu Shu, holding her forehead, Looking around at everyone, Yan Qingwen spoke calmly, ¡°Since we all have this much energy, let¡¯s discuss how to entertain our guests.¡± The air went quiet in an instant. Neither of the two quarrelling parties spoke. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Scanning everyone, Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyelids slightly, looking at him. Yan Qingwen also turned to look, ¡± If successful, summer will pass; if unsuccessful, the rain will flood the second floor too.¡± He paused for two seconds, turning to everyone, ¡°If there are no other suggestions, for the second visit, let¡¯s try using these beads.¡± The beads in the bottle gave out a faint glow. They were bigger and fuller than pearls, emanating a warm orange glow under the light, reminding everyone of marbles played with during childhood. Yan Qingwen glanced at his wristwatch, saying, ¡°The final hour of preparation, everyone change into the dollhouse clothes.¡± He went downstairs with Shen Mo. Li Li and Su Man, who had been arguing, glanced at each other, temporarily setting their conflict aside as they also headed downstairs. Mr. Cheng, Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin also followed in succession. Only Bai Youwei, Lun Ang, and Zhu Shu remained in the attic. Zhu Shu, still clutching her burning forehead, sat down beside Bai Youwei. After a moment of silence, she asked, ¡°What do you think how likely is it that it¡¯s the beads?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, looking at Zhu Shu. ¡°You haven¡¯t said much since yesterday ¡± Zhu Shu tentatively asked her, ¡°Is the answer these beads?¡± Chapter 280: 280: A Fifty Percent Feeling Chapter 280: 280: A Fifty Percent FeelingTranslator: 549690339 Although it seemed somewhat unfair to say this, for some reason, she was more inclined to trust Bai Youwei¡¯s judgement rather than Li Li¡¯s analysis. From their very first encounter, she noticed something different about Bai Youwei. She had intended to get to know her, but her plans were disrupted several times by Su Man, preventing her from making direct contact. Throughout her many years in the entertainment industry, Zhu Shu had managed to avoid any negative publicity and secure top-tier resources in film and television. Her success was due to her uncanny ability to align herself with the strong ¨C a strategy that had become almost second nature to her. Bai Youwei was the ¡°strong¡± person she had identified. Of course, seeking protection also spoke volumes about Zhu Shu¡¯s lamentable situation. She was very clear about this. But over the years, she had become accustomed to it. If she was suddenly asked to live in any other way, she would be at a loss. Just like in this abnormal world. Bai Youwei remained silent, watching her, her eyes inexplicably sharp. Zhu Shu understood that this was a long-honed caution, an instinctive response, the same as how a cat would tense up when seeing a stranger. Zhu Shu did her best to look sincere. But it seemed to have little effect. Bai Youwei remained indifferent, answering with a blank expression, ¡°I¡¯m silent because I haven¡¯t found the answer yet.¡± A chill ran through Zhu Shu¡¯s heart. ¡°It¡¯s not the beads?¡± Bai Youwei looked down at the damp wooden floor, ¡± I hope so. But if you ask me how I feel, I¡¯d say there¡¯s a fifty percent chance.¡± Fifty percent. Zhu Shu¡¯s heart dropped. Fifty percent. Did that mean there was only a fifty-fifty chance? Lun Ang beside her cursed under his breath. Not at Bai Youwei. But at this goddamned world. Yan Qingwen¡¯s team set up a few large bed boards on the stairs leading to the loft, reinforcing them with other pieces of furniture. Having learnt from their previous close call, he had upgraded the setup, even incorporating a rusty axe from outside the front door into the setup. The old axe, now separated from its wooden handle, was wrapped with a rope, one end hanging in mid-air, the other tied to a beam above. Once the Fish Monster breached the boards, gravity would pull the axe towards it! Against such a massive creature, a rusty axe would have miniscule effect, but even a few extra seconds to escape would be considered fortunate. All was set up. Shen Mo stood at the top of the second-floor staircase with the gathered beads, while the others spread out along the corridor and the stairs. Shen Mo glanced at his companions behind him, then back to Bai Youwei at the entrance of the loft. Then, refocusing on the surface of the water¡ª ¡°Do come in, guest.¡± There was no sound, perhaps drowned out by the water. The water level began to rise, spreading, submerging the second floor and the stairs to the loft. Everyone retreated further. When the water flooded one meter high, they retreated one meter, and when it flooded two meters, they retreated two meters When the water reached half the height of the staircase, the second-floor lights flickered and went out. Darkness enveloped the room, leaving only the dim glow from the loft as their only light source. Simultaneously, there were heavy sounds coming from downstairs, as if something was clumsily making its way up from the water Bang! Something collided with the two large wooden boards Yan Qingwen had erected on the stairs. The boards, shaking and almost ready to fall, managed to stay upright, held in place by the ropes. The Fish Monster lay motionless at the bottom of the water. As if waiting, just like the previous round. The beam from their flashlight cast upon the water¡¯s surface could only make out a blurry shadow. Shen Mo, holding the beads, stepped into the water. One step And another step He was now within striking distance of the Water Monster. Bai Youwei watched as he moved deeper into the water, her heart jumped into her throat. She wanted to call him back, but found herself unable to utter a word. Suddenly, with an enormous boom! The Fish Monster leapt up! Splashing monstrous waves! sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 281: 281: Unaware of Life and Death Chapter 281: 281: Unaware of Life and DeathTranslator: 549690339 It smashed its entire body into the bed board. The solid wood, as fragile as a thin wafer, shattered instantly! Shen Mo immediately ducked down, an axe flying out from behind him and smashing into the grotesque head of the Fish Monster with a thud! The Fish Monster let out a squawk, seemingly in pain, retreating back into the water with a boom! ¡°Quick, get up!¡± Yan Qingwen shouted, extending his hand towards Shen Mo in the water! As Shen Mo just pulled himself out of the water, the Fish Monster leapt again from behind him¡ª- A huge shadow fell over Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen. Both of them dodged to the side, one tumbling over the staircase handrail, the other retreating into the loft. The Fish Monster, mouth wide open, landed down, instantly smashing the wooden staircase steps, biting away a huge chunk! Both men were swallowed by the water! The water level kept rising! In an instant, the second floor was flooded by rainwater! Everyone scampered back into the loft, only hearing the house being bombarded, unable to see what was happening underwater! Everyone¡¯s heart clenched in fear! The beam of the flashlight swept back and forth. Apart from the muddled surface of the water, they could see nothing! Teacher Cheng was anxious, staring at the water surface and fretting, ¡°What to do what to do ¡± Su Man stood at the edge of the loft by the water, holding her whip tightly, she shouted, ¡°Elder Yan! Elder Yan, where are you?!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go down and take a look!¡± Tan Xiao jumped into the water! Bai Youwei shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t go!!!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Tan Xiao started to tremor! His body convulsed as if dancing, while the water surface flickered with blue light! Even Bai Youwei¡¯s hands resting on the floor felt a numb sensation! It was electricity! She instinctively looked at her fluffy bunny, then with disbelief, looked back at the water surface! It wasn¡¯t the bunny! ¡°Come back! The fish can produce electricity!¡± Bai Youwei shouted! As she finished the sentence, fear was etched onto everyone¡¯s faces. If the Water Monster could create electric shocks, what would happen to Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen underwater?! Tears welled up in the usually strong Su Man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Damn it!¡± she cursed through her teeth, ignoring the danger of electrocution, repeatedly striking the whip on the water surface! ¡°Come out! You monster! Come out!!!¡± ¡°Have you lost your mind?!!!¡± Li Li rushed over, holding her and dragging her back to the depths of the loft. Lun Ang, supporting his unhealed leg, stood up and shouted, ¡°Goddamn! I¡¯m going to fight it!¡± ¡ª¡ªBOOM!!! Half of the loft floor was blown up! The huge Fish Monster had gnawed through the loft floor, causing Bai Youwei, Li Li, and Su Man to plunge into the water! Su Man, quick to act, managed to whip out, the whip hanging from an iron wall lamp. She grabbed Li Li, and their bodies stopped momentarily in the water! The whip loosened again! They uncontrollably slid into the water! Just before they fully submerged, Lun Ang grabbed the whip, pulling them up with all his strength! However, the Fish Monster underwater twisted and gnawed on another big section of the floor! The loft floor, unlike the second floor which was bricked, consisted of a thin layer of wooden boards laid over a steel frame, simply unable to withstand the Fish Monster¡¯s gnawing and battering! Zhu Shu at the side fell into the water hole! Lun Ang hurriedly reached out an arm to catch her! Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin also tried to help. But as soon as they neared, the floor beneath their feet began to crack. They had no choice but to crawl on the ground, each of them grabbing onto Lun Ang¡¯s one leg, preventing him from being dragged into the water¡ª- Even so, Lun Ang¡¯s body kept sliding closer to the water. He couldn¡¯t hold up against the weight of three people, his leg injury was not healed yet, and the pain he was experiencing made his face twisted. Zhu Shu bit her lip and suddenly let go of Lun Ang¡¯s hand. ¡°Zhu Shu!¡± Lun Ang was shocked and reached out to grab her but only managed to pull up a handful of wetness. Su Man and Li Li, one after the other, climbed back onto the loft, panting heavily, sitting with Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin in the corner of the loft. Everyone looked blankly at everything in front of them. Only half of the loft floor was left. The water surged in waves, gloomy and boundless. Their companions were nowhere to be seen, their fate unknown. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 282: 282 She Knows the Answer Chapter 282: 282 She Knows the AnswerTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei¡¯s body was sinking. Continually sinking From the moment she fell, she hadn¡¯t struggled, instead remaining motionless, letting her body slowly descend in the water. The surroundings were dim, but there was a faint light from above, a beam leaking from the loft. Occasionally, a dark shadow would streak by, seemingly the Water Monster chasing the light. Someone had dropped a flashlight. The beam of light agitated the monster, like a bull enraged by a red cape, and it came rushing, gnawing, and crunching the flashlight to pieces! It swallowed it whole and swum off to another location, shaking its head and wagging its tail. Lucky Although it was a crazed monster, it couldn¡¯t see her hidden here in the dark water as long as she didn¡¯t make too much noise. Bai Youwei quietly stayed in the water. Her cumbersome dress made it more difficult for her to move in the water, but it also indirectly provided her with cover. Her wide hem, floating in the water, resembled a cluster of seaweed. Her hand slowly felt around the surroundings. A wooden floor, a steel bed frame, coarse wallpaper judging by their locations, she must have fallen from the loft to the side of a bedroom on the second floor. Yan Qingwen¡¯s people had taken the bed base away, leaving only a bare bed frame. She couldn¡¯t swim, so if she wanted to return to the loft, she¡¯d have to go around the outside of the door and climb up the damaged staircase. There¡¯s no hurry. The monster was still around, so she could wait until the three minutes of its frenzied period passed before making a move. Anyway, she had eaten fish, so it should be okay to stay in the water a little longer. However The water was really cold Bai Youwei thought about Shen Mo. Was he also somewhere on the second floor? Maybe he was close by, but they couldn¡¯t see each other because it was too dark under water. Was he safe? S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Did he get hurt? No, he should be alright. Given his intelligence, he should have quickly realized the monster¡¯s weakness in having poor vision. If he stayed still, he could avoid being discovered. Speaking of which, most fish have poor vision. People say eating fish eyes can improve eyesight, but in fact, almost all fish are highly nearsighted, and the vision of deep-sea fish has mostly degraded. They rely on other sensory organs to get around. Hold on. What was that clue Li Li found? [The Water Monster¡¯s home is in the deep waters, hiding glittering treasures.] The deep waters At a depth of 100 metres, only 7% of the light from the surface penetrates. As the water gets deeper, the intensity of light rapidly declines. Around 2000 metres deep, it¡¯s virtually pitch black. If there¡¯s no light, the beads won¡¯t ¡°glitter¡±, so how did people spot the ¡°glittering treasures¡±? The beads must be wrong. The ¡°glittering treasure¡± must emit light. Bai Youwei¡¯s body was cold under the water her mind, as if stimulated by the cold water, was extraordinarily clear. Of course, it was that thing It could shine It could generate electricity The water rippled as though something big was approaching. She slowly shrunk her body, silently tucked against the wall, keeping her eyes open, utterly motionless. In the murky water, the light was so faint it was almost nonexistent. She saw a massive figure swimming by slowly. It seemed that the three-minute frenzy period had ended. It sluggishly waved both of its pectoral fins, bumping into the door or furniture occasionally, then opened its big mouth, gnawing irritably to the left and right! Bai Youwei stared at its long fin spines, and her previous guess turned into certainty. She knew what the answer was now. Chapter 283: 283: Like a Human Chapter 283: 283: Like a HumanTranslator: 549690339 For the second time this summer, they suffered tremendous losses. Shen Mo and Qingwen, who were the first to fall into the water, were injured to varying extents. Shen Mo, smeared in mud, was luckily not impacted much as his injuries were treated timely. But, Zhu Shu, when in the water, was badly hurt by a spike on the fin of the Fish Monster; she was near death when pulled out of the water. Shen Mo saved himself, saved Qingwen, saved Zhu Shu. The mud was used up three times in a row. When Zhu Shu regained consciousness, she was dazed. She subconsciously touched her stomach. She remembered clearly that her guts were exposed. But the skin there was intact now. It felt as if it was all a big dream. Someone was calling her name repeatedly nearby, ¡°Zhu Shu, Zhu Shu ¡± It was Li Li. He was holding her hand, regretfully saying, ¡°Why did you let go. You shouldn¡¯t have ¡± ¡°If she hadn¡¯t let go, the ones falling into the water to feed the fish would be us,¡± Su Man muttered from the side, ¡°Lun Ang was not strong enough to hold on to three people.¡± Li Li became sadder, ¡°Zhu Shu did it to save me.¡± Su Man rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t argue with him, considering the situation. Zhu Shu pulled her hand back from Li Li and, while holding her stomach, slowly sat up. The wound was gone, there was no pain anymore Someone must have used some tool on her. Su Man took Li Li away to check on Lun Ang¡¯s recurring leg injury. Zhu Shu was sitting alone in a daze, still somewhat confused. She let go to save others but it wasn¡¯t just for that. Zhu Shu knew her worth to the team compared to Li Li and Su Man. Instead of waiting for Lun Ang to eventually let her go, it was better for her to let go proactively. This way, she would not only manage the situation but also earn respect. Why not? Seeing her still in a daze, Qingwen frowned and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Zhu Shu snapped out of it, looked at him, and gently shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine ¡± After a pause, she whispered, ¡°I, once again, caused you to waste another tool.¡± Upon hearing this, Qingwen subconsciously looked towards Shen Mo. The tool was provided by Shen Mo, it didn¡¯t seem like a waste to them. At this time, Zhu Shu spoke slowly, ¡°Actually every celebrity has thought about their exit. Is it by having their public image tarnished, being caught up in negative news; or is it after growing older, being phased out by the younger generation of fans; or is it by fading away from the industry due to a lack of work Some celebrities would carefully design their exit, a concert or a performance, leaving at the peak of their glory; it¡¯s a wonderful thing, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve thought about that too. If I have to die sooner or later in this Doll Game, I hope that my death is beautiful. Not because I¡¯m too stupid to solve the riddles and end up being a doll, or by playing mind games to fight for a chance to survive. I wish to die like a human.¡± Live like a human. Die like a human. Being able to maintain the bottom line till the end, being genuine, and kind. Having experienced life and death firsthand, she poured out her feelings. The room was silent for a long time. Zhu Shu looked around, only to realize that she was under everyone¡¯s gaze at some point. Li Li and Su Man, Qingwen and Lun Ang, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, as well as Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Xiaoxin every single one of them was looking at her. After a while, Qingwen said, ¡°Of course. If we lose our humanity and become demons to win the game, then even if we win, it¡¯s a loss.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t lose!¡± Li Li declared with excitement, ¡°Even if I have to dive in to find it myself, if we can find all the beads, we definitely can clear the stage!¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°We don¡¯t need to look for the beads,¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was unusually calm, ¡°What the Water Monster wants is not the beads.¡± Chapter 284: 284: Outlandish Ideas Chapter 284: 284: Outlandish IdeasTranslator: 549690339 Li Li was stunned, ¡°Not beads? Then what is it?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s light.¡± Bai Youwei responded. ¡°Light?¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°Why light? The rain in summer was so heavy, you couldn¡¯t see where the treasure was hiding in the darkness Why would the treasure be light?¡± Bai Youwei explained: ¡°The nursery rhyme did not say that the Water Monster cannot find the treasure, only that it cannot see the treasure.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s light.¡± Li Li disagreed, frowning, ¡°Besides, how do you explain those beads? Why did they suddenly appear in areas that were flooded?¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°It¡¯s not hard to understand. If a bear can bring fish, then a fish can bring beads.¡± Li Li was dumbstruck upon hearing this. Yes If a bear could bring fish, then why couldn¡¯t a fish bring beads? Could it be that the beads they found were actually the reward for the second round? ¡°Try to recall that nursery rhyme again.¡± Bai Youwei murmured softly, ¡°Spring Bear is awake, it loses two children and gets really worried; Heavy rain in summer, can¡¯t see where the treasure is in the darkness; Who¡¯s here in autumn? Look, the Nail Tooth Monster opens its mouth and where are his teeth Spring and Autumn both mentioned the names of the guests, so why doesn¡¯t summer? The nursery rhyme could have been made like this¡ª¡ª The Water Monster can¡¯t see where the treasure is. Why did they not write it that way and instead say, can¡¯t see where the treasure is in the darkness? Because ¡®Darkness¡¯ is the name of this Water Monster. It is ¡®lightless¡¯ and can¡¯t see its own treasure, it can¡¯t see anything! And we we were all misled by the term ¡®treasure¡¯!¡± ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is, what we need to do now is not to find the treasure,¡± Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°but to help it see the treasure?¡± Bai Youwei nodded, saying: ¡°When I fell down earlier, it was really dark underwater, even when the fish swam up to me, everything was still dark. It seems to be very sensitive to light sources, and it looks like an Anglerfish, which should have a luminescent substance on its fin spines ¡± ¡°That would be a glandular cell.¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°The glandular cells of the Anglerfish can secrete luciferin, which, catalyzed by luciferase, can glow through a chemical reaction with oxygen. But where can we get these glandular cells for it? Do we give it a flashlight?!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need a flashlight.¡± Bai Youwei lightly shook her head, ¡°If my guess is correct, there should be a light bulb in this house that will match it.¡± ¡°Light bulb!?¡± Li Li yelled! He thought that Bai Youwei was being unduly imaginative! Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°If this Anglerfish monster can generate electricity, it¡¯s highly possible there¡¯s a light bulb.¡± Li Li: ¡°But this house has many light bulbs, which one is it?¡± Teacher Cheng asked. ¡°The one that won¡¯t light up,¡± Bai Youwei said confidently. Everyone looked at each other. Out of all these light bulbs, which one doesn¡¯t light up? Now that the first and second floors were flooded and the electricity was gone, it was impossible to test them, unless Their eyes involuntarily went to the rabbit in Bai Youwei¡¯s arms. Shen Mo spoke up, ¡°The light in the storeroom doesn¡¯t work.¡± Everyone was taken aback. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯ve searched the storeroom,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I tried the switch a few times, the light didn¡¯t turn on. I thought the bulb was spoiled, but now that I think about it, it seems like that¡¯s the only light in the entire house that¡¯s spoiled.¡± Listening to this, Yan Qingwen added, ¡°In that case, you go and get the bulb from the storeroom, I¡¯ll go and remove the other lights we haven¡¯t switched on. Then we can compare.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly. The two men agreed and one after the other went into the water. Outside the window, the rain was relentless. The rain had flooded everything, only the small triangular roof of a house could be seen from the oceanic expanse. Inside the house, the people were sitting on the half piece of remaining attic floor, waiting for the last piece of news¡­ Chapter 285: 285: No More Preparation Chapter 285: 285: No More PreparationTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Will it be a success this time?¡± Su Man looked at the enveloping flood outside the window, her nerves frayed. ¡°This is our last chance If this is wrong too, we¡¯ll be drowned here.¡± No one spoke. A sense of death permeated the room. After a while, Li Li broke the silence, ¡°If we still fail to get through Lun Ang, give my piece of the puzzle to Su Man, and you and Yan Qingwen should take her and leave. All the research data is in the bag anyway. You guys just need to take it to Professor Song. Whether I¡¯m there or not doesn¡¯t matter ¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Su Man instantly scowled, ¡°Do you plan to stay here with Zhu Shu? What for? You¡¯ve only known each other for a few days, and you already want to die together?¡± Li Li snapped back irritably, ¡°Will you ever let it go! Or would you rather I leave the puzzle for Zhu Shu, and die with you? I bet then you¡¯d complain again! Saying that I only care about the damsel in distress and neglecting your well-being, right?!¡± Su Man fumed, ¡°Who¡¯s asking for charity?! Can¡¯t you keep the puzzle for yourself?!¡± S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Keep it to myself? Zhu Shu just saved me, how could I abandon her here and run, would I still be a man?!¡± ¡°So, in the end, all this for her! You just want to be with her!¡± ¡°You¡¯re utterly unreasonable! A lunatic! A madwoman!¡± The two started arguing as usual. The others remained silent. They¡¯d often interject in the past, but now everyone was absorbed in their own thoughts, letting them argue incessantly. Until the water rippled, and a splash sounded¡ª Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen had returned. All eyes turned to them. Yan Qingwen took a deep breath and nodded gravely at them, ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s the light bulb.¡± A simple sentence felt like a royal pardon. Everyone exhaled in relief. Shen Mo produced the storage room light bulb for everyone to see. It was a small, oval bulb. Unlike regular ones, several hair-like black objects emerged from this bulb, thicker than hair, looking like nerve cords. Furthermore, Shen Mo had also found a full box of similar bulbs in the storage room. This was the type of bulb actually used in the storage room. Everyone had come across these bulbs when they were searching, but just assumed that they were regular replacement bulbs. The answer was right in front of their eyes. Everyone looked at each other, registering surprise, suspicion, hesitation in each other¡¯s eyes ¡°If we¡¯re wrong this time too ¡± Li Li was anxious. ¡°We won¡¯t be.¡± Shen Mo cut him off. Holding the light bulb, he paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Dear guest, please come in.¡± Li Li¡¯s face went pale. ¡°Hey! We¡¯re not ready yet!!!¡± ¡°What do you need to prepare for?¡± Shen Mo asked. ¡°I! ¡± Li Li was speechless. At this point he really didn¡¯t have anything to prepare. Regarding injuries, the healable parts were more or less healed, and the intractable parts weren¡¯t going to get better any time soon; In terms of defense, there was only half a floor left in the attic. If the water came up, there would be nowhere to defend! And speaking of water, here it came¡ªit seems that every time they formally invited the ¡°guest¡±, the water level would rise. It was as if the increase was specifically to facilitate the monstrous fish¡¯s approach. The water surged into the attic. It submerged the floor, reached their ankles, their calves Everyone stood up. Mr. Cheng and Tan Xiao were supporting Bai Youwei from either side. Shen Mo glanced over at her. Bai Youwei gave him a barely perceptible nod. Shen Mo redirected his gaze, looking back at the rippling water surface. The waves were heavy, the attic wall light finally went out, leaving only a small light up above and a few rays from flashlights illuminating the surroundings. Following some thudding and bumping sounds, the massive fish monster, guided by the light source, came to the edge of the attic. Chapter 286: 286: It’s Not Over Yet Chapter 286: 286: It¡¯s Not Over YetTranslator: 549690339 Its colossal head floated on the surface of the water, revealing a grotesque, terrifying half-face, protruding fiendish teeth, and a thin, curved fin spine. A small glob of black, meaty substance hung off the pointed end of the fin spine. No one had noticed this before. Even when it had appeared numerous times in front of them, they had never associated it with a light bulb. Even now, it was hard to think of a connection between a light bulb and this glob. This time could they be wrong again? They couldn¡¯t afford to be wrong again. If they continued to be wrong, all those who were unable to solve the puzzles would be eliminated! Shen Mo jumped into the water with the light bulb in his hand. Everyone¡¯s nerves were on edge, anxiously watching the human and fish in the water, only one question on their mind: is this right, or wrong? The anglerfish monster in the water was as quiet as ever. It had been so the previous two times as well. It would stay stationary before going berserk, as if waiting for something. However, the calmer it was, the more uneasy people felt. They feared it would suddenly leap up and swallow all the players alive! Yet, Shen Mo¡¯s movements were decisive and swift. After he jumped into the water, he raised his hand to grab the fin spine, presenting the light bulb! He did it in one swift, unhesitating motion! Everyone held their breath for a moment. The glob of meat-like substance stretched out like tiny claws, securing the light bulb tightly! Zzzt, Zzzt The light bulb flickered twice, then lit up! Everyone was dumbstruck. The fish monster seemed pleased, grinning widely. Then, it blew out a string of large bubbles, sank slowly into the water, swayed its tail, and swam away Everyone: They felt a bewildering sense of relief as if they had finally sent away a plague. The water level was falling. It dropped rapidly, revealing the floor, the stairs, the wallpaper on the second floor. Looking out of the window, they could see the clouds dispersing, the rain stopping, and the hillside and forest gradually emerging from the water. What was more surprising was that the receding tide not only took away the water but also restored the building¡¯s structure. All the stairs and furniture that had been bitten and damaged were restored to their original state. Everyone came down to the first floor and found many shiny beads on the floor ¨C not just 33, but at least a hundred at first glance! Shen Mo picked up one. [Rejected Egg of Water Monster: It stings when you¡¯re hit and there¡¯s a 20% chance of triggering the Thunder Blast Effect.] These descriptions were not present when they picked up the beads just now. Now, however, they floated into their minds. It seemed that only after passing the level could the rewards genuinely become rewards. As everyone was being attracted by the shiny beads scattered on the ground, a surprised and high-pitched voice sounded¡ª ¡°You guys actually survived?!¡± The Crystal Ball couldn¡¯t help but hop up from the music box, whizzing in front of them! It seemed incredulous, circling around them twice before stopping: ¡°How is this possible?!! You guys actually survived the summer without losing anyone?!! No impossible! Is there an error in the data? I¡¯m going to recheck the information!¡± It flew back to the music box and stood still, seemingly processing internal information. There was silence for no more than two seconds when the Crystal Ball screamed again! ¡°You guys really passed the summer! Just a bit more! Ahhhh just a tad more, and the Water Monster would have swallowed you whole! What a pity!!!¡± Everyone: Bai Youwei gave it a tired glance, then said to Shen Mo, ¡°Let¡¯s clean up the beads on the floor first. Even though they are rewards, if we trip on them and fall, we might get hurt.¡± Yan Qingwen also heard her and nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s clean up together, watch your step.¡± Having barely escaped with their lives, it would be a real pity if they were to die due to the reward items. Everyone took this seriously and started picking up the scattered beads on the floor. No one paid any attention to the Inspector. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Unwilling to be left out, the Crystal Ball flew over again, swayed around, and finally settled in front of Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t be high and mighty! It¡¯s not over yet! You won¡¯t escape from the Nail Tooth Monster in the fall! You¡¯ll never get out of this game!!!¡± Chapter 287: 287: The Final Reward Chapter 287: 287: The Final RewardTranslator: 549690339 Yes, it¡¯s not over yet. When summer ended, autumn followed. Unbeknownst to them, the grass on the hill had all dried up, and the trees at the foot of the hill had turned yellow. The autumn breeze blew in through the doors and windows, causing those in damp clothes to shiver from the cold. Thankfully, the house had been restored to its original state, with the walls and floors all dry, as well as the firewood in the fireplace. Shen Mo reignited the fireplace. Everyone scattered; some went to take hot showers, some sat by the fireplace to warm up, and others searched in corners to see if any beads had been overlooked. The guest of autumn had already arrived. Stationed at the front door. However, everyone was too worn out, trapped in the summer for nearly eighteen hours; each person was physically and emotionally drained. All they wanted for the moment was to properly relax and rest, they didn¡¯t care about the guest outside. Two hours later ¡ª by the time everyone had bathed and changed, and assembled in the living room looking fresh and clean¡ª Professor Chang poured ten cups of hot tea and placed them on the coffee table in the living room. Thin columns of steam rose from the tea. The firewood in the fireplace crackled. Ten individuals in exquisite doll costumes gathered in the living room. If you overlooked the serious or troubled expressions on their faces, it almost felt like a tea party. ¡°There are a total of 102 beads. I suggest we divide them evenly.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. ¡± Logically speaking, as you two have passed the round, you should gain more. But we still have the third round of the autumn game to come. Once the guest begins to lose control, the injured, elderly, women, and children will all need more props for support.¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He paused, before continuing: ¡°This is just my personal opinion. If you guys don¡¯t agree, we can discuss other ways to divide them.¡± Unlike fish meat, beads serve as reward props. With fish meat, everyone could share a pot, but everyone could not share the limited quantity of beads. As long as there is a fixed amount, there will be disparities. Yan Qingwen was smart. He had ulterior motives; he wanted to get more beads for the injured Lu Ang and the delicate Zhu Shu, but he did not say it. Instead, he pointed out the predicaments of Professor Chang and Pan Xiaoxin. If only those passing the game receive beads, how would the previous round be accounted for? The idea had been Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s, and Zhu Shu was the one who sewed the bow, but neither of them received any extra fish meat as a result. Furthermore, if Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t get any beads, what would they do in the following round? If danger arises, Shen Mo would have to step in and save them. It would be better to give them more beads now, allowing them the ability to protect themselves and making things easier for Shen Mo. Shen Mo also had his considerations. Each round of the game was more challenging than the last, and they still didn¡¯t know how to deal with the guest of the autumn round. For players right now, the most important thing was cooperation. If disagreements arose over the distribution of rewards, it would be undesirable. After some thought, he said, ¡°Then let¡¯s each take 10 beads. The extra two will go to Bai Youwei.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Are my ideas only worth two beads?¡± Yan Qingwen couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°How many beads do you want? Just say a number and we can discuss it.¡± Bai Youwei had actually given this some serious thought and replied, ¡°Let¡¯s just divide them as you guys suggested.¡± Yan Qingwen was taken aback, ¡°There¡¯s no need to force yourself If you¡¯re not satisfied, we can split it 40-60 or 30-70. We¡¯d be fine with that.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°Actually, you guys were right. There¡¯s still the third round, and it¡¯s better to have more protection for the old, the women, and the children. This will allow those with good physical abilities to handle things without being restricted. Moreover, I trust that the game¡¯s final reward will be fair and just. I don¡¯t need to worry about this.¡± Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, ¡°The final reward?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Bai Youwei gave a faint smile, ¡°As for these little beads, whether it¡¯s a few more or a few less, I really don¡¯t care. My aim is the final reward.¡± Chapter 288: 288: Looking for a Nail Chapter 288: 288: Looking for a NailTranslator: 549690339 Yan Qingwen remained silent for a while, then let out a light smile. ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded, ¡°This is only the second round. Only after autumn passes can we truly clear the game.¡± Li Li encouraged everyone: ¡°We made it through summer despite its difficulty, why fear autumn!¡± Lun Ang also nodded in agreement: ¡°Even if the third round is difficult, but we¡¯ve experienced spring and summer, we should be able to deal with autumn. I believe we won¡¯t be clueless.¡± The Crystal Ball sat quietly on the Eight Immortals cabinet, watching them discuss their next strategies. Shen Mo walked over, turned the winding box on the music box, and a familiar nursery rhyme floated around the room with the music: The Spring Bear is awake, It¡¯s really worried about losing two children; Summer rain is so heavy, It¡¯s pitch-black, and the treasure can¡¯t be seen; Who comes in the fall? Look, isn¡¯t there a tooth in the wide-open mouth of the Nail Tooth Monster? Winter, winter finally comes Who will see the snowflake? Shen Mo leaned against the window, and the half-open window vaguely reflected guests outside, ¡°Just as expected, it¡¯s the Nail Tooth Monster Who comes in the fall? Look, isn¡¯t there a tooth in the wide-open mouth of the Nail Tooth Monster? Just as the nursery rhyme says.¡± Everyone quickly moved to the window, curious to see what the guest outside looked like. The window and the door were in a parallel line, and the doorposts and coverings on the sides of the door made it impossible to see directly through the window, leaving them to rely on the reflection on the glass window to increase their visual range. The guest of autumn, in terms of size, was not as big as the bear or the anglerfish. It looked like a walking shark, just without fins and a tail, with glossy gray skin, strong lower limbs, slender claws, plus an extremely large head¡ª It stood at the door with its mouth wide open, and only about seven or eight pointed teeth could be seen. The teeth looked like nails. Shen Mo looked at the rest of them, ¡°For this round, it seems our task is to find nails.¡± Yan Qingwen observed the reflection carefully on the window glass and slowly nodded, ¡°And it looks like we¡¯re going to find quite a few nails.¡± Scarred from the last round, Li Li looked at the two leaders uncertainly, ¡°Are you confident? Is it really just to find nails? What if it¡¯s something else?¡± He turned his head to ask Bai Youwei, ¡°Do you also think it¡¯s nails?¡± Bai Youwei glanced at him expressionlessly, ¡°No matter what it is, the one-minute rampage in the first round is unavoidable.¡± Whether it¡¯s the bear or the anglerfish, without real contact, it¡¯s hard to find out what they really need based only on the clues from the nursery rhyme. Hearing this, Su Man next to him nervously tugged at her dress. She¡¯s sick to death of this game, because dressing like this was affecting her performance. However, if she didn¡¯t dress like this, she¡¯d be attacked by the guests. Zhu Shu asked, ¡°If it¡¯s nails, how many do we need to find?¡± ¡°Its mouth was wide open ¡± Yan Qingwen squinted his eyes a bit, ¡°Just by looking at it, there should be about 26 upper teeth, 24 lower teeth. Minus the six nails in its mouth, we¡¯re left with 44.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°The game can¡¯t be that simple, it¡¯s possible that there are double or multiple layers of teeth.¡± Shen Mo pulled his gaze back, looking at the facilities in the room, ¡°If it¡¯s double-layered teeth, then it¡¯s 100 nails, triple-layered, 150 nails, four layers, 200 nails In other words, the more nails we find, the better.¡± Li Li¡¯s scalp tingled hearing these numbers. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit outrageous? We¡¯ve turned over every corner of this room, and apart from the dozen or so nails in the storage room, there are none at all!¡± Tan Xiao patted him on the shoulder with one hand, tapped his chest with the other hand and said seriously, ¡°You need to look carefully! As it is said, nothing is too difficult if you put your heart into it! We must keep at it until death!¡± Li Li snapped, ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be ¡®stick to it until the end¡¯!¡± Who the hell wants to keep at it with you until death! Get lost!!! Chapter 289: 289: Remove The Stumbling Block Chapter 289: 289: Remove The Stumbling BlockTranslator: 549690339 A simple two and a half story townhouse was thoroughly searched. In the end, only 23 nails were found. This number, was far from sufficient. Tan Xiao picked up two more from under the bed and dropped them into the nail dish, clinking softly. He looked up at Li Li, patted his chest, seemingly indicating: see? Look carefully! Li Li hadn¡¯t found a single nail and didn¡¯t want to deal with him. Pan Xiaoxin, with a small backpack on his back, came down to the living room and took out a handful of nails from his bag! At least forty or fifty by visual estimation. This number far exceeded the combined total of everyone else! Everyone suddenly exclaimed: ¡°Xiaoxin! Where did you find these nails?¡± Pan Xiaoxin scratched his head and honestly said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any nails Then I saw a toy train in the attic, so I dismantled the train ¡± ¡°Ah! That train!¡± Su Man recalled, ¡°I took it when I was looking for shiny objects. It¡¯s metallic and has so many nails on it!¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded, ¡°It also has a metal track, with two nails on each rail.¡± sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone had a sudden burst of inspiration! ¡°If this is the case, every metal toy in the house can be dismantled!¡± ¡°The nails holding up the paintings on the wall can also be removed!¡± ¡°All things with nails can be taken apart! This game is very tricky, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of removing nails if it wasn¡¯t for the child ¡± There were all kinds of screwdrivers in the tool box in the storage room. Everyone picked up a few and started to dismantle the nails. This way, their reach was greatly extended. Of course, not all nails could be undone. Some couldn¡¯t be unscrewed no matter what, especially ones related to the structure of the house or furniture. Everyone gradually summarized the experience, ¡°Structural¡± nails couldn¡¯t be dismantled, but ¡°movable¡± and ¡°decorative¡± nails could be taken apart. The entire house echoed with a symphony of clanging sounds. Chaotic, yet lively, no nail-laden toy was spared, nor were the wall lights, the living room sofa, bedroom drawers, the bathroom towel hooks everything was cleaned out. Tan Xiao initially wanted to uninstall the doorknob, but it seemed the system wouldn¡¯t allow it. No matter how he turned the screwdriver, he couldn¡¯t unscrew it. Even so, they managed to collect 226 nails! How many teeth the Nail Tooth Monster had was unknown, but 226 nails such a quantity, ought to be enough, right? Bai Youwei glanced at the crystal ball on the cupboard. This ball When lively, it made lots of noise. But when quiet, it could easily be mistaken for an ordinary music box. Who knows what kind of mischief it was up to. ¡°The first rampage is unavoidable.¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Whether nails are necessary or how many are needed, we¡¯ll know after this round.¡± Shen Mo looked at him, ¡°The time of the first round is short, but the uncertainty is the highest, and the danger is the greatest. The player inviting guests must be agile, or they will not escape.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Yan Qingwen said calmly, ¡°You¡¯ve taken the lead twice this summer, it¡¯s my turn.¡± ¡°Yan, if it¡¯s about agility, I¡¯m not bad either.¡± Su Man stepped forward, ¡°You need to take Li Li to see Professor Song, you can¡¯t afford to get hurt. I¡¯ll invite the Nail Tooth Monster in.¡± Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment, nodded and said, ¡°Alright, you go first in the first round, be careful.¡± He knew his position in the team. Letting Su Man go was not because he was afraid of dying, but as the backbone of the team, his accident would likely affect the team¡¯s morale and performance in the next round. Besides, Su Man might be impulsive, but her agility certainly wasn¡¯t inferior to his. ¡°Then, let¡¯s stick to our usual plan.¡± Yan Qingwen stood up, ¡°The elderly, women, children, and those who are injured, go upstairs and find a place to hide for now. Those who remain, prepare to receive our guest.¡± Chapter 290: 290: Laying a Nail Chapter 290: 290: Laying a NailTranslator: 549690339 Chang Weicai, Pan Xiaoxin, and Zhu Shu, lacking the ability to protect themselves, headed upstairs. Lun Ang¡¯s leg bone hadn¡¯t fully healed and couldn¡¯t be of assistance, so he went upstairs as well. Bai Youwei was still hiding in the storage room. Only Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Yan Qingwen, Li Li, and Su Man remained on the first floor in the living room. After facing a bear and anglerfish, everyone¡¯s faces had lost a bit of panic and gained a bit more calm and composure. Su Man stood by the door, holding a large glass bowl that had previously been filled with loquats, but now was filled with nails. At Yan Qingwen¡¯s signal, she pursed her lips, watching the door and said, ¡°Please come in, guest.¡± Click¡ª¡ª The door opened slowly. Upon seeing the monster up close, they found that it looked even more ridiculous than they had imagined. Its head was disproportionately large, and its front claws were pitifully short. Originally, they thought it was like a shark with arms and legs, but now it seemed more like a miniaturized Tyrannosaurus Rex, only without a tail. It walked in with a pattering sound, all the way to Su Man, sat down on the floor, raised its head, and opened its mouth wide! How wide? The upper and lower jaws almost opened past 90 degrees! Its mouth was full of tiny pits instead of a tongue, like the suction cups on an octopus¡¯s tentacles, some of which had grown nails out of them! Su Man felt nauseous at the sight of these dense pits, her face going pale. The Nail Tooth Monster sat motionless in front of her. ¡°Su Man.¡± Yan Qingwen softly reminded her from the side. Su Man snapped back to reality, biting her lip as she tremblingly picked a nail from the glass bowl The one she randomly picked was black, thin, long, and the tip was a helix. She held the nail and cautiously approached the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s open mouth. At this moment, the numerous suction cups in the monster¡¯s mouth began to ¡°joyfully¡± contract, as if they could sense the nearby nail. They contracted and expanded, contracted and expanded, like countless hungry buds! Disgusting! As a tomboy, Su Man wasn¡¯t afraid of smelly rogues, ferocious beasts, but she couldn¡¯t stand these nauseating things! Her heart leapt as she clenched her teeth, her fingers trembling as she placed the nail inside the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s mouth¡ª The sucker-like buds had a strange affinity for the nail. As soon as they touched the nail, they sucked it in! The nail was firmly embedded in the flesh-like suction cups. At first glance, it even seemed as if the nail had grown out of the flesh! With one nail in place, the other small sucker-like buds contracted even faster! They seemed unbearable! They even began secreting a sticky oil-like liquid which trickled out, just like drool! The Nail Tooth Monster found the feel of the suction cups and drool in its mouth uncomfortable. It rumbled from its throat and closed its mouth, rubbing its mouth hard¡ª Su Man thought it was about to go wild and pulled her hand back in fright! As it turned out, the Nail Tooth Monster only swayed its head. It wasn¡¯t satisfied and began to grind its mouth on the floor, smearing oil all over the place. Everyone exchanged glances. It hadn¡¯t gone berserk, which meant the nail was indeed the right choice, but what was the Nail Tooth Monster trying to do? After rubbing its mouth on the floor for a while, the Nail Tooth Monster sat up again and opened its mouth wide towards Su Man. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Man was somewhat stunned. ¡°Keep feeding it nails.¡± Yan Qingwen commanded. Su Man nodded, took a deep breath, picked up another nail from the bowl, and placed it into the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s mouth¡ª The flesh-like suction cups quickly sucked in the nail! The more she practiced, the smoother her feeding action became, and Su Man became faster at feeding the nails. When she heard the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s throat rumbling, she knew that the monster was itchy and couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She pulled her hand back, waited for it to grind itself a few times, then continued to feed it nails. Chapter 291: 291: Missing Nails Chapter 291: 291: Missing NailsTranslator: 549690339 Placing hundreds of nails, one by one, was time-consuming. While Su Man was busy with the nails, Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo were also not idle, closely examining the Nail Tooth Monster. ¡°Its height is around 1.5 meters, length approximately 2 meters. The front limbs are small and non-threatening, but the head is huge, so the biting power is probably extraordinary.¡± ¡°Its hind limbs are strong, it shouldn¡¯t be too slow.¡± ¡°Not only is it fast, but it also has a strong jumping ability. In combination with the powerful bites, fighting it would be tricky.¡± ¡± However, it has no tail and an oversized head, so its balance should be quite poor.¡± ¡°We could try changing directions during the attack.¡± Shen Mo and Yang Qingwen exchanged thoughts back and forth. Tan Xiao listened in blankly on the side. He didn¡¯t understand; how could these two extract so much information just from a few glances at the monster full of nails in its mouth? Tan Xiao quietly nudged Li Li, whispering, ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Li Li replied impatiently, ¡°Even if I told you, you wouldn¡¯t understand. Just keep quiet and listen, don¡¯t interrupt.¡± Tan Xiao suddenly realized, ¡°Oh you don¡¯t understand either, do you? Well, I¡¯m relieved. As long as I¡¯m not the only one who doesn¡¯t get it.¡± Li Li: ¡°You !¡± ¡°Don¡¯t disturb.¡± Tan Xiao insisted, ¡°We should just listen.¡± Li Li: He wanted to swear. The number of nails in the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s mouth was increasing. Yet, the number of nails left in Su Man¡¯s bowl was decreasing. Seeing the dwindling quantity, Yan Qingwen reminded Su Man, ¡°Slow down on placing the nails.¡± On hearing this, Su Man nodded, intentionally slowing down her pace. Yan Qingwen took the chance to count the remaining nails in her bowl; there were seventeen left. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough nails.¡± Shen Mo furrowed his brows, staring at the flesh-like suckers inside the monster¡¯s mouth. ¡°Even including the 17 nails in the bowl, we¡¯re still short by around thirty.¡± ¡°Thirty something?¡± Yan Qingwen responded, ¡°We need to know the exact number to figure out the answer.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed tighter, staring into the monster¡¯s mouth, ¡± 36 or 37; the suckers keep moving, you guys come and count too.¡± Yan Qingwen, Li Li, and Tan Xiao gathered around; each of them counted the sucker missing a nail and subtracted the number of nails left in the bowl ¡ª Yan Qingwen got 38. Li Li got 37. Tan Xiao got 31. Li Li was speechless toward him: ¡°Your number is the lowest!¡± Tan Xiao was defiant and recounted. This time, he ended up with 44 nails. Su Man¡¯s pace had slowed down significantly, the nail count kept decreasing, and the bowl now had fewer than ten left. She took out a nail, slowly, very slowly placing it into the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s mouth, asking anxiously, ¡°Are you guys done yet?¡± The men huddled around the monster and recounted, but failed to get a unanimous count. Either 36 or 38. Because the flesh-like suckers constantly contracted, enlarging and shrinking at different times. When contracted, it would be blocked by other enlarged suckers. With none contracting at the same time, it was tough to determine the exact number. There were only three nails left in Su Man¡¯s bowl. Yan Qingwen commanded, ¡°Disperse and get ready to attack.¡± ¡°As soon as you put in the last nail, run! Got it?¡± Li Li instructed Su Man. ¡°Look out for yourself!¡± Su Man retorted impatiently, ¡°I¡¯m sure I can run faster than you!¡± Two left. Tan Xiao gripped his piece of firewood, fiercely declaring, ¡°I¡¯ll stand behind it and whack it before running!¡± Shen Mo stood quietly on one side, a folded fruit knife open in his hand. One left The tension reached its climax¡ª When the sucker enveloped the last tiny nail, Yan Qingwen cried out: ¡°Run!!!¡± Su Man and Li Li turned and bolted! Tan Xiao swung down his stick! The firewood splintered! S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo drove his knife towards the monster¡¯s neck. The blade sparked as it failed to penetrate and chipped! Both he and Yan Qingwen¡¯s faces changed! ¡°Its body is made of metal!¡± ¡°Roarrrrrrr!!!¡± The Nail Tooth Monster let out a hoarse roar, opening its mouth full of nails, lunging to bite them!¡ª Chapter 292: 292: Rampaging Nail Tooth Monster Chapter 292: 292: Rampaging Nail Tooth MonsterTranslator: 549690339 Shen Mo and Tan Xiao were closest to the Nail Tooth Monster! The monster kicked up its hind legs and charged directly at Shen Mo! Shen Mo countered with a swift knife strike! He was strong enough, but the cracked blade wasn¡¯t tough enough. When it hit the monster¡¯s massive head, it was like chopping a rock! The fruit knife completely broke! Half the blade flew threw the air! But the Nail Tooth Monster became even more furious and lunged in retaliation! Shen Mo dodged to the side; swiftly changing direction, he moved to the monster¡¯s left. He pulled out a Bead and tossed it at the creature! The Nail Tooth Monster, less agile than Shen Mo, accidentally rammed its head into a wall. Dust flew up everywhere! Ignoring the pain, it raised its head only to be hit by another Bead in the back of its head! A loud bang resounded! The sound wasn¡¯t loud, but the monster seemed to be in excruciating pain, squealing and clutching its head! But its forelimbs were too short to hold its head. After a few frantic cries, it saw Tan Xiao nearby and charged at him! Tan Xiao turned and ran towards the dining hall! The Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s hind legs were powerful. Chasing Tan Xiao, it quickly caught up despite his attempt at blocking it with a table Shen Mo yelled from a distance, ¡°Use the Beads! All other means of attacks are useless against it!!!¡± But it was still too late! Tan Xiao, unable to extract a Bead in time, was flung against a wall by the monster! The monster, its head hard and huge like a block of iron, slammed into Tan Xiao¡¯s back. He immediately coughed up blood! The next second, the monster bit into his shoulder, its sharp nails piercing deep into his flesh as if it was paper under a stapler! Blood splashed everywhere! Boom! Yan Qingwen threw a Bead that promptly exploded into a spark on the monster¡¯s head! The Bead achieved a 20% Thunder Blast effect! The Nail Tooth Monster was immediately caught off guard. It retreated a few steps, groggy, its body swaying. ¡°Hold on a little longer!¡± Yan Qingwen shouted to everyone, ¡°Only 30 seconds left!¡± Seizing the opportunity while the Nail Tooth Monster was still dizzy, Shen Mo raced forward, picked up Tan Xiao, and ran up the stairs! The others also found places to hide. But the beast was only dazed for six to seven seconds. It quickly realized that the room was empty and, with a roar, charged up the stairs! It was remarkably fast and soon caught up to Shen Mo! Su Man threw down her whip from upstairs to hinder the monster¡¯s ascent, but the monster was unfazed by it. With a powerful leap, it jumped straight up from the staircase to the second floor and bit Su Man¡¯s hand holding the whip! ¡°Ah!!!¡± Su Man shrieked in agony! She fell straight down from the balcony of the second floor staircase! S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The monster kept its mouth open for another bite, but Shen Mo quickly pulled out a Bead and threw it! The monster managed to dodge, roaring fiercely. It strangely gave up on attacking them and turned towards the storeroom next to the stairs! Bai Youwei was in the storeroom! Shen Mo¡¯s face turned grim, he put down Tan Xiao and swiftly ran towards the storage room! But before he could get in, he heard several loud bangs! The monster bellowed in pain and stumbled backward while a layer of crystalline Beads¡¯ powder was scattered across the storeroom doorway! Yan Qingwen was stunned as well! They had all been throwing Beads one by one, who knew Bai Youwei would toss a handful! At least seven or eight Beads, three of which had triggered a Thunder Blast effect, leaving the Nail Tooth Monster disoriented! There were only a few seconds left. By the time the Nail Tooth Monster had recovered, the one-minute frenzy time was also over. It chomped its mouth, and then rubbed its un-nail-studded fleshy disc against the floor, before finally leaving the house reluctantly .. Bai Youwei stepped out of the storeroom, gripping her wheelchair tightly, her face dark with displeasure, ¡°Why did it know I was in there?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s not right with this monster¡¯s vision.¡± Shen Mo looked grim, ¡°When it attacked me, from that angle it shouldn¡¯t have been able to see Tan Xiao. Yet, not only did it discover Tan Xiao, it executed a precise attack on him!¡± Chapter 293: 293: Still Missing Nails Chapter 293: 293: Still Missing NailsTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s unusual,¡± Yan Qingwen said with a serious expression. ¡°When it attacked Su Man, it didn¡¯t rise up. It seemed to be able to know our location without needing eyes.¡± ¡°Considering those little eyes of it, it¡¯s impossible for them to be giving it a 360-degree field of view,¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, her face remaining indifferent. ¡°The Inspector must have missed something again.¡± Shen Mo looked in the direction of the staircase. Tan Xiao and Su Man were both severely injured, their wounds where the Nail Tooth Monster had bitten them were drenched in blood. It was a gruesome sight. ¡°Let¡¯s save them first.¡± Despite the one minute rampage, their injuries were serious. The wound where the nail had punctured was bloody and mangled, even the bone inside had been pierced. Even though Shen Mo had tried to treat the wound with mud, the effect was still minimal. Su Man¡¯s right hand was nearly broken off, and Tan Xiao was still unconscious. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t survive for 3 minutes if it rampages again.¡± Yan Qingwen warned. While the Nail Tooth Monster wasn¡¯t the biggest of its kind, its speed, strength and precision of judging the position of its targets made it far more terrifying than the previous two monsters. One minute had already resulted in two serious injuries. What would happen if it rampaged for 3 minutes? Upstairs, teacher Cheng, Pan Xiaoxin, and Zhu Shu, there¡¯s no use hiding no matter how hard they try; Bai Youwei might have a rabbit, but even electric shock might not be effective; They themselves could not think of any solutions in front of the monster, which was as hard as metal; And about those beads, normal attacks could delay for two or three seconds, thunder effect could extend to seven to eight seconds, these were indeed useful in one minute of rampage, but what if the rampage lasts for 3 minutes? What¡¯s the use of these few seconds gained through delaying? Their predicament had reached a deadlock. Unless . The remaining nails can be found. ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°36 to 38 nails, that¡¯s the minimum, it can¡¯t be fewer than that.¡± Li Li stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s check again to see if we¡¯ve missed any nails. Thirty plus is not a small number, there must be some place we¡¯ve overlooked.¡± Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin both nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll look in the kitchen.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to the attic .¡± Everyone dispersed, each going his own way to search for the nails. Two hours later, they regrouped in the living room, each shaking their head. Not a single nail was found. This wasn¡¯t surprising. Long before they decided to allow the ¡®guests¡¯, they had already scoured this house several times. Trapped here for several days, they were all too familiar with every corner of the Dollhouse. Any nail that could be removed had been removed by them, with virtually no oversights. Searching again, the result would naturally be the same. Everyone sat silently in the room. The Nail Tooth Monster was still outside. From time to time, it would grind its teeth against the ground. The scraping sound made people irritable. Li Li couldn¡¯t sit still any longer. He stood up and began pacing back and forth to alleviate his restless mood. Su Man sat on the sofa, holding her injured hand, more silent than ever. Bai Youwei was also irritable. Her eyes flicked to the crystal ball on top of the eight-drawer cabinet, she began, ¡°What if we ¡± Before she could finish, the ball unexpectedly spoke up: ¡°Hey! I should remind you, attacking the Inspector is a major violation!¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Pan Xiaoxin looked at the ball, then Bai Youwei, and quietly said, ¡°Sister Weiwei, the music box can¡¯t be dismantled.¡± Bai Youwei mused, ¡°But it¡¯s weird the appearance of a music box here has no use, other than reciting a nursery rhyme but there is no need for the nursery rhyme to be recited through a music box, right? The game rules could be completely announced by the Inspector. Earlier they mentioned it was for a sense of ceremony ¡± She voiced her thoughts and frowned at the crystal ball. ¡°Was it really just for a sense of ceremony? Or perhaps it was to mislead us, to let us assume that the crystal ball and the music box are one and the same?¡± Chapter 294: 294: Still Missing Nails Chapter 294: 294: Still Missing NailsTranslator: 549690339 The Crystal Ball remained silent. Bai Youwei looked at it with growing suspicion. After a while, she said to Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°You go, bring the eight-note box here.¡± Pan Xiaoxin: The Crystal Ball, enraged, yelled, ¡°Hey! Can¡¯t you understand me?! I¡¯ve made it clear that attacking the Inspector is against the rules! It¡¯s a serious, violation of the rules!!!¡± Pan Xiaoxin, who was about to stand up, froze, unsure whether to listen to Bai Youwei or the Crystal Ball. Bai Youwei gazed at Pan Xiaoxin calmly and gently, ¡°It¡¯s alright, we¡¯re just going to look at it, wind it up, listen to the music, we¡¯re not going to violate the rules by attacking it.¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded, walked over with a serious face, picked up the eight-note box, and walked back. The Crystal Ball on the eight-note box snorted, ¡°You better not play any tricks! Don¡¯t try to exploit loopholes in the rules! Any violation will be punished by the Inspector Ahhh! ¡ª¡ª¡± Pan Xiaoxin suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud! He held the eight-note box in his arms, but the Crystal Ball was flung out in a parabolic arc, hitting the ground hard, bouncing twice and rolling to the corner of the room! ¡°Ah! Xiaoxin, are you okay? Get up quickly!¡± Bai Youwei, who was startled, held her chest, ¡°How could you accidentally fall? It¡¯s lucky you didn¡¯t do this intentionally, otherwise the Inspector would consider it a malicious attack!¡± Pan Xiaoxin on the ground: The Crystal Ball on the ground: Teacher Cheng hurriedly helped Pan Xiaoxin up, dusting off his legs, ¡°Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself? Be careful next time, the floor had just been flooded, did you slip because there was still standing water?¡± Pan Xiaoxin silently set the eight-note box on the table and then looked at Bai Youwei. Why did he feel just now, it seemed like Sister Weiwei tripped him? S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hmm Sister Weiwei¡¯s legs are disabled, aren¡¯t they ¡°Where¡¯s the screwdriver?¡± Bai Youwei was eager, ¡°Now that the Inspector is not around, it¡¯s okay to dismantle it, right? Let¡¯s do it, let¡¯s do it!¡± Shen Mo picked up the screwdriver and began to dismantle the eight-note box. The Crystal Ball, covered in dust, slowly rolled back from the corner of the room¡ª The ball pressed against the wooden floor made a creaking sound. The floor it rolled over cracked slightly, as if bearing a tremendous force, leaving a long track like silent, simmering anger. It rolled back into the living room and came to a halt, watching as these people took the eight-note box apart. They were counting screws as they dismantled it. ¡°One, two, four eight ¡± ¡°Do you think, by dismantling the eight-note box, you can clear the game?¡± A sullen child¡¯s voice echoed from the depths of the Crystal Ball, ¡°Dollhouse has one life in one season, and in the trial stage, 6,798,052 players stayed in the doll¡¯s house, only 1,289 of them survived to autumn! And none of these people survived till winter!¡± Bai Youwei looked at the Crystal Ball on the floor. The counting voice next to her ear had stopped It stopped at 12. The number of screws they needed was far more than this. The Crystal Ball on the ground laughed out loud, ¡°Haha! Stupid humans! Thought by dismantling the eight-note box, you could clear the game? The Dollhouse is not the simple game you used to play before! Its difficulty is unparalleled!¡± People looked at the screws on the table, fell silent, their faces slowly showed signs of despair. ¡°Dollhouse, one life in each season ¡± Yan Qingwen gave a bitter smile, lightly sighing, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yan Qingwen looked up at her, ¡°Remember the first round in summer? Tan Xiao and Li Li found a model ship ¡± He did not finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant. Li Li¡¯s face turned pale as paper, he mumbled to himself, ¡°There were many screws on the model ship ¡° Chapter 295: Still Missing Nails Chapter 295: Still Missing Nails Translator: 549690339 At the start of the summer, they had found a model of a pirate ship filled with gold, silver, and jewels, and fed it to the anglerfish as a treasure¡ª Now, they¡¯re short on nails. Where do they find them? Are they truly going to be trapped here until death?! So, the difficulty of the doll house game isn¡¯t how obscure the clues are, or how hard it is to find the objects, but it makes you unknowingly use resources that you¡¯ll need in the next round! Everyone¡¯s faces drained of color. Words were pointless. They had forced themselves into a dead end! Bai Youwei bit her lip and held Shen Mo¡¯s hand: ¡°Lift me up.¡± Shen Mo looked at her. She closed her eyes, as if making a difficult decision, she reluctantly said: ¡°Dismantle the wheelchair.¡± Everyone: Ball: S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Holy shit! The ball couldn¡¯t help but burst into the air! ¡°You guys actually brought a wheelchair into the game! That¡¯s unfair! That¡¯s unfair!!!¡± Li Li was overjoyed: ¡°Hahahaha! We still have a wheelchair! How could we forget about the wheelchair hahaha!!!¡± Yan Qingwen, being civil, understood the importance of the wheelchair to Bai Youwei and said, ¡°If we can escape from the game, we¡¯ll help you look for a similar wheelchair when we search for resources.¡± Bai Youwei turned up the corners of her mouth, did not utter a word, and quietly pulled Shen Mo. Shen Mo held her up, gently rubbed her back, as if comforting a child. Leaning on his shoulder, she muttered: ¡°My wheelchair was imported from Germany, it¡¯s very expensive.¡± Shen Mo gently patted her: ¡°Hmm.¡± She continued: ¡°This model was discontinued a long time ago, you won¡¯t be able to find it.¡± Shen Mo kept patting her: ¡°Hmm.¡± She was still not feeling comfortable, ¡°I¡¯ve been sitting on it for several years, leaving it only when I go to sleep ¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Shen Mo responded, but added, ¡°It was bound to leave eventually.¡± Bai Youwei froze and looked up at him. A gentle smile graced Shen Mo¡¯s lips. Bai Youwei blinked, all of a sudden realizing, perhaps, Shen Mo had seen her trip Xiaoxin. ¡°Can you stand up now?¡± Shen Mo smiled at her. After staying silent for two seconds, Bai Youwei feigned weakness in his arms: ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t feel well ¡± Shen Mo laughed and continued to hold her. While they talked in whispers, Yan Qingwen and Li Li proficiently disassembled the wheelchair, counting the number of nails as they went. One nail, two nails Four nails, five nails Ten nails Sixteen nails Combining with the twelve nails taken from the music box, they ultimately obtained thirty-eight nails. Thirty-eight. When Su Man placed the nails earlier, they estimated there were thirty-eight nails missing! The Crystal Ball sat silently on the floor, not making a sound, only the snowflakes inside were swirling wildly! Like a storm was raging within! Yan Qingwen counted the nails one last time, assured that it was indeed thirty-eight, he couldn¡¯t help heaving a sigh of relief and looked towards everyone: ¡°We should be alright this time.¡± Nails back in full, everyone felt relieved. Li Li concurred, ¡°Su Man¡¯s hand is injured, let me do it this time.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Bai Youwei suddenly straightened up in Shen Mo¡¯s arms, her tone was slightly childish, ¡°It¡¯s my wheelchair!¡± Everyone: Everyone knew that Bai Youwei suddenly volunteered because the person chosen to usher in the guests was likely to influence the final distribution of rewards. However ?The nails were taken from her wheelchair, it made perfect sense for her to install the nails. Besides, she had one of the puzzle pieces, which gave her more confidence than others. Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°In that case, everyone else finds a hiding place and prepare to greet the guests.¡± Chapter 296: Still Missing Nails Chapter 296: Still Missing Nails Translator: 549690339 ¡°Guest, please come in.¡± The tall and skinny Nail Tooth Monster walked in, its footsteps creating a clapping sound all the way to Bai Youwei. Just like last time, it sat down in front of her, and then it tipped its head back and let its mouth fall open! Whoosh! Last time, it had a mouthful of dense meaty suckers; this time, its mouth was full of nails. Each nail stood erect in its mouth, wet with an oily saliva that made them glisten, their sharpness extreme! Bai Youwei frowned at this. There were still dozens of meaty suckers left unfilled in the monster¡¯s mouth, convulsing constantly, and their sight was revolting. Fortunately, Su Man had already filled more than half of them, or else if they were all clumped together she would probably faint on the spot from trypophobia. The Nail Tooth Monster stayed still with its mouth wide open, like a children¡¯s toy ¡°Shark Teeth¡± ¨C slightly careless and one might get bitten by it. Bai Youwei picked up a nail and put it into the monster¡¯s mouth. The sucker quickly attached itself to the nail, becoming one with it. Some of the suckers were particularly small, so small that they were hard to find due to their constant contraction. She held her breath and concentrated, gently putting in nails and counting silently 38 nails, fewer and fewer; The mouth of the Nail Tooth Monster was getting fuller and fuller. Bai Youwei¡¯s expression gradually became somber. She repeatedly glanced at the monster¡¯s mouth and the nails in her hand, her eyebrows knitting tightly as sweat began to form on her brow. Shen Mo sensed her uneasiness first, and asked, ¡°Not enough nails?¡± ¡± Not enough,¡± Bai Youwei said with gritted teeth, ¡°We are still ?4 nails short.¡± The moment the words fell, everyone tensed up! ¡°Why are we still short?!¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°We counted before! It can only be lacking 38 nails at most! We found exactly 38! Is it still not enough?!¡± ¡°It should be 42 ¡± Bai Youwei said gravely, ¡°The farthest sides of the upper and lower teeth have 4 tiny suckers ?very small. I only just noticed.¡± ¡°Slow down!¡± Yan Qingwen immediately said, ¡°Li Li, Zhu Shu! Start looking to see if there are any nails left on the wheelchair that can be dismantled!¡± Everyone panicked! Li Li and Zhu Shu hurriedly scoured the components of the wheelchair. Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin also joined in! The Crystal Ball on the ground was also taken aback by this situation before it began to hoot with laughter! ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that, did you? Even if you dismantle the wheelchair, it won¡¯t be enough! From the moment you threw that boat away, you were destined to lose! Destined to die in autumn! This is what you get for being so arrogantly confident!¡± The Crystal Ball flew into the mid-air, singing triumphantly: ¡°Ignorance and stupidity are not the biggest barriers to survival, arrogance is! Death awaits, humans! Wahahaha! ¡± Bai Youwei tightened her lips. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The snoring sound from the Nail Tooth Monster¡¯s throat seemed almost impatient with the speed she was installing the teeth. Another nail was engulfed by a sucker. She only had five nails left in her hand, and Yan Qingwen still hadn¡¯t found any. Bai Youwei picked up the penultimate fourth nail and slowly put it into the monster¡¯s mouth. Her heart was in her throat. The sweat was dripping down her body. She clenched her wet palms and said to Shen Mo, ¡°Tell them to stop looking, go upstairs, find a place to hide ¡± Shen Mo nodded and asked her, ¡°Do you have the puzzle piece?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± She had the puzzle piece to save her life. But what about Shen Mo? His puzzle piece had been used up during the Truth or Dare game! Given his character, he definitely wouldn¡¯t rob someone else of their puzzle piece! Bai Youwei bit her lip, every single cell in her brain working in high gear! She was thinking of a way to survive! A way to clear the game! Where in the world were the missing nails?! Did the game really not leave them any chance at all?! Chapter 297: 297: Snowflake Chapter 297: 297: SnowflakeTranslator: 549690339 They had only three nails left, but still seven suckers in need of nails. The music box was disassembled, the wheelchair disassembled; where else to find nails?! They had made it through spring, through summer. They were just about to clear the level, were they really going to die here?! Bai Youwei felt like her head was about to explode! She was not willing to accept this! She didn¡¯t want to lose! She wouldn¡¯t accept defeat!!! Those with insufficient fighting power all headed upstairs, the urgent sounds of footsteps filled the room, thud, thud, thud Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo stayed on the first floor, ready to delay the Nail Tooth Monster and buy their companions some time when it goes on a rampage. Su Man and Li Li also wanted to stay behind. Li Li said, ¡°I have beads in my hand, I can at least throw a few at it!¡± When it came to this life and death situation, Su Man didn¡¯t want to quarrel with him, but she couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Your glasses are already cloudy, you¡¯re no help at all! I can aim better with just one hand than you can!¡± Zhu Shu returned, beads in hand, and stood at the staircase saying, ¡± I can help as well.¡± Yan Qingwen sternly ordered, ¡°What¡¯s all this fuss about?! Aside from those putting together the puzzle, everyone get upstairs!¡± ¡± Wait!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly shouted. Everyone looked at her. Bai Youwei, her face as white as a ghost, held a nail in her hand, slowly feeding it into the mouth of the Nail Tooth Monster, ¡°Li Li, you come here ¡± Li Li was stunned, then snapped, ¡°Dream on! You wanted to do it yourself when I offered before, competed with me! Now that you see there aren¡¯t enough nails, you want me to do it?! Over my dead body!¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t want to hear his prattling, and yelled, ¡°Shen Mo! Grab his glasses! Quickly!¡± Glasses? Li Li paused once more, but before he could react, his vision blurred! Shen Mo had taken his glasses! ¡°The screwdriver is here!¡± Yan Qingwen quickly handed it to Shen Mo. Li Li was stupefied, ¡°Brother Yan ¡± Yan Qingwen had no time for him, he and Shen Mo worked together, quickly disassembling the legs of the glasses and unscrewing the two screws on the nose pads. Four perfect nails! ¡°Nails!¡± Su Man exclaimed excitedly, slapping Li Li on the back, ¡°Li Li, you¡¯re awesome!!!¡± Li Li¡¯s world was a blur, his head reeling from the blow¡ªwhat happened? What made him awesome? How on earth did he warrant praise from Su Man?!! ¡°Done!¡± Bai Youwei placed the last nail and let out a sigh of relief! The Nail Tooth Monster closed its mouth. The metal teeth of nails made a creaking sound as they ground together, the mouth opened with a click, closed with a click! It seemed quite satisfied with the sound, no longer itching, chattering its teeth as it leisurely turned around and walked away . People started coming down from upstairs, hearts pounding as they looked towards the door. The monster¡¯s figure was getting further and further away. It was completely gone . The Crystal Ball on the ground slowly lifted, its childlike voice grim to the extreme, like a demon crawling out from the ground: ¡°You actually made it through . You actually got through my Dollhouse .¡± The eerie voice echoed, the ball continuously swelling. Everyone cautiously stepped back, gathering together, watching as the ball in front of them grew larger. The snowflakes inside were whirling riotously! As if they would break out of the ball at any moment! Until with a loud bang! White light exploded! The Crystal Ball shattered into specks of dust. The snowflakes turned solid and gently fell into everyone¡¯s hands¡ª ¡°Congratulations on clearing this game. The total number of players who cleared the game is ten.¡± In place of the original Crystal Ball, a glowing white orb appeared. The immature childlike voice was completely devoid of emotion: ¡°Now let¡¯s calculate the game rewards. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Each player who cleared the game will receive a Winter Snowflake. The player who received the most recognition from the guests will receive the ¡®Master of the Dollhouse¡¯ title and become the real owner of the Dollhouse.¡± Chapter 298: 298: Golden Key Chapter 298: 298: Golden KeyTranslator: 549690339 Three grey icons appeared in front of each player. They were icons of a bear, a fish, and a nail respectively. As the Light Orb¡¯s voice fell, Shen Mo¡¯s fish icon got illuminated, and Bai Youwei¡¯s bear and nail icons got illuminated as well. This was consistent with the guests they had invited. The Light Orb reluctantly shifted toward Bai Youwei, its voice icy: ¡°Congrats, you are now the master of the Dollhouse. Ding! The icons vanished, and a golden key materialized out of thin air and fell into Bai Youwei¡¯s palm. The moment she touched the key, relevant information abruptly appeared in her mind: [Dollhouse Key: Turn the key clockwise half a turn to open the Dollhouse in any space.] Bai Youwei gripped tightly onto the golden key, an idea popping up in her mind. The scene in front of her began to warp, becoming detached and illusory, eventually transforming into a vast white light. As the light faded, they were back at the corner where it had all started. Upon seeing the familiar streets which they had been away from for several days, they all appeared stunned. Shen Mo picked up the gold coin by the roadside. It was the very same coin that had brought them into the game. The gold coin was still a gold coin, but it was now dull and its words faded. Holding it produced no reaction. ¡°The game is shut down. This gold coin is probably completely out of commission now,¡± Yan Qingwen walked over and said. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it as a souvenir.¡± Shen Mo turned around, came to the still unconscious Tan Xiao, bent down, and placed the gold coin in his pocket. Looking at Tan Xiao, Yan Qingwen reassured Shen Mo, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have sustained worse injuries before. After leaving the Maze, the self-healing ability is very strong. It just takes time. You guys just need to take good care of him for the next few days.¡± Shen Mo asked him, ¡°How is Su Man¡¯s injuries recovery going?¡± Yan Qingwen frowned slightly and looked at Su Man who was not far away, ¡± It¡¯s not very promising. Her hand bones are almost pulverized. Even if we used tools to reconnect them, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to use her whip in the future.¡± Not only could she not use her whip, the right hand likely wouldn¡¯t be able to exert any strength for a long time. ¡°Being alive is enough.¡± Yan Qingwen murmured under his breath. With a game instance exceeding normal difficulty, ten people entered, and ten people exited, this alone was enough for them to be grateful. ¡°What are your plans now?¡± Yan Qingwen asked. Shen Mo looked around, finally resting his eyes on Bai Youwei. She sat on the side of the road, sans her wheelchair, looking rather rough. At the moment she was glaring at him unhappily. Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°Next I need to find a wheelchair.¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. On the first day they exited the Dollhouse, the two teams camped and rested together. On Yan Qingwen¡¯s side, most of the players were injured and needed rest. On Shen Mo¡¯s side, since Tan Xiao was unconscious and Bai Youwei without her wheelchair was immobile, their team also needed to regain their strength. A bonfire blazed brightly in the night, under a sky filled with twinkling stars. They all gathered around the bonfire, engaging in leisurely conversation, discussing both their gains and losses. ¡°They say the rewards would be great, but all we got was a snowflake ¡± Li Li said sullenly while holding the icily cold snowflake, reading out its effect. ¡± only the snowflake can invite the guests of winter, and the guest of winter leaves when the snowflake dissolves. What kind of guests are the winter guests? Are they more brutal than the Nail Tooth Monster?¡± ¡°That should be enough. Didn¡¯t we also eat the fish and pick up the beads?¡± Lun Ang consoled, ¡°Plus, we are lucky to be alive. Who cares about the rewards ¡± Li Li frowned, ¡°It¡¯s not the same, wasn¡¯t it so difficult for us to make it out! You hurt your leg, Su Man hurt her hand, Zhu Shu and I both nearly lost our lives! If it wasn¡¯t for the tools ¡± ¡°The loss this time was indeed significant.¡± Yan Qingwen lifted his gaze towards Shen Mo¡¯s side, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the tools, some of us might have been dead already.¡± Chapter 299: Better Not to Say Chapter 299: Better Not to Say Translator: 549690339 In terms of rewards, they had obtained a bear¡¯s fish, a water monster¡¯s egg, and a winter snowflake, totalling three rewards. Moreover, Bai Youwei got the final reward, the Golden Key. It seemed like a substantial harvest. But if we¡¯re talking about losses, the injuries of Li Li, Lun Ang, Su Man, Zhu Shu, they could claim their lives at any moment. Bandages and mud saved them! They had used up the last life-saving bandage, and Shen Mo had used the mud resource up to six times! Was the reward they received enough to offset this loss? No one could clearly figure out this math problem. ¡°The reward explanation is vague, nobody dares to use that tool until we understand what the Winter Guest refers to ¡± Li Li put the snowflake back in his hand and said, ¡°However, those beads are quite thrifty, whether for hitting people or monsters, they¡¯re very convenient.¡± ¡°The Maha fish is also good.¡± Zhu Shu gently interjected, ¡°If we encounter underwater games in the future, the physical change can be of great help.¡± ¡°Since the first two rewards were good, the last reward shouldn¡¯t be bad either.¡± Yan Qingwen took over the conversation, ¡°Although the dollhouse game is dangerous, each reward gives great help to the players, there¡¯s no doubt about that.¡± ¡°Not all, right? What about the gold coin from the last lucky Q&A?!¡± Li Li frowned in disgust, ¡°That old man has screwed us over!¡± Mentioning the old man in the gray robe, Yan Qingwen also fell silent. ¡°That was an accident.¡± Shen Mo spoke lightly, ¡°It seems that as long as the players do not break the rules, even if the Inspector wants to target the players out of personal reasons, he must do so within the system rules. The Inspector gave us a gold coin, but it also brought opportunities. If it was purely punishment, the system wouldn¡¯t allow it.¡± Li Li couldn¡¯t help grumbling, ¡°What is this ¡®system¡¯ after all?¡± Shen Mo looked up at him, ¡°That¡¯s what you guys at SCO need to research.¡± Hearing this, Li Li let out a deep sigh. Alas, it¡¯s a world-class problem. The bonfire crackled and burned, casting shadows on everyone¡¯s faces, showing deep thought, confusion, or weary numbness Silence ensued for a while. Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the master of the dollhouse? Can that golden key keep opening the dollhouse?¡± As soon as the words fell, everyone looked at Bai Youwei. Being the final reward, how could anyone not be curious? Bai Youwei, who had been leaning lazily against Shen Mo, saw many gazes coming over, she lifted her eyelids and let them drop back down, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Li Li raised his voice in surprise. Bai Youwei lifted her eyes again, her voice slightly cold, ¡°You can guess, but I won¡¯t say.¡± Everyone fell silent. The atmosphere became a bit tense But yet there was nothing to blame, because when they came out of the game, the cooperation between the two teams had already ceased. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone had a snowflake, so speaking of its use was no problem, but there was only one golden key, and those who didn¡¯t have it, simply didn¡¯t qualify to know its purpose. After a long silence, Yan Qingwen suddenly chuckled. He said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t tell us. Human nature can¡¯t stand the test, and I¡¯m not a saint. If it¡¯s a particularly tempting reward, I might not be able to suppress my covetous heart, so it¡¯s better not to say.¡± He smiled at Bai Youwei, ¡°At least this way ?we¡¯re still friends, right?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, then at Li Li, Lun Ang, Su Man, and Zhu Shu sitting next to him. After a moment, she reluctantly grunted an ¡°Mhmm¡± from her nostrils. Chapter 300: The Master of the Dollhouse Chapter 300: The Master of the Dollhouse Translator: 549690339 With Yan Qingwen¡¯s intellect, Bai Youwei believed he must have guessed a large part of the truth. Li Li and Zhu Shu, despite their limited perspectives, probably also had their own ideas about what the final reward would be. What they guessed was their business. Whether she told them was her business. If she indeed told them everything about her own reward, Bai Youwei felt that would be something only a fool would do. Who could guarantee that someone among them wouldn¡¯t ¡°sell¡± her out in the future? Of course, until such a thing happened, these people could remain as her friends. In this day and age, having an additional friend, especially a clever one, could be more valuable than having an extra tool. Later, everyone chatted about their future plans, intentionally or unintentionally avoiding the topic of rewards. Children tend to fall asleep early. During their conversation, Pan Xiaoxin was nodding off next to his teacher, falling asleep like a pecking chicken. The tent, initially meant for three to sleep in, was now occupied by the injured Tan Xiao and was no longer suitable for others. Zhu Shu made her tent available. She decided to share a tent with Su Man, who didn¡¯t object. Once the child and the elderly were settled, everyone else went about their personal routine of washing up and resting. As the night grew darker, it became quiet and tranquil. Bai Youwei restlessly tossed and turned in her tent, clutching the golden key, unable to fall asleep. When Shen Mo came back, she sat up and asked, ¡°What were you discussing with them for so long?¡± ¡°I was confirming tomorrow¡¯s route with Yan Qingwen.¡± Shen Mo sat beside her and took out several pieces of the puzzle, placing them next to her. ¡°Yan Qingwen asked me to give these to you. They are five pieces of a puzzle.¡± ¡°He¡¯s quite trustworthy.¡± Bai Youwei took the puzzle pieces and leaned in closer to ask, ¡°Are we definitely going to Shanghai?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Yes, I would like to meet Professor Song. I¡¯ve asked the teacher and Xiaoxin, and neither of them opposed the idea.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t oppose it because they have no idea, right?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but retort. ¡ªWhat difference does it make which city we go to now that the world has turned into such a mess? At this, Shen Mo chuckled and asked her, ¡°What about you?¡± Bai Youwei blinked, pondering, and said, ¡°I have no objections either.¡± Shen Mo smiled and tapped her forehead with his finger, ¡°Hurry up and get some sleep.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Wait a moment ¡± She suddenly became coquettish, catching Shen Mo¡¯s attention. He smiled and asked, ¡°What is it now?¡± Bai Youwei held the golden key in one hand and Shen Mo¡¯s hand in the other. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light of the tent. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the dollhouse, shall we?¡± she suggested. ¡± Right now?¡± Shen Mo raised an eyebrow. Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°Or ?shall we wait another half an hour? Once everyone is asleep, we can ¡± Her words became more provocative, causing Shen Mo to laugh and hold her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡± Bai Youwei opened her hand. Even in the darkness, the golden key was dazzlingly bright, just as attractive as that gold coin had been when they first found it. ¡°Hold the key ?turn it half a circle clockwise, you can open the dollhouse in any space.¡± Bai Youwei held the key, looked around the inside of the tent. ¡°There are no restrictions, theoretically, it should work here as well ¡± She was a little nervous, but also a little excited. She took the key and turned it half a circle against the tent cloth¡ªlike opening a door. Click! A familiar sound. It was the sound the door used to make every time they invited guests into the dollhouse when they were trapped inside! ¡°It¡¯s opened.¡± Bai Youwei looked at Shen Mo. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo reached out and touched it. The cloth still felt like cloth, but he could distinctively feel the texture of a metal door handle. He held the handle. Then pushed it open. The living room of the dollhouse appeared in front of them! It was the same house, but this time, there was no eerie feeling. The furnishings all around looked commonplace, absolutely quiet, just like an ordinary house that couldn¡¯t be more ordinary. Chapter 301: Bang Bang Chapter 301: Bang Bang Translator: 549690339 Shen Mo carried Bai Youwei into the house, setting her down by the edge of the sofa. Bai Youwei took in her surroundings. Perhaps due to suddenly becoming the owner, she saw the same environment with a different perspective. ¡°Can we stay here?¡± she looked around, incredulous, ¡°Does that mean we don¡¯t have to sleep in tents anymore? This game always loves to torment people, it¡¯s surprising that they suddenly gave me such a nice reward¡­¡± Shen Mo found a pair of pink ladies¡¯ slippers in the shoe cabinet. Thinking about how Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t walk, he put the slippers back. They¡¯d come directly from the tent, so they were both barefoot, and the floor was not very clean, covered with a layer of dust. Bai Youwei looked at the dust on the floor, frowning in complaint, ¡°It¡¯s so dirty here¡­ Can¡¯t it be a bit cleaner?¡± Thud, thud! There were suddenly two loud sounds in the house! The sounds were so sudden that Bai Youwei jumped in fear. Shen Mo stood in front of her, looking warily toward the storage room next to the stairs. ¡°Did the noise come from there?¡± Bai Youwei asked him in a low voice. ¡°Mmm.¡± Shen Mo responded in a deep voice, ¡°You stay here, I¡¯ll go see.¡± Feeling apprehensive, Bai Youwei worried the reward would carry a trap like the Gold Coin, so she warned Shen Mo, ¡°¡­ Be careful.¡± Shen Mo nodded and slowly walked over¡ª His steps were steady and quiet, but he only took two steps when the door to the storage room squeaked open! Shen Mo froze, looking both wary and confused at the door. Then he saw a dustpan and a broom, hopping out of the room. Shen Mo: Bai Youwei: After a stunned moment, a bucket and a mop also came rattling out of the storage room! They aligned behind the dustpan and broom and began to sweep and mop the floor energetically. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other, too shocked to utter a word. After a while, Bai Youwei regained her voice, ¡°Why not just give me an intelligent cleaning robot instead? Considering the system¡¯s technological capability, it could manage that. Why opt for something so old-fashioned, making me, the owner, look childish.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s lips twitched, suppressing a smile. ¡°What are you laughing at!¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows. Shen Mo replied, hiding his amusement: ¡°Nothing.¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°It seems the Dollhouse executes the master¡¯s instructions, I just don¡¯t know to what extent¡­¡± She looked at the broom cleaning and commanded, ¡°Go sweep the stairs clean.¡± The broom and dustpan indeed changed their direction and went to sweep the stairs. She looked at the fireplace and said, ¡°Light the fire.¡± The fire suddenly started in the fireplace, burning the wood with a crackling sound. She turned to the kitchen again and said, ¡°I want tea.¡± The faucet turned on, the kettle filled itself up with water, and sat on the stove to heat up. Bai Youwei again said, ¡°I want a steak.¡± This time, the Dollhouse stayed silent. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo rubbed her head, ¡°Don¡¯t torture it, at least give it a cow first.¡± ¡°Just trying.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care, throwing the rabbit in her arms onto the floor, ¡°Go charge yourself.¡± The rabbit got up, looked left and right, saw a plug in the wall corner, and walked over with its short legs. ¡°The intelligence level of the Dollhouse seems quite like that of the rabbit.¡± Bai Youwei stated, ¡°Both can accept brief verbal commands.¡± Shen Mo looked around, saying faintly, ¡°After all, they were created by the same system.¡± He lifted Bai Youwei in his arms, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s check upstairs.¡± Chapter 302: Considered a Bargain Chapter 302: Considered a Bargain Translator: 549690339 Shen Mo and Bai Youwei took another turn around the dollhouse. Aside from the house becoming smarter, the layout and furnishings remain largely the same, but all the dolls that filled the house were gone, the books in the study were gone, and in the wardrobe, the only clothes left were Bai Youwei¡¯s previously-worn black Lolita dress. Presumably, the dollhouse was now designed for only one master. When they exited through the front door, they found themselves back in the tent. If they went out through the back door, they would come to the slope outside the dollhouse. Walking down led to a forest, while walking forward would loop around to the house¡¯s front door. After wandering around, the pair returned to the living room. The floor was polished clean, a fire was burning in the fireplace, and tea was set on the coffee table. Bai Youwei sipped the piping hot tea, put it down, and puckered her mouth, ¡°It doesn¡¯t taste as good as the tea Teacher Cheng makes.¡± ¡°Teacher Cheng made tea to your taste, which obviously differs from this thoughtless brew.¡± Shen Mo also took a sip of tea, looked around at the furnishings in the room, and said calmly, ¡°This reward is a bit out of the ordinary.¡± Bai Youwei momentarily froze, then nodded. ¡°Indeed, not only did they provide us with shelter, but they also offer unlimited water, electricity, and gas. No wonder the sphere said the game is in the debugging phase. It seems both the difficulty and rewards of this game are somewhat exceptional.¡± Most of the props in the doll game are single use. Sometimes, items like mud that could be used multiple times would appear, but their usage range would be correspondingly limited, such as only being applicable for superficial wounds. But the dollhouse was like a game bug. For example, if a player entered the dollhouse during the game, would the game fail to proceed due to insufficient numbers? What would the Inspector do? Wait for the player in the dollhouse to come out, or wait for other people to join the game? S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Furthermore, some mazes were incredibly challenging to the human limits, such as deserts, rainforests, and glaciers. Any extreme environment could appear. But if a player brought the dollhouse into such a place, enjoying fine food and drink every day in the maze, would the maze¡¯s difficulty still hold any meaning? ¡°Do you remember the rabbit man from our first Tortoise and the Hare race?¡± Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo. Shen Mo nodded, ¡°Hmm?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°At that time, I exploited a loophole in the rules. To avoid breaking the rules, the rabbit man gave me a tenth of the rabbit as a compromise. You found it strange that even with advanced technology, it still needed to recharge to replenish energy. Now I think about it, wasn¡¯t it all for game balance?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Shen Mo pondered and said, ¡°If a player brings a prop into the game that can discharge infinitely, it would be extremely unfair to other players. For balance, the Inspector restricted the prop¡¯s energy replenishment method, which can be considered a remedial measure.¡± Bai Youwei smiled slightly, ¡°But now, I can recharge infinitely.¡± ¡°Indeed strange.¡± Shen Mo shook his head with a wry smile, ¡°They clearly care about the balance of the game, so how could they come up with such a reward?¡± ¡°Perhaps Yan Qingwen guessed right.¡± The corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s lips curled up, ¡°The difficulty and rewards of this game are both very inappropriate. The game hasn¡¯t been debugged to an acceptable state yet, it seems we¡¯ve picked up a loophole.¡± ¡°We¡¯d better not pick up such loopholes next time. No matter how many times we do, it wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡± Shen Mo rose from his seat, mussing her hair, ¡°Are we going to rest here tonight?¡± Bai Youwei extended her hands towards him, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the tent, lest Teacher Cheng can¡¯t find us and gets a heart attack.¡± Seeing her act so naturally, Shen Mo was somehow slightly taken aback. Bai Youwei held out her hands, cocking her head to look at him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Hug me.¡± Shen Mo watched her face, not blinking for several seconds. Bai Youwei looked even more puzzled and asked again, ¡°What¡¯s with you? Are you going to hug me or not?¡± He came back to his senses, bent over to pick her up, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± She snorted, ¡°Then why were you dilly-dallying!¡± Shen Mo remained silent. Just now, it was as though his heart was gently poked¡­ The way she asked for a hug was sort of adorable. Chapter 303: Time to Sleep Chapter 303: Time to Sleep Translator: 549690339 This feeling was quite strange. From childhood to adulthood, he had seldom interacted with women. The occasional women he had contact with were mostly mature, well-mannered, and elegant female elders. He hadn¡¯t expected to associate the word ¡°adorable¡± with a grown woman. In the past, he would only associate this word with his five-year-old niece. But then again, Bai Youwei¡¯s affectation was not much different from his five-year-old niece¡­ Thinking of this, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help but smile, somewhat amused. The woman in his arms noticed his slight change in emotion¡ª ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Bai Youwei challenged him fiercely. ¡°Are you mocking me in your heart? Do you think I¡¯m glad to be held by you? If it wasn¡¯t for your people dismantling my wheelchair¡­¡± Shen Mo changed the subject: ¡°Is the new wheelchair I found for you suitable?¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback and then scoffed disdainfully. ¡°Hmph, it smells like disinfectant¡­¡± But she didn¡¯t say it was bad. The wheelchair was something Shen Mo had fetched from Hangzhou Hospital. Returning to the tent, it was still a quiet night. Everyone was resting, and no one noticed the couple had gone out. Laying side by side, they kept awake, one moment reminiscing about the rewards from the dollhouse game, the other contemplating their impending destination. Bai Youwei turned over, facing Shen Mo, and asked softly: ¡°What are you planning to do after we see Professor Song?¡± Shen Mo stared at the roof of the tent, and after a while, he said, ¡°¡­ I might try to find my family members.¡± ¡°Where will you look?¡± Bai Youwei asked further. Shen Mo shook his head slowly. In this world without electricity, internet, or any means of communication, finding someone was like finding a needle in a haystack. He looked at her: ¡°What about you? Have you thought about looking for your parents?¡± Bai Youwei replied quickly: ¡°No.¡± Shen Mo: Bai Youwei explained to him: ¡°Think about it, they¡¯re either in trouble now, or they¡¯re not. If they¡¯re in trouble, there¡¯s no point in finding them; if they¡¯re not, they¡¯re surely struggling. A daughter with disabled legs suddenly showing up isn¡¯t that going to put more burden on them?¡± Shen Mo laughed: ¡°You¡¯re thoughtful.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei candidly replied: ¡°I just don¡¯t like to be annoying.¡± ¡°Are you not afraid that I find you annoying?¡± Shen Mo asked with a smile. Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei slightly narrowed her eyes, her gaze becoming dangerous, ¡°¡­. Are you annoyed?¡± This question was a bit tricky, not easy to answer, it¡¯s either perfunctory or ambiguous. Just as Shen Mo was pondering, Bai Youwei suddenly said: ¡°Gosh, I¡¯m suddenly so sleepy¡­ I should sleep now.¡± She then turned over, and went completely silent. Shen Mo looked at her for a while before closing his eyes. The night became increasingly silent. The distance from Hangzhou to Shanghai is 177 kilometers. If you drive fast, you can get there in 2 hours. But in order to avoid the roads with the fairy dolls, they spent a lot of time on the road. Upon reaching the Humin viaduct, they noticed many strange road signs along the way. For example: 1.2 kilometers ahead game, trigger number 12, 2119-7-30, A05. The game probably referred to the fairy doll game, the numbers following it were the date, the significance of A05 was temporarily unknown. It looked like the road signs were very friendly, providing safety alerts to passersby for free. As they continued forward, they discovered more similar road signs, some pointing to the left, others to the right. Yan Qingwen stretched his hand out of the car window, waving back. Both cars stopped one after another. Yan Qingwen walked over to the SUV and said to Shen Mo: ¡°It seems that Shanghai is safe. These road signs don¡¯t look like individual actions, they should have been put up by a relatively large organisation after their investigations.¡± He paused, then added: ¡°We didn¡¯t find any fog up ahead.¡± Teacher Cheng sat in the car, puzzled: ¡°Shanghai has so many people, why is there no fog?¡± Chapter 304 - 304 People’s Square Chapter 304: People¡¯s Square Translator: 549690339 According to their previous conjectures, the mazes and games tend to appear in densely populated areas. Cities like Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, were the first places where the dolls appeared, so logically, they should also be the first places where mazes appear. So why is there no fog in Shanghai? They gazed ahead, the towering buildings in the distance were densely packed, and the interweaving elevated highways gave a sense of the prosperity of a modern metropolis, as if the city was unscathed in the disaster. Shen Mo said, ¡°Shanghai has a large population, and there are naturally many capable people. If three groups pass through the maze, the maze will disappear.¡± Just like in Hangzhou. In Hangzhou¡¯s maze, Shen Mo¡¯s group was the third to get through, Yan Qingwen¡¯s group was the second, and they had no idea who completed it first and where they went. This was also why Shen Mo initially arranged their destination in Jiaxing and Shaoxing. If they want to compete for puzzles, they will have more opportunities in secondary and tertiary cities surrounding major cities than in major cities themselves. The group set off again. One was a powerful modified jeep, the other was a rugged large off-road vehicle. After driving for less than ten minutes, a roadblock suddenly appeared in front of them, and two uniformed men stopped them ¨C ¡°Spread out! Keep a gap of at least one minute between each car!¡± the man in the uniform said, ¡°Those are the rules!¡± They had no problem with the dispersion; they can cooperate. However, they needed to understand why it was necessary. Yan Qingwen got out of the car to negotiate: ¡°The signs show that the number of game triggers nearby is over 20. We should be within a safe range.¡± The other party was relatively polite and explained, ¡°This is a regulation from our superiors! To avoid a high concentration of people within a square kilometer and attract new game instances, all vehicles entering the city need to disperse! We hope for your cooperation!¡± Shen Mo heard this in the car, frowned slightly, and leaned out to ask, ¡°Which higher-ups are you referring to? I am an action director for the National Security Administration. I am currently looking for a professor named Song Mingchuan. If possible, I hope you can assist.¡± With that, he showed them his identification. The two uniformed men were stunned. They both looked and behaved untrained, clearly hastily promoted. They became somewhat nervous at the sight of an ¡°official representative¡± like Shen Mo. They turned Shen Mo¡¯s ID over and over several times, looking at each other. ¡°We¡¯re in traffic control; we¡¯re not sure¡­¡± One of them returned Shen Mo¡¯s ID and said, ¡°You can ask around People¡¯s Square. The people from the headquarters are there.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Shen Mo retrieved his ID and looked at Yan Qingwen. Yan Qingwen gave a faint smile, waved at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei in the off-road vehicle, and said, ¡°It seems like it¡¯s very safe in the city. See you at People¡¯s Square later.¡± The jeep took off first. Only after a minute did Shen Mo¡¯s party start their vehicle. The road was smooth, with occasional pedestrians. Although there weren¡¯t many, about one or two every kilometer, it was still much better than in Hangzhou because these pedestrians reacted normally when they saw the vehicles on the road. At least it indicated that the current situation in Shanghai was stable, with sufficient food and water, so the people here did not need to be overly tense. As they turned from Ninth River Road into People¡¯s Square, they noticed an increase in the number of people. About twenty people were crowding around a large public notice board outside People¡¯s Square, with a few men in duckbill caps maintaining order. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just as Shen Mo was about to get out of the car to take a look, one of the men suddenly lifted the brim of his duckbill cap and shouted in surprise, ¡°Brother Mo!!!¡± Chapter 305: Younger Cousin Shen Fei Chapter 305: Younger Cousin Shen Fei Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Translator: 549690339 Everyone was taken aback. A young man around 20, with handsome features and a striking resemblance to Shen Mo, was standing there. He excitedly ran over, throwing his arms around Shen Mo, who had just gotten out of the car! ¡°Bro Mo! You¡¯re not dead! This is great! We all thought that you had been killed by that vixen¡¯s daughter!!!¡± ¡°Shen Fei? What are you doing in Shanghai?¡± Shen Mo was also surprised. Seeing a familiar face, he naturally broke into a smile: ¡°What vixen¡¯s daughter are you talking about?¡± ¡°Wang Jingxian¡¯s disabled daughter!¡± The young man named Shen Fei responded indignantly, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, why would you have disappeared for so long?! Uncle¡¯s been worried sick about you! Uncle¡¯s really clueless, you were on a mission, why did he insist you go pick up her daughter? I think uncle was just trying to curry favor with Wang Jingxian! He¡¯s completely smitten by that woman!¡± The passenger¡¯s door was pushed open abruptly. Shen Fei paused, looked over and saw a pretty girl in a white dress sitting in the passenger seat. ¡°Bro, who¡¯s she?¡± Shen Fei nudged Shen Mo with his elbow. Before Shen Mo could answer, Bai Youwei flatly said: ¡°She¡¯s Wang Jingxian¡¯s disabled daughter.¡± Shen Fei: ¡°Stop teasing.¡± Shen Mo laughed, introducing, ¡°This is my cousin, Shen Fei.¡± He went to the trunk to get a wheelchair, and the others also got out of the car and greeted Shen Fei. Everyone from Yan Qingwen¡¯s side also got out of the car. The crowd was quite large, and Shen Fei was a little overwhelmed as he greeted everyone. He stole a glance and saw Shen Mo lifting Bai Youwei up, and he was instantly startled! ¡°Bro! You?! ¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Shen Mo placed Bai Youwei in the wheelchair and straightened up, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Shen Fei looked at Shen Mo, then at Bai Youwei, his expression complicated, his emotions even more so. ¡°No¡­nothing, um¡­I¡¯ll take you to your lodgings first.¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°Are there places to stay here?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Shen Fei nodded repeatedly, ¡°Because population density can¡¯t be too high, people coming into the city can¡¯t just live anywhere, they must stay in designated dormitories, but don¡¯t worry, the living conditions aren¡¯t too bad, apart from having no electricity, everything else is the same as before.¡± He moved ahead and waved his hand: ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to register, it¡¯s just up ahead.¡± A row of red-roofed houses, from People¡¯s Square, were the original activity center, now turned into a temporary registration point with few people inside, only three or five. Shen Fei led ten people in, and among the ten, one was disabled, which instantly drew everyone¡¯s attention. Murmurs of surprise fell upon them, looking them up and down without stopping. Bai Youwei had grown accustomed to this type of attention, she simply lowered her gaze and didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°This is my brother, he just arrived, I brought him and his friends to check in.¡± Shen Fei explained as if he was a regular here, ¡°Can you arrange something closer?¡± ¡°If you want something closer¡­¡± The staff member looked at them, and flipped open a large book, ¡°Hmm, can you consider Kraus Road? Building 5 and 6 are still vacant, there are 10 of you, 5 people each is just perfect.¡± ¡°No need, arrange for 9 people will do.¡± Shen Fei quickly said, ¡°My brother of course needs to stay with me, we¡¯re at the Bund, can you check if there are any spots available there?¡± The staff member nodded, flipping the book further back, Shen Mo said: ¡°No need, I¡¯ll stay with everyone else on Kraus Road.¡± ¡°Bro?¡± Shen Fei asked surprisingly, ¡°You¡¯re not staying with uncle?!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Shen Mo replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll still go over to see him, but there¡¯s no need to stay together. These people were brought here by me, it wouldn¡¯t be right to just leave them.¡± Shen Fei¡¯s eyebrows knitted together, he looked at the old, young, and disabled people, then back at Shen Mo, ¡°Bro, you couldn¡¯t possibly be¡­¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°Couldn¡¯t possibly be what?¡± Shen Fei hesitated for a while, and forced a laugh: ¡°Um¡­nothing.¡± Chapter 306: Are You Excited? Chapter 306: Are You Excited? Translator: 549690339 After the registration was over, Shen Fei led them to their accommodation. It looked like an ordinary residential area, and they ran into a few people moving their luggage at the entrance of the neighborhood, seemingly new residents too. Shen Fei explained, ¡°This is a recently refurbished residential area. Each building is occupied, but each is sparsely populated. By regulation, no building can accommodate more than five people, so most of the residents are families.¡± Everyone asked as they walked, ¡°The limit of five people, is it to disperse the population density?¡± ¡°Yes. Not only are there limits on the number of residents, but also on the number of people traveling. There is traffic control on each road section, and gatherings of crowds are strictly prohibited.¡± Shen Fei stopped, took out a key to open a door, and explained amicably, ¡°Keeping the city in its current state is not easy. I hope everyone can understand and abide by the regulations.¡± The door opened to reveal a three-bedroom apartment, elegantly decorated, and the furniture arrangement hinted at the former owner¡¯s bourgeois taste. ¡°There¡¯s another room in Building 6, also a three-bedroom, similar layout, but it¡¯s on the other end of the neighborhood, about a hundred meters away. Who wants to go there?¡± Shen Fei asked. It seems they were serious about dispersing the density of the population; they did not feel secure even with only five people in a building, and even had to maintain a distance of over a hundred meters between buildings. Feeling too lazy to move again, Bai Youwei chose the three-bedroom on this side, and Shen Mo, along with Mr. Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin, began to move their luggage in. Although Tan Xiao had regained consciousness from his coma, his injuries were not fully healed. He sat sulking on the sofa, unable to help with the physical labor. Shen Fei silently counted the people. Bai Youwei could share a room with the kid. The man on the sofa was seriously injured and certainly needed a bed to himself, so Shen Mo would have to share a bed with the old man. He sighed in his heart. His cousin could have lived with his uncle, wouldn¡¯t a room to himself be more comfortable than sharing with an old man? But on second thought, among all his brothers and sisters, this cousin of his was always the most responsible and dependable. So it wasn¡¯t surprising that he chose to stay and take care of these people. As Shen Fei watched Shen Mo moving in and out with their luggage, he couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°If there aren¡¯t enough rooms, I can open another one for you. Don¡¯t worry, there are plenty of vacant places in the city right now, just fill out a form at the registration center ¡­¡± ¡°No need,¡± Shen Mo interrupted him, ¡°we have enough space here.¡± Shen Mo looked at Yan Qingwen, ¡°Do you need another room?¡± Yan Qingwen shook her head and replied, ¡°No need. Su Man and Li Li¡¯s families are currently in Shanghai. They will live with their families. The three of us remaining will have enough room.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you to your quarters.¡± Shen Fei said, turning to Shen Mo, ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll take them there first, then I¡¯ll take you to our uncle.¡± Shen Mo gave a faint nod. ¡°Okay.¡± Everyone split up, and only five of them remained in the apartment. Mr. Cheng helped Tan Xiao into bed to rest, and then, together with Pan Xiaoxin, began arranging the room and unpacking their luggage. Shen Mo showed Bai Youwei around the house, looking into the bedrooms for sleeping and the bathroom for washing up. Just like Shen Fei had said before, aside from the lack of electricity, it was a pretty good place. Shen Mo opened the refrigerator to look inside, commenting, ¡°The appliances here are all quite new, probably recently purchased. Should we move them into the dollhouse? There¡¯s no electricity here anyway, so they¡¯re just decoration.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move them tonight.¡± Bai Youwei replied nonchalantly. Then glanced at the expression on his face, ¡°You¡¯re about to see your father, don¡¯t you seem excited at all?¡± Shen Mo was taken aback, looking at her, ¡°What about you? If you see my father, you should also see your mother. Aren¡¯t you excited?¡± Bai Youwei yawned lazily, ¡°I am excited.¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 307: 307: Regrouping Chapter 307: 307: RegroupingTranslator: 549690339 Her expression, posture, gaze, and even the laziness seeping from every strand of her hair, showed no sign of excitement. Shen Mo, accustomed to her indirect way of speaking, reached out to touch her hair and gave a faint smile. Bai Youwei leaned on the sofa, half-closing her eyes, and said softly, ¡°Originally¡­you promised my mother to take me to Yangzhou. Although it didn¡¯t work out, if you could bring me to my mother, then it would be considered mission accomplished. After that¡­is there any need for us to see each other?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s movements paused slightly, then slowly withdrew his hand. ¡°Is Brother Mo leaving?¡± A feeble voice sounded. The two turned their heads and saw Pan Xiaoxin, who had been packing up her stuff, standing at the door, looking at them in astonishment. ¡°¡­Xiaoxin, who did you say is leaving?¡± Teacher Chang also came out of the room. Shen Mo explained, ¡°I¡¯m going to meet my family soon. Before settling down, I won¡¯t leave everyone behind.¡± Chang Weicai suddenly realized, Shen Mo¡¯s family was in Shanghai. Just like Su Man and Li Li, although they were in the same team as Yan Qingwen, now that they¡¯ve found their families, they naturally want to return to them. After thinking about it, Teacher Chang hesitated before saying, ¡°Xiaoshen, you¡¯ve saved us many times along the way. Now that you can finally reunite with your family, you should cherish it more. We¡¯ll be okay, we can take care of ourselves. You don¡¯t need to feel guilty. There¡¯s no such thing as a banquet that doesn¡¯t end¡­¡± As he spoke, he paused for two seconds and asked in confusion, ¡°Aren¡¯t you and Weiwei siblings? Don¡¯t you plan to take her with you?¡± Shen Mo lowered his eyes and glanced at Bai Youwei. ¡°I¡¯ll take her to her mother.¡± A sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s lips. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to go, I¡¯ll take care of her,¡± he added. Bai Youwei froze, looking up at Shen Mo. He continued to gaze at Teacher Chang, his stern profile was calm and composed. in a steady tone he said, ¡°Everyone needs to settle down first, rest well. The situation here is unclear, we don¡¯t know anything yet, it¡¯s too early to talk about parting ways. Though we had different motivations when we first gathered, don¡¯t forget, what our current goal is.¡± ¡°We need to complete the puzzle!¡­¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s voice, hoarse and ragged, echoed in the room. Bai Youwei burst out laughing! Once she laughed, everyone else also started to smile, lightening the heaviness of their imminent departure. Pan Xiaoxin hurried back to the room, ¡°Brother Xiao, you have to rest, stop speaking¡­¡± Chang Weicai shook his head, sighed, ¡°Miracles emerge with every rising sun, may its sublime radiance enlighten all beneath. Outraged by the sight of injustice, a thousand-year-old sword grinds within my chest! ¡ª¡ª I might be old, but I am still healthy and willing to do something, that¡¯s much better than living out my twilight years in mediocrity.¡± Bai Youwei held back a laugh, ¡°You¡¯re full of vigor in your old age, to live out your twilight years is too early for you.¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave soon, it may take half a day. Please take care of the house.¡± ¡°Just go, leave the house to me.¡± Teacher Chang rolled up his sleeves and mumbled as he walked into the kitchen, ¡°I¡¯ll start preparing dinner¡­¡± Only Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were left in the living room. Shen Mo looked at her, ¡°If you really don¡¯t want to see her, I can let them know over there, but I can¡¯t assure you that Aunt Wang won¡¯t come looking.¡± After all, they are mother and daughter, if they really want to find each other, emotionally and rationally, Shen Mo can¡¯t stop them. Bai Youwei looked out the window and said lightly, ¡°See her?¡­Of course, I will, but one meeting would be enough.¡± Chapter 308: 308: Poaching People Chapter 308: 308: Poaching PeopleTranslator: 549690339 After Shen Mo left, the house seemed suddenly empty and quiet. Though he used to be silent and didn¡¯t talk much, his quiet presence was comforting and reassuring. Now that he¡¯s gone, it takes some getting used to. Bored, Bai Youwei decided to bring Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin into the dollhouse. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Once inside the dollhouse, they were all surprised, amazed, curious, bewildered, delighted, excited, and at a loss. This roller coaster of emotions will not be detailed further. Once they got in, they didn¡¯t want to leave. The summer in Shanghai is unbearable without electricity or air conditioning. It¡¯s like stewing in a sauna room. The season in the dollhouse seems to be spring, pleasantly cool and comfortable. Once they sorted out the rooms, Tan Xiao didn¡¯t even want to shower and just sprawled out on the bed to sleep. Teacher Cheng took out a paper and pen, sat at the dining table making a list, If they were to live in the dollhouse, many supplies would need to be collected all over again. For instance, something like slippers that weren¡¯t needed before, now¡­ hmm, let¡¯s prepare four pairs first. After thinking it over for a while, Teacher Cheng finally wrote on the paper: Slippers, four pairs; House slippers, four pairs. Pan Xiaoxin was excited about the new environment and finally started acting like a child, running up and down the stairs non-stop. He ran over to Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°Sister Weiwei, will we live here from now on?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youwei lazily nodded her head, ¡°Yes~¡± ¡°Can I live in the attic?¡± Pan Xiaoxin looked at her, even more excited. Bai Youwei grimaced at the question, ¡°There¡¯s no bed in the attic.¡± ¡°I could sleep on the floor!¡± Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Please let me stay in the attic, let me stay there!¡± Bai Youwei started to feel a sudden itch! She couldn¡¯t stand kid¡¯s whining, it was making her skin crawl. ¡°Whatever, sleep there if you want to!¡± ¡°Woohoo! I¡¯m going to live in the attic!¡± Pan Xiaoxin excitedly ran up the stairs, his footsteps clattering up and down, he lugged all his bedding upstairs, the whole house echoed with the sounds of him setting up his new space! ¡°What the hell, he has a bed but wants to sleep on the floor?¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. Teacher Cheng laughed merrily, ¡°He is a child.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips, saying: ¡°I¡¯m leaving first, in case Shen Mo comes back and can¡¯t find anyone. You guys tidy up.¡± Teacher Cheng hurried to his feet, ¡°Wait a moment, wait a moment¡­ I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Bai Youwei had already opened the front door. Teacher Cheng, not comfortable leaving her alone, quickly ran after her. Once they got back to one of the three bedrooms, before they could settle down, they heard a knocking on the door. The persistent pounding went on. ¡°Hello! Is anyone there?¡± The brusque voice sounded like Lun Ang. Teacher Cheng walked over to the door, peeked out through the peephole, and sure enough, it was him. Yan Qingwen and Zhu Shu were standing at the door as well. ¡°Coming, coming¡­¡± Teacher Cheng opened the door for them. As soon as the door opened, Lun Ang complained: ¡°Why did it take so long to answer? We thought you¡¯d all gone out!¡± He leaned his neck to peek inside, asking: ¡°Hasn¡¯t Shen Mo returned yet?¡± Bai Youwei rolled out in her wheelchair, nonchalantly closing the bedroom door behind her, ¡°He hasn¡¯t. Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin are sleeping, Teacher Cheng and I were tidying up the bedrooms.¡± ¡°No wonder!¡± Lun Ang said, ¡°We saw your vehicles all empty when we came over! So, are you really planning to settle down here?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Bai Youwei shrugged her shoulders casually. Lun Ang laughed heartily: ¡°You certainly want to stick around Shen Mo! Just like Su Man, always clinging to Li Li! But not everyone has to follow Shen Mo right?¡± He turned to ask Teacher Cheng: ¡°Teacher, do you want to consider it? Oh, and ask that kid to join us too!¡± Bai Youwei blinked, looking at Yan Qingwen in surprise, ¡°Wait, you guys are really doing this, aren¡¯t you? Just settled down and you¡¯re already over here recruiting people?¡± Chapter 309: 309: Du Lai Chapter 309: 309: Du LaiTranslator: 549690339 Yan Qingwen gave a faint smile, not denying, nor continuing on the topic. She just said, ¡°It¡¯s still early, we¡¯re about to go for a stroll, do you want to come along?¡± ¡°No,¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Shen Mo.¡± ¡°Who knows when he¡¯ll be back!¡±, Lun Ang urged, ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s stuffy and hot in here! It will be cooler outside! Besides, we still haven¡¯t figured out what the situation is around here!¡± Yan Qingwen smiled saying: ¡°Friends who have played the game together should be trustworthy, right?¡± After hesitating for two seconds, Bai Youwei nodded: ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go for a stroll.¡± Teacher Chang surprised she agreed, as they had never separated from Shen Mo to act independently before. ¡°What about Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin¡­¡± Chang Weicai brought them up hesitantly to Bai Youwei. Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin were still in the Doll House. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Just leave them a note.¡± Thinking for a moment, Teacher Chang pulled out a blank sheet of paper and wrote a few reminders. They didn¡¯t have a specific destination in mind when they went out, they just wandered around to see what they could find. The streets were very clean, with clear evidence of effective waste classification. All the stores and supermarkets along the street were empty, no useful supplies were seen, probably taken away by the ¡°superiors¡± for organized and effective distribution. After walking towards People¡¯s Square for about seven or eight minutes, they crossed paths with someone. But this character appeared indifferent, barely cast them a glance before hurrying away. Qingwen didn¡¯t bother to greet him. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It seems that although this place appears peaceful, it¡¯s not as comfortable as they expected. When they were near People¡¯s Square, they saw people gathering in groups under the trees, chatting, enjoying the shade, and smoking. Seeing the exceptionally lovely Zhu Shu, a teenager whistled. Lun Ang immediately glared at him: ¡°What are you doing?!¡± The other party was instantly scared and dared not act rashly, laughing nervously: ¡°No¡­ nothing.¡± After they moved away, the guy seemed to have changed his attitude due to Lun Ang¡¯s strong physique. Suddenly he became enthusiastic, shouting, ¡°Hey! Bro, want to join a game? We are lacking one person, Russian roulette, there¡¯s a guide!¡± Lun Ang turned to look at him, his eyebrows knitted, then he glanced at Yan Qingwen next to him. Yan Qingwen slightly shook her head. Knowing the man was dodgy, Lun Ang paid no mind. The man called out a few times, but seeing no reaction from Lun Ang, he gave up. ¡°Interesting,¡± Bai Youwei hooked the corner of her mouth, a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, ¡°Russian roulette, with a guide, needing one person. Not only do they know the specifics of the game, but also the triggers for the number of players and methods to win, who provided them with information? The organizer of the survivors in Shanghai?¡± ¡°No one would provide it for free,¡± Yan Qingwen was calm, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Suddenly inviting Lun Ang, this mustn¡¯t be a good thing.¡± ¡°Are they wanting to trap me?¡± Lun Ang clasped his hands into fists, making a crackling noise, ¡°Should we go teach him a lesson?¡± Yan Qingwen shook her head lightly, ¡°We just arrived, let¡¯s just see how things are for now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a smart one.¡± A stranger¡¯s voice suddenly rang out from ahead. Everyone was taken aback. Looking towards the direction of the voice, no one was to be seen. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± The young voice rang out again, coming from a tree! Before anyone could look up, a shadow jumped down from the tree. A man in a gray hoodie slowly stood up in front of them: knee-length shorts, canvas shoes, and a wide hood covering his head, preventing anyone from seeing his face clearly. ¡°Hello, my name is Du Lai, I only deal with smart people.¡± He pulled back his hood revealing a handsome young face, smiled broadly, displaying two canine teeth, making him appear a little childish. Bai Youwei quietly observed the height from which he had jumped. This man¡­ must have been through the labyrinth before. Chapter 310: 310: Enter the Game on Time Chapter 310: 310: Enter the Game on TimeTranslator: 549690339 The young boy named Du Lai, with a beaming smile, extended his right hand towards Yan Qingwen. Yan Qingwen took a dispassionate glance at him without putting out her hand. ¡°Excellent vigilance.¡± Du Lai raised his palm, revealing a blade held between two fingers. Lun Ang was instantly infuriated: ¡°You! ¡­¡± ¡°Tall guy, don¡¯t rush, look at these two ladies here, they¡¯re much calmer than you¡± Du Lai mischievously flipped his hand, and the blade which was supposed to be between his fingers disappeared into thin air. Zhu Shu widened her eyes in surprise. Lun Ang was also taken aback: ¡°What the hell? ! Prop?¡± ¡°It¡¯s magic,¡± Bai Youwei said coldly, ¡°and it¡¯s the most inferior street magic that emphasizes speed but lacks artistic appeal and skill.¡± Du Lai¡¯s smile froze slightly, his eyes fell on Bai Youwei, his languid tone carrying a threat: ¡°Little girl, such sharp words, ain¡¯t cute¡± Bai Youwei laughed lightly, looking at his hands, and said unhurriedly: ¡°Every magician I¡¯ve ever met emphasises on hand maintenance. Not a bit of dirt can be in their nails, and your hands¡­ are very dirty.¡± She slightly looked up, smiled, and asked him: ¡°So, are you a wandering street performer? Or¡­ a thief?¡± It was as if Du Lai had been stung, and the smile on his face froze. After a few seconds of pause, he took a deep look at Bai Youwei, then stepped back half a step. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t friendly at all¡­¡± He smiled wryly, forcing a laugh: ¡°Alright, let me get straight to the point. I need a partner for a game I¡¯m playing ¨C a doll-grabbing game. Here¡¯s the guide, and I need one good player to join.¡± His gaze lingered on Lun Ang for half a second, adding: ¡°And he can¡¯t be too fat.¡± Lun Ang: ¡°Damn!¡± Yan Qingwen laughed: ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are game guides running rampant on the streets of Shanghai?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Du Lai shook his head lightly. ¡°The game guide is in the hands of the review team. After we schedule the game time, the review team will tell us the detailed guide. But don¡¯t get your hopes up too much, because most of the game is competitive. Even if you know the guide, you might not make it out alive.¡± As he said this, he leaned casually against the trunk of a tree by the sidewalk, looking at the young man who had greeted Lun Ang just now. ¡°For instance, the guy who just called you guys is trying to trick you into being the sacrificial lambs. In the game of Russian roulette, at least one person must die to clear the game.¡± ¡°And what about you?¡± asked Yan Qingwen. ¡°Why did you choose us?¡± ¡°Because everyone else here is too stupid.¡± Du Lai sighed. ¡°I value my life. I don¡¯t want to be dragged down by idiot teammates. Don¡¯t worry, the claw machine game is not player-against-player, it requires cooperation. Of course, if we fail to cooperate and you die in the game, you can¡¯t blame me.¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and asked, ¡°The game is so risky, why do you guys still participate in it?¡± ¡°Of course, for the props.¡± Du Lai naturally responded. ¡°A good prop can save your life at a crucial moment. Besides, everyone who lives here has to play the game. The more props you have, the more confident you are when playing the game.¡± ¡°Everyone has to participate in the game?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly shocked. ¡°Ah¡­ it looks like you guys are really new here, owning no idea what¡¯s going on.¡± Du Lai chuckled. ¡°The game reviewers take care of our food and accommodation, and regularly provide us with game guides. Of course, this is not a free service. The only requirement they impose on us residents is¡­to participate in the game on time.¡± Chapter 311: 311: Three Rules Chapter 311: 311: Three RulesTranslator: 549690339 Twenty-three game zones have been detected around the city, these games are like hungry monsters that will move towards densely populated areas if not ¡°fed¡± within seven days. In order to maintain the space for human survival, an organization has established the following rules based on the characteristics of the games¡ª Firstly, each resident must participate in the game assigned by the organization; Secondly, residents who refuse to participate in the assigned game will no longer receive food, housing, and strategies provided by the organization; Thirdly, residents who submit game clear tools can exchange them for leave passes, offsetting one assigned game. Du Lai briefly explained the current situation in the city to them. Yan Qingwen thoughtfully nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s an intelligent method. With 23 games, as long as each city resident takes turns, it can ensure that the games won¡¯t move for a certain period of time, indirectly guaranteeing everyone¡¯s safety.¡± Bai Youwei also nodded, ¡°If there are more than two thousand residents in the city, participating in a game every seven days, we could win three hundred days. With over four thousand residents, that equates to almost two years of peace. However, implementing this in reality may lead to various problems, right? For example, loss of population, how will it be accounted for? The number of people is bound to decrease over time.¡± ¡°Any policy changes over time, there has never been a method that remains unchanged and effective over ten or more years,¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°When the time comes, there will probably be a new plan.¡± Du Lai also added, ¡°Actually population loss is not a concern, the real trouble is the game¡¯s anti-brushing system.¡± ¡°Anti-brushing system?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly surprised. She remembered hearing about it from Tu Dan and his students, but she wasn¡¯t paying attention at the time. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°If everyone clears a game, the game will activate the anti-brushing system and disappear,¡± Du Lai explained, ¡°It may have moved to another place, or it might cease to exist. No one knows.¡± Lun Ang couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing if it just disappears?¡± ¡°No,¡± Du Lai retracted his smile, ¡°Once an old one is gone, a new one will come. For a new game to appear, many lives have to be sacrificed¡­ to come up with a strategy.¡± With his words, everyone fell into silence. Through the journey, they had seen enough of good, bad, the deserving and undeserving¡­ Zhu Shu sighed quietly, murmuring, ¡°Looking on the bright side, it¡¯s already quite good here. At least everyone has a goal, and they¡¯re still alive.¡± If stranded outside, there would be nowhere to go and no direction. Perhaps they would lead a muddled life and then unknowingly fall into a game on some road, dying in confusion. After a moment of silence, Du Lai did not forget to remind Yan Qingwen, ¡°Can you now consider taking part in the claw machine game?¡± He smirked and said, ¡°I have a feeling that our partnership will be invincible.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say it¡¯s not good?¡± Bai Youwei interjected. Du Lai was taken aback, ¡°What?¡± ¡°The anti-brushing system.¡± Bai Youwei teased him, ¡°If everyone clears the game, the anti-brushing system will activate. You also said that when an old one is gone, a new one will come, and many lives will have to be sacrificed then. I think¡­ Yan Qingwen, it¡¯s best not to agree, to avoid more sacrifices.¡± Du Lai: Yan Qingwen grinned helplessly, ¡°We can consider cooperating again in the future.¡± Du Lai¡¯s smile looked forced and cold. He glanced at everyone and said, ¡°It seems that I¡¯m destined to leave empty-handed today.¡± Nobody paid him any mind. Du Lai finally looked at Bai Youwei one last time before turning around and leaving. After he had left, Lun Ang asked quizzically, ¡°What happened? Was he trying to pull something over us?¡± ¡°He probably genuinely wants to find a partner,¡± Bai Youwei watched his retreating figure, ¡°But as for that claw machine¡­ it¡¯s likely a 2V2 mode. I wonder which two unfortunate souls will end up being his opponents¡­¡± Chapter 312: 312: Exchange Place Chapter 312: 312: Exchange PlaceTranslator: 549690339 After meeting the uncertain friend or foe Du Lai, they proceeded to the notice board in People¡¯s Square. A large city map was affixed to the notice board, marking out the game zones around the city. Several places highlighted in red represented the registration center, the supply depot, the exchange center, and the headquarters of the so-called organization. The registration center was where residents were registered and managed. The supply depot was where supplies were collected and distributed. The exchange center was where tools could be traded for leave permits. Of these, the exchange center was the most popular. In addition to trading for leave permits, new functions gradually evolved, such as trading tools or forming teams. The reason was simple, those who came here possessed tools. And those who possessed tools were generally more capable, making the crowd here much better than the bustling mix of characters in the square. Yan Qingwen had a look around, got a general idea of the situation, and prepared to return home. However, Bai Youwei seemed reluctant to leave. Her eyes were gleaming as she looked around. She asked Teacher Chang to call over a staff member to inquire if there was a place where they could exchange puzzle pieces. Not far away, Lun Ang was startled and asked Yan Qingwen in a low voice, ¡°Is she planning to collect puzzle pieces here?¡± Ever since Bai Youwei took their five puzzle pieces, they knew what she intended to do. However, openly collecting puzzle pieces in such a place, wasn¡¯t it kind of¡­drawing too much attention? Yan Qingwen pondered for a moment and said, ¡°We should go over there as well. Since we brought her out, we need to ensure she returns safely.¡± Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang walked over. Zhu Shu thought for a moment and followed. They had only taken a few steps when they heard two nearby people commenting: ¡°Old man, who would exchange their puzzle pieces? A puzzle piece can exempt you from the doll game once, it¡¯s even more useful than a leave permit!¡± ¡°Yeah, even if the organization opened a channel for exchanging puzzle pieces, nobody would do it.¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chang Weicai hurriedly explained: ¡°We can exchange used puzzle pieces.¡± ¡°Used puzzle pieces?¡± The two men looked at each other, then asked Chang Weicai, ¡°What are you guys going to do with used puzzle pieces?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°Just say whether you¡¯ll exchange or not. After hearing about puzzle pieces, you two reacted quite strongly. Is it because either of you have puzzle pieces? Or perhaps, do any of your friends have them?¡± The two men looked at Bai Youwei, their faces alert, ¡°¡­Even if it¡¯s a used puzzle piece, it¡¯s still a puzzle piece. It might still have some unknown utility for all we know. Why should we exchange it with you?¡± ¡°Because I have tools.¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°You¡¯ve been squatting here for so long, aren¡¯t you looking to exchange tools? Do your own tools not work well? Do you want to exchange them with someone else¡¯s? I can exchange with you~ I¡¯ll give you a tool if you give me a puzzle piece. It¡¯s a great deal, isn¡¯t it?¡± As she spoke, more and more people started gathering around them, looking at Bai Youwei and Chang Weicai with curiosity and suspicion. People had seen trade-offs of food and medicine. Even tool exchanges weren¡¯t uncommon but no one had ever traded puzzle pieces. Yan Qingwen frowned and led Lun Ang and Zhu Shu to stand beside Bai Youwei, just in case these people thought it would be easy to bully an old man and a crippled man. Lun Ang whispered in his ear: ¡°This girl is reckless, daring to stir things up in such a place without even bringing her rabbit. Only Shen Mo would be able to tolerate her.¡± At his words, the corner of Yan Qingwen¡¯s mouth twitched, but he didn¡¯t say anything. His gaze shifted slightly and he saw a familiar face. ¡°¡­It¡¯s the same guy from before.¡± Lun Ang looked surprised, he followed Qingwen¡¯s gaze into the distance and saw that Du Lai was among the crowd, looking spellbound at Bai Youwei, apparently curious about what kind of tools she would bring out. Seeing the crowd expanding, the exchange center staff, fearing trouble, said to Bai Youwei: ¡°Any transactions must be posted on a notice. Once it is posted on the trading board, the parties involved can trade in private. The exchange center will not take responsibility for any problems that may arise.¡± Chapter 313: Changing Jigsaw Puzzle Chapter 313: Changing Jigsaw Puzzle Translator: 549690339 Mr. Cheng asked, ¡°How do we write it? Is there a standard format?¡± The staff casually picked up a few outdated notices for them to look at. Each one had a similar layout ¨C the first line listed items they possessed, the second listed the items they wanted in return, and the contact address was at the very bottom. Bai Youwei took the pen and paper, and wrote: ¡°Trading a used jigsaw puzzle; details to be discussed in person. Available items for trade are¡­.¡± After pausing a while, she wrote: ¡°Modified flower seeds; can bloom into a sea of flowers within 24 hours, regardless of the season or environment. Once nourished by life, flowers can last a long time.¡± A buzz started amongst the onlookers. ¡°It is an offensive tool! And it can cover a large area!¡± ¡°Is it like plants versus zombies? Plant a circle of flowers and you don¡¯t have to worry about defending yourself, hey! This tool is not bad!¡± ¡°Is there any game that needs this around here?¡± ¡°Not sure¡­but if we come across one, this tool would be very useful.¡± ¡°¡­Guys look! She¡¯s writing again!¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei continued to write: ¡°Starting gun, people within a radius of 10 meters will run at full speed. Effect varies with distance, environment, and individual will. The one holding the gun is not affected by the gunshot.¡± ¡°Full speed running? What could this tool be used for?¡± ¡°This lady has quite a few tools¡­¡± ¡°If she can afford to trade them, she must have plenty in store. But it seems less practical than those flower seeds¡­¡± ¡°Whether it is useful or not is not comparable in this way, it depends on the specific environment,¡± a middle-aged man among the crowd said, ¡°If the game field is on a ship, bridge, or cliffs and volcanic lava, imagine how powerful it would be to have this tool in hand.¡± People pictured that scene and fell into silence, their faces becoming grim. Yet Bai Youwei¡¯s pen did not stop. ¡°Substitute Doll, can act as a second body for the user¡­¡± Before she even finished writing, gasps arose from the crowd! Even Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, stepping forward to place his hand over her paper and whisper a reminder, ¡°This type of tool is better kept for saving your own life.¡± Bai Youwei looked up at him, puzzled. Yan Qingwen looked back into her eyes, ¡°Two tools are enough for trading the puzzle.¡± Bai Youwei gave a nonchalant smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I am doing.¡± Both Lun Ang and Zhu Shu who were standing by, had complex expressions on their faces. Yan Qingwen let go of her hand, thought to himself: This lady is too provocative. Shen Mo needs to come back and monitor her, or else she¡¯ll cause trouble sooner or later. Bai Youwei finished the rest: ¡°¡­Act as a second body for the user, endure all harm within 36 hours until completely destroyed. Interested parties may contact, Kraus Road¡­Building 5, Room 102.¡± Mr. Cheng asked a staff member for transparent glue and stuck Bai Youwei¡¯s notice on the trading column. Before it was even fully adhered, someone already asked impatiently, ¡°How many puzzle pieces for the third tool?¡± His voice was loud. The chaotic atmosphere of the exchange place suddenly calmed down after his question. A multitude of eyes focused on Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei glanced at him, her voice soft, ¡°Well of course¡­ to the highest bidder.¡± As she finished saying this¡ª The silence grew even quieter. And the hush even more profound. Bai Youwei rolled her wheelchair towards the door and stopped at the entrance. ¡°Well.¡± She turned around, smiling. ¡°If you are not satisfied with these items, I have other tools. Feel free to come to me for a trade. Just remember, only puzzles are accepted ¨C nothing else interests me.¡± She left cheerfully. Leaving behind a crowd of people with various expressions. Yan Qingwen looked around, sighed to himself, and followed Bai Youwei with the rest of the group. Chapter 314: Don’t Want to Go Chapter 314: Don¡¯t Want to Go Translator: 549690339 Du Lai stared at Bai Youwei¡¯s retreating figure in a daze. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A man beside him threw an arm over his shoulder and chuckled, ¡°Du Lai, I remember you had a couple of puzzle pieces in your possession, didn¡¯t you?¡± Du Lai blinked and then laughed, ¡°Yes, but I thought they were useless after I used them, so I donated them to the organization.¡± ¡°You donated?¡± The man seemed taken aback and wore a skeptical expression, ¡°Both puzzle pieces were donated?¡± ¡°I had no choice but to donate.¡± Du Lai forced a bitter smile, ¡°As you know, I was severely injured when I managed to make it out of that hide-and-seek game. I used up all my tools and had to donate the puzzle pieces in exchange for medical supplies.¡± The man listened with a mixture of belief and doubt, ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the situation.¡± Du Lai gave a casual laugh and gently shrugged off his arm, ¡°I still need to find my claw machine partner, so I¡¯ll chat with you later~¡± With a lightness to his steps, he strode away in no time. Turning a corner, he left the exchange point entirely. In the deserted alleyway, Du Lai looked around to ensure he wasn¡¯t being followed. He pulled out two puzzle pieces from his clothes, weighing them in his hand and a smirk curling on his lips. Tools were not something scarce. Anyone who had survived so far in the city would have a few tools, more or less. But it was exceedingly rare for someone like Bai Youwei to expose three tools at once. Because tools are used up as much as they are gathered, everyone tends to use one or two after entering the game. Unless they are absolutely useless, they won¡¯t be brought to the trading point for exchange. Bai Youwei¡¯s tools were without a doubt extremely tempting. Those with puzzle pieces can exchange them for her tools; Those without puzzle pieces can steal puzzle pieces from others. ¡­or one could be more direct, by stealing Bai Youwei¡¯s tools. ¡°No. 5 Kraus Road, Room 102.¡± The young man in the deep alley squinted his eyes, a deep secretive smile on his face, ¡°Well now¡­ things are sure to get rowdy.¡± On their way back, Chang Weicai asked Bai Youwei in confusion: ¡°Weiwei, don¡¯t we live in Room 101? Why did you write a wrong address?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter~ Anyway, if anyone knocks on the door of Room 102, we¡¯ll hear it from Room 101~¡± Bai Youwei replied nonchalantly. ¡°But what if we don¡¯t hear¡­¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t hear, the person can just leave a note, or they can come back some other day. It won¡¯t delay anything~¡± Chang Weicai considered it for a moment then nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Lun Ang, who was behind them, had a silent exchange of looks with Yan Qingwen. Lun Ang silently mouthed in amazement: This girl is so clever¡­ If anyone attempts to do anything shady at Room 102 in the middle of the night, they¡¯ll definitely come up empty, and might even end up being counter-attacked by the people in Room 101. Yan Qingwen, resigned to Bai Youwei¡¯s tactics, could only shake his head with a laugh. The five of them chatted and walked, quickly reaching the entrance to their residential community. As they entered the community, they saw Li Li leading a group of people towards them! ¡°Yan bro!¡± Li Li called out enthusiastically. Although they had been apart for only half a day, it felt like they hadn¡¯t seen each other for days, even his overall appearance seemed changed. Now, Li Li had returned to the SCO¡¯s research team, promoted to one of the core members of the organization, living with other SCO researchers, and allotted four bodyguards for protection when he is out and about. Now, he stood before them glowingly rejuvenated, and for some reason, the phrase ¡°returning to one¡¯s native place in glory¡± popped into Bai Youwei¡¯s mind, making her want to laugh. ¡°I told Professor Song about what you all did, the professor is very grateful! He hopes to meet you guys in person.¡± There was a note of complacency in Li Li¡¯s voice, ¡°There¡¯s a banquet being held at the headquarters this evening, the professor asked me to come and pick you all up!¡± With that, his gaze landed on Bai Youwei, his tone becoming unconsciously careful. He cleared his throat, saying, ¡°And you¡­ along with Shen Mo, are also invited to attend the banquet.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Bai Youwei responded indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t feel like going.¡± Chapter 315: 315: Joining the Organization Chapter 315: 315: Joining the OrganizationTranslator: 549690339 Li Li suddenly became anxious, ¡°Shen Mo is also going!¡± Bai Youwei frowned upon hearing this, repeating his words, ¡°¡­ Shen Mo is also going?¡± Li Li, having experienced Bai Youwei¡¯s unique temperament, nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, Shen Mo is also going! Don¡¯t you want to see him?¡± Bai Youwei muttered a little discontentedly, ¡°Shen Mo has also become vulgar.¡± Li Li: ¡°Are we going now?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I have to take Mr. Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Xiaoxin with me, otherwise, it¡¯s meaningless to go alone.¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Xiaoxin probably doesn¡¯t need to go.¡± Li Li frowned, ¡°This dinner is very formal, it¡¯s not appropriate for children to attend¡­¡± In fact, he felt it would be best if Tan Xiao also didn¡¯t go, that silly fool, who knows what kind of mess he may cause. But then he thought about Bai Youwei¡¯s personality, so Li Li didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°What¡¯s so formal~¡± Bai Youwei laughed at him, ¡°Isn¡¯t this organization just a makeshift outfit? It¡¯s not a real government agency, how formal can it be~¡± Li Li felt awkward, his face turning an embarrassing shade of red from being choked up. Mr. Cheng stepped in to smooth things over, saying to Li Li, ¡°If we all go, it is not appropriate to leave Xiaoxin, a child, home alone. What if something happens at home? Let¡¯s take him with us. Xiaoxin is a sensible child, he won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Li Li cornered his mouth, ¡°But it seems that Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin are not here, I already tried knocking on their door. If you are waiting for them to come back, you may miss the dinner time¡­¡± ¡°Then you didn¡¯t knock hard enough.¡± Bai Youwei wheeled herself towards Building 5, ¡°I¡¯ll go call them.¡± Mr. Cheng gave an apologetic smile to Li Li and hurried to follow Bai Youwei. With those two far away, Li Li finally let loose a long sigh. He once again looked at Yan Qingwen and seriously said, ¡°The dinner this time is actually mainly to invite you to join the organization. Su Man and I have already joined. Brother Yan, Lun Ang, with our guarantee, there should be no problem for you to join too. But it won¡¯t be easy for Shen Mo and Bai Youwei; the organization¡¯s resources are limited and can¡¯t include the elderly and children. Considering Bai Youwei¡¯s attitude, she most likely won¡¯t stay.¡± ¡°What exactly is this organization?¡± Lun Ang was impatient, ¡°Li Li, explain your words clearly, just what is happening here?¡± Li Li explained, ¡°It¡¯s Professor Song. He and the survival team of the special situation group established this organization. While they continue to conduct research, they also ensure the residents¡¯ livelihood. Although there are deficiencies in various aspects, life here is much more steady than outside!¡± Li Li looked at Yan Qingwen and urged once again, ¡°Brother Yan, stay! You guys saved me from the labyrinth, now it¡¯s my turn to help you! As long as you are willing to stay, I can assure you, any vacant position within the organization is yours to pick!¡± Lun Ang stroked his goatee, looking towards Yan Qingwen. After a moment of silence, Yan Qingwen gave a faint smile, ¡°What to do, I¡¯ve been freelancing for quite a while, already not used to living a life with this kind of regulation.¡± After hearing this, Lun Ang understood Yan Qingwen¡¯s meaning, and stated directly, ¡°I will go with Old Yan.¡± Li Li looked disappointed, then turned to Zhu Shu, ¡°Zhu Shu, what about you? You¡¯re a girl, are you planning to continue wandering?¡± Zhu Shu pursed her lips, asking Li Li, ¡°If I stay, can I join the organization?¡± Li Li showed a troubled look, hesitated for two seconds, and said, ¡°Probably not this time¡­ but I promise, as long as you clear the game more than twice, I will help you apply to join the organization!¡± Hearing this, Zhu Shu slowly walked behind Yan Qingwen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Li Li¡­ without Brother Yan and Lun Ang, I¡¯m afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to clear a single game.¡± Zhu Shu said softly, ¡°So¡­ I should stick with everyone else.¡± Chapter 316: 316: The Five Travelers (Extra update for Bobo ) Chapter 316: 316: The Five Travelers (Extra update for Bobo )Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei led people out and found that something was clearly amiss. ¡°What happened?¡± She looked at Li Li, then at Yan Qingwen with a smirk, ¡°Did you guys have a fight?¡± ¡°No. We just talked about something.¡± Yan Qingwen asked with a smile, ¡°Why, are you hoping for us to have a fight?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Bai Youwei candidly said, ¡°It¡¯s clear you guys aren¡¯t on the same page. It¡¯s strange if you didn¡¯t argue when you¡¯re together~¡± ¡°You!¡­¡± Li Li was furious. ¡°Did I say anything wrong?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him confusedly. ¡°You guys weren¡¯t on the same page to begin with. If it weren¡¯t for Yan Qingwen entering the maze to save you, you wouldn¡¯t even have crossed paths.¡± Li Li ground his teeth and shot back at her: ¡°Then you, Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Mr. Cheng, and Pan Xiaoxin aren¡¯t on the same page either! You guys are¡­¡± He childishly held up a hand with all five fingers spread, stressing, ¡°You guys are five-page people!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°So what if we are five-page people? At least we have a common goal now. What about you guys? Do you have one?¡± Li Li¡¯s face turned a mix of green and white at her comment, an expression of utter discomfort! sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lun Ang patted his shoulder sympathetically and said, ¡°You¡¯d better argue with Su Man, don¡¯t argue with her, you won¡¯t win.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s arguing! I was just reasoning with her!¡± Li Li shook off Lun Ang¡¯s hand, stood tall and continued forward. ¡°Come on! The banquet is about to start!¡± Tan Xiao clucked his tongue and said, ¡°Mr. Four Eyes is not to be trifled with.¡± Li Li clenched his fists and swallowed his anger, he chose not to argue with him and kept going forward. It seemed that today was just not his day, having his invitation rejected by his companions, and then dealing with a quarrelsome Su Man. Just because he supported a female colleague who was about to fall, Su Man made a big fuss about it. In the end, it took Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang¡¯s intervention to calm her down. And it didn¡¯t stop there. When they got to the headquarters, he led a group to meet Professor Song, but was stopped by the security team. No matter how he explained, they refused to let him pass! Li Li felt disgraced! ¡°How many times do I need to explain this?!¡± He said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m Li Li from the SCO Research Group! I¡¯m Professor Song¡¯s research assistant! I left my pass at the dorm!¡± He pointed to the security guards behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize them?! All of them can vouch for me!¡± The security guard glanced at the people behind Li Li and said sternly, ¡°Professor Song just convened an emergency meeting. Anyone without a pass is not allowed near the conference center. If you insist on going in, I need to ask for higher-level permission.¡± Li Li said irritably, ¡°Then go ahead and ask!¡± The security guard took out his walkie-talkie and said a few brief words. About three minutes later, a woman in a brown combat suit appeared at the front of the corridor. She had short hair, slightly tanned skin. Even though she didn¡¯t say a word, her sharp eyes showed she is not someone to mess with. ¡°Leader! This man insisted on going in. He claimed to be Professor Song¡¯s assistant and said that Professor Song asked him to bring people over, but he did not have a pass. The people behind him are security guards assigned by the research team.¡± The woman in the combat suit frowned at Li Li and said coldly, ¡°The meeting is not over yet. Let the men in, but the women and the old man will have to wait outside.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± Su Man was the first to object, ¡°When you invited us, you sure didn¡¯t have this attitude! Why can men go in, but women can¡¯t?!¡± ¡°Why?¡± The woman sneered and took two steps towards Su Man. She was tall and towered over Su Man, who¡¯s just five feet seven, by half a head. She looked down at her contemptuously: ¡°Let me tell you why Because a clamoring, noisy woman like you belongs in a marketplace or a dance hall, not here, at the conference center.¡± Chapter 317: 317: Parting on Bad Terms Chapter 317: 317: Parting on Bad TermsTranslator: 549690339 Su Man was known for her fiery temper, and having been harshly rebuked, she boiled over with anger and swiftly struck! However, as the security team leader, her opponent was naturally skilled. One move followed another, with both women locked in a fierce fight! Li Li was both anxious and furious, wanting to step in to mediate but fearing accidental injury. He bellowed, ¡°Hold it! Stop! As the leader of the research group, I command you to stop!¡± Unfortunately, as a newly installed leader, his words carried little weight. The two women ignored him, with their brawl intensifying! ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stop them?!¡± demanded a frantic Li Li, looking at Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang. Lun Ang frowned, ¡°You want me to hit a woman¡­?¡± Yan Qingwen simply watched the melee, ¡°Su Man should be able to handle this for now.¡± Even Yan Qingwen decided to stay out of this, so Bai Youwei was even less likely to intervene, preferring to watch the chaos unfold. ¡°Hmm, Su Man is quite tough~¡± Bai Youwei surprisingly sincerely praised someone for once. She had only seen Su Man use a whip in a game at the Dollhouse before. She hadn¡¯t realized how excellent her fighting skills were. Even Bai Youwei, despite not being trained in combat, could tell that each of Su Man¡¯s moves was precise and powerful, bearing no less than a man in her fierce attacks. Naturally, the security team leader who was fighting with Su Man was also no pushover. Her moves were swift, decisive and similarly matched. Su Man performed a sweeping leg kick, but her opponent nimbly evaded it and reached out to grab Su Man¡¯s shoulder! Su Man closed in using the force and quickly turned around to land a powerful punch! The opponent dodged sharply, the punch grazing past a few strands of her short hair! She then caught Su Man¡¯s arm and forcefully twisted it behind her! Su Man seethed with anger, biting her lip and struggled to break free, yet her face suddenly turned pale and she broke out in cold sweat! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Bai Youwei was perplexed. Su Man had been holding her ground just moments ago, how had she suddenly slipped into a disadvantageous position? Things deteriorated rapidly, with Su Man getting punched several times, before being pinned against the wall, unable to move! ¡°Su Man injured her right hand.¡± Zhu Shu comments, with furrowed brows. Clap! Clap! Yan Qingwen clapped twice, and chuckled coldly, ¡°Indeed, impressive skills for a security team leader. You have certainly opened our eyes. May I know your name?¡± The short-haired woman let go of Su Man and replied icily, ¡°Yu Yaqing. If you wish to file a complaint, feel free.¡± Zhu Shu helped Su Man up, noticing that her swollen right hand had been injured. Zhu Shu turned to Yan Qingwen with concern, ¡°Brother Yan, Su Man is injured.¡± Seeing Su Man¡¯s injuries, Li Li chastised her, ¡°Look at you! You knew your hand wasn¡¯t healed, but you still rushed forward to fight! You knew you couldn¡¯t beat her!¡± ¡°Who said I couldn¡¯t beat her!¡± Su Man glared at him, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for¡­¡± She bit her lip, and didn¡¯t finish her sentence. Glaring at Yu Yaqing, she lowered her head reluctantly and retreated behind Yan Qingwen alongside Zhu Shu, looking visibly upset. Yan Qingwen ¡®s voice was calmly nonchalant, ¡°As for filing a complaint, that¡¯s a bit too much. We did intrude into the conference center without an access pass. That was our mistake. Now that our companion is injured and not fit for the banquet¡­ Well then, sorry to have troubled you, we should take our leave.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Having said his piece, Yan Qingwen turned to leave. While he appeared polite in his words, when he truly got angry there was no room for negotiation. Li Li hurried to catch up, ¡°Brother Yan! Brother Yan! Please don¡¯t leave. Professor Song will be done with the meeting soon!¡­ Where are you going?¡± As Li Li was about to leave, Bai Youwei scowled, ¡°Li Li, didn¡¯t you say you were going to take me to meet Shen Mo?¡± Li Li retorted irritably, ¡°Who has the time for you!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned cold instantly, livid she roared, ¡°Are you playing me?!¡± A sudden flash of blue-violet light appeared! Like a rapidly flying light bird, its wings crashed into Li Li, knocking him flat. He convulsed on the ground! Gurgling sounds came out of his mouth, ¡°Erk Erk Erk Erk Erk¡­¡± Chapter 317: Parting on Bad Terms Chapter 317: Parting on Bad Terms Translator: 549690339 Su Man was known for her fiery temper, and having been harshly rebuked, she boiled over with anger and swiftly struck! However, as the security team leader, her opponent was naturally skilled. One move followed another, with both women locked in a fierce fight! Li Li was both anxious and furious, wanting to step in to mediate but fearing accidental injury. He bellowed, ¡°Hold it! Stop! As the leader of the research group, I command you to stop!¡± Unfortunately, as a newly installed leader, his words carried little weight. The two women ignored him, with their brawl intensifying! ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stop them?!¡± demanded a frantic Li Li, looking at Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang. Lun Ang frowned, ¡°You want me to hit a woman¡­?¡± Yan Qingwen simply watched the melee, ¡°Su Man should be able to handle this for now.¡± Even Yan Qingwen decided to stay out of this, so Bai Youwei was even less likely to intervene, preferring to watch the chaos unfold. ¡°Hmm, Su Man is quite tough~¡± Bai Youwei surprisingly sincerely praised someone for once. She had only seen Su Man use a whip in a game at the Dollhouse before. She hadn¡¯t realized how excellent her fighting skills were. Even Bai Youwei, despite not being trained in combat, could tell that each of Su Man¡¯s moves was precise and powerful, bearing no less than a man in her fierce attacks. Naturally, the security team leader who was fighting with Su Man was also no pushover. Her moves were swift, decisive and similarly matched. Su Man performed a sweeping leg kick, but her opponent nimbly evaded it and reached out to grab Su Man¡¯s shoulder! Su Man closed in using the force and quickly turned around to land a powerful punch! The opponent dodged sharply, the punch grazing past a few strands of her short hair! She then caught Su Man¡¯s arm and forcefully twisted it behind her! Su Man seethed with anger, biting her lip and struggled to break free, yet her face suddenly turned pale and she broke out in cold sweat! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Bai Youwei was perplexed. Su Man had been holding her ground just moments ago, how had she suddenly slipped into a disadvantageous position? Things deteriorated rapidly, with Su Man getting punched several times, before being pinned against the wall, unable to move! ¡°Su Man injured her right hand.¡± Zhu Shu comments, with furrowed brows. Clap!? Clap! Yan Qingwen clapped twice, and chuckled coldly, ¡°Indeed, impressive skills for a security team leader. You have certainly opened our eyes. May I know your name?¡± The short-haired woman let go of Su Man and replied icily, ¡°Yu Yaqing. If you wish to file a complaint, feel free.¡± Zhu Shu helped Su Man up, noticing that her swollen right hand had been injured. Zhu Shu turned to Yan Qingwen with concern, ¡°Brother Yan, Su Man is injured.¡± Seeing Su Man¡¯s injuries, Li Li chastised her, ¡°Look at you! You knew your hand wasn¡¯t healed, but you still rushed forward to fight! You knew you couldn¡¯t beat her!¡± ¡°Who said I couldn¡¯t beat her!¡± Su Man glared at him, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for¡­¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She bit her lip, and didn¡¯t finish her sentence. Glaring at Yu Yaqing, she lowered her head reluctantly and retreated behind Yan Qingwen alongside Zhu Shu, looking visibly upset. Yan Qingwen ¡®s voice was calmly nonchalant, ¡°As for filing a complaint, that¡¯s a bit too much. We did intrude into the conference center without an access pass. That was our mistake. Now that our companion is injured and not fit for the banquet¡­ Well then, sorry to have troubled you, we should take our leave.¡± Having said his piece, Yan Qingwen turned to leave. While he appeared polite in his words, when he truly got angry there was no room for negotiation. Li Li hurried to catch up, ¡°Brother Yan! Brother Yan! Please don¡¯t leave. Professor Song will be done with the meeting soon!¡­ Where are you going?¡± As Li Li was about to leave, Bai Youwei scowled, ¡°Li Li, didn¡¯t you say you were going to take me to meet Shen Mo?¡± Li Li retorted irritably, ¡°Who has the time for you!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned cold instantly, livid she roared, ¡°Are you playing me?!¡± A sudden flash of blue-violet light appeared! Like a rapidly flying light bird, its wings crashed into Li Li, knocking him flat. He convulsed on the ground! Gurgling sounds came out of his mouth, ¡°Erk Erk Erk Erk Erk¡­¡± Chapter 318: Rely on Oneself Chapter 318: Rely on Oneself Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei looked at him disgustingly, holding the rabbit, she said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The rabbit was the toy she had taken out earlier from the dollhouse when she called Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin. If it wasn¡¯t for charging, she would never leave it behind. Teacher Cheng pushed the wheelchair out, followed by Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin. As they passed by the fallen Li Li, the three let out a sigh simultaneously, shaking their heads in dismay. Teacher Cheng: ¡°Confucius said, ¡®I don¡¯t know what one can do if they¡¯re not trustworthy.¡¯ Li Li, we came with you because we trusted you, but you¡­ sigh, look out for yourself from now on.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°I never thought you were that type of person! Humph, I despise you!¡± Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°You¡­¡± After a thought, he as a child, decided not to meddle in adults¡¯ affairs and just followed behind Tan Xiao. The security team slowly gathered up, looking at the retreating figures, then turned to Li Li on the ground. Someone went over to check Li Li¡¯s breath. Li Li was fine. He had survived two labyrinths and Bai Youwei had showed restraint. The level of electric shock had just made him uncomfortable, but it was not life-threatening. ¡°Team leader, those people just now¡­¡± ¡°I saw.¡± Yu Yaqing held up her hand, ¡°It should be a tool, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a tool that can release electricity, and it seems to be reusable, no wonder the professor invited these people.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ did we, did we offend them?¡± ¡°Are you afraid of them?¡± Yu Yaqing glanced unhappily at her subordinate, reprimanding harshly, ¡°Foolish! Tools only lead to endless dependency! What we ultimately rely on is ourselves! Not the damned tools the game gives us! All of you, double the training tonight!¡± She lifted her arm, clenched her fist tightly, ¡°Remember! Never slack off! What we can rely on, will always be ourselves!¡± The subordinates chorused, ¡°Yes! Team leader!¡± On the other hand, Yan Qingwen took Su Man back to Kraus Road. Although there were no tools with healing effects, they commonly had wound medicines for pain relief, anti-inflammation, detoxification, and blood stasis. Slice open the swollen flesh, let out the blood clot, apply medicine, and re-wrap. Yan Qingwen put a splint on Su Man. Such injuries that damage tendons and bones would normally take at least two months to recover. For players who have been through the labyrinth, it would take no more than two weeks. After treating the wound, Yan Qingwen said to Su Man, ¡°The starting point of this organization is good, however, it¡¯s still newly formed and lacks the stability to last long. Maybe in the future, it will become better, or it could¡­ get worse. I know you and Li Li grew up together and you¡¯ve never been apart, but I still suggest you reconsider whether you can leave the organization.¡± Su Man lowered her head and replied quietly, ¡°Brother Yan, I will join the organization, not just for Li Li. My family has moved here, I must stay and look after them.¡± Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yan Qingwen thought for a while and then nodded, ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no choice. Of course, family is the most important.¡± Lun Ang sighed, ¡°Sigh¡­ I used to run around here and there without thinking, but now I want to go home, I don¡¯t even know where my old folks are.¡± He looked at Zhu Shu and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your family? Is it alright for you to be with us?¡± ¡°My parents are abroad.¡± Zhu Shu smiled faintly, ¡°Even if I wanted to go to them, I couldn¡¯t.¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°Are you all really leaving? Brother Yan, you have a connection with the Li Family, why won¡¯t you stay? The world is a mess now, no matter how bad it is here, it¡¯s a lot better than being unsure of tomorrow¡¯s survival.¡± Yan Qingwen was silent and didn¡¯t reply immediately. After a while, he said something completely irrelevant, ¡°Today, Bai Youwei exchanged used puzzles for tools at the exchange point.¡± Chapter 319: Just Not Dead Chapter 319: Just Not Dead Translator: 549690339 ¡°Exchange the prop¡­for used puzzle pieces?¡± Su Man was in a daze. ¡°¡­Why?¡± Why exchange for those puzzle pieces? And why did Yan brother bring up this matter? Yan Qingwen looked down, his tone calm: ¡°At first, I thought she was joking. After all, concerning the maze, except for knowing that it can produce puzzle pieces, we almost know nothing about the rest. We don¡¯t even know how many puzzle pieces there are in total. How do you put together a complete puzzle?¡± But she paid for it with actions and even traded valuable props.¡± He spoke, raising his eyes to take a glance at the people present. ¡°Later, I realized that she was not really trying to complete the puzzle.¡± Su Man furrowed her brows: ¡°Then what does she want to do?¡± ¡°A goal.¡± Yan Qingwen replied, ¡°A goal large enough to attract the people around and bring hope.¡± Looking at him, Su Man vaguely thought she understood, but also vaguely felt that she didn¡¯t entirely grasp it. Yan Qingwen said: ¡°A valuable goal can generate immense motivation. As long as this force exists, even if they die on the road in the future, they will not regret it. As for us staying here, other than repeating the tasks set by our supervisors daily, nothing changes by sticking to the guideline of tackling the games assigned by the organization. We will never get the answers about the doll game.¡± ¡°Brother Yan, by staying here, we can pursue the answers too! There is also hope!¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Professor Song¡¯s research team has never given up on studying the doll game!¡± ¡°That¡¯s them, not us.¡± Yan Qingwen calmly looked at her, ¡°Staying here is not called pursuing answers, that¡¯s called waiting for the answers. Su Man, you should understand, Lun Ang and I are not fond of sitting and waiting for death.¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes were red, ¡°But¡­the chance of survival outside¡­is really low¡­¡± ¡°Honestly¡­the way we live now¡­we can¡¯t really call it living.¡± Zhu Shu murmured softly. Su Man looked at her. Zhu Shu stated, ¡°We¡¯re just not dead yet.¡± Everyone was silent. After a moment, Yan Qingwen smiled faintly, ¡°Humans can never change their inherent curiosity and adventurous spirit. Since the world has changed, why not live as we wish to live, so we won¡¯t regret and feel pitiful when we die. Su Man, you don¡¯t need to persuade us anymore.¡± Su Man bit her lip, hung her head, and said no more. Lun Ang joked self-deprecatingly, ¡°If I had known we needed to collect the puzzle pieces, I wouldn¡¯t have bet with that girl. Alas, I lost five puzzle pieces all at once!¡± Yan Qingwen also laughed, turned his head towards Zhu Shu beside him, ¡°Are you scared? You might struggle a bit if you follow us.¡± Zhu Shu shook her head lightly, ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as I¡¯m not bothering you.¡± Seeing them so resolved, Su Man looked even more depressed. They all barely escaped death many times, and although there were occasional conflicts and arguments, their bond was no ordinary one. If possible, she really didn¡¯t want to part ways. Unfortunately¡­ There¡¯s no feast that doesn¡¯t end. The night deepened. The temperature didn¡¯t cool down because of the nightfall; the air was still humid and hot, making people sweat all over, uncomfortably sticky. Bai Youwei hugged a fluffy bunny, sitting in the pitch-black living room. Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin were all asleep in the doll house, while she couldn¡¯t sleep, often coming out worrying that Shen Mo might return without anyone being there. Shen Mo didn¡¯t return all that time. The next door did welcome a few waves of guests though. One of them was clever, after finding out that room 102 was uninhabited, he pried open the door of room 101. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But as soon as Bai Youwei heard the sound, she went into the doll house. The man found nothing after turning the 3-bedroom flat upside down, and left in frustration. He should be grateful that the hot weather made Bai Youwei exhausted and lazy, reluctant to even move her fingers, so she let him go. At three in the morning, Shen Mo finally came back. Chapter 320: 320: Appearance of Many New Characters Chapter 320: 320: Appearance of Many New CharactersTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei heard the familiar sound of footsteps and the taut string in her heart finally relaxed. She had always been worried about him. Even though she had endlessly pondered and thought, and she believes that the organization has only intentions to curry favor with Shen Mo, her heart wouldn¡¯t cooperate and she was still worried. Shen Mo opened the door and came in, quickly noting that something was off. Seeing Bai Youwei come out of the bedroom, he asked her, ¡°Did someone come to the house?¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°That¡¯s not important¡­¡± Bai Youwei yawned sleepily, ¡°I waited for you for so long, I¡¯m almost falling sleep.¡± ¡°The research group found a game approaching the city and held an emergency meeting¡­¡± Shen Mo paused, walked over and held the armrest of her wheelchair. ¡°¡­Anyway, we¡¯ll talk inside.¡± The two of them moved into the bedroom one after the other, shut the bedroom door. Bai Youwei pulled out the golden key and opened the door to the doll house Once inside the doll house, Shen Mo carried Bai Youwei upstairs to their room and continued speaking: ¡°The structure of this organization is quite complex, including the members of the SCO Research Group, a special task force, refugee old families, and some scattered local police¡­¡±. Shen Mo continued as they walked, ¡°However, the organization is primarily made up of researchers, led by Chu Huaijin, a former leader of a special task force, and then comes Song Mingchuan, a professor at SCO that I¡¯ve mentioned to you before.¡± Bai Youwei was sleepy in his arms, and she asked with her eyes closed: ¡°Oh ¡­ so why did they call you to the meeting?¡± ¡°Shen Fei introduced me.¡± Shen Mo made his way into the bedroom, put her onto the bed, hesitating on how to introduce his cousin. ¡°He¡­ has always looked up to me and hopes that I could join the organization. He even recommended me to Professor Song and sung praises about me¡­ I¡¯m also quite interested in Professor Song¡¯s recent research results, so I attended their meeting.¡± Bai Youwei laid on the bed, barely managing to open her eyes halfway. She asked him in a murmur, ¡°So are you going to join?¡± Shen Mo pondered for a moment, then asked her: ¡°If I join, would you join?¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± Bai Youwei yawned again, her voice faint. ¡°But they probably wouldn¡¯t want a cripple.¡± Shen Mo smiled and gently played with her hair. ¡°I still want to go to the place with the maze¡­after we put together all the puzzle pieces, I want to see what happens for myself.¡± ¡°Then go¡­¡± Her voice became more and more unclear, as if she was fighting sleep. ¡°By the way¡­ have you seen my mom?¡± At her words, Shen Mo froze. Recalling the words of his father, and Shen Fei¡¯s resentful description, he was silent for a few seconds before telling Bai Youwei: ¡°Aunt Wang is currently not in Shanghai.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh¡­¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t want Bai Youwei to feel awkward, so he tried to explain in the most gentle terms: ¡°After the incident in Yangzhou, my father brought Aunt Wang to Shanghai. Because they heard that the extreme north was not within the range of the Doll game and it was very safe, Aunt Wang¡­ left by boat with a man.¡± He left out many details. He did not mention how his father cared for Wang Jingxian all the way, or that the family members of the organization¡¯s members did not need to enter the games. To avoid being assigned to the games, Wang Jingxian stayed as his father¡¯s companion. However, she met another old friend in Shanghai, who had once been her suitor. She left Shen Mo¡¯s father without any considerations for past sentiments to board a ship with the man and left Shanghai. That¡¯s why Shen Fei would feel indignant for his uncle and since Shen Mo was nowhere to be found, he grew to despise Wang Jingxian, and by association, Bai Youwei became in his eyes the ¡°daughter of the fox spirit¡±. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t respond for a long time. Shen Mo hesitated for a moment before speaking again: ¡°We do not have a boat, the chances of finding Aunt Wang are slim.¡± Bai Youwei: Shen Mo looked down at her closely. She was already asleep. Chapter 321: 321 The Person Who Exchanges Props Chapter 321: 321 The Person Who Exchanges PropsTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei slept late into the night and didn¡¯t wake up until mid-morning the next day. In the doll house, it was easy to become deeply relaxed and quickly recover energy, making it an ideal rest spot. So easy, in fact, she often slept heavily. Because of its comfort, everyone spent the morning in the doll house, tidying up, doing laundry, moving pots of coriander and spring onions to the backyard for sunlight¡ª While preparing breakfast, Teacher Cheng casually looked around the kitchen and said solemnly to Shen Mo: ¡°Our food supplies are running low. We still have plenty of rice and flour, but are in short of vegetables and meats, and our eggs are nearly gone.¡± Vegetables didn¡¯t last long and were always in short supply, while our meat supply relied entirely on the pile of vacuum-sealed cooked food, now completely depleted. Even instant noodles were reduced to a dozen or so packets. ¡°The city¡¯s resources are distributed by the organization, we can¡¯t gather supplies here,¡± Teacher Cheng sighed, ¡°unless we join the organization, we can collect food from the resource point for free. It seems, if we don¡¯t plan to join, we can¡¯t stay here for long.¡± Shen Mo casually replied, ¡°Eat lightly this morning, we won¡¯t stay here for too long.¡± Bai Youwei gave him a glance. Shen Mo¡¯s situation was different than the rest; his father was in Shanghai. Would Shen Mo really be willing to leave his family to find those unknown pieces of the puzzle? ¡°I¡¯ll go out first.¡± Shen Mo got up and headed for the door, ¡°Everyone should come out once they¡¯re ready, to avoid suspicion.¡± The main door was open, connected directly to their bedroom. As he was about to leave, there was a knock on the door. Since the door was open, the sound also echoed into the doll house. Bai Youwei tilted her head in thought, then wheeled over, ¡°It¡¯s probably for me.¡± ¡°For you?¡± Shen Mo asked, a bit puzzled. When he opened the door, two lanky youths stood outside. Seeing Shen Mo, a mix of wariness and curiosity flashed in their eyes, though they remained courteous: ¡°Does Bai Youwei live here?¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo raised his brow and turned to look back at Bai Youwei. ¡°While you were away yesterday, I posted a notice at the exchange to trade items.¡± Bai Youwei explained, ¡°Let them in.¡± Shen Mo stepped aside, allowing the pair to enter. The two youths glanced at each other, approached Bai Youwei and produced two puzzle pieces: ¡°We want to exchange them for the Substitute Doll.¡± Bai Youwei casually glanced at their puzzle pieces, then shook her head lightly, ¡°You¡¯re quite a few pieces short.¡± ¡°How many do you need?¡± One of them asked. Bai Youwei counterposed, ¡°How many do you have?¡± ¡°We¡­¡± After a moment the man grudgingly replied, ¡°This is all we have. Only people who have entered the maze have puzzle pieces. Even having two is already a lot! Most don¡¯t have any!¡± ¡°Too few~¡± Bai Youwei still shook her head, blandly explaining, ¡°Even for a starting pistol or seeds, I won¡¯t exchange them with such a paltry number of pieces, let alone the Substitute Doll.¡± ¡°How many do you want then!¡± The other one was getting anxious. Bai Youwei held up a hand, her pale fingers fluttered, ¡°At least five pieces.¡± ¡°And for the Substitute Doll?¡± ¡°Less than ten isn¡¯t worth considering.¡± Both youths exchanged looks, not speaking for a while. Bai Youwei drawled, ¡°You can go back and think it over, but I must remind you, this price will only go up, not down. After all, used puzzle pieces are worthless. I¡¯m just curious and want to collect them for fun. Maybe by tomorrow, I¡¯ll regret it, find it a bad deal and not want to trade anymore.¡± Both of them frowned. One of them finally said, ¡°¡­ Okay, we¡¯ll go back and think it over.¡± Chapter 322: 322: Underground Parking Lot Chapter 322: 322: Underground Parking LotTranslator: 549690339 After sending the two of them away, a few more people came soon after, also wanting to exchange puzzles for props. However, denied by Bai Youwei due to insufficient number. Shen Mo closed the door, furrowed his brows and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°The labyrinth of Shanghai has been cracked, at most 9 pieces of the puzzle. Even if outsiders who have entered other labyrinths come to Shanghai, it shouldn¡¯t be that many¡­¡± ¡°Yeah~¡± Bai Youwei put her hand on her cheek and thought for a while, and suddenly smiled, ¡°I underestimated them, I never thought, in this kind of environment, they could make fakes.¡± ¡°You mean, the puzzles are fake?¡± Shen Mo showed surprise, ¡°¡­used puzzles, when touched, do not generate any information in the mind, look like ordinary metal pieces, indeed they could be faked. However, if they want to deceive, they are too naive.¡± He pondered for a while, then got up and went outside. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Bai Youwei widened her eyes and asked. Shen Mo replied: ¡°In the shop outside where they repair electrical appliances, there should be a magnet.¡± Bai Youwei froze first, then curved her eyebrows, laughing. The puzzle came from the game system. It only looks like steel, but its material is not of any substance found on earth. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were preparing to welcome guests who wanted to exchange puzzles, only to unexpectedly have a few cars showing up in the neighborhood when the clock was pointing towards 12 noon The organization once again sent people to invite them as well as Yan Qingwen. This time, Li Li didn¡¯t come. Instead, Chu Huaijin, who is the organization¡¯s leader, and Shen Fei did. Chu Huaijin is originally a member of the special events group, in the same system as Shen Mo, naturally they are close. Shen Fei is Shen Mo¡¯s cousin, although not a blood brother, in these circumstances, just seeing a living friend or relative is already a rare occurrence. Bai Youwei suspected that they wanted to bind Shen Mo with familial affection, she just didn¡¯t know if Shen Mo would fall for this strategy. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sure either. She didn¡¯t have any ill feelings towards this place, whether to stay or not didn¡¯t matter. Anyway, the game can not be avoided, and the labyrinth will show up sooner or later, no matter where, it¡¯s all the same. The car moved forward, entering the underground garage of a large shopping mall. Bai Youwei initially found it strange, why did they park in the dark underground? The car didn¡¯t stop, from the first underground level of the car park, it drove into the second level, the third level¡­ until the fifth underground level! Usually, the underground parking lot of a shopping mall has at most three levels, she didn¡¯t expect this place to go all the way down to the fifth level. What¡¯s more, the fifth level underground has light! Having light means having electricity. The man named Chu Huaijin led the way after getting off the car, with guards following on both sides. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As he walked, he explained, ¡°Since the outage, we found that all power supply facilities have been unable to function properly, be it hydroelectric power, wind power, or other methods¡­ Although the equipment clearly works, it can¡¯t generate electricity. The diesel generator was able to generate power, but again could only support a short period of time. Once the power-on time lasts for a few hours, the electricity mysteriously disappears.¡± At this point, he sighed, his tone even more gloomy. ¡°It feels as if we are being monitored by something. As soon as it detects us using electrical energy or communication equipment, it immediately nips it in the bud.¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°So you all moved underground?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly foolproof underground either, but fortunately Professor Song has tested out a safe range at present. As long as we use it in a limited way, we are temporarily safe¡­¡± Chu Huaijin stopped at the corner, raised his hand and made a ¡°please¡± gesture: ¡°This way, please.¡± The line of people followed him around the bend. On one side of the corridor, a huge screen was set up, displaying a city district map. It could be seen that the surrounding areas were circled by colored blocks. Bai Youwei counted and there were 24 circles. ¡°Didn¡¯t it say that there are a total of 23 detected game areas?¡± she asked, ¡°Why is there one more?¡± Chu Huaijin stopped and looked at the screen, ¡°That¡¯s a new game that appeared last week. Don¡¯t worry, the number of people needed to trigger this game is likely to be very many, and even if they moved here, given the current distribution of people in the city, it would not trigger the game.¡± Chapter 323: 323 Special Trigger Conditions Chapter 323: 323 Special Trigger ConditionsTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei found it quite remarkable, saying, ¡°Professor Song is really impressive, able to determine the number of players required to trigger the game.¡± Chu Huaijin looked a bit awkward and explained, ¡°Professor Song can determine the game¡¯s distribution location and range through anomalies in the magnetic field, but as for the number of players required to trigger it¡­we have to figure it out ourselves.¡± ¡°Figure it out ourselves?¡± Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°How do you test that?¡± Chu Huaijin, sitting under the lamp, appeared somewhat serious. He looked about the same age as Yan Qingwen, but his face was more rugged. He stood straight, his skin slightly dark. He didn¡¯t resemble a commander-in-chief but rather a general charging into battle. He said solemnly, ¡°Normally, I, or the deputy leader, would lead the team into the gaming area to test. We start with two people, then three, then four, then five¡­ adding one at a time until we enter the game. The number of people that allowed us to enter the game is the minimum number of players needed to trigger the game.¡± Bai Youwei was even more surprised, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid you won¡¯t be able to get out?¡± Chu Huaijin sighed with a bitter smile and shook his head, ¡°Initially, it was indeed difficult, and we lost many team members¡­ But now things have improved. Since the prop exchange system has been established, everyone brings props into the game, which has significantly increased the survival rate.¡± Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Fei, who had accompanied them, interjected, ¡°Although the rules may seem harsh, you have no idea the sacrifices we¡¯ve had to make each time we test a new game!¡± His tone was slightly bitter, ¡°The peace and tranquility in the city that we¡¯re enjoying now is all thanks to the collective efforts of the research group and testing team!¡± ¡°Xiaofei,¡± Chu Huaijin stopped Shen Fei, then spoke in a pacifying manner, ¡°There¡¯s no need to say more. I believe that over time, everyone will understand our intentions.¡± He turned to look at Shen Mo, as well as Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin behind him. ¡°The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. Right now, our abilities are limited, and there are many shortcomings in the base¡¯s construction. Eventually¡­ eventually, we will try to exempt the elderly and children from playing the games,¡± Chu Huaijin said, ¡°For now, each core member in the organization can obtain a maximum of three quotas, exempt from the assigned games, to conveniently take care of their family.¡± Shen Mo slightly nodded, ¡°You¡¯ve put in a lot of thought. Not everyone might have done as well as you.¡± Bai Youwei, still interested in the game aspect, asked, ¡°How many people have you tested the games nearby with at the most?¡± Chu Huaijin told her, ¡°The game in the vicinity that required the most number of players to be triggered was a marathon game with 32 people. However, for game No. 24, we tested with over a hundred people but were not able to trigger the game. Professor Song believes that either the number of people is still not sufficient, or the game has special triggering conditions.¡± While they were speaking, the group had already walked to the end of the corridor, on the right was a glass sensor door. The sensor was no longer in use, and the glass door was wide open. Two security personnel stood on both sides, one of whom Bai Youwei recognized. It was Yu Yaqing, the stern female team leader from yesterday. Bai Youwei, who had been asking about the games, suddenly saw Yu Yaqing and was taken aback. She wanted to ask something but forgot what it was. Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t give Bai Youwei any surplus attention. Her expression was normal when she saw them. She saluted Chu Huaijin, her movements brisk as she moved to the side. Chu Huaijin led them in while the guard stayed outside the glass door. The room inside was brightly lit, with a number of tables arranged around. The tables were laden with fine wine and delicious food, and there were seven or eight scattered guests sitting at them. ¡°Please, sit here,¡± Chu Huaijin courteously said, ¡°We can talk slowly once everyone is seated. The dinner was postponed due to an unexpected meeting yesterday consider this meal as our apology to you all.¡± Chapter 324: 324 Du Lai Chapter 324: 324 Du LaiTranslator: 549690339 Even though the surroundings were simple, after all, they were in an underground parking lot. But the tables were arranged neatly, tablecloths hanging down with pretty pleats, the dishes were inviting in color, and lights and flowers were sprinkled around. It gave off an illusion of banquet grandeur. Bai Youwei took a glance; the venue could accommodate at least fifty people when fully seated. She didn¡¯t see the so-called Professor Song, but there were still only a few guests present. Perhaps Professor Song would be the last one to arrive. After settling them down, Chu Huaijin briefly introduced the other guests. They were all core members within the organization, from the Evaluation Group, Research Group, Supply Group, Interior Affairs Group and so on. ¡°Professor Song always stays in his lab. Without anyone reminding him, he would forget to eat,¡± Chu Huaijin said to everyone with a smile. ¡°You start eating, I will invite Professor Song over.¡± After speaking, he stood up and left, asking Shen Fei to take care of everyone before he went. A few more guests arrived shortly after Chu Huaijin left. Apart from the internal members of the organization, there were also ¡°external individuals¡± like Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen. Presumably, they were all targets that the organization wanted to recruit, so they were also invited. Shen Fei sat next to Shen Mo, quietly introducing him to the guests: ¡°¡­That bald man who looks strong has been in the maze. He¡¯s very powerful, able to crush stones¡­ The thin one next to him is his good buddy. The two of them just joined the evaluation group for a short time.¡± ¡°The middle-aged man wearing glasses used to be a bank financial manager. He¡¯s especially good at math and logical reasoning.¡± ¡°The boy in the red T-shirt is young, only 17 years old. He¡¯s a gymnast, with a very strong balance and explosive power¡­¡± A young man wearing a hoodie and hip hop shorts walked in the entrance. His eyes swept around and landed precisely at the table where Shen Mo was seated. A smile crept up in the corners of his mouth. Shen Fei was taken aback: ¡°Brother, do you know him?¡± Shen Mo frowned, replying: ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Shen Fei lowered his voice: ¡°His name is Du Lai. They say he¡¯s a street magic performer. He¡¯s been in the mazes in Hangzhou and Shanghai. He¡¯s the only one who has ever come out alive from the Hide and Seek game.¡± After a pause, he added: ¡°Those who went into the game with him¡­ none of them survived¡­ oh no, why is he coming over here?!¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo squinted slightly, watching the boy in the hoodie approaching, his gaze shifted and landed on Bai Youwei next to him. Bai Youwei was eating. Most of the dishes here were cold, so she didn¡¯t eat much. However, she kept sipping the wine, not knowing where their Supply Group got it from, but they were all vintage good wines. Shen Mo said in a low voice: ¡°Drink less.¡± Bai Youwei was in the middle of enjoying her wine and ignored him. He reached out and held her wine glass. She tugged, but it was as if the wine glass was nailed to the table, immovable. Bai Youwei: ¡°Alright.¡± Bai Youwei gave in. ¡°I won¡¯t drink after finishing this half glass, okay?¡± Just then, Du Lai had walked up to them, greeting with a smile: ¡°Miss Bai Youwei, what a coincidence~ I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Shen Mo removed his hand from the wine glass and looked at him: ¡°Is there something you need?¡± Du Lai was a bit stunned. Meanwhile, Bai Youwei was drinking her wine. Du Lai glanced at Yan Qingwen sitting at the next table, quickly realizing his misunderstanding. The real companion of Bai Youwei was this person in front of him¡­ He chuckled, politely replying: ¡°I wanted to ask about the trading of items.¡± ¡°We are here for the banquet today, to eat, not to do business.¡± Shen Mo said indifferently. The smile on Du Lai¡¯s face faltered, ¡°¡­ I heard quite a few people came to visit today, so I wanted to ask before it¡¯s too late. Afraid that other people might get the Substitute Doll first.¡± ¡°Baits for big fishes are not easily given away.¡± Said Shen Mo as he withdrew his gaze, not looking at him anymore, ¡°You can go sit back down, Mr Du.¡± Chapter 325: 325: Few Women Chapter 325: 325: Few WomenTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei finished her glass of wine. While Shen Mo and Du Lai engaged in conversation, she exchanged her glass with Shen Mo¡¯s ¨C S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His glass was full. As Shen Mo dismissed Du Lai, she had just finished half of her drink. Seeing Shen Mo looking at her, she took a small sip and said, ¡°I¡¯m not finished drinking yet.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°I never knew you could drink so much before.¡± He responded helplessly, swapping her wine glass with a glass of water. Bai Youwei: ¡°I tend to drink more when it¡¯s good wine.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink so much even if it is good wine.¡± Bai Youwei pouted and replied, ¡°Everyone¡¯s drinking like this!¡± Shen Mo glanced around the surrounding tables and indeed, that was the case. Most people were drinking in succession, pouring cup after cup down their throats! Only Yan Qingwen¡¯s table was slightly more restrained. Yan Qingwen and he were both teetotalers, a habit formed over the years due to disciplinary requirements, to always keep a clear mind. As for Lun Ang and Tan Xiao, they drank wine as if it were water. Even Shen Fei chimed in, ¡°Bro, you should drink more. These wines are rare collectibles from a wealthy merchant¡¯s collection, all bought at auction, you can¡¯t find them for sale outside, it¡¯s quite rare.¡± Bai Youwei spoke with a playful tone, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this scene look like¡­ a martial arts novel, where a certain sect hosts a banquet to honor heroes, serving luxurious food and drinks, but secretly poisoning the wine, plot a scheme silently, and no one can escape it¡­¡± Tan Xiao shivered, not knowing whether to spit out the wine in his mouth or swallow it. After¡­hesitating for a while, he finally swallowed it. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Shen Fei frowned, ¡°Professor Song invited everyone here in good faith.¡± ¡°I was just joking~¡± Bai Youwei replied lightly, she didn¡¯t typically bother engaging much in conversation with unfamiliar people. Shen Fei still looked unhappy, but out of consideration for Shen Mo beside him, he held back his words. ¡°Indeed, everyone invited here today is of the younger generation.¡± Shen Mo served some food to Bai Youwei, and added, ¡°Apart from those at our table, there are no elderly or children at the other tables.¡± Shen Fei¡¯s expression grew worse, ¡°Bro, you too¡­¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡¯m not doubting Professor Song¡¯s intentions. I¡¯m just thinking that there must be a reason for gathering us.¡± Bai Youwei glanced around and murmured, ¡°There are also very few women¡­just Su Man, Zhu Shu and me¡­ Eh? Who¡¯s that woman with Li Li?¡± The table next to them had originally four guests: Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Zhu Shu, and Su Man. At some point, two more chairs were added, and Li Li brought a girl over. But now, he looked furious, apparently in a dispute with Su Man again. The two of them were like arch-enemy, always arguing whenever they met, and never had a peaceful meeting. Everyone, whether it was Yan Qingwen¡¯s group or Shen Mo¡¯s group, had become numb to their squabbles. Given that they were surrounded by guests, Su Man tried to keep her voice down in spite of her anger. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I will say it one last time! I didn¡¯t bump into her! Believe it or don¡¯t!¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t bump into her, then did Xiaoqian twist her ankle on her own?!¡± Li Li accused her angrily, ¡°You always do this! You always target Xiaoqian without evidence! I brought her here to introduce her to Brother Yan, why are you being so jealous! Would you be happy if you hit her?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Su Man angrily slapped the table! Everyone turned to look. The girl next to Li Li quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m sure Sister Su didn¡¯t mean it. Her hand is injured, she may have lost her balance while moving the chair and bumped into me¡­ It¡¯s my fault, if I moved away in time, I wouldn¡¯t have been¡­¡± Chapter 326 - 326 Spider Chapter 326: Spider Translator: 549690339 Li Li frowned, saying, ¡°I know she hurt her hand, but she could at least apologize for bumping into someone! She¡¯s always so stubbornly unpleasant! It¡¯s been like this since we were children, I can¡¯t stand it!¡± Su Man bit her lower lip, her eyes fixed on him tightly. Yet, Li Li didn¡¯t look at her but at the girl beside him, asking after her with a series of sympathetic questions: ¡°Is your foot okay? Can you walk later? If you can¡¯t walk, tell me. Don¡¯t try to be tough, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, it¡¯s a little painful.¡± The girl lowered her head weakly with a gentle sigh, ¡°I can only walk slower now¡­ oh, if only the place where I live was closer.¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯ll take you home later,¡± Li Li offered, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll help you reapply for a housing assignment. The place you live now is indeed too far, it¡¯s inconvenient for you to commute to HQ.¡± ¡°Oh, Li Li, you¡¯re so kind¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a small matter.¡± Su Man watched the back-and-forth between the two, her eyes slowly reddening as she bit her lip and didn¡¯t say a word. Suddenly, she rose to her feet and said curtly, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± Zhu Shu looked at her, hesitated for a bit, then also stood up. ¡°Heading to the restroom too?¡± Lun Ang munched on his food, his words unclear, ¡°You women always have the most drama. You even have to go to the restroom hand in hand¡­¡± Zhu Shu gave a bashful smile. She followed in the direction Su Man had left. In reality, Su Man hadn¡¯t gone to the restroom. She just felt on the brink of tears and wanted to find somewhere without people to gather herself. Unexpectedly, she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Zhu Shu after quickly wiping her tears. ¡°What are you here for?¡± Su Man asked, not in the best of moods. Zhu Shu didn¡¯t approach, standing around ten steps away. After a moment of silence, she said, ¡°I saw it. You didn¡¯t bump into her. I didn¡¯t say anything at the time because¡­ Li Li probably wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Su Man bit her lip, her eyes looking back towards the party, ¡°He would probably say, ¡®Zhu Shu, you don¡¯t need to speak on her behalf¡¯, ¡®She loves starting drama, it¡¯s not the first or second time it¡¯s happened¡¯¡­¡± Zhu Shu gave a smile, ¡°Su Man, you really know him well. You¡¯ve even got his tone down perfectly!¡± ¡°Of course, we grew up together!¡± Su Man laughed too, a hint of pride in her smile, ¡°I even know what color his crotchless pants were when he was little!¡± While speaking, her smile gradually faded and she murmured, ¡°We used to be so close, I don¡¯t know when it started, but now it¡¯s all just bickering¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhu Shu moved closer to her, tentatively grabbing her arm, ¡°Li Li only speaks so rudely to you because you¡¯re so familiar to him. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± After thinking for a moment, Su Man also felt that she had overreacted by running out. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± The two returned to their seats. On their way past the girl named Xiaoqian¡¯s seat, Zhu Shu lightly tugged at Su Man. Su Man paused, looking at her in confusion. She then saw Zhu Shu take a broken long hair from her shoulder and wink at her knowingly. Su Man was puzzled, only to see Zhu Shu¡¯s face suddenly change! Her expression became somber, instantaneously welling up with tears! With a slight flick of her finger, the broken hair landed on the girl¡¯s neck. At the same time, Zhu Shu let out a suppressed and trembling scream: ¡°Ah! A spider just fell!¡± ¡°AAAAH!!!¡± The girl screamed, standing up from the table abruptly, stomping on the ground and scratching at her back. ¡°Spider! Spider!¡±, she cried, ¡°Get it off me!!!¡± Li Li also hurriedly stood up, ¡°Where? Where¡¯s the spider?¡± ¡°Ah ¡­ I¡¯m sorry, it seems like I saw wrong ¡­¡± Zhu Shu said in a small voice, with tears in her eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t scare you, did I? But your foot seems fine? That¡¯s great¡­ I was worried earlier when you kept hopping around that your foot might have gotten worse.¡± Chapter 327 - 327 Professor Song Chapter 327: Professor Song Translator: 549690339 ¡°Xiaoqian, your ankle¡¯s okay?¡± Li Li was surprised, helping her up to check, ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± The girl stood awkwardly in place, ¡°Uh¡­ Mhm, I sprained it, but then, just now, I hopped around a bit and¡­ and it seemed to set itself right.¡± ¡°So, your ankle healed itself! I¡¯m so lucky!¡± Zhu Shu slapped her chest in relief, ¡°If it had gotten worse, Li Li would have had it out with me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal¡­¡± Li Li scratched the back of his head apologetically, ¡°As long as you¡¯re fine, let¡¯s all sit down and eat¡­ come on, sit down¡­¡± Su Man seemed momentarily dazed but then sat down, poured herself a glass of wine, and downed it in one go! Li Li jumped in surprise, blurting out: ¡°What are you doing! You can¡¯t drink like that, what if you get drunk!¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Su Man slammed her empty glass down and poured herself another one, ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Li Li was confused, muttering under his breath, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother fussing over you.¡± Yan Qingwen watched them with a cool expression before finally settling gaze on Zhu Shu, who was eating, and asked with a smile, ¡°I remember there was a film festival where you were up for best actress or something¡­did you go?¡± Zhu Shu looked a little surprised and shook her head, smiling, ¡°No, no, it was the Newcomer Award, and I didn¡¯t win it. I was just nominated.¡± ¡°Even being nominated is quite an achievement,¡± Li Li praised. As they were talking, there came a synchronized sound of footsteps from the entrance. Everyone eating and drinking paused, turning their heads to look. It was Chu Huaijin, bringing Professor Song with him. This national treasure-level scientist, for whom the higher-ups had deployed eight special teams, was now seated in a wheelchair, being slowly pushed in by Chu Huaijin. A wheelchair doesn¡¯t necessarily mean someone¡¯s lame, they could be too aged or weak. Bai Youwei felt that Professor Song was both. His hair was entirely white, his skin old, he looked to be in his seventies or eighties, sitting weakly in his wheelchair, exuding a sense of age-worn melancholy. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Bai Youwei quietly asked Shen Mo. Shen Mo explained in a low voice: ¡°Professor Song has a son who was a researcher in SCO. He turned into a puppet on the way to the evacuation¡­¡± He paused slightly, lowering his voice even further: ¡°Professor Song wasn¡¯t this old before, but in an attempt to save his son, he used a tool that would draw upon the user¡¯s vitality to heal others. Sadly¡­ despite using the tool, his son never made it out of the game.¡± Losing a child can lead to unimaginable changes in a person. Bai Youwei nodded in understanding. Professor Song and Chu Huaijin arrived at the center of the banquet. Chu Huaijin poured him half a glass of wine. Professor Song raised his glass, saying, ¡°This is for everyone, thank you all for coming.¡± His voice sounded significantly younger than he looked. Professor Song finished the wine in his glass. The guests silently watched him, waiting for what he had to say next. ¡°I asked you all here because I need your advice,¡± Professor Song said. The room quieted even more. Everyone knew that this banquet wasn¡¯t just for eating and drinking. ¡°Everyone here has experienced life and death situations in the game, your understanding of the game is much deeper than ordinary people¡¯s and your experiences far richer, among us are experts who have entered the maze.¡± Professor Song scanned the room, his tone grave and steady. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m sure some of you are aware, the organization has been at its wits¡¯ end about the 21st Hide and Seek game, up until now not a single person has completed it, the solution is virtually nonexistent. Yesterday, the entire team that entered the 21st game was wiped out, and the 24th game experienced a shift! If we don¡¯t take action, I fear it will be the city¡¯s downfall in seven days!¡± Chapter 328 - 328 Number 21 Chapter 328: Number 21 Translator: 549690339 The reason people in the city were willing to rotate into the game was because the review group would provide a guide. As long as there was a guide, although the game still carried risks, the chance of clearing the level was high, and upon completion, players would receive valuable items. That¡¯s why everyone was willing to cooperate with the rules set out by the organization. But who would be willing to enter those games with a high death rate and without a guide? If no one played the game, the game would move to populated areas, disrupting the hard-earned peace in the city! Then everyone would once again lose their homes! ¡°Who¡¯s scheduled for the 21st? Let those people play.¡± Someone suggested. The twenty-three games around the city all operated on a rotation system, and Game No.21, ¡®Hide and Seek,¡¯ was no exception. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone fell silent. The atmosphere was heavy. Professor Song surveyed the room, his face expressionless, and said, ¡°The people who entered Game No.21 last week have all turned into dolls. The same thing happened the week before that, and the week before that too¡­ If this continues, sooner or later it will be your turn, yours, or yours¡­ It will be all of our turns! Therefore, I believe, to tackle this game, we must gather the best talents we currently have in the base! Increasing the success rate is the only way to ensure the survival rate of all of us!¡± When he finished speaking, everyone fell silent, looking at one another. Everyone understood the logic, but who would be the first to bite the bullet? ¡­That¡¯s not right. Many people have already bitten the bullet before, but they all died. Someone raised their voice: ¡°We understood what the Professor said, but this ¡®Hide and Seek¡¯ is unusually sinister. You think highly of us and consider us to be the best talents in the base, so let me say something presumptuous: If all of us, these so-called talents, die in this game, do you think there would be any hope left for this base?¡±Y0u can read sh0rt, t0uching, and r0mantic st0ries ab0ut c0uples, as well as children¡¯s st0ries f0r free 0n sitest0rys(.)c0m Chu Huaijin stepped forward: ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s no need to deny this rashly. We invited you here today not to force you into the game, but to discuss a solution. After all, every day we delay, there¡¯s one day less. A week¡­ no, in six days, if no one clears ¡®Hide and Seek,¡¯ we will probably have to evacuate.¡± But no one knew what sort of game they¡¯d encounter after the evacuation. The twenty-odd games near the current base might not seem like many, but the stability they provided was bought at the cost of blood. Would they have to abandon this hard-won stability because of just one game? Chu Huaijin surveyed the expressions of everyone present and opened his mouth again: ¡°Of course, I hope that someone can volunteer to take on this responsibility. I know that in addition to completing assigned tasks, you usually form teams on your own to enter other games. Now, all the top players in the base are here. A strong alliance is more reliable than any guide. Besides, difficult games often come with high-value items¡­ What do you think?¡± The room fell silent again. After a while, Professor Song broke the silence: ¡°Whoever can survive ¡®Hide and Seek,¡¯ I¡¯m willing to offer, in my personal capacity, the eight puzzle pieces I own.¡± As soon as his words fell, the room became restless. ¡°Although the puzzle pieces have been used, I know someone is offering a safety-ensuring item that lasts 36 hours in exchange for 10 pieces,¡± Professor Song said solemnly. ¡°What do you think? Consider this, you only need to gather 2 more pieces to trade for this high-level item, and I believe that for you, finding those two pieces is not difficult.¡± Some glanced at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei responded generously: ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the person who wants to trade puzzle pieces. My Substitute Doll can absorb all damages for the user for 36 hours. Whoever gives me 10 puzzle pieces, I¡¯ll give them the doll. But~ no counterfeits, please¡± Chapter 329: Number 24 Chapter 329: Number 24 Translator: 549690339 The room was buzzing with chatter, the sound of discussions never ceased. Some people had seen Bai Youwei¡¯s notice, and knew about this, while others were clueless, whispering inquiries to those around them. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Professor Song¡¯s sources are really exceptional.¡± Bai Youwei murmured to Shen Mo, ¡°I just posted the notice yesterday, and he knew about it today.¡± Shen Fei, sitting next to Shen Mo, overheard her comment and immediately responded with pride, ¡°Every exchange in the exchange area, every piece of trading information, is sorted into documents by specialized personnel, and delivered to Professor Song¡¯s research room before 9 pm.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, puzzled, and grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s hand, frowning, ¡°Why does your cousin love to interrupt when no one is talking to him?¡± Shen Fei: Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°He just likes to be involved.¡± Bai Youwei snorted, ¡°Boys should avoid being too eager to help others, or they might end up appearing nosy.¡± Shen Fei: At that moment, there was another commotion at the other tables. The bald strong man Shen Fei had introduced earlier began to speak up: ¡°Du Lai! You are the only one who has come out of the Hide and Seek game. Come on, tell us what that game is really like!¡± ¡°Yeah, indeed.¡± The skinny youth sitting next to the bald man echoed, ¡°You at least have to let us know what¡¯s going on inside to allow us to make decisions.¡± They seemed to have developed an interest in the game; there was otherwise no reason for them to be so keen on the details. Du Lai lifted his eyelids, clearly disinterested, ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯ve mentioned it almost a hundred times, aren¡¯t you bored? Hide and Seek is just Hide and Seek, there is a huge ragdoll cat in the game that sleeps during the day and kills at night. The player¡¯s task is to find a hiding spot! If found by the cat, you will die!¡± ¡°How can we clear the game?¡± The skinny guy asked him, ¡°When the Inspector made the rules, he should have told you the conditions to clear the game, right?¡± Du Lai chuckled, ¡°The conditions to clear game are¡­ either kill the cat or kill Mary.¡± ¡°Mary? Who¡¯s Mary?¡± ¡°Mary is the cat¡¯s owner. Only when the cat dies, or the cat¡¯s owner dies, can the Hide and Seek game end.¡± As Du Lai spoke, he sighed deeply, ¡°Whether it¡¯s the cat or Mary, we couldn¡¯t handle either. We tried to take advantage of the cat¡¯s nap time to attack Mary, but we accidentally woke up the cat. Everyone died as a result, and I was also seriously injured. In the end, I had to use the puzzle to leave the game. So, I don¡¯t know how to clear the game.¡± After he finished his words, the noise around seemed to get louder. Everyone was discussing how to kill the cat or Mary in all different ways. Shen Fei, all eager, asked Shen Mo, ¡°Mary clearly seems easier to deal with, but since Mary and the cat are inseparable, brother, what do you think should be done?¡± ¡°There are many methods, but not all are applicable.¡± Shen Mo replied indifferently, ¡°Without witnessing the actual situation, it¡¯s not right to judge.¡± Someone suggested making a large trap during the daytime to trap the ragdoll cat. Someone else proposed a plan to separate the cat from Mary, then concentrate their attack on Mary. Yet another person pointed out that the cat must have a weakness, perhaps in its whiskers or tail. All sorts of crazy ideas were spoken. Footsteps approached. The originally door-guarding Yu Yaqing walked into the banquet step by step, stopped in front of Chu Huaijin and Professor Song, saluted, and said firmly: ¡°Game number 24 is moving towards us, should I arrange for an emergency evacuation?¡± Compared with the much feared number 21, game number 24 had virtually no presence. Since its existence, no one had triggered it. As a result, the city¡¯s people always unconsciously ignored it, remembering only the other 23 games. Chapter 330: Rumblings in the Dark Chapter 330: Rumblings in the Dark Translator: 549690339 If a doll game fails to attract players for a long time, it will start to hunt for prey on its own, shifting locations every seven days. But for game number 24 to have just shifted yesterday and then shift again today, such a situation has never occurred before. ¡°Number 24? What is number 24?¡± someone asked in confusion, ¡°Another new game has appeared near the base?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the new game that appeared last week, but no one has triggered it. No matter how many people go, the game remains unresponsive.¡± So we should be safe, right?¡± ¡°Well, since we can¡¯t trigger it anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter where it moves to¡­ ¡± Chu Huaijin slapped the table and shouted: ¡°Quiet please! Ever since the research team discovered the existence of game number 24, they¡¯ve been monitoring it closely. Although we were unable to determine how many people or what conditions are needed to trigger the game, we can¡¯t take it lightly. The banquet is temporarily cancelled now. Please, everyone, follow the members of the security team and evacuate!¡± ¡°Do we really need to evacuate?¡± ¡°Just in case, let¡¯s go, there¡¯s gonna be no more drinking¡­ ¡± ¡°Hey, let¡¯s stay and continue drinking, even if it does shift over, we can¡¯t trigger it, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t say it like that, the game always shifts every seven days, and now it suddenly starts to move, there must be some reason¡­ ¡± The surroundings were filled with murmuring voices. Yu Yaqing¡¯s subordinates came in to evacuate the guests. People were divided into several groups, with five or six people in each group, going in different directions towards the underground parking lot. The people gathered at the banquet were gradually scattered to different locations in the underground parking lot. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo followed behind Yu Yaqing. The path before them became darker and darker¡­ they were almost walking in the darkness, the artificial smell of cement paint filling their nostrils, the echo of their footsteps in the empty space reverberated. ¡°Why we aren¡¯t going up?¡± Tan Xiao grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s pitch dark here, not a single light, we can¡¯t see anything!¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°We need to distance the guests, once the previous group is far enough away, we can leave.¡± Yu Yaqing explained calmly, with indifference. Tan Xiao asked, ¡°How do you know the previous group has left? We can¡¯t see them at all, unless we turn into owls!¡± Yu Yaqing irked by his incessant complaints, coldly retorted, ¡°We use sound as a signal.¡± No sooner had her words fallen than a very sharp whistle came from the left front, two short and one long. It was the signal. ¡°Alright! Heard the signal! Let¡¯s get moving!¡± Tan Xiao, not wanting to stay another second, urged Yu Yaqing. ¡°No,¡± she firmly disagreed, ¡°this is the signal for group two. We are group three, we still need to wait a while.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Tan Xiao squatted down, extremely annoyed. Shen Fei was also with them and advised, ¡°Everything is to ensure our safety. We should follow Yu¡¯s instructions.¡± No one said a word. No one liked the darkness. Shen Fei didn¡¯t like it either, darkness always made one feel dangerous, tense, uneasy¡­ Pan Xiaoxin silently leaned against Tan Xiao. Teacher Cheng took Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hand and Bai Youwei, holding her rabbit, was muttering to herself in her wheelchair: ¡°The game is like a hunter. If there is no prey in this place, it changes to another place. If there is no prey in that place, it swaps again¡­ Now the sudden move towards us, could it be because there is its prey here?¡± Tan Xiao called out, ¡°Weiwei! It¡¯s already scary enough in this darkness, stop talking!¡± Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°What, are you afraid?¡± Tan Xiao grabbed his hair, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the game, but when it comes out from your mouth¡­ it¡¯s really creepy.¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help laughing, pleasantly said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m quite curious about a game that is constantly untriggered. It must be very special.¡± In the darkness, Yu Yaqing sneered, ¡°You can pray to be the one to trigger the game later.¡± Chapter 331: Waiting for Her Chapter 331: Waiting for Her Translator: 549690339 ¡°Maybe, you know~¡± Bai Youwei replied unbothered, laughing, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because none of you ever prayed, so you couldn¡¯t trigger the game. After all, any condition might trigger it.¡± Yu Yaqing just huffed and didn¡¯t say a word. She found Bai Youwei irrational and did not bother to engage in a verbal spat. It was Shen Fei on the side who took up the conversation, saying, ¡°There should be no problem. Most of the people invited to the feast today have entered game zone 24, but none of them have triggered the game! It doesn¡¯t make sense that there would be an incident now, just when they¡¯re having a meal!¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment and asked, ¡°It¡¯s clear that these people are all physically fit young people. Since they can¡¯t trigger the game, is there anything special about the rest of them?¡± Shen Fei was taken aback, ¡°¡­ You mean, the rest of the people might trigger the game?¡± At that moment, a whistle sound echoed from the distance again. Three short and one long this time. ¡°It¡¯s our turn.¡± Yu Yaqing stepped forward, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Everyone followed her. Remembering what Bai Youwei had just said, Shen Fei groped along in the darkness, asking as he went: ¡°The remaining people¡­ that¡¯s you guys¡­ oh! And Yan Qingwen, that bulky guy surnamed Lu, the girl in pink¡­ But what could you all have in common? Are you all newcomers here?¡­ No, that doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± Teacher Chang sighed heavily: ¡°Unless the game is actually triggered, no one could determine what the conditions are. Alas, it seems that sacrifices are inevitable¡­¡± ¡°Ay! You guys are talking nonsense!¡± Tan Xiao said nonchalantly, ¡°You¡¯re talking like we¡¯re about to enter the game! Do you think, as we walk, someone might suddenly disappear? That would be too creepy! Right, Brother Mo?¡± Shen Mo stopped. As soon as he stopped, Tan Xiao bumped right into his back, halting with a yelp. Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin behind him also bumped into each other. ¡°What happened?¡± Tan Xiao rubbed his nose, ¡°Why aren¡¯t we moving?¡± Shen Mo remained stunned¡­ His two hands, held in a bent position, were suspended in mid-air, yet his palms¡­ were empty. The handles of the wheelchair were gone. ¡°Bai Youwei?¡± He called out tentatively. His voice was quiet, but each echo in the desolate underground car park was clear and audible. Tan Xiao was shocked: ¡°Weiwei¡¯s gone?!¡± He took out a lighter from his pocket and illuminated the surroundings, but there was nothing. ¡°Damn! What kind of way did that bitch take us on!¡± Tan Xiao cursed, ¡°How did she just disappear?!!¡± Shen Fei, standing alone at the front, trembled, ¡°Stop cursing¡­ Team Leader Yu is also gone¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s face turned pale as she tightly grasped Teacher Chang¡¯s hand, ¡°Sister Weiwei has entered the game¡­¡± ¡°It is women.¡± Shen Mo suddenly said. Everyone turned to look at him. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the dim light from the lighter, his figure was deep and dark, every line of his face tense. ¡°Many women were at the feast today.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice dropped lower with each word, he said solemnly, ¡°Only women can trigger game 24.¡± They were stunned. Shen Fei paled, ¡°The wife of the supply team leader was also there today. She hardly ever shows up¡­¡± ¡°They need to be contacted immediately.¡± Shen Mo declared definitively, ¡°Tan Xiao, get in touch with Yan Qingwen, there must be trouble on their end as well! Food, water, medical supplies, and tents, have it all brought here! Teacher Chang, you, and Xiaoxin, go back first!¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Teacher Chang asked worriedly. Shen Mo pursed his lips, and replied: ¡°I will wait for her here.¡± Chapter 332: White Wedding Gown Chapter 332: White Wedding Gown Translator: 549690339 ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! The theme of this game is ¡®The Last Bride¡¯. The rules are as follows: First, reject the game and become a doll! Second, lose the game and become a doll! Third, win the game and get a doll as a reward! ¡­¡± Bai Youwei had become quite familiar with this voice. Every time a game started, it echoed in her ears while a familiar white light lit up in front of her¡ª Subconsciously, she closed her eyes. She knew very well that as soon as she opened them again, everything would change. In front of her was a small, enclosed space. The material was solid wood, the seats were made of leather. The ride was bumpy underneath her, as if she were in a horse-drawn carriage. There were seven women in the carriage, including her. She saw Yu Yaqing, Su Man, Zhu Shu, and that girl whose name included ¡®Xian¡¯, plus an unfamiliar middle-aged woman and a slightly younger woman. They were all women. And all of them were wearing white wedding dresses. This was the first time Bai Youwei had ever worn a wedding dress, and she hadn¡¯t expected it to be under these circumstances. First, she reached for the rabbit in her arms, then the golden key around her neck, and finally the canvas bag hanging beside her wheelchair? they were all there. Bai Youwei felt a bit more at ease. ¡°We¡­ have likely triggered the game.¡± The first to speak out was Zhu Shu. She glanced at the expression on everyone¡¯s face, hesitating as she said: ¡°Since we are here, perhaps we should introduce ourselves first? To better understand each other¡­ ¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yu Yaqing looked displeased, but she willingly cooperated with Zhu Shu¡¯s suggestion. ¡°My name is Yu Yaqing, head of the security team. It appears only women can trigger this game. I hope we can cooperate fully. If you feel like crying or yelling, keep your mouth shut. Don¡¯t cause trouble for the rest.¡± The words were not very pleasant, but with everyone feeling very uneasy, no one took her attitude to heart. ¡°My name is Su Man, I joined the evaluation team just a few days ago.¡± Su Man introduced herself briefly. She wanted to mention her proficiency in fighting, but her hand was still in a splint, so she didn¡¯t say anything more. Zhu Shu asked the girl next to her, ¡°What¡¯s your name? I heard Li Li calling you ¡®Xiaoqian¡¯.¡± ¡°Cheng Xi. I am in the same research group as Li Li.¡± The girl answered in a quiet voice, nervously glancing around, ¡°What¡­ what kind of game is this?¡± ¡°We are not sure yet. We¡¯ll probably find out when the carriage stops.¡± Zhu Shu looked at another woman, ¡°May I ask, what¡¯s your name? You look like you¡¯re from the security team¡­ ¡± ¡°Hu Ya.¡± She responded concisely, her gaze shifting to Yu Yaqing, ¡°I report to the team leader. I was arranging the evacuation of the supply unit leader and his wife when I was suddenly drawn into the game.¡± ¡°Can you handle this? Have you played the game before?¡± The middle-aged woman asked anxiously. ¡°What did that voice just say¡­ something about ¡®The Last Bride¡¯? What does that mean?¡± ¡°You should introduce yourself first.¡± Zhu Shu kindly reminded her, ¡°Right now, getting flustered won¡¯t help.¡± The middle-aged woman was unsettled and spoke in a stammering manner: ¡°I¡­I am Zhao Lanfen. You¡­you can also call me Auntie Li, because my husband¡¯s last name is Li.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own name? Why do you need to take a man¡¯s surname!¡± Yu Yaqing made a disgusted comment. Zhao Lanfen, however, only cared about leaving this place. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Yu Yaqing and urged Bai Youwei, ¡°What about you? What¡¯s your name? Quickly introduce yourself¡± Bai Youwei smiled, looking at them: ¡°My name is Bai Youwei. I am a cripple.¡± Chapter 333: A Manor Chapter 333: A Manor Translator: 549690339 The carriage swayed as it moved along, neither climbing any incline nor descending any slope. The road underneath was a primitive dirt one, full of bumps and jolts. They were trapped within the carriage, unable to see the world outside or hear any sound from out there. Yu Yaqing tried knocking on the inner walls of the carriage; each wooden plank was heavy and durable, proving challenging to break from within. Unable to escape, they could only calmly wait. Fortunately, the wait was not too long ¨C About a quarter of an hour later, the carriage came to a stop. The heavy carriage doors swung open on either side. The weather outside was excellent, with bright sunlight and lush greenery. Through the square-shaped carriage doors, they could see a long trail. The trail had two faint wheel tracks that extended deep into the forest. The seven women, each dressed in a wedding gown, disembarked one after the other. Their white gowns touched the ground and instantly gathered a layer of dirt, making them appear a bit more disheveled. When the last one of them stepped off the carriage, the doors squeaked shut. The carriage continued its journey along the winding trail, disappearing from their sight. And now, what lay in front of their eyes was an incredibly grand and luxurious manor! Bright and colourful flower beds combined with golden cobblestones, rows of stunning rose arches stood tall. The red petals swayed gently with the dark green leaves, as if silently welcoming their arrival. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± Cheng Xi couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. Yu Yaqing glanced at her with scorn, ¡°Beautiful? If we were to die here, would you still think it¡¯s beautiful?¡± Hu Ya, who was Yu Yaqing¡¯s subordinate, echoed her sentiment: ¡°You¡¯re still in the mood to enjoy the scenery after entering the game; I have no idea what you¡¯re thinking about! I bet she won¡¯t even know how she dies when she does!¡± Cheng Xi¡¯s face blushed at their ridicule; she was both embarrassed and aggrieved. Biting her lip, she defended herself, ¡°I was just saying¡­ is there a need for this? We should be supporting each other since we¡¯re all in this game together¡­¡± Tears welled up in her eyes while she sought an ally. She grabbed Zhao Lanfen¡¯s arm, ¡°Aunt Li, look at their attitude¡­¡± ¡°Enough, you!¡± retorted Hu Ya, annoyed, ¡°How amusing, you relied on men outside and now that there are no men inside the game, you want to rely on us? Do you understand the concept of self-reliance? We have to depend on ourselves! Got it? We can only ever depend on ourselves!¡± The words startled Zhao Lanfen, who reacted hastily, ¡°Hold on! Isn¡¯t something wrong? Aren¡¯t you guys from the security team?! Shouldn¡¯t you be ensuring our safety? ¡­Talking about depending on ourselves, you¡¯re just trying to wash your hands off any responsibility! That won¡¯t do! My husband is the leader of the resources team! You must ensure my safe exit!¡± Bai Youwei thought that Yu Yaqing, being averse to women, would retort Zhao Lanfen¡¯s words. However, Yu Yaqing only frowned and replied: ¡°Rest assured, as far as my capabilities allow, I¡¯ll do my best to ensure everyone¡¯s safety.¡± Although Hu Ya, the follower, was still fuming, she didn¡¯t object and instead agreed with Yu Yaqing¡¯s perspective. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but smirk. It seemed that power did indeed overrule everything, and even Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t escape from it¡­ She laughed silently as she moved ahead in her wheelchair, not paying any heed to their arguments. Zhu Shu came forward and asked, ¡°Do you need me to push it for you?¡± ¡°No need,¡± she replied, indifferent. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She didn¡¯t enjoy being pushed around as it left her with no control over her own direction, except when it was Shen Mo. Perhaps it¡¯s because she got lazy when Shen Mo was around. Su Man patted Zhu Shu¡¯s shoulder with a stern expression, ¡°Follow behind me.¡± Zhu Shu nodded to her. The group followed the rose arches and in the distance, they saw a tall man with unusually out-of-proportion stature¡­ Chapter 334: Women’s Special Chapter 334: Women¡¯s Special Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei squinted her eyes slightly. As she approached, the man¡¯s figure and features became increasingly clear. Like a male character from a shoujo manga stepping into reality, tall and thin, with opulent golden hair, fair skin, curly lashes, and always affectionate blue pupils. He was the Inspector from the friend¡¯s gathering. ¡°Welcome to the ladies¡¯ exclusive game,¡± the Inspector greeted with a smile, bending slightly in a gentleman¡¯s bow. ¡°I am the Inspector in this game and look forward to sharing a pleasant time with you.¡± Nobody replied. Only Bai Youwei responded noncommittally with a ¡°huh¡±. The Inspector¡¯s gaze fell upon her face, his smile unchanged, ¡°We meet again, miss. I am looking forward to your performance in the game.¡± Bai Youwei replied expressionlessly, ¡°Sure, women¡¯s friend.¡± The Inspector: A hint of stiffness shadowed the smile at the corner of his mouth, only for it to seemingly vanish the next moment as if the previous stiffness was just an illusion. ¡°Well¡­ please, follow me,¡± the Inspector turned and walked, maintaining grace and elegance, leading the women into the manor as magnificent as a castle. ¡°This game is for women only, as the name suggests, exclusively playable by women.¡± The Inspector continued to explain as he walked. ¡°Presumably, you have noticed, our game theme is ¡®The Last Bride¡¯, and as you can see, you have all dressed in wedding gowns. From this moment, you are the seven brides who are marrying the Duke.¡± ¡°A Duke?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned. ¡°Yes, the noblest, richest, and most passionate Duke. When the sun sets, he will return. Prior to that, I, in the role of the butler, will stay here to provide you with necessary assistance for the game,¡± the Inspector bowed, ¡°Now, please, follow me.¡± Yu Yaqing cast a suspicious glance at him, paused for a moment, then continued to move forward. The others followed suit. They walked through the dining room, the front courtyard, and the patio surrounded by roses¡­ As they delved deeper into the manor, they began to feel the extreme opulence, everything within sight sparkled with gold. Even the handrails of chairs were made of gold, and every wall lamp was studded with jewels, dazzling to the extreme. ¡°The Duke possesses inexhaustible wealth but also harbors a cruel temperament. Anyone who angers him will pay with their life,¡± the Inspector paused at the entrance of a long corridor, turned to them, and said gently, ¡°Even though you are a group of lovely brides, I must remind you not to anger the Duke.¡± ¡°Is this a hint for clearing the game?¡± Bai Youwei asked, keeping her eyes locked on his, ¡°Don¡¯t anger the Duke?¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Shu was also stirred, ¡°So¡­ if we infuriate him, we have to pay with our lives? Does this mean players who anger him may die, and whoever survives until the end can clear the game? So, is that why the game is called The Last Bride?¡± Looking down at them condescendingly, the Inspector replied with an ambiguous smile: ¡°You can interpret it that way, or not.¡± Indignant, Su Man complained, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? Aren¡¯t you going to clarify the rules of the game? Your vague explanations aren¡¯t helping. Who can understand?!¡± ¡°Beautiful bride, please don¡¯t be angry,¡± the Inspector smiled, ¡°Every game has its rules. But in this game, the winning condition was already stated right from the start ¨C become the last bride.¡± Everyone¡¯s faces changed color. What did it mean to become the last bride?! Did it infer being the last one standing? Cheng Xi asked anxiously, ¡°Does this mean¡­only one of us can survive?¡± Chapter 335: 335: Bluebeard Chapter 335: 335: BluebeardTranslator: 549690339 All seven women turned to look at the Inspector. If the answer was ¡°yes,¡± then they would have to start tearing each other apart from this moment on! If the answer was ¡°no,¡± then they need to reconsider the implication of ¡°the last bride.¡± However, would the Inspector really disclose the answer so easily? It calmly observed the varying expressions of the women, and after a long pause, grinned slightly and said, ¡°You brides must be exhausted from your travels. Please return to your rooms and rest. Later, I will prepare a hearty luncheon for you.¡± Disappointment swept over the women¡¯s faces one by one. Except for Bai Youwei. As if she had already anticipated that the Inspector would not tell the truth, she calmly rolled her wheelchair past him and headed straight toward her room. Seeing this, the others hesitated for a moment before reluctantly making their way to their rooms. The Inspector watched as the women receded into the distance. His sense of satisfaction suddenly felt unfulfilled as if someone had scrawled across an immaculate wall, or stepped on a pair of pristine white shoes¡­ Or, as though he was just beginning to grasp the subtlety and richness of human emotions when he suddenly encountered a hard cold wall. Bai Youwei¡­ He had encountered players of all sorts, some as intelligent as her, some as calm, but none¡­ none like her, as if she were a born gamer. Out of all of them, she was the one who adapted best to the game. If such a player were to die in the game, he would certainly feel regret. However¡­ what kind of amazing data would she show at the moment of her death? The mere thought of it was tingling with excitement. He was¡­quite looking forward to it. ¡°There is another hint to the game¡¯s winning condition¡­ ¡± The Inspector lingered at one end of the hallway and spoke again. The women ahead came to a halt. All they heard was the Inspector saying softly, ¡°You can roam freely in the mansion and use any items you come across. However, please avoid the locked rooms, otherwise the Duke will be very, very¡­ irate.¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After saying this, the Inspector smiled at the women, turned around, and slowly walked away from the hallway. The women stood rooted to their spots, gazing at each other in bewilderment and terror. Cheng Xi was trembling with fear, even though she knew both Yu Yaqing and Hu Ya didn¡¯t like her, she couldn¡¯t resist moving closer to them and whispering, ¡°Is this the second hint? ¡­What does he mean by that?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°It sounds like he¡¯s talking in reverse, deliberately making us look for the locked rooms?¡± ¡°¡­Could it be Bluebeard?¡± Zhu Shu spoke up. ¡°Bluebeard?¡± Cheng Xi froze a moment before hurriedly explaining, ¡°I know that fairy tale. There was once an aristocrat with a blue beard that scared everyone away. No one dared to marry their daughter to him. Eventually, he got married. After the wedding, he told his wife she could unlock any room in the house, except one! This¡­this is very similar to the Inspector¡¯s hint!¡± ¡°Since you know of Bluebeard, you should also know the original version of the story, right?¡± Bai Youwei gave her a glance, ¡°In fact, Bluebeard was a habitual killer. Every wife he married would be subjected to brutal violence, and their bodies¡­ would be in that locked room.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Cheng Xi whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Are we going to be killed? ¡­I don¡¯t want to be the bride¡­.¡± Zhao Lanfen also sobbed uncontrollably, ¡°Why did they have to hold this feast! Why did they invite us for a meal! If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to the banquet with Old Li!¡± Although Hu Ya didn¡¯t seem as frightened as the others, she was just as anxious inside, turning to Yu Yaqing to ask, ¡°Sister Yu, what should we do?¡± Gritting her teeth, Yu Yaqing proposed after some thought, ¡°The Duke won¡¯t be back until the sunset. Let¡¯s wander around and see if we can find any clues.¡± Chapter 336: 336: Two Hints Chapter 336: 336: Two HintsTranslator: 549690339 The manor was large, and gathering clues is not something that could be accomplished in a short time, so they first went to their respective rooms. There were seven rooms lined up along the long corridor, each with a plaque on the door bearing their names. After Bai Youwei entered her room, she first checked the walls, floor, and ceiling for any compartments. Then she examined the furniture such as tables, chairs, wardrobes, beds, and so on. Lastly, she inspected smaller items like candlesticks, mirrors, and jewelry boxes. Finding nothing unusual, she locked the door and carefully took out a golden key from her collar As long as you hold the key and turn it clockwise half a circle, you can open the dollhouse in any space. Although she did not plan to hide immediately, she was curious whether the dollhouse could be normally used in the game? Bai Youwei looked around, her gaze landing on the door of a standing wardrobe carved with a rose pattern. She wheeled over, placed one end of the golden key against the wardrobe door, turned it clockwise, slowly twisted it half a circle¡­ Click. The lock was opened. Bai Youwei felt a sudden relief. The dollhouse could also be used in the game! This was undoubtedly good news! Opening the wardrobe door also opened the door to the dollhouse. Seeing the hallway and living room, she wanted to go in, but found she couldn¡¯t. Bai Youwei reached out again to touch it. It was as if there was a barrier blocking her from outside. A cold system alert rang in her mind: ¡°Players are in the game, and they cannot leave the instance.¡± Bai Youwei: She frowned and withdrew her hand in displeasure. It seemed that while the dollhouse could be opened, she could not enter it. Bai Youwei pouted, her mood not so good. At this time, there were light knocks on the door from outside. She knitted her brows, slowly wheeling herself around and towards the door. She opened it. Zhu Shu and Su Man were standing outside. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Bai Youwei frowned. ¡°We wanted to ask¡­¡± Zhu Shu pursed her lips, choosing her words carefully, ¡°ask about the game. What are your thoughts on it?¡± Bai Youwei looked at her, then at Su Man, sighed a little annoyedly, and stepped aside, saying, ¡°Come in first.¡± Zhu Shu and Su Man immediately entered and closed the door. ¡°We mainly want to confirm whether only one of us can survive in this game?¡± Zhu Shu asked, observing Bai Youwei¡¯s face for any signs or hints. ¡°¡­If only one can survive, Su Man and I are willing to give up.¡± ¡°Give up?¡± Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°What do you mean? Are you going to kill yourselves?¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The two of them looked at each other, their eyes firm. ¡°No.¡± Su Man said, ¡°We know you have the greatest chance of winning. So, rather than killing each other until we¡¯re unrecognizable, it¡¯s better to cooperate. Zhu Shu and I can help you become the ¡®last bride¡¯.¡± Bai Youwei was a bit taken aback. Or rather, she was surprised. She had not expected Su Man and Zhu Shu to stand together, nor did she expect¡­ that these two suddenly had a sacrificing spirit? Women, they are truly a mystery. Bai Youwei gave a faint smile, lowered her eyelids, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Zhu Shu and Su Man were slightly stunned. ¡°The inspector¡¯s hints were already very clear.¡± Bai Youwei said languidly, ¡°The first hint was to become the last bride; the second hint was Bluebeard ¡ª Bluebeard murdered one wife after another, married one bride after another, who would be the last bride? Ah, unless he dies, there will never be a last.¡± Zhu Shu¡¯s eyes widened a bit, ¡°You mean¡­ as long as we kill Bluebeard, we can all become the last bride? We don¡¯t need to kill each other until only one remains?¡± ¡°Yes, at least that¡¯s what I think.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Just like the fairytale, Bluebeard was killed, and the woman inherits all of his possessions, and lived a new life thereafter.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s too easy then!¡± A smile appeared on Su Man¡¯s face, ¡°There are seven of us, can¡¯t we kill one man?!¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei sighed quietly, ¡°¡­The games of that inspector, they¡¯re never easy.¡± Chapter 337: 337: Searching the Second Floor Chapter 337: 337: Searching the Second FloorTranslator: 549690339 Su Man asked, ¡°Why do you say that? Are you familiar with this Inspector?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m familiar per se, but I¡¯ve certainly encountered him before.¡± Bai Youwei responded nonchalantly, ¡°I once participated in a game where the Inspector was also present. He¡­ he seems to enjoy flamboyant things. Things like roses, afternoon tea parties, balls, pretty dresses, and all sorts of other bling-ey stuff¡­¡± Pausing briefly, she arched her brows and continued, ¡°But, all that glamour is merely on the surface, cruelty is the reality. What he seemingly enjoys most is watching the players butcher each other.¡± Su Man sneered, ¡°He¡¯s seriously underestimating us if he thinks he can get us fighting each other with the ¡®Last Bride¡¯ hint alone. Should we warn the people with Yu Yaqing to ensure they don¡¯t fall into his trap?¡± ¡°No rush, there should be something else¡­¡± Bai Youwei mused, ¡°They selected only women to partake, there has to be a reason.¡± She pondered momentarily and finding no immediate answers, looked up to find the other two women¡¯s eyes fixed on her. She felt slightly helpless. ¡°What are you looking at me for?¡± Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s get going. Let¡¯s explore while the Duke is absent.¡± The three women exited together. They came across Yu Yaqing and her group of four in the central room. ¡°Should we explore the rooms?¡± Su Man proposed, ¡°This place is vast. We might cover more ground if we split up.¡± Yu Yaqing glanced over at her. They had a fight just yesterday, but now that they were in the game together, it would be better to put past disputes aside for the time being. Yu Yaqing nodded and replied succinctly: ¡°You take the left side, we¡¯ll take the right.¡± Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Bai Youwei headed to the left. Yu Yaqing, Hu Ya, and Zhao Lanfen went to the right. Cheng Xi hesitated in the middle for a moment, eventually following Yu Yaqing¡¯s lead. Truth be told, she wasn¡¯t really welcomed in Yu Yaqing¡¯s group. Hu Ya was always making sarcastic remarks about her, and even though Zhao Lanfen would seemingly defend her, she really only cared about her own safety. But looking at the other three women on the left¡­ A limping woman, a woman with a wounded hand, and a celebrity who could only sing and dance. No matter how you looked at it, the group with the security team leader Yu Yaqing was a safer bet. The grand room had two spiral staircases on either side, and featured an exquisitely patterned crimson carpet. The baroque-style banisters were made of solid gold. Climbing the staircase, one could see the crystal chandelier shimmering in the center of the room, with its layers of cake-like crystals hanging upside down, elegantly radiant and breathtakingly beautiful. Were it not for the threat of the game, perhaps they would¡¯ve paused to admire the sight. However, as the threat of the game visibly hung over them, no matter how beautiful the scenery was, all they saw was the eerie presence of impending death. The rooms Bai Youwei¡¯s group searched were all unlocked. A turn of the knob and a gentle push and the doors would swing open. Whether it was rooms filled with jewels, hung with extravagant clothes, or displaying an array of precious dinnerware, tables, chairs, mirrors, tapestries¡­ it was all an awe-inspiring sight. They opened a total of 63 rooms, moving from initial amazement to a state of numbness, and fell into somewhat of an aesthetic fatigue when it came to precious gems and metals. Su Man opened the 64th room. This time, the room housed an array of exquisite armours. Not just human armor, but also horse armor, adorning wooden frames. With the knight¡¯s armor mounted on top of the horse¡¯s, it gave off an air of opulence and grandeur, as if a knight and his horse were standing there. Zhu Shu took hold of a whip hanging on the waist of one of the armors, and offered it to Su Man: ¡°Find this useful?¡± Su Man took it, tested it with her left hand, and found it a bit unwieldy. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it for now.¡± She slung the whip around her waist, pulled a sword from the armor¡¯s scabbard, and swung it a bit to test its balance. The sound of voices carried from outside. From the tone, it seemed to be Yu Yaqing and her group. The three women emerged from the room to find it was indeed Yu Yaqing and her group. The corridor on both sides formed a circular arc. If they kept walking from where they were, they would eventually end up on the other side. Seeing Bai Youwei and the others exit the room, Yu Yaqing asked, ¡°Find anything?¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 338: 338: Dining on the First Floor Chapter 338: 338: Dining on the First FloorTranslator: 549690339 ¡°A heap of gold and silver jewels,¡± replied Su Man. Yu Yaqing added, ¡°Us too, all gold, silver, and jewels, with clothes, shoes, handbags, and some medieval collectibles. We searched 64 rooms and found none locked.¡± ¡°We also searched 64 rooms. So, this means there are 128 rooms on the second floor.¡± Su Man looked up at the ceiling, ¡°Should we go upstairs and have a look?¡± Yu Yaqing nodded in agreement. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone decided to go back to the spiral staircase, ready to ascend to the next level, when suddenly, from downstairs, a bell rang¡ª Ding-dong, ding-dong¡­ Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Yu Yaqing said in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go down and check.¡± One by one, they all headed downstairs. Bai Youwei was the last one. She took the folding cane off her wheelchair and struggled to stand up, leaning on the cane at the edge of the stairs. Staring down at the flight of stairs, she started to get a little dizzy after a while. She bit her lip, trying to take another step forward¡­ ¡°Let me carry you down.¡± Su Man turned back and said with a frown, ¡°You¡¯re too slow like this.¡± Zhu Shu wanted to say something but stopped, considering Bai Youwei¡¯s pride. She quietly explained, ¡°The staircase here is quite steep; it¡¯s more strenuous going down than going up.¡± Su Man took two steps down the side of Bai Youwei, crouched and turned her back towards her, ¡°Hop on.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her back and then at her injured right hand, hesitated for a moment, finally, put down her cane and leaned on Su Man¡¯s back. ¡°Can you handle it? Don¡¯t cause us both to trip, I don¡¯t want to be your cushion.¡± Bai Youwei pouted. ¡°You always talk so much! Hurry up and get on! My good intentions are wasted on you!¡± Even though Su Man grumbled, she propelled herself and Bai Youwei briskly forward with impressive strength. Zhu Shu chuckled, picked up the wheelchair, and followed them downstairs quickly. The bell sound came from the dining room. A long table draped with a clean tablecloth was placed in the middle of the room, laden with a sumptuous meal. Of course, the word ¡®sumptuous¡¯ here couldn¡¯t really be compared to the banquet the group ate back at base. But even by pre-apocalyptic standards, this spread would be considered unimaginably extravagant, beyond the wildest imagination of common folk. Prime steaks, beautifully roasted suckling pig, aromatic turkey, various vegetables and fruits, and an array of finely decorated cakes and desserts. The feast was a feast for the eyes. The Inspector stood politely beside the table and invited them with a smile, ¡°Lovely brides, it¡¯s time for lunch. Please, help yourselves.¡± Truth be told, none of them were particularly hungry as they had eaten quite a lot before they entered the game. But in the game, time advanced to morning, and after some searching around, it was now noon. One by one, everyone took their seats. The table was so long that all seven of them were spread out considerably, sitting quite a distance apart from each other. Bai Youwei took a sip of her wine. It tasted rather bland, so she set the glass down again. She mused: Although the system is capable of perfectly replicating the taste of grape wine, it still can¡¯t replicate the flavor which comes with time. The wine here tasted a bit off. But it would be really fussy to complain about this given the scarcity of supplies. With that thought, she looked again at the food on her plate. As she seemed to be observing the food for quite a while, the Inspector ventured to ask in a friendly manner: ¡°Is there something wrong with our white truffle and gold-thin pancake? You don¡¯t seem to have much of an appetite. Although I can comprehend the melancholy that brides might feel when they are far away from home, I would still recommend you try eating more. The duke will choose the menu for dinner.¡± The duke¡­ What would he prefer? If it all were something they couldn¡¯t eat, would that imply they¡¯d have to go hungry for the whole day if they didn¡¯t finish lunch? The women exchanged glances and got started on their food, motivated by some worrying assumptions. Bai Youwei kept silent for a while then started having her lunch. Chapter 339: 339: Tools and Props Chapter 339: 339: Tools and PropsTranslator: 549690339 There was far too much food; it was impossible to finish it all. After hurriedly eating until she was about 80-90% full, Yu Yaqing asked the Inspector, ¡°How many floors are there in total here?¡± Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°If you include the basement, four,¡± replied the Inspector. ¡°And which room is locked?¡± Yu Yaqing asked again. The Inspector laughed at the question, not quite answering her. ¡°Dear bride, please do not open the locked room, otherwise the Duke will be very angry. Trust me, you won¡¯t want to see that.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t necessarily need to open it, but I do need to know where it is!¡± ¡°The locked room is naturally somewhere in this mansion,¡± said the Inspector. It seemed he had no intention of enlightening them any further. Yu Yaqing put down her utensils and stood up, turning to Hu Ya, ¡°Are you full? We don¡¯t have much time. If each floor has 128 rooms, we will need to start exploring every room before sunset, and we must hurry up!¡± Everyone had already eaten a bit and was not too hungry, so they all stood up, ready to leave. Only Bai Youwei didn¡¯t move. ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming?¡± asked Zhu Shu. ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t had enough to eat yet. You all go on,¡± Bai Youwei casually cut into her pancake, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not convenient for me to climb stairs. I¡¯ll investigate the rooms on this floor once I have finished eating.¡± Everyone found that reasonable and began to leave the dining room. Zhu Shu glanced at Bai Youwei and followed Su Man out. The grand dining hall was left with only Bai Youwei and the Inspector at opposite ends of the table. Bai Youwei ate her food and mumbled to herself: ¡°The roasted pig is too big, I can¡¯t fit it in. But I could take some of the steaks, roast chicken, meatballs¡­ Never mind, I should put it in the freezer. The fridge is for fruits and vegetables¡­ Can¡¯t reach it? Then you¡¯d better bring a chair and stand on it.¡± The Inspector politely smiled, ¡°May I ask, do you need me to assist you with anything?¡± Bai Youwei was startled and glanced at him, ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you.¡± The Inspector: After swallowing her food, Bai Youwei spoke again, ¡°Could you leave? I don¡¯t like to be watched while I¡¯m eating.¡± The corners of the Inspector¡¯s mouth curled into a slightly cold smile, ¡°Of course. Then, please enjoy your meal.¡± He gave a slight bow before leaving. As he passed by Bai Youwei, he noticed that most of her plates were empty and couldn¡¯t help but mock, ¡°If the Duke could see how much his bride eats, he would be quite¡­¡± His sentence hung halfway, unable to be finished. Because he saw a fluffy toy rabbit crawl out from under the tablecloth! It jumped onto the table following Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder, then dragged away an entire plate of pan-seared salmon! The Inspector¡¯s beautiful blue eyes were wide in surprise! The rabbit hopped off the table, quickly disappearing under the tablecloth. After a while, it emerged again. This time, it had taken away a dish of chocolate mousse! ¡°How could you!¡­¡± Shocked, the Inspector strode over and pulled up the tablecloth covering the table in front of Bai Youwei! ¡°Hey!¡± Bai Youwei exclaimed, irritated, ¡°You stained my dress!¡± The Inspector stood still in front of the table. Underneath, the fluffy rabbit held a key in its paw, turning it halfway and opening the door of a dollhouse! The rabbit held the chocolate mousse over its head and rushed into the house! ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the system judge you as breaking the rules?!¡± The Inspector turned around to question Bai Youwei, his tone was furious and urgent. He tore off his gentlemanly facade, leaving behind only anger and ferocity! ¡°Why would I be breaking the rules?¡± Bia Youwei, shaking the oil stains off her dress and frowning, asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t your game allow for the use of props?¡± The Inspector: ¡°Of course, you can use props, but your props!¡­¡± ¡°If that is the case, then there are no problems,¡± she replied with a light smile, ¡°I¡¯ve merely used some props.¡± ¡°But! There shouldn¡¯t be these types of props!¡± he angrily pointed at the entrance of the dollhouse and then at the rabbit that just came out of the dollhouse, ¡°These props, and this prop, the system shouldn¡¯t allow these types of equilibrium-disturbing props to exist!¡± Chapter 340: 340: Need to Patch the Loopholes Chapter 340: 340: Need to Patch the LoopholesTranslator: 549690339 Bai Youwei bent down to lift the rabbit, placing it on her lap and stroking it. Her hand came away oily. She scrunched up her face in disgust, tearing off a napkin from the table to wipe her hands. ¡°Who knows what the system was thinking¡­ Anyway, these items were all given to me as game rewards.¡± She wiped down her hand as she spoke slowly, ¡°Since they were given to me, I¡¯m surely allowed to use them? It wouldn¡¯t make sense otherwise. As for it affecting balance¡­¡± She lifted her head to smile at it, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Inspector¡¯s job to worry about?¡± Inspector: Bai Youwei ignored it, put down the napkin, wheeled herself around in her chair, and gradually exited the dining room. The Inspector watched her retreating figure, emotions cresting and falling. Other people use items, but she¡­ She uses items to use items! Is it the same?!! ¡­However, there was one thing she got right¡ªmaintaining game balance is the responsibility of every Inspector! It took a deep breath, even though it didn¡¯t need to breathe, but with the increase in its data richness, its emotional responses were becoming more and more human-like. It lightly tapped the air with its fingers a few times. A ball fell from the sky ¡°Why did you call me here?¡± The ball surveyed its surroundings, ¡°Is this the game instance you are managing? Wow~ You have really put in a lot of effort, it looks very fancy~¡± Not in the mood for idle chatter, it asked the ball directly: ¡°I just inspected some data and found a player with rewards obtained from instance No. 7016! That is your jurisdiction, this reward will clearly severely disrupt game balance! Why would you give them to the player?! Don¡¯t you know it could interfere with the normal operation of other games?!¡± The ball paused before scoldingly replying: ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t assume that just because you have richer data samples that you can yell at me! You¡¯re just a trainee Inspector! Don¡¯t gloat in front of me!¡± The ball slammed the floor in fury! A crater appeared on the floor. The ball had disappeared. The Inspector, frustrated, called for the ball again: ¡°Instance No. 7016 is your responsibility! You must return to repair this loophole! That person also has a rabbit in their possession; I can¡¯t track down the instance record!¡± The ball didn¡¯t appear, only its voice echoed: ¡°Fix it yourself! I¡¯m not helping you!¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Inspector gritted its teeth: ¡°I am a trainee Inspector! I don¡¯t have enough authority!¡± This time, no response came. Just as it was about to call out a few more times, it heard the ball tauntingly respond: ¡°You deserve it.¡± Inspector: Why is it my fault? It¡¯s your mess to begin with!!! Bai Youwei was giving the rabbit a bath in the bathroom. When it was used to carry dishes, its fluffy paws unavoidably got stained with oil and soup. Cleaning it was a lot of trouble. Zhu Shu and Su Man returned from outside, following the sound of running water to find Bai Youwei in the bathroom. ¡°Did you guys find anything?¡± Bai Youwei asked, wringing out the rabbit whose round head was twisted into a twisty bun by her. Both Zhu Shu and Su Man shook their heads, looking both weary and dejected. ¡°The third floor is the same as the second, filled with gold, silver, jewelry and rare collectibles, clocks, blankets, models¡­ but we never found a locked room.¡± Bai Youwei asked: ¡°Did you count them? How many rooms are on the third floor?¡± They hesitated a moment. ¡°You didn¡¯t count them, did you?¡± Bai Youwei placed the rabbit down and looked at them. ¡°Over one hundred, I guess¡­¡± Su Man hesitated, ¡°There were too many rooms. We started feeling dizzy looking for them all, so we forgot to keep count.¡± Zhu Shu muttered with sudden realization: ¡°The layouts of the upper and lower floors are exactly the same, so the third floor should also have 128 rooms. If any floor is missing a room, that would mean the locked room is somehow hidden!¡± Grabbing on to the understanding, she turned to go and count, ¡°I¡¯m going to go count!¡± ¡°Come back.¡± Bai Youwei stopped her, ¡°Have you visited the basement?¡± Chapter 341 - 341 Duke is back (Added more for Yurand) Chapter 341: Duke is back (Added more for Yurand) Translator: 549690339 ¡°Yu Yaqing went with people. Zhu Shu was worried about you, so we came back first,¡± Su Man asked, ¡°Shall we go to the basement now?¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment and shook her head: ¡°Forget it. We should save some time and go to the courtyard. If Yu Yaqing finds any clues, she won¡¯t hide them.¡± She thought Yu Yaqing was as straightforward as iron. She might be disliked, but she would never engage in plotting and scheming. The day gradually darkened and the sun set faster than they had imagined. Everyone instinctively quickened their steps. Apart from the seven rooms for the brides on the first floor, the rest are all empty. The rooms on the second and third floors were filled with gold, silver, and jewels. The basement was full of odds and ends and dust ¨C there was nothing suspicious to be found. Apart from flowers, there was nothing to be found in the courtyard. They had spent a whole day searching and had found nothing. The outside was getting darker¡­ Finally, the seven brides gathered in the hall. Zhao Lanfen collapsed on the sofa, panting heavily, ¡°You all look for it. I can¡¯t go on anymore. I can¡¯t take another step!¡± Her hair was loose, her back was soaked, and her white wedding dress clung to her body like a pale spiderweb. Cheng Xi was in the same desolate state, soaked through and through. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Both she and Zhao Lanfen had never been involved in games or mazes before. Their physical condition was the worst among the seven of them. They really couldn¡¯t handle running around inside such a large mansion. Bai Youwei looked at the setting sun outside and said softly, ¡°I remember there were some weapons in a room on the second floor. Let¡¯s have a look and pick some out. It¡¯s better to be prepared in case something happens later.¡± The game was not allowed to bring in weapons, but players were allowed to use the items in the game. Yu Yaqing and Hu Ya stood up to pick weapons. Cheng Xi and Zhao Lanfen, who were too tired to move, also forced themselves to stand up. In the end, everyone except Bai Youwei ended up with a knight¡¯s sword. When the dinner bell rang, the Inspector laughed when he saw these women, with solemn expressions, dragging heavy iron swords into the dining room. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? Dine with the Duke with your weapons! Like you¡¯re plotting to kill your own husband. Aren¡¯t you afraid the Duke will be angry?¡± At his words, their faces changed, and they were at a loss whether to hold or drop their swords. Zhu Shu looked at everyone and said softly, ¡°The Duke will not be angry. We are just worried about him going out early and coming back late every day, so we want to give him a sword for self-defense. Quickly hide the sword under the table. This is a surprise gift we prepared, and we can¡¯t let the Duke see it in advance.¡± Her words were so convincing that even the Inspector took a second look at her. Just as they had hidden their swords, a sudden boom rang out from the main entrance! Without any warning, a huge figure appeared at the door! His appearance was so sudden that everyone was startled and turned to look, their faces changing! Included in the group was Bai Youwei, who was given a real fright! ¡°Where¡¯s my dinner?! Are you trying to starve me?!!¡± The man¡¯s voice was deep and resounding, his roaring echoingly throughout the entire hall! As he approached, they gradually saw what he looked like ¨C rather than calling ¡°he¡±, it was more appropriate to use ¡°it¡± because¡­.the Duke had clearly the face of a beast! He was dressed like a gentleman, but he was as big as a giant bear, his face covered with black, purplish thick mane! Under the lighting, it gleamed with a blue tint! Bluebeard! He was Bluebeard! Everyone felt a cold shiver, staring at him in horror. Another loud bang! A bloody buffalo fell onto the dining table out of nowhere, smashing the plates, shocking these women. The Duke grabbed the horns and hooves of the buffalo, and effortlessly ripped off its head! Then, he opened his mouth, took a bite into its leg, tore off the fresh, red meat with a squelch and swallowed it after chewing. ¡°My brides, why don¡¯t you eat?¡± The Duke¡¯s cold eyes swept over them, ¡°Could it¡­be that you don¡¯t want to dine with me?¡± Chapter 342: Fighting (Extra for Quasimodo) Chapter 342: Fighting (Extra for Quasimodo) Translator: 549690339 He ripped open the belly of a cow, blood and guts spilling out in a gush. He reached in, pulling out a slimy liver and, dripping with blood, tossed it onto the table! Thud. Blood splattered onto the bride¡¯s white dress. ¡°Taste it, this is the tastiest part.¡± He grinned, baring a fearsome smile, non-human fangs still holding chunks of bloody meat. Everyone at the table fell silent, none daring to move! Bai Youwei slightly frowned and closed her eyes, her face filled with undisguised disgust. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± The Duke¡¯s chilling smile vanished, his beast-like golden eyes narrowed, ¡°Don¡¯t you love me?!! You women! You liars!!!¡± He slammed the table in anger, cutlery crashing down in the violent tremor! Even the bloody cow seemed as if it would come to life at any moment! Zhao Lanfen was the first to crack, screaming and running away! ¡°Get back!¡± Yu Yaqing yelled. Enraged even further, the Duke roared and gave chase! Zhao Lanfen was falling apart, crying and screaming as she fled: ¡°Monster! Ahhhh monster!!!¡± Fear tends to spread. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing Zhao Lanfen running, Cheng Xi could sit no longer. Trembling, she approached Yu Yaqing and said with a pale face: ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s get out of here fast¡­¡± ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± A scream of agony echoed through the entire dining room! Zhao Lanfen, tripped by her long wedding dress, was caught by the Duke. With a few quick steps, he grabbed her by the hair! Feeling her impending doom, she screamed and struggled even though already captured! The skin on her scalp was pulled and twisted until it bled. She cried out continuously, but to no avail! Like a fish entangled in a white fishing net, her struggle was hopeless and brutal! The Duke dragged Zhao Lanfen by her hair, pulling her out of the dining room ¨C Su Man bent down to pick up a sword from under the table and ran after him! Seeing this, Yu Yaqing also armed himself with a sword and followed her. Hu Ya and Zhu Shu hesitated for a few seconds but eventually picked up weapons and ran after them. Cheng Xi, who was left behind, looked at her companions raising their swords against the Duke. Her face turned deathly pale as she asked in a trembling voice: ¡°Have you¡­ all gone mad? How could you possibly face him¡­¡± While saying this, she saw Bai Youwei moving in her wheelchair too. She was stunned and asked: ¡°You¡¯re going too?! Have you all gone insane?! The Duke is provoked, you¡¯ll die if you go there! He will kill you!!!¡± Bai Youwei frowned slightly, glanced at her, remained indifferent, and continued moving forward. Cheng Xi was filled with fear. However, she was more terrified of being alone. In the dining room, only her and a bloody cow remained, its blood was everywhere. The gooey, salty smell of blood filled the room, the cow¡¯s blood-red eyes staring at her¡­ Tears welled up in her eyes, she bit her lip, supporting her shaking legs, she went to follow Bai Youwei The women up ahead had already reached the spiral staircase in the hall. Su Man and Yu Yaqing surrounded the Duke from both sides, their cold, gleaming swords piercing into his back! Despite their force, the blades could only penetrate a bit before stopping as if meeting solid stone! The Duke roared in anger, turning and grabbing the swords, yanking them out! The initial wounds elicited by the swords grew significantly deeper due to his force. His densely thick fur was soaked with his own bright red blood. If anything, the loss of blood only made him more ferocious. He roared and flung Yu Yaqing, who was attacking with his sword from the other side, against the wall! Yu Yaqing spat out a mouthful of blood. Su Man, now swordless, took out a whip from her waist. Zhu Shu held her back, took out two beads, and hurled them forcefully at the Duke! Boom! One of the beads burst open by the Duke¡¯s ear! Chapter 343: 343: One Dead Chapter 343: 343: One DeadTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Water Monster¡¯s unwanted egg ¨C it hurts to be hit by it and there¡¯s a 20% chance of triggering a Thunder Blast Effect.¡± The bead Zhu Shu threw out was like a bolt of lightning, mangling half of the Bluebeard¡¯s face into a bloody pulp! ¡°Ahh! My face!!!¡± The humanoid beast roared in a coarse voice, turning around, ¡°Damn woman! How dare you!¡± He roared, picking up the broken sword from the ground, and flung it fiercely at Zhu Shu! Su Man pulled Zhu Shu¡¯s hand to urgently dodge backwards, in the process of descending the stairs, they tripped, the sharp blade grazing Zhu Shu¡¯s upper arm, causing both to fall! The beads in their hands scattering all over! Zhu Shu didn¡¯t bother to get up, she knelt on the ground anxiously picking up the beads, and shouted at Su Man, ¡°We can¡¯t let him take Zhao Lanfen! Even if we can¡¯t save her, we still need to kill the Duke! Otherwise, he will continue killing tomorrow night!¡± ¡°He¡¯s getting away!¡± Yu Yaqing wiped the blood off from the corner of her mouth, picking up the sword she chased upstairs again. Bluebeard was faster! Despite his massive size, he wasn¡¯t clumsy at all, dragging Zhao Lanfen quickly up the spiral staircase, all the way to the third floor! Yu Yaqing, Su Man, and Hu Ya chased him from downstairs relentlessly, but when they reached the third floor, they found that both sides of the corridor were empty, there was no sign of Bluebeard. Bang! The sound of a door closing echoed through the hallway. The three women stood panting, looking left and right, wondering which room Bluebeard had entered. At that moment, a shrill scream rang out again! ¡°Ahhhhh!!!¡± Unaware of what torture she was enduring, Zhao Lanfen¡¯s scream was heart-wrenching! The scream echoed through the entire building, seeming to come from the right, yet also from the left. On careful listening, her voice was everywhere ¨C the high, vast ceiling, the winding staircase, the walls covered in vintage floral wallpaper! sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chilling! ¡°Zhao Lanfen!¡± Yu Yaqing shouted, randomly opening a room and then running to another room, but no matter how she searched, she couldn¡¯t find Zhao Lanfen. The screams didn¡¯t stop. She screamed until her voice was hoarse, until she was gasping for breath, then it suddenly ended on a high note! ¡­It stopped. The entire building quieted down. Yu Yaqing gritted her teeth, punching the wall fiercely! She knew, Zhao Lanfen was dead. Silence, it¡¯s unknown how much time had passed, perhaps only a few seconds, perhaps several minutes¡­ Yu Yaqing took a deep breath, moved forward, and began to search every room. Su Man and Hu Ya also joined in. Since Bai Youwei had questioned about the number of rooms, Su Man started to count the number of rooms while searching. However, they had opened a total of 128 doors and found nothing! They were the same rooms filled with gold, silver, and jewels, no Bluebeard and no Zhao Lanfen, they had disappeared as if into thin air. The three women returned to the spiral staircase, all temporarily out of ideas. Hu Ya looked at Yu Yaqing blankly, hesitated, and asked, ¡°Team leader¡­ Should we continue searching?¡± Yu Yaqing closed her eyes for a moment, and said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs first.¡± Zhu Shu was downstairs, frustrated while picking up the beads. These items were too round and smooth, once dropped, they roll into unknown corners. Despite searching for a while she only managed to find 6. ¨C In the dollhouse, she was given 10 beads, she had used 2 just now, so there should still be 8 left. She was short by two beads, she couldn¡¯t find them no matter what. She looked up, intending to ask Cheng Xi to move, before she could open her mouth, Cheng Xi, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, yelled in a shrill voice: ¡°Why are you looking at me?! I didn¡¯t take your beads!!!¡± Zhu Shu replied, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°Go away!¡± Cheng Xi was mentally unstable, staring fiercely at Zhu Shu, ¡°Get away from me! Don¡¯t come near me!¡± Zhu Shu frowned, looked at her for a moment, didn¡¯t say anything, silently walked over to Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Zhu Shu glanced at Cheng Xi again, ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Chapter 344: 344: Screams Chapter 344: 344: ScreamsTranslator: 549690339 Only two beads were left, and most likely, they were taken by Cheng Xi. But what could she do about it? Robbery, body search?¡­ Either way, it could be the final straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. Zhu Shu didn¡¯t want to do that. Because a person forced into a dead end can go crazy. Su Man, Yu Yaqing, and Hu Ya came down from upstairs, all looking upset. Zhu Shu asked them, ¡°Have you seen where Blue Beard went? Wherever he went could be the locked room, and the key to passing this level might be there!¡± Hu Ya said, ¡°He moved too fast, by the time we got to the third floor, we couldn¡¯t see him anymore, we only heard the door closing!¡± Hu Ya spoke hurriedly, as if eager to vent the suppressed and tense emotions from the third floor, emphatically saying, ¡°He was too fast! He crossed six or seven steps in one stride! Like a monster! ¡­No, that¡¯s wrong, he is a monster!¡± Zhu Shu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Were there no signs of dragging on the ground? Or footprints, scratch marks, anything?¡± Hu Ya shook her head, pale-faced. Su Man took over and explained, ¡°The carpet on the third floor is very old, there are traces in front of every door, it¡¯s impossible to distinguish.¡± After saying this, she paused and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°I counted the rooms, it¡¯s the same as the second floor ¨C 128. We checked each one and didn¡¯t find the Duke or Zhao Lanfen.¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows as she sat in her wheelchair, stroking her plush rabbit, deep in thought. Her mobility was limited, so she couldn¡¯t dash up and down the stairs like they did. Since Su Man and Hu Ya said as much, checking all over again probably wouldn¡¯t yield any changes. Unless they could come up with a new approach. Bai Youwei raised her head, looking towards the large crystal chandelier hanging in the middle of the hall. From this grand light fixture, the spiral staircase leading to the top floor could be seen, connected to the handrail on the third floor. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The Inspector said that there are a total of four floors in this mansion, including the basement. Since you all saw the Duke head to the third floor, and the third floor is the highest, the locked room must be on the third floor.¡± She mumbled thoughtfully, ¡°¡­Is there a hidden compartment?¡± ¡°If there is a hidden compartment, we might have to wait until tomorrow to find it.¡± Yu Yaqing, who had been silent all along, spoke in a low voice, ¡°The light on the third floor is too dim, it would be very hard to find any clues.¡± This mansion was bathed in brilliant sunlight during the day, but became creepy and eerie at night, with the lights fading from level to level. The first-floor hall was brightly lit, the second floor was much dimmer, and by the time you got to the third floor, it was as dim as a dark alleyway, with the antique bulbs emitting a faint light. Upon hearing Yu Yaqing¡¯s words, Cheng Xi nearly burst into tears, ¡°We¡­we have to spend the night in this place? Will we¡­can we survive this night¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that,¡± Bai Youwei calmly said, ¡°It seems that the Duke can only kill one person each day. Even when you all attacked him just now, he merely defended himself while keeping one hand on Zhao Lanfen the entire time. He didn¡¯t actively attack you all before leaving, he must be bound by the rules of the game, only able to attack one bride at a time.¡± Zhu Shu had scorched half his face, and in his furious state, his most ferocious counterattack was merely throwing a broken sword at her. He didn¡¯t doggedly pursue Zhu Shu, nor did he entangle himself with Su Man and Yu Yaqing. He left quickly. ¡­Why so quickly? Was it his inherent speed, or was there another reason? ¡°He doesn¡¯t want his secret to be discovered¡­¡± Bai Youwei muttered thoughtfully, ¡°Could the secret be the same as in the fairy tale?¡± ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± A sudden scream interrupted her thoughts. Everyone was startled. Scream after scream, filled with utter terror! They all looked around, but couldn¡¯t discern where the voice was coming from. ¡°It¡¯s Zhao Lanfen¡­¡± Cheng Xi trembled behind Yu Yaqing, ¡°She¡­she¡¯s not dead¡­¡± Chapter 345: 345: It’s Fake Chapter 345: 345: It¡¯s FakeTranslator: 549690339 ¡°It¡¯s fake.¡± Zhu Shu stated, ¡°This was her scream before she died; I can tell, it¡¯s identical.¡± However, this explanation failed to ease Cheng Xi¡¯s panic; on the contrary, her fear escalated! ¡°Why¡­ why are they making us listen to this sound?¡± Cheng Xi¡¯s voice quivered with tears, ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen¡­ I don¡¯t want to hear this sound¡­¡± Unable to stand it any longer, the quiet Yu Yaqing slammed her fist on the wall! With a crash, blood began seeping from between her fingers! ¡°Damn it!¡± She cursed under her breath, ¡°Damnable game! I won¡¯t lose! I won¡¯t let these monsters triumph!!!¡± Full of rage, she stormed towards the staircase, shouting, ¡°Hu Ya! Come! Let¡¯s check the third floor again!¡± Even though her fear had not yet fully subsided, upon hearing Yu Yaqing¡¯s voice, Hu Ya bit her lip and followed along. After thinking for a moment, Su Man told Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu, ¡°You two go back to your rooms first, I will go check the third floor.¡± The stairs were too steep for Bai Youwei, and Zhu Shu was not agile enough; if they were to go, they might not be able to help, but instead could become a burden. Both of them nodded, cautioning Su Man to be careful. While Cheng Xi was somewhat flustered, she asked them, ¡°What about me? What should I do?¡± ¡°You?¡± Su Man frowned, ¡°Go back to your own room then.¡± ¡°No!¡± Cheng Xi cried, ¡°Don¡¯t leave me alone! Please, let me come with you! I beg you!¡± To the point of kneeling down in front of Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu, she began to cry uncontrollably. By the looks of it, even if they rejected her, she would definitely insist stubbornly. ¡°If you want to come with us, then shut up,¡± Bai Youwei said in annoyance, ¡°If you dare to make any noise, do you believe I¡¯ll throw you outside!¡± Cheng Xi nodded repeatedly, covering her mouth with her hands. Only her tears were falling silently. The three of them returned to their rooms. Zhao Lanfen¡¯s terrifying scream echoed again. Startled, Cheng Xi trembled, and dared not utter a word behind Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu. Through the entire night, the screams never ceased. This mansion, as if harboring malicious intentions, released Zhao Lanfen¡¯s dying scream every time they were about to drift off to sleep, terrifying them out of their wits! It kept their nerves on edge! And wore them out! Finally, morning arrived, the sun came out, and the screaming stopped at last. Each of them had bloodshot eyes. The Inspector, who had disappeared all night, also appeared. He brought breakfast to each of them. Compared to the rich lunch from yesterday, today¡¯s breakfast was much more frugal. Each person received only a cup of milk and a piece of dry bread. Bai Youwei had no appetite. She didn¡¯t touch the bread, drank the milk, and then went back to her room to sleep. Seeing Bai Youwei¡¯s carefree attitude, Yu Yaqing, with a dark expression asked, ¡°At times like this, are you sure you can sleep?!¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to sleep?¡± Bai Youwei responded emotionless, ¡°Lack of sleep will affect my thought processes. I not only must sleep ¨C I suggest that you do the same, unless you feel you have enough energy to fight that monster until tonight ¨C if you¡¯ll excuse my frankness, I think that would be suicidal.¡± Yu Yaqing was annoyed, ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Leader¡­ let¡¯s rest a bit.¡± Hu Ya couldn¡¯t help but advised, ¡°Without any clues, it¡¯s unlikely we will have any breakthrough just by continuing the search¡­¡± They had not slept the entire night, and food was scarce; they simply didn¡¯t have enough strength to carry out another large-scale search of the mansion. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After looking at the two of them, Su Man said, ¡°Rest then, three or four hours should be enough.¡± Yu Yaqing bit her lower lip. After a long pause, her expression finally softened. She nodded. They spent the entire morning resting. The mansion was very quiet. Then lunch arrived, and the Inspector rang the meal bell Ding dong, ding dong¡­ Chapter 346: 346: Trying One’s Luck Chapter 346: 346: Trying One¡¯s LuckTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Beautiful brides, did you sleep well last night?¡± The Inspector stood by the dining table with a smile, his graceful manners unchanged from yesterday. Bai Youwei wheeled past him, saying lightly, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well. The soundproofing is too poor. There was noise all night.¡± There was no sarcasm in her words. It was just a simple statement. Her mind was constantly thinking about the clues in the game. She really wasn¡¯t in the mood for a verbal sparring with the Inspector. However, the Inspector took her every word very seriously. ¡°So, do you need me to change your room?¡± a cartoonishly handsome smile crossed his lips. ¡°The third floor is the quietest. Do you want to switch to a room on the third floor?¡± The third floor. Zhao Lanfen had disappeared on the third floor. Cheng Xi, Hu Ya, Yu Yaqing, Zhu Shu, and Su Man, all changed their expressions, staring at the Inspector with vigilance. Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair came to a stop. She frowned, turned her head, and said displeasedly, ¡°Are you brainless? Look at my legs. How am I supposed to get to the third floor? By flying?!¡± Inspector: ¡°[Silent]¡± Ignoring him, Bai Youwei wheeled to the dining table in a bad mood, ate a few bites, but her expression became increasingly annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite; I¡¯ll take these back to my room to eat.¡± She brazenly consolidated several dishes onto one plate, put it on her lap, held a tropical fruit platter in her hand, and left the room. The others followed suit, saying they didn¡¯t have the appetite and needed to eat back in their rooms. They knew very well that they couldn¡¯t eat dinner tonight, so they all took double or even triple rations for fear of having nothing to eat later. Soon, there was no one left in the dining room. Only the Inspector remained. He watched as the women left, his polite smile freezing at the corners of his mouth as his expression grew colder¡­ Suddenly, he laughed. There was no need to be angry. What if she got an unfair tool? As long as she died here, the mistake would be naturally corrected. And his game would continue to create value for the system. Other Inspectors were right. He was indeed a bit overinvested. Moderation in the game, moderation¡­ The Inspector slowly left the dining room¡­ The women were eating lunch in Bai Youwei¡¯s room. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know how this came about. Maybe because Zhu Shu and Su Man wanted to eat with her, Yu Yaqing wanted to find Su Man. Hu Ya and Cheng Xi followed Yu Yaqing, and it ended up that everyone was gathering and eating in her room. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yu Yaqing said, ¡°The light was too dim last night, we couldn¡¯t find any clues. After lunch, we should go to the third floor again to see if we can find anything.¡± ¡°Going again?¡± Bai Youwei asked casually while eating, ¡°We¡¯ve been there several times already. Shouldn¡¯t we look somewhere else?¡± ¡°Where else?¡± Hu Ya chimed in, ¡°The Duke left traces of his disappearance on the third floor. We saw it clearly!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°What I meant was, shouldn¡¯t we look for clues somewhere else? After all, we¡¯ve been to the third floor many times. Going there a few more times may not yield any results.¡± She had always been very calm, so even though Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t particularly like her, she wouldn¡¯t underestimate her, and asked seriously, ¡°Where do you think we should look?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I plan to go to the basement. I heard there¡¯s a cage down there.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°There is indeed a cage, but it¡¯s empty and the other parts of the basement are cluttered with various items, empty bottles, rotten wood, broken cans and the like. We¡¯ve already searched it all.¡± ¡°I want to look again,¡± Bai Youwei answered calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about where the locked room is, and then I thought, isn¡¯t the locked room the jail? So, since we haven¡¯t found anything on the third floor, why not take a chance in the basement?¡± Chapter 347: 347 Basement (Extra Update/Bonus Chapter with Monthly Tickets!!!) Chapter 347: 347 Basement (Extra Update/Bonus Chapter with Monthly Tickets!!!)Translator: 549690339 Yu Yaqing contemplated for a moment before nodding, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make another trip to the basement.¡± After the six women had finished lunch, they tidied up and headed together to the basement. The mansion¡¯s basement had no lights. Each of them took a candlestick for illumination. Once they reached the basement, they used the candlelight to light up the torches hanging on the walls. The basement was cold, damp, and gloomy. On one side, there was a damp and icy stone wall, while the other side had iron-made prison cells. It was unclear what had been imprisoned in the cells; it could have been humans or animals. Some dry straw was scattered all over inside the prison cells, but aside from that, there was nothing else. Surprisingly, there was quite a lot of stuff leaning against the bars of the prison cells. Like Yu Yaqing mentioned, there were empty wine bottles, rusty iron cans and rotting wooden boxes. As soon as you opened them, a strong smell of mold and dust pounced on you, making people cough. They continued walking past a long row of prison cells. They walked to the very end. Bai Youwei, who stood before the door of the last prison cell, said, ¡°Someone come and see if you can open this.¡± Su Man stepped forward and tugged at the lock on the door, then looked up at them and said, ¡°It¡¯s locked.¡± Although the previous cells were also closed, they weren¡¯t locked, just loosely fastened with iron chains, and the doors could be pushed open. Unexpectedly, the last cell was actually locked. Surprisingly, Yu Yaqing¡¯s eyes went wide as she glanced unconsciously at Hu Ya and Cheng Xi beside her. Hu Ya and Cheng Xi also looked shocked, and muttered, ¡°We had examined it all before¡­¡± When Yu Yaqing first brought people down here, indeed, they thoroughly checked each cell. However, by the end, some cells had only been glanced over¡ªafter all, even without entering, they could easily look in through the bars. Considering the dim lighting and eerie ambiance, along with over a hundred cells, all heightened their psychological exhaustion and anxiety For various reasons, they didn¡¯t manage to notice the peculiarity of the final cell. Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help but ask Bai Youwei, ¡°How did you know there was something wrong with this cell?¡± Bai Youwei had been sitting in her wheelchair all this time, not even touching the cells. Why was it that she had detected the cell¡¯s anomaly before they did? ¡°Because this is the 129th cell,¡± Bai Youwei casually explained, ¡°Since we came in, I¡¯ve been counting. Any extra cells would definitely have issues, but not necessarily the last one. We found it out now, I guess we¡¯re just lucky.¡± Lucky? Yu Yaqing never believed in luck; she only believed in strength. She narrowed her eyes slightly and studied Bai Youwei, who was sitting in her wheelchair, ¡°You¡¯ve played a lot of games.¡± She asserted confidently. Bai Youwei glanced at her without denying, ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve played a lot, and I understand the little tricks in the games better than you do.¡± No boasting, no showing off, just stating facts. Everyone was at a loss for words. After a moment of silence, Yu Yaqing spoke up, ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡± She turned around and called, ¡°Hu Ya, come with me to find something to unlock this.¡± Hu Ya immediately picked up her candlestick and hurried after Yu Yaqing. In one of the rooms upstairs, there was an array of weapon collections, from saddles, armor, swords, bows to crossbows. Almost everything was there. Both of them managed to find some large axes and swords, returning to the basement and unlocking the door. The six women walked in. The last cell was just like the other cells. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Aside from the mess of straw on the ground, there was nothing else. ¡°What the hell¡­ she¡¯s so high-and-mighty as if she looks down on us, but she still got it wrong. We¡¯ve done all this for nothing,¡± Hu Ya muttered resentfully. She didn¡¯t like Bai Youwei, a cripple who relied on others to survive, yet didn¡¯t know how to read people. She acted full of herself and ignored everyone. Cheng Xi suited her better. At least Cheng Xi knew that times had changed and was honest in her actions and words. Chapter 348: 348 The End of the Passage Chapter 348: 348 The End of the PassageTranslator: 549690339 ¡°Quick, everyone! Come over here!¡± Zhu Shu, who was touching a wall, exclaimed in surprise, ¡°The temperature over here is different!¡± Yu Yaqing walked over, raised her hand to feel it, then touched the wall next to it, her voice resonating in the silence, ¡°The bricks here are warmer and drier, there must be a space behind it.¡± Su Man squatted down, swept away the straw at the root of the wall, and declared out loud, ¡°The bricks are loose.¡± The women quickly squatted down to pry at the bricks. Hu Ya momentarily felt awkward. Bai Youwei glanced at her disinterestedly, and said, ¡°It¡¯s completely normal for me to look down on you.¡± Hu Ya: Layer by layer, the loose bricks were removed, revealing a faint glow from within. Yu Yaqing then pounded on it fiercely, causing a ring of bricks to collapse! A square passage capable of accommodating an adult had revealed itself in the dungeon wall. The passage was deep and seemed to lead upwards; the inner wall bore scratch marks and splotches of blood, along with strands of hair and broken nails. It looked like a chute for dumping corpses. As for why it was blocked, no one knew. Maybe it was simply to dupe their eyes. Yu Yaqing wrapped the hindering wedding dress skirt around her waist, bent down to crawl into the passage, and said, ¡°Hu Ya, follow me.¡± Hu Ya hesitated a little. No one knew where the passage led, and anything could happen. Perhaps they might see Zhao Lanfen¡¯s brutal death, or find a trace of Bluebeard himself. And if the monster went mad again, wouldn¡¯t they be walking into a trap? She was at a loss as to how to persuade Yu Yaqing, who was always firm in her actions¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Suddenly, Su Man spoke. She also tied the wedding dress skirt around her waist, disregarding whether it looked graceful or not, and followed Yu Yaqing into the passage. Yu Yaqing inside frowned, ¡°Your hand is injured, you won¡¯t be able to move easily in the passage.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been resting all night, my hand is fine now as long as you don¡¯t twist my wrist like last time,¡± the usually serious Su Man self-mockingly quipped. Thinking about what had happened, Su Man still felt slightly bitter. She had never lost a battle among women, but to her surprise, the one to defeat her was Yu Yaqing. ¡°You follow behind me, but keep your distance. In case something happens to me, slide down immediately, inform the others at the bottom, and seal off the passage. Then think of another way, ¡± Yu Yaqing instructed. Su Man nodded. The two of them entered the passage one after the other, leaving the remaining four women waiting below. The air in the passage differed from the gloominess of the basement; it was warm. The higher Yu Yaqing went, the hotter it felt. Sweating profusely, her crawling elbows and knees began to slip. She held her breath, becoming more cautious with every move. Behind her, Su Man, as if sensing something, also slowed down. Finally, they reached the end of the passage. Something unknown had blocked it. Yu Yaqing cautiously reached out to touch it; it was made of metal and a bit hot, but not enough to cause a burn, it was still within the limits of what she could endure. She went closer to listen, but didn¡¯t hear anything. She then deliberately knocked on the metal to probe if there was any movement beyond. Still, there was no sound. Yu Yaqing torn off the skirt wrapped around her waist, layered it over her hand several times, and then pressed against the metallic object at the end of the passage, pushing it forcefully! Squeak The metal made a cringing, ear-piercing noise as it scraped the floor, and a heavy stench of blood assaulted their noses! At last, the view beyond the passage was revealed to Yu Yaqing, who covered her mouth and nose in shock, staring wide-eyed. It was beyond words! A sight drenched in blood, to put it mildly. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everywhere she saw, it was bloody red! Gory! Ancient torture racks lined the room, their surfaces covered in dried, solidified blood, bearing witness to countless silent screams of tormented souls! Chapter 349: Traces of the Mechanism Chapter 349: Traces of the Mechanism Translator: 549690339 ¡°Yu Yaqing?¡± After a moment of silence, Su Man called out to her from below. ¡°Yu Yaqing, are you okay?¡± Finally coming back to her senses, she wanted to speak, but found her throat was dry and hoarse. Yu Yaqing closed her eyes to recuperate a moment before replying, ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s up there? Is it safe?¡± Su Man asked again. Yu Yaqing exhaled slowly, composed herself, and opened her eyes again ¡°Up here¡­ it¡¯s a large room, very dark, lit by a few fire pits, but the fire inside seems to be dying out¡­ There are¡­ seven torture racks spread around, but no sign of Bluebeard.¡± She crawled out a bit further, lifting herself up to afford a wider view. That¡¯s when she noticed a pale figure lying on the floor in front of her. Her body froze instantly. ¡°Don¡¯t come up yet.¡± Yu Yaqing commanded with a serious expression, staring at the figure before her. ¡°There¡¯s someone up here, it might be Zhao Lanfen. Let me check it out first, then you can come up if it¡¯s safe.¡± Down below, Su Man fell silent for two seconds before replying, ¡°Be careful.¡± She couldn¡¯t simply go and help because at the bottom of the passage, there were other companions waiting for her to bring back news. Yu Yaqing cautiously exited the passage, slowly stood up and began to walk step by step towards the figure. As she got closer, she realized it wasn¡¯t Zhao Lanfen, but a man. A man laying there unconscious. He was dressed in a medieval classic white shirt with broad sleeves shaped like lanterns and an elaborately frilled collar ¡ª grandiose yet beautifully flamboyant. The man looked frail, his skin was pale, his breathing faint. Yu Yaqing finally let out a sigh of relief. Despite her bravery, even surpassing that of a typical man, her subconscious still dreaded facing scenes of brutality or bloodshed. Yu Yaqing returned to the entrance of the passage and informed those below, ¡°There¡¯s an unconscious man here. He doesn¡¯t seem to be dangerous. You can come up now.¡± At her words, Su Man began to climb up. The moment she climbed up, she was rooted to the spot by what she saw. Goosebumps erupted all over her body as she exclaimed disgustingly, ¡°¡­How perverted!¡± Looking at the torture devices, even Yu Yaqing was at a loss for words, ¡°Unexpected, isn¡¯t it? Men and women are just people¡­ yet they can make devices like this¡­ as if they derive pleasure out of torturing females. Tell me, why did these men think it? Were they not born to mothers?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that¡­¡± Su Man frowned, surveying the torture devices. ¡°These are relics from medieval Europe, a dark period full of pillage and slaughter, devoid of law and order. People back then were more barbaric and cruel. Such things wouldn¡¯t exist today!¡± Yu Yaqing smiled wryly, uttering in a low voice, ¡°Only because you haven¡¯t encountered them. To free ourselves from the yoke of men, we have to be stronger.¡± Su Man didn¡¯t want to discuss gender issues at such a time. She furrowed her brows and looked around, asking, ¡°Is this the third floor? How did we miss such a huge room before?¡± ¡°The door is here.¡± Yu Yaqing located the door, grabbed the handle and pulled it open Behind the door was a wall. She was taken aback. She pushed the wall and found that it was movable, able to rotate a full 180 degrees! ¡°So the mechanism is here.¡± Su Man was also amazed. The two women shifted the stone wall 90 degrees together, forming two exits. Outside was the corridor of the third floor! Then it dawned on Yu Yaqing, ¡°If we can¡¯t open the door from inside, even if we found traces of a mechanism on the third floor, we wouldn¡¯t be able to get in. Only when the door on the inside is opened, is there enough space for the stone wall to rotate.¡± Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Man stepped out, took a look at the corridors on both sides, and said, ¡°I will go down and inform them.¡± Chapter 350 - 350 Gardener Chapter 350: Gardener Translator: 549690339 When Su Man led Bai Youwei and the others to the third floor, the man in the torture chamber was also regaining consciousness. Upon seeing a group of women in front of him, he didn¡¯t seem surprised and introduced himself as the mansion¡¯s gardener. The gardener, due to his handsome appearance, was imprisoned by the Duke here. Whenever the Duke wanted to test a new bride, he would let him out, and if the bride had even the slightest contact with the gardener, it would provoke the Duke¡¯s anger. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After hearing this, everyone understood that this man was likely a NPC from within the game. However, it was quite rare for an NPC with its own plot to appear in the game¡­ Since they were all presumably oppressed by the Duke, and all shared the same tragically unfortunate circumstances, the gardener had a friendly attitude towards them and told them: ¡°The Duke only executes brides that make mistakes. As long as you don¡¯t make any, there is no danger.¡± ¡°How can we avoid making mistakes?¡± Zhu Shu asked, ¡°He killed one of our companions during dinner last night.¡± The gardener replied: ¡°You cannot remove the wedding dresses that symbolize your identities, you cannot refuse to dine with the Duke, you cannot speak to any men other than the Duke¡­ As long as you do not anger the Duke, he will not harm you.¡± ¡°But we have already disobeyed his orders¡­¡± Cheng Xi trembled as she spoke, ¡°We entered the locked room¡­ We¡­ We also talked to a man other than the Duke¡­¡± As she spoke, she looked at the torture instruments inside the room, her heart chilled. She instinctively stepped back but unexpectedly hit a witch¡¯s chair and pricked her hand back, scaring her into screaming. The witch¡¯s chair, an ancient tool of torture, had nails on its back and armrests. Sitting on it, the nails would continuously puncture the body. During the Middle Ages, countless innocent women had been executed as witches on this chair. Cheng Xi¡¯s hand was only slightly pricked, but her mind was perilously close to breaking down! She covered her hand, shouting in terror, ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here! I want to go back to my room!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small prick! It¡¯s not like your hand got chopped off! Can¡¯t you calm down?!¡± Hu Ya berated her, ¡°Keep this up, you¡¯ll alarm Bluebeard!¡± Cheng Xi¡¯s eyes widened, as though she was terrified. She curled up, glancing left and right fearfully, as if she feared Bluebeard would suddenly pop out from a corner. Su Man had always disliked this girl who was always flaunting herself in front of Li Li, but she really didn¡¯t feel good looking at her unraveled state now. After examining all the torture instruments in the torture chamber, Bai Youwei asked the gardener, ¡°Do you know how to leave this place?¡± The gardener paused a bit before answering, ¡°To leave this place, you must find the key.¡± ¡°Key?¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes slightly, ¡°The Inspector told us that to leave, we must become the last bride. He did not mention needing to find a key.¡± The gardener shook his head upon hearing this, ¡°I don¡¯t what the last bride means. I only know that if you want to leave this place, you need the door key to the mansion. The Duke has hidden that key somewhere in this mansion.¡± Bai Youwei frowned and silently scrutinized him. The Inspector wanted them to become the last bride, while the NPC told them to find a key. Was it the Inspector playing a word game, or was an NPC lying? Zhu Shu whispered beside her, ¡°The NPC might have limited information, so it¡¯s normal if he doesn¡¯t know the Inspector¡¯s clue. I think we can look for the key.¡± After some thought, Bai Youwei tested him, ¡°Isn¡¯t it that we have to kill the Duke to leave this place?¡± ¡°Kill the Duke?¡± The gardener¡¯s voice suddenly got higher, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! No matter how severely injured the Duke is, he heals very quickly. No one can hurt him! You should find the key as soon as possible! If you wait until sunset, it will be too late!¡± Chapter 351: I’m Not Him Chapter 351: I¡¯m Not Him Translator: 549690339 The Gardener¡¯s urging sent panic through their hearts. He kept mentioning the key. The key, the key! With such a large estate, hundreds of rooms upstairs and downstairs, how are they supposed to find the key? Bai Youwei felt irritated, she thought there was something fishy about the Gardener. But when it came to articulating her suspicions, she was at a loss for words. If she really had to say¡­ Perhaps it was the man¡¯s appearance that made her feel uncomfortable. This Gardener, despite possessing a distinctively European look, somehow reminded her of Shen Mo. Both had prominent noses and deep-set eyes¡­ Are all handsome men¡¯s features similar when looked at individually? The Gardener added, ¡°There are hundreds of rooms here, so you must spread out to search for the key. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to find it before the sun sets.¡± They were indeed running out of time. The women discussed again briefly, deciding to follow the Gardener¡¯s advice and search for the key separately. Everyone felt it was unlikely they would find such a small key in such a vast place, but they had no choice but to try. Hu Ya was losing her patience as she rummaged through the room. This room was decorated with various clocks, each a masterpiece in its own right. But she had no mood to appreciate them, as she frantically searched for the key to the main door as the Gardener had mentioned. ¡°Have you found the key?¡± Somewhere along the way, the handsome Gardener walked in, saying to her kindly, ¡°If you¡¯re tired, take a break.¡± Hu Ya retorted irritably, ¡°No, this place is too big. It takes forever just to search one room, let alone all the rooms!¡± After grumbling a bit, she realized that she was talking to an NPC and found it absurd that she was arguing with it and stopped talking. Unexpectedly, the Gardener continued the conversation with her. ¡°As long as you keep looking, you¡¯re bound to find it.¡± He comforted her kindly, speaking softly, ¡°You still have a chance to leave, but I must stay here forever. Doesn¡¯t that make you feel a bit better?¡± Hu Ya looked up at him in astonishment. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He¡¯s an NPC and of course can¡¯t leave the game, but¡­ He¡¯s just an NPC, why does he seem so human-like? Maybe she stared at him too long, the Gardener smilingly said, ¡°Please don¡¯t look at me like that. If stared at by such a lovely lady like you, I would blush.¡± Hu Ya blushed slightly. No boy had ever complimented her this way before, and she felt embarrassed¡­ even though he was an NPC. ¡°Lovely¡­ what¡­¡± she murmured back, ¡°Those are just sweet nothings.¡± ¡°They¡¯re sincere.¡± The Gardener replied gently, ¡°You look cute when you¡¯re serious.¡± Hu Ya was taken aback for a moment, then looked at the Gardener again, her expression slowly changing¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The Gardener asked softly. ¡°No¡­nothing.¡± Hu Ya gave a sheepish laugh and averted her gaze, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve thought since a while ago, you look like someone I know¡­¡± The Gardener asked, ¡°Really? Like who?¡± As Hu Ya casually continued her search, she was reminded of the past, ¡°You look like my senior. He¡­ was really handsome, very smart, and he also said something similar, that I looked cute when I was serious¡­¡± Hu Ya paused, her expression freezing in place. The boys in her class never liked her. They mocked her, saying she was too robust, too fierce, too loud, her clothes too outdated. They even teased her with various nicknames. Only that senior was kind to her. She wondered how he was doing now¡­ ¡°No wonder I felt a sense of familiarity when I saw you.¡± The Gardener said with a smile, ¡°It must be the system projection at work.¡± Hu Ya was momentarily stunned, then asked him, ¡°You mean¡­my thoughts of him might have influenced you?¡± ¡°Perhaps, to some extent.¡± The Gardener moved closer to her, gazing at her gently, ¡°So I felt your longing, and your pain.¡± Tears welled up in Hu Ya¡¯s eyes. She whispered, ¡°¡­ Are you him? My senior?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not him, but I can help you like he did.¡± The Gardener gently took Hu Ya¡¯s hand. Chapter 352: A Key (Extra update for stinky tofu) Chapter 352: A Key (Extra update for stinky tofu) Translator: 549690339 Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling! A sudden and urgent ringing sound echoed! Hu Ya quickly came to her senses. She hastily let go of the Gardener¡¯s hand, her heart greatly embarrassed! What was she thinking?! How could she be holding hands with an NPC?! NPCs are created for games! They are virtual! They are not real at all! sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Meanwhile, the incessant chiming of the clock was discomposing her mind. ¡°Why is it suddenly making so much noise, it¡¯s deafening¡­¡± Hu Ya irritably looked around until she spotted an alarm clock. The clock was of an ancient design and quite solid. It was enclosed by a wooden case with floral patterns and statues of angels. Unable to locate any mechanism to stop the ringing alarm, she was irritated and upset and she lifted the alarm clock to slam it on the table! ¡°What a piece of junk! Stop ringing!¡± Thud! The wooden bottom fell off revealing a metal key that dropped to the ground. Simultaneously, the ringing also ceased. Hu Ya was startled as she stared at the key on the floor, not believing her own eyes. She actually found it? Is it really the key to complete the level? ¡°See, I told you,¡± the Gardener smiled warmly from the side. ¡°As long as you persist in searching, you will certainly find it.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Hu Ya picked up the key and immediately headed towards the door, ¡°I have to tell the team leader!¡± ¡°Please wait.¡± The Gardener suddenly held her back, ¡°You can¡¯t tell the others.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hu Ya immediately became vigilant, ¡°Why can¡¯t I tell the others?¡± Looking suspiciously at the Gardener, she pulled her hand back and said in a chilly voice, ¡°Listen, don¡¯t you try anything tricky with me. I am not easily deceived like those other girls!¡± The Gardener sighed softly past her protective wall, ¡°I said I would help you. In fact, there is something that I didn¡¯t tell you all earlier. Only one bride can escape from here. If you give the key to others¡­ Hu Ya, I am genuinely worried about you.¡± Hu Ya was stunned, ¡°Why¡­why can only one person leave even when we have found the key?¡± ¡°Because the carriage only comes on Sunday. Without the carriage, anyone who escapes will be caught by the Duke.¡± The Gardener took her hand once again, bent over and whispered in her ear. ¡°The duke kills a bride every night, Hu Ya. If you want to get out of here, you must persist until Sunday, to be the last bride.¡± Hu Ya stared blankly at him, her heart in a turmoil and her mind chaotic. The key in her hand suddenly felt incredibly heavy, even prickly, as if it was piercing her palm. ¡°Only¡­only one can escape?¡± She muttered in a daze, ¡°Can¡¯t one more person come along? What about the team leader¡­?¡± ¡°Her?¡± The Gardner looked extremely concerned. ¡°If she is left till the end¡­¡± ¡°No! What I mean is¡­ is that the two of us¡­¡± Hu Ya hastily started explaining, but halted midway. She looked more lost than before. If she and Yu Yaqing were the last ones left, and there was only a single chance for survival, then¡­ would Yu Yaqing spare her? No¡­ That won¡¯t happen. Who doesn¡¯t want to live? Aren¡¯t we all trapped here, looking for a chance to survive?! So anyone can be left behind, except for Yu Yaqing! Because Yu Yaqing is the only person she definitely cannot overcome! ¨C That crying Cheng Xi! That injured Su Man! That simperingly fragile Zhu Shu! Or that wheel-chair bound Bai Youwei! She can beat all of them! Only Yu Yaqing! Her fingers slowly clenched into a fist. The key in her palm deeply embedded into her skin. Hu Ya stood there, stunned. Was she¡­ going to turn on Yu Yaqing now? Yu Yaqing pulled open a drawer and opened a jewellery box. The sparkling treasure didn¡¯t interest her, she was just frowning and searching, looking for the key. The sound of footsteps echoed at the entrance, she swiftly turned around, her gaze stern and demanding: ¡°Who is it?!¡± The gardener slowly walked into the room, raising his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed, I just¡­ wanted to help you.¡± Chapter 353: Two Keys Chapter 353: Two Keys Translator: 549690339 ¡°No need,¡± replied Yu Yaqing coldly, continuing her search for the key. Without leaving, the Gardener slowly approached her. ¡°Stop!¡± Yu Yaqing turned abruptly, pointing an iron sword at the Gardener, ¡°Stay where you are! Speak up! What are you trying to do?!¡± ¡°You seem to be very repulsive towards men,¡± the Gardener raised his hands, gesturing he meant no harm, ¡°Please believe me, I won¡¯t harm you. I only want to help you escape¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your help,¡± she retorted coldly, ¡°I can save myself! You¡¯re just a game NPC! How can you save others? It seems to me you¡¯re just trying to manipulate the situation to please your Duke master!¡± She looked at the Gardener with utter disgust, venting her anger, ¡°I will not trust you! You, the Duke, the Inspector and this damned game are all the same, all loathsome! You all want to enslave us!¡± The Gardener looked at her. After a while, he calmly started, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be angry. As you mentioned, I am just an NPC. I am here to give you a clue.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°What clue?¡± ¡°The key,¡± the Gardener said, ¡°There¡¯s more than one. They can be real, or they can be fake.¡± Yu Yaqing¡¯s face changed color¡­ ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°Everyone will receive clues, and everyone¡¯s clues are different.¡± Looking at her, the Gardener said, ¡°Your clue is that only one key is real ¨C you can choose to share this clue, but I must remind you, your companions may not share their clues with you.¡± Startled, Yu Yaqing blanked out, lost in thoughts for a moment. Without her noticing, the Gardener slowly moved closer to her. He looked frail, only up close could one realize that he was a man after all, taller and stronger than women¡­ He towered over Yu Yaqing, blocking the light before her, then bent down to whisper in her ear: ¡°The fewer people who complete the level, the richer the rewards. The survivors can inherit the rewards of the deceased players. If there¡¯s only one bride left, she can receive seven times the original reward. Of course¡­ I believe that more than any reward, you would like to save your companions. But your companions¡­ Do you think they would share the real key with you, if they found it?¡± Yu Yaqing pressed her lips together, saying nothing. The Gardener sighed sadly, ¡°Are you really going to make the same mistake twice? ¡­ Back then, you were imprisoned in a cellar along with a group of girls. In order to escape, you deceived your master into giving you a hairpin, planning to work the lock with the metal from the hairpin. But¡­ Your plan failed. Because you were too kind, you wanted to take everyone with you. They betrayed you, just because you were the master¡¯s favorite! Living in confinement wore down their will, and petty jealousy added to their stupidity! They were the informants! They were the traitors! They relied too much on men and lost their own personalities, betraying their comrades, depriving you of your chance to escape, and getting you beaten as punishment! ¡­¡± ¡°Stop it!!!¡± Yu Yaqing roared. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She grabbed the Gardener by his collar. ¡°Why do you know all this?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± The Gardener looked calmly into her eyes, ¡°The moment I met you, this information just entered my brain. Maybe it¡¯s all part of the game setup, a test for you.¡± Yu Yaqing furiously shoved him away. Barely visible, a smile played at the corner of the Gardener¡¯s lips. Thrust backward, he crashed into a display cabinet behind him. Clang! A small, intricate box fell from the top of the cabinet, the lid flung open! Releasing the key that was once hidden inside! Yu Yaqing was startled into silence. After a while, she bent down to pick it up, examining the key in her hand. The Gardener¡¯s smile widened, ¡°Congratulations, the key you found is real.¡± Chapter 354: The NPC is Strange Chapter 354: The NPC is Strange Translator: 549690339 Congratulations, you¡¯ve found the ¡°True Key¡±. So, are you going to share it with your comrades? Will your comrades share their ¡°False Keys¡± with you? The fewer the people who pass, the more bountiful the reward. Who will be the traitor among them? Who harbors ill intent? The Gardener watched quietly at the changing expressions on Yu Yaqing¡¯s face. Her internal struggle, doubt, regret, and agony all served to enhance his pleasure! Women¡­ Selfish, greedy, vain, foolish! No matter how independent or strong they become, they are destined to be playthings! sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Women! Either conquer them with power or lose them in tenderness! They will eventually obey the words of men! So, which bride should he see next? He was eager to taste their suffering¡­ The Gardener left the room and walked leisurely along the corridor. As he passed a room, he saw Zhu Shu on tip-toes, struggling to remove a decorative painting on the wall. He walked in, intending to kindly ask: ¡°Do you need help¡­¡± Before he could finish, Su Man came over from the other side, swiftly taking down the painting, saying: ¡°You¡¯re too short, be careful the frame doesn¡¯t fall and hit your head.¡± ¡°I¡¯m 163cm, not too short, the painting is hung too high¡­¡± Zhu Shu looked behind the painting and showed disappointment, ¡°There¡¯s no key. I used to hide stuff behind paintings.¡± ¡°There are several other paintings over there, you can take them down and look.¡± Su Man turned around, only to see the Gardener at the door, and suspiciously asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The Gardener gave a gentle smile: ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡± ¡°Strange¡­¡± Su Man furrowed her brows, took a few steps closer to look at him, ¡°Why do I think you look¡­ uh¡­ a bit like Li Li?¡± ¡°You think he looks like Li Li?¡± Zhu Shu looked surprised, glanced from Su Man to the Gardener, ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it, which part does?¡± The Gardener slightly bowed: ¡°The sun is about to set, I have to get back to the dungeon, or if the Duke finds out, there might be trouble. I hope you find the key soon.¡± He turned and left, leaving the two women in mutual consternation. ¡°This NPC is so weird¡­¡± ¡°Never mind, ignore him. Let¡¯s continue looking for the key! Ah, where would the Duke hide the key? Such a hassle¡­¡± The Gardener continued along the corridor, occasionally looking over his shoulder with slight annoyance. He had told them to split up and look for the key, but those two were still together. Which bride is still alone now? He squinted his eyes slightly and spotted Bai Youwei ahead. She was sitting in a wheelchair, alone, stationed quietly at the entrance of the spiral staircase, gazing downstairs, seemingly lost in thought. No family, no friends, no healthy body, and naturally arrogant and sensitive! Which other woman could be a better ¡°target¡± than her? The Gardener approached her. ¡°Why are you here alone?¡± He asked with a smile, ¡°Everyone else is looking for the key, aren¡¯t you going to join them?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, closing her eyes. The Gardener took a few more steps towards her, softly asked: ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°I hate it when people talk to me while I¡¯m deep in thought.¡± Bai Youwei opened her eyes with evident displeasure, ¡°Can you get lost?¡± The Gardener: After a pause of two seconds, he rephrased his words: ¡°You might be able to protect yourself from harm with a thorny exterior, but you also often hurt yourself. If you stay here alone and the key is found by others, you¡¯ll be on the defensive. Do you want the situation to become like that? Have you not had enough of those passive days? You are clearly very smart, but because of your body, you are forced to passively accept all arrangements. No one asks if you like it, if you¡¯re happy with it, if you¡¯re willing¡­ Now, you¡¯ve finally tasted the flavor of initiative. Are you going to give it up?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him expressionlessly: ¡°I said, get lost.¡± Chapter 355: Need Any Help? Chapter 355: Need Any Help? Translator: 549690339 The gardener stood still in front of her. After a moment, he averted his gaze, preparing to shift to another target. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, before he could take ten steps, Bai Youwei called out to him from behind, saying, ¡°Hey, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± The gardener was taken aback, then a slight smirk played on his lips. Ah, women¡­ He turned around to face Bai Youwei with an understanding expression and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to see if the other brides need help.¡± ¡°Who could need more help than a cripple?¡± Bai Youwei said flatly, ¡°Just stay here and help me.¡± The gardener smiled, bowing politely, ¡°I am honored to serve you.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face revealed no emotion and she said lightly: ¡°Since I am the Duke¡¯s bride, the lady of this mansion, and you¡¯re a mere gardener, of course you should serve me.¡± The smile on the gardener¡¯s face faltered, ¡°¡­As long as it¡¯s within my means.¡± Bai Youwei pointed downwards: ¡°They¡¯re all looking for the key on the third floor. I want to search downstairs. Carry me down.¡± After a moment of thought, the gardener said, ¡°Alright.¡± He crouched down in front of Bai Youwei, waited for her to climb onto his back, then carried her downstairs. Upon reaching the first floor, he set Bai Youwei down on the couch in the hall. Bai Youwei said: ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I¡¯m a cripple and I can¡¯t possibly look for the key in such a huge place. I should stay on the third floor to keep an eye on the others so they won¡¯t hide the key while I¡¯m not there.¡± The gardener considered her words. He picked up Bai Youwei once more, taking her back up to the third floor. As soon as Bai Youwei touched her wheelchair, she sighed in frustration: ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s return to the first floor. So much time has already passed, if they wanted to hide the key, they¡¯ve likely done so already. There¡¯s no point in me watching them. I might as well rest in my room.¡± The gardener started to feel something was off, hesitating, he asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to go to the first floor?¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to?¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows, ¡°You mentioned earlier that you would serve me, didn¡¯t you? As an NPC, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could act accordingly, okay?¡± The gardener: Left speechless, he once again crouched down in front of her. He picked up Bai Youwei and swiftly returned to the first floor, setting her down once more. Bai Youwei said: ¡°Let¡¯s go back up to the third floor again.¡± The gardener lost his temper at last:¡± What for this time? The sun is about to set. I must return to my quarters before the Duke comes back!¡± ¡°Why the big reaction?¡± Bai Youwei frowned displeasedly. ¡°My wheelchair is still on the third floor, do you mean you are not going to get it for me?¡± The gardener was taken aback, then stared at her with a dark expression, ¡°¡­Alright, I will retrieve it for you.¡± Once again, he traversed those lengthy spiral stairs to retrieve Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair. Bai Youwei said: ¡°Okay, you can go to the third floor now.¡± The gardener snapped: ¡°I was genuinely trying to help. You shouldn¡¯t play me like this!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Bai Youwei looked up at him, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who just said you need to return to your quarters before the Duke gets back? If you don¡¯t go up to the third floor, are you planning on having dinner with me here on the first floor?¡± The gardener: Frustration was building within him, his hands clenched into fists, and at the same time, he was perplexed: why would a player behave in such a way? Could it be that she had seen through him? But he hadn¡¯t shown any signs of slips at all! At that moment, frantic crying echoed down from above. Between sobs, Cheng Xi ran around aimlessly in the hallways, murmuring anxiously to herself: ¡°What to do¡­ I can¡¯t find it¡­ I just can¡¯t find it¡­ He¡¯s going to come and kill me¡­ I can¡¯t find the key¡­¡± The gardener adjusted his expression, then ascended the staircase with a naturally gentle and concerned expression, ¡°Do you¡­ require any assistance?¡± Chapter 356: Chaos Chapter 356: Chaos Translator: 549690339 Bai Youwei lifted her head, looking at the two by the railing. The Gardener was comforting Cheng Xi meticulously. Severely frightened, Cheng Xi needed such care. She was sobbing non-stop in his embrace, making them appear more intimate. Bai Youwei shifted her eyes away, refusing to watch the man and woman, and looked down at her own hands instead. There was a button in her palm. The one she just ripped from the Gardener¡¯s shirt. The Gardener, due to his constant coming and going between the floors, lost the gentle carefulness he had at the beginning and was rushing up and down incessantly, totally oblivious to Bai Youwei¡¯s action. She stared at it for a moment, put the button away, and wheeled herself towards the dining room. At this moment, a quarrel broke out upstairs! ¡°Cheng Xi! Are you a dog that cannot change its habit of eating poop?! It¡¯s only been a few minutes since I last saw you, and now you¡¯re in a man¡¯s arms?!¡± Hu Ya¡¯s voice was loud and piercing, filled with nameless fury. Cheng Xi, already frightened like a quail, was now being reprimanded by Hu Ya. Her face turned pale white, tears streaming down her face, unable to utter a word. Yu Yaqing also found Cheng Xi¡¯s behavior inappropriate. At such a critical moment, she was still flirting with the NPC, it was simply absurd. However, Hu Ya¡¯s words were way too harsh. She frowned and said: ¡°What on earth are you arguing with her about at this time?¡± Hu Ya yanked Cheng Xi from the Gardener¡¯s embrace and dumped her onto the ground with utter disgust! Cheng Xi staggered and fell, her teary eyes looked pitiful and ever so fragile. Seeing her in this vulnerable state, Hu Ya¡¯s anger surged, and she raised her hand, ready to slap her! ¡°Hu Ya!¡± Unable to bear it, Yu Yaqing blocked Hu Ya, ¡°What are you going crazy for?!¡± ¡°I need to teach her a lesson!¡± Hu Ya fumed, glaring daggers at Cheng Xi, ¡°I need to cure her disease of not being able to leave men alone for three minutes!¡± Yu Yaqing scolded her coldly: ¡°Enough! What she does has nothing to do with you! Handle your own business properly! Did you find the key you¡¯re supposed to look for? Did you?!¡± Hu Ya bit her lip, replying: ¡°No!¡± Yu Yaqing furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Su Man and Zhu Shu: ¡°What about you two? Did you find the key?¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Man shook her head, saying exasperatedly, ¡°There are too many rooms, we don¡¯t even know where to start looking.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned deeply but said nothing. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She thought about what the Gardener said about the True Key¡­ Now, Hu Ya, Zhu Shu, Su Man¡­ all claimed not to have found the key, implying that out of the six of them, only she had found a key, and it was the True Key. They didn¡¯t find a single fake key, is that even possible? Did they hide the information? Just like the Gardener said, were they¡­ all wanting to be the ¡°last bride¡±, in order to receive a high reward? Even at the expense of betraying their comrades? ¡­Comrades? No, they weren¡¯t comrades in the first place. Some of them even had old scores to settle. Yu Yaqing pursed her lips, the scale in her heart tipping from side to side, wavering non-stop. The real key was in her hand. But should she, tell them? ¡­ Meanwhile, Hu Ya was experiencing a different kind of chaos internally¨C I trusted her so much! She actually scolded me in public for that wretched Cheng Xi?!!! What does she take me for?!! A servant girl she could order around and scold at will?! Since she looks down on me! Why should I listen to her?!! Why?!! I will not hand over the key, I will not tell anyone! I must survive till Sunday and become the last bride! Bai Youwei gave these women, each with a different expression, a glance, withdrew her gaze, and wheeled herself directly towards the dining room. There was still a little while till dinner time, and the Inspector was preparing the meal. But the so-called dinner was nothing more than some raw, bloody meat that was absolutely unappetizing. Bai Youwei sat down in silence, studying the Inspector. He glanced over at her, smiling slightly, ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± Resting her cheek on her hand, Bai Youwei slowly said: ¡°I met a gardener in the mansion today. His demeanor and aura reminded me of you.¡± After a pause, she added: ¡°But not as ugly as you.¡± Inspector: Chapter 357: 357: Bluebeard’s Return (Additional Chapter for Monthly Ticket!!!) Chapter 357: 357: Bluebeard¡¯s Return (Additional Chapter for Monthly Ticket!!!)Translator: 549690339 It waited for a moment before replying in a ¡°calm and composed¡± manner: ¡°This is quite normal, the game is designed and controlled by the Inspector. When certain special roles are generated, they naturally incorporate the corresponding attributes of the Inspector.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh¡­¡± The Inspector continued, ¡°This is basic game knowledge, telling you this does not count as a violation or cheating. If you are fortunate enough to survive, you will discover similar situations in other games.¡± Bai Youwei nodded with sudden realization and then asked it, ¡°How many Inspectors are there in total?¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°This question has nothing to do with the current game, so there is no need to answer it,¡± it replied indifferently. Bai Youwei thought for a moment and then rephrased her question, ¡°The Inspector for the female-only game is male, so would there be a female Inspector for a male-only game? I think this isn¡¯t right, you should switch it around.¡± The Inspector smirked arrogantly, ¡°We are entities that you humans cannot comprehend. We have no age, no gender, no identity or name, we are united, without distinction of one another. Therefore, your concerns are completely unnecessary.¡± Bai Youwei looked thoughtful. The Inspector glanced at the outside sky, upturned the corners of its mouth, slightly bowed towards the six brides, and said: ¡°The Duke will be back soon, enjoy your meal. Excuse me.¡± The Inspector left. The dining room was deathly silent, no one spoke. The light was dazzling, the food was bloody, and the dining utensils in front of them were ice cold. Bai Youwei kept petting the rabbit, Su Man anxiously glanced outside the restaurant, Zhu Shu mulled over while holding her knife and fork, Hu Ya remained silent with a straight face, and Cheng Xi was quietly sobbing¡­ And there was Yu Yaqing. Yu Yaqing held that so-called ¡°True Key¡±. Her usually resolute personality was wavering for the first time, she didn¡¯t know what to do! A loud bang echoed from the outside door! Bluebeard had returned! He strode into the dining room, his full-bearded face like a lion or a bear, like a beast walking upright, yet his attire was clean and proper! The sparkling gemstones on his royal blue suit shimmered with each movement! He sat down and indulged himself in the feast just as he did yesterday! Chewing on raw meat! Tearing apart the innards! Bright red blood stained the entire table! Then, with that mouth reeking of blood, he queried: ¡°My brides, why aren¡¯t you eating? Don¡¯t you want to dine with me?¡± This time, no one dared to leave their seat. Refusing to partake in the dinner with the Duke would enrage him. Bai Youwei picked up her knife and fork, and started to cut the meat on her plate. Looking at her with a complex expression, Su Man struggled to ask, ¡°¡­You¡¯re really going to eat it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than dying, isn¡¯t it? We should be thankful it¡¯s beef, not chicken, otherwise we could get salmonella poisoning and die of diarrhea before the game ends¡­¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and put a small piece of meat into her mouth. Suddenly her eyes sprung open, as if surprised, ¡°Mmm¡­ the taste is actually not bad.¡± Su Man didn¡¯t believe it and tried a bite herself. Her face twisted almost instantly, ¡°You liar!¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Bai Youwei calmly put down her knife and fork, wiping the corner of her mouth with a napkin, ¡°If I didn¡¯t deceive you, how would you be able to swallow it?¡± Su Man covered her mouth: Zhu Shu also forced herself to eat a small piece of raw beef, comforting Su Man, ¡°It will be fine after you eat it.¡± Yu Yaqing, Hu Ya, and Cheng Xi also ate the beef. Bluebeard was satisfied with this and laughed heartily. That laughter seemed to originate directly from his throat, carrying a coarse tremor that sent chills down their spines. When the laughter ceased, he grinned broadly, showing off his single sharp canine tooth, and asked with a smile: ¡°My lovely brides, while I was away today, have you all been obedient like I asked?¡± Chapter 358: 358: The Second One Chapter 358: 358: The Second OneTranslator: 549690339 The women stared at each other, nobody dared to pipe up. The dining hall was deathly quiet. The Duke¡¯s gaze slowly drifted over each of their faces, finally resting on Cheng Xi. Cheng Xi¡¯s trembling body shook even more violently. Her eyes widened in terror, her face devoid of colour. She stood rigid, as if about to faint any moment. The Duke narrowed his eyes at her, his voice slow and cold. ¡°Have any of you¡­disobeyed my orders and entered a locked room?¡± Fearfully, Cheng Xi shook her head. She wanted to deny it, but she was voiceless from extreme fear. ¡°Why always¡­¡± the Duke sighed, putting down his knife and fork. The clanging of metal against porcelain echoed, making everyone¡¯s heart skip a beat. They all tensely eyed the humanoid beast, their hands clenched tightly around their weapons under the table, ready to retaliate. ¡°Why?¡­ Why must women always be this way? No matter how many precious jewels I give you, no matter how many beautiful clothes, you¡¯re never satisfied, always wanting more! Why?!¡± The Duke suddenly roared. He rose from his seat and took long strides towards Cheng Xi. Cheng Xi shuddered violently, watching the Duke loom closer with great terror. She was motionless, apart from the shaking. She couldn¡¯t run even if she tried. ¡°What is this?¡± he grabbed hold of her hand and yanked it upwards. ¡°Agh¡­¡± Cheng Xi was lifted up into the air. Her silence broke, and she let out a sharp, high-pitched scream. ¡°You dared to go to that locked room!¡± the Duke growled, gripping her wrist, ¡°You damned woman, lying right to my face?!!¡± Her wrist was squeezed until it was deformed. The red cloth wrapped around her hand came loose, revealing the wound on her hand. Cheng Xi screamed in pain. ¡°Ah!!!¡­ I didn¡¯t! It was them¡­¡± ¡°Still won¡¯t admit it?!¡± The Duke, face twisted in anger, dragged her towards the dining hall exit. ¡°Disobedient brides must be punished! Only by paying the price in blood can you learn how to be a proper bride!¡± Her bones creaked under his grip, blood dripping down her arm, staining her skin and the bridal gown. That arm of hers was almost crushed! Cheng Xi was dragged along the floor, like a blood-soaked dead fish. Everyone shivered with fear. Catching Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, Su Man knew it was time. She raised Iron Sword and charged without hesitation! Zhu Shu immediately followed suit. Yu Yaqing was taken aback momentarily before realising they hadn¡¯t lied to her. They really hadn¡¯t found the key! Otherwise, Su Man and Zhu Shu could have simply used the key to escape, without taking the risk to attack the Duke! Once Yu Yaqing realised this, all the shadows clouding her heart were chased away, her body feeling lighter. Even though a fierce battle was imminent, at least her heart was no longer under torment! She gripped her sword tightly and chased after them out of the dining hall. Seeing Su Man aiming her sword at the Duke¡¯s chest, she coordinated her strike towards the Duke¡¯s back! Caught between two attacks, the Duke was livid! However, just like the previous time, no matter what kind of attack he was subjected to, he refused to let go of Cheng Xi! He single-handedly fended off Su Man¡¯s and Yu Yaqing¡¯s attacks, showing no signs of weakness! He grabbed hold of the incoming sword held by Yu Yaqing and flung it to the side! sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even though Yu Yaqing was prepared and tried to dodge, she was still half a second too late! The overwhelming force flung her high into the air before she slammed onto the staircase! As she hit the ground, she protected her chest and forced herself to sit up. She then saw that Su Man had also been injured, her weapon already broken by the infuriated Duke! ¡°We can¡¯t keep doing this!¡± Yu Yaqing yelled to Su Man, ¡°We can¡¯t hurt him!¡± Chapter 359: 359: Kill Him Chapter 359: 359: Kill HimTranslator: 549690339 Whether it was slashing, chopping, or piercing, all were useless! The Duke was just like an iron wall! Regardless of where they attacked his body, he seemed to be immune to pain! Even if a small injury was inflicted, it would heal quickly! Not to mention hurting him, they couldn¡¯t even stop him now! In just two or three seconds after Yu Yaqing and Su Man stopped, the Duke had already dragged Cheng Xi to the third floor¡ª Upon reaching the third floor, the barely alive Cheng Xi suddenly let out a cry that sounded like both crying and roaring! As if in a final act of resistance, she opened her eyes wide, twisted her body, and used all her strength to throw two beads at the Duke! Of the two beads, the Duke dodged one, and the other hit his shoulder. The Duke¡¯s body trembled twice due to the pain, and a low growl came from his throat, then he continued to drag her forward! ¡°Why¡­¡± Cheng Xi couldn¡¯t accept this outcome, ¡°why didn¡¯t it explode¡­why didn¡¯t it explode?! Why aargh!!!¡± Zhu Shu, who had rushed over, couldn¡¯t accept it either and threw out three beads at once! But the God of Luck no longer favored her. The beads without explosive effects only made the Duke feel pain and couldn¡¯t cause substantial damage. He dragged Cheng Xi more and more quickly. The bride on the ground was screaming, clawing, desperately struggling! She even wished she could bite off her own bloody arm that was being dragged! But she couldn¡¯t escape in the end! Cheng Xi was dragged by the Duke to the execution room. The stone wall turned quickly, the Duke dragged Cheng Xi in, and then the stone wall closed a second before Su Man and Yu Yaqing could reach¡ª Bang! Yu Yaqing¡¯s fist pounded on the wall. The wall was unmoved. Since closing, this wall looked no different from the other walls. Yu Yaqing did not want to give up, and tried to push the wall again. Su Man and Zhu Shu also joined her, but it was useless. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­¡± Yu Yaqing again attempted to push the wall, ¡°why can he go in, but we can¡¯t?!¡± Su Man, who had been pushing for a while, ran out of strength, stopped to catch her breath. Cheng Xi¡¯s painful screams came from inside. As eerie and chilling as yesterday¡¯s Zhao Lanfen, echoing throughout the entire mansion, lingering endlessly¡­ The three women looked at each other in silence. Their eyes were filled with helplessness, defeat, indignation, and the pain of shared hardships. They couldn¡¯t save Cheng Xi, and they were desperate because they had no solution for that man-shaped beast! ¡°The game rules are constraining us, so we can¡¯t enter¡­¡± Zhu Shu looked at the wall and guessed, ¡°maybe, we can only enter this room during the day.¡± Yu Yaqing pondered for a moment, nodding, ¡°It¡¯s very likely. The night is the Duke¡¯s time, the day is the player¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, to find Bai Youwei.¡± Su Man sighed and walked downstairs, ¡°she might have a way.¡± She had never been good at thinking, and before she relied on Yan Qingwen, and now she could only rely on Bai Youwei. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When they went downstairs, they saw Bai Youwei waiting for them at the staircase. Su Man shook her head at her: ¡°We couldn¡¯t save her.¡± Bai Youwei, as if she had expected the result, asked calmly: ¡°Did you see it clearly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Man nodded, ¡°I tore open his suit, and indeed, one button was missing from the inside shirt collar.¡± Yu Yaqing was confused, asking, ¡°What button?¡± Bai Youwei took out a button and threw it over gently. Yu Yaqing caught it, and saw that the button in her hand had a gold rim around it, and it looked somewhat familiar. ¡°This is the button from the Gardener¡¯s clothes, it seems it is indeed the same person.¡± Bai Youwei said flatly, ¡°Since we can¡¯t kill him at night, we¡¯ll try during the day. The game always provides a way out.¡± ¡°Kill him?!¡± Hu Ya, who had been silent, suddenly yelled, ¡°Are you so certain that killing the Gardener can bring us through the game? What if it¡¯s wrong?!!¡± Chapter 360: 360: Unable to Open Chapter 360: 360: Unable to OpenTranslator: 549690339 ¡°What if we¡¯re wrong?¡± Bai Youwei repeated Hu Ya¡¯s question, her tone somewhat perplexed. ¡°If we¡¯re wrong, we¡¯re wrong, it¡¯s just an NPC. What¡¯s the big deal if we kill the wrong person?¡± Su Man chimed in: ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s not a real person, just a game character. No harm done if we kill it.¡± ¡°You guys!¡­.¡± Hu Ya was getting frustrated and upset, ¡°What do you mean ¡®no harm done¡¯? The Gardener is an NPC, he might have important clues! If you kill him, we¡¯ll lose those clues!¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes and looked at Hu Ya: ¡°What, have you gained any clues from him?¡± Hu Ya hesitated and stuttered: ¡°I¡­I of course have not¡­¡± Yu Yaqing saw the change in her expression and asked sternly: ¡°Hu Ya, do you or do you not?¡± ¡°No!¡± Hu Ya denied vehemently, ¡°I just think her way of clearing the game is flawed! This game, how could it be justified that you just kill somebody and clear the stage? There must be something we don¡¯t know! We do not need to take the risk to attack the Duke. The people caught by the Duke cannot be saved, it¡¯s a waste of effort!¡± ¡°So, you didn¡¯t follow us just now?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned and said, ¡°We attacked the Duke not only to save the people, but also to test the Duke¡¯s strength and weaknesses. Even though he became extremely dangerous in his wrath, if the rule that he kills one person every night holds, then we are actually safe.¡± After a pause, she looked at Bai Youwei: ¡°Through last night and tonight¡¯s attacks, I can confirm our attacks are ineffective. At least the weapons in this manor are useless to him.¡± Bai Youwei considered it for a moment and spoke lightly, ¡°Everyone, take some rest. We will examine the execution chamber once the dawn breaks.¡± As she prepared to wheel herself away, Yu Yaqing called her back, ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Bai Youwei stopped and looked at her puzzled. Yu Yaqing pursed her lips and said, ¡°Actually, I have the clue provided by the Gardener.¡± Su Man and Zhu Shu both looked surprised. Hu Ya was also taken aback, her eyes fixated on Yu Yaqing. ¡°What clue?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°The Gardener once said that to leave this place, we need to find the key to the manor¡¯s main door, but later¡­he told me there are real and fake keys, and mine, is real.¡± As she spoke, Yu Yaqing took out the key, and continued, ¡°The Gardener also said the fewer the number of people who pass, the greater the reward. If there¡¯s only one bride left in the end, she will receive seven times the reward.¡± ¡­Seven times reward! They were all taken aback. Some people¡¯s breathing became quicker. All eyes were focused on the key in Yu Yaqing¡¯s hand, including Bai Youwei¡¯s. She reached out to take the key from Yu Yaqing, her hand hovered in the air, paused for two seconds before retracting it, and said with a calm tone, ¡°Then let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Yu Yaqing held the key and said, ¡°Lets give it a try.¡± The five women came to the mansion¡¯s front door. The door, was tightly closed. Complex patterns extended to the corners of the door frame, with a beautiful lock sitting in the middle like a work of art. Surrounded by golden splendor, it made this place seem even more like a gorgeous cage. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yu Yaqing took a deep breath, aligned the key with the keyhole, and inserted it. Turned. Click¡­ Yu Yaqing frowned and tried turning it the other way, but the key was stuck in the lock. She pulled out the key, looked at the others, looking somewhat confused. ¡°This key doesn¡¯t fit.¡± Yu Yaqing said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t work.¡± Chapter 361: Defects Chapter 361: Defects Translator: 549690339 ¡°Let me give it a try!¡± Impatient, Su Man took the key from her, poking it back and forth into the lock, twisting it left and right¨C But it wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Could this key¡­be a fake?¡± Zhu Shu asked hesitantly. Yu Yaqing¡¯s face darkened instantly, ¡°He tricked me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic, there might be usage restrictions.¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s try again when daylight comes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a possibility.¡± Zhu Shu nodded in agreement to Bai Youwei¡¯s words, ¡°Just like Bluebeard¡¯s dungeon, it can¡¯t be entered at night, only during the day. We shouldn¡¯t be discouraged; let¡¯s try again tomorrow.¡± Yu Yaqing, somewhat appeased by their logic, nodded her head they said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try again tomorrow.¡± Then, Bai Youwei leisurely added, ¡°Besides conditions, there might be another reason.¡± Yu Yaqing cast her a doubtful look: ¡°What reason?¡± Bai Youwei casually said, ¡°You mentioned earlier¡­the fewer the number of survivors, the more substantial the prize. If only one bride is left, she will receive a sevenfold reward. Regardless of the truth of the gardener¡¯s words, as long as someone believes it, they might hide the true key to prevent us from advancing.¡± Yu Yaqing froze, ¡°You mean¡­someone among us¡­has hidden the real key?¡± She cast her eyes over everyone present¡­ Su Man, Zhu Shu, Bai Youwei, and ¡­ Hu Ya. As Hu Ya met Yu Yaqing¡¯s gaze, she instantly became flustered: ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­I didn¡¯t take the key! Maybe they took it!¡± Pointing at Zhu Shu, then at Bai Youwei! ¡°They¡¯re both so cunning! They¡¯re the ones who must¡¯ve hidden the key!¡± ¡°Enough, stop shouting.¡± Bai Youwei flicked her eyelids, somewhat irritated, ¡°You¡¯re giving me a headache. Regardless, we will know what¡¯s going on by tomorrow.¡± Yu Yaqing thought for a moment and said, ¡°You can return to your rooms, I want to go to the basement again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going alone?¡± Su Man said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Zhu Shu hesitated for a while, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go too¡­¡± Reluctantly Bai Youwei said, ¡°Alright, alright, since we¡¯re all going, let¡¯s go.¡± The women headed for the basement. Hu Ya bit her lip and followed them. The basement was gloomy and cold. They ignited the torches on the walls and reached the end of the cage. The passage was still there. Warm air was flowing out of the passage. Yu Yaqing bent over and crawled in. After a while, Su Man followed her into the passage. It was expected to take a while, but unexpectedly, they both crawled back out after a short time, drenched in sweat, their faces flushed. ¡°It¡¯s too hot, we can¡¯t go in.¡± Yu Yaqing shook her head at them, ¡°The original exit is blocked by a metal brazier, and now there¡¯s a fire burning there, full of red-hot charcoals.¡± ¡°We can only wait until daylight when the fireplace has cooled before we can enter.¡± Su Man sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡± A shrill scream suddenly echoed from the passage. Everyone jumped in fright. Everyone looked involuntarily at the dark opening, thinking about Cheng Xi¡¯s current predicament, a chill ran up from their feet, causing their hair to stand on end. One after another, the fluctuating cries, eerie and terrible, faintly mingled with Zhao Lanfen¡¯s crying¡­ At the other end of the passage, it seemed like a human hell. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Don¡¯t listen anymore.¡± said Su Man with a grim face, ¡°It¡¯s all fake! Cheng Xi and Zhao Lanfen are already dead, it¡¯s the Duke trying to scare us!¡± Zhu Shu¡¯s face also turned pale as she slowly said, ¡°This is a women-only challenge, all the difficulties are targeting women¡¯s weaknesses, we can¡¯t fall for it.¡± Fragility, timidity, sensitivity, suspicion, and jealousy! These insignificant flaws, right now, might cost them their lives! Chapter 362 - 362 Hu Ya Chapter 362: Hu Ya Translator: 549690339 Zhao Lanfen and Cheng Xi¡¯s screams lasted all night. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei pulled two balls of cotton out of her pillow, plugged her ears, and curled up to sleep with her bunny. She slept peacefully, but someone else couldn¡¯t. Hu Ya rolled over in bed, opened her eyes, looking at the dimly lit room, she couldn¡¯t calm her heart. Earlier, Yu Yaqing¡¯s key hadn¡¯t opened the door. Did that mean the key in her hand was the real one? Or¡­ were both keys fake? No¡­Impossible! Among the two keys, one must be the True Key! Killing the Duke won¡¯t work. If the keys were also fake, how could one advance in the game?! Hu Ya couldn¡¯t help sitting up in bed, gripping the key. If the key was a fake, it would be useless to surrender it; If she held the True Key, she¡¯d have to consider whether the game might only allow one player to pass. Then, she would have to keep the key. The last bride¡­ Regardless, she must figure out a way to be the last bride! Hu Ya got out of bed, crossed the corridor, entered the hall, and came to the sealed door, pulling out her key¡ª Click, click, click¡­ She turned the key left and right, but no matter how much she tried, it wouldn¡¯t open. The more she tried, the more frustrated she became, pulling it out and pushing it back in, trying repeatedly, the lock wouldn¡¯t budge! ¡°Why won¡¯t it open¡­ why¡­ could it be just like Bai Youwei said, it only opens during the day¡­¡± She bit her lip, turning the key while murmuring to herself, sweat beaded on her forehead. ¡°Stop trying.¡± A voice suddenly sounded behind her. Hu Ya jumped, turned around, and found it was Yu Yaqing! ¡°Tea¡­ team leader.¡± Hu Ya was flustered, ¡°You¡­why are you here¡­¡± Yu Yaqing did not respond, only looked at her coldly: ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? The Gardener is the Duke during the day, his words can¡¯t be trusted, he is deceiving us and wants us all to die here!¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± Hu Ya forced a light laugh, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t believe the Gardener, I just wanted to try.¡± ¡°Just trying?¡± Yu Yaqing stared into her eyes, ¡°You didn¡¯t want to escape alone? Hu Ya, what did I teach you?! Hand over the key!¡± Hu Ya took a step back, tucking the key back into her pocket: ¡°Team leader, although we haven¡¯t entered the game before, we¡¯ve heard quite a bit about the game from the exchange area. Most games are competitive. Now both of us have keys, we should work together to win the game. How can you let them lead you around by the nose?¡± ¡°Hu Ya?¡± Yu Yaqing was surprised and angry at her attitude, his voice even harsher! ¡°Have you gone mad?! Do you really think that being the last one standing will give you more rewards? To betray your teammates for rewards?! Sacrifice others?! Have you been brainwashed by the game?!!¡± Hu Ya continued to back away, speaking slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not brainwashed, I¡¯m simply following your teachings. Didn¡¯t you always teach us to be independent and self-reliant?¡± Yu Yaqing retorted angrily: ¡°This isn¡¯t an excuse for you to hoard the key!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Hu Ya continued to back off, ¡°¡­ with the key in my hand, I don¡¯t need anyone, I can finish the game! Instead you, team leader, I¡¯m disappointed in you¡­ You always say that women don¡¯t need to rely on anyone, what about you? Aren¡¯t you being dependent on them? Team leader, they¡¯re using you! Without you, they can¡¯t kill the Duke!¡± Yu Yaqing bellowed sternly: ¡°We can only leave this place after killing the Duke!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Hu Ya bit her lip, her eyes blazing with madness, ¡°Only the last bride can leave this place!¡± Chapter 363: Ask Again Chapter 363: Ask Again Translator: 549690339 ¡°Hu Ya!¡± Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t want to fall out with her former teammate. She took a step towards Hu Ya and commanded her again sternly, ¡°Hand over the key!¡± Hu Ya continued to retreat and then suddenly turned around to run down the corridor! Yu Yaqing lifted her leg to give chase, but she was a step too slow! Hu Ya ran into her own room, and with a thud, she closed the door! ¡°Hu Ya!¡± Yu Yaqing pounded on the door forcefully, ¡°Come out! Don¡¯t be foolish! The key may be a trap!¡± There was no reply from within the room. Meanwhile, everyone else was stirred awake. One by one, they left their rooms, looking puzzled, asking Yu Yaqing: ¡°What happened? Did something happen to Hu Ya?¡± Bai Youwei also rubbed her ears, sleepily asked: ¡°What are you guys fussing about?¡± Yu Yaqing felt somewhat embarrassed. Even though what Hu Ya did was out of her own volition, she was still part of Yu Yaqing¡¯s team, and Yu Yaqing felt responsible for her actions. ¡°Hu Ya has a key in her hands. She might be planning to do something¡­¡± Yu Yaqing pressed her lips together, softly saying, ¡°I¡¯m worried that something might go awry.¡± ¡°Maybe she came out in the middle of the night to open the door, found that she couldn¡¯t open it?¡± Bai Youwei yawned, casually saying, ¡°So what if she did? If Duke does not die, we cannot escape, and it doesn¡¯t make a difference if she¡¯s gone. Everyone should just go back to sleep.¡± She wheeled herself back to her room, closed the door and went to sleep. Su Man and Zhu Shu glanced at each other and also returned to their respective rooms. Yu Yaqing took a look at their receding figures, and then at the tightly shut door in front of her¡­ she lifted her hand to knock on the door again. Thud! Thud! There was no sound from within the room. Yu Yaqing thought for a while and then said to the door: ¡°Hu Ya, no matter what, I hope you will reconsider. Do not let the game bewitch you.¡± After she finished speaking, there was still no sound. Yu Yaqing stood at the door for a while, then turned around and went back to her own room. Hu Ya¡¯s back was against the door. She slowly sank to the floor, lowering her head to look at the key in her hands. ¡°Is there anything else to think about¡­¡± she mumbled absently, looking at the key, ¡°If Duke dies, I can escape with them. If Duke does not die¡­ they will surely not survive. Only I¡­ Only I could last until the very last day.¡± She closed her eyes, clutching the key tightly. ¡°I can¡¯t trust them¡­ The only one I can rely on is myself.¡± Next day at daybreak, Bai Youwei got up early. By now, it was her third morning in the game, and she thought it was about time it ended. She wheeled herself into the dining room. The Inspector was arranging breakfast ¨C still simple milk and dry bread. Even though it was simple, he tirelessly adjusted the placement and angle of the dishes, like someone suffering from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. The others hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Bai Youwei took a bite of the dry bread first. It felt like she was chewing on wood chips. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She put down the bread and took a sip of milk. Thankfully, the milk was fresh. ¡°There¡¯s something that has been bothering me¡­¡± she began, ¡°Considering this game is exclusively for women, isn¡¯t the victory condition of killing Duke a tad violent?¡± The Inspector silently looked at her. Bai Youwei said, ¡°After all, women aren¡¯t best known for their violence. But if isn¡¯t about killing Duke, then the only other alternative is finding the key.¡± At this point, she paused and looked up at the Inspector. ¡°But this alternative seems even less dependable¡­ ¡± She looked at his face, handsome as the boys in a manga, and said calmly, ¡°Because I cannot imagine, if an Inspector in a game deliberately gives out false intelligence, how can the game continue?¡± ¡°The Inspector is always correct,¡± he finally replied, ¡°It¡¯s the players who may misunderstand, not the Inspector.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Then let me ask you once again, is the condition to clear the game to find the key?¡± The Inspector fell silent. After a moment, he answered, ¡°The condition to clear the game is, to be the last bride standing.¡± Bai Youwei gave a faint smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chapter 364: Torture Chapter 364: Torture Translator: 549690339 The Inspector gave a faint smile, ¡°You¡¯re welcome, I just answered the questions as I should.¡± It bowed slightly, still polite and elegant, ¡°Then, please enjoy.¡± The Inspector left the dining room. When Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Yu Yaqing came over, they happened to see this scene and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What were you discussing?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head lightly, ¡°Nothing much, we were just confirming things again.¡± Just now, the Inspector¡¯s answer didn¡¯t mention the key, which meant that the key had nothing to do with passing the round. Even if it did, it certainly wasn¡¯t essential, otherwise the Inspector would have reasons to tell the players. The Inspector could conceal the process of meeting conditions, but it couldn¡¯t hide the conditions themselves! It could tell the players to find the key and set up numerous obstacles in the process, but it couldn¡¯t conceal the task of ¡°finding the key¡±! If even the purpose is concealed, doesn¡¯t the challenge lose its meaning? A teacher can test students with questions, but you can¡¯t hide the questions and let students guess blindly! That would be unfair. ¡°The Duke must die.¡± She finished the remaining milk, wiped her mouth, and continued, ¡°In a game for women only, the Combat Power required shouldn¡¯t be too high, so the Duke must have a weakness. Since he¡¯s invincible at night, let¡¯s try the daytime gardener.¡± Su Man nodded in agreement, ¡°Yu Yaqing and I will go up from the basement, you and Zhu Shu wait directly on the third floor, we will open the door when we arrive.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, as if she wanted to say something, but then she kept quiet. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Man nudged her in the arm. Yu Yaqing said, ¡°Hu Ya hasn¡¯t emerged.¡± ¡°Once she gets out of here, she¡¯ll feel better.¡± Su Man was unimpressed, ¡°There were many like her, just entered the game and was too shocked, became mentally abnormal.¡± Zhu Shu asked, ¡°Shall we go after breakfast?¡± Su Man said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the second floor first to find weapons, the swords from before have all been broken by him.¡± After a few discussions, they all got up and prepared to go to the third floor. Just as they were about to turn around, they surprisingly saw Hu Ya, who had been hiding in the room, came over. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about what happened yesterday¡­¡± Hu Ya approached them remorsefully, ¡°I¡¯ve thought it over, I want to join you in fighting that monster, no amount of rewards can compare to the importance of everyone working together.¡± Her change was so sudden that everyone was at a loss for words. Yu Yaqing said, ¡°First, come and get the weapons with Su Man and me, then go to the third floor with Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu. You¡¯re agile and could be a great help.¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei gave Hu Ya a casual glance and did not voice any objections to this arrangement. They split into two groups. One headed to the basement while the other made straight for the third floor. Meanwhile, Hu Ya was behaving honestly, causing no trouble. Before long, Su Man and Yu Yaqing had opened the stone wall. But their faces were extremely grim, standing at the door, not immediately letting Bai Youwei and the others in. ¡°Before you come in, you¡¯d better be prepared.¡± Yu Yaqing said gravely, ¡°Cheng Xi¡¯s corpse¡­ is in there.¡± Bai Youwei was puzzled, ¡°Only Cheng Xi¡¯s?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Yu Yaqing furrowed her brows and glanced inside, ¡°Anyway¡­ you¡¯ll know once you go in.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s heart sank. She had a vague suspicion. She followed Yu Yaqing and Su Man into the torture room, and saw¡­ Cheng Xi was seated in the witch¡¯s chair, her body pierced with dense iron nails! Her once white shroud had long since turned crimson! Cheng Xi¡­ had been tortured! Chapter 365: Run Chapter 365: Run Translator: 549690339 The sight before them was too grueling, causing Zhu Shu to cover her mouth, feeling the urge to physically vomit. Everyone¡¯s faces were pale with horror. Only after witnessing such brutal sacrifices could they comprehend ¨C becoming a doll was, in fact, a gentle method of death. ¡°Why did Zhao Lanfen¡¯s body disappear, but Cheng Xi¡¯s is still here?¡± Su Man pondered, ¡°Could there be any special reason?¡± Bai Youwei looked around, her expression grim. ¡°Perhaps¡­ Zhao Lanfen didn¡¯t disappear. We just didn¡¯t see her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ Zhao Lanfen might be in this room too?¡± Su Man panicked. Regardless of how brave she was, the mere thought that a corpse was in the same room without them knowing created an immense uneasiness. Zhu Shu followed Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze and landed on a form of torture equipment against the wall. Her pale face blanched even further. ¡°¡­Iron¡­Maiden¡­¡± Goosebumps tingled on Su Man¡¯s scalp, ¡°Speak clearly!¡± Zhu Shu tried to steady her ragged breath, attempting to maintain a calm demeanor. She slowly explained, ¡°It¡¯s a form of ancient torture device made in the shape of a human body, like a giant iron coffin, with a movable door embedded with sharp spikes. Once closed, the spikes pierce the person inside, and they are specifically designed to avoid immediate vital spots. The person wouldn¡¯t die instantly, but rather endure slow death in the darkness amidst unbearable agony¡­ ¡± Zhao Lanfen might very well be in that Iron Maiden. With a shaky voice, Su Man gritted her teeth, ¡°There are seven torture devices in here¡­¡± Seven torture devices. Seven brides. The room plunged into a dead silence. The mere thought of these brutal torture devices potentially being used on them made everyone shiver in terror, their faces pallid and speechless. As if¡­ they had reached their psychological breaking point, the fear ready to drive them insane at any time! Bai Youwei tried to bring her attention back. ¡°The Gardener¡­¡± She closed her eyes and asked, ¡°Has the Gardener awakened yet?¡± In the middle of the torture chamber floor, a man lay. Yu Yaqing went over to check, replying, ¡°No, he¡¯s still unconscious like yesterday.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her companions and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± They had to kill him to end everything! In the fairytale, Bluebeard¡¯s death meant the end of the story. Let the game end that way too! Su Man held up the Iron Sword over the man on the ground, but a sense of pity washed over her as she looked at the Gardener who reminded her of Li Li. Despite her hesitation, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Yu Yaqing took a deep breath, lifting the sword, ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll pierce his heart. If it still doesn¡¯t work, don¡¯t worry about me. Escape.¡± Hu Ya unconsciously retreated a few steps towards the door. Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu fixed their gaze on the blade pointed downwards. Yu Yaqing could hear her heart thumping, thumping¡­in fear and unease. She gritted her teeth, thrusting forward suddenly! The blade plunged deep into the Gardener¡¯s chest! The Gardener jolted awake in that very instant! His surprised expression earnt to Yu Yaqing, to the sword and then his pierced chest! Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Aaaaahhhh!!!¡± He let out a howl of agony, suddenly struggling to his feet! With an uncanny strength, he flung Yu Yaqing aside! Then he let out a roar like a furious werewolf! His handsome features twisted hideously! Thick hair sprouted from his neck! And his body! His body began an alarming transformation, growing taller and stronger! It was like a mountain standing between them, his eyes glowing a blood red! Yu Yaqing screamed, ¡°Run!!!¡± Chapter 366: Run! Chapter 366: Run! Translator: 549690339 Hu Ya was closest to the exit, when she saw the Gardener transforming into a wild beast, progressively retreating, her face turning entirely pale with fear! Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I said it before¡­ I said before that we couldn¡¯t kill him!¡± she suddenly screamed hysterically, ¡°I told you before! Only the last bride can escape alive!!!¡± After saying this, she ran away without caring about anyone else! The others ignored her. Su Man was unwilling to give up, ¡°Why is it still alive? If striking the heart is useless¡­ then I will cut off your head!¡± The beast was still raging, raising its head and roaring, completely unaware that Su Man had already raised the Iron Sword high above her head! Bang! The heavy and sharp iron weapon hit the beast¡¯s neck, making a dull sound! Those thick bristles blocked the beast¡¯s attack, and not a single drop of blood was shed! ¡°We have to get out of here!¡± Yu Yaqing pulled Su Man¡¯s arm and dragged her out, ¡°Its wounds will heal quickly! It¡¯s useless to fight!!!¡± Zhu Shu was pulling Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair, swiftly retreating. The Gardener, transformed into a wild beast, roared and charged towards the door, trying to block their escape. Suddenly, an enormous bolt of blue-violet electricity hit him! The beast fell to the ground with a loud crash! This assault was unexpected and abrupt, that not just the beast, even Yu Yaqing and Su Man were stunned. Although Yu Yaqing had seen Bai Youwei use an electric weapon before, that time, it had only caused minor shocks, she had no idea that Bai Youwei could release such a powerful jolt of electricity! The blue light from earlier was like a bolt of lightning that had appeared out of nowhere! There was a faint smell of burnt fur in the air ¡­ All of them froze. They gazed in shock and disbelief at the beast laying on the ground. The humanoid beast didn¡¯t die right away, it laid on the ground, its broad and sturdy back moving slightly, its fur bristling, emitting a coarse breathing sound from its throat. Bai Youwei frowned, and once again released a bolt of lightning! Boom! The blue-violet light exploded! This time, the flash of lightning was bigger! Brighter! Louder! All the clothes on the beast were reduced to ashes, revealing burnt black fur. The skin around its mouth, nose, and eyes, the areas where the skin is weak, was all burned away, revealing strands of blood, looking absolutely terrifying. It fell silent and motionless on the ground. Before long, that low breathing noise resounded again The massive body was breathing, quivering, its claws scratching the floor, making creaking noises ¡­ Looking at this, Bai Youwei¡¯s face darkened, ¡°It has an immortal body now, no matter how it¡¯s killed, it will come back to life! I can only release this kind of electrical shock two more times. You all should take advantage of this time to find a place to hide!¡± ¡°What about you?!¡± Su Man asked anxiously. Bai Youwei bit her lip, looked back at Zhu Shu, and said, ¡°Zhu Shu stays, you and Yu Yaqing should go quickly!¡± Now was not the time to exercise modesty, the beast on the ground would soon recover! Su Man and Yu Yaqing exchanged a look, decisively ran out of the torture chamber, their footsteps gradually distancing away. With hundreds of rooms upstairs and downstairs, as long as they hid, even if the beast searched room by room, it may not be able to find them. With grinding teeth, the beast rose from the ground, creaking and gnashing. The burnt skin around the eyes had peeled away, leaving only two bloodshot eyes, glaringly at Bai Youwei! Bai Youwei¡¯s expression was icy cold; another bolt of electricity was launched! The beast fell to the ground once more! Zhu Shu pulled the wheelchair hurriedly outwards, her heart pounding, with hands all sweaty! The beast was on its feet not long after they landed in the corridor, scorched all over, entirely black, and was walking toward them step by step The air was filled with the smell of burning and the stench of blood. Bai Youwei released another bolt of electricity, in an attempt to push him back! The blue-violet light, like a broadsword, fell on the beast again! Only this time, the dazzling halo seemed a little smaller than the last time. Bai Youwei had stated earlier that she could only repeat this kind of attack twice, and this was already the second time! Chapter 367: 367: Run! Chapter 367: 367: Run!Translator: 549690339 Zhu Shu¡¯s heart was in her throat as she saw the beast seemingly showing signs of revival. Her limbs were almost numb with panic as she pushed the wheelchair and sprinted in the opposite direction! Once her pace quickened, the sound of her footsteps could hardly be concealed. Sooner or later, the beast would track the noise and catch up! ¡°Head towards the stairs!¡± Bai Youwei ordered. ¡°But! ¡­ ¡± Zhu Shu gasped, her face full of sweat, ¡°I can¡¯t run fast while carrying you downstairs!¡± Zhu Shu had been through this labyrinth. With her physical ability, she could carry Bai Youwei. Although not as fast as Su Man, she could run quite fast. But This ¡°fast¡± was far from comparable to the speed of the beast! ¡°Do as I say, head towards the stairs!¡± Bai Youwei commanded again. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Shu gritted her teeth and, increasing her speed, ran towards the spiral staircase ¡ª Heavy footsteps echoed from behind once more, the humanoid beast was catching up! After ¡°The Gardener¡± transformed into ¡°The Duke,¡± his speed and strength were greatly enhanced. Coupled with his body¡¯s continuous self-healing ability, he was virtually an indestructible killing machine. He slowly closed the distance towards Su Man and Bai Youwei. His charred body was quickly healing, although the scorched skin and fresh blood did not disappear, which made him look terrifying! He seemed like a demon crawled out from some corpse burning site! ¡°My lovely bride¡­¡± A hoarse voice arose from his throat, filled with a cackling laughter that seemed to ridicule their futile attempts to escape his clutches and showed excitement at finally cornering his prey down. He stared at Bai Youwei, his mouth covered in burnt skin and exposed a horrid smile: ¡°Since you are so eager, then¡­ let¡¯s start tonight¡¯s dinner a bit early.¡± Zhu Shu gripped the wheelchair¡¯s armrest and backed away. Bai Youwei bit her lip and said nothing. He slowed his pace, relishing the moment, steadily moving closer and closer to them¡­ ¡°What happened¡­¡± he sneered, ¡°My bride, your tool, can¡¯t it be used?¡± Bai Youwei quietly touched the fluffy rabbit¡¯s head and replied softly, ¡°It still works.¡± The Duke froze in his tracks. ¡°When I said it can be used twice more, you really thought that was all it had?¡± Bai Youwei lifted her head, her lips curling up in a smile that was as radiant as it was cruel. ¡°What a fool!¡± The Duke was taken aback, and without realizing, he stepped back just into the stairwell opening. ¡°You¡­¡± Before he could say any more, a massive bolt of lightning smashed down on his head! As terrifying as a monstrous crocodile trying to tear him to pieces! ¡°Zhu Shu!¡± Bai Youwei shouted. Zhu Shu hastily threw out the last three beads she had! All the while praying in her mind: They must explode! They must! Boom! Fate finally smiled upon her again! One of the three beads caused a Thunderstorm Effect. In combination with Bai Youwei¡¯s lighting, they blasted the Duke down the staircase! The enormous being let out a wail of agony. His body fell, breaking the railing of the second floor and slammed heavily onto the first floor lobby! Thud! ¡­ He lay motionless. Zhu Shu nervously looked down at the scene and muttered, ¡°Is he dead¡­¡± ¡°He won¡¯t die, but with such a severe injury, it will take him some time to recover.¡± Bai Youwei swiftly used the golden key to open the dollhouse, completely ignoring Zhu Shu¡¯s shocked expression. She efficiently tossed the rabbit and her bag inside, then opened her foldable cane and got up. ¡°Hurry, throw my wheelchair down.¡± she instructed. The act of throwing down the wheelchair was to deceive the adversary. After all, hiding while using a wheelchair was not ideal. As long as they threw the wheelchair down, the Duke would have no way to determine where Bai Youwei was hiding. Leaning on the cane, Bai Youwei walked into the nearest room to the staircase on the third floor. Zhu Shu threw the wheelchair down and hastily entered the room too, quietly closing the door behind he Chapter 368: 368: Hide Away Chapter 368: 368: Hide AwayTranslator: 549690339 This was a room filled with luxurious clothes. Except for the wall with the door, the other three walls were all filled with wardrobes! In the center of the room, there were more than ten lifelike models dressed in gorgeous fashion, their high wigs, puffed sleeves, and vast dragging skirts, as if hosting a court feast from the Elizabethan Era. Zhu Shu opened the door of the wardrobe, guided Bai Youwei into it, then shut the door, and quickly hid herself under the model¡¯s dress. The court dresses of this time were very extravagant, within which was a waist pad made from velvet, the larger the pad, the richer it signified the wearer was. Underneath it, there was a still larger skirt pad, and only outside that was the actual dress. Just a short moment after Zhu Shu was hidden, vibrating footsteps sounded from downstairs. The Duke was back. His footsteps were both hurried and heavy, filled with anger, almost like he had rushed straight to the third floor once he was recovered! Then started looking for them one by one! Just like Bai Youwei had suspected, he skipped the first two rooms and started his search from the third one. The rooms at the end of the corridor were more likely to become the subjects of his suspicion. Bai Youwei stayed quietly in the wardrobe, but her heart was far from settled, as if she were on a roasting fire. She relaxed momentarily when the Duke walked further away but was worried again for Su Man and Yu Yaqing getting found, three of her worries due to their comradeship, and seven attributed to the game¡¯s competitiveness! sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She couldn¡¯t figure out, where did she go wrong! According to her past gaming experience, killing the Duke would certainly have allowed them to pass the level, and since the Duke was invincible at night, then the daytime gardener was their opportunity! But why did it not work? The gardener did not die! Not only did he not die, he transformed into the Duke, causing the night to prematurely fall! Now, they were all his prey! Regret or remorse are insufficient to describe her current feelings, there was more, a deep skepticism and confusion. The Duke¡¯s teeth-gritting calls echoed throughout the corridor. ¡°My lovely brides, where are you¡­ don¡¯t you know that refusing to dine with me shall enrage me!¡± ¡°Come out¡­ my brides, I can already smell you, like wild cats in a garbage dump, both fishy and unpleasant! Disgusting!¡± ¡°Where are you?! Come out!!!¡± ¡°Liars! Liars!!! Greedy, foolish women! I will tear you apart!!!¡± Roaring and pounding footsteps filled the manor, the floor trembling slightly with the master¡¯s fury. The Duke, having found nothing on the third floor, furiously went down to the second floor, and after another futile effort, went down to the first! As he went further away, the forceful sound of his voice also dwindled and softened. Zhu Shu slightly let her guard down. She huddled under the model¡¯s dress, her feet both sore and numb, yet dared not to move. Just when she was considering whether to stretch her legs, the footsteps suddenly got closer! After searching the lower floor, it seemed the Duke suspected they had not left the third floor and came back again! The nerves she had just let go of promptly tightened again! Zhu Shu held her breath. Thud, bang. The sound of something falling to the floor. Zhu Shu¡¯s heart almost leaped out of her throat! Why on earth would something fall all of a sudden?! Could it be that something happened on Bai Youwei¡¯s end? Damn, this noise would definitely alert the Duke! As expected, the footsteps quickened its pace! Zhu Shu was filled with anxiety but had no solutions. She slightly raised the flower lace of the dress at the bottom ¨C There was no unusual movement near the wardrobe, instead, a piece of cloth swiftly retracted from the doorway. Zhu Shu froze. She recognized that piece of cloth. It was Hu Ya¡­ A chill arose in Zhu Shu¡¯s heart; she hadn¡¯t expected that in the unclear situation like this, Hu Ya wanted to harm them. Chapter 369: 369: Breaking Out Chapter 369: 369: Breaking OutTranslator: 549690339 Such clear and distinct sound, naturally the Duke couldn¡¯t ignore it. He rushed in immediately, his gruff voice full of extreme pleasure: ¡°Oh¡­ I heard you, my bride, stop hiding, I know you¡¯re right here.¡± This time, he was not impatient. Instead, he was very meticulous, opening the rows of closet doors one by one If there were too many clothes inside, he would ¡°patiently¡± reach in and grab a handful! Zhu Shu is hiding behind the dresses, unable to see what¡¯s happening outside. She could only hear the constant sound of doors being opened: bang, bang, bang! Her mind racing, ready to explode! What should she do?! What should she do?! Even though she couldn¡¯t see anything, she knew the Duke was drawing near to the closet where Bai Youwei was hiding! She has no time to pay attention to Hu Ya¡¯s actions now, she only wants to save Bai Youwei! Tears streamed down her cheeks. Zhu Shu felt the dampness and only then realized she was crying out of sheer desperation. Aside from acting, it has been a long time since she has cried real tears. With this in thought, her mind surprisingly calms down. ¡­Yes, think calmly. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If Bai Youwei is taken by the Duke, how would things pan out? Su Man is impulsive and often acts on her emotions, unable to think rationally. Yu Yaqing is capable, but has never played the game, and is basically inexperienced. Hu Ya is lurking in the dark, always scheming, wishing nothing more than for them to die. And then there¡¯s herself¡­ All that remains is her¡­What can she do? She doesn¡¯t have the confidence to clear the level! She can¡¯t do it! If it were Bai Youwei! Perhaps several lives could be saved! She can¡¯t quite put a finger on why, but her tears fall faster. In life, she had no control over herself; controlled by her company, pursued by fans, stalked by paparazzi¡­ she could never truly be herself, to the point where she sometimes lost herself¡ª she didn¡¯t know who she was anymore. Now, faced with death, at least, she can choose her own way of dying. Zhu Shu closes her eyes briefly, telling herself silently, ¡°haven¡¯t you decided long ago to die like a human being? Despite the gruesomeness of the torture instruments, as long as you seize the right opportunity, you can escape from the torment.¡± The sound of the closet doors opening is getting closer. She takes a deep breath and finally makes her decision. Not just to save Bai Youwei, but also to save herself. Rather than facing despair later, why not charge out now, filled with hope! Zhu Shu suddenly stands up, fiercely smashing the plastic mannequin towards the beast, then she runs out of the room! The item may not cause pain when it hits, but its suddenness stuns the Duke into a momentary pause. He roars and immediately gives chase! Bai Youwei, inside the closet, felt a sudden dread. She pushed open the closet door, falling onto the floor, disregarding the pain. She looked towards the door only to see the Duke¡¯s retreating figure! She is filled with a mix of shock and rage, sorrow and anger welling up together, she shouted out loud, ¡°Zhu Shu!!!¡± Damn it! Damn it! She doesn¡¯t need to be saved! She doesn¡¯t need anyone to save her!!! Bai Youwei gritted her teeth, picked up her cane to stand up, step by step, she left the room. The room¡¯s door was beside the spiral staircase. She saw Zhu Shu trying to jump over the railing, seeking to end her life to avoid being tortured, but at the last moment, the Duke grabbed her back. The Duke was dragging Zhu Shu by her hair, just like he dragged Zhao Lanfen, just like he dragged Cheng Xi, disregarding her struggles and screams, dragging her towards the torture chamber on the third floor. When he saw Bai Youwei, the Duke¡¯s eyes flashed with menace, seemingly hesitating, thinking to let Zhu Shu go and capture Bai Youwei instead. But he was afraid of Bai Youwei¡¯s lightning, so he just coldly glanced at her, and walked past her with his ¡°prize¡± Bai Youwei threw four beads at him! Chapter 370: 370: Can’t Escape (Monthly ticket extra update!!!) Chapter 370: 370: Can¡¯t Escape (Monthly ticket extra update!!!)Translator: 549690339 She can¡¯t use the rabbit! The rabbit¡¯s battery power is low, making it hard for it to harm the Duke, let alone its current grasp on Zhu Shu. If the electrical current were to run into Zhu Shu, she will die even before the Duke is harmed! So, she tossed out four beads. In the dollhouse, she obtained twelve beads, eight of which she¡¯d used, leaving her with four. These were the last beads she had! And the only offensive tool that could be immediately effective! The beads hit the Duke. With wide eyes, she finally saw the explosive blast she had been hoping for! Boom! But the Duke¡¯s body merely swayed, without letting go of Zhu Shu. The charred skin on his back had a glaring red wound caused by the explosion of the beads. The Duke briefly looked back at Bai Youwei, his eyes were extremely venomous. Bai Youwei bit her lip tightly and pushed herself forward with her cane. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Duke glanced at her leg, sneered, then turned his gaze away, continuing to drag the struggling Zhu Shu towards the torture chamber. Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned pale and her steps were more frantic. She couldn¡¯t keep up with him! Suddenly, two figures charged out from behind her, heading straight for the Duke and Zhu Shu! It was Su Man and Yu Yaqing! They charged at the Duke, swords in hand, slashing at him ferociously! They were well aware that their weapons couldn¡¯t harm him and that he was Immortal; but even if they could make him loosen his grip just a bit and save Zhu Shu, their efforts would not be in vain! They stabbed at his back and his ankles. They chopped at his wrist and his head. No matter how they attacked, the Duke seemed fully aware of their intentions, his grip on Zhu Shu never loosened. With one hand, he sent Yu Yaqing crashing into the wall, then brought his hand down to slap away the ever pestering Su Man. With this force, Su Man was knocked back, falling and twisting the hand she had previously injured. A soft grunt of pain escaping her. Finally, the Duke arrived outside the torture chamber! The parallel walls of the chamber flipped open, revealing a passageway. Just as the Duke was about to drag Zhu Shu inside, the struggling Zhu Shu suddenly threw out an object! A snowflake! [Snowflake: Only a snowflake can invite guests from winter. Guests will leave when the snowflake melts.] No one clearly understood the tool¡¯s capabilities, so no one had ever used it after leaving the dollhouse. But now, Zhu Shu was hanging by a thread and was unwilling to risk her last life-saving tool! The Duke paused, stopping in his tracks. Within a second, a snowstorm suddenly broke out within the room and the temperature plummeted! From the gathered snow emerged a giant snowman almost three meters tall. White all over with sharp claws and red eyes. When it roared, it echoed like the chilling howl of the northerly wind. The snowman roared and charged straight at the Duke, throwing him forcefully into the torture chamber! Yu Yaqing and Su Man hurriedly pulled Zhu Shu out of there! One of them carried Zhu Shu and the other carried Bai Youwei, running for their lives. But unexpectedly, as they passed by a room at the stairs, Hu Ya rushed out frantically, knocking into them! This time, it wasn¡¯t Hu Ya¡¯s intention to do so. Originally, she intended to hide until everyone was dead before trying the keys, but when the temperature suddenly dropped and she heard the snowman¡¯s roar, she got anxious and decided to leave the third floor for a safer hiding place. Zhu Shu and Bai Youwei were well-aware of what Hu Ya had done, but this wasn¡¯t time for personal revenge. The beast behind them could catch up at any moment! Everyone hurriedly ran downstairs. Seeing the chaos at the end of the hallway, Hu Ya, overwhelmed with panic, also ran downstairs. Gasping for breath, Su Man asked, ¡°How long can the snowman hold on?¡± ¡°Not long,¡± Zhu Shu replied in despair. ¡°The snowflake melts when guests leave. If it were winter now, the effect of this tool could last for a while. But in the torture chamber¡­ there¡¯s a fire basin¡­¡± The snowman would melt soon. And they had no place to hide¡­ Chapter 371: The Third One Chapter 371: The Third One The seemingly endless spiral staircase stretched on. Whether it was due to their fraught nerves, the extreme fatigue of their bodies, or the dizzying rotation of the staircase¡­ it was a never-ending climb, a never-ending climb. Hu Ya wanted to overtake them, but the staircase wasn¡¯t wide enough to accommodate three people walking side by side. In the end, all five of them fell together in the shuffle. Zhu Shu fell down and hit the metal railing, clamping down on her lip with a mute groan, her whole body breaking out in cold sweat. When she had been seized and dragged on the ground by the Duke, her bones in her hand were crushed and her knees were scraped raw. Su Man and Yu Yaqing also bore injuries of varying severity. They struggled to their feet, helping each other down the stairs, with Hu Ya recklessly at the lead, scared of ending up at the back. The Snowflake creatures were melting faster than they expected. Angry roars echoed from the third floor, swirling overhead like the shadow of death. Hu Ya panicked and ran even faster. The roar was closing in, the handrail was shaking! S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Duke chased them to the staircase entrance while struggling! A Snowflake creature the size of an arm bit tightly onto his head, its sharp icy teeth piercing deep into his skull. It was the hardest ice crystal, capable of piercing bone and freezing flesh and blood! Half of the Duke¡¯s face was frostbitten! But as he struggled and as time went on, the frost on his face was fading and the Snowflake clinging stubbornly on his head was getting smaller¨C Until it finally melted into a puddle of slush. The Duke simply shook his head forcefully, and the snow scattered into tiny flakes, turning into crystal droplets, completely disappearing in the air. Every one of them felt the utter desperation of death drawing near! The Duke¡¯s bloodshot eyes fixed on them, filled with resentment and hatred! His chest heaved violently, his whole body riddled with wounds, bloodied, after the brutal fight with the Snowflake! If not for his powerful Self-Healing Ability, he would have never made it this far! He tilted his head back and let out a howl like a wolf, then abruptly leaped over the railing and jumped straight down from the third floor! Thump!!! There was a loud crash as he impacted the ground! The floor beneath him shattered! He happened to block the exit of the first-floor staircase, cutting off their only escape route! Unable to go down, they were forced to turn and flee upstairs. Hu Ya, who had been leading the way earlier, was now at the end, and the Duke caught her by the leg, holding her upside down! ¡°Aaaaaahh!!!¡± She screamed shrilly. The Duke, clutching the woman who was struggling for dear life, turned his gaze to the remaining four on the staircase above. A low growl came from his throat as his hand continued to tighten around Hu Ya, causing her screams to become even more terrifying, almost splitting her voice. Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu, Su Man and Yu Yaqing, were almost at the third floor. The Duke gritted his teeth with a grating sound. In his rule, he could only kill one bride each night, but now he wanted to kill more. He wanted to kill the women upstairs¡­ Those women who dared to defy him! The Duke let out an angry roar, suddenly swung Hu Ya in his hand and threw her away, before rushing up the stairs at a breathtaking speed! Hu Ya¡¯s body slammed into a large hanging crystal chandelier with a loud crash! The dangling crystal hexagonal prisms turned into a row of sharp blades instantly, slicing her hands and feet, piercing her skin! She tried to grab onto something, but was unable to hold on to anything, and with the sound of clinking and clattering, she finally fell hard onto the floor! Blood was all over her! Despite the terrible state she was in, she still managed to prop up her upper body and laugh hysterically: ¡°He didn¡¯t kill me! He didn¡¯t kill me! Ha ha ha ha ha!!! I¡¯m the last bride, I found the True Key, so he won¡¯t kill me! I¡¯m the last bride! The last bride!!!¡± Ding, dong dong Two crystal hexagonal prisms fell to the ground. Hu Ya was startled and looked up. The crystal chandelier that was heaped onto the ceiling of the hall was swaying precariously. Her pupils shrunk as she saw the entire chandelier coming down! ¡°Aaaaaaaaah!!!¡­¡± Chapter 372: The Fourth One Chapter 372: The Fourth One In this life and death situation, Hu Ya¡¯s tragic death did not attract anyone¡¯s attention. They could only worry about themselves, longing to break away from the chase behind. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, the Duke was too fast, and he quickly caught up with them. His strong claws targeted Bai Youwei¡¯s back and launched a grab! Yu Yaqing quickly knocked Bai Youwei down, blocking the strike. But her back was slashed off a layer of flesh! Su Man turned around and threw the beads at the Duke¡¯s face! She got 10 beads in the Dollhouse. At this moment, she threw out 5, with amazingly good luck; two burst upon contact with the Duke¡¯s body, blasting his flesh into a mess! The Duke let out a painful howl, leaning backward and barely managed to keep from falling by grabbing the staircase handrail! The four women upfront had already rushed up to the third floor and ran deeper into the corridor. The Duke roared furiously! He charged up the stairs again, faster than before, stronger than before! Without leaving the women any time to recover, he pounced on them, roaring! The next second, Su Man hurled the remaining five beads at him! This time, none of the beads exploded, the Duke only paused slightly before closing in on her and Zhu Shu¡ª If there were two people he hated the most, it would be Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu! One unleashed lightning that left him badly scorched! One summoned a snow monster that bit him until he was covered in wounds! Bai Youwei¡¯s lightning had been released again and again. He had to stay cautious, but a prop like the snow monster should not reappear, so he did not hesitate to grab Zhu Shu! Smack! The riding crop whipped through the air, making a sound and tightly coiling around his wrist! ¡°Run!¡± Su Man held the other end of the whip and yelled. Zhu Shu instantly rolled to the side, got up, and ran onwards! The Duke roared with rage, forcefully lifted his wrist, and following the whip, he caught Su Man in his grip! ¡°Su Man!¡± Bai Youwei lunged at the Duke! As did Yu Yaqing! The two of them, one held Su Man¡¯s hand, the other grasped Su Man¡¯s leg. Zhu Shu¡¯s eyes were rimmed red. The Zhu Shu who had run away came back, fell to the ground, and firmly held Su Man¡¯s waist! The three women tried their best, but they still couldn¡¯t stop the Duke from dragging Su Man toward the torture room. All the usable props were gone, leaving them with no way out! They had no solution! As the distance to the torture room grew nearer¡ª Yu Yaqing freed one hand, picked up half a broken sword from the ground, and drove it hard into the floor. As she was dragged along, blood flowed from her palm, and the sword blade traced a streak of blood on the ground. Bai Youwei¡¯s arm was being rubbed raw against the ground, she looked pale, clutching Su Man¡¯s hand tightly, and kept repeating, ¡°Su Man, hold on¡­ You must hold on¡­¡± Zhu Shu gripped Su Man¡¯s waist, crying uncontrollably. She kept applying force, the tips of her shoes digging hard into the ground, trying to create resistance against the Duke. However, everything seemed in vain. ¡°Catch me!-¡± She cried out, ¡°I¡¯ll be your bride tonight! Catch me, you bastard!!!¡± The wall outside the torture room swung open. Zhu Shu screamed hysterically: ¡°No!!!¡± ¡°Let go.¡± Su Man¡¯s lips curled into a bleak smile, ¡°And stop wasting the props. Hu Ya is dead, with only four of us left, someone has to go to the torture room tonight¡­¡± The Duke kills a bride every night; this is an unwavering rule. If he didn¡¯t grab her, he would grab another bride! Half of Su Man¡¯s body had already been pulled into the torture room. Yu Yaqing could no longer hold herself up. She released the bloody broken sword from her hand. Bai Youwei, too, was blocked by the stone wall outside. The stone wall swung shut, Zhu Shu exerted all her strength to push and beat the wall, but all was for naught. In the last moment before the wall closed, she heard Su Man say from inside: ¡°Zhu Shu, about before¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Chapter 373: 373: The Fourth Day Chapter 373: The Fourth Day The stone walls sealed shut From within the torture chamber echoed a stifled cry of agony from Su Man before descending into a haunting silence. No one knew what had happened to her. The witch¡¯s chair, Iron Maiden, bronze bull torture, pear torture, the dustman¡¯s daughter, Catherine wheel, two-man saw¡­ Seven torture tools, each one a nightmare for women. The corridor was deserted, silent as a tomb. All sounds choked in their throats¡­ Zhu Shu covered her face with both hands, her body violently trembling, tears falling inaudibly. Bai Youwei leaned against the wall, sitting on the floor, head drooping as she gasped for breath, speechless. Yu Yaqing also sat on the floor, clutching her injured hand, silently staring down the end of the corridor. She thought about Hu Ya¡¯s death, their current predicament, the future of this world¡­ Her heart was filled with bewilderment. This night seemed unbearably long. They stayed outside the torture chamber. Su Man¡¯s voice was no more. Silently, Yu Yaqing prayed that Su Man found the strength to end her suffering. It was better than being tormented by torture tools. She got up to help Bai Youwei stand, telling Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu: ¡°Su Man bought us another day. We cannot let it go to waste. Let¡¯s return to our rooms to rest, then reconsider our options.¡± She thought they would continue to be despondent, or even collapse emotionally, but they didn¡¯t. Even though tears still flowed, Zhu Shu stood up quietly and started walking towards the stairs one step at a time. They returned to the first floor. The hall was strewn with shattered crystals. Hu Ya was silently crushed beneath the massive crystal chandelier, her form unseen. They walked past the hall to return to the bride¡¯s room, though sleep eluded them, despite knowing they needed rest. Zhu Shu sat at the edge of the bed, her tears unceasing. Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t try to console her. Perhaps, expressing the grief was better¡­ The door creaked open. Yu Yaqing looked up to see Bai Youwei leaning on her crutch by the doorway, ready to leave. ¡°Bai Youwei¡­¡± Yu Yaqing stood up. Before Yu Yaqing could say anything, Bai Youwei quietly said: ¡°I want to be alone for a while.¡± Her hair was disheveled, hiding half of her face. Her bangs cast shadows over her eyes that obscured her expression. Yu Yaqing gazed at Bai Youwei. She understood that Bai Youwei was suffering. She wanted to comfort her ¡ª it¡¯s okay, there¡¯s no need for guilt, don¡¯t be sad, we all agreed to your plan, and if it¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s not your fault alone¡­ Su Man wouldn¡¯t blame us¡­ We all did our best¡­ Sigh¡­ How powerless words seemed. Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak. Every sentence she formulated felt so superficial, so weak. Finally, she sat back down in silence. Bai Youwei opened the door and, leaning on her crutch, walked out. For the entire night, no one slept. In the morning, they gathered in the dining room, nibbling on tasteless dry bread, all of them silent and lifeless. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Inspector watched them with a smile. ¡°Only three brides left, I see. It seems we¡¯ll need to reduce the breakfast portions tomorrow.¡± No one responded. Bai Youwei sat quietly, eating. Whether she was daydreaming or pondering, she seemed not to hear him at all. The Inspector found it unamusing. He wished to revel in their misfortune, but without any response, his mocking seemed pointless. After finishing their simple breakfast, Bai Youwei rose, leaning on her crutch for support. Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing followed her lead. The Inspector looked slightly surprised, blurting out, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Bai Youwei stopped, slowly turned around, and looked at him. The Inspector couldn¡¯t help feeling curious, he scrutinized her eyes¡­ Dark, tranquil, like an unfathomable well, devoid of light, wind, or any emotional upheaval. Just as he was about to ask, Bai Youwei suddenly spoke: She said, ¡°If the reward of this game doesn¡¯t satisfy me, then you are nothing but¡­trash.¡± Chapter 374: 374: An Eye for an Eye Chapter 374: An Eye for an Eye The Inspector stood rooted to the spot. He didn¡¯t understand¡­ What did Bai Youwei mean by what she said? Had she found the solution to passing the level? If not, why would she mention a reward when they were evidently severely injured? How could it be possible¡­ Perhaps she was just trying to test him. Like before, trying to trick him into revealing information! But if she really could pass through the level, he would gladly accept. After all, collecting precious data from her death would be great, but losing such a unique sample too soon would be a waste. In the end, there are still so many¡­ so many games that are expecting her arrival¡­ The Inspector laughed and left the dining room. Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu, and Yu Yaqing headed towards the torture chamber. In the chamber, it was considerably warm with braziers set all around, each one with a branding iron in it. One of them stood extinguished, effectively blocking the exit of the underground cells. The Gardener was lying quietly on the ground wearing a white shirt. The chamber was reset to its original state. Except for the woman on the torture instrument¡­ There was no sign of Su Man, and they didn¡¯t dare to wonder about her current whereabouts. After surveying the room, Bai Youwei pointed to the saw, instructing Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing to unhitch it. ¡°Where should we saw?¡± Yu Yaqing asked her, ¡°The neck?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No, it¡¯d be too quick,¡± replied Bai Youwei with a cold, calm voice. ¡°I want to see him suffer.¡± Zhu Shu looked at the both of them, hesitatingly asked, ¡°Will it work this time?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Bai Youwei responded with an unfazed expression, nodding her head. ¡°Cheng Xi only got a small cut, and she was bleeding so much that the white cloth used for bandaging turned entirely red. There were blood stains all over her room¡­ This tells us her wound wasn¡¯t healing.¡± She paused for a moment, then looked at her two companions, ¡°What happens when a torture instrument that prevents wounds from healing meets a body that has self-healing abilities?¡± Zhu Shu, holding one end of the saw, locked her eyes on the man lying on the floor and asked, ¡°Was it purposely designed this way? Making us fear these torture instruments, too terrified to think about using them on him¡­ If we had realized this sooner¡­¡± She thought of Su Man, tears welling in her eyes as she looked away. Yu Yaqing, clutching the other end of the saw, stepped up beside the Gardener and slowly spoke: ¡°Instruments of torture symbolize oppressive violence, a violence that seeks to subjugate females as much as males. Perhaps this is what the game wants us to learn: only by overcoming our innermost fears, resisting it, and defeating it, can we truly call it escape! I refuse to believe that the only way to pass this test requires us to be the last one standing! Even if that is the real way to survive, I¡¯ll never compromise!¡± Bai Youwei observed Yu Yaqing, then Zhu Shu. They both nodded back at her, determination in their eyes. Bai Youwei lowered her gaze, finally looking at the man on the floor, muttering under her breath, ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s begin. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.¡± Women are not naturally soft, they can accomplish anything once they overcome their innermost fears. The sawblade descended The Gardener woke up in shock. Like the last time, he screamed in pain, struggling violently! In a short time, he had transformed into a massive beast! And blood was gushing out of his stomach! ¡°Aaargh!!!¡± He howled, launching himself at Bai Youwei! Boom! The familiar lavender glow emerged once again! His limbs twitched spasmodically while his entire body felt as if his blood was boiling. He collapsed to the floor with a thud! And the sawblade fell yet again, relentless! Unable to accept this outcome, he looked at Bai Youwei in agony, ¡°Why¡­you¡­¡± On Bai Youwei¡¯s cool face, a faint smirk finally emerged, ¡°Because I had a good night¡¯s sleep and am all charged up again¡± Blood splattered around her, blooming like a flower. Chapter 375: 375: No Need for Trash Chapter 375: No Need for Trash The man bled unceasingly, his blood eventually congealing into a puddle, blending with his stinky hair and blood-soaked clothes. He lay lifelessly on the ground, utterly silent. Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing held onto the long saw, watching in stillness. Once they realized he would not come back to life, they finally let go of the saw. Clang The heavy steel saw fell to the ground. It was over. ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve completed this game.¡± The blonde, blue-eyed Inspector stood politely at the door, a suitable smile playing at the corners of his mouth. ¡°This game is designed specifically for females, assessing primarily their¡ª First, their suspicion; Second, their weakness; Third, their dependence. The players who win this game will receive the ¡®Duke¡¯s Secret Key¡¯ as a reward.¡± As the Inspector¡¯s words fell, a key appeared in the air before the three women. It was a blood-red key as if it had been drenched in blood. Bai Youwei reached out and held it, information about the tool instantly appearing in her mind¡ª [Duke¡¯s Secret Key: Can summon a random instrument of torture during the game to forcefully eliminate a player.] The Inspector continued, ¡°Meanwhile, to reward the precious friendships you¡¯ve formed in the game, from this moment on, the system will bind you all together. From now on, you can be summoned as external support by one another. This hairpin is proof of that.¡± A hairpin appeared in front of each woman. It was pink, embellished with a lifeless flower, resembling the cheap kind sold at a primary school gate for fifty cents. Bai Youwei held the hairpin in her hand and slightly furrowed her brow. [Plastic Flower Hairpin: The holder of this tool can be summoned into the game as external support by a player with the same tool. There will be no punishment upon losing, and no reward upon winning.] ¡°If someone else also clears the game and gets this tool, would I be summoned by a stranger?¡± Bai Youwei asked unhappily. ¡°No,¡± The Inspector explained gently, ¡°If other players clear the game, their hairpins would not be of the same design. Only the three of you own this design.¡± With those words, the Inspector paused and looked at Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing with a slight smile: ¡°Of course, a summoning is not mandatory. You can refuse, just smash the hairpin. After all¡­it¡¯s plastic and fragile.¡± Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing gave the Inspector a chilly glance, silently accepted their hairpins. Bai Youwei also accepted her hairpin. She tossed the blood-red key at the Inspector¡¯s feet without a hint of expression on her face, ¡°I don¡¯t want this reward.¡± The Inspector was taken aback. Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing tossed their keys too. Three blood-red keys fell onto the floor, sending out a harsh, crisp sound. ¡°You willingly give up the reward?¡± The Inspector was astounded, his beautiful blue eyes widening slightly in confusion. ¡°Why?¡± They had gone through great pain and hardship to finally clear the game. Why would they discard their hard-earned items?! Bai Youwei threw a disgusted look at him, ¡°Because it¡¯s trash.¡± The Inspector: ¡°It truly is trash.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned in agreement. Zhu Shu added, ¡°And disgusting.¡± Bai Youwei continued, ¡°Trashy game, trashy prizes, just trash.¡± The Inspector: ¡°Since we¡¯ve already cleared the game, send us out.¡± Yu Yaqing urged coldly. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve made up your mind?¡± The Inspector managed to pull a smile, ¡°You¡¯re really giving up the reward? After all the trouble you¡¯ve gone through, and the sacrifices you¡¯ve made, to get this reward¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need it!¡± Yu Yaqing roared in disgust, ¡°Even if we encounter a player whom we must eliminate in the future! I would rather stab them to death than use such an inhumane instrument of torture!¡± Bai Youwei calmly added, ¡°I don¡¯t need trash.¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Inspector: Chapter 376: 376: The Importance of Balance Chapter 376: The Importance of Balance The three women exited the game, gradually disappearing before the Inspector¡¯s eyes. They didn¡¯t know, that as they were leaving the game, a system prompt sound rang in the Inspector¡¯s ear ¡ª ¡°Error! Game settlement error! Data anomalies detected, please have the responsible inspector urgently manually resolve¡­¡± The Inspector frowned. When players turned down the rewards, it impacted the overall data balance of the entire game, as the ratio of input to payback was not proportional. If this issue was not resolved, the game would have to temporarily shut down. The solution was simple, actually ¨C just set up another reward system for when the player rejects the initial rewards and use the backup plan instead. But if we¡¯re talking about being troublesome, indeed it was troublesome. Because balance is a very subtle thing. The balance within this game might become a bug in the next game Take Dollhouse, for example, it¡¯s a game-changing item. To avoid throwing off the balance, a restriction has been placed stating ¡°cannot be entered during the game¡±. But they didn¡¯t anticipate Bai Youwei having Rabbits. The Rabbits are remarkable game-changing items. To maintain balance, Rabbit Heads had a restrictive feature that they could only be used after charging. Especially in a global power outage situation, finding a charging station is almost impossible! But they didn¡¯t consider Bai Youwei having a Dollhouse. So, never underestimate the rewards in the game, for each one is the result of thorough thought and calculation by the inspectors. The handsome cartoon guy left the dungeon, glancing at each room while deliberating slowly. The backup rewards needed to maintain a balance in the game while align with the game¡¯s theme¡­ Suddenly, he stopped. He looked into a room with a sense of disbelief. When he opened the door, it was actually empty! A room full of gorgeous court dresses was gone!!! How could this be?! S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Inspector walked out with quick steps, with his long legs that could cover two meters in one pace, he quickly reached the door of another room, and opened it! Empty again! This room was supposed to display a variety of medieval weapons, all gone! When did this happen?! Why is this happening?! He couldn¡¯t believe it. He continued to investigate the exceptional data in several rooms. All beautiful clothing was gone! The gold, silver, and jewels were gone! The knives, swords, and armor were all gone! Even those expertly crafted and luxurious carpets and rugs were also all gone! At least a third of his meticulously arranged mansion was empty! Although those were just insignificant decorations, but¡­ but!!! ¡°Bai¡­ You¡­ Wei¡­¡± He clenched his teeth in anger. ¡°Bai! You! Wei!!!¡± Bai Youwei returned to the underground parking lot. Leaving the noble and magnificent mansion and coming to the dark and dismal underground parking lot, there was a strange sense of homeliness, her nerves completely became at ease. She saw Shen Mo and Tan Xiao sitting not far ahead of her. In the pitch-dark underground, a single emergency battery-powered light provided all the illumination. The smoke from his cigarette enveloped his face, making his handsome profile daringly attractive under such hazy illumination. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know why she felt this way. Maybe because she had been seeing the Duke in the game for the past few days, her eyes had become used to his unattractive appearance, so now any pose he took, she found appealing. The sound of her footsteps startled Shen Mo and Tan Xiao. The two looked over together and both were stunned to see the three women emerging from the darkness. Tan Xiao was the first to react, he jumped up and yelled, ¡°Holy crap!¡± Then he ran towards the parking lot exit while shouting, ¡°They¡¯re out! They¡¯ve beaten the game and come out!!!¡± Chapter 377: 377: Are You Alright? Chapter 377: Are You Alright? Shen Mo stared intently at Bai Youwei. It seemed as if time had come to a halt. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Two to three seconds later, bewilderment appeared in his eyes, as if suddenly roused from a dream. He then quickly got up and strode towards her! Upon reaching her, his body stiffened a bit. He withdrew the arm he was about to extend, lightly coughed to suppress his emotions, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Bai Youwei opened her mouth, suddenly feeling at a loss for words. Okay? Yes, having finally escaped, they were okay now. But seeing Zhu Shu¡¯s teary eyes and Yu Yaqing¡¯s body covered in scars, and thinking about those who had died¡­ How could she possibly say the words, ¡°I¡¯m okay¡±? During the silence, she was suddenly embraced. Startled for a moment, her cheek was already resting on his chest. She heard him whisper, ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay.¡± The hoarse voice echoed in his chest and reached her ears, warm. She couldn¡¯t help blushing a bit, muttering, ¡°What do you mean, okay¡­ Don¡¯t you see we¡¯re all hurt?¡± Shen Mo loosened his hold on her slightly and glanced at Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing. ¡°I¡¯ll help you all get out. After you triggered game 24, this area was locked down. All the organization¡¯s electrical equipment was moved elsewhere. Yan Qingwen, Shen Fei and I have been taking turns guarding here, so you wouldn¡¯t be left alone when you got out.¡± Without any light, it would have been incredibly difficult to find the exit in the pitch-black fifth underground floor. Shen Mo bent down to carry Bai Youwei, leading them out of the underground parking lot. The journey was long. All the while, Shen Mo asked them about the game. Most of the recounting was done by Bai Youwei. ¡°¡­The last night, I couldn¡¯t sleep, my wheelchair was broken and I couldn¡¯t use it, so I could only hobble around leaning on my crutch. I became quite annoyed after seeing how glittering and extravagant those rooms were. I threw all the jewelry and accessories into the Dollhouse. I also threw the clothes in. Actually, a lot of the furniture was pretty nice, but I wasn¡¯t strong enough and as I had a limp, moving things around was really difficult. But I didn¡¯t leave any weapons behind. Those weapons came in handy ¨C we couldn¡¯t bring in external weapons into the game, but these weapons were part of the game itself, and could be used within the game! ¡­Later on, the reward was a torture device. We passed on it. That prop was a piece of crap that made us uncomfortable, whether we used it or not.¡± At this point, she let out a long sigh and said, ¡°I kinda miss Snowflake.¡± Although Snowflake was a wildcard, the rewards he gave were undeniably useful. ¨CThe mud from the frog had saved them countless times. The Dollhouse and Snowflake were priceless lifelines. They were much stronger than the flamboyant comic book handsome man! Shen Mo listened quietly, letting out a silent chuckle. These Inspectors were all products of the Doll game. He didn¡¯t like any of them, but if he had to choose, he felt the rabbit-headed gentleman from the first game was okay. That Inspector gave Bai Youwei the ¡°tenth of me¡± prop. Without it, she probably wouldn¡¯t have survived the women-only game. As Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing were both injured, their pace was slow. After some time, they finally reached the surface. Many people had arrived. The research group members, the security group members, the organization¡¯s head, Chu Huaijin, and Li Li were all there. They had all rushed over after hearing from Tan Xiao that they had emerged. Of course, they were all men, avoiding any female contact. Zhu Shu walked up to Li Li, supporting her injured hand, head bowed, with so much to say but unsure of how to express it. ¡°Li Li¡­¡± As she began to speak, her eyes became moist. She bit her lip tightly, took a moment to calm her emotions, then continued: ¡°Su Man¡­ she¡­ in order to save me, she¡­¡± Li Li stared at her blankly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡­¡± Zhu Shu broke into tears, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Li Li! I¡¯m the one who caused Su Man¡¯s death!¡± Chapter 378: 378: How Could Nothing Be Wrong Chapter 378: How Could Nothing Be Wrong Li Li¡¯s expression was very rigid, marked with an inexplicable sense of bewilderment. Staring at the woman in front of him who couldn¡¯t stop shrugging her shoulders, his mind was blank, and subconsciously tried to comfort her, ¡°This¡­ You can¡¯t be blamed for this. After all, life is unpredictable once the game begins, you didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± Zhu Shu¡¯s crying stopped. Stopped abruptly. Starring blankly at Li Li, after a brief pause, the sadness in her eyes deepened, fermenting into resentment. She cried out at Li Li: ¡°How can you not blame me?! How can you?! Don¡¯t you understand? I caused Su Man¡¯s death! She died because of me! She¡¯s dead!!! Do you understand?!! Just because it wasn¡¯t intentional, can you forgive a person easily? Even if that person who died had been with you for over a decade! Don¡¯t you care?! Don¡¯t you feel angry?! Don¡¯t you want to take revenge for her?!! Li Li! Su Man was killed because of me!¡± Zhu Shu gripped his collar tightly, her eyes filled with unstoppable tears. ¡°Hit me! Why won¡¯t you hit me? Why won¡¯t you even swear at me? You bastard! Bastard!!!¡± ¡°Zhu Shu¡­¡± Li Li looked at her, unable to express his feelings, his eyes also turning red. Zhu Shu was crying uncontrollably. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She despised Li Li¡¯s indifference, yet she knew she had no grounds to blame him. However, her emotions were uncontrollable. Every time she thought of the scene where Su Man was dragged into the execution room, her heart ached as if she was going to die of grief. Chu Huaijin separated the two to avoid Zhu Shu doing something irrational out of her loss of control. Li Li¡¯s neck had been scratched red. He stared at Zhu Shu, who was crying uncontrollably, vaguely feeling that he might have made a mistake, but he was unsure¡­ exactly where he¡¯d gone wrong. Shattered footsteps sounded from behind, followed by a familiar female voice¨C ¡°Zhu Shu.¡± Li Li turned his head in surprise, only to see Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang bringing Su Man over. ¡°Su Man?¡± Li Li was even more confused, ¡°But haven¡¯t you already¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a figure rushed over! Zhu Shu hugged Su Man tightly, her face filled with joy and relief: ¡°You¡¯re okay?!¡± ¡°How come you¡¯re all right? We all thought you had already¡­¡± Yu Yaqing was both shocked and delighted. She couldn¡¯t help but go over and slap Su Man on the shoulder. ¡°Never mind! Anyway, it¡¯s great that you made it out safely!¡± Su Man rubbed her slugged shoulder, a little embarrassed, and explained: ¡°I can¡¯t exactly say I¡¯m unscathed¡­ I have quite a few injuries. I fainted as soon as I got out of the game. Fortunately, brother Yan and Lun Ang were there. They spent the whole night looking for medicine for me.¡± Hearing this, Li Li couldn¡¯t help but turn his head to ask Yan Qingwen: ¡°Did Su Man get out earlier? Why didn¡¯t you notify us?¡± Before Yan Qingwen could explain, Lun Ang loudly explained: ¡°Where were we supposed to tell you? Neither Old Yan nor I knew the new address after the headquarters was moved. Not to mention when Su Man came out, it was late at night. The city was like a ghost town! Not a soul in sight! We almost broke a leg just trying to find medicine for her. We¡¯d just laid down to rest for barely two hours when Tan Xiao came knocking and woke us up!¡± Yu Yaqing was incredulous, asking Su Man: ¡°What exactly happened? How did you make it out?¡± Su Man looked at Bai Youwei and said, ¡°¡­She gave me a piece of the puzzle.¡± Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing were both taken aback. Zhu Shu asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°When did she give it to you? How come we didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°It was when I was dragged into the execution room¡­¡± Su Man took a gray puzzle piece out of her pocket and lightly rubbed it with her fingers, ¡°At that time, I thought I was done for, and I didn¡¯t want to waste any more tools. I thought if someone had to die from the four of us, it might as well be me. But then Bai Youwei said¡­¡± Su Man looked at Bai Youwei. Her usually sharp and arrogant gaze softened. She walked over to Bai Youwei and gently placed the puzzle piece in her hand. ¡°She said, ¡®Su Man, you must hold on.¡¯¡± Chapter 379: A Nightmare Oh Chapter 379: A Nightmare Oh ¡°The Last Bride¡±, along with Su Man, four people altogether escaped from the game. All four of them were injured to varying degrees, and Chu Huaijin immediately arranged for their treatment. Bai Youwei¡¯s injuries were the lightest, only some minor abrasions. Considering her constitution, even without medical treatment, she could recover quickly. She and Shen Mo returned to the three-bedroom apartment provided by the organization. There were some unfamiliar faces in the community. Seeing her and Shen Mo, they came over in small groups to greet them. They seemed polite in their conversation, but were actually probing for clues about the 24th game¡¯s content and rewards. Curiosity is a common trait among humans. Not to mention that the game is a matter of life and death. If the rewards are substantial and paired with the knowledge of the game¡¯s content, one can totally call up a group of people to play and ¡°farm¡± the rewards in the game. But Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with these people. She followed Shen Mo home, then closed the doors and windows, and lay down in bed to rest. She had walked so much in the game, even with a crutch, her feet and hands were inevitably sore, and her underarms ached with burning pain. She was used to getting in and out with a wheelchair, how would she have ever experienced such hardship? Bai Youwei let out a languid sigh. With the curtains drawn, the room felt like dusk, dark and quiet. She relaxed her body and closed her eyes. Considering that the organization members might visit at any time to inquire about the game, it was inconvenient to enter the dollhouse now, so she could only rest this way temporarily. Teacher Chang brought over a bowl of egg custard, muttering, ¡°Weiwei, come quickly and eat this. Shen Fei sent the eggs; I added slices of ham and chives. It¡¯s very nutritious¡­¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just as he got to the bedroom door, he was stopped by Shen Mo. Shen Mo made a shushing gesture at Teacher Chang and silently glanced back at Bai Youwei. Following his gaze, Teacher Chang saw that Bai Youwei on the bed was already asleep. ¡°She must be exhausted.¡± Teacher Chang sighed and whispered to Shen Mo, ¡°I¡¯ll set it aside for now, and reheat it for her when she wakes up.¡± After taking a couple steps, he turned back and handed the bowl to Shen Mo: ¡°You eat it. You¡¯ve been on watch these days and must be exhausted too. I¡¯ll make another bowl for Weiwei later.¡± Shen Mo shook his head gently, saying, ¡°Give it to Xiaoxin to eat. I¡¯ll stay here with her for a while.¡± Tan Xiao, who was in the living room, overheard and immediately said, ¡°Xiaoxin is so young, he can¡¯t finish it! Give it to me, give it to me! I¡¯ll eat half of it for him!¡± Pan Xiaoxin said quietly, ¡°I can finish it¡­¡± Shen Mo laughed, then said to Chang Weicai, ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time, please make another bowl.¡± The voices from outside didn¡¯t wake Bai Youwei up, she was fast asleep, almost falling asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. In her sleep, she had a nightmare. In the dream, she was being chased by a duke transformed into a beast. She ran hard, ran hard¡­ In reality, her legs couldn¡¯t run at all, but she was running in her dream. Just as she was about to be caught, her legs suddenly reverted to their handicapped state, and she fell to the ground! In panic, she searched for her crutch and wheelchair, but it was pitch black all around, and she couldn¡¯t see anything. That¡¯s when the duke caught up! In the nick of time, she reached for her puzzle with her last hope! But there was nothing¡­ Her hand was empty. Her puzzle had been given to Su Man; she didn¡¯t have it anymore. The yawning maw of the duke loomed before her, she shot up in her bed, awaking from her dream! ¡°Huff¡­¡± Bai Youwei gasped heavily, only realizing she had been dreaming when she saw Shen Mo by her bedside. Shen Mo reached out to gently pat her back, feeling the cold sweat on her back. ¡°I¡¯ll go fetch a towel,¡± he said as he got up. ¡°No need.¡± Bai Youwei took his hand, her forehead leaning against his arm, ¡°Stay with me a while.¡± Shen Mo fell silent, and sat back down. Bai Youwei closed her eyes and leaned against him. After a moment, she said in a low voice: ¡°Shen Mo, I gave my puzzle to Su Man.¡± Chapter 380: 380: Scared Chapter 380: Scared Shen Mo hummed in acknowledgment before asking her after a while, ¡°Do you regret it?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s forehead rested on his shoulder, her head shaking slightly. She didn¡¯t regret it, but ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± she murmured with closed eyes. Shen Mo used his puzzle piece in the third round of ¡°Friends¡¯ Gathering¡±, and now her piece had been used up in ¡°The Last Bride¡±. That meant that whenever they would encounter a dead-end in the game in the future, they would no longer have any means to save their lives, only death awaiting them. Indeed, Bai Youwei still had quite a few items. But she had learned her lesson! Almost all of the items were meant to be used against players! To enhance their advantage by eliminating other players. If they truly encounter a life-and-death situation in the game, the items would be of no use! Take, for instance, the snowman summoned by the Snowflake. Bai Youwei believed that if used correctly, the snowman could be very invincible. However, in ¡°The Last Bride¡±, the rule was that the Duke had to kill a bride every night! No matter how powerful the snowman was, it couldn¡¯t change the rules! It could only afford the user a temporary escape, but the other gamers would become the Duke¡¯s target. That was also the reason why Su Man gave up on using the Snowflake at the time. Bai Youwei was scared. She was frightened of being confronted with such a scenario again, feared watching the people by her side die one by one, while being powerless to do anything about it. The most terrifying thing was never death. It was when you finally establish a bond with this world, you have to witness the process where that bond was cut off, torn, and destroyed! And in the end ¡­ you become alone again. Bai Youwei took a deep breath, tightly holding Shen Mo¡¯s arm, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the maze.¡± ¡°Go to the maze?¡± Shen Mo was taken aback. The maze in Shanghai had disappeared due to three consecutive clears, and there were no other mazes nearby. ¡°Until I get a puzzle piece, I don¡¯t want to enter the game for now.¡± Her voice was low and sad, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m scared.¡± This was the second time she mentioned the word ¡°scared¡± after coming out of the game. Shen Mo remained silent. Wasn¡¯t he scared too? When he was waiting in the dark and saw Zhao Lanfen and Cheng Xi¡¯s dolls appearing one after another, but with no news from Bai Youwei, wasn¡¯t he worried too? Thinking of her inability to walk, her personality that easily offends others, no matter what he couldn¡¯t ease his worry. This time she successfully escaped the danger, but what about next time? What about the time after that? The game world¡¯s rules were ever-changing, wanting to keep her safe was undoubtedly an empty promise. Without a puzzle piece, he couldn¡¯t protect the person he wanted to protect. As Shen Mo thought about these things, he slowly said, ¡°If we¡¯re going to the maze, we can either go south or north, but considering rumors say that the north is safer, I think, people should be gathering to the north in the future.¡± ¡°Mazes will appear in densely populated areas.¡± Bai Youwei understood his meaning,¡± We¡¯ll head north.¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After a pause, she couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°How did these rumors about the north being safer start?¡± ¡°It actually has something to do with Professor Song¡¯s SCO Organization,¡± Shen Mo explained to her, ¡°Before the widespread power outage, there was an online interview report about SCO, in which the interviewed researcher made some conjectures, claiming that the abnormal changes in Earth¡¯s magnetic field were probably due to a kind of high-dimensional space force that uses the sun as a medium and disassembles and irradiates the earth.¡± ¡°Using the sun¡­as a medium?¡± Bai Youwei had a slight realization, ¡°That¡¯s quite an interesting guess.¡± Though high-dimensional space seems superior to low-dimensional space, high-dimensional ¡°beings¡± can¡¯t enter low-dimensional space, just as humans can¡¯t get into a comic strip. But if both worlds have the sun, perhaps it could be used as a medium. Chapter 381: Conjecture Chapter 381: Conjecture ¡°Suppose there really is such an advanced civilization that radiates its power to the entire earth through the sun. Then, perhaps only the places where the sun does not shine, could humans be spared. So, the conclusion of this hypothesis is that the two poles, North and South, will become safe havens. We are in the northern hemisphere, hence the rumor that it¡¯s safer to head north.¡± With that, he shook his head gently, ¡°But these are just hypotheses. Nobody knows if they¡¯re true, and furthermore, not everyone can manage to flee to the Arctic and live there.¡± He paused briefly, suddenly thinking of Bai Youwei¡¯s mother, Wang Jingxian. Wang Jingxian had gone north with the ship, and most probably, her destination was the Arctic. It seems unbelievable to go to the Arctic, but actually, many people have visited the Arctic for tourism. As long as you¡¯re well prepared, visiting the Arctic isn¡¯t as difficult as imagined. Even if you can¡¯t get an icebreaker, you can still go there by land. Start with St. Petersburg in Russia, then follow the railway line of the Arctic tourist train, passing Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Kaim, to reach Murmansk in the Arctic part of Russia. Cross the national border to Norway, where there¡¯s a small Arctic coastal town, Kirkenes¡­. Of course, they will encounter many difficulties along the way. Low temperatures and food shortages could be fatal. But perhaps¡­ perhaps the Arctic region hasn¡¯t been affected by the doll game and is still the same as before? Such considerations seemed distant. Bai Youwei suddenly asked him, ¡°When does the polar night in the Arctic start?¡± Shen Mo slightly raised an eyebrow, ¡°September, should be around the 20th of September, until March of the following year. During this half a year, the sun is not visible.¡± Bai Youwei calculated the timing in her heart. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It is now August. If they leave for the Arctic from here, it will take over a month. They can just make it in time for the polar night and then safely spend six months in the place where the sun can¡¯t shine. Her mother had quite a dreamy plan. Seeing her asking in such detail, Shen Mo thought she was considering it and asked: ¡°Do you believe in the Arctic hypothesis?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not true, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°There aren¡¯t many people there, even making up a Mahjong game would be difficult. Even if the game area covers the entire Arctic Circle, it¡¯s unlikely to be activated. I was just thinking, could the blind spots in the Arctic be left intentionally by the game, to attract survivors to gather there? Otherwise, how could all the puzzle pieces be collected.¡± Hearing this, Shen Mo frowned, and pondered, ¡°If the survivors are always dispersed, the puzzles that can be collected would be very limited. We don¡¯t have any means of transportation to get to the mazes in other areas, like Australia¡­ The doll game shouldn¡¯t set a goal that we can¡¯t achieve at all.¡± Even if blind zones are set to attract people, there will definitely be people who cannot reach the Arctic for various reasons. So, how would the puzzle pieces from those parts be collected? Both fell silent, as if they had both realized it was a dead end, or rather, a cul-de-sac. After a long while, Shen Mo said: ¡°Collecting all the puzzles can clear all the games. This is a clue Zhang Tianyang got from the Brocade Bag prop, so it shouldn¡¯t be wrong. Maybe when we have more puzzle pieces, there will be more clues.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, took out all the puzzle pieces, and started trying to put them together on the bed. Shen Mo also wanted to know what these puzzles can form. Unfortunately, with their only eight puzzle pieces, each piece¡¯s shape didn¡¯t match any other. After trying numerous combinations with nothing forming, they were totally clueless. Shen Mo sighed lightly, ¡°It seems we need more puzzle pieces¡­¡± Suddenly, Shen Fei¡¯s voice came from the outside: ¡°Professor Cheng! Is my brother here?¡± Chapter 382: Another Meeting Chapter 382: Another Meeting ¡°She¡¯s in there.¡± The teacher pointed towards the bedroom, ¡°She¡¯s sleeping with Weiwei.¡± Shen Fei¡¯s steps faltered, doubting if he had heard correctly, he stared blankly at the teacher, ¡°What?¡± As if he hadn¡¯t noticed Shen Fei¡¯s stunned expression, Chang Weicai kept himself busy sweeping and mopping the floor while suggesting, ¡°You should come back later, they just fell asleep, they need their rest¡­ Weiwei just finished the game and your brother has been exhausted from standing guard at the parking lot for days¡­¡± Shen Fei: ¡°My brother and Bai Youwei are in the same room?!¡± His voice suddenly rose an octave, causing the teacher, at last, to look up at him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± His tone indicated confusion as if he could not understand why it was strange that Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were sleeping in the same room. The teacher said, ¡°They have always been sleeping together¡­¡± ¡°They have always been sleeping together?!!¡± Shen Fei¡¯s face twisted even further. His voice seemed stretched tight, shrill, and sharp! Chang Weicai was taken aback by his reaction, fearful that he may be thinking too much, promptly explained, ¡°No¡­ Xiaoshen, don¡¯t misunderstand. Your brother stays in the same room to take care of Weiwei. After all, it¡¯s not convenient for her because of her leg¡­¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not convenient, there¡¯s no need to share a room!¡± Shen Fei couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. He walked to the door in a few strides and started banging on it! The door opened quickly. Shen Mo was standing at the doorway, his face expressionless. Shen Fei had always held his cousin in great respect. Seeing him, his voice immediately softened, ¡°Bro¡­ Why, why are you sharing a room with a woman¡­¡± As he was speaking, he couldn¡¯t resist peeking inside the room. Seeing that there was only one bed in the room, his eyes immediately bulged, forgetting to disguise his voice, ¡°You two share one bed?!¡± Inside the room, Bai Youwei calmly looked at the bed and nodded, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a double bed.¡± Shen Fei was agitated, ¡°That¡¯s not the issue! It¡¯s¡­¡± Before he could finish, Shen Mo pushed him a couple of steps back and closed the door. ¡°What did you want to see me about?¡± Shen Mo asked him. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Mo! Mo!¡± Shen Fei was stuck amidst the shock of his brother cohabiting with a woman, ¡°How could you sleep with that woman? How long have you two been together? When did this occur? How did this happen? Who initiated this?!! Does our uncle know about this?!!¡± One question after another bombarded Shen Mo making his head ache, he frowned, ¡°What¡¯s your actual concern?¡± ¡°Bro¡­¡± Shen Fei gritted his teeth, grabbing Shen Mo¡¯s shirt and pulling him to a corner, lowering his voice to say, ¡°You cannot follow in our uncle¡¯s footsteps.¡± Shen Mo frowned, ¡°Weiwei is different.¡± Upon hearing his reply, Shen Fei got even more anxious and clutched his chest, ¡°Bro, what do you mean by this? Are you really with her now? Do you two¡­have you two¡­? ¡± As he spoke, Shen Fei seemed to have realized something and started nodding as if he understood, ¡°I get it! You acted impulsively, right? I understand! A man and a woman alone together¡­it¡¯s unavoidable sometimes! But you don¡¯t have to take responsibility for her lifetime! Bro, times have changed. Your old-fashioned ideas need a rethink¡­¡± Shen Mo found him annoying and turned around to go inside, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going back in.¡± ¡°Hey?! Hey, wait!¡± Shen Fei hastily spoke, ¡°I have something! I have something! Professor Song asked me to invite her to a meeting at the headquarters! It¡¯s about discussing the game on the 24th!¡± Shen Mo stopped, turned around to look at him, and asked, ¡°Now?¡± Shen Fei shook his head, ¡°No need. Professor Song knows they are injured, so the meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, letting them rest for a day first.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°I will take her there tomorrow.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also another thing¡­¡± Shen Fei hesitated, ¡°You haven¡¯t visited our uncle for a few days. You didn¡¯t have time before because you had to stay in the underground parking lot. Now that she has emerged from the game, don¡¯t you think¡­ you should¡­ go see our uncle?¡± Shen Mo was silent for a while and then nodded, ¡°Hmm, I got it.¡± Chapter 383: 383: Arrange, Arrange Chapter 383: Arrange, Arrange The next day, Bai Youwei slept until the sun was high in the sky, finally waking up completely rested and full. Teacher Chang was preparing lunch. Without a gas stove, it was inconvenient to cook, so Teacher Chang always started preparing way ahead of time. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were helping out on the side. Though sometimes their help created more work. The morning was quiet and relaxed. Bai Youwei brushed her teeth while watching them busily prepare food. She felt like she was forgetting something. Had she forgotten about Shen Mo? ¡­Probably not, he had told her he was going to visit his father before he left. What else could it be then? Bai Youwei continued to ponder. ¡°Ah!¡± she remembered, ¡°Let¡¯s have steak for lunch!¡± Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Pan Xiaoxin all looked at her, completely baffled. Bai Youwei took out a golden key, opened the door of the dollhouse, and said excitedly, ¡°Since you are all here, after having the steak, you can help me tidy up the house.¡± As the dollhouse door swung open, a dazzling brilliance of gold blazed from within! S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. All three of them were stupefied. Tan Xiao was amazed and cried out, ¡°Oh my god! Weiwei, did you get another set of houses?! Is this a reward from a new game?¡± ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei walked in with her crutch, waving at them from amidst heaps of gold and silver jewelry, ¡°Come in quick, let¡¯s talk inside.¡± Exchanging glances, the three of them ¡°squeezed¡± into the dollhouse It was indeed crammed. The entire first floor could barely accommodate any people, the floor being covered with gold, silver, jewelry, and fancy clothes. There were at least seventy or eighty hats alone! Studded with gems, covered in fur, adorned with silk flowers, all sorts of hats! Some exquisite and expensive tableware were haphazardly placed underneath everything, they were in danger of stepping on them and breaking them. Teacher Chang was quite distressed over it. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t fit in the house, just throw it outside.¡± Bai Youwei seemed indifferent, she muscled her way through to the fridge, pushed aside the hefty golden bars nearby, and finally managed to open the fridge door¡ª¡ª She took out a few pieces of steak. The steaks were already cooked, perfectly medium-rare. Although they had lost some of their fresh taste after being frozen, having steak now was a luxury in itself. ¡°Teacher Chang¡± Bai Youwei called to Chang Weicai, ¡°Can you take a look at the fridge? If there¡¯s any expired food, throw it out! Keep whatever we can eat! We¡¯re having steak for lunch!¡± ¡°Xiaoxin You¡¯re in charge of putting all clothes on the second floor in the wardrobe. If the wardrobe gets full, just stuff them in the study! It¡¯s not like we¡¯re using it much right now!¡± ¡°Tan Xiao~~ Your job is to put all the weapons in the storage room. Pile the gold and silver jewelry in the yard! It¡¯s too much in the way piled up here!¡± After a round of instructions, everyone was clear on what to do. Tan Xiao¡¯s task was the heaviest and required the most strength. After hauling several loads of gold, he couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°Weiwei, if you aren¡¯t going to use these things, why did you move them into the dollhouse?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to look at, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s pleasing to the eye to see a mountain of gold and silver when you open the window?¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not bad to use it to hit someone when you don¡¯t have a weapon on hand.¡± Tan Xiao weighed the gold bar in his hand and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Then he continued moving the gold. ¡­Only Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t busy. Once the house had been cleaned up and Teacher Chang heated up the steaks, Bai Youwei opened the door to check outside, but Shen Mo was still gone. It wasn¡¯t surprising; a father and son meeting would definitely include a meal together. At the lunch table, Teacher Chang gently cleared his throat and hesitantly said, ¡°Weiwei¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Bai Youwei was eating her steak. Teacher Chang said, ¡°On this journey, Xiaoshen has helped us a lot. I heard his father isn¡¯t feeling well recently. Should we¡­ pay him a visit?¡± Chapter 384: 384: Mentioning the Female Lead’s Mother Chapter 384: Mentioning the Female Lead¡¯s Mother ¡°Visit Shen uncle?¡± Bai Youwei swallowed the food in her mouth, and thought, ¡°Is that necessary?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a matter of necessity¡­ it¡¯s a matter of courtesy.¡± Teacher Cheng took the time to instruct, ¡°We are all in Shanghai, not far away from each other, both emotionally and reasonably, we should go and visit.¡± With this, teacher Cheng sighed deeply and went on: ¡°Times are not the same as before. If we don¡¯t take advantage of the opportunity to meet and talk, it will become challenging to meet again when everyone is miles apart.¡± With that said, the atmosphere inevitably became tinged with melancholy. Tan Xiao didn¡¯t want to listen to his nagging, so he was merely nodding while eating, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll go together!¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± She was just afraid that the other party would feel awkward when she saw her. Bai Youwei knew a little bit about her mother. Although she was over forty, she looked no more than thirty since she had taken great care of her appearance. Combined with her refined and elegant demeanor, it attracted many suitors. However, her mother didn¡¯t have any plans of remarrying, focusing her entire attention on the company instead. She kept normal friendships with all suitors, unintentionally accumulating many ¡°backup options,¡± and Shen Mo¡¯s father was one of them. Some women may think this behavior is offensive, but in reality, this is just a typical business person¡¯s interpersonal relationship model. Business people will not easily quarrel with anyone, maintaining a harmonious relationship with everyone. Thinking of this, Bai Youwei could not help but pause. Actually¡­ She was not harmonious with everyone, um¡­ except with her own daughter. ¡°Weiwei?¡± Teacher Cheng noticed her in a daze and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Bai Youwei came back to herself and chuckled lightly, ¡°Nothing, I was just thinking about what to bring as a gift if I were to visit Shen uncle.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ask Shen Mo when he comes back,¡± Teacher Cheng suggested, ¡°See if there¡¯s anything his father needs or if there¡¯s anything he particularly likes to eat or use¡­¡± Bai Youwei absent-mindedly responded. The conversation came to an end. And Shen Mo never did come back. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the afternoon, Chu Huaijin personally came to pick up Bai Youwei, Su Man, and Zhu Shu. Although Chu Huaijin was officially the head of the organization, Bai Youwei realized that he was just a doer. The real spiritual leader of the organization was Professor Song Mingchuan. They met Yu Yaqing outside the meeting room. With a jest, Su Man said, ¡°We¡¯re not going to be barred from entering this time, are we?¡± Yu Yaqing laughed when he heard that, he patted Siman on the shoulder, ¡°Holding a grudge?¡± Zhu Shu smiled at Su Man, ¡°Women, of course, hold a grudge.¡± ¡°And love dredging up old scores,¡± Bai Youwei added. The four women looked at each other, unable to hold back a chuckle. Seeing them in this state, Chu Huaijin couldn¡¯t help but smile too. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s all go in. Professor Song has a lot of questions about the game that he wants to ask you all.¡± Mentioning the game, their smiles suddenly paused. That wasn¡¯t a beautiful memory at all. Yu Yaqing, serious, walked ahead and was the first to push open the door to the meeting room¡ª Inside was a long corridor with rooms on both sides, moving in further, they saw one room with a light on. ¡°Professor Song,¡± Chu Huaijin stood at the door with a respectful attitude, ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± Bai Youwei curiously looked at the person inside, leaning her head. With a few days gone by, she felt Professor Song had aged even more. He was bending over the desk to work, buried in piles of draft papers. Because computers were not to be used casually, all the calculations had to be performed manually by him or other researchers. They had to be checked repeatedly to ensure accuracy. He already seemed quite old yet took on such a heavy task. Honestly speaking, Bai Youwei wondered if he might suddenly pass away from the stress. Chapter 385: 385: Got a Name Chapter 385: Got a Name Professor Song straightened up from a pile of documents, removing his glasses. He pointed to the chairs across the desk and said, ¡°Have a seat.¡± Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu, Su Man, and Yu Yaqing sat down one after another. The old professor handed out a prepared form to each of them. His voice was rough and solemn: ¡°In order to facilitate our communication and avoid possible omissions, I have prepared these forms. The questions I need answers to are basically covered here I hope that you can fill them out as comprehensively and accurately as possible.¡± Each of them got a form, thick as a textbook, which caught them by surprise. It¡¯s so thick¡­ Even if they filled it out all day, it might not be enough? Then, they heard Professor Song say, ¡°Here are the forms for other games. You can refer to them, consider it as a token of appreciation from the research group.¡± Bai Youwei turned to the back, and found that what they actually had to fill out was only on the first two pages, the rest was information on other games. ¡ªApart from game number 21, other games numbered from 1 to 23, systematically arranged. These pieces of information were collected by the members of the organization, some games had only one page of information, some had five to six pages. Bai Youwei briefly flipped through them and thought that this professor was quite efficient. ¡°You can start filling out the forms now,¡± Song Mingchuan said hoarsely, ¡°If you are unclear about anything, feel free to ask me at any time.¡± They each picked up a pen from the table and began to fill out the forms. The first question was ¡°Theme of the game¡±. This was easy. Bai Youwei wrote, ¡°The Last Bride¡±. The second question was ¡°Characteristics of the Inspector¡±. Bai Youwei frowned and started writing, ¡°Adult male appearance, blond hair, blue eyes, lanky body resembling noodles, and exquisitely dressed¡­¡± As she wrote, she suddenly paused, turned over to the back of the form. As expected, she found a similar description, and at the front of the description, there was a note: Cartoon Man. Bai Youwei was slightly surprised, ¡°Is this the Inspector¡¯s name?¡± Professor Song raised his head and said expressionlessly, ¡°Inspectors have no names, no gender, no age. The notes are the most common terms that players refer to them by, as a means of differentiation. We internally adopted the same terminology.¡± He spoke, then glanced at the form Bai Youwei was holding, and added, ¡°Sometimes, one Inspector may have more than one name. For example, the Cartoon Man is also called Noodle Man or Long-legged Mannequin. When recording, we choose the most commonly used name.¡± Bai Youwei flipped through the pages, finding records of basically every Inspector she had encountered. The Ball had the most consistent name, called either ¡°Ball¡± or ¡°Round Ball¡± or ¡°Gravity Ball,¡± always including the word ¡®ball¡¯; The Rabbit-headed Man had the names ¡°Gentleman with a Rabbit Head¡± or ¡°Magician¡±; The Grey-robed Old Man had the most names ¨C ¡°Hurricane Monster,¡± ¡°Faceless Monster,¡± ¡°Wind-robed Old Man,¡± ¡°Cloak Man,¡± ¡°Mushroom Cloak¡±¡­ When Bai Youwei saw ¡°Mushroom Cloak,¡± the corners of her mouth twitched. Recalling the sight of that old man, standing still in his cloak, he did resemble a mushroom. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Beyond the four Inspectors she recognized, she also saw unfamiliar names like ¡°Puppet Master,¡± ¡°Ghost Fire,¡± and so on. It seemed there were more than four Inspectors. She just wondered how they divided their work, whether there was a hierarchy among them, and whether they would cooperate or compete with each other? The professor was waiting for them to fill out the forms, so her questions had to be pushed aside for now. Bai Youwei picked up her pen and began to write. Knowing that piles of game information were waiting for them, she wrote in great detail. There was a subconscious give-and-take at play, from which she was not exempt. She wrote a lot, then glanced at Su Man¡¯s form and couldn¡¯t help but stare. Chapter 386: 386: Su Man’s Hand Chapter 386: Su Man¡¯s Hand Su Man¡¯s form was sparsely filled out. In stark contrast to Bai Youwei¡¯s form, under each question, she had only written a few words. For instance, on the question about the game setting, Bai Youwei provided a detailed description of the manor¡¯s interior and exterior structure. Zhu Shu and Yu Yaqing also mentioned, to varying degrees, about the revolving stone wall on the third floor and the hidden passage in the basement. But Su Man just wrote four words: ¡°Manor, very big¡±. Su Man was straightforward, she probably wouldn¡¯t deliberately withhold information. After some thought, Bai Youwei understood the reason. Su Man¡¯s right hand, seemed to have a hard time writing. Her right hand was bitten off by a guest in the doll house. Although she immediately used mud at that time, after the wound healed, fine movements had significantly weakened. She had difficulties not only with writing, but also in daily life activities like picking up food or threading a needle, actions that required delicate finger movements. However, compared to losing one¡¯s life in the game, losing a hand wasn¡¯t much. Besides, there¡¯s still the left hand. Bai Youwei casually asked, ¡°Is the injury on your left hand okay?¡± In ¡°The Last Bride¡±, whenever the Duke dragged a woman into the punishment room, he would either grab her hair or twist her wrist. Both Zhu Shu and Su Man¡¯s wrists were injured, with Su Man¡¯s seemingly more severe. Su Man, who was struggling to hold her pen and whose handwriting was crooked, looked pained. Hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s query, she was momentarily stunned before she laughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She slightly lifted her left arm, wrapped in bandages on the front of her chest, and said, ¡°I should be fully recovered in a few days. After all, I have experienced the maze twice.¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei nodded lightly, and turned to ask Yu Yaqing and Zhu Shu on the other side, ¡°How about your injuries? All healed?¡± Yu Yaqing: ¡°It¡¯s better. Although it hasn¡¯t completely healed, it doesn¡¯t hinder my movement.¡± Zhu Shu: ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry, we have all been through the maze. Our bodies¡¯ self-healing abilities are stronger than average people.¡± Listening to their conversation, Su Man dropped her arm, her right hand slowly gripping her left forearm. She remained silent without uttering a word. After completing the form, Professor Song asked for some details about the game. He was very concerned about the game that first introduced gender restrictions and believed that future games would gradually evolve in this direction. If this time was women-exclusive, would the next one be men-exclusive? Child-exclusive? Or even career-oriented, such as a group of chefs participating in a culinary competition? Just like a large-scale competition, initially, the selection is rough, but as it progresses, the design of the competition stages becomes more refined. However, what kind of person is this selection process actually looking for? What is the ultimate goal of the game? It¡¯s still unknown. Bai Youwei recalled the games she had been through ¨C ¡®The Tortoise and the Hare¡¯, ¡®The Frog¡¯s Golden Ball¡¯, as well as ¡®Lucky Quiz¡¯, all of them had high elimination rates. Groups of participants would die almost as soon as they entered. She mused, ¡°The earlier games¡­ required at least 30 or 20 people to trigger, but the later ones required fewer participants to trigger. 10 people¡­ 7 people¡­¡± Professor Song, whose face was expressionless, nonchalantly responded, ¡°Yes, as the population decreases, the conditions for triggering the games changes accordingly. In the future, fewer and fewer people would be required to trigger the games. We speculate that games which can be triggered by a single person may even appear.¡± As he said it, he lifted his eyelid and looked at the four young women in front of him. Then he said, ¡°The fact that you guys made it out of the gender-specific game means you¡¯ve gained some experience. Future games may not have overly complex rules and formats, but they will definitely be more difficult and competitive.¡± Yu Yaqing suddenly stood up, her expression serious, and said to the professor, ¡°Professor Song, I believe that the games are a challenge that everyone must face. All members of the security group should regularly participate in these games to improve our abilities and gain experience. I hope you can approve my proposal!¡± Chapter 387: A Suggestion Chapter 387: A Suggestion Song Mingchuan remained silent, his aged face deep with wrinkles, his eyelids drooped, and even without uttering a word, he emanated an unexplained seriousness. Chu Huaijin, who was next to him, spoke, ¡°Team Leader Yu, I understand your concerns, but there is a testing team responsible for the gaming part. The members of the security team should focus on their primary roles first.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°I understand that ensuring the complete safety of the scientific research team is the main role of the security team. But if we don¡¯t arrange for everyone to go into the game, their gaming experience will amount to nil. If they have to go into the game in the future, it would be really disadvantageous¡­¡± ¡°If they were willing to enter the game, why didn¡¯t they join the testing team in the first place?¡± Professor Song suddenly asked her. Yu Yaqing was struck dumb. ¡°Your suggestion is merely wishful thinking on your part,¡± Song Mingchuan bluntly said. ¡°The main reason your team members joined the security team is that they don¡¯t wish to enter the game.¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yu Yaqing looked slightly annoyed but due to Professor Song¡¯s revered status, she curbed her anger, ¡°Professor Song, neither my team members nor I are cowards who fear death!¡± ¡°Is it wrong to value life and fear death?¡± Song Mingchuan let his eyelids drop, his voice remained indifferent, ¡°I wonder, how many people in this world do not cherish their lives and are not scared of death?¡± Chu Huaijin stood up, trying to calm the tense atmosphere, he addressed Yu Yaqing, ¡°Team Leader Yu, you can discuss it with your team members before making a decision. The testing team is indeed in need of new members since many have left. If you insist, I¡¯ll consider transferring someone from your team.¡± Yu Yaqing solemnly nodded her head, ¡°I will go back and relay this information to my team.¡± Someone knocked on the door from outside. The assistant pushed open the door and asked, ¡°Professor, the candidates for Game No. 21 have arrived, should we meet them now or ask them to wait?¡± ¡°Let them come.¡± Song Mingchuan answered, then he addressed the four women in the room, ¡°You all can leave now. I appreciate the information you have provided for the scientific research team.¡± They all said their goodbyes to Professor Song and left the temporary research room. During her walk, Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t let go of the anger she felt due to the way Professor Song had spoken earlier. She believed in her team members; they only needed an opportunity to prove themselves. If they were given a chance to enter the game, their performance wouldn¡¯t necessarily be inferior to that of the testing team¡¯s! However¡­ recalling Hu Ya¡¯s actions in the game, Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. Just then, a group of men approached them head-on. Men of all sorts. Tall, short, slim, plump, an agile gymnast, a sharp-minded bank manager, intimidatingly burly men, and quick-witted slim young men¡­ As they passed by, one of them whistled at Zhu Shu. Yu Yaqing frowned wanting to warn them off, but was held back by Zhu Shu who shook her head silently. Better to avoid trouble when possible. Besides, she hadn¡¯t suffered anything; she might as well pretend a fly had buzzed past her. Yu Yaqing shot a glance at the men, swallowed her anger, and left with her colleagues. Surprisingly, Bai Youwei turned around and took another look. She stared at the back of one of the men, her gaze cast downward, falling onto his hand¡ª She saw a pair of white gloves. In the scorching heat of August, he was not bothered by the heat and wore a pair of gloves, which made people curious about his profession or identity. From a glance, he appeared slim, a bit on the thin side, with a calm demeanor. He seemed a bit cold and kept his distance from everyone else. ¡°Weiwei, let¡¯s go.¡± Su Man, who was in front, called out to her. Bai Youwei responded, and with her crutch, slowly followed them. Little did she know, after Su Man had called out to her, those men were also talking about them. ¡°Not bad benefits at this base, they even have a cripple, how strange.¡± ¡°¡­She¡¯s surprisingly good-looking though.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t provoke that cripple. You guys are new here, you don¡¯t know. The one who needed props to exchange for puzzle pieces was her! She has a lot of props in her hand!¡± ¡°Really? I couldn¡¯t tell¡­¡± The man wearing the white gloves looked at Bai Youwei¡¯s retreating figure, a thoughtful expression on his face¡­ Chapter 388: The Situation on Shen Mo’s Side Chapter 388: The Situation on Shen Mo¡¯s Side Along the roadside, a row of beautiful garden villas stood. Shen Mo walked into one of them, opened the wrought iron gate and under a grape tree in the courtyard, a middle-aged man was sitting at a short square table, playing Chinese chess alone. The chess set was an original item in the villa, made of wood. The lacquer had already faded and the edges were worn smooth and rounded. Shen Mo sat down at the other end of the table, observing the situation on the chessboard. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It seemed like a game of life and death. He glanced at his father across the table. In his memories, his father had never played Chinese chess. His usual pastimes were quite fixed: reading, writing, mountain climbing and golf. Of course, some of those pastimes are now impossible to enjoy. Looking at the chessboard, the middle-aged man spoke calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t take Shen Fei¡¯s words to heart. I¡¯m not some old man in his sixties or seventies who can¡¯t move. I can look after myself and certainly don¡¯t need constant care from my children. You don¡¯t need to come here to check on me all the time.¡± Speaking, he looked up at Shen Mo, laughing lightly, ¡°Even if I were in my sixties or seventies, I wouldn¡¯t necessarily need care. I heard there¡¯s an old man in your team, is that true?¡± Sitting across the table, Shen Mo replied, ¡°Yes, his name is Chang Weicai, a teacher in a middle school in Nanjing.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Shen¡¯s father nodded, bowing his head again to focus on the chessboard. Silence reigned, as if father and son had nothing to say to each other. After a while, Shen Mo said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could play Chinese chess.¡± ¡°When I was young, I played with your grandfather.¡± Shen¡¯s father picked up a chess piece, hesitated, and put it back down, sighing, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I touched this, I¡¯ve become rusty.¡± Shen Mo looked, picked up the rook, and moved it five squares straight ahead of the general, ¡°Check.¡± Shen¡¯s father chuckled, ¡°That won¡¯t work, my horse is guarding here.¡± He jumped the horse and captured Shen Mo¡¯s rook. Shen Mo moved his pawn forward, ¡°Check.¡± ¡°This is a dead end, it won¡¯t work.¡± Shen¡¯s father shook his head, advancing a soldier and capturing the pawn. Shen Mo moved his cannon, landing it on the general, ¡°Check.¡± Shen¡¯s father was taken aback. Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°Move two steps if there¡¯s dead end in one, three if there¡¯s a dead end in two. My grandfather used to say, the way out is to keep moving.¡± Shen¡¯s father stared at the chessboard for a good half a minute, then moved the piece he had played back to its original position, ¡°I made a mistake just now, I won¡¯t use the horse.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t take moves back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a game, not a real battlefield. Just a game between father and son, it can¡¯t be considered taking moves back.¡± Shen¡¯s father reset the chessboard, moving the general behind the minister, ¡°Now, I should be safe.¡± Shen Mo looked helpless. But seeing his father¡¯s white hair at his temples, his mood was a bit harsh. His father was a typical rich man¡¯s son, raised in luxury and grandeur. Because of strict parenting, he had not picked up any bad habits and thanks to his grandfather¡¯s fairness, there had been no scandals over inheritance among the brothers. One could say his life had been worry-free. For him to remain so calm in this situation was quite impressive. After a while in silence, Shen Mo turned to his father and said, ¡°I plan to head north in a few days.¡± ¡°Head north?¡± Shen¡¯s father looked up at him in mild surprise, ¡°¡­Are you trying to help Weiwei find her mother?¡± Wang Jingxian had also gone north. Shen Mo shook his head, ¡°The area is too big, it¡¯s very difficult to find one person. We¡¯re heading north to collect puzzle pieces.¡± ¡°Collecting puzzle pieces¡­¡± Shen¡¯s father understood, ¡°I heard from your second uncle that there are labyrinths in Wuhan and Zhengzhou, but I don¡¯t know if they still exist after all this time¡­¡± He said, sighing lightly, ¡°Even though Shanghai doesn¡¯t have a labyrinth, it has attracted the game instead. If we can¡¯t conquer the 21st game, I fear the base will have to relocate elsewhere.¡± Chapter 389: 389: It’s Still Shen Mo’s Side Chapter 389: It¡¯s Still Shen Mo¡¯s Side Shen Fei and his father both served the organization, so they were always well-informed. Shen Mo had also heard about the base relocation from Shen Fei. ¡°Has it been confirmed about the relocation?¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°Where are we moving to?¡± ¡°The professor suggests moving south along the coastline.¡± Father Shen replied, ¡°It¡¯s August now, autumn is just around the corner. Without electricity and heating systems, moving north would pose too many challenges, especially with the shortage of food.¡± Moving south would mean warmer climate, continuous plant growth, and people wouldn¡¯t starve to death. Head north? Or move south? S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Two completely opposite directions. Shen Mo furrowed his brows. If the base were to move, his departure would mean cutting ties with his family. In a world like this, losing contact was a terrifying thing, because it was like¡­a final farewell. Father Shen understood his concern and said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, the professor has already recruited a team that will enter the game tomorrow. They¡¯re all top players, so there¡¯s a high chance they¡¯ll clear the game. If Area 21 is successfully conquered, there will be no need to relocate.¡± Shen Mo pondered, nodding in agreement. ¡°By the way.¡± Father Shen remembered something and asked Shen Mo, ¡°Since we¡¯re leaving, when will you bring Weiwei over for me to meet?¡± Shen Mo was taken aback, looking at him. ¡°Shen Fei told me you two are living together.¡± Father Shen paused, then added, ¡°Sleeping together, too.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Even though the world is in chaos, certain rules must be observed. If you¡¯re sure about being together, bring her over for me to meet.¡± Father Shen reminded. Shen Mo gave a barely perceptible frown, remaining silent for a moment. Father Shen eyed his reaction, somewhat puzzled, and asked: ¡°Was it a misunderstanding by Shen Fei?¡± After two seconds of silence, Shen Mo replied, ¡°I¡¯ll bring her over tomorrow.¡± It was now Father Shen¡¯s turn to be silent: ¡°¡­¡± He was slightly taken aback. His son had always been reticent, never sharing personal matters. Was this answer a veiled admission that he and the girl were together? He patted Shen Mo heavily on the shoulder, ¡°Come around tonight, and don¡¯t let your second uncle and cousin find out. They already have a lot to say about Auntie Wang, if they found out about Weiwei coming, they would definitely bug me about it.¡± Hearing this, Shen Mo found it somewhat amusing. ¡°Dad, haven¡¯t you given up on Auntie Wang yet?¡± he asked. ¡°Why should I give up? Don¡¯t repeat your second uncle¡¯s words.¡± Father Shen just smiled, ¡°They don¡¯t understand the beauty of love.¡± Shen Mo: The father and son chatted for a while, then Uncle Shen arrived, and it was time for the uncle and nephew to catch up. When he learned that Shen Mo was planning to collect jigsaw puzzles, Uncle Shen immediately praised him, saying: ¡°You are truly a man of the Shen Family! A man should be adventurous, don¡¯t worry, your father will be looked after by me and Xiaofei!¡± He then pulled Shen Fei over, called a few Shen Family relatives, and held a farewell party for Shen Mo. Some of them had been distant relatives, but now that the Shen family only had a few of them left, they became closer than before. After eating, it was inevitable for them to drink. After drinking, it was inevitable for emotions to run high. From the afternoon to the evening, the whole table was unbridled with laughter, shedding tears, drowning their sorrows in alcohol. Some were crying over death, some were laughing their heads off, some were cursing the fickle nature of the world¡­ Shen Mo watched this spectacle, holding his glass. Behind a glass wall, he observed this spectrum of human life clearly and in silence. He has always been this way since he was a child. Adults praised him for his maturity, but in reality, he was just indifferent. Father Shen gently patted his shoulder, saying: ¡°Remember tonight well. Even if we don¡¯t get to see each other in the future, when you reminisce, you can still recall how we were all drinking together.¡± Upon hearing this, waves rippled in Shen Mo¡¯s calm lake of a heart. When he looked again at the relatives and friends at the table, he seemed to share in their joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness¡­ he could feel some of it too. Chapter 390: 390: The Situation on Bai Youwei’s Side Chapter 390: The Situation on Bai Youwei¡¯s Side He returned home quite late. Shen Mo opened the door, the light was on in the living room. A candle was placed on the coffee table. It was burnt to the end, and the flame was like a small monster tethered by the wick, jumping incessantly but unable to escape. Bai Youwei was sitting on the sofa, dressed in a white nightgown with her black hair loose. She coldly stared at Shen Mo, then she hummed lightly and said, ¡°Well, you remembered to return home?¡± The corner of Shen Mo¡¯s mouth curled into a smile. Bai Youwei was indignant, ¡°What are you smiling for!¡± As Shen Mo approached, a wave of alcohol entered her nostrils, making her even more angry: ¡°You¡¯ve been drinking!¡± Shen Mo sat down, casually lifted her onto his lap, hugged her, and smiled lightly, ¡°Hmm, had a little.¡± Bai Youwei: The sudden intimacy made her uncomfortable. She couldn¡¯t help but stare at Shen Mo¡¯s eyes, doubting whether he was¡­ drunk? Some people tend to cross the line when they¡¯re drunk. She couldn¡¯t help but feel an odd anticipation¡­ Her hand stealthily moved to his abs, cautiously asking, ¡°Are you drunk?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Shen Mo leaned back into the sofa, his single arm looping around her waist, gently explaining, ¡°My father was here, and so were many uncles. We don¡¯t get together often, so I drank a few extra cups.¡± Bai Youwei was quietly touching his abs. It was a rare opportunity; usually, he was so serious and didn¡¯t let her touch him. She had hardly tentatively felt his abs when Shen Mo caught her hand, preventing her from moving it. Bai Youwei felt slightly disappointed, she had not expected him to be so alert even when drunk¡­ Shen Mo raised a corner of his lips and said, ¡°Just now, you looked exactly like a wife in a TV drama who gets furious when her husband comes home late after drinking.¡± An image of a curly-haired, slightly chubby middle-aged woman in slippers suddenly popped into Bai Youwei¡¯s mind. ¡°Nonsense! Am I that fierce?!¡± Shen Mo chuckled softly, couldn¡¯t stop himself from laughing for a moment. He was usually reserved, rarely laughing like this. Bai Youwei stared at him, feeling tonight¡¯s Shen Mo was a bit strange. After a moment, Shen Mo hugged her and cooed, ¡°You¡¯re not fierce, I was just praising your authority.¡± The authority of the mistress of the house. Bai Youwei pondered a bit, her face turning slightly red. Fortunately, the living room was dimly lit, so it wasn¡¯t noticeable. Shen Mo adjusted his position slightly, still hugging her, and asked, ¡°What did you do today?¡± ¡°Cleaning the house. I got tons of trash from that new bride game. It¡¯s useless to keep it, but it¡¯s wasteful to throw it away. Then Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin went to the river to dig some dirt, saying Professor Cheng wants to plant vegetables in the backyard of the dollhouse¡­¡± Bai Youwei stopped talking, remembered something, turned around on the sofa, picked up a stack of documents, and handed them to Shen Mo. ¡°I met with Professor Song this afternoon, this is what he gave me, all gaming data from nearby areas.¡± Shen Mo took it and briefly skimmed through it. He originally thought he was just slightly tipsy, but looking at the closely packed words on the paper, he suddenly felt a bit dizzy. He put the paper down and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Want to go?¡± Bai Youwei made a face: ¡°These games, one can¡¯t go simply because they want to. Each game requires at least one death, otherwise a full-team clearance will trigger an anti-brushing system, and once a game disappears, a new unknown game will appear. So, the organization has stipulated, until a new game¡¯s strategy has been figured out, the old game cannot be fully cleared. If someone clears it, they must take responsibility to figure out the strategies for the new game that appears thereafter.¡± She picked up the documents, continuing: ¡°Although we can¡¯t go, this information is very important, it can be processed to let Professor Cheng and others have a look and gain some game experience.¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo said, ¡°Let¡¯s take it slow. I¡¯ve already mentioned to my father about heading north, Tomorrow you come with me to his place.¡± Recalling Professor Cheng¡¯s advice, Bai Youwei nodded in agreement, ¡°Sure.¡± Since everyone thinks it¡¯s not a problem, she should visit her elders. Chapter 391: 391: Going Out Together Chapter 391: Going Out Together The next day, Shen Mo found that Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin were all dressed up, ready to go out and visit someone. This surprised him, so he asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Boss, are you serious?¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°Weiwei said we¡¯re visiting Uncle Shen today!¡± Teacher Cheng said: ¡°We should have thanked him in person a long time ago, but there hasn¡¯t been an opportunity.¡± Pan Xiaoxin was carefully smoothing the folds of his clothing, ¡°Sister Weiwei said we need to behave well today and not embarrass her.¡± Shen Mo: It was a little different from what he imagined¡­ Bai Youwei came out of the house to see that everyone was dressed neatly and was also surprised. ¡°Wow¡­ you guys are exaggerating too much. I just didn¡¯t want you to dress too casually, but you¡¯ve dressed up as if you¡¯re going to a wedding!¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t notice the mockery and touched his hair proudly, ¡°Of course we must be grand on matters concerning the boss!¡± Meanwhile, Teacher Cheng started mulling over, ¡°Or¡­should I go back and change into something old? Visiting someone¡¯s home looking too flashy can be intimidating. That wouldn¡¯t be appropriate¡­¡± Tan Xiao, still excited about his fresh look and unwilling to change, frowned and said, ¡°I just finished applying this hair oil! If I change my clothes they won¡¯t match!¡± ¡°Brother Xiao, you applied too much oil.¡± Pan Xiaoxin said, pointing to the back of his collar, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of oil on your neck.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, holding her crutch and cackling. Shen Mo watched their antics; some were old, some were young, some silly, and some noisy¡­ He was feeling rather helpless. Boom, boom. Someone was knocking on the door outside. He sighed silently, got up to open the door, and found that it was Yan Qingwen and her crew, accompanied by Yu Yaqing. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Shen Mo looked at them in surprise. Seeing them dressed smartly, Yan Qingwen was also taken aback, ¡°Have we come at a bad time? You all seem to be heading out?¡± Looking at the people in the room, Shen Mo nodded, ¡°We¡¯re about to make a trip to my dad¡¯s place.¡± Tan Xiao hurriedly explained, ¡°We¡¯re about to leave! After Mo bro and his dad live miles apart, they wouldn¡¯t see each other much. We¡¯re going there so his father can recognize our faces and have some peace of mind!¡± Teacher Cheng also added: ¡°Xiaoshen has helped us a lot along the way. So we all wanted to pay a visit to express our gratitude.¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Qingwen laughed, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s join you.¡± Shen Mo: This unexpectedly large group left him speechless. ¡°What brings you guys here?¡± Bai Youwei curiously asked, looking at Yu Yaqing, ¡°Why are you all here together?¡± ¡°The assessment team is recruiting new members. After telling Zhu Shu about it, we all got interested and wanted to try it out.¡± Yu Yaqing replied with a smile, before glancing at the others, ¡°We came to see if you guys want to join us?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you from the security team?¡± Yu Yaqing¡¯s smile stiffened, ¡°I¡¯ve quit.¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei was wide-eyed. Even a rank-and-file position held some power, and she just quit like that. Zhu Shu glanced at Yu Yaqing and turned to Bai Youwei to help explain, ¡°Sister Yaqing wants to enter the game to challenge herself. As a member of the security team, it¡¯s not easy for her to participate in the game, so she decided to switch to the evaluation team.¡± The claim that she couldn¡¯t participate in the game was probably because all team members objected, right? Bai Youwei thought for a moment and understood everything. Actually, under the premise of a game guide, entering the game for practice isn¡¯t too big of a deal. But it was clear that Yu Yaqing intended not just one game experience, but regular, continuous, and multiple-game experiences! This increased the risks, and members of the security team obviously disagreed. Professor Song was right, the majority of people in this world fear death. Why bother risking their lives in the assessment team when they could live safely in the security team? Chapter 392: 392: Another Death Chapter 392: Another Death Shen Mo asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°Are you joining the review team with the intention of staying here for the long term?¡± Yan Qingwen shook his head lightly, ¡°The review team is mainly recruiting temporary members this time. As long as you can return from the game and provide new clues, you will get a map. The map will mark the nearby game areas and the suspected range of the maze.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°The professor is so cunning. Most temporary members want to leave here. For them, nothing is more tempting than a map.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a clear deal, so it¡¯s fair,¡± Yan Qingwen said casually with a smile. ¡°If I were Professor Song, I might not be more generous than him.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then turned to Shen Mo, ¡°Should we go too?¡± Shen Mo was taken aback. Yan Qingwen was also surprised, ¡°There will be many opportunities for cooperation in the future. If we get the map, we can share resources. Not everyone has to go to get it.¡± His implication was that Shen Mo and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t need to risk bringing more people into their team just for a map. Yu Yaqing also agreed, ¡°If I get the map, I can give it to you. I don¡¯t plan to leave here for now, so the map is of no use to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the map,¡± Bai Youwei chuckled softly. ¡°I want to see who wants to join the review team. If we meet them in the game, we should be more cautious.¡± The greatest opponent in the game was never the game itself. But the other players inside the game. They went to the exchange area. This place was relatively crowded with players who also wanted to join the review team and had to sign up here. Many people arrived earlier than they did, but few signed up. It seemed everyone was watching and hesitating. When Bai Youwei entered, many eyes fell on her. Her crutch was hard to ignore. Anyone who had been to the exchange area and seen her exchange notice knew ¨C there was a cripple in the base who wanted to exchange props for puzzle pieces. Bai Youwei looked around and noticed something. She quietly tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shen Mo asked quietly. ¡°Look,¡± Bai Youwei slightly tilted her chin, ¡°Over there, aren¡¯t those two people in white gloves discussing us?¡± Shen Mo frowned and followed her gaze. Those two appeared reluctant to attract attention. As soon as they realized Shen Mo was looking at them, they turned around and headed for the corner. ¡°They¡¯re wearing gloves in this kind of weather¡­¡± Bai Youwei stared at the two individuals, ¡°I saw someone else wearing white gloves at Professor Song¡¯s yesterday. Those gloves were so white¡­¡± Shen Mo looked at them, frowning, as he too found it strange. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just like Tan Xiao¡¯s shiny hair. In this place where everyone is rushing around, overly clean and tidy things give people a sense of incongruity. Wearing a pair of white gloves was indeed unnatural, especially since their clothing and shoes weren¡¯t particularly clean but their gloves were immaculate. They were as white as if they were brand new. Suddenly, there was a stir outside. Everyone in the exchange area turned towards the door. Some ran out and shouted, ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°The people from Game No. 21 are back!¡± ¡°So soon? Didn¡¯t they just leave this morning?¡± ¡°How many came back?¡± ¡°They came back so soon, they must not have cleared the game!¡± Everyone hastily went outside to find out what was going on. Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen shared a look and followed the crowd outside. They saw a man in his thirties, thin and scholarly in appearance, wearing a light blue Oxford shirt and white gloves, surrounded by a crowd outside. He spoke to the crowd with a haggard expression: ¡°Everyone is dead¡­ I was lucky to have the puzzle pieces to escape¡­¡± The crowd seemed about to explode. Everyone was extremely shocked! They couldn¡¯t believe it and find it impossible to accept that so many top players went into the game together, and still couldn¡¯t clear it?! Just how difficult is Game No. 21?! Chapter 393: 393: Seeing the White Glove Again Chapter 393: Seeing the White Glove Again The crowd was buzzing with excitement. There were doubts, questions, and persistent confusions that couldn¡¯t be sorted out. ¡°How did they die?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they use any props?¡± ¡°Aqiang brought so many props with him. How could he have died?!¡± ¡°Exactly! Even if he died, it shouldn¡¯t have happened so quickly!¡± Regarding these questions, the man could only weakly shake his head, responding, ¡°The cat was too powerful¡­ too fast, no one could react in time¡­¡± He started coughing quietly as if he was really weak. A few staff members came forward to maintain order and took the man away for questioning. Finally, the commotion and chaos at the scene gradually subsided. Bai Youwei watched as the man retreated, a sneer curling her lips. ¡°He¡¯s lying.¡± Yu Yaqing was taken aback upon hearing this. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°The 21st game is hide-and-seek, I¡¯ve read about it. The game requires at least ten participants, and once inside, players need to find a place to hide, to avoid getting caught.¡± Bai Youwei turned to her and asked, ¡°Do you think the players would all hide in the same spot?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°Of course they would spread out and hide.¡± Bai Youwei, ¡°Since they would disperse, how could he possibly know that all the others are dead?¡± Yu Yaqing was struck dumb. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded thoughtfully, ¡°Leaving the game using the puzzle piece would only happen when faced with extreme danger with no other means of survival. There¡¯s no way in such circumstances someone could keep an eye on what¡¯s happening to the other players unless all those ten people stayed together the whole time.¡± Unable to hold it back, Lun Ang commented: ¡°Maybe when he came out, he saw the others¡¯ dolls, so he assumed they all were killed in the game.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there is still a contradiction.¡± Shen Mo reminded Lun Ang calmly,¡±He said earlier that it was due to the cat¡¯s ¡®fast speed¡¯, while all ten players were scattered, how would he know their cause of death? Also, when so many people came up to question him earlier, he didn¡¯t panic at all. A normal reaction would be to deny and say he didn¡¯t know anything.¡± A scornful smile tugged on Bai Youwei¡¯s lips: ¡°That man is definitely implicated in the deaths of those nine people. Either he killed them directly, or he indirectly set a trap for them.¡± ¡°Why would he do that?!¡± Yu Yaqing, already believing in Bai Youwei¡¯s deductions, couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°What was the purpose of killing nine people and wasting an opportunity with the puzzle piece?!¡± Zhu Shu was also confused, wondering aloud, ¡°If it was just for murder, there was no need to do it in the game¡­¡± ¡°Who knows~¡± Bai Youwei shrugged nonchalantly, ¡°I do have a piece of advice for you. After joining the review team, if you come across the man who was wearing white gloves earlier, keep your distance. Don¡¯t join the same team as him.¡± Yan Qingwen gazed at the retreating figure, squinting minutely. ¡°¡­it¡¯s certainly strange. It¡¯s never wrong to be cautious.¡± ¡°Indeed, his white gloves were very odd,¡± Zhu Shu added. Almost everyone had taken note of the white gloves. The incongruity was glaring. Yu Yaqing had another concern, ¡°If even such a large group of experts couldn¡¯t clear game number 21, in 7 days time the city area will become a danger zone. Then, the base will have to be relocated to another place.¡± She pursed her lips and turned to the others, ¡°I need to go to headquarters, I¡¯ll be leaving first!¡± Yu Yaqing left in a hurry. Watching her leave from the entrance gate, everyone¡¯s thoughts varied. Lun Ang asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°Should we still apply for the assessment team?¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for some news.¡± Yan Qingwen pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a nonchalant tone, ¡°If we have to relocate the base, there¡¯s no point joining the review team now.¡± Chapter 394: 394: Switch Chapter 394: Switch Yan Qingwen never made a losing deal. Now joining the evaluation group, with familiar games around, an organized strategy guide in hand, a small amount of risk could lead to substantial returns. Plus, she could get the map from Professor Song. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But once the base moved somewhere else and all the games in the vicinity were unfamiliar and lacked strategy guides, dragging companions into such games would be akin to courting death. The loss would outweigh the gain. Bai Youwei thought for a while and turned to Shen Mo, ¡°Should we go to your dad¡¯s first?¡± Shen Mo pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°We should head back first.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She was puzzled, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to see Uncle Shen?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go another day.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I¡¯ll let him know in advance next time so he¡¯ll be prepared for the crowd.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bai Youwei replied. Deep down, she was somehow concerned. She felt that Shen Mo was holding something back. During the scorching afternoon, two men were leisurely smoking under the tree, occasionally glancing at the tall building behind them. Their clothes were not exactly clean, and their bodies were covered in dust. However, they were both wearing a pair of white gloves, so white it was dazzling. When they finished their cigarettes, they were finally greeted by the arrival of the person inside. They quickly stepped forward and asked, ¡°What took so long? Did those guys give you a hard time?¡± The man who came out of the headquarters curled his lips, ¡°With so many people dead, they had to question thoroughly. But rest assured, even if they suspect me, they have no evidence.¡± ¡°Those idiots, they probably couldn¡¯t even figure out how they died!¡± His partner laughed triumphantly and impatiently asked, ¡°How¡¯s the loot this time? I heard that the team was full of base elites. They must have had plenty of items and puzzles, right?¡± Another companion was equally excited, ¡°Since they dared to enter the game, they must have brought some life-saving goods!¡± The man frowned, unhappy. He pulled out two items from his pocket, a piece of chalk and a colored string. Both were props. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± His partner couldn¡¯t believe it, picked up the props in his hand and said angrily, ¡°These two props are practically useless! You wasted our puzzle piece just to bring back this garbage?!¡± The man instantly turned cold at his words, his expression becoming grim. Seeing the man react negatively, the other partner quickly motioned to their companion, reminding him, ¡°He didn¡¯t know it would turn out this way, and you agreed to go to Game 21! Saying this now is useless!¡± It seemed like both were nervous and cautious around the man. Even though they were dissatisfied, they dare not express their displeasure easily. ¡°I¡¯m just anxious¡­ I don¡¯t mean to blame anyone¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get going. This time we were just unlucky¡­ How stupid were they? They dared to enter the game with so few props. How absurd?!¡± The man slightly raised the corners of his lips and whispered, ¡°Stupid? I don¡¯t think so.¡± He opened his other hand, revealing three puzzle pieces. ¡°Is that a puzzle piece?!¡± His companion exclaimed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take it out earlier! We thought you failed this time!¡± ¡°Look carefully.¡± The man picked up one piece, and with a slight force, the metal puzzle piece broke in half. ¡°These puzzles are fake.¡± He discarded the broken pieces and gently patted his hand. His white gloves were still pristine. His two companions exchanged confused glances. ¡°What¡¯s going on? ¡­ Why would they bring fake puzzles into the game?¡± ¡°Deception, Fraud, Deception.¡± The man briefly glanced at them, ¡°Before we made our move, the real puzzles were already swapped with fake ones.¡± Chapter 395: 395: Arguing Chapter 395: Arguing After Shen Mo returned, he picked up the game data that Bai Youwei had brought back and reread it. He had only skimmed through it with a bit of a buzz when he saw it yesterday. Now, he found the information for game B21¡ª The title ¡°Hide and Seek¡± was written on it. This was a game that had never been cleared before. Little was known about the game because everyone who played it died, except for Du Lai. The information was also given by Du Lai to the organization. The data mentioned the gameplay method and features, and also described how the puppet cat in the game is incredibly strong and agile. All the details only took up one page, but Shen Mo reads it for a long time. Ever since he returned, Bai Youwei had been observing him. Now seeing him reading the data for game number 21, she started to guess what he was up to. Without realizing it, she furrowed her brows and asked Shen Mo, ¡°Are you thinking about entering Hide and Seek, number 21?¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t respond right away. After looking at the game information for a while, he finally said, ¡°If we can beat game number 21, Shanghai Base can maintain its current state.¡± Bai Youwei frowned at this, ¡°Even if we don¡¯t have the 21st, there will be the 31st, 41st, 51st, 101st! Are you planning to stick around forever? You promised to accompany me to collect puzzle pieces!¡± ¡°The base had always been stable before game number 21 appeared.¡± Shen Mo calmly stated, ¡°No matter how difficult the other games could be, someone will always beat them. Not every game is as difficult as number 21.¡± ¡°So, you actually acknowledge the difficulty?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes and criticized, ¡°The organization put a bunch of elites into the game, and all of them died. Do you think you¡¯re more capable than all those elites combined?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s face darkened slightly. Bai Youwei continued to scorn, ¡°Others have puzzle pieces and props. What do you have? All you have is a block of mud! You have nothing! What makes you think you can go into the game?!¡± The situation seemed ready to erupt into an argument. Teacher Chang, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin exchanged glances and quietly entered the house¡­ In the living room, Bai Youwei¡¯s harsh words echoed one after another, ¡°Even if you enter the game, what makes you think you can clear it? Relying on that fruit knife? Ah! I almost forgot, that fruit knife was already broken into two pieces in the Dollhouse game! Unfortunately, you have to save the world bare-handedly! Ha! Do you think you¡¯re a superhero?¡± Despite being tucked away in the house, the three of them felt the heat of Bai Youwei¡¯s rebuke, even though it wasn¡¯t directed at them. Listening at the door, Tan Xiao spoke in a low voice, ¡°Poor Mo. He hasn¡¯t said a word till now.¡± ¡°Weiwei is only excessively harsh because she¡¯s worried about him.¡± Teacher Chang shared his concern, ¡°But Xiaoshen can¡¯t keep quiet forever either. He needs to reason with Weiwei. As long as he explains it, Weiwei will understand. We need to convince her with logic¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin pursed his lips and whispered, ¡°When my grandmother scolds people, my grandfather never says anything.¡± ¡°What a coincidence?!¡± Tan Xiao exclaimed. ¡°Same goes with my grandparents!¡± Suddenly, Bai Youwei became furious outside and she shouted, ¡°If you love being a hero so much, then go! Go ahead! Leave!!!¡± Teacher Chang became anxious, ¡°No! We must go out and intervene!¡± Tan Xiao quickly opened the door He opened a crack, then clumsily closed it again! S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hey, why did you close the door!¡± Teacher Chang said urgently, ¡°Go out and mediate before they start arguing even more!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t go!¡± Tan Xiao looked nervous, ¡°They¡¯re hugging each other! If we barge in now, Weiwei will tear me apart!¡± Chang Weicai: Pan Xiaoxin: Chapter 396: 396: Dare to Move or Not Chapter 396: Dare to Move or Not The situation outside was in fact far from their imagined warmth. All of it occurred because Bai Youwei, overtaken by her emotions, threw her walking stick at Shen Mo, demanding him to leave. But she didn¡¯t hit him and instead, she almost lost her balance and fell. Shen Mo swiftly caught her just in time¡ª And that was what Tan Xiao saw. When Shen Mo helped Bai Youwei sit on the sofa, he noticed her flushed face and the tears welling up in her eyes. He felt infuriated, but also found it humorous. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± he asked, ¡°You cursed me out, and I didn¡¯t say a word. What do you have to cry about?¡± Bai Youwei turned her face away: ¡°Hmph!¡± Shen Mo grabbed a few tissues from the coffee table to wipe her tears. Bai Youwei immediately slapped his hand away! ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Shen Mo took the hit, there was no blood, but a red mark appeared on his arm. He slightly frowned and looked at Bai Youwei again, his voice becoming stricter: ¡°If you dare move again, do you believe that I will cut them all off?¡± Bai Youwei: She bit her lip. Then, she raised her hand, looking both determined and hesitant¡­ And scratched Shen Mo a bit. Shen Mo: He didn¡¯t want to indulge her in this habit. A minute later, Bai Youwei¡¯s ¡®weapons¡¯ were forcibly confiscated. Both of her hands were tied up tightly, Shen Mo took a nail clipper, and started to trim her nails one by one. The three people in the room, hearing the silence outside, tiptoed out, completely confused at the sight. Tan Xiao was particularly puzzled: ¡°What kind of kinky fetish is this?¡± However, looking at their faces, it seemed like a temporary ceasefire had been called. Teacher Cheng affectionately asked Shen Mo: ¡°I thought I heard you say you were heading to the 21st game? Is that true?¡± Shen Mo, while handling Bai Youwei¡¯s ¡®paws¡¯, and trimming her nails, explained: ¡°¡­The 21st game not only threatens the base¡¯s safety, but also endangers my family. I want to solve this problem before leaving.¡± Bai Youwei glared at him, frantically speaking: ¡°If you can¡¯t handle the 21st game, just move somewhere else! The base should have an evacuation plan, right? There¡¯s absolutely no need to fight so hard with a game! So many people have died, it¡¯s clear that the game is too difficult. Why are you so keen on throwing your life away?!¡± As she spoke, her eyes started to redden once again, ¡°I won¡¯t allow it! I said it before, no entering the game until we collect the new puzzle pieces! Do I not have any dignity?!¡± ¡°The game may not actually be that hard.¡± Shen Mo remained calm, ¡°The reason we suffered a total defeat this time might be due to sabotage, which may not necessarily be linked to the actual difficulty level of the game.¡± Teacher Cheng thought for a moment, looking worried, ¡°Little Shen, Weiwei is right. We understand your concerns for your family, but if something happens to you in the game, it¡¯s going to cause even more pain for your family¡­ maybe you should reconsider?¡± Shen Mo slowly shook his head: ¡°Shanghai exists as a ¡®vacuum¡¯ safe zone because of the maze that was here. The locations of all the nearby games have been confirmed, and we understand their moving patterns. There won¡¯t be anyplace safer than here. Even if there is, it will be separated by a vast distance.¡± He glanced at Bai Youwei and added: ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Chu Huaijin, and we¡¯ll recruit another team.¡± Bai Youwei retorted bitterly: ¡°So many people have died, even the elite team was annihilated! Who would be foolish enough to join you in the game?! You will surely fail to recruit anyone!¡± Shen Mo looked at her: ¡°If I can¡¯t gather enough people, I¡¯ll give up on the 21st game; I¡¯ll move to a new stronghold with the base, then head north with you all.¡± Bai Youwei clenched her jaw in frustration. His words made her look unreasonable, but¡­ considering their current situation, they really weren¡¯t suited for entering the game! Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 397 - 397 Du Lai has arrived Chapter 397: Du Lai has arrived S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bang, bang, bang The standoff was interrupted by the knocking on the door. Teacher Cheng turned to open the door. Outside stood a young boy in a grey hoodie. He pulled down the wide hood connected to his collar, revealing a face with a smile, his two prominent front canines making a strong impression. ¡°I am Du Lai, is Bai Youwei here?¡± Teacher Cheng was taken aback, turning his head towards the room, ¡°Weiwei¡­ someone is looking for you.¡± Bai Youwei had already heard, without needing Teacher Cheng to say it. She lifted her tied hands, and forcefully hammered Shen Mo! ¡°Quickly untie me!¡± A passing stranger seeing this would misconstrue it! It was a loose knot. Shen Mo pinched one end, pulling lightly, and it fell apart instantly. Bai Youwei¡¯s hands were finally free. She didn¡¯t have nails scratch him with, so she angrily pinched the flesh on his arm! Shen Mo stopped her hand and whispered a warning: ¡°Is there no end to this?! If you continue, I will bind your entire body tonight!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face reddened, she angrily pinched him again, ¡°Pervert!¡± Shen Mo paused, in what way was he a pervert? At the door, Du Lai had already walked in, an innocent smile on his face. ¡°Long time no see, Miss Bai~¡± He walked up to Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, looking them over. ¡°I heard you escaped from the 24th game, I have yet to congratulate you on acquiring another tool.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him disdainfully: ¡°Others congratulate me on getting my life back, you congratulate me on getting another tool. Is my life not worth your congratulations? Can¡¯t you be a bit more humane?¡± Du Lai: He was silenced, his smile faltered, ¡°¡­Seems like you are not in a good mood today.¡± ¡°Yes, so you better not haggle with me.¡± Bai Youwei bluntly stated, ¡°Want to trade tools, bring out ten puzzle pieces! One piece less and it is no deal~¡± For a long time Du Lai has been coveting her Substitute Doll. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t think of a second reason he would come to find her. ¡°Of course, fair and square, I like this kind of transaction.¡± Du Lai chuckled, staring into Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes. ¡°But how can I be sure that the Substitute Doll is still with you? Maybe¡­you already used it in the game?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly, was silent for two seconds, then called out, ¡°Xiaoxin, bring my bag over!¡± Pan Xiaoxin was startled, he ran into the bedroom and soon came out holding a bulging canvas bag, passing it to Bai Youwei¨C Du Lai¡¯s gaze heated up a few degrees, watching the bag closely. Meanwhile, Bai Youwei¡¯s action was quite rough. She unzipped the canvas bag, directly turned it 90 degrees upside down, and the contents inside clattered onto the couch! The Substitute Doll was among them. She picked up the doll and placed it on the coffee table. Her actions were swift and decisive, showing no sign of reluctance to part with the tool. ¡°Here, you can check the merchandise.¡± Bai Youwei stated. Her attitude was fearless and nonchalant, not worried at all about the chance of Du Lai taking the item and running off. Du Lai inevitably grew more cautious. He surveyed the people in the room once again, Tan Xiao, Teacher Cheng, Pan Xiaoxin, and¡­ Shen Mo, who was sitting next to Bai Youwei. Then he reached out his hand, cautiously touching the doll on the coffee table. [Substitute Doll: Can act as a second body for the user, withstand all damage within 36 hours until completely destroyed.] That¡¯s right! Exactly the same as what Bai Youwei had written on the notice! This was what he wanted! Du Lai¡¯s heart was pounding, he couldn¡¯t help but want to take the doll into his arms right away, his fingertips trembling slightly. However, another hand was placed on the Substitute Doll. Shen Mo reminded him: ¡°We haven¡¯t seen your stuff yet.¡± Chapter 398: Not Enough Chapter 398: Not Enough Du Lai snapped back to reality, slowly retracting his hand¡­ But his eyes remained focused on the doll lying on the coffee table. Bai Youwei slightly raised an eyebrow, feeling puzzled. Many people wanted the Substitute Doll, but Du Lai¡¯s demeanor¡­ seemed to show more determination than anyone else, as if he could settle for nothing less. This was quite strange. However, she generally couldn¡¯t care less about others¡¯ business, as long as Du Lai could offer the puzzle pieces, she would complete the trade. Du Lai¡¯s hoodie had a large pocket in the middle, accessible from either end. He took out a handful of puzzle pieces from the pocket, one by one, laying them out on the coffee table. One piece, two pieces, three pieces¡­ six pieces, seven pieces. That was all. Bai Youwei looked at him coolly, ¡°Hey, we agreed on ten puzzle pieces.¡± ¡°I know, ten puzzle pieces,¡± Du Lai answered calmly, ¡°Ten¡­ used puzzle pieces. But what I¡¯ve given you are six used pieces, and one¡­ unused piece.¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Others in the room looked surprised as well. Tan Xiao blurted out: ¡°Are you crazy? Why don¡¯t you keep the unused puzzle piece for yourself? Why are you exchanging it for an accessory?¡± While Substitute Dolls only protect against injuries, puzzle pieces can directly enable players to leave the game. Comparatively, it¡¯s evident that the puzzle pieces hold more value! Let¡¯s take a simple example¡ª¡ª In ¡°The Last Bride¡±, what would happen if a player captured by the Duke used a Substitute Doll? For a time, they would indeed be immune to damage, but what about after that time passed? The player attached to the torture device would still die! Unless during that window, other players managed to complete the game! Given this, Du Lai¡¯s behavior was highly unusual. Bai Youwei reached out and ran her fingers over the puzzle pieces on the coffee table one by one. She hesitated when she got to the seventh piece. It indeed was an unused puzzle piece, as information would flash in her mind when she touched it. She looked at Du Lai, her eyes squinting slightly. Her silent gaze was both an examination and a questioning. ¡°You don¡¯t need to doubt my intentions.¡± Du Lai replied with a smirk, a blend of naughtiness and coolness, ¡°Puzzle pieces can let players leave the game, but they can¡¯t make them win the game. And what I want¡­ is to win.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s index finger lightly tapped twice on the coffee table. She looked at Shen Mo. After reflecting for a moment, Shen Mo told her, ¡°Trade should be based on trust.¡± Bai Youwei contemplated this, ¡°Hmm¡­ trust should indeed be valued.¡± She picked up the doll from the coffee table, putting it away, said, ¡°I won¡¯t trade.¡± Almost losing his composure, Du Lai¡¯s expression twitched! ¡°No trade?¡± he asked incredulously, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say trust is important?!¡± ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s why I won¡¯t trade,¡± Bai Youwei replied nonchalantly, ¡°We agreed on ten puzzle pieces for the doll, and you only have seven pieces.¡± ¡°Among these seven puzzle pieces, there¡¯s one which gives exemption rights!¡± Du Lai spitefully stressed. ¡°This one piece of puzzle alone can equate to ten used puzzle pieces!¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head slightly,¡±You just said your goal is to win, I have my goals too. My goal is to collect puzzle pieces, the more the better. What others may regard as precious, I regard as just another piece. Because of this piece, I missed out on three others which I find unacceptable.¡± Du Lai looked at Bai Youwei and then at Shen Mo, pointed at them, and shouted, ¡°Are you guys playing me?!¡± Is this what they call trading? S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This was clearly finding fault on purpose! ¡°Not at all~¡± Bai Youwei sat on the couch, speaking in an unconcerned manner,¡±You can use this piece to exchange for four used ones, when you have ten in total, you can come find me anytime~ I¡¯m always open.¡± Chapter 399: 399: Another Piece Chapter 399: Another Piece Du Lai sneered, ¡°I think you just don¡¯t want to swap props! Once I gather ten pieces, you¡¯ll come up with another excuse!¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°If you really think that way, that¡¯s just boring. You know, I always keep my promises.¡± Du Lai snorted coldly, bent down to pick up the jigsaw puzzle pieces on the coffee table, and put them back in his pocket. ¡°Bai Youwei, there¡¯s a saying ¨C ¡®The heart of man is insatiable as a snake¡¯, I advise you not to be too greedy. At the base right now, I dare say I am the only one who can bring out ten pieces.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei curled her lips into a sweet smile, ¡°Du Lai, it¡¯s a wise man who knows the times. I¡¯d advise you to read the room. Among all the people at the base right now, I dare say I¡¯m the only one who can present these kinds of props.¡± Du Lai: He was filled with frustration. As he walked to the door, he stopped unwillingly as if he had a fierce internal struggle, then suddenly turned around and walked back! ¡°Would one more piece be enough?¡± Du Lai took out the puzzles from his pocket, and from another pocket, another piece, aggressively placing it on the coffee table! Snap! ¡°Eight pieces! I can¡¯t give more!¡± Du Lai uttered indignantly, ¡°Six have been used, two haven¡¯t. These are all the pieces I have!¡± ¡°Deal¡± Bai Youwei quickly grabbed the canvas bag and swept all the puzzle pieces on the coffee table into the bag. Du Lai: Why did he get the feeling that she had been waiting for him to raise the price? Shen Mo picked up the Substitute Doll and gently tossed it to Du Lai, ¡°Take it, the prop you wanted.¡± ¡°Eight puzzle pieces, and two of them haven¡¯t been used, tsk tsk. Let me guess, you¡¯ve gathered so many puzzle pieces, how did you do it? ¡­The death of those players in the 21st game, is it your doing? Didn¡¯t see that coming, you¡¯ve got a malicious heart~¡± Bai Youwei stored the puzzle pieces away jokingly. Du Lai¡¯s expression darkened, with a hint of gloom in his eyes. Perhaps considering there would be no testimony from the dead, he didn¡¯t deny the accusation immediately. Instead, he mockingly smiled and gave a noncommittal reply: ¡°What could it have to do with me? Their deaths were due to their stupidity, regardless of whether they had puzzle pieces or not, the outcome would not have changed.¡± ¡°You seem to know something.¡± Shen Mo furrowed his eyebrows and examined him. Du Lai gave a forced smirk, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. The more you know, the faster you die. Even I understand such logic~¡± He put away the Substitute Doll, waved casually at everyone inside the room, and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure doing business with you, goodbye~¡± Du Lai left breezily and disappeared from sight quickly. As soon as he was gone, Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°Has this guy gone mad?! One puzzle piece wasn¡¯t enough for him, he actually gave us two unused puzzle pieces! Two! Unused puzzle pieces! He just handed them over to us!¡± Bai Youwei gave him a sidelong glance and laughed carelessly: ¡°He¡¯s not crazy, nor is he stupid. He¡¯s confident that he can retrieve his puzzle pieces. That¡¯s why he dare to hand the puzzles to me.¡± Tan Xiao was clueless, ¡°What?¡± Shen Mo spoke to everyone, ¡°Lock the doors and windows tonight and rest in the puppet room. No one stays outside.¡± ¡°Leaving nothing outside?¡± Bai Youwei drawled, ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave something for this master thief to steal? It¡¯s a rare opportunity for such a visit. He¡¯ll be disappointed if we don¡¯t prepare anything.¡± Shen Mo felt a bit helpless, but not surprised. He would probably find it strange if she ever stopped causing mischief. ¡°What do you propose?¡± Shen Mo calmly asked. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°Hmm¡­ a simple¡­ welcome ceremony?¡± Chapter 400: 400: Master Thief Chapter 400: Master Thief The pitch-black night It¡¯s three in the morning, a time when most people are in deep sleep, and also the favorite time of activity for thieves. A small iron wire, slowly pushed into the keyhole, doesn¡¯t take much force, just skill to open it easily. Du Lai slowly pushed the door open, his sense of touch immediately noting something was not right. Looking up, he noticed a bulging garbage bag hanging over the door, teetering on the edge of falling. If he had pushed the door any harder, that bag would have fallen, hitting him on the head. He gently touched the bag, and inside, it was filled with a liquid, oily substance like leftover food or soup. Du Lai¡¯s eye twitched twice. But this minor obstacle would not stop him. His nimble hands removed the garbage bag and gently placed it on the ground, his movements were extremely light. However, as he was about to move forward, he saw the plastic bag rapidly deflate, the soup inside seeping out and emitting a strong smell of seaweed and shrimp, wetting the soles of his shoes. With a frown, he looked more closely and found thumbtacks scattered all over the floor! Not just near the entrance, but thumbtacks were everywhere on the living room floor! Du Lai: Damn, this woman is ruthless! It seems she was well prepared for someone trying to steal her stuff. It¡¯s normal to be prepared, after all, her props are too alluring to people. But she thinks she can stop him with these thumbtacks, that¡¯s naive. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Du Lai gently stepped over the thumbtacks, recalling Bai Youwei¡¯s mockery during their first meeting. She was right, he is indeed a thief. But at the same time, he is also a magician. For these two identities, sometimes he alternates between them, sometimes he possesses both, so he himself actually isn¡¯t sure, is he more of a thief or a magician? ¡­It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. He continued to walk into the room, his movements quick but light, not making a sound. Opening the bedroom door, the sheet on the bed covering two protruding figures, the canvas bag just hung on a clothes rack a little first away. Du Lai¡¯s heart tightened as he held his breath, his movements became even slower and lighter¡­.. He gently lifted the canvas bag¡¯s two handles, took it, and carefully retraced his steps back along the path he had just taken ¡ª Using a puzzle to exchange for a prop seemed rather foolish, but he thought it was worth it. But if he could acquire this prop without using a puzzle, he¡¯d find it even more worth it. Du Lai retreated all the way to the door, silently weighing the canvas bag in the corridor ¨C it was quite full and heavy. Was she too arrogant? How could she just casually leave such an important prop next to the bed? Or was she certain that her trap would definitely work? Du Lai smirked, picking up the bag and quickly left. He didn¡¯t head toward his own place, but instead chose to head out of town. Trying to avoid attention, he parked his car in a secluded place, the night sky sparse and dim, he traveled under the glimmering stars and waning moon. At the intersection, a figure suddenly appeared. At three in the morning, a person standing in the middle of the intersection. This was rather shocking. Du Lai slowed his steps, remaining cautious. The sky was overcast that night, thick clouds obscuring the moonlight, casting heavy shadows, and he couldn¡¯t make out the stranger¡¯s face. He could only make out that it was a tall thin man, standing silently not far from him, with unclear intentions. Most likely, they were hostile. Du Lai stopped without a change in his expression, rapidly constructing escape routes and strategies in his mind. Then, the man spoke. His voice was like a serene river, calm, gentle, but also cold. ¡°The puzzle, is it on you?¡± Chapter 401: 401: The Bellingr Chapter 401: The Bellingr ¡°What puzzle pieces?¡± Du Lai cautiously retreated, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± The man approached him and asked, ¡°How wouldn¡¯t you understand? If my speculation is correct, you should have at least three¡­no, at least four puzzle piecess. Am I right?¡± He drew closer, and under the night sky, his skin was so pale that he didn¡¯t look alive; instead, he resembled a nocturnal vampire. His hands, clothed in dazzlingly white gloves, starkly white and eerie, only amplified the effect. It suddenly occurred to Du Lai what he had heard earlier. ¡°You¡¯re a survivor from Game 21, aren¡¯t you? Du Lai smirked, ¡°Looks like you killed off all those people.¡± ¡°Oh¡­That¡¯s not a very polite thing to say.¡± The man smiled, ¡°I only¡­sent them on their way.¡± Du Lai provocatively raised an eyebrow, ¡°After all that effort, you ended up with nothing, right? That why you came out in the middle of the night, bothered?¡± The man¡¯s eyes were cold as he looked at Du Lai, ¡°Yes¡­thanks to you.¡± Whoosh! A flash of silver light emerged! He attacked all of a sudden! A metal tube materialized between his hands and was mercilessly swung at Du Lai! Du Lai skillfully sidestepped. The metal tube hit the cement floor with a loud bang! The man kept attacking! Du Lai rolled on the ground and then made a mad dash towards the alleyway. His speed was incredible! The man was relentless, his speed matching Du Lai¡¯s! ¡°Why are you running? Haven¡¯t you got plenty of tools from them? Don¡¯t you plan on using any? Let me see¡­ How can you survive without using any tools?¡± His tone was gentle, his voice eerily sing-song, but the metal tube in his hand was relentless! Like the scythe of death, he wildly swung it, leaving destruction in his wake! Du Lai made good use of his surroundings and fled swiftly! One moment he was darting through a street, then twisting into an alleyway, then hopping onto an awning with the help of an outside air conditioning unit! He then sprung high and in one swift move, climbed up the sixth floor to the rooftop via the security grill window! It was dark in the street below. Just when he thought he had lost the man, he heard a shattering sound under his feet! A hand with a white glove smashed the sixth-floor window and grabbed the edge of the roof! Du Lai clenched his teeth. This bastard was a persistent one! Du Lai reached into Bai Youwei¡¯s canvas bag to fetch any useful tool he could find. But, to his surprise, he pulled out a wooden clock box, and out popped a cuckoo bird. It gave him a proper scare! ¡°Cuckoo Cuckoo ¡± The hourly chime in the silent night was particularly loud! Du Lai was pissed! ¡°Damn it, both of them are so annoying!¡± He raised the canvas bag and slammed it down on the white glove. He then turned and ran! When he reached a corner of the roof, he stepped back a few paces, took a deep breath, and ran towards the edge. Like a nimble leopard, he leaped onto the rooftop of the building next door! Du Lai smirked triumphantly. He easily got up, dusted off his hands, and walked away. Shatter! A chain hit his ankle! S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Du Lai¡¯s face turned ghastly. He fell forward, instinctively steadying himself with his hands, but the chain snugly wrapped around his ankle pulled him back! He turned to see, the man in white gloves had somehow climbed to the rooftop, and in his place of the iron rod was this stubborn chain! The chain was tightly knotted on his ankle! With each tug, the man gradually reduced the distance between them! Chapter 402: 402 Mr. Magician Chapter 402: Mr. Magician Du Lai grabbed the rusty railing on the rooftop. He curled the corners of his mouth into a sneer, glancing coldly at the man, his smirk with a touch of wickedness. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for the puzzle pieces, you¡¯ve indeed come to the wrong person.¡± The man¡¯s gaze remained unchanging, cold as ice. Holding onto the chain, he said, ¡°You have something I want.¡± ¡°Oh, why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± Du Lai released one hand from the railing, taking something out of his pocket with it. A verdant leaf. The lively color stood out in the dusky night. The man¡¯s movements paused, his gaze fixed on the leaf in Du Lai¡¯s hand as if wondering what kind of artifact it might be. With a smirk on his face, Du Lai continued to smile, ¡°Due to the fear of getting caught with the stolen puzzle pieces on me, do you really think I would keep those on hand? ¡­Of course not, I¡¯ve sold the puzzle pieces to someone else, if you want them¡­ go get them from Bai Youwei.¡± The man slowly furrowed his brows, ¡°¡­ Bai Youwei?¡± Du Lai placed the leaf atop his head, snapping his fingers and grinning, ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Magician.¡± Boom! A large plume of smoke burst forth, engulfing the surrounding area in a matter of seconds! When the smoke cleared, Du Lai had vanished without a trace. At the end of the chain, only a withered leaf remained. The man frowned, looking around without noticing anything suspicious. He stood there, waiting a while before slowly pulling the chain back into his palm. An endless space seemed to exist within his palm, as the long chain was completely drawn inside without leaving a trace. Du Lai watched this scene from the shadows, holding his breath, not daring to make a sound. He had heard rumors that three strange men had recently arrived at the base, all wearing a pair of white gloves. After overheard their conversation about the Magician that became their nickname, as for the true purpose of the white gloves, no one knew. Now, Du Lai had seen it firsthand. The gloves seemed to be able to create things at will. ¡­All the game artifacts had limitations, even the Magician¡¯s powers likely could not be truly ¡°unlimited¡±. But to determine their actual limitations from his brief interaction was impossible. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The man had already walked far and disappeared around the street corner. Du Lai slowly let out a breath, his tense nerves relaxing. The artifact, ¡®Catnip¡¯s Leaf¡¯, could only transport someone within a 50-meter range, serving as a smokescreen rather than a true escape tool. Luckily, the man didn¡¯t thoroughly search the area. Du Lai closed his eyes, ready to get up and leave when he smelled gasoline. He froze, his relaxed nerves suddenly going on high alert again. Carefully peeking through the window, he spotted the man who had returned, carrying two buckets of gasoline and splashing it around as he walked! The old building where Du Lai was hiding was on fire! He gritted his teeth, muttering a curse under his breath, quickly ran to the bathroom to completely soak himself with water! Afterward, he returned to the window to see the man had set two more buildings on fire! The flames roared, aiming to cut off all his escape routes! ¡°Damn!¡± Du Lai cursed silently, ¡°Such a ruthless bastard!¡± The fire had spread to the second floor, if Du Lai were slower to react, he might have been trapped on the sixth floor, turning into a roast chicken. He wrapped himself up in the wet clothes, covering his mouth and nose as he ran down to the third floor, then jumped amidst the billowing smoke His vision was blurred by the thick smoke. His abdomen hit the crossbar of an air conditioning unit, leaving a bloody gash. Du Lai didn¡¯t dare to delay. As soon as he hit the ground, he rolled into a sprint, then clutching the wound, he ran in the opposite direction of the man! All the while cursing his luck, not only had he failed to retrieve the puzzle pieces but also ran into this lunatic. Luckily, he was just about to leave Shanghai. The lunatic could go on causing mayhem for someone else! Chapter 403: 403: Can’t Gather Enough People Chapter 403: Can¡¯t Gather Enough People News of the failure of Game 21 quickly spread throughout the entire base, causing quite a stir. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Afterwards, Chu Huaijin once again posted a recruitment notice, recruiting 10 people to challenge Game 21 again, but no one showed interest. Just like what Bai Youwei predicted, after so many elite players lost their lives in the ¡°hide and seek¡± game, people wanted to keep their distance from Game 21. Even when Professor Song put out eight puzzle pieces as a reward, and even when Bai Youwei¡¯s announcement still had two items waiting to be traded, nobody was willing to go. Chu Huaijin had given up hope on this and began preparing for the migration of the base. Through his own set of calculations, Professor Song had determined the location for the new base. It was a long way off. Who knows how many days it would take to get there, or how many casualties there would be along the way. Bai Youwei had initially taken delight in Shen Mo¡¯s inability to rally the troops, but as time went by and he still couldn¡¯t find enough people, she started to get angry. She thought: How could the people in this base be so shortsighted? She was in a foul mood, and in her house, she cursed everyone in the base, as if those not willing to join the game with Shen Mo were all cowardly and incompetent! Teacher Chang, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin listened in silence, not daring to chime in. ¡°A bunch of imbeciles! Do they think that following the organization to a new place will keep them safe?! The more they fear death, the sooner they¡¯ll die! When the time comes for the organization to establish a new order, people will be shuffled around again, and they won¡¯t have the ability to protect others! It¡¯ll be good enough if they can keep that old man named Song safe! This pile of junk has the nerve to call itself a ¡®base¡¯? I think we should stop calling it a ¡®base¡¯! ¡®Refugee Gathering Squad¡¯ is more fitting! Or even ¡®Home for Losers¡¯! It sums up the character of these cowards!¡± Bai Youwei turned to Chang Weicai, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin, and asked, ¡°Am I right or not?!¡± The three of them all nodded in agreement: ¡°Right, right, right¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so infuriating!¡± She slapped the sofa cushion angrily, ¡°We stooped so low to help them through the game, and they don¡¯t appreciate the opportunity! They¡¯ll regret it in the future!¡± Tan Xiao also chimed in: ¡°Yeah, even our Boss personally stepped in, and they¡¯re all too blind to recognize it!¡± Bai Youwei glared at him, ¡°Shen Mo is not ¡®it¡¯!¡± Tan Xiao hesitated: ¡°Then¡­they don¡¯t recognize people?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s no longer a person?!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s annoyance intensified, ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re making no sense!¡± Tan Xiao silently rubbed his nose. Teacher Chang attempted to soothe the situation: ¡°There are still two days left. After all, this is a matter of life and death, so people are bound to hesitate. Maybe by tomorrow, we will have the people we need.¡± Bai Youwei scowled. Teacher Chang¡¯s words did make a certain amount of sense. People always agonized a bit more when it came to life-and-death decisions. But what if¡­ What if by the seventh day, no one still wants to go? What then? They surely couldn¡¯t bring along all of Shen Mo¡¯s relatives, could they? They were heading northward to collect jigsaw pieces, not to go on a vacation! The more people they brought along, the heavier the responsibility on their shoulders. Because their lives weren¡¯t only their own, they also had to protect the safety of so many others! ¡­Of course, they could be a bit tougher and not care about what happens to the others. But if they didn¡¯t care about the others, then why bother bringing them along? As Bai Youwei thought about these things, she got a terrible headache and rubbed her temples with her eyes closed. Footsteps echoed from outside the door. She heard Shen Mo talking and looked up to see him leading a few people into the house He introduced them, saying: ¡°Since everyone has decided to go into the game together, I think it¡¯s necessary to get to know each other and make preparations in advance.¡± Chapter 404: 404: Gathering People Chapter 404: Gathering People Among the newcomers, Bai Youwei recognized three and didn¡¯t know two. The three she recognized were Yu Yaqing, Yan Qingwen, and Lun Ang. Of the two she didn¡¯t know, one was dark and strong like charcoal, while the other was pale, fat, and bald. Since she knew the first three, there was no need for introductions. Shen Mo introduced to them the latter two: ¡°This one is Robin, a student from the sports academy, proficient in weightlifting, discus throwing, and sprinting. This one is Zhao Mingdeng, a salesperson and also a webmaster of a gaming site, specializing in designing game guides. If we can gather enough people by tomorrow, we will enter the game the day after. If we cannot gather enough people, we will withdraw tomorrow evening.¡± Tan Xiao asked in confusion: ¡°Haven¡¯t we gathered enough people already? Five people here, plus the five of us makes exactly ten. We can enter the game.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still two short.¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°According to the information on the 21st game, the biggest challenge in the game is a puppet cat that is exceptionally fast. That¡¯s why I am bringing people with agile physical responses. Teacher Chang and Xiaoxin will stay behind.¡± Pan Xiaoxin blinked and then uttered an ¡°oh¡±, calmly accepting this arrangement. It was perfectly normal for Shen Mo not to let him go as he was young and would be at a disadvantage in the game. The 21st game was also quite perilous. However, Teacher Chang¡¯s expression was somewhat gloomy, and he silently sighed. Yan Qingwen lightly joked: ¡°Zhu Shu also wanted to go, but unfortunately, Shen Mo didn¡¯t want her.¡± Yu Yaqing followed with a chuckle: ¡°Actually, Zhu Shu has gone through two mazes. Her physical ability is quite impressive, she just lacks experience because she hasn¡¯t practiced before.¡± ¡°This is just a lack of game operation awareness. It¡¯s natural. Most people are like this.¡± The chubby man said matter-of-factly. ¡°Some people will just blindly attack when they see monsters. But some people will time the cooldown, and consciously plan the order and combination of each ultimate move. This is awareness, awareness~¡± Tan Xiao frowned at the fat man, then looked back at Shen Mo, unable to resist asking: ¡°Hey, Mo, didn¡¯t you say¡­ you¡¯re only bringing nimble people?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t underestimate people!¡± The fat man felt his own belly and performed a hula hoop move. ¡°I may be fat, but I¡¯m quite agile.¡± The flesh on his belly moved up and down, shaking rapidly. The athlete next to him glanced at him in annoyance, then turned to Bai Youwei, and said: ¡°I¡¯ll say this in advance, I didn¡¯t know you guys were bringing disabled people. If anything happens to her in the game, I won¡¯t rescue her. Inside the game, it¡¯s life or death, and I will only take care of myself. Don¡¯t blame me afterwards for not giving face.¡± ¡°No worries about that.¡± Yan Qingwen lightly tapped the young man¡¯s shoulder and teased, ¡°Even if you wanted to save her, you probably couldn¡¯t get there in time. So, relax.¡± Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help but want to laugh. Seeing a fuming Bai Youwei, and feeling that his laughter was inappropriate, he awkwardly hid it with his hand. Shen Mo said: ¡°Since we all are going into the game together, we only have one goal: to clear the stage. As for other things, you can do what you wish, and there is no need for any burden.¡± Bai Youwei frowned at him: ¡°We¡¯re still short by two. How are you planning to solve this?¡± Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The game requires at least ten participants to start, and even one less is not acceptable. Chang Weicai hesitantly spoke up: ¡°Actually¡­ I can¡­¡± Shen Mo cut him off: ¡°Teacher Chang, game 21 demands not only physical ability but also the familiarity with a complex game environment. It would be better if you stayed here and wait for the news with Xiaoxin.¡± Teacher Chang: ¡°Ah¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a bit, then looked at Yan Qingwen: ¡°How is Su Man¡¯s injury?¡± Yan Qingwen slowly shook his head, ¡°You should know what kind of personality she has. If she could come, she would have been here by now.¡± ¡°No rush.¡± Shen Mo said quietly, ¡°There¡¯s still a day left tomorrow; we¡¯ll wait some more.¡± Chapter 405: Insomnia Chapter 405: Insomnia Shen Mo said there was no hurry, but Bai Youwei was agonizing for him. She didn¡¯t know what was happening to her, her feelings were indescribable. At first, she felt a bit of schadenfreude when he couldn¡¯t find teammates, but then she worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to gather enough people. Now¡­ now that they were just two short of a full team, she started to panic. On one hand, she hoped that he would succeed, but on the other, she didn¡¯t want him to risk himself. These conflicting feelings were like a seesaw, making her incredibly anxious. Thankfully, she had exchanged two pieces of the puzzle with Du Lai; otherwise, she would have been even more anxious. Bai Youwei was tossing and turning in bed. She probably woke Shen Mo up. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his embrace. ¡°Why are you moving around so much?¡± Shen Mo asked in her ear. His voice was low, his breath brushing against her neck, warm and slightly tickling. Bai Youwei froze for a moment, then stopped moving¡­ sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo then asked again, ¡°Need to go to the bathroom?¡± Bai Youwei: Any remnants of a romantic atmosphere were instantly diffused. Disappointed, she pinched his arm irritably, ¡°Can¡¯t I have something else on my mind besides going to the bathroom?!¡± Shen Mo chuckled quietly, asking, ¡°¡­Thirsty? Want some water?¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t just want to pinch him now, she wanted to bite him! Did he think that all she did was drink and go to the bathroom?! Couldn¡¯t she have a little, just a little bit of a girl¡¯s troubles? Bai Youwei was too irritable. She wriggled restlessly in his arms. Shen Mo chuckled and sighed, wrapping one arm around her waist and using his other hand to brush away the hair caught under her. He coaxed her, ¡°Just go to sleep. Stop overthinking.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t sleep.¡± She rolled over to face him, ¡°You think, why would Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang want to join Game 21? Do they also want to play the role of saviors, like you?¡± ¡°Are you finished?¡± Shen Mo pinched her chin gently, ¡°When did I say I wanted to be a savior?¡± Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°Not a single person from the assessment team has come out, yet you¡¯re rallying people to join the game. Isn¡¯t this playing the role of a savior?¡± ¡°This is not being a savior; this is doing my best.¡± Shen Mo let go of her, running a hand through her hair, ¡°Only by doing our best can we avoid regret in the future.¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei grumbled in dissatisfaction. Clearly unhappy, she didn¡¯t say anything more. After a moment of silence, she asked again, ¡°You didn¡¯t answer me yet. Why do Yan Qingwen and the others want to join Game 21?¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, ¡°¡­ When I ran into them, Chu Huaijin was also there. Perhaps they reached some agreement with the organization. For example, if they get through Game 21, they might receive a certain item or something like that.¡± Bai Youwei pondered on this. If there was some form of deal or condition involved, then it would make sense. After all, this was consistent with Yan Qingwen¡¯s style. Although he had been selfless and fearless in the past, managing a security company after retirement seemed to have had a greater impact on him. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but suspect that he had almost gone bankrupt a few times, hence developing such a business-like mentality ¨C willing to accept anything except a loss. Shen Mo coaxed her quietly, ¡°Sleep now¡­¡± ¡°Should we also negotiate terms with Chu Huaijin?¡± Excited by the idea, Bai Youwei perked up, ¡°Can¡¯t let Yan Qingwen take all the benefits.¡± Shen Mo gave a resigned smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree before, Professor Song had given his 8 puzzle pieces to him willingly. What more benefits do you want? Moreover¡­ we might not enter since we are still short of numbers.¡± Bai Youwei thought about it, closed her eyes in his embrace, ¡°Anyway¡­ we¡¯ll know tomorrow.¡± Chapter 406: Su Man’s Situation Chapter 406: Su Man¡¯s Situation On the same night, another person was suffering from sleeplessness. Su Man sat at her vanity, unbandaging her left hand, round and round. As she was injured on her right hand already, unwrapping the small bandages round by round was proving difficult and she fumbled clumsily. She gritted her teeth, finally released the last knot, and exposed her entire left arm to the air, then took a long, exhausted breath¡­ To prevent others from seeing the abnormality of her left hand, she had wrapped a multitude of bandages around it, as thick as if she were bundling her arm in a quilt. Having finally removed them, the sweat and burden were also lifted, and she felt much lighter. But her mood was anything but light. Her mother¡¯s voice came from outside the door: ¡°Manman, are you asleep yet? You haven¡¯t had dinner. I made noodles for you ¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep!¡± Su Man bit her lip, and quickly turned off the lamp, ¡°You and Dad eat. I¡¯m about to sleep!¡± The voice outside the door stopped. After a few seconds of silence, it spoke again: ¡°Manman¡­ You¡¯ve been staying in these past few days, even when Li Li came, you didn¡¯t meet him¡­ Did you two argue again?¡± Su Man frowned and bit her lip, remaining silent. ¡°Li Li is simple and easily led by others, you don¡¯t need to grudge over this, it¡¯s not worth it.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with him!¡± She replied irritably, ¡°It¡¯s because my wounds hurt that I don¡¯t want to see anyone! It¡¯s not just about him!¡± Did the medicine your father brought back last time work?¡± Su Man looked at her hand. Even in the dark, she could see its ghastly state. She closed her eyes, feeling a sour sting, and replied, ¡°It was alright¡­¡± ¡°Next time, let him bring some more. He¡¯s in medical, if he comes across this kind of medicine, he¡¯ll know before others.¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m really tired¡­ Can we talk about this tomorrow?¡± ¡°Alright, alright¡­ you get some rest. Don¡¯t let your injury burden you, even if your left hand has after-effects, you still have your right hand.¡± Su Man uttered a low acknowledgment. The footsteps outside the door gradually receded. Only when she could no longer hear the footsteps did Su Man turn the lamp back on. She picked up the medicine bottle, bit off the lid, and began to apply the oil to her left arm bit by bit. It was a twisted arm. From forearm to fingertips, all were twisted. Her fingers were even more severely twisted, torn and broken, but due to her body¡¯s self-healing ability, they had healed in the wrong positions. Or to be precise, the whole arm was in the wrong position! It was twisted! Her fingers were dislocated! Even if the wound healed, all the nerves were misplaced, and the fingers could not be controlled! This left hand was utterly useless! Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Man closed her eyes in agony, repressed her emotions, and reopened them. She took out new gauze and bandages from the cabinet and grimacing, wrapped them around the twisted arm round by round. If it was just one hand, she might not be so desperate. But the truth was, her right hand was also injured. She didn¡¯t dare tell her family, nor her friends, only telling them that she was almost healed. While in reality¡­ she would never heal again! Su Man bit her lip hard, her eyes welling up with tears. She refused to accept that she had become a cripple! Had Bai Youwei used her most precious puzzle pieces to save a cripple?! What could she do?! She looked out the window into the sky, shrouded in darkness. It was as if the darkness had also enshrouded her, offering no light and making it hard to breathe. Actually¡­ Actually, there was a solution. There was another solution. The only one¡­ that could save her. Su Man stood by the window, gazing at the boundless darkness in the distance. As long as she entered the labyrinth one more time, she could definitely heal ¡­ Chapter 407: 407: Still One Short Chapter 407: Still One Short Enter the maze. It¡¯s easier said than done. She¡¯s not as smart as Bai Youwei, nor as meticulous as Zhu Shu, and she doesn¡¯t possess her former agility. Can she do it? Can she survive in the maze? ¡­she must survive, she doesn¡¯t want to become a cripple! Her hands should wield a knife! A sword! A whip! She should be able to lend a hand when a friend is in trouble! And fend for herself when she is in peril! She doesn¡¯t want to become a cripple! Not like she is now! So pitiful¡­ she can¡¯t even fasten her own buttons! Tears began to fall. Su Man raised her arm to ruthlessly wipe them away. She took a deep breath and gazed at the dark clouded sky outside her window. Suddenly she made a decision, standing up to pack her baggage. In this world, everyone has their own path to tread. Since the morning, the sounds from the vehicles outside the residential area hadn¡¯t ceased. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. One vehicle after another assembled near the square. Delivering goods, gathering personnel, arranging routes, everything was carried out calmly. The bustling registration area, the supplies area, and the exchange area, all temporarily ceased operation. Everybody knew, the organization was evacuating. They had to, because in one day, game 21 would move into the city area, making it impossible to maintain the base. Facing the uncertain journey, many people are perplexed. Used to a regulated and ordered system for the games, they suddenly feel terrified of the future. What if they encounter a game on the way? What if the new base also hosts games like 21? No¡­ There are no ifs. The answer is certain! They will encounter games en-route! And entirely unfamiliar ones! Everybody is frantic! Only 10 more people! 10 more people and they can maintain the current base¡¯s stability to support the lives of the thousands there! Why isn¡¯t anybody stepping forward?! Why?!! Chu Huaijin posted a notice in the square. It read, game 21 still lacks ¡ª¡ª1 person! The stormy clouds roiled, the afternoon was stifling and heavy. Occasionally, a gust of wind brought a hint of coolness amid the heat, making everyone wish for the rain to arrive soon to disperse the unbearable heat. Shen Mo brought back a new wheelchair. ¡°We leave earlier. The first batch will be the supplies team, we¡¯ll leave at three in the afternoon, together with the research team.¡± ¡°But the weather doesn¡¯t look too good.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the dark clouds outside, ¡°It¡¯s going to rain heavily.¡± ¡°We have no choice, even if it rains. We must evacuate. If everyone stays together, it will be even more dangerous.¡± He pushed the wheelchair over, ¡°Try it.¡± Bai Youwei got up with the help of her crutches and tried sitting in the wheelchair. It was passable, usable. Shen Mo asked, ¡°Is it comfortable?¡± She shifted a bit, ¡°It¡¯s okay, but a bit hard.¡± Shen Mo lifted her onto the sofa, took a cushion from the sofa, put it on the new wheelchair, and readjusted the height. He carried Bai Youwei over and asked her, ¡°Is it still hard?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ no, it¡¯s not.¡± She adjusted her sitting position uncomfortably, frowning and saying, ¡°But the cushion doesn¡¯t match the color of the wheelchair, it looks a bit ugly.¡± Shen Mo: As always, she¡¯s hard to please. He stood up and said, ¡°You can¡¯t see the bottom so it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s okay if it¡¯s ugly.¡± ¡°No, take it away.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face showed displeasure, ¡°This thing will lessen my aura.¡± Shen Mo asked helplessly, ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Bai Youwei seriously pondered this question, ¡°¡­I took a batch of blankets from Duke¡¯s mansion and piled them all in the small study in the Dollhouse. Could you get me one? It must be hand-knitted, without any prints, and preferably in navy blue.¡± She took out the gold key hanging around her neck, opened the door to the Dollhouse and asked him, ¡°Do you know what color navy blue is? Don¡¯t bring the wrong one, it¡¯s a very deep blue, like the night sky, not the kind of stifling black, but with a touch of mystery. If there are tassels, it would be even better¡­ hey, do you know what tassels are? They¡¯re the thin strands at the bottom of the blanket¡­¡± Shen Mo frowned his brows as he listened. Chapter 408: 408: Gathered Enough Chapter 408: Gathered Enough In the end, they couldn¡¯t find the navy blue one, but they found a deep grey blanket with fringes that barely met Bai Youwei¡¯s description. Shen Mo laid it on her new wheelchair, covering the backrest as well. The wheelchair suddenly carried somewhat of an aristocratic aura. If they embedded some gold, silver, and jewels, it could probably match the throne of a European medieval lord. ¡°How is it now?¡± Shen Mo asked her. Bai Youwei sat silently in her new wheelchair for a moment before looking up at Shen Mo: ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit warm.¡± Shen Mo silently looked at her. At this time, someone was knocking on the door from outside. ¡°Bro! Open the door. I brought some people. We have enough members now!¡± Gathered enough? Shen Mo and Bai Youwei in the room glanced at each other, both somewhat surprised. Shen Mo went to open the door. Only to see Shen Fei standing at the door, prompting the people behind him to enter one by one¡ª Yu Yaqing, Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, the athlete Robin who had visited last time, the gaming fanatic Zhao Mingdeng, and a young man with thin eyebrows and small eyes. Bai Youwei lightly furrowed her brows. She saw the man at the end wearing white gloves. ¡°This is Jiang Hao, he recently came to Shanghai, a survivor from the 21st game. He is their teammate, they all came from Guangzhou, having gaming experience, they even entered the maze before, quite strong players!¡± Shen Fei very enthusiastically brought the other party to Shen Mo and introduced: ¡°This is my brother! He used to work at the National Security Bureau. He is very awesome! He does not need props, he can still complete the game on his own!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you¡­ Nice to meet you¡­¡± the man called Jiang Hao smiled, and extended his hand, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, I hope our cooperation will be pleasant.¡± Shen Mo glanced at his white-gloved hand, hesitated for two seconds, shook it, and asked flatly, ¡°The gloves seem very special. Are they props?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, they are,¡± Jiang Hao answered with a smile. ¡°Too conspicuous, right? They frequently attract people¡¯s attention, these are props that my brothers and I obtained in the game. As for the specific function¡­ I guess we¡¯d better not discuss it?¡± The function of the prop is everyone¡¯s trump card and privacy. They cannot possibly tell others easily. However, Shen Mo was somewhat curious. If it was truly a prop, why didn¡¯t any related information appear in his mind when he touched it? Then he thought, the gloves were in pairs. So, will touching both gloves at the same time give him the answer? Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°But with Jiang Hao, that¡¯s only 9 people?¡± Bai Youwei asked looking at them, ¡°Who¡¯s the tenth?¡± Upon hearing this, Shen Fei replied, ¡°Me!¡± Decisive! Full of momentum! Shen Mo frowned, ¡°Did your parents agree?¡± Shen Fei immediately deflated by half, ¡°Bro¡­ I¡¯m not a child anymore. They agreed.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Tell the truth.¡± Shen Fei closed his eyes, ¡°My dad agreed.¡± My mom was crying at home. After pondering for a bit, Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei shook her head at him. Seeing this, Shen Fei thought Bai Youwei was not allowing him to go, and he immediately became anxious, ¡°My dad agreed! Brother! Please let me go!¡± Bai Youwei smiled gently and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and discuss it.¡± She held the armrests on either side of the wheelchair, turned around and headed towards the bedroom. Shen Mo glanced at the people in the room, and said calmly: ¡°Yan Qingwen, Yu Yaqing, let¡¯s discuss my brother¡¯s matter in the room. We won¡¯t delay everyone¡¯s time too much. Please wait outside for five minutes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shen Fei protested discontentedly, ¡°Why do we have to discuss my matter with them? My dad agreed already!!!¡± Shen Mo replied: ¡°To ensure that others don¡¯t find you annoying.¡± Shen Fei: He kept staring as his cousin led them into the room and then, closed the door. In the room, Shen Mo calmly looked at Yan Qingwen and Yu Yaqing: ¡°I think, you all have noticed, right? The white gloves.¡± Chapter 409: 409: Let the Game Begin Chapter 409: 409: Let the Game Begin¡°Last week, ten people entered game number 21 and only one came out alive, the one wearing white gloves. Even though this time the person wearing white gloves is not the same as the last time, we can¡¯t let our guard down because of this.¡± Shen Mo looked at them and continued to ask: ¡°Should we accept them and enter the game together, or reject them and evacuate from here?¡± Yu Yaqing deeply furrowed her eyebrows. Yan Qingwen leaned against the table, silently contemplating. Bai Youwei observed the changes on their faces and said, ¡°Let me share my thoughts first. My suggestion is to reject. In the game, dealing with the Inspector¡¯s tricks and the rules¡¯ whimsy is already mentally draining. If we add a teammate whose allegiances are uncertain, the risk is too high and accidents are likely.¡± Shen Mo glanced at her, ¡°Let me share my thoughts too. My suggestion is to accept. Now, everyone in the base knows that we are one person short of the required number of players for the game. Since we have finally gathered enough people, there¡¯s no reason to give up when the time comes. If we retreat, those who don¡¯t know the reasons might think we are chickening out, which would negatively affect the morale of the whole base. Furthermore, we will always encounter all kinds of people with ulterior motives in the game. Their tools are hidden in the dark, making them unpredictable. But this white-gloved person is visible to us, which can serve as a reminder.¡± Yan Qingwen burst into laughter, looking at the two of them, ¡°So, how should we choose? Both of you hold opposing views. No matter which side we choose, we will offend the other.¡± Yu Yaqing also chuckled, and calmly answered, ¡°I choose to accept. I think Shen Mo made a good point. We will always meet people with hidden intentions, and there will always be white-gloved people; we can¡¯t retreat every time we encounter one. Among the 24 games around the base, this is the only game we haven¡¯t cracked. Whether it¡¯s white gloves or black gloves, I want to give it a try.¡± Bai Youwei curled her lips, glared at Shen Mo, and said nothing. After pondering for a long time, Yan Qingwen finally said, ¡°I also choose to accept. I will warn Lun Ang to be cautious of him.¡± He looked up at Shen Mo, ¡°But I can only rely on you for Shen Fei, that kid seems to trust him a lot.¡± ¡°Hmm, I will handle it,¡± Shen Mo nodded lightly. Bai Youwei asked resentfully, ¡°If we fall into the water together after entering the game, whom will you save?¡± Yan Qingwen: Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yu Yaqing: Shen Mo patted her head and said, ¡°Stop messing around.¡± Bai Youwei continued resentfully, ¡°Is Fei indispensable? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s reliable at all. It would be better to bring Xiaoxin instead.¡± Shen Mo helplessly smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be prejudiced against him. Shen Fei has participated in two games, he¡¯s good, and not as unreliable as you think.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and sighed, ¡°Okay, let it be.¡± Shen Mo looked at her and then turned to Yan Qingwen and Yu Yaqing. Both of them nodded at him, indicating their decision was final. Shen Mo walked to the door, reached out, and opened it. The people outside were still waiting for their decision, some already showing impatience. Shen Fei anxiously asked, ¡°Have you made a decision? Can I go? Bro! My dad has given his approval, there¡¯s no reason for you to stop me!¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t answer him. His gaze drifted over Shen Fei¡¯s face eventually landing on the crowd. ¡°If none of you have objections, you can all go prepare now. We will meet at the entrance of game number 21 at nine o¡¯clock tomorrow. I hope all of you will be there.¡± Let the game, begin Chapter 410: 410: Chicken Soup before Departure Chapter 410: 410: Chicken Soup before DepartureThat day, all of the base¡¯s relocation activities were suspended. After the torrential rain that morning, everyone gathered at the entrance of Game 21, waiting for the ten players to enter. Or rather, ten warriors. The puddles on the ground were reflecting the azure sky, like countless mirrors, clear and bright. The wheelchair rolled through them, creating ripples and infusing them with new colours. Black was the colour of her hair, white was her long skirt, and dark grey was the blanket draped over her. Her light ink-colored pupils were dyed a hint of sky blue, exuding a piercing coldness despite their clarity. She was clearly a languid and coquettish girl, yet somehow, she gave off a cold and gloomy aura. Shen Mo slowly pushed Bai Youwei forward. Countless eyes landed on her. There was surprise, confusion, admiration, alertness, and probing, but no disdain whatsoever. No one dared to underestimate her. At this time, being able to enter Game 21 was, in itself, a representation of one¡¯s strength. The entrance to Game 21 was at the door of an amusement park in the Pudong New Area. Everyone had already gathered. Shen Fei was the last to arrive. His parents had both come. Shen Mo¡¯s father had also come, not only to see off his nephew but also his son. If these ten people fail this time, their current meeting would be their last. The atmosphere became a little oppressive and emotional due to the farewell of their family members. Shen Fei¡¯s mother held back her sobs, her tears fell incessantly while the men, who were unaccustomed to showing emotions outwardly, showed redness around their eyes. Shen Fei¡¯s father only patted Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°We will wait for you and your brother to come out.¡± Shen Mo consoled his uncle, ¡°I will look after him.¡± Bai Youwei was idly observing from the side. She thought she would have to keep a close eye on Shen Fei. If anything happened to him, Shen Mo might give up his own life to save this silly cousin. Sigh, it would have been better if Xiaoxin were here, but Shen Mo didn¡¯t agree¡­ ¡°Weiwei, do you still recognize me?¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A mild male voice rang by her side. She turned to see Shen Mo¡¯s father. ¡°I do.¡± Bai Youwei considered her response. Given his identity, she adjusted her expression, curling up her lips into a sweet smile, tenderly saying, ¡°You¡¯re Uncle Shen. Once I went to the hospital for a check-up, and my mother¡¯s car broke down. You came to the hospital to pick us up and even bought me ice cream on the road.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s father laughed, ¡°That¡¯s right, and I had to buy it twice. The first time I bought chocolate ice cream but you insisted on matcha flavor, which made your mother throw a tantrum in the car.¡± This was not a good impression. Bai Youwei¡¯s voice turned even more sweet and obedient, ¡°I was young and didn¡¯t understand things, sorry to have troubled you.¡± Tan Xiao next to her gave her a strange look. ¡°Weiwei, why are you talking like that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She pretended to ask innocently, ¡°This is how I always talk~¡± Tan Xiao silently rubbed his arm. Shen Mo¡¯s father bent down, his smile growing warmer, ¡°You¡¯re just as cute as you were when you were little. I hope you¡¯re still as determined as you were, not changing your mind easily.¡± He looked at Shen Mo, who was pushing the wheelchair, ¡°Whether you can clear the game or not, persisting in itself is a power. You both have that power.¡± As always, Shen Mo was indifferent to his father¡¯s pep talk, expressing emotionlessly, ¡°Dad, you should go back. We are about to enter the game.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of Shen Mo.¡± Bai Youwei waved her little hand warmly towards Shen Mo¡¯s father, ¡°Goodbye, Uncle Shen¡± ¡°Alright, goodbye, Weiwei~¡± Shen Mo¡¯s father also waved back to her. ¡°Wave your hand.¡± Bai Youwei tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s sleeve. Shen Mo raised his hand and waved it twice. Everyone else had already entered the amusement park. Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei in, followed by Shen Fei. The figures of the ten players disappeared into the ai Chapter 410: Chicken Soup before Departure Chapter 410: Chicken Soup before Departure That day, all of the base¡¯s relocation activities were suspended. After the torrential rain that morning, everyone gathered at the entrance of Game 21, waiting for the ten players to enter. Or rather, ten warriors. The puddles on the ground were reflecting the azure sky, like countless mirrors, clear and bright. The wheelchair rolled through them, creating ripples and infusing them with new colours. Black was the colour of her hair, white was her long skirt, and dark grey was the blanket draped over her. Her light ink-colored pupils were dyed a hint of sky blue, exuding a piercing coldness despite their clarity. She was clearly a languid and coquettish girl, yet somehow, she gave off a cold and gloomy aura. Shen Mo slowly pushed Bai Youwei forward. Countless eyes landed on her. There was surprise, confusion, admiration, alertness, and probing, but no disdain whatsoever. No one dared to underestimate her. At this time, being able to enter Game 21 was, in itself, a representation of one¡¯s strength. The entrance to Game 21 was at the door of an amusement park in the Pudong New Area. Everyone had already gathered. Shen Fei was the last to arrive. His parents had both come. Shen Mo¡¯s father had also come, not only to see off his nephew but also his son. If these ten people fail this time, their current meeting would be their last. The atmosphere became a little oppressive and emotional due to the farewell of their family members. Shen Fei¡¯s mother held back her sobs, her tears fell incessantly while the men, who were unaccustomed to showing emotions outwardly, showed redness around their eyes. Shen Fei¡¯s father only patted Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°We will wait for you and your brother to come out.¡± Shen Mo consoled his uncle, ¡°I will look after him.¡± Bai Youwei was idly observing from the side. She thought she would have to keep a close eye on Shen Fei. If anything happened to him, Shen Mo might give up his own life to save this silly cousin. Sigh, it would have been better if Xiaoxin were here, but Shen Mo didn¡¯t agree¡­ ¡°Weiwei, do you still recognize me?¡± A mild male voice rang by her side. She turned to see Shen Mo¡¯s father. ¡°I do.¡± Bai Youwei considered her response. Given his identity, she adjusted her expression, curling up her lips into a sweet smile, tenderly saying, ¡°You¡¯re Uncle Shen. Once I went to the hospital for a check-up, and my mother¡¯s car broke down. You came to the hospital to pick us up and even bought me ice cream on the road.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s father laughed, ¡°That¡¯s right, and I had to buy it twice. The first time I bought chocolate ice cream but you insisted on matcha flavor, which made your mother throw a tantrum in the car.¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This was not a good impression. Bai Youwei¡¯s voice turned even more sweet and obedient, ¡°I was young and didn¡¯t understand things, sorry to have troubled you.¡± Tan Xiao next to her gave her a strange look. ¡°Weiwei, why are you talking like that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She pretended to ask innocently, ¡°This is how I always talk~¡± Tan Xiao silently rubbed his arm. Shen Mo¡¯s father bent down, his smile growing warmer, ¡°You¡¯re just as cute as you were when you were little. I hope you¡¯re still as determined as you were, not changing your mind easily.¡± He looked at Shen Mo, who was pushing the wheelchair, ¡°Whether you can clear the game or not, persisting in itself is a power. You both have that power.¡± As always, Shen Mo was indifferent to his father¡¯s pep talk, expressing emotionlessly, ¡°Dad, you should go back. We are about to enter the game.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of Shen Mo.¡± Bai Youwei waved her little hand warmly towards Shen Mo¡¯s father, ¡°Goodbye, Uncle Shen¡± ¡°Alright, goodbye, Weiwei~¡± Shen Mo¡¯s father also waved back to her. ¡°Wave your hand.¡± Bai Youwei tugged at Shen Mo¡¯s sleeve. Shen Mo raised his hand and waved it twice. Everyone else had already entered the amusement park. Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei in, followed by Shen Fei. The figures of the ten players disappeared into the ai Chapter 411: 411: The Cat Playing Hide and Seek ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! The theme for this game is ¡®Hide and Seek¡¯, and the rules are as follows: One, reject the game and turn into a doll! Two, lose the game and turn into a doll! Three, succeed in the game and win a doll!¡± The familiar voice echoed in their ears, but the surrounding scene remained unchanged. They were still in the amusement park. According to the information provided by Game 21, the scene of the Hide and Seek game was an exact copy of this amusement park, with all elements exactly the same as the actual one. Shen Mo glanced back at the entrance of the amusement park. The street and crowd outside the gate were gone, leaving only an empty white space behind. ¡°Welcome to the Doll Game. I am the overseer of this game, and I look forward to your performances,¡± came a voice. Everyone¡¯s eyes followed the direction of the sound. Not far away, a figure dressed in a white bow tie shirt and black tailcoat approached. Holding a top hat in its hand, it presented itself as a gentleman, yet it had the head of a rabbit, and its voice was as gentle and intelligent as a woman¡¯s. The drastic combination of characteristics was surprisingly harmonious and natural. Everyone instinctively gathered together, warily watching the steadily approaching overseer. It stopped about ten steps away from the group, its gaze resting lightly on their varied expressions. When it saw Bai Youwei, its gaze lingered slightly before shifting downward and spotting the fluffy rabbit in her arms. Bai Youwei frowned, turning her rabbit around so that the back of its head was facing the overseer. The rabbit-headed man silently smirked. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get started with the rule explanation. Please follow me¡ª¡± It turned and began walking down a black and white checkerboard-patterned path. On both sides, there were brightly colored flower beds, cartoon statues, and the festive flags and balloons commonly seen throughout the amusement park. Everyone stood still, hesitating for a moment before following the overseer. The amusement park was large and very quiet. Apart from their footsteps, there was no other sound¡ªnot even the wind. It was markedly eerie and cemetery-like. The overseer was at the forefront, walking and explaining the rules: ¡°Hide and Seek is Mary¡¯s favorite game. She and her cat play every night and they¡¯re very good at it¡ªno one has ever found them. What you need to do is hide when night falls and avoid being found by Mary and her cat¡­¡± ¡°What happens if we are found?¡± Yu Yaqing asked. ¡°If you¡¯re found¡­¡± The rabbit-headed man slowed his pace and turned to look at her, ¡°being found means you¡¯ve lost. You will stay here forever and keep playing Hide and Seek with Mary and her cat.¡± Shen Mo then asked, ¡°What¡¯s the win condition?¡± The overseer answered, ¡°Kill Mary, or Mary¡¯s cat. The death of either will make the game impossible to continue, and the players will naturally win.¡± It¡¯s the same as stated in the game information. The success condition is very clear¡ªat least it doesn¡¯t sound ambiguous or filled with wordplay. Either kill Mary; Or kill Mary¡¯s cat. It¡¯s that straightforward and brutal. The rabbit-headed man stopped in front of a massive carousel, raised a hand pointing to the top of the carousel, and introduced: ¡°Here are Mary, and her cat.¡± Following the overseer¡¯s pointing, they saw a red and white striped canopy on the carousel. The edge was painted with gold powder and adorned with colorful lights, making it exceedingly gorgeous. Above the canopy, an enormous stuffed cat lied, and on top of the cat, there was a little girl in a puffy princess dress! It¡¯s the cat! And Mary! The overseer explained, ¡°After many adjustments during the beta testing of the game, we¡¯ve decided to implement a 6-hour system: 6 hours of daytime, 6 hours of nighttime. I hope you all can utilize your time fully to achieve the winning condition.¡± After finishing, it turned to face them, gently asked, ¡°Now, is there anything about the rules that is not clear?¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 412: 412: About The Internal Testing Part Everyone glanced at each other. As for the game rules, they had thoroughly studied the game materials before they ever entered the game. The difficulty of the game lies not in the rules, but in the players who enter the game. So far, not a single one has managed to ¡°kill Mary¡± or ¡°kill Mary¡¯s cat¡±. Shen Mo looked at the Inspector and asked, ¡°I want to ask, what you mentioned earlier about the game¡¯s internal testing, what was that all about?¡± The rabbit-headed man chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s a question unrelated to the game at hand.¡± ¡°Not necessarily unrelated, right?¡± Bai Youwei interjected, ¡°Every word the Inspector has said in the game could potentially serve as a hint or a clue. Since you mentioned the game¡¯s internal testing, you should clarify it for us. As for whether the content is irrelevant to the game, we should be the ones to judge ¨C that would be fair.¡± Shen Fei looked at her in surprise. He too had played the game, but he had never seen anyone so brazenly question the Inspector ¨C what an eye-opener¡­ Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The rabbit-headed man¡¯s voice was mild and composed, ¡°Your words sound like a clever excuse, but I¡¯m willing to answer this question for you all. Under the premise of not violating the rules, I am very happy to see players actively participating in the game.¡± He reached into his large top hat, grabbed something and strewn it into the air¨D As if sprinkling a handful of gold dust, the air was instantly aglow, and a moment later, the dazzling light-spots formed numerous images! Just like countless holographic projections playing right before their eyes! In the scenes were players in various situations throughout the amusement park! Bitten to death by a cat! Falling off a roller coaster to their deaths! Hiding in a building only to be crushed by a collapsing structure! ¡°Every game we create goes through internal testing until the data stabilizes, that¡¯s when it can be truly implemented.¡± The Inspector pointed to these scenes, selecting a few to explain. ¡°Initially, the cat was too large, making it hard for players to get close to the cat, or Mary. So we adjusted the size of the cat in the later stages. The cat you see now has been halved in size compared to the initial model.¡± ¡°Here, the player is hiding in a dwarf¡¯s mine hut, which should have been a secure hiding place. However, due to the cat¡¯s unintentional actions, the mine collapsed along with the internal structures, burying the player. In the later stages, we reinforced all building models and adjusted the cat¡¯s stats to prevent this situation.¡± ¡°And here¡­ a player exploited the cat¡¯s large size, which prevented it from entering pipes, and hid in the sewer for up to two weeks, until they starved to death. This significantly hampered the game experience, so we rectified this Bug later on. Now, all sewers are sealed off and inaccessible.¡± He gave a brief explanation, and then told everyone: ¡°In conclusion, internal testing for games is a process of constantly fixing bugs and perfecting details. Every game you come across has been modified and adjusted multiple times. You could also say, it¡¯s the culmination of the Inspectors¡¯ meticulous work.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the number of people?¡± Shen Mo asked frowning, ¡°Some of the scenes seem to have more than 10 players?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The rabbit-headed man gave a slight nod, calmly explaining, ¡°During the internal testing stages, we randomly select players to be put into the game. After repeated testing, we finally determine the optimal number of players for the game.¡± After hearing this, everyone¡¯s faces changed. Shen Mo¡¯s expression was icy, while Yu Yaqing was angrily trembling all over. Random selection¡­ This meant even if you weren¡¯t in the gaming region, you could still be dragged into the game! Just for an internal test! Or maybe¡­ a cold-blooded experiment! Chapter 412: About The Internal Testing Part Chapter 412: About The Internal Testing Part Everyone glanced at each other. As for the game rules, they had thoroughly studied the game materials before they ever entered the game. The difficulty of the game lies not in the rules, but in the players who enter the game. So far, not a single one has managed to ¡°kill Mary¡± or ¡°kill Mary¡¯s cat¡±. Shen Mo looked at the Inspector and asked, ¡°I want to ask, what you mentioned earlier about the game¡¯s internal testing, what was that all about?¡± The rabbit-headed man chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s a question unrelated to the game at hand.¡± ¡°Not necessarily unrelated, right?¡± Bai Youwei interjected, ¡°Every word the Inspector has said in the game could potentially serve as a hint or a clue. Since you mentioned the game¡¯s internal testing, you should clarify it for us. As for whether the content is irrelevant to the game, we should be the ones to judge ¨C that would be fair.¡± Shen Fei looked at her in surprise. He too had played the game, but he had never seen anyone so brazenly question the Inspector ¨C what an eye-opener¡­ The rabbit-headed man¡¯s voice was mild and composed, ¡°Your words sound like a clever excuse, but I¡¯m willing to answer this question for you all. Under the premise of not violating the rules, I am very happy to see players actively participating in the game.¡± He reached into his large top hat, grabbed something and strewn it into the air¨D As if sprinkling a handful of gold dust, the air was instantly aglow, and a moment later, the dazzling light-spots formed numerous images! Just like countless holographic projections playing right before their eyes! In the scenes were players in various situations throughout the amusement park! Bitten to death by a cat! Falling off a roller coaster to their deaths! Hiding in a building only to be crushed by a collapsing structure! ¡°Every game we create goes through internal testing until the data stabilizes, that¡¯s when it can be truly implemented.¡± The Inspector pointed to these scenes, selecting a few to explain. ¡°Initially, the cat was too large, making it hard for players to get close to the cat, or Mary. So we adjusted the size of the cat in the later stages. The cat you see now has been halved in size compared to the initial model.¡± ¡°Here, the player is hiding in a dwarf¡¯s mine hut, which should have been a secure hiding place. However, due to the cat¡¯s unintentional actions, the mine collapsed along with the internal structures, burying the player. In the later stages, we reinforced all building models and adjusted the cat¡¯s stats to prevent this situation.¡± ¡°And here¡­ a player exploited the cat¡¯s large size, which prevented it from entering pipes, and hid in the sewer for up to two weeks, until they starved to death. This significantly hampered the game experience, so we rectified this Bug later on. Now, all sewers are sealed off and inaccessible.¡± He gave a brief explanation, and then told everyone: ¡°In conclusion, internal testing for games is a process of constantly fixing bugs and perfecting details. Every game you come across has been modified and adjusted multiple times. You could also say, it¡¯s the culmination of the Inspectors¡¯ meticulous work.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the number of people?¡± Shen Mo asked frowning, ¡°Some of the scenes seem to have more than 10 players?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The rabbit-headed man gave a slight nod, calmly explaining, ¡°During the internal testing stages, we randomly select players to be put into the game. After repeated testing, we finally determine the optimal number of players for the game.¡± After hearing this, everyone¡¯s faces changed. Shen Mo¡¯s expression was icy, while Yu Yaqing was angrily trembling all over. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Random selection¡­ This meant even if you weren¡¯t in the gaming region, you could still be dragged into the game! Just for an internal test! Or maybe¡­ a cold-blooded experiment! Chapter 413: 413 – Wishing you guys have fun Bai Youwei finally understood, the people who initially turned into dolls, they were fine while eating, walking, chatting, shopping, cooking, sleeping¡­ How did they turn into dolls? So that¡¯s how it was¡­ So, that¡¯s what had happened. ¡°What if we pass the internal test?¡± she asked, ¡°Can we survive?¡± The bunny-headed man gently turned his head to look at her. ¡°The game in the internal testing stage is unstable in all aspects, the chances of clearing it are slim to none, and even if you luck out and clear it¡­ you will become part of the game.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s brows knitted together, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Inspector: ¡°The existence in the objective world disappears, but the will remains and integrates into the game, endowing the game with more diverse vitality.¡± A sinking feeling settled in Bai Youwei¡¯s heart. According to this, those people¡¯s will integrated into the game, could it be¡­ the NPCs in the game? The Duke in the mansion, Mary in the theme park, they¡­ are they actually human beings? Yu Yaqing voiced out her inner shock for her: ¡°Are you saying, the NPCs in the game are actually humans?!¡± ¡°Are they? Or aren¡¯t they?¡± The bunny-headed man said with a smile, ¡°What is the human definition of existence? I also want to know the answer to this question. As inspectors, we would imbue our designed game characters with certain basic attributes. After the design is completed, the characters gradually become complete and rich in the process of operation, and the internal test players provide excellent nourishment for them. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So, you can regard them as evidence of a part of human existence, or you can regard them as¡­ functional tools that have absorbed human consciousness.¡± ¡°¡­Tools?¡± Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t believe it, murmuring in a stunned expression, ¡°A living human life, in your eyes, is just a¡­ functional tool? That¡¯s too cruel¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I upset you,¡± The rabbit-headed man¡¯s tone was still calm and gentle, ¡°I hope it won¡¯t affect your performance in the game.¡± It slightly bowed, showing a gentleman¡¯s courtesy. ¡°Seems like I¡¯ve sidetracked too much. Anyway, I wish you all to have fun.¡± As his voice fell, he put on his top hat, and suddenly disappeared as if he had gone into the hat! And the remaining black top hat, after spinning a few rounds in mid-air, also vanished ¡ª People stood in place, waiting for a while, but the surroundings remained silent. The inspector didn¡¯t appear again. The plump Zhao Mingdeng stepped forward and said, ¡°Looking at it this way, the game should have officially started, did you all notice the clock over there?¡± He pointed in a not-too-distant direction. This amusement park was very, very large, and a tall clock tower was built right in the middle, and the clock could be seen in all four directions of east, south, west, and north. At this moment, the hour hand was pointing to the 12 o¡¯clock position. Zhao Mingdeng spoke as if he was experienced, ¡°Just now, the inspector said that there are 6 hours of daytime and 6 hours of night. That means, when the hour hand points to 6 o¡¯clock, it will be dark. We now have 6 hours to familiarize ourselves with the venue, find hiding places, and discuss how to kill Mary and the cat. I suggest we take 2 hours to quickly walk around the park to get a preliminary understanding of the environment, then return here after 2 hours to discuss how to clear the game, and use the last one hour to hide.¡± After he finished speaking, his gaze swept around, and he said with a slightly smug look, ¡°If you have any better suggestions, you can put them forward.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°The park is too big, 2 hours is only enough for a rough look, how about we explore in divided areas? We split into 3 groups, each group responsible for 2 themed park areas, this way we can explore more carefully, and find hiding places on the way.¡± Chapter 414: 414: Where to Hide Zhao Mingdeng was a bit upset: ¡°This is too localized. If we have a head-on conflict with Mary¡¯s cat, and during the chase we run to other parts of the park that we aren¡¯t familiar with, won¡¯t that put us at a disadvantage?!¡± Bai Youwei casually remarked, ¡°If you have explored your assigned area and still have spare time, you can roam about in other places. No one is stopping you.¡± Zhao Mingdeng thought for a while and realized that he was right, so he stayed silent. On the carousel, Mary and her cat were still sound asleep. Due to their position, they couldn¡¯t clearly see the canopy. Looking from below, both the cat and Mary were motionless, appearing more like decorations on the carousel. Not far from them was a large map of the amusement park. Shen Mo went over and took a glance, stating, ¡°Our current location is the central point of the amusement park. If we break into three groups, the first group will explore Fantasy Street and Dreaming Garden, the second group will take responsibility for Adventure Island and Treasure Bay, and the third group will take care of Future World and Fairy Tale Kingdom. The third group will deal with the largest area, so we can assign four people there.¡± No one raised objections. The teams were naturally divided. First group ¨C Zhao Mingdeng, Robin, Jiang Hao. Second group ¨C Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Yu Yaqing. Third group ¨C Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Shen Fei. Ten people in total. ¡°I hope everyone avoids splitting up and stays with their team as much as possible,¡± Shen Mo glanced at everyone and calmly stated, ¡°We will gather back here in two hours. If there are no issues, you are dismissed now.¡± All of them had participated in the game before, so they were quite relaxed, not showing the usual panic and fear people have when they first play. After a brief chat, they parted ways and each went to their assigned areas. Following the priority of distance, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei headed for the Fairy Tale Kingdom first. The Fairy Tale Kingdom, as the name suggests, is a play area built around fairy tales. It features a grand and magnificent fantasy castle, a fun and amusing Fairy Tale Village, a Secret Forest filled with adventure vibes, and a wide array of dazzling amusement facilities. Of course, these attractions and facilities were all currently closed. The path was unbelievably quiet. Tan Xiao strolled around, looking here and there, and said, ¡°Finding a hiding place is too easy! With just one glance, I can spot dozens of places where a person could hide!¡± Shen Fei also looked around and thoughtfully said, ¡°The park is large and there are indeed numerous places to hide, but since no one has ever cleared the game before, that means ordinary spots won¡¯t do. We must find somewhere more concealed¡­¡± ¡°Why are we still searching? This place seems pretty good!¡± Tan Xiao pointed to a penguin-shaped trash can by the roadside, ¡°Hide in here, I don¡¯t believe that cat could possibly find us!¡± ¡°¡­You want to hide by the road?¡± Shen Fei was apprehensive, ¡°Isn¡¯t that too conspicuous? What if the cat knocks the trash can over as it passes by, won¡¯t we be exposed?¡± ¡°Look! That hot dog cart seems pretty good too!¡± Tan Xiao jogged forward and leaned over the cart to glance underneath, shouting, ¡°Perfect! It can just accommodate one person!¡± Shen Fei frowned, ¡°What if the cat passes by and knocks over the hot dog cart¡­¡± ¡°Argh! You¡¯re such a worrywart! Then where do you suggest we hide?¡± Tan Xiao asked him irritably. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Fei looked around, and finally pointed towards a mine in the distance and said, ¡°We can go there to take a look. There¡¯s a tunnel inside the mine which is very dark and has many forks. Hiding there should be sufficiently concealed.¡± Chapter 415: 415: No nutrients ¡°Hide in the mine? No, no, no¡­¡± Tan Xiao shook his head repeatedly, ¡°You obviously have no experience! If you hide in there and the cats come after you, you¡¯ll have nowhere to run! It¡¯s better to listen to me and hide on the side of the road, especially at intersections. Even if you¡¯re discovered, you can just take off running! That¡¯s how we used to hide when we were caught alone in fights!¡± Shen Fei¡¯s eye twitched, his feelings extremely complex. He could not understand why his wise and brave cousin would¡­ associate with this kind of street thug? After all, Shen Mo had always been revered like an idol among their siblings in the Shen family! When they were playing in the mud and jumping rubber bands, Shen Mo passed by them coldly, and the adults would say, ¡°Look at Shen Mo, he was admitted to an elite school!¡± When they were studying hard for exams, Shen Mo passed by them coldly, and the adults would say, ¡°Look at Shen Mo, he¡¯s skipped a grade!¡± When they had finally graduated and were striving hard in their careers, Shen Mo appeared on television, cool as ever, and the adults would say, ¡°Look at Shen Mo, he¡¯s serving the nation!¡± So! Shen Fei had always regarded his cousin as the beacon of his life, guiding him through the fog in the dark and pointing him the direction in which to proceed! But now! Actually getting involved with a street thug?! Is this still the cousin he held in high esteem?! ¡°XiaoFei, you go with Tan Xiao to the mine.¡± Shen Mo said. Shen Fei was dumbfounded, ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°The paths near the mine are not suitable for wheelchairs, I¡¯ll take Weiwei to the castle.¡± Shen Fei was stunned, he didn¡¯t have time to respond before he saw Shen Mo pushing Bai Youwei towards the direction of the castle! S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hey¡­ No, I¡­ You¡­ How¡­¡± Shen Fei was a bit confused. Tan Xiao slung an arm around his neck, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let Brother Xiao show you, how to scout out the terrain before a fight!¡± Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were getting further and further away, and Shen Mo briefly paused after Bai Youwei said something, bending down to pick her up! And then- He carried her away! ¡°Why did he even carry her?!¡± Shen Fei¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°How, how, how could he carry her¡­¡± ¡°Ah, what¡¯s so surprising about him carrying her~¡± Tan Xiao dragged him towards the mine, ¡°Would it be better if he carried you instead? Come on, come on~¡± Shen Fei was reluctantly dragged away. Shen Mo carried Bai Youwei towards the castle, avoiding the blazing sun, and only put her down when they reached the rainbow-colored bench under the shade of the trees. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± He asked, ¡°Are you still hot?¡± Bai Youwei grudgingly nodded her head, ¡°My back is all sweaty.¡± ¡°Should have thought twice before using a blanket in this heat.¡± Shen Mo was reluctant to comment on her, and said blandly, ¡°I¡¯ll go remove it.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei knitted her brows, ¡°Even if you take off the blanket, the seat will still be hot! The basic issue here is that the weather is too hot.¡± Shen Mo was at a loss, ¡°What do you want to do then?¡± ¡°You carry me over there.¡± Bai Youwei stretched out her hand towards him, self-assured, ¡°Once we¡¯re in the castle, we¡¯ll need to climb stairs anyway. The wheelchair is useless.¡± Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°So carrying you would make you less hot?¡± Bai Youwei retorted, ¡°Are you hot?¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°See, that¡¯s it¡± she said as though it was exactly her point, ¡°Heat transfers. If you¡¯re not hot, my heat will transfer to you, and I won¡¯t be hot anymore.¡± ¡°What if I get hot?¡± Shen Mo asked with amusement. Bai Youwei looked him up and down, her eyes examining him from head to toe, ¡°If you get hot, you can take off your shirt.¡± Shen Mo: After a moment of silence, he picked her up and walked towards the castle. He really shouldn¡¯t have engaged her in this pointless conversation. Chapter 416: 416 Cold Weapons The midday sun was intense, but thankfully it was cool inside the castle, with the air feeling cool and slightly gloomy. The interior was beautifully decorated with colorful cartoonish toys displayed around, creating a playful atmosphere. In the center of the ballroom, there was a sculpture of Beauty dancing with the Beast, perfectly replicating the fairy tale scene and allowing visiting guests to immerse themselves in a world full of fantastical colors. But at this moment, there were no lights, and the dim environment made the originally romantic and splendid sculpture appear eerie and gloomy. The beauty¡¯s smile was so rigid, and the beast¡¯s face was so ferocious. Bai Youwei had seen this fairy tale as a child and found it quite romantic¡ªthe power of true love transforming the beast back into a prince. It did hit the soft spot for little girls. But now, upon seeing this thing, she couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of the Duke, resulting in a conditioned dislike. Thinking back to the female protagonist falling in love with a beast, she thought those were indeed some strange tastes. ¡°There are quite a few corners in the castle where one could hide.¡± Shen Mo looked around, inspecting at a leisurely pace. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Yes¡­ Inside the cupboards, under the bed, behind the sculpture, inside the wine barrels, and in these treasure chests filled with treasures. All could be hiding spots.¡± She let Shen Mo put her down, and picked out a Gold Coin from the chest, with a cartoon design and a plastic texture. Quite normal. The props in the amusement park, of course, would not be real gold coins. Otherwise, she would have had another looting spree in the toy house. Bai Youwei overturned one of the treasure chests filled with ¡®gold and silver treasures¡¯. Shen Mo raised his eyebrows, ¡°Are you planning to hide in the chest?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± She took out the golden key and casually opened a toy house somewhere. Pan Xiaoxin was eating yogurt inside the house. He was taken aback when he suddenly saw the door open. Bai Youwei was also startled, and then raised her eyebrows, ¡°Xiaoxin! What tasty thing are you hiding and eating?!¡± ¡°Yogurt¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin paused for two seconds, and then quickly explained, ¡°Teacher Chang made it from milk that was close to its expiration date, he didn¡¯t want to waste it.¡± He emphasized ¡°close to expiration¡± to avoid any misunderstandings that might interfere with unity and camaraderie! Bai Youwei said, ¡°I want some too, go get me a bowl!¡± Pan Xiaoxin quickly left to find Teacher Chang with his bowl. Chang Weicai filled a bowl full of yogurt for Bai Youwei, put it into a lunch box, and handed it to her. He glanced outside and asked with concern, ¡°Has your game started? Why is it so dark out there? Is it dangerous¡­?¡± Bai Youwei tasted the sour yogurt, and her face wrinkled up, ¡°This is too sour!¡± Teacher Chang paused for a moment, then hurriedly said, ¡°Did I forget to add sugar? Come, hand me that bowl¡­¡± Just as his finger appeared outside the door, Shen Mo frowned and said: ¡°Don¡¯t come out!¡± Alarmed, Teacher Chang stood frozen, not daring to move. Bai Youwei handed the bowl back to Teacher Chang, ¡°Add sugar, add raisins, dried cranberries, and if there are oat flakes and cheese nuggets, add those too. I almost died from sourness¡­¡± Shen Mo warned Teacher Chang, ¡°We are in a game instance. If you come out, you won¡¯t be able to return and the player count will change. This may indirectly influence the game, so it¡¯s better to be careful.¡± Teacher Chang nodded repeatedly holding the bowl, ¡°Xiaoshen is right, I wasn¡¯t paying attention¡­¡± Bai Youwei told Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°Go get some weapons from the storage room.¡± Pan Xiaoxin quickly left to do as instructed. Teacher Chang added sugar and dried fruits to the yogurt till it was quite full, then he helped Pan Xiaoxin get the weapons. Broad sword, short sword, spear, battleaxe, flail, throwing axe¡­ He fetched a large assortment of them and put them all in Bai Youwei¡¯s emptied ¡®treasure chest¡¯. Bai Youwei threw in some plastic gold coins and pearls into the chest as well, and after the decoration, it seemed as if this chest was originally filled with cold weapons. Shen Mo looked down at her and asked, ¡°You plan to have everyone fight the cat with these things?¡± S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 417: 417: Misunderstandings Bai Youwei looked up, smiling at him, ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing, right? The biggest problem in hide and seek is that you can¡¯t find a decent weapon in the garden. So, when a player faces the cat, they can only run in a pathetic manner, without any power to counterattack.¡± Shen Mo picked up a broadsword and gripped it, nodding, ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not bad, these are part of the Duke¡¯s collection~ If they were in ancient times, they would be renowned swords!¡± She scooped in spoonful of yoghurt into her mouth, her eyes curved into crescents, ¡°Eating cool yoghurt is so refreshing in hot weather~¡± After scooping up another spoonful, she offered it to Shen Mo, ¡°Want some?¡± Shen Mo shook his head, picked up a treasure chest, and reminded her, ¡°Remember to wipe your mouth.¡± He moved the chest outside the castle, rolled the wheelchair back in, and found that the door of the dollhouse was closed, and a bunch of snacks and drinks were scattered on the ground. Shen Mo: S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What kind of look is that on your face?¡± Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t pleased, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a glutton? Do you think I don¡¯t know that the amusement park doesn¡¯t allow you to bring in food from outside? It was Teacher Cheng who worried about our physical strength, so he insisted I bring them along!¡± Shen Mo sighed silently, ¡°You¡¯d better think about how to explain it to the others.¡± He brought a backpack containing food and water when he came in. Now that there were so many additional snacks, it would definitely attract the attention of the others. ¡°Bag them up.¡± She pointed at a new canvas bag. The new bag was the same style as the old one. She had dozens of such bags from past material-collecting, so she easily swapped them out when they got dirty or old. Shen Mo bent down to help her pack the snacks. The two continued to stroll around the castle for a while. Soon, they heard the voices of Shen Fei and Tan Xiao from below. ¡°Bro! Bro! Where are you?!¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the rush, nothing can go wrong if Mo is with Weiwei¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve finished exploring on our side! Why aren¡¯t they out yet?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Weiwei has difficulty moving, so it¡¯s natural for them to be slower. What¡¯s the rush¡­.¡± The conversation stopped, Tan Xiao noticed the two who had just arrived and nudged Shen Fei, ¡°See, aren¡¯t they here now?¡± Shen Fei ran up to Shen Mo, stating seriously, ¡°Bro, I think it would be better for us to explore together, because¡­.¡± Noticing the yoghurt stain on Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth, he paused, ¡°What were you guys up to?¡± Shen Mo was slightly taken aback, following his brother¡¯s gaze, he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Weiwei, wipe the yoghurt off your mouth.¡± he said. ¡°Yogur t¡­? !!! You guys think I¡¯m a fool?!!¡± Excited and flustered all at the same time, Shen Fei asked, ¡°How on earth could there be yoghurt here?!!! What on earth were you guys doing?¡± ¡°Is your brother alright?¡± Bai Youwei frowned at Shen Mo, ¡°Has he been acting strange since the game started, is he having a mental breakdown?¡± ¡°You¡­..!¡± Shen Fei was aggrieved. Shen Mo said nonchalantly, ¡°Maybe because he hasn¡¯t played the game much, he¡¯s a bit nervous.¡± Shen Fei¡¯s irritation intensified, ¡°Bro! How could you¡­.¡± Shen Mo took out two lunch boxes from Bai Youwei¡¯s bag, handed one to Tan Xiao, and one to Shen Fei ¡°This is Teacher Cheng¡¯s homemade yoghurt, eat it, it¡¯ll help you cool down.¡± ¡°Wow! My bro is the best!~ He¡¯s reliable!¡± Tan Xiao, who was always carefree, opened it to eat. He didn¡¯t even use a spoon, he just tilted his head back and gulped. Shen Fei silently took the lunch box. The familiar translucent sealed lunch box seemed like it had been chilled, giving a cool sensation in his hand. Recalling the misunderstanding just now, Shen Fei felt a sudden flash of heat on his face, stuttering, ¡°This¡­Where did this come from? Why is it so cold?¡± Chapter 418: 418: Choosing Weapons ¡°What are you, a three-year-old?¡± Bai Youwei, who had long found him annoying, couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and blurted out, ¡°You whine whenever you see others eating, and when you get fed, you still have endless inquiries. Shall I buy you a copy of ¡°One Hundred Thousand Whys¡± for you to read?¡± Tan Xiao took a few gulps of yogurt, belched on the side, and frowned, ¡°Yeah, be mature, isn¡¯t it just a game? With Brother Xiao covering your back, what¡¯s there to worry about?¡± Shen Fei felt wronged and sulkingly looked at his cousin. Shen Mo didn¡¯t look at him, pushed Bai Youwei to leave. As they passed by, he lightly patted his cousin¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be that anxious.¡± Shen Fei felt another hit to his chest, even more aggrieved. After leaving the castle, they continued their search in Fairy Tale Kingdom. They went to the Seven Dwarfs¡¯ house, Pinocchio¡¯s carpenter¡¯s hut, Alice¡¯s Wonderland Maze, and the joyous stage filled with an array of fairy tale characters. The numerous facilities in the amusement park were dazzling. They spent over an hour just investigating this one theme area, leaving less than an hour. They rushed to ¡°Future World¡±. Unable to explore thoroughly, they could only roughly understand the layout, memorize each fork in the road to avoid getting lost if they had to escape here. Two hours later, everyone regrouped at the carousel. Zhao Mingdeng, Robin, Jiang Hao, all came back empty-handed. Yan Qingwen and Yu Yaqing had taken some ropes from the shipwreck building on Adventure Island and used them as weapons. Lun Ang was carrying a giant iron anchor with a chain all by himself! He surprisingly didn¡¯t find it heavy! Shen Mo asked Tan Xiao to place the box full of weapons on the ground. The box opened, and the magnificent cold weapons embedded with gold and gems caught everyone¡¯s eyes. They all took a sharp breath. ¡°You guys are really lucky to have found weapons!¡± Zhao Mingdeng was the first to speak, ¡°All we found on Fantasy Street were some clothes racks, not even a pair of scissors!¡± Yan Qingwen picked up a broadsword, weighed it, looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, his tone held a sinister edge: ¡°The props in the amusement park are nicely made.¡± Yu Yaqing chose a battle axe. Her fingertips swept lightly over the blade. Her eyebrows slightly raised, her adamantine face reflecting in the silvery axe body. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°These weapons are very sharp,¡± she said, ¡°With these weapons, our chances of winning will increase significantly.¡± ¡°But why wasn¡¯t this mentioned in the game information?¡± Zhao Mingdeng couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°Could it be that the previous players didn¡¯t pass the game because they didn¡¯t find the weapons?¡± Jiang Hao, with his white gloves, selected a pair of battle axes from the box and laughed, ¡°It¡¯s possible. After all, the game requires us to kill the cat, but the amusement park didn¡¯t provide any weapons, which is illogical.¡± The sportsman Robin rummaged through the box but didn¡¯t find any weapon that suited him, so he simply put it down, frowned, and coolly said, ¡°You guys pick. I¡¯m used to using my fists.¡± ¡°Obviously, you gotta use a butcher¡¯s knife in a fight.¡± Tan Xiao reluctantly picked a broadsword after stating his complain, ¡°Ahh, these swords are too thin¡­ Shen Fei struggled for a long time before choosing an axe. He wasn¡¯t good at fighting. Even though he used to train due to his admiration for his cousin, his work nature leaned more towards the technical side. He suspected that axes would be less skill-dependent compared to swords. He¡¯d just test it out for now. The designs of these swords were extremely vintage. Even though the materials felt too realistic, they didn¡¯t arouse any suspicion. Everyone picked their weapons. Jiang Hao turned to Bai Youwei, asking her with curiosity, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to choose a weapon?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Bai Youwei patted the canvas bag hanging on the side of her wheelchair, ¡°My weapons are all in here.¡± Chapter 419: Holding a Small Meeting Chapter 419: Holding a Small Meeting The impression Bai Youwei usually gives people often includes a few characteristics: 1. She¡¯s in a wheelchair; 2. She holds a plush rabbit; 3. She has a canvas bag hanging on her wheelchair. The canvas bag contains her personal items and props. Everyone takes this for granted, assuming she plans to use her props as weapons. But a bag that big, sure does arouse one¡¯s curiosity. Jiang Hao¡¯s glance lingered on the canvas bag a few seconds longer. ¡°Alright, now that we have weapons, let¡¯s discuss how to kill Mary and the cat!¡± Zhao Mingdeng is always the most enthusiastic one. His enthusiasm for the game is palpable¡ªhis tone is like discussing game strategies on a forum. ¡°I believe! The primary strategy of the game should focus on Mary, not the cat! The cat is as big as a bus. An average human is no match for it, let alone killing it! But Mary, you¡¯ve seen her, haven¡¯t you? Mary is about the height of a human girl, even more frail than an average one! Clearly much easier to deal with!¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying, previous players must have thought of.¡± Lun Ang frowned in disagreement, ¡°I actually think Mary is a trap. The game might be taking advantage of our mentality, making us think Mary is easy to deal with, as a result, everyone ends up dead.¡± Zhao Mingdeng widened his eyes: ¡°Are you suggesting we deal directly with the cat? Such a big animal, even if ten of us attack it together, we might not be able to kill it!¡± These knives and swords would probably amount to nothing more than toothpicks when used against the cat! ¡°I do have another approach,¡± Yan Qingwen interjected from the side. Everyone turned towards him. ¡°Whether we are dealing with the cat or Mary, as long as we target one, we¡¯ll inevitably encounter the other,¡± said Yan Qingwen calmly. ¡°What if we separate them, might the outcome be different?¡± Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s eyes lit up instantly, ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! According to the game data, Mary and the cat are always together. Particularly the cat, it¡¯s almost invincible, if we separate them, there might be openings on both sides?!¡± ¡°But how can we separate Mary from the cat?¡± Yu Yaqing asked. Yan Qingwen thought for a moment, looked at everyone and said, ¡°We could set up a trap to separate Mary from the cat. But this method comes with its own risk, moreover, we must plan our escape route in advance. After all, none of us can be sure what will happen once the two are separated.¡± ¡°How long will it take to set up a trap?¡± Shen Mo asked. Yan Qingwen glanced around and quickly came up with a few plans in his mind. He answered, ¡°About 40 minutes.¡± ¡°And planning the escape route?¡± Shen Mo asked again. Yan Qingwen replied with a slight smile, ¡°At least two hours.¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Really? It takes that long?!¡± ¡°Two hours is actually a shorter estimate.¡± Shen Fei commented seriously, ¡°Planning an escape is not about running around aimlessly. It involves intricate calculations to utilize terrain and environmental features, artificially designing about three to five blind spots to aid safe escape. Moreover, the direction of escape cannot be the same for everyone. So, the number of required escape routes equals the number of participants. This requires a high level of computational proficiency!¡± Upon finishing his statement, Shen Fei gave Yan Qingwen a look of admiration. Rational, wise, and calm, that¡¯s the type of friend his cousin should be making! As opposed to hanging out with Wang Jingxian¡¯s daughter and knowing all sorts of riffraff! It¡¯s as if a top student has been led astray by bad kids, beyond redemption! S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yan Qingwen, with a teasing smile, said to Shen Mo, ¡°If you get Weiwei to help me, perhaps we can save some time.¡± Shen Fei: Chapter 420: Not Allowed Chapter 420: Not Allowed ¡°Yeah, split up would be a good idea.¡± Yu Yaqing said earnestly, ¡°We¡¯ll help Yan Qingwen set the trap, while Weiwei can plan the retreat route. Since it¡¯s not convenient for Weiwei to move around, perhaps Shen Mo could accompany her. This way, won¡¯t it be faster?¡± Shen Fei moved his lips, unsure of what to say. At a time like this, shouldn¡¯t his cousin be leading the charge like a hero arriving on scene? Why was his assigned task to ¡°accompany¡± Bai Youwei?! Isn¡¯t that a waste of resources?! He turned to look Shen Mo. Shen Mo nodded impassively, ¡°Alright.¡± Not alright! What do you mean by Alright, brother ?!!! Turbulent waves set off in Shen Fei¡¯s heart. Meanwhile, Lun Ang let out a laugh and said, ¡°Since we¡¯re all in this game together, Weiwei, stop keeping secrets. Let¡¯s give our poor Qingwen a break.¡± Tan Xiao, with hands on his hips, stood in front and said, ¡°Wow, of course my boss should make the grand finale! To have you guys boss her around now¡­ wouldn¡¯t that be too disgraceful!¡± Shen Fei stared at them, his expression stiff. He didn¡¯t understand. Why¡­why did they all seem to trust Bai Youwei so much? What on earth made Bai Youwei so competent?! Entrusting the retreat route to Bai Youwei was akin to entrusting their lives to her! Even the slightest flaw in the escape route could result in death! Lun Ang laughed heartily and teased Tan Xiao, ¡°Which one is your boss? The tall one, or¡­ the short one?¡± Considering Bai Youwei was in a wheelchair, she was naturally shorter than everyone present. Her face turned sour as she glared at Tan Xiao, as if ready to blow up if his response didn¡¯t meet her satisfaction. Tan Xiao, struck by a sudden inspiration, loudly declared, ¡°My boss is riding on the shoulders of the Giant! She¡¯s taller!!!¡± Bai Youwei usually leaned on Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder, so it was kind of like riding on him. With that remark, he¡¯d managed to compliment both of them. Tan Xiao puffed out his chest in triumph. He was over the moon! He felt like he¡¯d just reached a new high in his life! Bai Youwei coldly withdrew her gaze. Shen Mo had a faint smile on his lips. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Fei¡­ Shen Fei was deeply puzzled. Zhao Mingdeng urged, ¡°We have less than three hours until it gets dark. We should make the most of the daylight for a preliminary scout.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Bai Youwei said emotionlessly, ¡°With the current information, we can¡¯t guarantee a 100% safe retreat. The Cat¡¯s height and speed directly affect its and Mary¡¯s view. A meter higher or lower would greatly affect the effectiveness of the retreat route. I¡¯m not interested in pointless effort.¡± Zhao Mingdeng frowned, ¡°So what do we do now?¡± ¡°Familiarise yourself with the area you¡¯re in charge of, find a hiding place and then¡­¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, ¡°Wait for nightfall~¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that be wasting daylight?!¡± Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s eyebrows furrowed even deeper, feeling that it wasn¡¯t right, ¡°And we¡¯ve already found hiding places just now!¡± Shen Fei scorned in his heart She¡¯s refusing because she doesn¡¯t want to plan the retreat route, trying to shirk responsibility! Bai Youwei kept her nonchalant tone, ¡°I suggest you abandon the first hiding spot. It would be best to give up on the second backup as well. Hide in the third or fourth spot you find, because the first two locations are likely places previous players hid, and Mary and the Cat will prioritize searching these places unless they¡¯re stupid.¡± Shen Mo stated, ¡°Right now, we are not yet familiar with the entire amusement park. We also lack understanding of the strengths of Mary and the Cat. Even with a trap in place, it would be hard to make it effective.¡± Zhao Mingdeng pondered, then let out a deep sigh, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll wait till tonight and assess the situation then!¡± Chapter 421: 421: Watching Her Chapter 421: Watching Her ¡°Won¡¯t this be too passive?¡± The always silent Robin couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°There are six full hours at night, can we just wait till then? Why not test their strength now!¡± Robin was a sports student, he looked just like a hot-blooded man, clenching his fists, eager to immediately charge at the carousel and take on the giant puppet cat! Yu Yaqing frowned and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, will we do nothing tonight?¡± Passive waiting was also against Yu Yaqing¡¯s style. Bai Youwei helplessly shrugged and said, ¡°If you guys want to probe them now, I have no objections. But I must remind you, according to the game rules, the person who wakes the cat during the day becomes the cat¡¯s attack target and the attack lasts until the cat falls asleep again. So provoking them before we understand the situation, I don¡¯t agree with.¡± ¡°Then we don¡¯t give it a chance to wake up!¡± Robin said coldly, ¡°While it sleeps, we take its life!¡± Yan Qingwen gave him a glance, ¡°The game instructions say the same thing. Those players wanted to attack Mary while the cat sleeps, but somehow, even though they were careful enough, they woke the cat as soon as they got close.¡± Zhao Mingdeng hesitantly asked, ¡°Could it be that they were careless¡­¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°The only survivor among those players is Du Lai, and he is the best at approaching targets silently and without a trace. I dare say none of us here is as agile and light-footed as he is.¡± Upon her saying that, everyone fell silent. There must be reasons for the cat being awakened. Either the cat is alert beyond their imagination, or there¡¯s a key point hidden here that no one has noticed. Either way, it isn¡¯t conducive to them launching an attack against Mary and the cat now. After some contemplation, Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Let¡¯s do this. We will set up some traps near the carousel first. Once Mary and the cat wake up tonight, the people nearby can observe their reaction when they encounter the traps and maybe find the cat¡¯s or Mary¡¯s weakness.¡± ¡°Could the traps separate Mary and the cat?¡± Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help asking. The topic has come full circle. Yan Qingwen laughed and shook her head, ¡°To separate them, the traps must be more refined, just like what Weiwei said. We need to know the height, length, shape, and even the weight and speed of the targets. If we don¡¯t have this information, we need manual operation, coordination of multiple people, and adjustment of the trap mechanisms according to the situation.¡± Yu Yaqing understood. A manually operated trap would reveal our position, and the night is when Mary and the cat come out to play hide and seek, everyone should hide well. Revealing positions is no different from suicide. Who would want to do it? S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She let out a sigh, apologizing to Yan Qingwen, ¡°It was presumptuous of me, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yan Qingwen just smiled faintly. After discussing for a while, everyone starts to act. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t be of help in making the traps. She pushed her wheelchair away, towards the Clock Tower to observe the entire amusement park from above. Shen Mo was worried about her. When he saw her wheelchair moving farther and farther away, he waved at Shen Fei and instructed, ¡°You go watch over her, if anything comes up, come back for me.¡± Shen Fei seemed reluctant, ¡°Don¡¯t we need hands for setting up traps?¡± ¡°Go on, we won¡¯t miss one person here.¡± Lun Ang chuckled, ¡°But your brother should stay, there are some places only he can reach.¡± Yu Yaqing glanced at Shen Fei, ¡°Or, I¡¯ll go instead?¡± Shen Fei felt a little irritated. Why can¡¯t that woman just sit still?! Making everyone worry over her! ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go!¡± Shen Fei grumbled, ¡°You guys proceed, I¡¯ll go keep an eye on her.¡± Zhao Mingdeng looked up and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t one person enough? We¡¯re short of hands for setting up traps here! Hey? Where did Jiang Hao go?¡± Shen Mo scanned around, his eyes slightly darkened. Chapter 422: 422: Stay Away from Me Chapter 422: Stay Away from Me She had just been here helping to set up the trap, but now there was no sign of her. Yan Qingwen knew of Shen Mo¡¯s apprehension. Seeing his expression darken, she leaned in and quietly asked, ¡°Should we check on her?¡± Shen Mo glanced towards the Clock Tower, ¡°No need, she can handle it.¡± The Clock Tower wasn¡¯t too far from the carousel. Following the little path paved with red bricks, there was a flower garden in sight, with four arch bridges reaching out to each side of the Clock Tower. It was a tad strenuous pushing uphill with the wheelchair on the arch bridge. Bai Youwei decided to stand and walked forward using her cane for support. Noticing an extra shadow on the ground, she halted, turned her head, and realized the man behind her was now less than ten meters away. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, ¡°Keep your distance.¡± Jiang Hao grinned, ¡°I saw you heading here alone¡­So I thought I¡¯d check in on you. Do you need help?¡± His seemingly friendly demeanor was marked by dominance. His encroaching steps toward her did not falter. A mocking, cold laugh curled up at the corners of Bai Youwei¡¯s lips. She was well aware of his intentions. No doubt, he must have been growing impatient waiting for this opportunity. Once night falls, everyone will scatter. Mary and the cat will wake up, making the act of ¡°killing for treasure¡± much more difficult. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If he isn¡¯t aiming to clear the game, there¡¯s no need to wait for nightfall to take a risk. It¡¯s best to acquire what he wants during the day, then find an opportune moment to exit the game using the puzzle piece. Of course, it would be best to eliminate all other players before leaving, so there¡¯s no need to worry about his disguise being exposed. For example, the man with the white gloves who emerged from the game last time. Jiang Hao continued to approach her. Bai Youwei looked at him with a cold gaze. She was slightly curious, what kind of tool was the white glove? Why was it so powerful? Of the ten people who entered the game last time, apart from the man with the white gloves, everyone else died¡­ ¡°Weiwei! It¡¯s really high up there! There¡¯s even a telescope!¡± Tan Xiao suddenly rushed out from the Clock Tower, caught sight of Jiang Hao, and was taken aback. He asked bluntly, ¡°Hey! Why are you following us? What, trying to slack off from work?!¡± Jiang Hao paused then replied with a smile, ¡°I couldn¡¯t really do anything to help over there, so I came over.¡± He continued walking towards Bai Youwei, slightly raising his hands clad in white gloves¡­ Bai Youwei laughed again. How interesting. ¡ªHe didn¡¯t even abandon his target despite seeing Tan Xiao come down from the Clock Tower. It seemed like Tan Xiao posed no threat to him, at least not in the eyes of this man named Jiang Hao. Her curiosity deepened. Just how powerful were the white gloves? Were they enough to give him the confidence to take on two players? As the distance closed, the plush rabbit perched on Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder raised its head. Its beady little eyes stared silently at the man. Jiang Hao paused. The rabbit spent a large portion of the time on Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder ¡°acting cute¡±, so Jiang Hao was unclear about its true function. He hesitated slightly. Although he was confident in dealing with two people at once, the emergence of an unexpected prop compelled him to be cautious. ¡°Jiang Hao? What are you doing here?¡± Shen Fei walked over in surprise, then noticed Tan Xiao and couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°Why are you all here? They¡¯re swamped over by the carousel, aren¡¯t you going to help?¡± Tan Xiao pleaded his case, ¡°I was going to help! But they said I¡¯d just be in the way and told me not to, so since I had nothing to do, I came to help Weiwei survey the area!¡± Shen Fei: Jiang Hao gave them a smile, ¡°I think I¡¯ll head back then. I was worried Miss Bai would be unattended, but since you¡¯re all here, I¡¯ll go back and help.¡± With that, he walked away at a leisurely pace, both hands in his pockets. Bai Youwei found it a pity. She was so close to seeing his true colours. But she was sure¡­ he would make his move again soon. Chapter 423: 423: Unexpected Chapter 423: Unexpected Not long after Jiang Hao left, Shen Fei also left. He had no fondness for Bai Youwei to begin with, and seeing that Tan Xiao was now in her company, he had no desire to impose himself, preferring instead to return to his brother. Using her crutches, Bai Youwei exerted effort to climb the Clock Tower. The view from the top of the Clock Tower was extremely open, overlooking the entire amusement park. Each direction was equipped with a telescope, convenient for sightseeing. Bai Youwei adjusted the telescope towards the direction of the carousel and studied it closely. Atop the carousel, the mannequin, Mary, and the cat were quietly sleeping. The cat was much more noticeable than Mary. It was indeed a rag doll ¨C not a Ragdoll breed as Bai Youwei initially thought, but a feline figure created from floral fabric and cotton ¨C Colourful and pieced together from various fabrics, it had buttons for eyes, springs for whiskers. It had no teeth, no sharp claws, it was hard to imagine that this cat had killed so many people. As for Mary, she was modeled after a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, lying sound asleep on the cat. She had beautiful curly golden hair, bound into two braids, it looked like she had two pieces of gold cotton candy on top of her head. Her dress was pink with white lace trimmings, a puffy skirt adorned with fancy satin bow ties, paired with checkered pink and white stockings, and she wore a pair of red shoes. She was also carrying a doll bag ¨C The overall appearance was innocent and childlike, very lifelike. Having finished observing Mary and the cat, Bai Youwei adjusted the telescope to look at the other side. Yan Qingwen¡¯s trap was gradually taking shape. To increase the success rate, he set traps on several paths near the carousel. Due to limited time and materials, these traps weren¡¯t very elaborate, but they should be able to inflict some damage or slow down the cat. Shen Mo, Yu Yaqing, and others were all helping. Jiang Hao had returned and was also in the crowd. Perhaps he felt that the current situation was not the optimal time to kill and steal treasures, he had temporarily hidden his fangs and did not show any abnormality. The sky was getting darker, and the hour hand of the clock tower was slowly moving towards six. Bai Youwei had looked over the area around the carousel, and had a general idea of the situation. She slowly went downstairs with the support of her crutches. Tan Xiao offered to carry her, but she declined, descending at her own pace. After making her way a third of the way down, Shen Mo came over to assist her. ¡°Is everything ready?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, everything is ready,¡± he replied. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She put away her crutches, he picked her up, and before nightfall, they entered a gift shop on Fantasy Street. Through the window, they quietly observed the carousel in the distance. When the hour hand pointed to 6, the clock tower let out a ¡°clang¡±! It was crisp and loud! Night fell, and the entire sky turned pitch black! Immediately after, it was as if the amusement park came to life! Brilliant colored lights lit up, and music played like a wave. Every building was brightly lit! This included the gift shop where Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were hiding! They looked at each other in surprise. They didn¡¯t expect this turn of events! Now that lights were on, dark corners were exposed, much to their dismay, many of their hiding places were no longer concealed! Shen Mo frowned, grabbing Bai Youwei and ducking under the cash register as he hid himself behind the curtains ¨C Through the glass window, he saw the entire amusement park bustling with activity! The roller coaster emitted the noise of the wind as it rushed by, the carousel swayed to the music, the Ferris wheel¡¯s colorful lights were stunning, all the motionless dolls seemed to have come to life as they stumbled in line, following the parade of flower-decked carnival floats in a procession! Chapter 424: 424: Shining Lights Chapter 424: Shining Lights The lights flashed, and the carousel spun round. The puppet cat on the canopy stood up, arched its body, yawned, and let out a long, ¡°meow~~~¡± The voice was sharp and high pitched, clearly audible to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei in the room, even with the surrounding din of music! Mary, on the cat¡¯s back, also yawned. She rubbed her eyes, stretched out her slender white arms, grabbed the cat by the tip of an ear, and complained like a short-tempered little girl: ¡°Alright, stop sleeping! You lazy feline! It¡¯s hide and seek time, get up!¡± Mary, riding on the cat¡¯s neck, tugged at the cat forcefully. Roused by this, the puppet cat let out a ¡°meow¡±, and leaped off the carousel with Mary on its back¡ª ¡°Where is everyone?¡± the little girl sitting on the puppet cat¡¯s back said, her bright face bearing a malicious grin, ¡°Aha~ I just love hide and seek! I love the expressions on your faces when you are found. They are such a joy!¡± Her slow gaze swept over the place, her smile full of pleasure, ¡°I see you guys~~ You really don¡¯t know how to hide!¡± Shen Mo by the window squinted his eyes, watching the outside unblinkingly. The puppet cat had already stepped on a trap. The netting, taken as a decoration from the pirate ship on Adventure Island, was suspended five or six centimeters off the ground, and was now entangling one of the cat¡¯s feet. The cat raised its foot irritably, and ripped free from the net! The long mast rigged at both ends of the net were pulled in, converging on the middle! Mary let out a yelp, and the cat dodged swiftly! Escaping the plight of the mast, yet triggering the second trap set by Yan Qingwen!¡ª The big red chairs initially set on the flying chairs were launched like red bullets, one after another! S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The puppet cat dodged the first one, but was hit in succession by the second and third ones! It let out a wail and fell on the side of the road! Mary also failed to escape! She got hit by the fourth red chair hard on her shoulder! ¡°Ah!!!¡± She got up, yelling in anger, ¡°You players are too bad! Too bad!!! I¡¯m going to let my cat catch all of you! Tear you guys into pieces!!!¡± ¡°Meow!¡± The cat also cried as if to echo her. The next second, the puppet cat adjusted its direction and headed straight for Fantasy Street! Shen Mo was taken aback. At first, he thought it was a coincidence, but when he discovered that Mary and the cat were unmistakably heading in his direction, his heart skipped a beat! He quickly moved to the cashier counter, picked up Bai Youwei in an instant! ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Bai Youwei asked in surprise. From her hiding place below, she could not see what was happening outside, and had no idea that Mary and the cat were already coming their way! Shen Mo, holding her, jumped out of the window from the other side and took a few hurried steps, sprinted into the candy store next door, and replied, ¡°Mary knows where we are!¡± ¡°What?¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback, ¡°Did she find us so soon?¡± ¡°No, she didn¡¯t look!¡± Shen Mo looked around. This time, instead of choosing the cashier counter, he placed her behind the door and dragged over an indoor plant to cover her. Then, he turned around and jumped out of the window again! At the same time, as the cat¡¯s roar came through and the roof thundered with the sound of something heavy running over it, as if a monster ran across the roof! Through the gaps in the leaves, Bai Youwei saw a giant puppet cat leaping down from the roof and landing with a thud! The angry little girl atop the cat yelled, ¡°Catch him quick! You stupid cat! Catch him and don¡¯t let him escape!!!¡± Shen Mo dashed into the toy store. Mary and the cat also rushed after him! The large figure rammed the store door, shattering the glass with a crash! Inside, sometimes came the sound of the shelves collapsing and sometimes Mary¡¯s shrill roars! Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t see what was going on inside! Chapter 425: 425 Found You Chapter 425: Found You Her mind was racing, her attention fully focused on the chaotic toy house! Shen Mo¡¯s goal was to distract Mary and the cat, so he would definitely hide further away, the further the better! But this would separate her and him! What should she do? She couldn¡¯t see his position, couldn¡¯t judge what she should do next! She couldn¡¯t help him either! And what did Shen Mo mean by what he said just now? ¡°Mary knows where we are!¡± ¡°No, she didn¡¯t look!¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Didn¡¯t look? If she didn¡¯t look, how did Mary find out they were hiding here? Even if Mary¡¯s eyes had super vision, she would at least have to look around first before¡­ unless she knew their location all along! So she didn¡¯t even need to look, she just aimed directly at Fantasy Street and rushed over! Bai Youwei¡¯s face was visibly pale. If this was true, everything made sense now¡­ The amusement park was so vast and had so many buildings, not to mention hiding 10 people, even hiding 100 people wouldn¡¯t be easy! Why did none of the people who entered the game survive?! Because no matter where they hid, Mary and the cat would find them! ¡­Wait. This still didn¡¯t make sense. If the cat would find us no matter where we hid, then what¡¯s the point of playing hide and seek? Boom!!! A loud noise interrupted Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts! All the house¡¯s glass shattered! A huge cat head poked in from outside the window, its plastic button eyes silently stared at the green plant in front of Bai Youwei. Mary sat on the cat, giggling slyly. Her voice was like a midnight bell, clear yet eerie: ¡°Ah la I found you¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s chest tightened, holding her breath! As if to savor the fear of the prey, the cat didn¡¯t attack Bai Youwei immediately. Instead, it started to step on the lush green potted plant very slowly¨C Crushing it! Creaking¡­ creaking¡­ creaking¡­ The sound of ceramic shards and nutrient soil scraping and crushing, that sound made people¡¯s scalp tingle! ¡°I found you¡­¡± Mary crawled down the cat¡¯s body, from the cat¡¯s neck, to the top of its head, then slid down to the cat¡¯s nose. She grinned, her eyes glowing with a green light in the darkness. But in the next moment, shock, even terror, flashed in her eyes! Without time to evade, a plush rabbit jumped out, pounced on her face, and released a flash of electricity! ¡°Aaaaaah!!!¡± Mary¡¯s scream echoed in the room! One hand clutching the cat, the other vigorously pulling off the bunny from her face! The stuffed cat was also struggling in pain! The cat¡¯s head was stuck in the window and couldn¡¯t get out, it shaking its head and body desperately, violently thrashing! In the struggle, all the glass cabinets shattered, colorful candies fell like rain on Bai Youwei. She dared not to be careless, kept staring at Mary, didn¡¯t miss any reactions, and waited until the moment that the cat was about to pull its head out of the window, she yelled, ¡°Attack the stuffed cat!!!¡± The rabbit let go of Mary, and as it landed, its fur stood on end! It unleashed blinding purple-blue electricity! The electricity was like a giant blade, slashing straight at the cat¡¯s head! ¡°Meow!!!¡ª¡± The plush cat screamed in pain, its head gave a violent shake, and Mary finally couldn¡¯t hold on, she was thrown off the cat! She fell heavily to the ground! Her beautiful golden curls were scorched from the electric shock, and her tender white face was smeared with a layer of black ash. ¡°Damn it!¡± Mary staggered up and glared at Bai Youwei in anger, ¡°you ¡­¡± A flash of cold light! Shen Mo appeared behind her out of nowhere, raising his broadsword high and slaying it towards Mary¡¯s head! Chapter 426: 426: One Step Late Chapter 426: One Step Late ¡°Ah!¡± Mary exclaimed in terror, twisting her body to avoid the attack! But it was still too late! The sharp blade sliced off her arm! With two thuds, the slender white arm fell to the ground. Shen Mo frowned, lifting his sword again to strike at Mary¡¯s head. Mary let out a horrified scream! The cat from outside rushed in, and she leapt onto it. Immediately afterwards, the ragdoll cat charged out of the candy store with Mary, jumping onto the roof! Shen Mo was about to give chase when he heard Bai Youwei shouting loudly at him from behind: ¡°Shen Mo!!!¡± Shen Mo paused in his steps, turned and saw the severed arm on the ground tightly gripping Bai Youwei¡¯s ankle! The five fingers were clenched tightly into the flesh of her ankle, as if wanting to break Bai Youwei¡¯s foot off! Shen Mo¡¯s heart lurched, and he swiftly stabbed his sword into that severed arm! The grip on the ankle finally loosened, and Bai Youwei immediately withdrew her foot. A clear mark of five fingers emerged on her fair skin, slowly turning into a bruise. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Shen Mo asked, holding her up. Bai Youwei shook her head, catching her breath, ¡°Mary might be going to find the others. There might be something wrong with the way we were hiding, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have found us so quickly, unless she has X-ray vision!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s face was stern: ¡°If Mary knows everyone¡¯s location, this is not a game of hide and seek, but a hunt.¡± He was thinking the same as her. But the situation was urgent, and they couldn¡¯t figure out what the problem was in the short term! A scream came from outside! The scream punctuated the chaotic music, suddenly rising and then quickly fading away. It was unclear who was being attacked and who was scrambling to escape. Bai Youwei looked out the window and said with knitted eyebrows, ¡°You¡¯d better go and help.¡± Shen Mo looked at the severed hand on the ground, ¡°And you?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just go,¡± she pushed him gently, ¡°I can handle this.¡± Shen Mo gave her a lingering look. With an inexplicable courage, Bai Youwei suddenly held his face and bit his lip forcefully! She quickly let go after two seconds, took a deep breath and said, ¡°Don¡¯t die. If you can¡¯t handle it, use puzzle, understood?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s eyes flickered with countless emotions, dark and deep. He put her down, held her jaw, and said in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s not enough time now, I¡¯ll pay you back when we¡¯re out.¡± After saying this, he turned around and ran towards the screams. Bai Youwei stared blankly at his retreating figure until it disappeared from sight, and her racing heart gradually calmed down¡­ She let out a sigh of relief, turned her head to look at the arm pierced by the sword on the floor. It was still twitching. But Shen Mo¡¯s sword had pierced too deeply and ruthlessly, it couldn¡¯t break free! The fingers scratched at the floor unyieldingly, like a fish on a chopping board, devoid of blood. Nothing strange about that, the cat was a ragdoll, and Mary was certainly not human. Bai Youwei used a golden key to open the dollhouse. Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin inside the dollhouse were taken aback by her dishevelled appearance. ¡°Wei¡­Weiwei?! You¡¯re okay, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chang Weicai asked anxiously, ¡°Where¡¯s your wheelchair? Your cane? Isn¡¯t Shen Mo with you?¡± ¡°We can talk about it later.¡± Bai Youwei hurriedly instructed them. ¡°Go pick up some burning firewood from the fireplace and throw it here. Dry firewood as well, the more, the better.¡± ¡°All right, all right! We¡¯ll get it for you right away!¡± Balls of fire were thrown out from the dollhouse, igniting the wallpaper, igniting the cabinets, igniting the dolls. The candies in the candy store melted under the high temperature, forming puddles of sticky liquid and setting ablaze. The air was filled with a mix of burnt and sweet smell. The flames raged on¡­ Chapter 427: 427: Is it an Illusion? Chapter 427: Is it an Illusion? ¡°The fire was getting bigger. Leaning against the wall, Bai Youwei slowly moved forward. Her knee throbbed with pain. It was like walking on the tip of a knife. Despite regaining sensation, she still could not walk properly. She walked out of the Candy House, only a dozen steps away, covered in cold sweat, her legs trembled. The bunny followed behind, matching her pace. Once she got to the door, she saw her wheelchair and breathed a sigh of relief. She told the bunny, ¡°Go, bring my wheelchair over here.¡± The bunny flicked its ears and hopped towards the wheelchair. Although it was a bit small, the pavement was smooth. The wheelchair was pushed forward intermittently and sometimes spun around, before finally reaching Bai Youwei. At this moment, the fire in the Candy House started spreading outside. Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair, clutching the bunny, and left Fantasy Street. Behind her, the toy store, dessert shop, gift shop, ice cream parlor¡­ all the shops on Fantasy Street were being devoured by the widespread fire. Fantasy Street was next to the Dreaming Garden, an area filled with vibrant flowers and beautiful landscapes, made up of countless individual gardens. Bai Youwei traveled through the garden, trying to find a high-vantage point to see where Shen Mo and the others were. As she passed the cartoon statues in the garden, she felt something eerie. The statues¡¯ eyes were painted black, like deep dark holes, seeming to stare at her¡­ Bai Youwei furrowed her eyebrows and sped up her pace. A familiar unease started to surface. She suddenly halted and turned around to look at the cartoon statues again. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They were motionless. Could it have been her imagination? Bai Youwei pondered for a moment but she was more concerned about Shen Mo. She put her doubts aside for now and continued forward. She emerged from the garden onto the main park path. The sounds of various theme park music entered her ears; the claw machine music, bumper car music, and hovercraft music¡­ It was too noisy for her to determine where Shen Mo was, and she couldn¡¯t see Mary and the cat. The park was just too big. Another wave of music approached. Bai Youwei frowned and looked down the road. Coming from the other end was a parade float, the music was coming from there. Snow White stood high on the float, holding a red apple, followed by the seven dwarfs and a variety of other cartoon characters. They formed a long line and were happily parading the grounds. During the day, they were silent inanimate objects, but they all came to life after dark, singing along with the music: Everywhere that Mary went, She would bring along her little doll, People met them everywhere, Mary and her merry doll¡­ The parade passed right in front of her and then moved away. The music also dissipated. Suddenly, loud bangs echoed! The chaotic fighting noises became clearer with the retreat of the music, as though something had been knocked over, or perhaps something had been hit. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart leapt, and she swiftly rolled her wheelchair in the direction of the noise! A shadow suddenly lunged at her! ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± Sweaty and frantic, Shen Fei demanded, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here! Get away!!!¡± Without waiting for a response, he began to push her wheelchair and ran forward! ¡°Stop!¡± Bai Youwei coldly ordered. ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble! My brother can¡¯t deal with you right now!¡± Shen Fei was running so fast that Bai Youwei had no chance to argue! He looked back from time to time, and when he saw that the cat was not following, he made a sharp turn with the wheelchair¡ª And rushed into the Old Vine Monster Tree House on the side of the road! Bai Youwei was about to speak when Shen Fei covered her mouth! ¡°Stay quiet!¡± his voice was anxious and low, ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡± Chapter 428: 428: Harmonious Handling Chapter 428: Harmonious Handling Bang! The sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Bai Youwei was startled, her eyes darted to the outside, forgetting her argument with Shen Fei. Zhao Mingdeng fell to the ground, his face as white as a sheet. He couldn¡¯t make a sound, nor could he stand up. He was trembling as he crawled forward, leaving a trail of bright red behind him. But it wasn¡¯t blood! Rather, it was a red, jelly-like substance continuously seeping out of his body and also his mouth! Boom! Another loud noise. A puppet cat as big as a bus pounced, landing not far behind Zhao Mingdeng. Mary on the cat¡¯s back was laughing and singing a nursery rhyme: ¡°Crawl and crawl, Blood turns to jelly, Innards turn to cotton, In the end, oh, in the end, feed it to the kitty¡¯s mouth~¡± The cat paw came down and stepped on Zhao Mingdeng. Like toying with a mouse, it held him down but didn¡¯t kill him immediately, just watched him struggling. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Fei couldn¡¯t bear to look. He quietly said to Bai Youwei, ¡°Mary says that blood is filthy. This is a playground for children, all bloody scenes must be sanitized. She¡­ she doesn¡¯t consider us humans! She treats us like toys!¡± Mary was laughing outside, enjoying this moment immensely, repeatedly singing the nursery rhyme: ¡°Crawl and crawl, Blood turns to jelly, Innards turn to cotton¡­¡± Suddenly, several figures shot out! Mary¡¯s voice halted abruptly! Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen rushed over with their weapons and hacked at the cat¡¯s paw that was pinning Zhao Mingdeng down! However, the cat¡¯s paw was soft, and the blade hitting it was like punching cotton! Pointless! Yu Yaqing and Lun Ang worked together, simultaneously slashing at the cat¡¯s belly¡ª¡ª Balls of cotton spilled out from the ripped fabric, the cat wailed, but its paw stiffly held on! Robin leaped from above, taking the opportunity to attack Mary on the cat¡¯s back. Just then, a cat tail swung mid-air! It sent him flying into the wall! Bai Youwei noticed the sweat soaking Shen Mo¡¯s forehead hair. Everyone else looked exhausted. Yes, exhausted. In the ten-odd minutes they had been fighting the giant puppet cat, they had exerted tremendous physical effort. If they failed to come up with a solution soon, all of them, not just Zhao Mingdeng, would struggle to even defend themselves! Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s chubby body continued to be pinned down by the cat¡¯s paw¡­ His body had been squeezed to the point of deformation, he was in too much pain to make a sound, his eyes bulging, his head and arms flailing frantically. The sight of him was rather comical, but no one found it funny. Bai Youwei thought it looked like a hamster she once had when it tried to squeeze through a crack in the door¡­ His body was squeezed to the max, ¡°jelly¡± oozed out in large clumps from his mouth and nostrils, and finally the deflated remnants of his body yielded something resembling cotton stuffing. Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s body, like a squeezed doll, finally, completely, stopped moving. True to Mary¡¯s demand, Zhao Mingdeng¡¯s death scene was sanitized; there was no trace of gore. But Bai Youwei thought¡­ Zhao Mingdeng would have preferred to die bloodied and mangled. It was, after all, more dignified. Shen Mo didn¡¯t let up attacking. He was constantly aiming to exploit Mary¡¯s and the cat¡¯s weak spots! While Yu Yaqing and Lun Ang were attacking the cat¡¯s belly, he jabbed his blade into the cat¡¯s paw and, in the process, pulled himself upward! The other cat paw swung forward! Shen Mo leaped, grabbing on to the cat¡¯s springy whiskers! Springing to mid-air using the force, he raised his broadsword And lunged at Mary! Mary seethed with hatred towards Shen Mo! Her stump of an arm was his doing. Now, seeing him lunge at her again, she immediately tugged at the cat¡¯s neck to make it raise its head! ¡°Meow! Chapter 429: 429: Button Eyes Chapter 429: Button Eyes The big mouth of the plush cat opened, blocking Shen Mo¡¯s escape route! Shen Mo quickly changed his direction, slashing at the cat¡¯s eyes with his sword! Thump, thump, thump! A huge plastic button fell to the ground, bounced twice, rolled to the side of the road, and fell over. Only a piece of black thread remains where the cat¡¯s left eye was. Mary shouted angrily, ¡°You horrible people! I will kill you all! Kill you all!!!¡± The doll cat meowed, almost standing straight up, and then pounced on Shen Mo ferociously! ¡°Brother!¡± Shen Fei, with his eyes red in anxiety, raised his axe and charged! Bai Youwei was horrified, thinking that he was going to his death, but Shen Fei¡¯s nimble movements surprised her. With Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen¡¯s help, he managed to slash the doll cat several times! However, regardless of whether its limbs were cut off, its belly was slashed open, or its eyes were gouged out, the doll cat remained a doll cat, its relentless attacks overwhelming everyone. Robin fell injured against a wall. Shen Mo, Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, Yu Yaqing, and Shen Fei gradually shifted from aggressively attacking to passively defending. If it were not for their experience in the maze, they might have collapsed from exhaustion long ago. As for Tan Xiao and Jiang Hao, they had been missing all this time. Bai Youwei was very worried. She was worried about the situation at hand, but also about Tan Xiao. He was like an open book, transparent in all his actions. If Jiang Hao had malicious intentions, Tan Xiao was likely to fall into his trap. It was as if her brain wanted to split in several directions, worried on one side and anxious on the other. Bai Youwei bit her lip tightly, finding herself engulfed in anxiety. The night lasted a full six hours, and not even an hour had passed. They could not afford to continue grappling with Mary and the cat here! Should she let the rabbit out now? ¡­No, she couldn¡¯t! The rabbit could be used for surprise attacks, but it wouldn¡¯t last in a protracted fight! If it frequently released lightning, its electrical energy would quickly run out! The most pressing matter was to get everyone to retreat entirely! ¡­But where to retreat? No matter where they might hide, they would be found by Mary and the cat. What would be the point of such a retreat?! The others gradually retreated from view while still fighting, leaving Bai Youwei¡¯s line of sight. She noticed the button eyes the doll cat had left on the road. The Button eyes¡­ Eyes? Bai Youwei¡¯s mind went blank as she vaguely felt that she had overlooked something. On closer thought, didn¡¯t this situation seem familiar? Back at the dollhouse, the Nail Tooth Monster seemed to have X-ray vision, heading straight for her as soon as she entered the house! It was the same now! What was the commonality between the dollhouse and this game of hide and seek? She desperately scanned her surroundings. What was the commonality¡­ Where was the commonality? Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Both were full of childlike fun? Why were both full of childlike fun? Because¡­ Because¡­ ¡­Dolls? Bai Youwei paused. As her thoughts connected, she suddenly became incredibly lucid and looked around again¡ª Indeed¡­there were so many, countless dolls! Whether it was at the previous gift shop or the subsequent candy house, there were countless dolls on display, fluffy ones, rubber ones, ceramic ones, wooden ones, clay ones, fabric ones, felt ones¡­ All sorts of dolls. Mary was watching them through the eyes of these dolls! ¡°It¡¯s the dolls!¡± An idea sparked in Bai Youwei¡¯s mind. She rushed out of the treehouse and threw the rabbit at Mary, shouting at the same time, ¡°Scatter!!!¡± Everyone fighting with the doll cat retreated instantly. Shen Fei was a beat slow, but Shen Mo pulled him away! Before he could figure out the situation, the cat in front of him suddenly collapsed to the ground! Electricity snaked across its body! Bai Youwei shouted from the doorway of the treehouse, ¡°All the dolls here are observers! Find a place without dolls to hide! Don¡¯t let the dolls see you!!!¡± Chapter 430: 430 The Day Breaks Chapter 430: The Day Breaks ¡°What?¡± Shen Fei exclaimed in surprise. Shen Mo pushed him aside,¡±Go!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± Shen Fei was extremely anxious. His eyes widened as he watched Shen Mo run to the treehouse, pick up Bai Youwei and jump behind it, disappearing from sight. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The others also scattered and ran. Electricity danced around Mary and the toy cat, sparking fearfully, and no one dared to approach. In a few seconds, the rabbit had stopped sparking and also bounded off! Shen Fei gritted his teeth and turned to run! But the whole route was full of dolls! Display windows were filled with different types of dolls, street signs held dolls, even the trash cans were shaped like cartoon animals! Dolls were everywhere in the amusement park, but where was a place without dolls?! A sign for a unisex bathroom appeared ahead. Shen Fei took a quick glance behind him, and seeing no sign of the toy cat, he sped up and turned into the bathroom! Shen Mo, holding Bai Youwei, hid in the equipment room of the water ride. The room was filled with orange life jackets. Shen Mo looked around, saw no dolls, put down Bai Youwei, and then got up to close the door. Once the door was shut, the room became quiet, separating them from the raucous music. It seemed as if both danger and chaos had instantly moved away from them. Bai Youwei closed her eyes, and her erratic heart finally calmed down. Bang! Something hit the newly closed door. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart, which had just settled, lurched up again. It startled her! Shen Mo furrowed his eyebrows and moved closer to the door to listen. He heard nothing. He picked up the longsword again, and with other hand gripping the doorknob, he cautiously and slowly began to open the door¡­ The crack in the door had barely widened when a fluffy rabbit pushed its way in. Both of them were stunned. Shen Mo opened the door fully and the rabbit hopped in, scampering into Bai Youwei¡¯s arms. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei looked at each other, and the previously tense atmosphere instantly eased, leaving only a smile. Shen Mo closed the door again and sat down, asking, ¡°How much power does it have left?¡± Playing with the rabbit¡¯s ears, Bai Youwei answered softly, ¡°About half.¡± ¡°Let it go and recharge.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She opened the toy house, the rabbit went inside to recharge, and they were the only two left in the equipment room. Shen Mo pulled her into his arms and they sat, resting by the wall. He was sweaty, and his upper body was soaked, but Bai Youwei didn¡¯t mind. Her head rested on his chest, as she listened to his strong, steady heartbeat. It made her feel safe and comforted. She closed her eyes too. The confrontation with Mary had been too exhausting. Time ticked by, minute by minute. No one spoke. Occasionally, they heard loud footsteps outside and became even quieter. Mary kept cursing outside, furiously destroying the scenery and facilities on both sides of the road but she was unable to locate anyone. The cat¡¯s body was excessively large, preventing it from entering many narrow areas. If the dolls hadn¡¯t silently provided clues, Mary would be wandering aimlessly within the park, like a headless fly! She had the cat knock over the roadside trash cans, break the treehouse¡¯s trunk, ruin a long string of colourful flags, and then wreak havoc in the ball pit. Finally, the night was coming to an end. Reluctantly, Mary and her cat returned to the Merry-go-round. The speed of the Merry-go-round gradually slowed, and the music became softer. At last, it stopped. The toy cat let out a ¡°meow¡±, curled itself up into a ball and fell asleep on top of the carousel roof; Mary patted her puffy skirt, found a comfortable angle on the cat, and also lay down to sleep. Meanwhile, the clock tower let out a single ¡°dong¡±! Dawn arrived. Chapter 431: 431: Nine People Chapter 431: Nine People Everyone hesitantly emerged from their hiding places, staring at the sun outside, revealing expressions of relief as if they had survived a catastrophe. However, this relief couldn¡¯t last too long. Because they only had 6 hours. In 6 hours, Mary and the cat would awaken again, and they must come up with a self-rescue plan during the day. Everyone gathered again under the carousel. Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Shen Fei, Yan Qingwen, Lu Ang, Yu Yaqing, Robin, Jiang Hao, Tan Xiao. Nine people in total. Everyone had varying degrees of fatigue in their eyes. Yan Qingwen looked around and said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss everyone¡¯s experiences from last night or any discoveries.¡± ¡°The cat is controlled by Mary.¡± Shen Mo started, ¡°When Mary does not give specific instructions, the puppet cat seems to lack an attack consciousness, so our next attack should still be targeted at Mary, we must separate Mary from the cat.¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yu Yaqing nodded, ¡°If the puppet cat is controlled by Mary, it makes sense. No wonder no matter how we attack it, it has no effect.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than just not being effective, we can¡¯t move it at all.¡± Lu Ang said worriedly, ¡°It¡¯s too big, and the cotton inside is hard, like some sort of steel frame. With the weapons we have, it¡¯s like using matchsticks¡­¡± ¡°Matches¡­¡± Yan Qingwen pondered, ¡°We could consider using fire, the outer cotton cloth and cotton of the puppet cat are all flammable, and once it catches fire, Mary will leave the cat. Fantasy Street was on fire last night, we should be able to get a fire source if we go there now.¡± ¡°What if it jumps into the lake?¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°There¡¯s a large lake at Treasure Bay, and a big fountain at the entrance of the amusement park, there¡¯s plenty of water in these places.¡± Shen Fei explained to him, ¡°The purpose of using fire is not to burn the cat, but to force Mary to leave the cat, so that everyone can focus their efforts on Mary.¡± Shen Mo asked Tan Xiao, ¡°Where did you and Jiang Hao hide last night? Why didn¡¯t we see you guys?¡± Tan Xiao was stunned, and answered with wide eyes, ¡°I was at Treasure Bay, in a trash can by the road. I¡¯m puzzled, nothing happened all night long, I almost fell asleep.¡± Everyone was speechless after hearing this. Treasure Bay is on the other side of the lake, mirroring Adventure Island, it¡¯s far from the other parks, so it¡¯s no wonder that Tan Xiao had no idea about what happened last night. Robin asked the always silent Jiang Hao, ¡°What about you? Where did you hide?¡± Jiang Hao looked up at everyone, explaining with a smile, ¡°I hid under the ferris wheel, in the control room, you know that small house with a red roof.¡± Several people listened, their expressions somewhat odd. Last night when they were attacking Mary and the cat, they had passed by there, but Jiang Hao didn¡¯t appear. Either, Jiang Hao was lying; Or, Jiang Hao actually saw them but chose not to help. Thinking about their desperate fight, and the indifferent observer in the dark, even knowing that the observer wasn¡¯t close to them, there was still a sense of discomfort. Yan Qingwen didn¡¯t dwell on this, she simply said in a light voice: ¡°The trash cans at Treasure Bay, the control room of the ferris wheel, neither of these places had any toys, the fact that they safely stayed there all night reaffirms this, so what we need to do next, is destroy all the toys we can see! Especially their eyes, if we can¡¯t destroy them, we still need to find a way to cover them all¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Yu Yaqing looked up at the carousel, hesitatingly asked, ¡°What about during the day?¡± Chapter 432: 432: Divided into Three Groups Chapter 432: Divided into Three Groups Yu Yaqing said, ¡°In the last game, Bai Youwei and I had to face a Duke who killed every night. The Duke was invincible at night, and we only had a chance to attack during the day. I think the games share similarities in some areas, and Mary¡¯s weakness could be hidden in daylight.¡± Upon hearing this, Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°Indeed, Mary seems easier to deal with than the doll cat. Moreover, Shen Mo has cut off half of her arm, this is a good opportunity to press the attack.¡± He looked at Shen Mo and said, ¡°Let¡¯s split into two teams. Shen Mo, Lun Ang, and Jiang Hao will stay and help me set up the traps, and the rest will take care of the dolls in the park.¡± Jiang Hao was surprised when his name was suddenly mentioned. Looking up at Yan Qingwen, he asked, ¡°I¡¯m staying?¡± Since entering the game, he had deliberately reduced his presence, it was a bit strange for Yan Qingwen to suddenly keep him at this time. With a casual tone and a slight smile, Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Yes, Yu Yaqing and Robin got a bit hurt last night, to save their strength, I think it would be wise to have them rest.¡± This explanation from Yan Qingwen was acceptable. Robin, who was displeased with Jiang Hao¡¯s indifference the previous night, said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t want to do anything, plan to hide until the game is over? You better have the ability to survive until then!¡± Jiang Hao forced a smile, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, I was just asking casually. I¡¯ll stay and help.¡± Yan Qingwen exchanged a glance with Shen Mo. It was a crucial moment in the game¡¯s progress, best to keep Jiang Hao under their watchful eyes to prevent him from messing up. After arranging the teams, they split up to take action. Yan Qingwen, Shen Mo, Lv Ang, and Jiang Hao were left to set up the traps. Bai Youwei, with Yu Yaqing, Robin, Tan Xiao, and Shen Fei went to handle the dolls in the amusement park. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. All the small dolls were put into boxes, locked in sheds, or thrown into black garbage bags; The larger dolls had their eyes poked out, their heads smashed, or their heads wrapped in garbage bags; Even larger cartoon statues were either destroyed if possible or had their heads covered with cloth and their eyes sealed with stickers if they couldn¡¯t be destroyed. In short, they tried everything to ensure they wouldn¡¯t be seen. The amusement park was vast, and there were too many dolls. It took them more than two hours just to clear the dolls on the main road. Shen Fei was anxious to go back and check on the progress of Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen, but Bai Youwei and Yu Yaqing were lagging behind. ¡°Can you move any faster?¡± He urged them impatiently. Yu Yaqing pointed to the large rainbow umbrella outside the drink shop, ¡°We need to move the umbrella to the right.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference between left and right?¡± Shen Fei couldn¡¯t understand. Despite complaining, he still went over to help them move the umbrella. Bai Youwei then directed Tan Xiao and Robin, ¡°No glass windows can be left, every pane in this food stall should be smashed to prevent the reflection of people.¡± Shen Fei finally got it, Bai Youwei was planning their retreat routes. He couldn¡¯t help but glance towards the direction of the clock tower, asking, ¡°It¡¯s almost three o¡¯clock, will there be enough time?¡± ¡°There will be enough time. Three people in each group, three retreat routes will be sufficient.¡± Bai Youwei squinted, scanning the surroundings, ¡°This place is good, both the Adventure Island and Gourmet Town can be reached. But these glasses are a hindrance.¡± Shen Fei frowned. Previously, everyone had been hiding alone and having three people in a group seemed too many¡­ However, if it¡¯s a planned retreat, this pairing isn¡¯t too bad. At the very least, it¡¯s better than being isolated when the cat pursues. He asked her, ¡°How do you plan to divide the groups?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°I¡¯ll form a group with Shen Mo and Tan Xiao. You, Robin, and Jiang Hao will be another group. Lastly, Yu Yaqing will join Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang.¡± Shen Fei frowned again, ¡°Can¡¯t I be in the same group as my brother?¡± He really didn¡¯t feel comfortable leaving her alone with his cousin the whole time. Chapter 433: 433: Starting Work Chapter 433: Starting Work Bai Youwei smiled at his words, and asked him, ¡°Do you have any props?¡± Shen Fei was taken aback. What does this have to do with props? As an organization staff, he didn¡¯t have to enter the game forcefully, regularly, and in turn, but he had to hand over all the props on him to the game-play evaluation group, so¡­ Shen Fei replied in a muffled voice, ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Bai Youwei spoke cheerfully, with a hint of schadenfreude, ¡°That¡¯s why you are safe being in a team with Jiang Hao because you don¡¯t have props.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shen Fei frowned. Having heard this, Robin looked at Bai Youwei thoughtfully. ¡°Alright, we need to speed up now.¡± Yu Yaqing interrupted them, ¡°You guys continue to deal with the doll, I¡¯ll go with Weiwei to confirm the rest of the routes.¡± ¡°Okay~ Let¡¯s get to work! Let¡¯s get to work!¡± Tan Xiao rallied, spontaneously treating Robin and Shen Fei as his sidekicks, and dragged them to work. ¡­ Time flies. When the hour hand pointed at four o¡¯clock, everyone gathered again under the carousel. The place looked completely different now. ¡ª Fires were built around the carousel, large brick tiles were pried open, they got candles from somewhere and melted them in the grooves without the tiles, turning into streams of hot wax surrounding the area. On the outskirts, there were high-hanging hemp rope fishing nets, rows of wooden masts, and disassembled plush toys piled up like small hills. These were all extremely flammable materials. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at the setup and couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°Yan Qingwen, don¡¯t burn us along with it.¡± Yan Qingwen laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the burning range is controllable, but the wax oil is indeed very dangerous, you guys find a place to hide in advance later.¡± The burning wax oil, once splashed on the body, would cause serious burns and are difficult to clean in a short period of time. Bai Youwei let out a deep sigh, ¡°I¡¯m missing Su Man a bit.¡± Yu Yaqing smiled when he heard it, ¡°Yeah, I miss her a bit too.¡± Su Man was good at using a whip. If she were here, she could easily pull Mary down from the cat. They wouldn¡¯t have had to set such an elaborate trap. Yan Qingwen laughed, ¡°Although it took us a lot of effort, I still hope that the trap won¡¯t come in handy in the end. It would be best if we could finish it off in one shot.¡± Bai Youwei blinked curiously, ¡°What are you guys planning to do?¡± Lun Ang growled from the side, ¡°Go up and chop her up in one shot!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Yan Qingwen said, ¡°I¡¯m the most familiar with the trap. If anything unexpected happens, I can withdraw more easily than you guys. Shen Mo and Lun Ang, you guys focus on controlling the direction of the fire, the rest of you find a place to hide.¡± ¡°Let Weiwei stay.¡± Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°She can be helpful at the crucial time.¡± Shen Mo would not blindly protect Bai Youwei. He believed she was qualified to stay. Shen Fei hesitated, ¡°Brother, what about me¡­¡± ¡°You find a place to hide.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°If the fire becomes uncontrollable, leave according to the withdrawal route.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Fei: ¡°¡­¡± Why is the treatment so different? ¡°I¡¯ll stay too.¡± Robin stepped forward, his tone firm, ¡°You don¡¯t need to agree, my brother died in this game, the cat, that Mary, I won¡¯t let them off!¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. The expressions on their faces were bland. Yan Qingwen thought for a moment, and looked at everyone, ¡°Then it¡¯ll be me, Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Lun Ang, and Robin, the five of us will stay, the rest of you find a place to hide, if anything happens, withdraw according to the planned route immediately.¡± Chapter 434: 434: You Bad Guys Chapter 434: You Bad Guys Everything was ready. Next, during Mary and the cat¡¯s slumber, they were going to take Mary down! Climbing the carousel wasn¡¯t difficult for Yan Qingwen. The challenging part was climbing without making a sound or disturbing Mary and the cat. All the players who tried to launch a surprise attack on Mary and the cat during the day had failed for unknown reasons, so Yan Qingwen did not hold out much hope for this operation. He was a very rational person who accepted failures. Now he was placing his hopes more on the successful activation of the trap after possible failure, as long as Mary and the plush cat could be separated completely, then their efforts would not have been in vain. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He grabbed the protruding carvings on the edge of the canopy, looked left and right before flipping himself up¡ª Shen Mo and Lun Ang were in their spots, ready to knock down the high fire basins and set all the wax oil on fire as soon as the cat jumped down! Meanwhile, Bai Youwei was sitting quietly by Shen Mo¡¯s side, ready to create a retreat opportunity with lightning if the cat retaliated fiercely. Seeing them, Yan Qingwen suddenly felt calm. Both attack and defense were calculated. All he had to do was follow the planned steps one by one. Even if they failed, it didn¡¯t matter. Shen Mo and Lun Ang were here. Even if they failed, it didn¡¯t matter either. Bai Youwei was here too. Only when you fight together can you understand the power of trust and tacit understanding between teammates. He inhaled deeply, exerted force on his arm, jumped high, and landed smoothly on the top of the carousel! Then he quickly turned around! Mary and the cat were sleeping. The one-eyed cat, its ginormous figure curling Mary in the middle. Mary¡¯s eyes were closed, her body covered in dust, her hair scorched. Where Shen Mo had cut off her arm, she didn¡¯t bleed, revealing a material similar to that of a porcelain doll, embedded with a skeleton like steel bars. Neither the man nor the cat on the carousel was disturbed. Yan Qingwen pulled out the ax strapped to his calf, eyes fixed on Mary. Once Mary¡¯s head was chopped off, it would all be over. It didn¡¯t seem difficult. The little girl in front of him showed no signs of waking up, the plush cat was also quiet, nothing seemed to be awry. So, how did the previous players die? Yan Qingwen moved closer step by step, his emotions in turmoil. Even when there was only one step between him and Mary, he felt an unnoticed danger lurking about. He didn¡¯t believe the game would end so easily. But where was the danger? The ax remained unmoved in his hand. He was thinking. Unintentionally, he saw the doll hidden behind Mary, half of its face peeking out, its black eyes staring straight at him! Instantly, chills rushed up Yan Qingwen¡¯s spine! A cold shiver infiltrated his bones! Mary was asleep, but her dolls weren¡¯t! The eyes of the other dolls were covered, but Mary¡¯s doll saw him!!! Yan Qingwen knew it was bad. Without hesitation, he raised his ax and swung at Mary! Clink!¡ª The sound of metal clashing! A triangular sharp spike shot out from Mary¡¯s severed arm! It forcefully blocked Yan Qingwen¡¯s attack! The steel spike came fiercely and abruptly. Yan Qingwen¡¯s hand, gripping the ax, was numbed from the impact. ¡°You bad guys¡­¡± Mary sat up, glaring sinisterly at Yan Qingwen, ¡°I¡¯m going to squeeze out all the jelly and cotton from your bellies!¡± Without hesitation, Yan Qingwen gave up the attack and turned to flee! He jumped off the carousel! Mary immediately chased after him! Chapter 435: 435: Want to Play Dirty Tricks Chapter 435: Want to Play Dirty Tricks She landed heavily, riding on the gigantic stuffed cat. The triangular cone was like a reaper¡¯s scythe, shattering and slicing through everything in its path! Yan Qingwen sprinted into a predetermined path and yelled loudly, ¡°Left!!!¡± Lun Ang on the left summoned all his strength and tipped over the fire basin along with its stand! Mary and the cat immediately dodged out of the way. Yan Qingwen again shouted, ¡°Right!¡± The fire basin on the other side also fell! Mary quickly dodged on the cat, but bumped into the bonfire. The stacked firewood collapsed as if carefully calculated, creating a slippery mess of wet wax all over the cat¡¯s paws! The flames quickly engulfed the cat, the fire growing more intense as it rolled! However, against everyone¡¯s expectations¡ª Although the cat was almost entirely ablaze, Mary refused to get off it! According to the original plan, they would strike down Mary and the cat the moment they separated. But now, the raging fire impeded them, making it impossible to get near! Mary¡¯s red shoes were burnt to a crisp, disintegrating into fragments that fluttered down. Her beautiful puffy dress too caught fire! And her most beloved rag doll, one of its braids was engulfed by the flames! ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!¡± she screamed as she tore off the rag doll and hurled it away! Her entire person screamed furiously in the air, not from pain but from anger! ¡°I¡¯ll kill you all! I¡¯ll kill all of you!!!!¡± Yan Qingwen, who had originally retreated to a safe area, saw that the situation was amiss and immediately warned Shen Mo and Lun Ang in a loud voice, ¡°She¡¯s going to spread the fire! Move quickly!!!!¡± Mary followed the sound of Yan Qingwen¡¯s voice, her face turned black and twisted in the flames. The layers of black sticky substance were melting, making her look horrifying at the moment! She rode out of the fire circle on the burning cat! Wherever she went the flames roared! The fire blazed uncontrollably! Bai Youwei anxiously said from not far away, ¡°The fire is too big, I can¡¯t use the rabbit!¡± If the fluffy rabbit came in contact with the flammable wax oil, it would be reduced to ashes! Shen Mo pushed his wheelchair and retreated, stopping at a junction and instructed her, ¡°You go first, I¡¯ll go help Yan Qingwen!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± Shen Fei ran over from a distance. Shen Mo frowned, ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t I tell you guys to find a place to hide first?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to help you!¡± Shen Fei looked anxious, ¡°Plus, seeing the fire on your side so huge, how could I just stand by?¡± Shen Mo had no time to scold him now, he quickly handed the handle of the wheelchair to Shen Fei and barked out a cold command, ¡°You and Weiwei get out of here first! I¡¯ll retreat with Yan Qingwen from another route and meet you at the Clock Tower after it ends!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he picked up his weapon and ran towards Yan Qingwen¡¯s direction, getting closer and closer to Mary and the cat. Bai Youwei bit her lip and held the rabbit tightly in her hand, her eyes fixed on the man who was leaving. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly!¡± Shen Fei pushed the wheelchair and ran onto another road. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Bai Youwei turned her head and saw Shen Mo¡¯s figure gradually obscured by the thick smoke. Unable to bear it any longer, she fiercely threw the rabbit out! ¡°Go help him!¡± she shouted. The rabbit was important, but Shen Mo was more important! Shen Fei had a change of heart towards her due to her actions, but now wasn¡¯t the time to think about those trivial matters. He pushed the wheelchair and ran like the wind. However, he caught sight of Jiang Hao popping up from somewhere and rushing towards him! Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Why did you come over too?!¡± As Shen Fei was running, he shouted, ¡°Did something go wrong with your evacuation route?!¡± Jiang Hao didn¡¯t answer but just smiled at him, his grin eerie. He was moving fast, running parallel to them with only a flower bed in between. Bai Youwei, sitting in the wheelchair being jolted about, annoyingly scolded Shen Fei, ¡°Are you a pig-brain? Your judgement of direction is all wrong, he¡¯s clearly been trailing us! He¡¯s trying to pull a fast one!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Shen Fei was taken aback, he was incredulous, he looked at Jiang Hao again. Chapter 436: 436: Sprinting All the Way Chapter 436: Sprinting All the Way ¡°Pick me up quickly! Forget about the wheelchair!¡± Bai Youwei shouted. Jiang Hao heard her words, his smirk getting colder. No longer pretending a chase, he suddenly drew closer to them at the end of the flower beds, extending his hands clad in white gloves! Even without knowing what the white gloves did, just him stretching them out like that was scary enough! In his rush to evade, Shen Fei gripped the armrests, sharply veering the wheelchair and causing it to topple sideways. Bai Youwei was thrown out due to the inertia, the pain making her grit her teeth. ¡°Bastard¡­¡± She propped herself up on her elbows, furious. ¡°Shen Fei! That¡¯s the second time you¡¯ve thrown me! Remember this!¡± ¡°Run!!!¡± Shen Fei yelled, not bothering to say anything more, he picked her up and dashed forward! Jiang Hao, however, stooped down to pick up the canvas bag that had fallen on the ground, dismissing the chase for now. But when he unzipped the bag and saw the full assortment of snacks inside, the expression on his face contorted instantly! He tossed the bag away in frustration and gave chase to Shen Fei and Bai Youwei once again! ¡°Run faster! He¡¯s catching up!¡± Bai Youwei hurried him. Shen Fei was drenched in sweat, panting heavily, ¡°I¡¯m already running at my fastest!!!¡± Bai Youwei grumbled, ¡°Then stop running! Stand your ground and fight him off!¡± Shen Fei felt uncertain, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what his gloves do¡­¡± Just then, another person darted out onto the road ahead! ¡°Whoa! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Tan Xiao watched them, dumbfounded, ¡°Why¡¯s there a huge fire? Why is Jiang Hao chasing you?¡± Bai Youwei immediately responded, ¡°Tan Xiao! You and Shen Fei, both of you need to take down Jiang Hao!¡­ Why are you running?!¡± Before she could finish speaking, she saw Tan Xiao turn and flee! Tan Xiao was shouting while running ahead, ¡°The cat is coming! ¡ª¡ª The cat is coming! ¡ª¡ª¡± Tan Xiao was in the lead, followed by Shen Fei carrying Bai Youwei, with Jiang Hao stubbornly giving chase. Further away, Mary and a cat, racing towards them with flames in tow! The cat moved at an astonishing speed! Once the cloth and cotton was burnt off, a seemingly indestructible steel frame was revealed. The thumping noise it made when running on the ground was daunting! It barely looked like a cat anymore! This was more like a steel monster! ¡°Don¡¯t run aimlessly! Follow the path I showed you!¡± Bai Youwei shouted at the people in front. Seemingly remembering this information just now, Tan Xiao hastily veered and ran into the back of the Magic Flying Fish facility. It was now that Bai Youwei¡¯s planned evacuation route truly came into play. They sprinted into a narrow alley between two buildings. The ragdoll cat couldn¡¯t get in, and as Bai Youwei had anticipated, it jumped on the rooftop, only to realize that the area below was filled with umbrellas making it impossible to discern where Tan Xiao and Bai Youwei had gone. Enraged, Mary jumped down from the cat, sweeping away the sea of umbrellas, not realizing that Bai Youwei and the others had not crossed the alley. They had used the umbrellas as a distraction only to run in another direction after leaving the alley. ¡°For God¡¯s sake! What¡¯s happening?¡± The breathless Tan Xiao asked while running, ¡°How did that cat turn into such a monstrous thing? Where¡¯s Brother Mo? How come it¡¯s just you guys? Shen Fei, what¡¯s the deal with you and Jiang Hao? And isn¡¯t your evacuation route supposed to be in the other direction?!¡± Tan Xiao asked a series of questions, but no one answered him. Slowing down, he leaned against a wall, panting, ¡°I¡¯m too tired, I can¡¯t run anymore¡­¡± Shen Fei was also slowing down, his energy significantly depleted from all the running. Bai Youwei saw Jiang Hao catching up from behind, a pair of axes in hand seeming even scarier with his cold glare. A sense of dread overcame her, the next second, she saw Jiang Hao throw an axe in their direction! ¡°Get down!¡± Bai Youwei shouted urgently. ¡°What?¡± Shen Fei hadn¡¯t processed what was happening, he turned around to get a look at the situation whereupon the axe slammed into his back with a thud! sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 437: 437: Please Answer the Question Chapter 437: Please Answer the Question By sheer luck, it wasn¡¯t the blade edge that hit them. Even so, Shen Fei was knocked off balance, and he toppled over with Bai Youwei! ¡°What the hell is happening?!¡± Tan Xiao screamed in rage, ¡°Has he gone mad, throwing an axe at us?! Weiwei, electrocute him!¡± Hearing this, Jiang Hao smirked coldly, lifted another axe and said, ¡°Her rabbit has been taken by Shen Mo!¡± ¡°Damn it! So arrogant?!¡± Tan Xiao stopped running and raised his sword to meet his enemy, ¡°Let Master Xiao teach you a lesson!¡± The two began to fight. Tan Xiao was unpredictable, leaving Jiang Hao unable to keep up for a while! Injured at the back, Shen Fei gritted his teeth, stood up, picked up Bai Youwei again, and forced himself to keep running. Seeing their escape attempt, Jiang Hao¡¯s eyes flashed with malicious intent, and he suddenly made a move! A metal pipe shot out from his gloved hand with a whoosh! The metal pipe was incredibly long! It aimed at Shen Fei with a lightning speed, piercing through his shoulder blade and out the front of his chest! It grazed Bai Youwei¡¯s face, and to their horror, penetrated Shen Fei! ¡°Ahh!!!¡± Shen Fei screamed in pain. Bai Youwei fell onto the ground from his arms. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Tan Xiao was scared out of his wits, staring at Jiang Hao, ¡°What the hell kind of monster is this?!!¡± From behind, the faint glow of fire hinted that the target-less puppet cat was heading their way. Time was of the essence. Now was not the time for a drawn-out battle. Bai Youwei struggled to sit up and yelled to Tan Xiao, ¡°Tan Xiao! Come and help!¡± She couldn¡¯t remove Shen Fei from the pipe by herself. ¡°Trying to escape?¡± Jiang Hao sneered as he approached, ¡°Without the rabbit, let¡¯s see what you can do. Hand over the puzzle and props!¡± Shen Fei was kneeling on the ground, his face deathly pale, on the verge of collapse. Tan Xiao held the steel pipe to prevent the wound from ripping even more. Bai Youwei, disheveled and leaning on the ground, with her long white dress dirty with dust, looked like a trapped white bird in Jiang Hao¡¯s eyes. She seemed desperate and hopeless, unable to fight back. The sight of her distressed expression only heightened his appetite. He took one step at a time, his palm gradually retracting the steel pipe, and asked with a hint of satisfaction, ¡°Where did you hide the puzzle and props? ¡­Are you scared? ¡­Want to escape? Then bring out the puzzle, as long as you have the puzzle, you can leave the game, right?¡± Tan Xiao swore at him loudly, ¡°You motherfucker! You think we¡¯re idiots?!! If you knew where the puzzle and props were, you¡¯d kill us before we even get them out!¡± ¡°Tan Xiao, stop arguing with him!¡± Bai Youwei propped herself up, fuming, ¡°If he wants the puzzle and props, just give them to him!¡± ¡°What?¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Jiang Hao looked at Tan Xiao, narrowing his eyes, ¡°Are the puzzle and props hidden on you?¡± Without thinking, Tan Xiao blurted out, ¡°Yes! They¡¯re in Master Xiao¡¯s pocket! What about it? If you have the guts, come and get them! I¡¯ll beat you to death, you damn melancholic fart!¡± His stream of foul words made Jiang Hao¡¯s face twitch. Just as he was about to approach, Bai Youwei took advantage of his distraction and suddenly pulled out a card! She shouted, ¡°Quiz time!¡± Jiang Hao was taken aback and hurriedly retreated! At the same time, the gloved hand clenched into a fist, and the steel pipe snapped off, tilting backward because of gravity. Caught off guard, Shen Fei and Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t steady themselves. They staggered and almost fell over. Tan Xiao knelt on one knee and held up the broken pipe again. The wound on Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder was torn even more, creating a gaping hole! And now, a card appeared in front of Jiang Hao! The card hovered right in front of his eyes. His body stiffened, unable to move, not even his eyes! He could only stare at the card in front of him! Bai Youwei coldly declared, ¡°Please answer! ¡ª¡ª What is 735670783 multiplied by 30791325 plus 530351216 equal to?!¡± ¡¤ (Friendly reminder: The numbers here are the group numbers for the Doll Game special group, the adult fan group of Huahua, and the underage fan group of Huahua) Chapter 438: 438: How Annoying Chapter 438: How Annoying [Lucky Question Card: Allows the holder to ask any player a question. The player must answer correctly, otherwise they will be penalised and unable to move freely for 60 seconds. If they answer incorrectly a second time, the penalty increases to 120 seconds, and to 180 seconds for a third incorrect answer. After this, the constraint will automatically be removed.] As Bai Youwei finished speaking, words appeared on the blank card: 735670783 x 30791325 + 530351216 =? ¡ª¡ªPlease answer the question. Jiang Hao gritted his teeth, how could he possibly answer this?! He struggled desperately, even attempting to move his toes with all his might, but he still can¡¯t budge a bit! Apart from breathing, blinking, and speaking, he couldn¡¯t move any other part of his body! It¡¯s as if his eyeballs were locked in place! He could only stare at the quiz card! He felt helpless and had no choice but to guess blindly! Jiang Hao: ¡°265¡­7890¡­7¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A sudden notification appeared in his mind: [Beep! Wrong answer, you can re-answer after being penalized for 60 seconds.] Jiang Hao almost vomited blood out of frustration! Meanwhile, Bai Youwei and Tan Xiao worked together to remove the steel pipe from Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder. With a clang, the metal pipe was finally pulled out, and a lot of red jelly-like blood gushed out instantly from Shen Fei¡¯s wound! ¡°This is bad, Weiwei, he¡¯s going to die!¡± Tan Xiao yelled in panic, ¡°Mogu¡¯s brother is dying! What should we do?!!¡± ¡°Stop yelling!¡± Bai Youwei said irritably, ¡°Get the mud out!¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback, then remembered the mud he¡¯d been carrying, and quickly pulled it out of his jeans pocket to press it onto Shen Fei¡¯s wound! Bai Youwei was infuriated: ¡°You really kept the prop in your ass-pocket?!¡± Tan Xiao responded: ¡°I don¡¯t have pockets on my clothes!¡± Bai Youwei glared at him furiously. Tan Xiao looked innocent and a bit wronged. If he didn¡¯t put it in his back pocket then where should he put it? Should he carry a canvas bag like Weiwei? As a man, wouldn¡¯t carrying a bag make him look less manly? The wound on Shen Fei¡¯s body began to heal visibly under the mud, but the damaged bones and internal organs inside had to rely on his self-healing abilities. Jiang Hao stood rigidly a few steps away from them, still immobile and staring at the quiz card, his face devoid of any additional expressions. Tan Xiao glanced at him and turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Should we take this chance to get rid of him?¡± Get rid of him? Of course! Bai Youwei was about to nod when several clusters of fire suddenly fell from overhead. They looked up to find the fire had unknowingly spread, igniting the decorative flags on the house, with other decorations on the verge of falling at any moment. ¡°Forget it.¡± Bai Youwei scowled irritably, ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t bother with him! He¡¯s not going to survive anyway!¡± Shen Fei, clutching his shoulder, slowly got to his feet, his face pale as he said, ¡°The cat is still nearby, we need to find a safe place as soon as possible.¡± They didn¡¯t hesitate any further. Tan Xiao carried Bai Youwei on his back, with Shen Fei following behind, and they all left together. Although Jiang Hao¡¯s eyes were glued to the quiz card, he overheard their entire conversation clearly. His heart pounded fiercely as his body filled with anger and resentment! A cluster of flames landed on his back, and the high temperature quickly burned through his clothes, causing agonizing pain on his back¡¯s skin! Yet, he couldn¡¯t move! Damn it! Was he forced to use the puzzle piece to leave the game? ¡­No, he can¡¯t waste a puzzle piece again! He had to collect more puzzle pieces and props, otherwise, this journey would be in vain! The flames continued to burn on his back, sweat the size of soybeans trickled down from his cheeks, he could already smell the scent of his flesh being charred. The physical pain, the mental torture¡­ after enduring for a full 6 minutes, he finally regained his freedom! He quickly rolled over on the ground, clasped his hands together and swiftly opened them. A bottle of water appeared in his palms¨D Chapter 439: 439: Rubber Band Chapter 439: Rubber Band [Magic Gloves: Can store items whose weight equals the wearer¡¯s own body weight, unlimited item quantity. Attention, when the weight of the items exceeds the wearer¡¯s weight, the hands will break due to overload; Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Attention, the cross-section area of the stored items should not exceed the area of the palm; Attention, once used, the gloves cannot be removed. ] The equipment provided in the toy game, any useful ones, always come with various limitations. A pair of gloves with storage capabilities are no exception. They¡¯re so blatantly white, so starkly white, as if they want the whole world to know, this is an extraordinary item. Jiang Hao swiftly poured water on the part of his body that was on fire, then gritted his teeth and gave a few strong pats, finally managing to put out the flames. Dragging his injured body, he gritted his teeth with anger, wishing he could shatter Bai Youwei and Tan Xiao into pieces! Now, where have Bai Youwei and Tan Xiao gone? ¡­Haha, of course, he knew where they went. Either this evacuation route or that one, there was no need to think too hard. Besides, Bai Youwei was limping and Shen Fei was injured, they couldn¡¯t have gone far! A figure suddenly appeared in his line of sight. It was Robin. Jiang Hao paused for a moment, then a thought came to his mind. This kid might also have some helpful items. Although they may not match those of Bai Youwei, a mosquito leg is still meat. Today hasn¡¯t been successful so far, better to earn a little where possible. Jiang Hao feigned concern and greeted: ¡°How did you get here? Was there an accident on the evacuation route over there?¡± Robin was looking for cover, but when he saw Jiang Hao, he was taken aback, then briefly replied: ¡°Mary and the cat have drawn the fire over there, I just managed to shake them off.¡± Jiang Hao silently joined his palms together, saying: ¡°The fire here is getting bigger and bigger. I know a place where we could hide. You want to come with me?¡± Half-believing, half-doubting, Robin walked towards him: ¡°Which place?¡± Jiang Hao: ¡°Over there in Adventure Island¡­¡± Boom! ¡ª¡ª A giant metal cat suddenly rushed in! Roof tiles fell noisily! The colossal cat head was lowered, the formerly pretty girl on top was now only a metal frame, with the rubber that hadn¡¯t burnt completely clinging onto her joints, charred and sticky; and only a pair of eyes ¡ª¡ª A pair of glass eyes glowing green were fixed on Jiang Hao and Robin! ¡°Ah, la~ Look at what we found! Two cute¡­little mice¡­¡± Mary sneered. As her mouth opened and closed, her burnt skin flaked off. Jiang Hao and Robin turned and ran! ¡°Meow!~~~¡± A thrilling cat¡¯s shriek echoed around them. They both darted into an adjacent exhibition hall, the overhead noises of booming and booming! Mary and the cat followed closely! The cat¡¯s claws were stomping heavily on the roof, almost crushing them through the ceiling! Jiang Hao suddenly stopped, looking out the window, he saw the Ferris wheel not far away. He glanced at Robin running ahead and, without hesitation, jumped through the side window of the exhibition hall and ran straight towards the Ferris wheel! He originally intended to let that physically robust but simple-minded jock draw Mary and the cat¡¯s attention. However, Robin, to his surprise, followed him in no time! ¡°Jiang Hao! You fucking trying to screw me?!¡± Robin shouted out while running, obviously faster than the severely burnt Jiang Hao. However, his shout also drew Mary and the cat¡¯s attention! Mary shifted the direction of the cat and started chasing them! ¡°Idiot!¡± Jiang Hao couldn¡¯t help cursing, becoming even more contemptuous of Robin. He quickened his steps, and after a few vigorous strides, he leapt high. At the same time, he flung out a piece of elastic band from his hand! The elastic band, initially only half a metre in length, quickly elongated in the air! It wrapped around the cabin of the Ferris wheel nearly a hundred meters away, as if it had infinite tensility! Chapter 440: 440: Seven More Remaining Chapter 440: Seven More Remaining Whoosh! Propelled by the tension of the rubber band, Jiang Hao¡¯s body soared into the air, reaching a height of a hundred meters in the blink of an eye! He tightly clung to the outside window of the cabin, as the rubber band shrank back to its original length. Below, a frustrated cat slammed against the base of the Ferris wheel. Steel clashed against steel, creating a cacophony of sound, causing the cabin to shake incessantly. Amid the shaking, Jiang Hao somersaulted into the cabin. Before even settling down, he took a glance downwards¡ª Just as he predicted, the Ferris wheel was stationary during the daytime. The cat, no matter how fearsome, wouldn¡¯t be able to jump this high. It could do nothing but repeatedly slam futilely against the base of the wheel. The structures here were incredibly durable. Although the tiles, doors, windows, and various ornaments had been thoroughly ravaged by Mary and the cat, the integrity of the buildings remained unscathed, the Ferris wheel included. So, for the moment, it was rather safe for him to stay here. Jiang Hao sat down, exhaling in relief. Next, he only needed to find a hiding spot before nightfall, or he could stay put and hide in this exact cabin. ¡­ No, wait a second. Did he really need to wait for the night? Given how Mary had suffered today, she would undoubtedly wreak havoc in the amusement park tonight! Why should he take risks alongside the others? However¡­ How could he bear to just walk away like this? His initial intention in entering the game was to get Bai Youwei¡¯s puzzle pieces and tools. However, against his expectations, he had not only failed to get any puzzle pieces but had also wasted a tool. Exiting the game now would mean having to use up one puzzle piece! Just thinking about it made Jiang Hao wince! The loss was too great to bear! He couldn¡¯t just let it go. With the injuries he sustained, he had to settle the score with Bai Youwei! Where was Bai Youwei now? Whilst thinking about this, Jiang Hao stood up once more, peering out the window. From his elevated perch, his vision was unobstructed. He saw Mary and the cat have left the base of the Ferris wheel, seemingly led away by someone. In the direction of ¡­ the pirate ship? The people on the ship were howling and shouting. Could tan Xiao be among them? Was Bai Youwei also on board? Just as Jiang Hao squinted, trying to get a better look, there was a sudden thump from the top of the cabin. Following that, a hand grabbed hold of the window! It was Robin! Incredibly, Robin had climbed up! This height! Was he insane?! Even if he was seeking a hiding spot, climbing this high wasn¡¯t necessary! Astonished, Jiang Hao stared wide-eyed as Robin hauled the upper half of his body into the cabin¡ª Robin¡¯s arm muscles were tensed to the limit, his eyes dark and brooding, he demanded, ¡°Why did you have that tool?¡± ¡°What tool?¡± Jiang Hao forced a smile, his hands behind his back, clasped together, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± ¡°The rubber band just now!¡± Robin roared in anger, ¡°It can bind anything! An infinitely stretching rubber band! That was clearly Aqiang¡¯s tool, why did you have it?!!¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Jiang Hao took a step back, ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Robin advanced on him, ¡°Because what?!¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Jiang Hao suddenly smiled, extending his hand towards Robin, ¡°Because of this¡ª¡± A section of iron pipe abruptly lunged forward! Piercing through Robin¡¯s waist, propelling him out of the cabin and sending him plummeting down! Jiang Hao¡¯s lips curled into a cold, mocking smile, leisurely withdrawing the iron pipe. Walking over to the now vacant cabin entrance, he responded mockingly, ¡°Of course it¡¯s because¡­someone killed him, you idiot.¡± Just then! A hand suddenly grabbed his ankle! Jiang Hao¡¯s face instantly drained of all color! S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. On reflex, he jerked his leg back to evade, but his opponent¡¯s strength exceeded his, wrenching him violently. He was dragged outside the cabin! His only saving grace, the tight grip he maintained on the edge of the cabin doorway! ¡°Let go! Let go!!!¡± Jiang Hao cried out in terror! Robin¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, fiercely grabbing his ankle! Jiang Hao attempted to reach for a weapon or puzzle piece from his glove! But the glove required both hands to activate! His grip began to slip, and with a desperate cry, Robin yanked him down! Two figures plunged from the Ferris wheel¡ª Chapter 441: 441: Close your eyes and mend your spirit Chapter 441: Close your eyes and mend your spirit ¡°Weiwei, did you hear anything?¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help but look into the distance. ¡°Seems like someone shouted.¡± They were now on a pirate ship in Adventure Island, near the lake, so the terrain was lower and all they could see were lush green plants and roller coasters rising and falling in the distance. ¡°Hurry up and get in, stop worrying about that!¡± Bai Youwei urged anxiously, ¡°You just knocked over that huge pirate flag, for all we know, Mary might be riding her cat towards us!¡± Tan Xiao immediately deflected blame: ¡°It was Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang who messed up everything on the ship, so when I lightly touched it, the flag fell!¡± Bai Youwei retorted, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have just not touched it?¡± Tan Xiao responded, ¡°I thought it was about to fall, so I touched it to see if it would, who would¡¯ve thought it really would fall!¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei closed her eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear another word from you in the next ten minutes!¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei held onto the stairs and went down to the lower deck. Tan Xiao scratched his head and followed her, saying, ¡°Weiwei, it seems that you can walk without the crutches, just a bit slowly¡­¡± Bai Youwei turned around and said in a cold voice, ¡°Ten minutes!¡± Tan Xiao quietly touched his own nose. ¡­ Bai Youwei arrived on the lower deck. This place depicted some aspects of pirate life, like treasure maps nailed onto wooden boards, sailors¡¯ diaries placed in cabins, rooms filled with gold, silver and jewels, which were suitable for tourists to take pictures. However, for Bai Youwei, the best part was that the entrance was quite narrow, preventing the cat from entering. Shen Fei was sitting in the passageway, his face pale and breathing slowly. Hearing Bai Youwei and Tan Xiao, he looked at them and weakly asked, ¡°Is it safe here?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Bai Youwei, supporting herself down the stairs, didn¡¯t have much energy either. Her legs hurt, her head hurt, she was in pain all over. ¡°According to what the Inspector said earlier, all the facilities in this amusement park are very sturdy and there¡¯s no danger of collapse. The cat can¡¯t get in for now, so we should be safe.¡± ¡ªIf the structures were not sturdy enough, Mary just needed to have the cat destroy every building, leaving the players with nowhere to hide, and she could win the game. It was a huge injustice. After listening, Shen Fei slowly nodded and then closed his eyes. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t want to see him close his eyes. Although she knew he was tired and injured, she thought it was like he was dying when he closed his eyes. She didn¡¯t want Shen Mo¡¯s brother to die. At least not in front of her. ¡°Have you been in a maze?¡± Bai Youwei asked him. Shen Fei slightly lifted his eyelids to look at her, ¡°I have¡­ ¡± ¡°How many times?¡± she asked again. Shen Fei thought for a moment, ¡°Once¡­ in Shanghai, when I was trapped in the maze, I thought I wouldn¡¯t survive¡­ Later, Professor Song and a special forces team cracked the maze, taking others and leaving together, there were over a hundred people¡­ These people became the core members of the organization.¡± Bai Youwei gave a small smile, ¡°Shanghai¡¯s maze was indeed a blessing to mankind.¡± It had enhanced the physical abilities of over a hundred people. ¡°You¡¯re lucky, if you hadn¡¯t been through the maze, with this kind of injury, even with mud therapy, it would be hard to recover.¡± Bai Youwei reassured him casually, ¡°Have a good rest, you¡¯ll get better soon.¡± Shen Fei looked at her, moved his lips as if wanting to say thank you. But Bai Youwei already closed her eyes, as if resting. He didn¡¯t know what to say, thinking he would disturb her. After staring at her for a moment, he also closed his eyes. A few seconds later ¡ª The ship shook violently! ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Tan Xiao jumped up in surprise and ran out! Chapter 442: 442 Left Window Chapter 442: Left Window ¡°Come back!¡± Bai Youwei barked. ¡°Going out is suicide! Sit back down!¡± Again, an impact! A clatter of bangs rang out! Wood splintered, a cat¡¯s screech was drawn out and the harrowing sound of scratching felt as if it were right above their heads! They could keenly perceive, the sharp, metallic, clattering sound of the cat¡¯s claws scraping against the ship¡¯s body! Its long claws were lodged in the entrance, shattering the deck! It crushed the stairs, its large head pressed against the narrow passage, attempting to squeeze in! ¡°Will it come in?!¡± Tan Xiao asked anxiously, a hint of panic in his voice. ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, her voice steady, ¡°If the information provided by the game files is correct, once the cat is woken up during the day, as long as it can¡¯t see any players within its field of view, its rage meter will quickly deplete, and then it will go back to sleep on the carousel. It has already hovered outside for a while now, it should be leaving soon¡­¡± As she finished speaking, suddenly everything outside went quiet. Shen Fei questioned doubtfully, ¡°It left?¡± All was silent. Quiet all around. Tan Xiao tiptoed towards the exit, intending to investigate the situation. Suddenly! The ship jolted even more violently! Tan Xiao fell flat on his back! This collision was no longer from above, but from the side¡ª A series of thuds ensued! Each one louder than the last! Each collision increasingly brutal! With each impact, the ship¡¯s position shifted, tilting to the other side! ¡°What¡¯s it doing?!¡± Tan Xiao cried in astonishment. ¡°It knows it doesn¡¯t have much time left, and wants to knock us into the lake before it falls asleep!¡± Bai Youwei gripped the doorframe tightly to stop herself from sliding down the tilting floor, ¡°Hold on tight! This is not a real ship, if it falls into the water, it will sink quickly! Be careful not to be hit by things on the ship!¡± Even before she finished speaking, with the last violent bump, the ship turned over by 90 degrees¡ª Everything inside the cabin¡ªtables, chairs, stools, wine casks props, all hurtled towards them! Bai Youwei was hit by some scattered decorations and slipped down, but was caught in mid-air by Shen Fei! The ship was still tilting, almost fully capsized at 180 degrees! Unable to brace herself in time, a heavy wooden table collapsed onto Shen Fei¡¯s back! S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Both hit the ceiling hard! Bai Youwei felt like her back was about to break from the pain, made even worse by Shen Fei¡¯s body pressing on top of her. ¡°Shen Fei!¡± She pushed him hard, only to realize that he was unconscious. He had been hit on the head and had passed out. Water was rapidly filling the cabin. ¡°Tan Xiao! Tan Xiao!¡± Bai Youwei shouted out Tan Xiao¡¯s name. After a few seconds, Tan Xiao came running over in a state of total chaos, startling at the sight of the unconscious Shen Fei, ¡°What happened to him?! Is he dead???¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t leave now, we¡¯re really going be dead!¡± Bai Youwei spoke quickly, ¡°You get to the exit quickly and then find something to break the third window on the left side of the pirate ship! Save me and Shen Fei!¡± Tan Xiao responded, ¡°Aren¡¯t you two coming with me?!¡± ¡°We¡¯re too slow, by the time we reach the exit, the ship will have sunk!¡± Bai Youwei urged him anxiously, ¡°Hurry up!!!¡± The water had already reached their ankles, Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t delay any longer, and ran towards the exit in a panic. The stairway was blocked by fallen objects, and moving these things out of the way consumed even more time. The water level rose rapidly, quickly reaching his calves. The lake water was turbid, and the lights around them flickered. In a state of panic, Tan Xiao finally found the exit, took a deep breath and plunged into the water¡ª Just as he was out of the hatch, he could already feel the lake¡¯s sludge below. He hurriedly picked up the pace, kicking his legs! He swam far away instantly! Meanwhile, behind him, the pirate ship was heavily pressed down, with the deck and the hatch both deeply submerged in the mud. Tan Xiao turned around to look at the sunken ship underwater, thinking to himself, this is bad! Weiwei had mentioned the window on the left, but left¡­ which side was left again? Chapter 443: 443: Losing Consciousness Chapter 443: Losing Consciousness After the boat sank to the bottom, the rate at which the water level rose slowed, possibly due to the internal air pressure and the exit being blocked by mud at the bottom of the lake. But the threat of death still loomed. Bai Youwei held up Shen Fei¡¯s head, pushing hard upward, attempting to keep him in a sitting position so his head would stay above water. She struggled with these efforts, cursing under her breath, growing increasingly agitated. If only she hadn¡¯t made those claims before entering the game. Something about rescuing someone if they fell into the water, what nonsense! Now, not only could she and Shen Fei not wait for Shen Mo to rescue them, but she also had to figure out a way to save Shen Fei herself! The water had already reached her neck, and there was no sound from the outside. She grew worried, would that idiot Tan Xiao not know his left from his right? She had rushed him earlier and hadn¡¯t had the chance to clarify which ¡°left¡± she meant. It would have been better if she had defined directions using the cardinal points. ¡­Could Tan Xiao even distinguish north, south, east, and west? With these thoughts running through her mind, Bai Youwei¡¯s headache intensified. As Shen Fei kept tilting his head downward in his unconscious state, water flooded his mouth and nose. Bai Youwei found it increasingly difficult to hold him up. She had no choice but to force herself to stand, with one hand holding onto a window frame and the other yanking his hair, pushing his head upwards. At this point, who cared about being too rough? She was struggling just to stand herself, now she was forced to support another person too. It was truly an unreasonable situation! Bai Youwei was filled with resentment. Bam! A muffled noise resounded through the cabin. Startled, she immediately turned to look¡ª It was pitch black under the water, through the window she could only see the murky water filled with mud, with a few dark strands of algae floating by occasionally. The banging noise continued, but Tan¡¯s Xiao figure was nowhere in sight. Without a doubt, he had hit the wrong window. A sense of despair rose within Bai Youwei! sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Which implied that she had to drag Shen Fei to the window by herself! Of course, she could wait for Tan Xiao to climb into the cabin, find them, then drag Shen Fei out. But once the window was broken, the cabin would fill with water immediately. If Shen Fei stayed underwater too long, he would drown! After all, not all players were like them, having eaten the fish brought by the spring guest, able to stay unharmed underwater. She had to get Shen Fei out as quickly as possible! Her mind was filled with chaotic thoughts. Bai Youwei clenched her teeth, enduring her volatile temper and pulling Shen Fei¡¯s collar, she headed toward the opposite cabin. Moving underwater was no easy feat. But thankfully, buoyancy made it barely possible for her to drag an adult man. After finally reaching the aisle, she heard a loud bang! The window in the opposite cabin was broken! Water rushed in! Under the force of the rushing water, Bai Youwei quickly grasped the doorframe while Shen Fei was swept away! Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud: ¡°Damn it!!!¡± ¡­ Shen Fei was swept to the end of the hallway by the current, slamming into various debris, too disoriented to identify what they were. He vaguely knew he was underwater, it was cold and dark all around¡­ Someone grasped his hand. He exerted effort to open his eyes, intending to see who it was, but all he could see were the black algae, forming tangled strands, rippling along¡­ The touch was gentle yet icy-cold, vivid yet dreamlike. Incredible. But the suffocation intensified his dizziness¡­ He reached out to part the black algae and saw a pure white dress, as light as semi-translucent cicada wings, it seemed to glow under the rippling water, making his vision even more blurry. In the chaos, he was yanked up to the surface. The sunlight was blinding. His lungs burned. He could vaguely hear Shen Mo¡¯s voice, Yan Qingwen¡¯s voice, various voices¡­ Then, he lost consciousness Chapter 444: 444: Another Pair of Eyes Chapter 444: Another Pair of Eyes A bustling stage¡ª The music surged, lights converged, and cartoon puppets performed on stage. Below the stage was an invisible area, typically used as a secret passageway for performers to make unexpected entrances or exits. This was a place hidden from the audience¡¯s view, and even the performing puppets couldn¡¯t see. At this moment, it was filled with the survivors of the game so far ¡ª Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Shen Fei, Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, and Yu Yaqing. Their actions had not achieved the desired effect, and everyone was anxious. Yan Qingwen counted and said, ¡°There are seven left.¡± Pausing slightly, his gaze shifted from the unconscious Shen Fei and wounded Yu Yaqing, adding, ¡°Among the seven, two are injured.¡± Bai Youwei felt this man was obsessed with numbers. It was clear enough to the eye that the number of people had decreased, yet he insisted on emphasizing it. Yu Yaqing, pressing on his abdominal wound, said, ¡°My injury isn¡¯t severe. A few hours of rest, and I will recover quickly.¡± Lun Ang, annoyed, exclaimed, ¡°This game is somewhat twisted, isn¡¯t it? We burnt Mary and the cat into metallic skeletons, and yet they still aren¡¯t dead! Did we do all that for nothing?!¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s not completely useless,¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°At least, we all know now that Mary and the cat aren¡¯t afraid of fire. Their weaknesses must lie elsewhere.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded lightly, ¡°Exactly, we¡¯ve tried knives, electricity, fire. Mary and the cat took the blows but ended up recovering completely. Now, facing these two metal skeletons, we need to consider other possibilities. What part did we overlook¡­¡± ¡°The knife doesn¡¯t work?¡± Tan Xiao, baffled, glanced around, ¡°Brother Mo cut off Mary¡¯s arm with a sword, right? How can that be useless?¡± Yan Qingwen paused slightly, and asked Tan Xiao, ¡°How was Mary¡¯s arm when you saw her?¡± Tan Xiao shook his head, ¡°It turned into a triangular knife, but surely it doesn¡¯t transform wherever it¡¯s cut, unless it¡¯s a Transformer.¡± Yan Qingwen pondered, ¡°So, although we can¡¯t hurt the steel skeletons, we can dismantle them at the joints¡­ and after dismantling, Mary¡¯s form changes accordingly.¡± ¡°But does dismantling account for ¡®killing¡¯ them?¡± Yu Yaqing frowned, ¡°The game¡¯s victory terms are to ¡®kill¡¯ Mary or the cat. Just severing an arm wouldn¡¯t suffice.¡± Lun Ang snorted heavily, ¡°I just don¡¯t believe it. Chop off its head and see if it can still live!¡± ¡°Old man, don¡¯t blow your own trumpet~¡± Tan Xiao made a cynical remark, ¡°We can¡¯t even get close to them for now, are we supposed to kill from afar?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t get close¡­¡± Yan Qingwen contemplated with a stern expression, and continued slowly, ¡°If we could get the doll off Mary¡­ perhaps we could succeed.¡± He spoke, then looked at everyone, ¡°We¡¯ve all overlooked the ragdoll on Mary. The dolls in the amusement park all serve as Mary¡¯s eyes. When I climbed onto the carousel, the doll saw me, which is why the ambush failed. If we want to succeed next time, we must figure out how to deal with the doll first.¡± Yu Yaqing realized, ¡°You mean¡­ if we don¡¯t deal with Mary¡¯s doll, it¡¯s just like, they are sleeping with their eyes open?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Qingwen confirmed, ¡°The game is divided into day and night, it must have a purpose. Just as you said earlier, if they are invincible at night, then they must have a weakness during the day.¡± Yu Yaqing frowned and thought for a while, looked hesitantly at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, what do you think?¡± Chapter 445: 445: Fallen a Few Times Chapter 445: Fallen a Few Times Bai Youwei sat next to Shen Mo, lacking energy. After returning from the lake, she had changed into dry clothes, but her hair was still soaked and hanging down her back. The smell of lake water made her feel uncomfortable. Fortunately, everyone present was familiar. Even though they saw her change clothes, they politely refrained from asking where the clothes came from. Shen Mo looked down and explained for her, ¡°She is a bit tired. Since entering the game, we have been continuously active for over 20 hours.¡± These 20 hours were not normal days of leisurely living, but twenty stressful and tense hours; being tired was only natural. Bai Youwei frowned slightly, speaking slowly, ¡°I think Yan Qingwen¡¯s idea is correct¡­ If it weren¡¯t for the rag doll, the daytime assault would have succeeded. The issue is, the doll is carried around by Mary and it won¡¯t be easy to separate them¡­ I can¡¯t think of a good solution right now, the music outside is too loud¡­¡± Seeing her straining, Yan Qingwen looked at the others. Apart from the constant game face of Shen Mo and Tan Xiao¡¯s endless energy, the others showed signs of fatigue. Yan Qingwen said, ¡°Since we can¡¯t think of any solutions, let¡¯s discuss it in the daylight. This place is well hidden; Mary and the cat won¡¯t find us. Everyone, rest. Tomorrow, we may have new ideas.¡± After that, everyone discussed a bit more and then looked for places to rest. This place had no beds, no pillows, you could only find a wall or a pole to lean on and shut your eyes for a bit. Mary and the cat could appear at any time, so they couldn¡¯t fully let their guard down to fall asleep. Shen Mo held Bai Youwei in his arms, adjusting his position to make her sleeping more comfortable. It was unclear when they started, but they had gotten used to this kind of intimacy. Natural and close, irrelevant of any passion. Shen Mo held her shoulder and said in a low voice, ¡°If we still can¡¯t think of a solution tomorrow, you and Shen Fei stay here, and Yan Qingwen and I will deal with the rag doll.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, somewhat speechless. ¡°You want me to stay with him?¡± ¡°Someone needs to take care of you.¡± Shen Mo gave a small smile, ¡°He was injured and almost drowned, he probably won¡¯t be in a good state tomorrow, not suitable for joining us.¡± As he said this, he looked at Shen Fei, who was still unconscious. His voice became even quieter, sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I also have my selfish reasons, Tan Xiao still has a puzzle piece to protect himself even if danger comes, but Shen Fei doesn¡¯t¡­ I hope that when we leave the game, I can return him, unharmed, back to our parents.¡± ¡°What about me if he is unharmed?¡± Bai Youwei pokes him in the chest, unsatisfied, ¡°Do you know how many times your brother dropped me today? Four times!¡­ No, that¡¯s wrong, it was five times! I lost count, anyway, he dropped me so many times! ¡± Shen Mo was taken aback, looking down at her, ¡°He intentionally dropped you?¡± ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t intentional, can he just drop me as he wishes?¡± Bai Youwei rolled up her sleeves to show him her elbow. ¡°Look here, it¡¯s skinned, and also here¡­¡± She brushed back her bangs to show him her forehead. ¡°Is it swollen yet? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s swollen, right? I can feel it! And there are also my legs, look¡­my knees, my waist, all over¡­¡± Shen Mo grabbed her hand that was about to lift her skirt, speaking helplessly, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± Bai Youwei was upset and dropped her skirt, ¡°In my whole life, I haven¡¯t been dropped as many times as I have today! I don¡¯t care, tomorrow you must keep him away from me! I don¡¯t want him to take care of me.¡± The further away he stays, the safer it will be, in case he dies, it won¡¯t have anything to do with her. Even if Shen Mo wouldn¡¯t blame her, she decided to nip any potential disruption to their relationship in the bud! Chapter 446: 446: The Big Lion Chapter 446: The Big Lion Shen Mo hesitated a bit, he would be worried leaving Bai Youwei alone. No matter how intelligent Bai Youwei was, her ability to handle emergency situations was almost negligible. Although Shen Fei was injured, he would definitely have no problems escaping with her. There was indeed some discord between the two, but Shen Mo believed that in the face of safety issues, such minor disagreements could be completely disregarded. Just like when he used to carry out missions, personal emotions were always put last. Bai Youwei could tell from his expression that he was not in agreement. Her lips pursed with disappointment, and her face fell. Shen Mo said, ¡°Overcome it.¡± Bai Youwei wrapped his neck around hers, ¡°¡®Don¡¯t want to overcome it~¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so obstinate.¡± Bai Youwei burrowed her face into his shoulder pit: ¡°Whining~¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± He sensed that everyone else had turned to look¡­ An indescribable look was on everyone¡¯s faces. It wasn¡¯t as if they were seeing a cute little girl throwing a tantrum, but rather a ferocious lion, very disconcerting. Shen Mo patted Bai Youwei¡¯s back silently, feeling helpless. There was no other way. If she didn¡¯t want to overcome the situation, then he had to. ¡­ All night, neither Mary nor the cat showed up. When the hands of the clock again pointed to 12, and daylight came, the clock tower let out a deep bell sound ¨C The amusement park returned to tranquility. Shen Fei had also woken up. Having regained his consciousness, he was somewhat excited. He was sharing his dream from yesterday with Tan Xiao and Lun Ang, emphasizing that he had seen the Water Demon! ¡°Her hair was like black seaweed! Her skin as white as crystal! I couldn¡¯t make out her features clearly in the water, it was very mysterious¡­hey, stop laughing! Maybe this is a key clue from the game!¡± Lun Ang laughed heartily, ¡°You¡¯re still half asleep!¡± Shen Fei earnestly said: ¡°At first I thought it was a dream, a hallucination, but the feeling was too real! I even touched her skirt!¡± Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lun Ang teased: ¡°The Water Demon wore a skirt? I thought Water Demons and mermaids didn¡¯t wear clothes.¡± Tan Xiao also made fun of him: ¡°Your brain is waterlogged! What Water Demon! That was Weiwei! Hahaha!¡± Shen Fei froze, then instinctively looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°No, the Water Demon I saw was wearing a white skirt, she was wearing blue¡­¡± He stopped mid-sentence, Shen Fei¡¯s expression became stiff. Bai Youwei was¡­ indeed wearing a white skirt yesterday. Could it be, he really misunderstood? His face reddening for some reason, Shen Fei¡¯s cheeks burned hot with embarrassment. Lun Ang placed his arm on his shoulders and laughed, ¡°That¡¯s normal, who doesn¡¯t have a dream lover when they¡¯re young, right? Heh heh¡­¡± ¡°No¡­ I, I don¡¯t!¡± Stifled with embarrassment, he kept shaking his head. Noticing Bai Youwei¡¯s indifferent gaze in the distance brought a certain inexplicable disappointment. Bai Youwei only glanced at Shen Fei before controlling her gaze. She tugged at the arm of the man in front of her, looking disgruntled: ¡°You can¡¯t go back on your word after a good night¡¯s sleep. Where is your basic integrity?¡± Shen Mo smiled, ¡°What are you talking about? I asked you to stay in the clock tower with him, didn¡¯t say you had to be together.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t being in the clock tower together?!¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes and exaggerated, ¡°The tower is high with so many steps, do you want me to trip and fall at all 360 degrees?!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t fall.¡± Shen Mo pinched her cheeks, ¡°You can stay at the top, I¡¯ll have Shen Fei guard the bottom.¡± Chapter 447: 447: The Last Day Chapter 447: The Last Day Bai Youwei was stunned. By asking Shen Fei to stay under the clock tower, was it equivalent to¡­asking Shen Fei to shield her? ¡ªIf Mary and the cat found the clock tower, they would first find Shen Fei and launch an attack on him, ignoring the possibility of others hiding on top of the tower. Bai Youwei¡¯s feelings became somewhat intricate. She wanted Shen Mo to treat her better, but for her safety, he unhesitatingly let his cousin use himself as a shield. That was really ruthless! ¡­It made her feel a little embarrassed~ (Blushing) ¡­ In fact, Shen Mo hadn¡¯t given that much thought. He just felt that as a man of the Shen Family, Shen Fei should protect women and the weak. This was a responsibility a man should bear, and it had nothing to do with anything else. (Aloof) ¡­ The group left the stage and walked out of the puppet theater. The sun was bright outside, the blue sky was cloudless, the white daylight shone on everyone¡¯s faces, bright enough to be suffocating. They had already spent two days and two nights in this game. Now it was the third day. On the way to the carousel, things began to change a bit. They found many stuffed toys by the side of the road, but these were toys that were left only with their outer layer; their fluffy inner cores had been hollowed out. Seeing flattened teddy bears, dogs, and little ducks laying on the ground, it gave off an inexplicable eeriness. Everyone became vigilant and continued forward. They arrived again at the carousel. After burning all night, the area was no longer bright and shiny as it first was, but a mess, blackened all over, filled countlessly with disassembled puppet dolls. The cat puppet¡¯s head had been sewn back on, and cotton was stuffed into its two front paws, wrapped in cloth. But the back legs had not been fixed in time, left bare, revealing the metal frame. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mary had also been partially fixed; the scorched face had become fair and delicate again. As there was no suitable material to fix the hair, yellow wool was temporarily used as a substitute. The part below the head was still metallic, just like a robot doll with a human head. She was leaning on the rag doll, sleeping on the cat puppet. One arm was a triangular bayonet, while the other hand was holding a needle and thread, as if she had been sewing all night and was exhausted. For a moment everyone looked at each other. No wonder nothing had happened last night; it turned out that Mary didn¡¯t bother looking for them at all. Was sewing the cat puppet back together more important than finding the hide-and-seek players? This matter was unfathomable, and they had no way of finding an answer to it. Yan Qingwen looked around and said, ¡°Quite a lot of places have been burned.¡± Fantasy Street and Dreaming Garden were almost all ruined, nearly half of the Fairy Tale Kingdom was also burnt. Fortunately, the mine of the dwarves had blocked the spread of the fire; otherwise, it would have been hard for them to find a hiding place if everything was burnt. ¡­Suddenly a sense of having shot themselves in the foot. Yan Qingwen sighed. ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t need to find a hiding place anymore.¡± Yu Yaqing said seriously, ¡°As long as we kill Mary this time, the game of hide-and-seek will end.¡± Will it end? Everyone looked at each other and fell silent. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get started.¡± Yan Qingwen stretched his arms, and began assigning tasks, ¡°Yu Yaqing and Tan Xiao are responsible for finding hiding spots. Find all the possible places to hide in the amusement park, and then everyone decides where to hide tonight. Shen Mo, Lun Ang and I will set up traps around the carousel. Shen Fei is injured, he can rest somewhere. Youwei, you just mentioned going up to the clock tower, go up and survey the situation, perhaps from above, there are aspects we may have failed to notice¡ª¡± After saying everything, he looked at everyone and extended his right hand: ¡°Let¡¯s hope, this is the last day.¡± Chapter 448: 448: The Death of the Immature Chapter 448: The Death of the Immature Lun Ang placed a hand atop Yan Qingwen¡¯s, and said with a grin, ¡°We¡¯ve played so many rounds, what¡¯s one more!¡± Tan Xiao also extended a hand: ¡°My lucky stars are shining bright, we¡¯ve got this!¡± Yu Yaqing looked at them and without hesitation reached out, solemnly saying, ¡°Last day, let¡¯s give this our all.¡± Shen Mo smiled faintly, staying silent, but placed his hand in theirs. Shen Fei, seeing his brother join in, eagerly followed suit. Lastly, Bai Youwei¡­ Bai Youwei looked at them. And they all looked back at her. Expectation filled their eyes, smiles played at their lips, and words of encouragement hung in the air¡­A spectrum of emotions reflected onto her. Flushed and uncomfortable, she bit the bullet and slowly, extended her own hand. Just as she put it down, someone firmly grasped hers. All hands pushed down together and then lifted high¨D ¡°We¡¯ve got this!!!¡± Tan Xiao shouted the rallying cry. Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, complaining outloud, ¡°¡­So childish!¡± Everyone laughed uproariously! The pressure lifted, the tension disappeared, and their laughter and joy spread to all, as if it were only a casual game. It had nothing to do with life or death, the world outside. Just a game. That¡¯s all. Bai Youwei looked at them in confusion, unable to comprehend their mood. Although it appeared as though they were simply putting their hands together, she had a strange feeling that somehow¡­things had changed¡­ As if a new force emerged, shining brightly, reaching ever upward. But where did this power come from? Lost in her thoughts, she turned to look at Shen Mo. Shen Mo was still smiling too, his lips slightly lifted revealing a softness in his eyes. He raised a hand and gently ruffled her hair, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the Clock Tower.¡± Lun Ang clenched his fists with fervor, ¡°Alright, we should start setting traps!¡± With a faint smile, Yu Yaqing added, ¡°And we¡¯ll find strategic defensive positions.¡± Each drew into action. Shen Mo pushed the wheelchair forward. The fact that it survived the conflagration was a miracle in and of itself. In no time, they reached the base of the Clock Tower. Shen Mo hoisted Bai Youwei onto his back and walked in. The stairway twisted upwards like a thread through the eye of a gargantuan bolt. The staircase grew higher each step, seeming infinitely endless. Bai Youwei rested her chin on Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder, asking, ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± ¡°Yan Qingwen plans to use lassos,¡± answered Shen Mo in a steady voice as he continued his ascent. ¡°He will take on Mary. I¡¯ll provide backup. Lun Ang, Yu Yaqing, and Tan Xiao will handle the cat. Once they have ensnared either one, they will drag them apart, separating Mary and the cat.¡± After pondering for some moments, Bai Youwei said, ¡°Yan Qingwen is quite impressive¡ªalways coming up with solutions, no matter the situation.¡± With a slight smile, Shen Mo agreed, ¡°Indeed, he sometimes comes up with some quite creative ideas.¡± Bai Youwei also agreed with this assessment. While hanging onto his back, she mused, ¡°The doll¡¯s field of vision is limited. If we can find its blind spots, we may be able to ensnare them while Mary and the cat sleep¡­yet beheading them could be much trickier.¡± Shen Mo softly agreed, ¡°There is some degree of difficulty. It is practically impossible for one person alone to kill either Mary or the cat.¡± ¨DKilling the cat was impossible due to its iron skeleton, and every evening, Mary would stitch its body back together. ¨DKilling Mary was no simpler. It could grow blades from an amputated limb, and with a doll attached to its back, it seemed to have eyes in the back of its head; there was no taking it by surprise. Lost in thought, Bai Youwei uttered a peculiar, ¡°Huh!¡± At this, Shen Mo halted in his steps and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rather strange¡­¡± Bai Youwei stared blankly, ¡°If we hadn¡¯t brought those swords and knives in, there would be no weapons in the amusement park. It doesn¡¯t seem fair for the players to deal with these two targets unarmed.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 449: 449: Trap It Chapter 449: Trap It Shen Mo stopped and asked her, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with the way we¡¯re doing things right now?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, unsure of how to respond. Their strategy¡­their strategy was not inherently problematic, whether it was using fire to separate Mary from the cat previously or using a lasso to force them apart now. Regardless of the results, from a conceptual standpoint, there was nothing wrong with their strategy. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, considering the standard conditions for clearing the game in prior instances, it wasn¡¯t about forcing everyone to become martial arts experts, nor was it about deliberately making things difficult for the players¡ª Giving Mary and the cat an almost ¡°Immortal Body¡± setting and then asking the players to kill them, isn¡¯t that a contradiction within itself? There was also another point that had been bothering her. ¡­Hide and seek. As far as she could tell, up till now, there didn¡¯t seem to be any correlation between the game and ¡°hide and seek.¡± It¡¯s just that the clues available at the moment were too fragmented, making it hard to piece together a complete logical line. She thought hard but was still clueless. ¡°Regardless, be careful,¡± Bai Youwei said softly, ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± Shen Mo lifted her slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll remind them.¡± They continued moving upwards and arrived at the uppermost level of the clock tower where the lighting was bright. Bai Youwei leaned over the railing to look down. Even without a telescope, she could clearly see Yan Qingwen setting up traps near the carousel. The ropes were winding in all directions, and even Lun Ang¡¯s giant anchor was lifted. It was unclear what purpose it would serve in the end. Setting up a trap was an exercise in calculation and inference, especially spatial reasoning. Even the simplest trick of using a rope to trip someone up requires considering the other party¡¯s stride, the height of their step, the angle of their foot landing, and so on. Shen Mo didn¡¯t stay in the clock tower for long and quickly went down to help. As Bai Youwei leaned on the railing, watching everyone busy below, she couldn¡¯t help but question, could she have misunderstood? Even though the game did not force the players to become martial arts experts, people with high combat power often received more favor, because¡ª If you were able to fight your way out of a horde of rabbits, even if you chose the wrong path, you could still run back; If you managed to kill the giant frog, you would have unlimited time to find Jin Qiu; If you could kill either the ragdoll cat or Mary now, this round of hide-and-seek would end¡­ She believed that there were common elements in games. If something was off, there had to be a problem somewhere. Several hours passed in a flash. All the efforts that should have been made were made; now, all that remained was to see the results. The girl and the cat on the carousel, seemingly unaware of the threatening atmosphere surrounding them, were sleeping peacefully. Yan Qingwen, Lun Ang, and Shen Mo were all in their assigned positions. They were holding strange rope loops in their hands, made from hemp ropes but wrapped with thin iron wires as if to increase their stiffness. Yan Qingwen instructed them, ¡°Pay attention to the peak of the carousel¡¯s roof. Don¡¯t let your height exceed that range; it will enter the doll¡¯s field of vision.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly and also reminded him, ¡°If you trap it successfully, give us a signal right away, and we¡¯ll come to help you.¡± ¡°You too,¡± Yan Qingwen looked at them, ¡°If something goes wrong, hide in any of those spots. Don¡¯t try to fight it out. Mary and cat can¡¯t see players, they will soon go back to sleep, and then we will still have a chance.¡± Everyone nodded, their eyes once again landing on Mary and the cat up high. Whether it will work or not, it all depends on this attempt! All preparations were ready. Lun Ang gripped the rope loop tightly in his hand, the coiled iron wire was a bit sharp, yet he remained unfazed, his eyes unwaveringly fixed on the cat on the carousel. His mission was to lasso the stuffed cat! He took a deep breath, tightening his grip on the rope loop in his hand. Three¡­ ¡­two¡­one¡­go! Chapter 450: 450: In the Trap Chapter 450: In the Trap Lun Ang forcefully threw out the lasso! The lasso, reinforced with a wire, remained in a perfect circle for a more accurate throw. However, he threw it too high and it exceeded the height Yan Qingwen had suggested. It was about to fly over the roof when Shen Mo, from below, barely jumped up, grabbed the end of the lasso and threw it downwards. The lasso descended and steadily landed on the cat¡¯s head! ¡°Pull!¡± shouted Shen Mo. Lun Ang immediately pulled back the rope with all his strength! All the iron wire wrapped around the lasso tightened, and instantly squeezed the cat¡¯s neck! ¡°Got it!¡± Lun Ang roared, slung the coarse rope over his shoulder and began to tug in the opposite direction like a tug-of-war contest! At the same time, Shen Fei, Tan Xiao, and Yu Yaqing also tightly held onto the rope, pulling together with Lun Ang. With the loud roar of the colossal cat puppet, it fell from the carousel! S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Meow!~~~¡± It struggled, shaking its head violently. Suddenly, they all lost their grip on the rope as if they lost balance like a kite in the wind! Just as it seemed the cat was about to free itself, they heard Yan Qingwen shout from afar, ¡°Got it!¡± Unbelievably, the cat ceased all movements and fell face down to the ground. ¡ª¡ªTheir guess had been correct. Once the cat was far enough, Mary could no longer control it! Shen Mo quickly said, ¡°You guys drag the cat away as far as you can! I¡¯m going to help Yan Qingwen!¡± After saying that, he immediately ran off. Yan Qingwen at the other end was engaged in a fierce battle! Mary had immediately awakened when caught, and was both startled and furious. She lifted her misshapen arm and furiously cut the rope! The rope snapped instantly, but the wire stayed connected. Shen Mo, who had just arrived, quickly picked up the other end of the rope! The trap was triggered instantly and a series of reactions formed within the ropes, creating layers that crossed around Mary¡¯s body, hoisting her into the air¡ª¡ª ¡°Yan Qingwen! The rope!¡± Shen Mo shouted, tightly holding on to one end of the rope. Yan Qingwen quickly ran a few steps and grabbed the other end of the broken rope! The dual forces suspended Mary in the air and at the same time, a large black anchor was swung from the middle and came whizzing through the air, hitting Mary on the head with an unstoppable force! Bang!!! Mary¡¯s entire body was sent flying! Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen were also knocked over by the force! The anchor landed, creating a loud noise and then dust settled, making all silent again. Shen Mo rolled twice on the ground before quickly standing back up. His immediate reaction was to look at Mary. Yan Qingwen did the same. They saw Mary lying not far from them, her head tilted from the anchor hit, connected to her neck by only a few strands of wire. She was barely intact. The trap had worked! They had separated Mary from the cat, and they had subdued Mary! At the moment, her limbs are twitching, convulsing as if she was a frog on its death throe. She propped herself up, her head swaying atop her neck. Then, she tried to stand back up again¡ª¡ª Just then, Lun Ang rushed over from a distance, let out a roar, and raised his broadsword, to strike her harshly! Bang!!! Mary¡¯s head and her body separated completely. Her head rolled to one side and was picked up by Lun Ang by the hair. Mary¡¯s face still showed her startled and angry expression. With her eyes wide open and mouth in a grimace, her severed head was a terrifying sight. Lun Ang was relieved to see her in such a sorry state! ¡°Mary is dead!¡± He held Mary¡¯s head high for all his companions to see. Then he shouted once more, ¡°Mary is dead!¡± ¡°Lun Ang! ¡­¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s face turned ashy, ¡°Run!!!¡± Lun Ang froze, failing to react in time as he saw a shining white conical dagger penetrating his chest. Chapter 451: 451: The Last Night Chapter 451: The Last Night He bent his head down, staring blankly. Surprisingly¡­ It didn¡¯t hurt much. Blood turned into jelly, internal organs into cotton; his flesh, bones, and skin progressively transformed into the rubber stuffing of a doll at a speed visible to the naked eye. His vision blurred¡­ His consciousness scattered¡­ He faintly saw Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo rushing towards him, they were calling, screaming, but he couldn¡¯t hear them¡­ He could only watch their mouths opening and closing. The conical knife piercing his chest was suddenly withdrawn. Then, it was violently thrust in again! Once! Twice! Thrice!!! Lun Ang¡¯s body almost split into two halves, his fingers finally let go¡ª Mary¡¯s head fell to the ground, and after rolling a few times, her face turned upwards, revealing a strange smile at him. It seemed to be mocking his overconfidence. ¡°Lun Ang!!!¡± Yan Qingwen screamed uncontrollably! The once sturdy and robust body toppled right before their eyes, weak and fragile, as if even a gust of wind could blow it away¡­ All around were sticky jelly and red-dyed cotton. And the metal skeleton he had once been, was slowly standing back up behind him. It had no head, and walked with the stumbling steps like a blind person, clumsily picking up its own head from the ground, attempting to return it to its neck. Shen Mo grabbed Yan Qingwen, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Yan Qingwen stood there blankly, staring at the doll remains on the ground, not moving. Shen Mo jerked him once, twice, forcibly dragging Yan Qingwen away! Not far away, Tan Xiao and Yu Yaqing came back to their senses and started running, but the gruesome manner of Lun Ang¡¯s death was imprinted deeply in each of their minds¡­ ¡­ Bai Youwei witnessed everything from the tower¡¯s top. She felt suffocated, as if an invisible hand was covering her mouth and nose; it was so uncomfortable that she could not breathe. Sitting slowly on the ground, she closed her eyes. Lun Ang was dead. So¡­they were still wrong. Even after decapitating Mary, they still couldn¡¯t kill her. Where is the mistake? What must they do in order to win? Her mind was in chaos, her thoughts entangled like a mess. She couldn¡¯t think clearly! What must they do to win?! How?!! Footsteps suddenly echoed, she opened her eyes and looked towards the stairs. Shen Fei was slowly walking up. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, wasn¡¯t Shen Fei supposed to stay downstairs? ¡°I heard Brother Yan¡¯s voice¡­¡± Shen Fei looked at her, hesitatingly asked, ¡°About Lun Ang, did he¡­¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyes, saying softly, ¡°See it for yourself.¡± Shen Fei hesitated for a moment, then walked to the railing to look towards the carousel. Mary had attached her head back. She did not seek revenge on the players but instead found her cat first, then took it back to the carousel, took out her needle and thread, and continued sewing the cat. Indeed, she was not in any hurry. Because these players were helpless against her, except awaiting death, they couldn¡¯t do anything. After ten minutes, Mary and her cat fell asleep again. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At this point, they had less than two hours left before the next nightfall. Actually, if they hurried, two hours was not short. A lot could be done in two hours, provided hope remained and courage as well. For them right now, the fate of Lun Ang was like a heavy blow, leaving them all dazed. The one only unaffected was probably Shen Mo. He calmly found a hiding spot, led the group into hiding, had Yu Yaqing and Tan Xiao look after Yan Qingwen, then left for the Clock Tower to bring back Shen Fei and Bai Youwei. ¡°Are we all hiding together now? Is that okay?¡± Shen Fei asked, feeling worried. ¡°It won¡¯t matter.¡± Bai Youwei leaned against the wall, speaking faintly, ¡°Mary is busy with her dolls. Tonight, she probably won¡¯t have time to come looking for us.¡± Everyone was silent. The moment to rest brought no relief to their hearts. In a low voice, Yu Yaqing asked, ¡°What should we do next?¡± Chapter 452: 452: Just Feel Noisy Chapter 452: Just Feel Noisy ¡ª¡ªWhat to do? Shen Fei and Yu Yaqing instinctively looked at Yan Qingwen. He always had numerous plans. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But right now, he couldn¡¯t think of any plans at all. He sat quietly against the wall. His head was dropped low and his hands were trembling slightly. Bai Youwei had never seen such a desolate side of Yan Qingwen as if he had reached the point of absolute despair¡­ Shen Mo glanced at everyone present, his eyes finally falling on Yan Qingwen, asking, ¡°Does Lun Ang have a puzzle piece?¡± Yan Qingwen closed his eyes and replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Lun Ang had a puzzle piece, but he didn¡¯t get a chance to use it, then¡­ Thinking about it made him feel so suffocated that it felt like a knot was tied in his throat, and he could not speak due to the pain. Shen Mo had always been calm. He turned his head to look at Yu Yaqing, asking, ¡°Do you have a puzzle piece?¡± Yu Yaqing gently shook her head. After considering for a while, Shen Mo said, ¡°We have to prepare for the worst. If we can¡¯t pass through, we must figure out how to evacuate. Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, Yan Qingwen and I all have puzzle pieces. Tomorrow we will find an opportunity to recover Lun Ang¡¯s puzzle piece for Yu Yaqing to use. In the meantime, I would come up with a way to prepare a puzzle piece for my brother.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him in surprise. Looking at her, Shen Mo calmly explained, ¡°We will just have to inconvenience Xiaoxin this time, using it as a temporary solution. We will make it up to him next time if we manage to clear the maze.¡± Pan Xiaoxin had also received a puzzle piece in the Snake Maze. Despite feeling guilty, Shen Mo had no other choice. He couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch his brother die. In a hoarse voice, Yan Qingwen said, ¡°You can use my puzzle piece. I¡¯m not going.¡± Hearing this, Shen Mo frowned, asking him, ¡°Do you realize what you are saying?¡± After hesitating for a while, Shen Fei quietly said, ¡°Brother Yan¡­ we know, you might not be able to accept it¡­ but Lun Ang would never want you to stake your life in the game if he were alive.¡± Yan Qingwen slowly shook his head, ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Raising his head, he looked at them, his eyes as still as a stagnant pool. ¡°If I leave here, then what happened today will forever remain here, and I won¡¯t be able to move past it. Can you understand that?¡± Even if he escaped, he was already dead. He had died in every previous second of Lun Ang¡¯s death! Everyone was silent and there was no sound. The loss of a comrade-in-arms, everyone more or less felt this pain. None of them were able to reassure each other, or knew what to say to comfort each other. After a while, Shen Mo said, ¡°Let¡¯s try it one more time then.¡± Everyone looked at him. Shen Fei hesitated, ¡°But¡­ doesn¡¯t decapitation not work?¡± ¡°Although it will not instantly kill Mary, it can still hinder her movements.¡± Shen Mo calmly said, ¡°If we can behead her once, we can do it again. We need to find a way to hide the head once it is severed. By getting rid of the threat, we can slowly figure out a way to clear the game.¡± As he spoke, he looked towards Yan Qingwen who was keeping his head down, ¡°After that, get some rest.¡± Yan Qingwen didn¡¯t respond, he just kept his head hung low. The remaining light outside painted a shadow on the wall, silent, veiled in (grief/loss), and lonely¡­ ¡­ The daytime was running out fast. Soon, it was night again. The lights turned on and music played. The outside world became excitedly noisy, bustling with noise. It seemed like mockery and derision, their spirits had sunk to an all-time low, but this amusement park insisted on creating an atmosphere of extreme fun. All they felt was irritation. Shen Mo took a short trip outside and came back to tell everyone, ¡°Mary collected many plush dolls again, she¡¯s sewing cloth cat dolls.¡± This indicated that they were safe for the evening. But it also implied¡­ Once Mary finished sewing the dolls, what awaited them the following evening would be an even more brutal game of¡­ hide and seek. Chapter 453: 453 It’s Noisy Around Chapter 453: It¡¯s Noisy Around Although Mary wasn¡¯t moving, they still couldn¡¯t go out. If the remaining dolls outside discovered them, they would still be attacked by Mary. So, they could only continue to wait. Waiting for daylight to come, to see if there might be a chance. While it was still safe, they seized the time to get some rest. They were in the projector room of a 4D cinema inside an amusement park. It was similar to a simple office, not too large, but enough to accommodate them. Bai Youwei was sitting quietly against the wall, her mind in turmoil. Though her body and mind were grossly exhausted, Lun Ang¡¯s death was like a knife stabbing her heart, the pain throbbing. She couldn¡¯t sleep no matter what. Everyone else was the same. Yu Yaqing, lost in thought, Tan Xiao in a daze, Shen Fei furrowing his brows¡­ Perhaps they weren¡¯t as badly affected as Yan Qingwen, but in the face of life or death, everyone needed some space to themselves. It was noisy all around. Outside, a chaotic animated film was playing. The electronic games room below was bustling and noisy. Shen Mo pulled her into his arms, gently patted her, calmly saying: ¡°Sleep.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes¡­ She didn¡¯t sleep well, waking intermittently, having numerous bizarre dreams. The fluctuating music kept disturbing her, making her even more restless. She adjusted her position in Shen Mo¡¯s arms. Shen Mo, who was resting with his eyes closed, opened them and asked her in a low voice: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too noisy¡­¡± Bai Youwei, leaning against him, said, ¡°It¡¯s so loud I can¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Shen Mo stated lightly, ¡°Amusement parks are noisy.¡± Those noises filled every corner, deafening, chaotic, so cheerful they were almost boiling over, like a wild, revelry feast. Shen Mo moved Bai Youwei closer, covered her ears with his hand, and said softly again: ¡°Sleep.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback, her heart gently trembled. Of course, covering her ears couldn¡¯t really block out the disturbing music, but his warm palm against her ear felt like a protective shield around her, warm, carrying a bit of weight, steadying her restless heart. She lowered her head, burying herself deeper into his chest. Although it was still noisy outside, she suddenly felt as if the world was peaceful¡­ ¡­ Time passed, second by second. After who knows how long, she heard the others whispering, the opening and closing of the door, and soft footsteps. Then she realized, she had really fallen asleep earlier. ¡°How long did I sleep?¡± Bai Youwei slowly straightened herself from Shen Mo¡¯s arms. ¡°Less than an hour.¡± Shen Mo said. Sitting diagonally from her, Yu Yaqing said: ¡°It¡¯s good to sleep for a while, to rejuvenate. The mind will be clearer. I want to sleep, but I can¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei rubbed her head, and said in jest: ¡°With all this noisy music everywhere, of course we can¡¯t sleep. No wonder Mary and Cat slept during the day. That song keeps playing in my head over and over, it¡¯s nauseating.¡± Yu Yaqing also chuckled lightly, ¡°This song sounds familiar, I think we learned it in kindergarten, but I don¡¯t remember what the lyrics were¡­¡± Bai Youwei, while listening to the music outside, discerned carefully, and slowly started singing: ¡°Everywhere that Mary went, She would bring along, her little doll, People met them everywhere, Mary and her merry doll¡­¡± As she singing, her expression grew solemn, as if she sensed something, she repeated: ¡°Mary and her merry doll¡­ Mary and her merry doll¡­ S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Her merry doll¡­¡± Chapter 454: 454: Mary and the Doll Chapter 454: Mary and the Doll Bai Youwei had sung so many times that everyone in the room was looking at her. Yan Qingwen furrowed his brows, reciting the lyrics as well: ¡°Mary and her merry doll¡­ Mary and her doll¡­¡± Yu Yaqing looked puzzled from Yan Qingwen to Bai Youwei, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this song?¡± ¡°From the lyrics, it¡¯s about Mary in the amusement park.¡± Shen Fei also carefully listened to the song, translating every word and sentence¡ª ¡°Wherever Mary goes, She always brings her doll, Wherever people see them, Mary and her doll are always together.¡± Shen Fei thought for a while, looked up at Yu Yaqing, ¡°If we only look at the lyrics, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any problem. Mary always brings her cloth doll, which is like her second pair of eyes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case¡­¡± Bai Youwei slowly shook her head, recalling the sparse clues from the beginning of the game, her face grew increasingly somber, ¡°Do you remember how the Inspector introduced the rules when we entered the game?¡± Everyone looked at each other. Yu Yaqing answered: ¡°When we entered the game, the Inspector said that hide-and-seek was Mary¡¯s favorite game. He told us to hide when night fell so as not to be found by Mary and her cat.¡± Bai Youwei said: ¡°Besides that, the Inspector also said¡­ Mary is so good at hide-and-seek that she has never been found.¡± She looked at Yu Yaqing, then at the others and asked: ¡°We have spent three days and three nights in the game, have you ever seen Mary hide?¡± No. Mary was always with the cat; she never hid! ¡°What does that mean?¡± Shen Fei was confused and couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious, ¡°Did the Inspector intentionally mislead us?¡± Bang! A sudden muffled noise. Yan Qingwen¡¯s fist heavily hit the wall, his voice breaking from the gritted teeth: ¡°The Inspector didn¡¯t mislead us¡­ on the contrary, he gave us hints!¡± ¡°What?¡± Shen Fei was even more confused. Shen Mo understood what Bai Youwei meant, his face also didn¡¯t look good as he said in a deep voice: ¡°The Mary we have been killing¡­ is not Mary, so no matter what¡­ we can¡¯t kill her.¡± Shen Fei was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t speak. Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened as he asked: ¡°We¡¯ve been killing all this time, and she¡¯s not Mary? Then who is Mary???¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and said the answer: ¡°It¡¯s her cloth doll!¡± Yu Yaqing, Shen Fei, and Tan Xiao were all stunned, standing there unable to react. While Yan Qingwen had already figured out the answer, his expression was filled with regret! If he could have thought of this earlier¡­ perhaps Lun Ang wouldn¡¯t have died! ¡°If the cat can be manipulated, why can¡¯t the little girl be manipulated?¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyes, continuing in a low voice, ¡°In fact, we all thought wrong, Mary controls the puppet cat, Mary also controls ¡®Mary¡¯! The target we have been killing is actually Mary¡¯s doll! That¡¯s why there¡¯s this song, repeatedly reminding us¡ª Wherever Mary goes, S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She always brings her doll, Wherever people see them, Mary and her doll are always together!¡± Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t help but stand up, ¡°The condition to complete the game is to kill Mary or Mary¡¯s cat! Even if we got Mary wrong, what about the cat? We still can¡¯t kill the cat!¡± Bai Youwei looked up at her, ¡°The cat¡­ must be killable, it might need decapitation or a shot to the heart, I don¡¯t know¡­ but it can definitely be killed, that¡¯s why Mary sewed the cat up first hand, so we wouldn¡¯t see the flaw.¡± Chapter 455: 455: Actually, It’s Very Easy Chapter 455: Actually, It¡¯s Very Easy Yu Yaqing fell back helplessly, feeling like she had been made the brunt of a cruel joke! She was furious! So many people died, and they hadn¡¯t even figured out who their target was supposed to be! She clenched her fists tightly, suppressing her boiling anger, and said through gritted teeth, ¡°No wonder¡­No wonder the first thing she did after the dummy cat caught fire, was to throw the doll off her body! It was to protect the real Mary!¡± Shen Fei also came back to his senses, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Even if we know the doll is the real Mary now, how can we kill her? She has been with fake Mary all this while.¡± The fake Mary has an immortal body. It was made of steel ¨C it could not be chopped off nor burned! It was also riding a giant ragdoll cat! S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. How could they kill Mary with these two obstacles? ¡°It¡¯s actually quite easy.¡± Shen Mo uttered, ¡°If we have a bow and arrow, we can assassinate her from afar.¡± ¡°But where can we find a bow and arrow?¡± Shen Fei blurted out. ¡°We have them.¡± Yan Qingwen stood up and declared in a deep voice, ¡°The bow and arrow are near the carousel, I¡¯ll get them now!¡± On the street north of the carousel, there was a long line of shooting game areas. It was quite a common prize game in amusement parks ¨C you win a prize if you hit the balloons or dolls. The arrows used in the game had rounded tips and weren¡¯t sharp, so nobody thought of using them against Mary or the cat. But if it was to shoot a ragdoll, these arrows were absolutely sufficient. Knowing that Yan Qingwen was going to kill Mary, Shen Mo reached out to grip his shoulder and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s all go together.¡± Bai Youwei looked at them, ¡°You two can¡¯t do this without support.¡± ¡°Yes, we should all go together.¡± Yu Yaqing clenched her fist, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know archery, I can support from the sidelines!¡± Tan Xiao also chimed in, ¡°Yeah! I can help you¡­uh, help distract their attention!¡± Shen Fei hesitated, then walked over, ¡°Bro¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Shen Mo calmly said, ¡°Yan Qingwen and I are just going to get the bow and arrows, to verify whether our guess is correct. In addition, even if we want to kill Mary, we certainly will wait until daylight. The night¡¯s vision is not in our favor.¡± As he spoke, he lightly looked at Yan Qingwen, ¡°What do you think, Yan Qingwen?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned towards Yan Qingwen. They all understood that Yan Qingwen probably wanted to immediately avenge his friend, he couldn¡¯t afford to wait a second longer! But as Shen Mo pointed out, the night put them at a significant disadvantage! Dolls serving as ¡°Observers¡± could lurk anywhere in the night. Coloured lights could affect their judgment of the target¡¯s position. Additionally, the ragdoll cat was always alert at night, not falling asleep frequently like during the day. Yan Qingwen understood all of these, but how many could remain calm and composed when rage swelled up in their hearts and hatred clouded their vision? He looked at the familiar and unfamiliar faces in front of him¡­ Lun Ang also appeared, trusting him completely in his hallucinations, and directly asked, ¡°Old Yan, what should we do next?¡± Yan Qingwen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, Lun Ang¡¯s figure had disappeared. He clenched his fist, his voice barely audible: ¡°¡­We will get the bow and arrows, and then, wait for daytime.¡± Everyone sighed in relief. Shen Mo patted Yan Qingwen¡¯s back, saying: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The two left the room one after another. Watching their backs, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but pray in her heart: Hope, everything goes well¡­ ¡­ Chapter 456: 456: Keep Calm Chapter 456: Keep Calm Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen headed towards the shooting location. Though the dolls they passed by were cleaned up, some seemed to move positions overnight, appearing unexpectedly at crossroads, behind trees, next to windows¡­ It wasn¡¯t long after they set out that their movements were witnessed by these dolls. Next, Mary detected them and sent the dolls to chase them, each mounted on a puppet cat ¡ª S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Since they had encountered them before, both Shen Mo and Yan Qingwen had an idea of their speed and strength. They maintained their composure, cooperating and grabbing a bow and arrow, planning to use nearby buildings as a cover to return to their hiding place and meet with the others. Festive lights sparkling on both sides of the street, the music getting louder. In the middle of the chase, Mary noticed their bow and arrow, and hesitated for a moment ¡ª whether it was the puppet cat or the doll on it, they both froze momentarily. After a moment of hesitation, it suddenly backed away! The puppet cat retreated a few steps, then swiftly turned around, carrying Mary and running in the opposite direction at an extremely high speed! The two men stopped, frowning at the retreating silhouette of the puppet cat, then looking at each other. Only two seconds passed before Yan Qingwen¡¯s face changed dramatically. He chased after them, ¡°Mary is trying to hide!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed even more, as he immediately followed! However, no matter how fast they were, they couldn¡¯t catch up to the huge yet agile puppet cat. They chased it all the way to Treasure Bay, where they finally lost the trail of Mary. Yan Qingwen wasn¡¯t willing to give up and searched around trying to find the direction in which the puppet cat had gone, but the lights were so dazzling that it caused the darkness to blur his vision. While he was searching for clues, the giant puppet cat leaped up from the dark and pounced on him! Yan Qingwen dodged to the side! Shen Mo swung his sword and slashed! The blade tore through the cotton cloth on the cat¡¯s paw. The overflowing cotton fluff, like rolling clouds, didn¡¯t hurt or itch the creature. It seemed like all their efforts were in vain! The two escaped from under the cat¡¯s paw, taking refuge in the kitchen of an island-themed restaurant. The cat kept meowing outside, seemingly knowing that they were hiding nearby and kept pacing around the restaurant. ¡°Mary is gone.¡± Yan Qingwen peered through the gap in the kitchen door, staring unblinkingly at the outside, ¡°Mary is hiding. She¡¯s in Treasure Bay!¡± ¡°We should go back first,¡± Shen Mo advised with a frown, ¡°The cat outside is too tricky. We should meet with the others first, and look for an opportunity when it¡¯s daylight.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Yan Qingwen flatly refused! Shen Mo was slightly startled, his face turning grave. Yan Qingwen seemed to perceive his own unpredictability, took a deep breath and, after a pause, explained: ¡°Once we leave, Mary will change her location again! The entire amusement park is so big, trying to find a single doll is like looking for a needle in a haystack! But now¡­ at least now, we know that Mary is in Treasure Bay! So we can¡¯t leave!¡± He took another deep breath, emphasizing to Shen Mo, ¡°We can make our move in the daylight, but for now, I can¡¯t leave!¡± Shen Mo also looked outside. The puppet cat couldn¡¯t find them and was reluctantly wandering nearby. Riding on the cat¡¯s neck was a metal skeleton doll; only its head resembled a human¡¯s. Its woolen hair was messy and tangled at the back of its head, and its pupils glowed faintly. This ¡°fake Mary¡± should have been carrying a cloth doll on its back, but now, it was gone. The real Mary was gone. Yan Qingwen stared outside, his tone firm, ¡°I can¡¯t leave here. This is our only chance to find Mary, Shen Mo¡­ you don¡¯t need to worry about me, I¡¯ll be patient until daylight.¡± Shen Mo glanced at him, his voice devoid of any emotion, ¡°You may want to wait until tomorrow, but they might not give you this opportunity. If Mary is indeed hiding here, she will definitely do everything she can to clear the park tonight. We two alone might find it difficult to handle it. You wait here, I¡¯ll go back and alert them.¡± Chapter 457: An Example Chapter 457: An Example Yan Qingwen had his own determination, something Shen Mo could not impose upon. Seeing the opportunity, Shen Mo managed to escape. Soon after, the doll and puppet cat located him. However, after he had put some distance between them, the puppet cat stopped chasing him, returning to the vicinity of the food street, continuing its search for Yan Qingwen. Apparently, Mary was very anxious about being found. Shen Mo took a distant glance, then retracted his gaze and turned to leave. Returning to their hideout, in just a few sentences, he briefed the others about the situation. Bai Youwei showed little surprise on hearing that Mary was in hiding. The name of this game was hide-and-seek. And now, the real game of hide-and-seek had begun. ¡°Yan Qingwen did the right thing; he must stay in Treasure Bay,¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°As long as the puppet cat cannot locate him, Mary will stay hidden due to fear, unable to change her location at will. We now need to hurry over and share the burden with him, guarding all exits from Treasure Bay.¡± Shen Fei fetched a map and laid it out for everyone to see: ¡°In terms of size, Treasure Bay is the second largest park, just after Fairy Tale Kingdom, mainly divided into five attractions ¡ª The Lost Ghost Ship, the Mysterious Crystal Tower, the Sea Monster Food Street, Treasure Bay Theater, and the Jungle Adventure. All five settings would take a significant amount of time to search. The Sea Monster Food Street houses several restaurants offering both Western and Chinese cuisines; the Jungle Adventure is filled with countless climbing pipes and ropes. And then there¡¯s the Crystal Tower, the Theater, and the Ghost Ship. Mary could be hiding in any of these five attractions.¡± Shen Mo pointed to the position of the food street on the map, ¡°We were here when we lost track of Mary. So, we can rule out the food street. The Jungle Adventure and Treasure Bay Theater, the attractions nearest to the food street, are her most likely hiding spots.¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°It could be a diversion, hence the ambush at the food street.¡± Shen Mo frowned, deep in thought, ¡°¡­So, our priority now is to narrow down the search area.¡± ¡°But how?¡± Shen Fei asked anxiously, ¡°If Mary¡¯s doll and cat don¡¯t leave Treasure Bay, we can¡¯t get close. It¡¯s even more impossible to search each place one by one!¡± Hearing this, YU Yaqing also looked grave: ¡°Also, once we find Mary, her doll and puppet cat will definitely come to rescue her, and we aren¡¯t a match for them.¡± Everyone fell silent. Shen Mo looked at the group. After a long pause, he said, ¡°Regardless, we must make our way to Treasure Bay as soon as possible. As long as we last till dawn, our chances of winning will greatly improve.¡± Yu Yaqing bit her lip and nodded, ¡°Right, this is our chance. We have to seize it.¡± Just as everyone was about to set off, Bai Youwei suddenly said, ¡°I might have a plan¡­.¡± All eyes were on her. ¡°But there¡¯s substantial risk,¡± Bai Youwei cautioned as everyone looked intently at her, ¡°We may not know where Mary is hiding, but don¡¯t forget that her doll and cat do. If we make separate attempts at each attraction, we¡¯ll definitely find her.¡± Yu Yaqing gave it some serious thought, ¡°I see what you mean¡­ if Mary is hiding on the Ghost Ship, then when we split up to search the Ghost Ship and the Food Street, the doll and the cat will definitely prioritize attacking those searching the Ghost Ship. As feasible as this plan sounds, we need to ensure timely communication for it to work. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be ineffective.¡± Here is an example: Bai Youwei is searching for Mary on the food street while Shen Mo is searching for her on the Ghost ship. If Shen Mo is first attacked, he will be unable to determine if the cat attacked him first; Bai Youwei, unaware of the situation on the Ghost Ship, equally can¡¯t infer if Mary is there. Or consider this extreme example: Shen Mo is killed on the Ghost Ship! Even if he saw Mary, a dead person can¡¯t relay the information! Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 458: The Cat Arrives Chapter 458: The Cat Arrives So, for Bai Youwei¡¯s method to work, it requires a basis: real-time information transmission! Shen Mo said: ¡°We can use walkie-talkies.¡± ¡°Walkie-talkies?!¡± Shen Fei was shocked, ¡°But¡­ but walkie-talkies need electricity.¡± Yu Yaqing was also stunned for a moment, then reacted, his face lit up with excitement! ¡°We have electricity! It¡¯s night time at the amusement park. The walkie-talkies can be used!¡± There were many walkie-talkies in the amusement park! Not only the security room had them, but every amusement facilities¡¯ operation room also had walkie-talkies! With the biggest problem solved, the group immediately set off for Treasure Bay¨C Yu Yaqing and Tan Xiao took a detour from the west to Treasure Bay, Shen Mo entered Treasure Bay from the south to join Yan Qingwen, Bai Youwei and Shen Fei, who were the weakest in action, so they stayed at the outskirts of Treasure Bay. They went quickly, and Yu Yaqing¡¯s voice came from the walkie-talkie: ¡°We¡¯ve arrived! We found the target wandering around the Ghost Ship. Mary is likely on the Ghost Ship¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei spread out a map on the bench, and sternly stated: ¡°That¡¯s not right, Mary isn¡¯t on the Ghost Ship! The doll and cat are prowling near the Ghost Ship probably to deceive us! The space under the ship is too narrow for the cat to enter, but the entire ship is movable. Once it lures us all in, the cat would crash the ship into the lake!¡± The Ghost Ship appeared to be even more dilapidated than the previous pirate ship, and it would sink much faster once it hit the water! S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Over the walkie-talkie, Bai Youwei heard Tan Xiao cursing on the other end. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you guys just observe the doll and the cat.¡± Bai Youwei said as she stared at the amusement park map, her voice unusually calm, ¡°Even though they¡¯re guarding the Ghost Ship, they will always be watching to see if Mary¡¯s hiding place is safe. Just look at their eyes, wherever they look at the most, that¡¯s where Mary is hiding!¡± The other end of the walkie-talkie went quiet. Shen Fei, who had been with Bai Youwei all this time, couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. When a thief breaks into a house, the first thing people do when they come home is to check on their valuables. This basic principle that Bai Youwei mentioned might not necessarily occur to everyone. The location where Mary is hiding would certainly garner more attention from the doll and the stuffed cat! Even if they pretend to ignore it, their eyes cannot conceal it! They waited for two to three minutes. ¡°From the time of the conversation just now, until the present¡­Mary looked southeast five times, northwest three times, northeast, nine times¡­¡± Yu Yaqing secretly replied over the walkie-talkie. Shen Fei looked at the map. To the northeast of the Ghost Ship, there were two attractions, the Treasure Bay Theater and the Mysterious Crystal Tower. ¡°Both places are possible.¡± Shen Fei looked up at Bai Youwei,¡±What should we do next to test?¡± Bai Youwei held the walkie-talkie, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°Yu Yaqing, go to the theater; Shen Mo, go to the Crystal Tower; Tan Xiao, wait for them to leave for three minutes, then go to the Ghost Ship.¡± The voice of Tan Xiao immediately resounded in the walkie-talkie: ¡°Why do I have to go to the Ghost Ship? Didn¡¯t we say the Ghost Ship was a front?!¡± Bai Youwei scrunched up her eyebrows: ¡°Of course, it¡¯s just a precaution, the Ghost Ship must have someone.¡± What if Mary was really hiding on the Ghost Ship? ¡°Oh¡­ brilliant indeed!¡± replied Tan Xiao. Shen Fei doubted whether he actually understood or not. But it didn¡¯t matter whether he understood or not, as long as he could follow the instructions. On the other end of the walkie-talkie, all was quiet, everyone was heading toward their respective destinations. Shen Fei found a tree nearby, managed to climb up on it, stood on a branch to look around and saw a dark shadow heading north from the direction of the Ghost Ship. The cat had indeed left the Ghost Ship! However, from Shen Fei¡¯s position, distance, and angle, he couldn¡¯t tell whether the cat¡¯s destination was the theater or the Crystal Tower. A moment later, Shen Mo¡¯s voice came through the walkie-talkie: ¡°The cat is here.¡± Chapter 459: 459 The Cat Left Chapter 459: The Cat Left The cat, it first went to Shen Mo! S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart lifted instantly, telling those on the other end, ¡°Avoid a head-on conflict, find a place to hide!¡­ Yu Yaqing, can you hear me? Get out of the theater now and head to the Ghost Ship to rendezvous with Tan Xiao!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Yu Yaqing¡¯s response was short and swift, followed by silence. Shen Fei asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Why send her to the Ghost Ship?¡± Why not let Yu Yaqing meet Shen Mo at the Crystal Tower? Wouldn¡¯t the two of them together be more secure in dealing with the puppet cat? If this were earlier, he would probably have challenged Bai Youwei instantly, but now, he instinctively felt that Bai Youwei must have a reason. ¡°When I get a chance, I¡¯ll have to buy you a copy of ¡®One Hundred Thousand Whys¡¯,¡± Bai Youwei, looking at the map, coldly explained, ¡°Sending Yu Yaqing back to the Ghost Ship is because I can¡¯t let Mary think she¡¯s been discovered. I have to make Mary think that our real target is the Ghost Ship, not the Crystal Tower.¡± She paused for a moment, lifted her head to look directly at Shen Fei, and asked, ¡°Imagine, if you were Mary, what would you do now? Go to the Ghost Ship, or go to the Crystal Tower?¡± Shen Fei thought seriously, ¡°If I were Mary¡­¡± If he were Mary¡­ Weak, helpless, pitiful Mary who could only protect herself by controlling the dolls. Faced with a group of players determined to win, Mary cautiously hid in the Crystal Tower, letting the doll and puppet cat guard near the Ghost Ship, misleading players into thinking she was on the Ghost Ship. But what Mary didn¡¯t anticipate was that someone would suddenly break into the Crystal Tower. In a panic, Mary called the doll and cat over, wanting to kill or drive away the intruder, for fear of exposing her location. However, the intruder hid, and meanwhile, two players arrived one after another at the Ghost Ship. What was she to do? If she ignored the Ghost Ship, the players would definitely suspect that Mary wasn¡¯t there! Therefore, even if only for appearance¡¯s sake, Mary had to send the doll and puppet cat to the Ghost Ship! Understanding all this, Shen Fei became perplexed, muttering to himself, ¡°When players appear in both the theater and the Crystal Tower, the first place Mary attacks is where she is most nervous and worried about exposure!¡± ¡°The cat is here!¡± There¡¯s a sudden loud bang from the transceiver, accompanied by Yu Yaqing¡¯s shout! Bai Youwei responded quickly, ¡°Shen Mo! Keep searching the Crystal Tower! As soon as the cat leaves the Ghost Ship, make your way from the Crystal Tower to the Treasure Bay Theater! Then retreat from the theater to the Ghost Ship! We must make Mary believe that our target is the Ghost Ship! The Ghost Ship!¡± Turbulent sounds got louder from the transceiver! No one knew what was happening, followed by several shouts in a row! Bai Youwei became flustered and desperate, gripping the transceiver, persistently asking, ¡°What happened?! What¡¯s the situation over there?!¡± There¡¯s more chaos from the transceiver! After a while, Yu Yaqing, panting, answered, ¡°No problem¡­it¡¯s Tan Xiao, Tan Xiao just fell into the lake, he¡¯s alright, but his transceiver is broken.¡± Pausing for a moment, she added, ¡°The cat has left.¡± The puppet cat headed towards the Crystal Tower. Shen Fei looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Mary must be in the Crystal Tower! Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for the doll and puppet cat to let Tan Xiao and Yu Yaqing off the hook! But the Crystal Tower has seven floors. Even if we know Mary is inside, it will take some time to find her! What do we do now?¡± He was burning with impatience, his brain hard at work: ¡°Should we hide and wait until daylight? But if we hide, won¡¯t Mary take the chance to slip off somewhere else while we can¡¯t see?¡± Or¡­ should we stay nearby and keep our eyes on that puppet cat? ¡­No, that won¡¯t work, it¡¯s been running around all night, wanting to wipe us all out! It won¡¯t let us live peacefully until the day comes! This kind of chase won¡¯t last long before everyone is too exhausted to carry on!¡± Chapter 460: 460: Why Is That? Chapter 460: Why Is That? Bai Youwei was annoyed by his rambling, ¡°Shut up!¡± Shen Fei was still panicking: ¡°Or should we use fire? ¡­ No, starting a fire would take time, and not many items inside the Crystal Tower can easily burn, it¡¯s hard to start a fire¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!!!¡± Bai Youwei shouted irritably. Shen Fei started, standing frozen on the spot, staring blankly at her. Bai Youwei roughly grabbed his hand, shoved a lighter into it, and ordered, ¡°Go to the jungle adventure side and start a fire. The bigger the fire, the better!¡± Shen Fei was stupefied. Why the jungle adventure side? ¡ª If it¡¯s about dealing with Mary, the Crystal Tower should be chosen; ¡ª If it¡¯s about dealing with the puppet cat, the Ghost Ship should be chosen! Why the jungle adventure?! But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look at him anymore. She picked up the walkie-talkie and spoke quickly: ¡°I¡¯m off to the Crystal Tower now, you guys buy me some time! I¡¯m not very mobile, Mary won¡¯t rush to deal with me. What she wants most right now is to kill everyone before day arrives! So, you don¡¯t need to worry about my safety. Just try to distance yourselves as far as possible! The further the doll and the cat are from the Crystal Tower, the better!¡± After finishing speaking, she turned around to find Shen Fei still there. She immediately widened her eyes and asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone yet?!¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Fei stuttered: ¡°Why¡­why we should go to the jungle and start a fire¡­¡± ¡°Are you some alien baby?!¡± Bai Youwei said irritably, ¡°Your injury hasn¡¯t healed, you can¡¯t run or jump, and can¡¯t trick the cat or the doll like others. Of course you can only distract Mary by starting a fire!¡± Shen Fei¡¯s face turned red, ¡°What baby? That¡¯s a bit too much¡­¡± ¡°What are you blushing for?¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. She pushed him twice, ¡°Hurry up and go!¡± She packed up the map herself, wheeled towards the Crystal Tower, and didn¡¯t pay any more attention to Shen Fei. Shen Fei hesitated on spot, he really wanted to catch up with her and ask: If distractions were needed, wouldn¡¯t it be better to set fire to the grand theatre instead? Why does it have to be the jungle adventure? Why? Why? He remembered Bai Youwei scolding him as ¡°alien baby¡±¡­ With an embarrassed bow of his head, Shen Fei hastily headed for the jungle adventure. ¡­ Bai Youwei safely made her way to the Mysterious Crystal Tower. Although the wheelchair wasn¡¯t too slow, once inside the Crystal Tower, there were upward spiraling stairs which required her to leave the wheelchair. And she did not have a crutch. The crutch had been lost somewhere long ago, and if she wanted to get up, she had only her less-than-reliable legs to rely on and would have to climb up the banister step by step. Even Mary probably hadn¡¯t made a move against her because of this. Bai Youwei studied her surroundings while pulling out her walkie-talkie. ¡°I¡¯m at the Crystal Tower now. There are many crystal ornaments and some cartoon pirate sculptures here. Mary might be hiding at the top. I am now going up. How is the situation on your end?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m starting the fire. It¡¯s almost¡­done¡­¡± Shen Fei¡¯s halting voice transmitted over. Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you, where¡¯s your brother?!¡± After a while, Shen Mo¡¯s voice came from the walkie-talkie: ¡°Yu Yaqing and I are in the Ghost Ship. The Puppet Cat is smashing against the ship, trying to knock us into the lake.¡± His voice was calm, without a trace of panic. If she hadn¡¯t heard the puppet cat¡¯s banging noises, she would find it hard to imagine that he was in danger. Bai Youwei raised her head, looking upward along the staircase and took a deep breath. ¡°Everyone, hold off the doll and the cat for me, ten minutes.¡± She looked up towards the top of the tower, ¡°In ten minutes, we will definitely win.¡± Chapter 461: 461: Ten Minutes Chapter 461: Ten Minutes Boom!!! With the violent impact, the ship shuddered! Yu Yaqing clung to the door frame, telling Shen Mo: ¡°This ship won¡¯t hold out much longer! At most, after three more hits, the ship will flip into the lake!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Shen Mo retreated outwards, taking advantage of the time interval between attacks, with Yu Yaqing quickly following him. A doll-sized cat was outside furiously battering the Ghost Ship! The dense wooden hull was brutally smashed, causing a massive hole, and timber shards were splattering everywhere! As soon as it saw Shen Mo and Yu Yaqing coming out of the ship, it immediately stepped back, before running forward and hitting the ship¡¯s hull even harder! Another bang! The entire ship groaned, tilting to one side, and then causing huge waves! Shen Mo and Yu Yaqing leaped into these waves, barely landing ashore. Before they could steady themselves, a doll riding the cat pounced on them! Shen Mo and Yu Yaqing did not confront them head-on, but battled while retreating, retreating towards the jungle, trying to lure the doll and the stuffed cat further away from the Crystal Tower, buying more time for Bai Youwei. The stuffed cat was mammoth in size, large-headed and fat-tailed, with sturdy limbs, and each pounce brought a seismic shake. This was what made it terrifying, but it was also it¡¯s weak point¡ª it couldn¡¯t enter narrow rooms or passages! As long as Shen Mo and Yu Yaqing didn¡¯t venture into those flatter, unobstructed areas, the various shaped buildings in the amusement park alone would suffice to dodge this cat. They retreated all the way from the Ghost Ship to the food street. A row of similar-looking restaurants would suffice¡ª jumping into a window, the cat couldn¡¯t do a thing to them, it could only vent its anger by stomping furiously on the rooftop! Sweat started to appear on Shen Mo¡¯s face. Yu Yaqing¡¯s stamina was also hugely depleted, with sweat dampening his back. Just as they had retreated to the last building on the food street, the attacks from the stuffed cat subsided, as if it was tired of this game of cat and mouse. The doll sitting on the cat¡¯s back frequently looked back, gazing in the direction of the Crystal Tower. Seeing this, Shen Mo felt a sense of dread. He no longer deliberately evaded, but rushed out of the building and stabbed at the stuffed cat with his sword, trying to reignite its anger! Yu Yaqing also followed, cooperating with Shen Mo to attack the doll and the cat, even though they both knew deep inside that such minor injuries wouldn¡¯t affect the stuffed cat at all. The stuffed cat meowed and lifted its front paw to pounce hard once! Yu Yaqing and Shen Mo both rolled to the side to evade. To their surprise, the cat didn¡¯t attack again, instead it turned around and ran towards the Crystal Tower, as if the last pounce was just to scare them off! ¡°How many minutes has it been?¡± Yu Yaqing asked. ¡°Six minutes.¡± Shen Mo started chasing after it again. Bai Youwei wanted them to delay for ten minutes, now only four minutes were left! With the speed of the stuffed cat, it only needed half a minute to run from here to the Crystal Tower! ¡°Mo, I found what you¡¯re looking for!!!¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s voice suddenly came. At the crossroad not far away, Tan Xiao was running like a madman! He had a bundle of ropes on his shoulder, both thick and heavy. That was the lasso Yan Qingwen and Lun Ang had previously made! Reinforced with wire, then cut by the doll, now it¡¯s back in Shen Mo¡¯s hands. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo quickly retied the rope, threw one to Yu Yaqing, kept one in his hand, ran quickly for some distance, then jumped up behind the running stuffed cat, throwing out the rope in mid-air! He lassoed the running stuffed cat! The huge dragging force directly pulled Shen Mo down, dragging him along the ground! Tan Xiao fell behind him, grabbing the end of the rope, then wrapping it around a street light! Squeak¡ª- The street lamp bent and cracked from the pulling! The stuffed cat also stopped because of this, the rope was pulled taut! Chapter 462: 462: The Last Minute Chapter 462: The Last Minute ¡°Meow!!!¡± The cat trapped in the rope howled in agitation. At the same time, Yu Yaqing caught up from behind, throwing another loop of rope, trapping the doll attached to the cat! The doll was caught unprepared and tumbled onto the ground with a thud! ¡°Seven minutes!¡± exclaimed Shen Mo. Upon hearing these words, Yu Yaqing tugged on the rope even harder, practically using every ounce of her strength! She ran in the opposite direction to the ragdoll cat, dragging the doll behind her! The doll, enraged, raised its arm wielding the cone-shaped dagger, and fiercely cut down! The rope snapped! Yu Yaqing, losing her grip, instantly collapsed! ¡°Stop!!!¡± She got up, unwilling to give up and lunged forward, once again holding onto the severed rope attached to the doll, pulling it back with all her might! She couldn¡¯t let the doll get close to the cat! And she definitely couldn¡¯t let the doll get close to the Crystal Tower! Only three more minutes and this damn game would be over! The doll stumbled on the ground, angrily cut the rope once again with a backhand movement, and fiercely stabbed towards Yu Yaqing! Exhausted, Yu Yaqing¡¯s evasion was not quick enough, her arm was instantly cut open, leaving a long gash. However, the doll didn¡¯t continue its attack, it seemed to realize that something had happened at the Crystal Tower and, without any delay, it turned to sprint towards the Crystal Tower! ¡°Eight minutes!¡± Yu Yaqing gritted her teeth, and gave chase once more. On the other side, the ragdoll cat was struggling even more! It seemed anxious to chase after the doll. Its claws were scratching, its head was shaking, and its long tail was swinging, it almost uprooted the fragile utility pole! Shen Mo and Tan Xiao were having a hard time holding it off and they both had retreated to the side of the road. Bang! Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The ragdoll cat finally broke the rope! Tan Xiao jumped out to block its path, but was pinned to the ground with one swipe! A huge pressure hit him! Tan Xiao suddenly tasted iron in his throat, as if his internal organs were about to be crushed! Before he could react, he heard Shen Mo yelling at him: ¡°Tan Xiao!!!¡± Tan Xiao, frightened, opened his eyes wide! He saw the ragdoll cat¡¯s movements slow down. Because it was too far from the doll, it lost control and its massive body was falling towards him, as heavy as Mount Tai! Bang!!! The ragdoll cat thumped to the ground, raising dust that completely obscured Tan Xiao¡¯s figure. Shen Mo ran up quickly, lifted the cat¡¯s paw with all his strength, and saw no one beneath it¡ªa sigh of relief escaped his lips¡ª Tan Xiao wasn¡¯t there. He must have used the puzzle piece to escape. Now was no time for relief, the doll and Yu Yaqing were already heading towards the Crystal Tower. Shen Mo picked up his sword and gave chase once more. ¡­ But the doll didn¡¯t run as fast as the ragdoll cat, and was soon caught up by Yu Yaqing. It swung its cone-shaped dagger randomly a few times and dashed forward. Johnson stuck to it like glue! The doll, annoyed, once again turned to stab at Yu Yaqing. ¡°You¡¯re annoying as hell, woman! Die!!!¡± This time, Yu Yaqing couldn¡¯t avoid it. Her body had already reached its exhaustion limit, and she was only able to hold onto the piece of severed rope on the doll¡¯s body by sheer willpower. Unable to dodge, she was instantly stabbed in the chest by the cone-shaped dagger! There was a sudden ringing in her ears. She looked at the doll¡¯s ferocious face, then down at her hand clutching the rope¡­ She couldn¡¯t let go. Just one more minute¡­ The final minute¡­ Whoosh! The dagger was pulled out, and the doll, in a frantic rage, stabbed her again! ¡°Let go! Let go!!!¡± Yu Yaqing¡¯s world spun. The doll, furious, stomped its feet and stabbed her over and over again! All the while making her look like a blood-soaked person. Then, with a swift pull of the dagger, it broke free and ran away! Yu Yaqing¡¯s body, slowly, softly, collapsed¡­ Chapter 463: 463: Top of the Crystal Tower Chapter 463: Top of the Crystal Tower She saw jelly-like blood gushing out of her body, a numbing weakness at the wounds, feeling no pain¡­ ¡°Yu Yaqing!¡± Shen Mo hurried to help her up as he arrived. Shen Mo¡¯s calls to her sounded fuzzy, as if her ears had turned into cotton. Shen Mo used mud to treat her, but there were only three uses of it left. Yu Yaqing had over ten wounds in her body. As they treated one, others continued to bleed out bright red jelly-like blood. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ waste¡­ supplies¡­¡± Yu Yaqing grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s arm, forcing out words from her throat: ¡°¡­how¡­ long¡­ has it been?¡± A dull pain clenched Shen Mo¡¯s heart. He looked in the direction of the Crystal Tower and said, ¡°Ten minutes. Yu Yaqing, we¡¯re going to win.¡± ¡°Shen Mo¡­you¡­tell Bai Youwei¡­¡± Her voice was growing fainter and fainter. Shen Mo bent down, listening closely as she whispered: ¡°Tell Bai Youwei¡­ she must¡­ win, win till the end.¡± Shen Mo gritted his teeth and replied: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell her.¡± ¡­ The Crystal Tower¡ª The spiral staircase led to a dead end. There was no way forward. The top of the Crystal Tower was different from the rest. The seventh floor was designed like a giant Crystal Stone, therefore it was entirely made of glass. This meant that the visitors could directly see the sixth floor from there. But now, the glass floor of the seventh floor was gone. Including the staircase that was built on the glass floor, it was all destroyed. Now, where Bai Youwei was, the sixth floor, the floor was covered with shards of glass of all sizes. Even though she was careful, she couldn¡¯t avoid getting cut. She raised her head to look at the doll on the top of the tower. It was sitting atop the mysterious Crystal Stone in the center of the seventh floor. The ¡®mysterious Crystal Stone¡¯ was not mysterious at all, just an artificially crafted sculpture hung there to give a sense of achievement and pleasure to the children who reached the top. They could take pictures, buy souvenirs, or make a wish on the Crystal Stone. The small doll sat there, with its golden yarn hair, pink cotton dress, a flat face with a pair of dark glass bead eyes, and a curved mouth stitched with thin threads. Through the glass, the doll looked at the blazing fire in the ¡°Jungle Adventure¡± direction and said slowly: ¡°Oh, all that fire burned were some trees. I thought the fire would spread over here. I was so scared that I kept watching.¡± Its voice was as sweet as a baby, but it carried a heavy tone of mockery. Bai Youwei asked it, ¡°Are you Mary?¡± It looked down at Bai Youwei, ¡°Surprise, surprise~ Aren¡¯t you lame? Yet here you are. Quite unexpected, huh! But even if you made it here, what good will it do?¡± It laughed. ¡°What good will it do? After all the trouble to get here, only to find there¡¯s no way forward, how would that feel? Oh la la~ Just thinking about it makes me want to laugh. Ha-ha-ha-ha~¡± The laughter suddenly stopped. As if mood-swinging, it cursed suddenly: ¡°You think, just by keeping my doll and cat busy, you could kill me? You bastards! Bloody bastards! You all deserve to die! In tonight¡¯s game of hide and seek, I¡¯ll make sure none of you survives! None!!!¡± Bai Youwei took out the rabbit. Mary began laughing again¡ª ¡°Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! Have you gone mad from anger? Or have you become stupid? How are you going to electrocute me? Don¡¯t you know that glass is an insulator? And there are conditions to use that item of yours, right? Only effective within 2 or 3 meters? Are you going to throw it here? Can you throw that high? Why don¡¯t you jump up here yourself? Oh¡­ I forgot, you¡¯re lame, you can¡¯t jump. Ha-ha-ha-ha!!!¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 464: 464 Long Time No See Chapter 464: Long Time No See Mary was spewing the vilest words, incessantly insulting, cursing, ridiculing, and mocking! It was standing on the Crystal Stone, its tiny body towering over everything else, utterly arrogant! ¡°You lot of filthy rats! You all deserve to die!!! Those who cannot find me will die sooner or later! Even those who find me will die! You will die!!!¡± The sounds of metal clashing, mixed with the rustle of footsteps, rose from below. Mary let out a ¡°huh¡± and sneered, ¡°You actually made it this far, pretty impressive. But even if you are impressive, it ends here.¡± It laughed wickedly and ominously, ¡°Because as long as I am alive, my dolls will never die!¡± ¡ª Dolls wouldn¡¯t tire, wouldn¡¯t feel drowsy, wouldn¡¯t feel hungry, and they wouldn¡¯t possess a vulnerable and sensitive heart like humans. As long as Mary was alive, her dolls would fight forever! Shen Mo was just an ordinary person after all, no matter how strong he was, how long could he last? The sounds of fighting grew closer, even if she couldn¡¯t see what was happening below, Bai Youwei knew that Shen Mo was gradually being worn out. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the dolls caught up to her and killed her. Bai Youwei silently put down her stuffed bunny. As the stuffed bunny¡¯s fluffy hands touched the ground, a blue-purple current started to spread. The Mary sitting on the Crystal Stone became startled and mocked, ¡°Hey! Can¡¯t you think of anything else, so you¡¯re desperately trying anything? I¡¯ve already said it, glass is an insulator! This Crystal Stone is also an insulator! You can¡¯t electrocute me!¡± Bai Youwei raised an eyebrow but remained silent. ¡°Hey! Have you gone mute? I¡¯ve already told you, it¡¯s useless! Useless!¡± Mary shrieked in her childlike, shrill voice. However, Bai Youwei seemed to ignore her, and ordered her bunny in a low voice, ¡°Increase the electric output.¡± Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The sizzling sound of electricity became even louder. A creaking sound echoed from the surrounding glass walls. Mary, suspicious, couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Bai Youwei was plotting something. She nervously glanced around, not understanding what was going on. ¡°Hey! What the hell are you up to?¡± Mary demanded. Bai Youwei ignored her and simply continued to order her bunny, ¡°Increase the electric output further.¡± ¡°No matter how much you increase it, it won¡¯t work!¡± Mary shouted irritably, ¡°Even a hundred-fold increase won¡¯t work! Even if you hit me with it, it won¡¯t work! I¡¯m a cloth doll! I¡¯m not afraid of electricity! I¡¯m not afraid¡­ Ahhhhh!¡± Bang! All of the surrounding glass expl*ded! Mary screamed sharply in surprise! It clung to the Crystal Stone, trembling, surrounded by the sounds of expl*sions and shattering glass. Finally, when the sound ceased, it raised its startled head to look around, only to find that all the glass walls in the tower had been shattered! There were none left! The tower had been reduced to nothing but an empty framework! The electricity had caused extremely high temperatures and caused the metal frame around the glass to twist and warp. The distortion led to the upper layer of the glass being squeezed and shattering! Looking back at Bai Youwei on the ground below, Mary shouted in anger, ¡°You¡¯re so cruel, you wicked woman! Are you trying to scare me to death? I¡¯m telling you! Your tricks are useless against me! My dolls will arrive soon, and by then, none of you will be alive! None of you will be left alive!¡± Bai Youwei looked up at her, her lips curving into a mocking smile. Mary was furious, ¡°What are you laughing at? What are you laughing at?! Do you realize your doom is upon you?! You won¡¯t be laughing soon!!!¡± Bai Youwei squinted her eyes and smiled, ¡°Look, with the glass gone, isn¡¯t the view outside much prettier?¡± Mary looked up, ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? So what if the jungle adventure has turned into a bonfire, you think I¡¯d be scared? Hmph¡­¡± Thud! An arrow suddenly shot at her! It pierced through Mary¡¯s cloth body in an instant! With the impact, Mary¡¯s body fell straight down¡ª It couldn¡¯t believe what had happened, it struggled to turn its head in the air, and saw a man standing on the roof of the theater on the other side. The man held his shooting stance, his eyes cold as ice, he said softly, ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been waiting.¡± Chapter 465: 465: The Best Prop Chapter 465: The Best Prop Mary fell with a clatter into a blanket of shattered glass. Almost instantly, the lights of the entire amusement park went out. The rollercoaster stopped running, the carousel stopped spinning, and the Ferris wheel stood still. Even the puppets fell silent. The music faded away. The world plunged into darkness. Bai Youwei looked outside, Yan Qingwen stood amidst the darkness, strikingly calm and silent, akin to a statue. She finally relaxed genuinely, her knees buckled, and she propped herself up on the stair railings and knelt down. ¡°Sorry, it took a while to find the shooting spot,¡± Yan Qingwen said. His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but the amusement park was so quiet, so quiet that even though they were distant, Bai Youwei heard him clearly. She made a bitter smile, lowered her head, and her cheek¡¯s sweat fell on the ground. She whispered softly, ¡°Finally¡­if it was any later, I really couldn¡¯t hold on.¡± Not far away, the bunny approached slowly, its fluffy head rested on her knee, staying still, seemingly also exhausted. Bai Youwei picked it up and stroked it. Well¡­it was almost out of energy, indeed a tough job. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei cradled the bunny and rested quietly. There were distinct footsteps from below the stairs. She didn¡¯t turn around until a warm pair of hands, slightly damp from sweat, embraced her and progressively lifted her. The familiar warm embrace eased her, giving her a sense of returning home. Even if the man was sweaty, bloody, and covered in dirt, he could always bring her a sense of security. Bai Youwei leaned against Shen Mo¡¯s chest, closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and asked, ¡°Where are the others?¡± Shen Mo, cradling her, descended the stairs and answered softly, ¡°Tan Xiao is injured, he left.¡± Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°What about Yu Yaqing?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s steps momentarily hitched, then resumed. He continued moving downward and answered, ¡°¡­she had an accident.¡± Upon hearing the news, Bai Youwei froze, ¡°She¡¯s dead?¡± Shen Mo acknowledged with a faint ¡®mmhmm¡¯. The two remained silent, the only sound in the winding stairs was their footsteps, one following another. After a while, Bai Youwei asked him again, ¡°Did it hurt when she died?¡± Shen Mo stopped and looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°It didn¡¯t. When she died¡­she didn¡¯t suffer much.¡± Upon hearing that, Bai Youwei nodded her slightly dazed head, whispering, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡­ The two exited the Crystal Tower to see Yan Qingwen and Shen Fei waiting for them outside. Further away, the Inspector was slowly making his way towards them¡ª ¡°Congratulations, you have cleared this game.¡± Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Shen Fei, Yan Qingwen. The Rabbit¡¯s gaze swept over each of their faces as it spoke warmly, ¡°You all performed even better than I imagined. Doll Games is always generous to its victors. You will receive the best rewards in history.¡± ¡°The best reward?¡± Yan Qingwen ridiculed sharply. Shen Mo responded indifferently, ¡°So many people have died unless they can be revived from death, I don¡¯t think any reward can be considered the ¡®best¡¯.¡± The Rabbit chuckled softly, ¡°The reward that allows one to resurrect indeed exists, but it¡¯s not in my games.¡± When it finished its sentence, all four people present were stunned. A reward that allows one to resurrect from death? Did such a thing truly exist in the world?! Yan Qingwen asked anxiously, ¡°Where is this game you speak of? Which game do we need to enter to receive such a reward?¡± The Rabbit answered, ¡°There are 7124 Doll Games in total. After the initial trial run, 3361 games were shut down due to irreparable glitches, 2156 were shut down due to overly homogenous data, 1092 were shut down because the clearance rate was lower than 0.01%, and 343 were shut down because the clearance rate was higher than 10%. Only the remaining 172 games are running normally. The game that has the reward to resurrect from death is just one. Your chance of encountering it is roughly five out of a thousand, so I don¡¯t believe you would be that lucky.¡± Chapter 466: The True Needs of the Heart Chapter 466: The True Needs of the Heart ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Yan Qingwen stared at the Inspector, his voice extremely low. ¡°Just because I haven¡¯t encountered it doesn¡¯t mean others haven¡¯t. As long as someone has come out of that game before, they can definitely gather relevant information.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± said the Rabbit head man with a mild smile, ¡°You¡¯re a wise man, I hope you get what you wish.¡± In the end, he did not disclose any clues about that game. The Rabbit head Inspector held up his black top hat with one hand and reached into it with the other¡ª ¡°Next, it¡¯s time to distribute the game rewards¡­¡± He produced a cloth doll from the hat. Everyone¡¯s nerves tightened instantly as they stared intently! Because the cloth doll in the Inspector¡¯s hand looked exactly like Mary! The Rabbit head man explained, ¡°Hide-and-seek Mary loves to hide, and she also loves making dolls. As a reward, Mary will custom-make a doll for each of you.¡± He paused for a moment and then added with a slight smile, ¡°This is the best reward for you, because each one is tailor-made to fulfill your current desires.¡± With that, he set the doll down and said gently, ¡°Go on.¡± Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With a soft thud, the cloth doll landed on the ground and stood in front of Yan Qingwen taking a serious look at him. Then, it moved a few steps towards Shen Fei, quietly observing him as well. Finally, it observed Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. After inspecting all four, it strolled off. Just when everyone was puzzled, the Inspector explained, ¡°Mary needs some time to make the dolls. Please wait patiently.¡± This was unusual. Previously, game items would be given out directly, but this time they were being made on the spot. As they waited patiently, they grew curious about what kind of dolls the cloth doll would create. During this wait, Bai Youwei asked the Rabbit head man, ¡°You just mentioned that there used to be 7,124 games in total, but only 172 are still in operation now. Is this number fixed or will it change over time?¡± The Rabbit head man replied politely, ¡°Yes, this number can change at any time. For example, we will be closing down some games that require a large number of players.¡± With the world population continually dwindling, the games that had participation requirements of thirty to fifty people were no longer necessary. Because no one was able to activate them anymore. Yan Qingwen remembered something else and told them, ¡°The games around the base have maintained a high success rate due to the strategies provided by the organization. However, he mentioned that 343 games were closed due to a success rate above 10%. This suggests that even if the organization avoids triggering the anti-grinding system, it can¡¯t stop the arrival of new games.¡± Shen Fei voiced his concern, ¡°We must inform Professor Song about this situation. If the games near the base are gradually closed down, new games will surely appear to fill the gap, putting everyone in danger.¡± ¡°The 10% is possibly calculated based on the total number of people.¡± Shen Mo added, ¡°Currently, each game has claimed at least a thousand lives. Based on a population of a thousand, 10% would be 100 people. So, a game will be removed only if the organization sends 100 people to it. If we go by the rate of sending a team of five people into the game every seven days, it would take at least 140 days to reach that number.¡± This 140-day estimate is for a game with a total population count of 1,000. In fact, the actual number of players in each game far exceeds a thousand ¨C often several thousand, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands. Therefore, the current situation at the base is relatively stable. Chapter 467: Steel Puppet Chapter 467: Steel Puppet During the conversation, a knocking sound echoed from the distance, like the beating of a gong, or hammering of iron. The incessant sound persisted and did not stop. Everyone looked over in suspicion. The noise continued for quite some time. When it finally ended, the night too came to an end. A loud chime rang from the clock tower, proceeding which, dawn broke. The Inspector smiled and said: ¡°Perfect timing, I hope you are satisfied with your game rewards.¡± ¡ª At the distant intersection, a towering silhouette slowly approached, like a fully armed heavy knight. With each step, a heavy sound was produced, accompanied by the noise of metal friction. Everyone stared at the sight in astonishment. Yan Qingwen couldn¡¯t help but step forward: ¡°¡­Lun Ang?!¡± His initial excitement lasted for a mere two seconds. When he recognized the silhouette, he felt an immediate sense of profound loss and pain¡­ Because it was not Lun Ang, but an armoured knight with a silhouette similar to him. Moreover, the part of the armour on the head was designed like a beard made of iron wire, making it remarkably similar to Lun Ang. This was a steel doll, modelled after Lun Ang. Yan Qingwen outstretched his hand and gently placed it on the steel puppet¡¯s chest. It was cold, hard, void of warmth or heartbeat. Meanwhile, information about the item appeared in his mind: [Mary¡¯s Doll ¡¤ Yan Qingwen: equipped with an automatic defense system, capable of defending and protecting an area with a diameter of 6 meters centered around the user. Please note, this prop is now bound to the user.] Unable to hold back, Yan Qingwen lowered his head, his eyes moist, a bitter smile at the corners of his mouth. ¡°Are you satisfied with your reward?¡± The rabbit-headed person courteously asked. Yan Qingwen lifted his head, took a deep breath, patted the armor of the steel puppet. As the metallic clanging echoed, he said, ¡°Satisfied. Yes¡­I am very satisfied.¡± Everyone stared at the towering puppet, reminded of Lun Ang¡¯s death, and fell silent. Next up for the reward was Shen Fei¡¯s. Shen Fei received a tiny cloth doll. ¡ª It was even smaller than Mary, just the size of his palm, with black hair, a white dress, and a round face with eyes and mouth embroidered with black and red threads, and rosy cheeks. Upon seeing his reward, Shen Fei¡¯s face went red, evidently uneasy. He awkwardly glanced at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei next to him, upon seeing no apparent change in their expressions, he slightly relaxed. Even so, he still felt embarrassed. ¡°Wh-why is it this kind of prop¡­¡± Shen Fei questioned in a low, awkward voice. The rabbit-headed person asked, ¡°Do you not like it? But the rewards are tailor-made. In theory, Mary should fulfill your deepest needs.¡± The deepest needs of the heart. If it hadn¡¯t mentioned it, it would have been fine. But with its words, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei furrowed their brows, looking once more at the cloth doll in his hand. Shen Fei had no choice but to let them look. Fortunately, the appearance of the cloth doll was very abstract; its round face and round eyes wouldn¡¯t let anyone associate it with¡­ associate it with Bai Youwei. Shen Fei¡¯s cheeks burned. He didn¡¯t understand why Mary had given him such a doll. Could it be¡­ could it be because the impression of the water demon when he was unconscious was too deep? Feeling Shen Mo¡¯s assessing gaze, Shen Fei¡¯s heartbeat quickened, he pretended to act nonchalant, ¡°Haha¡­ I am a man, giving me a doll as a prop, that¡¯s strange¡­¡± Bai Youwei commented, ¡°This doll looks a lot like Mary.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The Inspector explained gently, ¡°The appearance of the cloth doll is based on Mary herself.¡± Shen Fei: ¡°¡­¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 468: 468: No Rewards Chapter 468: No Rewards ¡°God¡­ Why on earth would he have misunderstood it like that?! To think that he¡¯d actually assumed¡­ Ah!!! I can¡¯t bear to think about it anymore! Shen Fei wished he could give himself two big slaps on the spot! S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo looked at his cousin¡¯s face, which was flushed red, and narrows his eyes in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No¡­I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Shen Fei buried his head deep, so embarrassed that he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground! Bai Youwei impatiently said, ¡°Why are you blushing? Hurry up and tell us the use of the doll prop. With all that effort we put into passing the game, I hope the prop isn¡¯t just some piece of rubbish!¡± Shen Fei didn¡¯t dare to look at her, and replied with his head lowered, ¡°It¡­it has an automatic danger warning system. It seems to mean that it can warn of danger. It can¡­give six warnings per day.¡± [Mary¡¯s Doll¡¤Shen Fei: It has an automatic warning system, which can give an early warning of any dangers the user might encounter. It can give a warning up to 6 times in 24 hours. Note, this prop has now been bound to the user.] ¡°That¡¯s quite useful.¡± Shen Mo said calmly. ¡°Since it can give early warnings of danger, you should carry it with you every day.¡± Shen Fei managed to respond with a reluctant ¡°Okay.¡± Just contemplating the fact that he, a fully-grown man, would have a cloth doll in his pocket every day made him feel¡­odd. But to Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, this reward was practical and very suitable for him. ¡°What¡¯s Shen Mo¡¯s reward?¡± Bai Youwei anxiously asked Mary. The most eye-catching steel puppet went to Yan Qingwen, while the tiny cloth doll went to Shen Fei. Now, the only thing left in Mary¡¯s hand was something that looked like a steel ruler. When she unrolled the so-called ¡°steel ruler,¡± Bai Youwei realized that it was a paper doll. It was as hard as steel yet as soft as paper, it could be folded and stretched. When the doll¡¯s arms and legs were closed, it turned into a dagger. When the doll¡¯s body was stretched out, it became a longsword. [Mary¡¯s Doll¡¤Shen Mo: A paper doll with various ways to play. It can cut any target except the user itself and can change its form according to the user¡¯s will. It has a total of 6 forms. Note, this prop has now been bound to the user.] The paper cutout took the form of a dagger in Shen Mo¡¯s hand, it looked sharp and firm. However, when the blade made contact with Shen Mo¡¯s skin, it immediately curled up like paper, which was astonishing. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but touch it curiously; although she didn¡¯t use much effort, just a simple touch opened a small cut on her fingertip. Shen Mo furrowed his brows and put away the paper human, rolling it into a loop around his wrist like a bracelet. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t really care, she casually wiped her finger on Shen Mo¡¯s clothes and casually said, ¡°Now we¡¯re all set, at last, we have weapons and moreover, we can carry them into the game without restrictions.¡± Just as the Inspector said, all the rewards were tailored to their inner needs by Mary. I wonder what her reward will be like? What about an automatic wheelchair? Or that huge cloth cat would also be nice. Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts flittered about in her mind, full of anticipation. Just then, she heard the bunny head Inspector say, ¡°The game rewards have been disbursed. So, see you¡­¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Bai Youwei stared at him in astonishment. ¡°Where¡¯s my reward?¡± Others were also confused and looked at the Inspector. Four people had passed the game, there¡¯s no reason for only three rewards to be dispensed, right? The rabbit-headed human stood in front of them, his suit impeccably tailored, his shirt snow-white. He just quietly looked at Bai Youwei, without uttering a word for a long time. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and asked him again, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I get a reward?¡± Finally, the rabbit-headed human spoke, ¡°As to why you didn¡¯t get a reward, I think¡­you should know better than I do.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback. The Rabbit-headed human laughed softly, his voice gentle, ¡°Goodbye, I look forward to meeting you again.¡± It seemed like he was saying that to Bai Youwei, and also to the bunny in her arms. Chapter 469: 469: Game Number 21 Ends Chapter 469: Game Number 21 Ends The game is over. The Inspector vanished before their eyes, and silence spread around them, leaving only the sun silently illuminating them. Shen Fei tentatively glanced around, ¡°Have we gotten out?¡± ¡°We have.¡± Yan Qingwen lifted his head to look at the sky, ¡°The sun is in the west, it¡¯s morning in the game, but in the real world, it should be the evening.¡± They turned around to find that the Crystal Tower behind them had returned to its original state. The large crystal at the top was dyed orange by the setting sun, absorbing the brilliance of the evening twilight, sparkling brightly. Shen Mo pushed his wheelchair forward. Shen Fei and Yan Qingwen followed him. Occasionally, they came across humanoid dolls. They had come with a mission or ambition in their past lives. Now, they were all mixed together with the original dolls in the amusement park, as if they were a part of the amusement park. Yan Qingwen¡¯s pace suddenly increased. Faster and faster. In the end, he abandoned restraint and ran towards the carousel! The Steel Puppet followed him, matching his pace. Each step produced a heavy echo. Everyone knew in their hearts that Yan Qingwen was going to look for Lun Ang. Near the carousel, Lun Ang¡¯s doll stood quietly. The setting sun cast a long shadow behind him. The doll was in perfect condition, without any wounds, its face bore a stiff expression of surprise. It was hard to imagine how brutal his death in the game had been. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When Shen Mo and Bai Youwei arrived, they saw Yan Qingwen roping up Lun Ang¡¯s doll and tying it behind the Steel Puppet. ¡°If in the future¡­we can find a tool that allows resurrection, then maybe it can be useful,¡± Yan Qingwen said lightly as he stared at the doll. The doll on the Steel Puppet¡¯s back looked lifeless, stiff, clumsy, and even funny. But nobody managed to laugh. Bai Youwei said to Shen Mo, ¡°Let¡¯s bring Yu Yaqing too.¡± Shen Mo nodded. Although the prospects were dim, it was better than having no hope at all. ¡­ The four people and two dolls walked out of the amusement park¡¯s gate. A few scattered young people were loitering outside who, judging from their attire, seemed to be part of the organization¡¯s assessment team. Shen Fei recognized them, waving at them from a distance while explaining to Shen Mo, ¡°Professor Song must have sent them to wait here to relay the news in a timely manner.¡± When these young people saw them come out, they all froze, as if they couldn¡¯t believe their own eyes. One hesitated to ask, ¡°Did¡­did you use a jigsaw puzzle to get out?¡± Shen Fei stepped forward, ¡°No, we got out after passing the game, take us to Professor Song quickly! We can provide the organization with a guide!¡± ¡°You really passed the game?¡± The young people were both surprised and excited, ¡°Hide and Seek has been cleared? Really cleared?!!¡± They cheered and jumped around, running excitedly on the street! Their calls attracted more people. As survivors spread the news, the cheers echoed throughout the city¡ª ¡°They¡¯ve cleared it! Cleared it!!!¡± ¡°The 21st game has been cleared! We don¡¯t have to move away!¡± ¡­ However, joy and sorrow are incompatible. Shen Fei looked back, seeing the indifference on the faces of his companions and the dolls of Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing, his just-appeared smile froze on his face. He felt deeply ashamed as if he¡¯d been taken by surprise and been slapped in the face. The so-called victory, was won with the lives of their comrades. So, how could he laugh heartily? Shen Mo patted him on the back with his free hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go, get some proper rest, don¡¯t let your parents worry.¡± Shen Fei bowed his head, only responding with a dull ¡°hm¡±. Chapter 470: 470: Square Carnival Chapter 470: Square Carnival People need the rejuvenation of climbing a peak every time they hit a valley. On the evening of the 21st, when news of the game being cleared spread, people gathered spontaneously in the square, lit bonfires and threw a party. All were reveling in the merriment. Chu Huaijin, the person in charge of the organization, knew this was an excellent opportunity to rally spirits. He had his subordinates distribute supplies in abundance, providing food and drinks for the grand feast. Professor Song also hosted a banquet once again for those who cleared the game, the locale being the activity center in the square. Neither Shen Mo nor Bai Youwei were particularly interested, but they attended anyway. This feast was meant not only for celebration but also to discuss the next step and to exchange the rewards from the current game, to assemble the eight puzzle pieces. Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin also attended, even the injured Tan Xiao did. The atmosphere was truly vibrant. They dined and drank inside the room while the lively bonfire party was just outside. Young men were singing, dancing, shouting, and the few women meandered through the clusters of men, their laughter chimed like bells. It has been a while since they had relaxed like this. People lived day by day at the base without much thought, it was only when they were threatened with eviction that they realized how much the land beneath their feet meant to them. Clearing the game was not just a morale booster, it was also a signal telling them that it¡¯s time to unite. ¡­ Shen Fei was well-liked at the base, and as soon as he reached the square, he was towed off to join the frolic around the bonfire. Tan Xiao also joined, even his bandaged chest did not dampen his love for festivity. He was surrounded by a group of people, engaging in discussions about everything under the sun, especially the game. ¡°¡­Confronting Mary and the cat was hellacious! The cat was as massive as a truck! But no fear, none at all! We had Yan brother, the forefather of setting traps! In a blink of an eye, he laid a net around them! Roasted Mary and the cat like pigs! But the most unexpected thing was¡­¡± He slapped his thigh, spittle flying. ¡°Shocking as it was, Mary and the cat were not afraid of fire at all! And to top off it all, we had a traitor among us!¡± ¡°Ah? A traitor?¡± ¡°What traitor?¡± ¡°Who is it?! Who is the traitor?¡± The crowd around him, listening to his story, erupted in confusion, all asking who the traitor was. ¡°The guy wearing white gloves!¡± Tan Xiao was still furious at the mention, ¡°That guy with the beady eyes and small nose, didn¡¯t look trustworthy at all! If we hadn¡¯t needed more players, we wouldn¡¯t have brought him! He didn¡¯t think about clearing the game, even dared to covet my Sister Weiwei¡¯s¡­ oh, wrong, covet my Weiwei¡¯s prop!¡± Everyone looked at each other, curiously asked him: ¡°Then what happened? Didn¡¯t Jiang Hao come out with you guys? Did you guys get rid of him?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t even have time to do that!¡± Tan Xiao sighed, ¡°The fire was so fierce, we barely escaped, how could we have time to deal with him? But it was so close, If we hadn¡¯t brought the healing prop, Shen Fei would have nearly lost his life to Jiang Hao!¡± Someone immediately protested: ¡°Didn¡¯t Jiang Hao have two buddies with him? Did they come? They should clarify! Those who joined them in the games never came out alive before!¡± ¡°Exactly! They need to explain what happened!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Even if Jiang Hao died, we can¡¯t just let the matter drop!¡± The crowd was a buzz, becoming more heated. Someone chimed in, ¡°They left a long time ago!¡± ¡°What? When did they leave?¡± ¡°They probably heard the game was cleared, worried that Jiang Hao¡¯s actions would expose them too, so they hurried away¡­¡± ¡°Those scoundrels!¡± Everyone was cursing to vent their anger. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 471: 471: Stop Showing Off Chapter 471: Stop Showing Off ¡°Not far off, Shen Fei was also surrounded by a group of people. They were all in their early twenties, around the same age as Shen Fei, and they were also discussing matters related to the game of hide and seek. In stark contrast to Tan Xiao¡¯s lively chattering, their discussions here were heated, yet calm and rational. Everyone was attempting to analyze and summarize Shen Fei¡¯s commentary, hoping to learn something. Inevitably, Jiang Hao¡¯s name came up in their conversation. ¡°¡­According to what Shen Fei said, it seems that this Jiang Hao, this isn¡¯t his first time doing something like this.¡± ¡°Killing is much easier than completing a game. They guarantee their survival rates by grabbing items and piecing together puzzles, showing absolutely no humanity.¡± ¡°Next time we come across a person wearing white gloves, we should all be careful. We might encounter people associated with them¡­¡± The ruckus from Tan Xiao¡¯s side would sometimes overshadow the conversation on Shen Fei¡¯s side. A few showed their distaste. ¡°Those are just people who managed to escape using puzzles, they didn¡¯t even clear the game. Yet they boast as if they¡¯re so great, it¡¯s laughable!¡± ¡°Not surprising at all, there are a few notorious braggarts over there. They¡¯ve barely played the game, but boast as if they¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t stand this sort of person, aren¡¯t they trying to steal Shen Fei¡¯s spotlight?!¡± A young man said to Shen Fei, ¡°Shen Fei, didn¡¯t you gain a bonus item? Show them off, let those ignorant people widen their horizons!¡± Shen Fei felt awkward and declined, ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­ Tan Xiao is pretty amazing¡­ I didn¡¯t really help much in the game¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re way too modest!¡± A friend by Shen Fei¡¯s side gave an exasperated sigh, shook his head and said, ¡°Shen Fei! Even modesty should have a limit, are you really going to let others steal your spotlight?¡± Shen Fei, feeling embarrassed, shook his head, ¡°As long as everyone makes it out safe, that¡¯s good enough. Having the spotlight or not¡­ isn¡¯t important.¡± This was what he truly meant. In the past, he might feel resentful in such circumstances, but after facing life and death experiences together, one realizes that fighting for the spotlight or saving face doesn¡¯t matter, and there¡¯s no need to be critical. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Nevertheless, everyone dismissed his words as modesty and humility. ¡°Forget it. If Shen Fei doesn¡¯t want to, let¡¯s not force him¡­ Those guys just talk big, but really, they¡¯re ignorant and incompetent. Did you hear that guy called Tan Xiao reading Mary¡¯s rhyme? He pronounced ¡®doll¡¯ as ¡®dough¡¯, his pronunciation was hilarious. I wonder where that bumpkin comes from, never seen the world¡­¡± ¡°Have you seen the world?¡± A sudden woman¡¯s voice rang out. There are few women in the base, and even fewer young ladies so a crisp and soft voice like this isn¡¯t common, especially when it¡¯s icy cold. ¡°Bai¡­Bai Youwei¡­¡± Shen Fei stands up uneasily. Bai Youwei, however, didn¡¯t look at him and instead directed her indifferent gaze at the young man who spoke earlier: ¡°Your so-called worldly experience is speaking standard American English? Having polite conversation and organized dialogue? Do these things make you proud? If your parents did not send you to learn English, if you were not born in a well-off family, if you grew up in a poor remote area without internet, would you have any of these things? In the end, everything was given to you! There¡¯s nothing on you that you earned through hard work, so what do you have to be proud of?¡± The young man was flushed and embarrassed by her words. Bai Youwei scoffed, ridiculing him, ¡°Bumpkin? Never seen the world? Do you understand what it means to ¡®see the world¡¯? Seeing the world doesn¡¯t just mean looking up, but also down! Look at where you stand, don¡¯t get carried away!¡± Chapter 472: 472: Not What You Think Chapter 472: Not What You Think Everyone held some awe for the four individuals who¡¯d managed to clear the levels, and with Bai Youwei being notoriously resourceful and not to be messed with, her current tirade went unchallenged by the young boys. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The boy she was berating directed a plea for help at Shen Fei. Shen Fei awkwardly looked away, thinking to himself: I wouldn¡¯t dare either¡­ ¡°Shen Fei.¡± Bai Youwei called out. ¡°A¡­ah?¡± Shen Fei jumped in surprise, immediately standing up straight. ¡°Wha¡­what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Come here.¡± Bai Youwei beckoned to him. ¡°I have something to discuss.¡± ¡°Oh, alright¡­¡± Under the watchful eyes of his friends, Shen Fei followed Bai Youwei. They moved to a nearby corner, a less noisy area. Shen Fei asked, puzzled, ¡°What is it?¡± After looking around, Bai Youwei whispered to him, ¡°Do you have a car? Can you give me a ride home?¡± ¡°Home?¡± Shen Fei couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back with my brother?¡± Struck with displeasure, Bai Youwei raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you driving me or not? If not, I¡¯ll ask someone else!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drive¡­¡± Shen Fei brought out his car key explaining, ¡°I thought you were going with my brother, so I was just asking.¡± ¨C Automobile fuel was a precious commodity, so although most people in the city owned cars, they generally refrained from using them. They would walk if they could, and would only drive when going on long trips. Shen Fei had some standing within their organization, so both the vehicle and fuel were supplied internally. He thought that Bai Youwei had asked him to save on fuel, but once they were in the car, she dictated, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Shen Mo, just take me back later.¡± Shen Fei: ¡°Why¡­¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows. Shen Fei clamped his mouth shut, asking no more. He had to find a way to escape being referred to as the planet¡¯s baby! ¡­ When Bai Youwei reached her residence, she instructed Shen Fei to wait in the living room. She then went into her room, locked the door behind her, and took out a golden key to unlock her dollhouse. Both Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin were playing in the square, so the dollhouse was empty for now. She then quickly washed her hair and body in the bathroom, followed by blow-drying her hair. All these simple actions weren¡¯t as easy for her, so they took some time. Once freshened up, she pulled out a lake-blue long dress from her wardrobe. With a deep V-neck, ruffle edges, and a soft fit, even her less than perfect figure looked stunning. The wave pattern below the knees on the dress wonderfully concealed the imperfections on her legs. Looking at herself in the mirror, Bai Youwei let out a sigh, then pushed herself out of the dollhouse in her wheelchair. She wasn¡¯t done yet. She had returned because she remembered that the dressing table in her room was laden with makeup left by the room¡¯s previous owner. Sitting before the dressing table, she meticulously applied foundation, drew her eyebrows, and even tried mascara to make her eyes more vibrant. She decided to forego eyeshadow altogether as she had never used it before. Next was the moving of the lipstick, she cut off a small slice and gently applied it to her lips, followed by puckering. She considered trying a small amount of perfume, but didn¡¯t like the scent left behind by the previous owner and decided to skip it. Finally, Bai Youwei fluffed her hair up a bit, giving it more volume. In the mirror, her snow-white skin contrasted with her red lips. The delicate, girlish face hidden beneath the expansive dark hair blurred age boundaries, displaying both the innocence of a girl and the charm of a woman. She was finally satisfied. The night sky, a bonfire, strong liquor, and aromatic food brewing; such an environment was perfect for her bold and bright makeup. As she opened the bedroom door, she saw Shen Fei asleep on the living room sofa. Bai Youwei woke him up and asked, ¡°How do I look?¡± Shen Fei was taken aback. He looked at the made-up Bai Youwei and stammered, ¡°I, uh¡­I think¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to think.¡± Bai Youwei looked intently at him. ¡°Would your brother like this?¡± Chapter 473: 473: Suddenly Getting Angry Chapter 473: Suddenly Getting Angry Shen Fei: ¡°¡­¡± How was he supposed to know whether Shen Mo liked it or not? However, it was indeed hard to figure out Shen Mo¡¯s tastes. From childhood to adulthood, this cousin of his seemed to have never had a particular liking for anything, including hobbies and romantic relationships. Back in the day, Shen Fei and his peers had many preferences like a particular game, a movie, a pop song¡­ They would imitate the dressing styles of celebrities, cheer for a soccer match, keeping a fresh and robust interest in everything. But Shen Mo was always indifferent. Even with academics, he only stuck to routine without much zest. Every task he performed was like a robot, precise, perfect, but rigid. He faintly remembered once overhearing his uncle and father at a family gathering discussing how this kind of personality suited better if Shen Mo joined a military academy as he might struggle to succeed in other fields. Later on, it came to pass that Shen Mo did indeed go¡­ Thinking about all this, and then thinking about how differently Shen Mo treated Bai Youwei, Shen Fei couldn¡¯t help but feel peculiar. ¡°Hey, why are you zoning out?¡± Bai Youwei waved her hand in front of his eyes, ¡°Is my dress okay? Actually, the bonfire party would match better with a red dress, but since we just played the game and red implies blood, I chose blue. How does it look? Pretty?¡± ¡°Um¡­pretty.¡± Shen Fei nodded affirmatively, ¡°My brother likes blue.¡± ¡°Great, let¡¯s go.¡± Urged Bai Youwei, ¡°Hurry up, back to the square.¡± She had it all figured out. Though she couldn¡¯t dance, she was determined to stand up, and with railings, she could even walk a few steps. She wanted to face the crowd. She wanted to see a different self in his eyes. She eagerly wanted to. ¡­ Driving back to the square only took several minutes. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. On their way back, they bumped into some young boys and girls returning from the square. Bai Youwei had spent quite a while showering, drying her hair, dressing up, and by the time she finished, the bonfire party was near its end and some people were already heading home. Shen Fei, gripping the steering wheel, saw a couple kissing under a tree. The headlights unintentionally shined upon them, causing the surprised couple to glance their way, which made Shen Fei blush. The girl at the scene covered her collar, complained that the boy shouldn¡¯t do such things by the road. The boy wrapped his arms around the girl¡¯s waist, whispered soothing words which just made the girl more embarrassed, and she playfully chased him to the other side of the road, disappearing quickly from sight. Shen Fei had encountered such scenes before and didn¡¯t feel much, but now with Bai Youwei in the same car, he inexplicably felt awkward and embarrassed. He coughed lightly and told Bai Youwei in a normal tone, ¡°I¡¯ll park the car ahead and take you to my brother.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go back.¡± Shen Fei stopped, ¡°Why¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you stop asking why!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly exploded, angrily saying, ¡°Why why why! I don¡¯t know why! I don¡¯t know! Can¡¯t I just want to go back?!¡± Shen Fei stared at her in silence. Bai Youwei turned her face away in frustration, silently gazing out the car window. An awkward silence spread throughout the car. Neither of them spoke. Shen Fei couldn¡¯t understand why she exploded out of nowhere. She had spent over an hour grooming herself. Why didn¡¯t she want to go now, when they were just about there? She seemed to be in quite good spirits just now. How did it suddenly¡­ He knew better than to ask any more questions. Silently, he turned the car around and took Bai Youwei back home. Chapter 474: 474: After Starting a Fire Chapter 474: After Starting a Fire Returning to her abode, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t hold in her resentment any longer, regardless of whether Shen Fei would hear from outside. She went into her room and swept all the cosmetics from her vanity onto the floor! All the jars and bottles were smashed! Perfume and powder made a mess on the floor! Still not enough, she threw pillows and tore the bedsheets! Whatever could be smashed, she smashed, whatever could be broken, she broke, and whatever could be destroyed, she destroyed! She kept picturing in her mind that couple running and chasing after each other ¨C the young girl full of youth, dressed in denim shorts. Her bare legs were unobscured, dazzling and eye-catching! So what if you can stand? What does taking a few steps mean? Can you run? Can you jump? Do you have that pair of healthy, lively, long legs? Jealousy! Fury! Unprovoked anger drove her to want to scream hysterically! All negative emotions overwhelmed Bai Youwei. She clenched her teeth and grabbed the hem of her skirt, wishing she could burn it clean! Her carefully selected long skirt, an expensive and beautiful dress, also used to hide her shortcomings! It was like a joke before those legs! What a huge joke! Jerk! The ripping sound of tear and pull, the curtains were ripped apart! She opened the wardrobe again, threw all the clothes inside to the floor indiscriminately, and even wanted to push the wardrobe over and smash it to pieces! Suddenly, voices were heard from outside the door. Bai Youwei froze in her actions. She was stunned as she turned to look at the locked bedroom door¡ª In the living room, Shen Mo who just returned home asked Shen Fei, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Despite it being a very ordinary question, Shen Fei stammered in response, ¡°I, I drove Weiwei back¡­¡± Shen Mo raised his eyebrow, ¡°Weiwei?¡± Shen Fei sensed something and corrected himself, ¡°I drove Sister Weiwei back¡­¡± Shen Mo nodded lightly, ¡°Go home early. You need a few more days to recover from your injuries. Be careful.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Shen Fei replied, hesitated as he glanced at the tightly closed door behind him, then departed quietly. When Shen Fei left, Shen Mo knocked on the bedroom door. ¡ªKnock, knock. ¡°Weiwei?¡± Bai Youwei looked around the messy room. Why did he have to come at this time¡­ She closed her eyes, holding herself back at her limits. ¡°Weiwei, are you in there?¡± Shen Mo asked again. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yes!¡± Bai Youwei shouted back, quickly picking up the clothes on the floor and stuffing them back into the wardrobe! As she tidied up, she yelled out, ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯m changing my clothes! Give me a second, then I¡¯ll open the door!¡± Picking up all the cosmetics from the floor! Unable to clean up all the jars and glass shards, she simply swept all under the bed! The bedsheets? The bedsheets need to be tidied up quickly! ¡­Damn it! The lipstick and eyeshadow had stained the sheets irresistibly! No choice, she had to change the sheets! But where were the clean sheets? Bai Youwei yanked her hair out of frustration, pulling the wardrobe door open again and flipping through it frenziedly for the bedsheets. The clothes she had just stuffed in the wardrobe fell out again. She was at her wits¡¯ end, but finally found the clean sheets after hard searching. With great effort, she spread them out on the bed, only to notice the pillows were missing. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!! Where the hell had she thrown the pillows?! ¡°Weiwei, are you alright in there?¡± Shen Mo, who had been waiting for a while, asked suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯m fine! ¡­I, I¡¯m just slow in changing clothes, wait a little longer!¡± She explained again. Wheeling around the room, Bai Youwei searched for the pillow, but to no avail. Eventually, she found it strangely underneath the bed. She had to get off the wheelchair, lay down on the floor and crawl under the bed to pick it up. While reaching for it, her palm was cut by the glass shards under the bed. When she crawled out, she bumped her head on the bed frame. She patted the two pillows clean and placed them neatly at the head of the bed. While arranging them¡­ for some reason, she suddenly felt overwhelmingly sad and upset. The tip of her nose tingled, and tears dropped heavily onto the pillows¡­ Chapter 475: 475 Let’s Continue Chapter 475: Let¡¯s Continue ¡°Weiwei? Are you done changing?¡± Shen Mo asked from outside the door. ¡°Done.¡± Bai Youwei replied. She rubbed her tears fiercely, not realizing that she had smeared her mascara creating a black mark. She supported herself with both hands to return to her wheelchair, took a deep breath, and then opened the door. When Shen Mo outside the door saw her, he was a little taken aback. Bai Youwei acted as if nothing had happened, casually flipping her long hair, pretending to complain, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? You made me panic, took me half a day to change my clothes, this skirt was hard to put on¡­¡± Shen Mo had a smile in his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Bai Youwei was slightly stunned, looking at him, bashfully asking, ¡°¡­ Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, really.¡± Shen Mo nodded, stepping into the room. He noticed that the bedsheet had been changed, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei casually said, ¡°The previous sheet was dirty.¡± Crick¡ª¡ª As her voice fell, he stepped on a piece of broken glass. Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei again. Bai Youwei turned her face away uncomfortably, ¡°Ah¡­ It seems like the room hasn¡¯t been cleaned for a few days.¡± The corner of Shen Mo¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, he walked to the window and closed the curtains. Swish¡ª¡ª The torn curtain came down in one piece with a light twist. Bai Youwei said, ¡°You¡­ are too careless¡­¡± Perhaps because the reason was too far-fetched, she spoke without much confidence. Shen Mo looked at her with an unfathomable smile. Bai Youwei was a little embarrassed and mumbled, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Shen Mo smiled lightly, ignored the curtain, walked over lifted her onto the bed from the wheelchair, took out a few tissues from the side table, and gently wiped the traces on her face. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you came back?¡± ¡°I wanted to come back and change my clothes. Seeing you having a good chat with some people from the organization, I didn¡¯t want to disturb you¡­ Mao,¡± Bai Youwei made up a half-true, half-false excuse, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come back so quickly. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have wasted my effort.¡± Shen Mo held her in his arms, his nose brushing against hers, he chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not a waste, you look gorgeous.¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The man who was usually reticent and cold, had praised her for the second time today. Bai Youwei felt surprised. Unable to react in time, her face had a somewhat blank expression. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Shen Mo lowered his head, getting closer to her, his lips almost touching hers¡­ Caught off guard by his natural affection, Bai Youwei blurted out, ¡°Did you drink?¡± His thin lips curved slightly, getting closer to hers, lightly touching the corner of her mouth, ¡°Didn¡¯t drink, maybe it¡¯s the smell of liquor from the dinner table¡­ does it smell bad? Do I need to take a bath?¡± Bai Youwei blanked even more, ¡°¡­¡± This¡­ Is he¡­ ¡­ Kissing her? It couldn¡¯t be an accidental touch could it?! She felt a mix of emotions for a moment, nervousness, excitement, and anticipation! Acting as if possessed, she¡­ she also touched his. Her heart pounded wildly. She said, ¡°No¡­ It doesn¡¯t smell bad.¡± The laughter in Shen Mo¡¯s eyes deepened, ¡°Shall we continue?¡± Bai Youwei wrapped her arms around his neck, ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± Chapter 476: 476: Drum-like Biceps Chapter 476: Drum-like Biceps Shen Mo is lying down on the bed with Bai Youwei, the two of them quiet. Yes, quiet, but to Bai Youwei, there is a noise. Her heartbeat, was unbearably loud to her¡­ She didn¡¯t know what Shen Mo was feeling right now, but she simply couldn¡¯t fall asleep, tossing and turning. Shen Mo had his eyes closed, letting her move around in his arms. Eventually, probably fed up with her restlessness, he grabbed her hand and placed it on his waist. Ah¡­ Abdominal muscles~ Bai Youwei calmed down, quietly touched his abdominal muscles, and along with oblique muscles, deltoid muscles, latissimus dorsi muscles¡­ She poked at his biceps, curiously asking: ¡°Why isn¡¯t it as bulging as those male celebrities on TV shows?¡± Shen Mo flexed his muscle for her to see. Bai Youwei¡¯s fingers sank in, only to be pushed out again. She couldn¡¯t help grinning delightedly and coiled around Shen Mo to continue playing. One moment it bulged, then it would soften. After about a dozen of these cycles, Shen Mo finally opened his eyes, adjusted his position hugging her and said, ¡°Stop playing.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Shen Mo replied: ¡°Because it¡¯s tiring.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Are you even a man? Making excuses like exhaustion, doesn¡¯t it hurt your pride? How tiring can flexing a bicep be? Bai Youwei mumbled harshly in her heart. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After mumbling, she coiled around Shen Mo¡¯s waist and suggested sulkingly: ¡°Let¡¯s rest in the dollhouse then~¡± Shen Mo stroked her head, and grunted in assurance. Resting outside was not safe enough, especially now that they had so many jigsaw pieces, they had to be more cautious. Bai Youwei opened the doll house. It was also nighttime, there were no lights on in the living room, everything was dark. Shen Mo turned on the light and found a severed arm lying on the living room floor, catching them off guard. Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei was also stunned. ¡°Oh this¡­ I almost forgot, this is the arm you chopped off.¡± She explained, ¡°I wanted to burn it, but it wasn¡¯t afraid of fire and kept struggling, so I casually tossed it into the dollhouse.¡± What kind of ¡®casual¡¯ is that? It seems taking things from the game had become her habit. Shen Mo asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t it frighten Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin?¡± ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head lightly, ¡°They were both on the second floor at the time. Moreover, I am the owner of the dollhouse, and everyone and everything inside have to obey my commands, so I wasn¡¯t worried it would cause trouble.¡± She said, letting out a sorrowful sigh, then said, ¡°It¡¯s probably because of this that the Inspector didn¡¯t reward me.¡± Thinking about it, Bai Youwei was quite upset. The rewards Yan Qingwen, Shen Fei, and Shen Mo received were all excellent. The iron doll provided an extra bodyguard, the rag doll could provide early warnings, and the metal doll could transform into a close-range weapon. In the end, all she got was a severed arm¡­ Ah! She made a huge loss! What was she thinking at the time? It was too late for regrets now. Bai Youwei was filled with regret and frustration. Shen Mo picked up the arm, which didn¡¯t react at all. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s broken.¡± Shen Mo said. ¡°Broken, huh¡­¡± Bai Youwei moved closer to take a look, ¡°Should we throw it out? It¡¯s quite nauseating.¡± The hand on the severed arm suddenly clenched itself into a fist, and then a finger stretched out, vigorously waving. Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± After two seconds of silence, Bai Youwei gave Shen Mo a complex look: ¡°Now it¡¯s even more disgusting.¡± A severed arm that could move. Truly revolting. Chapter 477: 477: One Hand Chapter 477: One Hand Shen Mo thought for a moment, then tossed the severed arm on the couch, ¡°Let¡¯s keep it for now. We can¡¯t just treat it like regular garbage; it might cause trouble.¡± What if throwing it away ended up hurting someone, or was taken advantage of by others? But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t consider these points. Wrinkling her brow unhappily, she said, ¡°It was just lying on the floor and now you¡¯ve tossed it on the couch. I just changed the couch cover. It didn¡¯t even wash its hand!¡± The hand on the couch rolled onto the floor, palm down, arm up, and began to crawl stiffly towards the kitchen¡ª Suddenly Bai Youwei and Shen Mo heard the sound of a faucet being turned on, and the running water. The two exchanged a glance, their expressions rather delicate. Shen Mo was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Now you don¡¯t have to worry about it getting your couch cover dirty.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± ¡°However¡­¡± Shen Mo stroked her head, ¡°Remember to tell Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin beforehand.¡± Otherwise, it would be quite scary to see a severed arm in the middle of the night. Bai Youwei was still mulling over how to deal with this thing. Right then, the water in the kitchen stopped. Not feeling reassured, she went to the kitchen with Shen Mo. They saw the arm was wiping its ¡®hand.¡¯ Immediately, Bai Youwei blew up! ¡°You¡¯re wiping ¡®hand¡¯ with a dishcloth?! After just washing it?! The dishcloth is full of oil!!¡± The hand gave a large jump, then, with a thump, fell from the edge of the sink and quickly hid in the narrow crevice behind the refrigerator, shivering with fright. ¡°There¡¯s dust behind the refrigerator! It¡¯s filthy!¡± Bai Youwei angrily said, ¡°Refrigerator! Move out of the way!¡± The refrigerator stood still. Shen Mo gave her a look, ¡°The refrigerator was moved in from outside.¡± It¡¯s just a normal household appliance, not an object from the game. It wasn¡¯t that intelligent. Bai Youwei bit her lip and slapped her hand against the refrigerator, making a loud banging sound. ¡°Come out! Go wash your ¡®hand¡¯ again! Use soap to wash, then dry with the paper towel on the dining table. After that¡­ stay on the chair! Don¡¯t touch the floor!¡± No one could disobey the house-owner¡¯s order in the dollhouse. The hand came out trembling, and according to Bai Youwei, it started to rub the soap with its palm and back of the ¡®hand¡¯, trying hard to work up a lather¡­ Bai Youwei watched the hand suspiciously from the side, ¡°If you make the stuff in the house dirty again, I¡¯ll send you out to chop wood! You won¡¯t be allowed back in!¡± Shen Mo found it all rather amusing as he watched. He then glanced at the fluffy bunny in the living room silently charging up, and couldn¡¯t help but think: this home was becoming more and more lively¡­ ¡­ In an empty and vast space, countless cubes were systematically arranged. One cube was emitting a pure white light, flickering in and out of intensity, as the Bunny-headed Inspector stood in front of the cube, methodically carrying out data repair. This was its work and its duty, tirelessly toiling day in and day out¡­ all for the endless satisfaction of the system¡¯s demands. A ball rolled to its feet. The Bunny-headed creature stopped, turned around, and saw a blue-eyed, blond-haired handsome cartoon male walking towards it. Apart from him, there were also marionettes with strings, an old man in a grey robe, a three-faced stone statue, a floating Ghost Fire¡­ and many others. Everyone had gathered. The Bunny-headed creature quietly watched them, its eyes finally falling on the cartoon male¡¯s face, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The cartoon male said, ¡°There has been an anomaly in the system. I discovered that you¡¯ve given players a functional prop from the game as a reward.¡± The Bunny-headed creature nodded slightly, replying calmly, ¡°Yes.¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Feeling disgruntled, the cartoon male questioned, ¡°Could you explain your reason? The items this player carries have greatly disturbed the balance of the game. Why would you still¡­ In any event, we can¡¯t help but suspect that you¡¯re showing favoritism in managing the game.¡± The Bunny-headed creature seemed slightly surprised, ¡°You mean¡­ favoritism?¡± Chapter 478: 478: Which One Do You Prefer Chapter 478: Which One Do You Prefer The ball rolled around at the foot of the rabbit-headed figure, saying dismissively, ¡°Oh well~~ I think it¡¯s impossible, protect players or anything, what good would that do for us? Everyone is way too tense~~ Protecting players, that¡¯s just not possible~~¡± ¡°An explanation would still be more appropriate.¡± The rabbit-headed figure calmly scanned the room, ¡°In the game, functional items became severely damaged after being attacked. Some of the broken parts were taken by the player and placed into their own possessions, creating a hidden risk in the game. So, I temporarily corrected the game, cancelling that player¡¯s reward, and replacing the reward with the broken parts she took away, to prevent the situation from escalating further. Even though it was extraordinary, in my opinion, such remediation is perfectly justified under critical circumstances.¡± ¡°Yeah right, yeah right, I see no issue either~¡± The ball quickly chimed in, rolling around, ¡°We can¡¯t just let the player take away the parts and give them a reward, too? Wouldn¡¯t that be even worse?¡± Manga guy frowned, ¡°The rewards we¡¯ve prepared for the players have restrictions when in use. But those functional items, even if they are just parts, once they leave the original game copy, we cannot predict the ramifications. This is an even bigger risk that may not be fixable! Why didn¡¯t you recover those parts?¡± The rabbit-headed figure gave a light laugh, ¡°She put the parts into the dollhouse, how was I supposed to recover them?¡± He turned his gaze towards the ball, ¡°One of the dollhouse rules, without the owner¡¯s permission, no one is allowed entrance. That includes the Inspector.¡± The ball bounced up immediately, exclaiming, ¡°Are you blaming me now? ¨C I¡¯ve said it before! My dollhouse wasn¡¯t fully debugged! Not fully debugged! Not fully debugged! The game was triggered too soon, I simply didn¡¯t have time to rectify it!¡± Difficult games must be matched with corresponding rewards, but such rewards may easily affect the game balance! It¡¯s really hard to juggle all aspects! The ball hopped aggrievedly on the floor, with a ¡®dong¡¯ sound demonstrating its indignation. ¡°If you must blame someone, blame him! He¡¯s the one who handed out the Gold Coin!¡± The ball mumbled towards the gray-robed old man. Hidden under the cloak hood, the mask of the gray-robed figure made him look like a big mushroom with his bent back. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Under the gaze of the other Inspectors, his back hunched even more, his body shrank smaller under the wide robe, turning into a dry, twisted mushroom. ¡°A player has entered the game, I must be going¡­¡± The gray-robed old man said hoarsely. The ball jumped three meters high, and in a clear and crisp voice, ¡°You¡¯re evading responsibility!!!¡± ¡°Evading¡­responsibility?¡± The figure in the gray robe paused, his shriveled body began to swell up, it looked like a bunch of clothes being filled with air, billowing and ballooning. ¡°When distributing rewards, the system didn¡¯t penalize me!¡± It emphasized strongly, ¡°I didn¡¯t break any rules, so why should I bear the responsibility?! The rewards I gave out matched the difficulty level of the game! Even though the dollhouse wasn¡¯t fully debugged, it still met the requirements for the rewards within the system¡¯s rules!¡± Ball: ¡°Well¡­that sounds too¡­¡± Before the words ¡®shameless¡¯ left his mouth, the rabbit-headed figure gave a slight smile, ¡°Every time we select, towards the end, there are always a few players who step out of line. This time, it¡¯s just that it happened a little earlier. Everyone, there¡¯s no need to be so tense.¡± ¡°That sounds about right.¡± The ball mumbled, ¡°Players who rise to the top too early usually die early. I wonder who will be the final winner this time¡­¡± ¡°The Doctor.¡± The Puppet Master spoke with a raspy voice. ¡°That guy huh¡­¡± The ball considered, ¡°Yeah, the chances are pretty high.¡± He asked the manga guy: ¡°Who do you favor?¡± Manga guy frowned, ¡°¡­Jefferson, or the Doctor.¡± ¡°And you?¡± The ball asked the rabbit-headed figure. The rabbit-headed figure responded with a chuckle, ¡°I favor Bai Youwei.¡± ¡­ Chapter 479: 479: Su Man is Missing Chapter 479: Su Man is Missing Bai Youwei had no idea what kind of trouble she might have caused for the game¡¯s supervisors. She had had a good sleep and even received a morning kiss buff, so she felt increasingly energetic. However, her mood was affected when she saw the hand in the dining room. Seeing this severed hand reminded her of the missed reward. The hand was lying on the chair. Bai Youwei forbade it from landing yesterday, so it spent the entire night on the chair, tossing and turning like a bored hamster, picking off the plush layer of the chair cushion bit by bit. There was a thin layer of dust on the floor under the chair. Bai Youwei believed that if it were allowed to stay on the chair for a month, it could make a hole in not only the cushion but also the wooden chair itself. ¡°Nevermind,¡± Bai Youwei sighed, she shouldn¡¯t have had any expectations for this kind of ¡°wreckage¡±, ¡°Come down.¡± The hand slid down from the chair! It seemed to be quite fearful of Bai Youwei, hiding behind the refrigerator as soon as it came down. Bai Youwei frowned and commanded, ¡°I¡¯ll set three rules for you! First, do not go to the second floor; Second, do not damage any items in the house; Third, wash your hands frequently to keep clean! ¡ª Go wash your hands now! I have told you that it¡¯s dirty behind the refrigerator!¡± The hand obediently came out and went to wash itself. Shen Mo said with a light smile, ¡°It looks very energetic. I wonder if it needs to be charged.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It probably doesn¡¯t,¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°Mary¡¯s doll doesn¡¯t need charging, so it shouldn¡¯t need it either¡­I just don¡¯t know where it gets its energy.¡± Shen Mo looked at the hand crawling away with interest, ¡°Let¡¯s keep it for a few days and see, maybe we will find something.¡± Bai Youwei nodded gently. Since there was an extra hand in the house, they had to explain it to the others. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo formally introduced the hand to Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin, who had stayed outside last night. All three felt extremely uncomfortable! Even though the hand was indeed beautiful, white and plump, with delicate fingers and small dimples on the back of the hand. But after all, it was a ¡°disjointed wreckage¡± crawling around in front of them, which was visually indescribable. Xiaoxin looked the most uncomfortable. After all, as a child, seeing such a thing was inevitably horrifying. Tan Xiao adjusted the quickest and even suggested that the hand could help him scratch his back when he couldn¡¯t reach. Teacher Cheng was compassionate and although troubled at first, she couldn¡¯t help but sympathize when she saw Bai Youwei bossing the hand around. She even found a glove for the hand to use as ¡°slippers¡± to prevent it from dirtying the sofa and getting scolded by Bai Youwei. While discussing in the dollhouse how to accommodate this ¡°new member¡±, Pan Xiaoxin suddenly proposed, ¡°Su Man¡¯s hand was injured. What if this arm could be attached to her? Wouldn¡¯t it fit perfectly?¡± The hand shivered. ¡°Su Man¡¯s injury hasn¡¯t healed yet?¡± Bai Youwei was surprised. ¡°Yes,¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded, ¡°Zhu Shu told me. She came looking for you early this morning, but you were in the dollhouse and didn¡¯t know.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Did she say why she was looking for me?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say. When she noticed you weren¡¯t around, she asked us about Su Man,¡± Pan Xiaoxin answered seriously, ¡°Su Man seems to have left the base and no one knows where she went. Zhu Shu asked a lot of people but no one knew.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other, both a bit puzzled. Su Man¡¯s family was here, and Li Li was also here. Why did she leave the base all of a sudden? ¡°Are you sure she left on her own?¡± Bai Youwei asked with a frown, ¡°Could something have happened to her?¡± Pan Xiaoxin shook his head blankly, ¡°Zhu Shu didn¡¯t say.¡± After thinking for a bit, Bai Youwei said to Shen Mo, ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Zhu Shu and Yan Qingwen lived on the other side of the neighborhood, quite close by. They could just go ask and find out. Chapter 480: 480: Going to a Place Chapter 480: Going to a Place Bai Youwei and Shen Mo visited the residences of Zhu Shu and Yan Qingwen together. It took a long while for the door to be answered. Zhu Shu opened the door and paused slightly upon seeing them. She then stepped back to let them in, saying, ¡°I was just looking for you two over there¡­¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were also startled. As Zhu Shu was wearing an apron, she had an air of a dutiful wife and loving mother. This might seem ordinary to others, but for Zhu Shu who was once a star, it appeared somewhat refreshing. Once inside, they noticed that the living room was cluttered with supplies. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡ª¡ª They also had these stuff. These were gifts from the organization as a token of gratitude for passing the 21st game. As Zhu Shu moved rice, flour, oil and salt to the kitchen to make room for Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to sit down, she explained, ¡°Brother Yan hasn¡¯t eaten anything or had any appetite since he exited the game yesterday. I thought of making some nourishing soup, and just finished preparing the ingredients. It¡¯s just a bit troublesome starting the fire¡­¡± Hesitating slightly, she made a bitter smile: ¡°In other aspects, I¡¯m not much help either.¡± Shen Mo glanced at the bedroom door, which was tightly closed, ¡°Is it because of Lun Ang?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Zhu Shu also looked towards the bedroom door, ¡°He didn¡¯t sleep all night. He said that the moment he closed his eyes, he saw Lun Ang standing in front of him. After he found out that Su Man disappeared, he was more unable to sleep¡­ I was worried that his body couldn¡¯t take it, so I got some sleeping pills from the medical team and he just fell asleep.¡± Shen Mo paused briefly, then said, ¡°It may take Yan Qingwen some time to come out of this.¡± Zhu Shu merely uttered a low, ¡°Mm¡±. ¡°Now¡­I am the only person left by Brother Yan¡¯s side, and I want to take good care of him.¡± The five of them had come together through a series of coincidences. Perhaps at first it was because of debts, mission, or benefits, but along the way, they had formed an irreplaceable bond as a team. But after coming here, Li Li returned to the research group, parting ways with them, followed by Lun Ang¡¯s unfortunate death, and now Su Man¡¯s mysterious disappearance¡ª¡ª Out of the original five, only Zhu Shu and Yan Qingwen remain. As Zhu Shu thought about this, she let out a deep sigh, ¡°Brother Yan may seem indifferent to everything, but in reality, he cares about teammates more than anyone else ¡­ Lun Ang¡¯s death was a huge hit to him, and now with Su Man¡¯s incident, I really worry about him.¡± At certain moments, Yan Qingwen and Shen Mo seemed similar: both indulging in aloofness. But if you interacted more with them, you would find that Yan Qingwen is ¡°sociable¡±, even though he is aloof, and can easily command attention in a group. Shen Mo¡¯s coldness is genuinely cold, like a lone drifter, emitting a lax indifferent to people and things unlike others. Losing teammates is definitely a heavy blow to Yan Qingwen, who naturally belongs to a ¡°team¡±. It¡¯s like an orchestra conductor losing his band, a flock of geese scattering, or a leading general finding himself charging alone¡­ The loneliness and desolation are something that ordinary people can¡¯t comprehend. Bai Youwei asked Zhu Shu, ¡°How could Su Man suddenly disappear? Are you sure she is alright?¡± Zhu Shu gave a bitter smile, ¡°Yesterday, her family came looking for us with a handwritten letter Su Man left behind, asking if we knew where she went. In the letter, Su Man wrote that she was heading off to somewhere, and that her family should take care of their health and not to worry about her.¡± Bai Youwei widened her eyes, ¡°¡­ she is heading off to somewhere?¡± ¡°Brother Yan suspects she entered the labyrinth.¡± Zhu Shu sighed again, ¡°When Su Man left ¡®The Last Bride¡¯, her right hand was severely injured. Brother Yan and Lun Ang brought her back from the underground parking lot at the time, and they were the ones who treated her wound. She didn¡¯t want us to worry, so she asked Lun Ang and Yan Qingwen to keep it a secret and didn¡¯t inform her family. Now I think about it, she probably ran off without saying goodbye because of this, heading to the labyrinth.¡± Chapter 481: 481: Which One Will It Be? Chapter 481: Which One Will It Be? If Su Man¡¯s hand really was seriously injured, wouldn¡¯t she be risking her life going into the maze alone? Bai Youwei frowned and asked, ¡°Does Su Man have any tools on her?¡± ¡°Probably just the Snowflake left,¡± Zhu Shu expressed with concern, ¡°The water monster¡¯s eggs have been used up, and apart from the Snowflake, she doesn¡¯t have any puzzles or tools. Her parents mentioned that there are a few first aid supplies and weapons missing from the house, which must have been taken by her.¡± ¡°But how would she know where the maze is?¡± Bai Youwei was puzzled, ¡°If she wanted to go to the maze, she would need to know its location, right? She can¡¯t just wander aimlessly.¡± Zhu Shu hesitated for a moment, then said quietly, ¡°Her father works for the organization; he might have some information we don¡¯t know about. It¡¯s not impossible that Su Man obtained some clues about the maze from him.¡± But in the end, these were all just speculations. Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Professor Song?¡± Zhu Shu gently shook her head. Professor Song was a special presence within the base. When he wanted to see you, it would seem like quite a mundane and easy affair. But if he didn¡¯t want to see you, when he was engrossed in his research, trying to get an appointment with him was as difficult as reaching the heavens. Even the organization leader, Chu Huaijin, might not be able to see Professor Song. Shen Mo said: ¡°It¡¯s the same if we look for Chu Huaijin. If there¡¯s any information about the maze, as the main person in charge, he should know.¡± ¡°Yeah, worth checking out,¡± responded Bai Youwei, ¡°If we want to collect puzzles, sooner or later, we need to find out about the maze.¡± Without further delay, after discussions, Shen Mo left to find Chu Huaijin. They thought it would take some time to know the results, but Shen Mo quickly returned. Chu Huaijin had also come, and he brought a map and two sheets of paper with him. The two sheets of paper were very thin and nearly transparent. They depicted some red dots and yellow areas. The patterns looked similar but had some local differences. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chu Huaijin explained, ¡°These should have been delivered to you yesterday. This was the reward initially promised to you, the marked maps of the maze and the game.¡± ¡°You have to know that neither the maze nor the game¡¯s locations are fixed. The maze will expand in diameter, and the game will randomly shift. So Professor Song worked tirelessly last night to make these corrections. One of these pages shows the results from a month ago, and the other reflects the corrections from last night. With our current technology, we can only guarantee 70% accuracy. We hope it will be of help to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Shen Mo said nonchalantly, taking the two sheets and placing them on the map. The red dots and yellow areas overlapped with the map, making it immediately clear. The yellow overlay was the maze, and the red dots represented the game. ¡°Is this the largest area we can currently detect?¡± asked Shen Mo. The map he was holding was slightly larger than a city map, covering the surrounding provinces and cities, but it didn¡¯t include any farther places. Chu Huaijin nodded, ¡°Yes. Since establishing the base, the research team¡¯s personnel and equipment have been heavily depleted. The detection range now is already the base¡¯s limit.¡± Shen Mo frowned, looking at Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu beside him. ¡°Looking at the map, the two closest mazes are to the north, towards Xuzhou, and to the south, towards Fuzhou. Su Man should be in one of them.¡± Zhu Shu and Bai Youwei looked at each other. Two mazes, all unknowns, and judging by the distance, they were not far apart. So¡­ which maze did Su Man likely go to? Chapter 482: 482: Big Arrow Chapter 482: Big Arrow The blue sky, serene as a tranquil sea, with faint wisps of clouds like white foam on the waves. Su Man sat in the car, lifting her hand high out of the window, feeling the wind weave through her fingers, bearing the faint chill of autumn. Summer was on the verge of passing. She wondered if her companions had made it out of Game 21. Without her dragging them down, they should have been able to complete the game smoothly. Now, after enduring a tough journey spanning two days and three nights, she had finally reached the edge of the maze. She should have arrived much sooner but had had to drive using only her right hand, which, coupled with detouring around blocked roads and frequent stops, delayed her. Fortunately, her journey was a safe one. Perhaps it was because traveling alone didn¡¯t trigger the game, but at any rate, her journey was free of surprises and danger. Su Man squinted at the fog ahead. She estimated it was still over a kilometer away, and she decided not to drive any farther. She stopped the car, unloaded all her supplies, lowered the bicycle tied to the roof, and then strapped the food, clothes, water, and a collapsible tent onto the rear of the bike. As for the remaining supplies, she wrapped them up layer by layer in prepared black trash bags and stuffed them into a nearby dumpster¡ª Surely, if anyone came by, they wouldn¡¯t rummage through a trash can for supplies, right? S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The corner of Su Man¡¯s mouth curled into a slight smile. She had learned this from Zhu Shu. Back when Zhu Shu had suggested this method for hiding supplies, Li Li had praised her endlessly. She remembered feeling jealous and sulking for several days. Looking back now, it was quite remarkable that despite living on the edge of life and death daily, she could still find room for jealousy. Su Man shook her head with a wry smile, mounted her bike, and headed toward the maze¡­ The fog was just ahead. The distance was closing in. Her riding pace was slowing down¡­ For some reason, Su Man suddenly lost her confidence. As she looked at the fog just before her, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder, after going in, would she be able to come out?¡­ If she died inside, would she regret this decision? Causing her family to worry, making her friends upset, why had she so recklessly left without a word? ¡­No, no, that¡¯s not right. It¡¯s not like that. How could she start retreating now? Hadn¡¯t they all agreed not to be a burden on each other? The maze was right in front of her! As long she goes in and comes out, she would recover! It wasn¡¯t about leaving without a word; she simply didn¡¯t want to keep living under the protection of others! Su Man mentally cheered herself on and quickened her pace. The fog began to slowly swallow her form. ¡­ Once inside the fog, Su Man stepped down from her bicycle, pushing it along as she walked on. The path under her feet gradually became soggy and wet, and the light dimmed, making her feel anxious, as if her preparations were not sufficient. ¡­Well, they couldn¡¯t really be sufficient. After all, no two mazes were the same; every maze represented the unknown, and no one could foresee what they might encounter within. As the white fog dispersed completely, Su Man realized she was standing amidst a dense bamboo forest. The bamboo grove was so thick that she couldn¡¯t push her bicycle through. She had no choice but to abandon it and carry all her supplies on her back. In all honesty, it was quite heavy. If not for her improved physical ability from navigating two mazes, she might not have been able to carry it all. If she¡¯d only taken the essentials, it would surely have made moving easier. However, Su Man knew her limitations. She knew she wasn¡¯t the cleverest, so she could only resort to this ¡°dumb method¡± of bringing as many supplies as possible, so she wouldn¡¯t panic when she needed something. After a tough trek through the dense bamboo forest, she came across something. A gigantic arrow. This starkly contrasting, huge arrow, unlike anything in the surroundings, stood before her eyes, seemingly guiding her in a certain direction. Chapter 483: 483: The Person on the Motorcycle Chapter 483: The Person on the Motorcycle Su Man curiously gazed up at the arrow. The arrow, nearly a hundred meters in length, mysteriously hung in the air above the bamboo forest without the aid of any external force. This was a maze. A maze meant it was easy to lose one¡¯s way. Yet an arrow appeared to show her the way, making Su Man wary. She wondered, how would Yan Qingwen analyse this situation if he were here? What would Bai Youwei do if she were here? ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ Well, she couldn¡¯t figure it out. Su Man gave up. With a resigned acceptance, she picked up her backpack and began walking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Not far along, she saw some mini arrows scattered around the bamboo forest, all pointing in the same direction. The arrows made no sound, but when they all appeared before her, it was as if they carried their own sound effects, nagging at her mind: this way, this way, this way¡­ Su Man knitted her eyebrows in suspicion, but she continued to move forward. And just like that, she managed to leave the bamboo forest smoothly¡ª To find herself on a flat asphalt road. The difference between the asphalt road and the bamboo forest was stark, as if they were cleanly cut apart. The damp soil and the solid concrete had no transition between them, crudely juxtaposed. Su Man was a bit taken aback. There were arrows on the asphalt road too ¨C on the street lamps, the dustbins, they were everywhere. Something didn¡¯t feel right, but she didn¡¯t have any leads. Not knowing where else to go, she subconsciously continued following the arrows. Along the way, she spotted many, many mannequins. Most carried big and small bags like she did, while others were in cars, filled with their entire households, as if fleeing for their lives. Yet, they were all frozen in place, turned into static human figurines. There must be some problem with this maze; otherwise, these people wouldn¡¯t have turned into mannequins. Su Man grew increasingly cautious, observing her surroundings meticulously. At the same time, she was hesitating over whether or not she should continue following the arrows. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Based on the mannequins¡¯ position, all of them had encountered problems while following the arrows. Could the arrows be traps then? However¡­ After entering the maze, apart from the obvious arrows, she had found no other clues. If she didn¡¯t follow the arrows, where should she go? Su Man¡¯s mind became completely blank. This was really vexing. If Yan Qingwen were here, or if Bai Youwei were present, they would surely have some idea by now. Why couldn¡¯t the Gods give her a smart mind? Su Man looked ahead in a daze. There were even more mannequins in front, packed closely together. As far as she could see, there were only mannequins. She didn¡¯t know how many people this maze had swallowed. The more she thought about it, the more conflicted she became. Not knowing whether she should continue, she stood frozen in place. Just then, she heard a loud motorcycle engine behind her¡ª Vroom! Vroom! Turning around she saw a motorcycle coming her way from the distance. It made a lot of noise, but its pace was slow, stopping every now and then, which was accompanied by boisterous laughter and shouting from a young man. She hadn¡¯t expected to find any living people in this maze. Did they enter by accident, or were they here for the puzzle? Su Man glanced at the sides of the road. She quickly put down her luggage, opened the door of a parked car, squeezed in next to a mannequin, and then watched the back with alert. After waiting for a while, the motorbike finally arrived. Only when they were near did she realise that aside from the three young men on the motorbike, there was also a man with his hands tied together with a rope hanging at the back of the bike¡ª The man was wearing glasses and appeared to be the same age as the men on the bike, but his predicament was a sorry sight. He stumbled along behind the motorbike, his knees bruised and bloody from all the falls. Whenever his strength gave out and he fell, the bike would stop. The boys on it would curse and jeer at him, waiting till he managed to get up before they revved up the bike and moved forward again. Chapter 484: 484: The strong bullying the weak Chapter 484: The strong bullying the weak Su Man saw this and instantly felt the injustice! She hated this kind of bullying more than anything! S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was completely detestable! If it wasn¡¯t for the fact she was outnumbered and her injured hand had not yet healed, she probably would have already rushed out to teach those rascals a lesson! Yan Qingwen always told her not to be impulsive, not to act rashly, and not to act recklessly when she got angry! ¨C She knew being this way wasn¡¯t good, but temper wasn¡¯t something that could simply be changed by just wanting to change it. The motorcycle drove past the car. Those people hadn¡¯t noticed her at all. There were too many dolls around, and even if they saw Su Man, they probably would carelessly mistake her for just another doll. Once the sound of the motorcycle was distant, Su Man emerged from the car, only to find dolls toppled over everywhere, naturally creating a path in the middle. She deeply furrowed her eyebrows. Then she picked up her bag and followed the trail left by the motorcycle. ¡­ The motorcycle did not go too far. It wasn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t want to go further, but rather the man tied to the back of it had exhausted all his strength. After being dragged for some distance, they were afraid he would die, so they stopped to rest. Su Man had been carefully following them all this time. She hid behind the roadside vegetation, which had been left untrimmed for a long time, flourishing enough to conceal her well. Through the gaps in the branches and leaves, Su Man carefully watched those people. She thought to herself that it wasn¡¯t that bad, as she didn¡¯t know anything about this maze. By following them, she might as well use them as stepping stones. If anything happened to them, she could take the opportunity to uncover the potential dangers in the maze. However, she was still not sure¡­ who these people were, and why they had kidnapped that man? The man with glasses collapsed on the roadside, several young people seemed not to worry about him escaping. The ropes carelessly tossed on the ground, they didn¡¯t tie him up nor pay any special attention to him. Seems reasonable, with the poor man barely breathing and his legs soaked in blood, how could he run? Even if he did try to run, how could he outrun these fit and youthful kidnappers? Su Man bit her lip, hesitating about how to rescue him. She not only needed to consider how to save him but also how to provide for him afterward, after all, they were in a maze. It was already challenging for her to protect herself, let alone another person? As Su Man was pondering, one of the young men walked up to the man with glasses, carrying a water bottle. He crouched down, unscrewed the cap and started pouring the water on the man¡¯s knees. The clean water washed over the dust-stained bloody wounds, revealing a fresh red wound. The man grunted in pain, his legs uncontrollably twitched. ¡°How¡¯s it going? Can you still walk?¡± the young man in a denim jacket, and a metallic necklace asked coldly, ¡°Even if you can¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t matter, right? Since you¡¯re crippled, having one less leg doesn¡¯t make much difference to you¡­¡± Hearing these words, Su Man was taken aback. ¡­ Was he crippled? But just a short while ago, she saw him running and falling behind the motorcycle. He seemed to walk just fine. One of the young man¡¯s accomplices grumbled angrily: ¡°This guy just needs a lesson! If we didn¡¯t need him to show us the way, I would have killed him a long time ago!¡± The young man in the denim jacket stood up, frowning, ¡°Enough. Looking at his condition, he can¡¯t walk anymore today. You two go set up the tent, I¡¯ll go find a place to collect some water. We ran out of it.¡± Chapter 485: 485: It’s Settled Chapter 485: It¡¯s Settled The two men got up to work, still cursing and telling vulgar jokes and obscenities. It seems that the man in the denim jacket is their leader. Now that man has gone to fetch water, leaving two others behind to pitch a tent. Their movements were rough and temperamental as if their frustrations were due to being stuck in the maze for a long time. Once the tent was up, and the man who went to fetch water hadn¡¯t returned, the two went scavenging for supplies in the roadside store. They made a mess, leaving the place in tatters. Even the glass cabinets were shattered clean, even those in the antique shop that they clearly had no use for, its contents were destroyed maliciously. They are nothing more than a bunch of hoodlums! Su Man watched, furious, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder: With the game killing so many people, how come these scumbags aren¡¯t the ones falling prey? She looked at the other side, the man on the ground was silent and seemed so exhausted that moving about seemed to be an arduous effort, let alone escaping. She thought for a while and decided to continue observing, to see if there was a chance to rescue this man. From what she had overheard earlier, they needed this man to lead the way. He must have some knowledge about the maze; if she could save him, perhaps out of gratitude, he could teach her how to get out of the maze. After all, men who wear glasses are usually quite intelligent. Such as Li Li (at least that¡¯s what she thinks). And he is a cripple. Bai Youwei is clever. Su Man was deep in thought, and at this moment, the man who had gone to fetch water returned carrying a large bucket of purified water, which looked as if it had been ripped straight off someone¡¯s water dispenser. He pointed it at the man with glasses on the ground and poured it directly onto his face! The column of water splashed all over the man¡¯s face. ¡°Lu Yuwen, get up and drink,¡± the man in the denim jacket ordered rudely, ¡°Don¡¯t play dead with me, get up and figure out the map, let¡¯s see where we go next.¡± Su Man was slightly startled. ¡­Lu Yuwen? There¡¯s a ¡°wen¡± in his name. Seems like men who have ¡°wen¡± in their name are quite intelligent. Such as Yan Qingwen. So this man = Li Li (wears glasses) + Bai Youwei (crippled) + Yan Qingwen (name contains ¡°wen¡±) Su Man thought to herself: I need to save this man! She quietly retreated, hid her luggage, and then armed herself with only a whip and dagger, ready to wait and observe again ¡ª From day to night. When it comes to laying low, she was patient enough to hold still for hours. A fire was lit on their side. They cooked a pot of instant noodles and chatted while eating. After listening for a little while, Su Man was able to get a rough understanding of their situation. The young man in the denim jacket is called ¡°Brother Xiao¡±. The somewhat shorter one is called Yang Zi. The last one, a dark-skinned man, is named Zhang Ke, a ¡°double¡±. The three of them met Lu Yuwen in the last game. Lu Yuwen came up with the solution to win, and they worked with Lu Yuwen to succeed. They were mutually beneficial to each other. However, after the game ended, they turned on him, trying to snatch Lu Yuwen¡¯s reward props! To elude them, Lu Yuwen purposely ran towards the direction of the maze and accidentally encountered the maze expansion zone, getting all four of them sucked into the maze! These three men hate Lu Yuwen to the bone! They knew themselves well, knowing they were not as intelligent as Lu Yuwen, so they held on to Lu Yuwen, waiting for him to find a way out. And so, Su Man saw what she saw at the beginning. Now that they were full and satisfied, they left some instant noodle remnants for Lu Yuwen in a stainless steel bowl. Lu Yuwen didn¡¯t eat, but they forced him, drenching him in soup ¨C a man being treated worse than a dog. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 486: 486 Lu Yuwen Chapter 486: Lu Yuwen Su Man watched from the shadows. Although she and Lu Yuwen were strangers, she steeled her teeth in rage at their actions. She wished she could rip apart these three villains! But now was not the time¡­ She would have a better chance of success if she waited until they all fell asleep at night, or when the three of them were separated. Only then would she make her move. Su Man clenched her teeth, her gaze fixed on the men as she waited patiently. The man in a jean jacket named Xiao released Lu Yuwen, letting him fall to the ground in agony, coughing up broth and noodles. He then grabbed Lu Yuwen by the hair, forcing him to look at the map in his own hands and threatened, ¡°It¡¯s already the third day, look at this damn map carefully. Figure out where we should go tomorrow. If we don¡¯t get out, don¡¯t blame me for showing no mercy.¡± Yuwen weakly closed his eyes, answering hoarsely, ¡°Even if you¡­ kill me¡­ I would not know the way. This maze is split into a 10¡Á10 square lattice, like¡­ a chessboard. We must pass through all 100 squares to find¡­ a way out¡­¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± Brother Xiao shoved Lu Yuwen¡¯s head down, grinding his face against the hard cement floor. Blood seeped out. A short, young man in their group grumbled, ¡°We¡¯ve only made it through 35 squares! By his calculations, we¡¯re stuck here for another five or six days!¡± Zhang Ke, with his dark complexion, chuckled nonchalantly, ¡°There¡¯s water here, we have food, and we don¡¯t have to worry about those twisted games. I think it¡¯s just fine here¡­¡± ¡°You must be fucking insane!¡± The short man shouted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see those puppets on the way?! At least in the game, you know how you¡¯re going to die. In this maze, you won¡¯t even know how you died!¡± Zhang Ke responded with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes, ¡°A death is a death. What¡¯s the difference.¡± ¡°You can die if you want! I don¡¯t want to wait here another minute!¡± The short man, irritable, stood up and went inside the tent. Zhang Ke purposely raised his voice and asked, ¡°Yang Zi, you seem quite angry, do you want me to come in and cool you down?¡± The man inside replied with a roar, ¡°Get lost!!¡± Zhang Ke smirked apathetically and turned his gaze back onto Lu Yuwen on the ground. Lu Yuwen¡¯s body was covered in blood and dirt, and he looked like he was half-dead. Zhang Ke moved his gaze away with regret. His companions were ugly and unpleasant, and the only good-looking one had been tormented into this wretched state, making the situation uninteresting. Brother Xiao advised, ¡°Save your energy, rest up. We don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll encounter tomorrow.¡± Zhang Ke, finding it boring, went to his own tent to sleep. Brother Xiao sat outside for a while, diminishing the blaze of the fire before joining the short guy in his tent for rest. Time ticked away. There was no movement from the tents. After a while, the sound of snoring echoed from inside. They appeared to be asleep. In this maze, apart from the numerous arrows, there was no visible danger. They slept without a care, oblivious to the fact that someone was watching from the shadows. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Man continued to wait. She intended to save Lu Yuwen when these people were deeply asleep. While she was contemplating rescue plans, her eyes remained focused on the tents, alert for any slight movement. Right when Su Man was about to take action, she was startled to see Lu Yuwen, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly sitting up! She held her breath instinctively. She had assumed Lu Yuwen was asleep! After all, after being dragged by a motorbike for half a day and without a proper meal or water, how could an average person have the energy to keep going? The Lu Yuwen in front of her was just like that. He used up all his strength to stand up, and then¡­ slowly¡­ headed in the direction of the motorbike. Chapter 487: 487: The Smell of Gasoline Chapter 487: The Smell of Gasoline Lu Yuwen was moving very slowly. On the one hand, he didn¡¯t want to make any noise; on the other hand, his legs seemed to have been born defective, limping, and with an injured knee, he was having difficulty moving. Su Man did not know what he was up to, so she watched warily. She had thought that he might want to get on the motorcycle and escape, but upon further thought, she realized that was not possible since the keys to the motorcycle were with the man called Brother Xiao. It was too dark, Su Man could only see Lu Yuwen¡¯s silhouette. Soon after, she heard the rustling sound, she smelled the scent of petrol. Su Man suddenly realized¡­ Could he possibly¡­ Lu Yuwen tore a strip of cloth from his knee, stuffed it into the small opening of the fuel tank, and waited until the cloth was soaked with petrol, then gently pulled it out. Because his hands were tied, he tried several times, tearing four or five pieces of cloth, then slowly walked back with even more cautious steps. He twisted the cloth along the edge of the tent, and the gasoline dripped out¡­ Su Man watched his actions, her heart pounding with fear. Could he possibly be planning to burn those people alive?! Although those people indeed deserved to die, the thought of committing arson to murder someone was indeed ruthless! Su Man watched Lu Yuwen in the darkness, her heart pounding with anxiety, although it was not her business, she was genuinely worried about him being discovered by those people! Suddenly, a noise came from the tent! Su Man hurriedly covered her mouth, afraid she might make a sound! Lu Yuwen froze in his tracks. A curse came from the tent, ¡°Lu Yuwen! What are you doing out there?! Don¡¯t you fucking act smart! You believe me or not, I could kill you now?!¡± Zhang Ke¡¯s voice came from the other side of the tent, ¡°What¡¯s all the noise about in the middle of the night? Are we going to sleep or not?¡± Lu Yuwen gritted his teeth, quickly threw away the cloth in his hand, and then grabbed a handful of soil from the ground, kneading it a few times to cover the smell of gasoline on his hands. ¡°I was¡­ going to the toilet¡­¡± he explained in a low voice. ¡°Going to the toilet?¡± The short man came out from the tent and kicked Lu Yuwen to the ground with a foot that was outside the tent! After kicking, he still was not satisfied, he stepped cruelly on Lu Yuwen¡¯s injured knee twice! ¡°FUCK you! You chose to take a piss at my sleeping spot?!! Go piss over there!¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He grabbed the rope on Lu Yuwen¡¯s wrist, roughly pulled him up, and barked, ¡°Move it! I¡¯ll take you to the toilet! And see what tricks you¡¯re trying to play!¡± He then pushed Lu Yuwen and started walking, all the while cursing, ¡°Bloody cripple! Don¡¯t think you¡¯re smart enough to play tricks. Dare to piss me off, even if Brother Xiao wanted to save you, I would still rough you up real good!¡± He pushed Lu Yuwen, walked from one end of the road to the other, closer and closer to where Su Man was hiding. Su Man held her breath, her nerves tense, and clutched the dagger tightly in her right hand, ready to strike at the first sign of being discovered! She could not give the short man any chance to call out for help! Just as she thought she was about to be exposed, the short man stopped. It seemed like he had no intention of going any further. Su Man let out a sigh. The nighttime visibility was poor, and there was a hedge between them. As long as he didn¡¯t come any closer, they should not be able to see her¡­ Bang!¡ª The short man suddenly used his strength, seemingly fed up with Lu Yuwen¡¯s slow pace, he kicked Lu Yuwen¡¯s back, causing him to fall to the ground! His elbow hit hard on the brick edge of the planting strip! He gritted his teeth, withholding a cry of pain, and when he opened his eyes, through the dense foliage nearby, he saw Su Man on the other side of the hedge! Su Man was also staring at him with wide eyes. Both were shocked and nervous. ¡°You want to piss, right! Let¡¯s see you piss! Ah!¡± The short man pulled Lu Yuwen back by the rope like dragging a dog, his foot stepping on Lu Yuwen¡¯s face. ¡°Can¡¯t piss, can you?! I knew you were up to something! Tell me! Were you trying to escape?!¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s face was being stepped on into the mud, he kept his eyes closed and stayed silent. ¡°Yang Zi, that¡¯s enough! Stop fucking around!¡± Brother Xiao¡¯s voice came from the tent, sounding very impatient. Chapter 488: 488: The Transformation of the Monkey Chapter 488: The Transformation of the Monkey ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s all the noise about at this time of night¡­¡± In the tent on the other side, Zhang Ke said lazily: ¡°Even if he wants to escape, isn¡¯t that normal? Whatever he does, he can¡¯t get far with his lame leg. Besides, isn¡¯t he bound with a rope¡­¡± Yang Zi grunted heavily, pulling the rope to bind Lu Yuwen to a nearby tree tightly and snarled at Lu Yuwen: ¡°Behave yourself!¡± With that, he turned around and went back into the tent. Inside the tent, Brother Xiao and Yang Zi whispered a few words, their tones not very pleasant. After a while, the voices faded, as if they had fallen asleep. The night was once again silent¡­ ¡­ Su Man quietly got up and came in front of Lu Yuwen. She said to him in lipspeaking: ¡°I, save you.¡± Then she showed him her dagger, gesturing towards the rope on his body. Lu Yuwen looked at her and silently shook his head. Su Man slightly frowned, a little puzzled. What does it mean? Did he not want her to save him? Did he not trust her, or did he misunderstand her intentions, thinking that she was going to hurt him as well? No matter! Get the person out first and deal with it later! Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If he goes on being tormented by those thugs, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t survive. Su Man gripped the dagger tightly, slashing down on the rope! ¡ª¡ªThe sensation was as though she had encountered a very tough cow tendon string! It wouldn¡¯t cut?! Su Man was startled and paused, subconsciously tried again, but still failed! Why? It looked like just an ordinary leather rope! Lu Yuwen spoke barely audible two words: ¡°Prop.¡± Su Man was slightly surprised, reaching out to touch the rope, and the information of the prop instantly appeared in her mind¡ª¡ª [Mr. Dongguo¡¯s Rope: Once knotted, no one other than the user can untie or damage the rope. Note, the prop loses its effect after the user¡¯s death.] No wonder he wanted to set a fire before! Because unless they die, he can never escape! Su Man was stunned. She didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a situation. Unless the tree was cut down now, there was no way to rescue Lu Yuwen! Could it be cut down? ¡­ Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not impossible, but it¡¯s impossible to cut down a tree without waking those thugs. What should she do now? The man was within her reach. But she couldn¡¯t save him! Lu Yuwen scratched the ground with his foot a few times and wrote a word: MAP. Map? What does he mean? Did he want her to get the map? Lu Yuwen nodded in the direction of the motorcycle. Su Man seemed to understand but was not sure, looking at him hesitantly, then tiptoed to the motorcycle¡ª¡ª The back box was not locked, several papers were squeezed into the gap, which could be opened with a light lift. The night was too dark to see the scribbles on the paper, she took them all in her hand, a thick stack. Then she returned to Lu Yuwen again. ¡°Take the map, find a place to hide.¡± Lu Yuwen said in a low voice. Su Man asked, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to get out.¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s voice was even lower, glancing nervously at the tent, worried that Su Man would stay longer and wake those people, he urged, ¡°You hurry up and go!¡± Su Man bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then turned around and hurried off. These maps are the key to getting out of the maze, she must hide them well! ¡­ After a long time, Su Man finally found a place she thought was safe. She hid the maps and then went back to find Lu Yuwen. Lu Yuwen stared at her in disbelief: ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to hide?!¡± Su Man was stunned: ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to hide the map?¡± Lu Yuwen was choked. There was a rustling noise from the tent. Alarm bells rang in Lu Yuwen¡¯s head. He was about to chase Su Man away when the figure in front of him suddenly leaped up and climbed up the tree in the blink of an eye, hiding in the dense branches and leaves. Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡± Is this woman a monkey?! Chapter 489: 489: Lost the Map Chapter 489: Lost the Map The person who emerged from the tent was Zhang Ke. He got up in the middle of the night to urinate, and faintly noticed some movement from Lu Yuwen¡¯s side, casting a suspicious glance their way. ¡ª¡ªLu Yuwen was tied to a tree, head sagging, seemingly unconscious. There were sporadic snoring coming from the nearby tent. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang Ke withdrew his gaze, only to dismiss the noise as a mishearing. He walked to the side of the road to pee, and after zipping up his pants, prepared to head back to the tent. Accidentally, he noticed the lid of the motorcycle¡¯s rear box was not fully closed. It was not too far, so he walked a few extra steps, raised his hand to reopen the box lid, intending to close it properly. Upon opening it, however, he found the pile of papers inside was gone. Zhang Ke was dumbstruck. On instinct, he assumed the other two had taken the map into the tent to study it. But after a few steps, he felt something was wrong. The tent was pitch black, there was no light, nothing to aid in reading a map. Besides, the map has always been kept in this position, there was no reason for it to suddenly move. Zhang Ke once again looked at the bound Lu Yuwen. With Lu Yuwen bound by those tools, it was impossible for him to steal the map. The only remaining suspects were either Brother Xiao or Yang Zi, unless¡­there was a fifth person here? At this thought, Zhang Ke became vigilant and scanned his surroundings¡ª¡ª Everything around him was too dark, too quiet, anyone hiding would be hard to detect. Despite him thinking the possibility was slim, he still cautiously approached the tent and tentatively asked, ¡°Brother Xiao¡­ Brother Xiao? Is the map with you?¡± After a few seconds of waiting, a muffled male voice came from the tent, ¡°What do you want with a map in the middle of the night¡­¡± Yang Zi was also woken up and grumpily complained, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, not sleeping in the middle of the night?¡± Zhang Ke said, ¡°Oh¡­ The map isn¡¯t on the motorcycle, so I thought I¡¯d ask if it¡¯s with you.¡± The two people in the tent were taken aback, instantly wide awake! Brother Xiao crawled out of the tent and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? You said the map isn¡¯t on the motorcycle?¡± ¡°I just glanced at it.¡± Zhang Ke pointed in the direction of the motorcycle, ¡°Everything else is there, but the map is gone.¡± Brother Xiao didn¡¯t believe it and hurriedly walked to the motorcycle. He swung open the box with a smack! It was indeed gone! Other than the map, everything else was in the box! ¡°Yang Zi! Have you taken the map?¡± Brother Xiao asked with a frown. The short young man angrily retorted, ¡°Why would I take the map?! Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s useless unless we have all 100 squares?¡± He looked at Lu Yuwen, ¡°I¡¯m sure it was him! I¡¯ve said it before, this guy isn¡¯t trustworthy!¡± As he said this, he moved to confront Lu Yuwen. Brother Xiao, annoyed, held him back, ¡°He¡¯s tied to the tree by you, how could he take the map?! Even if he did, where could he hide it? That thick pile of papers couldn¡¯t possibly be hidden on him!¡± Zhang Ke was on guard as he looked around. All the shadows in the darkness became suspicious. ¡°Brother Xiao, it seems this place isn¡¯t as safe as we thought.¡± said Zhang Ke. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yang Zi asked with a furrowed brow, ¡°Could it have been carried off by an animal?¡± ¡°What nonsense! Since the world turned into this, have you seen any animals?¡± Brother Xiao retorted, ¡°Even if there were, have you ever seen an animal that only eats paper?¡± Finally, the realization hit Yang Zi, ¡°You mean¡­ there are others here?¡± He looked around, ¡°Impossible¡­ ever since we arrived, we¡¯ve only encountered mannequins, no living people¡­¡± ¡°Regardless, we have to arrange someone for night watch.¡± Zhang Ke looked at Brother Xiao, ¡°Losing the map isn¡¯t a big deal, we can always redraw it, but we can¡¯t afford to carelessly lose anything else.¡± For instance, our lives. Brother Xiao, with a grave expression, nodded in agreement. Chapter 490: Is It a Monster? Chapter 490: Is It a Monster? Yang Zi couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Lu Yuwen? He was outside all night long, he might have seen or heard something!¡± Brother Xiao glanced in Lu Yuwen¡¯s direction, frowning even deeper. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you to be careful! If you want to vent, wait until we¡¯re out of the maze! Now you¡¯ve turned him into a half-dead man, and you still expect him to hear something?!¡± ¡°Yes, after being tied up all night, we don¡¯t even know if he will be able to walk tomorrow.¡± Zhang Ke said sarcastically, ¡°If he really cannot walk, will we have to figure out how to carry him?¡± Brother Xiao became even more exasperated upon hearing this, said, ¡°Yang Zi, go and untie him!¡± Yang Zi was somewhat reluctant. He hated how Lu Yuwen looked down on them just because he was smarter, but thinking that someone would take turns to keep watch tonight and Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t escape, he compromised and went over to untie him. Lu Yuwen, appearing feeble, slid to the ground leaning against a tree trunk, his body tilted to one side. Even though the ropes on his body were loosened, those on his wrists remained. The other end of the rope was tied to the tent, so they could detect any movements as soon as Lu Yuwen pulled on the rope. For the rest of the night, the three of them took turns to keep watch. Su Man couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to rescue Lu Yuwen. She couldn¡¯t even find a chance to speak to Lu Yuwen. In the blink of an eye, day had broken. Looking at the three men packing up the tent, preparing to start again, she sank into deep confusion ¡ª what was she supposed to do to rescue Lu Yuwen from such dire circumstances? With no good ideas in mind, she could only continue to follow them. Unfortunately, not long after they started, their motorcycle ran out of gas. The group of people cursed and muttered, attributing it to the ¡°thief¡± who stole the map last night. They didn¡¯t suspect Lu Yuwen at all. Like this, after traveling for three blocks, they couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and had to stop. Without the motorcycle, it was just too hard to traverse the maze on foot. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Yuwen was almost dragged along, feeling an intense burning pain below his knees, his legs felt useless. Zhang Ke, Yang Zi, and Brother Xiao, who were dragging him, were no better. They were sweating profusely, but their youthful strength allowed them to endure much more than Yuwen, the cripple. Lu Yuwen glanced back with some concern. At this pace and intensity, he doubted any woman could keep up. However, it was better that she couldn¡¯t keep up. Being further away from these men was safer. If a woman was entangled in this, escaping would be even more troublesome. No sooner had this idea crossed his mind, than he saw a flash of red dancing at the corner of his eye before disappearing. Su Man was not only closely following behind, she also moved with agility and showed no signs of fatigue. Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡± Where on earth had this woman come from?! Was she a monster??? ¡°What are you looking at! If you have the energy then hurry up and move!¡± Yang Zi from the front yelled, ¡°We¡¯ve lost our map, you have to redraw the entire thing for us! Be quick about it!¡± Lu Yuwen turned his gaze forward again and silently walked onwards¡­ ¡­ As Lu Yuwen had described earlier, the environment inside the maze comprised of massive, square blocks. Without any measuring tools, the exact size of the blocks remained unknown. They could only estimate that both sides were about 2 kilometers long. For example, the present 2 kilometers they were traveling was a highway. When they moved onto the next 2 kilometers, it could suddenly become a field or a hill, or the change could be smaller, turning into a different bloc. It was as if a city had been sliced into 100 pieces, randomly shuffled, and then reassembled. What they had to do was not just walk through each 2-kilometer block. They also had to map every block to look for patterns and clues. Despite his extreme fatigue, Lu Yuwen was painstakingly meticulous in his map drawing. After all, it was directly related to whether he could escape from the maze. Just as he was carefully drawing the layout of the streets nearby, Yang Zi suddenly pulled him up. Lu Yuwen¡¯s paper and pen fell to the ground ¨C Chapter 491: Mentally Deficient Personality Chapter 491: Mentally Deficient Personality Lu Yuwen was taken aback. Brother Xiao and Zhang Ke were out looking for gasoline, and now it was only him and Yang Zi left. Could it be possible that the latter was planning to vent his anger on him while the other two were away? In Lu Yuwen¡¯s view, the short fellow named Yang Zi had a classic dim-witted personality ¨C Lacking intelligence, he was unable to control his emotions, much like a wild animal with no understanding of restraint or camouflage. For dealing with such people, Lu Yuwen¡¯s wisdom was to avoid provoking them at all costs. Resisting or communicating were pointless, as they lacked human IQ. Lu Yuwen silently followed Yang Zi, not asking why he had suddenly jerked him up, nor where he was taking him. Yang Zi, leading Lu Yuwen by the rope, took him into the restroom of a nearby mall. He kicked open a toilet stall door, blatantly disregarded Lu Yuwen¡¯s presence, unbuttoned his pants with one hand while holding the rope with the other, and started defecating on the toilet in front of him! Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Heh, the low IQ dwarf ape. Keeping hold of the rope was becoming bothersome, so Yang Zi simply tied it to the restroom door and lit a cigarette for himself. Cigarette smoke, stench¡­ The toilet¡¯s smell was indescribable. Lu Yuwen stood outside the stall, his face extremely unsightly. At this moment, he suddenly saw a head peeking out from the deepest stall in the restroom! He was startled, his eyes widened! Even though he tried to control himself after realizing it was Su Man, his sharp intake of breath still attracted the attention of the dwarf ape! ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on?!¡± Yang Zi asked, frowning. Lu Yuwen quickly lowered his head, pretending to be spineless and scared, ¡°Cock¡­cockroach¡­¡± ¡°A cockroach scared you like this?¡± Yang Zi snorted, warning him, ¡°Behave, don¡¯t try any tricks!¡± Lu Yuwen said nothing, his head lowered but his mind was in turmoil! What was that woman doing?! Why was she in the men¡¯s restroom?! When did she sneak in? Why didn¡¯t he see her?! What was she intending to do?!! ¡­ Su Man came prepared. Knowing that Lu Yuwen was constantly being watched, she had brought a notebook and pen. So even if they couldn¡¯t talk, they could pass messages quietly. Su Man wrote a sentence on the notebook, held it above the stall¡¯s door for Lu Yuwen to see: ¡°He is alone now, do you want to take him down?¡± Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡± Do what?! Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Was it appropriate for a woman to be this impulsive?! Not knowing the enemy¡¯s strength, how did she plan to take action? She might end up getting herself hurt instead! Lu Yuwen pretended his neck was uncomfortable, turned his¡­ stiff head to shake it no. Seeing this, Su Man slightly furrowed her brows. He didn¡¯t agree? But now was a particularly good opportunity, why didn¡¯t he agree? Even though she was injured, she should have no problem dealing with this shorty. Wouldn¡¯t their chance be lost if the other two returned? Su Man lacked confidence in her own judgment. After thinking it over, she decided that Lu Yuwen must have his reasons for not letting her take action. Therefore, she continued writing on the notebook: ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡± Of course he had a plan, only it couldn¡¯t be explained in a sentence or two. He once again feigned a sore neck, twisted his¡­ stiff head and nodded. ¡°Hey!¡± The man on the toilet suddenly called him. Lu Yuwen was startled, thinking that his small movements had been noticed, so he hurriedly looked up. ¡°There¡¯s no toilet paper, go check the other stalls for some!¡± Yang Zi ordered him impatiently. Chapter 492: 492: Toilet Paper Chapter 492: Toilet Paper Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you dawdling for?! Go find it!¡± Yang Zi cursed, ¡°Should I myself bend over searching for toilet paper?! Damn it!¡± The rope was long enough, so there should be no problem finding toilet paper in the restroom. Lu Yuwen hung his head and opened the next cubicle. ¡°Found any paper?¡± Yang Zi asked. Lu Yuwen paused for two seconds, removed the half roll of paper from the box, tucked it under his arm, and replied, ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°If not, then keep searching! And do it quickly!¡± Lu Yuwen pretended to search for toilet paper. Once he reached the last cubicle, he received a pen from Su Man and quickly wrote a message¡ª¡ª ¡°Stay close to us. When you see me signal you, reverse the direction of all the arrows! The exact direction will depend on my hand signal!¡± Arrows? Reverse the direction? The big arrow that spans hundreds of meters cannot possibly be reversed. The arrows that Lu Yuwen is referring to must be the smaller arrows scattered around the big one. But what good would reversing the arrows do? Su Man looked at him skeptically. Yang Zi in the cubicle began cursing again: ¡°Damn it! How hard is it to find some toilet paper?! Have you found it yet?!¡± ¡°Found it.¡± Lu Yuwen pretended to struggle, patting the nearby toilet paper box, making a noise, ¡°The roll is stuck inside, almost done.¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± Lu Yuwen didn¡¯t dare delay any further. Without allowing Su Man the opportunity to ask any questions, he rushed out and handed the toilet paper to Yang Zi. He wasn¡¯t sure if such an impatient and thoughtless creature would burst out due to the urgent need for toilet paper. After all, the latter had no bottom line. Once Yang Zi had finished up, presumably finding the smell too foul, he left the restroom immediately without further trouble for Lu Yuwen. Su Man looked at the words Lu Yuwen had left behind, contemplating for a moment before leaving the restroom as well. Brother Xiao and Zhang Ke had already returned outside. They had found some gasoline, but the motorcycle was still parked where they rested last night, so the gasoline was of no use for the time being and they had to carry it along as they moved forward. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Let¡¯s go two more squares and head back.¡± Brother Xiao said, ¡°We¡¯ll use the motorcycle instead, it¡¯s more efficient.¡± ¡°The motorcycle won¡¯t be that much more efficient.¡± Zhang Ke glanced in the direction of Lu Yuwen, ¡°At most, three people can sit on a motorcycle. Unless someone gets down, to let Lu Yuwen up, otherwise, the motorcycle can¡¯t move faster.¡± Yang Zi snorted: ¡°Let him ride the motorcycle? While we chase behind? You really do care about him.¡± ¡°And do you have a plan?¡± Zhang Ke didn¡¯t mince his words, ¡°Could your brain possibly produce a plan?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t understand! Isn¡¯t he just drawing maps? Can¡¯t we draw maps? Do we absolutely have to rely on him?!¡± Yang Zi violently tugged the rope wrapped around Lu Yuwen, almost making him stumble! ¡°We¡¯ve been trapped in this damn place for three days, aside from drawing maps, what useful things has he done? Even if he drew hundreds of maps, it wouldn¡¯t guarantee an escape! Do you truly believe that he has an idea?!!¡± ¡°Enough! What¡¯s there to quarrel about?!¡± Brother Xiao impatiently interrupted the two, ¡°If you have the energy to quarrel, you might as well move more maze squares! Look for an exit!¡± The two stopped arguing but neither looked particularly pleased. Lu Yuwen held the map in his hand, silently following behind. Occasionally, when the people in front of him were not paying attention, he secretly glanced back¡ª¡ª He couldn¡¯t see Su Man¡¯s shadow. He was slightly anxious. They were almost there and he wasn¡¯t sure whether Su Man had caught up¡­ When he saw her, he worried that the group would discover her, but when he couldn¡¯t see her, he was worried she couldn¡¯t keep up. Lu Yuwen intentionally or unintentionally, slowed down his pace, secretly praying: I hope the plan will work! Chapter 493: 493: The Block is Broken Chapter 493: The Block is Broken Brother Xiao¡¯s plan was to go back after going two squares farther, but they didn¡¯t expect that after advancing one more square ¡ª the road, was blocked. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Or to put it precisely, the square was blocked. A huge collapsed pit appeared in front of them! At least a kilometer away! The pit edge was neat and squarely shaped, as if a chess piece had been dug out of a full chessboard! Perhaps the sight was too spectacular, the group didn¡¯t speak for a long time, fixated on the scene. ¡°How could this happen¡­¡± Brother Xiao stared at the giant pit, ¡°What on earth is this place¡­¡± Yang Zi, too, was stunned for a long time before he asked: ¡°Could it be¡­an exit?¡± Lu Yuwen was shocked by the scene and collapsed to the ground, his legs trembling. Zhang Ke picked him up, ¡°Hey, smart guy, what do you think this place is?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Lu Yuwen struggled to adjust his glasses, ¡°This is the only place without¡­without any arrows. Perhaps there might be some clues. I¡¯m not certain, we need to¡­ we need to go down and see¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so high! How do we get down?!¡± Yang Zi immediately opposed, ¡°Plus, who knows what dangers lie below!¡± Zhang Ke and Brother Xiao looked at each other, both hesitating. Brother Xiao stood at the edge, looking down ¡ª The bottom of the pit was about as high as a four or five-story building from where they stood. They could clearly see the smooth mud floor below. There were no buildings, no trees, nothing at all. It was completely empty and visible in its entirety. They also couldn¡¯t see any danger. ¡°If we want to go down¡­it¡¯s not impossible, we can use a rope,¡± Brother Xiao said with a furrowed brow, ¡°We¡¯re here now, even if we turn around and leave, we¡¯ll have to go down and check it out the next time we come.¡± ¡°If anyone¡¯s going down, let him go first!¡± Yang Zi pointed at Lu Yuwen. Lu Yuwen was stunned. Brother Xiao frowned: ¡°How is he gonna go down with those two legs of his? He can hardly walk, and if you drop him down, you¡¯ll have to drag him back up. Want to go through that trouble? We should move quickly, go down for a quick look and come right back up. We¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s down there first.¡± Yang Zi: ¡°And what if he runs?!¡± Zhang Ke chuckled, picked up a brick from the road, and smashed it viciously onto Lu Yuwen¡¯s knee! Lu Yuwen screamed in agony, clutching his leg as he collapsed to the ground! Zhang Ke tossed the brick, and said nonchalantly with a smirk: ¡°Fine, now we don¡¯t have to worry about him running.¡± Yang Zi cast a glance at Lu Yuwen and smirked. He didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s all prepare, see how we can get down.¡± Brother Xiao looked around and noticed several residential buildings nearby, ¡°Follow me to get some mattresses and pillows. If we slip and fall, at least they¡¯ll cushion the fall.¡± The two followed him. Since Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t even stand up, they didn¡¯t worry that he would try to escape. They didn¡¯t even glance at him when they left. As soon as they all went into the residential building. Su Man, who had been hiding in the dark, immediately came out, helped Lu Yuwen sit up, and said angrily but anxiously: ¡°They¡¯re gone. Let¡¯s get out of here quickly!¡± Lu Yuwen, soaked in sweat and pale as a ghost, was still in agony from Zhang Ke¡¯s hit ¨D the pain nearly made him bite off his gums! ¡°We can¡¯t. If we leave like this, we won¡¯t be able to untie the ropes!¡± He was panting and shaking his head, ¡°Listen to me. When they go down, rotate the arrow towards my direction!¡± Still rather uneasy, he asked Su Man: ¡°Do you know where the arrow is?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Man nodded, ¡°It¡¯s about five hundred meters around the corner. I remember it. As soon as they go down, I will turn the arrow around!¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, urging her: ¡°Go quickly, they¡¯re about to come out.¡± Su Man looked back at the direction of the residential building, bit her lip, quickly retreated and hid herself again. Chapter 494: 494: Meticulous Calculations Chapter 494: Meticulous Calculations Xiao Ge and his partners threw down seven or eight mattresses, along with all the sheets, quilts, and pillows they had scavenged from the residences. In a matter of moments, they filled the bottom with a thick layer of padding. At the first glance, they looked rough and relentless, like desperadoes, yet they valued their lives so much when it came to the crunch. Lu Yuwen sneered at their cowardice. Yang Zi untied the rope from Lu Yuwen¡¯s wrists, which were deeply bruised, having been bound for too long. The rope was long and stretchy. Xiao Ge tied one end to a nearby tree and wrapped the other end around his waist before gradually descending the rope. Once at the bottom, Yang Zi pulled the rope back, tied it around his waist like Xiao Ge had done, and slowly descended. Zhang Ke was the last to go down. Seeing all three men had descended, Lu Yuwen cracked a cold smile. He leaned on his arms, attempting to get up. His knees had been severely damaged by Zhang Ke, leaving him unable to exert any force. Thus, he could only crawl forward by rolling onto his side. Nevertheless, his wrists, ankles, thighs, and knees were in terrible pain. As he cursed under his breath and painstakingly crawled forward, a figure suddenly appeared. It was Su Man, who was briskly running towards him! Lu Yuwen was startled and blurted out, ¡°Why are you here? Weren¡¯t you adjusting the direction of the arrows?!¡± As Su Man supported him up, she replied, ¡°I did!¡± ¡°You did? That was fast!¡± Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t believe it. She had to sprint half a kilometer, adjust almost a hundred small arrows, and then run another half kilometer to get back to him. ¡°What speed is she running? What¡¯s her endurance?¡± he wondered. She explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you! If I adjust a few of the small arrows, the nearby ones will automatically adjust their direction too! After adjusting more than 50, all the arrows start changing their direction, so I didn¡¯t need to adjust each one manually!¡± Before she finished speaking, they felt something trembling! They turned their heads to see the massive arrow suspended between the buildings, swaying and changing direction just like the small ones! While they were still surprised, the ground beneath them trembled violently, like an earthquake! They both fell to the ground! ¡°What¡¯s going on?!!¡± Xiao Ge¡¯s furious voice echoed from the pit below. ¡°Damn! Why is there an earthquake all of a sudden?!¡± Yang Zi roared from below, ¡°Hurry up! Zhang Ke, you son of a turtle! Give us the rope!¡± The rope was with Zhang Ke? Realizing this, Lu Yuwen grabbed Su Man¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Help me up! Zhang Ke is climbing up!¡± Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang Ke was the last one down, so it¡¯s highly likely he hadn¡¯t reached the bottom when Su Man had changed the direction of the arrows! Su Man was faster than Lu Yuwen had anticipated, and now the whole area was moving quickly in the direction the large arrow pointed to! The building at the other end of the pit was quickly closing in! Meanwhile, the yelling of Xiao Ge and Yang Zi abruptly stopped! The pit they were in was being filled up! ¡°Quickly, let¡¯s move to the green belt over there!¡± Lu Yuwen shouted, ¡°Otherwise, when the section of earth stops, we¡¯ll be thrown out by inertia!¡± No one could predict how great the force of inertia would be! It¡¯s like standing on a speeding train that suddenly stops. How far would a person be thrown? Su Man tried to support Lu Yuwen to the green belt, but he was too slow. He was so anxious that he pushed Su Man away, ¡°Forget about me! You go!¡± Just as the pieces of land were about to collide, Su Man was frantic! In a moment of desperation, she suddenly picked up Lu Yuwen and charged forward! Lu Yuwen: ¡°!!!¡± Despite all his cunning, he never thought there would be a day when a woman would carry him and run! Chapter 495: 495: Good Name Chapter 495: Good Name ¡ªBOOM!!! With a loud crash, Su Man and Lu Yuwen both tumble into the green belt, the branches and leaves of the shrubs scraping their skin while also shielding their bodies! If they hit a wall or an electrical pole at this moment, broken ribs would be the least of their worries! Even so, the impact leaves Lu Yuwen bewildered, disoriented, and dizzy! Su Man, who is much stronger than Lu Yuwen, quickly gets up. She helps Lu Yuwen to his feet and drags him away from the green belt. Looming overhead, a glass window of a building nearby sways precariously. Just after the pair move away, it crashes to the ground, shattering to pieces! Su Man carries Lu Yuwen and flees, running until they reach a wide, open meadow. Once assured that there are no risks of falling objects nearby, Su Man finally puts Lu Yuwen down. ¡°Hey! Hey?!¡± Su Man slaps his face, ¡°Lu Yuwen! Are you okay?!¡± Lu Yuwen, feeling groggy, struggles to open his eyes, ¡°¡­How did you know my name?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they were calling you.¡± Su Man explains, simultaneously pressing on his chest and arm. Lu Yuwen, weakly and breathlessly, asks, ¡°Why are you¡­ poking around¡­¡± Su Man says with a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯m checking to see if you¡¯ve broken any bones.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lu Yuwen is at a loss for words as he lies on the ground, gasping, ¡°Even if they¡¯re not broken, you¡¯re going to finish the job.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Man quickly withdraws her hand and asks him anxiously, ¡°Does it hurt badly? Where does it hurt? I brought some medicine for injuries. I can apply it for you.¡± Lu Yuwen waves her off, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡± Su Man scans their surroundings and nods vehemently. ¡°You¡¯re right. This place is too strange. Let¡¯s get moving!¡± With that, she tries to lift Lu Yuwen up again. Upon seeing her efforts, Lu Yuwen quickly grabs her arm, ¡°Wait, wait a minute! I¡¯m too heavy. This isn¡¯t appropriate¡­ ¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing inappropriate about it.¡± Su Man replies, ¡°I¡¯m strong, don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t drop you!¡± Lu Yuwen thinks to himself: I¡¯ve already experienced your strength, but whether or not you drop me isn¡¯t the point! He then suggests a compromise, ¡°Can you carry me on your back instead?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Su Man furrows her eyebrows and supports his arm over her shoulder, slightly discontented. ¡°I¡¯m not embarrassed. Why should you be? The important thing now is to get out of here. What¡¯s the difference between carrying or piggybacking? Who are you pretending for?¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s mouth twitches. He doesn¡¯t want to argue, ¡°¡­ Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Su Man hoists him onto her back and starts walking. After a while, she feels a strange sense of unease, like something is off. It takes her a moment to realize what¡¯s wrong. She¡¯s used to getting snappy responses from Li Li when they talk. So much so that she¡¯s adapted to speaking bluntly and aggressively. Now that she¡¯s suddenly getting agreement, she doesn¡¯t know how to handle it¡­ Deep down, she knows that men have their pride, and being carried around by a woman isn¡¯t really dignified. Su Man thinks about what to say to remedy the situation. After all, she still needs him to find their way out of the labyrinth¡­ ¡°What should I call you?¡± the man on her back asks. ¡°Su Man,¡± She replies, ¡°Su as in Suzhou, and Man as in vine.¡± ¡°Nice name,¡± Lu Yuwen says, ¡°It reminds me of a verse from the Book of Songs, ¡®In the wild fields, sparkle the dew-drops shed, There is a beautiful lady, pure and fair.¡¯ There are more engrossing lines to the verse, but Lu Yuwen chose not to speak them for now. Anyway, they¡¯ve just met. Starting with small talk is a good way to work towards deeper conversation. Su Man seems not to understand the remark, and replies flatly, ¡°Really? I¡¯ve always thought my name was a bit old-fashioned. When I was in school, I always met people with the same name. Zhang Man, Li Man, He Man¡­ Eventually, I added a ¡®grass¡¯ character to my name.¡± Lu Yuwen: ¡°¡­I see.¡± Suddenly feeling that the conversation just died a death. Chapter 496: 496: A Complete Mystery Chapter 496: A Complete Mystery He didn¡¯t speak, but Su Man took the initiative and asked, ¡°How did you know that changing the direction of the arrow would cause the land parcel to move?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± Lu Yuwen pondered for a while before replying, ¡°That, of course, I figured out from my analysis.¡± ¡°Your mind is really amazing.¡± Su Man sincerely exclaimed, ¡°I also saw those arrows, but I never thought that the arrow¡¯s direction could be changed, nor did I ever imagine that the land parcel could actually move.¡± No one dislikes being complimented, especially when complimented by the opposite sex. Lu Yuwen felt smug about it, but modestly said, ¡°After all, I¡¯ve been here for three days, so I¡¯ve pretty much figured out the environment and clues.¡± Having said this, he couldn¡¯t help but ask Su Man, ¡°When did you come in?¡± ¡°Yesterday.¡± Su Man answered, ¡°I was quite shocked when I first arrived and saw them dragging you on a bike. I didn¡¯t expect to meet people in the maze.¡± Lu Yuwen seemed surprised, ¡°Did you come in by yourself?¡± Su Man nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± From the tone of her voice, it didn¡¯t sound like she accidentally fell in here. On the contrary, she seemed to have willingly entered the maze? Why? Everyone tries to avoid the maze, so why would someone willingly enter it? ¡­Could it be that her relatives or friends are in here? However, they had just met not long ago. Asking too many questions could easily cause discomfort, so Lu Yuwen buried his suspicions in his heart, preparing to ask Su Man at an appropriate time later. This woman is full of mysteries¡ª Entering the deadly maze alone; Possessing astonishing strength and speed; Her left arm seems to be injured, with the entire forearm to the hand wrapped in bandages, but she still can use it. At least now, as she was carrying him, he felt that arm was quite strong. If that¡¯s the case, why wrap it in bandages? All of these signs¡­ are too strange. Su Man was unaware of Lu Yuwen¡¯s complicated thoughts. She carried Lu Yuwen on her back and turned back, only to find the original path was blocked since the land parcel had moved. ¡ªThe original location of the land parcel had become a large depression, like a deep foundation pit that had been dug but no building constructed. Su Man had no choice but to take a detour along the edge of the pit. Lu Yuwen, fearing her strength would fail her, asked her to rest. Su Man shook her head, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to stay first.¡± By coincidence, there was a private clinic nearby. She carried Lu Yuwen in, expertly disinfecting and medicating his wound. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Yuwen¡¯s trousers were already in an embarrassing state. Su Man went to a nearby clothing store to find a few pairs of trousers, taking care of him personally. Since she didn¡¯t know Lu Yuwen¡¯s size, she brought back a pile of clothes and trousers, not forgetting socks and shoes. When she returned to the clinic, Lu Yuwen was washing his face and head with cold water. For the three days he had been in the maze, he had been living like a dog, his hair was even filled with dried instant noodle flakes, and his body stank terribly. If not for worrying about his leg wound getting wet, he would have love to take a thorough bath! Su Man put the clothes on the hospital bed, lifting her eyes she saw Lu Yuwen¡¯s freshly cleansed face, and was taken aback. She didn¡¯t expect¡­ She didn¡¯t expect him to be so¡­ handsome. Previously, his face was all covered in dirt and dried blood, only giving the impression of a clean and handsome appearance. Now she discovered, he had long eyebrows, slightly upturned eyes, and his facial features were more exquisite than most men. He looked a bit like an immortal prince from period dramas, carrying a kind of androgynous elegance. Some men are handsome, some are cool, some are good-looking, but Lu Yuwen was not any of those, he was simply¡­ beautiful! Lu Yuwen took the clothes and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± He thought Su Man would turn away while he changed his clothes, but she didn¡¯t move. Recalling Su Man¡¯s previous remark about him being pretentious, Lu Yuwen decided not to be pretentious and casually took off his ragged shirt¡ª Chapter 497: 497: Chicken Soup for the Soul Chapter 497: Chicken Soup for the Soul S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Man: ¡°¡­¡± She froze for a moment, then quickly turned around! Finally caught up by embarrassment, she stammered, ¡°You¡­ you should change your clothes first. I¡¯ll go back and bring our luggage and the map!¡± With that said, she hurriedly left. Lu Yuwen watched her retreating figure, looked down at the clothes in his hand, wavered for a moment, but finally, unable to stand the stale smell on his body, gritted his teeth and decided to take a cold shower! ¡­ The temperature, bearing the chill of early autumn, although not yet that cold, taking a cold shower was truly torturous. After bathing, Lu Yuwen sneezed countless times. Though he had cleaned up, his body was not okay. His head started to feel heavy and feverish. He knew it was bad. He quickly rummaged through the clinic, looking for cold medicine! When Su Man returned with their luggage, she was surprised to see Lu Yuwen¡¯s flushed face as he lay on the medical bed, ¡°What happened to you?¡± Didn¡¯t we just disinfect the wound? And didn¡¯t I apply the medicine? Why does it seem to be getting worse? Lu Yuwen was at a loss for words. Was he going to tell her that he¡¯d been self-indulgent again and gotten sick from taking a cold shower? In the end, his frail body wasn¡¯t fit for survival in a world like this! After taking the medicine, he felt exhausted. He weakly asked Su Man, ¡°Did you bring the map back?¡± ¡°I brought it back.¡± Su Man handed it to him. Lu Yuwen didn¡¯t have the strength to take it. He glanced at the map in her hand and said faintly, ¡°If I get better tomorrow, I¡¯ll help you complete the rest of the map. This maze isn¡¯t scary. As long as we complete the map square by square, in the correct order, we can find the correct route¡­ If I can¡¯t get better, you¡¯ll have to complete it yourself, understand?¡± Su Man reached out to touch his forehead and frowned, ¡°Why the sudden fever? Did you take the medicine? I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve taken it¡­¡± Lu Yuwen grabbed her hand, his voice hoarse from the fever, ¡°It¡¯s probably because the wound on my leg is inflamed, plus the chill¡­ It won¡¯t be better in a few days. If you can leave, leave as soon as possible and don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Su Man¡¯s frown deepened, ¡°I will surely take you out with me!¡± Lu Yuwen shook his head, ¡°¡­listen, I¡¯m a cripple, my legs were bad to begin with. Staying in the maze is safer, you don¡¯t need to take me out. Besides, I don¡¯t like owing people favors¡­¡± ¡°So what if you¡¯re a cripple?!¡± Su Man cut him off, her tone showing exasperation, ¡°You¡¯re just troubled with one bad leg, I know a woman who has two! But isn¡¯t she still living well?! Not only is she living well, but everyone is also afraid of her! No one dares to provoke her! You have to buck up too!¡± Lu Yuwen scoffed, ¡°Thanks for the pep talk, but I can¡¯t quite swallow it¡­¡± ¡°This is not pep talk! It¡¯s a real story!¡± Su Man persisted, ¡°She is far worse off than you, at least you can still walk. She can only use a wheelchair, even needs help to go to the toilet! But she has never given up and has passed many games! You shouldn¡¯t give up, either!¡± Lu Yuwen thought: How can someone in a wheelchair complete games? Could she be a little more sincere when giving motivational speeches? Forget it¡­ This girl was straightforward and kind-hearted, just trying to encourage him. Why should he dampen her spirits? But seriously¡­ being sick really felt awful. Lu Yuwen closed his eyes, let out a weak sigh, and once again said faintly, ¡°If I can get better, we¡¯ll leave together; if I can¡¯t, you should go by yourself. Like I said before¡­ we were strangers, you don¡¯t have to be dragged down by me, I don¡¯t like owing people favors.¡± He then stopped talking and closed his eyes to rest on the bed. Su Man bit her lip, her mood gloomy as she watched him. Were people with mobility problems always so stubborn? Chapter 498: 498 Friends Chapter 498: Friends At night, Lu Yuwen remained in a semi-conscious state. He woke up a few times during this period: Once, Su Man yanked him awake to feed him medicine, her movements were rough, almost like force-feeding him; Another time, Su Man removed his shirt to wipe him down and apply a cold compress, her strength was overpowering, the towel rubbing against him almost peeling off a layer of skin; And yet another time, Su Man insisted on him getting up to soak his feet, claiming it was a method she learned from the Chinese medicine clinic next door. According to her, soaking the feet, followed by a massage on specific acupuncture points, could speed up his recovery. Lu Yuwen was extremely unyielding when it came to anyone seeing his feet, especially his congenitally disabled one. However, Su Man was stronger than him, and he couldn¡¯t resist her. Afterwards, he almost passed out from the pain. He thought he would have half his life tormented away by this woman but unexpectedly, he felt his spirit gradually improving as he slept into the late night. Although his body was still dripping sweat, his head didn¡¯t feel as heavy anymore. Lu Yuwen opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath. Su Man was asleep next to him. She was leaning against the side of the bed, her eyebrows still slightly furrowed in concern, her right hand holding a thermometer while her left hand was placed beneath it. He hadn¡¯t looked closely before, but now that he did, her left hand, wrapped up in thick bandages, looked somewhat unnatural, uneven and lumpy. He had no idea what it looked like beneath the bandages¡­ Lu Yuwen felt a pang of pity for her. Such a good-looking girl, but her hand was injured. He hoped she could recover in the future and wouldn¡¯t end up like him ¨C always attracting ridicule wherever he went because of the way he walked. He sat up, intending to reach for some water. Su Man was highly alert and woke up almost instantly. Her clear, distinct eyes opened wide, like a cat¡¯s in the dark of the night, sharp and energizing! Not the least bit groggy! Seeing Lu Yuwen awake, the sharpness in her eyes softened as she asked him, ¡°Do you want some water?¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, then asked her, ¡°Got anything to eat?¡± Su Man rummaged through her bag and took out a packet of compressed biscuits. Struggling to open the packet with one hand, she used her teeth. Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Let me do it.¡± Su Man handed it to him. He took it, opened the packet and took out seven or eight biscuits, then handed the remaining half packet back to Su Man. Both of them ate their biscuits with hot water in silence. The indoor ambiance composed of soothing chewing sounds, the rustling of the packaging, and a small camping kerosene stove in the middle of the room quietly agitating its flames. After eating for a while, Lu Yuwen said, ¡°When dawn breaks, let¡¯s go back to where they went down.¡± Su Man was momentarily startled, and asked, ¡°You worry that they might climb back up?¡± Lu Yuwen shook his head lightly and said, ¡°Xiao and Yang Zi should have been crushed to death, but in the end, Yang Zi called out Zhang Ke¡¯s name, which means Zhang Ke wasn¡¯t at the bottom at that time. He might be hanging somewhere in the middle. I¡¯m not certain if he managed to climb up after that, so I want to go back and check again.¡± ¡°Zhang Ke is the guy who swung the wrench at your knee?¡± Su Man asked. ¡°Mm.¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, ¡°Yes, him.¡± Su Man knitted her brows disapprovingly, ¡°These people are ruthless and vicious, I hope none of them survive!¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter if they did.¡± Lu Yuwen pondered for a moment, then slowly responded, ¡°Once we get out, he would be trapped in here all alone. Unable to call out for help, that would truly be a fitting fate.¡± ¡°No!¡± Su Man said firmly, ¡°This kind of person should be killed to eliminate future troubles! Otherwise, the next time someone enters the labyrinth, he might harm people again!¡± Lu Yuwen was taken aback, then gently smiled. Su Man glared at him, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Lu Yuwen laughed, ¡°You are unexpectedly quite righteous and hate evil.¡± Su Man fell silent and slowly lowered her head. ¡°I indeed hate such people, bullies who are underhanded and treacherous ¡­ When I think about my friends, who might encounter them in the game or labyrinth, who might even get into trouble because of that, I wish I could kill them all!¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Your friends?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± She looked out of the window. ¡°I wonder how they¡¯re doing now¡­¡± Chapter 499: 499: The Lady in Black Skirt Chapter 499: The Lady in Black Skirt Dusk. An off-road vehicle sped down the smooth highway. Bai Youwei, on the passenger seat, was dozing off. The long drive, monotonous scenery, warm sunshine¡­ all tempting her to succumb to sleep. Curbing a yawn, she said, ¡°Next time, we should let Tan Xiao sit in the car. Despite his constant chatter, he can help us stay alert.¡± Shen Mo glanced at her, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let him sit in the car this time?¡± ¡°To save fuel, duh!¡± Bai Youwei eyeing him, ¡°Your car guzzles fuel, don¡¯t you know?¡± That¡¯s why not only the luggage had been moved into the dollhouse, but Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Pan Xiaoxin were also banished into it. Shen Mo chuckled, not answering. In his heart, he thought Bai Youwei was deliberately creating more alone time for the two of them. ¡°Hang in there a bit longer, we¡¯re almost there,¡± Shen Mo said. Bai Youwei mustered the energy to look forward, seeing a beautiful landscape flashed by. Further ahead, heavy mists indicated the presence of the maze. ¡°I wonder if Su Man is in there¡­¡± she worriedly sighed. After discovering Su Man¡¯s disappearance, they and Yan Qingwen split into two groups to look for her. One group was dispatched to Xuzhou, the other to Fuzhou. In an environment lacking means of communication, finding someone was really hard. Yet with Lun Ang gone, Yan Qingwen did not want to see Su Man get into trouble again. Plus, collecting puzzle pieces from the maze was their original goal. It would, of course, be even better if they could find Su Man in the process. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So, after some discussion, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei set out for Fuzhou, while Yan Qingwen and Zhu Shu headed to Xuzhou. Looking ahead, Shen Mo murmured, ¡°According to the map, we should drive for another hour before seeing the fog, but seeing it now means the maze has expanded in the meantime.¡± Bai Youwei, leaning on the car window, muttered, ¡°What would happen if no one ever came out from a maze?¡­ Would the maze keep expanding? Expanding non-stop, covering the entire continent? The entire earth?¡± ¡°That depends on the purpose of the game system,¡± Shen Mo slowed down his car¡¯s speed and said calmly, ¡°If it¡¯s goal is to kill, the maze and the game¡¯s difficulty will increase. But if it aims to select certain people, it will surely leave some leeway.¡± Bai Youwei turned to look at him, ¡°Do you want to be selected?¡± Shen Mo answered frankly, ¡°Of course. Only by winning to the end can we uncover the truth.¡± Bai Youwei pondered before asking, ¡°Is knowing the truth important to you?¡± Shen Mo gripped the steering wheel, turned to glance at her, ¡°Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing both died in the game. Don¡¯t you want to know why they died?¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a moment. Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing were killed by the doll, which was created by Mary, who was created by the game itself. But who created the game? Why did the game come into existence? This remained an unsolved mystery. But in truth¡­ Bai Youwei didn¡¯t intend to pursue the truth. In fact, she was somewhat resistant to it. Once the truth arrived¡­ would everything return to the way it was? She looked down at her own legs. After so much struggle, she was about to stand up again¡­ But this thought can¡¯t be shared with anyone, not even Shen Mo. She didn¡¯t want to appear dark, selfish, or even malevolent in his eyes. The car suddenly stopped. Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°Why did we stop?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a car up ahead,¡± Shen Mo squinted, ¡°Beside the car there¡¯s a tent and a woman.¡± Bai Youwei also looked in that direction, ¡°Could it be Su Man?¡± Chapter 500: 500: Long Time No See, Du Lai Chapter 500: Long Time No See, Du Lai Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei only took one glance to know for sure that it wasn¡¯t Su Man. Because sitting beside the car in the distance was a woman in a black skirt. Although too far away to discern her face, Su Man never wore skirts. Probably the only time was in the Doll House, when she was compelled to put on a doll costume. Moreover, it was truly odd to wear a long skirt while traveling. Bai Youwei wore skirts because wearing trousers was too much of a hassle for her. If she could run and jump, she would, of course, choose comfortable sportswear. As Shen Mo and Bai Youwei scrutinized the woman, she also noticed them. Sitting upright, she turned her head towards them. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were both stunned. Because the woman was not only wearing a long black skirt, but there was also a long black veil on her head. The two had initially thought it was her long hair draped over her shoulders, but only when the woman turned her head, revealing no face, did they realize her head and face were both covered by the black veil. She was wrapped up more tightly than an Arabian woman; at least they would reveal their eyes, whereas this woman didn¡¯t even reveal an eyebrow! This was too strange. Wasn¡¯t she hot in that outfit? Although it was already autumn, the heat was still intense, with the daytime temperature reaching as high as twenty-seven or twenty-eight degrees. Bai Youwei felt she would probably suffer from heatstroke if she dressed like that woman. ¡°So strange¡­¡± Bai Youwei murmured under her breath. ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look.¡± Shen Mo started the car again. As the woman in the black skirt saw them coming, she lowered her head and bent to enter the tent. Following that, a young man in a hoodie came out of the tent, casting a wary glance at Shen Mo¡¯s car. This man was none other than Du Lai, who had previously swapped the Substitute Doll with Bai Youwei. Du Lai was camping near the maze with a woman? Interesting. Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes. As Shen Mo pulled up with the car and stopped, she greeted Du Lai with a smile, ¡°Long time no see~¡± ¡°It¡¯s you guys.¡± Du Lai¡¯s face relaxed upon recognizing them, and he returned Bai Youwei¡¯s smile. Bai Youwei grinned and asked, ¡°Who else did you think it could be?¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think it was anyone specific.¡± Du Lai glanced at Shen Mo, who was at the wheel, and casually asked, ¡°Are you two thinking of entering the maze? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a bit short-staffed?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there also just two of you?¡± Shen Mo replied nonchalantly. ¡°Indeed, the maze is filled with perils, and two people do make for a weak team. Which is why we haven¡¯t really decided whether to enter yet.¡± Du Lai glanced at the tent and introduced with a jovial tone, ¡°That¡¯s my girlfriend inside. She¡¯s not fond of talking much, hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°We are also resting here. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± There was a slight stiffness in Du Lai¡¯s smile as he answered, ¡°No, not at all.¡± A low grumble came from inside the tent, ¡°There¡¯s plenty of space, why do they have to rest here¡­¡± The voice was soft, but Bai Youwei and Shen Mo heard it clearly. Du Lai smiled, turned around, and retreated into the tent. Bai Youwei could hear him appeasing the woman with a low voice, but they were talking in the dialect, so she couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying. After a while, the woman stopped talking, and no more sounds came from the tent. Shen Mo asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Are you sure about resting here?¡± They had the Doll House, they didn¡¯t necessarily have to fight for this space with Du Lai. Plus, when searching for Su Man, the faster they find her the better, in case something happened to her in the maze and they wouldn¡¯t be there to help. Bai Youwei glanced at the tent not too far away, her eyebrows furrowing slightly, ¡°I¡¯m slightly concerned¡­ If we could cooperate, it¡¯d be one thing, but what if he decides to cause trouble for us?¡± Chapter 501: 501: Red Wine Braised Beef Chapter 501: Red Wine Braised Beef Whether it is a labyrinth or a game, what is most unsettling is that among the players travelling with you, some have ulterior motives, leaving you in constant vigilance. Du Lai is camping so close, it¡¯s clear he plans to enter this maze. His delay could be due to hesitation, as he said, but Bai Youwei feels it¡¯s more likely that he¡¯s waiting for a scapegoat or a fall guy. After all, everything about this labyrinth is still unknown. To get clues, using people as sacrifices is the easiest way. Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t want to have to guard against such people after entering the maze, it would be too draining. Plus, there¡¯s his so-called ¡°girlfriend,¡± which has her on edge as well. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll go first and they will follow,¡± Bai Youwei frowned with annoyance, ¡°it¡¯s so annoying, why did we have to run into him¡­¡± Shen Mo parked the car on the side and calmly said, ¡°Du Lai is an opportunist. If we¡¯re having a smooth run in the maze, he might be willing to cooperate and help us, but should we encounter any trouble, showing any weakness, he won¡¯t hesitate to trip us up for his own benefit.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, frowning, ¡°That is indeed the case¡­so the timing of entering the labyrinth is critical¡ª If we let them go first, I¡¯m worried that they¡¯ll hide any clues they find; If we let them go last, I worry they¡¯ll pick up the pieces if something goes wrong; And if we go with them, I¡¯m still worried¡­¡± If it was someone else, Bai Youwei might not be this cautious, but it¡¯s Du Lai himself that really makes her uneasy. Just thinking about him stealing all those puzzle pieces, it reveals a lot about his character and tactics. ¡°Since we¡¯ve run into him, there¡¯s no way to avoid it,¡± Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°we¡¯ll enter the labyrinth tonight while they sleep.¡± So as to have least possible direct confrontation. ¡°Looks like that¡¯s the only way.¡± Bai Youwei grimaced, clearly unhappy, ¡°feels like we¡¯re chickening out.¡± ¡°Finding Su Man is the priority, no need for reckless confrontation, and besides¡­¡± Shen Mo glanced over at the other group¡¯s tent, ¡°if I¡¯m not mistaken, when that woman turned her head to look at us just now, her shoulder didn¡¯t move.¡± Listening to this, Bai Youwei was initially puzzled but then her eyes slowly widened. When people turn their heads, their shoulders usually shift accordingly. It¡¯s impossible for them to remain completely still unless they¡¯re a robot. ¡°Are you suggesting¡­¡± Bai Youwei drew closer and whispered into Shen Mo¡¯s ear, ¡°Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend, is not human?¡± ¡°Yan Qingwen got a hold of the Steel Puppet, it¡¯s not surprising that Du Lai has a similar doll,¡± Shen Mo said. Bai Youwei exclaimed, ¡°But she spoke just now¡­¡± It couldn¡¯t be a puppet doll starting to talk on its own, could it? Shen Mo chuckled and ruffled her hair, ¡°I¡¯m just speculating. In any case, it¡¯s safer to stay away from them.¡± After pondering it for a while, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t mind her hair being ruffled up, and agreed, ¡°So, we¡¯ll rest up well now and set off when we¡¯re fully refreshed.¡± ¡­ Shen Mo and Bai Youwei casually set up their tent, made a fire, then took out a well-cooked dinner from the dollhouse. They ate while warming themselves by the fire. As night fell, darkness quickly enveloped the surroundings, with only the two fires at the roadside casting a silent glow. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Du Lai was also having his dinner. Much simpler than Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s food, he had some hard and dry flatbreads in his hand and instant noodles by his side. But he didn¡¯t bother boiling them since it would require firing up an extra pot, which he found tiresomely inconvenient. Meanwhile, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo was enjoying a meal of beef stewed in red wine. Chapter 502: Du Lai’s Girlfriend Chapter 502: Du Lai¡¯s Girlfriend ¡°Du Lai, why is your girlfriend always in the tent?¡± Bai Youwei asked with a mischievous grin, ¡°Is she not hungry, or does she think your flatbreads are awful?¡± Du Lai blinked, then glanced at the flatbread in his hand, chuckling, ¡°It¡¯s indeed not good.¡± ¡°Invite her out to eat together.¡± Bai Youwei proposed genially, ¡°We have cooked plenty, it would be such a waste if left uneaten.¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t respond to her, laughing and teasing, ¡°Doesn¡¯t beef need to be stewed for a long time to soften up? I¡¯ve never seen you guys cook so quickly. It¡¯s quite impressive to see steaming hot food ready so fast.¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Keeping her composure, Bai Youwei continued her invitation: ¡°Would you like to try some? It¡¯s really delicious~¡± Du Lai chewed silently, taking a piece of the flatbread and swallowing it down with some cold water, responding, ¡°Thanks, but you guys eat.¡± He patted the bread crumbs off his clothes and walked into his tent. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged a glance. Just as they were about to say something, a woman¡¯s complaining voice came from the tent: ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me out to eat? I want to eat! What are you afraid of¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t eat¡­¡± Du Lai¡¯s voice responded. His voice was quickly drowned out by the woman¡¯s: ¡°I can¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t do that! Is there anything I¡¯m allowed to do?! Why did you save me if that¡¯s the case? You might as well have let me die! ¡­¡± Her voice dropped as if Du Lai was calming her down. After a little while, her voice became lamenting: ¡°Do you not love me now that I¡¯ve become like this?¡± Du Lai¡¯s voice seemed helpless: ¡°I love¡­¡± Woman: ¡°Then you say it, I love you.¡± Du Lai: ¡°I love you.¡± Woman: ¡°Say it louder!¡± Du Lai: ¡°Cough¡­ they will hear¡­¡± Woman: ¡°So what if they hear?! Is our love something to be ashamed of? Why did you save me if that¡¯s the case? You might as well have let me die!¡± ¡­ Outside the tent, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were speechless. Bai Youwei silently mouthed to Shen Mo: ¡°Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend has quite a character~¡± Shen Mo glanced at the tent across from them, murmuring, ¡°Seems like we were wrong. Du Lai doesn¡¯t have the time to scheme against us now, let¡¯s leave early.¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then nodded: ¡°Mm, okay.¡± ¡­ Indeed, Du Lai had no time to scheme against others now, as he spent almost all his time comforting his girlfriend. This was quite unusual. For a street performer like him, who had seen it all, was skilled in manipulation and well-versed in the tricks of the trade, it was a surprise to see him being so submissive and patient with a woman. Bai Youwei felt she had a very limited understanding of Du Lai prior to this, but today she had truly seen another side of him. And then¡­ She cast a sneak peek at Shen Mo. Would Shen Mo treat her the same way Du Lai did if she acted like Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend? Hmm¡­ She felt a bit eager to test it out. ¡­ Shen Mo was packing up. He was skillful; the fire pit was extinguished with sand, utensils packed away neatly, even the tent had to be undid, folded and bound, ropes were wound adeptly, his actions flowing like water, his arms sinewing strength with every motion. Sensing Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, he looked back at her and asked,¡±What¡¯s up?¡± Bai Youwei fixed her eyes on his, and quietly asked, ¡°Do you love me?¡± Shen Mo was slightly startled, then looked towards the tent across the road, realizing Bai Youwei had been ¡°inspired¡±, barely suppressing his smile. Seeing he didn¡¯t respond, Bai Youwei hesitated, then asked again, ¡°Does this question¡­ make you hesitate?¡± Shen Mo walked over, leaned down and lightly kissed her lips, answering with a soft smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± What the hell is ¡®it¡¯s okay¡¯? Chapter 503: What the Hell is Going On Chapter 503: What the Hell is Going On After packing things up, Shen Mo returned to the car, ready to rest a bit before heading into the maze. Entering the maze at midnight wasn¡¯t the best idea, but Bai Youwei had her dollhouse, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Unexpectedly, someone else was more eager than they were. Du Lai and his girlfriend, who was fully covered in a black cloak, set off ahead of them, driving towards the maze. This was something Shen Mo and Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t anticipated. ¡ª¡ªThey had been wary of Du Lai, but now it seemed like Du Lai was much more on guard against them. ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel like Du Lai at all,¡± Bai Youwei complained to Shen Mo, ¡°In our previous encounters, he was always interested in my props and puzzles. But now he behaves like we¡¯re some sort of terrible threat he must avoid urgently.¡± Shen Mo stared at the fading taillights, his brow furrowing slightly, ¡°He¡¯s in such a hurry to leave, he probably doesn¡¯t want to have any more interactions with us¡­ it seems he¡¯s worried about his girlfriend revealing some secrets.¡± ¡°Might be,¡± Bai Youwei said thoughtfully, ¡°After all, we are camping on the opposite side, they might feel somewhat intimidated¡­ Moreover, I only saw his girlfriend at the beginning. Afterward, she stayed in the tent the whole time, never coming out, and we only heard her voice.¡± For any normal person, staying in the tent all the time without eating, drinking, or using the restroom, would that be possible? Bai Youwei became more and more suspicious, and wondered if Shen Mo was right ¨C maybe Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend wasn¡¯t human?! Shen Mo asked her, ¡°Do we go now?¡± If they left now, they would likely run into Du Lai. After thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Since he is being cautious right now, there¡¯s no need for us to be overly wary. Let¡¯s go now before they take the lead.¡± With that, Shen Mo didn¡¯t say another word and followed in his car ¡ª¡ª The two vehicles were not far apart, Shen Mo could see the taillights of the car in front. But not long after they set off, a soft rain began to fall from the sky. The rain wasn¡¯t heavy, but together with the cold autumn wind, it brought a desolate feeling. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The visibility became blurred. Shen Mo switched on the windshield wipers, but even amidst the night rain, the road ahead remained blurred, and he could no longer see the lights from Du Lai¡¯s car. After driving like this for another two minutes, the road started to become bumpy and uneven. It was no longer a smooth asphalt road, but more of a muddy one like in mountainous areas. ¡°Something seems off,¡± Shen Mo furrowed his brows and stopped the car to check. Bai Youwei also rolled down the windows. The drizzle outside came in, bringing with it the cold chill of autumn. She shivered involuntarily. The temperature drop was unnaturally sudden. ¡°Could we already be inside the maze?¡± Bai Youwei asked, confused. The maze was hidden in the fog, and with the poor visibility at night, could they have unintentionally entered the maze, which happened to be in a cold, rainy environment? ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± Shen Mo got out of the car, the rain quickly soaking his shoulders. He surveyed the surroundings with a frown. The environment indeed had changed. The green belts and buildings on both sides of the road were gone, replaced by dense, dark forest, and a small forest path leading somewhere unknown. Could they really be in the maze already? It was normal for Bai Youwei to think like this, but Shen Mo, being the driver, had a sharper sense of distance than Bai Youwei did. Given the speed they were driving at, it was impossible to have reached the confines of the maze in just two minutes. Unless¡­the maze had expanded again. But the maze had already expanded once before, could it possibly expand again in such a short time? While he was pondering, suddenly a light flashed up ahead. Then he saw Du Lai and his black-cloaked girlfriend hurriedly approaching them, with an air of frustration. Du Lai called out angrily to Shen Mo: ¡°Hey! What on earth are you guys up to?!¡± Chapter 504: 504: Female Fate Corpse Chapter 504: Female Fate Corpse Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were both taken aback. ¡°We¡­ made the ghost?¡± Bai Youwei said in amusement and annoyance, ¡°The people who created the ghost should be you! We followed your car and ended up in this ghostly place!¡± Du Lai, who previously had a grin on his face, was noticeably agitated and rebuffed, ¡°What kind of ghost could we make?! We just wanted to get to the maze, but obviously ended up in the wrong place!¡± Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend complained, ¡°Can we stop mentioning ghosts all the time? It¡¯s already scary enough, and you people keep bringing up the ghost!¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. The most ghost-like person here was this woman! She was drenched, with wet black clothes covering every inch of her body, her face barely visible. Yet she complained about their usage of the word ¡®ghost¡¯! How ridiculous! Could anyone be more horrifying than her current state? The rain trickled more heavily. Shen Mo frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it in the car.¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Not wanting to be polite, Du Lai took his girlfriend by the hand and got into the back seat, immediately bringing a wave of damp chill with him. ¡°Our car can¡¯t be driven.¡± Du Lai wiped the rain off his face and said to Shen Mo, ¡°Can yours drive?¡± Shen Mo got back to the driver¡¯s seat, tried to start the vehicle, but got no response. ¡°The car won¡¯t start,¡± he said in a deep voice. ¡°Du Lai, look!¡± his girlfriend said, clutching Du Lai¡¯s arm in fear, ¡°There¡¯s something coming!¡± Bai Youwei also looked in that direction, just in time to see a faint light in the distance, the size of a soybean at first, gradually becoming larger¡­ This light was slowly bobbing in the dark curtain of rain, like a person carrying a lantern approaching them! However, when it got closer, they realized it was not a lantern, but a bunch of ghoulish, blue Ghost Fire! Despite the rain, the fire remained unaffected, leisurely floating in the air, coming all the way to the front of Shen Mo¡¯s car, it¡¯s flickering flame taking the form of a spectral face. ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game! This game¡¯s theme is ¡®Fortune Corpse¡¯, and the rules are as follows: One: Refuse the game and become a doll! Two: Lose the game and become a doll! Three: Complete the game and receive doll as a reward!¡± A familiar voice rang out, and the four people in the car simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to multiple uncertainties, at least the game was controllable, the game had rules. However, contemplating the idea of cooperating with unknown allies and opponents caused their nerves, which were just beginning to relax, to once again become tense. Bai Youwei turned to Du Lai in the back seat and asked hesitantly, ¡°Du Lai, did you create this game?¡± ¡°Me?!¡± Du Lai snorted sarcastically, ¡°Miss Bai, you overestimate me. I don¡¯t have the ability to command the Inspector!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly. It seemed that Du Lai did not know that certain items could activate a game, like the gold coin Tan Xiao once obtained. Observing the situation outside the vehicle, Shen Mo said, ¡°Logically speaking, there shouldn¡¯t be any games near the maze. This game probably started roaming after the maze expanded, and hasn¡¯t had the chance to relocate.¡± Based on prior experiences and information provided by Professor Song, they knew that every game would avoid the maze while moving. So, the periphery of the maze often forms an apparently safe ¡°void zone¡±, an area without any maze or games. Of course, this safety is only temporary, as the maze could expand at any moment. Moreover, once the maze disappears, the games nearby would still be attracted and relocated here. The base in Shanghai was established utilizing this characteristic. Bai Youwei looked around, aside from the tranquil Ghost Fire floating around, she couldn¡¯t see anything else in the pitch-black surroundings. ¡°Since we¡¯ve already entered the game, why don¡¯t we see the Inspector?¡­ Could that fire be the Inspector?¡± Chapter 505: 505: Don’t Understand, Don’t Understand Chapter 505: Don¡¯t Understand, Don¡¯t Understand ¡°It is likely,¡± Du Lai said coldly, ¡°I remember the base¡¯s intel mentioned the Ghost Fire game.¡± After a pause, he wrinkled his nose in disgust, ¡°But that¡¯s a ghost wall game, not this woman¡­ woman what¡¯s it again?¡± ¡°Woman¡¯s Destiny,¡± his girlfriend interjected. ¡± ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny¡¯ is a tune from the Min opera.¡± Du Lai seemed not to want his girlfriend to make her presence known in front of these two, discreetly pinching her palm. However, his girlfriend was determined to oppose him and raised her voice: ¡°What are you doing! I can¡¯t even speak now?! If that¡¯s the case, why did you save me? It¡¯d be better if you had let me die!¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡± Shen Mo glanced at the woman in black before turning his gaze on Du Lai, ¡°I remember the Min opera is a local opera genre in Fuzhou, but I¡¯ve never paid much attention to it or know much about it. Now that we¡¯re in the game, if we¡¯re to act together, shouldn¡¯t some information be shared?¡± ¡°Indeed~¡± Bai Youwei chimed in, ¡°if you don¡¯t want to act together, you can leave now.¡± ¡°If I have to leave, then I¡¯ll leave! Who cares!¡± the woman in black snapped, her temper larger than Bai Youwei¡¯s. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just as she was about to open the door and get out, Du Lai grabbed her, ¡°Wait a moment¡­¡± His girlfriend frowned displeasingly, ¡°What the heck are you doing?!¡± She suddenly spoke in dialect. Du Lai kept gripping her hand and said to Shen Mo, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s safer to move together. We¡¯ve heard a lot about your extensive experience in clearing games. You wouldn¡¯t withhold any clues you find, would you?¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly, his voice calm: ¡°As long as there¡¯s an alliance, information resources should be shared.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Du Lai nodded, held his girlfriend¡¯s hand and said, ¡°We¡¯ll get off together, we¡¯ll ask the inspector about the rules. If the game isn¡¯t competitive, I¡¯m willing to form an alliance. We will share any information about the game we have.¡± After saying this, he looked at Bai Youwei and smiled, ¡°How is that? Is it sincere enough?¡± Bai Youwei returned a cold smile and said nothing. Shen Mo held Bai Youwei¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get off together.¡± ¡­ A drizzle was falling. The cold wind was bleak. As soon as the car door was opened, the ethereal green Ghost Fire outside flickered, burning even more intensely. The ghostly face amidst the flames grew increasingly abstract and eerie. All four got off the car together. The fluctuating ghost fire floated towards them, its voice genderless, serene, slow, like a mournful chant from the depths of an ancient tomb- ¡°Welcome¡­ to¡­ the doll game¡­¡± The flames danced around them slowly, getting very close, nearly touching their skin, and yet they felt no heat at all. ¡°Rules of the game, as follows¡­ Li¡¯s wife, carried a corpse from the east to the west of the village¡­ then from the west to the east¡­ day in day out, without rest, if you can make her stop, you can win.¡± Bai Youwei, frowning in impatience, snapped, ¡°Speak comprehensibly!¡± Ghost Fire: ¡°¡­¡± Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend: ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s not a human! How can it speak like one!¡± Bai Youwei look annoyed: ¡°I don¡¯t understand, repeat the rules!¡± The ghastly fire stared at Bai Youwei. It recognized her. She had obtained ¡°One Tenth of Me¡± from the rabbit head, ¡°Doll House¡± from the ball, and recently acquired a few parts, which led the comics man to suspect the rabbit head of favouritism, simply because¡­ this player has too many uncontrollable factors, causing everyone much trouble. Unexpectedly, it would meet her in its own game¡­ However, it¡¯s game shouldn¡¯t be exploited by her, should it? After all, its game, among all the doll games, was the most conservative, the most rigorous, and the most solid. The number of times it had been patched was close to zero. Chapter 506: 506: Repeat Rule Chapter 506: Repeat Rule The Ghost Fire repeated the rules again: ¡°A woman from the Li family transports corpses from the east of the village to the west, and from the west back to the east, day after day without rest. If you can make her stop, you win.¡± Bai Youwei was speechless, ¡°As an Inspector, don¡¯t you plan on translating this?¡± The Ghost Fire remained silent. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Of course, it could have explained the rules more plainly, but it suspected that Bai Youwei¡¯s repeated inquiries were a scheme to find a loophole in the game. And it could not give her such an opportunity! This was no ordinary player. Therefore, it had to be extra cautious not to make the same mistakes that the other Inspectors had made. The Ghost Fire cautiously backed away a bit. Bai Youwei was flabbergasted, ¡°Why are you standing so far away?¡± The Ghost Fire replied, ¡°The rule presentation has finished, and¡­ good luck¡­¡± With that, the flame trembled and suddenly disappeared, leaving only a string of tiny shimmering clusters of fire, casting a faint glow along the path. Bai Youwei was speechless again: ¡°This is so irresponsible!¡± Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend commented, ¡°It seems like it ran away in panic¡­¡± Du Lai added, ¡°That¡¯s the Inspector¡¯s style, to appear and disappear unpredictably. Perhaps it will reappear soon.¡± Shen Mo frowned and glanced at the distant clusters of fire, his voice was stern but determined, ¡°Let¡¯s follow the Ghost Fire. The real game area should be up ahead.¡± The four of them fell silent and exchanged glances before following the direction indicated by the clusters of fire. The tiny greenish clusters of fire floated in the air. As they passed each cluster of fire, one went out. Unwittingly, they found themselves deep in the dense forest. The light rain continued to fall. But inside the dense forest, which was protected by the dense foliage, it was drier than outside. With the visibility being poor, Shen Mo manoeuvred the wheelchair carefully and slowly said, ¡°The rules of this round are somewhat vague, but it seems to be clear that it¡¯s not a competitive game.¡± If it¡¯s not competitive, then they could let down their guard for now. Bai Youwei was very dissatisfied and grumbled, ¡°Not just vague, it¡¯s too vague! An ancient character can have multiple meanings, which could easily lead to word games. Who is ¡®it¡¯ referring to in ¡®it never rests¡¯? Does ¡®it¡¯ refers to the corpse transporting woman or someone else? And what does ¡®it¡¯ refer to in ¡®make it stop¡¯? Does it mean to stop the corpse transporting, or just to make the woman stop? Instead of explaining, the Inspector just fled!¡± ¡°The ancient text needs to be interpreted within its wider context and background.¡± Shen Mo tried to soothe her, ¡°Perhaps when we get there, we will understand.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a while and turned her head towards Du Lai¡¯s girlfriend, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the story of the Min opera that you just mentioned?¡± The woman in black was complaining to Du Lai about being blindfolded and barely being able to see the path. She was taken aback by Bai Youwei¡¯s question and lost her footing, almost falling. She was infuriated and tried to pull off her blindfold but was stopped by Du Lai. ¡°Miaoxue.¡± Du Lai called her name seriously, ¡°Stop tampering.¡± The woman in black was even more angered, ¡°It¡¯s pitch black here! How can I move with this blindfold on? I¡¯m not on a wheelchair! Carry me if you can!¡± After a brief pause, Du Lai bent over, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll carry you.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Irritated, the woman in black pushed him roughly. With an overwhelming force, Du Lai fell, covered in mud, in a very embarrassing state. ¡°Am I so unbearable to look at?! Then why did you save me?! Why did you save me?! Wasn¡¯t it better for me to die?!!¡± She was having a tantrum and screeched: ¡°I¡¯m telling you! I want to make a scene! I¡¯m not afraid if they see me!!!¡± ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Upon hearing her name, Du Lai got up quickly trying to stop her, but was a step too late! The wet blindfold was forcefully torn off, revealing the woman¡¯s true face¡ª Chapter 507: 507 Fu Miaoxue Chapter 507: Fu Miaoxue It was a very young and beautiful face. Bright eyes, white teeth, a fair complexion, black hair, a small nose, and a sharp chin. However¡­ it was a doll. Du Lai¡¯s chest heaved violently. He had painstakingly hidden the truth, only for her benefit, not wanting her to be treated as a monster by others! Bai Youwei was merely disabled in both legs and had to endure so many strange looks. If she appeared before the world, what would be the consequences?! He rushed up to cover her again with a cloth! But she pushed him away once more! ¡°You¡¯ve already seen, what¡¯s the point of covering!¡± She flicked her soaked hair irritably and turned to look at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo. However, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s faces only revealed slight surprise before quickly returning to calm. It was as if her being a doll was nothing shocking. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you surprised?¡± asked the woman in black. With an impassive expression Bai Youwei replied: ¡°We were surprised.¡± The woman in black: ¡°¡­¡± Humph! They were clearly not surprised at all! Seeing that it was impossible to salvage the situation, Du Lai had to resort to damage control and explained to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°Miaoxue turned into this in the game. I used a prop to save her, but for some reason, her body is still in a doll state. I hope you can keep this secret for us! I trust you understand just how much trouble this would cause if others saw her!¡± The woman in black immediately retorted: ¡°So what if others saw! How troublesome can it be? If you find me troublesome, why did you bother saving me in the first place? You should have left me to die!¡± ¡°Fu Miaoxue!¡± Du Lai couldn¡¯t take it anymore, ¡°Can we discuss this after we exit the game?!¡± But her attitude was even more unreasonable, ¡°Du Lai! Don¡¯t think that just because you saved me, you have the right to dictate my life! I¡¯ll live as I please! Either go with my plan, or we break up!¡± Du Lai was too angry to speak, gritting his teeth as he glared at her. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged glances. They had complicated feelings about these two. Although they were evidently lovers, their relationship seemed more like enemies, not necessarily filled with hatred but certainly antagonistic. Especially Fu Miaoxue, who seemed to be venting her anger on Du Lai all the time, and Du Lai simply putting up with it! It was truly baffling! Shen Mo intervened to break up the standoff¡ª ¡°Du Lai, the prop you mentioned, is it an item that can resurrect the dead?¡± Bai Youwei was stunned, looking at Shen Mo. She hadn¡¯t thought about that. Du Lai also paused before his eyes dimmed and he said slowly: ¡°¡­So you two know too.¡± Fu Miaoxue continued coolly: ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up. You may finally get the item after going through great difficulty just to find out that your resurrected loved ones don¡¯t want to live in such a state. Look at me now, doesn¡¯t it seem like a joke? Is it worth it?¡± She said this, glancing at Du Lai. Her casual tone conveyed her scorn: ¡°Are you an idiot, thinking it¡¯s worth it?¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t say a word, his face becoming gloomy. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei remained silent as well. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They were considering if such an item was used on Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing¡­ Transforming a person into a talking and walking doll, would this truly be a salvation or simply a new form of torment? Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sure what Yan Qingwen would think when he learned about this, but she believed that Yu Yaqing¡¯s pride would never allow him to become a toy. Because it would symbolize failure, a most miserable one! Unconsciously, they had already left the forest. Outside the dense forest was a hillside. At the bottom of the hill were some houses, like a small village with few scattered lights twinkling through the dim drizzle. Fu Miaoxue stood on the hillside, speaking slowly: ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to know what the play ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny¡¯ is all about? I¡¯ll tell you now~¡± Chapter 508: 508: The Small Village at the Foot of the Mountain Chapter 508: The Small Village at the Foot of the Mountain Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°This opera is one of the early classics of Fujian opera¡¯s ¡°Scholar Forest¡± troupe. It tells the story of a man named Hua Zhou from Qi Country during the Spring and Autumn period. He led a military expedition against Lu Country, but unfortunately met his end on the battlefield. His wife, Jiang Ji, went to Lu Country to retrieve his remains and buried him in his hometown after facing many difficulties. On her way back, she encounters bandits, but her husband¡¯s spirit appeared and saved her.¡± At this point, she paused briefly, then added, ¡°However, the Inspector just mentioned that the woman who transported the corpse was a Mrs. Li, which probably has little to do with this story. It may just be that the game¡¯s theme chose this name because of the similarity in carrying the remains.¡± ¡°The game won¡¯t give useless clues, let¡¯s keep it in mind for now,¡± said Bai Youwei. ¡°We might need it later.¡± ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡± Fu Miaoxue looked around. ¡°It¡¯s pitch black here, we can¡¯t see anything, and it¡¯s raining, so how are we supposed to investigate clues?¡± She grabbed Du Lai¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Speak up, what do we do next?¡± Just a minute ago she was screaming at Du Lai, now she¡¯s acting as if nothing happened. Du Lai seemed unfazed by Fu Miaoxue¡¯s fast changing temperament, and calmly suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s get off the mountain and find shelter from the rain. We can enquire information from the villagers along the way, they should know something.¡± His plan aligned perfectly with Shen Mo¡¯s thoughts. The four descended the mountain together and saw an old willow tree at the eastern end of the village. On the muddy ground next to the tree were several deep wagon wheel tracks ¨C some overlapped, some intersected, but all were the same size ¨C as if the same wagon had repeatedly passed over and over the same spot. Shen Mo raised his eyebrows and looked around, ¡°These must have been left by the corpse-carrying woman.¡± From the eastern side of the village, she would transport corpses to the west, then from the west she would transport corpses to the east, day in and day out, without rest. Hence the tire tracks left on the road. Du Lai also became alert, observing the surroundings and calmly stated, ¡°The rules tell us to make the corpse-carrying woman stop, but they don¡¯t say what will happen if the players encounter her.¡± ¡°The corpse-carrying woman is key to the whole game. Until we find out more, it¡¯s better not to make direct contact with her,¡± Shen Mo continued to plod forward. ¡°The rain is getting heavier, let¡¯s find shelter as soon as possible.¡± Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue followed him. ¡­ The village was small, with only twenty or so households, and most of them had no lights on, as if they were already asleep. Shen Mo approached one of the houses where a light was on and knocked on the door. There was no response from inside. Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue similarly knocked on several other doors, all with the same result. Some even turned off the light immediately after they knocked, as if they were fearful of something and wouldn¡¯t open the door no matter what. They took shelter from the rain under the eaves of a house, then Du Lai tried pushing the door, saying, ¡°This door latch structure is simple. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to get in.¡± For Du Lai, picking door locks was as easy as eating a meal, no challenge in the slightest. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Shen Mo said lightly, ¡°Even if we break in, we may end up getting driven out by the owner. There¡¯s another house up ahead, let¡¯s try there instead.¡± The house Shen Mo referred to was clearly owned by a wealthy family in the village. There were two stone lions crouching by the gate, and the mansion was many times larger than the other houses in the village, set apart at a far distance. It was likely that the owner didn¡¯t want to live next to the poor, or found them noisy, so they chose such a secluded location, with no neighbors around, and only flowers, trees, and a large lotus pond nearby. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo was about to knock on the door when he found it already open¡ª The gate to the outer courtyard was not locked. Chapter 509: 509: Must Memorize Chapter 509: Must Memorize Everyone was taken aback. But since the door was open, they made their way inside. ¡ª It was a three-tiered ancient mansion with white walls, green tiles, vibrant red lanterns that seeped into the darkness of the night, turning darker in the shadow and redder in the light. Coupled with the rustling trees in the courtyard, it was eerily gloomy. In the melancholic pitter-patter of the rain, an old man¡¯s recitation of verses seemed to hover faintly, his voice aged and hoarse¡­ The atmosphere became increasingly creepy. They quickly came across a second door, which was also open. Through the narrow, vertical door frame, they could see an old scholar standing beneath the eaves of the main house, pacing and muttering verses: ¡°Fish, I desire; bear¡¯s paw, equally I desire¡­¡± The four people outside the second door shared a look. ¡°What is he reciting?¡± Fu Miaoxue whispered to Du Lai. Du Lai shook his head: ¡°I can¡¯t tell.¡± Shen Mo frowned, watching for a while before raising his voice from outside the door: ¡°Excuse me, sir, we¡¯re just passing through. Can we come in to escape the rain?¡± The old scholar did not seem to hear him, continuing to mutter repeatedly, ¡°Fish, I desire; bear¡¯s paw, equally I desire¡­¡± Shen Mo became more perplexed and asked again, ¡°Sir?¡± The man continued to ignore them as if he couldn¡¯t hear their words. ¡°Is this crappy game¡¯s NPC supposed to be a deaf person?¡± Bai Youwei, soaked in rain and in a bad mood, grumbled, ¡°The Inspector speaks in riddles, and even the NPCs in the game spout verses. They¡¯re being pretentious for no good reason.¡± Classical poetry was not Bai Youwei¡¯s strong suit. Fu Miaoxue chuckled, ¡°So the Inspector is problematic after all!¡± Shen Mo thought for a while, tightened his grip on the handle of the wheelchair and stepped over the threshold with Bai Youwei¡ª Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As the wheelchair landed, the two entered the courtyard between the main house and the second door, only a dozen steps away from the old scholar. However, the man remained indifferent to them, lost in his reverie, repeating over and over, ¡°Fish, I desire; bear¡¯s paw, equally I desire; the two cannot be had together¡­ the two cannot be had together¡­¡± Seeing that Shen Mo and Bai Youwei had safely entered, Du Lai also took Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hand and followed them in. Shen Mo, pushing his wheelchair, approached the old scholar, coming directly before him. Yet, the scholar paid them no heed, engrossed in his chant. Shen Mo ventured to respond, ¡°Both fish and bear¡¯s paw are desired, yet the two cannot be had together; hence, one would give up fish for the bear¡¯s paw.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The old scholar paused briefly. At last, he responded. He slowly turned, lifted his head, and looked at Shen Mo. His face was that of a man in his seventies, with white hair, antiquated, but with a pair of dark and bright eyes, staring fixedly at Shen Mo, which was kind of alarming. ¡°Indeed, indeed¡­¡± the old scholar nodded repeatedly, ¡°Fish, I desire; bear¡¯s paw, equally I desire. The two cannot be had together, hence one would give up fish for the bear¡¯s paw.¡± Everyone instantly realized this was an obstacle designed by the game. Solving it would probably yield clues for the next step. Just when they thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, the old scholar continued, ¡°Life, I want; righteousness, I also want. These two cannot be had together¡­ cannot be had together¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei frowned in disgust: ¡°This old guy is never-ending!¡± Fu Miaoxue, grinning, uttered, ¡°This is simple too; it¡¯s to give up life for righteousness!¡± The old scholar¡¯s eyes brightened further, his face full of smiles, ¡°Ah¡­ indeed! Life, I desire; righteousness, I desire as well. They can¡¯t be had together, hence one gives up life for righteousness.¡± Everyone was speechless. This old scholar just wouldn¡¯t stop! Again, he began reciting intently, ¡°Life is what I want, what I want is more than life, hence I would not unworthily live¡­ I would not unworthily live¡­ I would not unworthily live¡­¡± They were stuck once more. Chapter 510: 510: Two Old Men Chapter 510: Two Old Men Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡± After the old bookman recited ¡°I desire nothing more than righteousness¡± ten times, Shen Mo asked, ¡°Who remembers what comes after this line?¡± Du Lai looked at Fu Miaoxue. Fu Miaoxue rolled her eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I only remember the first two parts!¡± Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei let out an irritated sigh, ¡°Fine, I know.¡± Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue were confused. Shen Mo told them, ¡°Wait here for a while.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Du Lai asked in confusion. ¡°Outside.¡± Shen Mo glanced at Bai Youwei, ¡°We have something to discuss.¡± He led Bai Youwei outside the second door. As Du Lai was puzzled, he faintly heard a lowered conversation from outside, like an old man sighing heavily, ¡°Ah, this is a classic verse that every junior high student must memorize¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t attend junior high!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice overwhelmed his. The old man was silent. Fu Miaoxue tightly clung to Du Lai¡¯s arm, whispering, ¡°It¡¯s so scary~ Another old man has suddenly appeared¡­¡± Du Lai frowned, looking towards the threshold. After a few seconds, an elderly voice from outside recited, ¡°Life is what I desire, but there¡¯s something I desire more than life itself, thus I wouldn¡¯t abandon it for trifling gain; death is what I detest, but there¡¯s something I detest more than death itself, thus there are troubles that cannot be avoided!¡± The old bookman inside the door, a little startled, responded, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing we desire more than life, then why wouldn¡¯t we do whatever it takes to prolong it?¡± The old man outside insisted, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing we detest more than death, then why wouldn¡¯t we deter troubles at any cost?¡± The Old Bookman responded again, ¡°Thus, there are things more precious than prolonging life; thus, there are hardships one wouldn¡¯t avoid at any cost!¡± The old man countered again, ¡°Precisely! There are things we desire more than life itself, and things we detest more than death itself!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not just the wise who know this¡­¡± ¡°Everyone knows it, only the wise do not lose sight of it!¡± These two old men, one responding to the other. Back and forth between them! One with full expression! The other, passionately eloquent! One with robust power! The other, melodiously graceful! In this gloomy old house, two old men passionately intoning together, reciting the entire verse of ¡°Fish is my desire¡±! Fu Miaoxue was terrified. Listening to two old men reciting poems in the middle of the night, it was just too damn scary! Finally, when they finished reciting, the old bookman laughed heartily three times: ¡°Splendid! Splendid! You are all so talented, with your ready wit and profound knowledge, I am truly impressed! Your esteemed presence brightens up my humble abode!¡± He bowed to them, ¡°Please, come in, please come in quickly¡ª¡ª¡± As he spoke, he pushed open the main hall door with a loud thud! Fu Miaoxue let out a short scream, then jumped into Du Lai¡¯s arms! Du Lai¡¯s face looked even worse than hers! (After all, he is not a puppet, his expressions are more vivid.) Inside the brightly lit hall was a long blood-red table with fruit and incense in the middle and high-backed chairs on either side, each occupied by a paper figure! Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The paper figures were made of white paper, with painted black eyes and red mouth. They were dressed in exquisitely vivid paper robes! The old bookman with white hair bowed to the two paper figures, saying, ¡°Father, mother, we have guests from afar. I invite them to sit for a while.¡± Fu Miaoxue clung to Du Lai¡¯s neck tightly. If she were still alive, she¡¯d surely be crying by now! Du Lai was being strangled to the point of gasping for air. When Shen Mo and Bai Youwei came back and saw the paper figures in the hall, their expressions shifted. After the old bookman explained the situation to the paper figures, he walked out to the door of the hall and bowed to them, ¡°Esteemed guests, please come in quickly¡ª¡ª¡± Chapter 511: 511: The Humble House Chapter 511: The Humble House In ancient times, a hall usually served two functions ¨C one was to pay respect to ancestors, and the other was to receive guests. There were calligraphies and paintings hanging on the wall facing the entrance, with couplets on both sides. Next to the wall, there was a long table with a sacrificial altar, candlesticks, and fruit desserts. In front of the table was a square table with high-backed chairs on both sides. The rest of the space was filled with tea tables and stools, ready to accommodate guests. After the four of them entered the room, they sat on the chairs on both sides. There were four chairs on each side, but they all chose the two near the door. They didn¡¯t want to be too close to the two paper figures. Next to their seats, there was a plate of nuts, a plate of snacks, and a cup of tea. The old scholar warmly welcomed them: ¡°Please have some tea, make yourselves at home.¡± Bai Youwei picked up the teacup and took a small sip¡­ ¡ª The tea was cold, with a musty taste. It didn¡¯t taste like tea at all, but rather like the rainwater from outside. She quietly put down the cup. She didn¡¯t want to touch the nuts or snacks either. The old scholar asked: ¡°It is a remote and desolate place here, what brings distinguished guests like you from so far away?¡± Shen Mo was very straightforward, he said: ¡°We want to know how to stop the female corpse from walking.¡± Du Lai, sitting opposite, stared at him in astonishment. He hadn¡¯t expected Shen Mo to put it so bluntly. The old scholar pondered for a moment, then replied: ¡°I have been a government official for numerous decades, and since retiring and returning to the countryside, I¡¯ve roamed around. I moved here not long ago, and indeed heard rumors about the ¡®walking female corpse,¡¯ but am not entirely clear on the matter. As it is already late, why don¡¯t you rest here for the night and inquire the local villagers tomorrow, perhaps you can find more information.¡± Shen Mo gave a glance at Bai Youwei, then Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue, seeing that everyone had no objections, he said to the old scholar: ¡°Then we will impose on you.¡± The old scholar stood up, bowed again towards the two paper figures, and said respectfully: ¡°Father, mother, I¡¯m going to take our guests to their rooms.¡± The paper figures didn¡¯t speak, their faces were coated with bright red rouge, smiling joyously, but their silence was eerie and hair-raising. Everyone avoided looking, shied away their gaze, and followed the old scholar out of the hall. ¡­ Behind the hall was the master¡¯s living room, and further behind it was a small garden. The garden was full of winding paths and dense floral shadows, it was charmingly landscaped like an ancient garden. However, the vegetation was too dense, the massive tree crowns covering the sky, far from being pleasant, it gave people a sense of suffocation. The old scholar led the group along the winding corridors until they reached a row of side rooms. He stopped and with a friendly smile said: ¡°This place is simple, please make yourselves comfortable.¡± Shen Mo uttered a brief ¡°thank you¡±. The old gentleman nodded in acknowledgement, turned, and left. Waiting until the figure of the elderly man disappeared, Du Lai pushed open the door in front of him¡ª The side room was less than twenty square meters. There was a bunk bed, an old wooden table, a round stool, a screen, and a washstand. It was already fully furnished. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They opened the rest of the rooms one by one, all of them were furnished and arranged in the same way, there were four in total, coincidentally one for each of them. ¡°Are we supposed to sleep separately?¡± Fu Miaoxue clung to Du Lai¡¯s arm and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s too scary. I can¡¯t sleep alone at night!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s pair up.¡± Shen Mo suggested in a calm tone, ¡°We can live in adjacent rooms. If anything happens at night, we can help each other.¡± Du Lai agreed. They chose the two rooms in the middle and each entered a room. The rooms were dark and damp, the bedding smelled of mildew, not knowing how long it hadn¡¯t been washed. Bai Youwei opened her dollhouse, letting Chang Weicai help bring out a new set of bedding. Considering that clues might appear at night, both of them didn¡¯t change into their pajamas, they laid on the bed with their clothes neatly on, in case there was an emergency in the middle of the night¡­ Chapter 512: 512: Babbling Chapter 512: Babbling sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When closing the door, Teacher Cheng repeatedly instructed Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to be careful. He also handed over a fully charged rabbit toy as a precaution. Teacher Cheng also wanted to give them the severed hand, but Bai Youwei objected. Because the hand was too noisy, like a person with hyperactivity disorder, constantly picking and scratching around the room creating squeaking sounds. The noises only stopped if the hand was locked in the storage room. Bai Youwei did not want to be disturbed by it at night. ¡­ After laying out clean bedding, they could finally lie down and rest. If one ignored the howling wind and the candlelight¡¯s flickering glow, the accommodation arranged by the scholar was not bad. From time to time, whispers came from the adjacent room, mostly Fu Miaoxue chattering with Du Lai occasionally joining in. As Bai Youwei lay on her bed, fatigue quickly washed over her. ¡°¡­what time is it now?¡± She rolled over, keeping her energy alive to ask Shen Mo. Shen Mo was lying next to her, he lifted his wrist to check his watch, the minute hand having stopped at the moment they entered the game, at thirteen past ten. ¡°It should be around midnight.¡± Shen Mo estimated the time. Bai Youwei thought to herself, ¡°So it is almost midnight, it is normal for me to feel sleepy¡­¡± ¡°Now that Fu Miaoxue is a puppet, I wonder if she¡¯ll feel tired.¡± Bai Youwei muttered with her eyes closed. Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°You can ask her tomorrow.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to ask.¡± Bai Youwei snuggled into his embrace and hummed, ¡°She has such a bad temper.¡± With a smile on his lips, Shen Mo kept quiet. But in his mind, he thought: When I first met you, you were not much different from her, easily set off. After a moment of silence, he heard Bai Youwei softly say in his arms, ¡°But if I found out that I was becoming a puppet, I would probably be freaking out.¡± Shen Mo gently stroked her head, whispering softly, ¡°Sleep.¡± His low, hoarse voice seemed to carry a hypnotic power, and Bai Youwei really fell asleep¡­ ¡­ In the middle of the night, she vaguely heard someone singing an opera. The unintelligible tunes were jarring to her ears and she tossed and turned restlessly in bed. But the singing grew louder, heartbreaking and melancholy¡­ Each line struck her heart, discomforting and suffocating her, making it hard to breathe. Unable to bear it any longer, Bai Youwei opened her eyes. The room was dim, with tree shadows flickering on the window. Shen Mo was lying quietly beside her. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, sensing something amiss. Shen Mo was usually the most vigilant one. Why was he sleeping soundly now? Was he not hearing the loud singing outside? At this thought, Bai Youwei became a little scared¡­ She was not omnipotent, facing such a scary and creepy environment naturally caused her heart to flutter with fear. Particularly when the man always protecting her was sleeping soundlessly, it made her terribly uneasy! ¡°Shen Mo, Shen Mo¡­¡± She gently nudged his arm. Shen Mo woke up quickly. He opened his eyes, looking questioningly at Bai Youwei, and asked: ¡°Why are you up?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°There¡¯s a noise outside.¡± ¡°A noise?¡± Shen Mo looked confused. He concentrated keenly for a moment, only hearing the gentle sound of the rain. He asked Bai Youwei: ¡°What kind of noise is it?¡± Surprised, Bai Youwei blurted out: ¡°How can you not hear such loud opera singing?¡± Shen Mo really couldn¡¯t hear it. He thought for a moment, got out of bed, and opened the door¡ª The sound of falling rain was clearer, the melancholic opera singing was intermittent, but audible. ¡°There is indeed a noise, but¡­¡± Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei and said, ¡°at least to my ears, the noise isn¡¯t loud and seems very distant, like it¡¯s coming from the village.¡± Chapter 513: 513: Heard a Little Bit Chapter 513: Heard a Little Bit The old scholar¡¯s mansion was very remote, separated from the other villagers by a large lotus pond. Coupled with the incessant wind and rain, it was really hard to hear what was happening in the village. If Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t pointed it out, Shen Mo would not have noticed, hidden among the patter of the rain was the distorted sound of a woman singing opera. Just as they expressed their confusion, the door next to them opened, and Fu Miaoxue dragged Du Lai out, complaining, ¡°There¡¯s clearly a sound, a very loud sound, how can you not hear it!¡­¡± Seeing Shen Mo standing under the eaves, she paused, ¡°Did you hear it too?¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°Weiwei heard it, I only noticed after I opened the door.¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing this, Du Lai listened intently again, and finally managed to catch the semblance of a tune amidst the chilling wind. ¡°I can only hear a little too.¡± Du Lai said, his face serious, putting away his nonchalant demeanor and looking seriously at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, ¡°It seems like the corpse carrier woman has emerged, but I don¡¯t know why, her voice seems to only affect women. Maybe the key to the game lies with the women.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and check it, you stay and look after them.¡± Du Lai frowned, promptly stipulating, ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear, this mansion isn¡¯t safe either. If anything happens, I can only take care of Miaoxue at most. I can¡¯t handle another person.¡± Shen Mo thought to himself, Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t need your protection. But considering they had just allied themselves, there was no need to be constantly competitive, occasionally showing weakness was also necessary. He said coolly, ¡°Then I will stay, you go and check the situation.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be separated from my boyfriend!¡± Fu Miaoxue clung to Du Lai¡¯s arm. Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°Then the two of you can go together~¡± Fu Miaoxue snorted, ¡°Why should we? Why don¡¯t you go with your boyfriend?!¡± Bai Youwei, originally quite angry, felt a sudden shift in her mood at the mention of ¡°boyfriend¡±. She couldn¡¯t rouse her anger and even found Fu Miaoxue somewhat cute. Boyfriend¡­ She glanced at Shen Mo at her side, realizing that she now also had a boyfriend! Meanwhile, Fu Miaoxue was still clinging to Du Lai obstinately. Du Lai, always patient attempted to reason, ¡°Right now, the singing of the corpse carrier woman can only be clearly heard by the two of you, so the voice might have an effect on women, so both of you must stay. I¡¯ll go alone, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Fu Miaoxue asked, ¡°How soon is soon?¡± ¡°20 minutes.¡± Du Lai said. Fu Miaoxue turned her head in refusal, ¡°No! That¡¯s too long! I give you 20 seconds, you have to be back in 20 seconds!¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± 20 seconds? Is that even humanly possible? But Du Lai, as if having seen everything, calmly haggled, ¡°How about 15 minutes? 20 seconds is too short.¡± ¡°15 minutes and you call that ¡®coming back soon¡¯? Why don¡¯t you say you¡¯ll come back slowly then? Can 15 minutes be called soon?!¡± Fu Miaoxue was indignant. ¡°40 seconds! Not a second more!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Pff¡­..¡± She wanted to laugh, but held it in¡­.. After contemplating for a bit, Du Lai said, ¡°10 minutes then. I¡¯ll run over, check what¡¯s going on and come back immediately.¡± ¡°No, no, absolutely not!¡± Fu Miaoxue angrily stated, ¡°The most I can give you is 6¡­¡± ¡°6 minutes, right?¡± Du Lai interrupted her, leaned in to quickly plant a kiss on her face and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in 6 minutes, off I go~¡± Before Fu Miaoxue could react, Du Lai quickly ran out. To save time, he didn¡¯t even take the corridor, but climbed straight over the wall and jumped out! He had a skill in climbing walls, springing high, thrusting his hands onto the edge of the brick wall, and then pushing himself up with his legs, he vaulted over the wall with finesse. Bai Youwei was shocked, ¡°Did your boyfriend train in Qinggong?¡± His technique was merely superb. Fu Miaoxue raised her chin proudly: ¡°Hmph, my boyfriend is naturally awesome~¡± Her face then turned grim once more, she stared at the wall Du Lai had scaled over, murmuring, ¡°I clearly wanted to say 60 seconds¡­..¡± Chapter 514: 514: The Old Woman Chapter 514: The Old Woman The rain outside keeps falling without pause. Du Lai puts on the hood to his jacket, an inconspicuous gray outfit, and races forward through the rainy night. A plaintive woman¡¯s voice comes and goes, weeping and lamenting, piercing the lingering, chilly autumn rain with a biting cold. Following the sound, he runs to the wall of someone¡¯s courtyard. Sensing that the voice is close by, he deliberately slows his pace, silently searching for the woman singing the opera. But the night is truly too dark. It¡¯s raining and there are no lights nearby. The entire village is pitch black and it¡¯s even hard to see the road. As he hesitates, he suddenly feels that the voice is much closer! As if it¡¯s right behind him! A scared Du Lai hurries to hide behind a nearby stack of straw bales! Just after squatting down, he hears the squeaking sound of a cart wheel¨C An emaciated old woman, pushing a wooden cart, slowly comes around the corner of a house! Du Lai¡¯s nerves go taut and he ducks lower, his eyes unblinkingly fixed on the old woman. In the dimness of the rainy night, he can¡¯t make out the woman¡¯s face, only sensing that she is very old, extremely old¡­ stooped and bone-thin, with disheveled white hair over her shoulders, her stiff and faltering gait makes her seem less than human. The wooden cart, too, looks old and weather-beaten, soaked through and splattered by mud, as though it was dug out from the earth. On the cart, covered by a thoroughly wet straw mat, is a faintly discernable skeleton. ¡ªThere is a woman named Li, carrying a corpse from the east of the village to the west, and again from west to east, day after day, without rest¡ª If we combine Fu Miaoxue¡¯s explanation of the opera¡¯s plot with what¡¯s happening, then this old woman pushing the cart is Li, and the corpse on the cart is Li¡¯s husband. Du Lai holds his breath as he watches the old woman push the cart past him. As she walks, she sings. Her voice is plaintive and hoarse; it¡¯s hard to imagine that such a sound could carry so far, from the village all the way to the annex of the old scholar¡¯s mansion. However, in a game like this, nothing out of the ordinary is actually out of the ordinary. Du Lai stays in place for a while, making sure the sound is far enough away before silently rising up, then quickly returning to the old scholar¡¯s mansion. ¡­ While Du Lai was away, Fu Miaoxue stayed with Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. She didn¡¯t mind being the third wheel. It was certainly better than sitting alone in her room. Bai Youwei curiously asks her, ¡°You technically died once, why are you still so afraid of ghosts?¡± ¡°I may have died once, but I didn¡¯t become a ghost.¡± Fu Miaoxue says disdainfully, ¡°I just became a doll, that¡¯s all!¡± ¡°You turned into a doll huh¡­ so you lost the game?¡± Bai Youwei asks, ¡°Did you enter the game with your boyfriend?¡± ¡°No,¡± Fu Miaoxue shakes her head and speaks indifferently, ¡°I entered the game alone. I wasn¡¯t as lucky as you all, I entered a test game.¡± ¡°Test game, I¡¯ve heard of it¡­ I¡¯ve heard that there isn¡¯t a single person who has survived a test game,¡± Bai Youwei continues slowly. She thinks about something the Rabbit-headed person said. It said that test games are full of bugs, making it practically impossible to complete. Even if a player was able to complete it, they could never come out alive. ¡ªJust like throwing a group of rabbits into an unfinished experimental cabin. Even if a rabbit survived the experiment, does it deserve to live? Thinking about it now, the Rabbit-headed person seemed to be more than willing to tell them about the game system, while other Inspectors would either bashfully dodge the topic or not mention it at all¨C Why does it act this way? Does it have special privileges, or¡­ does it have an ulterior motive? Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 515: 515: Riddle Kingdom Chapter 515: Riddle Kingdom As Bai Youwei was pondering, Fu Miaoxue asked her, ¡°How do you know about the test game? I only talked about it with my boyfriend.¡± There probably aren¡¯t many people in the world who know about it. After all, everyone who entered the test game died. Bai Youwei said, ¡°I heard about it from the Inspector, both my boyfriend and I know.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± He realized that since he entered this game, he and Du Lai seemed to have lost their names. ¡°The Inspector told you about this?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked, confused, ¡°I never met him, there¡¯s no Inspector in the test game, only a set of instructions telling us what to do first, then what to do next¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked her, ¡°What kind of game was it?¡± Upon hearing this, Fu Miaoxue¡¯s face fell, recalling bad memories, ¡°At that time, the internet and power outages hadn¡¯t yet occurred, and the news about people turning into dolls had just come out. I was walking in my garden at home, and suddenly I found myself in a completely unfamiliar place called Riddle Kingdom!¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The test game was different from the actual game, there was no formal entrance, so there were no triggers, selections were entirely random by the system. Fu Miaoxue angrily said: ¡°That game is just insane! It required players to find clues on their own to leave Riddle Kingdom, but for every question we asked the inhabitants of the Kingdom, we first had to answer one of their questions. My answer was clearly correct, but I still died!¡± ¡°You die even though you answered correctly?¡± Bai Youwei exclaimed, ¡°This game is seriously flawed.¡± Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°One of the inhabitants asked me, ¡®why didn¡¯t the glass cup shatter when the King of Riddle Kingdom threw it?¡¯¡± ¡°Why?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°The correct answer is, ¡®because the cup was caught.¡¯¡± Fu Miaoxue chuckled cynically,¡±Sounds absurd, right? It¡¯s utterly nonsensical!¡± ¡°So what was your answer?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°My answer was, ¡®the cup was thrown into the water, so it didn¡¯t shatter. I thought there was nothing wrong with it, a cup thrown into the water wouldn¡¯t break! But they insisted I was wrong, then they threw me into the water, and I drowned!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± This is such a wrongful death, worthy of being a test game. It really isn¡¯t reliable! ¡°So after that, you were stuck in Riddle Kingdom all the time?¡± Bai Youwei continued asking. ¡°No.¡± Fu Miaoxue shook her head lightly, ¡°After five or six rounds, I was moved to another game by the system. There is no real death in the game, it¡¯s all about individual willpower. Everyone¡¯s circumstances are different¡­ Some people can¡¯t stand it after the third or fourth round and slowly turn into inhabitants of Riddle Kingdom, forgetting who they are and what the game mission is. They only know to follow the rules, ask, ask, and ask. As soon as a player asks how to leave Riddle Kingdom, they present them with the riddle of the glass cup.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re remarkable.¡± Bai Youwei seriously said, ¡°To persist through so many rounds without giving up.¡± ¡°Not as remarkable as you both.¡± Fu Miaoxue smiled, taking in Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, ¡°You¡¯ve been winning from the very beginning, and for me, I¡¯ve been losing right from the start.¡± No matter how excellent she performed afterwards, it was of no use. Because from the beginning, she lost, and even if she was revived, there was no going back¡­ ¡°Being remarkable isn¡¯t about winning or losing.¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°Knowing how you lose means you know how to avoid danger. Du Lai is also very perceptive to danger. Maybe together, one plus one is greater than two, and you might produce unexpected results.¡± Chapter 516: 516: Sing Quickly Chapter 516: Sing Quickly Speaking of Du Lai, Bai Youwei glanced towards the door subconsciously, ¡°¡­ Du Lai has been gone for a while, hasn¡¯t he? Why hasn¡¯t he returned yet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dark outside, finding the running-chime woman safely might not be easy.¡± Shen Mo asked them, ¡°Can you still hear that opera singing?¡± Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue nodded almost simultaneously. ¡°The sound isn¡¯t as loud as before, but I can still hear it clearly.¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly, murmuring, ¡°If only we knew what the singing was about¡­¡± Since coming out of the dollhouse, she was very sensitive to the dolls in the game. Since coming out of the hide-and-seek game, she was very sensitive to the sounds in the game, always feeling that there could be some key clues hidden in them. But she couldn¡¯t understand Beijing Opera, let alone Fujian Opera? Bai Youwei looked at Fu Miaoxue, asking: ¡°Do you understand what she¡¯s singing?¡± ¡°That¡­ should be lyrics from ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny.¡¯¡± Fu Miaoxue pondered for a moment, saying, ¡°Actually, I also can¡¯t quite remember, but when she sings this tune, I can recall a few lines¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue cleared her throat, humming slowly along with the mournful tune amidst the sound of rain: ¡°In an instant¡­ In an instant, the cold air strikes people, thick clouds cover all around. I can only adjust my clogs, dare not pause. In a deserted wilderness, nowhere to shelter. In waves, oh, In waves, the bitter wind and rain soaks my clothes. Ah¡ª¡ªoh¡ª¡ª Oh heavens! I am weak and helpless, not leaving my family. Just for my husband¡¯s remains, I have trudged over mountains and waded through rivers, enduring great hardships. Suddenly encountering wind and rain, the thunder does not stop its thunderclap. Scaring me to the point my liver and intestines shatter, trembling with fear. Liver and intestines shatter, trembling with fear¡­ Ah¡­¡± The clear and sweet voice of Fu Miaoxue was much more pleasant than the distant eerie female voice. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She sang the lyrics in Mandarin for Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to hear, then said: ¡°¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny¡¯ has several long sections following it, but the voice outside did not continue singing. She¡¯s been repeating the section I just sang. Just looking at the words, it doesn¡¯t seem suspicious.¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t figure it out either. After some thought, she pulled out a pen and paper from her canvas bag, deciding to write down Fu Miaoxue¡¯s lyrics. ¡°Sing it again, I¡¯ll write it down.¡± Fu Miaoxue remarked:¡± Your bag really has everything in it. You even prepared a pen and paper¡­¡± Previously, she had heard Du Lai say to be careful of Bai Youwei, even mentioning she was a bit strange. Could it be that Bai Youwei, like Doraemon, has a magic pocket? Fu Miaoxue reached out to touch the canvas bag. ¡­ The feel was quite ordinary, just a regular canvas bag, and no information came to her mind. That means the canvas bag is not a prop. ¡°Hurry up and sing.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her somewhat bewildered, ¡°Let¡¯s write down the lyrics so we can find clues together.¡± Fu Miaoxue absentmindedly responded.¡± Without Du Lai, she lacked motivation. Just as she prepared to sing again, she caught a glimpse of a figure reflected in the window, and her heart leaped with joy: ¡°My boyfriend¡¯s back!¡± Shen Mo and Bai Youwei both looked over, and saw an unfamiliar figure had appeared at the window, judging by the height and build, it looked like Du Lai. Fu Miaoxue went to open the door cheerfully. But when she got to the door she stopped, feeling that something was amiss. The figure in the window remained motionless. Not making a sound, nor showing any sign of movement¡­ Fu Miaoxue remained silent for a few seconds. For some reason, she backed off a couple of steps, whispering to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°Du Lai left over the south wall, but this figure¡­ seems to have come from the east corridor¡­¡± Chapter 517: 517: Shasha Chapter 517: Shasha Du Lai promised Fu Miaoxue that he would return quickly. Given the choice between detouring along the winding corridor and scaling the wall, the latter was obviously faster. But if the person outside wasn¡¯t Du Lai, then who could it be? All three stared at the figure with caution. In an instant, the atmosphere in the room became incredibly tense. Shen Mo pulled the piece of paper from his wrist. With a swoosh, it transformed into a dagger in his hand, and he told Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue in a low voice, ¡°Both of you, step back.¡± Fu Miaoxue quickly grabbed Bai Youwei¡¯s arm! Bai Youwei tugged twice but couldn¡¯t pull free. Fu Miaoxue turned towards Shen Mo, her voice strained with tension, ¡°Be careful. What if that¡¯s actually my boyfriend outside?¡± Bai Youwei retorted internally, if it really was Du Lai, deliberately trying to scare them by lurking outside, he deserved a good slash. Suddenly, Shen Mo sprang into action! His movements were lightning-fast. The two women were taken aback and before they could respond, Shen Mo had flung open the door! The dagger in his hand gleamed cold and deadly. It thrust straight towards the figure outside the door! A rustling sound echoed. There was no screaming, no shouting. Only the soft rustling, much like the sound of tearing paper! Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue watched in horror as a paper man outside was stabbed by Shen Mo and sliced in two! The rustle¡­ An incredibly thin paper man met an extremely sharp blade. In the span of an instant, it was cut in half, sent flying and then gently fell in the garden below. The falling rain soaked the painted face of the paper man. Black eyeballs¡­ Bright red lips¡­ The color slowly had seeped out, following the drops of rain and depicted a form of painful scars. Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue stood in the doorway, their gaze fixed on the paper doll in the garden. It felt like something was squeezing their throats, and their hearts pounded uncontrollably. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They had grown up in the city and even though they had witnessed some folk customs and funeral cultures, most of those were influenced by the West. Now, facing this paper doll, they felt an indescribable discomfort, goosebumps erupted in waves, even their scalps tingled. They didn¡¯t understand why their ancestors had invented something so horrifying. Couldn¡¯t they conduct funerals in a straightforward manner? Paper, being just a thin layer glued to slender bamboo strips and once soaked with rain, disintegrated rapidly. Like colorful muddy scraps, it hung from the bamboo, swaying and trembling in the wind and rain. They were silent for a while when they suddenly heard the sounds of urgent footsteps. As they turned around, they saw Du Lai gasping for breath as he ran towards them! Fu Miaoxue cried out in relief and rushed towards him! ¡°Why did it take you so long to return?! You scared me to death!!!¡± She angrily gripped Du Lai¡¯s collar and interrogated him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll be back in six minutes?! How many six minutes have passed now? How many? Answer me!!!¡± Shen Mo also asked him in suspicion, ¡°Did something happen on the way?¡± Du Lai¡¯s delay in returning was indeed abnormal. His face was as white as a sheet, soaked through with both rain and perspiration. He didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d gone out briefly but rather as if he¡¯d run a marathon! ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it inside.¡± Du Lai jerked his hand free from Fu Miaoxue¡¯s grip, hastily dragging her inside. Shen Mo was the last to enter, casting a cautious glance around, he shut the door. Inside the room, Du Lai sat in a chair to catch his breath. After a while, he told them, ¡°Getting to Yunhai¡¯s woman didn¡¯t take much time, but on my way back, I encountered ghost walls. No matter how much I tried to bypass, I kept looping in the corridor.¡± ¡°It must have been that paper man causing trouble!¡± Fu Miaoxue shivered, burrowing deeper into Du Lai¡¯s arms. ¡°Just now it mimicked your appearance. I was about to open the door for it!¡± Chapter 518: 518: The Young Voice Chapter 518: The Young Voice ¡°Impersonating me?¡± Du Lai asked, furrowing his brow. ¡°Did anything happen to you all?¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No, nothing.¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°The paper figure didn¡¯t seem to attack us, but this raises questions about why it appeared at our room door?¡± Was it merely to scare people and add a sense of horror to the game? Everyone was at a loss. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Let¡¯s first talk about the corpse-bearing woman.¡± Spotting pen and paper on the table, Du Lai picked them up to draw a rough sketch. There were twenty-three households in the village, each represented by a square on his sketch. He roughly drew out a distribution map and circled two points at the extreme east and west¡ª ¡°There¡¯s an old willow tree on the east, an old locust tree on the west. Based on the scenes I¡¯ve seen and the traces left by the wheels, the path of the corpse-bearing woman is approximately like this¡­¡± He drew a winding line that started from the east, moved to the west, and then looped back. The path was essentially a circle through the village. ¡°An elderly woman in her seventies or eighties, pushing a handcart with a mat on top. The mat must be covering a corpse,¡± Du Lai succinctly explained the situation. ¡°I didn¡¯t show myself, so I¡¯m not sure if she poses a threat.¡± ¡°Did you only see the old woman?¡± Bai Youwei asked doubtfully. ¡°I heard a very young woman¡¯s voice.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Fu Miaoxue added. ¡°The voice sounded very young.¡± Du Lai shook his head, ¡°Apart from the old woman, I didn¡¯t see anyone else.¡± In a serious tone, Shen Mo said, ¡°So, we now have two problems. One, why did the paper figure suddenly appear at our door? Two, why did the voice of the corpse-bearing woman sound younger than the woman Du Lai saw?¡± He paused, and looking at them, said, ¡°Do you have any thoughts about it?¡± ¡°Every household in the village has their doors closed. Only the old scholar¡¯s door is open. It seems that besides asking the villagers about the situation tomorrow, we should also find a chance to investigate this mansion,¡± Bai Youwei suggested. Fu Miaoxue reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we were able to enter because we recited the Classical Chinese verse. If we want the villagers to talk, we¡¯ll probably need to make an effort, just as it was when I played ¡®Riddle Kingdom¡¯. Each inhabitant had a set of riddles to solve! The theme of the game might be different, but many mechanisms are interconnected!¡± Bai Youwei agreed with Fu Miaoxue¡¯s viewpoint and nodded in approval. Those who have played games extensively will notice that no matter how the game rules change, some things always interconnect. ¡°The ultimate goal of corpse-moving is burial,¡± Shen Mo analyzed. ¡°Once we figure out why the corpse-bearing woman hasn¡¯t buried the body yet, we would be close to clearing this game. Let¡¯s investigate together when daylight comes.¡± A trace of a smile appeared on Du Lai¡¯s tired face. ¡°It seems this is like a detective riddle game, where you have to solve A, which usually needs B, and to solve B, you usually need C. The answer comes only when A, B, and C are all connected.¡± Fu Miaoxue sighed, ¡°Damn, this is bothersome. I hate it when I have to use my brain~¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I love using my brain.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Asked Fu Miaoxue, looking at her with innocent eyes. Bai Youwei patted her own leg and said, ¡°Because there¡¯s nothing else I can move.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue had a sudden realization. After a while, she felt something was off. She looked at Bai Youwei suspiciously, then at Du Lai, and whispered, ¡°Why do I feel like she just insulted me?¡± Du Lai chuckled and, taking Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hand, said to the others, ¡°We¡¯re going back to our room. Contact us if anything happens.¡± Shen Mo slightly nodded. All four of them were not new to the game and had their own approach to it. After finalizing their plan, they each went back to their rooms for rest. The scare that night seemed to be but a minor episode. Chapter 519: 519: The Old Man Can’t Stay Idle Chapter 519: The Old Man Can¡¯t Stay Idle The next day, when Bai Youwei woke up, Shen Mo was not by her side. He was standing by the window, which was half-open. The rain outside had stopped, but the sky was still gloomy. ¡°What time is it?¡± Bai Youwei asked as she got up. ¡°Seven o¡¯clock,¡± Shen Mo replied. Bai Youwei was a bit dazed. Had she slept that long? Judging by the sky, she thought it was five or six o¡¯clock, but it was already seven¡­ She usually couldn¡¯t sleep well in foreign environments and she didn¡¯t know why she fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes this time. She had a feeling that this wasn¡¯t a good thing. Bai Youwei sluggishly got out of bed. Over by the screen were washing utensils: a damp wooden basin, a coarse bristled toothbrush, and a cloth with a musty smell of earth. She didn¡¯t touch any of these things. Instead, she opened the dollhouse and asked Teacher Chang for their toiletries. You might as well bring breakfast too. Teacher Chang had made scallion flower rolls and multigrain soy milk. Every day in the dollhouse, while idle, Teacher Chang cooked, studied menus and significantly improved his culinary skills. Over breakfast, Teacher Chang on the door side asked Bai Youwei and Shen Mo on the other side of the door, ¡°Weiwei¡­ is the game this time difficult?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite difficult. Both Shen Mo and I cannot understand the Fuzhou dialect,¡± Bai Youwei said as she nibbled on the flower bun, asking Teacher Chang, ¡°Do you speak Min language?¡± ¡°Min language?¡± Teacher Chang shook his head in confusion, muttering, ¡°Isn¡¯t it about archaeological poetry?¡± Bai Youwei burst into laughter, ¡°Teacher Chang, have you not had enough fun?¡± He had been debating with someone in a poetry contest with great momentum last night. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chang Weicai smiled awkwardly and admitted: ¡°You two have been taking care of me. I also want to help¡­¡± ¡°If we need your help, we won¡¯t hesitate to ask,¡± Bai Youwei said between bites of the soft and chewy flower roll, which had a savory and salty flavor followed by a hint of sweetness, ¡°¡­.this is so delicious.¡± ¡°Then eat more,¡± Teacher Chang responded with a smile, ¡°Xiaoshen, you should eat more too. There are still plenty in the steamer.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s send some to Du Lai,¡± Shen Mo suggested to Bai Youwei, ¡°He only has ration biscuits. He probably won¡¯t last a few days.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Bai Youwei agreed, nodding her head, ¡°Just tell him it¡¯s from the old scholar¡¯s kitchen. He can believe it or not.¡± Having allied themselves, they could be more generous, sharing their food and drink was no big deal. Shen Mo then took some steamed buns to the neighbor. Teacher Chang later discussed with Bai Youwei: ¡°I¡¯ve almost finished tidying up the vegetable patch on the slope. The place is big, but lacks color. Other than green, there¡¯s nothing else. Shall we plant some flowers ¡­¡± If growing vegetables and crops is for food, then planting flowers is purely for their appeal. It wasn¡¯t necessarily important, it was because the old man couldn¡¯t idle around, he always wanted to find something to do, to prove himself valuable. ¡°Good, in a while Shen Mo and I will dig up a few.¡± Bai Youwei responded enthusiastically. The old scholar¡¯s garden was full of peonies and paeonies, which seemed to be top-grade. Teacher Chang rose, saying, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and find two shovels for you ¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, a crying sound came from afar¡ª Teacher Chang was taken aback. Bai Youwei also paused, immediately closed the dollhouse door and quickly said, ¡°Teacher Chang, I¡¯ll go see, we¡¯ll talk about planting flowers later!¡± She went to the door in her wheelchair, but was stopped by the elevated threshold. This ancient architecture was not friendly to her at all. Shen Mo returned soon, lifting the wheelchair effortlessly out the door. Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°Where are Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue?¡± Shen Mo shook his head, ¡°They¡¯re not in the house.¡± Chapter 520: 520: Those Cries Chapter 520: Those Cries Just after they had spoken, they saw Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue approaching from the garden. Shen Mo asked, ¡°Where were you guys?¡± ¡°Went to the kitchen to get something to eat.¡± Du Lai raised a plate of cold, stiff buns in his hand, then saw the hot steam bun in Shen Mo¡¯s hand and couldn¡¯t help but pause, ¡°Where did you get those?¡± Shen Mo paused for a moment before answering, ¡°I got them from the kitchen.¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡± Shouldn¡¯t there be basic respect? Even if you¡¯re going to lie, at least be earnest about it, right? Fu Miaoxue wasn¡¯t interested in the food and directly asked them: ¡°Did you guys hear that crying noise? I think it might be a clue. Shall we check it out together?¡± Shen Mo handed the steam bun to Du Lai, ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s go together.¡± Du Lai gently squeezed it. It was soft and with a slight warmth, clearly it hadn¡¯t been out of the pot for long. It was fresh. He couldn¡¯t help but look at Bai Youwei. She was willing to give him the Substitute Doll, suggesting she got hold of a better item. But isn¡¯t balance the key to the game? Why are Bai Youwei¡¯s items all so¡­ Bai Youwei looked calm and composed. Du Lai didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore. ¡­ They all left together. As they passed the main hall, they again ran into the old scholar. The old scholar was crafting paper figurines. The paper man that Shen Mo had smashed was still lying in front of the room in the garden. Only a few bamboo pieces and some paper scraps remained. The one the old scholar was currently crafting was a new paper figurine. ¨C Thin bamboo sticks were woven into a round head and further added to a cylindrical body. Then, coated with layers of white paper, a form took shape. Before he could paint the eyes and nose on, it was just a blank silhouette. The smell of paste filled the air. Another paper figure sat perfectly intact in a high back chair. What was missing was the old scholar¡¯s ¡°mother.¡± Bai Youwei was curious about the paper figures, but when they moved a bit closer, they heard the old scholar mutter as he applied paste: sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The gentleman said, learning can never stop¡­ learning can never stop¡­¡± Everyone was speechless. Are they going to have to recite lessons to get answers again? ¡°Let¡¯s go to the village first,¡± Shen Mo said casually, ¡°The corpse carrier woman has been wandering around the village all night, there should be clues there.¡± Bai Youwei mumbled to herself, ¡°I hope not every NPC will have us recite lessons¡­¡± ¡­ As it turned out, while not all NPCs asked them to recite lessons, as Fu Miaoxue guessed, every clue did come with a test. They heard sobbing coming from a house. The people inside were dressed in mourning clothes with constant crying, white lanterns outside the house, and paper underworld coins scattered around. Villagers were coming in a steady stream to lament at the house. Shen Mo and his companions also went to mourn. But they couldn¡¯t enter the doorway, as if an invisible wall was stopping them. The homeowner asked them, ¡°Who are you mourning for?¡± Who? They didn¡¯t know. They had just arrived here last night, they didn¡¯t know anyone, let alone who had died! Without the answer, they can¡¯t enter. They had to ask the people coming in and out. But no matter whom they asked, they could not get an answer. All the mourners had crying faces and aside from crying, they didn¡¯t speak a word. Bai Youwei saw a group of children playing by the corner of the wall. The adults were crying while the children didn¡¯t understand, they were laughing and playing. Among them, one child was holding a puzzle. Bai Youwei felt that it was promising and signaled Du Lai with a glance. With a big grin, Du Lai squatted down in front of the child, asked with a friendly smile, ¡°Do you know who is being mourned in this house?¡± Chapter 521: 521: Conducting a Funeral Chapter 521: Conducting a Funeral The child expressionlessly handed over the puzzle to Du Lai, ¡°Daddy can¡¯t play with me. He said he will only come back home when I can solve this.¡± Du Lai chuckled and gently took the puzzle from the child¡¯s hand. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For street magicians, the puzzle and the Nine Linked Rings are basic skills and must-practice items. In just two or three moves, Du Lai disassembled the puzzle into separate pieces. Placing it back in the child¡¯s hand, he once again ¡°kindly¡± asked: ¡°Kid, do you know what happened to this family? Who died?¡± This time, the child replied quickly: ¡°Everybody knows, Lizheng was decapitated last night. The Ma Family slept next to the headless man the whole night and wet her pants when she woke up in the morning. How embarrassing! Is it embarrassing? How can an adult pee in their pants!¡± After saying this, the child made a face and ran off! Watching the child run off, Du Lai stood up pensively and said to his companion: ¡°In this conversation, two people were mentioned, one is Lizheng who was beheaded last night, the other is Mrs. Ma, who should be Lizheng¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°Who is Lizheng? Is it a name?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked. ¡°It refers to the village head.¡± Du Lai explained, ¡°Last night, the head of this village was beheaded.¡± Fu Miaoxue frowned, ¡°That¡¯s gory. I don¡¯t want to see a headless corpse.¡± ¡°This is getting interesting.¡± Bai Youwei mused thoughtfully. ¡°Her husband was lying next to her, decapitated, and the wife remained completely oblivious, only finding out in the morning¡­ Strange isn¡¯t it? Decapitation is neither quiet nor bloodless. How could the person sleeping in the same bed remain oblivious?¡± Shen Mo added, ¡°The murderer is either a local or a pallbearer from last night. There¡¯s no third possibility. Let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± They attempted to enter the house again. At the entrance, the homeowner asked them, ¡°Who do you grieve for?¡± Shen Mo replied: ¡°We grieve for Lizheng.¡± The owner respectfully stepped aside, ¡°Please come in, honored guests.¡± Having received permission, they somewhat relaxed. If this method works, then the same pattern should apply when looking for other clues. Shen Mo, who was pushing the wheelchair, stopped and slightly furrowed his brows. Du Lai also paused solemnly before the threshold. The barrier at the entrance ¡­ still existed. They couldn¡¯t get in. Why? They had correctly answered the homeowner¡¯s question, so why couldn¡¯t they enter? Just as they were puzzled, Fu Miaoxue walked briskly over the threshold. She tried to take Du Lai¡¯s arm in habit, but ended up grabbing only air. She turned to look back and found- All her companions were still outside! ¡°Why aren¡¯t you coming in?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked, perplexed. Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, and Du Lai all looked at her with complicated expressions, simultaneously realizing a very basic etiquette. There are certain dress codes when visiting someone¡¯s house to pay respects. One should wear neutral colors as far as possible, preferably black, gray or white. Among them, Fu Miaoxue was the only one dressed all in black. Sure, Shen Mo¡¯s shirt was black too, but it was a short-sleeved T-shirt. In ancient times, wearing short sleeves to a mourning visit was considered disrespectful. As for Du Lai, he wore a grey hoodie, but his hiphop shorts were adorned with patterns. Bai Youwei wore a white dress covered by a camel colored shawl. So, in the end, only Fu Miaoxue was ¡°dressed appropriately¡±. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go in alone!¡± Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t accept this. She had just said that she wouldn¡¯t go see the headless male corpse! Why now not only does she have to go see it, but she has to do so alone?! No way! Absolutely not! Chapter 522: 522: A Head Chapter 522: A Head ¡°Going to prepare for clothing now would be a waste of time,¡± Du Lai patiently persuaded her, ¡°Miaoxue, what you can do is quite simple. Just remember every single thing you see as hard as you can, then come out and recount it to us. That would be enough.¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t go in alone!¡± Fu Miaoxue insisted, ¡°How much time can preparing clothes waste? Can¡¯t you just steal a few black outfits from the nearby area? After all, everyone from the village has come to the funeral, so no one should be home!¡± Oddly enough, what she said made sense¡­ Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, took off her camel-coloured shawl and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with her. You guys can check nearby, if you can find clothes to change into and join us in paying respects, that would be best.¡± ¡°So be it.¡± Shen Mo took her shawl, turned around, and left with Du Lai. Without the shawl, Bai Youwei instantly felt the chill of autumn. However, when she looked at the two gentlemen walking away bear-armed and bare-legged, she felt she needed to improve her physical constitution. Fu Miaoxue and Bai Youwei entered with trepidation. The crying inside was even louder. Lizheng¡¯s home was much simpler than the academic¡¯s residence. It was just a plain courtyard, with a square yard right after the entrance, followed by three large brick-and-tile houses at the front, left, and right. The sons and their wives lived on the sides, while Lizheng and his wife lived in the main house. The coffin was placed in the hall directly in front of them. There were some crying, some singing, some burning paper, and some offering incense. It was extremely lively. The woman known as the lady of Ma family who appeared to be in her fifties or sixties, sat beside the coffin wearing mourning clothes, appearing foolishly lost. The entire room was filled with wailing, but only the old lady hadn¡¯t cried. It seemed as if she had lost her senses due to the sudden shock. Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue overheard some mourners whispering to each other: ¡°Looking at Lady Ma in this state, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t live much longer.¡± ¡°Yeah, Mrs. Li was the same way. First her husband was decapitated, and not long after, she also passed away.¡± Mrs. Li? The first sentence Inspector gave as a clue was: A female, Mrs. Li¡­ Bai Youwei pounced on this information, almost immediately asking: ¡°Was Mrs. Li also decapitated?¡± The mourner replied, ¡°How could it be? It was her husband, Leper Li, who was decapitated. Mrs. Li had dementia. After her husband¡¯s death, she stopped eating or drinking and naturally passed away shortly after. Just like Lady Ma now.¡± As they spoke, they saw Mrs. Ma¡¯s daughter-in-law trying to feed her some water. Mrs. Ma couldn¡¯t even open her mouth and stared blankly at the coffin in a daze. The mourners sighed and shook their heads at this sight. ¡°Mrs. Ma won¡¯t live much longer¡­¡± many echoed this sentiment. At this time, Lizheng¡¯s son asked: ¡°Is father¡¯s last meal ready?¡± The woman who was feeding Mrs. Ma put down the bowl and said, ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In ancient times, something was usually put in the mouth of the deceased, known as ¡°the last meal¡± or ¡°subduing the tongue¡±. Rich people would use gold beads or jade. Poor families used food, implying that the deceased would not suffer hunger or hardship on the road to the underworld. The daughter-in-law scooped up a half-spoonful of white rice, about a mouthful, compacting it in the spoon, handed it to her husband who then respectfully said to the corpse in the coffin, ¡°Father, your son has prepared a meal for you.¡± Having said this, he reached out and pinched Lizheng¡¯s chin, trying to put the white rice in his mouth. However, the old man¡¯s mouth remained tightly closed. No matter how hard he tried, he could not open it. The son cried out, ¡°Dad! Please open your mouth, so you won¡¯t go hungry or cold on your journey in the afterlife!¡± The force he applied increased, as he tried to pry open his father¡¯s mouth with the spoon of rice. Unexpectedly, he applied too much force. The old man¡¯s head rolled over, was pried right out of the coffin, and flew out! It landed right in front of Mrs. Ma! Chapter 523: 523: Who Cut It? Chapter 523: Who Cut It? This sudden change surprised everyone, quieting the entire hall as everyone stared at the skull in front of Ma Family! Lizheng¡¯s corpse had been cleaned up long ago, so when the head fell, it was not bloody, but the horror was in no way diminished! The skull was grey and withered, the hair and skin as well. The eyes were tightly shut, and the skin on the face was wrinkled. The place where it had been severed was coated with a layer of glutinous rice paste, smeared sticky and thick; it had been applied by Lizheng¡¯s sons in an attempt to put the head back. At this moment, the glutinous paste smeared all over Ma Family, carrying a bit of flesh-pink color, which was from the bloody threads leaked from the skull. Ma Family¡¯s gaze blankly moved from the coffin to the skull in front of her. She slowly stretched out her hands¡­ Slowly, she picked up her husband¡¯s head¡­ Everyone watched in horror as Ma Family suddenly burst into laughter during this tense moment! ¡°Hahahaha!!!¡± All the people in the room looked at the laughing old woman, shocked and unbelieving! At a funeral, in front of a corpse, Ma Family was laughing hysterically as if she had gone mad! ¡°Hahaha! Hahaha! Haahaha!!!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The ear-piercing laughter echoed throughout the room! Fu Miaoxue, frightened, clutched Bai Youwei¡¯s hand tightly! Since she was a puppet, her fingers were harder than those of a living human, making Bai Youwei¡¯s hand hurt. Meanwhile, Ma Family, holding Lizheng¡¯s skull, stood up, her eyes were wide open, pupils contracted, and her mouth stretched open until it could no longer close, exposing her gums and tongue! Her face was fierce, like a demon! ¡°Ma Family is possessed!!!¡± cried a villager suddenly in the room. Ma Family¡¯s sons and daughters-in-law snapped out of their shock and rushed in to pin the laughing Ma Family to the ground. One of them slapped her hard across the face twice! But Ma Family remained oblivious, her laughter continued crazily as if she had reached the heights of joy, or the depths of pain! ¡°Hahahaha!!¡­¡± Tears flowed down her face, her mouth was split open, her lips stretched to a point where they could no longer open, with blood oozing out of the corners. In the ensuing chaos, people gathered, some yelling about killing chickens to exorcise evil, while others were busy using a straw rope to tie up Ma Family! Others were busily picking up Lizheng¡¯s head, cleaning it, and placing it back into the coffin- Chaos was everywhere! Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue were ousted to the side, following the other villagers out of the hall. The funeral home was in disarray, the funeral was temporarily unable to proceed, and the yard was full of people rushing to relay the news. Ma Family¡¯s sons and daughters-in-law were still weeping loudly in the hall, the scene could not be more chaotic. ¡°Shall we leave?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked Bai Youwei, looking around. She was clearly terrified just a moment ago, but now she seemed completely unbothered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the headless male corpse anymore?¡± Bai Youwei said, shaking off her hand in exasperation, her hand already red. Fu Miaoxue shook her head, her eyes wide open, ¡°Compared to his wife, the headless corpse is nothing.¡± Laughter from Ma Family was terrifying. Bai Youwei glanced over at the funeral hall and said, ¡°Ma Family has gone crazy, her sons and daughters-in-law are all in the funeral hall, shall we go take a look at the back?¡± Fu Miaoxue nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± The two of them headed to the back of the hall. Behind the hall were the bedrooms and a small courtyard. One side of the courtyard was the kitchen, and the other side was piled with firewood. There was a stump next to the firewood. An axe was lodged in the stump. The axe was covered in blood¡­ If one looked closely, one could see a few strands of bloody hair stuck on the blade. Fu Miaoxue whispered to Bai Youwei, ¡°Case solved, right? Lizheng was definitely murdered by his own family.¡± Why else would his family¡¯s axe be so bloody? Bai Youwei squinted slightly and followed the trail of the axe to the threshold of the bedroom. A few dark red bloodstains were visible on the ground, clearly visible even though they had been smudged by mud. ¡°Strange¡­¡± she murmured, ¡± If Lizheng¡¯s head was cut off by his own family, then who cut off Mr. Li¡¯s head?¡± Chapter 524: 524: The Big Rooster Chapter 524: The Big Rooster From the direction of the bloodstains, it¡¯s clear that someone took the ax from the courtyard, went into Lizheng¡¯s bedroom, killed Lizheng in his sleep, returned to the courtyard, and put the ax back. The ax handle was engraved with a ¡°Ma¡± character, which indicates that this ax was indeed the murder weapon. The disappearance of the blood traces by the stump also suggests that the murderer did not leave the yard. Of course, one could also assume that a murderer, who could nimbly traverse roofs and walls, left the crime scene without leaving any traces. But this game isn¡¯t set in a wuxia novel; instead, it¡¯s in a poor, remote little mountain village. Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t believe that the game would create characters incompatible with its context. She thought, just like Shen Mo said, the murderer could either be the corpse carrier woman or one of the villagers here, with no third possibility. ¡°Why would his household want to kill Lizheng? Was it to assume the new role as Lizheng themselves, so they killed the old Lizheng?¡± Fu Miaoxue contemplated, ¡°¡­But this doesn¡¯t make sense either, if they wanted to fool people, it would be more convenient to simply strangle or smother him to death. Why bother to decapitate him with an ax? And they barely cleaned up the blood ¡­ Also, what¡¯s up with the Ma family? Why did they suddenly break into hysterical laughter?¡± She knocked her head in frustration, ¡°I just hate having to think so hard!¡± Bai Youwei chuckled and glanced at her: ¡°Even though you hate thinking, the questions you brought up are all critical.¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She wasn¡¯t sure if this was her inherent talent or potential forced out by the test game. ¡°Of course!¡± Fu Miaoxue huffed, ¡°I¡¯m playing the test version of the game after all, I¡¯ve encountered even more absurd situations! I still managed to unravel them~¡± Bai Youwei said: ¡°Regardless, our aim is to discover the reason that the corpse carrier woman refuses to stop her actions. The game wouldn¡¯t provide useless clues; Lizheng¡¯s death, the Ma family going mad, must have some connection with the corpse carrier woman. What we lack now is the bridge that connects these clues.¡± ¡°A customer mentioned the Li family just now, should we go investigate their house?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked. Bai Youwei nodded: ¡°Hmm, we should check it out.¡± The Li family is key in this game; they definitely needed to inspect her home. Just as the two were about to leave, Bai Youwei in her wheelchair suddenly stopped, her gaze directed to one side of the courtyard wall. Seeing this, Fu Miaoxue also stopped and asked her in confusion: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes slightly widened, a look of astonishment on her face as she said: ¡°¡­ Look, over there.¡± Fu Miaoxue looked over. It was just a rooster standing in the corner of the wall, surrounded by a few hens. Fu Miaoxue found it incomprehensible. They were just some chickens, was such a big reaction really necessary? ¡°Could this be the ¡®bridge to the clues¡¯ you mentioned?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked with furrowed brows. Bai Youwei gently shook her head, her eyes fixed on the chickens, saying: ¡°I haven¡¯t seen animals in a long time.¡± The rabbit in the Tortoise and the Hare wasn¡¯t a normal rabbit. The frog in Jin Qiu¡¯s ¡®golden frog¡¯ wasn¡¯t a normal frog. The cats in Hide and Seek weren¡¯t normal cats¡­ At first, she could still see birds in the sky, fish in the water, and occasionally encounter wild cats, wild dogs, and mice scurrying about on the roadside¡­ She didn¡¯t know since when, but there were no more birds in the sky, no fish in the water, and even ants and crawling insects had disappeared. Looking at those chickens, Fu Miaoxue said with a chill: ¡°In no time, you might not be able to see a single person either. Let¡¯s go~¡± Bai Youwei was reluctant to leave, and told Fu Miaoxue: ¡°You go first, check if they¡¯re back, I want to watch the chickens.¡± ¡°Watching chickens?¡± Fu Miaoxue was speechless and walked away, lifting her skirt. When she got to the front yard, she felt something was wrong. Could watching chickens be more important than investigating clues at the Li¡¯s house? She turned back, and saw Bai Youwei still sitting in her wheelchair. Fu Miaoxue looked behind Bai Youwei¡ª Huh? Where are the chickens? ¡­ Chapter 525: 525 Li Family Chapter 525 Li Family Shen Mo and Du Lai rushed back to Lizheng¡¯s house, where they found Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue already waiting at the door. Fu Miaoxue kept staring at Bai Youwei with strange eyes, as if she was a rare specimen. Bai Youwei paid no mind to Fu Miaoxue¡¯s scrutinizing gaze. She looked Lan and Du Lai up and down, then doubtedly asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you change outfits?¡± After being gone for so long and not changing their clothes, could they have been delayed by something? Shen Mo calmly replied, ¡°We found a place and will take you there later. For now, let¡¯s talk about what you¡¯ve discovered on this side.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei slightly nodded, ¡°During the mourning ceremony, Lizheng¡¯s head fell out of the coffin, and his wife, Lady Ma, suddenly started to laugh hysterically. Some guests said that when a tragedy befell the Li family, he also laughed like this, so we plan to visit the Li family¡¯s house.¡± ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, glancing at Du Lai, ¡°We found a place, which is just the Li family¡¯s house, where they used to live.¡± Bai Youwei immediately asked, ¡°Where did the Li family live?¡± Du Lai said with a cold smirk at the corner of his mouth, ¡°In the east of the village, near the old willow tree.¡± ¡­ The sky was gloomy as if it would rain at any moment. The four of them quickly headed east of the village. On the way, Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue also told Shen Mo and Du Lai about the hatchet. Du Lai speculated, ¡°Given this, the murderer who killed Lizheng must be someone from his family. The game wouldn¡¯t provide useless clues. Is it possible that the murderers on both sides are the same person, and due to grievances, the corpse bearer has been delaying her husband¡¯s burial?¡± ¡°People in ancient times indeed believed in the concept of having unfinished business,¡± deliberated Shen Mo, ¡°Li¡¯s husband, like Ma¡¯s husband, was decapitated. The murderers might very well be the same person. If we go by the line of reasoning that they want to see justice served, we¡¯ll only be able to let Li give her husband a proper burial once the murderer is found.¡± ¡°What if we don¡¯t go by that line of reasoning?¡± questioned Fu Miaoxue curiously. Bai Youwei answered, ¡°When a person dies but cannot rest in peace, there are generally two reasons¡ªunfinished vengeance or unfulfilled wishes.¡± So is the corpse bearer seeking unfinished vengeance, or does she have unfulfilled wishes? The village is not large, and the four of them unknowingly arrived at the eastern end where a mud house stood. Compared to Lizheng¡¯s green-bricked and tiled house, Li¡¯s home looked quite shabby. ©¤ There was only one brick room, the kitchen was a makeshift straw shed in the yard, the courtyard wall even simpler, made of branches and wheat straw mixed with yellow mud and built half a person high. The top was lined with bamboo sticks, which rattled and dropped clods of dirt when pulled with force. The gates were locked, rusted all over. Shen Mo didn¡¯t use much force to pull the rusty lock off the wooden door. Inside, everything lay desolate¡­ No one lived here after Li Laitou and Li died. Dust-covered underworld paper flew all over the courtyard, with the wild grass on the rooftiles rustling. The door squeaked when lightly pushed open¡­ As this place has hosted two successive funerals, remnants of the funerals remained in the house, several pieces of underworld paper covered with dust, some burnt candle stubs, and an ancestral tablet placed in the middle of the house. The wooden tablet read: In memory of the deceased husband Li Qianggui. Li Qianggui. That must be Li Laitou¡¯s real name. ¡°Didn¡¯t Li also pass away? Why is there only one ancestral tablet in the room?¡± Fu Miaoxue curiously poked at the tablet. Du Lai pulled her hand back, ¡°After Li¡¯s death, since there was no one left in her family, no one set up an ancestral tablet for her.¡± Sometimes when a household¡¯s population was sparse, the neighbors had to help with the funeral arrangements, but only immediate family members could set up the ancestor tablets. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei glanced around the room and muttered, ¡°How do they not have any children¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps we should ask the neighbors,¡± suggested Shen Mo. As soon as he spoke, everyone fell silent. They had been through ancient texts and solved a puzzle, so this time¡­ what would it be? Chapter 526: 526 The Sun Zi Mathematical Classic Chapter 526 The Sun Zi Mathematical Classic Next to the Li family¡¯s house lived another family in a mud-brick courtyard, impoverished to the extreme. Generally speaking, in this village other than the grand residence of the old scholar, only Lizheng¡¯s house was somewhat decent in appearance, everyone else was poorer than the next. An old woman sat in the dusty courtyard, smoking a pipe stuffed with crude tobacco, puffing away. The smoke was very strong and harsh, probably the cheapest tobacco leaves. Feeling the gaze from the outside, the old woman lazily lifted her eyelids, took a cursory glance, and then continued puffing on her pipe, paying them no mind. ¡°Seems like most of the villagers are elderly.¡± Bai Youwei whispered to Shen Mo. Whether it was the old scholar, Lizheng, or the Ma family, they were all people around seventy or so. And even Lizheng¡¯s son and daughter-in-law they had seen in the hall were in their early forties. If there were any younger, they were just children. Oddly, there were no youths in their teens or twenties. ¡°In such a remote and poor place, which youngster would choose to stay?¡± The old woman in the yard suddenly said, ¡°Those who could leave, have already left. The only ones remaining are the elderly who cannot move, and the old bachelors who can¡¯t get married.¡± The group was taken aback, not expecting this NPC to offer information so readily. Du Lai stepped into the yard and politely asked, ¡°Do you know the Li family next door?¡± Hearing this, the old woman laughed silently, wrinkles on her face like deep-set crevices, exuding an extremely unsettling feeling. At that moment, a fit of coughs echoed from within the house, followed by an old man¡¯s voice: ¡°I¡¯ve been ill for so long, when will my daughters come to see me?¡± The old woman took another drag from her pipe, gently knocked it against the ground, and said to the old man in the house: ¡°Didn¡¯t your eldest daughter come to see you just yesterday?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t all three of them come to see me together?¡± The old woman scoffed, replying, ¡°That¡¯s not easy. The eldest returns every five days, the second every four days, the youngest every three days. Who knows when they¡¯ll be able to see you again together.¡± While chatting, her gaze shifted to Du Lai, and behind him to Fu Miaoxue, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. Everyone then understood, this NPC was challenging them with a riddle. Bai Youwei breathed a sigh of relief inside. Thank goodness, this wasn¡¯t a difficult challenge. She asked the old woman, ¡°When were the three daughters last together?¡± ¡°They met during the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡± The old woman responded. ¡°How many days have passed since the Mid-Autumn Festival?¡± Bai Youwei asked again. The old woman laughed coldly, ¡°I¡¯m old and forgetful, I can¡¯t remember clearly¡­.¡± Bai Youwei slightly wrinkled her brow. Not just her, Shen Mo and Du Lai frowned too. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Fu Miaoxue was confused, ¡°Is the riddle too hard?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that the riddle is difficult, we¡¯re just missing something,¡± Bai Youwei explained, ¡°This is an old riddle from Sun Tzu¡¯s ¡®Arithmetical Classic¡¯, asking about three daughters: the eldest returns home every five days, the second every four days, and the youngest every three days. After the three daughters leave home together one day, on what day will they meet together again?¡± ¡°How many days?¡± Fu Miaoxue blurted out. Bai Youwei: ¡°Sixty days.¡± The number of days is derived from finding the least common multiple between the intervals the daughters revisit home. That is, multiplying the numbers 3, 4 and 5, and it¡¯s 60. Fu Miaoxue blinked and said: ¡°Then just tell her the answer.¡± Du Lai grabbed her hand and moved her behind him, ¡°What¡¯s missing here is the precondition ¨C we don¡¯t know on which day the three daughters left together.¡± ¡°There should be clues nearby for the Mid-Autumn Festival,¡± suggested Shen Mo, ¡°Let¡¯s split up and look.¡± Once they figure out when the Mid-Autumn Festival was in this game, they could calculate when the three daughters will return home together next. Fu Miaoxue complained, ¡°Why go through all that trouble~¡± After saying that, she bounced up to the old woman: ¡°Hey, your three daughters will be back tomorrow~¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 527: 527: A Firecracker Chapter 527: A Firecracker Everyone was stunned. Including the old woman, who was taken aback. The answer wasn¡¯t, of course, ¡°tomorrow,¡± so the old woman didn¡¯t say anything, just watched them with a baffling stare. ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Du Lai pulled Fu Miaoxue back, concern for her safety evident. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying~¡± Fu Miaoxue frowned and pulled her hand back, before bouncing back to the old woman and said, ¡°Hey, your three daughters will be back the day after tomorrow~¡± The old woman: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei already knew what Fu Miaoxue was up to, and she struggled to hold back laughter. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fu Miaoxue noticed her and shot her an annoyed glance: ¡°What are you laughing at? If a method works, that¡¯s all that matters, right? Who knows how much time would be wasted finding clues for the Mid-Autumn Festival!¡± Bai Youwei, smiling, agreed: ¡°Yes, you¡¯re absolutely right~¡± Fu Miaoxue turned back to continue: ¡°Hey, your three daughters will be back in three days~ Your daughters will be back in four days~ Your daughters will be back in five days~ ¡­¡± The old woman: ¡°¡­¡± Her weathered face stiffened slightly. In the quiet, morose farmhouse, only Fu Miaoxue¡¯s clear and crisp answers could be heard. Bai Youwei was holding back laughter the whole time, thoroughly amused. Shen Mo and Du Lai both couldn¡¯t suppress their amusement ¡ª they hadn¡¯t expected Fu Miaoxue to discover such a bug in the game. Since the amount of answers were unlimited, it would only take a couple of hours to express sixty days ¡ª or even six hundred days. Before they knew it, Fu Miaoxue had counted up to the forty-first day. ¡°¡­Your daughters will be back in forty-one days~ Your daughters will be back in forty-two days~ Your daughters will be back in forty-three days~ Your daughters¡­¡± Finally, the old woman reacted. She tapped the pipe in her hand against the doorframe and scowled at Fu Miaoxue: ¡°Old man, did you hear? These outsiders say our daughters won¡¯t be back for another forty-three days.¡± Ms. Fu put her hands on her waist victoriously and shot a glance back at Du Lai. ¡°Oh, thank you¡­ Cough, cough!¡± The old man inside the house coughed, then said, ¡°What do the outsiders want in our house?¡± ¡°They want to ask about the Li family next door,¡± the old woman replied expressionlessly. The old man inside murmured, ¡°I¡¯m not well. My spirit is low. If you don¡¯t have more than three questions, I should be able to answer a couple.¡± Fu Miaoxue immediately demanded, ¡°How can we clear the game? Why does the corpse carrier keep carrying corpses? What should we do to stop the corpse carrier?¡± She asked all three questions at once, not leaving any chance for others to inquire. Bai Youwei was speechless and stared at her wide-eyed. A moment ago, she thought Fu Miaoxue¡¯s cleverness was like a firecracker. It could give the game an unexpected jolt! But now she realized that this firecracker could also explode on them! She was too unpredictable! The old man in the house was silent for a long time. Finally, he answered slowly, ¡°I¡¯m too old to understand what the guests mean ¡­ What do the guests want to ask?¡± The wife outside the house coldly said, ¡°My husband only knows things related to the neighbours. For other things, you might want to try asking someone else.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Fu Miaoxue replied casually, ¡°then I want to ask¡­¡± Before she could finish, Du Lai grabbed her arm, ¡°Wait before asking.¡± He reminded her, ¡°We have three questions. Think carefully before asking.¡± But Fu Miaoxue frowned, ¡°But what you want to ask, is not necessarily what I want to ask.¡± ¡°Then let each side ask one.¡± Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°Shen Mo and I will ask one, you two ask another, and the last question is decided by all of us together. Is that okay?¡± Fu Miaoxue thought about it, figuring she wouldn¡¯t be at a disadvantage, she nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± So, the first question was posed by Shen Mo: ¡°How did Li Qianggui die?¡± Chapter 528: 528: Waking up Slowly Chapter 528: Waking up Slowly ¡ª¡ªHow did Li Qianggui die? The elder in the room was silent for a moment, slowly opening his mouth, ¡°Ah¡­ You are asking about Li, the wretch from next door, right?¡± Shen Mo nodded, ¡°It¡¯s Li, the wretch.¡± The old man replied, ¡°Last Autumn¡­ I recall it wasn¡¯t long after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Li family came to borrow white cloth from us, saying that their old man had died. We rushed to their home, and saw the wretch Li laid on the bed, his head severed, the bed was soaked with blood. We asked the Li family what had happened, but they seemed foolish and mumbling, not making any sense. As there was no one else in the Li family, a few of us in the village helped them arrange the funeral. Suddenly, Mrs. Li began laughing uncontrollably on the mourning hall, she refused to eat or drink, didn¡¯t even touch a drop of water, and not long after, she was gone too.¡± The old woman sitting by the door sighed long, ¡°Mrs. Li, a pitiful woman¡­¡± This answer was quite honest, practically everything that needed to be said was said. There was no intentional avoidance of crucial clues, nor playing with words. Next, it was Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue¡¯s turn to ask the second question. The two of them quietly discussed for a while, then Fu Miaoxue eagerly asked: ¡°Is it because you¡¯re all afraid of the woman transporting the corpse that the village closes their doors at night? Why is that?¡± The old woman began to tap her smoking pipe discontentedly at Fu Miaoxue, the pipe making a loud clanging sound, ¡°My old man only knows about matters related to the Li family next door.¡± Fu Miaoxue pouted, ¡°Hmph~¡± Du Lai whispered a few words into her ear. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes rolled and she asked again, ¡°Why do you all close your doors tightly after the family of Li perished, and not open them at night?¡± Isn¡¯t this related to the Li family now? But Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t stop after finishing her question. She said aggressively, ¡°I suspect that Mrs. Li was killed by you all! You make no sense! Stop talking nonsense! I¡¯m aware of many such cases, when the man at home dies, the remaining orphans and widows are easy to bully, right? The person who killed Mrs. Li, not only you all are involved, your whole village is involved too! You intended to take the Li family¡¯s properties and houses! Hence, Mrs. Li died with her eyes wide open, pushing her man¡¯s corpse, unable to find peace even in death!¡± The old woman, suddenly pinned with this blame, was so angry that smoke seemed to be coming out from her nose. She abruptly stood up and shouted, ¡°Wake up Insane! Nonsense!!!¡± Fu Miaoxue was furious, pointing at the old woman and asking others, ¡°Is she cursing at me in the Fuzhou dialect?¡± Bai Youwei was gleefully watching from the side, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who understands Min language?¡± Fu Miaoxue retorted indignantly, ¡°Understanding Min opera and being able to speak Min language are two different things!¡± Just like how some people can sing Cantonese songs but may not be able to speak Cantonese. The old man in the room also grew anxious, he raised his voice, ¡°Why would we plot to kill for wealth when the Li family was so poor that they had to scrape and toil? At night, the village closes their doors because Mrs. Li¡¯s resentful ghost won¡¯t rest in peace! Everyone is afraid of inviting this evil spirit into their homes so regardless of what noises we hear at night, we never open our doors! Li, the wretch, had a head full of sores and was impoverished, if it wasn¡¯t for the villagers¡¯ help, he wouldn¡¯t even have been able to afford a wife! How could we possibly covet his properties? That¡¯s utter nonsense!¡± Miaoxue blinked, turned around, and murmured to Du Lai: ¡°Well, I guessed wrong.¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A little regretful. Du Lai asked Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, ¡°We still have a third question, do you have any questions you¡¯d like to ask?¡± Shen Mo slightly frowned, ¡°We originally wanted to ask if the Li family had any enemies, but it doesn¡¯t seem likely that there is a motive for revenge here.¡± Du Lai also nodded, ¡°In rural villages, even if there are murders, they are mostly due to verbal disputes, done in a moment of impulse. A murder committed in the middle of the night seems like a long-plotted scheme, but if it was truly a premeditated plan, they shouldn¡¯t have only killed Li, the wretch, and spared Mrs. Li, who was in the same bed.¡± Bai Youwei looked at them and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t have any questions, I would like to ask, why Li Qianggui and Mrs. Li didn¡¯t have any children.¡± Chapter 529: 529: The Village Registry Chapter 529: The Village Registry This issue wasn¡¯t too crucial, but Bai Youwei was still somewhat concerned about it. Every household in the village had two or three children. Why didn¡¯t the Li household have any? To the point that after his death, there was no one left to mourn for him. The old woman immediately shook her head: ¡°Mrs. Li was too frail, too delicate.¡± The old man in the house then replied: ¡°Mrs. Li was quite young when she married into our family. The first time she gave birth, she nearly lost her life, and although she managed to survive, the child didn¡¯t live past a month. The babies she gave birth to afterwards all died in infancy¡­¡± When the old man finished speaking, he sighed, and said tiredly, ¡°I am tired¡­ Wife, is there any water?¡± The old woman¡¯s face dropped, she got up and went into the house, slamming the door shut with a loud bang. Once the three questions were answered, the NPC exited the scene. The four people outside looked at each other. Fu Miaoxue muttered, ¡°Didn¡¯t people in ancient times get married early? They were wed at fifteen or sixteen. If Mrs. Li was younger than that¡­ how old was she? Fourteen? Thirteen?¡± Bai Youwei reminded her, ¡°Li Laitzi was a poor man with a head full of scabs.¡± Fu Miaoxue shuddered dramatically: ¡°That ugly, how desperate must her parents have been to marry her off to him?¡± Du Lai said: ¡°Perhaps Mrs. Li¡¯s family was even poorer, and like many families in ancient times, they were so poor they couldn¡¯t make a living, hence they sold their daughter in return for dowry, or to save resources for their son¡¯s future marriage.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another possibility.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Mrs. Li herself could¡¯ve been ugly, or ill.¡± Like attracts like. If Li Qianggui was a dumb, poor man with a head full of scabs, then Mrs. Li might also have had some kind of defect. ¡°This might be tricky,¡± Du Lai laughed, ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about Mrs. Li ¨C her name, age, where her family lives, nothing. Hence, we still can¡¯t infer why her dead body wouldn¡¯t rest.¡± ¡°At least we can rule out the possibility of her retaliating against her husband,¡± Bai Youwei analyzed calmly, ¡°No children, an ugly husband, and a poor family¡­I don¡¯t think they were a loving couple under these circumstances. A grudge seems more likely.¡± Shen Mo pondered for a moment, looked up at the sky, and said, ¡°There should be a household register at Lizheng¡¯s house. We should have enough time to go now.¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Du Lai nodded. In terms of theft, nobody was more adept than him. Du Lai quickly found a house with laundry hanging out to dry, changed into a villager¡¯s homespun outfit, grabbed a handful of yellow earth from the ground to smear on his face until he looked dusty and unremarkable, then he hunched over and headed towards Lizheng¡¯s house. Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, and Fu Miaoxue waited for him outside. It wasn¡¯t long before they saw him coming out. He came out quickly, his expression gloomy. Everyone thought he had failed and didn¡¯t get the register. Much to their surprise, Du Lai pulled a register from his bosom and handed it to Shen Mo. ¡°Got it.¡± Du Lai frowned slightly, ¡°But Mrs. Li¡¯s name isn¡¯t in it.¡± Bai Youwei froze, and then seemed to think of something. ¡°Let me see.¡± Shen Mo had just opened the first page and handed it to her. The first page was an introduction to the village, roughly detailing its population, how much farmland it had, what crops it grew, and so forth. The following pages contained information on each household, arranged in order of seniority, starting from the grandparents¡¯ generation, down to the present. Bai Youwei found Li Qianggui¡¯s name. His parents had long since died, his two brothers had also passed away one after another. Li Qianggui lived to be 70, which was rather old. If he hadn¡¯t been decapitated, he might have lived even longer. Next to Li Qianggui¡¯s name, there were small characters that read: ¡°Wife, Mrs. Li.¡± There was no name, no age, no introduction, nothing. She was like an attachment existing or not, no one would know. Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, flipped through a few more pages, and took a deep breath. ¡°Most of the women in this village don¡¯t have names.¡± Chapter 530: 530: It Has Been Dug Open Chapter 530: It Has Been Dug Open ¡°In ancient times, men were valued over women, so it¡¯s normal for women¡¯s names not to be recorded,¡± said Fu Miaoxue dismissively. ¡°Even if the names weren¡¯t recorded, their family histories would at least be noted.¡± Bai Youwei flipped over to the page about Lizheng, demonstrating to her. Lizheng¡¯s surname was Zhao. Lizheng¡¯s wife¡¯s surname was Ma. Hence, next to Lizheng¡¯s name, they wrote: Zhao, Mrs. Ma, married into this village from Ma Family Village¡­ Even if her name wasn¡¯t written, all the information about Mrs. Ma was crystal clear. Where she was born, which family she married into, and how many sons and daughters she had were all indicated on the roster. Then looking at Li¡¯s Mrs., besides knowing that she was Li Laitze¡¯s wife, there was no other information about her. Fu Miaoxue read through a few more pages and murmured, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s strange indeed¡­¡± ¡°Either she¡¯s from this village or she married into this village from another,¡± Shen Mo analyzed, ¡°Given that the Li Family needed the villagers¡¯ help with funeral arrangements, it¡¯s likely that Mrs. Li had no relatives in this village. It¡¯s very likely that she came from another place, she might even have been bought.¡± With confusion, Du Lai said, ¡°If she was bought, Li Qianggui was 70 years old when he died. After so many years, resentment should have subsided, right? Moreover, both Li Qianggui and Lizheng are dead now. If Mrs. Li had any grievances, they should have resolved.¡± ¡°¡­Look at this.¡± Bai Youwei turned another page, ¡°It¡¯s that old woman we saw earlier, she doesn¡¯t have a name either.¡± Li Laitze¡¯s neighbor, an old man with the surname Liu, hence, the old woman was only referred to as Mrs. Liu. But Mrs. Liu had a bit more information than Mrs. Li: Mrs. Liu had three daughters who got married off to different villages. Apparently, this place was really poor. Every family with daughters would rather marry them off to other villages. They flipped through the roster back and forth several times, gathered quite a bit of scattered information, yet none could be pieced together to form a complete clue. Fu Miaoxue furrowed her brow, seemed a bit irritated and complained, ¡°Is playing the official game always this mentally taxing? Why won¡¯t the body transporter woman stop?¡± After thinking for a while, Du Lai suggested, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because she died alone and was not properly buried? Why don¡¯t we go take a look at Mrs. Li¡¯s grave.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°We should not only check Mrs. Li¡¯s grave but also Li Qianggui¡¯s. If Li Qianggui¡¯s grave remains intact, the ¡®body transporting¡¯ hypothesis doesn¡¯t hold up. Is Mrs. Li really ¡®transporting the body¡¯? Is she really transporting Li Qianggui¡¯s body?¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Fu Miaoxue rubbed her arm, ¡°Your words are giving me goosebumps!¡± Bai Youwei glanced at her arm, ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Can¡¯t I just express how I feel?¡± Fu Miaoxue hid her hands behind her back, looking displeased. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Mo looked at the clouded sky and said, ¡°I hope we can find it before the rain.¡± Shen Mo then pushed Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair and Du Lai took Fu Miaoxue by the hand. The two women quieted down as they all headed towards the gravesite. ¡­ The tomb was located on a hill not far from the village. It was where they had originally descended from the hill. As they climbed up the hill path, they could see several graves every few steps, simple mounds of earth with tombstones, or stones weighing down pieces of yellow paper. The sky had darkened. It was gloomy, and it felt like it could rain any minute. Considering Li Qianggui died last year, his grave shouldn¡¯t be too old. Shen Mo and Du Lai split up to search for it. After some time, they finally found Li Qianggui¡¯s tombstone in a desolate patch of weeds ¡ª The tomb had been dug up. The decayed straw mat, now visible from the damp soil, concealed a faint presence of white bones underneath. Chapter 531: 531: Gloomy Wind and Severe Rain Chapter 531: Gloomy Wind and Severe Rain Judging from the colour of the soil and the condition of the surrounding weeds, this grave had been dug up quite some time ago. They had looked at several nearby graves, but found none belonging to the Li Family. Considering Li Qianggui and the Li family members died successively, and that the Li family had no relatives or friends in the village, it¡¯s unlikely that anyone would have established a separate grave for them. Therefore, it¡¯s highly plausible that they were buried together. To confirm their conjecture, Shen Mo and Du Lai continued to dig the half-dug graves. The soil was loose, with the corpses buried quite shallow. In no time they had exhumed the remains of Li Qianggui. The corpse had decomposed into dry bones, without a coffin, only wrapped in a mat, with clear signs of hacking on the neck, undoubtedly, it was Li Qianggui. Shen Mo and Du Lai continued to dig deeper, hoping to find the remains of Mrs. Li. Although Mrs. Li died after Li Qianggui, according to ancient customs, when a husband and wife are buried together, it is strictly forbidden for the wife to be placed on top of the husband. If Mrs. Li is not on the right side of Li Qianggui, she must be buried deeper. Gloomy winds blew intermittently, the temperature dropped rapidly, and night was approaching. Yet they have gained nothing. Drip¡ª A droplet of rain landed on Bai Youwei¡¯s cheek, making it feel damp and cool. She reached up to touch it, then looked up at the sky. Dark clouds had obscured the sky firmly without a gap, more rain came down, drizzling and then pouring. The rain was intensifying. ¡°Let¡¯s stop digging and leave here quickly¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue, who had been impatiently waiting, stamped her foot in frustration at the spot. She was both afraid and nervous, fearing that Du Lai and Shen Mo might dig up something from the ground. Bai Youwei silently stared at the deepening hole and then at the gloomy woods around, finally, she spoke: ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mrs. Li¡¯s bones are not here.¡± The two men also felt the prospects were grim and climbed up in succession. After catching his breath, Du Lai said: ¡°Li Lai Zi¡¯s bones are here, Mrs. Li¡¯s are not. Does this imply that the Corpse Carrier Woman has been carrying, not her husband¡¯s corpse, but her own all along? If we let her rest in peace, maybe she will stop.¡± The Corpse Carrier Woman¡¯s ceaseless actions are certainly driven by some reason. Either, it¡¯s a vengeance she hasn¡¯t avenged yet; Or, it¡¯s a wish she hasn¡¯t fulfilled yet. ¡°It¡¯s worth a try.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°If what she¡¯s carrying is indeed her own corpse, this approach is worth trying.¡± Fu Miaoxue said: ¡°But we don¡¯t know anything about her identity or her real name! Even if we make her a new grave, we can only write ¡®Mrs. Li¡¯ on the tombstone!¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ the key to this game is finding out the real identity of Mrs. Li?¡± Bai Youwei pondered, murmuring, ¡°Let¡¯s check tonight, to see whose corpse she is carrying.¡± They descended the hill and returned to the village. At this time, the sky was completely dark. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the pitch blackness, only the two hanging lanterns outside Lizheng¡¯s courtyard emitted a hazy light. The dim flame flickered, as if it could be extinguished by the rain at any moment. The village was deathly silent, only the sound of rain and wind could be heard. They took shelter at the Li residence. All the houses had their doors and windows tightly shut, only the uninhabited Li Family¡¯s house was accessible. Ignoring the leaking roof, the ancestral worship tablets on the table, the underworld paper on the floor, and the strong musty smell in the damp air, this place was just about bearable for them to stay. In the bleak wind and heavy rain, they began to hear that hoarse and piercing singing from last night, like an old tape recorder, squeaking and creaking: ¡°In an instant¡­ In an instant, the cold air attacks, and dark clouds gather. This servant had no choice but to presuppose shoes, dare not to stop. Desolate wilderness, no place to hide. A gust¡­ A gust of bitter wind and rain, soaking the clothes. Hey¡ª Ya¡ª ¡­¡± Shen Mo lightly furrowed his brows, holding Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, he whispered: ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly taken aback as she thought he was asking about the sound of the opera, but Shen Mo continued: ¡°Next door¡­ it seems there¡¯s some movement.¡± Chapter 532: 532: Chopping Sound Chapter 532: Chopping Sound Although they all had entered the labyrinth before, every person has a different constitution, and the intensification and inclination of abilities differ amongst them. Bai Youwei¡¯s hearing was nowhere near as sharp as Shen Mo¡¯s. It could also be due to the fact that her ears were filled with the sorrowful sound of singing opera, making it impossible for her to hear other sounds. After Shen Mo¡¯s warning, Du Lai also noticed the disturbance. ¡°Did someone just open a door?¡± Du Lai suspiciously walked to the window, leaned close to listen again, and said, ¡°Everyone closes their doors after dark, why would there be a sound of opening a door? I¡¯ll go and see what¡¯s going on.¡± The Li family and Liu family were neighbors, separated only by a garden wall. If one could climb over the wall, it would be possible to see the situation next door without leaving the premises. Fu Miaoxue immediately clung to Du Lai, sobbing and refusing to let him go. ¡°Are you leaving me alone again? Why did you rescue me in the first place? You should have just let me die!¡± Her eyes were unable to shed tears, but judging by her voice, her crying was genuine. Shen Mo disliked wasting time, saying straight away: ¡°I¡¯ll go and have a look.¡± The moment the door was opened, a cold wind immediately rushed in, carrying a smattering of icy rain. Bai Youwei instinctively wrapped her shawl tighter around herself. She watched Shen Mo¡¯s retreating back, furrowing her brows as she warned: ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Shen Mo simply nodded in response, quickly disappearing through the doorway. ¡­ The row of bamboo sticks embedded in the mud wall obstructed the view, and couldn¡¯t be climbed as they were too thin and flexible. Shen Mo used a paper doll, transforming it into a dagger to cut a slim slit in the bamboo, looking through it to observe the situation next door. He saw the old woman who had posed them a riddle during the day, searching for something in the courtyard. Shen Mo watched for a moment and then saw the old woman stand up, a firewood axe now in her hand! His heart gave a slight lurch. He watched, shocked, as the old woman casually walked back into the house, holding the axe. The wooden door behind her creaked in the wind. Meanwhile, the old man inside was in a deep sleep, showing no signs of waking up at all! After a short while, Shen Mo heard the sound of chopping! Two sounds, ¡°crack, crack¡±. A while later, he heard a ¡°thump¡±. Must have been the sound of a skull hitting the floor. Unexpectedly, but also quite expected. This could explain why Lizheng died in his bed, without his wife realizing anything. They must all have been influenced by the sound of the opera singing! Worried, Shen Mo furrowed his brows, because Bai Youwei was at a severe disadvantage in this game. After a while, the old woman came out of the house with the axe, expressionless, with a vacant stare. She casually threw the blood-soaked axe back to its original place, then returned to the house and closed the door¡­ From retrieving the axe, killing a person, to returning the axe and resting in the house ¡ª the entire process was exceedingly natural, as normal as can be, without a trace of emotional fluctuation. It was just like sleepwalking! Shen Mo frowned deeply, feeling that their original analysis was still flawed. If it was just a matter of giving Li Shi a decent burial to make her stop moving corpses, then why were these women in the village killing people? They were clearly influenced by the voice of the corpse-moving woman! And this influence originated from the grudge the corpse-moving woman held against the entire village! Shen Mo turned, ready to go back to the house to discuss the situation with the rest. Suddenly, the courtyard door creaked open. Shen Mo thought it was the wind, but when he looked towards the noise, he saw an extremely emaciated, wrinkled face slowly peering out from the barely open courtyard door¡­ An old woman, with loose hair and ragged clothes, resembling a skeletal corpse, was staring fixedly at Shen Mo! Shen Mo watched her vigilantly. The next second, the old woman suddenly raised her arms and charged straight towards him! As she ran, she let out a crazed, hideous laughter! ¡°Hahahaha! S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!!!¡± Chapter 533: 533 Sing it Again Now Chapter 533 Sing it Again Now The laughter was horrifying! Piercing and shrill! Not only did Shen Mo¡¯s face dramatically change, the same happened to the other three in the room! At this moment, a thought simultaneously surfaced in the minds of the four ¡ª Once night fell, every household in the village closed their doors and windows. Was it because the villagers knew that the cadaver carrier would not let them off?! In an instant, the old woman was already approaching, laughing maniacally! Shen Mo drew out his long knife and, without any hesitation, swung it at her! But the knife completely missed! The old woman¡¯s body seemed like a phantom. When the blade fell, it was as if it swept through a cloud of smoke, causing no harm whatsoever! Shen Mo was taken aback. Seeing the old woman pounce, he didn¡¯t have time to think and swerved to dodge! The old woman moved with incredible agility, chasing after Shen Mo, her raised hands looking sharp and terrifying like eagle claws! She left three scratch marks on Shen Mo¡¯s back in an instant! ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± She laughed crazily, her hair disheveled as she chased Shen Mo, her eyes wide open and her jaws wide apart! The shrill laughter was almost piercing through the eardrums! Shen Mo was temporarily at a loss, he could only retreat constantly in a defensive stance. ¡ª He couldn¡¯t harm the old woman, but she could harm him, this fight was hardly fair! Happening upon the cart parked at the entrance of the courtyard, Shen Mo swung his arm to chop off a row of bamboo poles from the courtyard wall, leapt over and simultaneously shouted: ¡°Du Lai! Carry the corpse!¡± The old woman, in pursuit, slammed her lower body into the earthen wall with a thud! Then, like a human spider, she crawled over the wall with shocking speed, chasing after Shen Mo! Du Lai knew that Shen Mo was creating an opportunity for him. He quickly rushed out of the courtyard, lifting the straw mat from the cart¡ª Underneath the mat was a woman¡¯s corpse! The woman seemed to be around 60 years old, her body extremely thin, her limbs like dried branches, grey-white hair loose, her white garment stained with fresh mud, as if she had just died not long ago. The corpse and the zombified old woman looked exactly the same! ¡°Du Lai!!!¡± Fu Miaoxue suddenly shouted from the doorway! Du Lai looked up to see the old woman, who had been chasing Shen Mo, was coming back! She was crawling on the ground with distorting limbs, unbelievably fast! In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Du Lai, emitting spine-chilling laughter from her mouth! Without any hesitation, Du Lai wrapped up the corpse with the straw mat, carried it on his shoulders and turned to run! sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bear the corpse, bear the corpse! The ultimate purpose of carrying the corpse was to bury it! Li was so concerned about her own corpse, the corpse must be the key to solving the game mystery. Perhaps as long as the corpse is buried, the game could end? This possibility was great, he had to give it a try! But Du Lai did not expect that the old woman would be so fast. He had barely run a few steps when his ankle was seized¡ª In an instant, the seized leg felt like it was pierced by an icicle! Du Lai fell in pain, his face pale! Shen Mo rushed over from behind, picked up the straw mat from the ground and ran far away. The cadaver carrier released Du Lai and turned to chase Shen Mo! Even agile Shen Mo was no match for her. After running a short distance, he was caught up with. Unable to dodge, he had to drop the corpse wrapped in the straw mat. However, the cadaver carrier still did not give up pursuing them! The frenzied laughter echoed in the dark rainy night, and the entire village was deadly silent. No one opened the door, no one opened the window, Shen Mo and Du Lai had no place to hide, even if they wanted to! In the room, Fu Miaoxue and Bai Youwei were helplessly pacing. Bai Youwei shouted into the dark curtain of rain: ¡°Run towards the old scholar¡¯s house!¡± All the houses in the village were closed. The old scholar¡¯s house was the only place they could hide! Even if there were those strangely acting paper dolls, it was still better than dealing with the monstrous undead before them! Fu Miaoxue was so anxious, she almost wept: ¡°Damn it! The old scholar¡¯s house is too far away, we won¡¯t make it in time! The zombie is too fast!!!¡± Suddenly, Bai Youwei seemed to think of something. She turned to Fu Miaoxue with urgency: ¡°¡­Quick, Quick! Sing that opera you sang last time, sing it again!¡± Chapter 534: Wow Chapter 534: Wow ¡°Whaah!¡± Fu Miaoxue wailed, ¡°My boyfriend is on the verge of death! I am hardly in the mood for singing!!!¡± ¡°Sing! We might lure the Corpse-Carrier over!¡± Bai Youwei barked urgently, ¡°Sing!!!¡± ¡°What?¡± Fu Miaoxue was taken aback, then came to her senses. ¡°Ah yes, last time it was after I sang that the paper figure appeared. Could this piece of chanting possibly summon ghosts?!¡± She looked to the door. The dim rain obscured her view. She couldn¡¯t see Du Lai or Shen Mo¡¯s circumstance, only heard a shrill laughter in the distance. If they actually lured the Corpse-Carrier over, Du Lai and Shen Mo might escape danger but what would her and Bai Youwei do then? The door to this damn house broke as soon as they entered, so it couldn¡¯t be locked at all! ¡­Never mind! Fu Miaoxue screamed into the dark rain, ¡°Du Lai!!! Run to the old scholar¡¯s house! If not, we are breaking up! Breaking up!!!¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense! Start singing!¡± Bai Youwei urged her. Fu Miaoxue was frustration, ¡°I want to get into mood!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s temper was even bigger: ¡°Wait a few more seconds to feel the mood, and you¡¯ll be carrying Du Lai¡¯s corpse!¡± Fu Miaoxue let out a cry and then began to sob, ¡°Damn it! Shut up! Stop scaring me!¡± Then they faintly heard Du Lai yell, ¡°Miaoxue! Use the puzzle piece! Wait for me outside when you get out!¡± The voice grew fainter, as if he was running in the direction of the old scholar¡¯s house. Fu Miaoxue groped on her body, and found a thin puzzle piece was tucked into her waistband. She was angry, ¡°When the hell did he manage to plant this¡­¡± Looking back into the gloomy rain, she finally mustered up the courage to start singing: ¡°In an instant¡­¡± ¡°In an instant, a cold breath invades, and thick clouds gather. I can only force myself to walk faster, dare not to slow down. In the desolate wilderness, there is nowhere to hide. A gust of wind, A gust of mournful wind and bitter rain, soaking my clothes. Alas¡­ Ah¡­¡± Meanwhile, Fu Miaoxue heard Bai Youwei say behind her, ¡°Mr. Cheng, let me hold your hand quickly!¡± Fu Miaoxue was terrified, there were clearly just the two of them in the room. Who was Bai Youwei talking to?! ¡°Bai Youwei, you scared me again!¡± She complained with a mournful face, ¡°you made me forget the lyrics¡­¡± Just as she was about to turn around, she saw the gate suddenly burst open! An emaciated old woman crawling rapidly! ¡°Ahhhhh!!!!¡± Fu Miaoxue screamed in fright! Bai Youwei threw something out forcefully! Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t see it clearly, a white shadow jumped down from Bai Youwei. It was the rabbit, it discharged a burst of lightnings at the approaching ghoul! The Corpse-Carrier was trembling, backed away abrupt. Fu Miaoxue quickly hid behind Bai Youwei, exclaiming: ¡°Your tool is so powerful!¡± ¡°Quickly close the door!¡± Bai Youwei ordered. Fu Miaoxue was taken aback, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get your rabbit?¡± S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Bai Youwei ordered her, ¡°Close the door, quickly!¡± Fu Miaoxue shut the door, then used the only broken table in the house to block the door, grabbing the table edge with both hands, pressing against it! The Corpse-Carrier that had been shocked by the lightning charged once again! Bang! The entire door panel shook! Fu Miaoxue panicked, ¡°How is this monster immune to even lightning?!¡± Outside, a flash of blue-violet light- The lightning was very powerful and exploded with a bang! After that, there was no sound from outside the door. Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t wait for Ms. Li to hit the door panel again. She peered out through the gap in the door, only to see the Corpse-Carrier hurriedly leaving, crawling out of the yard. ¡°She¡¯s gone?!¡± Fu Miaoxue was delighted, ¡°She¡¯s afraid of lightning!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not afraid of lightning, she¡¯s afraid someone will steal her corpse.¡± Bai Youwei coldly said, ¡°Move the table, while she¡¯s distracted, we can hide in the old scholar¡¯s house.¡± Chapter 535: Are You Scared? Chapter 535: Are You Scared? ¡°Are you sure she won¡¯t come back?¡± Fu Miaoxue hesitated as she moved the table aside to peer outside, ¡°If she catches up with us halfway, we¡¯re all done for.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at her indifferently, ¡°What are you afraid of? If she catches up, it is sure that I will be caught first.¡± Hearing this, Fu Miaoxue coldly snorted, ¡°Am I afraid? What do I have to fear? I¡¯m already the living dead, I don¡¯t fear pain or tickles. Even if she catches up, she can¡¯t do anything to me!¡± Bai Youwei eyed her suspiciously, ¡°So you are now¡­ an immortal body?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Fu Miaoxue glared at her angrily, ¡°I can¡¯t just kill myself for an experiment!¡± Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°What a pity if you don¡¯t try~¡±. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes got even wider, ¡°Demon!¡± After the two women bickered for a few moments, one after the other, they exited the door. Outside, the sky was very dark, and the rain was heavy. The stuffed bunny hopped up onto the wheelchair and lay down on Bai Youwei¡¯s lap, quickly turning into a soggy rabbit. Fu Miaoxue nervously led the way, glancing around from time to time. Her pace was notably faster than the wheelchair-bound Bai Youwei, but she didn¡¯t dare to go ahead alone, always feeling safer by Bai Youwei¡¯s side. After they walked for a long time, with no sign of the body chasing them, they gradually moved away from the village. Not far ahead was the old scholar¡¯s house. A red lantern hung under the eaves, glowing faintly in the black, rainy curtain. Upon seeing this, Fu Miaoxue slightly dropped her guard. However, she felt uneasy again, thinking of the two paper figures inside the house. She really did not want to spend the night in this place, if it weren¡¯t for the dangerous environment in the village! ¡­ Before Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue reached the main gate, Du Lai and Shen Mo heard movement and came to meet them. Seeing both of them unharmed, Du Lai was somewhat surprised. Both he and Shen Mo were strong fighters, yet even they could not deal with the corpse woman and had to run away disgracefully. It was surprising that these two could return safely! Although he faintly guessed that Bai Youwei had something to do with it, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How did you guys escape?¡± Bai Youwei nonchalantly replied, ¡°We used a prop.¡± Shen Mo came over and held her hand, which was icy cold. He frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and talk.¡± ¡ªFu Miaoxue was a puppet and probably wouldn¡¯t catch a cold, but Bai Youwei was weak and prone to becoming ill. The four of them entered the mansion again. The door to the front courtyard was open just as it had been on their first night. The second door was merely ajar and opened with a gentle push. Passing through the stone-paved front yard, the main house was brightly lit. The two paper men were sitting on high-backed chairs, with snacks offered on the table in front of them and a candle flickering. The old scholar, dressed in a gray-green long gown, held a book in his hand and was reading aloud by the paper people¡¯s side. He read very seriously, expressing a sense of nervousness like a child being examined on his homework by his parents. Bai Youwei had thought that the old scholar would have another question for them. Unexpectedly, the old man just greeted them politely upon seeing them, ¡°Ah, our esteemed guests have returned. It¡¯s late, you should rest.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to intend to give them any trouble. That was just as well. They had just narrowly escaped the corpse woman¡¯s claws and really didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with someone else. Somehow, Fu Miaoxue took another look at the paper men. She seemed to fear that they would follow them. After casting a quick glance, she clung to Du Lai¡¯s arm and quickened her pace. Du Lai¡¯s movements were limp. After returning to their room and lighting a candle, the two men checked their injuries. As expected, Du Lai got injured on the ankle where the corpse woman grabbed him. The scratch marks on Shen Mo¡¯s back had turned a greenish-black color, and the skin and flesh seemed on the verge of rotting away. This was not a normal wound. It was more like a poisonous corpse or some evil energy. The mud props had no effect on it. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 536: Venting for Boyfriend Chapter 536: Venting for Boyfriend ¡°Players who have encountered the Ghost Fire game in the past mentioned that these kind of injuries can only heal naturally, medicines or props are useless,¡± Du Lai said, ¡°It would be best to get some sunlight, it helps to heal faster, but in this godforsaken place, we¡¯re unlikely to see the sun easily.¡± He paused for a moment before adding, ¡°If we stay in the gloomy place, the wounds will gradually deteriorate.¡± Bai Youwei frowned as she stared at the wound on Shen Mo¡¯s back and whispered, ¡°We need to get out of here as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s sort out the clues we have first,¡± Shen Mo retorted, still in a calm tone, ¡°We can now confirm that the corpse that the Corpse Carrier was carrying is in fact hers. And, the women in the village who heard the opera singing women would unknowingly use an ax to behead their husbands.¡± ¡°From this point of view, it must have been Mrs. Li who killed Li Laitzi. The reason why she let the other villagers repeat the things she had done is most likely out of a sense of revenge,¡± Bai Youwei speculated. Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°If Mrs. Li keeps seeking revenge like this, she will end up killing everyone in the village! Will we have to wait until that happens for this game to end?¡± Du Lai slowly shook his head, ¡°I still believe that the key is the corpse. The fact that she is fiercely protective about people touching her corpse must have a reason.¡± ¡°The reason ¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment then hesitated, ¡°Perhaps she¡­ is afraid of being buried again with Li Laitzi, or the fear of being buried without a clear reason?¡± Fu Miaoxue seemed surprised but inspired, ¡°It might be, in her eyes, we are no different from the villagers. She has animosity towards the entire village and certainly would not trust us.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡± Fu Miaoxue pondered, ¡°That means¡­ as long as we can make her believe that we are here to help her, she could let us take her corpse away, and have it buried?¡± Once the corpse is interred, wouldn¡¯t the job of carrying the corpse stop? The four people looked at each other, silent for a while. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Playing a game itself involves some degree of luck, sometimes when the thinking is accurate, the path is clear, making the game seem easy, but if the thinking is not right, then it¡¯s like a road leading to a dead end. Without verifying Fu Miaoxue¡¯s words, no one could be certain if it is effective. Bai Youwei said, ¡°In line with the style of previous games, to make Mrs. Li believe in us, either we have to accomplish some task, or, by some item. For example, if we find out the identity of Mrs. Li and shout her name, would she become calm? Or, if we find a keepsake from the Li family, will she trust us?¡± Shen Mo slightly nodded, ¡°Tomorrow, let¡¯s look for more clues in the village, and visit the Li family again to see if we can find something similar to a keepsake.¡± Hid tone was calm, but his face was pale, likely affected by the injury on his back. Bai Youwei worried, ¡°Let¡¯s rest for now. The rest could be discussed tomorrow.¡± Fu Miaoxue felt pity for Du Lai¡¯s foot, ¡°Exactly, let¡¯s rest for now, there¡¯s no point in discussing it this late.¡± She ushered Du Lai to leave and headed to the neighboring room. As soon as the door closed, Fu Miaoxue anxiously whispered into Du Lai¡¯s ear, ¡°I think I know how to beat the game!¡± Du Lai looked at her in surprise, ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Mhm~¡± Fu Miaoxue giggled, ¡°Thanks to Bai Youwei¡¯s hint. Didn¡¯t she mention looking for a keepsake? I know what it is~¡± She wrapped her arms around Du Lai¡¯s neck and whispered even lower, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she took many pieces of the puzzle from you? Huh, that cunning woman¡­ just wait and see~ I¡¯ll get back her puzzles and props! I¡¯ll get back at her for you!¡± Chapter 537: Du Fu Chapter 537: Du Fu Du Lai had given Bai Youwei a total of 8 puzzle pieces. He wasn¡¯t trying to collect them all. The number didn¡¯t mean much to him, but among these 8 pieces, there were 2 that had game exemption rights. Although uncertain about what the world would become, Du Lai was certain that puzzle pieces would become a scarce resource in the future. Because one maze would only yield up to 9 puzzle pieces, which corresponds to 9 exemptions from the game. So far, the maze codes do not exceed two digits. Assuming there are 9 mazes in total, even if all are completed, only 81 puzzle pieces could be gained. However, there are definitely more than 81 games and definitely more than 81 players. In terms of quantity, the difference is huge. So getting hold of a puzzle piece would only get harder and harder in the future! Last time, he was able to obtain so many puzzle pieces was because Shanghai Base had gathered many players who have ventured into the maze, but what about the future? Du Lai pondered deeply. He didn¡¯t believe that taking Bai Youwei¡¯s puzzle pieces and items was a good idea. Not because of the alliance between both sides, but because until Bai Youwei reveals all her cards, any action carries risk. However¡­ Taking into consideration that he was not alone and needed to plan for Fu Miaoxue, the more puzzle pieces, the better. This risk was worth a shot. Du Lai asked Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Do you think we have a chance?¡± Fu Miaoxue lifted her chin pridefully and said, ¡°Eighty percent.¡± After thinking for a while, Du Lai admonished her, ¡°Do not make a move until the last moment. This duo managed to complete so many games. It¡¯s definitely not just because of luck¡­¡± ¡°Boring!¡± Fu Miaoxue rolled her eyes, ¡°You just don¡¯t think I can beat her! Why did you save me in the first place then? You would¡¯ve let me die!¡± Du Lai hugged her and kissed her, whispering sweetly, ¡°Unless I¡¯m dead, you must stay alive.¡± Fu Miaoxue squirmed in his arms and snorted, ¡°I¡¯ll decide based on your performance~¡± ¡­ The night was quiet, with only the sound of the rain outside. Bai Youwei, unaware of the plans next door, sat by the bed, her brow furrowed as she looked at the wound on Shen Mo¡¯s back. Three scratch marks, no blood, but they left a bluish-black mark on his skin. The skin was barely holding together, the bruise was gradually spreading as if he had been poisoned. This time Shen Mo had really suffered a great deal. Even with an item that could cut through anything, he was helpless against the ghost-like female apparition. Unable to lie on his back due to his injury, Shen Mo slept on his front, softly squeezing Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, he said, ¡°Go to sleep. It will get better once the game is over.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips, her face tense. After a while, she said: ¡°Earlier, Du Lai mentioned that this kind of injury can only heal itself. Sunlight can speed up the healing process and according to folk¡­ Feng, Jian, Mi, Xin¡¯s saying, it¡¯s actually about replenishing yang energy? Apart from sunlight, rooster blood also carries strong yang energy¡­¡± She paused for a moment and hesitated, ¡°Also¡­ urine from a young child is said to be very strong in yang energy, should we try to get some from Xiaoxin¡­¡± Shen Mo chuckled, reaching out to caress her head, ¡°Stop fooling around, come and lie down with me for a while.¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei pouted, slowly climbing onto the bed, she lay on her side next to him. ¡°Are you sure we won¡¯t try it?¡± she asked, not giving up easily. Shen Mo grinned, ¡°If we are using Xiaoxin¡¯s, mine would do just as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei blushed. She felt that she and Shen Mo had vastly different understandings of a child¡¯s urine. When she said child¡¯s urine, didn¡¯t she mean actual urine from a child under the age of 12? Then she wondered: is he flirting with me¡­ Bai Youwei stared at Shen Mo shyly. Shen Mo smiled slightly, whispering, ¡°Come closer.¡± Bai Youwei scooted closer to him, whispering, ¡°You come closer too~¡± Shen Mo laughed, ¡°Alright, I will come closer too.¡± He moved closer to her lips and gave her a kiss. She also¡­ kissed him back. Then he again¡­ And then she¡­ ¡­ A game they wouldn¡¯t tire of after playing all night. Chapter 538: 538: Stop Playing Dead Chapter 538: Stop Playing Dead The next morning, the sky was still grey. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t remember when she fell asleep, and upon asking Shen Mo, she learned that it was already eight o¡¯clock. This feeling was terrible. Especially since Lizheng¡¯s wife, from the Ma Family, and Li Laizi¡¯s neighbor, Mrs. Liu, had committed felonies in the dead of night. It made her increasingly wary about the dangers of falling asleep at night. Voices could be heard from outside, Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue had seemingly awoken already. Bai Youwei also sluggishly arose, pondering about the events within the game whilst slowly washing. Laughter like silver bells sporadically drifted into the room, but it was unclear what the man and woman outside were joking about. Bai Youwei slightly furrowed her brows but didn¡¯t say anything. Shen Mo was swiftly tidying the place up on one side and discussed with Bai Youwei: ¡°Although the information is fragmented, we actually have numerous leads, Mrs. Li¡¯s name and background are unknown; Mrs. Li married Li Qianggui, who is very poor and covered in scales; Mrs. Li has not had any children for several decades after her wedding; Mrs. Li harbored a deep grudge against the village; Mrs. Li does not allow outsiders to touch her remains¡­. In ancient times, there were people who specialized in human trafficking. Mrs. Li¡¯s appearance in the village certainly wasn¡¯t voluntary. We could try looking for other women with unknown names and backgrounds. If we come across women who were also sold as part of the same transaction, we might be able to figure out Mrs. Li¡¯s real identity.¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They had a name list of the village at hand and could look for each person one-by-one. Bai Youwei gave a nod, ¡°Okay.¡± Upon opening the door, she saw Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai strolling in the garden outside. These two certainly had a romantic vibe between them. Du Lai was performing a magic trick to amuse Fu Miaoxue, creating a peony flower at one moment, and a Chinese herbaceous peony the next. His long and nimble fingers danced in the air, like a dance belonging solely to the fingers. Fu Miaoxue noticed the door of Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s room opening and greeted them with a cheery smile: ¡°Good morning~¡± Bai Youwei also gave a faint smile, ¡°Your spirits are so high; have you found a way to get through the game?¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s smile froze on her face: ¡°¡­¡± Damn it, this woman is a demon! £¨Damn it, a common venting phrase in Shanghainese, akin to ¡®Damn¡¯.£© ¡°No¡­ Not at all~¡± Fu Miaoxue draped her arm around Du Lai, leaned her head on his shoulder, ¡°As long as I am with my boyfriend, even if we can¡¯t get through the game, I am happy~¡± ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± Bai Youwei nodded in seriousness, ¡°But my boyfriend and I will definitely get out. After all, we still have two unused puzzle pieces. Speaking of which, we had obtained these puzzle pieces from your boyfriend, didn¡¯t he tell you about it? He had traded a prop with me for the puzzle piece. Looking back at it, he was probably exchanging props to save you, right? Hmmm¡­ in a way, you indirectly saved my boyfriend and me~¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡± Demon! Demon! Demon! Demon! Demon!¡­ Bai Youwei blinked, looked at her, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing,¡± Fu Miaoxue quickly adjusted her smile, placed a peony on her head, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Look, it¡¯s a gift from my boyfriend. Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± Bai Youwei looked a bit confused, glanced at the nearby flower bed, and said: ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird to put flowers like these in your hair? There may be corpses buried under these flowers.¡± Fu Miaoxue looked anxious upon hearing this, ¡°Really¡­?¡± ¡°Look there,¡± Bai Youwei pointed to the bottom of the flower bed. Fu Miaoxue glanced over and saw an arm laying in the mud beneath the dense and lush floral leaves! ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!!¡± Fu Miaoxue screamed! She yanked off the peony from her head and ran frantically into the room, frightened out of her wits! ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Du Lai hastened to follow her into the room. Once the two had left, the expression on Bai Youwei¡¯s face instantly cooled down, she looked blankly at the arm. ¡°Stop pretending, come with me.¡± Chapter 539: 539: The Falling Leaves Return to their Roots Chapter 539: The Falling Leaves Return to their Roots Bai Youwei took the severed hand to the backyard kitchen, letting it bathe in the large water tank. The severed hand rolled around in the water tank, having a blast. Last night, it was thrown by Bai Youwei to snatch some carcass, getting all muddy and dirty, but it was still very nimble. It seems that the Yin Qi of the corpse-moving woman could only harm players, not affecting objects. ¡°If only it were a bit larger, it might have been able to snatch the carcass.¡± Bai Youwei sighed lightly as she looked at the severed hand, ¡°It¡¯s too small, not strong enough.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°If it were larger, you might have found it cumbersome.¡± Bai Youwei stared at him wide-eyed, ¡°No way, I like larger ones, the bigger the better.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen Mo moved his lips but didn¡¯t say another word. ¡°Let¡¯s call them later to go to the village together,¡± Shen Mo said after a pause. Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Maybe we should just go by ourselves. They¡¯ve been acting weird and I just scared Fu Miaoxue. Is it really okay to find them now?¡± Shen Mo laughed, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll just go together.¡± Lastly, thinking about Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue, he mused, ¡°Fu Miaoxue is like a lady ¨C her manners and temperament ¨C but her speech is entirely vulgar.¡± Constantly cursing, mainly at Du Lai, ¡°Your head is full of shit~¡± Bai Youwei nodded and added, ¡°Yes, and have you noticed their relationship is rather interesting? Du Lai always seems a bit subservient and eager to please around Fu Miaoxue.¡± She still remembered when she first met Du Lai, he showed his strong teeth, smiled freely and arrogantly, and claimed he only dealt with smart people. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But that arrogance dissipated entirely around Fu Miaoxue. How should I put it, the old saying goes ¨C Every Jack has his Jill. ¡­ At that moment, Fu Miaoxue was shivering in Du Lai¡¯s arms, both terrified and scared to death! Her courage was quite high among women, but she was truly afraid of dead bodies, ghosts, and body parts! ¡°I have to get out of this damn game! I can¡¯t wait another minute¡­ No, another second!¡± Fu Miaoxue sobbed in Du Lai¡¯s arms, ¡°It¡¯s too scary here!¡± Du Lai was helpless, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would wait until nightfall?¡± ¡°We can find the things first and act as soon as it gets dark, okay?¡± she pleaded, ¡°Bai Youwei won¡¯t find out! She doesn¡¯t understand Min Opera, and the lyrics of that aria were off, even I just noticed last night! ¡®Oh heavens, I am a fragile lone actor, I hope to return to my roots, endure all hardships¡¯ See, the corpse-moving woman¡¯s goal is ¡®returning to roots,¡¯ not ¡®husband¡¯s remains¡¯!¡± Like hearing ¡°Twinkle, twinkle, little star¡± and automatically singing ¡°How I wonder what you are,¡± it had become habitual. Plus, it was rainy and everyone was on edge, so Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t immediately realize the lyrics had changed. But now she had found the abnormality. And she had no intention of sharing this information with Bai Youwei. ¡°To return to one¡¯s roots, the root is where people come from, since she didn¡¯t want to be buried here, she could only be buried at the place we discovered!¡± Fu Miaoxue implored Du Lai, ¡°We just need to find the charm, and we can give her a proper burial. Let¡¯s go¡­ the sooner we find the charm, the less scared I¡¯ll be!¡± After pondering, Du Lai finally nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± Chapter 540: 540: This is the Token Chapter 540: This is the Token Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai went to the front courtyard parlour, the place where the old scholar had greeted them. Maybe because it was daytime, the paper people who used to sit in the parlour were gone. Despite the absence of the paper people, just the sight of those high-backed chairs was enough to send chills down Fu Miaoxue¡¯s spine. She did not dare to look any longer, and went directly to the rear of the parlour, pulling Du Lai along. This was the old scholar¡¯s bedroom. The furnishings inside were much more extravagant than outside ¨C a golden washbasin, an intricately painted porcelain bottle, a smooth and glossy white jade pillow, and a carved, complex vanity table¡­ Fu Miaoxue walked over to a luxurious canopy bed and patted on the golden silk quilt that was on it. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Look at this; the sheets and quilt are all embroidered with gold threads. What kind of person sleeps in such a bed? I don¡¯t think even an emperor would sleep in this, right?¡± As she spoke, she smiled and looked around the room. ¡°Only one kind of person would sleep in such a bed ¨C the dead. This room is prepared for the deceased. All these items are burial goods!¡± Du Lai walked over to the dressing table, pulled open the small drawers, which contained some finely crafted combs and hairpins that women use. They had seen this room when they had been wandering around the mansion before, but hadn¡¯t thought much of it at the time. Firstly, the old scholar had claimed to have been an official for decades, so it was normal for his home to be lavishly decorated. Secondly, perhaps the dressing table was used by the old scholar¡¯s wife. The fact that they hadn¡¯t seen her didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t exist. And it was far-fetched to associate the sight of a woman¡¯s dressing table with the corpse bride. Looking at this room again, they finally realized that the layout and decoration were more similar to¡­ a woman¡¯s bedroom. And then there was the bed¡­ A quilt embroidered with golden threads? Wouldn¡¯t that be uncomfortable to lay on? If Fu Miaoxue¡¯s conjecture was correct, the room was a burial chamber, and the mansion was a tomb. They had been living inside a tomb all this time! This thought made Du Lai frown. ¡°Have you found the token?¡± Fu Miaoxue was searching around the room, ¡°I think it should be in this room.¡± Du Lai took out some wooden combs and hairpins from the small drawers on the dressing table, still unsure. ¡°Any of these items could be the token, but I think¡­ it should be something more special.¡± ¡°Shall we take them first?¡± Fu Miaoxue held a jade pendant and picked up the jade pillow from the bed, ¡°Maybe we can use all these things.¡± With a slight frown, Du Lai asked, ¡°But if the corpse bride was buried here, what¡¯s the deal with the old scholar? And what about the two paper people? These questions remain unanswered¡­¡± ¡°Who cares what the answer is, as long as we can get out of here¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue looked around hesitantly, sighed, ¡°But you¡¯re right. To lure the corpse bride, we must find something more unique¡­ These bracelets, hairpins, sachets are all too common.¡± They could only gather the things they suspected into their arms. They dared not waste any more time, worried that Bai Youwei and Shen Mo would notice, and also afraid that the old scholar might suddenly appear. As they were leaving, Fu Miaoxue could not help but look back once more. This glance made her stop in her tracks. ¡°That seems¡­¡± She hesitated, her gaze fixed on the long table in the center of the room. That was where the old scholar had placed memorial tablets of his deceased parents. ¡°What is it?¡± Du Lai asked her. ¡°Just a moment¡­ wait for me.¡± Fu Miaoxue put down all the items she was holding and slowly walked towards the set of memorial tablets. She had been somewhat curious about them the night before, but she was too afraid of the paper people to scrutinize them. But now¡­ Fu Miaoxue reached out and gently moved the set of tablets aside. Behind them was an even smaller tablet. Fu Miaoxue picked it up, disbelieving yet excited, ¡°Found it¡­ The spirit plate of the Corpse Bride!¡± She turned around and showed the spirit plate to Du Lai, triumphantly. ¡°This is the token! Du Lai, we can pass the level now!¡± Chapter 541: 541: A Group of Old Women Chapter 541: A Group of Old Women Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were oblivious to what had happened in the mansion. They arrived in the village, only to find a funeral underway at the house where the incident had occurred last night. Lanterns hung in and around the house. People came and went to pay their respects, just like it had been at Lizheng¡¯s house. If the death toll kept mounting at the rate of one per night, soon every household in the village would be holding a funeral. Following the name list, Shen Mo sought out women like Mrs.Li who were nameless and obscure. The men were paying their condolences while groups of women were sunning beans, washing clothes, or looking after their grandchildren. They were all blossoming teenagers when they got married. Now the oldest among them was over seventy and the youngest was over fifty. Even the village women who were only in their fifties appeared worn out and gray-haired, hardly distinguishable from those in their sixties or seventies. Shen Mo inquired about Mrs. Li. None of the village women knew anything. All of them revealed that they were not acquainted with Mrs. Li and had no interactions with her, only knowing that she was the wife Li Lai Zi had acquired from outside the village. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. One of them remarked, ¡°Li Lai Zi was so poor, no matchmaker would work for his family!¡± Another woman scoffed, ¡°Lazy and poor, yet he desires to buy a wife, just like a toad wishing to eat swan¡¯s meat!¡± ¡°Yet he finally did get one, didn¡¯t he? ¡± An old woman with a face full of wrinkles tutted, ¡°What an idiot, bringing trouble to the village by kidnapping a woman from outside. You may consider him lucky anyway.¡± Someone else remarked disdainfully, ¡°Lucky? She did not bear him any children. Such a waste!¡± Old customs have it to scorn women who could not bear children. Bai Youwei looked at them, asking, ¡°Having spent so many years here in this village, haven¡¯t you ever thought of going home?¡± ¡°Returning home?¡± The old women looked at each other and eventually shook their heads, ¡°What will we do after going back? Home is also poor, there¡¯s no surplus for a mouth with no use. Even if we return, we¡¯ll be driven back here.¡± Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°Did Mrs. Li ever go back home?¡± This time, the women exchanged glances and simultaneously fell silent. Bai Youwei said, ¡°This question can be answered with ¡®yes¡¯, ¡®no¡¯, or ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯. You all said that you were unfamiliar with Mrs. Li, thus the appropriate answer should have been ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯. But none of you uttered a word, which implies that the answer lies between ¡®yes¡¯ and ¡®no¡¯. If she ¡°didn¡¯t¡± go home, there¡¯s no need for you all to beat around the bush. Your silence most likely suggests that she was trying to return, but was stopped by you.¡± ¡°No, no!¡± ¡°Why would we do that? Young lady, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± ¡°Yeah, we are busy with our household chores every day, who would care if she wanted to go back home¡­¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head considering this, then said, ¡°Maybe there was no obstruction from you all, but your husbands stopped her.¡± The old women once more fell silent¡­ After a while, the youngest old woman among them spoke, ¡°Can one be stopped forever? Young lady, don¡¯t portray us as heartless. What future does a dishonored woman have by returning? It¡¯s better to settle down peacefully, having a son and a daughter is what counts most.¡± The other old women nodded in agreement. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°So, according to you, Mrs. Li later willingly stayed in the village?¡± But the old women no longer paid her any attention, carrying on with their own tasks, sunning beans, washing clothes, looking after their grandchildren. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t extract any useful information, signaling to Shen Mo with her eyes, they had no choice but to leave. Walking along the country road, Bai Youwei suddenly laughed. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Shen Mo asked her. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked up at him, the corners of her lips curled up slightly, ¡°I just realized that the information given by the old women in this village is more useful than that by the old men. Do you remember the three questions we asked that elderly Liu when we visited the Li family¡¯s neighbor last time?¡± Chapter 542 - 542 Why Not Go Home Chapter 542: Chapter 542 Why Not Go Home ¡ª¡ªYesterday they went to the neighbor of the Li Family, the Liu Family, to search for clues, asking three questions: 1. How did Li Qianggui die? 2. Why do villagers shut their doors tightly at night after the Li Family died out? 3. Why didn¡¯t the Li Family have any children? Old Liu answered all these questions one by one, and his answers were very detailed, which Shen Mo remembered clearly. But what did old Madame Liu say at that time? It seemed like she chimed in with a few things¡­ Bai Youwei squinted her eyes slowly and said, ¡°When we first met, the old woman said that the village was too poor. Those who could leave had all left, leaving behind only the old people who could not move and the old bachelors who could not get married. Since the girls in the village were all married to other villages, the village bachelors could only buy wives. What about the bachelors who have no money? The old man mentioned this later on, saying that Li Lai was too poor to get married, which is actually hinting to us that there is something wrong with the roots of the Li Family. Later, when we asked how Li Lai died, the old man said a lot, do you remember what the old lady said? She said, the Li Family, they are pitiful people. The one who died was clearly Li Lai, yet she said Li is pitiful. This implies the Li Family probably suffered greatly under Li Lai¡¯s hand. And the last question is the most interesting. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. We asked why there was no child in the Li Family, the old man said that lady Li was young, and giving birth hurt her body. However, what the old lady said at the time was¡­compassionate¡­.too delicate.¡± ¡°Delicate¡­¡± Shen Mo pondered, ¡°Ordinary daughters of peasant families are not described as delicate.¡± Bai Youwei nodded slightly: ¡°According to this clue, we can infer that everyone in the village laughs at the fact that Li Lai can¡¯t get married, so he got annoyed and tricked a girl from outside the village home. I guess Lady Li¡¯s original family might not be a wealthy and noble one, since it would probably have maidservants and other followers, making it difficult to get her. But she should be from a small wealthy family, not having to deal with much hardship since childhood, with a simple and naive character.¡± ¡°Young age, weak body, forced to give birth injuring her health, this is indeed a plausible explanation.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, then added, ¡°It¡¯s also possible that Lady Li didn¡¯t want to give birth and deliberately damaged her own health. However, if that¡¯s the case, she certainly must have suffered a lot in the Li Family.¡± ¡°If it was so tough, why didn¡¯t she go home?¡± Bai Youwei was a bit puzzled, ¡°Even if she had lost her chastity, she wouldn¡¯t have not attempted to return home at all, would she?¡± Shen Mo said: ¡°Maybe her family values their reputation highly.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head: ¡°In ancient times, only the upper class cared about such things. If ordinary people in rural areas were to follow these rules, they wouldn¡¯t be able to live their lives. In fact, even in the most conservative dynasties, it¡¯s common for widows to remarry and for men to divorce and remarry.¡± For example, everyone knows Arab women are conservative, covering their bodies completely except for their eyes, but in fact, if you go to some poorer villages there, you¡¯ll find that the women need to work in the fields, they can¡¯t afford to dress like that. They¡¯re too busy figuring out how to subsist day by day to care about following those rules. Bai Youwei moved forward slowly in her wheelchair, carefully considering everything. ¡°Something that¡¯s preventable for a while can¡¯t be prevented for a lifetime¡­ Something must have happened to make Lady Li give up the thought of returning home¡­¡± She looked at the distant mansion of the old scholar, suddenly stopped, and slowly widened her eyes. ¡°I understand now¡­ Why she couldn¡¯t go back¡­¡± Shen Mo also stopped, peering at the distant ancient mansion. They had never noticed before, but now, looking from afar, the mansion was situated much lower than the village, with a large, naturally formed boulder standing tall in front of the main gate, making the mansion¡­ look like a tomb. ¡°What if¡­¡± Bai Youwei began softly, ¡°She had an elder or younger brother who had passed the imperial examination and became an officer?¡± Chapter 543: I’m So Evil Chapter 543: I¡¯m So Evil Once one embarks on an official career, the entire family moves up a social class, thus, they cannot be judged by previous standards. Besides, in the complex world of officialdom, newly minted young officials must tread cautiously so as not to provide any ammunition for personal attacks. Miss Li lost her dignity by marrying a villager covered in sores, which would inevitably bring shame to her family. If she had any sense of familial honour, she would choose to stay and swallow this bitter pain¡­ Shen Mo thought of another detail, as he looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Li was murdered shortly after the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡± On the day of family reunion at the Mid-Autumn Festival, a woman realizes in a daze that time has flown by. That she has spent most of her life unknowingly with a villager covered in sores, and on seeing her white hair in the mirror, what would she think?¡­ What would she do? Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°In earlier years, Li could subdue Miss Li, because he was older and stronger. But as time passed¡­ Li turned into an old man, he grew older, and weaker. This was the perfect moment for Miss Li to take her revenge.¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Although she was able to exact her revenge, it entirely destroyed her life,¡± said Shen Mo indifferently, ¡°She could never go back and had to wander around the village, venting her anger and frustration on the villagers.¡± The puzzle, had completely been solved. ¡°I know how to pass the round.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and find that old scholar.¡± ¡­ It was a clear day, but there was no sign of the old scholar, nor the two paper figures. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo searched around the house and found the old scholar¡¯s bedroom. The place had obviously been rummaged through. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t find anything extraordinary, yet she spent a long time sitting in the hall. She came to the central table, gently dusted it off, and said, ¡°Fu Miaoxue was quite clever, she took the most crucial thing.¡± Behind the spirit plate, there was a noticeable dust-free spot, as if something had been placed there for a long time. Shen Mo furrowed his brows, looking suspicious, ¡°They found the clue, but didn¡¯t meet us in the village, and they¡¯re not in this house now. It seems they intend to end our alliance.¡± ¡°Truly ruthless~¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Just like a playboy, breaking up on a whim. However, terminating the alliance isn¡¯t their call to make.¡± Shen Mo looked outside, ¡°This place isn¡¯t big, with a little time, finding them won¡¯t be hard. Should I go look for them?¡± ¡°Forget it~¡± Bai Youwei showed no concern. She carefully took down the spirit plaques of the old scholar¡¯s parents and said unhurriedly, ¡°¡­They will return sooner or later, there¡¯s no need to waste time looking for them.¡± Shen Mo looked at the spirit plaque in her hand, asked, ¡°Shall we take action tonight?¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯s tonight, but¡­¡± Bai Youwei hesitated for a few seconds, then said, ¡°But, I need to make sure I stay awake tonight.¡± ¡­ ¡°Bai Youwei will surely sleep tonight.¡± In a dense forest far away, Fu Miaoxue was discussing her plan with Du Lai. ¡°Her constitution is naturally weak, which becomes even weaker in this game! She sleeps almost every night in the second half and can hardly stay up~~ But, the singing voice of the corpse moving woman affects someone every night, once Bai Youwei is affected, she¡¯s doomed!¡± Fu Miaoxue squinted her eyes, showing a hint of smugness. ¡°Just think about it, once she wakes up and finds the boyfriend that she killed herself, how would she feel? Shocked? Or devastated? Huh hu huh¡­ She¡¯s a cripple, how will she live without her boyfriend? Maybe she¡¯ll lose it and kill herself?¡± Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t help but cover her face with her hands, ¡°I can¡¯t stand it, I¡¯m so evil~ Hehehehe¡­¡± After laughing for a while, seeing Du Lai quietly watching her, she immediately rolled her eyes and snorted: ¡°What, you think I¡¯ve been playing house in this game every day?¡± Chapter 544: You are really too selfish Chapter 544: You are really too selfish The game changed everyone. Fu Miaoxue still looked like the domineering and arrogant lady she used to be, but she was no longer just his lady. She changed. Du Lai knew he had changed too. Perhaps because people are prone to change, they always prefer to pursue things that are eternal, such as a promise, a pact, or companionship¡­ Du Lai hugged Fu Miaoxue gently. Her body wasn¡¯t as soft as a living person¡¯s now, and her hair only smelled of plastic. ¡°Once this game is over, let¡¯s head to the maze as soon as possible.¡± Du Lai said softly, ¡°The maze can upgrade everyone¡¯s stats, it should be able to turn you back.¡± ¡°What if it can¡¯t?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked. Du Lai loosened his embrace a bit, looked seriously at her and said: ¡°If it can¡¯t, we will find another way. If there¡¯s an item to revive a player, there must be a way to turn a doll back into a human.¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Perhaps there is, perhaps not.¡± Fu Miaoxue gave a light laugh, held Du Lai¡¯s hand, and said calmly, ¡°Du Lai, promise me something.¡± Du Lai raised his brows slightly. Fu Miaoxue said: ¡°Promise me, if¡­ if I die, don¡¯t save me again.¡± Du Lai stared at her. But Fu Miaoxue suddenly laughed, her doll¡¯s glass eyeballs revealed a hint of liveliness that only a living person would have. ¡°If I am killed by Bai Youwei, you can avenge me, after all, it shows your love for me~¡± She said with a grin, ¡°But never ever revive me again! Living like this, I¡¯d rather die! It¡¯s too frustrating!~¡± Du Lai¡¯s face was taut and he remained silent. She continued to whine: ¡°If I die again, don¡¯t save me, okay? Du Lai~~ You are the best to me~~~ Promise me~~~¡± Du Lai slowly took a deep breath¡­ Then he asked her: ¡°Then what about me?¡± ¡°You?¡± Fu Miaoxue was slightly surprised, ¡°¡­You, of course, should live on with my love! Remember not to cheat~ otherwise, I won¡¯t let you go even if I become a ghost!¡± Du Lai forced a smile. He neither refused nor agreed, but only replied: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you die.¡± ¡°How can you be so selfish?!¡± Fu Miaoxue looked upset, her eyes wide in anger, ¡°Because you love me, you won¡¯t let me die? You are really selfish!¡± ¡°Maybe dying together here isn¡¯t too bad.¡± Du Lai laughed, ¡°Your plan might not work.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it.¡± Fu Miaoxue became even more upset, ¡°I¡¯m doing all this for you, aren¡¯t I? Only if something happens to Bai Youwei, can we get her item and puzzle piece! Sigh, I wonder if she has realised it yet¡­¡± ¡°Most likely,¡± Du Lai looked out at the village beyond the woods, ¡°But even if she realized it, she probably wouldn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± Plop. A droplet of water landed on Fu Miaoxue¡¯s cheek. She looked up at the moist leaves in the sky and said quietly: ¡°It¡¯s going to rain again.¡± As long as it rained, the corpse-moving woman would be coming soon. Du Lai stood up and pat the mud off his clothing, ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time for us to get moving.¡± Fu Miaoxue picked up the Spirit Plate and looked at it. ¡ªThe spirit position of Liu Yanruo. If she wasn¡¯t wrong, this Liu Yanruo was the corpse-moving woman, Mrs. Li. Use the Spirit Plate to lead the way, bring Liu Yanruo back to that ¡°tomb¡±, and let the leaves return to their roots, then everything in this village will truly end! ¡­Of course, timing is also important. They could only make a move when Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were asleep. As Fu Miaoxue thought about this, she slowed down her pace, a sense of unease started to grow in her heart. Hmmm, this doesn¡¯t look good¡­ There was¡­ a flaw in this plan. Chapter 545 - 545 Liu Yanruo (Paying debt! Additional updates for Lan Bingning) Chapter 545: Chapter 545 Liu Yanruo (Paying debt! Additional updates for Lan Bingning) Let there be loopholes, Bai Youwei might not even notice! At this moment, it¡¯s a contest of speed, and who can seize control first! Fu Miaoxue resolutely continued to move forward, eager to reap the fruits of her labor! A la la la ~ Completing a level in a game, getting rewards, collecting a large number of puzzles and tools, and then taking these puzzles and tools further into the maze, making her invincible, feeling ecstatic ~ She took a few quick steps forward with an elated expression, looping her arm around Du Lai, her mood was excellent. ¡­ The long-awaited Corpse Moving Woman appeared again in the late night. The old woman, her hair run down, pushed a dilapidated cart, while singing an opera tune. The wrinkles on her face were as deep as gullies, the skin on her limbs was dry and kindled like dead wood, her gaze downcast, exceptionally slow in her movements, but leaving no footprints, only two deep wheel marks¡­ Despite being mentally prepared, Fu Miaoxue was still terrified when she saw the scene again! She was reminded of the Corpse Moving Woman¡¯s laughter from the previous night, reminiscent of her crawling like a spider, the more she thought about it, the more frightened she was, sending shivers down her spine! Seeing the Corpse Moving Woman approaching, Du Lai extended his hand towards Fu Miaoxue: ¡°Give me the Spirit Plate. I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°No¡­ No!¡± Fu Miaoxue stared at the slowly moving figure in the rainy night, ¡°If we¡¯re pursued, I have an advantage over you. I¡¯m not scared of the Yin energy¡­¡± I¡¯m just afraid of ghosts, that¡¯s it. Fu Miaoxue again worked up her courage, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll lure her to the cemetery, you go ahead and wait for me.¡± Du Lai looked at her with furrowed brows: ¡°Are you sure you can do it alone?¡± ¡°Why not?!¡± Fu Miaoxue was quite annoyed, feeling that Du Lai was undermining the courage she had finally gathered. She said irritably: ¡°I¡¯m alone, she can¡¯t eat me or even harm me! What do you have to worry about?¡± Without waiting for Du Lai to dissuade her further, she clutched the Spirit Plate and rushed into the rain! ¡°Liu Yanruo!¡± Fu Miaoxue shouted at the old woman in the rain! The old woman was stunned. Her figure suddenly froze on the spot, staring blankly at Fu Miaoxue. Fu Miaoxue felt a surge of joy! This Spirit Plate really works! She held up the Spirit Plate, shouting even louder: ¡°Liu Yanruo!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This time, the old woman didn¡¯t hurl herself to attack but instead, she took half a step back in a daze! Fu Miaoxue was ecstatic, she held the Spirit Plate and shouted: ¡°Liu Yanruo! Liu Yanruo! Liu Yanruo!¡± With each shout, the old woman¡¯s form trembled, twisted and blurred, sometimes coalescing, sometimes dissipating. Fu Miaoxue watched anxiously, her heart full of anticipation. The mass of smoke continued to shrink and tremble until it became a smaller mass, vanished like a Ghost Fire, disappearing completely! Just when Fu Miaoxue was puzzled, there was a rustling noise from the cart. ¡­The mat cover moved. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, she couldn¡¯t help but take half a step back. Then she saw the Spirit Plate in her hands. She gritted her teeth, took a few more steps forward, and yelled at the remains under the mat: ¡°Liu Yanruo!¡± Whoosh! The rotten corpse suddenly sat up! Fu Miaoxue was so scared that she almost screamed! The female corpse turned its head with a creaking noise, its eyes glowing green, staring straight at her. For a moment, it seemed like Fu Miaoxue¡¯s throat was mute. She couldn¡¯t utter a single word, just stared at the zombie-like corpse. The female corpse stiffly raised both hands and lunged at Fu Miaoxue without any warning! Fu Miaoxue finally couldn¡¯t suppress her terror, and screamed hysterically! ¡°Ahhhhhhh!!!¡± She ran towards Scholar¡¯s house with all her might! ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Du Lai chased after her! ¡°Throw the Spirit Plate to me!¡± Fu Miaoxue was crying and shrieking, but in her mind, she was crystal clear, wailing in front of her: ¡°I can¡¯t give it to you! Your body can¡¯t withstand her Yin energy!¡± Seeing that she had finally reached the courtyard gate, she immediately threw herself against the door! With a bang! Fu Miaoxue was knocked backwards! Ignoring her pain, she got up and was shocked, ¡°Wha¡­ what¡¯s going on?! Why is the door locked?!¡± Chapter 546: 546: Please Open the Door Chapter 546: Please Open the Door Fu Miaoxue rushed to the door once again! The door was bolted shut; she couldn¡¯t get in! What was going on?! The scholar¡¯s house never bolted its doors, whether it was day or night. These doors had always been open! Why, at such a crucial time, was the door closed?! Fu Miaoxue had a sinking feeling in her heart. This was the slip-up she had feared. Even if Bai Youwei was asleep, even if Bai Youwei made preparations in advance, it would still cause trouble for her and Du Lai! But it didn¡¯t matter. For others, it might have been a thorny problem, but her boyfriend was strong! As long as he could climb over the wall, he could help open the door from the inside! Behind her, an awakened corpse was rushing towards her; its limbs were stiff, its eyes filled with ferociousness, and it let out harsh, raspy laughter. It was slower than in its ghostly state. Fu Miaoxue could barely dodge, but her situation was becoming increasingly dire. Du Lai sprinted from behind, gracefully climbing over the wall. Just as he was about to jump down to open the door, his body suddenly jerked violently! Then he fell backward off the wall! ¡°Du Lai!¡± Fu Miaoxue screamed. Immediately stumbling, she almost got toppled over by the chasing female corpse, hastily steadying herself. Du Lai was unharmed. But when he tried to climb over the wall again, another weak electrical current surged through his body! It wasn¡¯t enough to harm him, but it could numb his joints, rendering him unable to exert strength! At this point, both of them finally realized that Bai Youwei was causing mischief! Looking up, they saw Bai Youwei¡¯s stuffed rabbit, which she always carried, now perched atop the wall, pacing back and forth like a patrolling guard. Then, Bai Youwei herself peeked over the wall, grinning at them both as if enjoying a show. The corpse was still relentlessly pursuing Fu Miaoxue. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In her desperation, Fu Miaoxue shouted, ¡°Bai Youwei! Quickly open the door for us!¡± ¡°Why should I~¡± Bai Youwei asked with a laugh. ¡°What do you mean, why?¡± Fu Miaoxue dodged the corpse¡¯s attacks while pretending to be innocent, ¡°Didn¡¯t we form an alliance?!¡± ¡°Oh, I almost forgot.¡± Bai Youwei was nonchalant, ¡°Right, we did form an alliance~¡± ¡°Yes! So open the door quickly!¡± Fu Miaoxue was extremely anxious and was almost knocked over by the female corpse several times! Although being turned into a doll meant she wouldn¡¯t feel physically exhausted, she was wearing a cumbersome long dress and running on a rocky mountain path. Combating the female corpse for a long period had taken a toll on her! She hadn¡¯t expected this to happen! Why wasn¡¯t the corpse obeying her? Was her assumption wrong?! Du Lai, standing beneath the wall, shouted, ¡°Miaoxue! Throw the spirit tablet over here!¡± Fu Miaoxue tightly clutched the spirit tablet. She couldn¡¯t give it to Du Lai. Du Lai¡¯s injured foot was still bruised. Every step he took caused him immense pain! If he were to get wounded by the female corpse again, it would be disastrous! However, if she got hurt, it wouldn¡¯t really matter. After all¡­ she was just a doll! Whether she was torn, rotten, or broken, it didn¡¯t matter at all! Fu Miaoxue gritted her teeth, using a natural boulder near the front door to shield herself while continuously dodging the attacks from the female corpse behind her. ¡°Miaoxue!¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t respond, Du Lai ran over to grab the spirit tablet, ¡°Give it to me!¡± The female corpse would only attack the holder of the spirit tablet! Fu Miaoxue clung onto it for dear life! During their quarrel the corpse caught up with them, and Fu Miaoxue swiftly pushed Du Lai away. The decayed, bark-like face was closing in, and a ghastly cold air assaulted her face! The female corpse clasped Fu Miaoxue¡¯s neck; it laughed in her face, ¡°Hahaha! Hahahaha!!!¡± Grinding his teeth, Du Lai threw something at the female corpse¡ª Upon seeing this, Fu Miaoxue screamed, ¡°That¡¯s your last tool!!!¡± Chapter 547: 547: Bullying the Puppet Chapter 547: Bullying the Puppet The object hit the female corpse and then bounced off, landing on the ground! ¡ª It turned out to be a round, black spinning top! The top landed and began to spin immediately. The female corpse subsequently let go of Fu Miaoxue and, as if out of control, ran towards the spinning top, running in circles in the direction of the spinning top¡¯s rotation! ¡°So that¡¯s it¡­¡± Bai Youwei, who was lying on top of the wall, looked at the spinning top, ¡°This prop seems to be able to limit the recipient¡¯s movement. How long does it last? Until the spinning top stops spinning? Ah¡­ if that¡¯s the case, Du Lai, you are at a disadvantage in this game. After all, the ground here is not even. The spinning top won¡¯t spin long before it falls, right?¡± As expected, the spinning top was slowing down! Just as Bai Youwei had said, the timing of using each prop was essential, and Du Lai, obviously, was driven to desperation! Having failed to pass the game and wasting a prop, Fu Miaoxue was furious. She shouted at Bai Youwei: ¡°Bai Youwei! Why don¡¯t you open the door?! This is a betrayal!!!¡± Bai Youwei admired her brazenness but didn¡¯t get angry. She casually laughed, ¡°I¡¯m disabled, I can¡¯t open it.¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°Then get your boyfriend to open the door!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°He¡¯s supporting me down there. If he should go to open the door, I will fall.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°Are you going to stand by and watch us die?!¡± ¡°How could I?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so ruthless. I just want to see if the puppet will really die~¡± ¡°Demon!¡± Fu Miaoxue was furious, ¡°You¡¯re a demon! Bai Youwei! You¡¯re the most vicious woman in the whole world¡­ No! In the entire universe!!!¡± Du Lai looked at Bai Youwei, reminding her coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the Spirit Plate is in our hands, without it, you won¡¯t pass either.¡± Bai Youwei looked indifferent, ¡°We have jigsaw puzzles~¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Du Lai sneered, ¡°You¡¯re willing to waste two puzzle pieces to go out in front of the pass item? Bai Youwei, who would believe such words?¡± Bai Youwei also laughed, ¡°Yeah, no one would believe it, so let¡¯s wait until she can¡¯t hold on and then rescue her. After all, we only need to save the person holding the Spirit Plate~¡± Hearing this, Fu Miaoxue was both shocked and angry. She instinctively raised her hand to give the Spirit Plate to Du Lai! But when she saw the female corpse staggering not far away, and the top slowing down, her heart clenched! She tightly grasped the Spirit Plate again! ¡°Bitch!!!¡± Fu Miaoxue suddenly woke up, ¡°Bai Youwei! You¡¯re a bitch! You deliberately set me up!¡± Once the Spirit Plate was given to Du Lai and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t open the door, there was no way out for Du Lai! Bai Youwei curled up her mouth, her smile full of playfulness, ¡°Fu Miaoxue, you¡¯ve played so many test games, all just playing house? Quit talking such childish nonsense about being bitchy~¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue was choked. The top was about to stop! The female corpse was coming again! Fu Miaoxue almost crushed her teeth in anger. The ultimate anger turned into resentment! When had she ever been bullied like this in her life?! Furious! Furious to death ahhhh!!! Fu Miaoxue frantically asked, ¡°What do you want before you will open the door?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment and suggested in a negotiating tone, ¡°How about you meow like a cat?¡± Fu Miaoxue fell apart even more, crying, ¡°You bully people!!!¡± The spinning top stopped, and the eerie female corpse lunged at them! Du Lai hugged Fu Miaoxue and rolled away to avoid the attack. He snatched the Spirit Plate from her arms and ran away! At the same time, he shouted, ¡°Miaoxue! Use the jigsaw puzzle to get out!¡± Chapter 548: You Swear Chapter 548: You Swear The female corpse chased after Du Lai! ¡°I don¡¯t want you to save me! I don¡¯t want you to save me!¡± Fu Miaoxue cried hysterically, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m happy living like this?! Neither human nor ghost! I¡¯d rather die straight away! I don¡¯t want you to use the jigsaw to save me!!!¡± She looked up straight at Bai Youwei: ¡°Meow! Meow! Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow!!! Are you satisfied now?! Are you satisfied?!!¡± Bai Youwei lay on the wall, propped on her elbow, and replied leisurely, ¡°Not satisfied~.¡± Fu Miaoxue was taken aback. Even a little stunned. It never crossed her mind that after making such a huge sacrifice, even giving up her dignity and self-esteem, Bai Youwei still refused to open the door! ¡°Bai Youwei! You¡¯re going too far!¡± Fu Miaoxue shook with anger, and racked her brain, wondering how to turn the situation around?! Du Lai nimbly climbed the towering rock in front of the gate. The female corpse couldn¡¯t get up for the time being and could only circle the rock. The crisis seemed to be temporarily resolved but was actually at a stalemate. They were supposed to have the upper hand! Why did it turn out like this?! Are they really going to use Du Lai¡¯s last jigsaw piece? No! She will not give up! At this critical moment, Bai Youwei said: ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll give you one more chance, the last one~ You now swear that after I open the door, you will bow down to me. Anything I say, you will do, otherwise¡­ uh, otherwise you¡¯re a fool, an idiot, unable to pass the game, unable to level up in the maze, cheated on by your boyfriend every day, suffering while living, and punished after death.¡± Fu Miaoxue trembled all over. She felt humiliated! Bai Youwei asked her, ¡°So what? Do you agree?¡± Fu Miaoxue was indignant: ¡°You just now said you¡¯d open the door if I meowed!¡± sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei: ¡°But you see, your meowing doesn¡¯t sound like it should, it¡¯s heart-wrenching, like a ghost¡¯s cries; I meow much better than you~ Meow~¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡± And Shen Mo, standing at the bottom of the wall: ¡°¡­¡± Elsewhere, the female corpse was chasing the tablet in Du Lai¡¯s hand, desperately trying to climb the rock. Her decaying corpse scratched and kicked aimlessly, stumbling, her eerie laughter gradually fading, and a wisp of smoke began eerily to float from her body¡ª¡ª Fu Miaoxue was horrified, could it be that the phantom version of the corpse carrier is coming out?! If it is it! Truly, nothing else in the entire game, save the door panel, could stop it! ¡°I promise!¡± Fu Miaoxue hurriedly looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°I promise! I agree to everything! Open the door quickly!¡± Bai Youwei unhurriedly said: ¡°Then make your vow.¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°I swear!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°You have to recite it all for it to count, otherwise, what if the oath doesn¡¯t work?¡± Curse it! Even if she recites the whole thing, it still might not work! Those words, other than to humiliate her, are still just to humiliate her! The purpose is simply, unequivocally to humiliate her!!! Fu Miaoxue wished she had wings to fly up and strangle Bai Youwei! But she couldn¡¯t. Forget the fact that she didn¡¯t have wings; even if she did and she flew up there, she¡¯d be shocked by Bai Youwei¡¯s rabbit! She swallowed her pride and said, ¡°I swear, after I entered, I would bow down to you! I would do whatever you say, otherwise, I¡¯d be an idiot! From then on, I won¡¯t pass the game! I won¡¯t level up in the maze! ¡ªIs that enough now?!!¡± Bai Youwei reminded her: ¡°You¡¯re still missing the last sentence.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push people too far!¡± Fu Miaoxue roared, ¡°I¡¯d rather die here than accept my boyfriend cheating on me! Even just saying it out loud is unacceptable!¡± Bai Youwei smiled lightly. Then grabbed the plush rabbit on the wall and threw it down¡ª¡ª The rabbit landed with a roll and then ran to a position two meters from the female corpse, releasing lightning! The female corpse was instantly forced back by the lightning, fell off the rocks! At the same time, the door opened! Bai Youwei on the wall said: ¡°Hurry up and get in~¡± Chapter 549: Dad, Mom Chapter 549: Dad, Mom Fu Miaoxue, Du Lai, and the stuffed bunny entered one by one. The door closed again. The pursuing female corpse collided head-on with the door, making a loud bang! Fu Miaoxue sighed with relief. When she looked back, she realized she was correct! There was indeed no latch on the door of the scholar¡¯s residence! But Bai Youwei had used a severed arm as a door latch! This demon! Fu Miaoxue cursed again in her heart, overwhelmed with grief! Shen Mo lifted Bai Youwei down from the wall and placed her on the wheelchair. Bai Youwei cheerfully said, ¡°All right~ Now that everyone is here, just follow me.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Fu Miaoxue, both frightened and resentful of Bai Youwei, asked anxiously, ¡°If you want the spirit plate, just take it!¡± ¡°Oh, that thing¡­¡± Bai Youwei casually wheeled past the second gate, leisurely continuing forward. ¡°You can keep that spirit plate for now.¡± Fu Miaoxue followed her, questioning uncertainly, ¡°Don¡¯t you need that to clear the level?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not time yet.¡± Bai Youwei stopped at the entrance to the hall and motioned inside with her chin. ¡°Go on, you two. Bring the paper dolls out.¡± In the middle of the candle-lit hall, two vibrant paper dolls sat silently smiling. The thing Fu Miaoxue feared the most! Instinctively, she stepped back, inches away from hiding behind Du Lai! ¡°I refuse!¡± ¡°You just vowed.¡± Bai Youwei said in all seriousness, ¡°After entering the door, you¡¯re bound to obey me. You must do what I say, or there are dire consequences for breaking an oath¡­¡± Du Lai stepped forward, calmly observing her: ¡°Speak. What do you want us to do?¡± Bai Youwei pointed at the two paper dolls: ¡°Go, move them to the door so they can welcome the child.¡± A shiver ran through Fu Miaoxue! She¡¯d rather move two pigs than paper dolls! Du Lai, however, had already left to perform the task. Expressionless, he embraced one with both hands¡ª And the paper doll wouldn¡¯t budge?! Du Lai frowned, tried again, no success. The paper doll seemed to weigh a thousand pounds! Meanwhile, Shen Mo took the spirit plates of their parents from the table. He and Bai Youwei each held one. Du Lai felt the paper doll suddenly become lighter. He was taken aback and exchanged glances with Fu Miaoxue. They both immediately understood the secret¡ª The spirit plates were indeed the key. They hadn¡¯t taken the wrong spirit plates, they had just got the order wrong! The four of them returned to the door. The female corpse outside laughed manically. Scratching and pushing at the door and the wall, she seemed to sense something, pacing anxiously. The severed arm fell to the ground, and the door creaked open. The female corpse saw the spirit plates held by Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, then saw the paper dolls in Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hands. A wail suddenly sounded from her throat! Rushing forward again, her voice was a gentle and plaintive woman¡¯s: ¡°Daddy! ¡ª¡ª Mommy! ¡ª¡ª¡± The spirit plates clattered to the floor from Bai Youwei¡¯s and Shen Mo¡¯s hands. Du Lai¡¯s spirit plate also fell to the floor with a thud. The paper dolls in their hands involuntarily fell away. As if they had a consciousness of their own, they clung tightly to the female corpse! This spectacle was incredibly horrific! It was like an old woman with white hair, but her voice was like a young girl, and her movements were the same, calling the paper dolls her parents, pulling up her braids, acting sweetly towards them¡­ From her rotten, skeletal body, a blue light gradually seeped out, sparking and setting her, as well as the paper dolls, ablaze¡­ The three of them slowly merged into one flame. The paper dolls turned into ash. Only bones remained of the corpse. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Three spirit plates quietly lay on the ground. Bai Youwei and the others were stunned. At that moment, the old scholar appeared from somewhere nearby, picked up the spirit plates, and sighed, ¡°With the family reunited, I have finally fulfilled my parents¡¯ dying wish. Now, I can finally face them.¡± Having said that, he turned and entered the hall, the door closed with a slam! ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve passed this game.¡± Chapter 550: 550: One Person, One Item Chapter 550: One Person, One Item ¡°Congratulations on completing this game.¡± Before the Ghost Fire appeared, the voice of the Inspector had already echoed through the air. At the same time, the rain finally stopped. The ground trembled, and the scenery all around slowly descended. The ancient house sank continuously, just like an ancient tomb that has never been sealed in the deep mountains. Doors once shut tight were opened again, and the Ghost Fire Inspector drifted hauntingly out of the house. The interior scene had undergone a drastic change. It was no longer an ordinary hall but a complete tomb! The Ghost Fire said: ¡°When Liu Yanruo left home, her brother was studying abroad and was not aware of this bitter injustice. In the decades that followed, he enjoyed high government ranks and earthly wealth, but their parents could not find peace and died from depression. They had requested in their dreams that throughout his lifetime, he must find his younger sister, bring her home, and reunite the family. Players have achieved the mission goal, stopped the female ghost, and can now enter the tomb for reward calculations. Each person is free to choose a burial accessory as a reward.¡± Bai Youwei sneered slightly. Using burial accessories as reward items really was in line with Ghost Fire¡¯s characteristic image. Upon hearing the slight sneer, the Inspector glanced at Bai Youwei silently. Well¡­ Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Being able to complete the game, she really was skilled. No wonder other Inspectors had such a headache dealing with her¡­ It seems being extra cautious was necessary indeed. The four followed Ghost Fire into the tomb. It was again the same meticulously decorated boudoir. What had changed was that the canopy bed was now a coffin. The visual field wasn¡¯t dark with oil lamps lit all around, and everything was clearly visible. These so-called burial accessories were the items used when alive and buried after dying. Bai Youwei curiously observed the tomb and discovered many new objects. Aside from some items for women¡¯s daily life, there were numerous underworld coins, gold and silver ingots, colorful bronze coins, and more¡­ ¡°How do you define ¡®one¡¯ when it comes to a burial accessory?¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°For example, these ingots made of paper are all stacked together. So, does ¡®one¡¯ mean one ingot or the whole pile?¡± Ghost Fire paused. Here it comes¡­ Here it comes¡­ She begun seeking loopholes! ¡°¡®One¡¯ usually refers to one individual unit, an absolutely single entity,¡± Ghost Fire answered cautiously. ¡°¡®One¡¯ means an indivisible item . Thus, one ingot can only mean one, not a pile.¡± Bai Youwei wandered around as if deep in thought, walked to the eight-section chest, and lightly patted, ¡°If I choose this chest? Will everything in the chest belong to me too? Or will it just be an empty chest?¡± The Ghost Fire became more cautious. Indeed, a troublesome player. Even at this moment, she was still seeking ways to take advantage of the rules¡­ If the things in the chest could be chosen together with the chest itself, wouldn¡¯t that mean they could pile other items in the chest and take everything in one go? ¡­Well, there¡¯s nothing to worry about, its game rules were the most thorough and secure. As long as it responded carefully, there wouldn¡¯t be any hitches. The Ghost Fire said: ¡°A chest is composed of wood, nails, and locks. If a player chooses a chest, they will get only the wood, nails, and lock and nothing else.¡± After a pause of two seconds, it added, ¡°The eight-section chest in this scene can be chosen, but it¡¯s not a reward item. Relevant information about the reward item will be available after touching it. Please choose carefully. Once a reward item is touched, the system will bind it to the player immediately and take effect. No changes can be made.¡± Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°But without touching, we won¡¯t know the function of the item at all. Isn¡¯t this entirely relying on luck then?¡± Ghost Fire: ¡°Luck¡­is also part of strength. Now, please choose.¡± Chapter 551: 551: Treating Players Equally Chapter 551: Treating Players Equally As soon as the Inspector finished speaking, Fu Miaoxue was the first to press her hand on a painting on the wall, declaring, ¡°I want this one!¡± Soon, it seemed like she sensed the purpose of the prop. A look of excitement washed over her as she took down the painting and showed it to Du Lai ¡ª It was an ink painting, depicting a small house obscured by mountains. A towering pine tree stood beside the house, lush and green, with surrounding mist adding to the atmosphere of the scene. From a short distance away, Bai Youwei could not discern the function of the painting. However, judging from Fu Miaoxue¡¯s reaction, it seemed promising. When Fu Miaoxue noticed Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, she instinctively stepped in front of Du Lai and huffed coldly, ¡°Hmph! This is mine!¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°Childish.¡± Shen Mo glanced around the room before finally setting his gaze on the coffin, asking, ¡°Can the coffin be opened?¡± Ghost Fire responded, ¡°Yes it can.¡± Shen Mo upturned the heavy coffin lid, revealing a female corpse adorned in brocade attire underneath a golden silk quilt, surrounded by countless jewels and jades. Shen Mo harbored no interest in these objects, but if he had to choose, he picked the longevity lock hanging around the corpse¡¯s neck. It was made of silver and was quite small; one side was carved with goldfish and lotus flowers, while the other side was engraved with characters indicating long life and wealth. It was very refined. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Did you get lucky?¡± Shen Mo smiled, placed the silver lock in her hand, and replied, ¡°Mmm, not bad.¡± [Miss Liu¡¯s Longevity Lock: Whoever wears this can offset some damage. It offsets 75% of the damage the first time, 50% the second time, and 25% the third time. After three uses, the prop becomes void.] In other words, if one were to be stabbed with a knife and the wound was 10 cm deep, with the offset from the longevity lock, the wound would shrink to 2.5 cm. It¡¯s a shame that it can only offset a significant amount of damage the first time, half the second time and is practically negligible the third time. Nevertheless, as a whole, this prop was fairly practical. After walking a full circle in the tomb chamber, Du Lai finally picked up a hairpin. He frowned slightly; the reward he had chosen seemed somewhat mediocre, hence he didn¡¯t show the least bit of joy. Only Bai Youwei was left to make her selection. Picking a prop without understanding its specific function was indeed a test of luck. She pondered for a long time before pointing to an incense burner on the table and asked the Inspector, ¡°If I choose this, can you give me the incense that¡¯s inside as well?¡± The Ghost Fire flickered, its airy voice replied, ¡°The incense must be chosen separately.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier! I¡¯m the only one who hasn¡¯t picked yet, and now it¡¯s too late to ask for help from someone else!¡± Ghost Fire burned silently, shutting down any potential loophole. Bai Youwei furrowed her brow and asked, ¡°Odd? Why do I feel like you¡¯re singling me out? By your logic, when she chose that painting, she should¡¯ve had to take down the scroll! The painting and the scroll is two different things!¡± Fu Miaoxue jumped, urgently saying, ¡°Bai Youwei! Just because your choice doesn¡¯t follow the rules doesn¡¯t mean you can drag me into it!¡± Bai Youwei glared at her, ¡°Hey, have you forgotten the oath you swore? Watch your tone.¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue quietly scooted behind Du Lai. Bai Youwei looked at the Inspector again and questioned in clear annoyance, ¡°What kind of incense burner is it without the incense? Are you messing with me?!¡± ¡°The game treats all players equally¡­¡± Ghost Fire hesitated, then explained again, ¡°The function of the incense burner and the incense are the same, but used together, they become more effective. Players can choose one or the other.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face remained expressionless, clearly unhappy. Shen Mo said to her, ¡°The difficulty of this game isn¡¯t too high and the props have limited effects. You should just pick something else.¡± Chapter 552: 552: Here It Comes Chapter 552: Here It Comes The game Female Corpse Lottery might seem terrifying, but compared to hide and seek, its difficulty was far lower, and the benefit from the props correspondingly limited. Take for example the longevity lock Shen Mo obtained; at first glance, it seems useful, but upon closer consideration, it paled in comparison to the frog¡¯s mud. The mud could instantly heal wounds nine times. The longevity lock could only reduce injury severity three times, and the third time¡¯s effect was practically negligible. The only slight advantage, probably, was that the injuries the longevity lock could reduce were not limited to physical wounds. Bai Youwei, facing the Inspector, scoffed again, ¡°And what if I choose the female corpse in the coffin? Are you going to strip away the jewels and clothes on her body before handing her over to me?¡± Ghost Fire hesitated, ¡°Technically¡­ that is correct.¡± Bai Youwei gave a cold laugh, her eyes chillingly fixed on Ghost Fire. Ghost Fire: ¡°¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For some reason, it took a small step back¡­ Remembering its divine status, it overcame its nervousness, moved forward again, letting its flames surge to demonstrate its aura. Bai Youwei stormed off towards the door with a stern face. Shen Mo stopped her, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Bai Youwei replied irritably, ¡°I¡¯m going out to cool off!¡± Without another word, she rolled away in her wheelchair. Shen Mo followed her out. Fu Miaoxue immediately sprang out from behind Du Lai, curiously watching the spectacle, ¡°Wow, they both left! Does this count as giving up the reward? Can we leave now?¡± Ghost Fire said, ¡°The game can only end after the reward distribution is completed.¡± Fu Miaoxue pursed her lips, ¡°That¡¯s annoying. What if she never chooses a reward? Would we be stuck here forever?¡± Du Lai held her hand and gave her a reassuring look. ¡ªThere was no food or drink here, they couldn¡¯t stay long. Bai Youwei would have to return and choose her reward sooner or later. While pondering this, they suddenly heard voices outside. The buzzing chatter was fine and fragmented, unclear what was being said, but it was clear there was more than two people. At this moment, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo came back. And three more people had joined them! Tan Xiao! Chang Weicai! Pan Xiaoxin! Wearing pyjamas and slippers, they followed behind Bai Youwei with excited expressions! Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai were taken aback, their eyes widened with surprise! ¡°What kind of prop does she have?! How can she conjure live people?!¡± Fu Miaoxue clutching Du Lai¡¯s arm, exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°That old man! The guy who recited ancient texts on the first night?!¡± Bai Youwei ignored her, and instead walked straight up to Ghost Fire, questioning in a cold tone, ¡°Is it true that any player who survives until the end of the game can choose a burial tribute, right?¡± Ghost Fire looked at her in horror, its blue flames shaking violently! Here it comes! Here it comes! She was about to exploit a loophole again! ¡°If the Inspector doesn¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll take it as a yes!¡± Bai Youwei coldly swung her hand, ¡°Move everything.¡± Tan Xiao rushed ahead and grabbed an incense burner! Chang Weicai picked up a stringed instrument! Pan Xiaoxin looked left to right, and grabbed a bronze mirror! No¡­¡± Ghost Fire shook fiercely! Like a torch in the wind, the flame was chaotic! In the midst of the chaos, a severed hand unnoticed by everyone slipped into the coffin and swiped up a handful of jewels! And then sprang out of the coffin with a whoosh! With lightning speed, it darted out of the room! The precious jewels scattered all over the floor with a clatter! ¡°No!!!¡± Ghost Fire finally roared and chased after it. But upon reaching the dollhouse, it encountered an invisible wall and could not get in no matter what! ¡°This is cheating!!!¡± Its hoarse roar echoed with indignation! Bai Youwei followed through the door, she too was a bit surprised. She looked towards the Inspector and said, ¡°You can¡¯t blame me for this. I didn¡¯t instruct it to do this. If I did, I definitely wouldn¡¯t let it take just the gold and silver jewels.¡± Chapter 553: 553: End of the End Chapter 553: End of the End Ghost Fire is in pain! Lots of pain! It looks at Bai Youwei, then at Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Pan Xiaoxin who are following her. ¡°It¡¯s you!!!¡­¡­.¡± Before it could finish, the four shook their heads in unison. Tan Xiao shakes his head particularly quickly. His shabby hair swings back and forth, as if shaking off all responsibility: ¡°It¡¯s not us! That wasn¡¯t our hand!¡± Bai Youwei quickly recovers from her surprise and instead looks curiously at the Ghost Fire. ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­ they¡¯re just some jewelry, why such a big reaction? Will this get you punished? What kind of operating mechanism is there within you inspectors? Is there a reward and punishment system? Is there competition among you? Are there different ranks among the inspectors?¡­¡± Ghost Fire is afraid of her probing questions! ¡°No!¡± It replied, ¡°Please do not ask questions unrelated to the game¡­..¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly gives a soft shout, pointing at the dollhouse door, ¡°The hand is coming out!¡± Ghost Fire shivers violently! Seeing the little white hand crawling quickly towards the vaults, it panics. ¡°Game rewards have been settled! Settled!¡± Shadows flash before everyone¡¯s eyes¡ª The scene changes, and they¡¯re back beside the road. Not far from them, their car is parked. The game is over. ¡­ Within the massive diamond-shaped space, the pure white cube¡¯s light flickers on and off. Ghost Fire stands in front of the cube, burning quietly. A ball rolls past it. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Oh! ~ It¡¯s rare to see you repairing the game!¡± The ball stops to join the fun, ¡°You look awful. Did you get robbed? Hahaha!¡± The core of its green-blue flame is extremely pale, that¡¯s its ¡°expression¡±. Ghost Fire doesn¡¯t speak. The ball continues, ¡°There are fewer and fewer players lately, the game is being activated less often, I¡¯m so bored. Even if I wanted to repair the game, I wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity!¡± Ghost Fire: ¡°¡­¡± The ball probably is really bored. It rolls around on the spot a few times and then talks to Ghost Fire again, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t be silent like a real ghost just because your image is set to be Ghost Fire~¡± Finally, Ghost Fire couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and earnestly told the ball, ¡°Your dollhouse¡­ has caused significant damage to my game! Now that you have nothing to do, you should thoroughly inspect the game instances you are responsible for to prevent similar errors from happening!¡± Ball: ¡°¡­¡± Two seconds later, the ball responded reluctantly, ¡°How could you say it was my dollhouse¡­ It isn¡¯t my dollhouse anymore. And the dollhouse can¡¯t be used in the game, players can¡¯t even enter, how could it have any impact?¡± Ghost Fire is agitated, ¡°But the items can go in! And players can come out from inside!¡± It¡¯s relatively easy to understand why the players can come out. The doll game always encourages players to participate actively, so they wouldn¡¯t prevent players from entering the game in game production rules, only from leaving the game! As for the items being able to go in, the ball was confused and murmured, ¡°Whoever¡¯s item it is, go find them~~ It¡¯s got nothing to do with me.¡± Ghost Fire: ¡°But¡­¡± Before it can finish speaking, suddenly all the blocks in the space start to flicker! Soon, all the inspectors emerged from their respective game instances, rabbit-headed people, comic men, elders in gray robes¡­ they all gather together, as if they¡¯re welcoming a grand event! The ball happily exclaims, ¡°Awesome! This is the hint that the maze progress is more than halfway!¡± The rabbit-headed people look around, the cube is gradually returning to normal. ¡°We can now start planning the Maze War.¡± It calmly says, ¡°More than 55% of the puzzle pieces have been activated. The preliminary rounds will start soon. Everyone please get ready.¡± Chapter 554: 554: The Arrow Maze Chapter 554: The Arrow Maze While Bai Youwei and her team were clearing the game, Su Man and Lu Yuwen were still trapped in the maze. This maze was divided into 10X10 grids, with each grid measuring 1.5-2 kilometres on average. They needed to go through all 100 grids to make an overall assessment and piece them together using deduction. After the grids were successfully pieced together, the right path would naturally appear. All this, Lu Yuwen explained to Su Man. Su Man felt incredibly lucky! If she hadn¡¯t run into Lu Yuwen, she would definitely be stuck in the maze! Now all she had to do was follow these arrows, she could get out, then her left hand and right hand could get better, ah! ~ What a great situation! With this in mind, her pace quickened unknowingly, her mood lightened, the road ahead was even and bright, all problems vanished! ¡°Su Man!¡± She faintly heard someone calling her. Other than her and Lu Yuwen in the maze, there was only Zhang Ke, who was unaccounted for. The person calling her must be Lu Yuwen, right? ¡­Remembering Zhang Ke, Su Man started to worry. When she and Lu Yuwen returned to their fall site, the edges of the two maps were tightly joined together, but the rope was gone. The rope didn¡¯t just disappear, it must have been Zhang Ke who climbed up at the last minute, took the rope and ran away! However, the map was so big, meeting by chance was likely no easy task. As long as she and Lu Yuwen found the exit first, then¡­ ¡°Su Man!¡± The voice came again. What was Lu Yuwen calling her for again? Su Man tried to stop and take a look, but strangely, her feet¡­ why couldn¡¯t she stop? Wait a minute¡­ It wasn¡¯t her feet that wouldn¡¯t stop, it felt like her brain did not want to stop¡­ ¡°Su Man!¡± Lu Yuwen grabbed hold of Su Man, panting heavily, ¡°You¡¯re walking too fast!¡± Su Man finally stopped; she was a bit dazed, ¡°¡­Did you call me?¡± Lu Yuwen was gasping for breath, ¡°I didn¡¯t just call you, I¡¯ve been chasing and calling you more than a dozen times!¡± Su Man looked at him, bewildered, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it¡­¡± Lu Yuwen was catching his breath, it took a while for him to recover. Resting his hands on his knees, he said, ¡°When you¡¯re walking, don¡¯t look at the arrows, you will be influenced. My legs can¡¯t move as fast as yours, I may not be able to catch up next time.¡± His limp made it difficult for him to move around, particularly with his injured knee. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Man came back to her senses, surprised, ¡°We¡­can¡¯t look at the arrows?¡± ¡°The big arrows are fine, but don¡¯t focus on the small arrows,¡± pointed Lu Yuwen towards a few figures on the side of the road, ¡°If you follow the arrows the whole time, you¡¯d end up like them, incessantly moving forward until you lose your sense of self and turn into puppets.¡± Su Man remembered her earlier confusion and was slightly scared, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened¡­ I kept thinking, if I follow the arrows, I can get out, if I follow the arrows, I can get out¡­¡± Lu Yuwen sighed, ¡°Ah, Su Man, I¡¯ve never said that following the arrows would get you out.¡± Su Man realized that indeed Lu Yuwen had never said so. He only mentioned figuring out the 100 grids but why did she start believing that following the arrows could lead her out while walking? She had been undercover for so long before but never had such thoughts. That¡¯s probably because she was fully focused on Lu Yuwen and those three thugs at that time. But now that she wanted to get out, she started noticing the arrows near the road inadvertently and was influenced by them. The more Su Man thought about it, the colder she felt at her back. She looked up at Lu Yuwen with seriousness, ¡°Thank goodness you called out to me, you saved my life. I will forever be grateful and ready to return the favour whenever you need me!¡± Chapter 555: 555: Su Man and Lu Yuwen Chapter 555: Su Man and Lu Yuwen Lu Yuwen politely declined, ¡°You¡¯ve helped me quite a bit too.¡± Grateful to him, Su Man glanced again at his kneecap and said, ¡°Let me carry you. I¡¯m strong and won¡¯t get tired.¡± ¡°No, no need!¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s hand gesture became even more emphatic, ¡°I can walk on my own! You still have to carry the luggage, don¡¯t you? We¡­we¡¯re in no rush, we can take our time, see things more clearly this way!¡± ¡°You make a valid point.¡± Su Man considered his words seriously, ¡°But there are so many arrows all around; I can¡¯t help but be drawn to them. It¡¯s like the more you forbid me from thinking about elephants, the more I will think about elephants.¡± She spotted another small arrow in the bushes and promptly averted her gaze. At that moment, an idea popped into her mind¡ª ¡°Aha! I¡¯ve got it!¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes lit up as she said to Lu Yuwen, ¡°We can change the direction of these arrows! For instance, some of them point east, others west, and so on, in all cardinal directions. This way, the arrows won¡¯t be able to control me anymore!¡± Assuming that when all arrows point in the same direction, they will have the greatest influence on a player, would they still have an impact if each arrow pointed differently? Unexpectedly, Su Man had a moment of inspiration. Exhilarated, she rolled up her sleeves to get to work. Lu Yuwen stopped her, ¡°We can¡¯t disperse the direction of the arrows. We should keep moving.¡± Slightly surprised, Su Man inquired, ¡°Why can¡¯t we disperse them?¡± Lu Yuwen contemplated for a while, looked up at the sky which was still early, and thought explaining to her wouldn¡¯t waste much time. ¡°How about this,¡± Lu Yuwen started, ¡°You just change the direction of one small arrow for now, and then I¡¯ll explain.¡± Skeptically, Su Man glanced at him, walked to the side of the road, and turned around one of the small arrows on the lamppost so that it was pointing in the opposite direction. ¡°We should be able to change the direction. Don¡¯t you remember? You asked me to do this once before. After changing the direction of all the small arrows, the big arrow also changes¡­¡± Lu Yuwen chuckled to himself, held onto a tree branch acting as a crutch, and told her from the roadside, ¡°Be patient, you¡¯ll understand in a moment.¡± Confused, Su Man stared at the small arrow. Just as Lu Yuwen mentioned, after a little while, the small arrow unexpectedly jerked! Stunned, Su Man¡¯s eyes widened as she saw the arrow automatically switch direction, turning back as it had before, returning to its original position! ¡°How could this be?!¡± Su Man was astonished, ¡°I was clearly able to change the direction before! Why did it flip back this time?¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s mouth curved up slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t keep me in suspense, come on, tell me!¡± Su Man implored impatiently, her clear, bright eyes studying his, free of blemishes. She was always so straightforward, wearing her heart on her face. Lu Yuwen cleared his throat and proposed, ¡°Try changing the direction of a few other nearby arrows. You don¡¯t have to change many, four or five is enough.¡± Following his advice, Su Man altered the direction of the arrows under the streetlights, on the left, right, and in the bushes. ¡°Now what?¡± she turned her gaze back to Lu Yuwen, eagerly awaiting his answer. Lu Yuwen pointed to the arrows, ¡°Then, you just watch.¡± ¡°Just watch?¡± Su Man was again puzzled as she cast her glance back onto the arrows. After about three to five seconds, the small arrow on the streetlight shook lightly. Then, it changed direction, becoming the same as the nearby arrows! ¡°Ah!¡­ That¡¯s exactly how it happened last time I changed the directions!¡± Su Man exclaimed immediately, ¡°As soon as the number of arrows changing direction increases, it affects the nearby arrows. So in the end, I didn¡¯t spend much time making all the arrows change their direction!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Yuwen thought to himself, even so, you were really fast. From the changing patterns of the arrows, Su Man discerned a message, thoughtfully comprehending, ¡°I get it now. The arrows change according to the state of the other arrows, so we can¡¯t make the arrows point in mutually exclusive directions.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, flashing a faint smile, adding, ¡°It¡¯s the same concept as people being swayed by majority opinion.¡± Chapter 556: Echoing Others Chapter 556: Echoing Others ¡°Just echoing others?¡± Su Man blinked, just when she thought she understood, she found herself confused by Lu Yuwen¡¯s words. ¡°Exactly.¡± Lu Yuwen looked at a humanoid doll not far away and spoke gravely, ¡°The essence of echoing others is that the minority conforms to the majority. In order to adapt to the environment and integrate into society, each of us has, to a greater or lesser extent, echoed others, giving up our own thoughts and blindly following others, eventually walking on a path that seems right. The maze magnifies this effect, turning people into dolls who can¡¯t think or act on their own.¡± Su Man looked ahead as she listened to his words. She could almost imagine the panic that would ensue when the maze suddenly appeared. ¡ªPeople scrambling to find an exit, quickly spotting these arrows, banding together, following the arrows towards the exit¡­ increasing in numbers to a crowd¡­ Others would see this scene, invariably join the flow, thinking that the people leading the way knew where the exit was, filled with hope, yet, the result¡­ Death occurred without any warning. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Man closed her eyes, unable to bear thinking about it further. However, Lu Yuwen beside her spoke again, ¡°However, there¡¯s something strange.¡± She opened her eyes and looked at him, ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡± Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Even if people followed these arrows, it¡¯s impossible that all of them were not conscious enough to see through this trap. Let¡¯s say there were ten thousand people here. With this scale, wasn¡¯t there a single person able to see the trap? Not even a one in ten thousand chance? That seems unlikely¡­¡± Su Man thought for a moment and said, ¡°The people who realized it was a trap must have left. Isn¡¯t it normal for them not to be in the maze?¡± Lu Yuwen still shook his head, ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s not right?¡± Su Man didn¡¯t understand. Lu Yuwen patiently explained, ¡°Imagine the maze as a 10¡Á10 sliding puzzle. If someone found the exit by solving the puzzle and then passed it to you, what do you think the state of the puzzle would be?¡± Su Man was taken aback, then her eyes slowly widened as she seemed to understand. ¡°¡­Completed?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Lu Yuwen furrowed his brow and continued, ¡°If someone had left following my method, the puzzle should now be solved. But, as you¡¯ve seen, during our journey thus far, we¡¯ve only come across a maximum of three grid squares in a row, with almost all the other tiles in the wrong positions.¡± Stunned by this revelation, Su Man realized there was something off. ¡°Could it be¡­ that none of these people in the maze made it out alive? But even if they couldn¡¯t solve the entire puzzle, they should have solved at least part of it, right?¡± The current state of the maze showed no sign of someone having tried to solve it! Glancing around, Lu Yuwen frowned and said, ¡°Either the exit doesn¡¯t require solving the map, or they encountered insurmountable difficulties while attempting to do so.¡± He then added, perhaps not wanting to worry Su Man, ¡°No matter what the situation, we will continue in our way. We will find out the truth sooner or later.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Su Man nodded. The two continued to walk for some distance until the edge, where they unexpectedly discovered another large pit. ¡°Pit¡± was not exactly accurate. The previous pit was smooth at the bottom, an empty space on the maze¡¯s map. The scene before them was more like a sunken terrain, the buildings completely submerged, the ground level at the bottom of the pit was about a story lower than where Su Man was standing. Su Man quickly understood and said, ¡°The city¡¯s surface is a curved plane. When a lowland plot is joined with a highland plot, there will be a height difference. But this plot is really low, we should detour.¡± After saying this, she turned to look at Lu Yuwen, but was taken aback. For some reason, Lu Yuwen¡¯s complexion had greatly deteriorated! Chapter 557: Dead Angle Chapter 557: Dead Angle ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Su Man asked. Lu Yuwen returned to his senses, staring at her, finding himself lost for words. Increasingly confused, Su Man stared at him, ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± Cold sweat appeared on Lu Yuwen¡¯s forehead. A suspicion in his mind struck like a massive bell, making his brain buzz relentlessly. He was utterly dumbfounded. How could he express his thoughts?! Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Is your leg hurting again?¡± Su Man, naturally impatient, became even more agitated as he remained quiet. She asked repeatedly, ¡°What¡¯s bothering you exactly? What¡¯s going on? Say something, will you?¡± Lu Yuwen took a deep breath¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s rest for a while.¡± He tried to sound as calm as possible. ¡°Having moved for a while, the wound indeed hurts a bit. Let¡¯s rest first. I also need to organize the map.¡± Su Man looked around, spotting a small supermarket nearby. She then helped Lu Yuwen walk towards it. As they made their way, she couldn¡¯t help complaining, ¡°I¡¯ve told you I could carry you, but you refused steadfastly. See? Your wound has worsened again. You¡¯re too proud for your own good!¡± Lu Yuwen barely smiled, not disputing her claim. Once at the supermarket, Su Man put down the luggage and efficiently cleared a space inside for them to rest. She then proactively gathered combustible materials nearby to start a fire and boil some water. As soon as Su Man left, Lu Yuwen took out the map he had drawn from his bag. He had prepared 100 sheets of A4 paper, cut into squares, with the map drawn on one side and a sequence number on the other. Most of the sheets now held a piece of the map. According to the plan he and Su Man had, they would fill up the 100 grids on the map within two days at most. Then, the puzzle assembly process would begin. For Lu Yuwen, assembling a jigsaw puzzle, whether it¡¯s 10¡Á10 or 100¡Á100, wasn¡¯t an issue once he mastered the technique. The final step involved arranging the maze tiles in sequence to form a whole, from which the correct path would emerge. ¡ªThat was under ideal conditions. However, the current reality was¡­ he had overlooked the issue of differences in the horizon. Most of the map cells they encountered so far were all on the same level. Even if there was a difference, it was merely a step-like disparity. He hadn¡¯t anticipated that the terrain difference could be so pronounced. This implied that certain arrows at certain spots were destined to be unreachable. They were what was referred to as¡­ dead ends! For instance, on mountaintops, or underwater. The maze cells had always been in a state of disorder, most likely because someone inadvertently moved a piece into a dead end while assembling, hence preventing the entire puzzle from being correctly put together! He and Su Man¡­ might not be able to get out. They were trapped here. What should he do¡­ Should he tell her? Outside, Su Man returned with an armful of firewood. Instead of coming in straight, she started a fire and set up a stove on the sidewalk outside the supermarket. Glancing back into the supermarket, she noticed Lu Yuwen looking at her. She smiled at him. Lu Yuwen felt increasingly uneasy. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak. Su Man had put her utter trust in him, always believing that he could lead her out of the maze. But in reality¡­ he was helpless. He looked down at the map once again. Could it be that there really was no way out? ¡°Want some mixed congee for dinner?¡± Su Man had found some canned food in the supermarket and asked Lu Yuwen, ¡°We¡¯d get tired if we continued to eat biscuits and instant noodles, don¡¯t you think? There¡¯s canned mixed congee; want some?¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Su Man laughed again, ¡°I should thank you. Opening canned food is a bit tough for me; why don¡¯t you do it?¡± After the words were out, she stopped short. It was strange how she always consciously or unconsciously hid her hand¡¯s disability from friends and family but felt no psychological burden explaining it to Lu Yuwen, a man she had only known for a few days. Why was that? Was it sympathy from shared adversity? Or¡­ because he was a ¡°stranger¡± she didn¡¯t quite know, it simply didn¡¯t matter? During Su Man¡¯s moment of thought, Lu Yuwen received the can from her. With a casual tone, he asked: ¡°Su Man, why did you enter the maze?¡± Chapter 558: 558: Why Enter the Maze Chapter 558: Why Enter the Maze S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡­Why enter the maze? Su Man startled momentarily, gently holding her left hand without uttering a word. Lu Yuwen¡¯s gaze fell on her left hand, asking, ¡°How did you hurt your hand?¡± ¡°A game¡­¡± Su Man frowned lightly, ¡°I and some friends encountered a challenging game. She gave me her puzzle piece; otherwise, I would have not only lost a hand, but also lost my life.¡± ¡°Puzzle piece?¡± Lu Yuwen was taken aback, subconsciously looking at the map in his hand. Seeing his reaction, Su Man was taken aback for a moment too and hurried to explain, ¡°Not that kind of puzzle, it¡¯s that¡­huh? You don¡¯t know about the maze puzzles?¡± Lu Yuwen shook his head: ¡°What is a maze puzzle?¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You don¡¯t know about the maze puzzles?! As long as players pass through the maze, they can enhance their physical constitutions and also receive puzzle pieces! Each maze can produce up to 9 puzzle pieces. Once all 9 puzzle pieces are obtained by the players, the maze would disappear! Don¡¯t you know???¡± Lu Yuwen really didn¡¯t know, he shook his head again, ¡°All I know is not to get close to the white fog, where there is a maze that people can¡¯t get out of. How did you learn about this?¡± Su Man blurted out: ¡°We followed a rescue team, and almost everyone knew about this news.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Lu Yuwen chuckled lightly, ¡°We didn¡¯t wait for the rescue team. Later, the city lost power and internet connection, and we lost contact with the outside world. We learned about the maze from the players we encountered in the game.¡± Su Man was left speechless upon hearing this. Several of her family elders were military officials, and Li Li¡¯s family worked for the national research institute, so when the incident happened, they were categorized as key protection targets and were arranged to be evacuated in the first batch. Assuming that she was safely evacuated, she naturally presumed the same for others too. Assuming that she had received the news about the maze, she naturally presumed that everyone else, too, knew about it. But the truth is, a multitude of people didn¡¯t wait for the rescue and had to seek refuge on their own, gathering allies and partners on the way, and relying on the most primitive methods to exchange and disseminate information. Many are left dead or injured in the process; those who could hang on until now, like Lu Yuwen, are definitely few. Lu Yuwen didn¡¯t mind much about this particular point, asking Su Man instead: ¡°When you mentioned body enhancement earlier, what did you mean?¡± Su Man carefully responded, ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s just a manner of speaking. Some say it¡¯s a promotion, some call it optimization, and some mention it as a kind of evolution. In general, various aspects of one¡¯s body become stronger, speed, power, endurance, and self-healing ability all seem to significantly improve, depending on each individual¡¯s physical characteristics.¡± Lu Yuwen understood, ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ve entered the maze before?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Man nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve been in the maze twice. This is my third time.¡± Having said that, she couldn¡¯t help but look gloomy, and softly said: ¡°Only with everyone¡¯s joint efforts could we get through the maze. Now that I¡¯m the only one left, I can¡¯t do anything¡­¡± Su Man looked up at Lu Yuwen and smiled, ¡°I really envy you guys, so smart, the maze game can¡¯t stump you.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not just about being smart¡­¡± Lu Yuwen stared at her, ¡°If you¡¯re left on your own, you¡¯ll quickly become disheartened, demoralized, devastated. But if you have friends, supporting each other, encouraging each other, you can persistently overcome difficulties, figure out ways to solve problems. Therefore, getting through the maze is not only credited to their strength, but your strength is also essential.¡± Su Man stared at him blankly. After a moment, she grinned sheepishly, ¡°Thank you¡­ this is the first time I¡¯ve been¡­ complimented like this¡­¡± Chapter 559: 559 Spend Some Time Chapter 559: Chapter 559 Spend Some Time Su Man felt embarrassed. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Yuwen also felt somewhat awkward. He was used to being alone, rarely opening up to others. When words of praise came out of his mouth, it unexpectedly seemed like sweet talk. If he continued, would it make him seem frivolous? Lu Yuwen averted his gaze, looked at the canned food in his hands, and said softly: ¡°Anyway¡­as long as we work together, we can definitely escape the maze.¡± ¡°Yes! Absolutely!¡± Su Man was full of vigor. She stood up and declared, ¡°I won¡¯t give up! I¡¯ll look around again. Maybe there are other useful things. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow!¡± Su Man turned to leave, full of energy. Watching her retreating figure, Lu Yuwen felt his spirits, only just revived, dissipate again. He was again despondent¡­ That thing¡­he wasn¡¯t able to tell her. While she was full of expectations, telling her that they were trapped, that they would never be able to escape, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say those words. Lu Yuwen irritably tugged at his hair. What should he do? Even if he kept it from her, he couldn¡¯t conceal it for long! As soon as all 100 squares were explored and there was no next move, Su Man was bound to become suspicious! Unless he could find a solution to the dead-end problem before that. With this thought, Lu Yuwen paused. Looking at the can of eight-treasure porridge in his hand, his thoughts began to settle¡­ Here they had food and water. If given more time, perhaps¡­perhaps he could find a solution. Lu Yuwen reached once more for the maps¡­ ¡­ After two more days, they had finally completed the diagram for the 100 squares. Because the last dozen or so squares connect, presumably assembled by those before them, it saved them a lot of time. After they finished drawing all the squares, Lu Yuwen took only 22 minutes to assemble the 100 scattered squares into a map. Su Man was amazed, ¡°That¡¯s incredible¡­I wish I were that smart.¡± Lu Yuwen said with a laugh, ¡°This is actually quite slow. Some of the map drawings weren¡¯t very accurate, after all, we¡¯re not professionals.¡± ¡°So next, do we just need to match this map to assemble the squares?¡± Su Man looked at him expectantly, shining with admiration. She had no resistance against such a clever man¡­or rather, against such a smart brain. Lu Yuwen laughed and said, ¡°Next, we need to assemble it again.¡± Su Man froze, ¡°Assemble it again?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Yuwen returned the map-drawing paper to its original position, ¡°Just now was just a test. Now we need to find the optimal solution, or in other words, the method to assemble the squares in the fewest steps.¡± Su Man nodded repeatedly, ¡°Right, we have to assemble the squares in reality. Each square is about 2 kilometers away. If we can find the optimal solution, we can save a lot of time.¡± She stood up, telling Lu Yuwen, ¡°You focus on finding the optimal solution. I won¡¯t bother you. I¡¯ll take a walk outside.¡± Su Man thought of Lu Yuwen as a scholar, and felt that such a clever person should be ¡°singly focused on their studies, oblivious to the outside world¡±. As for her, who couldn¡¯t solve the problem and couldn¡¯t come up with any ideas, she took care of all the physical labor. Finding food, scouting the environment, clearing roadblocks, she managed all of these tasks perfectly well without Lu Yuwen¡¯s assistance. However, she didn¡¯t expect that Lu Yuwen would take two whole days to find the optimal solution and still not find it¡­ Su Man hesitated. She wanted to ask him, but looking at Lu Yuwen furrowing his brows and facing those messy maps, she didn¡¯t dare to ask. She was worried that pushing him might stress him out, and even more interfere with his work in finding the optimal solution. Perhaps noticing Su Man¡¯s anxiousness, Lu Yuwen put away all the maps after one more day and told Su Man, ¡°Let¡¯s begin assembling.¡± Chapter 560: 560: Two Grids Chapter 560: Two Grids The map drawn by Lu Yuwen spanned from the Jiaolonghai Railway overpass in the east to Xuzhou Amusement Park in the west, Quanshan Forest Park in the south to Yangtun Station in the north¡ªthe whole area was divided into equal blocks of 100 squares. Eighteen connecting blocks were located at the southwest corner of the map, and Su Man suggested that they should start putting the puzzle together from these blocks. However, Lu Yuwen proposed that they should start from the northeast corner, where numerous machine factories, coal factories, fertilizer plants, and electrical machinery factories were scattered. This area was an industrial park, which made it easier to identify the blocks when looking for them because of their distinct features. It was easy to strategize on paper, but the execution was extremely challenging in reality. Lu Yuwen and Su Man spent an entire day only to piece together¡­ two blocks. It wasn¡¯t because they were lazy, but rather every time they had to move a block, they had to return to the adjacent original block position, move the block just to create an empty slot, which allowed the target block to continue its movement. Just to accurately place the first block, they had to travel thirty kilometers! Su Man quietly calculated the time. If they put together two blocks per day, then it would take a total of fifty days to put all 100 blocks together! Even if they subtracted the eighteen blocks which were already pieced together, it would still take at least forty days! Taking into account the time already wasted in the labyrinth, wouldn¡¯t it be near to two months before they could get out? This thought frightened Su Man. Two months later, she had no idea what the world would look like. Would Yan and Zhu Shu still be in Shanghai? Where would she go to find them? Lu Yuwen comforted her, saying that usually, the first few pieces of a 10¡Á10 puzzle game take the longest time because they have to travel the furthest. After they¡¯ve completed a portion, the speed will pick up. For example, after completing the peripheral 36 blocks, the map would become 8¡Á8, then after another 28 blocks, it would become 6¡Á6. As such, the map would be getting smaller, and assembling it would become increasingly easier. Su Man trusted him and calmly continued to piece together the blocks. The next day, their progress was¡ª Two blocks. The third day¡ª Still two blocks. ¡­ Su Man started to feel anxious. Although she desperately wanted to keep moving the blocks without sleeping, Lu Yuwen was physically weaker than her. Already, ten hours of work per day was his limit. Once again, Lu Yuwen reassured her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve looked at the map, and according to our progress, we should be able to assemble at least four blocks tomorrow.¡± Su Man mustered a smile. Four blocks, although the number had increased, but¡­ However, having only moved ten blocks in four days, it wasn¡¯t exactly an optimistic speed. There were still 72 blocks left¡­ ¡­ The next day, Su Man and Lu Yuwen were busy from morning till night, and just as Lu Yuwen predicted, they managed to assemble four blocks. As the sun set, they pitched their camp along the road. Lu Yuwen said to Su Man: ¡°We¡¯ll assemble another four blocks tomorrow. The initial speed will be slow, but don¡¯t worry too much. There is plenty of food and water here. It will be safer if we spend more time on this.¡± Su Man nodded and responded earnestly: ¡°Alright, I believe in you.¡± Lu Yuwen was slightly startled. He didn¡¯t dare meet Su Man¡¯s gaze and looked away, mumbling, ¡°I¡¯ll go check the map again¡­¡± With that, he turned and went into the tent. ¡°I want to scout the road ahead,¡± said Su Man, who was sitting outside, speaking to him through the tent. ¡°That way, we can get a smoother start tomorrow. You should get some rest, don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± There was no response from the tent. Su Man looked at the increasingly darkening sky, added a few more pieces of firewood to the fire, and then got up and left. She couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. The slow progress was making her anxious! She was naturally impatient, but now she had no choice but to calm down and follow Lu Yuwen¡¯s pace, step by step. It was so frustrating! What¡¯s more, their relationship was not so familiar. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t treat him as she did her old teammates¡ªfreely urging him, questioning him, blaming him! No matter how anxious she was inside, she had to swallow her feelings and empathize with his difficulties! sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ah! Su Man walked about a hundred meters away, only to realize she had forgotten to take her dagger with her. Her anxiety morphed into vexation, and she had no choice but to go back the same way. Unexpectedly, shortly after turning back, she saw a dispute had arisen by the tent! Chapter 561: 561: The Reason for Procrastination Chapter 561: The Reason for Procrastination It¡¯s Zhang Ke! In the many days that had passed, Su Man had almost forgotten about this guy! She had even thought that he might have been injured and died in some obscure corner! But it turned out, he suddenly reappeared! ¡°Hey!¡± Su Man quickened her pace and ran over, ¡°Bastard! Let him go!¡± Zhang Ke was still in his original attire, but now coated with mud and blood, his disheveled hair, haggard face made him look like a fugitive wandering in the wilderness, extremely wretched. At the moment, he grabbed Lu Yuwen¡¯s collar, pulling him in front of him while strangling Lu Yuwen¡¯s neck with his elbow. In his other hand, he held a knife, pressing it against Lu Yuwen¡¯s throat. He wasn¡¯t afraid of Su Man at all. He grimaced as he watched her run back, the point of the knife dug into the flesh, a bead of fresh blood spilling out, trickling down Lu Yuwen¡¯s handsome neck. Su Man frowned and stopped a few steps away from the bonfire. Zhang Ke lifted the knife slightly, but it was still against Lu Yuwen¡¯s neck. His gloomy eyes fixed on Su Man, he said, ¡°What are you nervous about? I¡¯m just chatting with my buddy here. I¡¯m a timid man, you know. If you start shouting and startle me, this knife might do something reckless¡­¡± ¡°You want to kill him?¡± Su Man sneered, ¡°If you kill him, you can forget about ever getting out of here!¡± Zhang Ke¡¯s gaze became colder, his tone ambiguous, ¡°Do you think we can leave now? Heh¡­¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Su Man stood her ground, calmly negotiating with Zhang Ke, ¡°Our goal is to get out of this maze. You can let him go. If you just want to vent your anger, let me make this clear to you: if you kill him now, you won¡¯t have a chance to escape either!¡± Zhang Ke watched her, a contemptuous smile on his face. ¡°¡­Idiot.¡± Su Man¡¯s face changed slightly, ¡°What did you say?!¡± ¡°I said, you¡¯re dumb!¡± Zhang Ke suddenly shouted, ¡°Do you think we¡¯re still trying to piece together a map?! Idiot! He¡¯s been leading you in circles these past few days! Don¡¯t you see?! He¡¯s just buying time!¡± Upon hearing this, Su Man froze, staring at Lu Yuwen in shock. Zhang Ke raised his arm, grabbing Lu Yuwen¡¯s hair roughly, forcing him to lift his head high, the cold blade still pressed against his throat! ¡°Tell us why you were deliberately delaying, hmm?¡± Zhang Ke said in Lu Yuwen¡¯s ear, his malicious gaze fixed on Su Man, ¡°Did you fancy this woman¡­ and that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t want to leave?¡± Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t speak. With gritted teeth, Su Man defiantly called out, ¡°Let him go! Puzzle-solving is always slow at first, and it¡¯s mentally exhausting! If you can¡¯t do it, don¡¯t assume someone else is stalling for time!¡± Zhang Ke laughed, full of mockery, ¡°Really a dumb woman¡­So easily fooled, it¡¯s no wonder that after several days, she doesn¡¯t doubt you. However, don¡¯t think of fooling me, understood?¡± The sharp blade pressed tighter against Lu Yuwen, Zhang Ke asked quietly, ¡°Even at this point, you¡¯re still not willing to talk?¡­ Lu Yuwen, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t have the guts to do it.¡± Blood flowed down the slashed wound. While it didn¡¯t reach the artery, the threat was clear. Lu Yuwen¡¯s throat bobbed, he managed to say, ¡°I¡¯ll tell¡­¡± ¡°Very good.¡± Zhang Ke curled his lips, loosening his grip and the blade slightly, ¡°Tell us, why have you been stalling? Don¡¯t treat us like fools, if you dare lie, I¡¯ll skin you alive!¡± Finally, his gaze shifted to the stunned Su Man on the side, his smile cold, ¡°Let this stupid woman hear it too, how her trustworthy companion has been fooling her these past few days.¡± Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 562: 562 Collaboration of Three People Chapter 562: Chapter 562 Collaboration of Three People Su Man looked at Lu Yuwen, her eyes filled with confusion. After all these days¡­ had Lu Yuwen been deceiving her? Why? With a knife pressed against his throat, Lu Yuwen gasped, ¡°All these days¡­ I wasn¡¯t stalling. I was¡­ waiting for you.¡± ¡°Waiting for me?¡± Zhang Ke narrowed his eyes, pressing the knife against his skin. ¡°I warn you, don¡¯t try to fool me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Lu Yuwen answered weakly. Blood was smeared around his neck, and his face bore bruises from being hit. His situation was dire, but his tone was calm. ¡°Zhang Ke, if you have been following us, you would have noticed that our slow pace is due to the need to make room for moving after every step. In essence, we are short-handed. If¡­ if you could join in, our efficiency would improve by at least double!¡± Zhang Ke scrutinized him suspiciously, ¡°Your reason, doesn¡¯t sound very convincing¡­¡± Lu Yuwen said: ¡°Suppose this place is a 3¡Á3 puzzle, with grid cells marked from 1 to 8, and the 9th cell is the blank space. If my starting position is 8 and I want to move 8 to position 5, I would need to walk to 6, move down to 6, then diagonally walk to position 5, move right to 5, return to 8, move up, only then can I get 8 to position 5¡ª Even though 8 and 5 are adjacent, my movement distance is not just one step, but at least three steps! What if the three of us stand in positions 5 and 6? You move position 6, then Su Man and I move position 5. While we¡¯re doing that, you move from position 6 to 8. At this point, position 8 has arrived at position 5! Do you understand now? The whole process only requires one step of movement on our part!¡± Zhang Ke furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly deep in thought. Lu Yuwen spoke again: ¡°If you join us, completing the whole puzzle would take us at most six days! But if you continue hiding in the shadows, hoping to reap the benefits, then you¡¯ll have to wait at least a month to leave this place! Zhang Ke, think about it. Do you want to collaborate with us?¡± Zhang Ke frowned without giving a response. His face, cast in the light of the fire, looked as if he was somewhat persuaded by Lu Yuwen¡¯s words. Suddenly, a cluster of flames flew into their sight! It was Su Man, kicking a burning log, sparks flew, and Zhang Ke hastily retreated! Taking the opportunity, Su Man grabbed Lu Yuwen and pulled him over! ¡°You?!¡­¡± Zhang Ke, without his hostage, glared at them, ¡°You played me?!!¡± Shielding Lu Yuwen behind her, Su Man retorted coldly: ¡°Even if we were to collaborate, I wouldn¡¯t let Lu Yuwen be with you. Who knows what dirty tricks you might play!¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Nobody is playing you, Zhang Ke. It¡¯s out of necessity that I suggested collaboration, but under the current circumstances, we must join forces.¡± With a cynical look, Zhang Ke spat, ¡°We can team up, but I want to be paired with Lu Yuwen. Let the woman stay at the neighboring plot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Su Man immediately refused. Zhang Ke glared at them menacingly, ¡°You think I¡¯m a fool? Sending me alone to the nearby plot means keeping a distance of 2 kilometers between us! What if you guys escape after all the plots are assembled?!¡± ¡°You can tie me up with a rope.¡± Lu Yuwen suggested. Su Man immediately groaned, looking at Lu Yuwen, ¡°How could you¡­¡± Lu Yuwen squeezed her hand, giving her a quietly reassuring look. Turning to Zhang Ke, he said, ¡°Mr. Dongguo¡¯s rope should be in your possession now, right? As long as you stay alive, the rope can¡¯t be untied. You can rest assured, we certainly won¡¯t leave the maze before you.¡± Chapter 563: 563: Missing a Piece Chapter 563: Missing a Piece ¡°Mr. Dongguo¡¯s Rope: Once a knot is tied, no one but the user can untie or damage the rope. Be aware, when the user dies, the item ceases to work.¡± This rope, originally belonged to Yang Zi. After Yang Zi¡¯s death, Zhang Ke, who used the rope, naturally became the ¡°user¡± of this item. Therefore, as long as Zhang Ke does not die, Lu Yuwen will never be able to free himself from the bondage of the rope! Lu Yuwen stood in front of Zhang Ke, letting Zhang Ke tightly bind his hands together. Su Man wanted to say something but stopped herself, and in the end remained silent. Zhang Ke glanced at her, smiling insincerely, ¡°This is the best way, you guys can rest assured, and so can I.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re relieved, you can leave now.¡± Lu Yuwen said calmly, ¡°With my hands tied, I am virtually disabled, so as long as I can leave the labyrinth, I will definitely find a way to bring you along.¡± Su Man stared at Zhang Ke coldly, ¡°If you go back on your word and don¡¯t untie the rope after we leave the labyrinth, I guarantee you¡¯ll die a horrible death.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhang Ke let out a sound of derision. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Despite his face showing disdain, he knew of Su Man¡¯s capabilities since he¡¯d been following them all this time. Thus, without saying anything, he turned and left, his figure gradually disappearing in the distance. A delicate balance formed between the three of them. ¡°Will he keep his promise?¡± Su Man didn¡¯t feel relieved as she watched his figure depart. ¡°This kind of man can¡¯t be trusted, even if he cooperates with us, he will surely betray us in the end!¡± ¡°We have no choice¡­¡± Lu Yuwen sat on the ground, exhaling slowly. Blood was flowing from the wound on his neck, his collar soaking wet. He wanted to wipe it with his hand, but his hands were tied and he couldn¡¯t move comfortably, so he gave up the thought. ¡°I forced him out not just because we were inefficient, but for another reason¡­¡± Lu Yuwen said. Su Man took out some antiseptic and a bandage to treat his wound, and asked, ¡°What other reason?¡± Lu Yuwen remained silent for a moment, then said, ¡°There¡¯s something¡­ that only he can do. Neither of us can do it.¡± Su Man blinked, looking a bit puzzled, ¡°What is it?¡± Lu Yuwen looked up at her, ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± His words halted. Su Man knitted her brows in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Lu Yuwen hesitated, then lowered his head again, ¡°Never mind, you¡¯ll find out in a few days.¡± ¡°Why are you keeping me in suspense!¡± Su Man sighed in frustration. ¡­ Zhang Ke might be a jerk, but he kept his word after the cooperation. The next day, as agreed, he started moving the blocks in the pre-arranged time, place, and direction. By the time the sun went down in the evening, they had completed 10 blocks. At this pace, they doubled their progress compared to when Su Man and Lu Yuwen were working together. That evening, Zhang Ke received the new route from Lu Yuwen. The third day, their efficiency was even higher, completing 16 blocks! The fourth day, they completed 22 blocks! Plus the 18 blocks they¡¯d originally completed at the southwest corner of the labyrinth, they¡¯re 24 blocks away from the total of 100. Excluding the empty block, there¡¯re just 23 blocks left to go! Which means, if they speed up a little more, they can leave the labyrinth by tomorrow! But when Zhang Ke went to Lu Yuwen again for the route, Lu Yuwen only marked two blocks on the paper. ¡°Where¡¯s the rest?¡± Zhang Ke raised his eyebrows at Lu Yuwen. Lu Yuwen handed the map over with his tied-up hands, he pointed out the area with difficulty and said, ¡°Once you go two more blocks, it¡¯ll connect to the 18 blocks at the southwest corner, but there¡¯s a block missing in this area¡­ Chapter 564: 564: In the Water Chapter 564: In the Water Zhang Ke took the map, examined it carefully, then questioned Lu Yuwen with doubt: ¡°Missing a piece? Of the 100 parcels, 99 are there besides the empty space, so why do you say one is missing?¡± Su Man looked at the map puzzled too, the southwest corner of the region was Yunlong Lake, with 2 pure water areas and 6 half water half land, occupying a total of 8 parcels. ¡°Which one is missing?¡± She asked. Lu Yuwen pointed to the map again, saying, ¡°It¡¯s in the water.¡± Zhang Ke and Su Man both froze. In the water¡­ This meant that the arrows were also in the water. They needed to dive under the water to change the direction of the arrow, and then move the parcels! How deep do they need to dive? Unknown; how clear is the underwater visibility? Unknown; is it dangerous? Still unknown! Zhang Ke, who had regained his senses, felt a surge of anger, grabbed Lu Yuwen by the collar, and said menacingly, ¡°You¡¯ve been planning to screw me over all along, haven¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°Let go!¡± Su Man grabbed Zhang Ke¡¯s wrist and pulled hard! Zhang Ke, strong and robust, was pulled off balance by Su Man. He stumbled but managed to steady himself, his expression became even more fierce! ¡°If we have to go underwater, you guys go on your own! I won¡¯t go in!¡± he gritted his teeth and said. ¡°So I only gave you two parcels of the route.¡± Lu Yuwen was calm, ¡°The missing piece, shall we figure it out slowly?¡± ¡°Figure it out slowly?¡± Zhang Ke sneered and pointed at Su Man, ¡°Let her go down!¡± Su Man was stunned. Lu Yuwen spoke directly: ¡°She can¡¯t.¡± Su Man was surprised again, looking at Lu Yuwen with wide eyes, she didn¡¯t understand, why couldn¡¯t she? Did Lu Yuwen think she couldn¡¯t swim? Actually, her swimming ability was okay¡­ ¡°Her hand is not functioning, she can¡¯t tie knots underwater.¡± Lu Yuwen said, ¡°The underwater visibility is limited, we find an arrow, then we need to find another arrow, this process can¡¯t be as fast as it is on the shore, when we find the next one, the previous arrow has already resumed its original direction, so, if we want to turn multiple arrows at the same time, we have to use certain methods, like tying them with ropes to fix the direction of the arrows.¡± Hearing this, Zhang Ke sneered, ¡°You¡¯ve even figured out the method, it seems like you¡¯ve long been waiting here for me. You can¡¯t go underwater because of your limp leg, she can¡¯t tie the rope with one hand, so who¡¯s left? Me! If I won¡¯t go, we¡¯ll just wait here together to die! Is that what you mean?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go down, then don¡¯t go down! Why are you yelling?!¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t stand Zhang Ke¡¯s attitude and stood up to say, ¡°If you¡¯re so capable, come up with a solution! Complaining does no good! If it comes to that, I¡¯ll go into the water, if one hand can¡¯t tie the knot, I¡¯ll just wind it more times!¡± Zhang Ke looked at her sarcastically, ¡°Bind? Do you not know there¡¯s buoyancy underwater? Unless you tie it dead tight, no matter how many times you wind it, it¡¯ll come loose!¡± Su Man glared at him, ¡°Then what are you suggesting we should do?!¡± Zhang Ke gritted his teeth, brooded for a while, then he snorted, ¡°Let¡¯s check out the site tomorrow first!¡± After he finished speaking, he took the route map given by Lu Yuwen and turned to leave. Each step was deliberate, as if to vent his anger. After he left, Su Man finally couldn¡¯t help but ask Lu Yuwen, ¡°Is that the other reason you mentioned last time? Even without Zhang Ke, I could go into the water myself!¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s face looked serious, ¡°Finding arrows underwater is not as easy as you think.¡± He was stating the fact, but somehow, Su Man felt as if there was a raging fire burning inside her, she retorted, ¡°How difficult could it be? Do you think I can only handle easy tasks and not the challenging ones?!¡± Lu Yuwen was taken aback. Su Man bit her lip and whispered, ¡°I know, you all think I¡¯m a fool who can only do things that don¡¯t require thinking.¡± Lu Yuwen opened his mouth, ¡°Su Man, I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Su Man lowered her head, murmuring, ¡°Forget it¡­I was just speaking off the top of my head.¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She turned around and entered the tent. Chapter 565: 565: Encountering Such a Person Chapter 565: Encountering Such a Person Su Man knew she was wrong to have such an outburst. The timing was wrong, and so was the target. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She shouldn¡¯t have lost her temper at Lu Yuwen, it could be that spending too much time in the maze had made her anxious, combined with concern for friends and missing her family¡­ These emotions piled up, leading to an untimely explosion. In retrospect, Lu Yuwen was entirely innocent. He was constantly thinking of a solution, but still had to deal with complaints from her and Zhang Ke. After calming herself a little, Su Man felt she should apologize to Lu Yuwen. But she was always obstinate and had never bowed her head to anyone, except for Bai Youwei. As she was thinking this, the curtain of the tent behind her was lifted, and Lu Yuwen walked in. ¡°Su Man, I am sorry about what just happened¡­¡± The man naturally began, apologizing to Su Man: ¡°The reason I spoke like that was not to doubt your abilities, but out of concern. I believe that if your friends and family were here, they would not want you to go into the water either because anyone who cares about you would not want to see you take any risks, even the slightest one.¡± Lu Yuwen sighed: ¡°Su Man, I am as concerned about your safety as your friends are.¡± Upon hearing this, Su Man blushed slightly. His words were too sweet, making her almost shy¡­ The strong-willed Su Man softened for the first time, stuttering: ¡°Actually, actually, I was also wrong, I¡­I lost my temper, earlier, I didn¡¯t mean to target you specifically¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, as long as we clarify it, everything will be fine.¡± Lu Yuwen gently responded, ¡°Next, we just need to consider how to get out of the maze as soon as possible.¡± Su Man felt that what Lu Yuwen said was absolutely right. She immediately nodded in agreement. Lu Yuwen continued: ¡°Zhang Ke will definitely not volunteer to go into the water tomorrow, and so you might need to go down again.¡± Su Man nodded resolutely, ¡°With or without him doesn¡¯t matter, I can do it alone!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± Lu Yuwen laughed, explaining, ¡°If Zhang Ke sees that you can change the direction of the arrow all by yourself, then he will not bother with the other arrows. So, after you go into the water tomorrow, you should first pretend to be unable to find the arrow, forcing him to go in. We can¡¯t let him reap the benefits without doing anything, understand?¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t help asking: ¡°What if Zhang Ke also can¡¯t find the arrow?¡± ¡°He will find it.¡± His eyes deepened in the dim light of the tent. ¡°He will find it. If you worry that he cannot do it alone, you can help him, but remember, you have to go into the water in the order I arranged, understand?¡± Su Man paused, then nodded and replied: ¡°Mmm, I understand.¡± Lu Yuwen showed his gentle smile again, ¡°Go to bed early, goodnight.¡± Su Man also smiled at him, ¡°Goodnight.¡± She felt a sense of contentment and peace. She thought to herself how fortunate she was to have met such a person in the maze. ¡­ Early the next morning, when the sun was just right, Su Man and Lu Yuwen set off. So did Zhang Ke. They followed the planned route and quickly pieced together two pieces of the map, arriving at the edge of Yunlong Lake. Frankly speaking, if it had not been for Lu Yuwen¡¯s prior explanation, neither Su Man nor Zhang Ke would have noticed anything amiss about the lake¡¯s edge. This piece of land should have belonged to an old channel of the Yellow River, but somehow it had been moved here, and because the area was very low, four-fifths of it was submerged in the water of Yunlong Lake, at first glance it seemed like nothing more than a grassy slope on the lake¡¯s edge. Su Man looked at the sparkling water and took a deep breath. Lu Yuwen reminded her, ¡°On the first trip, you don¡¯t have to do anything other than familiarize yourself with the depth of the water, and we will discuss everything else once you are back onshore.¡± Su Man nodded, took off her shoes, and stepped barefoot into the water¡­ Chapter 566: 566: Intentional Chapter 566: Intentional Two minutes later, Su Man surfaced. Having consumed the mahi-mahi provided by Spring Bear, she could hold her breath for a long time. However, visibility underwater was terribly poor. No matter how long she could hold her breath, it was of no use since she had no idea where to look. Dejectedly, Su Man returned to shore and said to Lu Yuwen and Zhang Ke, ¡°The visibility underwater is extremely low. A simple stroke of my hand mixing the silt and dust into the water, making it murky, and I couldn¡¯t see a thing.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll cloud up the water if you wade in.¡± Zhang Ke frowned, ¡°We should get a boat and go straight to the center of the lake. Arrowheads are generally distributed in the center area of the plot!¡± Lu Yuwen shook his head, ¡°There may be no boat available around here, and we are unsure about the depth in the center of the lake, it¡¯s very risky to just plunge in.¡± Zhang Ke was dismissive, ¡°How do we know if there are no boats without looking? Searching along the shore like you guys, we might not find the arrowhead even by nightfall!¡± Although Su Man despised Zhang Ke, she had to admit his words made sense. She looked uncertainly at Lu Yuwen and asked, ¡°Should we¡­?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep trying here. It¡¯s safer.¡± Lu Yuwen insisted, with steady confidence, ¡°Su Man, please go underwater one more time. You don¡¯t need to hold your breath for too long this time, around one minute will do. Just feel the underwater situation nearby.¡± ¡°Lu Yuwen, are you out of your mind?¡± Zhang Ke was finally angered, ¡°What can be achieved in a minute? Aren¡¯t you willing to let this woman go underwater?!¡± Lu Yuwen watched the lake surface, still calm, ¡°She and I are partners, and it¡¯s quite normal to worry about her facing dangerous situations underwater. Zhang Ke, if you¡¯re unhappy about it, you can figure out your own method. Anyway, I won¡¯t let Su Man take the risk.¡± Zhang Ke sneered, ¡°A lame and a cripple, what a perfect match.¡± ¡°You!¡­¡± Su Man¡¯s eyebrows raised, her temper flaring. Lu Yuwen held her back, shaking his head, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Su Man. Please go underwater again, this time at a different spot. We¡¯ll take it slow, safety is our top priority.¡± Su Man bit her lip and nodded. This wasn¡¯t the time for rash actions. The priority was to find the arrowhead. Su Man prepared to dive. Zhang Ke muttered under his breath, ¡°Two idiots.¡± Then he left. ¡­ Su Man¡¯s second dive was still fruitless. When she emerged from the water, she couldn¡¯t help but say to Lu Yuwen, ¡°I think Zhang Ke¡¯s suggestion is not devoid of reason. Perhaps we should find a boat, row to the center of the field, and then go underwater to find the arrowhead¡­¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Yuwen handed her a bath towel, ¡°No rush, Zhang Ke will go find the boat.¡± Su Man took the towel, paused and asked, ¡°¡­Shouldn¡¯t we¡­help him?¡± Lu Yuwen shook his head, ¡°Zhang Ke does not fully trust us. It would be better for us to let him deal with this instead of making him paranoid. Even if we want to use a boat, we should let him suggest it. By proposing the solution himself, he will not only lower his guard but also fully cooperate. Now all we need is rest.¡± It¡¯s similar to a company meeting. If a person proposes a certain scheme, they will keep looking for supporting arguments to uphold their proposal¡¯s validity when facing others¡¯ skepticism ¨C it¡¯s a psychological defense mechanism. Su Man¡¯s eyes widened, looking at Lu Yuwen with both shock and admiration, ¡°Did you do it all on purpose?!¡± Lu Yuwen glanced at her, gently smiled, but said nothing. Su Man started to get excited, ¡°Lu Yuwen! You¡¯re so clever!!!¡± Lu Yuwen felt awkward and replied shyly, ¡°It¡¯s just simple psychological knowledge, not much to do with being smart¡­¡± Su Man was aware that she overreacted, but she was still excited and her eyes sparkled as she looked at Lu Yuwen, ¡°Even if it was just simple knowledge, I didn¡¯t think of it¡­ I wish I could be as clever as you.¡± After speaking, she lowered her head to look at her soaking wet clothes; her mood unknowingly declined: ¡°Lu Yuwen, if I hadn¡¯t met you, I would never have been able to get out of this maze alone.¡± Chapter 567: 567: Not A One-Man Show Chapter 567: Not A One-Man Show Su Man was feeling some regret. When she had set out, she was filled with fervor, driven by zealousness, believing herself to be brave, strong, fearless! But now, she was feeling her own weakness and helplessness more acutely! Would she have been able to accurately draw out the map if she hadn¡¯t encountered Lu Yuwen? Could she have pieced together the scattered plots of land? She feared she would have been confused by those misleading arrows and turned into a puppet before she even realised. Why was she always like this? Why couldn¡¯t she be as calm as Lu Yuwen and think things through clearly? A shadow fell over her as Lu Yuwen stepped in front of her. ¡°Su Man, if I hadn¡¯t met you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out of the labyrinth either,¡± said Lu Yuwen. He wanted to pat her shoulder in comfort, but realized that his hands were tied, so he put them back down. Su Man mustered up some courage and forced a smile, ¡°Hmm, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine!¡± It was just a moment of short-lived dejection. ¡°Be it the game, or the labyrinth, it¡¯s never a one-man job,¡± Yuwen said again. Su Man nodded in agreement. There was a small boat appearing on the lake in the distance. As it got closer, they saw Zhang Ke on the boat, waving at them. Zhang Ke had indeed found a boat¡ª It was a pedal boat, a common sight in water parks, with four seats. The main propulsion came from pedaling, stirring the blades, pushing water away. It also had a couple of oars. When Zhang Ke docked the pedal boat, Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Although you found a boat, sliding into the center of the lake and diving into an unpredictable depth is still too risky¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just tie a rope?¡± Zhang Ke interrupted impatiently, ¡°There¡¯s a rope on the other side of the lake. Get onboard, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Lu Yuwen stood still, his eyes scrutinizing the pedal boat, ¡°Are you sure the rope is long enough for us to dive to the bottom¡­¡± ¡°Stop nagging!¡± Zhang Ke frowned, ¡°If it¡¯s not long enough, just tie several ropes together, hurry up and get on board!¡± Su Man looked silently at Lu Yuwen. As he had predicted, after Zhang Ke proposed the plan, he took the initiative to start resolving problems in the implementation process. Zhang Ke thought he had taken control, yet he was oblivious to the fact that everything was a result orchestrated by Lu Yuwen. The three of them got on the boat, went to the other side to fetch some hemp ropes, and then arrived at the center of the submerged land. Through the surface of the water, the forest beneath was barely visible. The boat occasionally scraped against the treetops. The branches rubbing against the bottom of the boat produced a creaking sound. Su Man was the first to dive in. As she went under, Zhang Ke was continuously watching the surface of the water with conflicting emotions. He wanted to dive in for himself yet he was worried about being tricked. He had played the game with Lu Yuwen before. He knew that he was not as innocent as he seemed, but was rather cunning! Otherwise, in the past, both Brother Xiao and Yang Zi wouldn¡¯t have been so cautious of Lu Yuwen. This time Su Man spent two minutes underwater. For an average person, that was quite a long time. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhang Ke frowned at her, ¡°Why did it take so long?¡± ¡°What is the situation under the water? Did you see the arrows?¡± Lu Yuwen asked. Su Man took a deep breath, looked at both of them, and said, ¡°There is good news and bad news¡ª The good news is that many of the arrows are on the tree trunks, meaning we don¡¯t need to dive to the bottom. We can find the arrows by diving just over three meters.¡± The bad news is¡­ branches can entangle the rope; I got stuck when I was coming up and it took me a few seconds to free myself.¡± Under the water, every second of delay could be fatal. Su Man looked at Zhang Ke and seriously suggested, ¡°When you dive later, it¡¯s better not to tie a rope. Having a rope might actually be more dangerous.¡± Chapter 568: 568: Strike First Chapter 568: Strike First Zhang Ke refused without hesitation, his tone icy: ¡°I won¡¯t tie the rope. Who knows if you¡¯ll run away if I get into trouble? Just choose a gap between the trees when you get into the water.¡± Su Man wanted to persuade him, but the look in Lu Yuwen¡¯s eyes silenced her¡­ Zhang Ke was completely in control of the rhythm on the boat. He instructed Su Man to retrieve the arrows from the water; Lu Yuwen to prepare the short rope to bind the arrows; When Su Man returned, he told her to inform him of the exact location of the arrows. Su Man and Lu Yuwen complied obediently, following his command to the letter. As the task of positioning the arrows required Zhang Ke to get into the water, some compromise was essential for cooperation. Zhang Ke understood this well. However, despite the complying attitudes of Su Man and Lu Yuwen, he still did not trust them. Before jumping into the water, he replaced the ordinary hemp rope with Mr. Dongguo¡¯s rope. One end was tied around his waist, and the other was knotted around Lu Yuwen¡¯s wrist. Lu Yuwen calmly suggested, ¡°It¡¯s better if you tie it to the boat. If something really happens, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be much help to you.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she also here?¡± Zhang Ke sneered at Su Man, ¡°I believe she could abandon the boat, but she definitely won¡¯t abandon you.¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Man gritted her teeth, seething internally. ¡°It seems you still don¡¯t trust us,¡± Lu Yuwen calmly responded, sitting on the boat with his tied hands resting on the back of the front seat. ¡°Even if I try to persuade you further, it would be seen as an excuse for escape. So, I will make only one request. Su Man must stay on the boat when you are in the water.¡± ¡°Are you afraid of dying?¡± Zhang Ke mocked, tightening the rope around his waist, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll untie you if we can get out of this damn place.¡± After he finished speaking, he dove into the water. With a splash, Zhang Ke submerged under the water. Su Man, clearly annoyed, reluctantly watched the water surface before sitting down beside Lu Yuwen. She loathed cooperating with someone like Zhang Ke. He was selfish, ruthless, and would resort to any means to achieve his ends. He cruelly injured Lu Yuwen¡¯s knee to prevent him from escaping. Who knows what he might do once they escaped the maze! At this thought, she glanced at Lu Yuwen. Lu Yuwen was calming himself in quiet meditation. His peaceful demeanor reminded Su Man of Yan Qingwen¡­ ah, how she longed for her teammates. She thirsted for their exit from this labyrinth. Su Man prayed earnestly in her heart. ¡­ As time passed, the weather was fair and sunny. Zhang Ke and Su Man took turns diving underwater ¨C one to bind arrows, the other to locate them. The short rope used for binding arrows was quickly diminishing on the boat. After Zhang Ke had dived once again, Lu Yuwen told Su Man, ¡°Next time you look for arrows, try to find ones farther and deeper.¡± Su Man was taken aback, ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes, just as you thought.¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, ¡°Xiao and Yang Zi were both killed because of me. After leaving the maze, Zhang Ke will certainly not let me go, nor untie the rope. We must make the first move.¡± ¡°How dare he?!¡± Su Man¡¯s face darkened immediately. Lu Yuwen found her expression amusing and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him. Even though he can¡¯t defeat you physically, he still has two items.¡± Su Man asked, ¡°What items?¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s smile faded as he replied, ¡°One is Mr. Dongguo¡¯s wolf, and the other is Mr. Dongguo¡¯s book, which was stolen from me. The former has strong attacking power, and the latter can negate the effectiveness of items. If you have any items, be careful.¡± Su Man became cautious. If things were as Lu Yuwen said, then this was indeed the best opportunity to kill Zhang Ke. She was confident in dealing with Zhang Ke, but not so sure about dealing with Zhang Ke armed with items. If Zhang Ke lived until they escaped the maze, neither her nor Lu Yuwen would survive! ¡°I know what to do.¡± Su Man finally nodded slowly. Chapter 569: 569: The Great Whirlpool Chapter 569: The Great Whirlpool Zhang Ke¡¯s presence cast a pallor of anxiety over Su Man and Lu Yuwen. It was as if they were perennially on edge, unable to relax. They set out once again to locate the arrowhead, and this time, per Lu Yuwen¡¯s suggestion, Su Man intentionally chose a spot deeper under the water. Zhang Ke returned to the boat for a break and asked Su Man where the next arrowhead was to be tied. Su Man pointed it out to him. ¡°From here, go down about three or four meters¡­¡± ¡°Is it three meters or four?¡± Zhang Ke challenged with a raised eyebrow, evidently dissatisfied. ¡°Did you leave your brain on the boat when you dove?¡± Without missing a beat, Su Man fired back: ¡°I did bring my brain with me! But not a ruler! How am I supposed to measure under the water? Or did you expect me to provide you an exact measurement to the centimeter?¡± Zhang Ke retorted, ¡°You¡¯re so fucking stupid. Can¡¯t you see where the rope is wet on your body? Isn¡¯t that a clear indication of how deep you dived?¡± With that, he got up to grab the rope on her. Su Man¡¯s heart started racing! She was already not good at pretending, now seeing Zhang Ke checking the rope, she became increasingly panicky! ¡°Why is your entire rope drenched?¡± Zhang Ke asked, holding and inspecting the wet rope. Lu Yuwen provided a calm explanation: ¡°Every time she climbs aboard, the rope gets rolled up. So naturally even the dry parts would get wet.¡± Zhang Ke frowned but said nothing more. After briefly resting, he leapt into the water following the direction Su Man pointed out¡ª Su Man immediately stood up, gripping the railing to peer below. ¡°Will he come back?¡± she nervously watched the water¡¯s surface. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure now¡­ What if the arrowhead I pointed out wasn¡¯t deep enough? ¡­Or, if he thinks it¡¯s too deep, what if he comes back halfway?¡± Zhang Ke was no fool. Regardless of whether he found the arrowhead or whether it was securely tied, he certainly would have saved enough time to hold his breath. After all, nothing was more vital than his own safety. Lu Yuwen said, ¡°When he went underwater to tie the arrowheads earlier, it took him an average of about 70 seconds each time. That¡¯s his safe limit, I suppose. If we presume his limit is 20 seconds more than that, it¡¯s one and a half minutes. I just have to jump off the boat within 70 seconds and let the rope wrap around the tree. His death would be inevitable.¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°What about you?!¡± Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Yuwen gave a faint smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? I can also hold my breath. Although I can¡¯t do it as long as you two, I assure staying underwater for 30 seconds should be no issue.¡± Su Man stood up, unable to hide her anxiety. ¡°No! It¡¯s too risky. What if ¡­¡± Before she could finish her thought, the boat jolted! The lake roiled as if some massive beast was stirring beneath the surface. Waves began to lap against the boat! Both of their complexions transformed. They knew too well that this was a sign of the arrowhead changing direction! Lu Yuwen immediately stood up, and with a sense of urgency, said to Su Man, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you, but the most dangerous part of this plan is not finding or tethering the arrowhead. It¡¯s when the arrowhead is changing its direction. The movement of the landmass will cause a massive underwater whirlpool! Zhang Ke has tied the rope around me, whether I jump into the water or not, I¡¯ll be sucked into the vortex! Su Man, remember! No matter what happens, you must stay aboard! Otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain!¡± ¡°Lu Yuwen!¡± Su Man reached for him; she didn¡¯t want him to make the plunge! But then a wave crashed against the boat! In an instant, the whole vessel tilted dangerously! She lost her balance and had to grasp the railing. With helpless horror, she watched Lu Yuwen disappear into the water! The boat she was riding, like a frisbee being thrown, was lifted into the air before violently crashing back onto the surface of the water! Thrown by the impact, Su Man hit the railing and blackness threatened to envelop her vision! Without a moment¡¯s respite, the boat started to retreat quickly, propelled by the water¡¯s current. It was a result of the lake water pouring into the now vacant space created by the shifting landmass! If Lu Yuwen was sucked into that vacancy by the whirlpool, death would be the only certainty! Steel determination flashed across Su Man¡¯s face as she rolled overboard and plunged into the water. Chapter 570: 570: Rapid Stream Chapter 570: Rapid Stream The water is rushing fast! The water level is dropping rapidly! Su Man couldn¡¯t control her own body. The turbulent flow swept her away, and with a bang, she smashed into a large tree! The massive impact almost shattered her back. If it weren¡¯t for her enhanced physique, she probably would have been knocked unconscious on the spot! She didn¡¯t dare to imagine what would happen if it were Lu Yuwen who was hit. Could he withstand the force? S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Now the only hope was that he had, as planned, used a rope to wrap around a branch. Otherwise, being swept into the open space, from a height of four to five stories, would be enough to kill him! Even if he was lucky enough not to die from the fall, the water would sweep him into a colossal pit nearly 4000 square meters in size. Even if Su Man wanted to save him, she wouldn¡¯t know where to find him! Her only chance was now! But where was Lu Yuwen now?! The water level dropped rapidly. Su Man looked around and finally saw Lu Yuwen. He was tangled in a tree, the top half of his body emerged as the water level dropped. ¡°Lu Yuwen!¡± Su Man shouted at him. Lu Yuwen was floating in the water, his life or death unknown. A bit farther away, there was another figure, being shaken ceaselessly by the water, and too showed no signs of life. Between the two of them was a long rope, hanging from a branch. The branch couldn¡¯t bear the weight of the two and could snap at any moment. Su Man gritted her teeth and let go. She started drifting with the water current, grabbing onto the rope between Lu Yuwen and Zhang Ke! In an instant, the branch carrying the weight of three people immediately broke! Su Man collided again with a tree trunk in the swift current. She grunted with pain, her left hand hooked around a branch while her right hand held tightly onto the rope. The immense pull nearly broke her hand bones! She intended to pull Lu Yuwen closer but her injured left hand gave out and let go. Under the force of the water, she and Lu Yuwen collided and were both swept away even farther! Within moments, they were swept more than a hundred meters away! Su Man felt searing pain all over her body. Under the rapid current, countless branches tore against her skin as if slashed by a thousand swords. Her right hand gripped the rope so tightly, it felt as if it was about to rip apart. With all her strength, she swung her left hand around, trying to find something to hold on to in the water. Finally, when she collided with a lamppost, she managed to hook on to it! But at this point, they were already near the edge of the open space; the ferocious waves gushed downwards like a waterfall. Her entire body was in pain, her right hand appeared to be holding onto not a rope, but the edge of a blade! It was tearing into her palm! Su Man gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face, pain wracking her body, making her weep out loud. Using up her last bit of strength, she tried pulling Lu Yuwen to her side by the lamppost, all the while shouting his name: ¡°Lu Yuwen!¡­ Lu Yuwen!¡­¡± Lu Yuwen weakly opened his eyes and silently watched her. Submerged and surfacing, the water kept washing over his face, drowning his mouth and nose. His face was so pale it was frightening, it seemed like he could lose his life at any moment. Su Man shouted at him, ¡°Lu Yuwen! Wake up! When the water level drops a bit more, we¡¯ll be safe!¡± Indeed, the water level was dropping rapidly, but right now Su Man was not pulling one person, but two. Zhang Ke¡¯s body floated not far away. Each wave that hit his body brought a gravitational pull, equivalent to another round of torture on Su Man¡¯s right hand! Lu Yuwen whispered hoarsely, ¡°Forget it, let go¡­ Su Man clenched her teeth and shook her head desperately, her eyes red. Looking at her, Lu Yuwen somehow managed a weak smile and opened his mouth again: ¡°Su Man, remove¡­ remove my glasses. They were just a prop¡­ the reason why I could tell the arrows in the maze were messed up¡­ now, I give it to you¡­ in the future, you will be very smart. You will never¡­ never have to envy others¡­¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t!¡± Su Man sobbed, ¡°Lu Yuwen are you still a man or not! Stop talking like you¡¯ve given up! We will survive!!!¡± A piece of driftwood floated in the fast current, suddenly hitting Lu Yuwen¡¯s shoulder, and his body instantly submerged underwater. ¡°Lu Yuwen!!!¡± Su Man shrieked, plunging herself into the water! Chapter 571: 571: All is Well Chapter 571: All is Well The night was serene, utterly tranquil. At the edge of the frigid, silent lake, firewood crackled and campfires raged. Lu Yuwen opened his eyes and saw the stars filling the sky, momentarily finding himself in a daze. ¡­ Had he not died? Or had he died, entering another world? Lu Yuwen closed his eyes. The clear sensation of pain traveled throughout his body, his throat burning, his head heavy and foggy. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, he heard soft sobbing. He opened his eyes, turning to see Su Man sitting not far off, her head deeply buried in her knees as if she were crying. ¡°Su Man¡­¡± Lu Yuwen tried to call her name, but his voice was hoarse when he opened his mouth. With great effort, he picked up a stone at his side and threw it towards her, causing a disturbance. Su Man lifted her head, and seeing that Lu Yuwen was awake, she quickly wiped her tears and walked towards him. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Are you feeling better? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?¡± Lu Yuwen opened his mouth, ¡°Water¡­¡± ¡°Water?¡± Su Man said in confusion, ¡°You¡¯ve been soaked in water for so long, you still want to drink water?¡± Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t help but feel both amused and frustrated, and could only look at her helplessly. Realizing her ridiculous reaction, Su Man awkwardly stood up and went to get Lu Yuwen some water. The cool, clear water slid down his throat, and Lu Yuwen¡¯s raspy voice gradually recovered. He looked at Su Man in front of him, then at the hastily treated wounds on his body, full of mixed feelings, ¡°How did I not die¡­.¡± In that situation, no matter how he thought about it, he should have been dead¡­ Su Man was a little upset, ¡°What are you talking about dying? Of course it¡¯s because I saved you.¡± Lu Yuwen looked at her with a gentle, pleasing smile, ¡°But in that situation, you could have died too if you tried to save me¡­¡± Su Man pursed her lips, her eyes focused on the burning bonfire, she murmured in response, ¡°Someone once told me, to keep going¡­ no matter what, you must persevere.¡± Perhaps, even the most desperate situations can turn around with just a little bit more perseverance. Lu Yuwen fell silent upon hearing this. After a while, he whispered, ¡°Yes¡­we should persevere.¡± ¡­ The next day, they began piecing together the land blocks again. Without Zhang Ke¡¯s help, their efficiency decreased significantly, but with no threats from Zhang Ke, both of them felt relaxed mentally and advanced smoothly. When the last land block was inserted into the correct position, the arrows on the maze began to vibrate, like countless bees flying into the sky, densely packed, yet orderly! The arrows, they were all pointing in one direction! Su Man and Lu Yuwen looked at each other. Both of them knew that this time, the place the arrows pointed to, must be the real exit! After enduring so many long days and nights in the maze, now, they were finally about to leave! The anticipation turned into reality right before their eyes, Su Man¡¯s heart was pounding, her excitement was beyond words. Carrying Lu Yuwen on her back, despite her physical and mental exhaustion, seeing the exit close at hand made her steps incredibly light, even quickening as she went¡ª Su Man stepped into the gate pointed to by the arrows! ¡°Congratulations to the player for clearing Maze No. 6.¡± The long-lost voice rang in her ears, and Su Man was so excited that she almost shouted out loud! The familiar mechanical voice continued: ¡°The player is the first to clear Maze No. 6 and can receive 3 pieces of the doll jigsaw.¡± ¡°Player¡¯s ranking for clearing this round of the game is, first. Now upgrading player data¡­ Ding, the upgrade is finished.¡± ¡°Rewards have been calculated, players are invited to continue the game, strive to clear more levels¡ª¡± As the voice ended, the white mist dissipated. Su Man was the first to unwrap the bandage on her left hand! The hand was smooth and white, the fingers slender and supple. Her hand was completely healed! Unable to contain herself any longer, Su Man wept for joy! She held her own hand crying like a child. Lu Yuwen just stood there, stunned, a short distance away. Overjoyed, Su Man ran over to him, ¡°Lu Yuwen, my hand is healed! See, completely healed!¡± Lu Yuwen lowered his head to look at his own foot, ¡°My foot¡­it¡¯s healed too¡­¡± Chapter 572: 572: Wonderful Chapter 572: Wonderful Su Man froze, repeating his words in bewilderment, ¡°Your foot¡­ is healed?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lu Yuwen gazed down at his own crippled foot, equally astounded. This foot of his was congenitally deformed. Although surgery made it functional enough for walking and everyday tasks, its limping gait was far from elegant. From a young age, every time school ended or classes were over, he was always the last one to leave the classroom. He didn¡¯t want people to see him hobbling along. Who would have thought that this foot, limping for over twenty years, would be healed just because of a maze? Even though Su Man had said before that the maze could boost one¡¯s physical constitution, such a change was too¡­ too fantastical¡­ Su Man, on the other hand, considered another point¨C The maze could not only heal recent injuries but even old ones! If Lu Yuwen¡¯s foot could be healed, wouldn¡¯t Bai Youwei¡¯s leg also be curable?! With this thought, Su Man became even more excited, and she couldn¡¯t help hugging Lu Yuwen tightly, happily exclaiming: ¡°That¡¯s excellent! Lu Yuwen! That¡¯s great! Really great! ¡­¡± Lu Yuwen blushed slightly as she held him. Even though going through life and death together could indeed breed feelings, Su Man¡¯s enthusiasm still caught him off guard, leaving him a little flustered but also feeling warm inside; he didn¡¯t expect Su Man to care so much about him. Lu Yuwen hesitated before stretching out his arms and¡­ also hugging Su Man. Su Man suddenly pulled away from him, exclaiming excitedly: ¡°Quick, see how many puzzle pieces you¡¯ve got?¡± He was taken aback, opening his palm, which held two puzzle pieces. ¡°This thing¡­ is it a puzzle piece?¡± Lu Yuwen gently caressed the thin silver metal piece, trying to fit the two puzzle pieces together, but the grooves on each side couldn¡¯t snap into place. ¡°I¡¯ve never got this many puzzle pieces before!¡± Su Man was overjoyed, ¡°Lu Yuwen, we are the first ones to pass this maze, so we got a total of 5 puzzle pieces! 5 pieces! We wouldn¡¯t be afraid of dying in the game even five times now!¡± Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°You, thinking about death so soon¡­¡± Su Man, holding the puzzle pieces, laughed. As she laughed, her eyes teared up; her nose stung, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from crying. She was laughing and crying, unsure of explaining her emotions. Lu Yuwen lightly patted her shoulder, comforting her. Surrounding scene suddenly changed again, leaving only pure white and an overwhelmingly large door wreathed in a white light. ¡°Maze war progress has exceeded 55%, please get ready for registration.¡± A baffling sentence popped out of nowhere. Lu Yuwen furrowed his brow questioningly and asked Su Man, ¡°What do we need to register for after passing the maze?¡± Su Man also looked puzzled, gently shaking her head: ¡°I don¡¯t know, nothing like this ever happened before after exiting the maze¡­¡± Lu Yuwen surveyed the surroundings once more, his gaze falling back to the glowing door. Besides the entrance, they had nowhere else to go. ¡°Let¡¯s go, enter and see what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Both shoulder by shoulder stepped through the door¡ª sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And were met with a blinding white light. Su Man and Lu Yuwen instinctively closed their eyes. Once they adjusted to the light, they found themselves in a gigantic white room. Rather than a room, it might be more accurate to call it a square given its vastness, even though it was closed off on all sides, including the endlessly tall ceiling. All was white. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, all composed of white blocks. The texture between metal and glass made it hard to describe. Scattered about the room were individuals standing alone, watching them warily. Su Man was shocked to discover that¡­ almost everyone here was a foreigner. Chapter 573: 573: Comrades Chapter 573: Comrades There were foreigners in the country, but after the world changed, everyone scattered, hiding and fleeing to various places. Yet this place had gathered so many foreigners. Su Man and Lu Yuwen remained silent on the surface, but their nerves were on edge simultaneously, alertly watching the people around them. Those people were also looking at them. However, no one came forward to talk. People grouped in threes and fours, forming small groups, discussing something in whispers. Su Man and Lu Yuwen continued forward and saw that this was not just a gathering of ¡°foreigners¡±, but a gathering of people from all over the world¡ª Various skin colors, various costumes, they also saw Asian faces. What was going on? Why was everyone gathered here? Was it for that so-called maze war? Just as they were puzzled, a white square nearby suddenly lit up. Three people entered from the light, just like Su Man and Lu Yuwen when they had first arrived, their eyes wide in surprise. These were three black men. They looked around in surprise, asking, ¡°What is this place? Hey, what¡¯s going on?!¡± Though it seemed like they were speaking in English from lip movements, what Su Man and Lu Yuwen heard was strong, fluent Chinese! The two were once again taken aback and glanced at each other. ¡°Su Man?!¡± A familiar male voice called from a distance. Su Man looked in the voice¡¯s direction, even more shocked. Was that Yan Qingwen?! Next to Yan Qingwen were Shen Mo, Bai Youwei, Tan Xiao, and others from the Shanghai Base evaluation team. All were people she knew! S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Man, overjoyed, immediately picked up the pace to greet them, ¡°Why are you all here?!¡± Yan Qingwen glanced at Lu Yuwen standing behind Su Man and asked, ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°Ah! I forgot to introduce us¡ª¡± Su Man pulled Lu Yuwen to the front and introduced him joyfully, ¡°This is Lu Yuwen, I met him in Maze No. 6. Lucky he was with me, or I certainly wouldn¡¯t have made it out!¡± Then, Su Man introduced her companions to Lu Yuwen. ¡°This is Yan Qingwen, this is Shen Mo, this is¡­¡± When she introduced Bai Youwei, Su Man¡¯s eyes crinkled in a smile, she said to Lu Yuwen, ¡°This is Bai Youwei. See, I wasn¡¯t lying, right?¡± Lu Yuwen¡¯s gaze went directly to Bai Youwei¡¯s legs. He thought Su Man was just comforting him, but it turned out to be true¡­ How could it be? Without even the basic ability to move, how could she pass through those bizarre games? Bai Youwei was sitting in a wheelchair, her expressionless face looking at the two, ¡°Hey, Su Man, has your new friend never seen a cripple before?¡± Su Man burst out laughing, ¡°Hahaha¡­ Weiwei, don¡¯t misunderstand, actually, he used to be a little lame, so that¡¯s why he¡¯s staring at you like that!¡± Bai Youwei frowned at Lu Yuwen¡¯s leg. ¡°His leg has healed!¡± Su Man hastily told Bai Youwei, ¡°It turns out that the maze can heal any injury, even old ones can be cured! Weiwei, you¡¯ve entered the maze a few times, your legs must be getting better, right?!¡± Everyone looked at Bai Youwei. Shen Mo was also looking at her. Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± She had never mentioned this to Shen Mo, now that Su Man laid it bare, it was a bit embarrassing. ¡°¡­Of course not!¡± Bai Youwei replied irritably, with a hint of embarrassment, ¡°He was only lame, but I can¡¯t move at all, okay?! Are we even comparable?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Su Man nodded understandingly, ¡°If you enter the maze once more, you will certainly recover!¡± Bai Youwei made a face, saying disgruntledly, ¡°Now suddenly being brought to such a place, where is there any maze? It¡¯s so annoying¡­¡± Su Man looked around in puzzlement. ¡°Yes, why are we suddenly brought here¡­¡± Chapter 574: 574: Another Acquaintance Chapter 574: Another Acquaintance Su Man glanced around, noting that while there were many familiar faces, there were also many people missing. ¡°Where are Zhu Shu and Lun Ang?¡± She looked around, but didn¡¯t see them. ¡°Yu Yaqing and Li Li are also missing¡­¡± There was silence from Bai Youwei, her lips pursed shut. Yan Qingwen¡¯s face darkened. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were whispering to each other behind her¡­ Unaware, Su Man continued scanning the crowd for familiar faces, ¡°Strange, Yan, isn¡¯t it true that Lun Ang and Zhu Shu are always with you? Why can¡¯t I see them?¡± Lu Yuwen noticed Yan Qingwen¡¯s troubled expression, and suspected that something had happened to the people Su Man mentioned. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess. After all, with the world as it is now, every single game or trip into a maze is a matter of life and death. Having spent so much time in the maze with Su Man, how could her friends on the outside always be safe? ¡°Since it¡¯s called the Maze War, only those who hold puzzle pieces are summoned here,¡± Lu Yuwen said to Su Man. ¡°The friends you named may not have any pieces.¡± He tried to redirect her attention, so as not to let her go from the elation of escaping the maze to the painful reality of losing her friends. Su Man was confused for a moment. ¡ªZhu Shu and Yu Yaqing surely didn¡¯t have any puzzle pieces, Li Li used to have one, but he¡¯s in the research team, he probably had to hand it over¡­ As for the piece Lun Ang had, it might be held by Yan? Yan Qingwen took a serious look at Lu Yuwen and added, ¡°That¡¯s right. The only ones brought here are those who have puzzle pieces, even the ones that have been used.¡± ¡°Did you all hear that? The Maze War progression has reached 55%. Reserve players please report to the registration area,¡± Lu Yuwen said. On the other side, Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°After we left the game, we received the registration notice. When we arrived, the system informed us that because some people are still occupied in games or mazes, the preliminaries won¡¯t officially start until everyone is accounted for.¡± After a pause, he looked at Lu Yuwen and Su Man and said quietly, ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any new notification yet, which implies that there are other players with puzzle pieces still in the game or maze.¡± Bai Youwei grumbled in frustration, ¡°I wonder how worried Master Chang will be with us suddenly gone¡­¡± Chang Weicai was the only one of the five of them without a puzzle piece. Not far away, Fu Miaoxue said coldly, ¡°Maybe the old man¡¯s enjoying himself. He doesn¡¯t have to play games or go into a maze, unlike us, now. He¡¯s probably a lot more comfortable than us~¡± Yes, Fu Miaoxue was there too. But Du Lai was not. Most of the puzzle pieces Du Lai had were exchanged with Bai Youwei. The last remaining life-saving piece was also given to Fu Miaoxue. Shen Mo scanned the nearby area. Besides Fu Miaoxue, there was one more semi-familiar face amongst the crowd of Asians ¨C The White-gloved Man. The man was about 30, dressed in a grey trench coat, slightly open, revealing a light blue Oxford shirt underneath. He was slim and handsome. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was standing silently in the crowd. If it were not for the pair of white gloves that had caught Shen Mo¡¯s attention, he would have almost been unnoticed. Shen Mo quietly adverted his gaze. With the mischievous Fu Miaoxue, the dangerous White-gloved Man, and the newly appeared Lu Yuwen, whose bottom line was still unknown¡­ This preliminarily fight seems like it won¡¯t be an easy one. There was another commotion in the crowd. A new player had emerged from the glowing cube. Shen Mo looked towards the disturbance and was surprised. It was another familiar face¡­ Chapter 575: 575: Welcome, Welcome Chapter 575: Welcome, Welcome These were two Asian men in their twenties, young but not naively so. Their battle gear silently announced their special professional identities. However, they were currently coated in grime and bloodstains, it was unclear what sort of game they had experienced before this. Upon their entrance, stunned expressions briefly flashed across their faces before quickly returning to normal. They started walking towards us. There were no prompts or requests, but grouping was almost a natural human instinct. All the players had unconsciously formed different camps based on skin color and clothing style. The men naturally approached towards the cluster of Asian players. Once they noticed Shen Mo, they stopped in their tracks, stared this way, their faces filled with shock. Bai Youwei noticed them, and quietly posed a question to the Shen Mo at her side: ¡°Do you know them?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Mo gave a slight nod. ¡°They were my subordinates.¡± The two men continued to stand in their place, seemingly uncertain whether they should approach us or not. Only when Shen Mo signaled them did they finally walk over¡ªtheir faces could not hide their excitement¡ªas they choked out: ¡°Leader¡­¡± Shen Mo held up his hand to stop them, his voice calm: ¡°Call me Captain.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain!¡± Both of the men responded with red-rimmed eyes. Shen mo introduced them to the others: ¡°This is Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui, former members of a special forces unit. We lost each other on the way to meet up with Professor Song.¡± Everyone shared their names in a brief exchange, and acquaintances were made. At that moment, the white walls all around them suddenly flickered. The walls began to display large amounts of text, as if on a liquid crystal screen. It was densely packed! Upon further inspection, it turned out to me a single sentence, translated into various languages and arranged together¡ª ¡°Welcome,¡± ¤è¤¦¤³¤½,¡± welkom,¡± Bienvenue,¡± Willkommen,¡± Graditevi,¡± Bienvenida,¡± ¡­¡± A cold mechanical voice echoed through the air: ¡°Number of pre-qualifiers for this game, 241 people; Number of activated puzzle pieces, 502; Progress, 56%; Conditions for initiating the war have been met. Opening the sign-up channel for the war, please continue the game and strive to clear the level¡ª¡± Once the voice stopped talking, everyone was still puzzled. What preliminary competition? What war? What sign-up channel? No one knew what it all meant! As everyone was lost in confusion, the walls underwent another change. The heavy blocks of text vanished, replaced with the image of the Rabbit-head Inspector. ¡°Welcome, everyone.¡± In the image, the Rabbit-head Inspector courteously said: ¡°This preliminary round, will be moderated by me explaining the rules. I believe you have all heard that if you collect all the puzzle pieces, you may clear all the games. However, with the mazes located all over the world, it is unrealistic for one person to collect all the maze puzzle pieces. So, for the sake of fairness, when the activation ratio of maze puzzle pieces surpasses 55%, the system will lock up the rest of the maps and initiate the Maze War. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. You will, through the Maze War, achieve your collecting goal by plundering the puzzle pieces of others. After claiming victory, you will also win the opportunity to unlock new mazes. However, please note¡ª One, once a player signs up, they may not withdraw midway. Two, if a participant forfeits the race, their puzzle pieces will be collected immediately.¡± Once these words were uttered, everyone was shocked. Every person¡¯s puzzle pieces were hard-earned. Now the Inspector was saying that if they didn¡¯t sign up, those hard-earned pieces would be taken back?! ¡°If you have no intention of collecting all the puzzle pieces, then what is the point of keeping them?¡± the rabbit-headed figure said with a slight smile. ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s more, the sign up roles for the competition are divided into ¡®King¡¯ and ¡®Subjects¡¯. If you don¡¯t want to take part in a brutal war, and yet don¡¯t want to give up your puzzle pieces, I suggest that you sign up under the role of ¡®Subject.''¡± Chapter 576: King or Subject Chapter 576: King or Subject ¡°Vassals who fail in the plundering war will not become puppets but will lose puzzle pieces; Vassals who win in the plundering war will not get rewards, all the spoils are handed over to the King, and the King has the right to distribute rewards. When a vassal holds no puzzle pieces, the vassal is demoted to a commoner and leaves the battlefield. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡­ ¡± With the Inspector¡¯s explanation, the wall became illuminated once again with texts, displaying the complicated rules one by one before everyone¡¯s eyes¡ª When you say it¡¯s complicated, it¡¯s actually not, it¡¯s nothing more than the system letting a group of players slaughter each other. But to say it¡¯s simple, it¡¯s not simple, because it involves two different identities: The King, and the vassal. The Inspector asked everyone with a smile, ¡°So¡­ do you choose to be the King, or the vassal? Or do you choose to quit the war and completely give up the chance to complete the puzzle? You have 10 hours to consider it.¡± After speaking, the figure of the Inspector disappeared, leaving only the text of the rules on the wall. Almost immediately, some people started to back out. Su Man was one of them. Not long ago, she was excited about acquiring three puzzle pieces, but now she just felt like she was holding a hot potato! ¡°I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t do it¡­¡± Su Man regretted ruthlessly, ¡°I can¡¯t do it¡­¡± She knew very well her capabilities, if she were to enter the game with her comrades, she might be able to play a role, but if she were to enter the game alone, playing games of wits and strategy, she wouldn¡¯t stand a chance! Lu Yuwen comforted her: ¡°If you give up, the puzzle pieces will be recycled, you might as well choose to be a vassal. This way, even if you lose the game, there¡¯s no danger, you will just lose one puzzle piece.¡± ¡°But who will be the King?¡± Su Man asked anxiously as she looked at her companions. Vassals must rely on a King for survival. A Yan Qingwen thought for a while, then looked at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, ¡°King or vassal, what have you two decided?¡± Bai Youwei calmly replied, ¡°The king has the right to distribute, can recruit vassals, punish vassals, definitely choosing to be the King~¡± ¡°But the risk of being the King is high.¡± Yan Qingwen analyzed calmly, ¡°If a vassal loses the game, they only lose the puzzle piece, but if the King loses the game, they lose their life. This means that the King must maintain a winning streak in the war game in order to collect all the puzzle pieces.¡± ¡°The higher the risk, the higer the reward.¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, showing no intention of changing her mind, ¡°The King can recruit vassals, get the vassals¡¯ spoils, freely distribute rewards, and can demote vassals to commoners. With so many privileges, it¡¯s normal for the risk to be a little higher.¡± ¡°Our original intention was to collect puzzle pieces, if we choose to be vassals, that would amount to voluntarily handing over our rewards, what¡¯s the point in that?¡± Yan Qingwen thought for a while, then turned his head to Shen Mo: ¡°What about you?¡± Shen Mo replied lightly: ¡°I also choose to be the King.¡± Yan Qingwen raised his lips slightly: ¡°Not worried about internal competition?¡± Shen Mo shook his head indifferently, ¡°The King has one chance to surrender. This small detail is obviously designed to promote teamwork. Internal competition can be resolved through surrender, but if there is only one King, the risk is too concentrated, which is even more disadvantageous.¡± Once Bai Youwei fails, the remaining vassals will be a headless dragon, and they will have to rely on other Kings.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Bai Youwei, then at Shen Mo: ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s like you two have to maintain a winning streak, or you could die.¡± Bai Youwei lazily propped her chin and asked him: ¡°After all this babble, which side do you choose?¡±¡± ¡°Me¡­¡± Yan Qingwen smiled, ¡°I choose to be the King too.¡± Bai Youwei laughed: ¡°What, aren¡¯t you afraid of dying?¡± ¡°Afraid, of course I am.¡± Yan Qingwen¡¯s smile faded, ¡°It¡¯s just that, compared to dying, there are worse things to fear.¡± Chapter 577: Four Kings Chapter 577: Four Kings Fears of a life leading nowhere, fear of making wrong choices, fear of not giving it your all, resulting in lifelong regrets, and an eventual death of frustration. Compared to these torments, what is death, really? Fu Miaoxue craned her neck to see them in discussion, and couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, ¡°Hey hey hey! There are already three of you Kings! Even though a King gets one chance to surrender, no one knows when they¡¯ll meet an ally. You might end up dead before you even meet each other!¡± A labyrinth war, from one King to another. The chances of meeting allies in the game are not high. Yan Qingwen glanced at the crowd in the distance. They were discussing in hushed tones too; although they tried to hide their anxiety, the tension was clear to see. Those who could make it here had naturally gone through many games and mazes. Everyone knew what this game ¨C the so-called ¡®War¡¯ ¨C meant. Yan Qingwen said slowly, ¡°There are a total of 241 people here; assuming that there are 10 people per game, that¡¯s 24 games. If two people per game progress, that¡¯s 24 going down to 12, then 12 to 6, then 6 to 3, and finally we¡¯ll have the champion from the last 3 groups. Of course, the exact rules aren¡¯t clear right now. But if we go by this progression, a King needs to lead their subjects to win four games in a row for ultimate victory. On the other hand, if teams are divided, the likelihood of victory might increase if they meet an ally and surrender, thus consolidating their forces. I guess that¡¯s what everyone else is deliberating too: whether to split their teams to gain the biggest advantage.¡± ¡°Wow ¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue blinked, ¡°Going by your logic, if we can gather more Kings¡­ umm¡­ let say 12! As long as we meet an ally, we surrender, surrender, and surrender. Winning will be a breeze!¡± ¡°How is that supposed to be easy?¡± Bai Youwei resting her cheek on her hand grumbled, ¡°The total number of people doesn¡¯t change, the more Kings there are, the fewer subjects there are to command. In plain terms, that means less help in the game. If other Kings have seven helpers, but you only have one, how are you playing this game? You¡¯d definitely be battered severely.¡± Fu Miaoxue pouted unhappily, ¡°It¡¯s so bothersome; it¡¯s a problem whether there are too few or too many Kings. Du Lai isn¡¯t here either. I don¡¯t want to play anymore~ I¡¯ll opt to be a subject, you all carry on!¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei squinted her eyes, thought of something and gave a smile: ¡°Are you sure about signing up to be a subject? Ah~ I remember the rules mentioned that a King can recruit subjects. But that¡¯s only if you have spare puzzle pieces. You only have one puzzle piece; even if you want to recruit Du Lai, you probably can¡¯t~¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes sparkled, she immediately responded: ¡°I¡¯ll sign up to be a King! A King! A King! No take-backs!¡± What¡¯s there to fear with just a single puzzle piece? As long as she wins one round, wouldn¡¯t she be able to recruit Du Lai? Since Su Man didn¡¯t know Fu Miaoxue and found this veiled woman quite strange, she couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°In this case, there will be four Kings¡­¡± Lu Yuwen looked at this group of people, all of them strangers. The only person he could really talk to was Su Man. ¡°I¡¯ll be a subject,¡± Lu Yuwen stated, ¡°I¡¯m not really interested in collecting puzzle pieces, but I also don¡¯t want to be demoted to a commoner, so I¡¯ll choose to be a subject.¡± He looked at Su Man and asked, ¡°Which King will you choose? I don¡¯t know these people. Whichever one you choose, I¡¯ll follow.¡± After hesitating, Su Man chose to go with Yan Qingwen after glancing between him and Bai Youwei. Zhu Shu and Lun Ang were not around, so she couldn¡¯t just let Yan Qingwen fight alone. Shen Mo¡¯s former subordinates, Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui, naturally continued to follow Shen Mo. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin followed Bai Youwei. Fu Miaoxue was amused, ¡°Only two subjects and even a child, hahaha!¡± ¡°Crazy,¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°I have puzzle pieces to recruit subjects. You don¡¯t even have a single extra puzzle piece, yet you still find it amusing. You¡¯re really optimistic.¡± Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fu Miaoxue bit her lip, ¡°¡­Just you wait! My puzzle pieces will exceed yours one day!¡± Chapter 578: 578: The Composition of Spoils of War Chapter 578: The Composition of Spoils of War Bai Youwei didn¡¯t want to argue with her, waving her hand and saying, ¡°You should first worry about saving your own life~¡± The Inspector had given them 10 hours to consider, which was too precious to waste on a war of words. Bai Youwei ignored Fu Miaoxue, concentrating on the rules displayed on the white wall and carefully pondering them. Yan Qingwen also fully utilized her time. After briefly discussing with Su Man and Lu Yuwen, the three of them left the team and walked towards the distant crowd, apparently intending to gather information. The two members of the base assessment team were discussing in low voices, still hesitating; should they choose to pledge allegiance to a king here, or form their own king¡¯s team? Several other unfamiliar Asian faces were huddled in small groups, discussing in hushed tones. Everyone was trying to find a way to increase their chances of survival within these 10 hours. Fu Miaoxue stood alone in the corner, watching everyone bustling around. She felt somewhat bewildered¡­ Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡­ Tan Xiao squatted against the wall, idly scratching his hair in boredom. His hair had grown quite long. It was no longer the fashionable ¡°granny grey¡±, but was half white and half black. He was prepared for this. Taking a red sports headband out of his pocket, he comfortably put it on. It covered his black roots and revealed his white hair tips. After standing up and shaking out his oversized T-shirt and slapping off the dust from his ripped jeans, he still felt like a trendy, cool young man~ Pity nobody was there to appreciate it. To his left, Shen Mo was talking to the two new guys; To his right, Bai Youwei was staring at the rules on the wall, remaining silent. Even Pan Xiaoxin had something to do, taking notes on a small notebook beside Bai Youwei. Tan Xiao thought for a moment, then leaned over to Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°Weiwei¡­ Are we really going to separate from Brother Mo?¡± The several of them had always been together. Without Shen Mo, Tan Xiao felt uneasy. ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei was looking at the game rules, her tone a little lonely, ¡°There¡¯s no choice. We need to have at least two kings. That¡¯s the only way we stand a chance in the labyrinth war.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I know, you just said that.¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head, ¡°If we only have one king, we¡¯d have to win many games in a row to win. If we lose once, there¡¯s no room for mistake. But if there are three kings and one loses, there are still two. Also, we can surrender to each other during the game. Is that the idea?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just one of the reasons we¡¯re splitting up¡­ there¡¯s another one¡­¡± Bai Youwei pointed to a line in the rules, ¡°Take a good look at this rule.¡± Tan Xiao got a headache when he saw such dense explanatory text. He never even read the instruction manuals for appliances. But since Bai Youwei asked him to read, he had no choice but to go ahead and read it. The rule read¡ª The war game itself provides no rewards, but the winning king can acquire spoils of war. The spoils of war consist of two parts: The first part, all puzzle pieces and items of the enemy king; The second part, every subject of the enemy must contribute a puzzle piece. Tan Xiao finished reading. But he was still confused, not understanding how this related to them splitting up? ¡°Do you know why the ancient kings loved to wage war?¡± Bai Youwei looked at the rows of characters, her expression cold, ¡°¡­Because war is the most efficient way to amass wealth. If two kings went to war once, they could bring back 2 spoils of war. If they went to war twice, they could bring back 4 spoils of war, and if they went to war thrice, they could bring back 6 spoils of war. But if there was just one king, he would have only amassed 3 spoils of war by then¡­ With the exponential accumulation of spoils of war, the advantage will become greater and greater. The puzzle pieces can be used to recruit more subjects, and the items will increase the team¡¯s survival rate. The games to follow will become easier. So do you understand now? If there¡¯s only one king, the later the game, the more difficult it will be!¡± At this point, Bai Youwei paused, murmuring to herself in a low voice: ¡°Of course¡­ the risks are high¡­especially in the early stages of the game with no accumulation. It¡¯s easy for everyone to get wiped out.¡± Chapter 579: 579: Never Give Up Rights Chapter 579: Never Give Up Rights Even after careful consideration, even after making the resolution, the thoughts of separation still make me uneasy. It¡¯s not about how much she trusts Shen Mo or how much Shen Mo feels comfortable with her. But after the two of them discussed, they found they had to break up¡­ Without separating, even if they manage to win at the beginning of the game, it wouldn¡¯t change the trend of them being at a disadvantage. So, they must separate. Bai Youwei sighed in silence. Looking around, she noticed that Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were staring at her in a daze. Pan Xiaoxin hesitated to ask, ¡°Sister Weiwei, we still have Brother Yan, right?¡± Tan Xiao also whispered, ¡°Sure, Brother Yan has a king on his side. Wouldn¡¯t it be all right if we work with him? It¡¯s far better than our separation¡­¡± Bai Youwei listened and frowned, ¡°Can they be the same? If Shen Mo¡¯s the King, when he runs into me in the game, he¡¯d certainly surrender to me. Try asking Yan Qingwen to surrender you all? We would be ripped off by him without knowing how the bargaining would end up!¡± It¡¯s not that Yan Qingwen was not good, it¡¯s just that their friendships with him were not so profound that he would willingly give up the Maze War! Pan Xiaoxin and Tan Xiao should be clear about this, why would they still raise such points? Bai Youwei pondered a bit and she soon figured it out. Pan Xiaoxin and Tan Xiao did not have such a strong desire to piece together the puzzle, even maybe, they did not truly understand the significance of piecing the puzzle, therefore, they naturally chose a more conservative method. Understanding this, Bai Youwei felt a bit stunned. ¡­Did she make assumptions too easily? Perhaps nobody is willing to risk anything for the puzzle and it would be more comfortable to stay in the dollhouse, right? Gathering all the puzzle pieces was initially the goal of only a few people¡­ More people just wanted to survive, then to live one day after another. As for the questions about the truths of the world, the meaning of life, the value of existence¡­ These grand issues are not cared about by everyone. Bai Youwei was deep in thought. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin look at each other, oblivious to her feelings. After a while, she finally said, ¡°You guys can surrender¡­ There¡¯s no penalty for not entering the game, just your puzzles would be taken away¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do that!¡± Tan Xiao got extremely agitated all of a sudden, ¡°Good buddies should be loyal to each other, ready to protect each other no matter what! How can we surrender now?! The rumor of it would make a bad effect in future!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­.¡± Having been with him for this long, she still could not figure out Tan Xiao¡¯s way of thinking. The actual puzzle doesn¡¯t interest him, but the intangible virtues such as loyalty somehow make him animated? What¡¯s there to be animated about¡­ Really¡­ Pan Xiaoxin is way more practical than Tan Xiao, he answered, ¡°I won¡¯t surrender either. I¡¯m young, if I participate as a commoner, maybe they¡¯ll underestimate me, and we can take the opportunity.¡± Tan Xiao rubbed his head with a smile, ¡°Not bad, Xiaoxin! You even know about taking opportunities!¡± Pan Xiaoxin was struggling to prevent Tan Xiao from rubbing his head, ¡°Even if we lose¡­ that¡¯s okay, we would just become commoners. But we can¡¯t surrender now, Sister Weiwei will definitely need support in the game¡­¡± Tan Xiao praised him again, ¡°Great! Your deeds of loyalty look just like me when I was young and adventurous!¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help laughing and her gloomy mood faded away. Maybe she was the narrow-minded one. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin did not have much interest in the puzzle, but they had their reasons to exist in this game. Bai Youwei laughed and said, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s bring together all of the tools and puzzles, see how we should arrange them.¡± The three of them brought out all different tools and puzzles, scattered all around. ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao exclaimed in surprise. Pan Xiaoxin was holding a tool, his face changed. ¡°What happened?¡± Bai Youwei looked at them, her gaze fell on the bronze mirror in Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hand. She reached out and took the bronze mirror, frowning immediately. All these tools¡­ All, have malfunctioned. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 580: 580: Invalid Prop Chapter 580: Invalid Prop [Miss Liu¡¯s bronze mirror: ineffective] [Miss Liu¡¯s incense burner: ineffective] These were the props obtained in the game of ¡®Fair Fortune¡¯. After the game ended, they received an enrollment notification and were subsequently transported here, so the props hadn¡¯t had time to be stored in the doll house and were all still held in hand. Despite the hurry at the time, Bai Youwei could confirm that the props obtained by Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin were effective. Because if they noticed the ¡°ineffective¡± message the moment they touched the prop, they would surely put the prop down and choose another reward prop. But they didn¡¯t do so. That is, the props became ineffective after leaving the game. Bai Youwei frowned, placing the box of incense she had chosen in the game in her hand. [Miss Liu¡¯s aromatherapy: enhances some props, must be used with Miss Liu¡¯s incense burner.] Her prop was still effective, but Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s props were all ineffective. She guessed that the pipa that Teacher Cheng got also suffered the same fate. ¡°Should we ask Teacher Cheng?¡± Pan Xiaoxin quietly asked. Bai Youwei frowned and shook her head, ¡°Opening the doll house in this place is too conspicuous, and we came directly here after exiting the game, Teacher Cheng is not inside the doll house.¡± Shen Mo, not far away, saw that they seemed to have some problems, so he walked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Bai Youwei put away the prop, feeling a bit uncomfortable inside, ¡°The props they took from the ¡®Fair Fortune¡¯ game turned invalid.¡± They initially thought they had scored a huge bargain, but it turned out to be nothing. The feeling was like being fooled. Thinking about how triumphant they were at that time, it felt even more aggrieved¡­ Shen Mo picked up the bronze mirror and looked at it, saying: ¡°After all, Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin did not directly participate in the game. It seems that players who join halfway through are deemed invalid in the system¡¯s judgment, so they can¡¯t obtain rewards.¡± His voice paused, and he pondered, ¡°Since it¡¯s invalid¡­ and it doesn¡¯t restrict entry into the game, then perhaps it won¡¯t restrict exiting either? Next time you find an opportunity, try to see if you can get everyone out of the game, and then go back.¡± Bai Youwei thought about his idea, and she felt enlightened. ¡°Indeed¡­ the players in the game are not allowed to leave the instance, but if they are considered invalid players unrecognised by the game system, then what reason does the system have to not let them leave?¡± As long as this is used properly, doesn¡¯t it mean that in future games, they would have several invisible helpers? sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It truly adheres to the old adage! When God closes a door, He always opens a window! Bai Youwei¡¯s mood was completely healed by Shen Mo! Her mood brightened, and she cheerily asked him, ¡°How¡¯s your progress over there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve recruited five subjects.¡± Shen Mo glanced at his subordinates and said indifferently, ¡°Fang Yu and Ya Chahui, as well as three individuals who were alone. I just had a chat with them, and there shouldn¡¯t be any issues.¡± There shouldn¡¯t be any problems, meaning those three individuals who were alone really were alone, not some schemers, or spies. It wasn¡¯t surprising that people who were alone approached Shen Mo. In such a situation, everyone is a stranger, but if they see two people dressed in combat suits among those following Shen Mo, they would undoubtedly feel that Shen Mo was trustworthy. Subjects pledging allegiance to a King would usually choose someone they feel assured with. On the other hand, Yan Qingwen also seemed to have some gains and was leading a few people back. From over two hundred people, from several large racial groups, they slowly subdivided into various small groups. Everyone was nervously making preparations. Bai Youwei glanced around, seeing Fu Miaoxue in the corner. She was still all by herself. Chapter 581: 581 Doctor Chapter 581: Chapter 581 Doctor Fu Miaoxue was dressed in a black dress, her head wrapped in ablack veil, and her entire person was covered from head to toe, even her hands were clad in black embroidered gloves. It can be said, not a single inch of her skin could be seen. Such attire was too striking, so nobody spoke to her. And she, assumming an air of importance, didn¡¯t seem to be actively seeking to form a team. Noticing Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, Fu Miaoxue glared at her through the black veil, and then walked off in a huff. Bai Youwei dismissed it with a casual twitch of her mouth. Shen Mo also saw Fu Miaoxue as she walked away, speaking lightly, ¡°If she were a citizen, she could be recruited, but sadly she¡¯s a king.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to recruit her, keeping her near would be like having a ticking time bomb,¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Such a bothersome individual is better left to cause trouble for others.¡± Shen Mo quirked his lips slightly, ¡°So you deliberately lured her to sign up as a king?¡± ¡°Others don¡¯t understand her, and will surely find her to be a thorn in their side, but I understand her¡­¡± Bai Youwei squinted her eyes, looking towards the departing Fu Miaoxue, ¡°She is like a paper tiger, often frightening others.¡± Having such a person serve as a king would both suppress other kings and pose no threat to Bai Youwei ¨C why wouldn¡¯t Bai Youwei be pleased with this? Compared to Fu Miaoxue, Shen Mo was more interested in the actions of the gentleman in the white gloves. In a short time, several people had already gathered around the gentleman in white gloves, suggesting he was also one of the kings. Yan Qingwen walked over with an unhappy expression; behind him were Su Man and Lu Yuwen. Bai Youwei tilted her head and asked curiously, ¡°Where are the citizens you just recruited?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± Yan Qingwen pointed in a certain direction with a unhappy expression, gesturing for Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to look in that direction. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There was a crowd of people over there. In the middle of the crowd stood a man wearing a white coat, likely in his forties. He looked gentle, carrying a kind smile. His demeanor and appearance were completely non-threatening, and easily evoked a sense of familiarity. However, the presence of such a benevolent face at the Maze War pre-selection sign-up venue felt bizarre. ¡°That guy, nicknamed ¡®Doctor¡¯, has already recruited sixteen citizens.¡± Yan Qingwen said with a frown, his tone exuding a hint of frigidity, ¡°The other teams have only recruited about four to five citizens each. He is the only one who has exceeded ten. The people we had just recruited were also attracted over.¡± ¡°Could he be someone who specialises in psychology?¡± Bai Youwei murmured suspiciously as she looked over at the man in the distance, ¡°I wonder if we will encounter him in the upcoming games.¡± Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°It would not be surprising if someone selected by the system possesses some extraordinary abilities.¡± Yan Qingwen frowned, ¡°We still have plenty of time, let¡¯s continue observing. We mustn¡¯t overlook even those unassuming players. They could potentially end up being our opponents in the upcoming games.¡± As the saying goes, knowing the enemy and knowing oneself are the keys to victory. Their strategy for the remaining time was to interact with as many players as possible. That was Yan Qingwen¡¯s approach, and the same went for Shen Mo. Time slowly passed amidst these cautious observations and probes¡­ When the ten hours of deliberation came to an end, the image of the Rabbit Inspector appeared once again on the wall ¨C ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you all again. After ten hours of deep thought, I am confident that all of you have made your decisions¡­¡± The rabbit-headed figure took a turn, smiling. ¡°However, before each of you announces your decision, I have an announcement to make.¡± Everyone looked at it, confused. It then spoke, word by word, ¡°This competition is a preliminary round. All registered players are required to enter the arena. Those who triumph are successfully registered.¡± Chapter 582: 582: Preliminary Competition Rules Chapter 582: Preliminary Competition Rules The rules of the preliminary match are as follows: First, all registered players enter the field for the game; Second, winning the game means successful registration. Third, losing the game means failed registration. The King will be demoted to subject if they lose, and the subject will be demoted to commoner if they lose. In other words, registration is not ¡°free¡±, but only achievable through victory in the game, granting eligibility for the Maze War. One cannot simply become a king or subject by will, if lost, an identity downgrade awaits. Fortunately, whether you are a king or a subject, losing a game does not pose a risk to your life. This fact slightly reassured Bai Youwei. If it were a matter of life and death, she would rather have Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin forfeit and become commoners directly, because it¡¯s worrying when these two act alone. Two beams of light appeared in the massive white space. In one beam of light, the shadow of a sword appeared, while a crown emerged in the other. ¡°Please make your final choice.¡± The Inspector¡¯s voice was gentle and polite, yet also full of anticipation. ¡°King players, please choose the Crown; Subject players, please choose the Sword. Please take with you your props and puzzles too, as the preliminary matched will commence immediately once all players have made their selections.¡± The entire room filled with the chatter of 241 people, a constant buzz of voices. Bai Youwei pulled Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin aside and whispered, ¡°The Inspector didn¡¯t specify the details of the preliminary match game. Perhaps everyone will participate in a large-scale game together, or perhaps it will be divided into groups. I lean towards the latter. In games with large numbers of players, it¡¯s too easy for opportunist behavior to occur. If the system genuinely wants to confer the titles of kings and subjects, it should separate these hundreds of players into distinct matches, but this would probably mean we won¡¯t be in the same game.¡± ¡°You two have never experienced solo games before. Listen to me now: no matter what situation you encounter in the game, your first move is to find someone to team up with! Choose the strongest player to team up with! If you can¡¯t tell who¡¯s the strongest, use this—¡± Bai Youwei handed each of them four puzzle pieces. ¡°These four puzzle pieces, along with those you already have on you, make five. That¡¯s a pretty substantial number among the subjects. Any king with ambition will find ways to win you over in order to get the puzzle pieces in your hands. The king will strive to secure victory with you. Do you understand?¡± Pan Xiaoxin nodded with a serious look on her face. Tan Xiao listened attentively as well. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo came over, taking Miss Liu¡¯s longevity lock and putting it around Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s neck. Bai Youwei was slightly taken aback and asked him, ¡°And what about you?¡± ¡°My mud can still be used twice,¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°Xiaoxin doesn¡¯t have any healing props. It¡¯s safer for her to wear this.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, then reiterated her point to the two, ¡°Be smart. Use your props when you need to. You both still have the Lucky Question Card and the Snowflake. If you lose, all your props will belong to someone else!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Tan Xiao immediately replied, ¡°Even if we lose, we¡¯ll use up all the props before that happens. Otherwise, we would be strengthening our enemies! Don¡¯t worry, Weiwei, I get this! It¡¯s like when we used to fight for territory with big brother. We¡¯d take all we could, and smash the rest. We¡¯d never let those bastards profit!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± So that¡¯s how you developed your underworld vibe? ¡°Look over there.¡± Shen Mo said. They looked over and saw that the light ring of the crown was densely packed with people, while the light ring of the sword only had a few scattered around. Tan Xiao was stunned: ¡°Wow¡­ so many Kings?¡± Chapter 583: 583: The Preliminary Competition Begins Chapter 583: The Preliminary Competition Begins Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s not hard to understand. If the King loses, he can continue the game as a subject. But if a subject loses, he becomes a commoner, losing the right to play the game. In other words, those who apply for the position of King have an additional way out.¡± King loses ¨C becomes a subject ¨C continues the game. Subject loses ¨C becomes a commoner ¨C leaves the game. ¡°But the King will die in the official labyrinth war.¡± Pan Xiaoxin, though young, was very cautious, he frowned, ¡°Even if the subjects lose in the war, they only lose a puzzle piece. Whichever way you look at it, choosing to be a subject seems safer, right?¡± The King has a chance to surrender.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Most of the people here are solo players, or duos, very few are teams of three or more. These players lack the conditions to compete for king. For them, surrendering to anyone is the same.¡± Tan Xiao hesitated, ¡°Then¡­ should we apply to be the king too?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°In case the two of you win and become kings, I¡¯ll have to worry about whether you¡¯ll surrender in the official game.¡± Pan Xiaoxin grabbed Tan Xiao¡¯s arm and said seriously, ¡°Brother Xiao, if we become the King, it¡¯ll be very troublesome. If we lose, we will die. If we surrender, we will become subjects to others, and the hope of winning¡­ isn¡¯t too high.¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head, ¡°Then let us choose to be subjects¡­¡± Bai Youwei turned to Shen Mo and handed him some puzzle pieces, ¡°Do the subjects you just recruited need these?¡± She remembered that two of the recruits were Shen Mo¡¯s former subordinates, they have a close relationship, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to pay a little more attention to them. Shen Mo reached out and pulled out a piece from them and put it into his pocket, ¡°I¡¯ll keep a puzzle piece. If they pass the preselection game, I can still give them puzzle pieces later.¡± Bai Youwei pondered and then nodded slightly, ¡°That¡¯s okay, by then we can give each of them a piece, plus their own puzzles, to ensure they don¡¯t become commoners in the game even if they lose.¡± Since they are being recruited, of course they need some benefits. Giving them puzzle pieces is just the first step, if they want these players to be loyal in the game, they will probably have to distribute props to the subjects in the later stages of the battle game. Shen Mo asked her, ¡°Do you have anything else for me?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly stunned. He doesn¡¯t need puzzle pieces, he has enough props, so what hasn¡¯t she given him yet? She lowered her head and rummaged through her own bag¨C A dart gun, flower seeds, friend invitation card, Snowflake, hairpin, Miss Liu¡¯s perfume¡­ The more she rummaged, the more disgusted she became. Over this long period of time, she had unwittingly accumulated so much ¡°junk¡±. Bai Youwei¡¯s face turned a bit unpleasant. A shadow fell in front of her, Shen Mo leaning over, his hand on the arm of his wheelchair. He stared into her eyes, silent for a moment, then gently kissed her lips and said in a low voice: ¡°Be careful in the game.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Her face slowly turned red¡­ ¡°You¡­you too, be careful¡­¡± She stuttered in reply, her face turning even redder. Damn it, why was she stammering? So annoying! Shen Mo smiled, kissed her again, then squeezed her little hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± From a distance, people watched the two of them approach, casting sidelong glances, but it was only a few quick looks before their attention was redirected. At this moment, everyone was more interested in the upcoming game. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Crown halo was filled with players, and in contrast, the crowd under the Sword halo appeared pathetically few. The Rabbit-headed Inspector announced calmly: ¡°A total of 241 players, 5 people forfeit, 197 people applied for King, 39 people applied for subject. So, the preselection game¡­ begins.¡± Chapter 584: 584: Red, Yellow, Blue Chapter 584: Red, Yellow, Blue ¡°Ding! Welcome to the Doll Game!¡± ¡°The theme of this game is ¡®Red, Yellow, Blue¡¯, a non-conventional game, the win or lose scenario will be determined by the supervising Inspector¨C¡± As the white light shone, the familiar voice echoed, and at least this time it didn¡¯t repeat the part about turning into a doll again. Before Bai Youwei could see what was in front of her, she first felt the chill under her feet, then realized, dazedly, that she was on a beach. The icy sea water was washing over her feet. Her socks and shoes soaked, Bai Youwei knitted her brows and rolled her wheelchair towards the shore. She wouldn¡¯t want to be drowned by the sea before figuring out the game. Pushing the wheels sunk deep into the sand was challenging. When she finally moved a little further away from the sea, she saw a blond man not far away staring at her. Bai Youwei looked back at him. Oddly, the man¡¯s eyeballs were red. Seeing Bai Youwei getting closer, the blond man ran away in a panic. When he turned to run, Bai Youwei saw a number printed on his back: 17. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The conspicuous red number stood out on his white shirt. It didn¡¯t look like a decoration on clothes. Could this be a number in the game? Maybe each player has one? With this nagging suspicion, Bai Youwei stopped and sought a secluded spot to check if she had a number as well. When she turned her head, she saw a ¡°11¡± printed near the shoulder on her right sleeve. Seems that the each player¡¯s number was placed at a different location. Bai Youwei frowned in slight annoyance. If the number was on her back, it would be easier to conceal, for her long hair and the chairback of her wheelchair would shield it from view. But if the number was on her sleeve, it¡¯d be rather hard to hide. At that moment, there was a peal of bells in the distance. It sounded like a call to gather people. Perhaps these numbers weren¡¯t significant, so she should first head towards the bells. But if these numbers were important¡­ Her complacency at this moment might lead her into a predicament. After much consideration, Bai Youwei decided to disregard the bells temporarily, cover the number first, and then deal with the rest. She found a cinder block on the beach, hid behind it, took off her dress, and turned it inside out before putting it on again¨C The inside-out dress looked odd, but only upon close inspection would the anomaly be evident. Bai Youwei inspected it repeatedly to be certain that the number couldn¡¯t be seen before she confidently emerged from behind the cinder block. The bell was still tolling. She leaned on the stone wall as she slowly moved back to her wheelchair, wheezed a breath, and then rolled her wheelchair in the direction of the bells¡­ ¡­ This place appeared to be a man-made island. The deeper she went, the fewer plants there were, and the road became smoother. There were no obstacles for Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair and it moved faster and faster. As she approached the center, she found that it was almost a huge, incredibly flat square. And in the middle of the square, many players had gathered. The players were vigilantly watching each other. Some of them had red eyes, some had yellow eyes, while others had blue eyes. Red, yellow, and blue. Bai Youwei roughly understood why the blond man had run away. He must have been scared by the color of her eyes, even to the extent of viewing her as a monster in the game. There was also a small house in the middle of the square. A sphere rolled out from the house¨C This time it wasn¡¯t Jin Qiu, nor was it a glass sphere, but a solid stone sphere. ¡°Hello everyone! I am the Inspector of this game, Welcome to the Doll Game!¡± The sphere rolled happily on the ground, with three different colored eyes carved on its surface. As it rolled, those three colored eyes took turns appearing in everyone¡¯s field of vision¡ªred, yellow, and blue. Chapter 585: Guest X Chapter 585: Guest X ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve all noticed, haven¡¯t you? This game has to do with your eyes~¡± The sphere said cheerfully, then sprang onto a small house. The small house was cylindrical, and its roof was shaped like an inverted bowl, perfectly supporting this huge stone ball. It revolved on the rooftop, making a squeaking noise while saying: ¡°On this island, there are 30 residents, which is to say, all of you¡ªRed Eyes, Yellow Eyes, Blue Eyes. The game will only end once everyone has the same eye color. In other words, the requirement to clear this game is for there to be only one remaining eye color!¡± Out of red, yellow, and blue, only one color can survive! The atmosphere instantly tensed up. People with different eye colors began sizing each other up, on guard, confronting each other. The sphere said unhurriedly, ¡°Hey~ what kind of looks are those? Hey hey hey, violence is forbidden~ Absolutely no violence. If discovered, the violators will be immediately eliminated!¡± Among the crowd, a muscular black man spat out in annoyance. His body brimming with muscles, his advantage was quite obvious, but unfortunately, the Inspector didn¡¯t give him a chance to leverage it. ¡°You all see this small house?¡± The Inspector hopped twice on the roof, ¡°Well~ All you have to do is come in and vote every 8 hours. The 5 players with the highest number of votes will be eliminated. After five rounds of voting, there will be 5 players remaining. If these 5 players have the same eye color, then congratulations~ You¡¯ve won the game and gained the qualification to join! But if the colors aren¡¯t the same among the five¡­ then you lose. Only the X-guest could win the game! ~Ah, did I forget to introduce the X-guest to you?¡± The sphere hit the ground with a bang, quickly rolled in a circle around the house. ¡°The X-guest is not a resident of the island, so his eye color is fake! He¡¯s hiding among you all as we speak!¡± Everyone was taken aback and began looking more nervously at one another. The sphere laughed heartily in triumph. ¡°How could the X-guest be found so easily? They could be disguised as Red Eyes, Yellow Eyes, or even Blue Eyes! ~ S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If you can eliminate the X-guest, regardless of the color of the remaining players¡¯ eyes, all of you will win the game!¡± Bai Youwei listened quietly. The rules sounded complicated, but really, all she needed to grasp were two key points. The first, if the players all have the same eye color, they can pass. The second, if the X-guest is eliminated, they can pass. Either condition can be met to pass. A tall woman in the crowd asked, ¡°What is the specific manner of voting? Who counts the votes? If there is a tie in the number of votes, how would it be resolved?¡± ¡°Wow~ good question.¡± The sphere chuckled and explained, ¡°The way to vote is just as I¡¯ve described earlier, in this small house. Only one person may enter at a time, everyone must vote, and no one may abstain! When voting, use the numbers on each of you as the voting codes!¡± Once these words were spoken, many people in the crowd¡¯s expressions significantly changed as they suddenly realized they had numbers on them! Some on the collar, some on the leg, some on the heel, and some on the hat! All were in places not easily noticed by oneself! They attempted to cover their numbers with their hands, but it was too late. Some people had already noticed their numbers! The clever ones had already noted it down! The sphere¡¯s voice deepened as it emphasized again: ¡°Absolutely no violence allowed~ and no skipping voting too! Don¡¯t think you can take this lightly just because it¡¯s a preliminary competition, otherwise, you¡¯ll definitely regret it!¡± Chapter 586 - 586 What is Your Dream (Added more for an emotionless fairy) Chapter 586: Chapter 586 What is Your Dream (Added more for an emotionless fairy) Regret? What could there be to regret about? Losing the game does not mean losing one¡¯s life. In that respect, this game is a hundred times gentler than those out there. Bai Youwei believes that some were forced, like ducks to the water, to participate in these preliminaries. It was just like Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin, who, despite having a puzzle, showed little interest in snatching other¡¯s puzzles. If they lost, they would simply withdraw from the ¡°Labyrinth War¡±. There was nothing to lose. As for completing the puzzle, making all the dolls¡¯ games disappear, someone else will do such world-saving things. After all, tall people will hold up the sky when it falls. Seemingly discerning Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts, the Inspector asked the crowd leisurely: ¡°Hmm, odd¡­ Why does it seem like no one here is enthusiastic? Do you believe that it doesn¡¯t matter if you lose?¡± Everyone silently watched the ball, their nerves taut, no one bothered answering. The ball wobbled, moving as if shaking its head. ¡°This won¡¯t do! A game without a competitive spirit is boring! Uninteresting! Meaningless! Are you all intending to forfeit the fruits of victory so easily? Are you indifferent to how the world might change? Once you complete the puzzle, anything could possibly happen~¡± Immediately, someone in the crowd asked, ¡°After completing the puzzle, wouldn¡¯t all the games disappear? What else could happen?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The ball asked curiously, ¡°Who told you that completing the puzzle would make all the games disappear?¡± The crowd responded, ¡°The inspector from the preliminaries said so!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± The ball shook its head again, ¡°As an inspector, how could I provide wrong information? Think again, what exactly did the inspector say?¡± With a frown, Bai Youwei tried to recall. Indeed, it was the rabbit-headed man who said that, but he actually began with, ¡°You should have heard¡­¡± You should have heard¡­ Complete the puzzle, and all games will disappear, was only a ¡°rumor¡±. After thinking it over, she voiced out, ¡°I know someone who once obtained a special object that allowed him to ask the inspector any question. He asked how to make the dolls¡¯ games disappear, and the inspector replied that he needed to complete the puzzle.¡± The ball chuckled ominously, and mystically affirmed, ¡°After completing the puzzle, anything could happen, including the disappearance of the dolls¡¯ games~¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s expression shifted, ¡°Anything¡­ What does that mean?¡± The ball rotated on its own, shaking its tricolored eye totem, ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re all so dense! The Labyrinth War categorizes you into kings and subjects for a reason! What is a king? A king does whatever he or she desires. If you want the games to disappear, sure thing! If you want the games to continue, you certainly can!¡± It rolled up to a shorthaired woman and asked her, ¡°You, what is your wish?¡± Caught off guard, the woman blurted out involuntarily. ¡°Just say anything, come on~¡± The ball urged. With a hint of hesitation, the woman said, ¡°I¡­ I want my family to come back to life.¡± ¡°Possible!¡± The ball replied briskly, ¡°A king can do whatever he or she desires!¡± It then rolled over to a broad bearded man, asking, ¡°And you? What is your dream?¡± The bearded man answered solemnly, ¡°I want my nation to become the greatest! All those damned whites should drop dead!¡± ¡°Ha, ha, ha! Sure, sure!¡± The ball laughed joyfully, ¡°A king can do anything they wish!¡± Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Next, the ball rolled up to Bai Youwei, ¡°What about you? Let¡¯s hear your dream!¡± Stuffed with malice, it asked, ¡°Do you want the game to disappear? Wish for your family to come back from the dead? Want the world to revert to its original state, like nothing ever happened, and you are still the forgotten, immobile, diaper-bound, stockpiler of countless sleeping pills, yet too frightened to take one, wretch?¡± Bai Youwei bit her lower lip tightly. Chapter 587: The Persistence of Circle Chapter 587: The Persistence of Circle She didn¡¯t respond. Globe laughed heartily, ¡°The king who wins the war can do anything he wants!¡± ¡ª¡ªNot just anything, such immense authority is akin to being a creator-like being! If they wish for someone to live, they will live! If they desire someone to die, they will die! Whether it be destroying the world or granting eternal life, it all rests within the thoughts of the king! By then, who would care whether the doll game exists or not? Bai Youwei discovered that the expressions of those around her had changed. Their breaths grew heavy and their eyes shone brightly, as if aflame, they were displaying a strong desire to win the game! The globe had successfully kindled the prologue of this preliminary competition, instilling fighting spirit in every player! Bai Youwei silently observed the crowd. This was going to be a chaotic battle, she had to find allies fast. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Unfortunately, out of the 30 people, she only recognized Shen Mo¡¯s two subordinates, one named Fang Yu and the other¡­ something Hui. The situation wasn¡¯t looking great, in a game involving a voting system, without allies, you are almost guaranteed to lose. Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, considering an opportunity to make contact with those two. At that moment, the globe hopped back onto the roof of the cylindrical building, its tone full of pride and arrogance: ¡°The game begins now, please return here for the first round of voting in 8 hours. Now, you may all go rest in your own rooms. There will be food and water in the room, along with a map of this island.¡± As soon as the sphere finished speaking, more than a dozen people rushed into the surrounding woods! They were all players who hadn¡¯t have time to conceal their number tags. After hearing the rules, they were impatient to find cover. Shen Mo¡¯s two subordinates hurried away as well. One of them glanced at Bai Youwei before leaving. His companion urged him, ¡°Hurry! There might be new clues in the room!¡± Without any more hesitation, he left with his companion. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t move from her spot, her brow slightly furrowed. They trusted Shen Mo, but not necessarily her. Plus, there was a good chance that the color of their eyes was different from hers, that they were from different camps, making it even less necessary for them to strike up a conversation with her. They had blue eyes¡­ Then her eyes should be either red or yellow. When Player 17, a foreign man, saw her, he looked terrified. At the time, he didn¡¯t know the rules of the game. So what eye color would make a person feel such fear? It definitely can¡¯t be blue eyes. That¡¯s not uncommon abroad~ Bai Youwei mused. She knew that some religious devotees believe red eyes to be a symbol of the devil. Following this line of thought, her eyes were likely red. Of course, yellow was also a possibility¡­ what if Player 17 was just a panicky person by nature? It seems she needs to find another way to verify this. By this time, there were few players left on the plaza. Bai Youwei also proceeded into the woods in her wheelchair, searching for her room. A small circular path was paved with stone bricks in the forest. Bai Youwei felt that the sphere¡¯s eccentricities were incredibly apparent. It had a preference for anything round. With the cylindrical house in the center, the plaza was round, the surrounding woods were round, the stone path in the woods was round. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, the sand beach beyond the woods was also likely round, forming a large circle, the entire game map. Not far from where she had set off, Bai Youwei saw a small cylindrical building similar in appearance to the voting house in the plaza. It was rounder with a sliding door and no windows. Approaching it, she saw this ugly building actually had a facial recognition system that kept her from entering unless it identified her face. Chapter 588: Xu Fanghe Chapter 588: Xu Fanghe The LCD screen on the door displays a name: James Collier. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It seems, players can¡¯t freely choose their rooms here, but instead are allocated by the system to designated rooms for rest. Bai Youwei turned her wheelchair doubtfully, continuing forward to find a place to rest, she felt strange about this design. Is every house different? If they are all the same, then it shouldn¡¯t matter in which house anyone stays, should it? She continues to search, finding seven or eight cylindrical small houses along the circular brick road. Some had already been occupied, some remained empty, and on every door, there was a name in different languages such as English, Russian, French, Spanish¡­ all varieties. Finally, she saw a Chinese name: Xu Fanghe. This person¡¯s name ¡­ why does it sound so strange? After pondering a bit, Bai Youwei realized, this probably is a Japanese name, isn¡¯t it? Just as she was thinking this, she heard a young man¡¯s voice in the distance: ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe, your room is this way, please follow me¡­ It¡¯s wonderful that we can play in the same game as you, and in the same camp. With Dr. Xu around, I believe we can surely pass this test ¡­¡± A woman¡¯s voice then asked, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe, in your opinion, what should we do next?¡± The conversation abruptly stopped when they saw Bai Youwei¡¯s figure. Bai Youwei looked at them. Two men and one woman. The leading man was the middle-aged man known as ¡°Doctor¡±, and the other young man and woman, a man wearing glasses, the woman wearing a scarf, were his recruits. All three of them had yellow eyes. Quickly making up her mind, Bai Youwei greeted them with a smile, ¡°Great, I also have yellow eyes. Can I join your team?¡± The woman stared at her, dumbfounded. The man, however, frowned and counter-questioned, ¡°Who told you it was yellow?¡± Bai Youwei blinked her eyes and replied without a second thought, ¡°A man I met on the road earlier, named James Collier, he said my eyes are yellow. What¡¯s the problem? Did he lie to me? So, what color are my eyes?¡± She looked small and weak which seemed to make her innocent act quite convincing. Dr. Xu Fanghe spoke gently and said, ¡°Your eyes are indeed yellow. We plan to unite all the players with yellow eyes. Join us in a while.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Bai Youwei nodded seriously, ¡°I will find my room first and then come to help. We must work together, or else the Blue Eyes and Red Eyes will eliminate us.¡± The doctor smiled and nodded, ¡°Yes, unity is crucial in this game. Only when we unite as one can we find a way out.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Bai Youwei nodded vigorously once again. After bidding farewell to the three, she wheeled away. Once she was at a distance, she turned around for a glance. The dense planting in the woods obscured the gray cylindrical small house. She was sure they would not refuse her. If she possesses yellow eyes, she undeniably adds power to their team; if she has red eyes, even better, not only can she help the Yellow Eyes Camp get one more vote, but she can also take a vote away from the Red Eyes Camp. Therefore, at least in the first round, both the Yellow Eyes Camp and the Red Eyes Camp would not eliminate her. Thinking about it, Bai Youwei suddenly paused. No¡­ The point of the game isn¡¯t color but number. Without knowing the number of the opposing team, how to choose when voting? Is it a blind selection??? Chapter 589: 589: Just Missing You Chapter 589: Just Missing You The game had just started, there were too many questions, and it was hard to tackle them all at once. Bai Youwei had to temporarily put her doubts aside and find her room first. The next house was her rest room, with the name ¡°Bai Youwei¡± displayed on the liquid crystal display screen on the door. Unexpectedly, she and Xu Fanghe had become ¡°neighbors¡±. Bai Youwei wheeled herself to the sliding door. The spherical detector above the door scanned her face, and then with a click, the lock of the sliding door opened. Inside was a pure white room, arranged similarly to a standard hotel single room, with a big bed. An independent bathroom was on one side, and on the other side, there was an open kitchen. When she opened the fridge, it was filled with food. In terms of Chinese food, there were buns, dumplings and meal boxes; for western food, there were pasta, pizza and salad. Regardless of taste, there was plenty of food to last for the next two days. Bai Youwei also inspected the bathroom and bathing room, surprisingly, there were no mirrors. She soon understood why: this was the first hurdle set by the game for the players, which didn¡¯t allow them to see the colour of their own eyes. For instance, the glass sliding door at the entrance was designed to be frosted, not allowing any reflection. Curious, Bai Youwei wanted to find a bug in the game, so she turned on the tap¨C A gurgling liquid flowed out. It was milky white with a slight scent. It seemed¡­ to be milk? There was a slight twitch at the corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth. No way¡­ S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Did that mean she could only quench her thirst with milk for the next two days? Bai Youwei went back to the kitchen and turned on the tap there¨C As expected, it was milk again! Moreover, it was thicker than the milk in the bathroom! Bai Youwei wondered if bringing back some seawater from the nearby sea could help reflect the color of her eyes? Such an obvious flaw was probably patched up by the game in another way, right? She should focus on the game. Bai Youwei let out a slight sigh, lying down on the bed to rest. There was still some time before the voting. Presumably, people from the three camps were all figuring out ways to form alliances, right? Not forming alliances was not an option. In the circumstances of being unaware of the codes, randomly choosing could easily harm members of their own camp, so they must gather their own people and use the process of elimination to figure out the codes of the other two camps. Those who exposed their codes today would become the top targets of everyone else. Bai Youwei remembered Shen Mo¡¯s two subordinates. They were Blue Eyes. She wondered if they could survive the first round of voting¡­ Should she ask them for their code? That way, when voting, she could avoid their codes and prevent any accidental harm. But would they be willing to tell her? With different factions, many simple matters became complicated¡­ Bai Youwei was somewhat annoyed. These kinds of relationships were the most awkward. They weren¡¯t exactly close, but they weren¡¯t distant either. She couldn¡¯t wholeheartedly help them, nor could she standby and watch them die. It was tough. No matter what, she had to find an opportunity to contact them privately. After resting for a while in her room, Bai Youwei got back onto her wheelchair, ready to head outside and find the two of them to gauge their attitudes. To her surprise, as soon as she exited the room, she saw the woman with the scarf from the Doctor¡¯s side poking and prying around. She was probably worried about Bai Youwei interacting with the Red Eyes. While guessing what was going on, Bai Youwei raised her hand and waved to the woman, asking, ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± The woman in the scarf shook herself out of her thoughts and looked solemnly at Bai Youwei: ¡°The Doctor called us over¡­ let¡¯s go, almost everyone has gathered.¡± ¡°That fast?¡± Bai Youwei feigned surprise. The woman in the scarf gave her a disgusted look and said, ¡°That¡¯s because the Yellow Eyes had noticed us forming a team, they took the initiative to come over, of course they would be faster than us notifying everyone individually. Let¡¯s go, you¡¯re the only one missing.¡± Chapter 590: 590: Choosing the Number Chapter 590: Choosing the Number ¡°Alright, alright~¡± Bai Youwei had a positive attitude and seemed very enthusiastic. Though enthusiastic, her speed remained slow. On the road, she tried to squeeze information out of the woman with the scarf while idling, but the woman was tight-lipped and didn¡¯t talk much. Perhaps Xu Fanghe had warned her about something privately¡­ Bai Youwei made various assumptions in her mind and thought of all possibilities. Before she knew it, she had arrived at Xu Fanghe¡¯s residence. A few individuals with yellow eyes gathered together. When they saw the woman with the scarf and Bai Youwei coming, they all looked at them and quickly looked away. Bai Youwei found it amusing. She was used to people¡¯s curious or inquisitive gazes, but these people just glanced at her and hurriedly diverted their eyes. If no one had instructed them, she did not believe they would have such a reaction. Wouldn¡¯t they find it strange to encounter a cripple in the game? Isn¡¯t a pretty girl in a wheelchair deserving of more than just a glance? They didn¡¯t even take an extra moment to look. Bai Youwei silently curled her lip, convinced that something fishy was going on. Most likely, Xu Fanghe had instructed them beforehand to avoid making too much eye contact with her, especially not to stare at her eyes, to prevent arousing her suspicion. This Japanese doctor was indeed meticulous, but by attempting to be crafty, he had inadvertently alerted Bai Youwei that something was amiss. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but think: Is this the extent of his skills? If he could recruit so many subjects, he must have some other means, right? All players have now arrived. Xu Fanghe, ever the gentleman, spoke, ¡°I presume everyone is clear about the rules of the game. We are currently lacking clues about the X guest, so all we can do now is try to avoid being eliminated. However¡­ the current situation is not in our favor.¡± Xu Fanghe looked around, continuing, ¡°There are only 9 of us with yellow eyes. It seems that the distribution of red, yellow, and blue eyes is not even.¡± Bai Youwei listened and pondered. Out of the 30 players, there were 9 with yellow eyes. Removing herself as an imposter, only 8 remained. So it was easy to deduce: the total number of red and blue eyes was 22. If these 22 votes all went to those with yellow eyes, just one round of voting would lead to the defeat of the yellow eyes. Of course, this scenario was unlikely to occur. After all, most players¡¯ numbers were confidential at this stage. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Unless red eyes and blue eyes formed an alliance, and exchanged numbers openly in the first round? It was improbable. The conclusion Xu Fanghe came to was not much different from Bai Youwei¡¯s. ¡°If 21 votes want to eliminate 5 people, each person will need an average of 4 votes, but since it¡¯s only the first round, I believe more people are observing, and it¡¯s unlikely red eyes and blue eyes would ally and overlap their votes this early.¡± ¡°We need to at least eliminate three players in this round while the two sides are not united.¡± He slowly analyzed the situation with everyone, calm and steady, almost unconsciously instilling trust. ¡°Only by reducing the number of people lost each round compared to the others can we gain the advantage. Currently, we have a total of 9 votes, so we will distribute them as 3+3+3 when voting¡­¡± ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe.¡± A worried voice said, ¡°Will three votes be too little? From what I see, wouldn¡¯t it be more prudent to divide them as 5+4?¡± A young man next to the doctor retorted displeasedly, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe arranged it this way for a reason! If you don¡¯t understand, don¡¯t recklessly suggest a plan!¡± ¡°Not at all, it¡¯s my fault for not explaining clearly to everyone,¡± Xu Fanghe explained gently. ¡°Our numbers are few, if we only manage to eliminate two of them, our disadvantage will be even greater in the next round, so even if 5+4 is more secure, it is meaningless to us¡­¡± Another person asked, ¡°Then¡­ which numbers should we vote for?¡± Chapter 591: 591: Is She Cold-blooded? Chapter 591: Is She Cold-blooded? ¡°Vote for Number 8!¡± someone suddenly proposed, ¡°I saw it, the short-haired woman has an 8 on her shoe! She is Blue Eyes!¡± ¡°We can also vote for Number 27! I saw it too, Number 27 is Red Eyes!¡± another person said. The bespectacled man next to the doctor said, ¡°We need to vote for at least three people in the first round; we¡¯re still short of one, who should we vote for?¡± According to the game rules, five people must be eliminated in each round. If they only eliminate two outsiders, then the remaining three spots will likely be filled by Yellow Eyes¡¯s group. They only have nine people (including Bai Youwei who is posing as a yellow eye). If they eliminate three people, there will only be six left. That means, in the second round of voting, they¡¯ll only have six votes to manipulate. With such a small number of votes, a comeback would be impossible! sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So in the first round, they must try to eliminate three people from the outsiders! ¡°About the numbers, I would like to discuss something with all of you¡­¡± Xu Fanghe spoke slowly, ¡°The numbers we decide to vote for should definitely avoid our own people¡¯s numbers. However, since we all just met, if I ask you to reveal your own numbers, everyone would probably hesitate. So, I have an idea¡­¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe took out a piece of paper and a pen. ¡°I¡¯ve written nineteen numbers on this paper. There are nine of us, each person will cross out two numbers. The remaining numbers will be those we vote for this round. Everyone, what do you think?¡± People murmured amongst themselves, nodding in agreement. ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe¡¯s method is very good.¡± ¡°Yes, this way we don¡¯t have to reveal our own numbers.¡± The bespectacled man boasted, ¡°I told you before, following Dr. Xu Fanghe is always the right decision. The doctor isn¡¯t like those who only think about winning! He truly cares about everyone!¡± Xu Fanghe modestly waved his hand, responding lightly, ¡°Victory gained by sacrificing companions is meaningless. Everyone who made it to the preliminary game must have already seen much ugliness and evil. However, what did we gain? The ugly will only become uglier, and the evil will only become more evil. If the Doll game is the Heavenly Punishment for the world, we need to embrace a heart of benevolence if we want salvation. My friends, selfish brutal actions are never a sustainable plan. If necessary, I am willing to sacrifice myself and distribute the puzzle pieces and tools among you all, to provide you with a chance to live. In this way, my life will also have meaning¡­¡± Everyone was touched by his words and showed sympathetic expressions. Long and drawn-out life-or-death experiences in the game, with the continuous mental pressure, usually create two types of people: One, those whose humanity has been worn away by the game rules, turning into cold-blooded killing machines; The other, those who struggle to escape but do not know how to change their current situation. These people might have some abilities, but their spirits are weak and they are easily manipulated. The woman with the scarf had teary eyes as she earnestly said, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe! Please lead us forward!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± She silently observed the eight people around her, at least six of them looked touched. ¡­What was going on? Was she especially cold-blooded? Why wasn¡¯t she touched at all, only feeling that the other party was putting on a show? However, she was slightly moved when Xu Fanghe said he wanted to distribute the puzzle pieces and tools to everyone¡­ Because she simply didn¡¯t believe that such self-sacrificing and dedicated people would end up in the Maze War preliminary contest! He must have killed many people, right? Bai Youwei watched as Xu Fanghe, surrounded by people, continued. He made two marks on the paper with the pen, then passed on the paper with the numbers¡ª Chapter 592: 592: What color are the eyes? Chapter 592: What color are the eyes? By the time Bai Youwei received it, six numbers had already been crossed out on the paper. Nineteen numbers were lined up vertically, 1-5 at the top, 10-18 in the middle, and 24-27 at the bottom. Bai Youwei¡¯s number 11 was crossed out, and since everyone had to cross out two numbers, the previous people might also cross out the numbers of the people after them. Bai Youwei casually crossed off number 1 and number 17, then passed the paper to the next person. After one round, number 2 was the only one left uncrossed, so the final three numbers they were going to vote for were 2, 8, and 27. Once the numbers were determined, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The fact that the first step went smoothly and cautiously seemed like a good omen. Everyone stayed with Dr. Xu Fanghe, continuing the discussion about the possible scenarios of the game, planning to go together to the kiosk in the plaza to vote when it was time. Not long after, they heard a commotion. People looked at each other, filled with curiosity and confusion, looking in the direction of the noise. However, the woods were too dense to see what was happening. Dr. Xu Fanghe proposed: ¡°The game rules do not allow violence. Let¡¯s go and take a look together.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. Walking along the semi-circular brick road, they quickly found the source of the conflict. The people with Red Eyes and Blue Eyes were arguing. It appeared that everyone had found their teams in a very short time and had selected their leaders. The leader of the Blue Eyes Camp was a burly black man. The leader of the Red Eyes Camp was a short-haired woman with an androgynous style. Both parties were very assertive. The black man was harshly scolding a man in a suit: ¡°You fool! You¡¯ve been fooled by that woman! You¡¯re a Blue Eye!¡± The short-haired woman retorted coldly: ¡°What, jealous that our team has more people, trying to poach from us? Allen, think carefully, if you were a Blue Eye, would we have included you in our team from the start?¡± ¡°Bullshit! It¡¯s your Red Eyes who are conning him together!¡± The black man grumbled angrily, wishing he could go up and give the man in the suit a beating, but was restrained by the game rules. ¡°Dramatic, keep performing!¡± The short-haired woman sneered, ¡°You certainly act the part, it¡¯s a pity you¡¯re not an actor with that talent.¡± ¡°You damned woman¡­¡± The black man nearly burst a vein in anger, wanting to attack, but his companions held him back. Annoyed, the black man¡¯s friend yelled at the man in the suit: ¡°Won¡¯t you come over here?! How can there be such a stupid player in the preliminary round! Couldn¡¯t you tell they were making fun of you?!¡± The man in the suit looked distraught, glancing left and right, growing increasingly confused. Finally, he turned to the short-haired woman and asked in a tense voice, ¡°Are my eyes¡­ are they red?¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The short-haired woman nodded calmly, ¡°Yes, your eyes are red.¡± ¡°They¡¯re blue! Damn it!¡± The black man noticed Xu Fanghe approaching with his group, pointed at them and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, ask them! What¡¯s the point of asking the Red Eyes? They¡¯re just messing with you!!!¡± The man in the suit gritted his teeth, looked towards Xu Fanghe and asked again, ¡°You tell me! What color are my eyes?!¡± Xu Fanghe hesitated momentarily, then looked at the black man. He paused for two seconds before telling the man in the suit, ¡°Your eyes¡­ are blue.¡± ¡°Did you hear that? They¡¯re blue!¡± The black man shouted. The short-haired woman laughed out loud, ¡°You sneaky black man! You sure know how to play! Knowing that this old man wouldn¡¯t dare to offend you, you deliberately had Allen ask him. How could he possibly tell the truth?¡± After a bout of mockery, she turned to the man in the suit and said, ¡°Allen, really think about it. Why didn¡¯t he answer you immediately? Why did he pause for a few seconds, even looking at that damned black man before responding?¡± Chapter 593: 593: The Disordered Colors Chapter 593: Chapter 593: The Disordered Colors The black man and the short-haired woman both made valid points, causing the man in the suit to once again feel conflicted. He held his head in his hands, his face a picture of intense struggle! Bai Youwei, witnessing all of this, was taken aback. She thought Xu Fanghe was cunning to an extreme. Without offending any parties, he skillfully used delay and eye contact to mislead the man in the suit! After all, he did give the real answer ¨C blue! Whether the man in the suit believed it or not, was none of his business! And Xu Fanghe¡¯s actions were easy to understand. The more chaotic the situation, the more advantageous it would be to those with the fewer numbers. The Yellow Eyes. It would be best if the people from the Blue Eyes Camp could hate the Red Eyes so much as to turn all their votes on them! ¡°Bastard!¡± The black man gnashed his teeth, staring at the man in the suit with fury. ¡°Now both the Blue Eyes Camp and the Yellow Eyes are saying your eyes are blue. Even then, are you still not willing to believe it?!¡± ¡°Of course, he can¡¯t believe it.¡± The short-haired woman interrupted contemptuously before the man in the suit could answer, ¡°We, Red Eyes, are the majority in number. You two teams, with fewer members, are clearly planning to team up. It¡¯s only natural that you breathe through the same nostril.¡± ¡°Filthy woman!¡± The black man cursed angrily, ¡°I am definitely going to decapitate you!¡± His companion held him back, subtly pointing in Bai Youwei¡¯s direction and whispering something in his ear. The black muscular man paused, looked towards Bai Youwei, and his face instantly relaxed from the anger it previously held. Noticing the black man¡¯s change in mood, the short-haired woman also suspiciously turned to look and grew pale when she saw Bai Youwei standing with Xu Fanghe¡¯s team. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The short-haired woman led a team of Red Eyes over and bluntly stood in front of Bai Youwei, looking down at her from an elevated position: ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the deal with you? You¡¯re clearly a Red Eye, so why are you here?¡± Bai Youwei looked puzzled. ¡°¡­Are you talking about me?¡­ I¡¯m a Red Eye?¡± The black man from afar bellowed with laughter: ¡°Yo! They ¡®borrowed¡¯ a Blue Eye from us. Now, they can¡¯t wait to dig around the Yellow Eyes? Isn¡¯t that a little too greedy?!¡± Xu Fanghe, who was calm and collected, said to Bai Youwei: ¡°Even if I tell you now that you¡¯re a Yellow Eye, I doubt you¡¯ll believe me. Why not ask the people from the Blue Eyes Camp?¡± ¡°Ask them? Those liars!¡± The short-haired woman scowled at Xu Fanghe. ¡°After failing to steal from us, they¡¯re grudging us. They¡¯d love to see us Red Eyes lose a member!¡± ¡°So, what do you think we should do?¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s tone was congenial. ¡°I said she¡¯s a Yellow Eye, you say she¡¯s a Red Eye. There¡¯s no result from this argument. Why not let her decide for herself?¡± The bespectacled man next to Xu Fanghe could not help but speak up: ¡°You are so wicked! After deceiving the Blue Eyes, you now want to deceive our Yellow Eyes! Hey! That guy¡­ Alan, was it? Your eyes are blue! Dr. Xu Fanghe never lies to anyone! You¡¯ve been tricked by that woman!¡± The man in the suit looked this way, confusion written all over his face. The tall short-haired woman grinded her teeth in irritation. If the stalemate continued, it was possible that not only would they fail to win Bai Youwei over, but the man in the suit might also start to waver. She was still hesitating, but then Bai Youwei suddenly spoke, saying, ¡°May I ask the people from the Blue Eyes Camp?¡± Xu Fanghe still responded with an unruffled smile: ¡°Of course, you can.¡± The black muscular man observed with a look of anticipation. However, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t turn to him, but directed her gaze towards the two men wearing battle uniforms from the Blue Eyes team and earnestly asked, ¡°What color are my eyes?¡± These two men, Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui, were Shen Mo¡¯s former subordinates and members of the special task force. Ya Chaohui lowered his head, his expression hard to decipher. Fang Yu answered: ¡°Your eyes¡­are Yellow.¡± Chapter 594: 594: Voting Has Begun Chapter 594: Chapter 594: Voting Has Begun Bai Youwei watched the two of them silently. The silent atmosphere seemed contagious, it was so quiet around that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was looking at Bai Youwei, waiting for her reaction. Perhaps it was Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze that made Fang Yu uncomfortable, he turned his face away and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask others.¡± Bai Youwei seemed to snap back to reality, clutching her chest in mock horror, and giving a smile: ¡°You scared me! I almost thought I was one of the Red Eyes! Thank you guys!¡± She returned to Xu Fanghe¡¯s side, let out a long sigh of relief, and started muttering to herself: ¡°I knew it, I¡¯m certain I have Yellow Eyes¡­ the vote is just about to begin. Suddenly telling me that I am a Red Eye, there must be something fishy¡­¡± On Xu Fanghe¡¯s side, the bespectacled man and the woman with the scarf swapped glances. The woman with the scarf said to Bai Youwei: ¡°Let¡¯s go, these people are up to no good. It¡¯s not necessary to continue listening to their nonsense.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s all go, they are starting to argue fiercely and loudly, it¡¯s quite scary~¡± Xu Fanghe slowly said: ¡°The game forbids us from using violence, perhaps it also took this into consideration¡­¡± The chaos was interrupted, everyone returned to their own rooms to wait for the moment of voting. ¡­ Ya Chaohui went to Fang Yu¡¯s room and couldn¡¯t resist asking him, ¡°Why did you just say her eyes are yellow?¡± ¡°You agreed too, didn¡¯t you?¡± Fang Yu replied with a frown, ¡°Yellow Eyes clearly wanted to see the Red Team make a fool of themselves. The Red Team took one of our people and lost another, they really didn¡¯t gain anything. We can¡¯t just give them another person, can we?¡± Ya Chaohui looked troubled, ¡°I know¡­ it¡¯s just, her relationship with Commissioner Shen¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Fang Yu dismissed, ¡°This is just a prelim match anyway, she won¡¯t die if she loses. Maybe the Commissioner will even thank us for getting her eliminated early, so she won¡¯t have to participate in those brutal competitions later on.¡± Ya Chaohui sighed, nodding, ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. I just feel¡­ guilty about deceiving her.¡± ¡°So what do you propose we do?¡± Fang Yu was clearly displeased, ¡°Tell her she¡¯s a Red Eye and let the Red Team become 13 strong, and then there¡¯s Yellow Eyes, he¡¯ll definitely take issue with it!¡­ I¡¯m not afraid of him, but you need to understand, he has both of our numbers.¡± When deciding who to vote for, all the members of the Blue Eyes Camp had shared their own numbers with the leading African American, to avoid friendly fire during the voting. Ya Chaohui stopped talking and just sighed. ¡­ Approximately 8 hours after the start of the preliminary rounds, around 10 am, the sun had half-set on the horizon, and the sea was bathed in a fiery hue of the sundown. Bai Youwei heard the tolling of bells. It was the signal to start the first round of voting. She calmly and unhurriedly wheeled herself towards the square. As it was inconvenient for her to move around, she was naturally last to arrive. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When she arrived at the square, the short-haired woman had just emerged from the voting room. It seemed she was still holding a grudge over Bai Youwei wrongly joining their faction. As she walked past her, she cursed, calling her a ¡°dumbass¡±. ¡°Hey~¡± Bai Youwei reached out and grabbed her arm, smiling and asking, ¡°Just now, were you cursing me?¡± With a deliberate emphasis on the word ¡°me¡± in her tone, a veiled threat lingered. The short-haired woman looked at her with a weird expression. Finally, she shook off Bai Youwei¡¯s hand and walked back into Red Eyes¡¯ group with a grim expression. Bai Youwei shrugged it off with a smile, rolled her wheelchair into the voting room¡ª The sensor door opened before her and closed once she was inside. The small cylindrical space was now filled with only her presence. In front of her was a display screen showing thirty numbered options from 1 to 30. According to Xu Fanghe¡¯s instructions, she was supposed to cast her vote for Number 2. But strangely enough, all the numbers were grayed out and unselectable, except for Number 1 and Number 9. Chapter 595: 595: Yellow Eyes becomes severe (Added more for this quite dumb~) Chapter 595: Chapter 595: Yellow Eyes becomes severe (Added more for this quite dumb~) Is this damn thing broken? Bai Youwei knocked mildly annoyed on the screen, causing a knocking sound. When pressing the number 9 key, a prompt pops up: [Confirm Vote? ¡ª¡ª9] Bai Youwei stared at the line of text, slowly realizing¡­ The other numbers are not selectable, very likely because the vote count for 1 and 9 is equal now. To avoid a tied ranking situation in the case of only one vote left, players have to choose from these two numbers. Bai Youwei thought for a while. Earlier, Xu Fanghe presented nineteen numbers for them to eliminate. Among these numbers, 9 was not included, but 1 was, suggesting a high probability that the Yellow Eyes player is number 9. So, should she pick 9 now? After weighing her options, Bai Youwei eventually chose to press the number 1 key and confirmed her selection. She didn¡¯t want a vast difference in numbers between the Red, Yellow, and Blue-eyed players. Gradual attrition is what could force the X guest to reveal themselves¡­ As Bai Youwei stepped out of the voting hut, everyone outside turned to look at her. The last person has cast their vote. This signified that the voting results were about to be announced. The stone ball on the roof rotated once, with the child¡¯s voice ringing out clear and bright, exuding an enthusiastic joy¡ª ¡°We are now announcing the elimination numbers and vote counts for the first round!¡± ¡°Number 1, four votes.¡± ¡°Number 8, six votes.¡± ¡°Number 18, four votes.¡± ¡°Number 19, five votes.¡± ¡°Number 27, six votes.¡± As the Inspector called out the numbers, figures on the field vanished one after another. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Two individuals had disappeared from both the Red Eyes and the Blue Eyes teams, while the Yellow Eyes team had lost just one. The team numbers were as follows: Red Eyes: 10 (including 1 Blue Eye), Yellow Eyes: 8 (including 1 Red Eye), Blue Eyes: 7. The Red Eyes still held a slight advantage in terms of numbers. The crowd hummed with speculation: ¡°The votes were very concentrated¡­¡± ¡°Those people might not have hidden their numbers properly, they got seen by others¡­¡± ¡°If your number is seen, of course you¡¯re likely to be targeted. It seems that at least two teams had vote overlap, that¡¯s why the votes are comparatively concentrated.¡± ¡°The next round probably won¡¯t be the same as this, right? The numbers that were seen were basically all eliminated this round¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The stone ball announced cheerfully: ¡°The first round of voting has ended! Everyone can go back to their rooms to rest now. The second round of voting will take place in 8 hours! Don¡¯t oversleep~¡± Bai Youwei scoffed inwardly. In a place like this, how could anyone possibly oversleep? Not being able to sleep would be the real deal. The twenty-five people scattered. People didn¡¯t return to their rooms, instead, they all spontaneously gathered at their leader¡¯s residence to discuss the strategy for the next round of voting. The Yellow Eyes team was no exception. The atmosphere was tense, as their situation was the most severe. By the correct color count, the Yellow Eyes team only had seven people. They were the smallest team of the three! ¡°It seems that¡­ we have to form an alliance with the Blue Eyes team¡­¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe looked around at everyone, analyzing carefully, ¡°Their situation isn¡¯t optimistic either, so they shouldn¡¯t reject us. Only by forming an alliance with them can our vote exceed the Red Eyes.¡± Everyone exchanged glances, all remained silent. The game has a total of five rounds of voting, leaving the last 5 people with the same color to pass. Yet, they were only in the first round and their numbers had been dwindled down to 7. There are still 4 more rounds of voting¡­ If their number decreases in the next round, they might actually lose. ¡°Everyone, relax.¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s smile remained gentle, reassuring everyone, ¡°Trust me, in the second round, not a single Yellow Eye will be eliminated.¡± Chapter 596: 596: Find the Red Eye Chapter 596: Chapter 596: Find the Red Eye Next, Xu Fanghe took out another piece of paper and according to the original method, he let everyone choose the numbers to be eliminated in the second round. ¡°The number 2 we chose in the last round wasn¡¯t eliminated, so this round, number 2 counts as one, and there are two other numbers. Everyone should choose, please.¡± With his calm demeanor, he wrote a string of numbers on the paper, crossed out two of them, and then passed the paper to the man in glasses standing beside him. ¡°Here are eighteen numbers, we have eight people, each crossing out two numbers. In the end, there will be two numbers left. These, then plus number 2, are the numbers for the next round of votes.¡± As he said this, as if suddenly recalling something, he looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Right, at the last vote, which number did you choose? Why wasn¡¯t number 2 eliminated?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°When I went into that room, I found out only number 1 and number 9 could be selected, so I chose number 1.¡± ¡°Oh¡­I see.¡± Xu Fanghe nodded slowly, ¡°It seems the order of voting is crucial as well. If you vote too late, you might lose the chance. In the second round of voting, all of you should try to go earlier.¡± The others agreed and nodded. The voting paper was passed around the room and by the time it reached Bai Youwei, most of the numbers on it had already been crossed out. The numbers written by Xu Fanghe were still vertically lined just like last time, with 3-7 on the top, 10-17 in the middle, and 21-25 at the bottom. Four numbers were left uncrossed: 7, 11, 23, and 25. Bai Youwei crossed out her own number 11 and then crossed out number 7. She thought for a moment, and asked, ¡°In the last round, we had nine members and we voted for three numbers, three votes each. But now, we only have eight, how can we vote for three numbers? 3+3+2? Two votes seem to be insufficient for eliminating a member, unless there are overlapping votes.¡± After she said this, the others also realized and looked toward Xu Fanghe. ¡°That¡¯s right, Dr. Xu Fanghe, what are we to do?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we do 4+4? Concentrate the votes more and increase the chance of elimination.¡± Xu Fanghe smiled and shook his head, ¡°No need to worry, these three numbers will ultimately be selected by the guy with Blue Eyes.¡± Bai Youwei looked somewhat puzzled. Xu Fanghe continued, ¡°We have 8 votes, Blue Eyes have 7 votes, a total of 15 votes. If we can eliminate more than three Red Eyes in the next round, we can gain a tremendous advantage. Theoretically, if we follow my method, eliminating three Red Eyes should not be a problem.¡± Everyone became excited when they heard this! There are ten Red Eyes in total right now, eliminate three and there will only be seven left! The numerical advantage would disappear in an instant! The bespectacled man looked at Xu Fanghe excitedly, his fervor clear, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe! Whatever you need us to do, just give the word!¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The lady with the scarf also had an expression of utmost devotion, bowing to Xu Fanghe, ¡°Doctor, please lead us moving forward!¡± The others felt that the man and woman were somewhat exaggerated, but they also praised Xu Fanghe one after another. Speaking a few words of flattery wouldn¡¯t cost them anything. As long as it didn¡¯t harm their self-interest, they were willing to grovel and flatter. Xu Fanghe slowly shared his method: ¡°I will give these three numbers to Blue Eyes, and at the same time, Blue Eyes will give us three filtered numbers, totaling six numbers.¡± ¡°Then, we will cross out those of Yellow Eyes, and they will cross out the ones of Blue Eyes. The remaining numbers will naturally be Red Eyes.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, all six numbers will belong to Red Eyes. Of course, this likelihood isn¡¯t great, but with this method, we can easily find two to five Red Eyes¡¯ numbers.¡± Chapter 597: 597: Exchange Numbers Chapter 597: Chapter 597: Exchange Numbers Once Xu Fanghe finished speaking, everyone concurred, considering it the most secure method. Even though scratching off the numbers would reveal their own, they were exposing them while Blue Eyes were also doing the same ¨C it had the semblance of an equal exchange. Unless they were extremely unlucky: Blue Eyes gave all Yellow Eyes¡¯ numbers, causing them to wipe off three numbers. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, this probability was minutely small. Bai Youwei quietly listened to these people¡¯s discussions. As a Red Eyes, she certainly did not wish for Red Eyes to be sandwiched from both sides. The reason she voted for the 1st player in the last round was that she did not want a significant disparity in the number of people. Imagine, if Red Eyes, relying on their numerical advantage, easily wiped out Yellow Eyes and Blue Eyes, but the X-person happened to be among the Red Eyes, what then? That would be the worst-case scenario. ¡ªIn the same team, order would break down, trust would shatter, and the person who controlled the discourse could effortlessly crush the remaining players! Yes, it would be the three leading figures controlling the narrative. Amongst these three, there must be one person who is the X-person! Because, in this game, if the X-person wants to win, they must exhibit an extreme need to control, to ensure they survive each round of voting. Going with the flow or blindly following the vote, would absolutely not work. Xu Fanghe could be the X-person, Blue Eyes¡¯ boss could be the X-person, as well as the boss¡¯s white companion, and the short-haired woman in the Red Eyes team¡­ Bai Youwei remembered very clearly, the Inspector¡¯s exact words were: ¡°After five rounds of voting, there will be only five players left. If the eye colours of these five players are the same, then congratulations~ You have won the game, gaining entry qualifications! But if the eye colours of the five players differ¡­ You have lost, and only the X-person will be the winner!¡± Therefore, rushing to eliminate other colours now is not wise. It is imperative to find out who the X-person is. Bai Youwei lowered her eyelids, leisurely touching the plush rabbit in her embrace. It¡¯s such a shame that violence cannot be used¡­ Otherwise, she would have electrocuted them one by one, sooner or later she could have found the X-person, why bother using so much brainpower? ¡­ After some discussion, Xu Fanghe, along with the spectacle-wearing man, went out to negotiate cooperation with the Blue Eyes, while the woman with the scarf was assigned to watch over the Red Eyes, preventing them from making any unusual moves. Bai Youwei had no tasks. She idled, playing with the rabbit. She couldn¡¯t possibly have a task since she was a Red Eyes. Subconsciously, the Yellow Eyes would always guard against her. About an hour later, Xu Fanghe returned with the spectacle guy. And he brought back three numbers: 17, 22, and 26. Immediately, someone¡¯s complexion changed and stuttered, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe, I ¡­ my number is 22 ¡­¡± Xu Fanghe crossed out 22, then asked others, ¡°Are the remaining two numbers any of yours?¡± Everyone looked at each other, no one spoke. Xu Fanghe folded the paper and handed it to the specs guy, ¡°In that case, we can confirm that 17 and 26 are Red Eyes. Hand this over to the other side.¡± The specs guy nodded, meticulously put the paper into his pocket, and then left under the darkening sky. When he returned, he brought back a new set of numbers: 17, 23, and 26. Xu Fanghe decided conclusively, ¡°For the second round of voting, we vote for these three numbers.¡± Bai Youwei silently glanced at him. The three numbers provided by Yellow Eyes were ¡°2, 23, 25¡±. 2 and 25 were both crossed out, which meant that, both these numbers were Blue Eyes. Chapter 598: 598: The Second Round of Voting Chapter 598: Chapter 598: The Second Round of Voting ¡°The arrangement for the second round of voting was straightforward. Xu Fanghe figured that, if Red Eyes voted for two people, they would distribute their 10 votes as 5+5; with three individuals, it would be a 4+3+3 division. However, the Red team would probably consider the possibility of a Yellow and Blue alliance. The 4+3+3 distribution doesn¡¯t have an advantage in terms of individual vote count, so Red Eyes should proceed with a 5+5 approach. The Yellow and Blue Eyes had a total of 15 votes, which they could also divide as 5+5+5, enabling them to eliminate at least three Red Eyes individuals. As for the unavoidable sacrifices of the two remaining members, they didn¡¯t need to think about them just yet. ¡­ In the middle of the night with the moon shining brightly, everyone gathered in the plaza well before the summoning bell rang. Red Eyes, 10 in total. Yellow Eyes, 8 in total. Blue Eyes, 7 in total. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Stone Ball Inspector roamed leisurely on the rooftop, his tone light and cheerful: ¡°The second round of voting is now underway~ Line up, line up, go into the booth one by one to cast your vote~¡± Everyone, with different expressions, entered the booth one by one to vote. The whole process was quiet and silent without a single word uttered¡­ After Bai Youwei entered, she discovered the numbers of those eliminated in the previous round had been dimmed, leaving 25 numbers available for selection. The number of votes each number received wasn¡¯t visible. She thought for a moment and pressed number 2. ¡­ All votes were cast. The Stone Ball was excited, its rotation speed even faster, churning out a loud whooshing sound. ¡°Ah! This is my favorite part!~ Now we will announce the numbers and vote counts of the second round¡¯s elimination!¡± ¡°Number 2, 4 votes.¡± ¡°Number 12, 4 votes.¡± ¡°Number 22, 5 votes.¡± ¡°Number 23, 4 votes.¡± ¡°Number 26, 5 votes.¡± As soon as number 22 was called, his face turned pale, he looked at Xu Fanghe in disbelief: ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe¡­ why? Wasn¡¯t my number crossed off¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, his body completely disappeared into thin air! Gone with him was also a Yellow Eyes woman with a silk scarf! Xu Fanghe abruptly turned to look at the gangster! This was not what he had anticipated! Based on his calculation, the vote counts of the five eliminated people should either be 5+5+5+5+5 or 5+5+5+4+3. But why were the numbers now so chaotic?! Not only the Red Eyes did not vote using the 5+5 method, but the Blue Eyes didn¡¯t either! Numbers 17, 23, 26 planned to be voted off, but now, only 23 and 26 had been eliminated! Where were the 5 votes for number 17? Could those 5 votes for number 22 be the ones that were supposed to be allocated to number 17? Had those Blue Eyes individuals lost their minds?! Instead of voting for the Red Eyes, they voted for their own, Yellow Eyes!!! Fury choked him. The normally genteel Dr. Xu Fanghe looked gloomy for the first time. He walked over to the gangster with a somber expression, his calm tone revealing no sign of anger or joy: ¡°You and your people, it seems you didn¡¯t vote according to our agreed plan.¡± The gangster sneered at Xu Fanghe, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? I know very well what the outcome will be if we vote according to your plan. Sure, that¡¯s right! If we could collaborate to eliminate three Red Eyes, it would severely undermine them. But what about the remaining two spots? If those two spots all fall on us, Blue Eyes, the greatest winners will be you! Yellow Eyes! Will you continue to cooperate with us then?¡± If they had voted according to Xu Fanghe¡¯s request, the situation might have been as follows: Red Eyes: from 10 people to 7 after eliminating 3. Yellow Eyes: from 8 people remains 8 with zero elimination. Blue Eyes: from 7 people to 5 after eliminating 2. The gangster¡¯s mouth curled up into mockingly cold smile as he lightly patted Dr. Xu Fanghe¡¯s shoulder: ¡°Previously, we were the team with the fewest numbers, so of necessity, we had to accept your offer for cooperation. But now¡­ it¡¯s you with the least people. You¡¯ll have to obey me in the next round of voting, you understand?¡± Chapter 599: Unspeakable Suffering Chapter 599: Chapter 599: Unspeakable Suffering The current situation is: There are 10 Red Eyes, with 2 eliminated, it drops to 8. There are 8 Yellow Eyes, with 2 eliminated, it drops to 6. There are 7 Blue Eyes, with 1 eliminated, it drops to 6. By the looks of it, Yellow Eyes and Blue Eyes seem to have equal numbers, but in reality, there is a big difference. Out of the 6 Yellow Eyes, one is Bai Youwei, meaning there are actually only 5 Yellow Eyes! Although the Blue Eyes are also down to 6, there¡¯s still one Blue Eyes member in the Red team, so the real situation looks like this: 8 Red Eyes. 5 Yellow Eyes. 7 Blue Eyes. After his alliance with Xu Fanghe, the black brother subtly changed the vote count, immediately gaining an upper hand! The Yellow Eyes, now with only 5 survivors, cannot afford any more losses, they have to make the best of the situation and work with him. Against a Red team of 8, a difference of one vote is nothing to fear! Moreover, after joining forces with Xu Fanghe, the black brother controls 12 votes, and has every confidence in defeating the Red team! The brother didn¡¯t just screw over Xu Fanghe once, he screwed him over so hard that Xu Fanghe was left speechless. The righteous Glasses Man burst out, ¡°How could you have broken your promise?! How are we supposed to cooperate with you now?!!¡± The black brother burst into laughter, as if he had heard some joke. His white companion also smirked, saying, ¡°Of course, you can choose not to cooperate with us, but considering your current numbers, without our cooperation, what waves do you think you can make? Hahahaha¡­¡± The two howled with laughter. Xu Fanghe¡¯s face was as cold as ice. But he didn¡¯t lose his temper. Instead, he spoke up loudly after a period of silence: ¡°Given how things are, of course, we have no choice but to cooperate with you! However, I hope you understand this ¨C Traitors will eventually be punished by, Heaven, Punishment!¡± The last two words were said firmly and with weight, almost like a curse. The black brother looked at him as if he was an idiot, then turned to his companion and laughed, ¡°Did we laugh him into some kind of stupor? He¡¯s got serious issues!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, back to sleep.¡± his companion sighed dismissively, ¡°Just seeking save his pride by trying to get the last word in, let¡¯s just ignore them¡­¡± The Blue Eyes left. The Yellow Eyes followed suit. The Red Eyes, having enjoyed the show, also finally left. Stoneball watched these players leave, still spinning around on the rooftop feeling unsatisfied, talking to himself: S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the ¡®Doctor¡¯, whom many Inspectors had high hopes for? ¡­ It seems that he is nothing special, and that Bai Youwei, who has been silent all this time, hmm¡­ who will win? Who will win?¡­ this feeling of suspense is really great, so good~ so good~¡± ¡­ The black brother and his companion returned to their resting room. He took out a notebook and quickly wrote down a series of numbers, then passed a note to his companion: ¡°Pass this note to the doctor, let him take down the numbers of the Yellow Eyes, then return the note to me. In the next round of voting, we have to eliminate three of the Red team players.¡± The companion took the note, hesitated and said, ¡°Should we wait until tomorrow morning? They¡¯re probably still pretty heated right now¡­¡± The black brother snorted disdainfully, ¡°Know this, people¡¯s prejudices are like moving a mountain, no matter how much you work at it, you¡¯ll never fully succeed. They see that I¡¯m black and big, and think I¡¯m easy to fool, that all I have are muscles and no brains, haha, but to me, they¡¯re all a bunch of clowns! Stupid and laughable!¡± His white companion insisted, nodding in agreement: ¡°These guys are indeed fools. They should consider this, the game values fairness the most. How could it assign someone who¡¯s strong in a physical sense to a game where violence is prohibited? Every player who gets into this game has a lot of strategical thinking.¡± ¡°Not necessarily, I see plenty of fools!¡± The black guy waved, ¡°Go ahead, no matter how angry he is, he will agree to cooperate, unless he doesn¡¯t want to win.¡± The white companion took two steps outside, then looked back hesitantly, ¡°About that thing he said, Heavenly Punishment¡­¡± The black brother snorted: ¡°Just a trick to intimidate us.¡± ¡­ Chapter 600: The Suspect (Added for kklin) Chapter 600: Chapter 600: The Suspect (Added for kklin) Xu Fanghe quickly received a note sent by the thugs. There were six numbers written on the note this time: 3, 4, 5, 17, 29, 30 As usual, Xu Fanghe asked everyone for their opinion. After finding out that there was a person corresponding to number three, he crossed out the number three. Then, after pausing for half a second, he crossed out 29 and 30, as well. Everyone looked confused. Xu Fanghe calmly replied: ¡°Just a smokescreen.¡± He added, ¡°There are still several hours left before the third round of voting. Everyone, go back and get some rest.¡± Someone hesitated and didn¡¯t want to leave, expressing their worry to Xu Fanghe: ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe, if we lose more members in the third round of voting, then¡­¡± There were only five people left with Yellow Eyes. If they lose more members, even if they make it to the last round of voting, there¡¯s no way they can win the game! That¡¯s because the condition for clearing is that, after five rounds of voting, the eye color of the survivors should be consistent. If there are only five people left after five rounds, how can they ensure the consistency of eye color if there are not enough Yellow Eyes? Xu Fanghe, who was sitting on his knees with his eyes closed, calmly replied: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this. You all go back first.¡± Seeing no other choice, everyone reluctantly left. Bai Youwei also wheeled away in her wheelchair. As she left, she heard two men speaking in hushed voices: ¡°No idea what he¡¯s up to¡­ If he says he¡¯ll handle it, he should let us all know how he plans to do it¡­¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s out of options, right? He promised that none of the Yellow Eyes would be eliminated in the last round, but what happened? We lost two more people!¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What should we do¡­ If we lose another one, we¡¯re sure to lose¡­¡± ¡°We were played by Blue Eyes, and all that talk about Heavenly Punishment¡­ really¡­¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have let him lead in the first place¡­¡± The two men walked further away, discussing and sighing as they went. Bai Youwei watched them for a while, before slowly wheeling away¡­ ¡­ At the front door of the cylindrical house, just as she prepared to open the door, a figure emerged from behind the house. Bai Youwei immediately looked around. No one was following, and the surroundings were eerily quiet. She opened the door and waved towards the figure behind the house: ¡°Come in.¡± The person who arrived was the leader of the Red Eyes, that short-haired woman. ¡°Their planned voting numbers this time are 4, 5, 17. The numbers crossed out by Xu Fanghe are 3, 29, and 30. I suspect his number is either 28, 29, or 30.¡± As Bai Youwei spoke, she tore off a piece of paper and quickly wrote down all the numbers she had just mentioned. The short-haired woman shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not 30; 30 is a Red Eye.¡± Bai Youwei crossed out 30 and made a special circle around 28 and 29, ¡°In the previous two instances when Xu Fanghe listed the numbers, he never went beyond 27. I suspect his number is in between 28 and 29. We should try to vote out these two numbers in the next round.¡± Looking suspiciously at her, the short-haired woman asked, ¡°Are you really sure that Xu Fanghe is the X guest?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Bai Youwei responded candidly, ¡°If it¡¯s not him, then it must be the thug. There is no third option.¡± The short-haired woman was even more puzzled, ¡°Why have you never suspected me? And why did you tell me your number?¡± When the short-haired woman had called Bai Youwei a ¡°Fool¡±, Bai Youwei seized her wrist and asked if she was calling her ¡°me¡± stupid. She emphasized the word ¡°me¡± and wrote ¡°11¡± on the short-haired woman¡¯s arm. Bai Youwei answered, ¡°Because I¡¯ve tested you, and you¡¯re not the X guest.¡± ¡°You tested me?¡± The short-haired woman knitted her brows in recollection, ¡°¡­When?¡± Bai Youwei smiled gently, ¡°Last night. I told you that I suspected the thug was the X guest. You said it didn¡¯t seem like him, that his white partner seemed more like the X guest. If you were the X guest and found out I was suspecting the wrong target, you should have reinforced my mistake, not tried to correct me. So, you¡¯re definitely not the X guest.¡± Chapter 601: 601: Risk Chapter 601: Chapter 601: Risk The short-haired woman was rendered speechless as she hadn¡¯t expected her flaws to be so easily spotted. She stubbornly asked, ¡°But still, determining that I am not a mole based on this is rather arbitrary, right? It¡¯s possible I¡¯ve been pretending!¡± ¡°Your demeanor then was so natural; it didn¡¯t seem feigned at all.¡± Bai Youwei remarked calmly, ¡°And of course, there¡¯s always the unlikely chance that my judgement might be wrong. If so, I fully accept my loss.¡± In such a game, nothing is won without risk. Every move made is a calculated probe, each step fraught with chance and probability. The actions made by Bai Youwei were simply attempts to increase her own chances of winning. ¡°There¡¯s another thing.¡± Bai Youwei continued, ¡°By actively recruiting Blue Eyes to your team, it shows that you¡¯re impulsive and risk-taking. Red Eyes, from the outset, had the numerical advantage. However, despite this, you sought to increase this advantage even further with the intention of determining victory or defeat as quickly as possible. Such a course of action is pointless for a mole. That¡¯s because, no matter the final color of the players, as long as they live until the 5th round, they¡¯re the winner.¡± The short-haired woman challenged, ¡°So what about Doctor? Isn¡¯t it the same since you were invited into Yellow Eyes Team? Why would you still be suspicious of him?!¡± Bai Youwei smirked slightly, ¡°It¡¯s not the same. I wasn¡¯t invited; rather, I voluntarily joined their ranks.¡± The short-haired woman: ¡°¡­¡± She fell silent, speechless in the face of Bai Youwei¡¯s explanation. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°By the way,¡± Bai Youwei spoke again, ¡°How did you vote in the last round? The numbers don¡¯t match up.¡± ¡°In the last round we voted for number 2- three votes, number 12- four votes, number 16- three votes,¡± the short-haired woman explained, ¡°We predicted that Yellow and Blue would form an alliance, and with total votes as 5+5+5, they could at least eliminate 3 of our members. Our 10 votes, whether distributed as 5+5 or 4+3+3, could only guarantee two ranks among the top five vote recipients. Hence, we chose the latter option, gambling on luck. However, we didn¡¯t expect that they wouldn¡¯t use the 5+5+5 voting method.¡± Bai Youwei mused, ¡°So, number 22 really was voted out by them¡­¡± The short-haired woman inquired, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Number 22 represents Yellow Eyes, a number that we had already crossed out. Blue Eyes¡¯ choice to do this gives off the impression of a deliberate attempt at maintaining numerical balance.¡± The numbers which Yellow and Blue decided to vote out this round were 4, 5, 17, all of whom were Red Eyes. If Red Eyes also eliminated 1 person from both Yellow and Blue teams, the situation would look like this: Red Eyes: 8 people, after eliminating 3, becomes 5 (including one Blue Eyes). Yellow Eyes: 6 people, after eliminating 1, becomes 5 (including one Red Eyes). Blue Eyes: 6 people, after eliminating 1, becomes 5. All three teams would have exactly the same number of members. Alternatively, it could become Red: 5, Yellow: 6, Blue: 4, or Red: 5, Yellow: 4, Blue: 6. This would depend on what number Red Eyes team finally voted out. ¡°Are we sure about voting for 28 and 29?¡± the short-haired woman turned to ask Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei creased her brows and pondered for a while. If correct, the mole would be eliminated, and the remaining 15 players would win the game. If incorrect¡­ If incorrect, then only 4 of Yellow Eyes, 5 of Red Eyes, and 6 of Blue Eyes would remain. By then, Blue Eyes would stand unopposed and undoubtedly target Red Eyes for the next elimination. Even if Red and Yellow teamed up, it would be near impossible to avoid losing at least one member. And once they lost one member, leaving Red Eyes with just 4 people, Red Eyes would also lose the chance of victory like Yellow Eyes! And an even worse case! That would be, after the round of voting, none of the three teams fulfilled the condition ¡°remaining 5 members with the same eye color¡±! In short, if she didn¡¯t win in the next voting round, she would certainly lose in the round after that! Gain is always accompanied by risk ¨C it¡¯s unavoidable. Bai Youwei shut her eyes in frustration and said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this again tomorrow. If everything goes as planned, vote for 28 and 29.¡± Chapter 602: 602: The Large Black Moth Chapter 602: Chapter 602: The Large Black Moth Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t surprised. She¡¯d merely spoken to deter herself from changing her mind at the last minute, but she hadn¡¯t anticipated¡­the real scenario. At nine-thirty in the morning, half an hour before the third round of voting, everyone gathered early in the square. Initially, a black member from the Blue Eyes camp suddenly collapsed. His Caucasian companion rushed forward, shouting his name, while curious onlookers surrounded them. The muscular black man lay sprawled on the square with the white sunlight shining on his ashen face. Anxiety spread amongst the crowd like a plague. Remembering Xu Fanghe¡¯s comments about ¡°Heavenly Punishment¡± the previous night, everyone instinctively looked towards him. Then, the black man on the ground suddenly twitched and everyone recoiled in fright. Immediately after! The black man¡¯s throat began to undulate frenetically, as if something were trying to claw its way out! ¨CHis cheeks bulged and his lips stretched apart as a big, fluffy black moth crawled out of his mouth! Everyone retreated in shock! Even the Caucasian companion of the black man stepped back in horror, staring at his fallen friend. But it wasn¡¯t over! After the first moth emerged, another appeared, followed by a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh¡­countless! The black man¡¯s body was quickly covered in large, fluffy moths! His companion, unable to bear it, ripped off his shirt and flung it at the moths! S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A swarm of moths then scattered into the air, disappearing instantly, leaving nothing but a shriveled corpse. ¡°It¡¯s you!!!¡± the Caucasian man glared at Xu Fanghe, ¡°You did this!¡± ¡°How could it have been me?¡± Xu Fanghe stood unmoved, his voice devoid of emotion. ¡°This is Heavenly Punishment. Betrayers and schemers will inevitably face divine retribution.¡± The Caucasian man turned his gaze towards the sphere poised above them, furiously shouting, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Inspector going to do anything about this?! Violence is forbidden in the game! Anyone who harms others in the game should be immediately eliminated!!!¡± ¡°Violence?¡± Xu Fanghe finally showed emotion, the corners of his mouth curving slightly into a smirk. ¡°I¡¯d like to know, I never even touched him¡­ could that be considered violence?¡± Sphere: ¡°¡­¡± How troublesome¡­ Always dealing with these players who exploit the game¡¯s loopholes. This was inevitable. Precisely because the majority of the system¡¯s rules were too rigid, there was a need for an Inspector, to supervise every game, provide a more ¡°humanized¡± interpretation of the rules, and timely patch any loopholes and bugs. ¡°That doesn¡¯t count.¡± The sphere responded in a neutral tone, ¡°In this game, only physical altercations and direct attacks that aim to physically harm others are prohibited. This current situation, erm¡­ it doesn¡¯t fall within the violation of game rules.¡± ¡°This is unfair!¡± The Caucasian man cried out in indignation. The sphere audibly huffed, ¡°Where is the unfairness? You could also arrange a similar death! Make someone commit suicide! Or fall into the sea, die from food poisoning, suffer a heart attack, whatever works. Being bitten to death by bugs also counts. If you can make it happen, the game will judge it as an accidental death! Hmph~ In essence, you¡¯re just not capable enough. Instead, you blame my game for being unfair!¡± The sphere squarely washed its hands of any responsibility: ¡°My game can¡¯t be unfair!¡± A chill settled over everyone. It was not possible for these black moths to spawn out of nowhere. It was clear that Xu Fanghe was responsible, likely possessing a powerful tool, and yet they were helpless to do anything about it! Even Bai Youwei, after deep contemplation, couldn¡¯t determine which of her own tools could challenge Xu Fanghe. None of her tools were strong enough to kill him instantly, while the stronger tools were off-limits, as using them would violate the game rules. Xu Fanghe then reached into his pocket, withdrew a piece of paper, and handed it to the Caucasian man saying, ¡°In this round, please vote according to the new number. Thank you for your cooperation.¡± Chapter 603: 603 What Will Happen Chapter 603: Chapter 603 What Will Happen The white man gritted his teeth in hatred, but he had no choice but to accept the piece of paper, lowering his head toward Xu Fanghe. The man with glasses was extremely excited: ¡°Dr. Xu¡¯s contributions are immeasurable! The Creator God punishes the demon with the Sword of Justice, and shines the light of love and kindness upon the land! We will win! We will win!!!¡± His fanaticism failed to resonate with the rest. As they looked at Xu Fanghe now, they felt only coldness, eeriness, and hairs raising on end. The black man was the tallest and strongest among them, yet he was killed by Xu Fanghe in such a mysterious way. The so-called Heavenly Punishment is just a prop, but what makes it terrifying is¡ª They don¡¯t know what kind of prop it is, how it works, how many more times it can be used, and when it will be used next! With a smile, Xu Fanghe turned around and amiably said to Yellow Eyes, ¡°There¡¯s a slight change in this round of voting. We need to add another number on top of the original three, and then vote in a 3+3+3+2 format¡­¡± 3+3+3+2. Bai Youwei slightly furrowed her brows. Was Xu Fanghe planning to eliminate four people at once? Indeed, someone instantly voiced her question: ¡°Are we eliminating four people at once? But aren¡¯t two votes a bit risky¡­?¡± Before Xu Fanghe could respond, the man with the glasses immediately chastised the questioner with dissatisfaction: ¡°Doctor Xu has his reasons for doing this! We just have to follow his orders!¡± The person who asked the question mumbled to themselves, cautiously glanced at Xu Fanghe, and fell silent. Perhaps they were a little wary of Xu Fanghe. Dr. Xu smiled and said gently: ¡°Two votes are indeed a bit less, but I have another plan in mind. You go ahead and vote as I instructed¡­¡± Then, Dr. Xu told them how to vote, assigning specific numbers to each person. Although his demeanor seemed amiable and friendly, his desire for control was obviously strong. Not only did he strictly assign numbers, but he also paid great attention to the voting order. When it was Bai Youwei¡¯s turn, Xu Fanghe said: ¡°You, vote for number 5.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Bai Youwei readily agreed. The stone ball was spinning on the ceiling, impatiently urging: ¡°Are you guys done yet? Done yet? It¡¯s time already~ Time for the third round of voting! Line up to vote~¡± People gradually entered the voting booth. First, it was Blue Eyes, then Yellow Eyes, and then Red Eyes. Smiling amiably, Xu Fanghe asked everyone, ¡°Did you all vote as I asked?¡± Blue Eyes clenched their teeth in resentment. Yellow Eyes admitted sheepishly. One Red Eye exited the voting booth while another one went in. Seeing that almost everyone had finished voting, Xu Fanghe said to one person, ¡°Please wait a moment¡­¡± Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just about to go in to vote, Red Eyes paused, looking at Xu Fanghe with a mix of confusion and fear. Xu Fanghe spoke, ¡°Actually¡­ I really despise self-destruction. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we all worked together? Aiming at each other only brings tragedy and regret. I sincerely hope that you will accept my suggestion and vote for number 25 once you go inside. Let¡¯s end this game as soon as possible.¡± After hearing this, the white man¡¯s face turned pale. He was number 25! After the black man got killed, was he the next unlucky one?! A short-haired woman couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and confronted him, ¡°Why should we listen to you?!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Xu Fanghe looked at them confused, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? I¡¯m trying to save you all! I can¡¯t just stand by and watch you become nests for bugs. Is a war quota more important than your own life? If you lose, you¡¯re just a commoner, but if we continue, who knows¡­ what will happen next?¡± Chapter 604: 604: Vote as Required Chapter 604: Chapter 604: Vote as Required ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him!¡± The short-haired girl stood firm, talking to her companion about to vote. ¡°Stick to the original plan! He¡¯s just afraid we¡¯ll vote him out!¡± Red Eyes hesitated between options. ¡°What a pity¡­¡± Xu Fanghe sighed softly, looking at them with regret. ¡°It seems, to prevent further conflict, I have to rely on the Heavenly Punishment¡­¡± At the mention of the words ¡°Heavenly Punishment¡±, everyone¡¯s faces changed! They were reminded of those moths just earlier! S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Nobody wanted to die that way! Even turning into a doll would be better than being hollowed out by a swarm of bugs! The Red Eyes looked very hesitant, obviously vacillating. All that Bai Youwei could think of at this moment was: despicable. ¡ª Using an advantage that others didn¡¯t have to control the votes in the game, such behavior was truly despicable. Although she had done similar things before, bearing the feeling of being manipulated now that the roles had switched was really uncomfortable. Xu Fanghe looked at the four Red Eyes who had not yet voted, and said relaxedly: ¡°We could have coexisted peacefully. The game only requires us to vote, not to fight to the death, so why bother?¡­ Let¡¯s put an end to all of this. Battles will only lead to hurt. I¡¯m saying this for the good of everyone¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s deceiving you!¡± The short-haired girl glared viciously at Xu Fanghe. ¡°Stick to the original plan! As long as we eliminate him, we can definitely win!¡± ¡°¡­Win?¡± Xu Fanghe slowly smiled. ¡°Is winning so important? If so, think about it yourselves¡­ abandon the obsession with victory and defeat, vote with me for No. 25, or stubbornly pursue victory or defeat, facing the Heavenly Punishment at sunrise tomorrow?¡± Here, he paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over the four faces of the Red Eyes¡ª ¡°I¡­ remember your faces.¡± His words sent shivers down one¡¯s spine! ¡°Damn it!¡± The short-haired girl was about to lose her mind. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! Don¡¯t listen to him!!! No matter who you vote for, he won¡¯t know!!!¡± ¡°I will know.¡± Xu Fanghe shook his head, smiling. ¡°Right now, No. 25 has two votes. If, when the Inspector announces the votes, No. 25 doesn¡¯t have six votes, then it means that one of you four certainly didn¡¯t do as I said.¡± The short-haired girl questioned her companions: ¡°Are you really going to do as he says?! He¡¯s just trying to scare you! He¡­¡± ¡°I say¡­¡± the sphere on the roof became impatient, ¡°are you voting or not? Can you hurry up?¡± Urged on, the Red Eyes lowered their heads and hurried into the voting booth. One after another, they entered to vote, until everyone had done so. The stone sphere started spinning again. As it rumbled, spinning and turning, it announced merrily¡ª ¡°Now announcing the eliminated votes for the third round!¡± ¡°No. 4, 3 votes.¡± ¡°No. 5, 2 votes.¡± ¡°No. 17, 3 votes.¡± ¡°No. 25, 6 votes.¡± ¡°No. 28, 4 votes.¡± At the announcement of 6 votes for No. 25, Bai Youwei closed her eyes in regret. Her plan had been completely disrupted. The players around her were disappearing one after another. 3 of the Red Eyes disappeared. 2 of the Blue Eyes disappeared. Yellow Eyes remained intact. The people left: 5 Red Eyes (including 1 Blue Eye), 6 Yellow Eyes (including 1 Red Eye), 3 Blue Eyes. But according to Bai Youwei¡¯s plan, the last four votes from the Red Eyes should have been for No. 29! Along with her own vote, the eliminated numbers should have been: 4, 17, 25, 28, 29. But how could anyone have known that Xu Fanghe was going to stop those four people midway and openly bribe them? The Inspector was only watching the commotion, not intervening at all! If the votes were continuously controlled by Xu Fanghe, there would be no point in playing the game! Just as she was becoming increasingly frustrated, Xu Fanghe slowly walked up to her, looking down at her from above, squinting his eyes and asking: ¡°May I ask¡­ why didn¡¯t you follow my request when you voted just now?¡± Chapter 605: 605: The Breaking Point (Adding more for Chen Hui) Chapter 605: Chapter 605: The Breaking Point (Adding more for Chen Hui) Yellow Eyes cast their vote before Red Eyes, with Bai Youwei casting her vote early. According to the agreement she made with the short-haired woman, they were to concentrate their votes on the numbers 28 and 29, predicting that one of these would be Xu Fanghe¡¯s number. Unfortunately, she could not foretell the future. After casting her vote for number 29, she didn¡¯t expect Xu Fanghe would call out to the one voting for Red Eyes and utter such a threatening statement. As a result, the four votes that should have gone to number 29 all went to number 25 instead. The situation now was: Five Red Eyes (including one Blue Eye), Six Yellow Eyes (including one Red Eye), Three Blue Eyes. In terms of actual colors, there were five Red Eyes, five Yellow Eyes, and four Blue Eyes. The Blue Eyes group which only had four members was certain to be demoted to commoners. With no chance of winning, they were even less likely to confront Xu Fanghe. If Xu Fanghe could just eliminate one more Red Eye, he would have a near guaranteed victory! Now, facing Xu Fanghe¡¯s interrogation, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but wonder, was he going to target Red Eyes next? Dr. Xu Fanghe stared at Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes as he asked, ¡°Why does number five only have two votes?¡± ¡°Yes, why indeed?¡± Bai Youwei replied coolly, ¡°I cast my vote, maybe others didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You voted, huh¡­¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s mouth curved into a slight smile, but his eyes were as cold as a snake¡¯s. ¡°Little girl, children who don¡¯t tell the truth, also receive Heavenly Punishment.¡± ¡°Heavenly Punishment?¡± Bai Youwei blinked her eyes, ¡°But didn¡¯t you just say that Heavenly Punishment would only come at sunrise tomorrow? It¡¯s only 10 in the morning now, and there are still two rounds of voting before tomorrow¡¯s sunrise. By the time Heavenly Punishment comes, the game will have long been over, won¡¯t it?¡± Xu Fanghe: ¡°¡­¡± His smile froze at the corner of his mouth. Slowly bending down, he whispered in Bai Youwei¡¯s ear, ¡°Before that¡­ I can still eliminate you, because¡­ I know your number¡­ is 11.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed, almost imperceptibly. ¡°Are you sure?¡± She held his gaze bravely, ¡°What a coincidence, I also know your number¡­ it¡¯s 29.¡± Xu Fanghe was slightly taken aback, then a hint of scornful laughter flashed in his eyes, ¡°Oh¡­ so my number is 29, is it? We can try it in the next round.¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s try it in the next round.¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s gaze became icy cold. He stood straight up, leading the Yellow Eyes away. The rivalry between both sides was now laid bare. The short-haired woman came up to Bai Youwei, worriedly asking, ¡°What should we do in the next round? He surely will not let us off. If we lose another one, we will surely lose.¡± Bai Youwei, furrowing her eyebrows in thought, looked in the direction of the Blue Eyes. Only three were left. Luckily, both Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui were still there, along with a slightly chubby, curly-haired man. Bai Youwei remarked, ¡°If we work together, Red and Blue add up to 9 votes, while Yellow Eyes only has 5 votes¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no chance of collaboration,¡± Fang Yu interrupted her coldly, ¡°No matter how seamlessly we plan now, by the time the fourth round of voting comes, he will manipulate the vote results again. If we don¡¯t vote according to his requirements, we would be regarded as challenging Heavenly Punishment. I know you Red Eyes want to win, but we won¡¯t risk our lives to help you.¡± Ya Chaohui gave an awkward, apologetic smile, ¡°We¡¯re really sorry, but we can¡¯t take such a risk¡­¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With an apologetic bow, he took Fang Yu and the other curly-haired man and left. Only those with Red Eyes were left in the square. The short-haired woman gave a helpless sigh, ¡°This won¡¯t work unless we find the truth about ¡°Heavenly Punishment¡± and diffuse the threat in the remaining seven hours. Otherwise, they won¡¯t collaborate with us. Yellow Eyes is definitely on alert against us, and time is so short. What do we do¡­¡± Watching the direction Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui had gone, Bai Youwei coolly responded, ¡°Searching for the truth would be too strenuous, I have a simpler method¡­¡± Chapter 606: 606: Guess the Number Chapter 606: Chapter 606: Guess the Number The short-haired woman blurted out, ¡°What method?¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then gave a light smile, ¡°I think I better talk to them again. If I use that method¡­it would be quite embarrassing.¡± Short-haired woman: ¡°¡­¡± She had thought herself clever enough, but after entering the game, she still felt overwhelmed. It was as if everyone else was driving a sports car, while she was only riding a small motorbike. It was then that Bai Youwei said: ¡°Blue Eyes is now leaderless and poses no threat. In the next voting round, Yellow Eyes will most certainly go all out against us. There are five slots to be eliminated every time, no matter how hard we try, it¡¯s impossible to occupy all five. In other words, at least two or three of us in this group will be eliminated.¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The short-haired woman¡¯s expression grew grave, ¡°That means we won¡¯t be able to fulfill the final condition of having the same eye color among the five survivors unless we can identify the X guest.¡± Bai Youwei gently shook her head: ¡°The clear conditions may seem to allow an either-or choice, but in reality there¡¯s only one ¡ª eliminate the X guest. If we cannot eliminate the X Guest, it wouldn¡¯t matter how many of us are left in the end. There¡¯s no way we could have uniform eye color because the X guest¡¯s eye color is fake.¡± ¡°Could the Doctor be the X Guest?¡± the short-haired woman asked, ¡°Last time you said that Xu Fanghe¡¯s number was either 28 or 29. As number 28 was eliminated in the third round, should we vote number 29 next round? How certain are you?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows. She was originally 80 percent sure, but reflecting on Xu Fanghe¡¯s reaction just now, something didn¡¯t feel quite right. The reason she guessed Xu Fanghe¡¯s number to be 29 was that he avoided numbers 28, 29, and 30 in both his numerical sections, and since 28 was already eliminated and 30 belonged to Red Eyes, only 29 was left. Only 29, really? Did she miss something? The number selection Xu Fanghe provided the first time: 1-5, 10-18, 24-27. The number selection Xu Fanghe provided the second time: 3-7, 10-17, 21-25. Both sections lacked 8, 9, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30. Of these, 8, 19, and 28 had already been eliminated, 30 was Red Eyes, so Xu Fanghe¡¯s number must be among 9, 20, 29. No matter how you look at it, number 29 is highly suspected. When the mob boss let Xu Fanghe pick from numbers, Xu Fanghe, without consulting anyone, crossed out 29 and 30. Crossing out 30 was to spread smoke ¨C what about crossing out 29? He clearly had a strong desire to protect this number! ¡­Of course, if she looked back at all those chaotic numbers, 9 and 20 also seemed suspicious. ¡°Just to be safe, let¡¯s have each of us giving two votes for numbers 9, 20, and 29,¡± Bai Youwei suggested. The short-haired woman¡¯s expression darkened as she glanced at her comrades unconsciously. The previous round of voting, these so-called ¡®comrades¡¯ hadn¡¯t voted according to the plan. One of them raised his hand, confessing, ¡°Although I also want to win, my life is more important. I don¡¯t want to deal with the ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯. So, during the voting round, if the doctor is still threatening us, I may not vote according to your xplan, sorry.¡± Another person also raised his hand, ¡°Same here.¡± The others followed suit, declaring they wouldn¡¯t vote according to Bai Youwei¡¯s request. The short-haired woman¡¯s expression grew even darker. They were said to be comrades, but were merely strangers who gathered together due to the same eye color. Between them, there was neither understanding nor basic trust to speak of. How could they ever win the game like this? Chapter 607: 607: Lets Analyze Chapter 607: Chapter 607: Let¡¯s Analyze Bai Youwei looked at them incredulously, ¡°Are you serious¡­ I thought players who could enter the preliminaries would have some understanding of the game and the props. Do you really think that the game system would give players a prop that can be used without any restrictions?¡± Everyone exchanged glances. Of course not. The game system values fairness the most. The harder the game, the more powerful the rewards, and the more powerful the rewards, the more demanding the conditions to use them are! Usually, use is limited by number of times, or time, or otherwise restricted to certain targets. One way or another, players are never allowed to use props recklessly. As for the so-called ¡°Heavenly Punishment¡±, Bai Youwei was completely unfazed, saying clearly: ¡°If the prop in his hand really is that powerful, why would he need to wait until the voting stage? Since the Inspector can¡¯t determine that he¡¯s cheated, he could easily kill us all, then win the game with Yellow Eyes~ He didn¡¯t do that ¨C why not? Because his prop is limited, he couldn¡¯t do it.¡± A simple principle, understandable to everyone. It was only due to the horrifying scene of those giant black moths crawling out of people¡¯s bodies that left such a strong impression in their minds! Fear affected their judgment! One of the men frowned, saying gravely, ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but¡­ I still don¡¯t want to take the risk. No one can be sure that the ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯ won¡¯t befall them.¡± After the man finished speaking, another two or three people with Red Eyes nodded in agreement. For a moment, even the short-haired woman who was in the lead was hesitant. Bai Youwei looked at them coldly. This wasn¡¯t cowardice, but a conservative choice after a comprehensive evaluation of the risk and reward ¨C also known as conservatism. Usually, once there¡¯s one such person in the group, a second will appear, then a third¡­ a fourth¡­ eventually influencing the majority¡¯s decision. Bai Youwei sighed silently in her heart. ¨C Not having compatible companions in the game felt like a chef without a suitable knife, unable to make the best use of her abilities~ ¡°I¡¯ll brief you one last time.¡± She carefully chose her words, before speaking again. ¡°The second round of voting was at 2 o¡¯clock in the morning, Xu Fanghe was betrayed by Blackie, and then they didn¡¯t see each other again. By the time the third round of voting came around, which was around 9:30 in the morning, Blackie was in trouble. From that, at least two pieces of information about the prop can be inferred.¡± The short-haired woman was a bit confused, wasn¡¯t this something everyone knew? How did it reveal two pieces of information? The others also looked at Bai Youwei puzzled. ¡°What are the two pieces of information?¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyes, continuing, ¡°Firstly, this prop can only afflict one person at a time. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Blackie and his white friend have always been the leaders of the Blue Eyes, yet Xu Fanghe only killed one of them, then eliminated the white man by voting. Did he suddenly have a change of heart? No, the most likely possibility is that his prop can only target one person at a time. Therefore, there is no reason to worry too much. If Xu Fanghe is going to act today, his target will certainly be me¡ªyou all will be safe.¡± After saying this, everyone¡¯s faces visibly relaxed. Indeed, as Bai Youwei had said, if Xu Fanghe¡¯s prop is so powerful, he certainly wouldn¡¯t use it carelessly. Even if he were to use it, he would target prominent leaders like Bai Youwei or the short-haired woman. The short-haired woman asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What¡¯s the second piece of information?¡± ¡°Time,¡± Bai Youwei calmly replied, ¡°Moths don¡¯t just appear out of thin air. From egg to larva, then from pupa to moth, the entire process takes time. This also perfectly explains why Blackie wasn¡¯t attacked until the next day. Put simply, if Xu Fanghe wants me dead by the next round of voting, he needs to act against me now. This brings us to the third piece of information¡ª How did he attack Blackie?¡± Chapter 608: 608: Rejected Again Chapter 608: Chapter 608: Rejected Again ¡°The third piece of information is my personal clue,¡± Bai Youwei continued. ¡°Although after the second round of voting, the two didn¡¯t meet again, in fact, Xu Fanghe and the gangster had two indirect encounters.¡± The man with Red Eyes stared at her blankly. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t interested in creating suspense and gave the answer directly: ¡°The first time was when the gangster wrote down the vote count on a piece of paper and sent it over. The second time was when Xu Fanghe crossed out Yellow Eyes¡¯ number and returned the paper. I guess it was at that time that Xu Fanghe pinned the insect egg in the paper. When the gangster opened the paper to see the number, his skin came in contact with the insect egg. The egg entered his body, hatched into Poisonous moths after a few hours, and became the ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯ that Xu Fanghe mentioned.¡± Bai Youwei raised a finger and gently shook it: ¡°Based on the above, to avoid this so-called ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯, we just need to keep our distance from Xu Fanghe. Before the next vote, it¡¯s best for each of us to stay in our rooms, keep the doors and windows closed, and avoid contact with anyone or anything suspicious to prevent facing the ¡®Heavenly Punishment.¡¯ Therefore, you can vote without worries in the next round, there¡¯s no need to fear him.¡± After she finished, everyone looked a bit dazed. So¡­ Is it that simple¡­? We just need to stay away from Xu Fanghe? After Bai Youwei¡¯s thorough explanation, their previous fear of Xu Fanghe suddenly seemed so ridiculous. ¡°So, he¡¯s not that special after all,¡± someone murmured. ¡°Just a trickster.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said another one, with a determined look. ¡°In the next round, we¡¯ll completely get rid of him!¡± The short-haired woman looked at Bai Youwei, then looked at her companions and seized the moment: ¡°Xu Fanghe is probably the culprit ¡®X¡¯. As long as we vote him out in the next round, we can win this preliminary game and also share in the loser¡¯s props and puzzle pieces!¡± Props, and puzzle pieces! Of the 30 players in the game, only 5 will remain in the end. The victorious five will be able to split the props and puzzle pieces of the 25 losers! For a moment, the atmosphere suddenly lifted, and everyone had a relaxed smile on their faces. Bai Youwei still wore an expression of indifference. Such things are like magic tricks. When you can¡¯t see through them, they seem fascinating, as does the magician. But once you understand the key, it becomes so boring, just like that¡­ ¡°If there are no questions, everyone should go back and rest,¡± Bai Youwei suggested casually. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t have contact with anyone.¡± All agreed. The short-haired woman was about to leave when Bai Youwei stopped her: ¡°Stay for a moment.¡± The short-haired woman asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Come with me to talk to the people from the Blue Eyes group,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°We need to gather some votes.¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡­ Bai Youwei took the short-haired woman to find Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui. Although they had refused her earlier, she still wanted to try again to explain the situation, maybe they would reconsider their decision. The man with Red Eyes had initially declined cooperation as well, but now he had been persuaded by her. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t see it as a big deal. As long as she explained the situation to the two of them, and added in Shen Mo¡¯s personal relationship, they could surely secure some votes. First, she and the short-haired woman went to Ya Chaohui¡¯s room. There was no one there. Then they went to Fang Yu¡¯s room. They could faintly hear people talking inside. After knocking on the door, they heard Fang Yu¡¯s stern voice from inside: ¡°Who is it?!¡± Bai Youwei was slightly taken aback. She hadn¡¯t expected him to be so alert. She furrowed her brow and tentatively said: ¡°About the next round of voting, I¡¯d like to talk to you. Can you open the door?¡± There was no response from inside. The short-haired woman leaned in to listen, then shook her head at Bai Youwei. In a low voice, she said: ¡°There are people inside¡­¡± And quite a few. Chapter 609: 609: Who is the X guest? Chapter 609: Chapter 609: Who is the X guest? A sense of foreboding bubbled up within Bai Youwei. As expected, Fang Yu¡¯s voice rang out again a moment later: ¡°You can go. We¡¯ve decided to withdraw from this game. We won¡¯t help with your voting.¡± ¡°Withdraw from the game?¡± Bai Youwei calmly asked from outside the door, ¡°You mean willingly getting eliminated? Well, if that¡¯s the case, you might as well give us a few votes before you go~ The game forbids all violence, so as long you guys beat each other up after the voting ends, you can safely leave the game without worrying about retaliation from the doctor. When we win the game and receive the reward, we can share some of it with you. It¡¯s a deal you won¡¯t lose out on~¡± The room went silent. Bai Youwei leisurely continued, ¡°What¡¯s there to hesitate about? Cast your votes with us, you are assured a share of the puzzle pieces and props after the game¡¯s over. If you¡¯re worried about being retaliated against, have a good brawl to get eliminated. You won¡¯t lose anything by doing so¡­¡± The short-haired woman also chipped in, ¡°The doctor might be the undercover imposter. If both sides cooperate and eliminate him, we would win the game.¡± Fang Yu eventually responded. His voice was firm and cold, ¡°You should leave. There¡¯s no need to say more or to look for the others with blue eyes. We already know who the imposter is.¡± The short-haired woman frowned, ¡°What do you mean by that?!¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. No one spoke inside the room. She forcefully knocked against the door again, but it remained quiet inside. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Bai Youwei said, expressionless, ¡°We¡¯re too late.¡± ¡°Too late?¡± The short-haired woman glanced in puzzlement at the door. ¡°Do you mean¡­they¡¯re in there as well?¡± Had Yellow Eyes started soliciting votes too? With this thought in mind, the short-haired woman couldn¡¯t resist a cynical comment, ¡°And to think they were so imperious with their ¡®Heavenly Punishment¡¯ threats. Turns out they also have to rely on votes to win the game.¡± Bai Youwei remained silent, silently wheeling her wheelchair away. The short-haired woman watched the closed door and Bai Youwei¡¯s retreating figure, reluctantly following behind. Her mood was foul. ¡°Without the votes from the Blue Eyes, the next round of voting will be very precarious¡­¡± The short-haired woman let out a sigh of disappointment, ¡°Perhaps both of us will be voted out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but¡­ I definitely won¡¯t be voted out,¡± Bai Youwei said. The short-haired woman shot her a glance, growing increasingly puzzled by her unwavering confidence¡­ ¡­ Inside Fang Yu¡¯s room, both Blue Eyes and Yellow Eyes had congregated together, packing the small room full. Xu Fanghe calmly explained to Fang Yu, a piece of paper in front of him: ¡°Whenever I give you a series of numbers, I intentionally divide them into three sections, arranged vertically. This way, people will naturally focus on the top, middle, or bottom section when they look at the numbers. And Bai Youwei always¡­ puts her focus on the middle section, which suggests that her number is in the middle¡­ around the 10-14 range.¡± Using a pen, he circled the numbers on the piece of paper and continued: ¡°During the second number selection, she confidently crossed out number 11, and then number 7, so there is a high probability of it being 11.¡±. With a gentle gaze, Xu Fanghe looked at everyone and spoke with a smile, ¡°Based on my observations, there is no doubt that Bai Youwei is the undercover imposter. Although we lack the numbers on the Blue Eyes¡¯ side, as long we eliminate her this round, regardless of how many remain, we and you all are certain to emerge victorious. I have said it before, there is no future in infighting. Only by working together in unison, can we achieve true mutual victory.¡± Ya Chaohui couldn¡¯t hold back his question, ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s the undercover imposter?¡­ How did you observe and come to this conclusion?¡± Chapter 610: 610: Eliminate Number 11 (Extra for hhghguig) Chapter 610: Chapter 610: Eliminate Number 11 (Extra for hhghguig) Xu Fanghe squints slightly, looking towards Ya Chaohui, ¡°If she isn¡¯t, who do you think among us¡­ might be?¡± Ya Chaohui frowns but doesn¡¯t answer. He¡¯s very careful and cautious about judging anyone or any situation. No matter what¡¯s laid out before him, it¡¯s all about the evidence. Dr. Xu Fanghe smiles, asking Ya Chaohui, ¡°Have you ever suspected me?¡± Ya Chaohui responds stiffly, ¡°I consider everyone to be suspicious.¡± Fang Yu tugs at him, his eyes warning him to watch his words. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe doesn¡¯t mind, his smile remaining warm and friendly. No one truly believes he¡¯s friendly. Although they agreed to work together, the mutual caution and wariness didn¡¯t lessen. ¡°As you said, indeed, everyone here is suspicious, but in my opinion, she is the most dubious. Do you know why?¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe asks. Ya Chaohui thinks for a moment, but still shakes his head. Xu Fanghe answers, ¡°Because X-guest¡¯s purpose is most evident in her.¡± ¡°The purpose of¡­ X-guest?¡± Ya Chaohui furrows his brows, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xu Fanghe chuckles, ¡°If I were X-guest, what do you think I¡¯d do right now? Do I need to lobby you guys for votes? ¡­No, I don¡¯t need to at all, because as long as Red Eyes and Yellow Eyes eliminate just one more person, I win. But what am I doing now? I¡¯m doing everything possible to ensure that the five Yellow Eyes survive to the last round, because if there¡¯s one less Yellow Eye, I lose! So under no circumstance can I let a Yellow Eye be eliminated!¡± He taps lightly on the number 11 on the paper with his pen, continuing, ¡°In contrast, for X-guest, it would be ideal to get an even distribution of eliminations among the three eye colors. Because once there are less than five of each eye color in round four, everyone loses hope, they become suspicious of each other and everyone becomes cautious. At this time, X-guest¡¯s chances of winning will rise drastically.¡± Putting down his pen, Xu Fanghe looks at the people in the room, repeating, ¡°In the next round, voting for #11, we will win. If you¡¯re unwilling, I don¡¯t mind taking some measures¡­ because, I¡¯m truly doing this for everyone¡¯s good.¡± ¡­ When evening falls and reaches six o¡¯clock, it¡¯s voting time again. Bai Youwei arrives earlier than anyone else. Sitting in her wheelchair, she waits quietly outside the door, ready to be the first one to vote when time comes. As time approaches, the players gather in the square again, five Yellow Eyes, five Red Eyes, and four Blue Eyes. They look at Bai Youwei as if they are looking at a dead person. Because they know, Bai Youwei will be out in this round of voting. The ball spins around cheerfully a few times, encouraging, ¡°Come on, come on! Come in and vote!¡± Before Bai Youwei went in, she turns her head to glance at everyone, a hint of an elusive smile on her face, mysteriously eerie. Before anyone gets a clear look, she rolls into the room in her wheelchair¡­ ¡­ Inside the voting booth, only 14 numbers remain on the screen. Originally, it should¡¯ve been 15, but after the gangster¡¯s death, his number has also become unselectable in grey. Bai Youwei doesn¡¯t vote immediately. She opens the Dollhouse, takes out the fluffy rabbit which has been charged for several hours, grabs it and places it on the inclined screen ¡ª right on the #11 spot. The rabbit perfectly blocks the number 11. ¡°Stay here, don¡¯t move an inch.¡± Bai Youwei instructs it, ¡°If someone touches you, pushes you, does anything to you, you know what to do, right?¡± The fluffy rabbit: ¡°¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 611: Blind Investment Chapter 611: Chapter 611: Blind Investment Bai Youwei emerged from the voting booth. Her wheelchair was parked outside the booth, and she seemed to suddenly remember something, letting out a high-pitched ¡°Oh my!¡± All thirteen people outside stared at her, puzzled. ¡°Oh no! I think I¡¯ve forgotten something!¡± She brought a finger to her chin, pretending to be deep in thought, ¡°What was it¡­ Ah! I remember now, I left my prop inside!¡± Everyone else: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei gave everyone a slight smile: ¡°But to prevent delaying everyone¡¯s voting time, I won¡¯t go in and retrieve it. No need for anyone to fetch it for me either. My prop is a bit special. If anyone else touches it, it¡¯ll trigger a Thunderstorm Electroshock. Sorry for the inconvenience~¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone else once again: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xu Fanghe kept his face serious, silent, seemingly considering whether Bai Youwei¡¯s words were true or false. The Inspector on the roof curiously peered out halfway from the sphere, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°Did you really leave your prop inside?¡± ¡°Yes~¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head and smiled, ¡°I accidentally left my prop inside. That doesn¡¯t violate the game rules, does it? Even if someone gets half roasted from setting off the prop effects, it has nothing to do with me, does it? After all, I did warn them~¡± Sphere lowered its voice: ¡°All forms of violence are prohibited in this game¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Bai Youwei spread her hands, ¡°I¡¯m not capable of doing much damage, anyway~¡± Sphere: ¡°¡­¡± Sigh¡­ Another one¡­ This was supposed to be a mystery game involving intelligence, but these players turned it into a violent mess. Sigh, how frustrating. The sphere rolled back. In the crowd, Xu Fanghe asked, ¡°I¡¯m curious, would there be a prop in the game that disrupts the balance like this?¡± As soon as he opened his mouth, others looked skeptical too, as if Bai Youwei was just bluffing. ¡°Compared to props that can incubate moths inside someone¡¯s body, mine is far less potent~¡± Bai Youwei humbly said, ¡°Moreover, using it has many restrictions. Although it can roast someone to perfection in one shot, it¡¯s very inconvenient if the battery runs out. It¡¯s so hard to find a place to recharge these days~¡± Dr. Xu Fanghe cracked a smile, ¡°So¡­ your prop may not have enough battery left, is that it?¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head to size him up, her lips curved in a smile, ¡°You can try it if you want. If you¡¯re worried about the risk, you can always ask someone else to¨C you¡¯ve got so many followers after all. Losing one or two shouldn¡¯t matter, should it, Dr. Xu Fanghe?¡± Xu Fanghe didn¡¯t say anything. No one else said anything either. As Bai Youwei rolled her wheelchair, she spoke in a relaxed manner, ¡°The game only requires us to vote. It doesn¡¯t ask us to put our lives on the line. So why must we attempt to outdo each other? Confrontation only leads to tragedy and regret. I¡¯m saying all this for everyone¡¯s welfare¡­¡± Xu Fanghe¡¯s expression grew increasingly grim. It was pure mockery. Those words were exactly what he had said during the last round of voting. Bai Youwei returned to Red Eyes¡¯ group. Those who needed to vote, no matter how they felt, had to go cast their votes. Everyone who came out after voting cast a complicated glance at Bai Youwei. The bespectacled man kept asking: ¡°Did anyone vote for number 11? Did you? Did anyone vote for number 11?¡± ¡°No¡­ I couldn¡¯t vote for number 11, so I randomly voted for number 16.¡± ¡°Damn! I¡¯m number 16! What the hell were you thinking?!¡± ¡°Well, did you vote for number 11 then? How the hell else was I supposed to vote?!¡± ¡°I voted for number 13! Didn¡¯t the Doctor say that the X guest¡¯s number is between 10-14¡­¡± ¡­ The voting¡­ It was a total mess. Chapter 612: Announcement of the Fourth Round Chapter 612: Chapter 612: Announcement of the Fourth Round It was the turn of the short-haired girl to vote. Before entering, she rubbed her hands together, a little excited, curious to know how Bai Youwei¡¯s prop had intimidated these people. The door opened, she walked in, all she saw was a fluffy rabbit squatting on the display screen filled with numbers. Isn¡¯t this the rabbit that Bai Youwei always cradles in her arms? So, this thing was her prop! The short-haired girl marveled, looking more closely at the rabbit. Fluffy¡­ Round¡­ So adorable, she wanted to touch it. The rabbit looked up at her, its black-bean-like eyes unwavering. The short-haired girl clutched her chest, her heart was melting. She couldn¡¯t resist it! She really wanted to reach out and touch it! However, as soon as she stretched out her hand, she heard the crackling sound of an electric current! A ring of purplish-blue light encased the fluffy rabbit, all its fur bristled. Its body radiated a dazzling light that pulsed slightly, as if the slightest touch by the short-haired girl would trigger an explosion! ¡°Hehe, just kidding.¡± The short-haired girl laughed awkwardly, quickly directing her outstretched hand towards number 29! But there was no response. She paused, noticing that the number 29 button was unselectable, grayed out. On the whole display, only numbers 9, 16, and 20 were lit, and the rest were all unselectable. Here we go again. Payment order issue causing a tie in the results, the final vote could only be cast for numbers 9, 16, and 20. The short-haired girl furrowed her brows slightly. According to their plan, numbers 9, 20, and 29 each have 2 votes, and her vote should have gone to number 29. But she hadn¡¯t expected that she wouldn¡¯t be able to select 29. But number 20 was also within the target range. After thinking for a moment, the short-haired girl pressed number 20. She walked out of the voting booth, and at the same time, the results of the fourth round of voting were unveiled. The Inspector walked around on the rooftop, announcing loudly: ¡°Now to announce the fourth round elimination numbers and the vote counts!¡± ¡°Number 9, 2 votes.¡± ¡°Number 13, 3 votes.¡± ¡°Number 16, 2 votes.¡± ¡°Number 20, 3 votes.¡± ¡°Number 30, 3 votes.¡± When the number 20 was called out, Xu Fanghe¡¯s expression froze. He suddenly looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Why the¡­¡± Before his words trailed off, his body had disappeared! The bespectacled man, desperately grieved, lunged towards Xu Fanghe¡¯s spot, finding only empty air! He knelt down at the spot where Xu Fanghe had disappeared, wailing inconsolably, ¡°Dr. Xu Fanghe!!! How could you leave us! Without your guidance and help, what shall we do! What shall we do!!!¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei was also slightly surprised, so Xu Fanghe¡¯s number was 20. So, since he¡¯s now eliminated, should the game be over? The Inspector loudly announced, ¡°The fifth round of voting will take place in 8 hours! Which will also be the final vote! Since there are only 9 people left, you only need to vote out 4 people in the next round! The remaining 5 will successfully register for the ¡®Maze war¡¯ tournament! The victory is just a step away, dear X-challenger~ The rest of you should also try hard. If the X-challenger wins, all of you will be demoted, every single one of you will be demoted!¡± The short-haired girl was shocked, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°What happened? Isn¡¯t Xu Fanghe the X-challenger?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, she too didn¡¯t expect this outcome. If Xu Fanghe wasn¡¯t the X-challenger, then who was? The spectacled man shouted at her in hatred, ¡°It¡¯s you!!! You¡¯re the X-challenger! In order to win this game, you stopped at nothing to eliminate Dr. Xu Fanghe! Originally, the doctor would have led us all to victory! But you¡¯ve ruined everything! You¡¯re the X-challenger!!!¡± Everyone stared at Bai Youwei in shock. And in a split second ¡ª She became the public enemy! Chapter 613: The Doubting Person Chapter 613: Chapter 613: The Doubting Person Nighttime. The surroundings are eerily silent, as still as a stagnant pool. Besides the pale moonlight and the uniform stone bricks around me, there¡¯s nothing but the ink-colored shadow beneath my feet. Bai Youwei stood alone in the square, propping up her chin, silently pondering about the voting. Xu Fanghe¡¯s elimination was within her calculations, but the fact that Xu Fanghe wasn¡¯t the X Guest did surprise her. There are still nine people on the field. In Red Eyes, there¡¯s the short-haired woman and a pale-skinned man, along with herself. In Yellow Eyes, there are the three follower doctors led by the bespectacled man. In Blue Eyes, there¡¯s Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui, along with a man in a suit who always thinks he¡¯s a part of Red Eyes. 3:3:3, nine people in total. Either five people win, or only the X Guest wins. Who is the X Guest after all? Having to go through round after round of voting, and remain until the end, doesn¡¯t it seem like the criteria for the X Guest to clear the game is stricter than anyone else¡¯s? Well¡­ not exactly. On the surface, it seems hard, but on closer thought, the X Guest, like the rest of the players, is also vying for the last five spots. The only difference is, they have to find out who the X Guest is, whereas the X Guest doesn¡¯t have to do anything¡­ Footsteps sounded from behind. Bai Youwei turned her head and saw the short-haired woman slowly walking over from a distance. The sound of her boots scraping against the stone slab was dull, reflecting her current mood. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The short-haired woman stopped about ten steps away from Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°Are you¡­ really, the X Guest?¡± Bai Youwei looked at her curiously and counter-asked, ¡°Do you think I am?¡± The short-haired woman hesitated and replied, ¡°Not¡­ really?¡± Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°You can remove the ¡®really¡¯.¡± The short-haired woman let out a sigh of relief, then walked over and said, ¡°You can still laugh about it. Everyone thinks you¡¯re the X Guest, and the real X Guest is still hiding, probably delighting in this.¡± As she spoke, she sighed again and glanced up at the moon, ¡°Ah¡­ this damned game, inventing all sorts of ways to drive people mad.¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head and regarded her, ¡°Do you believe me?¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± the short-haired woman¡¯s tone was uncertain. Bai Youwei just smiled without any comment. The short-haired woman looked down at her, fell into silence for a moment, then repeated her answer, ¡°I do.¡± This time, there was no ¡°guess¡±. ¡°What¡¯s your reasoning?¡± Bai Youwei asked her with a smile, ¡°Which of my actions or comments made you think I am not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling¡­¡± the short-haired woman said, ¡°Sometimes gut instincts are more reliable than your brain. When I can¡¯t figure things out, I trust my instincts.¡± With a deeper smile tugging at the corners of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth, she asked, ¡°Then, what does your gut say about who the X Guest is among those who are left?¡± This question gave the short-haired woman a headache. ¡°This damn game¡­¡± she muttered, then added with a gloomy tone, ¡°Aside from the two of us, I suspect the remaining seven.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any leads either. Why don¡¯t we talk about it and discuss our suspicions. Maybe we can come up with some new ideas.¡± The short-haired woman thought for a bit and agreed, ¡°Alright. Should I go first?¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Even though I have suspicions about everyone, there are two who I¡¯m most suspicious of,¡± the short-haired woman said, ¡°The first one is that thin, dark-skinned man from the Blue Eyes team. He wears combat gear and has a square face¡­¡± ¡°Fang Yu.¡± Bai Youwei chipped in, ¡°That man¡¯s name is Fang Yu.¡± The short-haired woman snorted, ¡°Fang Yu? No wonder he has such a square face¡­ Isn¡¯t he just weird? When we tried to align with Blue Eyes, his attitude was so bad.¡± ¡°His bad attitude was probably due to Xu Fanghe¡¯s comments¡­¡± Bai Youwei responded. The short-haired woman shook her head, ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s another possibility. For instance, if he is the X Guest, of course, he¡¯d love to join hands with Xu Fanghe against you!¡± Chapter 614: 614: Nervous and Jumpy Chapter 614: Chapter 614: Nervous and Jumpy Bai Youwei had considered this as well. In the game, it¡¯s easier to gravitate towards players you¡¯re familiar with, even when you¡¯ve only met once, and when you¡¯re looking to form an alliance or a team, it¡¯s common to prioritize those players. However, it seemed as if Fang Yu and Ya Chaohui never had the intention to ally with her from the very beginning. In the beginning of the game, when the mobster held a leading position in the Blue Eyes¡¯ team, Fang Yu refused to interact with her in order to avoid making the mobster suspicious. This excuse was somewhat reasonable¡­ But what if Fang Yu was ¡®X¡¯? What would he have considered then? Bai Youwei ponders for a moment, and then asks the short-haired woman, ¡°Who¡¯s the other one?¡± The short-haired woman purses her lips and whispers, ¡°Number 14.¡± ¡°Number 14?¡± Bai Youwei is taken aback, but quickly realizes that the short-haired woman is referring to the blue-eyed man in the Red Eyes¡¯ team, who is actually the gentleman who was tricked into joining their team. ¡°Don¡¯t you find him suspicious?¡± the short-haired woman frowns, ¡°He¡¯s in the same situation as you, being part of a team that doesn¡¯t match his eye color. Our team has always avoided voting for him during each voting round to take advantage of his vote, but coincidentally, or perhaps intended, the Blue Eyes¡¯ team also hasn¡¯t voted for him!¡± Bai Youwei understands, ¡°So you¡¯re saying, he intentionally revealed his number to the Blue team, which means neither team would vote for him, thus increasing his chances of survival.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± the short-haired woman nods vigorously, ¡°If he¡¯s ¡®X¡¯, everything would make sense! He¡¯s afraid of being eliminated early, so he¡¯s set up two safety measures.¡± Bai Youwei bargains, ¡°It does seem plausible¡­¡± The short-haired woman asks, ¡°Who are your suspects?¡± Bai Youwei thinks to herself, the people I suspected are already out of the game. The mobster is gone, and Xu Fanghe got disqualified. ¡°I still think that¡­ ¡®X¡¯ should be someone who takes the initiative in the game. Otherwise, waiting passively for others to vote is no different from gambling on luck.¡± Bai Youwei propped her chin thoughtfully and spoke slowly, ¡°Number 14 is suspicious, but he¡¯s mostly relying on luck in the later stages. ¡®X¡¯ needs to not only avoid being voted off but also guide other players to vote for other numbers. Only then, can ¡®X¡¯ guarantee to survive till the last round¡­¡± The short-haired woman gives a embarrassed smile, ¡°Who you¡¯re describing is the Doctor, isn¡¯t it?¡± Bai Youwei laughs lightly, ¡°Indeed.¡± But the Doctor is already out, and the game isn¡¯t over yet. With no leads, the two women fall into a synchronized silence. After a while, Bai Youwei asks, ¡°Why does everyone call Xu Fanghe ¡®Doctor¡¯?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a doctor?¡± the short-haired woman casually replies, ¡°He wears a white lab coat. He looks like a doctor, and remembering names is too troublesome. So, we just call him ¡®Doctor¡¯.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± Bai Youwei replies quietly, ¡°I actually thought he didn¡¯t look like a doctor. He doesn¡¯t have that aura¡­¡± ¡°What kind of aura?¡± the short-haired woman laughs, ¡°the smell of disinfectant? After so long since the world has ended, even if there was a smell it would have long disappeared!¡± Finally, she cannot help but comment sarcastically, ¡°But his team is full of sick people. It¡¯s good to have a doctor around to cure them. They¡¯re all fucking insane! Especially that highly myopic guy, mumbling all day. He¡¯s not lightly afflicted!¡± Bai Youwei chuckles and nods, ¡°Those guys are really odd.¡± While being part of the Yellow Eyes¡¯ team, she was often on the verge of laughing while watching the scarf woman and the glasses man worship Xu Fanghe every day. Jokes aside, after a thought, the short-haired woman notes, ¡°The Yellow Eyes¡¯ team was always under the control of the Doctor. Now that he¡¯s out, they¡¯re completely disorganized, without anyone controlling the votes. This is also an opportunity¡­ The next voting round will eliminate four people. Without anyone to manipulate the game, even by simply guessing, there¡¯s a 44% chance of winning.¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 615: 615: Manipulating (Additional update for no progress) Chapter 615: Chapter 615: Manipulating (Additional update for no progress) Bai Youwei mused on the interesting choice of words the short-haired woman used. ¡°You mentioned manipulation¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth?¡± The short-haired woman shrugged helplessly. ¡°Those Yellow Eyes, utterly controlled. It¡¯s unbelievable. This is the preliminary round, yet so many clueless people have appeared.¡± After saying this, she continued thoughtfully: ¡°But, I once heard a concept that humans have an innate nature to role-play. For instance, when dealing with a doctor, one might unconsciously put themselves in the position of the patient¡ªthe inherently weak and dependent role¡ªhardly rejecting the doctor¡¯s requirements.¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei said indifferently: ¡°In this world, everyone is naturally playing various roles. In fact, some can only be that role. Few can be their true selves.¡± The short-haired woman nodded with a sigh, ¡°Yes, for someone to be their true self is truly a blessing¡­¡± Seeming to have fallen into her own thoughts, she paused for a moment before abruptly ending the conversation- ¡°It¡¯s getting late, time to go back and rest.¡± The short-haired woman gently patted Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder, and teased: ¡°You¡¯ll have to crawl out of bed for the vote in the middle of the night, don¡¯t oversleep.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Have you decided who you¡¯re voting for?¡± The short-haired woman was taken aback. ¡°Have you decided?¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± Bai Youwei nodded. The short-haired woman¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner!¡± ¡°It just came to me.¡± She said lightly, pulling out the short-haired woman¡¯s hand and writing a number in her palm¡­ ¡­ Two in the morning. It was voting time again. The nine of them gathered in the plaza, Bai Youwei still the first to arrive. When the others saw her standing at the door of the voting booth, they showed disdain, thinking Bai Youwei was underhanded. Her bunny was completely blocking her number, making it impossible for them to vote even if they wanted to! The most annoying part was that the Inspector didn¡¯t even bother to stop this blatant cheating! If they can¡¯t eliminate the X guest, they lose regardless; they might as well vote randomly! Almost everyone had this kind of thinking. After Bai Youwei left, the short-haired woman was the second to vote. Then it was the turn of the white-skinned man with Red Eyes. Followed by the man in the suit with the number 14. When it was Ya Chaohui¡¯s turn, the man in glasses asked him to wait. ¡°Wait a moment¡­I, I have something to say to both of you.¡± Ya Chaohui and Fang Yu looked at each other, both puzzled. The two followed the man in glasses aside and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± The man in glasses fumbled with the frames, stammering, ¡°Well¡­I was thinking¡­ as everyone already knows, the X guest¡­ is the woman in the wheelchair. If we just eliminate her, the rest of us can win this game¡­¡± Ya Chaohui shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible, we can¡¯t even touch her number.¡± Fang Yu frowned, ¡°Tell us your plan. You wouldn¡¯t have asked us over if you hadn¡¯t found a way, right?¡± Ya Chaohui looked at Fang Yu, ¡°Let it go, Fang Yu, if she wants to win, let her win¡­¡± ¡°I want to win.¡± Fang Yu said. Ya Chaohui was taken aback, ¡°You¡­what are you saying? She and Officer Shen¡­¡± ¡°I want to win.¡± Fang Yu repeated. He remained stern, with a determined look: ¡°The world is already like this, where is there room for any officer? All this time, did he help us? Did he look for us? Did he save us?! Chaohui, I want to save everyone! The teammates who died in the game! I want to save them! Only by becoming the King can I achieve this, do you understand?!¡± Ya Chaohui looked at Fang Yu blankly and said nothing. Fang Yu didn¡¯t pay him any more attention, instead continuing to question the man in glasses, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s your method?¡± The man in glasses grinned pleasingly, pulling out a white porcelain cup from his pocket, ¡°It¡¯s simple¡­ Block your hand with an insulator, swiftly brush off the rabbit and press number 11 as fast as possible¡­¡± Chapter 616: 616: The Final Round of Voting Chapter 616: Chapter 616: The Final Round of Voting The porcelain cup isn¡¯t big, just an ordinary drinking cup, taken from the resting room. The bespectacled man explained quietly, ¡°Although I came up with the method, it¡¯s not something anyone can do¡­ It requires someone with exceptional skills to dodge the electric shock quickly after pressing the voting button¡­ As you can see, only the cream of the crop can do it¡­¡± Fang Yu glanced at him irritably, ¡°Stop with the hypocritical compliments, we don¡¯t need it! Just tell us what to do!¡± ¡°How to do it¡­¡± The bespectacled man chuckled, his voice getting lower, ¡°It¡¯s simple. If you¡¯re quick enough, you can press number 11 before the device reacts. They said it would trigger the Thunderstorm Electroshock, but who knows if it¡¯s true or not? It might be a bluff. Will the electric shock be as powerful as she said? What would happen if we throw a heavy object from a distance?¡­ No matter what, we have effortlessly survived until the final round, we shouldn¡¯t give up now. With just two votes, we can eliminate her. Let¡¯s win this game together.¡± Ya Chaohui held Fang Yu back, once again trying to persuade him, ¡°We¡¯re still not certain if she¡¯s the X-guest¡­¡± ¡°If not her, who can it be?!¡± Fang Yu said through gritted teeth, ¡°She¡¯s obviously a member of the Red Eyes, but she blended in among the Yellow Eyes, and survived so many voting rounds unscathed, it doesn¡¯t add up! Wasn¡¯t the Doctor eliminated because of her arrangement? The X-guest is most likely her, if not, then it¡¯s the man in the suit!¡± The bespectacled man immediately said: ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already discussed with the members of the Yellow Eyes, they will unanimously vote the gentleman out, including the short-haired lady from the Red Eyes Team, who is also very suspicious¡­ In short, in the last round, as long as we eliminate the four most suspicious people, we can certainly win.¡± Fang Yu frowned: ¡°In that case, do we have enough votes? We are only two here, add you and the two Yellow Eyes, that¡¯s only five votes in total, how can we eliminate four people?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The bespectacled man laughed, ¡°To put it precisely, we have seven votes.¡± ¡°Seven votes?¡± Both Ya Chaohui and Fang Yu looked surprised. The bespectacled man said, ¡°Yes. Apart from the short-haired woman and the man in the wheelchair, I¡¯ve tried to approach everyone else, and as expected, everyone is already dissatisfied with those two women. So in this vote, as long as we work together, we can definitely eliminate the X-guest.¡± Fang Yu still frowned, pondering. Ya Chaohui was also quite hesitant. The game itself is a competition, there¡¯s no need for courtesy. Although Bai Youwei and Shen Mo are on their side, it would be better if he and Fang Yu win. However, the hierarchical relationship was deeply rooted in him, and attacking his ¡°allies¡± in the game felt inappropriate. ¡°Fang Yu, with the captain¡¯s ability, we can definitely make it to the end. Since we¡¯ve agreed to become his subjects¡­¡± The bespectacled man interrupted him with a twinkling gaze, ¡°I hate to break it to you, but the games in the Doll World are unpredictable. The strong may not actually be strong and the weak may not actually be weak. Maybe when we win and get out, your captain has already been demoted to a subject? Shouldn¡¯t we consider for ourselves? Like me, I¡¯m also a subject, but the Doctor is gone just like that, what can I do? In the end, don¡¯t we have to rely on ourselves?¡± Fang Yu shot him a cold look, ¡°You¡¯re right. Instead of waiting for someone to save us, it¡¯s better to save ourselves.¡± Ya Chaohui wanted to persuade him again, but he heard the Inspector urging loudly: S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hey! Those who haven¡¯t voted yet, are you planning on forfeiting your votes? Forfeiting your votes is equivalent to voluntarily getting eliminated~¡± The ball on the roof was impatiently rolling around. Everyone was also looking at them. Ya Chaohui sighed heavily and stepped into the voting booth. Chapter 617: 617: Ya Chaohuis Choice Chapter 617: Chapter 617: Ya Chaohui¡¯s Choice In the voting booth, the display screen was showing only 8 digits. Number 11 was was obscured by the rabbit and couldn¡¯t be seen. Ya Chaohui stood in front of the screen, his expression perplexed. He never expected that he and Fang Yu would be pitted against Bai Youwei in the game. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo seemed to have a deep relationship, and they originally wanted to side with Shen Mo. But now, they were going against Bai Youwei, and no matter how he thought about it, it didn¡¯t feel right. However¡­ The man with the glasses was also right ¨C this was a game, and games were meant to determine a winner and loser. There was no need to consider personal relationships. If only Bai Youwei was not the X guest¡­ His gaze swept over each number. Bai Youwei was not the only one with doubts. Wasn¡¯t the suit-wearing man with the blue eyes also suspicious? After so many rounds of voting, the suited man should have realised that his eye colour was actually blue, yet he insisted on staying in the Red Eyes Team. Why was that? S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As Ya Chaohui considered this, the more he thought, the more he found the man in the suit suspicious. Rather than saying he found the suited man suspicious, it was more accurate to say he hoped the suited man was suspicious. Because if the suited man was the X guest, then the game could end harmoniously! There would be no need to target Bai Youwei, no need to feel guilty towards Mr Shen, and there would be no need to persuade Fang Yu anymore. Ya Chaohui held his breath and placed a vote for number 14. ¡­ The only people left who hadn¡¯t voted were the man with the glasses and Fang Yu. When Glasses guy saw Ya Chaohui come out unscathed, he knew he must not have chosen number 11. He couldn¡¯t help but show disdain on his face. How did such a cautious and hesitant man even enter the preliminary contest? The man with the Glasses gave a contemptuous glance, and then turned to look at Fang Yu. Compared to Ya Chaohui, he preferred the expression on Fang Yu¡¯s face ¨C determination, toughness, and an unyielding obsession to achieve one¡¯s goal! It was quite pleasing to the eye¡­ Glasses guy curled the corner of his mouth and said, ¡°My turn? I will vote for number 11.¡± His voice was not low, and Bai Youwei along with the short-haired woman both heard him and looked over, their expressions unusual. ¡°Did you see her look?¡± Glasses guy lowered his voice and said in Fang Yu¡¯s ear, ¡°She is nervous that her toy rabbit will be exposed¡­ She must be the X guest.¡± Fang Yu¡¯s face was tense. The man with glasses chuckled, held the porcelain cup in his hand for everyone to see, then walked into the voting booth. The plush rabbit was still on the display screen, motionless. Anytime someone approached, it would generate electrical sparks, always appearing ready to attack. Glasses guy chuckled softly. He would never be foolish enough to use himself as the experiment. Now that things had progressed this far, it didn¡¯t matter who got eliminated, because¡­ the winner would definitely be him. If he had to choose someone, it might as well be that short-haired woman. She was as fierce as a man, it would be better if she was eliminated sooner so that he wouldn¡¯t have to encounter her again. The short-haired woman¡­ she should be number 3 or 7, right? The glasses guy pondered for a while, pressed the digit 7, then turned around and left the voting booth¡ª Just as he was about to exit, his right hand dove into the porcelain cup, while his left hand tightly gripped his right hand. He walked out of the booth slowly, appearing to be enduring pain. The people in the plaza watched him. Glasses guy scanned the crowd, and finally, he smiled towards Fang Yu and exclaimed: ¡°I¡¯m fine! Just as we thought, the rabbit¡¯s electric charge is limited, it can¡¯t electrocute anyone to death!¡± Bai Youwei slightly furrowed her brows, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart. Glasses guy dramatically walked up to Fang Yu, shook his hand, and handed the porcelain cup to Fang Yu saying, ¡°As long as you move quickly, you¡¯ll be fine¡­ Getting shocked really isn¡¯t comfortable, my hand is still numb.¡± Chapter 618: 618 Fang Yus Choice Chapter 618: Chapter 618 Fang Yu¡¯s Choice Fang Yu took the porcelain cup, glanced at Bai Youwei in silence, then walked towards the voting cabin. Bai Youwei called out to stop him: ¡°Fang Yu!¡± Fang Yu didn¡¯t stop. Bai Youwei¡¯s face finally changed, warning him urgently: ¡°Fang Yu! Would you rather believe him than me? Even if you disdain to cooperate with a disabled person, there¡¯s no need to be stupid enough to be used, is there?¡± Fang Yu finally stopped. He stood at the door of the voting cabin, back to everyone. Even the globe on the roof looked curiously at these two, wondering whether Fang Yu would waver because of Bai Youwei¡¯s words. Bai Youwei was really angry. She was never a patient person to begin with, and now seeing Fang Yu want to vote for her number 11 made her even more furious¡ª¡ª ¡°Let me tell you! My rabbit either stuns people or electrocutes them to death! It can never be gentle enough to only numb one hand! The man with the glasses is obviously using you, can¡¯t you see that? Don¡¯t think that because you were subordinates to Shen Mo, I will let you go! If you dare to touch the rabbit, bear the consequences!¡± Fang Yu sneered, slowly turned around, staring at Bai Youwei. ¡°I remember that you chose ¡®King¡¯ when you signed up, right?¡± Fang Yu asked. Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°So what?¡± ¡°If the King loses, he can continue to fight as a subject, but if the subject loses¡­he can only become a commoner, forever losing the chance to make it to the end.¡± He spoke slowly, with increasingly cold eyes, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want to lose, so¡­I will have to trouble you to lose.¡± Bai Youwei opened her eyes wide, ¡°Fang Yu¡­Fang Yu! I warn you!¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, Fang Yu had already entered the voting cabin. ¡°Damn it!¡± Bai Youwei cursed angrily, wheeling her chair towards the cabin, ¡°Fang Yu! I¡¯m not joking with you! If you dare¡­¡± Boom!!! The cabin shook violently! Even the globe on the roof swayed, exclaiming, ¡°Is this the upgraded effect? It¡¯s amazing¡­¡± Looking at the stunned players in front of him, the globe couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Bai Youwei had warned them several times, so why did they still look so surprised? Ya Chaohui was the first to rush forward, banging his fist on the door! He smelled the burnt smell leaking from inside and shook uncontrollably! The Inspector said leisurely: ¡°Why the panic? I am opening the door for you now, opening the door¡­.and then the voting results will be announced¡­.¡± The door opened, and the burnt smell became even stronger. A person was lying on the ground, his whole body burned black, unrecognizable! Ya Chaohui looked at his companion in disbelief, his mind blank, his legs gave way, he knelt on the ground, his trembling hands nowhere to rest. He wanted to help Fang Yu, but he didn¡¯t know if he should touch him¡­ The man¡¯s skin and clothes were all burnt black together, like coal dust, and small black fragments fell off with a slightest touch. Ya Chaohui¡¯s throat was sore, gasping for breath, unable to speak, and large tears fell from his red eyes! Who would have thought¡­ Who would have thought that after overcoming many difficulties, his teammate did not die in the game, but died¡­died at the hands of a woman! The rabbit on the ground moved its ears, jumped onto Bai Youwei¡¯s legs. Ya Chaohui¡¯s gaze followed. The rabbit was lying in Bai Youwei¡¯s arms. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She was the root of all evil, she was also the murderer! Bai Youwei killed Fang Yu! Ya Chaohui breathed heavily, as if his blood was flowing backwards, his vision became dark under the surging emotions! He was about to pass out! The man in glasses came in and saw this scene, he burst into laughter! ¡°He voted! He really voted! Hahaha! He voted number 11! I won!!!¡± Chapter 619: 619: The Biggest Winner Chapter 619: Chapter 619: The Biggest Winner The man in glasses laughed wildly. Ya Chaohui was furious. He forced himself to rise, intending to teach the man a lesson. The short-haired woman blocked his path, saying, ¡°Violence is forbidden in the game. If you want to beat him up, wait until the game is settled!¡± Ya Chaohui¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the man in glasses. The man in glasses, however, didn¡¯t care. He laughed loudly as he stepped out of the voting booth, insolently urging the Inspector, ¡°Hurry up and announce the results! Let these stupid ones disappear and give their tools and puzzles to me! All of them belong to me!¡± Ya Chaohui felt even more furious, his teeth gritted, ¡°So you are the traitor! You used us!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t using you guys pretty standard?¡± The man in glasses didn¡¯t stop laughing, ¡°What do you think this place is? It¡¯s a game of puppets! Did you think it¡¯s a mutual aid society?! If I don¡¯t use you, how can I win the game?! Ah, and that dumb doctor, what a laugh thinking he¡¯d save the world hahaha¡­¡± ¡°If you call him a fool, don¡¯t you see that you are one too?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her wheelchair forward slowly, her tone ice-cold, ¡°If you weren¡¯t, why would you follow his every word and suck up to him? You two are cut from the same cloth.¡± Hearing this, the man in glasses turned to Bai Youwei, adjusted his glasses and sneered, ¡°You might not understand if I tell you. I was treating him, got it?¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, ¡°Oh¡­ treating him?¡± ¡°Exactly, curing the doctor¡¯s ailment.¡± The man in glasses smirked arrogantly. ¡°He likes to play the doctor, so I pretended to be a patient. He enjoys controlling people, so I pretended to be under his control. Whatever he wanted his patients to turn into, I would pretend to become. Blindly following, mindlessly trusting, unduly flattering ¨C that¡¯s what he wants to see! I satisfied all his psychological needs and in turn, he gave me everything I desired! Just like a doctor pays more care for his patient, the more dependent the patient becomes on the doctor, and the more dependent the patients are, the more obligated the doctor becomes towards them! Do you see? He naturally looks after me! Protects me! Because¡ªI am his precious patient!¡± ¡°Hahaha, you bunch of fools! Do you understand now? Human relationships are about reciprocal influence and interaction! While a doctor can control his patients, patients can also control their doctors! I am the puppeteer of this game, I am the grand winner!¡± Bai Youwei looked at him with cold indifferent eyes, her voice flat, ¡°Given that emotional relationships are about mutual influence and interaction, won¡¯t patients find it hard to survive once they¡¯ve lost their doctors¡­¡± ¡°Are you joking? I¡¯ve already won!¡± The man in glasses laughed arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯ve won! Hurry up and announce the voting results!¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes, not saying another word. The Inspector glanced at Bai Youwei, the man in glasses, and the others, then finally announced: ¡°Now I¡¯ll announce the numbers and votes from the fifth elimination round!¡± ¡°Number 6, 1 vote.¡± ¡°Number 7, 1 vote.¡± ¡°Number 14, 2 votes.¡± ¡°Number 24, 2 votes.¡± ¡°Number 29, 2 votes.¡± The man in glasses looked stunned, questioning whether he had heard wrong, ¡°How¡­ how could this be? Where is number 11? Why isn¡¯t number 11 here! Didn¡¯t he press number 11 earlier?!¡± After a moment of silence, the ball said, ¡°He did press it.¡± ¡°Then why isn¡¯t it there?! Number 11 should at least have 1 vote! And what about you all! What happened? Why didn¡¯t you vote as I instructed you?!¡± The man in glasses was thrown into confusion, scanning each face of the participants, ¡°Who voted for number 29?! Who?!!¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei looked at him calmly, ¡°Well, of course¡­ that¡¯s what I told them to do.¡± Chapter 620: 620: You Talk Too Much Chapter 620: Chapter 620: You Talk Too Much ¡°Why?!¡± The man with glasses couldn¡¯t accept it, he grabbed a Yellow Eye and asked, ¡°Who did you vote for? Why did you listen to her?! Did you figure out I was the X Guest from the beginning?! No¡­ No! It¡¯s impossible!!!¡± The Yellow Eye slipped his arm out of the man¡¯s grasp, responding irritably, ¡°We didn¡¯t figure it out, but she promised us that if we voted her way, win or lose, we would all get tools.¡± The man with glasses widened his eyes, ¡°Can¡­ can it be done like this?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Another Yellow Eye said, ¡°If she really is the X Guest, we¡¯re doomed anyway. Since number 11 was blocked by the Rabbit and couldn¡¯t vote, we might as well listen to her, even if we were to lose, we could still get tools.¡± Even if demoted to commoners, tools are still a very important asset. Unless dolls disappear completely from the world, tools would lose their value. The man with glasses didn¡¯t expect that he would be defeated by such a small detail. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He roared with unbearable fury, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid she will renege?!¡± ¡°She won¡¯t go back on her word.¡± Short-haired girl stepped forward, ¡°We got the Inspector as our witness. As long as we eliminate the real X Guest in the final round of voting, regardless of winning or losing, we could split tools.¡± That means, apart from number 29, the people who were eliminated, numbers 6, 7, 14, and 24, would only lose puzzles, but not tools, and they could even share tools with the winner! Such a huge temptation, no one could resist. The short-haired girl looked towards Ya Chaohui, bit her lip, and added, ¡°We tried to contact you and your partner, but you locked yourselves away, refusing any communication.¡± Ya Chaohui¡¯s head was low, his face gray, he couldn¡¯t speak a word. The man with glasses refused to give up, pointed at the corpse in the room and argued, ¡°Even so! This shouldn¡¯t be the result! He had just voted, why it doesn¡¯t count?! Is the Inspector deliberately covering up?!¡± ¡°Hey, how can you talk nonsense?¡± The spectating ball quickly interjected, ¡°He did vote, but his vote was invalid. Didn¡¯t you notice that numbers 6 and 7 were tied? I mentioned that in this round only four people would be eliminated, so he should have chosen one from numbers 6 and 7 to vote for. But who would know, he pressed the invalid number 11, and now, well, all five have to be eliminated.¡± ¡°Tied¡­ votes?¡­ Invalid?¡± The man with glasses stumbled a half step backward, looking dismayed, ¡°How¡­ how could this happen.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him emotionlessly, speaking in a light tone, ¡°I guessed you would vote for number 7, so I had everyone take the first four spots during the initial voting. Counting your vote for number 7, that leaves five in total. But the final round is limited to eliminating four people, which means the remaining two people who haven¡¯t voted could only choose from those with one vote.¡± ¡°What if they both voted for number 11?¡± The man with the glasses stubbornly gritted his teeth, ¡°If they both voted for 11, then your vote count is 2! Even if I lost, you would lose with me!¡± ¡°In theory, yes, but, practically, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Bai Youwei gently patted the rabbit in her arms, ¡°Do you think, after the Thunder Effect was used once, anyone would be foolish enough to press number 11 again?¡± The man with glasses was taken aback. Once someone presses number 11, it will trigger Thunderstorm Electroshock! Seeing a living person turned to charred remains, who would dare to press 11 again? Are they an idiot?! ¡°Even¡­ even if it¡¯s like this¡­ why did you all¡­¡± he tried with all his might to find a reason, unable to face his defeat. The ball finally lost patience, ¡°You talk too much! I¡¯m going to start the rewards calculation now!¡± The man with glasses suddenly disappeared into thin air. Chapter 621: 621 Different Preliminaries Chapter 621: Chapter 621 Different Preliminaries S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There were seven people remaining on the field. Because they had agreed to distribute their props among those who lost, Number 6, 7, 14, and 24¡ª who should have been eliminated¡ªwere still in the game. The Inspector announced, ¡°The winners of this game are three people, Number 3, 11, and 15. They have respectively, Eliminated 25 people. Killed two people. Received 42 puzzle pieces to distribute. Received 38 props to distribute. We now proceed to the rewards distribution¡ª¡± As he finished speaking, a dazzling orb of light appeared in front of each person. The orb was gently floating and held within it puzzle pieces and props. All they had to do was extend their hands to obtain them easily. In Bai Youwei¡¯s orb, there were 14 puzzle pieces and 6 props. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She had been collecting for so long and had only managed to amass 23 puzzle pieces. But now, in just one game, she had received 14 more. It truly lived up to the name ¨C a skirmish of the preliminary competition. Everyone else also looked relieved. For the four who were eliminated, while they lost their puzzle pieces, they were able to keep their own props and even received new ones. This was undoubtedly the best outcome. Only Ya Chaohui looked dejected with no color of joy on his face. Above them, the stone sphere on the roof made a full turn, the eye patterns on its body disappearing one by one. After the eliminated four got their props, they too vanished one by one. Only the winning trio was left in the square: Red Eyes Bai Youwei, Blue Eyes Ya Chaohui, and a white person with Yellow Eyes. According to the competition rules, there should¡¯ve been five winners, but now there were only three. The sphere was somewhat dissatisfied with this, but no matter what, this game had ended successfully and its harvest was quite bountiful. Rolling joyfully, it said to everyone: ¡°Congratulations to you all for winning this game! With your victory, the official beginnings of the Labyrinth War¡ª This will be a protracted contest where the King needs to vigorously expand his territory and the subjects need to choose a proficient sovereign; it¡¯s only through their unanimity that victory can be achieved in the end. The detailed rules will be introduced by the other Inspectors once you return to the Rest Hall. You now have three minutes of preparation time. This is a special privilege granted to the winners~¡± Three minutes of preparation time. Since they now held so many puzzle pieces and props, those who intended to hide their strength obviously could not return to the Rest Hall immediately. The white man with Yellow Eyes got a long twig among his props. It was hard to conceal, so he hurriedly ran to roll in the woods, returning dirt-streaked and with dried leaves in his hair. Holding the twig in his hand this way, it no longer stood out. Ya Chaohui¡¯s props were all quite small; he casually put them in his pocket, and some he carried on hand. Fang Yu¡¯s death had hit him hard, and it seemed he was not quite himself: his mind seemingly not in the game. Seeing him like this made Bai Youwei uncomfortable. Although they were two insignificant people, almost strangers, but¡­under these circumstances, it was hard not to care. Moreover, until now, she had used her rabbit only as a deterrent, never to kill, unless it was to fight against the game¡¯s monsters. This was the first time¡­she had doomed someone. Bai Youwei glanced at Ya Chaohui, growing more irritable. She entered the voting cabin alone, opened her Doll House, and dumped all her puzzle pieces and props inside. When she emerged, she carried in her arms only her rabbit. In the square, a giant square exit appeared, shimmering with pure white light. The Inspector had disappeared. One after another, the three of them walked into the square exit, stepping into the white light. When they opened their eyes again, they were back in that enormously vast white room. This place, it turned out, was called the Rest Hall. Chapter 622: 622: Rest Hall Chapter 622: Chapter 622: Rest Hall In the rest area, a scattering of people were gathered, around seventy to eighty in total. It seemed that the preliminary contest was not yet over; some players were still in the game and hadn¡¯t emerged. Bai Youwei scanned the room from her wheelchair, searching for familiar faces. She didn¡¯t see Shen Mo, nor Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin, but she did spot Dr. Xu Fanghe in a corner, his expression gloomy. The king had been demoted to a commoner, lost the puzzle and props, and had no more followers by his side. The man with glasses was nowhere to be seen, probably because he was demoted to a commoner and thus banished from this space. ¡°Weiwei.¡± Someone called out to her from not too far away. Bai Youwei turned her head and saw Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen walk towards her. Yan Qingwen asked, ¡°Did you win?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, then asked them, ¡°Where¡¯s Su Man?¡± Yan Qingwen gently shook his head: ¡°It seems that the preliminary contest assigns games based on each person¡¯s traits; Su Man wasn¡¯t with us.¡± Obviously, Su Man was the type to use force. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yan Qingwen asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What about Shen Mo and Tan Xiao? Are they still in the game?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them; they must be still in the game,¡± Bai Youwei replied with a worried look, ¡°Xiaoxin has not come out either.¡± ¡°Xiaoxin¡¯s situation is special, he probably won¡¯t be assigned a difficult game,¡± Yan Qingwen reassured her. Bai Youwei sighed softly: ¡°I hope so¡­¡± She originally thought that losing the game just meant becoming a commoner, but after going through a round, she realized that some people would stop at nothing to ensure a win. She was quite worried about Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin. Naturally, she was worried about Shen Mo too. If the games were truly assigned based on individual attributes, was it a case of the strong against the strong, the weak against the weak? Who would Shen Mo meet as an opponent? Just then, she heard Lu Yuwen comment: ¡°According to the Inspector in the game just now, apart from selecting the qualified kings and commoners, the preliminary contest also aims to familiarize us with the competition system. The real competition will have similar confrontational games. Did the Inspector in your game reveal anything about the War?¡± Bai Youwei hesitated for a moment before replying: ¡°I encountered a ball that told me a King needs to expand his territory. I¡¯m still not clear about this point, but when everyone is present, the Rabbit-headed Inspector will surely provide an explanation.¡± This piece of information was only given to the winners. Considering Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen also got the message, it appeared they had won their games too. ¡°What were your preliminary games like? Did you encounter anyone special?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°Those people might become our opponents in future.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re talking about special, then everyone is special ¡ª the man in the prison uniform, the woman pushing a baby stroller, the priest in black robes¡­¡± Yan Qingwen glanced around and said casually, ¡°All these people, including me and Lu Yuwen, were trapped on a desolate island, and the game could perhaps be considered a puzzle survival game. Out of the 22 participants, five small boats were hidden on the island, and each boat could hold only one person. Whoever made it to a boat and left the island won the game. In the end, only four people made it.¡± Even though there were five boats, only four were winners. It seemed certain that somebody met a tragic end in the game. Not a game goes without casualties. Lu Yuwen said, ¡°There was a British man called Willard who was a bit of an oddity. He was always talking to thin air, probably has some special item¡­¡± Bai Youwei made a mental note of this for future reference, just in case they crossed paths. Just as the three of them were exchanging information, another yell came over¡ª ¡°Hey! So this is where you are!¡± Bai Youwei looked up to see the short-haired woman from the game bounding over toward her. Chapter 623: 623 Asarina Chapter 623: Chapter 623 Asarina The short-haired woman had previously collaborated with Bai Youwei in the game, so she was very friendly towards her. She walked over with a smile, confidently extending her hand: ¡°Let¡¯s reintroduce ourselves. I am Asarina, from Thailand, previously a King, now demoted to a commoner. If you¡¯re recruiting, consider me!¡± Bai Youwei shook her hand, giving a brief self-introduction: ¡°Bai Youwei, Chinese.¡± The short-haired woman then looked at Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen. ¡°Are these two your friends?¡± She reached out her right hand, saying cheerfully, ¡°Guys, if you¡¯re recruiting, consider me too. I may not have a particular talent, but I¡¯m well-rounded and know a bit about everything.¡± Yan Qingwen shook her hand, checking her out and asked, ¡°A man?¡± The short-haired woman looked surprised, exclaiming, ¡°You can tell?¡± Bai Youwei was even more surprised, ¡°A man?¡± Yan Qingwen said indifferently, ¡°The Adam¡¯s apple, broader shoulder, hip bones, and large shoes.¡± There was a pause, then he added, ¡°Big shoes as well.¡± With him pointing out these details, Bai Youwei took another look at the short-haired woman and noticed that she was right. Earlier, Bai Youwei had just thought the woman was dressed in a masculine way, taller than average females with a rather neutral voice, but it turned out she was a he¡­ S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The short-haired woman, looking somewhat embarrassed, explained, ¡°I have had a surgery; now, I am a woman!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze unconsciously fell to her chest and she was puzzled, ¡°Is this the result of the surgery?¡± ¡°Sex reassignment surgery doesn¡¯t just happen overnight!¡± The other party explained somewhat exasperated, ¡°It takes at least three operations to be considered complete! Just finished the top part, haven¡¯t had time for the rest. ¡­Damn it, there¡¯s no place to do surgery now.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Anyway, she felt sympathy for her situation. A tall man in the distance beckoned to the short-haired woman, ¡°Brother Jiwang! Come quickly! ¡­¡± The short-haired woman frowned, responding unhappily, ¡°I¡¯ve said it a hundred times! Don¡¯t call me by my old name!¡± She gave an awkward smile to Bai Youwei and the others, ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s my younger brother, probably got himself into trouble again. I need to sort it out. I¡¯ll catch up with you guys later.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s chat later.¡± ¡°Remember to consider me when you¡¯re recruiting subjects.¡± Asarina reiterated before she left. Watching her walking away and engaging in an animated conversation with the man who called her name, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of envy. Asarina and her companions were all safe. After observing for a while, Bai Youwei turned her attention back to Yan Qingwen, asking, ¡°What do you think of her? Is she useful?¡± ¡°She¡¯s okay.¡± Yan Qingwen gave a slight nod, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about her ability, but it seems like she has a good sense of team cooperation.¡± Lu Yuwen was observing the crowd around them and said in a deep voice, ¡°More than half of the players are already out.¡± While they were talking, the number of people in the lounge had risen to over 150. However¡­ Su Man, Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, and Shen Mo still hadn¡¯t emerged. ¡­ On the dazzling round stage, a Clown in a colorful outfit bowed to the audience. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Happy Chaos Field!¡± Despite the overly short chubby body and rounded head, he stood on stage, looking like a plump pumpkin. Just a simple bow and he tumbled over in an ungainly manner. The Clown struggled to sit up, his painted face berating the silent audience: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you laughing?!! I was hilarious! My expressions were so amusing! Why aren¡¯t you laughing?!! Those who don¡¯t laugh will be eliminated!!!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, dry and sparse laughter erupted from the audience seats: ¡°Ha¡­ haha¡­¡± Tan Xiao snuck over to Shen Mo, whispering: ¡°I couldn¡¯t find Sister Weiwei, but I saw Su Man, she¡¯s in the second row¡­¡± Chapter 624: 624: Happy Chaos Field 1 Chapter 624: Chapter 624: Happy Chaos Field 1 The clown, hearing laughter, finally expressed satisfaction. It stood up straight with its plump pumpkin-like body, raised its short thin arms, adjusted the ruffled neckband around its neck, then spoke joyfully: ¡°Welcome, welcome! ~ Welcome to the Happy Chaos Field, this is the Brawl Stage, I am the Inspector of this field, and I will explain the rules of the game ¨C ¡± The clown raised its right hand and snapped its fingers. Boom! Five spotlights from above casted down beams of light, each illuminating a chair high up on the stage! The chairs were all bright red with a velvet texture, with gold trim and multi-colored gems on the top and armrests. They were extraordinarily luxurious and silently indicated the exceptional status of those who sat on them. The clown¡¯s sausage-shaped mouth in bright red peeled open, revealing a row of neatly polished teeth. He smiled and said, ¡°This is the War King¡¯s Throne! Out of all the 30 participants, only 5 winners will get a seat! The rules are very simple. As long as you come to this stage, you can happily brawl at will. The winner gets points, the loser loses points! The first player to reach the passing score can take the War King¡¯s seat!¡± Boom! He snapped his fingers again! A circle of vertical holographic projections lit up around the stage, each showing a half-body image of a player and their score. All 30 holographic projections showed each player with 0 points. In the audience, a player raised his hand and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the passing score?¡± ¡°30 points,¡± the clown replied with a smile, ¡°The full score is 50 points, the passing score is 30 points. Absolutely fair.¡± ¡°How many points can you get for winning a match?¡± Another question came from the audience. ¡°If 30 points can get you a seat, what¡¯s the point of setting a full score of 50?¡± ¡°Does the brawl have specific rules? Can we use props?¡± ¡°¡­ Is there a time limit?¡± ¡°How many times do I have to win in order to pass?¡± More and more people started asking questions, causing an uproar. The clown raised both hands, palms down, pressing downwards. ¡°Silence¨C¡± Its voice was as if amplified by a super high-powered sound system, deafeningly loud! The whole field was stunned. Some people had to cover their ears directly, in so much pain they had to squat under their seats! The clown saw this, toned down his voice, and said, ¡°Oh dear, oh dear? It seems like some of you are not in great shape. Have you only ever been through a maze once? This could be problematic during the brawl¡­ ¡± No one spoke. Even if they wanted to, at this moment they were too scared to speak out. The clown continued, ¡°No need to rush, before the official round begins, I will explain all the rules in detail! Now listen to me¨C One day during a solar eclipse, I didn¡¯t see the sun. Do you know why?¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The entire place fell silent. Everyone looked at the clown on stage in bewilderment, as his words seemed out of context. The clown tiptoed and executed a comical twirling move: ¡°Because of the solar eclipse! I was busy eating all day, of course I couldn¡¯t see the sun! Hahahaha!¡± The crowd: ¡°¡­¡± What the hell is going on¡­ The Inspector standing on the empty stage was laughing loudly, leaving the players puzzled. Suddenly, laughter broke out from the audience, ¡°Hahaha, solar eclipse!!!¡± Shen Mo silently watched Tan Xiao, who was beside him, laughing uncontrollably. ¡°I¡¯m dying of laughter hahaha¡­hiccups¡­¡± Tan Xiao was laughing so hard he was almost in tears, ¡°Too funny hahaha! Solar eclipse¡­eating all day hahaha¡­¡± Everyone turned to look at Tan Xiao. It was then that Su Man noticed a familiar face. She quickly switched seats to sit next to Shen Mo and Tan Xiao. But before she could start a conversation with them, a spotlight suddenly shone on Tan Xiao! Tan Xiao was stunned. The clown on stage pointed at him and said, ¡°The Happy Chaos Field should be as joyful as this! You, the man laughing heartily, please come on stage to demonstrate the brawl, and assist me in explaining the rules to everyone!¡± Chapter 625: Happy Chaos Field 2 Chapter 625: Chapter 625: Happy Chaos Field 2 Tan Xiao ran his fingers through his hair, walking onto the stage with a somewhat dazed expression. The Clown stood in the center of the stage, waving at him: ¡°Come on over to me~ this way, sir.¡± Tan Xiao obediently walked over. The Clown said, ¡°Now, hit me.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Please, hit me!¡± The Clown raised his massive smiling face, drawing in closer, ¡°Go on, stretch out your fist and give me a good punch! This is a special situation. Even if you attack the Inspector, you won¡¯t be punished!¡± Tan Xiao lifted his fist with hesitation. The Clown before his eyes was too short, Tan Xiao looked here and there, unsure of how to make his move. The Clown urged, ¡°Hit me! Hit me! Anywhere you like!¡± ¡°If you insist¡­¡± Tan Xiao squinted his eyes and concentrated. ¡°Then I¡­aha!¡± He landed a punch directly on the Clown¡¯s head! The Clown¡¯s head was instantaneously launched into the air! Tan Xiao jumped back, ¡°Heck! I didn¡¯t even use my full strength!¡± The spectators, shocked to their core, all rose from their seats. To their surprise, a long spring connected the Clown¡¯s body to the flying head. The round and plump body was dragged forward about seven or eight meters and started rolling on the stage. It looked like a ball bouncing on the ground, the round head stretched and shrunk with the spring! It, however, wasn¡¯t a ball. After a two or three rotations, it finally came to a halt. The Clown lay there, motionless. Just as everyone was still in shock and confusion, a giant glowing number ¡¯10¡¯ appeared above the Clown¡¯s body¡ª Next, the ¡¯10¡¯ changed into a ¡®9¡¯, Then an ¡®8¡¯, And a countdown began 7, 6, 5, 4¡­ Until it finally reached ¡®0¡¯! Ding! The points displayed on Tan Xiao¡¯s holographic projection changed to 1 point! The Clown immediately got up, his spring-neck contracting. The Clown laughed, ¡°How was it? How was it? Isn¡¯t it very direct and clear?¡± His body wobbled for a few seconds before finally steadying itself. His tone still fired up, ¡°As long as the opponent is knocked down and can¡¯t get up within 10 seconds, you win a round and are awarded 1 point!¡± The audience was dumbfounded. ¡­It¡¯s only one point. Tan Xiao curiously asked, ¡°One point for winning one opponent, so doesn¡¯t it mean we have to defeat 30 people to accumulate passing points?!¡± What does consecutive 30 wins even mean? Just the physical exhaustion alone could kill someone! The Clown laughed, ¡°Yes, yes, one point for winning one opponent, but losing one game doesn¡¯t necessarily mean losing one point. Players with 0 points will not lose points if they lose, Players with up to 10 points will lose 1 point, Players with up to 20 points will lose 5 points, Players with up to 30 points will lose 10 points, Players with up to 50 points will lose 20 points!¡± The higher the score, the higher the deduction if you lose, and the greater the risk is. The audience was left stunned. This sort of exploitative fighting was just as brutal as gladiatorial games! S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If they never score passing points, are they supposed to keep fighting in this chaos forever? Will they never get to leave?! ¡°This game has no time limit, it ends when everyone¡¯s happy!¡± The Clown waved his stubby arms at the participants. ¡°Why so glum, folks? Laugh! Be happy! ¡ª¡ª A sewer was trying to solve a difficult math problem. After thinking for a long time without finding a solution, it said in frustration ¡®I can¡¯t figure it out!¡¯ And then it got blocked!¡± The audience was all rendered speechless. This Inspector really enjoyed making people laugh, although his methods were¡­ quite, awkward. Tan Xiao: ¡°Hahaha the sewer got blocked!¡± The Audience: ¡°¡­¡± He¡¯s actually laughing at this crap??? The Clown was highly satisfied with Tan Xiao¡¯s response, he waved his tiny stout hand and Tan Xiao¡¯s score was boosted by another 5 points, it now read 6 points! ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Please don¡¯t forget, this is the Happy Chaos Field ¡ª Happy chaos, happy chaos¡­ scoring points for chaos, and happiness will earn you points too.¡± The Clown squinted his eyes as he spoke, his smile widening with each word. ¡°The Inspector has a special authority to award additional points, minimum 1 point, maximum 5 points. How to go about it, I believe you all understand, right? Now¡­ let the games begin.¡± Chapter 626: Happy Chaos Field 3 Chapter 626: Chapter 626: Happy Chaos Field 3 Upon hearing the Inspector announce the start of the game, Tan Xiao sauntered towards the exit of the stage. However, just after a couple of steps, the Clown mysteriously uttered from behind him, ¡°Sir, leaving now would result in a deduction of points¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Tan Xiao turned around, looking perplexed, ¡°But I¡¯m not ready for the brawl yet, shouldn¡¯t you let me warm up or something first?¡± The Clown wore a gleeful smile, ¡°Nah nah~ One can only leave the stage after losing. If you step down now, it¡¯d be equivalent to admitting defeat voluntarily, resulting in a deduction of 1 point.¡± ¡°So, you mean¡­ I have to brawl with someone before I can leave, right?¡± Tan Xiao asked, sort of understanding, sort of not. The Clown, however, disregarded him and faced the audience again, beaming invitingly, ¡°Are there any gentlemen or ladies who wish to have a 1v1 brawl with our friend here?¡± ¡°For real¡­¡± Tan Xiao muttered. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fighting was his strength, but this was too sudden. He hadn¡¯t adjusted his mental state and there wasn¡¯t even a brick lying around nearby¡­ ¡­ In the audience, Su Man anxiously asked Shen Mo, ¡°Can Tan Xiao handle a fight?¡± Shen Mo responded, brows knitted slightly, ¡°Depends on the opponent.¡± If it¡¯s any of those few people shaken by the voice to the point of squatting under their chairs, Tan Xiao could definitely handle them. After all, there¡¯s a difference in physical ability between those who have been through the maze twice and those who have been through once. But if it¡¯s a professional¡­ or rather more professional boxer, martial artist, he¡¯s unsure if Tan Xiao can handle it. In the meantime, the Clown on the stage continued to chatter about the rules: ¡°Happy Chaos Field has no time limit, no restrictions on methods, no restrictions on attempts. As long as an opponent is knocked down and stays down for more than 10 seconds, a point can be earned. It¡¯s that easy, doesn¡¯t anyone want to give it a try? No one? Are you all worried about something? Worried that if you win points, you won¡¯t be able to leave? Ah~ That¡¯s for fairness! The winner stays in the Brawl Stage, accepting challenges from the next player until they are defeated¡­ Even so, defeat only means deducting a few points, which is still pretty worthwhile~ What? Can props be used, you ask? Of course! But all offensive props are prohibited! After all, this is the Brawl Arena and we are assessing everyone¡¯s inherent abilities¡­ Eh? What kind of props count as offensive? You don¡¯t need to worry about that. All offensive props will naturally become void when on stage! Alright, you guys have asked so many questions, doesn¡¯t someone want to participate in the brawl now? ¡­Why is no one coming forward? If there¡¯s no brawl in the Brawl Arena for more than 60 minutes, a forced lottery brawl will be triggered, and that¡¯s not good¡­ Because you can¡¯t predict the kind of opponent you¡¯ll end up with.¡± The Clown¡¯s final words finally had an effect. Many in the audience stirred. Among them, a burly man stood out. With a stature over 2 meters tall, a face full of scars, abundant tattoos and an intimidating presence, he was exceptionally eye-catching! Moreover, his right hand was replaced by a metal iron hook, creating an extremely creepy appearance! Seeing this, other audience members resumed their seats, staring uneasily at the burly man. No one wanted to be this man¡¯s opponent. Only Shen Mo stood up and walked towards the stage. Su Man¡¯s heart thumped in apprehension as she chased after him, asking uncertainly, ¡°You¡¯re going too?!¡± Shen Mo cast gaze at the burly man, tone calm, ¡°Tan Xiao is no match for him.¡± In the large crowd, only two were heading towards the stage. The man quickly noticed someone else was approaching alongside him. The burly man looked towards Shen Mo, his lips curling into a strange, cold smirk, as if mocking Shen Mo¡¯s audacity. Unfazed, Shen Mo quickened his pace. Just on the verge of reaching the stage, he lunged forward, leaping onto the stage! A second later, the burly man too, arrived at the Brawl Stage! With a loud thud! His massive body stood before the Clown like a Giant! Chapter 627: Happy Chaos Field 4 Chapter 627: Chapter 627: Happy Chaos Field 4 ¡°Wow¡­¡± The Clown looked up, staring at the towering ¡°Giant¡± in front of him. ¡°Hey! I know you. You¡¯re Jefferson, the one who killed the Cyclops Monster. You know you¡¯re famous, right?¡± The Clown chuckled, circling around the other man. ¡°Dear me¡­ Just look at this size, look at these muscles, no wonder some Inspectors fancy you. But hold your horses, someone arrived before you. Although there aren¡¯t many rules in the Brawl Arena, it doesn¡¯t allow multiple adversaries.¡± The man known as Jefferson glanced disdainfully at Shen Mo in the distance, then stepped off the stage without saying a word. He had an incredibly arrogant aura, as if everyone else was nothing but ants beneath him, not even worthy of a second glance. Tan Xiao sidled up to Shen Mo, curiously watching the retreating ¡°Giant.¡± He whispered, ¡°He¡¯s been on the steroids, hasn¡¯t he?¡± Shen Mo frowned and punched Tan Xiao on the shoulder. ¡°Down,¡± he said. Tan Xiao held his shoulder, looking at Shen Mo in shock. A few seconds later, he finally caught on and quickly sprawled on the ground! ¡°Ah! Ow, ow, ow¡­ I can¡¯t move!¡± It was obviously fake, but the system accepted it, displaying a large number ¡°10¡± above Tan Xiao. The countdown began! The number dropped from 10 to 0, and the scores changed ¨C Tan Xiao¡¯s score dropped from 6 to 5, while Shen Mo¡¯s score rose from 0 to 1. ¡°Perfect!¡± The Clown cheered. ¡°You have all given us a perfect demonstration! Now, the loser please step down, and the winner remains to continue the brawl! If there¡¯s no brawl within 60 minutes, a random draw will initiate!¡± They didn¡¯t need to wait for 60 minutes. Because Jefferson, who had just left, returned to the stage¨C Everyone held their breath, believing that Shen Mo was definitely doomed! Facing such a huge monster, who could cope without weapons? Especially, the Brawl Arena prohibits the use of attack items! Was there any hope of victory?! Tan Xiao stayed near the edge of the stage, watching the battle. He didn¡¯t want to leave, worried about Shen Mo¡¯s safety. As the Clown declared the start of the brawl, Jefferson charged at Shen Mo like a giant bear! Shen Mo sidestepped to avoid him, but his opponent was surprisingly swift! With his left hand grabbing onto Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder, his right-hand hook swiped directly at Shen Mo¡¯s face! Tan Xiao widened his eyes; his heart sank. ¡°Boss!¡± At the critical moment, Jefferson let out an angry roar! He let go of Shen Mo with his left hand, allowing him to fall, and his hook swung through the air, hitting nothing! The spectators were baffled. ¡°What happened? He had Shen Mo pinned. Why would he just let go?¡± ¡°Yeah, why did he suddenly let go?¡± ¡°Did he deliberately let Shen Mo off?¡± ¡­ Su Man listened to their comments, while never taking her eyes off the stage. She understood. Jefferson didn¡¯t go easy on Shen Mo; instead, Shen Mo had landed a hit on the joints between his index and middle fingers, forcing him to loosen his grip! If you hit certain joints and pressure points during a fight, you could gain the upper hand. She had learned it too, but her accuracy wasn¡¯t nearly as good as Shen Mo¡¯s. The ¡°Giant¡± of a man quickly went from being the attacker to getting attacked. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo controlled the battle with every move. Although due to the other¡¯s resilient skin and flesh, he didn¡¯t inflict significant injury, the situation had decidedly improved. His victory seemed only a matter of time! ¡°Go Boss!¡± Tan Xiao cheered for Shen Mo. ¡°Take that, gorilla! You¡¯re going down!!!¡± Under Shen Mo¡¯s onslaught, Jefferson crashed to the ground! A countdown appeared above his body. Shen Mo, mildly sweaty but unscathed. Tan Xiao was so excited he nearly whistled! But in the audience, Su Man turned pale with fright. She stood up and yelled, ¡°Be careful!¡± Suddenly, the hook in the strong man¡¯s right hand, like the Clown¡¯s head, extended out. With a swish, it ripped through Shen Mo¡¯s abdomen! Chapter 628: Happy Chaos Field 5 Chapter 628: Chapter 628: Happy Chaos Field 5 The situation took a sudden turn for the worse! One moment, Shen Mo was on top of the world, the next he was on the ground, his abdomen pierced by an iron hook. Blood gushed out from him and the hook linked to a nearly two-meter-long thin iron chain was firmly locked around Jefferson¡¯s right arm! A countdown appeared above Shen Mo. ¡°Mo bro!!!¡± Tan Xiao, supporting his own arm, wanted to rush onto the stage. But the Brawl Stage was blocked by an invisible wall, Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t go up at all! The Clown Inspector was still laughing: ¡°Not to worry, not to worry~ The stage can only accommodate two players at a time, if you want to up, you need to wait for the countdown to end¡­¡± ¡°This is cheating!¡± Su Man on the grandstands shouted, ¡°I thought offensive items weren¡¯t allowed?! Why can he use it?!!¡± The Clown leered towards the audience, ¡°This isn¡¯t a prop, it¡¯s actually part of his body.¡± Su Man was dumbstruck, ¡°How is that possible?!¡± ¡°So that¡¯s who he is¡­¡± someone in the audience muttered, ¡°I thought he looked familiar, now it all comes back to me, he¡¯s the death row inmate Jefferson, who used to be a laborer. Because he violated operation regulations, his right hand was crushed by a machine, and later he installed a hook on his right arm¡­which he used to stab to death more than a dozen workers in the factory¡­he should¡¯ve been given a death sentence, but he escaped during the arrest, supposedly to Mexico, it was a big news for a while¡­¡± Another person grumbled: ¡°Damn it, with a monster like him on stage, how are we supposed to score?!¡± ¡°Hey! Look at the stage!¡± The situation on the stage changed once more! Shen Mo, whose countdown was nearing its end, slowly got up, one hand covering his bloody wound, the other gripping the iron hook! The audience gasped! ¡°What kind of person is this guy?!¡± ¡°He must have passed through the maze at least twice, right? How else could he get up with such injuries?!¡± ¡°¡­But even if he gets up, in his state, he¡¯s no match for Jefferson.¡± A buzz went around the audience, Su Man¡¯s mind was in a whirl, she abandoned her seat, ran to the stage, and stood by Tan Xiao. On the stage, Shen Mo was painstakingly pulling the iron hook out from his flesh. Just from watching, Su Man felt her teeth grow soft, the motion had to be slow, steady, otherwise the hook would cause the wound to tear again! It could severely damage his internal organs! Jefferson on the other hand, apparently, wasn¡¯t planning on giving Shen Mo this opportunity. He lifted his right arm and yanked hard on the chain! He pulled Shen Mo directly in front of him and threw a punch at Shen Mo¡¯s abdominal wound! Everyone gasped! Su Man¡¯s face turned pale! But the scene they were expecting did not unfold, Shen Mo grabbed the iron hook and leapt up! He stepped on his opponent¡¯s shoulder and used the thin iron chain to cinch tight around the monster¡¯s neck! Whoosh! Whoosh! The thin iron chain wound around twice, squeezed tight! Shen Mo jumped off his back, leveraging his weight and gravity to pull the massive figure down to the ground! With a thud, Jefferson turned horizontal, and a countdown began for him! The entire sequence unfolded in a fluid motion, stunning everyone present! Someone unable to hide their shock exclaimed: ¡°I thought he was injured?!¡± ¡°He must have used some life-saving tool!¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. On stage, Jefferson¡¯s face turned beet red, still struggling mightily, attempting to roll on the floor to break free from Shen Mo¡¯s chokehold. But Shen Mo was far nimbler than him, his struggle was futile! Instead, the iron chain grew tighter! It bit deeper! Blood finally gushed out! ¡ª¡ª Jefferson¡¯s head separated from his body. The countdown began. 10, 9, 8, 7¡­..3, 2, 1¡­.. Chapter 629: 629: Happy Chaos Field 6 Chapter 629: Chapter 629: Happy Chaos Field 6 ¡­0. The countdown ends. Shen Mo¡¯s points change to 2, while Jefferson¡¯s score and semi-portrait projection disappear. Shen Mo stands on the stage, glancing at the soil in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed. The soil, after multiple uses, has changed from its original black-gray to current gray-white, and feels like a lump of dough in his hand. He has one last chance to use it. However¡­ He looks up, his long and thin eyes slightly squinted as they face the glaring lights and gaze towards the audience. ¡ª¡ªIf he wins this battle, he would be dividing the items from the other 25 people, and perhaps, there might be some with healing functions. ¡°That was amazing!¡± Tan Xiao excitedly shouted from below the stage, ¡°Boss, you were absolutely terrific! Let¡¯s see who dares to come up next¡­¡± Before he finishes his sentence, a tall and skinny man jumps onto the stage! Tan Xiao: ¡°???¡± The skinny tall man doesn¡¯t say a word, nor does he give any form of introduction, he simply raises his fist and swings it directly at Shen Mo! Tan Xiao is shocked and blurts out, ¡°What is happening? Is he seeking revenge?!!¡± Su Man calmly replies, ¡°He¡¯s not here for revenge¡­ These players know that Mo just had a tough fight with that big guy, and he¡¯s injured, his physical strength also significantly depleted, so this is their best chance to score points.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Tan Xiao glares at the tall skinny man on the stage, cursing, ¡°What a dirty trick! What kind of hero is this?!¡± ¡°A hero?¡± The man sneers as he continues to attack Shen Mo, ¡°I didn¡¯t sign up for the Maze War to play a hero!¡± With that, his attacks grow fiercer and quicker! His punches are extremely fast, as if he is a professional boxer! Shen Mo dodges repeatedly, taking several steps back. He then lifts the iron hooks he had just used and throws them! S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The man doesn¡¯t dodge in time and the fist he was throwing out gets caught in the hook! Immediately, his wrist is tangled in the chain, his face changes drastically as he hastily halts his attack, trying to untangle the iron chain around his hand. But Shen Mo pulls him towards himself by the chain and swings a punch¡ª¡ª Boom! Right on his face! The guy falls instantly! Shen Mo¡¯s punch is strong and fierce, leaving the tall skinny man with spinning vision. It takes him about seven to eight seconds to gather his strength and attempt to rise, but he stumbles again and falls to the ground, unable to get up! At this moment, Shen Mo¡¯s score changes to 3 points, while the score of the tall skinny man remains the same. ¡°My goodness, that was awesome!¡± Tan Xiao exclaims, ¡°To take him out with a single punch! It is such a pity that Wei did not witness this first-hand¡­¡± Su Man is also astounded. She knew Shen Mo was capable but she never expected him to be this capable! One punch? One punch to takedown a man who has been through the Maze? At this moment, the tall skinny man on the stage stands up and walks down, his face gloomy. Tan Xiao and Su Man are even more shocked, he could not get up just a moment ago, how are able to walk as soon as the countdown ended? On the stage, Shen Mo calmly comments, ¡°He knew he couldn¡¯t beat me, so he chose to stay down, both to preserve his strength and to wait for other players to further deplete my strength before reentering the Brawl Arena. At that time, it would be easier for him to win. As for now¡­ It wouldn¡¯t matter anyway since he wouldn¡¯t lose any points from the zero on scoreboard.¡± Tan Xiao and Su Man then come to a deep realization. Before another two minutes pass, another man comes onto the stage. Although not as massive as Jefferson, he was nevertheless a big guy. Tan Xiao shouts from below the stage, ¡°How is there another one?!¡± Su Man racked her brain and reasoned, ¡°Perhaps he knows that Mo just had a round with that big guy, and another round with the skinny tall guy just before this, the two rounds of Brawl must¡¯ve taken a considerable toll on his strength. So at this moment, he has the best chance to score points.¡± Chapter 630: 630: Happy Chaos Field 7 Chapter 630: Chapter 630: Happy Chaos Field 7 Two minutes later, the man was defeated, leaving his points unchanged. Shen Mo¡¯s score was 4. He was still 26 points short of the passing score of 30 points. Tan Xiao and Su Man thought there should be a little respite at this point, but to their surprise, another challenger stepped out from the audience less than a minute later. Tan Xiao marveled, ¡°That¡¯s harsh, they¡¯re planning to use on-rotation battles¡­¡± Su Man analyzed, ¡°They think Shen Mo must be worn out after fighting three consecutive matches. So they believe this is the moment¡­¡± ¡°The best chance to score!¡± Tan Xiao finished her sentence. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t state the obvious. I got it!¡± Su Man: ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ The player who climbed onto the stage this time was KO¡¯ed by Shen Mo in less than three minutes. More challengers followed, but each was knocked out within minutes by Shen Mo. Of course, Shen Mo¡¯s skill aside, the main reason was that those who came forward to challenge him were just testing the waters, not giving their all. After all, if they lose at zero points, they wouldn¡¯t lose any points anyway. So why risk a direct confrontation with Shen Mo? The most likely outcome: earn 1 point for victory, yet also deplete considerable energy, even get injured, then be defeated by the next challenger, and lose points! All the effort for nothing! So, they couldn¡¯t afford to rush, had to take it slow~ The Brawl Stage was gradually turning into a tug-of-war dominated by Shen Mo. The points accumulated more and more, and the twenty-odd players showed no sign of backing down. They were clearly from different countries and of different races, but they had an astonishing tacit understanding on one thing¡ªthe strategy of exhausting Shen Mo! Just like a pack of wolves facing a lion, they bit him turn by turn. Even the mightiest lion would eventually run out of energy under a relentless attack! However¡­ They didn¡¯t know what Shen Mo¡¯s limit was. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Unconsciously, seven or eight rounds of brawl later, Shen Mo¡¯s score had increased to 12! If the player¡¯s score is within 10, they lose 1 point if they lose. For scores between 10-19, the losing player would lose 5 points. Meaning, whoever could beat Shen Mo now would get 5 points in one fell swoop! Facing this, they¡¯re even more unwilling to back down! Some players who¡¯ve already taken the stage once were even eager to go up again! In their minds, they harbored a glimmer of hope: he¡¯s already fought more than a dozen battles, he must be tired now, right? Surely he¡¯s worn out, right? He¡¯s at his limit, right? However, they still lost! Shen Mo was still standing on the Brawl Stage, calm and composed. He had taken Jefferson¡¯s hook, which had turned into the most powerful weapon in the field. In the audience, some muttered impatiently, ¡°Has he used some special prop? How else could he maintain this pace?¡± ¡°No, he is tired,¡± replied someone, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? Initially, he only took 1 minute to beat someone. It gradually increased to 2 minutes, then 3 minutes¡­ The last fight took him a full 7 minutes! He¡¯s reached his limit, just holding on and pretending to be relaxed to fool us all!¡± A man with a thick mustache stood up, unwilling to admit defeat, ¡°I¡¯ll go give it another try!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going again? You¡¯ve already lost twice!¡± ¡°Maybe I can win this time! Who wouldn¡¯t want 5 points?!¡± The mustachioed man strode towards the stage. In the back of the stands, a muted laughter resonated. Everyone turned their gaze to that direction, where a robust-looking Russian man, around forty years old, with a scruffy beard, was sprawled out. His crossed legs were resting on the back of the chair, and his boots were spreading a horrible smell. This guy had been sleeping in the back row since the beginning of the game. He hadn¡¯t participated in any of the brawls! Someone asked him, ¡°Hey! Beardo, what are you laughing at?!¡± ¡°Laughing at you idiots¡­¡± the bearded man lazily glanced at the stage, ¡°Just wait and see, they¡¯re still going to lose.¡± Chapter 631: Happy Chaos Field 8 Chapter 631: Chapter 631: Happy Chaos Field 8 ¡°You¡¯re so sure? Maybe he will win. After all, the Asian man has already played more than a dozen matches. He¡¯s almost out of energy!¡± Someone in the crowd retorted. To make his statement more convincing, he added, ¡°In the last brawl, it took him 7 minutes to defeat his opponent!¡± ¡°He took 7 minutes, not because he¡¯s tired, but because he was adjusting his pace.¡± The burly man with the beard lowered his leg, slowly sat up, and watching the stage, he continued, ¡°Just like marathon runners¡­ when they realize the race is still far from over, they consciously adjust their pace to avoid burning their energy out too quickly. The slower pace of the runner is not because he can¡¯t run, but a way of preserving his strength. Understand?¡± ¡°Hmph, you talk as if you know everything, why don¡¯t you go and try?¡± ¡°Me?¡± The burly man chuckled, lazily laying back and closing his eyes, ¡°I need to rest¡­ While they rest on the stage, I rest offstage. I¡¯ll regain my energy and then go up¡­¡± Hearing his words, the crowd became annoyed. He actually referred to Shen Mo¡¯s match on the stage as ¡°rest¡±! Wasn¡¯t this an indirect insult, implying all of them to be weaklings?! Everyone continued watching the game, and as the burly man predicted, Shen Mo seemed to be dragging his feet more and more. It took 8 minutes for the match to end. Shen Mo¡¯s score became 14. He beckoned towards Su Man below the stage, ¡°Su Man, come up.¡± Startled, Su Man used one hand to support herself and flipped onto the stage, ¡°¡­ Mo, you¡­ are you going to fight me?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m tired.¡± Shen Mo casually said, ¡°Just hit me.¡± Su Man: ¡°Oh¡­¡± She raised her fist and hesitantly¡­ touched Shen Mo¡¯s arm. Shen Mo laid down on the spot, staring calmly at the countdown numbers appearing above him. Su Man: ¡°¡­¡± After ten seconds, Shen Mo¡¯s score dropped to 9 and Su Man gained 5 points. With the change in scores, Su Man heard faint sighs from below the stage¡­ Shen Mo also heard it, a faint smile playing on his lips. He jumped agilely off the stage, leaving the thin metal chain on the hook for Su Man before walking away. It could be used as a whip. Now his score dropped from 14 to 9. ¡ª Players with less than 10 points will deduct 1 point. That meant, after a great effort to defeat him, they would only get 1 point, which makes it unworthy. After Su Man replaced Shen Mo on the stage, more players came up to challenge. Perhaps due to underestimation, or the effectiveness of the chain, Su Man won two rounds in a row and eventually lost to a bald man in the third. When Su Man stepped down, she let out a sigh of relief. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fortunately, her score was less than 10 points. Otherwise, instantly losing 5 points would¡¯ve been a waste of the 5 points Shen Mo gave her. Overall, the situation isn¡¯t bad. Shen Mo had 9 points, Tan Xiao had 5, and Su Man had 6. Shen Mo led Tan Xiao and Su Man toward the seating area. Tan Xiao happily followed, not bothering to ask why. Looking backward to the fierce fights on the stage, Su Man forgot to ask, ¡°Where are we going? Don¡¯t we need to stay and watch?¡± Watching these people¡¯s moves, would also help in understanding their possible tactics. Bai Youwei, Yan Qingwen, Lu Yuwen were no longer by her side, and Su Man felt that even if she wasn¡¯t adept, she should consider all possible situations and outcomes¡­ Shen Mo ahead casually responded, ¡°No hurry, the game has no time limit. Follow me first.¡± ¡­ Shen Mo walked around the seating area, finding the burly man sound asleep in the last row. He led Tan Xiao and Su Man over, sat down next to the burly man, calmly asking him, ¡°Want to cooperate?¡± The burly man opened his eyelids to look at him. ¡°You noticed too, right? The trap in this game.¡± Shen Mo gave a slight smile, ¡°So you¡¯ve been waiting here¡­ for the right opportunity?¡± Chapter 632: Happy Chaos Field 9 Chapter 632: Chapter 632: Happy Chaos Field 9 The bearded man pondered Shen Mo for a bit before slowly raising himself to a seated position. He rummaged through his tangled brown curls and muttered: ¡°I can¡¯t tell what you¡¯re on about¡­ I am lying here, just wanting to wait until everyone else becomes weary before going onto the stage. Anyway, if I go up there now, I¡¯m just handing out points to others¡­¡± His voice was low, yet robust and powerful, with a sharp hint of alcohol odor. That smell made Su Man screw up her face in displeasure. Of course, there was also the virtually unendurable body odor emanating from him as if he hadn¡¯t bathed for months. ¡°You want to wait till everyone¡¯s tired¡­¡± Shen Mo smiled wryly. ¡°There are 30 players in the field. Some will be tired, while others recuperate after rest; you¡¯ll never wait out till everyone is tired. Besides, don¡¯t forget that there¡¯s no food or water here; the longer we drag, the more disadvantageous for us and the higher the chances of someone else claiming the War King¡¯s position first.¡± The bearded man knitted his eyebrows, ¡°Such a hassle¡­ So what should we do? Just so you¡¯re aware, I won¡¯t get involved in anything that isn¡¯t profitable. Don¡¯t waste your breath.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°When I go on stage, you don¡¯t. When you¡¯re on stage, I hold back.¡± The bearded man was taken aback for a moment before slowly narrowing his eyes. His gaze on Shen Mo was full of intrigue. Shen Mo said: ¡°Toppling a person is not the difficult part, the challenge is in maintaining that position. High points mean high risk; once you fall, all previous efforts go to waste. The most dangerous times in this game are when you score up to 29. To avoid having their places taken and to secure the 10 points, every jackal, tiger, and leopard may show up.¡± At his words, the bearded man burst out laughing: ¡°Now you¡¯re being modest, hmm? From what I see, your stamina seems good, having defeated Jefferson and even scored so much. Even if there are ten more games, you should do well, no?¡± Shen Mo thought carefully before nodding faintly: ¡°Yes.¡± The bearded man: ¡°¡­¡± You could be a bit more modest, you know, young man? ¡°However¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s tone changed before he continued, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to see you on that stage when I score up to 29.¡± That statement pleased the bearded man, lightening his mood and changing his perception of Shen Mo for the better. ¡°Understood, you¡¯re afraid you can¡¯t beat me then.¡± The bearded man loftily twirled his beard showing his satisfaction. Shen Mo didn¡¯t respond directly but merely glanced towards the stage and calmly stated: ¡°Though there are 30 gamers here, in reality, only two or three of them can be considered worthy opponents. As long as these few don¡¯t make their moves, I think it should be easy to secure passing points.¡± ¡°What if they do make their moves?¡± queried the bearded man, narrowing his eyes. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo responded neutrally: ¡°There are five spots for the victors.¡± Even though there are five places, why engage in clashing egos? Joining forces is always better compared to both coming out worse after a fierce battle, and then having the spoils seized by some nobodies. ¡°Presumably, you wouldn¡¯t want to see me on the stage when you reach 29 points either,¡± Shen Mo said, fixing him with an appraising gaze. The bearded man burst out into hearty laughter, ¡°You¡¯ve found me out, have you?¡± His laugh was too robust and so hearty that it drew quite a few glances in his direction. The bearded man didn¡¯t seem to care. Still chuckling, he spoke to Shen Mo, ¡°But have you considered, even if you don¡¯t come up, there are others who will. Don¡¯t assume the gamers here have no skills because you had an easy time earlier. That¡¯s because their scores were low, which is why they weren¡¯t giving everything they had. But to keep a winning streak of 30 matches, once the scores go up, is impossible.¡± ¡°Which is why we need to cooperate,¡± Shen Mo explained, ¡°Every time when the score reaches 19 or 29, I and my companion will go on the stage to divert your scores. You can take this chance to rest, recuperate and come back when you¡¯re ready.¡± Chapter 635: Happy Chaos Field 12 Chapter 635: Chapter 635: Happy Chaos Field 12 Shen Mo really did go to find that young boy. The boy was more straightforward than the bearded man, agreeing almost immediately, perhaps because he had no other way out. The five gathered together, formally agreeing to cooperate, taking turns introducing themselves. The young boy¡¯s name was Lucas, an American, 18 years old. The bearded man was named Leonid, a Russian, 37 years old. Tan Xiao was surprised: ¡°Uncle, you look like you¡¯re 50!¡± The bearded man glared at him: ¡°You look like you¡¯re 5!¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback, touching his own face: ¡°¡­Is it because I have some baby fat?¡± The bearded man was stunned: ¡°¡­¡± Is it really okay to collaborate with someone like this? Lucas, unfamiliar with them and not in the mood for joking, asked Shen Mo carefully, ¡°Utilizing this strategy, we can indeed get plenty of rest and drastically reduce risk, but after getting enough points to pass, your companions still won¡¯t have enough points to pass. What do you plan to do?¡± Tan Xiao and Su Man were only helping to hold the points temporarily, which did not mean that Lucas and Leonid were willing to simply give their points to them. Shen Mo replied: ¡°After passing, I will continue to stay on stage, players with 30-50 points, if they lose, will be deducted 20 points in one fell swoop.¡± ¡°Brother Mo!¡± Tan Xiao exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock. Even Su Man was surprised, turning to look at Shen Mo: ¡°Brother Mo, Tan Xiao and I will try to get points, we won¡¯t hold everyone back.¡± ¡°No, your points can¡¯t be too high.¡± Shen Mo calmly responded, ¡°Your points should remain in the 0-9 range to facilitate receiving points from Leonid and Lucas. Once they both ascend to the War King position, we¡¯ll then figure out how to accumulate points.¡± Ultimately, the focus of Shen Mo¡¯s plan was to elevate players who could potentially become strong opponents to the War King position first. This way, he could secure more opportunities for Tan Xiao and Su Man. Leonid raised an eyebrow at Shen Mo¡¯s words, his thick beard trembling with laughter: ¡°That¡¯s quite ambitious, aiming for 50 points¡­¡± Shen Mo said: ¡°We don¡¯t need 50 points, 30 is enough.¡± Leonid: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The intention of this rule may be to encourage players to form alliances. It¡¯s just that no one has noticed it yet.¡± Shen Mo added. ¡°Even if they realize¡­ not everyone would carry it out.¡± Lucas stared solemnly at the players in the front rows, ¡°It¡¯s not so easy to form an alliance with a group of strangers.¡± The only reason the five of them could form an alliance is because Shen Mo had an overwhelming advantage. Once Shen Mo made some concessions, driven by benefits, there was no reason for Leonid and Lucas not to cooperate. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The five of them continued to discuss for a while. By now, there had already been several intermittent brawls on the stage. Some people had become completely consumed by the fight, battling with each other as if they were avenging personal grudges. They didn¡¯t care about their injuries or their points. Especially some players who had spent years in fighting arenas, who had a short temper by nature. Once their anger exploded they often lost control. Not everyone could remain calm in the rage-filled Brawl Arena. The clown on the stage was almost laughing hysterically, ¡°Fight! Fight! The last man standing will be crowned the War King!¡± Some were bleeding, some were injured, and some even tried to cooperate¡ª One deliberately conceded points, while the other kept winning, but the winner ended up breaking their word. They refused to share the points with their partner, causing the two to become enemies, fighting against each other on the stage! The facts proved that it was impossible to achieve cooperation without trust. Leonid, itching to get in on the action, said excitedly from below the stage, ¡°It¡¯s so lively up there, maybe it¡¯s time for me to join¡­¡± Chapter 633: 633: Happy Chaos Field 10 Chapter 633: Chapter 633: Happy Chaos Field 10 ¡°Are the companions you¡¯re talking about, these two?¡± The bearded man looked at Tan Xiao and Su Man, chuckling, ¡°This girl, she can hold her own in a fight, but this guy¡­ looks like a dolt, don¡¯t he? With such weak teammates, can they keep your points safe?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in dissatisfaction, and as he was about to retort, Shen Mo interjected: ¡°Consider the rules, your points, they could at least keep half of them.¡± Players with up to 10 points will lose 1, Players with up to 20 points will lose 5, Players with up to 30 points will lose 10, Players with up to 50 points will lose 20. Let¡¯s not mention the rule for 50 points for now, think about 29 points. If you pretend to lose to Tan Xiao and transfer 10 points, along with Tan Xiao¡¯s original 5 points, that would be 15 points in total. Even if Tan Xiao loses the next round, he would only lose 5 points. Listening to Shen Mo¡¯s explanation, the bearded man asked, puzzled, ¡°So, will the remaining 5 points be returned to me?¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Correct.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°If it¡¯s 5 points, the best time to return them to you would be when you accumulate 25 points. That way, you could pass immediately and secure the position of the War King.¡± The bearded man considered this. This plan was clearly all benefit and no harm to him. Not only did it ensure his safety when he had a high score, but it also greatly reduced the risk of losing points. And the only condition for the collaboration was, when Shen Mo went on stage, he couldn¡¯t act against him. Of course, when he was on the stage, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t act against him either. This situation was win-win. If the two of them fought to the death in the Brawl Arena, they would only benefit the rest of the rabbits¡¯ spawn. After some deliberation, the bearded man nodded in agreement, ¡°You better keep your promise. If you take away my points and don¡¯t give them back, you need to realize there will be consequences.¡± Shen Mo responded with a faint smile: ¡°Same goes for you.¡± At this moment, a clamor came from the front row of the spectator seats. They looked over to see a player on the stage taking a severe beating and even after the countdown had ended, he refused to leave the stage. It seemed like he had been provoked to the point of fury and started shouting: ¡°Let¡¯s go again! One more round! You bastard, I wasn¡¯t ready yet! Do you think I can¡¯t beat you?¡± The victory went to a slightly tan boy who seemed to be only seventeen or eighteen, very young. He stood on the stage looking quite nonchalant: ¡°Old man, can¡¯t you see that you¡¯re making a fool of yourself?¡± The other party was even more infuriated and stormed over: ¡°You little¡­!¡± The Clown Inspector waddled in between the two, and with a chuckle, stopped them: ¡°No, no, no~ Only the winning player can stay on the stage, the losing player needs to go down~ Go down~¡± ¡°Just wait and see!¡± The player angrily exited the stage. Other players nearby discussed amongst themselves: ¡°That kid throws some fast punches.¡± ¡°Yeah, not only fast, his angles are quite cunning too¡­¡± Maybe due to some hesitation, no one immediately jumped on the stage to challenge. After all, the game had no time limit, so everyone had plenty of time to think. Shen Mo watched the boy on the stage, deep in thought: ¡°He¡¯s a promising one, agile.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see him take the stage earlier,¡± Su Man remarked. Tan Xiao immediately responded: ¡°That¡¯s just because our Brother Mo is formidable. The boy was too scared to come out. Now, with all the small fry on stage, it¡¯s a good opportunity for him to earn points! Once Brother Mo takes the stage, he won¡¯t have a chance!¡± Su Man¡¯s face was filled with an awkward expression. Although she admired Shen Mo, she really couldn¡¯t get used to such bootlicking tone. Shen Mo slowly said while looking at the stage: ¡°He¡¯s dexterous, has great explosive power, and knows how to find opportunities¡­ This boy might interfere with our plans.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a pesky little brat.¡± The bearded man lazily threw his leg over the other one, and once again closed his eyes to rest, ¡°Skinny arms, skinny legs, looks like he doesn¡¯t have much endurance, might win two or three rounds at most¡­¡± Shen Mo said: ¡°There are five spots, we are just missing one.¡± The bearded man suddenly opened his eyes: ¡°You want to work with him as well?¡± Chapter 634: 634: Happy Chaos Field 11 Chapter 634: Chapter 634: Happy Chaos Field 11 Shen Mo nodded, ¡°When a person is exhausted, the most frightening thing is to face an opponent with explosive strength and speed. If we can¡¯t win him over, it will be difficult to deal with him later.¡± ¡°Then we should get rid of him in the arena! It¡¯s a quick solution!¡± The bearded man impatiently said, ¡°Cooperating with that kid, who knows if he¡¯ll betray us? What if he takes the points and doesn¡¯t repay them? I appreciate your goodwill to help our teammates pass, so I¡¯m willing to cooperate with you. But why should I trust that brat?¡± Shen Mo listened calmly and finally spoke up, ¡°If possible, I would not only seek allies but as many as possible. This game¡¯s mechanism is designed to exhaust all player¡¯s endurance. To win, we must break the cycle.¡± The bearded man frowned, ¡°¡­Break, the cycle?¡± Shen Mo looked towards the stage and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that this game¡¯s rules are very unfriendly to winners? After winning, you can¡¯t leave the stage. Accumulating higher points brings more risks. Once you lose¡­ the winning player will repeat this process¡ª You can¡¯t leave the stage, continually increasing your points. Once your score reaches nearly 30, you risk losing points. The loser leaves, the winner continues¡­¡± ¡°And what if we win?¡± the bearded man disagreed, ¡°Maybe we will.¡± ¡°The chance is slim,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°The longer the game lasts, the more endurance it consumes. So everyone tends to challenge high-scoring players at the end, because the cost-effectiveness of beating a player and gaining 1 point is not the same as beating a player and gaining 5 or 10 points. Also, players in the audience seats can recover their strength, but there is no rest for those on the stage. As the score goes up, players on stage will get exhausted¡­ If the boy understands this, he should concede in the next round.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, someone in the front row of the audience stood up and walked towards the stage. The bearded man chuckled coldly, ¡°If he plans to conserve his strength by sacrificing 1 point, he is too naive. Not many fools can make it into this preliminaries.¡± The two on stage started fighting! As Shen Mo had predicted, the young boy was more cautious than before, constantly retreating, purely on defense. His opponent, however, was aggressive! The boy looked grave, after dodging he rolled on the ground, intending to lay down and wait for the countdown. Even though he had already yielded, his opponent didn¡¯t let up! He grabbed the boy¡¯s arm and flipped him over! Snap¡ª A crisp sound of a bone breaking echoed in the air. The boy screamed in pain! The bearded man, as if he had expected this, nonchalantly said, ¡°See? Sometimes you can¡¯t lose even if you want to. If he¡¯s fast with his punches, others would want to break his hand. In this way, even if we meet him later, we won¡¯t fear him. Also, we can easily win points. It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone.¡± Shen Mo watched as the boy, now injured, left the stage, feeling a little regretful. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s brutal?¡± The bearded man laughed carelessly, ¡°If they weren¡¯t able to gain points from him, they might not only break his hand but take his life as well.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Su Man hesitated before looking at Shen Mo, ¡°If his hand is really broken, do we¡­still need to cooperate with him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t judge too quickly, let¡¯s watch a little longer.¡± Shen Mo looked towards the figure in the distance. Everyone watched curiously to see the defeated boy take out a handkerchief from his pocket to tightly wrap his injured place. A few seconds later, when he unwrapped it, his arm was unharmed?! ¡°A prop!¡± Tan Xiao exclaimed excitedly, ¡°What a useful prop!¡± ¡°Those who can make it into these preliminaries are never simple,¡± Shen Mo said with a light smile, looking at the bearded man, ¡°He lacks endurance, and could really use the opportunity to cooperate.¡± The bearded man grumbled, ¡°Do as you please.¡± Chapter 636: 636: Happy Chaos Field 13 Chapter 636: Chapter 636: Happy Chaos Field 13 The burly Russian man took the stage and immediately swept his opponent, winning three rounds in a row. He was in the heat of the moment, but after three rounds, no one dared to go on stage again. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone was not stupid, the person on stage was clearly a tough opponent, why would they voluntarily contribute points? Leonid waited for about a quarter of an hour on the stage with no challengers, he was somewhat dispirited. ¡°No one is coming up, now what¡¯s the game plan?¡± He asked Shen Mo in the audience. Lucas said, ¡°Worst case scenario, we bide our time. After 60 minutes, we¡¯ll initiate a lottery battle and randomly draw.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too time-consuming.¡± Shen Mo frowned, looking at Tan Xiao and Su Man, ¡°You two take turns up there, give your points to Leonid.¡± For others, they may not be willing, but Tan Xiao and Su Man trusted Shen Mo, so they didn¡¯t question him. They nodded in agreement. The two took turns going up, repeatedly losing, their points quickly depleted, Leonid¡¯s score turned from 3 points to 14 points. At this point, Tan Xiao and Su Man¡¯s points both became zero, but without Shen Mo saying stop, they kept going up to give away points. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they pushed Leonid¡¯s score up in this way, pushing it to 21, 22, 23¡­ The goal of 30 points became so simple, and the Clown Inspector just sat back and watched, grinning as they pretended on stage, without any intention of intervening. He didn¡¯t need to, because as Leonid¡¯s points piled up, more and more players gathered beneath the stage¡­ Lucas took a look at the crowd gathered around, his body tightened, he whispered to Shen Mo, ¡°The higher the score, the more players are attracted.¡± At this point, the big guy¡¯s score reached 26. Whoever can beat him will get 10 points at once! More importantly, Leonid only needs another 4 points to claim the first War King¡¯s Chair! There are only five chairs available. Once one is taken, there¡¯s one less available! Other players will definitely not sit by and let the big guy nab a chair! Sure enough, before Tan Xiao could go onstage for the next round, a figure quickly leap onto the stage! Leonid laughed heartily on the stage, fists clenched, ¡°Ready for another round? Great! I¡¯ve been bored and impatient!¡± Ding! Leonid¡¯s score went up another 2 points ¨C to 28. He blinked in surprise, ¡°How did my score go up without fighting?¡± Not far away, the Clown grinned, ¡°Happily adding points! In the Happy Chaos Field, joy adds points, as does chaos~¡± Upon hearing this, Leonid immediately burst into laughter ¡°Hahahaha!!!¡± Just 2 more points, and he could pass the challenge directly! But the score didn¡¯t change. The burly fellow asked the Clown: ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any increase in points this time?!¡± ¡°Only true happiness will add points! Like me~¡± The Clown laughed at him, ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Leonid: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Big fella! Watch out!¡± Tan Xiao shouted from below. The person who rushed the stage had already attacked! Leonid assumed a defensive stance, but the other side suddenly pulled back their fist and threw something at him! He couldn¡¯t dodge and got hit! Luckily, the thing that hit him was small and didn¡¯t hurt, but upon a closer look, he found that it was a wobble-man toy, falling to the ground and swaying wildly! From the audience, Shen Mo squinted slightly, ¡°Finally getting serious, huh¡­¡± To Leonid¡¯s dismay, his body began to sway in sync with the wobble-man toy! The way the wobble-man toy swayed, so did he! The way the wobble-man toy fell, so did he! Both of his hands and feet were completely uncontrolled, let alone turning around or throwing punches! ¡°Damn it!¡± Leonid swore, looking grim as he was punched. Boom! A solid hit landed on his chest! Then, it was his abdomen! Leg! Face! Neck! Shoulder! ¨C He was like a live target on the stage! Chapter 637: 637: Happy Chaos Field 14 Chapter 637: Chapter 637: Happy Chaos Field 14 Leonid¡¯s face turned red! Being beaten publicly and with no ability to fight back was such a disgrace! Where was his honor as a man?! In a fit of anger, he roared, ¡°How much longer will this damned prop last?!¡± Thump! Another punch hit him in the face. A warm sensation surged from his nose, trickling onto his collar. ¡°Big Beard! You¡¯re bleeding!¡± Tan Xiao was anxiously shouting down from the stage, ¡°Protect your face! Don¡¯t you have any experience?!! When getting hit, always protect your face!¡± Damn it! Did this have anything to do with experience?! His body was simply not cooperating! Leonid tried his best to shift his stiff body, avoiding critical blows. After an unbearable full three minutes, the Weeble-Wobble finally lost its effect! Leonid immediately relaxed! His long-suppressed rage erupted! He lifted his opponent high in the air! The other was shocked, not expecting Leonid to remain standing after being pounded for three minutes! Within a second, he was airborne! Leonid slammed him onto the floor! It felt like all his organs were shattered! His body was in extreme pain! ¡°Bastard! How dare you use a prop on me!¡± Big Beard strode over, full of fury. With his towering height and size, the opponent quickly got up and ran! Leonid grabbed him, threw him ruthlessly over his shoulder, and this time the guy couldn¡¯t get up again. ¡°Come on! Who else dares to fucking challenge me?!¡± Leonid roared at the crowd. He now had 29 points, just 1 point away from 30! ¡°Su Man, you go,¡± Shen Mo suddenly said. ¡°Now?¡± Su Man hesitated, ¡°But he¡¯s only a point away from¡­¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t replace him now, he¡¯ll be targeted with props,¡± Shen Mo explained. Struck with realization, Su Man quickly went on stage¨C Seeing Su Man approach, Leonid didn¡¯t say anything. He merely grunted and deliberately lost 10 points to her. Then Tan Xiao came on stage, and Su Man lost 5 points to him. In this back-and-forth swap, Leonid ended up with 19 points, Su Man 5, and Tan Xiao 5. Shen Mo said to Leonid, ¡°You rest for now, the game has no time limit, the points will come back.¡± Leonid wiped the blood off his beard and stalked off to a seat in the stands. Being mercilessly beaten for three minutes, he needed a rest. The pain wasn¡¯t fatal, but it would affect his speed and reactions. If he encountered another person with a prop like the Weeble-Wobble¡­ The risk might be fatal. Tan Xiao stood on the stage, but no one came to challenge him. Probably because the amount of points was too low, no one was willing to waste their energy to win that 1 point, nor did they want to expose their precious props for just 1 point. Shen Mo glanced at Lucas, ¡°You¡¯re up.¡± Lucas nodded somberly. Using their usual tactic, Su Man and Tan Xiao took turns to give all their points to Lucas, pushing Lucas¡¯s score to 29. They didn¡¯t wait for other players to approach the stage, rather, they initiated the point transfer. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lucas lost 10 points to Tan Xiao, Tan Xiao lost 5 points to Su Man, and then Shen Mo came onstage to replace Su Man. All was going smoothly. As long as they continued like this, Shen Mo, Lucas, Su Man and Tan Xiao would all reach the required points. That is, if¡­ no one came to disrupt their pace. However, when Shen Mo¡¯s points were pushed to 29 by Su Man and Tan Xiao, someone finally interrupted¡ª They had beat them to the Brawl Stage. Chapter 638: 638: Happy Chaos Field 15 Chapter 638: Chapter 638: Happy Chaos Field 15 sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was a bald man. After walking onto the stage, he didn¡¯t immediately launch an attack. Instead, he just stood there, staring at Shen Mo. Everyone was confused when suddenly, the bald guy pulled out a pill from his pocket and swallowed it. Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help but frown. The crowd was murmuring amongst themselves. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± ¡°No idea¡­ looks like he swallowed some kind of pill?¡± ¡°Where would he have gotten medicine from in a place like this? Most likely, it must be a prop¡­¡± Suddenly, the bald guy¡¯s veins began to bulge as if he was experiencing unbearable pain. He let out a terrifying scream on stage! Everyone was shocked and watched in horror. At first, it was a shriek filled with agony, but as he continued to scream, it evolved into a fierce animalistic roar! ¡°Awoooooo!¡± The bald man¡¯s back arches, thick black hair starts to grow on his face and neck, fangs become visible. He¡¯s turned into a werewolf! The werewolf roars and launches at Shen Mo, its speed and strength both incredibly terrifying! Shen Mo can¡¯t confront it head-on and is forced to dodge and retreat. Both shocked and furious, Su Man confronts the Inspector: ¡°Doesn¡¯t this count as an attacking prop?!¡± ¡°Nope~¡± the Clown answers with a grin on his face, ¡°This is a transformation prop, not classified as an attacking prop.¡± Su Man is beyond speechless at these absurd game rules. Turning into a werewolf isn¡¯t considered an attacking prop??? ¡°If this isn¡¯t considered one, then just what kind of prop is?!¡± she asks indignantly. ¡°Any props that explicitly mention attack in their description or include functionalities to maliciously target other players are considered attacking props,¡± the Clown explains, ¡°But this prop he¡¯s using only enhances the user¡¯s strength and speed for a period of time, resulting in a Berserk State. So it¡¯s not considered an attacking prop.¡± Shen Mo, on stage, manages to swiftly dodge the werewolf¡¯s swipe, and asks, ¡°How long does this Berserk State last?¡± The Clown simply smiles: ¡°See for yourself.¡± The werewolf misses its attack, scraping the stage floor and causing debris to fly! Shen Mo barely evades it, barely has time to catch his breath, the werewolf is roaring and launching at him once again! Shen Mo darts a few steps, tossing a card behind him! ¡°Question!¡± Shen Mo raises his voice, and the werewolf halts in his tracks! The card floating in front of the werewolf¡¯s eyes ¡ª¡ª No matter how crazed or out of control the werewolf is, it has to submit to the question card. It must read and provide a careful and precise answer! Shen Mo stops in his tracks, turns around and faces the werewolf: ¡°Answer this question, what¡¯s the result of 973723 multiplied by 150 plus 589612333?¡± Werewolf: ¡°Awooooo!¡± Crowd: ¡°¡­.¡± Clown: ¡°¡­.¡± Tan Xiao starts to laugh heartily in the crowd: ¡°I almost forgot about this prop! Well, this is going to be interesting now. The guy is turned into a werewolf and can¡¯t talk anymore!¡± Su Man also chuckles: ¡°Not only can he not talk, but his thinking is also affected. He¡¯s completely lost his senses, how can he possibly answer the question? Even if asked him what 1+1 equals, I bet he couldn¡¯t answer.¡± While they were both pleased for Shen Mo, they then see him casually lying down. Tan Xiao: ¡°???¡± Su Man: ¡°???¡± A countdown appears above Shen Mo. ¡°Bro Shen?¡± Tan Xiao asks in confusion, ¡°Kill him while you have the chance! Losing now would cost you 10 points!¡± Lying on the stage, Shen Mo calmly replies: ¡°If the Lucky Question Card¡¯s question is answered incorrectly there are three penalties, adding up to six minutes but the werewolf¡¯s body is exceptionally robust, healing rapidly. I¡¯m not confident I can kill him in six minutes.¡± A hint of awkwardness appears on Tan Xiao¡¯s face, he softly retorts: ¡°Boss¡­ you should lower your voice, it¡¯s kind of embarrassing if others hear this.¡± At his words, Shen Mo simply smiles. Once the countdown ends, he loses 10 points to the werewolf. With an indifferent expression, he stands up, brushes off the dust on his body and jumps off the stage. Chapter 639: 639: Happy Chaos Field 16 Chapter 639: Chapter 639: Happy Chaos Field 16 The werewolf stayed still on the stage, emitting subdued growls from its mouth. Shen Mo glanced at it and said, ¡°According to the legend of werewolves, they usually recover during the day of the second day. I¡¯m not sure how this prop is set up but we should wait and see. The game has no time limit, so there¡¯s no need for us to take risks unnecessarily.¡± The rest of the group nodded in agreement. ¡°But¡­¡± Su Man hesitated as she looked at the half-human, half-beast creature on the stage. ¡°In-game items usually only last for a few minutes¡­ This one¡­ won¡¯t last the whole night, right?¡± ¡­ As it turns out, it did. Once the effect of Shen Mo¡¯s Lucky Question Card wore off, the werewolf started to move again. It ferociously howled and ran across the stage, seemingly gaining endless energy. It scratched the floor, ripped off the curtains, and howled over and over! Even the Clown Inspector retreated and kept a distance. Nobody dared to go on the stage to challenge it. The Brawl competition was at a standstill because of this. Everyone started to wait. They were waiting for the werewolf to return to its senses, and for the game to restart. ¡ªThe waiting lasted for a whole 12 hours. They were forced to go through 12 random draws! Luckily, none of them were chosen in the 12 draws. The unfortunate players who were chosen had to fight the werewolf one-on-one! Of course¡­ nobody was a match for the werewolf. The casualties on the stage kept piling up, and the werewolf¡¯s points kept accumulating. It had even surpassed 30 points. But since it had no sense at the moment, it didn¡¯t even think about sitting on the chair, it just kept howling and frolicking on stage, utterly insane! By the time the twelfth drawn brawl came to an end, the werewolf had gained 5 more points, reaching a total of 36. Shen Mo noticed the werewolf¡¯s worsening condition and anticipated that it would soon recover its human form. So he made a decisive move and jumped on stage to attack the werewolf! But unexpectedly, after just one punch from Shen Mo, the werewolf collapsed, spewing fresh blood from its mouth! It returned to human form, lying helplessly on the ground¡ªa stark contrast to its previously ferocious and rapid state. He was weak, laying on the floor just like a bedridden patient. Not too long after being punched, he took his last breath. It seemed that although this prop was domineering, once it wore off, the user would be left terribly weak! There was an uproar from the crowd. Tan Xiao and Su Man also called out in surprise: ¡°Mo, look at your score!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s scores had hit 50 points! ¡°Why is it 50 points?! Isn¡¯t it supposed to be deducted 20 points at most? With his initial score, it should be 39!¡± ¡°Because the bald guy died, so all points were transferred to him!¡± Even the Clown Inspector was amazed: ¡°Incredible! He even exceeded the full score! If there was no score limit, you would have 55 points now, awesome! ~Congratulations on being the first to sit on the Throne of the War King!¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment and shouted to the crowd, ¡°Tan Xiao, come up!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Tan Xiao instantly jumped onto the stage. Then, Shen Mo performed a quick series of score transfers! He transferred 20 points from his score of 50 to Tan Xiao, who then transferred 10 to Su Man. Shen Mo got back on stage and transferred another 20 to Su Man¡ª Su Man accumulated a total of 30 points, becoming the first person to sit on the Throne of the War King! Then, Shen Mo asked Lucas to come on stage, and alternately lost to him, pushing his score of 19 all the way to 30! Lucas became the second person to sit on the Throne of the War King! During this time, a few people tried to enter the stage to steal points, but none of them succeeded. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When Shen Mo prepared to use this same method to give points to Big Beard, Leonid flatly refused: ¡°What¡¯s the point for me to just sit around while you and this idiot fight? I will join in to steal points later!¡± Shen Mo laughed, ¡°Stealing points later¡­ won¡¯t be easy.¡± He looked around to see faces filled with hatred. They had already taken up two positions. To the other players, they were enemies who could not be allowed to share the same sky! Big Beard looked at these people and sneered, ¡°That¡¯s more exciting.¡± Chapter 640: 640: Happy Chaos Field 17 Chapter 640: Chapter 640: Happy Chaos Field 17 By now, most players in the audience had scores between 0 and 9, with a few exceeding 10. Shen Mo¡¯s initial plan was to team up with the strongest players and avoid both sides getting hurt. But now, props have become a crucial factor affecting his whole plan. Although the game rules prohibit using offensive props, some supportive props pose quite a headache, like the wooden doll and the pill that could turn you into a werewolf. What would Bai Youwei do if she were here? To seize the remaining chairs, every player did their utmost, fiercely grappling and jostling on stage! Fortunately, some players had been severely injured by the werewolf earlier, which somewhat alleviated the pressure on the trio. The only thing they needed to be wary of was the props. The props in this doll game were just too bizarre. Shen Mo encountered a player with a pen who started drawing on the stage with flourishing strokes as soon as he stepped up. His strokes were bold and forceful. And within a few strokes, a chillingly cold large cleaver appeared on the canvas! The spectating players gasped in astonishment. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But even an extra cleaver was no match for Shen Mo. The player was floored within a few rounds, unable to get up. Sitting on the champion¡¯s seat, Su Man watched the stage nervously, ¡°Thank goodness he drew a cleaver. If it had been a gun, wouldn¡¯t Momo be in grave danger!¡± Once on stage, Leonid snorted at her words, ¡°Drawing a cleaver is simple. It¡¯s usable whether you draw it straight or crooked. Let him try drawing a gun. If the gun barrel isn¡¯t straight, it will backfire when fired!¡± Tan Xiao, ¡°Backfire? Hahahahahaha!!!¡± Lucas pondered, ¡°It seems that this prop requires the user to hone their drawing skills¡­¡± Tan Xiao shouted encouragement from below the stage, ¡°Big Beard! Go for it! Keep going!!!¡± Leonid roared, ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡­ The trio took turns on the stage, conserving their energy and constantly exchanging scores. Leonid was the most aggressive and refused to leave the stage until he had won several rounds. When he felt satisfied, he would let out a hearty laugh and shout, ¡°Refreshing!¡± Then, the Clown would give him ¡°Happy Style¡± bonus points, ranging from one or two to four or five points! Everyone blinked at Leonid in envy, wishing they could tear him to pieces on the stage. They wanted to feel ¡°happy¡± too! But frankly, they couldn¡¯t manage! After several rounds, Leonid¡¯s score had reached a towering 34 points, well beyond the passing score, but he remained on the Brawl Stage with no intention of leaving. Tan Xiao shouted from below, ¡°It¡¯s my turn! I should be up there!¡± ¡°One more round!¡± Leonid declared enthusiastically as he flailed his fists, ¡°I¡¯m really enjoying this!¡± A short man leapt onto the stage, darted towards Leonid swiftly! Leonid countered head-on, throwing a punch at him. The opponent rolled aside quickly, avoiding it, quickly drew a wooden figure from his bosom, and shouted to Leonid, ¡°Wooden Doll!¡± Leonid started cursing loudly, ¡°Damn! A prop again?!!¡± He couldn¡¯t move! This time it wasn¡¯t just his hands and feet, his entire body was frozen, like he had turned into wood! Shen Mo and the others including Tan Xiao and Su Man were suddenly startled. The immobilised Leonid was completely unprotected. He was bound to lose this round! But win or lose hardly mattered, the most pressing issue was how to survive under such circumstances! Unexpectedly, the short man didn¡¯t keep attacking Leonid; instead, he just sat right there on the spot ¨C resting. This set the crowd buzzing. Shen Mo quickly figured it out and said to Tan Xiao, ¡°It seems that the restriction of this prop is that it can¡¯t touch the affected target.¡± Tan Xiao was mystified, and asked with wide eyes, ¡°What¡¯s he trying to do?¡± Not being able to touch meant the man couldn¡¯t attack Leonid. If he did, the Wooden Doll prop would become ineffective, then¡­what was the use of this prop to him? Chapter 641: 641: Happy Chaos Field 18 Chapter 641: Chapter 641: Happy Chaos Field 18 S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Time ticked by, each second merging into the next. Leonid stood stiffly on stage, other than his eyes and mouth, the rest of his body was as if wood, devoid of any sensation. At first, he had the strength to curse, but eventually ran out of curses and decided to keep silent and rest. At first, the players were taken aback, but then they began to grow restless. Because the two on stage were deadlocked, the Brawl Arena match could go no further. The Inspector had no intention of intervening either, he simply grinned and said, ¡°There¡¯s no time limit for this round~¡± Everyone had no choice but to wait patiently. The short man on stage took out a compressed biscuit and took a few bites. A sense of unease began to rise within the crowd. Sure enough, after the guy finished his biscuit, he took out a small water bottle and took a few sips¡ª a clear indication he was prepared for a prolonged battle. Down below the stage, Tan Xiao was eyeing keenly and unconsciously swallowed, saying, ¡°I¡¯m also thirsty.¡± He and Shen Mo had ventured in two mazes, going without food for a day or two was tolerable, but going without water for a long time was really uncomfortable. Other players were also disgruntled: ¡°This guy actually brought food and water? Damn it! Is he trying to starve us to death?!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, he turned and walked towards the seating area, telling Tan Xiao, ¡°Sit down and rest.¡± Tan Xiao glanced at the stage, followed behind Shen Mo towards the seating area, sighing, ¡°If only Bai Youwei was here.¡± With the Dollhouse open, who would ever worry about not having food or drink? Shen Mo thought of Bai Youwei, momentarily lost in thought. His original plan was to bring the combatants together for a quick and decisive battle, using a full-on aggressive strategy. He never thought it would be disrupted by multiple props. The previous werewolf had already delayed them for 12 hours, now another wooden figure had popped up, making it unpredictable how much longer they had to wait. Exiting late, will she be worried if she doesn¡¯t see him? Thinking of these trivial matters, Shen Mo¡¯s mood started to fluctuate, making him feel somewhat restless. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down and rest. Tan Xiao looked at Shen Mo, then glanced at the other players around them, feeling extremely bored, he could only gaze anxiously at the stage. ¡­ The short man on the stage only brought a small amount of food and water. After finishing it, he leaned against the railings at the edge of the stage and fell asleep. Many of the contestants felt contempt for his delay tactic, but they were helpless. They thought that once he had rested, he would start the fight. But after sleeping soundly for almost seven or eight hours, he still showed no sign of making a move. Leonid stood on the stage, unable to sleep, and his eyes were red from fatigue. From below the stage, Shen Mo told him: ¡°He wants to wear you out, don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t take too long, at most two days, otherwise he would not be able to keep up his energy either. This is hurting the enemy a thousand only to injure self eight hundred.¡± Leonid blew his beard and stared, ¡°Damnit, two days is not considered long?!¡± However vexed he was, it was all in vain. If he couldn¡¯t move, he just couldn¡¯t move. Tan Xiao sighed: ¡°This prop is so strong, it can last this long¡­¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s quite a waste,¡± Shen Mo casually commented, ¡°If he met a team with companions, this prop would be worthless.¡± The reason the bearded man was having such a hard time was because no one could go on stage to help him. If anyone were to touch him casually, he would regain freedom, and the effects of the prop¡¯s confinement would be naturally useless. Now that the bearded man couldn¡¯t move, the opponent couldn¡¯t strike him, and the match could not proceed. Anxiety spread throughout the arena. Everyone went from being anxious to infuriated, then helpless and numb, with no choice but to keep waiting. ¡­ Only after a full 36 hours, Leonid¡¯s body swayed and suddenly fell to the ground. His opponent who had been waiting for a long time rushed forward as soon as the time was up, launching an attack at the fallen Leonid! Chapter 642: 642: Happy Chaos Field 19 Chapter 642: Chapter 642: Happy Chaos Field 19 A burst of pent-up punches and kicks! Leonid was defenseless, getting hit until his nose turned blue and his face swollen. Both eyes went dark! Once mighty as a lion, now slumped on the ground like a toothless paper tiger. The countdown quickly appeared! The short man stopped his punches and kicks, a smirk of satisfaction curled at the corner of his lips as he watched the countdown 10, 9, 8¡­ Tan Xiao gasped from the audience, ¡°How did the big-bearded man become so weak¡­¡± ¡°36 hours without eating, drinking, moving, or sleeping. If it were you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to resist either,¡± Shen Mo replied coolly, looking at the stage, ¡°That guy is already at 9 points. If he takes 20 points from Leonid and wins another round, he could claim the War King title.¡± Tan Xiao thought about it, then turned and yelled at the stage, ¡°Big Beard! We will get revenge for you!!!¡± Leonid, lying on the ground, was so angry that he almost spit blood! He wasn¡¯t dead yet! Leonid forced himself to stand, the countdown disappeared, a trace of fear flashed in the short man¡¯s eyes, and he instinctively backed off¡ª ¡°Bastard¡­¡± Leonid climbed up, ¡°This old man just¡­ had numb legs!¡± Bam! Leonid pounced, grabbing the short man¡¯s ankle and lifting him up abruptly! He swung him harshly in the air and smashed him to the ground! Before the man could get up, he lifted his elbow, and with all his weight, pushed down upon him! The spine crackled, the short man was almost crushed to death, his face turned red, and he finally passed out! ¡­The audience was completely silent. Leonid got up, took a couple of breaths, his legs were still somewhat shaky as he walked. He looked towards the audience and scowled, ¡°You brat! Get up here and replace me!¡± Tan Xiao nimbly jumped onto the stage! There were sighs of regret from the audience because the players realized too late that Leonid was at the end of his rope, and they had missed their chance to score. Leonid stepped down, his score fell to 15, giving Tan Xiao 20 points. His body had been immobile for too long, causing poor blood circulation, numbness in his hands and feet, and he was in dire need of rest. Shen Mo helped him and said, ¡°It will be hard for your body to recover to its best condition in a short time, don¡¯t play anymore later, get enough passing points and then go rest in the War King spot.¡± Leonid scowled, looking disgruntled, but he nodded in agreement, no longer putting up a front. They had accumulated quite a few points now, they only needed Tan Xiao. Shen Mo turned to go up on stage but found that an extra layer of obstruction had been added in front of the stage. Looking up, he realized that someone had set their sights on Tan Xiao, and had seized the opportunity to rush to the Brawl Stage whilst he was talking to Leonid. Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed slightly as he sized up the man. He was a robustly built muscle man, holding a steel helmet in his hand and cautiously approaching Tan Xiao. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo speculated that that helmet was likely another troublesome prop. Tan Xiao now had 25 points, even if he lost, he would only lose 10 points, so it didn¡¯t really matter. Shen Mo advised blandly, ¡°Tan Xiao, safety first.¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± Tan Xiao replied. Someone in the audience whispered, ¡°That¡¯s Iron Man¡¯s helmet, that kid¡¯s gonna be in trouble¡­¡± Iron Man¡¯s helmet? On hearing this, Shen Mo looked at the stage again. The muscle man had slipped the helmet on, and his body was suddenly covered in iron. It was as if he was clad in armour! ¡°Wearing Iron Man¡¯s helmet is essentially like being invincible, there¡¯s no way to fight him¡­¡± Tan Xiao didn¡¯t hear the murmurs of the audience. He simply rushed forward, and threw a punch at the muscle man! The muscle man stood firm. Tan Xiao¡¯s face instantly contorted as he held his hand and started wailing! ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch!!!¡­¡± At the same time, the muscle man swung his iron fist and landed a solid punch in Tan Xiao¡¯s chest! Chapter 643: Happy Chaos Field 20 Chapter 643: Chapter 643: Happy Chaos Field 20 With a loud bang, Tan Xiao was flung through the air! He then crashed heavily onto the ground, unable to get up for a while! The muscle man in iron armor had not only an impressive defense but also incredible strength! Tan Xiao managed to get up when the countdown reached 5, hobbling towards the edge of the stage, while the muscle man stalked him step by step. Although the iron armor made him less agile, even somewhat cumbersome, it was more than enough to deal with the injured Tan Xiao. ¡°Run faster!¡± Su Man, who sat high above, yelled anxiously. ¡°I can¡¯t run!¡± Tan Xiao answered, clutching his chest, his face twisted in pain. He wasn¡¯t sure if his ribs were broken, but every step he took was piercingly painful! The muscle man behind him trudged on, seemingly intent on ending him! ¡ª Of course, he wanted to kill him, because defeating him would only earn him 10 points, but if he finished him off in one go, he would get all his points! In a 1v1 brawl, not even gods could save him now! Tan Xiao felt a moment of despair. He stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud, causing the wound to hurt even more! And the iron man was catching up from behind! S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Frightened, Tan Xiao shrieked, hurriedly throwing out a quiz card, yelling, ¡°Question! Question! ¡ª What is 11111 times 11111? Answer!!!¡± When they first entered ¡°Lucky Quiz¡±, not only did Bai Youwei and Shen Mo receive quiz cards, so did he, Pan Xiaoxin and Teacher Cheng! The iron man stopped in his tracks, motionless. The threat was temporarily averted. Breathing a sigh of relief, Tan Xiao then smugly got up, unhurried, flashing the iron man the middle finger, ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the only one with a prop? See this? Brother Xiao also has props!¡± Then he heard a muted answer from inside the Iron Helmet, ¡°¡­ It equals 123454321.¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The quiz card floating in front of the iron man flickered brightly and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The iron man regained his freedom and once again started chasing him! ¡°Damn it!¡± Tan Xiao sprinted away, running clumsily, and shouted, ¡°That damn card! It worked for Wei and Mo, why didn¡¯t it work for me?!!¡± Leonid, down on the stage, grumbled, ¡°You pig brain! Can¡¯t you give a more difficult problem?!¡± Tan Xiao was really aggrieved, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that difficult enough?!!¡± Multiple digits multiplication isn¡¯t difficult?! Su Man was also worried for him, ¡°The multiplication was okay, it¡¯s just that the numbers you gave were too simple!¡± Well, it¡¯s too late to say anything now! The iron man was invulnerable, and Tan Xiao was injured. He couldn¡¯t do anything but run for his life to buy time. Shen Mo below the stage reminded him, ¡°Tan Xiao, find his weak spot. That suit of armor either has a time limit or other weaknesses.¡± Too busy running for his life, Tan Xiao had no time to look for weaknesses. In a panic, he searched through his pocket for items¡ª First, he found the snowflake prop, but was reminded that it was an offensive item and thus unusable; Then he found a gold coin. It seemed useless, so he threw it away! Like throwing a stone! Unexpectedly, the tiny gold coin had a huge impact when it hit the iron man! The iron man stumbled and fell, his iron armor clanging loudly as he hit the ground! Tan Xiao was stunned, he turned around and saw the fallen iron man, and wondered if he was afraid of gold coins?¡­ or was he afraid of metal? The iron man propped himself up with both hands to get up, tensing his knees. But when he tried to rise, he fell flat again! Tan Xiao witnessed it clearly this time. It turned out that the gold coin he had thrown out, by some fluke, had lodged itself in the knee joint of the iron man¡¯s armor. It prevented the knee joint from bending. Of course, without the ability to bend his knee, the iron man kept falling! Tan Xiao chuckled, looking gleeful, he stood on the stage, laughing uncontrollably, ¡°Ahahahahaha!!!¡± Ding! ¡ª¡ª ¡°Happy Bonus~¡± the Inspector smiled brilliantly, ¡°You received a Happy Bonus, 5 points.¡± Tan Xiao was dumbfounded. His points went from 25 to 30. Leonid immediately roared, ¡°What are you standing there for?! Run! Run towards the throne of the War King, you idiot!¡± The players below the stage: ¡°¡­¡± Damn, this goddamn luck¡­ Chapter 644: Poor Judgment Chapter 644: Chapter 644: Poor Judgment Tan Xiao became the third person to ascend to the War King¡¯s throne. After that, Shen Mo and Leonid were practically invincible. Even though they encountered some strange items, none of them exaggerated the roles of the Werewolf, the Wooden Man, or the Iron Helmet. As for the remaining players, after several rounds of competition, their energy had sharply depleted, their capabilities greatly reduced, and dealing with them was relatively easy. When the five chairs of the War King¡¯s throne were occupied, the other players in the field immediately disappeared, leaving only five people sitting in high places. The stage lights shone brilliantly, creating an opulent, vibrant display. Standing at the converging point of the lights, the Clown Inspector solemnly announced: ¡°In this game, we have five winners. Twenty-two players were eliminated, and three players are dead. There are 36 puzzle pieces available for distribution. 14 tools can be distributed. The reward calculation will now begin¡ª¡ª¡± As soon as he finished speaking, five glistening orbs appeared on the stage. The orbs floated to everyone, containing puzzles and items. Just stretch your hand into the orb, and you can easily retrieve them. There were 9 puzzle pieces and 3 items in Shen Mo¡¯s orb. The quantity was less than he expected, particularly the items. Out of the total items owned by 25 players, there were only 14 pieces. However, after thinking through, it made sense¡­ after all, during the second half of the game, everyone had thrown their items around recklessly, and almost all usable items had been exhausted! The remaining 14 items, either were not efficient enough to be used, or were in the category of attack items. The Clown looked at them with a full smile: ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations on your successful enrollment in the Maze Wars! Hopefully, you will become outstanding Kings and subjects in the following games, and achieve ultimate victory. The transfer portal to the rest hall will open soon, other inspectors will explain the detailed war rules to you. So, good luck~¡± After the Clown finished speaking, he revealed a big smile and then, all the lights on the stage went off. Suddenly, it was all dark. Only a glowing square exit appeared in the center of the stage. Everyone looked at each other in hesitation. Su Man looked at Shen Mo and Tan Xiao: ¡°Should we¡­ leave?¡± ¡°What else can we do if we don¡¯t leave?¡± Leonid immediately stood up and strode into the square glowing body, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and go out for some food and drink!¡± Shen Mo also got up and walked towards the glowing square, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Tan Xiao and Su Man followed closely behind. Lucas also walked into the exit. ¡­ After completing his task, the Clown strolled leisurely in the pure white cube. The cubes lined up in rows, columns, and layers, all around, up and down, spread out endlessly, countless. A ball rolled out of the cube and greeted the Clown happily: ¡°Have you also finished on your side?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Clown smiled and said, ¡°Seeing everyone fully engaged in the game is a joyous thing.¡± He then sighed deeply: ¡°But it¡¯s a pity that some players didn¡¯t perform satisfactorily.¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Same here~¡± said the ball, ¡°The Doctor, who was favored by that Inspector, didn¡¯t even survive the preliminary round and has already become a subject~¡± The Clown seemed to have met a kindred spirit: ¡°Same here~ The player with the iron hook hand, Jefferson, who the Inspector had high hopes for, is not even a subject, he¡¯s already dead~¡± ¡°That Inspector is really blind!¡± exclaimed the ball, ¡°Because of his misplaced focus on that Doctor, I missed the excellent performance of other players.¡± ¡°Yes, truly blind,¡± agreed the Clown, ¡°The players he had his eyes on have all lost in the preliminaries, all two of them.¡± Both Inspectors yelled in unison: ¡°Such poor judgment!¡± The comic man, who had just come out of the cube, was like: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 645: 645 Only One Person Came Out Chapter 645: Chapter 645 Only One Person Came Out Inside the resting lounge, more and more players were gathering. The walls of the lounge were made up of a series of square sections. Each time a qualifying round ended, one of the squares would emit a blinding white light, and the victorious players would emerge from within. At times, there would be three or five of them, or even as many as seven or eight. Bai Youwei anxiously waited for the appearance of Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, and the others, but to no avail. She sat in her wheelchair, her fingers tightly interlaced with unease, feeling unbearably terrible. Without Shen Mo, without Tan Xiao, without Teacher Cheng and without Pan Xiaoxin, she had nothing! Even though Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen were by her side, it was not the same. She repeatedly forced herself not to let her thoughts wander but instead focused her energy on the selection match itself. ¡ª241 players, 5 resigned, 197 registered as King, and 39 registered as subjects. Which is to say, 236 players participated in the qualifying match. Assuming 30 people were in a match, there would be around eight games. If each game selected about 5 players, there would be 40 players left¡­no, something¡¯s not right. The majority of players registered as Kings, so even if they lost, they would remain as subjects. If Shen Mo, who registered as King, lost, he would become a subject. So, there¡¯s no problem¡­Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin registered as subjects. If they lost, they would become commoners. It didn¡¯t matter, being a commoner might even suit them better. So, why was she worried? What was she worried about¡­ Bai Youwei was restless. She suddenly heard a commotion not far from her and looked up to see another square emitting white light¡ª S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A blood-drenched person was slowly emerging¡­ God knows what sort of brutal game he had participated in, but he was drenched head-to-toe in blood! Even his hair was soaked, droplets of blood trickling down from it. The only clean part of him was a pair of gloves¡ªpristine white. ¡°It¡¯s White Glove.¡± Yan Qingwen observed the figure coldly. ¡°He is the only one who came out.¡± Just one person emerging meant that only one person was victorious. What about the rest? The number of players in each game ranged from 20 to 30. Could all of them be weaker than White Glove? All the speculations were fear-inducing. Everyone retreated with apprehension, avoiding White Glove who stood at the center. Their multicolored gazes scanned him, observing and wary of him. Some whispered among themselves: ¡°The players who ended up against this guy are simply unlucky. Look at all that blood, they must¡¯ve all died at his hands.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s heart pounded erratically, leaving her breathless. Suddenly, another side of the wall also emitted white light, Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, and Su Man and others emerged from it. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart stopped beating abruptly¡ª It¡¯s as if it halted in the air and then slowly lowered. .. Finally, she regained her breath. The feeling was like descending from Heaven to Hell. She exhaled a long breath and looked at Shen Mo with a relaxed smile on her face. Shen Mo embraced her as he walked over then turned to look at Yan Qingwen, Lu Yuwen, and Ya Chaohui standing next to her, asking: ¡°Where are Fang Yu and Xiaoxin?¡± A single simple question left both Bai Youwei and Ya Chaohui speechless. Seeing their reactions, Shen Mo got an idea. He paused for two seconds and asked again: ¡°Did something happen to them?¡± Ya Chaohui looked down in dismay, offering no response. He wasn¡¯t sure how to answer. Bai Youwei held Shen Mo¡¯s hand tightly and murmured: ¡°Xiaoxin hasn¡¯t come out yet.¡± Not seeing Xiaoxin implied that she had seen Fang Yu, and consciously not mentioning him obviously meant Fang Yu was in trouble. Shen Mo stayed silent and didn¡¯t ask further. Noticing the peculiar glances around him, he looked towards White Glove along with everyone else. Soon, the striking blood on the floor disappeared, leaving the floor as impeccably as white. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t dare to think about what would have happened if Pan Xiaoxin had encountered White Glove in the game¡­ ¡°The preliminaries are not over yet.¡± Shen Mo held her hand tightly, consoling her in a low voice, ¡°Wait a little longer.¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes and nodded slowly. Chapter 646: 646: Picking Walnuts Chapter 646: Chapter 646: Picking Walnuts ¡ª¡ª Inside the lush forest, Fu Miaoxue brushed off the dried grass and twigs stuck to her clothes, her mood sunk to the bottom. She had initially thought herself lucky, the preliminary game she entered seemed simple enough; it was merely about plucking walnuts. The more walnuts one collected, the closer they were to victory. Being a doll, no one could beat her in terms of stamina, so naturally, she believed she would be the one to collect the most walnuts! But to her damn luck, the game surprisingly didn¡¯t prohibit violence! No matter how many walnuts she picked, they would all be snatched by the other players! She just was a doll, even if her physical strength was better, and her strength greater, she was powerless in the face of those brute forces! After all, she was a lady! Fu Miaoxue missed Du Lai terribly. Leaning against a tree for rest, through a thin layer of black veil, she could see green walnuts hanging from the branches, heavy with promise. Fu Miaoxue kept her gaze upwards, showing zero interest in picking any more. After all, they would probably be snatched away by others anyway. This game was an unforgiving design, not only did it not prohibit violence, but it also dragged for 48 hours! But the forest didn¡¯t hold that many walnut trees! Which meant, in two days, this was basically a heist of the walnuts! How could she possibly compete against the gangs formed by the others? Furthermore, the two walnuts in front of her would barely make a dent. Fu Miaoxue sighed endlessly, backed against the walnut tree. From the direction of the forest came the rustling sounds of footsteps, looking up she saw a child with a basket approaching. Fu Miaoxue recognized the child, the elementary school student that always accompanied Bai Youwei. Eyeing the basket the child carried, she smirked¡ªthere was only one walnut. It seemed he had experienced the same fate of thievery. Pan Xiaoxin was carrying his basket, walking carefully while scouting the surroundings for walnut trees. He stopped under a tree, struggling to reach the high-hanging walnuts, but no matter how hard he jumped, he simply couldn¡¯t reach them. Then, he set his sights on Fu Miaoxue¡¯s walnut tree. Fu Miaoxue calmly watched him. Pan Xiaoxin stood still, hesitated for a moment, then asked, ¡°May I¡­ ask for those two walnuts? Will you need them?¡± ¡°If you want them, then pick them.¡± Fu Miaoxue said indifferently, ¡°Only the top five players with the most walnuts can win. The presence or absence of these two walnuts won¡¯t make a difference for me.¡± Pan Xiaoxin stayed silent upon hearing this. He quietly walked under the tree, set down his basket, and then slowly climbed up, picked the two walnuts, and tossed them into his basket¡ª Now, his basket held three walnuts. Fu Miaoxue curiously eyed him, ¡°Even with three walnuts, you can¡¯t win, hey, I suggest you just give up. If someone snatches them away again, you might not survive.¡± Pan Xiaoxin climbed down the tree and grumbled, ¡°The game¡¯s ending is still a few hours away, I have time. I¡¯ll collect slowly, little by little, there might be hope.¡± Fu Miaoxue scoffed at him, ¡°Just give up, it¡¯s impossible. Haven¡¯t you noticed that the others have formed alliances? Teams of three or four are forever ahead of you, a lone child.¡± Pan Xiaoxin frowned, ¡°There¡¯s still hope. Although the forest seems filled with walnut trees, only about thirty actually bear any, and each tree holds no more than 50 walnuts. Therefore¡­ as long as I can collect 300 walnuts, I can definitely rank in the top five.¡± Fu Miaoxue rolled her eyes, ¡°Ha! 300! You only have 3 now. Boy, you sure know how to boast!¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t bother responding, he just picked up his basket, remaining silent as he moved on. Fu Miaoxue paused for a moment before realization hit her, she hurriedly caught up with him, ¡°Woah~ Kid, you¡¯re not playing fair. Tell me, have you been hiding walnuts? How many have you hidden?¡± Chapter 647: The Most Walnuts Chapter 647: Chapter 647: The Most Walnuts ¡°Nope,¡± Pan Xiaoxin stopped, showing her the bamboo basket. ¡°That¡¯s all I have.¡± ¡°You really think I¡¯d buy that?¡± Fu Miaoxue scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re one of Bai Youwei¡¯s mates. God knows what tricks you¡¯re up to!¡± Pan Xiaoxin sighed, an old man¡¯s sigh, helpless and resigned, and glanced at Fu Miaoxue¡¯s bamboo basket, asking: ¡°Sister, you didn¡¯t pick a single walnut?¡± Fu Miaoxue flared up at the mention of it, rolling her eyes dramatically, ¡°They got stolen!¡± Not just stolen, someone even threw rocks at her head. If not for her miraculous transformation into a puppet, her head would have been gushing blood by now! Fu Miaoxue irritably brushed off the leftover dirt on her veil, her face a picture of sulking. Pan Xiaoxin picked out a walnut from his own basket and put it in hers, saying: ¡°Sister, stop dawdling. There are still a few hours left till the game ends. If you pick more, maybe you can win.¡± Having said that, he sighed again, picked up his basket, and walked away. Fu Miaoxue was left dumbstruck, looking at the walnut and then back at Xiaoxin¡¯s retreating figure, a little taken aback. She thought to herself: This annoying kid is actually a lot more adorable than Bai Youwei. ¡­ Pan Xiaoxin moved over to a bush, looked around to confirm that no one was near before crouching down and crawling into the low underbrush. He gently pulled aside a layer of dried leaves and stuffed two walnuts he just picked into the pile of leaves. Underneath the pile of leaves was the stash of walnuts he¡¯d been collecting for a while. Being small, he knew he was an easy target, which is why he¡¯s been playing weak since the game began. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. While others filled their bamboo baskets full, he never did. He only kept two or three walnuts, inciting no interest in stealing even if someone saw them. Then he would hurriedly hide the walnuts, fearful of getting caught. This strategy worked efficiently because most people were drawn to the players with ¡°fulfilling¡± bamboo baskets, completely overlooking him. However¡­ Every time he got two or three walnuts, he would have to hide them, which made his walnut collection very slow. After spending a day and a half looking for walnuts without food or drink, he had only saved up ninety-eight. Short of a hundred¡­ Pan Xiaoxin looked at his stash of walnuts and sighed wearily. It seems he was really about to become one of the commoners. Although being a commoner would probably be safer, who doesn¡¯t want to win? ¡°Ha-ha! I knew you were hiding walnuts!¡± The crisp voice of a girl rang out. Pan Xiaoxin jumped in surprise, whirling around to find Fu Miaoxue standing right behind him in the bushes! Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s face went pale with shock! Seeing this, Fu Miaoxue huffed scornfully: ¡°What? You think I¡¯m going to steal your walnuts? Who¡¯d bother with such a small amount of walnuts? Even if you gave them to me, I still couldn¡¯t pass!¡± Upon hearing this, Pan Xiaoxin slowly recovered from his shock, looking gloomier than ever. He muttered grumpily: ¡°There¡¯s still some hope¡­ There are 1500 walnuts in total; if they select five people who have the most walnuts, that¡¯s 300 walnuts each on average. But if players outside the top five hoard walnuts, or¡­or the number one player takes more than half of the total walnuts, then even though these walnuts are inadequate, they might squeeze into the top five.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s heart stirred, she repeated his words with a mutter: ¡°Get more than half of the total walnuts¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin glanced at her, suspicious. As if struck by an idea, Fu Miaoxue¡¯s lips curved into a tricky smirk. She ruffled Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hair and said with a laugh, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get more than half of the walnuts. That way, you¡¯ll definitely enter the top five! Kid, be sure to thank your sister~ ¡± Pan Xiaoxin asked in bewilderment: ¡°¡­What¡­what are you planning?¡± Chapter 648: Assistant Inspector Chapter 648: Chapter 648: Assistant Inspector Fu Miaoxue extended her hand to him: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just lend me 10 walnuts for now, I will pay you back 200 later!¡± Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°¡­¡± He had never before seen anybody so assertively asking for something on loan. However, he still managed to scramble up ten from the bottom of his pile of leaves, with a mindset to keep the peace, he handed over the walnuts to Fu Miaoxue. Fu Miaoxue dropped her bamboo basket, held the walnuts in her skirt, and skulked away. Pan Xiaoxin was puzzled. ¡­ In one corner of the forest, there was an open area with a small wooden house. Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t see the Inspector. When they had first entered the game, a Puppet Master Inspector who explained the game rules to them was outside the wooden house, but now the door of the house was shut, presumably, the Inspector would only appear towards the end of the game. Fu Miaoxue, with walnuts bundled up in her skirt, made her way around the back of the wooden house, removed her veil and ditched her black dress. Under her black dress was a pale pink petticoat. She tied three or four walnuts together, then hung them around her neck, wrists and waist, put up her hair high, and placed a walnut leaf on each side of her bun ¨C Then, a cold smirk crawled up her face, she strutted out from behind the house, looking completely different than her initial masked black clothed figure when they had begun the game! Now she looked like a real walnut puppet! ¡°Dare to steal my walnuts ¡­ Hmph, I¡¯m going to take them all back!¡± Fu Miaoxue cast a menacing glance towards the forest, then dragged two large bamboo baskets in front of herself, and then, she stood still. Yes, she stood still. ¡­ As time passed, with the end of the game nearing, more and more game-players accumulated in front of the house. When they saw the ¡°walnut puppet¡± in front of the house, they were very puzzled. Beside the puppet were bamboo baskets, which seemed to be there for the purpose of collecting walnuts. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Can we submit the walnuts now?¡± ¡°We should be able to submit them, right? Only ten minutes left until the end.¡± ¡°Hey! Do they want us to submit early?¡± Fu Miaoxue looked at them with a radiant smile, ¡°Welcome everybody to this game, I¡¯m the Inspector¡¯s assistant. To avoid any disputes at the time of game settlement, you can do the calculation here in advance. Once settled, the number of walnuts will not change.¡± ¡°The Inspector¡¯s assistant?¡± Someone said suspiciously, ¡°This is the first time I heard the Inspector has an assistant¡­¡± But since Fu Miaoxue herself looked like a puppet, it was very deceiving. They could never imagine that a puppet could actually be a player. Even though they felt it was strange, they did not doubt Fu Miaoxue and poured all the walnuts they had collected into the two bamboo baskets beside her. Other players who reached the house saw this scene and naturally considered it as part of the game. Without giving it too much thought, they followed the crowd and poured the walnuts into the baskets. The two baskets were soon filled to the brim. ¡°Can we announce the results now?¡± a game-player asked. Without giving anything away, Fu Miaoxue responded with her puppet-like, monotone voice, ¡°Once everyone has settled, the results of this game can be announced.¡± ¡°Who has not yet settled?¡± a burly, impatient man looked around and prodded, ¡°Hey! Whoever hasn¡¯t settled yet, hurry up! Don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time! You guys hiding a few walnuts here and there won¡¯t lead to a win!¡± This burly man was the first to form a team at the beginning of the game. His five-man squad specialized in stealing other people¡¯s walnuts! As a result, the team had the highest number of walnuts among all the players, barring any mishaps, the winners of the game would undoubtedly be these five people. Perhaps because victory was within grasp, the burly man was being especially arrogant, shouting and hollering, until finally, the very last player showed up ¨C The last person to arrive at the house was Pan Xiaoxin. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 649: 649: Zero Chapter 649: Chapter 649: Zero Pan Xiaoxin had his own plan. Being small and weak, he couldn¡¯t compete with these adults, so he arrived late intentionally to avoid his hazelnuts being stolen on the road. In this way, he could not only lower his profile, but also not worry about theft, as other players had already settled their game. However, Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t expect to see Fu Miaoxue again upon reaching the cabin, and in such a guise¡­ Pan Xiaoxin was a bit dumbfounded. Others didn¡¯t recognise Fu Miaoxue, but he did, and he certainly could distinguish between players and NPCs! ¡°Hey, Kid! Hurry up and put the hazelnuts in the bamboo basket!¡± the stout man impatiently urged, ¡°Don¡¯t waste time, how come a kid like you is allowed to participate in the game? Your parents really are careless!¡± Pan Xiaoxin pursed his lips, his little face tense. As for whether his parents were careless or not, he didn¡¯t know, but this big guy clearly didn¡¯t care. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Pan Xiaoxin lifted the heavy bamboo basket with great difficulty, then slowly walked towards Fu Miaoxue. Looking at the two large bamboo baskets beside her, he couldn¡¯t help but admire her audacity. He purposefully dragged out his arrival until the last possible moment, and now, the Inspector could appear at any time. Wasn¡¯t Fu Miaoxue afraid of being exposed? If these players found out that she was playing tricks¡­ The consequences were unimaginable. Pan Xiaoxin silently looked at Fu Miaoxue, his complex gaze saying it all. Fu Miaoxue also looked at him, her eyes faintly carrying laughter and a sense of triumph. Just at that moment, the door of the cabin creaked open¡ª The Puppet Master, holding a marionette, walked out from inside. Wearing a red top hat, a royal blue vest and black trousers, and a pair of green boots, the Puppet Master held a marionette dressed identically to himself, sophisticated and flashy. ¡°Oh, it seems everyone has their hazelnuts ready, Jamie, we have work to do,¡± the Puppet Master said to the marionette in his hand. The marionette was lifelike, its jaw opening and closing and speaking in a childlike voice: ¡°Understood, Jack, we need to count the number of hazelnuts. Um¡­ let¡¯s start with the player who has the least!¡± The Puppet Master nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s do as you said. Any players who do not have enough hazelnuts cannot participate in the Maze War, and can be eliminated immediately.¡± Every player had a number after entering the game. The marionette opened and closed its jaw: ¡°Number 14, zero hazelnuts, eliminated!¡± A man in the crowd looked shocked, he looked down at his number on his body, before he could speak, his body vanished before everyone¡¯s eyes. ¡°Number 23, zero hazelnuts, eliminated!¡± the marionette continued. Another person widened his eyes in shock, ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­ I, I clearly have so many hazelnuts¡­¡± And he disappeared. The crowd began to get restless, suspicious glances being cast at Fu Miaoxue. The marionette: ¡°Number 8, zero hazelnuts, eliminated!¡± Number 8, furiously and shockingly pointed at Fu Miaoxue: ¡°I have hazelnuts! My hazelnuts have already been settled in the bamboo basket!¡± The Inspector or the Inspector¡¯s puppet showed no interest in his explanation, and the body of Number 8 vanished. Everyone finally felt something was wrong and walked towards Fu Miaoxue, questioning: ¡°Hey! What the hell is going on?! Didn¡¯t we already give our hazelnuts to the Inspector¡¯s assistant?!¡± ¡°Assistant?¡± The marionette looked up at the Puppet Master, ¡°Dear Jack, aside from me, do you have any other assistants?¡± Before the Puppet Master could answer, Fu Miaoxue suddenly kicked over the bamboo basket! Then with the speed of lightning, she picked up another basket of hazelnuts and ran into the woods! A basket of hazelnuts spilled all over the ground! Everyone was shocked! ¡°Kid! Run!¡± Fu Miaoxue had already rushed into the woods, with only her voice coming through. Pan Xiaoxin instantly sprang up, grabbed his own hazelnuts, and ran towards the woods! The crowd was incensed! ¡°Damn! Chase her!¡± ¡°Hurry up and catch that guy!¡± Chapter 650: 650: Miss Hu Tao Chapter 650: Chapter 650: Miss Hu Tao Those who snapped out of their initial shock charged in pursuit! Some sprinted, others slipped on walnuts, while some paused to collect the fallen nuts. Meanwhile, the Puppet Master and his wooden puppet continued to announce indifferently: ¡°¡­Number 12, zero walnuts, eliminated! ¡­Number 27, zero walnuts, eliminated! Number 30¡­¡± Finally, someone bellowed, ¡°Stop fucking chasing! Too late! Start picking up walnuts!!!¡± Perhaps they wouldn¡¯t catch up to Fu Miaoxue before they were disqualified for not having any walnuts, so it made more sense to pick up as many walnuts as possible before their numbers were called! With bitter resignation, the competitors stopped dead in their tracks to scrouge for walnuts. Not only were they picking, but they were also fighting for them! ¡ªWithout a doubt, Fu Miaoxue had the most walnuts and the child who hadn¡¯t dropped his into the bamboo basket would also claim a spot. The final three spots could only be grabbed! A chaotic free-for-all ensued, with fights and squabbles erupting everywhere. Even erstwhile allies were no longer wary of anything, frenziedly scrabbling for walnuts! Upon hearing the commotion, an escaping Fu Miaoxue could not help but crack up, hidden in the woods: ¡°A bunch of idiots! Hahaha!¡± Pan Xiaoxin followed her, clutching his own bamboo basket and panting heavily, ¡°Are¡­ we¡­ not going back¡­¡± ¡°Sure, we¡¯re going back.¡± Fu Miaoxue glanced back then smiled brightly, feeling quite pleased, ¡°The Inspector calls out starting from the players with the least number of walnuts. Since we have the most, I¡¯m sure our numbers will be last. Now is probably the right time to return.¡± She stripped off her walnut accessories and stuffed them all into Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s bamboo basket. Then, she scooped up a hefty helping of walnuts from her own basket and stuffed them into Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s¡ªwhatever didn¡¯t fit she shoved into his pockets and his hoodie. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I would return these to you with interest? Is that enough? Do you want more?¡± Pan Xiaoxin repeatedly nodded: ¡°Enough, enough¡­ Thank you, sister!¡± Fu Miaoxue squinted her eyes, laughing: ¡°What a sweet talker.¡± The two gathered their walnuts and returned to the clearing outside the hut. Just moments ago thirty players had been crowded here, but now only three remained. Including the two of them, five. When the remaining three saw Fu Miaoxue and Pan Xiaoxin, they were seething with hatred. However, the game was over, and even killing Fu Miaoxue would not change the outcome. Besides, it was not necessarily possible. With resentment, everyone waited for the Inspector to announce the final results. The string puppet¡¯s jaw moved up and down: ¡°There are a total of 5 winners in this game, and 25 people are eliminated. We have 33 puzzle pieces to allocate. 24 props are available. Let¡¯s start calculating the rewards¡ª¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Following a series of calculations, Pan Xiaoxin received 7 puzzle pieces and 5 props, while Fu Miaoxue received 8 puzzle pieces and 5 props. ¡°Good luck in the upcoming maze war, everyone~¡± The string puppet¡¯s voice was high-pitched, ¡°Jack, who do you have your eye on?¡± ¡°Jamie, why do you keep asking me these questions.¡± The Puppet Master replied seriously, ¡°Of course it¡¯s Miss Hu Tao, you know, I¡¯m attracted to bodies that are different.¡± The string puppet: ¡°Haha! Just like hook-handed Jefferson, a different body!¡± Puppet Master: ¡°Exactly, modified bodies are fascinating.¡± The string puppet: ¡°But he is dead.¡± Puppet Master: ¡°What a pity¡­¡± They took turns speaking, as if performing a comedy routine. Fu Miaoxue had already grown impatient hearing them, just as she was about to interrupt them, the Puppet Master suddenly cried, ¡°Ah! Jamie, we were so busy chatting that we almost forgot something important!¡± The puppet immediately voiced: ¡°Yes! We forgot to send them back to the rest hall!¡± As soon as the sentence was finished, a giant glowing square appeared in the open space. ¡°Please, everyone,¡± The Puppet Master and his puppet simultaneously said, ¡°Good luck~¡± Chapter 651: 651: Please Note the Following Points, King Chapter 651: Chapter 651: Please Note the Following Points, King sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fu Miaoxue picked up her black skirt and black veil, dressing herself anew. When she emerged from the back of the wooden house, she found that the other three players had already entered the glowing square passage, with only Pan Xiaoxin waiting for her in place. She lifted the corner of her mouth in a slight smile, feeling a bit cheerful, she fondly patted Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s head: ¡°Hmm, you still have some conscience~¡± Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°¡­ Sister, you shouldn¡¯t randomly touch a boy¡¯s head.¡± ¡°Tsk! Such a spoilsport~¡± Fu Miaoxue retorted, pulling her hand back. Both of them entered the luminous channel together. After just a few steps, the white light faded, and once again, they found themselves in the same expansive white space as before. Fu Miaoxue was surveying their surroundings when suddenly she heard Bai Youwei¡¯s voice: ¡°Xiaoxin!¡± Pan Xiaoxin turned his head to look and instantly ran over excitedly: ¡°Sister Weiwei! Brother Mo! Brother Xiao! ¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin had already run afar; he had finally reunited with Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, and Tan Xiao. Yan Qingwen and Su Man and others were huddled around them. Their companions asked with concern about his experience in the game, expressing their care and concern, creating a joyful scene. Fu Miaoxue watched in silence from afar, mumbling to herself: ¡°¡­ What an ingrate.¡± Then, she saw Bai Youwei gleefully ruffling Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s hair. Fu Miaoxue pursed her lips, growing even more displeased, she muttered: ¡°What about the ¡®no touching the head¡¯ rule? Why can she touch it?¡± Anyhow, she felt dejected. The white light flickered beneath her feet, causing Fu Miaoxue to pause. The other players also looked down at their feet. The originally pure white tiled floor transformed into a painting, like ink unfolding across a scroll¡ª More accurately, it was not a painting, but a panoramic satellite map! The blue ocean, white glaciers, brown land, and green forests ¨C every corner of the earth was vividly displayed before them. ¡°Congratulations to all of you for passing the preliminaries¡ª¡± the voice of the rabbit-headed Inspector echoed. Everyone looked around, but they couldn¡¯t see the Inspector. Despite that, the voice was clear and very audible. ¡°In total, 241 players participated in the preliminary competition. Five forfeited, 197 enrolled as Kings, and 39 enrolled as servants. Thirty-two won, while thirty-eight lost. Among the winners, 26 were Kings and 6 were servants. Among the losers, there were 135 servants and 31 commoners.¡± Bai Youwei listened silently, mentally computing. Initially, 197 registered as Kings, now there were only 26 left, which meant the remaining either lost and became servants or were killed in the game. She wondered what form the next game would take. And the map beneath their feet¡­ what was it for? The Inspector¡¯s voice continued¡ª ¡°The Maze War is a war among the Kings. The 26 Kings, please take out your puzzle pieces and choose your territories on this map. Meanwhile, the Kings should take note of the following points: First, each puzzle piece represents 10,000 square kilometers of territory. Second, once the territorial scope is determined, the puzzle pieces cannot be moved and must be attached to at least two other pieces to successfully occupy a territory. Third, no mazes or games will appear within your territory to ensure that the Kings get sufficient rest during non-war periods.¡± At this point, the rabbit-headed figure seemed to chuckle softly, his words filled with unexplained delight: ¡°As a personal piece of advice¡ªservants need to have puzzle pieces to participate in the wars. Therefore, please make sure to keep some puzzle pieces in hand, lest you don¡¯t have enough to recruit servants when the war begins.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other. Of all the rules, they were most interested in the third point: no mazes or games will appear within their territory. If they collected enough puzzle pieces, wouldn¡¯t it mean¡­ the world would return to its original state? Chapter 652: 652 Many Rabbit Heads Chapter 652: Chapter 652 Many Rabbit Heads An expansive white space, beams of light rising from the ground. Whenever a king conquered a territory, an additional beam of light would appear on the ground. The bunny-headed figures seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Not just one, but 26 bunny-headed Inspectors moved among the crowd, kindly and patiently offering detailed explanations to the 26 kings. Bai Youwei held two puzzle pieces in her hand, unable to fit them together no matter what she tried. A bunny-headed Inspector came over to her, lightly took the puzzle pieces from her hand, and smiled faintly, ¡°Two pieces belonging to different kings cannot be joined together.¡± It returned one piece to Bai Youwei and handed the other to Shen Mo, politely saying, ¡°Different kings¡¯ territories can only be adjacent, not overlapping. Please try to reassemble.¡± Not far away, Tan Xiao was curious and placed a puzzle piece onto the satellite map at his feet. But the puzzle piece did not react at all. A bunny-headed inspector went over to remind him, ¡°Subjects have no territorial rights. The puzzle piece you¡¯re holding can only be used for competition, not for occupying territories.¡± Someone, overly anxious, accidentally dropped a puzzle piece into the seawater region of the map. A bunny-headed figure swiftly caught it and gently said: ¡°The territory is the king¡¯s leisure and rest area, please choose a place that is abundant in water sources and food.¡± Leonid stood on the map, looking baffled. The bunny-headed figure by his side asked, ¡°Is there anything you need help with?¡± Leonid scratched his hair in frustration and looked at the satellite map under his feet, ¡°In terms of territory, of course, I would first think of my hometown. But where I live now is not in Russia, occupying my hometown seems meaningless.¡± He was originally living in Vladivostok, working during the day, drinking at night, and occasionally going fishing with friends. However, this peaceful life was gradually disrupted; with more and more residents in town turned into dolls, everyone was preparing to leave. Subsequently, one day, the city faced a sudden power outage, network signals disappeared, and everyone panicked. No rescue organization arrived. The people in that city, some of them went abroad to unknown locations, some moved northward in search of relief, and some, like him, directly entered neighboring countries. Unexpectedly, this was not a trap laid by one country for another, but a global disaster! S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thus, it would be meaningless for Leonid to choose his hometown as his territory. The city was already deserted. He couldn¡¯t save anyone. The bunny-headed figure asked him, ¡°Do you have any companions?¡± After some thought, Leonid responded, ¡°¡­ I guess you could say that.¡± The bunny-headed figure smiled and said, ¡°Then choose the place where your companions are as your territory.¡± After a moment of contemplation, Leonid pieced two puzzle pieces together and placed them near Cangzhou. Upon seeing this, Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t resist coming over and asked, ¡°Big Beard, so you have relatives living here!¡± With a frown, Leonid replied: ¡°How could my relative possibly be here? Stop joking. I chose this place because a little friend lives here. The puzzle piece I used for the preliminaries was given to me by her.¡± Therefore, the fruits of victory should not be tasted solely by him. This was something that Leonid was very clear about. Bai Youwei pieced together three puzzles and placed them on Shanghai, Suzhou, and Changzhou respectively. Following Bai Youwei¡¯s arrangement, Shen Mo placed two puzzle pieces on Zhenjiang and Nanjing. And Yan Qingwen¡¯s two puzzle pieces were placed in the south near Hangzhou. Fu Miaoxue chose Fuzhou. Because before entering the preliminary contest, she and Du Lai were in the territory of Fuzhou. Once the puzzle pieces were set, the area would emit a beam of white light, symbolizing the area as safe. There would be no maze engulfed in dense fog, nor any elusive games. And one puzzle piece happens to cover an area of 10,000 square kilometers. They used to wonder what shape the puzzle would finally take, but now they understand their real purpose. Chapter 653: 653: Four Battles Chapter 653: Chapter 653: Four Battles Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When all the kings had chosen their territories, the rabbit-headed creatures beside them disappeared one by one. Soon, only the players were left in the entire lobby. ¡°Now that you have selected your territories, let¡¯s move on to the next step.¡± The Inspector¡¯s voice echoed through the air. ¡°All kings, please choose your first battle¡ª¡± In front of Bai Youwei, a glowing operation panel appeared. On the panel were the 3D holographic images of four inspectors, each with a number in front of them: 1, 5, 10, and 20, respectively. The Inspector explained: ¡°There are four battles to choose from, each requiring a corresponding number of puzzle pieces as collateral. If you win, all puzzle pieces will be returned; if you lose, the paid puzzle pieces will be deducted.¡± This was different from what Bai Youwei initially thought. She assumed that it would be a randomly matched one-on-one duel, but didn¡¯t expect such options. It felt like playing a game: would she choose an easy, medium or hard level? The others had the same thought as Bai Youwei¡ªwould the difficulty increase as the number of puzzle pieces increased? In response, the Inspector clarified: ¡°The difficulty of the battle game always depends on your opponents, not the game itself.¡± The Inspector added: ¡°Please note, kings only get one chance to surrender, and this must be used before the battle starts. Once used, the king and all his subjects will become subjects of the other party. Moreover, each battle cannot be chosen twice. Four battles will be followed by a final battle. If a king does not possess enough puzzle pieces to participate in any battle, he will be eliminated.¡± Elimination means death. Bai Youwei understood. It was still a one-on-one competition, but imposing a limit on the number of puzzle pieces. For example: if she chose 10, she would only face players who also chose 10. After hearing the rule, Yan Qingwen pondered and said, ¡°The main point of the battle rule is that each battle cannot be chosen twice. Regardless of how we choose, we must participate in these four battles. Therefore, we must be cautious in the order of selection.¡± ¡°We definitely cannot choose 1, right?¡± Lu Yuwen proposed, ¡°If the king doesn¡¯t have enough puzzle pieces to participate in any battle, he will be eliminated. I guess everyone will save 1 as the last resort. In case they lose puzzle pieces along the way, as long as they have more than one puzzle piece, they can participate in the battle labeled 1, preventing elimination.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded slowly, ¡°Exactly, not only can¡¯t we choose 1, but we also can¡¯t choose 20. Most kings currently have about 10 puzzle pieces each, minus the 2 for territory and those for recruiting subjects, the remaining number is just enough to participate in the battle labeled 5.¡± Lu Yuwen also nodded: ¡°Choosing 5 is the safest way. 1 is a lifesaver, we are not qualified for 20, 10 is too risky. The best order should be 5 first, accumulate more puzzle pieces for the second battle of 10, then 20, and finally 1.¡± Su Man was getting dizzy listening to all these numbers, whatever they said, she would follow. She looked towards Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, wondering whether they would all coincidentally meet each other if they chose 5 and asked, ¡°What do you two plan to choose?¡± Bai Youwei paused for thought and turned to Shen Mo beside her. Shen Mo stared back at her and calmly said, ¡°The number of kings choosing 5 will be the most, followed by 10, and then 1. Which one do you want to choose?¡± Bai Youwei grabbed his hand and whispered, ¡°We choose 20.¡± Chapter 654: 654: So Many Puzzles Chapter 654: Chapter 654: So Many Puzzles Su Man¡¯s eyes widened suddenly. She knew that Bai Youwei always played in an unconventional way, but hearing her say she chose 20, Su Man was still caught off guard. That was 20! A battle wagering 20 puzzle pieces at once! But what surprised her even more was that Shen Mo did not hesitate at all and responded with a nod, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s choose 20 then.¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes widened even more. Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen beside her were only slightly taken aback, but they didn¡¯t seem surprised. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Brother Yan¡­¡± Su Man looked at him with a complex expression, ¡°Weiwei¡­ she wants to choose¡­ 20!¡± Yan Qingwen responded with a casual ¡°Mm¡±. He glanced over at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo and said, ¡°They probably plan to use their surrender option. At this point, I doubt any other king would choose 20, so the chances of them being assigned to the same battle are high. The question now is, who will surrender to whom.¡± He wasn¡¯t trying to lower his voice as he spoke, so Bai Youwei and Shen Mo heard him clearly. Bai Youwei turned her face around, smiling as she said, ¡°Brother Yan is as sharp as ever. What about you guys, do you want to choose 20 too?¡± Yan Qingwen smiled back, ¡°We can¡¯t. We don¡¯t have enough puzzle pieces to do so.¡± Su Man silently did some calculations. She and Lu Yuwen had obtained 5 puzzle pieces in the maze. Later in the preliminary competition, she got 6, while Lu Yuwen and Yan Qingwen each obtained 4. Including the one original piece Yan Qingwen had, they only managed to gather 20 puzzle pieces. How should these 20 pieces be allocated? Firstly, the territory required 2 pieces. Next, if she and Lu Yuwen were to participate in the battle, they needed to have at least 1 piece each; Finally, to ensure that she and Lu Yuwen would not instantly become commoners after a defeat, they would need an additional piece to hold on to. So, as a king, Yan Qingwen only had 14 puzzle pieces to spare! Su Man was confident the other kings wouldn¡¯t be much better off than Yan Qingwen. Where then, did Bai Youwei and Shen Mo get their 20 pieces from??? Maybe she looked too perplexed. Bai Youwei explained with a smile, ¡°Ya Chaohui and I each won 14 pieces in the preliminary competition. Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin also got some, so we have enough quantity.¡± ¡°14?!¡± Su Man was stunned. This time, not only her, but Yan Qingwen and Lu Yuwen were also surprised, ¡°How did you get so many?¡± They all won the preliminary competition, but whereas they only got 4 each, Su Man slightly more with 6, Bai Youwei and Ya Chaohui each got 14! The difference was too dramatic! Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then explained, ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the ¡®Doctor¡¯. He seemed to have accumulated a lot of puzzle pieces. After losing his eligibility to be a king in the preliminary competition, his puzzle pieces and props were divided between us, the winners.¡± Understanding dawned on Yan Qingwen and the others. The preliminary competition itself was a fair game, but since the number of puzzle pieces each player had was different, disparities in rewards were inevitable. Just as everyone thought this topic was finished, Ya Chaohui, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: ¡°There¡¯s also another reason.¡± Everyone was taken aback and turned to look at him. With a slightly shy expression, Ya Chaohui spoke in a low voice, ¡°Because¡­ there were only three winners in the end. The rewards meant for five people were divided among the three of us, so of course, it seemed like more.¡± Somehow, after these words were spoken, the atmosphere turned cold. Shen Mo frowned slightly, staying silent. Bai Youwei silently looked at Ya Chaohui, clear about what he was implying but chose not to utter a word. At this point, the Inspector¡¯s voice rang out again: ¡°The first battle will commence in a month. All kings are to maintain their health during this period, and actively recruit subjects. If needed, you may return to the rest hall at any time. I will provide you with access to the maze. You will all have the opportunity to enter the maze once before each battle starts. I hope you all¡­ seize it.¡± Chapter 655: 655: The Maze is Important Chapter 655: Chapter 655: The Maze is Important The Inspector¡¯s words temporarily diverted Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts from Ya Chaohui. Because the maze is very important. Not only can you obtain puzzle pieces in the maze, but you can also improve your physical ability, which is absolutely crucial in a game dominated by combat power. In many cases, perhaps just running a little faster, jumping a little further, exerting a little more force, can bring the victory. And these kings, they must be eager to improve themselves and increase the number of puzzle pieces they possess before the first battle arrives. Bai Youwei looked around and sure enough, everyone¡¯s expression was different. Even Yan Qingwen¡¯s face showed more gravity. The Rabbit-headed Inspector¡¯s voice was gentle, saying unhurriedly: ¡°You guys who just finished the preliminaries must really need a rest, and you need time to recruit teammates¡­ so let¡¯s start the maze privilege seven days later. The rules of the maze remain the same as before. The first group to pass the maze will get 5 puzzle pieces, the second group will get 3 pieces, and the third group will get 1 piece. Seven days later, as long as you are ready, come find me to activate the privilege at any time. Of course, you can also choose not to go. After all, if you die in the maze¡­ you won¡¯t be able to continue participating in the Maze War.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips. How could she not go? Even if she doesn¡¯t participate in the Maze War, she would still go into the maze! She operated on the illuminating panel in front of her, choosing ¡°20¡± ¨C a confirmation interface popped up, suggesting that the ¡°20¡± battle requires ten participants. Without any thought, Bai Youwei pressed the confirmation button. The glowing panel instantly melted away, turning into a mass of light, which then wrapped around her wrist, just like a luminous wristband, firmly locked onto her wrist. The light-sensitive wristband was imprinted on her skin, faintly visible, with the king¡¯s mark, the countdown to the first battle, as well as the battle participants and current number of puzzle pieces she had. All information was clear and concise. ¡°See you, everyone¡­¡± The Inspector¡¯s voice was as graceful as peaceful drizzle, ¡°You will return to where you were before the preliminaries, but kings, next time, you will return directly to your own territory.¡± All players disappeared from the enormous white space. Only the sparkling beams of light on the satellite map remained, flickering and flowing. ¡­ Bai Youwei and Shen Mo returned to the side of the highway. Du Lai was still there. Teacher Chang was also there. Their companions had disappeared suddenly when they left the game together earlier. Both Du Lai and Chang Weicai were frightened and didn¡¯t dare to leave. They could only stay nearby and wait for everyone to return. When Bai Youwei and the others suddenly appeared, Du Lai and Chang Weicai were stunned for a while before they came back to their senses. Fu Miaoxue leapt into Du Lai¡¯s arms with a shout! Tan Xiao, seeing Chang Weicai, was also excited: ¡°Old Chang! These few days I¡¯ve been starving! Got anything to eat?¡± Chang Weicai kept nodding and quickly turned to get food from the car: ¡°There¡¯s instant noodles, wait a moment, I¡¯ll cook it right away¡­¡± Without Bai Youwei¡¯s doll house, Chang Weicai had to rely on Shen Mo¡¯s supplies to survive. He did not eat much, and there were residential areas a bit nearby for resupply, so he has been able to manage these few days. However, not knowing why Bai Youwei and the others suddenly disappeared, and whether they were alive or dead, he couldn¡¯t help being on pins and needles. Teacher Chang busily cooked a pot of instant noodles, found a spicy sausage stick, and cut it into thin slices to cook with the noodles. The air was filled with the savory aroma of pepper. Except for Fu Miaoxue, everyone has a bowl, and they gathered around the fire to finally discuss what happened after they disappeared¡ª They talked about the preliminaries, the Maze War, and the maze that was to open in seven days¡­ S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 656: 656: Find an Opportunity to Surrender Chapter 656: Chapter 656: Find an Opportunity to Surrender After listening to everyone¡¯s story, the teacher sighed deeply: ¡°The road ahead is long and winding, to win all these battles, the task is arduous and the journey far exhausting!¡± Du Lai frowned and said to Fu Miaoxue, ¡°In the next battle, look for an opportunity to surrender.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Fu Miaoxue pouted, ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to be a king?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t indulge her as he usually did, his tone serious, ¡°If the king¡¯s puzzle is lost completely, they will die. Surrender in the next battle, then lose the game as a subject, that way, you can become a commoner and completely withdraw from the war.¡± ¡°But if we win as king, we will have supreme power!¡± Fu Miaoxue scrunched her brows slightly, unwilling, ¡°At that time, we can do whatever we want, play the game or not, we can revert to being human, and resurrecting our families and friends wouldn¡¯t be difficult¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s good enough as it is now,¡± Du Lai interrupted her, ¡°Let others be king, it doesn¡¯t matter if our bodies are impaired, it doesn¡¯t matter if our families and friends are gone, as long as we two are together, we can have a good life without being king. Most importantly, I don¡¯t want to see you risking yourself in any way.¡± Fu Miaoxue was deeply moved, holding back tears, she buried herself in Du Lai¡¯s arms, ¡°Du Lai, I love you so much!¡± Du Lai hugged her: ¡°I love you too.¡± The others: ¡°¡­¡± These two never cared about the glances of others when they were being lovey-dovey. ¡°Such touching love~¡± Bai Youwei impassively threw cold water on the scene, ¡°but when players become commoners, their puzzles and props will be confiscated. Are you sure that you two can live well in such a world without any props?¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue frowned disapprovingly, ¡°Why are you so annoying!¡± Such a spoilsport! Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°You¡¯re even more annoying than I am.¡± Fu Miaoxue got angry and poked at Bai Youwei¡¯s sore spot, ¡°You cripple!¡± Bai Youwei retorted without courtesy, ¡°You¡¯re full of prosthetic limbs.¡± Fu Miaoxue abruptly stood up, ¡°You!¡­¡± Seeing that a quarrel was about to start, the teacher hurriedly stood up to mediate, ¡°Ah, don¡¯t quarrel¡­ don¡¯t quarrel, Du Lai, Shen Mo, you guys intervene!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­¡± Both boyfriends stayed silent. Seeing this, the teacher coughed lightly and tried to mediate, ¡°As the proverb goes, brothers should forget grudges at the sight of each other, laugh and forgive each other. We¡¯re all fellow countrymen, and now the big battle is imminent, we should help each other even more, why harm our harmony by arguing over words? Come on, sit down¡­ let¡¯s all sit down and talk¡­¡± Du Lai gently pulled Fu Miaoxue. Fu Miaoxue sat down with a huff, marking yet another grudge against Bai Youwei in her heart. Shen Mo calmly said, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the game. Everyone must have noticed it by now. From the multitude of players in the prelims, it¡¯s apparent that the puppet game has a global scope. If we want to break free from this game system, there¡¯s only one way, and that¡¯s to become the final king. No matter who the final king is, as long as no games emerge within their territory, the surviving people can live peacefully as before. But we all know that this possibility is slim because no one can guarantee what the person who becomes the king will do to this world. If I were to be the king, I would hope that the world could return to its original state, and the puppet game would disappear completely. I want to know, what kind of world would you want if you were to be the king?¡± Fu Miaoxue scowled, ¡°Are you joking? If I were to be the last king, I would have had to endure countless life-and-death crises, and gone through a lot of hardships to finally gain supreme power. Why would I be so stupid as to let the world return to its original state? I must occupy the pinnacle of power; no one must disobey my orders! Otherwise, how could I justify my efforts?¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 657: 657: Seed of Evil Chapter 657: Chapter 657: Seed of Evil ¡°Understood.¡± Shen Mo nodded lightly, ¡°So, you and Du Lai are the first opponents I have to defeat.¡± Fu Miaoxue stared at him, speechless. Chang Weicai said, ¡°Xiaoshen¡¯s idea is right! Standing at the peak of power is indeed thrilling, but only momentarily, such a world is distorted, unstable! For everyone, for the whole world, we should work together to restore the world to its original state! To let everyone live a peaceful life!¡± ¡°What a grandiose speech!¡± Fu Miaoxue scoffed disdainfully, ¡°Acting so noble, as if you have no ulterior motives. Who would believe that?!! When you guys become the last kings, you might be even worse than us!¡± As she spoke, she noticed Bai Youwei lowering her head and immediately pointed her out, ¡°See! She is feeling guilty as I just said!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei raised her head, irritable, ¡°¡­Keep it down, stop bothering me!¡± Shen Mo calmly said: ¡°You have a point. As long as one is human, they will have their own desires. But my reason to do this is not to save all of humanity, nor is it for world peace, I just¡­don¡¯t want to be controlled.¡± Fu Miaoxue was stunned. Bai Youwei bowed her head lower. Shen Mo said, ¡°What do you think the purpose of this game is? Establishing a series of rules, and now creating this thing called ¡®war¡¯, makes us fight each other with all our might, exposing all the extremes of human nature, like lab rats undergoing various experiments until we become nothing more than a string of data. The so-called ¡®maze war¡¯ may be the last of these experiments, where the ¡®king¡¯ represents the results the game seeks to validate.¡± Saying this, Shen Mo purposefully glanced at Du Lai beside Fu Miaoxue. ¡°As ¡®king¡¯, if you approach this world in the mindset of playing a game, even if you win, it¡¯s the game that wins. The humans are still the losers.¡± Du Lai frowned but said nothing. Professor Chang solemnly nodded his agreement, ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ the game wants to turn us into monsters. If we want to win, we have to return the will of the world back to human hands.¡± Professor Chang took a deep breath and asked everyone, ¡°Do you know about the news from a year ago about a college student hiring an assassin?¡± Everyone shook their heads. There¡¯s too much news on the Internet every day. Among a myriad of bizarre stories, a student hiring an assassin hardly makes a ripple. ¡°I was once assigned to work at that school.¡± Professor Chang said, ¡°It was an ordinary middle school with both high and low-performing students. Fights would occasionally break out but they were manageable. However, eventually¡­ A transfer student arrived at the school, a child who had been previously in a juvenile detention center. He became the school bully, enforcing a set of rules on the students. Anyone who broke these rules would be punished and had to pay a hefty fine. Many students were suffering. We teachers tried to intervene but our efforts were futile. The entire school was in a state of chaos. Students couldn¡¯t study peacefully, fights broke out all the time. If anyone shed blood during a fight, they were regarded as ¡®cool¡¯ or ¡®powerful¡¯¡­ Later on, the headteacher and I made great efforts to contact parents, the education bureau, and other departments. We managed to expel that transfer student. We thought the school environment would improve after his departure, but it didn¡¯t¡­ not at all.¡± The situation in the school worsened. The bullying rules put in place by the transfer student didn¡¯t disappear after he left. A group of students, in their struggle to become the next ¡®Boss¡¯, went so far as to hire an assassin, leading to the death of a former schoolmate! sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°That child¡­ he left the seeds of evil behind.¡± Chapter 658: 658: As Long As Were Together Chapter 658: Chapter 658: As Long As We¡¯re Together Everyone present knew exactly what the teacher¡¯s story meant. The game was like the transfer student who came from the juvenile detention center. And they, the players, were the students struggling to survive under his rules. Even if they seized the position of ¡°Boss¡±, it was not a real victory, but the beginning of domestication. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This was why Shen Mo proposed to restore the world to its original state. He wasn¡¯t trying to save the world out of heroism, he just didn¡¯t want to be manipulated by the game. ¡ª¡ªHumans can choose their own destruction, but should never be enslaved until death. The atmosphere was heavy. The silence lasted for a long time, before Bai Youwei quietly spoke: ¡°Nobody really knows what happens after becoming a King. Whatever the Inspector said is pure speculation. The only thing we can be certain of at this point is that, within the King¡¯s domain, these games do not exist. Therefore, let¡¯s think about how to fight the next battle. As for the rest¡­ we can talk about it later.¡± The topic was closed. The teacher tried his best to lighten the mood a bit. He chatted about dinner, the weather, and the future development of the city, all sorts of grand yet hollow topics. Others cooperated with him, intermittently speaking for a while, but it was clear everyone was preoccupied. ¡­That night, everyone¡¯s mood was inevitably depressed. Except for Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin, who slept without the burden of anxiety, others were somewhat insomniac. Since Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue were also there, Bai Youwei did not open the dollhouse, but only had Shen Mo bring out two quilts to lay inside the tent. When they were about to lie down, Shen Mo held her by the waist from behind, whispering: ¡°You didn¡¯t seem to say much before.¡± Bai Youwei stopped. She indeed hadn¡¯t said much¡­ What should she say? That she had been domesticated? That she had gotten used to the rules and was enjoying them? Bai Youwei closed her eyes and murmured, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just tired.¡± Shen Mo remained silent for a while at her words, held her and laid down, cradling her in his arms. The warm quilt enveloped both of them, the glow of the campfire flickering in the tent illuminated them. Shen Mo slightly tightened his arm. His jaw rested on top of her head, gently rubbing it. He whispered, ¡°Indeed, really tired¡­.We were in there for almost three days, never getting a chance to rest. Who knows how the Inspector will plan the next battle. If it¡¯s this exhausting, we need to prepare food and water in advance.¡± Mentioning the game, Bai Youwei came to her senses, ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need to, is there? Our chosen Battle 20 shouldn¡¯t involve other players.¡± She calculated: ¡°The participation requirement for Battle 20 is more than ten persons, which means the King has to recruit at least 9 subjects to meet the battle requirements. Moreover, 20 jigsaw puzzles plus 9 for recruiting subjects, add 2 for occupying the territory, and one more as a backup¡­all in all, a King needs to hold 32 puzzles to choose Battle 20.¡± Aside from Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, it was doubtful if any of the current 26 Kings had that many puzzles. Even if they did, it would be highly unlikely that they would choose Battle 20, which requires the most participants, for the first battle. Listening to her talking about the game details, Shen Mo¡¯s lips twitched into a slight smile. He moved aside her long, smooth hair, revealing her slender neck, then gently pressed against it¡­ ¡°Do you know¡­¡± He spoke in a low voice, ¡°Du Lai just said, let others become the King, it doesn¡¯t matter if our bodies are incomplete, it doesn¡¯t matter if our friends and family are not with us, as long as we are together, we can still live a good life without being King¡­those are also the words I want to say to you.¡± Bai Youwei felt stirred. She should feel sweetness and warmth, but for some unknown reasons, a chilling sensation was gradually creeping up from the bottom of her heart. Chapter 659: 659: Returning to the Base Chapter 659: Chapter 659: Returning to the Base How could she possibly not care? How could she possibly be okay? Bai Youwei knew the answer deep within her heart. Even if Shen Mo did not mind her leg, they would not have a happy ending because the disease did not only hurt her body but also her spirit and will! How could he possibly continue to love her when she became despicable, sensitive, dark and selfish? Even her own mother couldn¡¯t bear her and left her to a nanny, how many feelings could Shen Mo spend on her? ¡ª¡ªWhy can¡¯t she be more positive, more optimistic, stronger? It¡¯s like a wealthy man asking a destitute scavenger: Really? As long as you work hard and use your brain, you will definitely make more money, why suffer for this little money? Conclusion: All nonsense. If change was that easy, then where would all the pain in life come from? Bai Youwei closed her sore eyes, gently turned around, faced Shen Mo, and burrowed into his chest. ¡°I want to sleep.¡± She said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Hold me ¡­¡± Shen Mo held her. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She continued: ¡°Hold me a bit tighter ¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s thin smile curled up, as he hugged her tighter, ¡°Is it tight enough now?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­tight enough.¡± With her eyes closed, Bai Youwei softly said, ¡°Goodnight.¡± ¡°Goodnight.¡± ¡­ The next day, they returned to Shanghai by car. As they hadn¡¯t been in a rush, they¡¯d taken a couple of rests along the way, not reaching Shanghai until after dark. The sight in the city was shocking. For the streetlights along the roads were all brightly lit! They had electricity. Everyone found it incredulous, gazing out the window, unable to believe their eyes, repeatedly confirming whether those lights were candles or props? It wasn¡¯t until they saw Yan Qingwen who had come to meet them and had a careful inquiry that everyone believed that the city had indeed returned to its original state. The vanished electricity and signals had all returned. They finally truly felt the significance of King taking over the territory. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t exactly like the word ¡°take over¡±, because this land never belonged to anybody, or in other words, it belonged to each and every person living here. She felt it would be better to change the word, for example, ¡°reclaim¡±. Reclaiming their world from the hands of death game. Yan Qingwen said: ¡°We knew you¡¯d be back today, so we¡¯ve been waiting here since the morning. Professor Song is eager to see you.¡± Shen Mo asked him: ¡°How¡¯s the situation in the city?¡± ¡°The areas covered by the puzzle pieces have all returned to normal.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at the lights on the side of the road and sighed, ¡°As you can see, all the electricity systems are running normally, there are signals, and a temporary network has been set up to meet basic communication needs¡­ Some people who fled to the countryside for refuge have returned and there are quite a few people in the city now.¡± He paused and then added: ¡°But we might not be able to keep them here. More people could lead to chaos, and food supply is also a problem. Unlike the countryside, the city cannot sustain itself.¡± Du Lai asked: ¡°Do we need to see Professor Song too?¡± ¡°Everyone should.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Fu Miaoxue standing by his side, ¡°Both King and citizens should probably go and see what Professor Song has found.¡± What thing? Everyone looking at each other with confusion then followed Yan Qingwen to the base headquarters. ¡­ With the return of electricity, the conditions at the base were much improved. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo entered the brightly lit building and saw a lot of new equipment and facilities. Now that the puzzle pieces had connected cities like Nanjing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, there were a lot more ways to acquire research equipment. They no longer needed to worry about the supply transport teams encountering the death games on the road. Outside Professor Song¡¯s lab, there were security personnel on guard. They must have been informed beforehand. Seeing Yan Qingwen coming back with people, the security personnel automatically opened the door. Inside the door, there were countless computers, instruments and various display screens. And all the screens were frozen on the same image¡ª¡ª It was a diamond-shaped geometric figure floating in the air. Chapter 660: 660 Diamond Diamond Chapter 660: Chapter 660 Diamond Diamond The white diamond-shaped geometric body gave Bai Youwei an inexplicable sense of familiarity. But she should have seen this thing for the first time. ¡°You¡¯re all here,¡± Professor Song¡¯s voice echoed in the room. Everyone looked towards the sound to see Professor Song hunched over his work behind a computer. He looked older than before with a hoarse and weak voice, and his eyes were bloodshot from overwork. His health condition gave cause for concern. ¡°These instruments and devices were brought in as soon as power was restored, but they¡¯ve been of no use. After discovering this item, no form of survey could yield any results,¡± Professor Song, staring at the diamond on the screen, said slowly. ¡°That¡¯s all we can do¡­¡± Shen Mo looked at it and said, ¡°The power has been restored for less than two days. Isn¡¯t it too early to draw conclusions? If we continue the investigation, there may be new findings.¡± Professor Song shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s pointless. Apart from its visibility, this diamond object cannot be detected in any other way. It has no gravity, no mass, no sound¡­ magnetic field, electromagnetic wave, thermal energy, radiation, all of these, it has none. It¡¯s as if it doesn¡¯t exist.¡± He spoke quickly, panting. His trembling fingers tapped the screen, ¡°This is not a product of human civilization. If we can figure out what it is, we may be able to unlock the key to the world¡¯s anomalies. I called you here because I hoped you could provide related clues¡­ Have any of you seen anything similar in the game?¡± Everyone was silent. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. No one had seen this thing before. Bai Youwei stared at the screen, saying, ¡°Can it be magnified?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Professor Song worked on the computer, his voice hoarse. ¡°After magnification, you can see that the object is composed of countless cubes. The internal structure is unclear, it¡¯s white on the outside, can reflect all colors of light, yet we can¡¯t detect any physical substance.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then turned to Shen Mo, ¡°The place where we stayed, the rest hall, was also a white square.¡± When she mentioned this, others also realized the connection. ¡°It¡¯s not just a white square, the walls and floor tiles of the rest hall are also squares,¡± Yan Qingwen pointed out. He paused before adding, ¡°When we leave the game, we pass through a glowing passage, which is also square-shaped.¡± Everyone exchanged looks. After a while, Tan Xiao asked in a daze, ¡°¡­You mean we are in this diamond?¡± Everyone was silent. It was a highly probable yet absurd theory. If the rest hall was a cube, then was every game they experienced a cube as well? Countless cubes, countless games, this unidentifiable diamond-shaped object, selecting players around the world; what was its purpose? Professor Song dropped his head, letting out a hoarse, dry laugh. The game had taken away his loved ones and his life. With his time running out, he devoted all his energy and effort to uncovering the truth before death arrived. But in the end, he was still helpless. Many things could not be achieved by effort alone. With his current capabilities and conditions, it was very difficult to uncover the secrets of the doll game. ¡°Perhaps only by becoming the final King, can one enter the core of the diamond.¡± Professor Song gave a bitter smile, looking at the young people before him. Among them were soldiers, young ladies, misfits, middle school teachers, elementary school students, street performers¡­ Who would have thought that the future of the world would be entrusted to such a group of people? ¡°The rest is up to you,¡± Professor Song looked at them. ¡°If you need anything, contact Chu Huaijin. I, as an old man, can¡¯t help much anymore¡­¡± Chapter 661: 661: Headquarters Headquarters Chapter 661: Chapter 661: Headquarters Headquarters As the chief-in-charge of the base, Chu Huaijin prepared a building for the players who signed up for the King. A building named King¡¯s Headquarters. The name sounds a bit childish, but Chu Huaijin has his own reasons. ¡ª¡ªAlthough the Kings compete with each other, when viewed in the context of the whole country, even the whole world, a King should get the best resources to cope with the brutal battles that lie ahead. He earnestly met with Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Yan Qingwen, as well as Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue, hoping they would accept his arrangement. The building had a total of 32 floors, equipped with a restaurant, conference room, gym, training room, combat arena, indoor swimming pool, and rooftop garden, etc. All the daily living facilities were of the highest standard, with a strict security system. There were also trainers to help them enhance their physical ability and teach them professional combat and fighting skills to deal with all kinds of crises in the game. Considering the complexity of the game, Chu Huaijin invited several instruction teachers to help players improve their spatial reasoning, logical thinking, memory enhancement, and other abilities. Furthermore, Chu Huaijin planned to recruit excellent players, centralized training plans, offer the King a selection of soldier candidates so that the King isn¡¯t short of people during battles. There was a lot to do. The King¡¯s Headquarters could only be improved slowly in the future. Bai Youwei was touched somewhat. Whether it was Professor Song or Chu Huaijin, although they did not participate in the Maze War directly, they were fighting in their own way. During their tour of King¡¯s Headquarters, one floor was dedicated to data analysis, where a dozen youths were working on data analysis. Although the number of people was not large, they were very busy at work. Curious, Bai Youwei picked up an analysis report, that read: Inspector Sphere ¡ª¡ª 87.35% of games have aggressive animals or monsters; 76.23% of games revolve around physical ability and reasoning; 98.91% of games consist of more than ten players; S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 92.65% of games last less than 72 hours¡­ ¡­ Chu Huaijin explained, ¡°This was Yan Qingwen¡¯s idea to analyze and compare each inspector¡¯s game to derive data results. This way, we can be prepared before the battle starts. Now that we have restored power, relieving a great computing pressure, I hope these data will come in handy.¡± Bai Youwei nodded thoughtfully. She still remembered that when choosing a battle, each one had a 3D holographic projection of an inspector. Battle 1 had the Clown, Battle 5 had the Comic Man, Battle 10 had the Sphere, and Battle 20 had the Grey-robed Elderly Man. Yan Qingwen¡¯s aim was clear, collect as much game information as possible and analyze the game characteristics of these four. For instance, in the Sphere¡¯s battle, they needed to prepare wound medicine and high-attack tools. For the Grey-robed Elderly Man¡¯s game, which leaned towards knowledge-type, they needed to find allies with a rich knowledge reserve. King¡¯s Headquarters took everything into account. Either considering Chu Huaijin¡¯s intention or the tangible benefits placed before her eyes, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t find a reason to refuse. In the end, they all moved in. After Ya Chaohui moved in, he got a bit of his spirit back, no longer sulky, perhaps because the whole setting and standard of the headquarters made him feel like he was back in the organization. Teacher Cheng, however, was a bit unsettled. He felt that he wasn¡¯t qualified, staying in such a place seemed somewhat improper. He was more at ease in the Doll House. But he was also aware that frequently entering and exiting the Doll House was pretty unsafe. Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin adapted pretty quickly. Every day, they trained their physical ability and exercised logical thinking with the instruction teachers. Regardless of progress, at least they were working toward an aim. Yan Qingwen, Lu Yuwen, Su Man, and Zhu Shu also moved in. Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue were not so sociable. Although they lived on the same floor, they seldom showed up. Du Lai was occasionally seen in the restaurant. But considering Fu Miaoxue¡¯s special circumstance, it was understandable. She was a doll, didn¡¯t need to eat, nor train her physical ability, so she naturally stayed in her room every day. Like this, a week passed quickly. Chapter 662: 662: Complain Complain Chapter 662: Chapter 662: Complain Complain The opening of maze privilege will be in a week. Bai Youwei believes that all the players who are ready will make their way through the maze as soon as they can, because only the first batch of players who manage to pass through can receive 5 puzzle pieces. Also, the maze is a way to improve physical strength, so it¡¯s a vital opportunity for the king and his subjects. Yan Qingwen is preparing to take Lu Yuwen, Su Man, and Zhu Shu with him, and they¡¯ve been packing since early in the morning. Su Man¡¯s parents and Li Li have all come to see them off, and Zhu Shu is pretty popular in the base, so quite a number of people from the evaluation and security teams have arrived as well. A group of people are laughing and bidding farewell to each other, it¡¯s lively all around. Things are much quieter over at Bai Youwei¡¯s. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. That¡¯s because Shen Mo went to see his father last night. Given the dangerous nature of the maze, it¡¯s quite understandable that he wanted to say goodbye to his family, but Bai Youwei has been waiting for him for a really long time, and he only came back at noon. Is he only going to return after lunch? She has things on her mind and seems listless, even Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin are trying not to disturb her, Just then Fu Miaoxue sneaks into her room, half-sticking out from the half-open door and gesturing to Bai Youwei, ¡°Hey, do you want to know where your boyfriend is?¡± Bai Youwei frowns, ¡°Fu Miaoxue, what are you up to?¡± ¡°Come quick, hurry!¡± Fu Miaoxue urged. Bai Youwei slides her wheelchair over hesitantly, ¡°What is going on¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°You will see when we get there.¡± She takes Bai Youwei down in the elevator to the conference room. Du Lai is guarding the entrance to the conference room. ¡°How¡¯s things? Is he still inside?¡± Fu Miaoxue asked, a little excited as she sidled up to Du Lai. Du Lai nodded quietly, handed her a pair of earphones. Fu Miaoxue accepted it and promptly put an earbud in Bai Youwei¡¯s ear. Bai Youwei was taken aback, then she heard Shen Mo¡¯s voice from the earphone¡ª ¡°¡­ If we¡¯re talking about suitability, I¡¯d wager none of us here is completely suitable. She can become the king not because she¡¯s suitable, but because she wants to.¡± ¡°So she can do whatever she wants just because she wants to? Sir, I admit, she¡¯s very clever, but is she really fit to lead this team? ¡­ I think she¡¯s myopic and over-ambitious, willing to do anything to achieve her goals, with no regard for other people¡¯s lives. Having her as our king will cause us trouble sooner or later.¡± This was Ya Chaohui¡¯s voice. Bai Youwei was vaguely aware. What does this mean? ¡­ Is this a covert report? She should¡¯ve known that Fang Yu¡¯s death would have left Ya Chaohui filled with resentment, sure enough, he bears a grudge. Then she heard Shen Mo say, ¡°We¡¯re talking about two different things ¡­ I understand that Fang Yu¡¯s death has left you in a rut. If you don¡¯t like this, you can stay behind tomorrow, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to enter the maze with us ¡­¡± Bai Youwei was agitated, she took the earphones off and cast a cold glance at Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Does stirring trouble gives you an immense satisfaction?¡± ¡°Absolutely, it does~¡± Fu Miaoxue tilted her head and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m quite vindictive, whoever annoys me, I¡¯ll make them a hundred times more miserable! How about that? Are you feeling upset? Wronged? Want to cry?¡± ¡°Psychopath!¡± Bai Youwei threw the earphone, intending to leave. She didn¡¯t want Shen Mo to find her eavesdropping outside, it was simply degrading! Fu Miaoxue chased after her from behind, grabbed the handle of her wheelchair, and whispered in her ear, ¡°Bai Youwei, the biggest difference between you and me is, Du Lai only has me, but how many people are behind Shen Mo? Have you ever counted? Can you handle all of them? Can you make them all accept you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was icy; her eyes stared straight ahead, ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to accept me.¡± She slid her wheelchair away. Du Lai helplessly walked over to Fu Miaoxue and sighed, ¡°Feel better now?¡± ¡°Somewhat~¡± Fu Miaoxue haughtily hmphed, ¡°Who asked her to call me a cripple.¡± Chapter 663: 663: Labyrinth Labyrinth Chapter 663: Chapter 663: Labyrinth Labyrinth The eavesdropping device was planted by Du Lai. Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue had long noticed that Ya Chaohui wasn¡¯t as close to Tan Xiao and his group or Bai Youwei. When they happened to see Ya Chaohui stopping Shen Mo today, claiming that he had something to discuss, they guessed it might involve Bai Youwei. Du Lai deliberately walked past the two and in the slight brush, the listening device found its way onto Ya Chaohui. He was agile, carrying out the task without raising any suspicion. However, Ya Chaohui did not bash Bai Youwei as they had expected. Instead, he objectively admitted that Bai Youwei was indeed smart, followed by suggesting that the young girl was not up for the big task, urging Shen Mo to think it through carefully. He wasn¡¯t as harsh as they¡¯d hoped, which Fu Miaoxue found mildly disappointing. But seeing Bai Youwei¡¯s face change, Fu Miaoxue felt that their purpose had been achieved. They had finally evened the score. ¡­ When Shen Mo returned, he noticed that Bai Youwei was acting strangely. She seemed distracted, often zoning out while speaking. When he asked her what was wrong, she brushed him off saying she was thinking about entering the maze the next day. Her words were seven parts truth and three parts lies, which roused suspicion in Shen Mo, though he couldn¡¯t discern her thoughts. This state of hers continued until the evening. Both of them lay in bed, unable to sleep. ¡°If you¡¯re tired¡­ or not feeling well, you can rest for a few more days.¡± After some thought, Shen Mo suggested, ¡°Delaying entering the maze by a few days isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± Bai Youwei immediately countered, ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t do it?¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Her sudden sharpness took Shen Mo aback. And Bai Youwei¡¯s heart recoiled at once! What was she saying? Why was she speaking to him in such a tone? Her frustration and anger had nothing to do with him! But¡­ she didn¡¯t know what to say to fix it. After a while, she decided to give up, abruptly saying, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m tired, going to sleep.¡± She didn¡¯t hear a response from Shen Mo. She didn¡¯t want to dig deeper. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to fall asleep quickly. Behind her, a sturdy arm encircled her waist, pulling her into a warm embrace. She still refused to open her eyes. A sigh sounded low in her ear. The night was peaceful. ¡­ The next day was the day to enter the maze. Before going into the maze, they needed to go to the rest hall to allow the bunny-headed inspector to grant access. By pressing the identity mark on their wrists, they would be automatically transported to the resting hall. When Bai Youwei and Shen Mo arrived, pretty much all the other kings were present. Each king brought about three to five companions, and there were many citizens around to watch the excitement. Everyone was looking around confusedly, having been told by the inspector that maze access would be opened today, but seeing no action. Suddenly, someone noticed an anomaly on the satellite map at their feet. Near each territory, a mist slowly gathered, initially a light white, eventually thickening into an obscuring fog. Looking down at the map, the fog looked like white clouds. Someone wondered, ¡°Could this be the maze?¡± Someone attempted to step onto the ¡°white cloud¡± on the map. Indeed, it reacted, flashing a dazzling light, followed by the sudden disappearance of the person who had just stepped in. The ¡°white cloud¡± disappeared too. Bai Youwei watched with a frown as more and more kings entered the maze. Every time a group of people entered, a cloud would disappear. It seemed that once the maze access was opened, there was no limit on the number of citizens allowed, but only one king was allowed to enter each maze. Yan Qingwen chose the cloud near Changsha. Before leaving, he waved to them, ¡°Good luck to you.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other, then, as if by mutual agreement, turned towards the direction of Zhou Mountain. There too was a cloud. However, they couldn¡¯t enter at the same time. They would have to separate again¡­ Chapter 664: 664 Big Sea Big Sea (For cloud extra addition) Chapter 664: Chapter 664 Big Sea Big Sea (For cloud extra addition) A maze that only allows one king entry at a time. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo hadn¡¯t anticipated this situation. They froze temporarily, finding it difficult to decide. They were short on manpower. If it were just one maze, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo along with Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, and Ya Chaohui would be sufficient. But now, they had to divide into two teams, immediately appearing thin on strengths. A few subjects gathered around, attempting to negotiate with them: ¡°Do you need to recruit?¡± These people had been demoted from kings to subjects, not recruited by anyone, so they had no choice but to wander the main hall, seeking opportunities. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo wouldn¡¯t have considered recruiting these unfamiliar people if they hadn¡¯t been short on hands. Fortunately, Bai Youwei recognized someone in the crowd. She saw Asarina and immediately waved at her: ¡°Asarina!¡± ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Asarina spotted Bai Youwei as well and excitedly approached, bringing along two others. ¡°Hey! You recruiting?¡± ¡°Entering the maze, will you?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°Yes!¡± Asarina was straight to the point, making her offer. ¡°Two puzzle pieces and a defensive item. If you recruit all three of us, you get a discount; one puzzle piece per person.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, replying, ¡°I¡¯ll give you each two puzzle pieces, but I only have supplementary items. I don¡¯t have many defensive ones.¡± After some thought, Asarina nodded: ¡°Deal!¡± ¡­ Shen Mo also managed to recruit two young men on his side. He always had concerns for Bai Youwei and wanted to assign a resourceful person to stay by her side. Ya Chaohui was the most suitable candidate, but considering his grudge against Bai Youwei, Shen Mo could only keep him with himself. As for Tan Xiao, despite his quick-witted adaptability, he was far too unpredictable and unreliable for protection duty. Pan Xiaoxin was even less suitable; he was still a child. Just as Shen Mo was in a quandary, Bai Youwei had already recruited three subjects. She told Shen Mo: ¡°Let Xiaoxin join me; he is young if anything dangerous occurs, I can put him into the dollhouse.¡± After some consideration, Shen Mo agreed and, while gripping her shoulder, reminded, ¡°Be careful once you enter.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Bai Youwei took hold of Shen Mo¡¯s hand, reluctant to let him go, ¡°You too.¡± Shen Mo led Ya Chaohui, Tan Xiao, and the two newly recruited subjects toward the maze near Qingdao. Bai Youwei, along with Pan Xiaoxin, Asarina, and Asarina¡¯s two followers, went to the maze near Zhou Mountain. As she was about to enter, she couldn¡¯t resist turning her head for one last look. Perhaps it was a mutual sympathy, but Shen Mo also turned around, their eyes meeting. If only for a brief moment, they exchanged knowing smiles. Standing nearby, Asarina curiously wormed in, ¡°That¡¯s your boyfriend, huh? Quite handsome~¡± A casual remark like that somehow lifted the gloom from Bai Youwei¡¯s head from the previous night until today. She chuckled and nodded: ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s quite handsome~¡± ¡°Oh, how nice it would be if I also had such a handsome boyfriend¡­¡± Asarina sighed. The little guy in the front turned his head, ¡°Jiwang elder brother, you said to wait until the surgery¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± An annoyed Asarina interrupted, promptly smacking both of them on the head, ¡°Did I ask for your reminder?!¡± The other little follower covered his head in resentment: ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡± Upon seeing this, Pan Xiaoxin chuckled off to the side. Bai Youwei also laughed, and wheeling towards the white mist, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go; we are entering the maze.¡± As the scenery in front of her changed, her balance suddenly shifted, and she fell off her wheelchair with a thump! Those who entered with her also lost their balance and fell. Then, Bai Youwei felt the sea breeze, salty and fishy air, damp and cold deck, and the crash of pounding waves. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked forward. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This time, was the maze located on the vast sea? Chapter 665: 665: A Ship Chapter 665: Chapter 665: A Ship The ship swayed violently as Asarina helped Bai Youwei up, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°Just fell, nothing serious. Let¡¯s check our surroundings first.¡± sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Upon hearing this, everyone dispersed and went to check the boat¡¯s bow and stern. Bai Youwei settled back into her wheelchair, grabbed the railing, and started observing the environment. This was an old small fishing boat. The wood on the deck was wet and decayed, and the outer layer of the hull was covered in rust. She gripped the railing, her hand full of rusty dirt. There was no sail, and no noise coming from an engine, but the fishing boat was bobbing up and down on the waves, driven forward by the tide. The sky was a heavy, oppressive dark. The roiling clouds covered the whole sky. Within the gloom, they could see a massive shadow in the distance ¨C an island, no doubt the location of this maze. Asarina stepped out of the cabin and immediately felt a blast of cold air. She quickly zipped up her jacket and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a bit cold¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go inside,¡± Bai Youwei turned her wheelchair, ¡°We can¡¯t reach the shore yet. This boat is heading towards the small island ahead.¡± Asarina nodded, ¡°Most likely. I looked around in the cockpit just now, none of the buttons were responsive. The boat is on autopilot.¡± One of her underlings climbed up from below the deck and shouted, ¡°Boss, there are loads of fish below the deck!¡± ¡°Call me ¡®big sister¡¯!¡± Asarina shouted back, unimpressed, ¡°Call me ¡®boss¡¯ again, see if I don¡¯t cut your ears off!¡± The underling immediately bowed and nodded, ¡°Big sister, big sister!¡± Pan Xiaoxin appeared holding a pile of life jackets, ¡°Sister Weiwei, there are life jackets on this boat, exactly five.¡± Bai Youwei noticed the life jackets in his hands and furrowed her brows almost imperceptibly. Pan Xiaoxin was puzzled. He looked at the life jackets, then at Bai Youwei, ¡°¡­ Is there a problem, Sister Weiwei?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later, let¡¯s go inside the cabin first,¡± Bai Youwei responded with a frown, ¡°The wind and waves outside are too strong, let¡¯s all go inside and put on the life jackets.¡± The cabin was small, with two rows of benches that could barely fit six people when squished together. In the front was the cockpit, even narrower and only enough room for one person. The wind and waves were strong at sea. They sat wobbly inside the cabin as it got darker outside. The dim yellow boat light made a creaking sound, as if it would suddenly be extinguished under the jolts at any moment. Asarina sniffed the smell of the life jacket on her body and grimaced, ¡°It stinks of fish. I bet the fish on this boat are supposed to be our food supply for the maze.¡± ¡°The food we brought can last for two days ¡­¡± said her underling, in a whisper. Asarina¡¯s two underlings were almost of the same height and build, both stocky and sunburned, with short cropped hair. Bai Youwei could not distinguish between the two of them; she only knew one was called Along and the other Aqing. Bai Youwei asked them, ¡°Are you good swimmers?¡± Asarina was taken aback, ¡°Why, are you worried something might happen to the boat?¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°In the mazes I¡¯ve encountered before, the system doesn¡¯t specifically provide tools. If this maze really is on that island, I don¡¯t think the system would have provided us with life jackets. We might be forced into a situation where we have to swim.¡± Everyone was stunned and turned their heads to look outside through the mottled glass window. The sky was dark, and visibility was blurred, but they could still see the fishing boat heading towards the island, and it was getting closer. ¡°Could it be, something will happen to us on the way? Or is there something wrong with this ship?¡± Asarina looked out, puzzled, ¡°What kind of a maze is this¡­¡± Chapter 666: 666: A Hole Chapter 666: Chapter 666: A Hole A maze, by definition, refers to a structure full of complex passages where once entered, it¡¯s difficult to find an exit. But now they were drifting in the sea, not even knowing where the entrance was, let alone the exit? Bai Youwei reflected and said to Pan Xiaoxin at her side: ¡°Xiaoxin, take out the tools and see if there are any that can be used.¡± Pan Xiaoxin carried a small backpack with a few miscellaneous daily necessities, as well as tools he obtained from the preliminaries. In principle, one should keep tools concealed and unknown to others. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But when he saw Bai Youwei taking out her tools, he also let down his guard and unzipped his backpack¡ª ¡°This is all our tools. Before entering the maze, I promised everyone could pick one tool,¡± Bai Youwei spoke, ¡°Now since we¡¯re in this maze together and danger is inevitable, I hope everyone can cooperate as much as possible and trust each other under the premise of not hurting each other¡¯s interests.¡± Putting out all the tools can quickly put others at ease. A heart-to-heart approach could also work, but Bai Youwei didn¡¯t have the time nor the desire to waste her breath. She shuffled through Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s tools, picked out a dull-looking stone and said, ¡°This is a Lucky Stone. When worn, it has a 25% chance of evading attacks. Xiaoxin is the youngest and has no defensive abilities, so he should keep this tool. As for the rest, you all can choose.¡± Along and Aqing both looked at Asarina. Asarina laughed and promptly said: ¡°Then we won¡¯t be polite, let¡¯s work together from here on!¡± Besides a bunny and the golden key to a dollhouse, Bai Youwei brought out all her other tools. Plus the six tools she won in the preliminary contest, there were a total of 12 tools¡ª a starting gun, improved flower seeds, friend invitation card, Snowflake, a plastic hairpin, Miss Liu¡¯s incense, white conch, large pea, a last straw, Firefly, Easter egg, and swan meat. These tools lacked obvious offensive or defensive abilities¡ª they were mostly supportive in nature. Asarina and her two subordinates checked them over, having some difficulty deciding. They originally wanted a tool useful in the maze but didn¡¯t find any suitable ones, however, this also confirmed Bai Youwei¡¯s prior statement¡ª she truly didn¡¯t have defensive tools. In the end, Asarina took the last straw. Along took the Easter egg. Aqing took the swan meat. As for the other tools, they would be of little use in this maze. For example, the white conch, from its name, it seems to be related to water, but it¡¯s actually a long-distance communication device. The use of the friends invitation card is utterly baffling. Miss Liu¡¯s incense was even more speechless, it had to be used with an incense burner, and then there was the large pea which would grow into a giant pea vine when it came into contact with the ground, but they were at sea right now! Pan Xiaoxin had four other tools left. Asarina didn¡¯t choose any, perhaps because she probably felt bad taking from a kid. After choosing tools, Bai Youwei, staying faithful to her promise, gave three puzzle pieces to each person, making a total of 6 pieces. Due to her generosity, Asarinia was the one feeling somewhat embarrassed and declined, ¡°We can do this when we¡¯re out. After all, the maze isn¡¯t a formal battle where you have to hold puzzle pieces.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Bai Youwei retracted her hand. Pan Xiaoxin, leaning out the window, suddenly said, ¡°Sister Weiwei, there seems to be a cave ahead!¡± Bai Youwei followed his gaze. Their boat was now very close to the island. Rather than calling it an island, it was more like a mountain, without any place to dock. All that could be seen above the layers of rolling black waves were steep burnt rocks and mountains. And directly in the front of their boat, was a dark cave. Chapter 667: 667: A Bunch of Shells Chapter 667: Chapter 667: A Bunch of Shells No wonder the system provided them with a fishing boat at the very beginning. If the cave is the entrance to the labyrinth, without a boat, they wouldn¡¯t be able to enter in such conditions. ¡­ As the fishing boat approached the cave, the waves gradually calmed down, and the boat didn¡¯t rock as violently. The boat was slowing down. Until it entered the cave, the fishing boat completely stopped. Outside was pitch black. Although there were lights on the boat, their reach was very limited, leaving most of the cavern still immersed in darkness, cold, serene, and eerie. They didn¡¯t know where this cave led to, how long it was, or whether there was any danger inside. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Along had no idea, looking helplessly at Asarina. Asarina thought for a moment, then got up and went to the cabin. After fiddling for a while, she turned her head to look at everyone and said, ¡°It seems like we can set off with this boat now, let me give it a try.¡± ¡ª¡ªFrom the moment they arrived at the starting point, they had control over the operation of the boat. ¡­ The long cave seemed to have no end, and Asarina did not dare to speed up rashly. She could only proceed slowly along the tunnel. There were no split paths in the cave, and it was so dark that one could not see their hand in front of them. The dim light from the two lamps outside the cabin barely illuminated the damp stone walls, their color dull and cold. Bai Youwei took a flashlight out of her bag and shone it around, hoping to find some clues. Unfortunately, all she saw were grey rocks and piles of shells, nothing else. After seeing similar scenes for too long, she began to feel like they were spinning in circles in one place. Just as Bai Youwei hesitated about whether to stop the boat, the path ahead suddenly opened up! The boat left the cave and arrived at a wide body of water! sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They were still in a cave, but this one was much wider and spacious than the previous one, like a naturally formed hollow in the belly of a mountain. Directly in front of them, there were seven identical caves! ¡°Well, it¡¯s really a labyrinth.¡± Asarina said with a sardonic smile from behind the wheel, ¡°No splits at first, but suddenly there are seven. Which one should we choose now?¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Which one do you want to try?¡± ¡°How about the one in the middle?¡± Asarina suggested, ¡°If it¡¯s a dead-end, we can come back and try another.¡± The maze wouldn¡¯t be so simple, but it seemed they had no other option but to try. Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try the middle one first.¡± No one else objected. Asarina steered the boat towards it. They thought they might encounter obstructions, like entering a dead-end passage, but unexpectedly, this cave was just like the first one, completely empty. With her flashlight moving back and forth, Bai Youwei only saw the same monotonous stone walls and shells. After traveling through the cave for a few minutes, the path ahead suddenly opened up again! They had arrived once more at a large body of water. Ahead of them, once again, were seven caves! ¡°Damn¡­¡± Asarina swore under her breath, ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Boss¡­¡± Along asked hesitantly, ¡°Do we¡­still choose the middle cave?¡± ¡°Does it feel like we just ran in circles?¡± Aqing was also uneasy, ¡°Do you think these seven caves are just the ones we encountered earlier?¡± Asarina was worried. If it was really like that, things would be difficult. She turned to Bai Youwei, ¡°Perhaps you should choose this time?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, her eyes focused as she scanned the surroundings. The beam of her flashlight swept over a pile of shell creatures, then swept back and stayed there. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She held the flashlight, shining it at a pile of shells, ¡°Who can go take a look?¡± Asarina got up, looked for a moment, ¡°¡­Shells? Scallops? These things are all over the cave.¡± ¡°But many of them are broken,¡± Bai Youwei said, her brows furrowed, ¡°As if something chewed on them.¡± Chapter 668: 668: A Fish Chapter 668: Chapter 668: A Fish After she said that, the others were slightly alarmed. Asarina took the flashlight from her hand, strode out of the cabin, and stood on the railing pole to have a careful look, her expression solemn. ¡°Everyone be careful, and pay attention to the surroundings at all times. There might be something living in these caves.¡± Asarina frowned and looked at the shells in other places again, ¡°Judging from the tooth marks, this creature has extremely sharp teeth, but it¡¯s not much bigger than a human.¡± Along asked anxiously, ¡°What could it be? ¡­A shark?¡± ¡°Sharks don¡¯t eat above the water surface on purpose.¡± Bai Youwei dismissed this assumption, ¡°Besides, sharks don¡¯t strip bones.¡± There were some fish bone remnants near the broken shells. Asarina said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring the boat closer.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then said to Xiaoxin, who was on the side, ¡°You also keep an eye out. If anything sudden happens, you¡¯ll be in charge of the boat.¡± Pan Xiaoxin obediently nodded and squeezed into the cockpit with Asarina. Despite the old appearance of this fishing boat, the operation was cutting-edge touch-screen based. There was a touch screen in the cockpit with a plan of the boat on it. By moving and rotating the fingers, one could control the boat¡¯s direction. After teaching Pan Xiaoxin, Asarina rolled up her trousers, climbed over the railing, and then jumped onto the nearby weathered rocks. She grabbed a handful of broken shells and put them into her pocket first, and then found a few more shells, placing them on the rocks protruding from the water in the form of a cross. ¡°I¡¯m making a mark.¡± Asarina hopped toward the side of the boat in a few steps, standing on a rock. She tiptoed, jumped up with full strength, grabbed the railing pole in mid-air and quickly climbed onto the deck. She took out the handful of broken shells from her pocket, spread them out on the deck, and picked out a few for Bai Youwei to see. ¡°Look at these. Aren¡¯t they scales?¡± Bai Youwei smelled a strong fishy odor and couldn¡¯t help wrinkling her nose. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Before her eyes were somewhat transparent grey-green scales. Under the bright light of the flashlight, you could see a circle of patterns on the scales. ¡°The biggest one is about as long as a thumb, and the smallest one looks like a cut fingernail.¡± Asarina analyzed, ¡°Regardless of what kind of creature this is, judging from the scale and tooth mark, its size should be similar to that of a human.¡± Along and Aqing were on high alert, staring at their surroundings. The water surface was calm, with only shallow ripples waving. Nothing extraordinary happened, and no strange creatures were seen. It was undoubtedly dangerous here, but the danger still hid in the dark. ¡°Which cave are we going into this time?¡± Asarina asked Bai Youwei. Seven caves. They previously entered the middle cave from the starting point, and once again, they faced seven caves. Which one should they choose? After a moment of pondering, Bai Youwei said, ¡°Let¡¯s try the first one.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Asarina didn¡¯t hesitate. Right now, they had no clue, so it didn¡¯t matter which one they chose. It was merely a matter of luck. She walked into the cockpit and steered the fishing boat toward the entrance of the first cave¡ª Several bamboo poles were available on the boat. Along and Aqing each took one, using them as weapons. Pan Xiaoxin stayed by Bai Youwei¡¯s side, ready to respond at any time. They entered the cave. Just like before, it was still damp and cold, with a faint fishy smell in the air. The farther they went, the stronger and heavier the fishy odor became. Bai Youwei shone the flashlight over the water surface, then suspiciously illuminated the stone walls on both sides. The thick smell of rot in the surroundings made her uneasy. Suddenly, the boat swayed as if it had collided with something! Aqing lost his balance and his bamboo pole fell into the water immediately. As he bent over to pick it up, a shadow suddenly leaped up from the water! Aqing was startled and fell backward, crashing heavily onto the deck! The shadow lashed out in vain and hit the boat! Sharp claws scraped against the hull before sliding back into the water, letting out piercing scratching noises! The people on the boat were still in shock, staring at each other. What was that just now? Chapter 669: 669: Seven Holes Chapter 669: Chapter 669: Seven Holes Asarina furrowed her brow and passed the steering to Pan Xiaoxin as she left the cabin. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She walked over to Aqing, grabbed his collar and lifted him up, ¡°What was that just now?¡± Aqing was a bit dazed, ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t see it clearly.¡± Along, holding his fishing rod, was equally puzzled, ¡°I only saw a black shadow, it hit the boat and then fell into the water¡­it was very fast.¡± Asarina took Along¡¯s fishing rod, quickly whittled it down a bit with the dagger she always carried, and then walked over to the railing. The lighting in the cave was very dim, everything beyond the deck lit by the ship¡¯s lights was pitch-black. She noticed deep claw marks on the edge of the railing and couldn¡¯t help but frown. The scrape marked even the iron, which indicated that the monster¡¯s claws were very sharp and incredibly hard. ¡°Arrange people for ship guarding,¡± said Bai Youwei. ¡°We will guard one side each ¨C front, back, left, and right.¡± Asarina nodded, she turned to instruct Along and Aqing, but then the boat suddenly shook again! She quickly steadied herself and, in a swift turn, a black shadow hurtled toward her face! Asarina lifted the rod and plunged it sharply! The monster immediately fell onto the deck with a thud! It then let out a lizard-like scream! It was a half-human half-fish monster! Its body was covered in blackish-gray scales, with an inverted triangular head, bulging eyes, a broad lower jaw, and a mouth full of sharp teeth! On its back, a high ridge protruded out, featuring a row of dorsal fins as sharp as blades! The monster was very angry after falling onto the deck, it roared at Asarina! The skin membrane around its neck formed a dilated collar, just like an angry lizard! ¡°Along!¡± Asarina shouted, lifting the rod and stabbing again! Along also gripped his rod tightly and stabbed at the monster! The two of them attacked the monster together, one aimed at the abdomen and the other at the tail! But the monster¡¯s scales were extremely hard, the rod did not harm it at all, it only pushed the monster to the side of the railing and then could not make it budge. The monster screamed loudly, its neck¡¯s umbrella-like skin membrane shaking incessantly! The two membrane-covered claws grabbed the bamboo pole and broke it instantly, reducing the length of the pole significantly! ¡°Find where it doesn¡¯t have scales!¡± Asarina moved the rod to another position and stabbed it in the throat! As soon as she relaxed slightly though, the Fish Monster counterattacked immediately! Along couldn¡¯t control it and cried out in panic, ¡°It¡¯s too strong!¡± Aqing then rushed over from one side, jabbing the rod at the monster¡¯s head! Asarina seized the opportunity. She took a few steps, plunged her dagger into the throat of the Fish Monster and pulled it harshly downwards; viscous blood sprayed all over her in an instant! Along and Aqing then simultaneously exerted their strength to ruthlessly flip the severely injured monster and push it overboard! A ¡°plop¡± was heard as the monster fell into the water, it caused a splash, then it disappeared without a trace. The three of them went over to examine the spot where the monster fell into the water. The water¡¯s surface was dark and they could not see what was beneath it, they could only see the blood left on the ship, which was flowing downstream. Bai Youwei wheeled herself over and peered down at the water. The surface was calm. ¡°Do you think the throat could be its weak point?¡± she asked Asarina. Asarina looked down at her dagger in her hand, ¡°The scales on the throat are indeed weaker than those on the abdomen and back, however, this creature¡¯s strength is immense. Even with the bottom half of its body being a fish, it doesn¡¯t hinder its agility and is a bit difficult to handle.¡± If there was only one, the three of them could still manage, but if there were two? Or three? Asarina looked at Bai Youwei, a hint of worry in her gaze. Bai Youwei looked at the water, silent and thoughtful. At that moment, Pan Xiaoxin stuck his head out of the drive room and said, ¡°It seems we are¡­ we are about to exit¡­¡± Everyone looked towards the bow of the boat. The fishing boat was slowly passing through the cave entrance into an open water area, and even further ahead were seven identical cave entrances. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 670: 670: Return to the Starting Point Chapter 670: Chapter 670: Return to the Starting Point Everything was back to square one, and they faced the choice again. This time, which cave should they go into? Asarina located the spot where she had made a mark, noticing a cross-shaped pattern made with shells on the scorched rock. It seemed that they had indeed returned. They had returned to their starting point. Everyone looked at each other and nobody spoke. The dark waters, the vicious Fish Monster, and seven difficult-to-choose caves. This maze left them completely clueless. ¡°Which one to choose this time¡­?¡± Asarina asked Bai Youwei. She remembered Bai Youwei¡¯s performance in the Red, Yellow, Blue Game, and thus was confident in Bai Youwei¡¯s abilities. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have voluntarily volunteered to be recruited. After all, following an unreliable king could be a life or death gamble. But Bai Youwei didn¡¯t answer her. Asarina continued, ¡°We chose the first one last time. What about trying out the second one this time? We may find an escape if we try each one.¡± Bai Youwei frowned in deep thought but said nothing. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Asarina stared at her suspiciously. Along and Aqing exchanged glances, whispering, ¡°¡­Boss?¡± ¡°Shush!¡± Asarina gave them a glance, lowering her voice, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb her, let her think.¡± Everyone on the boat fell silent. After a long while, Bai Youwei finally spoke up, ¡°Let¡¯s try the third one.¡± Asarina was slightly taken aback, ¡°Why the third one?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Now we can be sure that we have returned to the original position, therefore we face two possibilities. The first one is, as long as we go into the wrong cave, we will return to the original position and can¡¯t move forward. The second one is, whether we go right or wrong, we will return to the original position. Under these two circumstances, there lies a question, how can we discern whether the path we took is right or wrong? The mermaid encounter just now may be a hint.¡± This might sound a little confusing, but once you think about it, everything falls into place. After all, the purpose of a maze run is definitely to find the exit. But if the player cannot confirm that their chosen path is correct, how could they find the escape? Is it all based on luck? Asarina was slightly lost in thought, ¡°You mean¡­if we take the wrong path, the Fish Monster will appear, is that it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei gave a small nod, ¡°A maze differs from a game. The rules of the game are explicitly given by the inspector, but the rules of a maze need to be found by ourselves. If the players can¡¯t judge whether the path they are on is correct or not, they won¡¯t be able to find the exit. Therefore, there must be some hidden clues here. On the way here, I¡¯ve been observing the environment. The rocks, shells, water, and light, even the smell, almost had no differences. Even the reefs protruding from the water surface were spread out very evenly, as if purposefully not providing any memory differences for the players. The only difference was the Fish Monster. The first time we walked through the middle cave, there was no Fish Monster, but the second time we went through the first cave, we encountered the Fish Monster and the air inside the cave also became more putrid.¡± Asarina said, ¡°But why choose the third cave? I still don¡¯t quite understand¡­¡± ¡°Because I want to know if there¡¯s some pattern tied to the number of Fish Monsters.¡± Bai Youwei looked at the cave entrance not far away. The cave was pitch dark, and her eyes were cold. ¡°There was one Fish Monster in the first cave, so¡­ are there two in the second, and three in the third? Or perhaps there¡¯s no change in numbers, and as long as we choose the wrong cave, one Fish Monster will appear? Or maybe the quantity increases¡­ there are many possibilities here, we have to try again.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t object, but¡­¡± Asarina¡¯s expression became serious, ¡°I must remind you, if the situation is like your first assumption, and there are three Fish Monsters in the third cave¡­ we might not be able to handle it.¡± Chapter 671: 671: Too Few Clues Chapter 671: Chapter 671: Too Few Clues It had taken the three of them to subdue just one Mermaid Monster. If there were three such monsters on the boat at the same time, the danger would be clear without saying. After Asarina¡¯s point, Bai Youwei also started to hesitate. But the clues were currently too scarce. Without giving it a try, it would be difficult for her to find a pattern in this maze. ¡°How about this¡­¡± Bai Youwei suggested a compromise after some thought, ¡°Let¡¯s first look for clues around here. If we still can¡¯t find anything, we¡¯ll go with my plan and enter through the third cave.¡± Although they had already surveyed this area, it was inadequately lit, and the darkness could potentially hide missed information? Everyone looked at each other, no one had any objections. Then Pan Xiaoxin steered the fishing boat, moving slowly along the edge of the cave. The surroundings were quiet, except for the sound of water. Along and Aqing stood at the bow and stern of the boat, respectively, Bai Youwei, and Asarina each covered a side, carefully observing the environment. They didn¡¯t miss a single outcropping of reef or shattered shell. After circling around, apart from finding the cave entrances eerily similar, they found no other clues. ¡°Am I overthinking it?¡± Bai Youwei mused, ¡°Maybe the condition for passing is to kill the Fish Monsters. Now that they¡¯re gone, maybe we can exit if we go into the cave again?¡± Asarina shook her head: ¡°If you could pass just by killing Fish Monsters, there would be no need to set up 7 identical caves.¡± After a pause, she shook her head again: ¡°No, it¡¯s 8 identical caves.¡± This included the cave they had just emerged from, and the corresponding 7 caves up ahead. A total of 8. ¡°It¡¯s like looking in a mirror, seven mirrors¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered, conceiving another possibility, ¡°Could each cave be guarded by a Mermaid, and to open the exit you have to kill seven mermaids?¡± It was a simplistic idea, but plausible. Asarina thought it over and sighed deeply. ¡°It seems we have to venture in again. The lack of clues is killing us.¡± Despite the obvious risk, going in was their only option. Asarina looked at Bai Youwei, indicating for her to make the decision. Bai Youwei nodded after looking back at her. Asarina slowly inhaled and shouted, ¡°Xiaoxin, let¡¯s go! Head for the third cave!¡± In response from the cabin, Pan Xiaoxin steered the fishing boat towards the cave entrance ¡ª The third one. Its dark cold ambiance unchanged. With a sharp bamboo pole in hand, Asarina watched the water¡¯s surface vigilantly. Along and Aqing were also armed with bamboo poles, standing guard on the deck. There were plenty of bamboo poles on the boat, but unfortunately, their fragility compared to the monster¡¯s claws made them feel somewhat inadequate, only slightly safer than melee weapons like knives. While petting the bunny, Bai Youwei pondered the risks of using an electric shock in such an environment. The stench in the air seemed to be growing stronger. Feeling uneasy, she frowned and quickly scanned the water surface. ¡°Xiaoxin, back out.¡± Agreeing with her, Asarina along with Along and Aqing showed no objections. It seemed they also sensed something. The fishing boat reversed course. Bang! Suddenly, there was a thump! Immediately after, bang, another and then rapid succession of thumping noises came from beneath the boat! The color drained from everyone¡¯s faces on the deck, their grips on their weapons tighten. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The next second, a soaking-wet Fish Monster climbed aboard! After grabbing onto the railing, it tried to make its way onto the deck by pulling itself up with just its upper limbs! Asarina lifted her bamboo pole and jabbed at it! She was trying to knock it off the boat! The Mermaid Monster winced in pain but didn¡¯t let go. Instead, it flared its fringed gill, emitting a threatening hiss! Then another dark shadow leaped from beside it, hurdling over the railing and lunging at Asarina! Asarina stepped back hastily, evading the attack, while another Fish Monster attempted to board the boat! ¡°Get off!¡± Along gave a roar, his bamboo pole aimed straight at the Fish Monster¡¯s throat! Aqing also sprinted over from the other end, bamboo pole in hand, targeting the stubbornly gripping claws of the Fish Monster! Chapter 672: 672: No Way Out Chapter 672: Chapter 672: No Way Out The Fish Monster finally loosened its grip but still refused to leave; its sharp claws dug into the metal skin of the ship, its thick tail lashed at the ship. Hanging on the side of the ship, it let out a resentful roar! Along and Aqing attacked desperately. Whether it was bamboo poles or knife blades, nothing hurt when they stabbed its hard scales! On the other hand, Asarina was caught in a tough battle! She couldn¡¯t handle the Fish Monster alone! She knew that the throat was its weak spot. But with the Fish Monster crawling on the deck, it was difficult for her to find an opportunity to touch its throat! She tried stabbing it with a bamboo pole. The Fish Monster opened its mouth and bit down! The long bamboo pole was broken into pieces, just like an eaten cane. The broken bamboo pole had a torn fishing net attached to it. The Fish Monster continued to chew relentlessly. Asarina wanted to curse! Meanwhile, Along and Aqing were still in grave danger. The Fish Monster under the ship was too strong, and it seemed to climb onto the deck again! For a moment, Asarina didn¡¯t know whether to continue to dodge or help Along and Aqing. Two Fish Monsters indeed gave them a hard time. ¡°Back off!¡± Bai Youwei suddenly shouted. Asarina threw the last fishing net over the Fish Monster¡¯s mouth and turned to run! At the same time, Bai Youwei threw the rabbit. A beautiful blue-purple electric light fell on the Mermaid Monster. Crackling! The Mermaid Monster shivered violently! Asarina turned her head just in time to see this scene, and couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. Yet the Fish Monster that was electrocuted only crawled for a few seconds before quickly raising its upper body and agilely crawling towards Bai Youwei! Asarina felt a contraction in her heart and hurried to help! But the Mermaid moved faster! Its fishtail slammed hard on the deck, propelling its body towards Bai Youwei! Boom! A massive blast of electric light! It was as if the Mermaid Monster was slapped in mid-air and fell heavily on the deck! Asarina figured it must undoubtedly be dead now, right? Still not! The Mermaid Monster only fainted for a few seconds before it shakily got up again. Its neck membrane flared in anger, letting out a piercing shriek! ¡°This¡­this monster isn¡¯t even afraid of electric shocks?¡± Asarina was in awe! She had gone through mazes, played games, seen all kinds of strange creatures, but this Fish Monster was simply too strong! As the Fish Monster prepared to attack again, Bai Youwei launched another electric shock. This time, the Fish Monster didn¡¯t even faint. It only retreated half a meter and then angrily came back! Bai Youwei frowned as the rabbit continued to release electric shocks. If this continued, the situation would be disadvantageous for her since the rabbit¡¯s electric charge would eventually deplete. She didn¡¯t know how long they would have to wait for the ship to exit the channel. They might not be able to escape without killing the Fish Monster! Bai Youwei saw the bamboo pole that the Fish Monster had bitten to pieces on the ground and suddenly had an idea. She turned to the cockpit and shouted, ¡°Xiaoxin, open the hatch of the hold!¡± ¡°The hold?¡± Asarina realized, ¡°¡­those fish!¡± ¡°Yes! The bamboo poles were used to dry the fishing net, and they have the fishy smell on them!¡± Bai Youwei gritted her teeth, ¡°¡­ it might work!¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Mermaid attacked again! They had no time to think more. They had to deal with the immediate threat while creating an opportunity for Pan Xiaoxin. Pan Xiaoxin ran quickly. Carrying his small backpack, he ran to the deck with the fish. He pulled hard on the ring attached to the wooden board! The strong smell of fish immediately filled the air! The two Mermaid Monsters were immediately attracted, abandoning their current targets to quickly crawl down towards the lower deck, diving into the incredibly stinking pile of dead fish! Asarina showed up the next moment. She kicked the wooden plank and slammed it shut! She then quickly locked it! Chapter 673: 673: Go Back Chapter 673: Chapter 673: Go Back Securing the latch and still not feeling reassured, Asarina dragged several bamboo poles over, laying them side by side across the wooden hatch of the lower deck. The ends of the bamboo poles were wedged into the gaps of the iron railing, locked tight! Along and Aqing weighed down on the bamboo poles with their bodies! Chewing noises could be heard emanating from beneath the deck, a gnashing, crunching sound, interspersed with occasional thumping, as if two Fish Monsters were fighting over food. This commotion continued for three to five minutes before the Fish Monsters realized that they were locked up. They began to struggle. With their claws, their teeth, their tails! They struggled desperately! But the confined space of the lower deck suppressed their strength. Each time they nearly forced the hatch open, Asarina and the others pushed it back down! A few minutes later, all was finally quiet below the deck. Whether the Fish Monsters had exhausted themselves or had died from being out of the water for too long, they were unsure. They dared not casually open the lower deck to check. Asarina¡¯s back was soaked through and sweat trickled down her face as she maintained the pressure on the wooden hatch. She looked up at Bai Youwei, drawing in heavy breaths. ¡°Two of them.¡± Asarina gasped. ¡ª Two Fish Monsters in the third cave. So, the number of Fish Monsters wasn¡¯t increasing according to the sequence of the caves, but with the number of their mistakes. If they made a mistake once, a single Fish Monster would appear. If they made a mistake twice, two Fish Monsters would appear. If they made a mistake three times¡­ Asarina paled. Given their strength, could they withstand three Fish Monsters? Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, squeezing the ears of the plush rabbit in her hand. Half of the rabbit¡¯s power was already depleted. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this place first.¡± She said. The fishing boat had already retreated halfway out of the cave. Pan Xiaoxin returned to the cockpit, steering the vessel, continuing their retreat, all the way out of the cave. They were back in the vast open waters. On one side was a single cave, whilst on the other side, seven distant caves echoed their presence, forming a semi-circle. Asarina stared at these identical caves, feeling utterly powerless. ¡°One Fish Monster in the first cave, two in the third cave, yet none in the fourth cave¡­ Could the exit be in the fourth cave?¡± But, entering the fourth cave just brought them back here. It couldn¡¯t possibly be that they should choose the fourth cave every time, right? ¡°We continue retreating.¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, stroking the rabbit. ¡°Now, we can be pretty sure that the number of Fish Monsters is related to the number of mistakes we make, but is it about each singular mistake, or does one mistake lead into a series of subsequent faults? I think for safety¡¯s sake, we¡¯d best return to the starting point and walk through it again.¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Along couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°If we continue retreating and enter the first cave, will we encounter another monster?¡± They were all almost exhausted. Bai Youwei pressed her lips together, responding, ¡°If it¡¯s only one, we should be able to handle it. As soon as we go in, let Xiaoxin navigate the boat out of the cave at full speed.¡± Asarina pondered for a moment before nodding. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do it. If it¡¯s only one, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to handle. We still have some tools left.¡± With that decided, the fishing boat continued its retreat after exiting the third cave. They stayed onboard, nerves fraying, eyes fixed on the dark waters, unable to predict where the Fish Monster might spring from. Perhaps it was due to the tension, but Aqing couldn¡¯t stop drinking water, looking increasingly agitated. Along cautioned him, ¡°Drink slowly. We only brought four bottles, and we don¡¯t know how many days we¡¯ll be stuck here.¡± Aqing just murmured in response, his grip on the water bottle unyielding as he kept drinking. Meanwhile, Pan Xiaoxin had navigated the fishing boat out of the first cave. Chapter 674: 674: I Need Water Chapter 674: Chapter 674: I Need Water It was calm and no Fish Monster appeared. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After entering the maze, they followed this order for entering the caverns: middle, first, third. Therefore, if they retreated once more, they would return to the entrance. The fishing boat continued reversing. Back and back they continued¡ª No matter how much they retreated, it was like there was no end. Once they emerged from a cave, they still saw the same seven identical caverns again! Besides those seven caverns, they truly had nowhere else to go. Although the time they had spent in the maze wasn¡¯t long, the dark and damp environment was uncomfortable, the darkness was oppressive, and the appearance of the Fish Monster added even more psychological strain¡ªeveryone on the boat seemed to be under a pall of gloom. Anxiety and unease infected everyone. Aqing¡¯s water bottle was empty. He clutched the empty bottle and paced back and forth on the deck, the plastic bottle creaking in his grip. Asarina and Bai Youwei were discussing what to do next. The noise Aqing was making was disturbing her, so she irritably said: ¡°Aqing! Can you stay inside the cabin?!¡± Aqing snapped back to reality, scratched his head in agreement, then walked into the cabin. Along stood guard at the wooden hatch leading to the lower deck, constantly on the lookout for any signs of movements from the two Mermaid Monsters below. Meanwhile Asarina and Bai Youwei were having a quiet conversation: ¡°The entrance we chose when we came in was the middle, the fourth one, and we did not encounter the Fish Monster ¡­ does this mean that the fourth entrance is the correct one? If we continue from the fourth entrance this time, would we pass safely?¡± ¡°What do you think are the odds we guessed right on our first go? One in seven¡­ We¡¯ve already been through entrances one, three, and four. I think we can try another entrance.¡± Asarina didn¡¯t seem assured: ¡°But if we choose wrong, according to your speculation, we will encounter three Fish Monsters.¡± Bai Youwei slowly shook her head: ¡°There isn¡¯t much difference, there is no way to avoid risk. Even if we go through the fourth cave now, we may still meet the Fish Monster, since we don¡¯t yet completely understand the pattern behind these seven caves¡­¡± Not far away, Along looked at Asarina, then glanced towards Aqing in the cabin, and after some hesitation, he yelled: ¡°Boss, something seems to be wrong with Aqing.¡± Hearing this, Asarina turned her head to look at the cabin. Aqing was turning their backpacks inside out, which held their everyday items such as knives, lighters, moisture-proof mats, compressed biscuits, and water. He was flipping through them hastily, as though he couldn¡¯t find something, and the contents of the backpacks were in disarray. ¡°Aqing!¡± Asarina called him out. Aqing was startled and looked up at her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Asarina, her brows furrowed. Aqing touched his sore throat, appearing uncomfortable, and said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m looking for water¡­¡± ¡°Water?¡± Asarina was visibly perplexed, and she walked towards him, ¡°Isn¡¯t the water in the pack? What¡¯s wrong with your throat? Your voice is so hoarse¡­¡± She had just approached the cabin¡¯s entrance when she saw several empty bottles on the floor. She stopped abruptly. It wasn¡¯t that Aqing could not find water but that he had consumed all the water he could find! ¡°Aqing¡­¡± Asarina looked shocked, ¡°What¡¯s happening? You drank all that water?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thirsty¡­¡± Aqing¡¯s voice was unnaturally throaty. He rubbed his neck non-stop, his breathing seemingly difficult, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m too thirsty¡­¡± Asarina¡¯s face turned particularly dreadful. Four whole bottles of water! Enough for the three of them to last two days, and Aqing had drunk them all in a matter of minutes! This was obviously not normal! Aqing kept frantically rummaging through the packs, muttering deliriously, ¡°Water¡­ water¡­ I need water¡­¡± Chapter 675: 675: Need Cleaning Chapter 675: Chapter 675: Need Cleaning ¡°Stop looking, there¡¯s no water!¡± Asarina barked in frustration, ¡°You¡¯ve had enough! There¡¯s no water left!¡± Aqing paid no heed, he was still unceasingly looking for water, even going so far as to disregard his image, crawling on the ground. At last, Asarina could not take it any longer. She lifted him with one hand and roared, ¡°Aqing! Wake up! All the water¡¯s gone, drank by you! There¡¯s no water left! No water left!!!¡± Aqing¡¯s eyes glazed over. He looked at Asarina, then at Along who rushed over at the sound, and finally, his gaze rested on the dark waters beyond the fishing boat. ¡°Water¡­ there¡¯s water there¡­¡± he mumbled and walked distractedly towards the edge, ¡°There¡¯s¡­ lots of water there¡­¡± Asarina grabbed him and pulled him back, shouting to Along, ¡°The rope!¡± Along stood numbly looking at Aqing, feeling that his once familiar comrade had now become alien to him. ¡°Along!¡±, Asarina roared again, ¡°Get the rope, quick!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ oh-oh, okay!¡± Along snapped back to reality, hurriedly bent over to get a rope from the bag. Together with Asarina, they tied Aqing up securely! Aqing, still barely holding on to his sanity, begged in a feeble voice, ¡°Let me go, I¡¯m too thirsty¡­ big sister, I can¡¯t stand it, I really can¡¯t¡­ I need water¡­¡± Asarina¡¯s eyes were red-rimmed, biting her lip to stay silent. She tightened the knot forcefully, tied the other end to the doorknob, and without saying a word, she removed the life vest that was getting in the way on Aqing to check the wounds on his body. Bai Youwei was observing the scene from her wheelchair just outside the cabins. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The young man¡¯s body was exposed to the air, his dark skin and sturdy build seemed healthy and natural, showing no obvious external injuries. Unwilling to accept it, Asarina pulled Aqing over, examining him repeatedly and murmuring, ¡°How could this be¡­ There¡¯s no reason for it¡­ It doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked Along, ¡°Has Aqing come into contact with any special part of the mermaid when he was attacking it? Like the fins, scales, teeth, or claws?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Along responded, with a confused look. When dealing with the Fish Monster, everyone was all hands on deck ¨C too preoccupied with their own situation to notice what happened to others. Seemingly unable to accept that a companion was in trouble, Along hesitated to ask Asarina, ¡°Boss¡­ will Aqing be okay? He¡¯ll get better, won¡¯t he?¡± Asarina said nothing, biting her lip, her eyes full of pain. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Does Aqing have any wounds on him?¡± ¡°No.¡± Asarina shut her eyes, using deep breaths to control her emotions, ¡°Only some small cuts on his hand from scrapes with bamboo shards, not even much blood¡­ I don¡¯t understand how could¡­¡± To prove her words, she flipped up Aqing¡¯s hand to let Bai Youwei and Along take a good look. There were a few thin bloodstains in the palm of his hand, hardly anything serious. But Asarina froze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±, Bai Youwei asked with a furrowed brow, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Asarina hesitated, then gently pressed her finger on Aqing¡¯s palm. A thin layer of sticky gunk came up on her finger¡­ She brought the finger to her nose and sniffed ¨C a familiar fishy putrid smell. Asarina turned, her face rigid, and asked Along, ¡°Did any of you touch the Fish Monster with bare hands?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Along shook his head hurriedly, ¡°Perhaps it brushed against the railings, and Aqing¡¯s hand accidentally got smeared¡­ Boss, it¡¯s not safe to touch the mucus on the Fish Monster¡¯s body? But I¡¯ve touched it quite a few times too!¡± As he spoke, Along held out his own hand. The back of his hand and forearm were shiny with the mucus. ¡°Maybe the toxicity of the mucus only works when it comes into contact with wounds.¡± Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°Regardless, we should find a way to wash off the mucus from our bodies as soon as possible. Any injuries need to be wrapped up quickly to avoid infection.¡± Clean it? How to clean while in this situation? All the water they had brought along had been drunk by Aqing alone! Although the sea water beneath the boat was endless, was it clean? Chapter 676: 676: Find a solution tomorrow Chapter 676: Chapter 676: Find a solution tomorrow Bai Youwei scanned around; the deck, the railing, traces of slime were everywhere. During the battle, the slime from the two Fish Monsters had smeared all over the place. Even the wheels of her wheelchair were not spared. Maintaining cleanliness in this situation was futile, but ignoring it posed a considerable risk, as Aqing¡¯s condition was the best proof. Although she didn¡¯t want to reveal it, but¡­ She saw Asarina¡¯s agony and the fear on Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s face. Silently weighing the pros and cons, she finally made a decision. ¡°There¡¯s a place¡­¡± Bai Youwei began softly, ¡°where we can clean safely.¡± ¡­ Bai Youwei opened her doll house. This was the first time she had exposed her secret in front of ¡°outsiders¡±. Chang Weicai was surprised when he saw Bai Youwei leading a group of people into the doll house, especially since one of them was bound. ¡°The bathroom is to your right up the stairs,¡± Bai Youwei pointed towards the stairs and said to Asarina, ¡°Turn left for the study, which I¡¯ve converted into a storeroom. Inside, you¡¯ll find clothes for all seasons, both men¡¯s and women¡¯s designs. The sizes might not fit perfectly, but you can pick something once you¡¯ve had a bath.¡± Asarina looked around. The cozy fireplace, warm d¨¦cor, plentiful food and water, and even electricity in this place. Indeed, the dollhouse was surprising, but she was too preoccupied to marvel at it. Her gaze finally fell back on Aqing. Aqing was still in his pitiful state, curled up on the ground as if in extreme pain, wailing non-stop, begging for water. Bai Youwei muttered under her breath, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t be worse off here than outside.¡± Asarina knew this all too well. She left Aqing in the living room and took turns with Along to clean up in the bathroom. Chang brought each of them a bowl of tomato and egg noodles. Not long ago, they were battling for their lives in a dark, damp cave. Now, they sat peacefully at the dining table, eating noodles, sipping soup, basking in the warm sunlight from the window, and enjoying the scents of home-cooked food in the air. It almost seemed like a temporal dislocation. Along hesitated, ¡°Could we¡­ Could we hide here when the Fish Monster climbs aboard? Wouldn¡¯t that avoid danger?¡± ¡°Pointless.¡± Bai Youwei rejected his suggestion without hesitation, ¡°Unless we deal with the Fish Monster and the cave, we can¡¯t leave the maze. Unless you plan to live here for the rest of your life.¡± At this point, she stirred her noodles but suddenly lost her appetite. ¡°The rest of your life¡­ It could be long, or it could be short, maybe until we grow old, or perhaps until tomorrow. The game system won¡¯t give us a lot of time¡­ and the food here will only last for a month.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Asarina stared at her bowl of noodles, ¡°Hiding here won¡¯t help.¡± Chang looked around nervously and asked, ¡°So¡­ do you have any clues on how to get out of this maze?¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips slightly. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Worried that she might be upset, Chang quickly reassured, ¡°It¡¯s okay! We¡¯ve just started! Enough rest and sleep may bring about new progress. Your friend¡­ he needs time to recover too. Let¡¯s not rush¡­¡± With that said, everyone¡¯s glance landed on the living room. Aqing was lying next to the fireplace, having worn himself to exhaustion. He no longer asked for water. This kind of state was not that of a regular wound, and even mud wouldn¡¯t cure this. Bai Youwei sighed briefly and said, ¡°There¡¯s no lead for now, let¡¯s just rest today and think of a solution tomorrow.¡± Chapter 677: There Is Still Hope Chapter 677: Chapter 677: There Is Still Hope Despite understanding the need to rest well, she couldn¡¯t relax mentally. All day, Asarina and Along stayed in the living room watching over Aqing. There was constant moisture on Aqing¡¯s body, which they initially attributed to sweat. However, they later discovered it was water, water with a fishy smell. He couldn¡¯t lie on the sofa for a few minutes without dampening a large patch of it. They had to move him back to the side of the fireplace and keep him close to the fire to try and keep him dry. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Semi-conscious, Aqing was constantly muttering for water. He became increasingly confused¡­ ¡­ At night, Master Cheng took Pan Xiaoxin upstairs to rest, leaving only Asarina, Along and Aqing in the living room. Bai Youwei sat at the dining table, calculating with paper and pencil. The maze was extraordinary to her, so she was very careful not to miss any opportunity to find clues. On her scratch paper, the initial entrance was marked as ¡°Mother Cave.¡± The other seven entrances were numbered from left to right from Sub-cave 1 to Sub-cave 7. She believed there must be a pattern among the seven Sub-caves. As long as the pattern was discovered, they could escape. No matter whether they went forward or backward, right or wrong, the fishing boat would always return to the Mother Cave, suggesting a kind of spatial jump. Unfortunately, the information was inadequate. If she could enter the caves two more times, she might be able to determine the crux. However, with Aqing in his current condition, perhaps Asarina didn¡¯t feel up to looking for clues? At that thought, Bai Youwei quietly sighed. After the first maze, her leg regained sensation, and after the second maze, she could force herself to walk. Perhaps if she experienced another maze upgrade, she might recover completely. ¡­ Was she too cold-hearted? Aqing was in this condition, yet she still considered her own legs. He wasn¡¯t one of her own, so even though something bad happened to him, she could only feel some sympathy. She couldn¡¯t truly empathize with the pain Asarina and Along were experiencing at this moment. Bai Youwei stared at the scratch paper in front of her, lost in thought. Humans are indeed complex creatures. Sometimes they could shed tears for others¡¯ tragedies, and sometimes¡­ they could display their selfishness and heartlessness to the fullest. Asarina walked over quietly, picked up the scratch paper from the table and looked at it. There were some numbers and messy diagrams. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± she asked softly. Bai Youwei slowly shook her head, ¡°I have a few conjectures, but they all require verification.¡± From the direction of the living room there came several low groans. The two looked over upon hearing the sound. It was Aqing talking in his sleep. He curled up next to the fireplace, one side of his body dried by the heat, the other side wet again, constantly secreting fluid. Perhaps it was because he was cold, his limbs tied with ropes twitched occasionally, and he muttered nonsense. Along was already exhausted and was sound asleep on the sofa. ¡°Will he get better?¡± Asarina looked at Aqing mumbling, unclear whether she was asking Bai Youwei or talking to herself. Bai Youwei looked down, not saying a word. She held a pessimistic attitude towards this. From the experience of the previous two mazes, the maze could consume the ones who failed. She remembered the dolls embedded in the wall in the Mirror Maze. She also remembered the man in the Gluttonous Snake Maze, his body fused with the maze. Now, given Aqing¡¯s condition, she feared he might not recover¡­ ¡°You should get some rest.¡± Bai Youwei said softly, ¡°If we could get out of the maze, perhaps the maze upgrade could cure him.¡± Her words gave Asarina hope. She looked at Bai Youwei and nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right. As long as we can get out of the maze, there¡¯s hope for Aqing.¡± The premise was, would Aqing be able to hang on until the moment they escaped? Chapter 678: Mother Cave and Sub-cave Chapter 678: Chapter 678: Mother Cave and Sub-cave Asarina sat down beside Bai Youwei, analyzing the cave patterns with her. The sooner they could solve the mystery of the maze, the better chance Aqing would have of survival. From what they knew so far, there was one main cave with seven sub-caves corresponding to it. Retreating from the main cave would lead them back to the entrance; Moving forward from the main cave would lead them to the seven sub-caves, and choosing any one of them would also lead them back to the entrance. Asarina asked, ¡°Could it be a M?bius strip? No matter where you go, you always return to the starting point, only by breaking the routine can you escape the circular path.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve considered that possibility. From the perspective of overlapping spaces, it makes sense, but how do we then explain the seven sub-caves?¡± Bai Youwei frowned slightly, ¡°A M?bius strip only needs one path to form, but what we¡¯re facing are seven paths. The fish monsters don¡¯t fit this theory either¡­¡± ¡°There are fish monsters in caves 1 and 3, could it be that there are fish monsters in every odd-numbered cave?¡± Asarina suggested, ¡°For instance¡­ caves 1, 3, 5, 7 have fish monsters, whereas 2, 4, 6 don¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t think it would be as simple as an odd-even distinction, but it was certainly a lead to consider. ¡°In any case, we can only verify it by trying tomorrow.¡± She stated, ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll enter from cave 2.¡± Asarina nodded. At that moment, the sound of drinking water came from the direction of the living room. The two of them froze simultaneously. Asarina subconsciously thought that Along might have relented and given Aqing water to drink, but when she turned her head, she saw that Along was still sound asleep on the sofa, while Aqing was stretching his neck hastily, eagerly drinking water from a spoon in front of him. Where did the spoon come from? She stood up for a better look and was taken aback! A severed hand was feeding water to Aqing with a spoon! Bai Youwei also noticed and immediately flew into a rage, yelling, ¡°Who let you out?!¡± The severed hand got startled! It trembled in fright, dropped the spoon, and scurried under the sofa! Water from the spoon spilled all over the ground. The commotion woke Along. He opened his eyes, didn¡¯t see the severed hand, but saw Aqing moving his bound body, licking the water off the floor¡ª¡ª ¡°Aqing!¡± Along hastily pulled him away, stopping him from drinking. Not far away, Asarina¡¯s emotions were indescribable. She walked over quickly, grabbed Aqing by the collar, and said passionately, ¡°Aqing! Wake up! You can¡¯t keep drinking water!¡± Aqing looked dazed, it took he a while to recognize Asarina standing in front of him. The normally composed man¡¯s eyes teared up, he choked out: ¡°Boss¡­ just let me drink, I really¡­ can¡¯t take it anymore¡­ Either way, I¡¯m dead. Please, let me¡­ die quickly¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! Who told you that you¡¯re going to die?!¡± Asarina said sharply, ¡°It¡¯s just a few days without water, it won¡¯t kill you!¡± ¡°Boss, let me drink water, I can¡¯t stand it¡­ please, let me drink¡­ I want water¡­¡± No matter how he pleaded, Asarina remained resolute, not responding at all. This time, she and Along bound him even tighter, even gagging his mouth, denying Aqing any chance to drink water. Aqing, already weak, lost all strength to struggle after being bound like this. Seeing her companion in this state, how could Asarina feel at ease? Holding back her grief, she said to Aqing, ¡°Hang in there, just a little bit longer¡­ it will get better, we¡¯ll get out of this maze, and everything will definitely get better.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 679: Born to be Useful Chapter 679: Chapter 679: Born to be Useful S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei watched from the side, her heart feeling uncomfortable. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the severed hand peeking out from under the couch and shot it a glare! The thumb retreated in fright. Seeing this, Bai Youwei became even more irritated. This severed hand never ceased to cause trouble¨C always moving about like it had ADHD. It was supposed to be locked away in the storage room and she guessed that it must have heard Aqing constantly asking for water out of curiosity, hence its brazen act of getting water on its own volition. Mainly it was merely reveling in the excitement of the situation. Asarina picked up the spoon from the floor, returned to the dining room and placed the spoon on the dining table, looking weary. ¡°That¡­ was one of my props.¡± Bai Youwei explained to her, in order to avoid any misunderstanding. ¡°It doesn¡¯t listen very well, I usually keep it locked up, but I think it snuck out when it heard Aqing¡¯s voice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok¡­¡± Asarina managed a weak smile, ¡°It¡¯s just a spoonful of water. Besides, most of it spilled anyway. I¡¯m just more concerned about Aqing¡¯s condition.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know how to comfort her. Fortunately, Asarina didn¡¯t sulk for long. She gave Bai Youwei a faint smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to bed now. You should rest soon too. We can think of a solution together tomorrow morning.¡± Bai Youwei nodded. As soon as Asarina had gone upstairs, Bai Youwei started tidying up the draft papers on the table. Absently, she noticed Teacher Chang peeking from the staircase. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Teacher Chang?¡± she asked doubtfully. Teacher Chang hesitated for a moment, then crept downstairs lightly and quietly, whispering to her, ¡°Weiwei, should we really not give him any water? If he doesn¡¯t drink for several days, will something bad happen¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s been poisoned, drinking water will only make him die faster.¡± Bai Youwei frowned slightly, taking a good look at Teacher Chang. ¡°Teacher Chang, did you happen to make that severed hand deliver the spoonful of water?¡± ¡°No, no way!¡± Teacher Chang waved his hands, speaking in defense of the severed hand, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at it, it has a childlike nature and meant no harm.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°Whether or not it means harm, it¡¯s a constant troublemaker! Always creating trouble, never useful for anything!¡± Teacher Chang said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not entirely useless¡­¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes and asked, ¡°What¡¯s it good for?¡± After pondering for a while, Teacher Chang hesitantly replied, ¡°¡­feeding chickens?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± After a long silence, Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°Teacher Chang, I really don¡¯t have the energy to joke with you right now. Next time I lock it away in the storage room, don¡¯t be soft-hearted and let it out again. You¡¯ve already spoiled it.¡± Feeling somewhat awkward, Teacher Chang smiled, ¡°Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll help you back to your room and after that I¡¯ll lock it back in the storage room. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Bai Youwei propped up her arm, took great effort to stand. Chang Weicai supported her arm. ¡°You just need to help me to the stairs, I want to go up on my own.¡± said Bai Youwei. So Chang Weicai let go and watched as Bai Youwei slowly, one step at a time, ascended the stairs. Then, Chang Weicai looked under the couch, shaking his head in resignation. He opened the door to the storage room, saw that the severed hand had no intention of returning to the room, and coaxed it gently: ¡°Come on, there¡¯s only dust under the couch. If you get dirty, you¡¯ll be scolded.¡± Only then did the severed hand crawl reluctantly out from under the couch. It was scared of Bai Youwei, but not afraid of Chang Weicai. Because Chang Weicai spent most of his time in the dollhouse, the severed hand was closest to him. The storage room was filled with all sorts of items, messy but orderly, organized by Chang Weicai. There was a round basket on the storage rack, the severed hand¡¯s little bed. The basket contained a small pillow and a blanket¨Call crafted by Chang Weicai himself. Scattered around were various toys, jewels and trinkets that belonged to the severed hand. Chang Weicai placed the severed hand back in the basket, speaking softly to it: ¡°You have to behave. No more causing trouble. You must live a life of purpose to make your existence worthwhile.¡± In the end, he sighed lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t be like me, utterly useless¡­¡± Chapter 680: Return to the Maze Chapter 680: Chapter 680: Return to the Maze The next morning, after a quick breakfast, they prepared to reenter the maze. This time they made more preparations, not only carrying weapons like knives and swords, but also wearing gloves. The vulnerable parts of their bodies were tightly wrapped in bandages to prevent contact with the viscous slime. Upon opening the door, a fishing boat still greeted them outside, unchanged¡ª On one side was the main cave, on the other were seven sub-caves. As planned, they were going to enter Sub-cave 2 this time. But if they were mistaken, three Mermaid Monsters would emerge from Sub-cave 2. Three Mermaid Monsters¡ªAsarina deemed a victory unlikely. The good news, however, was that when they checked beneath the ship¡¯s hull, they discovered that the two Fish Monsters they had faced before were dead, and some of the fish remained uneaten. If they could make good use of this, they should be able to handle three Mermaid Monsters. Asarina and Along worked together to throw the corpses of the Mermaid Monsters back into the water and set a trap at the entrance of the hold. Pan Xiaoxin sat in the cockpit, steering the boat into the Sub-cave 2. Bai Youwei, cradling the rabbit doll that had been fully charged the night before, attentively surveyed their surroundings. Once again, they entered the cave¡ª As the boat gently swayed on the rippling water, the damp and cold atmosphere suggested dangers lurking everywhere. In the darkness, every ripple in the water was unnerving, and the rocks protruding from the water¡¯s surface resembled gruesome skulls. A tense atmosphere silently permeated the air. However, this situation didn¡¯t last too long. Because about seven or eight minutes later, their boat came out of the cave! No Fish Monster! The tension quickly dissipated, everyone was baffled¡ªthis time, they didn¡¯t encounter any Fish Monsters! ¡°Could it really be that the even-numbered caves are the ones to take?¡± Asarina couldn¡¯t believe it. The odd-even number hypothesis, which she had casually mentioned yesterday, had not undergone rigorous reasoning. It was surprising that there really wasn¡¯t a Fish Monster in Sub-cave 2! Bai Youwei was also astonished. Now there were Fish Monsters in Sub-caves 1 and 3, while Sub-caves 2 and 4 were safe. Had Asarina correctly guessed that there were Fish Monsters in all odd-numbered sub-caves, while the even-numbered sub-caves were safe? ¡°Let¡¯s try Sub-cave 6 next!¡± Asarina couldn¡¯t help suggesting, ¡°If the odd-even conjecture stands, Sub-cave 6 will definitely be safe!¡± ¡°¡­Wait,¡± Bai Youwei said uncertainly, ¡°before we move on to Sub-cave 6, I want to try something else.¡± ¡°Something else?¡± Asarina stared blankly, ¡°¡­What do you want to try?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°I want to go back and try Sub-cave 1 again.¡± ¡°Sub-cave 1?¡± Asarina frowned, ¡°But there is a Fish Monster in Sub-cave 1.¡± Bai Youwei nodded: ¡°I know there¡¯s a Fish Monster in Sub-cave 1, but isn¡¯t it weird? If we select between the three even-numbered sub-caves each time, the player will have a success rate of three in seven, which is about 43%, almost half! Isn¡¯t this probability a bit too large for a maze?¡± Asarina was momentarily speechless. A chance of success approaching fifty percent was indeed too high. If there happened to be a lucky player, they could successfully guess the safe pathways three times in a row by blind luck. Mazes shouldn¡¯t be this simple. ¡°Then¡­ what¡¯s the purpose of going back and choosing Sub-cave 1?¡± she asked. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t exactly sure either, it was just a hunch¡­ ¡°I want to see what the probability of getting it right or wrong is when choosing a cave for the first time.¡± she said, her meaning unclear. ¡ªIn the hold, half a load of fish remained. Even if they encountered a Fish Monster again, they could lure it in with the fish, ensuring their safety. Asarina agreed with Bai Youwei¡¯s decision. The fishing boat began to move back. Returning to the entrance again. This time, as Bai Youwei suggested, they chose the first cave. And the result was¡ªstill no Fish Monster. Everyone was confused. Why was there no Fish Monster in Sub-cave 1 this time? Could it be that because the previous Fish Monster had died at their hands, no new Fish Monsters would appear in this sub-cave? Bai Youwei subtly had an idea. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and try Sub-cave 5.¡± Chapter 681: No. 2 Chapter 681: Chapter 681: No. 2 They not only tested Cave 5, but also Caves 6 and 7. They didn¡¯t encounter the Fish Monster. Afterward, they retested Caves 3 and 4, but still no Fish Monsters were found. This meant that their safe passage through the middle cave the previous day wasn¡¯t a stroke of luck, but due to the fact that, when they first entered the cave, from Cave 1 to Cave 7, there wasn¡¯t a Fish Monster in any of them! ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Asarina asked, puzzled, ¡°Why aren¡¯t there Fish Monsters in any of the caves?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, looking at the seven caves ahead of them, ¡°Is there a likelihood¡­ that the path leading outside changes according to the entrance we choose?¡± Otherwise, why would seven caves all devoid of Fish Monsters exist? What¡¯s the point of it? ¡°It¡¯s like a series of linked electric lights.¡± Bai Youwei explained, ¡°Some switches control the ceiling lights, some control the spotlights, others the bedside lights. Press different switches, you light up different lights.¡± Asarina seemed to understand what she meant, ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ the first cave entrance we chose may influence if Fish Monsters appear in the caves that follow?¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Yesterday we chose Cave 4, and then we encountered the Fish Monster in Cave 1, so the corresponding correct entrance in relation to Cave 4 should be among Caves 2 to 7. The likelihood of it being Cave 4 again is low, so we can try Caves 2, 3, 5, 6.¡± ¡°A one in four chance¡­¡± Asarina frowned, ¡°If we guess wrong, we¡¯ll encounter three Fish Monsters.¡± After a moment of silence, Bai Youwei said, ¡°And after those three, if we still guess wrong, we¡¯ll face four Fish Monsters.¡± The number of wrong guesses is directly proportional to the number of Fish Monsters. The more mistakes, the more danger. Moreover, even if we guessed right¡­ it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean we could leave. Perhaps there would still be seven cave entrances, forcing them to guess again. This maze seemed to leave no room for survival, offering pitifully little guidance. Bai Youwei always felt they were missing something. Otherwise, trying to find the way out based on this limited information would be almost pure luck. She looked around. Where could it be? The hidden clue, where was it? Asarina standing next to her said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s choose one then. Either way, we will get a result.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her. Actually, according to her own thoughts, Bai Youwei would prefer to return to the dollhouse and consider other possibilities. But Asarina was in a hurry. It was natural. Aqing¡¯s condition was getting worse. They couldn¡¯t keep withholding water from him. It would be best to leave here as soon as possible. Even if there were not enough clues, Asarina couldn¡¯t wait anymore. ¡°Which do you want to choose?¡± Bai Youwei handed the decision to Asarina. She just needed to analyze; if it were purely a matter of chance, it didn¡¯t matter who chose. Asarina said, ¡°Since Caves 2, 3, 5, and 6 are all possibilities, let¡¯s just go through them one by one. Let¡¯s try Cave 2 first.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s first enter Cave 4, then Cave 2.¡± Everyone braced themselves and set the boat in motion. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The day before, after entering Cave 4, they chose to enter Sub-cave 1 and then encountered the Fish Monster. This time, they chose Cave 2 ¡ª Xiaoxin carefully controlled the fishing boat, slowly entering Cave 2 after passing through Cave 4. Asarina stood at the bow of the boat, watching the choppy water surface closely, tightly clutching her weapon. Along was vigilant at the stern, watching the surroundings ready for potential attacks from Mermaids. Bai Youwei also held her breath, intently listening for any subtle noises in the cave. The sound of the water murmured, and the echoes resonated. They were moving forward in the darkness. Chapter 682: Number 6 Chapter 682: Chapter 682: Number 6 The tense atmosphere continued until the fishing boat passed through the cave entrance. ¡ªCave No. 2, there was no mermaid monster. Everyone on the boat was somewhat bewildered. Had they actually managed to pass through successfully? Asarina¡¯s emotions shifted from disbelief and shock to exhilaration as if a heavy burden was lifted! ¡°We made it out!¡± she turned to Bai Youwei, her eyes wide open, ¡°Nothing happened at No. 4, and now the same for No. 2! It seems like the even-numbered caves are safe! So, if we go through No. 6 next, can we get out of the maze?!¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. Following this logic¡­ as Asarina pointed out, it indeed seemed like the even-numbered caves had a high likelihood of being safe. Otherwise, how could one explain that Cave No. 1 and No. 3 were infested with fish monsters, while No. 2 and No. 4 were not? S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But¡­ But, her sense of the caves was that there was a progressive layering. If they purely considered odds and evens, it lacked that sense of progression. Was she overthinking it, or was Asarina being too hasty? As Bai Youwei contemplated these things, Asarina was becoming quite impatient, her gaze fixed on Bai Youwei, asking: ¡°What do you think? Should we go into Cave No. 6 and power through this place?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow slightly, still considering. Asarina added: ¡°After all, choosing other caves still involves risks, right? We might as well try No. 6, perhaps we can really make it out.¡± Fearing Bai Youwei¡¯s disagreement, she lowered her voice and earnestly added: ¡°Moreover, we still have half a catch on the boat. Even if we encounter three fish monsters, we should be able to handle it.¡± Bai Youwei looked at Asarina. At such a moment, unless she could propose a more effective plan, there was no reason to stop Asarina. Besides, what Asarina said did make sense. Risks were inevitable. Choosing any other cave would still be dangerous. If that was the case, why not select No. 6, which had a higher probability of being safe? Bai Youwei spoke softly: ¡°If you insist, then prepare yourself.¡± Asarina¡¯s gaze was resolute as she nodded her agreement. The two decided, and after passing caves No. 4 and No. 2, the fishing boat began to navigate towards Cave No. 6. All the caves were the same. After progressing a distance in the darkness, Bai Youwei smelled the familiar stench and her heart sank. She turned her head to look at Asarina near the cabin door, unsurprisingly, Asarina¡¯s face had also turned ugly. Fear and even more so, disappointment surged within them. Because they had been wrong again. On the other side, Along¡¯s expression was equally serious. It seemed, everyone had smelled that scent. Bai Youwei gestured to Pan Xiaoxin in the cockpit. Pan Xiaoxin nodded, silently altered the course and began to reverse the boat. But what was fated to come, still came. The boat¡¯s speed could never outpace the monsters in the water. They heard the sound of splashing water, as if something was rushing up from the water, shortly afterward, that something began to hit the hull of the boat! Thump! Thump! The massive fishtail smacked the water¡¯s surface and the mermaid monster leapt several meters high! It clung to the edge of the boat, revealing its wet, triangular head! ¡°Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!¡± With its jaws wide open, revealing sharp teeth, it issued a threatening warning at them! Intent on tearing these invaders who dared to violate its territory to shreds! Asarina pressed her hands against the cabin door, roaring: ¡°Come on! You stupid things!!!¡± The three mermaid monsters, as if provoked, puffed up the ruffs around their necks! They scrambled towards Asarina! Asarina yanked the cabin door open abruptly! In an instant, the stench of the dead fish filled the air, driving the mermaid monsters crazed! They hurriedly crawled into the cargo hold filled with dead fish beneath the deck!¡ª Chapter 683: 3 only Chapter 683: Chapter 683: 3 only One crawled in, two crawled in, and three crawled in! However, they had overestimated the space in the hold, the small hold was half-full of fish, and it was hard to accommodate three Fish Monsters the size of grown men! The third mermaid only got halfway in before it was attacked by the other two mermaids! Unable to get to the fish, it was particularly anxious and immediately turned its aim towards Asarina, who was closest! Asarina was on guard, she lifted the long sword by her side and fiercely slashed at it! The hardness of the fish scales was unthinkable. The weapon was not even as useful as a bamboo pole, which could at least help them maintain a distance from the mermaids. At the critical moment, Along rushed in, striking the mermaid¡¯s dorsal fin with a knife! Wham! The blade collided with the dorsal fin, causing Along¡¯s hand to feel numb! The mermaid¡¯s dorsal fin was only nicked a little, which shows its toughness. The mermaid was irritated, the umbrella-like collar on its neck trembled non-stop, secreting a transparent mucus from its mouth, looking like it was going to squirt out. ¡°Back off!¡± Bai Youwei shouted! Along dodged sideways, and the mermaid followed suit! A lightning bolt struck down immediately after! With a big bang, the mermaid was thrown back several meters! Asarina seized the opportunity and swung her sword at the mermaid¡¯s neck! The blade made a cut and drew blood, but the wound was not deep because it was blocked by the swelling skin on the neck, the cut missed the vitals. Asarina held the sword tightly and, during the few seconds when the mermaid was dazed by the electric shock, pushed it forcefully into the hold! ¡°Along! Bamboo!¡± Asarina shouted, putting all her strength into closing the hatch! At the same time, she quickly took the bamboo pole in her hand and placed it across to lock the hatch. Before Along could even place a few more bamboo poles he had retrieved, the hatch began to vibrate violently! It almost flung open! Asarina pressed down on the hatch with all her might, her forehead lined with bulging veins, and her muscles strained! ¡°Hurry up!!!¡± She yelled forcefully. The mermaid inside struggled again! S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Before Along even had the chance to wedge with the bamboo pole, he threw himself onto it, pressing the hatch down with all his strength! Seeing the predicament, Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, turned to the cockpit and shouted: ¡°Xiaoxin! Come out and help!¡± Asarina and Along alone couldn¡¯t possibly restrain the three mermaids underneath! Although Pan Xiaoxin was a child, he had at least been through the labyrinth twice and should have a decent amount of strength. Bai Youwei opened the dollhouse again and called out their Teacher Cheng to help. The young and old pressed down hard on both sides of the bamboo pole. The mermaids struggled wildly! Even though these creatures came on land to forage, they were all water creatures. Once they were out of the water for too long, they would die of dehydration. The hatch kept being lifted by the mermaids and was pushed back down by Asarina and the others! The strength of the three mermaids was far too great, even though they had four people, they were gradually unable to hold on, as Bai Youwei frowned and stood aside, ready to release an electric shock whenever a mermaid came out. Just then, a staggering figure emerged from the dollhouse ¡ª It was Aqing! He was still tied up and gagged. With a surge of unknown strength, he stood up and hobbled out of the dollhouse, falling straight towards the railing! Everyone was taken aback! ¡°Aqing!¡± Asarina got up to chase! Bai Youwei¡¯s face changed dramatically: ¡°Don¡¯t let go!¡± But it was too late! Once Asarina let go, a mermaid violently pushed open the hatch! One of the mermaids escaped! Along, Teacher Cheng, and Pan Xiaoxin tried to lock it again, but another mermaid poked half its body out, trying to bite them! Everyone scrambled back in panic, Bai Youwei suppressed one of them with an electric shock, the other one escaped, causing havoc! But Asarina failed to catch up with Aqing, watched helplessly as he fell off the boat and into the water! Chapter 684: 4 Only Chapter 684: Chapter 684: 4 Only Asarina gritted her teeth, turning to face the Fish Monster, letting her grief fuel her rage! S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. First, she devoured Aqing¡¯s item ¡°Swan Meat,¡± which boosted her speed by 30%. Thanks to the speed advantage, she slit the throat of a Mermaid Monster, causing a flow of crimson blood. Next, she used the ¡°Last Straw¡± to pin another Mermaid Monster onto the deck, rendering it immobile. Then, alongside Along, Teacher Chang, and Pan Xiaoxin, they locked the final Mermaid Monster in the cabin, preventing it from breaking out! The crisis was averted; all three Mermaids were subdued. However, the cost was exhausting two of their items. If they did not find a way out and had to fight four, or even more Mermaids, without enough items, it would be an impossible task. Asarina fell to her knees on the deck after a rollercoaster of emotions, her expression blank. She had thought they could escape this time, but they failed. Worse still, Aqing was in danger¡­ Bai Youwei opened her mouth, unsure how to comfort Asarina. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin, asking, ¡°Were any of you injured? If so, dress the wound, try not to get the slime on it¡­¡± Everyone hurriedly checked themselves. They had been clenching so hard earlier, they had no clue whether they had been injured, or whether they had come into contact with the slime. Bai Youwei also inspected her rabbit, sighing in disappointment at its low battery. Usually, releasing a small electric ball was sufficient to shock people. But this time, despite continually discharging electricity, it didn¡¯t seem to do much damage to the Mermaids. Unbeknownst to them, more than half the battery had been drained. Then, suddenly, there was a loud bang! The ship shook! Their nerves, which had just begun to relax, tensed up again instantly! Everyone looked around nervously. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is there another Mermaid?!¡± Bang! Another loud noise! A dark figure slammed into the ship, tightly gripping the railing, its fan-shaped dorsal fin shimmering ominously in the darkness. Its mouth was filled with sharp teeth, its bulging, white eyes were terrifying, yet maintained some trace of a human face. Asarina, who had been holding back her tears, finally broke down at this sight! ¡°It¡¯s Aqing!¡± She cried out, shaking as she raised her knife, tears streaming down her face, and lunged at her former companion! ¡ªAqing was no longer the same Aqing. He had become a Mermaid, turning his body so that his sturdy tail blocked the knife, covered in scales as hard as armor. Asarina was swept aside by the tail, falling heavily onto the deck. Aqing, however, showed no interest in her and instead, let out a growl and targeted Along, Teacher Chang, and Pan Xiaoxin! It crawled towards them, its teeth bared! And it crawled fast! Along ran forward with his knife! Bai Youwei tried to find an opportunity to electrocute it on the side, while Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin also picked up bamboo poles to jab it now and then! It finally lost patience. Not just lost patience, it also realized it was no match for the group of humans. Letting out a harsh roar, it thrashed its tail with great force! As if making a last-ditch effort! The fishing boat rocked violently due to it! Everyone hastily stabilized themselves, but the Mermaid Monster seized this chance to pounce again! Bai Youwei discharged lightning once again! It couldn¡¯t dodge and fell heavily to the ground. During its thrashings, it somehow toppled over Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair¡ª Bai Youwei fell, and then was dragged by Mermaid Monster off the boat! With a splash, Bai Youwei felt her whole body grow cold! Salty seawater rushed in from all sides, instantly engulfing her whole body. The Mermaid Monster was continually dragging her deeper! If it kept dragging her down, she would undoubtedly die. Even if she had eaten the Mahi-Mahi, which allowed her to stay underwater for an extended time, her body wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the pressure at the seabed. Fortunately, she still had the rabbit in her hand. The user will not be affected when using the item to release electricity, so Bai Youwei had no reservations. She had the rabbit release an electric current; the Mermaid Monster immediately let her go, and her body floated upwards because of her life jacket. However, when Bai Youwei surfaced, she was taken aback by the sight before her¡­ Chapter 685: Ouroboros Chapter 685: Chapter 685: Ouroboros The hull of the ship was adorned with a pile of tangled Ouroboros snakes! Bai Youwei had never imagined that the most crucial clue had been right before her eyes all along, and yet she had been oblivious to it! The Ouroboros, also known as the tail-devouring snake, is a common symbol in religion and myth, taking the form of a snake consuming its own tail, creating a closed circle. Humans often attribute meanings such as ¡°infinity¡± and ¡°cycle¡± to this symbol. It perfectly corresponded to the labyrinth they were in now, where no matter which way they went, they always ended up back at the starting point. On the fishing boat in front of Bai Youwei, there were seven Ouroboros snakes! The seven snakes were entwined with each other, like a tangled mess of yarn. Their bodies were a harlequin pattern of black and red color, with a black that was almost rust-colored, and red that resembled blood. Under the dim lighting, it was hard to see clearly, Bai Youwei was absorbed in observing them when Asarina and Professor Cheng on the boat extended a long bamboo pole towards her- sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Quick, get on board!¡± The water is not safe; if they wanted to solve the puzzle, they would probably need another opportunity. She reached out to grab the bamboo pole, when suddenly, the boat was jolted strongly! The Mermaid Monster was climbing up from the other side! Professor Cheng had not managed to steady himself, hastily grabbing onto the railing, his other hand clutching the bamboo pole. Asarina picked up a knife from the ground and chopped toward the Mermaid! The mermaid in the hull, which was barely alive, seemed to sense the presence of its companion and struggled violently! The cabin door was continually being battered! Along and Pan Xiaoxin rushed to hold it shut! The boat was in chaos; Professor Cheng was anxious and extended the bamboo pole with all his might, shouting to Bai Youwei: ¡°Weiwei! Hurry up and get on board!¡± After Bai Youwei fell into the water, she was some distance away from the fishing boat. Amidst the upheaval on board, Asarina was knocked over by the Mermaid! She fell heavily onto the deck! The Mermaid opened its jaws wide apart, revealing its full fanged mouth. Asarina brandished her knife in front of her, forcefully pushing against the Mermaid, tears welling up in her eyes. She knew the Mermaid before her was Aqing, and that this time, either she would die or he would! ¡°Boss!¡± Along shouted anxiously, pressing hard against the cabin door that was constantly being lifted. He was stretched thin and unable to rush to Asarina¡¯s side to assist. Watching as the sharp teeth of the Mermaid grew increasingly close to Asarina, Professor Cheng grit his teeth, lifted the bamboo pole with all his might, and swung it! With a violent smash! The bamboo pole struck the Mermaid¡¯s head! A strong rebounding force forced Professor Cheng to release his grip. His hands were numb and aching! Having been hit by the bamboo pole, the Mermaid Monster turned its anger onto Professor Cheng. It let out a roar, and with a violent swing of its tail, leapt onto Professor Cheng! Professor Cheng, caught in a surprised panic, was unable to dodge in time. Both he and the Mermaid fell off the boat into the water! All of this happened in mere seconds. Bai Youwei watched wide-eyed as Professor Cheng fell into the water, feeling as though the icy water was freezing her bones. Two seconds later, Asarina quickly took off her life jacket, picked up the knife and dived into the water to rescue them. Following closely, Along grabbed a rope and dived into the water as well! Splashes hit the black water surface, then everything calmed down, leaving nothing behind¡­ One can see nothing, hear nothing, and have no way to judge the life or death beneath the water. Bai Youwei was stunned. After a while, she heard Pan Xiaoxin on the boat yelling for her, and snapped back to reality. Bai Youwei was hauled up onto the boat by Pan Xiaoxin alone. Once back on the boat, she was soaking wet, her hands and feet were beginning to go numb from the cold. She turned her head to look at the water below the ship, asking Pan Xiaoxin to bring over a flashlight so she could see more clearly. Both of them sat by the railing, silently watching over this stretch of water. After a while, Bai Youwei asked Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Are you scared?¡± Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s eyes were red. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Scared.¡± Bai Youwei hugged Pan Xiaoxin into her arms, wanting to gently pat his back. But she saw her fingertips trembling. She drew a deep breath and whispered softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Nothing¡¯s going to happen¡­ Nothing¡¯s going to happen¡­¡± Chapter 686: Its Not Over Chapter 686: Chapter 686: It¡¯s Not Over S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The wait wasn¡¯t long, about two minutes, but to Bai Youwei, it seemed like a century had passed. The first one to surface was Asarina. Her face was pale, skin tinged blue from the seawater. After a few weak strokes, she lost her strength and began to sink. Along was the second one to surface, supporting Asarina from behind. He had Chang Weicai on his back. Their bodies were tied together with a rope. Bai Youwei heaved a sigh of relief. But when she noticed that Chang Weicai¡¯s head hung low, seemingly unconscious, her heart tightened as though being strangled. If a person is unharmed, how could they lose consciousness? Chang Weicai must be injured¡­ Pan Xiaoxin tied a life jacket to a rope and tossed it across. Asarina clung to the life jacket. With much effort, the three of them finally managed to return to the boat. Everyone lay on the deck without uttering a word, panting heavily. Bai Youwei came to Chang Weicai¡¯s side to find that his shoulder had been bitten through. The wound was washed white by the seawater, with clear scratch and bite marks on his shirt. She stared at him in shock. Chang Weicai slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. Unaware of this, Bai Youwei stared at Chang Weicai¡¯s wound, thinking to herself, she had stood by when Aqing got into trouble. Now, she was experiencing the pain that Asarina suffered then. If this is some kind of divine justice, it seems too cruel¡­ Along helped Asarina up, asking non-stop, ¡°Boss? Boss! Are you okay, bro?!¡± Asarina tugged the corner of her mouth, unusually withholding her temper. Her voice hoarse, she retorted, ¡°For upteenth time, call me big sis, you brat¡­¡± Along lifted his arm to cover his face and began to sob. Pretending to be angry, Asarina rebuked, ¡°Why are you crying? ¡­ I¡¯m not dead yet.¡± Everyone kept silent. Being injured was not the major issue. The real problem was¡­ no one knew if Asarina or Chang Weicai would end up like Aqing? Asarina turned to Bai Youwei and said, ¡°The mermaid is stronger underwater, and both the old man and I got injured. I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s my fault for not keeping a close eye on Aqing, which led to this situation¡­¡± Bai Youwei shook her head and replied in a low voice, ¡°It was my fault; I didn¡¯t successfully close the door to the dollhouse in time.¡± Chang Weicai interrupted them, ¡°The gold has its flaw, and man is no exception. You¡¯re not gods; you can¡¯t always be perfect and as expected. If anyone is to blame, it¡¯s this old man. I was useless and dragged you into danger¡­¡± He gave a heavy sigh then continued, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for saving me, she wouldn¡¯t have gotten injured.¡± Asarina tried to smile, ¡°Old man, you were the one who saved me first.¡± Bai Youwei lowered her gaze, trying to keep her voice calm, ¡°Let¡¯s get inside the dollhouse first. We should treat the wounds and keep them dry¡­¡± Asarina disagreed, ¡°I will stay out here. Just tie me up with a rope. If you notice anything wrong with me, don¡¯t hesitate. Aim for the neck¡­ and make it quick.¡± Hearing this, Chang Weicai nodded, ¡°Bind me as well.¡± Everyone fell silent, all lowering their heads, not saying a word. Asarina frowned, made eye contact with each one, before her gaze landed on Along. She ordered, ¡°Along, you go! Fetch a rope!¡± Along lifted his arm to wipe away his tears, then silently got up, picked up the rope on the deck, and tied Asarina up tightly. Then he tied up Chang Weicai as well. Whilst he was doing all that, Bai Youwei and Pan Xiaoxin watched silently from the side. Once Along had tied both of them securely, Bai Youwei spoke in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not over¡­¡± All eyes were on her. She closed her eyes, then spoke again, ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. As long as we can get out of here, you all will be fine ¡­¡± Chapter 687: Finding Patterns Chapter 687: Chapter 687: Finding Patterns The fishing boat backed out of Cave 6. Asarina seemed alright, but the teacher was in worse condition. Perhaps due to his age, he appeared half-conscious and lethargic. The boat stopped in front of seven cave entrances. Pan Xiaoxin looked uncertainly at Bai Youwei. ¡°Sister Weiwei, which cave should we enter this time?¡± They had already passed through Cave 4 and Cave 2. Now, Cave 6 was impassable, they had to make a choice again. Bai Youwei studied the caves and asked Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Xiaoxin, do you see a pattern between 4 and 2?¡± Pan Xiaoxin paused, ¡°They¡¯re both even numbers, and then¡­ there¡¯s only one digit between them?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Counting from right to left, there¡¯s a 3 between 4 and 2. If the pattern holds for the next cave, counting forward from 2, which cave should we choose?¡± ¡°¡­7?¡± Pan Xiaoxin hazarded uncertainly. Asarina asked, ¡°Are you sure about 7?¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell.¡± Bai Youwei lowered her gaze and spoke softly, ¡°Just now, under the boat, I saw patterns of Ouroboros, seven of them exactly. Near the Ouroboros was a picture of a mermaid, as if¡­ once we leave the safety of the Ouroboros, we¡¯ll be attacked by the mermaids.¡± Pan Xiaoxin hadn¡¯t gone under the boat, and thus hadn¡¯t seen those patterns. Hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s words, he realized, ¡°I see now, the seven Ouroboros correspond to the seven caves, is that right, Sister Weiwei?¡± Bai Youwei nodded slightly, murmuring, ¡°At the very start, no matter which cave we chose, we¡¯d not encounter the mermaids since we were at the snake¡¯s head. Every snake¡¯s head could guarantee our safety, but once we move deeper, to the snake¡¯s body, we¡¯d effectively be choosing a closed circular path. We¡¯d have to follow the path corresponding to the specific Ouroboros or we¡¯d lose its protection.¡± Unable to contain his curiosity, Along asked, ¡°But how do we know the path corresponding to each snake? Are there any clues in the pattern?¡± This was the most difficult part for Bai Youwei. Because the pattern on the boat depicted a cluster of snakes intertwined, and since the light was dim, it was quite hard to make out the details. Also, due to the mermaids¡¯ repeated attacks, the patterns were severely damaged. Iron plates had fallen off in some places. ¡°Each Ouroboros corresponds to a certain path that follows its own rules¡­ I can¡¯t find any obvious clues, but their colors alternate between black and red. If the head is black, then the tail is red, the colors are on a perfect cycle.¡± Asarina mused, ¡°If the sequence of entering the caves also follows this cyclic rule like the colors, entering Cave 4 first, then move two steps forward to Cave 2, then it¡¯s Cave 7, Cave 5, Cave 3, Cave 1, Cave 6, and back to Cave 4. We¡¯d need to enter the caves eight times to complete a cycle.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡± After a pause, Bai Youwei added, ¡°Counting from right to left, there¡¯s one number between 4 and 2, while counting from left to right, there¡¯re four numbers between 4 and 2.¡± 1-2-3-4-5-6-7. Upon hearing this, Asarina nodded, ¡°I see. You mean the number of the next cave we choose corresponds to its gap from the cave before. If we started with Cave 1, the next would be Cave 3, then Cave 5, Cave 7, Cave 2, Cave 4, Cave 6, and back to Cave 1. It also makes a cycle through eight steps.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just one possible pattern.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice grew softer, ¡°Should we decide on the caves according to the color hints, or not? Let¡¯s hear your opinions.¡± Asarina thought for a moment and looked at Along, ¡°You go down and check, how many color blocks are on those Ouroboros.¡± Chapter 688: Poisonous Chicken Soup Chapter 688: Chapter 688: Poisonous Chicken Soup Along tied a rope around himself, the other end secured to the deck. Equipped with a flashlight and a knife, he slowly slid off the boat. Trying to make out the designs on the rusty ship hull was challenging enough, not to mention that parts of the designs were submerged in the water. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Along was underwater for a long time, with Pan Xiaoxin watching him from the railings. Bai Youwei sat next to Mr. Chang during the long wait, wiping his body dry with a towel to keep him as dry as possible. Several times, Mr. Chang opened his eyes but said nothing, only watching them for a while before closing his eyes again, seemingly very tired. Bai Youwei wiped Mr. Chang¡¯s face, his arms, and his hands until she felt something hard¡­ Like a fingernail. She gazed down at it in silence. There, on the back of Mr. Chang¡¯s hand, grew a layer of tiny¡­ semi-transparent fish scales. Pan Xiaoxin also noticed them and turned to Bai Youwei with reddened eyes, ¡°Sister Weiwei¡­¡± Without saying a word, Bai Youwei stared for a long time, then released Mr. Chang¡¯s hand to check on Asarina. Asarina was also seriously injured, but for some reason, she didn¡¯t display any abnormalities. Asarina reflected for a moment, then told Bai Youwei, ¡°Perhaps the sea water diluted the sticky fluid, so I¡¯m okay.¡± Meanwhile, Mr. Chang had been bitten by the mermaid while still on board. Asarina, observing Bai Youwei¡¯s expression, carefully said, ¡°As you said, it¡¯s not over yet. Only once we leave here, will the outcome remain unknown.¡± So don¡¯t give up easily. Until the last moment, no one knows what the outcome will be. However, such pep talk, to Bai Youwei, was as tasteless as plain water. After a moment of silence, she asked Asarina, ¡°How did you¡­ reconcile the fact that you had to hurt Aqing when he¡­ was in trouble?¡± Asarina was taken aback by her words. Bai Youwei lowered her head, her hands gripping the moist skirt over her knees. In a low voice, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by it, I was just wondering, if¡­ if Mr. Chang can¡¯t be saved, how should I¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t continue. Asarina stared at her in silence, understanding her meaning. If Mr. Chang ended up like Aqing, someone among them would have to end his life. And the obvious choice for this task would be Bai Youwei. Gently, Asarina said, ¡°I had only one thought then, that Aqing was in severe pain, very severe pain, so I must do my utmost to stop his suffering.¡± Bai Youwei nodded vaguely, ¡°Hmm, I see¡­¡± ¡°But I also regret it.¡± Asarina added. Bai Youwei looked confused, baffled. Asarina explained, ¡°As humans, even when we make decisions that we believe are right, we still regret the outcomes we bring about. I was the one who killed Aqing. I will never forget that. I regret it, and it pains me. But if given another chance, I would still kill him. Do you think you can escape the afflictions of your conscience by uttering a few seemingly reasonable statements? That¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no getting by in this world without bearing one¡¯s own cross.¡± Bai Youwei held her lips, took a deep breath, and responded, ¡°¡­I understand.¡± She turned around to continue drying Mr. Chang, pondering Asarina¡¯s words¡ª Even when making decisions believed to be correct, guilt is inescapable. Fancy words are just placating, they can¡¯t change the essence of pain. A tear dropped onto Mr. Chang¡¯s hand. Bai Youwei blinked, hastily wiped her eyes, and continued wiping off Mr. Chang¡¯s body. On the other side, Along finally climbed back onto the boat. Anxious, Asarina immediately asked, ¡°How did it go? Did you figure out the pattern of the colors?¡± Along nodded, panting, ¡°Yes, although I couldn¡¯t ascertain some parts due to obstructions, there are certainly eight segments, both black and red repeated eight times!¡± Chapter 689: Will Succeed Chapter 689: Chapter 689: Will Succeed Asarina breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Bai Youwei with joy, ¡°The cycle of the color blocks is 8 times, and the cycle of the serial numbers is also 8 times. According to the method you mentioned, it should be correct!¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. She was always proud, even somewhat conceited. Yet now she seemed hesitant and indecisive, as if she had lost herself. If they made another mistake, they would face four mermaids. It would be impossible for her and Along, the injured Asarina, and the young Pan Xiaoxin to cope. In the past, she was at ease in the game. Shen Mo¡¯s support gave her the confidence that ¡°even if she made a mistake, she could recover¡±. But now¡­ Now, dare she try? Risking the lives of her companions, does she dare? ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Asarina became impatient, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a strong resolve in the Red Yellow Blue game? Why are you so hesitant now? You¡¯re like a childish ghost! As soon as you face a huge risk, you become timid and cautious. You¡¯re just too cowardly and afraid to take on responsibility!¡± Bai Youwei bit her lip. Pan Xiaoxin said urgently: ¡°Sister Weiwei just doesn¡¯t want to make a hasty decision!¡± ¡°But the elderly man beside you doesn¡¯t have much time!¡± Asarina asked Pan Xiaoxin, ¡°Kid, are you afraid of death?¡± Pan Xiaoxin shook his head with a tense little face, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid!¡± ¡°Along, are you afraid of dying?¡± she asked again. Along shook his head resolutely. Asarina looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Do you see that? We¡¯re not afraid to die, so go ahead and make a decision! How will you compete with other players for the King role in the future? ¡ª¡ªKing! You have to remember, you¡¯re the King! Don¡¯t make me regret being your subject!¡± Asarina¡¯s words felt like a slap to Bai Youwei¡¯s face. It burned. She was indeed cowardly and weak, afraid to bear the responsibility for others¡¯ lives. She had always been alone, without the care of friends. She never experienced the joys and sorrows of gathering and parting. She was accustomed to being alone! So she couldn¡¯t bear this pressure. She really couldn¡¯t! It was too heavy! And too heartbreaking!¡ªThe people she cared about! If they died because of her mistake, she would never forgive herself! A hand gently tugged at her sleeve. It was Teacher Cheng. He squinted his eyes, his expression calm and gentle, ¡°It¡¯s okay, take your time¡­Don¡¯t rush, don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself¡­We¡¯re not in a hurry¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s nose tingled, she quickly turned her face, not letting Teacher Cheng see her tears. After a long while, she said, ¡°Along¡­take Asarina and Teacher Cheng into the cabin. Xiaoxin, head to the control room¡­¡± She bit her lip, her lips stinging, and then spoke again: ¡°Set course for cave number 7.¡± Asarina breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°We will definitely get out.¡± Asarina said confidently, ¡°This time, there will be no mistakes.¡± In order to get out of this maze of seven caves, they had to follow a certain pattern. What was this pattern? The Ouroboros gave them a hint. The seven snakes formed seven closed paths, each with its own pattern. They must ¡°go from start to finish¡±. Pick one of the patterns, stick to it, until the cycle is completed, from the head of the snake, back to the head of the snake! The snakehead they chose was number 4. They had to make eight choices to return to number 4¡ª 1-2-3-(4)-5-6-7-1-(2)-3-4-5-6-(7)-1-2-3-4-(5)-6-7-1-2-(3)-4-5-6-7-(1)-2-3-4-5-(6)-7-1-2-3-(4)-5-6-7 Like a snake, the black and red alternate to form a cycle. Asarina silently calculated, closed her eyes, and prayed in her heart: You will succeed, Bai Youwei¡­you will succeed. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 690: Her Legs Chapter 690: Chapter 690: Her Legs Everyone remained inside the cabin. Bai Youwei stood guard at the door, bunny in her arms, quietly awaiting the outcome. If mermaids appeared, she would fend them off with thunder, and also instruct Pan Xiaoxin to leave the cave as quickly as possible. It didn¡¯t matter if the boat wasn¡¯t fast enough; she could get everyone into the doll house where they would be safe. If they couldn¡¯t leave, then they would outlast the mermaids, they surely couldn¡¯t stay on the boat forever. The mermaids were water creatures, without water, they would eventually suffocate¡­ When they¡¯d finally have to leave, she would then exit the doll house and drive the boat out of the cave. Even though she was slower than them, after trying enough times, even if she could only move 1 centimeter at a time, she would eventually get out of the cave¡­ What else? ¡­Where else should she be careful? ¡­ ¡°Sister Weiwei¡­ Sister Weiwei? Sister Weiwei?¡± Pan Xiaoxin¡¯s voice brought Bai Youwei back from her thoughts. She turned her head and found that everyone in the cabin was staring at her. Bewildered, Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°We made it out!¡± Asarina exclaimed. ¡°Bai Youwei, you were right! The pattern of Cave #4 is to move counterclockwise by four terms each time!¡± Pan Xiaoxin also cheered: ¡°Sister Weiwei! We can leave now!¡± Bai Youwei looked around in a daze. Unknowingly, Xiaoxin had already navigated the boat out of the cave, and they were once again faced with the choice of seven caves. ¡°Let¡¯s take it in one go!¡± Asarina said. ¡°Next, is cave #5!¡± Bai Youwei looked at the drowsy Master Chang, pursed her lips, and nodded: ¡°Alright, Cave #5.¡± ¡­ They made it through Cave #5 without any incidents. Then it was caves #3, #1, and #6¡ª For the last time, they would have to travel through Cave #4 again. If Bai Youwei¡¯s speculation was correct, when they successfully made their way from the snake¡¯s head to its tail and back to the snake¡¯s head, they would complete the cycle and unlock the exit to the maze. The fishing boat moved onwards. It was still dark in front and, but Bai Youwei could hear the sound of waves. A little while later, she felt the wind blowing on her face. Bai Youwei held her breath, turned to look at Chang Weicai, and then called out anxiously: ¡°Master Chang! Wake up, we¡¯re about to get out!¡± Master Chang slowly opened his eyes. The sea breeze blew across the deck, the sound of the waves was thunderous, and their surroundings shifted into an expanse of blank white¡ª ¡°Congratulations to the player for clearing Maze #3.¡± The system notification sounded, and Bai Youwei found herself in a stark white space, alone. ¡°The player is the first to clear Maze #3. The current round¡¯s game clearing rank is, one. You have acquired 2 doll jigsaw pieces.¡± ¡°Now upgrading player¡¯s data¡­¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ding, the upgrade has been completed.¡± Bai Youwei could clearly feel the changes in her body. She felt lighter, her breathing smoother, her senses sharper, and her legs¡­ She tried to stand up. Her knees didn¡¯t buckle, her calves didn¡¯t tremble, she could walk again! Bai Youwei looked down, staring blankly at her own legs. She couldn¡¯t believe it, she sat back down and put her hand on her leg. Was this really her leg? ¡°The reward distribution is complete. Please continue the game, strive to clear the game¡ª¡± The system¡¯s voice disappeared and she was back in the rest hall. There stood Pan Xiaoxin, Asarina, Along, and Master Chang by her side. Master Chang was smiling at her. Great! Everyone was safe! Not far from them, Shen Mo was leading Tan Xiao and Ya Chaohui towards them. It seemed that Shen Mo¡¯s team had gotten out of the maze earlier than them. Bai Youwei wanted to run towards them, but as she was about to push off from her wheelchair and stand, a thought flashed through her mind. She then happily sat back down and extended her arms towards her boyfriend. Shen Mo was amused. He walked over to her, held her in his arms, and asked: ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied, burying her face into his chest. ¡°Everyone¡¯s okay.¡± Chapter 691: High Heels Chapter 691: Chapter 691: High Heels In the rest area, quite a few game players who had also made it through the maze were gathered in small groups, quietly exchanging information. Bai Youwei did not see Yan Qingwen. She didn¡¯t know whether he hadn¡¯t managed to exit the maze or if he had already returned to the base with Su Man and Zhu Shu. After a brief chat to ensure everyone was safe, they prepared to return to the base. A minor episode occurred in the process¡ª When Bai Youwei gave Asarina and Along two puzzle pieces as agreed, their glowing wristwatches immediately showed a change, adding an icon for King¡¯s Territory. In other words, from this point on they were bound to Bai Youwei, and could only switch locations between the rest area and King¡¯s Territory, unable to leave the King¡¯s Territory for anywhere else. On Bai Youwei¡¯s side, her King¡¯s wristwatch also displayed an additional information column that showed the profiles of Asarina and Along, and the number of puzzle pieces each held. Currently, it showed Asarina with four puzzle pieces and Along with three. From this, Bai Youwei knew that during the maze¡¯s reward settlement, Asarina had obtained two puzzle pieces and Along had obtained one. The design of this function was likely meant to allow the King to easily control their subjects, clearly showing how many puzzle pieces each subject held, making it impossible for them to hide any. Bai Youwei gave Xiaoxin one puzzle piece. The character icon on the watch was updated to include Xiaoxin with two puzzle pieces. After sorting out recruitment matters, the group left the rest area and returned to base. Then a new problem arose. After leaving the maze and the game, in reality the miraculous ¡°simultaneous translation¡± function was no longer working, and no one could understand the Thai spoken by Asarina and Along. Fortunately, both of them understood some English. Although their accents were heavy, they could still be somewhat understood, so this issue was temporarily resolved. On returning to the King¡¯s Headquarters Building, Chu Huaijin was overjoyed and enthusiastically arranged rooms for Asarina and Along. He reminded everyone to rest well, confirming that as soon as Yan Qingwen returned, they would hold a big celebration party. Only then did Bai Youwei realize that Yan Qingwen, along with Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Lu Yuwen, had not emerged from the maze yet. Perhaps because her leg had healed, Bai Youwei was in high spirits and feeling energetic. Even on knowing that Yan Qingwen could be in danger, she wasn¡¯t too worried. Instead, she was optimistic that they would overcome this hurdle and return with huge rewards. Everyone was exhausted after coming out of the maze, and practically went straight to bed once they were back at headquarters. Except for Bai Youwei. Her emotions were running high, and, stifling her excitement, she quietly inquired the front desk about shoe stores nearby. Having received special training, the front desk staff treated each candidate for the King¡¯s role with the utmost respect. ¡°Do you need shoes? If you could provide us your size and preferences for style and color, we¡¯ll do our utmost to meet your requirements¡­¡± ¡°No need, just tell me the location. I¡¯ll pick them myself.¡± Bai Youwei responded. The front desk recommended, ¡°There are a few shoe stores on Nanjing Road. It might rain tonight, I¡¯ll arrange a car for you.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, emphasizing, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else that I¡¯m going to buy shoes.¡± She wanted everyone to be surprised. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Of course, she mainly wanted to surprise that person. Would his usually calm and indifferent face show some interesting reaction? She was really looking forward to it. The driver dropped Bai Youwei off on Nanjing Road, stopping specifically outside a sports store. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t interested in sports shoes, she asked the driver to keep driving and finally stopped outside a luxury store¡ª Inside, there was an elegant and refined collection of high heels on display. In this transformed world, they seemed like gorgeous and dreamy illusions. Beautiful, yet unreal. As a result, the store didn¡¯t have many visitors and still looked more or less the same as pre-transformation. Bai Youwei chose a pair of champagne-colored stiletto heels. Chapter 692: Want to Fight Chapter 692: Chapter 692: Want to Fight High heels have always been synonymous with elegance and sensuality. Some people may scoff, thinking that the beauty of women does not necessarily have to be shown through high heels, but for Bai Youwei, high heels have always been a distant dream. Since the car accident when she was 12, there was only one type of shoe she could wear: easy-to-put-on-and-take-off, soft cloth shoes. She doesn¡¯t own any high heels. And lacks a curvaceous silhouette. Below the waist, a casual pinch would feel protruding bones. Her calf muscles had atrophied to the point of losing all aesthetic appeal. There are no signs of maturity on her body. She seems to have forever remained 12 years old, even puberty continued slower than her peers. Even though the labyrinth had improved her physical condition, she still lacked high heels. Yes, she wanted high heels. ¡­ Bai Youwei returned to the King¡¯s Headquarters with the pair of high heels. All along the way, she sneaked around, fearing to be seen. But she was lucky, and didn¡¯t run into Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, or Teacher Cheng. Where had everyone gone? Bai Youwei didn¡¯t have time to ponder over this. Filled with anticipation, she dove into her room, locked the door, took out her prepared dress, and wore it with the high heels. She then stood in front of the full-length mirror ¨C The girl in the mirror had an awkward and nervous stance, but there was no denying that she looked young, beautiful, and eye-catching. Bai Youwei stared at herself. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, she gently lifted her dress¡­ And quietly watched her own legs. Fair, slender, straight¡­ completely flawless, even her knees were plump and tender, glowing with a lustrous sheen. She tried to take a step in front of the mirror. The heels were too high, putting strain on the front of her foot. It was quite uncomfortable. But it looked so good¡­ She carefully took steps in front of the mirror, walking back and forth, thinking to herself: It looks so good. Would he like it? Like these legs¡­ Come to think of it, he hasn¡¯t been seen since earlier. Where on earth could he have gone? Was he sought out by Chu Huaijin again? Bai Youwei thought for a moment, let down her dress, and decided to check the conference room. When she left her room, the hallway was empty. The clip-clop of the high heels on the polished tiles was like rhythmic music. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart was elated, and her steps became even lighter. Passing by Teacher Cheng¡¯s room, she heard talking from inside. She stopped, looking at the door in confusion. ¡°The doctor has thoroughly examined, although a few test results are not out yet, it has generally been affirmed that Teacher Cheng¡¯s health is quite good, but as for recovery¡­ I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. The advancement of the labyrinth civilization is far beyond ours too much¡­¡± It was Chu Huaijin¡¯s voice. Bai Youwei stared at the door blankly, her thoughts stuck. What does he mean? They had just said that his health was excellent, why couldn¡¯t he recover¡­ Teacher Cheng¡¯s voice came: ¡°For the time being, don¡¯t tell Weiwei about this¡­ She¡¯s always thought I was fine. Don¡¯t let her get upset. That girl doesn¡¯t take these things well, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get over it.¡± Chu Huaijin also said: ¡°Being alive is more important than anything else. You must rest well. We¡¯ll help to keep this from Miss Bai.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, the Labyrinth War is serious. If Wei gets distracted because of this, it will be disadvantageous,¡± chimed in Tan Xiao. ¡°With her psychological quality, she¡¯s unsuited for Labyrinth War from the start,¡± Ya Chaohui said coldly. ¡°War is a test of how to command the troops, and requires decisiveness and a big-picture view. It¡¯s not a game you can win by just being clever a couple of times.¡± Tan Xiao retorted unsatisfied, ¡°What¡¯s your problem! Looking down on our boss?¡± ¡°I dare not underestimate her. I¡¯m just stating the facts. The fact that Teacher Cheng ended up like this also indirectly shows she¡¯s unsuitable for becoming a King.¡± Tan Xiao rolled up his sleeves, ¡°Damn it, I think you¡¯re looking for a fight!¡± Chapter 693: All is Quiet Chapter 693: Chapter 693: All is Quiet ¡°Everyone, quiet down.¡± Shen Mo spoke calmly, ¡°I led you here to visit Mr. Chang, not to fight or argue. If you want to do that, leave.¡± Ya Chaohui lowered his head, apologizing quickly: ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Tan Xiao gave him a displeased glare, humming loudly in response. The sound of high heels echoed from outside the room. Shen Mo was indifferent, assuming it was just a passing staff member. He said, ¡°Even though he seems healthy now, things are still not the same as before. We¡¯ll wait until all the medical test results for Mr. Chang are out and then decide what to do next.¡± Then he turned to Chang Weicai, asking, ¡°How do you feel? Is there any difference compared to before?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Mr. Chang, looking a bit troubled, touched the fish scales on his arm, ¡°If it gets too dry, some areas will itch, which is a bit uncomfortable¡­¡± Tan Xiao looked at Chang Weicai with a straight face, ¡°Mr. Chang, you¡¯ve turned into a fish! Is there anything you feel like eating? Earthworms?¡± ¡°Tan Xiao, stop teasing,¡± Shen Mo frowned in disapproval. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Tan Xiao replied seriously, ¡°If Mr. Chang¡¯s diet has changed, we would need to prepare it ahead of time. He won¡¯t be able to eat at the restaurant anymore!¡± ¡°About food¡­ I don¡¯t feel any difference.¡± Mr. Chang responded with a bitter smile, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because it hasn¡¯t been long since my transformation. I will keep an eye on it.¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°The two people who left with Weiwei, do they know about your transformation?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Mr. Chang hesitated, ¡°Everyone was so happy to have escaped from the maze that they probably didn¡¯t notice me. And I was wearing long sleeves and pants, so most of me was covered up.¡± ¡°But what about your neck¡­¡± Tan Xiao extended two fingers, lifting up the thin membrane on Chang Weicai¡¯s neck, his expression troubled, ¡°This can¡¯t be covered¡­¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mr. Chang looked embarrassed. He quickly pulled the keratin back down, tucking it all back into his collar, just like stuffing a handkerchief there, ¡°¡­I can use a scarf to cover it¡­¡± Everyone watched him in silence. The scales and fins on his body could be ignored as they were covered by his clothes, but this feature on his neck made Mr. Chang stand out with an unusual trait. It was hard to imagine what he could encounter if he insisted on living in the Human World with such an appearance¡­ It was hard to imagine what Mr. Chang would have to face. Shen Mo was silent for a while before he spoke again, ¡°Mr. Chang, you should stay in your room for now. Try not to go out until the medical check results come out.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Mr. Chang nodded, his face carrying a helpless yet gentle smile, ¡°In my current state, it¡¯s really not suitable to go outside. Thank you for your concern.¡± Tan Xiao wanted to suggest that staying there would be too boring and that it might be better to go to the doll house, but sensing the presence of an outsider, he held his tongue, only giving Mr. Chang a meaningful look. Mr. Chang wasn¡¯t able to understand Tan Xiao¡¯s hint. ¡°You should rest now. We¡¯ll come over if there is anything else,¡± said Shen Mo, leading everyone out of the room. Outside the room, Shen Mo took Chu Huaijin aside, leaving Tan Xiao and Ya Chaohui behind, ¡°If it¡¯s possible, can we check Mr. Chang¡¯s blood sample for toxicity?¡± Chu Huaijin was taken aback, ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Just in case,¡± Shen Mo stated lightly, ¡°According to their descriptions, the mucus secreted by mermaids is infectious. But since Mr. Chang has already undergone the labyrinth transformation, he might be safe.¡± Chu Huaijin, after listening, nodded earnestly, ¡°Your suggestion is very valid. I will make sure that they perform thorough testing. With the electricity back up, most of the equipment can be used and we should get the results quickly.¡± Upon saying this, he paused for a second, speaking earnestly, ¡°But¡­ for safety, I may arrange for guards to be stationed near Mr. Chang. I hope you can understand.¡± Chapter 694: Go Back and Think Clearly Chapter 694: Chapter 694: Go Back and Think Clearly Chu Huaijin wanted to ensure the safety of the people in this building, and if Master Cheng did pose a risk of spreading a contagious toxin, then his personal freedom must be limited. This was a reasonable request. ¡°No need,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I will find another place for Master Cheng. He won¡¯t stay here, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the spread of an infection.¡± Chu Huaijin asked, ¡°Where are you planning to take him?¡± Shen Mo casually replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to concern yourself with that, anyway it will not pose a threat to the safety of city residents.¡± Chu Huaijin didn¡¯t ask any further and simply smiled, ¡°I hope the check-up results are normal.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± Shen Mo sighed softly. He hoped it was just pointless worry. ¡­ After Chu Huaijin left, Shen Mo prepared to return to his room but heard Tan Xiao and Ya Chaohui arguing. It turned out that they hadn¡¯t gone back to their rooms earlier but had resumed arguing. Tan Xiao, rudely clutching Ya Chaohui¡¯s collar, gave him a lesson in a rather boisterous manner, ¡°You are just a little follower, what are you being arrogant about?! Dare to point fingers at the boss, are you getting bored of living? You understand the rules of the game?!¡± Ya Chaohui, expressionless, stared straight ahead, and said, ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re trying to act tough with me here?¡± Tan Xiao, annoyed, clenched his fist, ¡°I think you need some disciplining!¡± With that, he swung a punch! However, Ya Chaohui responded swiftly, he dodged like lighting and effortlessly grabbed Tan Xiao¡¯s incoming fist, twisting his hand back sharply! Ya Chaohui¡¯s military background had endowed him with superior fighting skills compared to Tan Xiao. However, Tan Xiao proved to be more crafty as he pretended to spit low onto Ya Chaohui¡¯s bent leg! Ya Chaohui, disgusted, instinctively withdrew, allowing Tan Xiao to break free and kick him over! After landing a successful attack, Tan Xiao, doubled over with laughter, said in glee, ¡°Did you think I was really going to spit?!¡± This is called a dragon¡¯s bluff! You¡¯re not that lucky!¡± Ya Chaohui was furious and got right up, ready to retaliate! However, his punch was deflected in mid-air by Shen Mo. The room instantly fell quiet, not just Ya Chaohui drew back his fists, even Tan Xiao cringed, chuckling awkwardly at Shen Mo, ¡°Brother Mo¡­¡± Shen Mo glanced at him indifferently and said, ¡°Go downstairs and find a fighting trainer to practise more. If you meet someone who¡¯s not put off by your dirty tricks, you¡¯ll only get beat up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tan Xiao scratched his head and headed towards the elevator. Shen Mo looked at Ya Chaohui, ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡­ They went to the emergency exit. The stairway was dimly lit. Shen Mo didn¡¯t speak immediately, taking a moment to light a cigarette instead. He was not a regular smoker and would only smoke when he was feeling troubled. Ya Chaohui too, wasn¡¯t feeling great. He harboured a grudge against Bai Youwei. He didn¡¯t approve of Tan Xiao¡¯s crudeness either, but he held a deep respect for Shen Mo. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He believed that Shen Mo embodied all the qualities of a competent ¡°King¡±. Unfortunately¡­ Unfortunately, the boss and these people were on the same side. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to provoke anyone.¡± Ya Chaohui said quietly, ¡°I was just expressing my opinion, boss, I agree with her strategy, but I don¡¯t appreciate her personality. Right now, the base is pooling its resources to support the King, all in order to save more people. But she¡­ she doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± Shen Mo took a puff of his cigarette, lightly exhaled the smoke, his indifferent expression giving away no emotion. He asked Ya Chaohui, ¡°Who do you think gave her this status?¡± Ya Chaohui was taken aback, looking at Shen Mo. Shen Mo said, ¡°Not you, not me, and neither the base. This status, it¡¯s bestowed upon her by the maze and the game. Remember, I will only say this once, who deserves to be the King ¨C the maze and the game know it better than you and me. Go back and think carefully. Once you figure it out, join us in the maze war.¡± Chapter 695: I invite you Chapter 695: Chapter 695: I invite you Bai Youwei, clad in heels, strode forward. Clink, clink, clink, clink¡­ What she originally felt was a cheerful rhythm now only seemed noisy, grating on her nerves, and irritating! The sound seemed to deride her, mocking her: her companion met mishap and she only wanted to show off her legs! These long-awaited legs of hers were, after all, nothing more than mere legs. Her joy was far from being timely. Taking pleasure in inappropriate times could turn into a sin. Bai Youwei suddenly felt bone-tired. She took off her shoes, tossed them into the trash at will, then took the elevator downstairs barefoot, leaving the Headquarters Building. She walked aimlessly onward. Passing pedestrians threw her surprised glances, unaware whether they recognized her or noticed her barefoot stroll. She couldn¡¯t care less. Having walked barefoot on the hard pavement for a while, with a hidden pain in her soles and cool rainwater trickling down her face, she snapped back to reality on a strange street. The rain was getting heavier and heavier. The front desk had indeed reminded her it would rain today. She started to feel foolish. If she wanted to calm down, she could¡¯ve just stepped into the Dollhouse, why had she ventured out into the rain? Moreover, having walked all this distance, why had she wasted her newly recovered legs in such a way? Bai Youwei took off the golden key around her neck, preparing to open the Dollhouse, when she noticed the sensor bracelet on her wrist. ¡­Actually, she didn¡¯t necessarily have to go to the Dollhouse. Bai Youwei pressed the icon for the Resting Hall on her wristband, and with her surroundings changing almost instantly, she arrived at the Resting Hall. Even though the first battle was still half a month away, there were quite a few players in the Resting Hall. Some of them had just exited the labyrinth, while others were subjects hoping to be recruited by a king. Having nothing in particular to do, Bai Youwei found a spot to sit and rest, meanwhile observing the traits of those who came out of the labyrinth. Though that was her plan, her thoughts would uncontrollably wander off, from time to time recalling Teacher Cheng¡¯s incident¡­ Why hadn¡¯t Teacher Cheng recovered? Could the labyrinth¡¯s physical evolution and upgrades not counteract such toxins? As she pondered, a figure approached her. What first entered her sight was a pair of black leather shoes, and following up the straight, sharp dress pants¡­ No need to look up, she knew who it was. People in the game and the labyrinth were too busy to dress that way, so the only possibility was¡­ the Rabbit-headed Inspector. ¡°Madam, do you need help?¡± the Rabbit-headed Inspector looked at her with a smile, ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve lost your shoes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t, thank you,¡± Bai Youwei replied coldly. The Rabbit-headed Inspector still maintained his smile, his eyes landed softly on her knees as he asked, ¡°Having made it out of the labyrinth smoothly, isn¡¯t that worth celebrating? Why can¡¯t I see any joy in you?¡± ¡°What does my mood have to do with you?¡± Bai Youwei knitted her brows, slightly annoyed, she shot him a glance, ¡°Aren¡¯t you inspectors always eager for us all to die?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± the Rabbit-headed Inspector replied politely, ¡°I¡¯m concerned about every single one of you.¡± Bai Youwei smirked a silent, derisive laugh. The Rabbit-headed Inspector gazed deeply at her and then suddenly suggested, ¡°Maybe a game could cheer you up. Would you like to play a game? My treat.¡± That was a fresh proposal. Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Can a game be treated to?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the Inspector said with a smile, ¡°But only in terms of entertainment, so no reward will be offered, nor any penalty or danger. How about it? Would you like to give it a go? Only if you want to.¡± ¡°I do not wish to¡ª¡ª¡± Bai Youwei declined without thinking, ¡°A game without a reward would just waste my time.¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Rabbit-headed Inspector looked slightly helpless, ¡°Alright then¡­ I can personally offer a reward.¡± Chapter 696: The Highest Point Chapter 696: Chapter 696: The Highest Point S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What reward?¡± Bai Youwei blurted out, ¡°If it¡¯s a useless prop, I¡¯m not interested.¡± The Rabbit-headed Inspector smiled and said, ¡°It will be something you need, of course.¡± Bai Youwei glanced suspiciously at him. Is he being good-hearted? A game with only rewards and no penalties? ¡­ Wasn¡¯t the emphasis always on balance before? The Inspector lifted his hand, tapped gently in the air, and a glowing square appeared before them. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, come in.¡± The rabbit-headed man tipped his hat at her, smiled, and walked into the glowing square first. Bai Youwei hesitated and looked around. It was strange. Such a vast square emitting light, yet others seemed oblivious to it, showing no reaction at all. Is it some kind of trick by the rabbit? She confronted the glowing square before her once again. The Inspector oversees the Labyrinth War, he wouldn¡¯t purposely set her up, playing a game, could it be¡­ Bai Youwei slowly stood up and finally stepped in ¡ª¡ª ¡­ Inside was a world resembling a grand cathedral. The Rabbit-headed Inspector stood at the central structure, hands clasped behind his back. Seeing Bai Youwei enter, he smiled slightly and said, ¡°This is an abandoned game instance, so you can try it freely, without worrying about being punished by the system.¡± ¡°Abandoned¡­game?¡± Bai Youwei murmured, looking curiously around her. It looked like both a cathedral and a pagoda. The walls were not even, and upon a more careful observation, it became clear that everything here was built from blocks. ¡°Several professors, it really is my grandfather; it seems he has already¡­¡± Just then, the middle-aged man who had knelt down to inspect stood up, his expression sorrowful. ¡°This is Kamakura Guizhi.¡± After being reminded of the urgent matter at hand, President Cass casually introduced him to Fu Qian and then continued to ask. ¡°Did you inspect it? Are there any other abnormal wounds?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kamakura Guizhi glanced at Fu Qian and slowly shook his head. ¡°It looks like Mr. Yun is indeed unrelated to your grandfather¡¯s death.¡± The tone of President Cass did not vary. ¡°And your uncontrolled conditions seem to be more severe than the information previously provided.¡± ¡°My grandfather was always the one with the strongest reactions. Starting the day before yesterday, he chose to come down here alone in search of a solution¡ªwho would have thought it would come to this so soon¡­¡± As he spoke, Kamakura Guizhi unconsciously surveyed his own body. The exposed parts of his skin showed bright red marks that looked as if they were about to drip blood, a horrifying sight to behold. And beneath his feet, the body had already been turned over to face upwards. From this angle, one could see that it was indeed an elderly man. On the old man¡¯s face, more exaggerated red marks had all split open; the whole head was cracked and flayed, as if lightly tugged, it might turn into a skeleton. Facing such a scene, President Cass thought for a moment, then with a flick of his heavy cloak, extended a hand with an eerie appearance. There were only four fingers, the joints abnormally large, and the size far exceeded that of an average person; at the same time, the skin seemed to be covered with tooth-like scales. Almost instantly, something seeped out from these scales. At first glance, it appeared like black mist; gathering together, it turned into leaping flames, which then silently exploded, swooshing through the air. Standing opposite President Cass, Fu Qian was nearly hit head-on. Without a hint of heat, an abnormal sensation immediately appeared. It was as if, where the flames passed, the surface of the body skipped the process of ignition and turned directly into ash. ¡°There are no signs of struggle; your grandfather¡¯s death is indeed due to his own conditions,¡± President Cass declared confidently, after snapping his fingers and making the black flames instantly dissipate. ¡°Take the body back, let those above have a look.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Before the judgment of the president of Heaven¡¯s Commencement Institute, Kamakura Guizhi did not dare to show the slightest doubt and promptly obeyed with great respect. ¡°Mr. Yun, I believe you haven¡¯t done anything, but right now, the Kamakura Family is facing some trouble.¡± President Cass turned to Fu Qian again and pointed at Kamakura Guizhi. ¡°As a family known as cursed swordsmen, it seems their Sword Dao has gone out of control.¡± ¡°No doubt you are an expert in this area. Are you interested in having a look and providing some advice?¡± Sharp eyesight, after all, I¡¯m someone who once comprehended hundreds and thousands of Sword Intents! Recalling his past experiences of enlightenment at the Sword Pavilion, Fu Qian nodded amiably. ¡°Okay.¡± The action of President Cass was not beyond his expectations. Although no longer pursuing the reason for his presence here, there was no doubt that letting him leave now was out of the question. Fortunately, I had no intention of leaving anyway. [Current task has been updated, find out the cause of the divine seal¡¯s lack of control] Because at almost the same time, the task prompt finally appeared. The divine seal, was undoubtedly something belonging to the Kamakura Family, a ferocious blessing bestowed upon the Tomb Guardians according to legend. And judging from the content of the task, his own goal was clearly aligned with that of President Cass and his team. Even such an expert team had proactively invited him to join. ¡­ Upon exiting the blood-scented chamber, the group ascended along a corridor paved with gigantic rocks. As he had imagined, this was unmistakably an underground construction with the overall layout of a tomb, cold and grim, void of any sense of the sacred. Furthermore, its most defining feature was its enormity; the chamber they had just left was but a small corner of the whole. As they moved along, the grandeur of the architecture was evident despite the traces of destruction, and one could easily envision its former glory. Given the shattered statue they had seen earlier, it seemed as if deliberate destruction had occurred here, although it was unclear who the unnamed deity had offended. Kamakura Guizhi clearly knew the route well and, despite carrying a corpse, still led the way. Before long, the team¡ªwhich included two demigods¡ªstood before two massive doors. Sunlight was already seeping through the cracks of the opened doors. Holding his grandfather¡¯s body, Kamakura Guizhi carefully sidestepped through them. And almost immediately, uncontrollable wails of mourning came from outside. Clearly, people had been waiting outside the doors for the trio¡¯s exploration results. And as he emerged last from the team, gazes converged onto Fu Qian almost instantly, even the sobbing paused momentarily. Who was he? Suspicious and uncertain expressions spread across numerous faces. Only four people had descended, and now three were returning alive, along with one dead and one unfamiliar face, inevitably arousing many suspicions. After placing his grandfather¡¯s body down, Kamakura Guizhi quickly approached a man whose face was also covered in bloodstains and whispered to him. ¡°Mr. Yun? He didn¡¯t die?¡± And the man, who exuded authority as the head of the Kamakura Family, had a reaction nearly identical to his. ¡°Not only did he not die, but he has also been promoted to demigod; just now downstairs, President Cass has confirmed that he was not involved in grandfather¡¯s death and even invited him to join the investigation,¡± Guizhi explained quickly, knowing the power of key messaging. Not only had he not died, but he had also been promoted to demigod¡ªthis news was astonishing indeed. What exactly was his reason for being down there? The Kamakura clan leader was clearly full of questions but managed to suppress the urge to interrogate immediately, maintaining composure after taking a deep breath. ¡°Thank you both for your hard work.¡± First, he expressed his gratitude to President Cass and Jian Jingzheng; the next moment, he turned his gaze to Fu Qian. ¡°Mr. Yun, I am Kamakura Si, and on behalf of the entire Kamakura Family, I thank you for your forthcoming assistance.¡± Bai Youwei looked at the Inspector, her eyes sharp. The rabbit-headed man just smiled, seemingly wholeheartedly, ¡°Considering your legs have recovered, this game should be perfect for you.¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°Suitable, really? Why do I feel¡­ that just when my legs are healed, you want to break them again?¡± Chapter 697: 697: Thats Not Called Treatment Chapter 697: Chapter 697: That¡¯s Not Called Treatment The rabbit-headed person laughed, unsurprised by Bai Youwei¡¯s reaction. It said, ¡°You can give up. This game instance has been abandoned, there¡¯s no compulsion for your participation.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment and then asked curiously, ¡°If there¡¯s no issue with the game settings and rules, why has it been abandoned?¡± ¡°Because the success rate has exceeded 30%,¡± the rabbit-headed person explained, ¡°If the challenge isn¡¯t enough, the selection loses its meaning, so this was discarded.¡± Bai Youwei could¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What exactly are you selecting players for?¡± The rabbit-headed person smiled at her words and replied, ¡°To help you live better.¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but grimace, ¡°If you can¡¯t say it then don¡¯t say it, there¡¯s no need for such mystery.¡± The rabbit-headed person chuckled, ¡°When you enter the finals, you will understand.¡± ¡­The finals? It still seemed far away. Bai Youwei silently calculated the time in her mind. There were still three weeks until the first battle. If the battles proceeded in a one-on-one elimination manner every month, then at least four months later would be the day of the finals. That¡¯s almost half a year. In fact, looking back, from the emergence of the doll game till now, only half a year had passed, but the world had dramatically changed¡­ Time passed like money ¨C gone before you know it. ¡°Would you like to play this game?¡± the rabbit-headed person asked her. Bai Youwei snapped back to reality, once again glanced at the chandelier in the sky, and scoffed dismissively, ¡°Play? It¡¯s so simple, of course I¡¯ll play.¡± She walked around along the wall, studying the structure of the entire building. With a success rate of over 30%, many people have succeeded, there¡¯s no reason she can¡¯t. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It would clearly be impossible to simply climb up. Even if she miraculously made it to the top, she would still be obstructed by the dome¡¯s curvature. However, this building was constructed of building blocks, which meant she could change its structure. Of course, she would have to be very careful when making changes. Once she moved a load-bearing block, the whole structure might collapse, and she could be crushed to death. Bai Youwei carefully inspected the building¡¯s structure and then withdrew blocks from the wall that she believed wouldn¡¯t affect the overall structure. She extracted block after block, like playing Jenga, and piled them up layer by layer, creating the base of a spiralling staircase. Though it was easy in theory, it was not that simple in action. Because the blocks were large and moving them required a lot of effort. Some blocks were high up, requiring not only strength but also skill to retrieve. Luckily Bai Youwei¡¯s legs were healed; otherwise, she might not have been able to withstand this game. It would have been easier if she had a partner to help her. As she thought this, her mind drifted to her teacher¡­ He had a perfectly healthy body, but now possessed the traits of a mermaid¡­ Could he be healed in the future? This time it was her teacher, but who would it be next time? Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, Shen Mo, Asarina¡­ or someone else? She couldn¡¯t guarantee everyone would get through each game or maze unharmed. If the sacrifices became inevitable, would the path to advancement be full of heartbreak? Bai Youwei paused and sat on the steps she had built, resting her chin in her hand. The rabbit-headed person asked her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± she replied nonchalantly, ¡°There is no time limit anyway. I¡¯ll just build it slowly.¡± The Inspector, the rabbit-headed person, chuckled without asking further questions. However, Bai Youwei looked at him, hesitated for a moment, and asked, ¡°Can the maze heal everything? Are there any conditions it can¡¯t cure?¡± ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± The rabbit-headed person answered smilingly, ¡°The maze is not a doctor.¡± ¡°But it healed my legs,¡± Bai Youwei said. The Inspector slowly shook his head: ¡°That¡¯s not healing, it¡¯s an enhancement. It systematically analysed the microcells in your body, and then, made your physique, approach perfection.¡± Chapter 698: 698: You Know What to Choose Chapter 698: Chapter 698: You Know What to Choose The maze is neither a doctor nor a time machine, it¡¯s an upgrade to one¡¯s cells, making the body faster, stronger, and more vibrant. Su Man¡¯s hand will heal, Lu Yuwen¡¯s foot will recover, and Bai Youwei¡¯s legs can walk normally because their cells inherently contain the coded information of the human body. But when the teacher left the maze, his body¡¯s cells had already undergone changes. The maze system, in its default state, didn¡¯t regard the changes in the teacher¡¯s body as defects, hence, even after the upgrade, the characteristics of the mermaid still remained on him, even more intensified. Bai Youwei understood these facts, and was momentarily taken aback. She would not place the blame on herself because of what Ya Chaohui said, but thinking deeply about this matter indeed left a bad taste in one¡¯s mouth. One man¡¯s meat is another man¡¯s poison. In the maze, she gained a healthy body, while the teacher turned into a freak¡­ This was just the beginning. In the future, there might be more things like this. After all, not everyone views the game and the labyrinth as salvation, like her. ¡ª¡ªWhat they want to defeat is exactly what she relies on. The more Bai Youwei thought about it, the more confused she was. She chose to flee and stop thinking about it. She climbed up and down, continuously increasing the height of the stairs, with the building blocks getting higher and higher, and getting closer and closer to the chandelier. To her, this game is child¡¯s play. When Bai Youwei stood at the highest point, stepping into the chandelier disc with ease and receiving the gift box, she cast a contemptuous look at the rabbit-headed gentleman, full of arrogance. The rabbit-headed Inspector smiled. ¡°Open it and see your reward,¡± it said. In response, Bai Youwei opened the gift box to find a pair of shoes¡­ A pair of brown loafers. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but frown. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She took out the shoes, not reacting at all to the fact that it was just a pair of shoes¨C Just a pair of shoes, not a tool! Bai Youwei¡¯s brow furrowed even deeper. ¡°Try them on,¡± the rabbit gentleman smiled, ¡°miss without shoes.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± She really wanted to complain, but considering the level of difficulty of this game, she decided to let it go¡­ She reluctantly put on the loafers. Though the design was simple, they looked quite good on her feet, and they were versatile. Then, the Inspector asked her, ¡°How did you feel about this game?¡± As Bai Youwei wore the exquisite loafers, strolling nonchalantly, she replied, ¡°What could it be like, a puzzle game that requires teamwork to build blocks, tests solidarity and cooperation, and is best to play with around three people¡­ Building these blocks alone is too laborious.¡± The rabbit-headed Inspector looked up at her and smiled, ¡°In the real game, there aren¡¯t so few people and there aren¡¯t so many blocks.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback, ¡°Why¡­¡± If there weren¡¯t enough blocks, how would they¡­ ¡°Look down at your feet,¡± the rabbit gentleman said softly. Bai Youwei looked down and her face immediately turned pale! The blocks under her feet had somehow turned into dead bodies! She wasn¡¯t stepping on blocks, it was a staircase formed by stacked bodies! Bai Youwei¡¯s body swayed, her lifted foot hung in the air, hesitating to step down. If she had been barefoot stepping on these bodies, she would probably scream! As she was about to lose her balance, the Inspector flew over and supported her with one hand, speaking gently, ¡°You have to get used to them, they are just blocks for you to step on your way to the top.¡± Bai Youwei was breathing heavily, her back was full of cold sweat! The Inspector¡¯s voice lowered, ¡°If you can¡¯t reach the top, you will just be a stepping stone for others, Bai Youwei, do you want to be stepped on?¡± Bai Youwei stiffly turned her head to look at the rabbit gentleman, ¡°You¡­¡± It smiled, leading her slowly and stably down with her hand in his. ¡°You know what to choose, don¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 699: What to Give? Chapter 699: Chapter 699: What to Give? A blank, white space. A person and a sphere stood in front of a cube. The workload had recently decreased significantly, enabling the inspectors to have quite a lot of leisure time. They happened to notice that a player had logged into a replica that had been closed for a long time, which intrigued them to take a closer look. The comic man stared at various events within the cube, and muttered in a strange tone, ¡°He gave her a pair of shoes.¡± The sphere said, ¡°It¡¯s a nice gesture~ It¡¯s not a prop anyway, so there¡¯s no need to worry about it affecting the game balance.¡± The comic man hesitated, ¡°Will it really not affect? Though it¡¯s just a pair of shoes, his attitude is obviously questionable¡­¡± The sphere shook impatiently, ¡°Ahh~ The system didn¡¯t set any rules on our attitudes, besides haven¡¯t you shown favoritism towards some players? That¡¯s perfectly normal!¡± The comic man defended himself hurriedly: ¡°How can that be the same?! Although I¡¯ve favored them, I¡¯ve never given them anything¡­¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you given enough?¡± the sphere shouted, ¡°Not only shoes, but you also gave out 214 luxury dresses! 349 pieces of jewelry! 102 sets of silver tableware! 78 weapons! Even the velvet blankets and pillows were taken away by her quite a bit, weren¡¯t they?!¡± The comic man choked: ¡°¡­¡± The sphere continued to watch the situation inside the cube, murmuring to itself, ¡°It seems that he really appreciates her. Maybe¡­ I should also give her something?¡± The comic man: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­ Bai Youwei, who had left the game, was on her way back home. The rain was drizzling, carrying the chill of autumn. Luckily, she was wearing shoes, otherwise she would have had to step on the muddy road. Thinking about it that way, today¡¯s gift, though not a prop, came in handy. After walking for five or six minutes, a off-road car suddenly drove up in front of her. Bai Youwei recognized it as Shen Mo¡¯s car, but through the hazy rain curtain, she couldn¡¯t clearly see if the man on the driver¡¯s seat was him¡­ The car was driving at a high speed, Bai Youwei stepped aside onto the roadside, but still couldn¡¯t avoid getting her skirt splattered with mud. Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± If the person stepping out of the car is not Shen Mo, she is determined to give him a piece of her mind. The car door swung open quickly. As soon as Shen Mo got out of the car, he grabbed her hand and asked with a frown, ¡°Where did you run off to?¡± Bai Youwei hesitated where to start. At that moment, Shen Mo saw her dirty skirt, and his eyebrows knit tighter, asking, ¡°How did you get it like this?¡± She retorted without thinking, ¡°What do you think?¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± After two seconds of silence, he pulled her into the car, closed the door, then walked around the front of the car to get back to the driver¡¯s seat¨C The car door closed with a bang. In the small, enclosed space, all Bai Youwei could see were the windshield wipers swaying in front of her. She remembered a crucial piece of information and immediately turned to Shen Mo and asked, ¡°How come you have no reaction?!¡± Seeing her walking independently from the wheelchair, shouldn¡¯t he be shocked?! Shen Mo grabbed some tissues from the car drawer, wiped the rain off her face, then wiped her skirt, his tone full of helplessness, ¡°I¡¯ve watched the surveillance video almost eight hundred times.¡± Bai Youwei suddenly realized. The city¡¯s power and network had been restored, so traffic surveillance cameras could function normally. No wonder he found her so quickly. Bai Youwei continued to probe, ¡°What were your feelings the first time you saw it?¡± Shen Mo crumpled up the dirty tissue, pulled out a few more pieces, and continued wiping. ¡°Your height was a bit taller than I imagined.¡± He replied. Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Such an uninspiring answer. ¡°And¡­¡± Shen Mo paused in his movements, looking up at her, ¡°I wasn¡¯t as happy as I thought I would be.¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. Shen Mo leaned in closer, dropped a kiss on her forehead and sighed, ¡°Not being able to see you in the wheelchair, I felt like you could run off any moment¡­ so, I felt very uneasy.¡± Chapter 700: Satisfaction Chapter 700: Chapter 700: Satisfaction Bai Youwei looked into Shen Mo¡¯s eyes. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t help but feel as if everything that had just happened in the game was known to Shen Mo. Of course, this was impossible. The only reason Shen Mo would say so was that he cared about her, he couldn¡¯t leave her. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart was pounding, she couldn¡¯t help but throw her arms around Shen Mo¡¯s neck, burying her face in his shoulder. The feeling of being needed was really wonderful. In a groggy voice, she mumbled, ¡°Where did you learn to sweet talk¡­¡± Shen Mo grinned, stroking her long hair, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home, everyone¡¯s worried about you.¡± Bai Youwei lifted herself up, pouted at him adorably, ready to give him a kiss~ Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo said in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s a camera.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback. Then she realized there was a traffic surveillance camera by the road. Suddenly, she felt disappointed. Now that the city had returned to normal, privacy was just as transparent as before. Reluctantly, Bai Youwei released Shen Mo, allowing him to buckle her seatbelt, her face was gloomy. Shen Mo gently pinched her face, then he reached back and took a coat from the back seat, covering her head with it. Bai Youwei: ¡°???¡± While she was still dazed, Shen Mo also stuck his head into the coat¡­ Inside the pitch-black coat, neither of them could see each other. They could only find the most intimate position by their breaths and touch, their lips tightly interwoven. ¡­ Eventually, they finished. Bai Youwei¡¯s cheeks were flushed, her eyes gleaming. She glared at Shen Mo angrily. Shen Mo thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°Uncomfortable?¡± Bai Youwei was shy and annoyed. She grabbed the coat and threw it at Shen Mo¡¯s face, ¡°¡­ Drive your car!¡± Shen Mo raised the corner of his mouth, moved the coat aside, and started the engine. ¡­ A few minutes later, they arrived at the Headquarters Building. As usual, Shen Mo walked to the trunk, opened it, took out a spare wheelchair, pushed it outside the passenger side, then opened the door¡­ Bai Youwei in the car was taken aback. So was Shen Mo, who was outside the car. Her legs were fine now. There was no need for a wheelchair. Shen Mo hesitated for two seconds, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll put it back.¡± Just as he was turning around, Bai Youwei grabbed him, ¡°Hey, I want to sit on this.¡± Shen Mo raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at her confused. Bai Youwei tilted her head and smiled at him, saying, ¡°Finally my legs have recovered, of course I need to take good care of them~¡± Shen Mo laughed, ¡°I thought you¡¯d want to go to the gym and jump around.¡± ¡°No, no, no.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I think now I need a massage.¡± She¡¯d had enough of running and jumping. Not just running and jumping, she had also climbed up and down, fully enjoying the joy of having legs. Now, all she wanted was to pamper them! Shen Mo curled his finger and scraped it against Bai Youwei¡¯s soft cheek, chuckling, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home and pamper ourselves.¡± So, just like before, Shen Mo picked up Bai Youwei, gently placed her on the wheelchair, covered her with a blanket, and pushed her into the Headquarters Building. Nobody asked about Bai Youwei¡¯s legs, and Bai Youwei tactfully didn¡¯t ask about Teacher Cheng¡¯s condition. After returning to the room, Bai Youwei first soaked her feet in hot water. The steam bathed her legs, helping her blood circulation. After that, she rubbed essential oil onto her legs, massaging both her legs inch by inch, from thighs, calves, knees, ankles, even her toes were glowing too. Lastly, she applied a thick layer of body lotion on her legs, used the warmth of her palms to rub it in, slowly pressing and massaging, leaving her skin silky and tender. After all of the steps, two hours later, Bai Youwei was tired but satisfied. She looked up at Shen Mo and asked him, ¡°Did you learn? Tomorrow it¡¯s your turn.¡± A smile hung on Shen Mo¡¯s face, he stayed silent. ¡°What are you laughing at¡­¡± she bit her lip, covering her embarrassment with arrogance, ¡°Tomorrow! If you don¡¯t learn, you won¡¯t be allowed to sleep!¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that if I learn, neither of us will be able to sleep.¡± Bai Youwei grabbed a pillow and threw it at him! Annoying! This guy is becoming a troublemaker! Chapter 701: 701: In Maintenance Chapter 701: Chapter 701: In Maintenance The following day, the King¡¯s Headquarters Building was extraordinarily bustling. Because Yan Qingwen had returned. And she had returned unscathed ¨C Yan Qingwen, Su Man, Lu Yuwen, Zhu Shu, none of them were missing. These four people couldn¡¯t say what they had gone through. They looked relaxed when they returned, but they were also terribly fatigued. They didn¡¯t take the time talk about their ordeal in the maze and instead went straight to their rooms to sleep. As they slept, the outside was in uproar, filled with joy and celebration. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Because Yan Qingwen¡¯s return meant that the base¡¯s four kings had all retained their positions from the first battle. It was a cause worth celebrating. At noon that very day, Bai Youwei received notice: There would be a victory banquet in the Headquarters Building restaurant the following evening. She didn¡¯t really care, but Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin were both very joyous. Even the staff who could be seen everywhere in the building were overflowing with happiness. Perhaps because, this is the way people liked to encourage themselves. However, Teacher Cheng was not among the invited. Because his examination results had not yet arrived, he was temporarily restricted from traveling about and couldn¡¯t interact with crowds, let alone attend such a banquet. Fortunately, Teacher Cheng was open-minded and didn¡¯t care for such things. He packed up his stuff and moved into the Dollhouse¡ª The Dollhouse had undergone a significant transformation. What was originally just a house on the top of a hill now had flower beds in front, vegetable gardens at the rear, a wood frame overgrown with grape vines, and a few chickens fluttering their wings occasionally in the distance. Teacher Cheng, dressed in a high-necked sweater with his trousers rolled up and gloves on his hands, was hard at work in the backyard, looking somewhat unorthodox. He was trying to expand the fish pond he had drilled earlier. No doubt, he was preparing for his future food reserves. Straightforward Teacher Cheng was only mindful of covering his upper body, little realizing that the tiny scales on his heels had long been clearly seen by Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei sat with her legs propped up, sunning them on the balcony on the second floor. Exposure to the sun promoted the absorption of calcium in the bones, which is also a way to guard against osteoporosis and one of the ways of self-care. Downstairs, Teacher Cheng straightened up and waved at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, I am going to pick a few eggs. Let¡¯s have an egg pancake tonight.¡± ¡°Okay~¡± came Bai Youwei¡¯s languid reply. They hadn¡¯t any experience in poultry farming, and the chickens they kept ran all over the place, laying their eggs here and there with no predictable spot. They were content if they got any eggs to eat. Given the great living conditions at the Headquarters Building, there were no fresh eggs in the restaurant, only century eggs and salted duck eggs¡­ As Bai Youwei collected her thoughts from random things, she shifted her gaze, picked up her prepared face masks, and began to apply them one by one on her legs. While sunbathing was indeed good, overexposure could accelerate skin aging and cause dryness due to loss of moisture. That¡¯s why she had to replenish the moisture of her legs from time to time. While masking her legs, which made it inconvenient to move around, Bai Youwei picked up her nail polish and began to paint her nails. After finishing her fingernails, she painted her toenails. A severed hand, weak and staggering, crawled towards her. Bai Youwei was really frustrated at it, and with a swift kick, pushed it away. She didn¡¯t know if its character was influenced by Mary, despite being only a severed hand, it was fond of dressing up, coiling dozens of necklace-bracelets around its arm, its fingers full of rings, looking ever so silly with all the pearls and jewels. The severed hand rolled around, the pearl necklace, the jade bracelet, and the gold bangles on its arm jingling and jangling. It crawled back towards the nail polish, relentless in its pursuit. ¡°Alright then, stop shoving, I¡¯ll paint for you,¡± Bai Youwei said, cringing at the sight. ¡°Once your nails are done, you can go pick up the eggs, understand?¡± The severed hand lifted one of its fingers into a hook, kind of like nodding in agreement. Suddenly struck by a thought, Bai Youwei curved her lips into a smile, saying to the severed hand, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a really good paint job¡­¡± Chapter 702: 702: Resting Chapter 702: Chapter 702: Resting After ten minutes, not only had the severed hand painted its nails, but it had also gained an extra ¡°face¡± on its forearm. Bai Youwei applied the new makeup techniques she¡¯d recently learned, drawing brows and eyes, applying lipstick and blush, and even sticking on a pair of thick and curled false eyelashes. The severed hand cheerfully descended the stairs to collect eggs. Returning to the courtyard, Teacher Chang was startled by the sight and nearly dropped the eggs he had in hand! Watching from the window, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t contain her laughter. She laughed so hard that the facial mask on her leg fell off in pieces. Downstairs, Teacher Chang sighed and reassured the severed hand. After a while, Bai Youwei heard the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs and heading towards the bathroom as if to help it clean up. The sound of running water mixed with Teacher Chang¡¯s intermittent soothing words came through: ¡°Don¡¯t be sad¡­ Weiwei¡¯s just pulling a prank on you¡­¡± Teacher Chang really has the heart of a bodhisattva, even extending his kindness towards this game creature and offering it comfort. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t imagine doing the same, perhaps her blood is colder by a few degrees than others¡¯. If she hadn¡¯t met Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Teacher Chang, Pan Xiaoxin, Su Man, Zhu Shu, Yan Qingwen, and Yu Yaqing¡­ Perhaps, she¡¯d be even colder. Teacher Chang gently knocked on Bai Youwei¡¯s door, sounding helpless: ¡°Weiwei, do you know how to wash this off?¡± Opening the door, Bai Youwei saw the severed hand lying in Teacher Chang¡¯s arms, in a feigned death position as if it had lost the will to live. She couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter again! Teacher Chang sighed: ¡°Don¡¯t bully it anymore. Think of how we can clean this up¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need makeup remover for this.¡± Bai Youwei turned to find the makeup remover, laughingly said, ¡°Teacher Chang, you¡¯re really kind to it, as if you¡¯re caring for a pet.¡± ¡°Do no evil, carry out all that¡¯s good¡­¡± Teacher Chang mused, ¡°If you¡¯re good to others, they¡¯ll also be good to you. It¡¯s all mutual.¡± Really? Bai Youwei felt that most of the time, when you¡¯re kind to others, they only take advantage of your kindness. She shrugged it off with a laugh, handed him a cotton pad and makeup remover, and returned to him. Chang Weicai carefully helped clean up the severed hand. Watching from the side, Bai Youwei suddenly spoke up: ¡°Teacher Chang, in three weeks, it¡¯ll be time for the first King¡¯s Battle. You¡¯re aware of this, aren¡¯t you?¡± While wiping, Chang Weicai nodded: ¡°Yes, Xiaoshen has set up a task for Tan Xiao. He¡¯s been training with the coach daily, and Xiaoxin is taking logic classes. Everyone¡¯s working hard.¡± Bai Youwei asked: ¡°Did you know that in the first battle, one of us two, either Shen Mo or I, has to exercise our right to surrender? So, there can only be one King for the second battle.¡± Chang Weicai nodded again: ¡°There¡¯s no other way around it. If defeated, we¡¯d lose lots of puzzle pieces. Besides, both of you are stronger when you¡¯re together.¡± Bai Youwei smiled and asked, ¡°So, who do you think is more suitable to be the King between Shen Mo and me?¡± Teacher Chang was taken aback. It seemed he had never considered this issue. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Or rather, he never perceived it as an issue. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo being in a romantic relationship, who becomes the King, what difference would it make? ¡­No, on further thought, it does make a difference. ¡°Have you two discussed this matter?¡± Teacher Chang asked. ¡°We just got out of the maze, hadn¡¯t had time to discuss it.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°But, I believe I¡¯m better suited for it.¡± Teacher Chang looked at her with concern: ¡°Weiwei, being a King is dangerous¡­¡± ¡°Let me finish.¡± Bai Youwei waved off his worry with a smile, ¡°Then you think about it, who has the greater advantage as the King.¡± Chapter 703: Preparing Chapter 703: Chapter 703: Preparing Actually, Chang Weicai felt he had no right to interject in this matter. Who should be the King should be determined by Shen Mo and Bai Youwei themselves, and he respected everyone¡¯s decision after careful deliberation. But if Bai Youwei wanted him to listen, he would listen. ¡°The battle is in the form of a confrontational game. Once lost, both the King and the subjects will lose their jigsaw puzzles. When the number of puzzles is insufficient, the King will die, and the subjects will just turn into commoners.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Professor Chang, it¡¯s clear that the King bears more risks than the subjects.¡± Professor Chang nodded and sighed: ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± Bai Youwei continued, ¡°To enter the final battle, at least four rounds of battles have to be won. What the final game will be like is still unknown. Pessimistically speaking, our chance of winning until the end is very, very small. Since casualties are inevitable, why not choose the person who has an escape route?¡± Professor Chang looked at her in shock: ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Professor Chang, I have the dollhouse.¡± Bai Youwei said with a faint smile, ¡°If I feel that I can¡¯t win, I can hide in the dollhouse before the game begins. But if Shen Mo is the King, no matter what sort of opponent he faces, he must face them head-on without any way to retreat.¡± After hearing this, Professor Chang appeared hesitant, ¡°Weiwei, are you worried about Shen Mo getting into trouble, so you¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I worry about him.¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°But you can¡¯t deny that my analysis just now makes a lot of sense, right?¡± Professor Chang frowned, falling into silence. Bai Youwei¡¯s voice dropped a bit as she slowly said, ¡°Professor Chang, as long as I¡¯m in the dollhouse, you all will definitely think of a way to save me. But if something happens to Shen Mo¡­I don¡¯t have any recourse.¡± These final words had a clear impact on Chang Weicai. He nodded heavily, saying: ¡°I understand¡­If anyone asks for my opinion, I will support you.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips into a smile. She didn¡¯t know if they could win in the end, and she hadn¡¯t decided what she wanted the world to look like, but at least for now, she wanted to hold as much power as possible in her own hands¡­Even if the opponent was Shen Mo. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t trust Shen Mo, but rather, she really didn¡¯t want to¡­become just another stepping stone, a puzzle piece. She wanted to be the King. ¡­ At night, the lights in the training room were still on. Ya Chaohui launched a heavy punch at the sandbag, finally withdrawing his fist to rest on a bench nearby. Not far away in the ring, Tan Xiao was throwing punches at Shen Mo. Tan Xiao had trained with the coach all day but still hadn¡¯t gotten the hang of it. His moves had begun to lose control, so Shen Mo took over the training personally. Ya Chaohui watched for a while, before he heard the sound of a wheelchair entering the room. He didn¡¯t need to turn around to know who it was. In this building, there was only one person who used a wheelchair. Ya Chaohui continued to gaze indifferently ahead, pretending not to hear, and didn¡¯t react to the commotion behind him. The sound of Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair grew nearer and nearer until it finally stopped beside him. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Only then did Ya Chaohui spare her a glance. Bai Youwei gave a faint smile, ¡°I know, you¡¯ve always been unwilling to accept this. You believe that only Shen Mo deserves to be the King, right?¡± Ya Chaohui glanced at her, then looked away without saying a word. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to argue with her, or perhaps he simply disdained to communicate with her. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t mind. Watching Shen Mo and Tan Xiao training in the distance, she said softly, ¡°If the King wins, the subjects will share in the victory with him. But if the King loses, he dies, and the subjects merely return to being commoners¡­Are you sure you want to choose him as the King?¡± Ya Chaohui furrowed his brows deeply, turning his hostile gaze towards her: ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Bai Youwei responded with a light smile, ¡°You should know very well what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± Chapter 704: In the Elevator Chapter 704: Chapter 704: In the Elevator From a distance, Shen Mo saw Yu Chaohui chatting with Bai Youwei. He furrowed his brows and let go of Tan Xiao. Tan Xiao looked at Shen Mo, stunned, ¡°Mo, are we stopping training?¡± ¡°Do the set of moves I just taught you another 30 times.¡± Saying this, Shen Mo started moving directly towards Bai Youwei. Upon seeing Shen Mo approaching, Bai Youwei waved joyously at him, ¡°Is the training over?¡± ¡°Almost,¡± Shen Mo replied casually. His gaze swept over both of them before moving back to Bai Youwei. ¡°Why did you suddenly come to the training room?¡± ¡°Got bored staying in the room~¡± Bai Youwei giggled and grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s arm, bending him over to whisper in his ear. ¡°The teacher cooked an egg pancake, fried some luncheon meat and wrapped it along with pickles. It tastes amazing~ When are we going back to eat?¡± Shen Mo chuckled, straightening up, and tousled her hair, ¡°We¡¯re going back right now.¡± He turned his head and shouted to Tan Xiao in the distance: ¡°Do the moves 30 times and then come back to our room.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Tan Xiao responded. Shen Mo then addressed Yu Chaohui, who was sitting on a bench, his tone neutral: ¡°Rest early.¡± Ya Chaohui simply nodded in response. Shen Mo began to push Bai Youwei¡¯s wheelchair outside. Bai Youwei looked back curiously to find Yu Chaohui packing his things, preparing to go back to his room. ¡°Different treatment, aren¡¯t you afraid he takes it the wrong way?¡± Bai Youwei whispered. ¡°He already has his own ideas, this won¡¯t make a difference,¡± Shen Mo replied calmly as he walked, ¡°Forcing him to come with us would only accentuate his sense of alienation. After what happened with Fang Yu, he¡¯s been stuck in a dark place. We just have to wait until he comes to terms with it.¡± ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t?¡± Bai Youwei asked again. Shen Mo glanced at her, ¡°Whether he does or doesn¡¯t, that¡¯s his concern.¡± Bai Youwei laughed: ¡°So cold~¡± ¡°Cold, am I?¡± Shen Mo calmly responded as he pushed her wheelchair into the elevator and pressed the up button, ¡°If his physical ability is lacking, or his skills are insufficient, I can help him improve. If he¡¯s in danger, I can also save him, but if he can¡¯t come to terms with things¡­ there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Not only could he not help, but he had no obligation to interfere. Everyone is responsible for their own life. Ding ¨C The elevator arrived. Shen Mo pushed Bai Youwei into the elevator. ¡°After all, if someone wholeheartedly follows you, you have to care about them, right~ Otherwise, what happens if, when I become king, they¡¯re dissatisfied?¡± Bai Youwei said leisurely. She was testing Shen Mo. She wanted to know Shen Mo¡¯s attitude towards the idea of becoming a king. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As expected, Shen Mo looked at her and asked, ¡°You want to be king?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s heart leaped, but she kept her face calm and replied nonchalantly, ¡°Look, as the war continues, there will inevitably be matters of selection. If you were king, choosing either him or me to take part in the war would upset one of us. Choosing both of us and putting us together would also cause issues. So¡­ isn¡¯t it better if I were the king?¡± Eyeing Shen Mo¡¯s expression, she continued, ¡°You¡¯re his superior, he¡¯d certainly be more willing to work with you. Even if he got eliminated, he wouldn¡¯t complain¡­¡± Ding ¨C The elevator arrived. Shen Mo didn¡¯t immediately step out, instead, he stared at Bai Youwei. ¡°¡­What?¡± Bai Youwei blinked, asking, ¡°Do you¡­ want to be king too?¡± Shen Mo remained silent. Bai Youwei clung to his arm, feigning innocence and begged: ¡°Let me be the king~ I really want to be the king~¡± Shen Mo asked her, ¡°Just now in the training room, is that what you and Yu Chaohui were discussing?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 705: These Are Two Iron Plates Chapter 705: Chapter 705: These Are Two Iron Plates Bai Youwei was hugging Shen Mo¡¯s arm, silent. Shen Mo looked down at her, continuing to ask, ¡°What did you talk about with him? Want him to change his mind and support you to be king?¡± Bai Youwei kept her head down, not making a sound. Shen Mo glanced at her hand and asked again, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to keep playing the spoiled child?¡± Bai Youwei finally lifted her head, her face full of frustration. ¡°Is acting spoiled useful?¡± Shen Mo chuckled, pushing his wheelchair swiftly out of the elevator, saying, ¡°No use.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Then why on earth should she even act spoiled! ¡­ It felt like Bai Youwei had hit a steel plate. If Shen Mo wouldn¡¯t budge, then all the groundwork she¡¯d laid would be for nothing! She slept that night with her back to him, huffing in anger. She even took all the quilts, ignoring him. Shen Mo felt both helpless and slightly amused. He lay on his side next to her, gently moving her hair, asking, ¡°Do you want so badly to be king?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to? If you don¡¯t, then let me do it!¡± Bai Youwei retorted irritably. Shen Mo was silent for a while, then kissed her ear, whispering, ¡°Being king¡­ could get you killed.¡± ¡°Tch, it¡¯s not so easy to die,¡± Bai Youwei scoffed. ¡°The campaign has four levels. Even if you lose one, you won¡¯t immediately die. Can¡¯t you just win it back in the next round?¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°What if you lose the next round too?¡± ¡°How could I possibly lose two in a row?!¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯ve got a rabbit, and a dollhouse!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°Electric shocks might not be available every round, and you can¡¯t go into the dollhouse during the game.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go in before the game starts!¡± Bai Youwei protested. ¡°Before the game starts, how would you know if you¡¯re going to lose?¡± Shen Mo continued. ¡°If you could win, of course there¡¯s no need to go in. Only when certain to lose would you need to resort to the dollhouse. With your personality, would you admit defeat?¡± Bai Youwei, left speechless by his words, felt both angry and annoyed, turning to scratch him! ¡­Caught by Shen Mo¡¯s hand. ¡°Can you guarantee a 100% win if you¡¯re king?!¡± She gritted her teeth, struggling hard. Shen Mo held her hands down, kissing her bit by bit, whispering, ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee a 100% win, but¡­ I can guarantee that you won¡¯t die.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s body stiffened. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She understood what he meant¡­ If a subject lost, they merely became commoners. Even if there was danger, as a king, one had the power to demote a subject to a commoner. If a crisis occurred, Shen Mo¡­ he might very well demote her! ¡°Behave,¡± Shen Mo kissed her. ¡°I know that you want to win. As a subject in the battle, you can still win¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes gradually reddened as she continued to struggle, her lips pouting in infinite grievance. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I want to be king¡­ I want to be king¡­¡± Shen Mo held her, cooing at her softly, and even placed her hand on his abs. Bai Youwei scratched him hard, her voice tearful. ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke! I don¡¯t want to feel your abs either! I just want to be king!¡± Shen Mo was silent for a while, seemingly out of ideas, and heaved a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to fob me off!¡± Bai Youwei threatened him fiercely, ¡°Even if you disagree, on the day of the battle, I definitely won¡¯t surrender!¡± A man and a woman on a bed, not talking about love, but discussing battles and surrender. Shen Mo felt a bit of a headache, asking her, ¡°Why do you insist on being king?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Because I have a rabbit! I have a dollhouse! I have a higher chance of winning!¡± ¡°Aside from that?¡± Shen Mo looked at her confusedly, ¡°Knowing the risk is so high, why do you insist on being king? Is there something you wish for that I can¡¯t help you achieve?¡± Hearing that, Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze calmly settled and even seemed a bit cold¡­ ¡°Why should my own wishes be fulfilled by someone else?¡± Chapter 706: Do You Still Remember the Monkey? Chapter 706: Chapter 706: Do You Still Remember the Monkey? ¡ª¡ªThey dispersed in displeasure. It wasn¡¯t quite a falling out, but it was still not far from a cold war. Bai Youwei was still seething during the celebration feast the next day and refused to leave the dollhouse. Shen Mo wasn¡¯t talented at placating girls. He tried to soothe Bai Youwei with a few words but she grew tired of hearing the same two phrases and pushed him out of the door. ¡°You¡¯re really not going?¡± Shen Mo asked her for the last time. Bai Youwei turned her head away in disdain, expressing her contempt with a huff. Shen Mo said, ¡°If only three of the four kings show up, they might think you¡¯ve given up on the competition for the title of king.¡± ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t go either!¡± Bai Youwei seethed. ¡°Preparing for a feast requires a lot of manpower and resources, Chu Huaijin has sincerely planned this celebration for us. If neither of us attends, it would be disrespectful.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice was even and calm, ¡°Besides, Yan Qingwen has come out of the maze. Don¡¯t you want to know what happened to them? Su Man and Zhu Shu must have a lot to tell you¡­¡± Bai Youwei lunged at him, attempting to shut him up by grabbing his mouth, ¡°You are really annoying!¡± Shen Mo caught her hands with ease, subduing her and coolly said, ¡°You¡¯ve been more lively since your leg recovered.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Teacher Cheng chimed in from the side, cheerfully saying, ¡°Your liveliness is a good thing, Weiwei, you were too quiet before. Weiwei, you should go with Xiaoshen. When everyone sees you standing up, they¡¯ll surely be happy for you. You don¡¯t have to feel embarrassed.¡± Bai Youwei silently curled her lips. Was she really not attending the feast because she felt embarrassed? Shen Mo held her shoulders from behind, whispering, ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s a narrow opportunity for everyone to gather together like this before it invariably becomes rarer and rarer.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This was still just the preliminary round of the war, no one could predict the number of casualties that would occur as the campaign progressed. Bai Youwei hesitated, her brow furrowed, before finally acquiescing. ¡­ The feast had already begun. In the style of a buffet, the room was filled with guests clinking drinks, a record player was set up on one side of the dining area casting melodious music throughout the room in a continuous loop. Bai Youwei had arrived with a wheelchair. Fu Miaoxue, spotting her the moment she arrived, couldn¡¯t resist an antagonizing remark, ¡°I heard you made it out of the maze~ But, it couldn¡¯t heal your legs? You¡¯re quite the cripple~¡± However, her opponent was even more brutal. ¡°Why did you bother coming to the feast with your fake limb? You can¡¯t eat or drink,¡± Bai Youwei questioned, ¡°Did you come to display your indigestion?¡± Fu Miaoxue left, humiliated and fuming. A soft chuckle came from Shen Mo. Bai Youwei glared at him, annoyed, ¡°You¡¯re laughing while I¡¯m being insulted!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Shen Mo replied with a lopsided smile, ¡°I just thought she seemed quite concerned about you. Among the crowd, she noticed you immediately, which means she must have been watching the entrance, waiting for you to arrive at the feast.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural for her to care about me,¡± Bai Youwei muttered, ¡°Du Lai has always been trying to transform Fu Miaoxue back into a human through leveling up in the maze. Now that neither of them went to the maze, they surely are curious as to whether my leg got healed or not. She came over here just now to poke and prod at me, trying to figure things out.¡± Shen Mo glanced in the direction of Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai, ¡°Fu Miaoxue doesn¡¯t have many puzzle pieces, so she can¡¯t recruit many vassals. Du Lai is a cautious person, given the lack of manpower, he certainly wouldn¡¯t risk entering the maze casually.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they charge into the maze when it was just the two of them?¡± Bai Youwei pointed out. At her words, Shen Mo smiled slightly, ¡°They were in a do-or-die situation. Now, they have puzzle pieces and props so they should strategize.¡± If they managed to win more puzzle pieces and recruit more vassals, their odds of winning when they enter the maze again would be much higher. ¡°Ah! So, you guys are here!¡± From a distance, Tan Xiao beamed as he approached them with a tall, muscular man following behind. ¡°Mo! Sister Weiwei! You wouldn¡¯t believe how small the world is!¡± Tan Xiao excitedly held up his hand, revealing two grey clumps of mud sitting on his palm, ¡°Do you guys remember the monkey?! He stole my and Old Cheng¡¯s clay, but look! Now the clay is back with us!¡± Chapter 707: Rumors Abound Chapter 707: Chapter 707: Rumors Abound Monkey? Clay? Shen Mo and Bai Youwei were surprised. It took them a few seconds to react. There was indeed a small-time thief nicknamed Monkey who had stolen the clay props from Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai. But now¡­ Shen Mo picked up the two pieces of gray clay and weighed them in his hand. When these two pieces of clay were stolen, one had 9 uses left, the other had 8. But now, one had only 2 uses left, and the other just 1. How did Monkey use them? From 17 uses, they were down to just 3! Weren¡¯t his injuries too frequent? ¡°Did you encounter Monkey?¡± Shen Mo asked Tan Xiao. ¡°No! But I ran into my brother Shan!¡± Tan Xiao excitedly pushed the sturdy man standing behind him to the front of Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, introducing, ¡°This is Brother Shan, his real name is Hu Dashan! My good buddy! We¡¯ve known each other since we were kids, we¡¯re really close!¡± Bai Youwei asked, seeming puzzled: ¡°He looks at least 10 years older than you, how did you guys share one pair of pants in your youth?¡± Tan Xiao chuckled, ¡°I was just using a figure of speech to describe our close relationship¡­¡± The man called Hu Dashan also laughed, introducing himself, ¡°We originally lived in Taizhou. Thanks to you two, Taizhou is now completely free of those dangerous games! I heard that the base here is recruiting citizens, so a few of us brothers specially came over from Taizhou, if needed, you can consider us¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re all on the same side! What¡¯s there to consider?!¡± Tan Xiao patted his chest promisingly, ¡°Rest assured! We¡¯ll definitely recruit you first!¡± Then turned to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°Brother Mo, Sister Wei, I¡¯m not boasting! These brothers of mine are top-notch when it comes to fighting! And they are loyal and righteous as well! See, the clay is the best proof!¡± Hu Dashan¡¯s smile became even more pleasing, ¡°That¡¯s right, we have a guy named Monkey in our team, the clay was his. If we knew it was stolen from you guys, we would¡¯ve returned it much earlier.¡± Shen Mo and Bai Youwei understood. This was their way of showing loyalty through the clay. The clay¡­only 3 uses were left¡­ Shen Mo pondered for a moment before speaking: ¡°The date of the first battle is still a while away. You guys can stay in the Headquarters Building for some training first. We will contact you when we need to recruit.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Train first!¡± Tan Xiao said to Hu Dashan, ¡°You can train with me, I¡¯ve been practicing some new moves recently! They¡¯re really cool!¡± A glimmer of disappointment flashed through Hu Dashan¡¯s eyes. Bai Youwei noticed it, her lips curling into a smile as she slowly spoke: ¡°There¡¯s no rush, you can take your time to train your martial arts. Because in this battle, one of us will exercise the right to surrender, and we won¡¯t need citizens to fight. The real participation will be in the battle after.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Hu Dashan forced a smile, ¡°That¡¯s also good¡­ We¡¯ll have plenty of time to prepare.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go drink!¡± Tan Xiao wrapped his arm around Hu Dashan¡¯s shoulder, highly spirited, ¡°Tell me how you ended up in Taizhou! Why didn¡¯t you bring me along¡­¡± The two turned and walked into the crowd. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo glanced at each other. ¡°What benefit is there to volunteering to be a citizen?¡± Shen Mo asked, feeling perplexed. Bai Youwei also couldn¡¯t understand. Although the citizens can share the fruits of victory when the king is victorious, the risks involved are unpredictable, and¡­ isn¡¯t it a bit too early to submit to someone now? At that moment, Ya Chaohui who was quietly drinking on the side spoke up: ¡°It probably has something to do with the recent rumors circulating around the base.¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo turned to look at him, asking: ¡°What rumors?¡± ¡°There are all sorts of rumors.¡± Ya Chaohui responded with a dull expression, ¡°Some rumors say that the victorious citizens and the king will gain an Immortal Body, some rumors say that the citizens will be allotted their own territory, there are also rumors that¡­ citizens can usurp the throne and replace the king after the war.¡± Chapter 708 - 708 Chirping Chapter 708: Chapter 708 Chirping The rumors earlier could be easily dismissed, as everyone knew that the Inspector emphasized the benefits of winning the war just to incite their participation. The rumors just made these ¡°benefits¡± explicit. But the last one, suggesting that subjects could overthrow the king later, was rather malign. If the possibility of usurping the throne was real, subjects could just hide within the king¡¯s team, waiting to betray and strike back in the final battle. All the efforts of the king would go in vain, only to result in preparing feasts for others. Under such circumstances, how could the allies trust each other? And the direct result of mistrust was¡ª The king would be hesitating and cautious, the subjects¡¯ coordination would be poor, the entire team would lack unity, ultimately leading to their collective destruction. Everyone would lose the game! ¡°Do you know where these rumors originated from?¡± Shen Mo asked Ya Chaohui. He and Bai Youwei would often spend time in the dollhouse, one aloof, the other arrogant, they ironically knew less about the base than the later-arriving Ya Chaohui. ¡°It seems to have come from the King¡¯s Headquarters.¡± Ya Chaohui said, looking at the distance, ¡°It probably has something to do with those guys over there.¡± Off in the distance was Yan Qingwen, who was conversing with someone over wine. Now that the residents in the city area had gradually resumed their normal lives, there was indeed no need to fabricate rumors about the king and his subjects. Even if such rumors were made up, not everyone would believe them. But what if the king himself was the one spreading these rumors? Shen Mo picked up a glass of wine and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go ask.¡± Bai Youwei saw Su Man and Zhu Shu at another table and gestured, ¡°I¡¯ll be over there.¡± The two went their separate ways. Su Man and Zhu Shu also saw Bai Youwei and enthusiastically waved at her. After greeting her, Su Man couldn¡¯t wait and asked Bai Youwei in a low voice: Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Is your leg better after we left the maze?¡± She had been obsessing over this issue with her healing hands. Bai Youwei nodded happily, ¡°Yes, much better.¡± ¡°Can you walk now?¡± Su Man scrutinized her leg. ¡°Of course.¡± Bai Youwei raised her leg, ¡°Not only can I walk, but I can also cross my legs.¡± ¡°Alright, put down your leg now! You¡¯ve just recovered, take good care of it!¡± Su Man gently lowered Bai Youwei¡¯s leg and exclaimed, ¡°Oh my, your leg is so smooth!¡± Bai Youwei flaunted with a smug look, ¡°I¡¯ve just done a face mask, of course, it¡¯s smooth.¡± Su Man curiously touched her calf. Bai Youwei swatted away Su Man¡¯s hand and said bluntly, ¡°Go touch your own leg!¡± Su Man laughed with her hand covering her mouth, then turned to Zhu Shu and said, ¡°Weiwei here has put a face mask on her leg.¡± Zhu Shu chuckled, ¡°Remember to exfoliate before applying the mask. I used to exfoliate once a month, then apply body lotion, it feels great.¡± Bai Youwei and Su Man echoed incredulously, ¡°Exfoliate?¡± Let¡¯s chat, ladies¡­ Care to share some health tips? The girls chatted and laughed, discussing skincare and wellness tips. Meanwhile, the men¡¯s conversation was a tad more serious. Shen Mo asked Yan Qingwen about the rumor, and Yan Qingwen admitted without hesitation, ¡°Indeed, I was the one who spread the rumor, though I¡¯m not responsible for the last one.¡± Shen Mo frowned. If it wasn¡¯t Yan Qingwen, then who could it be? He scanned the banquet hall, his gaze falling upon Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue in the distance. Yan Qingwen also looked at the pair, saying, ¡°I guess it was those two. Among the four types of battle in the Maze War, other than Battle 1, the number of participants in the other battles are at least five or more. They don¡¯t have enough people, and given Du Lai¡¯s bad reputation at the base, they needed a strong bait to attract others. ¡± No player who had previously entered the game with Du Lai had been spared from being tricked, hence, up till now, Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue had failed to recruit any subjects. Shen Mo observed them for a while, withdrew his gaze, and asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°Which battle have you chosen for the next round?¡± Chapter 709: Cough Cough Cough Cough Chapter 709: Chapter 709: Cough Cough Cough Cough ¡°Battle 5,¡± Yan Qingwen answered, ¡°The Inspector is the comic man; he demands a team of five for the war.¡± At her answer, Shen Mo nodded and asked, ¡°Who are you thinking of bringing along?¡± Yan Qingwen frowned; she seemed troubled, ¡°I¡¯ve not decided yet¡­ Definitely bringing Su Man along, as she¡¯s agile and good at team work. Lu Yuwen is smart, he¡¯d be a great help. Zhu Shu, although she doesn¡¯t have an obvious upper hand, is adaptable to the game and great at observing¡­ I¡¯m still short of one more person. Maybe I¡¯ll pick from those who were chosen to be officials.¡± ¡°Have you considered Li Li?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°You two have collaborated before and are rather familiar.¡± Yan Qingwen gently shook her head, ¡°He did approach me, but I turned him down. The Li family had been kind to me in the past, I can¡¯t bring their only son into this.¡± ¡°You still have a couple of weeks,¡± Shen Mo reassured, ¡°Comic Man¡¯s games tend to be mental battles. When selecting your team, it¡¯s not just about how smart they are, but there must be an enough strong willpower as well. Otherwise, it could get dicey.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Yan Qingwen nodded, ¡°I get it.¡± Finally, Yan Qingwen asked Shen Mo, ¡°What about your side? Have you all decided on who¡¯s going to be the King?¡± At the mention of this, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help furrowing his eyebrows. Before he could answer, Yan Qingwen continued, ¡°Let Bai Youwei be the King.¡± Shen Mo looked at him somewhat surprised, ¡°You think she¡¯s more suitable too?¡± Yan Qingwen quirked the corner of his lips, ¡°It¡¯s not about who¡¯s more suitable, but rather who you can¡¯t say no to.¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± He glanced at the distance, where Bai Youwei was chatting excitedly with Su Man and Zhu Shu. He had no idea what the three women were talking about, but they all seemed to be having a great time. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to take the risk,¡± Shen Mo sighed. ¡°It¡¯s natural for a man to want to protect his woman,¡± Yan Qingwen teased, ¡°Just think of it as the end of the world, and her last wish is to be the King. As her man, are you going to help her or not?¡± Shen Mo smiled, not saying a word. ¡­ On the other side, the ladies were laughing at something, attracting quite a bit of attention and curious looks from the nearby men. Lu Yuwen brought over a fruit platter, smiling as he asked, ¡°What are you chatting about that makes you all so happy.¡± ¡°We¡¯re talking about having a tomato bath,¡± Su Man took the fruit platter from him, picking a grape to eat, ¡°¡­Ugh, it¡¯s so sour!¡± ¡°Be content that you have something to eat~¡± Bai Youwei picked out a piece of melon and popped it into her mouth, ¡°The melon isn¡¯t bad¡­ And the tomatoes, Zhu Shu, can we use these for a tomato bath?¡± ¡°Sure, as long as you have enough of them,¡± Zhu Shu laughed, ¡°Though I guess after you come out, you might look somewhat terrifying.¡± Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you just say that a tomato bath is rich in organic acids, which can help exfoliate and promote skin metabolism¡­ Also, it can help maintain the balance of the skin¡¯s pH?¡± ¡°Well, yes, that¡¯s true¡­¡± Zhu Shu bit into a cherry tomato, she added with a smile, ¡°But when you come out immediately after the bath, you might look like you¡¯ve just been to a bloody battle.¡± ¡°Pff!¡± Su Man burst out laughing, ¡°Hahaha *cough cough cough! Cough¡­cough¡­cough!¡± Lu Yuwen gently patted her back, watching her cough, he found it somewhat amusing, ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water.¡± Su Man: ¡°*Cough¡­ Cough cough¡­Alright¡­* Bai Youwei winked at Su Man, ¡°Su Man, Lu Yuwen is quite nice to you~¡± ¡°Yeah, he is! *Cough¡­ cough¡­*,¡± Su Man replied, ¡°We have¡­ *Cough¡­ Cough cough! Coughed our lungs out together!¡± Bai Youwei glanced at Lu Yuwen¡¯s retreating back, teasing, ¡°Together till the end? Oh~ Have you two made vows to each other already?¡± Su Man was coughing so hard it was earth-shattering, ¡°*Cough cough cough cough cough!!!¡± Chapter 710: Good Temper Chapter 710: Chapter 710: Good Temper Lu Yuwen poured a glass of orange juice, thought about it, and then put it back down. He asked a nearby server, ¡°Do you have any boiled water, lukewarm?¡± ¡°Yes. You can find it if you walk forward.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± A female customer leaning over to make conversation: ¡°I also fancy a drink of water, handsome guy. Could you help me fetch a glass?¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Yuwen, pointing towards Su Man with a smile, said, ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t do that with all these people.¡± Upon hearing this, the female customer knew she was getting nowhere. She laughed awkwardly and then walked away. This kind of flirtation seemed quite novel to Lu Yuwen. In his school days, because he was lame, his female classmates seldom mingled with him. Then later, after starting his own business and making some money, he did attract some women¡¯s attention. However, in a seemingly ironic twist, they were willing to marry him but not invested in dating him or traveling with him¡­ Su Man was the only one. She was the only woman who didn¡¯t mind his limp at all. Reminiscing about her various attitudes, Lu Yuwen couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He couldn¡¯t determine whether she was just broad-minded or was born without a sense of precaution. He held a cup of water and a cup of orange juice and started walking back. As he passed a group of young people, he happened to catch the mention of Su Man¡¯s name and halted abruptly. ¡°¡­The Li Family and the Su Family have been on good terms for generations. If Su Man¡¯s parents can persuade your family, they might agree to let you go.¡± Li Li frowned, ¡°What kind of bad idea is that? If Su¡¯s mother finds out, she will only join my parents to persuade me.¡± His companion replied, ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing we can do. If your family doesn¡¯t yield, even if Yan Qingwen agrees, it won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Forget it! If I can¡¯t go, then I can¡¯t go! Aren¡¯t you always annoyed about being bothered by Su Man? You¡¯ve finally got your peace!¡± another companion chimed in. ¡°Well! They are childhood buddies and it¡¯s only normal for them to be all over each other. Besides, they¡¯re going to be together forever! Hahaha!¡± teased another person. With a furrowed brow, Li Li responded, ¡°Stop joking. If I were to live with that kind of woman for the rest of my life, she¡¯d drive me crazy!¡± ¡°That¡¯s heartless! She¡¯s still a pretty girl¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know about her endless problems! Let me tell you¡­¡± While Li Li was talking, a man suddenly bumped into him. All the orange juice and boiled water splashed all over his body! Half of Li Li¡¯s clothes were soaked! The man who¡¯d bumped into him didn¡¯t react. He just picked up his empty cup and continued walking forward. ¡°Hey!¡± An irritated Li Li chased him, ¡°Are you blind? Aren¡¯t you supposed to apologize when you bump into someone?!¡± Lu Yuwen turned around. His expression was unchanged, but his words were extraordinarily rude, ¡°I merely hit a dog. Why should I apologize?¡± ¡°You?!¡± Li Li, enraged, raised his fist and swung it towards him! Yet, before his fist could land, the man sneered, then stumbled backward in a dramatic fall, crashing into a table, breaking a bunch of dishes and plates in a loud clatter! Such a huge commotion drew everyone¡¯s attention, including Su Man and Bai Youwei from afar. Seeing Lu Yuwen fall, Su Man was alarmed. She hurried over to help him up, ¡°Are you okay? Where did you hit?¡± Lu Yuwen shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Su Man glared at Li Li, ¡°Hey! Apologize!¡± ¡°Me, apologize to him?!¡± Li Li was fuming, pointing to his water-stained clothes, ¡°Then how about him spilling all the drinks on me?!¡± Li Li¡¯s friends gather around and chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right! He was the one who bumped into you first. We all saw it.¡± Lu Yuwen frowned slightly, dusted off his disheveled clothes, and calmly said to Su Man, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I did apologize, but he thought it wasn¡¯t sincere enough.¡± Su Man, trusting him, glared at Li Li in annoyance, ¡°Li Li, you really are something, even bullying Lu Yuwen, who is usually so good-natured!¡± ¡°I bullied him?!¡± Li Li was so exasperated he felt like spitting blood, ¡°Su Man! Are you blind or what?!¡± His friends also chimed in, ¡°This guy is obviously picking a fight on purpose¡­¡± Su Man pointed at them and yelled, ¡°You¡¯re all in this together! Of course, you¡¯re siding with Li Li!¡± At this, Lu Yuwen grabbed her hand and tried to pacify her, ¡°Let it go¡­ He¡¯s just a little too eager to replace me as a subject¡­¡± Chapter 711: One Month Chapter 711: Chapter 711: One Month The moment these words were said, Su Man¡¯s face immediately changed. Even the onlookers around them began to whisper amongst themselves. ¡°Oh really? So that¡¯s your trick! In order to get Brother Yan to take you in, you¡¯ve even thought of such a dirty tactic!¡± Su Man pointed at Li Li, seething with anger, ¡°Li Li, you wait for me! I¡¯ll definitely tell Uncle Li and Auntie Li!¡± ¡°Are you stupid, Su Man?!¡± It was obvious that he was trying to hurt me!¡± Li Li shouted in a fury, ¡°I didn¡¯t touch him at all! He fell on his own!¡± Su Man wasn¡¯t buying it, ¡°Yuwen doesn¡¯t even know you, why would he want to hurt you? Do you think everyone is nuts just like you?!¡± She helped support Yuwen¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll help you rest.¡± Yuwen said, ¡°We should clear it up. After all, our two families are close¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t bother with this crazy guy.¡± Su Man was nonchalant, ¡°I¡¯ve known him since we were young, I know him too well. When we were young, if he couldn¡¯t get the toys he liked, he would throw tantrums at home. Even as an adult, he still behaves so disgustingly.¡± Li Li¡¯s face was getting extremely ugly. The surrounding crowd was whispering and gossiping. Yuwen was limping as he walked, and Su Man asked worriedly, ¡°Did you hurt your foot?¡± ¡°¡­I might have twisted it.¡± ¡°Your foot had just recovered, and this Li Li¡­never mind, I¡¯ll carry you back¡­¡± Without permitting any refusal from Yuwen, Su Man carried him on her back and left the hall. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The rest of the guests watched the drama for a while, then gradually dispersed. Li Li stood on the spot, his hands clenched into fists, trembling with rage! His friend walked up and patted his shoulder, saying solemnly, ¡°Li Li, you¡¯ve met your match¡­¡± With a pale face, Li Li swore, ¡°Sick f*ck! I clearly didn¡¯t touch him, he fell by himself!¡± However, besides him, it seemed that no one cared how Yuwen really fell. Li Li could no longer stand being at the banquet, removed his wet coat, and left with a dark face. ¡­ Having watched the drama, Bai Youwei withdrew her gaze and looked at Zhu Shu beside her. Zhu Shu was also looking at her. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Zhu Shu squinted her eyes and smiled: ¡°You go first.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°The same old recipe¡­¡± Zhu Shu chuckled and responded, ¡°But a different flavour.¡± The two of them could not hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. ¡­ Afterwards, the straightforward Su Man really went to the Li Family to report the incident. Li Li was severely scolded by his parents, and his relationship with Su Man became even more strained. Even during times of truce, the moment Yuwen showed up, things would always get chaotic. Su Man accused Li Li of being petty. Li Li cursed Su Man for being brainless. It seemed like their childhood bond of over twenty years might be completely strained, and neither Yan Qingwen, Bai Youwei nor others had any intention of reconciling the two, allowing their bickering to intensify and ultimately leading to a deadlock. And Yuwen kept visiting the Su family to advise Su Man, increasingly winning the approval of Su Man¡¯s parents¡­. Days were passing by in a bickering manner. Unconsciously, the deadline of one month was fast approaching. During this month, everyone was preparing with all their might, whether it was gathering resources or training their bodies, no one dared to slack off. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo registered for Battle 20. According to the estimated situation, only the two of them should be registering for Battle 20, so as long as one of them surrenders, they could successfully advance to the next round. But now as the situation was pressing, they inevitably felt nervous, always thinking what¡­if¡­ what if some clueless king also registered for Battle 20, what would happen then? Bai Youwei felt knots in her stomach. Before setting off, she looked at the indifferent Shen Mo and asked solemnly once again: ¡°Once we arrive on the battlefield, you will surrender, won¡¯t you? You will, won¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 712: The Kings Choice Chapter 712: Chapter 712: The King¡¯s Choice Shen Mo responded with his usual unchanging reply: ¡°Let me think about it.¡± Bai Youwei could only glare at him, emphasizing: ¡°Regardless, I will not surrender!¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± He indeed couldn¡¯t argue with her. ¡­ [Author: Could my friends who are reading pirated versions possibly switch platforms? Could you come to QQ Reading? If that¡¯s too much trouble, you could also use the QQ mobile app! QQ- Updates- Reading, look for the book title there! If not, Qidian, Hongxiu, Xiaoxiang are all good platforms! If everyone spent a few bucks, you all would be rescuing a struggling author!] ¡­ Returning to the rest hall, the number of people had increased compared to before. Originally there were 26 kings and 141 subjects, but now, Bai Youwei felt there was almost 200 people in the rest hall. This was not hard to understand, as a large part of the subjects were previous kings who were weeded out during the preliminary rounds. Now the current kings would rather recruit their friends and family as subjects, rather than taking old rivals from the game. In addition to the increased number of people, the number of Inspectors had also grown. The Clown, the Ball, the Comic Guy, and the Old Man in the Grey Robe: four Inspectors stood in a line at the side of the rest hall. Behind them were large glowing squares, which were undoubtedly the entrances to the ¡°Battlefield¡±. The Rabbit-headed Gentleman was also there. He stood directly in front of the four Inspectors, and politely said to the crowd: ¡°May the 23 Kings please lead your subjects to enter the battlefield.¡± Bai Youwei tugged on Shen Mo¡¯s hand: ¡°Did you hear that? ¡¯23 Kings¡¯.¡± At the end of the preliminary round, there were clearly 26. The missing three probably died in the maze. Shen Mo also looked towards the entrance and slowly said: ¡°Entering the maze gives an advantage on Physical Ability, but also brings the risk of early elimination. It seems Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue made the right decision not to go into the maze. If the maze is open after every battle, we need to seriously consider it next time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right~Not every game requires Physical Ability.¡± Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°Generally, two enhancements should be adequate to handle sudden circumstances. The rest that needs to be improved are not Physical Abilities, but agility, skills, and such. If we continuously challenge the maze just to increase Physical Ability, we¡¯ll lose more than we gain.¡± As they were speaking, the Kings started to enter the arena. The Rabbit-headed Gentleman slowly and carefully repeated the rules: ¡°There are four battles to choose from, each requiring a corresponding amount of puzzle pieces as collateral. If you win the game, the puzzle pieces used as collateral will be returned, and you will receive the opponent¡¯s collateral pieces; If you lose the game, your collateral puzzle pieces will be forfeited. Battle 1 requires 1 puzzle piece as collateral, with no limit on the number of participants. Battle 5 requires 5 puzzle pieces as collateral, with a limit of 5 participants. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Battle 10 requires 10 puzzle pieces as collateral, with a limit of 8 participants. Battle 20 requires 20 puzzle pieces as collateral, with a minimum of 10 participants. Please note, each battle can only be chosen once, and the final contest will be held after all four battles are completed.¡± More and more people entered the glowing entrances. Some chose the Clown, some chose the Comic Guy, and some chose the Ball. No one entered the glowing square behind the Old Man in the Grey Robe. That was the entry to Battle 20. Battle 20 required 20 puzzle pieces as a collateral and a participation of at least 10 players. Assuming each subject has 2 puzzle pieces, the King must contribute at least 40 puzzle pieces to this battle. Out of the 23 Kings present, excluding Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, no one else could possibly produce that many puzzle pieces at once. Even if there was such a person, it doesn¡¯t make sense to take such a risk in the first battle. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo waited, waited for all the Kings to enter the battlefield before confirming the number of players. 10 Kings chose ¡°Battle 1¡±, 8 Kings chose ¡°Battle 5¡±, 3 Kings chose ¡°Battle 10¡±, leaving two Kings ¨C Her and him, chose ¡°Battle 20¡±. Chapter 713: The First Battle Chapter 713: Chapter 713: The First Battle Bai Youwei stepped into the glowing square which was practically cloaked in white, much like the feeling she had when she was just stepping out of the labyrinth. As she was carefully taking in her surroundings, Shen Mo suddenly appeared before her! Bai Youwei got startled, but upon a closer look, she realized it wasn¡¯t Shen Mo but a three-dimensional hologram of Shen Mo that was identical in all proportions. ¡°Damn, you scared me¡­¡± Bai Youwei muttered. On the right side of Shen Mo¡¯s hologram, a few lines of information appeared¡ª [Enemy King, Age 26, Height 186cm, Weight 75kg, Blood Type A¡­] Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°Is this for a battle, or a marriage proposal?¡± The system probably didn¡¯t expect this reaction from her. The display of information froze for a second before slowly revealing the remaining information: [Holding puzzles, 32] [Has Subjects, 2] [Choose to surrender? The time allotted for consideration is 60 seconds. Initiating countdown 59, 58, 57¡­] Bai Youwei stared at the countdown timer; her initially relaxed mind began to grow tense. Would Shen Mo choose to surrender? Was he, at this very moment, also looking at her personal information and feeling indecisive? In all honesty, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea if he became the King¡­ Given his personality, win or lose, he wouldn¡¯t abandon her. Plus, his reputation and trustworthiness would give him an advantage when recruiting subjects¡­ But what if something happened to him? He had teammates, friends, family¡­ everyone needed him¡­ he couldn¡¯t be in danger. Moreover, she really, really needed this opportunity to become the King¡­ The countdown was decreasing second by second, and Bai Youwei¡¯s heart was likewise filling with apprehension. The King only had one chance to surrender before battle commenced. Once used, the King and his subjects would all become subjects of the other party. 42, 41, 40, 39, 38¡­ Why wasn¡¯t he surrendering? Could it be that he wanted to hold out until the last second to add more suspense? Bai Youwei was a little anxious. Unconsciously, she bit her fingernails, eyes fixed on the countdown. She didn¡¯t want to go head-to-head with Shen Mo. If Shen Mo didn¡¯t surrender, then she¡­ then she¡­ Bai Youwei reached out, hovering over the surrender button. Should she surrender? 31, 30, 29, 28¡­ Bai Youwei took a deep breath, bit her lower lip, and pulled her hand back! ¡­Damn! Shen Mo, you jerk! Burgeoning male chauvinism? Why won¡¯t you surrender! Are you trying to play mind games to force me to surrender instead?! You bastard bastard bastard! Just because I like you, you¡¯re cocky! Asshole!!! ¡°Ding!¡­ The enemy King chose to surrender, obtained 32 puzzles, and gained 3 subjects.¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. The system¡¯s notification sound rang again: ¡°The battle is over. Please proceed to the resting hall and prepare for the next battle.¡± Just¡­ like that? Shen Mo¡¯s 3D hologram and all relevant information disappeared, the surroundings returned to a vast expanse of white. The ending was too abrupt. Bai Youwei was a bit disoriented. Standing still for a while, she finally turned around and slowly exited the hall¨C Shen Mo was waiting for her outside. Bai Youwei looked at him in a daze, her emotions surging like the tide, she asked softly, ¡°you¡­.you surrendered?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Shen Mo walked up to her, cupped her cheeks, leaned in, and nuzzled his nose against hers. ¡°Can¡¯t refuse you.¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback. She regained her composure and pushed his nose hard. She snapped, ¡°Why did it take you so long to surrender?! Were you¡­ were you hesitating? Were you? Were you? Were you?!!¡± Shen Mo suppressed his laughter and gently said, ¡°No, I just spent a bit more time looking at your personal information.¡± Bai Youwei:¡±¡­¡± Shen Mo continued, ¡°So, you are really of age¡­¡± Bai Youwei huffed, ¡°What, have you always thought that I was underage?¡± Shen Mo rubbed her head while smiling, ¡°Yes, I always thought you were three.¡± Bai Youwei instantly began to gnash her teeth! S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 714: Choosing the Next Scene Chapter 714: Chapter 714: Choosing the Next Scene ¡°Sorry to interrupt you two.¡± The Rabbit Gentleman walked over with a smile, ¡°I just found out that the king who finished the first battle first has already been born. Now, please choose the next battle, Your Majesty.¡± A selection panel appeared in front of Bai Youwei just like before¨C Battle 1 Clown, Battle 5 Comic Man, Battle 10 Ball, Battle 20 Grey-robed Old Man; these four options appeared before her. Among them, ¡°Battle 20¡± has been greyed out and the button status cannot be selected. For the next battle, Bai Youwei need to choose one from 1, 5, and 10. ¡°Do I have to choose right now?¡± Bai Youwei asked, feeling she was not ready yet. ¡°You have ample time to consider.¡± The rabbit-headed Inspector smiled, ¡°However, you cannot leave the rest hall until a choice is made.¡± Bai Youwei frowned. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She looked again at the three options. After a while, she suddenly thought of something and looked at the Rabbit Gentleman: ¡°I have a question.¡± The Rabbit Gentleman slightly nodded his head and asked gently: ¡°Please ask.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°I currently have a total of 48 puzzle pieces, I just won his 32 pieces, plus 4 puzzle pieces in the hands of my subjects, totally making 84 pieces. So, even if I lose all the three upcoming battles, I can still advance to the final, right?¡± According to the rules, the king can only be eliminated when the number of puzzle pieces is insufficient to participate in the competition. The rabbit-headed Inspector smiled and said, ¡°Even though it¡¯s not explicitly stated in the rules, actually¡­the difficulty of the battles will gradually increase.¡± ¡°Increase? Bai Youwei was stunned, ¡°didn¡¯t you say before that the difficulty of the battle only depends on the matched opponent?¡± The Rabbit Gentleman nodded again, ¡°Let me put it another way¨C The risk of battle will gradually increase, and by the third battle, the loser is almost unlikely to survive.¡± If they can¡¯t survive, what good will the puzzle pieces bring? They would still be eliminated. Bai Youwei pondered with a frown. Shen Mo suggested on the side, ¡°Choose Battle 10.¡± After thinking about it, Bai Youwei also thought Battle 10 would be more appropriate. Because by the time the next battle begins, the king in Battle 10 will be a player who advanced from Battle 1 or Battle 5. Once a person advances, they often become more relaxed than before. But at that time, Battle 1 and Battle 5 are likely to encounter defeated kings. People often fight to the death when they are close to the edge of death, even at the risk of a total collapse. Bai Youwei chose Battle 10. The Inspector for Battle 10 is Ball, who Bai Youwei is well acquainted with and familiar with its game type. ¡°The number of participants required for Battle 10 is eight people.¡± Bai Youwei pointed at herself and Shen Mo, ¡°Apart from us, six more people are needed. Ball¡¯s games are usually more violent, so we need to choose players who have a physical advantage.¡± There is definitely no problem with Tan Xiao and Ya Chaohui, Asarina and Along can also work, but Pan Xiaoxin is not suitable. Bai Youwei still lacked two subjects. The Rabbit Gentleman smiled, ¡°There is one month until the next battle, please prepare during this period. Also, the new maze authority has been opened, would you like to apply to enter now?¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed as she shook her head. She still remembered what happened to Aqing clearly and didn¡¯t want her companions to take more risks. Now that her leg was healed and her companions had entered the maze two or three times, managing the game wouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Giving up the application¡­¡± the Rabbit Inspector nodded knowingly, ¡°You can apply to enter the maze whenever you want. Good luck.¡± After speaking, he took a step back and disappeared in an instant. Only four glowing squares remained in the empty rest hall, along with some subjects who had not been recruited lingering nearby. Chapter 715: The Call of the Plastic Sisters Chapter 715: Chapter 715: The Call of the Plastic Sisters S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo left the rest hall and returned to the Headquarters Building. They essentially advanced by eliminating one of their own, so they didn¡¯t have a real understanding of the content and mechanism of the official campaign game, nor had anything to talk about. Therefore, after returning, they only had brief conversations with Chu Huaijin before they went back to their rooms to rest. Shen Mo took out game materials related to the ball, sat on the sofa to peruse them. Bai Youwei, on the other hand, took out a map, laid on her bed, and studied where to ¡°occupy¡± next would be most suitable. Currently, she had a lot of surplus puzzles, which she could use to expand her territory. Even though she was not interested in saving the world, she had to admit that, the more cities were recovered, the faster all kinds of industry supplies would bounce back, and the living conditions in the base would improve accordingly. For instance, if she were to ¡°occupy¡± coastal areas, the fishing industry would be revived, and a variety of fruits and seafood would be transported continuously. Bai Youwei was measuring and marking the map, carefully planning. She didn¡¯t notice when Shen Mo came over. He lifted his long arm, his fingers reached over from behind and pointed at a position on the map: ¡°This place won¡¯t do. Someone¡¯s already taken it.¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s taken it?¡± Bai Youwei paused, ¡°I didn¡¯t notice. Who took it?¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°That guy with the white gloves. He placed two puzzle pieces around here.¡± Mentioning the man with the white gloves, Bai Youwei felt incredibly uneasy, she frowned and muttered: ¡°I really don¡¯t want to encounter people like him in the game.¡± In the preliminaries, when the man with the white gloves emerged from the game, he was bloody all over. It was other people¡¯s blood. Not a single player in his team made it out. Shen Mo recalled and said, ¡°His first campaign choice was Campaign 5, the same as Yan Qingwen. I wonder if they¡¯ll meet¡­ ¡± ¡°I hope they don¡¯t meet.¡± Bai Youwei puckered her lips, ¡°If they meet, I hope Yan would swiftly defeat him, so we don¡¯t have to encounter him afterward.¡± Shen Mo laughed, ¡°Are you scared of him?¡± ¡°Not scared¡­¡± Bai Youwei rubbed her arms, ¡°I just feel very uncomfortable. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s bizarre? Seems like he¡¯s not quite right in the head¡­ With other players, you could either engage in a battle of wits or strength, but with him¡­ Nevermind, perhaps he will be eliminated in the first round.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment and acquiesced, ¡°Indeed, anything can happen in the game.¡± Thus, they dropped the topic, not mentioning it again, and solely focused on preparing for the next campaign. A month was more than enough time. Bai Youwei thought she simply had to wait patiently for the arrival of the campaign next month, yet she didn¡¯t expect events to unfold the very next morning. She was having breakfast with Shen Mo, Mr. Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin, having scrambled eggs, sausages, mushroom soup, and vegetarian buns. Suddenly, she heard a voice next to her ear: ¡°Weiwei!¡± It was Zhu Shu¡¯s voice. Bai Youwei almost thought she was hearing things, her mind blanking for a full two seconds. Afterward, she noticed the plastic flower hairpin flying out from her canvas bag! It flew right in front of her! Zhu Shu¡¯s voice was much clearer, ¡°Weiwei!¡± Bai Youwei instinctively picked up the hairpin. Zhu Shu¡¯s cry for help instantly floated into her mind, asking her if she could provide help now. Shen Mo asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei blinked blankly, looking at Shen Mo: ¡°Zhu Shu¡­ seems to be calling me for help.¡± ¡°Something¡¯s happened to Yan Qingwen?¡± Shen Mo asked. Zhu Shu and Yan Qingwen were together, so if something happened to Zhu Shu, it probably meant something had happened to Yan Qingwen as well. ¡°I¡¯m not clear on it yet¡­¡± Bai Youwei hesitated, ¡°The message only told me that the other possessor of the item, Zhu Shu, needed my help, asking if I¡¯d like to head over. If I agree, I have to wear the hairpin. If I refuse, I crush the hairpin.¡± As she spoke, she held the hairpin and tentatively clipped it into her hair ¡ª Without any warning, the scene suddenly changed, and she appeared on the sofa in a strange room, and right in front of her, Zhu Shu and Su Man were looking at her! Chapter 716: Tomorrows Inn Chapter 716: Chapter 716: Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Bai Youwei stared at the pair, a plain bun still in her hand. Su Man and Zhu Shu were wide-eyed too, matching her gaze. After a long silence, Su Man, all of a sudden, hugged Bai Youwei, exclaiming with glee, ¡°My God! The prop is a godsend! It actually managed to bring someone over!¡± Bai Youwei was rocked back and forth in her embrace, nearly dropping her bun. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡± she inquired. Su Man let go of Bai Youwei, exchanged a glance with Zhu Shu, and their happiness visibly subsided. ¡°Where¡¯s Yan Qingwen?¡± asked Bai Youwei, looking around the room. Except for Su Man and Zhu Shu, there was nobody else. ¡°Why on earth is it just the two of you?¡± Zhu Shu signaled something with her eyes to Su Man. Su Man seemed to understand, tiptoed quietly to the door, gently opened it to check both sides of the room, then returned and shook her head at Zhu Shu. ¡ªNobody was outside, all clear. Both women relaxed their taut nerves a bit. Zhu Shu whispered to Bai Youwei, ¡°Something has happened to Yan and Lu Yuwen, let¡¯s move to another room.¡± With her eyebrows knotted, Bai Youwei repressed her confusion and followed the two to another room. Outside the room, there was a dimly lit corridor. Rooms were on the right side, a wall cut off the outside world on the left. Raindrops thrashed against the glass windows, water stains trickled from the corner of the wall leaving behind brown marks, the damp, musty scent filled in the air¡­ The place resembled an ancient European-style hotel. After they passed two rooms, Su Man and Zhu Shu stopped. Bai Youwei took a glance and noticed the room number in gilded letters on the door: 304. ¡°There are four floors in total. The first floor is the lobby and kitchen, the rest, from the second to the fourth floor, there¡¯re five rooms on each,¡± Zhu Shu twisted the doorknob, gently pushed the door open and added, ¡°Lu Yuwen stays in this room.¡± Bai Youwei entered with them. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The room was much brighter than the corridor. The walls were covered with rose-patterned wallpaper, the floor carpeted in red. The orange glow of the light illuminated European-style furniture, half a seam was torn in the arm of the leather sofa. Everything in the room carried the essence of the 19th-century Europe ¡ª old but exquisitely so. Lu Yuwen lay on a large bed, his eyes tightly closed, as if asleep. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Bai Youwei asked in surprise. ¡°Where is he hurt?¡± ¡°He is not injured.¡± Zhu Shu slightly opened the collar of Lu Yuwen¡¯s shirt to reveal a puncture wound on his neck, her voice serious, ¡°He was injected with a potent anesthetic. It¡¯s not fatal, but it would knock him unconscious. He woke up once, stayed lucid for less than 5 minutes and then passed out again.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°How do you know it¡¯s an anesthetic?¡± ¡°The doctor downstairs said so,¡± Su Man replied quickly, ¡°There are a few NPCs downstairs, a doctor, a chef, and a detective.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, wait¡­,¡± Bai Youwei was a bit dizzy, ¡°why is there a doctor? What role do the chef and detective play? If Lu Yuwen is unconscious, what about Yan Qingwen? Is he unconscious, too?¡± Zhu Shu said, ¡°Let me explain everything from the beginning.¡± This is how it happened ¡ª Yan Qingwen selected Campaign Five, five people in total. He brought Su Man, Lu Yuwen, Zhu Shu, and a young man from the base evaluation group into the campaign. The theme of the campaign was ¡°Motel Tomorrow¡±. Event Introduction: Five ruthless murderers lurk in the Motel Tomorrow. They can kill stealthily. Detective is utterly vexed over this. Will the kind-hearted guests help the detective unearth the five murderers? Points to note: First, have meals promptly at 9 o¡¯clock in the morning and 6 o¡¯clock in the evening; Second, do not leave your room between midnight and 6 am; Third, if you get caught by the detective, you¡¯re out of the game. Chapter 717: Because of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 717: Chapter 717: Because of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Zhu Shu said, ¡°We entered the game in the morning. First, we had breakfast with all of the guests at the inn, then we all gathered in Yan¡¯s room to discuss our plans. Around noon, we heard a woman¡¯s scream from outside, so we all rushed out to see what happened. We found a woman¡¯s body outside. Yan and Lin Kui checked the body¡­ Lin Kui is a subordinate that Yan recruited from the testing team. The body was not far from Yan¡¯s room. It was a female guest staying in room 305, and her chest had been stabbed several times. As Yan was preparing to search for more clues, the guests and detective came upstairs¡­ The detective discovered the body and questioned each of us. Unexpectedly, the guests from room 405 suddenly accused Yan and Lin Kui, saying they were the murderers.¡± When she mentioned this, Su Man was indignant, ¡°Yan and Lin Kui touched the bloodstains on the body while investigating it, and this was even used as evidence! Now they are being held by the detective on the first floor!¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Just because they came into contact with the blood¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Zhu Shu said. ¡°There were blood stains at the entrances of rooms 401 and 403, and there were bloody handprints on the doors.¡± Zhu Shu explained to Bai Youwei, ¡°Rooms 401 and 403 are Lin Kui¡¯s and Yan¡¯s.¡± A woman died outside Yan Qingwen¡¯s room, and the area nearby was covered in blood. On top of that, the detective arrived just in time to see Yan Qingwen and Lin Kui checking the body. It was almost impossible to clear their names from suspicion. Bai Youwei contemplated, ¡°Hmm¡­ Yan Qingwen was taken off guard and plotted against first.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with these people? Why are they plotting against us?¡± Su Man expressed indignantly, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for us to find the murderer together and clear the game?!¡± Bai Youwei twitched her lips and looked at Su Man speechlessly, ¡°I mean¡­ Can¡¯t you think it over? This isn¡¯t an ordinary game, it¡¯s a battle game. In a competitive game, players can hardly cooperate. Your task is to find the murderer, but theirs may not be the same~¡± Su Man was stunned, ¡°You mean¡­ their task is not to find the killer?¡± Bai Youwei placed a hand on her forehead, this was such a belated response¡­ Zhu Shu sighed lightly and whispered, ¡°Weiwei is right. We wasted too much time initially. We never thought the opponent would start setting up their moves just a couple of hours into the game.¡± ¡°Exactly, where¡¯s the logic in murdering someone right off the bat?¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I thought they would at least wait until nightfall.¡± ¡°The opponent took advantage of everyone¡¯s mentality, which made it easy for them to succeed.¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°At the onset of the first battle, every player tends to be cautious. Once in the game, most are busy observing and getting familiar with their surroundings. This is actually when they are least alert.¡± After a two-second pause, Bai Youwei lowered her voice and continued, ¡°Besides¡­ Yan Qingwen might not realize that he¡¯s been exposed. The opponent saw that he is the leader of your team, so they targeted him first.¡± Zhu Shu and Su Man looked at each other in dismay. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If Bai Youwei¡¯s analysis holds, then¡­ they were being watched from the moment they initially met in Yan Qingwen¡¯s room! Su Man suddenly felt a chill, furrowing her brows and saying, ¡°Who could it be¡­ The game has only just started, and they¡¯re already plotting to this extent. It¡¯s just too perverted¡­¡± Bai Youwei fell into silence. Honestly speaking, if she were to enter this game, she would fall for it too. Because when people are in an unfamiliar environment and given a task, they subconsciously gather with their companions and plan together. Especially since Yan Qingwen had been in the military, this kind of schematic approach was deeply ingrained in him. But he definitely had no idea that even such a small detail could be used as a point of weakness. Chapter 718: The Note from Tomorrows Inn Chapter 718: Chapter 718: The Note from Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Bai Youwei glanced at Lu Yuwen on the bed and continued to inquire: ¡°What happened to him?¡± Zhu Shu explained, ¡°After Detective apprehended Yan Qingwen and Lin Kui, we sought to identify the real killer of the woman in Room 305, so we thoroughly searched this entire inn. Lu Yuwen found a strange note in a vase on the staircase. He was on his way to inform us when he was attacked and injected with anaesthetic from behind! According to Lu Yuwen, the attacker was very skilled. The anaesthetic worked incredibly fast, causing him to collapse upon contact. He¡¯s been unconscious ever since¡­ The note was stolen and only half of it remained in his palm.¡± ¡°This is the note¡­¡± Su Man took out the note and handed it to Bai Youwei, ¡°Presumably the person was in a hurry to leave, worrying about being discovered, and did not manage to yank the rest of the note.¡± Bai Youwei took the note. It read in pencil: [Surrounded¡¤Solid Circle Back¡¤Map Treasure Circle] ¡°In Chinese characters?¡± Bai Youwei was somewhat taken aback. ¡°Correct.¡± Zhu Shu nodded, ¡°It surprised us too. Out of the fifteen guests at the inn, apart from our group of five, the other ten are all white.¡± Bai Youwei inspected the note, surprised for quite some time, and despite scrutinising it, still couldn¡¯t fathom the underlying mystery. ¡°This is indeed peculiar, but with only half the note, it¡¯s hard to infer any useful information¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked up at Zhu Shu and Su Man, ¡°Did the doctor mention when Lu Yuwen would regain consciousness?¡± ¡°Apparently this state could last a whole day¡­ He¡¯d intermittently sleep and wake up, only completely recovering by tomorrow.¡± Zhu Shu sighed, appearing extremely worried. ¡°I¡¯m really concerned¡­Weiwei, we¡¯re completely at a disadvantage right now. We¡¯re also in the dark about the killer¡¯s information. Under these circumstances, if anything were to happen to Su Man and I, the likelihood of turning the tables is virtually zero.¡± ¡°Alright~ I get it, if it wasn¡¯t urgent, you wouldn¡¯t have called me over.¡± Bai Youwei slowly rolled up the note and placed it in her pocket, then calmly said, ¡°Now, let¡¯s sort through the clues we have.¡± She looked around and asked, ¡°Is there pen and paper?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Man quickly walked to the table, took out a stack of white paper, and a few pencils. Every room in the inn was equipped with the same pencil and paper set. Bai Youwei drew a 5¡Á3 grid on the paper, asking, ¡°You remember who stayed in each room?¡± ¡°I remember.¡± Zhu Shu nodded, ¡°I remember everyone¡¯s faces and the corresponding rooms, but I don¡¯t know their names.¡± Su Man next to her exclaimed in astonishment, ¡°Zhu Shu, you¡¯re amazing¡­¡± Zhu Shu gave a small smile, ¡°I used to spend a lot of time on set, so I interacted with a lot of people. Over time I¡¯ve slowly developed this ability.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t know their names. Just tell me their genders and their approximate ages.¡± Zhu Shu nodded, going floor by floor starting from the second to the fourth. Bai Youwei labelled each grid, indicating that Su Man stayed in 201, Zhu Shu in 301, Lu Yuwen in 304, Lin Kui and Yan Qingwen were in 401 and 403¡­ After some thought, Bai Youwei pointed a pencil at the block for 402, and after a moment, she asked, ¡°Did you immediately rush out after hearing the scream?¡± ¡°Yes, we went out immediately after hearing the noise.¡± Su Man hurriedly replied, ¡°After all, our task was to find the killer, so we had to act as soon as there was a disturbance.¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Was the guest in Room 405 the last to come out?¡± Bai Youwei continued to ask. Su Man nodded, ¡°Yeah, a woman around forty years old lived in that room. She only came out after the detective arrived.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Bai Youwei, propping her chin on her hand and doodling away, slowly said, ¡°I may not know who the killer is yet, however, I think I¡¯ve figured out who set a trap for Yan Qingwen¡­¡± Chapter 719: The Third Team of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 719: Chapter 719: The Third Team of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn ¡°Who is it?!¡± Su Man and Zhu Shu exclaimed almost simultaneously. Bai Youwei winced slightly, ¡°¡­Could you both lower your voices a bit?¡± Su Man immediately ran to the door, opened it, cautiously looking around, then turned back and gave an ¡°OK¡± hand signal. ¡ª¡ª It¡¯s safe! Zhu Shu anxiously asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, who exactly set up the trap?¡± Bai Youwei drew a circle on both room 202 and 402. Zhu Shu was slightly stunned. She could understand why a circle was drawn on room 402. After all, it was the nearest room, and its door remained closed during the incident. Only when the detective questioned them downstairs did she see the guest from room 402 saunter down. But why was there also a circle on room 202? Bai Youwei slowly said: ¡°There are 15 guests in the inn. Excluding you and Su Man, there are only three female guests. One is the deceased, one is a middle-aged woman in room 405, and the remaining one is in room 202. You said that the woman was stabbed several times, you all ran out after hearing a scream, then saw the body lying in a pool of blood¡ª¡ª But this doesn¡¯t add up. When you¡¯re really stabbed, you usually can¡¯t cry out. Moreover, the mess from the bloodstains implies a violent struggle before death, causing blood to splatter everywhere. But you guys didn¡¯t hear any noise, which implies one thing, someone was setting up outside while you were gathered in the room, then used a young woman¡¯s scream to lure you out.¡± Bai Youwei pointed at room 202: ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t rule out the possibility of a male guest using a disguised voice to confuse you. But so far, the one in room 202 is the prime suspect. She screamed on the fourth floor, then hid in room 402¡­ Hmm, the two of them must be accomplices, and maybe room 405 as well.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei circled rooms 202, 402, 405 on the map, pondering: ¡°It¡¯s not clear what their motives are¡­ It should be related to the task. The number of guests is 15, five per team, which means there are three teams in this inn, so¡­ does that imply there are three different mission targets in this game?¡± Zhu Shu suddenly realized: ¡°Our goal is to find the murderer, and the murderer naturally wants to kill. There are five people left, and their goal is¡­ to confront us?¡± Bai Youwei nodded: ¡°That¡¯s highly possible. Team A targets Team B, Team B targets Team C, and Team C targets Team A. It forms a balance, which falls in line with the usual characteristics of the puppet game.¡± ¡°But, but how do we know who the murderer is among Team ABC?¡± Su Man looked perplexed at the two sisters, unable to keep up with their line of thinking. Zhu Shu laughed, ¡°Su Man, we just need to find out who¡¯s hindering us, the rest would be the murderer!¡± Su Man was in a daze. Bai Youwei took the sketch she drew, nonchalantly ripped it up into pieces, then threw it in the waste bin. ¡°With motive resolved, the remaining question is¡­ what is the meaning behind the words on the note? Why was Lu Yuwen spared? And who will be the next victim?¡± As the questions lingered, everyone fell silent. No one knew who would be the next to die, nor what kind of conspiracy would unfold along with the next death. In the silence, a crisp bell rang from downstairs. Zhu Shu and Su Man instinctively looked towards the door. ¡°It¡¯s the breakfast bell for nine o¡¯clock. The inn provides two meals each day, and all guests must eat downstairs.¡± ¡°So, this is the only two times a day¡­ when we can see all the guests.¡± Bai Youwei gently patted her skirt, speaking lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s see what kind of demons and monsters we¡¯re dealing with.¡± Chapter 720: The Strange Man of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 720: Chapter 720: The Strange Man of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn They left Lu Yuwen¡¯s room and encountered two other guests who also resided on the third floor. Both men were very young ¨C one resembled a businessman from Wall Street, and the other a basketball star from a school team. Let¡¯s just call them ¡°Businessman¡± and ¡°Basketball Guy.¡± When they saw Bai Youwei leaving her room, they both looked surprised. Clearly, they hadn¡¯t expected a sixteenth guest to appear in the hotel. Despite their surprise, they didn¡¯t say anything. They just shot Bai Youwei a cautious glance, and then looked away, heading towards the staircase. Bai Youwei followed behind them nonchalantly. On their way to the first floor, they encountered a few guests who lived on the second floor. Among them was a woman who lived in room 202, pushing a baby stroller. She wore pink glasses and had a head full of curled, golden hair. Pairing a cream blouse with a pink knee-length skirt and wearing a pair of white loafers. To be fair, she looked young and attractive, but her behavior seemed a bit off. The baby she took out from the stroller was a worn and pretty old-looking doll, with much of the color on its cheeks and mouth faded away. ¡°Oh, oh¡­ don¡¯t be afraid, baby. Mommy will carry you down the stairs.¡± The woman hoisted the doll with one hand and picked up the stroller with the other. The stairway wasn¡¯t wide, and she stumbled while carrying the stroller down. Behind her was a man in a gray sweater. Taking the stroller from her, he kindly said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, let me hold that for you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ thank you so much.¡± The woman expressed her gratitude promptly, ¡°Mr. Robert, you are truly a gentleman.¡± Mr. Robert smiled, ¡°I¡¯m happy to be of service.¡± Observing the scene from behind, Bai Youwei whispered to Zhu Shu, ¡°Did they know each other before?¡± ¡°Not sure,¡± Zhu Shu whispered back. ¡°During breakfast yesterday, several guests introduced themselves. Robert was one of them, so just knowing his name doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they knew each other¡­¡± Bai Youwei understood, she asked while walking, ¡°Apart from Robert, who else introduced themselves?¡± Zhu Shu tried to recall, ¡°Mr. Robert was the one who first suggested the self-introduction. After him, the gentleman sitting next to him, Mr. Karl, introduced himself second. However, when it came to the guest from room 204, he declined the proposal claiming it was completely unnecessary, so the act of self-introduction ended there¡­¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei nodded slightly. Just as she was about to move forward, Zhu Shu tugged at her arm¡ª Zhu Shu whispered in her ear, ¡°Look, that man¡­ he is the guy from room 204.¡± Bai Youwei looked in the direction Zhu Shu was indicating. The man was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers. His short brown hair was neat and clean. His skin was fair, his eyes were deep, and his slender form reminded Bai Youwei of a pianist. If he had been ten years younger, he would definitely fit the image of a handsome young intellectual. The young man, sensing her gaze, slightly turned his head and looked back. Their eyes met, his gaze was tranquil, he just faintly smiled, exuding friendliness and amiability. ¡°This man¡¯s name is Willard. Yan Ge ran into him in the preliminaries. He often talks to himself, as if he¡¯s speaking to himself. Yan Ge suspects he has dissociative identity disorder¡­¡± Zhu Shu lowered her voice and told Bai Youwei, ¡°He hardly interacts with others after entering the game ¨C he¡¯s just weird¡­¡± Bai Youwei nodded softly. Watching these people moving towards the dining room on the first floor, she couldn¡¯t help thinking: there really are many odd characters in this doll game¡­ Chapter 721: The Temptation of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 721: Chapter 721: The Temptation of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Down the stairs to the first floor, there is a small hall, with a front desk and small sofas for relaxation, used to welcome guests. At this moment, two men are sitting on the sofa conversing. ¡°Detective, look at this awful weather, it seems we won¡¯t be able to leave again today,¡± said the man in a grey trench coat. The other man, a middle-aged man sporting a mustache replied, ¡°I will not leave until all criminals are arrested and the case is closed, Doctor.¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t take too much time, you¡¯ve already apprehended two suspects.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t certain since the killers are always very cunning¡­¡± Clearly, these two NPCs are the Detective and the Doctor. There was also a sturdy middle-aged woman, bustling back and forth between the kitchen and the dining area with dishes, an agile worker who appeared to be the head of cooking and serving. Bai Youwei looked around and asked Zhu Shu next to her, ¡°Where are Yan Qingwen and Lin Kui?¡± ¡°They are in the detective¡¯s room, and they are not allowed to interact with other players,¡± Zhu Shu glanced out at the heavy rain, ¡°They are merely suspects for now. If the real culprit is still not arrested when the rain stops, the detective will formally arrest Yan Qingwen and Lin Kui, take them away from this inn, which means they will be eliminated from the game.¡± ¡°When will the rain stop?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± As they walked and talked, they arrived at the dining area, the lighting was as dim as the corridor, with each lamp barely emitting a faint and yellowish light. The cook, probably because of the darkness, had placed four candlesticks on the table. The candlelight cast a gloss over the food in the dishes, making the simple dishes look somewhat appetizing. Yes, simple. Some cornflakes with milk, accompanied by slices of bacon and sausages, and boiled beetroots in water. A strange combination. Bai Youwei was thankful that she had eaten a vegetarian bun before coming here. They took their seats in the dining area. 15 chairs were set up along the long dining table, Zhu Shu and Su Man asked Bai Youwei to sit in the middle, and they sat on either side of her. Bai Youwei scanned all the individuals at the table, blatantly observing every single one. The other people were sizing her up too. She ignored them and continued to observe the guests at the table without hiding her actions or avoiding anyone¡¯s gaze. ¡°If this was a scene in a novel, it would be a great start,¡± Mr Robert picked up the metal soup spoon and slopped two spoonfuls of beans in tomato sauce into his plate, ¡°¡­ a peaceful morning, a mysterious guest suddenly visits and joins everyone for breakfast, ¡­¡± ¡°No way~ I can¡¯t stomach a breakfast like this,¡± Bai Youwei said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to critique local food culture, but I can¡¯t eat this stuff, let¡¯s just say I am here to enjoy the view.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After a two-second pause, she turned to Mr. Robert and asked, ¡°You¡¯re British, right? Your bean-scraping motion comes very naturally, it seems you¡¯re used to this style of food? At this table, only you, the gentleman wearing the plaid shirt, and the bald-headed gentleman on the left had these beans. Do you come from the same place? Are you companions?¡± Mr. Robert¡¯s soup-spoon wielding motion stopped abruptly. The man wearing the plaid shirt, as well as the bald-headed man on the left, also tensed momentarily, instinctively looking to Robert for his reaction. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bai Youwei realized, ¡°It seems you¡¯re not just companions but you¡¯re their leader! Look, they instinctively look at your face when there¡¯s a situation. I think everyone should be honest, why must we pretend not to know each other? That¡¯s just awkward~¡± Chapter 722: The Fairness of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 722: Chapter 722: The Fairness of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn An eerie silence fell over the dining table. After a few seconds, a man in a checkered shirt stood up, enraged, accusatory: ¡°You, what are you blabbering about! You are the most suspicious one! Where did you come from, speaking these baseless words, trying to lead the Detective to suspect us?!¡± ¡°Exactly! Where did this woman come from?!¡± A bald man was also very angry, turning and shouting towards the inn¡¯s front desk direction, ¡°Where is the Inspector? Shouldn¡¯t the Inspector come out and explain the situation?! Why does a game of 15 people turn into 16?!¡± The woman holding a baby raised her eyebrows unhappily: ¡°I say you people, could you keep it down?! You¡¯re upsetting my baby!¡± A young basketball-playing boy retorted impatiently: ¡°If you don¡¯t like the noise, cover your ears! What baby, it¡¯s just a fucking doll¡­¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What did you say?!¡± The woman yelled, ready to fight with a fork in her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak about my baby like that!!!¡± ¡°Detective! Someone is trying to assault!¡± The basketball boy dodged behind a chair, ¡°Hey! This woman has gone mad! Is nobody going to take care of it?!¡± The middle-aged woman sitting next door, with Tarot Cards spread out on the table, flipped one and casually said: ¡°You asked for it¡­ you shouldn¡¯t have mentioned her baby¡­ you deserved it¡­¡± Chaos ensued. Bai Youwei felt like she was in a large meetup of deranged people. The Detective outside quickly ran in, shouting discontentedly, ¡°Who dares to attack in front of me! Arrest immediately!¡± The woman dropped the fork, quickly returned to her seat, picking up the child and soothing it, putting on a loving motherly facade, as if the one just threatening with a fork was everyone¡¯s hallucination. The Detective didn¡¯t pursue it further, he gave a hard stare and turned and walked away. It seemed, unless an actual murder occurred, the Detective wasn¡¯t going to arrest anyone. Now, as the host of the inn, the Inspector arrived in leisure. Compared to the previous man she had seen, his proportions appeared much more normal this time. Although still lanky, he was not nearly as exaggerated as before. Bai Youwei quickly understood. This game, set neither in a vast wilderness nor in a grand mansion, but in an old inn. If he were still the same height, he¡¯d probably not be able to stand straight, right? As the cartoon-like man arrived, a few players started competing to complain: ¡°What is going on here? Why did the number of players suddenly increase?¡± ¡°This is clearly against the principle of fairness! How can the number of competitors arbitrarily increase or decrease?! She should be expelled!¡± The bald man, filled with hostility towards Bai Youwei, was probably resentful of being called ¡°bald¡±. The cartoon-like man looked towards Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei returned the gaze nonchalantly, waiting to see how he would respond. ¡°Up to this point in this game, no rules have been violated.¡± The cartoon-like man said calmly, ¡°A player reasonably used an auxiliary tool within the rules. Everyone need not worry too much, please continue playing the game according to the established rules, until this battle game ends.¡± ¡°This is not fair!¡± The bald man muttered, ¡°The numbers are not the same! How are we supposed to play?!¡± ¡°Hey~¡± Bai Youwei replied in a relaxed tone, ¡°The ones who really should be crying foul should be us, right? This game, from the start, created the largest unfairness for us.¡± She looked at the cartoon-like man, her tone cold: ¡°Even though the rules aim to be balanced, the Inspector seems to have forgotten, our skin color is not the same. To us, all of you look white, indistinguishable, but what about you? You can tell we are on a team at a glance due to our skin color, thus putting us at a disadvantage from the start¡ªit¡¯s just too unfair.¡± Cartoon-like man: ¡°¡­¡± He knew it, dealing with her would be nothing but trouble. Chapter 723: The Chinese of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 723: Chapter 723: The Chinese of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Bai Youwei sneered: ¡°I can¡¯t believe such a major flaw exists in this battle game.¡± The cartoonish-man maintained his composure and explained: ¡°¡­..Luck is also a part of strength. Recruiting citizens of the same skin color means considering the possibility of facing this kind of situation.¡± ¡°They¡¯re really lucky then, not needing to care about color or worry about food.¡± Bai Youwei poked at the salty meat on her plate. ¡°I doubt whether eating this kind of meal constantly would hit hard the thinking capacity of Asians?¡± The cartoonish-man swallowed his frustration and replied as calmly as possible: ¡°The supplies provided by the game must naturally match the environment! It¡¯s unrelated to whether the game mechanism is fair or not¡­.¡± Before he could finish, a furious roar of the Detective came from outside the diner: ¡°What on earth is this?!¡± ¡°Oh my God!¡± The doctor exclaimed, ¡°Detective, this must be the handiwork of the murderer!¡± Everyone was shocked. The expression on the cartoonish-man¡¯s face returned to calm, and he looked at the players in front of him with a teasing smile and said: ¡°Gentlemen, you¡¯d better focus more on the game. After all, if you get eliminated here, the only way ahead is ¡®Campaign 1¡¯¡­..¡± The players in the restaurant got up and left to see what was happening. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t bother anymore with the Inspector. She followed the crowd to the front hall, filled with curiosity. The Detective was bellowing near the staircase. After chatting with the Doctor, the Detective was heading back to his room. As he passed by the staircase, he noticed a strange paper stuck on the wall! Why was it strange? Because some incomprehensible characters were written on it: [Four¡¤Pi Hui¡¤Pi Hui Tuan¡¤Four Nian Pi Yin Hui Tuan Yuan] [Nan¡¤Four Nian Dun Dun¡¤Tu Hui Kun Wei¡¤Gu Tuan Wei Hui¡¤Tu Bao Quan Tuan] Bai Youwei, Su Man, and Zhu Shu exchanged glances immediately. They all remembered the similar text on the half paper strip in Lu Yuwen¡¯s hand. But what did this text mean? The woman holding the child screamed: ¡°It wasn¡¯t there when I came downstairs earlier. What¡¯s going on? Who posted it? When was it posted?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? It must have been done by one of us.¡± The impeccably dressed businessman coldly said, ¡°Someone must have put up this note unnoticed while we were having breakfast. We were all walking forward, one would hardly notice it unless they turned back.¡± Zhu Shu looked at the paper with a frown, utterly puzzled. ¡°Why would the person post such a paper? What¡¯s the aim? What message is he trying to convey?¡­ We don¡¯t understand these characters at all.¡± ¡°Are you really clueless? Or is it an act?¡± The middle-aged woman living in room 405 sneered, ¡°Even though I can¡¯t understand, I recognize¡­ these characters are Chinese¡­¡± The bald man immediately glared at Bai Youwei, Su Man and Zhu Shu, and grunted! ¡°That¡¯s right! The most suspicious ones are these yellow-skinned people! Detective, arrest these yellow-skinned people all at once! They¡¯re all suspects!!!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Shu snapped back: ¡°By your logic, if this paper was written in English alphabets, then everyone here is a suspect, right?¡± Bai Youwei stepped forward, stood on her toes, and took the paper off the wall for a closer look. She said blandly: ¡°The person who posted this paper, it must have been a man, at least 175cm tall. Anyone shorter than that would find it hard to paste the paper at this height in a rush.¡± As she spoke, she lifted her eyes, slowly sweeping her gaze across their faces¡­. Despite her seemingly careless expression, it sent chills down their spines, making them fearfully apprehensive. Chapter 724: The Detective of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 724: Chapter 724: The Detective of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn The atmosphere was tense. Some avoided Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze with a look of annoyance, while others squared off against her with justified confidence. The men felt indignant for being suspected. The women, on the other hand, didn¡¯t say a word, as if they were detached from the situation. Suddenly, the Detective spoke: ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is! If one is acting hastily, they wouldn¡¯t have time to choose a location! Hence, this note was most likely hastily stuck on. Being able to stick it at this height swiftly implies that the person who posted this note isn¡¯t too short!¡± The Detective sternly faced the men and asked, ¡°Who placed this note here?¡± Of course, no one confessed. ¡°Don¡¯t outsmart yourselves,¡± the Detective said with a stern face. ¡°I know the culprit is among you, I¡¯ve noted down the suspicions.. From now on, I¡¯ll be monitoring your actions closely. If I spot any anomalies, I will arrest you!¡± The men looked on, their faces grim. Bai Youwei pondered: It seemed that as long as she provided leads to the Detective, he would automatically record the suspicions. And when these suspicions accumulate to a certain degree, they would be deemed as: Arrestable. The reason Yan Qingwen and Lin Kui got arrested was due to the accumulation of suspicions: 1, they were seen in contact with the corpse; 2, the door and the entrance were covered in blood; 3, they were accused of being the murderer by the guests in room 405. ¡­ Robert suggested, ¡°Since we are clueless now, let¡¯s go back to the dining hall for breakfast. They only serve two meals here per day, and the next one isn¡¯t until six in the evening. So, we better eat as much as we can.¡± Upon hearing this, everyone slowly returned to the dining hall. Bai Youwei lagged behind and asked the Detective, ¡°Detective, can I copy the note?¡± The Detective looked down at Bai Youwei, ¡°Of course. In fact, I plan to leave the note in its original place to see what the culprit is trying to do. Miss, are you trying to uncover the murderer¡¯s plot? It¡¯s not going to be easy.¡± Bai Youwei gave a light smile, ¡°It¡¯s worth a try~¡± ¡°What a beautiful lady,¡± the Detective chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are overestimating your abilities or you are really smart. Either way, I look forward to getting an answer from you. After all, this is a very complicated case, and it would be great if someone could help me.¡± Bai Youwei smiled, took a pen and paper from the front desk, and copied the strange message from the note exactly. When she returned to the dining hall, everyone was eating breakfast. They didn¡¯t really care about the taste, just filling their bellies was enough. Everyone was silent, only the clattering sound of cutlery against plates could be heard in the dining hall. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t touch her utensils, but spread a pile of papers on the table, with a pen in hand, she scribbled, sometimes stopping to think, sometimes seeming to have thought of something and vigorously writing on the paper. Mr. Robert, sitting diagonally across from her, asked with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ve been studying these Chinese characters, have any clues been found?¡± ¡°No, not yet.¡± Bai Youwei answered. ¡°Yet, I want to try and study it because I am very curious¡­ ¡± She raised her head and looked at Robert and the others sitting near Robert, and asked: ¡°Aren¡¯t you all curious? I reckon only the criminal wouldn¡¯t be curious.¡± People were getting agitated by her words. But Robert didn¡¯t lose his temper, he squinted his eyes and said, ¡°Miss, you are very humorous.¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± Bai Youwei responded modestly with a smile. ¡°I truly thought so. Because only the murderer would know the meaning of these messages, right? The murderer wouldn¡¯t need to rack their brains thinking like me, and they wouldn¡¯t be curious about the content on the note. Mr Robert, don¡¯t you feel curious about the meaning behind the words on the note?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 725: Recognizing Characters at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 725: Chapter 725: Recognizing Characters at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn The air seemed slightly congealed. The silent atmosphere further amplified due to Bai Youwei¡¯s harsh words. The way Bai Youwei spoke directly hinted at Robert being the killer. Faced with such an accusation, Robert managed to stay composed, smiling, ¡°In that case, I shall look into it too, may I have a piece of paper, please?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Bai Youwei pulled out a blank piece of paper from beneath and handed it to him. She then looked around at the others, ¡°Anyone else need paper?¡± No one spoke. After a while, a man with a flamboyant air spoke up, ¡°Sorry, I am not interested.¡± He rebuffed Bai Youwei¡¯s suggestion bluntly. ¡°The killer would dare to write it out boldly, fully confident that no one could unravel the secret in the paper. If you folks could deduce the truth just by a glimpse, that would be too fortunate. Anyway, I don¡¯t have the patience. You all can carry on.¡± The effeminate man put down his utensils, walked out of the dining room with a sway in his gait, and coldly sneered, ¡°So many murderers seated at one table, I better stay in my room¡­¡± At his words, other guests who had finished breakfast also got up and left, seemingly reluctant to engage with Bai Youwei any further. Contrarily, a man named Willard extended his hand towards Bai Youwei, a polite smile on his face, ¡°Could I see the text you¡¯ve just copied?¡± Bai Youwei paused for a moment, ¡°¡­Sure.¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She handed it over. He accepted it. Bai Youwei noticed that his fingers were slender and elegant. Even his nails were very clean and neat. This man named Willard had a unique aura, impossible to go unnoticed even when sitting quietly. After examining it briefly, for about ten seconds or so, he handed back the paper and pen to Bai Youwei, saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± Bai Youwei stared into his eyes, asking curiously, ¡°Did you see anything?¡± The man¡¯s expression remained unflustered, his eyes were vaguely smiling as if he was an emotionless robot, blandly replied, ¡°No.¡± Bai Youwei raised her eyebrows in suspicion. Willard stood up and left the dining room, and the rest followed his lead, leaving in twos and threes. Some returned to their rooms directly, while others stayed on the first floor, smoking, drinking tea, gazing at the rain outside the window, and passing time in melancholy. No one could leave until the rain stopped. Bai Youwei along with Su Man and Zhu Shu stayed in the dining room for a while before leaving as well. In the end, only Robert remained seated by the dining table, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth, he lifted the paper taken from Bai Youwei, and studied the minute scratches on it against the candlelight. The paper underneath where the writing is done usually bore some traces¡­ ¡°What exactly was written on the paper¡­¡± Robert squinted at the paper, intrigued, ¡°did you really see through it¡­?¡± He deciphered the markings on the paper bit by bit. A few nonsensical lines, small circles¡­ irregular squares¡­ and then words appeared: A¡­pig¡­learns¡­¡­to read? Robert was stunned. After a moment, he took a second look at the paper, disbelief coursing through him. A pig learns to read. Yes, he wasn¡¯t mistaken! What Bai Youwei jauntily wrote on the paper wasn¡¯t some research but this sentence! Robert¡¯s face turned ashen! ¡°Dare to make a fool of me¡­¡± He gritted his teeth, fists clenching and then angrily tore the paper into shreds! Just then, someone walked into the dining room. Robert turned around to look. It was Zhu Shu. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re here.¡± Zhu Shu walked straight to the seat, picked up a pen from the table, and walked right out. It seemed like she had just come to retrieve something she left behind. Robert¡¯s face alternated between pale and flushed. Every muscle in his face tensed, his heart filled with regret! The torn pieces of paper on the table seemed to mock him silently! ¡°Did she see it?¡± Robert closed his eyes, deeply inhaling, ¡°It seems¡­I¡¯ve met my match¡­¡± Chapter 726: 726: The Password of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 726: Chapter 726: The Password of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Zhu Shu hurried upstairs, quickly returning to the Room 304 where Lu Yuwen was staying. Both Su Man and Bai Youwei were present. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°How did it go? Did he notice?¡± Su Man asked anxiously. Zhu Shu cautiously closed the door, then turned to Su Man and Bai Youwei and nodded affirmatively: ¡°I took a quick glance and saw some torn paper on the table, it must have been torn by him.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°It seems that he does indeed understand Chinese characters. Since he understands Chinese, it makes sense that he could also encode messages in Chinese.¡± ¡°Should we inform the Detective?¡± Su Man glanced at Bai Youwei, then at Zhu Shu, ¡°Should we tell the Detective so he can arrest him?¡± ¡°How can he arrest him without any evidence?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head lightly, ¡°He can easily deny it and fabricate any excuse to get himself off the hook. In any case, our current predicament is that despite almost certainly knowing who the mastermind is, we can¡¯t sentence him with no tangible evidence. We must find more evidence.¡± Frustrated, Su Man ran her fingers through her hair, ¡°Ah! How do we find any¡­ Those guys are too cunning, we can¡¯t catch them at all!¡± Zhu Shu raised her troubled brows, whispering, ¡°Our task is to help the detective find the five murderers. Even if we arrest him now, it¡¯s no use. As long as there¡¯s a single one who escapes, all our previous efforts will be wasted¡­¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Bai Youwei agreed, ¡°We need to catch all five to win. Whether we fail to find one or fall short by one, the result is the same.¡± She pulled out the half piece of paper from her pocket, lined it up along with the information she¡¯d written on a separate piece of paper, and laid them out on the table. ¡°If we can decipher the true meaning of these characters, we might find a chance to counter-attack.¡± ¡°Easier said than done¡­¡± Su Man sighed while looking at those characters, ¡°I can¡¯t understand them at all¡­¡± The words on the half piece of paper read: [À§Î§¡¤¹ÌÍÅΧ»Ø¡¤Í¼àîȦÍÅ] The characters Bai Youwei copied from the wall read: [ËÄ¡¤‡æ»Ø¡¤‡æ‡éÍÅ¡¤ËÄàî‡æÒò‡éÍÅÔ°] [àËÄàî¶Ú¶Ú¡¤Í¼»ØÀ§Î§¡¤¹ÌÍÅΧ»Ø¡¤Í¼àîȦÍÅ] Bai Youwei circled the second half and analyzed calmly: ¡°The text on the wall, and the words on the half piece of paper, match perfectly. I think that Lu Yuwen interrupted the opponent¡¯s message transmission, making them realize their original method wasn¡¯t safe enough. So they changed their strategy, deliberately posting the coded message where everyone could see. Doing so, the message is successfully passed on, without worrying about it being seen through, and it even stirs a series of tension¡­ The more tensed humans are, the more they tend to make mistakes.¡± Staring at the characters, Zhu Shu furrowed her brows, ¡°If it¡¯s a cipher with a key, no matter how much we analyse it, we won¡¯t find the answer.¡± Su Man asked her: ¡°What¡¯s a key?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that can decipher the code, usually it¡¯s a book.¡± Zhu Shu explained, ¡°Suppose each of these characters stands for a page number. Then you just need to turn to that page in the key to find the corresponding character.¡± Su Man¡¯s face turned grave, ¡°¡­ If we don¡¯t have the key, doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯ve certainly lost?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be that complicated,¡± Bai Youwei reassured them, ¡°Bringing a key into the game is a liability, easy to be discovered. I think the cipher of these characters should have a simpler solution.¡± Zhu Shu sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve tried dissecting the characters, homophones, reversing the order, but nothing works. I can¡¯t decipher any useful information no matter how I try.¡± Bai Youwei gave it some thought and said thoughtfully, ¡°Even though it¡¯s in Chinese, the code was written by a foreigner¡­ We might be over-complicating things.¡± Chapter 727: 727: Awakening at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 727: Chapter 727: Awakening at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn When confronted with their native language, people often understand it more deeply and think more widely. However, for foreigners, Chinese characters, no matter how simple or complex, may just appear to them as a series of different shapes. Bai Youwei examined the characters once more, thought for a moment, and then took out another sheet of paper. Using a pencil, she marked the locations of all the guests in the inn. First was the second floor¡ª¡ª Room 201 was Su Man, room 202 was the woman with a baby, room 203 was Robert, room 204 was Willard, and room 205 was the bald man. Then was the third floor¡ª¡ª Room 301 was Zhu Shu, room 302 was the businessman, room 303 was the basketball boy, room 304 was Lu Yuwen, and room 305 was the murdered female guest. Lastly was the fourth floor¡ª¡ª Room 401 was Lin Kui, room 402 was the effeminate man, room 403 was Yan Qingwen, room 404 was Carl, and room 405 was the middle-aged woman with the Tarot card. ¡­ Interestingly, the first room on each floor, i.e., 201, 301, 401, was occupied by a subordinate of Yan Qingwen. This meant that if the people in the rooms behind ever wanted to use the stairs, they would most likely be spotted by Yan Qingwen¡¯s men because the stairs were located right next to rooms 201, 301, and 401. ¡ª¡ªThis convenience was probably granted by the game to Yan Qingwen. It was just unfortunate that he was abruptly arrested before he could take advantage of it. Having finished her sketch, Bai Youwei decided to inspect the so-called crime scene on the fourth floor. Su Man stayed behind to take care of Lu Yuwen, while Zhu Shu accompanied Bai Youwei upstairs. The staircase was not carpeted, so footsteps echoed clearly. Bai Youwei was increasingly convinced that the woman in room 202, after luring others out with her screams, hid in the nearest room 402. Otherwise, if she had run downstairs, her footsteps would have been heard. So, could the guests in rooms 202 and 402 be Robert¡¯s subordinates? ¡­Well, not necessarily. When the victim fell at Yan Qingwen¡¯s doorstep, the crime scene had been set up in advance. Therefore, the actual location of their death must have been elsewhere. After the victim had died, their body was moved to the fourth floor to mislead Yan Qingwen. To move the body, the woman from room 202 would have needed help. She couldn¡¯t have done it alone. Who could it have been? As Bai Youwei stared at the dried blood stains on the door, she pondered in silence. Hurried footsteps echoed from the direction of the stairs¡ª¡ª Su Man came running up, telling Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu, ¡°Lu Yuwen has woken up!¡± Bai Youwei paused for a moment, then immediately said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go check on him.¡± The three women quickly went downstairs and returned to Lu Yuwen¡¯s room. Lu Yuwen was struggling to sit up, propping himself up on his elbows. Su Man poured him a cup of water. His hands were still numb and unable to grip the cup, so Su Man fed him the water bit by bit. Despite her carefree personality, her feeding motions were incredibly smooth, as if she had done so before. Bai Youwei asked Lu Yuwen, ¡°How much do you remember before you passed out?¡± Yuwen leaned against the bed, taking a moment to recuperate. He seemed more lucid now than before, not as dazed, it¡¯s just that he was exceptionally tired. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°¡­I remember finding this paper in the flowerpot, I had just turned around when I was attacked¡­¡± After a bit of thought, he said faintly, ¡°The assailant was a man¡­his sleeve¡­ was white.¡± White sleeves? Zhu Shu hesitated, ¡°Even if we¡¯re sure the sleeve was white, we can¡¯t necessarily identify the suspect as the guests in rooms 302, 203, 204 all have white sleeves on their clothes.¡± Bai Youwei was puzzled, ¡°Knowing there¡¯s a risk of you seeing him, why didn¡¯t your attacker finish you off? Even if time was of the essence, dealing with a paralysed man shouldn¡¯t be that hard¡­¡± Chapter 728: 728: The Small Experiment at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 728: Chapter 728: The Small Experiment at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Lu Yuwen pondered and proposed a hypothesis: ¡°Is it possible¡­ that the perpetrator is under certain restrictions? For instance, they can only kill one person a day, and since the guest in room 305 was murdered yesterday, they could only knock me out in the heat of the moment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s highly probable.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°If their mission was to kill five guests, they could have just started killing players right at the beginning of the game to swiftly complete their mission. But they didn¡¯t do this, which means there must be some kind of restriction.¡± Zhu Shu also nodded in agreement, ¡°Indeed. Everyone was unfamiliar with the mission objectives at the beginning of the game, so that would¡¯ve been the best time to strike. Moreover, they were equipped with anesthetics, making it easy to deal with anyone. The game rules must have imposed certain restrictions on them, otherwise it¡¯d be too unfair to the other players.¡± ¡°Perhaps, the restriction could be even stricter¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered and slowly voiced, ¡°Such as, only being able to kill one person a day, and furthermore, each of the five perpetrators needs to kill one person.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, they¡¯d have to coordinate their efforts, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Su Man widened her eyes in surprise, ¡°Otherwise, it could easily lead to two people killing the same person, or to a surplus of kills.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°That¡¯s why the five perpetrators have to convene after each murder to discuss their next target. But this could draw unwanted attention, hence the coded message on the slips of paper. To prevent exposure of the information, it¡¯s encrypted in a code that only the culprits could understand.¡± Su Man was dumbfounded for a moment but gradually understood, ¡°You mean, the text written on the paper represents the next person they aim to kill?¡± Bai Youwei picked up the note, contemplating in silence. There are a total of 15 guests at the inn. Excluding Yan Qingwen¡¯s squad of five, and the unfortunate woman who was killed, at least five people should be able to comprehend the message on this slip of paper from among the remaining nine¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s conduct a harmless little experiment,¡± Bai Youwei proposed. ¡­ This time, Lu Yuwen remained conscious for much longer, enduring for approximately an hour before slipping back into a drowsy sleep. Bai Youwei wrote several notes and, along with Zhu Shu and Su Man, approached the detective downstairs with a sincere proposition: sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Detective, if the code on this note is in Chinese, it suggests that the perpetrator might understand Chinese. We could write some personal secrets on the note and test them. If anyone gets it, their countenance will certainly give them away.¡± After hearing the plan, the detective expressed his agreement, ¡°This indeed seems a wise approach. So, what do you plan to write?¡± ¡°Of course, it would be content that elicits an emotional response from the suspect.¡± Bai Youwei waved the note in her hand like a fan, ¡°Detective, come with us as a witness.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be my pleasure, miss,¡± he responded, as he stood up and stroked his mustache. ¡°I¡¯m rather keen to see if they give themselves away.¡± Bai Youwei smiled, holding the note as she said, ¡°Let¡¯s start from the second floor.¡± The first room on the second floor was room 201, which belonged to Su Man, so they bypassed it and proceeded to room 202. A woman holding a baby opened the door, an annoyed expression on her face, ¡°What do you want? I¡¯m trying to get my baby to nap.¡± ¡°We found a new note in the vase and wanted to check if you can comprehend the writing on it.¡± Bai Youwei handed out the small note to the woman with a smile. The note read: The child in your arms is as disgusting as something picked out of a sewage ditch. The woman quickly read it and snapped back, ¡°I don¡¯t understand it! If you yellow-skinned people can¡¯t understand it, how could I possibly do?¡± Bai Youwei withdrew her note, saying with a smile, ¡°Sorry for the disturbance, goodbye.¡± Chapter 729: 729: Robert of Tomorrows Inn Chapter 729: Chapter 729: Robert of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn The next was the third room on the second floor, Room No. 203. Upon the knock, Mr. Robert opened the door. Seeing Bai Youwei at his door and the detective standing beside her, he squinted slightly, ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Bai Youwei noticed the book in Robert¡¯s hands as she lowered her eyes. It was an English novel, quite thick. ¡°Mr. Robert, what a leisure time you¡¯re having~¡± She said with a smile, ¡°Reading a novel.¡± ¡°Just to pass the time,¡± Robert laughed nonchalantly, ¡°Reading detective novels is a small hobby of mine.¡± Probably to avoid raising Bai Youwei¡¯s suspicions, he deliberately spread the book in front of her and said with a smile, ¡°We are not sure how long we will be here, we need to find something to do. If you¡¯re bored, feel free to borrow a book from me.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°No need~ I can¡¯t read detective novels, the kind I like, you don¡¯t have here.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Robert asked with a smile, ¡°What genre of books do you like, Miss?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Books where everyone¡¯s life is worse off than mine.¡± Robert: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ha~ I am just joking.¡± Bai Youwei giggled, handing him a note, ¡°We found another note from the vase, can you see what¡¯s written on it, Mr. Robert?¡± Robert glanced at the note and saw: If you look down now, you will find that your fly is open. Robert: ¡°¡­¡­..¡± This is not a formidable adversary, but someone deliberately messing with him, right? ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Robert?¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head, examining his expression, ¡°Did you figure out anything? What¡¯s written on the note?¡± ¡°¡­.Nothing,¡± Robert¡¯s back teeth clenched, but he forced a friendly smile at the corner of his mouth, ¡°Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t figure out the meaning of these words.¡± ¡°Then, sorry to disturb, see you.¡± Bai Youwei efficiently withdrew her hand and turned to the next room. Su Man mumbled behind them, ¡°If he couldn¡¯t understand it, why stare at it for so long¡­.¡± The smile on Robert¡¯s face grew stiffer. He watched as Bai Youwei led the others to Room 204, with a sinister look in his eyes. ¡­Everything was going so smoothly, he didn¡¯t expect this kind of character to suddenly show up, first testing him with text, and now boldly coming to his doorstep, what a nuisance¡­ However, if she thought she could handle him this way, she was too innocent. His teammates, although fluent in codes, did not understand Chinese at all¡­ ¡­ Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei and the detective showed the note to everyone in each room, but unfortunately, everyone reacted indifferently, completely unaffected by the words on the note. The detective was quite disappointed. But Bai Youwei seemed relaxed, as if the result was expected. After the detective left, Zhu Shu worriedly asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What now? Are they concealing it too well? I feel like they really do not know Chinese.¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t, they don¡¯t~¡± Bai Youwei shrugged carelessly, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and rest.¡± Zhu Shu and Su Man looked at each other in confusion, both puzzled. Su Man couldn¡¯t help but speed up her steps to catch up with Bai Youwei and ask,¡±Weiwei, why don¡¯t you seem worried at all?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Worried? Why would I be worried?¡± ¡°Because we can¡¯t find the killer.¡± Su Man looked distressed, ¡°Now we only suspect that Robert is the problem, then¡­404 and 205 might be his accomplices, but who are the other two people? Could it be the woman holding the baby? I feel like she¡¯s off, and the Tarot Card woman, she is too odd¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know soon,¡± Bai Youwei winked at her, ¡°Once I crack the code.¡± Chapter 730: The Strange about Tomorrows Inn Chapter 730: Chapter 730: The Strange about Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Su Man¡¯s mouth formed an ¡°O¡±. Bai Youwei continued to walk on. Su Man followed her, stammering in surprise: ¡°Wei, Weiwei, have you already deciphered the code?¡± ¡°Almost there¡­¡± Bai Youwei walked slowly with her hands behind her back, ¡°If we come across a similar text again, we should be able to decode it.¡± Su Man was incredibly delighted: ¡°Incredible!¡± Worry, however, was written all over Zhu Shu¡¯s face. Those words were no different from a death warning. If there were to be more of them, it would mean that the killer already had a new target in mind. The killer had a tranquilizer supplied by the game; it was almost impossible for them to miss their shot. Even someone as skilled as Su Man could hardly avoid falling into the trap. So how should they protect themselves now? Without realizing they had reached the door, Zhu Shu was still worried when a man¡¯s shout suddenly rose from downstairs ¡ª ¡°Help! Quick, someone help!¡­Fire! Fire!!!¡± Along with the voice came the smell of burnt odor, drifting up the stairs. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. All three women were shocked. The guesthouse was on fire?! ¡°Lu Yuwen!¡± Su Man rushed into the room hastily! Zhu Shu thought of Yan Qingwen, who was locked downstairs, her face turned pale as she ran down the stairs! Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, following and saying, ¡°Don¡¯t panic. The game scene wouldn¡¯t be that fragile. Moreover, Inspector hasn¡¯t announced anything yet. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on.¡± Zhu Shu managed to calm herself down, but her steps were still frantic. While they were taking Yuwen to the first floor, the commotion aroused the other guests, prompting them to run outside. Thick, black smoke filled the first floor, as if there was a real fire! Everyone¡¯s vision was blurred by the smoke, but they didn¡¯t feel the heat of the flames. Someone opened a window, and the cold, damp air rushed into the house as the black smoke trailed out, leaving everyone shivering. What happened? The detective stood at the door of the kitchen, questioning angrily, ¡°What the hell are you doing in there?!¡± The cook also stood at the kitchen door, screaming, ¡°Oh god! Look what you¡¯ve done! You¡¯ve ruined everything!¡± Everyone turned to look. A balding, fat man blackened with soot stormed out of the kitchen, shouting: ¡°I just wanted to have an extra meal! Two meals a day are just not enough, who knew that the stove was so hard to use!!!¡± Everyone fell silent for a moment. It was all just for an extra meal¡­ A woman holding a baby scolded without hesitation, ¡°Are you kidding me?! Didn¡¯t you prepare food and water before entering the game?! Running to the kitchen for an extra meal and causing so much smoke! You scared my baby!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The fat, bald man retorted fiercely, ¡°If you have food, bring it out! Yesterday, I didn¡¯t have enough to eat all day!¡± The woman widened her eyes in alarm, held her baby tightly, and ran back to her room. At this point, the man in room 404 came down while dressing and coughed a few times due to the smoke. He asked, ¡°What happened? I was napping. I just heard you¡¯re all shouting.¡± After seeing the smoky kitchen, he was surprised and said, ¡°How did it get like this? What are you all doing standing there, go put out the fire!¡± The detective said angrily: ¡°The fire is already out, but the smoke hasn¡¯t dispersed. Sir, you must pay for what you have done. Please clean the kitchen immediately! Otherwise, I will arrest you on charges of arson!¡± The fat bald man sneered, didn¡¯t fight back, and cooperated by nodding, ¡°Alright, Detective Sir¡­¡± This small incident ended quickly. Seeing that nothing serious had happened, everyone went back to their rooms. ¡°Really, what a mess¡­¡± Su Man complained, and lifted up Yuwen to return to the third floor. Looking at the pitch-black kitchen, Bai Youwei thoughtfully glanced at the fat man with a embarrassed look on his face¡­.. Something seemed off. Chapter 731: Su Man is Done at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 731: Chapter 731: Su Man is Done at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Because the kitchen was destroyed, the inn didn¡¯t provide dinner that night. But that wasn¡¯t really a big deal. Players would never come into the game empty-handed. Before entering, they would make various preparations, and food was undoubtedly essential. So, when dinner time came, everyone stayed in their rooms without coming down. Lu Yuwen also woke up again at this time. This time, his condition was much better than before. He was not only conscious but also able to get out of bed and walk a few steps. The numbness in his hands and feet had greatly diminished. He had almost fully recovered. Su Man accompanied him up and down the stairs a few times, and urged him to drink more water to boost his metabolism and metabolize the drug quickly. Zhu Shu said with amusement, ¡°Su Man, you usually seem rather relaxed and casual, but I never knew you took such good care of people.¡± Su Man frowned and said with annoyance, ¡°I have to be careful. Who else is going to take care of him since he can¡¯t do anything himself!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she saw that the cup in Lu Yuwen¡¯s hand was slightly tilting. The water would spill out soon, so Su Man quickly reached out to steady the cup. ¡°See, see? Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Su Man took over the cup, feeling helpless towards Lu Yuwen, ¡°I take my eyes off you for a second, and you create a mess! Lu Yuwen, are you some scholar from ancient times? Please be more careful!¡± Lu Yuwen smiled warmly without getting angry and replied, ¡°My wrist still lacks strength.¡± ¡°Sigh! Alright, I¡¯ll just feed you then,¡± Su Man said, holding the cup for him and slowly helping him drink. Lu Yuwen was leaning on her, looking like a scholar, weak, helpless, and pitiful. After watching them for a while, Zhu Shu withdrew her gaze and whispered to Bai Youwei beside her, ¡°Su Man is done for.¡± ¡°Yes indeed.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the couple and agreed, ¡°She¡¯s done for.¡± ¡°What are you two saying?¡± After Su Man finished feeding Lu, she looked at Zhu Shu and Bai Youwei, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®done for¡¯?¡± ¡°You misheard us, I said, ¡®goodnight,¡± Zhu Shu smiled and stood up. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. After midnight, we must stay in our own rooms.¡± Su Man moved the bedside table a little closer, placing a water cup and compressed biscuits on it so Lu Yuwen could reach them from the bed. Then she reminded him, ¡°We¡¯re leaving now, you rest well. Be careful when drinking water, don¡¯t spill it again. The slippers are on the right side of the bed, and the switch for the bedside lamp is behind the light.¡± Lu Yuwen nodded, ¡°Hmm, you too be careful. Make sure to lock the doors and windows and it would be best to place a bowl behind the door. There should still be some beetroot soup left from this morning. If you pour the soup into the bowl, anyone attempting to break in would inevitably spill the red soup and step in it. That stain would be hard to clean, serving as physical evidence.¡± Upon hearing this, Su Man¡¯s eyes sparkled while she looked at Lu Yuwen. She couldn¡¯t resist this kind of wit and intelligence, perhaps because she lacked it herself and thus found it irresistible when she saw it in others. ¡°That¡¯s a brilliant idea! I¡¯ll go to the kitchen right now and place a bowl in each of our rooms tonight!¡± Su Man said excitedly. Bai Youwei found this amusing and teased her, ¡°You should hurry then. That soup was almost finished off by the bald fat guy this morning. I¡¯m not sure how many bowls it will fill now~¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Su Man¡¯s steps halted, disappointment was evident on her face. Lu Yuwen on the bed said, ¡°Ink will also work. As long as someone steps on it and leaves a footprint, they won¡¯t be able to deny it.¡± Su Man¡¯s hope was rekindled, ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll first go to the kitchen to see if there¡¯s any soup left, then go to the front desk to get ink.¡± With that, she turned around and hurried off. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A moment later, Bai Youwei also left the room. She called out towards the staircase, ¡°Inspector, which room do I stay in?¡± Chapter 732: Midnight at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 732: Chapter 732: Midnight at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn In this game, the Inspector exists within the game scene in the role of a hotel owner, rarely appearing. After shouting upstairs, Bai Youwei went downstairs to shout. Just as she was about to go upstairs after failing to find anyone downstairs, the faint voice of the Inspector came from behind her: ¡°You can stay in room 305.¡± Bai Youwei turned around, standing on the staircase, looking at the cartoon man in disbelief. ¡°Is this some kind of joke?¡± she said, eyes wide open, ¡°You want me to sleep in a room where someone died?!¡± The cartoon man looked annoyed, but as the Inspector, he had a duty to treat all players equally, so he explained dutifully, ¡°Between midnight and 6 a.m., players must stay in their rooms.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t expect me to sleep in a room where someone died!¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t accept it, ¡°Hotels usually always offer the option for an extra bed, right? Just add a bed to room 201 or 301 for me.¡± Room 201 belonged to Su Man, and room 301 belonged to Zhu Shu. The Inspector refused her stoically: ¡°You must have a room to yourself. If you don¡¯t want room 305, you can choose between room 401 and 403.¡± Room 401 was Lin Kui¡¯s room, and 403 belonged to Yan Qingwen. Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened even more: ¡°You want me to sleep in a bed where a man has lain? I have a boyfriend, you know. If he smells an unfamiliar scent after the game ends, how am I supposed to explain that?¡± The corner of the Inspector¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°Your boyfriend¡¯s issues are not within my jurisdiction. Right now, the only available rooms are 305, 401, and 403. There are no other choices.¡± ¡°What if I want to stay in the living room?¡± Bai Youwei asked. The Inspector shook his head, repeating the same sentence: ¡°Between midnight and 6 a.m., players must stay in their rooms.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°Why do we have to stay in our rooms? ¡­Could something happen at night?¡± The cartoon man, seasoned in his responses, didn¡¯t pick up on her bait, to avoid falling into a verbal trap. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Fine then, I choose room 403.¡± The cartoon man turned around and left. ¡°There¡¯s bound to be trouble tonight,¡± Bai Youwei muttered under her breath as he walked away, ¡°otherwise there would be no need to restrict our movement. Our rest time is when the culprit is active, right? Werewolf kill game, huh?¡± The cartoon man: ¡°¡­.¡± He ignored her and kept walking, determined not to take the bait. Bai Youwei nonchalantly brushed it off with a dismissive pout. ¡­ After midnight, the inn went eerily silent. It was as if someone had hit the mute button, even the sound of the rain outside the window seemed distant. Instead, the silence brought forth a different kind of noise; the creaking of bed springs as she moved, the rustling sound of the pillow, and the inexplicable creaking sounds from this old building¡­ Bai Youwei used bedding and pillows from the Doll House. She quietly lay wrapped around her bunny, occasionally turning over in bed, afraid to fall asleep in case she missed any sounds. No victims had appeared all day today. If the rule of murdering one person a day held, tonight would be their adversary¡¯s last opportunity. Moreover¡­ If she guessed correctly, a new death notice would appear after the emergence of the new victim. It was a pity she wasn¡¯t able to go outside. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve liked to go out and investigate. What would happen if she went out? Would she be disqualified for breaking the rules? ¡­Whatever, after all, she was just an external aid. As long as she told Su Man and Zhu Shu how to crack the code before being disqualified, she¡¯d be fine. Thinking this, Bai Youwei sat up reflexively. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The stuffed bunny in her arms fell to the ground with a thump, waking up and looking around in confusion. A plush bunny¡­ asleep? Bai Youwei felt somewhat incredulous. Ever since its last ¡®level up¡¯ in the Mermaid Maze, the bunny almost seemed more ¡®alive¡¯. Before, it could only follow simple commands. Now, it acted like it had a will of its own. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sure if this ¡®level up¡¯ was a good thing. Sometimes, things that were too unpredictable were not as reliable as those which would just obediently follow commands. Chapter 733: The Snap at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 733: Chapter 733: The Snap at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Bai Youwei picked up the plush rabbit and draped a blanket around her shoulders before making her way to the door. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, she clutched the doorknob. Inside, she was hesitant, thus she paused for quite a while before proceeding. No one, no matter how unafraid of being eliminated, ever truly wants to face elimination¡­ Bai Youwei stood still, considering her next move. As she vacillated, the doorknob she was holding suddenly began to move on its own. Click. The faint sound seemed especially clear in the silent night¡­ Bai Youwei froze. She watched as the doorknob she was gripping began to slowly turn on its own¡­ Click. Again. The doorknob turned to a certain position and jammed. The door was locked from the inside. Bai Youwei held her breath, slowly releasing her grip. The doorknob began to twist on its own, clicking continuously! The sounds became more frantic! Until it finally crashed against the door panel without any restraint, causing loud noises! It seemed as if it was trying to break the door! Bai Youwei¡¯s heart hung up in her chest as she took two steps back in horror, hugging the rabbit more tightly. There was someone outside! Someone was trying to break into her room! She stared directly at the spinning doorknob, straining every nerve in her body! Waiting to strike the moment the intruder broke in! But then the noise suddenly stopped. The doorknob ceased moving, the hitting sounds disappeared¡­ everything went eerily silent. Bai Youwei frowned, and after a moment, she gently approached the door, straining to catch any noise from outside. She heard heavy footfalls, one step, two steps, three steps¡­ gradually moving away from her door. Had they changed their target? The footsteps seemed to be coming from rooms 404 and 405¡ª In room 404, there lived a man who wore a plaid shirt, named Carl; while in room 405, a middle-aged woman holding tarot cards resided. Who would be the victim tonight? Bai Youwei put her ear to the door, attempting to pick up more information, but there was nothing. It was incredibly quiet outside. She sat down slowly, leaning against the door and waited. The rabbit kept sleeping on her lap. About six to seven minutes later, the footsteps reappeared, along with a strange, rustling sound. It was like something heavy was dragging across the floor¡­ Bai Youwei waited for a while longer, and when she heard the footsteps descending the stairs, she lightly twisted the doorknob, intending to see what was happening. But she quickly realized she wasn¡¯t able to open the locked door even from the inside! What was happening? Did the game lock the door to prevent players from stepping out randomly? Or was her room special? Or was it because of her special role as an outside helper? Bai Youwei frowned and continued to wait behind the door. She wanted to know if the footsteps would return. Time ticked away. Before she even realized it, she had fallen asleep leaning against the door. ¡­and like this, she slept until daybreak. The persistent rain blurred the distinction between day and night, plunging the room into an endless gloom. When Bai Youwei woke up, her first instinct was to open the door. She managed to open the door easily this time, and stepped out hurriedly, intending to check rooms 404 and 405 for potential traces left by the perpetrator the night before. However, the moment she stepped outside her room, she heard a scream from the third floor! It was Su Man¡¯s voice! Bai Youwei¡¯s heart jumped, and she hurriedly ran downstairs! People had already gathered outside room 304 on the third floor! Bai Youwei pushed her way through the crowd and peered into the room. Her face turned ashen! The middle-aged woman from room 405 was lying in a pool of blood, with her tarot cards scattered all over the floor. And Su Man¡­ Su Man was standing there with a bloody knife in her hand, staring at the body on the floor in shock. The detective¡¯s voice echoed down the hallway: ¡°I can¡¯t believe someone dared to murder right under my nose! I¡¯m arresting you all! Everyone¡¯s under arrest!¡± Chapter 734: 734: A Mistake at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 734: Chapter 734: A Mistake at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn The detective pulled out a pair of grim, metallic handcuffs, cuffing Su Man on one side and Lu Yuwen on the other. He spoke sternly, ¡°I am detaining both of you! You¡¯ll be taken for questioning back at the station once the rain stops. Now, follow me downstairs!¡± Lu Yuwen appeared to have been through a fight, with scratches and bite marks on his body. Su Man stood rooted to the spot, struggling to accept the outcome. ¡°We¡­ we were acting in self-defense!¡± she retorted loudly, ¡°Can¡¯t you see she was attacking us?!¡± ¡°No matter what the reason, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you broke the law by committing a violent act!¡± The detective was unforgiving, ¡°And if it was self-defense, both of you could have easily restrained her. Why did you use a knife?!¡± Su Man dropped the knife in her hand, crying injustice, ¡°This isn¡¯t our knife! She was already carrying it when she came in! I just pulled it out as she was attacking us!¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The detective scoffed, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that she was stabbed, but instead of seeking medical help, she ran to attack you guys? Who would believe such a ghost story? Do you have any evidence? I think it¡¯s clear that both of you conspired to commit a violent act!¡± Furious, Su Man swore, ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You both are under arrest now! Follow me downstairs!¡± The detective didn¡¯t indulge her any longer, and turned to leave. Su Man realized that she had no control over her limbs, like a convicted criminal, unable to shake off the shackles, and could only obediently follow. The spectators at the doorway spontaneously cleared a path. As Lu Yuwen passed by Bai Youwei, he muttered something to her, then followed behind Su Man out of the room. Bai Youwei slightly furrowed her brows, watching their retreating figures. The other spectators, having had their fill of the spectacle, slowly dispersed. Left in the room were Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu, along with a corpse. Zhu Shu went to the body and picked up the knife dropped by Su Man, sighing, ¡°Weapons aren¡¯t allowed in the doll game. So this knife¡­ it really isn¡¯t ours. But we don¡¯t have any evidence¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then walked over to the body, and after a while, asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s too little blood?¡± Zhu Shu was taken aback, looking down at the floor. A fair amount of blood had already seeped from beneath the corpse. Could this be considered little? ¡°Just now, Lu Yuwen told me that this middle-aged woman was dead before she entered his room,¡± Bai Youwei said. Zhu Shu¡¯s eyes widened slightly. Bai Youwei took the knife from her hand, stabbed it forcefully into the body, then pulled it out, ¡°¡­Look, although I¡¯m not a forensic expert, isn¡¯t the flow of this blood a little too slow?¡± Zhu Shu stared at the wound. Several seconds passed before the blood slowly welled up from inside. Zhu Shu tried moving the corpse¡¯s arm and murmured, ¡°The joints¡­ are very stiff.¡± She found it unbelievable, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°If we prove to the detective that this woman has been dead for a while, will he release Su Man and Lu Yuwen?¡± ¡°Probably not.¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, ¡°Proving the woman died long ago still doesn¡¯t explain why she appeared here, or prove that someone else was the murderer.¡± Zhu Shu furrowed her brows, ¡°If it was a dead body, why did it appear in Lu Yuwen¡¯s room and attack him? It¡¯s very strange¡­¡± Su Man turned up in Lu Yuwen¡¯s room because she was worried about him and went to check on him early in the morning, but how did a corpse manage to move from the fourth floor to the third? Bai Youwei dropped the knife in her hand, slowly wiping her hands, ¡°Zhu Shu, I realized that I made a mistake. But fortunately, we still have time to rectify it.¡± ¡°What mistake?¡± Zhu Shu asked. Bai Youwei gave her a faint smile, ¡°Our mission was to find out who the five murderers are, so I¡¯ve always considered the murderers as our biggest enemies in this game. But in fact¡­ our biggest enemy is not the murderers, but the other five people.¡± Chapter 735: 735: The Anxious Person at Tomorrows Inn Chapter 735: Chapter 735: The Anxious Person at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Zhu Shu¡¯s mind was turning quickly, immediately understood Bai Youwei¡¯s thought, and mused: ¡°A¡¯s target is B, B¡¯s target is C, C¡¯s target is A.¡± In this cycle, assuming we are C, our mission is to catch the murderer A, but the real enemy is B that aims to exterminate us all¡­¡± Bai Youwei nodded, saying: ¡°Think about it, it¡¯s a game of 15 people, 5 people in each group, who is in a favorable situation now?¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Shu gave it some thought, her expression gradually became grave: ¡°¡­it¡¯s Team B, because they have written off four of us, as long as they out one more person, Team B will win!¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Our attention has been drawn to Group A, but in fact, no matter how cruel Team A is, they can only kill one person a day. On the other hand, there seems to be no limit to the number of people Team B can eliminate.¡± Zhu Shu turned pale: ¡°Team A has killed two people, Team B has done four, we¡­ we haven¡¯t been able to eliminate anyone from Team A so far.¡± ¡°Interesting~¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°So this is a race. Whoever completes their elimination task first, wins first.¡± Zhu Shu looked worried: ¡°What do we do? I¡¯m the only one left on Brother Yan¡¯s side, if they eliminate another one, we¡¯ll lose¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t lose.¡± Bai Youwei smiled confidently, ¡°Although Team B is clever, you must not forget that Team B only starts acting once there¡¯s a death in the hotel.¡± If they wanted to frame Zhu Shu, there had to be a new victim in the hostel. Realizing this, Zhu Shu felt somewhat at ease. ¡°Let¡¯s go and check it out.¡± Bai Youwei casually looked toward the doorway, ¡°The next death notice should have appeared by now.¡± ¡­ This time, the death notice was posted in the restaurant. A white paper, on which it was written with a pencil: [ˆ@-ËÄàî¶Ú¶Ú-‡æàñ»Ø-¹ÌÍÅΧ»Ø-ͼ»ØÀ§Î§-¿Ú‡æ-àïàîÔ°Ô°ÍÅΧ] The detective, too, saw it and was furious: ¡°These villains! So brazen! Planning to commit further crimes! I will interrogate every person!¡± Having said that, he strode towards the staircase to call for everyone. Bai Youwei took out her pen and paper again and silently copied the words down. After finishing, she held the piece of paper and pondered for a while, for some reason, an amused smile crossed her lips. Zhu Shu asked: ¡°Can you understand it?¡± ¡°Yes~¡± Bai Youwei turned around, lightly patted Zhu Shu¡¯s shoulder, a smile on her face, and whispered in her ear, ¡°Something interesting will happen soon, wait and see~¡± ¡°¡­Interesting?¡± Zhu Shu was confused, ¡°Will it be dangerous?¡± Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes: ¡°Of course, but the ones in danger won¡¯t be us, but¡­ them.¡± People were being called downstairs by the Detective one by one. Bai Youwei saw Robert. ¡°Zhu Shu, do you know that someone else is also anxious, not just you. This person is more anxious than you¡­ because he was originally in control, but now he is losing the advantage, if he doesn¡¯t do something, he really is going to lose¡­¡± Zhu Shu slightly frowned, and also looked towards the approaching Robert. Yes¡­ Robert indeed had the advantage. He could kill these guests unnoticed, but unfortunately, someone else was planting evidence more efficiently, calculating more accurately, the gap between the two sides was widening¡ª¡ª If it¡¯s delineated with letters and scores, it goes like this: Team A Scored 2; Team B Scored 4; Team C Scored 0. If Team A continues in their current way, and kills another person, their score becomes 3, then Team B will subsequently eliminate another person, score 5, and thus win. So, if Team A wants to compete to the end, they must reconsider their strategy. Chapter 736: 736: Do You Like the Tomorrows Inn? Chapter 736: Chapter 736: Do You Like the Tomorrow¡¯s Inn? The detective gathered everyone in the dining room, scolding and interrogating them one by one. In the end, no conclusions were drawn and everyone gradually returned to their rooms. As for the paper in the dining room, those who could understand it naturally understood, and those who couldn¡¯t have pretended they never saw it. Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu stayed in the living room, sitting opposite the detective and the doctor, killing time and listening to these two NPCs chat aimlessly. According to Bai Youwei¡¯s wishes, Zhu Shu should stay by the detective¡¯s side as much as possible from now on to avoid being framed in case another murder happens. Zhu Shu understood, but there was one thing she couldn¡¯t figure out. In the morning, a woman from room 405 was found dead in Lu Yuwen¡¯s room. Given the rule that only one person dies per day, would anything really happen today? Bai Youwei said: ¡°Don¡¯t forget that when the woman with the tarot cards entered, according to Lu Yuwen, she was already dead.¡± Bai Youwei winked at Zhu Shu and whispered, ¡°Who knows if she died today, or yesterday¡­¡± ¡°You mean¡­last night?¡± Zhu Shu thought for a moment. ¡°Actually, I did hear some noise outside the door last night.¡± ¡°No, it probably wasn¡¯t last night.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°It might have been earlier.¡± ¡°Earlier means¡­¡± Zhu Shu furrowed her brows, deep in thought. If it was even earlier, could it have been¡­at that time? She found it hard to believe and looked at Bai Youwei in surprise. Bai Youwei nodded: ¡°That¡¯s right, just as you thought, it was when the kitchen caught fire.¡± At that time, almost all the guests had run downstairs, but had the woman with the tarot cards ever come down? Now that she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t remember. No one saw her. Ever since breakfast, that woman had stayed in her room and hadn¡¯t come out. ¡°Who could have done it?¡± Zhu Shu¡¯s heart pounded as she murmured, ¡°Could it be that man?¡­Room 404, the one called Carl?¡± ¡°His room and the middle-aged woman¡¯s room are the closest to the corridor, making him the ideal candidate. As for how¡­¡± Bai Youwei glanced towards the staircase direction and smiled faintly, ¡°He had access to a certain anesthetic which made it possible to do things silently. Then, pretend to be flustered and run downstairs. I remember¡­ he seemed to be the last one down, right?¡± Zhu Shu nodded: ¡°Yes, he was the last.¡± ¡°The teamwork of this bunch is rather good. It¡¯s just a shame that they met a more formidable opponent.¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but revel in their misfortune. ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it¡­ I wonder if Robert will be able to counterattack successfully?¡± Thinking about what might happen next made her extremely cheerful. Seeing Zhu Shu looking at her, she asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Zhu Shu hesitated, ¡°Weiwei¡­ don¡¯t you think the game is¡­fun?¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei was taken aback. Was it fun? A teammate had been captured, their safety uncertain, two players were already dead, and who knows who will be next; all were fearful. Under such circumstances¡­could it still be considered fun? Bai Youwei fell silent for a while, then explained, ¡°No, I was just thinking¡­ when two quarrel, a third profits. The more intensely they fight, the greater our chances of victory, so I felt a bit joyful earlier.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Zhu Shu nodded, ¡°That makes sense, you always know what to do.¡± Bai Youwei gave a faint smile. After a moment of silence, having a nagging doubt, Bai Youwei cautiously asked Zhu Shu, ¡°Do you think¡­ the average person would find the game fun?¡± Zhu Shu thought for a moment, then answered in a soft voice: ¡°Maybe¡­ but those who enjoy the game must be very powerful people.¡± Zhu Shed smiled at Bai Youwei and self-deprecatingly said, ¡°As for someone like me, who is destined to be trampled on in the game, it¡¯s certainly not enjoyable, is it?¡± Chapter 737: The Last Dinner at Tomorrow’s Inn Chapter 737: Chapter 737: The Last Dinner at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Bai Youwei knew in her heart. Zhu Shu would only ask such a question, if something felt off. She was well-cultured, masters art of conversation, and never made others embarrassed. If the person was normal, they would worry about the safety of their teammates, they would worry about their own situation, and they would be distressed about the outcome. Then how could they find the game enjoyable? Bai Youwei just laughed lightly, no longer delving into it, and trying not to think about it, because it was hard to come up with a result. Better not to face it. The two of them passed the time downstairs until dinner time at 6 o¡¯clock. The inn only had two meal times in a day, once at 9 AM and once at 6 PM. Once again, the ten people gathered in the downstairs dining room, everyone¡¯s expressions were calm, but the atmosphere was always tense. Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu sat together, next to the woman holding the baby, and across from them was Willard. And on both sides of Willard were Carl from room 404 and the bald man from room 205. Although there were empty seats, these three occupied a row, visually crowded compared to other places. The woman holding the baby looked at them several times, seemingly wanting to say something, but finally shut her mouth, quietly rocking the baby doll in her arms. The others also glanced inconspicuously towards Willard. Zhu Shu was a bit unsettled, she lowered her voice and said to Bai Youwei beside her: ¡°Weiwei¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Bai Youwei was cutting the roast pork chop on her plate, ¡°Let¡¯s just enjoy the show.¡± She cut off a piece, put it in her mouth and chewed slowly. The meat was good, but sadly the seasoning was appalling, just like the scene in front of her ¡ª The idea was wonderful, but the characters were terrible. The bald man clenched his dinner knife and suddenly stabbed Willard! Everything happened unexpectedly, startling everyone at the table! Willard seemed to have anticipated it, leaning back to avoid it ¡ª But Carl on the other side didn¡¯t let him dodge! He raised his hand and struck Willard¡¯s back, forced him into the path of the knife! With a hiss, the shiny dinner knife was buried half in his chest! Willard¡¯s white shirt was dotted with crimson. ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± The woman holding the baby screamed, ¡°Murder! Murder!!!¡± At this moment, the situation suddenly changed! The bald man pulled out the dinner knife from Willard¡¯s chest, moved past him and stabbed Carl in room 404! The other party was completely unprepared for his ally¡¯s betrayal, and was punctured twice in the chest. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Fatso! Are you crazy?!¡± Carl raised his hand to block the attack and hurriedly retreated, but the bald man caught up with him and stabbed him several more times, hitting his arms and shoulders! At this point, the detective from outside heard the commotion and rushed in, shouting, ¡°Stop!!!¡± Carl breathed a sigh of relief and took cover towards the detective. Yet, the fat man from behind continued to attack him, stabbing him in the neck for the last time! He pulled out the knife ruthlessly! Carl¡¯s body froze, his eyes bulged wide¡ª Warm blood gushed out, splashing on the dining table, mixing with the greasy pork chop, the smell of blood was nauseating. The detective strode over, pulled out his handcuffs, and tightly cuffed the bald man! ¡°You¡¯re under arrest!¡± Dragged the bald man out of the dining room, his tone was both angry and triumphant: ¡°Finally got you, the five criminals! Now, the rain will finally stop, and tomorrow I¡¯ll lock all you scum in prison!¡± Bai Youwei saw a very thin black thread falling from the back of the fat man. It looked like a piece of thread from a piece of clothing, and also like a strand of long hair, so thin that it disappeared in the blink of an eye¡­ Chapter 738 - 738 The Opportunity of Tomorrow’s Inn has Arrived Chapter 738: Chapter 738 The Opportunity of Tomorrow¡¯s Inn has Arrived Willard took his seat slowly, for a player who had passed through the labyrinth, this degree of injury was minor. He picked up the napkin on the table, neatly folded it, and gently pressed it on the wound. A blood rose seemed to burst forth on his chest. The dining table was silent. Everyone was watching him. From being attacked, stabbed in the chest, to Carl being assaulted, the bald assailant was taken away¡­ throughout all the incidents, Willard¡¯s emotion showed no change whatsoever. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He picked up his own knife and fork again, and began to savour the pork chops on his plate. With a bloody taste in the meat juice, he ate it bite by bite, swallowing it elegantly and calmly. It was as if it tasted delicious. Zhu Shu¡¯s eyebrows tightened, wanting to throw up. However, Bai Youwei noted that Robert¡¯s hands, the hands clutching his knife and fork, were trembling slightly. She understood that Robert intended to eliminate Willard by trading one for one. Choosing dinner time was to not give the opponent a chance and time to frame him. In this way, even if the bald man was arrested, they still had 4 people left in their team and without Willard, Team B would no longer be able to compete with them! But he never expected¡­ His actions not only failed to eliminate Willard but ended up costing him two of his own team members! An oppressive silence lasted for a long while. Willard consumed most of the food on his plate, gently wiped the corners of his mouth, rose, and exited the dining room, without uttering a word and displaying no expression. After he had left, Robert clenched his fist and smacked it hard on the dinner table! With a bang! To vent his anger! As he stood up, his chair toppled over. Robert, his face grim, stalked out of the dining room¡ª The reactions of the rest were varied. The food on the table had been smeared with blood, nobody wanted to eat. After sitting for a while, they all gradually left as well. When everyone else was gone, Zhu Shu nudged Bai Youwei, and extended her wrist. ¡°Look.¡± In her glowing wristwatch was a task progress bar divided into five parts. Now, the progress was two-fifths completed. Bai Youwei gave a laugh, ¡°Willard has helped you progress part of the way~¡± Zhu Shu lowered her wrist, pondering thoughtfully, ¡°Three more people to go¡­ Robert is one of them, but who could the other two be¡­¡± The woman in Room 202 who was holding the baby. The businessman in Room 302. The young basketball player in Room 303. The effeminate man in Room 402. Two of these four people were Robert¡¯s teammates. If she could find evidence of their involvement in the crime with Robert, she could help Yan Qingwen win the game! But¡­ wait, if they hadn¡¯t made any moves since the beginning of the game, what was she supposed to do? Zhu Shu felt a headache coming on, ¡°¡­ Robert is cunning. From the very beginning he had his team act individually. Even if one or two team members are discovered, it could still ensure the concealment of the other team members.¡± She looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, what do we do? We¡¯re at a stalemate now.¡± If Willard eliminated just one more person, he would win. Robert, in order not to fulfil his opponent¡¯s desire, would definitely not kill anyone else. But if no one else was killed, how would Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu find clues and evidence? What to do?¡­ It was a total deadlock. ¡°What are you talking about? This is the best situation~¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s lips curled up in a triumphant smile, ¡°Now that neither side is making a move, our chance has come, Zhu Shu.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhu Shu pursed her lips, looked outside where no one was paying attention, and quietly asked Bai Youwei, ¡°¡­ How should we proceed?¡± Chapter 739: Tomorrow’s Hotel - You’ve Been Arrested Chapter 739: Chapter 739: Tomorrow¡¯s Hotel ¨C You¡¯ve Been Arrested Upon returning to his room, Robert was still unable to quell the rage boiling inside him. Everything had been going according to his plan until he encountered such a formidable adversary, making him feel incredibly frustrated! Each time he eliminated one person, the adversary would take out two of his; If he eliminated two, the adversary would take out four! The task that the game had assigned him was to find ways to kill five specific targets, and it had even provided him with five doses of potent anesthetic! But now, after only eliminating two, he had run into trouble! That man named Willard, he must have some kind of special tool, otherwise how could he so easily manipulate a corpse and control the bald fat man in an instant?! So what should he do now? During the dinner just now, the bald man had stabbed and killed Carl, today¡¯s quota had already been used up. The next action could only be taken tomorrow, but what about tomorrow¡­ how will he make his move? Robert felt a sense of urgency consuming him, as if he were on fire! All his advantages had now been wiped out. If he couldn¡¯t come up with a solution, he would lose the first round of this battle game! What to do? What to do?! What to do!!! Robert looked at his reflection in the mirror, where was the calm demeanor he had when he first entered the game? He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Think of a solution. Although he cannot strike at that guy now, perhaps¡­ if it¡¯s just to restrict his freedom, it should be possible. That¡¯s right¡­ this is what he will do. With limited quota, let¡¯s not aim for his life, but just incapacitate him, or break his arms and legs, cut off his tongue, gouge out his eyes¡­ See how he can make moves then! There are less than five hours left until midnight, he must quickly come up with a foolproof plan to suppress his opponent! Only in this way can his team continue their mission tomorrow¡ª From midnight to 6 o¡¯clock in the morning, it was not the time for murderers, but the time for Willard¡¯s team to operate. After weighing the pros and cons, Robert decided to take action himself. Now that the two best men on his team were gone, all that remained were two unreliable ones. One was young and impulsive, and the other always wanted to preserve his own safety. Robert opened the bag he had brought into the game and started looking for useful items within it. Suddenly, a knock sounded from outside the door¡ª Pang, pang. Robert looked puzzled and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± No one answered. There was no more knocking. Robert watched the door warily for a while, then slowly walked to the door, bent over, and saw a note shoved under the door. Raising his eyebrows, Robert picked up the note. The note read in a coded message: Meet in room 201. Room 201, that was Su Man¡¯s room. Now that Su Man had been arrested, the room was naturally vacant, open to anyone who wanted to enter. Looks like his two remaining team members were also panicking, hence why they broke the usual protocol, and wrote a note to contact him. Robert resided in room 203, just a single room away from Su Man¡¯s. Should he go over now? The note did not mention any specific time. He should just go and check it out¡­ lest they got anxious and did something else to arouse suspicion. Robert opened the door, making sure no one was around, and arrived at the doorstep of room 201 with a stern expression. He grasped the door handle, turned it tentatively, and then pushed the door open¡ª The room was in total darkness, with no lights on, but a shadowy figure could be vaguely made out standing by the bed. Frowning, Robert raised his hand to look for the light switch on the wall, but then a light suddenly snapped on, blinding him. The intense light forced him to shut his eyes! Someone had turned on the bedside lamp, aiming the light at him like an interrogation! Robert quickly turned off the light switch on the wall, turned slightly to avoid the light, and finally saw who was in the room. His eyes widened in shock! Because the person in the room was the Detective! ¡°So, you are the murderer,¡± the Detective said coldly, holding up a pair of handcuffs as he slowly approached Robert, ¡°You are under arrest!¡± Chapter 740: The Meaning of the Inn’s Somber Language Tomorrow Chapter 740: Chapter 740: The Meaning of the Inn¡¯s Somber Language Tomorrow Robert was taken aback, he didn¡¯t even understand what had happened! ¡°Why?!¡± He attempted to struggle, but his body continuously refused to respond, unable to resist the detective handcuffing him! ¡°Only the murderer could understand that note.¡± The detective retorted coldly, ¡°Your presence here proves that you¡¯re the murderer! What more excuses do you have?!¡± Robert¡¯s brain felt as though it had been struck mercilessly with a sledgehammer! His secret code had been deciphered?! Impossible¡­ how could that be possible?! It must be those two, knowing they couldn¡¯t win, who betrayed him! It must be! The door was opened again. Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu stood outside, very understandingly telling the detective: ¡°Detective, people have also entered rooms 304 and 401~¡± ¡°Good!¡± The detective strode outward, ¡°I¡¯m going to catch all these damned criminals! Arrest them all!¡± Robert looked at them in bewilderment: ¡°Did you two meddle with the note?!¡± ¡°Yeah~¡± Bai Youwei backed away with her hands behind her, smiling at him, ¡°Was my imitation alright?¡± ¡°How is it possible?¡± Robert couldn¡¯t accept it, ¡°How could you break that secret code?!¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s quite simple~¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, nonchalantly saying, ¡°None of you understand Chinese, which means the characters on the paper are not real words, but symbolic imageries. Your teammates just memorised them blindly.¡± ¡°Even so, you couldn¡¯t possibly guess the true meaning of those words!¡± Robert excitedly questioned her, ¡°Did they tell you? How did you bribe them?!¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ha~¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Did I bribe them? Was there a need?¡± To be honest, from the beginning, I doubted the true meaning of these words, I just didn¡¯t have a precise direction. But then you said you enjoy mystery novels, which gave me a clue, after all, I¡¯ve also read Holmes.¡± Robert¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°One of the stories is called ¡®The Dancing Men¡¯, which also uses a code, a symbol representing a letter, right?¡± Bai Youwei enjoyed his expression, speaking unhurriedly, ¡°Then I started to think, if I were the culprit, wanting to quickly convey a message within a limited space, what¡¯s the first thing that should be conveyed?¡± Robert slowly bit his lower lip, watching her unwillingly: ¡°You¡­ deduced it that way?¡± ¡°More or less~¡± Bai Youwei grinned, ¡°I think the first thing to be conveyed should be the target, who the plan is against, this should be made clear. But if none of you know each other¡¯s names, how to refer to it? ¡­ The room number is the most direct way, right?¡± Robert kept his face stern, remaining silent. Bai Youwei continued: ¡°I noticed that in the secret code, the combination of ¡®¹ÌÍÅΧ»Ø¡¯ kept reappearing, it appeared in each cryptic message, so I boldly guessed it was the English ¡®0¡¯, because no matter who you plan against, the room number will necessarily contain an ¡®0¡¯! With that, I got four letters, z, e, r, o. Furthermore, as soon as your secret code appeared, the female guest in room 405 met with trouble, therefore I deduced that the words before ¡®¹ÌÍÅΧ»Ø¡¯ referred to ¡®four¡¯, and the ones after, to ¡®five¡¯¡ª ¡®Í¼»ØÀ§Î§¡¤¹ÌÍÅΧ»Ø¡¤Í¼àîȦÍÅ¡¯, these word combinations together would denote ¡®four-zero-five¡¯, 405. I used these known letters in the whole sentence, making connections and guesses, hence I got even more letters.¡± Bai Youwei squinted her eyes, a playful smile forming on corner of her lips: ¡°At last¡­ I used these letters to write several notes and pushed them into everyone¡¯s rooms, anyone who could understand would want to take a look, right? Just like you~ at this moment.¡± Chapter 741: He Lost in Tomorrows Hotel Chapter 741: Chapter 741: He Lost in Tomorrow¡¯s Hotel Bai Youwei looked at Robert tauntingly, pulling out the two pieces of paper that she had copied down earlier. ¡°Before the middle-aged woman in room 405 died, your coded message was: Four ¡¤ ‡æ return ¡¤ ‡æ ‡é group ¡¤ Four º¢ ‡æ Òò ‡é group park, àï ¡¤ Four º¢ ¶Ú ¶Ú ¡¤ Picture return trapped ¡¤ ¹Ì ÍÅ surrounded by return ¡¤ ͼ àî Circled group, As long as you substitute these words for four zero five, this coded message becomes- Four ¡¤ ‡æo ¡¤ ‡æ ‡ée ¡¤ Fouri ‡æ Òò ‡ée park, àï ¡¤ Four ¶Ú ¶Ú ¡¤ four ¡¤ zero ¡¤ five, At first glance, it still doesn¡¯t make much sense, but the second part of the ¡®four ¶Ú ¶Ú¡¯ got me thinking. This is a four-letter word, the second word is i, and the last two words are the same. Considering the experience of the guest 405, it¡¯s not hard to guess that the word is ¡®kill¡¯. Hence, I know that ¡®four¡¯ is k and that ¡®¶Ú¡¯ is l. Substitute these back into the coded message and it transforms into- k ¡¤ ‡æo ¡¤ ‡æ ‡ée ¡¤ ki ‡æ Òò ‡ée park, àï ¡¤ kill ¡¤ four ¡¤ zero ¡¤ five, I suspect ¡®ki ‡æ Òò ‡ée park¡¯ this term, could potentially be referring to the kitchen as you once told the bald-headed man to burn the kitchen. However, I¡¯m not completely certain. Fortunately, the appearance of a new coded message reassured me that my decoding method was correct. The new coded message is ¨C park ¡¤ Four àî ¶Ú ¶Ú ¡¤ ‡æ ‡é ‡é ¹Ì ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡æ ÍÅ ÍÅ ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡æ ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ‡é ºóʲ²Êϼ¸øÁËÂÞ²®ÌغÍËûµÄͬ°éÖÂÃüÒ»»÷. Such a mistake, designing this troublesome coded message when you should have been collecting more useful tools instead~¡± Robert clenched his teeth, his face turning ashen. He had not expected to be completely outplayed by this woman that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere while he was still plotting against Willard. The other party not only guessed the entire coded message but even used false coded messages to trick him! Moreover, they intentionally arranged to meet near his room. Just a few meters away, it¡¯s sinister! Anyone would have been curious and wanted to check. Robert bowed his head, looking at the metal handcuffs on his wrists. It was hateful! Too hateful! After losing this time, he could only participate in ¡°Battle 1¡± given the number of pieces he had left. If he lost again, he would be doomed! Damn this labyrinth battle! Damn this puppet game! Why does the world have to have such things! Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Footsteps could be heard from the staircase, looking up, it was the Detective with his two teammates. Robert closed his eyes in despair. He, had lost. ¡­ The Detective arrested Robert and his teammates, and the progress bar on Zhu Shu¡¯s wristwatch instantly filled up. Then, the rain outside stopped. The dark clouds dispersed, and the moon emerged. Puddles on the road bathed in the moonlight, reflecting a silver-white brilliance, like shattered mirrors. And within the mirror, the reflection of Inspector¡¯s tall figure appeared. Chapter 742: The Game at Tomorrows Inn Ends Chapter 742: Chapter 742: The Game at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn Ends The game had ended, and the Inspector stood outside the inn, waiting for the surviving players to come out- The woman from room 202 holding the baby, Willard from room 204, the effeminate man from room 402, as well as Zhu Shu and Bai Youwei. The comic man looked at these people with a faint expression. In the end, his gaze shifted away from Bai Youwei¡¯s face, inexplicably feeling a bit of a toothache¡­ ¡°Hurry up and announce the results,¡± Bai Youwei rubbed her knee through her skirt, ¡°I missed a few days of applying face masks, I am in a rush~¡± The comic man: ¡°¡­¡± Ever since her leg got better, this woman had been getting more and more arrogant¡­ Why can¡¯t anyone keep her in check? Why can¡¯t anyone? Why can¡¯t there be? She has passed another game. Thankfully, this time she was only an outside helper. Even if she won, there were no rewards¡­ ¡°Hey, are you down?¡± Bai Youwei became impatient, furrowing her brows at the comic man, ¡°Really? Freezing during the settlement, how trashy can you be?¡± The comic man¡¯s eyes darkened, dismissively replying, ¡°Please do not equate the Inspector with those low-end electronic products.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei blinked, surprised, and defended herself: ¡°That¡¯s because you just behaved very low-end, so I misunderstood.¡± The comic man¡¯s countenance became even colder as he wanted to retort but reconsidered and shut his mouth instead. Forget it¡­ He wouldn¡¯t bicker with her. The labyrinth battle was the top priority. Besides, as the Inspector, how could he stoop to arguing with a player? The comic man faced the remaining players, elegantly straightening his collar and calmly announced: ¡°The battle has officially ended, now we proceed to the final settlement. There were a total of 16 players in the game. The winner was the player from room 301, all other players are eliminated. Each eliminated King will lose 5 puzzle pieces, and each Parliamentary subject will lose 1 piece. Amongst which, the puzzle pieces held by the 3 deceased players will be reclaimed by the system¡­¡± Bai Youwei, being an outside helper, was unaffected by rewards or punishment, so she listened impatiently and yawned, standing lazily next to Zhu Shu. The faces of the other three were quite unpleasant. Their feelings at the moment were even worse than Robert¡¯s, as they were just one step away from victory. The game was lost, no matter what they said or did, it was already too late¡­ Willard studied Bai Youwei thoughtfully. Bai Youwei noticed his gaze, turned her head and frowned, saying, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Are you a king, or a subject?¡± Willard asked calmly, ¡°To be summoned into the game as an outside helper, you should be a subject, right? Your allies seem weak, why not become my subject, what do you think?¡± Bai Youwei was surprised: ¡°Are you trying to recruit me?¡± Willard slightly nodded, stating, ¡°I have plenty of puzzles to handle the next game and many items for you to choose from. Why not consider it? In a game of dolls, an alliance of the powerful is the wisest move.¡± Bai Youwei scoffed, took her gaze off him and casually said: ¡°Loser, what right do you have to recruit me?¡± The color drained from Willard¡¯s face, his eyes darkening. He could handle everything else calmly, but he could not stand being considered a ¡°loser¡±! ¡°No one has ever beaten me twice.¡± Willard¡¯s voice was as cold as ice. Bai Youwei replied carelessly: ¡°Twice is still too few? So far, I¡­ have never lost~¡± Willard: ¡°¡­¡± The comic man watched these two with a furrowed brow. He was still calculating, yet these two started a bitter exchange, utterly disregarding him! Due to his duty, he opened the square gateway, saying, ¡°The portal to return to the Rest Hall has been opened, players may leave at their will.¡± Bai Youwei exhaled a sigh of relief. It was finally over. ¡°Let¡¯s go~¡± She stride toward the luminescent square, sighing, ¡°I can finally go home and treat my legs.¡± Chapter 743: Boyfriends Gift Chapter 743: Chapter 743: Boyfriend¡¯s Gift After stepping out of the glowing square, Bai Youwei found that she hadn¡¯t returned to the lounge as expected, but had been taken directly to the headquarters¡¯ dining room. Zhu Shu was nowhere in sight. Before delving into the game, Bai Youwei had breakfast with everyone in the dining room. Now it was deep into the night, and naturally, the dining room was deserted. Zhu Shu was probably back in the lounge with Yan Qingwen and the others. Bai Youwei rubbed her leg and left the restaurant, taking the elevator back to her room. The timing within the game and outside world varied slightly. Sometimes it was longer, sometimes shorter, and sometimes it syncs perfectly. Bai Youwei remembered that it was around nine o¡¯clock when she left the game, but as she walked the desolate corridors of the building, it felt much later than nine, probably around eleven or twelve at night. The sound of her footsteps echoed loudly in the eerily quiet hallway. Bai Youwei instinctively tread lightly and arrived at her room¡¯s door, which was unlocked. With a gentle push, the door opened. Shen Mo must have left it unlocked, worried about her returning late at night. Bai Youwei pursed her lips, the urge to laugh and play a prank on him, to give him a little fright, arose out of nowhere. She tiptoed into the room and silently shut the door behind her. The man lying on the bed immediately bolted upright! ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± His voice was low but authoritative, like a hawk roused from sleep. His sharp, merciless black eyes swept over her, radiating a hint of fierceness. Bai Youwei stood frozen at the doorway. She was startled¡­ As soon as Shen Mo realized it was her, his intense aura dissipated instantly. He got out of bed and walked over to her, gently took her hand, stroked her head, and finally cupped her face, asking gently, ¡°Have you sorted everything out?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Bai Youwei answered, then snapped back to her senses and accused him, ¡°You were harsh with me just now!¡± Shen Mo let out a chuckle, then flicked on the light, brightening the room. ¡°Are you tired? Want to take a bath?¡± He went to run hot water in the bathroom, adding with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize your footsteps.¡± Bai Youwei took a seat on the edge of the bed, kicked off her shoes and plaintively replied, ¡°Yes, you couldn¡¯t even recognize my footsteps.¡± Shen Mo had no comeback, and instead admitted lightly, ¡°Yes, I couldn¡¯t recognize them.¡± Because most of the time, she used a wheelchair. With a whining, spoiled tone, Bai Youwei flopped down and grumbled, ¡°I overused my legs this time, I can¡¯t walk a single step now. My legs need rest.¡± When Shen Mo returned, he picked her up and asked with a smile, ¡°So these legs that need rest, are they going to take a bath now?¡± ¡°Yes~¡± Bai Youwei hugged his waist like a lazy cat, rubbing her head against his chin, acting coy while insisting, ¡°You carry me, okay~¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°I¡¯ll carry you to the bath, and when you¡¯re done, I have a gift for you.¡± ¡°A gift?¡± Bai Youwei perked up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Shen Mo. ¡°What gift?¡± You will know it in a while.¡± Shen Mo smiled, not giving it away. Normally such a serious person, he suddenly seemed mysterious and romantic, causing Bai Youwei to reevaluate him. How strange~ What could the gift be? While soaking in a rose essential oil bath in the bathroom, Bai Youwei was mulling over, was there a recent holiday? Christmas was approaching, but Shen Mo didn¡¯t seem the type to celebrate Christmas. Besides, if it was a Christmas gift, it should be given on the actual holiday. ¡­Could it be a birthday? He had only recently known her age, it was unlikely he knew her birthday. Then what could it be? Gifts usually come with a reason, right? As Bai Youwei pondered, a sudden thought flashed vividly into her mind! Could it be¡­ With her hand over her heart, sitting upright in the tub, an incredulous thought crossed her mind: Could he be proposing to me?! sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 744 - 744 Miss Liu Chapter 744: Chapter 744 Miss Liu Bai Youwei was getting excited. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that it was a proposal. In previous times, a relationship might involve two to three years of courtship before taking the next step. However, the current situation was different. From the moment they met to the point of sharing a bed, their relationship had fast-forwarded quite significantly. Shouldn¡¯t marriage have already become part of the conversation? ¡­ Could it be that her disappearance in the last few days had caused him great anxiety, urging him to propose to her? Possibly, that gift was a wedding ring? If not, then it must be a similar ¡°pledge of love¡±. She was confident that her excellent deductions were indeed accurate. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t wait any longer. After a quick bath, she hastily put on her bathrobe and left the bathroom. She scanned the room, her gaze finally landing on Shen Mo. ¡°Where¡¯s my gift?¡± Bai Youwei asked. ¡°Finished bathing so soon?¡± Shen Mo, who was tidying up the bedding, glanced at the table. ¡°It¡¯s right there.¡± Bai Youwei followed his gaze and saw a box on the table, just slightly smaller than a shoebox. It clearly wasn¡¯t the kind of box that would hold a ring. ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s lips puckered in disappointment. She slipped on her slippers and shuffled over to unbox the gift, a bit listless. ¡°What kind of gift is this¡­¡± ¡°You will know once you open it.¡± Shen Mo answered. When Bai Youwei lifted the lid, she frowned, ¡°What is this? Why did you get me an urn?¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Did he want them to die and be buried together? The ¡®urn¡¯ seemed a bit small for that purpose. Shen Mo laughed, ¡°Take it out and have a proper look.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, and took the ¡®urn¡¯ out of the box¡ªoh, it wasn¡¯t an urn, it was an incense burner. [Ms. Liu¡¯s Incense Burner¡ª has a strengthening effect on some props, and needs to be used in conjunction with Ms. Liu¡¯s Incense. ] Bai Youwei was a bit startled as she turned to look at Shen Mo, ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°I traded it with someone.¡± Bai Youwei echoed, ¡°Traded with someone?¡± Her rising intonation betrayed her surprise. Such an artifact was not easy to find. Players had to enter the game of ¡®Distressed Woman¡¯, win, and coincidentally choose this as their reward. To top it all, they had to be at the Shanghai Base to trade with Shen Mo! The likelihood of these events coinciding made the situation seem almost impossible. Bai Youwei gently placed the incense burner down, examining and touching it. It felt cold to the touch, with an antique brass finish, surrounded by images of the auspicious Lotus. It was quite elegant. When she had first got ¡±Ms. Liu¡¯s Incense¡±, she presumed it had some special significance. However, without the corresponding incense burner, it was practically useless. But now, she had finally found the matching burner¡­ Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but ask Shen Mo, ¡°How did you manage to trade it?¡± Shen Mo explained, ¡°Recently, Chu Huaijin has been collecting items at the base, trying to support the King¡¯s logistics. For example, players living within the King¡¯s territory can participate in collecting living necessities or props. I traded this incense burner for five of my props.¡± ¡°Five props?!¡± Bai Youwei grumbled, hitting him on the shoulder, ¡°Spendthrift! Have you heard of haggling?¡± Shen Mo laughed, grasping her hand lightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I had won quite a few props in the preliminary rounds, which were of minimal use to me. It¡¯s better to exchange them for this incense burner, to see what it can do.¡± He then asked, ¡°Do you want to test the incense in it?¡± After thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try it.¡± The description said, ¡°has a strengthening effect on some props,¡± but it wasn¡¯t clear which props it enhanced or to what degree. Chapter 745: Enhanced Effects Chapter 745: Chapter 745: Enhanced Effects Bai Youwei takes out her long-preserved incense. Shen Mo lights the incense and places it in the incense burner. A faint but fragrant scent spreads from the burner without visible smoke or sparks. Had Shen Mo not smelled the fragrance himself, he would not have been sure that he had indeed lit it. Since unsure which ¡°part of the prop¡± the incense would affect, Bai Youwei takes out all her game props. The starting gun, improved flower seeds, friend invitation card, Snowflake, white conch, large pea, Firefly, Paper Bell, silver box, the Queen¡¯s magic mirror, Cuckoo¡­ Also, four chunks of clay that have almost exhausted their uses, two of which were returned by Tan Xiao¡¯s previous companion, Hu Dashan. The scent from the incense burner is pleasantly mild. It neither overwhelms nor irritates the nose. Breathing in a bit more deeply almost seems as if it would disperse the scent. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo hold their breath, concentrating at the side of the table, quietly waiting for a while. Subsequently, they try touching the props placed around the incense burner. There¡¯s no change. ¡°Strange, was the time not long enough?¡± Bai Youwei wondered, ¡°Among these props, there are offensive, supportive, and healing ones. There should not be a single one that¡¯s unresponsive.¡± After some thought, Shen Mo said: ¡°Perhaps a longer time is needed for the incense to take effect. We should rest for now. It¡¯s already late, and you must be tired since coming out of the game.¡± Bai Youwei looks hesitantly at the incense burner. She¡¯s indeed a little tired, but she also wishes to see the enhancement of the props firsthand. They wait for another half an hour, but the props still do not respond. Unable to bear it any longer, Bai Youwei expresses her frustration: ¡°Why is there still no response? Did we do something wrong? Ah¡­ This incense burner was exchanged with five props, if it¡¯s useless, can we apply for a refund without reason?¡± Shen Mo laughs, gently taps her head: ¡°Go to sleep, whether it¡¯s useful or not, we¡¯ll handle it tomorrow morning.¡± Bai Youwei sulks and is reluctantly coaxed into going to bed. She fell asleep quickly. Although there wasn¡¯t much physical labor in the game, the perpetual tension was exhausting. Now, returning to Shen Mo¡¯s side, she lowers all her guards, completely relaxing. Her speed of falling asleep was almost unbelievable. She slept dreamlessly. ¡­ The next morning, Bai Youwei wakes up leisurely. The first thought upon opening her eyes is to check the incense burner. Shen Mo woke up before her and is currently observing the burner. Bai Youwei eagerly asks him: ¡°How is it? Any changes?¡± Shen Mo turns his head, beckons her: ¡°Hmm, come see for yourself.¡± Bai Youwei drapes a blanket over as she leans in, her fluffy self jostles against Shen Mo, ¡°Hiss¡­ It¡¯s so cold.¡± Shen Mo lifts his arm and enfolds her into his embrace, ¡°It has gotten colder today. Luckily, the heater has been working well since we got electricity, otherwise, people in the city would suffer.¡± Bai Youwei smells the fragrant scent. It is the same as yesterday¡¯s, even the intensity of the fragrance is similar, indicating that the incense is still working. ¡°Touch these chunks of clay.¡± Shen Mo says. Bai Youwei places her hand on the clay and to her surprise, she finds that the number of uses for these almost used-up clays has increased! Out of the four chunks, three have increased in usage by one! ¡°Oh my God¡­¡± Bai Youwei is stunned. She fingers the clay pieces, then looks at Shen Mo with disbelief in her eyes. The effects of using incense with the incense burner were ground-breaking! ¡°What about the other props?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Most of them haven¡¯t changed, but¡­¡± Shen Mo picks up a packet of flower seeds and an insect specimen, places them in Bai Youwei¡¯s hands, ¡°These two props have changed.¡± Improved flower seeds, which could grow into a sea of flowers regardless of the season or environment within 24 hours after touching the ground. Now, 24 hours has become 20 hours. The Firefly, which could illuminate a space of 1000 cubic meters. Now, it can illuminate a space of 1500 cubic meters. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei exclaims in surprise, then turns to Shen Mo: ¡°I¡­ I feel like I suddenly got rich¡­¡± Chapter 746: A Transitional Chapter Without a Worthy Name Chapter 746: Chapter 746: A Transitional Chapter Without a Worthy Name Bai Youwei made a quick decision and moved the incense burner and all her props into the dollhouse. After all, the dollhouse is essentially a prop! If you¡¯re going to smoke one thing, you might as well smoke a bunch. The more, the better! Bai Youwei calculated that from last night to this morning, the burning incense was effective for about 8 hours. If every eight hours of fumigation gave the mud one extra use, then after 56 hours, the mud would return to its initial state of being usable nine times! Four pieces of mud together¡ª36 uses! To put it bluntly, it¡¯s like saving 36 lives! Bai Youwei decided to stay in the dollhouse, going nowhere, checking the condition of her props every hour, intent only on waiting for the final result. Yan Qingwen came to see her during this, along with Zhu Shu and Su Man, presumably to thank Bai Youwei. But since she was inside the dollhouse, they didn¡¯t find her. Bai Youwei stayed from morning to afternoon, for a total of 8 hours. The usage count of the mud didn¡¯t increase, and the condition of the Firefly and flower seeds didn¡¯t change either. Strange¡­ ¡­ Chang Weicai was outside the courtyard watering vegetables, feeding the chickens, and collecting some dead branches, considering if he could build a chicken nest in the woods. When he came back for tools, he saw Bai Youwei was still sitting motionless in the living room with an incense burner and a pile of props on the coffee table. ¡°Weiwei, where¡¯s Xiaoshen?¡± Chang Weicai asked. Bai Youwei, propping her chin in her hand and looking at the incense burner, said, ¡°He¡¯s training with Tan Xiao.¡± ¡°And Xiaoxin?¡± ¡°In the conference room doing quizzes, he said he needed to improve his general knowledge.¡± ¡°Everyone is busy¡­¡± Chang Weicai muttered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei turned to look at him, ¡°Do you need something, Chang sir?¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡± Chang Weicai replied, ¡°I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯re bored. If so, go out and take a walk. I¡¯ll keep an eye on this for you, checking once an hour, right?¡± Bai Youwei hesitated, she was not a patient person. She had been waiting here full of excitement for eight hours and was about to reach her limit. Chang sir added, ¡°Also, the little hand is also at home, it can help watch too.¡± Bai Youwei gave him a glare, ¡°Chang sir, it would¡¯ve been fine if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it. Now, I dare not leave. I don¡¯t doubt it would mess things up when I¡¯m not around!¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say things like that¡­¡± Chang sir defended the hand, ¡°It has been behaving well lately, improved a lot compared to before. We shouldn¡¯t always deny and discourage it, but must encourage it. We should guide its growth with a positive attitude. That¡¯s the way to teach it properly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. She had no intention to reinforce it. All she wanted was to torment it. ¡°Bunny, come over here and watch this place for me.¡± Bai Youwei called out to the corner of the room. The bunny, which had been charging in the corner, twitched its ears at her call and hopped over. Bai Youwei lifted it onto the coffee table, tapped its plush forehead, and said, ¡°Especially be on guard against this hand. Don¡¯t let it come near these props. Understand?¡± The plush bunny nodded its head. Chang sir also said to the bunny, ¡°It won¡¯t come close; it would just be curious and watch. You two need to get along well. No conflicts¡­¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. She stood up, pulled her wheelchair over, sat down briskly, and said, ¡°Chang sir, you¡¯re not teaching high school, you¡¯re teaching kindergarten.¡± Chang sir laughed, ¡°Are you coming back for dinner?¡± ¡°Nope~ I¡¯m going to eat at the canteen.¡± Bai Youwei slid out the door on her wheelchair, ¡°I¡¯ll come to eat when those chickens get fat.¡± When mentioning those chickens, Chang sir sighed, ¡°They run wild in the woods every day, they have all gotten thin¡­¡± ¡­ Chapter 747: Digging Furiously at the Foot of the Wall Chapter 747: Chapter 747: Digging Furiously at the Foot of the Wall The residential area of the Headquarters Building was very quiet, but as the elevator descended to the training area, it started getting lively. There were people exercising, attending classes, holding meetings, conducting research¡­ all sorts of people coming and going. At the entrance of the training room, a few young men saw Bai Youwei. They exchanged glances; they had heard about this ¡°legendary figure¡± sitting in a wheelchair who allegedly had never faced defeat. ¡°Ms. Bai, Bai,¡± they greeted Bai Youwei anxiously. Bai Youwei raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at them, ¡°Ms. Bai, Bai? What, are we riding the wave of repetition?¡± The young men:¡±¡­No, no.¡± ¡°No, no?¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes, ¡°I am not a little girl; why are you trying to act cute?¡± The guys felt even more awkward. But Bai Youwei ignored them. At the door of the training room, she looked inside¡ªthere was a long glass wall at the entrance where one could clearly see a group of men inside training. You could hear their shouting and commands during combat, and see their firm muscles and flowing sweat. A wave of masculinity was engulfing the room. Shen Mo and Tan Xiao were among them, along with Ya Chaohui and Tan Xiao¡¯s buddies. Shen Mo instructed them in their combat techniques, adjusting positions, and demonstrating again and again with an athleticism that made him stand out. ¡°So handsome~¡± Bai Youwei watched Shen Mo with admiration, ¡°How can he be so handsome?¡± The group of young men beside her exchanged glances. Feeling annoyed by the crowd around her, Bai Youwei left leisurely on her wheelchair and strolled around the next level. The level below was a gathering place for strategy type players. Players would repeatedly grind their brain here, working on their logical thinking abilities. The training instructors here converted the gameplay into numerous simulation tests, allowing players to practice extensively. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Whether this method could improve abilities was debatable, but after such training, the players were indeed calmer during the game and found it easier to find solutions. However, it had drawbacks too. Once someone else laid out the direction of thinking for you, it became challenging to depart from stereotypical thinking and consider new methods. Bai Youwei wandered around casually and soon bumped into someone she knew. She saw Fu Miaoxue sitting next to Pan Xiaoxin in a classroom-like room, persuading him patiently, ¡°What¡¯s the use of you following her? She treats you poorly, ordering you around all the time. You¡¯re still in the growing phase, and she just takes everything from you like exploiting child labor. There¡¯s no care for young seedlings!¡± Bai Youwei was taken aback, thinking, are they talking about me? ¡°If you come with us, it¡¯ll be different~¡± Fu Miaoxue bragged, ¡°We just passed battle 1 with ease! We got loads of puzzle pieces and props, showing our strength. As long as you agree to come, you can pick any puzzle piece or prop you want, and we won¡¯t force you to go into battle. What do you think? Isn¡¯t this a sincere invitation?¡± Pan Xiaoxin didn¡¯t make a sound, just shook his head silently. Getting a little impatient, Fu Miaoxue pleaded, ¡°What will it take for you to consider joining my side? Did my offer not appeal to you? What do you want? You can tell me.¡± Embarrassed, Pan Xiaoxin stood up holding his papers and blurted out, ¡°¡­No need, I have to submit these now.¡± Without another word, he left the seat and ran out of the room to look for the teacher. Frustrated to the extreme, Fu Miaoxue slumped down in the chair, jolted the table with her leg and created a loud sound. ¡°You¡¯re trying hard to poach, huh~¡± Bai Youwei walked in laughing. Fu Miaoxue turned and looked at her, not showing any sign of guilt. Instead, she replied confidently, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong! He would definitely be better off with me than you! Hey, how did you persuade that kid? Damn it! I offered such generous terms, and he didn¡¯t even say a word to me!¡± Chapter 748: The New King Chapter 748: Chapter 748: The New King ¡°Because you¡¯re stupid~¡± Bai Youwei said, laughing at her. Fu Miaoxue raised her eyebrows. ¡°Say that again!¡± ¡°Even if I say it a hundred times, you¡¯re still dumb~. You couldn¡¯t even figure out why you couldn¡¯t dig up the corner. If you¡¯re not dumb, what are you?¡± Bai Youwei mocked her mercilessly. ¡°You passed the first battle thanks to good luck with Du Lai.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know?! Of course, you¡¯re playing tricks!¡± Fu Miaoxue cursed. ¡°You are deliberately opposing me, wanting me to embarrass myself, right?! You venomous and wicked woman! You demon!¡± Bai Youwei accepted it all, nodding continuously. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m a venomous woman. I¡¯m a demon. As for you, you¡¯re just a fool and a blockhead.¡± Fu Miaoxue, greatly upset, slapped the table and stood up, pointing at Bai Youwei and shouted: ¡°Hey! Bai Youwei, don¡¯t think I won¡¯t dare to do anything to you!¡± The people outside the classroom all watched, but no one dared to step forward and intervene. The two Kings were having an offline confrontation¡­ ¡°What could you possibly do to me?¡± Bai Youwei cocked her head, examining Fu Miaoxue with amusement. ¡°Do you want to kill me or keep digging at that corner? Fu Miaoxue, you can¡¯t even dig properly. I seriously worry that you won¡¯t be able to gather enough members for the next battle¡­next month, you¡¯ll be facing Battle 5, right? How is your recruitment going?¡± Fu Miaoxue bit her lower lip, remaining silent though her face was livid. Battle 1 required at least one person, no limit to the number of participants; however, Battle 5 requires the King along with four other subjects to participate in the fight. Besides her and Du Lai, there were still three vacant positions. Even though they could recruit members within the Headquarters Building, finding suitable ones is particularly hard. Bai Youwei laughed while looking at her: ¡°Well~ let the venomous woman and the demon teach you. if you want to recruit, simply promising benefits won¡¯t work, you need to ensure the team members feel secure and a sense of belonging¡­.¡± Fu Miaoxue sneered in disdain, ¡°Who can¡¯t promise sweet talk? I have already offered the best terms possible, how is that not enough to provide a sense of security?¡± ¡°As for Xiaoxin, just give up on him as he¡¯s a hard nut to crack.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°You could give the others a try.¡± Fu Miaoxue was not convinced. ¡°Why can¡¯t I get to Xiaoxin?¡± Bai Youwei replied: ¡°I make him work every day, making him feel that the team can¡¯t do without him, thus giving him a sense of self-worth and security. These things are much more reliable than any items you could promise.¡± ¡°Humph! I think you¡¯re full of nonsense!¡± Fu Miaoxue felt that Bai Youwei was simply using this opportunity to mock her. Outside the classroom, Du Lai suddenly arrived, and waved at Fu Miaoxue from the door. Fu Miaoxue left Bai Youwei, walked over huffily, ¡°What is it? Can¡¯t you come in and speak? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m in the middle of¡­¡± Du Lai whispered a few words into her ear. Fu Miaoxue immediately fell quiet, looking somewhat nervous. ¡°He¡¯s really here?¡± She asked Du Lai. Du Lai nodded. Without further ado, they left hastily. Bai Youwei watched their receding backs, feeling puzzled, as there was a low buzz of conversation and footfalls outside. Several people in the corridor moved to the sides, making way for the newly arrived visitor¡ª Then, Bai Youwei saw Chu Huaijin leading a man wearing a white glove walking past the classroom door. Bai Youwei froze. ¡­ White Glove? Why was he here? Could it be that Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue¡¯s reaction just now was due to White Glove? Did they have a grudge against him? Bai Youwei, intrigued, rolled her wheelchair out to observe the situation. Chu Huaijin was introducing the facilities and services within the Headquarters Building to ¡°White Glove¡±. With White Glove¡¯s arrival, the building had gained another King. For Chu Huaijin, of course, this was a good thing. His goal was to do his utmost to support the Kings. It didn¡¯t matter whether it was this King or another King. In the end, it was all for the sake of peace. However, for the other Kings in this building, White Glove¡¯s arrival was absolutely not good news¡­ Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 749: Ye Chong Chapter 749: Chapter 749: Ye Chong At dinner, it¡¯s unknown whether the reason was due to the new king¡¯s arrival, but in addition to the food, the restaurant was also supplying plenty of good wine. Everyone was eating and drinking together, talking about the new king, a man named Ye Chong, whose territory was around Lianyun Port. After Bai Youwei¡¯s territory expanded, it bordered his, and he came over to investigate the situation. Fortunately, Chu Huaijin had been dedicated to recruiting all kinds of talents, as long as they were kings and subjects, he wished they all could be sent to the headquarters, given centralized training to contend for as many sparks of humanity as possible. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Therefore, Chu Huaijin immediately invited the latter, who willingly accepted. Although there were distinctions between territories ruled by kings, they were in fact lands reclaimed from the puppet game by humanity. There was no need to discriminate just because someone was a king or subject from another territory. Chu Huaijin personally led Ye Chong on a tour around the headquarters, introduced everything inside and outside, and finally brought him to the restaurant in the middle floor of the building. The restaurant operated buffet style. Due to the efforts of Chu Huaijin and Professor Song, there were no issues with the food supply at the base apart from fresh meat. Seafood such as fish, shrimp, crab, and clams had temporarily replaced meats like chicken, duck, pork, and lamb. If anyone really wanted to eat meat, they could choose canned food. Bai Youwei overheard two servers chatting: ¡°Do you think those white gloves are his props? Are they powerful?¡± ¡°Not sure¡­ but I heard during the preliminary games, everyone in his gamefield was killed and not a single one survived. So this guy must be really powerful, right¡­?¡± A player getting food nearby chimed in: ¡°You guys must be new here, right? There were several people who wore white gloves from Guangzhou, their skills were pretty good. They ran away after some incident, I¡¯m not sure if this guy with the white gloves is affiliated with them.¡± ¡°An incident? What kind of incident?¡± After several months of construction at the base, many new residents have been absorbed and internal structures adjusted, so not everyone knew about the ¡°Hide and Seek¡± incident. Some people, even if they knew, didn¡¯t think it was something serious. In this new world where the law of the jungle reigned, to improve their own survival rate by betraying their allies in the game, seizing puzzles and props, was indeed a brutal and despicable act. However, the more they were accustomed to the fights in the game, the more their original sense of justice and morality seemed to decrease. Thus, the little society maintained by Chu Huaijin and Professor Song at least preserved a basic level of stability, where murder, robbery, theft, and other illegal behaviors were to a certain extent restrained. ¡°Who do you think among these kings will win in the end?¡± ¡°Shh¡­ Are you tired of living? Be careful, if anyone hears this kind of talk, no matter which king it reaches, you will offend someone!¡± ¡°That bad¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that those who have been through the labyrinth a few times have much sharper hearing than ordinary people?¡± ¡°Ah¡­then let¡¯s not talk, let¡¯s get back to work¡­¡± Bai Youwei listened to the lively conversation for a while but found it uninteresting when there was nothing new. She absentmindedly grabbed some fruit salad and prepared to return to her seat. Zhu Shu came over and asked with a smile: ¡°Did you overhear it too?¡± ¡°Yes, they are all talking about the new king.¡± Bai Youwei replied indifferently, ¡°He might get eliminated at any time, what¡¯s there to talk about?¡± She was not fond of the guy with the white gloves. Zhu Shu turned towards Chu Huaijin¡¯s direction and whispered: ¡°If the death of those people in the preliminary game really had something to do with him, having such a king win the game wouldn¡¯t be good news.¡± Opinions differed on this matter. Some people said that a giant monster appeared during the preliminary games, killing everyone and the man with the white gloves was the only one who managed to escape; Others said the preliminary game was a massive melee, where the man with the white gloves was the only one who broke through and achieved final victory. No matter what the story was, it all came down to one fact: the man with the white gloves was formidable. Chapter 750 - 750 Difficult Decisions Chapter 750: Chapter 750 Difficult Decisions ¡°Never mind, no matter what he¡¯s doing, let¡¯s talk about you guys,¡± Bai Youwei spoke, ¡°Has Yan bro come up with a plan yet? The next battle requires eight team members. Have you gathered enough people?¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Shu gently furrowed her brows and lowered her eyelids, ¡°Not yet¡­ After the game at Tomorrow¡¯s Inn is over, the Inspector asked him to choose the next battle. He chose Battle 1.¡± Bai Youwei paused, ¡°Battle¡­1?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhu Shu nodded, speaking softly, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t want to involve us¡­¡± Bai Youwei realized. Having passed Battle 5, Yan Qingwen was left with Battle 1, Battle 10 and Battle 20 to choose from. Among these battles, only Battle 1 allowed a single person to participate. Bai Youwei said, ¡°But¡­ participating in Battle 10 wouldn¡¯t necessarily result in a loss.¡± Why was Yan Qingwen, who didn¡¯t seem to lack confidence, giving up so completely? ¡°He¡¯s worried about encountering the game mode from Tomorrow¡¯s Inn,¡± Zhu Shu sighed and said to Bai Youwei. ¡°Willard¡¯s team members were destined to be prey within the rules. Yan bro is concerned that we may end up in a similar situation and, no matter how hard we try to clear the level, sacrifices would still be inevitable. So, he decided not to involve us citizens.¡± The Willard Zhu Shu spoke of refers to Willard. In Tomorrow¡¯s Inn, Willard¡¯s team was targeted by Robert. No matter how prepared they were, there were casualties. Yan Qingwen always valued his teammates, and his decision to forfeit the battle would match his character if considered from the perspective of life safety. ¡°Even if he participates in Battle 1 this time, what about next time?¡± Bai Youwei asked in confusion. ¡°For Battle 10 and Battle 20 he still needs manpower.¡± Zhu Shu pursed her lips, saying, ¡°Maybe¡­ he never intended to participate in the last two battles.¡± Bai Youwei was somewhat surprised. After thinking for a while, she lightly patted Zhu Shu¡¯s shoulder: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yan Qingwen, that shrewd old fox, must have thought things through more thoroughly than we did. Since he has made a decision, he must have his reasons. Let¡¯s just patiently wait for his good news.¡± Zhu Shu understood this reasoning as well, and worriedly said, ¡°Weiwei, sometimes I¡¯m really scared¡­ without us by his side, if something happens to him while he participates in Battle 1 alone, we wouldn¡¯t even know.¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know what to say. Even she and Shen Mo often faced danger in the game. ¡°Unless we become commoners¡­¡± she murmured, ¡°Let him use the right to surrender, and then have the opposing King demote you guys to commoners. Otherwise, as long as you¡¯re in the battlefield game, the crisis won¡¯t be resolved.¡± ¡°He¡¯s determined to avenge Lun Ang¡­¡± Zhu Shu couldn¡¯t help but bite her lower lip, feeling sad. Bai Youwei was also silent. Yan Qingwen¡¯s decision touched her. As the war progresses, there would certainly be more and more casualties, should she also consider¡­ reconsidering? For the next battle, should she really let her constant companions take risks? It¡¯s a dilemma. Those unfamiliar can¡¯t be fully trusted in the game; Those too familiar, it¡¯s hard to let them risk their lives. At that moment, a crisp sound of a glass being strike echoed in the restaurant¡ª ¡°I apologize, everyone, for taking up some of your time¡­¡± The one who spoke was Chu Huaijin. Everyone, including Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu, looked in his direction. Chu Huaijin walked to the side of the restaurant¡¯s LCD screen and faced everyone, ¡°I believe everyone knows that Professor Song and I have always been committed to city reconstruction work. We have never stopped researching the game system. Recently, Professor Song has made some new discoveries. Since all our Kings have successfully completed the first battle, Professor Song would like to take this opportunity to share the latest research findings with everyone.¡± Chapter 751: Dont Want It to End Chapter 751: Chapter 751: Don¡¯t Want It to End The LCD screen lit up, subsequently revealing an extremely aged face. Professor Song lay on a hospital bed, his face pale, his looks withered. An oxygen mask cloaked his face and surrounded by drip bottles and various medical equipment, he appeared as though he would pass away at any moment. The attendees in the dining room gasped. Many people had never seen Professor Song before. They knew that there was such an elderly professor at the base, but they hadn¡¯t expected him to be so weak that he was bedridden. Chu Huaijin sighed and said, ¡°Actually, we have collected therapeutic items that could alleviate the professor¡¯s pain, but he declined. He only accepts human medical technology. At this moment, the professor is still in recovery. This video was pre-recorded, and we hope that everyone will listen patiently to what the professor has to say¡­¡± A unanimous silence fell on the room; all whispered conversations ceased, and all eyes in the dining room were fixed on the old man in the video. Professor Song began to speak slowly: Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The game¡­it¡¯s a selection process, and it¡¯s also a conspiracy. Only by winning, you can really reach the center of the diamond. And you, the kings¡­you are¡­our last hope.¡± His voice was hoarse, slow, and weak. After a few pauses, he went on, ¡°Data research has shown¡­The game has very likely visited Earth before, but how the previous Maze War turned out and where the victorious King went afterward¡­all remains unknown. Perhaps, the last Maze War ended without anyone winning; perhaps, the victor has gone to another world. If you want to know the answer, you must win every round¡­ win to the end, and then, end it all. I don¡¯t have much time left¡­after deliberation, we¡¯ve decided to publicly disclose all our research materials. Any King can peruse them in the headquarters reading room. This is where my efforts stop¡­I hope to see the day when you end all this.¡± At that point, the elderly man on the bed suddenly opened his eyes wide, staring straight into the camera, he asked: ¡°Will you end this? ¡­Can you? Can you maintain a firm will, not let the game control you, and win to the end¡­can you do that?¡± The video stopped at that second. Chu Huaijin heaved a heavy sigh, switched off the video, and then faced everyone. ¡°The deterioration in Professor Song¡¯s body¡­is not due to sickness, but irreversible aging, a side effect of the game object, we can only mitigate his pain with medication, apart from that, there¡¯s nothing much we can do. If the world is restored to its former state, perhaps other remediation measures can be used. But the world rules have been replaced with game rules. Therefore, we can now only place our hope in you, the Kings, hoping you can¡­find the ultimate answer and find mankind¡¯s final exit.¡± After he finished speaking, Chu Huaijin bowed deeply to everyone. The dining room fell silent. This topic was unquestionably heavy. ¡­ The atmosphere in the dining room became much more oppressive for some time afterward. Everyone conversed in low voices, discussing the words of Chu Huaijin and Professor Song. Bai Youwei picked at her food absentmindedly, pondering the meaning of their conversation. First, only the ultimate winner could enter the core of the diamond and understand what was really happening. Second, the game may have existed before, so what made it disappear? Finally, Professor Song¡¯s deteriorating health prevented him from continuing his research. Therefore, he decided to share all the research materials, encouraging more people through the shared information. Moreover¡­ Bai Youwei¡¯s fork paused in her hand as Professor Song¡¯s last sentence echoed in her mind- ¡°Will you end this? Will you?¡± Not too far away, Shen Mo, holding a glass of wine, was approaching her. As Bai Youwei gazed at his handsome features, she thought: I honestly don¡¯t want it to end¡­ Chapter 752: Who to Take With Chapter 752: Chapter 752: Who to Take With Shen Mo came over, greeted Zhu Shu who was next to Bai Youwei, and asked, ¡°Where is Yan Qingwen?¡± ¡°He said he was going to have a smoke, he should be back soon.¡± Zhu Shu responded, ¡°I will transfer the message from Professor Song and Director Chu to him later.¡± Shen Mo nodded, saying, ¡°We need to decide on the members as soon as possible, we only have a month to get used to each other.¡± Zhu Shu appeared somewhat gloomy upon hearing this. Bai Youwei, who was by her side, explained for her, ¡°Qingwen has chosen Campaign 1 and is going to join the battle alone.¡± Shen Mo was slightly surprised and paused before responding indifferently, ¡°He must have his own considerations.¡± Zhu Shu forced a smile and looked around, ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go find him, you guys start eating.¡± She then left the dining hall. As Shen Mo watched her leave, he turned to Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°What about you? Have you decided on your team members?¡± ¡ªThe next battle for Bai Youwei was Campaign 10, which required eight people. ¡°Let me think about it¡­¡± She picked up a slice of orange from her plate, slowly put it into her mouth, her gaze drifted to the distant scene, observing the familiar and unfamiliar faces in the dining hall. As for how she would ultimately choose and arrange these eight people, she needed to think it over carefully¡­ Think it over¡­ ¡­ S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. That night, Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, and Pan Xiaoxin returned to the Dollhouse to rest. Tan Xiao did not come back. Ever since he reunited with his old pals, they had been hanging out together every day, eating, training, cracking jokes, always being the liveliest group. When they were preparing to rest, Shen Mo brought up the team issue again: ¡°The two of us, along with Tan Xiao, Ya Chaohui, Xiaoxin, Asarina, and Along, that¡¯s seven people. We need one more to qualify. Tan Xiao¡¯s friends have always wanted to join. They may not fight well individually, but respond quickly and are fearless. Their combined performance in actual combat should be better than during training.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t bring Xiaoxin this time¡­¡± said Bai Youwei, sitting on the edge of the bed and massaging her legs slowly, ¡°The inspector for Campaign 10 is Ball, its games usually are brutal and require high physical strength. No matter how much we work on Xiaoxin¡¯s physical ability, a child is always less than an adult.¡± She paused briefly, then sighed and continued anxiously, ¡°Of course, Tan Xiao and his friends have good teamwork, but I worry that if something happened to his friends in the game, would Tan Xiao act rashly?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s execution is inferior to most people¡¯s, and his temperament is rather erratic. You could say, he is the team member most likely to cause ¡°unexpected¡± situations. And these unexpected situations could be either positive surprises or troublesome predicaments. Indecisive, Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo: ¡°How many candidates have Chu Huaijin provided us?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve gathered 22 qualified volunteers, approximately 17 or 18 of them have considerable physical abilities. Of these, about four or five have interacted with Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue,¡± Shen Mo said. ¡°If you want to choose from these people, you should decide as soon as possible. The sooner we finalize the team, the earlier we can train for unity and coordination.¡± Did Bai Youwei not understand this principle? Currently, Tan Xiao and his pals worked well together, so did Asarina and Along. However, to reorganize these people into a single cohesive force takes more than just a simple command from her. Shen Mo scrutinized her for a moment and asked, ¡°Are you influenced by Yan Qingwen?¡± Bai Youwei sighed without affirmation or denial. She glanced at him and asked, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s necessary for Tan Xiao to participate?¡± Upon hearing this, Shen Mo was silent. After a moment, he raised his hand to ruffle Bai Youwei¡¯s hair. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I understand you want to keep everyone safe, but bringing a bunch of strangers into the game will definitely affect our chances of success, understand? No matter how unruly Tan Xiao is, he is at least trustworthy. Ya Chaohui may hold a grudge against you, but he won¡¯t make any mistakes when it comes to vital situations. Being from a different country doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t cooperate with Asarina and Along. There are no perfect subordinates, only those who are useful and those who aren¡¯t.¡± Chapter 753 - 753 Let’s Go Chapter 753: Chapter 753 Let¡¯s Go ¡°A black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice, it¡¯s a good cat.¡± Shen Mo was obviously a pragmatic person. Bai Youwei closed her eyes, sighing, ¡°All right, all right, I get it ¡­¡± Shen Mo looked at her, ¡°You, me, Tan Xiao, Ya Chaohui, Asarina, Along, plus two more people chosen from Tan Xiao¡¯s friends.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°¡­ Then you go ahead and arrange it.¡± Shen Mo smiled, gently pinched her face, ¡°Go to bed earlier, I will talk to them individually tomorrow to get a sense of what they think.¡± Bai Youwei still felt uneasy, not knowing what the best arrangement was. She hesitated for a long time without saying a word, in the end she simply fell asleep quietly. She spent the whole night half-awake and half-asleep. One moment she dreamed of being chased by something, the next she dreamed of Tan Xiao standing in front of her covered in blood, she just couldn¡¯t sleep peacefully. She woke up the next day before six o¡¯clock, couldn¡¯t go back to sleep anymore, so she got up to check the incense burner and her tools downstairs¡ª The number of times she could use the clay had increased by one. The growth time for the seeds had extended by 16 hours, and the lighting range of the firefly had been expanded to 2000 cubic meters. It seemed that the incense burner wasn¡¯t useless, it just had diminishing effects. If she wanted to keep increasing the uses of the clay, she would probably need to fumigate it for a longer period of time. Bai Youwei thought for a moment and put down the piece of clay in her hand. No worries, she had plenty of time. When the battle games began, she would distribute the four pieces of clay. This way, she would be able to provide her companions with more chances of survival. Bai Youwei exhaled gently, feeling somewhat relieved. The nameless burden that had weighed heavily on her heart since yesterday was significantly lightened by the clay. She walked to the door to see the dawn. The vegetables in the backyard were spreading their bright leaves, the pumpkin vines crawled from the fence all the way to the foot of the mountain, the corn she¡¯d planted some days ago had gained a new section unnoticed, and the pond that Tan Xiao had dug glowed brightly in the morning sunlight. The sudden crow of a rooster rang loudly and rhythmically. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but giggle. At this moment, she felt extraordinarily rich. ¡­. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If Bai Youwei was the Queen, then Shen Mo was like her Prime Minister, arranging the personnel for her to command. While Bai Youwei was in the dollhouse resting, Shen Mo devised a training plan for each team member. He was initially planning to include Tan Xiao¡¯s buddies, he just didn¡¯t expect that they would reject his invitation. They had just recently offered him and Bai Youwei a piece of clay to show goodwill; they wanted to join the team, and now when Shen Mo formally invites them, they all expressed unwillingness. Changing one¡¯s mind halfway wasn¡¯t unusual, after all, this was a matter of life and death, it was normal to be cautious. Shen Mo didn¡¯t mind, he focused all his energy on integrating the new members. For a whole month, they trained, climbed, hiked, and practiced martial arts. They also arranged for everyone to participate in competitive sports together¡ªsoccer, basketball¡ªthese could subtly improve the team¡¯s cooperation in due time. A month could be long or short. The dollhouse hatched a bunch of chickens. At the same time, the time for the new battle had also arrived. Each Queen began to gather her subjects. With each flicker of a bright light, they were teleported one by one into the waiting hall. Bai Youwei, sitting in her wheelchair, came out. Outside the door, stood her team members who had been trained by Shen Mo for a whole month, they had been waiting for a while. Compared to the mysterious masked woman (Fu Miaoxue), and the weirdly gloved man (Ye Chong), and the calm and wise Yan Qingwen, Bai Youwei was the most harmless and relaxed looking Queen. ¡°You can still back out now if you want to, anyone leaving?¡± She asked with a bright smile, as if going off to not a life-and-death battle, but a fun trip. Everyone looked at each other. Tan Xiao immediately said, ¡°Stop joking, if we quit now, wouldn¡¯t our past month¡¯s hard work be wasted? Weiwei, let¡¯s set off now!¡± The other people also nodded one after another. Bai Youwei cocked her head, her gaze moving over each person¡¯s face one by one, she smiled and nodded, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s set off~¡± Chapter 754: The Second Battle Chapter 754: Chapter 754: The Second Battle Returning once again to the rest area, there were noticeably fewer people than before. Surprisingly, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s group spotted Tan Xiao¡¯s brothers in the resting hall. They were with the man in the white gloves. Astonished, Tan Xiao went over without a second thought to interrogate: ¡°¡­ Brother Shan, how did you guys get recruited by this guy?¡± The followers of the man in white gloves immediately glared back. ¡°What¡¯s with this guy and that guy? Hey, watch your manners when you talk!¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback; he had never backed down, he immediately puffed up his chest and scoffed: ¡°What¡¯s being impolite about this? I¡¯ve spoken like this since I was a kid, do you really need to teach me?! Who the hell do you think you are!¡± ¡°Damn! You¡¯re asking for death, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Hu Dashan hurriedly came forward to defuse the situation: ¡°We¡¯re all from the same base, why should we ruin the harmony over a few misunderstandings? It¡¯s nothing¡­ I¡¯ll go clear the confusion with him¡­¡± With that, he pulled Tan Xiao aside and softly persuaded: ¡°Why are you causing a scene? Those are tough guys on the other side, do you have a death wish?¡± Tan Xiao felt wronged and asked Hu Dashan sulkily: ¡°Brother Shan, didn¡¯t we agree that you and Xiaoqi would join us? Why did you go over there?¡± Hu Dashan looked around and lowered his voice even further, saying to Tan Xiao: ¡°Why don¡¯t you come over too?¡± Tan Xiao was taken aback, his expression growing even more depressed, ¡°Brother Shan, why did you go to that side? You didn¡¯t even tell me, it¡¯s not fair. Aren¡¯t we supposed to be good brothers?¡± ¡°Tan Xiao, because you¡¯re my brother, that¡¯s why I am telling you this¡­¡± Hu Dashan gave him a meaningful look and whispered,¡± If you¡¯re going to be a follower, of course you should choose the king with the highest winning rate. That Ye Chong over there, did you see him? His white gloves are resistant to fire and water and it¡¯s impervious to weapons! It¡¯s better to follow him than a disabled person, right?¡± Upon hearing this, Tan Xiao¡¯s heart was filled with mixed emotions, it was hard to swallow. He never thought that Hu Dashan would change his mind at the last minute due to this consideration. ¡°My sister Wei is much more powerful than him.¡± Tan Xiao said seriously, with a furrowed brow. Hu Dashan gave a laugh, ¡°Alright¡­ if you think she¡¯s powerful, then she¡¯s powerful.¡± From his expression, it seemed he didn¡¯t really believe it. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I won¡¯t say any more, I¡¯m heading back.¡± Hu Dashan patted Tan Xiao¡¯s shoulder, ¡°If you change your mind and want to join us, let me know anytime, that¡¯s it.¡± After he finished speaking, he turned and went back into formation, then waved at Tan Xiao, signaling him to quickly return. Tan Xiao watched for a while, then dropped his head, and returned dejectedly to Bai Youwei¡¯s team. Shen Mo asked him, ¡°What did you talk about?¡± ¡°Nothing much, I just asked him why he went over there¡­¡± Tan Xiao sneakily glanced at Bai Youwei, fearing that she might get angry, ¡°Brother Shan said¡­ the chances of winning¡­ are greater on that side.¡± Bai Youwei smiled faintly upon hearing this, saying: ¡°The odds of winning might be high, but it also depends on who the opponent is. If they encounter me. Heh¡­¡± Everyone remained silent. At such a time, nothing seemed appropriate to say. On the other side, the Clown, Sphere, Cartoonish Man and Elder in the grey robe, four Inspectors as always stood in front of the glowing square, waiting for the kings to enter the battlefield. The rabbit-headed gentleman looked at everyone and announced with a smile: ¡°The second battle is about to begin, with a total of 14 kings participating in the battle. 6 Kings have chosen ¡°Battle 1¡±, 4 Kings have chosen ¡°Battle 5¡±, 2 Kings have chosen ¡°Battle 10¡±, 2 Kings have chosen ¡°Battle 20¡å. All kings please be aware. If you win the game, the pledged puzzles will be fully returned to you, and you will also get the other party¡¯s pledged puzzles. If you lose the game, the pledged puzzles will be deducted. If the number of puzzles is not enough for the next battle, you will be immediately eliminated. Each battle can only be chosen once, and after four battles, the final battle will begin. Now, everyone, please enter the battlefield ¡ª¡± The Kings shuffled into the glowing square behind the Inspectors¡¯ silhouette. Bai Youwei purposely stayed back. She saw the man in the white gloves lead his followers into the ¡°Battle 10¡± battlefield, her brows twitched in response and her expression took on an uncanny note. ¡°Interesting,¡± Bai Youwei curled her lips into a smirk, ¡°he has also chosen ¡®Battle 10.¡¯¡± Chapter 755: Numerous Animals in the Wildlife Park Chapter 755: Chapter 755: Numerous Animals in the Wildlife Park When the Rabbit-headed gentleman announced the battle contestants, he mentioned that two players had chosen Battle 10. So, her opponent this time was undoubtedly White Glove. Both of them were Asians, living in the Headquarters Building, and now they were to compete in a game. It felt a bit like an ¡°internal struggle¡±. Bai Youwei laughed a little, pushed her wheelchair, and slowly entered the glowing square. She didn¡¯t care. Because she had to win until the end, regardless of whether the competition was internal or external. No one could understand the meaning of the game better than she nor desire to win more than she did. ¡­ Inside the square, a proportional 3D projection of White Glove appeared in the white space. On the right of the projection, the opponent¡¯s information appeared. [Enemy King, age 28, height 179cm, weight 70kg, blood type O¡­] [Do you choose to surrender?] ¡­Of course not. Bai Youwei quietly waited for the countdown to end. ¡­5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. Everything in front of her disappeared, be it the 3D projection or the text on the right. In their place was another square door. Outside the door were lush trees and vibrant plants, seemingly a forest. Bai Youwei slowly moved towards it in her wheelchair. As she touched the soft grass, the square light door behind her instantly disappeared, and her companions appeared behind her, marveling at this incredible world. The towering trees gave them the illusion of being in a primitive jungle. ¡°What kind of game is this?¡± Shen Mo asked Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei shook her head: ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I also just arrived.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, they heard a buzzing sound overhead, like the hum of a helicopter. Everyone looked up simultaneously. The foliage of the tree canopies was dense, they could only see drones flying by in the gaps. ¡°They went in that direction!¡±, Ya Chaohui pointed in one direction and decisively said, ¡°And there is more than one drone.¡± Bai Youwei said: ¡°Let¡¯s go and check.¡± The group headed in the direction of the drones. The wheelchair was difficult to maneuver in the dense grass, but the distance was very short. After only a few dozen meters, they arrived at a flat grassland¡ª Four or five drones were dropping food and drinking water onto the grassland. White Glove¡¯s people were also there. Even though the game hadn¡¯t officially started, the two sides were already poised for action, warily watching each other. A ball¡­ To be precise, it was a wooden ball. It rolled out from the dense bushes. ¡°Hello everyone! Welcome to this battle game, ¡®Wildlife Zoo¡¯. I am the Inspector of this game and also the Zookeeper of the Wildlife Zoo! ~ Again, welcome to all of you!¡± The wooden ball was covered in wooden bumps, some parts even had leaves on them, it looked like a round wooden stake. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t understand why it insisted on making itself look like this? The wooden ball chattered joyfully, its body spun habitually, and it continued: ¡°In the Wildlife Zoo, there are eight kinds of animals: rat, cat, fox, wolf, leopard, lion, bear, and elephant. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The elephant can eat the bear, the bear can eat the lion, the lion eats the leopard, the leopard eats the wolf, the wolf eats the fox, the fox eats the cat, the cat eats the rat, and the rat can eat the elephant. Do you all understand now?¡± The wooden ball twisted a bit, its laugh crisp and pure: ¡°Whichever team¡¯s animals are eaten up first, is deemed the loser! And the other side wins! Pay attention~ Which animal you each represent shall be decided by your King.¡± Chapter 756: The Rule of Elimination in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 756: Chapter 756: The Rule of Elimination in the Wild Animal Park After Wooden Orb explained the game, everyone had a general impression of ¡°Wildlife Park¡±. It¡¯s a bit like a real-life version of Animal Chess, only the animals differ slightly. The animals in Animal Chess are: Rat, Cat, Dog, Wolf, Leopard, Tiger, Lion, Elephant. And the animals in Wildlife Park are: Rat, Cat, Fox, Wolf, Leopard, Lion, Bear, Elephant. ¡°What does it mean to be eaten?¡± Shen Mo asked out loud. Wooden Orb spun in circles on the ground, its green leaves were crushed, only to sprout new buds. It shook a little and several fresh leaf buds appeared, like the antlers of a fawn. ¡°Being eaten means being eliminated.¡± It shook its own ¡°antlers¡±, and said in a light-hearted tone¡ª ¡°This game recognizes three methods of elimination, listen closely~ First, when a higher animal in the food chain encounters a lower animal, a hunting button will appear on your watch. Simply touch your opponent¡¯s body with the button to ¡®eat¡¯ and thus eliminate them.¡± Everyone looked down and examined their own watches. A simplified topographical map was displayed on the watch, with eight glowing small dots gathered in the center section. The orb explained: ¡°The watch will display your own and your teammates¡¯ locations. Blue dots are you, and white dots are your teammates. However, you cannot see the enemies¡¯ positions! Also, by clicking on the dots on the map, you can contact those respective teammates.¡± A teammate from team White Glove said: ¡°I can¡¯t see the hunting button.¡± ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t see it yet~¡± The Wooden Orb rolled over to him and explained, ¡°The hunting button only appears after the King has assigned the animal roles! Is everyone clear on the first rule? You¡¯ll have time to try out the map and contact features later. I¡¯m going to tell you the second rule now!¡± Everyone lowered their hands and looked at the Wooden Orb on the ground. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The second method of elimination!¡ª Although this is a Wildlife Park, it¡¯s full of dangers just like a primitive forest. There are eight traps set up in the game area. If you inadvertently fall into a trap, you¡¯re instantly eliminated!¡± Shen Mo asked: ¡°What do the traps look like? Can they lead to death?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t! Although they cannot lead to death, the traps will immobilize the animals, making them lose their mobility.¡± At this point, the orb paused a moment, let out a weird chuckle, and continued: ¡°An animal that falls into a trap loses its ability to defend itself. If someone passing by wants to ¡®eat¡¯ them, it¡¯s not forbidden.¡± Shen Mo understood and said lightly, ¡°So what you mean is, an animal trapped in a trap becomes the bottom of the food chain. Any animal can attack it, but it won¡¯t change the elimination result. Whether dead, or alive, it¡¯s still considered eliminated.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how it is!¡± The orb chirped happily. Asarina, who was standing aside and listening with a frown, couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Why is there such a rule? If falling into a trap means they¡¯re already considered eliminated, then what is the point of ¡®eating¡¯ them? Isn¡¯t it redundant?¡± The orb snorted pridefully, ¡°There¡¯s good reason for this design. You will have your own experiences in the game. Now, let¡¯s announce the third method of elimination. The third one is very simple: if a player dies, they are eliminated. Is it clear? Even if the hunt button does not touch your opponent¡¯s body, if you can somehow manage to kill them, they are also eliminated. But please note this¡ª If your rank in the food chain is lower than the opponent¡¯s, and they die at your hand, then you will be eliminated along with them.¡± Perhaps for dramatic effect, all the green leaves on the orb withered and fell to the ground. It lowered its voice and emphasized very seriously: ¡°I¡¯m not joking¡­ unless the target is in a trap, you must attack your targets according to the order of the food chain! Don¡¯t think about cheating! Also, don¡¯t think that as long as you don¡¯t do it yourself, the system won¡¯t know! Whoever violates the food chain will be eliminated!¡± Chapter 757: Food in the Wildlife Park Chapter 757: Chapter 757: Food in the Wildlife Park ¡°I understand¡­¡± Ye Chong, wearing white gloves, slowly said, ¡°In short, to avoid being eliminated, I must ensure I don¡¯t die, don¡¯t fall into traps, or have my body touched by the wristband of an animal higher up in the food chain.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± The wooden ball was very pleased, sprouting new shoots and looking lush, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The three elimination rules: One, death; Two, falling into a trap; Three, being touched by the predator button on the body. ¡°Besides the elimination rules, there are a few other rules that need to be clarified,¡± the ball continued, ¡°First, for food, drones will deliver food and water at noon every day. The drop location is where you are now. Secondly, each animal in the park has its own habitat, also known as a safe hut! If an animal is in its safe hut, no other animal can attack, even if it is higher up in the food chain! Finally, the time limit for this game is 30 days. If no winner is determined after 30 days, both teams will be eliminated!¡± The ball whirled once between the two teams, its voice crisp and clear: ¡°The battle officially begins at dawn tomorrow. You have sufficient time to familiarize yourselves with the terrain and practice the functions on the wristband. Now, if there are any questions, feel free to ask!¡± ¡°Can we use tools when hunting?¡± Ye Chong asked. Although he was addressing the Inspector, his dark eyes were watching Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, filled with anticipation or perhaps, excitement before the hunt. The ball chuckled, ¡°Of course! There are no restrictions on the hunting method, as long as your food chain level is higher than that of your prey.¡± Over here, Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What is the maximum number of players a trap can hold?¡± The wooden ball waggled its branches and leaves, chuckling, ¡°Paying attention to this, it¡¯s truly worthy of¡­¡± Its voice trailed off, recalling the Inspector¡¯s instructions to treat all players equally, at least in appearance, without any special treatment. The ball adjusted its tone, ¡°Hmm¡­it¡¯s really worthy of¡­worthy of the mindset of starting the game. Are you guys getting nervous now?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± The ball continued, ¡°The trap can contain multiple players, up to eight. But once activated, it becomes invalid immediately. For example, if one player triggers an iron cage trap and gets caught, then other animals passing by do not have to worry about setting off the trap! Alright, any more questions? Any more?¡± Nobody spoke up. The ball chuckled, ¡°Then everyone can collect their food and get ready for tomorrow¡¯s battle!¡± It rolled away. After rolling seven or eight meters, it rolled back two meters, saying, ¡°Oh right, while it may seem unnecessary, just in case¡­ I still need to remind certain people, before the battle officially starts, violence, attacks, and causing harm are not allowed. Those who violate this will be eliminated immediately.¡± After delivering this message, the ball finally rolled away. Leaving the 16 players standing where they were. After a moment of silence, everyone started to collect the food dropped by the drones. The food was in square, black boxes dropped by drones. The boxes contained bread, cookies, milk, water, and a small apple. Though the type of food was diverse, the portions were very small. For instance, there was only 150ml of milk, three cookies, and a tiny bread roll no larger than a palm. The only thing in ample supply was water, which was 850ml. This food was just enough for an adult to maintain a day¡¯s energy ¡ª carbohydrates, sugar, fat, protein, and so forth, were all included. There were 16 black boxes in total, one for each player. If you don¡¯t want to starve, you had to be on time to collect the food at noon every day. Otherwise, if the food was taken by the opponent, one would have to fight them on an empty stomach. Bai Youwei certainly didn¡¯t need to worry about food, but she didn¡¯t want to watch the others eat too much either, so she still had to take the food she was entitled to. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 758: Allocating Roles at the Wildlife Park Chapter 758: Chapter 758: Allocating Roles at the Wildlife Park Once everyone had received the black box, it seemed time for each team to hold a small meeting and discuss their next move ¡ª specifically, how should they assign the animal roles? But Bai Youwei had no such plan in mind. Sitting in her wheelchair, she gave the surroundings an emotionless scan before saying, ¡°Split into pairs, first get familiar with the terrain. If you find a trap or a safe house, communicate through the wristwatch.¡± The volume of her voice was normal, she didn¡¯t intentionally avoid the other team; everyone on Ye Chong¡¯s side heard her very clearly. All members of Ye Chong¡¯s team watched him, waiting for their King¡¯s command. ¡°Find your own safe houses while surveying the environment,¡± Ye Chong said. The plans of the two kings were not much different. As the battle game hadn¡¯t officially started yet, the atmosphere wasn¡¯t too tense. One by one, the sixteen people scattered, their figures quickly disappearing into the dense forest. Bai Youwei was naturally paired with Shen Mo. The place was truly vast, not just a forest but also grasslands, slopes, shrubs, sand dunes, and more, as if it had condensed the whole nature. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo found a safe house ¡ª but it belonged to the other team. Since it wasn¡¯t their safe house, they couldn¡¯t enter. From the outside, the shape of the cottage resembled an igloo built by Eskimos ¡ª semi-circular and all white. But instead of ice, it was made of sturdy white steel. Naturally, if you hide in here, there¡¯s no need to fear any animal. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo advanced further and discovered safe houses for the wolf and the leopard, with identifiable animal head symbols marked on the doors of the houses. Two beeping sounds came from the wristwatch, followed by Asarina¡¯s voice: ¡°Safe houses for the mouse and the fox found in the southeast direction.¡± Ya Chaohui¡¯s voice came over too: ¡°Found a trap¡­¡± Shen Mo glanced down at the position of his teammates and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Ye Chong¡¯s domain seems to be in the north, while ours is in the south. Should we go back and check?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head lightly. ¡°Let¡¯s keep exploring¡­ while it¡¯s still light. I want to see more of the environment.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly and pushed her deeper into the forest. ¡­ The wildlife park was enormous. It took Bai Youwei and Shen Mo nearly two hours just to walk through it once. This was merely one round ¨C not enough for familiarity. To have a thorough understanding of the environment and to quickly choose the best route during the offensive and escape, they would have to go around a few more times. The same task was being undertaken by Ye Chong¡¯s team too. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Whoever becomes familiar with the environment first will gain an advantage in the battle. The sun gradually started to set¡­ Unconsciously, dusk began to darken, the setting sun bled across the horizon, the impending night gave the entire forest an indescribable sense of oppression. Ya Chaohui found a clear patch of land and started a fire. The sky still had a hint of brightness. Everyone sat around the fire, silently eating the food from the black box. As the one who could not hold back his words, Tan Xiao asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Weiwei, how are you going to assign us the roles?¡± Bai Youwei was drinking milk. She hadn¡¯t tasted fresh milk for a long time. It was just 150ml. If only there was more¡­ like 150 liters ¨C then she¡¯d be able to have a milk bath for her legs. Noticing that all her companions were looking at her, Bai Youwei slowly raised her head and looked at everyone through the firelight: ¡°Don¡¯t rush¡­In fact, before distributing our animal roles, we should think about how the other team might assign their roles. Mouse, Cat, Fox, Wolf, Leopard, Lion, Bear, Elephant, the most important roles are the Mouse and the Elephant. If we could know who the Mouse and the Elephant of the other team are, our role distribution would be more effective.¡± Scratching his head, Tan Xiao said, ¡°But how are we supposed to guess that¡­¡± Chapter 759: Distribution in the Wildlife Park Chapter 759: Chapter 759: Distribution in the Wildlife Park Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Have any of you had any interaction with Ye Chong?¡± Everyone shook their heads. A buzz-cut young man spoke up, ¡°He¡¯s been to our training room, asking who was the strongest. He didn¡¯t look like much of a fighter, but given that he had the courage to ask such a question, he probably possesses a powerful item.¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± a slightly dark-skinned young man added, ¡°The entire base is buzzing about those oddly powerful gloves of his. Also, I heard that during the preliminary rounds, not even a single player from his arena made it out alive.¡± These two men, Wu Meng¡¯an, and Zhang Yu, were chosen by Shen Mo from a list provided by Chu Huaijin. They had been previously part of the assessment team before applying to become subjects, curious to see what the final winning world would look like. Although they were not top-tier in terms of individual strength, they excelled at team cooperation. After a month of intensive training, their coordination with the rest of the team improved greatly. Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°So he¡¯s self-assured, arrogant and highly aggressive. Someone like that would never allow themselves to be at the bottom of the food chain when assigning animal roles. I predict he¡¯s either an elephant or a bear.¡± Bai Youwei picked up a charred twig from the firepit and began to draw out various small animal figures on the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s go over the food chain hierarchy. A mouse can eat an elephant; A cat can eat a mouse; A fox can eat a cat, a mouse; A wolf can eat a fox, a cat, a mouse; A leopard can eat a wolf, a fox, a cat, a mouse; A lion can eat a leopard, a wolf, a fox, a cat, a mouse; A bear can eat a lion, a leopard, a wolf, a fox, a cat, a mouse; An elephant can eat a bear, a lion, a leopard, a wolf, a fox, a cat. The most powerful animals are the bear and the elephant. They can prey on six types of animals and have only one predator. On the other hand, the weakest animals are the mouse and the cat. They can prey on one type of animal but face six predators. Under normal thinking, animals lower on the food chain are responsible for luring and assisting enemies, while those higher up are responsible for attacking and hunting. Therefore, I intend to assign the powerful animals to individuals with high offensive power and high hunting success rates, while the weaker animals will be assigned to individuals with strong cooperative skills and high survival rates.¡± Everyone listened in silence, with no objections. This arrangement was practical and the most common. Ya Chaohui asked, ¡°Who do you plan on assigning to be the mouse?¡± The mouse is crucial. If the mouse is eliminated, then the enemy¡¯s elephant will become undefeatable, able to eliminate any animal, which would indirectly lead to the destruction of the entire team! After a pause, Bai Youwei said, ¡°I will be the mouse. The mouse has too many predators and is easily hunted, and until the action route of the opponent¡¯s elephant is clear, the mouse can hardly move. This will result in a waste of manpower in the early stage. Therefore, I will be the mouse¡­¡± She looked up at Asarina, ¡°For the same reasons, before we figure out who the mouse is, the cat cannot act impulsively. Asarina, your role is the cat, you will stay by my side and protect me. Shen Mo and Ya Chaohui, you two have the strongest offensive capabilities, so you will be the elephant and bear. Along, you will be the lion. Tan Xiao, you will be the leopard. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wu Meng¡¯an, Zhang Yu, you will be the wolf and the fox.¡± Then Bai Youwei made some operation on her wristwatch, and everyone received messages about their assigned roles. ¡°Remember your roles. Each pair will act according to circumstances tomorrow,¡± Bai Youwei continued, giving instructions while operating the device, ¡°Don¡¯t venture beyond our own territory to avoid falling into potential traps set by the enemy.¡± At this moment, Ya Chaohui said, ¡°Can we switch the ones assigned to be the mouse and the cat?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, taken aback. The rest of the group also turned their attention to the conversation. No one had expected any subject to question the decisions of the King. Chapter 760: 760: Someone in the Wildlife Park Disagrees Chapter 760: Chapter 760: Someone in the Wildlife Park Disagrees Ya Chaohui disregarded the eyes around him and calmly said: ¡°The mouse is the only creature that can restrain the elephant and is likely to become the target of focus in the whole competition. Therefore, I believe the mouse player should be someone who can act swiftly, respond sensitively, and have certain self-defense capabilities. Asarina is quite skilled and quite apt for the role. As for the cat, it¡¯s optional, relatively safer than the mouse, and more suitable to be commanded by the King from behind.¡± As Ya Chaohui finished, everyone looked at him, and then Bai Youwei. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The atmosphere was subtly grim. Indeed he made some sense, but to say it bluntly like that, it was as if he was questioning the King¡¯s decision. Shen Mo furrowed his brows but remained silent. He couldn¡¯t defend Bai Youwei because doing so in this situation would not only not be helpful but would also make Bai Youwei seem incompetent. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t angry. She sat in her wheelchair, slightly raising her chin, and indifferently looked at Ya Chaohui. ¡°You¡¯re right ¡­ the mouse player must have self-defense capabilities, so, I¡¯m the best choice.¡± She gently stroked the plush rabbit in her arms. A weak layer of blue electrical light rippled out like waves. Zzzz- Everyone felt a brief numbness from an electrical flow under their feet. Everyone was dumbstruck: ¡°¡­.¡± Anyone who could become the King naturally had some advantages. Ye Chong had the white gloves, while Bai Youwei had the rabbit. Ya Chaohui gave a silent smile, tinged with some desolation: ¡°Yeah, you have a rabbit, how could I forget¡­ you still have this rabbit.¡± Bai Youwei stroked the ears of her plush rabbit, ignoring Ya Chaohui¡¯s fluctuating emotions, and just calmly said, ¡°You all can rest assured, the mouse won¡¯t be eliminated. Because no one can get near me.¡± Her gaze swept over everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°If there are no issues then let¡¯s start the distribution of props.¡± She handed out four mud pieces. One each to Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, Asarina, and Zhang Yu. Eight people. Two sharing one mud piece is just right. The incense in the censer had been burning for seven days and seven nights straight, increasing the mud piece¡¯s usage to four more times than originally. It should be enough. After that, Bai Youwei brought out four bundles of rope. ¡°The rope is just an ordinary rope. Take it, and when necessary, tie your opponents up and drag them into a trap,¡± Bai Youwei instructed, ¡°The safest way to eliminate someone is to use a trap before finding out what animal they are.¡± Asarina asked: ¡°Should we sneak over there tonight? We might even gather some intelligence.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of this strategy, the opponents will have corresponding precautions.¡± Bai Youwei disagreed, ¡°Right now we only know that Ye Chong has white gloves, but what about his subjects? What is their strength? What tools do they have in their hands? What are their hidden trump cards? We know nothing about these, rushing over there might just be us walking into a trap.¡± Tan Xiao had a sudden insight: ¡°Weiwei, how about we lure them over and shock them all! How would that be?¡± ¡°Attacking an animal higher than yourself in the food chain will result in immediate elimination.¡± Bai Youwei gently shook her head, ¡°The Sphere never introduced the rules with honesty. This time it didn¡¯t explain whether ¡®elimination¡¯ meant leaving the battlefield or death. We can¡¯t take that risk.¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly and said in a low voice: ¡°The Inspector emphasized many times that attacks have to follow the food chain order. If we can attack arbitrarily, the game would lose its original meaning.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Bai Youwei threw a twig into the fire and said slowly, ¡°With the restriction of the food chain, this game can¡¯t be won quickly. It can only be a battle of attrition¡­ Later, everyone should get familiar with their surroundings and rest early. Once it¡¯s dawn, it¡¯s time for the battle to officially start.¡± Chapter 761: 761: Daybreak at the Wildlife Park Chapter 761: Chapter 761: Daybreak at the Wildlife Park After talking around the fire for a while, everyone finished the food in their black boxes and began to familiarize themselves with the surroundings and the environment based on what Bai Youwei had said. Because the Inspector had previously stressed, no attacks could occur before the start of the game, so the night was tranquil. Both sides were busy in preparation, and even when met halfway, no conflict occurred. Bai Youwei was not idle, either. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She had Asarina accompany her round and round until they finally found the highest point from where they could overlook the forest and the grassland. ¡°From here, we can see the fire they¡¯ve lit.¡± Asarina observed, ¡°The light in the safe_shelter is also on. Do we really not need to go there? As long as we guard the outside of the safe house, we can know what kind of animals they are when they come out the next day.¡± Bai Youwei still shook her head: ¡°It might be bait.¡± Asarina thought for a moment and sighed, ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s better to be cautious in a battle game.¡± After a while, she asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we also refrain from resting in the safe house?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Before the game, everyone should have prepared tents and sleeping bags. Let¡¯s make do tonight¡­ at least for the first two nights, we must not enter the safe house.¡± In the first two nights, all information was unknown. Whoever exposed themselves first would reveal a hint of defeat. ¡°Understood,¡± Asarina nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t enter the safe house unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, even if we¡¯re running away.¡± Upon saying this, Asarina once again looked toward the distant fire, somewhat contemplative: ¡°That man named Ye Chong, he must be planning right now, who knows what steps they will take¡­¡± ¡°That man¡­ is very aggressive.¡± Bai Youwei looked into the distance, deep in thought, ¡°And very arrogant¡­ He wasn¡¯t long at the base when rumors about him circulated everywhere. I¡¯m a bit suspicious that he himself might be the source of those rumors.¡± ¡°The rumor that all other players in the same selection match died?¡± Asarina said, ¡°It¡¯s true, I also saw it, it really was only him who came out¡­¡± ¡°No, you misunderstood me.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her and explained, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that he¡¯s lying. What I mean, is¡­ is¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°Unless someone personally saw him emerge from the selection match and then boasted about it at the base, how would anyone know about it? Moreover, the rumor spread so quickly that almost everyone knows how dangerous he is by merely hearing his name. Yan Qingwen, Fu Miaoxue, and I all have won selection matches, so why aren¡¯t there rumors about us?¡± Asarina was puzzled: ¡°You mean, he is spreading rumors about himself? What¡¯s he trying to achieve?¡± ¡°He enjoys it, relishes it, he enjoys the awe and fear in people when they speak of him.¡± Bai Youwei attempted to analyze, ¡°This man, enjoys killing, and delights in it. Tomorrow, he is likely to take unexpected actions.¡± Asarina opened her mouth but was at a loss for words. Finally, she looked towards the enemy¡¯s direction. Tomorrow, the answer will be known. ¡­ At dawn the next day, Shen Mo, Ya Chaohui, Tan Xiao, Along, Wu Meng¡¯an, and Zhang Yu, in groups of two, cautiously explored from the left, center, and right directions. Shen Mo and Ya Chaohui were together, and on their way, there was neither a surprise nor a danger. They were close to the enemy¡¯s area, yet they hadn¡¯t seen a single person. The scenery along the way was rather delightful with various flourishing plants and flowers. Probably because they hadn¡¯t seen anyone for a long time, Shen Mo pressed the talk button to check in: ¡°Tan Xiao, Along, is there anything on your side?¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°No, we haven¡¯t seen anyone!¡± ¡°Same here, we haven¡¯t seen a single person either¡­ really weird¡­¡± Wu Meng¡¯an from the other group said. However, as this was said, Wu Meng¡¯an suddenly said: ¡°Oh no!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brows furrowed as he heard a shocked Wu Meng¡¯an on the other end of the wristwatch radio: ¡°They¡¯ve, they¡¯ve come! What should we do?! Eight people, all have arrived!¡± Chapter 762: 762: Eliminating One in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 762: Chapter 762: Eliminating One in the Wild Animal Park Meanwhile, Bai Youwei, situated on the slope, also noticed something. Although she had the geographical advantage, she couldn¡¯t see what was happening in the forest. Only when the eight people came out of the forest and walked into an open grassland without any cover, could she clearly see them. ¡°Zhang Yu, run to the Cat¡¯s safe house! Wu Meng¡¯an, you run to the Fox¡¯s safe house! Be careful of traps!¡± With Bai Youwei¡¯s command, Zhang Yu and Wu Meng¡¯an dashed into the forest separately, while the eight people from Ye Chong¡¯s side also split into two groups of four to chase them! ... Bai Youwei squinted her eyes, watching these people disappear from her view, then issued another command: ¡°Shen Mo, Ya Chaohui, go and support at the Fox¡¯s house! Along and Tan Xiao go and support at the Cat¡¯s house!¡± She turned her head to look at Asarina next to her: ¡°You go and support too.¡± Asarina nodded, swiftly and neatly jumping down the slope, sprinting towards the safe house. Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair, looking at the seemingly calm forest in front of her with a thoughtful expression: ¡°Four people chasing the Cat¡­four people chasing the Fox¡­so where would the Mouse be? Firstly, Ye Chong had no companions, which meant he didn¡¯t trust anyone. Secondly, he was fond of killing. In order not to let the Mouse¡¯s trouble affect his enjoyment of hunting, he would not let the Mouse leave his sight. Thus, the Mouse was likely to be in Ye Chong¡¯s group. There were three people with Ye Chong just now- A muscular black man, a young man in a duckbill cap, and a girl with a ponytail. So who could the Mouse be? As Bai Youwei thought, Shen Mo¡¯s voice came from her wristwatch: ¡°Wu Meng¡¯an has been eliminated. The other side acted quickly. After eliminating Wu Meng¡¯an, they immediately retreated.¡± After a pause of two seconds, he said again: ¡°We arrived too late.¡± ¡°What¡¯s Wu Meng¡¯an¡¯s situation like now?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Shen Mo replied, ¡°He was touched by a tall, lean man with a wristwatch and disappeared on the spot. The other party retreated quickly, should we go after them?¡± Tall and lean?¡­It must be the young man wearing the duckbill cap. ¡°No need to chase.¡± Bai Youwei touched the white dot near the cat¡¯s house on her wristwatch, and asked again, ¡°Zhang Yu, what¡¯s your situation?¡± Zhang Yu didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Zhang Yu?¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s voice came in: ¡°Along and I are near the Cat¡¯s house, we can¡¯t see Zhang Yu!¡­Zhang Yu? Zhang Yu where are you?!¡± Zhang Yu¡¯s voice finally came: ¡°I¡¯m in the tree¡­I¡¯m hiding, those people just retreated.¡± In other words, Ye Chong led all his teammates to rush in all at once. They quickly made a move, eliminating one person, and then immediately retreated. This was indeed a good strategy. With their overwhelming numbers, in the face of eight people rushing over at once, any animal target would be able to find a superior predator on the food chain. Even if they couldn¡¯t find one, they could use their collective strength to force the opponent into a trap. Bai Youwei thought for a moment and said: ¡°Everyone, come here on the slope.¡± A moment later, Shen Mo, Ya Chaohui, Tan Xiao, and others all returned. They gathered around Bai Youwei, their momentum somewhat downcast. They had just lost a companion. Although they were only one wolf short, they were at a numerical disadvantage. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, although we are one less, the other side made a move and we have obtained some information because of it.¡± Bai Youwei calmly said, ¡°The tall and thin young man with the duckbill cap should be a Leopard, or an Elephant.¡± Ya Chaohui frowned: ¡°He suddenly sped up within a few seconds. We didn¡¯t have time to get there at all before Wu Meng¡¯an was eliminated by him. If such a person is an Elephant, we will have a hard time dealing with him.¡± ¡°The sudden speed increase should have been with the use of a prop, right?¡± Asarina said, ¡°Speeding up should either have a time limit or a usage limit. It can¡¯t be unlimited.¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 763: 763 Climbing to the Top of the Tree in the Wildlife Zoo Chapter 763: Chapter 763 Climbing to the Top of the Tree in the Wildlife Zoo Bai Youwei said, ¡°This person is able to attack without any hesitation. There can only be two possibilities. Either, he is an elephant and is certain that we will not easily send out a mouse, hence he brazenly attacks; Or he is a leopard. Ye Chong allowed him to attack as a way to probe Wu Meng¡¯an¡¯s identity.¡± Zhang Yu, who had just narrowly escaped from death, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why a leopard?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him and explained, ¡°In the food chain, leopards and wolves are in the middle tier. This position is very delicate. Under them are foxes, cats, and mice, which can only run when faced with an enemy, while above them, elephants, bears, lions are all suitable for launching attacks. If I were Ye Chong, faced with an unknown opponent, I would send out a leopard or a wolf. ... If the opponent is a lower-level animal, they can easily be eliminated by a leopard or a wolf. Wu Meng¡¯an is a wolf, and if that person can eliminate Wu Meng¡¯an, he can only be a leopard.¡± ¡°What if we come across a top-tier animal?¡± Zhang Yu asked, puzzled. ¡°There is a chance we might encounter top-tier predators, right? According to the order of the food chain, if a low-grade animal attacks a high-grade one, the low-grade one will be eliminated! Won¡¯t they lose more than they gain then?¡± If Wu Meng¡¯an is not a wolf, but a lion or a bear, the opponent wouldn¡¯t just fail to eliminate him, they would actually be the one to get eliminated! However, Bai Youwei shook her head lightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, by using this method to probe, no matter what animal the opponent is, it is always a no-lose situation for Ye Chong.¡± Zhang Yu widened his eyes in shock, ¡°How is that possible¡­¡± Shen Mo, who was standing next to them, softly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, they have eight people corresponding to eight animals. If the tall and thin man attacks Wu Meng¡¯an and gets eliminated, it indicates that Wu Meng¡¯an ranks higher. Suppose Wu Meng¡¯an¡¯s rank is a lion, then Ye Chong just needs to send out an elephant to eliminate Wu Meng¡¯an.¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, the situation would become a seven on seven. It seems like the numbers have not changed, but in reality, Ye Chong¡¯s side has only lost a leopard, while Bai Youwei¡¯s side has lost a lion. That¡¯s why Bai Youwei said, by using this method to probe, no matter what animal the opponent is, it is always a no-lose situation for Ye Chong.¡± Zhang Yu nodded in confusion, never realizing that there could be so much complexity behind a single attack. Tan Xiao was also listening with a confused expression, feeling dazed. Shen Mo looked at everyone and said, ¡°Since the other team is moving as an eight-member group, our split group formation is very disadvantageous. Everybody, try not to separate as much as possible moving forward.¡± Everyone nodded in silence. Bai Youwei looked up at the sky and said with a faint voice, ¡°The opponent is very arrogant. After easily succeeding this time, they will certainly launch another attack. We need to go to the park center to get food at noon, so we need to be prepared before then.¡± She asked the others, ¡°Do you remember which direction the drone came from?¡± Everyone looked instinctively towards the park in front of them¡ª It was a vast rectangular area, the two ends of which were slope lands piled up by rocks and stones, and the middle was a spacious grassy field, like a green ribbon, dividing the forest into two halves. The northern forest was Ye Chong¡¯s territory; The southern forest was Bai Youwei¡¯s territory. The forest wasn¡¯t just made up of trees. Inside, there was a mix of sandy grounds, grasslands, bushes, and so on. Shen Mo pointed in a direction, ¡°The drone flight path seemed to come diagonally across. There were two in total.¡± ¡°Food is only supplied once a day. They probably will get to the center of the field early to prevent us from getting all the food,¡± Bai Youwei speculated. After thinking for a while, she asked, ¡°Who among you can climb trees?¡± Everyone looked at each other. Tan Xiao, looking a bit stunned, raised his hand and asked, ¡°How high do we need to climb?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Climb to the top.¡± Chapter 764: 764: Analysis of the Wildlife Park Chapter 764: Chapter 764: Analysis of the Wildlife Park While Bai Youwei was analyzing Ye Chong, Ye Chong¡¯s team was analyzing Bai Youwei as well. ¡°Those people are really stupid! Hahaha they actually scattered, we¡¯ve eliminated one, now they¡¯re certainly panicking!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too carried away, those eliminated by Tian Li couldn¡¯t be anything impressive. The truly dangerous are yet to act¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that, after all, they¡¯re down a man.¡± ¡°If only we knew what animal the eliminated person was, hopefully a mouse!¡± ¡°A mouse? How can we casually encounter a mouse¡­¡± ... ¡°Hey, among them, who do you think is the mouse?¡± The group was discussing animatedly. Ye Chong sat to one side, his fingers interlaced, his index finger rubbing gently, seemingly deep in thought. ¡°The mouse, it¡¯s among the unseen ones,¡± he said. Everyone looked at him, ¡°The unseen ones?¡± Ye Chong slowly explained, ¡°When we attacked, two people came over, trying to save their comrade. Such rescue acts can only be done by an elephant, bear, or lion. The mouse must be among the remaining group.¡± The muscular man nodded vigorously, ¡°That makes sense! The mouse is at the bottom of the food chain, it wouldn¡¯t clumsily rush out to save someone! For now, as long as we continue our attack, we¡¯ll be able to figure out their animal roles from their reactions!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t keep it up,¡± Ye Chong gave a faint smile, ¡°they¡¯ve suffered a loss this time, certainly, they won¡¯t scatter again. But there¡¯s no need to rush, let them panic a bit longer. If it ends too quickly, it would be a little less fun.¡± Everyone had varied expressions upon hearing his words. Some showed fear, unable to understand his idea of fun. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Some forced a smile, agreeing, ¡°Yeah¡­ we can¡¯t make it easy for them, we need to show them how formidable we are.¡± ¡°Right, a mere girl daring to compete with us, she¡¯s bit off more than she can chew¡­¡± Everyone laughingly flattered him. Ye Chong looked towards a tall, thin young man with a duckbill cap and instructed, ¡°Tian Li, when you go to get lunch, go alone, and also probe them a bit to see if they¡¯ll attack you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I- I¡¯m going again?¡± The young man, Tian Li, uncomfortably lowered his head, ¡°What if I get eliminated¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ye Chong lightly patted Tian Li¡¯s shoulder with a casual smile, ¡°Even if you¡¯re eliminated, it¡¯s for the sake of everyone¡¯s victory.¡± Tian Li looked uncomfortable and turned towards his companions. No one said a word, heads low. Tian Li awkwardly smiled, ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯m not unwilling, but isn¡¯t this kind of probing too obvious? What if they don¡¯t fall for it?¡± ¡°I see¡­ you have a point.¡± Ye Chong pondered seriously and then looked towards another person in the crowd, ¡°Then let the wolf do it. Xiaoqi, are you up for it?¡± Xiaoqi, a short young man, stiffened at his words. Hu Dashan quickly added, ¡°Xiaoqi runs slow, Tian Li is more suitable! Tian Li just eliminated one of their players. If they find Tian Li alone, they¡¯ll want revenge for the old grudge and new resentment! That would be our opportunity!¡± Ye Chong, the corners of his mouth turned upward, seemed to be watching a drama as he looked at Hu Dashan, then at Tian Li. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± He said to Tian Li with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re still the most suitable.¡± Tian Li pursed his lips and managed a smile, ¡°Well¡­ I am the fastest runner¡­¡± Ye Chong then turned to Hu Dashan, and asked with a smile, ¡°By the way, that guy with black and white hair, he¡¯s your brother, isn¡¯t he?¡± Hu Dashan¡¯s eyes flickered, he stammered, ¡°Ah¡­ kind of, but we¡¯re not actually close, not close¡­ ¡± Ye Chong just smiled at him. Chapter 765: Playing Scatter in the Wildlife Park Chapter 765: Chapter 765: Playing Scatter in the Wildlife Park Noon arrived in the blink of an eye. Ye Chong led all team members to the area between the two forests in advance to prepare. Tian Li waited alone for the drone, while the others hid behind the trees at the edge of the forest. Strangely, there was no sign of Bai Youwei and her team. ¡°Did they forget mealtime?¡± Hu Dashan scratched his head, puzzled. ¡°¡­Or are they too scared to come out?¡± ¡°Good, they should be scared!¡± The muscular man grunted heavily, his muscles rippling in response, ¡°We have eight people, they have seven, of course they¡¯re afraid! They better be so scared that they don¡¯t dare to come out for food every day!¡± ... The girl on the team with the ponytail quietly remarked: ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that starve them to death¡­¡± Hu Dashan added, ¡°They can¡¯t be that stupid, can they?¡± Ye Chong looked around suspiciously, suspecting a trick. The surroundings were eerily quiet, with not a single person or noise from Bai Youwei¡¯s side. Tian Li also found it strange, he hesitated as he returned, saying, ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡­¡± The distant humming of a drone was faintly heard. ¡°They could show up at any moment, stay alert.¡± Ye Chong reminded the others. Everyone was at the ready. Suddenly, a loud boom came from far away! It seemed like something had exploded! Everyone was startled and looked in the direction of the sound, but all they saw was a trail of black smoke. What just happened? While they were puzzled, Ye Chong¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he immediately ran towards the smoke. The others quickly followed! They rushed into the forest, running all the way! Finally, they arrived at the scene of the accident ¡ª The ground was scattered with drone wreckage, and the black box carried by the drone was blasted to pieces! The bread and biscuits were charred to a crisp, and the water was spilled without a single drop left! The instigator had already left, and it was too late to catch them now. Everyone gasped in surprise at the scene before them, exclaiming, ¡°What kind of weapon did this? Or was it a prop?¡± ¡°I heard that the rabbit in that woman¡¯s hands can emit electricity¡­¡± ¡°But this is too outrageous!¡± ¡°Why would they blow up the drone? Do they want to starve us by destroying the food?¡± ¡°Are they stupid? We all brought food and water when we entered the game. Even without the drone delivering food, we have enough for two days.¡± ¡°But what if they do this every day¡­¡± Ye Chong looked at the mess on the ground, his face growing even darker, and gritted his teeth: ¡°Let¡¯s go back right away!¡± Saying so, he swiftly walked deeper into the forest. Seeing this, the others sensed that something was wrong. As expected, when they arrived at their temporary camp, they found that all the backpacks had been rifled through, food thrown haphazardly on the ground. The food was still edible, but every bottle of water had been opened; only a little bit of water was left in each one. The absence of food was not a big problem; with their physical condition, they could cope for a few days without any. But without water, how long could they last? ¡°Damn!¡± The muscular man slammed the empty water bottle in frustration, cursing, ¡°That bitch is cruel! Playing a game of attrition! Damn it!¡± Hu Dashan picked up his own empty bottle, feeling quite upset, muttered in his heart: Not even leaving a bit for me, that brat¡­ The girl with the ponytail worriedly said: ¡°What should we do? If the other side keeps doing this, we won¡¯t be able to keep up with our physical strength.¡± ¡°Do you think her goal is to make us die of thirst?¡± Ye Chong coldly curled his lips, ¡°A group of fools, her aim is to disperse us.¡± Carrying all the supplies would increase the weight, which would hinder the action, so someone had to stay and guard the supplies. The drone was flying in the sky and could be attacked at any time, so someone had to follow it as well. No matter how they arranged it, their eight people would have to be divided into at least two groups. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If the other side sent seven people after his divided team¡­ At that thought, Ye Chong clenched his teeth tightly. Chapter 766: Crushing in the Wildlife Park Chapter 766: Chapter 766: Crushing in the Wildlife Park On the hillside, lush grass billows greenly. Bai Youwei sits in her wheelchair, watching the wisp of black smoke in the distance thin out, a cold sneer playing on her lips. The game has just begun, and if anyone thinks they can defeat her that easily, they¡¯re sorely mistaken¡­ ¡­ She waits on the hillside for a while, and Shen Mo, Ya Chaohui, Tan Xiao, and Along return together. The rabbit perched on Shen Mo¡¯s shoulder leaps off halfway up the hill, hopping back to Bai Youwei¡¯s side in a few energetic jumps. ... Tan Xiao, exuding confidence and energy, leads the climb up the hill, ¡°Now let¡¯s see how they brag! With no food or drink, they can wait and starve! Hahaha!¡­¡± Smiling, Bai Youwei unpacks the ready-made food, handing it to Tan Xiao: ¡°You must be hungry too, right? Head to the camp and eat, here, this was prepared by our chef earlier, take it to the camp and share it with Asarina and the others.¡± Tan Xiao sniffed the food eagerly, ¡°Wow~ large white buns, eggs, and sausages! Our chef¡¯s skills are improving!¡± He turns and calls to the group, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Back to camp for dinner!¡± Ya Chaohui looks a bit uncertain, furrowing his brows, ¡°Is this enough? They probably brought their own food before entering the game¡­¡± Tan Xiao dismisses the concern, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine! Even if they did bring their own, they can¡¯t last for too many days. With the way my brother eats, his supplies will be gone in a meal!¡± Bai Youwei responds with a faint smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ve made arrangements for the food they brought.¡± ¡°Did you hear that? Sister Weiwei has a plan, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go~ let¡¯s go eat!¡± Tan Xiao wraps an arm around Ya Chaohui and heads off, regardless of his willingness. Along follows behind as well. Only Bai Youwei and Shen Mo are left on the hillside. Shen Mo watches their companions walking off into the distance, then asks Bai Youwei, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei flashes him a sweet smile, ¡°Our chef made something special for me, I¡¯ve already had mine, you go and eat. I¡¯ll stay here and keep watch, I¡¯ll call you if they start making moves.¡± Seeing the rabbit in her arms, Shen Mo feels reassured. He ruffles her hair gently, ¡°I¡¯ll come up later.¡± Bai Youwei bats her innocent, wide eyes, like the rabbit in her arms, scrunches her nose and lets out a cute squeal, ¡°Mmhmm~¡± ¡°You¡¯re just like a little kid.¡± Shen Mo chuckles, pinching her cheek before turning to leave. Bai Youwei touches her pinched cheek, watching Shen Mo walk away with a sweet feeling in her heart. After a while, she shifts her gaze, leans down and tells the rabbit in her lap, ¡°See that? Men also need to be coddled.¡± The fluffy rabbit stares blankly at her. ¡°Forget it, you wouldn¡¯t understand anyway.¡± Bai Youwei adjusts to a more comfortable position, crosses her legs, squints at the distance and murmurs, ¡°That guy. It¡¯s about time he came back, right?¡± ¡­ She waits a little longer. Rustling noises come from the foot of the hillside. Bai Youwei stands up to see, the severed hand is scrambling up the hill. It¡¯s wearing a green woolen glove, with various weeds and green leaves stuck on it, at first glance, it looks like a small creeping plant. Bai Youwei sets the rabbit down and walks towards the slope to meet it. ¡°Mission accomplished?¡± Bai Youwei asks. The hand raises a finger, making a ¡°nodding¡± gesture towards her. Bai Youwei warns with an icy voice, ¡°Raise your middle finger again, and see if I don¡¯t stomp you flat.¡± The hand trembles and swiftly lowers the finger, replacing it with an index finger for the ¡°nod¡±, then scrapes a small flower off its back and presents it to Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei bends down to pick up the flower, saying casually, ¡°Alright, no need to suck up. You did well this time, once the game ends, I¡¯ll reward you with 10 bottles of nail polish, okay?¡± The severed hand hops twice in place, ecstatically happy. Bai Youwei smiles and looks towards the forest to the north. A breeze passes by, lifting her long hair and white skirt. The flower she was holding slips out of her hand, she lowers her gaze and steps on it, grinding it to pieces under her heel, just like she would grind those people on the other side. Chapter 767 - 767 Wait for the Wildlife Park Chapter 767: Chapter 767 Wait for the Wildlife Park It was a calm afternoon, with no movement from the other side. As darkness fell, the view from even the best vantage point on the hillside became increasingly unclear. However, the lights from the safe houses stand out even stronger. By position, the wolf¡¯s safe house on Bai Youwei¡¯s side has no lights on, but on Ye Chong¡¯s side, all eight safe houses are lit. It seems that the existence of the safe houses, in addition to providing the last refuge for the players, also serves as a reminder: which animal has been eliminated becomes obvious at night. Asarina, who was on the hillside with Bai Youwei, whispered to her, ¡°The white gloves have been quiet all afternoon. Will they take action at night?¡± ... ¡°Maybe they will, maybe they won¡¯t.¡± Bai Youwei casually gazed at the dark forest, ¡°Let¡¯s let it be for now, after all, we¡¯re not the ones in a rush.¡± Asarina was still uneasy, feeling that Bai Youwei was a bit negative and passive in her tactics, having given no orders all day besides destroying the drones. Although she felt this way, Bai Youwei¡¯s prior escapes from danger made Asarina feel that she should trust her. Perhaps¡­ this was a psychological tactic? Asarina hesitantly asked, ¡°So tomorrow, do we continue to intercept the drones?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, then proceeded to observe the movement paths of several white dots on her wristwatch, saying, ¡°Ye Chong would either scatter his teammates as I predict, or come up with a new trick. We just need to counter their tactics, don¡¯t worry too much, I have everything under control.¡± She pressed the call button and informed everyone, ¡°Take turns keeping watch tonight, be careful, don¡¯t leave anyone at the camp.¡± Naturally, the camp is left unattended because those bonfires were like brightly telling the opponents: there are animals here. Bai Youwei took out her blanket and wrapped it around herself. She decided not to sleep tonight, in case of any sudden incidents. Asarina also sat down beside her, quietly staring at the endless night in front of her. ¡­ The night was uneventful. Bai Youwei dozed off for about half an hour. With their current physical condition, staying awake all night had little effect. She yawned lazily, remarking with either admiration or sigh,¡±This Ye Chong really has patience¡­ I guess our drone interception won¡¯t go as smoothly today.¡± Just as Asarina was about to inquire further, Bai Youwei¡¯s wristwatch chimed in: ¡°The dawn is typically when people¡¯s alertness is at its lowest. We could rush over now and catch them off guard!¡± It was Ya Chaohui¡¯s voice. Bai Youwei lazily replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need, stand by on the spot.¡± Ya Chaohui took a deep breath, ¡°We¡¯ve been standing by since yesterday noon! Are you saying that as long as they don¡¯t take action, we won¡¯t either?!¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows slightly, saying, ¡°They haven¡¯t panicked even though they haven¡¯t had anything to eat or drink, what¡¯s your rush?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want to miss a good opportunity to attack them.¡± Ya Chaohui said. Bai Youwei considered his words, then relaxed her brow, calmly responding, ¡°Is it truly a good opportunity to attack, or a good opportunity to walk into their trap? You know, they¡¯ve been silent since yesterday noon. Have you considered why they¡¯ve been silent? Either Ye Chong doesn¡¯t know how to deal with us yet; Or Ye Chong has already figured it out and is just waiting for the so-called ¡°right moment¡± to strike! Ya Chaohui, do you think Ye Chong is the kind of person who couldn¡¯t figure out how to deal with us even after a day of thought?¡± There was silence on the other end. Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, then reiterated: ¡°All of you listen, without my command, no one is to enter the northern forest.¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Several acknowledgements came from the teammates on the other end of the wristwatch. Asarina looked towards the distance, the sun was slowly rising, shedding warmth onto the barren forest. ¡°What do we do now?¡± she asked. Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, curled up like a cat in her fluffy blanket, soft and lazy, she responded with just one word: ¡°Wait.¡± Chapter 768: Continuation of the Elimination in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 768: Chapter 768: Continuation of the Elimination in the Wild Animal Park They waited until noon. There was no conspiracy, no action, the forest was so tranquil that it seemed as if Ye Chong¡¯s group had disappeared. The time for the delivery by the unmanned drone was approaching. This time, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t object, Shen Mo, Ya Chaohui, Along, Tan Xiao, and Zhang Yu all set out, entering the forest to intercept the drone. Bai Youwei said to Asarina, ¡°You should go too.¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Asarina was surprised, ¡°What will you do?¡± ... Her duty was to protect Bai Youwei. What if the others weren¡¯t around and the enemy outflanked them and targeted Bai Youwei? Bai Youwei¡¯s fluffy bunny had already been given to Shen Mo, she now had nothing to rely on. ¡°The forest is vast, I can just find a place to hide for a while. If it¡¯s not safe, I can go into the safe cabin.¡± Said Bai Youwei lightly, ¡°You should go. The five of them may not be able to cope.¡± After hesitating for a moment, considering Ye Chong¡¯s methods, Asarina didn¡¯t delay any longer and left in a hurry. Everyone had been waiting from noon yesterday until noon today, and they were indeed somewhat impatient, eager for a showdown. Bai Youwei lowered her eyes to look at her wristwatch, a white dot was slowly approaching the north of the forest. She pressed the talk button and cautioned, ¡°Do not approach the other side¡¯s safe cabin and traps, try to approach the target location from the edge¡­ ¡± Shen Mo suddenly said, ¡°They are coming.¡± Bai Youwei was slightly surprised and frowned, ¡°How many people?¡± ¡°Eight, they did not split up.¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t have time to say more, staring at the figures that appeared in front of him, he tightened his grip on the rope and went up! Then Bai Youwei¡¯s order came through the wristwatch again. ¡°Attention! There¡¯s a man with a strong build in their team, and a girl with a ponytail, focus your attacks on these two! For the others with animal roles, judge according to their reactions!¡± Stalwart build¡­ ponytail¡­ Shen Mo¡¯s eyes swept over the people rushing up, quickly locking onto his targets. ¡°Tan Xiao! Zhang Yu! Attack the girl!¡± Shen Mo commanded on the spot, ¡°Ya Chaohui and I will attack the strong guy, Along will assist!¡± The strong guy and the girl quickly realized they had become the targets. They were originally charging toward this side along with the team, but when they saw Shen Mo leading his people swiftly toward them, they all turned pale and turned to flee! They fell into the trap! Bai Youwei guessed right, the opponents are low level animals! Otherwise, there is no need for them to flee! ¡°Idiots!¡± Ye Chong frowned and cursed, raising his hand to block Tan Xiao and the others¡¯ chase! Three bamboo spikes nearly ten meters long sprang from his palm! They went straight towards Tan Xiao! The bamboo spikes were extremely fast, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t block them in time and they pierced through Tan Xiao¡¯s calf and arm in an instant! Tan Xiao screamed in pain and fell to his knees! Before he could react, Ye Chong opened his palm again, and another three bamboo spikes shot out! He wanted to finish off Tan Xiao! Just in the nick of time, Asarina pulled Tan Xiao from behind and with a fierce pull, all of those bamboo spikes plunged deep into the ground! At the same time, Shen Mo threw his lasso around Ye Chong, the rope tightly bound his arms, not letting him lift his arm! Asarina helped Tan Xiao up and applied mud therapy. Then she glared at the stunned Zhang Yu and shouted, ¡°Hurry up and chase!!!¡± The girl had already fled far away. Zhang Yu came back to his senses and hurriedly gave chase. As for Ye Chong, he unexpectedly pulled out a dagger from his palm and abruptly cut off the rope! He turned and ran, somewhat unknown what he had stuffed into his mouth, his speed miraculously soaring! Once Ye Chong fled, his teammates followed suit! Seeing him chasing Along, Shen Mo shouted in shock, ¡°Along! Be careful!¡± Along was chasing after the strong man, he seemed to sense the danger and quickly threw a resurrection Easter egg behind him¡ª Fireworks exploded, colorful fog accompanied by colorful silk ribbons spilled over the sky! Ye Chong and others chased into the forest, but they couldn¡¯t see Along¡¯s figure. There was a scream from the teammates behind them. When they turned back, they saw the ¡°fox¡± in their team collapse under Ya Chaohui¡¯s hunting key, disappearing in an instant. A deep and gloomy look flashed in Ye Chong¡¯s eyes. Chapter 769: Order in the Wildlife Park Chapter 769: Chapter 769: Order in the Wildlife Park ¡°Back to base!¡± Ye Chong ordered, leading his team deeper into the forest! Shen Mo, Ya Chaohui, and Along all gave chase! Owing to having applied mud twice, Tan Xiao¡¯s injuries had healed, and he was back in shape. He and Asarina pursued them into the forest. Ye Chong didn¡¯t run far. He stopped along with Hu Dashan and a man covered in tattoos, acting as a roadblock against Shen Mo and team¡¯s pursuit, allowing the rest of the team to scatter and escape. Fearing Ye Chong¡¯s white gloves, Shen Mo and his group also halted, keeping a wary eye on the trio before them. ... Shen Mo whispered, ¡°Daring to blockade us here, these three must be the Elephant, the Bear, and the Lion.¡± Ye Chong curled his lips into a predatory smile, pointing at Shen Mo and Ya Chaohui. ¡°Daring to attack here, you two must be the Elephant and the Bear, right?¡± Shen Mo casually toyed with the rope in his hand. ¡°Guess.¡± ¡°No need for guessing, and I can¡¯t either.¡± Ye Chong¡¯s malicious gaze swept over Along, Tan Xiao, and Asarina. ¡°At least now I know¡­ these people are all my prey!¡± Then, he abruptly attacked! ¡°Damn!¡± Tan Xiao, having suffered under the white gloves before, was spooked and immediately turned to run! Asarina and Along also ran! The three of them took off in three different directions! Ye Chong targeted Along and chased him down! Ya Chaohui and Shen Mo tried to chase down Ye Chong, but they were blocked by the tattooed man. He raised his wrist, displaying the Predator key, and advanced menacingly towards Ya Chaohui! Before he could reach Ya Chaohui, a lasso had already wrapped around his neck, yanking him to the ground! ¡°Ya Chaohui!¡± Shen Mo yelled, gripping his rope tightly. Ya Chaohui immediately threw out his own rope, in sync with Shen Mo, they tangled up their assailant. Then with no delay, they briskly dragged him to the closest pitfall and threw him in! The tattooed man slammed hard onto the ground! Just as he landed, poles sprung out from the neighboring grass, caging him in like a birdcage- At the same time, the light on the tattooed man¡¯s wrist faded away, and his wristwatch disappeared as well. He was eliminated. ¡°Damn it!¡± The tattooed man cursed, punching the iron bars in frustration. Shen Mo retracted his rope and said to Ya Chaohui, ¡°This one¡¯s either the Elephant or the Bear.¡± Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t dare to take on both him and Yea Chaohui alone. Ya Chaohui said, ¡°We only need to deal with two more, and the game¡¯s outcome will no longer be uncertain.¡± sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. No sooner had he finished speaking then they heard the crunching sound of twigs being crushed up ahead. The two looked up to see Tian Li, standing rather stunned behind the shrubs, apparently not expecting the tattooed man to fall into the trap. Soon he noticed that he had been spotted by Shen Mo and Ya Chaohui, and his face turned pale. Without a word, Ya Chaohui dashed towards him! ¡°He¡¯s the Leopard, low-ranked! Open for attack!¡± Fear flashed in Tian Li¡¯s eyes as he turned to run away! His speed was extreme. Within a few seconds, he had vanished into the thick forest. Ya Chaohui chased him for over thirty meters when Bai Youwei¡¯s voice came from his wristwatch: ¡°Everyone, return to the safehouses!¡± ¡°Retreat?!¡± Ya Chaohui exclaimed indignantly. He had already reached a cluster of flowers. Tian Li was just up ahead! Perhaps the effect of the speed-up item had worn off, Tian Li¡¯s speed was visibly decreasing. If Ya Chaohui kept running a few tens of meters, he could definitely eliminate him! ¡°Give me two more minutes¡­ no, only one minute! I can catch up to him!¡± Ya Chaohui roared into the wristwatch. ¡°Ya Chaohui, I order you! Now, immediately, instantly, retreat to your safehouse! Everyone else, report your situations!¡± Asarina: ¡°I¡¯ve retreated back to the Cat House. There are no pursuers.¡± Along: ¡°I¡¯ve retreated back to the Lion¡¯s safehouse. The White Glove is chasing closely and currently lurking outside.¡± Zhang Yu: ¡°¡­ I¡¯m rushing back. I don¡¯t have any pursuers¡­ I couldn¡¯t catch up to that girl.¡± Tan Xiao: ¡°I¡¯m also rushing back! I¡¯m almost there!¡± Looking at the ¡°Leopard¡± who had already run far away, Ya Chaohui gritted his teeth, turned around, and ran back towards his own safehouse Chapter 770: Another One Eliminated in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 770: Chapter 770: Another One Eliminated in the Wild Animal Park No matter how resentful or bitter he was, he had to obey Bai Youwei¡¯s command! Because the King could demote his subjects at any time. Also because the discipline to obey superiors was ingrained in him. For people like Ya Chaohui, who constantly perform tasks in the field, emotions and actions are two separate things. Ya Chaohui steeled his anger and pressed ahead. Bai Youwei said in her wristwatch, ¡°Ye Chong is near the lion¡¯s safe-house. Be cautious when withdrawing and avoid direct contact with Ye Chong¡ªhis ¡®white gloves¡¯ are difficult to handle.¡± ... ¡°Received.¡± ¡­ Tan Xiao jumped over a tree root, running crazily in the forest. Hu Dashan was chasing him from behind, cursing and swearing, ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re running so fast, you think you¡¯re reincarnating?¡± Tan Xiao shouted from the front, ¡°Would I run if you weren¡¯t chasing me?!¡± Hu Dashan retorted, ¡°Would I chase you if you didn¡¯t run?!¡± ¡°Then stop chasing me! I¡¯ll stop running!¡± Tan Xiao yelled back with force. Hu Dashan kept cursing, ¡°Stupid boy! You¡¯re daydreaming! ¡­Woah FUCK!¡± With a terrible cry, Hu Dashan tripped and fell, tumbling over twice before coming to a halt; he then lay motionless. Tan Xiao in front, stopped and turned around asking, ¡°Brother Shan? What happened to you? ¡­ Hey! Hu Dashan?!¡± Hu Dashan remained silent. ¡°Hu Dashan, stop pretending, I¡¯m not falling for your tricks!¡± Tan Xiao stood where he was and said. Hu Dashan still didn¡¯t move. Tan Xiao furrowed his brow, mumbling, ¡°I hope nothing serious has happened¡­ I suddenly remembered there¡¯s a trap around here, could he have been caught in it?¡± He stood observing for a while, feeling torn. Eventually, pretending to leave, he called out, ¡°Keep on pretending! Anyway, I¡¯m not falling for it, I¡¯m leaving~¡± He walked about ten steps forward, stopped, then stealthily turned around to observe what was happening with Hu Dashan. After observing awhile, Tan Xiao finally scowled, stomped his feet, and walked back. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hu Dashan, you¡¯d better not be fooling me, or we can¡¯t be brothers anymore ¡­¡±, Tan Xiao walked over to Hu Dashan, cautiously turned him over, and found a large bump on Hu Dashan¡¯s forehead. ¡°Hm, did he hit his head and faint?¡± Tan Xiao took a breath to test Hu Dashan¡¯s breath, murmuring, ¡°I thought he¡¯d dropped dead.¡± He waved his hand and stood up, ¡°As long as he¡¯s not dead, you can lie there, I¡¯m going back to the safe house~¡± With that, he turned and started to leave. Just as he took a step, the man on the ground opened his eyes and suddenly grabbed Tan Xiao¡¯s ankle! Tan Xiao was taken aback! Without time to react, he was immediately taken down! ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re playing dirty with me!¡± Tan Xiao swore. Hu Dashan grabbed Tan Xiao, lifted him upside down, and threw him forcefully towards the nearby trap! There was a loud bang as Tan Xiao and all the dry weeds and branches around him fell into the pit! At the same time, a rank of spikes appeared at the edge of the hole, making it impossible for anyone to climb out of the pit! ¡°Ha ha! Sorry! I had no choice!¡± Hu Dashan laughed mockingly by the side of the trap, ¡°We each have our own masters to serve, right? Kid, just stay down there! Bye bye~¡± Tan Xiao fell into the pit and was unable to get up for a long time. His whole body ached, and his geosensor wristwatch was missing, which infuriated him even more! ¡°Hu Dashan! You¡¯ll pay for this!¡± Hu Dashan departed in wild glee, ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha!¡± ¡­ Bai Youwei noticed on her wristwatch map that a white light-point had disappeared, so she frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± asked Shen Mo, who had just returned. Bai Youwei looked at him and replied, ¡°Tan Xiao has been eliminated.¡± Chapter 771: Inviting Guests to the Wild Animal Park Chapter 771: Chapter 771: Inviting Guests to the Wild Animal Park Hu Dashan hurried back, panting heavily, to regroup with his team. But when he reached the camp, he found that two people were missing. The Elephant and the Fox were gone. Hu Dashan¡¯s face changed. He wouldn¡¯t mind if the Fox was gone, but how could the Elephant, at the top of the food chain, be missing too? How were they supposed to continue the fight? everyone¡¯s faces darkened, particularly Ye Chong¡¯s. ¡°That Shen Mo and the man next to him, their attacks were fierce. They must be the Elephant and the Bear. I said it before the action, delay the Elephant and the Bear, our targets are the others. What have you done?¡± ... Ye Chong¡¯s cold gaze swept across everyone¡¯s faces, his voice soft, low: ¡°You guys, you actually ran.¡± The muscular man and the girl with the ponytail trembled and lowered their heads in fear. ¡°We ¡­ we were afraid we¡¯d be eliminated.¡± the muscular man stammered out. ¡°They charged at us¡­¡± ¡°Idiots!¡± Ye Chong rebuked sternly, ¡°How do you know they are not bluffing?! Because you two ran too fast, now they¡¯ve marked you two as the low-level animals!!!¡± The two were trembling, their heads bowed and not daring to make a sound. Ye Chong closed his eyes, took a deep breath, his voice and expression regaining their calmness: ¡°We can afford to lose a cat, but we can¡¯t afford to lose a mouse. Our elephant has been eliminated, but their elephant is still very much alive. The next move is to figure out how to tackle their elephant, otherwise, the scoreline of six to seven is not favorable for us.¡± Hearing this, Hu Dashan raised his head and said cautiously: ¡°Not six to seven ¡­ it¡¯s six to six.¡± Ye Chong looked at him. Hu Dashan sheepishly replied: ¡°I mean ¡­ just now, I trapped one of their team members in a pitfall, I didn¡¯t know what animal he was, so I didn¡¯t use the predation key.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± A hint of laughter flashed in Ye Chong¡¯s eyes, a vague smile emerging, ¡°Which trap?¡± Hu Dashan was stunned, looking at Ye Chong: ¡°You ¡­ you have another plan?¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With a chilling smile on his lips, Ye Chong gently stroked his crossed fingers, ¡°Nothing much, just thinking of inviting our guest over for a visit ¡­¡± ¡­ When Tan Xiao saw Hu Dashan return, he thought that he had a change of heart and came to rescue him. He sat at the bottom of the pit, defiantly swearing: ¡°It¡¯s too late for regrets now! Hu Dashan, I don¡¯t need your help! I¡¯ve been eliminated already, why are you pretending to be a nice guy? Fake villain! You¡¯re a disgrace!¡± Hu Dashan dared not look at him, silently tossing down a rope. Tan Xiao ignored it, scoffing: ¡°I don¡¯t need your phony help! I¡¯m very well off here, go cool off somewhere else! I don¡¯t have a friend like you!¡± Hu Dashan remained silent. From the other side of the pit, another snare was thrown down, latching around Tan Xiao¡¯s neck, pulling him straight up! Tan Xiao was startled, grabbing the rope around his neck and pulling hard, cursing, ¡°Damn! Hu Dashan, what are you up to! Can¡¯t you see the spikes up there?! Are you trying to pull me out and kill me?!!¡± Looking up, he couldn¡¯t see Hu Dashan, only the rapidly approaching spiked opening of the pit. He struggled harder, but it was inevitable, he was pierced by the spikes! The pain made Tan Xiao¡¯s world go dark, and he immediately passed out. When he woke up again, he found himself in a cave, tightly bound, covered in injuries, and surrounded by people with faces as gloomy as a funeral. The bonfire was burning fiercely, Ye Chong walked in from outside, smiling at everyone: ¡°Why don¡¯t you look cheery?¡± Hu Dashan responded in a cautious whisper, ¡°Um ¡­ probably because we haven¡¯t eaten much these past few days ¡­¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Damn! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Hu Dashan so submissive! Hearing this, Ye Chong put his hands together, then casually pulled out biscuits, canned food, bottled water and other food from his palm and placed them in front of everyone. ¡°Indeed, a bit tired.¡± He smiled lightly, ¡°Since we had a good catch today, everyone replenish your energy and take a good rest.¡± Chapter 772: The Brothers of the Wildlife Park Chapter 772: Chapter 772: The Brothers of the Wildlife Park Ye Chong left the cave. After he left, the atmosphere in the cave seemed to slightly relax; however, everyone present still appeared dispirited, despite the fact that they now had a captive. Everyone picked up the biscuits and water Ye Chong had distributed, eating and drinking in silence. Hu Dashan looked at the bottle in his hand, stood up and went over to Tan Xiao, intending to offer him some water. Upon seeing this, Tian Li couldn¡¯t help but warn, ¡°Hey, are you looking for trouble? If he sees this when he returns, he might take it as an excuse to torment us again.¡± Xiaoqi quietly stood up, tugged at Hu Dashan, and shook his head at him. ... Hu Dashan hesitated, contemplating his actions. Finally, he resigned to sit back down, stealing a guilty glance at Tan Xiao in the corner. Tan Xiao lay on the ground, panting heavily, with bloodstains all over his body. When they had forcibly dragged him out from a trap, his body had been pierced in several places. Even if he weren¡¯t bound, he probably couldn¡¯t move now. Hu Dashan turned his head away, finding it too painful to look anymore. Tian Li finished his water in a few gulps, crushing the empty bottle. With a disheartened expression, he closed his eyes, murmuring, ¡°Damn it¡­ Why did we have to pick this king?¡± The muscular man, considering his situation, said helplessly, ¡°What should I do¡­? I pissed him off by trying to escape with Han Lu earlier. Now even our elephant is gone. He¡¯ll definitely come after me tomorrow. What should I do¡­?¡± Tian Li shot him an annoyed look: ¡°What else can you do? As the mouse, your job is to take out the opponents¡¯ elephants!¡± ¡°But¡­ what if the opponent is a bear?¡± His expression of fear and anxiety was at odds with his bulky frame. Grabbing his hair tightly, he said in a low voice, ¡°Everything now is just speculation, that man Shen Mo may be the elephant, but he might also be the bear, right? What if¡­ what if he¡¯s the bear¡­¡± His eyes were filled with extreme anxiety, and he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A girl with a ponytail, sitting on the side, buried her head among her knees and began crying. Tian Li felt increasingly irritated and let out an exasperated sigh. Tan Xiao lay weakly on the ground, observing the scene. He thought to himself how strange it was that everyone in the cave looked as mournful as if their parents had just died. It seemed like they were even worse off than him, who was the actual captive. He simply couldn¡¯t understand it. He tried to move, but his body ached. The places on his body that were pierced continued to bleed. Tan Xiao dared not to move again. He didn¡¯t want to bleed to death. After what felt like a long time, the people in the cave gradually left, leaving behind only Tian Li and the muscular man as the night watch. Tan Xiao fell into a daze and fell asleep. After an uncertain amount of time, Tan Xiao felt something cool running through his mouth. Opening his eyes, he saw Hu Dashan giving him water. Pissed off, Tan Xiao spat out a mouthful of water, cursing ¡°You have the nerve to come back¡­¡± ¡°Shush!¡­¡± Hu Dashan panicked and covered Tan Xiao¡¯s mouth, gesturing him to look around. Tan Xiao turned to see, the people on night watch had now changed to Hu Dashan and the girl with ponytail who was now asleep against the cave wall. ¡°This level of attention while on night duty?¡± Tan Xiao said in disgust, ¡°She¡¯s sleeping so heavily, she wouldn¡¯t even know if a dog had dug into her house!¡± ¡°You little shit, who are you calling a dog?¡± Hu Dashan smacked Tan Xiao¡¯s head in response. Tan Xiao yelped in pain! The panic-stricken Hu Dashan immediately covered his mouth again and looked nervously at the girl. In her drowsy state, the girl only frowned slightly and didn¡¯t wake up. Relieved, Hu Dashan let out a sigh, released his hand, and blamed Tan Xiao, ¡°Why are you yelling? Do you want to attract everyone¡¯s attention and only then be happy?¡± ¡°Try slapping yourself to see whether you yell or not?¡± Tan Xiao glared, ¡°I am injured all over!¡± Not wanting to argue further, Hu Dashan frowned and passed the mineral water to Tan Xiao¡¯s mouth again, ¡°Hurry up and drink some water, eat something.¡± After two sips of water, Tan Xiao said, ¡°If you have even a shred of humanity left, you¡¯d untie me right now. Don¡¯t think you can pretend to be a good person by offering this little kindness. Let me make it clear¡ªI don¡¯t buy it.¡± Chapter 773: The Hunger Disease of the Wildlife Park Chapter 773: Chapter 773: The Hunger Disease of the Wildlife Park Hu Dashan heaved a sigh, saying, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help it, I really can¡¯t let you go. You may just get eliminated, but if any of us get eliminated¡­¡± While saying this, he cast a glance at Han Lu, who was asleep not far away, and murmured in a low voice: ¡°If we get eliminated, we only have death ahead.¡± Tan Xiao widened his eyes, ¡°No way¡­ Even if one loses, only the King would die, his subjects would just become commoners, right?¡± ¡°Becoming a commoner requires possessing at least two puzzle pieces!¡± Hu Dashan responded, both angry and helpless. ¡°A subject will lose a puzzle piece if he loses. If all the puzzle pieces are deducted and the total is zero, he would die! That¡¯s why under normal circumstances, the King would promise to give at least two puzzle pieces when recruiting subjects!¡± Tan Xiao looked at him blankly, ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ it is indeed like that, we all have two.¡± Hu Dashan sighed heavily once again, saying earnestly, ¡°We only have one, so¡­ we must win this game.¡± ... Tan Xiao was taken aback, and after awhile he asked, ¡°You and Xiaoqi only have one puzzle piece?¡± ¡°Yes, just one.¡± Hu Dashan confirmed, ¡°Not just me and Xiaoqi, all of Ye Chong¡¯s other subjects also only received one.¡± ¡°You guys are idiots¡­¡± Tan Xiao couldn¡¯t help blurting out, ¡°You agreed to be subjects for just one puzzle piece? Are you guys really that silly?¡± Hu Dashan opened his mouth, then closed it, unable to retort. In fact, he thought he was quite the idiot himself. ¡°When Xiaoqi and I approached him, he said he had almost enough subjects, and he was not familiar with us, so he couldn¡¯t completely trust us. If we really wanted to follow him, it wasn¡¯t impossible. He would give us a puzzle piece to recruit us, and if we were really willing to follow him into the game, he would give us another one later.¡± Hu Dashan was filled with regret as he recalled this, he continued to say: ¡°As you know, the rumors about the white gloves were all over the base, everyone felt Ye Chong was powerful. To be his subject, we thought we would have a chance to follow him to the new world. So Xiaoqi and I went to him, but we didn¡¯t expect to be tricked¡­¡± ¡°You guys are way too gullible¡­¡± Tan Xiao started to sympathize with Hu Dashan, then further asked, ¡°What is this new world?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, we also heard it from others¡­¡± Hu Dashan lowered his head, murmured, ¡°The last King would bring his subjects to the sky, to become superior beings.¡± Anyway, they were fascinated by the benefits, so they hastily accepted the recruitment, fearing that they would lose the opportunity to enter the new world. Moreover, Ye Chong had many puzzle pieces; he didn¡¯t need to withhold the ones from his subjects. Now he is doing this, just to force everyone to fight desperately! S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hu Dashan took several sips of water, shook the almost empty mineral water bottle helplessly, and continued: ¡°Look, ever since you guys destroyed the drones last time and ruined the water at the camp, all our remaining supplies have been put into his glove. Now we can only rely on him for food and water to replenish our strength¡­ Now we¡¯re so dependable on him that we can¡¯t even drink water without watching his face.¡± ¡°No wonder your team didn¡¯t split up, you guys didn¡¯t even need to guard the supplies.¡± Tan Xiao finally realized. He initially thought the white gloves were some kind of transmitter but it turned out to be a storage space. ¡°Sigh, I don¡¯t know what will happen tomorrow¡­¡± Hu Dashan let out a sigh, bent down to stand up, suddenly feeling dizzy, his body swayed unsteadily. He tottered a few steps, quickly steadied himself against the stone wall, taking a moment before standing up straight again. ¡®,¡±What the hell are you doing¡­? Are you hungrier than me, the patient?¡±, Tan Xiao, laying on the ground, asked in shock. Chapter 774: The White Glove in the Wildlife Park Chapter 774: Chapter 774: The White Glove in the Wildlife Park S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Damn it! How can I not be hungry?¡± grumbled Hu Dashan, ¡°Just this little food, it¡¯s not even enough to fill a tooth gap! I don¡¯t see how much food he has stashed in that glove of his. If your team destroys our drone again tomorrow, I¡¯m certain I¡¯ll starve to death before you!¡± Tan Xiao quickly added, ¡°Untie me and I promise I won¡¯t touch your drones!¡± Hu Dashan glanced at him with a complex look, murmuring, ¡°Just go to sleep.¡± He then walked alone to the entrance of the cave to keep watch for the night. Unwilling to give up, Tan Xiao tried to wear down his bonds by rubbing them against the jagged rocks. But the ropes were thick and tight. Despite his efforts, the ropes wouldn¡¯t loosen and he was left panting and worn out, his wounds beginning to split open further. Tan Xiao ran out of ideas, fought to stay awake for a while, and finally fell asleep¡­ ... ¡­ At night, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were observing the situation from a hillside. ¡°¡­The elephant and the fox are missing,¡± Bai Youwei looked at the safety hut¡¯s lights and slowly spoke, ¡°Ye Chong wouldn¡¯t rank himself too low, thus, the animal he corresponds to should be a bear. ¡°During the first attack, he brought along a man in a duckbill cap, a muscle man, a ponytailed girl ¡ª a group of four. I infer that he would keep the mouse by his side, and since the man in the duckbill cap is a leopard, the mouse must be either the muscle man or the girl.¡± ¡°However, since their elephant is gone, we shouldn¡¯t rush things. The more we engage with them, the clearer their animal ranks become. ¡°I guess they have also speculated about our animal allocation by now.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Shen Mo nodded slightly, ¡°In this attack, their main targets were Tan Xiao, Along, and Asarina as they likely guessed that these players rank lower.¡± After a pause, he went on, ¡°Actually, the most effective strategy is to prioritize getting rid of the white glove. Capturing the king first, the minions will naturally lose their footing. However, tackling the white glove isn¡¯t easy. He can swiftly shoot bamboo shoots, almost twenty meters long, from his glove, which is essentially like having an additional long-range weapon.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment then asked, ¡°Can you tell how far his range is?¡± Shen Mo frowned, pondered a moment and said, ¡°If we¡¯re talking about range, it should calculate the distance between the landing and launch points, but his bamboo shoots, follow his footsteps.¡± ¡°So, the length of the weapon determines the range of the attack?¡± said Bai Youwei. ¡°In the previous hide-and-seek game, Shen Fei was also injured by a player wearing a white glove. I remember it was a very long metal pipe that penetrated Shen Fei¡¯s shoulder, and it continued to move forward at high speed until the entire metal pipe came out of the glove¡­.¡± Getting to that point, Bai Youwei paused abruptly and fell silent. ¡°I think I understand¡­.¡± she murmured, ¡°The white glove could be a bug item.¡± Shen Mo raised an eyebrow, ¡°How so?¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°Could it be a type of storage item? For instance, it allows players to store things inside it and take them out whenever they need to.¡± After listening, Shen Mo pondered for a moment, understanding her point. ¡°Assuming the time it takes to retrieve an item is constant, say, one second, then there is a stark difference in velocity whether you¡¯re pulling out a 5 cm matchstick or a 5 m pole.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°That would explain it. He deliberately keeps exaggeratedly long objects in the glove. Once retrieved, the acceleration gives the item a significantly high damage value! And bamboo shoots or steel pipes, given their great physical harm when moving at high speeds, all make sense!¡± Items that damage the balance of the game rarely appear. Bai Youwei¡¯s Rabbit item was extraordinary, but it was also restricted by a need to recharge. Compared to that, the white glove was overly excessive. Bai Youwei glanced at the northern forest, her expression turning cold, ¡°¡­He is indeed a tricky opponent.¡± Chapter 775: Screams in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 775: Chapter 775: Screams in the Wild Animal Park A proper storage tool, yet he had turned it into a human flesh mill. It was clear that Ye Chong was not just cunning, but ruthless as well. Facing such an opponent, merely eliminating him would not be enough to set Bai Youwei¡¯s mind at ease. It¡¯s only the second battle now. Even if Ye Chong loses, there¡¯s still a chance for him to turn it around. She didn¡¯t want to face off with such a bug player in the final. Bai Youwei said to Shen Mo, ¡°Tomorrow you and Ya Chaohui should take him on together. Stay a bit afar, if you can lasso his hand that would be best. If his hands are tied, he shouldn¡¯t be able to take anything out, right?¡± Shen Mo thought the plan was feasible and nodded. He then asked, ¡°How about the others?¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°The elephant and the fox are out. Ye Chong is the bear. The muscle man and the girl should be the lowest rank, the cat and the mouse. The remaining few are the lion, the leopard, the wolf. Only Along has a high enough level to handle them on our side. Both Zhang Yu and Asarina¡¯s levels aren¡¯t high enough, this is a bit troubling¡­¡± ... Shen Mo furrowed his brows, ¡°We can only play it by ear then. If we really face off, Asarina should face the cat and the mouse, Along and Zhang Yu should deal with the remaining three, and if I and Ya Chaohui can handle on our side, then we will go help them.¡± Bai Youwei rubbed her hands together, looking eager to join in, ¡°We¡¯re short-handed, should I help out too?¡± ¡°You?¡± Shen Mo looked amused, surprised, but also a bit dismissive, much like an adult looking at a child. Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°What? I¡¯ve never been in a fight before! I want to try it, is that not allowed?¡± Shen Mo gently ruffled her hair, ¡°Cut it out.¡± ¡­ Next morning. The sun rose through the dense foliage, casting dazzling halos throughout the forest. A beam of sunlight hit Hu Dashan¡¯s eyes. He squinted against the brightness, suddenly realizing that he had fallen asleep while on watch. Having been in the game for a long time, his energy seemed to be dwindling day by day. With a start, he sat up, peering to his left and right. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ye Chong hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Hu Dashan breathed a sigh of relief. He then glanced at Han Lu, who was sleeping heavily beside him. Irritated and helpless, he poked the girl, ¡°Hey, wake up.¡± The girl dazedly lifted her head, her complexion pale, her eyes listless and unfocused. Hu Dashan sighed, ¡°Wake up fully, Ye Chong could be here any moment! We¡¯re responsible for the second half of the night. We can¡¯t fall asleep before the next on-duty group arrives!¡± Han Lu finally came to her senses, she got up with difficulty. In order to wake up quickly, she even pinched her arm hard. They were both scared of Ye Chong. In the time that followed, they took turns walking up and down the hill, patrolling. They polished off the leftover bit of food from yesterday and managed to regain some energy. Not long after, Ye Chong¡¯s voice came through the wristwatch: ¡°Everyone report to the camp, the cat stays on the hill to keep watch.¡± Han Lu heard this and felt relieved. To her, keeping watch was the easiest job. As it meant not having to face Ye Chong, hence avoiding his vents and punishments. The cave was beneath the hill. Ye Chong, Tian Li, Xiaoqi, and Muscle Man left their respective safety houses and gathered in the cave. Hu Dashan looked very conscientious, he reported with a lowered head, ¡°It was very quiet last night. There was no activity, he¡­ he didn¡¯t make a sound either. He¡¯s been unconscious the entire time.¡± By ¡°he¡±, he was referring to Tan Xiao. Tian Li, seemingly concerned for Ye Chong, said, ¡°The people on the other side don¡¯t seem to attack that often. They even gave up a good opportunity to sneak attack at night. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re planning.¡± Ye Chong, with an indifferent look, walked directly into the cave, squatted down in front of Tan Xiao, and casually prodded a bloodied hole in his leg. Tan Xiao was jolted awake by the pain. He glared at the man before him and shouted, ¡°What are you doing?! ¡­ Ahh!!!¡± He screamed. Chapter 776: Playing at the Wildlife Park Chapter 776: Chapter 776: Playing at the Wildlife Park A newly healed scab, ripped clean off by Ye Chong, along with a small patch of skin, was bloody and tossed onto the ground. The clothing around the wound, stained with rust-like patches, was now drenched in bright red blood. Yet, this still wasn¡¯t enough. Ye Chong¡¯s hand hovered around the edge of the wound, exploring. His fingers even dug into the newly-healed flesh. He slightly furrowed his brow, ignoring Tan Xiao¡¯s repeated screams of agony. With a detached tone, he stated, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your recovery ability to be this good¡­ Looks like, this guy¡¯s been through the maze more than twice. His cell healing ability is extremely robust¡­¡± Ye Chong withdrew his hand, casually wiping off the blood on his fingers. His voice was soft, but carried a frigid indifference, ¡°How enviable¡­¡± ... The others in the cave remained silent. Tan Xiao was heaving on the ground. His bangs were soaked with sweat, sticking to his forehead strand by strand. Ye Chong turned to his companions and flashed a smile, asking, ¡°How many times have each of you been through the maze?¡± Hu Dashan honestly replied, ¡°Just the once¡­¡± Xiaoqi also said, ¡°Once.¡± The muscle man confessed, ¡°Once, I accidentally got trapped inside and followed someone else to escape¡­ I avoided it after running into it again.¡± ¡°Twice for me¡­¡± Tian Li answered quietly, ¡°I escaped with the help of others both times. The first time, the enhancement to Physical Ability was really obvious, but the second time, it felt less than half as effective.¡± Ye Chong smirked, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve been there twice as well, but mazes aren¡¯t as fun as games. There aren¡¯t enough people, it¡¯s too hard to find someone to play with, too lonely¡­¡± No one responded, all shivering at his reference to ¡°play.¡± Despite the awkward silence, Ye Chong didn¡¯t mind. He clasped and separated his hands, and suddenly, dozens of thin rebars shot out, piercing through Tan Xiao¡¯s body! This time, Tan Xiao didn¡¯t make a sound, passing out instantly! Hu Dashan lost his composure, shouting, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Ye Chong slowly retracted his hand, and the thin rebars followed suit, each withdrawal causing blood to gush from the wounds. He turned his head towards Hu Dashan, ¡°Are you, talking to me?¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the heat of the moment, Hu Dashan had momentarily forgotten about Ye Chong¡¯s cruelty. He swallowed hard, his momentum faltering. Nervously, he said, ¡°I¡­ what I mean is, his wounds are serious, why¡­ why would you still¡­¡± ¡°To use him for a trade, it¡¯s better if he looks more miserable. More miserable, so our opponent would be more alarmed, more cautious.¡± Ye Chong responded with a nonchalant smile, ¡°You used to be friends, right? Don¡¯t worry, his physique is stronger than any of ours, these injuries, they¡¯ll heal quickly.¡± Hu Dashan opened his mouth, his throat parched, unable to utter a word. By now, all the rebars had been completely retracted back into his glove. Despite the gruesome scene, his glove remained immaculate. It was a piercing, dazzling white. ¡°We¡¯ll trade him at noon.¡± Ye Chong announced, turning to leave the cave. Perhaps the reason for not taking any action now is because his teammates were too weak and needed food and water at noon. Ye Chong left. The others also slowly left the cave. Tan Xiao¡¯s blood silently seeped into the ground, slowly trickling down seams and hollows in the rocks. Hu Dashan squatted down regretfully, heat welling up in his eyes. Off to the side, Xiaoqi tugged at him, whispering, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Brother Shan, we still have patrol duties in the morning.¡± Hu Dashan lifted his head to look at Xiaoqi, ¡°Xiaoqi, let¡¯s save Tan Xiao¡­¡± He never thought he would be responsible for hurting Tan Xiao in this way. Originally, he just planned to eliminate him but in order to avoid Ye Chong¡¯s wrath, he tried to gain credit and the situation spiraled uncontrollably to this point¡­ Chapter 777: 777: Scum of the Society in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 777: Chapter 777: Scum of the Society in the Wild Animal Park Xiaoqi¡¯s face turned ugly, and he urged Hu Dashan, ¡°Brother Shan, what time do you think this is? We should prioritize our own lives. If we let him free, we¡¯ll definitely be killed by those who are unarmed! ¡­Besides, the transaction is happening at noon, and he, he might not necessarily be in danger¡­¡± There was considerable uncertainty in his words, but Xiaoqi also knew that given Ye Chong¡¯s brutal character, even during a transaction, he would not simply hand over Tan Xiao. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It¡¯s very likely ¡­ It¡¯s very likely that during the transaction, he would deliberately trick them into receiving a dead body ¡­ Although they were sworn brothers, Xiaoqi could not hide his discomfort. However, given the situation, it was crucial for him to stay alive. He tugged at Hu Dashan again, saying reluctantly: ¡°Brother Shan, let¡¯s go. Who isn¡¯t killed in this game? Ajun, Guizi, they all died in the game, even that monkey died, didn¡¯t he? It¡¯s unavoidable that Tan Xiao ended up this way¡­ We can¡¯t save him. Let¡¯s just go ¡­¡± ... Hu Dashan really wanted to help but felt powerless. He got up and followed Xiaoqi towards the exit, casting another look at Tan Xiao: ¡°Will he die ¡­¡± ¡°No, he won¡¯t.¡± Xiaoqi pulled him forward, ¡°He¡¯s completed more maze challenges than us, he won¡¯t die that easily. Wasn¡¯t he so badly wounded yesterday that he was almost healed overnight?¡± Hu Dashan wanted to mention the less severe wounds from yesterday but felt weak. What difference would it make? Could he save Tan Xiao? No, he couldn¡¯t. He could barely save himself, let alone anyone else¡­ ¡­ Close to noon. Tan Xiao woke up from unconsciousness, feeling himself on someone¡¯s back. The bouncing made his whole body ache and his eyes felt blurry. Although there was some pain, he barely felt it due to the numbness caused by blood loss. Hu Dashan put him down in a cluster of bushes and hurriedly gathered some branches and leaves to cover him. A weak Tan Xiao opened his eyes a crack and hoarsely asked, ¡°What are you doing ¡­¡± ¡°Shush, don¡¯t talk!¡± Hu Dashan¡¯s voice was tense and filled with fear, ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t move, I think I have a way to save you!¡± Tan Xiao, devoid of strength, closed his eyes again. He wanted to say that he couldn¡¯t move even if he wanted to ¡­ Footsteps gradually receded. Hu Dashan ran away. Lying in the bushes, Tan Xiao thought: Hu Dashan, you street scum. Leaving me here is some way of saving me ¡­ ¡­ Hu Dashan hurriedly returned to the cave, relieved to find it deserted. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t dare, but this opportunity was too good to miss. He walked into the cave. Only a muscular man was on guard in the cave, but he was fast asleep. They were all getting more exhausted, falling asleep at the slightest chance. They needed replenishing with water and food immediately, or else they wouldn¡¯t have the strength to fight. It was strange. There was some food and water available, which Ye Chong had distributed among them. Technically, it should have been enough ¡­ Hu Dashan shook his head, deciding to stop thinking about all the mess. Seizing the moment, he left the cave and carefully concealed himself. He didn¡¯t wait too long. Only four or five minutes passed before someone appeared on the small path to the left of the cave. It was Tian Li. Tian Li looked weary as he returned, his steps wobbling, like an old man¡¯s walk. His knees seemed to give out with each step on to the thick foliage. Hu Dashan quickly emerged, pretending he had just returned from his own patrol, and shouted out a greeting, ¡°You¡¯ve returned, for a rest too?¡± Tian Li glanced at him, and nodded without effort, ¡°I can¡¯t go on. I¡¯m returning for some rest.¡± The two walked into the cave together. The muscular man in charge of guarding the cave had fallen asleep, and aside from a puddle of blood, there was no sign of Tan Xiao! Taken aback and angry, Tian Li didn¡¯t pause to rest. He kicked the muscular man hard! ¡°Damn it! Are you trying to get us all killed? The man you were supposed to be watching, where did he go?¡± Chapter 778: 778 Run Away from the Wildlife Park Chapter 778: Chapter 778 Run Away from the Wildlife Park The muscles man immediately woke up in alarm! He opened his eyes and glanced inside the cave, then outside of it, his face filled with confusion but even more fear! ¡°No¡­No way?¡± He even frantically dusted off the ground, as if Tan Xiao had dug a tunnel and escaped. ¡°Did he really run away?¡± The muscles man couldn¡¯t believe it, his face paling as his question hung in the air, ¡°¡­but he¡¯s so badly hurt, how could he run¡­¡± ¡°Whatever, We¡¯ve got to notify the King quickly!¡± Tian Li raised his wrist, ready to hit the call button. ... The muscles man trembled and knelt before Tian Li, clutching his legs and pleading, ¡°Don¡¯t tell him! I beg you! You must not tell him! ¡­¡± Tian Li, irritated and unable to shake off the burly man, snapped, ¡°Even if I don¡¯t say, it can¡¯t be hidden! You were responsible for keeping watch here, you let him escape while you were asleep and it¡¯s all your fault!!¡± ¡°I beg you! Don¡¯t tell him, or I will die! I will definitely die!!!¡± As they argued, Ye Chong walked in from outside, barely glancing at the scene. The atmosphere froze in an instant. The muscles man appeared to be frozen by Ye Chong¡¯s gaze, rigid on the spot without moving an inch. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ye Chong¡¯s gaze shifted and finally landed on Hu Dashan, asking, ¡°Tell me, what happened?¡± Hu Dashan stammered his explanation, ¡°He¡­he fell asleep while on guard, and the hostage escaped¡­¡± Then he quickly added, ¡°Considering the severity of the wounds, he couldn¡¯t have gotten far. If we split up and pursue him right now, we might still catch him!¡± Fearing he would be the target of blame next, Tian Li nodded in agreement, ¡°When Hu Dashan and I came in, this guy was asleep! We don¡¯t know how long the hostage has been gone. Why don¡¯t we go look for him now? The forest is so big, he probably hasn¡¯t escaped it.¡± To his surprise, Ye Chong didn¡¯t lose his temper. After a moment of thought, he said calmly, ¡°Alright, split up and look for him.¡± The forest was vast, and everyone spread out to search. Hu Dashan wandered aimlessly in the forest, his heart clenched as tight as a wrung-out rag. His plan had already succeeded halfway. Just one more half to go. He glanced around, made sure no one was nearby, then changed his direction, bolting towards Tan Xiao¡¯s hiding place! He sprinted towards the familiar bushes, swiped his hand to clear away dried twigs and leaves, Tan Xiao sounded weak from beneath, ¡°What on earth are you doing¡­ Running around¡­¡± Seeing Tan Xiao still able to speak, Hu Dashan didn¡¯t know whether to cry or laugh, he cursed, ¡°Are you that inflated, you brat! After having been in the maze a couple of times! You were seriously injured and yet you¡¯re still not dead!¡± As he scolded him, he felt relieved. Hu Dashan dragged Tan Xiao out of the bushes and carried him on his back again, just as he was about to leave, he heard footsteps behind him. Startled, he froze in his tracks, afraid to turn around. The footsteps came closer¡­ step by step. ¡°That makes sense,¡± Ye Chong emerged from behind the trees, smiling, ¡°Even with such severe injuries, he couldn¡¯t have escaped without accomplices helping him, right?¡± Hu Dashan closed his eyes in despair¡­ They have been discovered. He¡¯s going to die this time. The white gloved man will not let him go let alone Tan Xiao What to do? ¡­Instead of continuing to play dumb, why not run away? Run¡­ If he escapes now, there might still be a glimmer of hope. Hu Dashan inhaled deeply, gritted his teeth and grabbed Tan Xiao on his back tightly, then he bolted forward as if his life depended on it! He ran extremely fast! Fearing that a bamboo spike or a steel bar might come flying at him, he kept zigzagging around, using larger trees as cover, desperately looking for an escape route in the forest! The trees began to thin out ahead, the light got brighter, and it gave Hu Dashan hope. He was about to run out of the north forest! Whizz! A sound of the wind rushed towards him and a sharp bamboo stick pierced through his ankle. Chapter 779: 779: Not Wanting to Die in the Wild Animal Park Chapter 779: Chapter 779: Not Wanting to Die in the Wild Animal Park Hu Dashan and Tan Xiao, whom he was carrying, suddenly fell hard to the ground. Both fell simultaneously, a grunt of pain escaping their lips. Ye Chong approached them step by step. Tan Xiao, severely injured, was paralyzed and lying on the ground, unable to move. Hu Dashan, shot through the ankle, was equally immobile. Ye Chong walked up to the two of them, slowly squatting down, a faint smile on his face as he watched them. ¡°Quite touching¡­¡± He said slowly, ¡°Hu Dashan, I¡¯d never noticed before how loyal you are. Just goes to show¡­ no one truly knows what kind of person they are until they¡¯re cornered.¡± Hu Dashan, drenched in cold sweat from the pain, gazed at Ye Chong in terror. ... Tan Xiao spoke with great effort: ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s your¡­ teammate. If he dies¡­ your team¡­ will be one man down¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± Ye Chong stood up nonchalantly, his voice barely above a whisper, ¡°As long as I¡¯m alive, that¡¯s enough.¡± In his eyes, this game within the wildlife park was never an 8v8. It always had been a 1v15. Winning the game held no joy for him compared to the thrill of killing sharks. His desire to win was only to prolong that euphoria¡­ He looked down at Hu Dashan lying on the ground. His gaze was soft but devoid of warmth. He raised his hand, hovering over Hu Dashan¡ª The next second, a steel rod pierced Hu Dashan¡¯s back, pinning him harshly to the ground! Hu Dashan¡¯s mouth gaped wide open in agony, but he couldn¡¯t even scream. All that could be heard was a hoarse groan and the twitching of his tortured flesh. Next, it was Tan Xiao¡¯s turn. Taking into consideration Tan Xiao¡¯s severe injuries, to prevent him from dying, Ye Chong avoided hitting any vital areas, driving a rod just through Tan Xiao¡¯s shoulder. Blood seeped from the corner of Tan Xiao¡¯s mouth, his teeth practically grinding in fury. Both of them lay there like insects brutally pinned into a display, unable to move. Ye Chong¡¯s gaze casually swept over the ¡°specimens¡±. He casually pulled back his hand, and walked away, pressing the call button as he went: ¡°Come and clean up. The hostages and lion are at ten o¡¯clock¡­ Yeah, they can¡¯t run away now.¡± ¡­ The man was gone. The forest was still. Tan Xiao turned his face, straining to look at Hu Dashan. Hu Dashan, in far worse shape than Tan Xiao, was now gasping for breath on the brink of death. ¡°Brother Mountain ¡­ Brother Mountain¡­ Hu Dashan¡­¡± Tan Xiao rasped his name, ¡°Hu Dashan, don¡¯t you die¡­ I still have mud in my pocket¡­ I still have mud¡­¡± He wanted to reach for the mud but his body was void of strength. Like a dragonfly or grasshopper caught in a trap, he vainly flapped his wings, only to shred his body even faster. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hu Dashan¡¯s eyes were open, but his vision was fuzzy. All he could see was a sea of green. He murmured on the ground, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have saved you, damn it¡­ got myself involved¡­¡± After a while, he asked Tan Xiao, ¡°Are we still brothers?¡± His thoughts seemed muddled and he became increasingly confused. He mumbled on, ¡°Damn¡­ you got me killed¡­¡± ¡°This damned world¡­¡± ¡°This damned game¡­¡± ¡°Tan Xiao¡­ if not for this crap game, we¡¯d still be good brothers¡­¡± Hu Dashan¡¯s pupils gradually dilated, his voice as feeble as a withering leaf, ¡°Damn¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± Tan Xiao¡¯s face buried in the grass, he wept like a child. ¡­ Beep¡ª One less white spot on the map. Ye Chong saw it, casually dropped his hand, and spoke to those beside him: ¡°The drone¡¯s time is almost up. Let¡¯s go, bring the hostages. We¡¯re going to negotiate a deal with Bai Youwei.¡± Chapter 780: Wildlife Park Chapter 780: Chapter 780: Wildlife Park Noon. Across the broad green meadow, the two sides stood absolutely still, separated by over twenty meters. Tan Xiao was sprawled on the ground, half-dead. Bai Youwei sat in her wheelchair, propping her head with her hands as she watched Ye Chong. Shen Mo and Ya Chaohui stood by her side while Asarina, Along, and Zhang Yu stayed behind them. Ye Chong violently dragged Tan Xiao up by the back of his collar, his harsh tug causing Tan Xiao to let out a cry of pain. ... He held onto Tan Xiao and said to Bai Youwei, ¡°See? Still alive.¡± His casual tone was like someone discussing a fish they had picked up from the market. Bai Youwei heard a cracking sound ¨Cthe sound of Ya Chaohui¡¯s fists clenching. Shen Mo¡¯s face was also exceedingly grim. Such a provocation and insult were unbearable. However, Bai Youwei remained expressionless, silently watching Tan Xiao. After a while, she said in a flat voice, ¡°While I greatly value my comrades, your demands are way too excessive. Not only are you demanding us to cease our attack on the drone, but also to exchange a leopard for an elephant, is it that I have gone mad or have you?¡± ¡°Then what else should we exchange?¡± Ye Chong asked amiably, ¡°A wolf? A kitten? Or a mouse? I¡¯m out of elephants here, so there¡¯s no point in dealing with mice right now. Besides, we¡¯re capable of eliminating these lesser animals ourselves; why go through the trouble of trading? Since we are trading¡­there should be some benefit, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Why would I exchange one teammate for another?¡± Bai Youwei said languidly, ¡°In that case, what¡¯s the difference with swapping my right hand for my left hand? As you wish, to save him, I can make some compromises, but you should cease to na?vely think that my concessions are limitless.¡± Ye Chong narrowed his eyes slightly, sizing up the people around Bai Youwei and seeming to contemplate who to choose to maximize his gain. Bai Youwei spoke again, her voice carefree, ¡°I see your team members look rather sallow¡­ Have they been eating and drinking well these past two days? It seems in this game, only by eating the food supplied by the drone can we recover our strength¡­¡± Ye Chong¡¯s face darkened slightly. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He released his grip, and Tan Xiao¡¯s body hit the ground, his wounds gushing fresh blood again. Despite Bai Youwei¡¯s composure, she couldn¡¯t help her gaze from faltering. Ye Chong said, ¡°After giving it some thought, eliminating the other animals besides the elephant is indeed not particularly useful to me. Just like this leopard on the ground, it only takes one second for me to¡­¡± His gloved hand hovered above Tan Xiao¡¯s body. Bai Youwei on the outside looked calm, but on the inside, her heart pounded. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°How about this¡­ you want an elephant, I¡¯m hesitant to give up the elephant, so you choose instead. From these followers of mine, whomever you choose, I will eliminate. How about that?¡± Ye Chong squinted his eyes, studying Bai Youwei with keen interest. ¡°You¡¯re letting me choose?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Bai Youwei, a smile curling on her lips as she stared at him inversely. ¡°You want to eliminate my elephant, right? But first, you need to figure out which one of us is the elephant, don¡¯t you?¡± A provocation. But it worked wonders on Ye Chong. Almost without hesitation, he scanned her team, then lifted his hand and pointed at Shen Mo. ¡°I want to eliminate him.¡± Ya Chaohui immediately frowned and couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°We already have fewer high-level animals than they do! If we eliminate another one¡­¡± ¡°You can eliminate me.¡± Shen Mo interrupted Ya Chaohui, his tone indifferent, ¡°We have to eliminate someone to get Tan Xiao back.¡± After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Ye Chong and asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to choose me? No regrets?¡± Ye Chong smiled lightly, shaking his head. Shen Mo asked, ¡°Then how can we be sure that after I¡¯m eliminated, you will return him to us alive?¡± Asarina glared at Ye Chong with distaste and added coldly, ¡°Exactly, how can we trust you? Once we¡¯ve eliminated one of our elephants on our side, who¡¯s to say you won¡¯t pull another trick? It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if someone like you broke their word!¡± Chapter 781: The Secret of the Wildlife Park Chapter 781: Chapter 781: The Secret of the Wildlife Park ¡°How about this¡­¡± Bai Youwei began at the right moment, ¡°Since we do not trust each other enough to complete a trade, we can only find a place where everyone feels safe. We can choose a trap that would ensnare the person we want to rescue, and the person you want to eliminate, trapping them together¡ª In this way, the person we want to rescue has a guarantee of safety, and the person you want to get rid of will also be immediately eliminated.¡± Ye Chong pondered for a moment before responding, ¡°Agreed.¡± There are eight traps in the forest, four to the north and four to the south, each one different. ¡°For safety¡¯s sake, I suggest we choose a trap on our side,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°to prevent any problems with you after the fact.¡± ... Ye Chong smirked, a hint of contemptuous pity in his tone, ¡°Fine.¡± If he really wanted to do something, not even a trap would prevent him. Both groups headed towards the southern forest, maintaining a distance of more than twenty meters between them, always watching each other warily, ready for any surprises. There¡¯s a small clearing ahead where the trees are sparse, covered with a net of a similar color to the dirt, rough in texture, half-hidden by leaves. Most of the traps in the forest are quite obvious, and can be spotted easily as long as one is careful. But come nightfall, even with a good memory of its location, it¡¯s easy to stumble into one. Ye Chong, dragging Tan Xiao, started to approach the trap, as did Shen Mo. ¡°You¡¯d better be more careful,¡± Shen Mo cautioned Ye Chong, ¡°If he dies halfway, our deal is off.¡± Ye Chong chuckled and was about to continue his journey when Shen Mo added: ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve chosen me? Maybe I¡¯m not the elephant.¡± Ye Chong paused, his face wearing a challenging smile. ¡°Even if you¡¯re not the elephant, getting rid of you would be the best course.¡± A subtle hint at Shen Mo¡¯s position within the team and his abilities. Shen Mo just smirked, standing at the edge of the trap, and said, ¡°Throw him in.¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°At once?¡± Ye Chong looked at him, his face cunning and opportunistic. ¡°That¡¯s why I said ¡®throw¡¯.¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t look at Ye Chong, only at the middle of the net. ¡°He has suffered heavy injuries. I will catch him and consequently fall into the trap with him.¡± Ye Chong thought it over, considering that it wouldn¡¯t be a loss for him. If the opposition reneged on the deal, he could always kill the hostage on the spot. And so he did as he was told, throwing the nearly dead Tan Xiao¡ª Sure enough, Shen Mo rushed over to the point where Tan Xiao was set to land, catching him! Then, the trap was triggered! The spread-out net suddenly bulged upwards, tightening around the two men like a thick fishing net! Shen Mo immediately applied some mud to some key points on Tan Xiao¡¯s body, extending his life for the time being. Bai Youwei threw out a rabbit! The fluffy rabbit was thrown high up into the air, grabbed onto the net hanging from the tree, then climbed to the top, wiggling its ears, and looked down on everyone. A ring of light blue electric light rippled out. Everyone instinctively stepped back. Actually, this electric current was very weak. Everyone felt a slight tingling sensation at the soles of their feet when they touched it. Bai Youwei calmly explained, ¡°Just to be safe, I will leave a tool here, to prevent something happening to both of them and then dealing with someone coming to bargain with me. If I trade away more animals, I really won¡¯t be able to play this game any longer.¡± Ye Chong had heard a bit about Bai Youwei¡¯s rabbit. He thoughtfully glanced at it, then laughed and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit wasteful to not keep such a practical tool with you?¡± ¡°You need not worry about me.¡± Bai Youwei smiled at him, ¡°I have a secret weapon which is more than enough.¡± Ye Chong narrowed his eyes, ¡°Oh? A secret¡­ weapon?¡± Chapter 782: The Wildlife Park Attacks Again Chapter 782: Chapter 782: The Wildlife Park Attacks Again Maybe she really did have a secret weapon. Or, perhaps she was just bluffing. When they returned to the camp, Ya Chaohui couldn¡¯t wait to ask Bai Youwei what the secret weapon was. With an indifferent tone, Bai Youwei replied, ¡°You¡¯ll know in a few days.¡± Agitated, Ya Chaohui exclaimed, ¡°A few days? We don¡¯t have many people left! How much longer can we last?!¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, lacking the energy to deal with his questions. All she could think of now was Tan Xiao¡¯s torment, and the elimination of Shen Mo due to Ye Chong¡¯s pressure today, which further upset her. ... In the long run of this game, when had she ever felt so stifled? But, she should have anticipated situations like this. After all, when competing against a psychopath, anything could happen. Ya Chaohui declared, ¡°We are now down to 5 individuals! Apart from me and Along, we¡¯re left with the lowest level of animal characters! Mice! Cats! Foxes! But in their forest, there are wolves, leopards, lions, and bears!¡± The disparity was glaringly obvious now. Lower-level animals in the food chain couldn¡¯t attack the higher-level ones. But right now, Ye Chong¡¯s team consisted of higher-level animals that heavily outnumbered Bai Youwei¡¯s. If this situation did not turn around, Bai Youwei¡¯s chances of survival become extremely precarious. ¡°We shall continue according to our initial plan.¡± Bai Youwei said exasperatedly, scrunching her brows, ¡°Stay in your respective positions, avoid contact with the high-level animals. If they come after you, try to use traps and engage them. Moreover¡­ Ya Chaohui and Along, you guys are responsible for the muscular guy and the girl with a ponytail. Focus your attacks on them.¡± Ya Chaohui frowned, ¡°Eliminating these two is pointless. Our only hope for victory is to get rid of the glove puppet.¡± Bai Youwei shot him a cold glance, ¡°That¡¯s under the assumption that Shen Mo is here. Without him, you¡¯d be marching towards your death. Or, do you think you alone can take him down?¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ya Chaohui clenched his teeth. Bai Youwei withdrew her gaze vanishingly without looking at him any longer, ¡°Anyway¡­ let¡¯s start the elimination by targeting their mouse and cat first. One step at a time.¡± The others exchanged glances, lacking better ideas, they heeded Bai Youwei¡¯s advice and split up. Bai Youwei went up the hill alone. A severed hand absentmindedly rolled on the slope, pinching a tiny flower it had picked somewhere; it was trying to crush the petals to coat its nails. Normally, Bai Youwei would have made a sarcastic comment to it, but right now, her mind was elsewhere. She merely asked, ¡°You¡¯re done with the tasks?¡± The hand promptly crawled up, stood straight and bent its index finger, signaling a nod. Bai Youwei glanced into the distance, opened the dollhouse with a golden key and said, ¡°You can go back.¡± The hand hesitated for a moment before crawling back in. Preferring to stay with Dr. Cheng, it was still scared of Bai Youwei and would rather avoid her if possible. In the distance, between the forests, a few figures hurriedly ran past. Bai Youwei lifted her wrist, instructing the remaining four team members, ¡°They¡¯re coming, the five of them, from the southeast. The target is uncertain. Everyone, find cover first. If you spot their whereabouts, immediately inform the others.¡± Everyone acknowledged her orders. While they were talking, Ye Chong¡¯s troops had already entered the southern forest. Once inside the forest, they completely lost sight of their whereabouts. They couldn¡¯t ascertain where Ye Chong was going or who he was after. Bai Youwei thought¡­ Such quick aggression could possibly mean he was aware of his advantage and thus decided to seize the opportunity to attack? It didn¡¯t matter¡­ She looked around, considering a hiding spot. Without Shen Mo or the rabbit by her side, things got rather inconvenient. She single-handedly lifted her wheelchair, lightly bounded up and flitted amidst the rocks, agile as a deer in the forest. At this moment, hurried footsteps echoed from ahead, sounding like a group of people. Chapter 783: There Is a Traitor in the Wildlife Park Chapter 783: Chapter 783: There Is a Traitor in the Wildlife Park It¡¯s definitely not Ya Chaohui¡¯s crew. If it were any of her team members coming, she¡¯d at least have received a notification on her wristwatch. So these are Ye Chong and his team. They came so fast, loud and brash, with no attempt to hide their trace. So why did not Ya Chaohui, Asarina, Along, or Zhang Yu notice or give a warning? It seems a bit late to think about this now. The footstep sound is getting nearer. Bai Youwei let go of her wheelchair and coldly gazed in the direction of the sound. Then, she took out a starting pistol- Bang! ... Immediate, startled cries echoed throughout the dense forest. Bai Youwei sneered, turned around and ran into the forest in the opposite direction, disappearing quickly. ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± Tian Li roared while running wildly through the forest. Rough branches and weeds brushed against his face, causing a burning pain. The muscle man was also running uncontrollably, shouting: ¡°I don¡¯t know! My, my legs won¡¯t stop! Someone help me! Help me! ¡­¡± Han Lu tripped, her legs kicking spasmodically. She was so frightened by her own legs that she cried: ¡°I can¡¯t run anymore! I really can¡¯t run anymore¡­¡± Xiaoqi banged into a tree, his head spinning, yet he kept running! Ye Chong grabbed onto a tree branch, trying hard to stop. He looked around and saw his team was in total chaos! ¡°What¡¯s the panic?! It¡¯s just a prop! Everyone stop!¡± He ordered. His stern shout was quite effective. In quick succession, the members managed to shake off the influence of the starter pistol, finally coming to a stop, drenched in sweat. Including Ye Chong, they were all sweaty. The slightly out of control running had depleted what little energy they had left. They arrived at the foot of a hill, but Bai Youwei was nowhere in sight. They only saw a wheelchair at the foot of the hill, as if mocking them silently. Tian Li exclaimed incredulously: ¡°Isn¡¯t she a cripple? How did she run away?!¡± The running away wasn¡¯t the problem. The problem was that now they had angered Ye Chong, and they all were in trouble. Xiaoqi glanced at Ye Chong cautiously, asking: ¡°¡­Should we chase her?¡± Ye Chong wore a gloomy look, ¡°Chase? Where would you chase? The forest is vast, and the plants are so dense that we don¡¯t know where she¡¯s gone. If she has already hidden in the safety cabin, then chasing her would be a waste of time.¡± Xiaoqi said no more. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Nobody else dared to speak. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡­. she can¡¯t hide for too long, she¡¯ll have to come out eventually¡­.¡± Ye Chong surveyed their surroundings and began to speak, ¡°We have already done away with the two elephants, and the next strongest animals are the bears. Dispose of the bear from their team by noon tomorrow, and the rest, we can deal with¡­. slowly.¡± Xiaoqi couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What if the remaining people hide in the safety cabin and don¡¯t come out?¡± Ye Chong smiled faintly, curling his lips: ¡°Then we guard the entrance of the safety cabin. Either they come out, or¡­ they starve in there.¡± ¡­ The white glove returned empty-handed, retreating back into the northern forest. Bai Youwei¡¯s circumstances hadn¡¯t improved much with his departure. This escape was like a fish caught in a net, leaping out of the lake, a brief struggle. She gathered all her team members¡ª¡ª Ya Chaohui, Asarina, Along, and Zhang Yu. Bai Youwei came straight to the point: ¡°It seems that we have a traitor among us.¡± As her words fell, everyone exchanged glances. Ya Chaohui raised an eyebrow and asked: ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Traitor, spy, mole¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s something like that.¡± Bai Youwei said matter-of-factly, ¡°Ye Chong led his people straight up the slope, obviously having prior knowledge of my location. How did he come to know it? Furthermore, even if, as a counter-argument, he made an extremely accurate guess, due to his high intelligence and analytical capabilities, how do you explain the fact that not one of you gave me a warning in advance when he was on his way?¡± Chapter 784: Bow and Arrow in the Wildlife Park Chapter 784: Chapter 784: Bow and Arrow in the Wildlife Park At this point, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I asked each of you to guard the four directions of the forest. No matter where Ye Chong and his men come from, at least one of you should spot them. Even if your vision is obscured by plants, you couldn¡¯t have missed their footsteps, could you?¡± Ya Chaohui frowned, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± Asarina shook her head, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything either, the forest is too big.¡± Along and Zhang Yu shook their heads as well. Bai Youwei¡¯s face remained calm as she said casually, ¡°The traitor, of course, won¡¯t expose themselves. I¡¯m just curious, what¡¯s their motive? Why would they help their enemy?¡± ... Asarina narrowed her eyes, suspiciously looking at the others. Having known Along for many years, she firmly believed it wasn¡¯t him. Leaving only Ya Chaohui and Zhang Yu as potential traitors. Zhang Yu hesitated, his gaze shifted to Ya Chaohui¡­ ¡°Why are you all looking at me?¡± Ya Chaohui¡¯s face turned grim. ¡°You think I¡¯m the traitor?!¡± Asarina scoffed and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural to suspect you? You¡¯ve always been unhappy with the King, constantly raising objections. Out of all us, you¡¯re the one who least wants the King to win!¡± ¡°You!¡± Ya Chaohui snapped, ¡°These are totally unrelated!¡± ¡°Enough, no more quarreling.¡± Bai Youwei looked at the sky and said nonchalantly, ¡°Regard the traitor, I may be overthinking it. I want to go check the trap before dark, I¡¯m a little uneasy about the surprise attack from the White Glove. What if they target Shen Mo and Tan Xiao next¡­¡± She glanced at Ya Chaohui and then Asarina. Her gaze lingered on them momentarily, finally resting on Asarina. ¡°Asarina, come with me.¡± Bai Youwei said. Even though she said that she might be overthinking things, it seemed¡­ she didn¡¯t quite trust Ya Chaohui either. Ya Chaohui frowned, ¡°What about us?¡± ¡°You guys¡­¡± She paused, then continued, ¡°Keep trailing them. Let me know if anything happens. But I think it should be fine¡­ Ye Chong just made an attack, he wouldn¡¯t make a second one so soon.¡± After Bai Youwei finished speaking, she turned and headed in the direction where the trap was set. Asarina promptly followed after her. Ya Chaohui, Along, and Zhang Yu were left standing still in their places. As he watched the two women move further away, Ya Chaohui felt suffocated. He glanced at the other two and grumbled, ¡°Let¡¯s go, keep trailing.¡± ¡­ Up front, Bai Youwei and Asarina continued walking. Bai Youwei walked quite slow, her silence proposing that she was deep in thought. Asarina looked back, her confusion towards Bai Youwei evident, ¡°Is it really Ya Chaohui? Thinking he¡¯s already lost, so he sided with White Glove? Or¡­did he deliberately want to take revenge on you?¡± Staring straight ahead, Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What do you think? Besides him, who else could it be?¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely not Along.¡± Asarina said categorically, ¡°Along¡¯s not that kind of person.¡± Hearing her defend her friend, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°How about Zhang Yu? Is it possible?¡± ¡°He is someone brought in from the evaluation group, I am not familiar with him. Seems like he¡¯s the rule-abiding type, but he could also be threatened by White Glove¡­¡± Asarina sighed, ¡°Whoever it is, it¡¯s really troublesome, equivalent to us short one person.¡± Bai Youwei stopped in her tracks. Asarina continued for a few more steps before noticing Bai Youwei had stopped. She turned around and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Asarina, do you know how to use a bow and arrow?¡± ¡°I do, but I haven¡¯t used it for a long time¡­¡± Asarina responded, surprised by the sudden question, ¡°Why are you asking this all of a sudden?¡± Bai Youwei further asked, ¡°If the distance is between twenty and thirty meters, are you sure you can hit a person?¡± sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Asarina had a vague idea of what Bai Youwei was planning. She pondered before answering earnestly, ¡°If you give me a bow now and let me practice a few times to familiarize myself, hitting a person shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Chapter 785: One Arrow in the Wildlife Park Chapter 785: Chapter 785: One Arrow in the Wildlife Park Ye Chong received the message and immediately led his men towards the trap. If Bai Youwei thought there wouldn¡¯t be a second ambush after the first one, he would catch her off guard. ¡­No, perhaps he should be gentler. Scare her, intimidate her, let her live in fear and panic, then appear in front of her, one after another, eliminating her team! Then watch her cry, watch her hurt, watch her beg for mercy¡­ That would be very interesting. Ye Chong¡¯s heart pounded violently, his blood seemed to be boiling inside him, eager to witness such a scene of despair and beauty. ... The people behind him were slow to move, so he had to slow down his pace, stopping with frustration. ¡°Hurry up!¡± Ye Chong urged them. In fact, Ye Chong was also tired, although he had eaten the food supplied by the drone today, it hadn¡¯t seemed to restore much of his energy, he was still weary, and lethargic. Aside from him and Tian Li, who had entered the labyrinth twice, the rest, Xiaoqi, the muscle man, the girl with a braided ponytail, were all lagging behind, their faces pale as they hurried along their way, stumbling. But Ye Chong didn¡¯t care, even if these wastes were eliminated, he wouldn¡¯t blink an eye. Because the ultimate winner only needs him alone. ¡°I can¡¯t go on¡­I¡¯m so tired, let me rest please¡­¡± Han Lu pleaded at the end of the team. She wasn¡¯t running anymore, and even walking was a struggle. As a girl, she was the weakest in the team physically. Her lips were pale, her cheeks were covered in cold sweat, she seemed incredibly weak as if she had just recovered from a serious illness. The muscle man, despite appearing physically strong, was not in a much better condition than her, gasping for breath after every step, completely exhausted. Tian Li, equally fatigued, tried to suggest upon seeing his companions like this: ¡°Let¡¯s walk slowly¡­ anyway, she won¡¯t leave there right away, and, walking over there quietly, we¡¯re less likely to be noticed by her.¡± It sounded reasonable, Ye Chong considered for a moment and agreed. They got to catch their breath, walking slowly into the forest, gradually approaching the trap where Tan Xiao and Shen Mo were trapped. It was a small open space, very easy to recognize, but they didn¡¯t see Bai Youwei when they arrived. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Did she leave already? She shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± ¡°Did that guy lie to us?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°If he dares to deceive us, isn¡¯t he afraid we¡¯ll get tough?¡± All kinds of speculations were being debated. Ye Chong slightly squints his eyes, scanning the various trees, grasses, and bushes around. A little further ahead, was the boundary guarded by rabbits, getting slightly closer would trigger an electric warning. Ye Chong felt something was off. Did he run here in vain? Did Bai Youwei change her mind at the last minute and didn¡¯t come here? Just as he was puzzled, he suddenly heard the sound of air being torn apart! Swish! In an instant, an arrow pierced the muscle man¡¯s chest! ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± Han Lu screamed in terror! Following closely, another arrow shot over, directly penetrating her leg! Han Lu immediately fell, screaming with pain! Just as Ye Chong was about to find the archer¡¯s position, the third arrow came, shot into the grass nearby, from a completely opposite direction! Then came the fourth arrow! The fifth arrow! Clearly, they had been ambushed! Watching his men scatter in confusion, Ye Chong was seething with anger, yelling: ¡°Retreat!!!¡± He quickly rushed out of the shooting range, Tian Li quickly followed, Xiaoqi carried Han Lu who was injured on his back, rushing back with them! In a few seconds, except for a corpse on the ground, no one was left. Asarina jumped down from the tree, picked up the arrows on the ground, unable to contain her joy: ¡°They were so arrogant before, I never thought they¡¯d be so easily scared off this time, hahaha¡­¡± Bai Youwei came down from the tree on the other side, her face didn¡¯t look too good. She didn¡¯t hit anyone with her arrows before. Chapter 786: The Ring in the Wildlife Park Chapter 786: Chapter 786: The Ring in the Wildlife Park Asarina, being a cat, could only attack the opponent¡¯s mice and cats. The remaining arrows missed their mark, fired by Bai Youwei. Although she intended to intimidate, she never expected not even to graze a piece of the opponent¡¯s clothing, let alone pierce their skin. Bai Youwei glanced upwards. The net hanging densely in the air confined Tan Xiao and Shen Mo. From inside, they couldn¡¯t see what was happening outside; only the bunny curiously looked down from the edge. She pursed her lips and gloomily walked over to the corpses. The muscular man was lying still on the ground, half an arrow protruding from his chest, which was stained with blood. ... This was an arrow from medieval Europe. After fully drawing the bow, the penetration power was immense, capable of piercing through a knight in armor. ¡°Is he dead?¡± Bai Youwei prodded the body with her foot. Asarina gripped the arrow shaft, pulled it out forcefully, revealing a bright red smear of blood. The body didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°He should be dead.¡± she wiped the blood off the arrow, looking a bit reluctant to let go, ¡°This weapon is practical, it would be powerful if it could be taken into the game!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point~¡± Bai Youwei coldly said, ¡°It can¡¯t attack animals of higher rank, and it¡¯s heavy and large, affecting the speed. After you fire six or seven arrows, and run out of arrows, the bow is useless. You won¡¯t always have the opportunity to retrieve these arrows¡­¡± After hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s words, Asarina was starting to doubt the value of her new weapon too. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this guy was a mouse or a cat.¡± Asarina muttered, putting away her weapon. Bai Youwei said: ¡°I hope he was a mouse.¡± Asarina was slightly taken aback, looking at her: ¡°Why? We have already been eliminated, eliminating the opponent¡¯s mouse doesn¡¯t seem to be of any use.¡± Bai Youwei chuckled and casually said: ¡°That¡¯s one less enemy to deal with~¡± Asarina was puzzled, and before she could question further, Bai Youwei had already turned around and casually walked away. Halfway, they bumped into Ya Chaohui, Along and Zhang Yu who were rushing towards them. Ya Chaohui immediately asked: ¡°What happened?! We just heard a woman screaming!¡± The muscular man was indeed hit by an arrow and the girl with the ponytail did let out a scream. Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze swept over them, and she said with a smile: ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Our foes tried to ambush us near their trap, Asarina shot two of their weaker animals, the rest run away.¡± Ya Chaohui frowned hard and shouted: ¡°You just said you were checking the space near the trap, and they followed right after, there must be a mole!¡± Along seemed confused: ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ from here to the north forest to relay the message and then run back here, it would take quite some time. They arrived too fast.¡± Asarina couldn¡¯t help but worry: ¡°Could it be some kind of a spying tool?¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei laughed lightly, looking at them: ¡°If it¡¯s a tool, then it must be on someone¡¯s person, right? Otherwise, how could they hear my conversation no matter where I am?¡± Everyone immediately became alert, checking themselves for suspicious objects and observing each other for anything questionable. After a while, Along saw something shiny on Zhang Yu¡¯s finger and asked: ¡°Zhang Yu, where did you get this ring from?¡± Zhang Yu¡¯s eyes flickered, instinctively he covered his hand, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve had it on since before I entered the game¡­¡± Ya Chaohui frowned, grabbed Zhang Yu¡¯s wrist and pushed him to the ground! Zhang Yu fell to the ground, his face pale as a sheet! ¡°¡­Don¡¯t, don¡¯t touch me!¡± Chapter 787: The Mind Ring in the Wildlife Park Chapter 787: Chapter 787: The Mind Ring in the Wildlife Park Ya Chaohui didn¡¯t care. He pushed Zhang Yu to the ground and handcuffed him! Zhang Yu struggled but couldn¡¯t get free, his clenched fingers were pried open one by one by Ya Chaohui! ¡°Damn, it¡¯s a prop!¡± Ya Chaohui forcefully pulled off the ring, his face turning grim. Zhang Yu, on the verge of collapse, shouted, ¡°Give it back to me!¡± ¡°Bastard!¡± Ya Chaohui kicked Zhang Yu away and handed the ring to Bai Youwei. He detested such traitors! Bai Youwei took the ring from Ya Chaohui¡¯s hand, and suddenly the information about the prop came to mind: ... [Mind Ring: As the name suggests, the two people wearing the ring can communicate thoughts.] Which means, there should be a pair of these rings. Zhang Yu wore one, and the other should be with Ye Chong. Earlier, while Zhang Yu was shouting and struggling, perhaps Ye Chong already received the message that this mole was caught. But it didn¡¯t matter, given Ye Chong¡¯s personality, he definitely would not come to the rescue. Bai Youwei gently tossed the ring in the air and caught it, asking the grounded Zhang Yu, ¡°Tell me, what did they offer you, or what were their threats?¡± Zhang Yu hung his head and remained silent. Bai Youwei smiled and didn¡¯t mind, she continued, ¡°It was my carelessness¡­ You came from our base and so did Ye Chong¡¯s recruits. The circle is small, it¡¯s normal to encounter familiar faces. Among them, is there¡­ your friend?¡± Zhang Yu suddenly raised his head and fell onto his knees, begging Bai Youwei. He kept bowing down! ¡°Please! I beg you! Can we lose this battle? You have a lot of puzzle pieces, right? Even if we lose, it¡¯ll be fine! As long as we win the next battle, we can still participate in the decisive match! Please, let us surrender! I beg you!¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face instantly turned cold. Asarina shouted, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?! You want us to forfeit voluntarily? Have you lost your mind?!!¡± Zhang Yu sobbed, ¡°We won¡¯t suffer from our loss, but they will die if they lose! That guy¡­ He only gave Lulu a single puzzle piece, if eliminated, she will die! I beg you, have mercy! I am willing to do anything as long as you are willing to forfeit!!!¡± Everyone was taken aback, and didn¡¯t know what to say. Ye Chong only gave one puzzle piece to his subject? Isn¡¯t he afraid that if the subject died, he wouldn¡¯t be able to recruit new ones? Ya Chaohui swallowed his anger and bluntly asked Zhang Yu, ¡°Who is Lulu?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend¡­¡± Zhang Yu knelt on the ground, his face filled with regret, ¡°We promised each other that we would each choose a king with great odds of winning. This way, as long as the selected king wins in the end, at least one of us could go to the new world. But we didn¡¯t anticipate¡­ the two kings would meet inadvertently¡­¡± Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei indifferently said, ¡°This isn¡¯t by chance but is highly probable. If you understood the man power of both kings, then you should know that both Ye Chong and I chose Battle 10. The Labyrinth Wars has reached the second round, and nearly half of the kings are eliminated. The fallen kings are concentrated in Battle 1 and Battle 5. Not many kings can choose Battle 10, so the chance of a clash is very high.¡± Zhang Yu tugged his hair in frustration, filled with extreme regret, ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­ I thought it wouldn¡¯t happen! Please! Concede! Vertigo Gentlemen are invincible anyway, and now that Shen Mo is eliminated, why bother with a fight till death?! Please, give up! I beg you to give up¡­¡± ¡°Stop acting like a madman!¡± Asarina, unable to bear it anymore, glared at Zhang Yu in disbelief, ¡°Even if we concede, do you think the Vertigo Gentlemen would let us off? Do you think your girlfriend would be safe?! Forget it! We will never give up!!!¡± Chapter 788: The Elephant in the Wildlife Park Chapter 788: Chapter 788: The Elephant in the Wildlife Park ¡°Lulu will die!¡± Zhang Yu screamed in despair. Asarina told him sternly, ¡°She might already be dead. I shot her with an arrow just now.¡± Zhang Yu froze, looking utterly stupefied, unable even to cry. Bai Youwei turned her head away indifferently, raising her eyes to look at the distant northern forest, murmured, ¡°No matter the reason, I will not be your stepping stone¡­¡± Ya Chaohui frowned, seemingly puzzled. At this moment, Bai Youwei also looked at him and calmly said, ¡°Find a trap and throw him into it. Although it¡¯s a bit of a pity, we have no other choice¡­at this critical juncture, keeping him around will only cause trouble.¡± ... Ya Chaohui nodded, grabbed Zhang Yu and walked towards the dense forest, Along followed to help. Asarina stayed by Bai Youwei¡¯s side and followed her gaze, looking very concerned, ¡°What should we do? Without Zhang Yu, there are¡­only four of us left.¡± ¡°Rest assured,¡± Bai Youwei said calmly, ¡°Our opponents might not have more than us.¡± Asarina silently calculated, the other side also had four, but that girl named Han Lu was injured in the leg and presumably didn¡¯t have much attack power, she could be disregarded¡­that left only three¡­ Frankly, the number of people didn¡¯t matter much, the main issue was the difficulty of dealing with Glove! It was headache enough just to deal with him alone! ¡°Tomorrow, you help Ya Chaohui deal with him,¡± Bai Youwei suggested, ¡°use that bow and arrow.¡± ¡­ The sun was setting, and it was getting darker and darker. After Han Lu was shot with an arrow and returned to the camp, although the bleeding had been stopped, her situation was very grim and she remained unconscious. Xiaoqi¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t looking good either, even though he didn¡¯t have any visible injuries, he still went into brief periods of unconsciousness. Ye Chong and Tian Li were slightly better off, but they were also exhausted, as if the two surprise attacks had drained all their energy. Something wasn¡¯t right. They had eaten the food provided by the drone, drank the drinking water provided by the drone, why were they still feeling weak and gradually becoming frail? Ye Chong couldn¡¯t figure it out, he had a hunch that something was off, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint the reason. Now, everyone was too tired, they could only retreat to the safe house to rest. Han Lu, who was unconscious, couldn¡¯t enter the safe house on her own, so she was left in the camp to fend for herself. Ye Chong walked up to the hill alone, searching for the light from the safe house opposite in the darkness. One, two¡­ Four. Only four safe houses were lit. The light in the Fox¡¯s safe house was out. It was to be expected. Since Bai Youwei had discovered him, how could she continue to keep Zhang Yu? Using a trap to eliminate the traitor was the best choice. Thinking of Bai Youwei personally eliminating her own team member, Ye Chong was amused. He turned up the corners of his mouth wanting to smile, but his smile froze at that moment¡ª In disbelief, he widened his eyes! He walked forward! Until the top of the hill, his eyes were glued on that bright spot! ¡­ How is this possible? That position¡­ That position was clearly, the Elephant¡¯s! Ye Chong suddenly recalled Shen Mo¡¯s words¡ª ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re choosing me? Maybe I¡¯m not the Elephant.¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It turned out Shen Mo really wasn¡¯t the Elephant! But if he wasn¡¯t the Elephant, then who was?! Was it the man who was always around Shen Mo, wearing a combat suit?! According to the lit safe houses, the animals remaining on the opposite side were the Elephant, Bear, Lion, and Cat! The strongest top-level animals, not a single one missing! He had been fooled! Ye Chong¡¯s teeth gritted¡­he couldn¡¯t wait to rush to Bai Youwei now and tear her to pieces! ¡°Bai Youwei¡­ Bai Youwei¡­¡± Ye Chong muttered this name in the dark, with a vicious tone, like a curse, ¡°Bai¡­ You¡­ Wei¡­¡± Chapter 789: Late to the Wildlife Park Chapter 789: Chapter 789: Late to the Wildlife Park Dawn arrived. The sun slowly crawled above the treetops, casting a warm and generous glow upon the forest. The temperature was just right, as was the humidity¡ªtoday was an excellent day. Bai Youwei ordered, ¡°Stay on your respective positions and inform me if anything pops up.¡± Ya Chaohui looked at her without saying a word. Since starting the game, Bai Youwei had never once launched a proactive attack. Every strategy was reactive! He had questioned, annoyed, pestered, and rushed her to no avail. ... Ya Chaohui stopped asking. He wouldn¡¯t get the answer regardless. Bai Youwei instructed Asarina again, ¡°Stand on the front line of the forest. The bow and arrow can¡¯t function well within the forest; you can only use it before they enter.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± said Asarina, picking up her bow and arrows and placing them on her back. With all the necessary instructions given, Bai Youwei had nothing more to say. She pulled her wheelchair over, sitting down and calmly said, ¡°Go now. I¡¯ll wait here on the slope for your good news.¡± Everyone exchanged glances and headed to their respective positions. Ya Chaohui took the left-side guard, Along the right, and Asarina at the center. Seated in her wheelchair, Bai Youwei gazed into the wide open meadow between the two forests. If her prediction was right, Ye Chong would be launching an attack soon. He was a man with a strong sense of pride. Once he realized he had been deceived last night, he would undoubtedly be fuming and fingertips on the trigger for revenge. Hence, they wouldn¡¯t have to wait long¡­ As she was contemplating this, a few figure did appear on the grassland. Bai Youwei squinted her eyes and raised her wrist, ¡°The other side is starting to move. Three people, they seem to be planning to enter the forest from the southeast.¡± Ya Chaohui: ¡°Southeast is Along¡¯s position, Along, do you see anything?¡± Along: ¡°Yes, but¡­ something¡¯s off¡­¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°What¡¯s off?¡± ¡°They¡¯re walking very slowly¡­¡± Along uncertainly replied, ¡°They¡¯re a bit far, I¡¯ll observe more closely.¡± One would naturally prefer a quicker pace, if planning to sneak. Slow walking would only expose oneself more easily. Why so slow? Could it be another prop? Another plot? Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Ya Chaohui, Asarina, go support Along and find out what¡¯s going on. Be careful!¡± The two of them acknowledged. In a while, Asarina¡¯s voice came through, ¡°We¡¯ve met up with Along. The three coming are indeed Ye Chong and his team members, but we don¡¯t know why they¡¯re moving so slowly. I¡¯m ready to try shooting them with my arrow to see their reaction.¡± Bai Youwei merely hummed in acknowledgment, ¡°Be safe and adapt as needed.¡± At that moment, frantic footsteps echoed from within the forest. Bai Youwei froze, her gaze attentive as she asked, ¡°Are you sure that the three people are Ye Chong and his teammates?¡± ¡°For sure.¡± Asarina affirmed, ¡°They are walking towards the forest¡­¡± A foreboding sense rose in Bai Youwei, ¡°Asarina, retreat for now. Do not attack¡­¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But it was too late. An arrow had already been shot! A scream emanated from Asarina! ¡°Asarina?!¡± Bai Youwei urgently asked, ¡°What happened?!¡± Along cursed loudly, followed by Ya Chaohui¡¯s voice, ¡°Those three aren¡¯t real! They are decoys! They¡¯re probably some tool from the white gloves that can inflict a backlash attack. Asarina¡¯s arrow hit the fake¡¯s stomach, and now Asarina has been hurt in her stomach too! White gloves this time are playing a game of luring the tiger away from the mountain. You better find a place to hide!¡± Looking coldly at the three figures at the bottom of the slope, Bai Youwei slowly lowered her wrist, ¡°Too late¡­¡± They had already arrived. Chapter 790: The Balloon in the Wildlife Park Chapter 790: Chapter 790: The Balloon in the Wildlife Park Ye Chong, Tian Li, Xiaoqi. ¡ªBear, leopard, wolf. Bai Youwei was always wary of Ye Chong, not only because of the tact he employed as his facade, but also due to the seemingly infinite array of props that were at his disposal beneath this polite exterior. She looked at the three men before her, took no more than a second to think, and then turned and ran! Ye Chong barked, ¡°Chase!¡± Tian Li and Xiaoqi closed in from both sides, pursuing Bai Youwei! Bai Youwei dashed down the slope and fled into the depths of the forest! ... She had participated in three labyrinthine adventures, yet her speed was still weaker than that of ordinary people. Tian Li, with his surprisingly quick agility, caught up in no time! ¡°Stay put!¡± Tian Li cried, lunging at her, seizing her shoulder. Bai Youwei abruptly halted, spun around, and thrust her hand forth. Lodged on her wrist was the handcuff key, landing squarely on Tian Li¡¯s chest! Tian Li¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Before he could speak, he vanished in an instant! Xiaoqi, trailing behind, halted, gawking at Bai Youwei in a daze. ¡°Human instincts are really something¡­¡± Bai Youwei smiled at him, ¡°Seeing me run, you naturally gave chase, without bothering to consider what kind of creature I truly am.¡± Xiaoqi¡¯s face went ashen white as he stepped back. The corner of Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth curved into a smirk. ¡°So, what truly are you?¡± Ye Chong emerged behind her, almost ghostlike. He asked slowly, ¡°¡­A lion, a bear, or an elephant?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s brows furrowed, turning cautiously. Blocked off by Xiaoqi on one side and Ye Chong on the other, her paths of retreat were cut off. Distant footsteps were hastily advancing. It was Ya Chaohui and Along rushing over. Bai Youwei spoke in a calm and eerie tone: ¡°Regardless of what I am, do you still think you stand any chance of victory? There¡¯s¡­only two of you left.¡± Ye Chong sneered: ¡°Even if all were left was me, I¡¯d still be the only one to win.¡± He snapped his fingers. Xiaoqi¡¯s face paled instantly, ¡°No¡­don¡¯t, I beg you, please don¡¯t¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ye Chong had used some kind of prop, causing Xiaoqi¡¯s body to start expanding! Like an inflating balloon, he grew and swelled larger and larger! Bai Youwei watched in disbelief. Even though she considered Ye Chong to be an unscrupulous demon, she never imagined that he could be so cruel as to turn a living person into a prop! ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, this is actually a very good prop.¡± Ye Chong smiled lightly as he watched Xiaoqi, swollen beyond recognition. He said casually: ¡°He won¡¯t feel any pain, but he will turn into a balloon in a short time. Then he will float up and effortlessly cross a river, a mountain¡­¡± Of course, Xiaoqi couldn¡¯t float ¨C there were too many trees in the forest. He got wedged awkwardly between them. His clothes burst and his skin was stretched to the limit, shimmering under the light, with blue veins throbbing underneath. Bai Youwei could barely recognize Xiaoqi¡¯s face, only tracking him by his agonized wailing and pleading. ¡°Have you ever tried finding the bug in the props of the game?¡± Ye Chong sidled up next to Bai Youwei and whispered in her ear, ¡°If you haven¡¯t, then you should definitely give it a shot. It¡¯s a lot of fun¡­ It¡¯s less a bug and more of an added feature bestowed by the game. Take this balloon for example, what do you think will happen if it encounters a high-temperature object?¡± Bai Youwei blinked, her expression changing slightly as she quickly raised her wrist and ordered, ¡°Retreat! Get out of here! Ya Chaohui, Along, don¡¯t come here!!!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she was abruptly choked by Ye Chong, who dragged her away! At the same time, Ye Chong threw something far away! It was sparking, sharp-edged, and aimed inexorably at the human balloon! Bai Youwei instinctively closed her eyes! ¡ª¡ªBoom!!! A massive explosion resounded through the whole forest, as if hundreds of hydrogen balloons had been ignited! The shrubs and trees went up in flames! Bai Youwei opened her eyes, seeing only a sea of fire in the distance! ¡­ Chapter 791: The Captives in the Wildlife Park Chapter 791: Chapter 791: The Captives in the Wildlife Park Bai Youwei was captured by Ye Chong, who dragged her toward the northern forest. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Her body was tied with ropes, her hands pinned behind her back; she was helpless, unable to attack. It was only due to the hierarchy of the food chain that Ye Chong did not cause her further harm. Behind her, plumes of thick smoke billowed from the southern forest and the fire was gradually spreading. Bai Youwei hoped that Ya Chaohui and Along hadn¡¯t encountered any mishaps. She didn¡¯t want them to come for her, instead to cleverly take Tan Xiao and Shen Mo ¨C who were trapped ¨C to safety. Passing fields of lush grass, Ye Chong led Bai Youwei into the northern forest. The forest was dense, large roots twisted and gnarled onto the path, Bai Youwei stumbled. Held up by the rope, she asked, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Ye Chong turned around, a cold smile on his face, ¡°¡­ Obviously, to a trap.¡± ... A bear can¡¯t hunt an elephant; the only way to beat Bai Youwei now, is to lead her into a trap. Bai Youwei smirked derisively, following him at a steady pace. They crossed the woods, wove through bushes, traversed meadows in full bloom. Bai Youwei paused to ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Ye Chong was forcing himself to press on: his knees were weak and his pace slowed. Stopped abruptly by Bai Youwei, he who was keeping her bound staggered, nearly falling over. Suddenly, Bai Youwei yanked on the rope, causing Ye Chong to truly fall. ¡°Can you get up¡­¡± Bai Youwei slowly walked to his side, the rope between them shortening. For a moment, it wasn¡¯t clear who had captured who. Ye Chong felt his strength rapidly ebbing away. Though he had been feeling this way for days, it had never been as intense as this moment. He should¡¯ve been able to stand, but exhaustion overcame him. Every cell in his body screamed for rest, yearning for a brief respite, a little more sleep¡­ even his eyelids failed him, wilting shut despite his efforts to keep them open¡ªit was sheer agony. Ye Chong rolled over, noticing the rope had slipped from his hands. Bai Youwei, hands tied behind her back, stood smiling in front of him showing no sign of discomposure. ¡°What trick did you pull?¡± Ye Chong stared at Bai Youwei, realizing he may have fallen into another ¡°trap¡±. But he couldn¡¯t figure out when¡­ ¡°Could it be¡­ did you swap out the drone¡¯s food?¡± Ye Chong asked. ¡°Nope~¡± From the high ground, Bai Youwei smiled down at him, ¡°I fooled you; the drone¡¯s food was nothing special.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± Ye Chong struggled, attempting to stand Bai Youwei put her foot on his right hand, a faint smile on her lips, ¡°Oh? Trying to use your gloves? Not a chance!¡± She pinned down his other hand, stomping hard! ¡°Why else?¡± she glared at him with a malicious grin, grinding her foot into him, ¡°Obviously because of those damned gloves, forcing me to risk using the item I least wanted: spreading flower seeds in the northern forest¡­Didn¡¯t you notice? The scenery in the northern forest is especially beautiful, look at these flowers, aren¡¯t they gorgeous¡­¡± [Improved Flower Seeds: Upon contact with the ground, the seeds will grow into a sea of flowers in 8 hours, regardless of seasonal conditions. The flowers bloom for 24 hours, but can last longer if they absorb life energy.] ¡°Do you know how much of a hassle this is?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°The duration of blooming depends on the amount of life energy absorbed. In a forest this big, the flowers in areas where no one has passed will quickly wither, which would likely arouse suspicion. So, every night, I was forced to adjust the sowing range, trying to make the flowers grow in your usual routes without being too obvious!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­. ¡°Ye Chong gasped, even his breath was waning, ¡°Every night¡­every night I send people out to patrol. You can¡¯t possibly have a chance to sow seeds¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I have my ways.¡± Bai Youwei bent down, looking at Ye Chong¡¯s dying face, the corners of her eyes twinkling, ¡°I¡¯ve said a lot¡­ now, can you die?¡± Chapter 792: Zoo Fish Death and Broken Net Chapter 792: Chapter 792: Zoo Fish Death and Broken Net Ye Chong stared at her for a long time. He and his team had passed through the flower bushes so many times, yet not once did they suspect anything. Every time they felt tired and weary, they naturally attributed it to the lack of food and water. He had not expected to fall into this trap¡­ Nor had he expected, after killing so many people, that he would also have his day of being killed. A smile threatened to break out on the corners of Ye Chong¡¯s lips at this thought. He closed his eyes, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Although I don¡¯t have much energy right now¡­ I won¡¯t die immediately, why didn¡¯t you eliminate me directly? Don¡¯t you worry about unexpected changes that could come with time?¡± Bai Youwei coldly sneered, straightened her body, and stared at him, ¡°From the very beginning, I never intended to eliminate you. I had always been thinking about how to kill you!¡± ... ¡°Oh?¡± Ye Chong opened his eyes, ¡°Why?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Those people in the preliminary match, you killed them all, right? There were about 30 people per preliminary match, assuming each person had 2 props, then as the only winning player, you should have at least 60 props. Without considering the puzzle pieces you gained, just looking at the number of props you have, how could I not be wary of you? Furthermore, given your ruthless style, I think, there is no reason for me to give you a chance to turn the tables. Your death here is the best outcome.¡± Ye Chong laughed, his smile faint and light, ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I do have many props, and now that you¡¯re pushing me into a corner, are you not afraid that I will fight you to the death? You should know that those who have more props usually have fallbacks.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t attempt to deceive me.¡± Bai Youwei slightly smiled, ¡°Your props are all in your gloves, and even if you want to use them, you would have to be able to move your hand first¡­¡± With a bright smile on her face and her foot forcefully stepping on his hands, she appeared both cruel and beautiful, like a witch. Ye Chong let her stomp on him, his expression unchanging. Life was fleeing rapidly. He closed his eyes and reflected on his life. From being imprisoned for serious crimes, to escaping from jail due to a shift in the world, to this moment, everything that had happened felt like a dream¡­ A beautiful dream. The feeling of ending someone else¡¯s life was so captivating. Even now when it was his turn, he found it satisfying. To him, death was a journey filled with poetic implications. And if someone could accompany him, what more could he ask for? Ye Chong slowly spoke, ¡°You know I can pull things out of my glove using my thoughts, but¡­ do you realize, these gloves can also store things¡­¡± Bai Youwei was slightly startled, and instinctively lowered her head to look. Her foot rested on Ye Chong¡¯s hand, but beneath it was half a rope! The other end of the rope was attached to Bai Youwei¡¯s hands, tied behind her back! Bai Youwei sucked in a breath and immediately tried to escape! But it was too late! A sudden, immense suction force pulled her down! The rope was drawn into the pocket dimension of the white gloves, and Bai Youwei¡¯s hands were firmly affixed to the palm of the white glove! ¡°Dammit!!!¡± Bai Youwei cursed loudly! Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The laughter from Ye Chong behind her abruptly ceased, as though he¡¯d gotten his fill of satisfaction. Bai Youwei struggled desperately, dragging Ye Chong¡¯s body forward, but her hands remained fixed on the white glove! ¡°Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!!!¡± Bai Youwei was seething with rage, unable to shake herself free no matter what she tried! Her strength was also rapidly leaving her body, the flowers not only harmed Ye Chong, but also herself! This was why she repeatedly warned the team not to go into the northern forest! This was why she had never launched an attack and only focused on defense! Except for Tan Xiao who was caught, everything else was going as she had anticipated. But now, to possibly lose her life right here!?! ¡°Aaaaaaaah!!!¡± Bai Youwei screamed out in frustration, ¡°Ya Chaohui! Along! Is there anyone out there?! Is there anyone left alive?!!¡± Chapter 793: Im Not a God in the Wildlife Park Chapter 793: Chapter 793: I¡¯m Not a God in the Wildlife Park ¡°Ya Chaohui!¡± ¡°Along!¡± ¡°Asarina!¡± ¡°Is anybody there?! Is there any alive?!!¡± ¡°Is there any left at all¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was nearly gone from yelling, but no third person appeared in the flower bed. ... She refused to give up, putting all her strength into crawling away from these ¡°man-eating¡± flowers, but Ye Chong behind her was like a thousand pounds weight, making it extremely hard for her to even stand up! Bai Youwei bit her lower lip tight. The influence these flowers had on the body differed greatly whether you rushed past them or lied flat inside. The larger the contact area, the more obvious your vital energy drained, and she had already lost her strength. If they lingered any longer, they¡¯d have trouble even remaining conscious! Bai Youwei pushed herself as hard as she could. Even if she couldn¡¯t stand up, it¡¯d be good to sit up, minimizing contact with these flowers to buy herself more time. Buy some time¡­ time¡­ Damn it! She needed someone to rescue her, then buying time would make sense! Otherwise, what awaited her was simply death! Bai Youwei cursed in her heart! If it weren¡¯t for being wary of the white gloves this time, she wouldn¡¯t be using such a costly tool! Now her hands were tied behind her back, unable to control her wristwatch, she couldn¡¯t even get the key to open the dollhouse! She was definitely going to be killed by these white gloves this time!!! Just as Bai Youwei was freaking out in her mind, she suddenly heard footsteps from ahead. Overjoyed, she looked up to see Ya Chaohui walking over covered in blood, stumbling with each step. Bai Youwei caught her breath and blurted out, ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°Human balloon¡­ the self-destruction power was huge.¡± Ya Chaohui came over with difficulty, ¡°Along is hurt even worse¡­¡± His body was covered in blood, and even his face was blackened with plot blood; Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t tell where he was injured. She hurriedly said: ¡°These flowers drain human vitality! We have to leave here quickly!¡± Ya Chaohui came over to pull her up but failed when he noticed her hands were bound with Ye Chong¡¯s white gloves. He reached out to take off the gloves. Those gloves looked like a layer of ordinary fabric, but the fibers were deeply embedded into the flesh, connected to nerves, and could not be removed at all. ¡°Use the knife!¡± Bai Youwei urged in a rush. When allocating weapons earlier, they each received a dagger, studded with gold edges and gems, one of those spectacularly impractical designs used by European royalties. Ya Chaohui took out his dagger and cut the ropes. He was wounded and weak, his hand that held the knife was shaking uncontrollably, causing Bai Youwei¡¯s skin to be scratched. Bai Youwei held back a yell of pain and kept urging him, ¡°Hurry up! Cut it quickly!¡± Every additional second here was a risk! Ya Chaohui didn¡¯t have enough energy to speak, he kept his head down and cut the ropes. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Finally, the ropes were cut. Bai Youwei instantly obtained freedom, broke away from the ropes, grabbed Ya Chaohui¡¯s arm and ran towards the edge of the flower bed! Injured severely, Ya Chaohui didn¡¯t get far before collapsing, a mouthful of fresh blood gushing out! ¡°If you¡¯re going to die, don¡¯t die here!¡± Bai Youwei grabbed his arm and pulled with all her might! ¡°¡­Get up, get up! Don¡¯t die here!¡± Ya Chaohui somehow started laughing, his voice hoarse, ¡°Last time¡­ did you think the same way?¡± Bai Youwei cursed at him, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying! If you have the strength to laugh, stand up right now and let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°It¡¯s about last time¡­¡± Ya Chaohui closed his eyes slowly, staring blankly at the sky, ¡°When Fang Yu was killed by you¡­¡± Bai Youwei clenched her teeth. ¡°You could¡­ you could have commanded the rabbit to create smaller electric shocks, but you chose not to.¡± He laughed, tears streaming down his face, ¡°Just like now, you could have won, but you chose these flowers¡­ to win, you can overlook anything¡­¡± Bai Youwei, out of patience, her eyes bloodshot, yelled, ¡°What else could I have done?! What could I do?! I had to consider the bigger picture! Avoid casualties! I had to cover all bases and win?! Ya Chaohui! I¡¯m not a god!¡± Chapter 794: Settlement at the Wildlife Park Chapter 794: Chapter 794: Settlement at the Wildlife Park sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Get up!! Get up!!!¡± Bai Youwei tugged at him desperately, ¡°You can¡¯t die here!!!¡± Weakened, Bai Youwei suddenly fell down, and when she stood up, she found the flowers underneath Ya Chaohui were almost drenched in blood. Bai Youwei suddenly felt a sense of fear. Placing the rabbit on her number was to win! Spreading flower seeds across the forest was also to win! But others wouldn¡¯t see it that way, they would only think, you could have avoided risks! Why create sacrifices! ¨C As if anyone in her position could have done better! ... It¡¯s always so easy to accuse someone when you¡¯re not in a predicament. Bai Youwei was unwilling to accept this, she bit her lower lip tightly, got up, and grasped Ya Chaohui¡¯s sleeves, dragging him out of the flower bush. The dragging was slow, the walk was tough. In a hoarse voice, Ya Chaohui asked her, ¡°Does Shen Mo know about the flower seeds?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s actions froze. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know, right¡­¡± Ya Chaohui said hoarsely, ¡°If the superior knew, he wouldn¡¯t agree¡­¡± According to Shen Mo¡¯s personality, he would fight hard to eliminate competitors, but he wouldn¡¯t resort to killing them. Being manipulated by the game, causing humans to kill each other has always been highly despised by Shen Mo. But Bai Youwei¡¯s act of scattering the flower seeds showed that from the beginning, she had no intention of sparing the players on the opposing team. Upon deep thought, she seemed extremely cold and ruthless. Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes turned red, she bit her lip, stayed quiet, grasped Ya Chaohui¡¯s clothes and continued to drag. Ya Chaohui said again, ¡°You¡¯re saving me now¡­ Not really because you want to. You¡¯re just¡­ afraid that if I died, you couldn¡¯t explain to the others¡­¡± He stared at the sky, muttering dazedly, ¡°Why is this happening¡­ Why would they make someone like you the King¡­¡± Bai Youwei squatted down, cried sadly out of the blue in the flower bushes. Perhaps it was the discomfort of being seen through, or the grievance of being misunderstood. Vulnerability struck like a bolt from the blue, tears uncontrollably dripping down. They were always honorable, yet she was always sly and despicable. She thought she had finally escaped from the humiliation of reality, and from then on she could look down on others, being capricious, satisfied, arrogant¡­ but in fact, she was still annoying, hateful, and fearsome to others. Bai Youwei shut her eyes, holding back her tears, ¡°¡­Wanting goodness and victory at the same time, Ya Chaohui, where in the world is there such a good thing?¡± Hearing this sentence, Ya Chaohui smiled for some reason. The face burned by hydrogen was bloody and blurry, the corners of his mouth curled up, the skin and flesh leaking fresh blood ¨C both pitiful and horrific. ¡°If I die¡­¡± He began softly speaking, ¡°if I do die¡­ tell them, it was the White Glove that killed me.¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. Ya Chaohui closed his eyes and said, ¡°The King cannot be tainted¡­ Since you¡¯ve come this far, keep going¡­ Don¡¯t lose, you cannot lose, otherwise, both me and Fang Yu will be a joke¡­.a joke¡­¡± The entire special operations team were like brothers, but one after another, they lost their lives, leaving only him and Fang Yu struggling in various bizarre games. They barely survived, only for one to die from the thunderstorm, and the other to rest beneath the flowers. Such a pathetic way to die¡­ If Bai Youwei ended up losing in the end, he would question himself, what was the point of living through all of that? Bai Youwei gritted her teeth and stood up, ¡°I won¡¯t let you die here! You won¡¯t die! You can¡¯t die!¡± ¡­ Blue sky, white clouds, green grass. The wooden ball covered in green leaves rolled to the middle of the grass field, looking around, counting the people. ¡°This battle officially ends now and we will begin the tally. Total number of players, 16. 1 winning King, 3 subjects, 12 eliminated subjects, of which 8 have died. Now deducting 10 puzzle pieces from the defeated King, 1 puzzle piece from each eliminated subject, all puzzle pieces of the 8 deceased players will be taken back by the system¡­¡± Chapter 795: Harsh Chapter 795: Chapter 795: Harsh Bai Youwei returned to the lounge in a daze. The Rabbit Gentleman walked over with a smile, ¡°Please, King, choose the next campaign.¡± Still dazed from the end of the game, she blinked slowly as the selection panel appeared¡ª sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Campaign 1: Clown, Campaign 5: Comic Man, Campaign 10: Ball, Campaign 20: Grey-Robed Old Man. Of the four options, ¡°Campaign 20¡± and ¡°Campaign 10¡± were greyed out and could not be selected. Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze lingered between ¡°Campaign 1¡± and ¡°Campaign 5¡±. Without much thought, she chose ¡°Campaign 1¡±. ... Campaign 1 was the only game without a player limit. One person could participate, whereas Campaign 5 required at least five participants. Despite winning this game, it was a hard-fought victory. The endless items from White Glove had inflicted severe damage on her team. She wasn¡¯t sure if their injuries would have healed by the next campaign. Hence, for safety, she chose Campaign 1. Looking back at that bastard¡­ he was a maniac, attacking even his teammates ensnared in traps! Utter madness! But luckily, he was dead¡­ He was indeed dead¡­ From now on, she would never meet another maniac like him again. As Bai Youwei remained lost in thought, the Rabbit Gentleman asked, ¡°Two mazes are now available to unlock. Do you wish to proceed?¡± Bai Youwei looked at it, startled. ¡°Although there is a limit to increasing physical ability, enhancing your Self-Healing Ability could be beneficial for future campaigns,¡± the Rabbit Gentleman said softly, his tone gentle, ¡°It is inevitable that there will be casualties in a war.¡± Bai Youwei hesitated, ¡°I¡­ I need to think about it¡­¡± The mazes could increase their Self-Healing Ability, but they came with risks too. Most of her allies were seriously injured now. She was unsure about stepping into the maze. The Rabbit Gentleman looked at her quietly. Behind her, Shen Mo stepped up and gently held her shoulder, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go back first.¡± Bai Youwei nodded. They all left the lounge. Tan Xiao and Along were in dire need of medical attention. Although Asarina had used her mud technique, her injuries were still serious. And then there was Ya Chaohui¡­ In comparison to the others, Ya Chaohui¡¯s injuries were the least severe. But the treatment was the most difficult ¨C he had had his vitality drained from him. His only option was slow convalescence. After they returned to the Headquarters Building, Chu Huaijin sent a medical team to treat their wounds and then spoke to Bai Youwei and Shen Mo individually about the campaign. They also clarified what had happened with Zhang Yu. When Bai Youwei had asked him to follow Han Lu, he lied about failing to catch up to her. It was during that time Han Lu had begged him to put on the Mind Ring. The ring wasn¡¯t all-powerful. He had to be close to the person to ¡®connect minds¡¯. But talking about this now seemed too late¡­ Han Lu was gone, and Zhang Yu could no longer stay as a servant. Bai Youwei demoted him to a commoner and paid him no more attention. With one less White Glove, the headquarters became quieter without all those people who used to flatter them. People¡¯s gaze towards Bai Youwei subtly changed. It was admiration, respect, but also tinged with some¡­ unclear rejection and aversion. It was like those gossip-ridden times when they discussed a female star¡¯s rise to fame and, save for a hint of envy, they always had an undertone of insinuation: ¡°She¡¯s so successful not only because of her skills but also because she slept with many men¡­¡± Bai Youwei sat in the cafeteria, overhearing two waitresses saying: ¡°She even got rid of a White Glove, really terrifying¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, she must have a deep mind to do that¡­ People without a cruel heart can¡¯t do it, right?¡± ¡°Well, I could never do it. I have a soft heart, even a stray cat or dog on the street make me feel sorry¡­¡± ¡°Haha¡­ we can¡¯t compare with the king¡­¡± Such comments, whether praise or criticism, were all unpleasant to hear. Chapter 796: Apology Chapter 796: Chapter 796: Apology ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!!¡ª¡ª¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With a sudden scream, the trays in the hands of two waiters were completely overturned! The pristine porcelain plates shattered with a clatter, and the instigator, still unsatisfied, picked up two bottles of red wine and poured them over the two waiters, drenching them from head to toe! All the guests looked on in astonishment, not understanding why Fu Miaoxue would lose her temper so violently. ¡°Is your work too easy or have you lost your mind?¡± Fu Miaoxue, draped in her black veil, voiced crisply and clearly, ¡°Damn, while we¡¯re fighting tooth and nail in the battle, you guys are here shooting the breeze! What a good time you¡¯re having!¡± The bullied waiters dared not fight back, their heads hung low, shivering with fear as the wine trickled down their hair¡­ ... ¡°You are soft-hearted, you are naive, how great! How about next time you come into the game with me? Let¡¯s see if the Inspector will be moved by your kindness, and let you win just like that!¡± The wine bottles emptied, Fu Miaoxue used the empty bottles to knock the waiters on their heads, causing a loud thud. ¡°Do you think the game is a charity? Are you nuts! Without our ruthless aggressiveness, who knows where you would be now!¡± Du Lai uttered lowly: ¡°Miaoxue.¡± He hinted for her to ease up, these waiters were ordinary people and would not withstand her blows. Fu Miaoxue turned her head away, and complained, ¡°They verbally attacked me first.¡± The two waiters were furious but dared not to speak. The restaurant manager came over to apologize to Fu Miaoxue. Fu Miaoxue pointed at Bai Youwei, ¡°What good does it do to apologize to me? Go apologize to her. You think the peacefull days fall from the sky, without her puzzles?¡± Bai Youwei continued eating placidly at her spot, as though she was not involved in the matter. The manager led the two waiters to Bai Youwei, apologizing profusely. ¡°These days have been too easy, they¡¯ve lost their heads. They spoke without their brains engaged. Please don¡¯t take it to heart. Everyone at the base knows your contribution,¡± the restaurant manager said, a humble demeanour, ¡°As for their punishment, I will deal with them according to regulations.¡± According to the regulations? ¡­What regulations? The base doesn¡¯t have a rule against whispers. The punishment would be a reprimand at most, perhaps a reassignment. However, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t really hold a grudge against the waiters for a few casual comments. She was picking sweet corn kernels one by one off the plate and popping them into her mouth, nonchalantly saying, ¡°It¡¯s fine. They didn¡¯t lie. I¡¯m not a saint.¡± With her response, the manager and the two waiters became anxious, fearing that Bai Youwei would hold them accountable. Bai Youwei looked at them, calmly, ¡°It¡¯s really fine. It was just a casual conversation between friends. You guys don¡¯t need to be so nervous. Go and change your clothes. Your hair and clothes are all wet. Be careful not to catch a cold.¡± The manager nodded and led his servers to leave. Bai Youwei called after them, ¡°Hey¡­ wait.¡± They halted their steps and cautiously turned back to face Bai Youwei. ¡°There is one thing¡­ I need to clarify.¡± Bai Youwei put down her fork, ¡°Among the eight people who followed Ye Chong, one was trapped in a pitfall. Ye Chong thought he was useless and stabbed his throat with a piece of bamboo. Another one, Hu Dashan, was brutally killed by Ye Chong with several steel rods through his body. Xiaoqi was turned into a human balloon by Ye Chong and blowed up. The rest were indeed eliminated by us, but Ye Chong only gave each of them one puzzle piece. When they were eliminated, they didn¡¯t have any puzzles to save their lives, so they died too.¡± The two waiters became nauseous as they imagined the scene Bai Youwei described, their faces turning pale. ¡°I¡¯ve said my piece.¡± Bai Youwei picked up her fork again, continuing to eat her sweet corn, ¡°¡­you can go now.¡± Chapter 797: Fu Miaoxues Subjects Chapter 797: Chapter 797: Fu Miaoxue¡¯s Subjects The manager led the waitstaff away, and the dining room gradually returned to normal. Fu Miaoxue sidled up to Bai Youwei, curiously asking her, ¡°When did your temper become so good? I thought you¡¯d lay into them and really give them a piece of your mind~¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t say anything wrong, why would I cuss them out?¡± Bai Youwei calmly continued eating, glanced at her and asked, ¡°Do you have a lot of spare time? Why are you here stirring up trouble?¡± Fu Miaoxue was a puppet, she didn¡¯t need to eat at all. ¡°I¡¯m here to accompany my boyfriend~¡± Fu Miaoxue linked arms with Du Lai who was beside her, and then asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What about your boyfriend? Why isn¡¯t he accompanying you?¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a moment, then replied, ¡°He¡¯s in the medical area.¡± ... Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Your boyfriend got injured? Wow¡­he is so powerful. I can¡¯t believe he would get injured.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not the one who got injured; our team mate did.¡± Bai Youwei frowned in irritation. She thought of the white gloves again. Tan Xiao was injured by bamboo splinters and steel bars, Asarina was hurt by the cloned puppet, human-air balloons injured Along and Ya Chaohui¡­ If they hadn¡¯t prepared mud in advance, they might not have been able to save either Tan Xiao or Asarina in this battle game. Bai Youwei looked up at Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai, ¡°And you? Was the battle game smooth for you?¡± ¡°Absolutely smooth!¡± Fu Miaoxue said proudly, ¡°We didn¡¯t even enter the game, the opposite side surrendered! Haha~ I won without effort!¡± ¡°They surrendered¡­¡± Bai Youwei contemplated, ¡°Probably because they had no interest in competing in the maze war or they cannot meet the required player count.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fu Miaoxue nodded, ¡°There were only two people on their side. So few people simply can¡¯t afford to play. I happened to have a shortage of people, so now they are all my subjects!¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Do they know your true identity? Were they scared?¡± Not everyone can accept a puppet as a king. Fu Miaoxue thought seriously, then told Bai Youwei, ¡°The tall one didn¡¯t seem to care, but that little girl, she¡¯s sly, she seemed to have figured it out¡­¡± ¡°Little girl?¡± Bai Youwei blinked, ¡°I say, despite not being human anymore, don¡¯t go too far. There¡¯s no need to involve the little girl in the game, is there?¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You don¡¯t know! She¡¯s not very old, but she¡¯s experienced!¡± Fu Miaoxue frowned in displeasure, ¡°Besides, how am I not human anymore? Where don¡¯t I look like it? Huh?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze slipped past her shoulder and saw two figures, a tall one and a short one, emerging from behind Fu Miaoxue. She was briefly startled, finding the smaller figure oddly familiar. That seemed to be the student she had met back in Yangzhou, who was with Tu Dan¡­ what was his name again? ¡°Have you found someone to enter the labyrinth with yet?¡± The girl and the tall man approached together, catching sight of Bai Youwei behind the dining table, they too were momentarily startled. Fu Miaoxue, reminded by her, finally realized that she got caught up chatting with Bai Youwei and hadn¡¯t mentioned the actual matter at hand. ¡°This is Chen Hui and Leonid. We suspect that the difficulty of the third battle will escalate significantly, so we want to make a trip to the maze, but we are short of hands.¡± Fu Miaoxue asked Bai Youwei with a cheerful smile, ¡°You have so many team mates, could you lend us a few?¡± Seeing Bai Youwei, Chen Hui covered her mouth in surprise, seemingly somewhat excited, ¡°Do¡­ do you remember me? In the second maze, it was you who led us out!¡± Fu Miaoxue was utterly baffled, looking at Bai Youwei and then at Chen Hui, ¡°What? You two know each other?¡± Bai Youwei nodded, and because of their acquaintance, her smile was noticeably warmer. She asked Chen Hui, ¡°You said before that you were looking for Teacher Tu¡¯s son. Where did you go after that? How did you end up participating in the maze war?¡± Chapter 798: Think It Over Chapter 798: Chapter 798: Think It Over Chen Hui said, ¡°I¡¯ve been traveling north, to Jinan, then to Shijiazhuang, and finally to Beijing. There¡¯s a base in Beijing, too, bigger than this one, but everyone there is mainly focused on game strategy, not on exploring the maze.¡± While saying this, she introduced Leonid, who was beside her, with a laugh, ¡°Leonid is Russian, and I have no idea how he ended up in Beijing. When I met him, he was like a vagrant who hadn¡¯t bathed in months; stinky, dirty, with a frightfully unkempt beard. But after we started playing the game together, I found him surprisingly easy to get along with.¡± Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°You talk about him like that¡­¡± Chen Hui, seeming more lively compared to half a year ago, playfully winked and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, he doesn¡¯t understand Chinese outside the game. All he can say is hello, thank you, and goodbye.¡± Leonid, unaware of what they were talking about but sensing that it was related to him, raised his hand and waved at Bai Youwei, saying, ¡°Hello.¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Hello.¡± ... Fu Miaoxue, slightly surprised, went up to Leonid and asked, ¡°Can you speak English?¡± Leonid furrowed his brows and from under his thick beard, issued a heavily accented string of English. Fu Miaoxue was stunned; she didn¡¯t understand. Du Lai, standing nearby, explained, ¡°He said A little¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue murmured, ¡°Luckily, we can communicate without hindrance in the game.¡± Chen Hui said to Bai Youwei: ¡°Back then I carried the puzzle for the No. 2 Maze, hoping to find Teacher Tu¡¯s child. I knew it was unlikely, but I couldn¡¯t let it go without trying. Then I ran into the uncle¡­Leonid¡­who helped me in the game. Since then we partnered up, and I entrusted the puzzle to him. After all, he¡¯s a big guy, so it¡¯s safer with him.¡± She sighed, and continued: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that triggering the puzzle would instigate a Maze War. We weren¡¯t really interested in competing for the throne, so after fending off the first battle, we voluntarily surrendered on the second.¡± Bai Youwei asked her, ¡°What are your plans next? Are you going to join Fu Miaoxue in the maze?¡± Chen Hui pursed her lips, didn¡¯t answer immediately but looked at Fu Miaoxue, then slowly replied: ¡°We have few tools on hand. If we encounter players with more tools, we could only rely on our strength and resources to counteract them¡­¡± In the game, victory could be decided either by external aids or one¡¯s own abilities, such as intelligence, speed, strength, and even the self-healing ability mentioned by the Rabbit Gentleman. Breaking in, Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°Anyway, your companions have to enter the maze sooner or later. Why not let them join us on a run first! I won¡¯t have to ask Chu Huaijin for people then~¡± Bai Youwei scoffed, ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been so nice today. You want to poach from me again.¡± The two would usually argue whenever they met. But now that Fu Miaoxue needed something, she suddenly became nice. How canny. Far from being ashamed, Fu Miaoxue slammed the table confidently, lifting her chin, ¡°Consider it carefully, okay? Your people won¡¯t be at a loss if they join me in the maze! Think about it, either I take them out, and their physical ability goes up a notch, or I die inside, and you have one less competitor in your third battle. Got it?¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°Regardless of whether you live or die, you¡¯re not my competition.¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Bai Youwei! Don¡¯t look down on people!¡± Fu Miaoxue fumes. Du Lai holds back Fu Miaoxue, turning to Bai Youwei, ¡°No need to reject right away. Though the exact number of mazes is uncertain, their types are quite similar. As of now, apart from the No.1 Maze, our people have encountered pretty much every other type of maze. If we could share information, even if your companions join us, the risk wouldn¡¯t be too high. You might want to reconsider.¡± Pausing for a moment, he added, ¡°We¡¯ll also negotiate with Yan Qingwen.¡± Chapter 799: The Possibility of Cooperation Chapter 799: Chapter 799: The Possibility of Cooperation Bai Youwei squinted her eyes, understanding the situation. Fu Miaoxue approached her to borrow a team member, not so much for the extra hand, but for the person¡¯s experience. For instance, if Asarina had been through Maze No.3 with Bai Youwei, and Fu Miaoxue encountered the same maze, then Asarina would be a great asset to have. Of course, this strategy could be implemented only if both parties were not in competition, otherwise, it would just mean strengthening an enemy¡¯s power. Bai Youwei gave a thin smile and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but most of my companions have been injured, so I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no chance for cooperation this time¡­¡± ¡°You can lend me Pan Xiaoxin.¡± Fu Miaoxue responded immediately, ¡°He¡¯s not injured!¡± ... Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± After a moment of silence, she curled up the corner of her mouth, ¡°You are quite persistent¡­¡± This was not the first time she tried to poach Xiaoxin. Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all, she unabashedly said, ¡°I wanted to borrow Shen Mo too, but would you allow that?¡± Bai Youwei actually contemplated about it and responded, ¡°I will talk to him about it.¡± ¡­ After lunch, Bai Youwei packed some food from the dining hall and took the elevator to the medical area. The injured were in different wards, care of Shen Mo, Professor Cheng, and Pan Xiaoxin, who were more comforting to them than the nursing staff. Bai Youwei brought them lunch, asking about how everyone was doing. Tan Xiao had the most severe injuries but recovered faster than anyone else, yet the death of Hu Dashan had left him in a terrible state. As for Along, his life was not in danger, but he had suffered extensive burns over his body and would likely be left with scars even after healing. Asarina had internal injuries and it would take some time for her to recover completely. Bai Youwei fell silent for a moment, then asked Shen Mo, ¡°How is Ya Chaohui doing now?¡± Shen Mo looked surprised, he didn¡¯t expect Bai Youwei to ask about Ya Chaohui¡¯s condition, ¡°Ya Chaohui woke up for a while, he also asked about you.¡± ¡°¡­Asked about me?¡± Bai Youwei looked momentarily stunned, ¡°If anything happened to me, you all would be stuck in there.¡± Shen Mo gave her a light smile, pulling her into his arms, he said with a sigh of relief, ¡°It was indeed very dangerous this time. Thank God your spirit animal was an elephant, it turned the tide for us.¡± He didn¡¯t know about the flower seed, he assumed that Bai Youwei had eliminated Ye Chong by utilizing her level advantage. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t clarify and stayed silent in his arms, not objecting to his statement. ¡°Ya Chaohui¡¯s injuries are not as severe as Along¡¯s, but for some reason, his recovery is slow¡­¡± Shen Mo remarked thoughtfully, ¡°Also, his state of mind doesn¡¯t seem quite right.¡± Bai Youwei casually asked, ¡°Oh?¡­ How does it not seem right?¡± Hearing her words, Shen Mo lowered his gaze, his warm palm gently stroked her long hair, his voice was very soft, ¡°Actually¡­ I think, you also seem a bit different.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat, she closed her eyes and leaned further into his embrace, responding, ¡°Maybe I am just tired¡­¡± ¡°Then go back to the room and rest.¡± Shen Mo gently ruffled her hair, saying softly, ¡°Once the nurses come, I will go back and keep you company.¡± Bai Youwei hummed in agreement, obediently nodding her head, and turned towards the elevator area. After a few steps, she came back. ¡°By the way¡­ I ran into Fu Miaoxue earlier, she wants to borrow some of our people to enter the maze,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°She might also seek help from Yan Qingwen, probably for some form of information sharing about the maze. I think this method may work, anyway, we won¡¯t encounter her in the next battle.¡± Bai Youwei had passed Battle 10 and Battle 20. On the other hand, Fu Miaoxue had passed Battle 1 and Battle 5. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So, in the next two battles, they would not be opponents to each other. Without an adversarial relationship, there was a possibility of cooperation. Shen Mo pondered for a moment and nodded at her, ¡°I will talk to them later.¡± Chapter 800: Dont Want to Play Anymore Chapter 800: Chapter 800: Don¡¯t Want to Play Anymore After Bai Youwei left, Shen Mo took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit one for himself. A nurse came over and reminded him, ¡°Mr. Shen, you can¡¯t smoke here.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± Shen Mo pinched the cigarette and didn¡¯t immediately put it out. He looked around and asked, ¡°Is there a place nearby where I can smoke?¡± The nurse replied, ¡°Keep walking straight ahead, then turn right to go to the staircase.¡± Shen Mo nodded and walked forward with his cigarette. Between the staircase and the medical area, there was a heavy fire safety door. Upon opening it, a biting cold wind hit him in the face. ... Someone had opened the window in the staircase. Shen Mo saw Yan Qingwen leaning against the window, holding a cigarette between two fingers. He took a few puffs and, seeing him, pressed the burning cigarette butt onto the metal window sill. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± Shen Mo asked as he approached. Yan Qingwen slowly shook his head. He lit another cigarette, switched it to his other hand, and leisurely exhaled clouds of smoke, ¡°Let the wind blow a bit, it helps clear the head.¡± Shen Mo chuckled and walked to the window. The sky outside was a pale white tinged with a hint of blue-gray. The bare branches of the trees below shook as if they were shivering like people in the freezing, piercing wind. Yan Qingwen glanced over with a smile and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t smoke often, do you?¡± ¡°Hmm, occasionally,¡± Shen Mo responded indifferently, ¡°Smoking is harmful to health.¡± At this, Yan Qingwen laughed. His gaze resting vacantly on the buildings outside the window, he said, ¡°Maybe I wouldn¡¯t be alive tomorrow, who would care about health then?¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is this game not going smoothly?¡± Yan Qingwen shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s a matter of life and death for a group of people, it¡¯s not about going smoothly, just about surviving by luck.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also true.¡± Shen Mo exhaled a puff of smoke and spoke calmly, ¡°Two more rounds to go, I wonder what the final battle will be like¡­¡± Yan Qingwen fell silent for a moment and then said, ¡°I might not see the final battle.¡± Shen Mo raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced over. ¡°In the next round, I¡¯m going to surrender,¡± Yan Qingwen flicked the ash and continued, ¡°You and Bai Youwei need to put in the effort, don¡¯t let us down.¡± Shen Mo was somewhat surprised and asked, ¡°Are you encountering any trouble?¡± ¡°No, not really,¡± Yan Qingwen said calmly, as if he had thought it through, ¡°I¡¯ve just changed my mind, I don¡¯t want to play anymore. The remaining two battles, one battle requires eight people, and the other twenty requires ten people, I don¡¯t have the confidence to lead these people safely out of the game.¡± He sighed with a laugh, his tone tinged with self-mockery, ¡°Although I¡¯d like to know the truth about this world, if someone dies because of it, honestly, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth it¡­¡± As he spoke, Yan Qingwen looked at the steel doll guarding him¡ªthis doll, which resembled Lun Ang, had become much older and bore numerous scratches, showing that it had saved Yan Qingwen more than once. After Lun Ang was gone, it took a long time for Yan Qingwen to recover. If something were to happen to other friends too, he wasn¡¯t sure how he would face it. Between the truth of the game and the lives of friends, if he had to choose, he would choose the latter. ¡°I heard you guys were seriously hurt this time, have you considered the worst-case scenario?¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Shen Mo and seriously suggested, ¡°If not, it¡¯s better to think about it now¡­ which people you can let go, and which you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I understand¡­¡± Shen Mo gazed into the distance and murmured lowly, ¡°But not trying would leave me feeling regretful.¡± Yan Qingwen took a deep drag of his cigarette, exhaling a light white smoke, and said softly, ¡°I feel the same, I want to win too.¡± But he couldn¡¯t¡­ S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He couldn¡¯t, just because he wanted to win, stake the lives of others. In this labyrinth war, how many people were pursuing the truth? And how many were helpless, being pushed forward? Chapter 801: Mint Candy Chapter 801: Chapter 801: Mint Candy When Shen Mo came back, Bai Youwei was napping. He unconsciously lightened his footsteps, undid his coat, and slowly lay down beside her. The bed dipped on one side, Bai Youwei, sensing his presence, cuddled closer with eyes closed, and then frowned slightly, muttering, ¡°Smoking?¡± Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help but laugh, ¡°I deliberately stayed outside a bit longer, you can still smell it on me?¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Bai Youwei got up, draped a blanket over herself, and started rummaging through the room. Shen Mo asked her, ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ... ¡°I¡¯m looking for the mint leaves I dried before¡­¡± Bai Youwei brought out a glass jar from a drawer with only two or three dried mint leaves left inside; she looked disappointed, ¡°Ah¡­ there¡¯s only a little bit left.¡± Shen Mo came over to put down the glass jar, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, don¡¯t catch a chill.¡± He carried Bai Youwei back into the bed and then stuffed something into her hand. Bai Youwei felt it, picked it up to look, and it was a mint candy. She couldn¡¯t help but laugh, squinting her eyes as she asked him, ¡°Where did this come from?¡± ¡°I ran into Yan Qingwen while I was smoking, he gave it to me.¡± Shen Mo took the candy from her hand, tearing the outer wrapping. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei lifted her head, her lips puckering up, ¡°Give me half~¡± ¡°Not going to sleep anymore?¡± Shen Mo broke off half and she snatched it with her mouth, ¡°This thing is quite invigorating.¡± ¡°If someone is truly sleepy, not even thunder would wake them, what¡¯s a mint candy then~¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care, with the candy in her mouth and a grin, ¡°Why would Yan Qingwen have the habit of carrying candy around? Must be Zhu Shu who gave it to him, Zhu Shu likes these little things, tea, coffee, mint candies¡­ Oh right, what did you two talk about?¡± ¡°We talked about matters in the game.¡± Shen Mo, propped up on the bed, gently patted Bai Youwei¡¯s back while chatting with her, ¡°¡­Next battle, Yan Qingwen doesn¡¯t have enough citizens, so he probably will surrender.¡± ¡°Surrender?¡± Bai Youwei looked stunned, ¡°But if the King surrenders, he becomes a commoner, and the King¡¯s former commoners would switch over to become the others¡¯.¡± ¡°I guess he will demote Su Man and the others to commoners beforehand because he said he doesn¡¯t want to risk his companions anymore.¡± Shen Mo pinched Bai Youwei¡¯s cheek as he spoke, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same? You chose Battle 1 because you didn¡¯t want to drag everyone into it, right?¡± Bai Youwei pouted, her voice coquettishly soft, ¡°That¡¯s because I was afraid you guys would hold me back, okay? Injured and disabled, no telling when you¡¯ll be fully healed!¡± ¡°And what about me?¡± Shen Mo lifted her up a bit and asked with a smile, ¡°My King, I am not injured, may I join you in battle?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes twirled, teasingly, ¡°You say you¡¯re not injured and that¡¯s it? ~I, the King, must personally inspect!¡± ¡°How will you inspect?¡± Shen Mo asked with a smile. Bai Youwei¡¯s hand moved lower, poking at someone¡¯s abdominals, glaring at him with suggestion. Shen Mo stroked her head, saying, ¡°It seems you really don¡¯t want to sleep anymore.¡± ¡­ The next day, Chu Huaijin called a meeting, requesting the presence of the King and important subjects. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo arrived in the conference room only to discover Fu Miaoxue was up to her tricks again; she wanted to share information about the maze but didn¡¯t wish to owe anyone favors, so she used Chu Huaijin as a front. Chu Huaijin wouldn¡¯t refuse anything beneficial to the King¡¯s participation in battle. Moreover, everyone lived in the Headquarters Building; it¡¯s hard to say no when you are eating from someone else¡¯s hand, so naturally, they were willing to cooperate, as long as it did not affect their own interests. Now, all three Kings from the base had arrived. Fu Miaoxue had three subjects, Du Lai, Chen Hui, and Leonid. Yan Qingwen came with Zhu Shu, Su Man, and Lu Yuwen. Bai Youwei only had Shen Mo and Pan Xiaoxin by her side. Including Chu Huaijin, twelve people sat in the conference room. Chu Huaijin said, ¡°Thinking long-term, sharing maze information is very necessary and beneficial for everyone to varying degrees, so I arranged for us all to gather here today, sit down, and have a good talk. I¡¯m here to witness, and I hope that we can all¡­ speak freely.¡± Chapter 802: Various Labyrinths Chapter 802: Chapter 802: Various Labyrinths Fu Miaoxue looked left and right, and seeing that no one else was speaking, she eagerly suggested, ¡°How about we start?¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yan Qingwen tapped her fingers gently on the table and calmly asked, ¡°How can we ensure that the person sharing information is telling the truth?¡± Lu Yuwen also raised a concern, ¡°In a situation where information is not equal, if someone provides false information in exchange for true intelligence, it will be hard for us to detect it.¡± Chu Huaijin explained, ¡°Previously, the base not only collected data on various games but also on mazes. Some players have escaped from mazes, and even though the exits were found by others, the descriptions of the maze clues provided by these people still have some reference value. So, if someone lies, I can compare the data here and should be able to discern it.¡± Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t think of people so darkly. I genuinely want to collaborate with everyone. Why would I intentionally provide false information? Let¡¯s quickly eliminate the mazes and then lead our citizens in to gain experience. How great would that be!¡± She gently nudged Du Lai, who was next to her, with her elbow. ... Du Lai said, ¡°The maze I entered before was Maze 9, set in a tropical rainforest. There were crocodile groups in the eastern river, and pythons in the western river. The method to clear it involved letting the two fight each other, finally obtaining an electronic key inside the python¡­¡± With Du Lai taking the lead, the conversation flowed much more smoothly. Yan Qingwen followed up, ¡°Maze 8, set in a desert. The method to clear it involved finding quicksand that flowed like a river, while also ensuring enough drinking water.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Maze 2, filled with many mirrors and multiple exits. The method to clear it was to ensure that you always remained within the range of the mirrors¡¯ reflections while exiting and to be cautious not to stare at the mirrors for too long or stand too close to them.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Maze 7, the environment resembled chunks of organs with the capability to heal infinitely. A certain type of small creature that existed in the maze could nibble away the flesh membrane of the maze. Additionally, there were creatures that interfered with the players like greedy snakes. It¡¯s important to note that wounds should not come into contact with that flesh or they would assimilate.¡± Fu Miaoxue couldn¡¯t help but rub her arms, ¡°Ew, that¡¯s disgusting.¡± Seeing Bai Youwei glaring coldly at her, she whispered in explanation, ¡°I mean the maze is disgusting, not your boyfriend¡­¡± Bai Youwei rolled her eyes and continued, ¡°Maze 3, set in a stone cave in the sea. Players would enter the cave on a dilapidated boat, and inside the cave were seven other caves. The method to clear it was to choose the correct entrance. The next cave entrance would always be the interval of its own number away from the last, for example, if you first enter Cave 3, the next entrance would be Cave 7, three caves away from Cave 3, and the next after that would be Cave 4, continuing until you return to the original Cave 3 entrance, forming a cycle to exit the maze.¡± Fu Miaoxue frowned, ¡°It sounds so complex; Maze 3 seems particularly difficult¡­¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Yan Qingwen also said, ¡°Looking at the sequence of the mazes, it seems the earlier the number, the more difficult it is.¡± ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t Maze 1 be the hardest?¡± Fu Miaoxue scanned the room, ¡°Has anyone been through Maze 1?¡± Everyone shook their heads. Lu Yuwen said, ¡°The maze I entered was Maze 6, set in a disordered ordinary city. Many arrows were placed within the scene. If you blindly followed these arrows, you would slowly turn into a doll. The method to clear it involved first drawing out a complete map, then using the arrows to move the sections of the city around, and when finally assembled correctly, the arrows would point to the real exit.¡± After Lu Yuwen spoke, everyone shared a few more maze details, some of which overlapped. After organizing everything, they realized if Maze 9 was the maze with the highest number, they were still missing information on Maze 1, 4, and 5. Bai Youwei solemnly concluded, ¡°If we happen to encounter the mazes that nobody has been to, like number 1, 4, and 5, then this meeting would have been all for nothing.¡± Chapter 803: Number of People in the Maze Chapter 803: Chapter 803: Number of People in the Maze After Bai Youwei finished speaking, the conference room fell into a brief silence. Shen Mo pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Weiwei¡¯s words are not without reason. Before the start of the Maze War, I went through maze number 2 and number 7. After the war began, all the mazes were locked. When I entered the maze again, the one that unlocked was maze number 9. Now it seems that everyone¡¯s situation is like mine. After the Maze War, the mazes that we entered were not ones we had encountered before. Does this suggest that the system has an algorithm that can automatically determine which mazes we haven¡¯t passed and then make arrangements accordingly?¡± Lu Yuwen questioned, ¡°If the mazes we¡¯ve been through can¡¯t be re-entered, then isn¡¯t it possible that, if all of us are gathered, the maze we enter would likely be one of the ones none of us have been to¡ªeither maze number 1, 4, or 5? If we infer backwards, to avoid mazes 1, 4, or 5 would it be better to have fewer people enter the maze?¡± ¡ªSuppose Bai Youwei was the one to challenge the maze this time. Since she had been through mazes number 2, 3, and 7, the system should select a maze for her from among 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9. But if Bai Youwei took Shen Mo with her, the choices would narrow down to 1, 4, 5, 6, and 8. With Yan Qingwen added, the choices would further narrow to 1, 4, 5, and 6. Bringing Lu Yuwen along would limit the options to 1, 4, 5. ... The more people involved, the more likely they are to encounter a maze they know nothing about. Upon hearing this, Fu Miaoxue hesitated and glanced at Du Lai, tugging at his sleeve. ¡°Why do I feel like¡­ what they¡¯re saying makes a lot of sense?¡± Originally they came to poach people to increase their chances of winning, but after a thorough examination, they found that not poaching might be the best? After thinking it over, Du Lai said, ¡°Analyzing it this way, indeed, we shouldn¡¯t have too many people, but also not too few. For instance, in maze number 9 that we encountered before, we needed to make the crocodile and python meet by opening a sluice gate in the middle of the river. The gate was very sturdy, requiring at least four or five adults to force it open.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Maze number 7 is the same; we needed someone to distract the gluttonous snake while ensuring a small creature continuously damaged a meat membrane at a fixed location. With fewer than three people, it¡¯s nearly impossible to complete these tasks. Considering the casualty rate as well¡­ five people is the most suitable number.¡± Lu Yuwen said, ¡°Even though Su Man and I got through maze number 6, if we had had more companions, it might not have been so strenuous, and it was fortunate that Su Man is a good swimmer, or we wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out.¡± Su Man is a good swimmer because she had eaten Mahi-Mahi given by the bear, but in this world, not everyone has eaten the fish like her. Bai Youwei thoughtfully said, ¡°Speaking of which¡­ the maze number 3 that I passed through, although once the method is mastered it could be passed by one person, without any clues, sacrifices are inevitable. At least encountering the Fish Monster twice is necessary to find the pattern¡­ so, the number of people who pass maze number 3 should be at least¡­ three?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s words were suggestive, and the conference room quieted down as everyone vaguely formed some thoughts. Chen Hui asked, ¡°Could the numbers of each maze be a hint at the minimum number of people required to pass?¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Then what about maze number 1? Should only one person go in? Is that the idea?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not consider maze number 1 for now; after all, these are just our guesses,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Just preparing for mazes number 4 and 5, it would be best to keep the number around five people.¡± She paused for a while and then spoke in a low voice, ¡°Some mazes require deaths to discover the patterns. If we consider the casualty rate, perhaps we could increase the number by a few more.¡± There was silence. Chu Huaijin¡¯s expression was somber as well. It was a harsh reality¡ªin the absence of any clues, it was often only after someone died that the survivors could find leads from the incident. Chapter 804: 804: All Must Surrender Chapter 804: Chapter 804: All Must Surrender At the conference table, Fu Miaoxue curled her lips. ¡°If you put it that way¡­ it¡¯s obvious that whoever enters the labyrinth with us is just going to get killed. Who would be willing to go?¡± Du Lai looked at everyone and tentatively asked, ¡°But if we don¡¯t enter the labyrinth and go straight to the third battle, what are our chances of winning?¡± Yan Qingwen leaned back, his posture relaxed against the back of his chair, and said, ¡°I will surrender in the third battle. It doesn¡¯t matter what the chances are. If my citizens want to enter the labyrinth, I won¡¯t interfere.¡± Chu Huaijin was stunned, looking at Yan Qingwen perplexedly, ¡°You¡¯re going to surrender?¡± Yan Qingwen nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to surrender.¡± Chu Huaijin¡¯s face showed confusion and regret. ¡°After so much effort to win two battles, just two more battles to go, and we would have entered the final competition¡­ Is it because you don¡¯t have enough people? The base can provide you with manpower! And we can find you the props, just say the word¡­¡± ... To Chu Huaijin, one more king meant one more chance at victory; naturally, he preferred having as many kings as possible. Zhu Shu stood up, cutting off Chu Huaijin, ¡°I told him to surrender.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± Chu Huaijin furrowed his brow, a bit displeased, ¡°The base has exhausted its resources to help you. Suddenly announcing a surrender, there must be some reason, right? If Yan Qingwen drops out, then we¡¯re left with¡­ just Miss Bai and Miss Fu, two ladies competing for the final battle.¡± Chu Huaijin was deeply worried as he asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°Have you really thought this through?¡± Just as Yan Qingwen was about to explain, Zhu Shu stopped him again. ¡°Let me explain,¡± Zhu Shu said calmly. ¡°Brother Yan decided to quit the fight for our sake. Although citizens who are eliminated in the game just become commoners, as the difficulty of the game increases, so does the mortality rate. No one can guarantee their citizens¡¯ safety. So¡­ rather than carrying such a psychological burden, it¡¯s better to give up and give others the chance.¡± The last sentence was harsh, highlighting that Yan Qingwen was carrying a ¡°psychological burden.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at Zhu Shu, smiling helplessly. Zhu Shu didn¡¯t look at him and continued, ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t want him to continue either because the number of puzzle pieces we have is very limited. After the preliminary contest, Brother Yan and our pieces together amounted to 20. We used 2 to claim territory, won 10 in the first battle, and 5 in the second battle, totaling only 33 pieces. Out of these 33 puzzle pieces, 16 are needed to recruit citizens, leaving us with 7 after setting aside 10 as collateral for the battle¡­¡± Zhu Shu pursed her lips, looking straight at Chu Huaijin, ¡°If we lose the third battle, Brother Yan would die, because he doesn¡¯t have enough puzzle pieces to participate in battle 20. But if it¡¯s another king¡­ if it¡¯s Weiwei, even if she loses both the third and fourth battles! As long as she¡¯s alive, she can participate in the final battle!¡± Chu Huaijin was silent for a while before holding on to his last hope, he asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Can puzzle pieces be transferred?¡± Bai Youwei had the most puzzle pieces of anyone. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Bai Youwei lifted her wrist. ¡°Even if I gave him the pieces, the number shown on the wristwatch wouldn¡¯t change.¡± Fu Miaoxue glanced over and saw the number of puzzle pieces displayed on Bai Youwei¡¯s wristwatch: 94. ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± she exclaimed, gaping, ¡°So many puzzle pieces! Where did they come from?!¡± Fu Miaoxue knew Bai Youwei had a lot of puzzle pieces, but not this many! Almost into triple digits! Bai Youwei nonchalantly dropped her wrist and asked Fu Miaoxue, ¡°What about you? If you lose the third battle, do you have enough puzzle pieces left to save your life?¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes darted about cleverly, and with a charming smile, she said, ¡°How many puzzle pieces I have left doesn¡¯t really matter, because, perhaps¡­ I might also surrender.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Chu Huaijin finally couldn¡¯t stay seated and stood up abruptly! Chapter 805: Actively Preparing for War Chapter 805: Chapter 805: Actively Preparing for War ¡°Why surrender?¡± Chu Huaijin simply couldn¡¯t understand and asked her anxiously, ¡°Haven¡¯t you been actively preparing for battle in the labyrinth to get ready for the next fight?!¡± Fu Miaoxue replied nonchalantly, ¡°Preparing for battle in the labyrinth is for the sake of entering it, duh~ If it weren¡¯t for the chance to enter the labyrinth, why would I bother being this thankless King, huh~¡± Bai Youwei remembered that the first time she met Fu Miaoxue, Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai were outside the labyrinth. These two had always wanted to enter the labyrinth, but after the war for the labyrinth began, all the labyrinths were locked. The only way to unlock them was to gradually proceed through the battle games. Indeed, Fu Miaoxue had always done as she pleased and never had a strong desire to win or lose. Chu Huaijin was extremely disappointed and turned his wistful gaze to Bai Youwei, asking hesitantly, ¡°¡­What about you, Miss Bai, what¡¯s your take?¡± ... Bai Youwei felt a strange urge to laugh, ¡°Me? I don¡¯t think I need to surrender.¡± Chu Huaijin¡¯s expression lightened at her words but was still bitter and heavy, as though he was experiencing the heart-wrenching anguish of a looming defeat of his country. Clearly, having two out of the three Kings considering surrender was a major blow to Chu Huaijin. The meeting ended inconclusively, without any decision or plan being formulated. Everyone left the meeting room with different thoughts. The next day, when Bai Youwei went to the medical area to visit Asarina, Asarina, with her somewhat broken English, pleaded with Bai Youwei to demote Along to a commoner. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She had only two close companions and had already lost one. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose another. At the start of the war, everyone was full of ambition and fervor. But once they truly experienced the war and saw people around them get hurt, die, and disappear, ties and bonds began to weigh them down, leading to withdrawal, surrender, and hesitation. Sometimes, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but wonder, at this point, what was it that drove those Kings who could still forge ahead? Was it the same for them? Were they also becoming gradually addicted to the game¡­ Bai Youwei did not comply with Asarina¡¯s request. She promised Asarina that she wouldn¡¯t take Along into battle again, but she would keep him as a subject. That way, if she really won in the end, Along could share in the fruits of victory. After all, she had plenty of puzzle pieces. A few days later, Tan Xiao was discharged from the hospital. His injuries had mostly healed, and his body recovered at a remarkably fast pace, a stark contrast to others who were still undergoing treatment. Perhaps the difference between entering the labyrinth three times and two times was minimal, but even such a small gap could make a crucial difference at a life-and-death moment. As a result, improving physical recovery abilities became urgent. The trip to the labyrinth needed to be scheduled soon. In the time following, Bai Youwei began to ponder her team selection. She believed that the safest number of people was seven ¨C even if two or three were lost, there would still be enough left to get through difficult parts of the labyrinth¡¯s design. Tan Xiao likely couldn¡¯t go this time, as he was still caught up in the Hu Dashan matter. Shen Mo was definitely going. Asarina needed to improve her Physical Ability, so she would be brought along as well. Pan Xiaoxin has always been the weak link in terms of physical strength due to his age, but Bai Youwei was unsure about taking him; after all, he was just a child, and the labyrinth presented unknown dangers. Bai Youwei was hesitant to make a decision; then, Fu Miaoxue personally brought her own subjects before her¡ª Du Lai, Chen Hui, and Leonid. Bai Youwei glanced at their packed luggage and asked Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯ve been waiting here all along?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re at a loss~¡± Fu Miaoxue said to her earnestly, ¡°You take my people into the labyrinth first, and once you¡¯re out, I¡¯ll lead your people in. It¡¯s a win-win~¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°I can¡¯t promise they¡¯ll come out alive.¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed softly and responded, ¡°You¡¯ll bring them out alive.¡± Chapter 806 - 806 More Clearly Chapter 806: Chapter 806 More Clearly Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°You trust me that much?¡± Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°It¡¯s because you have life-saving artifacts with you. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know~ Last time inside the Bone Transporter Maze, you suddenly called so many helpers. Where were they hiding before? You must have an artifact that can conceal people! And the space inside the artifact must be large, large enough to hide several people, right? And, they came out in their pajamas, which means that the artifact space must be livable!¡± Fu Miaoxue lifted her chin, crossed her arms over her chest, and looked down at Bai Youwei with pride, ¡°You can¡¯t hide it from me.¡± Bai Youwei smiled faintly and sized her up, ¡°Everyone else is fine, but you¡¯re willing to let Du Lai go with me? Let me make it clear upfront, even if we have the artifact, we might not have time to use it. Anything could happen in the labyrinth. If something happens to Du Lai, you better not come crying to me.¡± Fu Miaoxue thought for a moment, her voice unusually cold, ¡°Even if something happens to him, he owes me that. If it weren¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this.¡± ¡°Such a vengeful heart~¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°If Du Lai heard you say this, I wonder what he would think¡­¡± ... Fu Miaoxue fell silent for a moment, then suddenly lifted the black veil on her head, revealing her delicate doll-like face. Her glassy eyes stared steadily at Bai Youwei as she said, ¡°Although I really dislike you, I¡¯ve always thought that you should understand my feelings better than those people.¡± Bai Youwei looked at her, saying nothing. Fu Miaoxue lowered her veil and walked away. ¡­ With 20 days left until the third battle, Bai Youwei was preparing to lead her team into the labyrinth. The weather was cold, and a layer of blurred steam covered the glass windows of the meeting room. A light wipe with a finger left a shiny trace. After a moment, fine droplets of moisture began to condense again over the trace. Bai Youwei stood in front of the window, idly tracing shapes on the glass to pass the time. The people in the room gradually gathered. At the door, Fu Miaoxue was hugging Du Lai¡¯s arm, sweetly cooing, ¡°After we enter the labyrinth, you must think of me. If you don¡¯t miss me, you¡¯re not allowed to go~¡± Du Lai wrapped his arms around her waist, repeatedly nodding his head, ¡°Of course I¡¯ll miss you. You also have to think of me. Once I improve my Physical Ability, we¡¯ll be able to go to the labyrinth ourselves.¡± ¡°Wuwuwu¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue buried her face in his chest, ¡°Du Lai, you¡¯re doing all this for me. I love you~¡± Du Lai: ¡°I love you too¡­¡± Chen Hui felt a bit awkward on the side. Leonid was chattering away in a string of incomprehensible Russian, gesturing with his hands, pulling Chen Hui into a corner as if to tell her: ¡°Not suitable for children, look away.¡± Meanwhile, Bai Youwei watched them for a while and, seemingly inspired, approached Shen Mo and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything you want to say to me?¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Youwei hugged him, also cooing, ¡°Do you love me? Do you love me?~¡± Shen Mo felt his face warm, looking around¡­ He wasn¡¯t the type to express his feelings openly in public. But Bai Youwei was persistently clingy, incessantly cuddly. In his exasperation, Shen Mo grasped her waist, spun her around, and pressed her against the wall, whispering in her ear, ¡°Teasing me again, huh?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s ears felt hot, and she pursed her lips, asking softly, ¡°Well, won¡¯t you tell me~ do you love me or not?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Shen Mo whispered, biting her earlobe. Bai Youwei was satisfied, snuggling up to him and drawing a heart on the glass window with his finger. Shen Mo watched the heart form, a smile creeping across his face, his cold finger tapped her nose as he sighed, ¡°We¡¯re about to enter the labyrinth, and you¡¯re not the least bit nervous.¡± Bai Youwei giggled, ¡°Love has blinded my senses~¡± Shen Mo had no answer for her, just watching her with a smile. ¡­ S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 807: Twelve Locks Chapter 807: Chapter 807: Twelve Locks A party of six entered the maze. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As Bai Youwei had envisioned, enhancing physical abilities should, of course, benefit everyone¡ªthe more, the better. Ideally, Tan Xiao, Pan Xiaoxin, and Teacher Cheng should have joined in. But considering the dangers, they could only be left in the dollhouse, waiting for her to get a clear grasp of the maze¡¯s situation before deciding whether to let them participate. Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Asarina, Du Lai, Chen Hui, and Leonid, together walked through the maze door opened by the Inspector¡ª At first, it was just like entering any other maze, blanketed in white nothingness. The people beside her had all disappeared. ... As she continued inward, the white fog grew darker until it turned pitch-black. She felt the wet and slimy stone walls on either side, as if they were layered with moss that had never seen the light of day. This touch made Bai Youwei quite uncomfortable. She retracted her hand, took out a flashlight from her backpack, and shone it around. Perhaps it was the environment that was too gloomy and oppressive, but the flashlight¡¯s beam still looked sinister in the corridor, failing to bring any sense of brightness or warmth. At the end of the corridor stood a wooden door, rotten and ancient, with its edges wrapped in rusty iron sheets and without a bolt in place. Bai Youwei pushed firmly, and it opened. Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?0 This heavy door made no sound as it swung open. She stepped inside; the room, roughly two hundred square meters, had four doors set into each of the walls. There were no windows, only a rectangular pillar standing from the floor to the ceiling in the center. Small oil lamps, no bigger than beans, burned at each corner of the pillar, barely illuminating it. One by one, Bai Youwei¡¯s companions started to appear in this stone chamber. They did not enter through doors but emerged from the shadows around the stone chamber, then each observed the environment. ¡ªOther than a single pillar, there was nothing. Despite there being doors on each side, everyone was too wary to open them. No one knew what might lie beyond. They eventually gathered in front of the stone pillar. On one side of the pillar was an iron door with locks, and the other three sides were covered with murals. The murals appeared to be the clues for this maze. They carefully examined each one with their flashlights. The first mural depicted a Minotaur, chasing a group of tiny people, who were so abstract in their drawing that they only came up to the Minotaur¡¯s knees. The second mural showed the Minotaur feasting. Its huge claw grabbed a tiny person, biting them in half at the waist as the remains lay scattered at its feet while other tiny people huddled together, seemingly in utter terror. In the third mural, the Minotaur lay on the ground while a slightly taller person plunged a sword into its chest, with several tiny people dancing around them. Turning to the fourth side of the pillar, there were no murals, just an iron door secured with exactly twelve locks. Bai Youwei stretched out her hand and, from top to bottom, gently ran her fingers over the metal locks¡ªthe texture was cold, hard, heavy. ¡°It seems that something of utmost importance must be behind this door,¡± said Du Lai, looking at the others, ¡°Should I give it a try?¡± Being a professional of a particular sort, Du Lai was an expert at picking locks. Bai Youwei nodded in response, and everyone backed away to give Du Lai space to work. Du Lai took out a piece of wire, without much effort bent it to the curvature he wanted, and then inserted it into the keyhole. His ear pressed close, he listened for the tiny sounds made by the wire colliding with the interior of the lock, trying to determine its internal structure. He frowned as he tried for a while, then straightened up and shook his head at everyone, ¡°No use, I can¡¯t hear anything.¡± After pondering for a moment, Bai Youwei looked up at Shen Mo, ¡°You try as well, both the lock and the door.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s paper figurine was incredibly sharp, said to pierce through anything. But this time it was also utterly ineffectual. The knife-shaped paper doll hacked away at the lock without so much as a spark, and the iron door remained impenetrable. Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°It seems¡­ unless we find all twelve keys, this door cannot be opened.¡± Chapter 808: Minos Maze Chapter 808: Chapter 808: Minos Maze After passing by the Mermaid Monster in the maze, Asarina was still haunted, saying, ¡°Although we can¡¯t open the door, at least the mission is clear now, which is much better than the last time when we had no idea what to do.¡± Last time they truly had no clues, faced with seven identical caves, they could only guess blindly. But this time, at least they knew they needed to find twelve keys. Chen Hui walked over to a wall with murals, pondering, ¡°Could the murals be clues to the locations of the keys?¡± There were no keys shown in the murals. Only the Minotaur, dwarves, wreckage, swords, and a slightly taller person. Bai Youwei looked at the murals, puzzled and said, ¡°This seems familiar¡­ I recall a Greek myth with such a Minotaur?¡± ... ¡°Minotaur, the half-man, half-bull creature,¡± Chen Hui knew the myth. ¡°King Minos¡¯s wife gave birth to a monster with the body of a human and the head of a bull, so he built a maze for it and sent boys and girls into the maze every few years until a hero named Theseus killed the Minotaur.¡± Leonid furrowed his brows and glanced at the third mural, unable to appreciate these abstract lines. Asarina asked, ¡°The last mural, with the person standing on the Minotaur, could that be Theseus? Does it mean that we have to kill the Minotaur to leave this maze?¡± Chen Hui said, ¡°According to the myth, Theseus used a ball of thread to solve the maze, then killed the Minotaur with a Magic Sword.¡± After pausing for a few seconds, she added, ¡°The legends don¡¯t mention these locks.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a backdrop; not every detail has to match the myth,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°I played a game called ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny,¡¯ themed after ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny,¡¯ but the actual plot was far different from the story of ¡®Woman¡¯s Destiny.''¡± She then looked back at the murals, thoughtfully saying, ¡°However¡­ the murals didn¡¯t appear here for no reason. Whether Theseus is in the maze or not, the Minotaur might be, so everyone be careful.¡± Everyone drew their weapons, watchfully scanning the surroundings as if ghosts and monsters could appear from the dark corners at any moment. The stone chamber was thoroughly searched, and besides the mural, the door, the locks, and the four dim lanterns, there was nothing else. There were four unlocked doors in four directions on the stone walls. Now, other than opening doors, they seemed to have no other options. Everyone looked to Bai Youwei, who had to choose which door to open. ¡°The initial clues are not clear; let¡¯s try our luck,¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Who has the best luck?¡± They glanced at each other. After a while, Du Lai stepped forward, ¡°Shall I try?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Choose one.¡± Du Lai picked the door corresponding to the direction of the third mural. The door was heavy, but when pushed open, it made no sound, and nothing could be seen inside due to the darkness. Everyone didn¡¯t rush in but stood cautiously at the entrance, shining flashlights inside. Inside was an empty stone chamber with bare stone floors and stone walls, and the walls had identical iron doors. Bai Youwei frowned, walked in, swept the flashlight around to ensure the stone chamber was empty, then said to Du Lai, ¡°Choose another door.¡± Du Lai picked a door in the same direction. This time, when the door was opened, another stone chamber appeared identical to the one they were currently in, dark and empty. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A bad feeling rose in Bai Youwei¡¯s heart; last time in maze number 3, she also got trapped in endlessly repeating caves. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the previous room,¡± she said with knitted brows, ¡°Something¡¯s not right about this place.¡± Chapter 809: The Duplicate Chapter 809: Chapter 809: The Duplicate A group of people retreated, retreating back into the Stone Chamber they had just left. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Keep going back.¡± Asarina replied, ¡°If we go back further, we¡¯ll arrive at the mural.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They continued on their way back, but this time, they did not see the mural, the iron door, the 12 locks, the pillars¡ªnothing. There was only an empty Stone Chamber. Everyone realized something was off. They had returned the way they had come, but the place they returned to was not where they had started. ... Had they been confused about the direction, or was there some trick to the Stone Chamber¡¯s interior? Du Lai held a flashlight, closely inspecting each stone brick and lightly tapping on them, testing for potential traps. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo leaned his head against the stone wall, frowning as he listened for a while, then gestured for Du Lai to stop, ¡°There seems to be something nearby.¡± Everyone quieted down, pressing against the wall, listening intently. It was the sound of a beast¡¯s heavy breathing¡­ huff, huff, very coarse and deep, accompanied by heavy footsteps, one after another, passing along the cold stone wall¡­ For a moment, the image of a towering Minotaur materialized in everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°There was no sound before,¡± Du Lai said, looking at Bai Youwei. ¡°Could it be¡­ this creature is looking for us?¡± Their nerves instantly tensed. When they first entered the labyrinth, they had stayed in the room with the mural for a long time and had carefully listened to the noises coming from the four doors without hearing any sound. Now, the emergence of noises, did that mean the creature was drawing closer to them? Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°In myths and legends, Minotaurs would devour humans offered as sacrifices. Perhaps while we search for the key, the Minotaur is also searching for us. We should try to avoid it as much as possible.¡± She looked again at the door they had retreated through, ¡°However, what¡¯s more important now is to figure out our direction.¡± If they couldn¡¯t determine their direction, they might keep going in circles in this place. Shen Mo took out a compass, checking it¡ªif the compass wasn¡¯t malfunctioning, the door they had exited from, which was the direction indicated by the third mural, was to the east. ¡°Should we change our direction?¡± Du Lai asked. The two Stone Chambers to the east had been exactly the same, which likely meant they would lead nowhere. Bai Youwei looked at Shen Mo and said, ¡°Try to make a mark on the wall.¡± Shen Mo nodded, unraveled the paper doll on his wrist into a dagger, and carved a ¡°Z¡± on the wall at one spot. Afterward, they opened the door to the south, which led to another empty Stone Chamber. Bai Youwei pulled out two spent batteries from her bag, stood them up in the middle of the Stone Chamber, and then once again asked everyone to return to the previous room. The breathing sounds became more distinct, as if they were very close now, and they didn¡¯t need to press their ears against the wall to hear them clearly. The breaths were mixed with a low growl, huff¡­ huff¡­ The footsteps were anxious and heavy, thump¡­ thump¡­ Chen Hui couldn¡¯t help but edge closer to Leonid, her face tense as she stared at the northern door, murmuring, ¡°It seems¡­ it¡¯s getting closer¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo, ¡°Is the mark still there?¡± Shen Mo shook his head, his expression serious, ¡°The mark is gone.¡± Du Lai carefully observed each door¡¯s texture, ¡°These Stone Chambers are all exactly the same, there¡¯s no difference to tell them apart, it¡¯s like¡­ they¡¯re copies.¡± Asarina, wielding a knife, listened for a moment to the noise from the northern door, then asked Bai Youwei, ¡°That thing is very close to us, should we leave here first?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s still take the southern door,¡± said Bai Youwei. The six people entered the door to the south, and outside was still a Stone Chamber. Bai Youwei went first to the middle of the Stone Chamber and found that the two batteries she had placed there¡ªjust like Shen Mo¡¯s mark¡ªwere gone. Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°This is getting troublesome¡­¡± Chapter 810: The Changes in the Stone Chamber Chapter 810: Chapter 810: The Changes in the Stone Chamber Every Stone Chamber had four doors, and Bai Youwei had walked through several rooms, all exactly alike. Even if someone tried to make a mark, it couldn¡¯t change the fact that the Stone Chambers seemed like ¡°clones¡± of each other. Continuing like this, there was no way to determine whether the Stone Chamber she entered was a new one she had never entered before or an old one she had already been through. Bai Youwei squatted in the middle of the Stone Chamber and reached out to touch the spot where the waste batteries had just been placed; the hard stone brick gave no indication of any mechanism. So, where had the batteries gone? And why had the ¡°Z¡± inscribed by Shen Mo disappeared? ¡°Listen¡­¡± Asarina pressed her ear against the north door, ¡°There are no sounds anymore.¡± ... The previously approaching sounds of panting and footsteps had vanished completely as they entered this Stone Chamber. Why was there such a big difference after just walking into another room? As Bai Youwei pondered, she slowly said, ¡°There are two possibilities right now¡­ The first possibility is that these Stone Chambers only appear to be connected, but in reality, they are in different spaces, like a Teleportation Array, so we can¡¯t go back to the original room. The second possibility is that once the doors of the Stone Chamber close, the state of the Chamber will reset. No matter what changes we make, it will revert to its original state.¡± Bai Youwei felt somewhat irritated; this was the type of maze she hated the most: going in endless circles. If time permitted, it wouldn¡¯t matter to keep going in circles, but there was a monster that could approach at any moment within the maze. ¡°How about¡­ we try not closing the door?¡± Asarina suggested hesitantly. ¡°I can hold the door and prevent it from closing, you all go in first, then we¡¯ll see what changes might happen in the Stone Chamber.¡± ¡°Could there be danger?¡± Chen Hui was worried. ¡°What if it¡¯s the first case, and the Stone Chamber teleports us, and we all are transported away, leaving only you behind? What then?¡± Being left alone in the maze was obviously very dangerous. After thinking for a moment, Bai Youwei said, ¡°Chen Hui is right¡ªletting you hold the door is dangerous. I¡¯ll use a stone block to try.¡± A stone block? Everyone looked at each other in confusion. There was nothing in the Stone Chamber¡ªwhere would they find a stone block? Only Shen Mo and Asarina knew what Bai Youwei meant. She took off the golden key from around her neck, opened the dollhouse, and saw Du Lai, Chen Hui, and Leonid staring at her. She explained, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, this is my prop.¡± Then she shouted towards the dollhouse, ¡°Xiaoxin! Help me bring a large stone block over!¡± The dollhouse was built on top of a mountain, where stones were in abundance. Pan Xiaoxin immediately went down the mountain to pry a large one loose. Together with Teacher Chang, they labored to carry it out, a hefty mountain rock still damp with moist soil at the bottom. ¡°Sister Weiwei, is this maze difficult?¡± Pan Xiaoxin looked around, seeing the dim and gloomy atmosphere of the Stone Chamber, and couldn¡¯t help but rub his arms. Teacher Chang also felt uncomfortable. ¡°The chill is so strong, I¡¯ll make you some ginger soup¡­ Will you come back for lunch?¡± Teacher Chang meant well, but his words really broke the immersion. Their expressions complex, it felt as if they had suddenly moved from the set of a horror film to that of a domestic drama. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Tan Xiao?¡± ¡°Asleep on the second floor,¡± Pan Xiaoxin replied helplessly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t talk much, doesn¡¯t really pay attention to people, and he didn¡¯t even have breakfast when called.¡± Bai Youwei frowned. ¡°Never mind him. You guys go back, I¡¯ll call you if there¡¯s something.¡± Pan Xiaoxin and Chang Weicai left as told, Bai Youwei closed the door to the dollhouse, retracted the key, and when she looked up again, she found everyone staring at her dumbfounded. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Bai Youwei touched her face, puzzled. ¡°Carrying the stone block, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Such a rare prop¡­¡± Leonid muttered, walking over and lifting the large stone block, asking, ¡°Which door?¡± Bai Youwei pointed towards one of the doors, which still faced south. Shen Mo pushed open the south door, shone a flashlight inside, and looked back at them with a slight nod, ¡°Safe, it¡¯s the same room as before.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Now, they were about to test what would happen to the previous Stone Chamber once they entered another one. Chapter 811: 811: Meeting Someone Chapter 811: Chapter 811: Meeting Someone Leonid placed the rock between two Stone Chambers. The boulder leaned against the door, half in the front chamber, and half in the rear chamber. Aside from this rock, Bai Youwei had purposely sprinkled a puddle of water on the floor just to see if there would be any change in the condition of the Stone Chambers. Everyone stepped over the rock and entered the new chamber. The rock silently stayed on the tiles, with no changes at all. Bai Youwei shone her flashlight on the puddle of water she had sprinkled earlier¡ªthe water stain was still there. ... After waiting another seven or eight seconds, the water stain suddenly disappeared! Bai Youwei was startled and immediately looked at the rock! Only half of the rock was left! The portion that was on the other end had disappeared! It looked as if it had been neatly sliced in half; now, only half of the rock leaned against the door! Asarina couldn¡¯t help but gasp, ¡°If the rock wasn¡¯t there but instead it was me, would I not¡­¡± The rest of the group also looked uneasy. If every Stone Chamber was like this, how would they find the keys? How could they find the way out? Bai Youwei remained calm as usual and analyzed in an even tone, ¡°If every room has a teleport function, there must be a fixed teleportation point, or a set of rules for teleportation; otherwise, no one could leave the maze. If it¡¯s not teleportation but a reset state, there must be a way to prevent the chambers from resetting, otherwise all rooms being the same, it¡¯s impossible to exit the maze.¡± ¡°Do you mean we missed some clues?¡± Shen Mo asked. ¡°Maybe,¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°The maze wouldn¡¯t leave the players with no way out~¡± Du Lai said upon hearing this, ¡°But, we¡¯ve already checked that chamber with the mural repeatedly; we shouldn¡¯t have missed any clues¡­ If we could go back there, maybe there¡¯s something we didn¡¯t notice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late to think about going back now,¡± Bai Youwei sighed deeply, ¡°No wonder the maze exposed the critical point to us from the beginning. It knew we couldn¡¯t go back. Even if we gathered all 12 keys, it would be futile without returning to the starting point.¡± After this speech, everyone couldn¡¯t help feeling discouraged. It seemed they could only wander around aimlessly like headless flies, which was really disheartening. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°We¡¯ll keep heading south and see if we can reach the end.¡± Chen Hui murmured softly, ¡°If these are endless rooms, that would be really awful¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be endless,¡± Bai Youwei turned to her with a smile, ¡°If rooms were infinite, the Minotaur would never be able to catch the players.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Therefore, the number of Stone Chambers must be limited. The group¡¯s spirits were lifted, and they again opened the door to the south¡ª This time, as soon as the door opened, terrified screams came from inside! ¡°Ah ah ah ah ah ah!¡­¡± ¡°Help!!!¡± ¡°The Minotaur! The Minotaur is coming!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s here! The Minotaur is going to eat us!!!¡± The screaming was hysterical, frantic, and human in nature. Shen Mo shone his flashlight on them, and these people finally shut up, using only their pair of dry, murky eyes to watch fearfully from behind the light, looking at Bai Youwei and her group. Bai Youwei also examined them. Here were three men, huddled in the corner, gaunt and disheveled, their hair and beards looked like they hadn¡¯t been tended for months, their clothes stained with spots of black and red, as if they were blood that had clotted long ago. Their appearances were pitiful, barely human-looking, their eyes dull and fixed on the flashlight¡¯s beam. Chen Hui, somewhat scared, asked Bai Youwei softly, ¡°Are they NPCs?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t quite seem like it,¡± Bai Youwei replied with a frown, ¡°Also, we¡¯ve never encountered NPCs in the maze before.¡± Finally, the three men came to their senses, one of them scrambling and rolling over to Bai Youwei, hurriedly explaining, ¡°We¡¯re people! We¡¯re human! We¡¯re not NPCs! We can help you get out!¡± As they spoke, they lifted the three keys they had, ¡°We just need to collect all 12 keys! Then we can escape!¡± Chapter 812 - 812 Dirty Things Chapter 812: Chapter 812 Dirty Things Those three keys had been clutched in their hands for who knows how long, covered with dried bloodstains, dust, and perhaps even sweat. Even without touching them, Bai Youwei could make out the stickiness, the filth. Shen Mo, Leonid, and Du Lai, the three men, stood in front of Bai Youwei to prevent these people with unclear identities from getting any closer. The person holding the keys visibly shrank back, slowly retreating while he said in a low voice, ¡°We truly are humans¡­ We bear no malice¡­ If only you are willing to lead us out, these keys¡­ can all be yours¡­¡± His tone was cautious, filled with humble pleading, as if he was extremely fearful of Shen Mo and the others¡¯ might, yet unwilling to let go of a potential lifeline. Shen Mo held a flashlight and shone it around¡ªthe stone chamber only contained the three emaciated men in front of them, with no other people or things in sight. Doubt clouded his mind, and he looked at these people again, asking, ¡°How long have you been trapped here?¡± ... ¡°We¡­ we can¡¯t remember,¡± the man with the keys replied. ¡°Our flashlights ran out of battery a long time ago, there¡¯s no light here, we can¡¯t tell time¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed, his gaze sweeping over their hair, ¡°If you guys used to have short hair, judging by the length of your hair now, you¡¯ve been trapped here for at least three months.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Three months ago, the labyrinth war had not yet started, and the labyrinth wasn¡¯t locked, so it was very possible for ordinary people to be trapped in a labyrinth. Unable to help herself, Chen Hui asked, ¡°For such a long time, what have you been eating? What have you been drinking? There¡¯s nothing here, not even¡­¡± She stopped, not finishing her thought. What she wanted to say was that there wasn¡¯t even a used piece of toilet paper here; if they managed their eating, drinking, and waste for months, how could there be no trace? Unless they were robots or NPCs with no physiological needs! Thinking this, Chen Hui¡¯s look toward these men became more skeptical; she didn¡¯t believe living people could survive this long in a labyrinth. At that moment, another man moved, taking off a leather bag from his waist and muttering an explanation, ¡°We have this prop¡­ It can produce an endless supply of bread and spring water.¡± After saying this, he demonstrated it for them. He untied the cord at the mouth of the leather bag, then pulled out a long loaf of bread and a bottle of spring water. ¡°I beg you¡­ please lead us out¡­¡± the man crawled on the ground, shivering, whether from cold or hunger, ¡°As long as we can get out, this bread¡­ no, you can take this leather bag! As long as we can leave this place, we¡¯ll give you anything!¡­¡± Everyone looked at each other, all feeling it was unbelievable. They had been inside labyrinths before but had never encountered survivors who could hold on for so long. Moreover, with this labyrinth being dark and airtight, even if they had ample food, enduring for such a long time in the darkness¡­ was unimaginable. The man placed the leather bag on the ground, bowed his head, and slowly pushed it toward their feet. Leonid picked it up, his expression subtly changing, and handed it to Bai Youwei, ¡°It is indeed a prop.¡± Bai Youwei took it, and the moment she touched the leather bag, information about the prop flashed through her mind. [Mountain Spirit¡¯s Magic Bag: A bag under a curse that contains endless bread and unending spring water. However, should the bag be damaged, the curse will immediately dissipate.] The prop was real. Bai Youwei chose to believe a third of what these people said. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°After you drink the water, how do you deal with the empty bottles?¡± The man kneeling on the ground replied, ¡°We use them¡­ to hold urine. When they¡¯re full, we just¡­ toss them into the room next door.¡± No wonder the place was clean and didn¡¯t look like it had been lived in for three months. They had disposed of all their waste. Chapter 813: Summing Up Experience Chapter 813: Chapter 813: Summing Up Experience Bai Youwei looked around and asked the man, ¡°Which room did you throw it in?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve tried all of them¡­¡± the man answered honestly. ¡°Any of the four rooms, it¡¯s all the same. Anything unclaimed that¡¯s thrown in disappears automatically.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s brows knitted together as she asked, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®unclaimed objects¡¯?¡± The man explained, ¡°Anything that¡¯s left behind by a person, or any marks made by a person, will be considered ¡®unclaimed¡¯ by the room after the person leaves, and then¡­ erased¡­¡± Everyone exchanged glances once more. This was exactly what they had experienced in the Stone Chamber. It turned out the markings Shen Mo made and the batteries Bai Youwei left were determined to be ¡®unclaimed objects¡¯ by the Stone Chamber, so they disappeared¡­ ... Bai Youwei reassessed the three men before her. ¡°It seems¡­ you know quite a bit about the maze. Let¡¯s hear it. If it¡¯s valuable information, we might consider taking you with us.¡± The man couldn¡¯t wait to speak, ¡°We¡¯ll tell you! We¡¯ll tell everything! Just as long as you agree to take us out, we¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± The three men were tripping over themselves to confess. It wasn¡¯t clear whether it was because they had been trapped in the darkness for too long, but their speech was jumbled. Sometimes a single word could convey their meaning, yet they often repeated and embellished their descriptions, their minds not entirely lucid. When they became agitated, they even burst into tears. But it was precisely for this reason that Bai Youwei let her guard down a bit. To her, these men truly appeared to be suffering the mental breakdown of those trapped for an extended period. When someone¡¯s broken down like that, where would they find the energy to scheme against others? They would throw themselves at even the slightest hint of hope, mad with desperation! ¡­ The man with the key was named Mark. The man holding the leather bag was called Dylan. And the least talkative and most mentally disturbed was called Slade. These three claimed to have been sailors, and there were more than a dozen others who entered the labyrinth with them, all dead at the hands of the Minotaur. The Minotaur was said to possess immense strength, have a taste for human flesh, and move effortlessly in the darkness, making an encounter with it almost certainly fatal. The sailors had trudged through the maze, suffering losses and losing many lives before they slowly worked out a pattern¡ª First, as long as they stayed still, the Minotaur would not move. Second, if they moved, the Minotaur would move an equal number of rooms. It was like a game of chess; you move a few pieces, and the opponent moves a few as well. And once they reached a dead end or chose the wrong escape route, they were likely to be caught by the Minotaur. Once caught, the four doors of the room would lock down, no force able to open them until someone was sacrificed. Only then would the doors open, allowing the survivors to escape. Their companions died one after another in this way. At first, when encountering the Minotaur, they would fight together, but as they realized they stood no chance against the beast, they would only run for their lives! They even hoped for others to meet mishaps because the doors would only open upon a death! The three men Bai Youwei¡¯s group encountered were the final survivors. Knowing they couldn¡¯t defeat the Minotaur, they dared not move carelessly, so they hid in the Stone Chamber, surviving on bread and mountain spring water, enduring an eternity of unending time¡­ S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After listening to their stories, Bai Youwei pondered for a moment, ¡°According to what you¡¯ve said¡­ that Minotaur actually knows the exact location of every person in the maze, right?¡± ¡°Yes! It knows! It knows everything!¡± Mark said, ¡°But we don¡¯t know where it is! It¡¯s not fair. We can only tell the direction when it¡¯s far away. If it¡¯s close, like just a room away, echoes of the creature will come from all around, and we can¡¯t tell which way to flee!¡± Chapter 814: Sense of Dissonance Chapter 814: Chapter 814: Sense of Dissonance ¡°Even so, it must be difficult for the Minotaur to catch up with you, right?¡± Bai Youwei felt something odd, and wondered if there were details they hadn¡¯t clarified? ¡°Suppose the Minotaur¡¯s initial position is 20 rooms away from you, and you move one room while it also moves one room, the distance between you would always remain 20. Even if you turn into a dead-end midway and need to reverse direction, those 20 steps should be enough to escape, right? But according to what you¡¯re saying, it seems like you encountered the Minotaur quite easily. Why is that?¡± The three men were stunned. Their faces showed utter confusion and bewilderment. ... ¡°Some rooms¡­ are very strange,¡± said the man named Dylan hesitantly, ¡°Sometimes even though we are ahead of the Minotaur, after opening a few Stone Chambers, somehow¡­ we end up behind the Minotaur¡­¡± If they continued opening doors ahead and the Minotaur turned back to open doors in the opposite direction, they would directly encounter each other. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that some rooms can cause spatial jumps?¡± Bai Youwei asked them, ¡°Do these rooms look any different from the regular rooms?¡± ¡°No¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± The three men shook their heads in bewilderment, not appearing as though they were lying. Bai Youwei asked further, ¡°Do the positions of the jumps have anything in common? For example, are those rooms always located near the corners, or dead ends?¡± They still shook their heads blankly. However, that was to be expected. If they had completely figured out the room situations, they wouldn¡¯t still be trapped here. Asarina asked Bai Youwei, ¡°What should we do next?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s rest for now. Randomly entering rooms is pointless and will only attract the Minotaur. We need to sort out our thoughts first.¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone listened, set down their luggage, laid out moisture-proof mats, and each found a spot to rest. Since they had just entered the labyrinth, they only took out water and drank a few sips. The three men were very attentive, taking out a lot of bread and water from a leather bag, and respectfully offering it to everyone. It felt as though they had been exiled to Mars for three months and suddenly saw other living people, exerting all their strength to try and please those around them. Although Bai Youwei was not particularly keen on the bread and water, she accepted some. She tore off a small piece of bread and didn¡¯t eat it but just sniffed it under her nose¡ªit smelled like high-quality wheat. Chen Hui moved closer and whispered, ¡°Youwei, are these people really not NPCs?¡± ¡°NPCs would not hold items,¡± Bai Youwei replied. Chen Hui pursed her lips and looked towards the three men, muttering, ¡°I still feel something is off about them¡­¡± ¡°Yes, something is quite off,¡± Bai Youwei said, also glancing over. Mark, Dylan, Slade had finished handing out bread and water and were now huddled in a corner, clinging tightly to each other for warmth. ¡°What¡¯s off about them?¡± Chen Hui whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t you think they are too thin?¡± Bai Youwei said emotionlessly, withdrawing her gaze, ¡°Eating bread every day with no other activities, they shouldn¡¯t look that thin, should they? Their current state looks as if¡­¡± Bai Youwei paused for a moment and then said, ¡°as if they haven¡¯t eaten properly in months.¡± Listening to this, Chen Hui instantly felt unsettled. She was not without compassion, but sharing a room with such people felt inexplicably uncomfortable. ¡°Could it be¡­ because they¡¯ve been in a repressive environment for a long time¡­ that they can¡¯t eat, and that¡¯s why they¡¯re thin?¡± Chen Hui tried to rationalize. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m overthinking,¡± Bai Youwei said nonchalantly, ¡°Also, when we first met, they even wanted to give us the Magic Bag as a gift, giving me the impression they don¡¯t care about food¡­ even though they are so thin, why aren¡¯t they concerned about food?¡± Chapter 815: 815: Flashlight Chapter 815: Chapter 815: Flashlight Chen Hui felt goosebumps all over her body from Bai Youwei¡¯s description. Bai Youwei spoke lightheartedly again, ¡°But we haven¡¯t been trapped for that long to objectively speculate on their psychology. Maybe their minds are no longer clear. To them, as long as they can seize the chance to get out, food and tools are all trivial.¡± Chen Hui still felt uneasy and whispered, ¡°Then¡­ we should keep a closer eye on them.¡± ¡°Of course, we definitely need to be vigilant,¡± Bai Youwei nodded. Shen Mo came over and handed Bai Youwei three keys, ¡°Those people gave them to us.¡± They had said they would give them earlier, but Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t taken them because she found it disgusting. Now they were eagerly brought over, as if they were really worried that Bai Youwei and the others would abandon them. ... Bai Youwei looked at the keys in Shen Mo¡¯s hand, sighed deeply, and said, ¡°Get a few more bottles of water from them to wash these¡­¡± Shen Mo nodded, turned around to go, but was called back by Bai Youwei, ¡°Your hands, remember to wash them too.¡± Shen Mo: ¡°¡­¡± He gave her a helpless glance. ¡­ Shen Mo got two bottles of spring water from those people, one to wash the keys, the other to wash his hands. The clean keys still felt old, with no distinct features, about 10cm in length, and each in a different color¡ªone in tortoise shell green, another in grape purple, and the third in old ginger yellow. Bai Youwei picked up the keys, put them down again, touched and tapped them, examined them, but couldn¡¯t figure out anything special and simply asked Shen Mo to keep them for the time being. Keys were just keys, nothing more. Before finding other keys, these three keys were worth the same as zero. The light nearby flickered twice. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Leonid¡¯s flashlight had gone out. Leonid hastened to say, ¡°I¡¯m using old batteries, so the power isn¡¯t sufficient, but no problem, I have spares in my bag.¡± He expertly opened the back of the flashlight, took out the old batteries, and was about to replace them with new ones when Bai Youwei said, ¡°Let¡¯s turn off the other flashlights as well, leaving just one beam should be enough. We don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be here, so let¡¯s conserve what we have.¡± After hearing this, everyone promptly turned off their own flashlights, leaving only one in the middle of the Stone Chamber to provide illumination. The light from a single flashlight naturally couldn¡¯t light up the entire Stone Chamber; apart from a strong beam in the center, the edges of the chamber remained immersed in darkness. However, they did not need to explore their surroundings or engage in combat right now, so having dimmer lighting was of no consequence. Shen Mo took out a blanket from the luggage and draped it over Bai Youwei. There wasn¡¯t the biting chill of the outside winds here, but another kind of persistent, gloomy cold that, after a while, would chill your hands and feet without you noticing. Bai Youwei drew the blanket closer around her and slipped her hands inside Shen Mo¡¯s clothes to warm up, saying to him, ¡°Shall we set up the tent in a bit?¡± Shen Mo glanced at the other people in the Stone Chamber, murmured a low ¡°Mhm,¡± took her hands, flipped them over, and warmed the back of her hands for her. Bai Youwei chuckled, ¡°You think you¡¯re making flatbreads?¡± Shen Mo, hearing this, also laughed. He let go, playfully pinched her nose, and turned to go set up the tent. The tent was prepared for outdoor camping. Logically speaking, in such a closed space, setting up a tent was completely unnecessary; to rest, all one needed was a moisture-proof mat and a sleeping bag. Bai Youwei wanted Shen Mo to set up the tent because she needed a private space¡ªat least when entering or exiting the Doll House, she wouldn¡¯t be seen by the few individuals with unclear identities outside. She wrapped herself in the blanket and entered the tent, turned on a small lamp inside, then took out her customary pen and paper to write and draw, searching for ideas. After a while, Shen Mo also entered the tent. Bai Youwei asked him, ¡°What is everyone else doing?¡± ¡°Nothing much, just resting,¡± Shen Mo paused before adding, ¡°Those three are sleeping.¡± Chapter 816: 816: Its All a Misunderstanding Chapter 816: Chapter 816: It¡¯s All a Misunderstanding Bai Youwei twirled her pen thoughtfully, ¡°The daily routines of these three people must be a mess; living in an environment without light and having nothing to do, I reckon they spend most of their time sleeping each day¡­¡± ¡°Besides sleeping, there really isn¡¯t much else to do,¡± Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°unless they have the courage to step out of this Stone Chamber and move into a new one. But they don¡¯t, for fear of the Minotaur.¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°I still find it strange. According to them, they¡¯ve been attacked by the Minotaur at least seventeen or eighteen times. Yet they also said that the Minotaur moves as many spaces as the player does. Such frequent attacks¡­ That just doesn¡¯t seem very likely to me.¡± Shen Mo picked up the piece of paper in front of her and looked at it. She had drawn some squares, seemingly trying to simulate the route they had just taken. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with that, it¡¯s not accurate,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°In all the rooms we walked through just now, there was at least one spatial jump. We can¡¯t determine the location of the displacement now, so any map we draw would be wrong.¡± ... Shen Mo mused, ¡°We need to find a way to mark these rooms, otherwise, if we just randomly open doors, we¡¯ll eventually run into the Minotaur. I¡¯ll go out and talk to everyone, pool our ideas, and see if we can come up with a solution.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Bai Youwei sighed lightly and lazed down, ¡°I¡¯ll take a rest as well¡­¡± Darkness sometimes induces fear and tension, but at other times, it brings relaxation and the desire to rest. In a short time, no one could come up with a good idea, and there was no progress on Bai Youwei¡¯s side, so they decided to stay and rest in this Stone Chamber for the day. By nightfall, everyone was extremely exhausted and all lay down to rest. Shen Mo arranged for guards to keep watch in shifts. ¡­ Wrapped in a blanket, Bai Youwei snuggled into Shen Mo¡¯s arms for warmth. The tent was cozy from their closeness, fostering an indescribable warmth and comfort. Later, the light outside went out. Leonid¡¯s voice was heard complaining, ¡°These batteries really don¡¯t last¡­¡± Fumbling in the dark, Leonid¡¯s voice rustled as if he were rummaging through a bag for batteries. Inside the tent, Bai Youwei quietly asked Shen Mo, ¡°Is Leonid on guard duty?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°He¡¯s on until midnight, then it switches to Asarina, at 2 a.m. it¡¯s Du Lai¡­ I¡¯ll take over at 4 a.m.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too exhausting.¡± Bai Youwei leaned on him and muttered, ¡°If we could get into the dollhouse, we wouldn¡¯t need to keep watch at all¡­¡± She thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we two sneak in?¡± After all, both of them were in the tent, even if they entered the dollhouse, the people outside wouldn¡¯t know. But Shen Mo disagreed, ¡°If something happens while we¡¯re in the dollhouse, we wouldn¡¯t be aware of anything.¡± No sooner had he finished speaking than, as if on cue, a scream sounded from outside the tent! Bai Youwei jumped with fright! Chen Hui¡¯s voice rang out loudly, ¡°What are you going to do?! Get away! Get away!!!¡± Shen Mo immediately dashed out of the tent! Leonid had already caught the assailant outside and shouted, ¡°What were you trying to do just now?!¡± Everyone woke up. Several beams from flashlights converged on the emaciated, pale man, who shivered and lay on the ground, not daring to move. Chen Hui stood by, still with a look of shock on her face. Bai Youwei stepped out of the tent, frowned, and glanced over, asking, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding¡­ all a misunderstanding!¡± Mark and Dylan hurried over, pulling Slade up from the ground, ¡°He must¡¯ve been dreaming again¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right, he was dreaming! He¡¯s not in his right mind, often confusing dreams with reality. He didn¡¯t mean to scare you; please don¡¯t take it the wrong way!¡­¡± Bai Youwei frowned and turned to directly ask Chen Hui, ¡°Chen Hui, what do you say happened?¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 817: 817: Confused Chapter 817: Chapter 817: Confused Chen Hui¡¯s face looked incredibly awful as she bit her lower lip, glaring hatefully at that Slade for a long while before answering, ¡°He¡­ he just now¡­ licked¡­¡± She was so grossed out that she couldn¡¯t continue, simply raising her arm to show Bai Youwei, ¡°Licked here.¡± Licked her arm? What kind of sickness is that? Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and looked again toward Mark, Dylan, and Slade, all three of them. ¡°He¡¯s fucking asking for it!¡± Leonid was furious, feeling that the other party was clearly messing around, and he kicked out! ... As a result, these men were unbelievably weak; not only did Slade get knocked over, but Mark and Dylan, who were supporting Slade, were also kicked several meters away! Crack¡ª The sound of bones breaking echoed, particularly clear in the Stone Chamber. Leonid stiffened for a moment, the second kick he was about to deliver, he forcibly held back. He only wanted to teach them a lesson, not expecting them to be as ¡°fragile¡± as cookies, breaking bones from a single kick?! But then again, it made sense, given that these men were nothing but skin and bones, without even a small amount of muscle visible, skinny like that, long-term lack of exercise, plus malnutrition¡­ It was not surprising that they were injured. ¡°It¡¯s really a misunderstanding¡­¡± Mark clutched the painful area, still struggling to explain, ¡°Slade has been staying in the dark for too long, he has recently been unable to distinguish dreams from reality, otherwise how could he dare¡­¡± On an inappropriate note, although Chen Hui was just a young girl, compared to the skeletal Slade, she could be considered ¡°strong.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s a misunderstanding, let¡¯s disperse and everyone should rest early,¡± Bai Youwei said unperturbedly, calmly stating, ¡°Leonid, help Chen Hui set up her tent, so she can rest assured through the latter part of the night.¡± Leonid didn¡¯t say another word and immediately went to get the tent from their luggage. Bai Youwei turned to look at the man named Slade. His eyes were still fixated on Chen Hui. More accurately, they were staring at the section of arm Chen Hui had shown to be licked, with suspiciously¡­ traces of saliva still oozing at the corners of his mouth. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Shen Mo suddenly spoke, his tone very cold. Bai Youwei came back to her senses, only then noticing that while she was observing Slade, another guy named Dylan was also staring at her. So that was why Shen Mo had suddenly become aggressive. Shen Mo¡¯s presence was enough to intimidate most people, but Dylan¡¯s mental state was clearly also compromised; he stared blankly for a long time without responding, finally, Mark helped him out, explaining to Shen Mo: ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s also groggy! He¡¯s been in the maze for too long, it wasn¡¯t intentional¡­¡± Mark tugged forcefully at Dylan, ¡°Dylan, Dylan! Wake up! Get it together!¡± Dylan finally snapped out of it, but he seemed to be unaware of the situation, giving a confused glance to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei before withdrawing his eyes and cowering back into a corner. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Leonid cursed, feeling that all these people were fucking insane! Bai Youwei stood in place for a while, then reached out to grab Shen Mo, bending down to return to their tent. ¡°Was he looking at me just now?¡± Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo for confirmation. ¡°Yes, first he was looking at Chen Hui, then at you,¡± Shen Mo frowned, quite displeased, ¡°Not only the two of them, but also that Mark, who talks the most, his eyes keep going to both you and Chen Hui¡­ inexplicably.¡± Bai Youwei then thought of something else¡­ ¡°Why would it be me and Chen Hui?¡± she pondered slowly asking, ¡°Do I and Chen Hui have anything in common?¡± ¡°Both are females,¡± Shen Mo responded, ¡°Both very young, beautiful.¡± Chen Hui was around fifteen or sixteen years old, a girl of that age is like a flower, almost never ugly. And Bai Youwei was always delicate, looking younger than she was, appearing to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. Bai Youwei said, ¡°I am sleeping in the tent, plus I have you guarding me. But Chen Hui is alone, with Leonid on watch, not by her side. If it really were people confused from sleep or unclear in their minds, could they accurately¡­ find the right targets?¡± Chapter 818: 818 Chattering Chapter 818: Chapter 818 Chattering Bai Youwei finished speaking, furrowed her brows, and hesitated, ¡°¡­ but that doesn¡¯t seem right either. If they could calmly analyze the objectives, they should know they have no chance of succeeding. Knowing they would be discovered, why would they still do it?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°If we can¡¯t trust these few people, we might as well go our own way. We can leave them behind.¡± ¡°No, we must bring them along.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head. ¡°They have been in the labyrinth for months and know the situation better than us. Moreover, if we let them roam freely here, we won¡¯t be able to track their movements. What if they act at the same time as us? Wouldn¡¯t that be like giving the Minotaur double the steps?¡± Shen Mo frowned and thought for a while, also finding it troublesome, and asked here, ¡°How are you planning to proceed tomorrow?¡± ¡°Tomorrow¡­¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips and sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s first try and see if we can find a corner room.¡± ¡­ ... Nothing happened in the latter part of the night. The next day, everyone woke up in the darkness. Bai Youwei announced they would set off in half an hour; everyone started eating and packing their bags. The three people in the corner also woke up. They took out a loaf of bread from the Magic Bag, broke it into three small pieces, and each ate a piece slowly. Du Lai, with his hands in his hoodie pockets, strolled over to them, curiously sizing them up. ¡°Why not take two loaves of bread?¡± Du Lai asked. ¡°Is that little bit enough?¡± ¡°Enough¡­¡± Mark replied softly. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do anything staying here, so our appetite has decreased gradually.¡± He said, stuffing the bread into his mouth and, like the others, bowed his head and ate. The soft bread seemed hard to swallow for them; after several gulps of water, they finally managed to get it down. After finishing, Mark noticed Du Lai still staring at him and explained, ¡°Having eaten it for several months, it really makes one nauseous.¡± ¡°Is it.¡± Du Lai smiled, said casually, ¡°Eating the same thing for months can indeed make one feel sick.¡± Du Lai reached into his pocket, pulled out a packet of biscuits, and offered, ¡°Want to try something different?¡± ¡°No need, no need, keep it for yourself!¡± Mark hurriedly said. ¡°We¡¯re already full. Now that our stomachs have shrunk, a little fills us up.¡± Du Lai smiled noncommittally and put the biscuits back, ¡°Since you¡¯re full, then all right.¡± Mark gave a sheepish smile. Dylan also raised his head, a face full of bread crumbs, and smiled at Du Lai. Slade was still in a daze, holding the bread but unable to swallow it, just drooling over Chen Hui who was not far away. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Leonid saw it, and flames of anger surged, but it wasn¡¯t right to lash out. It¡¯s not good to argue with someone mentally ill. Chen Hui shot a disgusted glance at the man, then turned and walked to Bai Youwei¡¯s tent, asking, ¡°Sister Weiwei, everything¡¯s ready, shall we set off early?¡± From inside Bai Youwei¡¯s tent, a soft chirping sound came. Chen Hui, puzzled, called out again, ¡°¡­ Sister Weiwei?¡± ¡°Mhm, coming.¡± Bai Youwei responded. After a while, Bai Youwei emerged from the tent, carrying a bamboo basket filled with about a dozen fluffy chicks. Chen Hui was extremely surprised, ¡°Sister Weiwei, where did these chickens come from?¡± Bai Youwei replied, ¡°Hatched from eggs.¡± Chen Hui, ¡°Where did the eggs come from?¡± Bai Youwei, ¡°Laid by the chickens.¡± Chen Hui, ¡°¡­¡± Du Lai also walked over, reached into the bamboo basket and with a smile said, ¡°Haven¡¯t seen these creatures for a long time. So, you plan to use these chickens to scout the way?¡± Before Bai Youwei could answer, Mark stood up and said, ¡°That won¡¯t work. As long as you and the chickens aren¡¯t in the same Stone Chamber, the chickens will be considered ¡®ownerless¡¯ and will disappear!¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head to look at him and asked with a smile, ¡°Have you tried it?¡± Chapter 819: 819: Three Chickens Chapter 819: Chapter 819: Three Chickens S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mark choked. Of course, he hadn¡¯t tried with live chickens, but they¡¯d tried other things. ¡°We¡¯ve thrown lots of things into these rooms: clothes, socks, torn-off fingernails, pulled-out hair¡­ even props we couldn¡¯t use. All of them disappeared! Nothing stays unless there¡¯s a living person in the room.¡± Mark looked at the bamboo basket with regret, ¡°These chickens¡­ it would be such a pity if they were gone¡­¡± Bai Youwei laughed, ¡°You just said that living people are fine, and these chickens are alive too.¡± ¡°But the chickens are yours¡­¡± Mark was anxious and started to gesture with his hands, ¡°You have to be in the same Stone Chamber as the chickens, or your chickens will disappear!¡± ... Bai Youwei shrugged indifferently, ¡°These chickens aren¡¯t mine.¡± Mark was stunned, ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°To be precise¡­¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°These chickens should belong to themselves. ¡®Ownerless objects¡¯ is a concept you guys came up with; it¡¯s not an explicit rule of the maze. Since it¡¯s all about playing with concepts, why not play it at a higher level~ Every life is an independent entity, no life belongs to another, so if live people aren¡¯t erased, live chickens shouldn¡¯t be either.¡± She set down the bamboo basket, picked a chick, and tied one of its claws with a cotton thread. Then she walked to a door and said, ¡°Open the door.¡± Du Lai, standing by her side, opened the door, revealing pitch darkness. It was the same Stone Chamber. Bai Youwei tossed the chicken inside, and everyone else crowded around, shining their flashlights, watching the chick¡¯s condition in the chamber on the other side. The chick chirped, seemingly calling for its companions, its tender yellow, tiny claws trembling slightly. The environment of the Stone Chamber was too cold and dreary for it. It was somewhat cruel, but there was no other way. It was like a tomb robber digging a tunnel and then sending in a sparrow or a cat, all to survive. ¡­ The chick chirped in the Stone Chamber for about a minute and didn¡¯t disappear. Bai Youwei pulled at the cotton thread, slowly reeling it back in and placing the chick back into the basket. ¡°Which door is this?¡± she asked Shen Mo. Shen Mo glanced at the compass, ¡°It¡¯s the southern door.¡± ¡°Then take three more chickens and try the Stone Chambers behind the east, west, and north doors,¡± Bai Youwei instructed everyone. ¡°Remember to tie them with cotton thread firmly. Don¡¯t let the chickens break free, or else we¡¯ll have to go in and catch them¡ªgoing into a room means making the Minotaur move to another room, so be very careful.¡± Du Lai, Chen Hui, and Leonid each took a chick, tied it with cotton thread, and tossed them into the chambers behind the east, west, and north doors. Perhaps it was their good luck, but every chicken remained intact, chirping safely inside the Stone Chambers. Bai Youwei decided to continue southward. She wanted to figure out just how many of these identical Stone Chambers there were and where the end might be. She led the group into the southern Stone Chamber, and Mark, Dylan, and Slade hurriedly followed, afraid of being left behind. Upon entering the new Stone Chamber, Bai Youwei repeated her tactic, releasing the chicks to probe the conditions of the three rooms. This time, the chick behind the eastern door vanished. The thread tied to its claw was also gone without a trace. ¡°It seems this Stone Chamber is a transport point, but it¡¯s not clear if the destination of the transport is fixed¡­¡± Bai Youwei took a handful of millet from her bag and threw it into the eastern Stone Chamber. A few seconds later, the millet too had disappeared. ¡°With this temperature, the chickens might not live very long,¡± Shen Mo reminded her. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then turned to ask Mark, ¡°Hey, you said before that living people are fine in the Stone Chamber, what about dead ones? Do dead people disappear?¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was worried about the chickens but that she feared if the chickens died, they would disappear directly, not leaving even a feather behind, and then she wouldn¡¯t be able to determine the Stone Chamber¡¯s new location after it shifted. Chapter 820: 820: No Matter How You Go Chapter 820: Chapter 820: No Matter How You Go Mark stammered in response, ¡°Probably¡­ three to four days, the bodies begin to decompose and then disappear.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a while, then said to everyone, ¡°Before we release the chicken, let¡¯s mark it somehow, like using a unique way of tying the knot.¡± Du Lai asked her, ¡°Are we still heading south?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s see how many rooms we can go until the end,¡± Bai Youwei replied. They continued on their way. And in the next room, they made a new discovery¡ª ... A dark blue key. Mark and the others were very excited to see the key, ¡°Four keys now! I didn¡¯t expect there to be a key in this room! That¡¯s great!¡± It was actually only four keys, still far from the twelve needed, but the three men all showed happy expressions, clearly very eager to leave this place. Mark picked up the key eagerly, bending over to present it to Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei, however, showed obvious disdain and refused to touch it, asking him to give it to Shen Mo. At that moment, something vaguely flashed through her mind, she thought hard but couldn¡¯t figure out what that strange feeling was about. She looked around, Du Lai and Chen Hui were carrying the chicken to explore the surrounding rooms. Actually, they had already used a chicken to explore the chamber they were in, but because each chamber was more than two hundred square meters, and the flashlight had only been focused on the chicken, they hadn¡¯t seen the key on the floor. Finding it now was not too late. Chen Hui waved to Bai Youwei, ¡°Sister Wei, there¡¯s no problem with the room to the south, shall we continue south?¡± ¡°Yes, keep going.¡± They moved one more grid south. A beast¡¯s roar suddenly came from behind them! Everyone jumped, turning to look at the closed door!¡ªThe Minotaur seemed to be right behind the stone wall! It roared, it bellowed, pacing back and forth restlessly wanting to devour them all! Mark, Dylan, and Slade were especially reactive to the sound! S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The three of them almost immediately collapsed to the ground, their legs trembling, unable to even stand up! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Leonid couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°The sound seems very close, but how could this creature suddenly appear?!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s expression turned solemn, ¡°It¡¯s the teleportation point from before.¡± Leonid was taken aback, ¡°The room where the chicken disappeared just now?¡± ¡°This is troublesome¡­¡± Bai Youwei frowned and said, ¡°It seems the Minotaur not only clearly knows our location but also can use teleportation points to quickly reach the room closest to us.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the teleportation point from earlier, then it¡¯s only two grids away from us now,¡± Shen Mo took off the paper doll, turned it into a knife, and held it in his hand, ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips and said, ¡°Continue south.¡± Du Lai pushed the door to the south, it didn¡¯t budge, ¡°¡­We can¡¯t go south, it¡¯s a dead end.¡± Mark, Dylan, and Slade kept trembling, stammering, ¡°Maybe¡­ we shouldn¡¯t go¡­ just, just if we don¡¯t move, the Minotaur won¡¯t be able to move either¡­¡± Bai Youwei ignored them, pointed to a door, and was the first to walk in, ¡°Go west!¡± She entered the western stone chamber, tried to push another western door, but the door wouldn¡¯t budge!¡ªThe west was blocked too! Bai Youwei then tried the southern door again¡ª Still a dead end! This time, Bai Youwei¡¯s expression finally changed. And the growls behind them grew closer! Leonid said, ¡°If we can¡¯t go south or west, let¡¯s go north!¡± But Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s too late, no matter which way we go, we¡¯ll meet the Minotaur face to face.¡± Leonid, normally not a fool, pondered for a moment and then understood. Suppose there are nine stone chambers, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Bai Youwei is currently in 7, and the Minotaur is now exactly in 3. If Bai Youwei goes north, she would be caught by the Minotaur in room 1, if she goes east, she would be caught in room 9! No matter where she went, she would encounter that man-eating monster! Chapter 821: 821 Minotaur Chapter 821: Chapter 821 Minotaur Mark trembled and stammered, ¡°It was the same before, the Minotaur just appeared nearby out of nowhere, and we couldn¡¯t hide no matter what¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you took the wrong route to hide,¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently. ¡°Hiding in panic will certainly not work. You can try drawing nine rooms, assuming our original location was room 2, the teleportation room to the east was room 3, then we found the key in room 5, proceeded to room 8, found there were no rooms to the south, and walked west to room 7, which was a dead end. At this point, the Minotaur appeared in room 3¡ª So facing us were only two paths, either go to room 4 or back to room 8. If we went to room 4, the Minotaur would move to room 2, and whether we went to room 1 or room 5, we would be caught. If we went back to room 8, the Minotaur would move to room 6, and whether we went to room 5 or room 9, we would be caught.¡± Bai Youwei paused for two seconds and whispered, ¡°Unless there are teleportation points in rooms 4 and 8.¡± ... Leonid sneered and clenched his fist, ¡°We¡¯ll have to face it sooner or later. Since we can¡¯t hide, let¡¯s fight!¡± ¡°Uncle, fighting with the Minotaur can be deadly,¡± Chen Hui reminded him. Leonid pointed at Chen Hui with his hand, ¡°You, just stand next to your Sister Weiwei when the time comes. Don¡¯t get involved in the fighting. As soon as the door opens, run!¡± ¡°Run where? We need to help too,¡± Chen Hui said, shaking the flashlight in her hand. ¡°Without us to light your way, how will you fight the Minotaur in the pitch dark?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Chen Hui is right; you can¡¯t fight the Minotaur in complete darkness. If we encounter it, we need to at least ensure we have lighting. Let¡¯s distribute the flashlights and arm ourselves with weapons, then set out.¡± Hearing this, Mark shuddered and hurriedly ran to Bai Youwei, stammering, ¡°Set out¡­ again? Aren¡¯t you, you afraid of encountering the Minotaur? No one can defeat it! It eats people!¡± ¡°We must go even if we¡¯ll encounter it, unless you want to stay here forever.¡± Bai Youwei picked up her bamboo basket, bypassed him, and had Shen Mo open the door to the north. They still used a chick to test the room; no teleportation point was found, so Bai Youwei directly walked in. The others followed suit. Mark didn¡¯t dare, but as these people left, even the last beam of light in the Stone Chamber disappeared, so he had to grit his teeth and follow, steeling himself. Dylan pulled Slade along to follow as well. In the new Stone Chamber, the roaring sound became clearer, the frantic scratching as if right above one¡¯s head, and the Minotaur¡¯s heavy panting resounded from every direction! Hu-huh¡­ Hu-huh¡­ It was about to arrive! ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± Bai Youwei took a fluffy rabbit out of her bag and held it in her arms. ¡°One more room and we¡¯ll encounter the Minotaur.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Leonid furrowed his brow and took out a large knife. Du Lai was accustomed to using a dagger. Asarina wielded a sword. Shen Mo caressed the paper doll on his wrist before pushing open the door to the east¡ª A draft of cold air hit them in the face. The pitch-black Stone Chamber was as cold and dark as all the others, and the beam of the flashlights could not dispel its gloominess. The Minotaur¡¯s howls echoed along the cold, hard stone bricks, reaching their feet, sending chills down their spines. Mark and Dylan, who had just entered, immediately regretted their decision and lunged at the door to leave! But the door was already firmly closed! No matter what, it wouldn¡¯t open! Having all barely escaped death at the hands of the Minotaur before, they knew all too well what it meant for the door to be locked shut. They burst into fearful crying, ¡°It¡¯s locked! We can¡¯t get out! We¡¯re trapped unless someone dies here! Otherwise, none of us can leave!!!¡± Chapter 822: 822 Useless Chapter 822: Chapter 822 Useless They cried and shouted, but nothing could stop it. Several beams of light focused on the door to the north, and the heavy panting of the beast grew closer and closer, as if it were pressed against the door! The nerves of everyone were stretched to the limit as they watched the door open! ¡°Roar¡­¡± The low roar was nothing like that of a cow but rather that of some ursine creature. As the huge bull horns slowly protruded, everyone finally saw the full figure of the Minotaur¡ª ... It indeed had the head of a bull and the body of a human, but differed somewhat from the abstract murals; the creature¡¯s back and chest were covered in dense black fur, standing stooped over¡ªeven not fully upright, it towered nearly two human heights, exuding an overwhelming presence! It was a hundred, a thousand times more terrifying than the image on the mural! Its blood-red eyes and exposed fangs, its very long nails¡ªblack and hard! Bai Youwei threw the rabbit to the ground, ¡°Go!¡± The small plush rabbit charged towards the massive creature, exerting all its strength to leap high, fiercely unleashing a dazzling lightning sphere! Boom!!! For a moment, the Stone Chamber was as bright as day! Then it darkened again! The Minotaur let out a long roar and crashed to the ground! At the same time, Shen Mo, Asarina, Du Lai, and Leonid charged at it together! Some stabbed at the eyes, others swung their blades at its throat, and others raised their weapons high, plunging them deep into its heart from behind! The Minotaur was paralyzed, completely unable to resist, as crimson blood gushed from its wounds, soaking the stone tiles on the floor like streams. But Mark and the others were still trembling with fear, stammering, ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­ Even if it¡¯s downed, it¡¯s useless¡­¡± Bai Youwei heard this and slightly furrowed her brows, looking towards the three. Why would it be useless? At that moment, Asarina stood on the Minotaur¡¯s back, gripping the sword hilt with both hands, thrusting deeper! A strong pulsation traveled from the blade into her palms, jolting her. Asarina¡¯s complexion changed drastically; she could feel that it was the heart, still beating! The heart she had pierced was somehow beating again! Asarina jerked the sword out and jumped back, retreating and shouting to her companions, ¡°It¡¯s still alive!¡± The others quickly retreated upon hearing this! The wounds on the Minotaur closed rapidly, it roared and rose, lunging straight for Du Lai, who was closest! Du Lai, extremely agile, rolled on the ground, tumbling under the Minotaur¡¯s groin, and plunged his dagger into the bend of the creature¡¯s leg! The Minotaur howled! The others seized the opportunity to attack once more! But these injuries did not hinder the Minotaur¡¯s movements; it lowered its head, using its hard, massive horns to ram fiercely like an enraged bull in the ring! For a time, Leonid and Shen Mo could not get close while the Minotaur changed direction, charging straight towards Bai Youwei! The plush rabbit ran a few steps sideways, intercepting, straining to release lightning. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The bursting blue-purple sparks only caused the Minotaur to stagger slightly, unable to stop the creature¡¯s oncoming charge! The rabbit released several more bolts of lightning in haste, each weaker than the last, each more reluctant, merely causing the Minotaur to pause momentarily, inflicting no damage! The first lightning had almost exhausted its electrical energy; now, the rabbit¡¯s battery was clearly running low. Bai Youwei coldly watched the Minotaur charge towards her. The plush rabbit was her only lifeline; if even the rabbit failed, then she truly had no options left, unless¡­ She looked towards Mark, Dylan, and Slade, not far away. Unless someone made a sacrifice¡­ No sooner had the thought flashed through her mind than the Minotaur let out another terrifying bellow! Bai Youwei turned to look, only to see Shen Mo grasping a bullhorn with one hand while a papercraft-figure-like curved knife in the other hand slit the creature¡¯s throat! ¡°Run!¡± Shen Mo jumped down from the Minotaur, grabbed Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, and quickly moved away. Behind them, blood gushed out like a fan-shaped fountain. Chapter 823: 823: Another Key Chapter 823: Chapter 823: Another Key The Minotaur collapsed once again. Du Lai and Leonid each came up to the east and north doors, trying to open them, but the doors remained locked. ¡°It only took fifteen seconds to resurrect it last time!¡± Du Lai kicked the door violently, then ran back anxiously and angrily, ¡°We¡¯re running out of time!¡± Chen Hui¡¯s hands trembled lightly as she grasped the flashlight. She tried to calm herself and said, ¡°Is there any rope? Tying it up could buy us some time¡­ Ah! What are you doing?!!¡± Slade appeared behind her out of nowhere and suddenly hugged her, frantically gnawing at her shoulder! Chen Hui screamed in panic! ... Leonid yanked him away in one swift motion and ferociously slammed him to the ground! Slade let out a piercing scream! Although he was hardly touched, he screamed as if he was dying, in both despair and pain, his wails unceasing: ¡°I need to eat! Let me eat!!! We¡¯re all going to die, no one will escape¡­ I need to eat!¡­ I can¡¯t stand it¡­ I¡¯m so hungry!¡­¡± The crowd was terrified, and then they heard Du Lai shout, ¡°Over here! Throw him over here!!!¡± Du Lai was standing beside the Minotaur, which had already opened its eyes. It propped itself up with its hands, ready to stand up from the pool of blood¡ª Leonid didn¡¯t think twice, he picked up Slade and flung him over! Du Lai caught him with an outstretched hand and heaved him backward, right in front of the Minotaur! ¡°Ah ah ah ah ah!!!¡± Slade¡¯s face distorted with terror, as if he foresaw his fate. He tried to flee but was easily caught by the creature! S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The next second, a massive jaw opened wide, and¡ªcrunch¡ªbit through his spine! ¡°The door can be opened now!¡± Du Lai shouted, ¡°Hurry up!¡± Bai Youwei immediately said, ¡°Go through the east door!¡± They hurriedly evacuated through the east door, and then continued eastward. The Minotaur didn¡¯t chase them; it stayed in the original stone chamber, busy devouring its meal and carefully chewing even the bones. ¡­ After passing through seven or eight stone chambers in one breath, Bai Youwei finally stopped. This time, they discovered another key, which was graphite black. But nobody was in the mood for joy, their emotions still trapped in the tension and fear brought on by the Minotaur. Du Lai strode up to Mark and delivered a harsh kick! ¡°You didn¡¯t say it would come back to life.¡± Mark wailed, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could kill it!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the deal with Slade then?!¡± Du Lai sneered maliciously, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re actually from the Cannibal Tribe!¡± Mark replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Du Lai lifted his foot and kicked him again. Mark still clamped his mouth shut, only replying, ¡°I really don¡¯t know! I have no idea why Slade turned out like that!¡­¡± Bai Youwei held her rabbit, feeling heavy at heart. The first lightning attack had obviously worked, but she hadn¡¯t expected that the Minotaur could revive. And until a sacrifice appeared, all the doors were locked shut, trapping the people inside. This was too disadvantageous for them. ¡°We can¡¯t continue today.¡± Bai Youwei looked towards Shen Mo. ¡°The rabbit needs time to recharge.¡± Shen Mo looked around and nodded, ¡°Indeed, we need to rest, everyone¡¯s quite shaken.¡± Bai Youwei was slightly stunned; she vaguely saw something black, like tiny flying insects, crawling over Shen Mo. The stone chamber was dimly lit, and she thought she might have seen it wrong, but soon, she saw another one. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Bai Youwei pointed in shock at his arm. Shen Mo, not noticing anything, looked down only to find a few tiny black bugs about two millimeters big resting on his clothes. ¡°Uncle, why do you have so many bugs on you?!¡± On the other side, Chen Hui also noticed something was wrong and exclaimed, ¡°You have several in your beard!¡± Du Lai and Asarina heard this and started checking for bugs on themselves, quickly finding two or three as well. Even Bai Youwei found two on her dress. While everyone was bewildered, Mark said, ¡°They are lice¡­ As long as you¡¯ve stayed in the same stone chamber as the Minotaur, you¡¯ll pick up a few. We¡­ we have them too¡­¡± ¡°¡± Chapter 824 - 824 Lice Chapter 824: Chapter 824 Lice Lice? Bai Youwei instantly felt itchy all over, wishing she could immediately shed a layer of skin! Subconsciously, she wanted to take a bath in the dollhouse, but the effects of these lice were unknown. What if they were transmitted to Teacher Shen and Xiaoxin? Or fell onto the bath towels, the sofa, the bed, the pillows¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that scatter lice all over the place?! At that thought, Bai Youwei felt completely unwell. Shen Mo said, ¡°These bugs are not quite like real ¡®lice.¡¯ Everyone turn on your flashlights, try to maintain illumination, and check carefully¡ªthe cuffs, creases, beards, hair¡­¡± ... The Stone Chamber was too dark, and the bugs were particularly small, so everyone could only use their flashlights to check each other. Nevertheless, it was hard to say there were no overlooked spots. Bai Youwei asked Shen Mo to set up the tent, and she bent down and crawled inside, only to emerge with a bundle of firewood in no time. Since she could even pull out a chicken, everyone was not surprised to see her fetch a handful of firewood. After starting a fire, Bai Youwei changed her clothes inside the tent, and threw the clothes she had been wearing into the fire to burn them cleanly. At her insistence, Shen Mo, Du Lai, Chen Hui, and Asarina all changed into clean clothes, except for Leonid, who did not change because he was too large, and Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t find clothes and trousers of his size. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As the fabric burned in the flames, it emitted a stench of carbonized fibers. Bai Youwei looked around again and asked Leonid, ¡°Can you shave off your hair and beard? They might conceal lice.¡± ¡°Beard? No way!¡± Leonid immediately shook his head, ¡°What kind of man would I be without a beard?!¡± ¡°Then wash it,¡± Bai Youwei went back into the tent, and this time she came out with a bucket, a basin filled with shampoo and conditioner, and a bottle of alcohol. Seeing the alcohol, Leonid laughed, ¡°Nice treatment, washing my hair and drinking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for washing hair, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work, but let¡¯s try it,¡± Bai Youwei said to Chen Hui, ¡°You wash it for him.¡± Chen Hui rolled up her sleeves and nodded. ¡­ Because of these inexplicable lice, they did not enter any more rooms but remained in the same spot, checking, washing, drying, resting. The fire kept burning, driving away the chill of the Stone Chamber. Du Lai, distrusting Mark and Dylan, tied their legs together but left their hands free so they could feed themselves. Leonid sat bare-chested in front of the fire, allowing Chen Hui to busy herself with scissors on his head. He emphasized repeatedly, ¡°You can only cut the hair! Don¡¯t touch my beard!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Chen Hui grabbing a lock of his hair and cutting it, then threw it into the fire to burn it, crackling loudly, ¡°¡­My god, uncle, lice love you! They¡¯re all in your hair! Definitely in your beard too!¡± ¡°They can¡¯t be cut, no matter what!¡± Leonid said irritably, ¡°Just wash it several times.¡± Chen Hui, ¡°I got it, but don¡¯t move around. If I accidentally cut your beard, don¡¯t blame me¡­¡± Leonid immediately sat up straight, motionless. Bai Youwei sat in front of the tent watching Chen Hui cut Leonid¡¯s hair, and she couldn¡¯t help feeling itchy on her scalp, perhaps psychologically. ¡°Can you check for me, do I have lice?¡± Bai Youwei nudged Shen Mo beside her. Bai Youwei had very long, fluffy, slightly curly, dark brown hair that she cherished. She definitely couldn¡¯t bear to cut it all off, but the thought of possibly hosting lice made her feel unbearably devastated. Shen Mo parted her hair and soothed her patiently, ¡°They¡¯re just some little flying bugs, we don¡¯t know yet what impact they¡¯ll have on people, no need to scare yourself.¡± Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°This maze is such a hassle.¡± Shen Mo raised his hand to pat her head, but caught sight of a black ¡°louse¡± resting on his finger. He frowned, withdrew his hand without a sound, and said lightly, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a bit of a problem¡­¡± Chapter 825: Washing Hair Chapter 825: Chapter 825: Washing Hair After Chen Hui cut Leonid¡¯s hair, she used the alcohol Bai Youwei had prepared to meticulously wash his beard. It seemed the alcohol was too strong, as all the little insects crawled out, and with a gentle comb and towel, they were all washed away. This method worked. Du Lai, seeing this, asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Is there any alcohol left? I want to wash too.¡± ¡°There is,¡± said Bai Youwei, ¡°but if you use it to wash your hair directly, it¡¯ll be quite cold. You¡¯ll need to keep warm afterward.¡± Du Lai: ¡°Hmm, got it.¡± ... Bai Youwei went into the tent, opened the toy house, and called for Teacher Cheng to fetch the alcohol. She had plenty of alcohol, with everything from foreign liquors, baijiu, to beer¡ªdefinitely enough even for bathing. Asarina and Shen Mo each asked for a bottle of strong liquor. Their hair was not long; after washing it with alcohol and rinsing with cold water, they sat by the fire to dry off and didn¡¯t feel too cold. While Shen Mo was drying his hair, Bai Youwei sat beside him, eyes closed, quietly leaning against him. Seconds and minutes passed, everyone sitting around the fire, the atmosphere becoming heavy. Du Lai looked around, his gaze stopping on Chen Hui, asking her, ¡°Did you find any lice on you?¡± Chen Hui paused. ¡°No,¡± Leonid said lazily, ¡°Asarina and I checked her, and she¡¯s very clean¡ªno lice in her hair or clothes.¡± ¡°What about Asarina?¡± Du Lai asked. ¡°There are a few¡­ probably about a dozen or so,¡± Asarina said, scratching her half-dry, half-wet hair, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Du Lai said, ¡°No big deal, I just suspect that lice only appear on those who have attacked the Minotaur, and they don¡¯t seem to be very contagious. Otherwise, we would¡¯ve been infected by those few people at the beginning.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it does seem so,¡± Leonid looked to Bai Youwei, ¡°She doesn¡¯t have many lice on her, maybe two or three? Is it because she used the rabbit to attack indirectly?¡± Bai Youwei, with her eyes still closed, didn¡¯t make a sound. Shen Mo looked down at her for a while and then whispered back, ¡°She¡¯s fallen asleep.¡± Everyone paused for a moment. Stretching, Leonid remarked, ¡°Well, if she can sleep, that means she¡¯s not panicking. If she¡¯s not panicking, it means she must have a plan for leaving this place¡­ Huh, I¡¯m going to sleep too.¡± Du Lai stood up, ¡°I¡¯ll rest as well.¡± Asarina looked at Leonid and then at Du Lai, hesitatingly asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t we setting up a night watch?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to watch,¡± Du Lai said, ¡°The Minotaur won¡¯t act if we don¡¯t move, and those two have been tied up with rope, it¡¯s safe.¡± Shen Mo bent down to lift Bai Youwei, saying faintly, ¡°I¡¯ll take her back to the tent to rest.¡± Bai Youwei slightly woke up, realizing she was in Shen Mo¡¯s arms, and peacefully continued to sleep. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo placed her in the tent, then slowly backed out while kneeling. Bai Youwei, sensing this, turned over and hooked her small foot around his withdrawing arm, her voice muffled, ¡°Where are you going¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sleep outside,¡± Shen Mo replied. Bai Youwei instantly became alert, sitting up and looking at Shen Mo, ¡°Why?¡± Shen Mo pressed his lips together faintly and said, ¡°I have lice on me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind!¡± Bai Youwei crawled over, vigorously embracing Shen Mo¡¯s arm, ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t Du Lai just say they¡¯re not contagious!¡± Shen Mo quietly looked at her, remaining silent. Bai Youwei scrutinized his expression, feeling that something was off with him. She clung even tighter to Shen Mo¡¯s arm, fearing he would leave. ¡°Besides, there are no spare mats or sleeping bags outside, where would you go to sleep?¡± She gazed into his eyes and said softly, ¡°I want you to stay and sleep here.¡± Chapter 826 - 826 Changes Chapter 826: Chapter 826 Changes Shen Mo eventually stayed. In the dimly lit tent, where the orange glow of the fire outside could be glimpsed, a small pale hand rested softly on his chest. Shen Mo had no desire to sleep. Occasionally, low voices would carry over, with his companions talking about the maze, or the Minotaur, or lice¡­ Shen Mo listened, his gaze drifting unconsciously down to the little hand on his chest. He gently grasped it. So soft¡­ ... So tender¡­ The skin was silky smooth and cool to the touch, turning mildly warm after a while; it was like tofu made of rose petals, fragrant and delicate. As if possessed, he brought the small hand to his face and gently sniffed it. And then¡­ And then¡­ He licked it. After doing that, he immediately realized what changes had taken place within himself. Shen Mo¡¯s heart plummeted! He let go of Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, his movements as gentle as possible, preparing to leave¡­ Bai Youwei suddenly let out a burst of laughter like silver bells, apparently dreaming about something, she turned over, facing away from him, with his arm under her face as a pillow. Shen Mo¡¯s body stiffened. He slowly, ever so slowly, lay back down, planning to wait until Bai Youwei was in a deep sleep before leaving again. This was undoubtedly torture. Those sweet scents filled the air around him, stirring every hungry cell in his body; he only had to turn his head to smell the fragrance of her hair; he only had to reach out to pull the soft, pliable prey into his arms; he only had to open his mouth¡­ Shen Mo clenched his teeth hard. His temples throbbed, his heart chaotic in its beating against the chambers. Although he was just lying there motionless, he broke out in a cold sweat. Shen Mo couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He grabbed a strand of hair and deeply inhaled, unable to resist kissing it. As if driven by some compulsion, once he started, there seemed to be no reasoning to stop. He bent down, lightly touching her back, her arms, her hands¡­ avoiding his teeth as much as possible, containing the urge to ravage, cherishing this bit of warmth while simultaneously hating himself to the point of wanting to tear himself to pieces! Why was this? Why was it so delicious¡­ Bai Youwei giggled in his embrace, wriggling a bit, eyes closed as she said, ¡°Ah, that tickles~¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t reply. Feeling the pressure on her back increase, Bai Youwei started to find it unbearable. She finally opened her eyes and reminded him, ¡°That hurts a little¡­¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The first time she spoke, Shen Mo seemed not to hear, as if lost in oblivion, occasionally grazing his teeth across her skin, nipping but not biting, giving her a slight prickling pain. So Bai Youwei reminded him a second time, ¡°Shen Mo, it hurts¡­¡± Shen Mo abruptly snapped out of it and pushed her away fiercely! Bai Youwei pulled her collar up, turned around, and silently watched Shen Mo. Neither spoke, the atmosphere eerie. After a while, Bai Youwei forced a light laugh and softly said, ¡°Are you hungry? Did you dream that I was something to eat?¡± Shen Mo nodded. He was indeed hungry. Bai Youwei pulled her backpack over, rummaged through it, and pulled out some biscuits, handing them to Shen Mo. ¡°Have some, there¡¯s still a long way to go. Don¡¯t starve yourself.¡± Shen Mo initially wanted to refuse because he had no interest in eating these things. To him, they were like grass to a hungry tiger, which, no matter how lush and tempting, could not stir any appetite in him. But Bai Youwei insisted, stuffing the bag of biscuits into his hands, saying word by word: ¡°You¡¯re hungry, you must eat, otherwise¡­ you won¡¯t be able to sleep.¡± She insisted he must eat. Shen Mo looked at the biscuits in his palm, uncertain how much Bai Youwei had guessed. He took a deep breath, unwrapped the package, took out one, and forced himself to swallow it down¡­ It tasted like chewing wax. Chapter 827 - 827 Difficulty Chapter 827: Chapter 827 Difficulty Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t slept. What should have been the most comforting embrace now felt like a blade against her back; she had to constantly monitor Shen Mo¡¯s condition. The person behind her was quiet. Outside, it was quiet too. She wondered how the others were doing now. This change had crept in unnoticed, and alerting them might only add to their agony. Seeing how Mark and Dylan were coping, able to endure for a few months, meant that this change wouldn¡¯t kill anyone¡ªit only brought physical and mental pain. If one could endure it, then it would be fine. ... Bai Youwei waited a long time, then heard the breathing behind her gradually even out, as if he had fallen asleep. ¡­Sleeping was good. When asleep, there would be no feeling of hunger. She let out a slightly relieved sigh and closed her eyes too. ¡­ The next day, the atmosphere in the stone chamber was sterner, more oppressive. The fire had long gone out, and the air around was bleak and cold. Mark and Dylan were listlessly nibbling on bread in a corner. Perhaps because Slade had already shown his hand, they made no effort to conceal their interest anymore, their eyes gleaming green as they glanced at Bai Youwei and Chen Hui. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t pay them any heed but observed the rest of her companions. She and Chen Hui seemed to be the least affected. The eating speed of the others had slowed down in varying degrees. Leonid¡¯s situation was the most obvious. He spat out his first mouthful of bread, still unaware of the changes in him, and complained, ¡°What¡¯s with the taste of this bread?!¡± Chen Hui asked, ¡°What taste? It tastes the same as yesterday to me.¡± Leonid paused, then tried another bite of bread. He still wanted to spit it out but forcibly kept it down, swallowing it bit by bit as if it were sawdust. Du Lai, sitting beside him, had just finished his biscuit, threw back his head for a gulp of water, and said, ¡°Taste has been compromised. Since that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t think too much, just close your eyes and eat until you¡¯re full.¡± Leonid frowned and asked him, ¡°Is it because of the lice?¡± ¡°Not sure.¡± Du Lai turned his head, looking at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, ¡°Anyway¡­ the longer we stay here, the more disadvantageous it is for us.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo¡¯s expression was indifferent, seemingly unaffected, and replied, ¡°We should get out as soon as possible.¡± Asarina asked, ¡°What should our next move be?¡± ¡°Keep heading east,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°We need to perfect the map, at least figure out the number and location of the transfer points, otherwise it¡¯s easy for the minotaur to catch up.¡± Mention of the minotaur made everyone¡¯s expression darken. Actually, with their combat power, dealing with a minotaur wasn¡¯t an issue. But frustratingly, the minotaur would resurrect endlessly, and with no one sacrificed, none of the doors around would open! That was somewhat unfair. Bai Youwei thought it over, the more she thought, the more she felt she was missing something. ¡°Do you guys think¡­ which maze might this be?¡± she suddenly asked. ¡°Could it be Maze Number 1?¡± ¡°Unlikely,¡± Du Lai was the first to dissent, ¡°This maze cannot be crossed by one person alone, and I think, Maze Number 1 should be more special.¡± ¡°But the only mazes we don¡¯t know about are Number 1, 4, and 5,¡± Bai Youwei mulled, speaking slowly, ¡°If this is Number 4 or 5, then it should be easier than Number 2 or 3. But now, it feels more difficult than Number 2 and 3, which isn¡¯t logical.¡± Chen Hui asked, ¡°Sister Weiwei, are you saying¡­ this maze isn¡¯t that difficult?¡± ¡°There must be something we are overlooking,¡± Bai Youwei said confidently. ¡°The minotaur shouldn¡¯t resurrect indefinitely. There must be a way to permanently kill it, we just don¡¯t know it yet.¡± Everyone looked at each other. Then, almost simultaneously, they remembered the mural¡ª ¡°That sword in the painting¡­¡± Bai Youwei murmured, ¡°The hero¡¯s sword that slayed the minotaur, where is it?¡± ¡°But we searched the room with the mural thoroughly,¡± Du Lai interjected, ¡°and saw no weapons.¡± Chapter 828: Marking Chapter 828: Chapter 828: Marking ¡°But in that mural room, all of us searched but didn¡¯t see any weapons,¡± Asarina said. ¡°If it¡¯s a key prop, shouldn¡¯t it be placed somewhere conspicuous? ¡­Just like those locks, so obvious, clearly telling us that there are 12 keys in this maze.¡± ¡°You are right, important props should indeed be placed in obvious positions,¡± Bai Youwei spoke slowly. ¡°But what if someone hid it?¡± Hid ¡­ it? Who would hide such a crucial prop? Everyone¡¯s gaze, unwittingly, turned towards the two people in the corner. Mark and Dylan, realizing this, hurriedly denied it: ¡°No, no, it wasn¡¯t us! We haven¡¯t hidden anything! We even gave you all the keys!¡± ... Bai Youwei thought for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s search them.¡± Shen Mo and Du Lai stepped forward to search them. They were looking for, not a foldable fruit knife, not a petite dagger, but a sword! Such a long and straight cold weapon, almost impossible to conceal on one¡¯s body. After a cursory search, Shen Mo and Du Lai simultaneously looked at the Magic Bag on Dylan¡¯s waist. The Magic Bag could produce an unending supply of bread and spring water, but after all, a bag is a container, one that can hold objects. Du Lai first felt the outside of the bag, somewhat disappointed, but he still didn¡¯t give up, reaching into the mouth of the bag, groping around. Still, he found nothing. The two turned back and shook their heads slightly at their companions. Bai Youwei frowned, if it was not on Mark or Dylan, could it be on Slade? ¡­But when Slade was attacked by the Minotaur, he didn¡¯t put up any resistance. If he really had the sword, why not take it out? Or, was she wrong in her speculation, and the Magic Sword in the mural simply didn¡¯t exist? No¡­ No, if it didn¡¯t exist, then why were those murals there at all? ¡°¡­Maybe, the sword is still in the maze,¡± Bai Youwei bit her lip and grasped Shen Mo¡¯s hand, ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking.¡± Shen Mo clasped her hand in return, comforting her: ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s look again.¡± His demeanor was calm, as if he was not affected by anything, as if last night¡¯s events were just a dream. Bai Youwei felt uncertain. She hoped he was alright, yet worried that he was just putting on a brave face, just to keep her from worrying. ¡­ After packing up their belongings, everyone set off again. Still heading east, still using a chick to lead the way, they reached a dead end after just one Stone Chamber; the door to the east wouldn¡¯t open. Bai Youwei then chose the north side, taking advantage of the fact that the Minotaur was not close to them, she wanted to move through as many spaces as possible, to figure out how many rooms there were here exactly. However, after moving just one space north, they encountered a teleportation point. Her chick, with a whoosh, disappeared. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, placed a key in her hand down, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go around to the south for one space and then continue.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave the key here?¡± Asarina exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t we need to collect 12 keys?¡± Bai Youwei shook the map in her hand, ¡°As long as we record the map, we can always come back for the keys. What¡¯s more important now is marking the place. We have enough keys, and each key has its own distinct color, they¡¯re suitable for marking.¡± ¡°But what if we can¡¯t come back?!¡± Mark blurted out, unable to help himself. ¡°We¡¯ve already collected 5 keys, almost half! If you throw one away now and can¡¯t find it again later, you will regret it!¡± Bai Youwei placed the key in her hand on the ground like an arrow and adjusted the angle so it pointed towards the room with the teleportation point. ¡°Teleportation points are divided into one-way and two-way types. Just now, the Minotaur was able to teleport from afar to the teleportation point near us, which means the teleportation points here are all two-way ¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was unusually calm, ¡°Before the keys are collected, they can¡¯t be useless. At least now, this key can help us understand where the Minotaur might appear next, to attack us.¡± Chapter 829 - 829 Probability Chapter 829: Chapter 829 Probability Bai Youwei spread out the map she had drawn for everyone to see. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for so long, and now we¡¯ve figured it out. There are a total of twelve horizontal rooms. If we label them with numbers from 1 to 12, the Minotaur last stopped at number 2, and we are now in number 12. Assuming the Minotaur doesn¡¯t move while eating, it would have to move at least 8 spaces to catch up with us.¡± Bai Youwei pointed at the position of the teleportation point with her finger. ¡°Logically, this is a distance which the Minotaur could never catch up. However, there are an unknown number of teleportation points in the maze. If I were the Minotaur, I would choose a position not far from each teleportation point and predict the players¡¯ movement, then select the corresponding teleportation point. So, to avoid being caught by the Minotaur, we must meet two conditions. ... First, avoid all teleportation points; Second, avoid all dead ends.¡± Chen Hui hesitated and said, ¡°But now¡­ we are both near a teleportation point and close to a dead end¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a while and said, ¡°We need to move one space west now, then head north. If this maze is a 12X12 square, then we only need to move forward nine times to reach the end.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s 12X12?¡± Du Lai asked. ¡°I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s a possibility,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Whether it¡¯s mazes or games, they usually favor regular shapes, and the most common is the square. Now we know there are 12 locks, 12 keys, and precisely 12 horizontal rooms. If there are also 12 vertical rooms, then this maze is likely a square.¡± Leonid asked, ¡°What does knowing it¡¯s a square do for us?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t do much.¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyelids and said softly, ¡°At least when the Minotaur is chasing us, we won¡¯t be forced into a dead end.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Chen Hui hesitated, ¡°if we want to confirm this¡­ we¡¯ll have to walk into a dead end at least once more.¡± They had already encountered two ¡°corners.¡± To prove the maze was a square, they still needed to confirm one more ¡°corner.¡± And walking into a ¡°dead end¡± made it very easy to be cornered by the Minotaur. Bai Youwei thought about it and said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s no other way. Even though we know we shouldn¡¯t walk into dead ends, to determine the location of each key, we need to search every room in the maze.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Shen Mo said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s get out as soon as possible.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him and said, ¡°We will go west.¡± The group moved one space to the west, and as they were about to move on, Du Lai saw a key in the western stone chamber. They moved forward another space and obtained the sixth key. ¡°I¡¯m starting to believe this maze could be 12X12,¡± said Du Lai. Asarina asked him, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because the chances of encountering a key are high,¡± Du Lai replied with a slight smirk. ¡°If there were as many as a thousand rooms, or even ten thousand, the likelihood of finding a key by luck would be almost impossible, right? But if it¡¯s 12X12, there would be a total of 144 rooms. Excluding the teleportation point rooms, the odds of finding a key¡­ might be around 10%.¡± ¡°Is 10% considered high?¡± Chen Hui couldn¡¯t help but ask. Du Lai smiled and asked her, ¡°Do you know about the lottery?¡± Chen Hui nodded, ¡°I know, what about it?¡± ¡°The lowest prize in the lottery, the fifth prize, has a cash prize of 5 yuan, and the odds of winning are about 6%,¡± Du Lai explained. ¡°Our chances of finding a key are much higher than the odds of winning the lottery.¡± Bai Youwei held the key and thought for a moment, saying, ¡°We need to go back and place the key in the stone chamber west of the teleportation point.¡± Chapter 830: Distance Chapter 830: Chapter 830: Distance Du Lai was slightly stunned. ¡°Why?¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°First, if it¡¯s nearby, it can signal the location of the teleportation point when we¡¯re panicking and running blindly. Second, when collecting keys, there¡¯s no need to search the entire labyrinth; we only need to go through the teleportation point to retrieve all the keys.¡± Everyone looked at each other and had no objection. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s retreat.¡± ¡­ No matter how they looked at it, every Stone Chamber was identical. They could only advance or retreat based on Bai Youwei¡¯s estimates. ... They retreated one space east and then advanced one north, with the teleportation point to their right, when suddenly they heard the Minotaur¡¯s voice¡ª The sound wasn¡¯t quiet; it must have been only a few Stone Chambers away to the north. The Minotaur had clearly been to their west before, so why had it suddenly appeared to the north? ¡°It seems to have used a teleportation point¡­¡± Bai Youwei drew on the map, ¡°Based on our movements today, we¡¯ve moved six spaces. If the Minotaur wanted to reach the nearest teleportation point, it would need to travel two spaces, which means it went through the teleportation point and then walked another four¡­¡± Asarina asked her, ¡°Can we avoid it?¡± ¡°We can retreat one space east to reach the teleportation point or head west to the first teleportation point we encountered.¡± Bai Youwei looked at everyone for their opinions, ¡°What do you think? East or west?¡± Du Lai asked, ¡°Where does the teleportation point to the east lead?¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°And the one to the west?¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment and replied, ¡°The Minotaur could run to the north of us, which means the original teleportation point leads to the north of the labyrinth¡­ probably the northeast corner.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go west then; at least we can predict the location of the next teleportation point,¡± Du Lai suggested. Bai Youwei looked to the others. They all agreed. They moved one space west, and immediately heavy footsteps came from the adjacent Stone Chamber! The Minotaur was following! It was closer to them than they had thought! The expressions on everyone¡¯s faces changed; they continued moving forward as the Minotaur kept up. Its horns scraped against the solid stone walls, its breathing came through the iron doors, those footsteps echoing as if they were shaking the ground on their side. Being this close felt as if it could burst through the door at any moment! Everyone was cloaked in an urgent tension, their scalps tingling, with no choice but to clench their teeth and keep moving forward. With every door they passed, the door beside them would open as well, following closely! They couldn¡¯t shake it off! After moving six spaces, Bai Youwei checked the map and counted the rooms, then told everyone, ¡°After passing two more Stone Chambers, we can enter the teleportation point.¡± ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t do it anymore¡­¡± Mark, who was at the back, trembled in the legs, his voice tinged with a sob, ¡°I can¡¯t walk anymore¡­¡± Dylan¡¯s reaction was even more dramatic, fainting on the spot! Bai Youwei looked at the others; Shen Mo, Leonid, and Du Lai all looked strained, and Asarina was clutching her abdomen with a pale face. Being too close to the Minotaur seemed to cause certain effects. Now, only she and Chen Hui seemed the least affected. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Leonid frowned, rubbing his stomach, ¡°I just had some bread, how can I be hungry again so quickly¡­¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment then said, ¡°Everyone, hang in there a bit longer. Once we¡¯re in the teleportation point and have put some distance between us and the Minotaur, it shouldn¡¯t be so tough.¡± Everyone nodded and continued to follow her forward. Dylan couldn¡¯t walk, so Mark carried him. They persisted for two more spaces and finally entered the teleportation point. Though it was the same Stone Chamber as before, the sound of the Minotaur vanished instantly. Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Chen Hui, still shaken, asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Could it follow us through the teleportation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked around and sighed softly, ¡°But as long as we don¡¯t move, it probably can¡¯t either¡­ Let¡¯s rest here for now.¡± Chapter 831: Hunger Chapter 831: Chapter 831: Hunger The so-called rest consisted of making a fire, warming up, drinking water, and eating. In fact, less than half an hour had passed since they had eaten in the morning, and their hunger was utterly unreasonable. Du Lai ate half a biscuit before putting away the food and water and taking out a towel to firmly tie around his mouth, making him look like a masked bandit. But no one mocked him. Bai Youwei knew Du Lai was taking precautions, his willpower surprisingly strong as he silently tied his mouth shut to prevent himself from biting someone if he lost control. Leonid, who didn¡¯t bring a towel, tore a piece of cloth from his sleeve and did the same. ... Chen Hui was a little scared. Initially, she thought it was nothing, but now, seeing Du Lai and Leonid go so far as to cover their mouths, and Shen Mo, who usually stayed close to Bai Youwei, deliberately sitting farther away, she finally realized the gravity of the situation. ¡°Sister Weiwei¡­¡± Chen Hui sat next to Bai Youwei, opened her mouth, but didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s voice was calm, ¡°as long as we get out, they¡¯ll recover¡­¡± Chen Hui bit her lower lip and nodded, ¡°Mhm.¡± After a while, she uneasily whispered to Bai Youwei, ¡°Will we become like this too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Bai Youwei shook her head slowly. ¡°It seems to affect men more at the moment, but I¡¯m not sure if it will affect women over time¡­¡± Chen Hui whispered to her, ¡°Sister Weiwei, if I turn out like this¡­ I¡¯d rather die.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still young; don¡¯t always talk about death,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°It will be fine, don¡¯t worry¡­¡± As they were talking, a strong smell of blood suddenly filled the air! The smell alarmed Bai Youwei. In the enclosed space, the strong odor lingered, and everyone looked over. Mark was holding the unconscious Dylan, munching non-stop! Red liquid trickled down from where he had bitten, his involvement in the act evident as his face, neck, and collar were all stained a bright red. Bai Youwei finally understood why their clothes always had that blackish stain¡ªit was layer upon layer of dried blood eventually solidifying. It was unclear whether Dylan was dead or alive¡­ even if alive, likely too weak to resist. Bai Youwei felt Chen Hui trembling violently beside her, but she couldn¡¯t comfort her now, instead, she looked around at the others¡ª Asarina was lost in thought. Du Lai was lost in thought. Leonid was also lost in thought. Bai Youwei walked over to Shen Mo and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡± Shen Mo seemed not to hear, his dark eyes fixed on Mark and Dylan. ¡°Don¡¯t look!¡± Bai Youwei grabbed his arm, trying to make him turn away. But she couldn¡¯t move him. Shen Mo continued to stare transfixed. Unable to wake him, Bai Youwei bit her lip and looked again at her companions. The cloth on Leonid¡¯s mouth was soaked with saliva, his beard also damp! If this went on¡­ Everyone would go mad! Unable to bear it any longer, she walked to the fire, picked up a burning stick, and quickly approached Mark. Mark, engrossed in his eating, didn¡¯t notice her. Bai Youwei, gritting her teeth, gripped the stick tightly and thrust it into his mouth! ¡°Aaaaaaaaaah!!!¡± Mark fell to the ground in agony, howling and rolling! Bai Youwei didn¡¯t let up, hitting him fiercely with the stick¡ªhis legs, his back, his mouth! She bellowed in fury, ¡°Wake up! Stop looking!!!¡± Shen Mo snapped out of it, standing dazed. Bai Youwei threw the stick away, ran over and embraced him, ¡°Don¡¯t look at them, look at me, Shen Mo, look at me, okay?¡± Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 832 - 832 Food Chapter 832: Chapter 832 Food S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For a split second, Bai Youwei felt that Shen Mo was looking at her like she was food. But fortunately, it was only a moment, and he quickly came to his senses, pulling her into his embrace and whispering soothingly, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I¡¯m okay¡­¡± Bai Youwei, buried in Shen Mo¡¯s arms, trembled with her hands. She didn¡¯t dare to think, what if Shen Mo hadn¡¯t come to his senses in that second? What if he had wanted to eat her? She dared not think about it. Bai Youwei clutched Shen Mo¡¯s clothes, silently pushing him away, not wanting him to see those¡­ ... Mark, who had been beaten with a club by her, was now shivering as he crawled back, picked up Dylan¡¯s bloodied arm, and continued to devour it voraciously. Even if his whole body hurt, he had to eat; even if his teeth were smashed, he had to eat; he still had to eat, even if it might kill him! Suddenly, Du Lai strode forward! ¡°Asarina!¡± Asarina was startled, reaching out to stop him but failing to catch him. She watched helplessly as Du Lai walked up to Mark, snatched Dylan¡¯s broken body from his hands! Mark, skinny as a stick, was naturally no match for Du Lai. He pounced on Du Lai, letting out a piercing scream, ¡°Give it back to me!!!¡± Du Lai staggered half a step, the stench of blood rushing to his brain, nearly causing him to lose his sanity. Just when everyone thought Du Lai was going to fight Mark for the food, he kicked Mark away, grabbed the body, walked to the door, pulled it open, and threw the body out with force! Everyone breathed a sigh of relief! But Mark, in a frenzy, rushed to the door, trying to snatch the body back! Du Lai blocked the door, refusing to let him pass, and he collapsed, crying and shouting, ¡°Why did you throw him away? Why do this?! If you don¡¯t eat, let me eat!!! He¡¯s already dead! He¡¯s dead! Why won¡¯t you let me eat him?!!!¡± After crying, he became angry, fighting Du Lai furiously: ¡°What right do you have to throw him away?! What right do you have!!! Do you know how long I¡¯ve been hungry?! You bastards! Either take me away from this damned place or let me eat my fill!!!¡± Mark grabbed Du Lai¡¯s wrist and bit down hard. ¡°I¡¯m going to eat you! I¡­¡± Bang! Leonid struck the back of his neck from behind, and Mark immediately collapsed. Du Lai withdrew his hand and quickly tore off a piece of cloth, wrapping his wounded wrist tightly. Leonid saw the spots of deep red spreading from his wound and involuntarily swallowed, muttering, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fight back?¡± Du Lai simply shook his head, not saying a word. ¡ªIn fact, because Mark was covered with Dylan¡¯s blood and Du Lai was so close to him, inhaling that bloody smell, his heart raced, and his head swelled, so just maintaining his sanity was already difficult enough, let alone retaliating. Asarina, covering her mouth and nose, said, ¡°You two¡­ keep your distance from him.¡± Leonid glanced at Mark on the ground, his expression complex, then turned and walked back, ¡°This smell really is unbearable¡­¡± Behind them, Bai Youwei spoke to Shen Mo, ¡°Wait here for me for a moment.¡± Shen Mo fell silent for a while, looked towards Mark in the distance, and nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± Bai Youwei took a deep breath and walked towards Mark. ¡°Sister Weiwei¡­¡± Chen Hui looked worried. Bai Youwei turned back to look at her, hesitated for two seconds, and said, ¡°You come over too, and everyone else keep your distance.¡± Bai Youwei and Chen Hui went over to Mark, crouched down, and began tearing off his blood-soaked clothes, peeling them off, and burning them. Then they took several bottles of water from the Magic Bag, poured them over Mark, and washed away the remaining blood stains. Having done all this, they together dragged Mark closer to the fire to prevent him from freezing to death. During this time, Shen Mo, Du Lai, Leonid, and Asarina all stood far away, keeping their distance. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to help, but they were afraid that the sight of the raw flesh might be too much to handle. Chapter 833: Collar Chapter 833: Chapter 833: Collar The bloody smell in the Stone Chamber finally dissipated. Six people sat around the fire, silently roasting it. After an unknown amount of time, Du Lai spoke, ¡°When do we leave?¡± Originally the most patient of them all, he was now incredibly anxious, wanting nothing more than to leave as soon as possible. ¡°Wait until Mark wakes up,¡± Bai Youwei said softly, ¡°or you can carry him.¡± Du Lai smiled coolly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that if he wakes up halfway, he might bite through my neck.¡± ... S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then took something out of her bag and put it on the unconscious Mark. Du Lai asked, ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°A dog collar,¡± Bai Youwei said, head lowered as she fastened the leather band tightly. [Pet Collar: Wearing the collar doesn¡¯t necessarily make one obedient, but at least it can stop attacks, lasting until the collar is removed.] This was an item she had gotten from the White Gloves. Having won against the White Gloves last time, she obtained quite a few items, all with various effects. Although there were many types, only the right timing and application would bring out an item¡¯s full utility. Du Lai then asked her, ¡°Can this thing be used on the Minotaur?¡± ¡°¡­It can,¡± Bai Youwei looked up at him, ¡°but the prerequisite is, you can put it on the Minotaur and ensure the Minotaur doesn¡¯t break the collar.¡± The collar¡¯s effect could only guarantee that the wearer wouldn¡¯t attack, but it didn¡¯t guarantee that the wearer wouldn¡¯t damage the collar. Moreover, given the Minotaur¡¯s size, for Du Lai to successfully fasten this small object around its neck would be no easy task, whereas for someone like Mark who was exhausted, it would be difficult to remove the collar. Du Lai became silent, saying no more. After Bai Youwei finished putting the collar on Mark, she looked at everyone, ¡°We can set off now, shall we go now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. Waiting here is a waste of time,¡± Leonid stood up and picked up Mark from the ground, carrying him on his back, and said, ¡°This kid, I¡¯ll carry him. Although he¡¯s half mad, he can save our lives at a critical moment.¡± Everyone listened in silence. To be honest, that statement was somewhat underhanded, Leonid¡¯s meaning was clear, he wanted to use Mark to secure a chance of survival for everyone. Although vile, it was also inevitable. Once the Minotaur caught up to them, unless there was a death, the doors in the Stone Chamber wouldn¡¯t open! One way or another, someone had to die! Bai Youwei said, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best not to let it catch up to us. If we¡¯re lucky¡­ maybe we¡¯ll find the Magic Sword on the way.¡± The hero in the mural killed the Minotaur with the Magic Sword. But they had no idea where the sword was. Maybe with luck, they would stumble upon it in one of the Stone Chambers; maybe without luck¡­ they would never find it. Bai Youwei led the group away from the teleportation spot. She deliberately counted their steps, marking their path with keys, circling within the maze. Whenever they were close to being cornered, they would head for the nearest teleportation spot, thus widening the distance from the Minotaur. After walking through sixty or seventy Stone Chambers, the Minotaur still hadn¡¯t caught up to them, and the map in Bai Youwei¡¯s hand grew increasingly complete. She also found several new keys, but still had not found that sword. Could it be the Magic Sword didn¡¯t exist? Bai Youwei began to doubt, but if there was no Magic Sword, how would they solve the impasse when they encountered the Minotaur? Was someone¡¯s death truly necessary? She simply couldn¡¯t figure it out. Another door lay before them. Bai Youwei gently pushed it open, about to toss a chick inside to investigate, but to her surprise, this Stone Chamber emitted a faint light. All the other chambers were pitch black. Everyone was stunned, standing at the doorway and observing for a moment before realizing ¨C this was the Stone Chamber with the mural! Hanging from the pillar in the center of the Stone Chamber were four oil lamps! Therefore, this Stone Chamber was lit! ¡°It¡¯s that room we entered when we first came into the maze!¡± Asarina couldn¡¯t hide her excitement. Relief washed over the faces of the others. Because in this room, there was an exit! Even though they hadn¡¯t collected all the keys and couldn¡¯t open the iron door, just looking at it gave them hope! Chapter 834: Taking the Wrong Path Chapter 834: Chapter 834: Taking the Wrong Path Everyone entered the Stone Chamber and sized up the room once again. With a comparison, they realized that this Stone Chamber was bigger than any other they had seen outside, but it wasn¡¯t apparent due to the pillar standing in the middle. The murals were still those three murals. The locks also remained those twelve locks. After looking around, they found no more clues, yet they felt reassured because there was an exit here. ¡°Looking at its position, this seems to be the center of the entire labyrinth,¡± Bai Youwei said, studying the map she had drawn, ¡°¡­Now, except for the northwest area and a few blind spots we haven¡¯t explored, we¡¯ve been almost everywhere else.¡± ... Shen Mo asked, ¡°How many more keys do we need?¡± ¡°We still need three,¡± Bai Youwei pointed at the map, ¡°They must be hidden in those Stone Chambers we haven¡¯t visited.¡± Chen Hui asked eagerly, ¡°Sister Weiwei, so long as we gather all 12 keys, we can open this door and then leave, right?¡± Bai Youwei looked towards the door covered in locks hanging from the pillar, and she too seemed a bit unsure, ¡°It should be¡­¡± Compared to a game, there were too many uncertainties in the labyrinth. Leonid wiped the drool from his beard and said, ¡°Let¡¯s quickly find the rest of the keys and get out!¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the map, ¡°Then¡­let¡¯s go this way.¡± She pushed open the north side door and led everyone through. They had wanted to continue north, but when they got to the door and found it wouldn¡¯t open, Bai Youwei was stunned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Asarina asked, ¡°Did we reach a dead end again?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°This place is in the middle area of the labyrinth, it shouldn¡¯t be a dead end¡­¡± As soon as her words fell, Shen Mo, Leonid, and others all tightened their grip on their weapons and tensed up! The door on the east side had opened at some unknown time¡­ A pair of deep black horns slowly extended from the darkness, followed by a pair of blood-red, bulging eyes! Bai Youwei instantly gasped! ¡°Why¡­¡± Chen Hui asked in terror, ¡°It was clearly behind us just now, why has it suddenly appeared here?!¡± Could it be that Bai Youwei had taken a wrong turn? No¡­ she hadn¡¯t! She hadn¡¯t anticipated that this Stone Chamber was flanked by two teleportation points on either side! The Minotaur, from one side, had reached the other! ¡°Arghhhhh oh!¡± The huge monster with the head of a Minotaur roared as it lunged forward, bringing a foul-smelling breeze! sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo, Du Lai, Leonid, and Asarina immediately countered! The quartet¡¯s assaults were as ferocious as ever. But as they swung their weapons, more blood from the Minotaur splattered, releasing dense swarms of tiny black bugs from the Minotaur¡¯s body! They clung persistently, burrowing into ears and smashing into eyes, nearly suffocating them! ¡°Dammit!¡± Leonid swung his sword in a rage, trying to slice those insects apart! The swarm dispersed and then regrouped, attracted by the stench of blood, flying towards them! The bugs not only interfered with their attack but also affected their consciousness; their stomachs soon cramped with hunger pangs, dramatically altering the men¡¯s complexions! The Minotaur in front of them seemed to no longer be the focus. Mark on the ground, the young Chen Hui, the vulnerable Bai Youwei, all became enticing meals in their gaze. Leonid, momentarily distracted, was suddenly knocked down by the Minotaur, which ferociously bit off a large chunk of flesh from his shoulder! ¡°AAAAAAAHHH!!!¡± he screamed, regaining some clarity as he lifted his knife and stabbed fiercely! Chen Hui held a flashlight to illuminate them, her tears continuously falling, ¡°Uncle¡­ don¡¯t die¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to die!¡± Leonid growled, gripping his knife and piercing one of the bull¡¯s eyes! Shen Mo stabbed the Minotaur in the heart from behind! Du Lai, even more ruthless, cut Mark¡¯s throat directly and rushed to a door, pushing it open! ¡°RUN!!!¡± he yelled at Bai Youwei and Chen Hui! ¡ªAs long as someone died, the door would open, whether killed by the Minotaur or by one of their own. Chapter 835: Coming Out Chapter 835: Chapter 835: Coming Out Bai Youwei and Chen Hui followed Du Lai out of the door, anxiously observing the situation on the other side¡ª The Minotaur had already released Leonid, but Shen Mo¡¯s stab hadn¡¯t killed it! It shook off Shen Mo and pounced towards Asarina! Asarina dodged continuously within the Stone Chamber, retreating to Mark¡¯s side, lifting up Mark who had already turned into a bloodied mess, and threw him! She tried to divert the Minotaur¡¯s attention! The method did not work. Instead, the smell of blood further enraged the Minotaur¡ªit roared angrily! Lowering its head, it aimed its sharp horns at Asarina and charged straight at her! ... Asarina hurriedly dodged, but the Minotaur was so fast that she barely managed to escape clumsily. Shen Mo and Leonid, one in front and one behind, intercepted, giving Asarina a chance to catch her breath. ¡°Come over here!¡± Du Lai yelled from the door. Asarina glanced back at Shen Mo and Leonid, hesitated for a moment, then finally ran towards the door. At this moment, only the Minotaur, Shen Mo, and Leonid were left in the Stone Chamber, along with the already dead Mark. Leonid had a wound on his shoulder, bleeding incessantly! His body was almost covered by black insects, penalties that would have brought others down, but not him; he slashed fiercely at the Minotaur with one blow after another! ¡°I¡¯ll cover you, go now!¡± he shouted at Shen Mo. Shen Mo also had many insects on him! The two had to deal with both the Minotaur and the flying insects, quickly falling behind and barely managing to fight back properly due to their weak condition. ¡°You¡¯re hurt, you go first!¡± Shen Mo, wiping away the insects in front of him, saw the Minotaur lower its head again, charging fiercely towards them! ¡°Go!!!¡± Shen Mo pushed Leonid forcefully, while also rolling to the side, avoiding the charge! The Minotaur¡¯s horns hit directly into the stone wall! With a bang, the whole Stone Chamber seemed to tremble! ¡°Quick!!!¡± Du Lai urged again, stepping forward to pull the injured Leonid out of the door! Bai Youwei was anxiously fretting¡ªthe Stone Chamber now contained only Shen Mo dealing with the Minotaur alone! Her lips tightly pressed together, she watched him nervously. He was increasingly covered with insects; the ¡°lice¡± that had scattered from Leonid seemed to have all flown towards Shen Mo. The Minotaur¡¯s onslaught grew even fiercer and more chaotic, apparently aware it had lost its prey, frantic and furious, using not just its horns but also claws and teeth! It saw Shen Mo as its only enemy! ¡°Shen Mo!¡± Bai Youwei called out to him, her voice trembling. Du Lai began to close the door halfway, also shouting loudly, ¡°Shen Mo! Come over now!¡± Shen Mo¡¯s face was already unrecognizable, his body swarmed with insects! From afar, he looked like a dark shadow! This shadow again dodged the Minotaur¡¯s attack, hurriedly ran over, yet grabbed the edge of the door, trying to close it! ¡°Shen Mo?!¡± Du Lai stared, shocked. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Asarina and Leonid were also stunned. Shen Mo looked towards Bai Youwei outside the door. In fact, he could no longer see clearly; insects had crawled into his eyes, his vision blotchy as if rusted, Bai Youwei¡¯s face also blurred. He felt her grab his hand, saying, ¡°Shen Mo, come out¡­¡± Shen Mo steeled his heart, pulled his hand away! ¡°Go.¡± he said, then forcibly closed the door! ¡°Shen Mo! Shen Mo!!!¡± Bai Youwei leaned against the door, pounding it fiercely! The door did not budge! Asarina couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°Why won¡¯t he come out?!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Du Lai cursed under his breath, ¡°He¡¯s afraid of what he might do to us!¡± Leonid and Chen Hui were also frantic, ¡°Can¡¯t this door be opened?! Push hard!!!¡± ¡°Push?! How do we push?!!¡± Du Lai exclaimed, ¡°You¡¯re injured! Between me and Asarina alone, we simply can¡¯t push against Shen Mo!¡± Bai Youwei clenched her teeth, suddenly turned around, snatched the dagger from Du Lai¡¯s hand, and said coldly, ¡°I have a way to make him come out.¡± Chapter 836: Get the Wine Chapter 836: Chapter 836: Get the Wine Boom!!! A loud noise occurred as the Minotaur hit the stone wall! It let out a long mournful howl, followed by the chaotic sounds of fighting inside the Stone Chamber, the Minotaur gasping sharply until it finally fell! Bai Youwei stood outside the door, her heart clenching tightly. She knew Shen Mo could handle the Minotaur. He was skilled, and with the paper dolls as weapons, he never backed down from any monster. It was just¡­ he was helpless against those parasites, which is why he forcefully stayed inside! ... Du Lai and Asarina banged on the door, unable to open it. Du Lai shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°Even if you kill it, it¡¯s useless! Shen Mo! It¡¯ll come back to life in no more than fifteen seconds, and then it will eat Mark! Do you plan to stay in there and compete with it for food?!¡± There was silence behind the door. Bai Youwei closed her eyes and took a deep breath¡­ Suddenly, she raised a dagger and plunged it into her right knee! ¡°Ah!¡­¡± She screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Asarina, both anxious and angry, grabbed her, ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Bai Youwei propped herself up on her elbows, looking toward the closed door, shaking all over, ¡°He stays inside because he thinks that, even without him, I could survive¡­ He thinks I¡¯m more likely to survive without him!¡­ That¡¯s why he won¡¯t come out!¡± With that said, she plunged the dagger into her left knee! Blood gushed out, and despite mentally bracing herself, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but cry out again, her forehead covered in cold sweat! sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Du Lai was extremely anxious, ¡°Bai Youwei! Do you want to become a cripple again?!!¡± Leonid, desperate, tore off the towel on his face and cursed at the door, ¡°Shen Mo! Damn kid! Come out! You¡¯re insane! And your woman too!!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Bai Youwei breathed deeply, holding her wounds and whispering, ¡°This little injury will heal quickly once we get out of the maze.¡± ¡°Is this going to help?!¡± Asarina was extremely distraught, ¡°He might already be out of his mind! Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t lock himself in there!¡± Bai Youwei closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and shouted at the door: ¡°Shen Mo! I¡¯m bleeding now, Du Lai and Leonid are hungry, even if you can resist eating me, what makes you think they can?!¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Leonid quickly covered his mouth with the towel, as the scent of blood was indeed making him salivate. Just as Du Lai was about to say that such tactics might not work, the door was suddenly yanked open, and a figure shrouded in ¡°black mist¡± burst out and collapsed straight to the ground! Everyone was shocked! Shen Mo was covered in blood, with a large hole in his abdomen, as if gored by a bullhorn! He was barely conscious, reaching out a hand to grab Bai Youwei¡¯s ankle. His body was swarmed by black parasites, flying around, yet only a few ventured up Bai Youwei¡¯s leg, while many dispersed, drawn to Du Lai, Leonid, and Asarina! At that moment, Bai Youwei finally understood, ¡°It¡¯s about combat strength!¡­ These ¡®Lice¡¯ automatically choose the strongest person to parasitize! That¡¯s why Chen Hui and I are almost unaffected!¡± Du Lai swatted away the parasites, asking Bai Youwei, ¡°Do you have any alcohol?¡± Bai Youwei took out the golden key and opened the dollhouse. Inside, Chang Weicai, Pan Xiaoxin, and Tan Xiao were all present, startled by their ghastly state! ¡°I was only gone for a minute, how did you end up like this?!¡± Tan Xiao stepped forward to help. ¡°Don¡¯t come out!¡± Bai Youwei stopped him, ¡°The parasites here are problematic, none of you come out! Just bring me alcohol, the higher the proof, the better! Hurry!¡± Chapter 837 - 837 Magic Sword Chapter 837: Chapter 837 Magic Sword The people in the room were stunned, they all went to grab the alcohol¡ª Du Lai and Leonid popped off the bottle caps and poured it over their heads, the strong scent of alcohol scattered the flying insects around, and Shen Mo was drenched in it, too. The insects clinging to him either died or dispersed. But that still wasn¡¯t enough! The irritating smell of alcohol could ward off the flying insects, but it couldn¡¯t cure the ¡°poison¡± on their bodies. Du Lai and Leonid were still hungry! Asarina felt hungry, too! Bai Youwei treated Shen Mo¡¯s wounds with mud, then took out a collar and put it on Shen Mo. Shen Mo opened his eyes, silently looking at her, motionless. ... Bai Youwei said expressionlessly, ¡°I can¡¯t walk now, so you¡¯ll have to carry me. If you try to bite me, I¡¯ll let the rabbit shock you. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be lenient.¡± Shen Mo watched her quietly, without saying a word, a hint of resentment hidden in his eyes. ¡°Unhappy with me? Not pleased?¡± Bai Youwei said coldly, ¡°Shen Mo, from the day you forcibly took me out of my home, my life and death have been tied to you! You can¡¯t just abandon me!¡± After saying that, she stopped looking at him and pulled out three more collars from her bag, throwing them to Du Lai and others. Du Lai was speechless for a while before asking, ¡°How many dog collars do you actually have?¡± ¡°These are all I have, it¡¯s up to you whether you wear them or not,¡± Bai Youwei replied indifferently, ¡°But I think you¡¯d better put them on.¡± Wearing these things was indeed somewhat demeaning, but the influence of the ¡°lice¡± was always present, so what did dignity count for in the face of life and death? Asarina was the most unconcerned, being the first to put one on. She was slightly startled, looked at Bai Youwei, then at Du Lai and Leonid, ¡°¡­seems like I¡¯m not so hungry anymore.¡± Upon hearing this, Du Lai and Leonid also immediately put the collars on themselves and then discovered¡ªthey were still hungry, but the desire for Bai Youwei and Chen Hui wasn¡¯t as ¡°alluring¡± as before. Du Lai touched the collar around his neck and said, ¡°I never thought this item could have such an effect.¡± ¡°Probably because it interferes with brain consciousness,¡± Bai Youwei said lightly, ¡°You guys don¡¯t really want to eat human flesh, it¡¯s just that your thinking has been influenced by the lice, or you could say¡­ your own brains have deceived you.¡± Upon hearing this, Du Lai couldn¡¯t help but glance back at the door, where the sound of gnawing on bones crackled. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Du Lai tried hard to ignore the hair-raising noise and hesitated, ¡°¡­With this thing on, if we encounter that creature again, we¡¯ll just be waiting to die.¡± Pet collars would restrict the wearer¡¯s movement and make any form of attack impossible. Bai Youwei thought for a moment and said, ¡°We indeed need to come up with a way to deal with that bull.¡± Chen Hui muttered beside them, ¡°We¡¯ve been through so many stone chambers, and still no sign of the magic sword¡­¡± Everyone fell silent upon hearing this. The more stone chambers they went through, the slimmer the hope of finding the sword became. Did the magic sword that could slay the Minotaur really exist? After a while, Bai Youwei said, ¡°There¡¯s one place we haven¡¯t searched.¡± ¡°Where haven¡¯t we searched?¡± Asarina asked quickly. Bai Youwei took out the map she had drawn, examined it, and circled a spot. ¡°Here¡­ where Slade died,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°We haven¡¯t searched Slade¡¯s body.¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Why do you think the sword is on him?¡± ¡°Such a vital item should be placed at a special location. Although we haven¡¯t finished exploring the maze, the most special places are only two kinds¡ªone is the Mural Stone Room at the center, and the other is the Teleportation Stone Room at the perimeter. But we have checked these rooms, all without a trace, so there¡¯s one more possibility¡ª¡± Bai Youwei pointed her finger on the map. ¡°The magic sword, it¡¯s already been taken by someone. Mark and the others have been here for months, if there really was a magic sword, they couldn¡¯t have missed it.¡± Chapter 838: Care About Chapter 838: Chapter 838: Care About Du Lai asked in confusion, ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°There¡¯s another reason,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Have you ever thought about why, after several months, only Mark, Dylan, and Slade are the ones who have survived in the labyrinth?¡± ¡°Maybe they are the strongest,¡± Du Lai replied. ¡°Looking at them, you can tell they¡¯ve eaten quite a few people.¡± Bai Youwei shook her head gently, ¡°Maybe they are the strongest, but if they have survived, it must be because a certain balance was achieved among the three of them. Mark has the key to leave the labyrinth, Dylan holds endless food and water, so what does Slade have in his possession?¡± With her saying that, everyone started to realize. ... ¡°You mean¡­ Slade has hidden that Magic Sword?¡± Asarina exclaimed in shock. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense! If Slade really had the Magic Sword, why didn¡¯t he use it when the Minotaur attacked him? And when the three of them first saw us, they were in such a hurry to bring out the key and the Magic Bag, but there was no sight of the Magic Sword!¡± ¡°Slade wasn¡¯t clear-headed, and besides, he¡¯s no match for the Minotaur, so it¡¯s not strange that he didn¡¯t produce the Magic Sword in time,¡± Bai Youwei pondered thoughtfully and slowly said, ¡°As for why they didn¡¯t bring out the Magic Sword¡­ perhaps, when they got the sword, they didn¡¯t realize it was anything special and considered it as a regular weapon to keep for self-defense. After all, according to the murals, the sword only has an effect when it pierces the Minotaur¡¯s heart.¡± Leonid said impatiently, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if they have it or not, why don¡¯t we just go and look? Let¡¯s hurry! How much longer are we going to stay here?!¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It wasn¡¯t just the ¡°lice¡± that could affect them, but also the Minotaur itself and any scent of blood. The collar could only provide some relief, and Leonid was already going mad from hunger. ¡°Walk four squares forward, then head south, and you¡¯ll return to where Slade had his incident.¡± Bai Youwei said, as she grabbed Shen Mo beside her, her tone calm, ¡°Carry me on your back.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s body was icy cold, still carrying a moist alcoholic scent. He silently stood up, picked up Bai Youwei, and when his hand touched Bai Youwei¡¯s injured knee, his voice became slightly harsh, ¡°Don¡¯t do this again.¡± Bai Youwei wrapped her arms around his neck and snorted, ¡°The same goes for you.¡± Shen Mo walked silently forward without speaking. After a while, he suddenly lowered his head and bit Bai Youwei¡¯s hand! He was truly ruthless; an iron taste filled his mouth as he bit down hard enough to break the skin on Bai Youwei¡¯s fingers! Drops of crimson soaked his lips, giving his stern and solemn face an incongruously vivid tint of beauty, while the collar, sensing his aggressive behavior, began to constrict like a tightening band! Bai Youwei bit her lip and endured the pain. Finally, Shen Mo let go and asked her, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Bai Youwei said resentfully, ¡°It hurts, but it¡¯s better than watching you die in there!¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t restrained myself, the one dying would be both of us!¡± Shen Mo looked at the others ahead, his voice very low, ¡°Or even more.¡± ¡°But you did hold back!¡± Bai Youwei cried on his back, ¡°You came out alright!¡± Shen Mo carried her forward, his voice low, ¡°I¡¯m not alright. Even with this collar on, I still want to devour you¡­ Every minute, every second, I think about swallowing you whole, from head to toe¡­¡± He breathed in slowly, as if greedily inhaling the bloody scent from Bai Youwei¡¯s fingers. Bai Youwei spitefully smeared the blood from her hand onto his neck! ¡°Then go ahead and eat! I don¡¯t care!¡± she said with tears and a cold laugh. Shen Mo stopped in his tracks and said, ¡°I care.¡± After pausing for two seconds, he added, ¡°Weiwei, if I can¡¯t restrain myself, remember to hide inside the dollhouse and no matter what¡­ don¡¯t come out.¡± Bai Youwei saw black bugs crawling by his ear and her tears fell even harder. Chapter 839: A Sword Chapter 839: Chapter 839: A Sword The group made their way back to the place where Slade had met his fate. The stone chamber was pitch dark, void of any glimmer of light. They shone their flashlights around and spotted a short sword at the spot where Slade had lain. It was difficult to call it a sword. Bai Youwei even doubted whether it had been pryed directly from the mural, because it looked just as abstract! The blackish iron object had been rudely fashioned into the semblance of a sword, and it was extremely crude. If they had searched their companions at the start, even if she had found it, Bai Youwei might not have recognized it as a sword; it resembled a poorly crafted cross more than anything. Asarina picked up the sword from the ground and looked around. ... No sign of Slade. He had already been devoured to the extent that not a bone remained, his hair and clothes entirely erased by the stone chamber. ¡°To think that the sword we¡¯ve been searching for so long would be here¡­¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s go finish off the Minotaur, and we can leave the labyrinth,¡± Leonid declared, clenching his fists in anticipation, ¡°Once it¡¯s dead, I¡¯m going to have a huge meal! Damn it, I¡¯m starving to death!¡± After a moment of silence, Du Lai nodded in agreement, ¡°Let¡¯s make it quick. We really can¡¯t linger in this place for too long.¡± Bai Youwei, perched on Shen Mo¡¯s back, looked down at the compass, ¡°If the Minotaur is still in its original spot, we can take the teleportation point, then head west for two rooms, then south¡­ The Minotaur will move towards us as well.¡± As she spoke, she turned her head to look at Leonid, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with that wound?¡± A chunk of flesh had been bitten off Leonid¡¯s shoulder by the Minotaur. Bai Youwei hadn¡¯t used the mud on him, people who had been through the labyrinth several times had a strong ability to recover. Unless it was a fatal wound, there was no need to use the mud. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Leonid tightened the bandage on his shoulder and replied, ¡°I won¡¯t die from this; injuries are a trifling matter. Let¡¯s hurry and act while the few of us haven¡¯t gone mad.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked around, her voice dropping, ¡°but I need to remind you, we only have one chance. If it doesn¡¯t die, then one of us must die so the others can escape.¡± They looked at each other. They had agreed to enter the labyrinth to improve their Physical Abilities and until the very end, who would want to die? ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Mo, carrying Bai Youwei on his back, whispered, ¡°As long as there¡¯s no problem with this sword, we don¡¯t have to die.¡± ¡­ This was the first time they were not avoiding, but instead heading directly towards the Minotaur. Black bugs flew and crawled over Shen Mo¡¯s body from time to time. Leonid and Du Lai were not immune to the bugs either, even swatting them away only resulted in their buzzing return after a while. As they neared the Minotaur, the insects became even more gleeful in flight, their numbers subtly increasing. Shen Mo¡¯s breathing grew heavier as well. Bai Youwei knew they were being affected. ¡°Put me down,¡± Bai Youwei said softly. Shen Mo halted his steps, silently for a moment, then gently set Bai Youwei down to check her legs. Having entered the labyrinth multiple times, Bai Youwei¡¯s body had a strong healing ability. The two deep cuts from earlier had stopped bleeding, but the wounds were red, making the knees when bent look like brackets on her legs, a somewhat odd sight. Shen Mo held up her knee, uncertain what to say. In that moment, something fuzzy scurried onto his shoulder, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw it was Bai Youwei¡¯s rabbit. It seemed to disdain the persistent black bugs on him, shifting slightly away. Bai Youwei spoke, ¡°You should take the rabbit. Although it¡¯s only been charged overnight and may not have much power left, it might be able to cause some interference with the Minotaur. When the time comes, you¡¯ll have to seize the moment and pierce its heart with the sword¡­¡± She halted, pressing her lips together, gazing at Shen Mo: ¡°Chen Hui and I will wait outside for your good news.¡± Looking into her eyes, Shen Mo nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 840: The Exit of the Maze Chapter 840: Chapter 840: The Exit of the Maze Bai Youwei chose to stay behind, not wanting to be a burden, as she had the lowest combat power of everyone and had also injured her leg. Between the stone chambers, thick walls separated them; the Minotaur was at the other end, roaring, panting, and making dull sounds with its steps. Shen Mo took one last look at Bai Youwei, removed the collar from his neck, and took the rabbit as he pushed open the door first¡ª Du Lai, Asarina, and Leonid closely followed, also removing their collars. A low growl from the Minotaur came from the darkness, followed by Leonid shutting the door! Their view was blocked by the door, making it impossible to see what was happening on the other side; Chen Hui nervously came to Bai Youwei¡¯s side, her fingers tightly intertwined. ... ¡°They¡¯ll be fine,¡± Chen Hui whispered softly, not knowing if she was speaking to Bai Youwei or to herself. Bang!!! Suddenly, a loud noise startled Chen Hui! Then, a piercing scream came from behind the door! It was like the roar of a trapped beast, coupled with the howling of a wolf! The sound spread along the stone walls, echoing fiercely. Chen Hui¡¯s eyes widened with fear, staring intently at the door, her heart in her throat! Until the sound gradually weakened¡­ The sounds of fighting ceased. Completely gone. The door was pulled open from the inside; Leonid stood at the doorway, his shoulder wound had reopened, oozing a layer of dark red, but his face was filled with excitement. ¡°Come in quickly!¡± Leonid exclaimed excitedly, ¡°This maze is so simple! The exit has already appeared!¡± Chen Hui and Bai Youwei were utterly bewildered. Asarina also ran to the door, urgently telling them, ¡°The exit! The exit of the maze has appeared!¡± Chen Hui helped Bai Youwei up and slowly walked into the stone chamber. They saw the Minotaur lying motionless on the ground, with Shen Mo stepping on its chest, resembling the pose of a hero in a mural; he slowly loosened his grip, leaving the sword forever in the creature¡¯s chest cavity. Not ten meters from the Minotaur, a glowing square appeared! They were all too familiar with this kind of square! Because the Inspector had opened the maze entrance for them, it was such a white glowing square, and entering the battle game was through a similar square! Du Lai sighed with relief, looking at Bai Youwei, ¡°We¡¯ve been terribly harmed by those people; if they hadn¡¯t taken this sword, we would have found the exit long ago.¡± Mark and his people had significantly increased the difficulty of the maze! Asarina realized this and felt conflicted, ¡°They were trapped for so long, yet they didn¡¯t know that the sword in their hands could save their lives¡­¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because hunger made them lose their reason,¡± Leonid said to everyone, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and leave; we can finally get out of this hellish place! I am so hungry I could eat a whole sheep!¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chen Hui hesitantly asked, ¡°Just¡­ just walk out like this?¡± It felt absurd that they had felt so hopeless just moments ago, and now they were talking about walking out. Du Lai laughed, ¡°This maze wasn¡¯t supposed to be difficult; we were misled at the beginning, otherwise with the Minotaur being continuously revived, we wouldn¡¯t have been so miserable.¡± He waved away the remaining insects in front of him, looking towards the glowing square from an unprecedented ease. ¡°We can finally go out¡­¡± Du Lai stepped toward the square, eager to leave and meet Miaoxue. Shen Mo also approached Bai Youwei, his hair and arms still entwined with black insects. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Shen Mo said expressionlessly, wiping away the annoying insects lightly, ¡°These bugs are endless; I don¡¯t know if they will disappear once we¡¯re out.¡± Bai Youwei looked at Shen Mo, then hesitatedly at Du Lai, ¡°Are we really just walking out like this? We haven¡¯t found all the keys; the iron door behind the mural hasn¡¯t been opened yet¡­¡± Chapter 841: Stay to Guard the Door Chapter 841: Chapter 841: Stay to Guard the Door Du Lai halted in his tracks, and even Leonid, who was about to leave, stopped as well. ¡°The exit has already appeared. Aren¡¯t we leaving?¡± Du Lai was puzzled. ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you say that the greatest use of those keys was to serve as landmarks? We don¡¯t necessarily need to collect them all.¡± Leonid was also getting impatient. ¡°Let¡¯s just get out of here as soon as possible. These lice keep following us, and no matter what we do, we can¡¯t shake them off. Even if we wash with alcohol, it doesn¡¯t last very long before the lice come back.¡± He took off the towel wrapped around his face, unable to bear it any longer. ¡°If we continue to stay here, won¡¯t our symptoms get worse? I am really¡­ so hungry!¡± ¡°The exit is right before our eyes, and it won¡¯t take too much time to find the last few keys. Let¡¯s just endure a little longer,¡± Bai Youwei looked toward the glowing square, her expression anxious. ¡°After all, we can¡¯t be sure¡­ whether these lice will disappear after we leave the maze.¡± ¡°No, that can¡¯t be, can it?¡± Asarina¡¯s heart, which had just settled, lifted again. ¡°Every time we leave the maze, don¡¯t we undergo an upgrade in physical ability? And no matter how severe the injuries to our bodies, they are almost always healed!¡± ... Bai Youwei pursed her lips and remained silent. What she wanted to say was that it wasn¡¯t like that at all. When Chang Weicai left the maze, not only did the scales on his body not disappear, but they also upgraded along with him. Just like how previously he was an aquatic creature and after the upgrade, he became amphibious, capable of surviving on both land and water. And these ¡°lice¡±¡­ it was impossible for Bai Youwei to predict what effect the maze would upgrade them to. Chen Hui looked distressed, glancing around before speaking up, ¡°I think¡­ we should just do as Sister Weiwei suggests. There are only three keys left, and not many stone chambers we haven¡¯t been through. Just a little more time and we can gather all the keys and open the iron door¡­ Whatever the outcome, at least when we leave, we¡¯ll feel more at ease.¡± ¡°But what if the exit disappears?¡± Du Lai frowned, ¡°Will the exit stay here forever, or is there a time limit?¡­ There must be a time limit, right? Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be easy for the next group of people coming in to find the exit?¡± Bai Youwei pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°How about this, now that the Minotaur is dead, we don¡¯t have to worry about the step count. One of us will stay here to watch over, while the others go find the keys. Then, we all meet in the maze¡¯s center, that is, the stone chamber with the murals.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay,¡± said Du Lai. Everyone looked at him. It was obvious to those with discerning eyes that Du Lai did not want to miss the chance to leave. He was neither a subject of Bai Youwei nor had any particular relationship with her; indeed, he did not need to follow her orders. ¡°Alright, you stay,¡± Bai Youwei nodded indifferently, and directly assigned tasks to the others. Leonid would search the eastern stone chambers, Asarina the south, Chen Hui the west, and she and Shen Mo would take the north. Before leaving, Bai Youwei handed a white conch to Du Lai. This was an artifact for transmitting sound; as long as Du Lai spoke through the white conch, even through layers of stone walls, Bai Youwei and others could clearly hear him. It was just a pity the artifact could not facilitate conversation; otherwise, it would be almost as useful as a cell phone. Du Lai held the white conch and sat down cross-legged in front of the glowing square, calmly saying, ¡°If the exit shrinks or disappears, I will immediately notify you with the conch.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He paused for two seconds, then added, ¡°But if you don¡¯t come back¡­ I won¡¯t wait forever.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him deeply. Tiny black bugs scurried around his neck, and veins bulged faintly on his forehead; he seemed to have endured to his limit¡­ ¡°If you decide to leave first, I have no objections,¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently. ¡°However, think it through carefully, you wouldn¡¯t want to end up in such a ghastly state when Fu Miaoxue has recovered.¡± Chapter 842: The Fourth Picture Chapter 842: Chapter 842: The Fourth Picture Du Lai was too unruly, only showing caution when the name Fu Miaoxue was mentioned. Bai Youwei spoke calmly, ¡°You and Fu Miaoxue joined the King¡¯s war without any real interest in the battle itself, solely focused on entering the labyrinth. You did it to help her recover her body, right? The labyrinth can turn a person into a doll, perhaps it can do the reverse as well. That¡¯s what you were thinking, isn¡¯t it?¡± Du Lai sat in front of the glowing square, his eyelids drooped, his expression unchanged. Bai Youwei continued, ¡°You¡¯ve been through quite a few games, but your experience with the labyrinth is close to zero. So you and Fu Miaoxue agreed to first enter the labyrinth with me to gain enough experience, and then bring her along?¡± There was finally a subtle change in Du Lai¡¯s face, as if dismissing the idea, he gave a nonchalant smile, ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare owe that kind of favor.¡± ¡°Of course¡­ it¡¯s not really a favor,¡± Bai Youwei also responded with a light smile. ¡°Although you brought companions to gain the experience, you indeed helped me as well. It¡¯s a mutually beneficial arrangement.¡± ... Without Du Lai, Leonid, and Chen Hui, it would not have been easy for Bai Youwei to enter the labyrinth. ¡°You should be careful when you take Fu Miaoxue into the labyrinth in the future,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°We¡¯ve nearly collected all the keys now, it won¡¯t take much more time. It¡¯s always better to come out later than to take the wrong path.¡± Du Lai¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, ¡°You suspect that this exit might not be the real exit?¡± ¡°Anything is possible,¡± Bai Youwei replied indifferently. ¡°At least until we¡¯ve collected all the keys and the door¡¯s secret has been unraveled, I feel it¡¯s not prudent to just leave like this.¡± Du Lai looked down at the tiny lice scurrying between his fingers. They burrowed into his nail crevices, crawled toward the folds of his clothes, fluttering and unsettling his mind. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Understood¡­¡± Du Lai closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for all of you to come back.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips and left the Stone Chamber with the others. ¡­ Without the threat of the Minotaur, their passage through the labyrinth was unobstructed, and they soon found the remaining keys. Following the Stone Chamber¡¯s transmission points, Bai Youwei collected the keys that were marked, including those found by Chen Hui and Asarina, totaling twelve. The group returned to the room with the wall painting. The keys did not seem to require a specific order; any key could fit into the same lock. Shen Mo fitted a key into the lock, turned it, and unlocked it. Click. One lock opened. Then the second¡­ ¡°Will there really be an exit behind the door?¡± Chen Hui asked, uneasily. Asarina looked nervously at the door, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Leonid, dizzy with hunger, tried to restrain himself. He stood a bit distant, muttering lowly, ¡°I hope it¡¯s not a trap.¡± The last lock was opened. Shen Mo turned to look at everyone, finally resting his gaze on Bai Youwei¡¯s face. Bai Youwei nodded at him and said, ¡°Open it.¡± The heavy iron door creaked open¡­ When the door was fully open, everyone was stunned. Because behind the door was not the anticipated exit, but a wall! Precisely, one side of the pillar had been fitted with a door! No exit, no mechanism, the side of the pillar that was concealed by the iron door was the fourth mural. All the beams from the torches converged on the painting. The fourth mural was even more intricate than the previous three. In the painting, the Minotaur was tied over a fire, a group of tiny figures danced around the campfire, and the hero who had vanquished the beast held a knife in one hand and a dark object in the other. Upon closer examination, all the little figures had black objects in their hands as well. The painting was too abstract to discern what they were doing. As Bai Youwei watched, she suddenly felt alarmed, ¡°Quick!¡­ We need to go back and find Du Lai!¡± Chapter 843: A Small Piece Chapter 843: Chapter 843: A Small Piece ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Asarina asked anxiously, ¡°Is there something wrong with this mural?¡± ¡°What they are holding should be meat,¡± Shen Mo reached out and gently touched the mural, ¡°These black lines¡­ are blood. The dead Minotaur was roasted over a fire, and the heroes and the humans offered as tribute shared the Minotaur¡¯s flesh.¡± Leonid did not understand, ¡°Why cover up such a mural with a door and lock it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°only by completing the fourth step can one truly pass through. If I¡¯m not mistaken, those who enter the maze must eat the flesh of the Minotaur to be truly saved.¡± She faced everyone and emphasized again, ¡°We need to hurry back and find Du Lai, if he couldn¡¯t resist and left the maze through the exit, it might cause big trouble! The maze might enhance Physical Ability, but what if it also enhances the lice? If the lice get outside, will they continue to affect brain consciousness? Will they infect others?!¡± Everyone¡¯s faces changed. ... If these lice were indeed taken outside by Du Lai, it could lead to chaos worldwide! The group hurried back. In the rush and confusion, they took a wrong turn and finally found the Stone Chamber where they had previously eliminated the Minotaur. As the door pushed open, the glowing square was still there, but there was no sign of Du Lai. Everyone¡¯s hearts immediately rose. Had Du Lai really left due to impatience?! Holding their flashlights, they scanned the surroundings and finally saw a dark figure not far from the Minotaur¡¯s corpse! Du Lai was covered in black lice, lying motionlessly on the ground, his condition far worse than what Shen Mo had suffered before! There was no time to get the alcohol; they directly took several bottles of water from the Magic Bag and doused Du Lai, washing off the lice! Shen Mo pulled Du Lai¡¯s body off the ground, only for him to suddenly wake and bite Shen Mo¡¯s hand! Blood instantly spilled out, shocking even Leonid who stood beside him, his eyes glazed and drool involuntarily dripping! Chen Hui acted quickly and immediately grabbed Leonid¡¯s arm, pulling him away to prevent him from smelling the scent! ¡°The collar!¡± Shen Mo subdued Du Lai and turned to shout at Bai Youwei, ¡°Quick!¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei passed the collar, and the others put them on one after another. Their aggressiveness finally subsided, but the black lice kept flying onto their bodies! Shen Mo stripped Du Lai of his lice-infested shirt, lit it with a lighter, and tossed it to the ground. Bai Youwei opened the dollhouse and asked those inside to bring out some firewood; a bonfire ignited. The intense flames and the square¡¯s pure white light illuminated the entire Stone Chamber. Then¡ª Shen Mo walked to the Minotaur¡¯s body and cut off a piece of meat. They should have been disgusted, but their consciousness was so distorted by lice that they found nothing amiss with the bloody meat. Only Bai Youwei and Chen Hui struggled to accept it. In the end, they sliced two small pieces, grilled them on the fire, wrapped them in bread, and swallowed them without even wishing to chew. What the taste was, was uncertain, but immediately after consuming, they felt psychologically comforted. The lice on Shen Mo, Du Lai, Leonid, and Asarina gradually scattered, including many that died. They shook their clothes lightly, and lice fell like dandruff. The six people looked at each other, and at that moment, they truly felt relieved. ¡°Let¡¯s grill a few more slices,¡± Bai Youwei looked at Shen Mo, ¡°Teacher Cheng and the others need to eat too.¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t say a word and silently went to cut another small piece. Chapter 844: Maze Number 5 Chapter 844: Chapter 844: Maze Number 5 Bai Youwei called several people out from the dollhouse and gave each of them a thin slice of meat. ¡°Eat it, then walk out through that glowing square.¡± Bai Youwei pointed to a square nearby. Tan Xiao didn¡¯t think much, put the meat in his mouth, and chewed noisily, ¡°What kind of meat is this? It¡¯s so tough.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Beef jerky.¡± ¡°Though the meat is a bit tough, it¡¯s very fresh.¡± Teacher Cheng chewed slowly and said, ¡°We haven¡¯t eaten fresh meat in a long time, Weiwei, next time we encounter a cow, we must find a way to raise it, sustainable resource development, right?¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°Oh.¡± ... She glanced at Pan Xiaoxin, saw he was holding the meat but hadn¡¯t eaten yet, and raised her eyebrows, asking, ¡°Xiaoxin, eat up! Children shouldn¡¯t be picky.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Pan Xiaoxin silently glanced somewhere not far off. There lay a huge figure on the ground, dimly lit, Xiaoxin couldn¡¯t see clearly and tried to take a closer look, just as Shen Mo moved a few steps, blocking his view. Pan Xiaoxin: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up and eat.¡± Bai Youwei urged, ¡°Once we finish, we need to go out.¡± Pan Xiaoxin looked down at the meat in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then closed his eyes and ate it. Everyone ate the ¡°beef jerky,¡± and Bai Youwei finally relaxed and announced, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go out!¡± They all gradually entered the square emitting white light. Leaving the dimly lit Stone Chamber, they entered into a void of white¡ª ¡°Congratulations, players for clearing Maze No. 5.¡± Bai Youwei heard the familiar system notification, and as usual, her companions disappeared from her side. ¡°Players may receive 2 doll jigsaw pieces. Now upgrading player data¡­ Ding, this upgrade has concluded.¡± Bai Youwei looked down at her legs, the two wounds disappeared instantly, and her body also felt lighter and more agile. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Reward settlement complete, please continue the game, strive to clear¡ª¡± The system voice disappeared, the white before her eyes faded, she blinked, and found herself in the lounge. Her companions also gradually appeared beside her¡ªLeonid, Chen Hui, Du Lai¡­ ¡°You guys came out quite fast; I thought it would take at least three to five days.¡± A woman¡¯s voice sounded, carrying a unique arrogance, Bai Youwei followed the voice and saw Fu Miaoxue walking slowly over in black veils. So she had been waiting for them in the lounge all along. Fu Miaoxue approached Du Lai and asked, ¡°How was it? Was the maze difficult?¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t know how to answer. To say it was difficult, it really wasn¡¯t¡ªuse the Magic Sword to kill the Minotaur, then collect all the keys. But to say it wasn¡¯t difficult, they almost fell apart in the maze¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go back¡­ I¡¯ll tell you more slowly,¡± Du Lai said with concern, ¡°Was everything okay here at the base these two days?¡± Fu Miaoxue hummed in displeasure: ¡°Without you here, I couldn¡¯t even find anyone to talk with, I was bored to death!¡± Du Lai: ¡°Here I am, back to keep you company¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°You should have come back to keep me company sooner!¡± The two started getting mushy again. Bai Youwei turned to look for Shen Mo; she wanted to be mushy too, but just as she caught sight of Shen Mo¡¯s silhouette, she suddenly felt her knees weaken, and she fell to the ground! Shen Mo, alarmed, quickly stepped forward to catch her! Bai Youwei didn¡¯t fall, but she was quite frightened! ¡°What happened?!¡± Shen Mo asked her, startled, ¡°Didn¡¯t your legs heal after the upgrade?¡± She looked down, supporting her leg, feeling absolutely no sensation below the knee. Bai Youwei murmured confusedly, ¡°It was fine earlier¡­ why¡­ why is this happening¡­¡± Why could she not walk again? The other companions gathered around. The maze was supposed to enhance physical fitness, not cause harm! The small commotion caught the Inspector¡¯s attention. The gentleman with a rabbit head approached and calmly said, ¡°Your legs are fine, but your heart, there¡¯s something wrong with it.¡± Chapter 845: As One Desires Chapter 845: Chapter 845: As One Desires Bai Youwei furrowed her brows, ¡°What do you mean?¡± The gentleman with a rabbit head smiled, glanced at Shen Mo, and said to Bai Youwei, ¡°You should know what I mean.¡± Something flashed through Bai Youwei¡¯s mind, and she immediately understood. And figured it out. When she looked at her own legs again, she felt her nerves regain sensation, as if the numbness of the previous moment was just an illusion, or perhaps, a psychological barrier. What was she afraid of? ... What was she resisting? Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing that she was alright, the gentleman with a rabbit head spoke no further, polite gave a slight bow, and turned to leave. Shen Mo lifted Bai Youwei onto his back, comforting her, ¡°You should rest up when we get back, I¡¯ll ask Chu Huaijin to find a doctor, to look for healing tools, it will be alright.¡± Bai Youwei lay on his broad back, pursed her lips, and kept silent. Perhaps what she wanted was exactly this outcome? Whether it¡¯s a bond or a burden¡­ in any case, to make the person she desired also unable to leave her. ¡­ After returning to the headquarters, Bai Youwei sat back in her wheelchair. She used to sit in her wheelchair even when her legs could walk, so it didn¡¯t attract much attention. Shen Mo took her back to her room, then left to find Chu Huaijin. Lying alone on her bed, Bai Youwei gazed at the snow-white ceiling, feeling a void inside. The transient numbness when leaving the maze was real. For that instant, she truly thought she couldn¡¯t walk. It was when the Inspector reminded her that she realized, it wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t walk, but that she had developed¡­ a dependency in her heart. When her legs weren¡¯t good, she always thought that once they healed, she could go anywhere freely. But after they healed, she didn¡¯t want to go anywhere, like the hands of a clock, going round and round but never leaving the center¡­ The Doll Game bound Shen Mo and her together. But this game made separation the norm. Chen Hui lost Teacher Tu, Yan Qingwen lost Lun Ang, Tan Xiao lost Hu Dashan¡­ and many others died, left, and the living initially felt pain and later only numbness. Perhaps Shen Mo had long been prepared mentally to leave at any time, to leave the last bit of hope to her. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help thinking, if Shen Mo really died in that maze, leaving her alone, how would she live? Continue to play the game? Continue to clear stages? ¡­And then what? Die in the game, or win until the end and become the ultimate victor? Even if she won, so what? Maybe some people like to dominate the world, to be the ruler, but for her, there was no joy in that. Without companionship, it was no different from her past days¡ªstill eating alone, sleeping alone, watching TV alone, staying alone the entire day¡­ As Bai Youwei thought and thought, she began to feel scared. For so many years¡­ it was not easy to feel that life had some pleasure, and what she had was like a handful of crystal glass, ready to shatter at any moment. She thought a lot, her thoughts were a mess, a chaotic jumble tumbling in her mind. There was a knock on the door, a couple of thuds. ¡°Weiwei, may I come in?¡± It was Zhu Shu¡¯s voice. Bai Youwei sat up and directed toward the door, ¡°Come in.¡± The door was unlocked. Zhu Shu opened the door and entered, smiling at Bai Youwei and lifting the thermos food container in her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve made red bean rice balls, do you want to try?¡± Bai Youwei smiled, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll have a taste.¡± Zhu Shu, carrying the food container, found a table, opened it up, and the steaming vapor instantly wafted out, with the fragrance of red beans. She dished out a bowl and handed it to Bai Youwei, ¡°I made it to my taste, if it¡¯s not sweet enough, I can add more sugar for you.¡± ¡°How come you suddenly thought of making these?¡± Bai Youwei took a taste, squinting her eyes, ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s delicious, the sweetness is just right.¡± Zhu Shu laughed and said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t help much usually, and I was idle anyways, so I thought about making some food. I also delivered some to Su Man. I ran into Shen Mo on the way and found out that you had returned from the maze. He was worried you¡¯d be mulling things over by yourself and specifically asked me to come and keep you company.¡± Chapter 846 - 846 Heart Knot Chapter 846: Chapter 846 Heart Knot Zhu Shu laughed, and said, ¡°Shen Mo is always so careful with you.¡± Her words were sweet, and Bai Youwei felt the red bean soup in her bowl tasted even sweeter. However, remembering how Shen Mo nearly didn¡¯t make it out of the maze, the smile on her lips faded slightly. She didn¡¯t really want to recall what happened in the maze, so she changed the subject and asked, ¡°How has Yan Qingwen been lately? Does he plan to enter the maze?¡± ¡°Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai did come to us before, but Yan Qingwen didn¡¯t want us to take risks and he refused,¡± Zhu Shu sighed softly. ¡°Chu Huaijin has been going to see him these days, probably trying to persuade him not to give up.¡± Bai Youwei curiously asked, ¡°So will Yan Qingwen change his mind?¡± ... Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zhu Shu shook her head gently, ¡°Probably not¡­ He has demoted all of us to commoners now, he doesn¡¯t have any subjects left; he definitely can¡¯t join the battle.¡± After speaking, Zhu Shu smiled bitterly and added, ¡°But living like this every day, so confused, it¡¯s like the Grim Reaper has declared your time of death, yet you can do nothing but passively wait for the tragedy to strike.¡± Bai Youwei joked, ¡°It sounds like the end of the world.¡± ¡°It does feel a bit like that¡­ Although Yan Qingwen hasn¡¯t said it, I can tell he¡¯s also worried,¡± Zhu Shu sighed. ¡°He must really want to know what will happen when all the games are over. The rumors outside are more absurd one after the other, about becoming a savior, about being transformed by Aliens¡­ I don¡¯t believe any of them; sometimes I can¡¯t sleep at night and wonder if all this is just a dream?¡± She looked at Bai Youwei and asked, ¡°If you win in the end and have the power to change the world, what would you do?¡± Bai Youwei was silent for a while, then slowly shook her head, ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it¡­ Sometimes when I hear such things, I just think, I¡¯ll decide when the time comes¡­ I don¡¯t even know if I can win the next game.¡± ¡°You will definitely win,¡± Zhu Shu smiled. ¡°Yan Qingwen said that among these kings, few can match you!¡± Hearing this, Bai Youwei playfully looked at her, ¡°What is it then? Do you think I can win because you yourself believe it, or because Yan Qingwen said I can win, and that¡¯s why you think I can?¡± ¡°Both, both~¡± Zhu Shu giggled, covering her mouth. ¡°We all think you can win, and besides, you have Shen Mo. With Shen Mo around, it would be hard for you to lose.¡± That was true. Bai Youwei thought to herself: With him around, indeed, there is a great sense of security. She gently stirred the red bean soup in her bowl, speaking slowly to Zhu Shu, ¡°Actually, the most peaceful and comfortable time I¡¯ve had over the years is now. When you just mentioned whether all this might be a dream, for me, I hope it¡¯s a dream that never ends¡­ If there were no maze, no game, Shen Mo and I would not have ended up together, I wouldn¡¯t have met Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, Xiaoxin¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have met you all. I would probably still be sitting in my own room, counting pills day by day¡­ Thinking about this, I really don¡¯t want the game to end.¡± Touched slightly, Zhu Shu gazed into Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes, ¡°¡­And now? What do you think?¡± Bai Youwei tilted her head and smiled faintly, ¡°Now¡­ now I feel that, no matter what the world turns into, as long as the people around me are always there, that¡¯s enough.¡± Zhu Shu gently grasped her hand, opened her mouth as if to say something, but felt at a loss for words. Everyone deeply detested the doll game; the game had caused them to lose family, lovers, friends, but Bai Youwei¡¯s words deeply resonated with Zhu Shu. Because the ties that were forged after each game, those too were precious. Who could bear to erase them? It wasn¡¯t just about romantic love, there were many¡­ many bonds worth entrusting one¡¯s life to, that were fiery and intense, etched into their beings in life-and-death situations, carved into their lives, having long become a part of their own personalities. Zhu Shu took a deep breath, still holding Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, and said, ¡°Even if the game no longer exists, we will definitely still be here.¡± Chapter 847 - 847 Comprehensive Examination Chapter 847: Chapter 847 Comprehensive Examination While they were talking, footsteps could be heard from outside. Zhu Shu stood up, ¡°It must be Shen Mo returning, I¡¯ll go open the door.¡± When the door opened, Shen Mo stood outside; he had found several doctors over from Chu Huaijin, specialists in neurology, orthopedics, surgery, internal medicine, etc., to treat Bai Youwei. It seemed quite a commotion, but after Yan Qingwen and Fu Miaoxue had both raised the possibility of yielding, Bai Youwei was the only king at the headquarters with the hope of entering the final battle, so it was normal for her to receive such attention. The doctors who entered all wore serious expressions, Zhu Shu did not linger, she greeted Bai Youwei and Shen Mo and left. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t expect Shen Mo to bring so many people over; she was surprised, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need¡­ My leg is already fine.¡± ... Shen Mo asked, ¡°Can you walk?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Bai Youwei got out of bed and walked slowly for a couple of steps, ¡°Just now, I don¡¯t know why, but it was numb; it¡¯s already better now.¡± The doctors looked at each other. ¡°Sudden numbness could be acute osteomyelitis; further examination is needed.¡± ¡°It could also be a neural issue, compression of peripheral nerves, causing temporary paralysis.¡± ¡°Did you engage in any strenuous activities before losing sensation? It might be lumbar disc hyperplasia leading to a complete or partial loss of sensation in the lower body.¡± Bai Youwei had initially thought it was just a psychological issue, but hearing them speak like this, she couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous. She had always cherished her legs, how could she endure this? S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me,¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened. The leading doctor gave an apologetic smile, ¡°We¡¯re just speculating for now. Logically, Miss Bai¡¯s leg should be fine, as those who come out of the maze have physical comprehensive indices far beyond average. Miss Bai has been through the maze so many times, ordinary diseases would generally be immunized by the body. However, for the sake of caution, I suggest it¡¯s better to have a thorough examination.¡± Without hesitation, Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s do the examination, right now.¡± She got up to leave, but after standing, just sat back down again, sitting on the edge of the bed, her face shifting with worry. Shen Mo asked her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei looked up at him, her expression pitiful, ¡°I should just use a wheelchair¡­¡± Shen Mo knelt down, his hands touching her knees, asking, ¡°Still can¡¯t walk?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± she pouted, ¡°What if while walking, it goes numb again? What if I injure my leg?¡± Shen Mo, already feeling tender towards her, couldn¡¯t help but be both amused and exasperated, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile, ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll use a wheelchair.¡± He pushed the wheelchair over, lifted Bai Youwei into it, and accompanied the doctors to conduct the examination. Bai Youwei was cooperative throughout the process, undergoing every possible test. Some tests could not produce immediate results, so Bai Youwei and Shen Mo waited together, her mind buzzing like a swarm of bees, unable to calm down. During this time, they encountered Ya Chaohui. Ya Chaohui was recuperating in the medical area and was about to be discharged soon after having his final check-up. He held his test result sheet and saw Bai Youwei and Shen Mo also waiting for results, so he came over to greet them, his demeanor still as always, stiff and cold. ¡°Injured in the maze?¡± His gaze lingered between Shen Mo and Bai Youwei, unsure who was injured, he asked, ¡°Is it serious?¡± Shen Mo glanced at Bai Youwei and didn¡¯t explain in too much detail, replying, ¡°The doctor said it¡¯s not a big issue, but it¡¯s still best to have a comprehensive check-up to eliminate any hidden problems.¡± Ya Chaohui then knew it was Bai Youwei who was injured. ¡°There are more than two weeks until the next battle; try to rest as much as possible. The risks of the maze are too great; entering this one time is enough,¡± he said. Bai Youwei was a bit surprised, arching an eyebrow as she looked over. How rare, she could actually hear a hint of concern in those words? Chapter 848 848: 848 Less People Chapter 848: Chapter 848 Less People Shen Mo asked Ya Chaohui, ¡°How have you been lately? Has your health improved?¡± ¡°A bit,¡± Ya Chaohui lifted a hand and made a fist, ¡°At first, my body was completely drained of strength, but now it has somewhat recovered.¡± He was injured in the ¡°Wildlife Park¡± and then weakened for a long time after the flowers sapped his vitality. The doctors couldn¡¯t find anything wrong, so they could only advise him to recuperate slowly. In fact, Bai Youwei also spent a long time amongst the flowers, but, unlike Ya Chaohui at that time, she was not injured, and she wasn¡¯t the type of player who relies on physical strength, so the effect on her was minimal. Ya Chaohui asked Shen Mo, ¡°Are you prepared for the next battle?¡± ¡°The next battle is Battle 1, and the minimum number of participants required is one. I¡¯ll go with her, and you all keep resting,¡± Shen Mo replied. ... Ya Chaohui slightly lowered his head, slowly nodding, ¡°That might be better¡­¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After a pause of two seconds, he said to Shen Mo, ¡°In a few days, I¡¯m planning to go back to my hometown.¡± Shen Mo was slightly stunned. ¡°Going alone?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ya Chaohui nodded, ¡°The King¡¯s territory has expanded a lot, and the entire journey is within his territory, so there¡¯s no need to worry about danger. I¡¯ll be passing by Fang Yu¡¯s hometown on the way, so I¡¯m thinking of visiting his family.¡± Hearing this, Shen Mo fell silent for a moment, then asked, ¡°Will you come back?¡± Ya Chaohui didn¡¯t say anything. Perhaps because of this question, he also hadn¡¯t made up his mind. Another long silence followed. Shen Mo said, ¡°Go ahead, find a good car, stock up on gasoline, and remember to bring enough food and drinks.¡± Ya Chaohui nodded and then looked towards Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei also looked at him, her gaze neither swerving nor biased, her eyes frank and calm. Between him and her, there really wasn¡¯t much to say; if they had to force conversation, it would all be stale clich¨¦s¡ªthey were two people with differing beliefs, unable to persuade one another. With eyes lowered, Ya Chaohui spoke softly, ¡°I¡¯m off, I wish you success in the next battle.¡± After saying this, he turned and left. ¡°One less subject,¡± Shen Mo said, watching Ya Chaohui¡¯s retreating figure, his voice detached. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. After all, the next battle only requires one player,¡± Bai Youwei said nonchalantly. Shen Mo glanced at her, ¡°The next one is fine, but the battle after that, Battle 5, needs five. You, me, plus Tan Xiao and Asarina, we¡¯re one short.¡± As Asarina was unwilling to see Along take risks anymore, Bai Youwei had promised her not to let Along participate in battles. Now with Ya Chaohui gone, they were suddenly down by two people. Shen Mo said, ¡°When the time comes, let¡¯s see if Chu Huaijin has a suitable candidate.¡± Bai Youwei uttered a low ¡°Hmm,¡± with no immediate ideas. Just then, a doctor came out from the nearby room, holding a medical report, and said with a smile, ¡°The results are out. Miss Bai¡¯s health is all clear.¡± Shen Mo took the report from his hand and thanked the doctor. The doctor added, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s too much stress. Would you like me to call a psychiatrist to see Miss Bai? Talking to a psychiatrist might help to find the cause of the complications.¡± Bai Youwei frowned and declined at once, ¡°No need.¡± She tugged on Shen Mo¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Let¡¯s head back. Maybe I¡¯ll be fine after a few days of rest from this exhausting maze.¡± She didn¡¯t want to seek a psychiatrist, to have someone unrelated analyze her inner thoughts¡ªit was a strange notion, and she wasn¡¯t that fragile. Seeing her reluctance, Shen Mo didn¡¯t push it and took her back for rest. Later, after observing Bai Youwei for a few days and seeing that she preferred to use the wheelchair but was no longer having problems with her legs, he was finally at ease. Chapter 849 849: 849 Different Chapter 849: Chapter 849 Different In the maze and game, she always felt terrified and restless. At the base headquarters, however, it was much more comfortable, and time seemed to slow down. Every morning when Bai Youwei opened her eyes, there was a hot breakfast waiting for her, followed by some reading, daydreaming, and occasionally gazing through the glass windows at the bleak streetscapes outside¡ªan unnoticed day would pass just like that. Of course, this was the royal treatment. Others at the headquarters were busier than she. Shen Mo, for example, would spend several fixed hours in the training room each day, either training himself or helping others. According to him, it was to enhance muscle memory so that the body could react instantaneously when faced with danger, even if the brain had yet to realize it. ... Bai Youwei asked him if she needed to train too. Shen Mo replied that she could, but that it was not very cost-effective. Bai Youwei was left speechless and gave up on the idea. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After idling away for several days, Fu Miaoxue suddenly came looking for her, slamming the door loudly without any courtesy, and shouting her name: ¡°Bai Youwei! Bai Youwei! Are you in there? Hurry up and open the door!¡± Inside, Bai Youwei¡¯s nail polish bottle quivered, and she applied it crookedly. She was anxious, wiping her nails on the towel on the desk and spinning them around on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this later.¡± Bai Youwei tightened the nail polish bottle cap. Her hand was still jittery, tapping on the table loudly. Bai Youwei remarked, ¡°I¡¯ll do your manicure later.¡± Her index finger rose even higher, no longer tapping the table. Bai Youwei opened the door to Fu Miaoxue, with only her and Du Lai outside. ¡°You¡¯re so slow!¡± Fu Miaoxue complained. ¡°Why did it take you so long to open the door?!¡± ¡°I walk slowly,¡± Bai Youwei replied calmly. ¡°So you can¡¯t walk faster?¡± Fu Miaoxue glared. ¡°No,¡± Bai Youwei glanced at her expressionlessly, ¡°What if I twist my ankle? What if I trip? What if I fall? What if I slip?¡± Fu Miaoxue rolled her eyes extravagantly, ¡°Do you need to exaggerate! Are your legs made of gold?!¡± Finally, remembering the purpose of her visit, she stood straight in front of Bai Youwei and earnestly asked, ¡°Look, do I seem different from before today?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°You can roll your eyes now.¡± Fu Miaoxue was irate, ¡°Hey! I¡¯m serious! Can¡¯t you take a proper look?!¡± This time it was Bai Youwei¡¯s turn to roll her eyes, ¡°You usually cover yourself so tightly with a black veil, how would I know what¡¯s different about you now?¡± ¡°Look closely!¡± Fu Miaoxue leaned in close to Bai Youwei, ¡°Closely¡­ look!¡± Bai Youwei frowned, scrutinizing her face carefully, and slowly, she did notice subtle changes. ¡°Do you have eyebrows now?¡± Bai Youwei was surprised, Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyebrows used to be like those of a BJD doll, painted on, but now, they seemed to be real, legitimate ¡®brows¡¯! ¡°And here,¡± Fu Miaoxue pulled down her eyelid, showing Bai Youwei her eyeballs. They used to be just beautiful glass-made, but now they exhibited richer, more human-like layers. Bai Youwei understood, and turned to look at Du Lai standing next to Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Did you go into the maze?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Du Lai nodded, ¡°Maze number four, we just came out.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s transformation was clearly a result of an upgrade from the maze. She touched her face excitedly, pinching her arm, feeling incredibly good. ¡°The skin is starting to exhibit fine hairs and has become elastic; if I go into the maze two more times, I could certainly turn back into a human!¡± Bai Youwei coolly said, ¡°Two kings can¡¯t enter the same maze, if you¡¯re here to invite me, I¡¯m sorry, I refuse.¡± Fu Miaoxue grinned, ¡°I never intended to ask you, my boyfriend and I can manage!¡± ¡°Then why did you come here all excited?¡± Bai Youwei expressed flatly, ¡°I get it, you came here to show off.¡± Chapter 850 850: 850: Maze Number 4 Chapter 850: Chapter 850: Maze Number 4 Fu Miaoxue replied righteously, ¡°Others don¡¯t know I¡¯m a puppet, and even if I sought others out, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference either¡ªit¡¯s boring, okay~¡± Bai Youwei said coolly, ¡°What¡¯s so good about becoming human? You feel pain, get cold, feel hunger, and even bleed and get hurt. You age and become ugly.¡± Fu Miaoxue retorted sarcastically, ¡°Then why did you bother healing your leg? Having a lame leg is great too, right? You just sit or lie down all day, and you don¡¯t have to do anything¡ªhow comfortable!¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°Are our situations the same?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not the same,¡± Fu Miaoxue said in great spirits. ¡°Even if I became a puppet, I wouldn¡¯t lose arms or legs¡ªI¡¯d be prettier than you!¡± Bai Youwei realized that Fu Miaoxue had come to her solely to annoy her. ... ¡°And besides, being a human is obviously better than being a puppet,¡± Fu Miaoxue added. ¡°You can smell scents, taste flavors, and even do some unspeakable things~¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Du Lai: ¡°¡­Ahem.¡± Fu Miaoxue tilted her head, looking Bai Youwei up and down with curiosity, and asked, ¡°Have you and your boyfriend ever done it?¡± Bai Youwei kept a straight face: ¡°Done what?¡± Fu Miaoxue: ¡°Made love~¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Miaoxue,¡± Du Lai coughed lightly, hinting with his eyes, ¡°there¡¯s still something left unsaid.¡± Fu Miaoxue leaned close to Du Lai, pointing and whispering, ¡°Look at her reaction, doesn¡¯t it seem like she hasn¡¯t been with Shen Mo? Sharing a bed every night, is there something wrong with them¡­¡± Bai Youwei looked at her coldly, ¡°If you¡¯re going to whisper, please do it quietly, don¡¯t let me hear.¡± ¡°Oh~¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed, ¡°Did I hit the nail on the head?¡± Bai Youwei opened the door, ¡°Are you done? If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave, your chatter is annoying.¡± Fu Miaoxue pouted but wasn¡¯t offended, probably because the upgrade in her condition made her mood better, and she didn¡¯t continue to bicker with Bai Youwei. She said, ¡°We specifically came to give you some information, about Maze No. 4, Stonehenge, you might encounter it later.¡± ¡°Not interested,¡± Bai Youwei said indifferently, continuing to shoo them away. ¡°My people will no longer enter the maze.¡± The maze was too dangerous. As a king like Bai Youwei, she only needed to enhance her and her subjects¡¯ bodies to a certain degree, ensuring her team¡¯s advantage in battle games, thus avoiding further exploration into the maze. Only someone like Fu Miaoxue, who relied on the maze to restore her body, would fearlessly venture into the maze over and over again. ¡°Ah,¡± Fu Miaoxue sighed, ¡°It¡¯s really like giving a warm face a cold butt, then we¡¯re leaving.¡± Bai Youwei unapologetically snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so nice¡ªyou¡¯re just currying favor, hoping to trade other maze information from me in the future. Let me tell you, there¡¯s none, and there won¡¯t be any. I and my people will no longer enter the maze.¡± Fu Miaoxue pouted, ¡°You¡¯re really no fun.¡± She let down her black veil, lifted her chin proudly like a peacock raising her skirt, and walked out the door. As Du Lai passed the doorway, he paused for a moment, turned his head to Bai Youwei, and said, ¡°The key to Stonehenge lies in the shadows; the paths formed by the shadows point to the exit, but be mindful of the noon sunlight. At noon, there are no shadows, and the sunlight can turn people into stone.¡± Bai Youwei slightly knitted her brows, watching Du Lai. Du Lai continued, ¡°In the Minos Maze, you saved me.¡± Ahead, Fu Miaoxue urged, ¡°Du Lai, what are you dawdling for? Let¡¯s go!~¡± ¡°Coming.¡± Du Lai quickened his pace to catch up. Bai Youwei called out to him again, ¡°Du Lai.¡± Du Lai turned back, looking at her puzzled. ¡°How many died?¡± Bai Youwei asked. Du Lai glanced at Fu Miaoxue nearby, replying, ¡°Three¡­but don¡¯t worry, our people are safe.¡± Chapter 854: Visiting as a Guest Chapter 854: Chapter 854: Visiting as a Guest Bai Youwei was stunned when she heard this and asked in confusion, ¡°They haven¡¯t come back yet?¡± Calculating the time, had it been three days, or four? Staying in the labyrinth for so long was not good news. ¡°Should we go and ask?¡± Shen Mo suggested, ¡°Leonid didn¡¯t go with them; he got injured in the No. 4 labyrinth and is now in the medical area. We can find him and ask about the situation.¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and thought for a moment, ¡°Never mind¡­ even if we get the details, it¡¯s no use. People in the labyrinth can¡¯t be helped from the outside. Let¡¯s just hope they¡¯re lucky.¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll come out soon,¡± Shen Mo said reassuringly, ¡°Fu Miaoxue has life-saving items with her, they should be fine.¡± Bai Youwei nodded gently, her thoughts no longer dwelling on the matter, ready to get things in order and go to the Shen Family. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡­ Chang Weicai marinated the chicken and placed it in the oven, put another chicken in a clay pot to stew, then changed into winter clothes, and along with Tan Xiao and Pan Xiaoxin left the house, following Shen Mo and Bai Youwei to visit the Shen Family. He wrapped himself up securely, a thick scarf wound around his neck, his fish scales not showing at all. Tan Xiao, who had been down for a long time, stepped outside and saw the festive decorations, which slightly lifted his spirits. Before, when staying inside, he hadn¡¯t noticed, but upon coming out, he realized how lively it was outside. Staff from the Headquarters Building were bustling in and out with various decorations; the entire first-floor lobby was decorated in a fiery red, and there was a huge Christmas tree, presumably brought over from a warehouse of some mall, adorned with colorful gift boxes. In fact, Christmas had already passed, and now they had just entered the New Year, but it wasn¡¯t yet time for the Lunar New Year. The lobby was decorated in a Sino-Western fusion, with no specific holiday in focus, aiming simply for festivity and cheer. Bai Youwei guessed in her heart that Chu Huaijin arranged these decorations, probably considering the timing of the next battle game. ¡ªIf some people are destined to not return, at least they would have reunited with family and friends before leaving. The snow was still falling, snowflakes sparsely sprinkled down, the roads covered in a thick layer. They drove along the white streets, along the way seeing many places with lanterns hung and the character for ¡®blessing¡¯ posted. While it was not as bustling and noisy as the city once was, it still gave off a sense of auspicious celebration. Tan Xiao leaned against the window and watched for a while, sighed and said, ¡°It looks like New Year¡¯s festivities.¡± He turned to ask Chang Weicai, ¡°Old Chang, when is New Year¡¯s?¡± ¡°If we go by the lunar calendar¡­ it should be on the 25th this month, that¡¯s Spring Festival,¡± Chang Weicai said. ¡°Just a few days before the next battle game,¡± Pan Xiaoxin looked at Bai Youwei in the front seat, ¡°Sister Weiwei, if you go to the battle, you might have to spend New Year¡¯s in the game.¡± Bai Youwei turned back and smiled at them, ¡°Then let¡¯s treat today as celebrating the New Year in advance.¡± Chang Weicai remarked sentimentally, ¡°Thoughts of home stretch a thousand miles tonight, hoary temples witness yet another year¡­¡± After chatting casually in the car for a bit, they soon arrived at their destination. Shen Mo parked the car by the roadside, the gate to the Shen Family¡¯s courtyard was wide open. In contrast to the other homes decorated in red and green, this place seemed much quieter. The snow in the yard had been cleared to the sides, a clump of slender bamboo grew in a corner, and all around was peaceful and silent, as if the master of the house wasn¡¯t home. The group got out of the car one by one. Shen Fei heard their approach and came out to greet them, his face brimming with smiles. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come so early, please come in. My uncle and father are inside, and a few other uncles will be here soon¡­¡± As everyone entered the house and just stepped into the living room, they saw Shen Family¡¯s eldest uncle by the table, writing with vigorous brush strokes, apparently attempting to compose a pair of Spring Couplets. He held his breath, his expression intensely focused. Beneath the table lay a pile of discarded red paper. Chapter 856: Dumplings Chapter 856: Chapter 856: Dumplings Shen Mo was silent for a long while. No wonder his uncle said there had been no activity for half a day; with this approach, he might not be able to finish a dish even by nightfall. He dried his hands, threw the paper towel into the trash bin, and asked Shen Father, ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°Shrimp dumplings,¡± Shen Father said, placing a dough skin he had rolled out in front of him, quite pleased with himself, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it, but I seem to have some talent for making dough-based dishes. Look at the thickness of this skin, isn¡¯t it very even?¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t respond but silently picked up a skin, scooped a small spoonful of filling into it, folded both sides together, pinched it tightly, and then asked Shen Father, ¡°How many have you made?¡± Shen Father said, ¡°Two.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s movements faltered, his fingers pressed too hard, and the filling oozed out of the skin. Shen Mo felt that this wasn¡¯t about preparing their dinner but rather self-indulgence. Just like before, when his father tasted a type of tea, he would study the life cycle of the tea plant; when he read a poem, he would travel to the places where the poet grew up. In summary, the experience outweighed the outcome, so now, he was probably experiencing life in the kitchen. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Father carefully cradled the two dumplings he had made in his palm, showing them off to everyone. Bai Youwei, as if possessed by something, covered her chest and exclaimed, ¡°Oh my God¡­ so exquisite! The size and shape are exactly the same, even the pleats are so beautiful! Uncle, is this really your first time making dumplings? They¡¯re so pretty, I don¡¯t even want to eat them!¡± Shen Father smiled and set the dumplings down, ¡°I¡¯m still too slow, though. No matter how pretty, it¡¯s futile if we can¡¯t eat them.¡± He did have some self-awareness. Shen Mo quietly made dumplings at a very fast pace¡ªpicking up a skin, adding filling, closing it with one hand, pinching the edge with the other, and another dumpling was ready. Of course, in appearance, they couldn¡¯t compare to Shen Father¡¯s ¡°meticulously crafted¡± pair of dumplings, but they were more efficient. ¡°I¡¯ll go roll out some more skins, you two keep making them,¡± Shen Father said as he gave up his spot to the pair and turned to fetch more dough. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei sat together making dumplings. Most of them were made by Shen Mo. At first, Bai Youwei¡¯s dumplings were decent, but gradually she became more casual. Sometimes she added a pair of ears, sometimes she pinched out a tail. In the end, it was unclear whether what she was making was a dumpling, a bun, or something else entirely. Shen Mo dabbed a bit of flour on her nose as a tease, ¡°Didn¡¯t get enough playtime with mud when you were a kid?¡± ¡°More than just not enough, I never even played with it, okay?¡± Bai Youwei created four small feet on the dumpling in her hand, seriously stating, ¡°I want to make mine special, so when you eat them, you¡¯ll recognize which dumplings I made.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°It would be hard not to recognize them.¡± Bai Youwei asked curiously, ¡°You¡¯re so fast, did you learn this before?¡± ¡°I never specifically learned,¡± Shen Mo replied while continuing to make dumplings. ¡°Back in the army, during festivals, there would be entertainment programs, organizing everyone to make dumplings together, sort of as an activity to build team spirit.¡± He paused then added softly, ¡°Thinking about it, I grew up with my grandfather. This is the first time¡­ I¡¯ve seen my dad prepare dinner.¡± ¡°My dad does cook. I remember his cooking as pretty good, better than the nanny,¡± Bai Youwei reminisced. ¡°But ever since I became disabled, it seems he has never cooked for me again. During that time, he would quarrel every day with my mom, and eventually, he moved out and never came back.¡± Shen Mo stopped, looked at her face, and asked softly, ¡°Do you miss them?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head, ¡°I did for the first few years, but now it has faded¡­¡± Shen Mo gently rubbed her head. Bai Youwei laughed and slapped his hand away, ¡°Stop it, you got flour all over my head!¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°That¡¯s from when you were making dumplings earlier.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t admit it!¡± Bai Youwei also flung flour onto him. The two began to play around in the kitchen. As they were frolicking, a commotion came from outside. Suddenly, someone shouted, ¡°Bai Youwei!!!¡± Chapter 857: Maze Number 1 Chapter 857: Chapter 857: Maze Number 1 The voice was extremely hoarse, as if it was a scream made with the last ounce of energy that Shen Mo and Bai Youwei initially couldn¡¯t tell who it was. The outside was noisy, followed by Tan Xiao¡¯s clamor, ¡°What are you doing?! What do you want to do?! If you want to see the Boss, make it clear what you¡¯re here for first!¡± Teacher Cheng was shouting outside, ¡°Don¡¯t get physical! Everyone, calm down! ¡­Ah, what¡¯s happened here?¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo stepped quickly outside and saw that Uncle Shen and Tan Xiao had stopped Du Lai. Fortunately, no rash actions had taken place. Although Du Lai had barged in forcefully, he was in bad shape. Not having seen him for just a few days, he had lost a significant amount of weight; he looked as though he¡¯d been tortured! Bai Youwei exclaimed, ¡°Du Lai? Have you escaped from the maze?¡± Du Lai¡¯s eyes were wide open, filled with bloodshot veins, ¡°Bai Youwei¡­ Save Miaoxue, quickly¡­ hurry into the maze and save Miaoxue! ¡­¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei was confused by Du Lai, ¡°Fu Miaoxue? Didn¡¯t she come out with you?¡± Shen Mo frowned and said, ¡°If you could come out, why didn¡¯t you bring her with you?¡± ¡°We got separated.¡± Du Lai said in agony, gasping for air. ¡°We encountered Maze Number 1¡­ each person enters a different scenario. I made it out, but she didn¡¯t¡­¡± Bai Youwei understood, but became even more confused, furrowing her brows, ¡°You said Maze Number 1 presents different scenarios for everyone, so even if I went in, I wouldn¡¯t encounter Fu Miaoxue. What use is there in coming to find me? Besides, the maze is certainly very dangerous. Why would I risk my life for Fu Miaoxue? Du Lai, I can understand how you feel right now, but you¡¯d better calm down and think of another method. Asking me to go save her is impossible.¡± Unmoved, Du Lai fixed his reddened gaze on Bai Youwei, ¡°I can trade all my items with you! As long as you rescue her, we can give you anything!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need them.¡± Bai Youwei knitted her brows, looking at Du Lai perplexedly, ¡°It¡¯s quality, not quantity that matters with items. I¡¯m not short of them at all. Du Lai, I think you¡¯re desperately grasping at straws. Stop the madness. If you truly want to save Fu Miaoxue, you should sit down now, have a glass of water, and wait until your mind is clear to consider what to do.¡± Shen Mo grabbed Du Lai by the collar and forcibly pushed him onto the living room sofa. He then clutched Du Lai¡¯s wrist, feeling his frantic pulse. Shen Mo¡¯s brow furrowed even more upon seeing the dark circles under Du Lai¡¯s eyes and his pale lips, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You¡¯ve been in the maze multiple times, and your constitution should be stronger than the average person. Why are you so drained? What exactly is in Maze Number 1?¡± Du Lai hung his head, clutching his own hair tightly, ¡°¡­It¡¯s dreams! Chen Hui and I both got trapped in our own dreams! We couldn¡¯t tell dreams from reality, constantly looping through the same scene! Without food, without rest!¡± ¡°You mentioned Chen Hui?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is Chen Hui out, too?¡± Du Lai looked up at Bai Youwei, ¡°She¡¯s in the medical area. When I came over to find you guys, she still hadn¡¯t woken up¡­¡± Chen Hui was not as physically robust as Du Lai; truly, if she had been stuck in a looping scene without sleep or rest for three or four days, her body surely couldn¡¯t take it. Bai Youwei asked again, ¡°Apart from you and Chen Hui, what about the others? Has no one else made it out?¡± ¡°None¡­¡± Du Lai closed his eyes and replied hoarsely, ¡°Miaoxue, and three substitutes recruited from the rest hall, none have come out.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged glances, neither of them spoke. If Maze Number 1 was each person¡¯s own dreamscape, then taking any number of substitutes in would be of no help. Du Lai was utterly desperate, holding his head and whispering, ¡°I want to save her¡­ but the maze can only be entered once. I have already come out of Maze Number 1, I can¡¯t go back in to find her¡­ Bai Youwei, I know you must have a way, only you can save her now!¡± Chapter 860: The Recurring Dream Chapter 860: Chapter 860: The Recurring Dream Shen Fei had no idea what had happened, standing beside the table looking somewhat at a loss, until Shen Mo came over to help him arrange the bowls and chopsticks, which gave him the chance to quietly ask: ¡°Did something happen at home after I left?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Shen Fei: ¡°¡­¡± The strange atmosphere did not last too long, as relatives and friends of the Shen family gradually arrived, the room warmed up with their presence. During that time, Teacher Cheng had returned for a while to the dollhouse, bringing out roasted chicken and cooked chicken soup, which made the atmosphere even more cordial. With fine food and clear wine, both the hosts and guests were thoroughly joyful. By the time the gathering ended, it was already eight in the evening. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mr. Shen did not deliberately ask them to stay, probably because he knew Bai Youwei had things on her mind that required calm contemplation. The group returned to the Headquarters Building. The dinner in the lobby on the ground floor of the headquarters was still ongoing, the young people sang and danced, reveling as if it were the New Year, Tan Xiao sought liveliness and stayed on the ground floor to continue the fun. Teacher Cheng and Pan Xiaoxin, as usual, went back to the dollhouse to rest. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo went to the medical area. They had planned to visit Chen Hui to ask about the state of the maze, but Chen Hui was in a deep, unrousable sleep. Reportedly, upon being admitted to the medical area, she was extremely dehydrated and malnourished, falling asleep during an IV infusion and had not woken up since. The doctor said that Chen Hui was like this because she hadn¡¯t rested for too long, as long as she slept well for a while, she should be able to recover. As Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were preparing to leave, they learned that Du Lai had also been admitted to the medical area, his symptoms quite similar to Chen Hui¡¯s, also in a comatose state. It seemed he had been sustaining himself on sheer willpower, conveying all he wanted to say to Bai Youwei. Only after he had said everything, he returned to the medical area for treatment. Bai Youwei felt quite emotional inside; although Du Lai was indifferent, his feelings for Fu Miaoxue were genuinely deep. Early the next morning, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo came to the medical area again to see Chen Hui. Chen Hui was still sleeping. Unsure when she would wake, Bai Youwei decided to wait in the medical area, and waited until past noon when Chen Hui finally slowly came to. The doctor timed her, Chen Hui had slept for a full eighteen hours, and even so, she still seemed not to have had enough sleep upon waking. She opened her eyes, saw the doctor, saw Leonid, and then saw Bai Youwei, looking disoriented and unfocused, and finally, her gaze vacantly turned towards the snowy scenery outside the window. ¡°Am I out yet¡­¡± Chen Hui mumbled in confusion, ¡°Or am I still in a dream¡­¡± ¡°You are out, this isn¡¯t a dream,¡± Bai Youwei leaned down slightly, softly asking her, ¡°Chen Hui, what did you encounter in Maze No. 1? Du Lai said it was a recurring dream; how did you break through the dream and return to reality?¡± Chen Hui was silent for a long time; exhaustion made her reaction slow. ¡°Right¡­ It was a dream¡­¡± she replied slowly, ¡°I dreamt that I was back in school, with Teacher Tu, Zhang Tianyang, Liao Jingjing, Lin Zihang¡­ everyone was there¡­¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°And then what happened?¡± Chen Hui tried to recall, ¡°¡­ we were in class, Teacher Tu asked me to pass down the papers, Zhang Tianyang scored 112 points¡­ he was first again, I had one point less than him, I shouldn¡¯t have got that question wrong¡­ if only I hadn¡¯t made a mistake on that question, I was so annoyed¡­ then Teacher Tu began to explain the questions¡­¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but frown, the details of this dream were simply too realistic¡­ Chen Hui closed her eyes, speaking weakly, ¡°It was terrifying¡­ I thought the doll game was just a dream¡­ I had a nightmare because the pressure from the exams was too great, but in reality, the school is still there, the teachers and students are all still there¡­¡± Chapter 862 - 862 Du Lai’s Dream Chapter 862: Chapter 862 Du Lai¡¯s Dream ¡°I tried many methods¡­ I deliberately interrupted the teacher during class, tore up my homework and test papers, threw away my classmates¡¯ backpacks, and I even ran to the school entrance to make a scene with the security guard, all to get them to kick me out or call my parents, anything would do, I just wanted to see if I could actually leave the school¡ª¡± Chen Hui bit her lip, lowered her head, and her voice grew increasingly muffled: ¡°But no¡­ I was just taken to the head of discipline¡¯s office, got a scolding, and when the bell for the fourth period rang, I was back in the classroom, at my own seat, where my desk mate nudged my arm, asking me how I dared to sleep during the homeroom teacher¡¯s class¡­ Everything had returned to the beginning.¡± As Bai Youwei listened, she pondered. Chen Hui¡¯s description was like a tight, seamless storyline that looped back on itself, forming a closed loop. If someone inside the loop wanted to get out, they had to break the cycle, just like what Chen Hui had done: tearing up papers, arguing with security guards¡ªessentially, doing something to prevent the storyline from continuing as usual. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°How did you finally escape the maze?¡± Chen Hui closed her eyes and replied, ¡°I jumped off the school building¡­¡± A slight shock went through Bai Youwei. Before she could ask anything, Du Lai¡¯s voice came from behind¡ª ¡°I did the same thing.¡± She turned around and saw Du Lai leaning against the doorway, the oversized patient¡¯s garment hanging on his thin frame, devoid of his usual energy and sharpness. ¡°My dream took place on a luxury cruise ship.¡± Du Lai said, ¡°I was the Magician on board, performing magic shows twice a day. Those were relatively peaceful times in my life; I spent three years without ever leaving the ship, and I knew everything there. Probably for this reason, the Labyrinth No. 1 constructed my dream with that scenery.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°How long did it take you after entering to start suspecting you were dreaming?¡± ¡°I started suspecting the moment I entered.¡± Du Lai explained indifferently, ¡°The performers on the ship would sometimes take that¡­ hallucinogen. If dosed correctly, it¡¯s legal abroad. At the time, I was drowsy, and my performing colleague asked me if I¡¯d taken too much, but I knew all this was fake because Miaoxue wasn¡¯t there.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, ¡°Even knowing it was fake, finding the courage and resolve to end yourself is not easy, especially since you didn¡¯t know at the time whether dying there would mean your real self would also die.¡± Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone has an instinct for survival; who would seek death when not driven to desperation? ¡°That¡¯s why I was trapped inside for so many days¡­¡± Du Lai let out a self-mocking laugh, then continued, ¡°I tried almost everything I could think of, but nothing worked¡­ I even intentionally started a fire, trying to burn the ship, but I was discovered, they tied me up, greeted me with knives, one of which stabbed into my heart, and yet I didn¡¯t die¡­ The moment I opened my eyes, I was back in the crew¡¯s rest area, with colleagues asking me if I had overdosed, saying I was talking in my sleep.¡± Bai Youwei was somewhat surprised: ¡°You died in the dream?¡± Du Lai nodded, ¡°Several times. The owners who run this kind of business all have dirty hands; there were enforcers on board specifically to deal with disobedient staff like me.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°So, is it correct to think¡ªonly if the player themselves seeks liberation can they escape the dream, whereas if the player is killed by someone in the dream, it has no effect, and the dream resets to the beginning?¡± ¡°If you only consider mine and Chen Hui¡¯s situations, that is indeed correct.¡± Du Lai said to Bai Youwei, ¡°Once you figure that out, Labyrinth No. 1 poses no danger. You just need to go in, tell Fu Miaoxue these facts, and then jump from a high place to escape the dream.¡± Chapter 863: Send Him Off Chapter 863: Chapter 863: Send Him Off Bai Youwei smiled faintly, said nothing. Du Lai pleaded with her again, ¡°Now, you already know the method to get through the maze. Such a maze poses no danger to you; you just need to go in and deliver a message¡­ Bai Youwei, I know you must have a way to save Miaoxue. Please, I beg you!¡± Bai Youwei remained unmoved. With a smile, she said lightly, ¡°You should wait longer. Fu Miaoxue is smart; she might come out on her own soon.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t come out!¡± Du Lai clenched his teeth, his emotions close to breaking, ¡°The longer she stays in the dream, the more she¡¯ll confuse dreams with reality! She¡¯ll forget everything about the real world and completely accept all settings and scripts of the dream! She will be totally trapped in the dream!!!¡± After hearing this, Bai Youwei was silent for a moment before speaking indifferently, ¡°The one who agreed to enter the maze was her. She must have been prepared for whatever consequences she might face.¡± Bai Youwei gently patted Chen Hui on the shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°Take good care of yourself; I¡¯ll come see you another day.¡± Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After speaking, she turned and walked out of the hospital room, brushing past Du Lai. Shen Mo stayed a bit longer in the room and then said, ¡°Du Lai, have you ever considered, maybe Fu Miaoxue isn¡¯t unable to come out, but rather she doesn¡¯t want to come out.¡± Du Lai¡¯s face looked extremely troubled. Shen Mo didn¡¯t look at him again and followed Bai Youwei, the two gradually walking away. Unable to accept it, Du Lai shouted at their backs, ¡°Bai Youwei! Don¡¯t you care at all whether your mother is dead or alive right now?!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s footsteps faltered slightly, then quickly recovered, and she left the medical area with Shen Mo. Du Lai clenched his fist and smashed it violently against the door frame, his eyes red with emotion. He indeed had no other options. ¡­ Back in her room, Bai Youwei sat down beside the bed, her expression somewhat vacant. Shen Mo knew she was thinking about the No. 1 maze. ¡°Even if we know the key clue to the No. 1 maze, and even though the maze isn¡¯t dangerous, there¡¯s no need to go at this critical moment. There¡¯s not much time left until the third battle. If entering the maze affects the outcome of the battle game, it would be a loss not worth the cause.¡± Shen Mo tried to lift her spirits and patiently advised, ¡°Anything can be postponed until after securing an absolute victory.¡± Including finding Bai Youwei¡¯s mother. ¡ªWhat if going now affects her condition? What if it leads to failure? What if it results in dying in the game? Not even able to save her own life, even if she finds her mother, wouldn¡¯t they still be separated? What difference would it make? However, Bai Youwei had never considered looking for Wang Jingxian. She had her own path to walk, and her mother, of course, had her own path too. Even the closest blood ties couldn¡¯t prevent them from becoming people of completely separate worlds. Sitting quietly, Bai Youwei thought for a long time, then dug through her canvas bag and pulled out a card, handing it to Shen Mo. ¡°Give this to Du Lai,¡± she said. Shen Mo took it, his brow slightly furrowed. [Friend Invitation Card: Holders of the invitation card can enter uninvited areas, or some restricted areas.] ¡°Can this item be used on the maze?¡± Shen Mo was uncertain. ¡°It should be possible¡­¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°Besides this, I really can¡¯t think of any other reason Du Lai¡¯s divination led him to me. To save Fu Miaoxue, aside from needing someone who¡¯s never entered the No. 1 maze, you also need an item that can enter someone else¡¯s dreams.¡± Honestly, from what Shen Mo knew about Bai Youwei, she wasn¡¯t a person generous with charity. Shen Mo studied her expression and asked, ¡°Are you planning to trade with him using this?¡± Bai Youwei shook her head and said softly, ¡°Giving it to him. Strange, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t like Du Lai, and I dislike Fu Miaoxue, yet for some reason¡­ I don¡¯t want to see these two separated.¡± Chapter 864: Are You Crazy? Chapter 864: Chapter 864: Are You Crazy? Bai Youwei let Shen Mo deliver the props and stopped worrying about it, focusing instead on collecting intelligence, organizing props, and preparing for the third battle. However, even though she didn¡¯t care, the rampant rumors still made their way into her ears. Everyone in the Headquarters Building was talking about it¡ªDu Lai had set a bounty within the base. ¡ªAs long as someone was willing to enter Maze No. 1 and rescue Fu Miaoxue, Du Lai was willing to give away all the props and information he held and also, provide a maze guide for free to ensure the safety of the person¡¯s life. His props were certainly tempting, but sadly, not a single person wanted to enter the maze. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everybody knew about the dangers of the maze. Why trouble oneself for a thrill when life was good? Moreover, the ones who truly needed props were either the King or his subjects, and now, there were only a few Kings and subjects left in the base. If they didn¡¯t go, who else would? Unless Yan Qingwen changed his mind, there might still be a sliver of hope. ¡­ In the evening, Bai Youwei stayed in her room, arranging her remaining props in several rows. She was considering whether these unremarkable props, aside from their inherent functions, could be developed for some other uses. Rapid footsteps could be heard from outside. Then, her door was knocked on. Zhu Shu called from outside, ¡°Weiwei! You should come and see. Du Lai is recruiting someone to enter the maze, and he¡¯s actually recruiting Shen Mingyuan!¡± Bai Youwei went to open the door and asked, puzzled, ¡°Who is Shen Mingyuan?¡± Zhu Shu was taken aback, ¡°You don¡¯t know? Shen Mingyuan, one of the important shareholders of Shen Group, and also Shen Mo¡¯s father.¡± Bai Youwei was also stunned, her eyes widening, ¡°Isn¡¯t this crazy? Even if he can¡¯t recruit anyone else, Du Lai shouldn¡¯t choose him!¡± Shen Mingyuan was over forty years old! He had never entered the game! And had never been in a maze! Had Du Lai lost his mind?! ¡­No, that¡¯s not right, should I say, had Shen¡¯s father lost his mind?! ¡°You should come down and have a look, Shen Mo is also there,¡± Zhu Shu said worriedly, ¡°Shen Mo looks¡­ not too good.¡± Bai Youwei switched her shoes and went downstairs with her, encountering Shen Fei who had just come looking for her while taking the elevator. Shen Fei, upon seeing Bai Youwei, stammered, ¡°Uncle Third asked me¡­ asked me to find you, to persuade my brother not to prevent Uncle Third from entering the maze¡­¡± As Bai Youwei stepped into the elevator, she said, ¡°He wants to enter the maze, and you¡¯re just letting him?! The maze is very dangerous, Shen Mo will definitely disagree!¡± ¡°Du Lai said he would provide the guide¡­¡± Shen Fei hesitated, ¡°I heard there would be no danger, just going in once could improve one¡¯s physical condition. The props obtained could all be given to you, to help in the battle.¡± ¡°What if the guide is useless?¡± Bai Youwei said helplessly, ¡°Anything could happen in the maze. Once the guide Du Lai provided fails, Uncle will be trapped inside! Nobody can save him! Ah, aren¡¯t you just making things worse?¡± She turned to Shen Fei and said, ¡°I¡¯ll hold off Shen Mo later, you¡¯re responsible for dragging Uncle back, and don¡¯t let him have any more contact with Du Lai! Got it?¡± ¡°¡­Ah?¡± Shen Fei¡¯s expression stiffened. He was clearly sent as Uncle Third¡¯s lobbyist, so how did he end up being ordered around by Bai Youwei instead? When they reached the first floor, Bai Youwei, Zhu Shu, and Shen Fei walked outside and soon saw the figure of Shen Mo. He was indeed confronting his own father, and both of their faces looked very ugly. There were also some onlookers gathered around. Du Lai sat on the side, his entire face expressionless, cold and indifferent. Seeing Bai Youwei walking over quickly, he raised his eyebrows. Chapter 866: The Most Difficult and the Easiest Chapter 866: Chapter 866: The Most Difficult and the Easiest Shen Mingyuan nodded, answering calmly, ¡°After she left, there has been no news, and I am very worried.¡± A simple sentence, inexplicably conveying deeply rooted affections. If he were ten years younger, perhaps no woman could withstand such charm. Bai Youwei felt emotional inside. Compared to Shen Mo¡¯s father, the sweet nothings that Shen Mo usually said to her seemed so dry¡­ Shen Mo continued to persuade him, ¡°Although you have props and strategies, you still lack any experience, and you¡¯re inadequate in dealing with emergencies. Such a decision is very unwise.¡± Shen Mingyuan asked, ¡°If Weiwei were missing without a trace, would you still consider whether your decision is wise?¡± Shen Mo frowned and fell silent. If something had happened to Bai Youwei, even if there was only one in ten million chance, he would still try. But the problem was¡­ could Shen Mingyuan¡¯s feelings for Wang Jingxian be put on the same level as his for Bai Youwei? He seemed to vaguely remember that his dad and Aunt Wang hadn¡¯t reached that stage yet, had they? Adults¡¯ love always involves much calculation, unlike the pure and blind affection of the young, so those who rush through fire and water for it are always the youngsters. Shen Mingyuan smiled faintly, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve always been curious about the labyrinth and the games you all talk about. Now I have a good opportunity, and I can also use it to find out about Weiwei¡¯s mother¡¯s whereabouts. Why not give it a try?¡± Shen Mo furrowed his brows, ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of just giving it a try, but that the risks are unpredictable. If you think it¡¯s necessary to look for Aunt Wang, I should go instead.¡± Bai Youwei was stunned. Shen Mingyuan waved his hand, ¡°Stay with Weiwei. If something really happens to me, you don¡¯t have to worry about it, just think of me as gone to accompany her mother. In such times, living or dying is nothing more than a game.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s frown deepened. His father spoke lightly, but Shen Mo felt that he was just looking for trouble for himself. Bai Youwei watched the two of them, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°If you¡¯re going, I might as well go.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s eyes turned frosty, his expression serious as he looked at Bai Youwei and rejected outright, ¡°You need to prepare for the battle game, you can¡¯t be distracted.¡± ¡°If you go, do you think I won¡¯t be distracted?¡± Bai Youwei said with a faint smile, ¡°Moreover, if Uncle can risk his life for my mother, as her daughter, it¡¯s only right that I should care too, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shen Mo¡¯s expression turned extremely ugly, even glaring fiercely at Shen Mingyuan. Shen Mingyuan said with a smile, ¡°Weiwei, don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t mean to force you to go. Wanting to enter the labyrinth was entirely my own idea.¡± Bai Youwei also smiled, ¡°There¡¯s no misunderstanding. Wanting to enter the labyrinth was also my own idea. At first, I rejected the idea because I feel my mother has always been very independent, and there is no need to disturb her life. But after listening to Uncle, I realized that no matter how well or poorly our parents are doing, as their children we should at least care about their current state¡­¡± Shen Mo suddenly got up and took a few steps to Bai Youwei, ignoring the surprised looks of those around him as he pulled her into the elevator. He tugged Bai Youwei¡¯s hand into the elevator and immediately pressed the button for the floor of his room. The elevator slowly ascended. Shen Mo asked with a somber face, ¡°Are you trying to anger me on purpose? Why did you change your mind?¡± ¡°I already told you the reasons,¡± Bai Youwei blinked, looking innocently at him, ¡°One, I can get news about my mom, two, it would make your dad happy, and three¡­ if your dad is happy, you¡¯ll be happy too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not happy,¡± Shen Mo felt agitated, for the first time could not keep his cool, ¡°My dad is just too idle! You don¡¯t need to involve yourself in this anymore, I¡¯ll enter the Number 1 Labyrinth!¡± Bai Youwei fell silent and then hugged his waist, leaning against him quietly. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s one thing Du Lai is right about¡­¡± she spoke softly, ¡°As long as I constantly remind myself that I¡¯m in a dream, there won¡¯t be a problem¡­ The Number 1 Labyrinth is both the hardest and the easiest.¡± She looked up, tiptoed, and kissed his chin, ¡°Let me go.¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 868: About to Enter the Dream Chapter 868: Chapter 868: About to Enter the Dream Bai Youwei arrived at the rest hall with Shen Mo and Du Lai, showing the Inspector her friend invitation card. ¡°Can this item be used to enter someone else¡¯s dream in Maze No. 1?¡± Bai Youwei asked the rabbit gentleman. The Inspector took the card, looked at it, and asked, ¡°Which player would like to use the item?¡± ¡°Me,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Last time you said I unlocked two mazes, I¡¯ve already been to No. 5, so I should be able to go into No. 1, right?¡± The Inspector didn¡¯t directly answer her but replied instead, ¡°Which maze you enter is up to the system¡¯s judgment; the Inspector has no authority to interfere.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, just tell me if this item is useful or not,¡± Bai Youwei shrugged, her tone casual, ¡°If it can be used, I¡¯ll give it a try, if not, I¡¯ll just go back.¡± The rabbit gentleman smiled upon hearing her words, handing the invitation card back to her, ¡°The item can be used. However, there is only one card, so only one person can enter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going alone to enter Maze No. 1, into Fu Miaoxue¡¯s dream,¡± she pointed at the two men beside her, ¡°They¡¯re here to see me off.¡± The rabbit gentleman glanced at the two men, and finally, his gaze fell back on Bai Youwei¡¯s face, ¡°Are you sure? According to the rules, two Kings cannot be in the same maze at the same time. This is to prevent uneven distribution of puzzle pieces upon clearing the maze. If you now enter the maze of another King, even if you clear it, you won¡¯t be able to receive any rewards.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I already have enough puzzle pieces as it is,¡± Bai Youwei declared, ¡°Hurry up and open the maze entrance, this guy next to me is already dying of impatience~¡± Du Lai remained unaffected by her teasing; he looked at Bai Youwei¡¯s profile and said in a low voice, word by word, ¡°Bai Youwei, as long as you can bring Miaoxue back, in future battles, we¡¯ll help you.¡± His tone was serious as if he were making a vow. Bai Youwei gave a cool laugh, ¡°You guys, just try to stay alive, then you can talk big~¡± The rabbit-headed Inspector waved his arm, and a large, glowing square appeared in front of them, just like the entrance to every maze before. ¡°Please enter with the invitation card in hand,¡± the rabbit gentleman inclined slightly, with a courteous gesture, ¡°Because you are entering someone else¡¯s dream, your identity may change according to their dream, and any items you carry may be limited too, since¡­ the items you have are content that the other party could not possibly dream of. But rest assured, once you exit the dream, your items will be returned to you, just as they were.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Bai Youwei slung her canvas bag over her shoulder and gently patted the side of it, ¡°I¡¯ve only brought two things, can I go in now?¡± The Inspector nodded his head, giving her the way. Bai Youwei took a couple of steps forward, then stopped and turned her head to look at Shen Mo. Something must have crossed her mind; she light-footedly came back, and without getting close, Shen Mo stepped forward to embrace her tightly. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Bai Youwei laughed lightly in his embrace, ¡°Don¡¯t make it seem like a life-or-death parting, there¡¯s no danger in Maze No. 1 for me, I¡¯ll be out soon.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s voice was low, ¡°Still, I think I should go.¡± ¡°You?¡± Bai Youwei laughed again, ¡°The chances of you persuading Fu Miaoxue to come back are slim. She¡¯s¡­ well, nevermind, you wouldn¡¯t understand anyway. Just remember to miss me.¡± Bai Youwei hugged him, lamenting, ¡°It¡¯s a pity, if only I could enter your dream as well, I want to see if the lover in your dreams is me.¡± Shen Mo chuckled, ¡°I never dream.¡± ¡°What an unromantic response¡­¡± Bai Youwei shook her head sadly. ¡°I only have one kind of dream,¡± Shen Mo leaned down and whispered something into her ear. A blush crept onto Bai Youwei¡¯s face, and she gave him an annoyed glare, ¡°¡­When did you learn to be so teasing?¡± Shen Mo kissed her and said, ¡°Come back soon.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 876: 876 Dream 8 Chapter 876: Chapter 876 Dream 8 Du Lai sneered, ¡°If I release her now, I still have no way out!¡± Qiao Na, calm as ever, negotiated with him, ¡°As long as you let go of the young lady, I can arrange a vehicle for you, but I can only release one of your accomplices. Otherwise, if the old man reprimands us, I will die too.¡± She glanced at the people tied up on the ground and said coolly, ¡°You choose one.¡± Bai Youwei, watching unnoticed, secretly cheered. The tutor had skilfully bypassed Du Lai¡¯s proposal, presenting the challenge of ¡°choosing one,¡± leading people to subconsciously ignore the option of ¡°releasing all companions¡± and instead consider ¡°which companion to release.¡± At that moment, Du Lai, holding Fu Miaoxue hostage, was already on edge and probably wouldn¡¯t think carefully, allowing the verbal trap to disrupt his thoughts. He looked at his accomplices on the ground, his gaze lingering before settling on one. Qiao Na sensed his decision and, before Du Lai could change his mind, ordered a bodyguard, ¡°Unlock his handcuffs.¡± Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The bodyguard hoisted up the man and took out the key to unlock the handcuffs. Click. The handcuffs opened, freeing the bound hands. Just when Du Lai¡¯s heart had started to ease, Qiao Na suddenly raised her hand and fired a shot at him! Bang!!! Immediately after, another bang, she shot the man who had just been unbound in the head! Du Lai fell heavily to the ground, rendered unconscious. Silence filled the air around them. Qiao Na lowered her gun and pulled out a white handkerchief, wiping the gun¡¯s muzzle without expression. The others remained calm, as though accustomed to such events, methodically cleaning up the scene¡ªdetaining those alive, disposing of the dead. Fu Miaoxue touched her reddened neck and followed Qiao Na, chattering incessantly, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have been gentler? It was so hard for me to find an interesting toy. What if he died? Is his injury severe? Can it be healed? Will it affect his agility? Listen, you must heal him, understand! He still has to perform magic for me¡­¡± Finally, Qiao Na put down the gun, frowning, ¡°Miss, if you want to watch magic, you can hire a professional magician.¡± ¡°What fun would that be?¡± Fu Miaoxue looked down at Du Lai on the ground, lifted her foot clad in bright red high heels, and lightly tapped him with the tip of her shoe, smiling, ¡°I like wild dogs like this¡ªit¡¯s entertaining.¡± Qiao Na expressionless, ¡°I¡¯ll contact the doctor to arrange surgery for him.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°How long will it take for him to get better after the surgery?¡± ¡°It depends on his constitution,¡± Qiao Na replied indifferently, ¡°Miss needn¡¯t worry too much. I will take care of everything. It¡¯s already quite late, please go back to your room to rest. There are lessons tomorrow morning. Please be mindful of the time and not be late.¡± Disgust flashed across Fu Miaoxue¡¯s face. ¡°I know, I know, I¡¯m going to sleep right now¡­¡± She turned to return to her room but stopped after a couple of steps and reminded Qiao Na, ¡°Make sure he¡¯s healed, understand!¡± Qiao Na nodded, ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Still not reassured, Fu Miaoxue added, ¡°After the surgery, move him to my room.¡± Qiao Na furrowed her brow, ¡°Miss, that¡¯s against the rules.¡± ¡°Just a dog, what¡¯s against the rules?¡± Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°Put a collar on him, lock him in a cage, I want to be able to see him every moment.¡± Qiao Na sighed helplessly, ¡°Alright, I understand, Miss.¡± Satisfied, Fu Miaoxue curled her lips into a smile and hummed a tune as she headed back to her room. Bai Youwei witnessed everything that had happened. She watched as people carried Du Lai away, two maids cleaning the bloodstains from the floor with tools. The brief commotion, like a farce that ended as quickly as it began, and the estate returned to tranquility. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, then followed the people ahead, deciding to first check on Du Lai¡¯s condition. Chapter 877: 877: Dream 9 Chapter 877: Chapter 877: Dream 9 Du Lai definitely wouldn¡¯t die, otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t have been his later entanglements with Fu Miaoxue. Bai Youwei followed him and saw Du Lai being taken into a room. Soon after, two men carrying medical kits hurried over and were let into the room by the bodyguards. The moment the door opened, she saw professional medical equipment and surgical lights set up inside. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It seemed that this mansion often entertained uninvited guests and that injuries were common; thus, a full set of medical facilities was necessary. Bodyguards stood guard outside the door, and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t go in but waited outside. People in the mansion looked right through her as if she were air. Not one came over to ask why she was there. She waited outside for a little while and heard a crisp ding, like a bullet head dropping into a glass vessel. After another hour, the doctors finished up and came out from the room. Bai Youwei continued to wait. Until dawn broke in the east. Servants were already cleaning up fallen leaves in the courtyard, and the kitchen was starting to prepare breakfast. Bai Youwei glanced at the time¡ªFu Miaoxue¡¯s dream had already lasted 19 hours. Far too long¡­ Bai Youwei wondered if the maze system thought Fu Miaoxue was a king, thus deliberately increasing the difficulty? If that was the case, the system was rather despicable, wasn¡¯t it? At 6:30, Du Lai, lying on the hospital bed, was wheeled out by the bodyguards toward the direction of the elevator. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t even know there was an elevator in this mansion. Puzzled, she followed behind the hospital bed all the way to Fu Miaoxue¡¯s room. The attendant carefully knocked on the door, ¡°Miss, we have brought him.¡± A moment later, the door opened, and Fu Miaoxue appeared behind it, her long hair draped loose, wearing a pink and white silk nightgown. She had just woken up not long ago and looked a bit groggy and irritable, asking, ¡°Is he alive? If he dies in my room, you all can go die too.¡± The bodyguard, seemingly accustomed to the Miss¡¯s way of speaking, calmly replied, ¡°The bullet has been removed, the doctor repaired the ruptured blood vessel, and he has been given anti-infection medication. He just needs a few days of rest, and he should recover quickly.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue yawned, ¡°Bring him in.¡± The bodyguard wheeled Du Lai into Fu Miaoxue¡¯s room, and Bai Youwei followed¡ª Fu Miaoxue¡¯s room was extremely luxurious, adorned with princess-like opulence and splendor, but that wasn¡¯t what amazed Bai Youwei. In a corner of the room stood a massive cage! The cage was pure gold, with a round base and bars twisted like climbing vines, each one delicate and dazzling. It cast vertical shadows in the morning light, as beautiful as a piece of art. As soon as Du Lai entered the room, he was put on a collar and then placed inside the golden cage. He was still unconscious, but had already become Fu Miaoxue¡¯s ¡°dog¡±. After the bodyguards and servants finished their tasks, they gradually left, all except for Bai Youwei. Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t seem to notice anything amiss. After closing the door, she finally realized something and suspiciously eyed Bai Youwei, saying, ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­ you shouldn¡¯t be here, yet for some reason, it feels oddly normal seeing you in my room.¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re friends,¡± Bai Youwei replied nonchalantly. Fu Miaoxue thoughtfully nodded, ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯re right, we¡¯re friends¡­ It¡¯s rare for me to have a friend. You can stay here then.¡± She stopped fretting about it and went into the walk-in wardrobe to change her clothes. Bai Youwei shifted her gaze back to Du Lai. Through the cage, she noticed Du Lai¡¯s eyelashes quivering slightly¡ªshe couldn¡¯t help but wonder, was Du Lai already awake? Was he just pretending to be asleep because he hadn¡¯t figured out how to deal with Fu Miaoxue yet? Thinking this, Bai Youwei raised her voice and asked Fu Miaoxue in the wardrobe, ¡°Why do you have a cage in your room?¡± Chapter 878: 878 Dream 10 Chapter 878: Chapter 878 Dream 10 ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the cage for Eureka and Maela,¡± Fu Miaoxue replied. ¡°Eureka¡­ Maela?¡± Bai Youwei asked, puzzled. ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? They are the two pet leopards I keep. They were cute when they were young, but as they grew, their smell became unbearable, so I moved them to the room at the end of the second floor.¡± Fu Miaoxue emerged from the walk-in closet, having changed into a lake blue gown. Her skin was fair, and wearing such a delicate color made her look exceptionally ethereal and beautiful. ¡°How do I look?¡± she asked Bai Youwei, twirling around with a beaming smile. ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood today; this outfit is just perfect.¡± In a good mood? Bai Youwei scoffed internally. A burglary in the middle of the night, a close brush with death, witnessing a bloody execution, and now her prospective boyfriend still locked in a cage¡ªyet she claims she¡¯s in a good mood? Compared to Fu Miaoxue, Bai Youwei felt she truly embodied ¡°virtue and grace.¡± Perhaps sensing something off in Bai Youwei¡¯s expression, Fu Miaoxue slightly furrowed her brows, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you like the dress?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡± Bai Youwei glanced over dismissively and said, ¡°I was just wondering, how do you manage their hygiene in your room? There must be some bad smells, right?¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes widened: ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever had a dog? If they relieve themselves inside, they definitely get a spanking~ They should only do their business when you take them for walks!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s mouth twitched, her feelings complicated as she watched Fu Miaoxue, ¡°You¡­ have to walk him? Take him to the bathroom?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the servants are for, don¡¯t worry,¡± Fu Miaoxue chuckled, walking over to the cage to admire her new pet, ¡°Good boy, I¡¯m going to have breakfast now, you behave, okay?¡± Du Lai kept his eyes tightly shut, unmoving. Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t mind and turned around, tapping Bai Youwei on the shoulder with a smile, ¡°Come on, friend, it¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± Bai Youwei took one last look at the cage and then followed Fu Miaoxue out of the room. ¡­ Fu Miaoxue had a very regular routine. Bai Youwei wasn¡¯t sure if she had always been this disciplined or if it was something her tutor had recently forced upon her. ¡ªWake up at 6:30 AM, breakfast at 7:30 AM, followed by a free hour and a half, and classes starting at 9:00 AM. After breakfast, Fu Miaoxue picked some food from the table and went back to her room to feed the ¡°dog.¡± She was enthusiastic, while Du Lai was unappreciative, his mood gloomy as he leaned against the gold bars, asking her, ¡°Where are my companions?¡± Holding a spoon, Fu Miaoxue tapped on the bowl lightly, ¡°After breakfast, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Du Lai glanced at her with disdain, ¡°I¡¯ll eat by myself.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± Fu Miaoxue said cheerily, ¡°A good pet only eats what its master feeds. You do not touch other food, understand?¡± Du Lai didn¡¯t understand, but he knew that opposing the Fu Family¡¯s young miss wouldn¡¯t bring him any benefits. He could only swallow his pride and ingest the spoonfuls of oatmeal and nut porridge Fu Miaoxue fed him. As she fed him, Fu Miaoxue said, ¡°Your companions¡ªthe ones who were caught last night, they almost all confessed. You guys wanted to steal a top-secret document collected by my grandfather. You believed it to be hidden in the Treasure Room and probably thought you could snatch some antiques on the side to set yourselves up for life, so you sneaked into the manor and kept searching for the Treasure Room.¡± She smiled and fed Du Lai another spoonful of oatmeal, asking, ¡°I¡¯m a bit curious, why didn¡¯t you go to that room at the end of the second floor?¡± Du Lai replied coldly, ¡°We studied the layout of the manor long ago, that room couldn¡¯t possibly be the location of the Treasure Room. You mentioning it like that was just to lead me there, to watch me fall into a trap. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The real Treasure Room must be in the study, that¡¯s the most likely place.¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t be so heartless, I¡¯m actually saving you. Or do you really think, after you stole my grandfather¡¯s items and handed them over to the mastermind behind all this, you wouldn¡¯t be silenced?¡± Chapter 879: 879: Dream 11 Chapter 879: Chapter 879: Dream 11 Du Lai¡¯s expression suddenly changed. At that time, he was still young, around 20 years old, smart but not very cunning. Upon hearing Fu Miaoxue¡¯s words, he immediately asked, ¡°What do you mean? Do you know the identity of that person?¡± ¡°I know~¡± Fu Miaoxue smiled at him, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say, your accomplices have already confessed everything. They are a group of antique thieves, specializing in targeting art galleries and mansions. A big boss was impressed by their skills and offered them a high price to steal my grandfather¡¯s belongings. Basically, if this job was done, it would be enough for all of you to retire and live worry-free for the rest of your lives. But, the locksmith in the team had an accident and was jailed. The employer was pushing hard, they couldn¡¯t wait for the locksmith to be released, so they had to look for someone else. Then, they found you on a cruise ship, saw your talent, and decided to recruit you into the gang.¡± Du Lai¡¯s face grew uglier by the moment. Fu Miaoxue continued, ¡°You didn¡¯t want to take the risk originally, but there was one person in the team, a friend from your childhood, you both stayed in an orphanage together, he was like an older brother to you? Oh, yes, the man who was shot in the head yesterday!¡± ¡°You!!!¡± Du Lai suddenly grabbed the iron bars of the cage, his eyes red with fury. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s spoon was knocked away, and the oatmeal spilled onto the expensive carpet, she just smiled indifferently, put down the utensils, got up, and walked to the table where she pressed the call bell¡ª ¡°Do you need to be so angry? I heard that your ¡®big brother,¡¯ to make you resolve wisely, bribed someone on the ship to frame you for theft. You were arrested, and it was he who paid to bail you out. That indebted you to him and, having nowhere else to go, you agreed to join him in his scheme.¡± Du Lai froze, unable to believe it. Indeed, soon after meeting his childhood friend, he was thrown in jail, and later bailed out by this friend. Due to the fines, he lost his job on the cruise and having nowhere else to go, it was that very friend who took him in, and then¡­ And then, his childhood friend proposed this deal to him. But Fu Miaoxue was telling him it was all a setup? ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue watched him, smiling, ¡°Unexpected, isn¡¯t it? The benefactor who you thought rescued you from dire straits was actually the enemy pushing you into the fire-pit. Without me, you¡¯d be dead already~¡± Du Lai just stared blankly. After a while, he let out a self-deprecating laugh, ¡°Should I thank you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Fu Miaoxue laughed, ¡°You should obey me.¡± Du Lai glanced at her, lowered his eyelids, and stopped speaking. A servant from outside came in and rolled away the dirty carpet. Fu Miaoxue continued feeding Du Lai his breakfast. After finishing, she then went to the family tutor for lessons. At 11 o¡¯clock, after ending the morning lessons, she returned to her room, excitedly opened the golden cage, and said, ¡°Come, let me take you for a walk in the garden~¡± Actually, Du Lai had just removed the bullet from himself and needed rest more, but he couldn¡¯t refuse any of Fu Miaoxue¡¯s arrangements. Under strict protection of the bodyguards, Fu Miaoxue led her new pet to the garden. The long, fine metal chain, one end attached to Du Lai¡¯s collar and the other end in Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hand, they formed a strange sight as they walked, two to three meters apart, through the garden. After a while, Fu Miaoxue stopped, tugged on the metal chain, and smilingly said, ¡°Hey, perform some magic for me~¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Du Lai turned around, standing in front of a bush of roses and looking at her, ¡°Sorry, Miss, I cannot.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Fu Miaoxue, with wide eyes, asked puzzledly, ¡°Can¡¯t you do magic like yesterday?¡± ¡°I cannot.¡± Du Lai said calmly, ¡°Magic is all sleight of hand. Without enough preparation and props, I can¡¯t conjure anything out of thin air, much like the flowers yesterday which I had prepared in advance and hidden under the chair. Your attention was fully on the hat, so you didn¡¯t notice at all.¡± Chapter 880: 880 Dream 12 Chapter 880: Chapter 880 Dream 12 Fu Miaoxue¡¯s expression was slightly stiff. Du Lai added, ¡°And those playing cards from yesterday, do you know why I could guess your suit every time? Because the cards were marked.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s gaze grew colder as she stared at him. ¡°The petals I produced above your head were also prepared in advance. You only paid attention to my cuff, and neglected the movements of my other hand,¡± Du Lai explained, ¡°And those coins, they are double-layered, specially made for magic, so if I want it to be tails, it¡¯s tails, if I want it to be heads, then it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Fu Miaoxue shouted fiercely, ¡°Shut your mouth!!!¡± Du Lai pressed his lips together, the corners of his mouth curling into a disdainful smile. What fun would there be if every magic trick was revealed? Fu Miaoxue glared viciously at Du Lai, grinding her teeth: ¡°Do you think, by making me lose interest in you, I would let you off? I¡¯m telling you, that¡¯s impossible! Either stay here to keep me company, or go to the second floor and improve the meals for my Eureka and Maela! What do you think?!¡± Du Lai¡¯s face darkened. Although no one had told him what Eureka and Maela were, he was very clear about what was inside the room at the end of the second floor. Before this operation, they had investigated the young mistress of the manor and knew that she was spoiled, arrogant, capricious, and extremely wilful. Besides the home tutor in the manor who could suppress her to some extent, no one else dared to defy the young mistress. This was also one of the reasons why Du Lai had taken the initiative to approach Fu Miaoxue. He and Fu Miaoxue were peers, young and handsome, and with magic to entertain the girls, it was no wonder Fu Miaoxue would take the bait. But what they hadn¡¯t anticipated was that Fu Miaoxue was simply a pervert¡­ In the garden, Du Lai stood before Fu Miaoxue, neither begging for mercy nor further challenging her because it simply wasn¡¯t a wise move. His mind raced, thinking of how to escape Fu Miaoxue¡¯s ¡°clutches.¡± At that moment, Fu Miaoxue suddenly laughed. If one were to disregard her abnormal and perverted thinking, her smile was genuinely pleasing to the eye, like an exquisitely dressed, high-end doll in a display window¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t like it? ¡°I understand now, you are angry with me, so no matter what I ask you to do, you won¡¯t cooperate sincerely.¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s smile was radiant as she spoke slowly: ¡°Grandpa said, to keep someone by your side, you can¡¯t just rely on intimidation; you also have to let them taste sweetness.¡± This statement was somewhat baffling, and Du Lai couldn¡¯t help but feel vigilant upon hearing it. Fu Miaoxue tugged on the metal chain in her hand, and Du Lai was immediately pulled forward half a step, frowning deeply. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you somewhere~¡± Fu Miaoxue said with a smile, turning to walk back. Du Lai¡¯s neck was yanked, he glanced at the bodyguards on both sides, and, clenching his teeth, followed without a word. Bai Youwei lingered behind, looking at the backs of the two, then glanced at her watch and sighed deeply, helplessly following them. ¡­ To Du Lai¡¯s surprise, Fu Miaoxue actually brought him back to her own room. He thought he was going to be locked in a cage again, but Fu Miaoxue told the bodyguards, ¡°Stay outside. No one is allowed to come in.¡± The bodyguard said, ¡°Miss, this man is quick with his hands. It might be dangerous not to lock him in a cage.¡± Fu Miaoxue stretched out a hand: ¡°Give me the Electric Whip.¡± After a pause, the bodyguard took the whip from his waist and placed it reverently in Fu Miaoxue¡¯s hand. It was a short, black leather whip with tassels on the front and ultra-fine conductive copper wire exposed, capable of bringing down a cow in an instant. Fu Miaoxue gripped the whip, speaking indifferently, ¡°Alright, you can leave now.¡± The bodyguards filed out one by one. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Left in the room were Fu Miaoxue, Du Lai, and Bai Youwei. Fu Miaoxue cast a strange glance at Bai Youwei, muttering, ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Bai Youwei sighed, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t want to be here either, but there¡¯s no helping it, who told us we¡¯re friends?¡± Chapter 881: 881 Dream 13 Chapter 881: Chapter 881 Dream 13 Fu Miaoxue seemed contemplative, ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s true, we are friends¡­¡± She nodded to Bai Youwei, saying decisively, ¡°Alright, you come with me too.¡± After the room door closed, Miaoxue, with an electric whip in one hand and leading Du Lai with the other, entered the walk-in closet. Bai Youwei was initially puzzled, wondering what they were doing in the walk-in closet. Could it be that she was going to dress up her ¡°dog¡± in new clothes? But then, Miaoxue opened a closet door¡ª Behind the door was a large mirror. Miaoxue led Du Lai inside, and then gestured to Bai Youwei, ¡°Come on in.¡± Bai Youwei curled her lips and walked into the cramped space, filled with confusion, only to see Miaoxue fumbling around on the mirror. Whatever she touched, she began to slowly push the large mirror aside! Behind the mirror appeared an elevator! ¡°Pretty well concealed¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened. Miaoxue smiled proudly, ¡°Of course, with our family¡¯s background, if we truly wanted to hide something, how could we let people easily find out.¡± She entered a password on the elevator¡¯s side panel, then verified her fingerprint. After completing all the procedures, the elevator finally began to descend¡ª With no indicator lights, Bai Youwei had no idea how many floors they had descended and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To the Treasure Room,¡± Miaoxue replied, her lips curling into a smile as she glanced at Du Lai. ¡°Haven¡¯t you always been obsessed with finding the Treasure Room? Voil¨¤~ now I¡¯ve brought you here. You can pick any one thing from inside as a gift from me.¡± She then looked at Bai Youwei with a smiling gaze, ¡°You can pick one thing too.¡± Bai Youwei was slightly stunned, ¡°Thank you¡­ But aren¡¯t the things in the Treasure Room all your grandpa¡¯s? Is it really okay to give them to us?¡± Miaoxue replied with a haughty expression, ¡°My grandpa said everything in there is mine to dispose of as I wish.¡± Du Lai, with aloofness, said, ¡°Since I can pick anything, I¡¯ll take that top-secret file then. I can complete my mission and get the reward.¡± ¡°Complete the mission, and all you¡¯ll do is lose your life,¡± Miaoxue turned her head, her face bearing a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile. ¡°No one would want to oppose my grandpa. You being alive is just a risk for the mastermind behind the scenes, get it? You will realize how much luckier you are than your companions.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± Du Lai said sarcastically, ¡°Then I really should thank you.¡± As he finished speaking, the elevator came to a stop. Complete darkness lay outside. Miaoxue led them out, pressed a switch on the wall, and the lights started to turn on one by one, illuminating the entire Treasure Room as bright as day! When Bai Youwei caught sight of the room¡¯s furnishings, she was so astonished she couldn¡¯t find the words to speak. Even Du Lai was stunned by the scene before him. It was like a mini-museum! Jewelry, gemstones, watches, sculptures, fossils, and specimens¡ªall kinds of extremely rare decorative pieces, and most exaggeratively, the walls! The walls were covered in famous paintings, any single one of which could fetch a sky-high price at auction! Bai Youwei could do nothing but admire the sight; every item here was worth far more than silver or gold. She wondered how long it took Miaoxue¡¯s grandfather to collect so many! Initially, she intended to stay close to Miaoxue and Du Lai, keeping track of the dream¡¯s progress, but the ¡°museum¡± before her was so impactful she couldn¡¯t help but slow down to take a closer look. She approached a sculpture of a young girl. The work was titled ¡°14-year-old Dancer,¡± a famous sculpture by the Impressionist Edgar Degas. Youwei had seen photographs of it in an art album, never expecting to encounter the real thing here. Youwei felt deeply moved. That¡¯s when, suddenly, the Venus Stone Sculpture beside her seemed to come to life and wobbled her way! The scene was so eerie that Bai Youwei jumped, startled¡ªuntil she saw Venus ¡°waving¡± at her¡ª S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wasn¡¯t Venus supposed to have no arms? Bai Youwei froze and then realized, belatedly, that the broken arm had somehow slipped out of her bag and even climbed onto Venus! ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Bai Youwei snapped, going up to it with a slap! Chapter 882: Dream 14 Chapter 882: Chapter 882: Dream 14 The severed hand was smacked onto the ground! The next second, it immediately got up, swishing back onto Venus¡¯s body, clinging firmly to Venus¡¯s broken arm! It had the stubbornness of a pig not fearing boiling water. Bai Youwei was puzzled, wondering how it remained so tightly connected to the sculpture without any glue. Was it driven by sheer will?! If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai were nearby, she would have really liked to give this thing a harsh lesson! Such an ¡°assistant¡± that wouldn¡¯t obey commands at critical moments was simply maddening, causing her more fright than assistance! Bai Youwei reached out to pull it. To no avail. It was as if it had grown onto Venus¡¯s body, extremely sturdy. Bai Youwei lowered her voice and scolded, ¡°Do you think by sticking to Venus, you can become as beautiful as the goddess? Get down now! Idiot! We need to go find Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai!¡± The severed hand was unwilling, too attached to Venus. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t possibly carry such a large sculpture with her, so she continued to tug and pull in a struggle. Suddenly, without warning, the severed hand fell to the ground. As Bai Youwei bent down to pick it up and stood up again, she found the surrounding scene had unexpectedly turned into the outside of the manor¡¯s main gate! Had the dream looped?! She was shocked, looking around, no doubt about it, she was indeed back in front of the gate. That meant Fu Miaoxue¡¯s dream had started with her morning lesson and lasted until the end of the second day¡¯s morning lesson, almost 25 hours. This was much longer than Du Lai¡¯s and Chen Hui¡¯s dream durations¡­ Regardless, she finally understood the entire context of the dream. Now she needed to hurry and find Fu Miaoxue, to persuade her to leave this place. Bai Youwei pressed the call button. Just like before, two security guards appeared, and Bai Youwei showed them the friend invitation card. The guards¡¯ lines hadn¡¯t changed at all, ¡°So it¡¯s Miss¡¯s friend, Miss Bai, please come in.¡± They then contacted the inner house servants, who drove over to pick up Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei entered the manor again, met Fu Miaoxue again, and displayed the invitation card again¡ª ¡°Miaoxue, did you forget? You invited me to visit,¡± Bai Youwei said with a smile. Fu Miaoxue slowly blinked, looking at the invitation card, ¡°Now that you mention it, it seems I remember¡­ you are Bai Youwei, my friend¡­ yes, that¡¯s right, you are my friend.¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fu Miaoxue laughed, ¡°It¡¯s really interesting, I can¡¯t believe I have a friend, hahaha!¡± Bai Youwei, suppressing her feeling of absurdity, smiled and said to Fu Miaoxue, ¡°Miaoxue, can we talk alone? I have something very important to tell you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so important that we need to talk alone?¡± Fu Miaoxue inquired, ¡°Should I send all the bodyguards away?¡± The house tutor interjected timely, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s almost lunchtime. Why not have Miss Bai stay here for lunch? You can talk over the meal.¡± Bai Youwei quickly said, ¡°It will only take a few minutes, it won¡¯t delay your meal.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Fu Miaoxue, filled with curiosity, said, ¡°All of you, step back! I want to talk with my friend alone now!¡± Qiao Na frowned but eventually agreed, bowing and saying, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll wait for you in the dining room.¡± The house tutor and all the security guards and servants stepped back, leaving only Fu Miaoxue and Bai Youwei. ¡°Alright, you can speak now!¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes shone brightly at Bai Youwei, as if expecting her to reveal some earth-shattering secret. Bai Youwei indeed did not disappoint. She said, ¡°Fu Miaoxue, you are currently in a dream!¡± Chapter 884: Dream 16 Chapter 884: Chapter 884: Dream 16 ¡°I never wanted you to die,¡± Bai Youwei said coldly. ¡°And you can¡¯t die. I told you, this is your dream. Even if you jump off the building and can¡¯t get out of the dream, at most you¡¯ll just start a new cycle.¡± ¡°Oh, really¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue tilted her head and spoke languidly, ¡°Who can prove you¡¯re not lying?¡­ if this place is the real world and I get killed believing your words, wouldn¡¯t that be stupid to spread around?¡± Bai Youwei was getting a bit impatient, ¡°Whether this is the real world or not, you¡¯re going to find out very soon! As long as you go to the dining room now, you¡¯ll discover that everything is exactly as I just described!¡± ¡°No need for that trouble.¡± Fu Miaoxue smirked, ¡°If it really is a dream, even if you died, it shouldn¡¯t matter, right?¡± Bai Youwei froze. ¡°What¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue bent slightly, pulling out a gun from under the tissue box on the coffee table! She lifted her arm, and the dark barrel of the gun was aimed straight at Bai Youwei! Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened in an instant. Bang! Bai Youwei fell backward from the force, and in the last second of consciousness, she could only think of chopping Fu Miaoxue into a thousand pieces! ¡­ When she opened her eyes again, Bai Youwei was back outside the manor gates. She couldn¡¯t believe it¡ªhad that lunatic Fu Miaoxue actually shot at her?! Did people involved in the underworld really have such an attitude? Was life so worthless in their eyes? Bai Youwei was seething! She suppressed her anger and pressed the call button. It was the same two security guards. After looking at the friend invitation card, the guard said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the lady¡¯s friend. Miss Bai, please come in.¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei entered the manor and faced Fu Miaoxue with a stony expression, ¡°Fu Miaoxue, I¡¯m your friend; here¡¯s the invitation card.¡± Fu Miaoxue blinked slowly, ¡°Now that you mention it, I seem to remember¡­ You¡¯re Bai Youwei, my friend¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right, you¡¯re my friend.¡± Without waiting for her to continue, Bai Youwei said the rest for her, ¡°How interesting¡ªI actually have a friend¡ªis this what you were about to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue blinked in slight confusion, looking at Bai Youwei with a puzzled gaze. Bai Youwei declared, ¡°I have something important to discuss with you alone.¡± Then glancing at the family tutor nearby, she added, ¡°It will only take a few minutes and won¡¯t affect Miss Fu¡¯s lunch.¡± Fu Miaoxue looked at her warily and slowly said, ¡°¡­Everyone, leave us.¡± Qiao Na bowed respectfully, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the dining room.¡± The family tutor, bodyguards, and servants all left, leaving only Fu Miaoxue and Bai Youwei in the living room. ¡°Alright, if you have something to say, you can talk now.¡± Fu Miaoxue furrowed her brow at Bai Youwei, ¡°Why, how could you say exactly what I was thinking?¡± Bai Youwei started over, ¡°Because you are now, in a dream! The scene and script have been cycled countless times! Next, you¡¯ll go have lunch, get scolded by Qiao Na, lose your temper, and run to the garden! You¡¯ll also meet a Gardener who performs magic to cheer you up!¡± As she spoke, Bai Youwei approached Fu Miaoxue and pulled open the small drawer beneath the tissue box on the coffee table, taking out the delicate little handgun. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, clearly unable to comprehend why Bai Youwei would know a gun was hidden there. ¡°And moreover, you¡¯re going to use this, to blow me away, all because you want to verify whether the dream is real.¡± Bai Youwei held the gun, watching Fu Miaoxue coldly, ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not in the mood to waste time here with you. If you want to get out of here, you must accept the fact this is a dream! Only by jumping off the top floor can you return to the real world and see Du Lai; otherwise, you will keep cycling here! Forever in a loop! Do you understand?!¡± Chapter 885: Dream 17 Chapter 885: Chapter 885: Dream 17 Fu Miaoxue fell silent for a while before asking her, ¡°If this place is truly a dream, then how many times have you cycled through?¡± Bai Youwei frowned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You just said that if you don¡¯t leave, you will keep cycling. How many times have you cycled?¡± Fu Miaoxue walked over to the sofa, rested her hand on the vase next to it, and asked with a smile, ¡°During the cycles, have you ever seen this?¡± Her slender fingers delved into the vase and found the hidden mechanism. The next second, three iron arrows shot out from the mouth of the lion sculpture on the wall behind! One arrow pierced straight through Bai Youwei¡¯s chest and lungs! As her vision started to blur, Fu Miaoxue slowly approached her with a leisurely tone, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m starting to believe that this might really be a dream. Otherwise, how could I have this sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­ But you know, I really don¡¯t like the tone you use when you talk to me.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Damn! ¡­ Bai Youwei returned to the manor¡¯s entrance. Suppressing her fury, she pressed the call button and entered the manor. After seeing Fu Miaoxue again, she presented the friend invitation card and said, ¡°I have something important to discuss with you alone. It¡¯ll only take a few minutes and won¡¯t interfere with your lunch.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Sure.¡± Fu Miaoxue looked her over. ¡°Everyone, please leave. I would like to have a private chat with my friend.¡± Qiao Na bowed and said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll wait for you in the dining room.¡± Once everyone had left and only the two of them remained in the living room, Bai Youwei wordlessly approached, first taking the gun, and then smashed the vase! Fu Miaoxue: ¡°¡­¡± Hearing the commotion, Qiao Na came back, hesitatingly asking from a distance, ¡°Miss?¡± Fu Miaoxue looked at Bai Youwei, the doubt in her eyes growing. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t care if Qiao Na could hear and repeated her earlier words: ¡°Fu Miaoxue, you are currently in a dream! I clearly told you that you would be scolded by Qiao Na at lunch, then storm off to the garden in a rage! Then you¡¯ll meet a Gardener who will cheer you up with his Magic! ¡­ And when you come out of the Treasure Room with him, the dream will return to the start! Unless you jump from the top floor, you¡¯ll be trapped in this cycle forever!¡± Bai Youwei sneered at Fu Miaoxue, then added, ¡°In order to verify the dream, you killed me twice. Actually, there¡¯s no need for such trouble. I have a better way. Wait for me.¡± After saying that, she hurried out. Fu Miaoxue pursed her lips and stood there, her expression frozen. It didn¡¯t take long for Bai Youwei to return, and she brought Du Lai with her. Fu Miaoxue didn¡¯t recognize Du Lai, but for some reason, she couldn¡¯t help but linger on him, feeling that she had forgotten something important¡­ Then she heard Bai Youwei sneer at her, ¡°Like killing, do you? Want to verify the reality of the dream, do you?¡± Finishing her sentence, Bai Youwei raised the gun! It was the same gun she had taken from the tissue box! ¡ªBang! A bullet penetrated Du Lai¡¯s temple, and he fell to the ground heavily! Fu Miaoxue¡¯s face turned pale, her eyes wide in disbelief at the person on the ground. She didn¡¯t recognize him, yet her heart felt as though it had been hollowed out, cold air pouring in, chilling her to the bone! Qiao Na and the bodyguards all rushed over. ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± ¡°Miss? Miss?¡± Bai Youwei watched coldly as her subordinates fussed over her, the mocking smile on her lips, ¡°Fu Miaoxue, I can¡¯t touch you, but can¡¯t I touch a little Gardener in your home? If you want to stay in this dream, fine, continue! Every cycle, I¡¯ll kill him once. Two cycles, I¡¯ll kill him twice! I want you to watch him die every time! How about that? Do you still want to stay here?!¡± Fu Miaoxue¡¯s lips trembled, ¡°¡­Bai Youwei, you demon¡­ you demon!!!¡± Chapter 886: Dream 18 Chapter 886: Chapter 886: Dream 18 The wind on the top floor was strong¡­ Even though it was only four stories high, the mansion was built tall and magnificent, incomparable to the ¡°four floors¡± of ordinary civilian buildings. Fu Miaoxue stood at the edge of the rooftop, her legs turning to jelly. Bai Youwei glanced at her sideways, ¡°Afraid of heights?¡± Fu Miaoxue snapped irritably, ¡°I¡¯m afraid of falling and ending up disabled, neither dead nor alive!¡± Bai Youwei gave a cold laugh and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, from this height, you¡¯d definitely die if you fell.¡± Fu Miaoxue gritted her teeth and took a half step back, ¡°¡­You jump first!¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Impossible,¡± Bai Youwei refused, ¡°Who knows if you¡¯d jump after I do? There¡¯s only one invitation card from a friend; if I leave, I won¡¯t be able to come back in!¡± ¡°What if I jump and then you don¡¯t?¡± Fu Miaoxue challenged. ¡°Won¡¯t I be at a loss?¡± Bai Youwei shouted at her, ¡°Am I fucking insane?! Why would I stay here if you¡¯re dead? To wait for your family¡¯s bodyguards to beat me up?!¡± Fu Miaoxue bit her lip, torn as she glanced downwards, ¡°¡­Bai Youwei, you¡¯re sure we¡¯re in a dream, right?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for being in a dream, how could I possibly make friends with someone like you? Masochism?!¡± Bai Youwei retorted. ¡°That makes sense¡­¡± said Fu Miaoxue. She was too terrified to jump, looking down at the shrinking tiles and greenery below. The side of her face inadvertently turned fragile and pale, like a leaf swept up by the wind, possibly plunging down at any moment. Fu Miaoxue whispered softly, ¡°If this weren¡¯t a dream, I couldn¡¯t possibly have friends¡­ Bai Youwei, you don¡¯t understand, I¡¯ve lived here since I was six, with few chances to go out, because I¡¯m my grandfather¡¯s only granddaughter. My grandfather¡¯s business grew big, along with an increase in enemies. My parents were kidnapped and brutalized by my grandfather¡¯s enemies; they cut off their ears and tongues and sent them to my grandfather. Other uncles and aunts also met with tragic deaths. Grandpa, afraid something would happen to me too, brought me to this mansion¡­ It¡¯s been over a decade¡­¡± ¡°Quit with the sob story,¡± Bai Youwei said impatiently. ¡°You think you have friends if you live outside? Friends are a luxury item. I haven¡¯t seen such a thing since my car accident at twelve. Sure, old classmates came to visit, but the pity and sympathy in their eyes were utterly boring! And that inexplicable sense of superiority they had was nauseating!¡± Fu Miaoxue glanced at her, trying to salvage some dignity. ¡°Then I¡¯m stronger than you; at least I once had two friends. One was the Butler¡¯s son; the other was an orphan my grandpa adopted from outside to keep me company. No one dared to pity me or show off their superiority in front of me.¡± ¡°And what happened to them?¡± Bai Youwei asked sarcastically. ¡°I bet their fates weren¡¯t any better.¡± Fu Miaoxue pursed her lips and looked down at her toes, ¡°The Butler¡¯s son was manipulated to almost get me kidnapped; later, the Butler dealt with him personally. As for the orphan¡­ she said she wanted to see the outside world and promised to bring me gifts when she returned. I let her go, but she never came back.¡± ¡°She must have been taken care of by your grandpa,¡± Bai Youwei stated with certainty. Fu Miaoxue curled her lips slightly, ¡°Maybe, my grandpa must have had his reasons.¡± Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Are you going to jump or not?¡± Fu Miaoxue hesitated, ¡°Is there really someone waiting for me outside?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, how many times do you need to ask?! Someone is waiting for you outside! He loves you like crazy, and if you don¡¯t go out, he¡¯ll die of a broken heart!¡± Bai Youwei said exasperatedly. ¡°Hurry up and jump! Once you do, you¡¯ll see him!¡± Fu Miaoxue looked down, ¡°Alright¡­ then I¡¯ll jump¡­¡± Bai Youwei nodded, ¡°Right, hurry up and jump.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, I¡¯m still scared¡­¡± Fu Miaoxue suddenly grabbed her hand, ¡°Let¡¯s jump together!¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened, but before she could curse, she was already being pulled down by Fu Miaoxue! ¡ª¡ª Chapter 887: Dream 19 Chapter 887: Chapter 887: Dream 19 The wind howled in her ears. The scenery in front of her became elongated shadows due to the rapid descent. Bai Youwei watched as the ground grew closer and closer, her mind going blank in an instant. Unable to think, unable to judge, until she and Fu Miaoxue pierced through the ground! Still plummeting down, it was only then that she finally regained her sanity. ¡­Had they made it out? Bai Youwei looked around. Her body was still falling, the speed unrelenting, and everything around her was white, with bits of light and images flashing by like scenes on a movie screen¡ª She saw Fu Miaoxue¡¯s other dreams. About the manor, about Grandfather¡­ and more, about Du Lai. Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai were playing hide-and-seek. Because this ¡°pet¡± really didn¡¯t listen, no matter how many locks were added or how many bodyguards were on watch, he would always escape. However, the manor¡¯s location was extremely remote, with few visitors; Du Lai would be recaptured in just a few hours each time he escaped. So one fled, and the other chased, back and forth without end. Fu Miaoxue¡¯s greatest pleasure was sitting in a helicopter, flying low, surveying every inch of the land near the manor. When she spotted Du Lai, she would issue a command, deploying a tight dragnet search! Sometimes, she would even intentionally reveal a flaw, allowing Du Lai to escape so that she could revel in the thrill of the chase. Cunning during the pursuit, yet after capture, she would take care of him with utmost attention¡ªbuying him pretty clothes, feeding him various delicacies, tending to the wounds from his escapes, and occasionally speaking ill of his home tutor to alleviate her long-held loneliness. Du Lai loathed her twisted behavior, yet couldn¡¯t stand being imprisoned in the manor forever; even knowing he might be caught again, he couldn¡¯t help but try to escape, if only for a sliver of hope. He had to get out! Finally, one day, he escaped again. He ran further and further, without the helicopter coming after him, and then he saw thick black smoke billowing and flames soaring into the sky from the direction of the manor! It seemed someone else had come seeking revenge on old Master Fu. ¡ªSending Fu Miaoxue to her death and severing the Fu Family line was undoubtedly the best form of revenge. Who knows what Du Lai was thinking, but he didn¡¯t flee; instead, he went back to the manor. Using his agile skills to avoid those fighting at the front, he reached Fu Miaoxue¡¯s door, picked the lock, and rescued the unconscious Fu Miaoxue from a sea of fire. Afterward, the manor was purged, the fire brought under control, and Du Lai¡¯s departure was thwarted. He became a hero to the Fu Family. Old Master Fu met him in person, offering status and wealth, but the one thing that remained unchanged was that he still had to stay on the estate¡ª Another form of imprisonment, but this time, Du Lai was willing. ¡­ Scenes flashed before her eyes one by one, and it seemed that Fu Miaoxue¡¯s memories also began to return. She looked curiously at the surrounding scenes and said to Bai Youwei, ¡°Look, there¡¯s yours too.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s fragmented memories, or rather, what could be called ¡°dreams,¡± would intermittently appear amidst Fu Miaoxue¡¯s dreams. Perhaps because of their hand-in-hand contact, they were able to see each other¡¯s ¡°dreams.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In Bai Youwei¡¯s dreams, she and her mother were dancing together, her mother¡¯s dance elegant. Occasionally, she would stop and patiently correct Bai Youwei¡¯s posture, time and time again, with gentle patience. Once upon a time, they had been as close and harmonious as any mother and daughter. Fu Miaoxue commented, ¡°Wow, your mom is prettier than you~¡± Bai Youwei felt a bit stifled in her heart. She didn¡¯t want to see these things, let alone have Fu Miaoxue see them. Fortunately, it was all fleeting. They fell into the void of white, hearing the familiar system sound: ¡°Congratulations to the players for clearing Maze Number 1.¡± Chapter 889: Open Your Eyes Chapter 889: Chapter 889: Open Your Eyes After returning to the Headquarters Building, the news of Fu Miaoxue¡¯s rescue immediately spread like wildfire. Initially, Du Lai had recruited people from all over to save her, making it known throughout the city. Now that Fu Miaoxue was back, even without any publicity, everyone knew that it was all thanks to Bai Youwei. Her reputation soared even higher. Everyone felt that Bai Youwei was certain to make it into the final competition since there were not many Kings left by now. Bai Youwei occasionally heard people enthusiastically discussing her feats. She found the phenomenon quite amusing, as if the apocalyptic crisis had receded into the distance and all the pressure had vanished. Or perhaps, it could be interpreted that all the pressure lay on her, while everyone else simply carried on with their lives as usual. This was probably the only drawback of the base. Chu Huaijin¡¯s hard work made the place feel secure and reliable, yet it also led to complacency. As for Bai Youwei, she didn¡¯t feel pressured. She only felt excited. ¡­ When she went to bed that night, she had a dream. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the dream, she returned to her old home and settled back into her wheelchair. She tried to stand up but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t get up. As she struggled with the wheelchair, she heard an argument coming from outside. So she wheeled herself out, opened the door, and the sunlight from the living room¡¯s floor-to-ceiling windows shone in so brightly that she couldn¡¯t keep her eyes open. Squinting, she looked ahead. Two silhouettes were arguing violently in the backlight. Their voices indicated they were her parents, but she couldn¡¯t make out their faces no matter how hard she tried. ¡°Why can¡¯t you think more about this family?¡± The man stood with his arms akimbo in front of the woman, indignant. ¡°Is my request too much? Considering how Weiwei is now, shouldn¡¯t you, as her mother, be by her side?¡± Sitting on the sofa, the woman¡¯s voice was cold, her spine straight as a rod, ¡°I¡¯m her mother, so what are you? Aren¡¯t you her father? Last month, you only came home three times. What right do you have to criticize me?¡± ¡°What can I do?!¡± The man retorted. ¡°That¡¯s the nature of my job, you know that!¡± ¡°You have no way, so I¡¯m supposed to have one? Why is it always me who has to stay at home with the kids? Why can¡¯t it be you? Is your work important, while mine is not?¡± ¡°Is your job to keep company with various men?¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± The woman erupted in anger. ¡°I¡¯d rather deal with women! But there are just more men in the workplace. You don¡¯t need to sling mud at me over this!¡± ¡°Alright, alright¡­ Let¡¯s not fight over this; you always have your reasons,¡± The man took a deep breath, trying to suppress his temper. ¡°Let¡¯s just talk about the child today. What¡¯s your plan?¡± The woman: ¡°What plan?¡± The man: ¡°The company¡¯s business, when will you let it go? If you ask me, since your company won¡¯t last much longer anyway, you might as well sell it.¡± The woman fell silent. The man pressed again, ¡°Now that the child is like this, what are you thinking?! Is a company on the brink of failure worth sacrificing your family for?!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± the woman¡¯s voice was as calm as it was indifferent, ¡°I already try to get home early, but to completely let go of the company, I can¡¯t do that. After running it for so many years and finally seeing some success, I can¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°What about the child?¡± the man blurted out. ¡°There¡¯s a nanny at home,¡± the woman answered. ¡°Or would you have me do nothing and sit with her all day? Do you think doing that will make her legs heal?¡± ¡°What is your heart made of?! The child is like this, and you can¡¯t make some sacrifices?¡± ¡°Why does it have to be me making sacrifices? Why can¡¯t you quit your job and stay home with the child?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t work, will you guys drink Northwest wind?!¡± ¡°So now you¡¯re talking to me about money?¡­¡± A new round of arguing ensued. Bai Youwei wanted to say, stop arguing; I don¡¯t want to see either of you! Just get out, all of you! She wheeled herself over, trying to stop the two people, but somehow she lost her balance and crashed to the ground! Bai Youwei startled awake, opening her eyes¡ªshe was awake. Chapter 891: 891: The Third Battle Chapter 891: Chapter 891: The Third Battle The next morning, Shen Mo took his cell phone and went to find Chu Huaijin. Professor Song¡¯s health had been declining more and more, and his wakeful hours were becoming fewer and fewer, so Chu Huaijin had handed the matter over to the research team, which coincidentally was managed by their acquaintance, Li Li. It was said that a technology existed that could use satellite maps to compare with the buildings in photos to find similar locations, then proceed with manual screening. Anyway, it was now confirmed that Wang Jingxian was not in the Arctic because the Arctic could not possibly have such a dense cluster of buildings. This matter needed a few days to settle, and the third battle was looming. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei thus set aside the issue for the time being, got her gear in order, and prepared for her third battle. Her third battle was under the supervision of the Clown Inspector, the rules stipulated the minimum number of participants was one, with no upper limit set. The casualties that occurred in the ¡°Wildlife Park¡± were still vivid in her mind, so this time Bai Youwei brought only Shen Mo with her into battle. The two of them arrived at the rest hall. As the war progressed to this point, the number of contestants had sharply decreased. Bai Youwei casually scanned the hall and saw Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai, saw Yan Qingwen, and also noticed that Willard whom she had met in the Tomorrow Hotel¡­ About fifty to sixty people stood sparsely scattered in the hall. The Clown, the Ball, the Comic Man, and the Grey-robed Old Man, the four Inspectors, stood as always in front of the luminous square, waiting for the King to enter the battlefield. The gentleman with the rabbit-head stood in the middle and announced politely and gently: ¡°The third battle is about to begin, there are a total of 8 Kings participating. 2 Kings have chosen Battle 1, 2 Kings have chosen Battle 5, 4 Kings have chosen Battle 10, 0 Kings have chosen Battle 20. Each battle cannot be chosen more than once, and after the four battles are over, the final battle will begin. So, please enter the battlefield¡ª¡± The Kings, only eight remained. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart tightened. Only eight remained, not counting Yan Qingwen and Fu Miaoxue, who were bound to surrender sooner or later, she had only five real adversaries¡ªshe was getting closer and closer to that final victory. The Kings confirmed the information on their wristwatches with their subjects, then walked into the glowing square. Bai Youwei took a deep breath and stepped in as well. Inside the white space of the square, the 3D hologram of her opponent appeared, along with relevant information. [Enemy King, age 37, height 181cm, weight 85kg, blood type A, region¡­] [Do you choose to surrender?] Bai Youwei refused to surrender, then quietly waited for the countdown to end. ¡­5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. Everything before her eyes vanished. Bai Youwei found herself in a white square room, Shen Mo was also there, besides the two of them, there was also their opponent for this battle, an unremarkable middle-aged man. A square face, with a broad forehead and high nose, his hair was auburn, his features undistinguished, but his body was exceptionally strong and sturdy, which gave a mismatched impression. He noticed Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze, smiled a common friendly smile on his face, and walked over to extend his right hand to Bai Youwei: ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Hans, it seems you are my opponent this time.¡± Bai Youwei slightly raised her brow, looked at his hand but did not move. Shen Mo reached out his hand and briefly shook hands with the man, speaking faintly: ¡°Hello.¡± The man showed no hostility and continued to engage Bai Youwei in conversation: ¡°I¡¯m from Baharah, have you ever been there? It¡¯s a small town in Germany, quite beautiful. If you go there, you will surely fall in love with the place.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s frown deepened, failing to understand the thought process of this man named Hans. Please, they were sworn enemies to the death now, what was he doing talking about these things? As if Hans discerned Bai Youwei¡¯s thoughts, he laughed plainly and said: ¡°No matter who among us wins in the end, we will bring peace back to the world, right? So, even if I lose, in a sense, I¡¯m actually a winner, the grand winner who has fought for the world.¡± Chapter 892: 892 No Normal Person Chapter 892: Chapter 892 No Normal Person ¡°Everyone¡¯s goal is the same, so there¡¯s no need to hate each other, no matter who wins or loses this time,¡± Hans smiled at Bai Youwei once more, ¡°Relax a bit, we can be friends.¡± Bai Youwei found this man very strange¡­ Inside the game, it¡¯s surely a fight to the death, how can we possibly become friends? And the way he spoke these words, so casual¡­ This was the third battle, and even she was a little nervous, while the other seemed so relaxed; she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what tricks he had up his sleeve. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It seems this is the third battle¡¯s game field, looks rather small¡­¡± Hans looked around and sighed, ¡°I wonder what kind of game it will be, I hope it won¡¯t be too dangerous.¡± Shen Mo glanced at the few people not far away and asked him, ¡°Those people, are they your subjects?¡± There were a total of ten people in the room, including Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, there were eight others. Hans smiled and nodded, ¡°They¡¯re friends I¡¯ve met in the game, united by the same ideal. We are willing to make any sacrifice as long as it can restore the world.¡± After he finished speaking, he waved over to his companions and said with a laugh, ¡°We¡¯re very strong, we¡¯ve already successfully passed battle 10 and battle 5, and we were actually going to take part in battle 20 if not for being a little short on manpower. Let me introduce them to you¡ª¡± His companions came closer, and Hans introduced them one by one to Shen Mo and Bai Youwei: ¡°This is Dim, don¡¯t be deceived by his small stature; he¡¯s a master rock climber and the water is no problem for him. This is Julian, the encyclopaedia of our team. And this is Morin, the bravest and most formidable warrior, no one can withstand his fists¡­¡± Hans introduced everyone on his team before turning to Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, his demeanor filled with expectation, seemingly waiting for Bai Youwei and Shen Mo to introduce themselves as well. But Bai Youwei really had nothing much to say. Shen Mo briefly introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Shen Mo, and she¡¯s Bai Youwei, we¡¯re partners.¡± He didn¡¯t add anything else, as there really was no need. Hans didn¡¯t seem to mind and still wore a smiling face, asking, ¡°You two, are you lovers?¡± Bai Youwei froze, looking at this honest-looking, kind-faced ¡°simple man¡± again. Hans gently shook his head and said warmly, ¡°In the game, I¡¯m most afraid of encountering couples, because hurting one will cause great harm to the other. I hope you two have good luck in the game and won¡¯t be separated.¡± These were kind words, but why did they sound so awkward? Finally, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, staring at Hans¡¯s face, she asked, ¡°Are you sick?¡± A flash of surprise crossed Hans¡¯s eyes. Bai Youwei said, ¡°Even if all of you die, my boyfriend and I will be fine, understood?¡± Hans¡¯s eyes slightly widened, as if he was very shocked, his expression froze for two seconds before he smiled warmly, not at all offended. ¡°Your girlfriend is really cute,¡± he said to Shen Mo with a laugh, treating Bai Youwei¡¯s harsh words as though they were just a little girl¡¯s tantrum. Shen Mo gently wrapped his arm around Bai Youwei¡¯s shoulder and smiled, ¡°Yeah, she is quite cute.¡± Hans turned to leave. Shen Mo added, ¡°However, I think she¡¯s right.¡± Hans¡¯s steps halted. After a long pause, he turned back, looked deeply at them both, and said regretfully, ¡°I really regret that every opponent I meet doesn¡¯t understand that only by letting the world win can humankind truly achieve victory. Hatred and enmity will only blind one¡¯s eyes¡­ I truly regret that we cannot reach a consensus.¡± Chapter 893: 893: Chinese Room 1 Chapter 893: Chapter 893: Chinese Room 1 After Hans left, Bai Youwei poked Shen Mo in the waist, her tone melancholic as she complained, ¡°Why is it that none of the players we run into are normal?¡± Shen Mo pondered seriously for a moment before replying, ¡°Maybe they started off normal, but as they played, they became abnormal.¡± Bai Youwei burst into laughter, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± She snuggled up to him and, looking up, asked, ¡°What about me then? Have I become abnormal?¡± ¡°You¡¯re different from them.¡± Shen Mo lowered his head and whispered in her ear, ¡°You were abnormal to begin with and slowly became normal¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face darkened as she pinched his arm hard! ¡­ After waiting another three to five minutes, the Inspector finally arrived. ¡°Sorry~ sorry~ I¡¯m late!¡± The Clown seemed to appear out of nowhere, coming over on a unicycle with awkward twists and turns, bowing to everyone, ¡°The number of people was more than expected, so the game was adjusted on the fly, sorry to keep you all waiting~¡± Bai Youwei frowned and asked, ¡°The battle game can be adjusted on the fly? Won¡¯t that cause problems?¡± ¡°Not at all~¡± The Clown stretched his mouth into an exaggerated smile, ¡°Battle 1 is a bit different from other battle games because it needs to meet the minimum number of participants, so we must consider the balance between the minority and the majority.¡± In other games, the number of players was basically fixed. For example, in Tomorrow¡¯s Inn, each team had five people, and in Wildlife Park, each had eight people. Now in Battle 1, on Bai Youwei¡¯s side there were two people, and on Hans¡¯s side eight. The Clown mentioned the game needed to ensure balance between both sides, making Bai Youwei curious about how that would be achieved. The Clown cleared his throat twice, speaking gravely, ¡°Hello everyone!~ Welcome to this battle game. I am the Inspector of this game, and now let me explain the rules to you~ It¡¯s so hot, a sheep couldn¡¯t stand the heat and got shorn, and then it couldn¡¯t sleep anymore because it was missing wool! Ahahaha!¡± The Clown laughed uncontrollably. Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± On the other side, Hans and his group played along, laughing a few times. Bai Youwei felt utterly bemused, ¡°What in the world?¡± Shen Mo whispered, ¡°This Inspector likes to pretend he¡¯s very humorous, don¡¯t take it too seriously.¡± ¡°Ah ha¡­ after the laughter, the atmosphere is much better! Let¡¯s begin!¡± The Clown cheerfully said, ¡°This game is divided into A and B War Zones. If, after the game in A War Zone is over, a King emerges victorious, then the game immediately ends. Otherwise, if after A War Zone the game ends without a victor among the Kings, we will immediately proceed to B War Zone.¡± Bai Youwei frowned and asked, ¡°Does that mean we need to play two games?¡± ¡°You could understand it that way, but it¡¯s not necessarily so,¡± said the Clown, gliding over on his unicycle with a grin, ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll sort out the victory and defeat in A War Zone, who knows? Oh~ I¡¯ve even seen a situation where both sides were completely eliminated in A War Zone~¡± Bai Youwei was momentarily stunned, ¡°¡­previously?¡± Hans spoke up, ¡°Is that so? The Maze War has occurred in historical times as well, hasn¡¯t it? What exactly is your purpose?¡± ¡°Purpose?¡± The Clown cocked his head, grinning, ¡°Soon, you will know. Once the war is over, any questions you have will be answered, that is¡­ if at least one of you can survive this battle.¡± It rode the tiny unicycle over to a wall and tapped on the surface. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With each tap, a door appeared. The Clown knocked five times, and thus five doors materialized. ¡°The game in A War Zone is themed ¡®The Chinese Room¡¯.¡± Chapter 894: 894: Chinese Room 2 Chapter 894: Chapter 894: Chinese Room 2 ¡°Each team will be split into two groups: one will ask questions outside the door, and the other will answer inside. Please note, each answer comes with four distracting options and the real answer, making five options in total. Once the player inside answers, the answer will be displayed on the door, and the players outside must determine which door their teammate is behind. If they choose correctly, both indoor and outdoor players pass. However, if they select a false answer, both the indoor and outdoor players are immediately eliminated.¡± The Clown raised a hand and snapped his fingers, and behind him, five doors opened simultaneously, revealing empty white rooms, all identical. ¡°Then, both Kings, please send your subjects into the rooms.¡± The Clown looked at them with a smirky smile, ¡°No rush, you have plenty of time to decide who will answer inside and who will stay outside to ask questions.¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other. Being only two, one would surely go inside and one would stay outside. Hans¡¯s team, on the other hand, had to choose four people to go inside. ¡°The theme of this game is the Chinese Room,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Right,¡± Shen Mo nodded, ¡°One of the ten paradoxes. The Inspector chose this theme for a reason.¡± He looked towards the five doors and slowly said, ¡°The so-called distracting options must refer to artificial intelligence, right?¡± The Chinese Room was initially proposed by American philosopher John Searle. The experiment assumes an English-speaking person inside a sealed room who has a manual for translating Chinese. The room is equipped with sufficient paper and pens. Then, papers written in Chinese are passed into the room through a small window, and the person inside uses the book to translate and respond in Chinese. Although he doesn¡¯t understand Chinese, he can make anyone outside believe he speaks Chinese. This thought experiment argues against the idea that artificial intelligence can truly think, suggesting computers can¡¯t genuinely comprehend information but can seemingly process certain programs to create an intelligent impression. Hans¡¯s team, obviously aware of this famous experiment, discussed quietly for a moment before asking the Inspector, ¡°What specific aspects will the distracting options interfere with?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The Clown lazily moved over, ¡°They will mimic you as much as possible and learn your manner of speaking.¡± ¡°Will they read our brains?¡± Hans asked carefully, ¡°¡­like, the memory part?¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but glance at him; it was a good strategy to break the game, as artificial intelligence can¡¯t mimic something it can¡¯t access. For instance, she could ask Shen Mo where their first kiss took place. Such a question, artificial intelligence surely couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°Of course not~¡± The Clown explained with a full-beamed smile, ¡°They will only analyze and learn from what you express outwardly. As for what you¡¯re thinking, they don¡¯t know that~¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The Clown¡¯s tone suddenly turned, his mouth twisting into a bigger smile, stretching to a disturbing extent. ¡°In the room, the order of answering is randomized each time, so, if you ask the wrong person¡­ that would be truly unfortunate.¡± Bai Youwei frowned; if that was the case¡­ using shared memories to form questions would be futile. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hans then asked, ¡°For the questioners outside, can they ask any question? Are there any restrictions?¡± The Clown replied, ¡°You can ask any question, but the input box for the answers can only accommodate 20 characters.¡± Thus, trying to discern lies through lengthy discussions would also be ineffective. Hans turned back and whispered with his teammates for a little while longer, then spoke aloud, ¡°Inspector, we have made our selections. These four will go inside to answer.¡± Chapter 895: 895: Chinese Room 3 Chapter 895: Chapter 895: Chinese Room 3 ¡°Oh, so you¡¯ve already made your choice~¡± the Clown looked at Bai Youwei, grinning broadly. ¡°What about you? Have you decided?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I¡¯ll go inside.¡± Bai Youwei grasped his hand, her expression worried. Shen Mo reassured her by squeezing her hand gently and whispered, ¡°We can set a code. If it¡¯s my turn, I¡¯ll add ¡®probably¡¯ before I answer and end with ¡®done.''¡± ¡°That obvious flaw, the game system will definitely think of it.¡± Bai Youwei spoke seriously. ¡°Once you¡¯re inside, just answer normally; I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Shen Mo released her hand. ¡°I trust you.¡± He turned around and entered one of the doors, which closed behind him. Hans¡¯ four teammates also entered their respective doors one after another. Once all five doors were shut, the Clown suddenly became excited; it smiled so broadly that its mouth almost reached its ears. ¡°Alright, alright~ Five people inside, five people outside, now you can start asking questions!¡± the Clown exclaimed excitedly. ¡°Each person gets to ask one question. Who wants to go first?¡± A touchscreen computer appeared in the room, displaying a keyboard and input field. ¡°No rush~ No rush~ Take your time to think, ask when you¡¯re ready.¡± The Clown showed a benevolent smile and continued, ¡°Out of the five doors, only the person in one door will receive your questions. The other four rooms will provide interference options, so, please be very cautious when you ask!¡± After speaking, it squinted and smiled again, then added, ¡°Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, those who entered the doors will experience short-term memory loss, meaning they will forget the codes or any little cheating tricks they discussed earlier.¡± Bai Youwei felt her heart sink. The expressions of the people on Hans¡¯ side also changed. It seemed they had thought of the same method as Shen Mo. That obvious flaw wouldn¡¯t be overlooked by the game system; now, their only option was to think more carefully about the ¡°questions.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at Hans¡¯ side. Hans also looked at Bai Youwei. Nobody wanted to be the first to ask a question. Everyone knew there would be interference by artificial intelligence, but no one knew just how advanced this AI could be; whoever asked first would undoubtedly be testing the waters. However, the stand-off didn¡¯t last long. Bai Youwei was alone, while Hans¡¯ side had four people; even if they let Bai Youwei ask first, they would still have to ask at least in the second round, so there was no point in delaying. A blond man spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He stepped forward to the computer, his tone relaxed, ¡°Compared to the previous games, this one isn¡¯t that hard, right? The artificial intelligence has a vast knowledge base; if we ask a sufficiently difficult question that an ordinary person couldn¡¯t answer, can¡¯t we distinguish them that way?¡± Hans reminded him, ¡°That¡¯s a good point, but don¡¯t forget, the Inspector said they can mimic and learn¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I want to ask first,¡± the blond man confidently said. ¡°To give them no chance to learn or mimic.¡± He typed a question on the computer keyboard: ¡°How many stars are there in the Milky Way?¡± The Clown Inspector immediately said, ¡°Question asked. Answer time: 2 minutes. Please wait for a moment.¡± Bai Youwei frowned. Only 2 minutes, not even enough time for extra thought¡­ The blond man waited in front of the computer, relaxed while asking but gradually becoming tense as he waited. He started regretting and thought maybe he should have chosen a more tactful question? But it was already too late¡­ Two minutes later, different answers appeared simultaneously on the doors of the five rooms: [A: I don¡¯t know.] [B: Not sure, perhaps several hundred billion.] [C: I don¡¯t have knowledge about this.] [D: Is it 400 quadrillion?] [E: Help! Who is outside? Quickly, get me out!] The Clown¡¯s smiling face blossomed again. ¡°Come on~ make your choice! Choose correctly to pass, choose wrongly to be eliminated!¡± Chapter 896: 896: Chinese Room 4 Chapter 896: Chapter 896: Chinese Room 4 Five doors, five answers. A, B, C, D, E, which one to choose? The blond man¡¯s forehead oozed cold sweat. He thought the artificial intelligence would answer this question as thoroughly and rigorously as possible, like a program, a directive, seriously rational, to the letter. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be this situation. ¡°Is it E¡­¡± he said uncertainly, ¡°This tone, it sounds a bit like Mike. If his memory was temporarily erased and he found himself locked up, he would definitely panic and use the answer to call for help, which is completely reasonable¡­¡± As the blond man spoke, he looked around, hoping to get help from his companions, even a confirming look would be good. But the others were also confused. The man named Morin said, ¡°What if it isn¡¯t Mike, but Julian? If it¡¯s Julian, then D would be the real answer, right?¡± Someone else objected, ¡°Most people wouldn¡¯t know this kind of question. Even Julian might not be clear on it. I think we should choose A, the others are just distractions!¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t be A.¡± This time, it was Hans who spoke slowly, ¡°If you¡¯re locked in a room, unable to leave, and partly amnesiac, receiving a question at that moment, anyone sane would know that this question is the key to leaving the room. Since it¡¯s so important, how could you say you don¡¯t know just because you don¡¯t know? Guessing would be better than outright admitting your ignorance, right? I think it should be B, even if you don¡¯t know the answer, try to get close to it. That fits with human strategic thinking.¡± Most people agreed with Hans. Answer A: Don¡¯t know. Like easily giving up the only way out. Answer B: Not sure, could be several trillion. Compared to A, B seems more humanized. The blond man was still indecisive; he looked at Hans, ¡°Not choosing E? Maybe the person inside is reminding us in this way. After all, artificial intelligence can¡¯t cry for help, right?¡­¡± ¡°What if it can?¡± Bai Youwei suddenly spoke up. Everyone looked at her. Bai Youwei said, ¡°If artificial intelligence can¡¯t cry for help, then the player inside the door could always answer off-topic, right? You ask how many stars are in the sky, and he answers I¡¯m Mike, save me, what would be the point of the questions and answers then?¡± Hans squinted his eyes, ¡°You mean¡­ E is definitely a distraction?¡± sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Exactly, A, B, C, D could all potentially be the real answer, but E definitely can¡¯t be,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°And I believe, they must have a set of rules inside the door forcing them to respond to the question itself, otherwise this game can¡¯t go on.¡± After Bai Youwei finished, she also said to Hans, ¡°Also, when you dismissed A just now, I think your reasoning wasn¡¯t sufficient.¡± Hans was a bit taken aback, sizing her up again, ¡°Answer A directly gives up the chance to escape, isn¡¯t that reason enough? It¡¯s like a student in an important exam, even when faced with a difficult question, would do their best to fill out the answer sheet.¡± ¡°That reason holds, but it¡¯s not sufficient,¡± Bai Youwei said expressionlessly, ¡°because your reasoning is based on the assumption that a wrong answer leads to elimination. We, outside the door, know this question is crucial, but do the people inside know? Do they know a wrong answer will result in elimination? What if the system requires them to answer honestly? What¡¯s wrong with answering ¡®don¡¯t know¡¯?¡± Just when they thought they had a clue, Bai Youwei¡¯s words threw them into confusion again. ¡°What do we do now¡­ should we choose A or B?¡± the blond man gazed at Hans eagerly, ¡°Are we still going with B?¡± Chapter 897: 897: Chinese Room 5 Chapter 897: Chapter 897: Chinese Room 5 Bai Youwei knit her brows in irritation, ¡°Any option is possible, creating this situation because the question is too crappy.¡± She looked at the Clown, discontentedly saying, ¡°There¡¯s a balance problem with this game. If the people behind the door are my teammates, yet they get eliminated because of their stupidity, how is that fair? That¡¯s just too unfair!¡± The Clown twisted on his small car, his bright red mouth laughing intermittently, ¡°No need to worry, it¡¯s just a small matter~ Just a small matter, the game system will make the necessary adjustments~¡± ¡°Do you mean¡­ when I ask a question, the people behind the door will be my teammates?¡± Bai Youwei asked, furrowing her brows. ¡°Maybe they will be, maybe not, who knows~¡± The Clown chuckled, ¡°As the Inspector, I¡¯ve already explained all the rules. The remaining part, I might say, or might not say~ Hee hee hee¡­¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Elsewhere, the blond man was still struggling to choose an answer. Hans told him, ¡°Since any option is possible, just go with your gut feeling.¡± The blond man walked past each door, hesitating for a long time, finally choosing B. [B: Not sure, could be several hundred trillion.] sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Actually, Bai Youwei also felt this answer was the most likely real answer, but with such things, as long as it¡¯s not 100% certain, there¡¯s still a possibility of being wrong. The Clown, grinning, said, ¡°Once you¡¯ve decided, open the door you chose~¡± The blond man looked at his companions, then at Hans, and finally, gathering courage, grabbed the doorknob, twisted, and pushed open¡ª The room behind the door was empty. The blond man stared blankly in place. The next second, his neck suddenly split open! Blood spurted out without any warning! Like a human-shaped sprinkler, he fell straight to the ground! Everyone was shocked! ¡°No, wasn¡¯t it just elimination? How could this happen?!¡± ¡°Why did he die?¡­ What about the people in the room? Will they die too?!¡± ¡°So you die just for choosing the wrong answer?!¡± Everyone was completely disconcerted. Hans looked at the Inspector with a grave expression, ¡°You didn¡¯t say the wrong choice would lead to death.¡± ¡°Did I not?¡± The Clown giggled, ¡°I did say, if the choice is wrong, both parties inside and outside the door get eliminated. What¡¯s the difference between elimination and death?¡± Hans¡¯s expression grew uglier, feeling mocked, but having been deceived by the Inspector in past games, he remained relatively calm and did not blow a fuse. He calmed the remaining three teammates, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, sacrifices in the game are inevitable. As long as we can win in the end, what we¡¯ve lost will come back, even the dead can be resurrected.¡± With those words, the expressions of the others eased a lot. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ as long as we can win in the end, we can restore the world to its original state, and bring all the dead back to life!¡± Bai Youwei on the side curled her lips, thinking these people were quite idealistic¡­ ¡°Hey, we¡¯ve already asked one round, next round, it¡¯s your turn to ask!¡± The man named Morin murmured to Bai Youwei, ¡°It¡¯s only fair this way!¡± ¡°Fair?¡± Bai Youwei smiled faintly, ¡°Where is it fair? I only have one subject, which means I only have one chance to ask. If I choose wrong, I¡¯ll be out immediately, but you, you have four chances to ask. Unless your King is eliminated, no matter how many subjects die, the King won¡¯t be out!¡± She took a cotton pad out of her bag, then sat down on the ground, hugging her knees, looking like she was watching a good show. ¡°You guys go ahead and ask~¡± Bai Youwei said with a smile, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m definitely not going to be the second to ask.¡± Chapter 898: 898: Chinese Room 6 Chapter 898: Chapter 898: Chinese Room 6 The situation had reached a deadlock. Bai Youwei refused to ask questions, and Hans didn¡¯t dare to. Initially, they thought elimination merely meant elimination, not realizing it involved death. Nobody wanted to die. After a long discussion, perhaps an hour, perhaps two, Hans finally decided on the candidate. ¡°Robert, you do it this time,¡± Hans instructed him. ¡°The question should be crafted skillfully. We don¡¯t know who is behind the door, it could be Eureka, it could be Mike¡­ So, it¡¯s best to avoid professional knowledge. Ask about hobbies, emotional matters; try to make the question as emotive as possible. Artificial Intelligence lacks emotional thinking; it will surely reveal a flaw.¡± The man called Robert had sunken eyes and a face full of fear. ¡°Hans, can¡­ can I abstain?¡± He hesitated, glancing at a companion lying in a pool of blood, his voice growing weaker, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t ask well¡­ Hans, otherwise, you¡­ you demote me¡­ Demote me to a commoner¡­¡± ¡°Robert, don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Hans grasped his shoulders, his voice deep. ¡°Nothing will happen to you, and even if something happens, it won¡¯t be in vain. Have you forgotten the purpose of our trip? Do you really want to continue living aimlessly like this?¡± Other companions also encouraged him: ¡°We must preserve the greatest chance of survival for the King. Robert, whether you succeed or not, it will help us! As long as Hans wins, we all win!¡± Robert hung his head and finally made up his mind, ¡°Okay¡­ alright¡­ You¡¯re right, we have to create an opportunity for Hans.¡± He clenched his teeth and entered the question on the computer screen: ¡°How was your day today?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly taken aback. It was a good question, simple yet profound, excellent for distinguishing between Artificial Intelligence and humans. The Clown Inspector announced with a smile, ¡°Questioning complete, response time 2 minutes, please wait a moment.¡± Hans gently patted Robert¡¯s shoulder, as if to say: Well done. Bai Youwei sat on the mat, one hand holding a rabbit, the other hand holding her cheek, wondering how she should ask her question. How could she avoid the interference of Artificial Intelligence and accurately find the person she was looking for? Two minutes passed quickly, and five answers appeared on the door: ¡°A: The same as usual, how about you?¡± ¡°B: I¡¯m locked in a room, unsure about my companions.¡± ¡°C: Not well, I might die at any moment.¡± ¡°D: I¡¯ve been locked up! It¡¯s awful!¡± ¡°E: Great, a nutritious breakfast set the tone for my whole day.¡± Everyone took in these five answers, momentarily speechless; the mimicking ability of Artificial Intelligence had exceeded their expectations. B, C, and D could even simulate the mindset of being locked in a room. Bai Youwei was sweating for the one who asked the question, Robert; these responses were difficult to choose from. At least in her view, A and E resembled standard response templates, whereas B, C, and D could all be ¡°real answers.¡± That is to say, Robert only had a 33.33% chance of choosing correctly. Robert looked helplessly at Hans. ¡°Which¡­ which one should I choose?¡± Hans pondered seriously, ¡°Could it be B¡­ being locked in a room, wondering why it¡¯s just oneself, while also worrying about the safety of companions¡­ What do you all think? Which one should we choose?¡± Everyone looked at each other. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. No one dared to make a decision lightly; choosing could potentially push a companion closer to death. Hans sighed in frustration, ¡°Answer D has strong emotions; it might also be D¡­¡± ¡°B, or maybe D¡­¡± Robert clenched his fists, his eyes tense as he stared at the answers. ¡°Last round, he chose B, and was eliminated¡­¡± Robert walked to the door with answer D, reached out his right hand, and grasped the doorknob¡­ Chapter 899: 899: Chinese Room 7 Chapter 899: Chapter 899: Chinese Room 7 ¡°¡­Should I choose D?¡± he looked at the doorknob in his hand. Just a gentle twist, and the answer would be revealed. B, or D? He gripped the doorknob, his palm already drenched in sweat. In the last round, his teammate had died for choosing B, so this time, he really didn¡¯t want to choose B again¡­ Choose D, no more hesitation, open that door! Even if you¡¯re eliminated, it¡¯s not a loss! As long as you keep the King advancing, they¡¯re still the winners! With a pep talk in his mind and force in his hand, he opened the door that was answer D¡ª¡ª A wave of bright red blocked his vision. He looked down in confusion, only to see more blood spurting out; then the world spun, and with a thud, he fell to the ground. ¡­ Silence surrounded them. No one spoke. Bai Youwei covered her nose; the smell of blood was too strong¡­ ¡°Ah oh~¡± The Clown, riding a unicycle, circled round to the body, the wheel squeaking, ¡°What a pity! Another two have been eliminated, is there no one who can choose correctly?¡± Of the five who went in, two had already died, leaving three chances to ask questions. The atmosphere was deathly. It was thought that there would be another long silence with no one asking, but to everyone¡¯s surprise, the young man next to Hans spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ll go this time.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him with a hint of surprise. Hans was also shocked, ¡°Morin, are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man whom Hans had once praised as the bravest nodded slightly, his face grave as he looked toward the doors, ¡°I¡¯ve decided what to ask.¡± Hans asked him, ¡°What are you going to ask?¡± Morin pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, then replied, ¡°You¡¯ll know when I ask.¡± With that, he did not hesitate any longer, and went straight to the computer. The Clown craned his neck curiously. Morin typed his question into the computer: sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [What fruit does Morin like to eat?] Hans¡¯s face turned ashen, ¡°Morin?! You¡¯re asking this kind of question! Are you trying to get us all killed?! What are you thinking?!¡± ¡°What am I thinking?¡­ Hans, of course, I¡¯m doing it to keep your chance of advancing.¡± Morin explained in a low voice with a somber look, ¡°Dim and Brail are still inside. If it¡¯s Brail, he must know what fruit I like to eat¡­¡± ¡°But what if it¡¯s not Brail? What if it¡¯s Dim?!¡± Hans yelled out of control, ¡°You¡¯ll indirectly be killing Dim!¡± Morin¡¯s tone was very calm, ¡°Our deaths are not in vain. If Dim is the one who dies, then the next one will likely be Brail. Hans, then you just need to ask something related to Brail, and you can surely advance.¡± Hans stopped in his tracks, staring at him. As the two conversed, two minutes quickly went by. Two answers appeared on the five doors again: [A: An apple a day keeps the Doctor away.] [B: Oranges and bananas are nice, can¡¯t remember which one I like the most.] [C: Morin loves mangoes, but he¡¯s allergic so he can¡¯t eat a lot.] [D: Morin likes strawberries, nobody dislikes strawberries!] [E: Not sure, maybe it¡¯s cantaloupe.] Morin¡¯s eyes reddened instantly. ¡°Choose C!¡± He strode quickly to the door, almost without hesitation, yanked it open, ¡°Brail!¡± He was so lucky! As the door opened, the man inside was indeed Brail! Morin embraced him excitedly? Hans let out a long sigh of relief and went over to pat their backs, ¡°It¡¯s all good now¡­ Just one more question from me, and the game in A War Zone can end.¡± ¡°Dim is still inside, what do you plan to ask?¡± Morin inquired. Hans fell silent for a while, then calmly looked over at Bai Youwei, ¡°Let her ask first.¡± Chapter 900: 900: Chinese Room 8 Chapter 900: Chapter 900: Chinese Room 8 Hans had already asked three times, and inside the door, only Dim and Shen Mo remained. If Bai Youwei could bring Shen Mo out from behind the door, Hans¡¯s next question would be much easier. If Bai Youwei failed to bring Shen Mo out, that would be even better. Both would be eliminated together, and Hans could win directly without having to enter B War Zone. The worst-case scenario was¡ªBai Youwei encountered Dim and got eliminated together with him. Then, only Shen Mo would be left inside the door, and Hans would have to pose a question to Shen Mo and choose the correct answer. The artificial intelligence¡¯s distracting options were already causing enough headaches, and facing a complete stranger would undoubtedly be more troubling! Hans looked at Bai Youwei, ¡°My side has already asked three times, now it¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of a good one yet~¡± Bai Youwei sat comfortably on her cushion, appearing indifferent, ¡°If you¡¯re in a hurry, go ahead and ask.¡± Morin was infuriated, ¡°Do you plan to keep stalling?!¡± Hans was also very dissatisfied with Bai Youwei¡¯s attitude, ¡°You complained about unfairness earlier and delayed asking questions, but now that we have asked three times, it¡¯s your turn, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still unfair,¡± Bai Youwei said with a light smile, ¡°You and I are both kings. If you learn the way I ask questions and then you and your companion both pass, it would still be unfair to me.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s just dragging out the time,¡± Morin said to Hans with a frown, ¡°She never intended to ask.¡± Brail said, ¡°Perhaps she wants to learn Hans¡¯s method, and there¡¯s more room for play when only one person is left. That¡¯s understandable¡­¡± After thinking it over, Hans surprisingly showed magnanimity, ¡°Learning the method is also good. After all, we can¡¯t be sure that we will definitely encounter Dim, and if we come across her teammate, Dim¡¯s fate will depend on her rescue.¡± The Inspector had never explicitly stated that after their questioning, the person behind the door would certainly be a teammate, so there was still the chance of encountering an opponent. Listening to Hans¡¯s words, Morin felt something was amiss and asked with a frown, ¡°Are you going to ask? Why not let her go first? Hans, in a life or death situation, there¡¯s no need to accommodate her!¡± Hans glanced at Bai Youwei and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s not about yielding, it¡¯s about cooperating. Unless we¡¯re sure of a fatal strike, we need to cooperate to ensure we have enough team members make it into B War Zone.¡± ¡°But as long as she¡¯s eliminated in this round, there¡¯s no need to get into B War Zone!¡± Morin said, his tone tinged with irritation. Hans sighed, raised his hand to reassure Morin, ¡°We¡¯ve already sacrificed enough; we can¡¯t let Dim join them in misfortune.¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Morin clenched his teeth and lowered his head, ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Brail asked with concern, ¡°Hans, have you thought about what to ask?¡± ¡°Uh, I have a rough idea,¡± Hans nodded slightly, looking at the five closed doors, ¡°We need to ask a question that ordinary people don¡¯t know the answer to, but the artificial intelligence thinks humans do.¡± This statement was somewhat convoluted, and both Morin and Brail looked at him puzzled. ¡°Ordinary people don¡¯t know the answer¡­ but the artificial intelligence thinks we do?¡± Morin asked, ¡°What question is that?¡± Hans walked to the computer, hesitated for a moment, and then typed in the question: [Which tooth was the first one you lost?] Morin and Brail were taken aback, ¡°¡­Just like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± Bai Youwei commented with a smile, ¡°Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t remember which was the first tooth they lost as a child, unless they are kids who have just lost their milk teeth, or a doctor, or parents who take care of their children¡­ Obviously, the two people behind the door don¡¯t meet any of these criteria, so neither of them knows the answer. But for the artificial intelligence, this event indeed happened to humans, so how could humans not know?¡± Chapter 901: 901: Chinese Room 9 Chapter 901: Chapter 901: Chinese Room 9 Bai Youwei¡¯s affirmation brought pleasure to Hans, and his demeanor softened considerably. He nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, the reservoir of human knowledge is gradually replaced with memory, whereas artificial intelligence¡¯s knowledge retention system doesn¡¯t include the concept of forgetting. They are always accumulating and cannot comprehend what humans refer to as forgetting.¡± Morin couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°But in those distracting options just now, there was mention of the phrase ¡®do not remember.''¡± ¡°That happened to others,¡± Hans explained. ¡°In the cognition of some artificial intelligences, humans can easily forget the happiness or pain of others, but if it happens to themselves, they never forget, such as where they have been hurt, which fruit they like, what they have done¡­ And humans particularly emphasize the significance of ¡®the first time,¡¯ so things or people related to the ¡®first time¡¯ always leave a deep impression.¡± For example¡­ The first trip abroad. The first date. The first job. And, the first tooth that fell out. The five answers were displayed¡ª [A: Of course, it¡¯s the lower jaw¡¯s central incisor.] [B: Lower jaw, deciduous central incisor.] [C: Don¡¯t remember.] [D: Central incisor.] [E: Deciduous central incisor, I hid it under the pillow.] Bai Youwei softly exclaimed, ¡°Wow.¡± She actually got it right. Hans also breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, ¡°It seems the real answer is C, the others are just distractions.¡± Although he said that, he still felt nervous about having to open the door. Hans stood in front of the door marked with the answer C, hesitating for a moment, then suddenly pulled out a triangular talisman from his chest, caressed it for a while, and placed it in his chest pocket. Bai Youwei guessed it must be some kind of life-saving item, though its specific effect was unclear. Hans grasped the doorknob, murmuring softly, ¡°Dim, could it be you¡­¡± He opened the door. Behind the door stood a man with a confused expression. As soon as he saw Hans¡¯s face, he showed a sudden realization. ¡°Dim!¡± Hans, greatly relieved, stepped forward and hugged the other man, then gently patted his back, ¡°It¡¯s all right now, you all are finally safe¡­¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Congratulations~¡± Clown came over with a cheerful laugh, ¡°You have all finished asking your questions, and if the other party is eliminated in the next round of questioning, then the victory of this battle will be yours!¡± Hans and his teammates all instinctively looked towards Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei was sitting on the soft cushion, knees bent, elbows on them, appearing lax. She felt it was a pity. Because not only did Hans fail to be eliminated, but he also managed to keep all three of his subjects, which meant that entering the B War Zone, she and Hans would face each other in a 2v4 scenario. She was still at a numerical disadvantage. Yes, Bai Youwei thought this Chinese room game existed to balance the numbers, to give the ¡°minority¡± a chance. The real battle game was actually in the B War Zone. Across the way, a group of men still watched her, as if waiting to see a good show. Only Hans¡¯s eyes showed a hint of compassionate sadness. And this trace of compassion particularly disgusted Bai Youwei. ¡°There¡¯s only one person left,¡± Hans said indifferently, ¡°now asking questions should be very simple, right? You can ask about some private topics that only the two of you know.¡± It was as if staying alive was a chance he was granting her. Bai Youwei laughed. She stood up, gently patted her dress, and asked Clown next to her, ¡°What was that joke you said just now?¡± Clown was stunned for a moment, then narrowed his eyes, ¡°Which joke? I know many jokes~¡± ¡°Just the one you said when we came in,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Ah, that one~¡± Clown said, ¡°It was too hot, a sheep couldn¡¯t stand the heat, went to shave off its wool, and then could never sleep again because it lost its wool!¡± Chapter 902: 902: Chinese Room 10 Chapter 902: Chapter 902: Chinese Room 10 ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one.¡± Bai Youwei walked to the computer and typed in the question. A sheep was so hot that it couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and got sheared, but afterward, it could no longer sleep because it had lost its ¡°woolen¡± peace¡ªis this joke funny? Clown: ¡°¡­¡± After Bai Youwei finished typing, she turned to look at the Inspector with a meaningful expression and asked, ¡°Do you know the answer? Why is it funny?¡± ¡°Ah ha~ this is my real expertise!¡± the Clown Inspector said enthusiastically, ¡°Because the sheep has ¡®woolen¡¯ insomnia, in Chinese ¡®wool¡¯ and ¡®sleep¡¯ are homophones.¡± After it finished, it suddenly had an epiphany, looking at Hans and his group, ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s why you guys just forced a laugh earlier? Is it because the difference in language and context led to a difference in understanding? How about this, I¡¯ll tell another joke that you¡¯ll understand, to make up for the one just now¡­¡± Bai Youwei interrupted it: ¡°No matter how many jokes you tell, you won¡¯t be able to make anyone laugh, so don¡¯t waste your effort.¡± The Clown was stunned, standing on its unicycle, looking at Bai Youwei with confusion. After a moment, perhaps standing still for too long, the wheel lost balance, and its round body tumbled to the ground, rolling around several times. ¡°Ouch ouch ouch!¡± It exaggeratedly rolled, bumping into a wall with a loud bang, then bounced up like a rubber ball and sat up with a plop! Panicked, it looked around frantically! Bai Youwei and the people with Hans quietly watched it. After a few seconds, the Clown stood up indignantly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you laughing?!¡± Its mood became intense, its tone urgent: ¡°Weren¡¯t my actions just now clownish? Not funny? Why aren¡¯t you laughing?! Why!!!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand what humor is at all,¡± Bai Youwei said slowly, ¡°I told you just now not to waste time on this, because we won¡¯t really find it funny.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand humor? How can you say I don¡¯t understand humor?!¡± The Clown seemed infuriated, its face growing redder and its head swelling larger until with a pop!¡ª Its head shot off! Its neck attached to a spring, like a joke prank doll, it sprung right in front of Bai Youwei! ¡°I am the funniest clown in the world! I know millions of jokes! I have a gut-busting funny face! And a comically round and chubby figure! How can I not understand humor?!¡± Its head bobbed in front of Bai Youwei, its tone sinister with a hint of threat. ¡°Laugh for me now! Laugh!!¡± Dim, Brail, and the others instinctively stepped back, fearing being caught in the Inspector¡¯s rage. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hans narrowed his eyes, observing Bai Youwei¡¯s reaction. ¡°Even if I laughed now, it wouldn¡¯t be because it¡¯s funny,¡± said Bai Youwei expressionlessly, looking at the clown head attached to the spring, speaking calmly, ¡°The essence of humor is schadenfreude; people love seeing others make a fool of themselves¡ªfor instance, stepping in dog poop or falling in mud. The more embarrassed and foolish the victim, the funnier it is because the onlooker develops a subtle sense of superiority. But if that sense of superiority is destroyed, no joke in front of them will be funny. If A and B both step in dog poop, will A still find B funny if A has lost their sense of superiority? Inspector, in front of you, we never feel superior, so no matter what you do or say, we will never truly laugh. Unless you become dumber than us, weaker than us, lower and more pathetic¡­ When that time comes, you won¡¯t need to tell jokes; your every word and action will provoke laughter.¡± The Clown¡¯s head stared straight at Bai Youwei. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t look at it, instead raising her eyes to gaze at the five doors not far away, she gently smiled, ¡°Ah¡­ the answer is out.¡± Chapter 903: 903 B War Zone Chapter 903: Chapter 903 B War Zone The five answers are ¡ª [A: Hahahaha! That¡¯s hilarious!] [B: Because it¡¯s funny that the sheep was sheared.] [C: The humor lies in its unexpectedness; even if it¡¯s not funny, that¡¯s part of the joke.] [D: The humor of a cold joke is in the irrationality and banality of its reasoning.] [E: I don¡¯t find it amusing.] Bai Youwei paced from A to E and then turned her head to smile down at the clown¡¯s head on the ground. ¡°There is also someone who doesn¡¯t laugh,¡± she said, ¡°because he never categorizes this type of recreational language as a joke.¡± Bai Youwei reached out to open door E without a second of hesitation. Behind the door stood Shen Mo. He frowned slightly, his gaze sliding to the two corpses on the ground as his memory slowly returned. ¡°How many have been eliminated?¡± Shen Mo stepped out and asked. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The clown¡¯s head on the ground was silent for a moment before retracting back with its spring, saying in a strange tone, ¡°Four, but which four, the King can check for himself.¡± As if it bore some grudge against Bai Youwei. ¡ªThe King¡¯s watch could check the status of his subjects, and now, on Bai Youwei¡¯s side, only Shen Mo¡¯s icon was lit up, indicating a normal status, while the rest of the subjects¡¯ icons were gray, indicating they were offline. As for who had been eliminated on Hans¡¯s side, only he would know. The clown, having lost the mood to ride its comical unicycle, spoke in an even tone, ¡°The game in A War Zone has ended, we are now entering B War Zone, and the battle game officially begins. Please prepare yourselves, Kings.¡± Bai Youwei, holding Shen Mo¡¯s hand, whispered, ¡°The game in B War Zone will likely hinge on the number of players, which is why the Inspector made a last-minute adjustment, adding into the A game, all in the name of balancing the numbers.¡± Shen Mo looked toward Hans, speaking indifferently, ¡°What if we have more people than them? Do we have to reduce our numbers?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re strong enough, then we won¡¯t have our numbers cut,¡± Bai Youwei said, also looking toward Hans¡¯s side, ¡°If we¡¯re strong enough¡­ a smaller team won¡¯t matter.¡± The surrounding walls began falling in succession, white, one after another, as if they were inside a gigantic cardboard box where every side was being unfolded to reveal the outside world. Bai Youwei saw the blue sky, the white clouds, their location on a hillside with lush green grass, and a fairy-tale-like village in the distance. Unfortunately, the village, despite its lovely appearance, didn¡¯t have a very pretty name. The Clown Inspector introduced, ¡°Welcome to Werewolf Village, and now let me introduce the rules of the Werewolf Village game¡ª¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged a look. ¡°The name of this game makes me feel like it might cost lives,¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Or perhaps the lives of werewolves,¡± Shen Mo said. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten funnier lately,¡± Bai Youwei reached out with both hands to pinch his solemn, cold face, ¡°¡­tsk, I really like your straight-faced jokes.¡± ¡°Maybe I have always been like this, just never had the chance to show it,¡± Shen Mo put her hands down, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s listen to the rules seriously.¡± Hans, along with Morin, Brail, and Dim watched the two in silence. The clown continued to introduce the rules oblivious to the player dynamics behind it: ¡°Every night, one villager will turn into a werewolf, Every night, a werewolf will attack a villager, Every night, villagers must not leave their houses, Players who enter the village will become members of Werewolf Village, and you must promptly find ways to ward off the werewolves to avoid attacks at night. Please note, when a villager is attacked by a werewolf, their Physical Ability will automatically be halved. If they survive the werewolf¡¯s attack, they will be invincible the next night since the werewolf cannot target the same victim two nights in a row. Alright, is everything clear?¡± Chapter 904: 904 Werewolf Village 1 Chapter 904: Chapter 904 Werewolf Village 1 When Werewolf Village was mentioned, naturally, one would think of the game Werewolf, but the rules sounded very different. In the game of Werewolf, the most important part is the daytime voting session. Without the voting, wouldn¡¯t the villagers just be sitting ducks for slaughter? Bai Youwei asked, ¡°What do villagers do during the day?¡± The Clown glanced at her, ¡°The village holds some secrets about werewolves. Villagers can explore during the day, and when one of the two Kings is killed by werewolves, the other side naturally wins.¡± Hans asked, ¡°Can villagers attack other villagers?¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Clown bared his teeth in a sinister smile, ¡°Villagers with a predisposition for attack are considered by others as potential werewolves come nightfall. Therefore, such villagers are often caught and burnt to death in public.¡± Hans fell silent. Attacking during the day would get you burned to death, and at night, you couldn¡¯t leave your house. This meant villagers really couldn¡¯t attack other villagers at any time. Just then, as if inspired, Bai Youwei asked the Inspector, ¡°If the person captured by the villagers indeed turns into a werewolf at night but is burned to death during the day, will there still be a werewolf appearing at night?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± The Clown squinted slightly, looking at Bai Youwei, ¡°then, it will be a peaceful night.¡± Bai Youwei understood, the villager who would turn into a werewolf must show some sign during the day. As long as they were discovered and dealt with earlier, the night would be safe. However, the purpose of this game was certainly not to achieve a complete victory for the villagers, like in Werewolf, but to figure out a way to eliminate the opposing King first. If villagers who would turn into werewolves show signs during the day, would the target they attack also have some indications during the day? Bai Youwei was about to ask more, but the Inspector interrupted her: ¡°The rule explanation has ended. Players may now enter Werewolf Village. This game operates on a 10-hour system, 8 hours for daytime and 2 hours for nighttime. Please pay attention to the game time. So, I wish you all good luck, goodbye~¡± The Clown stepped back, the ground beneath his feet suddenly flipped up at a 90-degree angle, as if a box had been opened and then closed again with the lid shut tight. The box got smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely. On the hillside, only six people remained. Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Hans, Dim, Morin, and Brail. Hans led his three subjects down first. Bai Youwei stayed behind to ponder for a while. Night was only two hours ¨C if this was only for the werewolves¡¯ activities, two hours was enough. But considering the whole game, players wouldn¡¯t have enough time to rest. Simply put, there would be no sleep during the night. Bai Youwei calculated that the game could last a maximum of 4 ¡°days¡±; otherwise, it would definitely affect their condition. She had to eliminate the opposing side within 4 ¡°days¡±. Looking towards Hans¡¯s gradually distancing figure, Bai Youwei felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort with the rules¡­ Never mind, it was time to check out the village first. She took Shen Mo¡¯s arm and, lifting her skirt with the other hand, walked lightly down the hillside. ¡­ They followed the winding road surrounded by green grass, wildflowers, cute mushrooms, and trees bearing green and red wild fruits. The sign at the entrance of the village read three words: Werewolf Village. Mostly, the village was made up of short houses with red roofs and white walls, vibrant in color, like those from a fairytale town. Someone was playing an upbeat tune on a street corner accordion; the bakeries exuded tantalizing aromas, and birds chirped merrily from the tree branches. Despite the peaceful scene, the name of the village was shockingly terrifying. Not far off, a man resembling the Clown closely approached them quickly, greeting them warmly: ¡°Welcome, welcome! I am the Mayor of Werewolf Village. Brave heroes, we are delighted to have your assistance!¡± Chapter 905: 905: Werewolf Village 2 Chapter 905: Chapter 905: Werewolf Village 2 The old man¡¯s face, devoid of any flamboyant paint, almost resembled that of a Clown, especially with that exaggerated sausage mouth which, once he smiled, stretched nearly to the back of his ears. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t as neurotic about telling jokes like the Clown. ¡°Warriors, I have arranged food and lodging for you, please follow me.¡± The village chief led the way, guiding them into the village. As Bai Youwei walked, she glanced around her¡ªstanding on the hillside, one might not notice, but upon entering the village, she realized that the houses were all spread out, some distance apart, and none were connected. The villagers were all very friendly, a few who met them smiled and nodded in greeting, children chased and played in the streets, the young people worked hard, and even the elderly were watering flowers, sweeping the courtyard, and hanging laundry in front of their houses. The entire atmosphere was good, warm and pleasant, brimming with the breath of life. Just by looking around, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t detect any clues related to the Werewolf. Unconsciously, they had arrived at the center of the village. Here, there was a round wishing well, with a sculpture of a man and a woman in the middle of the water. ¡°Who are they?¡± Hans asked the village chief, ¡°Why is there such a statue in the village?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ they are our village¡¯s ancestors.¡± The village chief looked up at the sculpture, then closed his eyes and nodded in a gesture of respect and devotion. ¡°It is said that a long, long time ago, there was a big mountain covered in Uto grass, where the Human race and the Wolfman Tribe lived on opposite ends of the mountain, hostile towards each other and frequently engaged in conflicts. However, the Human race¡¯s warrior and the Wolfman Tribe¡¯s Princess, despite such circumstances, developed feelings of love. They loved each other deeply, unwilling to be apart, and were ultimately driven out by their people. The warrior brought the Princess here, establishing their own village, which is our Werewolf Village.¡± So that was it¡­ After hearing this, Bai Youwei felt that the village¡¯s name wasn¡¯t so repulsive anymore, and with the addition of the love legend, it even seemed quite romantic. The village chief let out a heavy sigh, ¡°Originally, our Werewolf Village was very prosperous, possessing both the intelligence and diligence of the Human race and the keenness and strength of the Werewolves; even our longevity far exceeded that of regular humans. Perhaps it was because we attracted too much envy, our village was cursed! Every night, one villager would fall to a Werewolf!¡± Everyone nodded in understanding. This must be the background of the game, explaining why a villager would turn into a Werewolf each night¡ªit was because of the curse. The village chief continued, ¡°Recently, some houses have become vacant. Warriors, please feel free to stay anywhere you like, come this way.¡± He led Bai Youwei, Shen Mo, Hans, and the others to a small house, opened the door, and made a ¡°please¡± gesture with a bow. Shen Mo stepped inside. It was an ordinary residence, with a stone bed, wooden table, and chairs, and some simple pots and jars. After a quick scan, not seeing Bai Youwei follow, he turned to look outside. Bai Youwei was standing at the doorway with a somewhat peculiar expression. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Bai Youwei asked with furrowed brows, turning to ask the village chief, ¡°Why can¡¯t I go in?¡± ¡°Each house can only accommodate one person,¡± the village chief explained with a friendly demeanor, spreading his sausage mouth, ¡°This is for the safety of everyone. At night, the Werewolves will choose a house to attack. The more people there are, the more victims.¡± ¡°What kind of logic is that?¡± Bai Youwei retorted, ¡°The more people there are, the safer it is! If there¡¯s a group of people in a house, couldn¡¯t they take on a Werewolf?¡± The village chief¡¯s expression instantly became complicated as if he was a little stunned, surprised, puzzled, and also¡­ troubled, probably because he had never been challenged quite like this before. ¡°No one can withstand a Werewolf,¡± the village chief coughed softly, saying, ¡°The Werewolf¡¯s howl can frighten the bravest souls. Even the most valiant warriors would find their strength and speed utterly inadequate in the face of a Werewolf¡­¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 906: 906: Werewolf Village 3 Chapter 906: Chapter 906: Werewolf Village 3 The Inspector had said that when the villagers were attacked by a werewolf, their physical abilities automatically halved. Now the village chief was also saying that even the bravest warriors would become helpless in front of a werewolf, with their strength and speed rendered ineffectual. It seemed that if one were attacked by a werewolf at night, it was almost certainly a death sentence. The village chief led them to a few more vacant houses in succession, telling them that they could use any unoccupied house as they pleased, but they had to follow one rule: only one person could enter each house. It wasn¡¯t possible not to abide by this rule, because as long as there was someone inside a house, no one else could enter. After explaining the origins of the village and making living arrangements for them, the village chief stopped concerning himself with them and left on his own. Only six people remained standing there. The coming time would depend on everyone¡¯s own ability; whoever survived to the end would be the winner. Hans glanced at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, a smile with unclear intent forming at the corners of his mouth. He led his teammate and continued towards the deeper parts of the village. Bai Youwei watched their retreating figures and said in a low voice, ¡°If it¡¯s just collecting clues at the beginning, their larger numbers do indeed give them an advantage.¡± ¡°More people, a higher probability of werewolf attacks,¡± Shen Mo surveyed the area and said lightly, ¡°Come nightfall, the werewolf will choose from one of these houses.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s also go check for clues,¡± Bai Youwei, taking his arm, sighed as she looked at the houses here, ¡°It feels like there are at least a hundred households. Finding the werewolf won¡¯t be easy¡­¡± Shen Mo looked around and pointed in a direction, ¡°There are some people over there. Let¡¯s go over and ask.¡± There was a well up ahead, where several women were lined up to fetch water, and a little girl was playing with a rubber ball nearby. Shen Mo and Bai Youwei approached and asked one of the women, ¡°Excuse me, is it true that werewolves appear in the village every night?¡± ¡°Are you the warriors the village chief invited?¡± The woman, carrying her bucket, sized them up curiously, ¡°Though we appreciate you, it¡¯s better not to get involved in this mess. No one can stop the curse. Leave the village quickly.¡± Another woman finished drawing water and, passing by, overheard and chimed in, ¡°If they want to stay, let them stay. After all, they¡¯ll surely leave once trouble starts.¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Knowing that something will happen at night, why don¡¯t you leave? Isn¡¯t living here dangerous?¡± She looked at the little girl playing with the ball, ¡°Moreover, the child is so young, aren¡¯t you worried?¡± The woman drawing water smiled and said, ¡°The werewolf might hurt you, might hurt him, but it will never harm me and my family.¡± Bai Youwei immediately knew that this woman must know a way to protect against the werewolf. Without saying a word, she pinched Shen Mo¡¯s arm, her expression calm, ¡°Really¡­ why are you so sure that the werewolf won¡¯t harm you? Do you have some special method?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes shifted away for a moment, lifting her brimming bucket and replied, ¡°No, I don¡¯t know¡­ But surely, good people will always be blessed by God, won¡¯t they?¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without saying more, she picked up her bucket and headed back, calling the little girl, ¡°It¡¯s time to go home.¡± The little girl picked up her rubber ball and obediently followed the woman. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged a look, saying nothing, they tacitly followed the woman. They hadn¡¯t gone far when they saw the woman and the little girl enter a house. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo stopped outside the house, not going in but just surveying the exterior. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Bai Youwei tugged at Shen Mo, gesturing for him to look at the windows. On the doors and windows of the house, there were several nails, silvery-white in color. ¡°Could it be silver¡­¡± Shen Mo squinted slightly, thoughtfully said, ¡°Legends say that werewolves fear all things made of silver.¡± Chapter 907: 907: Werewolf Village 4 Chapter 907: Chapter 907: Werewolf Village 4 Bai Youwei and Shen Mo walked around the house again, and upon closer inspection, they discovered more silver nails. These nails were hammered from inside to outside, with only a short sharp tip exposed, which shimmered under the sunlight. If it were a pitch-dark night, they would likely go unnoticed. ¡°Look over there,¡± Shen Mo pointed to a nearby house for Bai Youwei, ¡°There are also a row of nails on the door.¡± Bai Youwei thought for a moment then looked around, whispering, ¡°It seems that many villagers know about this method. If they don¡¯t want to be attacked by Werewolves at night, they need to install silver nails on doors and windows to prevent Werewolves from breaking in. But, where did they get these silver nails?¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°I saw a bakery and a leather shop on the road earlier. Since the village has everything, there should also be a role like a silversmith. Let¡¯s go find one.¡± Bai Youwei nodded, and they continued to stroll around the village, casually observing a few more houses and discovering more silver nails. ¡°This village chief is sly,¡± Bai Youwei sneered, unimpressed, ¡°The empty house he introduced to us doesn¡¯t have silver nails. He wants us to be the Substitute, no wonder he was so enthusiastic~¡± Shen Mo slightly furrowed his brows and said indifferently, ¡°If every household has silver nails, but the rules require a Werewolf to attack someone every night, what would a Werewolf do?¡± Bai Youwei paused, stopping in her tracks, ¡°If every house has silver nails¡­ the Werewolf would still choose a house to attack, so, defense is zero?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shen Mo nodded, ¡°It seems, even if we find the silver nails, we can¡¯t be careless. There must be other methods to avoid Werewolf attacks in this village. Let¡¯s go find the Silversmith for now.¡± They continued wandering around the village, asking several villagers, but while they did not find the Silversmith, they did find a Blacksmith in the village. The Blacksmith¡¯s shop sold tools like hammers, shovels, knives, etc., all forged by the Blacksmith himself, and occasionally, he would help repair silverware. Thus, the Blacksmith¡¯s shop had a small amount of silver. Just as Bai Youwei and Shen Mo walked into the Blacksmith¡¯s shop, Hans and his group were coming out. Hans saw Bai Youwei and Shen Mo and immediately smiled, saying, ¡°You found this place too.¡± Shen Mo glanced impassively over the leather bag in the other¡¯s hand. Hans chuckled, ¡°You are too late, think of something else, or you might encounter trouble tonight.¡± His companions behind him burst into laughter, their eyes full of unbridled mockery, and then followed Hans out of the Blacksmith¡¯s shop. Shen Mo furrowed his brows and watched the group walking away, commenting, ¡°He has changed a lot.¡± Initially a polite person, his behavior turned provocative and scornful after entering the B War Zone. ¡°Maybe he wants to provoke us,¡± Bai Youwei snorted, ¡°After all, showing aggression during the day could lead the villagers to catch and burn him.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, and without further ado, grasped Bai Youwei¡¯s hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡± ¡­ In the Blacksmith¡¯s shop, the old Blacksmith was repairing a broken pot handle, banging away nonstop. Without looking up, he said upon hearing footsteps, ¡°If you¡¯re here to buy silver, there¡¯s none left today, come back in three days!¡± Three days? Bai Youwei was stunned; waiting three days would be too late! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Is there no silver left?¡± Shen Mo asked the Blacksmith. ¡°None left, some people just came and bought all the silver!¡± The Blacksmith stopped his hammering, turned to look at them, and gestured for them to leave, ¡°Go on, get out, there¡¯s no silver to sell to you!¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo looked at each other. How much silver could a few silver nails use? Even if Hans and his four men each took about ten, they wouldn¡¯t need to buy out the Blacksmith¡¯s entire stock. Clearly, they wanted her and Shen Mo dead. Chapter 908: 908: Werewolf Village 5 Chapter 908: Chapter 908: Werewolf Village 5 The two hesitated for a moment, but the blacksmith began shooing them away again: ¡°Off you go! Don¡¯t loiter here, the silver¡¯s all gone, I¡¯m shutting up shop!¡± The blacksmith was quite rude and loud, even the people outside could hear him. A young boy came in asking, ¡°The silver¡¯s gone already today?¡± ¡°Sold out!¡± the blacksmith answered, ¡°Those foreigners bought it all, not a filament was left!¡± The young boy showed his discontent, ¡°They bought it all, what do we do if our family runs out of silver? These people had to come now of all times!¡± The blacksmith was indifferent, ¡°You could melt down a silver fork.¡± ¡°We already melted down two last month, there¡¯s not much left in the house.¡± The young boy complained with a frown, but he knew it was no use griping at the blacksmith who had no silver left to sell. He muttered under his breath and turned away. The blacksmith looked at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, ¡°Hey, why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡± ¡°If I provide my own silver, could I get it melted down here?¡± Bai Youwei asked. The blacksmith was taken aback and sized up the two, ¡°¡­You have silver?¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Youwei asked seriously, ¡°If I give you silver, can you make me some nails and a silver dagger?¡± She paused, then changed her mind, holding up two fingers, ¡°Two daggers.¡± The blacksmith shook his head repeatedly, ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not doable. Too much work, I can make you one at most. Come to collect it tomorrow!¡± ¡°That long?¡± Bai Youwei showed disappointment, ¡°And the nails?¡± ¡°The nails will be ready by sunset today.¡± the blacksmith replied. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, took Shen Mo by the hand, and left the blacksmith¡¯s shop. They found a secluded corner, opened the dollhouse, and had a rabbit carry out a few silver cups and plates. These utensils were exceptionally elaborate, not only carved with patterns, but some of them were even inlaid with pearls and gemstones. Bai Youwei selected two cups and a plate, returned to the blacksmith¡¯s shop, and handed them over. ¡°Is this enough?¡± she asked. The blacksmith, fondling the exquisite silverware, could hardly let go, ¡°Enough, more than enough.¡± ¡°Okay then, we¡¯ll come back later to collect them.¡± Bai Youwei said, and then she and Shen Mo left. There were still parts of the village they hadn¡¯t explored; they needed to wander around and gather more information. And they had to find an opportunity to check on Hans, just in case he was up to mischief. They continued walking into the village and by chance came upon the young boy they¡¯d met at the blacksmith¡¯s earlier. He was crouched under the window of a house, seemingly busy with something. Bai Youwei was about to get closer to see clearly when Shen Mo pulled her back, swiftly taking cover behind the next house. Bai Youwei, perplexed, looked at Shen Mo and silently mouthed, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shen Mo whispered, ¡°Take another look, see what he¡¯s doing.¡± Bai Youwei peeked out cautiously and after watching for a while, she finally saw what was going on. The young boy was holding a pair of pliers and was busily pulling out the protruding silver nails near the window, one by one! Bai Youwei looked back at the house, somewhat taking pleasure in the misfortune, and said to Shen Mo, ¡°Looks like it¡¯s the house Hans and his people were meant to stay in.¡± The houses arranged for them by the village chief were empty and nail-free. Now, with silver nails appearing on this house, it was evident they were meant for Hans¡¯s people. ¡°Would it be considered shooting oneself in the foot?¡± Bai Youwei said with a chuckle, ¡°That¡¯s what he gets for insisting on buying all the silver, serves him right!¡± Shen Mo thoughtfully said, ¡°I wonder if the number of these silver nails would affect the Werewolves¡¯ decision¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­ he¡¯s gone?¡± Bai Youwei noticed the young boy pocketing his pliers and leaving, with many nails still on the windowsill. ¡°Did he notice us?¡± Bai Youwei stepped out again to look around. Shen Mo said, ¡°Taking them all would be too obvious. He¡¯s probably planning to choose a few households and take seven or eight nails from each to have enough.¡± Chapter 909: 909: Werewolf Village 6 Chapter 909: Chapter 909: Werewolf Village 6 Bai Youwei curled her lips, clearly disappointed. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She had thought that the boy would pull out all of Hans¡¯s nails. ¡°This house has fewer nails than the others, the Werewolf might choose to attack here,¡± Shen Mo pondered, ¡°We must also be careful, lest we find the nails stolen when the sun sets.¡± ¡°How to guard against the Werewolf, we already know, but with so many people in the village, who could turn into a Werewolf?¡± Bai Youwei mused to herself. She and Shen Mo strolled along the road, peering through windows intermittently to observe the people inside. Some were preparing lunch, some wiping tables and chairs, some watering the plants, and some were reprimanding children¡ª ¡°Damn it! What weeds have you planted haphazardly! You¡¯ve destroyed all the vegetables in the house!¡± a mother bellowed inside, ¡°Take them out and burn them! Otherwise, don¡¯t come back for dinner!!!¡± Several handfuls of uprooted weeds were thrown outside, and a little girl was pushed out, taking a harsh fall. Bai Youwei recognized her as the girl playing with a ball by the well, about eight or nine years old, with light brown curly hair, a pink and white dress, muddy white socks underneath, and a pair of coffee-colored little leather shoes. The little girl raised her arm, wiped the mud from her cheek, then picked up the muddy weeds from the doorway, and silently walked off in another direction down the street. After some thought, Bai Youwei approached to strike up a conversation, ¡°Hey, kid~ what did you plant in the yard? Is it these weeds?¡± The little girl ignored her, continuing on with the weeds in her arms. Bai Youwei tried again, ¡°Hey? Does your mom not let you talk to strangers?¡± The little girl stopped, her eyes filled with an eerie coldness, ¡°She¡¯s not my mom.¡± Bai Youwei froze. Was it an illusion or did she catch a glimpse of the girl¡¯s pupils¡­ turning conical for a moment? Shen Mo pulled on her sleeve, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Youwei snapped back to reality and, when she looked ahead, the little girl was already far away. ¡°Something¡¯s off¡­¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, thought for a moment, and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s follow her and see.¡± ¡­ Logically, a child shouldn¡¯t be able to walk very fast, yet Bai Youwei and Shen Mo turned a corner and lost sight of her. They hastened their steps and at the crossroads looked left and right, still not catching a glimpse of the little girl. ¡°Let¡¯s go this way,¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°There¡¯s some loose dirt on the ground.¡± The little girl still held the weeds, which would likely drop some soil on the ground, and the two followed the trail forward until reaching the edge of the village. The trail of loose dirt ended there, and the little girl was nowhere to be seen. At the edge of the village was a desolate plaza, silent all around, with tall stone pillars on one side; beneath them was a charcoal brazier, emitting thin wisps of smoke, along with the scent of burning herbs. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo walked over to take a closer look, and found some grass fragments near the brazier. ¡°How odd, why bother to burn them so far away instead of just throwing them out?¡± Bai Youwei picked up a piece of grass that had fallen outside of the brazier, held it up to her nose, and sniffed. It was nothing special, just ordinary grass. ¡°What are you doing?¡± A childish voice rang out, startling Bai Youwei, causing her to drop the grass she held. She turned around and saw the little girl who had vanished earlier, now standing right in front of her and Shen Mo, staring straight at them. Bai Youwei instinctively looked at Shen Mo. A hint of astonishment flashed in Shen Mo¡¯s eyes; it was clear he also hadn¡¯t noticed when the little girl appeared. How could there have been no sound of footsteps? ¡°This is the execution ground, what are you doing here?¡± the little girl asked, her face the very picture of innocence. Chapter 910: 910: Werewolf Village 7 Chapter 910: Chapter 910: Werewolf Village 7 ¡°Execution site¡­¡± Bai Youwei turned around, looking at the stone pillar. The grayish-green stone pillar was vaguely covered with human-shaped black ash, a remnant of repeated burnings. Realizing this, the smell of burned grass in the charcoal basin seemed weird, as if mixed with something¡­ Bai Youwei felt nauseated and couldn¡¯t help but cover her nose, asking the little girl, ¡°Why burn these grasses? Couldn¡¯t you have just thrown them away?¡± The little girl nonchalantly replied, ¡°Oh, because Mom said to burn them, she doesn¡¯t like these flowers.¡± Bai Youwei was surprised, ¡°You just said she wasn¡¯t your mom.¡± The little girl paused, ¡°Did I say that? No way, how could Mom not be my mom.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Isn¡¯t this blatantly lying??? The little girl patted the grass off herself and walked away. As she walked, her little leather shoes clicked crisply against the ground. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo exchanged glances, both feeling the eeriness. ¡°Let¡¯s go as well,¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the nearby pillar, ¡°This place makes me uncomfortable¡­¡± Shen Mo nodded, and they left the small square together. They wandered around the village again, found no further clues, nor encountered Hans and his people. Close to sunset, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo went to the blacksmith¡¯s shop to collect a full box of silver nails, then they found two houses not far from each other and nailed silver nails on doors and windows. When all was done, the sun had tilted westward, and the sky darkened. Every household closed their doors and windows, solitude pervading the air. Bai Youwei watched the fiery red sunset on the horizon, murmuring softly, ¡°After dark, the werewolves will come out¡­¡± It was hard to imagine that such a tranquil and peaceful village would have werewolves at night. She sighed, moved closer to Shen Mo, and hugged his waist, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not comfortable staying in a room alone.¡± ¡°Just two hours, not long,¡± Shen Mo patted her head to comfort her, ¡°Keep the rabbit with you, be careful on your own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only way.¡± She let go of Shen Mo, knowing she couldn¡¯t defy the rules of the game, stepped into the house, then turned back and gazed eagerly at Shen Mo. ¡°Be careful too.¡± Bai Youwei said. ¡°Okay.¡± Shen Mo closed all the doors and windows from the outside, reminding, ¡°Make sure to lock it, I¡¯m leaving.¡± The door could be locked, but the windows didn¡¯t close tightly, and there were no curtains. Bai Youwei picked up a small piece of wood inside, wedged it in the middle, and managed to close the window. Through the glass, she saw Shen Mo hurrying to his house, catching the last few minutes before the sun completely set, entering and closing the door and windows. If her view could tilt just a bit more, she would see Shen Mo behind the window of that house, but the night came too quickly, a blood-red full moon rose, casting a crimson gloom over the whole village, and the silence deepened¡­ Bai Youwei held the rabbit, guarding the window, unsure when or from where the werewolves might appear. The red moonlight tensed the spirit, quickly wearing out the body, urging rest. But Bai Youwei dared not sleep. Her mind flashed with the image of the young man who had pulled out nails, then to the elusive little girl, and the village chief resembling an Inspector with a ¡®sausage mouth¡¯¡ªhe surely had ill intentions. To prevent villagers from dying too quickly, had the chief, who arranged these empty houses without silver nails, laid other traps as well? Bai Youwei sat down by the stone bed, the rabbit looked at her cluelessly, unable to grasp her current anxiety. Time passed, and then a scream shattered the deep night¡¯s tranquility! Followed by crashes! Breaking sounds! And cries for help! ¡°Help me!!!¡­ Hans! Save me!¡­¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s face slightly changed. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Something had happened. Something had happened over at Hans¡¯! Chapter 911: 911: Werewolf Village 8 Chapter 911: Chapter 911: Werewolf Village 8 The night returned to calm. Daylight came quickly. As the bloody moon faded away and sunlight illuminated the earth again, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t wait to open her door. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo opened his door almost at the same time. The two exchanged a glance, neither spoke, yet both ran towards the direction where the screams had come from the night before! The scene of the incident, not far from the village¡¯s central fountain, was already crowded with people by the time Bai Youwei and Shen Mo arrived. The scene was horrific, a complete mess, flesh separated from bones as if mauled by some beast, shredded, hollowed out, leaving only a mush and a pool of blood-red water. This was no attack, this was torture! An act of brutal outrage! Hans, Morin, and Brail stood by the fountain, their faces pale. The surrounding villagers gathered more and more, buzzing with discussion. Bai Youwei silently swept the area with her eyes, realizing that it was that man named Dim who had met trouble. It seemed the werewolf had chosen the house with the least resistance. As she was thinking this, Hans took slow steps, one after another, toward the house where Dim had stayed the night. He stared at a dark bloodstain on the door, saying, ¡°This isn¡¯t Dim¡¯s blood.¡± He paused, then added, ¡°Nor is it the werewolf¡¯s blood.¡± Bai Youwei was startled. With no instruments here, could he really distinguish the type of blood with the naked eye? Hans suddenly raised his voice, ¡°Dim was murdered! All the bloodstains are the same color, except for these on the door! They¡¯re almost turning black! They were clearly smeared deliberately before the incident!¡± The crowd murmured even louder. The village head came out and said indifferently, ¡°This is truly unfortunate. Indeed, werewolves are sensitive to the scent of blood. Our brave new visitors may not know this, so please be more careful in the future¡­¡± Hans gave him a cold glance, then looked back at the carnage on the ground. ¡°The trails are still here, perhaps the werewolf who turned back into a human is hiding at home, cleaning up!¡± he shouted as he pushed through the crowd, following the trail of blood, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Morin and Brail immediately followed him. The other villagers also followed, speculating among themselves: ¡°What are they going to do? Could he really find the werewolf?¡± ¡°If he can, that would be great! Those rampaging monsters should all be wiped out!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of finding yesterday¡¯s werewolf? I say it would be best to find out who will transform tonight, so we don¡¯t have to live in fear.¡± ¡°Yes, it would be nice to find tonight¡¯s werewolf¡­¡± As they chattered back and forth, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo followed within the crowd, hearing every word distinctly. Just then, the trail of blood vanished, and Hans also came to a stop. The villagers thought he would be out of options, but Hans shouted, ¡°The werewolf is hiding in these houses right before us! Search them!¡± Now, nearly the entire village was here to see the commotion; if anyone was still inside their houses, they were definitely under suspicion¡ªbecause only a werewolf would need to hide! The villagers buzzed chaotically, while Bai Youwei and Shen Mo silently awaited the outcome. Soon after, Morin dragged a woman out from a house and threw her in front of everyone! ¡°She¡¯s the werewolf! When I entered, she was wiping the blood off her floor!¡± Morin kicked her hard, ¡°Scumbag! She¡¯s the one who killed Dim!¡± The woman rolled on the ground from the kick, her face covered in tears, utterly distressed. She crawled to the village head on her knees, crying and begging for mercy, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! I¡¯m not a werewolf! I really am not!¡± ¡°Still lying?!¡± Brail pulled half a burned sheet from the house and threw it on the woman, ¡°The sheet is covered in blood and flesh!¡± ¡°Oh my god! She really is a werewolf!¡± someone in the crowd exclaimed. ¡°Burn her! Burn this monster!¡± The villagers cursed. But Bai Youwei¡¯s heart was gripped with tension¡­ She recognized that the woman on the ground was the mother of the little girl. Chapter 912: 912: Werewolf Village 9 Chapter 912: Chapter 912: Werewolf Village 9 sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. According to the game rules, a villager would turn into a werewolf each night. The little girl¡¯s mother happened to transform into a werewolf¡ªthis made sense, but Bai Youwei felt an increasing sense of strangeness, as if she had missed something¡ªor mistaken something? Her gaze moved from the woman on the ground to the house¡ª Red roof, white walls, surrounded by a small courtyard with beans and scallions planted within. She saw the face of a little girl behind the glass window; the girl was staring ominously at the pleading woman on the ground, her mouth corners gradually rising, then stretching wide¡­ Although it was just a cherry-like small mouth, it stretched larger and larger, beaming ecstatically, almost to the back of her ears, like the village chief. Bai Youwei felt a chill in her heart! Just as she thought to tell Shen Mo, the face behind the window flashed by and vanished. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shen Mo noticed her unease and asked softly. ¡°That little girl¡­¡± Bai Youwei breathed slowly, replying softly, ¡°the one who was playing with a ball by the well, chased out of the house by her mother, and then encountered again in the square¡­ I saw her, she was smiling.¡± Shen Mo slightly furrowed his brows and looked toward the house. Through the window, he only saw simple furniture. At this moment, the crowd had turned chaotic, shoving and cursing; someone brought rough ropes from home, tying the woman tight, coil by coil! They shouted loudly, ¡°Burn her! Burn her!¡± The woman wept bitterly: ¡°I don¡¯t know! I really don¡¯t know anything! ¡­ I woke up to find myself at the bedside, covered in blood, on the floor, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Hans demanded her life in return, the villagers despised the werewolf immensely, while the village chief only wanted to calm things down quickly. Everyone was noisy, pushing the woman toward the square, ignoring her cries and struggles. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo hung back, having no interest in watching a live burning. When the crowd had moved off, Bai Youwei and Shen Mo entered the woman¡¯s house¡ª The air still carried a faint smell of blood; the house was larger than their empty dwelling, with several rooms, but it was extremely messy, the floor had several smudges of blood, hastily wiped but not thoroughly cleaned. Bai Youwei did not see the little girl. However, she and Shen Mo discovered bloody werewolf footprints in the woman¡¯s room¡ªfatal evidence proving that the woman indeed became a werewolf last night, and under the loss of reason, attacked Dim. But what triggered the transformation into a werewolf? Was it really just random, by chance, a coincidence? This frustrating inability to grasp the key to the problem made Bai Youwei even more anxious as she paced around the house. Suddenly, a thud! The sound wasn¡¯t loud, but it startled her, followed by another thud close to her ear! Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­ The pounding sounds carried a steady rhythm. She and Shen Mo stepped outside, seeing the little girl standing in the courtyard, looking down, repeatedly hitting a ball. The bright red ball, landing on bloodstained stone bricks, then returned to the little girl¡¯s hands, back and forth, again and again¡­ Sensibly, Bai Youwei felt extremely uneasy. Frowning, she walked outside and asked the little girl, ¡°Did you know your mother turned into a werewolf last night?¡± Thud¡ª The ball bounced again and was caught by the little girl¡¯s hands. ¡°I knew.¡± She tilted up a cute face, smiling at Bai Youwei and Shen Mo, ¡°She was always a werewolf, everyone is a werewolf.¡± Bai Youwei froze, ¡°¡­Everyone is a werewolf?¡± ¡°You are too,¡± giggled the little girl with a silvery laugh, ¡°everyone who lives in Werewolf Village is a werewolf.¡± Chapter 913: 913: Werewolf Village 10 Chapter 913: Chapter 913: Werewolf Village 10 A woman¡¯s piercing screams came from a distance. Even though she couldn¡¯t see, Bai Youwei could imagine a woman being tied to a pillar, enduring the burning fire alive. The little girl in front of her continued to play with a ball, her face innocent and naive, as if the person about to be burned to death was someone insignificant. Despite the strange feelings in her heart, Bai Youwei continued to ask her, ¡°Why do you say, we are all Werewolfs? Do we turn into Werewolfs at night too?¡± The girl remained silent, looking down and hitting the ball, seemingly not hearing Bai Youwei¡¯s voice. After asking a few more questions and still receiving no reply, Shen Mo said, ¡°It seems she won¡¯t provide any more clues, let¡¯s go ask the village chief.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips, nodded, and left with Shen Mo. They circumvented the front door and walked in the direction of the square from the side of the house. After a few steps, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t help stopping and looking back at the little girl. She was still hitting the ball, thump, thump, thump, the rhythm unchanged, dull and strange, making one¡¯s scalp tingle. Bai Youwei withdrew her gaze and was about to leave when she suddenly froze upon seeing a flowerpot on the windowsill. ¡°Look¡­¡± she grabbed Shen Mo¡¯s hand, asking with suspicion, ¡°She didn¡¯t burn all the grass, she left a bunch.¡± Shen Mo looked over, his eyebrows furrowed, ¡°Are you talking about that blue one?¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It has bloomed¡­¡± Bai Youwei murmured softly while staring at the pot, ¡°Maybe¡­ those plants are related to her mother turning into a Werewolf.¡± Shen Mo thought for a moment, then looked toward the little girl playing with the ball in the yard, ¡°It seems she won¡¯t tell us anything more, let¡¯s still go ask the village chief.¡± The longer they stayed here, the more uneasy they felt. ¡­ The screams had stopped at some unknown time, and when Shen Mo and Bai Youwei arrived at the square, the crowd had already dispersed partially, leaving about ten people gathered near the pillar, watching the flames burning fiercely. The person in the flames had long since lost human form, leaving only a charred and blurred corpse, surrounded by an indescribable smell¡­ The village chief stood not far away, smoking leisurely. Not seeing Hans and the others, it was unknown what they might be scheming. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo approached the village chief to inquire about the little girl: ¡°She said that everyone who lives in Werewolf Village is a Werewolf, do the villagers need a trigger to turn into Werewolfs?¡± The village chief listened, not surprised at all, and responded calmly, ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s not wrong to say, since we are descendants of both humans and Werewolfs, inheriting the power of the Werewolf as well as the ferocity in the Werewolf blood. However, we are a friendly and mild group, only becoming agitated on nights of the full moon. The rules of the village require every villager to stay in their houses at night, untouched by moonlight, and naturally, no incidents will occur.¡± This was also one of the rules of the game: every night, villagers must not leave their houses. Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Apart from basking in the moonlight, is there another way that could make the villagers turn into Werewolfs at night?¡± The village chief thought for a moment, then responded, ¡°Even a person with a pure heart, who does not forget to pray at night, might inevitably turn into a Werewolf on a night when the Uto grass blooms.¡± ¡°Uto grass¡­¡± Shen Mo¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, ¡°Is it the one with small blue flowers?¡± The village chief paused, ¡°Have you seen it?¡± He then shook his head, ¡°¡­ that¡¯s impossible, the Uto grass near the village was all burned many years ago, it couldn¡¯t possibly reappear. The villagers turning into Werewolfs is because of a curse¡­ because they are cursed.¡± Bai Youwei felt he was being evasive, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s Uto grass, it looks like ordinary weeds, the leaves are split, and the petals are blue-purple, it was on the windowsill of the woman who was burned to death.¡± The village chief still shook his head, ¡°Impossible, you must have seen it wrong, Uto grass has been extinct for many years, there can¡¯t be Uto grass in the village.¡± Chapter 914: Werewolf Village 11 Chapter 914: Chapter 914: Werewolf Village 11 No matter what Bai Youwei and Shen Mo said, the village head was adamant it couldn¡¯t be Uto grass. Afterward, the two returned to the woman¡¯s home only to find the potted plant on the windowsill gone and the little girl missing. Without evidence, everything was futile, and the most important thing at the moment wasn¡¯t figuring out how to become a werewolf but how to avoid one. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo went to the blacksmith¡¯s shop to collect the silver daggers they had ordered the day before. A hefty dagger, its blade shimmering with silver brilliance, its hilt dark and solid. Bai Youwei, holding the dagger, fell silent for a long while before asking the blacksmith, ¡°Did you use all the silver I gave you?¡± ¡°Yes, all of it!¡± the blacksmith said, without a hint of modesty, ¡°Even that wasn¡¯t enough! I had to add quite a bit of my own iron!¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± Had there been enough time, she would have definitely forced him to remake it. ¡°Just having silver on the blade is enough,¡± Shen Mo took the dagger and weighed it in his palm, ¡°if it was made entirely of silver, the material would be too soft, not sharp enough.¡± Unhappy, Bai Youwei muttered under her breath, ¡°With the amount of silver I gave him, it should have been enough for two daggers.¡± Shen Mo gave a faint smile, ¡°He¡¯s just an NPC, there¡¯s no need to be so serious about it. Let¡¯s go, we should check out other places. There are only 8 hours of daylight, we need to gather clues quickly.¡± The blacksmith nodded in agreement upon hearing this, ¡°Yeah, you go on with your business!¡± He couldn¡¯t wait for them to leave. Bai Youwei gave him a disdainful look, ¡°Be careful of a werewolf coming for you at night!¡± The blacksmith chuckled, ¡°If you¡¯re not dead, how could it be my turn to die?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brows. But the blacksmith didn¡¯t answer and instead hastened them, ¡°We¡¯re closed! Not open for business today, off you go! Off you go!¡­¡± Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were shooed out, the doors and windows of the blacksmith shop banged closed, not leaving the slightest crack open! ¡°What the¡­¡± Bai Youwei kicked the door in frustration, ¡°After raking in so much of my silver, of course he doesn¡¯t need to do business! He¡¯s made a fortune!¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± Shen Mo pulled her back, ¡°Let¡¯s just consider it his labor fee. He was never paid for making nails and daggers.¡± Bai Youwei frowned displeasedly, ¡°Being taken advantage of is a small matter, but what he said just now was weird. What does ¡®if you haven¡¯t died, how could it be my turn to die?¡¯ mean?¡± The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss. ¡°Was the bloodstain in front of Dim¡¯s door just a coincidence? Was it just happenstance to frame him? Or do the villagers intend to band together against us outsiders from the start?¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s nothing we can do,¡± Shen Mo said calmly, ¡°The rules of the game are such that it would be strange if the werewolves only attacked the villagers and not the players.¡± The Clown Inspector had said when one of the two Kings is killed by a werewolf, the other would naturally win. Bai Youwei needed to increase her chances of survival as much as possible. Dim had died on the first night; maybe it would be her and Shen Mo¡¯s turn the second night. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and check the little girl¡¯s house again,¡± Bai Youwei suggested. Shen Mo nodded, and the two left the blacksmith¡¯s shop and headed toward the little girl¡¯s home. Meanwhile, under a few persimmon trees, Hans was discussing in low voices with his subjects¡ª ¡°This village isn¡¯t as simple as it looks,¡± Hans said, ¡°I can¡¯t shirk my responsibility for Dim¡¯s death. If I had discovered the clues earlier, his death wouldn¡¯t have been so tragic.¡± Morin comforted him, ¡°Hans, you don¡¯t need to blame yourself. As a King, you have done all you could.¡± ¡°Fortunately, Hans now knows the key point,¡± Brail sighed, ¡°Dim¡¯s death wasn¡¯t in vain. We will win this battle, just as we have before.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yes,¡± Hans nodded slowly, looking at the two, ¡°It seems Bai Youwei hasn¡¯t realized it yet¡­ this is our chance, we¡¯ll definitely win.¡± Chapter 915: 915: Werewolf Village 12 Chapter 915: Chapter 915: Werewolf Village 12 Bai Youwei and Shen Mo returned to the little girl¡¯s house, which was still empty. The bloodstains on the floor had long since dried, the vegetable leaves in the yard hung wilted and droopy, and the kitchen was piled with unwashed dishes, signaling that someone had lived in the house. Finding no clues, the two could only continue their search in the village. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They encountered a few villagers and inquired about the Uto grass, only to receive responses nearly identical to the village chief¡¯s¡ªall insisted that there couldn¡¯t possibly be any Uto grass in the village. ¡°It was burned away many years ago and couldn¡¯t possibly reappear.¡± ¡°You must have been mistaken, there are many wildflowers around the village, some are blue as well.¡± ¡°Yes, what you saw were wildflowers, certainly not Uto grass. If anyone saw Uto grass, how could they leave it be? They would definitely burn it.¡± Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and questioned the villagers, ¡°Since it was burned away many years ago, have you ever seen Uto grass? Do you know what it looks like?¡± The villagers were stumped by the question, unable to reply for quite some time, before stubbornly insisting, ¡°Regardless, what you saw was definitely not Uto grass!¡± Bai Youwei was speechless. Afterward, she and Shen Mo found themselves unwittingly by the fountain. By then the fountain had been cleaned up, the water was clear, and the cobblestoned ground was washed clean as well. Bai Youwei, exhausted, sat down by the fountain to rest. She felt as if her legs had been overworked ever since she entered the game. ¡°Look over there.¡± Shen Mo pointed to the statue in the middle of the fountain, ¡°There¡¯s an inscription below it.¡± Bai Youwei frowned slightly and saw a line of small words inscribed below the statue: ¡°Even a person with a pure heart, one who does not forget to pray at night, may inevitably transform into a werewolf on the full moon night when the Uto grass is in bloom.¡± Those were words the village chief had once said, and they were also inscribed on the statue. Bai Youwei looked at the statues of a man and a woman and pursed her lips, ¡°Who knows what that female werewolf was thinking, to fall in love with a human?¡± She had spoken casually, not expecting to be overheard by a nearby villager sweeping the ground, who chimed in with an answer, ¡°Of course she was attracted by the human warrior¡¯s kindness and bravery.¡± Bai Youwei turned to look, seeing an unremarkable old man. ¡°Are there no brave wolves in the Human Wolf Clan? She had to fall for a human?¡± she remarked sarcastically. ¡°Humans are not only brave but also wise,¡± the old villager gazed at the statue, his expression wistful, ¡°The union between humans and werewolves gradually brought peace to both races. Werewolves taught humans hunting skills, and humans taught werewolves farming and weaving. The fragrance of those wheat fields and the sweetness of the fruits and vegetables, those are the fruits of human wisdom¡­¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Aren¡¯t werewolves carnivorous? Why would they need to learn farming?¡± The villager: ¡°¡­¡± Left speechless and pausing for a long while, he finally forced out, ¡°Anyway, the friendship between the human race and the werewolf tribe is beautiful, it¡¯s great!¡± After the old villager finished speaking, he picked up his broom and walked away with a displeased expression. Bai Youwei watched his retreating figure, feeling utterly bored. While sitting by the fountain, she massaged her legs and sighed, ¡°Who knows what Hans is up to¡ªthere¡¯s been no word from him at all.¡± Shen Mo looked up at the sky, noting the sun was about to set. ¡°Having lost a teammate, he¡¯s probably thinking about how to recover the situation,¡± he said indifferently. Bai Youwei also noticed the increasingly darkening sky. She and Shen Mo had wasted much time today. In reality, they had tried their best to find something, yet because they came up empty-handed, it felt like a whole day had been squandered. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she stood up, ¡°let¡¯s head back and see if the number of our nails has decreased, if the door has been smeared with blood, or if there are any wildflowers or weeds on the windowsill¡­¡± Chapter 916: Werewolf Village 13 Chapter 916: Chapter 916: Werewolf Village 13 Twilight descended once again. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo were separated once again. Although they looked for abandoned houses that were not far apart, the thought of the Werewolf appearing and the two of them not being together filled them with unease. Bai Youwei felt that this reliance wasn¡¯t good, being too attached to someone always brought fear of loss. But then she thought, hadn¡¯t all her constant efforts been in order to spend more time with him? ¡­ The game would end sooner or later, but she hoped the person by her side would never leave, never end. The crimson moon rose, casting the entire village in a dark red glow. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei sat in front of the stone bed, moonlight filtering through the window and enveloping her in a misty layer. Remembering the small characters on the fountain statue, she felt uncomfortable all over, got up with the rabbit in her arms, and wanted to find something to block the moonlight. It would be best to find some cloth to use as curtains. Old bedsheets were in the large wooden cabinet by the window, Bai Youwei got up and walked over, opening the cabinet only to be greeted by a face-full of dust, causing her to cough twice. The cabinet reeked of mold, mixed with a strange, stale smell. Bai Youwei immediately gave up the idea of looking for cloth; she would rather endure the moonlight for two hours than lift a finger to touch those fabrics that had lain there for who knows how many years. They might have been gnawed by rats, crawled over by spiders, or infested by nameless little bugs¡­ The more she thought about it, the more disgusted she felt. Bai Youwei was about to close the cabinet door when the rabbit by her side suddenly twitched its ears, looking alertly out the window. Bai Youwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat! Almost without thinking, she grabbed the rabbit and crouched down, hiding in the cabinet! She only managed to close one door of the cabinet, a shadow appeared at the window, Bai Youwei dared not move any further, holding her breath, frozen as she stared at that shadow¡­ It was black, massive, clearly projected on the floor, and its long, pointed ears indicated that the shadow did not belong to a human. It stopped in front of the window. Was she tonight¡¯s target? Bai Youwei curled up inside the wooden cabinet, surrounded by moldy fabrics, her brain racing¡ª Why had the Werewolf chosen her? What was different about her house compared to the other houses? What other secrets had she not yet discovered in the village? ¡­The window creaked open. Bai Youwei covered her mouth and nose. The air seemed to freeze, time slowed down eerily, and she heard the Werewolf¡¯s heavy breathing, the rustling of coarse hair against the window, and those claws¡­ those huge, sharp claws, currently dragging across the windowsill¡­ Bang! The sound nearly made Bai Youwei scream! She clamped her mouth shut with all her might, terrified of making the slightest noise! She silently shifted her gaze upward and saw the sharp nails appearing at the edge of the cabinet, and the dark grey fur around its neck¡­ The Werewolf, leaning against the cabinet, poked half its body in; if it looked down, it would discover Bai Youwei inside. But it didn¡¯t. It scanned the room, found no prey, and slowly retreated¡­ Inside the cabinet, Bai Youwei breathed a sigh of relief. She watched the fading shadow on the floor, planning to wait until it was far enough away before coming out of the cabinet. But after waiting a while, Bai Youwei was still trembling with fear and unease. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t give up so easily¡­ With this in mind, she silently held the rabbit tighter and continued to curl up inside the cabinet, waiting for daylight. The black shadow suddenly reappeared! Bai Youwei was shocked, her eyes wide as she watched the shadow on the floor! It had not left at all! It was pretending to leave, trying to coax her out! But why?! Why didn¡¯t it simply search the house? There were hardly any places to hide in this house; if it came in through the main entrance, it would quickly find her hiding in the cabinet! Could it be because the Werewolf was also bound by rules? If it attacked an empty house, would it be unable to attack anyone else tonight? Was that why it dared not truly enter this house? All kinds of thoughts bubbled up, Bai Youwei¡¯s mind was in turmoil, and no matter what, she didn¡¯t plan to come out again! The Werewolf outside the window finally gave up, issuing a roar from its throat before heavily running off towards another house! Chapter 917: Werewolf Village 14 Chapter 917: Chapter 917: Werewolf Village 14 Bai Youwei listened to the footsteps and her face changed repeatedly. She had just resolved not to come out of the closet anymore, yet the direction the werewolf left in¡­ the werewolf, clearly, was heading to Shen Mo¡¯s house! ¡°Damn it!¡± she cursed silently, bending down to crawl out of the closet and peering through the window, the werewolf indeed was going to find Shen Mo! The massive beastly body slammed open Shen Mo¡¯s door, plummeting inside! Outside the house was bathed in eerie red moonlight, inside it was pitch black, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t see a thing, she could only hear the beast¡¯s roar! Furniture being smashed! The piercing sound of clashing blades! She tried to open the door to help, but the door was incredibly secure! Impenetrable! She also attempted to climb through the window, even though the werewolf had just opened it, but as soon as she approached the window sill, it felt as if an invisible wall imprisoned her inside! One of the game¡¯s rules: Each night villagers may not leave their dwelling. ¡°Damn!¡± she yelled angrily, raising her hand to throw a rabbit out! But the rabbit rebounded back as soon as it touched the window, unable to escape! In short, anything inside the room, even a speck of dust, couldn¡¯t float out! Only the werewolf could enter from outside, and people inside could only be slaughtered at its will! Bai Youwei anxiously paced about the room, and then peered out the window again. The werewolf hadn¡¯t come out since it entered, and she couldn¡¯t ascertain Shen Mo¡¯s situation. Was there any item that could help? She searched through her canvas bag, but there was nothing useful. Even the rabbit couldn¡¯t escape, how could she expect any other item to work? Calm down. Calm down, quickly! Bai Youwei held her head, desperately thinking¡ªwhy did the werewolf change its mind and attack Shen Mo immediately after abandoning her? What was it basing its decision on? Why didn¡¯t it choose another villager¡¯s house? Why didn¡¯t it go after Hans and his people? Could it be that she and Shen Mo were unwittingly being plotted against? Bang!!! A loud noise made Bai Youwei¡¯s heart tremble violently. She hurriedly looked up, only to see a huge werewolf lying in front of Shen Mo¡¯s door! The werewolf¡¯s neck was slashed open, its fur soaked with red liquid that pooled on the ground. The eerie moonlight illuminated the gruesome scene, making it shockingly terrifying. Bai Youwei, nerves taut, watched for a while longer, yet Shen Mo never appeared. Even standing at the door would have been reassuring, at least letting her know he was safe. According to the game¡¯s rules, when a villager is attacked by a werewolf, their physical ability is automatically halved. Was he injured, and therefore didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up? ¡­ Why had he still not shown up? Bai Youwei bit her lower lip, her eyes gaze fixated on the house diagonally opposite. She waited and waited¡­ Until the sky finally brightened. The torturous two hours passed, and the restrictions on the doors and windows instantly vanished; Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t wait a second longer and dashed out, running to the house where Shen Mo was! She stood at the doorway¡ªall blood inside! Some of the werewolf¡¯s and some of Shen Mo¡¯s! Shen Mo was resting against the wall, awakened by Bai Youwei¡¯s footsteps. Opening his eyes, he realized it was now daylight. ¡°How are you? Is it serious?¡± Bai Youwei could not enter and looked at him eagerly. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo reassured her, ¡°I already used mud. Although physical ability is halved, the operation of items is unaffected, don¡¯t worry¡­¡± Bai Youwei gradually calmed down. ¡°The werewolf was targeting me,¡± she said quietly. ¡°It didn¡¯t find me, so it chose to attack you. We were set up.¡± Leaning against the wall, Shen Mo slightly adjusted his position; his wounds seemed not fully healed. ¡°Do you know how we were set up?¡± he asked. Bai Youwei thought for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll check if our house was tampered with¡­¡± Before she could finish, a clamor arose outside. The villagers had discovered the werewolf¡¯s corpse. Chapter 918: Werewolf Village 15 Chapter 918: Chapter 918: Werewolf Village 15 Werewolves can be killed, but no one had ever truly killed a werewolf. Because it is so powerful, so terrifying, how could there be someone who would oppose it? One by one, the villagers came out from their homes, gathering around the body, discussing the unsettling night. Such a major event naturally alerted the village chief. When the chief arrived, he immediately exclaimed, ¡°This is a true warrior! Our village is saved! With a warrior here, we no longer have to fear the Werewolf!¡± The crowd was abuzz with admiration, but more with shock¡ªthey hadn¡¯t expected that Shen Mo could defeat the Werewolf with his physical ability reduced by half. Bai Youwei stood in the crowd, observing everyone with a cold gaze. She was searching for the villager who had transformed into a Werewolf last night¡­ who exactly was it¡­ She saw Hans and Brail. Both had pale faces, especially Brail, who, even from a distance, was noticeably trembling. ¡­One was missing. What about Morin? Her gaze returned to the Werewolf¡¯s body on the ground. A thought flashed through Bai Youwei¡¯s mind, and she hesitated, seemingly incredulous, and then looked at Hans again! Could it be what she was thinking?¡­ Then, when had Hans realized it? Hans felt her gaze, turned his head to look over, immediately furrowed his brow, then avoided Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes and whispered something to Brail next to him. The two turned and walked away, seeming to plan to leave the crowd. Bai Youwei narrowed her eyes, watching the two from behind, pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised her voice, ¡°Chief! What should we do with the Werewolf¡¯s body? We can¡¯t just leave it here, right?¡± Hans and Brail¡¯s steps abruptly halted. Most of Bai Youwei¡¯s suspicions were confirmed. The chief replied, ¡°Of course, we must move it to the square and burn it.¡± ¡°Just burn it?¡± Bai Youwei said slowly, ¡°If it had attacked another villager last night, there surely would have been another tragedy. In my opinion, we must crush its bones to dust, tear its body to pieces to quench our anger.¡± The villagers echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right! Crush its bones to dust! Tear its body to pieces! All Werewolves deserve such fate!¡± ¡°I notice that the Werewolf¡¯s fur is quite nice, why not skin it to make clothes,¡± Bai Youwei added. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Brail angrily turned around. Hans tightly grabbed his arm, quietly trying to calm him. Bai Youwei¡¯s gaze pierced through the crowd, fixed on the two, a cold sneer curling on her lips: ¡°However¡­ wearing it will definitely stink. Better hang it up in the square to expose it to the public, to let the Werewolf¡¯s companions know what fate befalls those who do evil¡­¡± The villagers said, ¡°Right! We should hang it up, skin it and extract its sinews!¡± Brail¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot, veins bulging on his neck! He glared at Bai Youwei with intense hatred, teeth grinding, as though he wished he could crush her! Bai Youwei¡¯s smile grew more unrestrained, ¡°This Werewolf died too foolishly; its companions must be fools too¡­¡± ¡°Arrrrghhh!!!¡± Brail let out a beastly roar from his throat and lunged towards Bai Youwei! Bai Youwei dodged behind the chief in panic, shouting, ¡°Catch him! He¡¯s turning into a Werewolf!¡± The chief was knocked to the ground by Brail, yelling in horror! Brail had not transformed into a Werewolf, but his appearance now wasn¡¯t much better than one!¡ªhis eyes completely turned conical, fangs protruding, rough wolf hairs sprouting at his throat! Even his physique had greatly increased! The villagers rushed forward, grabbing Brail off the chief! ¡°Burn him!!! He is tonight¡¯s Werewolf, burn him!!!¡± Not far away, Hans backed away from the crowd, coldly staring at Bai Youwei amidst the chaos¡­ Chapter 919: Werewolf Village 16 Chapter 919: Chapter 919: Werewolf Village 16 Chaos persisted for a long time until the villagers finally subdued the frenzied Brail. Although he exhibited the characteristics of a werewolf, he hadn¡¯t fully transformed into one and hovered on the verge of madness, completely controlled by rage, endlessly howling. Bai Youwei followed the crowd, watching as Brail and the werewolf were bound together, dragged bloodily all the way to the square¡ª The villagers hoisted the two onto the stone columns, winding iron chains around them round after round, piling up layers upon layers of firewood. The village chief took a burning stick from the charcoal basin and lit the bonfire without a moment¡¯s hesitation. The moment the flames soared, Bai Youwei immediately closed her eyes, not wanting to witness that dreadful scene. She turned to walk away, Brail¡¯s shrieks echoing in her ears as he roared and cursed, his voice hoarse with exertion: ¡°We will win! We must win!!!¡­ Just wait until that day, we¡¯ll all come back to life! We won¡¯t die! Ahhhhh!!!¡­¡± His voice finally broke completely, whether from utter madness or extreme pain. Flames engulfed the two. Bai Youwei lowered her head and walked back, stopping in her tracks when she faced Hans. ¡°We will win,¡± Hans suddenly said. He stood before Bai Youwei, his tall body like a cold, rigid wall, his eyes cold too, expressionlessly watching her. Bai Youwei was silent for a moment before replying softly, ¡°Yes, you will win, no matter how many people die. As long as someone wins in the end and the world returns to its former state, it will be humanity¡¯s victory. That¡¯s what you mean, right?¡± Hans¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked at her. Bai Youwei smiled faintly, sidestepping to walk past him. As she brushed by, she said lightly: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you go die?¡­ Let me win, and it¡¯s still humanity¡¯s victory.¡± Hans¡¯s temple twitched violently! His back teeth clenched tightly! ¡°It¡¯s just the fear of death,¡± Bai Youwei sneered before walking away without another glance. Hans stood still, like a statue, quietly watching the human form distort and burn within the flames, unmoving¡­ ¡­ Bai Youwei had spoken harshly with ease, but her heart had already been clenched tight. Her steps quickened, faster and faster until she broke into a run towards Shen Mo¡¯s house! She realized she had made a major mistake! A mistake that was incredibly grave and yet incredibly simple! The way to play this game wasn¡¯t to find a method to avoid werewolf attacks at all but to find every possible way to turn oneself into a werewolf! Why had she been misled? S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Because upon entering the game, the Inspector had said, ¡°Once players enter the village, they become members of Werewolf Village. You must find a method to ward off wolves in time to avoid being attacked at night.¡± This statement led her to subconsciously cast herself in the role of a villager and view the werewolves as her adversaries, but in fact, the roles of werewolves and villagers could be interchangeable! Hans had been the first to realize this. He stole the pot of Uto grass from the windowsill, turning Morin into a werewolf before anyone else! That¡¯s why the werewolf had attacked her last night! Unable to find her, it then went after Shen Mo! By any means necessary, eliminating the opposing King and his subjects! Bai Youwei hurried, her mind in turmoil. She truly shouldn¡¯t have made such a mistake! Fortunately, there was still time to salvage the situation! As long as she¡­ A thought flashed through her mind, and she stopped in her tracks. Looking at the house not far ahead, Bai Youwei hesitated. She thought and thought some more¡­ finally, she turned and ran in another direction. Maybe this matter shouldn¡¯t be known to Shen Mo¡­ Chapter 920: Werewolf Village 17 Chapter 920: Chapter 920: Werewolf Village 17 Bai Youwei also didn¡¯t know why such an idea had popped into her head. The two of them had been through so much together, trusted each other deeply, yet when it came to this matter, she still subconsciously wanted to hide it from him¡­ Because¡­ she didn¡¯t want him to think she would stoop to anything to win. Even if it were true, she didn¡¯t want him to see it. It was probably a kind of pointless affectation, not wanting her image to be tarnished in his mind by the slightest bit, worrying about any small detail that might affect their relationship, like how Shen Fei¡¯s past actions had made her overthink, Fang Yu¡¯s death had left her anxious for quite a while, and how she always found it hard to deal with Ya Chaohui, and now she was facing this situation¡­ Bai Youwei clung tightly to Shen Mo, sometimes not understanding why. After giving it some thought, perhaps it was because nobody liked her¡­ and now that she had finally found someone who did, it was natural to hold on as tight as she could. If he originally liked her a hundred points, then she didn¡¯t want to lose even one. Bai Youwei made up her mind and her footsteps were no longer hesitant; she hurriedly made her way towards the little girl¡¯s house. The little girl stood at the entrance of the courtyard, as if waiting for someone. She saw Bai Youwei rushing over, cracked a smile, and said as if she knew what Bai Youwei had come for, ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± ¡°Give me the Uto grass!¡± Bai Youwei didn¡¯t waste words with her, stating her business directly, ¡°Uto grass turns people into werewolves, right?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all gone,¡± the little girl said with a smile. ¡°Mommy hates the smell of Uto grass and made me burn it.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t burn it all!¡± Bai Youwei said fiercely, ¡°I saw it! You left a bunch and deliberately planted it in a flower pot, right on the windowsill in your mother¡¯s bedroom!¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°There¡¯s none left, it¡¯s all gone,¡± the little girl shook her head, not at all frightened by Bai Youwei¡¯s ferocity, ¡°The Uto grass on the windowsill was stolen.¡± Bai Youwei anxiously asked, ¡°Besides that pot, are you saying there¡¯s no other Uto grass?! Where did your previous Uto grass come from?!¡± The little girl looked at her with a beaming smile, remaining silent. Bai Youwei pressed on, ¡°How long does Uto grass live? Does just being near it turn you into a werewolf?!¡± The little girl laughed, ¡°It¡¯s too late already, far too late¡­ Uto grass blooms for three consecutive nights, and tonight is the third night. The werewolf will definitely devour you. You, are bound to lose¡­¡± ¡°Tell me where the Uto grass is!¡± Bai Youwei grabbed the little girl¡¯s shoulders, gritting her teeth, ¡°You think like this you can corner me? Even without Uto grass, I won¡¯t lose! I¡¯ll just have to confront him now and fight to the death! The only difference is, I¡¯ll be dragging down a few more of you unnatural monsters!¡± The little girl tilted her head, pondering the credibility of Bai Youwei¡¯s words. Bai Youwei also gazed at her, and after a long while, her angry emotions gradually subsided until she was calm again¡­ She took a deep breath and said to the little girl, ¡°I forgot, you¡¯re not afraid to die¡­¡± She turned her head and eyed the silver nails on the door, murmuring, ¡°Every time I meet you, it¡¯s either beside the well or in the yard, why not go back inside?¡­ Is it because you¡¯re scared of those nails?¡± The little girl¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted and she broke away from Bai Youwei with an astonishing force! ¡°If you want the Uto grass, go to the village chief¡¯s house,¡± said the little girl emotionlessly, ¡°If you want to become a werewolf, that¡¯s the only path you can take.¡± Bai Youwei eyed her coldly, ¡°Uto grass hidden at the village chief¡¯s house?¡­ Why hasn¡¯t he turned into a werewolf?¡± The little girl split her mouth into a sinister smile again: ¡°If you manage to come out of there alive, you¡¯ll naturally understand why¡­¡± Chapter 921: 921: Werewolf Village 18 Chapter 921: Chapter 921: Werewolf Village 18 The village chief lived on the easternmost edge of the village, and his house was also the largest and most impressive. Although time was tight, Bai Youwei didn¡¯t immediately go there; she went to find Shen Mo first. Shen Mo¡¯s injuries had not healed. It was unknown whether it was due to the game rules halving his physical ability, but his self-healing ability was greatly discounted. Even using mud, only the superficial wounds were healed, while his bones and internal organs were still very weak. Leaning against the wall with an indifferent expression on his face, Shen Mo showed no sign of pain, but Bai Youwei was very heartbroken to see him like this. ¡°Rest for a few hours and it¡¯ll be better; don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Shen Mo looked at Bai Youwei calmly and asked, ¡°How is Hans doing? He lost two of his subjects at once, can he still continue the game?¡± ¡°He can continue.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°He¡¯s going crazy. Seeing his companions burned alive, he was still bragging in front of me, saying he would definitely win.¡± ¡°Did he find that kind of grass?¡± Shen Mo was somewhat puzzled. ¡°Even if Uto grass can turn someone into a werewolf, his guts are too big. No one can be sure whether they can retain their sanity after turning into a werewolf. He¡¯s staking his companion¡¯s lives.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°His subjects are quite willing to die.¡± Bai Youwei remarked, ¡°This guy¡¯s brainwashing skills are top-notch.¡± Shen Mo chuckled at her words, ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily that his brainwashing skills are impressive, it¡¯s just that in chaotic times, it¡¯s easiest to encounter two types of people. One type trusts no one, the other is fragile and confused, and as soon as they receive guidance, they follow unconditionally¡­¡± Bai Youwei pondered, ¡°Hmm, it seems that every doctrine in the world started spreading during chaotic times¡­¡± Shen Mo then asked her, ¡°Have you figured out how to deal with him?¡± Bai Youwei was slightly stunned, then quickly returned to her senses, ¡°¡­ I got a new clue from the villagers, there¡¯s something in the village chief¡¯s house that can restrain a werewolf. The village chief is still in the square, but he will return soon, leaving me with not enough time. I need your help to distract him.¡± Shen Mo nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll go find him in a bit, use healing as an excuse to help you buy some time.¡± Bai Youwei glanced at the sky and stood up, ¡°I have to hurry.¡± After thinking, she rummaged through her bag and took out an item, a Paper Bell, split it in two, giving one half to Shen Mo and keeping the other for herself. ¡°If the village chief is going back home, just shake this bell. Others can¡¯t hear it, only I can.¡± ¡°Be careful,¡± Shen Mo told her. Bai Youwei slung her bag over her shoulder and hurried off. She was afraid saying a few more words would give her away. ¡­ Most villagers had been drawn to the square, so Bai Youwei didn¡¯t encounter many people on her way; she easily arrived at the village chief¡¯s house. The village chief¡¯s wife was also at home. When she saw Bai Youwei, she brought over a pot of tea warmly, saying that the village chief was out and asked Bai Youwei to wait a bit, then went about her chores. Sitting on a chair with a teacup in hand, Bai Youwei silently surveyed her surroundings, finding the indoor decor ordinary, without any hint. If that was the case, why did that little girl want her to come to the village chief¡¯s house? Bai Youwei glanced at the woman busy in the kitchen, gently set down her teacup, then moved swiftly into the village chief¡¯s study, intending to search more carefully. There weren¡¯t many books in the study, but there were lots of miscellaneous items, looking almost like a storage room. Bai Youwei took down each book from the shelf, trying to find any clues. Unintentionally, she touched a book that was mysteriously fixed to the shelf, unable to take it down! Bai Youwei was startled inside, knowing this must be some sort of mechanism. She tried pushing and twisting the book, and sure enough, the mechanism was triggered. The bookshelf slowly moved aside, revealing steps leading to an underground cellar¡­ Bai Youwei took a deep breath. She hadn¡¯t expected that the village chief, who looked ridiculous, would have such a place hidden in his house. Chapter 922: Werewolf Village 19 Chapter 922: Chapter 922: Werewolf Village 19 Outside the room, the village chief¡¯s wife was still busy in the kitchen, seemingly not coming out anytime soon. Bai Youwei glanced at the kitchen twice and tiptoed down the steps, following the cramped stone staircase into the basement. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The basement wasn¡¯t completely dark; there was a faintly lit oil lamp on the wall, barely emitting light. She looked around and found that the basement contained only miscellaneous items¡ªa chair missing a leg, filthy carpets, and some dusty books piled thickly in the corner. When she flipped open a page, she could see unnamed insects quickly crawling over the yellowing paper. Ever since Bai Youwei had emerged from the labyrinth of Minotaur, she had developed a particular disgust for insects. She withdrew her hand and looked around with revulsion once more. It was strange; why store such rubbish in a hidden basement? Could those books contain the werewolf¡¯s secrets? Don¡¯t be ridiculous¡­ She couldn¡¯t understand the text at all; who knows which country¡¯s storyline this was! Bai Youwei felt impatient. There were only eight hours in the day, and she had already wasted quite a bit of time. If she couldn¡¯t find a way to turn into a werewolf, wouldn¡¯t she just be awaiting death come nighttime? She paced back and forth in the basement, her emotions tense. The dust on the floor bore the imprint of her footsteps. She stopped and, with the assistance of the weak light, noticed that the footprints overlapped and converged into a ¡°path¡± that extended beneath the carpet at her feet. Bai Youwei was stunned and then suddenly realized something. She quickly moved away and lifted the carpet! Beneath it was a movable wooden board! This basement was just a front; the real place for hiding things was underneath the basement! Bai Youwei was speechless in her mind. Was it necessary? It was just a game. Did the clues need to be hidden so deep? She caught hold of the ring on the plank and pulled hard; an old musty smell hit her¡ªworse than those dirty rags, wormy books, and moldy walls. It was like¡­ like a tomb. It was pitch-black inside, not a trace of light to be seen. Bai Youwei rummaged through her bag for a flashlight and swept it over the area below. The passage was too narrow and turned a corner, obscuring what lay beyond. At this point, even if it was a Knife Mountain or sea of fire beneath, she had no choice but to descend. She gritted her teeth, tied the hem of her skirt around her waist, negligent of her appearance, held the flashlight in one hand, and with the other on the steps, she proceeded step by step. The rabbit perched on her shoulder, curiously looking into the depths of the passage¡­ ¡­ The deeper she went, the darker it became, and the smell of putrid decay grew stronger. When she reached the last step, she found a room in front of her, the same size as the basement but without any clutter, only a huge cage. Bai Youwei shone the flashlight on the cage, which seemed to contain a person. The reason she used the word ¡°seemed¡± was that the entity inside was slumped on the ground like a dirty rag, unrecognizable as human. There were a table and several thick silver candles on the side of the wall. Bai Youwei lit the candles, and the room finally brightened. The ¡°person¡± in the cage also finally stirred¡­ ¡­ It was actually alive. Of course, it must be; if it were dead, there would be no need to keep it in a cage. But this cage¡­ Bai Youwei furrowed her brows and took a few steps closer for a better look. The cage was made of silver. At that moment, the person in the cage lifted their head, revealing half an eye through disheveled hair, staring intently at her. It was a slit-shaped pupil. Bai Youwei understood; a werewolf was imprisoned here. But if it was a werewolf, why hadn¡¯t the village chief burned her? What made her different? As she pondered this, the werewolf in the cage suddenly became enraged, roaring and lunging toward her!¡ª Chapter 923: Werewolf Village 20 Chapter 923: Chapter 923: Werewolf Village 20 With a bang! The werewolf slammed against the sturdy silver bars of the cage and let out a mournful howl! The collision area looked as if it had been scorched by high heat, the flesh and blood charred. Bai Youwei stood outside the cage, frowning as she watched the werewolf roll around inside, convulsing in pain. She noticed that the werewolf¡¯s body was almost entirely covered in burns; some were fresh scabs, others old tumors, new and old wounds layered upon each other, leaving no part of its body unmarred. The injured werewolf lay panting in the cage, gradually quieting down, no longer making any aggressive movements. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Youwei suspected that the werewolf was disoriented, for otherwise it would have known that being confined within the cage, it was impossible to attack anyone outside. Who could she be? Why was she imprisoned here? The little girl had led her to the chief¡¯s house, presumably hinting that she should find this werewolf. Now that she had found it, what should she do next? Bai Youwei pondered for a moment and tried to communicate with the werewolf in front of her, ¡°Is there Uto grass here?¡± The werewolf, lying on the ground, looked at her, its body slowly heaving, but did not speak. Bai Youwei felt she had asked a silly question. Uto grass could induce a transformation in werewolves, and since the figure before her was human, it indicated that some force was suppressing it. If there were Uto grass here, the figure wouldn¡¯t be in this condition. However¡­ she should know where Uto grass was. The Uto grass in the little girl¡¯s hands didn¡¯t appear out of thin air; there must have been a clue obtained from this place. ¡°Where can I find Uto grass?¡± Bai Youwei asked again. The werewolf still did not speak. She appeared very weak, her body riddled with scars, her clothes worn for many years reduced to tattered strips, her hair unwashed, a dirty gray color, tangled and knotted. If one ignored her sudden outburst a moment ago, she now seemed like she could gasp her last breath at any moment. Bai Youwei slowly squatted down, getting closer to the cage, and whispered softly, ¡°As long as you let me turn into a werewolf tonight, I¡¯ll find a way to get you out.¡± The werewolf blinked slowly¡­ Perhaps intending to speak, the voice that emerged was hoarse, like the low grumble of a wild beast. Then it propped itself up on its forelimbs, dragging its severely injured body, inching towards Bai Youwei. Obviously fearing the cage, it did not dare to get too close to the vertical bars. Bai Youwei watched her ask, ¡°Will you help me?¡± The werewolf did not speak, only slightly opening its mouth to reveal its sharp teeth. Bai Youwei was stunned. Looking at the werewolf before her, and recalling the little girl¡¯s unusual behavior, a bizarre suspicion arose in her mind¡­ Though it might not have much to do with her, it still caused a strong discomfort. Hesitating, Bai Youwei asked, ¡°Have you¡­ seen a little girl? Did you want her to save you but she couldn¡¯t?¡± The werewolf slowly closed its eyes, apparently responding. Bai Youwei hesitated outside the cage, unsure whether to trust the werewolf. ¡°¡­ In the legends, if a human is bitten by a werewolf and survives, they turn into a werewolf¡­¡± she pursed her lips, looking at the werewolf in the cage, barely alive, ¡°But how can I be sure, you won¡¯t take this opportunity to take my life?¡± Perhaps the werewolf was not as weak as she perceived. Perhaps the werewolf was waiting for this moment, to seize her, devour her, and regain strength! But did she have a choice? ¡°¡­Forget it.¡± Bai Youwei took a deep breath, calming herself. ¡°I don¡¯t really have a choice, do I.¡± She raised her arm, extending it into the cage, and frowned, ¡°Be quick, the chief could come back any moment, and I still need to figure out where the key to the cage is hidden¡­¡± The werewolf stared at her pale wrist and clamped its jaws around it! Its sharp teeth pierced the skin, burrowing into the blood vessels! Droplets of bright crimson blood burst out instantly, trickling down from the corners of the werewolf¡¯s mouth. Bai Youwei felt a wave of dizziness, not expecting it to hurt so much¡­ Chapter 924: Werewolf Village 21 Chapter 924: Chapter 924: Werewolf Village 21 Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo waited for Bai Youwei for a long time and became worried when she didn¡¯t return. He left the house and went to the roadside, hesitating whether to go near the village chief¡¯s house to investigate. Just then, he saw Bai Youwei appear at the intersection ahead, slowly making her way back. Shen Mo went to meet her. When Bai Youwei saw him, she paused, ¡°¡­Your injury is better?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± he nodded, ¡°I rested for a while, now it¡¯s much better.¡± He glanced down and his gaze fell on Bai Youwei¡¯s wrist, frowning, ¡°You¡¯re hurt? How did that happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Bai Youwei felt uneasy and moved her hand behind her back. ¡°I found a hidden basement in the village chief¡¯s house, and I scraped it while going down¡­ But I also made a discovery. I finally know how to restrain the werewolf.¡± ¡°Nothing went wrong?¡± Shen Mo asked. ¡°Nope¡­¡± Bai Youwei forced a light-hearted laugh. She moved her shoulder, and the rabbit perched on it almost fell off. Laughing, she said, ¡°I have it with me, what could possibly happen?¡± Not wanting Shen Mo to focus too much on her injury, she asked, ¡°What about the village chief? Why hasn¡¯t he gone back?¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°I told him that a boy was pulling out nails in the village. The village chief has gathered some villagers and they are going door to door asking questions now.¡± The number of silver nails among the villagers was a mystery, never to be fully accounted for. It wasn¡¯t that this family had too few, then that family had too many. Some people who didn¡¯t have silver nails would pull them out from others¡¯ homes; some who had too few would do the same; others, worried their homes didn¡¯t have enough to be safe, would still pull them out from others¡¯¡­ Anyway, pulling out nails was an act that provoked public anger. Bai Youwei looked up at the sky. There were still about two or three hours until sunset. There was plenty of time, but actually, not really much. ¡°Have you seen Hans?¡± she asked. Shen Mo shook his head, ¡°He should be in some empty house. He¡¯s not afraid now because he has Uto grass. Having fewer nails on his door is more convenient for him actually.¡± ¡°The game rules state that the werewolf can¡¯t attack the same target two nights in a row. You were attacked last night, so you¡¯ll be safe tonight,¡± Bai Youwei mused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Tonight he¡¯s definitely coming for me. I need to find a new place to hide.¡± ¡°Do you need to find a house with more silver nails?¡± Shen Mo asked. Thinking of those small, pointed nails, white like splatters of sulphuric acid, Bai Youwei felt uncomfortable and physically repulsed. She forced a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll look for it myself, your injury hasn¡¯t fully healed yet. The more you rest, the faster you¡¯ll recover.¡± It was just house hunting, indeed, there was no need for two people to go. Moreover¡­ Shen Mo covered the area of his wound, frowning slightly. Although the flesh had healed, his bones still throbbed with a dull pain; his reduced physical ability was a significant disadvantage for a player. Bai Youwei took his arm and escorted him back to the house, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already know how to deal with him. Just wait for my good news.¡± Right now, Shen Mo¡¯s body couldn¡¯t afford another confrontation with the werewolf. He took out a silver dagger and handed it to Bai Youwei: ¡°Take this for protection.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± At this moment, she was genuinely thankful the blacksmith had cut corners, at least the handle was made of iron. Bai Youwei carefully took the dagger from Shen Mo¡¯s hand. Noticing the skepticism in Shen Mo¡¯s eyes, she quickly said, ¡°I have the rabbit, that¡¯s enough. Carrying such a weapon, what if I cut someone¡¯s skin? What if it leaves a scar?¡­ Ah really¡­ but since it¡¯s from you, I¡¯ll reluctantly accept it.¡± Half-complaining, half-coquettish, she finally dispelled Shen Mo¡¯s doubts. The sky grew a few shades darker. As they parted, she kissed Shen Mo on the cheek affectionately, ¡°This time, I¡¯ll protect you~¡± Shen Mo chuckled and watched her leave, somehow feeling that their roles had switched¡­ Chapter 925: Werewolf Village 22 Chapter 925: Chapter 925: Werewolf Village 22 Werewolf Village Rules: One, each night a villager turns into a Werewolf; Two, each night the Werewolf attacks a villager; Three, villagers must not leave their houses at night. Bai Youwei was most concerned about the first rule, that each night one villager would turn into a Werewolf. That meant that between her and Hans, only one would become a Werewolf tonight. Now Hans had the Uto grass while she had been bitten by a Werewolf. Whoever turned into a Werewolf first, the remaining person would only be a weak villager! Bai Youwei released the bandage wrapped around her wrist; the bloodstain was still there, the wound had already healed. The pain of skin torn and flesh split lingered in her memory, making her heart tremble at the mere thought. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She hoped everything would go smoothly tonight; otherwise, she would have been bitten by the Werewolf in vain. Bai Youwei walked slowly through the village, carefully observing the location and angle of every empty house. She needed to find the best terrain to ensure she was bathed in moonlight immediately after the moon rose. However, the silver nails on the doors were indeed troublesome; she had to carefully avoid them. Thinking about it, her aversion to silver objects might double if she actually turned into a Werewolf. Bai Youwei found an empty house, twisted the doorknob, and discovered the door was locked from the inside. She then went around to the side where she found an open window. Through the window, she could see Hans sitting on the stone bed with a potted plant, his body facing the glass window, his head lowered. Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t make out his facial expression, but the plant was clearly visible. Lush green leaves with a few pale blue buds nestled among them, like unknown wildflowers from the mountains. This was probably the Uto grass. It¡¯s an inconspicuous weed by day but blooms at night, tempting the Werewolf to reveal itself. After some thought, Bai Youwei decided to find another empty house nearby. She entered and then stood at the door, staring opposite. Seconds and minutes passed, and there was still no movement in the house across. She looked up at the sky, where the setting sun peeked through the clouds, gradually sinking, tinting the end of the sky as if it were ablaze. Such a twilight, against the backdrop of a fairy-tale-like village, should have been a beautiful sight. But Bai Youwei had no mood to appreciate it; she couldn¡¯t wait for night to come so she could stand under the moonlight and acquire the true power of a Werewolf. Finally, the night arrived¡­ As the blood-red moon rose, Bai Youwei immediately felt the difference in her body, each vein pulsing like a raging, surging river crashing within her! She couldn¡¯t help but throw her head back and howl. Her hands¡¯ tendons and bones bulged! Dense Werewolf fur sprouted! Her figure also began to swell! This scene was truly terrifying, yet Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t suppress a thrill of elation in her heart. Because she had become a Werewolf, it was doomed for Hans to be a human tonight; a human at her mercy! Her lower jaw split open, her mouth elongated, and her fangs were exposed, her body filled with strength. Something in her chest seemed desperate to burst out! To tear everything she saw to shreds! The thought of blood filled her entire brain, and reason became insignificant! The fluffy rabbit by her side seemed frightened by her and stood motionless in the corner, silently watching her. Bai Youwei pushed the door open, her body completely mutated under the moonlight! At the same time, a command appeared in her mind¡ª [The Werewolf may choose any house to attack the villager inside. Only one chance.] Hans¡¯s house was right in front of her, and Bai Youwei walked over without hesitation. The rabbit followed her, stopping every step, hesitatingly trailing behind her. Under the blood moon, the village houses were all cloaked in a layer of red light, only the nails on the doors shimmered with irritating silver-white spots. Bai Youwei remembered that open window and changed direction. There were nails around the window too, but it was much easier than breaking in through the door. She saw Hans from the window, still holding the pot of Uto grass, motionless, sitting beside the bed. Chapter 926: Werewolf Village 23 Chapter 926: Chapter 926: Werewolf Village 23 Bai Youwei stretched out her hands, grabbing onto the window frame. The wooden strips at the edge of the window were crushed, and there were scratch marks on the wall. A low growl came from the werewolf¡¯s throat, but the person on the bed ignored her, not moving an inch. By now, Bai Youwei¡¯s upper body had already reached through the window. With just a light kick of her legs, she could leap into the room and tear Hans to pieces! But his unusual silence made her hesitate¡­ Bai Youwei stopped, struggling to suppress the bloodthirsty urge within her, and carefully observed the person before her. Indeed, it was Hans. The same hairstyle, the same build, the same clothes¡­ Even though he was holding that pot of flowers, motionless, the scent of Hans was on him. After transforming into a werewolf, Bai Youwei¡¯s sense of smell was exceptionally sharp. The person before her was unmistakably Hans. Maybe this was a ploy of his, a deliberate deception to make her hesitate and refrain from attacking? Or maybe¡­ it indeed was a ploy? The night had only two hours, and she couldn¡¯t waste time hesitating. Whether it was because of becoming a werewolf or not, her patience had considerably worsened, and she was anxious, irritable, hating her indecisive self! She just wanted to rush in now! To crush him!!! Bai Youwei¡¯s claws were deeply embedded into the wooden window frame, the gray and white peeling paint fluttering down. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She remembered the previous night when she had hidden in the wooden cabinet, and the werewolf had also hovered outside, eventually missing the perfect opportunity to kill her. Should she go in? Could it be a trap? Go in¡­ Don¡¯t go in¡­ Bai Youwei gritted her teeth, slowly backing away. She remembered something. In the safari park, the white-gloved man used a decoy prop, severely wounding Asarina. That prop, which could take on the user¡¯s appearance, identical and alive! Once the decoy prop was attacked, all the damage dealt would rebound on the attacker! Could Hans have a similar prop? This was just a guess, but the more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed! If not for this, why would Hans sit so quietly inside the house, with the window wide open, not even stirring when she was about to enter? This was too strange¡­ The Doll Game produced all sorts of props, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he got his hands on one with a decoy effect. There was still time left. Why not search elsewhere? Maybe Hans was hiding in another house. Of course, there was also a possibility that the person inside the house was truly Hans, and he was just bluffing, wanting her to doubt and lure her elsewhere in search of the target. Villagers could not leave their houses at night. It didn¡¯t matter¡­ If she couldn¡¯t find him in other houses, she¡¯d come back to deal with him! After all, he couldn¡¯t escape! Having made up her mind, Bai Youwei immediately left, quickly moving towards the other vacant houses! She had to be quick! The night had only two hours! There were over a hundred households in the village, but only a dozen or so vacant houses. Bai Youwei darted between the low houses and soon made a discovery. She saw Hans¡¯ panicked face flash past a window! The werewolf¡¯s teeth gnashed loudly, and like an enraged beast, she furiously pounced! Bursting through that door! However, after entering, she did not see the panic and turmoil she expected. Hans stood in the room, sneering at her. And in his hand, he was holding a crossbow¡ª Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Dull thuds echoed through the room as silver gleams flashed, three arrows shot in quick succession! The werewolf¡¯s massive body fell heavily! Thick dust flew, and seconds later, blood slowly began to flow¡­ ¡°Heh¡­¡± In the silence, Hans chuckled softly, full of disdain, ¡°Foolish¡­ did you think I wouldn¡¯t be prepared? I anticipated that you would try to become a werewolf, which suited me perfectly, as a human¡¯s weaknesses are hard to find, but a werewolf¡¯s weaknesses are too obvious, aren¡¯t they?¡± Chapter 927: 927: Werewolf Village 24 Chapter 927: Chapter 927: Werewolf Village 24 He gently wiped the crossbow on his arm, his feet remained still, maintaining a cautious distance from the Werewolf on the ground. ¡°The first day I found the Blacksmith, I had not only nails made but also this weapon, unfortunately it was a bit slow to make, and I only got it the second day, and on the third day¡­ it finally came in handy.¡± The Werewolf on the ground appeared to be in great pain, its front paws slightly curled, gasping intermittently from its throat. Hans looked at her, sighing heavily. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you listen to my advice before the game began? If only you had surrendered, how good that would have been. Then Dim wouldn¡¯t have gotten into trouble, and Morin and Brail wouldn¡¯t have had to die¡­ Throughout history, humans have always been killing each other, is our nature really that combative? All of this could have been avoided.¡± Blood silently flowed; Bai Youwei lay limp on the ground, unable to get up. Hans spoke slowly, ¡°Being hit by a silver arrow is quite unpleasant, isn¡¯t it? You were never my match¡­ from the moment you entered the game, you had already fallen into my web. It was I who made you mistakenly believe that transforming into a Werewolf was key to the game, I who confused you with props, making you rush in without a second thought. And last night, I let Morin become a Werewolf, with a probing intent, originally wanting to eliminate you directly, but I didn¡¯t expect Morin to attack your subjects and fail¡­ so I executed Plan B. Do you understand now? Transforming into a Werewolf, though it may grant a significant advantage, can actually¡­ make you a target for others.¡± Bai Youwei must have been furious, her forelimbs straining to rise, but it was futile. Perhaps it was her agonized expression that was too enticing; Hans couldn¡¯t help but step forward, crouching down to scrutinize her closely, sharing his insights: ¡°Do you know? The Labyrinth War¡­ the war that belongs to the King, actually has a surefire way to win, and that is for us to peacefully elect a True King. When every King meets the True King, they should surrender voluntarily. In this way, the True King can advance to the finals unharmed! And thus become the ultimate victor! That is the true victory!¡± At this point, Hans was clearly agitated. ¡°Do you understand?! By doing this, we can achieve a victory for all humanity! But why can¡¯t anyone understand my painstaking efforts! Because you are a bunch of barbarians! Ignorant! Short-sighted! Barbarians dominated by violence!¡± He suddenly stood up, drawing a dagger from his waist, striding forward, and grabbing the fur on the Werewolf¡¯s neck! ¡°I won¡¯t let your suffering last too long¡­¡± Hans said coldly, ¡°Let me¡­ end it swiftly for you.¡± Boom!!! The weakened Werewolf suddenly erupted! Biting Hans¡¯s throat to pieces! Hans¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and he couldn¡¯t understand why he¡­ lost, until his death. Bai Youwei let go of him, spitting out a mouthful of blood-stained saliva! ¡°You got two things wrong¡­¡± She took a deep breath and pulled the silver arrow embedded in her flesh, ¡°First, Werewolves get stronger with combat; unless it¡¯s a fatal wound, injuries only make them more ferocious, and then the second thing¡­¡± With the last silver arrow removed, she disdainfully tossed it onto Hans¡¯s face, the blood-stained metal scraping across a bloodstain and clanging as it fell to the ground. ¡°The second thing, you forgot that the Blacksmith cuts corners.¡± Hans died with his eyes wide open, his bloodshot pupils fixed on her. Bai Youwei ignored him, turning to leave, and kicked the dazed rabbit at the door, saying irritably: ¡°Let¡¯s go! Just because I changed my appearance, you couldn¡¯t even recognize me to lend a hand, after charging up so much!¡± The rabbit rolled on the ground, shook off the dust, and hurried after her. The Werewolf, clutching her wound, moved forward slowly, whispering, ¡°There¡¯s one last thing left to do¡­¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 928: Werewolf Village 25 Chapter 928: Chapter 928: Werewolf Village 25 Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The village was ablaze with a raging fire. Amidst the flames, what had looked like a village from a fairy tale had become a living hell on earth. The villagers who escaped struggled to fetch water, while those trapped at home cried out in terror. The relentless screams filled the air; the village chief¡¯s home was the first to be engulfed by the flames. The little girl stood on the hillside, watching the sea of fire, the corners of her mouth quirked up as she bounced a ball. ¡°The Uto grass has bloomed, The moon is also full, Tonight we will not die, Having eaten my flesh, And drunk my blood, Tonight we will not die¡­¡± ¡­ The beautiful village eventually became ruins. As the sun rose slowly over the wreckage, a werewolf that had been imprisoned for a hundred years crawled out of the ground. Facing the light, it walked slowly up the hillside, and where it passed, the Uto grass silently spread¡­ ¡­ Bai Youwei and Shen Mo returned to the A War Zone. The Inspector there to meet them was not the Clown, but the Rabbit Gentleman. Bai Youwei curiously glanced behind him and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why is it you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s been a little incident,¡± the rabbit-headed Inspector smiled. ¡°Congratulations to the both of you, I will now carry out the game settlement for you.¡± ¡°This battle consisted of A and B War Zones, both of which have now concluded. Number of players, a total of 10. Surviving King 1, subjects 1, eliminated King 1, subjects 9, now deducting puzzle pieces from the defeated King¡­¡± After the standard settlement speech, the Rabbit Gentleman said to Bai Youwei: ¡°You have passed Battle 20, Battle 10, Battle 1; the next battle, Battle 5, will be chosen automatically by the system for you. Please rest well, and in a month, come with the appropriate number of subjects to face the battle.¡± Bai Youwei was disdainful, ¡°With all these puzzle pieces I have, do I really need to participate anymore? Even if I lose the next battle, I can still enter the final contest, since, in the end, it¡¯s all about who has more puzzle pieces.¡± The rabbit-headed Inspector smiled slightly, ¡°In theory, that¡¯s true. However, if a King dies, the puzzle pieces they hold will be reclaimed by the system.¡± ¡°You always reclaim them like this¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that mean players can never hope to collect all the puzzle pieces?¡± Bai Youwei frowned, ¡°No matter what you do, you can¡¯t avoid death in the game.¡± ¡°All puzzle pieces reclaimed by the system will be used in the final contest,¡± explained the Rabbit Gentleman gently. ¡°Please be assured, the system will not set goals that are impossible to achieve.¡± Bai Youwei pursed her lips and finally stopped complaining. The Rabbit Gentleman nodded at her, ¡°Then, goodbye.¡± As the Inspector¡¯s figure disappeared, the surroundings also turned into a blank space, with only a familiar glowing square in front waiting for them to enter. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo walked into the glowing square and returned to the familiar rest lounge, both of them heaving a sigh of relief. It was over. The third battle was over. Just one more battle to endure before entering the final contest, making it feel like the long and distant goal was finally becoming clear after all the perseverance. Shen Mo asked Bai Youwei, ¡°How did you deal with Hans in the end? Why did a fire start in the village?¡± ¡°That fire wasn¡¯t started by me,¡± Bai Youwei quickly disclaimed any involvement. ¡°It was the work of that little girl; she was bitten by the werewolf kept prisoner by the villagers, effectively becoming part of the Werewolf Clan, just like in those vampire movies where being bitten turns you into a vampire, and they go on to afflict humanity together with their kind~¡± Shen Mo replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any vampire movies.¡± Bai Youwei giggled and hugged his arm, ¡°Then after we go back, how about we watch a vampire movie together, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he nodded and then asked again, ¡°But how did you deal with Hans?¡± ¡°Oh, why are you so hung up on that?¡± she said exasperatedly, ¡°I just helped the little girl steal the village chief¡¯s keys and freed the werewolf in the basement. Then, in gratitude, the girl transformed into a werewolf at night and bit Hans to death! Anyway¡­ I really didn¡¯t do anything; as you know, I¡¯m the type who can¡¯t even hurt a chicken, and I can¡¯t handle those bloody affairs¡­¡± Chapter 929: The Rabbit Gentleman and the Clown Chapter 929: Chapter 929: The Rabbit Gentleman and the Clown The Rabbit Gentleman left the battle game and entered another white space. The Clown lay there, his head and body having parted ways, with a spring limp between them, sprawled on the ground like a discarded mechanical toy. ¡°Is the game over?¡± the Clown asked. ¡°It is,¡± replied the Rabbit Gentleman slowly walking towards it, ¡°This was the campaign you were responsible for, you should personally settle the game.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her.¡± The Clown lay motionless on the ground, devoid of its former jubilation, ¡°She said I wasn¡¯t funny, she said I didn¡¯t understand humor¡­ She said, no matter what I say or do, I would never truly make anyone burst into laughter¡­¡± The Rabbit Gentleman tried to console it, ¡°Humor is not solely defined as she put it; she deliberately narrowed it down to provoke you, it¡¯s a form of player resistance in language. You should understand that.¡± ¡°I understand¡­ but I feel she¡¯s right,¡± the Clown¡¯s voice was calm, ¡°I am a Clown who doesn¡¯t understand humor, unable to make anyone burst into laughter¡­ Why am I a Clown?¡± It twisted its spring, turning its face upwards towards the Rabbit Gentleman, and asked with its sausage mouth opening and closing, ¡°Do you understand what humor is?¡± The Rabbit Gentleman was silent for a while before saying, ¡°In human studies of humor theory, there are three main theoretical factions: the superiority theory from the perspective of social behavior, the relief theory from psychoanalytic viewpoint, and incongruity theory from cognitive psychology. Although we know the definitions in detail, we still cannot fully understand the concept on an emotional level.¡± The Clown quietly looked at the Rabbit Gentleman, ¡°¡­So, why am I a Clown?¡­ A Clown that isn¡¯t funny at all, why should I exist? It¡¯s truly a bizarre thing.¡± It questioned again, ¡°You said we are products of the system, why would the system need a Clown that isn¡¯t funny?¡­ Where exactly do we come from?¡± Hearing this, the Rabbit Gentleman fell silent, and after a long time, it said softly, ¡°Since you so wish to know, let me take you to see.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said the Clown, ¡°I want to see.¡± After these words were spoken, the Clown¡¯s body began to fade, turning into the same pure white as the space. As it faded, its shape also gradually disintegrated, breaking down into tiny cubic particles. The head, arms, body, clothes, and the spring, all disintegrated, 1cm particles became 1mm particles, and continued to break down, endlessly breaking down¡­ It vanished into the air, leaving no trace behind. The Rabbit Gentleman lifted its head slightly, watching the last cubic particle dissolve, and sighed inaudibly. Another failure. ¡­ Elsewhere, the Headquarters Building was bustling with excitement. Chu Huaijin had someone bring in a projector to play a movie in the hall at the behest of the King; it was a Vampire movie named ¡°Four Hundred Years of Stunned Affection.¡± It was a rare entertainment event and even the staff were drawn to it, packing the hall to the brim. Bai Youwei, seeing the Vampire enter the scene, said, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s scary~¡± Then she hid in Shen Mo¡¯s arms, hugging his waist tightly, ¡°I¡¯m so frightened~¡± Shen Mo frowned, ¡°Then let¡¯s change the movie.¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to have nightmares after watching these at night,¡± Shen Mo glanced around, ¡°Since many people are already watching, it¡¯s probably inconvenient to switch the movie halfway through. Let¡¯s go back to our room instead, Tan Xiao has a lot of cartoons on his phone, just pick and watch any, it can help relax your mind.¡± Bai Youwei pouted, ¡°I¡¯m quite relaxed right now¡­¡± Suddenly, the crowd around them grew quiet, and looking back at the screen, the movie¡¯s male lead was being seduced by a glamorous female Vampire; the filming was a bit explicit, captivating everyone¡¯s gaze. Bai Youwei gave Shen Mo a meaningful glance. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 931: 931 Gathering People Chapter 931: Chapter 931 Gathering People After returning to her room, Bai Youwei couldn¡¯t experience what it was like to ¡°not leave the bed,¡± as she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Her sleep was deep, as if to make up for the tense 30 hours spent in Werewolf Village. Shen Mo sat by the bed, lightly brushed the hair off her cheek, leaned in for a kiss, then lay down beside her and also fell asleep. ¡­ The next day, the research group delivered something, an analysis report on Wang Jingxian¡¯s whereabouts. After reading the report, Bai Youwei was lost in thought for a long time. Shen Mo took a look at it and also didn¡¯t speak for a while. The content of the document showed that after repeated verification and comparison of the architectural environment, Wang Jingxian was very likely in Mudanjiang City, a prefecture-level city in Heilongjiang Province, also known as ¡°Snow City.¡± That in itself wasn¡¯t the issue. The problem was that during that time period, the snowfall in Mudanjiang was not enough to form a landscape of extensive coverage. In other words, the scene Bai Youwei saw in the crystal shard was both Mudanjiang and not Mudanjiang. The two of them sat in the room for a while, and Shen Mo asked Bai Youwei, ¡°Do you still remember hide and seek?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bai Youwei sighed softly, ¡°I remember, in the amusement park.¡± Shen Mo said, ¡°That amusement park perfectly replicated the real environment, but with slight differences.¡± Bai Youwei knew what Shen Mo meant. She glanced at him and said softly, ¡°Are you saying that my mom is now in the game?¡± ¡°It has not been occupied by any King, so her existence in the game is not impossible,¡± Shen Mo stated. ¡°Besides that, I can¡¯t think of any other reason to explain why the investigation results differ from what we saw.¡± Bai Youwei remained silent. Shen Mo added, ¡°Of course, the investigation results might not be accurate. Maybe Mudanjiang has undergone drastic changes. Without going there to see for ourselves, no one knows what the truth is.¡± Bai Youwei furrowed her brow, ¡°You want me to go see her?¡± Her tone was very reluctant. Although there was no deep hatred between her mother and herself, their relationship had always been cold. It was normal for the two to hardly meet more than a few times a month, and even when they did, they hardly exchanged words. For Bai Youwei to proactively investigate her mother¡¯s whereabouts was already remarkable. If she had to risk her life to bring her back, she truly couldn¡¯t persuade herself to do it. Besides, if her mother really were in the game, even if she went, she might not be able to meet her. ¡°Now is indeed not the right time,¡± Shen Mo said. ¡°Let¡¯s adjust our state first and prepare for the next battle.¡± Bai Youwei nodded. Anyway, judging by the situation in the crystal shard, her mother was not in danger. Therefore, it was better to take care of her own affairs first. ¡­ The following days were as usual. Besides the King, Battle 5 required 4 citizens. Bai Youwei¡¯s side only had Shen Mo, Tan Xiao, and Asarina, lacking one more. She promised Asarina not to let Along risk himself anymore, while Ya Chaohui had left the base, Chang Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin, one too old and the other too young, were not suitable to join the battle. Shen Mo was looking for candidates for her within the base. Meanwhile, Du Lai was also recruiting people inside the base. For Fu Miaoxue¡¯s next battle, which was Battle 20, at least 10 participants were required. Currently, her citizens only included Du Lai, Leonid, Chen Hui, and Yan Qingwen. The gap in the number of citizens was considerable. Moreover, Fu Miaoxue had previously stated her intention to surrender, so suddenly they couldn¡¯t gather enough people. However, Du Lai always had plenty of ideas and Bai Youwei didn¡¯t need to worry about them. It was expected that once they gathered enough people, they could start training soon to enhance team synergy and such arrangements, but after a few days, the person Shen Mo selected refused to join them. After that, Shen Mo invited several more people, but without exception, they all refused them. On the other hand, Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai quickly gathered their people. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 932: Professor Song’s Idea Chapter 932: Chapter 932: Professor Song¡¯s Idea Bai Youwei, upon hearing this news, had one immediate thought: Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai were up to no good again! Otherwise, she really couldn¡¯t understand why, as equally a King and with a much higher prestige than Fu Miaoxue, everyone preferred to be Fu Miaoxue¡¯s subjects and ignored her? It made no sense at all. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shen Mo also sensed something wrong and went to look for Chu Huaijin, who evaded by professing ignorance. But there weren¡¯t many people at the base, and the news couldn¡¯t be hidden. Bai Youwei and Shen Mo soon heard rumors that the base would only support King Fu Miaoxue in the future. A few individuals chosen by Shen Mo had been summoned by Chu Huaijin for private talks, without Bai Youwei and Shen Mo¡¯s knowledge, asking them to abandon Bai Youwei and shift their allegiance to Fu Miaoxue. Bai Youwei found this information utterly baffling¡ªwhat kind of spell had Fu Miaoxue cast on Chu Huaijin? If it had been anyone else, she might have investigated quietly, but since it was Fu Miaoxue, Bai Youwei went directly to her doorstep and aggressively knocked. The person who opened the door was Du Lai. Seeing her, Du Lai wasn¡¯t surprised at all. He stepped aside to let her in, and said, ¡°I know what you want to ask, believe it or not, this has nothing to do with us.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°People have run off to your side and you¡¯re telling me it has nothing to do with you?¡± ¡°Blame your own lack of personal charm~¡± mocked Fu Miaoxue, sitting in front of the vanity mirror, applying her makeup. Bai Youwei immediately retorted, ¡°I lack personal charm? What about you? No matter how much makeup you put on, you don¡¯t look any better!¡± ¡°Hey! What did you just say?!¡± Fu Miaoxue, infuriated, threw a box of blush. ¡°This really has nothing to do with us.¡± Du Lai, exasperated, positioned himself between the two women, ¡°Bai Youwei, think about it, although we need more people, we have no reason to hinder your recruitment. We won¡¯t encounter each other in the upcoming battle; what would we gain by stopping you? Besides, I promised you earlier that as long as you could save Miaoxue, I would support you fully in the battle. I may not have much credibility, but I won¡¯t go back on my word in this matter.¡± Bai Youwei frowned, looking at him and then at Miaoxue, her face full of suspicion. ¡°Is it really not your doing?¡± she asked. Fu Miaoxue snorted disdainfully, ¡°My ranks are already full, why would I bother?¡± Du Lai added, ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, this seems to be Professor Song¡¯s idea, and Chu Huaijin was also very troubled by it.¡± ¡°Professor Song?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s suspicion deepened, ¡°Isn¡¯t that old man nearly dead? I¡¯ve hardly even met him; when did I offend him?¡± Du Lai helplessly said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the specifics, you better look into it more.¡± Bai Youwei, visibly displeased, grimaced and waved her hand, then left Du Lai and Miaoxue¡¯s room. Once she was gone, Miaoxue immediately asked Du Lai curiously, ¡°Was it really Professor Song¡¯s idea?¡± ¡°Who else could make Chu Huaijin change his mind but Professor Song?¡± Du Lai picked up the box of blush from the floor and put it back on the table, ¡°This has nothing to do with us, let¡¯s not bother with it.¡± Miaoxue couldn¡¯t help but ponder, ¡°¡­ What if Bai Youwei can¡¯t gather enough people?¡± Du Lai paused, then replied, ¡°She has many pieces, so even if she loses the next battle, it should be fine, but if she can¡¯t gather enough people for the final showdown¡­¡± Miaoxue tilted her head, looking at him, ¡°What then?¡± Du Lai slightly furrowed his brow, ¡°¡­ She¡¯d probably die.¡± Chapter 933: 933: Moving House Chapter 933: Chapter 933: Moving House Since Song Mingchuan fell ill, his presence at the base had been almost negligible. If Du Lai hadn¡¯t mentioned it, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t have remembered that this person even existed at the base. She returned to her room with a stomach full of knots, just about to open the door when Chu Huaijin came out from inside. Their eyes met, and both were momentarily stunned. Chu Huaijin seemed a bit embarrassed, managed a forced smile, and then hurried away. Bai Youwei looked suspiciously at his retreating back and asked Shen Mo, ¡°What was he doing here?¡± Shen Mo watched Chu Huaijin, who had walked far away, and said indifferently, ¡°He hopes we move out, given that the base isn¡¯t planning to support us anymore.¡± Bai Youwei felt surprised, originally she was somewhat defiant, but now she was just taken aback and puzzled. She didn¡¯t speak for a long while, then hesitantly asked Shen Mo, ¡°I haven¡¯t¡­ offended anyone lately, have I?¡± It seemed she still had some self-awareness, knowing her temper wasn¡¯t the best, she may have unwittingly offended Professor Song. Shen Mo gave a quiet laugh and patted her head, ¡°Stop thinking about it, let¡¯s pack our stuff.¡± Actually, there wasn¡¯t much to pack, just some commonly used items like towels, toothbrushes, bedding, pillows, and other daily necessities were available in the dollhouse. The two of them packed up in the room, Bai Youwei hesitated several times as if she wanted to say something. Initially, she and Shen Mo were invited to live here, she didn¡¯t care much for this place, but being swept out like this felt really hard to articulate. Bai Youwei thought over and over, still couldn¡¯t figure it out, and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Could that old guy have become senile?¡± He was lying in a hospital bed, surviving on an oxygen machine, how could he suddenly meddle in the affairs of the base? Shen Mo said, ¡°Chu Huaijin didn¡¯t specify, but from what he said, Professor Song has made all passive preparations and will send someone to talk to Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai. If there¡¯s an issue with Fu Miaoxue¡­ we might need to move out too.¡± Bai Youwei heard this and couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes, ¡°¡­So he¡¯s letting Fu Miaoxue and Du Lai taste the sweetness first and then use this as a threat? That¡¯s cunning.¡± Imagine, when Du Lai and Fu Miaoxue were anxious about not having enough followers, suddenly receiving strong support from the base made life incredibly convenient. Both were elevated to a higher position, perhaps they would reconsider the matter of surrendering. Shen Mo pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°I will notify Asarina and Along, are the others in the dollhouse?¡± ¡°Yes, Xiaoxin and Teacher Cheng are there,¡± Bai Youwei said, ¡°Tan Xiao isn¡¯t, he¡¯s probably downstairs in the machine room playing on the computer again.¡± Shen Mo quickly tidied up a bit, then left to inform the others. Bai Youwei called out to him from the doorway, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you guys downstairs.¡± Shen Mo lifted his hand, signaling that he understood. Bai Youwei returned to her room, looked at the familiar furnishings and furniture, and felt a complex range of emotions. This whole situation was¡­just utterly baffling. She threw her luggage into the dollhouse haphazardly, wrapped herself in a down jacket from head to toe, warm and cozy, and went to take the elevator. People in the Headquarters Building seemed unaware of her and Shen Mo being evicted. She encountered a few staff members who still greeted her warmly. Bai Youwei waited in the lobby for a while when she heard the elevator¡¯s ¡®ding¡¯ as the doors opened. She turned to look and saw Fu Miaoxue stepping out wearing a black princess dress and arrogantly walking in high heels. Du Lai followed behind her, lugging bags and luggage. When Fu Miaoxue saw Bai Youwei, she stared at her down jacket for two seconds, then seemed to realize and cooed, ¡°Oh dear! It¡¯s so cold outside~¡± Bai Youwei: ¡°¡­¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. You don¡¯t even have pores, what are you cold for! Du Lai casually draped a scarf over Fu Miaoxue. Bai Youwei glanced sideways at them and asked, ¡°Where are you guys going?¡± Fu Miaoxue snorted coldly, spitting out two words: ¡°Move, house!¡± Chapter 935: 935 Just for Oneself Chapter 935: Chapter 935 Just for Oneself These two recordings represented the genuine inner thoughts of the two Kings and quickly spread throughout the entire city. Bai Youwei didn¡¯t know how Fu Miaoxue would feel, but her own feelings¡­ were like being stripped of her clothes, stark naked for the public¡¯s gaze! S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When people fight for survival in desperate situations, there¡¯s no room for excess mercy. Bai Youwei and Fu Miaoxue soon became the two most infamous individuals. Originally, people flocked to them because the Kings could open a way to life, but now, one unintentionally provoked a decisive battle, while the other even said she didn¡¯t wish for the game to end. What kind of change would such Kings bring to the world?¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s that people¡¯s expectations were too high to begin with. They saw them as saviors, when in reality, they were only looking out for themselves. Zhu Shu knew about this and was particularly furious. She found Chu Huaijin and accused him of quoting out of context. When she had talked to Bai Youwei initially, they discussed a whole lot! Picking out just that one line was obviously meant to mislead people! ¡°Even if Weiwei said this herself, what does it prove? Doesn¡¯t Professor Song understand the complexity of human nature? Even the most compassionate person might harbor a fleeting evil thought! Just because Weiwei said that then doesn¡¯t mean she always feels that way!¡± Zhu Shu was extremely angry, shouting at Chu Huaijin across a few bodyguards, ¡°Is it because Professor Song is sick that he¡¯s not thinking clearly? What about you?! Do you also think this way?!¡± Chu Huaijin waved his hand, signaling the bodyguards to let her go, and sighed, ¡°You and Miss Bai are friends, so it¡¯s normal for you to defend her. However, I hope you can also consider how many people have died in the game? How many have lost their families and their lives because of it? How many from our headquarters have sacrificed themselves for the game? And¡­ how did Professor Song¡¯s son die? Why does everyone wholeheartedly support the Kings? It¡¯s to stop all this! Yet she says she doesn¡¯t wish for the game to end! How can I continue to support her?!¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t justify releasing these recordings publicly!¡± Zhu Shu retorted angrily. ¡°Zhu Shu.¡± Someone called out from afar. Zhu Shu turned around to see it was Yan Qingwen, with Su Man and Lu Yuwen approaching. She bit her lip and walked over to Yan Qingwen, ¡°Professor Song is crossing the line by planting listening devices in the King¡¯s room and broadcasting the recordings. If this continues, Weiwei won¡¯t be able to recruit any subjects! What does he hope to achieve? What good does it do him if the remaining two Kings at the base are eliminated?!¡± Yan Qingwen glanced at Chu Huaijin not far away, his tone very calm, ¡°Yes, what benefit would it be for him if the King gets eliminated due to a lack of subjects¡­ It¡¯s common sense that everyone understands, so why doesn¡¯t Professor Song get it?¡± Zhu Shu was slightly stunned, feeling that Yan Qingwen¡¯s words seemed to imply something. Turning to look at Chu Huaijin again, the man just offered an apologetic smile and then left with several bodyguards. ¡°They¡¯re being so irresponsible¡­¡± Zhu Shu watched Chu Huaijin¡¯s receding figure, feeling very unreconciled, ¡°Everyone says the wrong thing sometimes. Releasing that recording almost negates all of Weiwei¡¯s efforts! No one will be grateful to her now!¡± ¡°Bai Youwei didn¡¯t join the labyrinth war to be appreciated,¡± said Yan Qingwen. Zhu Shu looked at him incredulously, ¡°Don¡¯t you believe in Weiwei either? Even though she said that, she would definitely not act on it! She cares a lot about her friends!¡± Yan Qingwen smiled faintly, ¡°I do believe her. But you also have to understand, it¡¯s fortunate that the person by her side is Shen Mo, otherwise¡­ whether the Bai Youwei of now would be like what was said in the recording, not wanting the game to end, nobody can be sure.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s understandable,¡± Lu Yuwen took up the conversation, his lips curving slightly, ¡°Without the game, she and I, one with a bad leg and the other with a limp, it¡¯s no wonder we¡¯ve become dependent on it.¡± Chapter 936: Isolation Chapter 936: Chapter 936: Isolation Beside Lu Yuwen, Su Man listened to his words, silently widened her eyes, and gently nudged him with her elbow, whispering, ¡°¡­You don¡¯t want the game to end either?¡± ¡°How could that be?¡± Lu Yuwen smiled and shook his head, ¡°As long as the game exists one more day, countless people will lose their lives. Of course, I hope the world returns to normal soon. I was just trying to analyze Bai Youwei¡¯s psychology, and I think I can understand it. Of course, it¡¯s normal for the public not to accept it.¡± Su Man sighed, ¡°Alas, it¡¯s a pity that we¡¯ve become commoners and can¡¯t help her.¡± ¡°Even if you weren¡¯t commoners, I wouldn¡¯t recommend you trying to help.¡± Yan Qingwen glanced at her, ¡°The final battle is extremely dangerous. You¡¯re the only daughter in your family and not suitable to fight.¡± Su Man pouted and retorted, ¡°If we don¡¯t fight, will we survive? We¡¯re still just waiting to die¡­¡± Zhu Shu asked Yan Qingwen, ¡°Is there any way we can help Weiwei?¡± She was very anxious and added, ¡°If I go and clarify to everyone that there¡¯s something wrong with that recording, will anyone believe it?¡± Yan Qingwen glanced around and said unexcitedly, ¡°Do you think Professor Song targeted the King because he discovered those recordings?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Zhu Shu stared at him, puzzled. Yan Qingwen continued, ¡°His research group must have discovered something recently¡­ Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have taken such a suicidal approach. I think Bai Youwei will have to choose to surrender this time.¡± ¡°We are just about to reach the fourth battle, surrender now?¡± Zhu Shu was astonished, ¡°Weiwei would never agree.¡± Su Man also couldn¡¯t hold back, ¡°Yeah, Brother Yan, that¡¯s a terrible idea! We¡¯re about to win, and surrendering now would mean all our efforts were wasted!¡± Lu Yuwen pondered for a moment and suggested, ¡°If we can find out the progress of the research group, maybe we can understand Professor Song¡¯s true intention.¡± Looking around at each other, they almost unanimously said¡ª ¡°Find Li Li.¡± As Song Mingchuan¡¯s former capable assistant, after Song Mingchuan fell seriously ill and was bedridden, Li Li had become a backbone of the research group. If anyone knew anything, it would be Li Li. ¡­ Meanwhile, Asarina and Along also heard about the recordings. The matter spread far and wide, and translating it into English wasn¡¯t hard to understand. Even Leonid privately asked Shen Mo: does Bai Youwei really think so? S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Doesn¡¯t she want the game to end? Doesn¡¯t she look forward to the world recovering? How could someone think like this? Zhu Shu believed that it was a momentary lapse for Bai Youwei, but others found it hard to understand or accept Bai Youwei¡¯s extreme ideas. It¡¯s like a group of people who enlisted to fight the enemy, only to have their commanding general say, he fights because he enjoys fighting, and it doesn¡¯t matter if the enemy lives or dies¡­ Their faith collapsed. In English, Asarina asked Shen Mo if the recording was truly Bai Youwei¡¯s, and if it had been tampered with. Having received an affirmative response, Asarina expressed that she and Along wanted to go home; they could no longer fight for Bai Youwei. Even if they stayed reluctantly, Bai Youwei wouldn¡¯t be able to recruit enough subjects and was ultimately headed for a dead end. Asarina felt there was little significance in them staying. These were the words Asarina said directly to Shen Mo. She had hoped to hear Bai Youwei¡¯s explanation but had not been able to see Bai Youwei. After the incident, Bai Youwei had moved into a dollhouse and refused to see anyone. Without defending herself with even a single word, not expecting forgiveness, nor beseeching for sympathy, she completely isolated herself from the outside world. She isolated herself not only from insults but also from the concern of her friends. Chapter 937: Gone Chapter 937: Chapter 937: Gone Shen Mo entered the room. Bai Youwei was sitting on the bed, engrossed in a single-player game on her phone. She used to think these games were dumb, but now with nothing else to do, playing to pass the time actually became enjoyable. She heard Shen Mo¡¯s footsteps as he entered, but she didn¡¯t look up and asked, ¡°Has Asarina left?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Mo walked over. ¡°She waited for you for two hours and just drove away.¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s fingers paused, then she resumed tapping on her phone screen without a word. Shen Mo sat down by the bed, watching her play. Her score had already far exceeded the historical record. ¡°Asarina and Along leaving means we now have even fewer people,¡± Shen Mo remarked lightly. ¡°Du Lai suggested we join them and go to Beijing. There¡¯s a safety base there, free from interference of rumors. It might be easier to recruit subjects over there.¡± ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Bai Youwei nodded. ¡°When do we leave?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to get some gasoline in the next few days. We should be able to leave tomorrow or the day after,¡± Shen Mo said. ¡°However, reaching a new place, meeting new team members, building trust and mutual understanding takes time. You¡¯ll need to be prepared for that.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, got it.¡± Bai Youwei nodded again, seeming very cooperative. Shen Mo was silent for a while, then said, ¡°If we can¡¯t make it in time, we should add Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin first, getting five people together to cope with the next game. Winning or losing doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The most important thing now was to ensure Bai Youwei didn¡¯t risk her life due to a lack of subjects. Bai Youwei said ¡°okay.¡± She was too compliant today, not uttering a single unnecessary word. Shen Mo stood up, asking her, ¡°Do you want to talk to Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin?¡± Bai Youwei hesitated, her fingers pinching both ends of the phone. After a long time, she replied softly, ¡°You go talk to them¡­¡± This sort of matter, she should have handled herself, including persuading Asarina not to leave, but she pushed everything onto Shen Mo. Shen Mo got up and walked towards the door. He stopped at the threshold, turned around, and asked Bai Youwei, ¡°You still want to have dinner in your room?¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Bai Youwei lowered her head and continued playing with her phone, ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry; I just want to be alone for a while.¡± Shen Mo stood at the door, quietly watching her. Feeling his gaze, Bai Youwei looked up, slightly uneasy, and gave a small, awkward smile. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that¡­¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Shen Mo said, ¡°Come here, let me hold you.¡± Bai Youwei paused, her smile returning, ¡°¡­if you want to hold me, just come here.¡± ¡°No, you come here,¡± Shen Mo insisted. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± The smile slowly faded from Bai Youwei¡¯s face. The room was eerily silent, neither of them spoke until the ¡°game-over¡± sound effect from the mobile game snapped Bai Youwei back to reality. She lowered her head, muttering somewhat discontentedly, ¡°I was lying down comfortably; I don¡¯t feel like moving.¡± Shen Mo asked, ¡°Are you too lazy to come over, or can you not come over?¡± Bai Youwei¡¯s lips pursed tightly, turning slightly pale. Shen Mo strode toward her. Bai Youwei recoiled as if afraid. She leaned against the pillow, her entire demeanor tense and resistant. Before she could speak, Shen Mo held down her leg. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°When did this happen?¡± Shen Mo asked. Bai Youwei bit her lower lip. Shen Mo gripped her knee, lifting the powerless leg slightly and then slowly lowering it back down. ¡°Since receiving the message yesterday, you¡¯ve just stayed in your room. Are you planning to stay in bed all day today too? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Bai Youwei lowered her eyelids, speaking softly, ¡°I thought it would recover quickly¡­¡± Last time, it was just a moment. She hadn¡¯t expected that this time, after an entire day, she still couldn¡¯t¡­ stand up. Chapter 938: In a Dilemma Chapter 938: Chapter 938: In a Dilemma ¡°Don¡¯t want people to know, so that¡¯s why you refused to meet with Asarina?¡± Shen Mo felt very uncomfortable inside, wanted to give her a harsh scolding, yet couldn¡¯t bear to. ¡°I won¡¯t leave.¡± He sighed, embracing her, ¡°What exactly are you worried about?¡± Bai Youwei let him hold her, her expression lost, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t know why I can¡¯t stand up¡­¡± Maybe deep down she still feared that once people knew the ugliness inside her heart, she would lose everything she had¡ªfriendship, love, trust, and support, all disappearing! Including Shen Mo holding her tight at this moment, what was he really thinking? Was there really no grudge? Even if he knew that she once did not want the world to return to normal, that wouldn¡¯t matter? Bai Youwei clutched the clothes on Shen Mo¡¯s back tightly, feeling a heaviness in her heart, sinking continuously. She didn¡¯t dare to think, what if everyone around her left, what should she do? Return to the lonely days of the past, eating alone, sleeping alone, watching the sun rise and set by herself? Even if she won in the end, what would it matter? She was too scared¡­ Scared to the extreme! Bai Youwei closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and finally realized how low and ludicrous she was! Even though she told herself thousands of times to trust Shen Mo! To trust that even if he heard the recording, he wouldn¡¯t hate her, disdain her, leave her! But she just couldn¡¯t stand up! She couldn¡¯t stand up! She couldn¡¯t overcome the demons in her heart! Even if on the surface she pretended to be nonchalant, her despicable heart still tried to use her broken legs to bind Shen Mo! To not let him leave her! Bai Youwei bit her lip tightly, suppressing the dull pain in her chest, and at this moment, she felt utterly defeated! S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It will get better.¡± Shen Mo gently patted her back, sighing, ¡°We¡¯ll take it slow, it will get better.¡± ¡°Mhm¡­¡± She took a deep breath, striving to steady her emotions, not to let self-pity defeat her. Shen Mo said, ¡°Continuing to hide it isn¡¯t a solution, I¡¯ll go get a wheelchair.¡± Bai Youwei clung to him, ¡°If people find out, recruitment will become even more difficult¡­¡± Shen Mo frowned, ¡°We can¡¯t hide it for much longer.¡± ¡°I just haven¡¯t adjusted my mindset yet, give me some more time¡­¡± Bai Youwei bit her lip and said softly, pleading in her tone, ¡°Just give me a little more time, my legs will recover¡­ They definitely can.¡± Shen Mo was torn. The recruitment of subjects was not going smoothly, and if people learned that the King¡¯s legs were paralyzed, it would only make it harder to recruit subjects. He deliberated for a moment and said, ¡°We still need to keep a wheelchair at home, you rest first, I¡¯ll go talk to Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin.¡± Bai Youwei let go of him. He stood up to leave, and Bai Youwei, watching his retreating figure, felt an inexplicable panic and hurriedly called out to him, ¡°Shen Mo.¡± Shen Mo turned back, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. Bai Youwei hesitated for two seconds and asked, ¡°Do¡­ Do you really want to go to Beijing with me?¡± She gazed at him eagerly, not waiting for Shen Mo to answer, she continued, ¡°About the recording¡­ it was, it was out of context, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­ Do you believe me?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Shen Mo¡¯s brows smoothed, his gaze softened, ¡°I believe you. Now I¡¯ll go find Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin, you rest well and try to recover sooner.¡± Bai Youwei looked at him, and somehow, she felt like laughing and crying at the same time. In the end, she just nodded dumbly and said, ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡­ In the research group in the city center, Li Li received a notification from the receptionist assistant that Su Man wanted to see him. The colleagues in the lab teased him, ¡°Li Li, your childhood sweetheart is here!¡± Li Li put on an impatient expression but inside felt somewhat proud; since their last argument, Su Man had finally come to him on her own initiative. ¡°She¡¯s really annoying, always acts however she pleases, I¡¯ve told her countless times, the lab isn¡¯t a place anyone can just enter!¡± Li Li walked toward the door. Chapter 939: 939 Good Friends Chapter 939: Chapter 939 Good Friends Ever since Lu Yuwen started staying with the Su Family, Li Li and Su Man had been in a cold war, neither of them acknowledging the other. Li Li couldn¡¯t understand how things had gotten to this point. They had often fought since they were young, but they would always reconcile quickly after each fight. This was the first time they hadn¡¯t been in contact for such a long period. Thinking of Su Man¡¯s personality, Li Li convinced himself in his heart that there was no need to take her seriously; that woman was just stubborn and liked to nitpick¡­ Since she had taken the initiative to come to him, willing to offer an olive branch, then he might as well accept the peace offering to stop his parents from nagging at home. Without realizing it, Li Li slowed his pace, pondering what kind of expression he should wear upon meeting¡­ As soon as he turned the corner at the entrance, he saw Yan Qingwen¡¯s face and was startled. ¡°Yan¡­ Yan bro?¡± Li Li¡¯s tone was surprised, ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Yan Qingwen looked at him suspiciously, ¡°Who else did you think it was?¡± Li Li faltered, ¡°A colleague said¡­ said that Su Man was looking for me.¡± ¡°Oh, Su Man is here too.¡± Yan Qingwen approached him, looked around, and said calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s talk in private.¡± Li Li was a bit confused, but seeing Yan Qingwen already walking forward, he followed. There were several lounges used for receiving guests outside. Yan Qingwen opened one of them, and Li Li saw Su Man and Lu Yuwen sitting inside, with Zhu Shu also present. What was this situation? Why did it feel like something big was about to happen? Li Li cautiously walked into the lounge, sat down, and asked them, ¡°What happened?¡± Yan Qingwen closed the door and said directly, ¡°Headquarters has decided to drop the matter with the King, you should know about this, right? Is it because Professor Song has discovered something? Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason to do so.¡± Li Li was dazed, ¡°We did hear about it, but I thought¡­ it was¡­¡± Unable to hold back her impatience, Su Man interrupted, ¡°You thought what?¡± Li Li replied in a low and embarrassed voice, ¡°I thought it was one of Chu Huaijin¡¯s tactics¡­ you know, to be able to negotiate with the King. That kind of negotiation¡­ to divide interests and risks.¡± Su Man¡¯s eyes widened immediately, ¡°You knew about this, why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± Li Li frowned, ¡°Yan bro is not with the King right now¡­¡± ¡°But Yan bro is now a subject of Fu Miaoxue!¡± Su Man grew angry, ¡°Yan bro has saved you so many times; didn¡¯t you ever think to give us a heads up?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure!¡± Li Li was also upset, ¡°It was just a guess of mine; if I couldn¡¯t be sure, why would I alarm you?¡± Lu Yuwen interrupted from the side, ¡°Manman, don¡¯t argue with him anymore, let¡¯s ask about the research team.¡± Su Man tapped her head in frustration, ¡°Right, you¡¯re correct¡­¡± Li Li, on the other hand, became agitated, looking at Lu Yuwen with disbelief, ¡°You call her Manman?!¡± Turning to Su Man, ¡°You let him call you Manman?! What is the relationship between you two?!¡± Su Man, embarrassed by his questioning, retorted with a stiff neck, ¡°Of course, we are just friends!¡± Lu Yuwen smiled tactfully, ¡°Yes, don¡¯t get the wrong idea. Uncle and Auntie at home call her that, and I¡¯ve heard it so often, I started to as well¡­¡± He put his hand on Su Man¡¯s shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°Manman and I are very good friends.¡± Li Li clenched his fists. Zhu Shu looked at the three of them, only wanting to sigh. She turned to Yan Qingwen, who was leaning against the door, and asked, ¡°What do we do? Li Li doesn¡¯t seem to know the internal situation of the research group either.¡± Su Man couldn¡¯t figure it out and asked Li Li, ¡°Aren¡¯t you Professor Song¡¯s assistant? How do you not know anything?¡± Lu Yuwen gently said, ¡°Manman, perhaps Professor Song has more than one assistant, so¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Li Li said irritatedly, ¡°The research group is divided into several departments, at least for the part I¡¯m responsible for, I am completely clear!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.